Trails and Trials

by Mazzyrazzy

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Derpy Hooves, Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Sad, Comedy
Length: 59140

Ditzy's journey to make, and keep, the friends she's made.

From a young age, Ditzy Doo knew she wasn't like most ponies. Jinxed and uncoordinated, she was shunned from all social circles as she grew up. When a friend finally comes her way, Ponyville's residential mailmare will surprise everyone—including herself—when she demonstrates how far she's willing to go to keep that friendship.

Published 2011-11-28 22:40:39 UTC
Last updated 2014-06-23 06:51:38 UTC

Tomorrow

The salt and pepper shakers cowered from the evil muffin on the edge of the table. Cornered, trapped, and woefully unfortunate, the married spices could do nothing more than tremble and plead.

Casting a glance over the edge of the table, the saltshaker gulped. “P-please, what do you want!? Just don’t hurt me or my wife! We have little salt and pepper children to feed!” Hit with vertigo from the vast height from the tabletop to floor, Saltshaker did all he could to not succumb to the sickness.

The couple held each other while the muffin hovered over towards them menacingly. It gave a devious chuckle. “Fools! You know very well what I want; world domination!”

“Mugging two innocent shakers will give you world domination?” The pepper shaker whimpered.

“The plan is a work in progress!” The muffin boomed. “And there’s nothing anybody can do about it. Mwahahahaha!”

It was a desperate situation to be sure. The saltshaker looked down upon his cowering wife and knew in that instance that it was up to him to come up with a strategy. No pastry, regardless of how delicious, would endanger his family while he still breathed. His eyes flicked left and right, trying to find anything around the table that could help them. His glare fell upon the napkin holder.

“Honey, when I say run, you run. Okay?” He whispered.

“Wah…?” She looked horrified. He didn’t wait for confirmation; the muffin was already upon them.

“Well, muffin…” said the salt shaker. The muffin paused in apprehension. “Looks like you’re about to be…asSALTED.”

With force, the salt shaker threw some of his salt at the surprised muffin. A downpour of the zesty compound sprinkled its way across the confectionery treat, leaving him mortally shocked.

“What? Salt!? How did you know my weakness is salt! Blleeeeggghhhh….” The muffin writhed on the ground in pain, momentarily losing sight of its surroundings.

“Honey, go now! Run!” The saltshaker ushered urgently. Together, the two ran across the table and hid behind the only source of cover—the napkin holder. Pepper shaker was panting hard and whimpering loudly. Saltshaker did his best to calm his wife by holding and shushing her gently.

“Shhh it’s okay darling, it’ll all be okay.” He cooed.

“I-I’m j-just… so… scared.” She whispered.

“Now I’m really mad!” The muffin yelled from the other side of the table, regaining its composure. “Too bad salt is my weakness for only like twenty seconds!”

“Oh no,” Pepper shaker cried, “It’s coming back!”

The ominous muffin crept closer and closer to the ill-fated dispensers, all the while the two were huddled close together, trying to make as little noise as possible. It seemed to be all for naught as the muffin was able to deduce that there weren’t many places the pair could be hiding behind. With a dry chuckle, the muffin continued its advance.

“This has been quite a show you two have put on, but this ends now. Phase one of my grand ultra cool super master plan is about to come to fruition: first, the table, then, the world! Mwahahaha!”

Suddenly and violently, two giant grey hooves wrapped themselves around the startled evil muffin.

~*~*~

Ditzy was sitting in a chair lined evenly with her kitchen table. Before her, splayed with chaotic precision, stood her puppets of theatrical kitchenware: her salt and pepper shakers, as per their cue, were pushed passed the napkin holder, and the villainous muffin was now in her heroic clutches. When possible, the mailmare avidly enacted the scene with colorful, dramatic sound effects.

Ditzy dropped her voice down a few octaves to ventriloquize the muffin. “What! Put me down this instant so I can take over the world!”

Her glare sharpened. “Not today! Be gone, demon!”

With loud, and completely unnecessary ‘nom nom’ noises, Ditzy tore chunk after vicious chunk out of her breakfast. Accented with a few growls, the event soon turned feral until every last crumb was devoured.

She giggled to herself while licking her lips. After readjusting the table’s miniature inhabitants to their correct positions, she went to wash up in her sink, crumbs sticking loosely around her muzzle and in her mane.

She had slept well the night before, so well in fact that she had decided to wake up a bit early, so she could have a decent breakfast and wouldn’t have to rush off to work. A similar scene had been created earlier when she had been eating her Cheerilio’s cereal. She was halfway through her first bite when she realized the namesake of the brand, eyeing the unresponsive bowl with distrust; she loudly accused it of stealing Cheerilee’s soul, thereby committing a crime against nature.

Yes, it was a long and hard fought battle against the bowl of cereal. Both sides taking loses, General Milk sacrificed himself for the greater good, and she was pretty sure there was some cool theme music playing. Eventually she got the cereal to confess, and to release the gathered soul. Ditzy knew the schoolmare may never know of her incredible bravery, but it was worth it none the less. With the fruity puffs of cereal bits splattered across her kitchen, she admitted she may have gone a tad bit too far and cleanup afterwards took a sizeable chunk out of her morning. Still hungry, she elected to eat just a muffin, but even that turned into a fiasco.

Satisfied that all cleaning was done, Ditzy happily trotted into her parlor space, humming a tune that didn’t seem to have melody or harmony. She soon had to be off on another day of work. This would be her last one in a few days; tomorrow was Sunday, and there was never any post on Sundays, and she hadn’t been scheduled in to work Monday or Tuesday.

It slightly annoyed Ditzy whenever she had an extended period of no work; it was her passion, something she could focus on and benefit from. Outside of her job, she didn’t really feel like she had a purpose.

Ditzy leapt over her still-collapsed front door, thinking to herself that she should probably get that fixed, but knew she wouldn’t summon the motivation to get it done for at least a few days. Besides, it did provide a steady draft of fresh air throughout the living space. Not to mention it was extremely fun to knock down! Always a silver lining.

Stepping into her room once more, she made her way over to the mirror to make sure she was presentable, which in her case was just slightly above disheveled. Content with herself that no more tweaking would benefit her, she nodded at the reflection and exited the room, stealing a glance at the framed picture resting atop her dresser.

Outside, she leisurely began her flight to work. Not having to race the mean sun today, Ditzy was able to stop every now and again to admire the beautiful morning. Light refracted through the dew that rested upon the petals of sunflowers, tulips, and—Ditzy’s personal favorite—the luscious purple rhododendrons. Carrot Top’s well-kept garden was always so vibrant during the summer, only matched by the initial bloom during spring. The corn yellow earth pony was out tending the flowers, humming a sweet tune, as Ditzy flew overhead.

Next Ditzy saw the peaks of gingerbread shingles, which could only be those of Sugarcube Corner. Earlier that morning Ditzy had considered heading back to the sugary shop; she felt kind of bad for ditching out on a pony that might have possibly cared. But Ditzy saw the look in Pinkie’s eyes; pity. If there was one thing worse than growing up alone, it was another pony pitying her for growing up alone. For this reason, she decided it would probably be best if she stayed away from the shop for a while.

Arching her wings, she gave the store a wide berth. Eventually, unaware of the trail she flew, she found herself once again in Ponyville Park. When she finally realized where she was, she halted herself and hovered in place high above the ground, where she could touch wisps of clouds. Down below she noticed a severe lack of ponies; no surprise there. It was still too early for most ponies. The few that actually were in the park were there walking pets or exercising. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary; it was the sight Ditzy thought she was going to see yesterday. The picnic took her by complete surprise. Not a single trace of the event could be seen, almost like it never happened at all.

A quick pang of remorse vaulted through her, though it was eagerly replaced by curiosity as Ditzy observed a cream colored pegasus usher a flutter of butterflies across a hill. It was such a surreal sight that the kaleidoscope of color mesmerized her. If Ditzy pressed herself, she was sure she could remember the name of the butterfly laden pony. Delivering mail comes with the perk of basically knowing everypony in town, whether they liked it or not.

Hmm… let’s see here… I remember she takes care of animals… Oh how could I forget! She’s the only pegasus here besides me that actually has a house of her own on the ground here in Ponyville. Flutter...Fluttershy, yah that’s it!

Proud of her cognitive ability, Ditzy resumed her flight while keeping Fluttershy and her butterflies in her sights until finally she was too distant to make out distinct shapes.

Finally Ditzy could see the Ponyville Post Office in her sights. It only took a couple minutes to reach the window she flew through every day, though this time the padded wall wouldn’t be necessary, much to Mr. Forthright’s amusement.

“You seem a bit mellow today, Derpy.” The brown colt smiled. “What’s the occasion?”

“I woke up early and had a good morning!” She replied, punching in her time card.

Her boss leaned against his doorframe. “Well well, today might be a good day then, I can feel it. Color me impressed.”

Ditzy gave him a weird stare. “Umm, I’m not sure exactly which color ‘impressed’ is, but if you want to be a different color, there’s a salon down the road where you can dye your mane!” Ditzy leaned in real close to her boss, as if somepony might hear her. “If I were you, I’d pick yellow. Then you’d be like me!” She whispered loudly.

She walked away just as Mr. Forthright’s expression deadpanned.

~*~*~

Saturday was always the busiest day for the post office; it was the day most ponies were off work and had time to actually pay a visit and set their affairs in order. Because of this, Ditzy’s mailbag was always full to the bursting point, containing letters from other cities throughout Equestria waiting to be delivered to the inhabitants of Ponyville.

Organizing the incoming mail took a bit longer than usual because of the amount, so Ditzy wasn’t able to pack her bag until about two hours after noon. She’d have to move quicker than usual to get everything delivered by nightfall. There wasn’t any penalty for delivering after dark, as long as it wasn’t too late. It’s just Ditzy had always been able to meet her quota, and that wouldn’t change tonight. Besides, after the previous night she didn’t really feel comfortable being alone outside in the dark.

With a pippy grunt, Ditzy slung the mailbag around her shoulder and it fell to her side. She took a few careful steps to acclimate to the new weight and balance. After she was sure that she could handle walking with it, she exited the post office with a smile on her face.

The stirring breeze riffled through her mane sporadically, whipping her hair in multiple directions. Ditzy noticed the desultory gust had picked up since morning, and looking on to the horizon she saw clouds of a storm gathering. It didn’t take much to convince Ditzy that she shouldn’t fly; she preferred walking anyway. But now with the gaining winds, heavy bag, and her balance offset, it would probably be in her best interest to remain ground bound.

Most creatures, even ponies, received foreboding vibes from the oncoming storm; not Ditzy. She adored windy days almost as much as rainy ones. To feel the wind rushing through her mane and tail were thrilling sensations, giving any typical activity, such as delivering mail, an adventurous flair. The wind generated by flying just wasn’t the same; it felt so controlled compared to the sporadic nature of natural wind. One moment the wind would be rushing against her face, and the next, caressing her side.

Trotting with care, the grey mailmare made her way down a dirt path towards a few of the outlying homes of Ponyville, where she would made her first deliveries, eventually circling in on the center of town.

Ditzy passed few ponies as she walked through the outskirts of town. The ones she did pass often gave polite greetings and she returned them in kind. It was the kind of social interaction one would expect when being a mailmare, but it still always warmed her heart.

The first few houses breezed by. The act of actually delivering the mail was a very complex procedure, one that Ditzy had refined to perfection over her years in the mailing industry. It went as followed: Open mailbox, put mail in, close mailbox. Sometimes she got mixed up, but those instances were few and far between.

Sometimes the ponies would be outside on their porch, or their children playing in the front yard. In those cases, she would deliver the mail directly to the ponies, saving them a long and arduous trip to their mailbox.

In the end, their kindness and greetings were all superficial; Ditzy knew they only were being courteous. She had come to terms long ago with the fact that once she left, most ponies forgot about her and her mail-bringing services, but today especially it was blatantly there in her mind.

Would anypony miss me if I just…I don’t know…poofed into thin air?

She felt silly for asking—of course there were. In fact, she could think of two ponies, and they were the ones keeping her sane(ish). Thanks to them, she had the will to fight through the perils of the day-to-day.

Ditzy checked her mailbag and confirmed that all the houses on this lane were accounted for. While sifting through the bag, she spotted a slightly transparent purple plastic bag. She looked right beside it and found that one of the small boxes had its lid slightly open, and the bag most likely fell out through the hole.

Simple enough to fix! Let me just…

Ditzy un-shouldered her bag and set on the ground carefully. She took out the box, her emergency tape, and the purple bag.

Alright, let’s put you back in…wah…wait a minute…

The purple bag was full of candy, Ditzy’s one true weakness.

Heeeerrgggggg! Must… Resist!

Steeling herself, she forcibly broke her gaze away and reached for the tape, though her hooves were unsteady and unable to tear a piece off. She had to bend down and bite it off, but in doing so she became transfixed with the now-seemingly-glowing bag of candy.

Candy…too…powerful…can’t…fight…much longer!

Racing against the clock, and sweat streaming down her brow, Ditzy tore off the old tape from the damaged box and prepared to place the new tape on it, forgetting entirely to first put the candy inside. The stress did not bode well for her rationalizing skills. She caught herself at the last moment, and managed not to tape the box closed.

Okay okay, in you go candy! You know I love you, but you can’t be mine; we come from separate worlds and you are destined for another… OH SWEET CELESTIA THERE’S BUBBLE GUM IN THERE.

Indeed there was. Gleaming in a taunting pink wrapper was her favorite chewing gum. She felt the dark side taking over, and knew she wouldn’t be able to combat the temptation much longer. The hoof with the candy bag in it wouldn’t budge, so Ditzy had to use her other hoof to forcibly move the incompliant one down. With grunts and growls, she finally managed to slide the bag of howling demons into the small cardboard box.

Quicker than a flash, Ditzy sealed the top with the fresh tape. Her teeth were chattering and knees were wobbling. She knew her ordeal was yet to be over; as long as it was in her possession, she was in its possession.

Taking up her mailbag, she noted the address on the parcel and put it inside with the rest of the mail. She’d have to make an exception with her route; she had to get rid of that particular package lest it drive her insane. It was nearer to the center of town, and she’d need to make it there fast by the looks of her condition.

She ran as fast as she could bear with the bag against her side. The balance issue became more annoying as her speed increased. It made it so she had to lean to the left to offset the bag’s pull on her right. As the bag bounced up and down, the strap chaffed her chest, shoulder, and withers. The areas affected soon became numb so she didn’t feel anything; it wouldn’t matter anyway. She was dealing with matters of life and death.

Minutes sluggish rolled by until finally she was nearer to the center of town, where the tantalizing package was addressed. The streets were more densely populated, and she had to dodge around others as she ran, most of who gave weird stares. Finally she saw the house in her sights—it was a whitewashed, rustic looking house with a well-kept yard and light brown picket fence, which was less common in the center of town. Not willing to internally contemplate the rarity of rural housing designs in a slightly more urban setting, she ran frantically to the front door, a complete and utter nervous wreck, and banged on it three times.

An older beige Earth pony answered with a smile. “Yes, can I-“

Ditzy thrust the package into the mare’s home like it was a time bomb. “Here! Take it! Take it before it consumes me!” she screamed.

The mare blinked. “Uh… Okay?” She said meekly.

Ditzy heaved her chest, filling her lungs with the breath of freedom. She could feel the control returning as her limbs stabilized. With a calm exhale, she soon returned to her usual self. The sudden transformation only worried the beige mare at the front door even more, who was now backing away worriedly. Ditzy ignored it.

“Oh! And you’ll need to sign this, please and thank you!” Ditzy said cheerfully, handing over the clipboard and pen.

Transaction complete, the door was shut on her hurriedly, and the grey pegasus happily walked back down the small cobblestone pathway that connected the house with the main street. She was proud of herself for repelling the enticement for so long, knowing she had done the mail industry proud.

Back on the main street, she noticed the wind had picked up even more so since her run from the outskirts of town. She could feel the wind like waves of energy rustling sinuously through her coat. The warm air mixing with the cool breeze made for the perfect degree of comfort, and she closed her eyes to enjoy it for a moment.

Suddenly, the wind’s velocity increased dramatically. A gust she wasn’t prepared for blew directly against her right side—the side of her mailbag—causing her to tip dangerously to the left. Her mind flooded with panic as she desperately tried to right herself, but she knew she was too far gone, and the bag was too heavy. There, in the middle of the street, surrounded by ponies, she tumbled, tripping over her own hooves.

When Ditzy’s body hit the ground, her vision spun and she lost sight of her surroundings. She felt the bag weighting down on her, making it hard to breathe. As her vision slightly cleared, she was able to push the bag off her, and that’s when she noticed something confusing.

A white rectangle floated across her field of vision.

Ditzy looked down in horror at the mailbag, now opened with letters spilling all over the street. Just then, a brutal wind picked up and sent the letters flying in every direction. She didn’t know what to say or do, she could only murmur fretfully while trying to get to her hooves, but her dizziness always forced her back down.

Noo! The letters are getting away!

Ditzy felt like she was on the verge of tears. She was watching her livelihood fly away without the slightest care. She desperately tried to reach out for the letters around her, only managing to secure one while several more slipped from her bag. She groaned frustratingly when she noticed, and she looked around pleadingly for some form of help. Her desperation was apparent in her watery eyes and jerky attempts to grab letters.

And that’s when her ears finally tuned it. It started out as a buzz in the back of her mind that suddenly grew in intensity.

Laughing. She heard laughing.

Questionably, she cast her gaze around, and was horrified to find that everypony around her had stopped and had begun laughing at her display. Tens of ponies were giggling, snickering, and chattering amongst themselves while others just gave amused grins. Nopony moved to help her. Nopony ceased laughing.

Nopony cared. Nopony ever cared.

That’s it, she was done. Defeated and embarrassed beyond reason, she buried her face into her forelegs, as slow, painful teardrops dripped out the corner of her closed eyes, wanting to not exist. Perhaps if she grew still enough, some benevolent force that had been absent from the day she was born would take mercy and take her out of her misery.

Then suddenly, an angelic voice came from right in front of her. “You look like you could use some help.”

Ditzy sniffed, and slowly raised her watery eyes to the source. Her vision was too blurry to see well, so she wiped a hoof across her eyes, and gave another glance up.

Before she even noticed the pony, she noticed a purple aura penetrating the whole world around her. Everything sparkled with an unnatural purple hue and was frozen as if time itself was at a standstill. The laugher had died down as most ponies had went off to continue their business, but the dozens of letters were frozen in time, suspended off the ground in the same purplish haze.

Curiously, she finally focused on the pony responsible.

Standing before her was a unicorn mare with a lavender coat and deep purple mane. The mare looked to be around Ditzy’s age, maybe even a year or two younger. The unicorn’s horn was alight with the same purple glow that surrounding all her letters. She was also extending a hoof to help Ditzy up.

Ditzy was dumbstruck and didn’t know what to say or do. She numbly took the mare’s hoof while giving another sniff to clear her sinuses.

Gracefully, the purple pony pulled her up off the ground and up to her hooves, where Ditzy wobbled unstably. The mare beside her didn’t let her go until she had fully righted herself, and could stand without swaying.

“That was a pretty bad fall you took there,” the mare said worriedly, “are you okay?”

Too shocked to answer, Ditzy just stood there with her mouth slightly opened, but unable to form words. After a few moments of unresponsiveness, the unicorn spoke up again.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” She smiled gently, and then all the letters that were once still in the air started moving towards her. Ditzy watched incredulously as all the letters went back into her mailbag, seemingly in the same order as when they spilled out. The unicorn looked around nonchalantly to note the progressive of her handiwork; almost every single letter was now back inside the bag, with the rest of them soon joining.

“And that should do it!” The unicorn announced, satisfied. Using her magic once more, she lifted the bag up for Ditzy, allowing it to fall over her shoulder and against her side. She slowly faded her magic as to not immediately put all at once the weight back onto Ditzy’s frame.

The purple pony’s ears tweaked when a chuckle was heard coming from two Earth colts that were still spectating. They were talking amongst themselves when they caught the unicorn’s glare.

“Hey! We all make mistakes, and it’s not very friendly to laugh at others’ misfortunes.”

Ditzy’s heart nearly stopped.

She…she’s defending me. SAY SOMETHING!

Still, her voice was incompliant with her wishes and she only managed to exhale a few gnarled breaths.

After the Earth colts had walked off, embarrassed to be called out, the unicorn refocused her attention on Ditzy once again. “Hey, don’t let them get to you. They weren’t laughing at you, just at the scene you caused.”

Ditzy remained silent.

The unicorn shifted uncomfortably at the silence. “Well it looks like everything is in order: your bag should be exactly the way it was before the wind blew everything, and you appear to be fine. Have a good day, okay?”

Ditzy made eye contact with her for a brief second. The slightly wavering eyes upon the magical mare betrayed nothing but honest kindness and genuine concern. Ditzy knew she was staring into the eyes of somepony who actually cared about her. It held her firmly in her spot; her limbs were frozen and heart rate beating so fast she could hear it in her ears.

Was this it? Was this her chance to make a friend?

The purple unicorn gave one last smile before she began to walk away. Ditzy watched, mouth agape, trying to spit out some form of gratitude.

Before long, the mare had reached the horizon and was soon out of her sight.

“THANK YOU!” She finally managed to yell, letting all the pent up energy out.

She knew it was too late.

~*~*~

After remaining frozen in her spot for what felt like an eternity, she was finally able to force her legs to walk. She half-heartedly began distributing the mail that remained in her bag, but her mind was in a separate place. Before she even knew it, she was already done and an hour had passed.

She decided to fly back to her work to help clear her mind, but ultimately was unable to keep the purple unicorn and her display of kindness out of her thoughts, she decided to be constructive and remember what she could about the mare.

Ditzy tried her best to remember her name; it was on the tip of her tongue. Several times she had seen the mare around town. Ditzy even remembered that she lived in the library because Ditzy often delivered books to the tree house. They had spoken indirectly before, but never on any level of meaning.

The unicorn was also the coordinator for the yearly Winter Wrap Up. She had done a great job turning chaos into harmony.

Finally, it clicked. She remembered.

Twilight Sparkle! Yaaaahh, that’s her name! And she lives with the baby dragon.

An idea popped into her brain, causing her to pause in flight.

Heeyyy, I know where she lives! Maybe I could pay a visit and…and…

…And then nothing came to mind. How would she rationalize showing up without being creepy? Ditzy feared rejection from the one mare that had shown her true kindness; not pity masked with kindness.

Could making a friend really be as simple as asking Twilight Sparkle if she wanted to be her friend?

Ditzy twirled her hooves around each other while her brain began to dully throb. She was getting a headache just trying to find a solution. Also, she couldn’t help but consider what would happen if she was wrong, and if Twilight was just helping her out of pity? Twilight didn’t have many reasons to be friends with Ditzy—While Twilight was brave, magical, adventurous, and brilliant, Ditzy was cross-eyed, accident prone, forgetful, and completely unsure of herself. Just thinking about approaching Twilight’s doorstep made her breathing increase nervously.

Regaining her flight path, Ditzy suppressed all those thoughts with a shake of her head. She didn’t have anything to lose at this point, and everything to gain. Ditzy smiled to herself.

Alright then it’s settled… I’ll head over after work to…umm… oh! Thank her for being so nice and then….then I’ll improvise from there.

Ditzy shrugged, not seeing how it could possibly go wrong. It was obviously a well thought out and endurable plan.

The wind had died down a great deal since her fiasco near the center of town. She was able to fly with ease as the storm moved farther away towards the horizon; it never hit Ponyville directly, leaving a slightly disappointed grey pegasus who would have to wait until the weather team cooked up a storm so she could play in the rain.

Still, it was a bit dreary outside; the sun still hid behind the few scattered clouds that remained in the sky, casting dull grey shadows upon the town. It gave such a lonely ambiance to the area, one that Ditzy usually would have ignored without care, but today it only motivated her.

Finally back at the post office, Ditzy set about completing her work in the most efficient way possible. Instead of pandering about, like filling out paperwork was a big deal like she normally did, she sat down and completed her shipping reports and statuses. Her surprising rise in productivity did not go unnoticed by her boss, who unbeknownst to her was giving her weird stares from his desk. Finally, he decided to approach her.

Mr. Forthright strode forward carefully until he was standing right over Ditzy. The grey mailmare was still intently focused on her report as the pencil in her mouth furiously scribbled. To get her attention, he cleared his through with a cough, which finally was caught by Ditzy’s acuity.

“Oh, Hiya Mr. Forthright,” Ditzy mumbled through her pencil. She spat it down on her desk, “do you need help with something?”

She was met with thoughtful silence, in which time neither pony blinked. Eventually, he spoke up. “What’s you’re angle Derpy? Are you trying to get a raise?”

Ditzy looked at him questionably. “Why would I want to be raised? I’m fine here on the ground thank you.”

Mr. Forthright should’ve known, but still he walked right into it. Exhaling a tired sigh, he decided to rephrase his previous statement. “No, I’m asking why you are suddenly so keen on finishing your work on time? By the rate you’re going at, you’re going to be the first one out of here which is…” The brown stallion was trying to find a way to say what he wanted without sounding rude. “…unlike you.”

Ditzy’s eyes sparkled when she finally got what he meant. “Oohhh! Well it’s ‘cause I have plans after work.”

The news earned a surprised head jerk from her boss. “You do, do you?” It was rhetorical, but he began talking right after for fear that Ditzy would answer it anyway. “Well then… keep up the good work, Derpy.”

She gave a salute, her stern demeanor offset by her googily eyes. “Can do, boss!”

Her boss gave her one last stare before he inched back to his office, where he resumed his own scribbling. Every now and again, however, he’d look up to make sure Ditzy was still doing her work. It was so surprising because he’d usually have to tell her four or five times a night to get her paper work done and to stop fooling around. She tended to be much more interested in chewing on her pencil and spinning in her chair.

Finally convinced that the mare meant to finish her work without interruption, Mr. Forthright shrugged. “She must have some decent plans.”

~*~*~

As projected, Ditzy was one of the first to clock out that night. The sun was just beginning its routine descent over the horizon, and the brightest stars were becoming visible against the gentle bluish purple sky where day and night met. With her game face on, Ditzy spread her wings, and with a leap, she was soon soaring.

She knew if she thought about facing Twilight, she’d just get nervous and probably chicken out, so instead she focused her attention on her rhythmic flapping and the wind blowing against her face. Before long, the giant treetop of the library became visible. She slowed her flight and began to lazily glide down from the sky, landing perfectly on the doorstep.

This was it; all she had to do was knock.

Ditzy stared blankly at the wooden panel door. All she needed to do was raise her hoof, bang it a few times, and the rest would just unfold. She psyched herself up and shook her body to loosen up.

Alright, about to knock on the door.

She bent down to stretch her forelegs out; she didn’t want to get a cramp while knocking or during the conversation. Both were very strenuous activities, so she thought it logical to stretch to avoid serious complications.

Okay, time to knock.

Ditzy eyed the door, inspecting every inch of it. It was a nice door really; carved in a curved, elegant design on the top half and with a simple square frame on the bottom. It even looked like the top half the door could open while the bottom remained closed. Does that make it a double door?

Ditzy hadn’t really planned on taking this long to knock on the door.

Seconds turned into minutes as she stood her ground outside Twilight’s home. The night sky had just taken over, and the only source of light came from the candles in the window sills, and the flickering light inside maybe hinted towards a fire in the fireplace. It was so warm and inviting; surely Twilight wouldn’t mind Ditzy’s company.

Stop being a silly filly and knock on that door! It’s all you! You were born for this moment! If you could get another cutie mark, it’d be for being awesome at knocking on doors!

She straightened her posture, and riled by her own persuasion, she immediately raised her hoof and banged on the door three times.

“Coming!” A mare’s voice echoed from the other side.

Dear sweet Celestia what have I done!?

Losing all composure, Ditzy frantically looked around for a place to hide. Her wings were hinged shut, uncooperative and unresponsive to her attempts to bail out and take to the sky. Sweat started to form on her forehead, and she tried to dive into the bush right next to her, but it was too tangled with branches and foliage to allow her to move in any deeper than a few inches.

She dived under the welcome mat, concealing her face and forelegs but leaving her lower half exposed. After a few seconds of that, she jumped back out; unsatisfied that it provided the necessary cover.

Stop it! It’s time to buck up girl! Now you stand there and talk to Twilight like you’ve done before today. It’s easy, just remember to open your mouth and say words at the same time.

With a calming breath, Ditzy followed her own orders. She stood rigid on Twilight's door mat waiting for the inevitable.

Oh colt, what did I want to say?

Too late; the door creaked as it slowly swung open to reveal a slightly surprised purple unicorn. It was soon replaced by a smile. “Oh, hi Ditzy Doo. Do you have a package for me or something?”

If Ditzy had the slightest clue as to what she was going to say, she lost it right then and there. Her heart caught in her chest, and she had to physically stop herself from reaching a hoof up to her chest to make sure it was still beating. “Y-you…you called me Ditzy Doo,” she whispered. Twilight had no idea how much that meant to Ditzy. After being called Derpy for so long, to hear her own name out loud was a breath of fresh air.

Twilight’s eyes flashed with regret. “Oh, I’m so sorry; do you not like to be called by that name? I mean, I heard that you had a nickname but I just assumed-“

“No no no,” Ditzy interrupted, “I…I like my name. B-but you can just call me… Ditzy.”

The smile resumed on Twilight’s face. “Okay, Ditzy.” Twilight waited patiently for Ditzy to say something, but Ditzy was too far gone to even remember she was having a conversation. So she stood there with a goofy smile on her face. “So,” Twilight coughed, “is there a reason why you’re here?”

A cold wind rustled against the both of them, causing Ditzy to shiver. “Here, why don’t you come inside?” Twilight offered.

YYYEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

“O-okay.” She said more timidly than she meant.

Twilight held the door open for Ditzy and she slowly walked through the threshold, immediately hit with the warm glow from the fire. In the distance, Ditzy spotted Spike, who was busy shelving several books after an apparently busy day at the library. The inside was much bigger then it looked from the street; it was spacious with pieces of furniture around the center and bookshelves towering along the far wall. Flickering lively in the fireplace, the logs provided ample fuel for the fire that lit every surface of the room.

“So Ditzy, is there something I can help you with?” Twilight reiterated.

Ditzy had completely forgotten what she had wanted to say.

Just improvise! What would a friend say?

“NICE WEATHER WE’RE HAVING.” Ditzy stated bluntly, louder than she wanted.

Friends talk about the weather, right?

Twilight eyed her strangely. “Uh, yeah I guess it is a nice night.”

Quick! What else do friends talk about?

“SO HOW ‘BOUT THEM WONDERBOLTS?” Ditzy asked just as bluntly. “I HEARD THEY’RE PRETTY NEAT.”

Twilight’s head inclined and she gave a soft giggle. “Yes Ditzy, they are pretty neat.”

You’re doing great champ; it’s in the bag just keep the ball rolling!

“MUFFINS ARE MY FAVORITE FOOD.” She said a bit more confidently.

Twilight eyes closed lightly as she giggled once more, a bit louder. “Ditzy, what’s going on here?” Her voice was kind and rich; not condescending in the slightest, but sincerely curious. Ditzy finally let her guard down.

“I don’t know Twilight,” Ditzy admitted, looking down at the floor,” I just… I just thought that’s how…” She trailed off. Twilight nodded and waited patiently for her to finish. Ditzy felt reassured that she was willing to wait for something she had to say. It gave her the motivation to finish the thought.

“…friends talk.” Ditzy said meekly. She gazed at the ground unable to muster the courage to raise her head. After a few moments of silence, Ditzy felt her shoulder being poked. Her head rose faster than her eyes, but when she finally glanced over to Twilight she found her smiling supportively.

“You came all the way out here because you want to be my friend?” Twilight didn’t wait for an answer, but she wrapped a hoof around Ditzy’s neck and pulled her in for a hug. Ditzy was taken by complete surprise and was unsure of what to do. Does she hug back? Should she just stand there and be hugged? How long are these hugs supposed to last? Before Ditzy could even react, Twilight broke the embrace.

“Yah, kinda.” Ditzy decided to answer her question.

“Of course we can be friends, Ditzy. You can never have too many friends!” Twilight said excitedly.

“You really mean it!?” Ditzy gasped. “Yes!” With a flap of her wings, Ditzy jumped at least ten feet in the air, nearly hitting the ceiling, giving a victory pump. She couldn’t believe it; she had actually done what she set out to do and it all turned okay. No—better then okay. Great. Excellent. Fantawesome!

Ditzy paused, realizing she still had no idea what to do. She slowly lowered herself to the ground. “But…” she started but once again drifted off. Eventually she picked it back up, shuffling a forehoof nervously. “I-I don’t really know how to be a friend.”

She heard Twilight gasp. “A chance to teach!?” Ditzy looked up in time to see Twilight rushed over to her almost instantly, her smile so big that it looked like it might consume her face. “Ditzy, you happen to be looking at a mare who studies friendship for a living.”

Ditzy’s mouth flew open. “No way!”

“Yes way!” Twilight clopped her forehooves together excitedly. “I can teach you everything you need to know about friendship.”

This seemed too good to be true, like some dream where if Ditzy wasn’t too careful she’d wake up. If it was all a dream, she wanted to prolong it as long as possible, so she stayed motionless. “That would be so awesome! You really wouldn’t mind teaching me?”

“Not at all.” Twilight waved her off. “In fact, I think this is a great opportunity to reflect on how much I’ve learned.”

“Well, do you wanna start tomorrow? I’m off work and stuff.” Ditzy offered sheepishly.

Twilight rubbed her chin with a hoof. “Hmm… I’m pretty sure the schedule’s clear for tomorrow… Okay, I can work with that! Tomorrow it is.” Twilight confirmed.

Somehow during the course of the conversation, the pair had made it back over to the doorway. Ditzy was too busy smiling to care.

“So I’ll…see you tomorrow I guess? Where?”

“Well where do you live?”

She wants to come over to my house! Ditzy nearly exploded inside. She managed to fumble out her address to the purple unicorn.

With a satisfied nod, Twilight opened her front door with magic. “Alright, I’ll come by around noon, okay? See you tomorrow.” She smiled brightly.

Ditzy didn’t want to leave yet, but her own hooves betrayed her and she walked out the door. “Tomorrow…” Ditzy said unbelieving, smiling wide.

“Tomorrow.” Twilight reassured.

“Tomorrow…” Ditzy was stuck in a replaying track. Twilight noticed it and gave another gentle giggle.

“Goodnight Ditzy.” With that, Twilight closed her door, leaving Ditzy on the doorstep.

Ditzy stood there for the longest time, not able to process what just happened. The cool air refreshed her body; she hadn’t realized how hot she was. There were even a few beads of sweat on her forehead. Her heart was still beating faster than it had been in a long time, and finally alone she lifted a hoof and pressed it against her chest to feel the lively throb against her rib cage.

“I…I just made a friend.”

Muffins

Half-lidded, Ditzy yawned pleasantly while stretching to meet the contours of her bed. Surrounded by perfect darkness, she was unable to rouse her groggy mind into forming any coherent thought. She noticed the dark silhouette of her window through her fuzzy vision; the dark sky mirrored the wholesomeness of her walls. Wondering why there weren’t any stars, it took Ditzy several seconds before she came to the conclusion that it must have been a cloudy night.

Ditzy flipped over and squeezed her pillow, nuzzling it with loving comfort. It was the time of night where a pony would wake up and realize that they still had enough time to go back to sleep. It was enough to bring a smile to anypony’s face, but for Ditzy is was an especially tactful period of reflection. She could reminisce over past events without trivial factors such as logic and reason getting in the way.

Her ear twitched as a soft strand of her mane brushed over it. She snorted, irritated that an annoyance, no matter how insignificant, troubled her in her pensive state. It left her mind effortlessly, and the only sensation she could feel was the minor tickle from her eyelashes drifting together.

Sighing, contented, Ditzy played back the earlier scene at Twilight’s home. She shivered in delight when recounting the short conversation where the purple unicorn asked to hang out at Ditzy’s place. Well, the words ‘hanging out’ were never said, but she felt it was an adequate way to describe what is officially being called a study session. The mailmare was assured that Twilight knew what she was talking about it, and wouldn’t have offered to teach her unless she was sure that Ditzy could be helped. It meant that the pegasus wasn’t a lost cause to Twilight, and that was one of the greatest compliments she had ever gotten, however indirect it was.

