Them

Glowing Night Hotel. 1st floor. Room 11. Time Turner woke up a few minutes before dawn as always. He liked watching Princess Celestia (or, from now on, Princess Luna) raise the sun, specially with his wife Derpy Hooves. She was no longer there, but he still couldn't feel complete without doing it every day.

The breakfast was a batch of blueberry muffins. He didn't liked them, but Derpy did. She always forced two or three down his throat every morning. She was no longer there, but he still couldn't feel complete without doing it every day.

Time Turner had a daughter, Dinky Hooves, and two roomates, Carroot Top, Derpy's foalhood friend, and Cheerilee, Dinky's teacher. Derpy always forced Dinky to eat Carrot Top's vegetables and attend to Cheerilee's homeclasses. Turner didn't really cared about that since the day Equestria's doom started, but Derpy wanted Dinky to be healthy and smart. She was no longer there, but he still couldn't feel complete without doing it every day.

During the first days after her death, Turner had to cry himself to sleep every hight. He finally accepted the fact that she was gone, but he still couldn't feel comfortable without her goodnight kisses and hugs and waking up the next morning looking at those golden crossed eyes.

"Those beautiful golden crossed eyes..."

* * *

Cheerilee woke up with a big yawn. Dinky was hugging Carrot Top, both still asleep. They all shared the same bed. Time Turner had his own bed, but she couldn't understand. When he was on their bed he could still feel, smell, touch, hear, even see Derpy. She knew because this happened to her once. A long time ago, when she lost her husband, Crayon Crane.

She is a teacher today because of him.

He was a nice teacher. Funny, smart, patient and caring. One day he got sick. He was Berry Punch's (her little sister) teacher. She told that she had no teacher, so she offered herself as a temporary teacher. Other ponies used to make fun of her, because she was already a teenager and still a blank flank. But not anymore! That week replacing Crayon Crane was also the week she got her Cutie Mark.

After that, she and Crane became good friends. After her graduation she accepted a job as his assistant and they eventually started going out on dates.

During one of those dates she asked her hoof in marriage.

And then they got married. She was happy. She felt complete. But not for long. They were married from three years when it happened. The couple had dinner in a great restaurant. On that same night, a drunk stallion decided to conduct a carriage. He tried to stop when he saw the couple crossing the street, but he was too fast. Crane pushed Cheerilee out of the way, taking all the damage. The stallion was sent to jail, Crayon Crane was buried and Cheerilee took her husband's job as a teacher.

Cheerilee wiped a tear. Those memories were old, but still painful. Carrot Top's moan snapped Cheerilee out of her trail of thought. The former farm mare woke up as usual: with a terrible pain on her neck (Dinky's hug was really tight). It was no problem, since the pain usually disappeared after a good bath. "You smell like mommy", that was always Dinky's excuse for why she always hugged her while sleeping. Not that Carrot Top was bothered by that, she actually loved that filly and liked to wake up to find herself being hugged by Dinky. She actually felt honored when she said she smelled like her mother.

"Good morning, Top!" said Cheerilee.

"Mornin', Cheers." she yawned, then looked at the empty bed on the otherr side of the room. "Where's Turner?"

"I don't know, I just woke up and he was already gone."

"I don't blame him. He and Derpy were really close. The closest couple I've ever seen, actually."

"Well, at least he still have Dinky!"

"Dinky... She strangely manages to make Turner happier and sadder at the same time."

"How is that possible?"

"She looks a lot like her mother." said a third voice. The mares looked at the door, where a stallion with a brown mane and a chestnut colored coat, wearing a green tie and with an hourglass as a Cutie Mark stood.

"There you were!" Carrot Top said. "Where did you went?"

"Rooftop! I wanted to see the sunrise." he started petting his little filly. "She looks so much like her mother. This is good, because it's like she is still with us. Dinky is Derpy's legacy and I will protect and love her no matter what. But it's also bad, because always reminds me that she is no longer with us." he sighed. "Well, I'm off to my morning walk." he then left the room.

"His heart is broken." Cheerilee said.

"I know."

"And he needs somepony to fix it."

"Probably."

"Somepony caring who likes foals. And foals like her back. A motherly figure!"

"You mean, like a teacher?"

"No. Like you!"

"Wh-What?!"

"You and Dinky get along very well, you know Turner for quite some time now and Derpy trusted you. You're the perfect mare for that lonely stallion. And you like him after all, don't you?"

Carrot Top sighed. "Is it that clear, Cheers?" She nodded. "You're right, I would love to fix his broken heart, warm his soul, fill the empty space Derpy left. I don't want to replace her, just bring the good old Time Turner back. But the question is, does he want me to?"

Cheerilee hugged her. "You can't know without trying, can you?"

Carrot Top smiled and Cheerilee let go of her. She looked at the asleep Dinky, kissed her forehead and got up from the bed.

