Repair and Deliver

by FluttersIsAwesome

Rating: everyone
Tags: Romance, Original Character, Cutie Mark Crusaders, Rarity, Dinky Hooves, Derpy Hooves, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe
Length: 89969

If there are two things Torque loves more than anything, they're helping people and mechanical work. When a worker shortage forces him to move to Ponyville, he meets a young filly with a struggling mother that allows him to do both.

Torque has been working as a mechanic for his father in Vanhoover for years. His hobbies are inventing, building, and making others happy. When he finds himself moving to Ponyville, he discovers that his optimism and love of helping others are just what a fatherless child needs in her life, and the key to helping her mother get through each day. Inserting oneself into a place you aren't meant to be isn't easy, but as time goes on, the earth pony learns that this is where he needs to be.
Part of the Rising Sun AU

Published 2013-10-08 16:50:04 UTC
Last updated 2013-12-18 15:51:50 UTC

Chapter 1: Leaving Home

Repair and Deliver
Story 6
Chapter 1: Leaving Home
By: SleeplessScribe

Mornings in Vanhoover were always… interesting, to say the least. It always seemed like I was being woken up by something other than my alarm clock. Today it was the neighbors outside shouting about something I honestly didn’t care enough about to listen to.

It was all good, though. Getting up earlier than I intended just meant more time to get ready, and that I’d also get to the shop before it actually opened. A nice plate of eggs had been fixed up for me with a note from my sister.

“I had to leave early this morning since I wanted to turn in my project for college early. Dad wants to talk to you as soon as you get to the shop, so don’t be late, Torque! Love you, and I hope you have a good day!
-Violet Night”

Ah, I had the best sister an earth pony could ask for. It was no surprise that she’d rather go to college than follow dad’s life path, but neither of us could even ask a unicorn to do the work we did. We found it strange that mom wanted to help from time to time, but when we heard that Violet wanted to pursue some higher education, we were all pushing for her to do it.

I, however, was content with working for my dad’s workshop. Ratchet owned a company with branches in every major city in Equestria. We were, for the most part, mechanics, but we also did small carpentry. Electrical, and plumbing tasks as well.

Anyway, I downed my eggs eagerly and hopped into the shower. In all honesty, morning showers may or may not have been a waste of time considering I normally ended the day covered in oil and grease, but hey, it made me feel better and woke me up. It was even worse considering my coat was yellow; I had to scrub hard to get oil stains out, and the work uniforms only helped so much. Once I was out and dried off, I slipped on my favorite green hat that my mom hated so much and made my way to Engage Repairs, the central hub of dad’s business.

Luckily for me, the shop was a few houses down and across the road from where my sister and I lived. Our parents’ house was right next to it, so communication and organization was quick and easy. The buzzing and whirring of various tools could be heard even before hours as I entered the office to the left of the actual workshops, and both of my parents were up as well.

Every time I saw my father Ratchet I remembered the day I got this wrench and screwdriver stamped on my flank. Had it not been for the big yellow stallion before me, I probably wouldn’t be where I was today, and that means a lot more than you think. He flashed a wide grin when he caught sight of me, lifting himself up from his chair behind the desk and wrapping me in a hug.

“Morning, Torque! What are you doing up so early?”

I just gave him a shrug and a smile. “Another day, another premature wake up call.”

He let out a low chuckle, patting my back. “Well, I’m glad you’re here. Buddy, I gotta ask you something big, alright? We’ve got a worker shortage in our newest branch, and from what I understand, a severe lack of know-how. The shop is in Ponyville, right smack dab in the middle of Equestria, and I told the guy I put in charge of that shop I’d talk to you. Now, I’ll be honest, you’ll be staying in your current position since it’s kind of unfair for me to promote you without his consent. However, I know you’re the colt for the job, and I know you’ve been wanting to leave Vanhoover and do some exploring for a long while, so do you think you can do it?”

It was actually really flattering that my dad thought me the best pony for this job. “Definitely! When should I get going?”

“As soon as you can!” A saddle with one bag on each side was lowered onto my back, wrapped in the golden glow of my mother’s magic. The dark purple, honey-eyed mare smiled and pulled me into her own hug once my dad was done. “They’re not expecting you until this afternoon, so I packed you up a nice lunch in one bag, and in the other I put your last paycheck, a map to where you need to go with a map of Ponyville on the other side, and a bunch of those designs you’ve been working on.”

My eyes lit up when I heard she didn’t forget my sketches. The only bad part about leaving Vanhoover was that I’d have to set up another little personal workshop to design, build, and test my various ideas. The heavenly aroma of toasted bread and vegetables rose up from my bag and even managed to overpower the smell of oil and gasoline.

Amethyst Glow gave me her own bright smile, lifting my hat slowly. “Oh, Torque, I wish you’d get rid of this thing. Why do you have to cover up that pretty burgundy mane? That and your eyes were the only things you got from me.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle as she said this. “I know mom, I know, I just like it. Besides, how can I not use a gift from my sister? This was the first ever Hearthswarming gift she ever got me with her own money, remember?”

She lowered it back onto my head, her eyes lidding a little. “Of course, dear, it’s just a little sad that it has to cover up that pretty head of hair.”

They both wrapped me up in tight hugs again, pouring out goodbyes. Finally they were done and my mom opened the door for me. “Alright, sweetie, don’t let us keep you… be careful, Torque!”

It was actually kind of hard for me to pull myself away from them as well. I’d never been out of Vanhoover, nor had I ever been so far away from my family. The simple trek from them to the door took a solid five minutes at least as I kept waving and saying goodbye, but eventually I was through the exit and looking at the map.

Vanhoover was about as far northwest as you could go while staying in Equestria, and the fastest way to Ponyville was by train. Unfortunately, a massive earthquake destroyed a section of the tracks along Unicorn Range. That meant that the current fastest way there was to go all the way to Tall Tale and get on the train from there.

It wasn’t really that big a deal, though, and it didn’t bother me that much. On the bright side, Tall Tale was basically on the other side of Vanhoover’s train tracks. Another good thing was that the shop wasn’t that far from the train station, and all I had to do was follow the tracks for a little bit and then cross them. It was then a quick trek across relatively flat grasslands until I was in the other city. Fortune was smiling upon me today; as soon as I entered Tall Tale, I caught sight of a map of the entire town.

Turns out I was a few blocks away from the train station here, but the sun was starting to actually come up now. I was amazed at how late the sun actually began to rise. I mean, it was only eight o’ clock, but I remember earlier in the year when the sun was up before I was. Not that I really minded, I actually kind of liked it when the sky was still dark in the morning. I never could figure out why, but I did.

Once I go to the train station it was smooth sailing. Everything was going great now; not five minutes after I got my ticket, the train pulled up. I picked a car a little closer to the front, and after a bit of waiting, we were off. My face was pressed up against the window the entire time as we went through the forest outside of Tall Tale. My jaw dropped as the train passed through the only low valley in the Smokey Mountains afterward. They were the tallest mountains in Equestria, and I actually had to stick my head out of the window to even see the top of them. I was surprised my hat didn’t fly off of my head.

After that, it was just flatland with forest on both sides, and about an hour after the train left the station it was going through a tunnel. The little town was now in plain sight as the train exited the tunnel, and I could feel it slowing down to a halt as we approached the station. I checked my map when I got out and noticed a red circle right next to the tall building with a red roof labeled “Shop”.

I still had a good three hours before I was actually expected there, so I decided to take a look around. It was a pretty lively town, but not to the point of feeling too busy like Vanhoover. Everypony seemed so nice, too. Almost everyone I passed gave me either a smile, wave, or a nice “hello”.

It took about an hour for me to familiarize myself with the main part of town, but after I was, it was time for me to make my way to the shop. It was just like the one back home, just a bit smaller, with the office on the left and a large building with four large, vertical-lifting doors on the right. Oddly enough, there were no sounds coming from the garage, and upon further inspection I found that nopony was actually there.

“You the guy Ratchet sent?” Turning around resulted in my muzzle meeting a light red one behind me. Her light blue mane was tied up into a ponytail and draped over her left shoulder. Her emerald eyes scanned me behind her rectangular glasses, and she looked up at me with a scoff.

“Huh, you don’t look like much. Your cutie mark says you’re my guy, but nothing else does. Well, whatever. I’m Sparkplug, I run this place, and you,” the earth pony grabbed hold of my map and pointed just outside the major chunk of Ponyville, “Get here. This is our local school, and the teacher’s requested our help repairing a new projector she bought for the class. As you can see, everyone’s already out doing jobs, so you came just in time. Get going, kid, I’m gonna call Ratchet and see if you actually are his son. Expect a big hug when you come back if you are.”

Sparkplug took off without giving me a chance to respond. All I could do was tilt my head and furrow my brow in an attempt to process what just happened. “…Okay then.”

Some may have called Sparkplug mean, but I think she was just stressed out by having to put a job on hold. The question popped into my head as to why she wasn’t out doing work, but then I remembered that somepony had to be at the shop at all times, both to take requests for outside repairs and to help with walk-ins.

The school wasn’t too far away, and I seemed to have come at a pretty decent time. All the little ones were seated at tables in the back of the classroom eating lunch. When I came in, I was approached by a pretty purple mare sporting a two tone mane of different pinks.

“Oh, thank goodness you’re here! I’m sorry to bother you, but I just can’t seem to get this new projector of mine to work. My old one stopped working a few days ago, and my lesson plan for this week more or less requires me to incorporate it.”

She led me to it, and I was very impressed. It was one of the more recent MagnifEye models, and they were known for their quality. There was nothing wrong with it from what I could see, and that meant that she was either doing something wrong or I’d have to take it apart and look at the inside.

“Hm… what exactly is the problem, Miss….” I just realized she hadn’t even told me her name.

Her eyes widened as she, too, realized this fact, giving me a nervous giggle. “Oh please, call me Cheerilee. I’m not sure what’s wrong, I just try to turn it on and nothing happens.”

I searched around for the power button and held it down for a bit. A lot of the machines MagnifEye came out with required the user to hold down the “on” button, but that produced no results.

“Allow me to introduce myself before I actually do anything. My name is Torque.” I held my hoof out to the kind mare, and she took it with a smile.

“Well, it’s wonderful to meet you, Torque. Is there anything you might need?”

I took a second look at the exterior of the projector before I nodded. “Actually, yes. I was sent here the minute I got to the shop, so I don’t have any tools with me. Is there any chance you have a screwdriver laying around?”

Cheerilee trotted over to her desk at the front of the room. She opened the drawer and lightly tossed over a Philips head; luckily that was the kind I needed. “I always keep this just in case one of the screws in these desks comes loose.”

Speaking with the thing in my mouth as a little awkward, but somehow I managed. “Good thing, too, I think I may know what the problem is.” After taking out the screws holding down the machine’s outer shell, I lifted it off and spotted the problem immediately. “Miss Cheerilee, how would you mind just a little rattling when you moved this thing around?”

The teacher tilted her head curiously, tapping her chin. “I suppose that’d be just a small price to pay to get it working. What exactly is the problem?”

I motioned to a decent sized hold in the center of the projector, drawing her attention to the lopsided fan inside. “This thing here keeps the machine cool while it’s in use, and as it is right now, it can’t spin. MagnifEye designs a lot of their devices with fans so that they don’t even turn on if the cooling system doesn’t work. That’s not a problem, though. It looks like the centerpiece is missing a screw, but they’re all the same size, so I can just use on of the ones that keeps the shell on. I’ll try and make it the least noisy side.”

She let out a small giggle and gave me a nod. “Thank you very much, Torque.”

I didn’t give it a whole lot of thought until the screw was in and I put the shell back on and screwed that it, but it was a little odd that this actually happened. The company this thing came from was known for pretty thorough quality control. Not that it was a big deal; the fix took less than five minutes.

As soon as I was done, I turned to Cheerilee to let her know when a slightly sad scene unfolded before me. A small, pale purple unicorn filly tapped her teacher’s leg, her brows turned up in a sad gaze.

“Miss Cheerilee… do you have some crackers or something?”

The earth pony returned that rather sad expression, softly patting the filly’s back. “Oh, Dinky, did you forget your lunch again?”

Dinky hesitated, turning towards her fellow students before giving a nod. “Uh huh.”

Cheerilee began rummaging through a lower cabinet in her desk, but I tapped her shoulder and shook my head. “Dinky, is it? I think I have something for you.”

Her eyes lit up as she saw me set the wrapped up sub on the desk before her. I cut it into fourths so she wouldn’t have to bite off chunks of the sandwich as I ruffled up her little blonde mane.

“There you go, sweetie. Hope you like it.”

Little Dinky hopped up and down a few times, picking up the pieces and taking it to her table… alone. I heard a sigh from beside me and turned to the school teacher who was still sporting a forlorn expression on her face.

“I’ve got to find out who’s responsible for this. I-I know it’s none of your business, but this is the third day in a row that poor girl has come in without food. To be quite honest, Torque, I think someone is taking it.”

My eyes widened as she spoke. Cheerilee and I had just met, so she obviously wouldn’t know, but if bullies were involved in this it was most definitely my business. “I’m going to go talk to her.”

“Oh no, you don’t have to, I-“

I turned to her again and began to shake my head. “Miss Cheerilee, I’m normally a pretty cheery guy, but if there’s one thing I don’t tolerate, it’s bullying. My sister, Violet Night, dealt with it a lot in school, and still deals with it in college. Every day I can help a victim of bullying is a day well spent.”

Cheerilee started to speak, but as rude as it was, I turned away and headed towards the little filly before she could. Dinky waved at me as I kneeled down beside her and smiled. “How is it, Dinky? Do you like it?”

She gave me an excited nod as she bit a piece out of one of the sections. “Mhm! It’s super good!”

Chuckling at her cuteness was a little hard to resist. “Well, Dinky, my name is Torque, and we’re friends now! And friends tell each other secrets, right?”

She raised a brow at me, lifting her shoulders in a shrug.

“Well, do you think you could tell me what really happened to your lunch?”

Her lower lip began to curl as she looked at me, her gaze shifting to two other fillies at a different table. They were both sporting gaudy jewelry and, in all honesty, pretty snobby attitudes. I was always taught not to judge a book by its cover, but some ponies, even little ones, made that really hard sometimes.

“They took it from me. They said I owed them for an accident my momma caused, but she can’t help it. It’s not fair, Mister Torque…. Nobody likes me because my momma breaks things on accident, so they think I do that too.”

“Aaaw….” I gave her a small pat on the back. “You’re right, that’s not fair. I’m going to go talk to them right now.”

Once again, I walked away from a pony without letting them speak. The two fillies stopped their chatting when they caught sight of me, their faces a mix of confused and somewhat frightened.

“Excuse me, girls, but I understand you’ve taken something that doesn’t belong to you? You know, it’s not very nice to take someone else’s lunch.”

The girl with the pink coat pursed her lips, furrowing her brow somewhat angrily. “Well, it’s the least she could do after her klutz of a mom broke our window! She flew right into it and took the whole thing out of the wall.”

I seated myself on the floor, crossing my forelegs. “Excuse me, young lady, but if I were you, I’d change my tone. I am an adult, and while I may not be your teacher, you should still respect me. If Dinky’s mother caused some damage to your home, that’s between her and your parents, not you and her. Taking something from her is bullying, not payback, do you understand?”

They both lowered their heads, giving me slow nods.

“So you will stop being mean to her?”

Once again they both nodded, speaking in unison. “Yes sir.”

“Good.” I turned to Dinky and winked at her, then turned to Cheerilee. “If you need anything else, please let me know!”

The teacher waved at me as I headed for the door. “Will do, thank you, Torque! Have a good day!”

I returned her waves just before stepping out. “You do the same, Miss Cheerilee!”

Chapter 2: Friend Maker

Repair and Deliver
Story 6
Chapter 2: Friend Maker
By: SleeplessScribe

I kept my eyes on the two fillies I had spoken to until a wall separated us. As I headed back to the shop, I realized something that, admittedly, should have been much higher on my priority list.

I had no house in this town.

That kind of scared me, to be perfectly honest. Well, I got less scared as I thought more about it. Staying in a hotel or something until I found and bought or built my own house wouldn’t be that bad, but it was still a concern. What was even more of a concern was the fact that I was so lost in my own thoughts that I didn’t even notice the pegasus heading straight for me.

Well, I didn’t notice her until she was on top of me and we were both on the ground. The light grey body rolled itself off of me as the mare poured out more apologies than my brain could process.

“Oh I’m so sorry! Are you alright? Please forgive me! Oh, oh, oh, stupid Ditzy!”

My eyes widened at her words as I picked myself up. She was shaking her head rather violently, but I grabbed hold of it and forced her to look at me. That was when I saw the most peculiar thing I’d ever seen before: this pegasus’ eyes were crooked, with one at an angle while the other looked straight at me.

This didn’t really bother me, though. In fact, coupled with her voice, it was actually kind of cute. “Hey, that was an accident, don’t call yourself stupid. I’m alright, don’t beat yourself up over it.”

She let out a long sigh and attempted to calm herself down, plopping her rear onto the ground. “Thank goodness… still, I’m so sorry I bumped into you. I’m not the greatest flyer in the world.”

I dusted myself off with a smile. “Don’t worry, friend. Really, it’s perfectly fine.” In an attempt to show my sincerity, I held out my hoof. “My name is Torque. What’s yours?”

The pegasus slowly reached out her own hoof and began to shake, her own mouth starting to curve up in a small, but genuine smile. “I’m Ditzy Doo… though most call me Derpy on account of my lack of coordination.”

That was a word I’d never heard. “Derpy? What does that mean?”

She shook her head slowly. “I honestly couldn’t tell you… I’m sure they’re not actually trying to insult me, but it’s just not a nice sounding nickname….”

As she spoke, I wondered how many ponies that had somewhere to be like I did would’ve been staying her like I was. I gave her a gentle pat on the back, helping her gather up the letters that had fallen out of her bag.

“Thank you very much. Not many would’ve done this for me after I flew right into them.”

If that was true, then those “many” she was talking about should be ashamed of themselves. “Don’t mention it, Ditzy. I’m always happy to help.”

Ditzy herself began to smile again, trying to steady herself as she ascended into the air. “Thank you again, Torque!”

We both waved to each other as we went our separate ways. Had it not been for the fact that the job I was doing didn’t have any specific timestamp, I might have been just a little scared of Sparkplug. Luckily, there was no guarantee as to how long the repair would take, though I refused to lie if she actually asked what took me so long.

As I approached the shop, the door to the office swung open and the pink forelegs were wrapped around my neck. “Hello, cousin of mine! It’s so awesome to actually meet you!”

I shook my head quickly and stared at the mare before me. “Wait… what?”

A wide grin crossed her face as she released me from her embrace. “Ratchet is my favorite uncle, and I’m astonished at myself for not recognizing you! Wait, speaking of… you didn’t recognize me either! What the heck, Torque?”

It took a few minutes, but it finally dawned on me. I was looking at probably the coolest cousin in the world, and I hadn’t even realized it. “Hang on a second, what happened to you? I remember when you were all pigtails and dark blue mane.”

She lifted her shoulders with a smirk. “That’s what happens when you grow up and don’t see others for a few years! My hair started to lighten up when I was about fifteen. It finally got to this color on my nineteenth birthday, and it’s been that way for two years. Thanks for missing all my birthday parties, you butt!”

Sparkplug playfully nudged my shoulder before we wrapped each other in hugs again. “If I’m seriously working with you, this has officially become the best thing to ever happen to me.”

“Well start celebrating, because I run this here shop!”

We both slammed our front hooves together, absolutely elated to be working together after not seeing each other for so long that maturity kept us from recognizing one another. “This is going to be so cool!”

She grinned at me, pulling me inside and taking my bags. “Sorry about the kind of harsh greeting earlier. Anyway, because I was so eager to get Cheerilee’s job done, I failed to mention some of the essentials I shouldn’t have told you once you arrived. If you’ve been worried about housing at all, Ratchet’s already bought you an apartment not too far away. I also want to apologize for sending you off without any tools, but the fact that you came back and didn’t ask for any tells me that didn’t pose a problem, right?”

All I did was shrug. “Well, it would have if Cheerilee didn’t keep a screwdriver in the classroom.”

She nudged me shoulder again, taking down a tool belt from the wall and tossing it to me. “Well from now on, you’ll always have that with you. In addition, if we think an outgoing job is going to require additional hardware, we’ll send you off with that. Torque, you have no idea how many home requests we get. All of my guys came back while you were gone, and in that time we got at least seven calls. Unfortunately, aside from you and I, we only have four other workers. Sorry to send you out again so soon, but do you think you could handle another assignment right now?”

I rolled my eyes at her and stuck out my tongue. “What you should be sorry for is feeling like you even needed to ask me. What needs fixing this time?”

Spark pulled my map out of the bags she had replaced with the tool belt, setting her hoof on a rather large building not too far from where we were. “This here is Carousel Boutique. The owner of the fashion store is a unicorn by the name of Rarity. Now, don’t freak out when you go over there; Rarity has a tendency to… exaggerate things.”

“So… it’s probably not as serious as she’s going to make it sound?”

“Exactly.”

“Alright then.” I waved to her as I stepped out, making my way around the back of the shop and forward. Carousel Boutique really looked like whoever was living there took extremely good care of it, even at a distance. The entire building was shiny and gleaming, and as I approached it, I could almost see my reflection in the sparkling walls.

As I approached the front door, I could ear muffled sounds coming from inside that didn’t sound like anything one would typically hear in a fashion store. Well… they didn’t sound like anything I’d think one would hear in a fashion store.

My knocking was met with a rather joyful “Coming!” The door swung open, revealing a gorgeous white unicorn sporting a rather professionally well-groomed mane and tail. The unicorn I assumed to be Rarity flashed me a bright grin, performing some kind of bow curtsey thing that looked to me like she was attempting yoga.

“Oh, you must be from Engage, aren’t you? So lovely to meet you, dear. My name is Rarity, and this is Carousel Boutique!”

She repeated that odd gesture, and I held my hoof out. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rarity. My name is Torque.”

The unicorn simply stared at my hoof for a moment before looking back to me. “Um… you have some mud on your hoof.”

I tilted my head, turning my hoof around to look at it. There was indeed a dark brown spot where I had probably stepped in wet dirt. “Huh, I didn’t even notice that.”

Before I knew what had happened, the spot was gone, and Rarity was tossing a rag into the trash can. “There we go!” She set her hoof on mine and shook it with a smile. “Clean as a whistle.”

Well that was certainly a… different introduction. She brought me inside, and that’s when I noticed that sound again. This time it was much clearer, and I just had to close my eyes to listen. Someone in the boutique was singing and playing music, and it sounded phenomenal.

“Say Rarity, who is that singing?”

Her ears perked up at my question as she turned back to me. “Oh, that? That would be my sister Sweetie Belle and my friends Beat Tempo and Vinyl Scratch. Ah, before you say anything, yes, it’s that Beat. Get this, a few weeks ago Sweetie got a cutie mark for her amazing singing talent, and at least once a week, those two come and record albums with her! My little sister is a star!”

She let out an excited giggle, almost squealing when she was done. I couldn’t blame her, either, that sounded like an enormous, and very rare opportunity. “Well, she sounds really happy doing what she’s doing.”

“Oh believe me, she is. You should have seen her face when she actually got her cutie mark, she was positively beaming. Speaking of… I haven’t seen you around here before! Are you new in town?”

My head was doing a lot of moving today. “Actually, yes. I just got off the train this morning.”

Rarity clapped her hooves together before taking my own in them. “Then you simply must forgive me for not giving you a proper ‘Welcome to Ponyville!’ I’m afraid I’ve just been so caught up with my current… issue.”

Now my ears perked up as she reminded me of why I was here. “Oh, right! What exactly did you need us for, Rarity?”

She took a hold of me again, pulling me through the door on the other side of the room. I was led to this odd looking box about the size of a typical microwave with three tubes jutting out of the left side, two small openings on the front and the back, and a cord connecting it to a pedal beneath the table it was on.

“This here is a nifty little machine I bought a few days ago. It speeds up cloth making substantially! See, normally if I want any kind of colored cloth, I have to either buy it or make the dyes myself and dye the fabric manually. This device allows me to do both of those at once. See, I slip the fabric through this hole,” she motioned to the opening in what I assumed to be the front of the machine, “I pour my ingredients for the dye into these tubes, and it mixes them up much more quickly than I could do it myself, and then it spreads the dye evenly over the fabric, and the colored result comes out in this end.”

I scratched my chin as I examined it, turning back to my new friend after a bit. “Alrighty. So, what exactly is the problem?”

“Well,” Rarity pressed her hoof down on the pedal, but nothing happened, “it’s supposed to start running when I press down on this pedal, but as you can see, it isn’t. Might you have any idea what’s wrong?”

Stuff like this was normally easy to diagnose, even in machines I hadn’t seen before. “Well, if it’s alright with you, I’d like to take a look inside this thing. If it’s what I think it is, than the cord is the problem, but I’d still like to see just to make sure.”

She nodded and used her magic to open up the top of the machine along the middle. Moving both sides revealed the mixing station that the tubes led into and the guide that the fabric was led through as it was dyed. From the looks of things, the little turbine in the center was what mixed up the dyes, and once it was complete, the belt would move and take the fabric with it.

“Would you mind trying to run it again? Seeing it now tells me a lot, but seeing it try to operate will tell me more.”

“Of course.” The unicorn pressed down on the pedal again, but this time I noticed the turbine twitched as she did. I held up my hoof for her to stop, and waved it a little to indicate for her to begin again. A second time the turbine tried to move to no avail.

“Alright, I thought the issue was a short in the cord keeping electricity from traveling, but it might actually be this little rotor here. See, every time you press the pedal, it does some kind of twitch. I assume it’s supposed to spin when you do that?”

Rarity nudged the piece with her hoof before nodding. “Yes, the ingredients go in here to be made into the dye. You think this may be the source of the problem?”

Judging by the layout of this machine, the mixer was probably attached to something else that also spun, which was most likely keeping the device from working. “I’m going to need to take a few pieces off to take a peek underneath. Is that alright with you?”

She waved her hoof at me, flashing another smile. “By all means, dear. Please feel free to do what you think is necessary. In the meantime, I’ll fix you up a nice cup of tea.”

“Well thank you, Rarity. That’s very kind of you.”

Once again she waved me off, letting out a small giggle. “Don’t be silly, it’s the least I could do. Let me know when you’ve fixed it!”

My friend trotted off, leaving me to get to work. I searched through my belt for an appropriate tool and took a pair of needle nosed pliers to the bolts holding down that rotor. Once all for were off, I slowly lifted that piece and caught sight of the issue. This entire thing ran on what looked like a small rotary engine, and apparently today was national fan repair day. The actual component that did the spinning was attached to the mixing turbine with one stinking screw.

Whoever slapped this thing together clearly didn’t realize that these things spun pretty rapidly. One of the fin-like pieces of plastic that connected the blades of the rotor to the mixing turbine had snapped clean off and was now wedged in the rotor itself. Popping it out with the pliers was a cake walk, and that would get the machine running again, but I was nowhere near content with just getting it working.

My next goal was to make sure that this never happened again, but that would mean replacing or somehow fortifying the connections between rotor and turbine. There was plenty of room around it to bolt two pieces of metal to the sides of every blade for both pieces but I didn’t want to do anything without asking Rarity.

Luckily she had just finished making her tea. “Torque, the tea is ready if you’d like to take a break!”

I turned to her with a nod and followed her into the kitchen. “Actually Rarity, your timing couldn’t be better. I’ve fixed the problem, but I’d like to add a little insurance to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself. Do you mind if I take this thing into the shop to fix it up?”

“Oh please, be my guest. Is that going to cost anything extra?”

I took a sip of the tea before responding. It was actually really, really good. “Nah, I’ll vouch for you. Normally it would, but I’m doing this because I want to. Plus it’ll save you a lot of headache later.”

She smiled at me and sipped at her own cup. “Well I very much appreciate that. Thank you, darling.”

“Not a problem, Rarity. I’ll take it right now and get to work.”

Rarity waved to me as I lifted the thing onto my back, carefully walking through the front door. “Thank you again, Torque!”

I explained the situation to Sparkplug when I got back to the shop, and she gave me the go-ahead to work on this thing. The idea of cutting off the already existing plastic links kept bouncing around in my head, as well. At first I thought it would help for reasons I actually didn’t have, then I thought it would be a bad idea because they gave added strength, but in the end I decided to go through with it.

The metal didn’t guarantee that the other links wouldn’t break off, but they did guarantee that the turbine and rotor would stay connected without any problems. Once it was done, I gave it a test run and it started up like it had never had a problem to begin with. Carrying it back to Rarity was a little bit of a challenge, but I didn’t drop it, so that was a silver lining.

She seemed elated to have her… thing in working condition, and repaid me with a big hug. “Oh, thank you Torque! You’ve done me a great service, dear. Please don’t be a stranger, you’re welcome here any time!”

Once again I found myself waving to a new friend on the way to a door. “Thank you, Rarity! I’ll be sure to remember that!”

I made my way back to the shop, and when I stepped into the office, Sparkplug immediately grabbed me and dragged me into the workshop. There before us stood four ponies, three colts and a mare.

“Torque, meet the crew.”

The first one she motioned to was a greasy stallion much bigger than either of us. His light brown coat was covered in faded stains that most likely came from oil. Man, looking at him made me feel like a pansy, seeing as how I freaked out the one time my foreleg got splashed with oil and it took me days to get the stain out completely. He wore a white and red trucker's cap that barely hid his long, yellow mane. I took the hoof that was held out to me and gave it as strong a shake as I could.

"Nice to meet you, bud! Name's Drill Bit and I look forward to working with you!"

“Likewise, friend.”

The next one in my cousin’s introduction list was what looked to be the youngest of the bunch. He was at least six inches shorter than I was, and he even behaved towards me as a kid would to an authority figure.

The kid held out a slate grey hoof and used his other to scratch the back of his head. I had to wonder how he could have any itches with such a short mane. Heck, I couldn’t even tell what color it is, but it looked dark blue.

He also seemed to have trouble speaking, stutters and pauses plaguing his sentences. “H-Hello sir! I’m Stainless Steel, and I-I-I’m kinda new to all of this.”

I took his hoof and shook it slowly, nudging his shoulder with my other. “Don’t worry about it, buddy. You’re in the company of seasoned professionals, am I right?”

Pretty much everyone, even the two I had yet to be introduced to, gave a loud, resounding. “Yeah!”

Now it was the purple coated, so-dark-purple-it-was-almost-black maned mare to introduce herself. She puffed out her chest and thrust her hoof out confidently, though when she spoke, you could kind of tell she was trying just a little too hard.

“Great to meet you, Torque. My name is Sprocket, and I hope we get along well.”

There were a lot of shoulders being nudged today. “I’m sure we will, Sprock.”

She gave me a small smile, and caught sight of a light pink tint forming on her cheeks. Now that was cute.

Finally I was directed to a tall, lanky, dark red colt with brown hair so long it covered his eyes. A part of my wondered if that went against regulations; I’m pretty sure it could be considered a safety hazard. Vision didn’t seem to be a problem, though, as he held out his hoof to me just as the other crew members did, though he sounded much more at ease than the previous two.

“What’s up, man? Name’s Fuse Box, but all my friends just call me Fuse.”

For such a skinny guy, he had a pretty strong shake. “Then Fuse it is. Nice to meet you, all of you.”

Sparkplug set her hoof on my shoulder and grinned at me. “Look at this, bud! Not even a full day in Ponyville, and you’ve already got a bunch of friends!”

They all started to laugh and nod at me, and I couldn’t help but chuckle as I looked at my cousin. “I’ve got more friends already than you realize.”

Chapter 3: Friend Date

Repair and Deliver
Story 6
Chapter 3: Friend Date
By: SleeplessScribe

She tilted her head, furrowing her brow. “What do you mean by that?”

All I did was shrug, grinning at her confusion. “I’ve already made a few friends in my time outside. Cheerilee, Rarity, Ditzy Doo-“

Sparkplug clapped her hooves together. “Oh snap! I totally forgot about her! She’s been having a problem with her oven and asked us to check it out earlier today.”

Admittedly, I was kind of eager to see that pegasus again to see how she was doing, so I immediately threw up my hoof. “I’ll go. Where’s the destination?”

I found that she had pinned my map of Ponyville up to the wall right next to the door connecting the garage and office. She touched the spot marking the shop and traced her hoof past the town hall, stopping on one of the buildings on the left of the “circle” formed by the empty land between the town hall and all the houses.

“She lives right in here. I’d be careful if I were you, Torque. I don’t have anything against Ditzy, she’s a big old sweetheart, but she’s not the most… coordinated of pegasi. Just watch your head when you’re around her.”

I rolled my eyes at my cousin. “We’ve already met. I’m not too worried about it. You’re right, Spark, she’s a real sweetie. I actually look forward to seeing her again.”

In fact, I was so eager, I was already out of the door before my cousin could give me in details, and she had to grab me and pull me back in. Sparkplug gave me some possible essentials for the oven job such as replacement parts and downsized tools that could actually fit the small spaces I may or may not have to work with. Once I was properly equipped, I was off.

Ditzy’s house was actually rather nice, though it did look a little small. Not that that was a bad thing; small was cozier in my opinion.The entire place had that rustic look to it, which I personally was a big fan of. Light red bricks made up the walls, though the concrete foundation was slightly visible beneath it. All the windowsills were white, and looked very good against the brick. Ditzy apparently had a knack for gardening, as well, given the somewhat uneven flowerbeds on either side of her door.

I waited a little bit after knocking on the door, and after said little bit, the adorable pegasus opened it. Her googly eyes widened as a bright grin crossed her face. She wrapped her forelegs around me, practically smothering me in her hug.

“Oh Torque, that was such a sweet thing you did for my little Dinky! Oh thank you so, so much!”

Now my eyes widened as connected the dots. “Wait a second, you’re Dinky’s mother?”

She gave me a quick nod, still keeping me wrapped in her embrace. “I am, and I can’t thank you enough for what you did for my sweet little daughter! Torque, how can I ever repay you?”

A few things came to mind, but I just had to go for the option so cheesy I needed some wine to go with it. “All you have to do for me is stay cute! Well, that and don’t let anyone’s words bring you down. So, where is the little munchkin?”

Ditzy giggled a little before leading me inside. My curiosity was piqued now; she seemed to be walking just fine despite the lack of coordination both my cousin and Ditzy herself had spoken of. The little unicorn was in what looked to be the living room, considering the coffee table, reclining chair, and sofa. She had a hold of a small stuffed puppy, bouncing it up and down on the sofa like it was running.

The pegasus rapped her hoof on the doorframe lightly to get her daughter’s attention. “Dinky, we have a visitor.”

She turned around and jumped up, running to me and hugging my leg. “Mister Torque! Thanks you Mister Torque! Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon didn’t mess with me all day! Thanks you, thanks you lots, Mister Torque!”

This was probably the most adorable child ever, I’m just putting that out there. “Aw, you don’t have to thank me, Dinky. It was only right that I give you some food, it’s no fun going hungry or being bullied.”

The filly shook her head slowly before returning to her toy. “Nu uh, it’s not fun.” She picked up the puppy and showed it to me. The poor thing was missing an eye, and its tricolor body had various rips in it. It was a little dirty too, so it made me wonder how long she’d actually had it for.

She flashed me a bright smile and held it in the air. “It’s okay, though! I have Mr. Wags to keep me company, and momma always has time for a hug!” After a little giggle, she wrapped herself around my leg again. “And now I have you too, Mister Torque!”

“Yes you do, sweetie.” I gave her a light pat on the head as she let go of me again.

Ditzy gave her an affectionate nudge with her muzzle. “Okay now, Dinky. Mister Torque is going to fix up our oven, and when he’s done, I’ll make a nice batch of banana nut muffins.”

Her eyes lit up when she heard this and her front hooves met each other in an excited clap. “Really? Oh yay, yay, yay! Momma, your muffins are the best!”

She nudged her daughter again, giving her a kiss on the forehead. “Go play, sweetie, we’ll be done in a jiffy.”

Dinky nodded her head once, taking Mr. Wags back to the couch as the pegasus nudged me. “Shall I take you to the kitchen?”

My focus was still on the unicorn, but eventually I managed to turn back to me friend. “Sure thing, Ditzy, but do you mind if I ask you something?”

“Oh, no. Please go right ahead.”

It was kind of surprising that she didn’t ask if it was about her eyes, but a yes was a yes. “How long has Dinky had Mr. Wags? The toy looks like it’s seen a few rough years.”

Apparently today was also national nod your head day. “Dinky’s always wanted a pet dog, but my job at the post office only pays so much. She’s eight now, and she’s had it since she was four or five, so at least four years.”

Ah, that brought back some memories. “Dogs can be a handful sometimes. We used to have one back home. It was a big old yellow lab named Tucker, but he was about as mean as a lunchbox. That dog couldn’t growl at someone to save his life.”

My friend let out a low “Aaaw” before taking me through another door and into the kitchen. It wasn’t much, but it was enough: a square dining table with a seat on each side, a sink on one side of the room, and a refrigerator across from it, and an oven with a cooktop stove and a microwave next to it.

Ditzy gave me a moment to look around but apparently gained an interest in my story. “Do you still have him?”

I had to shake my head at that one. “No, he got out a couple months ago and started chasing a squirrel. We searched for days, but we never could find him….”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that….” Her eyes shifted from side to side. To be honest, it was a little hard to keep from chuckling. Not because it looked like she was having a hard time, but just because it looked a little silly. “Anyway, the problem I’m having is that the oven won’t heat up. Do you think you might know what’s causing it?”

Her telling me that really didn’t help. There were quite a few things that could cause this, and I’d have to test every single possibility until I found the source. I opened up the oven and looked around, but nothing caught my eye right off the bat. Ohm meters, at least back in Vanhoover, were standard tools to be carried at all times, and as I shuffled through my belt, I hoped it was the same here in Ponyville. Luckily it was, and I pulled the device out and set it on the counter in front of the microwave.

“Ditzy, I’m afraid you’re going to have to have something replaced, regardless of what the problem is. It’s most likely the oven igniter or the bake or broil elements. Those are the most common parts that end up failing in ovens. The good news is that none of them are extremely expensive, and if it’s the igniter, I actually have a new one with me. Not only that, but if it is just the igniter, you’ll only be billed the basic rate. That being said, I’ll try and make this quick so you don’t have to pay as much.”

The pegasus chuckled a little, sitting down at the table. “Thank you, Torque. That means a lot to me.”

“Of course, Ditzy.” The circumstances she was in weren’t all that good, but as I learned that things could have been much, much worse. Upon more thorough inspection, I saw that neither element was damaged, but I took both of them and the igniter out just to be sure. A test on the Ohms meter confirmed both that the elements were not the problem and that the igniter indeed was the issue. Normally one would test it by actually turning on the oven and watching the piece, but I wanted to stay true to my promise.

The really good part about this was that an Ohms test was actually more reliable than just the 90 second test. Reinstalling the elements and replacing the igniter took no time at all, and the oven performed perfectly during the test run.

“There you go, Ditzy, you’re good to go. Didn’t even take a full hour.”

I felt the pegasus wrap her forelegs around me again as she let out a small squeal. “Torque, I really can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve been doing.” Suddenly her eyes lit up and she began to clap. “I know! I’ll fix up a second batch of muffins! Would you like to come by when you get off and have one, Torque?”

With a smile, I returned her hug and gave her a pat on the back. “That sounds very nice, Ditzy. I’d like that.”

She nudged me forward with a wide smile of her own. “It’s the least I can do. Please don’t be a stranger, Torque, my door is always open for you.”

So that made two ponies with open doors for me. This town was shaping up to be a very great place. “I appreciate that. I’ll swing by once I get off, have a good afternoon!”

She was still smiling even as I went through the door. “You too! Bye, Torque!”

Once I was finally back at the shop, I saw that, once again, everyone but Sparkplug was gone, but my cousin was actually working, too. She had a decent sized engine in the garage and, from the looks of it, was messing around with the carburetor.

“Having some trouble, Spark?”

The mare shook her head without turning her attention away. “Nah. Construction guys had a problem with one of their front end loaders. You’d think they’d have at least one mechanic on site, but hey, we’re talking about the guys who brought this engine in a forklift. I mean, seriously.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle a little. Apparently my cousin had never actually had a big part delivered to the garage. “Sparkplug, that’s normally how big machine parts are transported. Seeing an engine on a palette is not that uncommon.

She jumped a little at my words, clearing her throat and immediately changing the subject. “Anyway, how do the oven job go?”

“Flawlessly. It was a simple weak igniter. Good thing you gave me that replacement, huh?”

Now it was her turn to laugh. “I always like to send my buds out prepared. Any accidents? She knock anything over? Did the knock you over?”

I tapped my hoof against the cement. “Hey now, be nice! Ditzy’s a sweetie, and that little daughter of hers is absolutely precious. In fact, once we get off, I’m going to pay her a visit. She invited me for a taste of her muffins.”

My cousin turned to me with the most accusing expression I’ve ever seen. “That, taken out of context, could sound incredibly sexual.”

I felt my face heating up as Sparkplug started laughing at me, falling onto her back and holding her stomach. “That is not even funny, Spark! Didn’t I just ask you to be nice?”

She took a moment to calm down and wipe her eyes, standing up again when she was done. “Oh, sorry about that, I just couldn’t resist. Don’t pass that up, though. Ditzy may be a little clumsy, but she’s an excellent baker, especially her muffins. Mm, mm, mm! I like her chocolate chip ones the most, but almost everypony I know seems to adore the banana nut muffins she sells on the side. On Sundays when the post office doesn’t run, she has a little bake sale from ten to twelve thirty, and ponies from all over down flock over to her little stand to buy her treats. She only charges two bits per purchase, too.”

I tilted my head, remembering her comment about how her post office job didn’t pay much. “Wait… she told me that she couldn’t afford to get Dinky a pet. If she makes so much, then why is that a problem?”

All my cousin could do was shrug. “Mail ponies only make but so much, and they only get anything decent when they have to go out of town. She helps out with the weather sometimes, but that’s only when they need her, so she probably divides her money between bills and necessities like food and stuff.”

That really got me thinking. I mean, my dad owned a pretty successful business, and even when I got to the age where my sister and I got our own place and I was actually working with him, I never really worried about money. My savings were nothing to sneeze at either, and a desire welled up in me to go back home and pick up a nice amount of bits to settle down with. At the very least, I wouldn’t be strapped for food money.

Before I could dwell on that any more, the mare before me snapped me back to reality. “Speaking of getting off, it’s getting pretty close to closing time. The shop closes at around four, but we take outgoing jobs until five-thirty. Here, take this,” she tossed me what looked like a police walkie-talkie, “keep that with you at all times during work hours. If an outgoing job comes up, I’ll signal everyone on that, and whoever wants it can volunteer. I’m not sure how Uncle Ratchet runs things, but you get paid by the hour, and extra for any additional work you do. We’re nice enough that we don’t take that extra out of the client’s bill, though. In addition, any tips you get are 100 percent yours.”

Actually, that was the exact same system my dad used. “That’s the way dad did things too. Anyway, I think I’ll stick around for a little bit. I’ll help you out if you want, and then I’ll check out that apartment.”

“I’ve looked at it myself, and it’s a pretty nice place to start with.” She beckoned me over and handed me a pair of pliers. “It doesn’t look like the engine is getting gas, so could you check the fuel filter for me?”

I loosened the ring on the filter’s tube and slid it down. Once I checked it, I fastened the piece back together just to avoid further complications. “It’s not getting any gas. I can’t tell what the problem is right off the bat, but the fact that nothing’s coming out is a pretty obvious indicator.”

My cousin rolled her eyes and let out a sigh. “Ah shit. That means we’re gonna have to replace it.”

As soon as she finished, I pointed my hoof at her in an overly dramatic fashion. “Hey, hey, hey! Where’d you get that mouth, young lady? No kin of mine talks like that, you got me?”

She blinked at me a few times. “Uh… yeah. Sorry about that, sometimes things like that just slip out. Anyway, it kind of sucks that we’re going to need to buy a replacement filter, but you do what you gotta do.”

I clapped my hooves together with a grin. Everything was working out amazingly today. “You know, Sparks, I planned to take a quick trip back to Vanhoover to pick up some more spending money. If you want, I can grab a new filter while I’m up there.”

She reached up and nudged my shoulder, giving me a wink. “That’d be awesome, Torque! Thanks.”

“Hey, no problem. I’m gonna take off now, alright? I’ll go see Ditzy again, see how the muffins are coming along, and then I’ll head back home to get that stuff. Hopefully I won’t be gone too long.”

Sparkplug waved her hoof at me and rolled her eyes, wiping the grease off of her hooves. “Take your time. I’m not the one in a rush, the construction workers are. Heck, I’m not even sure what they’re working on in the first place. Probably a waste of the taxpayer’s money.”

Now I was the one rolling his eyes. “Isn’t that how it always is? Alright, I’ll see you later.”

The trip back to Ditzy’s took just a little less time now that I knew where I was going. I knocked on the door again, but instead of the pegasus, I heard a cute little “coming!” from Dinky.

Her hoof steps were quite audible even behind the door, and I heard a few grunts after they stopped. “Um, one second please!” After about half a minute the door opened, revealing the small unicorn standing on a stool so she could reach the doorknob.

“Hi Mister Torque!” She turned back toward the kitchen with a smile. “Momma, Mister Torque is back!”

“Oh!” Ditzy herself trotted up around the corner, sporting a rather pretty pink apron. “I didn’t expect you back so soon! The muffins only just went into the oven, I’m sorry.”

I raised my hoof up and let out a chuckle. “Oh no, don’t worry! I was just coming by to see how you were. I’ll be back later, but I want to run back home to Vanhoover to pick up a few things.”

My friend let out a loud gasp, grabbing hold of my face with a bright grin on her own. “You’re going to Vanhoover? Dinky and I have always wanted to see what the city is like! Torque, do you think, I mean, if it’s not too much trouble, do you think we could go too?”

How could I possibly refuse those adorably crooked eyes? “That wouldn’t bother me at all. Except, don’t you need to stay here and watch the oven?”

She closed her eyes and lips, but her smile was still wide as ever. “My neighbor Carrot Top can watch it. She’s always happy to help me when it comes to baking. In fact, I’ll go ask her now!”

Before I could say anything, she skipped away to the house next to her and knocked on the door. She was greeted by a ginger-haired pony with a carrot stamped on her flank. I couldn’t tell what they were saying, but who I assumed to be Carrot Top gave a nod and trotted over to us with Ditzy.

She held her hoof out to me with a smile. “It’s wonderful to meet you, Torque. My name’s Carrot Top, and thank you so much for fixing Ditzy’s oven!”

Ditzy herself began to clap excitedly. “She said yes! We can both go with you, Torque!”

I couldn’t help but chuckle again, tipping my hat to the earth pony. “Well thank you, Carrot Top. I can’t wait to try those muffins when we get back.”

She gave a nod and trotted inside, leaving me to get hugged by both Ditzy and her daughter. “Thank you so much for this, Torque, we’ve always wanted to see what it’s like in the cities.”

“It’s not too different from Ponyville, just busier. But come on, we don’t want to miss the train!”

Ditzy lowered herself and allowed Dinky to hop on her back. Once they were situated, all three of us made our way to the train station. The pegasus tried to pay for the tickets, but I pressed her hoof down with my own.

“No. I’ll pay for anything we need, Ditzy.”

My friend didn’t say anything, but her appreciative smile was all I needed. There was a massive sense of irony during the trip as I watched the girls stare out the window, taking in all the sights just as I had when coming to Ponyville.

Finally my curiosity got the better of me as I tapped one of Ditzy’s wings. “Hey Ditzy, I really need to ask you something now. If it’s not too sensitive of a subject… what happened to your eyes?”

She looked towards her daughter for a moment before joining me on the bunk across from her. “It’s not a sensitive subject. I fell down a set of stairs when I was young and hit my head. It gave me a concussion and messed up my eyes pretty bad. I’m pretty sure it’s obvious, but that’s where my problems with coordination come from.”

I was really glad she said that, because that led into my next question. “That’s something else I wanted to ask. You really don’t seem like you have much of an issue when you’re walking.”

My face turned a little red when she lifted my hoof, pressing her own against it. “After such a long time of dealing with it, I learned to rely less on my eyes and more on my legs, at least on the ground. Instead of letting my eyes determine my balance, I let the position of my legs do it instead. That’s not to say carrying things and stuff like that is super easy, but walking isn’t that difficult anymore. Flying, however, is a completely different story. I don’t really need to tell you that though, huh?”

We both started to laugh, and we kept on until the little unicorn shouted out. “Wow! Momma, look at the mountains!” Both she and I made out way over to the window, opening it and poking our heads out to look at the massive Smokey Mountains we were about to pass through. “They’re so big! Mister Torque, can you see them from your house?”

Honestly, I didn’t know the answer, but now that she asked I wanted to find out. “I’m not sure, Dinky, but we’re going to see when we get there.”

She began to clap, giggling like crazy. “Yay, yay, yay!”

Ditzy and I began to laugh again at how cute she was, and she hopped onto my back as we neared the city.

Suddenly it dawned on her and she tapped my shoulder, a curious look on her face. “Torque, this is Tall Tale, not Vanhoover….”