Ditzy cringed when she recollected where the conversation went awry.

I asked about the weather. She must’ve thought I was crazy or something…what stupid pony asks about the weather at night time!

She growled, trying to cleanse her mind of the poisoning thoughts. Every time a pleasant thought filtered through, the pegasus would somehow manage to sour her meditation by considering different angles of attack; even if it was good, how could it have been even better?

Flipping on her back, she marveled at the unmoving darkness that stretched across her ceiling. Her eyes well adjusted, she could make out a few distinct grooves in the wood from her different shenanigans over the few years she had lived in the house. Each bump and irregularity had a story; some of which were more embarrassing than others.

Her mind switched back to Twilight, and she giggled like a schoolgirl for the day ahead. She brought the pillow over her face to muffle herself, though she knew the house was empty; it was just out of habit. The cool touch of the pillowcase was satisfying, until her breath made it unbearably hot and she had to take the pillow back off.

She felt a giddy thrill for the upcoming day; a mixture of apprehension and anxiety. Who knew what would happen once Twilight taught her how to be a good friend? Ditzy fantasized about going on one of Twilight’s great adventures. How exciting it must be to be one of the elements of harmony, and a powerful unicorn to boot. In her sleep-deprived, bleary state, she imagined that she was helping Twilight defeat a manticore in the Everfree Forest, switching seamlessly to finding buried treasure off on some obscure island where it had been said The Great Dread Pirate Woona buried her treasure chest. Inside the coffer would be none other than the perfect muffin recipe, accentuated with a powerful scroll of…awesomeness… for Twilight.

With a sigh, and with sleep veiling her subconscious, Ditzy pictured what it would be like to actually be an element of harmony. To have such a huge impact on the world and actually mean something, that was more than the grey mare could ever dream.

With a slow, padded exhale, she finally fell back into voluminous ether.

~*~*~

The clock was mocking her, she was sure of it. Ditzy paced her living room eyeing a cherry wood, ironclad grandfather clock with disdain as it ticked teasingly-unhurried in the corner of the room. Ever since she had woken up, every second felt sluggish and doubled. She snorted as the clock hit 11:45, the indifferent minute hand unresponsive to her stare of death.

She’ll be here soon, she thought with an edge of nervousness. I wonder if she’ll be here exactly at noon. What if she comes a few minutes early? I’ll be unprepared!

A shadow darkened her eyes. What if she’s late? What would that mean? Maybe she’s already forgotten about me… I wouldn’t hold it against her. She’s still a very nice pony. Still… I hope she remembers about me.

Ditzy glanced uncertainly around her living room. While she paced, she decided to give the room a final quality check. It was small compared to the living space Twilight had, but Ditzy never had the pleasure of company, so the space in her own home was less needed. Still, adorning the humble room was a simple, beige couch with wooden hoof rails.

Next her focus fell onto her coffee table, placed in front of the couch was positioned in the direct center of the room. She peered, making sure there were no noticeable blemishes on the sparkling surface. Ditzy frowned when she saw a spot; she licked the front of her left hoof and scrubbed it clean. She blinked her eyes closed and hummed with delight when the stain was no more.

Beside the basic furniture, the rest of the room was rustically mundane. Yellow walls that matched her mane brought life and color in the room, while two potted peace lilies accented either side of the entrance from the parlor to the living room. Random knick knacks from her life stood upon shelves that were nailed into the wall. Everything seemed well-dusted, so that was another check off her list.

Satisfied that her room would meet Twilight’s standards, she forced herself to sit down to try and relax. After a few moments of tapping her forehooves together, she casually glanced over at the clock.

It read 11:44.

“Oh come on!” She groaned. She rushed over to the grandfather clock and stood on her hind legs so she could stand face-to-face with the trickster. Her voice fell into a low whisper.

“I don’t know who you think you are,” she began with eerie calmness; “I don’t know what you want. If you are looking for bits, I can tell you I don’t have much money. But what I do have are a very particular set of muffins; muffins I’ve accumulated over a lifetime. Muffins that make me a nightmare for clocks like you.” She leaned in until she was mere centimeters from the clock’s face.

“If you fix time now, that’ll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don’t…” She leaned in until her snout was touching the glass, “I will look for you, I will find you, and I will-“

“Ditzy?” She heard a voice call.

“Wah…?” Ditzy murmured, turning to face the invading voice. She snapped her gaze back to the clock. It read 12:00 on the dot. Ditzy backed off of the clock, giving it friendly pats on the side. “Atta clock!” She cheered. She made her way over to her parlor to let Twilight in.

She came face-to-face with Twilight, giving an odd stare at the door on the ground. The purple mare’s eyes reached up to Ditzy’s questionably.

Oops, forgot to fix that… Ditzy shrugged and decided to ignore it. “Oh, h-hey Twilight!”

“Hmm,” Twilight thought aloud, “why don’t we do this properly?” Her tongue angled out of her mouth in concentration as her horn lit up with the same purple light Ditzy saw yesterday. The mailmare’s eyes sparkled as she stood transfixed by the display. In an instant, Twilight took control of the door and moved it back up to its correct position.

“Aww…” She whispered with an edge of disappointment. Her ears perked up moments later as she heard three rhythmic knocks on the door. Suppressing excitement, she reached down to the door knob and pulled the door open the way it was meant to be; before her stood a beaming Twilight Sparkle. Her smile was infectious.

“Oh, hi Twilight!” she chimed, as if it was a pleasant surprise.

“Hey Ditzy,” Twilight responded, she too acting as if the previous greeting never transpired. “Thank you so much for having me over. I’ve been excited about it all morning!”

Ditzy’s eyes softened. “Aww, I’ve been excited too. Do you wanna come in?” She froze before the purple mare answered. “I-I didn’t wait too long did I? I mean, that’s what I’m supposed to do now, right? Invite you in?”

Twilight’s smile dropped to a more reserved one as she realized the amount of instruction the pegasus would require. “Yes Ditzy; you can relax around me. I’m already here as your friend.” Twilight gave Ditzy a supportive nod that stabilized her confidence.

Without further ado, Ditzy nodded in return and moved aside, beckoning for Twilight to enter her home. Twilight walked in and glanced around her place. “You have a lovely home, Ditzy.”

“I’m… just renting it right now,” Ditzy said, closing the front door. “But thank you! I don’t exactly get many guests, but I managed to clean a little before you got here.” The room fell silent as Twilight admired the simplicity of the foyer, taking a deep sniff of a potted flower. Ditzy was surprised at how calm she felt.

The mailmare’s eyes eventually fell upon a bag the Twilight was carrying. “Hey, what’s in the bag, Twilight?”

Twilight’s purple eyes gleamed. “I’m so glad you asked, Ditzy!” She glanced into Ditzy’s living room, and after a nod of approval, made her way over to her coffee table where she rested her pack. Ditzy followed close behind, scanning the mystery bag. Once Twilight had settled into her couch with a comfy sigh, she patted the cushion next to her; a clear signal to Ditzy that she was unable to catch.

“Ditzy?”

“Mm?”

“Care to join me?”

“Oh—right! Duh.” Ditzy pranced over and plopped down heavily into the cushion next to Twilight. The springs whined in protest as her momentum caused the mare bounce up and down.

Twilight gave an amused grin. “Ready?” she asked.

Ditzy inclined her head, but also was suppressing a semblance of enthused energy; similar to receiving a birthday present. “Ready for what?”

“This!” Twilight introduced, unfastening the clip on her bag. She used magic to take out its contents; a medium-sized book, about an inch or two thick with parchment pages. She magically lifted it right in front of Ditzy’s face so she could clearly read the title.

Ditzy squinted to read the purple book etched with black writing. “’An Ever-Expanding Guide to the Complexities and Virtues of Friendship’, by Twilight Sparkle.” Ditzy gasped and shot an incredulous glance over to the mare next to her. “That’s you!”

Twilight nodded with a modest smile. “Yup! In this book, I’ve written down everything I’ve learned about friendship over the past year in here Ponyville. It includes copies of every letter I’ve sent to Princess Celestia to update her on my findings.”

“So… this book can teach me about friendship?” Ditzy probed with rising confidence.

Twilight shrugged. “It should, and I’d be happy to help you through it.”

Ditzy hugged the book to her chest gently with her forelegs. “Wow Twilight…” Ditzy tried to maintain eye contact with her, but her stare involuntarily shifted from her to the tome. “I don’t know what to say.”

Twilight rested a hoof on Ditzy’s shoulder. “Don’t mention it. Keep it as long as you want.” They shared a moment of silence that was surprisingly not awkward for the mailmare; Twilight’s hoof comforted her.

“Can I read some of it now?” Ditzy asked.

“I don’t see why not,” Twilight affirmed; “it’s important to start learning as soon as possible.”

With a bright smile, Ditzy rested the book down on the glass coffee table and opened the front cover. The title was reiterated on the first page, along with a table of contents. Ditzy decided that she would just start at the very first entry. Twilight leaned against the wooden hoof rail, nestling into a more comfortable position. With pride, she watched Ditzy flip through her pages. The pegasus cleared her throat as she came upon the first entry.

“Dear Princess Celestia,” the passage began, “I’ve learned that one of the joys of friendship is sharing your blessings, but when there’s not enough blessings to go around, having more than your friends can make you feel pretty awful. So, though I appreciate the invitation, I will be returning both tickets for the Grand Galloping Gala.”

Ditzy flashed a disbelieving glance at Twilight. “You gave back tickets to the Gala!?”

“Well…um, yah, but I had-“

“That’s so unselfish of you!” Ditzy’s eyes sparkled.

Taken aback, Twilight narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. “Wh…what? You really think so? Most ponies thought I was crazy for returning tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala. I know the rest of my friends sure did.”

“But that’s what makes you kinda awesome,” Ditzy said. “You’re not like most ponies. When other ponies woulda been worried about going to the party themselves, you cared more about your friends.” Ditzy circled her forehooves around one another timidly. “T-that’s how I wanna be.”

Twilight was speechless for a rare moment; she hadn’t expected to be praised so illustriously. “There’s a bunch of ponies like that out there Ditzy. I’m not the only one.”

“Yah I guess….” Ditzy took a deep breath and let out a sigh. “But there was only one of that type of pony around when Derpy needed her.”

Twilight inclined her head. “Derpy? I thought you liked to be called Ditzy?”

Ditzy shrugged. “Sometimes I deserve it.”

“Deserve it…?” Twilight’s eyes glazed over for a brief second until it finally clicked for her and she frowned. “You don’t like it when ponies call you Derpy? You think it’s insulting?”

“What? No!” Ditzy reassured, but her voice cracked. “Well…not all the time.” She admitted, barely audible.

“Ditzy…” Twilight started, the sympathy in her tone hitting Ditzy hard.

No no no no no! Change the subject!

Ditzy cleared her throat. “So how did the story end?”

Twilight stared at her, debating whether to let the previous topic end. For a tense few seconds, Ditzy worried that Twilight was going to press deeper into the issue. Finally, Twilight gave a smile. “What do you mean?”

Ditzy wanted to give a sigh of relief but held it in. “You know, after you returned the tickets to the Princess?”

“Oh!” Twilight remembered. “Well my friends all tried to talk me out of giving her back the tickets, saying they didn’t care about going and just wanted me to be happy. As luck would have it, it only took about a minute before the Princess replied with a letter of her own…” Twilight paused for dramatic effect, “…with enough tickets for all my friends and I to go to the Gala together!”

“Wow!” Ditzy marveled. “That was an awesome lesson! It’s so simple that it’s almost like the moral was meant to be read and understood by children.”

Twilight smirked and chuckled. “I guess it might seem so.”

Ditzy closed the book to marvel at the cover once more, running a hoof over the smooth surface. “Do you mind if I… read it some more?”

Twilight shook her head. “Not at all, Ditzy; you can take your time.”

Brimming with excitement, Ditzy dove back into the book that shared so many lessons about friendship. Over the next thirty minutes, she read passage after passage with ease. Ditzy wasn’t the best reader, but the simple yet descriptive text captivated her and she found she was able to read it with no problem. Every now and then, Ditzy would reach a part where she’d want to know the backstory to it, and Twilight was more than happy to share her adventures.

After the book was closed, the conversation didn’t end; Ditzy was still fascinated with the first-hoof account of all of Twilight’s big adventures. Instead of making her feel small in comparison, Ditzy felt honored to be friends with a mare who had accomplished so much.

Twilight was almost finished with another one of her tales. “…and so I made it across the canyon just in time and everypony was safe from the hydra.”

Ditzy was on the edge of her seat, leaning in towards Twilight. “Oh my gosh! I can’t believe you’ve charged a hydra…”

“Yah, well…“ Twilight rubbed a hoof against the back of her neck and smiled nervously. “I had to make a distraction so my friends could get to safety. It’s not something I really thought about at the time.”

“Still, it’s more heroic than delivering mail,” Ditzy chuckled.

“Don’t sell yourself short, Ditzy,” Twilight nudged. “You do such a great job, and everypony loves getting the mail from you!”

Ditzy paused before a big goofy smile appeared on her face. “Ya really mean it?”

“Of course,” Twilight confirmed. “You have such a cheery and enthusiastic disposition; it’s always a joy to see you on my doorstep.”

Ditzy beamed with pride as her wings fluttered with nervous energy. So there are ponies out there that enjoy me delivering their mail? Yay!

“Thanks, Twilight! I don’t know what des-po-sition means, but I bet it’s something nice.”

Twilight snickered. “It means you’re always cheery and enthusiastic. You’re the type of mare that doesn’t let the small stuff bother you. I wish I could be more like that.”

Ditzy froze. Did she just say she wants to be more like me!? Before she even realized what she was doing, Ditzy was hovering over the couch hugging Twilight, her wings fluttering happily. Twilight was unable to move and her eyes bulged, constricted by Ditzy’s grasp.

“Too…tight…” Twilight eventually breathed out.

“Oh. OH!” Ditzy eased her death grip, allowing Twilight to take a deep, thankful lungful of air. Twilight was positioned with her forelegs pressed against her chest, so she was unable to return the hug. “Sorry, I’m still getting used to this.”

“No, it’s okay; you just caught me a little off guard.” Twilight smiled to reassure her statement. After a beat, she glanced towards the ground. “C-can you put me down now?”

Ditzy obliged and with surprising grace, deposited Twilight back onto the couch cushion. She then rocketed back into the air and suddenly folded her wings, and did a cannon ball right into her cushion. The couch shook, but the wood held. Ditzy giggled as she was bounced up and down.

Twilight watched with amusement. “You know, you’re a lot stronger than you look.” Ditzy looked at her with dubious eyes. “You could even give Applejack a run for her money.”

The farm pony? Ditzy blushed at the compliment, and gave a nonchalant shrug. “I basically walk for a living so I get lots of exercise, especially when I’m carrying heavy packages.”

“That makes sense. You make me look like a weakling; I’m not really known for my athletic abilities.”

“Well your magic is pretty awesome… ten billion zillion times stronger than any normal pegasus.”

Twilight rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “Hmm… I guess that makes us about even.”

“Even Steven!” Ditzy enjoyed the sound of being an equal to Twilight. They both shared a short laugh and their conversation continued on to a variety of topics. Ditzy ran through the complexities of the mail service industry, which Twilight was interested in learning. Every now and again, she would ask Ditzy a question that reaffirmed her genuine curiosity. She ran down her average daily route, along with the procedures for special packages, such as ones that were too big to transport on her back.

Before Ditzy knew it, two hours had passed and she had run over almost everything she knew about her job. Likewise, Twilight had expounded the average life of a librarian. It wasn’t an official job for Twilight; her efforts were more focalized on her studies of friendship. But the magical unicorn took on the added responsibility of keeping the library in working condition, and she was glad to help anypony who stopped by.

Around mid-afternoon, the conversation was interrupted by Ditzy’s stomach growling.

“Oh…heh.” Ditzy gave a single nervous laugh, embarrassed. “I guess I’m kinda hungry.”

“Me too. Want to go somewhere to eat?” Twilight asked.

I would, but I don’t exactly have that many bits…

“I could just make something for us!” Ditzy offered.

Twilight raised her eyebrows, clearly impressed. “You know how to cook?”

Ditzy giggled as flashbacks of food disasters filled her thoughts. “Kinda. I’m more of a baker, but I can make some simple stuff like salads and sandwiches. Is that something you would want?”

Twilight smiled and nodded. “Whatever you make is good enough for me. I wouldn’t want to impose.”

Ditzy gave a salute. “Salad and muffins it is!”

Twilight stared at her quizzically. “…Muffins?"

Ditzy sprinted towards the kitchen, and momentarily paused to beckon to Twilight. “Come on!”

~*~*~

The sun’s light angled in from the window and provided ample illumination for the simple kitchen. The window, open to the world outside, brought in a soft draft that made Ditzy shiver with delight. From her refrigerator, she picked up a bag of fresh lettuce leaves; the moisture condensing inside the bag provided a vivacious glow to the vibrant plant. To accent the salad with more variety, she took out several carrots, sliced cucumbers, two whole apples, and a container of a simple vinaigrette dressing.

Leaning up on her hind legs, she used her teeth to open up one of the cupboards above her counter. She pulled out two bowls and set them aside. Carefully she began assembling the salad lunch for Twilight and herself, making sure not to cut herself on the knife as she cut the apples into bite sized pieces.

Ditzy brought the finished product over to her kitchen table on a trey, and set it down gently in the middle. Twilight was sitting in one of the chairs, eyeing the salad with sparkling eyes. “Oooh, it looks really good Ditzy!” Twilight said, before her stomach growled causing Ditzy to chuckle. “And my stomach agrees,” Twilight recovered.

“Thanks,” Ditzy grinned, “I’ve had a little bit of practice.” She took her seat in the one opposite her friend. Ditzy grabbed one of the bowls for herself while Twilight used magic to bring her bowl and a fork over to her. Licking her lips, Ditzy poured some of the vinaigrette onto the fresh salad. The tangy aroma proved to be too much for the winged mare to resist, and she immediately began chomping at her salad. It quickly became messy as salad chunks and carrot pieces flew out of the bowl.

Twilight ate at a more reserved pace, using magic to control the fork and eating each lettuce leaf thoroughly before swallowing. About halfway through her meal, Ditzy glanced up from her bowl with a mouthful of salad. Dressing, shreds of carrot, and a cucumber slice matted her muzzle. She noticed Twilight was giving a very far-away, amused smile.

“What?” She asked while chewing. Twilight blinked, and instantly her gaze cleared as she shook her head.

“Oh, I’m sorry if I was staring. I tend to space out sometimes. By the way you’ve got a little something…” Twilight pointed to her face, but the effort was futile as she came to the conclusion that Ditzy must’ve been wearing half of her salad by this point. “…everywhere,” she finished with a giggle.

Ditzy’s spirit soared when she heard Twilight laugh. It was the good kind of laughing—with her, not at her. It made her blush sheepishly while she tried to fix her appearance. “Heh, sorry about that… I’ve always been sort of a messy eater.” Ditzy frantically rubbed her muzzle with a hoof until it was clean.

Twilight shrugged. “Hey, I’m not going to judge. If it wasn’t for my magic, I’d probably eat just as messy…well, almost as messy. ”

“Pssh, not even close!” Ditzy chortled. “So if I’m gunna bake muffins after this, I’ll need to know which type you want.”

Twilight finished munching on a carrot before answering. “Muffins, hmm? Well, what flavors can you make?” A look of apprehension clouded Twilight’s visage as Ditzy began a long, drawn out intake of air that became progressively louder.

“Almond muffins, apple muffins, apple oat muffins, applesauce muffins, banana chocolate chip muffins, banana muffins, banana nut muffins, blueberry muffins, bran muffins, carrot muffins, cherry muffins, chocolate chip muffins, cinnamon muffins, corn muffins, cranberry muffins, flax seed muffins, ginger muffins, honey rhubarb muffins, oatmeal muffins, orange muffins, peanut butter muffins, pineapple muffins, pumpkin muffins, raisin muffins, raspberry muffins, squash muffins, strawberry muffins aaaaaannnndddd zucchini muffins.”

Afterwards, Ditzy took a dramatic breath, satisfied that she managed to complete the list without breathing. Twilight was looking at her dumbly, frozen from shock. “Those all exists? You didn’t make some of those up?”

Ditzy quickly nodded. “Mhmm! Those are all the popular ones. I could list the more uncommon ones if you’d like?”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “Uh… no, that shouldn’t be necessary. How about… blueberry muffins?”

Ditzy gave an off-hoof salute. “Roger dodger!”

Once they had completed their salads, Twilight floated the dishes into the sink and began running water over them. While she busied herself with the cleanup, Ditzy brought out the ingredients necessary to bake the muffins. She reached over and pre-heated the oven to the perfect temperature.

By now, Twilight had finished and had joined Ditzy over near the counter, watching her work. “Hey Ditzy?”

“Mm?” She mumbled through a wooden spoon in her mouth.

“Do you mind if I use your bathroom?”

“Go ahead Twilight. It’s down the hallway, and you have to walk through my room to get to it. It’s the room on the left.”

Twilight thankfully smiled. “Okay then, be right back.”

Ditzy nodded and resumed her work as Twilight trotted away. She began with mixing the flour and baking soda into a fine mixture. To ensure the powder was properly mixed, she sealed the bowl with a lid and began bouncing around the room. She giggled when she stopped because the room was spinning, and she wobbled around her kitchen. Finally she was able to maintain her balance, and she set the bowl down on the counter.

The process of making muffins was a simple one: butter, eggs, and sugar were beaten brutally by Ditzy’s unforgiving wooden spoon until a sticky, gooey paste was all that remained. Content with the consistency, she began the secondary process of sprinkling the flour-baking soda mixture in, stopping every few seconds to stir it in. As the batter became more resistant to Ditzy’s aggression, she added milk to soften it.

She hummed a tune while she worked; her eyes closed so that the batter in the bowl wouldn’t fly up and blind her as some form of revenge. The wooden spoon clanked haphazardly against the side of the ceramic bowl, resonating around the room. She finally spat it out when she was satisfied that the batter was finally malleable and compliant. When the batter was complete, she added the pièce de résistance: the blueberries.

She poured it into muffin tins, which always turned out to be more trouble than it’s worth. Without the aid of magic, Ditzy was confined to using her maw to tip over the bowl while, at the same time, guiding the deliciousness inside to the proper holders. The process took an immense amount of mouth-to-eye coordination which Ditzy still hadn’t been able to master. The result was a mess of epic proportion, but at least most of the mixture usually managed to get inside the right slots. Usually.

Ditzy set down the bowl to admire her handiwork: the muffin trey was coated in a thin layer of muffin batter. She used her hoof to clean around the edges and in between the muffins so when they cooked, they wouldn’t form one giant mega-muffin. Ditzy had tried doing that once before, but the result had been that the muffin top hadn’t cooked all the way through, being far too dense. The baking soda in the mixture built up pressure within the giant muffin, and when Ditzy tried to bite into it… boom.

This batch of muffins was far more manageable, and she easily perfected the amount of batter in each tin. She opened her oven and slid the trey in. Ditzy nodded with gratification because she knew that in a little under thirty minutes, Twilight and she would be able to munch on yummy muffins.

Speaking of Twilight, where is she? It’s been a few minutes…

She glanced down her hallway, hearing nothing but silence. Worriedly, she trotted down the short hallway and angled towards her room. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw Twilight standing in her room; her back was turned and she was leaning over something, studying it closely.

“Twilight?” Ditzy called.

Twilight jerked upright, startled by the introduction of a voice behind her. She spun around and a relieved expression melted over her face. “Oh… I’m sorry Ditzy. You kind of snuck up on me there.”

“S-sorry! I uhm… didn’t mean to…” Ditzy shrank.

“No, it’s my fault. Don’t worry about it,” Twilight smiled.

“What are you doing anyway? I was beginning to think you got lost.”

A light blush formed over Twilight’s face. “Oh. I hope you don’t mind—I was studying your room. I noticed a few bumps on the ceiling and wanted to use deductive reasoning as to how they formed. But then I found this—“ Twilight pointed towards Ditzy’s picture frame, “—and I was wondering if you could tell me about it?”

“Oh!” Ditzy beamed. “I mean, do you really wanna hear it? It’s not that interesting…”

“I’m sure you’re just being modest,” Twilight smiled, and pointed to the picture. “Who are the other mares in the picture?”

Ditzy grinned as heartfelt memories flooded her system. She walked over to her dresser and stared at the picture lovingly. Before she answered Twilight, she studied the photo, remembering every single moment of that day.

In the frame was a scene of a picnic on a bright, sunny day. Ditzy was with two other ponies: a small, grey unicorn filly with a yellow mane that matched her eyes and a mid-adolescent unicorn mare with a pink coat and a purple mane. They were all smiling brightly and posing for the picture in a loose hug.

With care, Ditzy moved a hoof across the top of her dresser, bringing the picture closer. Her eyes narrowed as she studied it. “She looks just like me, right?” Ditzy asked rhetorically, smiling down at the picture.

Twilight gasped in understanding, then a big smiled spread across her face. “She’s your daughter? Oh my goodness, that’s amazing! I didn’t know you were a mother! What’s her name?”

Ditzy and Twilight shared eye contact. “Dinky Doo. Isn’t she so beautiful?”

Twilight inspected the picture and nodded. “She sure is! Wow, this is incredible Ditzy. I’d love to meet her. But who’s the other mare in the picture?”

Ditzy took another glance down at the picture, and her smile widened.

She’ll probably think it is weird, but…

“That’s Sparkler, my other daughter.” Ditzy stroked the picture lovingly.

Twilight’s jaw dropped. “Two daughters!?” she gasped. Twilight frowned and studied the picture again. Sparkler was almost fully grown, and she had trouble grasping the logicality of how Ditzy could have a daughter so old.

Ditzy was already ready with the answer. “I adopted her from a Canterlot orphanage about a year and a half ago.”

Twilight looked back to Ditzy with newfound respect. “You…you did? Would you mind telling the story?”

Ditzy’s cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling so much, so she forced the smirk down to a more reserved, though proud, one. Thinking of her daughters always managed to fill her with such warmth, love, and tranquility. Ditzy wondered how to start.

“Well, about a year and a half ago on a Saturday, I was given a special assignment from my boss at work. Outgoing mail is usually handled by the unicorns, ‘cuz they could just poof the mail to a different town.” It was a bit more complex than that, but she had already gone over the system earlier with Twilight so she didn’t feel the need to bring it back up.

“Well that day, some specialty mail needed to be delivered to Canterlot, and there weren’t any unicorns available, so they gave the job to me. I was pretty excited when I heard that I was going to be able to fly to Canterlot… like… REALLY excited! So I packed my mailbag quickly and before I knew it I was in the air making my way towards the capital.

“It was a lot farther away then I realized. I can fly pretty fast, but it still took me a few hours to get there. When I finally got there though, it was all worth it! I hadn’t been to Canterlot since I was just a filly, so it was exciting to see it all again. Well, once I had dropped the mail off at the local post office, I didn’t really want to leave so fast. So I stayed around for a bit and went to all the old places that I remember from my childhood.”

Twilight was captivated, unable to move or breathe deeply for fear she might miss a part of Ditzy’s tale.

“Then…” Ditzy frowned, “I saw a mare—Sparkler—being picked on by two colts in one of the alleyways. Well, I got kinda mad because she was being teased and—“ Ditzy caught herself; she had almost said because it had reminded her of being teased when she was a filly. “…a-and no pony deserves to be teased. So I flew down and made the mean colts go away. The colts called her an ‘unloved orphan’ before they ran off.”

Twilight gasped. “That’s just terrible!”

Ditzy raised a hoof to halt Twilight. “Wait; don’t worry, this has a happy ending.” She assured with a smile.

“Where was I…? Oh! Well after they went away, Sparkler was crying and I wanted to make her feel better, so I took her out to lunch. We eventually spent the whole day together! That…” Ditzy paused, her eyes instantly watering in remembrance “…THAT, was a good day. She and I formed a bond that day that I had reserved only for Dinky. I didn’t know I could love like that again. I flew back to Ponyville that night, and the very next day I flew myself and Dinky back to Canterlot. Sparkler has been my daughter ever since.”

Ditzy wasn’t really focused on Twilight, but her gaze shifted when she heard a sniffing noise. Her eyes rose to Twilight’s which were puffy and red, gentle tears rolling down her face.

“Ditzy, that’s an amazing story. You’re so… so…” Twilight paused, unable to think of a suitable adjective.

Ditzy’s eyes softened and allowed the sentence to go unfinished. “Thank you, Twilight. I love them both so much…” Ditzy pushed the picture frame back to its original position. After Twilight had calmed down, another question bubbled to her lips.

“Hey, where are they now?”

Ditzy hesitated, and then gave a long sigh. “They’re both in Canterlot, participating in a summer camp program that Sparkler used to do when she was just a filly. Dinky had never done something like that before, and she really wanted to go. Sparkler was old enough to be an assistant counselor, and I thought that it’d be a good experience for her. They’ll be back in two weeks.”

Ditzy held back a tremor as she repressed worrisome thoughts. “Ever since Sparkler became family, she has been such a good big sister to Dinky: she walks her to and from school, plays with her, and even watches her when I have to work late. I know I shouldn’t worry about them, because I know they look out for each other, but still…” Ditzy trailed off.

Twilight walked over and put a supportive hoof on her shoulder. “There’s no need to worry. Canterlot is the safest city in all of Equestria. Even as we speak, they’re probably having the time of their lives.”

Ditzy looked up and met Twilight’s wavering eyes. After a few moments, Ditzy’s eyes became unfocused as a new memory resurfaced. “You know what?” Ditzy asked, barely above a whisper.

“What?”

“Sparkler…” Ditzy felt tears coming on, so she had to pause for a few moments to fight the urge to cry. “Sparkler called me mom for the first time right before she left.”

That was it; she was unable to hold back the tears as the fond memory engulfed her. Warm tears rolled down her cheeks in a steady stream as she shut her eyes to minimize the flood. “I-I…I just miss them s-so much…”

Ditzy felt a hoof glide across her withers and over her chest. She opened her right eye and saw Twilight hugging her from the side. It turned into a full hug as Ditzy wrapped her forelegs around her. She rested her head on Twilight shoulder and squeezed tighter, taking special care to not hurt her like before. Slowly, she felt Twilight rubbing her back. In the embrace, Ditzy felt more peaceful than she could ever remember.

“They’ll be back before you know it, and until they do, I’ll be here to keep you company; whenever you need me.”

Ditzy wanted to see Twilight’s face so she pushed away from the hug, but kept the embrace intact. With that shared stare that could’ve frozen time itself, Ditzy knew a true friendship had been born.

Ding. The kitchen timer went off.

Twilight smiled. “Come on, let’s go get some muffins.”

The Trails We Follow

If the three months since Twilight had known Ditzy taught her anything, it was to be patient. While a joy to be around, certain habitus behaviors still eluded the mailmare’s grasp of comprehension. In some ways, Twilight found the experience steadily rewarding; never before had she met another mare whose thirst for knowledge—to better herself—rivaled her own. Twilight and Ditzy may have been on different tiers when it came to understanding, but they were partners in where it mattered most: passion.

And so Twilight had begun to instruct her friend on how to read and write, as the mare wished. It was no simple task. Twilight soon realized she would have to go all the way back to the basics, starting out with how individual letters could have multiple sounds. Ditzy was quite proficient with this; reading children’s picture books had given her a firm, if not rudimentary, understanding of the sub-subject.

After the first lesson, days melted by where Ditzy would come over every day after work to study with Twilight. On their breaks, they would take walks around Ponyville. Twilight especially enjoyed those moments—Ditzy’s true nature blossomed when out in the open, like in the park. The mailmare always held to an air of blissful unawareness that Twilight began to realize was unvaryingly contagious. The unicorn would cherish those memories as long as she lived.

Before long the two became inseparable, spending almost all their free time together. Ditzy made it a second hobby to help Twilight around the library, where she became even better friends with Spike. Twilight’s number one assistant even took a few hours to teach Ditzy the ins and outs of the shelving and alphanumeric system that kept the books in order. Within a few tries, Ditzy was able to masterfully reshelf books without knocking any other shelves over.

Holding true to their words, the remaining elements of harmony eagerly accepted Ditzy into the fold, however none was more excited than Pinkie Pie, save Twilight. The pink pony threw Ditzy a friendship party, and with a unanimous decision was proclaimed the best party ever.

All was eclipsed when Sparkler and Dinky returned to Ponyville. That day, Ditzy was so anxious that she spent the night pacing around Twilight’s living room while the unicorn urged her to get some sleep. Forever cruel, the slow tick of the clock on the wall provided too much of a distraction. When the dawn was finally ushered in, Ditzy was the first pony at the train station; Twilight elected to stay behind. Although she wasn’t present, she could imagine the whole thing: Ditzy would’ve been rocking back and forth on her hooves anxiously as the train came to a complete stop. Her eyes would grow wide as the passenger door opened, and she would have sprinted once she caught even the slightest glance of her daughters.

Then she probably tripped. Probably.

Twilight let out a dreamy sigh as she pictured the entire event unfolding. Of course Ditzy had told her all about it when the lot of them came over later that night. It was the first time Twilight ever met Dinky or Sparkler officially; of course there had been times where she would spot them around Ponyville, but gave them no more attention than the unnoticed beating of her own heart.

Quite an impression was made; Twilight liked both Sparkler and Dinky for a variety of reasons. Little Dinky was smart for her age, enthusiastically showing Twilight the small feats she could perform with magic. Sparkler produced a weathered feather—one that obviously was used to practice for some time—and Dinky would push it across the floor, chasing after it. Twilight watched with great amusement as Dinky tumbled over herself all around the room, like a cat chasing a catnip-filled toy.

While Ditzy was playing with her younger daughter, Sparkler joined Twilight on the couch and gave a proper introduction. It was hard to believe that Sparkler was still just a teenager by how mature she acted; if Twilight didn’t know better, she would have assumed the pink unicorn was her age. Over a small dinner, both Dinky and Sparkler took turns regaling the details of their adventure over the summer. Every now and again, Twilight would slyly peak over to Ditzy and see her wearing the goofiest, proudest smile.

In the days that followed, Twilight saw much less of Ditzy. When the busy mailmare wasn’t working, she was spending time with her children. She was surprised how much she missed Ditzy during that period; the library rang with an unusual quietness that not even Spike’s grumbling could offset. It was a constant reminder of how much Twilight’s life had changed, and how much she missed the mailmare.

Then, to her enthusiastic astonishment, Ditzy and her daughters surprised Twilight at her home in the middle of the week.

“Ditzy!” Twilight had shouted, with a little more pep than she meant. “I thought you had to go to work today?”

To this, Ditzy smiled—one that Twilight always admired for its honesty. “Yah, I had work.” Ditzy giggled, and gestured with her eyes outside the door. Twilight followed her gaze and was double-surprised to find the rest of her friends behind the pegasus, each with a different accessory that collectively shouted ‘let’s go have a picnic!’

And that’s what they did. Ditzy, Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Sparkler, Spike, and Dinky all went to the park for a picnic to welcome in autumn. If such a thing as a perfect day existed, it would’ve been that day. Surrounded by her friends, new and old, Twilight couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment; were she the same pony she had been in Canterlot, she wouldn’t have been encircled by eight amazing ponies (plus a number one assistant). It’s one of the bonds her and Ditzy shared—the journey from nothing to friendship.

After that day, visits became more frequent. Not just Ditzy, but Sparkler and Dinky took an interest in the magical mare as well. They would often accompany their mother whenever she went over to the library, and it eventually got to the point where it became a second home. On the days Ditzy had to work late, Sparkler would pick up Dinky from school and they’d both go right over to Twilight’s, helping her and Spike in whatever ways they could. As the time of day Dinky and Sparkler returned to the library turned almost into a daily ritual, Twilight finally unveiled a surprise that she had been working on for the whole previous week: a guest room. Twilight and Spike worked tirelessly to turn their basement from disheveled laboratory filled with outdated science equipment and dusty tomes into a working, contemporary bedroom. Ditzy, Dinky, and Sparkler were now free to spend the night whenever it was more convenient for them.

