An Unexpected Turn of Events

by BlackMuffin

Rating: teen
Tags: Big Macintosh, Derpy Hooves, Slice of Life, Sad, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dinky Hooves, Romance
Length: 5543

The least likely of situations brings the least likely of ponies together.

As a cross-eyed mailmare, Ditzy Doo has had her fair share of accidents. Landing on roofs, through windows...you name it, it's happened. Despite all that, her job provides her with enough money to support herself and her daughter, Dinky. Dinky, however, seems to need something else, something her mother hasn't quite picked up yet.

A/N
DerpyMac shipping because why the hell not. I got the idea from Loyal 2-1 in one of his livestreams when he said he thought the best stallion for Derpy was Big Macintosh. His reasons for thinking this are irrelevant; Big Macintosh just has enough swag to attract about any mare...and a few stallions.
Also, I think the couple seems kinda cute.

Also, I refer to Derpy as Ditzy throughout the story. I'm fine with the name Derpy, but in my mind she would probably prefer being called Ditzy Doo.

Published 2012-09-30 17:24:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-10-24 10:26:45 UTC

Chapter 1

"Mommy, why do all the other fillies and colts have a stallion in their family?"

"What do you mean?"

"Snips has an older stallion he calls a Daddy, so does Twist, and all of my other friends."

"What's wrong with it just being us two?"

"I feel like they all seem happier...I mean, you're great, but why does it feel like our house is empty?"

"I think when you get older you'll find out. Now, isn't it time for you to go to bed?"

...

Ditzy Doo had a simple job as mailmare. Get mail, deliver it to everypony who was to receive it, receive payment, profit. A simple job if it wasn't made so difficult by her wall-eyes. Some ponies made fun of her for it, but most were relatively passive about it. She didn't pay too much attention to it, really; it made her crashland here and there, but reading the packages was easier than most ponies thought it would be. Sure, she got an order wrong every once in a while, but it didn't completely ruin how she worked. In fact, most of the ponies she worked with left the subject of her eyes alone, and didn't call her by that annoying nickname...

"Hey, Derpy, you messed up the order on 59th West again."

...except Frost.

Frost was the kind of pony who you'd assume was a model, or at least wanted to be one. Her face was always coated with makeup, and her mane seemed like she spent hours on it every morning. She even fit the diva personality: mares envied her, and she would flirt with stallions she didn't even care about just to get their attention. It seemed as though the world revolved around her...and as far as she was concerned, it did.

"Where did I put it this time?" Ditzy asked as cheerfully as she could. She just wanted to tear that mare's head clean off...

"You put it at 69th West, you must've read the five wrong again," Frost said with a sigh, "You know you should probably get some surgery for those eyes of yours. That way you wouldn't look so retarded." Ditzy slammed her hooves onto Frost's desk and glared at her with one eye while the other trailed somewhere.

"Just give me the damn package."

Frost sighed. Even if she wanted to, Ditzy could never really be intimidating. She was just the kind of mare that wanted to be nice to everypony...except stallions. She had never really told anypony why, but it wasn't really any of Frost's concern anyway. Ditzy could go buck herself for all she cared.

"Fine, here ya go, missy." Frost slid the package across to Ditzy, who picked it up with her mouth and stormed out of the office, flying off after a clumsy gait onto the sidewalk. "I can't really help but feel bad for her sometimes..." Frost said before going back to trimming her hooves.

...

Ditzy sat outside of the elementary school, waiting for the bell to ring and Dinky to come out of the building. She was sitting on a hill overshadowed with a tree. It was nice and comforting to sit there while she waited for Dinky; the heat of the sun wasn't too uncomfortable there. Despite the comfort, the events at the post office mulled through her mind as she sat waiting.

"Maybe I am retarded..." she sniffled a little at the memory of what Frost called her.

"Don't be silly, Ditzy! You know you're a smart mare, you just don't want to admit it to yourself!" Ditzy turned around to see her friend Carrot Top trotting up to her with a picnic basket on her back, "Really, even if you weren't that bright, we'd all like you anyway!" Carrot Top put the basket down and walked up to Ditzy before sitting down next to her.

"Then why do I mess up all of my orders all the time?" Ditzy looked at the ground, "I can't possibly be as smart as you say I am..."

"Trust me, we're always our worst judges," Carrot Top said while putting a hoof to her chest, "A friend of mine who was an author said that!"

"Is he smart?" Ditzy looked up at Carrot Top, seeing her visibly wince.

"Well, was..." Carrot Top trailed off, looking a little hurt.

"Oh, sorry for bringing something bad up," Ditzy said with a hurt expression, "I didn't mean to make you sad..."

Carrot Top wiped her eyes a little before forcing a smile, "It's fine, you didn't mean it."

The bell rang, signaling dozens of fillies and colts to run out of the schoolhouse towards their parents. Ditzy saw Dinky run up the hill to meet her with a huge smile on her face. She would always be reminded why she endured her job in those situations; although to the world she might seem like one pony, to one pony she might be the world.

And Dinky certainly meant the world to her.

"Hi Mommy!" Dinky squealed as she jumped into Ditzy's arms.

"What did you learn today, muffin?" Ditzy nuzzled her daughter's mane a little.

"We just had a bunch of math and literature. That stuff's sooooo boring!" Dinky said while rolling her eyes.

Carrot Top giggled at the cute filly's display, "Anyways, I think you two should probably be going home now, I'm meeting up with a very special pony here..." Carrot Top winked at Ditzy, who chortled a little and nodded in assent.

