Repair and Deliver

Repair and Deliver

Side Story 1

Chapter 5: Helper

by FluttersIsAwesome

"Ditzy!" I shook Pinkie off of me and ran to the teary-eyed pegasus. "This isn't what it looks like, I-"

The pink stalker's voice broke through mine as her forelegs snaked themselves around me. "Diggs here was just telling me how nice he thought I was. He was too shy to say anything in front of anypony else, so he waited for some alone time with me. Isn't that right, Diggsy Wiggsy?"

I hated the idea of hitting a female, but it certainly took her hoof away from my flank. "Pinkie... you should go. I don't like having my crotch touched by a filly I don't know." I shot her a glare that certainly produced my desired effect. I was left alone with my friend as a set my hoof on her shoulder. "Ditzy, why are you so upset?"

She took a moment to wipe her eyes and sat. "I thought you  liked me, Diggs. I thought we were friends. We ae friends, aren't we?"

I honestly had  no idea how much of Pinkie's near rape she saw, so I spoke carefully as if she had only seen the kiss. "Of course we're friends, Ditzy. Why would you think we weren't?"

Only after a few sniffles was she able to respond coherently. "Well, you kissed Pinkie Pie, so I thought maybe you didn't like me anymore and wanted to find a more fun friend."

Hearing her sound so distraught over the possibility of losing a friend made my stomach churn. I started to wonder how many friends she actually had. As I began to realize the startling possibility that I was indeed her only friend, I pulled her to me in a tight hug. "Of course not , Ditzy, you're plenty of fun." I had to choose my words carefully to avoid hurting her feelings, which was something I wasn't used to. Normally I just spoke my mind, but over the years I had realized that some situations actually called for at least a little bit of tact. In the end, the only thing I could manage was getting her mind off of what just happened. "Let's go pick up Dinky."

Once we had been alone again for a decent bit, Ditzy began walking at her normal pace, humming along the way. After a short pause, she stopped walking and called out to me. "Diggs... answer something for me please?"

"What is it?" Her tone began to worry me, and I started to fear what her question would be and how I would answer.

"Why were you with Pinkie... if you don't like her?"

A sigh of relief escaped my lips as my worries began to dissipate. "Well, I wasn’t necessarily with her, I think she followed us. She seemed nice, but she's starting to scare me now. I'd much rather be with you, to be honest."

At this, I heard a loud "SQUEE" before she turned to me with the biggest grin I had ever seen. "Do you mean that? Honestly and truly?"

"Of course!" I did my best to try and look happy, but I never did have a good poker face. She didn't even have to say anything for me to tell that she knew something was bugging me. "Ditzy... I just... it...." Words were becoming a rare commodity, so I just decided to tell her plainly. "Ditzy, am I the only friend you have?"

She looked away for a moment before a slow nod. "Well... now you are. I used to have a bunch of friends before my accident, but ever since my eyes messed up, ponies have been avoiding me."

I wish there were words that could express how angry I was. Ditzy was just like my sister, shunned for being different. It burnt me up inside, and I think she knew.

"B-but everything's OK now! I have you, so now I feel better."

I wanted to say something, but before I could, I heard what sounded like a stampede as a horde of young fillies and colts rushed past us. As I looked toward the school, I saw Dinky walk out, alone and looking like somepony had stolen her teddy bear. However, her face lit up when she saw me.

"MR. DIGGS!!!" For such a small filly, she sure was heavy; her hug nearly knocked the wind out of me as I hit the ground.

"Did you say Diggs?" I looked up just in time to see the dark purple, pink-haired mare help pulled Dinky off me. "Diggs! It's been ages! How are you?"

A rush of memories flew through my head as she spoke to me, and I quickly remembered who she was. "Cheerilee? Is that really you?"

She nodded, but Ditzy spoke before she could. "Wait, you two know each other?"

Cheerilee nodded once again. "Well, in a sense. I met his sister during my last year in college when I went to get my teaching degree. It was her first year, so I showed her around the campus." She then turned to me with a concerned look. "Speaking of, how is Violet?"

I swallowed hard. Cheerilee knew about my sister's issues with bullying, but that didn't make telling her any easier. "She's still having... issues. Luckily, she's graduating this year, so she'll only have to put up with those idiots for a few more months."

A sigh of relief preceded her next words. "That's good to hear." She looked down at Dinky, who was still nuzzling my leg, then up to her mother. "On a similar note, I need to speak with you, Mrs. Doo; it's about...." Rather than continue speaking, she motioned to Dinky to avoid getting her attention and led Ditzy around to the back of the school.

Using Dinky's distractedness to my advantage, I lifted her onto my back as she squealed. "What's wrong, munchkin?"

She tilted her head, tapping mine curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Why were you looking so sad earlier?"

At this, her ears fell flat and she turned away from me. "Oh... I fell and got hurt, but I'm okay now! I can't even feel it anymore!" She let out a small, soft giggle as she turned back to me.

We turned in the direction of increasingly loud chatter as Cheerilee and Ditzy slowly made their way toward us. It didn't seem like much of a conversation, with Ditzy simply nodding her head ever now and again. "I hope you can understand, sweetie. It's not her fault, I just fear for her safety."

Now I know that, at this point, I honestly didn't know Ditzy as well as I do now. However, I was good enough at reading faces to know that the subject of their "meeting" had greatly upset her. Waiting a moment for the two to go their separate ways, I nuzzle her cheek to let her know I was curious.

Her eyes, well, her left one, never left the ground, even as she spoke. "Cheerilee thinks I should find a private tutor...." She looked up at me and began tapping the ground nervously. "Some of the children have been bullying her. She's become the 'Coock's Kid' because of me and my... issue. However, one child in particular, she didn't want to name names, was caught trying to cut her tail in Arts and Crafts. He's been suspended, but Cheerilee is only one pony; there's only so much she can do."

I turned back to the little one on my back, and once again displayed the expression she was wearing when we came to get her. "...Let me talk to her. I start work tomorrow, but if I'm lucky then there's a way I can be at the school, too."

She brightened up a little bit. "You have an idea?"

I nodded slowly. "I've noticed that, whenever I went to visit my sister in college, bullies didn't mess with her. They always like to single out those who are different. Violet is an example: the only unicorn in a family of Earth Ponies. Dinky is the same: a fatherless unicorn with a Pegasus mother. Not to be rude, but your eyes probably don't help. Most of the kids probably just feel better about themselves when they pick on her because they think they're better. She's alone now, but if I'm there, she should be alright. You two go on home, I’ll be there in a few minutes."

Ditzy nodded and picked up her daughter, turning to leave. “Thank you, Diggs... you’ve done so much for me and Dinky... I’ll never be able to repay you.” There was a short spell of silence before her lips met mine in a quick peck. “I really appreciate it.”

It took a moment to regain my composure, but I shook myself back to earth with a smile. “Don’t mention it, I’m happy to help.”