As is the psychological process of life, a routine was quickly established. On most days, Ditzy and her daughters would wake up in their own house in the early morn—Ditzy preparing to go to work, while Sparkler was readying Dinky for school. Once the mailmare departed, after eating a healthy breakfast, Sparkler would walk her little sister to Cheerilee’s school, and then do whatever random activity she wanted for that day. It typically involved hanging out with her friends Berry Punch and Colgate.

After Dinky was finished for the day, her big sister was always there—standing in the exact same spot outside the school yard—smiling and waiting for Dinky to tell her about her day. As they talked, they’d head over to Twilights’ and help out when and where they could, often assisting Spike with his assistant duties. Ditzy would finally get off work about five hours past high noon and fly directly to the library, where she’d get to spend time with her family (which Ditzy now included Twilight and Spike). On normal days, they’d eat a simple dinner together, which became more elaborate as Spike and Sparkler combined their culinary minds. Ditzy, Dinky, and Sparkler would go home soon after and the process would repeat again.

Alternatively, on days that Ditzy had to work late, Sparkler and Dinky would spend the night at Twilight’s and the process would start from there. This occurrence only happened once or twice a week, but Twilight always waited for Ditzy to get home before she went to bed herself. On some nights, this was no small task; the mailmare occasionally had intercity deliveries where she wouldn’t return to Ponyville until two hours after midnight. Twilight was always up though, and always eager to welcome Ditzy home.

Today was no different. Twilight casually peered up from her book to the clock. It read two hours past noon, which meant Dinky would be getting off school soon. A frown creased her forehead when she noticed books scattered in piles across the floor. She berated herself for being so unaware of her surroundings while she studied.

“Spike!” she called, carefully stepping over a lesser stack of literature. Spike peaked his head over the second floor banister.

“Yah?” he answered.

“Why are there more books on the ground than on shelves?”

Spike blinked sheepishly. “Oh, sorry about that... Sparkler promised she would help me organize ‘em when she gets here today.”

“Fine,” Twilight sighed. She’d have to wait until her precious library was pieced back together like a puzzle. It wasn’t even the mess that discomforted her, it was the knowledge she wouldn’t be able to find a particular book in a timely fashion. What if the Princess suddenly sent forth a letter demanding familiarity with northern Griffin societies, or how to properly construct a shed? Surely Equestria would fall into ruin if Twilight failed to locate the proper reading materials.

She passive-aggressively huffed at a layer of dust that had begun accumulating on one of the mounds. The vexatious dust specks glittered prettily once they crossed the beams of sunlight coming in through the window, before vanishing on cue; out of sight, out of existence. Progressively, Twilight began to delve into what deep meaning she could find from this—something about how life is but a brief speck, to be shown down upon in utter brilliance, and flippantly snuffed out, the light itself uncaring of which speck it showed favor to.

She wrinkled her nose. Jeez, I’m bored.

A half-yawn, half-sigh escaped her chest as she walked towards the kitchen. She used her horn to creak open a few of the more reliable cabinets. If she pressed herself, she would be able to concoct a decent meal for tonight. One uncaring sniff later, and she leaned out the kitchen towards the stairwell. “Spike, what are we making for dinner tonight?”

“We?” Came the exaggerated, even horrified reply. “Twilight, I thought I wouldn’t have to remind you what happened last time you tried to make something.”

Twilight made a face, even though Spike wasn’t in view. “Oh hush, you know what I meant.”

“So you meant what am I going to cook for dinner?” The notion was almost cocky, daring Twilight to challenge it.

A beat. Twilight rolled her eyes, but gave it to him. “Yes Spike. I was only asking because I noticed we don’t exactly have that many groceries to work with.”

“There’s that ‘we’ again.” Spike peaked down from upstairs, eyebrows raised, amused.

Twilight’s face contorted into a menacing growl. “It’s a stipulative phrase!”

“Okay, okay, no need to get your horn in a slump.” Spike clunked down the stairs. “And I don’t know what we’ll have. Sparkler and I always think of something though.”

On cue, a gentle three knocks tapped on the front door. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief at the knowledge the floor would be uncluttered very soon. “Come in you two, you know it’s open.”

The door was pushed open with an expected creak as a pink unicorn pony with a short-cut purple mane walked in, snickering to herself. On her back, facing the opposite direction, sat a tiny bluish-grey unicorn filly who was attentively trying to catch her sister’s tail. Sparkler kept flicking it away teasingly, only to brush it across the little one’s nose. A round of giggles was shared between the two fillies as Dinky caught hold of her objective.

“Hey Twilight, Spike,” Sparkler greeted warmly, closing the door behind her.

“Hi Miss Twilight, hi Spike!” Dinky accompanied hurriedly, as if caught by surprise. She hopped off down her sister and trotted over to give Twilight a hug. The unicorn craned her neck down and nuzzled the little filly.

“Good afternoon, you two. How was the walk over?” Twilight ask casually.

“We saw a cloud!” Dinky shouted, far too enthusiastic for such an ordinary observation. Twilight and Spike shared a look.

“…And what was so cool about the cloud?” Sparkler led.

“Oh, oh! It was—umm... oh! It was shaped like a muffin!”

Sparkler chuckled and refocused on Twilight. “Mom would be pleased.”

Twilight nodded. “Speaking of her, do you know when she’s getting off work? If you two need to spend the night here, I’ll need to clean the room.”

“I think mommy’s working late today,” Dinky answered.

Sparkler nodded in agreement with her sister. “She is. She has to make a delivery to Trottingham soon.”

Twilight wanted to cringe. That meant another late night for her. She held face though, and smiled. “Alright, well dinner tonight is up in the air, but we’ll figure that out a bit later. In the meantime, Sparkler can you help Spike fix this yard-sale-that-used-to-be-a-library? It’d be nice to be able to walk through here without tripping.”

Sparkler chuckled apologetically. “Uh… sorry about the mess, I should’ve known that reorganizing a part of the library meant the books would have to go somewhere. We’ll get that fixed right away, right Spike?”

“Sure thing!” Spike agreed. The two walked off to the library side of the room, leaving Twilight and Dinky in the living area.

“What can I do, Ms. Twilight?” Dinky asked, enthused and hopping. Twilight followed her up and down motion with her eyes.

“You can come help me get your guys’ room ready. Come on,” Twilight beckoned. With her eyes smiling as much as her mouth, the little filly eagerly followed her down into the basement (which, Twilight realized, would sound very weird out of context).

With a nudge of magic, Twilight opened the guestroom’s door. She always had to admire her own handy work; not to brag, but to congratulate herself on completing a task that was more brawn than brain—renovating. Both she and Spike were very proud of their work, considering the size of the room. Since it had been a research lab entertaining no greater host than the spiders that spun their sinuous webs, much of the space was open floor. It still provided the rudimentary necessities: two beds—one double bed for Dinky and Sparkler and a single for Ditzy—were spaced evenly on the back wall, separated by a large night stand. Two desks were also in the room that were used when Twilight was teaching Ditzy how to read and write, and when Dinky did her homework. The final accent to the room was a simple—and completely inane—closet that remained empty.

Dinky rushed past Twilight to her big bed, which was still unmade from the previous time the two sisters spent the night. Hopping up was a bit of a hassle for the tiny filly; the bed was raised to a point where she had to hop up like a cat. As she displaced more body weight, the springs on the bed rocked her up and down. She giggled in a way that reminded Twilight how similar she was to her mother.

The elder unicorn was amused. “So are you going to help me make the bed, or are you going to keep bouncing until I get you a trampoline?”

“Bouncing sounds fun,” Dinky replied with fake haughtiness. She stopped suddenly and eyed the empty space in the room. “Actually, a trampoline just might fit in here.” A twinkle glinted in her eye as she turned back to Twilight.

The purple mare couldn’t help but chuckle at the silliness of it all. “Or I could just use a magic spell to turn every surface into a trampoline. Then you could just bounce where ever.”

“Gives a whole new meaning to bouncing off walls,” Dinky said and grinned, not missing a beat.

Quick-witted, this one. “We’ll see if a trampoline room fits into the future design plans of the library,” Twilight giggled sarcastically. “Until then…” In one swift motion, Twilight scooped up a rather-surprised Dinky with her magic and levitated her slightly above the bed. The little unicorn wriggled and twisted around, flailing her limbs in an attempt to fight away the magic. Her limbs went limp as she finally gave in. Once she stopped struggling, Twilight eased Dinky to the opposite side of the bed. They both giggled as Dinky was released, landing on the bed with another solid bounce. Together they made the bed, Dinky using her teeth and hooves to pull the sheets, and Twilight using her magic. It went a lot slower than it would’ve been if it had been just Twilight, but she was patient. The finished product was nothing suited for a princess, but perfect all the same.

Twilight venerated their handiwork. “Soon, you’ll be able to do it with magic too.”

Dinky lit up. “You really think so?”

“You still doing those practices I showed you?”

“Mhmm!” Dinky nodded enthusiastically. “Mommy says I’m getting good.”

Twilight rustled her mane. “Mommy is right.”

“You wanna see, you wanna see?” Dinky asked. Twilight knew it didn’t matter what she said; Dinky was going to show her.

Twilight didn’t mind. She somewhat felt responsible for Dinky’s rising abilities, like a teacher would. Dinky squeaked excitedly and ran over to her desk, where the simple magical exercise was already set up. Twilight decided that it’d be best for Dinky to start off on the same exercise Princess Celestia had started her on: nothing fancy, it was a ramp with a very shallow slope. A round object such as a marble would be placed at the top, and the objective would be to see how long you could keep it from reaching the base. In Twilight’s case, the balls would get progressively heavier, and the ramp steeper. The goal to aim for was to build magical strength, much like working out.

Dinky set two marbles at the top. Twilight raised her eyebrows as Dinky looked back at her with a smug grin.

“Two, Dinky? Sure you can handle?” Twilight asked.

“Guess we’ll find out. What’s life without taking risks?”

Look out, we got a bad filly over here. Twilight stifled a giggle. “Alright, whenever you’re ready.”

Complete concentration melted onto the young filly’s face. Once she resembled the emotionality of a brick wall, she nudged the two spheres over the tipping point. Instantly Dinky’s face contorted in strain as she forced the magic out of her horn. A sparkling grey aura penetrated the marbles at about 75 percent the way up. They shimmered and wobbled unsteadily, but they sank no further.

Twilight widened her eyes, watching with new focus. She hadn’t actually expected the filly to be able to hold two marbles; such a feat would be comparable to Twilight lifting two boulders, which Twilight could do, but the strain would be immense. It wasn’t the weight that dazzled Twilight; it was the dispersion of magic. To be able to mentally focus magic on two objects at once isn’t something Twilight had planned on teaching her for at least a few days.

Still, the tension soon became apparent as the marbles inevitably began their descent, much to Dinky’s fret. Finally they came to a rest at the bottom after a minute struggle. Twilight's smile only widened.

“Wow, you weren’t kidding when you say you’ve been practicing.”

Dinky was panting and a bead of sweat ran down her temple, but she managed to give a small smile. “R-really? I did good? I just want to be as good as you.”

“You’re on your way,” Twilight promised.

Dinky smiled bright as she set the marbles back up for anther go, but a loud thumping interrupted her thought. Twilight glanced curiously upstairs, where she heard the noise coming from. “Hang on Dinky, I’m going to go see what that is. You can keep practicing.”

“Alright Ms. Twilight,” Dinky acknowledged.

Twilight made her way up the stairwell as the thumping increased to a sporadic pounding. Twilight quickened her pace at the sense of urgency. As she entered the house proper, she recognized it as the front door that was being banged on. Spike was already moving to answer it. The door flew open, and in stumbled Pinkie Pie, who did a face plant.

Twilight, Sparkler, and Spike shared weird stares. Twilight approached the pink pony. “Pinkie, what are you—“

“Twilight!” Pinkie shouted, bolting upright. “It happened again!”

Twilight let that hang unanswered in the air a moment before inability to remember frustrated her. “What happened, Pinkie? Why are you shouting?”

Suddenly Pinkie started vibrating violently up and down. She tried to talk during it. “See – e – e – ee?” The spasm halted, and then Pinkie forced herself to take a breath. “It’s my Pinkie Sense, Twilight! Don’t you remember what it means when my whole body shakes?”

Spike gasped and started shaking, mortally fearful of the Pinkie Sense. “L-last time that happened, we almost got chomped by a hydra!”

“What!?” Sparkler gasped.

“But it was me last time, remember?” Twilight recalled. “Last time it was a ‘doozy’, and the doozy turned out to be me accepting Pinkie’s unexplainable ability.”

“Yah, but what is it this time?” Spike asked, growing apprehensive.

Twilight turned to Pinkie, all business. “Pinkie Pie, the last time this happened you had some idea of the general whereabouts that the doozy would occur. Is there anything you can tell me about this one?”

“Umm…” Pinkie squeezed her head, and squinted in concentration. “Y…yes I think so…” her eyes squinted even tighter. “Something to do with…weather! And… Tournant Hill.” Pinkie sagged to the ground, letting all the focus melt.

The place Tournant Hill was on the precipice of Twilight’s memory, but she couldn’t exactly remember where it was.

One problem at a time… Twilight thought. “Spike, bring me that book Unique and Unusual Weather, please.”

“Already on it!” Spike said, halfway up one of the ladders. After a few deft claw flicks, he spotted the blue-binded book and carried it over to Twilight desk. Without exchanging words, Twilight opened the book and began reviewing the index. “What are you looking for?”

“Any weather that could be considered a ‘doozy’,” Twilight stated flatly.

“But I don’t get it…” Spike paced. “It’s a beautiful day out, and the forecast is clear! How can there be a weather-related doozy today?”

Twilight sighed with impatience. “I don’t know Spike, but I’m not taking any chances, now let’s see here…”

Twilight began scrolling through the book, looking for any type of peculiar weather that has been known to be unpredictable in forecasts. Each one seemed unlikely to be anywhere near Ponyville, due to the town’s comparatively low altitude equated to sea level. As she searched, Sparkler passed behind her and went deeper into the library. Twilight didn’t pay attention to it, as she was too deep in thought.

“This doesn’t make sense; there’s nothing here that could be that damaging…” Twilight sighed with growing hopelessness. “Pinkie, are you sure there’s nothing else you can tell us?”

Pinkie shrugged apologetically. “I’m sorry Twilight, you know that’s not how it works.”

“Twilight?” A little voice called. All eyes shifted towards the basement stairs as Dinky entered the room. “Something’s wrong.”

Twilight approached her, a bit shocked at the filly’s intuition. “What do you mean, sweetie?”

Dinky tapped her horn. “My magic’s all dried up.” Her eyes wavered sadly, threatening to give into tears any moment.

The confusion deepened. “I don’t understand, Dinky. What happened?” She crouched down and stroked Dinky’s mane to calm her down.

“I-I was practicing like you said, but then it got really hard to do magic and then… I just wasn’t able to do it anymore.” Dinky’s eyes met Twilight’s. “D-does this mean I broke it?”

Twilight was already too far gone, staring past reality as theories and possibilities melted over her eyes. No, it can’t be… she thought with dread. To prove what she already knew was the logical answer, she turned back around to the desk and attempted to pick up the weather book with magic. A dull, wavering purple aura lifted the book up slowly, but the strain that accompanied such an insignificant task was greater than it should’ve been.

She raced back over to the book as she set it back down, flipping through the pages in a whirlwind. With finality, she slapped a hoof down on the correct page, under ‘M’. “Magical storms,” Twilight whispered. She began to read aloud as Spike walked closer. “Known to be sudden and highly unpredictable. These very rare, though dangerous, storms have all the looks and dangers of a normal storm, but with the added accompaniment of raw magic. Because of this, these types of storms have been known to appear suddenly, and last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Although scientists still haven’t created a current formation theory, it is commonly accepted that the coming of a magic storm will result in the weakening of all magic-users in the area, eventually becoming near-impossible at the epicenter.”

Twilight pointed to the entry. “That’s what we’re dealing with here: a magic storm.”

“I’ve never heard of a magic storm before,” Spike said worriedly.

“Yes you have—the Zap Apples are a result of a magical storm, though this book makes most of them sound harmful. “

“Oh my goodness…” A voice called from the other side of the library. All eyes shifted to Sparkler, who was staring at a scroll. “Twilight come here.”

Twilight rushed over to her and studied what Sparkler presented: a map of the region. A pink hoof was overlaying a certain section of the map. “Tournant Hill…” Sparkler whispered so only Twilight could hear her. Fear marred her sweet voice. “It’s on the path to Trottingham.”

Ditzy Doo! Time stopped as indescribable fear clutched her heart. Her mind flashed to all the horrific events that could go wrong, and how she’d never forgive herself if something happened to Ditzy, especially since she now knew the problem. She was roused from her daze when she felt her shoulder get nudged.

“What are we going to do?” Sparkler asked in a hushed tone.

Twilight’s eyes darted from side to side as she formulated a plan. She looked right in Sparkler’s eyes. “Stay here and watch your sister.” Twilight rushed back where Spike and Pinkie were waiting, and who both had worried expressions once they caught sight of Twilight’s alarm. “Pinkie, Spike, go round up whatever ponies you can and go to Tournant Hill, on the path to Trottingham. You have to do this, okay?”

Spike approached her. “But Twilight, what are you going to do?”

Twilight opened her front door with magic, which she noticed the strain was getting worse. “I’m going to the post office to see if it’s not too late to catch Ditzy before she leaves.” With no time to lose, Twilight didn’t wait for a response or acknowledgement; she darted out the door and was soon trotting down the street full gallop, passing surprised ponies on the way.

The sun was waning in the sky; still a few hours until dark. A silver lining because visibility was essential should something go wrong. Twilight pushed the grim thought from her head and focused on her hooves as the clacked against the cobblestone road. With a time that would make Rainbow Dash proud, Twilight burst through the doors of the Ponyville post office. The front desk pony jumped, startled by the sudden intrusion.

“Can I help you miss?” she asked, holding a hoof to her chest.

Twilight rushed over to the desk. “The delivery to Trottingham—has that left yet?”

The mare was disconcerted by Twilight’s abruptness. “Er… I’m not sure Miss. Let me get my superior…” The mare left her desk and retreated to the hallway behind. Twilight tapped her hoof impatiently while glancing around to see if she could catch a glimpse of Ditzy. Before long, a brown stallion came to the front desk. Twilight vaguely remembered meeting him months before.

“Twilight?” The stallion asked. “Is something the matter?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Twilight admitted. “Can you tell me if the delivery to Trottingham left?”

Mr. Forthright eyed her somewhat warily. “Yes it has… left just a few minutes ago.” The brown stallion noted Twilight’s eyes go blank and foggy. “Why? Did you have something you wanted to send? If so, the next deliver would be—“

“Ditzy’s in trouble!” Twilight gasped out.

“W…what?” Mr. Forthright was taken aback.

“There’s a storm coming, and she’s heading straight into the eye without even knowing!”

“Impossible, I checked the forecast myself!” The stallion assured. “There isn’t a storm scheduled for at least a few days.”

Twilight groaned. “No, it’s a magic storm! They’re very dangerous, and…” Twilight paused, and flinched. “What am I doing talking about it?” Before the conversation could go any further, Twilight bolted from the desk and out the door, heading west towards the falling sun. If Ditzy just left a few minutes ago, and if Twilight ran fast enough, surely she would be able to catch the pegasus who was burdened with so many packages?

A cold sweat began to lather her coat despite the warm breeze. Her sides were starting to pinch and her lungs screamed for a break, but Twilight wouldn’t stop running. Even as she exited the Ponyville borders, her relentless pace didn’t cease. She knew it was a good mile or two before Tournant Hill, and she hoped to catch Ditzy by then.

With her eyes on the skies of the horizon, she squinted to try and make out any black shapes against the falling sun. The light itself proved to be both a virtue and a shackle—the very source of guidance and sight was also blinding her from scouring far into the distance.

Her heart was pounding out of her chest, but she found what was most painful was the back of her throat, which burned as if she had swallowed a mound of fire ants. All her psychological and physical systems were begging her to stop. Twilight knew she could only persevere for a few minutes longer until her body just shut down and would refuse to do what she commanded.

And then, brief hope: a black dot. On the horizon, in front of the setting sun, was a black dot. As Twilight picked up the pace even more, the dot began to get bigger until she could distinctly make out a shape of a pony silhouette and a big object trailing.

“Ditzy!” Twilight croaked, but it was barely above a whisper. Her throat was nearly raw. Twilight knew she wouldn’t be able to speak loudly unless she stopped. In one quick motion, she locked her legs and came to a screeching stop that billowed out dirt from the path beneath her. She worked up saliva in her mouth then swallowed it to lubricate her throat. It did nothing to alleviate the pain, but she could feel her vocal chords vibrate functionally.

“Ditzy!” She screamed at the top of her lungs. It came out as a half-cry, half-screech that reverberated off the hills, trees, and mountainside around her. The echo carried on far past Twilight had intended, and the black dot in the sky halted. Though her lungs were pleading for deep lungfuls of air, Twilight caught her breath. She was forced to brush a strand of her frazzled mane out of her eyes.

Then, the dot started getting bigger. “Twilight?” She heard a voice call out.

Relief spread over every inch of her, fading away all pain and complaint. Twilight was so thankful she thought she could cry. She watched the black dot get bigger until eventually she could vaguely make out Ditzy’s grey coat and fluttering wings. They were only about 50 meters away when a sudden pain in Twilight's horn forced her to her knees.

Above both their heads, a sudden explosive bang rumbled the sky like an earthquake. The sound was so jarring that it made Twilight’s teeth chatter and ears feel like they were about to bleed. They both looked up at that same time as a black vortex filled the sky; a swirling cyclone of black clouds and electrified by dark purple lightning. Twilight looked up to Ditzy, who managed to look back for only a moment before she was engulfed.

“Twili-!” Ditzy shrieked in a panic before the clouds surrounded her and muffled all sound.

The clouds had now expanded to both horizons, covering the land in complete darkness. The only light came from the savage snaps of the purple bolts of lightning, arcing like veins throughout the ominous cloud. Twilight frantically tried to scan the clouds for Ditzy, thinking to herself she’d give anything to be a pegasus right now. She focused on a section of cloud that she thought Ditzy was in, and tried to use magic to force it to disperse.

She was met with mind-numbing agony as the magic prodded her own brain like a crown of internal thorns. She had never felt so helpless in all her life.

Finally, the unimaginable happened. She witnessed a bolt of lightning arc across a cloud, revealing Ditzy’s silhouette from beyond. Twilight was only dreamily aware that she was screaming for Ditzy and crying as she saw the bolt of lightning pierce her friend. The seconds that followed were nothing reality could rationalize. Twilight felt her hooves running, but she was so disoriented that she was scarcely mindful of her surroundings. All she could do was sprint towards Ditzy as she fell from the clouds.

And then, all went black.

~*~*~

Today was looking up. Ditzy placed her mailbag down on the iron hook; it was empty after a long—though rewarding—day of being the pride of the Ponyville postal service. Her deliveries so far had been very smooth, just an average day on all fronts. She even got to walk past the schoolyard while her daughter was out playing during recess, though she was too far away for Dinky to see her. Still, Dinky looked so happy playing with all her friends, and Ditzy could not be more proud.

On that high note, the rest of the day passed rather quickly. Although they were both working, Ditzy saw no sign of her co-worker, Destiny. It had been a bit odd late; the pink pegasus hadn’t made any form of contact with her for at least a week. Ditzy had to wonder if she had finally gotten bored of the grey mailmare. She shrugged her shoulders and sauntered on. No need to look a gift horse in the mouth. Or pony, Ditzy noted.

Ditzy sat down at her desk, letting her weight melt into the chair. It squeaked and whined like it always did, but Ditzy knew she had to go hard on it to make it stronger. After all, muscles and wooden chairs were basically the same thing.

With pencil-in-mouth, Ditzy scribbled away at her paperwork, which she now was able to write more proficiently ever since Twilight introduced grammar into her life. She became so efficient, in fact, that Mr. Forthright had given her a decent raise two weeks prior. Of course, she didn’t do it for the money—all the reward she needed was the knowledge that she was becoming a better pony, inside and out.

She glanced at the clock. It was getting close to four hours past noon, which was when she needed to start her delivery to Trottingham. According to her co-workers, Ditzy had ‘pulled the short straw’ on this particular delivery because there was a large number of packages. The grey mailmare didn’t even try to explain that she volunteered for the assignment.

Ditzy spat the pencil out of her mouth, and it clacked against her wooden desk until it came to a halt. Using her teeth, she gingerly lifted her small stack of paperwork and carried it over towards Mr. Forthright’s desk, where there was a small input paperwork holder on the front. Mr. Forthright took notice of Ditzy’s entrance, and removed his reading glances that he only recently began wearing.

“All done, Derpy?” He asked nonchalantly.

Ditzy nodded. “Mhmm! Gettin’ ready to pack up the cargo. I have the Trottingham delivery job tonight. “

“Ah. Well it should be an easy day then,” Mr. Forthright acknowledged. “Skies are clear from here to Trottingham.”

A tingle of excitement jazzed through Ditzy’s body. Clear skies meant there was nothing to mask the beautiful night. By the time she reached the other town, nightfall would have descended over Equestria, and the stars would begin their gradual dance across the firmament.

“Sounds great!” Ditzy exclaimed. Mr. Forthright nodded and began his own paperwork again, cueing Ditzy to leave. It took her a few seconds, but then with an audible ‘oh!’, left the room. She made her way to the back of the building, where larger parcels were brought in by carts or chariots into the offloading dock. There she saw the clunky metal container that was to be her cargo for the next few hours. It was a few pony-lengths long, and about two tall, and made of reinforced steel, as it was lighter than iron. It rested on a wooden and leather chariot that she would be harnessed into.

Although Ditzy was strong, she wouldn’t be able to carry the contents on her own. No, the metal container was charmed to be vertically weightless. Getting it in the air was no problem; with proper practice, nearly any pegasi could do it. The tough part was hauling it once it was in the air. She didn’t mind it much, however, because she had already built up the muscles necessary for this flight from years of doing the same thing. Still, it halted her flight speed to nearly a quarter of how fast she could go.

She trotted to the container’s back, which was a linked, flexible steel door that rolled up to provide access. It was already open, and she saw there were already many sizeable packages inside. One such cargo, she noted, she could fit inside comfortably and have room to spare. The mailmare froze a moment to consider the outlandish possibility that there was indeed a pony in there, and was using the mail system as a source of cheap travel. She even knocked on it once, to see if she would get a knock back. There wasn’t, so she thereby concluded the box was ponyless… or the pony inside was rude.

A few moments were spent taking inventory, making sure she had all the packages she needed. Once she was satisfied, she pulled down the metal door, which screeched as it slid down the tracks. She then closed the handle, firmly locking it in place. She tested out the door by pulling up—it didn’t budge.

She opened the cargo bay door which led to a small runway, where she’d be able to take off. The sun was still in the sky, though clearly falling on west side of the sky. Another two hours or so and it’d be sunset. Taking a deep breath, Ditzy stretched all four of her legs, knowing that she wouldn’t get a chance to rest or relax once she was in the air. She couldn’t think of anything worse than cramping midflight.

It took only a few moments to get secured in the harness. The padded-leather straps folded across Ditzy’s chest, shoulders, and withers, carefully gliding around Ditzy’s wings and providing enough room to maneuver. The wooden wheels squeaked in protest as she walked onto the tarmac. The first three steps were always the hardest; she had to pull the full weight of the cart from a dead stop with no aid from momentum. Once the thing got rolling though, it wasn’t stopping.

Down the runway Ditzy trotted, steadily accelerating. Her wings unfurled and began flapping leisurely, testing out the currents of air. As her trot turned into a sprint, she kicked off as hard as she could with her hind legs just as the runway ended. Once again, the first few flaps getting off the ground were always the hardest, but once Ditzy stabilized herself, it was as easy as pulling a giant metal container that weighed roughly half a ton (which in this circumstance was remarkably simple).

The ascent was always slow; instead of straining herself, Ditzy patiently waited for the natural air currents to push her upwards. That way, she could focus on remaining level and avoid turbulence, which could still unnerve even the most veteran fliers.

She rose effortlessly with the warm air current, happy with the knowledge that she’d have to make minimal maneuvering on the way to Trottingham, which lied near-perfect to the west. Her only complaint was the sun itself—its glaring blaze often blinded her. It didn’t worry her too much though; she could just close her eyes and feel the flow of air around her, like rivers and tributaries in space.

To pass the time, Ditzy did some basic math in her head. The flight there would take about two to three hours with the extra weight on her back. Once she was there, she’d load more stuff destined for Ponyville, so that’d be another three at least accounting for the new weight and fatigue. So if all went well, Ditzy would be able to get back to the library by—

“Ditzy!” an echo interrupted her thoughts. It was so quiet, that she first thought she just imagined somepony calling her name. When she thought about it though, she became more certain that it was an actual voice. Turning around was a pain; the carrier didn’t exactly turn on a bit. No—to take into account the transitioning air currents and stability, a long arcing turn was obligatory. Once she made it though, Ditzy was able to confirm that the voice had indeed come from a pony far below.

Ditzy’s heart smiled when she saw a familiar purple coat. It was replaced by confusion. What was Twilight doing all the way out here, and why was she beckoning her? Although she knew it was going to be a huge pain to land and then take off again, it was obviously important enough if Twilight was out here. On that thought, she began a slow descent, flying towards her friend.

“Twilight?” She yelled. The wind carried her voice to the desired target range.

She was getting closer; Ditzy realized that she was still too high in the sky to safely land next to Twilight, at least right now. She’d have to pass her and loop around again. Perhaps if the wind speed was in her favor—

BOOM! Ditzy yelped out in panic as a loud explosion above her made her cover her ears. It threw her center off-balance, and the cart began to sway dangerously. Whatever happened above her had displaced a monumental amount of air, leaving her helpless to control her flight. Shaking, she looked up just as the entire sky began to darken. Her insides churned in fright, and her limbs locked in place. She glanced up in complete horror and witnessed the scariest moment of her life that was sure to haunt her in nightmares: a colossal vortex that looked ready to swallow her up, spitting out lightning like poison from a snake.

It was unreal; there was no way this could actually be happening. She was asleep, in some nightmare that felt too tangible.

Suddenly, the black cloud expanded, and it was coming right for her. Ditzy frantically looked back to the ground and met Twilight’s eyes one last time. “Twilight!” She screamed at the top of her lungs, as the swirling clouds of fear and despair overwhelmed her. Immediately, she was buffeted by gale-force winds that treated her like a ragdoll. She was flapping as fast and as hard as she ever could, but it had little effect. Ditzy didn’t even know how high she was in the sky; she could crash into the ground at any moment without warning.

Desperate, she looked from side to side but could only see darkness, the kind you see when you close your eyes. The only way Ditzy knew she wasn’t, in fact, closing her eyes was the arcing purple strands of lightning that shattered the sky like a whip crack. Without any bearings, she was unable to even decide which way was up or down, let alone any of the compass directions.

And then, a loud crack pierced all other sound, and agony became her reality. For a millisecond she was cognizant of a severe scorching sensation on her right wing, but then nothing. All thought, pain, relief, happiness, and memory released itself until a shell of empty consciousness remained, and Ditzy’s vision flickered to blackness.

~*~*~

Black.

Fuzzy brown.

Black again.

Eyelids fluttered; not sure if alive or dead.

No movement, everything quiet, devoid of senses.

Hopelessness, pity, sorrow, abandonment. Alone in the dark.

School years as a filly; naïve and nervous; bumbling; sightless. Why didn’t anypony want to be her friend? That lunch table had plenty of room on it, so why couldn’t she sit there?

Years later, pushed down in the mud, what do you mean something’s wrong with my eyes? Mommy said there’s nothing wrong with me. She said I’m special. The rain was so cold, crying seemed befitting.

Unyielding happiness, flourish freely. It’s a girl, and a unicorn to boot. Finally something pure, untainted, and simple: something to shatter the complexity of life. She was so beautiful—gave the biggest smile as soon as she held her in her arms. Everything would become second to this purpose, the only purpose. If only she could hold on tight and never let go…

Crowded marketplace, dismal and bleak. Crumbled and defeated she laid, unable to rouse. Then, the voice of an angel.

You look like you could use some help.

Twilight!

Ditzy’s eyes flickered open. She made no attempt to move, but she was aware that she was lying on something solid. Irritation consumed her lungs as pained gasps of air pulled in dirt off the ground. She sputtered loudly, sending waves of pain down her body. The dirt on the ground was cold and uncaring, nearly as much as the sky.

Her eyes might have been open, but sight still eluded perception. The only sensation was numbness; unhelpful in assessing damage. As her mind shifted from off to minimal power, she forced her eyes to do their job. She was on her side; one eye was in the dirt. She shifted her head, which thankfully brought no pain. The world around her was blurry and bleak—darkness still blanketed the land.

She forced her right hoof to move. It was slow and arduous, but it slid across the dirt under her until finally she tried putting some weight on it. All energy had drained from her, and she felt her triceps tremble as she began to push. Every motion brought protest and soreness, but she was finally able to push herself up. The world around was still dark and blurry, and as she stood, extreme dizziness took hold.

The ringing in her ears eased and her head stopped pounding. Hearing was restored and she once again heard the sounds of the raging storm above them, but she felt no inclination to look. The only light came from the brief flashes of lightning that scorched the sky. She felt her right side almost give way to the dizziness, and she had to wobble to compensate. She gritted her teeth as her bruised muscles complained, but held firm. None of her legs appeared to be broken.

It hurt to take deep breaths, so Ditzy thought a rib or two might be cracked or bruised. She still couldn’t see straight, which she knew wasn’t normal—probably the effect of a concussion. Most of her body was still numb and her mind shell-shocked. There would be no way to accurately assess the damage until later.

Ditzy only then became aware that she was still in the harness. Using her teeth, she sluggishly undid the bindings and pulled herself away. She limped over to the carrier, and was shocked to find it completely open, and the packages inside missing. Her mind couldn’t comprehend what this could mean, so she aimlessly looked around to see if they had landed anywhere nearby.

She repeatedly blinked in an effort to clear her vision. The darkness was not helping; Ditzy suspected even natural night wasn’t this dark. A bright flash erupted in the sky and momentarily illuminated the land around her, and in the distance Ditzy saw where the packages had landed. They had formed an even mound stacked high with now-probably-ruined material. Ditzy sighed and began to limp over.

Another flash cleared the way, but this time Ditzy saw something new: a purple tail sticking out under the mound of heavy boxes. Ditzy caught her breath and froze.

“No…no…” she murmured, disbelieving.

Forgetting all pain and lack of clarity, Ditzy bolted towards the pile and began shoving down boxes. The littler ones were even a strain, but Ditzy had to grit her teeth to push away the bigger ones. Sound once again escaped her as she became acutely aware of tears streaming down her cheeks as she tried pushing the boxes off the pile.

Finally she saw a purple hoof, and all her worse fears had been confirmed. “Twilight!” Ditzy screeched hysterically. The final few boxes were pushes off with superpony strength, and Ditzy saw her friend, by light from the unforgiving maelstrom, lying unmoving on the cold, hard ground.

Ditzy didn’t know what to do. She nudged her friend while murmuring wordlessly as the sound of another lightning crack resonated across the sky. She moved a hoof to touch her cheek, but then stole it away as if touching her would make it real, or as if touching her would make her shatter into a thousand pieces. Ditzy saw the blood that matted her purple coat; the limbs mangled, but she just couldn’t accept that what she was seeing was the truth.

She frantically glanced around and screamed for help at the top of her lungs, but her sobs diluted the words, and the noise was muffled by the storm. She looked down at Twilight and gingerly folded her forelegs around Twilight’s neck and legs. Ever so slowly, grunting and weeping, Ditzy picked up Twilight off the ground.

“D-don’t worry Twilight, I’m going to get you some help, I promise,” Ditzy murmured half-heartedly.

She trudged forward a few steps, before she realized the impossibility of walking. She was just took weak, and it was too far. So she unfurled her wings, and with her best leap, began flapping in the air until—

PAIN. Her wings buckled and her spine wracked with pure agony that stiffened her body. She was unaware when they hit the ground again, and Twilight sprawled a few feet away. The dirt in her face filled her lungs and stung her eyes, but she could once again feel herself starting to black out. The void of her conscious was demanding to be shut down to repair. With her last effort, she raised a shaky hoof in Twilight direction, trying to grab her.