* * *

Carrot Top entered the orphanage with her saddlebags filled with vegetables. "Young ones need to be healthy and eat properly." she thought happily. "Princess Luna doesn't send vegetables in those crates, so somepony have to!"

"Carrot Top, darling!" called an approaching white unicorn mare. "Why do you visit us today?"

"I brought vegetables to the little foals!"

"Oh, that's wonderful! And now that we have a real cooker, we can make proper meals with them!"

"New cooker?"

"Oh, I haven't introduced you two yet. How rude of me! Please, follow me!"

Rarity led Carrot Top to the kitchen, where an orange earth pony with blond mane and three apples for a Cutie Mark.

"Applejack, darling." Rarity called. "We have a visitor. And she brought us a gift!"

"Well, howdy, miss!" Applejack greeted, lifting her head, then putting it back. "Every visit is appreciated!"

"Hi, Applejack. My name is Carrot Top!" she emptied the content of her saddlebags on the recently cleaned table. "And I brought healthy food for healthy ponies!"

"Aw, shucks! Thank ya, miss Top. Yer really generous! Wanna join us for lunch?"

"Sorry, but I can't stay for too long! I have a few things that need to be done!"

"Oh, that's alright, darling. We all have responsabilities!"

"T'was a pleasure to meet ya, miss Top!"

"Same the other way around, miss Applejack!" she walked toward the main door.

"Oh! Carrot Top, darling. I almost forgot. When is Dinky coming to play again? Her friends miss her."

"I'll bring her today after Cheerilee's classes!"

"Alright. Thank you, darling!"

"Not a problem!"

* * *

Cheerilee was correcting the math test Dinky just finished. Dinky was staring at her, waiting for the reasult. Cheerilee put the test down, her face still without expression.

"Dinky Hooves, I'm impressed."

"What? Why? Was it that bad?"

"Last test you got a C-, correct?"

"I'm sorry, I'll study more for the next test!"

Cheerilee smiled. "No need for that. You already got a perfect score!" she gave the test sheet back to Dinky, with a big A+ drew and circled with red marker. "You improved a lot in the past two months, congratulations!"

"Thanks, miss Cheerilee!"

"You're really doing your best. I'm proud of you!"

The door swung open and there was standing Carrrot Top.

"Hi, Cheers. When will your classes be over?"

"In fact, we just finished. Why do you ask?"

"The Cutie Mark Crusaders! They miss Dinky!"

"Oh, right! But do you mind if I take her? I miss them too. And it's your chance to talk to Turner without anypony else around to interrupt!"

Carrot Top blushed. "I-I-If that's what you want..."

Cheerilee giggled. "Thank you! Let's go, Dinky. I'm sure you miss your friends as much as they miss you!"

"You bet I do!"

The mare and the filly left, leaving Carrot Top alone in the living room. She took a deep breath and dashed to the bathroom, where she started combing her mane.

* * *

Time Turner was sweeeping the bedroom while humming a song. Carrot Top entered the bedroom with a duster in her mouth and, upon hearing Turner humming that song, started humming that same song. Soon they were singing that song together while cleaning the bedroom:

"Mild-taste vegetable juice~

Creamy, creamy vegetable juice~

The one that's the best for you is the green vegetable juice~

Vegetable~

Overflowing with nutrients~

You too, now, will come to love vegetable juuuuuuice~!"

Once the song was over, they started laughing.

"Sapphire Shores surely knows how to write a song!" Time Turner said.

"I'll vouch for that!" Carrot Top said, then giggled.

"What's so funny?"

"You!"

"Me?"

"Yes. You hardly ever eat my vegetables, but then I find you here, humming and then singing a song about them!"

"We-Well, it's a catchy song!" he said, looking down and blushing while rubbing the back of his neck.

Carrot Top pat his head. "Sure is!"

They then returned to their jobs in complete silence, until...

"Sooooo... Turner?"

"Yes?"

"Are you free tomorrow night?"

"I guess so Why?"

She blushed. "I, well... Um... I want to... You know... Go out... Go somewhere... On a... Date?"

Time Turner sighed. He placed the broom near the door, sat on the bat and patted it, inviting Carrot Top to sit beside him; what she did.

"I... I don't know, Top. It's not that simple!!"

"Then how it is? Tell me."

"I just lost my wife, I don't feel ready to move on."

"I know, Time, I know, but I'm not asking you to forget her and leave her. But just ask yourself: do you think she would like to see you like that? Derpy would hate to see you alone, avoiding everypony, crying in a corner, abandoned! Your heart is broken, Turner! And you need somepony to fix it!" She approached her face to his. Time Turner didn't tried to avoid or turn his face. "Derpy left a hole in it. And I just want to finish the job my best friend started." Their lips met.