To be quite honest, I forgot about that, too, and I was just going to the train station I had come to Ponyville on. I let out a nervous chuckle before opening the door for her. “I know. The tracks directly from Ponyville to Vanhoover are out right now because this big quake opened up a fissure right on them. It’s no big issue, though, all it will take to get to Vanhoover is a bit of walking.”

They both smiled at me as Dinky made a game of hopping between my back and her mother’s, but stayed on mine once we started to move. “I can’t wait to see the city, Momma! It’s gonna be so fun!”

She giggled a little, patting the unicorn’s head. “I can’t wait either, sweetie.”

An idea came into my mind, and without thinking I smacked my front hoof against the other. “Hey! I know it’s a little early for dinner, but why don’t I take you and Dinky out to eat? Vanhoover has some really nice restaurants, and I can show you around the city.”

Both pairs of eyes lit up when they heard me. Ditzy gave me another big hug, absolutely giddy with excitement. “Oh, that would be so great! Thank you, Torque, thank you for being so sweet!”

After a short moment of silence, she backed away from me with a blush. “Uh… sorry. It’s just, nopony’s ever been as nice to me as you’ve been. I mean, yeah, Carrot Top helps me with things, but you’re the only pony I’ve ever known to do so much for me with so little personal gain. Really, Torque, I just can’t thank you enough.”

I couldn’t help but smile as she followed me to the edge of Tall Tale. “You can thank me by staying sweet, yourself.”

My shoulder really was getting messed with a lot today. “Oh stop! You’re making me blush!”

She had me chuckling all the way into Vanhoover, but once we were there, I lost my ability to see due to an unforeseen Dinky on my head pushing my hat over my eyes.

“Whoa! Momma look at all the buildings! They’re so tall! Which one do you live in, Mister Torque?”

Alright, I lied. I was laughing even through being blinded. “No, no, Dinky. These are all places where ponies go to work. My house is just down the block. The cool thing is you’ll get to see where I used to work, too!”

The little unicorn started clapping again. “Yay! Yay! I’m so excited!”

Now both of us were letting out light laughs. I was eager to show the girls around, but first things first. The way to my place wasn’t that long, and they both seemed very interested when I pointed out my dad’s shop. Unfortunately it didn’t look like anyone was there at the moment, so I didn’t actually bother to go in.

Once we got to my house, Ditzy gave many a fascinated “oooh”. “Wow, Torque, you’re doing really well for yourself!”

“Me? Nah, it’s nothing special. Now where is it…?” I was starting to get worried. There was a certain thing I was looking for, but it was not where I normally kept it.

Ditzy poked her head into the room I was searching through. “May I ask what you’re looking for?”

“I kept a safety deposit box around here. It had most of my cash in it. I mean, I have plenty of money in the bank, but it would be nice to actually have some on me.”

Her googly eyes widened as she took a deep breath. “Wait a second, I know where it is! That, and a bunch of other stuff, is on its way to your apartment! I didn’t draw the connection until now, but I delivered a letter and an inventory list earlier today that detailed the items movers were bringing in! At first I thought you’d been here a while and I just didn’t notice, but that letter must have been for you!”

My eyes got a little big themselves. “Well I’ll be. I guess checks will have to do, then. So, how about I show you around and then we grab a bit to eat, how does that sound?”

They didn’t even need to say anything to me as I both heard and felt the rumbling. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

* * *

The entire tour was filled with laughs. Dinky kept jumping around every time I pointed out a specific building, and eventually her stomach start growling so much I bought her a quick snack from one of Vanhoover’s many street vendors. They didn’t mind me taking a quick break in the middle to grab that fuel filter, and it didn’t take but five minutes. Three hours and I don’t even know how many blocks later, we scoped out all of Vanhoover.

The sun was just starting to go down, and it was much closer to dinner time. I let Ditzy decide where we would go, though I did need to explain what each restaurant served. She didn’t want to go anywhere where they served alcohol, but luckily there a decent few of them fit that description. We went ahead and chose a place that had meals specifically designed for children, and the normal food was pretty good too.

By the time we were done, all three of us were bloated and just a little sleepy. Dinky had actually fallen asleep on her mother’s back, and when we got on the train to go home, Ditzy wrapped her daughter up in one of the beds the train cars had in them. She herself sat beside me, making me blush again as she yawned and leaned against my shoulder.

“That was the most fun I’ve had in years….”

She probably couldn’t see it, but I smiled anyway. “I’m glad to hear that, Ditzy. There’s no doubt in my mind little Dinky had a lot of fun too.”

I felt her head rub against me, which meant she was either trying to cuddle me or she was nodding. “Um… Torque, are we friends?”

Well that was a question I wasn’t expecting. However, my smile didn’t fade as I turned to her. “Of course we are. You’re sweet, and really nice, too.”

Her next question didn’t just catch me off guard, it smacked me right between the eyes. “Was this a date?”

If I had a bit for every single mare that had asked me out in my life… I’d have two bits. I was at a complete loss for responses, so I just went with me gut. “Well… yeah. I guess you could call this a friend date.”

She seemed completely unfazed by my response. In fact, Ditzy looked like me saying yes actually made her more relaxed. “It was nice. I’m sorry you didn’t get to have a muffin. Hey! If you’d like, you can come by in the morning, and we can have coffee with them.”

I began to wonder if, should I ever lose my job, I could put “professional friend maker” on my resume. Apparently making friends was just natural to me. “You know what, that sounds really nice. I’d like that, Ditzy.”

Author's Note

If I had a bit for every story I've written with a dinner date in it... I'd have three bits.

Chapter 4: The Broken and Unbreakable

Repair and Deliver
Story 6
Chapter 4: The Broken and Unbreakable
By: SleeplessScribe

It was pretty late when we got back to Ponyville, so Ditzy and I didn’t spend too much time on our goodbyes after I walked her home. Little Dinky was knocked out on her mom’s back again not too long after we woke her up to get off the train, and I didn’t want to keep her away from bed any more than I had to.

The first thing I did once I was by myself was drop that fuel filter off at the shop. Surprisingly, the door was unlocked. I guess Sparkplug assumed I would bring it by even though I didn’t back until late, so I just set the piece on her desk and locked the door from the inside. In all honesty, it was really bad design for doors to still open from the inside even if they were locked, but I was thankful that they did.

I checked the door just to make sure it actually was locked before I made my way to the apartment I’d been given for the first time all day. Isn’t it funny how I’d been in Ponyville almost a full day and was just now taking a look at where I’d be living? Sparks was right though, it was a very nice place. When she said apartment, I was expected a big complex, but it turned out she just meant an addition to a preexisting building.

A mental note was made to hug my cousin extra tight the next time I saw her. My apartment was over a large garage, and inside this garage a fair amount of my possessions from Vanhoover had been put in suitcases and stacked up against the wall. All of my invention sketches were there, that safety deposit box, a bunch of pictures, and a lot of other things I was kind of regretting leaving behind.

Not only that, but this meant I didn’t have to worry about setting up a workshop, because it was literally right under where I was living! I was way too eager to start unpacking, and by ten o’ clock the place was already starting to feel cozy. It wasn’t that different from Ditzy’s place in terms of layout and size, save for the face that I didn’t know where her bedrooms were. I did one last walkthrough of the place, making mental notes of where everything was.

A staircase in the garage led to a door into the apartment’s kitchen, and it was a straight shot from that door to the living room, with said kitchen being on the right. Between the kitchen and living room was a hall. There was one full bathroom and one half bath on the left, and there were three bedrooms one the right. Two looked like they were for adults and/or couples, and the other room was a bit smaller and had a Dinky sized bed. Seeing it actually made me thing of the little filly again, and thinking of her reminded me of my promise to see my new friend in the morning.

I was looking really forward to coffee and muffins with Ditzy. She seemed really nice, and the way she had overcome her injury, at least to a degree, was very cool. However, my desire to get to work on designs clashed with this, prompting me to simply hang up my blueprints and go to bed.

For once my alarm was the thing that woke me up. It was amazing both to wake up to something I intended for once and to see that this place was already stocked with food. I thought about grabbing some breakfast just to hold me off, but Ditzy wasn’t that far away. It was a simple matter of showering, brushing my teeth, and grabbing my hat before I was ready to go. I actually had to hop back in and grab my little radio thing just so I wouldn’t forget it. Couldn’t have that now, huh?

It didn’t take but a few seconds for the pegasus to open the door when I knocked. I opened my mouth to say hello, but Ditzy raised a hoof to her own. “Sshh, Dinky’s still asleep.”

I gave her a nod as we both entered her house. She led me into the kitchen, where two cups of coffee were already set on the dining table. My friend quickly trotted to her microwave, turning it off just before the last second, which I assumed was to avoid waking her daughter. There were four muffins on the plate she too out, and she set said plate between the two coffee mugs as she took her seat.

“I’m sure they don’t taste as good microwaved as they do fresh, but please try one.”

They looked delicious either way, and biting into one got a loud “MM” from me. “They’re delicious, Ditzy!”

She was smiling as she shushed me, but it was a shush all the same. “I’m glad you like them. It’s the least I could do to repay your kindness. And don’t start with ‘You don’t owe me anything,’ Torque, you’ve done way too much for me without even knowing me for every long for me not to owe you something.”

Well, she told me not to argue, so there was no point in arguing. “Well, Ditzy, how could I not? Both you and Dinky are way too sweet not to deserve some friendliness.” I soon found myself with my tongue out, waving my hoof on it as my friend started to giggle.

“You know, Torque, fresh coffee is normally hot.”

I let out a nervous chuckle and took another bite out of the muffin to try and cool off my tongue. “Yeah, I didn’t think that one through.” As we ate, something came to my mind, and now that I knew Dinky’s mother was the pegasus before me, I had to ask.

“Say, Ditzy, do you mind if I ask you something? Yesterday when I gave Dinky my lunch, one of the fillies that had taken hers told me you flew through their window? Do… things like that happen often?”

Her injury made it really hard to tell where she was actually looking, but it at least looked her gaze had moved down. “Yes… that’s where my nickname came from. I honestly try to avoid flying as much as I can, but I can’t afford to take that time when I’m delivering mail. Flight is mandatory when making deliveries and my… handicap makes things difficult. I end up crashing a lot, which is why I normally end up stuck at the post office sorting mail until they run out of other delivery ponies. Unfortunately Dinky’s been given that label even though she’s very coordinated. I’m sure the fact that she’s illegitimate has something to do with it, too.”

I was sure I would have to see a doctor about my heart after that. I was getting ready to give a long speech about how she was beautiful the way she was and how she has no right to call herself handicapped, but that last part hit me right in the head.

“Wait, did you say illegitimate? She’s not adopted?”

My friend slowly shook her head. She opened her mouth, but I pressed my hoof to her lips. “I can only assume how she came to be, then. If it’s a sensitive subject, please don’t try and remember it for my sake.”

Ditzy’s ears fell flat, but she still managed to maintain eye contact… to the best of her abilities. “I got lost one time in Dodge Junction. A lone mare walking around at night is basically an open invitation to the bar hoppers in that town. I didn’t have the money or the heart for an abortion, either.”

She wasn’t doing anything to lessen my desire to help her and her daughter. I didn’t have any experiences with rape in the family, but I could only imagine how difficult that must be. Not just having your body taken from you without consent, but having to raise a child by yourself couldn’t be easy.

I took another sip of the coffee and switched seats so I’d be next to her. Her head was down now, but I set my hoof under her chin and raised it up. “I’m so sorry to hear that, Ditzy. I’m sure it can’t be easy, and I’d be glad to help you any way I can.”

My friend just stared at me, twiddling her hooves. “Torque, why are you so nice? You’ve only known me for a day, and I haven’t done anything for you.”

To be completely honest, I had no idea why I was nice. Of course, I couldn’t tell her that, so I went with the most likely explanation. I set my hoof on hers after patting her back, trying to keep my smile.

“It’s just how I am, Ditzy. I’m not the kind of guy to just stand by if I can do something helpful. Especially with someone like you. You’ve made it quite clear that you’re struggling, so how wrong would it be for me to know I could do something for you and not? Besides, you don’t need to do something for me in order for me to feel like doing something for you. That’s just not how I work.”

Seeing the tears form in her eyes scared the heck out of me, and I really started to regret my words until the pegasus threw her forelegs around me. “Oh Torque, if you only knew how much that meant to me. It’s so hard to get help from anyone because I’m basically taboo. Save for a few things Carrot Top has done for me and some favors from my family, I’ve had to get through each day on my own. I’m getting tired, Torque… I’m not sure I have the strength for this.”

My own legs soon wrapped around her, and somehow I actually found it easier to smile. As all this was happening, I thought not only of what I was being told, but how odd it was that I didn’t actually have that many friends back home. I used to think others just didn’t like me that much, but now I was starting to think that it was the ponies in Vanhoover that just didn’t want to make friends. I mean, here was a broken mare, one that I had only known for a day, pouring her heart out to me during what was supposed to be just a simple breakfast. It wasn’t just Ditzy either, in one day I had made six friends not counting her or her daughter.

This may sound terrible, but I was actually kind of happy that Ditzy was crying right now. In all my experiences with my sister, I learned that mares, at least most of them, despised crying in front of others. Seeing her cry told me that she really trusted me, and that made me a little proud. It told me I was doing something right in my efforts to help her, and judging by her words, she probably hadn’t had a shoulder to cry on in years.

Unfortunately the sound of static ended our moment as my cousin’s voice came from my radio thing.

“Torque, you’re late. Come on, the shop opens at nine.”

Ditzy looked up at me, wiping her eyes with a soft smile. “Thanks, Torque, I needed that. Don’t worry about me, I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

I gave her another pat on the back before I stood up. “You know I’m here if you need anything, right?” After a nod from her, I made my way to the door. “Have a good day, Ditzy. I’ll see you later.”

She waved at me, taking another sip of her coffee and sniffling. “You too, Torque. Bye.”

Explaining my situation while still respecting Ditzy’s privacy was a little difficult, but Sparkplug was very understanding. I felt like she really didn’t want to look at me, as she randomly grabbed a screwdriver off her desk and toyed with it in her hooves.

“Torque, I understand how you feel, and I can’t fault you for that. However, you can’t let it make you late for your first official day working here. I hate to sound mean, but that kind of stuff is for after hours and the weekends. Though I will say, if things are bad enough for her to cry, someone like you is sure to help.”

“What exactly do you mean?” I knew they weren’t, but the fact that she was doing all she could to avoid focusing on me kind of made her words seem like an insult.

Finally she managed to set the tool down and direct her eyes towards me. “For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve been smiling. Now, I’m not your sister, so I’m not exactly sure what life has thrown at you, but even if you’ve had it easy, staying happy all the time can’t be easy. I mean, heck, everyone in my neighborhood called you ‘unbreakable’. Like, all of us, including myself, felt like you were one of those guys who would never let life, no matter how bad, bring you down.”

Well, she was right. I haven’t exactly lived a hard life, but it wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows, but both my parents told me all the time that all clouds had a silver lining, and I always tried to find that silver lining. Even in Ditzy’s situation there was a bright side; she had an adorable and lovable child that loved her just as much as she loved Dinky. Not only that, but now she had me, too.

“You kind of have to be like that, Spark. Think about it, how much better do you think life is when you always look at the good? I won’t lie, sometimes the bright side is hard to find, but there always is one, no matter what. Even if you hit rock bottom, and there is absolutely no way possible that you could fall down further, now the only way you have to go is up.”

My cousin started to smile at me, eventually forming a complete grin. “I like that. I really, really like that. It’s no wonder you have such an easy time making friends, Torque. I’m really not surprised that everyone you’ve met so far really likes you… you’re just likeable. Well, unless you’re dealing with one of those ponies who are only happy when they’re miserable.”

I never understood that. How could anyone be happy when they’re miserable? “You’ll see it in my work, too. No matter how big a project is, I don’t walk away from it unless I have to. There’s always a bright side with those, too. No matter how bad the damage is, I can fix it.”

She cocked a brow at me. “Where’s the silver lining if it’s so bad they have to pay to replace whatever we were called to look at?”

Aha, a trick question… I think. “They don’t have to pay for both the replacement and our services.”

Sparkplug blinked, drawing back a little. “Excuse me?”

Uh oh, someone didn’t know the policy. “Sparkplug, we are Engage Repairs not Engage Diagnosis. Our job is to go somewhere, or to have something brought here, and fix it. Our job is not to be presented with something, look at it, and tell the client ‘Oh, you’re just going to have to get a new one.’ So, in the event that an Engage employee cannot perform a repair and the client must simply purchase a replacement, Engage does not charge. Sure, we take a small cut in the paycheck, but you know what? It doesn’t matter. My dad and I both agree that a company with a moral code is much more respectable, and successful, than a company just out to make money.”

Her eyes widened, which looked hilarious with her dropped jaw. “Um, it’s not that I don’t believe you… but I don’t believe you. I mean, we’ve never actually had that happen too many times, but if that’s actually how we’re supposed to do things, I need to ask Uncle Ratchet. Sorry Torque, it’s not that I don’t trust you, I just want to validate it by hearing it from the big guy himself.”

I held up both my front hooves and shook my head. “Hey, that’s understandable. It sounds a whole lot more convincing coming from him than it does from me.”

My cousin giggled, reaching over to hit my shoulder. “By the way, thanks for that fuel filter. Those guys should come by soon to get it. In the meantime, I need you to head over to Sweet Apple Acres. I’m pretty sure I won’t need to tell you where it is, it’s the biggest place here on the map, so if you just head towards the general area, you can’t miss it.”

She pointed to the rather large area to the upper left of the town. There were only two buildings in said area, and the rest of it looked like open field. However, the name “Sweet Apple Acres” and the fact that the map didn’t show trees led me to assume those open fields were probably apple orchards. Gee, I wonder why I thought that.

Anyway, the farm actually wasn’t too far away from the school. I was right, too, almost all the land was one, massive, beautiful apple orchard. I didn’t even get passed the front gates before I found my left front hoof in the strong grasp of a blonde-headed, light-orange mare sporting a cowgirl hat and a cute, freckled face. She shook my hoof harder than even my own father could, and I almost felt my whole body shaking.

“Well howdy there, new comer! Nice to meet’cha! Welcome to Ponyville, and welcome to Sweet Apple Acres! I’m Applejack, what can I do ya for?”

I was still waving my leg up and down even as she released me, and eventually Applejack herself stopped me. “I’m Torque, nice to meet you, Applejack. I’m from Engage Repairs, but my boss sent me here without a lot of information. So the question is, what can I do for you?”

She flashed a grin at me, pointing towards her barn. “We just got ourselves a fancy new motorized plow, but for some reason it just won’t start up. I was hoping one of y’all could come take a peek.”

I nodded as I was led towards the machine in question. “Well, that is what we do. What do you mean by ‘start up’?”

Applejack shrugged. “When I try to turn it on, it gets to humming for a bit and then just stops.”

That raised my brow. More than likely the solution would be simple, depending on the answer to my next question. “Any idea how old it is?”

Another shrug. “Somepony offered it to us for a steal since he was getting ready to retire. You think that might have something to do with it?”

“Usually others don’t put money in to fix up old equipment. Once I see it and check a few things, I’ll know for sure.”

The big plow, to me, resembled a riding lawnmower. It basically was that: four wheels under a seat and steering sticks with a shell housing the motor in front. The only difference was that instead of blades underneath it, there was a thick, wedge-like piece of metal attached to the back.

My first thing to do was start it up. Just like Applejack had said, it started to crank for a minute before sputtering back into silence. Seeing as how it was used, the next thing I wanted to do was check the oil. I lifted the hood, locating the oil cap and unscrewing it. Sweet mother of Celestia, you would’ve thought that stick had been dipped in chocolate syrup, not motor oil. That stuff was thick, black, and gunky, and don’t even get me started on the smell.

“Ugh… Applejack, I think I found the problem.”

Turning my attention to her showed that she already had her hoof over her nose. “I think you might be right. So what do we do?”

I set the cap back on and released the break on the plow. “I’m going to take this thing to the shop for a much needed oil change.” Pushing this thing was a lot harder than I thought it’d be, but unlatching the wedge did help some.

The farm pony tapped my shoulder, forcing me to stop. “How about I lend a hoof with that? Just let me check up on my brother and coltfriend, and I’ll get back to ya, alright?”

After I nodded, she took off. It didn’t take long for her to come back, though. “Jet and Big Mac said they could handle things around here until I got back. How long do you think it should take?”

I nudged my head towards the machine and we both started pushing. It was a lot easier with two ponies working on it, but it wasn’t a walk in the park. “Well, that depends. It’s possible that the oil might not be the only issue. However, assuming it is the only issue, it could take anywhere from ten to thirty minutes.”

She gave me a nod. Most of our journey continued in silence, until the friendly mare decided to speak again. “So, how are you liking Ponyville so far?”

Smiling was kind of unavoidable, but hey, who would want to avoid smiling? “I really like it. I’ve learned I must have a knack for making friends, as everypony I’ve met so far has liked me.”

Applejack chuckled a little at that, winking at me. “Well, we Ponyville folk pride ourselves on being friendly, and I ain’t seen nothing from you yet that tells me you’re now someone a pony wouldn’t want as a friend.”

Now it was my turn to laugh. “We’ve known each other for like, ten minutes.”

“True, but I’d like to think of myself as a good judge of character. You seem pretty nice, Torque, and very upbeat.”

Something told me this was going to be a trend. I really didn’t mind, though. I went through the whole speech about my view of life that I gave to my cousin, and a wide grin spread across Applejack’s face.

“That’s a mighty good way of looking at things. It’s no wonder others like you so much.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle again. “Yeah, I’ve already gotten that once.”

“Well it’s true. An attitude like that is sure to attract others to ya, sugar cube.”

Once we rolled the thing up to the shop, I opened up on of the garage doors and we wheeled it in. My cousin raised her brow at us but I didn’t let her speak.

“Oil change. Sparks, that oil looks like someone used this engine as a toilet and mixed in the crap.”

Her face was hysterical as she let out a loud “Ew!”

It turns out that I actually made a liar out of myself; the oil change was done in eight minutes because we didn’t need to check and see if it actually needed it, allowing us to skip straight to the change. Once the new oil was in, Applejack fired it up and it ran like a dream.

We exchanged goodbyes, Applejack said her thanks, and she was off. Spark hit me in the leg with a grin. “Stop being so good and making the rest of us look bad. Head on over to Rarity’s, she’s in another spot of trouble.”

Oh boy, coming full circle already… I think.

Chapter 5: The Plans

Repair and Deliver
Story 6
Chapter 5: The Plans
By: SleeplessScribe

As it turns out, Rarity was not the one that needed help this time. However, the door still swung open for me and I was met with just as polite a greeting as I was last time. Though with a little addition.

“Forgive me for calling you out again so soon, dear. Uh, I’m afraid the issue doesn’t have anything to do with me, but more so with my friends. Beat and Vinyl are here, and I they wanted to surprise Sweetie with a nice musical setup before she got out of school, but I’m afraid we can’t seem to get one of these speakers to work.”

Oh boy, sound systems. I hadn’t worked on one of those in forever, so my knowledge on them was just a little rusty. Rarity took me through a door on the right, across her kitchen, and to a rather dim area with carpet on most walls. Inside was a pretty white unicorn with a somewhat swollen stomach and a two tone mane of light blue and… regular blue I guess, and another unicorn with a sandy coat, black hair, and a purple beanie. This guy had a headset around his neck as well, and the fact that the glare from his glasses hid his eyes was a little intimidating.

Both of them were messing around with one of the rectangular speakers. They had it opened up and were looking at all of the circuitry inside, though neither of them looked like they had any idea what they were doing.

Rarity first pointed to the mare. “Torque, this is Vinyl Scratch,” she then turned her attention to the stallion, “and that’s Beat Tempo. They’ve both been at this for at least an hour. Is there any chance you might be able to figure out what’s wrong?”

From the looks of things, that speaker would be very difficult to salvage. This wasn’t your average cone-coil-magnet speaker, this one had actual electronics in it. I crouched down beside Beat and looked at everything before addressing him.

“So, is it just not boosting your sound?”

He shook his head slowly. “It’s not that. It plays back, but even with everything on our soundboard as low as it can go without muting, the feedback is terrible. We don’t actually use this one when doing things live, we use it for playback when touching up our songs. You know, silencing sniffles, cutting out breaths, things like that.”

That made it a little bit easier to figure out the problem. It was unlikely that it was just blown, since they probably lowered the volume in situations where this speaker was used. However, I found quite a few shorts in the wires inside, with one wire completely fried.

However, an idea popped into my head. It may have been a silly one, but I made a mental note of it anyway. The future is indefinite, and this thing could come in very handy if the future I had in mind decided to play out.

“I have some bad news, guys. You’ve got a lot of shorts in these wires, and a few are fried altogether. Now, it is possible to repair this damage, but with the cost of the materials and the time it would take, it’d actually be cheaper to just buy a new one.”

Vinyl let out a groan. “I was afraid you’d say that. We were really hoping to get this setup ready before Sweetie came home. Thing is, this is all stuff from our personal recording studio, and Rarity has been gracious enough to let us move all of it to this room so we can do more stuff with her sister.”

The mention of Rarity’s sister being in school caught my attention. It probably didn’t help that I already had this idea related to the subject, but even if I didn’t have it, it was still worth asking.

“Say, Rarity… does Sweetie go to Cheerilee’s school?”

She slowly nodded. “Yes. Why do you ask?”

I put my foreleg around her, turning to the other unicorns. “Do you mind?”

They both shook their heads, allowing me to take Rarity into the kitchen. “Yesterday, when I first came here, Cheerilee was the first pony I helped out. She had a problem with her projector, but that’s not the point. I found out that Dinky Doo, Ditzy’s daughter, had been bullied out of her lunch for the third day in a row.”

The seamstress rolled her eyes as her mouth began to curve into a frown. “Let me guess, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon? Those two have been harassing my sister and her friends for quite some time, as well. What are you thinking?”

It was a shot in the dark, but it was a shot worth taking. “Do you think you could ask your sister to maybe… look out for her? Neither I nor her mother can be around all the time, and I’m afraid that those kids will start up again after a while. I got them to stop for one day, but you know bullies never stop completely.”

She reached over and patted my shoulder. “I’ll talk to her. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind having a new friend.”

“Thanks, Rarity.” After another nod from her, I returned to the two unicorns in the studio. “So, are you alright with having to replace it? I could try and fix it if you’d like, but I’m not sure how well that would go over.”

Beat waved his hoof from side to side. “Nah, don’t bother. If getting a new one is easier, then that’s what we’re gonna do.”

That was the response I was hoping for, and now all I needed was a second desired response. “So, do you mind if I take this one? There are still some good things in it, and I’m sure I can make use of them.”

Vinyl lifted it up with her magic and set it on my back. The great thing about speakers is that they were nowhere near as heavy as they looked. “Help yourself. It’s not like we can use it anymore, anyway.”

I was half tempted to take it straight to my house, which is what I ended up doing. Taking it to the shop would’ve been a shorter trip, but it probably would have just gotten in the way. As I made my way back to work, I started thinking about Dinky again. Hopefully Rarity’s sister would take her side and try to be friends with the little filly, but even if she did, that wouldn’t stop the teasing. However, having someone that would be with her at school would definitely make things easier.

In fact, the more I thought about her, the more I thought about her mother, too. I really had a strong desire to help her in any way I could. Her story just tugged at my heartstrings, and while some would claim that she was just lying to get attention, I knew she was being sincere. These thoughts are what ultimately led to my decision to start working on a new invention. Unfortunately, I’d have to get through the rest of the day in order to start on it.

My cousin was in the door, thrusting a tool belt onto me. “You need to get to the town hall, now. There’s been a pretty bad accident, and Sprocket is already there. Go, now!”

Well, it’s not like I could argue. I made my way to the town hall and came upon a horrifying scene. One of the big pillars supporting the building’s roof had collapsed, and there was also a massive hole in the deck at the town hall’s base. The worst part was seeing the pair of grey hooves poking out of the hole as Ditzy attempted to lift herself out. What was good about this was the fact that Sprocket was already there, and was helping Ditzy out as I rushed over to them.

“Sprocket, what happened here?”

The earth pony opened her mouth, but Ditzy shook herself up and beat her to it. “I lost my balance again…. I was the only pony not out on delivery, so I was sent to give some priority mail to the mayor, and this happened.”

We both helped her back onto her hooves, but she seemed not to want to move after that. Once the shadow was between Sprock and myself, we turned around to see the rather gruff looking colt walking over to us. He sported a light brown coat, dark brown hair, weirdly dark stubble, and what he lacked in height, he made up for in width. He wasn’t fat, but he was… big, if that makes any sense.

“Derpy, back to the office. Now.”

My friend began to nod, trotting off along with this guy. “Yes sir, Air Mail….”

Sprocket’s gaze shifted from me to the damaged building, doubling back a few times. “We’ve got supplies coming our way to fix this, but I doubt we’re going to be able to salvage anything from this mess. What do you want to do?”

With Ditzy still on my mind, I looked over all the damage before pulling out a hammer. I pulled up all the nails in every broken plank of the porch first. “We’re not just going to patch this up. Sprock, once our materials get here, I want you to start filling in the missing planks. I’ll see what I can do about the post, but I’d like your help when I’m done. We cannot start on the roof until that post is up, understood?”

She gave me some kind of salute and we both sifted through the broken debris. The young mare was right; everything was so torn up that there was no salvaging it. Luckily our new materials were coming up to us as we finished searching through all of the rubble, and we immediately got to work.

It took at least three hours for us to finish the planks, the pillar, and redo the frame for the broken section of the roof. The worst part about that was hearing the three calls we had to deny because we were already busy, but the good part about this was that we still had plenty of supplies to work with, and would probably have some left over after everything was completed.

At least another four hours passed by before we were completely done, and by then it was three o’ clock. I pressed the button on my radio, hoping that Sparkplug would respond. “Hey, cousin, do you mind if I split for a minute? I want to check on Ditzy, a crash like that had to hurt.”

There was a quick buzz from the device before her voice came on. “Sure thing. I’m a little worried too, so let me know how she’s doing.”

With that out of the way, I headed over to the post office only to find that she wasn’t there. When I asked about it, the colt I assumed to be named Air Mail told me that he sent her home for the day. Now that I knew that, I headed over to her house again, and once again, Dinky answered the door on her little stool. She had her foreleg wrapped around her puppy, and soon the other was around my own.

“Hi Mister Torque! I’ll go get momma!”

She turned to take off, but I grabbed hold of her. “Now, now, Dinky, you don’t need to do that. Just tell me where she is and I’ll go see her.”

The little unicorn pointed her hoof directly down the hallway. “Right down there and take the first right.”

I gave her a little pat on the head before setting her back down. “Thank you, sweetie.”

When I poked my head through the door, she was laying on the bed with her back to me. I knocked a few times on the door frame to get her attention before I entered. As she turned to me, I saw the streaks that stained her cheeks coming from her eyes.

“Ditzy! Is everything alright?”

She slowly shook her head as I made my way to her. After a sniffle, she tried to speak. “He took me off deliveries permanently. That eliminates and chance of getting some kind of pay bonus. Torque, I’m really afraid that without any boosts I’ll start getting behind on the house payments. I’m really, really scared.”

I pulled her into my embrace, wiping the tears from her eyes. “Hey, hey, it’s gonna be alright, Ditzy, I promise. Look, it’s Thursday now. How about I take you out somewhere Saturday to help you get your mind off of things? If you’d like, I can find a sitter for Dinky, or she can come with us if you’d like.”

The pegasus slowly began to smile at me. I felt my face heat up immensely as her lips met my cheek, though the look on her face was more than enough to cure my flustered…ness.

“Thanks, Torque. That means a lot to me.”

I couldn’t help but smile too. I stood up and patted her back before getting ready to leave. “Get some rest. Also, don’t worry about little Dinky, I think things are going to start looking up for her, too.”

Before I could leave, I felt her grab onto my leg. “Wait, Torque. I just want to know something; is there a silver lining around my cloud?”

The question caught me totally off guard, like many of the things Ditzy did. To be quite honest, I didn’t think there was an answer that wasn’t as cheesy as an all you could eat buffet for mice, but sometimes you have to be cheesy to be honest. Wait, what? That doesn’t even make sense.

“There’s always a silver lining, Ditzy. All you have to do is look, and that’s all I do. Just push through that cloud, and you’ll find the sun, I promise.”

She gave me a slow nod, and I could hear a quiet “Thank you” as I turned the corner. I waved to my little unicorn buddy as I left, and she waved back using one of Mr. Wags’ torn paws.

Now that I knew how my friend was doing, it was back to the shop for a much needed discussion with my cousin. This was going to be a gamble, but it was one I knew was worth taking. I needed all the time I could to gather up information. Luckily for me, I passed right by a newspaper stand and got myself a copy. Once I got to the shop, I kind of avoided talking to anyone while I wrote a letter to my dad. It detailed everything that had gone on since my arrival here, but also contained a big request. I just hoped that if a train could make it from Tall Tale to Ponyville in an hour and a half, a letter from Ponyville to Vanhoover would take less than a day.

Actually, that was a silly thought. As long as there was a mail carrier ready for the delivery, of course it wouldn’t take very long. I set the letter down somewhere I knew I’d find it along with my paper, briefed my cousin on how the pegasus was doing, and resumed work until quitting time. Once it was time to close up shop, I grabbed my things and made my way out. Though, I did wait for Sparkplug as well. It was just my luck that she had some mail she needed to drop off too, so we walked to the post office together.

It took a few deep breaths and little courage to finally speak, but eventually I got my words out. “Hey, Sparks, I need to ask you something crazy.”

She tilted her head at me but was smiling all the same. “Sure. I’m positive nothing you could say would be as crazy as some of the things I’ve seen in this town.”

I had a strong desire to start with “Crazier than me asking for a day off so soon?” but I didn’t. That probably would’ve made her say “no” without even thinking. “Do you mind if I take tomorrow off? I’ve got a lot I want to do, and before you ask, yes, some of it is Ditzy related. I’d like to look through a few things in that paper I got, hopefully my dad’s reply to my letter will come in the morning, and it’ll have what I need, and I’d like to start a few new designs. One of which I think would help out around the shop quite a bit. Not only that, but I’d like to ask around town for a favor.”

Her eyes lidded halfway and her brow furrowed. She wasn’t frowning, but she did look like she just got told a terrible joke. “Torque, you have got some guts to ask that after working here for two days. I’d give any other pony a big, resounding ‘no’, but I’ll make you in particular a deal. You don’t have to come into the shop tomorrow, but keep your radio on. I expect you to respond to calls if nopony else can, you hear?”

She held her hoof out to me, and I gave it a strong shake. “I can accept that. The designs aren’t at the top of my priority list, so I’ll be alright.”

Sparks nodded as we entered the post office. Thank Celestia it stayed open an hour later than the garage. “Alright, just let me ask one thing. What’s this favor you need?”

I let out a sigh of relief. There was just a little fear in me at the possibility of her asking a really difficult question. “I told Ditzy I’d take her somewhere on Saturday to help take her mind off of recent events. I’d like to find somepony to look after Dinky in the case that she wants to go with me alone.”

My cousin flashed a small grin and patted my back. “Well I’m free Saturday. If you don’t find anypony I’d be happy to look after her.”

After we both dropped off our letters, I wrapped the best cousin in the world in a tight hug. “Thanks, Sparks. That means a lot to me, you have no idea.”

She giggled softly after I let her go. “I’m happy to help, you know that.”

Chapter 6: Dinky's New Friends

Repair and Deliver
Story 6
Chapter 6: Dinky’s New Friends
By: SleeplessScribe

I woke up to a really yummy smell that morning. Normally momma didn’t have time to cook in the mornings, so I guessed that she got up early today. All I could smell was the rich scent of chocolate as I made my way into the kitchen. Momma did get up early, and I caught her pulling a fresh batch of chocolate chip muffins out of the oven!

“Good morning, honey!”

I couldn’t help but run up to her and give her a big hug. She was the best mom ever, and I always tried to let her know that. “Good morning, momma! Are those for tomorrow?”

She slowly shook her head, lifting me up and setting me down at the table. “Nope. These are for us right now. You can have one for breakfast, and if you want, you can take one to eat with your lunch, too.”

My hooves came together in a clap. Her muffins were the best, and having one for breakfast was a super special treat! Once she set the batch down on the table, I made a move for one, but Momma set her hoof on mine.

“No, Dinky, wait until they cool down a little, okay?”

I nodded slowly, blowing on them to help them cool down. After my mom said I could, I picked one up and took a bit bite out of it. “Mm! That’s delicious, Momma! You always make such yummy treats!”

She leaned forward and kissed me right below my horn. “I love you, Dinky.”

Being short was never fun, and Momma had to lean down so I could kiss her back. “I love you too Momma! You’re the bestest mommy ever!”

Momma picked me up as I nibbled the muffin, nuzzling her cheek against mine. “You’re the best daughter ever!”

She gave me another kiss and trotted off to the fridge, leaving me to eat my muffin again. “What would you like for lunch, honey?”

I didn’t like having to make decisions like this. “Anything is good, Momma.”

After a few more bites of the muffin, it was gone and I was full. I looked over to my mom but her back was to me, so I walked over and poked my head over the counter. From the looks of things, she was making a little sandwich with peanut butter and jelly, another one of my favorite foods!

“Mm, you’re just spoiling me with all kinds of good stuff!”

She giggled some and gave me another kiss. “My little Dinky deserves the best.”

I’m sure everyone agreed when I said she was the best mom ever. As she brought out my lunchbox, I started thinking. Momma deserved something nice, something to really let her know how good of a mom she was. Maybe Mister Torque knew something I could do, though I didn’t have much time to think about it as I was nudged.

“Come now, sweetie, it’s time to go.” My mom kept nudging me playfully all the way to the door. She opened it for me and we both walked out.

Again she kissed me before turning the other way. “Have a good day at school, Dinky! I love you!”

I started waving at her with a big smile. “Love you too, Momma!”

The best thing about walking to school was the fact that it wasn’t too far away. Fridays were my favorite school day, because Miss Cheerilee always had something special for us. As I walked, I tried to imagine where her surprise would be today, and I was really excited to find out. It wasn’t quite time for class to start yet, as the sight of the few ponies playing around when I opened the door told me.

Just like always, nopony asked me to play with them. I made my way to Miss Cheerilee’s desk, setting my lunchbox in one of her drawers.

“Dinky, what are you doing at my desk?”

Her sudden appearance almost made me jump. I mean, I wasn’t doing anything wrong, but it still startled me. “Oh, hi Miss Cheerilee! I-I was just putting my lunch in your desk so nopony could take it today.”

She started to smile, patting me on the head. “That’s a very good idea, Dinky, but next time please ask me. You shouldn’t mess with things that aren’t yours without permission, okay?”

I nodded slowly. “Yes ma’am, I’ll remember that.”

Being early was normal for me, and my usual routine was to play with the building bricks our teacher had in the back of the room. I’ll be honest, sometimes I have to face the wall because it hurts to be alone, and I cry, but this time I was brought to tears by something much different, and much worse.

Just when I finished making a little boat, a pink hoof slammed down right next to it and almost crushed it. “Well, well, well, what do we have here? The walking disaster just waiting to happen! Your big buddy’s not here to protect you now, and I want you to pay up for breaking my window and the town hall!”

Before I could even say anything, Silver Spoon picked up my boat and showed it to the filly who was speaking. “Look here, Diamond Tiara! What is this thing?”

They both raised their brows at it mockingly. Diamond Tiara took it from her friend and looked at it closely. “I don’t know, it looks like some kind of ugly bowl!”

I tried to reach for it, but she held it behind her to keep it from me. “That’s my boat! Give it back!”

Silver Spoon looked at it again before looking at me. “Aaw, how cute, it’s a little boat.” Right before my eyes, Diamond Tiara dropped it on the floor and they both kicked it, smashing it back into single bricks. A few even hit me, and the two girls picked some up that were close and began to throw them at me.

“This is what you get for ruining my house!” I was curled up into a ball, feeling the toys hit my back. However, it soon stopped and I heard two loud thumps.

When I peeked out to see what happened, both bullies were on the floor, and Scootaloo was in front of me. Beside her was the new filly that had just come from Manehattan, and I unfortunately didn’t remember her name. She actually kind of looked like Scootaloo… kind of. Actually, never mind.

I had trouble telling if the pegasus was brown or orange, but this earth pony was definitely brown, even if it was a pretty light brown. Not only that, but Scootaloo’s hair was obviously purple, where this filly’s was just a much darker brown. She was actually a little scary, seeing as how she was holding down the two bullies by herself.

“Hey! Let us go!”

The filly shook her head as Scootaloo went to get Miss Cheerilee. “No way! You two are great, big bullies, and we’re tired of it! I haven’t been here very long, but I know enough. It was real dumb of you two to mess with this here filly right out in the open.”

She had a really weird voice. I think Momma called it an… assent? Accent! That’s the word. This filly had a funny accent, but I couldn’t tell you where it came from.

“Now, Sprint, two wrongs don’t make a right, dear.” Sprint was her name! Our teacher nudged her off of the two friends, giving them rather scary looks. “Now that I have proof that you two are indeed the ones behind Dinky’s missing lunch, I believe you’ve earned the right to sit in time out when we play our game today.”

They weren’t quite perfect, but they spoke almost at the exact same time. “Aw, but Miss Cheerilee!”

The teacher waved a hoof in front of them. “No buts. There’s no excuse for your behavior. Now leave Dinky alone before I’m forced to speak with your parents.”

Neither of them said a word as they walked away, leaving me with the other fillies and our teacher. “Now Dinky, the next time somepony is mean to you, you come get me, okay?”

I just nodded, letting Miss Cheerilee go back to what she was doing. When she was gone, Scootaloo gave me a gentle elbow. “Why didn’t you just tell her in the first place?”

My tail tucked itself between my legs like a dog. “I… I didn’t want to be a tattle tale.”

Sprint patted my shoulder, sitting down beside me with a smile. “That’s not tattling, Dinky. It’s different when the problem is actually affecting you.”

“It is?” I tilted my head at the both of them as they nodded.

“Yeah, and now that we know we’re not the only ones that those two have been pushing around, we can all stick together.” The pegasus was smiling too, and it wasn’t long before I started to myself.

I looked from Scootaloo to Sprint, hugging them both. “Are you saying we’re friends?”

They both nodded again and returned my hug. “Yep!”

“Don’t forget us!” Two voices came up from behind us as Sweetie Belle and Applebloom joined in the hug. This was a big surprise, considering the unicorn’s big boost in popularity.

I found myself tilting my head again as I looked at her. This was actually a little confusing, now. “Even you, Sweetie Belle? You’re, like, the most popular filly in school right now! Why would you want to be friends with me?”

Once again, she hugged me, her brand new cutie mark standing out like a sore hoof around all of us who didn’t have ours yet. “Of course! We probably shouldn’t have, but we all just assumed you stayed alone because you liked to be by yourself. Rarity told me about how things really are, and now that we know Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are giving you a hard time too, we’re all in this together!”

This was too amazing for words. In about five minutes, I made four new friends and went from crying to smiling in the blink of an eye. Sweetie started talking again, and just that alone made me feel really good.

“That’s not all Rarity said. She told me to tell you that you can come over any time you want!”

Now that made me jump up. “Really? I can come see you after school and stuff?”

She nodded and I started to clap. This was the best day ever! Not only that, but when it was finally time for class to actually start, Miss Cheerilee made Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon sit in the back and let Sprint and I sit in their spots. This week’s big surprise was that the entire class would be all games! She wanted to teach about teamwork, so everyone had to be part of a group.

Knowing that, I got to play with all my new friends for the whole day, while the bullies were forced to write an essay about teamwork instead. As mean as it was, I couldn’t help but feel a little good watching them, like I had gotten back at them without doing anything.

Everything we did was just so much fun, and the fact that I was with ponies that wanted me there instead of having Miss Cheerilee put me in a group made it even better. We had a relay race outside, played capture the flag, and lots of other neat stuff. We didn’t win a lot of things, but it was too fun for us to even care about it!

Finally it was time to cool down for lunch time. Before we all got our food out, Miss Cheerilee reviewed the list of students and called me out. Turns out Monday was show and tell day, and it was my turn. This really was the best day ever!

The day only got better when I got to eat my own lunch for once, too, and I didn’t have to do it alone. All four girls sat with me and actually talked to me.

Sprint was the first to say something, even with a mouthful of applesauce. “So Dinky, what are you going to bring on Monday?”

I was a little grossed out by the food, but it was kinda funny too. “I don’t know. I don’t really have a lot of interesting things at home.” I took a bite of my sandwich and hoped that Sprint was the only who didn’t have a problem with talking with a full mouth. I really hoped this subject would get changed soon, and luckily it did.

Applebloom swallowed her own applesauce and smiled at me. “You know what’s starting next month, right? Family Appreciate Day! After what happened with Granny Smith, I can’t wait to bring in somepony else to show off!”

Scootaloo pointed her hoof right at Applebloom, causing her to jump. “Hey, do you think Miss Cheerilee will let you and Sprint bring Jet together?”

They both looked at each other for a moment before hoof bumping. I forgot Sprint was actually living with Applebloom. “That would be awesome! Heck, big brother already treats AB like he does me.”

I was honestly happy just listening to them, but my fellow unicorn soon brought the focus back to me. “Hey Dinky, you’ve never actually done Family Appreciation Day, have you?” She tilted her head after I shook mine. “Aw, is there any reason why?”

All I did was shrug. “Momma doesn’t wanna take any time off from work unless she has to. We don’t have a lot of money right now.”

Most everypony knew I didn’t actually have a dad, so none of them asked about that. Instead I was met with lots of apologies and hugs instead. “Why are you all sorry? It’s not like it’s your fault.”

Sprint began tapping her chin, and she looked like she was thinking really hard. “You know what? Why do we do that? Sometimes it seems just right to apologize even when you don’t do anything to be sorry for.”

We all shrugged and continued eating. As I finished my sandwich, I remembered the muffin Momma gave me and started to break it up. When I was done I had five pieces that I split between all of us.

“Try it! My mom makes the best muffins ever!” I didn’t let them push the pieces back even when they tried. “You’re my friends now. I like being nice to my friends!”

Well, I liked being nice to everyone. These girls were special, though. They were the first friends I ever had that weren’t grown-ups, and they actually talked back to me when I said stuff. Each of them took a bit of their muffin chunk, and their loud “Mm” brought a big smile to my face.

Again Sprint started talking with her mouth full. This time I just looked at my lunchbox until she was done, though. “Wow! This is amazing, Dinky! I’ve never had a muffin so yummy before!”

I tried to say something, but Scootaloo just had to give her input, too. “You said it, Sprint! You should come to the bake sale her mom has every Saturday.”

Now I needed to say something. I threw my hooves up to make sure I had their attention and swallowed what I was chewing. “Actually… Momma’s not having one tomorrow. She told me she’s not gonna be home since Mister Torque is taking her somewhere. She said I could go too, but I don’t want to be a burden.”

As soon as I was done, the unicorn clapped with a big grin on her face. “Hey! You should totally come over to my house for our sleepover! All of us are going to be there, and I’m sure Rarity won’t mind one more.”

My eyes widened. I’d never even been over to someone else’s house for more than an hour or two, let alone at a sleepover. I gave my friend a tight hug, almost squealing with excitement. “That would be the best thing ever! I’ll ask Momma if it’s okay, I’m sure she’ll say yes!”

They all smiled at each other, setting their left hooves on the table. It took a moment, but with all of them looking at me I finally got the hint and joined my own in the group before me. At once they all shouted, filling the room with the echoes of their excitement.

“Cutie Mark Crusaders Sleepover at Carousel Boutique! Yay!” With that, I could now say I knew what it felt like to be deaf, even if it was just for a few moments. Then something dawned on me.

“Wait, it’s a Cutie Mark Crusaders sleepover… does that mean you want me to-“

Sweetie held up her hoof, biting her lip and trying to keep her eyes focused on me. “Now, now, now, don’t get ahead of yourself, Dinky. Only the most daring and super cool ponies can join the Crusaders.”

My ears fell flat, but that was understandable. Still, it’s not like they actually said I couldn’t join. “So… could I earn my way in?”

They all had sly grins on their faces as they glanced at each other. I guess Sweetie Belle was the “leader” now since she was the only one with her cutie mark. “We’ll think about it.”

Again, it wasn’t an outright “no”, so it was good enough for me. We all continued our lunch in silence, finally focused more on eating than talking. All my friends seemed to really enjoy the treat I had shared, and that had me absolutely beaming.

The day went on with even more fun. As we played and laughed and danced and sang, I found myself really looking forward to going home as well. Don’t get me wrong, today had been the best day I’d ever had, but not I was eager to get home and tell my mom all about how awesome it was.

Eventually that time did come. Leaving and saying goodbye to my new friends was probably the hardest thing I had to do all week. Knowing I’d get to see them all again tomorrow made it a bit easier, but I’d have felt much better if I didn’t need to say goodbye at all. On the bright side, it wouldn’t be long before Momma got home so I could tell her everything.

I was actually in the middle of a tea party with Mr. Wags when she came through the door. Without any regard for the little paper top hat on my head, I pounced on my mom and put all my strength into the biggest hug I could give.

“Momma! Momma! Today was the best day ever!”

