The Importance of Familyby CrafterChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 1Today was the big day, the day that Crafter and Ditzy finally got married. They chose to have the wedding at the start of summer, as much as they both enjoyed the winter; not everypony shared their love of the cold. It was the perfect day for a wedding, the afternoon sun giving off just the right amount of warmth. A cool breeze was scheduled to roll through the town and allow those who prefer the cooler temperatures some comfort. The nice weather was specially scheduled so the wedding could be held in the center of Ponyville Park. The bride-to-be was in a private tent away from the main ceremony getting ready, with her friends Carrot Top and Rainbow Dash helping with the finishing touches and giving moral support. “I can’t believe you’re getting married Ditzy.” Carrot Top giddily stated, bouncing a bit. “And before me too, I'm so envious.” She added with mock jealousy. Both Rainbow Dash and Carrot Top wore beautiful matching dresses made by Rarity. Ditzy replied with a squee as she giddily bounced in place, the nervous energy coursing through her body. “I know! I'm so excited!” Rainbow Dash chuckled a bit, leaning against the vanity. “I don’t think I've ever seen you so giddy. Better hope that dress holds together or else Rarity is going to have a fit.” “Darling, you have no idea how right you are. Please sit still Ditzy, or you’ll ruin the gown.” Rarity scolded. She was present as well to make sure the dress remained in perfect condition. To say the dress looked stunning on Ditzy would be a massive understatement. The fabric was a golden yellow, matching the color of her beautifully kept mane. Streaks of light brown and sky blue followed the stitching of every part of the flowing gown, as much as Rarity hated to admit it, Ditzy wore brown well. It wasn’t as elegant as some of the other gowns the dressmaker had made but, like Twilight, simpler looked more natural on Ditzy than the more fancy designs. Ditzy stopped her excited bouncing. “Sorry.” She sheepishly replied, doing her best to remain calm. “I know you’re excited, but Rarity is right.” Carrot Top hesitantly agreed. “She may have different reasons for wanting you to be calm, but either way.” “There is nothing wrong with making sure the dress is flawless.” Rarity defended. “And besides there will be plenty of time afterwards to be ‘giddy’. Trust me when I say there is a time and place for everything.” Ditzy, Carrot Top, and Rainbow Dash sighed. If there was going to be a buzzkill, there was a fifty percent chance that it would be Rarity. Suddenly there was somepony at the entrance. “May I come in?” “Who is it?” Rainbow Dash asked. “It’s Ditzy’s mother. Is she dressed?” Rainbow Dash quickly opened the tent flap to let Mrs. Doo in. “Hey Ditzy’s mom, long time no see.” “Hello Dashie, indeed it has been a while.” Mrs. Doo greeted. She was an older pegasus, the color starting to fade from her blue coat and streaks of grey forming in her blonde mane. “Now where’s my daughter?” “I’m right here mom.” Ditzy sighed, this was the part of the wedding she dreaded the most, the part where her mother would ‘marvel’ the dress and get all emotional. “Goodness!” Ditzy’s mom gasped, hardly believing her eyes. “I hardly recognized you in that pretty dress.” she teased. “You’ve grown up so much.” Ditzy rolled her eyes, she hated when her mother went off like this. “And I see those photos you sent weren’t altered either, so he really did help with your eyes.” Mrs. Doo said, trying her best not to cry. To see her daughter finally get her wish of looking normal filled her with pride. “Yes mom, he did. Just because he’s a unicorn doesn’t mean he can bend reality to his will,” Ditzy gave her mother a supporting hug, trying to calm her down. ”as much as he likes to pretend it does.” She added with a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. “Yeah, you should see him after a Hoof Wars marathon.” Rainbow Dash added, holding back a laugh. “He wears the bed sheets like a cape and won’t stop quoting Darth Canter.” “He does not!” Ditzy protested, with a light blush on her face. That was a something that only a select few were allowed to witness, as much fun as it was to partake in, it was a little embarrassing to tell her parents about. “Search your feelings; you know it to be true.” Carrot Top said dramatically, imitating the deep voice of the character quite well. This caused everyone to laugh. Even Rarity enjoyed a good chuckle before going back to attending the dress. Ditzy face-hoofed. “Walked right into that one didn’t I?” “That you did, but it’s good to see that he has a sense of humor.” Mrs. Doo chuckled, she didn’t tell anypony, but Hoof Wars was her favorite movie. Another pony approached the tent. “It’s almost time to start Ditzy.” The voice came from the other side. “Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!” Ditzy squealed. Carrot Top placed a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Calm down now, no need to be excited.” Everypony stared at her, not quite believing what she had said. “Ok maybe there is a reason to be excited, but as Rarity said: there is a time and place for everything.” Carrot Top corrected, trying to hide her embarrassed blush. After taking a few deep breaths, she was ready. Ditzy and her bridesmaids left to their rehearsed locations as Mrs. Doo and Rarity made their way to join the rest of Ponyville in the audience, practically half the town was invited and the other half showed up anyway. *** Standing at the altar, Crafter shifted about nervously. He was a big fan of routines, today marked the biggest change in routine he would ever experience, the sooner it was over with the better. Crafter wasn’t a fan of formal wear either; the suit he wore was beyond uncomfortable. “Relax. Keep calm and everything will go smoothly.” The teal pegasus that stood next to him said, pushing up his glasses. Clockwork was an old friend from engineering school; they kept in touch as much as they could after graduation. “I swear that’s like your catch phrase.” Crafter teases, welcoming the distraction. “Only because it’s the truth.” Clockwork calmly replies. “I say it from experience, staying calm and collected always brings the best results.” “Except during mechanics 304 when your project practically-” “We don’t speak of mechanics 304.” Crafter fought the urge to laugh. “Right, if you say so.” If somepony were to listen to them talk, at first glance they might not have seemed like good friends. The thing that bound their friendship was their love of building; they believed that advances in mechanics would bring about a better future. Before Clockwork could formulate his reply, the music started up. “Remember. Keep calm.” All Crafter could do was gulp, he never thought this day would come. First to walk down the aisle were Ditzy’s bridesmaids, Rainbow Dash and Carrot Top sported matching gowns of grey and yellow. After they took their place opposite of Clockwork, the fillies known as the Cutie Mark Crusaders skipped down the aisle leaving a trail of flower petals. That’s when he saw her; Ditzy, being escorted by her father, walked down the aisle. Crafter’s teal eyes were locked on with Ditzy’s, she looked more beautiful than an angel as she walked towards him; eyes fixed on him lovingly. As she took her place at Crafter’s side, and her father took his seat next to Ditzy’s mother, the unicorn minister began the ceremony. “Good afternoon everypony!” He greeted warmly, sounding very jolly. “We are gathered here today to witness the joining together of these two ponies in eternal matrimony.” He looked at the couple before him, the groom was beyond anxious. “Craft Repair Masonry and Ditzellia Esmeralda Doo, have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage?” “Yes.” Both Ditzy and Crafter replied without hesitation. "Will you honor each other as husband and wife for the rest of your lives?" “Yes.” "Will you accept foals lovingly from Celestia, and bring them up according to the law of Equestria?" Both Crafter and Ditzy internally rolled their eyes at how the minister was describing Celestia’s role in things. “Yes.” The minister smiled and nodded. “Since it is your intention to enter into marriage, join your right hooves, and declare your consent before Celestia.” Crafter took Ditzy’s hoof in his, and recited the lines he practiced in the mirror for weeks on end. “I, Craft Repair Masonry, take you, Dizellia Esmeralda Doo, to be my wife. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.” Ditzy looked into his eyes, and said what she had practiced weeks on end. “I, Dizellia Esmeralda Doo, take you, Craft Repair Masonry, to be my husband. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.” The minister’s horn lit up a royal purple as he retrieved the wedding necklaces, and placed them around the bride and groom’s neck. “I pronounce you, husband and wife.” He looked to Crafter. “You may now kiss the bride.” As Crafter and Ditzy shared a passionate kiss, the crowd erupted with applause. The town was glad to see that their favorite mailmare had finally found somepony to share her life with. Rainbow Dash took off into the air at lightning speed, her dress falling to the ground where she was standing not a moment ago. A second later, there was an explosion overhead and the sky was lit up as a rainbow shock wave rippled across the sky. As the newlywed couple walked down the aisle, Ditzy rested her head on her husband’s shoulder. In turn, Crafter placed his head on top of hers. *** To say the reception was festive would be an insult, the entire park was filled to the brim with ponies laughing and enjoying themselves. The music was provided by non-other than DJ Pon3, or Vinyl Scratch as her friends knew her. Loud club beats filled the park, ponies dancing wildly to the music. After the formal nature of the ceremony, it felt good to unwind. Crafter and his new wife Ditzy owned the dance floor, wildly dancing and not having a care in the world. With the amount of ponies at the reception, the planer, Twilight Sparkle, threw her hooves up in defeat. She had originally planned on having some form of structure for how things were supposed to go, since the whole town had shown up, ponies were just following their own schedule. She was relieved to find out that everypony was respectful and waited for Ditzy and Crafter to get the first slices of cake before digging in. The head chef, Gustave LeGrand, had to make