To Befriend a Mailpony.
A story about the little mare in the background.
It's a warm fall day, an odd day that falls between the changing of the leaves and the end of summer. The Fall harvest is near and the farmers and food salesponies are pushing out the last of their summer crop to make room for the next rotation of crops. The Pegasi had set a soft blanket of clouds above the little town of Ponyville, and against that soft white background of the sky, a yellow streak looped and swooped around lazily, a yellow streak that when spotted by the residents of this usually quiet town made them both cringe and smile. For at the end of that yellow streak was the towns most famous, or infamous, mailpony, Ditzy Doo.
The gray coated pegasus giggled as she flew in a line that was never straight to anypony but her. Many a skilled flight teacher had tried to get the filly to fly straight, a skill that was expected every pegasi to master at an early age, yet they all failed. Most blamed her strange eyes or something in her head, a condition that for now was considered too unique by doctors to name, though some have muttered a name in private. 'Derpy's Eyes'.
Derpy was a nickname that some weren't afraid to say to her face. A name that meant 'mistake', 'accident', 'screw-up' depending on who said it. At first, it stung hard deep in the filly's heart but after a time, she grew to accept it as just another name, though not one undeserving. She stayed high above the buildings when moving from delivery to delivery, but it was her landings that warranted her nickname.
Pegasi who spent most their lives in Cloudsdale were already not used to using traditional doors, their home city built wide open so that it was easy to get in from any angle, that when approaching Unicorn and Earth Pony housing they sometimes can't help but ether crash though a window or the roof. But Ditzy had an almost unique way of landing. Rather than a straight crash and stop, she'd bounce and rebound around. Trying to fly even after landing causing more damage. But often, she'd find herself crashing though walls, holes harder to fix than the usual Pegasi entrances.
As Ditzy floated back and forth though the sky, she slowed down and half closed her eyes, letting her mind slip away into a daydream. She went back to what lead her to flying to the Library Tree where Twilight Sparkle lived, carrying a precious cargo. Somewhere in her mind, a voice said that she shouldn't, but today was one of those days and she went back to this morning. One of those crashy mornings.
It was especially bad this morning. She had skipped breakfast after waking up late and during a simple mail delivery, she got a big noseful of all the good food being set out in the market. Hot oatmeal ceral, fresh baked apple fritters, toast with lots of butter.. and MUFFINS! She had thought she was daydreaming as she slowly flew closer to a big stand of fresh muffins, but then saw how real it was when she crashed right into it and the sales pony behind it. There was a lot of angery looks and a bit of yelling after they untangled themselves.
It wasn't long after Ditzy had started getting a lecture from the muffin seller that a shadow appeared over them and before them landed a large brown coated pegasus. And Ditzy felt worse than ever. The mailpony boss Postal Mark would often have to come down and pay for the damages himself. When he did appear and set his deep brown eyes beneath a haircut straight from the Royal Guard on the ponies who's homes or businesses Ditzy damaged, they became eager to just forget the entire event, but he made sure to reimburse all damages that she caused. Then the both of them will fly back to the headquarters so he can see to it that her wounds are treated while leaving the rest of her deliveries to someone else like Post Haste.
Ditzy hated when it happened. He held her hoof like a filly so she would fly straight and the entire time, he didn't look at her or say anything. She often wished he would, like her boss from when she was part of a moving company. Anything was better than the silence she got. It was always the same. He fixed her up, then asked the usual questions:
'Have you been practicing your landings?' She'd nod yes. 'Did you remember to pay attention when flying?' She'd nod sometimes, but now she cringed. But it didn't change his questioning 'Did you try to aim away from anything that would cost lots to fix?' Again, nod. The entire time, she took her eyes off her hooves. The last question was always followed by a moment of quiet before he softly placed his hoof on her hair and held it for a moment before leaving.
He was so busy, she thought as she watched him leave and get swarmed by people needing things signed, approved or reviewed.. The same thought as she always had every time she watched him Yet, he took time to help a pegasus who can't fly in a straight path fix the problems she caused. The other pegasi didn't bother to try and cheer her up. Usually new arrivals would try and help, but it wasn't long before they too saw it was a lost cause and stopped trying. There was one exception though. The rainbow haired weather manager. No matter what she'd cause, what damage she'd do, Rainbow would not give up on her. She'd get mad at Ditzy, sometimes yell and tell her to go wait away from everyone for a little while. But then she'd always come back and try again. 'Don't give up.' She'd tell Ditzy while the blond haired pegasus looked up at her in awe. 'You will find your stride sooner or later.'