“Tw…Twilight…p-p-please don’t die.”

And then all returned to black.

Bubbles

When Ditzy came to, she was cognizant of a subtle few sensations, pieced together haphazardly through sight and sound. She found it not only confusing, but intriguing to watch her scope gradually shift from a blurry haze to something that could only be described as passable vision. As the world around her began to clear, she was able to identify a ceiling, dark and plain, but a ceiling none-the-less.

Her thoughts came sluggishly, every observation an exercise in focus. Shifting to her side, Ditzy gritted her teeth as the soreness in all her muscles came to life. Luckily, the movement required only a small amount of exertion, and soon she spotted where the only source of light was coming from.

Inside the room she was in was a plain window with frilly curtains. Outside, Ditzy viewed the most spectacular hunter’s moon; its bright aura shone down with such illumination that distinct shadows could be made out despite the fact that it was night. She marveled at it for a few moments before letting a reluctant smile form over her face.

“Gotta enjoy the little things,” Ditzy whispered to herself.

She wasn’t aware how long she spent observing the moon, nor was she in any position to care. She soon noted that any movement resulted in either pain or irritation, and—like a dog barking at a slumbering dragon—quickly realized she shouldn’t do that. After staring at it for beauty’s sake, she began making inferences based on its position in the sky, which put the time at around two or three hours past midnight. Her job as a mailmare had made her very keen to using celestial bodies as not only a compass, but a clock. Ditzy sighed as the moon finally vanished upon the upper limit of the window.

She began bombarding herself with questions. Where was she? Why did it hurt to move? She tried to recall what she could last remember, but that again didn’t come hurriedly. She remembered packing up the delivery carrier for the job to Trottingham, but couldn’t remember what happened after that. Had she made it there? What could possibly have happened that would make her forget?

Closing her eyes in concentration, Ditzy strained to remember anything else she could. Ever so slowly, it began to come back to her.

I remember taking off… but then what? It was just a normal flight, wasn’t it?

Her mind flashed, like a lightning bolt through her mind as an image of falling clouded her mind. It made her cringe and gasp in fright.

I… fell? B-but I’m a good flier! I’m not good at a bunch of things, but never been too bad at that.

Another flash, and suddenly, like a roaring avalanche, it all hit her. She gasped as she remembered the storm, the lightning, the…pain. Ditzy shakily turned her head to catch a glimpse of her wing. Sadness gripped her heart as it overwhelmed her when she found it heavily bandaged, held down in place against her side. She winced as she attempted to move it, and a fresh wave of pain reminded her that movement was a bad idea.

That was it then. She ran into some patchy weather, and it caused her to have an accident. It hardly made her feel better, but she was at least relieved that she didn’t appear to be dead. Ditzy couldn’t help but wonder what happened to the cargo. So many ponies would be mad at her for making their parcels unsalvageable. Would she even still have a job when this all blew over? Mr. Forthright was a nice guy, but Ditzy had made so many mistakes, was this one too many? She vaguely remembered seeing the parcels on the ground, right after Twilight—

TWILIGHT!

A spasm jolted through her body and she sat up instinctively, which sent numbing pain coming from her wing that wracked down her spinal cord. Her entire body stiffed in protest and she fell flat on her back again. Once again, she became aware of the all-too-familiar sensation of blacking out. She let out a sigh and accepted her fate.

~*~*~

Ditzy’s eyes flicked sporadically behind her eyelids—the effects of the nightmare she was having. She was once again in the storm, lightning flashing all around her. She panted loudly as lightning cracks repeated in short secessions; a double edge sword that became the only source of light in a dark world. Her wings burned at the joints and spread all across her withers. Every muscle in her bodyscreamed for her to stop, but she had a dreaded, apprehensive feeling that she would die if she stopped. She didn’t know how she knew, she just did.

Another lightning bolt sizzled inches away from her right side, scorching her once-grey coat with burnt black splotches. She was crying, but not out of fear or sadness, but from the sheer hopelessness in her stomach, like a black hole. In her mind, she knew she was going to die. She would never again see her friends. Never to see her daughters grow up.

A harsh updraft spiraled her higher into the air. She knew from experience that the winds would get even choppier as she ascended. The only motivation she had that kept her flapping was absolute panic and adrenaline. With no clear flight path, control nearly impossible, and muscles beginning to fail, Ditzy knew she didn’t have much time left.

And then, a bright flash of purple light surged all around her, as she once again felt the unbearable jolt of electricity passing through her.

With an involuntary gasp, Ditzy shot up to a sitting position, a cold sweat on her right side—the effect of her body weight pressing down on the bed. She held a hoof to her chest and felt its erratic beat. Taking a gulp and forcing herself to take deep, slow breaths, she eventually was able to calm down, laying back down on the bed. She was facing the same window she remembered when she had woken up during the night.

Shuffling from the other side of the room startled her. “Oh my gosh, you’re awake! Thank goodness, I was so so so so so so worried,” a voice said quickly.

Turning onto her other side wasn’t exactly a cakewalk, but she was determined. Shifting to her left side, Ditzy got full gloss of the entire room. It was apparent now that she was in a hospital bed. Two ponies were bounding over from the chairs they had been sitting in. Ditzy gave a little smile when she realized it was Pinkie Pie and Applejack.

“Oh, hey guys,” Ditzy said meekly.

“How you feeling, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, putting a hoof on the bed.

Ditzy wasn’t quite sure how to answer that question. Physically, she felt like she decided to ride the washing machine on super mega mode for ten hours. Emotionally, she felt confusion fused with fear. She couldn’t remember why she was afraid, all she knew was it constricted her body, to the point where she refused to move.

“I’m…okay,” Ditzy answered. “What happened exactly? How’d I get here?”

Pinkie and Applejack shared a worried look. “How much do you remember?” Applejack asked.

Ditzy raised a hoof to her forehead and rubbed it, massaging the brain juices into a more effective state. “I-I…I think I was in a storm… but that doesn’t make any sense... it must’ve been a dream. I mean, it came outta nowhere.”

Pinkie Pie reached over and held one of Ditzy’s hooves. “It wasn’t a dream,” she said. “The storm really happened; it was really loud and scary. Twilight called it a magic storm.”

Ditzy gripped Pinkie’s hoof as her whole body constricted. “Twilight!” Ditzy shouted, startling the two other ponies. “I saw her there. It was dark and stuff, but…” Ditzy’s eyes widened as the image of Twilight under the pile of heavy cargo branded her brain. “S-she was… is she…?” Ditzy pawed at Pinkie, exasperated.

Applejack cleared her throat and nudged Ditzy on her good side. “Alright, you need to calm down before ya hurt yourself. You’ll be able to see Twilight in a bit; she’s in the hospital room across the hall. But you need to relax… I didn’t carry ya back so you could hurt yourself now.”

Ditzy let out a pent up breath. “You… carried me, all the way? Applejack, I… I don’t know what to say.”

“Aw shucks, I’d do it again if I had to; couldn’t just leave ya there in the dirt after all. ‘Course the nurse had to give the go ahead first. Redheart wouldn’t even let me get near ya until she was sure ya didn’t need a stretcher.“

Ditzy just blinked at her. How could AJ just pretend it was nothing? Ditzy reached up a shaky hoof in Applejack’s direction, who titled her head in confusion as the gestured. Then in one swift motion, the mailmare wrapped the hoof around the farm pony’s neck and pulled her closer into a loose hug. “Thanks a bunch, Applejack, you’re so awesome.”

Applejack blushed at the compliment. “I don’t need none of that now. You woulda done the same for me, I reckon."

As Ditzy retracted from the embrace, a sharp spark of pain erupted from her right wing, like it was alive with pins and needles. The grimace on her face made Pinkie and AJ make a motion to grab her, easing her slowly into a laying position. Once the pain receded, Ditzy let out another shaky breath and allowed her eyes to open.

“My wing…” Ditzy muttered through gritted teeth. She looked up and met the stares of Pinkie and Applejack. “What’s wrong with it?” Both earth ponies shared a worried glance before a unicorn stallion wearing a white doctor’s getup and a stethoscope around his neck entered the room. His coat was a rare sunglow, while his mane was a deep brown.

“Ah, I see you have awaken, Ms. Doo,” the doctor spoke cheerily, floating a clipboard in front of him as he walked over towards the bed.”

Ditzy smiled—as always—at the recognition, though her once radiant smile was shadowed by a layer of fatigue. She still felt like she just ran a marathon. “Hiya doc. Any chance of getting some ice cream?”

The doctor chuckled. “I’ll see what I can do. Now then…”

Ditzy waited patiently while the doc examined her. She felt like one of those fancy-smancy dogs being judged based on their grooming. After a few affirmative grunts and pokes, the doctor scribbled something down on the clipboard. The mailmare craned her neck to try and see what he wrote, but he stashed it away the next instant.

“Well you seem to be in stable condition, Ms. Doo. You’re lucky your friends found you when they did. Another fifteen minutes or so and infection would’ve set into your wing.”

Ditzy cringed. “What… happened, doc?”

The doc’s eyes arched sympathetically. “You don’t remember that much, do you? Well, due to a freak accident of non-pony-controlled nature, you were struck by lightning. Your right wing got the worst of it unfortunately.”

The thought made Ditzy gulp in dread. “H-how bad is it?” she asked, turning her head to stare at her bandaged wing.

The doc cleared his throat while he hovered the clipboard back over to him and flipped two pages. “Your wing sustained third degree burns. Most of the feathers were burnt at first contact. The real problem lies within the muscle damage. Proper care will be needed to be administered daily for at least a month, if not two. After that, therapy will be needed to help strengthen the damaged muscle.”

“So…I-I’ll fly again?” Ditzy asked hopefully.

The doc reached over and patted Ditzy’s hoof. “I’m optimistic.”

Ditzy let out a sigh of relief. Anything would be worth it if she would be able to fly again, though she admitted that being in the sky again sent a shiver down her spine. Another question bubbled to the surface. She turned to Pinkie Pie and Applejack.

“How’d you girls find me anyway?”

“Twilight,” Pinkie responded cryptically. “She knew the storm was coming and ran off to warn you, but not before warning me to warn others about the warning she was running to warn you about.”

“We rounded up some of the ponies who work here at the hospital too, just in case…well, this happened,” Applejack answered.

Ditzy nodded slowly. “Thank you girls… if you didn’t show up... I don’t know…”

The air in the room stilled while the gravity of the situation sunk deep into the thoughts of all around. The sentence remained unfinished, but the implications what could and might have been danced across the edge of everypony’s conscience. Ditzy had never really been afraid of many things of her life. Hesitant to be sure, but truly terrified to the point of rendering her speechless? No, but now every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was the crack of vicious, ethereal lightning. It paralyzed her and sent shivers down her spine.

The instincts were of a more primal nature. She already felt herself slipping down the slippery slope of fear. Her heart rate was quickening and her pupils dilated, staring unblinkingly forward. Her coat stood on end as if the wisp of electricity still surrounded her. It was the most oppressive feeling in the world, like being strapped in the very bed that now comforted her but with the addition of being unable to move. This type of fear was something new and scary to her. She was afraid that she was afraid.

Behind her eyelids, she was still in that storm, unable to break free of her fate. Every blink sent emotional tremors that reverberated in a way that she felt violated. The hospital around her began to grow hazy as the storm became clearer. With rising panic, Ditzy gripped the sheets in a desperate attempt to stay ground bound.

No, not again, I can’t be taken again, please don’t let it take me again—

A strong hoof shook her out of her waking nightmare. “Ditzy?”

Ditzy blinked once again, and once again the she was plainly in the hospital room. In lieu of the fierce gusts that had dominated her hearing, she heard the sound heart rate monitors and general hospital hubbub. Her eyes shot to the ceiling, and instead of a whirling vortex of evil, it was the unadorned white-tiled limit. Her breathing became more controlled as she the nightmare faded into the reaches of her mind.

A hoof was tugging at her. She looked to the side to see Applejack looking four shades of worried.

“Ms. Doo, are you alright?” asked the doctor carefully.

Ditzy didn’t even know how to begin to describe how much she wasn’t alright. Still, she needed to be brave. Besides, ignoring these types of problems was usually the best course of action. “I’m okay,” she murmured. Wary glances were shared between the other three ponies. She realized a more convincing façade would be necessary. “Really,” Ditzy added, putting on a smile. “Just… a lot to take in, you know?”

Pinkie Pie raised her eyebrow suspiciously while leaning forward, tempting Ditzy to crack. Soon she was leaning so far over that Ditzy was sure she was stretching the vertebrae in her neck to double the usual size. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes!” Ditzy blurted quickly, and then threw on a cheesy grin for garnish. She didn’t know how long Pinkie was going to stay there, and she found it harder and harder to maintain eye contact. A sweat began to form on her forehead as her cheeks began to burn for over exertion.

“Okie dokie lokie…” Pinkie susurrated suspiciously, unconvinced. Ditzy allowed a small exhale of reprieve to escape as the party pony began to withdraw.

Ditzy cleared her throat and attempted to sway the conversation into a direction that would conceivably be more in her favor. “Where are the other girls?”

Applejack’s jaw tightened. “In the other room,” she said flatly.

“What room?” Ditzy prodded. Another beat of silence.

The more she sat still, the more she became aware of an eerie tension Applejack seemed to be holding onto. It was her eyes that gave it away—the slight dullness of fatigue, and something else. What was it; sadness, maybe? Ditzy wasn’t particularly perceptive—especially given her ordeal—but Applejack’s eyes just didn’t seem as vibrant right now. Maybe it’s the lighting, or I’m just being a silly pony… Ditzy assured herself.

Still, the feeling remained defiantly, and Applejack began to notice Ditzy giving her an intensive stare.

“Something wrong, sucarcube? You’re lookin’ at me all funny-like.” Applejack shifted uncomfortably.

“I was gunna ask the same thing,” Ditzy responded. “You look like you haven’t slept in like… a bazillion years.”

AJ didn’t make eye contact with Ditzy. Instead, she chose to exchange wary stares with Pinkie Pie. The doctor looked on in silence. “It’s… been ah long day,” Applejack sighed, “with you an’ Twilight.”

Long day? Ditzy looked out her window towards the rising sun, the day just beginning to be ushered in. They must’ve been up all night helping us…

“I’m sorry, Applejack. I’m glad you were there for us though. I don’t know what I woulda done,” Ditzy smiled sincerely. Applejack returned it with a tired smile.

“So can I see Twilight now?” Ditzy motioned.

Ditzy could feel the temperature in the room drop. Before Applejack or Pinkie could respond, however, the doctor spoke up with his usual brand of caring-but-straightforward professionalism.

“Yes, you may Ditzy, though I’m…very sorry to say that Ms. Sparkle was brought in a much worse condition than you.”

The mailmare could only recollect a negligible handful of memories in which time seemed to stop. Frozen in place, she wasn’t even able to feel her own heartbeat and was certain that it wasn’t in there anymore. The earliest such occasion happened by chance, when she was five and her pet mouse, Mr. Squeaker, had died. It was perhaps a silly way for a filly to become acquainted with death, but it impacted her as much as if a family member had gone.

Next, when she was in school a year or two later, word had spread that Ditzy Doo, the cross-eyed pegasus who could barely fly, was highly uncoordinated. It started off as simple jests, but eventually climaxed into a colt tripping her into the mud. It would have been fine except that it was on the playground, and everypony started laughing at her. It was then she realized that everypony had the potential to be mean; an insignificant fracture in time that dragged on for an abysmally long span. It all turned out alright though—she ran home to her mother who stroked her mane and made her some hot chocolate. Besides, she didn’t need anypony.

Her most recent episode happened years before, when she came to the horrifying realization that not only was she pregnant with Dinky, but she would be doing it alone. All past terrors were trumped by this seemingly-impossible task of raising a foal when she could barely take care of herself. At the time, she wasn’t aware that it was undoubtablely the greatest gift anypony could ask for.

And she was having one of those moments right then, though this time, she was acutely aware that her heart was still there, because it felt like there were icy tendrils ensnaring and squeezing it into an everlasting perdition. She knew that there was only one thing that could help.

“I want to see her,” Ditzy whispered.

“Are you sure?” AJ began. “You’re in pretty bad con—“

Finally, the shock wore off and all that was left was raw emotion. “I want to see Twilight!” Ditzy yelled, startling the other ponies in the room. Without waiting for a cue, Ditzy struggled out of bed, to the surprise of the doctor who tried to interfere, but she was too fast. Before anypony could make a move, she had already stumbled out of bed and landed shakily on her hooves. The full pain of the copious bruises and cuts was lost on her.

“Ditzy, I really must protest; at least allow us to help—“ the doctor pleaded.

Nope. Ditzy was already at the door, gritting her teeth unconsciously while the adrenaline rushed through her. After pushing through the door and into the hallway, she was quickly joined by Applejack and Pinkie Pie who tried their best to give her support as she walked. Nurses all around rushed over, but one quick wave from the doctor and they all halted and watched her as she wobbled over towards the door across the hall. The usually loud hospital was lost to silence as Ditzy finally made it to the door.

She glanced at the sign across the door before opening it.

Room 12a

Intensive Care

Her panic was already rising as she slowly opened it. She was met by a surprised group of ponies and one dragon. Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Flutershy, and Spike all gawked at her, eyes wide.

“Ditzy dear, you’re up and okay!” Rarity placed a hoof over her chest in relief before rushing over, followed by the others. “Thank Celestia.”

“Barely up and maybe okay,” Ditzy responded with a slight smile, warmed that all her friends were around her.

“Shouldn’t you be in bed? You could get more hurt,” Fluttershy eyed her bandaged wing and cuts. Her eyes followed over the rest of her, assessing the damage and wincing every few seconds. The mailmare knew that she was imagining what could lie under the dressings.

“Seriously, you look like you can barely stand,” Rainbow Dash said with concern (and, Ditzy fantasized, a sliver of admiration). Ditzy had no doubt that Dash would have rushed to her side if Applejack and Pinkie weren’t there. She had been becoming more protective over the grey pegasus in recent weeks.

“No, I’m—“ Ditzy began, but then wobbled unstably, forcing Pinkie Pie to catch and help her up right. “I’m okay,” she finished with emphasized embarrassment. “Where’s Twilight?”

The three ponies in front of her shared wary glances before hesitantly stepping to the side, revealing the rest of the room. It was a bit larger than Ditzy’s room, and far more equipped for medical emergencies. Medical contraptions whizzed and beeped, none of which sounded pleasant to be around constantly. Generic framed landscape portraits peppered the walls, in what Ditzy could only imagine was an attempt to calm whoever may be in the room. The bed inside wasn’t any different from Ditzy’s: light blue—almost to the point of being white—sheets hemmed with white stitching, covered by a matching cover that looked exceedingly too thin.

But that didn’t matter; it’s what laid under those covers that caused Ditzy’s heart to drop. Ditzy suddenly felt ill and collapsed to her flank as she saw her best friend Twilight Sparkle lying unconscious in the bed before her. Half her head was bandaged diagonally across her face, covering one eye and leaving the other exposed, though it was black and bruised. Both her forelegs were sticking out from underneath the covers completely bandaged and splinted. Most of her body was covered, but Ditzy could see more bandages starting at her shoulders and working their way down her chest.

In short, Twilight was a mess. Her mane was unkempt and torn, and parts of her exposed coat showed signs of bruising. Ditzy didn’t know what to say or do but stood there in shock, then buried her head in her hooves and started to cry. The sight was too much for her; Twilight was in this condition because of her. If she wasn’t trying to warn her, then she’d be perfectly fine.

Ditzy unstably wobbled over to Twilight, and gave a sniff to clear her nose. “H-hey Twilight…” Ditzy croaked out in between a sob. “I’m r-really sorry… I don’t even know how to tell you how sorry I am.”

The mailmare felt a hoof on her shoulder, and she turned to find a deflated Pinkie Pie. “This isn’t your fault Ditzy. She was doing what any one of us would have done to make sure you were safe. You would’ve done the same for her.”

Another fit of sobs were lost onto Pinkie Pie’s shoulder, and she became aware of a soft stroke of a hoof rustling through her mane. Ditzy held onto Pinkie for what felt like hours but were actually minutes. She then began to feel a slight pressure on one of her back legs, and she looked down to see Spike hugging it. She let go of Pinkie to embrace Spike fully.

“I-i-if I hadn’t been flying so high, or I flew just a little bit faster—“ Ditzy sobbed into his ear.

“No, don’t start that now,” came a surprisingly-commanding tone from the baby dragon. Ditzy looked at him questionably. “You can’t blame yourself for this. Twilight needs all of us right now.” He looked up with eyes red to the pony that for his entire life felt like an older sister to him. Ditzy could tell he’d been crying a lot, but still had a firm resolve about him. After the embrace ended, he hopped up on a chair right next to Twilight's bed, and held one of her hooves.

Rarity rushed quickly to Ditzy’s side and put a gentle hoof around her. “Now dear, don’t you worry; our Twilight is going to be just fine, you’ll see,” Rarity said. “She’s a tough pony who’s saved the world twice now.”

“Have you ever seen her like this though?” Ditzy asked, knowing the answer. Rarity remained silent. Ditzy decided to spare her and change the subject.

“Is she asleep?” Ditzy asked quietly, approaching Twilight’s bedside.

“No,” came the voice of the doctor, who had been standing in the doorway. “Ms. Sparkle unfortunately suffered head trauma, which caused some internal bleeding and swelling of the brain.” The doctor took a step into the room and glanced around to meet the eyes of all ponies in the room. “She’s in a coma.”

Another volley of sobs erupted from Ditzy, which she silenced by forcing her muzzle into the bed sheet. She felt Pinkie Pie rubbing her back once again, Being very careful not to touch either wing.

“W-when will she wake up? Can you wake her up please?” Ditzy begged.

“I’m afraid Ms. Sparkle is unresponsive to all stimuli. She’ll have to wake up in her own time.”

A sliver of hope. “S-so she’s gunna wake up?” Ditzy asked.

The doctor hesitated. “Well, er… most coma conditions aren’t permanent. They’ve been known to last for days, weeks… even months.” The doctor took a step towards Twilight’s bed and resting a hoof on one of her bedposts. “Sometimes they never wake up. But I promise you, we’ll be monitoring her brain activity and doing everything possible for her.”

“Oh Twilight…” Ditzy muttered sadly, taking Twilight’s bandaged hoof. She wanted to reach up and brush the strand of frazzled mane out of Twilight’s face, but she was too afraid that she may break her further. Instead, she settled for stroking her hoof gently. Ditzy had always thought she’d experienced sadness on all scales in existence. This was a new brand manifesting from terror and doubt.

Ditzy had forgotten her own fragility at the moment, and when she finally tried to stand up again, she found she couldn’t do it. Her limbs were far too unstable and most of her muscles were numb and unresponsive. Her body was still in shock as if she had just weathered the lightning storm all over again.

Ditzy felt a kind, yet firm, tug as the doctor helped Ditzy to her hooves and held her steady. Ditzy could hardly see him; her eyes were several shades of fuzzy. She reached up to wipe her eyes and sniffed. The doctor gave a gentle smile that somehow made her feel a little better.

“Listen to me,” he began in a hushed tone so that only she could hear, “I am going to do everything in my power to make sure your friend stays fine.”

That didn’t make her feel much better, much to the doctor’s acute awareness. “And besides,” he said aloud in a more conversational tone, “Twilight is going to need all of your support in this time. Studies have shown that coma patients in a loving environment surrounded by friends and family have had a much higher recuperation rate.”

The wheels in Ditzy’s head started spinning. That was it then! All she needed to do was be with Twilight, and make sure she never felt unloved. Could it really be that simple?

“But until then…” the doctor coughed to clear his throat while glancing up at the clock, “visiting hours are over for today. The patients need their rest. Including you, Ms. Doo.”

The wheels in her head froze. What? But it’s only morning! How can visiting hours be over already? I haven’t even seen my little girls!

Ditzy decided to vocalize her thoughts.

“You…kinda got it backwards, sugarcube,” Applejack stated.

“Yah, its sunset, not sunrise,” Rainbow Dash followed.

The mice spinning the wheels went on a coffee break. In Ditzy’s state, it was so difficult to focus on what they were saying that at first, it was easier to accept that she was right, and everypony else was wrong. Finally, as she calmed down, she studied the clock for herself and gave in.

I’ve been asleep all day? The thought filled her with exhausting gloom that weighed down on her like a bag of bricks.

“Where are my daughters?” Ditzy asked.

“Back at the library by now,” Spike answered, moving for the first time since he joined Twilight’s side. He padded over to Ditzy, but didn’t take his eyes off Twilight’s bed. He gave a big sigh before making eye contact with the mailmare. “They left not long before you got up. Dinky was getting sleepy and I told them that I’d stay here and keep an eye on you. Both of you.” Spike nodded towards the bed.

Ditzy eagerly wanted to see her daughters and tell them that she was alright, but she doubted the doctors would let her leave. She even doubted her own abilities to make it out the door.

“Spike, when you go back, can you please tell them that I’m fine and that I love them very much? If Dinky is asleep then you don’t need to bother her.”

Spike nodded slowly. “Sure thing.” The baby dragon tried his best not to show it, but the tone of his voice gave away his true fatigue.

And so everypony began to trickle out—as per the doctor’s request—giving Ditzy a word of relief that she had woken and was okay. Pinkie was especially thankful, and promised to bring her a tray of cupcakes her next visit to brighten Ditzy’s day. Finally it was just her, the doctor, and Twilight in the room, joined by the disconcerting noise of doctoral equipment.

“That means you too, Ms. Doo. You need to get to bed; you’re still very weak.”

“Am not!” Ditzy replied from the floor. She knew her argument was as feeble as she was. “Can I please just stay in here? I want to keep Twilight company.”

The doctor’s fortitude changed from professional to sympathetic in the quickest of instants. His shoulders relaxed as he reached out a hoof to once again help Ditzy up and across the hall. “I’ll see what I can do about putting an extra bed in here for you, but that will have to wait until tomorrow. For now, I ask that you sleep in your own room.” The doctor could see that Ditzy was about to say something, so he raised his hoof to silence her. “Just this one night.”

Ditzy grumbled incoherently while she was half-help, half-dragged back into her own room. Before she was helped into bed, she halted as a thought surfaced in her mind.

“Hey doc, you said that coma patients that are surrounded by family and friends are more likely to recuperate.”

The stallion nodded. “Indeed I did.”

“Why is that?” Ditzy asked.

The doctor finished helping Ditzy into bed before he answered. “Research has shown that during certain stimuli, coma patients have had a spike in temporal lobe activity.”

Ditzy gave him a blank stare.

The doctor chuckled. “Hearing, Ms. Doo. Although the rest of the Lambic system remains at low activity, the brain seems to be able to pick up sound. There are doctors that happen to believe that this means coma patients have the ability to hear, though it wouldn’t be like we’re hearing now. It would be subconscious.” The doctors pulled the covers up to her chest. “Any more questions?”

Ditzy shook her head. “Thanks, doc. For taking care of me and Twilight.”

The doctor smiled and gave a small chuckle before leaving the room. The lights went out, but the room was still illuminated by the failing light of the sunset.

So, maybe Twilight can still hear me?

That gave her an idea.

~*~*~

Okay…okay… NOW! No! Not now! I thought I heard something…

Ditzy piqued her left eye open. She was met with the sight of her dark hospital room. She shifted her vision from left to right stealthily—she didn’t want to be caught after all. Once she was sure that the coast was clear, and that there was no night security pony walking out in the hall, she opened both her eyes and quickly scanned her room more comprehensively.

It was the exact same the way it was about an hour before when the doctor had been in to help her into bed. Still, she wanted to make sure that there weren’t any booby traps or alarm systems—who knew what hospitals were capable of after all. The moonlight coming in from the window proved to be more than enough to get a passable prevue of the space around her.

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously while she slowly—so very slowly—slid her way out of bed in one fluid motion that resembled her melting onto the floor. Her eyes never strayed from the door, which had a window on it which anypony walking by could easily look in and spot her.

Once she was certain that she had made it onto the ground without tripping any laser alarms, she brought out a fake dummy of her that she made out of pillows, which was hiding under her bed. She liked to call her Fake Ditzy. So while Fake Ditzy took real Ditzy’s spot on the cozy cot with the covers wrapped close around her pillow-y torso. She took special care to tuck her fake self in nice and tight; just because she was sneaking out, it didn’t mean that she wanted to let fake her catch a cold.

Finally, she was free to gallivant around the room to make sure there were no secret cameras or ninjas (Ditzy severely doubted that the hospital was ninja-proof). Once she was entirely satisfied that she was alone, she made her way towards the door. It was easy to open, but harder to do so without making noise. The hinges on the door frame had not been oiled in some time, it seemed. It was a slow process to pull the door open; she built up a sweat with each inch the door gave as she pulled it open. The door eventually opened enough for her to squeeze out, and she did just that.

Ditzy felt a mixture of fright and an adrenaline rush as she peered around the darkened hallway. Her heart pounded excitedly as she checked for signs of the night security.

Nowhere to be seen, Ditzy congratulated herself on her adept timing. As sly as a fox, Ditzy compressed herself flat against the wall opposing her room; Twilight’s door was right next to her. The adrenaline coursing through her veins helped her ignore the pain that shot down her spine. Smiling at her own ingenuity—being the mastermind behind this plan, she allowed herself a quiet chuckle as she reached for Twilight door and pushed on it. It wouldn’t budge.

No, I must’ve pushed it wrong… Ditzy assured herself. She pushed on it even harder, but it still stood stock still. She even tried pulling on it before she glanced to the side and noticed a key-card swipe security system. Above the device, engraved in a simple metal plate, were a few simple words:

Doors lock after visiting hours.

Ditzy face-hooved. How could she not have known that? She went back to her own door and tried to open it; it remained just as still as the door before. She was trapped in the very hallway she had congratulated herself for breaking into. For a moment, her heart pounded with paranoia of what would happen if she was caught out of her bed. Would she be thrown in jail? Or hospital jail? Do hospitals have jails? She didn’t want to find out.

She forced herself to calm down by taking several deep breaths. It helped, and she was able to think more logically. Okay, I just need to get one of those key-card things so I can get into the rooms. I think the security guard at the front desk has one…

She quietly tip-toed down the hallway, ducking behind a mobile miniature book shelf and other random counters and carts in the hallway: anything to provide cover. She discovered she was on the second floor when she came upon a stairwell, which she slowly slithered down in perfect silence. She hid using the cover of darkness in the shadows of corners, her eyes attune to even the slightest movement or change in light.

The trek down the stairs unfortunately reminded her of her brittle condition. Although she managed to stay inaudible, her limbs were shaky with every step down. Every now and then it would cause her to trip, and the resulting jolt sent tremors through her body that she could feel in her injured wing. It was a pain that halted her until the attack was over, leaving her gritting her teeth and breathing out through her nostrils to avoid groaning.

She must’ve spent near five minutes going down one set of stairs. The constant transfer of weight from one limb to the next required a certain cognitive solidarity that she did not possess at the current time. Although she wouldn’t admit it, she was tired and probably would have benefited from a good night’s sleep. But she pushed on—Twilight needed her, and she remained locked in her room like a damsel in distress.

Finally, she made it to the base of the stairs. She breathed a sigh of relief as she was able to disperse her weight over all her hooves evenly. Epic trial conquered, she made her way out the door, making sure to check for guards. At the far end of the hall, in a chair facing away from her, was a watchpony sitting at the front desk. Ditzy narrowed her eyes at him and licked her lips in apprehension; there was no telling how trained he was. Sure, at first sight it might appear that he was slouching lazily and might’ve been dozing off, but that might have been a ruse! Ditzy couldn’t afford to fall for any traps, so she wouldn’t take the chance of underestimating him.

With her eyes locked on the guard like a tiger stalking her prey, she shadowed the walls, taking special care to stay low to the ground. When she was about a few pony-lengths behind the guard, she peered around to the desk in front of the guard. Lying in a tauntingly-viewable position on the edge of the desk was a shiny blue key-card. She eyed it hungrily.

Her eyes shifted back towards the guard, who turned out to be fully awake. He seemed to be preoccupying himself with a pencil—rolling it back and forth on the desk. To the untrained eye this would appear to be slacking off, and a foolish pony might attempt to just take the key card under the guard’s nose, but Ditzy knew better. No; a better diversion would have to be implemented.

She began scanning her environment for anything she could use to her advantage. Eventually, she spied a door to the side with the engraved words “storage” across it. She nodded with a sly smile, and she made her way towards it. She had a very strong urge to ninja roll over to her, but she admitted it might have been a detriment to her condition. Still, she imagined that she rolled over to the door, and it was so cool.

Quietly, she pushed open the supply closet and shut the door behind her. Inside was completely dark, and she fumbled around for a light source. After tripping over at least a dozen awkwardly-placed objects, her hoof found a string dangling down from the ceiling. Yanking on it softly, a soft lightning filled the space from a dull light bulb overhead.

Most of the junk in the room was beyond her comprehension: tubes, glasses, bags, and all different types of medical supplies filled the shelves, but none of that interested her. She was far more concerned with a few lockers in the back with a small bench. On it was a blue security uniform. Eyes alight, she bounded over and began dawning her disguise.

It took her longer than expected, especially when it came to pulling up the overcoat over her injured wing. It was a slow process, and she could feel every ounce of added weight on her wound under the bandages. It took a few seconds for the pain to wear off, and the end result was worth it; she now looked just like the security personnel.

Well… not quite. She was still paranoid that the guard might recognize her as a patient, even though she had a disguise. It was missing something…

Ditzy began rummaging through the lockers to find nothing in particular, but a special something that would cause a total immersion into her role. After many seconds past, she found a container. She placed it on the bench gently, and used her hoof to open up the front flap.

Inside was a bunch of fake mustaches. Ditzy grinned.

Perfect…

~*~*~

Disguise completed and utterly infallible, Ditzy made her way to the front desk with confidence. The guard appeared to have forsaken his pencil in exchange for a piece of gum, which he lazily chewed at while he leaned back in his chair. His eye lids were threatening to close on each other when Ditzy slammed her hoof down on the desk, causing him to yelp in surprise and fall out of his seat.

“Hey, what’s the big idea?” The stallion turned around towards Ditzy, and gave her a once over.

What would a guy say in this position? She asked herself. “Uh, just messin’ with you… bro,” Ditzy said, dropping her voice a few octaves. “Makin’ sure you’re not too asleep on the job.”

The colt eyed her suspiciously. Ditzy felt her cheeks start to burn up and her forehead start to sweat. For a moment, she thought she had been caught. But then the colt broke out into a sheepish smile and stroked the back of his neck nervously.

“Heh, yeah I was nodding off, wasn’t I? Can you do me a solid and not tell the boss?”

“Pfft, you know how it is; we guards got to stick together!” Ditzy assured.

“Ain’t that the truth,” the colt agreed.

“Hey, why don’t you take a cider break, I got the front desk until you get back,” Ditzy said nonchalantly.

“You wouldn’t mind? Hey thanks!” The opposing guard clapped Ditzy on the shoulder, erupting her side in pain that she tried her best to stifle, but he noticed the look on her face. “Hey, you alright?”

“FINE…fine…” She muttered, trying to smile through the pain.

“Oh…kay…” the stallion said suspiciously. “Anyway, I’ll be back in a second.”

With that, the guard left his post and Ditzy was left alone. As soon as he was out of sight, she crumbled into the chair, gasping for air. She knew she didn’t have time to waste though, so she focused her thoughts and seized the key-card.

Back into the hallway she walked. She was already at the stairs in a matter of seconds. Although it wasn’t as difficult to go up the stairs, it was still a chore that made her sore muscles burn. But she knew that the guard could return to the post at any moment, so she needed to be quick.

On the second floor once again, she trotted over towards her own door and swiped the key-card. The console lit up green and the sound of a locking mechanism releasing could be heard. She pushed the door open and searched around for something to prop the door open, eventually settling on a trash can. Then she went across the hall and did the same thing, pushing open the door and finding something to prop it open.