several more for there to be enough for everypony. The party lasted well into the night, it was the biggest party Crafter had ever been to and he loved every bit of it. Ditzy and Crafter sat on a park bench, having ditched their formal attire for the usual nude, gazing at the stars in the night sky. Their star gazing was interrupted by a squeal of happiness from their favorite little ball of energy as she jumped into their laps. “Mommy, Daddy that was so much fun!” Dinky exclaimed happily. “I'm so happy that it’s official now!” “Me too Muffin,” Ditzy said longingly “me too.” “Why don’t we head home now? I think everypony else has gone home already.” Crafter suggested, trying his best not to yawn. “But I'm not tired daddy.” Dinky said defiantly, already enjoying calling Crafter ‘daddy’. “Let’s at least head back to the house.” Ditzy suggested. “Besides, me and Crafty have to plan our honeymoon.” “Don’t worry about planning any Ditzy; I have everything taken care of.” Crafter said with a sly smile. “You do?” She asked, giving him an odd look. “Mhm.” “Well what's the plan then?” “Oh nothing too special, just a week long trip to Prance.” Crafter casually replies. Ditzy’s ears perk up. “D-did you say?” “Yes, I did say Prance. Like I said, it’s nothing spe-” he was cut off by Ditzy tackling him. “Nothing special???” She practically yells; a large smile plastered to her face. “It’s Prance, Prance!” “By the look on your face, I’d say I made a good choice.” Crafter says slyly. “Daddy, where did you get the money for that? Prance is expensive.” Dinky asked, genuinely confused. She knew that Crafter didn’t like charging ponies for his signature repair work, and Ditzy didn’t make that much at the post office. “Well until those guards Celestia sent out here go away, I am currently charging for repair work.” Crafter painfully answers. “I managed to save up enough bits for a week-long stay in Prance at a nice hotel.” “It still pains me when I have to call Twilight to come over to cast those spells on you.” Ditzy says, letting out a sigh of discomfort. Crafter nuzzles his wife’s cheek. “She said it wasn’t fatal remember? I’ll be fine, a little uncomfortable, but still fine.” He says, trying to comfort her. “Besides, I'm not suffering when I have you around to keep me company for the rest of my life.” “Awwwww.” Dinky coed. “That’s so sweet.” Ditzy gave her husband a passionate kiss. “Ewwww.” Dinky pretended to vomit. “That’s so gross.” They broke their kiss and looked at Dinky. “Well which one is it?” Crafter chuckled. “Love can’t be sweet and gross at the same time.” “I think I want to go to bed now, before you two get all mushy on me.” The filly stated. “That’s what I thought.” Ditzy said with a laugh. “Come on, I’ll carry you.” Dinky climbed onto her mother’s back, curling into a ball. She was out like a light in an instant. Quietly chuckling, the newlywed couple made their way home. From this point on, they are now officially a family. Chapter 2Ponyville was a ghost town; a lone tumbleweed was blown down the roads as the wind lightly whistled across the empty streets. Sure Sundays were lazy in the small town, but not a single pony had left their house. Even the seemingly omnipotent guards that patrolled the town were absent, making Ponyville feel that much emptier. The lack of any activity was most likely caused by the massive party held the night before; everypony was enjoying a much needed rest. The home of the new family was no exception. Crafter and Ditzy were sound asleep in their bed, enjoying a well-deserved rest. The steady rise and fall of their chests indicated a peaceful slumber, recharging their metaphorical batteries. Once the sun started to rise earlier that morning, Crafter rapidly closed the curtains with his magic, not wanting to wake up just yet. But they could not delay the inevitable; only a few hours later, Dinky threw open the door to their bedroom and pounced on the bed of her slumbering parents. “Wake up wake up!” She happily yelled. “It’s time for breakfast, up an at’m!” “Slfexrfl.” Crafter mumbled, pulling the blanket over his head. “Dinky…” Ditzy tiredly said, rubbing her golden, crossed eyes as she propped herself up from her comfortable resting place. “Can’t you make yourself some cereal or something?” Dinky gave a sheepish smile. “I did, but the floor was really thirsty for some milk.” Ditzy groaned as she got out of bed, Crafter mumbled some more and quickly wrapped the now unused blanket around himself into a cocoon, causing Dinky to roll about the bed. Doing her best not to trip over her own hooves, Ditzy slowly made her way towards the kitchen. It was days like this that she was thankful that the kitchen was located on the same floor as the bedroom, in fact, the only thing they needed to go downstairs for was to open up shop on weekdays. She was greeted by the sight of an entire gallon of milk spilled all over the kitchen floor, a bowl of dry cereal on the counter. Ditzy gave an exasperated sigh; Crafter had just bought that gallon two days ago. Stepping over the milk, the grey pegasus made her way to the coffee machine and started a fresh pot of coffee. “What about the milk?” Dinky carefully asked, not wanting to land herself in more trouble than she already was. “You’re going to clean it up.” Ditzy said grumpily. As the coffee began to brew, she made her way to the pantry and pulled out a mop. After picking up the now empty milk carton and handing the mop to Dinky, the tired and cranky mare took a seat at the table to await the holy substance that was coffee. As her daughter slaved over the spilt milk, a noise was heard shuffling across the room. Crafter, still wrapped in the blanket and bi colored mane quite disheveled, dragged himself into the kitchen. His crossed, teal eyes landed on the tiny filly holding the mop with her magic, cleaning the mess she made. “You have failed me for the last time Admiral.” He quoted. Even with his brain barely functioning, he could still quote Hoof Wars without fail. Both Ditzy and Dinky rolled their eyes, neither of them in the mood. “Oh come on you’ve got to give me that one.” He pleaded. “No.” They both replied. “You guys are no fun…” “Until I get my coffee, I’m not in the mood for anything.” Ditzy snapped. Wrapping the blanket tightly around himself for comfort, Crafter took seat next to his wife. “Not even for a good morning kiss?” “…No…” Ditzy hesitantly said. She then gave her husband a quick peck on the cheek. “Ok maybe.” Crafter just smiled, enjoying his first day of marriage quite well. After the effect of the kiss wore off, the green unicorn started gazing about the room, finding everything very interesting and deserving of attention. “Uh oh.” Dinky said to herself, knowing what her father was about to do. He got up from the table, walked over to the couch, grinned widely, proceeded to throw both pillow chairs onto the couch and jumped into the fort he had just haphazardly created. “And there he goes…” Dinky sighed, the sound of Crafter’s giggling already present. It was only this bad when Crafter had a long night and was late getting his coffee, something that both Ditzy and Dinky did their best to prevent from happening. The coffee machine let out a small ding, signaling that the coffee was done brewing. Ditzy stumbled over to the machine and extracted the jug out from under the nozzle. Dinky, trying to make amends for the milk, used her magic to bring out two mugs from one of the higher cupboards. Ditzy poured coffee into both the mugs, being very careful not to spill it. “Try and coax your father out from the couch with this.” Ditzy said after adding the cream and sugar to the drinks. “On it mom.” Dinky took the mug with her magic and walked over to the couch. “Hey dad, coffee’s ready.” He poked the top of his head out from his ‘fort’ with a big grin plastered to his cross-eyed face. “Oh goodie! Time to commence the consumption of wake up juice!” Taking the mug from Dinky with his magic, he took a long sip. Eyes snapping open, he spat the molten liquid out of his mouth; making sure he wasn’t facing Dinky. “GAH IT’S HOT!!” “You don’t say.” Dinky commented sarcastically, going back to get the mop. “Well that’s one way to wake up.” Ditzy said from the kitchen, waiting for her own mug to cool and doing her best not to laugh. Crafter sheepishly made his way out of the makeshift fort he had made. After returning the chairs to their proper positions with his magic and putting the blanket he was using back in the bedroom, Crafter made his way to the kitchen to enjoy his coffee proper. “So what are we doing for breakfast?” “Well I was thinking we could discuss our trip to Prance over a Sugarcube Corner muffin.” “Sounds good, I'm starving.” As they stood up to leave for their favorite breakfast joint, there was a heavy knock on the door. “I’ll get it.” Ditzy sighed; she already knew who it was by the heavy knock. Carefully, Ditzy walked down the stairs to answer the door for the Day Guard who was most likely on the other side. Taking a moment to collect herself, she opened the door and stepped to the side. “Hello sir, come in and take a look around.” “Um, what are y’all talkin ‘bout?” The voice that answered was a deep rumble that was iconic to anypony who lived in Ponyville. “Oh. Sorry Big Mac, I thought you were one of the Day Guard.” Ditzy sheepishly replied. “Anyway, what can I do for you?” “Just a makin a delivery, its weddi’n gift from th’ Apple Family.” “Morning Mac.” Crafter said as he reached the bottom of the stairs. “What kind of gift?” Big Mac just smirked, stepping to the side to reveal what his large frame was hiding. In a wagon sat a barrel, but not just any kind of barrel, the gift that Big Mac had delivered was labeled ‘zap apple cider: aged since 852 SSC.’ Zap apples were incredibly rare; most of the harvest was turned into jam, what was left over was turned into various pastries that the Apple Family enjoyed at home. They almost never made cider with it, due to how hard it was to make, and was incredibly expensive. And here was Big Mac, dropping of an entire keg of the rare cider. The two ponies the gift was entitled to just stood there; wide eyed and open jawed. Crafter had witnessed the zap apple harvest this past spring, and that jam was, for a lack of a better word, divine. Big Mac just chucked, lifted up the keg, and brought it inside. “Had a feel’n that’s how y’all would react.” Without another word, he left, closing the door on the way out. Dinky came skipping down the stairs, curious as to why her parents were taking so long. She found them staring at the closed door, paralyzed. Dinky also stared at the door, waiting for it to do whatever it did to make her parents stand there like they were. After a minute of waiting, the filly climbed onto Crafter’s back and waved a hoof in front of his face. No response, same reaction from her mother. “You guys alive?” There was still no reply. Fed up, Dinky poked her father with her small horn. “Hey! Wake up!” Letting out a small yelp, Crafter was snapped out of his trance. “Ow, what the.” This in turn snapped Ditzy out of hers. “Did Big Mac really just give us zap apple cider?” “Wait, zap apple what?” Dinky asked. “Cider and you’re not allowed to have any; it’s for adult ponies only.” Her mother quickly replied before the young filly could get any ideas. “Awww…. Well I guess that means you can’t have any dad.” “Har har, Dinks, har har.” “Ok, let’s get a move on.” Ditzy commanded, she was hungry and the sooner she got fed, the better. Without further delay, the three ponies made their way to get breakfast. Being the only ones out and about, Ponyville still had that eerie aura about it. “It feels like we’re on the set of The Trotting Dead.” Dinky whispered. “Oh that would be cool.” Crafter said. “Now that I think about it, I should probably update my zombie plan.” Being a firm believer of zombies; Crafter was sure to always keep his plan up to date. “Heh, tumbleweed.” He chuckled as the lone bush rolled down the street in front of them. “And here I thought I was distractible.” Ditzy joked. “I never cease to amaze do I?” Ditzy just giggled in response. “Do you think the bakery is even open yet?” “Well, as Dinky proved to us this morning: those with children are up sooner than those without them.” The mare said, giving her daughter a look of mock annoyance. Dinky just smiled innocently, donning the look of ‘who me?’ “Oh yeah that’s right. How old are their kids anyway?” “I would say at least a year old at this point.” Ditzy said after some thought. “That young? Wow.” Crafter responded, holding open the door to Sugarcube Corner to allow the two fillies in first. “Who’s young now?” Mrs. Cake asked from the kitchen, only catching the last part of their conversation. “We were just talking about the twins, nothing to worry about.” Ditzy reassured. “How are they anyway?” Mrs. Cake exited the kitchen, wiping baby food off of her face. “From one mother to another: they're a pain, but that’s why I love them.” “I know exactly what you mean.” Ditzy said sincerely. “Just this morning Dinky spilled a brand new gallon of milk.” “Well it can’t be helped dear; after all we’re only equine.” “And on that note,” Crafter cut in before the mares could start chatting again “we would like to place our order, if you’re ready that is.” Mrs. Cake simply smiled. “Of course, the door was open wasn’t it? What’ll you have dears, the usual?” Ditzy nodded, “But without the coffee, we had some before we left.” “Two Blueberry Supreme Muffins and one mini muffin coming up, feel free to take a seat, I’ll bring it to your table.” Crafter placed the appropriate amount of bits on the counter, and then they all took a seat at one of the booths. “So, when are the hotel reservations?” Ditzy asked once they all sat down. “Well, I reserved the hotel for next week. That would mean we should leave for CAX sometime tomorrow.” “Aren't you afraid of heights daddy?” Dinky asked; a light tone of concern in her voice. There was an audible gulp from the green unicorn. “I’m actually afraid of the airships. I mean come on! Who’s idea was it to tie a giant BAG full of FLAMMABLE gas onto a frigate that was designed for the OCEAN.” The mere thought of the combustible airbag was enough to start thinking about the ship wandering too close to an irritated storm cloud and going up in flames. Needless to say, Crafter hated flying. Putting a comforting hoof around his shoulder, Ditzy tried to calm her husband down. The food was conveniently placed down at that moment, along with some complimentary glasses of ice cold milk. Once Mrs. Cake went back into the kitchen to try and feed her foals breakfast, Ditzy replied for her incredibly stressed husband. “The reason, I'm assuming, is that the train would take too long. We would have had to have our wedding in spring if we were to get there in time for the reservations. Am I right dear?” Shakily, Crafter nodded. “And we all know how dad reacts to bees.” At the mere mention of the object of his crippling phobia, the panicking unicorn dove under the table. “Dinky…” the grey pegasus said, rubbing her forehead with a hoof in annoyance. “Come on out Crafty,” she said tenderly, trying to coax her husband out “there aren't any bees. She was just giving an example.” Slowly but surely, Crafter made his way back into his chair. He was still looking about as stressed as the day Ditzy first met him, if not more so. Even though his mind knew there was no danger, his body refused to lower its guard, causing the unicorn to maintain his high adrenaline levels. “I'm sorry daddy.” The filly said sadly. “It’s… it’s alright Dinks, no… no harm done.” Crafter said, trying to calm himself down as Ditzy held him in her wing. The muffin before him worked wonders on his frayed nerves, the heavenly mixture of blueberries and sugar sent him into a state of bliss. The warmth of Ditzy’s body as she held him added to the pleasure. “Feeling better now?” She asked after finishing her own muffin. Instead of verbally replying, Crafter snuggled closer. “Do you guys really have to do that in public?” Dinky asked in annoyance. “Yes we do.” Crafter replied defiantly, Dinky just groaned. “Let’s get back to the house; we have a lot of packing to do.” With that, the family got up from their booth, said goodbye to the Cakes and left to start getting ready. Chapter 3A/N: PinkieDash is all better now, chapters from here on out will have +5 quality points The rest of that day was rather uneventful; Crafter and Ditzy packed what they needed for the trip, Dinky was sent over to the care of Carrot Top for the week, and Ditzy informed her replacement mailmare of the absence. After the pre-honeymoon preparations were completed, the couple spent the remainder of the day quietly watching their favorite movies. *** Crafter and Ditzy woke up extra early the next morning to make sure they had everything; both of them had a history of being forgetful. “Do we have everything?” Ditzy asked as they were leaving. “I think so.” Crafter responded as he locked the door. “Great, lets go then.” They made their way to the train station, eager to start their honeymoon. Ponyville was too small to have an airport and the closest city that had one was Canterlot, which had a direct rail line to Ponyville. Something didn’t feel right, Crafter probed the saddlebag he wore with his magic, feeling around to make sure they had everything. Suddenly it clicked, he knew what they were forgetting. Without a word he darted back to the house to get the airship tickets, it would have been devastating to have forgotten those. “Um, where did you run off too?” Ditzy asked when her husband returned, gasping for breath. By the time he got back, she had made it to the train station already. “We... forgot... the airship tickets.” He wheezed. Ditzy just facehooved “I knew we were forgetting something!” Crafter just took a seat on a bench to catch his breath while Ditzy bought the train tickets to Canterlot. The instant she got the tickets, the train pulled into the station. *** “I hope Dinky will be ok spending a week with Carrot Top.” The protective mother inside Ditzy coming out. They had been on the train for about an hour, the closer Crafter and Ditzy got to Canterlot, the more excited and nervous they both became. Ditzy was worried about leaving her daughter for a week, and Crafter was worried about being in Canterlot. “She’ll be fine, she’s safer than I am.” Crafter reassured. “Oh?” Ditzy asked with a doubting tone. “The Princess Luna incident.” He whispered, reminding Ditzy of the dangers he faced every day. Ditzy’s cheeks turned red from embarrassment, she knew the risks he took first-hoof. Crafter gave his wife a peck on the cheek, telling her it was no big deal. *** When they at last arrived in Canterlot, they were instantly taken to customs inspection. After an hour and several close calls, they wasted no time finding a city map. “I can’t find CAX anywhere on this thing.” Crafter complained, squinting at the map. “We could always ask for directions.” Ditzy whispered playfully into his ear, expecting the typical male response. It appeared that either Crafter hadn’t heard her, or was (more likely) ignoring her suggestion; the reaction Ditzy was expecting. After studying the map for a little bit more, Crafter walked off in the direction he assumed was the right way with Ditzy following behind with a quiet giggle. Somehow they ended up in the Canterlot Sculpture Garden; various famous statues lined the path, each one from a different moment in Equestrian history. Ahead of them stood the statue of Discord, with a pale yellow unicorn standing before it, deep in thought. Suddenly remembering how hard of a time Crafter had talking to ponies he didn’t know, Ditzy got an evil idea. “Bet you can’t ask her for directions.” “Um, ok?” Crafter replied, giving his wife an odd look. “What are the terms?” “I won’t tell you until you accept.” “I thought I just did.” He was starting to get suspicious. An evil smile grew on Ditzy’s face. “If you can’t successfully ask for directions: you aren’t getting any during our trip.” It took a moment for Crafter to process what Ditzy had meant, “Aw wait what? That’s kinda harsh don’t you think?” he replied, splaying his ears back. “Those are my terms, if you back out now that counts as a loss.” she countered, sticking out her tongue for finality. With a heavy sigh, Crafter began walking up to the mare at the statue, Ditzy right next to him to make sure he saw the challenge through. “Excuse me?” He asked once he was close enough, the mare didn’t hear him. “Excuse me.” He said a little louder, the mare hearing him this time. “Can you tell us how to get to the Canterlot Airport?” The pale unicorn turned to face them, “Yes of course, it’s at the other end of Canterlot,” she said pointing to her right “a few miles down the road after Donut Joe’s place, you can’t miss it.” Crafter tuned to face Ditzy, smiling smugly. “It looks like I've beaten your little challenge.” Ditzy just rolled