Remembering that, Ditzy walked right up to Postal and did something out of the norm for her. She got right in his path and demanded to be let out to fly again. Postal didn't even bother to answer, giving her a look that usually sent her home to try again tomorrow. But today, she didn't leave. “NO! I want.. I want to try again. I can get it right, I know I can!”
He spoke this time, his deep voice echoing across the wood walls and floors of the post office. “You did a lot of damage today. Did you forget it isn't the town or city who covers the damages? I'm the one who does. Why should I take the risk again today?”
“Because I won't crash again!” It was one of the rare moments Ditzy had. Where her mind wasn't floating around like the bubbles on her flank, but was focused on what she wanted and she wanted to go out again.
Postal Mark looked at the firmness in her eyes and listened to it in her voice before he nodded. “Alright. I have a very special route for you then.” He leads her to the mail room to the prepared saddlebags, brown and blue where the usual colors. Blue for flight routes and brown for land routes. But away from them all was a very different one. A white one. He lifts it up and puts it on Ditzy's back while giving her the delivery route. “You should know the six who this goes to. I doubt anyone doesn't at this point.” Ditzy nodded, six very famous ponies in this town indeed. “This is a very special bag. A magic bag, holds more than it looks. But as you get to your destination, you will be able to get out what you need to. However, you can't get it wet or it might stop working. Understand?”
Ditzy was starting to grow misty eyed. Even after what she did, he still trusted her this much. She nodded rapidly and saluted. Something that usually Postal would not like his employees doing because it reminded him of his Royal Guard days, but on Ditzy it was acceptable. When the bag was secure, she took off, giving the weather chart a quick look to make sure it's good flying weather before heading out into the town. Ditzy flew high up to the cloud, letting a hoof touch the layer of clouds as she felt even more weightless than usual.
As the bubbly pegasus neared the Library Tree, it looked like it was going to be one of her common entrances, a pony sized hole right into the library. Ditzy was so deep in a trance from the warm sun leaking though the clouds and cool wind that by the time she realized that she was already on a crash coarse, it was too late. She could already see herself knocking over a few book cases sending books flying everywhere, maybe even catch Twilight herself in the whole mess. She could see the famous unicorn and her boss giving her that look of disappointment. They won't yell at her like they would with anyone else, but that look that showed they wanted to and it was only because of her eyes that they didn't.
As she could start to make out the cracks in the trees, she could already feel the pain in her heart at messing up and disappointing them again, worse than any physical pain she should feel from the impact....
Her train of thought of interrupted the moment before she impacted as a purple flash engulfed her. She closed her eyes as the flash blinded her and braced for impact, the crashing the hurting the yelling the crying the looks the... silence? The not moving-ness? She opened one eye to find a familiar face, a purple fur coated face framed with black hair, a purple streak going though it and a warm smile. “Twilight!” Ditzy called out happily and giggled as she floated in a purple bubble, turning and spinning as it held her suspended above the ground..
Twilight smiled wider and returned the greeting. “Hello Ditzy. Enjoying yourself, I see?” She said amusingly as she watched the pegasus float around in the bubble, weightless, for a moment before her horn glowed as she eased the bubble down to the floor and evaporated it, much to the pegasus' disappointment. But it was short lived as she gasped and rushed over to grab Twilight's shoulders.
“Twilight! You won't believe what happened! I was flying over, to here and I was getting close and it feels so nice outside with the warm sun but cool wind feels so nice on my wings that I closed my eyes for a bit but my boss hates when I do that so I opened them and I was going so fast to the wall and I knew I was going to crash and break everything then you'd be mad and my boss will give me that look but he won't yell, he's nice to me like that but I can see how I disappoint him but then there was a purple flash and I couldn't see so it wasn't my fault then when I closed by eyes and I thought I was going to crash and you'd be mad and my boss will have that look, I hate that look, but then nothing happened so when I opened my eyes you were there and then.. and then.. Hi Twilight!”
The unicorn in question nodded and smiled as she listened to the rambling mailpony. Unlike her friend, Pinky Pie, Ditzy's ramblings only needed a moment to take out the times she repeats herself to understand. “So you liked my gift for you then?” Her question left the pegasus confused, tilting her head and making a confused sound that could only be described as cute. “The saddlebag you are wearing. I missed your birthday this year due to just learning about it not long ago. So I made it for you as soon as I could.”