She froze for a moment to watch Twilight, who looked so peaceful. Ditzy could swear that she was just sleeping; the purple mare’s chest rose and fell in a passive, almost melodic, rhythm with her silent breathing. Far from stoic, Ditzy wanted greatly just to stay with her, and the thought of leaving her even for a second was hard to imagine. But she had a job to do; she had to return the key-card before the security guard returned to the desk.

After a few hesitant moments in the doorway, Ditzy sighed and forced her gaze away from Twilight as she trotted back in the hallway. She was back downstairs and at the front desk in no time at all, and replaced the key-card on the desk just in time as the guard came back into the room.

“Whew, colt I really needed that, thanks! That’ll help me get through the rest of the shift.”

Ditzy kept her distance this time, just in case the stallion decided to get physical again. “My pleasure, see ya around.”

The stallion nodded, and with a grunt, fell back into his chair and resumed his watchful duties, none the wiser that he had been fooled by Ditzy the Mastermind. Before she left, Ditzy returned the uniform and fake mustache to the storage room. She clicked back into sneaking mode as she left the safe room. She took her time walking back up the stairs and back into Twilight’s room.

She once again found herself in a trance-like state as she watched Twilight. Ditzy was stuck in the doorway unable to move closer. Although she came up with this plan, this is where it ended; she had no idea what to do now that she was in the room. After taking a deep breath, she approached Twilight’s bedside.

“H-hey Twilight…” Ditzy breathed out in a whisper, as if she was trying to wake a sleeping pony. She joined the purple mare at her bedside, taking a chair up and taking a seat. Awkwardly, Ditzy rubbed her two front hooves together before reaching out and taking Twilight’s hoof in her own.

“Hey Twilight…” she reiterated a bit louder. “C-can you hear me?”

It was a stupid thing to ask and she knew it, but she felt it needed to be asked. “I’m sure you can… I just don’t know what to say.”

A truer statement has never been said. What could Ditzy say to Twilight? That she was sorry? Why did the word sorry always have a way of not being good enough? The thought that Ditzy was even indirectly involved in Twilight ending up in this bed made her sick to her stomach. She remembered what the doctor said though—Twilight might be able to hear her, so she needed to make the most of it, even if that meant just talking for the sake of talking.

“Listen, I’m here now so you don’t need to be scared. I know I get scared sometimes, but you’ve helped me calm down a lot. Now I know you’re in a bad situation, but I’m right here, and I’m not leaving. I’ll make sure you always have somepony to talk to.” Ditzy glanced up to Twilight’s face and studied it closely for any slight movement that it might do: a facial tick, eye movement… anything. But nothing happened.

Ditzy pulled up Twilight’s covers closer to Twilight’s chest. “Just in case you’re cold. I could go get my blanket too if you want.” She waited for a response out of impulse.

“Nah I think you’re fine for now. It’s a nice night outside anyway.” Ditzy peered out the window and admired the moon, wondering what her friend would think of it if she could see it.

An idea popped into her mind. “Hey, I never told you how I got my cutie mark, did I?” Ditzy leaned in towards the bed. “Most ponies see bubbles and think that it’s something to do with bubble wrap. I mean, don’t get me wrong—I love me some bubble wrap, but that’s not why I got my cutie mark. Even being a mailmare doesn’t have much to do with it…”

Ditzy tried to focus her thoughts into words, but she had trouble finding a correct way to display her feelings without certain details seeming unimportant.

She chuckled nervously. “Actually, I can’t remember the last time I told anypony this story. I don’t even know how to start it…”

An awkward silence filled the room as Ditzy wondered how deep into her past she’d have to delve to find the proper starting point. It took her a while, but then she found the words.

“Well…” she began, leaning in closer to Twilight to make sure she could hear, “when I was a really little filly, like before I can even remember, my mom told me that I used to do the weirdest things that nopony could really explain.” She pointed to the ceiling. “Sometimes I’d fly on the ceiling so it’d look like I was walking upside down. Sometimes I’d pop out of the most random places… there was this one time that I popped out of the oven and it scared my mom to death. They always wondered how I could get into these places, but to be honest I don’t know.”

Ditzy chuckled to herself. “What I’m trying to say I guess is that I liked to do stuff that was unexpected. Then when I was a slightly older filly in school, I always just assumed I liked doing random stuff because it was so fun. I was too young to even think there was a greater purpose.” She looked out the window and sighed before she continued.

“Then one day our teacher, Mrs. Desdemona, came in and she was all sad.” Ditzy’s ears fell to the side of her head. “I was too young to understand why she was sad, but all I knew was that I didn’t want her to stay like that. Nopony else in my class even caught on to it; she wasn’t openly crying or anything. I could just feel in my heart that something was wrong with her. So, I did my best to cheer her up.”

Ditzy waited for a moment, and imagined Twilight saying “Yah, and then what happened?”

“Well, Twilight,” Ditzy began, “I popped out of her desk and surprised her, but before she could do anything, I told her how much of a good teacher she was, and that I loved being taught by her. She was so happy that I think she wanted to cry…”

“I felt something inside me, Twilight... like an understanding. All this time I thought I’ve liked doing stuff because it was fun but pointless. But then I realized I did the stuff I did because it made ponies happy.”

Ditzy held a hoof to her chest. “It made me so happy to make other ponies happy. Making everypony smile and knowing that their lives are a little better because of me gives my life a purpose. I wish I could give that feeling to everything—not just ponies, but I’m probably kidding myself.”

She tugged on Twilight’s bedcovers. “Don’t you see, Twilight? That’s how I got my cutie mark! Whenever I’m really happy from helping other ponies, my insides get all bubbly and I feel… useful.” The last word came out as a sigh, as if she was resigning herself to something she didn’t want to admit.

“I… I’m not that useful of a pony, Twilight. I’ve never been good at anything. In the end, that’s why I became a mailmare. It’s something I could do to help everypony while kinda staying in the background so I don’t mess up anything.”

Ditzy stood up suddenly and leaned in much closer to Twilight. “But then you came, Twilight, and you pulled me outta the background. You showed other ponies that I was somepony worth mentioning!” she said passionately, almost desperately trying to convey this feeling.

“I wasn’t just the mailmare anymore! I was a friend! I could go on adventures, and have fun at slumber parties, and watch fashion shows, and survive ninja massage parlors… stuff I’ve never done before until you came into my life!”

Ditzy’s ears flopped down as tears welled up in her eyes. She finally gained the courage to reach up and brush the stray piece of Twilight’s mane out of her face. “You made me a better pony, Twilight, and I can’t thank you enough. And now you’re here in this bed because you were trying to save my life. Nopony deserves the amount of loyalty you’ve shown me.”

The first tear rolled down her face, much to her displeasure. “S-so that’s why you gotta be alright Twilight. I… I don’t think I can do this without you. I was so scared… all the time, I just never realized it.”

She sniffed to clear her sinuses and thoughts, and then gave a wet chuckle. “Heh, d-do you remember the first day you came over my house? I remember every second of it. Sometimes I like to replay it in my head.” She closed her eyes. “When you saw my daughters and me in the picture, you said I was beautiful. Twilight, nopony has ever called me beautiful, a-and what’s more is you made me believe you.”

“A-and that’s why you’re going to be okay. I-I’m not a clever pony but I don’t have to be the smartest to know that this town needs you… and so I do, more than you know. So please… you have to wake up…

…p-please wake up?”

Who Framed Derpy Hooves?

Under the cover of darkness, the hooded figure waited for the perfect moment until finally the two sentries changed positions. She knew she had 1.5 seconds to jump the wall or risk being seen, knowing only too well her would-be assailants would rather destroy the treasure rather than have it stolen. A snap of a twig could mean the difference between success and… capture? Torture? Sold into some kind of daycare/gladiatorial combat operation where you had naught but your wits and a padded wiffle ball bat to survive?

Not today.

Quicker than a wisp on the wind, she sprang from her protective bush, over the 10-foot-high wall, which obviously was protected by razor wire and and at least a hundred radioactive monkey ninjas. The masked mare use her wings to lightly touch down on the other side, holding her breath and tuning her ears to the sound of any alarm. After thirty seconds, all she could hear was her own heartbeat thumping in her ears. Even the wind was dangerously still.

Crouching behind a convenient chest-high wall, the pegasus slowly allowed her eyes to wander to the other side, only to be startled by the sudden steps of approaching guards. She quickly shot back down, closing her eyes to once again attune her ears for any irregularities in their steps. They came and went without so much as a whisper.

She peered over the wall once again, and was this time able to gather more information about the compound. They seemed to take security more seriously that she once anticipated; security cameras circled around the whole area, only noticeable by their tell-tale blinking red lights. Even worse, she seemed to have trapped herself into the only blind spot. With no way around the cameras, she knew she would have to dawn a disguise if she ever hoped to reach the treasure.

She waited another few minutes before the guard rotation sent another guard her way, this time alone. Before you could say “two days from retirement”, the mare dragged the surprised guard behind the wall and knocked him out cold.

Although the disguise would fool the security cameras, she knew she wouldn’t pass a close inspection from another guard. She waited until another rotation of guards to pass before she jumped over the wall, knowing she at least at a minute or two to work with. She crept along the path like a normal guard, every now and again stopping to inspect something, giving the cameras a good show. Finally, she saw a tent guarded by two armed sentries. She timed this masquerade she that the sentries on the tent were just about to go under a shift change. They were at the end of a long, boring shift, and likely exhausted. She could use that to her advantage.

The mare once again hugged the shadows of an adjourning tent. She knew she had to act before one of the guard said some endearing comment that would mark them as something other than the “incompetent guard #1” and “incompetent guard #2” personas; something that would give substance to their character, making it harder to see them as your enemy.

It was too late.

“How’s that orphanage of yours going, Phil?” One guard sniffed casually.

“Wonderful as always, Ted,” The other guard remarked. “ We’ve had some setbacks, but if nothing goes wrong in the next two minutes, I can use the paycheck to finally buy some decent blankets for the harsh winter ahead.”

The first guard raised his eyebrows. “Just how many orphans depend on you, Phil?”

“Oh, I’d say about a hundred of the most bushy-eyed, cute little buggers I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. I love ‘em to death,” guard one said proudly.

“You’re a saint among pony-kind, Phil.”

“How about you, Ted? How goes the fam?”

“Oh, you know,” Ted shrugged. “my two daughters are the light of my eyes. After their mom died, it was up to me to put ‘em through school. It’s been a long journey, but with this final paycheck, I should be able to get out of this shady business.”

Phil nodded nonchalantly. “Isn’t one of your kids deaf, Ted?”

“Why yes, Phil.”

“You’re just a stand-up dad, Ted. Anyone would be better for knowin’ ya.”

“Thank ya, Phil. There sure is a lot riding on these final two minutes going smoothly.”

“Right you are there, Ted.”

Ponyfeathers.

The mare plopped her flank downed and waited the two minutes, allowing the sentries to finish their shift. Two awake, and much more alert guards replaced them at the entrance of the tent. From around the corner, the mare slowly crept closer and closer until…

“So Gary, you were telling me about that there charity you were—”

“Not today!” The mare whispered before pouncing between the two guards and knocking their heads together. They both slumped motionless to the ground.

Finally the moment had come. She marched her way into the tent and took off her disguise to reveal who she really was: Daring Do! The greatest, bravest, pegasisest pony that had ever lived!

On a small table lit only but a dim, flickering light was a metal briefcase. She attempted to open it, but was met by a three-digit combination lock, ranging up to 60. it would take a while to brute force it, and she didn’t have that kind of time. Picking the lock was probably her best bet, though she was a bit rusty. She swung her pack across her shoulder and fumbled through it for a few moments before retrieving her torsion wrench and pick.

It was slow work, and her heart stopped at every sound; even the click of the tumblers made her cringe. As the last tumbler finally clicked into place, she wiped her forehead and allowed herself to breathe. She carefully gripped the sides of the case, and with great caution, slowly lifted the top before swinging to open to reveal…

A muffin!

The most perfect muffin anyone could have ever possibly laid eyes upon. The top appeared gold-brown with the perfect percentage of flakiness. The pink wrapper did little against the bulbousness of the muffin top. In fact, the whole delectable treat seemed to glow. Licking her lips, Daring Doo slowly reached inside to caress the muffin. Mere inches away, she began to tremble; maybe she wasn’t ready. No! She’d came too far to back out now. It was time.

With a delicate hoof, she touche the muffin.

~*~*~

“...Annndddd that’s all I thought of so far!” Ditzy announced cheerily. She took a bow before Twilight, revering the imaginary awe from her friend. “I know I got some kinks to work out, and it obviously has to go through some proof-readers, but I think this has what it takes to be a grade-A fan fic. I don’t think I’ll finish it now though; I think I’ll wait two years.”

Ditzy threw the manuscript over her shoulder with a giggle. “I hope you liked it! I know you read all the real Daring Doo books, so I decided to make one up.” Ditzy shifted uncomfortably for a moment. “It’s all thanks to you, you know. Writing stuff, I mean.”

Silence filled the room; the only response to Ditzy’s thoughtful gesture.

“I-I hope I’m not being a bother,” Ditzy stammered. “Just thought you might like hearing a friendly voice. By all means say something if you want me to stop.”

She looked at her friend, almost expecting her to say something. Any sign that what she was saying was reaching her. An eerie quiet filled the room. Ditzy’s ears drooped in disappointment as a brief spell of futility rushed over her. It quickly passed however, and by the time she shook her head, she was back to her perky self.

“Well then, I’ll just keep going!” She whisper-shouted. She scooted her chair closer to twilight’s bed, and rested her head on the soft bedding.

“Have I ever told you about my flight to the valley of the Griffins?”

Go to bed, you’re tired, she imagined Twilight saying.

“No! I want to stay, just a little bit longer, okay?” Ditzy leaned in expectantly. She knew what her friend would do in this situation. Twilight would look down at her ever so kindly before nodding with only the touch of a graceful smile on her face.

Okay, a little bit longer.

Ditzy clapped her hooves together giddily, like a filly told she could stay up an hour past bedtime. “So what’cha wanna talk about? I’ve pretty much covered everything.”

I don’t think you’ve told me everything.

Ditzy was taken aback. “What do you mean?”

A pause came from Imaginary Twilight. Ditzy, do you remember the second day after I met you?

The excitable mailmare beamed brightly, remembering the day as if it only occurred a few months prior. “Do I ever! I mean, the trip to the spa could’ve gone a bit better I suppose… but having good company helped! Oh, oh, and, and, and the next part when we went to Sweet Apple Acres and I played horseshoes with Applejack! That was an awesome day.”

Do you remember what happened before we got to the spa?

Ditzy shifted curiously, feeling like she was being quizzed on her own life. “Well, yah Twilight. We bumped into Rarity and Fluttershy.”

Before that.

“Spike and I had a race?”

Getting warmer. Just a few minutes after we left the library.

Ditzy caught her breath. She was talking about the run-in with Destiny Dawn. “Y-you mean when we ran into…”

Destiny, yes. You hid behind me that day, and honestly I’ve been curious ever since. I don’t think you noticed me noticing, but I did. What happened?

Ditzy looked away from Twilight, unable to formulate an answer without dumping it all. She was not a mean pony, and she did not like to gossip, especially if it sounded like she was complaining. It just wasn’t her style.

Imaginary Twilight noticed this. You know you can tell your friends anything.

“I, I don’t know what you want me to say, Twilight. Destiny is a… very good mailmare who always does her job right. She’s really nice to everypony,” tactfully leaving out the ‘everypony except me’, “and that’s the whole story.”

Imaginary Twilight remained silent inside Ditzy’s thoughts for a while—pondering within pondering. “So then why did you hide from her?”

The grey pegasus waved a hoof, attempting a façade of nonchalance. “Eh, you know her: she likes to play around a little. I just didn’t feel like…you know, talking with her when I was… already talking to you?” Ditzy flinched. It was almost believable until she spoke it with a questionable inflection.

That doesn’t even make much sense, Imaginary Twilight pointed out. You’ll have to do better than that.

“...We were playing hide-and-seek?”

Nope.

“I found a bit on the ground and was bending down to snatch it?”

Try again.

“I found the wall behind you legitimately interesting.”

Possible, and somehow I believe the most honest statement you’ve said so far, but still no deal.

“I left the stove on.”

How does that pertain to this situation?

“My refrigerator was running and I had to go catch it.”

You’re not even trying now.

“And while we’re at it, why were you standing in front of me?”

What!?

“Yah, you heard me. What if I wasn’t hiding behind you, but instead you were hiding in front of me?”

What.

“What are you hiding, Twilight? Care to share with the class?”

I think there’s been a shift in control and I’m not okay with it.

“Your lack of an answer pretty much confirms it.”

It confirms nothing.

“YOUR FACE!”

My face confirms nothing?

“It confirms everything.”

About what?

“I don’t know anymore.”

Imaginary Twilight sighed. I don’t know anymore either. You just seem to act a bit strange whenever one of our friends brings her up in conversation. It’s always rushed, like you can’t get through the topic fast enough. But if you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t push you.

Ditzy leaned back over Twilight worriedly. The defeated tone of Imaginary Twilight’s voice was enough to wash away any alleged victory. The mailmare tapped her forehooves together nervously, then slowly—with purpose—cleared her throat. With her own defeat imminent, she forced a small fracture of the truth to escape her barely-parted lips.

“Well… she does like to play around sometimes,” Ditzy whispered.

That recaptured Imaginary Twilight’s attention. She sat up on the bed. Playing…like hanging out? What we do?

Ditzy shook her head. “No, more like…she like to pull some light-hearted pranks every once in a while.”

Her friend frowned. “light-hearted” meaning…?

The mailmare shuddered as she recalled the incident when she returned home with a bloody nose and hot tears that stung her eyes. Still, she persisted with her interpretation. “Nothing too serious. I mean, Rainbow Dash pulls pranks all the time, and we’re still friends, right?”

Somehow I feel like it’s not the same thing, am I right?

“When did you become a psychologist?”

I’ve read a few books on the subject.

“Oh really, which ones?”

Oh, a good few! Let’s see… there was The Psychoanalysis of Pony Play-dates; it has helped me through some dark times. There was a rather informational report on mares in current society entitled Mares: The Overwhelming Majority and Other Viable Options, which happened to go into great detail on how we as a society live with such few males, even mentioning the fact that some mares—Wait, you changed the subject on purpose, didn’t you?

“What, me?” Ditzy put her best shocked face on, and then she blinked. “What was that about mares?”

Oh no, not this time. You’re going to sit there and talk to me about this.

Ditzy’s eyebrows arched pleadingly. “But Twilight, there’s nothing much to tell. Sure, I get pranked every now and again, but it’s all in good fun right? That’s what I’m all about. Besides, I haven’t even talked to her much since our last run in, so I think she’s actually backing off. Maybe she feels sorry.”

Imaginary Twilight’s voice softened. Ditzy, if she’s making you feel uncomfortable, that’s something you have to tell ponies. Nopony will be angry with you for telling them how you feel.

“Twilight,” Ditzy stated a bit more firmly than she intended, “there’s nothing wrong. Like I said, I think she might be backing off now, so there’s no need for that.”

A silence permeated the room for a few moments as Ditzy realized how tense she had gotten. At once, she released a breath and slumped back into her chair, running a hoof over her weary eyes.

“I…I’m sorry, Twilight, I don’t mean to be snippy,” she muttered unhappily.

Imaginary Twilight hesitated for a moment, but then responded with a small smile. It’s fine Ditzy, you’re tired. You should go get some rest.

The mailmare looked up sadly, more at herself than anything else. She was about to respond when suddenly the illusion shattered, and the broken Twilight lay before her; bandaged and unchanged in her neat hospital bed, where the only signs of wear was upon the spot Ditzy had touched. The sorrow upon sadness could not be held inwards like all her usual emotions. She was left sitting there, in that dark medical room as the walls closed in around her, confessing that despite her other friends, family, and acquaintances she had attained along the way, she had never felt more alone.

~*~*~

Ditzy was in such a deep sleep, that at first, she didn’t react to the gentle prodding of her side. As the prodding became more insistent, she finally began to stir. She let out a tremendous yawn, arching her back like a cat before opening her eyes lazily. The Doctor stood in front of her.

“Good morning, Ms. Doo. It seems like you had quite the adventurous night last night,” he said, shifting his glasses.

Ponyfeathers, Ditzy thought as she snapped to full consciousness, my perfect plan gone awry! I covered my tracks so perfectly, there’s no way he could know! He has to be bluffing.

“Wha—, whe—, huh?!” Ditzy sputtered incredulously, feigning offense. I have no idea what you mean! I’ve been a good little pony, here in my bed all night long.”

“Then,” the Doctor began, “why are we in the hallway?”

Ditzy looked around. At first glance, he appeared to be telling the truth; they did indeed appear to be in a hallway of some sort, however Ditzy was not ready to rule out the possibility of hallucinatory drugs.

“Are we, Doctor?” Ditzy asked. “Are we really?”

“Yes, Ms. Doo,” he answered.

“Huh,” Ditzy affirmed. “Is it too late to plead insanity?”

“Ms. Doo,” he deadpanned.

“Fine!” Ditzy shouted, startling a nurse who was walking by. She began sobbing into her hooves. “I admit it! I was a bad pony. Please don’t take me to hospital jail, or sick your hospital ninjas on me!”

The Doctor just stood there, appearing unsure how to react. Finally, with a sigh, he removed his glasses magically and rubbed his eyes. “Lets just get you back to bed. It’s still quite early, and you shouldn’t be out and about yet.”

The announcement of her bed reminded her of the wing, which was still throbbed with pain every few seconds. She must have slept partially on it, because she had to let out a seethe of air as she stood up. Her legs wobbled unsteadily for a moment before the Doctor supported her.

“Yah, maybe you’re right…” Ditzy half-smiled.

With help, Ditzy hobbled back into her hospital room, still propped open, and laid on the bed. She glanced at the clock as she nestled in. The Doctor was right—it was so early the sun wasn’t even up yet, and as a yawn consumed the grey mare, she knew it wouldn’t take much to get back to sleep.

“You’ll have your daughters to look forward to in a few hours, they’re pretty eager to see you. Until then, sleep well,” the Doctor said as he began walking out of the room. With a quick flit of magic, he dimmed the lights and shut the door behind him, and all was silence once again.

The idea of her daughters visiting her in a few hours perked her up quite a bit. As she closed her eyes, she allowed herself a small smile.

Her dreams were haunted with flashes of lightning.

~*~*~

The early morning sun was only beginning to rise as the shadowed mare peered out over the crest of a home. In the distance, the unicorn she had studied for the past few days had started on her normal walk an hour before she usually did.

The prissy one’s early, the hidden mare gritted her teeth. Only a minor setback. It might even work in my favor…

Taking one last look at the distant unicorn showed her she was carrying all sorts of supplies in bags; unfortunately too far for her to detail anything specific, but knowing the unicorn, she already had a pretty good idea. Quicker than a blink, she stealthily flew off the building, landing in one of the alleys she knew the unicorn would cross.

She adjusted her bag, knowing that any moment the unicorn would be here, and she wanted to look convincing. She steeled herself as the sound of hoof steps proceeded ever closer, until she began the countdown.

Three...two...one… now!

As if she was running late, she sprinted out from the alley—right into a very surprised unicorn.

Crash!

The mare’s head spun as she rubbed her head (at least, that’s what she wanted it to look like). She blinked her eyes a few times to focus them, before gasping in shock and bolting to her feet.

“O-oh my, Ms. Rarity! I-I can’t tell you how sorry I am! Please let me help you up…” Destiny said, lending a hoof out to the dazed unicorn.

“Eehhh…” Rarity let out a moan as she righted herself, “quite...quite alright, dear. Half my fault, not exactly the quickest reflexes right now.” The unicorn took Destiny’s hoof and slowly worked her way upright.

Destiny feigned a look of sympathy, “I know… it was a long night for you.” It readily became apparent now on closer inspection that Rarity had bags under her eyes. To most ponies, it meant she was tired, but to Destiny it meant she was that much more manipulable.

“For all of us, dear,” Rarity said with a half-smile, putting a hoof on Destiny shoulders for comfort. “I know Twilight is your friend too.”

“Much obliged, darling,” Rarity’s smile becoming more and more genuine, “looks as if you dropped a few of your own.”

The two giggled together and silently began reorganizing their belongings with magic. After a few moments, Destiny gathered up the “mail” into her mailbag she had been carrying. The large amount led Rarity to adopt a curious stare.

“My my, busy morning?” Rarity asked.

“I could say the same to you,” Destiny winked. She shifted the bag on her shoulder. “Double shifts for me for the time being; Ponyville stills needs their mail delivered.” She began to chuckle, but immediately raised a hoof to her mouth as if she had just offended Rarity. “O-oh, I hope you don’t think I mind this at all, I’m happy to do the work! Anything to help Derpy get back on her feet.”

Rarity looked at her with admiration. “Nonsense, you’re being a great friend. Ditzy is lucky to have a friend like you.”

Pfft. Right.

“That’s kind of you to say,” Destiny returned. “I’m surprised it took me running into you to strike up a conversation, I don’t get many opportunities like this with how busy I am.”

“Oh, preaching to the choir here, darling,” Rarity drolled. “You should really come by for tea some time.”

“In your boutique!?” Destiny gasped.

Rarity was taken aback by the candor. “Er...yes.”

“I’ve looked into its windows so many times! This is kind of embarrassing, but I must say I’m a fan of your work.”

Rarity’s ears perked up with new interest. “You’re interested in fashion?”

On the inside, Destiny was grinning a devilish grin. I almost have her… she thought.

“Oh, absolutely!” Destiny said with shining eyes. She realized she might be becoming too overbearing, and adopted a skittish nature. She back up and coughed into her hoof while her cheeks burned red. “I...I mean, you know… more of a hobby, really. Which mare doesn’t dream of growing up to be a fashion designer?”

“A lot, actually,” Rarity chuckled. “Do you actually do any designing?”

“Well…” Destiny paused, as if she wasn’t sure if she wanted to continue. “Some stuff…” she continued meekly. “But it’s nothing compared to a professional such as yourself! If you want, maybe we can get together and you can look at some sketches I made.”

“An absolutely marvelous idea!” came Rarity’s enthused reply. “Say, this Saturday afternoon?”

“Looking forward to it,” Destiny responded with a shy smile. It was time, she decided, to turn the conversation onto another path.

“Will you be going to see Twilight and Derpy later?” she asked casually.

Rarity took a few moments to respond, jarred by the sudden switch of mood. "Yes...yes I will. Though I don’t know for how long… I’m exhausted enough as it is.”

“I understand,” Destiny nodded sympathetically. “Just give them both my best, would you? I’ll be working until the late hours tonight.” She sighed and shook her head. “I just hope ponies aren’t giving Derpy too hard of a time.”

One of Rarity’s ears twitched as she frowned. “What do you mean?”

Destiny let herself shift uncomfortably as she broke eye contact and bit her lip. “You know…” she began, acting as if she wasn’t hoping she didn’t have to say it. “About how the other ponies—you know what, nevermind.” She turned as if she said too much and was about to leave.

“No, no, what do you mean?” Rarity inquired with a serious, yet curious, tone.

“Well…” Destiny’s eyes shifted from one side to the other. “I-I don’t want you to think that I thought Derpy had anything to do with what happened, but there are some ponies that…”

Dramatic pause…

“Blame...her,” she finally finished, as if it pained her to say.

Rarity’s eyes flashed to their usual intensity for a moment. “Outrageous! Why would they be saying nasty things like that?” she spat.

“You… don’t know?” Destiny added, her ears drooping. She looked around to make sure no one else was around before turning to the unicorn and talked in a whisper. “Every delivery cart is double locked from behind to ensure what happened, doesn’t happen.” Destiny shook her head sadly. “The only explanation is Derpy forgot. Perhaps if she had remembered…”

Destiny widened her eyes and covered her mouth. “Oh my goodness, oh my goodness. I know I’ve said too much. Please don’t think even for a second I blame her for what happened; it was a freak accident and nothing more.”

The mare witnessed the briefest shadow of uncertainty cross Rarity’s visage, and she knew the seeds of doubt had been planted.

“Of course, darling… nopony could have seen that coming,” Rarity answered, though her voice wavered and she looked visibly uneasy.

Mission accomplished, now to get out of here.

“Hey, I better get going. See you this Saturday?” Destiny asked cheerily.

The fog lifted from Rarity eyes. “This Saturday? Oh, yes! Of course. Looking… forward to it, Destiny.” She gave the mailmare the friendliest smile she could muster and began to walk off.

As Destiny walked away in the opposite direction, she finally allowed a slight, but obviously devious smile creep onto her lips.

One down, four to go.

~*~*~

The next thing she could remember was an abnormal tingly sensation. Ditzy woke up on her own accord a few hours later with her left foreleg completely asleep. She must’ve been snoozing on it without reservation, because that thing was so dead, she was already prepping for amputation when the doctor re-entered the room. He ambled in to discover her gnawing at the base of her upper foreleg like a feral wolf caught in a bear trap. He was so desensitized to the mailmare antics that by this point he didn’t question her motives.

This of course didn’t stop her from answering the inexistent question.

“It’s gunna have to come off, Doc,” Ditzy moaned miserably. To demonstrate the leg’s uselessness, she waved it around as if all the bones had vanished.

The doctor rolled his eyes while he walked over towards the bed, then reached over and slightly elevated the aforementioned hoof, allowing the blood to drain quicker. “How does it feel now, Ms. Doo?”

“Hmm,” the mailmare inspected, “seems to be getting better!”

“Remarkable,” the doctor said humorously. “I’m glad you’ve woken up on her own; much longer and we would’ve woken you, lest we condone this night owl habit.”

Ditzy rubbed her eyes and allowed herself a stretch before responding. “Really? How long have I been sleeping?”

“Oh, it’s just a bit after noon,” the stallion answered, gesturing at the clock.

The thought made her cringe. She had always been an early-to-rise pony that was up before the sun. Waking up at such a late hour made her feel like she slept the day away. Perhaps the doctor had a point: as much as she adored the night, she enjoyed being well-rested and waking up at a reasonable time a touch more. The sunshine throughout the room was enough to convince her that waking up at this late hour was unacceptable in the future.

“Oh and I nearly forgot to mention,” the doctor began somewhat sarcastically, pausing as Ditzy’s attention refocused on him, “you have some visitors.”

Before reaction was possible, the pattering of little hooves echoed through the hall outside with a scream to accompany it.

“Mommy!” came the trill of a filly. Dinky Doo was on the hospital bed in mere seconds. Ditzy wasted no time and embraced her daughter warmly, careful not to lean forward or strain too much. “I was here for you yesterday mommy, but you were still sleeping,” the little filly sniffed. Sparkler walked in a moment later, more composed but visibly relieved. She approached the bed and put a hoof on the ruffles of the blanket near Ditzy.

“Hey mom, how are you feeling?” the mare asked.

“Better now that you two are here,” the mailmare said smiling, hugging Dinky tighter against her. “Were you guys alright last night at the library?”

“Don’t worry about us mommy, worry about you!” Dinky stated. “Are you okay? I-is your wing…?”

“N-no, I’m gunna be fine, I promise,” Ditzy stuttered. She meant physically, but chose not to allude to it. She pulled her two daughters close and gave them a tight hug.

Two audible sighs of relief filled the room before Sparkler spoke up. “When will you be able to come home?”

Ditzy saw the doctor took that chance to step forward. “Your mother’s wounds will heal with time. Fortunate for you, that time can be spent at home.” The doctor looked directly at Ditzy. “You’ll be able to go home tomorrow, though your bandages will need to stay on for a time. You’ll also need to stop by here at least twice a week so we may clean the bandages and check the healing process. Flight therapy will also be a must if you plan on flying again, though I warn you,” the doctor paused, “you may never be able to fly as fast as you once did.”

As her two daughters turned to her after hearing the news, she could tell they were distraught but honestly, Ditzy was relieved. She was just happy to be alive, and the promise that her wing would even restore part of its function was good news. Besides, Ditzy didn’t want to think much about flying anyway. All it did was remind her of the purple lightning.

Ditzy smiled softly. “Oh, I don’t really care about that. I still have what’s…”

Her grin faded as she remembered Twilight.

“…Important,” she breathed. Again she was reminded of the heavy guilt that began accumulating since the moment of the accident. The change in mood seemed to go unnoticed by her two daughters, who beamed at Ditzy’s optimism. It was enough to fractionally restore her disposition.

“I’ll get to work with Spike. We’ll have to make a special dinner for your first night back home,” Sparkler thought aloud.

“Will Miss Twilight be okay by then? I think she’d want a special dinner, too,” Dinky asked innocently. The sad reminder of Twilight’s condition rendered the other ponies in silent. It was Sparkler who spoke.

She walked up to her little sister and gently ruffled her mane. “Miss Twilight is going to need to stay here for a little while longer…” Sparkler started, but then looked right at Ditzy, “…but she will get better soon, and then we’ll have a super special dinner waiting.”

Ditzy knew her daughter had said that for her sake and less for Dinky’s. Still, the filly smiled at her big sister’s news. “Yah!” she cheered.

The mailmare adjusted herself in her bed as the pain resurfaced. Luckily it was a dull ache, and she was able to suppress any facial expressions that would have given it away. The muscles were beginning to tighten, so she rolled her shoulder gently to get her wing muscles moving. As long as she did it with care there was relatively no pain, only soreness, as if she had flown overnight.

Once alleviated, she turned her attention back to her daughters. “So did Spike come here with you, or did he stay at the library?”

“He’s here too, in Twilight’s room right now,” Dinky piped up.

“He’s such a good friend,” Sparkler commented with a smile. “He was up late last night writing letters to anyone who might care about Twilight condition. The longest ones were sent to Princess Celestia and her parents. I have a feeling we can be expecting them soon.”

Ditzy wondered if the Princess could wake Twilight up with her alicorn magic. It was the most powerful, afterall. It was worth at least a glimmer of hope, because no pony really knew what Princess Celestia was really capable of. She must have learned a trick or two in the eons she’s been alive. Who knows? Maybe the Princess sneaks into hospitals at night and heals all the sick. Come to think of it, Ditzy has been noticing a disturbing lack of plagues recently.

On the other hoof, the mailmare didn’t know how she was going to face Twilight parents. It was quite possible that they would blame her for the whole thing, and they wouldn’t be unjust in doing so. All her life Ditzy worked to improve the lives of others through hard work and laughter, and now all she’s done recently is make everypony sad. She had a gut-wrenching feeling that at current, she was in the eye of a storm and about to hit a wall.

She would have to deal with those when they come up. She told herself that she’d be able to handle anything, but she knew that if Twilight parents weren’t able to forgive her, she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself.

“Has anyone written back yet?” Ditzy asked.

Sparkler shrugged. “I don’t know, I haven’t asked him. He’s taking this pretty hard… I don’t think he’s slept since it happened.”

Ditzy wondered what Spike was thinking. He had been Twilight’s friend the longest, so she could only imagine how much this affected him. Years he had been not only her assistant, but like a little brother, and that type of bond doesn’t go away.

“Maybe being in Twilight’s company will do him some good,” the grey mailmare said hopefully. “It did for me, at least a little bit.”

Everypony in the room was unsure of her comment, including Ditzy herself, but they all nodded in agreement. Now may be the time to switch topics, she thought to herself.

“Dinky, how has school been going?” she asked.

The little filly’s eyes sparkled and took in a great slew of air, her chest puffing out like a balloon, knowing full well her stories would take several more.

~*~*~

It seemed power of friendship was as easily undone as it was made, if not quite a bit easier. It baffled Destiny’s mind how easily ponies let themselves be manipulated, and how much she could make a pony do only barely knowing them. It affirmed her theory that friendship was only an illusion to cope with a world of struggles, but once that world of struggles turn to the detriment of a relationship, ponies would rather cut ties than expend the energy to quell their own fervent emotions. Equestrians, afterall, let their emotions guide them for better or worse, so everyone may be read like a book. The weaknesses of these dear ponies were laughably unchallenging to predict.

She thought back to how easily Rarity was susceptible to her words. Her trust was so easily gained when it came from a pony she immediately respected. In a few short minutes, months of hard work on Derpy’s behalf cracked like a wall about to crumble, and Destiny knew what it would take for it to all topple on her head.