her eyes. “Ok fine, you win.” The mare who gave the directions let out a chuckle. “Where you two headed anyway?” Ditzy, forgetting all about her evil plan to torture her husband, immediately answered with a voice full of excitement. “We’re going to Prance for our honeymoon!” “No kidding? Congratulations.” “Thanks!” It had been ages since she last went to Prance, the very idea of a chance to visit again filled her with joy. She let out a squee when she realized that the visit would be with the pony she loved. “Ooohh I can’t wait. Common Crafter, the sooner we get to the airport, the sooner we can start our honeymoon!” She let out another squee and pulled Crafter off in the direction of the airport, leaving the other mare in the dust. *** Once they reached the renowned ‘Donut Joe’s Donut Shop’, they looked around to try and find CAX. It didn’t take long to locate, it was hard to miss a large structure that was being supported by two intersecting stone arches. The arches themselves made an ‘X’ pattern, holding up a disk-like building attached to the ground by a small tube-like building. The whole structure looked like it belonged in a mag-fi movie as some form of spaceship. “I never understood why they called the Canterlot International Airport ‘CAX’ and not ‘CIA’, it makes no since.” Crafter pointed out as they made their way to the airport. Ditzy just gave a shrug. “Maybe because of the ‘x’ shape the arches make.” “Maybe, I still think it should be called ‘CIA’ though.” Ditzy gave him a playful shove over his stubbornness. *** The airport was even more stressful than the train station, the line for ticket confirmation was long and security was understandably strict. “Your file says you’re a repairpony, yet you didn’t start charging for work until the crackdown...” One of the security officers performing background checks said, looking through several manilla folders containing Celestia knows how much information on everypony. Crafter started to sweat, but he knew how to answer this without giving himself away. “Well I was doing it for charity, but once the crackdown started, I didn’t want to give the wrong impression.” He lied smoothly, despite his racing heart. The officer looked through more of the papers in his folder, to see if that story matched his history. “I can see that causing some problems, many private charity operators did the same thing. You two are clear to go.” Heaving a sigh of relief, Crafter and Ditzy made their way to the gate. “That was a close one.” Ditzy whispered once they took a seat outside the gate. Crafter just gave a weak smile, the loud chatter of the airport and the stress of security ate away at his mental endurance. Picking up on his aching head, Ditzy just wrapped a wing around her husband and pulled him into a comforting embrace which Crafter readily accepted. After waiting three hours to be allowed to board, the passengers were finally allowed to onto the airship. It took the airport staff some effort to convince Crafter that the airship was one hundred percent safe for departure, there were several points on the boarding ramp where Crafter almost turned and ran off, only to be pulled back by the tail by Ditzy. *** “You are such a scaredy cat.” Ditzy chuckled when they reached their middle class cabin. “You sure you’re going to be alright?” she asked in a much more caring tone. “So long as I don’t go outside I should be fine.” Crafter said, still visibly stressed. Ditzy nuzzled his cheek to help relax him. “I'm going to go see what they have at the café for lunch, want anything?” “I could really use some peanuts right now, lots of them. Also if they have any wine, that would help lower the anxiety.” She raised an eyebrow at that. “You’re going to get drunk?” “It’s what my mom did whenever she flew.” Crafter said with a shrug. “She was actually afraid of heights.” “No guarantees about the wine, but I’ll be sure to bring you plenty of peanuts.” Ditzy said with a chuckle. After giving Crafter a peck on the cheek, she left to find the café. *** As Ditzy wondered about the hallways trying to find the café, she opened up the locket she had around her neck. Inside was a little compass so she wouldn’t get lost and a family picture so she wouldn’t feel lonely. It was a nervous habit to open the locket whenever she felt lost or lonely, seeing the compass and her family gave her the sense of direction she needed to reach her destination. The locket was a gift Crafter had made before his first Winter Wrap Up; he was worried about her beating herself up over getting lost, so he made her a compass. He then realized she might get lonely on her trip because she was so used to being with loved ones, so he put it in a locket with a family photo taken on Hearths Warming Day. Ever since she got that locket, she hadn’t felt lonely or lost a single day of the week. “I love you Crafter.” She whispered. With a newfound sense of direction, she had little trouble finding her way to the café. The café was a large room with tables and chairs bolted to the floor; it wasn’t a low class cafeteria, but it wasn’t a high class restaurant either. There were several ponies sitting at the tables enjoying their lunch, and trying to hold conversations with other ponies at their table. Suddenly the intercom crackled to life, a calm male voice with a heavy Trottish accent come through. “This is your captain speakin’. We r’ ready t’ begin our non-stop flight to Prance and will be leaven’ port very soon, please make sure yee r’ in a seated position and all loose items r‘ secured. Thank yee for choosing Equestrian Airlines and enjoy yir flight.” Thinking she should be with Crafter during launch, Ditzy grabbed several bags of peanuts and two small cartons of wine, and then hurried to get back to their cabin before the airship took off. *** Ditzy got back to the room right as the airship started to lift into the sky, the upward motion causing her to stumble upon entering the room. “I got the peanuts.” She told Crafter, who was staring out the porthole. “You alright?” “Yeah,” He simply replied “as much as I hate the technology, the sensation of flying is amazing.” Ditzy just chuckled; glad he wasn’t blinded by his fear. “It is something else.” Crafter levitated the bags of peanuts over to himself, eager to start consumption. “One of the things I envy about pegasi, the freedom to go wherever you want; while I'm stuck on the ground.” By the tone of his voice, Ditzy could tell he was in one of those moods again and needed cheering up stat. “Well it’s a good thing I got these.” Ditzy said, pulling out the cartons of wine from under her wing. “I figured, what they hay, and got one for myself.” “You certainly know how to cheer a guy up.” He chuckled, levitating one of the small boxes over to himself and sticking the straw in. After helping Ditzy with hers, he proposed a toast: “To a long and happy marriage.” They tapped cartons, pretending they were glasses, and each took a sip. *** After about three days of travel, Ditzy finally managed to convince Crafter to go out onto to main deck. Shakily, he made his way up the wooden stairs that led outside, Ditzy giving moral support from behind him with each step he took. Once the deck, there were several lawn chairs set out around umbrellas that were bolted in place. The airship had two airbags (which Crafter did his best not to look at), one on either side as to avoid blocking the sun for patrons who wanted to tan. There was a bar built into the floor towards the center of the vessel near the central tower, calming music played from speakers hooked up around it. “Can you find us a place to sit while I get us something to drink?” Ditzy asked once Crafter was completely out on the deck. “S-sure,” he shakily replied “n-no problem.” “Well well well, what do we have here?” A jockey voice from behind taunted before Ditzy could leave. “A pegasus on an airship? Isn't that just the pinnacle of laziness?” Ditzy and Crafter turned to face the source of the voice, behind them stood three large earth ponies, almost as large as Big Macintosh. “Yeah I'm on an airship, so what?” Ditzy asked defensively. “So what?” He asks with a laugh, causing his fellow idiots to laugh with him. “You see, that’s not going to work.” He then points to Crafter, too stupid to realize their together. “You probably took a ticket away from one of his friends and how he’s traveling alone.” Crafter just raised an eyebrow, but before he can speak, Ditzy beats him to it. “You guys obviously don’t know pegasus biology, Prance is a long ass flight.” A donkey let out a bray from the bar. “No offence.” She hastily added. “None taken.” The mule said. Getting back on her train of thought, Ditzy continued her comeback. “You guys also don’t know a relationship when you see one.” The group of earth ponies laughed. “What do ‘relationships’ have to do with you stealing a pony’s ticket? Is he your coltfriend or something?” Crafter stepped forward, laying on his Stalliongrad accent and acted as intimidating as he could. “I'm her husband.” The jocks stood silent for a moment, ponies from the northern territory tended to be tougher than others (for obvious reasons). Then, all their intelligence was flushed down the drain when they started laughing again. “And what are you going to do nerd?” Crafter was normally a hardcore pacifist, avoiding any sort of conflict as much as he possibly could. But something in his mind snapped, a lifetime of repressed bullying started to boil up. Before he could act upon his mindless rage, a loud, ear piercing whistle echoed across the sky. “JUST WHAT DO YEE THINK YEE BASTARDS R’ DO’N?!” a Trottish voice bellowed out after everypony recovered from the noise. The three earth ponies turned to face the pony who dared butt in. They were greeted by the sight of an older pegasus dressed in REA uniform and a naval whistle hanging around his neck glaring them down, the captain. “Yee’ll NOT act that way on MY vessil.” “Dude it’s the captain.” One of the lackeys fearfully whispered. “Yir darn right I be the captain, and I have every right t’ throw you overboard with nay but the lifeboat.” The three jocks gulped and ran off, not wanting to push their luck. “Wow.” Crafter said after he stopped seeing red. “Thanks for getting rid of them sir.” Ditzy said warmly. “Ack’t think nothin of it lass, I don’t tolerate such behavior on my ship.” The captain casually said. “If yee don’t mind, I’d like to buy yee a drink t’ make up fir the trouble they caused.” Crafter and Ditzy shared a look of agreement. “I don’t see why not.”