Ditzy looked at the white saddlebag with gold trimming in question. “You did?” She looked at it for a moment longer before jumping up in the air in realization. “OH! I have a delivery~” She sung as she floated around the unicorn in a pattern far from a circle before returning to her spot to reach into the saddlebag and pulling out a book and clipboard with her mouth, muttering past them “Sign here please.”
Twilight lifted the items out of Ditzy's mouth with a little of her magic and , after a moment of shaking to get Ditzy to let go, she signed for the delivery with the smooth flow of a red quill. “Ditzy,” Twilight asked after returning the clipboard to the mailpony “do you have any other deliveries to complete today? If it's not too much trouble that you make a delivery for me.” Twilight lifted a collection of scrolls, six in total, all tightly wrapped in a red ribbon with a gold 'C' holding it tight.
“Um.. Yes!” The mailpony nodded rapidly. “I gotta go make more deliveries!” She looked to be about to take off before Twilight stopped her.
“Wait!” She pulled her back with a bit of magic and slipped the scrolls into her saddlebag. “I want you to remember this, ok? These scrolls have to go to Canterlot and straight to Princess Celestia. Spike is sick so he can't send it. So you have to take these scroll straight to Canterlot and Princess Celestia after you are done working.” Twilight made sure to keep the blond haired pegasus focused on her while she explained.
“Got it! But I have to finish my other deliveries first, ok?” She nodded and floated to a window. “I won't forget Twilight. I promise!”
“I know you won't, Ditzy. And remember this also. The spell that I put on your saddlebag will only work a few times. It's meant as a last resort, so don't stop trying to well... Stop yourself from crashing.”
Ditzy nodded eagerly. “I won't! I'm getting better, last week I only broke two walls, instead of three!” She giggled and bounced off her window exit before remembering to open it.
As Twilight watched her leave, she thought back on the contents of the letters:
Dear Princess Celestia,
You will, with any luck, be receiving these scrolls from a blond haired mailpony named Ditzy Doo. I sent them with her instead of having Spike send them because.. Her story is one meant to be seen to be believed. When you see her, you will understand better than anything I can write I hope.
I first meet her during the process of learning the lesson of choosing to believe in things that can not be explained. She had accidentally dropped a few items onto me during the process of moving. I had just arrived at the local clinic when she showed up with a bundle of flowers. After I took them, she spent the next hour crying and apologizing. I already knew it was a accident, but she takes everything to heart. It was then I learned about her disabilities. It reminded me of a few similar people who use them as an excuse when they make mistakes. But she never allowed them to hold her back.
She had to pay for all the damages, but still used part of what little money she had left to get me the apology gift. I try my best to return the favor, but nothing I will do will ever repay the feeling I got that day.
Each of my friends also had a personal experience with her, and they each wanted to tell them. I hope you have the time to read them all, it's quite the collection of adventures.
Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle..
Chapter 2: Rarity
Ditzy flew up from the library in a lazy spiral, getting above the rooftops so she can look around. As she hung in the air, she took in a deep breath of the crisp air. Her days where like this sometimes. A series of up swings and down. Bad things and good things. She sighs and rubbed her eyes against her hoof, wishing she could remember only the good.
She shakes her head rapidly to get the negative thoughts out of her mind, her blond mess of hair bluring around her in a yellow haze. “Focus Ditzy. If you want good memories, you gotta make them. Like good muffins they require hard work and focus. Especially blue berry muffins. And banana nut muffins. Chocolate chip muffins.” She licked her lips as her mind wondered to food, her wings heading home to see if she had any made before snapping out of her muffin daze with a hoof across the cheek. “Focus Ditzy! Mail first, muffins later.”
She looked around the town to see what was near. Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash lived on the outside of the main part of the town. Sugar Cube Corner was close enough that she could see people working from the windows, possibly Mr and Mrs Cake. Her training said to go there first but.. She put a hoof over her chest as it tightened up. It was too early, even now. A turn and she could see the purple roof of Carousel Boutique. Nodding in confirmation to her own idea, she floated off towards the dress shop.