She started laughing, wrapping her forelegs around me with a huge smile. “Really? Please, tell me why it was so special!”

Chapter 7: Looking Up

Repair and Deliver
Story 6
Chapter 7: Looking Up
By: SleeplessScribe

Everything was in order now. My dad had gone along with my request and sent me a list of tonight’s movie listings in Vanhoover along with his reply to my letter. Everyone was doing fine, but he went into detail about how much everyone missed me at least three times. Though television had spoiled me back home, I still knew you could also find the weather forecast in most papers, and luckily the Ponyville Express was one of the papers that gave it for all major cities in Equestria. Tonight was going to be a warm, cozy, typical spring evening, at least in terms of weather.

I had also gone around the town and finally found a sitter for Dinky. As it turns out, Rarity offered to keep her since her sister’s friends were having a sleepover, and I found out that Sweetie Belle had actually invited Dinky to that sleepover at school. That meant that it would be just Ditzy and myself, but I really didn’t mind that at all.

With those things taken care of, I then made a list of all the nice restaurants in Vanhoover, going down and marking off ones that didn’t have the kind of atmosphere I was hoping for. Taking the pegasus’ mind off of her troubles was my goal in this venture, as well as to have some fun with a good friend, but I really didn’t think some of these places would be good for trying to relax. The sheer amount of sports grills my home town had was pretty amazing. I counted at least seven going down the list.

To top it all off, I already completed the sketches and the blueprint for my latest idea. It would be a little bit of a challenge to make, but with two professional musicians in town, how hard could it really be? Besides, if this succeeded, at least one girl would be made incredibly happy. That in itself made all of my efforts worth it. I contemplated working on it right then and there, but by the time all my planning was done, it was after midnight.

On the bright side, I was pretty tired and the thought of finishing this and putting my plan into action put me at ease, so getting to sleep was easier than giving candy to a foal. Though, a little chunk of my morning was spent taking apart that speaker. The device I had in mind would need a few of the wires from inside of it, and I really hoped I could at least finish a prototype before tonight. I had actually told Rarity, Vinyl, and Beat about my idea, and I was expecting at least one of the musicians here later.

As strange or unsanitary as it may sound, I felt the best option was to forgo taking a shower until later today. The best part about this was that a lot of the scrap metal and my final product mini-smelter were included in the things moved from my house back home to hear. Of course I had to prepare all the wires and circuitry before even trying to make the frame.

Beat came in at about noon, spotting me and clapping. “Dang, dude! The way you talked about that thing, I thought it’d take a lot longer than this to even get that far along!”

I wiped my forehead with a rag, setting down the tools I was working with. “Well, this is just a test version. If it works, I’ll be putting all the extra stuff in it.”

The unicorn nodded and set the hardware I had asked for on the table beside me. “So, let me ask something. How are you gonna make it so that it only plays once you get the sound, and doesn’t start recording again instead?”

It was actually really cool to hear him ask that. To be quite honest, I didn’t expect him to think that far ahead. Not saying Beat was stupid, I just didn’t think anyone but me would actually realize that there might be an issue there.

“Well, once I have the clip recorded, I’m probably going to shut off the recorder completely. If that doesn’t work than I’ll just transfer the necessary hardware to a purely playback piece.”

He nodded slowly, looking over my current progress. “You know what you could do? Doesn’t look like you started with the playback stuff yet, so why don’t you make this here pure recording, and then build the playback around it and just wire them together?”

My hoof met my head harder than it should have. “Whoa, Beat, that’s genius! I’m gonna have to make some changes to the blueprints, but that’s a lot better than my original idea!”

That was kind of a half-truth. The plans I had drawn were still valid, so all I had to do was leave out a few things. As I worked, something else came to my mind as well.

“So Beat, you been working on your dog voice?”

He chuckled at both my reaction to his idea as well as my question. “I’ve got at least four different ones. Gotta love my sound magic. Do you want to hear them now?”

I gave a slow nod as I worked, but I soon found myself unable to do anything as he spoke. There wasn’t any good way to judge how accurate he actually was since dogs don’t actually talk, so I just chose the one I liked the best.

“How do you do that, bud?”

Beat tapped his horn softly with a smug grin on his face. “It’s the magic, my friend. You know, speaking of magic, good luck tonight. First dates can be really nerve racking.”

At once I jumped, a pink tint forming over my cheeks as I looked at the singer. “Hey, wait a second! This isn’t a date, per say, I’m just taking her out to help calm her nerves.”

The unicorn kept laughing and patted my back. He started shaking his head, though I failed to see any humor in this. “Dude, this is a date. You’re taking her to a movie and dinner, and paying for it all. Regardless of your motivation, it’s a date.”

It’s not like I could actually argue, and even if I did, anything I could say would be a lie. “Alright, it’s a date. It’s not like that though, we’re friends.”

Honestly, I wasn’t surprised that he didn’t seem convinced. With the way I was right now, I couldn’t sound firm or certain to save my life. Instead all that came out were somewhat quiet words with a few stutters here and there. My blush probably didn’t help my case, either.

“Bro, listen. Calm down, Torque, this isn’t a big deal. Just chill out, be yourself, and have fun!”

I set my hoof on my face and held it there. There was no way I could do any work now with the way I was feeling. My current demeanor equated me to a school student who forgot to study for a massive test; thoughts raced through my head, and I had absolutely no idea which ones to listen to.

Eventually I let out a low grunt and just sat myself down. “Beat, my mind’s all kinds of messed up. This whole thing started off as me just trying to help, but I think I’m being drawn into something more. I’m not sure if I want this to go on or not. I care a lot about Ditzy and Dinky, but….”

Before I knew it, I had one sandy hoof poking my head and another poking my chest. “Torque, I may be in a relationship, but I can only tell you one thing. Get the butter out though, because it’s gonna be corny: stop listening to this,” he then stopped poking my chest and focused only on my head, “and listen to this,” Beat then did the reverse, focusing on my chest instead. “Torque, things aren’t going to happen overnight. Believe me, I’ve seen celebrity relationships that have tried. However, I honestly think this is one of those things that you need to go with your gut on.”

See, this really confused me. Being told to go with my gut only made me think about things more, which was the exact opposite of what I was being told to do. “So… just wing it?”

The singer nodded, tapping my upper foreleg with a smile. “Yeah, bro. Whatever happens happens. It’s best not to try and keep things from happening or to make things happen yourself. Now, I’d love to stay, but I need to get back home, I’m taking Vinyl to the hospital to take a look at the foal.”

I waved to him as he headed towards the door. “Let me know how it looks!”

His laugh was pretty audible, even from down in the garage my apartment was over. “It’s still only a few weeks in, I doubt it’ll look like much! Later, dude!”

I began to debate the pros and cons of the singer’s arrival in my head. On one hoof, he gave me this brilliant idea for my sound box. On the other hoof, it was kind of his fault I was so nervous now. Had he not said anything about this “date”, I would have been fine. I guess being nervous was a small price to pay for the happiness that this device would no doubt bring.

Once I had my head together again, I resumed my work, though the clumsily cute pegasus permeated my thoughts every now and again. A part of me contemplated just making the test version and using that if it worked. It would had saved me a lot of work, though I decided against it in the end. This was just like what I did for a living, and I did not do sloppy work.

By three o’ clock, I had a good chuck of the recorder finished. It still needed a small microphone and the button to activate it, but those were the easier parts in my opinion. There was time to at least start one of them, so I worked on installing the mic until about three forty-five. Getting ready with a shower, brushing my teeth, and gathering up all the information I had collected didn’t take nearly as long as I thought it would, and that left me with another half hour to keep working.

Despite this extra time, I just couldn’t focus anymore. Just like Beat had said, this was a date, and I had no idea what to do. I found myself wishing my sister were here now, she’d at least be able to help me calm down. Since it was clear I wouldn’t be getting any more work done, I decided to just go see Ditzy early. The only thing I had to go on was Beat’s advice, which basically meant I had to do my best to stay calm and be myself. It was easy enough when I took her and Dinky on a tour of my home town, but the mere fact that it would be just us made it a whole lot more nerve racking.

In fact, it was so unnerving that I almost forgot my hat as I left. The hat not being on the rack I had assigned it to probably didn’t help, but once I felt a light breeze over my head, I made a beeline back to the apartment to grab it. Being left alone with my thoughts on the way to her house brought a very strange idea to mind. As I walked, I contemplated using my spare time to go to Carousel Boutique instead. Rarity was a gorgeous mare, and there was no doubt in my mind that she’d been on dates before.

The only bad part about going to see her would be that she’d probably try to dress me up like she had insisted on doing when I told her I was taking Ditzy out. That unicorn would be incredibly hard to argue with, as well; those puppy dog eyes she puts one almost got me the first time, and I wasn’t sure how well I could resist them this time, either.

Regardless, I needed help, and I’m sure the fashionista knew how to give it. After just one knock on the door, it swung open, and I was pulled inside somewhat forcefully. Just as I had thought, Rarity already had various outfits in her magical grip with a grin on her face wider than my aunt’s hips. You don’t even want me to get into that, trust me.

“Torque, darling, you’re back! I take it that means you’ve reconsidered my offer, hm?”

I’m not sure if it was her looks, my difficulty saying “no” to anyone, or a mix of both, but I was at a loss for words as I scratched the back of my head. Trying to figure out how to tell her I wasn’t here to try on clothes was harder than I’d thought.

“Uh, listen Rarity… I… I just need your help with something.”

Immediately, she folded up the outfits and set them on a nearby desk. Her excited expression had been replaced by upturned brows and a slightly open mouth as she walked over to me. The mare looked me over, tilting her head a bit before pressing her hoof up to my forehead.

“Dear, you don’t even look well. Are you sure you should be going out this evening?”

I slowly shook her off, giving a slow nod. “I’m fine, Rarity, just nervous. I was fine until Beat came over and mentioned that this actually was a date… and now I’m afraid of—”

“Messing up? Making a mistake?”

After I nodded again, the unicorn reached up and adjusted my hat. “Torque, listen. I know it’s hard, but try to keep calm. All mares are different, but I’ve been on my fair share of dates, and if Ditzy is anything like me, all you need to do is be yourself. You’re sweet, kind, and very polite. A little less than clean most of the time, but I admit, not everypony is as adamant about neatness as I am. Just have a bit of confidence, and you’ll do fine.”

I took a deep breath in an attempt to do just that. “Rarity, do you have any idea why I’m so nervous?”

She put her foreleg around my shoulder — once she confirmed a lack of dirt or dust on me — and flashed a bright smile. “As I said, you’re probably just afraid of making a mistake. You shouldn’t be, though. To be quite honest with you, in most dates I’ve been on, if the mistake wasn’t a result of something foolish, the results were actually kind of cute. Most others like you aren’t the kind to expect the lady to pay for things or drag them around doing what you want to do, though. What exactly are you afraid of, if you can think of something specific?”

That was a head scratcher. It took a few moments to pinpoint my exact fear, but as I thought about it, it was a pretty reasonable one. “I’m just scared something may go wrong.”

Rarity tilted her head again and began to giggle. At first I felt slightly insulted, but those feelings ebbed away as she explained herself. “Who are you, and what have you done with Torque? The colt I know would be more focused on the bright side of this than be worried about what might go wrong. Above all else, remember this: No matter what happens, it happens to you together.”

She soon began nudging me towards the door, and a quick glimpse at the clock told me why. “Now good luck, dear. Next time, however, I won’t be taking ‘no’ for an answer when I ask that you allow me to provide you with an outfit. Have fun!”

Before I left, I had to say one more thing, so I poked my hoof in the door as she began to close it. “Rarity… you do remember that we’re coming back here to drop Dinky off first, right?”

A light pink tint faded into her cheeks as she giggled. “Oh, yes, I forgot that little detail for a moment. Sweetie is over at Sweet Apple Acres planning for tonight with the other girls, so I suppose it just slipped my mind without her here to remind me. In fact, I should probably go and get them now.”

“We’ll bring her by in a little bit. I’ve still got a good ten minutes to spare at least. You know, I would’ve told her I’d get her at six if the train ride didn’t require us to go to Tall Tale and cross into Vanhoover.”

Rarity clapped her hooves together, her eyes sparkling. “Oh, you didn’t hear? They finally got the tracks repaired and got the fissure filled up. From what I hear, it took quite a few powerful unicorns to help, but it is indeed working now.”

That was certainly good news. “Thanks for telling me that, Rarity. Still, I don’t want to be late, so I’ll see you in a little bit.”

She waved to me as I made my way to Ditzy’s place, her smile still wide was it was when I first came in. “Goodbye for now, dear!”

I was still a nervous wreck on my way to Ditzy’s. Even my legs were a little shaky as I approached the door and knocked. My mouth opened at the same time as the door, but I was left with no time speak as a pair of grey hooves found their way around my shoulders.

It seemed almost wrong not to return the hug, and the both of us sat there for a short while doing just that. “Good afternoon, Ditzy.”

Finally she released me and patted at her mane. It looked fine to me, but I wasn’t about to bring it up just in case she took it the wrong way. “Hi, Torque! I-I’m really happy to see you.”

Her cuteness was impossible not to smile at, and the little filly that popped up on her head didn’t help matters at all. “Hi, Mister Torque!” The little filly waved at me excitedly, leaving me with almost no choice but to wave back.

“Hi, Dinky. How are you?”

At once she hopped down onto the ground, jogging circles around me. “I’m super excited! This is my first sleepover ever! I don’t even know what a sleepover is exactly, but I’m sure it’s like the name says! I can’t wait for it!”

Ditzy rubbed her daughter’s head with a smile. The pegasus tried to hold her still, but the excited filly proved just a little too energetic to stop moving. “Alright now, calm down, sweetie. We’ll be there soon, okay?”

She gave a quick nod, hopping back onto her mother’s back. “Yay! Yay! Yay!”

As we made our way back to the boutique, the tiny unicorn couldn’t stop talking about all the fun things she bet they’d do, how excited she was, and how great it was that she got invited. It made things a little unfortunate, since neither of us wanted to interrupt her, but we both knew we’d have plenty of time to ourselves once she was dropped off.

The seamstress was all too eager to allow the girl inside, giving Dinky’s head a few small pats after checking her hooves. Once it was clear that she didn’t have any dirt on them, the filly was allowed in, and not just Sweetie, but four fillies including Rarity’s sister met Dinky.

Rarity herself gave Ditzy a wink. “Please, dear, don’t worry about your daughter. I’ve done this sort of thing before, and if they get too out of hand, I have a friend with… methods.” Her ears fell flat as she saw the pegasus’ reaction to her words and the unicorn began to flail her front hooves in the air. “Oh, no, no, no! That came out wrong. You know Fluttershy, yes? She has a way with children the likes of which I’ve never seen. Even when they’re on their worst behavior, a simple breath from that pegasus is enough to make them freeze. I’m sure it won’t come to that, but I can call for her help if need be.”

My friend let out a sigh and wrapped the seamstress in a hug. “Thank you for doing this, Rarity. Dinky’s a good girl, I promise she won’t give you any trouble.”

She nodded, patting Ditzy on the back. Rarity was almost singing as she spoke her next words, and they actually made me feel good. “Now, if you two come back and I hear that you didn’t have fun, I’m not going to be happy.”

I couldn’t help but give her a hug too, and this time she knew I was clean already. “We’ll be fine, don’t you worry.”

Her brows turned down a little, though her smile remained. Rarity leaned me forward and lowered her voice almost to a whisper. “Be yourself, remember that.”

“I will, thanks.” Once she had released me, I turned back to the googly eyed mare with a smile. “Are you ready to go?”

Ditzy slowly nodded before turning to Rarity. “Thank you again. We’ll see you tomorrow!”

Again, I found myself walking away from Rarity’s house with the fashionista waving at me. “Be careful, you two, and have fun!”

“We will!” The warmth from my friend could’ve held off even the harshest winter wind as she moved herself close to me. I felt a small chill run up my spine as she did, though I was also much calmer than I had been earlier.

“I owe you so much, Torque. You’ve been so kind to me, and I think I’ve already said this more times than I can count.”

I guess she wasn’t paying enough attention to realize this wasn’t the same train we had gotten on last time, but it didn’t matter. It was now five fifteen, though in all honesty, I think the train ride from Ponyville straight to Vanhoover would take a little bit more time than going to Tall Tale. It was almost a straight shot there, but to get to Vanhoover, the train had to go north before going west, leaving us plenty of time to talk.

“Ditzy, even after you’re as happy as can be, my kindness won’t stop. You don’t owe me anything, and believe me when I say if you try to give me anything in return, I won’t take it.”

Yet another chill ran up my spine as she leaned against my shoulder. The gesture made me very glad we were in our own room on the… whatever they call the train care with the rooms in it. There was no doubt in my mind eyes would’ve been all over us if they could actually see this.

My friend let out a long, relieved sigh, her head still against me. “Okay, I won’t. Just… please accept my thank you.”

I set one foreleg around her, and the soft, quick sigh from her nearly brought a blush to my face. “It’s not like I really have a choice in that regard. Of course, you know I do accept it.”

Before she could say anything, I handed her the pamphlet with the movie listings and my list of restaurants. It didn’t surprise me that she hadn’t heard of a lot of these; movie theaters were a rarity… no pun intended, in Equestria, and only big, tech-heavy cities like Manehattan, Las Pegasus, and Vanhoover had them. If I’m not mistaken, Fillydelphia has one, but don’t quote me on that.

Luckily, each title had a description that went along with it, and as she read through she almost slammed her hoof on “Wandering Souls”. I had no idea what that movie was about, so it was going to be an adventure for both of us. Next, we went down the list of restaurants, and I explained each one to her again. She decided on The Bale, a place my parents told me they always went when they were dating. I guess the apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree, even in things like this.
The rest of our trip continued in silence, save for near the end. We gazed in disbelief at the Unicorn Range, a set of multicolored hills that stretched from the Smokey Mountains all the way to Canterlot Mountain. The pegasus rested herself against me, and the relaxed, content look on her face was one I’d been hoping to see for a long time.

“Torque, can we do this more? Maybe… Sunday nights? I have the bake sales going on Saturday, normally, and I need to prepare for them Friday… but I’d love to spend some more time with you, like this.”

My eyes widened a bit. Not only did I really like the idea of just spending more time with this mare, but that was also the perfect time to do so. It was the end of the week — or the beginning depending on which way you looked at it — and a great chance for both of us to relax after a week of work and stress.

“I’d love to do that, Ditzy. However, let’s get through today first, okay?”

She nodded, nuzzling up against my chin with the sweetest smile I think I’ve ever seen. “I’d like that, Torque. I’m really looking forward to tonight.”

If I had a bit for every chill that ran up my spine in a good way this evening, I’d have at least… enough bits for a large soda and one of those boxed pies. Aw man, those things were so delicious. Oh, wait, I’m getting off track!

Anyway. As the train slowed to a halt, Ditzy set her foreleg around mine and we walked off the train together. Once again, I felt that same warmth flow through me as I had when she was nestled against me in the train and even the comfort I felt one the way to the train station. We still had some time before the movie theater started showing “Wandering Souls”, so we decided to take a look around town for possible places to go next Sunday.

We both agreed on Horseshoe Park; it was lovely this time of the year, but I assured her, it was even more gorgeous in the autumn. However, I really didn’t want to go in with her now, bringing a giggle from the pegasus as I told her I didn’t want to spoil anything. We spent the remainder of our time walking around, with my friend resting against me the entire way.

“Torque, may I ask you something?”

I gently caressed the pretty blonde mane before answering. “Of course, Ditzy.”

It seemed this mare was either incredibly lucky, or actually knew exactly what to say to get me flustered. “If tonight goes well, can we start calling ourselves a… couple? I mean, it’s okay if you don’t want to, but I had so much fun last time, and I love being with you, and—”

I was surprised at my ability to speak with a hot, red face. “I don’t see why not. I like being with you, too. You’re a really sweet mare, and I have no qualms about you thinking of me that way.”

All she did was smile, those cute, crooked eyes bright with excitement. She wrapped herself around me in a warm, close embrace, and soon I was doing the same. That made me all the more hopeful that tonight went over well.

Finally, it was almost time for our movie to start showing. We both agreed that getting a big snack was not a good idea, so we settled for sharing one popcorn and soda. Ditzy’s choice in drinks wasn’t all that great to me, but at least I wasn’t one of those strictly Coca -Colta drinkers. The theater was already packed when we got in, though there were a few seats a little farther in the back. We were also fortunate enough not to have anypony taller than us in the seats before us, giving us a clear view of the screen once the movie started.

It seemed to be centered on a young mare named Silver Wind, who still did not have a cutie mark despite her age. At first we thought it would be more of a relatable, down-to-earth film, but as Silver’s search for her special talent progressed it became a much more trilling adventure. In time, she met a stallion the producers made obvious to be her love interest, and that’s when things got a tad bit awkward.

Nearly every time I set the cups they gave us to scoop out popcorn in the box, Ditzy did the same. This was also the case for at least two times when I tried to take a sip from the straw. By the end of the movie, Silver Wind learned that her special talent was peacekeeping and received a dove with an olive branch on her flank. For at least a third time, the pegasus’ head rested against my shoulder, and just looking at her soft smile made it hard to get up and force her to move.

She didn’t seem to mind when I finally did, moving her head as she felt me fidget a little. “I liked that. It was a good movie for my first one ever.”

I was getting very used to having the mare close to me, and every moment she remained there made my desire for her to stay grow. The movie was a tad longer than normal, being at two hours instead of the usual hour and a half, so it was eight when we got out. Luckily most places stayed open until at least ten, and The Bale was one of those places.

Ditzy’s stomach answered my question before I could even ask it. She let out a nervous giggle as she tried to cover it, though it was already too late. Almost teasingly, I started to tug her towards her restaurant of choice. Not even the ten minutes we were asked to wait out could dampen our spirits, though I did find it odd that they only asked us to wait ten. I remembered back when my entire family would come here, and if we hadn’t made reservations, sometimes we’d have to wait thirty!

However, I soon became very, very glad for that wait time. Ditzy and I sat on one of the benches outside the door, since this was one of those places that gave you a buzzer when a table was ready. The silence was a bit awkward, but the way it was broken was almost more awkward.

The grey hoof set itself atop my own as its owner tried to speak, her words peppered with stutters and pauses. “Torque… I know you said you didn’t want me to pay you back for all this, but I think I know a way I can do something for you at no cost of my own. That is, if you’d like it?”

I bit my bottom lip a little. I really could not think of anything Ditzy could give me that wouldn’t cost her something, regardless of if it was effort, time, or money. In the end, I felt she wouldn’t take no for an answer this time, so I simply nodded.

Only after she made her request did anything click. “Close your eyes please.” Even with them closed, I saw it coming. A light pressure, a small moan, and warm breaths against my muzzle all came at once, and even after she drew away I still felt them.

The small smile and half-lidded eyes told me my friend was completely satisfied, though our moment was interrupted by a loud buzzing. “Thank you, Torque. I just couldn’t hold that in anymore.”

I nodded again, allowing her to hook herself around my elbow as we entered again. We were led to a booth in the corner of the two… mediums, I guess? There were two walls in the middle of the room that formed a square, though two sections on each side were cut out to actually allow customers inside it. Ditzy and I decided to sit next to each other as opposed to across, and the corner made that very easy. It also didn’t take that long for a waitress to come to us, and though some of the wines they had sounded really good, we decided to go nonalcoholic and just get lemonades.

When the waiter came back with our drinks, both Ditzy and I decided to share again. We both got a small salad and ordered a large spaghetti for us to split. I felt a small blush cross my face as the order prompter the waitress to wink at me and giggle, but the hug I received afterward really helped to ease my embarrassment.

“You’re the best, Torque. Really, you’re the best colt I’ve ever met.”

Another little moan escaped the pegasus as I gently caressed her mane. For some reason, I couldn’t help but feel like knowledge of that little sweet spot would come in handy at some point in the future. I had no idea what it would come in handy for, I just felt like it would.

“You’re an amazing mare yourself. You keep going despite what you’ve already been through, and still manage to smile while doing it. I really admire that, and if you ask me, everypony else should too.”

“Oh, you!” With all the warm fuzzies I was getting tonight, it was a wonder I didn’t catch on fire. The kiss was just as sweet on my cheek as it was on my lips, but I was very glad she pulled back when she did. Once again the waitress winked at me, though this time I was able to shrug it off. She gently set our salads on the table along with the utensils. I had always wondered what being a unicorn was like, being able to use magic and not having to curl my hooves up to hold forks and tools and such.

Almost in unison, Ditzy and I tasted our salads and let out loud moans of satisfaction. If the appetizer was this good, I could only imagine what the entrée would be like. There was a lot I wanted to say, but with Ditzy enjoying her food, I really didn’t want to divert her attention. We enjoyed our food in delighted silence, each of us subtly scooting closer until we finally met.

Finally, maintaining the peace became just a little too large a task. I didn’t know what to say, so the first thing that came out was all I had. “You know, Ditzy, you’re really cute.”

A soft, red tint grew on the grey cheeks and she nuzzled one against mine. “You are, too. I like your little hat, and your cutie mark suits you!”

The mention of my mark brought something to my attention that I never even gave a second thought: the bubbles upon Ditzy’s own flank. “Speaking of… what does your cutie mark represent?”

She spoke after downing another bite of her vegetables. “It has a lot to do with my clumsiness, actually. I never said anypony was outright mean to me… in fact, they’re quite nice when they have no choice but to talk to me. I’ve been told that I seem quite cheerful despite my being so prone to accidents, and I guess that’s how I got it. It happened when I first went to the doctor for my eyes. I was still making jokes about it even when they said there wasn’t much they could do, and this appeared. The only thing I can guess is that my special talent is… well, being bubbly!”

I seriously needed some kind of cute-o-meter for this mare. Some of the events that have unfolded screamed anything but bubbly, but for the most part, that fit her very well. I wanted to say something, but was interrupted by the arrival of our spaghetti. The mere smell of the tomato sauce mixed in with the seasoning and spices in both the sauce and on the noodles themselves had my mouth watering, but before I allowed myself to eat, I set my hoof on top of my friend’s.

“Alright, let’s make a deal: avoid eating the same noodle if possible, okay?” The idea of that seemed adorable to me, having our lips meet in such a manner, but it was so cheesy I could imagine that being a scene in a really old movie.

Ditzy giggled lightly, leaning forward and forcing me into the same state of near intoxication as she had outside, leaving me slightly dazed as she drew back. “I don’t need food to kiss you.”

There was no doubt in my mind that the gesture was sincere, but she also didn’t seem to mind that her kiss had stunned me and kept me from making a move for the entrée before us. Finally I managed to shake in off and smile, reaching for that sweet spot on the top of her head and giving it a small rub. Once again, Ditzy gave a quiet moan, and this time I caught sight of her twitching ear. Yeah, I definitely needed a cute-o-meter or something.

After we were done goofing, we both started enjoying the food again. Not once did we end up grabbing hold of the same noodle, and only once did the pegasus playfully lick sauce off my muzzle. By the time we were finished, we were both bloated and slightly tired. We were coherent enough to read the bill, though, and while I thought the price would be pretty high, it was actually pretty reasonable. I guess my parents just exaggerated whenever we came here when I was younger.

I tipped the waitress generously after paying, and we were out. Ditzy had one wing around me the entire time we walked back to the train station, and kept it like that even as we went back to our room on the train car. I loved the way you could still look out the window while lying down, and I wondered if Princess Luna herself was watching us in that starry sky and making sure everything went perfectly.

The silence was broken once again by my friend, this time in an even more flustering manner. She nestled up against me, either oblivious or not minding the fact that we were basically in the same bed. It wasn’t like we were spooning, or forking, or knifing, or whatever the term is, I don’t remember, but it was still enough to make my face heat up a little.

Ditzy looked up at me with the same expression I was met with when I opened my eyes after our first kiss. “Torque, is it too early to say ‘I think I love you’?”

It was a really, really tough question. Normally I was one to give this at least a few days before even thinking of uttering those words, but with my forelegs around her, and the moonlight reflecting off that adorable face, there wasn’t much I could do to keep from saying yes.

I just closed my eyes, giving her back a few gentle rubs. “I love you too, Ditzy.”

We continued the rest of the train ride in silence, perfectly content snuggled up together and just enjoying being so close. Of course, the ride eventually ended, but we slowed our pace to our homes just to give ourselves more time together, and even the goodbye took ten minutes at least.

Things were really starting to look up, and they’d only get better as time went on. I was sure of it.

I couldn’t help but poke my head between Rarity and the door as I waved to Momma and Mister Torque. Rarity kept telling them to have fun, and they were still waving at us as they walked away.

Momma turned at us with a smile, uttering her last words before they disappeared. “Thank you again! We’ll see you tomorrow!”

When they were gone, the older unicorn slowly closed the door and flashed me a bright grin. “It’s so wonderful to have you here, little Dinky! I promise you, my sister and her friends, while they can get a little crazy, are some of the most fun fillies you’ll ever meet!”

I couldn’t help but bounce around as she told me. “I know, we played all day at school yesterday! Where are they?”

Before she could even answer me, I was on the floor with at least two of the four on top of me. I couldn’t see them from where I was, but I could hear Sweetie’s voice from above.

“Hi, Dinky! It’s so great that you were able to come! Cutie Mark Crusaders Sleepover is a go!”

All of a sudden, I heard all of them, including the two that weren’t on top of me, fill the room with a loud, resounding “Yeah!”

Sprint hopped off of me, nothing but a light brown blur as she ran circles around Sweetie and myself. “We’re gonna stay up all night! Since Sweetie Belle already has her cutie mark, she’s in charge! So what are we gonna do tonight?”

My fellow unicorn clapped her hooves together with a bright smile. “Well, I say the first thing we do is give Dinky her present, right?” She turned to all of her friends, and each of them nodded.

Rarity trotted by us, her own smile as bright as her sisters. “Dinky, close your eyes, dear. I’ll go fetch your gift and then you can open your eyes. I’m sure you’ll love it.”

The fact that I had to close my eyes both scared and excited me. I could hear light giggles and soft hoof steps all around me as I stood there, trying to resist the urge to open my eyes. After a while, I heard the shuffling of fabric and something settle itself on my back. A few moments after feeling a very light pressure around my neck, Rarity spoke again.

“Alright, dear, open your eyes.”

If I had a mirror, I was sure my eyes would’ve been lit up brighter than stars. All four fillies were wearing their little capes that I had seen them sporting sometimes, and as they pointed behind me, I saw that I had one too. The unicorn filly approached me, tapping both my shoulders with her horn.

“As leader of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, it is my honor to pronounce you as our newest member!”

My mouth hung open as she spoke, leaving me frozen with a mix of emotions and reactions all battling for release. Eventually I filled the room with the echoes of my delight, forcing everypony else to cover their ears until I had calmed down.

“This is the best thing ever! I’m a Cutie Mark Crusader!” I started hopping around all of my friends, repeating this phrase over and over again until they joined in and chanted “You’re a Cutie Mark Crusader!”

In my excitement, I actually forgot Rarity was hear until she cleared her throat to get our attention. “Now girls, I hate to say it, but you’ll need to stay indoors tonight. I have some work I need to complete, though watching you won’t be a problem, simply stay inside tonight, alright?”

We all nodded, prompting our caretaker to smile. “One more rule: when I say it’s time for bed, it’s time for bed, understood?”

This time only I nodded, Rarity’s words bringing out a loud, simultaneous “Aw” from the other girls. The elder unicorn gave me a pat on the head and then addressed my friends. “I’m sorry, girls, but by the time I’m done, it will be too dark to go out. If you’re good, I’ll think about letting you play outside tomorrow morning before you’re picked up, okay?”

Now we were all nodding again, though I was still the odd one out being the only filly who didn’t sound upset when we all said “Yes, Rarity.”

“Good, now go play. I’ll make you all some yummy dinner and call you down when it’s ready, okay?”

Before I even knew what happened, my friends rushed upstairs. It took me a moment to process what just happened before I followed, but soon I was in the midst of a pony hurricane. All four of the others were bouncing around Sweetie’s room much like I had been doing on the way here. Pretty soon, I joined in too, laughing and giggling with all my friends until I bumped into Apple Bloom. Scootaloo then tripped over us, Sweetie Belle fell onto her, and Sprint toppled down onto Scoots.

Rather than any of us getting mad at another, we all started laughing again before getting up. Once we did, all eyes were on my fellow unicorn as Sprint spoke. Thankfully there was no food for her to have in her mouth this time.

“So? What are we gonna do tonight, Sweetie?”

Our leader closed her eyes and smiled. My eyes widened as I saw her horn shine with a pink glow similar in color to the heart on her cutie mark. I wasn’t the only one, either; Scootaloo and both earth ponies were staring at the horn until a pillow flew into Sprint’s face, prompting Sweetie to giggle and shout out.

“Cutie Mark Crusaders Pillow Fighters!”

Immediately, everyone including myself let out a loud “Yay!” We all dove for the bed before us, grabbing pillows and slinging them at each other. Now that she had magic, Sweetie had an unfair advantage, and it made me kind of jealous. I was hopeful though, too. Maybe if I did well enough, I’d have a pillow on my flank when we were done.

Getting hit in the face with a pillow wasn’t as painless as you might think, but I’d definitely take that over a kickball like one time in school. I really didn’t think I would, but I actually managed to get a few hits as we played. Unfortunately, I also managed to get hit a lot myself, so by the time we were all tired and panting on the floor I think I lost.

Once we regained our energy, everyone but Sweetie looked back their flanks. Sadly, nothing new had popped up on any of them. All ears perked up as Rarity called to us, leading to everyone including myself bolting down the stairs. The smell of eggs and hash browns filled the kitchen as we skidded to a halt. Rarity stood before us, setting plates down on the table.

Just as I made my way in the oven started to go off, and our sitter opened it to reveal a delicious looking tray of hay fries. My mouth was watering at the mere sight of it, and I think at least two stomachs were growling.

Upon hearing this, Rarity turned around and giggled. “We had quite a few leftovers from breakfast, so I figured I’d fix them up for us rather than letting them sit in the fridge for Celestia knows how long. Just give me one moment and everything will be ready!”

Napkins neatly folded themselves and, accompanied by knives and forks, set themselves beside the plates with the aid of Rarity’s magic as she spoke. Once they were all just the way the unicorn wanted, she beckoned us to the table and pulled out the chairs for us. We all rush for the table, but I grabbed as many hooves as I could once I saw Rarity’s angled brows.

Unfortunately, this led to some tripping. Scootaloo was the first to fall, and she made it clear that she wasn’t happy. “Hey, what did you do that for, Dinky?”

Accidentally tripping my friends actually scared me a bit. Despite this, I still managed to point a slightly shaky hoof at the mare before us. “I assumed there’s no running in the kitchen?”

Rarity nodded and used her magic to put us in the chairs. This made her smile a bit in spite of us breaking the rule my friends probably forgot about. “Sweetie, didn’t you tell them there’s no running allowed in the kitchen or my work room? In fact, I’d prefer if you didn’t run indoors at all, but I know you all well enough not to expect that to happen.”

I could almost see the halos over my friends’ heads as they flashed their sweet grins. Rarity rolled her eyes a little, smiling at us again. I saw everyone lift their forks to eat, but I couldn’t until I accidentally brought all eyes on me.

“Thank you for the food, Miss Rarity.”

She blinked a few times before patting me on the head. “Well you’re most certainly welcome, darling. Though, you should eat before your food gets cold.”

I sat there beaming for a moment before taking the mare’s advice. The meal tasted just as amazing as it smelled, and the fact that the eggs were scrambled didn’t help; that’s how I liked them the best. Rarity being a good cook was not an easy thing to imagine, but as my tongue absorbed the flavor of each bite, that image became more and more realistic.

A shudder ran through my body as I saw Sprint getting ready to speak, but as her eyes met mine she paused and swallowed her food first.

“This is delicious, Rarity! I thought Applejack was a good cook, but this is something else!”

The seamstress giggled, the sudden praise distracting her from her own meal. “Oh my, thank you, Sprint. Really, though, I’m nowhere near the chef that Applejack can be, sometimes.”

Everything was so good that I actually didn’t notice that it wasn’t a very big dinner. Even with all of us talking, we were done in a few minutes. Had I been older and taller, I would’ve offered to help Rarity with the dishes, but ever since that one time I tried to do them myself for Momma and broke a plate when I dropped it, I’ve been avoiding that chore until I knew I could hold the dishes with some degree of stability.

Instead, I joined my friends upstairs again so we could think of more things to do. As it turns out, nopony had an idea ready. We all sat on the floor and thought for what felt like forever. After a while, a light bulb lit up in my head as I saw Rarity’s cat walk by.

I threw my hoof in the air and jumped up, a wide smile on my face. “I have an idea! Cutie Mark Crusaders Animal Doctors!” Once I landed back on the floor, I opened my eyes to see the reactions of my friends. Contrary to my expectations, there were no smiles, only straight mouths and upturned brows.

The lack of any positive feedback nearly made me sink back. Sweetie began to wag her hooves in front of her quickly, trotting up to me after she was done. “Oh, don’t look so sad! It’s a great idea, it’s just… Opal doesn’t like anyone but Fluttershy. Trying to mess with her is just asking for trouble.”

Momma always told me rolling my eyes or going “pfft” at others was very rude, but I couldn’t help but do the latter. “Aw, she’s just a kitty! You just have to be real slow and patient.”

All my friends reached out like they were going to stop me as I walked in the direction of the cat, and the cat herself turned to me and began to hiss. It didn’t scare me, though, most animals, at least the ones I played with, were all bark and no bite. I kept my steps short and my motions slow, never showing any fear or anger as I approached the kitty.

After a few steps, she stopped hissing, but I did see her claws come out as I reached forward. She never swiped at me, but I think if I hadn’t guessed just the right spot behind her ear, she would have. Sweetie’s mouth hung open while the other three girls stared at me with eyes as big as dinner plates, watching me gently pet the cat they were so afraid of.

She walked away after a few pets, but judging by my friend’s faces, that was all they needed to have their minds completely blown. Apple Bloom walked up to me, watching Opal walk away.

“How… how did you do that? Opal never lets anypony but Fluttershy even get close to her!”

The only thing I could do was smile at them. “Well, I like to play with the animals whenever Momma takes me to the park. She lets me feed them and stuff, so I kind of learned how to get close to them. It’s not that hard if you just know what to do.”

I was met with tilted heads as my friends looked at me, their brows cocked. It took a moment, but Scootaloo finally piped up. “That’s it? Just being slow?”

I guess I had given them that impression. Slowly shaking my head, I turned back to the direction Opal had gone. “It’s not just that. You have to be brave, too. Animals can sense fear, at least that’s what Momma told me. Opal Kitty can probably tell you’re all afraid of her, so she’s scared you might do something to her. Just try not being so scared, and maybe she’ll let you get closer!”

Apple Bloom rubbed the back of her head, though the smile had returned to all their faces. “Wow, Dinky, you sound like Fluttershy right now! I never would’ve pegged you as the kind to be good with animals like that!”

If I had a mirror, I was sure my cheeks would have been as red as that earth pony’s mane. I started circling the floor with my hoof, unable to look them in the eye. “Actually… I’d love to learn from her. Fluttershy is the best animal caretaker ever! I’ve always loved little animals, too, which is why I would love having a dog so much!”

At once, the girls did a group hoof bump. “Cutie Mark Crusaders Veterinarians! Yay!” This time, I was actually able to include myself in it with just as much excitement as my friends!

Sprint tilted her a head a little and began to tap her chin. “So, what should we do? Opal’s not really sick, so we can’t really be animal doctors….”

Suddenly, another light bulb popped on, prompting me to throw my hoof into the air again. “Cutie Mark Crusaders Pet Groomers!”

At once, all four pairs of eyes lit up, and my hoof was met with the approving bump of all of them. “Yay!”

I was excited at first, but as soon as the three original Crusaders traded looks, I felt my hope begin to fade. Scootaloo started rubbing the back of her neck, which at this point I assumed could never lead to anything good.

“Wait… didn’t we already try this once when Spike tried to dump all those pets on us?”

All three nodded, but Sprint poked her head up between them. “Wait, when was this? I don’t remember that at all.”

Watching Apple Bloom slowly push her pseudo-sister’s head down made me giggle a bit, but it was only a temporary fix for my disappointment. “It was before you and your brother moved here. Sorry, Dinky. It was a good idea, but it’s something we already tried and failed at.”

I guess I couldn’t blame them. Taking care of animals wasn’t something I actually knew a lot about, and seeing as how my friends had already tried, attempting it again would’ve probably ended in failure.

Eventually we all agreed that it came down to one thing: what could we do staying inside? The fact that we had to stay in actually scared me a bit; I didn’t know about Sprint, but I knew at the very least that Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were known for not exactly following rules, and Sweetie Belle I wasn’t too sure about either. Thinking about one of them proposing that we go outside behind Rarity’s back made me shudder, leaving me hoping with all my heart that they didn’t.

Of course, things are never that easy. Just as I had expected, the pegasus spoke up with a daring idea. “You know, maybe if we snuck outside we could find more stuff to try! I mean, there’s only so much we can do inside, right?”

I bit my bottom lip a bit. Momma always told me that rules were made to keep us safe, and that breaking them could very well end in somepony getting hurt. I couldn’t help but shrink back a bit, knowing that what I was about to say could very possibly be interpreted as an argument.

“Are you sure we should do that? I mean, Rarity did tell us not to, and I don’t think it’s a good idea to disobey her.”

Small frowns and raised brows were the response I was met with. All the girls traded looks with one another before returning their gazes to me. For a group that chose Sweetie Belle to be a leader, Scootaloo was doing a lot more talking for it.

“Well, if you’ve got a better idea, we’d love to hear it. You do have a point, too; I’d hate to get caught and have to listen to Rarity’s constant nagging.”

Had it not been for that second part, I would’ve probably assumed she was being sarcastic. However, I did have another idea, though it required some looking around for writing utensils and paper first.

After sifting through some of the shelves and drawers around, I actually froze mid-search and turned to Sweetie after remembering what Miss Cheerilee taught me. “Oops. I’m sorry Sweetie, I should’ve asked before I started looking through your stuff.”

The unicorn trotted up to me, poking her head in the drawer I had opened. “That’s okay, but what are you looking for, exactly?”

“Pencils and paper! I actually do have an idea for something we can do!”

A small smile spread across my friend’s face as she used the magic I was so jealous of to pull some pens, pencils, and a few sheets of paper off of a desk near her bed. “Well that’s all you had to say! What were you thinking?”

Now I was beaming once I had my own pen. “We think some more!”

Again, I found myself in the middle of a bunch of confused stares, and once again Scootaloo spoke up before anypony else could. “That’s it? You can’t get a cutie mark for thinking!”

This time, the response was much easier to take. “Not like that, Scootaloo! Remember what Miss Cheerilee taught us about accomplishing goals? First, you have to make a plan, and then you take steps in the plan towards your goal!”

It was nice to hear someone other than Scootaloo speak this time. The fact that it was Sprint, somepony I didn’t know very well, made it even better. “Wait, you remembered that? That was at least three weeks ago! I think… all I remember is that she didn’t start that lesson too long after we moved here.”

I gave a quick nod. “I listen to everything she says! She even had a special lesson dedicated to cutie marks, remember?”

Sprint shook her head, but the other three nodded. “Must’ve been before I came here.”

The other unicorn jumped up, pointing a hoof at all of us. “Alright then, Crusaders! What is our goal?”

We all threw out hooves in the air, shouting in unison. “To get our cutie marks!”

Sweetie eyed us all with a sly grin. “And what’s our plan for getting them?”

Now it was everyone but me repeating the gesture. “Do everything we can to see if we’re good at it!”

Now our leader’s attention was on me, though the somewhat snarky expression on her face had faded to a more curious look. “Dinky?”

“I say we go about this… less dangerously?”

It’s amazing that no necks snapped given how much head tilting was being done tonight. Also amazing was the fact that the pegasus’ throat was still fine given how much she was stealing Sweetie’s thunder.

“How exactly do we do that?”

Immediately, I started writing on the paper. I put down Sweetie’s name and drew a line to a description of her cutie mark, “microphone in front of pink heart”.

“Let’s think, like I said. Sweetie Belle has her cutie mark, how did she get it? It was during the talent show rehearsal when she used her magic to make her voice louder, right?” After they all nodded, I continued. This time I wrote down Miss Cheerilee, drawing a line to “three flowers”.

“We all know that Miss Cheerilee loves teaching, and that would explain the flowers on her flank, because she wants to see us all grow! What other examples can you think of?”

I didn’t actually mind Scootaloo piping up this time. “Oh! Oh! Rainbow Dash has a cloud with a rainbow lightning bolt! She’s totally awesome, and the fastest pegasus in all of Equestria!”

This got a snicker from both Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, though the earth pony was the one that responded. “Except for that one colt that tied with Spitfire when they had a race.”

The pegasus rolled her eyes, scoffing at her friend. “Nah, Rainbow Dash could take him down in a few seconds!”

Apple Bloom caught sight of me putting Rainbow Dash on the list, jumping up to get my attention. “Oh, oh, put Applejack down, too! She’s got three apples on her flank, and she’s been working on the farm ever since she was my age!”

As I wrote, she turned to Sprint and started rubbing her chin. “Say, Sprint… what about Jet? I mean, his cutie mark is a horseshoe with wings, what exactly does that mean?”

Her response was to jump up in the air and do a backflip. “Acrobatics! You’ve seen how he works on the farm, Apple Bloom! He doesn’t buck the trees like Applejack, he jumps around on the branches to get them down! He can do all sorts of fancy moves and stuff, too!”

We continued this trend until I had at least twenty names in my list. Once Sprint got a good look at it, she started tapping her chin. “Now what?”

I ran my hoof down the list along the side with the names on it. “Let’s think about this: what do all these ponies like to—”

The melodic voice that came from downstairs was actually a very unwanted sound right now. “Aright, girls, it’s time for you to go to bed! You were very good, so I’ll think about taking you outside tomorrow morning before it’s time to go!”

I’m sure Rarity could hear our loud, resounding “Aw”. She slowly trotted up the stairs and into Sweetie’s room, her tail slowly swishing from side to side.

“I’m sorry, girls, but there’s always tomorrow.”

Once again, we all spoke at the same time. “Okay.”

Getting settled into bed proved more difficult that any of us, including Rarity could’ve thought. Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo fit in snugly, but when Sprint or I tried to get it, everyone started to get squished. After a moment of thinking, I rearranged the pillows so that we could all sleep horizontally, and the bed was wide enough so that or hind legs weren’t hanging off the other side of the bed.

After we were all tucked in and Rarity was gone, all of us started whispering at once. “I was going to say, we figure out what all these ponies like to do and how that links up with their cutie marks. Maybe then, we can find a pattern we can use to find ours!”

Sweetie Belle started clapping softly. “Yeah! That sounds much better, and safer, than just doing everything we can think of!”

Getting to sleep was a task in itself, with both my excitement and the whispers of my friends keeping me up. We all decided that use our time together tomorrow morning to ask the ponies on our list some questions. The idea of finally getting my cutie mark also contributed to my restlessness, as it did with all the other girls. It was too dark for me to see Sweetie’s clock, but the moon was at least in the middle of the sky and actually starting to go down by the time a yawn finally escaped me.

I slowly closed my eyes, dozing off with my friends. Things were looking up, and I could only dream of how much more fun my days were going to be.

Author's Note

PHEW! Over 10k words! I never would've thought myself capable of such a lengthy chapter.

Chapter 8: The First Gift

Repair and Deliver
Story 6
Chapter 8: The First Gift
By: SleeplessScribe

By the time I actually got home I was shaking, sweating, and pretty much chewing on my bottom lip. Trying to sleep became in possible as the events of my date replayed in my head over and over again. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that Rarity’s advice of “be yourself” told me nothing about dates themselves. I probably screwed up more times than I could count, and as the possibility that I did beat the rest of my thoughts into the back of my mind, I jumped up and began pacing back and forth.

I had to know. Asking Ditzy straight up would make me both look and feel like an idiot, but I was sure Rarity wouldn’t mind giving me some more advice. Seeing as how sleep was not an option, I decided to try and work on my sound box more, but that proved futile as well. It was highly unlikely, but I decided to try my luck and see if Rarity was still awake.

My tense shaking had not ceased even as I began the trip to the boutique. However, I froze the instant I heard the regal voice call out from above me.

“Dear Torque, stop for a moment!”

It was almost as if she was implying that I could do something other than stop once I saw the princess. Luna lifted my now bowed head, the corners of her mouth turned up into a soft smile. “You look as if you’re literally holding the world on your shoulders. Pray tell, what’s troubling you to the point of keeping you awake at such an hour?”

Out of all the things I could have said or done, shrugging her off was probably the worst course of action. “I’m fine, Princess. Really, it’s nothing important.”

The curves that had formed her smile slowly began to fade, leaving nothing but a straight line across the mare’s dark muzzle. “It’s quite obvious there is something wrong. I am no fool, and it is my personal duty to ensure that my subjects are doing well.”

Once again, my head began to lower, accompanied by a tone of voice that did the same. “It’s not anything you could help with.”