Chapter 1Today was the big day, the day that Crafter and Ditzy finally got married. They chose to have the wedding at the start of summer, as much as they both enjoyed the winter; not everypony shared their love of the cold. It was the perfect day for a wedding, the afternoon sun giving off just the right amount of warmth. A cool breeze was scheduled to roll through the town and allow those who prefer the cooler temperatures some comfort. The nice weather was specially scheduled so the wedding could be held in the center of Ponyville Park. The bride-to-be was in a private tent away from the main ceremony getting ready, with her friends Carrot Top and Rainbow Dash helping with the finishing touches and giving moral support. “I can’t believe you’re getting married Ditzy.” Carrot Top giddily stated, bouncing a bit. “And before me too, I'm so envious.” She added with mock jealousy. Both Rainbow Dash and Carrot Top wore beautiful matching dresses made by Rarity. Ditzy replied with a squee as she giddily bounced in place, the nervous energy coursing through her body. “I know! I'm so excited!” Rainbow Dash chuckled a bit, leaning against the vanity. “I don’t think I've ever seen you so giddy. Better hope that dress holds together or else Rarity is going to have a fit.” “Darling, you have no idea how right you are. Please sit still Ditzy, or you’ll ruin the gown.” Rarity scolded. She was present as well to make sure the dress remained in perfect condition. To say the dress looked stunning on Ditzy would be a massive understatement. The fabric was a golden yellow, matching the color of her beautifully kept mane. Streaks of light brown and sky blue followed the stitching of every part of the flowing gown, as much as Rarity hated to admit it, Ditzy wore brown well. It wasn’t as elegant as some of the other gowns the dressmaker had made but, like Twilight, simpler looked more natural on Ditzy than the more fancy designs. Ditzy stopped her excited bouncing. “Sorry.” She sheepishly replied, doing her best to remain calm. “I know you’re excited, but Rarity is right.” Carrot Top hesitantly agreed. “She may have different reasons for wanting you to be calm, but either way.” “There is nothing wrong with making sure the dress is flawless.” Rarity defended. “And besides there will be plenty of time afterwards to be ‘giddy’. Trust me when I say there is a time and place for everything.” Ditzy, Carrot Top, and Rainbow Dash sighed. If there was going to be a buzzkill, there was a fifty percent chance that it would be Rarity. Suddenly there was somepony at the entrance. “May I come in?” “Who is it?” Rainbow Dash asked. “It’s Ditzy’s mother. Is she dressed?” Rainbow Dash quickly opened the tent flap to let Mrs. Doo in. “Hey Ditzy’s mom, long time no see.” “Hello Dashie, indeed it has been a while.” Mrs. Doo greeted. She was an older pegasus, the color starting to fade from her blue coat and streaks of grey forming in her blonde mane. “Now where’s my daughter?” “I’m right here mom.” Ditzy sighed, this was the part of the wedding she dreaded the most, the part where her mother would ‘marvel’ the dress and get all emotional. “Goodness!” Ditzy’s mom gasped, hardly believing her eyes. “I hardly recognized you in that pretty dress.” she teased. “You’ve grown up so much.” Ditzy rolled her eyes, she hated when her mother went off like this. “And I see those photos you sent weren’t altered either, so he really did help with your eyes.” Mrs. Doo said, trying her best not to cry. To see her daughter finally get her wish of looking normal filled her with pride. “Yes mom, he did. Just because he’s a unicorn doesn’t mean he can bend reality to his will,” Ditzy gave her mother a supporting hug, trying to calm her down. ”as much as he likes to pretend it does.” She added with a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. “Yeah, you should see him after a Hoof Wars marathon.” Rainbow Dash added, holding back a laugh. “He wears the bed sheets like a cape and won’t stop quoting Darth Canter.” “He does not!” Ditzy protested, with a light blush on her face. That was a something that only a select few were allowed to witness, as much fun as it was to partake in, it was a little embarrassing to tell her parents about. “Search your feelings; you know it to be true.” Carrot Top said dramatically, imitating the deep voice of the character quite well. This caused everyone to laugh. Even Rarity enjoyed a good chuckle before going back to attending the dress. Ditzy face-hoofed. “Walked right into that one didn’t I?” “That you did, but it’s good to see that he has a sense of humor.” Mrs. Doo chuckled, she didn’t tell anypony, but Hoof Wars was her favorite movie. Another pony approached the tent. “It’s almost time to start Ditzy.” The voice came from the other side. “Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!” Ditzy squealed. Carrot Top placed a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Calm down now, no need to be excited.” Everypony stared at her, not quite believing what she had said. “Ok maybe there is a reason to be excited, but as Rarity said: there is a time and place for everything.” Carrot Top corrected, trying to hide her embarrassed blush. After taking a few deep breaths, she was ready. Ditzy and her bridesmaids left to their rehearsed locations as Mrs. Doo and Rarity made their way to join the rest of Ponyville in the audience, practically half the town was invited and the other half showed up anyway. *** Standing at the altar, Crafter shifted about nervously. He was a big fan of routines, today marked the biggest change in routine he would ever experience, the sooner it was over with the better. Crafter wasn’t a fan of formal wear either; the suit he wore was beyond uncomfortable. “Relax. Keep calm and everything will go smoothly.” The teal pegasus that stood next to him said, pushing up his glasses. Clockwork was an old friend from engineering school; they kept in touch as much as they could after graduation. “I swear that’s like your catch phrase.” Crafter teases, welcoming the distraction. “Only because it’s the truth.” Clockwork calmly replies. “I say it from experience, staying calm and collected always brings the best results.” “Except during mechanics 304 when your project practically-” “We don’t speak of mechanics 304.” Crafter fought the urge to laugh. “Right, if you say so.” If somepony were to listen to them talk, at first glance they might not have seemed like good friends. The thing that bound their friendship was their love of building; they believed that advances in mechanics would bring about a better future. Before Clockwork could formulate his reply, the music started up. “Remember. Keep calm.” All Crafter could do was gulp, he never thought this day would come. First to walk down the aisle were Ditzy’s bridesmaids, Rainbow Dash and Carrot Top sported matching gowns of grey and yellow. After they took their place opposite of Clockwork, the fillies known as the Cutie Mark Crusaders skipped down the aisle leaving a trail of flower petals. That’s when he saw her; Ditzy, being escorted by her father, walked down the aisle. Crafter’s teal eyes were locked on with Ditzy’s, she looked more beautiful than an angel as she walked towards him; eyes fixed on him lovingly. As she took her place at Crafter’s side, and her father took his seat next to Ditzy’s mother, the unicorn minister began the ceremony. “Good afternoon everypony!” He greeted warmly, sounding very jolly. “We are gathered here today to witness the joining together of these two ponies in eternal matrimony.” He looked at the couple before him, the groom was beyond anxious. “Craft Repair Masonry and Ditzellia Esmeralda Doo, have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage?” “Yes.” Both Ditzy and Crafter replied without hesitation. "Will you honor each other as husband and wife for the rest of your lives?" “Yes.” "Will you accept foals lovingly from Celestia, and bring them up according to the law of Equestria?" Both Crafter and Ditzy internally rolled their eyes at how the minister was describing Celestia’s role in things. “Yes.” The minister smiled and nodded. “Since it is your intention to enter into marriage, join your right hooves, and declare your consent before Celestia.” Crafter took Ditzy’s hoof in his, and recited the lines he practiced in the mirror for weeks on end. “I, Craft Repair Masonry, take you, Dizellia Esmeralda Doo, to be my wife. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.” Ditzy looked into his eyes, and said what she had practiced weeks on end. “I, Dizellia Esmeralda Doo, take you, Craft Repair Masonry, to be my husband. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.” The minister’s horn lit up a royal purple as he retrieved the wedding necklaces, and placed them around the bride and groom’s neck. “I pronounce you, husband and wife.” He looked to Crafter. “You may now kiss the bride.” As Crafter and Ditzy shared a passionate kiss, the crowd erupted with applause. The town was glad to see that their favorite mailmare had finally found somepony to share her life with. Rainbow Dash took off into the air at lightning speed, her dress falling to the ground where she was standing not a moment ago. A second later, there was an explosion overhead and the sky was lit up as a rainbow shock wave rippled across the sky. As the newlywed couple walked down the aisle, Ditzy rested her head on her husband’s shoulder. In turn, Crafter placed his head on top of hers. *** To say the reception was festive would be an insult, the entire park was filled to the brim with ponies laughing and enjoying themselves. The music was provided by non-other than DJ Pon3, or Vinyl Scratch as her friends knew her. Loud club beats filled the park, ponies dancing wildly to the music. After the formal nature of the ceremony, it felt good to unwind. Crafter and his new wife Ditzy owned the dance floor, wildly dancing and not having a care in the world. With the amount of ponies at the reception, the planer, Twilight Sparkle, threw her hooves up in defeat. She had originally planned on having some form of structure for how things were supposed to go, since the whole town had shown up, ponies were just following their own schedule. She was relieved to find out that everypony was respectful and waited for Ditzy and Crafter to get the first slices of cake before digging in. The head chef, Gustave LeGrand, had to make several more for there to be enough for