Rarity was in the middle of entertaining guests while Ditzy was heading her way. Fancypants and Fleur de Lis had come to see some new designs by Rarity, both having become fans of her accidental rustic designs. Well, she was sure that Fancypants was a fan, the pink coated mare who hangs on him like the fancy suits he wears never seemed to speak, or hold still, or look at anything for more than a moment.
It was a pain to try and get her measurements, the two of them moving like a strange dance, but she finally got them so she could get started on the designs. Rarity magicked a Dress Template that she had made herself to account for the mare's long thin body, a rare type in this town, and several different colored Pastels to her design desk. “I want to thank you both again for taking time out to come visit. I know it was rude of me to ask for you to visit, however I assure you that this will be over quickly.”
“Miss Rarity, it is an honor to visit the place where such magnifisant dresses and outfits are designed. Anyone who doesn't visit the workplace of someone they work with is just rude.” Fancypants was one of the more unusual of the active members of the upper society culture. Most make an art form out of being snobs and rude to anyone who isn't like them, however he was more open minded than them.
'Sure,' Rarity thought, 'he only grew interested once he heard where I was staying. But at least he took the time to listen.' Rarity was in the process of trying to find a color to match the mare's light pink coat, having to find the new place she had wondered off to each time Rarity looked away. “Thank you. Still, it must have been so troublesome to ride the trade all the way here. I do hope the trip was... relaxing?”
She trailed off as, in the process to find where Fleur wondered off to, her eyes caught a gray and blond pegasus moving towards the Boutique in an erratic manner. She knew it was Ditzy, the mailpony , quickly and a quick glance to the trees that were visible from the window explained why she was. The weather ponies had started the light storm early, the wind was picking up and the mailpony looked like she was fighting against it with all her strength to keep in control. Rarity could already see what would happen should she lose against the wind and head crashing towards them. Most of the building was surrounded with tall windows and if she didn't crash though the wall but one of those, the damage to the items inside the building will be minor to what might happen to the pegasus when she meets the glass.
She snapped out of the daze her panic had sent her in as she realized that Fancypants was talking. “...rustic charm was refreshing after spending so long with Canterlot styles. Of course, the only nice thing he could say was how easy they must be to take off. Hah, and he wonders why I don't invite him to most of my affairs.” He was looking at Fleur while he was talking, but when he was looking for a reply, he turned to Rarity and asked. “Rather stiff of him, don't you think?”
“Wha- Oh! Yes, very much. Perhaps he just needs a chance to.. see it for himself?” Rarity quickly pulled herself out of her mind and focused on the situation at hand. “But lets worry about that for another time. I don't think ether of you want to stand around while I get the rough drafts up. I got some snacks from the local bakery called Sugar Cube Corner made by Pinkie Pie with ingredients from Sweet Apple Acres and Applejack. You remember the two of them, Pinkie Pie was the energetic one and Applejack was the one that was the most rustic of our group.” She spoke rapidly to keep control of the situation as she lead them back to a seating area where the snacks were. Once they were seated, she moved to prevent a disaster.
Rarity threw open the window closest to the struggling mailpony, getting a face full of the cold wet air as she did. “Ditzy!” She called out to get the pegasus' attention. “Ditzy! This way!” She waved both her forelegs to show where she wanted the pegasus to land. But she wouldn't have any of it.
“No! I can do it. I can land! I promised I wouldn't crash anymore. I can do it!” As much as she said it, the facts were against her. Already her strength was fading. She was being thrown further and in wider arcs with each gust. The weather not caring for the strength of the little pegasus' heart.
“Ditzy! It's fine, even Rainbow Dash would have given up trying for a normal landing by now.. Oh dear.” Her words making her see that if Ditzy did head towards the window, it would just lead to another crash. She looked around quickly before grabbing three sheets of cloth with her magic and hanging it in the air with the firmest first and the softest last, right in front of the window for Ditzy to aim for. She moved back to the window and called out again. “Ditzy! Please before you hurt yourself!”
Seeing the safety net that Rarity had set up, Ditzy gave up trying to fight against the wind and with the next gust, barreled towards the cloth head over hoof. She hit it hard and it wrapped around her like she was a Hearthwarming Eve present but it softened her landing so that she safely rolled to a stop in the middle of the shop, groaning in a daze as she tried to work her way out.
Rarity couldn't help but be reminded of the first time she meet Ditzy as the cloth wrapped around her. The images from that day flashing past her eyes as she moves to help the pegasus unwrap herself...