It had been just as easy to convince the others. After a long day of work, Destiny had visited Applejack at her farm, Fluttershy at her cottage, and Rainbow Dash on her… cloud. Grifting was an art form, and after a time the seed of doubt had been planted in them all. Nothing outright; none of the ponies were completely convinced. They still held loyalty to their friend close to their chest. It wasn’t Destiny’s delusion that it would be so easy to destroy a friendship so strong. The excitement came in toppling the first domino and letting them undo themselves.

Everything that had happened, had gone according to her elaborate plan, and there was only one more piece to set before everything tumbled down: Pinkie Pie.

The sun was setting over Ponyville, no longer visible over western buildings of the centre of town. The orange glow was all that was left of a fantastically sunny, cheery day, the irony of which was not lost on her. Across the way was Sugar Cube corner; it would be closing in about ten minutes. With only a few ponies out and around, it made for a perfect time to be alone with the infamous party pony.

She watched as the last customer exited the confectionary shop, and that’s when she moved forward. Her hooves clacked off the cobblestone walkway, announcing her presence even before the ring of the bell on the door. It chimed two short musical notes, gaining the attention of Pinkie, who was in the process of cleaning the counter.

Destiny had decided before hand on which persona she would use. The other had been boringly effortless; all she had to do was mimic the personality traits of the pony she was going after. Pinkie would fare a little different. She gathered that Pinkie was the type of pony who enjoyed helping ponies out of their shell. So she chose a persona that was pathetic yet somehow lovable, giving off the “friendless but optimistic” vibe that was always grating to her very core.

She would act like Derpy. She just knew the scatterbrain pink pony would eat it all up.

“Hello, Pinkie Pie,” Destiny greeted bubbly. She let her eyes droop only a bit, which wasn’t entirely an act. After the long day she has had, it was easy for anypony to be tired.

“Wait!” Pinkie shouted before looking up. She quickly covered her eyes. “Let me guess who it is.” She began to hum a tune that became more intense as she swayed around. After a few moments, she let out a gasp. “Roseluck? No, not her… how about Destiny Dawn? No wait—Big Macintosh, final answer!”

She opened her eyes with the biggest open-mouth grin which quickly fell from her face when she saw who was standing there. “Drat!” she frowned, bring her hoof down on the counter. “Should’ve gone with the gut instinct on that one. I’ll get it right next time!”

Destiny had to hold back rolling her eyes before continuing on into the store. “That’s Destiny: one, Pinkie Pie: zero,” she said with a giggle. “How are you doing today?”

“I’m great, thanks for asking!” Pinkie trilled as she hoisted a bag of sugar from a pile. She took it into the kitchen out of sight, but continued talking. “Busy day today. Everypony wants treats on a sunny day like today.”

“That’s why I’m here!” Destiny smiled. “After such a long day, I thought I’d treat myself to something sweet.”

“Oh yah!” Pinkie called out. “You’re Ponyville’s only mailmare now until Ditzy can get back up on her feet. Shouldn’t take too long though; I visited her today and she seems better!”

Destiny’s eye twitched but she kept her composure. “Yah, I don’t mind the work though. She can take her time healing up. How much better is she feeling?”

Pinkie worked her way back into the front room and leaned against the counter. “I got there just when her daughters were about to leave and we had this mini cupcake slash muffin party. Did you know Sparkler loves cupcakes like me? I didn’t! I’m going to make her a super special one for tomorrow. I don’t know what kind of stuff to put on it, but I’ve already got a few names worked out, like the Sparkler Sparkling surprise, where there would be like a billion sparklers coming out of it, or maybe even—”

Pinkie would not stop talking, and with each sentence, her speech got faster and faster until finally Destiny interrupted her with a cough. “A-and what about Derpy?”

“Oopsie, forgot all about that! She said the doctor is letting her go home tomorrow! Isn’t that wonderful? I hear Sparkler and Spike got some big dinner planned. I may have to crash that party and get in on it!” Pinkie gave an even bigger gasp than before, startling Destiny. “I could invite everypony! Fluttershy, and Rarity, and Rainbow, and Applejack, and Mayor Mare, and Granny Smith, and Cheerilee, and—”

“Don’t you think she might want a quiet evening her first night back?” Destiny said, raising her eyebrow playfully.

“You might be right…” The pink mare laughed as she rubbed the back of her neck. “Any wootles, you’re here for something, aren’t you? What can I get for you? A triple-decker caramel-cream cake with chocolate frosting to go?”

Destiny began to laugh, but it was cut short when she noticed the pink mare was serious. “No, nothing so elaborate. I could really go for some cupcakes right about now.”

Pinkie lit up. “How many? Should I set you up with a baker’s dozen of a baker’s dozen?” She leaned in really close to Destiny and began to whisper. “That’s 169 cupcakes in case you don’t want to do the math.”

“Umm… half a dozen would be just fine, thanks! Can I get five cupcakes and one muffin?” Destiny answered.

“Okie dokie lokie,” Pinkie saluted. “I should have at least that many in the back!”

Destiny waited patiently for Pinkie to return with the cupcakes. through the kitchen door, she began to hear a bunch of crashing, a goat bleating, and even a jackhammer. She gave a curious stare as all went silent when Pinkie re-entered the room carrying a small carton of frosted cupcakes.

“Here you go!” Pinkie smiled as she handled them over.

“Thanks, Pinkie,” Destiny smiled back as she handed her the coins. “I’m going straight to visit Twilight. Maybe the smell of these delicious cupcakes will help wake her up!” She gave a wave before walking away from the counter. She knew she wouldn’t have to walk very far.

“And tell Ditzy I said hi, too!” Pinkie yelled after.

Destiny stopped, an acted as if she was nervous. “A-actually I’m probably going to just see Twilight. Bye, Pinkie.” Once again, she started walking off.

“Why?” Came the curious reply.

Got you, Destiny smiled to herself. She dropped the smile before she turned around with an anxious demeanour. She shuffled her front hoof from side to side and didn’t make eye contact with the pink mare. “I-I… I just want to see Twilight, is all. Besides, Derpy might be resting by now…”

Destiny knew that wasn’t going to be good enough for Pinkie, and she’d keep prodding until she received a solid answer. Luckily, Destiny wanted to give her just that, but not before some reliable acting.

“Destiny, if you have a problem, you should tell your friends! That’s what we’re for,” Pinkie reply sweetly, arching her eyebrows.

Biting her lip, Destiny sighed. “I… I just don’t want to see Derpy right now. What if what everypony is saying is right?”

Pinkie turned her head curiously. “What are ponies saying?”

“You know…” she began, ready for the line she had used on all the others, “that it was… her… fault.” She let the last word escape like it pained her. Destiny waited for the worried inflection in Pinkie’s voice; the sign of not true admittance but the circling cloud of doubt beginning to take hold. Much to her shock, that did not happen.

Pinkie smirked, trying her best to hold in a laugh. Unable to do so any longer, she let out a long volley of belly-erupting laughter, pounding her hoof down on the counter. This was not the reaction Destiny had been expecting, and she was frozen with genuine confusion, unsure of what to say or do. Out of all the outcomes she had planned for, never did she think she would get laughed at.

After many seconds of continuous laughter, Pinkie finally started to calm down, wiping the tears from her eyes. “You’re so silly, Destiny! Everypony knows it was an accident. Accidents happen all the time! Just today I added brown sugar instead of normal sugar to a cake! Boy did that turn out nasty.”

Destiny was taken aback. “This is a little different from that, don’t you think? Twilight was seriously injured.”

“Twilight will be fine,” Pinkie said with an assuredness that irked Destiny. “With her friends and a few doctors by her side, she’ll be up and around in no time, just wait.”

“But...but what about the cart! Derpy should have double checked the lock. If the cart had been locked, this whole thing would’ve been avoided,” Destiny countered.

Pinkie tsked Destiny while shaking her head. “Do we really have to go back to the brown sugar example? Accidents happen! Ditzy and Twilight will be up and around before you know it.”

Destiny was starting to get annoyed by the continued optimism of the insane pink pony.

“That’s not how the world works, Pinkie,” Destiny said bluntly. “If Derpy caused the accident due to negligence, she can be in serious trouble.”

“Don’t you think she’s already punished herself enough?” Pinkie replied seriously. She then shook her head and gave Destiny a confused stare. “Wait, why does it sound like you’re trying to convince me?”

Ponyfeathers, I came on too strong! Destiny chided herself.

“I’m sorry, Pinkie,” Destiny tried to laugh it off. “After the long day I had, my nerves are starting to get frayed, I’m sure you—”

Pinkie’s ear flopped three times. Her face went from confused to hurt in a moment. “You’re being dishonest with me. You...you didn’t even want any cupcakes, did you? This was all about Ditzy!”

Destiny stood there, mouth agape incredulously. She recovered in a heartbeat, and began to back away. “I don’t know what you… I-I mean, how could you even consider…?”

Pinkie’s piercing stare was all Destiny needed to know that her cover was blown. Somehow, she had seen right through her. For once, she decided to drop the act.

“Eh, fine, I’m tired of being all friendly with you anyway,” Destiny sneered.

Pinkie didn’t even look mad. Her eyes continued to waver sadly. “Why are you doing this?”

“Why does it matter to you?” Destiny hissed. “All you need to know is one thing: Derpy is on a one-way ticket out of this town, and if you want to go down with that sinking ship, I’m not going to stop you.” She walked calmly to the exit and open the door. She took a few steps outside before she turned around.

“Oh, and thanks for the cupcakes! They look yummy,” she said sweetly, back in her Ditzy persona.

The door got slammed shut, and Pinkie was left there in the middle of the floor, speechless for the first time in her life.

~*~*~

As the sun began to set, the visiting hours in the hospital began to dwindle down. Sparkler, Dinky, and Spike had returned to the house an hour earlier to make something to eat before bed. Dinky wanted to stay longer, but Ditzy had reminded her of school in the morning. She gave both her daughters a gentle hug and a kiss goodnight before they scurried off to the library before it got too dark.

True to his word, the Doctor had put a spare bed inside Twilight’s room so she may sleep there tonight. It still needed to be made, so for the time being she had to stay in her room. She had a feeling that she wouldn’t have to wait too much longer though.

She began to feel antsy after spending so many hours in bed, so she decided to slide down her covers and onto the floor with a quiet tap. With a gentle motion, she planted all four hooves onto the ground and stabled herself. After a few quiet moments, she took a few soft steps to the other side of the room, and then walked back to her bed, trying all the time to walk normally.

She could accomplish it, but the pain always seemed to force her left shoulder to hunch down, and she had to actively tell it to stop. With her head held high, she took another lap around the room, attempting her very best not to let the pain show in the way she walked. After a while, the bruises started to get a bit meaner and she had to take a break. That minimal amount of exertion was enough to make her sweat. She found herself leaning against the windowsill, so she reached up and opened it wide, allowing the sweet scent of flowers and clean air to waft its way in. She stood there with her eyes closed, letting the wind ruffle her mane into an unkempt fluff ball. She liked to pretend she was in a shampoo commercial.

“Ahem,” she heard a polite cough behind her. Ditzy slowly turned around and was immediately shocked to see Princess Celestia standing in her room.

“Ma...ma...ma...ma…” Ditzy stammered, mouth gaped open like a school filly.

Princess Celestia waited patiently for Ditzy to finish her thought.

“Ma...make y-yours-s-self at home, Princess,” Ditzy finally stuttered out.

“Good evening, Ms. Ditzy Doo,” Celestia greeted warmly with a slight head nod. “Or… do you prefer Derpy Hooves?”

“E-e-either or, your Highness,” Ditzy responded. What is the master of the sun and everything it touches doing in my room!?

Princess Celestia went over towards the small table in the room and sat down at it, moving the small chair aside that was clearly meant for a smaller pony. As she settled down, she let out a content sigh and refocused on Ditzy. “I hope you don’t mind me popping in here; Twilight always wrote so highly of you, and I always enjoy meeting her new friends.”

Derpy had regained her composure and slowly made her way over to the table, and sat in the chair opposite of the princess. Once she sat up, the Princess smiled. “I see you’re doing better. I’m glad to see you walking around with little difficulty.”

“Huh, yah…” Ditzy agreed nonchalantly, rubbing the back of her neck. “These bruises will heal… and even my wing, mostly. At least that’s what the doctor said.”

Celestia smiled. “You’re a brave pony, Ditzy. Your resilience in such times is to be admired. I can see why she thinks you’re special.”

Ditzy blushed at the compliment and broke eye contact. “I-I’m nopony special. I’m just the pony others know deliver their mail, and on occasion eat muffins. Twilight is the real somepony; Equestria needs her. No pony needs me.” She shrugged. “I wish we could swap places.”

The Princess’s eyes softened. “And if your places were indeed reversed, she would be saying the same thing, because that’s how true friends act. And besides,” Celestia smiled, “I can think of a few ponies you mean the world to. You have friends, family, and a whole town of ponies to support you. Your little acts of kindness may have a bigger impact that you suspect.”

A warm glow filled Ditzy’s chest. She knew the Princess was right. “Th...thank you, your Highness. That’s super kind of you to say.”

The Princess nodded in acknowledgment. As she looked up at the clock. “Hmm, it appears we are quickly running out of time. I was hoping for a few more minutes to explain this to you.”

Ditzy gave a confused stare. “Explain what?”

Celestia was quiet for a moment. “Ditzy, what Twilight needs right now is the best care possible. We need to study and learn why it is she hasn’t woken up. The doctors here have told me this isn’t a normal coma, which means it could be magical. If it’s magical, we may be able to help her.”

Ditzy exploded in a cheer. “Yes, yes, yes! I knew you would be able to help! You are the most powerful pony in Equestria! I bet you have some awesome secret healing magic that can snap her right awake.”

The Princess extended a hoof to Ditzy’s uninjured shoulder to calm her down. “I’m afraid even I don’t have that power, my dear Ditzy.”

Confused again, she asked the obvious question. “Then how can you help her?”

“Well,” she started, before pausing. “We need to get her to Canterlot. The medical faculty is much more equipped to study and handle Twilight’s condition.”

“You’re...taking her away? Away from Ponyville?” Ditzy asked as a dark pit formed in her stomach. It made her sick, the very thought of Twilight being so far away, unable to help, or be there for her. Ditzy searched the Princess’s eyes for any sign of jesting, but there was none. “Y-you can’t!” Ditzy shouted passionately as she shot up from the table.

Pain exploded on her side, and she crumpled to the ground as tears filled her eyes. She wasn’t sure if they were tears of pain or desperation, most likely both. “I-I need her, and she needs me!” Ditzy struggled back onto the chair, with the help of a gentle hoof. She looked up and saw the Princess right above her.

Celestia’s eyes were full of understanding. “You know this is best for her.”

Ditzy’s eyes wavered and her lip began quivering violently. Finally, she relented to her emotions and buried herself in Celestia’s pristine white coat and began to sob uncontrollably. All the pent up emotion from the past two days came pouring out. The physical pain, the survivor's guilt, and the depressing thoughts burst forth. Ditzy cried for several minutes, catching her breath as often as she could manage between the weeps and whimpers. The entire time, Celestia was silent, lightly rubbing Ditzy back, careful to avoid her damaged wing. Her expression was that of a nurturing mother.

There were no more tears left by the time she was done, no matter how much Ditzy tried. Unsteadily, she parted from Celestia’s warm coat, now matted and wet with her tears. She sniffed before reaching over and attempting to clean some it off, but the Princess stopped her. “That’s quite alright, Ditzy. It’s good to get our emotions out from time to time.”

Ditzy nodded before sicking up on the floor. “C-can I at least come with you back to Canterlot?” she said through a sniffle.

Celestia put a hoof under Ditzy’s chin and raised it so they were looking into each others eyes. “You are more than welcome to, once you are fit to travel.”

“I’m fit to travel now!” she contested, standing up a bit too fast. She winced as another spasm of pain coursed down her spine. She looked back up at the Princess knowing that she would not be able to fool her.

“Your job now is what Twilight would want if she could speak,” Celestia said wisely. “To rest and get better. You know this is true.”

Once again, the Princess was right. Why does she have to be so all-knowing?

Not knowing what else to say, Ditzy let her head droop down, a final tear streamed down her cheek as she gave a meek nod. “When is she going?”

“Tomorrow,” came the answer.

And there it was. After tomorrow, Twilight would be out of her life for goodness-knows how long. It was hard to believe this moment was real; it felt like a dream, or even a nightmare. Any moment she would surrounded by the purple lightning and it would consume her for good this time. It never came.

“It’s time for me to be off, Ditzy,” the Princess whispered. “I hope to see you in Canterlot very soon.” She craned her long neck towards the door. “Oh, and it appears you have another visitor.”

Ditzy looked up and her stomach dropped. Standing in the doorway was Destiny, holding a parcel of some kind.

“Good evening, Princess,” Destiny bowed, “if you don’t mind, I’d like a moment of Derpy’s time.”

“Of course,” the Princess smiled politely. She gave one last fleeting glance at Ditzy before getting up to exit the room. On her way out, she paused and took as she took a closer look at the bowing pink pegasus. “Have we met before?” the Princess asked her.

“No, Princess,” the mare answered simply, her eyes still averted.

Celestia waited only a moment more before nodded. “Goodnight, both of you,” she spoke as she walked out the door.

Ditzy caught Destiny make a quick glance in Celestia direction before her eyes turned towards her. Using a hoof, she delicately shut the door. As if this was the most casual of meetings, Destiny walked over to the same table Celestia had sat and placed the parcel down. “So how are you feeling, Derpy?” she asked mildly.

“F...fine, thank you,” Ditzy squeaked. She was still sitting in the same spot on the floor near her bed. She was afraid to move as it would draw attention to her. She shivered as a cold night breeze floated in from the window.

Destiny looked over. “Your shivering. Let me get the window.” She began to rise before Ditzy stopped her.

“No thank y-you. I’d rather have it open,” Ditzy responded.

Destiny gave her a weird stare before shrugging it off. “Suit yourself.” She took her time pulling up the chair Celestia had cast aside. Taking a seat, she rubbed her hooves together before opening the top of her parcel. She grabbed a napkin from a small stack and used her teeth to reach in a grab something. She pulled a cupcake out of the box and placed it on the napkin.

“Hope you don’t mind if I eat, Derpy. It’s been a busy day for me, double shift and all,” Destiny said in a friendly tone. She took a mouthful of cupcake and gulped it down instantly. “I’m not complaining; us pegasi have to keep busy, right?”

“Yah, I guess you’re right,” Derpy smiled nervously. Why is she here?

Destiny took another mouthful of cupcake before continuing to talk. “Any of your friends come to visit today?”

“Just Pinkie Pie, a-and my daughters,” Ditzy answered.

Destiny raised her eyebrows and nodded as if she was interested. She finished the first cupcake with one final chomp. The smell of the delicious cupcakes made Ditzy’s stomach rumble.

“I could’ve sworn all your friends said they would come today,” Destiny remarked in a casual way. “Well,” she shrugged, “not entirely true. They said they visited Twilight.”

“They all came to see Twilight today?” Ditzy asked, confused. Why hadn’t they stopped in her room? She had to be lying. “That’s not true, they would’ve at least stopped in to say hi.”

Destiny gave another bored shrug, her attention focused on the box of cupcakes and not on the injured pegasus. “Ask Spike if you want, I guess.” She brought out another cupcake and eagerly took another bite. “Mmm, Pinkie sure knows how to make a mean cupcake. You got some of these coming your way, you know. Pinkie’s making some special just for Sparkler, but don’t tell her,” Destiny giggled and gave a sly wink.

Ditzy was still reeling from the last comment. “Why...why wouldn’t they come say hi to me if they were just across the hall?”

Destiny stopped munching and arched her head up thoughtfully before continuing to chew. After she swallowed, she turned her attention back to Ditzy. “They probably feel awkward around you. They know she wouldn’t be in there if you hadn’t been flying so carelessly.”

That made Ditzy flinch.

“Of course they don’t outright blame you,” Destiny added. “Emotions run high in these troubled times. But here’s the thing,” Destiny began to whisper as if telling an interesting story, “as they have to wait longer and long for Twilight to wake up—as days turn to weeks—you’ll see their resolve slowly slip away. It’ll be little things: they won’t make eye contact, they won’t call you by your name, they won’t invite you to outings. In time they will figure out what you and I both already know.”

Ditzy’s lip trembled as she backed up against the post on her bed. She wanted to cover her ears and retreat inside herself but she didn’t do it. “W-what do I know?”

“That if Twilight dies,” Destiny spoke smooth as silk, “it’ll be all your fault.”

Destiny giggled playfully and sat back up in her chair, refocusing on the box of cupcakes. “Ooh boy, I don’t think I’ll be able to finish this one. I think it’s best to save it for later.” She used her teeth to put the half-eaten cupcake back in the container.

“Oh! And I almost forgot,” Destiny pepped up. She took a single muffin out of her box and placed it neatly on the table. “I got this for you. I hope you like it.”

She hopped off her chair with her box and headed for the door. As she opened it, she turned to Ditzy who still sat wordlessly on the floor. “Pleasant dreams, Derpy,” she said with a wink. As quickly as she appeared, she was gone.

Ditzy sat on the floor with her eyes cloths for several minutes, shaking uncontrollably. Before she knew it, her face was in her hooves and she was once again sobbing, though more reserved. She laid there in a fetal position considering what Destiny had said. She was not only losing Twilight, but possibly her other friends now too? It was if all her hard work these past few months had been blasted away from one tragic event.

She craned her head up and saw the muffin, blurry through teary eyes. With a sniff, she stood up on shaky legs and walked over to the table. She picked up the muffin in her hoof as her stomach growled for a second time.

With what might she could will forth, she threw the muffin out the window.

The Mystery Prize

A/N: The genre tags on this site do not really suit this piece, so I'm going to take a moment to clarify: this story is a friendshipping dramedy. For those who might be unfamiliar with what a dramedy is, simply put it is a comedy with dramatic parts, or vice versa. You'll see a bit of both.

Trails and Trials

By Mazzyrazzy
Proofread by Apottzy, Nicksp146, and Mystic

Most ponies simply could not understand how difficult the mail service industry can be. With its complex infrastructure and endless hoards of parcels flowing through its highly organized chain routes, the system indeed was something to be admired. Of course, most ponies didn't even spare a cursory glance, being far too absorbed with what they were receiving and not how it got there. It was all part of the job for Ditzy Doo, one of the most diligent workers in the Ponyville Postal Office. To her, the act of delivering mail was a challenge—NAY, an art form; one Ditzy completed with great pride and humility.

The job required split-second decision making and ample patience. At any one time a package could require an overnight, speedy delivery to the far reaches of Equestria. Ditzy lived under constant stress that a parcel might need to get to Trottingham by the next morning, or Manehattan by the following afternoon. Many of her co-workers were less than enthused to receive such assignments, usually making irrational excuses so they could clock out, and go home.

This method of thinking flew over Ditzy's head… there was so much to enjoy in the night that she eagerly accepted these nocturnal tasks. She had all the reasons to; the night sky itself entertained her with its hypnotic magnetism, pulling her gaze upwards. The spectacle was not merely captivating, but it served higher functions as well. The silver pegasus could always look up at the stars, and no matter how lost she was, could always find her way to where ever she was going. It was this level of reassurance that kept her optimistic.

Sadly, these jobs didn't come very often. Usually the parcels that required immediate overnight shipping were also important enough to benefit from the magic delivery service. The postal service had recently taken on a platoon of unicorn ponies who could now deliver important packages quick and efficiently, in nearly a quarter the time it would take a pegasus. These unicorns could teleport the objects to a short distance, where it would be teleported by another unicorn, and so on until it reached its destination. It required a complex network of outposts that, at the current time, wasn't too widespread. It left some night jobs open that required pegasi finesse.

Another normal day in Ponyville, it seemed. The sun had just begun its ascent to replace the moon, the time of day when the only hint of light came from the sparkles through the trees in the distance, or atop the gentle crest of a hill. It was always a pleasant experience to take in a muggy breath full of summer air. The wet season had been particularly generous this year. Ditzy found it distracting to her work—she loved playing in the rain, and often time got sidetracked when she was supposed to be working. She had been late with deliveries more times than she cared to mention because of it.

In fact, Ditzy was a mare that knew trouble all too well. She tried not to, but accidents seemed to follow wherever she went. Being cross-eyed didn't help… growing up it was a source of ridicule, and now only impeded her job performance. With her depth perception shot, it was hard to manage even the most menial tasks. She soon got used to it, and she accepted herself for who she was. She was determined to stay optimistic despite her disability and make the best of it. Unfortunately all the failures didn't go unnoticed by her co-workers.

It started with them. They decided on a nickname for the misbegotten mare: Derpy. She didn't know exactly who started it, but soon everypony in the Post Office of Ponyville started calling her by that name. Luckily, if there was one thing Ditzy was good at, it was bottling emotions. So she put on a smile, giggled to show that she was willing to laugh at herself, and the others soon began to back off.

Ponies still called her Derpy, which she had grown to accept as a second identity. She didn't mind it anymore. Well… almost. Every now and then, a pony would use that name with a mocking tone; a sort of sarcastic edge that brought out the darker implications of the nickname. Fortunately, it usually only happened when she messed up on something. She was getting a lot better at avoiding trouble; nothing had gone wrong for at least two days, if not two days and one hour.

Ditzy shook her head, remembering her last mishap. It still boggled her mind how midnight operation 'Get-A-Glass-Of-Water' managed to turn into three separate lawsuits from her respective neighbors. The action would take most of Ditzy's bits, but she didn't mind. The delivery pegasus was a mare of simple tastes, and what she wanted in life, she already owned. The dividend would have to come from her food budget… Looked like Baahmen noodles and Cheerilio's cereal for the foreseeable future.

Lying in bed, she felt a yawn coming on and decided to indulge in it. Putting forth special effort, she puffed up her chest while inhaling, allowing the arch of her back to curve to the threshold of breaking in half, and her flank to rise in the air from her back hooves pushing down. Then, with a content sigh, she collapsed once again as every muscle relaxed. Eventually she rolled over lazily away from the bright light of her open window. The fresh air outside tantalized her to the point where her wings started twitching.

Okay, time to get up.

Gotta get ready.

Ditzy sprung out of bed and landed near her mirror. She shook her head, and her daisy-yellow hair instantly fell into its natural place.

Ready!

The grey mailmare giggled as her own eyes spun in her head from the aggressive shaking.

Through her mirror, she eyed her window open to the elements. A gentle draft flowed through her mane and tickled the back of her ears, making them flick. She narrowed her eyes when the realization hit that it was a tad too bright outside, and that could only mean one thing…

"I'm going to be late!" Ditzy gasped, knowing very well that it could mean the end of the world.

Bolting out of her room in a state of abject panic, the grey mare mindlessly ran through her L-shaped hallway and into the foyer. Gaining momentum, Ditzy was able to use her wings to run faster; her poor front door never stood a chance.

Crash!

The door splintered at the hinges and Ditzy half-fell, half-surfed out of her house and down her cobblestone pathway. With a seasoned leap she landed flawlessly near her mailbox, blocking from her mind the destruction in her wake. She took a moment to salute her mailbox; a daily ritual to reflect upon the finer aspects of being a mailmare. Finished with her customary procedure, she eagerly reached up and pulled down the flap of her mailbox, pulling a muffin out of it with her teeth.

Such an event would give pause to many apony. Ditzy learned long ago that there were much better uses for her mailbox. Not even subscribed to the Equestria Daily, the pegasus never received any mail. Forever adaptable, she quickly found a more efficient use of the storage space—a home for her muffins.

With a crack of her tail Ditzy closed her mailbox, happily indulging in her treat while she took off into the sky. She balanced the muffin carefully between her two forelegs, taking ravenous bite after bite of the quickly-vanishing muffin. It was so intense that she was forced to shut hers eyes for fear that a ricochet crumb would bounce off into her eye.

A sad thought crept into her mind: the poor muffin would never see his muffin family again. Visions of baby muffins growing up without a muffin father momentarily horrified Ditzy, knowing it was too late to save him from the horrible hunger monster.

After taking a moment of silence for the befallen muffin and those affected, she quickly regained her course towards the Ponyville Post Office. Tardiness was not in Ditzy's dictionary (along with several other big words), and her perfect attendance record simply could not be spoiled. A warm current of air buffeted against her face forcing her to squint. She relied on her keen navigating skills to keep her on course to her destination.

Passing over the town square of Ponyville was always a pleasant experience. Not too many ponies were out at the crack of dawn, but the few who were there were busy setting up stalls, or opening shops. The slow-paced work ethic could be admired from the clouds; the only sounds that came from the town were the occasional good morning greetings the fleeting ponies graced each other with as they passed by.

Tick…Tock…Tick…Tock…

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

TICKTOCKTICKTOCK

Ditzy frantically glanced around as her internal clock was going haywire. Finally she spotted the post office on the horizon, to the east near the rising sun. With eyes narrowed, she watched Celestia's great stopwatch mockingly rise higher in the sky, as if to say… Ditzy, don't even bother trying to get to work on time. It's not going to happen. Also you smell.

Her nostrils flared competitively. "I'll show you, sun!" In a cloud of smoke, she was off.

1000 meters and closing…

With her eyes on the prize, Ditzy poured on the speed. As one hoof thrust forward, she utilized the natural wind current to help push her towards the Post Office. Air flowed fluidly through her feathers, and with surprising coordination, she accelerated until her wing muscles started to burn. There was a constant mental battle taking place; a war between the doubtful trepidation of failing and the utter assurance of victory. Only one could happen, and she knew that the very foundations of the Ponyville postal service would probably collapse should she be late. Probably.

500 meters and closing…

A bead of sweat worked its way down Ditzy's temple, hanging loosely to the side of her face. The wind current rushing passed her eventually blew her face clean, though the fact that it happened left her morale lower. She began to get nervous; could she get there in time? Would this be the day she got fired? Perhaps most importantly, would she be marked tardy on her time card!? Implications have now reached nightmarish proportions.

100 meters and closing…

She was almost there, she could see the very entrance; wide open and beckoning! Ditzy's wings vibrated from the intense wind currents that warped past her slim frame. Unstably, her body shook as the increasing speed buffeted her around, but she somehow managed to stay true on her target. The sun once against proved to be too much of a bother, and she risked a glance over to see its position in the sky. Oh no… she wished she hadn't looked. She shook her head and focused on the post office in front of her.

In moments she'd taste sweet justice! She ushered herself to go faster, faster, FASTER! Speed tears flew out of her eyes from the sheer glory of what was happening. The clock was winding down, her squinted eyes snapped to the sun, then back to the post office, sun, post office, sun, post office, sun, post office aannnndddd…

Pomf

Through the window she raced, and hit a specially-designed padded wall that caught her like a glove. With comical agility, she unstuck herself from the wall and landed on the floor of the post office, recovering from the collision unnaturally quick. Her eyes narrowed as she spied the clock-in counter. Like a hunter finally stalking her prey, Ditzy carefully took a few tentative steps towards it, like it could hear her. Then, in a flash, she pounced.

She grabbed her card and pulled down the lever. It silently left its mark.

"Did I make it!?" The grey mailmare yelled to the pony she knew was there.

Behind her, deskbound in his office was her boss. The door was wide open like it usually was, and granted the perfect view of the entire spectacle. A brown-coated, even darker brown-manned pegasus stallion sat with coffee in hoof; his expression deadpanned.

"Derpy, must we go through this every morning? You know very well that you're thirty minutes early."

"But did I make it!?" She asked passionately, on the verge of tears.

Facehoof. Sigh. "Yes Derpy, you made it."

"Awwww yeah!" She did a victory pump in the air. "Who's the mare? I'm the mare!"

Her boss shook his head while the dynamic mare did her daily victory dance in midair.

~*~*~

A few hours later and Ditzy was ready to head out on her routes. The early morning hours were always filled with preparing for the day ahead: helping sort the outgoing and incoming mail, planning future routes for the day to maximize efficiency (which Ditzy had a problem with understanding, electing to travel a more scenic itinerary), and helping the clerks deal with early morning customers.

Slinging the mailbag across her back, it fell snuggly onto her side. The grey mare had fit the straps just right so the bag wouldn't chafe while she walked or flew. She rested a forehoof on her chin and rubbed, the gears in her mind spinning at optimal capacity.

Should I fly or walk?

Flying was always more practical; it was so much faster than walking and always more efficient. Ditzy enjoyed walking—it provided a unique opportunity that she didn't receive very often: being around other ponies. So, on days when she was on schedule and didn't have to rush, the pegasus selected to walk. She looked at the clock to be sure of the time. It was only a bit after ten in the morning.

Walking it is!

Bursting through the front door of the post office and taking her first steps outside, Ditzy inhaled a long, overly dramatic breath of fresh summer air.

She heard faint giggling. Ditzy opened her eyes and looked towards the main road, which was just a dirt path. Three mares were walking by and staring at her, whispering to each other.

"Good morning!" Ditzy cheerfully called out.

The mares only giggled again, shaking their heads before continuing on.

The grey mailmare arched an eyebrow, before giving a shrug. They must not have heard her. Already forgotten, Ditzy hummed a lively tune as she made her way down the steps of the post office and towards the road.

The first few deliveries were easy peasy. Her bag mostly contained letters and small parcels, so nothing too heavy today. They were organized in her bag from top to bottom depending on how soon the house or place of business would come up on her route. She was making great time too; it was only about one in the afternoon when she was about two thirds done with her deliveries. Another hour or two and she'd be done for the day.

Hmm, what's next? She shuffled through her bag and found a medium sized parcel that was directed to Sugarcube Corner. Excellent! That meant she could cut through Ponyville Park, one of her favorite places to walk. She resumed humming, half conscious of her surroundings and more focused on thoughts of the park. The lush trees and natural ambiance did wonders to clear her mind as well as tranquil her step.

Loud murmuring finally caught her attention as Ditzy returned from the cavernous seclusion of her own mind. She glanced around her to see several other ponies heading to the park in pairs and small groups. Everyone was talking with hushed excitement. The grey pegasus inclined her head slightly, confused at the sudden growing population of ponies. They all seemed to be headed to the park like Ditzy was, and she wanted to know what was going on, but the few ponies she tried to inquire about it shrugged her off.

More confused than ever, Ditzy followed the crowd into the park where several others ponies already was located. Tens of them were running around, setting up blankets, and generally having a good time. Ditzy's heart lightened as an educated guess provided the best reason.

Oh boy oh boy! A picnic! Yes yes yes—I wonder if they have sandwiches! Or pudding! Or muffins!

Ditzy watched eagerly from the park entrance while several ponies began setting up small booths and simple games. Content to just sit and observe, she sat on a soft patch of grass and rested the half full mailbag next to her. She could afford to take a short break; even if she couldn't stay, it was interesting to watch everypony have a good time setting up.

Lunch break! Ditzy unzipped a pouch on the side of her pack. Sticking her snout in and rummaging for a few moments, she finally latched onto her prize: a fluffy, decadent muffin sprinkled with cinnamon.

Taking a conservative bite, she watched as two unicorns flew up a banner across the front and back of the stone park entrance. Her eyebrow inclined as she read it.

"Ponyville…Friendship…Picnic?" She read it slowly, though more out of curiosity than incompetence.

"Oh, hey Derpy." And there it was—the mocking inflection that always made Ditzy recoil. She slightly flinched, thought in an instant she was back to her silly self. She turned to the familiar voice.

Walking over with two of her friends was Destiny Dawn, a relatively new addition to Ponyville who recently began working at the post office with Ditzy. She was a slender pink pegasus with a shortly trimmed teal mane and tail. Ditzy and she have a very… interesting relationship. Destiny enjoyed pulling pranks on the grey mailmare mostly to and from work. Ditzy has grown almost fond of the contact; she didn't have much interaction with ponies outside her job, and it felt nice that somepony thought about her, even if it was to plan laughs at her expense. Ditzy was sure it was all in good fun.

"Oh, Hey Destiny!" Ditzy waved, taking another bite out of her muffin. "I thought you called in sick today. You look better! I'm glad to see that."

Destiny knocked the muffin out of her hand and it plopped to the ground. Ditzy tightened up, but she relaxed when she realized there were plenty more where that came from. "Yah, I was 'sick', miraculously on the same day as this picnic. What are the odds, huh?" Destiny sneered.

"Yah I know! Looks like it wasn't anything too aggressive though, so I wouldn't worry about it," Ditzy smiled.

Destiny and her friends burst into fits of giggles. "What are you doing here anyway, Derpy?"