My words brought a scoff from the alicorn as she took to the air and landed in front of me with an audible, but not all that loud, slam. “Just who do you take me for, child? I have been on this earth for more than six thousand years! There is no issue I have not seen, and there is no solution I’ve not witnessed. There are many ponies I could be offering assistance to now, but I chose you out of all of them! Though if you truly don’t want to—”

“What do you know about relationships? How much experience with that concept could you have possibly had as a princess?” I quickly brought my hooves to my mouth, only aware of how rudely I had raised my voice at her after the fact. Once again, I began to shake, only this time it was due to the fact that such disrespect was sure to be met with some form of reprimanding.

Contrary to my expectations, Luna actually seemed to calm down. Her angled brows slowly began to turn up, and the hostile scowl shrunk into a smaller, more sympathetic frown. She lifted a hoof onto my shoulder, her eyes lidded as if she had just been told a sad story.

“That was all you had to say. You never know what somepony can do until you ask, and I know much more about this subject than you realize. I’ve had more than a few suitors in my time, and I’ve also learned quite a bit from Cadence, the princess of love herself. The fact that I am royalty does not exclude me from matters such as this. Now please, tell me what’s on your mind.”

I let a long, heavy sigh out before even thinking of what to say. There was no guarantee I could even say everything I wanted to in one go. Arguing with the princess was not an option, and I really did need the help. What did I have to lose?

“I went out on a date tonight. I’m not sure if my feelings for this mare are at the point of romantic attraction… but I said ‘I love you’. I kissed her. I feel like I did everything I shouldn’t have! Every decision I made was basically the same one she did, and I probably shouldn’t have seemed like such a follower. I kept blocking her when she tried to get a drink or some popcorn at the movie, every word I said made me sound like an awkward idiot, I was shaking like I had just come out of a freezer, and who knows what else I did wrong?”

I found myself shaking again, chewing on my lip as I had been earlier. My list went on and on, and as I looked back at Luna, I saw that that soft smile had returned to her. The change in expression made me back away, shutting my eyes.

“Please don’t laugh at me.”

My eyes were still shut, but from the tone of her voice, it sounded like I had hurt her feelings with my comment. “Why on earth would I laugh at you? I’m sure everypony that’s ever lived has been nervous on their very first date.”

The light pressure on my shoulder told me she had her hoof on it again, and opening my eyes confirmed this. “Remember also that you are your own worst critic. Everything you think you did wrong, she may not have even noticed.” She lifted the hoof from my shoulder to her chin, her eyes rolled up a little and to her left. “I remember a time long ago when arranged marriages were the norm, and back then it was customary to have rules of courtship. That time, however, is long since passed, and there is nothing dictating when you should kiss, hug, or anything else of the sort.”

Her words were doing little to calm me, though I did feel myself starting to shake a little less. The alicorn put one foreleg around me, forcing me to walk with her through the streets. “I was actually watching you the entire time. To be quite honest, I’d say you did rather well for this being your first true date.”

I turned to the mare with my cheek slightly puffed. “Um, no offense, Princess, but why exactly were you watching me? That’s… just a little strange.”

She curled her lips inward as her gaze shifted from side to side. “Oh, um, no reason. I simply find it entertaining… like watching a play. If that offends you, then I will stop.”

I was too lost in my thoughts to even give her a response to that. Luna somehow managed to make me feel a little bit better about the date, but there was still one thing that plagued my mind. My cheeks slowly began to turn read as I looked up at her, rather hesitant to even ask.

“Princess Luna… how do you know if you’re in love? I kind of just went along with the kiss and stuff because I didn’t want to upset her… I’m not sure if I truly feel that way yet.”

Luna gently patted me on the back. “You won’t know if you give up. Just give yourself some time to think. Why do you do these kind things for her? What keeps you from being satisfied with helping her just once? These are things you must ask yourself. Torque, you cannot get these answers from somepony else. You must solve them yourself. However, I will caution you; while these are important things to think about, do not dwell on them. You know as well as I do that, should you allow these thoughts to occupy your mind every hour of the day, your work will suffer, you won’t be able to sleep, and you will miss out on things that were right in front of you.”

She had a point. In fact, she had many points. Dwelling on this would get me nowhere, but asking someone else to give me answers was about as pointless as putting a band aid on a broken leg. I looked up at her again, taken aback by how it seemed like the moon was in the perfect position right behind her head. As we walked, it seemed as if it remained in that same spot, though my eyes were probably just playing tricks on me.

“Well, even if I’m the only one who can figure this out… do you know of anything I can do to at least calm myself down?”

Our progress towards… wherever we were going was halted as she took her leg off of me. Slowly, she raised her hoof to her chest and took a deep breath, extending her leg out as she exhaled. She repeated this three times before addressing me.

“It’s a little trick I picked up from both Twilight Sparkle and Princess Cadence. Believe me, if it works for our newly crowned alicorn, it should definitely work for you.”

The gesture really didn’t seem like it would do much, but again, I had nothing to lose. However, as I followed the Princess’s example, I soon found my shakiness ebbing away again, and somehow the cloud of clutter all of my conflicting thoughts had created seemed to fade into nothing. I don’t know how, but just a few deep breaths and pretending my right foreleg was some kind of fan was actually helping me calm down and think clearly.

“You have got to tell me how this works, Princess.”

She let out a small giggle as we resumed our walk. “I know not how it works, only that it does.”

I don’t know why, but I really didn’t feel like that was the truth. Regardless, I didn’t try to argue, though pelting her with my curiosities was a much easier feat. “Princess Luna, why are you going out of you way to speak to me? I’m sure there are plenty of other ponies out there with bigger troubles.”

The only response I got, at least the only nonverbal one, was a shrug. “You’d be surprised. As often as problems arise at night, none of them are truly severe enough to merit my intervention. Though your issue isn’t all that severe either, I enjoy helping love blossom just as much as my adopted niece. However, I must be going now. It is time for me to return to the castle, but I wish you the best.”

The mare looked even more elegant and regal as she spread out her wings, ascending into the air and floating away in the direction of Canterlot Castle. “Farewell, dear Torque! Remember my words!”

I waved at her until she was out of sight before making my way back home. Luna’s talk and that little trick she taught me had calmed me down to the point that getting a few hours of sleep might actually be possible. I had to wonder how she even knew where I was, but it was still nighttime. It wouldn’t have surprised me if she could still see me even as I entered the garage. I really needed a new name for this place, too.

As I reached my room, I felt myself shaking a bit again. If it wasn’t obvious, my somewhat sheltered life led to almost no experience with dating. Those two mares that asked me out? I had to turn them down because of how busy I was in those years. However, the few minutes that I spent talking to Princess Luna probably calmed me down and put me more at ease than an hour with Rarity would have.

I repeated that breathing trick that Luna taught me. It managed to ease my shaking again, and I tried to find something else to think about. Eventually I shifted my thoughts to a name for the “garage”, though all of the ideas I thought of as I hung my hat up involved Ditzy somehow. Seeing as how a name for my place was out of the question, I began to ponder the questions Luna brought to me.

I still didn’t want to label it as “love” just yet, but there was indeed something about that pegasus that made me feel like going out of my way to help her was just right. Seeing her happy just made me happy, and given what she had told me, she had a lot of strength to try and smile through what life was giving her.

On the bright side, I could feel my eyelids getting heavy. My clock said one o’ seven, later than I had ever stayed up when not working on something. Finally, I allowed myself to doze off. Normally I don’t remember my dreams, but this one was too vivid and strange not to remember or talk about.

It was obviously a wedding, but all the mares were pink and all the stallions were blue. None of them had any eyes either, which kind of freaked me out. That’s not to say there were just empty eye sockets, but it was like a puzzle cube with the stickers pulled off, just pink or blue where the eyes should have been. As the bride made her way towards the groom on the altar, I saw that a dog was presiding over the ceremony, but was speaking our language rather fluently.

Unfortunately, just as the bride and groom were reciting their vows, a huge fissure opened in the earth, causing them all to fall in and me to wake up. Well, it was more like I forced myself to wake up, nearly blinded by the sunlight coming through the window into my eyes.

The experience near forced me to roll out of bed, holding my hooves to my eyes until all the spots went away. “Oh geeze… who turned on the sun?” My clock now said eight, so it was almost eight hours of sleep. I still felt a little groggy, but a shower helped fix that.

There wasn’t much in the kitchen I was in the mood for, so I decided it was finally time for me to actually explore Ponyville on my own and without needing to go somewhere specific. My mind settled on this quaint little outdoor place that was already serving customers. In fact, I caught sight of a certain friendly unicorn as I scanned the tables for a seat.

I opened my mouth to greet her, but a small little voice shouted out before I got the chance.

“Mister Torque!” The tiny unicorn nearly flew at me, hugging my leg with a bright smile. “Good morning!”

With a smile of my own, I ruffled up Dinky’s mane. “Good morning to you Dinky, and a good morning to you as well, Rarity.”

Everypony was flashing smiles this morning. Good morning, dear. Wonderful to see you, Torque. How did the date go?”

I took the seat across the table from her, with Dinky sitting on the left side between us. “I’m a little shaken. I feel like everything I did was wrong, but Princess Luna told me that I did very well.”

I wasn’t exactly finished, but the mare didn’t give me time to continue before slamming her hooves on the table. “You spoke to Princess Luna?”

“Uh, ma’am?”

Her white coat did nothing to hide the growing red in her cheeks. She stared at the waiter for at least a minute before lowering herself back into her chair, brushing the invisible dust off of her. “Oh, I apologize, I’m afraid I was so caught up in our conversation that I didn’t see you there.”

The colt didn’t seem that offended. In fact, he too started smiling. “Well I can’t say I blame you. I wasn’t eavesdropping, but I couldn’t help but overhear that your friend got to speak with royalty. One of our royal sisters, in fact. It’s not every day somepony can say they’ve done that. Anyway, are you ready to get your drinks?”

Rarity’s blush began to fade as her ears perked up again. “Oh yes, I’ll have my usual. Medium vanilla cream coffee with two sugars, please.”

He looked at me as he scribbled down the order. “And you, sir?”

I tapped my chin for a moment as I thought. “Do you have hot chocolate?”

“An odd request, but yes we do.”

“Great! I’ll have a medium hot chocolate please.”

As he scribbled down my order, the little filly looked up at him and tugged on his uniform. “May I have some milk, please?”

Just as I’m sure anyone else would have, the waiter started to grin as he looked down. “Why, of course you can, sweetie.”

She then clapped her hooves together, though the loud growling from all three of us kind of interrupted it.

I looked from Dinky to Rarity for a moment before looking down at my own stomach. “Neither of you have eaten yet?”

The seamstress began wagging her hoof as she spoke. Honestly, I feel like you’d take away a mare’s ability to speak if you cut off her hooves, almost all the ones I knew did some kind of sign language when talking.

“Well, I took the girls outside for a little bit, and I guess I just lost track of time. Applejack came and got Sprint and Apple Bloom, and Sweetie went with Scootaloo, spouting something about an ‘investigation’. Now that I think about it, I guess food was the last thing on my mind!”

Now my ears perked up as she mentioned the fillies getting picked up. “What about Ditzy? She hasn’t come for Dinky yet?”

The mare shook her head as the waiter came back with our drinks. For the sake of time and ease, we all just ordered a large stack of pancakes to share and resumed our conversation when he was gone.

“She hasn’t. Though, I’m not surprised. You two did go all the way to Vanhoover and came back rather late. Oh! Speaking of, I apologize for interrupting you. What were you going to say about how your date went?”

I honestly forgot about that, and as a result, forgot about what I had said. “Even eight hours after the date ended I’m still nervous. I feel like I did a lot of stuff wrong, but Princess Luna herself came to me and encouraged me to keep trying until I knew for certain how I felt about Ditzy.”

With a smile, she tapped my hoof and nodded. “You should. Believe me, if you’re on the fence, asking yourself what she is to you, persevering is much better than stopping. Even if you decide she’s just a friend, at least you’ll know. However, I think I can help you as well.”

If she didn’t have my attention before, she had it now. “Well, Luna said I’m the only one who can really do this, but I’d be glad to hear what you have to say.”

She nodded again before continuing. “To be honest with you, dear, I feel like I’ve only been in love once. And I mean real love, not just infatuation. I don’t think the feeling really differs between ponies, so ask yourself this: are you happy just being with her? Do you find yourself wondering how she is or what she’s up to when you’re not around her? Does making her happy make you happy? That’s how I felt with this colt; I was happy just being around him, he was always on my mind, and I found myself smiling whenever he did.”

I slowly tilted my head, tapping my chin as I thought. The questions Luna had presented me with and the ones I had just been asked went together like puzzle pieces, and one of them was even the same. Last night, during my little soul search, I did determine one thing, and it answered that question that both mares had asked.

“I don’t have a definite answer for all these questions, but I do know one thing: I find joy in seeing Ditzy happy. She told me her story a few days ago, and it broke my heart to see her cry. As odd as it is, it reminded me of the day my dog ran away. It was like I had tunnel vision, all I could focus on was trying to find him, and this time, all I could focus on was getting her to smile.”

Once again, she started to nod, this time with her eyes closed. “I think you may. Of course, I’m not you, so I can’t tell you what to and what not to do, but were I in your position, I’d give it a chance.”

“She talks about you a lot too, Mister Torque.”

The both of us fell silent as we looked at the small unicorn, her twinkling eyes looking back at us with an innocent shine. “Momma goes on and on about how nice you are. I think so, too! You’re super nice, Mister Torque!”

Both Rarity and I patted Dinky’s head, causing her to let out a small giggle. “That’s sweet of you, Dinky. I try my best.”

I could feel my mouth watering as the aroma of our meal began to fill the air. It was a momentary derailment for my train of thought, but it didn’t last long after Rarity politely cut them up and divided the stack evenly among us.

“At the end of the day, it’s really not my say, nor is it any of my business, but I say go for it! I’ve been to enough weddings to know how beautiful a thing love can be, and as far as I’m concerned, the more of it we have, the better. Besides, you’re so kind and friendly to everyone, you deserve to be happy, Torque.”

Her mention of happiness brought another thing to my mind, though Dinky’s presence kept me from saying very much. My hunger kept me from saying anything until I had down a big chunk of pancakes, as well.

“Everypony deserves to be happy, not just me. Speaking of, do you mind if I ask you a favor?”

She also had to take a few bites before speaking, though the unicorn was taking much smaller pieces than me or Dinky. “That may be true, but you’re not everypony. You and Ditzy are the topic of this discussion. Personally, I think you two are adorable together based on what I saw yesterday. And of course, name it.”

The pancakes were almost too good to take a break from. I had to swallow at least two more bites before I could speak again. “Do you think you could patch something up for me? It’s got some age on it, but I think it’s still salvageable.”

Rarity gave me an assuring nod. “There hasn’t been a fabric yet that I’ve been unable to mend. Just bring it to me and I’ll have it done before you even leave!”

That was great news. I let out a sigh of relief, turning to a chubby-cheeked Dinky for a moment before addressing the seamstress again. “I don’t exactly have it right now. I’ll have to get it when we’re done here.”

I felt a little poke on my shoulder, turning my attention to the source. Her cheeks were still stuffed, but she somehow managed to swallow what she had. “Mister Torque, did you really have a dog?”

I couldn’t help but smile as I spoke, holding my forelegs out beside me to give some kind of indicator as to how big he was. “I certainly did. He was a big old dog, and I named him Tucker. He was about this big when I picked him up from an animal shelter. We had a lot of fun together… but he got out through a hole in the fence I hadn’t noticed. I searched for him everywhere I could think of, even after dark, but could find any sign of him. I hope he’s alright… and at the very least, I hope he caught that squirrel he was chasing.”

“Aw, I’m sorry. I bet he was really nice, like you! I wish I had a doggy like that!”

Her words got small laughs out of both of us as she nibbled on her food some more. “He was a good dog, just rambunctious. I shouldn’t be surprised that he eventually got out.”

Rarity’s face really made me question how interested she was in this new topic. She hadn’t said anything since the dog was brought up, and her plate was almost clean now, despite her barely eating anything when we were talking about my possible love life. In fact, I was the only one who still had anything on their plate. Luckily I managed to finish before the waiter came over.

I volunteered to pay for it since I did just kind of throw myself in here, but Rarity refused not to pay for her and Dinky’s meal. Once the food was paid for and the table was clean, we all stood up and said our goodbyes.

With a smile, I lowered myself and let the little filly hop on my back. “I’ll take Dinky back home and drop that thing off at the boutique. Is that alright with you?”

She patted the bottom curl in her mane before responding. “That’s not a problem at all. I don’t plan on leaving for anything.”

“Alright, I’ll see you later, Rarity!”

“Goodbye, Torque!”

We went our separate ways, Dinky bouncing a little on my back. “I had lots of fun, Mister Torque! We had a pillow fight, and we ate yummy food, and we played games, and we ran around, and I got made a Cutie Mark Crusader!”

Seriously, is it legal to be that cute?

“That sounds great, Dinky! Are you going to see them at school tomorrow?”

She started nodding quickly. “Uh-huh! Tomorrow’s show and tell day, too! I’m gonna take Mr. Wags and show him to everypony!”

Oh boy, that hit me in the gut. I mean, I was sure I could finish things up before tomorrow, but it would take a lot of work today. “I’m sure they’ll love him.”

Dinky just couldn’t stop going on and on about how much fun she had, and I assumed her mother could hear her without me needing to knock, considering she opened the door before I could.

“Sounds like someone had a good time!”

The unicorn hopped off of me, wrapping herself around her mother’s legs. “I did! It was so much fun, Momma! I can’t wait to tell you all about it!”

My friend started to giggle, ushering bother her daughter and me inside. “I can’t wait to hear all about it. Go to the kitchen, sweetie. I made some muffins for you, and I’ll be there in a moment.”

Immediately, Dinky clapped and zoomed off towards the kitchen, leaving the pegasus and I by ourselves. She looked into my eyes as best she could with that same, soft smile I had seen last night that I loved so much.

“She’s not the only one. I had a wonderful time last night, Torque.” Up until today, I had no idea ponies could purr. Nor did I know that having a mare lean her head on my shoulder could feel so… normal. “I really enjoyed myself, you know that? Torque, I really want to get to know you better, and spending time with you is… I… as corny as it sounds, the only think I can think of to say is spending time with you is magic. I feel at ease when you’re around.”

As she spoke, I lifted my foreleg around her shoulder. It was as if she were reading my mind, and her words cemented my decision. “Well, if you’d like, I’d love to take you to that park Sunday. You know, it might be even pretty if we went during the day. Dinky can come along too, if she wants.”

Again, there was that purr sound. It wasn’t really a purr, but it was the closest thing I could think of. “That sounds wonderful.”

I hated to do it, but the warm moment had to end eventually, and I was now on a somewhat tight schedule. “Speaking of Dinky… where is Mr. Wags? Don’t tell her, but I’m going to have Rarity fix her up like new.”

The mare’s eyes lit up at my words, causing her wings to flutter a little. “Really? Oh, that’s so sweet of you—”

“Momma! Come have some muffins with me!”

She turned her head back to me, leaning towards the hall. “Second door on the left. Last I saw, Mr. Wags was on her bed.”

I gave her a quick nod as she went to see her daughter. A quick peek into what I assumed to be Dinky’s room validated my friend’s words. The plushy was pretty ragged; it looked like one of its legs was even coming off. Its brown, black, and white coloring made me assume it was supposed to be a Beagle, but it’s obviously a lot harder to tell with stuffed animals as opposed to the real thing.

Ditzy and Dinky were giggling and talking as I made my way out. Now I had to rush to Rarity’s boutique to drop off the toy. I really didn’t want to just drop it off and leave, but I couldn’t stay for very long, either. In the end, I decided to tell her just that, hoping she’d understand. She answered the door rather quickly after my knocking, looking down at the gruff little toy in my grasp.

“Oh, this? That won’t take but a few minutes! However, Torque, I have something I really must speak to you about, do you have some time?”

Of course she needed to speak to me when I was in a rush. Since the thing was in my mouth—darn unicorns and their really handy magic—I had to give it to her before I could speak. The seamstress wiped off the spot I had been holding with a rag, looking back to me.

I, however, was already jogging in place. “I’m sorry, Rarity! Dinky wants to take Mr. Wags for show and tell at school tomorrow, so I have to get this done today.”

My words merited a blink from her. “Very well. However, we’re going to speak when I bring this back to you, understand?”

“Fair enough. I’ll keep the door unlocked for you.”

She began waving her front hooves at me, a bright smile on her face. “Yes, yes, now shoo! You have work to do, shoo!”

Her playful shooing only exacerbated my good mood. With hers, Luna’s, and Ditzy’s conversations all putting me at ease with what happened during the date, and Dinky’s excitement about her sleepover motivating me more, finishing the recorder took almost no time at all. Beat came over so I could record his sound clip, and I immediately began working on the playback device.

Figuring out how to wire it up so that the device read and played what was on the recorder was pretty easy, but making it large enough to be practical proved slightly challenging. The fact that Dinky wanted her toy by tomorrow also meant that this prototype had to work and had to be what we used. I was about halfway done wiring up everything when Rarity finally came in.

“Good afternoon, dear! How’s the box coming along?”

You wouldn’t think sitting at a desk putting together a small piece of electronics could work up a sweat, but I found myself wiping my forehead as she spoke. “It’s alright. I think I’ve done pretty well for how much time I’ve had to work on it.”

She sat down next to me, setting a Mr. Wags on the table so new I could barely tell it was the same one. Both of the buttons that made up his eyes had been replaced, there were absolutely no dirty spots anywhere to be found, every single rip and tear had been mended, and there weren’t even any seams or stitches in them!

“Hey… you used some magic to fix this up, didn’t you?”

Rarity’s mouth turned up in a please smile as she messed with her hair. “A lady never reveals her secrets. Now then, tell me you have a moment to talk now?”

“I really would like to get this done soon, but I’m curious as to what you have to say.”

She only started speaking after she was done toying with… whatever was wrong with her hair. “Well, I was just reminded of something when you brought this little toy to me. Long story short, a friend of mine, who shall remain nameless unless you meet her, has a stuffed animal she’s had since foalhood, and I’ve been pushing her to allow me to renew it. You bringing in Dinky’s dog reminded me of her, and what she’s currently going through.”

My ears perked up, my curiosity more than piqued now. “And?”

The unicorn lifted a hoof to her chest for whatever reason. I noticed that she had a habit of doing that when she began sentences. “Well, she’s kind of in a situation similar to yours. She has some feelings she’s unsure about, though she wouldn’t tell me who they were for. She talked to Princess Cadence herself, which didn’t surprise me, since the two are so close. Now, I’m not saying you should go all the way to the Crystal Empire just for some advice, but it couldn’t hurt to ask should she visit Canterlot or somewhere closer.”

I shrugged, returning to the task before me. “I thought you agreed that I was the only one who could actually solve this. It’s just going to take time, I guess. Really, it’s like Beat said: whatever happens, happens. I guess what I’m afraid of is Ditzy really being my special somepony, but I do something wrong and scare her away.”

Working with a leg on my shoulder wasn’t as hard as I thought. “Well, if that’s the way you think, then consider this: If she really is ‘the one’, then would it really matter how many mistakes you make? If you two are meant to be together, don’t you think things will work themselves out no matter what happens?”

I froze as I processed her words. She had a point, and it was a really good one at that. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that what she had said pretty much irrationalized any kind of worry I’d been feeling.

“Wow… I guess you’re right. It really wouldn’t make a difference if it’s really meant to be. Thanks for saying that, Rarity.”

“I do pride myself on having a way with words. With that, I must be going, I don’t want to leave Sweetie Belle alone for too long. Take care, dear.”

I waved at her as she made her way to the door, but I didn’t keep it up for long. “I will, you do the same!”

Once I heard the door close, my attention immediately shifted back to my work. Skipping lunch to work may not have been the best idea, but it gave me a boost that would allow me to eat a big dinner to make up for it. By the time I was done, it was about seven, and my stomach was growling. However, I needed to run a few tests before I could feel finished. Thankfully, each test was a success, meriting a wide grin and a big sub sandwich.

Now that I was full, and everything was ready, it was time to see the look on her face. Normally, I didn’t think running was really appropriate for most situations, but man, as I hauling flank. I didn’t even know I could move that fast. I could hear raised voices from behind Ditzy’s door, but they fell silent the minute I knocked on the door.

Slowly, the door began to open, and my friend poked her head through. Her smile was almost as wide as mine when she saw me. She didn’t say anything, but circled her hoof in front of her as she held the door open for me.

“She’s scared to death. Maybe we should have told her that you at least wanted to see Mr. Wags. Poor thing’s been looking everywhere for him.”

I gave her a wink and walked up to her door, poking my head in. She wasn’t kidding; Dinky’s bed was a mess, all of her drawers were open, every single light she had was on, and now she was wiggling around beneath her bed.

“Hey Dinky!”

The filly’s head popped up the minute she heard me, though she didn’t make any attempt to actually get up. “Oh, hi Mister Torque… have you seen Mr. Wags? He just went poof! I don’t know where to find him!”

Being innocent came naturally to me, but I still felt the need to smile and roll my eyes. “Oh, I’m not sure… do you mean, this Mr. Wags?”

Her eyes lit up as she saw me hold the spruced up plushy before her. The unicorn’s jaw slowly began to drop, and as I watched, I honestly thought it might hit the floor. Dinky just lay there, staring at it for who knows how long before letting out a loud scream. Before I knew what had happened, I was on the ground with the small, purple forelegs wrapped around my neck.

“He’s as good as new! Mister Torque, did you do this? Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!”

She was heavier than I thought, but I still managed to pick her up off of me as she grabbed a hold of her dog. “No, I didn’t, I just asked Rarity to fix him up for you. I had absolutely nothing to do with this—”

Of course, I couldn’t keep the façade up for very long. As soon as she hugged Mr. Wags hard enough, the whole room was filled with a loud, deep, and silly sounding “I love you!” Dinky’s face dawned the same wide-eyed, open-mouthed expression it had just displayed as she turned to look at me.

“Except that.”

Again, she let out a loud… sound. If I had to give it a name, it would be “squee”, because that’s basically what it was. “He can even talk now! Mister Torque, you’re the best ever! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Dinky kept on squeezing Mr. Wags, giggling every time that sound clip played. I felt a weight on my shoulders as her mother brought my into a tight hug, and my face heated up as her lips met my cheek in a quick peck.

“You really are the best, Torque. I… I think—”

“Mister Torque!” The little filly wrapped herself around my leg, tugging on it softly. “Can you stay for supper, Mister Torque? Please?”

Her little puppy dog eyes made me bite my lip. Dinky alone made the offer hard not to accept, but Ditzy herself had on her own pair of pleading eyes. I didn’t have the heart to tell them I had already eaten, and they both let out a loud “Yay!” when I accepted.

She had made some kind of casserole, but refused to tell me what was in it. Regardless, it was delicious, and my time there was only made better by Dinky’s constant, adorable expressions of gratitude. Once the dinner was over, I helped my friend take care of the dishes and helped her put Dinky to bed. It took us at least five minutes to say our goodbyes, and we ended things with a very long hug.

Ditzy stared at me for a moment before breaking the silence with a quiet, quick word.

“Bye.”

“Bye Ditzy.”

With that, I made my way back home. I already had the basic plan for my next device in my head, and even though it took me until ten at night, I managed to draw up the basic sketches. Attempting to get the blueprints done was a little too much, as I was pretty certain I wouldn’t be able to finish at a decent hour, but the images of Dinky and Ditzy’s faces helped me relax immensely.

Despite what it had done to me this morning, I turned over and looked out the window. The full moon hung in the sky, and I couldn’t help but feel like Princess Luna was watching over me as well as I slowly drifted off into a deep sleep.

Chapter 9: The Challenge

Repair and Deliver
Story 6
Chapter 9: The Challenge
By: SleeplessScribe

Every time I woke up in Ponyville, I loved the town more and more. Being woken up by an alarm clock as opposed to shouting neighbors or some kind of road work was the greatest thing ever. Last night’s events only served to make things better, but I had already pushed my limits by asking my cousin for a day off so soon. Having to check and see how Dinky’s show and tell went after work was barely even an inconvenience, though.

After I had gotten myself ready for the day, I wrote myself a note and stuck it on the wall reminding me to get to work on those blueprints the minute I got home. I’d need it too, after what Sparkplug told me. She was already there when I got to the shop, and the minute she saw me, she started wagging her hoof as an indicator for me to come in.

“You. Seat. Now.”

It wasn’t exactly angry, but there was definitely a hint of demand in her tone. I sat down in the chair right across from her as she leaned forward, holding her hooves in front of her mouth.

“I love you, Torque, but I’m afraid I won’t continue being so lenient with you. I know how adamant you are about what you’re doing for Ditzy, but as a manager, I need to think about the business. You are one of the most experienced workers that Engage has employed, and I don’t want that to go to waste.”

I took advantage of her pause to nod, just so she would know I was listening. “Understandable.”

“It’s also very unfair to give you days ‘off’ like I did just because you’re family. So, I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to keep your job and personal life separated. No more free days off until you’ve been at this shop for a month. Look, I know you’re patient, and I know you’re working on some complicated stuff, but I feel confident in saying that slower progress won’t kill you.”

There wasn’t much I could argue with. I honestly didn’t want to argue, I just wanted to make a few things known. “I understand. I’ve already finished my first project, and Dinky loved it. Right now, I’ve only got one more idea I know I want to make. However, I’m going to need to make an offer to someone later today before I even start it.”

My cousin cocked her brow. “Really? What kind of an offer?”

I could help but smirk at her. “I thought you just said to keep work and personal life separate?”

She puffed her cheeks out, crossing her forelegs in front of her chest. “I’m also your boss. I know what I said, but I want to know what you’re talking about.”

With a smile, I brought my hooves up close to the sides of my head. “I’m going to fix her eyes.”

Sparkplug blinked a few times before finally realizing what I just said. “You’re crazy. I’m pretty sure there’s no surgery that could fix her eyes. In fact, I’m not positive even magic could restore her vision.”

I stood up, setting my hooves on the desk and leaning forward. Sparkplug was my boss, and I acknowledged that, but I knew her well enough to know that I could get away with a little more regardless of her stance on nepotism.

“Sparks, need I remind you that a unicorn was transformed into an alicorn princess not too long ago? Didn’t you hear about all the stuff that’s been happening? Stuff like that crazy guy that attacked Canterlot or those ponies that saved Manehattan? I don’t want to hear about impossible, alright? The damage done to Ditzy’s body may be irreversible, but I will find a way for her to see straight again, because I love her, and I know having a better job will help her immensely.”

A sly grin began to spread across my cousin’s mouth, alerting me to what I had just said. I felt my cheeks head up a bit, but the words came out so easily. There was no hesitation, no reluctance, I knew what I felt now.

“Yeah, I said it.”

She slowly started to clap as her grin closed into a smile. “Well, I’m happy for you. We’ll have to talk more about this when we’re not on the job, but now that my curiosity is… somewhat satisfied, we need to get to work. Though, we haven’t gotten any jobs. Everyone else is in the garage, talking, so you can join them if you want.”

Now it was my turn to raise a brow. “How early do they all get here? We don’t open for another seven minutes.”

The mare rolled her eyes and reached forward to poke my nose. “You actually weren’t too far behind them. They’re not early, you just get here last, which is surprising. I’d have thought you’d always be the first to get here.”

“Yeah, I thought I would be too. What’s everyone doing?”

She shrugged. “Not sure. Normally they goof off and play a game or something until we get a call or walk-in. You need to get to know them better, so go in and see what they’re doing.”

Again, I couldn’t argue, and I was mildly interested in actually knowing my coworkers. When I went through the door into the garage, I saw everyone sitting at a table in the center and Drill Bit rolling a pair of dice.

“Only three? Come on, man!”

Once the cubes were still, Sprocket put three tallies on a sheet of paper before looking up at me. “Oh, good morning, Torque!”

I smiled at her as I walked up to them all. “Hey, everyone, what’s going on?”

Stainless Steel turned around in his chair, nodding to the table. “Our Monday morning tradition. We play a little dice game, loser buys lunch. If you want, we can start over and you can join in.”

Sprocket pulled up the empty chair beside her and gave me a bright smile when I sat down. “Sure! How’s it work?”

Fuse Box still astounded me with his apparent ability to see through his long hair. “Not too hard. You got two dice, and you roll ‘em. We go in turns, and everyone gets five rolls in total. Whatever number you roll gets added to your score, and the one with the lowest score loses.”

“Sounds easy enough, I’m in.”

Sprocket flipped to a new sheet in the notepad she’d been writing on, writing down everyone’s names again. “Alright, Torque gets to go first since he’s new here.”

Drill Bit gave me the pair and I rolled a twelve on my first go. “Wow! This is shenanigans, I never roll that high! Torque, you’re like a Luck Child or something.”

Once Sprock was done recording my score, I handed the dice to her. “I guess so. I like to think myself pretty fortunate given my circumstances.”

Sprock rolled a five, but nearly dropped her pencil at the big guy’s next words. “Heck, I bet everything went perfectly on your date just because of your luck!”

I drew back, staring at him for a moment. “Wait, wait, hold on. How did you know about that?”

Fuse chuckled as he gave the dropped pencil back to Sprocket. “Dude, word spreads fast in this town. It’s not often you’ll hear false or bad rumors, but if someone sees something they want to share, you can bet the whole town will know in a few days. We just assumed you took that Derpy girl on a date, and—”

He froze when he saw the look I gave him, gulping nervously before starting over. “Uh, that Ditzy girl. We just assumed you were taking her out because of how snuggly she was with you. It’s not a bad thing, we just wanted to bring it up.”

“I think it’s really… sweet what you’re doing.” The mare beside me handed her dice off to Stainless before turning her attention back to me. She tried to grin, but she couldn’t keep her teeth out for long. “From what I understand, she doesn’t get very much company that often.”

“She doesn’t, but I’ve just been taking her out to help her get her mind off things.”

Drill Bit blew a raspberry, pointing to the door to my cousin’s office. “Bud, we heard you talking to the boss. At least the whole spiel about ‘the impossible’. You know, the one you ended with ‘because I love her’?”

Now my face heated up for real. I was about to say something, but Fuse threw up his hoof. “Hey, man, don’t freak. Like I said, it’s not a bad thing, we were just curious. If it bothers you that much, we won’t bring it up again.”

Drill Bit rolled and got another three. “Ah, come on! This is rigged somehow!” After a quick facehoof, he looked back up. “Yeah, bud, we’re just messing with you. I didn’t realize it was such a touchy subject, and while I still want to ask you something, feel free not to answer: aren’t you a little scared?”

I raised a brow at him, watching Fuse roll a seven. “Scared? Of what exactly?”

Drill adjusted the brim of his cap, probably to avoid having to watch me roll a nine. “You’ve seen some of her accidents. Aren’t you a little worried that something might happen while you’re around her?”

I just shrugged. “Not really. She’s pretty good when she’s on the ground, and I’m going to find some way to help her see straight in the air.”

Sprocket took her roll as she spoke, though she made it clear she was much more interested in the conversation. “How exactly do you plan on doing that?”

As she wrote down her score and passed the dice on, I thought about it. “Well… I’m not sure. I have a few ideas, but they’re kind of out there.”

Stainless rolled now, clapping as he got a twelve. “Like what ideas?”

“Well, right now I’m working on designs for a special pair of goggles. I think if I can put in more than one lens into one of the eyes, I can shape them so that it angles the light in front of her into the pupil of the crooked eye. I’d pay for her to get surgery, but I don’t feel the danger of an operation is worth it. I mean, I know if it works, she’ll have perfect vision again, but it could cause even worse damage if it goes wrong.”

Our resident only-mare-in-the-room was writing even as she spoke. “Yeah, I’d try everything I could before resorting to that. Magic, maybe?”

Every time I saw Fuse, he was trying to lean back, but he kept having to come back for his roll every five minutes. “Nah, Sprock. That’s pretty dangerous, too. Who knows what could go wrong? Besides, unicorns probably charge a helluva lot more than a regular doctor would.”

She rolled her eyes, and I saw her write a lower score than what he got. Sprocket opened her mouth, but before she could speak, I pointed to the sheet, forcing her to correct it. “What would you know about magic, Fuse Box? Hell, what would you know about sight? You’ve got your hair in your eyes so much, it’s a wonder you’re not blind!”

He slowly rose, shooting Sprocket a rather menacing glare. “I know more about it than your ass, Sprocket! I lived in Canterlot for a few years, where are you from again? Oh yeah, Dodge Junction, A.K.A. the Hick Town of hick towns!”

The mare opened her mouth but shut it immediately as I slammed my hoof on the table. “Enough! Look here, I don’t raise my voice very often, but if this is what spawns from a simple conversation, I’ll start! How about we all just calm down and finish the game, huh? We’re open now, too, and what’s it going to look like if someone walks in and see you two fighting?”

Both pairs of ears fell as they sat back down. Neither of them said anything, but it was okay since I wasn’t finished. “I don’t know why you two are so quick to attack each other, and it’s not really any of my business, but how about we keep it out of the shop? Sparks just asked me to keep my personal life out of work, and I’m sure she expects the same out of you.”

Drill rolled, but kept his attention on Fuse and Sprock. Wow, he really did not want to look at those dice. “I agree. Torque, you’re right, it’s not your business, but we all know what happened, and you need to keep that out of this shop. The boss tries her darnedest to keep you two from going out on jobs together, but like it or not, you’re going to have to put up with each other here.”

Fuse was about to take his roll, but my cousin poked her head through the door. “Guys! I need someone to run over to Sugar Cube Corner and look at the Cakes’ lights. They won’t turn on, and they’ve checked the fuses to make sure none of them are busted.” He then rose from his seat and grabbed his electrical tool belt. “I’ll go. Anything to get out of here right now.”

When he passed Sparkplug and left, she looked back at us. “Did you two get into a fight again? What have I told you about that, Sprocket?”

She let out a long sigh before looking up at our boss. “To keep my feelings out of the shop. I know.”

My cousin angled down her brows, scowling at the other mare. “Then why have you been unable to do so? This is the third time I’ve had to speak to you about this, and if it weren’t for the fact that I need workers, one of you, at the very least, would’ve been sent to another shop if not fired altogether at this point. I’m not going to put up with this for much longer, so tighten up.”

Sprocket lowered her head, keeping her eyes on the notepad before her. “Yes ma’am.”

“Good. Now calm down, and find something to do that doesn’t bring back month old memories.”

Once the door was shut, Sprocket grabbed her radio and opened one of the garage doors. “I’m going out for a walk. Don’t ask where, and don’t follow me.”

Steel and Drill both looked straight at me once she was gone, but Drill spoke up first. “Torque, you’d better watch out for her.”

I furrowed my brow and rubbed my chin. “What? Why?”

The kid nudged my shoulder. “You didn’t notice how she was basically cuddling up to you? She did that with me when I first started here, too. We think she’s trying to make Fuse jealous.”

My gaze shifted between my two coworkers for at least a minute before I finally said something. “Guys, I’m really not comfortable talking about her behind her back like this. Like I said, it’s none of my business.”

Drill slowly shook his head. “Nah, man, this is something you need to know. A long while ago, Sprocket and Fuse used to date. She claims she caught him cheating on her, so she dumped him. Ever since then, they’ve been really bitter towards each other.”

I slowly tilted my head, cocking my brow again. “That doesn’t make any sense. Why would she want to make him jealous if they don’t like each other?”

They both shrugged. It seemed like every time they had a tie like that, Drill Bit had a faster voice or something. “Torque, she’s a mare. They don’t come with manuals. Heck, if they did, I’d actually read a manual for once in my life!”

That got a chuckle out of both of us, despite the fact that I was probably the only one in the room that made a habit out of looking at manuals when I needed to. “So, I take it the game is over?”

Drill once again beat Steel to the punch. “Yeah, I guess. I’ll buy lunch today. My luck is pretty crap anyway, so I end up having to buy most weeks. Get used to this too, bud. We can go entire weeks without getting one call or walk-in, and the next week we never stop moving. It’s crazy.”

“Yeah, that’s how it was back home. I assume you guys don’t have a basketball hoop out back though, right?”

They both looked at each other again, wide grins plastered on their faces. Finally Stainless got the chance to speak before Drill. “Actually, we do! We just… lost the ball.”

Steel started to chuckle, but I was a little concerned. Well, I shouldn’t say I was concerned, since it wasn’t that big a deal. However, there was something I wanted to do, so I knocked on the office door so I could ask Spark about it.

“Come in.” Her ears perked up when she saw me, setting down the papers she had been looking at. “Hey, cousin. What’s up?”

I saw down in that same seat I was in earlier, teasingly nabbing the one screwdriver she had been occupying herself with that one time we spoke. “Do you mind if I head out? I want to see if I can find out when show and tell is at the school, and I want to see if I can pick up a new basketball for the hoop outside.”

She set the papers down and took her screwdriver back. “Fine, but make it quick. If you haven’t missed it, you can check again during your lunch break. However, if I call you in, you come in, regardless of whether you’re in the middle of her presentation or on your way to get the ball or whatever. You haul tail back here if I call you, got it?”

“Understood. I’ll be as quick as I can.” I grabbed my radio and set off rather quickly, but slowed down once I was a decent ways away from the shop. My statement about being quick was kind of a half-truth; I had some things I wanted to think about, so I planned on moving pretty slowly to give myself some actual time to do so.

There was no denying that I did have a romantic attraction to my clumsy friend anymore. What was odd about it was the fact that I still questioned myself when I actually gave it some thought. I guess I really did need to stop listening to my head in this situation.

As I walked, I noticed a store called Barnyard Bargains, which I marked for my return trip. Big stores like that usually had at least a small bit of everything, and I was confident in saying that this place probably had a sporting goods section.

Despite this, my first goal was still the school. I found it a little odd that the children’s’ school was farther away from the center of town than the high school, but hey, what do I know, I’m no architect. It looked as if things were just starting, and had I not spotted a little problem, I’d have gone in to say hello.

“Sparks, are you there?”

There was a bit of static that preceded her response, but she came through clear as day. “I’m here, what’s up?”

I walked over to what was “up” just to get a closer look. “I’m at the school playground and it looks like one of the swing sets is broken. Do you want me to ask Cheerilee if she wants it taken care of right now?”

“What’s wrong with it?”

Before telling her what I noticed, I took a look at the entire structure to make sure there was nothing else wrong. “The swivel on one of the swings is loose. Too much weight on it will snap it off the frame. It shouldn’t take too long to tighten it up, and if that doesn’t work, I can get the parts to replace it when I check Barnyard Bargains for a basketball.”

“Alright, go ahead. Nice to hear that you’re actually looking for work instead of just goofing off. You might be able to make up for being ballsy enough to ask for that early break.”

I chuckled a little, and I could hear my cousin doing the same on her end. “I’ll remember that.”

“Don’t worry about it, bud, we found it! Turns out, Stainless Steel forgot it was back in its box up on one of the shelves. If we don’t get any jobs when you get back, we’ll play some.”

Had it not been for Drill Bit’s input, I’d have forgotten that everyone with a radio could hear us. “I look forward to it. See you in a bit.”

I knocked on the doorframe to get the teacher’s attention, and she waved me in once she saw me. “Oh, good morning, Torque! How are you today?”

“I’m doing pretty well. I was hoping to catch Dinky doing her show and tell, but I spotted something I wanted to ask you about.”

The mare raised both brows. “Well, we do the show and tells at the end of the day, so you can come by then, if you have time. What is it you want to know?”

I nudged my head outside, though I wasn’t sure if it was actually in the direction of the swings. “Just a little issue with a loose swing. I can take care of it, if you’d like. Figured it was best to ask you first. It shouldn’t take too long, either, and won’t be loud at all.”

She gave me a nod and a bright smile. “By all means, Torque! If you think it’s a problem, I’d be more than happy to have it worked on.”

“Alright, I’ll grab a few things back at the shop and see you in a little bit.” Actually, I would have if I didn’t double back to ask her something else. “Wait, before I go: Who is going to be paying the bill for the projector and this? In Vanhoover, our taxes go towards city services, including the schools, and that’s where funds for repairs and such come from, does it work the same here?”

Cheerilee nodded again, motioning her hoof towards the town hall. “That’s the system here. Don’t worry, I don’t pay for maintenance out of my own pocket, if that’s what you’re concerned about.”

After a small chuckle, I set out on my way again. “Alright, thank you for clearing things up. I’ll be back in a little bit!”

The teacher waved at me, though I froze, just for a moment, at her farewell words. “Thank you, Torque! Oh, and you and Rarity did a wonderful job with Dinky’s stuffed animal! Good work!”

I made a mental note to thank her for the compliment when I returned. Once I was back at the shop, I grabbed a rubber strap wrench, and normal wrench, and a few nuts and bolts just in case. If my hunch was correct, I could just tighten this thing up with the strap and be done with it. However, I did have a contingency plan if that didn’t work. In this business, you always need a Plan B.

Making conversation wasn’t on my “to do” list, so once I had the tools, I just slipped out. I took a different route to the school this time, and it just so happened to be one that took me past the post office. As I thought about it, I became surer that I could get away with stopping by once I had finished up at the playground.

Just as I had thought, a little elbow grease and the strap wrench made short work of the loose metal. You know, it’s actually kind of funny when you think about it; because of the fact that it’s used for a lot of sturdy structures, others kind of forget how malleable some metals actually are.

Anyway, Cheerilee was actually in the middle of teaching now, so I just poked my head in and gave her a wink to let her know I was finished. She returned my wink and resumed her lesson, and I made a mental note to come back later if I could.

I chose not to radio in my cousin to let her know I was done. Instead, I took a detour into the post office, went right up to the counter, and rang the bell. To be honest, I was actually very relieved when it was a mare other than Ditzy that came up to me.

“Hello there, friend! How may I help you?”

There was no doubt in my mind she saw it as an odd request, but I didn’t see any reason why it’d be a problem. “Hello, may I speak to your boss? That is, if he’s in.”

She tilted her head at me before turning around. “Um, yes, give me a moment.”

A few minutes later, she returned with Air Mail following behind her. The two of us traded looks for a moment before I finally spoke. “I’d like to speak with you about Ditzy.”

He turned to the mare that had answered me before nudging his head a little. “Head on back to your station, Love Letter.” She gave him a nod and trotted off as he turned his attention to me. “I remember you, kid. You were there when she crashed into that building. So, what’s this about?”

I set my hoof on the counter, and though I wouldn’t say I slammed it, I did put a little more force that necessary into it. “I’m here to make a deal with you. I have been trying to figure out an invention that will allow her to see straight when she’s in the air. If I can pull this off, will you agree to let her perform deliveries again?”

The big guy let out a sigh, turning to face the window on his right. “I’ll have you know that kid has been working her for a long, long while. She’s like a daughter to me, but while I understand how hard things are for her, the damages she causes while out on deliveries far outweighs the difference she makes. Son, if there were a solution to her problem, I’d have already helped her find it. Surgery is too dangerous, and I doubt you can make anything that will correct her vision. I appreciate it, and I have given her a small raise to make up for the money she’s loosing, but there’s just no way it can be done.”

After a deep breath, I looked back up at him and puffed out my chest a little. “Sir, I don’t think you understand how determined I am. I’ve said it before to others, and I’ll say it again to you: I am in love with that mare, and I’ll do anything I can to make her life better. It doesn’t matter to me what you say; I’ll make the impossible possible.”

A small smile stretched across the stallion’s muzzle as he looked down at me. “You know, my initial response to whatever you were going to say was going to be ‘If I were you, I’d just stay out of other ponies’ business.’ I still kind of stand by that, as this really isn’t any of your business, but I will say this: if you really think you can find a solution to her problem and it works, I’d be more than happy to give her back her old job with the pay raise.”

He held out his hoof, and our deal was sealed with a solid shake. I made my way out as we finished, but stopped in my tracks as he spoke again.

“You know, I realize what I said may have upset you a little, but I like ponies that don’t have ‘impossible’ in their vocabulary. Good on you, kid.”

I turned to him with a grin, tipping my hat. “I’m going to do it. Just you wait.”

Chapter 10: A Good Day

Repair and Deliver
Story 6
Chapter 10: A Good Day
By: SleeplessScribe

“Alright, Sparks, the playground is taken care of.”

“Good! Get your tail over here right now, you are not going to believe who’s here!” Gee, she sounded like she was about to scream… in a good way. I did kind of pick up my pace a little, and I didn’t stop to wave at anyone, though I did reply when they greeted me. However, I soon found myself really wishing I had just booked it to the shop.

Sparkplug opened the door to her office for me, dragging me in and towards the garage door. “Oh my gosh, Torque, you are going to be blown away, it’s so amazing!”

My jaw dropped when I saw who was standing in the garage with my fellow workers, as well as when I spotted the machine he had brought with him. It felt almost disrespectful to shake the light brown hoof that was held out to me, though he didn’t seem to mind. The old…ish stallion smiled at me, though he didn’t look like he was going to say anything.

My mind was racing as I tried to think of what to say. So many things could’ve probably offended him, and so many more could have appealed to him, but in the end I could only say one thing.

“Mr. Haynry Fjord. It’s an honor, sir.”

His smile turned in a small grin. “Well hello to you too, boy. It has been quite a while since I’ve seen you. Why, I remember when you weren’t tall enough to touch my knee.”

Everyone jammed themselves between us, but of course, Drill Bit was the first to speak. “Hold up, you know Haynry Fjord? How the heck do you know Haynry Fjord?”