It had been another day that was set to storm, before Twilight had arrived and changed Rarity's world, and she was enjoying her days being a small time dress designer working her way up. The day had been rather cold both weather wise and personally. She was already short on bits, but no one would back down on their prices and sell her goods cheaply. She knew that everyone knew how she had staked out on her own and needed every bit, but they refused to try and help.
When she got home, she was still fuming. “Oh, those.. those.. Heartless, greedy hicks! I repair and mend their clothing for half the price anyone would do in Canterlot with the best of quality and they repay me by scraping me for every bit I had!” She stomped her hooves in frustration, gaining an upset mrawl from Opalescence, her white furred cat, as she looked down at Rarity from her design desk. Rarity turned on the cat now. “Oh, don't you stab me in the back as well. You know how nice I am to them with my prices and no matter how low I go, I give it my all. But they don't care in the slightest!”
Rarity stomped her hooves more and Opal had enough. She jumped down from the desk and ran out of the door that was left open. Rarity didn't bother giving chase, only calling out “Don't you track mud back in when you return!” before going about her work. But as time wore on and Opal didn't return, Rarity became more and more worried as the sky grew darker and darker with storm clouds until she couldn't take it anymore.
She had been working on a new outfit for winter, a cotton and wool based coat that would provide warmth and comfort and in her rush to find Opalescence forgot to remove it. She dashed out into the moist air and called out for her cat. “Opal! Opalescence! It's time to come home, darling. It's going to rain soon!” She called out for a while longer till she heard mewing from a nearby tree.
Opal had gotten herself up on a branch just out of reach of Rarity, giving her a mean look after it took so long for Rarity to try and find her. “Opal, you need to hurry and come down. It's going to rain soon and you don't want to be caught out now do you?” Rarity tried appealing to Opal's desire to not get wet to urge her down, but she wouldn't have any of it and she showed it with a firm shake of her head. “Ohhh... Fine. I'll go get.. something to make you come down. Just wait here-GAH!” Her statement was interrupted as when she turned to leave, she nearly ran into a pony.
“Hi! I heard you talking really loud so I came to see what you were talking really loud to!” The pony said as she lifted off the ground with her wings. “I thought at first that you gave the tree a name and was arguing with it and trying to get it to go inside, which is silly because trees don't talk or walk and I don't think they like being inside or else they would have built their own homes, right? Well, there was that tree during the school play but there was somepony in that!” She giggled as she floated around Rarity.
Rarity shocked by the sudden arrival of the blond haired pony with the grey coat at first, but then she was just driven confused by her sudden rambling about trees. She reminded Rarity of the pink earth pony she meet when she first arrived. With a short shake of her head, she focused back on what was going on and stopped the pegasus with her hoof. “Well, I assure you that I wasn't yelling at the tree, I was speaking to my cat. I need to get her inside before it rains so excuse me.”
She starts walking past the strange pony but stops before she got anywhere by her saying, “Well, I can get her down!” She giggled as she flew up into the tree calling out for Opal before Rarity could stop her and the Unicorn could only watch as the pegasus somehow got tangled in the limbs of the tree above where Opal was. “Opps.” Was her only response to the strange turn of events as she tried to untangle herself and get to Opal. “I-I can get her. Hang on..”
Rarity sighed and shook her head, thinking 'Whatever reward she is hoping to get isn't worth this.' Rarity watched as the pegasus finally untangled herself and got Opal to climb onto her before floating down. “Thank you. That was kind of you to get her. If you will excuse me.” Rarity starts to turn, but the Pegasus speaking up halts her.
“Oh! That's ok. I said I'd help people and that's what I do. It wasn't really my fault anyway, I can't even remember how it happened but I'm doing my best to make up for it. They said that it should be fixed tomorrow anyway so everypony should be a lot happier anyway and that makes me happy and-” She was cut off as a flash of lightning and crash of thunder makes her cry out and wrap her hooves around Rarity.
Rarity on the other hand was more worried about the rain that was rapidly starting to build up. Under the tree she was mostly safe, but she had to get inside before the moisture started to effect her outfit. “Oh no, the rain. Please, miss, I need to get inside before I get too badly wet.” She pleaded as she tried to get the strange pony off of her.