everypony. The party lasted well into the night, it was the biggest party Crafter had ever been to and he loved every bit of it. Ditzy and Crafter sat on a park bench, having ditched their formal attire for the usual nude, gazing at the stars in the night sky. Their star gazing was interrupted by a squeal of happiness from their favorite little ball of energy as she jumped into their laps. “Mommy, Daddy that was so much fun!” Dinky exclaimed happily. “I'm so happy that it’s official now!” “Me too Muffin,” Ditzy said longingly “me too.” “Why don’t we head home now? I think everypony else has gone home already.” Crafter suggested, trying his best not to yawn. “But I'm not tired daddy.” Dinky said defiantly, already enjoying calling Crafter ‘daddy’. “Let’s at least head back to the house.” Ditzy suggested. “Besides, me and Crafty have to plan our honeymoon.” “Don’t worry about planning any Ditzy; I have everything taken care of.” Crafter said with a sly smile. “You do?” She asked, giving him an odd look. “Mhm.” “Well what's the plan then?” “Oh nothing too special, just a week long trip to Prance.” Crafter casually replies. Ditzy’s ears perk up. “D-did you say?” “Yes, I did say Prance. Like I said, it’s nothing spe-” he was cut off by Ditzy tackling him. “Nothing special???” She practically yells; a large smile plastered to her face. “It’s Prance, Prance!” “By the look on your face, I’d say I made a good choice.” Crafter says slyly. “Daddy, where did you get the money for that? Prance is expensive.” Dinky asked, genuinely confused. She knew that Crafter didn’t like charging ponies for his signature repair work, and Ditzy didn’t make that much at the post office. “Well until those guards Celestia sent out here go away, I am currently charging for repair work.” Crafter painfully answers. “I managed to save up enough bits for a week-long stay in Prance at a nice hotel.” “It still pains me when I have to call Twilight to come over to cast those spells on you.” Ditzy says, letting out a sigh of discomfort. Crafter nuzzles his wife’s cheek. “She said it wasn’t fatal remember? I’ll be fine, a little uncomfortable, but still fine.” He says, trying to comfort her. “Besides, I'm not suffering when I have you around to keep me company for the rest of my life.” “Awwwww.” Dinky coed. “That’s so sweet.” Ditzy gave her husband a passionate kiss. “Ewwww.” Dinky pretended to vomit. “That’s so gross.” They broke their kiss and looked at Dinky. “Well which one is it?” Crafter chuckled. “Love can’t be sweet and gross at the same time.” “I think I want to go to bed now, before you two get all mushy on me.” The filly stated. “That’s what I thought.” Ditzy said with a laugh. “Come on, I’ll carry you.” Dinky climbed onto her mother’s back, curling into a ball. She was out like a light in an instant. Quietly chuckling, the newlywed couple made their way home. From this point on, they are now officially a family.
Chapter 2Ponyville was a ghost town; a lone tumbleweed was blown down the roads as the wind lightly whistled across the empty streets. Sure Sundays were lazy in the small town, but not a single pony had left their house. Even the seemingly omnipotent guards that patrolled the town were absent, making Ponyville feel that much emptier. The lack of any activity was most likely caused by the massive party held the night before; everypony was enjoying a much needed rest. The home of the new family was no exception. Crafter and Ditzy were sound asleep in their bed, enjoying a well-deserved rest. The steady rise and fall of their chests indicated a peaceful slumber, recharging their metaphorical batteries. Once the sun started to rise earlier that morning, Crafter rapidly closed the curtains with his magic, not wanting to wake up just yet. But they could not delay the inevitable; only a few hours later, Dinky threw open the door to their bedroom and pounced on the bed of her slumbering parents. “Wake up wake up!” She happily yelled. “It’s time for breakfast, up an at’m!” “Slfexrfl.” Crafter mumbled, pulling the blanket over his head. “Dinky…” Ditzy tiredly said, rubbing her golden, crossed eyes as she propped herself up from her comfortable resting place. “Can’t you make yourself some cereal or something?” Dinky gave a sheepish smile. “I did, but the floor was really thirsty for some milk.” Ditzy groaned as she got out of bed, Crafter mumbled some more and quickly wrapped the now unused blanket around himself into a cocoon, causing Dinky to roll about the bed. Doing her best not to trip over her own hooves, Ditzy slowly made her way towards the kitchen. It was days like this that she was thankful that the kitchen was located on the same floor as the bedroom, in fact, the only thing they needed to go downstairs for was to open up shop on weekdays. She was greeted by the sight of an entire gallon of milk spilled all over the kitchen floor, a bowl of dry cereal on the counter. Ditzy gave an exasperated sigh; Crafter had just bought that gallon two days ago. Stepping over the milk, the grey pegasus made her way to the coffee machine and started a fresh pot of coffee. “What about the milk?” Dinky carefully asked, not wanting to land herself in more trouble than she already was. “You’re going to clean it up.” Ditzy said grumpily. As the coffee began to brew, she made her way to the pantry and pulled out a mop. After picking up the now empty milk carton and handing the mop to Dinky, the tired and cranky mare took a seat at the table to await the holy substance that was coffee. As her daughter slaved over the spilt milk, a noise was heard shuffling across the room. Crafter, still wrapped in the blanket and bi colored mane quite disheveled, dragged himself into the kitchen. His crossed, teal eyes landed on the tiny filly holding the mop with her magic, cleaning the mess she made. “You have failed me for the last time Admiral.” He quoted. Even with his brain barely functioning, he could still quote Hoof Wars without fail. Both Ditzy and Dinky rolled their eyes, neither of them in the mood. “Oh come on you’ve got to give me that one.” He pleaded. “No.” They both replied. “You guys are no fun…” “Until I get my coffee, I’m not in the mood for anything.” Ditzy snapped. Wrapping the blanket tightly around himself for comfort, Crafter took seat next to his wife. “Not even for a good morning kiss?” “…No…” Ditzy hesitantly said. She then gave her husband a quick peck on the cheek. “Ok maybe.” Crafter just smiled, enjoying his first day of marriage quite well. After the effect of the kiss wore off, the green unicorn started gazing about the room, finding everything very interesting and deserving of attention. “Uh oh.” Dinky said to herself, knowing what her father was about to do. He got up from the table, walked over to the couch, grinned widely, proceeded to throw both pillow chairs onto the couch and jumped into the fort he had just haphazardly created. “And there he goes…” Dinky sighed, the sound of Crafter’s giggling already present. It was only this bad when Crafter had a long night and was late getting his coffee, something that both Ditzy and Dinky did their best to prevent from happening. The coffee machine let out a small ding, signaling that the coffee was done brewing. Ditzy stumbled over to the machine and extracted the jug out from under the nozzle. Dinky, trying to make amends for the milk, used her magic to bring out two mugs from one of the higher cupboards. Ditzy poured coffee into both the mugs, being very careful not to spill it. “Try and coax your father out from the couch with this.” Ditzy said after adding the cream and sugar to the drinks. “On it mom.” Dinky took the mug with her magic and walked over to the couch. “Hey dad, coffee’s ready.” He poked the top of his head out from his ‘fort’ with a big grin plastered to his cross-eyed face. “Oh goodie! Time to commence the consumption of wake up juice!” Taking the mug from Dinky with his magic, he took a long sip. Eyes snapping open, he spat the molten liquid out of his mouth; making sure he wasn’t facing Dinky. “GAH IT’S HOT!!” “You don’t say.” Dinky commented sarcastically, going back to get the mop. “Well that’s one way to wake up.” Ditzy said from the kitchen, waiting for her own mug to cool and doing her best not to laugh. Crafter sheepishly made his way out of the makeshift fort he had made. After returning the chairs to their proper positions with his magic and putting the blanket he was using back in the bedroom, Crafter made his way to the kitchen to enjoy his coffee proper. “So what are we doing for breakfast?” “Well I was thinking we could discuss our trip to Prance over a Sugarcube Corner muffin.” “Sounds good, I'm starving.” As they stood up to leave for their favorite breakfast joint, there was a heavy knock on the door. “I’ll get it.” Ditzy sighed; she already knew who it was by the heavy knock. Carefully, Ditzy walked down the stairs to answer the door for the Day Guard who was most likely on the other side. Taking a moment to collect herself, she opened the door and stepped to the side. “Hello sir, come in and take a look around.” “Um, what are y’all talkin ‘bout?” The voice that answered was a deep rumble that was iconic to anypony who lived in Ponyville. “Oh. Sorry Big Mac, I thought you were one of the Day Guard.” Ditzy sheepishly replied. “Anyway, what can I do for you?” “Just a makin a delivery, its weddi’n gift from th’ Apple Family.” “Morning Mac.” Crafter said as he reached the bottom of the stairs. “What kind of gift?” Big Mac just smirked, stepping to the side to reveal what his large frame was hiding. In a wagon sat a barrel, but not just any kind of barrel, the gift that Big Mac had delivered was labeled ‘zap apple cider: aged since 852 SSC.’ Zap apples were incredibly rare; most of the harvest was turned into jam, what was left over was turned into various pastries that the Apple Family enjoyed at home. They almost never made cider with it, due to how hard it was to make, and was incredibly expensive. And here was Big Mac, dropping of an entire keg of the rare cider. The two ponies the gift was entitled to just stood there; wide eyed and open jawed. Crafter had witnessed the zap apple harvest this past spring, and that jam was, for a lack of a better word, divine. Big Mac just chucked, lifted up the keg, and brought it inside. “Had a feel’n that’s how y’all would react.” Without another word, he left, closing the door on the way out. Dinky came skipping down the stairs, curious as to why her parents were taking so long. She found them staring at the closed door, paralyzed. Dinky also stared at the door, waiting for it to do whatever it did to make her parents stand there like they were. After a minute of waiting, the filly climbed onto Crafter’s back and waved a hoof in front of his face. No response, same reaction from her mother. “You guys alive?” There was still no reply. Fed up, Dinky poked her father with her small horn. “Hey! Wake up!” Letting out a small yelp, Crafter was snapped out of his trance. “Ow, what the.” This in turn snapped Ditzy out of hers. “Did Big Mac really just give us zap apple cider?” “Wait, zap apple what?” Dinky asked. “Cider and you’re not allowed to have any; it’s for adult ponies only.” Her mother quickly replied before the young filly could get any ideas. “Awww…. Well I guess that means you can’t have any dad.” “Har har, Dinks, har har.” “Ok, let’s get a move on.” Ditzy commanded, she was hungry and the sooner she got fed, the better. Without further delay, the three ponies made their way to get breakfast. Being the only ones out and about, Ponyville still had that eerie aura about it. “It feels like we’re on the set of The Trotting Dead.” Dinky whispered. “Oh that would be cool.” Crafter said. “Now that I think about it, I should probably update my zombie plan.” Being a firm believer of zombies; Crafter was sure to always keep his plan up to date. “Heh, tumbleweed.” He chuckled as the lone bush rolled down the street in front of them. “And here I thought I was distractible.” Ditzy joked. “I never cease to amaze do I?” Ditzy just giggled in response. “Do you think the bakery is even open yet?” “Well, as Dinky proved to us this morning: those with children are up sooner than those without them.” The mare said, giving her daughter a look of mock annoyance. Dinky just smiled innocently, donning the look of ‘who me?’ “Oh yeah that’s right. How old are their kids anyway?” “I would say at least a year old at this point.” Ditzy said after some thought. “That young? Wow.” Crafter responded, holding open the door to Sugarcube Corner to allow the two fillies in first. “Who’s young now?” Mrs. Cake asked from the kitchen, only catching the last part of their conversation. “We were just talking about the twins, nothing to worry about.” Ditzy reassured. “How are they anyway?” Mrs. Cake exited the kitchen, wiping baby food off of her face. “From one mother to another: they're a pain, but that’s why I love them.” “I know exactly what you mean.” Ditzy said sincerely. “Just this morning Dinky spilled a brand new gallon of milk.” “Well it can’t be helped dear; after all we’re only equine.” “And on that note,” Crafter cut in before the mares could start chatting again “we would like to place our order, if you’re ready that is.” Mrs. Cake simply smiled. “Of course, the door was open wasn’t it? What’ll you have dears, the usual?” Ditzy nodded, “But without the coffee, we had some before we left.” “Two Blueberry Supreme Muffins and one mini muffin coming up, feel free to take a seat, I’ll bring it to your table.” Crafter placed the appropriate amount of bits on the counter, and then they all took a seat at one of the booths. “So, when are the hotel reservations?” Ditzy asked once they all sat down. “Well, I reserved the hotel for next week. That would mean we should leave for CAX sometime tomorrow.” “Aren't you afraid of heights daddy?” Dinky asked; a light tone of concern in her voice. There was an audible gulp from the green unicorn. “I’m actually afraid of the airships. I mean come on! Who’s idea was it to tie a giant BAG full of FLAMMABLE gas onto a frigate that was designed for the OCEAN.” The mere thought of the combustible airbag was enough to start thinking about the ship wandering too close to an irritated storm cloud and going up in flames. Needless to say, Crafter hated flying. Putting a comforting hoof around his shoulder, Ditzy tried to calm her husband down. The food was conveniently placed down at that moment, along with some complimentary glasses of ice cold milk. Once Mrs. Cake went back into the kitchen to try and feed her foals breakfast, Ditzy replied for her incredibly stressed husband. “The reason, I'm assuming, is that the train would take too long. We would have had to have our wedding in spring if we were to get there in time for the reservations. Am I right dear?” Shakily, Crafter nodded. “And we all know how dad reacts to bees.” At the mere mention of the object of his crippling phobia, the panicking unicorn dove under the table. “Dinky…” the grey pegasus said, rubbing her forehead with a hoof in annoyance. “Come on out Crafty,” she said tenderly, trying to coax her husband out “there aren't any bees. She was just giving an example.” Slowly but surely, Crafter made his way back into his chair. He was still looking about as stressed as the day Ditzy first met him, if not more so. Even though his mind knew there was no danger, his body refused to lower its guard, causing the unicorn to maintain his high adrenaline levels. “I'm sorry daddy.” The filly said sadly. “It’s… it’s alright Dinks, no… no harm done.” Crafter said, trying to calm himself down as Ditzy held him in her wing. The muffin before him worked wonders on his frayed nerves, the heavenly mixture of blueberries and sugar sent him into a state of bliss. The warmth of Ditzy’s body as she held him added to the pleasure. “Feeling better now?” She asked after finishing her own muffin. Instead of verbally replying, Crafter snuggled closer. “Do you guys really have to do that in public?” Dinky asked in annoyance. “Yes we do.” Crafter replied defiantly, Dinky just groaned. “Let’s get back to the house; we have a lot of packing to do.” With that, the family got up from their booth, said goodbye to the Cakes and left to start getting ready.
Chapter 3A/N: PinkieDash is all better now, chapters from here on out will have +5 quality points The rest of that day was rather uneventful; Crafter and Ditzy packed what they needed for the trip, Dinky was sent over to the care of Carrot Top for the week, and Ditzy informed her replacement mailmare of the absence. After the pre-honeymoon preparations were completed, the couple spent the remainder of the day quietly watching their favorite movies. *** Crafter and Ditzy woke up extra early the next morning to make sure they had everything; both of them had a history of being forgetful. “Do we have everything?” Ditzy asked as they were leaving. “I think so.” Crafter responded as he locked the door. “Great, lets go then.” They made their way to the train station, eager to start their honeymoon. Ponyville was too small to have an airport and the closest city that had one was Canterlot, which had a direct rail line to Ponyville. Something didn’t feel right, Crafter probed the saddlebag he wore with his magic, feeling around to make sure they had everything. Suddenly it clicked, he knew what they were forgetting. Without a word he darted back to the house to get the airship tickets, it would have been devastating to have forgotten those. “Um, where did you run off too?” Ditzy asked when her husband returned, gasping for breath. By the time he got back, she had made it to the train station already. “We... forgot... the airship tickets.” He wheezed. Ditzy just facehooved “I knew we were forgetting something!” Crafter just took a seat on a bench to catch his breath while Ditzy bought the train tickets to Canterlot. The instant she got the tickets, the train pulled into the station. *** “I hope Dinky will be ok spending a week with Carrot Top.” The protective mother inside Ditzy coming out. They had been on the train for about an hour, the closer Crafter and Ditzy got to Canterlot, the more excited and nervous they both became. Ditzy was worried about leaving her daughter for a week, and Crafter was worried about being in Canterlot. “She’ll be fine, she’s safer than I am.” Crafter reassured. “Oh?” Ditzy asked with a doubting tone. “The Princess Luna incident.” He whispered, reminding Ditzy of the dangers he faced every day. Ditzy’s cheeks turned red from embarrassment, she knew the risks he took first-hoof. Crafter gave his wife a peck on the cheek, telling her it was no big deal. *** When they at last arrived in Canterlot, they were instantly taken to customs inspection. After an hour and several close calls, they wasted no time finding a city map. “I can’t find CAX anywhere on this thing.” Crafter complained, squinting at the map. “We could always ask for directions.” Ditzy whispered playfully into his ear, expecting the typical male response. It appeared that either Crafter hadn’t heard her, or was (more likely) ignoring her suggestion; the reaction Ditzy was expecting. After studying the map for a little bit more, Crafter walked off in the direction he assumed was the right way with Ditzy following behind with a quiet giggle. Somehow they ended up in the Canterlot Sculpture Garden; various famous statues lined the path, each one from a different moment in Equestrian history. Ahead of them stood the statue of Discord, with a pale yellow unicorn standing before it, deep in thought. Suddenly remembering how hard of a time Crafter had talking to ponies he didn’t know, Ditzy got an evil idea. “Bet you can’t ask her for directions.” “Um, ok?” Crafter replied, giving his wife an odd look. “What are the terms?” “I won’t tell you until you accept.” “I thought I just did.” He was starting to get suspicious. An evil smile grew on Ditzy’s face. “If you can’t successfully ask for directions: you aren’t getting any during our trip.” It took a moment for Crafter to process what Ditzy had meant, “Aw wait what? That’s kinda harsh don’t you think?” he replied, splaying his ears back. “Those are my terms, if you back out now that counts as a loss.” she countered, sticking out her tongue for finality. With a heavy sigh, Crafter began walking up to the mare at the statue, Ditzy right next to him to make sure he saw the challenge through. “Excuse me?” He asked once he was close enough, the mare didn’t hear him. “Excuse me.” He said a little louder, the mare hearing him this time. “Can you tell us how to get to the Canterlot Airport?” The pale unicorn turned to face them, “Yes of course, it’s at the other end of Canterlot,” she said pointing to her right “a few miles down the road after Donut Joe’s place, you can’t miss it.” Crafter tuned to face Ditzy, smiling smugly. “It looks like I've beaten your little challenge.” Ditzy just rolled her eyes. “Ok fine, you win.” The mare who