The old colt chuckled and unintentionally silenced everyone else. “Well, his daddy was the first pony to ever do work on one of my Model T cars. In fact, if I’m not mistaken, that’s how this one got his cutie mark, isn’t it?”

I gave him a quick nod. “Yes sir, it is. It was my first big job, and dad let me work on the engine all by myself. I got it up and running again, and once I cleaned myself up, I had these here tools on my flank.”

All their jaws dropped just as mine had when I first saw Mr. Fjord. He chuckled again and drew everyone’s attention to the old car behind him. “Now, I’m sure some of you are asking yourselves what I’m doing all the way down here in Ponyville. Well, I don’t intend to sell my product in a town that has no need for it, but seeing as how Engage has been my go to repair company for years, I decided to put it to the test. That being said, this here car will not run. In fact, I’ve ensured that it doesn’t run by messing around under the hood. I’ve got a little bit of a friendly competition going on, now. I’ve gone all around Equestria to some of the highest rated repair companies to see how quickly they could get this puppy fully up and running. The company that gets it done the fastest will not only be the one that I support in my advertisements, but the workers that win the competition will each get a sum of one hundred crops.”

I’m pretty sure all jaws, including my own, were almost hitting the floor. I had never even seen paper money before, let alone been in possession of it. From what I remember, a crop was worth ten bits, but they were only produced in big cities like Manehattan and Baltimare.

Finally, someone other than Drill Bit spoke. My cousin kind of stumbled over her words, but eventually managed to form a coherent sentence. “Sir, I’m not complaining or anything, but why didn’t you go to the headquarters in Vanhoover instead.”

The colt nearly threw his hoof in my face with that grin of his still stuck on his own. “I did, but old Ratchet told me to seek out this young colt! He said, and I quote ‘My boy’s working in Ponyville, and I’d like you to put him to the test. I’m confident he can fix up your car in thirty minutes.’ Of course, you’ll need to figure out the issues before you can even start fixing them.”

Fuse threw his hooves in the air. “Hold on, thirty minutes? There ain’t no way we can fix a car in half an hour!”

All heads turned once they heard me open the hood. “Well first off, your fan drive belt is outright missing. The cylinder head has a crack in it. You’ll also need a new control pedal assembly, it’s misaligned. Two of your four sparkplugs are missing, and the transmission case cover is loose. This oil filler and breather pipe—talk about gunked up—it looks like it’s never been cleaned. Finally, you’ve got a hole in your water connection pipe. If we all work together and follow my instructions, I’d say we’ll have her running in… yeah, about half an hour.”

“Even less.” It turns out he had been hiding a bag with his magic, which he set down on the counter behind us to reveal all the parts we needed. “Honestly, I was expecting at least a couple of minutes to be dedicated to finding the less obvious problems. I should’ve known better from someone who’s already worked on my cars, regardless of how long ago. It’s not really fair of me to ask you to go out and spend your own money on the parts, so I came prepared with all the spares myself. Now the real test begins: can you fix up everything and make sure it runs in thirty minutes?”

Fuse opened his mouth, but shut it again when I pointed a hoof at him. “Haven’t I made my stance on impossible clear already? I wasn’t too pleased with what you said this morning, so please don’t say anything if you can’t be positive.”

He held his hooves up again. “Alright, whatever you say. Let’s get to work, then.”

Mr. Fjord stood back as we got started. The main issue we ran into was more taking the old parts off than it was putting on the new ones. I split everyone up and had them each tackle one problem on their own, though I did kind of have to walk each of them through their task. As we worked, I found myself continually looking back to the mirrors on the side.

An idea started forming in my head, though I was forced to put it on the backburner so I could focus. I honestly couldn’t tell you how long it took us, as it really didn’t feel like it took ten minutes. Once we were finished and the hood was closed, Mr. Fjord climbed into the driver’s seat and shot a little magic into the little conductor beside the steering wheel.

After just a few moments, that thing was purring like a kitten. It was purring like a loud, motorized kitten. He looked down at all of us with another smile. “Well, I must say that you all have done some mighty fine work! Not only is she running, she sounds even smoother than before! You all deserve a pat on the back right now.”

Sparkplug’s eyes lit up as she approached him. She held her front hooves together, starting at the car before addressing the colt. “So, how did we do on time?”

He set a stopwatch in the pocket of his jacket without looking at my cousin. “Just watch the mail for a few days. If you win, I’ll send you that money along with the time you took to complete the repairs. See you around my friends!”

With that, he took off down the road. Granted, the car wasn’t all that fast, leaving us time to wave and shout our goodbyes, but he still took off.

I was the last to put my leg down, and the first to speak. “I think we did it.”

Fuse rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Right. That was definitely not thirty minutes. At the very least, it was forty-five. I’m not saying we lost, but we definitely didn’t meet the expectations.”

Every one of us turned to him, causing Fuse to back away some. “What? I’m just trying to be realistic.”

Sparks groaned as she made her way back to her office. “Fuse Box, we just repaired a Model T for Haynry Fjord himself. Everypony else is having a good day, would it kill you to do the same? Come on, let’s get back inside.”

I could hardly wait to have Mr. Wags again. Miss Cheerilee asked me to put him in her drawer for safe keeping until it was time to do show and tell, and that time was getting closer and closer. Finally, class was over, and Miss Cheerilee had saved some time at the end for me to come up.

“Alright now, class. As you know, today starts the beginning of show and tell month! Every Monday, one student will be allowed to bring in something very special to them and tell the class all about it. Today, Dinky Hooves will be doing a presentation for you all.”

She nodded to me, and I could hear all my Crusader friends plus one or two more ponies clapping for me. Once I was up front Miss Cheerilee handed Mr. Wags to me and I lifted him up.

“Everyone, say hi to Mr. Wags!”

All of them did, but my friends were the only ones that sounded truly interested. My teacher smiled and patted my head. “And just who is Mr. Wags?”

I held him as high up as I could with a big smile on my face. “He’s the first toy Momma ever bought me. I’ve always wanted a dog, but Momma doesn’t think we can afford one, so a long time ago, she bought me this so I’d have the closest thing to a dog as possible. For years, he’s been my best friend. He always listens to me and hugs me and plays games and stuff. Over the years, he got old and tattered, too. He never really talked much until Sweetie Belle’s big sister and my Momma’s friend Mister Torque fixed him up. Now he looks all spiffy, and he does this!”

I gave Mr. Wags a tight squeeze, and all my classmates smiled when they heard him talk. I know Miss Cheerilee did, but I think I heard a few of the others let out a small “Aw” as well.

After they were all done, I lifted him up again, and this time everypony was looking. “Miss Rarity made him look all nice again, and Mister Torque made him talk! It was the nicest thing ever, and I was starting to get afraid, too. He was so old and torn up I was scared we might have had to throw him away soon. Now I can keep playing with my best friend for a long time!”

The momentary silence was broken as Apple Bloom started to clap. Soon after that, Sweetie Belle started, then Sprint, then Scootaloo, and pretty soon the whole class save for Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon was clapping. I even heard Miss Cheerilee clapping behind me and what sounded like clapping from the doorway. However, there was nothing there when I looked.

I looked around at everyone applauding for me before hugging Mr. Wags again. I tried to hold him up so nopony would see me wipe my eyes, and I think it worked. No one really said anything or asked me if anything was wrong, but I would’ve told them there wasn’t anyway. I was crying a little, sure, but it was because all these ponies were happy for me. They liked something I did for once. I felt noticed in a good way, and that felt really good.

All in all, it was just a really good day.

Author's Note

I know this is a short chapter, but I got in this chapter everything I wanted to get. I've kind of learned that chapters shouldn't have a word count goal, you should just try and get from one point to another, regardless of how long the chapter ends up being. Now, that's not to say you should make a 100k word chapter or a 100 word chapter, but you get what I mean.

Now, the part told from Torque's perspective is relevant for later, and while the part from Dinky's isn't really, I'd kick myself for not writing about her presentation.

Chapter 11: Decisions

Repair and Deliver
Story 6
Chapter 11: Decisions
By: SleeplessScribe

Our visit from Mr. Fjord was most definitely the highlight of the day. We hadn’t gotten any other jobs between then and closing time, and while that meant I was able to catch Dinky’s show and tell, it was still pretty dang boring. Honestly, the rest of the day consisted of a few basketball games, another round of that dice game, and me being sent to the hardware store to stock up on spare parts.

When the shop finally closed, I made my way to Barnyard Bargains and hoped it was still open. Luckily for me, it was, though that didn’t mean they’d have what I wanted. Well, they didn’t have everything I wanted. The store did have a few small mirrors that I would need, but no glass lenses.

They did, however, have magnifying glasses, which I could file down into the shapes I wanted. Since I still had some leather and plastic at my house, the pieces for the eyes were all I needed. Once I had them, I got home as quickly as possible and checked my designs. There were a few changes I needed to make, since seeing the mirrors on Mr. Fjord’s car gave me a new idea, but I had them completed within a few minutes.

I was torn between making the frame or the lenses first, but in the end I decided on the frame. There weren’t really any electronics in this, so if I couldn’t finish it that evening, I’d definitely be able to tomorrow. Seeing as how Ditzy and I were roughly the same size, give or take a few inches, I used myself as a model for the size as I cut the frame out of the plastic and wrapped it up in the leather.

The eyes needed to be thick to give me room to work with, but seeing as how her right eye was the major issue, that’s what I put more emphasis on. In fact, I didn’t actually put a lens in the left one, just a piece of straight glass to keep the wind out of her eye. It took a few hours’ worth of trial and error, but I finally had my design perfected and attached everything with some strong epoxy.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t an adequate test subject for this, as these goggles were designed solely for Ditzy’s use. What I did was fasten two lenses on either side of the right eyehole with two angled mirrors in between. I hoped, due to the way I had shaped the lenses, the light would come in, bounce off one mirror and into the other, where it would be directed into her crooked pupil.

I had plenty of time before it started to get dark, so I trotted on over to her home with the goggles behind my back. The door opened after a few knocks, and before I could even open my mouth I was greeted with a sweet kiss on both cheeks.

“My little filly can’t stop talking about how happy she is. It’s all because of what you did with her toy, and I’ve never heard her laugh so much.” Ditzy leaned forward, nuzzling herself against my neck with a soft smile. “You’re a saving grace to both my daughter and me.”

“No, that’s way too much. I’m just trying to help.” My face heated up at the contact, but it was nothing like it used to be. With one foreleg around her, I returned her affectionate nuzzle and held the goggles before her. “Speaking of, I’ve been trying to think of a way to help you see straight in the sky. This is a rough draft here, but would you like to try it out?”

Her eyes widened and began to sparkle as she stared at the headgear. “Oh Torque, you didn’t have to do that…. Really, I’m not too sure there really is a way to help me see straight again. At least, not one that I can afford.”

I gently place my hoof on her muzzle. “If you mean surgery, I’m not going to let you go through with that regardless. There’s way too much risk involved in surgery, which is one reason I’m going to so much effort. Would you like to give it a try?”

She opened her mouth but looked down when the small unicorn poked out from behind her. “Yep! Momma wants to try!”

We both looked at each other and chuckled. “I guess I can’t refuse now; the jury has spoken.”

I handed her the goggles and she slipped them on. She blinked once, staring straight at me. “Wow… I… I can actually see you with both eyes. Torque, I can see you with both of my eyes!”

My own lit up as I wrapped my forelegs around her neck. “Are you serious? They actually work?”

She began to bounce up and down, nearly squealing. “Yes! I can see, Torque, I can see!” Her grey legs were soon around my neck as we shared a strong embrace. Before long, Dinky nestled herself between us, trying to hugs both of us at the same time.

“Would you like to try them in the air? We won’t know they work for certain until we know you can fly.”

Ditzy released me and gave a slow nod. “Of course! They seem fine already, so let’s give it a shot.”

We walked out to the center of the street with Dinky behind us. Both she and I backed away a bit as her mother spread her wings. She slowly began her ascent, hovering just above the height of her roof and moved forward. I saw her shaking a bit, but for the most part she kept straight.

Ponies that had been walking around froze and watched her, muttering to each other.

“Ditzy! You’re doing it! Do you see yourself? You’re actually flying straight!”

She started picking up a little speed when she heard me. Her smile was bright than the sun when she looked down at me. “You did it, Torque! These things really do work!”

No they didn’t.

“Ditzy, stop!” By the time I had said something, there was no time for her to turn. Thankfully she wasn’t going fast enough to damage the building, but I had to rush as fast as I could just to catch her. Pegasi aren’t normally known for their weight, but the impact still knocked the wind out of me.

“Momma! Mister Torque! Help, somepony help!”

Doors were opening left and right as I regained my breath. I managed to stand after a few moments, though everyone who had heard the filly’s shouts was crowding around to try and help us.

“I should’ve known you’d get yourself into trouble.”

My cousin’s words may have seemed callous or unconcerned, but the way she was pushing her way through the circle of ponies around us was anything but. “I saw the whole thing. I gotta admit, I was impressed, but I knew there would be some kind of issue.”

She leaned against me, shifting me some so she could help carry the weight. Dinky did the same, but her little body up against my leg only served to keep my morale high. “Come on, let’s get her home. That had to hurt.”

With our combined efforts, we managed to get Ditzy home. She came to not long after we were through the door, so we laid her down and I took the goggles back. “Are you alright, Ditzy?”

The pegasus nodded slowly, though the disappointment on her face was unmistakable. “Yeah… I’ll be fine.”

Sparks came back from the kitchen and set an ice pack on her head. “No, you’re not. That was a pretty nasty hit you took. Do you have any idea what happened?”

She just shrugged and looked back at me. “I’m not sure. I didn’t even see that building in front of me until it was too late.”

I already saw what the problem was. I held the goggles before both mares and circled my hoof around the right lens. “These are actually pretty flawed. The way I designed the, works fine as long as you keep looking forward, but as soon as your eyes move, your sight gets all wonky again. I’ll have to see what I can do to improve them.”

I was so caught up in my own thoughts that I didn’t even notice Ditzy reaching up to me until she made contact. “Torque, please stop worrying. I’ve dealt with this for most of my life, I can deal with it for the rest of it as well. Where’s Dinky?”

Sparks nudged her head towards the kitchen. “I fixed up some leftover food I found in the fridge for dinner. I hope you don’t mind.”

Ditzy shook her head. “Not at all. In fact, I’m very grateful. Please, grab something for yourself if you’re hungry.”

She nodded and returned to the kitchen, leaving Ditzy to take my hoof in her own. “Torque, I really appreciate what you did, but it’s alright. This is something I’ve learned to live with. Dinky and I are getting by, and that’s all we need.”

I shook my head and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “It’s not enough, Ditzy. You deserve more, you deserve the best. I want you to be happy, but I know you’re struggling. Don’t tell me you’re not.”

My friend let out a sigh. “Torque, money isn’t everything, and don’t try to tell me that’s not what this is about. My vision is the biggest thing keeping me from getting a better paying position, or even a whole new job. There’s an emptiness, Torque, a hole, but it’s going to take something huge to fill it. It’s going to take something high above what money can accomplish. I’m not sure what, I just know that more income won’t help.”

Since one of my hooves was already in between both of hers, I set my other hoof against one. “I’m going to see what I can do with these. Ditzy, what I would really love is to find a solution that would allow you to see everything normally, at all times. This is just the first step. I can’t say when, but I know I’ll be back later tonight. I promise.”

She leaned up, and I lowered myself so we could share a small kiss. “What did I do to deserve somepony like you?”

I set the goggles around my neck as I stood up. “You were you. I’ll be back tonight, I promise, Ditzy.”

She waved at me a little as I left, and I did the same until I was out of the house. I felt a little more comfortable known Sparkplug was still there with them, but I still couldn’t muster the strength to move at anything but a demoralized walk.

“I thought I had done enough to rid you of this feeling, child.” Once again, I found myself standing before the princess of the night. “I sense even more trouble, now. You may have lifted the weight off your shoulders, but a new pressure has replaced it. Please, Torque, tell me what troubles you now.”

I let out a sigh and looked up at her. It took me a while to form the right words, but eventually I managed to say something that was at least somewhat coherent. “I tried to create something that would allow Ditzy to see straight in the air. It didn’t go over that well… and now I’m starting to feel helpless. I’m sure, if I keep trying, I can eventually make something that will work, but she told me there’s an emptiness she has that will take a whole lot to fill. I… I’m not sure if I know what that is, or if I can do what she needs.”

The princess set a hoof on my shoulder as we continued walking. She was the princess of the night, so it was no surprise that she knew where I lived. “I have been gone for a thousand years, and I’m still trying to catch up on some of the advances we as a society have made. However, I know one thing has not changed, and it will never change regardless of how much time passes. There is one thing all ponies desire, something far above material wealth. I’m positive you know what that is, and you are capable of giving it.”

Luna took the goggles off my neck with her magic. Before I actually got through the open door, she set them on the workbench I had set up in my spare time and closed the door again. “My suggestion to you would be to give up this venture. Not permanently, but simply take a break and give yourself some time to think. The answer will come, and I feel confident that you’ll be ready.”

For some reason, all I could do was stare at the door. “Princess, why are you going so far out of your way for such a trivial matter?”

Her small frown turned up into a soft smile as her own gaze turned towards the moon. “One can never tell how big something will become until it reaches its largest point. For all we know, this situation could snowball into something far beyond a simple love story. As I said, simply allow yourself some time to think. Look at everything, and I mean everything. Consider your options, talk to everyone you think can help, and above all: relax. Believe me, things will be much clearer when you’re not so tense.”

It was probably a combination of her being here and me being told to relax, but I remembered that little breathing trick and repeated it again, somehow calming down relatively quickly yet again.

“Thank you, princess. I hope I’ll be able to take your advice; I admit it can be a little hard for me to stop working on something once I have the plans.”

She gave me a soft pat on the head. “Oh, I’m sure you’ll manage. It won’t be as hard as it seems, trust me. Even I, with my numerous royal duties, still manage to make time for myself. If I can do it, so can you.”

“I guess you’re right. Thank you again, Princess.”

Luna nodded, slowly unfolding her wings. “I wish you the best, child. Farewell!” She took off into the night sky, and though my original objective had been to go inside, I found myself trotting back to the pegasus’ house.

The lights were still on, but my cousin was the one that answered the door when I knocked. “Good news: she seems alright for now. I put Dinky to bed for her and made some food for the both of you. I gave her the money to pay for what I used as well. Well… more like I made her take it. I’ve got to get home, but I did hear you promise that you’d come back, so go on in.”

She waved at me as I walked in the door. Ditzy was still lying on the couch, but a small smile formed on her muzzle when she saw me.

“Hey, you.”

“How are you feeling, Ditzy?”

The mare managed to sit up, though it took her a little bit. “I’ll be fine. I should be good to go after a decent rest.”

I smiled at her before leaning down to kiss her forehead. “Have you eaten, yet?”

Ditzy slowly shook her head. “Sparkplug made salads for us, but I haven’t been feeling that hun—”

Oh, what an unintentional fibber the stomach can make a pony. “Um… just kidding?” She let out a small giggle as I made my way to the kitchen. Two plates of salad had been set on the table with utensils, so I did my best to carry them both into her living room.

“Is eating allowed in here?”

My friend nodded quickly, trying to prop herself up with the pillows on either side of her sofa. “Well, Dinky isn’t, but we can.”

I tilted my head as she tried to eat. Every time she got a bit of food in her fork, she would left up her hoof about halfway before lowering it. “Ditzy, are you sure you’re alright?”

She looked at me for a moment with her brows turned up. “I… I feel really weak. I’m not sure why.”

“That’s odd. I mean, yeah, you hit your head pretty hard, but I’ve never known physical weakness to be a result of collisions. I mean, I’m no doctor, but still.” After scratching my chin for a moment, I pressed my hoof against the mare’s forehead. “Ditzy, you’re burning up! How did I not notice that earlier? Alright, I’m taking you to the doctor tomorrow.”

My friend shook her head quickly. “No, you don’t have to! Besides, I don’t want to miss work.”

I half suggested half forced her to quiet herself when I lifted the forkful of food into her mouth. The way her cheeks began to glow red was kind of cute, and I felt my own doing the same. “I’ll take care of it. I’m sure both our bosses will understand. Well, I might have to endure a lecture from my cousin, but I don’t think Air Mail can be mad at you for getting sick.”

Once she had swallowed her food, she took a hold of my foreleg to give herself some time to speak. “Okay, fine, I can’t stop you. What about Dinky, though? What if the doctor tells me I can’t do things for a while or that I should take a day off or something like that? I mean, I’m sure getting up and making some food for her and putting her to bed won’t be a problem, but she’s my little baby… she needs someone to play with. She needs somepony to make her laugh. Torque, she needs a parent, not just a caregiver.”

I let out a sigh and set my hoof on your shoulder. “Ditzy, you need to see a doctor, you have a fever. Look, if you’re really that concerned about it, I’ll come by after work and we can play together. I’m sure she’ll love that.”

She closed her eyes and formed another soft smile, opening her mouth a little. “I’d like that, too.”

With a smile of my own, I lifted a little more of the salad into her mouth. “Let’s take a second to calm down. I think we’re both a little tense, so let’s try and relax before we keep talking. I’d hate for us to get in a pointless argument by accident.”

As she ate, I reached for my own plate and took a few bites. Neither of us spoke until we were both finished and I had cleaned the dishes for her. When I came back, she had set the pillows back to their original places.

“Would you like help getting to you room?”

Again, the pegasus shook her head. “This sofa is plenty big enough for me. I’ll sleep here without sacrificing much comfort. Oh Torque… I guess there’s no hiding it. I feel awful.”

“Well, I could see that. Tell you what: how about I hang out here for the night? I got a half suggestion half order from a very important pony to take a break from all my inventing and designing and stuff. She’s actually told me to just take a break to give myself some time to think. Knowing me, if I go back home I probably won’t be able to resist some more trial and error.”

She set one of her hooves on mine, shaking her head slowly. “Torque, I can’t let you do that. I should have asked you not to do all these other things for me. Just… you’ve done so much for me, and I feel kind of bad just accepting all these favors and such.”

I patted the hoof with my free one. “It’s different when the other pony wants to. I don’t feel like I owe you anything, I’m doing all these things because I care about you, Ditzy. I… I love you.”

Again with that cute blush. The mare stared at me for a moment before her gaze shifted down. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out for a little bit. “Do… do you mean that?”

“I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t.”

I probably shouldn’t have let her, but accepted it as she lifted herself up and wrapped her forelegs around me. “You… you… you’re too good. I love you too, Torque!”

Well, that was it. There was no questioning it now. You don’t tell somepony you love them and decide to go back on it. Besides, I meant it, and hearing her return the feeling with the kind of certainty and finality she did made me feel even better.

We shared a soft embrace, but after a while, I could feel her starting to fall. I set her back on the couch and stood up. “I’m going to check on Dinky and get you a blanket, alright?”

“Okay. Just be careful, she’s a light sleeper.”

I nodded and slowly made my way to Dinky’s room. Poking my head in the door, I saw the adorable filly tucked in nice and cozy with Mr. Wags right next to her. It really was a calming scene. Ditzy’s room was right across from her daughter’s, and though it was a little rude to go in, I made myself feel better by justifying it with the fact that I had told her I was going to get her a blanket. Luckily there was a closet right on the wall just a few steps away that had three blankets in it.

When I came back, Ditzy was already asleep. I pulled the blanket over her, but instead of finding a place to lie down, I looked around for something to write with and a few sheets of paper. The whole ordeal with the goggles for some reason reminded me of my sister, so I decided to write a letter to her just to see how she was. I also wrote two notes, one to Sparkplug and one to Air Mail, letting them know I was taking Ditzy to the doctor.

It was a little gutsy, but I also attached my letter to the note for Air Mail and put a post script request to have them deliver it. There was no doubt in my mind Sparkplug would have quite a bit to say at me when I finally did show up, but I was doing what I felt was right. I went out and stuck the notes on the doors of their respective businesses, making my way back to the pegasus’ house when I was done. By the time I got there, it was almost eleven o’ clock.

Ironically, I didn’t feel all that tired, so I devoted my time to looking around and finding something for breakfast, just to get an early start. Now, I’m no amazing cook, and I really didn’t want to risk the fire alarm going off and waking the girls up, so I went with the much safer option. I set a half-full box of cereal on the counter with three bowls and got the toaster out. Obviously, making the food now was pointless, but at least I could get everything set up.

As I did this, Ditzy’s words came back to me. She told me money didn’t make a difference, but rummaging through her food made me seriously doubt that. The contents of her fridge consisted of half a bag of carrots, two apples, an almost empty bag of lettuce, a few bottled waters, and a small Tupperware box of cucumbers. The only things she had in the cabinet I had gotten the cereal out from were a few packets of hot chocolate, a single tea bag, and some coffee filters. How on earth did she expect me not to worry?

I began creating dots and connecting them in my head. The things Luna had said, the things that have been happening, the situations I had been presented with, and the decisions I had to make were all pointing to something, I just knew it. My only problem was that I couldn’t put my hoof on what that something was.

Still wide awake, I decided to try and tire myself out by creating a physical thinking map. I grabbed a few more sheets of paper and sat down at the kitchen table to write down everything that was relevant. Each thing was labeled according to what it was, such as things the Princess had told me being labeled “Luna”. It honestly felt like I was back in school again, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Once I had everything written down, I read through them all and connected things that were similar. Luna’s description of love was linked to many things, including both times I took Ditzy out, my making that sound box, the goggles, and so much more. Taking Ditzy to the doctor, getting the things to make the sound box, and going to see Dinky’s show and tell were all linked to “Work Comes Second”. One thing that caught my mind was what I labeled the link between the lack of food, Ditzy’s fear of missing her house payment, and her desire to have someone here for Dinky: “Can’t Do It Alone”.

For one, the words “do” and “it” didn’t need to be capitalized, and second, I found my own choice of words… odd. Is it odd to find your own word choice odd? Wait… what? Anyway, apparently my mind knew something the rest of me didn’t, though reading through what I had written started to open my mental floodgates. As they did, an idea came to my mind, but it was something I was most certainly not ready for. I refused to even ask about it until every single thing could no longer be argued with. It was still very possible that Ditzy and I could decide that we weren’t really made for each other, it was still possible that I might be transferred to another town that needed me more, and I don’t even think I could afford something like that right now.

There was one idea I had, and I knew it would benefit the both of us. I made a mental note to ask Ditzy about it tomorrow, as well as making a note to keep my other notion on the backburner. We both needed more time, but it couldn’t hurt to be prepared anyway, right?

I still wasn’t the least bit tired when I was done, so my only option now was to break the rules a little. Luna told me not to do any building, but she never said anything about planning. However, I didn’t want to use any more paper than what I already had, so I settled for lying on the smaller couch in the living room to think.

I went back to the goggles. The problem was that, while they worked if Ditzy never moved her eyes, she was once again brought off balance if she didn’t move her entire head to look somewhere. Not only that, but her peripherals were completely blocked. Sadly, the closet solution I could come up with was having a much bigger mirror to reflect into her eye, but that would cut off the light from even getting to the first mirror.

Finally I felt myself getting a little drowsy. I closed my eyes for what felt like just a brief moment before they were forced to open again by a hoof tapping my shoulder.

“Mister Torque? Are you okay?” Little Dinky was looking up at me with her brows turned up. However, when I opened my mouth, she pressed her hoof to it. “Shh, Momma’s still asleep!”

Looking over confirmed this. Ditzy was still snoozing on the couch across from me, but the clock was now reading seven in the morning. I hopped up quietly, lifting the filly onto my back and taking her to the kitchen. I poured a bowl of cereal for her and fixed her some toast, patting her on the head. A part of me contemplated going grocery shopping, but seeing as how school didn’t start for another hour and a half, I really didn’t want to leave Dinky alone, nor did I want to wake her mother.

Call it a shot in the dark, but I poked my head out of the door just to see if anypony else was awake. Call this a stroke of luck, but there actually did happen to be someone. Her pale yellow coat made her easy to spot, though it wasn’t all that dark out to begin with.

“Excuse me ma’am! May I talk to you?”

She jumped up, dropping the bag she had been carrying in her mouth as she spun around to look at me. We both just kind of stared at each other before I actually stepped out of the house to greet her, holding my hoof out with a small smile.

“My name is Torque, what’s your name?”

I heard a mumble, but she backed away a little. It was difficult to tell how she was actually feeling, as more than half of her face was obstructed by her long, pink locks. Honestly, it was a little nerve-racking how she just shied away from me. I tried to tell her I meant no harm by picking up her bag, but all she did was snatch it up quickly and back away some more.

Suddenly her ears perked up and she rose again, though she didn’t seem to be looking at me. The little filly was scurrying towards us when I turned around with a big smile on her face. “Good morning, Miss Fluttershy!”

Finally, I saw a smile spread across her face. “Oh, hello Dinky. What are you doing up so early?”

Dinky sat down between us and looked up at the pegasus. “I don’t know. I just woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep. I went to go check on my momma, and Mister Torque was sleeping in the other couch!”

She raised her hoof to her mouth as her gaze shifted between the two of us. “I heard about what happened. Is she alright?”

I picked Dinky up and set her on my back, but she decided to be a little stinker and crawl up to my head, peeking over my hat. “She’s alright, but I’m taking her to the doctor today. I’m not sure if she still does, but she had a fever last night, and told me she felt really weak in her limbs.”

“Oh no, that’s not good at all….”

I nodded to her. “I know. I wanted to go get groceries for her, but I don’t want to leave Dinky basically by herself.”

Fluttershy looked past my shoulder at the house for a moment, turning her attention back to me. “Well, I could watch her. I’m not doing anything important, so I’m in no hurry.”

It probably wasn’t the best idea, but I clapped my hooves together at her words. “You’d do that for me? Oh thank you!”

She jumped up and backed away, trembling as she whispered. “Okay….”

Now it was my turn to back up. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Dinky hopped off of my head and headed towards Fluttershy. “Miss Fluttershy, can you tell some more animal stories?”

I saw a smile peek out behind her mane again as they headed for the door. “Sure. How about I tell you the one about the puppy with the peanut butter?”

The little filly giggled as they went in the door, though it closed before I could hear her response. I made a note to ask Fluttershy exactly where the doctor was. My first destination was my house so I could get some money, and by the time I had gotten out, there were vendors out setting up shop for the day. I guess being a merchant meant longer hours.

There were plenty of stalls already set up with a wide variety of food, so it didn’t take long for me to pick up plenty of food to fill up Ditzy’s refrigerator and her cabinets. When I got back, Fluttershy now had a small rabbit with her and was apparently letting Dinky… curl his tail?

She caught sight of me and bounced towards me, and I saw Ditzy lift her head as well. “Mister Torque! Look at Miss Fluttershy’s bunny! Isn’t he just so cute?”

With a grin, I looked at the rabbit for a moment before leaning toward the filly. “Careful, Dinky, he’s Trouble with a capital ‘T’.”

I saw the rabbit lift his paw to his mouth, silently laughing as Dinky hugged me. “No! He’s the cutest little bunny ever!”

I picked her up again and addressed Fluttershy. “Is this your pet?”

The pegasus leaned forward and rubbed her nose against the rabbit’s, sporting the sweetest smile I’d ever seen. “Oh, yes. I spend my time taking care of a lot of animals, but Angel bunny is very special.”

My ears perked up as she spoke and a light bulb came on. “Wait, did you say all kinds of animals?”

She nodded slowly as Angel hopped on her back. “Oh, yes. I have all kinds of creatures that I take care of.”

A small grin began to spread across my face. “Any chance you have some in need of a home?”

Now her ears perked up. “Of course! I’m always looking for a place these animals can really call home.”

I looked a Dinky for a moment, then back to Fluttershy. I didn’t want to spoil a potential surprise. “Dinky, why don’t you go check on mommy, okay?”

She did a cute little salute, dashing off to her mother and leaving the other pegasus alone with me. “Dinky’s been wanting a pet for the longest time. Is there any chance you have a dog right now?”

Her ears fell flat at my request. “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I don’t at the moment. If I ever come across one that needs a home, I’ll certainly let you know.”

“I appreciate that. Oh, one more thing! Where… is the doctor? Fortunately, I haven’t actually had to pay him a visit yet.”

She pointed her hoof towards the window, swaying it from side to side. “Just go down this way, take a right, and you should see a building with a big red cross on it.”

I nodded again as she made her way towards the door. “Thank you, Fluttershy. Have a good day.”

“Thank you! You do the same.”

Dinky ran up to her with a brown bag in her mouth. She was a bit muffled, but her words were still coherent. “Thank you for making me lunch, Miss Fluttershy!”

The two left together, but went down different sides of the street. Fluttershy waved to the little filly with a bright smile. “You’re very welcome.”

With that done, it was now time for me to focus my attention on Ditzy. My… I guess I could call her my marefriend now, was now able to sit up on her own, though when I tried to help her off the couch, she did wobble a bit.

“Do you think you can stomach some food? I’d like to see the doctor now, but I’ll treat you to breakfast afterwards if you can.”

She nodded slowly and leaned against me. “I think I’ll manage.”

My smile began to return as I felt the warmth of her contact. “Do you mind if I talk to you about some things, Ditzy? I kind of want to get this out of the way now before I give myself more time to think about it.”

The mare walked through the door, albeit wobbly, and looked at me with a tiny frown. “Is something wrong?”

I let her lean on me again, though she wasn’t putting as much weight on me now. “No, nothing’s wrong, I’ve just, surprise surprise, have been thinking. There’s no easy way to ask this, so I’m just going to spit it out: Fluttershy told me that she takes care of a lot of animals. She told me she’d let me know if she found a dog in need of a home as soon as she found it, so… how would you feel about Dinky getting a pet from her?”

Her gaze shifted toward the ground a little. “Well, I’d love for her to have a pet. It’s just that I think the long term cost of having one would be a little too much for us. I mean, you saw my grocery stock. Speaking of, I’m torn between thanking you and hitting you over the head for buying all that food for us.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at the comment. “It’s really nothing, Ditzy. I’m living on my own, so I don’t have as many expenses as you do. The least I can do is help you out when things get tight.”

She managed to lean up and kiss my cheek as we approached the doctor’s office. “You’re too good, Torque. Too good.”

“I do my best.”

We were greeted by a mostly empty waiting room and two secretaries at the counter next to the door to the offices. It didn’t take long after a quick explanation for us to get with a doctor, and I was allowed to come with Ditzy as she was taken into the office.

She spoke to me as she went through the typical procedures: temperature check, breathing, and stuff like that. “So, what seems to be the problem?”

I was seated next to the bed Ditzy was on, and it honestly felt a little awkward. “Well, I’m not sure if you’ve heard about my endeavor with her eyesight, but my attempts to help her fly resulted in a nasty crash. Not long after we brought her home, she had a fever and weakness in her legs. I’m not sure if these are related to each other, but I would like to find out.”

The nurse scratched her a chin for a moment before grabbing a wooden spoon. “Alright, say ‘ah’.”

The pegasus opened her mouth as wide as she could while the nurse grabbed a small light. She pressed down a little on Ditzy’s tongue and directed it towards the back of her throat. “Hm, I don’t see any kind of infection. It’s possible it could be the flu, but I think the more likely explanation is simply stress. I’ve seen many flu-like cases solved quickly with a day or two of rest and relaxation. That’s what I’ll be suggesting for you, and if problems persist, come see me again.”

Both of us exchanged looks before turning back to the nurse. “That’s it? I just stay at home for a few days?”

She simply shrugged. “I’d say stay home for the day. If you feel well enough to resume work and regular activities tomorrow, then do so. I honestly believe this is simply stress related, so once you take some time to yourself, the symptoms should subside.”

Ditzy let out a sigh as the nurse opened the door for us. “Alright then, thank you.”

My marefriend kept her head down the entire way back home, even going so far as to decline my offer for breakfast. “I’ll fix something here, Torque. I guess I’ll just try and get some more rest and eat a warm bowl of soup or something.”

Once we were inside, I checked the clock and bit my lower lip. In all honesty, I should have brought it up at the same time as I asked about the dog, but it was just as hard to ask her about it now as it was then.

After a few moments just tapping at the ground, I finally managed to look up at her. “Ditzy… may I ask you something else?”

She turned to me and tilted her head. “Of course.”

“Last night, I did some deep thinking. The two of us are already dating, basically, and don’t you even try to tell me you couldn’t use the extra income. I feel like I could really help if… we started living together. It’s not just about money, either. With me here and her having new friends, Dinky will always have someone to play with, even when things like this happen.”

A blush formed on her cheeks and quickly spread across her entire face. “I… I… I don’t know what to say. That’s kind of a big step, and I know it’d benefit the both of us a lot, but I’m not sure if I’m ready to have a colt in the house. No offense.”

“None taken. I understand. I don’t expect an answer right away, either. Unfortunately, I have to get to work now before I dig myself an even deeper hole. Are you going to be alright by yourself?”

She set a mixing bowl and the carton of eggs I had gotten her on the counter and nodded. “I’ll be fine. Don’t say ‘are you sure?’ either, Torque. I promise you I’ll be fine.”

Now it was my turn to nod. “If you’re positive. I’ll be back as soon as the shop closes, though, I promise.”

I was about to leave when Ditzy stopped and came over to me. My face turned just as red as hers was when the same sensation that had consumed me that Saturday night washed over me again. She drew it out a bit longer this time, and when she broke away, I found myself wrapped in a tight hug.

“I love you, Torque.”

“I love you too, Ditzy.”

Chapter 12: Mediator

Repair and Deliver
Story 6
Chapter 12: Mediator
By: SleeplessScribe

It took a few moments before I was finally able to move again. In fact, the radio needed to come on before I could even regain my bearings.

“Torque, your time is up! Get your tail over here in five minutes or I chew you out like a pack of gum… bad analogy. Just get over here fast.”

I shook my head quickly before looking down. I’d forgotten I never had a chance to put the radio back in its place at home. “Well, Ditzy, I’ll see you later.”

She flashed a bright smile and waved at me. “By, Torque! I’ll get plenty of rest and feel better soon, I promise.”

“I’m going to hold you to that!”

With that taken care of, I made a mad dash to the shop in the hopes of cutting down on the time my lecture would take. Sparkplug would probably take at least an hour to reprimand me anyway, but at least I could get there quickly and have it done with sooner. However, when I got to the shop, it was completely empty save for my cousin.

“Um… I swear I’m not a bad influence!”

The mare raised her brow and stood up. “Nopony else has even radioed in. They’re lucky we haven’t gotten any jobs yet.”

Just as she had finished speaking, the door opened and Fuse Box walked in. “Sorry I’m late, fridge stropped working and I had to fix it.”

Not long after he came in, Drill Bit made his way inside. “My apologies, Sparkplug. Had to get some food for the cat. Poor thing is completely out.”

As if on cue, Sprocket poked her head in the door. “Sorry for the holdup, I needed to get my prescription filled. I freaked when I saw I only had one pill left.”

I tilted my head, but she responded to me right as I opened my mouth. “ADHD. I get really irritable without my meds.”

I should have seen it coming, but Fuse’s muttering still surprised me. “Not sure if those meds actually help.”

She apparently heard him, as she started towards him with a frown. However, she froze as soon as Stainless Steel walked through the door. “Whoa, is this a party?”

My cousin shook her head. “No, but you’d better have a good reason why you’re late. At least Torque thought ahead and left me a note. Honestly, I can understand him being late since he took Ditzy to the doctor, I can sympathize with Fuse and his fridge, I definitely don’t want an even more pissy Sprocket here, and Drill… you love that cat too much. So, what’s your story, Steel?”

“I was toting this.”

He pushed the door open completely, revealing the large wagon of boxes behind him. “My buddy Scrap got his hands on some intact spare parts and tools, and he thought we could use them. I brought them all the way here from his junkyard outside of town.”

Her eyes lit up as she bolted to the wagon. Sparks began to squeal as she rummaged through the cargo, quickly wrapping her forelegs around the colt with a smile bigger than I have ever seen before.

“You are the best Steel!”

Suddenly aware of all the stares she was receiving, she backed away with a nervous giggle and cleared her throat. “Alright, let’s unload all this stuff. Move it! Move it! Move it!”

It took at least an hour to unload everything and get it sorted out. Just after we had finished and sat down for a rest, my cousin poked her head in the door. “Wake up! Torque, Fuse, grab your tools and get over to Sugar Cube Corner. They’re having problems with their water again.”

Fuse clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. “Again? That’s the third time in as many weeks! What the heck are they doing to keep screwing up their plumbing?”

She just shrugged as we got our belts on. “I don’t know. Just get over there and see if you can take care of it.”

“Fine.”

Once we were both ready, we made our way out and towards the sweet shop. The trip was silent, for the most part, until I decided to give in to something that had been nagging at me for a while.

“Fuse, why are you so grumpy?”

He turned to me with a raised brow. “Excuse me?”

“Well, let’s be honest, you’ve been kind of sour for the last few days. Since I’m being honest, I’ll also tell you that I know what happened between you and Sprocket. However, I only know what Drill and Steel know. Care to shed some light on the subject?”

He rolled his eyes again. “What makes you think you can help? Yeah, I’m bitter about losing the pony I’ve loved more than anyone else, but you’re no counselor, and we’re on a job.”

As he turned away from me, I moved to his other side and forced him to look at me. “Well, I can at least try to help! It’s better than you two being at each other’s throats every day!”

The colt let out a sigh and closed his eyes. “I appreciate it, but there really is no point. Even if I told you the story, what good would that do? It’s not like you can make her take me back. Even if I told her the story, she’d never believe me!”

“Wait, you mean you never even told her your side of the story?” My eyes widened when I heard this. If that was truly the case, then he didn’t really have any room to complain.

“Well, she’s never given me a chance. The only time she ever talks to me is when she’s mad and yelling. Look, if you’re really going to stick your nose in my business, I’ll tell you the story, but how about we wait until after we take care of this job?”

“That’s fine with me.”

Well, I have to say, if first impressions really do last forever, then Sugar Cube Corner will never die. The minute I walked in, I was overcome by the aroma of who knows how many delicious treats. The sweet scent of chocolate mixed in with freshly baked bread, the smell of various kinds of cake frosting rose up and brought my mouth to a dog-like watering. That’s not all, either; the sight of the place was amazing too. From the outside, it looked like a giant gingerbread house, and the inside looked like a place the Muffin Mare—not Ditzy, but the one from the little song—would’ve called home.

We were greeted by a rather bouncy pink mare who was jumping around like a living pogo stick. I heard a little chuckle from Fuse as they exchanged hellos, but the earth pony froze in place, resulting in both her right legs being up in the air for some reason, when she saw me. After a moment, she gasped loudly and fell back on all fours.

“Um… hello? My name’s Torque, and we—”

“Oh my gosh! You’re new! You’re new! Oh, how could I have not noticed you before?” She nearly threw herself at me and grabbed my hoof, shaking it energetically. “Hi there! I’m Pinkie Pie, and I know everyone in Ponyville. That’s why I went,” she repeated the noise that she had made when she first saw me, “just now when I saw you, because I didn’t know you! That means you’re new, and if you’re new, then I haven’t done my super special welcome yet!”

Fuse pushed himself between us and turned his attention to Pinkie. “That can wait, Pinkie. Where are Mr. and Mrs. Cake? We’re here to look at the water… again.”

“Oh, they’re picking up ingredients for a special recipe! The problem is upstairs… and it’s bad. It’s really bad.”

We both exchanged looks before turning back to the mare. “Like, how bad?”

She looked up at the ceiling for a moment. “Like everything’s a mess bad.”

We traded looks again before starting towards the stairs. I rubbed my chin for a moment and turned to Pinkie. “Is it flooded or just wet?”

Again, she looked up, but she didn’t look down when addressing us this time. “There might be a little flooding up there. I’m not sure if the water came back on or not.”

She actually followed us as we continued our trek up the stairs. Pinkie motioned to a door on the right side of the hallway, and boy, was she not kidding. As soon as we opened the door, we stepped in a puddle of water. The wall on our left was completely soaked at least halfway up, and further inspection revealed that the bathtub in the room was missing a knob.

Pinkie surveyed the room before pointing to the bathtub. “I don’t know what happened! I was trying to give Gummy a bath, and the cold water knob just came off! After that, the water just started spraying out of the hole!”

It only took us a few minutes to figure out what the problem was. We had to have some parts brought to us, but once we had what we needed, the repairs didn’t actually take that long. A quick test sealed the deal, and we both got hugs from Pinkie. She happily gave us more when we volunteered to help her clean up, as well, though we did have to endure one of Sparkplug’s long, unamused sighs.

By the time we were completely finished, it was close to lunch time. Pinkie offered to make us something, but both Fuse and I agreed that it wouldn’t be fair to take anything unless there was enough for everyone back at the shop.

The mare jumped up and sprinted into the kitchen with a grin wider than I thought anatomically possible. Then again, Pinkie had been doing many things I thought anatomically impossible throughout the course of the day.

She popped up behind the counter with two dozen doughnuts in a very large box. “I keep at least two dozen doughnuts at the ready, in case of doughnut emergency.”

Fuse took them and reached for some money, but Pinkie almost pounced on him when he did. “Oh no! This is on the house! It’s the least I can do for you guys helping me clean up!”

I was about to say something as we heard chattering outside. The perky pony jumped up and shoved us through the back door. “Thanks for all the help, but I don’t want the Cakes knowing this happened. Wouldn’t want them to worry! Okie dokie, have a good day you guys!”

We both waved at her as she slowly closed the door. Fuse made to start walking, but I stepped in front of him to remind him of our agreement.

“What?” It only took a moment of my silence for him to figure it out. “Oh, right. Fine. Grab some popcorn, it’s a long story.”

Our trip to the shop started off slow, just to give him time to tell the story. “Sprocket and I had been dating for at least six months when this happened. See, Torque, I’m not from around here, and where I come from, it’s customary to greet family members of the opposite gender with a kiss on the cheek. Well, my sister came to visit me unexpectedly, and I guess she caught me kissing her and didn’t realize who it was. We both saw her after the fact, but before we could say anything, she ran off.”

Seems today was National Tilt Your Head Day. “She’s never let you explain yourself?”

He slowly shook his head. “We’d been living together, and she didn’t even tell me she was leaving. I just got home one day and all her stuff was gone. Every time I try and bring it up, she either screams at me to shut up or walks away.”

I tapped my chin as we walked. This was quite a pickle, and I don’t even like pickles. “Well, we need to do something. She’s snuggling up to me, and I’m really not comfortable with that.”

Fuse hung his head and sighed. “It’s a waste of time, Torque. She won’t even try to listen.”

This was worse than a pickle. Not only were they both stubborn, but Fuse’s pessimism, was making this even more difficult. “Haven’t I made my stance on impossible clear already? She might listen if I say something to her about it.”

“Whatever. I’ll give it a shot if you actually manage to convince her, but I’m not holding my breath.”

I rolled my eyes as we approached the shop. “When do you ever?”

Luckily for us, everyone was still here. Fuse set the boxes of doughnuts down on the table and I started tapping on it. “Free lunch for everypony! Doughnuts from Sugar Cube Corner!”

Everyone flocked over to the table as we opened the boxes. Unfortunately, a certain somepony didn’t get any, as her hoof was lightly smacked when she reached for one. “Ow! Torque, that hurt!”

I crossed my front legs and stared at her. “You don’t get any lunch until you sit down and talk to someone.”

She drew back and scoffed. “Excuse me? Who are you to tell me what I can and can’t do?”

“I’m someone that wants to see this conflict ended and this shop regain a mood of friendliness. It’s only happened one time in front of me, and already I’m tired of you and Fuse Box fighting. I don’t care how angry you are, you are going to seat yourself and listen to his side of the story!”

Sprock stared at me for a moment before my cousin walked in. The mare pointed at one of the chairs before angling her hoof downward. “Park it.”

As soon as our boss said something, she sat. She had quite the scowl on her face, but she still managed to look at Fuse when he sat across from her. “Alright, say what you’re gonna say and let’s be done with it.”

Fuse sighed as he sat down. He kept his head down, but as he got into the story, he slowly started raising it up. “Alright, Sprock, you know I’m not from around here, right? Where I come from, it’s normal to greet family members of the opposite gender with a kiss on the cheek. That mare you saw me kiss was my sister, and she had stopped by to surprise me and tell me she was getting married. Besides, I would never cheat on you. I still love you.”

Sprocket blew a raspberry, her brows angled down and an even worse scowl stretched across her muzzle. “Really? Then why didn’t you just say so? Do you honestly expect me to believe that when you’ve had such a long time to make up a story?”

He slammed his hoof down on the table and narrowly missed one of the boxes. “I’ve tried! Unfortunately, every time I did, a certain someone chose to ignore me or even go so far as to shout at me! It’s not my fault you’re a stubborn mule!”

Her jaw dropped at his words and she shot him a glare I thought might bore a hole between his eyes. “Well, you know, if you had been more stubborn instead of being a pessimistic defeatist, maybe I would’ve given in and listened to you long ago! No, you had to let the breakup take you down! I… I… I still love you, Fuse… but you’re not you anymore.”

Now was my chance to set my hoof on the table between them. “I swear on all that is good, if either of you say getting back together is impossible, I will flip this table and take the doughnuts away!”

They both stared at me for a moment before looking back to each other. After some time, Fuse held his hoof out, doing his best to put on a smile. “Can we try again?”