“You don't want to get wet?” the Pegasus asked, tilting her head in a questioning way before gasping and taking off into the air and nodding. “Wait here ok! I'll get you something to keep you dry, ok!” She doesn't wait to get a reply before speeding off into the distance, leaving Rarity rather speachless.
Rarity watched the pegasus fade into the distance before turning to Opalescence on her back. “Lets just go, the damage shouldn't be.. too bad.” She watched as the rain picked up more and more. “Besides, she's not coming back. She'll see how bad the rain is and just forget it.” She slowly creeped towards the edge of the tree cover until Opal jumpped off of her and walked back to the tree, sitting down and refusing to move.
Rarity walked back in a huff and tried to pick the feline up with her mouth, but was unable to catch her. “Opal.. You can't really expect her to come back, do you? You heard what happened to me, didn't you? She isn't going to come back. No one would. Why would she get herself wet for me? No one cares enough here!”
“I care.” Came the familiar voice of the pegasus. Rarity turned in shock, the mare was indeed back and in her hooves was a folded blanket with a bubble pattern pressed to her chest to keep it dry. “I want to be your friend.” She said with a smile like it was the answer that everyone knew. She pulled open the blanket, showing that two corners were tied to her back hooves and she held onto the front corners with her front hooves, making a mobile shelter from the rain. “Come on!”
Rarity was still in shock, she could only nod dumbly and walk under the blanket, directing the pegasus back to her shop. All the while, she could hear the blanket getting soaked with water, but the tight weaving kept it from dripping though. Rarity was still unable to process what had happened even as she walked into her shop and almost didn't catch when the wind suddenly picked up and blew the pegasus out of the air and sent her tumbling across the ground.
When it finally clicked what had happened, she nearly tore her outfit off of herself and ran outside, not caring how her hair was being ruined in the rain, looking for where the pegasus had landed, finding her finally wrapped up in her blanket. Covered in mud and with a large tear right in the middle of it. “Miss.. Miss are you ok?”
The mess giggled and groaned as her head poked out. “My name isn't 'Miss'. It's Ditzy! Ditzy Doo.” She pulled herself out of the mess and looked down sadly at the blanket as Rarity felt a pain in her heart. Here she was cursing the world and this entire town for not caring about her situation and when somepony comes along who does care, she didn't even bother to ask for her name. “Blankie got a hole in it...” Ditzy said softly.
Rarity perked up at the notion and tried together it up. “Darling, let me fix it up for you. I'll make it all better and clean it up too.” She sent her magic out to take up the fabric but Ditzy pulled it away, shaking her head as she lifted herself with her wings and dropped the ruined blanket in the trash.
Rarity followed her but didn't take it out. “Darling?”
Ditzy whipped her eyes and smiled widely, a grin that looked like it could bring out the sun past the clouds. “It's fine, it's fine! I need to get going though. It's going to get worse tonight. Bye!” She took off in a yellow and gray blur, leaving Rarity and the ruined blanket behind.
However, the unicorn wasn't one to leave things like that. She lifted up the blanket and hurried to take it inside. She already knew what she'd do. She'll clean it, sew it up and then make that Pegasus' day. Maybe even her week! The deed, however, would prove harder than she thought. The water, tearing and stretching the fabric went though during the events of the night ruined any chances of it being used as a proper blanket again. And the mud left a stain that none of her tricks could remove no matter how hard she tired.
It wasn't till tomorrow that Rarity learned just how important the blanket was. When Rarity was drying it out in the sun, she was approached by a orange haired pony. “Excuse me.” the pony asked, her voice unsure as she looked mostly at the blanket than Rarity.
“Yes? I'm sorry, but I have a personal order to fulfill, but return tomorrow if you can.” Rarity said quickly, trying to make it clear she was more focused on her work than the other pony.
“I see that. I wondered what happened to Ditzy's blanket.” The other pony said off handedly as she looked at the cloth closely, noting the large stain on it.
Rarity perked up. “You know Ditzy? Oh please tell her to drop by soon so I can return this. I promise that I can get it looking clean.”
However, Rarity's request was meet with a shake of the other's orange mane. “I don't think that would be a good idea. This blanket belonged to Ditzy's grandmother. She had made it after Ditzy decided to leave Cloudsdale and move to Ponyville. She died not long after and at first, it was good because it let her ease her sadness. But it's a crutch now. It being gone might actually help her move on. She might start trying to make friends instead of living with just memories.” The mare with the yellow coat put a hoof on Rarity's shoulder. “As her friend, I ask that you hide this from her. Maybe she can have it returned one day, but she needs to stand up on her hooves.”