gave the directions let out a chuckle. “Where you two headed anyway?” Ditzy, forgetting all about her evil plan to torture her husband, immediately answered with a voice full of excitement. “We’re going to Prance for our honeymoon!” “No kidding? Congratulations.” “Thanks!” It had been ages since she last went to Prance, the very idea of a chance to visit again filled her with joy. She let out a squee when she realized that the visit would be with the pony she loved. “Ooohh I can’t wait. Common Crafter, the sooner we get to the airport, the sooner we can start our honeymoon!” She let out another squee and pulled Crafter off in the direction of the airport, leaving the other mare in the dust. *** Once they reached the renowned ‘Donut Joe’s Donut Shop’, they looked around to try and find CAX. It didn’t take long to locate, it was hard to miss a large structure that was being supported by two intersecting stone arches. The arches themselves made an ‘X’ pattern, holding up a disk-like building attached to the ground by a small tube-like building. The whole structure looked like it belonged in a mag-fi movie as some form of spaceship. “I never understood why they called the Canterlot International Airport ‘CAX’ and not ‘CIA’, it makes no since.” Crafter pointed out as they made their way to the airport. Ditzy just gave a shrug. “Maybe because of the ‘x’ shape the arches make.” “Maybe, I still think it should be called ‘CIA’ though.” Ditzy gave him a playful shove over his stubbornness. *** The airport was even more stressful than the train station, the line for ticket confirmation was long and security was understandably strict. “Your file says you’re a repairpony, yet you didn’t start charging for work until the crackdown...” One of the security officers performing background checks said, looking through several manilla folders containing Celestia knows how much information on everypony. Crafter started to sweat, but he knew how to answer this without giving himself away. “Well I was doing it for charity, but once the crackdown started, I didn’t want to give the wrong impression.” He lied smoothly, despite his racing heart. The officer looked through more of the papers in his folder, to see if that story matched his history. “I can see that causing some problems, many private charity operators did the same thing. You two are clear to go.” Heaving a sigh of relief, Crafter and Ditzy made their way to the gate. “That was a close one.” Ditzy whispered once they took a seat outside the gate. Crafter just gave a weak smile, the loud chatter of the airport and the stress of security ate away at his mental endurance. Picking up on his aching head, Ditzy just wrapped a wing around her husband and pulled him into a comforting embrace which Crafter readily accepted. After waiting three hours to be allowed to board, the passengers were finally allowed to onto the airship. It took the airport staff some effort to convince Crafter that the airship was one hundred percent safe for departure, there were several points on the boarding ramp where Crafter almost turned and ran off, only to be pulled back by the tail by Ditzy. *** “You are such a scaredy cat.” Ditzy chuckled when they reached their middle class cabin. “You sure you’re going to be alright?” she asked in a much more caring tone. “So long as I don’t go outside I should be fine.” Crafter said, still visibly stressed. Ditzy nuzzled his cheek to help relax him. “I'm going to go see what they have at the café for lunch, want anything?” “I could really use some peanuts right now, lots of them. Also if they have any wine, that would help lower the anxiety.” She raised an eyebrow at that. “You’re going to get drunk?” “It’s what my mom did whenever she flew.” Crafter said with a shrug. “She was actually afraid of heights.” “No guarantees about the wine, but I’ll be sure to bring you plenty of peanuts.” Ditzy said with a chuckle. After giving Crafter a peck on the cheek, she left to find the café. *** As Ditzy wondered about the hallways trying to find the café, she opened up the locket she had around her neck. Inside was a little compass so she wouldn’t get lost and a family picture so she wouldn’t feel lonely. It was a nervous habit to open the locket whenever she felt lost or lonely, seeing the compass and her family gave her the sense of direction she needed to reach her destination. The locket was a gift Crafter had made before his first Winter Wrap Up; he was worried about her beating herself up over getting lost, so he made her a compass. He then realized she might get lonely on her trip because she was so used to being with loved ones, so he put it in a locket with a family photo taken on Hearths Warming Day. Ever since she got that locket, she hadn’t felt lonely or lost a single day of the week. “I love you Crafter.” She whispered. With a newfound sense of direction, she had little trouble finding her way to the café. The café was a large room with tables and chairs bolted to the floor; it wasn’t a low class cafeteria, but it wasn’t a high class restaurant either. There were several ponies sitting at the tables enjoying their lunch, and trying to hold conversations with other ponies at their table. Suddenly the intercom crackled to life, a calm male voice with a heavy Trottish accent come through. “This is your captain speakin’. We r’ ready t’ begin our non-stop flight to Prance and will be leaven’ port very soon, please make sure yee r’ in a seated position and all loose items r‘ secured. Thank yee for choosing Equestrian Airlines and enjoy yir flight.” Thinking she should be with Crafter during launch, Ditzy grabbed several bags of peanuts and two small cartons of wine, and then hurried to get back to their cabin before the airship took off. *** Ditzy got back to the room right as the airship started to lift into the sky, the upward motion causing her to stumble upon entering the room. “I got the peanuts.” She told Crafter, who was staring out the porthole. “You alright?” “Yeah,” He simply replied “as much as I hate the technology, the sensation of flying is amazing.” Ditzy just chuckled; glad he wasn’t blinded by his fear. “It is something else.” Crafter levitated the bags of peanuts over to himself, eager to start consumption. “One of the things I envy about pegasi, the freedom to go wherever you want; while I'm stuck on the ground.” By the tone of his voice, Ditzy could tell he was in one of those moods again and needed cheering up stat. “Well it’s a good thing I got these.” Ditzy said, pulling out the cartons of wine from under her wing. “I figured, what they hay, and got one for myself.” “You certainly know how to cheer a guy up.” He chuckled, levitating one of the small boxes over to himself and sticking the straw in. After helping Ditzy with hers, he proposed a toast: “To a long and happy marriage.” They tapped cartons, pretending they were glasses, and each took a sip. *** After about three days of travel, Ditzy finally managed to convince Crafter to go out onto to main deck. Shakily, he made his way up the wooden stairs that led outside, Ditzy giving moral support from behind him with each step he took. Once the deck, there were several lawn chairs set out around umbrellas that were bolted in place. The airship had two airbags (which Crafter did his best not to look at), one on either side as to avoid blocking the sun for patrons who wanted to tan. There was a bar built into the floor towards the center of the vessel near the central tower, calming music played from speakers hooked up around it. “Can you find us a place to sit while I get us something to drink?” Ditzy asked once Crafter was completely out on the deck. “S-sure,” he shakily replied “n-no problem.” “Well well well, what do we have here?” A jockey voice from behind taunted before Ditzy could leave. “A pegasus on an airship? Isn't that just the pinnacle of laziness?” Ditzy and Crafter turned to face the source of the voice, behind them stood three large earth ponies, almost as large as Big Macintosh. “Yeah I'm on an airship, so what?” Ditzy asked defensively. “So what?” He asks with a laugh, causing his fellow idiots to laugh with him. “You see, that’s not going to work.” He then points to Crafter, too stupid to realize their together. “You probably took a ticket away from one of his friends and how he’s traveling alone.” Crafter just raised an eyebrow, but before he can speak, Ditzy beats him to it. “You guys obviously don’t know pegasus biology, Prance is a long ass flight.” A donkey let out a bray from the bar. “No offence.” She hastily added. “None taken.” The mule said. Getting back on her train of thought, Ditzy continued her comeback. “You guys also don’t know a relationship when you see one.” The group of earth ponies laughed. “What do ‘relationships’ have to do with you stealing a pony’s ticket? Is he your coltfriend or something?” Crafter stepped forward, laying on his Stalliongrad accent and acted as intimidating as he could. “I'm her husband.” The jocks stood silent for a moment, ponies from the northern territory tended to be tougher than others (for obvious reasons). Then, all their intelligence was flushed down the drain when they started laughing again. “And what are you going to do nerd?” Crafter was normally a hardcore pacifist, avoiding any sort of conflict as much as he possibly could. But something in his mind snapped, a lifetime of repressed bullying started to boil up. Before he could act upon his mindless rage, a loud, ear piercing whistle echoed across the sky. “JUST WHAT DO YEE THINK YEE BASTARDS R’ DO’N?!” a Trottish voice bellowed out after everypony recovered from the noise. The three earth ponies turned to face the pony who dared butt in. They were greeted by the sight of an older pegasus dressed in REA uniform and a naval whistle hanging around his neck glaring them down, the captain. “Yee’ll NOT act that way on MY vessil.” “Dude it’s the captain.” One of the lackeys fearfully whispered. “Yir darn right I be the captain, and I have every right t’ throw you overboard with nay but the lifeboat.” The three jocks gulped and ran off, not wanting to push their luck. “Wow.” Crafter said after he stopped seeing red. “Thanks for getting rid of them sir.” Ditzy said warmly. “Ack’t think nothin of it lass, I don’t tolerate such behavior on my ship.” The captain casually said. “If yee don’t mind, I’d like to buy yee a drink t’ make up fir the trouble they caused.” Crafter and Ditzy shared a look of agreement. “I don’t see why not.”