Sprocket looked down at the hoof before her. Her eyes lidded for a second before she reached out and took it in her own. “We can.”

The minute she said this, the entire room erupted with a loud “woo”. Drill picked up both boxes with a massive grin on his face. “Doughnut party! This is like an anniversary… kind of. Maybe. Okay, never mind. Still, doughnut party!”

Everyone grabbed at the treats again once he set them down, but I was grabbed by the shoulder and pulled away. Spark’s mouth formed a crooked, curved line across her muzzle as she stared at me.

“You’re one to talk about being stubborn, you know that?”

I just shrugged and tipped my hat. “Eh, maybe. See, the thing is, I’m the good kind of stubborn.”

She rolled her eyes and playfully hit my shoulder. “Whatever. Honestly, I’m surprised at how easy it was to get these two back together.”

I turned back to the group for a moment before addressing my cousin again. “Well, their main problem was the fact that they just didn’t talk about it. They probably would still be together had Sprocket given Fuse a chance to explain himself right from the get-go. Speaking of, here’s hoping Fuse is a lot less… glass half empty from now on.”

My cousin brought me into a hug before hitting me again. “I hear you on that one, Torque.”

Chapter 13: Things We Do

Repair and Deliver
Story 6
Chapter 13: Things We Do
By: SleeplessScribe

Today was already shaping up to be a pretty great day, but things only got better as it went on. Mr. and Mrs. Cake apparently found out about what happened to Pinkie, but they had come to thank us for our hard work on both their own water problems and hers. To show their appreciation, they more or less forced us to accept their gift: they volunteered to bake us a big cake and bring it in on Friday.

We didn’t really want them to, but they didn’t give us a choice. Once everything with them was settled, a mail pony came by and gave me a letter from Violet. Since the business with Pinkie was really the only thing we had done that day, we assumed it’d be a slow day, and I was given some privacy to read it.

“Dear Torque,

I’m a little upset at you for waiting so long to write to me, but it’s great to finally hear from you! Everything’s going pretty well here in college, I’ve even managed to make a few friends! Don’t worry, they’re not the kind that like to party on the weekends and stuff, I know you were always afraid of me hanging out with the wrong crowd.

The best thing was hearing about your new marefriend. It’s nice to know you’ve finally tried to find somepony. Though, I don’t have much room to talk, I guess. Still single, boo hoo. Anyway, I’d like to take a look at that thing you told me about. We have a short break coming up, so I can come visit you around next Monday, if that’s alright with you!

Love you, little brother

Violet Night”

I had the best sister ever. Truth be told, I wasn’t sure how much she’d be able to help with my goggles idea, but at least I’d get to see her again. To top it all off, we had enough doughnuts to last us all day, and man, were they good.

Finally, it was time to close up shop, and I only went home long enough to drop off my radio and wash up. It was kind of unfortunate that school got out much sooner than I got off, but my showing up would still make a difference.

In fact, I half trotted half sprinted towards Ditzy’s house just to cut down on time, and I was once again treated to the sight of little Dinky on a stool when I knocked on the door.

“Mister Torque!” With a massive smile on her face, she jumped up and hugged me.

I couldn’t help but smile as I hugged her back, carrying her inside. Ditzy was on the couch again, but she managed to get up and wobble over to me for a quick kiss. “Hey, Torque. Thanks for coming, Dinky was all too pleased when I told her you were going to be here again.”

After a small chuckle I wrapped my forelegs around the mare. “What can I say? Ditzy, your daughter is adorable, really. If I were anypony else, I’d be jealous of me for having such a cute filly like me so much! She gets it from her mom, you know.”

Her cheeks slowly became more and more red. “Oh stop! I’m not cute….”

“Pfft! Ditzy, you have no idea how cute you are!”

As soon as I said this, Dinky began to bounce around the both of us. “I get my cutes from Momma! We look just alike, except I’m a unicorn and she’s a pegasus! But I still get my cutes from her!”

My marefriend smiled and tried to pick her daughter up. However, I had to catch her as she nearly fell. “Ditzy… have you really been getting rest like Nurse… Redheart, I think, said? I mean, I’m not trying to be mean, but I would think you’d have gotten your strength back by now.”

Her cute, crooked gaze slowly drifted towards the floor. “Well, I tried, but I just couldn’t get to sleep. So instead, I spent most of the day baking things for this weekend’s bake sale. Of course, I could’ve done that Friday, but I wanted to ask you something about that.”

The sudden filly hopping on my back delayed my response, but I did manage to say something after a moment. “Go right ahead.”

Her eyes came up to meet mine again; even with them being crooked, they were still so pretty. “I know we have a… date planned for Sunday, but I’d like to make you dinner Friday. I mean, you went and bought all these groceries for me, it seems almost rude not to make good use of them.”

I gently shook my head even as I accepted the offer. “That sounds wonderful. However, I want you to get some rest now. Dinky’s in good hooves, you know that.”

Before the pegasus could say anything, her daughter began to climb up onto my head. She squirmed under my hat and popped up with the oversized garment nearly covering her entire face.

“Mister Torque! Do you like to play?”

Looking at her proved to be quite a task. In the end, I just stopped trying before I gave myself a headache. “I sure do! What would you like to play?”

She hopped off my head, taking my hat with her, and grabbed my hoof. “Come see what I made!”

I watched with a giggle as my daughter tugged my coltfriend down the hall. He managed to pick his hat up, but didn’t seem to have enough time to put it back on. I made my way back to the couch and tried to get comfortable, but my eyes were opened not five minutes after they had closed.

“Rawr!”

The noise was soon followed by a little squeal. My little Dinky tumbled out of the hallway sporting a little paper hat and a rolled up newspaper in her hoof. She turned around and squealed again as Torque hopped in front of her and made that same noise.

I couldn’t help but smile as I watched the play fight. Dinky would continually pat the colt’s head with her weapon to no avail, and Torque would swipe at her only to be blocked. Eventually he rose up, and Dinky poked his stomach with the paper, causing him to fall on his back with one hoof in the air.

“No! Curse you, brave knight!”

She giggled and hopped on him, holding up her paper sword. “Victory!”

I had to cover my mouth as the tables were turned. My coltfriend now had the little unicorn in his embrace and was mercilessly tickling her. “Aha! I have you now!”

Through her giggling, she managed to pick up her paper again. Lifting it up, she knocked off his hat and he immediately froze and fell silent. Dinky wiggled out from under him and brought the hat to me.

“Queen Doo, I bring you the head of the scary dragon!”

Had I been feeling better, I would have picked her up. However, I settled for taking the hat and patting her head. “Well done, my little knight. I think you deserve a reward.”

Again I had to force myself to stay silent as my daughter was scooped up onto Torque’s back. “As kind of this land, I declare that we hold a feast to honor the bravery of this fair knight!”

Dinky was giggling all the way into the kitchen and even as they disappeared behind the wall. Words couldn’t express the warmth and joy seeing those two play had given me. It was as if the dying embers of a campfire were given so much fuel that they sprang back up into a massive blaze. I heard rustling coming from the kitchen, but my eyelids started to get heavy and I found myself dozing off.

There was no telling how long I had slept, but when I woke up all was silent. As my vision adjusted, I saw Torque and Dinky sitting on the floor with little coloring books in front of them. My little girl lifted hers up, sporting the biggest smile I had ever seen. The colors were all outside of the lines, and she had used things like pink and blue, colors I’d never seen on a dog before.

“Look, Mister Torque! Isn’t it pretty?”

He smiled and patted her head. “It’s beautiful, Dinky. You could be an artist when you grow up!”

She giggled some and set her book down, looking at Torque’s. “Ooh, that’s pretty too, Mister Torque!”

I couldn’t really see what he was coloring, but I doubted it being anything too different from what my daughter was doing. A small part of me wanted to say something, but the rest of my chose to stay quiet and let the scene play out.

Dinky flipped through her pages, but her ears fell flat when she reached the end. “Aw, I already colored all my doggies.”

Torque looked down at his own book and began to flip through it. With a smile, he swapped out her book with his own and even gave her some of his crayons. “Don’t worry, sweetie, my book has lots of dogs you can color.”

The little filly smiled and wrapped her forelegs around him. “You’re the best Mister Torque! Mr. Wags even told me you make super good tea!”

He let out a small chuckle. “He did? Well, he told me you have the best tea parties.”

Her eyes widened as she looked up at him. Hopping up, she started clapping and bouncing around him. “You can understand Mr. Wags too?”

“I can kind of understand him. When he was being fixed up, he talked all about how much he loved you and how special of a filly you were.”

The honey eyes lit up, sparkling with joy. “I’m special? Like, different in a really good way special?”

He tilted his head, patting the filly’s gently. “What do you mean by that, Dinky?”

She slowly lowered her head. “Well, some ponies say my momma is special, but I can tell they don’t mean it in a good way. They say it like they mean she needs help… and they say the same thing about me too.”

A small smile formed on Torque’s muzzle as he lifted the girl up. She was more or less forced to look at him as his smile grew. “Don’t you ever believe anything mean someone says to you. You and your mother both are very special in a very, very good way. There’s nothing wrong with your mom or you. In fact, I think you’re going to do great things when you grow up.”

Her eyes regained the light they had been showing, and that sweet, little smile once again found its way onto her face. “Do you really think so?”

“No, I said that wrong. I know going to do great things.”

“Do you think,” she looked up at the ceiling for a moment, then down at her coloring books, “that I could be a vet and take care of animals?”

The colt chuckled again and set Dinky down. “Well sure! If that’s what you want to do, then go for it! Who knows, you may even get your cutie mark.”

I’m sure if she had wings instead of a horn they’d be fluttering right now. “Really? You think I could even get my cutie mark as a vet? That would be the best thing ever!”

After a chuckle, Torque looked up at the clock and gently rubbed my daughter’s head. “I know so. It’s going to have to wait, though. Sorry, Dinky, but it’s time for bed.”

“Aw, okay. Can you read me a story?”

He lowered himself and allowed Dinky to hop on his back. Once she was on, he rose again and headed down the hall. “Of course I can. Do you like being tucked in?”

“Yes please!”

I tried to get to sleep again as they finally left my view, but it proved to be a lost cause. Tossing and turning got me nowhere, and even closing my eyes did no good. In the end, I just waited. However, I never heard the door close, even as I heard Torque coming closer. Shutting my eyes quickly, I waited until I heard him stop, but I heard some kind of a swoosh when he did. After a moment I felt something fall over me; he had obviously brought me a blanket again.

My face began to get hot as I felt a pressure against my forehead. When I opened my eyes, his back was to me, but I reached out and tapped him before he made a move forward. “Thank you, Torque. I… I think I know how I’m going to make my decision on whether or not I’m ready to have a colt living with us.”

He turned and knelt down, looking me right in the centered eye. “Really? What did you have in mind?”

I gently touched his cheek, closing my eyes. “I think it only fair that we ask Dinky.”

The colt set his hoof on mine, bringing it down in front of him as he leaned forward to get me even more flustered with a kiss on the lips. “I think so, too.”

Even as embarrassed and bashful as I was feeling right now, looking into his eyes proved a much easier task than I thought it would be. “You don’t have to do this, though… you know that, right?”

“I know I don’t have to. The things is… I want to.”

My mind was semi made up once we exchanged goodbyes. I still wasn’t totally sure about what to do, but I knew I wanted an insurance policy. A part of me was genuinely curious as to how Rarity would react if I visited her this late. Something told me she wouldn’t be too happy, but once she heard why I was there, she’d be whistling a new tune.

There were still some lights on in the boutique, and it didn’t take nearly as long for her to answer the door as I thought it would. “Oh! Good evening, Torque! How is Ditzy? I heard about the accident yesterday, and I’ve been just a tad worried.”

“She’s doing much better now. She took a day off, and she seems to be doing well, but that’s not why I’m here, sorry to say. I’d like to ask you a favor.”

She opened the door a bit more and ushered me in. “By all means, dear. I’d be happy to help you as much as I can.”

After a moment of looking around, I turned back and addressed the unicorn. “Do you think you could make something for me?” I motioned for her to come closer and whispered my intentions into her ear. Call me paranoid, but I really did not want this to get out.

Rarity jumped back with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. “Really? So soon? Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, I know how you feel, but don’t you think you should wait a bit longer?”

I just shrugged and looked out the nearby window. It was strange; I could almost see Luna’s profile against the glowing full moon. “Oh, I plan on waiting it out some more. I just want this ready to go if my final decision ends up being ‘yes’. I know it’s a lot of work for a ‘what if’ situation, but do you think you could do this for me?”

She tapped her chin for a moment before nodding. “I don’t have all the materials for such a project right now, but they shouldn’t be too difficult to get a hold of. I’ll do my best, it’s the least I can do to repay your kindness. In fact… I’ll see what I can do about getting the entire thing planned and ready! She won’t even have to do any of the work, though of course she’ll be given a chance to approve of everything.”

“Rarity, you don’t have to do that, all I need is the ne—”

“Ah, ah, ah! I’ll not listen to your objections. This will be all or nothing, and that’s final. I’m positive my friends won’t mind helping out, either, so we’ll have it ready before you know it. Also, don’t worry, I am absolutely certain that our efforts won’t be in vain.”

My gaze once again turned to the moon. “I don’t think they will be either.”

She looked around for a moment before circling her hoof in front of herself. “Torque, would you mind staying for a bit? There’s something I want to talk to you about. I have some tea that’s almost finished brewing, if you’d like some.”

“Sure, that sounds nice.”

I was led into her kitchen again as she took the pot off her stove. “Well, isn’t that just wonderful timing? Please, have a seat and I’ll set us up.”

She set the pot on her table and brought two cups over. Again I saw that silhouette of the princess in the moon when I looked out of the window two my left, and I thought for a moment that I saw it wink at me.

I turned my head once I heard the sound of my drink being poured. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

Rarity sat down across from me and poured her own drink, taking a sip before focusing on me. “Well, it’s just a matter of curiosity, really. While friendliness isn’t an uncommon thing, you’ve only been here for, what’s it been, about a week and a half now, right? Already you’ve managed to befriend many ponies in the town, and even stolen a heart. In fact, I think you’ve stolen two. You’ve put so much of your own time and effort and gone miles upon miles out of your way to help Ditzy, and you haven’t stayed to close to your own way to help out others, either. Why?”

My gaze drifted down to the cup before me and I took a sip, just to buy myself some time to think of an honest response. “Well… that’s kind of how I was brought up. My mom and dad both taught my sister and me that life was about being nice to others. Sure, you can get somewhere walking over those in your way, but you get a lot farther a lot faster when you befriend those others instead.”

After another sip, I saw that Rarity wasn’t getting ready to speak, and took that as a sign that I could continue. “I believe I have the things that Ditzy needs. I’ll be honest: I could be considered ‘rich’. I mean, my father does own his own business. However, I’ve never been too stingy with money. Ditzy’s obviously in a financial vice right now, and I have more than enough money both from just savings and from having a good job to give her some support.”

I didn’t even notice she had downed her whole cup already until she set it down. “Well, I’m more curious about your personal investments. Like I said, your time and effort on that little sound box and those goggles that I’m sure you’re still working on. Why go through all that trouble?”

This time, I looked to the moon again for a little inspiration. “The same reason you helped me. You know what I mean? If you have the knowledge, the materials, the whatever, to help somepony, what not do it? Especially if it’s no real inconvenience. I have made a few friends here, but you and Ditzy are the only ones I’ve spent any considerable amount of time with, leaving me with a lot of free time to do what I want. I have the time, I have the equipment, and I have the know-how, so why not use it?”

Her smile was almost as sweet a sight as seeing Dinky in the little cardboard tiara she wore when we played tea party. “One of these days, something mind-blowingly good is going to happen to you. You are simply too kind of a pony not to be rewarded somehow.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at the comment. “Oh believe me, I think I already have been.”

“So I take it that means you really think this is love?”

I finished my tea before nodding. “I’d still like to wait this out some more and spend more time with her, but yes I think I’m in love.”

She began to fill her cup again, though she didn’t seem to pay it any mind. “That’s wonderful, darling. I really hope everything works out for you.”

“Thank you, Rarity.” I wanted to say more, but the fatigue from the past two days took a hold of me. There wasn’t even a lot of time for me to cover my mouth before the echo of my tiredness filled the room.

“Goodness, Torque. You should really get home and get some sleep. Believe me, you’ll be more of a hindrance than a help to those around you if you don’t get rest.”

I tried to smile but was kept from doing so by another yawn. “I think you’re right. I’ll see you later Rar—”

Immediately after my third yawn, she began to shoo me towards the door. “Yes, yes, goodnight dear. Now go get some sleep before I make you. Good night, Torque!”

“Good night, Rarity.”

My trek home was filled with more musings than a last century philosopher. I was still dead set on finding some way to get Ditzy back in the air, of course, but now there was Rarity wanting to have the entirety of my plan done for me as well as the possibility of a new living situation. Granted, I should have thought about what I was going to do with my belongings and workshop before I made the offer, but I didn’t.

There was no way I could hope to make it home before I yawned again, either. In fact, I think I yawned at least three more times. By the time I was inside, my eyelids were already heavy, so I just tossed my hat onto my bedside table and kind of just fell on the bed.

Waking up that morning also proved to be quite the task. My internal clock managed to wake me up at my normal time, but I stayed in bed just long enough to doze off again and get woken up by my radio.

“Rise and shine, Torque! Figured from now on I’d shoot you a little wakeup call a few minutes before work. It’s not really time to start yet, but the shop is open, so get your tail down here.”

Reaching over, I grabbed it and fumbled around for the button to respond. “Sorry, Sparks. I’ll be there soon, I guess I slept in.”

“Well, I’ve got a task for you. Just for the hell of it, I made an order to Sunrise Snacks and got all of us breakfast. It’s right across from Barnyard Bargains, so head there and pick up the order. We’ll all pay our share once you get here.”

After a sigh that I didn’t let her hear, I turned the device back on. “Alright, I’ll get to it.”

It took another yawn and a fierce eye rubbing before I could get up again. A shower was out of the question right now, but seeing as how breakfast was already taken care of, I had very few qualms about leaving without any preparation. I grabbed my hat and radio and took off. I considered stopping off to see Ditzy, but when I passed by her house, no lights were on. I mean, it was morning, but you’d think there would be something lit up in there regardless.

Honestly, I had never even noticed the little shop until now. It was much smaller than most of the buildings around it, and honestly looked more like a trailer or a really fancy stall than an actual shop. The food my cousin had ordered was already waiting, and luckily it wasn’t that expensive either. Unfortunately, I had to wait before I could pick it up because of another radio call.

“Torque! Get over here! Get over here! Get over here! Get your ass over here as soon as you possibly can!”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“Just get over here!”

I had a feeling I knew why she was so worked up, but I didn’t assume anything until I was at the shop. Once there, I set my trays of food down and opened the door into the garage to confirm my suspicions. Indeed, Mr. Fjord was here, standing in the midst of my coworkers with a huge grin on his face.

Sparks grabbed a hold of me and nearly squealed. “He’s here Torque! You know what that must mean, right?”

The old guy chuckled a bit. “Not to rain on your parade, but you know I could be here to tell you that you unfortunately did not win my little competition, right?”

My cousin’s ears fell flat as she turned back to him. “Oh… I guess that’s true.”

There was a long pause. Haynry simply stood there, looking at Sparks for what seemed like forever before finally speaking. “So, here’s the news. Remember the big deal about my little challenge being you guys fixing up my car in thirty minutes? Well… you didn’t fix it up in half an hour.”

All heads rose up, though none of the faces looked too please. Oddly enough, Mr. Fjord was still sporting a grin, and we soon learned why. “You blew everyone else out of the water by completing the repairs in only twenty-two minutes! Congratulations, you all, you have won my challenge, and the reward of one hundred crops each!”

As soon as he was done, the entire room erupted with loud cheers and screams. At least two pairs of hooves wrapped themselves around me, but I think the entire ordeal ended in a dog pile… with me at the bottom.

We all rolled off of one another and got ourselves calmed down, and he waited patiently for us to do so. He handed us each a stack of green paper strips kept together with a metal clip. I’d never seen paper money before, let alone possessed it. It was amazing to think that these slips of paper were worth one thousand bits. However, what really knocked the wind out of me was what came next.

Fjord grinned at me and gave me a pat on the shoulder. “This isn’t all I came here to do. Son, I like not only how you managed to spot every problem in my car in the span of a minute or two, but also how you took charge and guided your whole crew through an amazingly fast and successful repair. Torque, I want you to come to Las Pegasus and manage the auto body shop I have set up there!”

All jaws dropped, though I think mine actually hit the floor. “Wait. You… I… are you serious?”

He just nodded. “I am. Big things, son, big things. A massive paycheck, a nice house in grand ol’ Las Pegasus, your own professional workshop with a considerable inventory of raw materials, and of course, a Model T of your own! So, what do you say?”

I bit my lip and scanned the faces around me. My mind was racing right now, and keeping my eyes on Haynry proved near impossible. Of course, there were a few reasons to stay here, but if things worked out, so many problems would be solved.

Finally, I took a deep breath and prepared myself. “I can’t.”

Chapter 14: Warmth

Repair and Deliver
Story 6
Chapter 14: Warmth
By: SleeplessScribe

He raised his brows, though he didn’t actually seem that surprised. “Well now, my boy, mind if I ask why? You’re declining a huge opportunity here.”

“I know what I’m turning down. I just,” I turned to all the faces behind me, sighing heavily before turning back to Haynry, “have too much here for me to just drop it all and leave. Honestly, I have an opportunity here that far outweighs the one you’re presenting me with. I mean no disrespect, but it’s not in my best interest to leave.”

The stallion just nodded. “I can understand that. I’m disappointed, but not angry. If you have something keeping you here, I’ll not pressure you into working with me.”

I drew back a bit and raised my brows. “R-Really? It’s that easy?”

Haynry chuckled, leaning against his car. “Well of course! Trying to make you do something you don’t think will be good is both rude and selfish. What surprises me is how easily you made the decision.”

My friends’ silence was really starting to get to me. I waited for a few moments in the hopes that one of them would say something, but none of them did. “It wasn’t easy, I just went with what I thought was right and didn’t give myself enough time to reconsider.”

Finally Sprocket decided to remind everyone that Haynry and I weren’t the only ones in the room. “It’s Ditzy, isn’t it? She’s keeping you here, right?”

Well, at least she was half right. “Well, there’s her, Dinky, Rarity, all of you, Pinkie Pie, Cheerilee, and others. Besides, I need to perfect my design for Ditzy’s goggles.”

They all donned forlorn expressions, but I should have guessed Fuse would be the one to say something. “No offense, man, but I really think you should give up on that. I’m just trying to be realistic, and there’s no way you can help her without paying out the nose for something that could go wrong and mess up her vision even more.”

Before I could even open my mouth, I caught Drill Bit shaking his head. “I gotta say, I’m with Fuse on this one. I really think you’ll save a lot of time and effort if you just try and help her deal with it.”

I didn’t realize it right then, but I’m pretty sure I was shaking. “No, no, no! Look, I helped us fix a car in twenty-two minutes. I got Fuse and Sprocket, to work out their problems and even get back together! Need I remind you that my first design almost did succeed? Quit telling me I can’t do something! If something is impossible, then I’ll find a way to make it possible!”

By now, I was panting. Almost everyone opened their mouths, but shut them immediately as we heard the clapping behind us.

“Son, let me tell you something. I may not know exactly what the fuss is about, but I do know that I haven’t seen passion or optimism like that in ages! Good on you, gotta love that ‘can’t isn’t a word’ attitude!”

I gave him a courteous bow, though I was absolutely blown away that he didn’t even flinch at my outburst. “Th-thank you, sir.”

Mr. Fjord gave me a wink. “Nothing doing, my boy. If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know.”

Considering that his car sparked my goggles idea in the first place, it wasn’t actually a pointless offer. In fact, I took a gamble and hoped that fortune would be in my favor. “Well… do you mind if I look at your car again?”

He tilted his head a little. “Sure. Is something on your mind?”

“I’m hoping I’ll get an idea again.” Everyone followed me to the hood when I popped it up. I scrutinized every nook and cranny I could. A few things popped into my head, but I shot them down relatively quickly when I found problems with them. Finally, I came to a conclusion, but something told me it wouldn’t be met with much enthusiasm.

“I feel like I could think of something if I had my own one of these to take apart. There’s got to be some kind of alignment part or balance component that can spark a realistic idea.”

My cousin peeked over my shoulder and scanned the hardware as well. “No offense, Torque, but remember we’re talking about a pony’s crooked eye, not a defective machine. I know you really want to help her see normally, but I don’t think car parts are going to help.”

I slowly closed the hood and addressed everyone in the room. “I know that. It’s just… anything dealing with alignment or balance is bound to spark something in this brain of mine. Besides, this is revolutionary technology. There’s no telling what we could do, even if we just use this as inspiration.”

Haynry began to rub his chin. Either he was deep in thought or there was something really interesting up and to his right. “Well, I’m sorry to say that a full car won’t be too easy to just give away, but I can give you sketches, blueprints, and schematics of different components. Maybe there’s something in those plans that could help you out.”
“Thank you very much. I appreciate that quite a bit.”

He cleared his throat, nodding as he checked his watch. “Least I can do. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to find someone to give your position to. I tell ya, I’ll be hard pressed to find somepony like you, but I’m sure I’ll manage.”

The colt hopped into his car and gave it a jolt of magic. Turning around, he slowly made his way out of the garage and waved to us. “I’ll have those papers mailed to this shop! Good luck to you all!”

We all waved back, shouting our thanks and praises to him. Despite the upbeat atmosphere, all gazes turned to glares as everyone turned to me. “Uh… did I say something wrong?”

Sparkplug got up in my face and almost growled. “You embarrassed us in front of Haynry Fjord! Haynry freaking Fjord, Torque! What is wrong with you?”

“Sparks, we all just got one thousand bits, I was offered a job working right under Fjord, and he praised my attitude. Never mind that I declined the offer, you’ve no reason to feel embarrassed.”

She drew back, rolling her eyes. “Yeah… I… fine. I guess I can’t be too upset. However, that outburst was still uncalled for. You’re entitled to your opinion, but don’t fly off the handle when you hear something you don’t like.”

I let out a long sigh. “Right, I’m sorry. It’s just… it’s clear to you all how much I love her and, to be honest, it makes me a little angry how you all expect me to just give up and tell her to deal with it. I know I can fix this somehow, I just need time to figure out how.”

Sprocket opened her mouth, but my cousin tapped her shoulder and shook her head. We all agreed not to talk about it for the rest of the day, either. That actually proved more difficult than you would think, because today was a really slow day. I think we had… one call the entire day.

Eventually, the fact that none of my friends knew what was really going on in my head became too much to bare. Knocking on the door, I poked my head through once I had my cousin’s permission to enter.

“Hey Torque, what’s up?” Her brows turned up when she saw my expression, prompting her ears to flatten as well. “Rather, what’s wrong?”

After a sigh and a few moments to gather my thoughts, I looked back up at her. “Can you keep a secret? I mean it, it’s hard for me to keep to myself, but you can’t tell anypony else. At all. If you really need to tell someone for whatever reason, tell Rarity, because she already knows.”

Sparks tilted her head a little. “You can trust me… what’s on your mind?”

The mare drew back and covered her mouth once I told her what I was planning. “Really? Torque… are you sure? That’s a pretty big thing you’re talking about.”

“Yeah, that’s why we’re just planning. Nothing’s going to be final until I truly make up my mind. It could be tomorrow, it could be a year from now, but Rarity and all of her friends I’m upset at her for not introducing me to are all going to help with the planning.”

Now she just shrugged. Apparently that one screwdriver was her go to whenever she didn’t want to look somepony in the eye. “Are you sure how much it will cost? I mean, is it worth it? You talked about this already, and you’d end up spending a lot of money in vain if things don’t work out.”

I nodded and watched her play with the tool. “I know there are risks, and I know I said I was really wary on even doing that. Thing is… fortune has been in my favor for a while. Besides, like I said, we’re just planning, so if I lose my nerve and don’t think she can go through it or I don’t want her to anymore, we won’t be spending a single bit.”

“Ugh, you know, Torque, some days I want to hit you while I’m hugging you. You’re frustratingly good. It’s like… a ‘why are you so good and make everyone else look so bad?’ kind of deal. Stop being so nice or I’ll pretend to fire you!”

With a chuckle, I grabbed my head and began to shake it. “Oh no! Not my job! That’s how I make a living!”

We both started laughing, and I could hear the door crack open. Either whoever was watching thought we were plain crazy or we were having a really good time. However, it wasn’t any of my coworkers that came through it. My favorite filly was bouncing like Pinkie Pie all the way over to me, a wide, bright grin stretching across her muzzle.

“Hi Mister Torque! Hi Miss Sparkplug!”

My cousin’s grin soon grew to match Dinky’s as the filly hopped on my back. “Dinky! How did you get in here?”

She giggled and climbed up onto my head. “Momma said to come here after school! She told me that Mister Torque wanted to live with us and help Momma do money stuff, and she said it was my choice. I said ‘yes!’ so Mister Torque can live with me and Momma now!”

Were she not actually on my head, I would have tried to look at her. “Really? Aw, thank you Dinky!”

Dinky tried to look at me and nearly fell off my head, prompting her to climb down onto my back again. “I like playing with you, Mister Torque! Of course I’d want you to be around more!”

Sparkplug’s eyes widened and she flashed more of a sly grin at me. “Oh, I see how it is.” She reached over and started to run Dinky’s head, causing both of them to start giggling. “You just want all this cute to yourself.”

I just rolled my eyes. “I don’t think that’s possible, Sparks. There’s so much cute here that I can’t even hold it all. I’ll be there shortly, Dinky, hop on home and tell mom, okay?”

She gave some kind of cute salute, hopping off of me and trotting towards the door. “Bye Mister Torque, by Miss Sparkplug! Have a good day!”

We both waved at her until she was out of sight, but I was met with a rather stern glare upon turning around. “Torque… I just have one thing to say: Don’t screw up. For somepony who apparently doesn’t like making hasty decisions, it didn’t take you long to find a mare you liked and move in with her. You’re in pretty deep, and if I were you, I’d follow through to the very end, and you know what that means.”

“Of course I do. There’s no need to throw those looks at me.”

She sighed and looked to the clock right next to her desk. “It’s a little early, but today hasn’t been slow, it’s been at a standstill. Let’s start closing up and go home for some rest.

Closing up shop didn’t take very long at all, and the trip to Ditzy’s house was fairly quick as well. For the first time in a while, it was actually the pegasus that answered the door instead of her daughter, and immediately I found myself in her warm, tight embrace.

“I take it you heard the news already?” I really wished I could have seen her face, but that would’ve required her to break up the hug.

“She actually came to the shop to tell me.”

Finally my friend released me and allowed me inside. “I’ve been doing some thinking as well. I’m more than happy to have you here, but I’d like to at least get some required things out of the way. Right now Dinky is at Sweet Apple Acres, so I figured it’d be best to take care of this as to avoid cutting into play time.”

I was lead into the kitchen, taking a seat beside the mare. “What exactly did you want to talk about?”

She looked out the window for a moment before turning to me. “Nothing major, I just wanted to discuss the sleeping situation and possessions. I hate to do this… but we don’t have a lot of room in the house, so I’m afraid you may need to leave some things behind if you really, really want to stay here.”

I couldn’t help but smile as I patted the hoof on the table. “Don’t worry about that, Ditzy. I really don’t have a lot to bring in. The only thing I’d really be losing is my workshop, and I can keep going back there to work on things until the place gets a new owner. If you’re worried about finding a place for me to sleep, I have no problems with sleeping on the couch.”

Ditzy covered her mouth with a hoof, her gaze slowly falling to the floor. “I just… I wish we had another bed for you. Mine has plenty of room, but….”

Her statement brought a blush from me as I rubbed the back of my head. “Yeah… I think I’d feel just a little awkward sleeping with somepony else right now. Not really sure either of us are ready for that.”

My marefriend let out a small giggle, her own cheeks sporting a light pink tint. “Neither am I….”

I started rubbing my chin. My memory of Ditzy’s room was fuzzy at best. After all, I had only been in there one time. “I may have an idea. If you really feel so bad about me not having somewhere to sleep, I could get some of my friends to help move my bed into your room, if there’s room for it and it’s not too personalized. Would you be alright with that?”

Now Ditzy began to mimic my gesture. “Um, I’m not completely sure. I don’t have much in my room aside from the basics, but having a colt in the house is already awkward enough. I mean, I’d be more than willing to try it and see how I feel, but I’ll need a little more time to think.”

Scooting my chair a little closer, I nosed her cheek gently. “Too bad we can’t ask Dinky to decide this one for us too.”

She smiled and turned her head, gently pressing her lips against my own. “Yeah, too bad it’s not that easy. Still, I can’t thank you enough for doing this, there’s no doubt in my mind that having a second paycheck here will give us a bit more leisure room.”

With a small smile, I took her hooves in my own and held them tightly. “Getting your old position back will give us more leisure room as well. I don’t know how, Ditzy, but I’m going to find a way to straighten out your eyes so you can fly again. Many have told me it’s a lost cause, but I swear I’m going to.”

I half expected an argument from her, but instead she just closed her eyes and sighed. “You know, Torque, I would tell you ‘never make a girl a promise if you know you can’t keep it’, but I believe you. I feel that, somehow, you’ll find a way to do what you say you’re going to.”

“Love makes us do crazy things.” It was such a corny line it made me wish I had brought some butter, but that was all I could think of to say.

Ditzy adorably rolled her eyes and pulled me in a tight hug. “The crazy things you’ve done for me can’t even be counted, and I’m grateful for each and every one of them. I love you, Torque.”

“I love you too, Ditzy. So, when are you expecting Dinky to come home?”

The pegasus looked up at the clock for a moment. “Oh, in about another hour or two. Speaking of which, that was something else I’d like to talk to you about.”

My ear twitched a little. I always found it odd that it was only my right ear that ever did that, and to this day I still can’t pin down what kinds of things cause it. “Sure, go ahead.”

This time she made no attempt to break eye contact with me. At the very least, that meant what she was about to say wasn’t a very negative thing. “Well, Dinky’s friends are going to be staying with Fluttershy tomorrow night. She really wants to go, so… I was wondering if we could go out tomorrow night as well. I know we had that trip to the park planned for Sunday morning, but to be quite honest… I couldn’t wait to go out with you again.”

She began to tap at the floor, though still managed to keep her eyes on me. After a few chin taps, I smiled and nuzzled her. “I have no problem with that at all. However, I think there’s still a way we can do both. Why don’t we just stay here in Ponyville tomorrow, and all three of us go to Vanhoover Sunday morning for a trip to the zoo and a picnic?”

Those adorable, crooked eyes lit up as she squealed. “Oh, that sounds great! I’m sure Dinky would love that!”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “So it’s settled! Now all we have to do is get through tomorrow!”

A small silence followed our laughter, and then we made a plan for dinner. I had never had tofu before, but Ditzy assured me it was delicious. By the time Dinky came home, we had three full plates of eggs, tofu ham, and broccoli. It was an odd combination, but the girls dove right in. I soon found myself diving in as well; it was much better than I thought.

The little filly was all too excited about telling me all the fun things she and her friends did, but Ditzy refused to let her do anything until she had had a bath. I couldn’t blame her, either, seeing as how she was covered in dirt. While she took Dinky to bathe, I went ahead and washed the dishes for her.

I finished before my marefriend, but it wasn’t very long until I was on the ground with a small, slightly damp unicorn on my back. “Hello again, Papa Torque!”

Again, I started chuckling. “Papa? Where did that come from?” I rolled onto my back, causing Dinky to tumble off and roll around on the floor until she was beside me.

“Well, you’re gonna be living with us now! We’re super good friends, so I need something different to call you, but it feels weird calling grown-ups just by their names.”

“’Mister’ is fine, sweetie. Others might get the wrong idea if you go around calling me that.”

“Aw.” those big, honey yellow eyes stared up into my own. They were even more adorable than puppy eyes. “Please?”

Biting my lip, I looked up at her mother. Sadly, all I got was a wink and a teasing view of the mare’s tongue poking out from between her lips. “Aw, how can I say no to this?” I picked the filly up with one foreleg and began to trot around. “How can I resist Super Dinky?”

She caught on quickly and began to giggle, stretching out all four of her legs. “Wee! Momma look, I’m Super Dinky!”

Ditzy began to laugh as she watched me carry around her daughter. “Yes, I see! You’re very super indeed!” Her laughter only got louder as I carried “Super Dinky” right into Ditzy, smiling as the filly wrapped her mother in a big hug. “My little superhero.” I saw her turn her head to look up at me, a soft smile across her muzzle. “And my big hero.”

“Aw.” Pretty soon, all three of us were joined together in a massive group hug.

“Oh Dinky, I think Torque has something he wants to ask you.”

The unicorn looked up at me with a big, bright smile. “Yes, Papa Torque?”

I softly patted her head. “Would you like to come with us to the zoo on Sunday? I’m also taking you all out for a picnic in the park. The zoo does have a petting section where you can play with the animals.”

Immediately, she hopped on the floor and began to bounce around in her cute, usual way. “Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! I wanna go! I wanna go! Oh can I momma, please?”

Now she patted the filly’s head and began to giggle. “Of course, Dinky, that’s why I mentioned it! The trip will be for all three of us. Not to mention you getting to spend the night with Fluttershy tomorrow.”

Again, she jumped up and did some kind of midair summersault. “You’re letting me go? Oh, thank you Momma! Thank you! Thank you! I just can’t wait till tomorrow!”

Both Ditzy and I exchanged glances and soft smiles, speaking almost in unison. “Neither can I.”

Having Papa Torque here was great! That night, I would play with alphabet blocks Momma had got me while I listened to them talk. When I got bored of that, though, all three of us played some board games, and Papa Torque even helped Momma and I finish that puzzle we’d been working on.

I had so much fun it felt like my bedtime came much sooner than it was supposed to. However, the clock told me it was indeed time. Momma and Papa Torque tucked me in at the same time, but I was too tired for a story that night. I got all cozy twice as fast, but I could overhear them talking in the hall.

“I’m amazed at how quickly she warmed up to you. Torque, do you realize what you are to her?”

“Yes, I know. It’s pretty obvious I’m like a father to her. Ditzy, I promise I’m going to make everything better. I won’t say what, but I have a plan in the works now, and I really feel like it’s going to work out, and I know by that time your vision will be perfect and you’ll be able to fly again.”

Momma didn’t sound too happy. She raised her voice a little, but it was more of a sad way than it was an angry way. “How do you know that, Torque? How can you guarantee?”

“Because, Ditzy, I just made one thousand bits by winning that contest. I’ve been told it would be expensive, but I’m sure that would at least put a dent in the price. Not only that, but I get my first paycheck tomorrow. Ditzy… I know not to make promises I can’t keep, but this is a promise I know I can: Things will get better. I’m going to find a way to make them get better. I love you, and I love Dinky. I just need some time.”

“Time? What do you need time for? Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, it’s just, I was always taught to leave a little time for mistakes before making a hasty decision. Like, you wouldn’t just jump into a lake or pond before testing to make sure there was shallow water you could go to. I just want some time to make sure this decision won’t backfire on me.”

I saw Momma’s shadow backing up with her hoof on her muzzle. “Torque… are you talking about paying for me to get optical surgery?”

I really wished I could see Papa Torque, but Mama’s shadow was right next to my door frame as it was. “In time, Ditzy. It’s no fun if I don’t maintain a little mystery. Anyway, why don’t we drop the slightly frightening talk for now?”

Momma nodded and moved forward, making me puff my cheeks out at not being able to see what she did. “May I make an odd request?”

“Sure.”

“Do you think… we could sleep together tonight? I mean… if we don’t feel that awkward, maybe we can get used to it. You wouldn’t have to sleep on the couch or put forth the work to move your own bed. Besides my… blanket isn’t that thick. I could use the extra warmth.”

I was sure my mom’s cheeks were really red, but I heard Papa Torque laugh a little, and I saw his shadow hug Momma’s. “I guess we could try. We’ll need to get used to it at some point, so why not start now?”

They both walked towards Momma’s room, but I let out a small squeak before they went in to get their attention. “Goodnight Momma. Good night Papa Torque.”

Momma smiled at me and came back in to give me a kiss on the forehead. “Goodnight sweetie.”

Papa Torque patted my head and rubbed my mane some too. “Sweet dreams, Dinky.”

I closed my eyes and clung tight to Mr. Wags, feeling myself finally doze off. I wish I could remember what I dreamed about, but it seems like I never remember my dreams. Which is sad, because I do know I have a lot of nice ones.

I was woken up by the smell of leftover eggs from last night, and once I pulled myself out of bed, I meandered over to the kitchen. Indeed, Momma and Papa Torque were preparing the eggs we had left over, and there were more than enough for all of us!

“Mmm, that smells delicious!”

She turned to me and skipped my way, picking me up. “Good morning, sweetie!”

Papa Torque also came over, joining our small hug. “Good morning, Dinky. How’d you sleep?”

“I was all warm and cozy! I slept very well.” With a big smile, I climbed into my chair and couldn’t resist licking my lips a little when Papa Torque set my plate down before me. The table had already been set, but I knew better than to eat before everypony else was here.

Once they were, we all quickly downed our food. “Once again, Momma’s cooking saves the day!”

My mom giggled and patted my cheek with a napkin. “Her cleanliness saves the day as well. So Dinky, do you have anything specific you want for lunch?”

It look just a little thought, but I finally came up with something. “Do we still have any strawberry jelly? I really like that with that crunchy peanut butter that has normal peanuts in it!”

She turned and looked through the cabinets, pulling out that peanut butter. Then she turned to the fridge, but Papa Torque had already found it. “Got it, Ditzy. I’m a fan of strawberry myself. Honestly, I like it better than grape.”

His words made me jump. “Me too! I always liked the strawberry jelly better!”

He patted my head gently and grinned. “Of course you do! You’re a smart girl, just like your mother. Say… would it be too much to give Dinky a little treat today?”

My ears perked up when he said this, but sadly he whispered his intentions into Momma’s ear. “Are there enough for her friends as well? No doubt she’ll want to bring some for them?”

Papa Torque started nodding. “Sure! There’s at least six or seven left.”

Momma once again turned to me, giving me a small wink. “Torque has a nice treat for you! We’ll show you later, but for now I want you to get in the bathroom and brush your teeth. Go on, Dinky, don’t want your teeth to fall out.”

I hopped up and bolted to the bathroom. In all honesty, brushing my teeth felt like a waste of time to me, but Momma told me if I didn’t keep them clean, they’d rot and fall out, and I didn’t want that! Once my teeth were all nice and clean, I came back into the kitchen. Momma had already packed my lunch when I came in, though I didn’t see anything extra in it.

“Momma, where’s that thing that Papa Torque mentioned? In fact, where’s Papa Torque?”

“Oh, he had to go to work to get those treats. Don’t worry, he said he’d bring them by around lunch time. Are you ready for school?”

“Mhm! Today’s game day, I’m super excited!” My tail began to swish as I wondered what we would do today. Even more excited was the fact that I’d be at a sleepover with my friends at Miss Fluttershy’s house, and I was all too hyped up about seeing all her different animals. Maybe she would even let me play with them!

In my daydreaming, I didn’t even realize the door was open until my momma said something. “Come on now, sweetie, you don’t want to be late, do you?”

“Oh yeah! Sorry Momma!” I skipped over to her and gave her leg a tight hug. “I love you, have a good day! Tell Papa Torque I said so too!”

She waved at me as I bounced off. “I will! Love you too, Dinky!”

My trip to school didn’t take very long, and Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were already there. Before talking to them, though, I made sure to get permission to stash my lunch in Miss Cheerilee’s desk.

“Hi Scootaloo! Hi Sweetie Belle!”

They both smiled when they saw me, shouting at the same time. “Hey Dinky!”

“Where’s Apple Bloom and Sprint?”

The pegasus tilted her head. “Don’t you remember? They said that they needed to catch up on their chores, and since today is a game day they figured they wouldn’t be missing much. I hope they don’t miss the sleepover.”

“Aw…” I was sad for a moment, but her mention of the sleepover splashed another question over me. “Oh, speaking of, have either of you been to Miss Fluttershy’s before? What’s it like?”

They both nodded, but Sweetie Belle was the one that spoke. “Well… she has a lot of animals. It’s also very… natural. Like, Fluttershy doesn’t have a lot of normal house stuff. Most of her cottage is like natural wood and stuff. You have to watch out for that Angel, though, that rabbit is nothing but trouble.”

“Aw, no he’s not! He’s a cute little bunny who wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes with a smirk. “Oh, if you only knew.”

“Well if Apple Bloom and Sprint were here they’d agree with me.”

Sweetie Belle rubbed the back of her head some. “Actually, Apple Bloom has seen his troublemaking, and Sprint hasn’t been here long enough to have even seen Angel. If they finish in time, this will be her first time at Fluttershy’s.”

I did a little hop when I heard this. “Then she’s just like me! That’s so cool!”

Both of them started giggling. Sweetie Belle looked out the window in what I assumed to be the direction of Miss Fluttershy’s cottage. “You know what? I bet if you tried, you could make Angel be good just like you did with Opal! That would be something!”

With another smirk, the pegasus let out a yawn. “That wouldn’t just be something, that’d be downright crazy. Not even Fluttershy can keep a lid on him sometimes.”

Now I was the one rolling my eyes. “Come on, how bad can he—”

“Okay everyone, take your seats! It’s time for class!” The room fell silent when Miss Cheerilee called to us, and it was time for class to start.

Today our teacher decided to revisit the subject of cutie marks, only this time she covered more than basics. As always, I was scribbling notes down as she taught, and this was actually something I could make use of almost immediately. As it turns out, cutie marks are often earned immediately or shortly after the pony’s racial gift is first perfected.

That meant that, like Sweetie Belle, I would get my cutie mark when I finally found what I was meant to do with magic. I was so caught up in the lesson that the end of it struck me by complete surprise. It took me a moment to realize it was lunch time, but once I did I scurried over to Miss Cheerilee’s desk to grab my bag.

Just as I sat down with my friends, a knock on the doorframe drew my attention to Papa Torque. Miss Cheerilee came over to him, though I couldn’t hear what they were talking about. Eventually, she pointed at my table and the stallion walked over to us, and that’s when I noticed the box he was holding.

“What’s this? I thought there were five of you girls.”

Scootaloo repeated what she had told me as he set the box down. “Well then, I guess you three get all these doughnuts to yourselves, unless you want to share. I brought enough for all five of you to have two, but it looks like Sprint and Apple Bloom are going to miss out.”

The pegasus quickly grabbed a hold of one of the treats, scarfing it down with a satisfied “mm”. “As long as they make it to the sleepover, missing out on this won’t hurt anything! Besides, more for us!”

He laughed a little and gave me a quick hug. “Have fun, Dinky! I’ll see you later tonight before your sleepover.”

I couldn’t help but keep waving until he was gone. “Have a good day!”

Sweetie began to munch on a sweet of her own. “Wow! That sure was nice of him!”

Before I even reached for a doughnut, I started on my sandwich. “He’s a really nice pony! I can’t count all the nice things he’s done for Momma and me.”

Both of them nodded, but my fellow unicorn beat Scootaloo to words. “He is really nice! He’s come to see Rarity a few times, and he’s always really polite. She’s a little worried about them though, since he’s apparently really dirty.”

“Miss Rarity?” I tilted my head and raised my brow. I did remember him walking with Momma and me that one time, but that was the only time I remember seeing those two together.

Sweetie gave a confident nod. “He came by to fix her new dye thingy, he came for tea twice, and she’s working on a necklace he asked for. I can’t imagine why, though, Torque doesn’t seem like someone who would wear jewelry.”

With a mouthful of sandwich keeping me from speaking, all I could do was shrug. Once I was done, I picked up a doughnut and began to munch on that as well. Unfortunately, it wasn’t too long before the obligatory mood-killer reared its ugly head.

Scootaloo was shooting a glare past me, so zoned in that it was like the doughnuts weren’t even there anymore. “Get ready, girls.”

“Well, well, well, what do we have here? Looks like you’re back to just three blank flanks, huh?”

I really wanted to call Silver Spoon out for forgetting Sweetie’s cutie mark, but I never got the chance. “Ha! Shows how smart you are, I already got my cutie mark, remember?”

Both bullies rolled their eyes. “Whatever. We’re here to get you back for getting us in so much trouble.”

The looks in all four pairs of eyes were unmistakable. I did the only think I could think to, holding one out for each other them.

Diamond Tiara looked down at it for a moment. “What is this?”

“A doughnut. Papa Torque brought them here for us, but you two should have one too. I mean, it’s only fair, since we have so many, and it makes up for getting you in trouble.”

The two exchanged glances before Silver Spoon raised her brow. “What are you playing at?”

“I’m not playing at anything. Take them! It’s the least I can do!”

After a moment, both of my friends sat back down and watched. It took a little more time, but eventually the two bullies accepted their treats. Silver Spoon began to back away, but Diamond Tiara chose to stick around for a few more words.

“I’m watching you.” Honestly, it was really sad that they just couldn’t accept a nice gift.

My friends kind of just sat there watching the bullies walk off. The silence was maintained for what felt like forever until Scootaloo decided to break it. “So that’s it? We just give them our stuff?”