Rarity could only dumbly nod and go about putting away the precious cloth. To hear that a pony could sacrifice something so close to them for a stranger spoke to something deep in her heart. She would later learn that the cause for the high prices was due to a major accident on a road way connecting Ponyville to a nearby city. It cut into their revenue and they had to keep prices high to feed their families. That day would never leave her mind...
Rarity finally got the pegasus out of the blankets, the both of them falling into giggle fits during the entire process. “My goodness, darling, when you get yourself tangled up, you make sure it's good and tangled, don't you.”
Ditzy on the other hoof was more focused on the blankets after she was finally out and hovering above them, her giggling fading away to replaced with a look of worry. “But.. I made a mess again. I still can't land right.” She lifted up the wrinkled and dirtied cloths for Rarity to take away and toss aside.
“Nonsense, dear. While it might not have been a five star landing, it was a landing. A rough landing, that's all.” Rarity said while putting a hoof on both of Ditzy's shoulders, trying to ease the pegasus' worries as best she can. “Now, shall we call this a social call or do those saddlebags of yours carry something for me?”
Ditzy tilts her head for a moment, looking a bit lost at the question until she brightens up and remembers whys he came here. “Oh yes. Delivery~!” She sings out as she digs into her saddlebag to pull out a roll of pink cloth that was much too big compared to the outside of the saddlebag. But Rarity had seen such magic before and only smiled as she saw it.
“Oh yes! Finally! I've been waiting for this for so long.” She laughed in almost a singsong way as she took the cloth and rolled part of it out. “Oh, just perfect.” She said to herself as she let the light shine on it.
Ditzy took a closer look at it. “Were you running out of pink cloth?” She asks, looking around at the many colors that were placed on the shelves around the shop.
“No No, dear. This is a very special cloth. In fact, it isn't really cloth at all. These are magic fibers. Watch closely when I infuse it with a charge.” Rarity removed a strip from the roll and charged it with her magic. After a moment, it started to float and flutter like it was caught in the wind. A sight that left Ditzy wide eyed and amazed.
“Wow... That'll make a pretty dress, Rarity.” She looked as if she was going say something else, but looks away quietly, focusing on her saddlebag with her eyes half closed. Her sudden silence was not missed by Rarity.
“Darling? Whats wrong?” She asked while putting the cloth away safely.
“It's nothing. I need to get going. I think the wind has died down enough for me to make my next stop. Goodbye, thanks for catching me.” She forced a smile before heading towards the door and out into the weather.
She is stopped just before she could open the door by a roll of cloth. “Now hold on there. Don't think I'm going to let you get away that easily. My friend suddenly looking downtrodden in my store is not going to stand. I refuse to let you leave before tell me what is bothering you.” She said firmly but her eyes where soft as she walked to the pegasus.
Ditzy shook her head at first, looking away. “I.. I'm fine.. Really.. I..” But she closed her eyes and was quiet again for a few moments before looking at Rarity with her eyes brimming over with tears. “I wish sometimes that I was pretty enough to wear dresses like yours.” Saying those words, the words that she believed from the bottom of her heart, opened the floodgates and the tears feel from her eyes like rivers.
To say Rarity was in shock would be an understatement. Her friend's words struck her so deeply it broke her magic holding the roll of cloth and it almost appeared to have caused her hair to loose it's rolls just out of the sadness she felt. “Ditzy... Whatever horrible pony told you that is the one not pretty enough to wear my dresses. In fact, I had thought that you were like Applejack and didn't like wearing dresses. See.. I had one made for you a long time ago.”
She took the now surprised Pegasus' hooves in her own and lead her to a private closet where she kept dresses she's made for her friends that didn't have the closet space. The names Applejack and Rainbow Dash were marked above two sections, filled with several outfits wrapped in protective plastic. And right next to them was one marked for Ditzy Doo. With a flick of her horn, Rarity opened it, to reveal a dress and jewel set made just for the mailpony.