"Oh, I'm just enjoying the nice day. The picnic over there looks like it's going to be a lot of fun!"

"Yah, it is. Too bad you can't go," Destiny said.

"Well of course not!" Ditzy mumbled through her pack, trying to find her backup muffin, "I have work. Gotta get these deliveries done; you know how much ponies count on us!"

"That's not what I meant," The pink pegasus scoffed.

Ditzy inclined her head. "I'm confused."

"Shocking." Once again, Destiny's friends let out condescending snickers. "You don't get it do you? This is a friendship picnic." When Ditzy gave a blank stare, Destiny sighed and continued. "As in, you need to actually have a friend."

That hit Ditzy like a wall. "W-what do you mean? I have friends!"

"Oh really? Name them."

"Well, um. Mr. Forthright," Ditzy said.

That earned a scoff from Destiny and her gang. "He's our boss, not your friend. You know he doesn't count."

The grey pegasus had to think, with growing worry. "Well, what about all our customers? They're always so happy to see me. And they're nice. Sometimes Mrs. Cake even gives me free cupcakes!"

"That's sad Derpy; can't even think of one real friend in the whole world." Destiny said, shaking her head in mock sympathy.

Ditzy frowned, her brow furrowed in thought. Of course she had friends… right? Sure, she worked a lot and spent a lot of her off time at home, but that doesn't mean nopony liked her. Everywhere she went, she was greeted with bright, smiling faces full of gratitude—it's why she became a mailmare in the first place. She knew in her heart that whether or not people understood how hard her job was, they were grateful. It was that appreciation that kept her going, and she assured herself it was all she needed.

Does that make them friends? What does it even mean to be a friend? What are the circumstances? At what point can she define a pony as a friend?

"Come on girls," Destiny said, "it looks like we've given Derpy plenty to think about."

Ditzy wanted to say something back, but she was in too deep a thought. She just sat and watched Destiny and her friends casually trot off towards the picnic.

Too bad I can't go…

Ditzy shook her head. "…Because I have a job to do!" She sprung up onto her hooves. She wasn't going to let Destiny ruin the good day she'd been having. Why would she need other ponies to help her be happy? She was already doing a great job by herself! With her healthy work ethic and booming home life, she could hardly ask for any more. Destiny was just being a silly pony—obviously talking about stuff she didn't know much about. Ditzy didn't need another pony's presence to be exultant. She was happy! Happy, happy, happy.

"Happy," She said aloud. Her flat tone did not inspire confidence.

Ditzy shook her head. "Phooey, what am I doing? I gotta get this package to Sugarcube Corner!"

Gripping the leather strap in her teeth, she swung the mailbag up over her head and it landed with a thud on her side, the strap pulling against her chest and shoulder. After a slight adjustment to ensure a more comfortable walk, she began making her way through the park and towards the waning sun. Ditzy tried to walk past the group of picnickers without stealing a look, but she jerked her eyes side wards subconsciously.

A few ponies were playing her favorite games: pin the tail on the manticore, beanbag tic-tac-toe, ring toss, horseshoes, and she even saw a coloring table for the younger fillies. She recognized the lady running the table as Cheerilee, the town teacher. Ditzy stopped walking to watch the little fillies laugh and have fun coloring vibrant pictures and dashing them with glitter until they sparkled with perfection. A pang of unintended sorrow clutched her heart. She couldn't stop watching the group of young fillies.

…Did I ever have any moments like that? Ditzy scrutinized her own memory to come up with some form of assurance. Each passing second left her more and more troubled as she realized that her childhood was far different than what she was witnessing. She unfortunately remembered a certain instance when she was just a tad older than the group of fillies before her, when a classmate of her's didn't invite the grey filly to her birthday party because of her eyes. Ditzy knew what it felt like to feel self-conscious before she even knew what the word meant.

From that moment on Ditzy became a master of saving face—she discovered if she laughed at herself, others wouldn't laugh as long. This way, she could keep some of her dignity.

Ditzy frowned as her vision blurred. What was going on? She reached up with her left hoof to rub her eyes to fix the problem, and it came back wet. Her frown deepened. She couldn't possibly be crying; she hadn't cried in years. It was laughable to think something so trivial could stir her emotions. In fact, that's what she did; she laughed.

…Heh, look at me! Getting worked up over nothing. This summer air must be getting to me. Better finish up these last few deliveries… you know how awesome you feel after a good day's work! You're just being a silly willy filly.

Convinced, and with her back turned to the festivities, she made her way out the western park entrance and towards the center of town, where Sugarcube Corner was located.

Usually when she was on this street, it was filled with tens of ponies walking out of stores, and buying from stalls. Ditzy was surprised to find a lack of ponies; only a few dotted the road.

Must all be heading to the park… hope they have a good time!

She meant it.

It took only a few minutes before the storefront of Sugarcube Corner came into view. With its superficially edible structure and compelling bakery aroma, the confectionery shop was a hard landmark to miss. Nudging the front door open with a hoof, Ditzy strode in, preparing to get the package out of her bag. She gripped a small, brown parcel lightly in her teeth and placed in on the counter in front of her. Looking around, she didn't see anypony, so she gave the customer bell a ring.

"Hi! How can I help ya?" A pink Earth pony popped out from the other side of the counter, as if she was hiding behind there the whole time. It made Ditzy giggle.

"Hi Pinkie Pie! I was wondering if Mr. or Mrs. Cake were here?" Ditzy asked.

"OoOoOo, hey Derpy! Wasn't expecting to see you here, but that's the cool thing about surprises right? You never know what's going to happen! No, Mr. and Mrs. Cake are gone for the next two days; off on some super-duper awesome vacation that I wish I could've gone on. But somepony had to look after the shop, and I decided it might be just as neato being able to bake cupcakes and stuff all day! Heeyyy speaking of cupcakes do you want one? Or two? Or fifty-seven?"

Ditzy decided a long time ago that she enjoyed Pinkie's spirit. It was funny, spontaneous, and eccentric… kind of like her personality. Kind of.

"Pssh, I wish I could take fifty-seven!" Ditzy giggled. "Anyways, I have this package for the Cakes'; I guess you can sign for them." The mailmare extended a clipboard and pen.

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie said. The pink pony took the pen in her mouth and haphazardly scribbled her name on the dotted line. After she was done, Ditzy took the pen and clipboard back and put them back on the side of her bag.

"Thanks Pinkie! Have a good day, okay?"

"Will do! Keep up the good work!"

Ditzy's heart smiled, and she paused halfway pushing the front door open. An idea was forming that Ditzy admitted even she wasn't fully aware of. It had something to do with Pinkie Pie maybe being able to relate to her life and growing up. A question bubbled to her lips, and before she could speculate if it was prying too deep, it came out.

"Hey Pinkie…"

Pinkie leaned across the counter, curiously. "Hmm?"

"Umm. Did you ever… I mean, when you were little… were you ever like, um… teased? A little bit? Just a little?" She asked softly.

Pinkie's face lightened, and her eyebrows inclined. "Well no silly filly; I grew up on a rock farm until I was older. My parents were like my school, and my brother and sister were always so nice to me! Why do you ask?"

Before Ditzy could even think to answer, Pinkie gasped quietly, covering her mouth. "You weren't teased, were you? I mean, that would be just terrible! Were you…?"

Ditzy shook her head. She should've known better than to think anypony could relate to her. "What? N-no of course not! Look, I got a lot of work to do and I gotta get back to the post office fast. You know how they need me with… letters…and…stuff. Okay bye!" Ditzy rushed out the door and immediately took off into the sky.

"Derpy, wait!" She heard Pinkie call out from the doorstep of Sugarcube Corner.

Ditzy didn't wait.

~*~*~

Whew, another long day over with! Ditzy mentally patted herself on the back. She punched out her time card and placed it in her special name holder. She was one of the last ponies to leave work that day; as usual. The only ponies left were her boss, a single clerk, and herself.

Ditzy was eager to get home for once. She wanted nothing more than to walk in, take a warm bubble bath, and collapse in her bed. She smiled tiredly as she felt a yawn coming on. She took a peak outside a window; the setting sun had just fallen over the buildings in the distance and the orange hue chased the edge of the night sky. The stars wouldn't share the stage indefinitely, and they'd soon overtake the canvas completely.

Leaving her mailbag hung up on a brass hook, Ditzy walked out of the mailroom and into the storefront. This is the part where the tired pegasus would walk out quietly and fly home, as per the tradition. She was astonished to find that it didn't happen tonight.

"Oh, Derpy?" Ditzy's co-worker, the clerk, called out just before Ditzy was exiting.

Ditzy hesitated before answering. "…Yes?"

The clerk bent down over her desk and disappeared for a moment, before returning with a small package. "This came in for you today. I thought I'd set it aside to give it to you." She pushed the parcel closer across the counter.

A half second of confusion was then met with an explosion of glee.

"No way! It's finally here!?" Ditzy gasped, reaching out for the package with her forearms and examining it with skepticism. It had been at least two weeks since Ditzy ordered it, and she had feared that it was lost in some shipping accident. But there it was—in her hooves; separated from her by a mere inch or so of cardboard and wrappings. The excited pegasus was now more eager than ever to get home. After rushing a thank you to the clerk, she burst out the front door.

Ditzy chose to walk home rather than have to fly with the precious package in her teeth, for fear that she might hit a random rough patch of wind, causing her to bite down and somehow damage the prize within. With the small, flat package balancing on her head, she began the journey home.

It was already getting quite dark outside with the sun completely out of sight. Ditzy didn't mind; the stars were all she needed. They sparkled with their usual playfulness and intensity, guiding her home. Even though Ditzy didn't need help—by now, she could traverse all of Ponyville's streets with her eyes closed—but she couldn't help but let her gaze slowly ascend. It was difficult to do while keeping her head as flat as possible, but she managed.

She found her favorite star. It had an unusual faint-blue hue to it, unlike the others around it which gave off a glossy white shade. Ever since she'd found the star a few weeks ago, Ditzy was convinced that it should have a name, but a good one escaped her. She spent a few moments trying to come up with the best name ever.

Blue-y? Had a ring to it.

The Bluminator? Probably already had a copyright.

…Gary The Blue Star? Epic.

If Ditzy had been more focused on her surroundings, she would've heard the sound of a pony swooping down from overhead. She felt a weight lifted from her head, and alarm bells immediately started ringing in her mind.

With a gasp, she looked around frantically; eventually her eyes followed a pink pegasus as she gracefully descended from a few feet off the ground onto her hooves. In her mouth was Ditzy's package. "What do we got here, Derpy?" Destiny smiled deviously, the package now balancing on her left forehoof.

Ditzy tightened. "It's n-nothing Destiny, can I please have it back?"

"Nothing, eh?" Destiny eyeballed the parcel, giving it a once over. "I dunno… you seem pretty jumpy over there." She pretended to let it fall, making Ditzy flinch to catch it. Her smile flashed as her point was proven.

Ditzy gulped slowly then tried to put on a smile, though it still came off as nervous. "Heh, you know I like games as much as the next pony, but today's been one of those days and I'd really like to get home now, please." She was surprised at herself that she was able to spit it out without stuttering.

"Is Derpy still thinking about our little conversation in the park?" Destiny asked with fake curiosity.

Ditzy paused. "No… well, um… maybe."

"Ha; knew it," Destiny jeered, "but it's okay, Derpy. I understand. Not everypony can be as awesome as I am when it comes to making friends. Isn't that right, Trina?"

At the mention of another name, Destiny quickly tossed Ditzy's parcel high over the grey mailmare's head. For a few tense seconds, Ditzy thought she simply threw it away to let it smash to the ground. Luckily—and unluckily—it was caught, but by the pegasus mare known as Trina, who was hovering slightly overhead.

"You got it, Des." Trina smirked.

Ditzy threw her gaze between Trina and Destiny nervously, wanting nothing more than to back up and leave them be… but they had her package. "Can I p-please have it back now?" Ditzy asked quietly.

"Hmm," Destiny pondered," okay you can have it back." Ditzy's face was visibly relieved.

"…after we're done with our game of catch." Destiny smiled sweetly, betraying her darker attitude.

"Wah…? No, please, don't!" Ditzy voice cracked halfway through. She watched in horror as the two friends began throwing her parcel between them. Several times Ditzy attempted to get it, but at the last second one would throw it to the other, most of the time narrowly catching it. It was a cruel game of keep away that Ditzy soon had enough of. So she decided to sit down, and wait them out. If they wanted to play their game, she was going to let them.

Destiny finally raised an eyebrow when she noticed that she wasn't going to get anything else out of Ditzy. "Oh Derpy; you're no fun. Fine, here: take the package."

Ditzy's eyes flashed towards Destiny just in time to see the pink pegasus throw it in her direction. Ditzy's eyes bolted open as she scrambled to get up to her hooves in time to catch it. She could see it coming directly at her, and she knew she had the perfect chance to make sure it stayed safe. Only about a foot way, Ditzy grasped her forehooves together, and in almost slow motion, Ditzy watched as the package slide right through her hooves, missing by millimeters.

A sharp pain shot from Ditzy's snout as the package hit her face with full force. She momentarily saw stars as her face numbed. Involuntarily, she let out a cry of distress and covered her snout with her two front hooves, resting on her elbows. Her eyes were shut tight to hold back the painful tears that were trying so hard to leak out. She felt a dull throb and a slight trickle of liquid as she realized her nose was bleeding.

Destiny and her friend burst out laughing behind her. "Butterhooves much? See ya around, Derpy." Both mares went into another fit of laughs as they left Ditzy on the ground, cradling her wound; eyes shut to the conscious world.

As soon as they were gone, Ditzy slowly opened her eyes and before her was the package. All else became second to it. She even forgot about her snout as she reached out and cradled the hard won package like it was a baby. She inspected the box and was worried to find some tears in the cardboard. Her mind raced and morale dropped as she thought about the possible damage inside. However, only time would tell, and with a slow trudge, Ditzy walked home.

The small trickle of blood had ceased by the time Ditzy stepped through her front door, which was still splintered from the morning's escapade. Without even the slightest bother, she continued through her home and into her bedroom. She set the package carefully down on her dresser. Using her teeth to undo the tape, she slowly opened the top flap.

Inside, covered in protective foam, was a simple picture frame… simple yet beautiful. Its mahogany stock was varnished with a decent coat of lacquer that gave it a lustrous shine. Although it wasn't a large frame, it was enough to suit Ditzy's purposes.

She inspected it then held it to her chest when she found it undamaged; a sigh of relief inexplicably let itself out. She placed the picture frame upright on her dresser, and then crouched down on the floor.

Giving her customary cautious glance around the room, she picked up and moved aside a small portion of her floorboard exposing a small storage space below. From its depth she brought out a ruby red box that at one time might've carried slippers or some other article of clothing. She placed it on her bed and, opening it with her teeth, she began rummaging through it. Within seconds she found what she wanted.

A picture. Her heart fluttered because she knew what was on it, but she didn't want to look at it fully until it was inside its new home.

Unlatching the back of the frame, Ditzy slowly and carefully slide the photo into the designed resting place.

With a breath, Ditzy flipped the frame around and studied the photo with it. A smile forced its way onto Ditzy's lips, however slight it was. She placed the frame on the corner of her dresser and spent several seconds angling it just right, so she could admire it from her bed if she so chose. After she was satisfied that the positioning was perfect, she hopped into bed to confirm, never taking her eyes off the treasured picture.

She looked at it until her eyes grew heavy, and Ponyville's mailmare was soon fast asleep.

The Mare That Launched a Thousand Ships

“I don’t know about this, Spike…”

“There’s nothing to worry about, Ditzy Doo. What I told you is only a gist of the plan; I’m sure Twilight will go into much greater detail when we get to the library.”

Though her step was careful and tactfully calm, Ditzy was a whirlwind of nervous energy. The breeze was still and stagnant that warm summer morning, which only oppressed her even more. She could feel the weight of the sun’s rays billowing over her, scattering her nerves and depleting what little confidence she had. It was all fine and dandy until she heard what Twilight wanted to do.

“If you say so… I guess I’m just a little tense.”

As they walked, Spike patted Ditzy on her side. “Aw, there’s no need to be. Besides, Twilight told me how much fun she had the other day when you two hung out. This should be a piece of cake.”

They walked in silence for a minute. The paved road leading into town was crowded with the same early-morningers that Ditzy was accustomed to flying over on her way to work. Instead, she was walking beside them, watching as they opened their shops and set up their stalls. A few courteous ponies would wave over greetings as the pair walked passed, though Ditzy got the feeling that most of them were directed at Spike. None the less, she returned them with vigor.

“I guess I’m just not used to taking the day off.” Ditzy gave a nervous laugh.

That’s an understatement… The truth is Ditzy would have been just as content going to work as usual, but Twilight assured that her summons would be beneficial.

“That shouldn’t be a problem though, right? I mean, your boss gave you permission?” Spike asked.

Ditzy’s head inclined as she blinked thoughtfully.

“Please, please, PLEASE! Don’t fire me!” Ditzy cried on the ground, clutching Mr. Forthright’s forelegs.

“D-Derpy!? How’d you get in my home!?” The stallion stood aghast in his kitchen, his breakfast now littered the ground and fresh coffee knocked over on the table.

Ditzy ignored the question based in logic. “I’ll work extra hard tomorrow! I’ll…I’ll… shine your shoes! A-and do my reports without a fuss. Just please don’t fire me!” Tears spewed out of the mailmare’s daisy eyes, emphasized with an array of dramatic sobs.

Mr. Forthright looked around in panic before gaining his bearings. “Derpy, what are you talking about? Why would I fire you?”

“Oh!” Ditzy suddenly stopped crying, perking up to a more cheery disposition. “I wanted to know if it was okay if I take the day off.”

The brown colt’s eyes widened. “But you never take days off…”

“I know! But I love my job and I don’t want to be fired over this, so if you can find it in your big, awesome heart—by the way is that a new mane cut? Looks nice—I would like your permission.” Ditzy finished with a big, cheesy smile.

Her boss sighed. “Derpy, you’ve racked up more than a month’s worth of unused vacation time. Go for it, take the day off.”

“Oh my gosh, you really mean it!? So I’m not going to be fired?” Ditzy’s heart soared, coupled with relief inthe knowledge that her livelihood was saved.

“Yes,” Mr. Forthright started, turning to look towards the kitchen door, “now can you please leave? You’re scaring my kids.”

Ditzy blinked, and turned towards the entrance to find two little fillies gawking.

One of them finally spoke up, “Daddy, who’s the crazy lady?”

Ditzy shook her head. “Uhh… yeah, Mr. Forthright gave me permission,” she finally answered.

Spike smiled. “Ok then, no problem! You can go back to work tomorrow and it’ll all be okay.”

She returned the smile in full, surprised with how real and natural it was. Another period of silence enveloped them as the motionless air provided an awkward quiet. Around them Ditzy chose to marvel at the current shop they were passing: The Carousal Boutique. Its flashy, almost gaudy design was like a magnet for everypony’s eyes. Ditzy daydreamed about the possibility of baking a muffin with similar glamour. If she could only harness the power of spectacle, muffin domination would surely be hers.

Another minute passed before Spike decided to speak up. “She’s sorry by the way,” he said, but quickly noticed more explanation would be needed when he saw Ditzy looking at him curiously. “For not coming herself, I mean. She wanted to, but a letter to the Princess ‘demanded her attention’. She’ll be done by the time we get there. You don’t mind, right?”

“Oh, no,” Ditzy smiled to prove her good will. “I’m sure what she has to do is important. Besides…” Ditzy’s eyes fell to the ground, “I’ve never talked to a dragon before.”

Spike grinned. “I hope it’s like everything you ever dreamed.”

“Mmm yah!” Ditzy giggled, allowing the tension to melt from her shoulders. “And you’re just a baby dragon?”

Spike nodded. “Mhm, but I’m almost as old as you guys. Twilight’s only a few years older than me, you just can’t tell because dragons age like, a lot slower. “

A welcomed breeze wafted past the pair, and they froze for a moment to enjoy it. The wind rustled the leaves of the tree that was Twilight’s library home in the distance. They both shared a grin as it came into view, and they picked up the pace that soon turned into a race towards the front door. As they both reached the doormat, panting and giggling, another breeze drifted by to cool them off, and to Ditzy it seemed the day might not be so bad after all.

Ditzy looked around, beaming with renewed confidence. She noticed the lush symphony of colors that surrounded her, from the natural greens to the sharp reds, the world around her seemed to glow with life. The sun was nearing its highest point in the sky, so shadows were near inexistent. The small bushes outside Twilight’s home were budding with tiny flowers whose aromas tickled Ditzy’s nose.

Surprise flooded Ditzy’s brain as she came to a realization. Wait! Did I just make another friend? Is Spike my friend now? The cogs were spinning in Ditzy’s mind as she desperately tried to remember the lessons in the book Twilight gave her. She recalled lessons of unity and humility, but none pertained to her situation. But somepony you could have fun with, and be comfortable around, surely that would make that pony a friend, even if it was a dragon and not a pony? A tentative, cunning investigation would have to be conducted.

“Spike, are we friends now?” Ditzy blurted out.

Spike looked up in surprise. “Well gosh… I guess so. I mean, that would be cool.”

I’m on a roll! Ditzy’s wings fluttered in excitement. Before she could have a second thought, she heard the front door squeak open. Both Ditzy and Spike stifled their giggles, and then Twilight appeared in front of them.

“Good morning, Ditzy,” Twilight greeted. “Thanks for coming over. I know you were supposed to work today, and I hope I didn’t disturb anything.”

“Nah, it’s okay, Twilight.” Ditzy beamed, which turned into a nervous chuckle when she remembered why she was here. She decided to press Twilight for more details before she panicked herself. “Spike mentioned something of a plan you had for today?”

“Yes! And I’m so excited for it.” Twilight’s coat bristled with enthusiasm. “Please, come in.”

Ditzy did as she was told, and before long she was standing in the exact same spot she had been when she asked Twilight to be her friend. The room gave off such a different feel than at night; a lively, energetic ambiance that spread throughout the living space—weird considering the library was completely empty and devoid of life, save present company.

Ditzy was only half paying attention as Twilight told Spike to go upstairs and deliver some message she had written. She assumed it was another friendship report, so she didn’t interrupt as Spike nodded and walked up the stairs.

Leaping onto the couch and landing with eccentric proficiency, Ditzy was able to have her fun without damaging Twilight’s furniture. She giggled profusely as the weathered springs inside gave squeaks of protest while she bobbed up and down. In her own little world, she was unable to notice that Twilight had taken the seat right next to her. Twilight finally cleared her throat to assert her presence.

“Oh, hey Twilight! This is a fun couch ya got here.” To prove her point, she quickened her pace to that of a jackhammer, until the dizziness forced her to stop. Twilight gazed on in quiet thoughtfulness, as if she was studying her. In fact, she was doing just that—contemplating the random mare before her. She was a hard mare to pinpoint; she possessed so many different qualities that she saw reflect off her other friends.

In Ditzy’s stride, Twilight saw Pinkie Pie: her randomness and love of a good laugh kept her spontaneous, but not to the point of overbearing.

In her passion, she saw Rainbow Dash: her drive to keep up with life and do everything to the best of her ability warranted a level of respect.

In her work ethic, she saw Applejack: she knew what was important, and did what she could to provide the most stable lifestyle she could.

In her caring expression, she saw Rarity: although Ditzy appeared to be… well ditsy, the side of her that Twilight saw the day she told the story about Dinky and Sparkler couldn’t be described. Sure she was silly, but her maturity (when prompted) was unquestionable.

In her heart, she saw Fluttershy: while her courage was undeniable, she often kept a solemn, almost shy demeanor when confronted with social situations. Unlike Fluttershy, Ditzy seemed to resort to silliness to avoid conflict. It was these elements of Ditzy which Twilight saw pieces of her other friends, and was what inspired her to form her current plan.

“So Ditzy, do you know why I asked you to come over?” Twilight asked.

The bouncing mare halted mid jump as a new wave of inhibition flowed through her. “Kinda…” Ditzy replied,” but Spike didn’t say much. I’d like to hear it from you.”

“Of course,” Twilight nodded then gave a reassuring smile. The air grew still and Ditzy’s ears rang with the soundless beating of her own heart. The room darkened as a passing cloud outside shadowed the sun. Ditzy forced herself to hold eye contact, though she felt some of the old nervousness returning. “Well, I know you wanted to meet some friends, so I decided why not introduce you to the rest of mine.”

Ditzy shrank.” I-I don’t know, Twilight. Just ‘cuz you like me doesn’t mean other ponies would. What if I just embarrass you?”

“Hey, look at me,” Twilight instructed, her tone definite and serious. Ditzy obliged and returned her stare to Twilight’s piercing gaze. “I will never be embarrassed of you, ever. I’m too proud to have you as a friend.” She finished with a soft smile that melted Ditzy’s heart. She felt her eyes gloss over, pride blooming in her chest, not sure what to say. It turns out; Twilight was fully capable of continuing the conversation.

“And besides, my friends are really nice and I’m sure they’ll love you. Look at it as an opportunity to implement what you’ve learned. What do you say?” Twilight peered at her, doubt and worry encircling her permissive eyes. Ditzy could see the hope in that stare; Twilight was curious to see if the pegasus was up to the challenge, to the point where she was emotionally invested. Ditzy knew she couldn’t say no to a look like that.

“Alright, Twilight. I mean, it would be nice to have some more friends.” Ditzy jolted, afraid that she had offended. “N-not that you aren’t enough! I mean—I just, I-I…” Ditzy’s eyes lowered. “I’ll be quiet now.”

Twilight gave a spirit-lifting chuckle. “Relax Ditzy, I know what you meant, and I agree. Like I said the first time you were over here: you can never have too many friends.” She hopped off the couch and stretched her forelegs. Ditzy felt it necessary to hop off the couch with her.

“So uh, what now?” Ditzy asked.

“I think you know. Shall we head out?”

“Now!?” Ditzy took a panicked breath, fear clutching her heart. I thought I’d have more time to prepare!

“No time like the present!” quipped Twilight, making her way over to the door. Ditzy was hesitant to follow, but she eventually forced herself to move. She was probably worried over nothing. I mean, these are Twilight’s friends we’re talking about here. I’m just working myself up; I need to be calm and cool. Cool as a clam. Clams are cool. And Calm. Besides, what could go wrong?

~*~*~

Ditzy tried her best to stall, offering to re-alphabetize all the books in the library. Twilight was not so easily fooled, and informed her that the books were already in order. “But think of a library that has been alphabetized twice! That’s twice the popularity.” She grumbled to herself while Twilight pushed her out the door and into the summer morning.

The sun had already made its way into the sky, and the draft had increased by a minuscule amount. Still not much, but a hurricane compared to the breeze before. Ditzy was cautious to start walking on her own, because she knew once she started, she wouldn’t stop until Twilight’s socially-diabolical plan came to fruition. After a supportive nod from Twilight, she sighed and began the trudge down the library path.

Twilight noticed her discomfort, and a look of apprehension clouded her visage. “Ditzy… I don’t want to force you to do this. If it’s something you really don’t want to do, we can stay.”

A moment of relief was met with a wall of determination. Twilight had faith in her, and they’ve gone too far to turn back now (like five steps at least). “No, I know you know best, and if you think that this’ll help me, then I’m all for it.” Ditzy’s lips curved into a genuine smile.

The magical mare brightened up. “Alright, then let’s get going.” With an affirmative nod from Ditzy, the two began walking side-by-side, down the road that would inevitably lead them to the heart of Ponyville. For some reason, the morning seemed brighter and the color more vibrant with Twilight around, and Ditzy was able to relax and enjoy herself.

Luckily, there was no shortage of conversation, and soon Ditzy was in a wonderful, light chat. “So Ditzy,” Twilight spoke first,” how have you been? How was work yesterday?”

Empty, she wanted to say. “Oh, I’ve been fine Twilight, thanks for asking!” Work the day before had been usual, though she took certain measures to avoid Destiny, as they were both on shift. Although Destiny had a knack for slacking on her work, she was adequate in her performance yesterday. She delivered the larger packages that wouldn’t fit into Ditzy’s mailbag. The two had different itineraries, so they didn’t come in to contact. Still, it was a bit stressful looking over her shoulder all day.

“Oh and work? It was… awesome! Heh, you know me. Love delivering mail.” Although exaggerated, her answer was free from sarcasm. She really did love her job; she just wasn’t use to the added tension.

“That’s good to hear,” Twilight said. The pair passed Lyra and Bon Bon who waved politely. Twilight and Ditzy returned it before they passed. The short social interaction reminded Ditzy of a question she had.

“Oh yah! Hey Twilight, who are we going to see first?”

They walked past Carousal Boutique. “Oh, I thought we’d head to Sweet Apple Acres first. Applejack has always been an early-morning type of pony, so we’ll-“

Ditzy inhaled quickly; a panicked gasp that interrupted Twilight. Ditzy jumped behind her to hide. Ahead of them, Ditzy saw the one and only Destiny Dawn, working her routes and coming their way.

“Uhh, Ditzy? Are you okay?” Twilight asked, turning to look down at Ditzy.

“W-who me? Yah, I’m peachy. Why?”

“Well, you jumped behind me, which usually is a sign that something is wrong.” Twilight looked around try and find an explanation.

“O-oh! Right!” Ditzy started, trying to regain Twilight’s attention. “I was scared by… that!” Ditzy pointed. Twilight followed her point to the wooden paneling of a wall.

“Erm, a wall? But how could-“

“Derpy, is that you?” A sweet voice called out. Ditzy cringed when she realized she had been caught, and slowly trudged out from behind Twilight. The two of them turned to face the new pony that had just walked over, wearing a smile that could brighten a room. It was almost too perfect; too white. “Oh my gosh, it is you!” She pretended to gasp. “And who’s this?”

Twilight smiled. “Hello, I’m Twilight Sparkle. It’s nice to meet you!”

“Oh, the pleasure is all mine! I’m Destiny, Destiny Dawn. Ditzy and I work together. She is such a joy to work with.” Ditzy’s insides froze, her mind unable to compute the sudden congenial Destiny. Why was Destiny pretending to be so nice to her?

“Oh? I didn’t know there was another mailmare.”

“I’m not surprised; I just moved here not too long ago, but I’ve already fallen in love with the town. It’s so quaint,” Destiny said. She turned her head to face Ditzy. “Oh, and how are you doing today, Derpy?”

“F-fine,” Ditzy stuttered, “thank you.”

“Well it was very nice seeing you Derpy, and it was equally nice to meet you, Twilight. Well, I better get back to work. Gotta get these deliveries done, you know how much ponies count on us!” She flashed a sly wink to Ditzy then waved to Twilight. After a few moments, she was already down near the other side of the street. Ditzy knew Destiny had said that last part to mock her; it was the exact same thing Ditzy said in the park a few days before.

“She seemed really nice! Looks like you don’t need my help making friends after all,” Twilight said, nudging Ditzy’s side.

“Mhmm… she’s really something,” Ditzy mumbled. They were about to continue on with the sound of a door creaking open caused them both to turn back towards Carousal Boutique. Two ponies were making their way out: Ditzy recognized one of them as Rarity, the owner of the shop, and the other one as the animal-lover, Fluttershy. Neither of them had caught a glimpse of her or Twilight.

“Oh, hey Rarity, hey Fluttershy! Nice to see you out here,” Twilight called over.

Rarity immediately perked up as the sound of Twilight’s voice. “Twilight! Oh it’s so nice to see you darling!” The two groups converged as Rarity embraced Twilight. Ditzy felt a bit awkward at first just standing there, but she noticed Fluttershy was looking at her. Once they made eye contact though, Fluttershy hid behind her mane. “What brings you out and about?” Rarity asked.

“Funny you should mention that…” Twilight alluded, pulling Ditzy closer to Rarity and Fluttershy. “Girls, I want to introduce you to Ditzy Doo.”

“You can call me Ditzy,” the mailmare giggled nervously, for lack of something better to say. “I’ve actually met you two a few times, though never outside work I guess.”

“No, we haven’t had the pleasure,” Rarity beamed. “It’s very nice to meet you. I’m Rarity, though I’m sure you already knew that, and this is…” Rarity gestured to Fluttershy, wanting her to talk for herself.

“I’m… Fluttershy,” the cream-colored pegasus whispered.

“I know,” said Ditzy. “I um…I like your butterflies!”

Fluttershy peaked out from behind her mane. “You’ve seen them?”

“I fly over them almost every morning in the park,” Ditzy worked up a smile. There was a silence where Ditzy expected Fluttershy to say something, but it never came. Instead, Twilight decided to pick it up.

“So where are you two off to?” Twilight asked.

“It’s our weekly spa day,” Fluttershy said in a more normal voice.

“Indeed, and we have to get there early. There’s nothing like starting off a day with a spa treatment then feeling rejuvenated the rest of the day,” Rarity explained. The fashionista put a forehoof on her chin and hummed in thought. “Hey, I just had a splendid idea: would you two like to join us?”

Ditzy and Twilight shared a glance. The mailmare had never been to the spa before, and didn’t know what it entailed. Twilight was smiling eagerly, the glint in her eye saying that it was what she wanted to do.

“O-okay, we can do that. Sounds like fun.” Ditzy smiled. I guess if Twilight wants me to get to know her friends, this is as a good an opportunity as any…

Rarity clacked her forehooves together. “Marvelous! This has turned into a group outing, how exciting!”

As Rarity and Twilight begin conversing about their mornings so far, their quickened pace left Ditzy and Fluttershy to trail slightly behind them; an action that sent sirens ringing in Ditzy’s head. She felt like she had been thrust into the deep end without a lifesaver, now standing next to the pony who, out of all of Twilight’s friends, she knew the least about.

Awkward silence ensued as Ditzy pretended to listen to what Twilight and Rarity were saying, but in actuality she was intently focused on her rising panic. Maybe she just got lucky when she roped Twilight into being her friend—the others would probably see her for the outlandish, uncoordinated mare that she was.

Ditzy peaked over to Fluttershy, whose head jerked forward in an attempt to misdirect eye contact. She noted a soft, pinkish glow over the winged mare’s cheeks. With a boost of confidence, Ditzy came to the conclusion that Fluttershy was as frightened as she was.

“H-hey, I’m not really that good with talking with new ponies... outside of work, at least,” Ditzy admitted.

Fluttershy lifted her gaze over her hairline, a brief smile dancing across her face. “Oh, um… me too.”

“But it is really nice to meet you!” Ditzy followed up. “Sparkler has only very good things to say about you.” Sparkler had been known to help Fluttershy from time to time, especially during the yearly Winter Wrap Up, where Sparkler volunteered on the same team as the cream-colored pegasus.

“Oh, you know Sparkler?” Fluttershy asked.

“Ooh yah, she’s my daughter,” Ditzy chuckled, knowing the impending shock. She didn’t expect to hear a sudden gasp from the up-until-that-point-very-quiet pony. It was loud enough that it halted Twilight’s and Rarity’s banter.

“Oh my, that’s so wonderful! I never knew Sparkler’s mother. You must be so proud of her! I…I just don’t even know what to say!” Fluttershy gushed, her wings flapping excitedly. She nudged Rarity. “Did you know that? Sparkler is Ditzy’s daughter!”

“Well I will say this Ditzy, you keep a fine family. That Sparkler has such a smart head on her shoulders; I could see her going places,” Rarity complimented. Ditzy was smiling in all ways possible: her mouth stretched to fit the capacity her happiness was forcing her to, while her insides threatened to burst confetti. “Now that you mention it, I remember seeing Sparkler with your little Dinky at the Sisterhood Social, but I never put two and two together.”

“I’ve known for almost a week now, and it still amazes me,” Twilight added, moving closer to Ditzy. “It takes a very special pony to be able to raise them both so well.”

“Aw shucks girls, you’re gonna make me blush!” Ditzy covered her cheek with a hoof. “It didn’t take anything special. I just… well I love ‘em, you know? They deserve the best.”

“What a motherly thing to say. Well, they seem in the best of care.” Rarity put a hoof on Ditzy’s shoulder. They all continued to walk, but now Ditzy was more confident than ever.

This is going pretty smoothly! They seem like pretty nice ponies, like Twilight. Maybe making friends isn’t so hard after all?