I just shrugged. “Why not? We have plenty of them, and sometimes the best way to solve a problem is to be nice.”

Sweetie looked like she was about to say something, but Miss Cheerilee rang the little bell on her desk to let us know lunch time was over. The rest of the day was game time, and today’s game was a huge session of hide and seek. Not only that, but we also played four corners to end things off. Finally, to top of the school hours, Featherweight gave us all a nice show and tell by showing us his favorite coat his mom made for him. It was actually really weird to hear him talk so much.

However, that wasn’t actually the end of class. As we all started getting ready to leave, Miss Cheerilee rang that bell again to keep us at our desks. “There’s one more thing I’d like to address. As you all know, Family Appreciation Days are still a ways away, but due to the accidents last year, I think it best for us to prepare ahead of time. I’ve got everyone’s name here on this list, and when I call on you, please tell me who you are going to want to bring so that plans can be made.”

She looked at the list for a second, then looked back to us. “Oh, and please, if anyone sees Apple Bloom or Sprint, ask them who they’re bringing and let me know.” With that, Miss Cheerilee went down the list. As she got closer and closer to me, an idea sprang up into my head that I was all too excited to speak of. “Dinky, I assume you’ll be bringing in your mother again?”

With a big smile, I shook my head. “Nope! I’m gonna bring in my papa this time!”

Chapter 15: Reunion

Repair and Deliver
Story 6
Chapter 15: Reunion
By: SleeplessScribe

I was only home for about an hour before I started getting ready to go. We were all expected to be at Miss Fluttershy’s pretty soon, actually. It probably wasn’t a good idea to, but I assumed we’d have a bed to sleep in again. I of course grabbed Mr. Wags, a pack of marshmallows in case of marshmallow emergency, which was something Miss Pinkie taught me, my favorite book about animal care, and some soap just in case.

Once I was all packed, I skipped towards the door. Momma and Papa Torque were waiting for me, and once again he allowed me to hop on his back. “Are you ready to go, Dinky?”

“Yes, yes, yes! Away we go! Raise the anchors! Full sail! Arrr!”

Papa Torque started laughing and Momma giggled as well. “When did my daughter become a pirate?”

I couldn’t help but giggle myself, doing little circles on Papa Torque’s back. “I’m just so excited, and I don’t know how else to get out all this extra energy except by being silly!”

“Well, be careful Dinky. You don’t want to spend too much energy and fall off my back, would you?”

He did have a point. I tried to sit back down, my tail swishing as we approached the edge of the Everfree Forest. It was so odd that a pony so shy and timid would want to live right next to the scariest place in all of Equestria, but to be fair, there were a lot of animals there.

Immediately, I caught sight of Sweetie Belle, Fluttershy, and Rarity talking at the door. Not only that, but Scootaloo came up just before we arrived. “Aw, are Sprint and Apple Bloom still busy?”

Rarity looked over to us and gave a slow nod. “I’m sorry, dear, but I’ve been informed that they’ve had some… issues that require the entire family’s attention. In fact, I’m going to visit them and see what I can do to help.” The unicorn then looked right at Papa Torque. “However, if I see you there for even five seconds, I’ll give you a right what for!”

He drew back a little bit. “Um… sorry?”

“Tonight’s about you two, so enjoy yourselves!” Rarity’s ears twitched just before she leaned forward and started whispering to the colt. While she did that, I hopped off and got a kiss from my mom before joining my friends.

“Oh, really? I’d love to see it when it’s done.”

Momma turned to him, leaning forward and raising her brows. “Oh? What would you love to see?”

He turned quickly to her and began to shake his head. His words were jarred a little, and he began to stutter… just a little. “It’s nothing. Rarity was just working on a new line of coats, and I happened to see the first one when I went to do a job for her.”

“Uh huh… right. Well, I’d love to take a look as well.”

Anyone with a brain could’ve noticed that there was something going on, but Rarity and Papa Torque seemed to calm down as soon as Momma said this. In fact, Rarity even smiled and started nodding.

“You’ll be the first to see it! The one I’m making right now is especially for you, dear!”

“Wow Rarity, that’s such a nice thing for you to do.” Had she not said something, I might have forgotten Miss Fluttershy was even there. She was really quiet.

The older unicorn raised her head up, letting her mane sway. “Well, you know me, always happy to use my talents to give to others. Now, I must be off. I’m quite eager to finish this piece and see how it looks on you. Have fun, you all!”

Sweetie jumped up and started waving to her. “Bye, Rarity!”

Both Papa Torque and Momma waved to her as well, but I got hugs from both of them before they started to leave. However, before they got too far, Miss Fluttershy gently tapped the stallion’s shoulder.

“Um, Torque… I’m sorry to keep you, but I just so happened to find a dog. He’s a little roughed up right now, but I’m sure we’ll have him fixed up before you get back.”

His gaze softened as a smile formed across his muzzle. “Thank you, Fluttershy. I really appreciate that.”

“Oh, it’s not a problem. Please enjoy yourselves.”

“We will, as long as you do the same.”

Now I started bouncing and waving to them. “Bye Papa Torque! Have fun!”

Momma turned around and returned the gesture. “You have fun too, honey! I love you!”

“Love you too!”

As they left, I was pulled inside by my friends. Immediately, Scootaloo pointed forward and directed my gaze towards the snow white bunny. Miss Fluttershy kept nudging a carrot towards him, but he constantly pushed it away.

“Now Angel, be a good bunny and eat your snack.”

The pegasus gave me a gentle nudge. “See? He even gives Fluttershy trouble.”

I turned to Sweetie Belle, but I caught her walking over to the bunny and Miss Fluttershy. She too tried to coax Angel into eating, but still he refused.

“Why don’t you give it a try?”

I was already flipping through my little book for the section on woodland rodents. Once I found it, I skimmed through the page on rabbits and found something worth trying. Miss Fluttershy was still pleading with Angel when I came up, proposing all these different options that only received a shake of the head from the bunny.

Picking up the carrot, my gaze shifted from it to him. “Angel, how would you like it if we cooked the carrot?”

He looked up at me and closed his eyes, nodding quickly. Miss Fluttershy looked down at me and patted my head with a smile. “I never would have guessed. I thought you hated warm food, Angel bunny.”

Suddenly, an idea popped into my head. “Oh! Oh! Miss Fluttershy! Can we feed the animals?”

Sweetie caught on and flashed a bright grin. “Yeah! Cutie Mark Crusaders Animal Feeders!”

“Yay!”

Before our caretaker had a chance to respond, we all rushed into the kitchen. We searched frantically for food, but after a few minutes, the pegasus came in and called to us. “Girls, I don’t keep animal food in here. I’ll show you where it is, and you all can help me feed them.”

Again, we all shouted out together. “Yay!”

It wasn’t long before all four of us were carrying Tupperware containers of various fruits and veggies as well as bags of food. I was lucky enough to get the carrots and cabbage for the bunnies, but I also got the dog food. At first, the bunnies, including Angel, refused to eat. However, after I pleaded with them some, it felt like they suddenly changed their minds and began to munch on their food.

When I checked them, both the carrots and cabbage leaves were very warm, almost as if they had been steamed. “Whoa… what just… well, at least you’re eating!”

It was definitely strange, but there was no sense in dwelling on it. In my search for the doggies, I spotted Sweetie feeding the birds… incorrectly. She probably didn’t know it, but she was giving the birds with small beaks seeds that were much too big for them to eat, and vice versa with the big beaked birds. However, after a moment of watching, I saw the birds eating anyway! I must have been seeing things, as the birds didn’t look to be struggling at all, and all the seeds were the right sizes. Yet another strange thing that worked out for the best.

Miss Fluttershy was outside helping Scootaloo feed the chickens, so I went to her to ask about the doggie. Luckily, they were almost done by the time I got to them. “Miss Fluttershy, where’s that doggie you mentioned?”

“Oh, he’s just lying down on the rug. Come, I’ll show you.”

She escorted me back inside and towards the back of her living room. Honestly, I was expecting a little puppy, but this was like super doggie! He looked like he could gobble up Angel in a second, but a closer look told me he didn’t have the strength for that. His eyes were all bloodshot, he was covered in fleas, ticks, dirt, and cuts, and even though his matted hair gave an illusion of a belly, I could feel his ribs more than I should have been able to if he was well fed.

“Aw, the poor baby. Did you find him like this?”

Our hostess softly pet the big dog. “Yes. I found him limping around outside this morning. There’s no telling how old he is or how long he’s been out there.”

After a moment of thought, I scurried off and grabbed the other girls. “Miss Fluttershy, the Cutie Mark Crusaders are going to help you fix up this doggie!”

Scootaloo gently patted his ear. “Are you sure, Dinky? He looks pretty bad… maybe we should just let Fluttershy handle this one.”

“No! The least we can do is help. Even if we can’t fix him, I’m sure it’d be easier if she didn’t have to do everything herself, right?” Sweetie took a deep breath after her statement, doing her best to strike a proud pose.

Miss Fluttershy’s smile reminded me a lot of Momma’s. It was so soft and caring, and you could almost feel the love radiating from it like the sun on a warm summer day. “That would be nice. Sweetie Belle, go upstairs, open the first door on your right, and bring me that large towel you’ll see.”

“Yes ma’am!” She zipped off, and Miss Fluttershy addressed the younger pegasus.

“Scootaloo, down the hall is a bathroom with a large tub in the center. Can you fill that up with warm water and bring it in here?”

“You got it!” Now it was my turn for a task.

Once again I received a pat from Miss Fluttershy. “Dinky, I’m going to go get some special soap and a comb. Could you please try and get him to eat?”

“I’ll do my best!”

Miss Fluttershy walked off, and I reached for the small bowl next to him. The doggie sniffed at me some, and he started to whine as he licked me. I couldn’t help but giggle; being licked by a dog really tickled when he was so much bigger. Even with this, I managed to fill up his bowl and nudge his head towards it.

It took a moment, but after he sniffed at it, the doggie slowly started to nibble at the food. He didn’t dive into it like most dogs would, but at least he was eating something. Pretty soon Sweetie came down with a really big towel wrapped in her magical grasp, and Miss Fluttershy came in carrying the items she had left for.

“Okay, Sweetie Belle, spread that out. We’re going to give him a nice bath, and this soap should medicate those cuts as well. I doubt he’s going to be able to get in a tub, and that’s that the towel is for. At least the floor will stay dry when we bathe him.”

I wanted to say something, but was interrupted by the loud grunting we heard down the hall. All of us followed it to find Scootaloo struggling to drag a large metal tub. It was only half full, and with all of us carrying it, we managed to bring it in the living room with relative ease.

The big yellow lab looked at us for a moment before he was nudged onto the towel. His food bowl was empty, but his pace was still incredibly slow. In fact, Miss Fluttershy even had to help him get to the towel. I noticed that she also had a decent sized cup with her as well.

“Sweetie, can you use your magic to get his hair rinsed?”

She nodded and dipped the cup in the water. However, I stopped her rather quickly after she began to pour it on his head. “Stop! Sweetie, not like that… I don’t mean to step on your hooves, but you have to do it gently, like this.”

I didn’t even notice it until I saw all the wide eyed looks I was getting. Sweetie was no longer holding the cup, but it was still floating in the air. A bright golden aura had replaced the bright pink one that had surrounded the cup, and once my gaze shifted up I saw that my horn was glowing that same color as well.

It was difficult, but I managed not to make a big deal out of it as I lowered the cup right against the lab’s head. I slowly tipped it and allowed it to gently flow over him, moving it back and forth until his coat was soaked.

“Like that.”

Everypony else was still silent as they stared at me, but Miss Fluttershy soon caught sight of my attempts to keep things calm. “That’s right, little Dinky. You have to do this very softly. Dinky, would you mind combing his coat to get all the ticks off?”

It was a little gross to drag the comb through and watch all the ticks fall out of his hair, but it had to be done. Once he was thoroughly combed, we threw all the ticks out Miss Fluttershy’s window to be eaten by birds. With that done, we all got him lathered up and spent at least thirty minutes giving him a nice scrub. Finally we rinsed him off, and it just so happened that Sweetie Belle had borrowed a blow dryer from her sister. In case of blow dryer emergency, of course.

The best things about all this were that the doggie stayed calm the entire time, and the towel was thick enough to keep the floor from getting too wet, though we did have to get some dry rags to soak up what little water got through the towel.

By the time we were done, the sun was starting to go down. The lab was now resting in a big pile of blankets we made, and Miss Fluttershy had fixed us all nice fruit salads. “Thank you all for your help. I’m sorry you really didn’t get a chance to play.”

“Don’t be sorry!” Scootaloo took a big bite of her food. Thank Celestia she wasn’t like our earth pony friends. “It was worth it to see Dinky use her magic! What was up with that?”

“I… I don’t know. I really just wanted to do it right, and I was scared it was gonna make the dog uncomfortable it Sweetie just poured the water on him like that. You know… maybe what happened earlier was me too.”

Sweetie Belle tilted her head a little when I said this. “What happened?”

“Well, the bunnies wouldn’t eat their food, but I really wanted them to, and after a little bit, the carrots seemed to cook themselves. Not only that, but when I noticed you were giving the birdies the wrong kinds of seeds, somehow they changed sizes! Hey… remember what Miss Cheerilee said?”

Both girls looked at my flank as I turned to look myself. I think all three of us were about to scream when we saw the golden paw print on my flank with a heart shaped pad. The older pegasus smiled down at me with that warm smile, reaching over to pat me again.

“Well look at that. I guess your special talent is a heart of gold that loves to meet the needs of animals.”

I couldn’t help but start beaming as I got hugs from all of them. Even Scootaloo joined in, and she never joined group hugs! I did mention not wanting to make too big a deal out of it, so we continued our supper rather quickly.

We were all still a little hungry, and that’s when I rushed over to my bag and brought them the marshmallows. “Hey! How about we roast these for dessert? I brought them in case of marshmallow emergency!”

The other unicorn gave me a wink as Miss Fluttershy nodded. “That sounds yummy, but it’s getting late. I’ll get a fire in the fireplace, okay? I want everypony inside when it gets dark.” She shot Sweetie and Scootaloo a very brief glare. “We don’t want any repeats of last time, right girls?”

They both nodded, and Scootaloo seemed less reluctant to remember. “Yeah… wouldn’t want another cockatrice incident. We’re still really sorry about that.”

The marshmallows were yummier than I could have imagined! All of us roasted them, and I even shared one or two with the doggie. Miss Fluttershy did have to warn us not to feed him too many, since they didn’t have any real nutritional value, so we kept the feeding to a minimum. Once we were out of marshmallows, the unreal happened. The three of us were actually tired! We never get tired!

Honestly, I think it was all the playing we did at school today. You have no idea how exhausting a few games of hide and seek can actually be, especially when they’re followed by carrying around animal food and sprucing up a doggie.

Miss Fluttershy set us up for the night, but I snuck off. Instead of sleeping in the bed, I winked at my friends, grabbed Mr. Wags, made my way back to the doggie, snuggled up with him, and wrapped myself in one of the blankets he was on. Once again, he sniffed at me a few times and started to whine and lick me.

“Dinky? Are you sure that’s what you want to do?”

I looked over to the pegasus and nodded slowly. “I wanna sleep with the doggie. Besides, I think he likes me.”

Again I was met with that warm, loving smile. “I think so too. Well, if you’re really comfortable like that, then I won’t stop you.” She made her way over to the big sofa across from where we were, lying down on it and tossing a blanket over herself. “Sleep well, Dinky.”

I awoke not too long after everypony else. After I got up and readjusted the dog’s blankets, I came into the kitchen where Miss Fluttershy was having pancakes. “Good morning, Dinky. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes I did, Miss Fluttershy! Say… where are the others?”

“Oh, Rarity came by earlier to get them. They didn’t think it was right to wake you, so we left you alone.”

“Oh….” To be honest, it was just a little upsetting that I didn’t get a chance to at least say goodbye. At least it wasn’t like I’d never see them again. However, there wasn’t any time to join the pegasus as I heard knocking on the door.

“Come in!”

I heard doggie start whining again as the door opened and a loud gasp once it closed. Nopony said anything, not that they could with doggie barking like he was. I turned the corner to look in and saw Papa Torque making his way over to doggie, and doggie limping with his now wrapped up leg over to him.

“Fluttershy… is this the dog you were talking about?”

The pegasus poked her head out with quite the worried expression on her face. “Yes… um, did I do something wrong?”

Suddenly Momma’s eyes widened as Papa Torque lowered himself. Doggie started licking him just as he had done me, and I could see tear streaks staining Papa Torque’s cheeks. “Wait, Torque… is this really happening?”

“I can’t believe it! Fluttershy, this is Tucker! This is Tucker! After months of him being gone, you found my dog from Vanhoover!”

It was all I could do to keep from joining Tucker and Papa Torque, and in the end I did anyway. “Yay! Yay! Papa Torque got his doggie back! So that’s why he liked me so much! He must have caught your scent on me since I ride on your back so much!”

Miss Fluttershy came in completely and observed the scene before her. “But… how? How could he have gotten all the way from Vanhoover to here?”

Momma came over too, patting big Tucker and joining in the hug. “Well, there’s plenty to eat out there, isn’t there? Maybe not as much as he was used to, but there isn’t that much danger out their either, is there?”

She slowly shook her head as she thought about it. “I guess not. But still, a pet out in the wild for months? That still seems very… oh, I know what it is.”

We all looked up to her as she drew attention to my new cutie mark. “He must have found his way here so Dinky could reunite him with his owner.”

Both Momma and Papa Torque stared at my flank for a moment before grabbing hold of me. “Oh, honey, your cutie mark! My little Dinky got her cutie mark!”

The tension of holding in my excitement all night finally got to me, and I jumped up in the air, screaming at the top of my lungs. “Woo hoo! I finally did it! I got my cutie mark! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!”

Even Tucker let out a big bark at my joy, happily wagging his tail as he licked both Papa Torque and me. Finally, I looked up at Momma along with him and put on the best puppy dog eyes I could.

“So, can we take him home, Momma? Please?”

She bit her bottom lip and looked between me and Papa Torque. Finally, she let out a sigh and started to nod. “You have to help take care of him, though.”

“Yay!”

Chapter 16: A Walk in the Park

Repair and Deliver
Story 6
Chapter 16: A Walk in the Park
By: SleeplessScribe

Once everything was sorted out, we brought my long lost dog back home. Fluttershy was kind enough to give us a bag of food and a collar for him as well, though it was a bit of a hassle trying to find a collar that fit. Not only that, but she also gave us a leash to avoid having him run off again. Tucker was all too happy to be back, and he seemed even happier to have Dinky as well. When the big lab finally got his strength back, the two played all day while I helped Ditzy with her Saturday bake sale.

Not long after her bake sale ended, I got a letter from Mr. Fjord with those Model T papers. Dinky was napping on a Tucker pillow when I came in, and Ditzy was washing dishes and putting things from the sale away.

“Oh, what are those, Torque?”

“Uh huh.” Obviously I wasn’t paying as much attention to her as I should have been, because it literally took her looking over my shoulder to make me realize she was asking me something.

“Torque, what are all these?”

“Sorry, I must have zoned out. They’re schematics and blueprints for Fjord’s Model T. I think if I study them long enough, I’m bound to get an idea for something that can help your eyes. Of course, that’s not to say I’m going to cancel our trip tomorrow so I can spend all day doing that, but I plan on investing some time into brainstorming tonight.”

She sat down next to me, pushing the papers onto the table and setting her hooves over my own. “I’m fine with that, but please don’t let it take you over. I’ve lived like this for years, and while it would be wonderful to fly straight and have my old position back and do all the other things normal pegasi can do, remember that I can do without it."

I leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. “I’ll remember.”

“There’s one more thing, Torque.” Ditzy looked out the door and towards her napping daughter. “I love you. Dinky loves you. You—”

My marefriend didn’t need to say anything else. I hoped that holding my hoof to her lips was enough to clue her in, and she did stay silent once I withdrew it. She leaned herself forward and allowed me to pull her into a comforting, warm hug.

“Now that I think about it… how was last night?”

I heard her wings ruffle for an instant before she looked up at me. “Not as awkward as I thought it’d be. In fact, it felt nice to have somepony to snuggle with.”

“Yeah… it was nice. Really, it’s nice being with you regardless of where we are.”

She nuzzled up under my chin, but the sound that came out wasn’t exactly a giggle. The closest thing I could equate it to was a sigh, but it was perkier… if that makes any sense. “Aw, how sweet. You really are the best, Torque.”

As I thought about it some more, I stood up and tried to pull Ditzy with me. “Can we go into your room? I want to talk about something, but I don’t want Dinky to overhear us if she wakes up.”

The pegasus blinked once. “Of course….”

We trotted into her room and closed the door. I brought her to the bed, and we sat down together. “This is really hard on me. I love you both a lot, but I still question if I’m doing the right thing. I mean, there’s no guarantee all of this won’t blow up in our faces…. The idea that something may go wrong with us really scares me.”

As I fell onto the bed, Ditzy followed suit and rested her head on my chest. “That’s strange. I thought you were an incredible optimist. Where’s all that ‘glass half full’ talk, hm?”

“Oh, that’s not fair. Yes, I try to find the good in everything, but even I worry sometimes.”

She giggled a little and kissed me. “I know, I’m just messing with you. Take your time, Torque. Didn’t you ever read fairy tales when you were little? Love conquers all.”

With her words came clarity, and a peace that I really couldn’t describe. “You keep calling me the best, but you’re not bad yourself, Ditzy.”

“Oh, stop.”

To be honest, the rest of the day was… well, it was fun, but it wouldn’t make for a good story, and I am telling a story. When I wasn’t playing with Dinky and Tucker, I was with Ditzy playing a game, helping with dinner and dishes, or planning our zoo trip. When I wasn’t with Ditzy, I was brainstorming and sketching and coming up with possible ideas for another vision corrector.

As I thought, I began to think back to my sister. Not only did this prompt me to write a letter back home just detail how I was and mentioning that I’d be in Vanhoover tomorrow, but I also did get an idea. In reality, there were plenty of ways I could go about trying to realign Ditzy’s eyes. The problem was that most of them would look ridiculous. However, my sister wore glasses, and that image combined with a lot of the connecting parts that moved in sync with each other detailed in the blueprints gave me a big, big idea.

Immediately, I started drawing up sketches for it. If I could get a hold of the materials tomorrow, building it wouldn’t be a problem. The best part was that the time I’d need for it wouldn’t even cut into our zoo and picnic time! Oh, tomorrow was going to be great.

When I got up, both girls were already up, and Dinky was in the kitchen eating. “Good morning, Papa Torque!”

“Good morning, Dinky. Where’s your mom?”

The little unicorn pointed towards the door between here and the living room. “She’s taking a shower now. She said she wants to be ready to go as soon as possible! I’ve already gotten a bath and everything!”

“Well that’s good.”

She looked at me and then pushed a plate towards me. They looked like tarts, but I couldn’t tell what kind until I actually tasted them. I guess Ditzy remembered my mentioning of strawberries. “Papa Torque, can we take Big Tucker with us? It’s not fair if he has to stay here all by himself when we just got him.”

Good thing I remembered to get a leash. “Yes we can. You don’t see too many zoos that allow pets, but as long as they’re on a leash, they’re allowed in this one. The animals there don’t freak out, for whatever reason. I’m not sure if they’re trained that way or something, but yes, we can take him.”

It was an odd thing, but I think his leg may have just been hurting, because he wasn’t limping anymore. Either that or Dinky’s magic was much stronger than any of us thought. After a while, Ditzy walked in and wrapped a wing around each of us.

“Good morning! How’s breakfast?”

Had I not actually had a mouth full of food, I’d have answered immediately. “Amazing! You really do know how to cook.”

“Aw, thank you, Torque.” Once again, I was nearly knocked out by a kiss. Her kisses alone were enough to hack away at my sanity. However, she drew back and covered her nose. “Phew, Torque! Into the bathroom, now! You’d better wash off that stink if you want to go anywhere!”

I guess you can’t really smell yourself, so I had to go on what I was told. Either way, I planned to shower regardless. Once I was done, I poked my head through the door to see Ditzy packing bags into a big basket that she had strapped to saddle belt.

“Dinky, aren’t you excited?”

I didn’t even notice her giving Tucker belly rubs until she said something. “Uh huh! I can’t wait to see all the animals! There’s also the park. I’m sure Big Tucker will love it there!”

Ditzy’s ears twitched when her daughter brought him up. “Oh, that reminds me. We can’t forget to bring some treats for him, can we?”

The filly shook her head. “Nope!” After this, she reduced my dog to a pitiful mess of spoiledness via a double-hoofed tummy rub. “Who’s a good boy? Who’s a good boy?”

Tucker never was shy, but seeing him like this was just sad. In a good way. If that… makes any sense. You could really tell just how rotten he was by the way he just soaked up all that love.

“Torque, quit snooping, I know you’re there!”

I poked my head around the corner and winked at Ditzy. “Well aren’t you a regular detective?”

She rolled her eyes as best she could. “Do you mind if I ask you a favor?”

“Anything.”

“Wash your hat.”

I tilted my head a bit. “My hat?”

She nodded in response. The pegasus was still rather invested in her picnic preparations, though. “Yes, your hat. No offense, but it smells. Like… really bad.”

I heard a giggle from behind me as well. “Haha, Papa Torque has a stinky hat! Ew!”

“Fine, if it’s really that big a deal.” It was obvious, at least I hoped, that I didn’t really mind. Though I was a bit confused as to where the laundry room was, as I was used to washing machines, whereas Ditzy only had a manual washboard. However, it was kind of a nice change. Getting to use my hooves for something that I had once had to just wait around for was oddly… cool. It was like I got to see the progress I was making. I really am weird if I find pleasure from manually washing a hat.

Once it was clean, I had to wait for it to dry. However, the waiting gave me an idea. Ditzy was finally finished making the food, and was brushing Tucker’s hair when I came in. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re doing something with Tucker!”

“Why’s that?”

“Do you mind if I take him for a walk with Dinky? I’m not about to put on a damp hat, so I need to do something while it dries. Besides, he probably needs to do some business anyway.”

“Oh, not at all! Just be careful you don’t lose Dinky!”

I chuckled a bit as I spotted the lab’s collar. “Don’t worry, I have my cute detector on… but it must not be working right. Where is she right now?”

“Here I am!” Before I knew it, I was assaulted by a small mass of adorable. Once again I found myself with a filly unicorn on my back as she climbed up. “I was cleaning my room and putting Mr. Wags to bed! He’s not feeling to good, so he needs some sleep.”

I tried not to chuckle again. It was cute how she treated him like a living thing, but a small part of me wondered if she realized he was just a toy. “Well, while he’s sleeping, would you like to take Tucker for a walk?”

“Oh! Oh! Can I walk him? Please?”

While those big, honey eyes were hard to say no to, this was a situation that called for it. “I’m sorry, sweetie, but he’d drag you across town. He is a strong dog, you know.”

She looked down, circling the floor with her hoof. “Aw, okay. Come on, Big Tucker! Do you want to go for a walk?”

The lab poked his head up, his tail wagging as Dinky called to him. Almost immediately, he hopped up and made his way over to the filly and let me latch the leash onto his collar. Dinky started rubbing him behind the ears, which resulted in his left hind leg starting to twitch. That was always a funny thing to watch.

When he finally calmed down, we took him outside and watched as other ponies turned their heads. I guess dogs Tucker’s size weren’t very common around here. Then again, Tucker was big for his age.

I have to admit, I got a little worried every time he jerked his head towards a squirrel or other small critter, but Dinky would always give him a soft bonk on the head and shake her own. “No, Big Tucker. No chasing.”

Thank Celestia I had Dinky with me. Keeping Tucker under control wasn’t exactly difficult, but she made it a lot easier. After a few minutes outside Tucker finally found a tree that was to his liking and took care of business.

“Good boy, Big Tucker!” The little filly gave him as big a hug as she could, prompting a loud bark from him. “Who’s a good doggie?” Again, he barked at Dinky’s affectionate loving. It really was a sweet sight.

“So Dinky, how does it feel to finally have a dog?”

She looked up at me with those pretty little eyes, her grin just as sweet. “It’s so so so so so great! I love Big Tucker! It’s not just that either… it’s just the feeling of finally having something you wanted for a really long time. You know what I mean, Papa Torque?”

Leaning forward, I softly patted her head. “I do know what you mean.”

It never occurred to me that we had actually gone a decent ways away from the house, and another thought crossed my mind as we turned around. “Say, Dinky… have you ever even seen your father?”

She paused for a moment, tapping her chin. Was there anything this child couldn’t make cute? I bet even her burps were adorable. “Not really. All I know is that he must have been a unicorn. In all honesty, I don’t care. Anypony mean enough to break a sweet pony like Momma’s heart is not a pony I want to meet. Oh, but you can be sure I’m gonna have a few words for him if we do meet.”

I drew back a little, letting out a small chuckle. “Well I’m glad I’m not him. I wouldn’t want to be on Super Dinky’s bad side.”

Dinky nodded and patted the lab again. “Super Dinky and her trusty steed, Big Tucker!”

This time it was an all-out laugh. “Now that’s really scary!”

“I’d teach him not to be mean anymore!”

“Atta girl!”

She paused again, walking closer to me and nudging my leg. “Papa Torque, do you love Momma?”

The question admittedly caught me off guard, but it’s not like I needed to think about the answer. “Yes, Dinky, I love her very much.”

The next one, however, threw me for a loop. “Do you love me?”

This one did take just a little bit of thought. However, I couldn’t really say no; how could you not love something so huggable? “I do, Dinky. You’re a sweet filly with a heart of gold, just like your mother.”

She leaned forward and wrapped both forelegs around on of mine, her smile capable of melting ice. “I wish you were my dad. That would be so much fun, wouldn’t it?”

I couldn’t help but return the affection. Little Dinky didn’t know it, but she was really tugging at my heart. “That would be fun. I’m sure we’d play and play all the time, and make cookies and draw pictures and all kinds of stuff.”

Once again I became the S.S. Torque with Captain Dinky on board. “Wee! That does sound like lots of fun! Papa Torque… why can’t you be my real papa?”

“Dinky! Torque! Are you ready?” Ditzy’s voice was always a welcome sound, but it was more beautiful now than ever before. “Everything’s packed, and I’m ready.”

Dinky started bouncing as she liked to do, hopping off of me and making a beeline for her mother. “I’m ready! Are we going? Are we going? Are we going?”

“Calm down, sweetie! Yes, we’re going as soon as Torque puts on his,” I didn’t even put it on, it was more so playfully thrust onto my head, “hat. There, now we can go.”

Unless Tucker suddenly sprouted hooves and learned to stand on his hind legs, the clapping I heard came from the little filly. Unfortunately, Ditzy’s little joke left me blind until I pulled my hat off of my eyes. Once I did, there was only one thing that worried me.

Thank Celestia they let dogs on the train.

During the entire trip, Dinky couldn’t contain herself. She continued asking questions about what kinds of animals were there, how big it was, if there were other ponies with dogs, if other ponies even brought their pets, and so much more. Sometimes I wondered if she was powered by sugar, because she was as hyper as she was sweet and loveable.

Then, as if finding my long lost dog wasn’t enough, I was gifted with another huge surprise once we got off the train.

“Surprise!”

Literally.

I jumped back, staring at all three ponies as Tucker barked at them. A loud gasp cut through the silence as the younger of the two mares rushed over to him, pouring about fifty tons of love onto him.

Ditzy tilted her head and nudged me. “Um… Torque? Are you okay?”

To be honest, I had no idea. The presence of these ponies was enough to make me feel a little awkward, but their silence made it even worse. “M-Mom? Dad? Sis? What are you all doing here?”

It was no surprise that my father cut in on my mother before she even got a chance to speak. That happened quite often, though I don’t think Ratchet actually realized he did it. “Well, when we got your letter, we were very eager to meet the lucky lady you caught. Not to mention the apparently irresistibly cute filly she had with her. And now we see you found Tucker after all this time, too!”

The pegasus’ ears perked up as she held a hoof out to him. “Oh, so you’re Torque’s family? I’m Ditzy Doo, and it’s wonderful to meet you!”

My father took her hoof, giving a single, strong shake. “Nice to meet you, Ditzy. My name’s Ratchet, and I’m sure you can tell that Torque’s my boy!”

As embarrassed as I was to have them here, it was nice to see the look on Ditzy’s face showing no signs of negative emotion. “Oh, it’s quite obvious. From that hair down to your cheerful attitude, you two are just alike!”

Next up was my mother, who greeted Ditzy with a warm hug. “Well, aren’t a pretty little thing? My name’s Rosemary, and I know it’s hard to tell, but I’m Torque’s mother.”

Ditzy smiled at her and hugged her again. “So, he got his eyes and his manners from you, then?”

My mother giggled, nudging dad and winking at him. “I like her already. So who’s the little one that Violet has apparently adopted already?”

Once she mentioned this, we all looked down to see my sister rubbing Tucker’s belly and tickling Dinky’s. Obviously, she was too busy to introduce herself, but her mother didn’t seem to have a problem doing it for her.

“That’s Dinky, my whole world. I assume that’s your sister, Torque?”

Violet’s ears twitched when she was mentioned. As she nearly fell trying to get back on all four hooves, I noticed something odd about her. “Oh, right! I’m Violet! Torque has told me a great deal about you.”

“Hey sis… where are your glasses?”

At once, she turned to me, sporting that close-eyed smile that she tended to show. “Oh, you noticed? Yeah, I finally worked up the courage to try contacts. They work really well, but once I master this vision spell I won’t need anything.”

“Wait… did you say vision spell?” You know, I actually wanted to say that myself, but hearing Ditzy say it before me was actually quite a surprise.

However, my sister seemed to catch her meaning immediately. “I’m sorry, Ditzy… it would do nothing to correct your vision. Don’t worry, though, my brother’s a genius in his own way. I’m positive he’ll figure something out.”

“Aha!”

Nearly everyone jumped back at my random exclamation. “Sorry… I just think Violet gave me an idea without even trying.”

Violet tilted her head some. “And that’s… good, right?”

“It is good. I do have to ask though… will you be joining us?”

My dad immediately began to shake his head. “While we’d love to, the shop is being remodeled. I’m going to be overseeing that. However, we would appreciate it if you’d come by this evening for dinner.”

I opened my mouth, but Ditzy’s wings started to flutter as she stepped in front of me. “We’d love to!”

Mom started clapping as my marefriend’s wings settled down. “Wonderful! We’ll see you there! It was nice meeting you, Ditzy!”

She waved at them as they started walking down the sidewalk. “It was nice meeting you too!”

I waited until I was sure they were out of earshot before letting out a sigh. “Well… that was awkward.”

Ditzy giggled and brushed my nose with her tail. “You’ve got a nice family. They’re very sweet.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Onward, trusty steed!” Both of us turned to Dinky, who was now on Tucker’s back as the dog made his way towards the city square. It took a moment for things to click in our heads, but afterwards we rushed towards her.

Ditzy grabbed a hold of her daughter while I secured Tucker’s leash, both of us breathing heavily from the slight panic. “Dinky! What on earth were you thinking?”

The little filly’s ears fell flat as she pursed her lip. “Sorry Momma… I thought it was fun.”

She picked up Dinky, twirling around with her for a little bit. “Please don’t do that again, you scared the daylights out of me.”

After Dinky nodded, I tapped both their shoulders and nudged my head forward. “Ready for the zoo?”

Immediately the little filly started clapping, bringing a smile to our faces again. “Yes! Yes! Yes! I can’t wait, let’s go, go, go!”

“Alright, settle down, sweetie. Come on, I’ll show you the way.”

Luckily, the zoo wasn’t actually too far from where we were. Since it was so early, it was also nice and cool outside. In fact, about the only thing bad about our visit was the smell. Tucker was very well behaved, and Dinky pretty much squealed at everything we saw. There was even one point where she brought up something I should have done before we came.

We were walking through the area with all their birds, and when we came across the pink flamingos, Dinky trotted up to them with twinkling eyes. “Wow, pretty! Momma, did you bring a camera?”

Once I heard that, I half hit half tapped the ground with my hoof. “Aw man! I should have thought of that, a camera would’ve been great to have here.”

“Well, there’s always next time. I’m sure we’ll come back one day, right Torque?”

You know, sometimes I wish I had wings, as Ditzy made me feel kind of bad for putting hers around me when I had nothing with which to return the gesture. “Well, sure! I don’t see a reason not to.”

For about the third time today, Dinky was clapping and giggling like she had just been given her own candy store. I was honestly surprised her cuteness hadn’t given me a heart attack yet. “Well Dinky, where do you want to go next?”

“Ooh! Ooh! I wanna go see the monkeys!”

Ditzy giggled, lowering herself to allow the unicorn on her back for once. “Very well then, to the monkeys!”

“Yay! Monkeys! Ooh ooh! Aah aah!”

She was like that the entire time. It really surprised me how Dinky didn’t seem scared of anything, even the lions and tigers and bears. Oh my. Honestly, I think Tucker was a little jealous, as he would whine whenever Dinky started fawning over another animal.

Finally it got to the point where we had explored nearly every exhibit the place had, and Dinky was now sporting a cute new koala backpack, some new animal books, and a panda lunchbox. Ditzy and I both agree that the lunchbox was almost a necessity. As we made our way to the exit, the small unicorn tugged on her mother’s wing.

“Wait! What about the petting area?”

I nearly facehoofed when she brought that up. “Oh, you’re right! How could I have forgotten? You want to go pet some animals, Dinky?”

As always, she started bouncing around excitedly. “Yes please!” Tucker barked out as she said this, prompting both girls to start rubbing his head. “Aw, don’t worry Big Tucker. You’ll always get the most pets.”

He barked again as we turned around. The petting zoo was relatively close to the entrance, and there were many fenced in areas with critters of all sorts. Dinky immediately made her way to the rabbits, and they flocked to her like screws to a magnet. The filly didn’t even try to leave until she had patted every last one of them, and she even got to feed them.

Next, she decided to play with the pigs. Ditzy wasn’t too pleased with it, but at least Dinky didn’t get mud all over herself. As she looked around some more, she spotted foxes, but this time the cycle was broken. While most of them came to her, the smallest one of the bunch sat in the corner and didn’t even bother to move. When she saw this, the unicorn slowly walked over to it.

It growled a little, getting louder as Dinky reached out. I was really scared that it would bite her, but all it did was whine when she began to pet it. “There, there. Don’t be scared.”

A part of me wondered what exactly this fox’s problem was, but at the moment, I was more engrossed with just watching Dinky pet it. After a while, she finally stopped and came back to us. “Poor thing was just scared. It’s okay though, I made it all better!”

Out of curiosity I looked over to the pen again. That little fox had come to the fence, looking up at Dinky. However, it drew back a little when the filly turned to face it again. “Aw, still shy. What’s next?”

Ditzy giggled and lifted her daughter up. “The park. Sorry sweetie, but it’s just about lunch time. But don’t frown just yet! We have a surprise for you!”

Her little ears twitched when she heard this, and her eyes lit up when I revealed the kites I had managed to hide from her. “I got one for each of us! I got a bluejay, a robin, and a cardinal. Don’t you thinking flying kites will be fun?”

“Yeah! I can’t wait! Can I have the robin, Papa Torque?”

Somehow this filly always managed to make me chuckle. “Of course you can! But first we—”

Isn’t it funny how your stomach always seems to finish your “we need food” or “I’m hungry” sentences for you? It didn’t help that the growl was especially loud. Like, I think three or four ponies even turned their heads to me.

My marefriend giggled again and cutely pressed her nose against my cheek. “Point taken. Let’s all get to the park and have that picnic!”

I led them out of the zoo and down a few blocks to the huge park in the middle of the city. It was built fairly recently, but it came as a slight surprise that they still hadn’t named it. After a few minutes of looking around, all of us, Tucker included, agreed on a nice spot beneath a big oak tree. There was plenty of shade, and that made for a nice, cool spot to lay down and rest our legs as we got everything set up. I actually didn’t know that Ditzy had made tea, but I should have guessed since she loved making sweet things.

Once the blanket was spread out, we set down the bowl for Tucker and poured some food in that, leaving him to eat as we prepared our own food. Ditzy had made small peanut butter and jelly sandwiches cut into little triangles, her amazing banana nut muffins, a few sleeves of crackers, and some grilled cheese sandwiches too. Aw man, just the smell of those muffins was enough to put me in a daze, and it actually took Ditzy waving her hoof in my face to bring me back to earth.

“Hello? Torque, are you okay?”

After a quick shake of the head, I nodded, which probably wasn’t the best course of action since it probably confused the heck out of her. “I’m good, sorry. Those muffins just look and smell so good.”

She wagged her hoof in front of my face with a grin. “Ah, ah, ah, no muffins until you’ve had actual lunch.”

I heard Dinky giggle behind me as she pet on Tucker. “Hehe, Momma does that to me, too.”

“When did you make those grilled cheese sandwiches? I wasn’t in the shower that long, was I?”

Ditzy sat down and set plates out for us, setting up everything she had made on the blanket. “Oh, I started on them as soon as I finished breakfast. Go on and try one!”

I did as she said and chomped down on one of them. “Mmm, you even make the most basic of food taste better than normal! Ditzy, are you sure your special talent isn’t actually cooking?”

Her cheeks starting to redden as she circled the ground with her hoof. “Oh, stop! I’m not that good, I just enjoy cooking. Recipes are hard to read sometimes, though, and it takes some trial and error when I’m trying out something new before I get it completely right!”

She was laughing about it, but I really didn’t find it funny at all. The poor mare couldn’t even read without her crooked eyes messing her up. As I munched on my sandwich, I thought back to my friends at the shop. It just… baffled me how they could tell me to give up on fixing Ditzy’s eyes.

“Torque? Are you sure you’re alright? You really look like something’s bothering you.”

There was no point in beating around the bush anymore. “Ditzy, I just… it kind of upsets me how everyone I talk to is telling me not to bother with your eyes. They’re just such an obstacle for you, and it’s an obstacle that doesn’t have to be there. I know you’re not a machine, but that doesn’t mean I can’t fix you. I’m no doctor, but I know there has to be something I can create that will help.”

She reached over and brought me to her, leaning me against her chest. “Torque, you have to understand. If there truly is a way to restore my vision, it’s going to take either a lot of money, time, and effort, or a lot of money and risk. I guess some ponies don’t think it’s worth it, and to be honest, I don’t think it is either. These crooked eyes are something I’ve lived with for a long time, and I’ve learned to cope with them. Sure, I can’t read well or fly, but I get by, right? Maybe I can’t really look you in the eyes, but I still know how you feel.”

There was so much I wanted to say, but none of it really felt right. Besides, I would have gotten interrupted quite soon. “Not only that, but you’ve pretty much negated everything negative that my vision causes. The cost of living won’t be a problem now that we’re both under one roof, I’m much happier than I’ve ever been, and Dinky’s got a bunch of new friends now.”

“I guess you’re right.”

What she said next made up my mind. I had been a little back and forth on the idea for a while, but now I was sure. “Torque, we don’t need my eyes to be fixed, we need you.”

Before I said anything, I made sure Dinky was still distracted by either food or Tucker. After a long sigh, I looked up at the mare and tried to think of the right words. “Ditzy… do you think we’re meant for each other? Like, I know I’m kind of like a missing puzzle piece, but can you say for sure if we’d be able to get through anything together? I’ve been thinking about it and… it’s like, how do we know we’re not just putting each other on pedestals?”

I was honestly expecting a reaction much less calm than what I was met with. “Well… these things take time. We haven’t really been tested, but I do know this: nopony has ever made me feel as loved as you do. My family isn’t a shining example of support, but they have been good to me, just far outshined by you. Torque, I really wish you could stop worrying. To be quite honest with you, I feel like you’ve kind of forgotten your own mantra. Look on the bright side, remember?”

With a small laugh, I leaned up and kissed her cheek. “And here I thought I was the one cheering you up. Thanks, Ditzy.”

The mare giggled and teasingly poked a sandwich in my mouth. “Well, it’s not really fair if I don’t try to cheer you up from time to time, is it?”

Unfortunately, our little moment was interrupted, but what replaced it was almost as good. The sound resembled a squeaky, high-pitched sheep, and we both turned to see Dinky blushing a little.

“Heh heh… excuse me.” I knew she even had cute burps.

Ditzy reached over and rubbed her daughter’s head, finally decided to get some food for herself. To be honest, I was surprised that Tucker was sitting there instead of trying to take our food. He was normally such a beggar. I guess he was just tired from earlier and full from his recent meal.

Finally we got “permission” to have muffins, and they we probably the best part of lunch. Really, I could go on and on for hours about how delicious Ditzy’s baked goods were. When we were done, Dinky was all too excited to try flying her kite. Ditzy and I took turns holding Tucker’s leash, since he wanted to run with Dinky whenever she took her kite somewhere. The little filly’s laughter could’ve brought a smile to anyone’s face, and just watching her have fun was enough for me even when it was my turn to hold Tucker.

We flew the kites for what felt like hours before Ditzy and I started getting tired. For once since I met her, I think Dinky was actually getting a little tired too. Having to shake Dinky’s kite out of a tree twice probably didn’t help. To help ourselves kind of level out, we took a slow walk through the park. It was very relaxing, but Dinky still managed to stay hyped up by pointing out and naming all of the animals we saw. I have to say, the cool breeze combined with the gorgeous green grass and lively trees really pulled me away from the real world for most of the walk. By the time we were done, the sun was just starting to go down, but I couldn’t help but be a little apprehensive about what was to come.

As we packed up and left the park, I felt the mare nudge me. “Torque, what’s on your mind this time?”

It felt really mean, but it was the truth. “I’m kinda… embarrassed to bring you to my parents’ house. I don’t know why, I just felt so awkward when they met us on the train station.”

“Duh! They’re your parents, it’s their job to mess with you. Besides, I like your family, they seem really nice.”

“Well they are, but it’s just awkward like I said. There’s just something about my parents knowing I’m in a relationship that makes me go ‘Please don’t bring it up. Please don’t bring it up. Please don’t bring it up.’ in my head. You know?”

She leaned to the side and rested her head on me. “Just calm down. Everything will be fine, Torque.”

I stopped for a moment, remembering the little deep breath trick Luna had taught me. “Yeah. It’s just my family, and they’re not that goofy. And you already said you like them. Yeah. What’s there to worry about?”

Ditzy smiled and kissed my cheek. “That’s the spirit. Come on, let’s go.”

Chapter 17: The Second Gift

Repair and Deliver
Story 6
Chapter 17: The Second Gift
By: SleeplessScribe

The trip home didn’t take long at all. Violet answered the door when Torque knocked, hugging both Torque and I and petting Tucker. It took her a moment to notice Dinky on my back, but she gave the filly a hug as well when she did.

“Mom and Dad were really looking forward to actually getting to talk to you, Ditzy. Please, come in!”

“Thank you, Violet. I already feel so welcome.”

The mare smiled at me and I heard a soft giggle. “I’m glad, but I hope you don’t mind me pulling Torque away to talk? I’m kind of curious about something.”

I shook my head, leaning over to kiss his cheek as he took off Tucker’s leash. “As long as you bring him back.”

That got a nice laugh out of her. “Fair enough. We’ll see you in a bit.”

I made my way into the kitchen, following the heavenly aroma that was coming from it. My daughter was more than pleased with taking a quick cat nap on her yellow lab pillow, so I decided just to let her rest.

“Goodness, what is that smell, Lavender?”

Torque’s mother was standing in front of the stove, holding two pots in her magical grasp. “Oh, hello there, Ditzy! I was just making some mashed potatoes and green beans. They’re only the first step in tonight’s dinner, and I’m going to be making it very special.”

My eyes lit up when she mentioned what she was making. “That’s wonderful! Those are two of Dinky’s favorite foods! Is there anything I can do to help? Your son seems to think I’m a great cook, and it’s something I really enjoy doing.”

“Aw, that’s so sweet of you! Here,” the pretty mare set an open book on the counter behind her, “could you read off this recipe to me? I’ve been looking forward to trying this new recipe for a while.”

I had to gulp back a lump in my throat. It felt so wrong to say no, so against my better judgment, I tried to start reading. All the words were blurred and garbled by the two angles I was looking at them in, but I tried my best anyway. I decided to try reading the whole thing over in my head a few times until I was just barely confident enough to start reading out loud. I read slowly, and by the time I was done, I must have done it all correctly. Lavender didn’t make mention of anything sounding off, at least.

“Alright, now we just wait for it to finish baking! That’s all I needed, Ditzy, thank you.”

I let out a sigh of relief, wiping my forehead quickly. “I’m glad I could help.”

The short silence that preceded her next words was a little awkward, but things returned to normal again once she decided to talk. “So, how did you meet Torque? You were the subject of at least two thirds of his letter.”

I felt my cheeks heat up just a little. “Nothing special. He just came over to fix my oven. Apparently Dinky already met him when he shared his lunch with her, or at least that’s what she told me. You know, I think you raised a wonderful son, if you don’t mind me saying.”

She laughed as she turned back to the food. “Why’s that?”

“Well, he’s been so sweet and generous to me. Not to mention the fact that he’s made it quite clear that he loves Dinky and I to death.”

I heard another giggle as she started sprinkling salt on the potatoes. “That does sound like him. Has he given you any obedience problems? Torque can be a bit of a hardhead sometimes.”