The rest was a blur to Ditzy as Rarity quickly fussed over the Pegasus. Though Ditzy, still in denial about herself, tried to point out excuses. They were quickly shotdown by the unicorn. When she said her coat wasn't shiny like Rarity's, she found herself being rubbed down by some oils and a firm comb that made her coat almost glow. When she mentioned her hair, Rarity said that it doesn't look any worse than Rainbow Dash and the wild look was in anyway. Though that didn't stop her from adding a few accents and tying the back into a tail. Before Ditzy could find anything else wrong with herself, she looked at the mirror and for a moment, didn't recognize the pony looking back at her.
The pony in the mirror was wearing a beautiful dress that Ditzy never could have dreamed up. She was wearing a vest that was gold as it went down her back and wrapped around to the front until it meet with a grey-blue that went down her chest. Down her flank flowed a gold trimmed dress made up of the same grey-blue that covered her chest. But floating up from the bottom were beautiful silver-blue bubbles. Her hooves were wrapped in gold shoes with bubbles hanging from them and she even had bubbles in her hair and attached to the tie that held it back in a tail.
As she took in the sight before her, she couldn't help but be drawn to her eyes. She looked back at them in frustration before concentrating and for a moment, they were straight before Rarity put her hoof on Ditzy's shoulder. “No, Darling. No. Just relax. Smile. Let your imperfection be what makes you beautiful. Look at my horn, no where near long enough or pointed enough by some pony standards, yet I display it proudly.” She said with a pose to prove that.
Ditzy was not very convinced. But still, she looked at the mirror again and brought herself to smile. Seeing herself smiling back only made her smile more. “It is very pretty Rarity. Where did you get the design from? I love that.”
Rarity was surprised at the question, but smiled and said softly. “Do you remember the night we first meet? What you used to keep me and Opal dry as you lead us back to my shop?”
Ditzy only tiled her head in response at first, but then it dawned on her like the sun during the Solar celebration. The pegasus turned and traced her gold shoe covered hoof along the cloth. “Grandmama..” she whispered as she circled the bubbles on the cloth.
“I did the best I could. I couldn't save all of it though. However, I know I couldn't just let it be thrown away. This is my gift for you. Just for being a friend.”
Ditzy was on the verge of tears again and Rarity was growing misty eyed along side her. A moment that words could only ruin, the two friends quietly embrased, holding each other tightly for a long time. It was only after that long moment that they remembered that they were both in the middle of their jobs. After a careful removal and storage of the dress, Ditzy quickly pulled on her saddlebag and seeing that it wasn't yet time for the rain, she headed out, waving goodbye to her unicorn friend as she hovered above the ground, her next destination not too far away.
Rarity watched her go for a time before closing the door and turning around to find Fleur di Les standing there, smiling at her. “Oh! You scared me a bit. I'm sorry for the delay, it was a personal matter that-”
She was cut off as the taller unicorn approached and lowered her head, looked deeply into Rarity's eyes before saying in a soft and gentle voice “Vous êtes très aimable”.
Rarity recognized the language, but before she could try to reply, the unicorn turned away and headed back to where Fancypants was, almost floating on her steps. The stallion in question was just coming out when she approached. “Ah, there you are darling. Those snacks were so good that I couldn't help but relax so deeply. Did you keep yourself entertained?” She replied by wrapping her hooves around his neck and whispering something to him. Or at least Rarity hoped she was whispering and not nibbling on his ear. In ether case, he smiled and looked to Rarity. “I believe before we went to get a snack, we were in the middle of business.”
Rarity nodded, getting back into her zone and bringing up the newly delivered cloth. “Yes, I just had this arrive. The magic in this will make it so that she will always look like she's in a soft summer's breeze without revealing too much...” As she spoke, she brought up several designs, showing different ways to use the unique cloth, though part of her mind was still on her pegasus friend and the letter she wrote about her.
To her Royal Highness, Celestia
Before I meet Ditzy Doo, I had believed that Generosity was simply freely giving of what you have in excess to someone else. Whether it be dresses, free time or your tail hair, I had thought that people who did not do so where unsophisticated, rude or selfish. Now I see how wrong I was.
Generosity is more than that. It is giving freely of things that don't have a value. Trust, understanding, and the benefit of the doubt for a few. And Generosity is also giving what you hold most valuable to your heart to someone else when it is freely given. And those gifts. The gifts that are from the bottom of your heart are gifts that can not be measured.
The only way to repay gifts such as those, is to use them in ways that can only make the giver smile. And I hope one day I can be as generous as the young pegasus who showed me what generosity truly is.
Your Faithful Subject,
Rarity.