“We’re here!” Rarity cheered, and rushed through the doors. Fluttershy was quick to follow, leaving Twilight and Ditzy outside. Twilight turned to face Ditzy.

“You ready?” she asked.

“I guess. How bad could it be?”

~*~*~

“And stay out!” Aloe yelled, as a gruff earth stallion threw Ditzy out the door. Instead of landing on the ground, as was the point of being ejected, Ditzy simply flapped her wings a few times and she was soon hovering in the air.

“Hey, it was self-defense! How was I supposed to know I wasn’t being attacked by ninjas?” Ditzy asked.

Twilight made her way past Aloe, giving her an apologetic shrug, and out onto the open streets. Ditzy landed next to her, eyeing Aloe suspicious, as if she might attack again. “Sorry, Aloe, this was Ditzy’s first massage. We should’ve told her what to expect.”

“Hmph!” Aloe grunted, and shut the front door with a resounding bang.

After the initial adrenaline wore off, Ditzy was left feeling terrible. “I’m…I’m sorry, Twilight. I’m not sure what came over me. I hope you’re allowed back there again.” Ditzy eyed the structure with distaste. “Even though I still don’t know why ponies pay their hard-earned bits to get beat up.”

“Maybe something more soothing next time,” Twilight suggested, “like a sauna. Those are nice and safe.”

Ditzy frowned. “Do you think Aloe hates me now?”

“Don’t worry, she’s quick to forgive, and that could’ve happened to anypony.” Twilight gave a reassuring smile, one that put Ditzy at ease. A strange silence washed over the two, where in Ditzy thought she was expected to say something, so she did.

“They were nice. Rarity and Fluttershy, I mean.”

“A good of a start as any,” Twilight encouraged, giving a satisfactory nod. “See? My friends aren’t so bad. They like making new friends as much as you do, trust me on that. When I just moved here, I didn’t even want to be their friend, but they were persistent.” As Twilight began walking, Ditzy stumbled after her, momentarily tripping on her own hooves before regaining her composure. She glanced up and was thankful that Twilight didn’t see.

“Really?” Ditzy coughed, trying to act nonchalant. “You don’t seem like the type of pony who’d reject friendship.”

“I was… a different pony before I moved here; before I learned about the value of friendship.”

A stiff breeze ruffled their manes, sending a shiver of delight down Ditzy’s spine. Her wings unfurled and she shook them vigorously, letting the wind rush through the feathers, like a gust through grain. Their walk had brought them to the outskirts of Ponyville, where the hill, over which Sweet Apple Acres would come into view, would soon be traversed.

“I hope I’ll be able to find the value of friendship,” Ditzy drifted off, her tone hopeful and bright.

“It’s easier than it sounds,” Twilight assured with her petite smile and shining eyes.

Ditzy was still a bit skeptical. “But how will I know when I find it?”

Twilight paused, not knowing exactly how to answer her. “When you’re happy to hear somepony; to see somepony, and you know in your heart that you care for them. It comes like a… spark.”

“That makes sense, I guess.” Ditzy’s head was still trying to process. What does she mean a spark? Like with electricity? Was it going to hurt? Even more important, what if the spark was too little, and Ditzy isn’t able to catch it when it happens? Would she go on living without knowing that she has learned the value of friendship?

“I hope so. Ah, looks like we’re here!” said Twilight, as the pair walked through the arch of Sweet Apple Acres. Big Macintosh was just making his way out of the main barn. Out of all the family members of Sweet Apple Acres, Ditzy was most familiar with him. He was the one who signed for all the packages whenever Ditzy had to make a delivery out there. They’ve struck up a few superficial conversations then and again: ‘How are you today’, ‘Nice weather we’re having’, and ‘what is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow’… all very general topics.

Twilight made an affirmative grunt when she caught sight of him, and trotted over to him with Ditzy in step.

“Mornin’ Twilight, mornin’ Derpy. What brings ya’ll t’the farm?” Big Mac said with a slow drawl. Ditzy was humbled to hear herself mentioned; she felt like she was somepony worth addressing—a small victory for her self-confidence.

“Oh, good morning, Big Macintosh!” Ditzy waved.

“Good morning,” Twilight likewise returned. “We’re actually here looking for Applejack. Know where we can find her?”

“Eeyup,” Macintosh nodded, lifting his hoof and pointing towards one of the many sections of apple orchard.

Following his directions, Ditzy and Twilight made their way through several layers of apple trees, and for a moment Ditzy panicked wondering what would happen if they got lost out here. It took several seconds of silent hyperventilation before she remembered she had wings.

“I’ve never been out here before,” Ditzy marveled. “It’s so pretty. I had no idea that the farm had this many apple trees.

“Yes, it’s quite a sight,” Twilight agreed. It was nearing the end of summer, so the apple trees already had fruit growing on them. The apples themselves were plump and red, but not a crisp red; another few weeks and they would be ready for harvest. Finally they came upon their goal, with the sound of an unexpected scuffle.

“Next time I catch ya, I’ll hogtie ya myself!” came the voice of a southern pony.

“What? It’s just one apple! You can’t be seriously mad that I took one apple out of thousands,” another pony’s voice chimed in. Though obviously feminine, her tone resembled a much more aggressive bite.

“Ya know I don’t mind if ya take an apple every now an’ again,” the first voice responded, “but they aren’t ready yet!” That’s when Twilight made her way into the small plain, with Ditzy far more hesitant, almost hiding behind her.

“Hey girls, sounds like you’re both having fun.” Twilight chuckled, enjoying her own sarcasm.

“Twilight, well isn’t this ah surprise. What brings ya’ll—“, Applejack paused and furrowed her eyebrows when she caught sight of Ditzy. The mailmare took a gulp. “Hey, aren’t you that mail pony we always see flyin’ here and there? Derpy, right?”

Ditzy smiled bright at the recognition. “That’s me! You have an awesome farm.”

“Thank ya kindly.” Applejack tipped her hat and walked over to them, joined by a silent Rainbow Dash. Applejack extended a hoof over to Ditzy, who accepted it graciously. “Well, like I told Twilight here on the first day I met her, we here at Sweet Apple Acres sure do like making new friends.”

“I like making new friends too! I think. I’m pretty sure, like 90 percent.”

Applejack gave her a quizzical stare, but before she could speak, Twilight decided to butt in. “I hope you don’t mind, AJ, but I’m introducing her to all the girls. She’s taken an interest in friendship, like me.”

“Is that so?” Applejack smiled. “Well, can never have too many friends, can ya now?”

Twilight nodded. “Oh, and Ditzy, this is Rainbow Dash, she—“

“We’ve met,” Rainbow Dash interrupted, glaring at Ditzy.

“Hi, Rainbow Dash!” Ditzy waved. “So nice to see you again.”

Twilight cocked her head. “I’m sorry, how do you two know each other?”

Rainbow Dash sniffed. “She’s on my weather control team every year for our Winter Wrap Up. She’s the featherbrain who went the wrong direction to get the southern birds—TWICE.”

Ditzy was unfazed, completely used to receiving grief for her short-comings. “Oh well, I’ll do better this time, I promise!“

“Yah, yah,” Rainbow waved off, skeptical.

Applejack nudged Rainbow Dash with a disapproving glare, before returning her focus to Ditzy with a smile. “So how are ya likin’ the farm?”

“Oh, it’s wonderful! So many apples grow on an apple farm.”

“Ya, ‘cause who could’ve seen that coming?” Rainbow rolled her eyes.

Applejack ignored her. “Sure are! Biggest apple farm this side of Equestria.”

“That’s so cool!”

“Well thank ya kindly, Derpy. You’re welcome t’come on down anytime you right well please.” Applejack tipped her hat and gave a friendly wink. Ditzy was glowing with excitement. Maybe the Apple family would let her help harvest the apples when it was time. She was sure they would accept any help they could get. She could probably become handy at bucking trees if she practiced.

Twilight was looking on, pleased at how well this was going. “Is there anything else about the farm you want to see, Ditzy?” she asked.

Ditzy put a hoof to her chin as her yellow eyes began to drift apart. “Besides working, how do farm ponies have fun on a farm?”

Applejack smiled wide, like Ditzy had said the magic words. “We got plenty-a activities to keep us fit an’ entertained. Here, follow me.”

Rainbow Dash and Twilight shared a glance, while Ditzy eagerly trotted after Applejack. After giving a noncommittal shrug, they trotted off to join their compatriots. Through the field they went, skirting over small shrubs and weaving through matured apple trees. The sun was high in the sky, making shadows mirror whatever they were hiding under. The breeze from earlier hadn’t ceased, but somehow it smelled sweeter now that Ditzy was in the country. The untamed gust absorbed the fragrance of everything that was crisp and well in the world, it seemed.

Finally, through several additional layers of trees, the group came upon a baron patch of ground that was set aside near a corral. There was a thin stretch of flat ground stretched before them with furrowed edges, clearly marking a boundary. At either end, in a small box frame and hammered into the dirt, were two iron spikes: one on each side. Ditzy instantly recognized it.

“You ponies play horse shoes?” Ditzy lit up; it was one of her favorite games.

“Course we do!” Applejack smiled. “It’s ah country game after all, ain’t it?”

“Well, can we play?!” Ditzy hopped excitedly, her wings unfurling.

Applejack looked back to Rainbow Dash and Twilight, who both gave a shrug. “I would love to watch you two play,” Twilight ushered with a grin.

“Yah, yah, go ahead and play the little game. Should be over fast, anyways,” Dash smirked, having no faith in Ditzy’s coordination. With approval from both ponies, Applejack stepped forward onto the game patch.

“Alright then, Derpy, you gotchur self ah game!” Applejack trotted to one end, leaving a humming Ditzy to take the other side. Half way to her spot, Ditzy faltered over her own hooves, but managed to catch herself. Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but snicker from the sidelines.

“Oh brother…”

“Shh!” Twilight scolded.

The breeze stilled as both competitors took their positions. The narrow playing field was roughly 40 feet long, which provided ample throwing room for a hefty horseshoe. The stakes at either end glistened in the sunlight, free of rust, waiting patient for the day it would be reunited with its friend, horseshoe.

That day will be today… Ditzy psyched herself up.

“Alright Derpy, I don’t need to go over the rules, now do I?” Applejack called.

“Nah I got it,” Ditzy assured, “just try and throw the horseshoe around the pole thing.”

Applejack nodded. “Right! I’ll go first then.”

Ditzy took a few precautious steps to the side; a standard practice for any match to assure that incase the horseshoe overflew its mark, the competitor would not be injured. With the wind still, Twilight holding her breath, and Dash looking on in disinterest, Applejack bent down to grasp an iron horseshoe in her mouth. Ditzy wasn’t prepared for her technique.

In one quick motion, Applejack flung the horseshoe vertically in the air, and flipped around so that her back hooves were now facing the field. With power and precision, she bucked her hind legs just as the horseshoe came down. A loud clang echoed from the site of impact, but the result was the horseshoe was now flying close to Ditzy’s end of the court.

With wide eyes, Ditzy marveled as she watched the shoe pinpointing on the target, which it hit dead on.

Clang!

The resounding of metal striking metal rang in a way that was unbefitting such a quiet afternoon. The horseshoe bounced off the spike and landed on the ground near it with a thud, only about three inches away from being a ringer.

“That was an amazing shot, Applejack!” Ditzy shouted. “It almost went completely around it!”

“Thank ya kindly; years of practice at work. Let’s see what ya got, sugarcube!” Applejack returned.

Ditzy bounded over onto her side of the playing field, while Applejack went and stood over near Rainbow and Twilight. Rainbow clacked hooves with the farm pony, congratulating her on a good shot.

“Go Ditzy! You can do it!” Twilight cheered.

Not willing to let Twilight down, she shook to get rid of the excess energy then became very still. A deep breath entered her lungs and was slowly exhaled from her nose. The quiet of the scene returned as Ditzy closed her eyes to calm her thoughts. After a short period of meditation, Ditzy bent down and grasped the horseshoe. She narrowed her eyes at the enemy spike, protruding defiantly out of the soil.

How dare it protrude like that! Look at it just sitting there… all cocky… ‘oh I’m just guna sit here cuz Ditzy Doo smells’. I’ll show you who smells, little iron thing!

Twisting her body around, Ditzy soon began spinning circles to gain momentum, as if she was throwing a discus. Casting fearful glances between them, Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash moved back a few feet. Soon Ditzy was just a blur as she spun faster than anypony should be able to, and with a grunt, let loose the horseshoe.

The on-looking triplet followed the horseshoe with their eyes as it went in the exact opposite direction that it was meant to, arcing high and wide. Ditzy slowed herself from spinning, but she soon face-planted into the ground, her eyes spinning and feet unsteady. Rainbow Dash couldn’t handle it.

“Pffftttt… BAHahahahaha!” She laughed aloud, falling on her back and pointing at the rogue horseshoe, still arcing in the sky.

As Ditzy pushed herself in a seated position, and with the world still spinning, Applejack and Twilight shared a glance that said they both knew it was a terrible shot, but they still wanted to be nice about it.

“That was a… great throw, Ditzy,” Twilight complimented.

“Yah it was… something.” Applejack threw a cheesy grin, one that always accompanied her when she attempted any feat of deception.

Ditzy still couldn’t see straight. “I know! I can’t believe that I won!”

“Huh?” The three other ponies said together. Rainbow Dash fell silent, feeling it was her job to correct the confused mare.

“What are you talking about, Derpy? That shot wasn’t anywhere near where it needed to-“

Clang!

Each pony, save Ditzy, flinched as a loud metal clank startled the three of them. In disbelief, they all approached Applejack’s side of the court to find a horseshoe flawlessly wrapped around the metal spike.

Ditzy arched her head, confused. “What, Rainbow Dash? I thought the point was to get the horseshoe around the iron thingy. Was I wrong?”

Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash’s jaws were wide open, flabbergasted. They had all seen the same horseshoe fly in the opposite direction, yet here it was: a perfect ringer.

“Bah…how?” was all Twilight could utter.

“Oh, it was easy!” Ditzy assured. She got to her feet, now stable. She pointed to the original direction the horseshoe flew. “First had to bank it off the side of the barn, then it hit that tree over there, spun around its branch, flung itself high in the air, bounced off that hay bale over there, went through that window of your house and came out that one, and finally came to a rest on the metal spike thing. So how’d I do?”

Silence. Twilight and Applejack were now more confused than ever, trying to follow the path Ditzy had laid out for them. Rainbow Dash didn’t even waste time trying to push logic on it; she was too busy wearing a big grin.

“Haha! That was amazing, Derpy! And you managed to beat Applejack at one of her own games. Maybe I misjudged you before…” Dash put a forearm around Ditzy’s neck, ”you’re alright in my book.”

Ditzy lit up. “You really mean it? Aw thanks, Rainbow Dash!” Rainbow extended her hoof, which Ditzy eagerly clacked with her own.

~*~*~

“I’m not even going to try and comprehend how you made that shot,” Twilight marveled as they exited the farm. “Did you see Applejack? You left her speechless. To be fair, you left me speechless as well.”

Ditzy looked at her; she had already explained it so clearly! Why was there still a grey area? “I told you though! I banked it off the barn, then it hit the tree, then-“

“I know the story, Ditzy,” Twilight guaranteed. “I just… it’s unbelievable.”

Ditzy shrugged. “Alright then, if you say so. I had a lot of fun though! They both seem like really fun ponies.”

Twilight looked right into Ditzy’s eyes and smiled. “I’m glad you think so. See? This isn’t so bad, is it?”

“No, this has been fun! What’s next?”

“Sugarcube Corner,” responded Twilight.

Oh, muffins… Ditzy wasn’t sure if she was ready to see Pinkie. Would the pink pony be mad at her? Their last encounter was almost a week ago, and they hadn’t parted under the best of circumstances. Ditzy just hoped that Pinkie would still like her after she ran away like that.

The pair walked in silence as they entered the main part of town. Being the early afternoon, the town was alive and buzzing with activity: shops and stalls now had eager customers while the sound of conversation hovered over the area. Each pony moved at a leisurely pace, but with purpose in their step. They all had some place to be, though plenty of time to get there. Small town life.

The scent of Sugarcube Corner could be detected half a mile away. The amount of baked goods that flowed out of the bakery was staggering for such a small town. For a moment, Ditzy imagined that Pinkie might be too busy helping out the Cakes. She couldn’t explain why she felt such trepidation with her unlike the rest of Twilight’s friends, but it might have something to do with how Ditzy saw a little bit of herself in Pinkie.

“You okay, Ditzy?”

Ditzy snapped out of her thought. “Huh, what? Oh! Y-yes. It’s just...” and she trailed off.

“Just...?” Twilight asked.

Ditzy’s shoulders sunk. “Last time I saw Pinkie I kinda ran away from her.” Ditzy looked away and let her eyes defocus. “I just hope she isn’t mad at me.”

As Twilight’s eyes softened, she tried her best to give a supportive smile. “You know Pinkie Pie: all about laughing and smiles. Whatever happened is already probably forgotten.”

Ditzy coaxed herself into calming down, the air of self-condemnation fading with each wavering breath. A soft smile worked its way onto her lips as she felt herself tranquilize. After a final nervous flick of her wings, they made their way into the sugary shop.

Upon entering, the sound of clacking of wood against ceramic echoed from the kitchen in the depths of the shop, followed by an angry buzz of a mixer in heated combat. Two ponies--one stallion, and one little filly--stood in the parlor nearing the register while Mrs. Cake wrung up the order specifications into the machine. She shifted a bakery box across the counter nearer to the ponies.

“Alright hun, for a dozen cupcakes that’ll be 15 bits,” Mrs. Cake said sweetly.

Wordlessly, the colt dropped the bits on the counter and gave a thankful nod as the little filly swiped the cupcake box off the counter and balanced it on her back. They both turned to leave and came face-to-face with Twilight and Ditzy.

“Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me…” the stallion murmured.

Ditzy gasped in elated surprise before waving vigorously. “Hi, Mr. Forthright!”

“Hello, Derpy,” her boss replied. He eyed Twilight quickly before returning his stare to Ditzy. “Enjoying your day off?”

“Yah, who knew I could ever have fun not working!” Ditzy smiled.

The little filly pulled on her dad’s foreleg. “Daddy, isn’t that the crazy pony from breakfast?” Twilight slowly turned her head to look at Ditzy before giving her the biggest ‘what?’ stare, ever. Mr. Forthright was about to correct his daughter, but then remembered that the whole scene was pretty crazy, especially to a little filly.

“Uh, yes darling.” He pulled his gaze by up towards Twilight. “And you must be Twilight? So you’re the mare who took one of my workers away from me.”

Twilight laughed nervously, sensing the situation turn from her favor. “Uhh, that’s me! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to cause—“

“Relax Ms. Twilight, I’m only joking,” he chuckled at Twilight’s gullibility. “I’ve heard quite a bit about you actually; is it true you serve as Princess Celestia’s personal protégé?”

“Yes, I do.” Twilight smiled with pride.

“How interesting that must be, to be in constant contact with the Princess herself. I’ve only had the pleasure of meeting her on one occasion, and that was long ago. It was back when—“

The little filly tugged at her father’s foreleg. “Daddy—Cupcakes?”

“Oh, yes! Sorry sweetie,” Mr. Forthright apologized, rustled the mane of his daughter. He then re-established eye contact with Ditzy and Twilight. “Well it was very nice meeting you, Miss Twilight. Ditzy, I guess I’ll be seeing you tomorrow?”

“You betcha!” Ditzy enthused.

With a nod, Mr. Forthright began ushering his daughter out the door, but not before the little one gave one last, manic wave. “Bye crazy pony!”

“Bye!” Ditzy returned cheerily, also returning the wave. Twilight was staring at her with a sidelong glance.

“Crazy pony?” Twilight asked, eyebrow arched.

Blinding Flash. Explosion of confetti. Moments of disorientation. Behind it all, Ditzy could make out a loud, excitable voice. “Surprise! Did I surprise ya, huh huh huh?”

Ditzy blinked away the colored spots that were clouding her vision, each one wavering defiantly in the center of her eyes. While she waited for them to adjust, Ditzy shook the colorful confetti out of her mane and coat, giggling because it looked like she was shedding rainbows. Barings regained, Ditzy refocused forward, only to come face to face with a wiggling Pinkie Pie.

“Heh he, yah Pinkie, you surprised me,” Ditzy conceded. “I guess now I’ll have to figure out a way to surprise you.”

“Good luck with thaaat~” Pinkie sung. The party pony giggled when she caught sight of Twilight; the unicorn puffed annoyingly at her mane, loosening a few strands of confetti. With a mental sigh of relief, Ditzy felt like their past meeting was already forgotten.

“So! What brings you two into the shop? No wait—can I guess? Hmm… Derpy must be here to deliver something; is it a big box of candy!? And is Twilight here to share it with us? Or—No! It must be cake! No wait, that’s silly; we’re in a cake shop already. You know what? This reminds me of yesterday when Gummy went off and…” Pinkie Pie didn’t stop, nor did Ditzy believe she could. Ditzy just stood there, staring at Pinkie with her usual expression of blithe comprehension. Twilight finally had enough of it, and cut Pinkie off with a nervous chuckle.

“Heh, anyway… we’re actually here because Ditzy has shown interest in the study of friendship. And she—“

Pinkie gasped. “You want to make friends, Derpy?” But before Ditzy could answer it, Pinkie looked at her curiously and switched topics. “Wait, your name is Ditzy? I thought it was Derpy?”

Ditzy eased back on her hind legs, rubbing the back of her neck with a forehoof. “Uhh… both, I guess. Well, my real name is Ditzy Doo, but a lot of ponies call me Derpy. I don’t care though—whatever you want to call me is fine.”

“Well then, you shall be Bubbles!”

Ditzy was taken aback. “Wha…? I didn’t mea-… I mean, I guess I did mean any name, but what I really meant was—“

“Either Ditzy or Derpy?” Pinkie giggled. “Doesn’t Bubbles sound super-awesome though?”

Twilight scratched her head. “Where’d you get Bubbles from?”

Pinkie pointed to Ditzy’s flank, her smile broadening at the unmasking of her genius methods. “Her cutie mark, duh!”

For a moment, all eyes fell upon Ditzy’s cutie mark: three round bubbles, each sparkling with a ting of refracted light. Before the conversation could wander more off-track, Ditzy coughed to throw the attention off her cutie mark, not that she didn’t appreciate the attention on her flank.

“Uhh, I think either Ditzy or Derpy would be fine.”

“Okie dokie,” Pinkie nodded. “If Twilight calls you Ditzy, it must mean you like being called Ditzy, so I think I’ll stick with that, in fact…“ she was cut off by a sudden jerk in her shoulder and a wiggle of her tail. “Oopsie! That Pinkie Sense means I forgot something…” Pinkie tapped her chin.

Twilight stared at her half-lidded. “We were talking about Ditzy making new friends?”

“Oh I remember now!” Pinkie hopped up, enthusiastic and self-justified. “We were talking about how Ditzy wants to make some new friends!” Pinkie ignored Twilight’s facehoof and continued on. “That’s so awesome Ditzy! I mean, you can never have too many friends, but I bet you’ve heard that a lot, huh? But that’s because having lots of friends is so much fun! I should know; I know everypony, and I mean everypony in Ponyville!”

“That’s cool, I think!” Ditzy smiled. She too knew everypony in Ponyville, but that’s a bit different from being their friends. That sounded like a very nice life to have: to be able to walk outside and instantly spot a few of your friends, to be supported by friendship, to know when you enter a room, ponies won’t back away for fear that you’ll break something… Ditzy shook her head.

“So what were you doing, Pinkie Pie?” Ditzy asked.

“Oh, I was just baking some cupcakes to fill an order. Ever since I showed I can be responsible, Mr. and Mrs. Cake have been letting me help with the baking!” Pinkie gave a wide grin that reflected her pride in every sparkle.

Ditzy nodded in appreciation. “Nice one, Pinkie Pie! Cupcakes are cool I guess. Muffins are where it’s at though.”

A quick tick deflated Pinkie’s smile, but only for a diminutive amount of time before her smile resumed. “Ahaha, good one Ditzy! But we all know cupcakes are the most awesome.”

In Canterlot, in the midst of walking down a hallway with her sister, Princess Celestia halted as her vision blurred. She turned to Luna, who looked back with dreaded knowing.

“You felt it too?”

The Sun Goddess nodded, staring out the window into the unseeable distance. “Something terrible is about to happen.”

Back in Sugarcube Corner, Ditzy and Pinkie were staring each other down, both ready to defend their confectionary treat, and they did so in the most rational, mature way possible.

“Muffins.”

“Cupcakes.”

“Muffins.”

“Cupcakes.”

“Muffins.”

“Cupcakes.”

“Muffins!”

“Cupcakes!” Pinkie and Ditzy were snout-to-snout, unblinking and with complete focus. The other ponies in the shop grew still and quiet, unnerved by the intense mental battle that was taking place.

Twilight watched on with confusion. “What’s the difference?”

With a gasp that Discord himself could only dream to inspire, Ditzy and Pinkie grabbed each other and looked at Twilight, horrified that that question even existed. Twilight gave her best innocent shrug and cheesy smile, hoping to return the ensuing chaos to the pandoran box from whence it came.

“What’s the difference!?” Pinkie asked in a shrill tone.

“Well they’re made with similar ingredients, right?” Twilight noted. “I mean sugar, flour, eggs… you can understand why I’m a little confused here.”

Pinkie and Ditzy shared an exasperated glance, mouths agape and speechless. Eventually, they began to sputter out words. “B-b-b-but cupcakes have frosting!” said Pinkie.

“And muffins have yummy stuff in them!” Ditzy added on.

Pinkie Pie swirled around. “Implying that cupcakes aren’t made of yummy deliciousness?”

“Just admit it Pinkie Pie: muffins will always be the best!” Ditzy affirmed.

Pinkie gasped. “Take that back muffin-lover!” Once again the two found themselves snout-to-snout.

“Girls, stop arguing! There’s no need to get mad,” Twilight interjected pleadingly. The customers around them remained still, like a bomb was being defused. Beads of anticipatory sweat rolled down the temples of several colts. Even Mrs. Cake looked on from behind the counter with a worried expression.

Ditzy and Pinkie shared a confused look, before laughing like some big joke had been shared. Twilight was more mixed up than ever, and waited impatiently for the two to finish their giggle fit.

“Jeez Twilight, we’re not mad!” Pinkie Pie put a hoof around Ditzy’s neck, which she leaned in towards. “There’s no need to get so serious about it.”

“Yah we’re just playin’ around!” Ditzy giggled, and then looked at Pinkie. “Some ponies just can’t take a joke!”

“I know, right?” Pinkie responded in a bubbly tone. Twilight was looking at them in a mixture of shock and disbelief. Ditzy could just make out that her eyelid under her right eye was twitching. All the ponies around them had already begun to disperse and continue with their business in the shop, the threat of annihilation passed.

As the scene returned to harmony, Ditzy felt like Pinkie Pie could be a true friend, much like Twilight and the other ponies she’d met on her day’s adventure. IT was the inner emotions that began to mix and rumble inside her that made her feel funny; a pressure that needed to escape from a burden that wouldn’t yield. The problem area didn’t seem to be her stomach or lungs, but her heart itself. She knew that if she wanted Pinkie Pie to be her friend, she’d need to get something off her chest.

Ditzy glanced over at Twilight, whose mood had changed from confused to whimsical acceptance. The unicorn giggled at herself for missing the unsaid joke before, but stood motionless when she looked at Ditzy and was met with the mailmare’s distant yet serious gaze. Twilight inclined her head.

“Ditzy, everything okay?” She asked, shattering Ditzy’s subconscious bubble. When Ditzy finally blinked herself back to reality, a hard blush formed on her cheeks, appearing even through her coat. She hadn’t expected to be caught.

“Oh yah, I’m fine Twilight, thanks. It’s just…” Ditzy peered over to Pinkie Pie, who had busied herself by bouncing around the shop. “I was wondering—if you don’t mind, I mean—giving me a moment alone with Pinkie Pie?”

To Ditzy’s surprise, Twilight smiled wide, as if she understood exactly what the pegasus was planning to do. “Sure thing; I’ll be outside when you need me,” Twilight responded with her reassuringly upbeat voice. Ditzy’s eyes glassed over as she gave a slight smile of gratitude. Even now, in flat light, her wavering eyes were by far her most expressive feature. Twilight glanced at Pinkie Pie once more before she exited the shop, which rang with a little bell as the door opened and closed.

Instantly Pinkie Pie appeared next to Ditzy. “Where’s Twilight going? Is it some sort of surprise?”

Ditzy’s eyes started drifting towards Pinkie, but she was still too nervous to make direct eye contact. “No, I-I actually wanted to talk to you…about something.”

“Oh?” Pinkie ceased moving. “Well what do you want to talk about? Games? Candy? Candy games?”

Ditzy giggled. “No, but candy games sound fun!” she exclaimed, but then coughed to clear her mind and refocus on her purpose. “I-it’s about last time I saw you… I…kinda ran out on you, and I feel really bad about it.”

“Oh don’t be a silly filly!” Pinkie waved it off. “I’m sure you had a good reason.”

“No, I-“ Ditzy was interrupted by a customer walking near them, making her remember she was in a public setting. She ushered Pinkie Pie to a more reclusive corner of the store, then taking a deep breath. “I didn’t have a good reason. I just didn’t want to answer your question.”

Pinkie’s stare went blank while she attempted to remember the conversation they had the week prior. Her eyes flashed when it finally came back. “You asked me if I was ever picked on when I was a little filly.” Pinkie’s voice was unnaturally quiet and serious; it unnerved Ditzy and made her shuffle in place.

“Yah, I remember.”

“Why though?” Pinkie asked.

Ditzy had never delved into this topic with anypony, not even Twilight. Her whole life was about focusing on the positives and leaving the dark and dreary in the shadows. Not any more though; if she was going to make some friends, it meant living with the past, and not hiding from it anymore.

“I…I just wanted to find somepony who…” Ditzy made eye contact with Pinkie, who was gave a slight smile. “Who, you know… related to me.” Ditzy bent down and hid her face in her forehoofs. “But it’s okay that you don’t.”

“That’s what friends are for, silly,” Pinkie said gently. “We don’t all have to relate in every way, but we’re the same in a lot of ways too. And besides—even if there were some meanies when you were a little filly, you still had friends you could go to make it all better.”

A wisp of sadness darkened Ditzy’s face. “Um… actually…” Ditzy glanced up at Pinkie for a quick moment before hiding in her hooves again, “I’ve never had any friends before.”

A soft gasp emanated from Pinkie. Ditzy felt herself being picked up then caught in a tight hug; she was surprised at first but then returned the embrace, burying her face into Pinkie’s fluffy pink mane. It was comforting and soft, like a pillow made of cotton candy, but not as sticky. She began to be acutely aware that Pinkie was trembling, and in seconds Ditzy felt her shoulder becoming wet.

“You have friends now, Ditzy, we’re your friends,” Pinkie cried into her shoulder.

Ditzy’s lip trembled, before she shut her eyes hard to steel herself. She wouldn’t ruin this moment by crying. No—she was going to enjoy it. She squeezed even tighter and relished in the moment she realized she now had six new friends.

~*~*~

The warm cup felt good in Ditzy’s hooves. She couldn’t remember the last time she had hot chocolate; not since she was just a filly, at least. The frothy, creamy liquid warmed Ditzy’s stomach and tickled her taste buds. Her spine tingled every time the cup touched her lips, a tingle that she felt reverberate to the tip of her wings. The big marshmallow on top was just icing on the cake.

The crackling fireplace in front her whistled as another log was split from the heat. She shifted on the couch to warm the other side of her body, being careful not to spill her drink. With a cursory glance, she peered through the window on one of the walls of the library, though it was too dark to see outside, especially since the fire kept her eyes adjusted to the light.

Beside her, Twilight was nestled deep in a comfy-looking purple pillow, levitating a book half her size. Ditzy watched the unicorn’s eyes following the print in the book, before flipping to the next page with an effortless flick of magic. A serene silence flowed through the room; cozy and un-awkward. Choosing not to break the quiet, Ditzy took another generous sip of her hot chocolate, nibbling at the marshmallow with fervor.

When the last of the delectable drink drained from the cup, she pulled it away with a satisfied hum. She licked her lips while placing the cup on the ground so she wouldn’t accidentally break it. While more confident now in her abilities to handle objects well in her hooves, she thought it would be best not to tempt fate. She glanced over to Twilight, who was still nose-deep in her book.

It must be pretty interesting, Ditzy thought. Trying to be as unnoticed as she could, Ditzy wormed her way closer to Twilight, endeavoring to get a better look at the pages. She finally got right next to Twilight, whose eyes hadn’t moved from the text. As sly as a fox, she bent over Twilight’s shoulder and peered down.

“Can I help you with something?” asked Twilight jokingly; she knew that she caught Ditzy in the act. The mailmare vaulted back and tumbled off the couch, letting out a yelp as she hit the floor. Twilight giggled as Ditzy fumbled over herself to get her hooves straight. Finally, Ditzy jumped to a standing position, where she locked her legs and stood motionless, suave and calm.

“I was just wonderin’ what you were reading,” Ditzy answered.

Twilight chuckled and patted the couch cushion next to her. Ditzy hopped up and sat down with her hooves folded beneath her. She scooted over until she was positioned just right where she could see the book, and Twilight even helped by floating it more towards the center of them so they both had an equal view.

This book doesn’t have any pictures… Ditzy noted. After skimming the page for a short while, she became more increasingly worried as she realized she didn’t know what most of the words meant, or even how to sound them out. Even the smaller-worded sentences came with difficulty; Ditzy knew she wasn’t the best reader, but was she really this bad?

She thought saying a sentence aloud would help. “The...” and that’s how far she got before she realized it was hopeless. Ditzy looked over to Twilight sheepishly. “Sorry, I’m not really used to reading books without pictures in them.”

Twilight looked at her, intrigued. “What do you mean?”

Ditzy shrugged. “Uh, I’ve never been the best reader…or writer, I guess. My skill ends with what I can get away with at work.”

“Really?” Twilight asked. “You went to school, didn’t you?”

“Yaaah…” Ditzy drawled. “But I wasn’t very good at school. If you can believe it or not, I had focusing problems.”

“Wait, wait, wait…” Twilight shut her book and laid it down on the floor. “Are you saying you never learned how to read?”

Ditzy wasn’t expecting to be put in the spotlight, and her education background scrutinized. Luckily she felt comfortable around Twilight, so she just shrugged. “Kinda I guess, but I learned a bunch on my own by doing work and reading bed time stories to Dinky. OH—and I’m pretty good at spelling my own name.”

A loud crackle emanated from the fireplace as a charred log adjusted. The wavering glow casted shadows upon Twilight’s almost concerned face. Ditzy could imagine why not being proficient at reading would be such a hard thing to comprehend for a librarian. Still, Ditzy always wondered what she was missing every time she saw a book. Were they any fun? Writing letters sounded like it would come in handy eventually. Maybe she’d even get some mail herself then.

“But, um, Twilight? I know you’re a busy pony, and I already take up a lot of your time as it is, but if you wouldn’t mind…”

“You want me to teach you how to read better?” Twilight asked, finishing Ditzy’s sentence.

“And write, yah.” Ditzy smiled sheepishly. “Or do you think I have my hooves full learning about friendship?”

“Ditzy,” Twilight stated her name clearly, which harbored her attention, “I have taught you all there is to teach about friendship. It is a learning experience that can’t rightly be taught; instead it needs to be experienced, and that’s up to you now. You need to discover for yourself what magic lies in friendship.”

Ditzy was worried. She still had so many questions unanswered! How will she know when the spark comes, the one that Twilight told her about?

“And also…” Twilight started again, reclaiming Ditzy’s attention. “I think learning how to become more capable at reading and writing is an amazing idea, and it would be my honor to teach you.”

Ditzy’s eyes sparkled with the desire to better herself; a trail deviating from the norm. She didn’t hold back as she hopped up and half-tackled Twilight in a tight hug. She was just so thankful for all that has happened to her recently, and it was all thanks to the wondrous mare now pinned under her embrace. With Twilight by her side, Ditzy felt like nothing was impossible, and could finally sense an inner-growing that only could’ve been self-esteem.

She nuzzled Twilight’s cheek. “Thank you, Twilight. Thank you for being an amazing friend.”