Now I was the one chuckling. “Well… to be honest, he has. See, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but my eyes are a bit… crooked. They’ve been like this ever since an accident when I was young, but Torque has apparently sworn on his life that he’s going to find a way to realign them. No matter how much I tell him it’s alright, he keeps telling me that he’s going to. It’s not that bad, but yes, he is being hardheaded in that regard.”

“Well, have some faith in him. He’s done some crazy stuff here at home as well.”

My ears twitched as she said that. “Like what? If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”

The mare tapped her chin as she messed around with the pots. “Well, there’s that electronic lock he helped his father build. He made that remote controlled vacuum cleaner. He also built this pair of binoculars with a dial that could zoom in and out, but I think those have already been invented. He just built his own pair. You know, Ditzy, he’s done a lot in the few years he’s lived. Just like his father, he’s got many a chip in his hooves from all his hard work.”

I blinked a few times, scratching my head. “Really? I never noticed. Though, I guess it’s to be expected given his line of work.”

“He’s a lot like his dad, though. They’re both proud of—”

We both jumped after we heard something almost like a balloon popping in the oven. Lavender turned it off immediately, opening it to reveal an absolute mess. The part of the cake that was still in the tray looked more like a pancake, and chunks of batter were splattered all over the oven inside.

My ears fell flat as soon as I saw the mess. “Oh no….”

The unicorn stared at it for a moment before she turned to me. “Oh no?”

I started circling the flood with my hoof, doing everything I could to avoid looking into her eyes. “Um… can you check the recipe again?”

It was actually rather surprising how calm she was as she approached the book. “Ditzy, what’s wrong? Oh, wait, here it is… why did you tell me two tablespoons of baking powder when it says a teaspoon here?”

All I could do was back away and mumble. Admitting my flaw certainly wasn’t easy, but after seeing her wait patiently for a response, I took a deep breath and prepared myself. “I can’t read that well. I’m sure you’ve noticed that my eyes aren’t aligned like they should be, and that makes reading really difficult. Lavender, I am so sorry! Please let me clean this up.”

“Oh, don’t worry, dear.” After a flash of light, sponges and dishrags were inside of the oven, scrubbing it down all on their own. “Why didn’t you just tell me? I could have managed all of this myself, I just wanted to let you help since you asked.”

I made a move to hide my face behind my wings. “I’m still so sorry. This mess is all my fault.”

“Now stop, Ditzy. Don’t worry, I’ve already taken care of this. Would you like to help me with something else instead?”

“Are you sure I can? I don’t want to make an even bigger mess.”

She rolled her eyes, though the smile on her face told me she wasn’t all that bothered. “You won’t unless you’re terrible at chopping veggies.”

My ears finally perked up again as I lowered my wings. “Okay! That I can do quite skillfully!”

Lavender clapped her hooves together and motioned to a bag next to her. “I have some collard greens in there. It sounds odd, but I like to chop them up and put them in salads. So, do you think you could chop them up while I work on these things here?”

I gave an excited nod, making my way to the bag as the unicorn brought out a knife and cutting board for me. “Not a problem!”

The mare gave me many other tasks, and thankfully none of them included reading. She did check to make sure I got measurements right when they were needed, but other than that, the preparation went well. By the time we were done, we had a delicious carrot soup, a full salad with fruits and veggies, and the main course that consisted of mashed potatoes, green beans, and some of that tofu stuff Dinky and I really liked.

Once everything was ready, Lavender rang a bell that echoed throughout the whole house. “Dinner’s ready, everypony!”

Within moments Ratchet, Dinky, and even Tucker found their ways into the kitchen. However, as Lavender set out all the food, I saw no sign of Torque or his sister. I turned to her to say something about it too, but I guess Ratchet noticed this as well.

“Honey, have you seen the kids?”

She looked around for a moment before shrugging. “I didn’t even see them come in.”

I tapped her shoulder and waited until she actually turned to me. “Well, they went off by themselves, but I’m not exactly sure what—”

“Sorry we’re late!” It was actually a little creepy hearing them talk at the same time. Violet was carrying a small bag with her magic, but she set it on the counter once they came in. “We just went out to pick up a few things. Again, sorry we’re late.”

The unicorn pointed a wooden spoon at her son, shaking it up and down. “You’re lucky we haven’t started yet. I’m sure you were doing something important, but whenever you’re under this roof, my rules are law. Am I clear?”

They both nodded and looked away as they spoke. “Yes ma’am.”

Now that that was settled, we all sat down together. Torque sat on my right and Dinky on my left, with the rest of his family on the other side. We started with the soup, but it didn’t take long before the conversation started.

Ratchet, thankfully without a mouth full of food, turned to his son with a grin. “So Torque, how’d you meet this young filly? I can’t picture you being the kind to visit the post office every day.”

He scratched the back of his neck and mumbled to himself. “Well, I actually met Dinky first, but Ditzy and I met when I went to her place for a job. She was having problems with her oven, but I fixed it up pretty quickly.”

I gave a quick nod to confirm his story. “He’s been fixing things left and right ever since he came to Ponyville. Not only that, but he’s a veteran friend maker as well. Not many ponies really have a problem with him.”

Again, he started rubbing the back of his neck. “Oh, stop. I’m sure there’s someone out there who really dislikes my constantly happy attitude.”

Lavender giggled as she set her empty bowl aside. “I call those folks grumps.”

Ratchet also set his now empty soup bowl aside. “Boy, that attitude of yours is going to get you ahead in life. An enthusiastic worker is much more likely to get promotions, and a happy stallion is half of a happy relationship.”

I couldn’t help but blush at that comment. There was no arguing that Torque and I were a couple now, but it was still a little strange to think of him as my lover, even though I did love him with all my heart. Ratchet began munching on his salad, and thankfully changed the topic.

“Hm, this is good. Did you do something different with this salad, honey?”

The mare furrowed her brows. “No, not really. I mean, I added a few more foods, like those collards, but nothing that should have changed the taste too much.”

“Maybe because I helped.” It was silly, but neither of them laughed. Instead, Ratchet let out a hardy laugh and winked at me.

“That very well may be why, Ditzy.” He took a few more bites, but as he did so we started to hear an odd growling from his direction. The stallion leaped out of his chair, and within moments he was gone. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone run so fast before in my life.

We all just kind of waited for him to return, but when he didn’t come back after at least ten minutes, Lavender got up to check on him.

“Pee-yew! Honey are you alright in there?”

I turned to Torque and nudge him. “Um… any idea what’s wrong?”

Violet turned around in her chair, listening in on her parents. “Oh boy. Dad’s got the runs. I wonder what he had this time that he wasn’t supposed to.”

A chill ran up my spine when I heard that. “What do you mean ‘not supposed to’?”

“Well… he’s lactose intolerant. So if he eats or drinks anything with milk in it, we end up with some… messy results.”

My daughter started giggling like mad. “He goes doodie!”

I grabbed the sides of my head and shut my eyes tight. “Oh no, it’s my fault again!”

Torque tilted his head at my proclamation. “Wait, what? How is this your fault?”

“I probably put milk or something in the food by accident. Lavender did mention using milk to give the soup a little flavor.”

Violet clapped her hooves together. “I thought mine tasted different. Don’t worry about it, Ditzy, you probably just mixed up mine and his bowls by accident. Besides, it’s not a big deal. Dad’s allergy isn’t that severe, so it’s not like he’ll be running to the bathroom every minute.”

Dinky started patting my foreleg. The good part about all this was that she was at least being a good girl and eating. Her salad was already gone and half of her mashed potatoes were too. “Don’t worry Momma, I do silly stuff all the time too!”

“But it’s not just that! My impaired reading ended up making a mess of your mother’s kitchen. Oh… I’m so, so, so sorry.”

Both siblings patted my back gently, and I was pulled into a hug by my coltfriend as Violet turned back around. “That’s not your fault, Ditzy. Heck, the soup situation probably wasn’t even caused by your eyes. Whenever Mom makes stuff using milk, she normally marks the parts without it so we know which one to give Dad, but I don’t see any markings on this bowl. It was an honest mistake, no need to feel bad.”

Torque nodded as he released me. “Let’s just finish dinner. Our parents don’t think it’s rude when we do that. At least not when they’re gone for a long while.”

Well, Dinky didn’t seem to have a problem with it, as she was already done. “What about their food?”

“If it gets cold, Mom just reheats it. She is a unicorn chef after all, so cooking magic is her specialty.”

I nodded and went back to my food. We finished our meals in silence, and Ratchet and Lavender came back not too long after. A part of me really wanted to tell him about the soup, but instead I opted for a much better choice of words.

“Hey Lavender, may I was the dishes? It’s the least I can do after the oven accident, and I know I can’t mess this up!”

She flashed a bright smile at me. “If you’d really like to, then I guess it’s not fair to stop you. However, we’d like you to come to the living room when you’re done. It’s not a good idea for Ratchet to eat more right now, but we’d really like you to stay for a little while.”

“Are you sure? I mean, there’s no guarantee I’m going to even be able to do this right.”

The mare rolled her eyes again. “Oh stop, it’s just washing dishes. A few honest mistakes are nothing to get upset over we’ve both learned something, and besides, you are dating our son. We’d at least like to get to know you a little better. So please stay for a little bit if you can.”

It was really, really hard to say no. I mean, harder than telling Dinky she couldn’t have something when she did her puppy dog eyes. “I guess I do have time.”

She clapped her front hooves together. “Great!”

Washing the dishes didn’t take long at all, and when I came into their living room, Dinky and Lavender were in the middle of what looked like a very fun session of patty cake. Ratchet was lying in a recliner on his back, and again I started to feel horrible. I mean, dealing with… number two issues like that was just awful.

However, my mind wandered off track one I started looking around. “Hey, where are Torque and Violet?”

Lavender looked up at me, sadly having to end her game with my daughter. “Oh, they said they had to work on something, and they really didn’t want to be interrupted. They also said that you’ll love what they have.”

My ears twitched a little. I really wish I knew what caused that. “Really? Okay then… so, what would you two like to talk to me about?”

“I’m curious about the father.” Even though he was probably very uncomfortable, Ratchet still managed to sit up and look at us. “Guy’s gotta be crazy to leave such a sweet mare, especially when she has a daughter this cute.”

I let out a sigh, leaning back to the point of almost falling over before I realized it and pushed myself back up. “He just took what he wanted and left. To be quite honest, I don’t care if I ever see him again. Besides, your son has done a tremendous job at taking his place. I really feel like Dinky knows what it feels like to have a father around.”

Lavender interrupted her game again to try and stop him, but Ratchet stood up and made his way over to me anyway. “Ditzy, let me tell you something.” He set his hoof on my shoulder with a smile. “Ain’t nobody gonna take her father’s place, because a father is just the stallion you come from. However, I’m very confident when I say that Torque has more than what it takes to be a great dad.”

I nodded and returned the smile. “I think so, too.”

All three of us talked for a while longer, and Dinky had to jump at some points as well. After a while, Torque and Violet came in from the door behind us, and the colt held up a wide, rectangular box.

“We have done it!”

All of us jumped back when he shouted, and Tucker let out a loud bark. “Yay! Yay! Papa Torque did it! Papa Torque did it! Um… what did Papa Torque do?”

Violet smiled and brought the box over to me. “This.” She opened it to reveal what looked like a pair of glasses, though there were four lenses. Oddly, though, it didn’t look like the second set was attached to anything. However, when Violet lifted them up, both sets of lenses rose.

“I helped just a tiny bit, Torque really wanted to be the one to do all of this. Gotta love that little stubborn mule.”

Torque smiled and took the glasses, holding them in front of me. “Ditzy, would you mind closing one eye and centering the other?”

“Sure… I guess.” I did as asked, and as Torque slipped the glasses on, I soon realized what those other lenses were. They were contacts, and comfortable ones at that. I didn’t really feel them much after a few moments.

“Okay, now close that eye and try to center the other.”

As I did, I didn’t feel my other eye moving at all. A chill ran up my spine as he set the other side on, and I nearly screamed when I had both eyes open. However, he put a hoof to my mouth and started again.

“Alright, look around. Let’s see if these actually work.”

Everyone gathered around in front of me to watch. I have to be honest, it was actually really nerve racking having all of them staring at me, but my nerves were soon forgotten as I moved my eyes. My left eye was the “dominant” one, and the accident left me with very numb control over my right. However, as I moved my left eye, the right moved perfectly with it. I rolled my eyes, looked from side to side and then up and down, and even did figured eights with my eyes, and they stayed aligned the entire time. I felt tears forming in them as I jumped up, wrapping the colt in the tightest hug I could. Had I not been choked up, I would have screamed, but all I could manage was a quiet hiccup of a “thank you”.

He gently patted my back. “Seeing you smile is all the thanks I need.”

Author's Note

For those of you wondering exactly what Torque made, he explains it in the next chapter. I felt this was a great place to end it and that going into the explanation would have kind of ruined the moment.

Chapter 18: The Third Gift

Repair and Deliver
Story 6
Chapter 18: The Third Gift
By: SleeplessScribe

Dinky grabbed a hold of her mother and started rubbing her face all over her chest. “Yay! Momma can see! Momma can see!”

Dad gave me a rather rough pat on the back as he let out his big, gruff trademark laugh. “So, boy, how’d you do it?”

“Well, looking through all of those plans gave me an idea. Most of the parts in the Model T that rely on alignment use each other to stay aligned. Kind of like attaching two pendulums to each other so one is forced to be in sync with the other. I wanted to try making something that would line up Ditzy’s eyes by forcing the bad one to move with the good. The hard part was making something that would allow her to close her eyes and would also be small enough to be practical… as well as being something she wouldn’t be embarrassed to go out in public in.”

My sister poked her head between us with the biggest smile I’d ever seen on her. “That’s where I came in. I used magic to tether the small levers inside the frame of the glasses to the contacts. Whenever Ditzy moves one eye, the levers respond and put out enough force to keep her other eye lined up. Not only that, but the magic tethers allow Ditzy to blink and close her eyes without breaking! There’s even better news, though: this is only temporary. I think that after wearing those for a little while, you’ll be able to take them off without any problems.”

Soon I felt a pair of forelegs around my neck and only seconds after, a pair of lips pressing against my own. “Oh Torque! You’re the best! Oh….” The excited mare rubbed her cheek against mine, and I can’t say I wasn’t happy. “I love you, Torque.”

That statement right there reminded me of something big, and while I hated to do it, I gently pushed her off of me and turned to my family. “Guys, I know we haven’t been here that long, but there’s something huge I need to take care of back in Ponyville. You all understand right?”

Mom leaned forward and whispered something in my ear. “Yes, Mom, it actually is what you think it is this time.”

She nodded and patted my back, then lifted little Dinky onto said back. “I understand, sweetheart. Make sure to write more often, and always feel free to visit. And hey, behave yourself.”

“I always behave myself.”

Mom giggled as she kissed my forehead. “Good.”

Dad gave me another pat on the back, sporting a big grin. “I’m proud of you, Torque. I’m very proud.”

All that was left was my sister, who wrapped me in a hug tighter than a snake. “I hope those glasses work out! Try taking them off after two weeks and see if they helped!”

Ditzy smiled and gave Violet a hug as well. “I can’t thank you enough for this. Really, Violet, I’m so grateful.”

She chuckled and returned the hug. “You don’t need to, I’m happy to help.”

After whistling, Tucker got up off the floor and I got his leash on. I found myself again waving at ponies as I left a building. “Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad! Bye, Sis!”

They all waved back at us, shouting their own goodbyes as we left. Not long after we left, I found myself with two sets of forelegs around me as both Ditzy and Dinky gave me big hugs.

“Papa Torque is so cool! You actually fixed Momma’s eyes!”

Before I knew it, I was caught in a snuggle sandwich, and even Tucker rubbed his head against me. “Torque, this is the greatest gift I’ve ever gotten. Thank you so much. I love you.”

“I love you too.” All I could do was smile and hold her. “I promised I would do it, and I don’t go back on promises. Though… I have a much better gift for you, but you’ll have to wait to see it.”

She let out a cute little whine as we started walking. “Aw, but I want it nooooooow.”

All three of us laughed as we made our way to the station, but the laughter turned to yawns as we boarded. Dinky took her usual spot against the big pooch, but the pegasus decided to stay awake and lean on me.

“I can barely even feel them. This is just… amazing.”

Trying to keep my secret just that was proving quite difficult. “Just wait, Ditzy. I’ve been preparing something for a while, and I finally feel certain about using it.”

Her ears perked up as she looked at me. “You’re not going to tell me, are you?”

I just shook my head. “Nope.”

“May I get a hint?”

“Nope.”

“Meanie.”

I flashed a proud smile. “Yep.”

She giggled and kissed me on the cheek. “You know, Torque, I think the thing that makes me even happier than having a stallion like you loving me is knowing Dinky doesn’t feel fatherless anymore. You should hear the way she talks about you; you’re like Supermane to her.”

“A sweet girl like her deserves good parents, and she already has half of what she deserves.”

We spent the rest of the train ride messing around and being silly, but when the ride was finally over, we were both ready to get some sleep. Ditzy’s home was our immediate goal, but I did tell her I had other things to do. Once we made sure Dinky was warm and cozy and Ditzy got herself situated, I wrote a few notes and left.

I posted the notes on all the buildings relevant to Ditzy and me that I could. The post office, the shop, a few houses, and I even decided to poke one on the town’s notice board. My last stop was Rarity’s, who answered the door almost immediately after I knocked.

“I’m going through with it.”

The unicorn smiled at me, setting a box about one and a half times as big as the box Ditzy’s glasses were in before me. I could help but smile as I opened it, knowing I’d be opening it again tomorrow. “Good luck, dear. I really hope things work out.”

I closed the box and returned it to her. “Me too. Say, would you mind coming to town square tomorrow? I want as many ponies as possible there, because I’ve finally done it.”

Her eyes widened, as did her grin. “Really? Oh, rest assured that I’ll be there.”

“Thanks, Rarity. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

That morning was just like any other, but unfortunately we still had to send Dinky to school. I really, really didn’t want to ask Cheerilee to take today off, which is odd considering the other important ponies I had asked to assemble in the town square. Heck, even Princess Twilight Sparkle came out. There wasn’t a very big crowd out, but I did see all of my coworkers, Air Mail, Rarity, Princess Twilight, Pinkie and the Cakes, Mayor Mare—of all ponies, and a few whose names I still had yet to learn.

Once we arrived at the town hall, Ditzy immediately spotted the crowd and nudged me. “Torque… why are all these ponies out here?”

I just grinned and kissed her cheek. “I want them all to watch you fly.”

She jumped up with a swishing tail. “Oh yeah! I never even thought about that, but… maybe I’ll actually be able to fly straight now!”

To be honest, I kind of regretted telling her that. I had wanted to announce my intentions to everyone, and point out her glasses, but that was nigh impossible with my marefriend up in the air. All heads turned up as they heard her squeal, watching her do near perfect loops around the roof of the town hall.

“I’m flying! I’m flying! I’m really flying!”

Her loops then turned into figure eights all the way from here to Sugar Cube Corner. Ditzy’s actions were met with loud cheers, clapping, and a whole bunch of questions. Amongst the sea of voices, I picked out my cousin’s and focused on it.

“Torque! How did you do it? Did you take her to a surgeon yesterday or something?”

“Nope! With some help from my sister, we made her a special pair of glasses that use the motion from one eye to keep the other aligned with it. There are a bunch of small levers in the frame of her glasses, and these levers are attached to conduits on the edges. These conduits, with the help of some magic from my sister, are tethered to contacts on her eyes that move with them, and then the contacts move, so do the conduits. Which means that whenever one eye moves, the other does immediately as well.”

“Are you serious?”

“That’s so cool!”

“I want to see!”

With everyone’s attention still on Ditzy, it was very easy for Rarity to make her way to me without being seen. “Do you have it?”

“I do.” I was going to call for her and ask her to come down, but I didn’t get the chance to because her lips met mine, and I was wrapped in a tight hug. This time her actions got a loud “Awww” from the crowd.

“Wait, there’s more!” Ditzy tilted her head as I pulled away from her. “Ditzy, our time together has been brief, but they’ve been the best weeks of my life. Our time together, under normal circumstances, would have been too brief for me to feel sure about this decision; but given what I’ve learned about you, your daughter, and myself in these past weeks, I know for a fact I’m ready to ask.”

All eyes aside from Rarity’s and my own widened as the unicorn passed me the box. Ditzy’s jaw dropped as I kneeled down and opened the box, revealing the golden pendant with the gleaming, diamond-shaped turquoise in the center. Tears started forming in her eyes as she looked at me, and she adorably hid her muzzle behind her wings.

“Ditzy Doo… will you marry me?”

The air was still and everything was silent. In fact, I was pretty sure everyone was actually holding their breath. Tears left streaks in her coat from her eyes down her cheeks as she stared at me, but after a moment she flung her wings and forelegs around me and really began to cry. It’s a really good thing Violet and I designed her glasses to be able to handle that kind of thing.

“Yes! Yes, Torque, I will! Oh, if only I could express what hearing those words means to me! Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!”

Immediately afterwards, everyone started clapping, stomping, and cheering again. Amongst the cheers, I heard quite a few “Congratulations” as well. Rarity waited until the mare had calmed down to get our attention, nodding to everyone else as a sign for them to go.

“If you would, please come with me, dear. I have something else I want you to see.”

She turned to the unicorn and stood up. I closed the box again and set it on my back, genuinely curious as to what the fashionista had in mind. However, as we neared her boutique an assumption grew in my mind, and my beliefs were soon validated.

Upon entering, we were greeted by a snowy dress that was just Ditzy’s size. There were many intricate designs woven into it all down the train, and they all formed one great picture. I couldn’t tell exactly what that picture was, but I’m no artist, so I probably just wasn’t seeing it. The holes Rarity had cut for her wings were even shaped like hearts, and she had put bows all around the area of the neck that would be right below her pendant. It was beautiful, and the pegasus fell to her knees and started crying again when she saw it.

“Oh Rarity… I love it! How long have you been planning this?”

“Quite a while, actually.” The unicorn brought a list to the both of us, tapping each line with a quill. “It wasn’t just me, either. All of my friends pitched in to help plan and work on each part of the wedding, and it was fairly easy considering we were the main planners for Princess Cadence’s wedding. Of course, there’s still quite a bit of planning to do, and obviously nothing has been finalized yet. We all made sure that nothing would be wasted should Torque decide to back out or if you were to say no; we haven’t bought anything or decided a location yet, and we’d like your input for all of that.”

Her gaze shifted from me to Rarity multiple times. Eventually she lunged at us both, hugging us with her wings and kissing me numerous times. “Torque! Rarity! You have no idea how happy I am right now! This… this really is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me!”

Rarity giggled and shook her head. “No, not yet. I’m sure the best thing that could ever happen to you will be the actual wedding.”

"Wedding! Torque, wedding! My wedding! I just... I can't—"

My lips met hers in a tender kiss as the unicorn politely escorted herself out of the room. "I love you too, Ditzy," I murmured before moving in for another kiss.

Her lips smiled into mine as the room faded around us.

Chapter 19: Appreciating Family

Repair and Deliver
Story 6
Chapter 19: Appreciating Family
By: SleeplessScribe

There were a lot of ponies in the town square today. Had I not been on my way to school, I might have stopped to see what was going on. However, I was already scared of running late, seeing as how Big Tucker did his best to keep me from leaving by rolling around in front of me all the way to the door. He’s such a silly puppy!

It turns out I made it in the nick of time, as all the other colts and fillies were already there, and Miss Cheerilee was just starting to call everyone to their seats. We didn’t stay in our seats long, though.

Our teacher greeted us all with a bright smile as she opened a nearby window. “Wonderful news, my little ponies. I’ve got a lovely field trip planned for us today!”

Everyone started chattering now and I felt a nudge on my shoulder. I turned to see Scootaloo grinning and pointing out the window. “Where do you think we’re going?”

I just shrugged. “No idea.”

We didn’t have to wonder for very long, though. Miss Cheerilee started passing out little notepads to all of us, then opened the door and let us out in a single file line. “We’re all going to Whitetail Woods, and I’d like you all to name and describe each of the animals you see!”

If my swishing tail wasn’t enough of an indicator, my wide, sparkling eyes certainly were. I was probably the most excited filly in class to be taking this trip. Sprint came up behind me and tapped my shoulder with the biggest grin on her face ever.

“So, you happy to hear that? I see someone got her cutie maaaark.”

I started nodding faster than I thought possible. “Yes! Yes! Yes! This is gonna be the best field trip ever! Say, now that I’m thinking about it, how did your chores at the farm go?”

Before Sprint could speak, Apple Bloom popped up in front of her with a smile to match her… what was Sprint exactly? Her brother hadn’t married Apple Bloom’s sister, so they weren’t related… would that make her a house guest? Anyway, I’m getting off topic, let me try again.

Before Sprint could speak, Apple Bloom popped up in front of her with a smile to match the one Sprint was wearing. “We got everything done! The barn’s all fixed up, our flooding problem’s been taken care of, and we even found Jet’s missing hat! Oh boy, he’s got a scruffy mane under that cap.”

Sweetie Belle came up behind us and poked my horn. “I call Dinky’s group! We’re sure to get lots of stuff written down with your help!”

I felt my cheeks heat up from the compliment. “No, you give me too much credit. I don’t know that much about animals. There’s actually a whole lot more I want to learn! Maybe one day I could be an animal doctor like Miss Fluttershy!”

“Okay, class! Find your buddy and follow me. We’ll be here until lunch time, and then we’re going back to class so I can see all of your work.”

Unfortunately, Miss Cheerilee’s buddy system only allowed for teams of two, and that left Scootaloo without a buddy in the Cutie Mark Crusaders. However, Sweetie and I giggled quietly when she seemed more than happy to team up with Featherweight. We said our temporary goodbyes to Sprint and Apple Bloom and found our places in the line our teacher had put together.

Whitetail Woods wasn’t too far away from Ponyville, but it was actually a very big forest that stretched all the way from here to the west coast of Equestria. Miss Cheerilee had us all split up, but of course, we weren’t allowed to stray very far. Whenever she couldn’t see someone, Miss Cheerilee would call out to them and they had to come right back to her; only after a stern lecture and a loving pat were they allowed to go out again. Sweetie and I found a lot of critters, but every time I turned to her, she had her head turned away from me or pretended to busy herself with writing.

It wasn’t really a big thing until I tried to say something, at which point she still pretended not to notice me. “Sweetie? Are you ignoring me?”

Her ears perked up as she was finally forced to acknowledge me. “Huh? Oh, no… I just….” My friend’s ears felt flat as she shut her eyes. “Oh, I can’t take it! Rarity told me not to tell you, so I’m trying not to talk at all, but I just can’t hold it in!”

“Hold what in?”

Sweetie grabbed a hold of me and started twirling around. “Torque! You won’t believe it, but he asked your mom to marry him today!”

I gasped so loudly that I think the whole class probably heard me. “Are you serious? Do you know what she said? Huh? Oh, I can’t believe it! Momma’s gonna be so happy! Oh yes, yes, yes, yes!”

I couldn’t help but start dancing around, which attracted the attention of not only some of our classmates, but some of the less timid animals as well. When I saw all the staring faces, I kind of sunk down low and waited for them all to go back to whatever they were doing. One I was in the clear, I grabbed Sweetie and pulled her into a big hug.

“Oh, this is the best day ever! I can’t wait to go home and see them!”

By lunch time, Sweetie and I had managed to find and document at least eight different mammals, five birds, and even two fish! All of us were back together at one lunch table while Miss Cheerilee was going through the papers. When lunch was over, we all got our papers back with stickers that varied depending on how well we did. Sweetie and I got gold, so we were both happy. With the school day almost over, I almost forgot about the switch we made. It took Snips’ dad, Shears, coming into the classroom to remind me that Miss Cheerilee had switched out Family Appreciation Day with Show and Tell to compensate for the Apple Family having to harvest Zap Apples when the former normally occurred. Wow, that was a mouthful.

I have to admit, listening to Mister Shears talk for ten minutes about his job as a barber was just a little less than exciting, so I resorted to scribbling on a piece of paper. Of course, I was still listening, but as he talked, I drew the best picture I could of Momma and Papa Torque holding hooves to take home to them.

When Mister Shears was done, everypony started clapping for him, but I was just a little late. He gave a bow and went on his way, leaving Miss Cheerilee to her list. “Thank you, Sharp Shears. Now then, let’s see who will be bringing in a family member tomorrow.” I watched her eyes slowly glide from side to side briefly before they rested on me. “Dinky Doo! I assume you’re going to be bringing your ‘papa’ like you said last week?”

With a huge smile on my face, I started nodding. “Yep! He’ll be here!”

“Okay then! I’m sure we’re all looking forward to meeting him.”

I bolted home the minute school let out. Granted, we didn’t have much time left, anyway, but it still felt like forever. I knew I wasn’t supposed to, but I couldn’t help making a detour to Papa Torque’s work place. The door was big, but I managed to get it open and squeeze in. Papa Torque was talking to Miss Sparkplug, but they both turned to me when I came in.

He smiled at me and lowered himself, reaching one hoof out as he did so. “Hey there, Dinky! You look very excited; did something happen?”

It might not have been a great idea, but I leaped into him and wrapped my forelegs around his neck. “Papa Torque! What did Momma say, huh? Did she say yes? She said yes, didn’t she?”

His eyes widened as he started patting my head. “Why, whatever are you talking about? Did who say yes to what?”

I rolled my eyes and hugged him tighter. “Momma! I know you asked her to marry you! What did she say?”

Papa Torque raised one hoof to his mouth and turned to Miss Sparkplug. “Uh oh, someone gave away the secret! Don’t worry, Dinky, she said yes.”

I nearly screamed right in his face when he said that, but instead I opted for jumping off of him and bouncing around like my legs were pogo sticks. “Woohoo! Yay! Momma’s getting married! Momma’s getting married! Momma’s getting married!”

“You know what else that means, don’t you Dinky?” Apparently Miss Sparkplug had just finished cleaning up her desk or something, because I saw her put a screwdriver in her drawer. I slowly shook my head and let her explain. “That also means you have a new daddy.”

It took a moment for her words to sink in, but once they did I actually screamed so loud that both grown-ups winced and covered their ears. I jumped at Papa Torque again and found myself in a big, warm hug as we both began to laugh. “Actually, now that you mention it, would you be able to come to school tomorrow for Family Appreciation Day, Papa?”

He turned to Miss Sparkplug, and her nod was soon followed by his own. “Yay! Yay! Yay!” I nuzzled myself against him and heard Papa Torque chuckle.

“You’re too cute for your own good, you know that? Say, Sparks, today’s been pretty slow. You mind if I walk home with her?”

Miss Sparkplug shook her head. “Go on ahead. You’ve got a wedding to help with, so I won’t be too upset if I don’t see you for the rest of the day.”

“Thanks, Sparks. You’re the best cousin ever.” He lowered himself and allowed me onto his back. I happily hopped on, and once I was situated we were off.

When we got home, the kitchen was full of ponies. I saw Miss Rarity, Miss Applejack, Miss Pinkie, Miss Fluttershy, and Momma all flipping through this big book. As soon as we came in, Big Tucker started barking and ran over to me for belly rubs. Of course, I couldn’t stay there very long, as I really wanted to see Momma. After just a few rubs, I hopped up and bounced into the kitchen.

“Momma! Momma! You said yes! You said yes!”

Pretty much everypony started to chuckle as I wrapped her in a hug just as I had Papa Torque. “That’s so great, Momma!”

She patted me on the head and gave me a kiss. “There’s more, too, sweetie. Thanks to these glasses, Air Mail decided to give me my old position back, so I’m doing deliveries again.”

Everyone threw at least one hoof into the air and shouted out together. “Yay!”

I looked back down at Momma and started snuggling into her. “So what are you doing now?”

Miss Rarity tapped my shoulder and pointed to her book. “Right now we’re looking at themes that your mother might like to have for the wedding.”

Trying to angle myself around to look at the book proved to be quite a task, but somehow I managed. Right now the book was open to a page showing off a whole lot of pretty flowers hanging from strings up in the air and hedges trimmed in all kinds of different shapes.

“Actually,” Momma set her hoof on the page, “I don’t think we’re looking anymore. I really like this garden theme. Is there anywhere nearby that matches that?”

Miss Fluttershy tapped my Momma’s wing a few times until she turned. “Um, maybe we could ask Roseluck if she’d be alright with us using the floating garden behind her house.”

Miss Pinkie jumped up and clapped her front hooves together. “Ooh! I could make a big cake with all kinds of flowers on it, too!”

Before Momma could speak, Miss Rarity clapped as well. “That would mean I’d need to redesign your dress a little to give it a more floral theme. Oh, I’ve not had a chance to play around with floral styles in ages! Oh, that reminds me, do you know who your bridesmaids are going to be? I’d like to get their measurements as soon as possible.”

Momma rubbed her chin a little. “I have some ideas, but I’d need to talk to Torque about it first.”

I think Papa Torque had taken Big Tucker for a walk, because I heard the door close behind me as he and the yellow lab came in. “Torque! We’ve got something to talk about later.”

His ears twitched at the sudden statement. “Oh, alrighty then. Oh!” Those very ears perked up as he spotted Miss Applejack, and he trotted over to her. “Ditzy, do you need me or Applejack for anything right now?”

She started rubbing her chin again. “I guess not. At least not right now.”

“Great! Applejack, do you have a moment to talk?”

Miss Applejack tilted her head. “Uh, I guess so. Whatcha need?”

He put his hooves on her back and gave her a gentle push. “In the other room, if you don’t mind.” Papa leaned forward and whispered into her ear, and she nodded after he drew back.

I stayed with everypony else and watched as they went through all the decision making. Now that the theme had been chosen, the focus was put on the dresses. Miss Rarity presented Momma with a bunch of sketches she had done for each of the themes in her book. It must have taken her all day to get them done!

After that, Miss Pinkie laid out all her plans for the reception. She really was a silly pony, but nopony seemed to have a problem with pin the tail on the pony or bobbing for apples as reception games. The next step was music. I heard Miss Rarity mention something about asking Mister Beat if he could help, but in case he couldn’t, Miss Fluttershy gave us a sample of her bird chorus. It was really beautiful, the way all the different birds could sing in perfect harmony like that. Everypony loved it, and so that was one aspect of the wedding that was made concrete.

Miss Applejack came back just in time to talk about her role in the wedding: the catering. She and Miss Pinkie were actually going to be working together on some things, but for the most part, Miss Applejack was handling the small snacks and refreshments. I have to admit, I was starting to get tired, and I didn’t even realize how late it was until Momma mentioned dinner and made yummy sandwiches for everyone there. To top everything off, a big list was made of all the things needed, including the materials for the dresses, the ingredients for the food, and things like that.

By the time all was said and done, I was super tired, and Momma helped me get ready for bed. I really could not wait until tomorrow; I was sure Papa Torque was gonna have something big ready for Family Appreciation Day.

* * *

The next afternoon, my anticipation was at its max. After such a long time of being almost too excited to sit still, class was finally drawing to a close and the time for Papa Torque to come and present was drawing near. Miss Cheerilee just finished cleaning up her desk, which meant class was officially over.

“Now then, everyone. For today’s Family Appreciation Day, Dinky Doo’s soon to be stepfather is going to be making a presentation. Everyone, please welcome Torque!”

My ears fell flat when Miss Cheerilee held her hoof out towards empty space. “Um, Torque?” She turned to me with a raised brow. “Dinky, you did ask if he could come, right?”

I started nodding quickly. “Yes! He said he’d be here, too! I… I don’t know where he—”

“Sorry I’m a little late!” Papa Torque hopped through the door sporting a rather wide grin. He turned to the class and waved, shaking the hoof that Miss Cheerilee was still holding out. “Hello everyone! My name is Torque, and as Cheerilee said, I’m going to be Dinky’s stepfather soon. I’m very sorry I’m late, but I had to make this presentation special. For those of you that don’t know, I work for Engage Repairs, but we do all kinds of work at the shop. I’ve got quite the story for you, but I thought I’d make this a day to remember by showing you just how big our work can get.”

He turned to the door and started waving his hoof. We all heard a loud rumbling, and he began to walk out the door. “Follow me, everyone!”

We did as he said, and the entire class, including myself, gasped when we saw the big machine Papa Torque had gotten into. It was on four wheels, and behind it there was a big trailer on four wheels as well filled with hay.

“At the shop, we get to work on things like this! Everypony hop in and I’ll tell you the story while we ride around Ponyville!”

Everyone started chattering as they trotted towards the big machine. Even Miss Cheerilee got in, but she got up beside Papa Torque. Once everyone was in, we started moving. “This here, little ones, is what’s called a car. A Model T, to be exact. If any of you have heard of Haynry Fjord, this is something that he started making over in Las Pegasus. We over at Engage were lucky enough to get a chance to participate in a contest Mr. Fjord was holding. He went around different repair shops all across Equestria to see who could fix his broken car the fastest, and we managed to shatter the record! Mr. Fjord took a real liking to us, and he played a part in me helping Dinky’s mother with her eyes, too!”

All of my classmates started clapping. I even spotted Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon tapping their hooves together a few times. Miss Cheerilee nudged him just as we passed Miss Fluttershy’s cottage.

“How exactly did you get this prepared?”

“Well, the idea popped into my head relatively soon after Dinky asked me to come present. I sent a letter to Mr. Fjord as soon as I could, asking him if he could let me use one of these cars for the presentation. He came to the shop this morning and told me that he started making the trip here as soon as he read the letter. I asked Applejack if she had a trailer and some hay I could use as well. Since these cars don’t have anything to pull trailers with, I had to do some clever welding, and with the help of everyone at the shop, we managed to get this ready just in time! We plan on using it to move heavy loads from the shop to houses and vice versa.”

I heard a few ponies talking about how cool that was, and I couldn’t help but feel a little proud at just being considered Papa Torque’s daughter now. “I’ve actually invented a few things myself, too. Do you all remember Mr. Wags, Dinky’s stuffed dog? I was the one that helped him talk! There’s also that pair of goggles I made for Ditzy, and I think I could turn those into hoof-free binoculars!”

Again, everyone started clapping, and by then we were back at the school. The car slowed to a stop, and everyone got out. On our way in, I got a lot of comments about how cool it was to be able to ride around in the car, and how fun it must be to get to hang out with Papa Torque all the time. Miss Cheerilee shook his hoof again before heading inside.

“Thank you very much for that lovely presentation, Torque.”

Before he could answer, I ran over to him and wrapped both my forelegs around one of his. “That was so cool, Papa! You’re the best!”

“No, Dinky, you’re the best, and you deserve nothing less than the best from me.” Since the day ended with Papa’s presentation, I was treated to another short ride in the car when he took it to the shop, and he let me hop on his back again all the way home.

Chapter 20: The Big Day

Repair and Deliver
Story 6
Chapter 20: The Big Day
By: SleeplessScribe

I was surprised at how quickly all the necessities were obtained. Rarity was already working on the dresses, though I did have to get verification from both my cousin and sister beforehand. Luckily they both said they’d love to be Ditzy’s bridesmaids, and Rarity, while surprised, also agreed when we asked her. Not only that, but she had already completed my tuxedo for the ceremony as well. Heck, only a week had passed since we got everything sorted out.

Roseluck was more than happy to let us use her floating garden for the ceremony, and Pinkie was already decorating the rather huge area. I have to admit, it was a lot bigger than I thought it would be considering it was just a back yard. I guess she owned more land than we thought.

Both Ditzy and I got a chance to sample all of the refreshments the Apples had in mind, and they were incredibly tasty. In fact, I think the only things we had to wait on now were my family arriving and Rarity finishing all of the outfits, as she more or less forced us to allow her to design clothes for everyone who would be participating.

Preparation began early on the morning after Rarity finished the last outfit. There was enough room in my old house for my parents and sister to stay while Rarity worked, and Violet even helped. Neither Ditzy nor I could wait as Rarity came to our door.

“Alright, you two, it’s almost time! Ditzy, your bridesmaids are at the boutique, so come along and we’ll get you ready. Torque, you get yourself to Roseluck’s, your mother and father are waiting for you.”

I nodded and kissed Ditzy’s cheek. “See you soon.”

Those very cheeks turned bright red as she returned the gesture. “I can’t wait.”

We spent a few moments locked in a warm embrace for Rarity gently nudged me towards Roseluck’s. “I love you.”

She waved at me with the most beautiful smile on her face. “I love you too.”

When I got to the garden, I was assaulted with hugs from my parents, Sprocket, and Pinkie. Even after everyone else let go, my mom stayed so she could help me with my suit. I kind of felt like she was implying that I actually needed the help, but I shrugged it off.

“Are you nervous, honey?”

It was almost as if my shaking knees weren’t a good enough answer. “Just a little… but I’m excited too. Really, I can’t wait for this to start.”

Mom smiled and hugged me again before heading back to the chairs that had been arranged outside. Princess Twilight herself was standing at an altar at the back of the garden, and even she waved at me when she saw me. I have to say, it felt really odd to be addressed so casually by royalty.

I spotted Beat sitting at a piano, and Vinyl was nestled up against him. I couldn’t help but smile when I saw them, but it was more so because Vinyl managed to come despite her… precious cargo.

“Hey guys! Glad you could make it!”

Both unicorns nodded, but Beat managed to get his words out first. “Are you kidding? Wouldn’t miss this for the world!”

Vinyl let out a light groan as she turned to me. “We knew it was gonna happen soon, and we really wanted to be here.”

Beat put one foreleg around her. “Besides, I was asked to do the music. Fluttershy and I agreed that we could both do the music for the ceremony, and I could take over the reception. Anyways, you should probably get up there, I’m sure it won’t take Rarity too much longer to get your lovely bride ready.”

His timing couldn’t have been better. A few moments after he was done talking, I got hugged from behind by both my sister and cousin sporting very flowery dresses. One had to admit that Rarity was nothing if not talented.

Violet let go of me as her tail started swishing. “This is so exciting, Torque! I can tell you’re about ready to burst.”

I scratched the back of my head and let out a nervous chuckle. It felt really weird to touch my head and not be met with a hat. “Is it that obvious?”

“Mm-hmm. You’re shaking like it’s winter out here. Don’t worry, though, everything will be—”

Sparks grabbed a hold of her and pulled her to their places. “Come on, Violet! Don’t want Rarity getting mad at us for not being in our spots.”

Speaking of Rarity, she decided to accompany me to the altar and talk a little. “Let me be honest, Torque. I simply cannot wait to see the look on your face when you see her. Trust me when I say she looks absolutely gorgeous. I—”

I made a mental note to check my calendar and see if it was National Get Interrupted Day. Everything went silent once we started hearing hoofsteps from the other side of the house, prompting everyone to find a seat. From where I was, I saw my parents, Applejack and her coltfriend, Pinkie and the Cakes, Stainless Steel, Drill Bit, Sprocket and Fuse Box actually sitting together, Cheerilee, Fluttershy, and in the back I even spotted Mr. Fjord. I guess I earned more respect than I thought if he took time out of his schedule not once, but twice just for me. I spotted all four of Dinky’s friends behind the chairs carrying little baskets, and I assumed they were the flower fillies. However, there was no sign of Dinky.

That didn’t really matter, though. As the door opened, all I could see was Ditzy in that beautiful dress Rarity had shown us. She had made a few changes, but she still looked positively stunning. Just looking at her nearly took my breath away, and trying to turn my attention to anything else proved to be impossible. My heart felt as if it was going to burst out of my chest just watching her. The fact that I had already seen the dress didn’t even matter; nothing my imagination could have created compared with the way the new designs came together to create a canvas so gorgeous, and that was just the dress. There weren’t enough words strong enough to describe just how Ditzy’s natural beauty was amplified by her ensemble. The sight left me paralyzed the minute I saw her step out.

I should have known Air Mail would be the one leading her, as he did say she was like a daughter to him. Of course, they had to wait for the fillies to go down the aisle and toss their flower petals everywhere. This may sound mean, but they were no match for Dinky’s cuteness. Once the fillies had completed their job, Ditzy and Air Mail began the trip down the aisle. It was by no means a long walk, but it felt like ages watching the two walk. Air Mail released her when they came to the end, and Ditzy joined me at the altar. She still had her glasses on beneath her veil, but they did nothing to change how she looked.

The princess cleared her throat as we gazed at one another, unable to even turn to her as she spoke. “Mares and gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Torque Gasket and Ditzy Doo. If there is anyone here who would object to this union, let them speak now or forever hold their peace.”

I cringed a little when she brought up the family name. It was one we were both proud of and not so proud of, just because of how it sounded. Princess Twilight waited for a moment before continuing, and that’s when I spotted little Dinky coming down the aisle. She caught everyone’s attention with her own little dress, as well. I’ve said she was cute many times, and seeing her in that pink, rosy dress with a hair bow to match only made my case stronger. Once she was there, the Princess resumed.

“Is there anything you two would like to say?”

I took a deep breath and looked her straight in the eyes. “Ditzy, we’ve only known each other for a few weeks, but I’ve never been more certain about anything else in my life than I am about this. I’ve made a lot of promises, but allow me to make a few more.”

All she did was nod, and I noticed her lip quivering. “I swear to stay by your side no matter what comes our way. My love will keep you warm in the coldest of winds, and it will light your way in the darkest of tunnels. Any time you ever need me, just call out and I’ll be there. I promise to do my best to keep both you and Dinky lifted high, and to keep smiles on your faces. No matter what it takes, I swear that I will do everything in my power to love you, care for you, and make you happy.”

As I spoke, I heard a sniffle from my bride, and the tears falling from her eyes were hard to miss. While I waited for her to calm down, I caught a glimpse of quite a few crying audience members as well, including my whole family, Rarity, and Fluttershy. It was kind of amusing to watch my dad pretend he wasn’t crying, but my attention immediately snapped back to Ditzy when she started speaking.

“I remember telling you not to make a girl a promise if you knew you couldn’t keep it. So far… you’ve never made me wonder if you’d do that to me. I swear to stay by your side through the best of times and the worst of times. I promise to do everything I can to love you, care for you, and make you happy. I’m going to do all I can to fill our home and family with all the love it can hold, and I shall enjoy being by your side for the rest of our days."

After a few minutes of silence, the princess nodded to both of us and waited for us to do the same. Once we had, she took over again. “Torque Gasket, do you take Ditzy Doo to be your loving wife?”

The words came out a whole lot smoother than I expected them too, but then again, it was only two syllables. “I do.”

“And do you, Ditzy Doo, take Torque Gasket to be your loving husband?”

I could see the mist forming in her eyes again she repeated me. “I do.”

Princess Twilight smiled as Dinky came over with the pendants. “Then I now pronounce you,” she took both in her magical grasp, setting the turquoise one on Ditzy and the topaz one on me “husband and wife! You may now kiss the bride.”

Ditzy moved just a little closer as I lifted her veil. She was trying so hard to keep from crying again that my next action almost made me feel bad. Before everyone’s eyes I gently took off those glasses I had made, and my lips met with hers in a long, drawn out kiss when we saw that her eyes stayed aligned without their aid. Everyone there began to stomp and clap, and they were torn evenly between the ones going “Aww” and the ones cheering.

Once we broke our kiss, Ditzy and I turned towards the door and made our way to it. Before long, Dinky hopped up on my back and turned around to wave at everyone as well. Once all was said and done, everyone started preparing for the reception. Throughout the day we were getting congratulated, hugged, and gifted, and not once did Ditzy’s eyes ever mess up. Even Tucker came out to celebrate with us, and Dinky danced with him. She was really the life of the party, but I didn’t mind. I had all I wanted in the pegasus I was dancing with. Even as sunlight faded into night and everyone went home, Ditzy and I danced again in her living room.

“Torque, I wish there were words to express how happy I am right now.”

I soon began wishing I had brought butter when I realized how corny my next words were. “I can think of some.”

She smiled at me as we finished the dance. “Oh? What are they?”

Leaning forward, I kissed the tip of her muzzle. “I love you.”

Ditzy returned the gesture and nuzzled herself against me. “I love you, too.”

There was no doubt in my mind that we both wanted to say more, but neither of us could speak through the loud yawns we let out. We went to our bedroom, made sure to set our pendants in the special cases we were provided with, and climbed into bed. I held her close to me, but we soon found ourselves with Tucker at the foot of our bed and Dinky trying to climb up as well.

Ditzy pushed her daughter up with her wing, and she crawled in between us. “Papa, Momma, can I sleep here? I had a scary dream….”

We both looked at each other with bright smiles, and I pulled the blanket over Dinky as well. “Of course you can, sweetie.” Ditzy and I both kissed her forehead, and we all said “Goodnight” at the same time.

It was very easy to get to sleep with all of us together like this. This was the perfect way to end an amazing day, but I couldn’t help but feel like we weren’t alone. I soon found out why I felt the way when I looked up out the window. The equine silhouette on the moon was smiling, and one of its glowing white eyes closed quickly in a wink. Out of all the ponies I thanked that day, I was reminded to thank Princess Luna as well. With that, I turned my attention back towards my new family and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Author's Note

There we go! The curtains draw on Repair and Deliver! Thank you all for making this my most popular story with your comments, likes, and favorites. This is one of my favorite productions as well, and I'd like to thank NightWolf289 and Unimpressive Vagaries for proofreading the last few chapters because I was too stubborn to ask for a proofreader until now!

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for the finale!