"Come on, Dinky, let's go on home." Ditzy smiled at her daughter as she bounced along next to her.

"Bye Miss Carrot Top!" Dinky turned around and waved to the golden mare.

"Bye Dinky!" Carrot Top waved back as she slipped out of view behind the hill.

The two kept walking before Dinky suddenly stopped.

"Mommy?" Ditzy turned around, realizing her daughter had stopped walking. "Why don't I have a daddy?"

Ditzy tensed at her daughter's question. She never asked anything like that.

"What's wrong with not having a daddy?"

"Nothing, just...I'm curious. Everypony seems to have a daddy, and maybe some ponies think it's weird that I don't."

"Silly filly," Ditzy nuzzled her daughter, "Nopony thinks it's weird. We're a perfectly healthy family."

"Is Carrot Top going to be a mommy, though?" There's another question the filly would never ask.

"Why do you say that?"

Dinky pawed a little at the ground before she kept going, "I know that when a stallion and a mare get together, they eventually become a daddy and a mommy, and I was wondering who my daddy was."

That was a bit too much. "Dinky, I think we should just go home now okay?"

The filly was about to say something else, but she just nodded in assent and the two walked the rest of the way home in silence, leaving many of the filly's questions left in her mind unanswered.

...

(Four Months Later)

Ditzy sat at the table with a mug of coffee in her hoof. Bags hung underneath her eyes as she tried to wake herself up. Sure, maybe she was cheerful during the day, but the morning was a completely different story.

"I just feel like murdering somepony right now..." and she probably would if there was somepony around. Fortunately for everypony who wasn't her, there was nopony awake in her near vicinity. Her mornings were so nasty that even her daughter knew to stay away from her.

However, a morning like this could never keep the filly in bed for long.

"Happy Hearth's Warming Day, mommy!" Dinky jumped up and grabbed her mother from behind, almost pulling her off her chair. Ditzy almost exploded, but looking at all the snow outside made her change her mind. Nowadays Ponyville was not getting as much snow during winter as it had before since Cloudsdale had been having troubles recently regarding their water reserves.

"Good morning to you too, you big bundle of energy." Ditzy managed to fight her morning grogginess as she hugged her daughter. Sure, mornings were tough, but there was nothing like a bit of snow and a filly's touch to turn a frown upside down.

Then again, Ditzy was the only mailmare that had to work on Hearth's Warming.

"Can we open presents now?" the filly squealed with excitement.

"Sorry, sweetie, but you know Mommy has to work today." Dinky's eyes widened at this.

"But will we at least spend some time together today?" Dinky's eyes kept widening while little pools started forming at the base.

"Alright, Dinky, I'll take you over to Fluttershy's today since I have to work, but once I get back we'll open your presents okay? How does that sound?"

Dinky let go of her mother and pouted, making the most adorable face she could muster. Ditzy felt her heart shatter a little at the display.

"You promise?" Dinky asked with tears welling in her huge eyes.

"Yes. I promise." Ditzy kissed her daughter's forehead and knelt down, spreading her wings so Dinky could climb on. Reluctantly she assented, and the family of two went out of the door and took to the snow-filled skies. Fluttershy would definitely be home right about now, so it wasn't a problem to drop Dinky off there. Fluttershy loved having Dinky around, especially since she was so calm compared to her other friends. It wasn't rare that Dinky would go off with the Cutie Mark Crusaders on some adventure of some sort, but whenever Dinky was around them the group would never get into trouble.

Maybe safeguarding others was her daughter's special talent?

"Mommy, I think you flew over Fluttershy's cottage." Oops.

Ditzy turned around and landed right in front of the yellow mare's porch, going up to the door and knocking three times.

...

"Hi Frost. Fancy seeing you here." Ditzy said dryly as she entered the post office. Sitting at the desk, as usual, was Frost, trimming her hooves. On a normal Hearth's Warming she wouldn't be at this desk, but the reason why she was this time was quickly brought up.

"Yeah, I was told that I have to stay here until you pick up the package," she explained, not taking her eyes off of her hooves, "Seeing as you're here now, though, I guess it's time I went back home. Try not to crash when on your way to Sweet Apple Acres." Frost promptly got up and left the post office before Ditzy could punch her where she sat. With a sigh, the grey mare walked over to the counter and picked up the package she was supposed to deliver.

14256 Apple Rd.
Sweet Apple Acres
Ponyville, EQ 40555

Like Frost had said, the package was meant for Sweet Apple Acres. It was quite far away from the post office; about a two hour flight. In fact, it was so far away that it had its own zip code.

Better get going now if I want to get home in time, Ditzy thought as she placed the package on her back, ran out the door, and took to the skies on her way to Sweet Apple Acres.

...

"This...isn't...fair..." Ditzy panted as she tried her best to keep flying and keep balancing the box on her back at the same time, "Why am...I the one...who has...to do all...of this?"

She had been flying for a solid hour now. Sweet Apple Acres was gigantic, and she had only now started flying over the border into the now snow-covered orchards. Fortunately, the farm was only five minutes away. She could get there if she tried hard enough.

Ditzy counted her wingstrokes to keep herself distracted from how tired she was. One up, one down, two up, two down, three up, three down, four up, four...down? Ditzy kept gliding while she desperately attempted to move her wings.

They wouldn't budge. They were stuck in place. Ditzy panicked. Her wings had never done this before. What the hay was going on?

Her wings were still stuck when she saw the barn come into view, and by now she should have gone around...except she was going at roughly eighty kilometers per hour now and could not turn. She was stuck on a straight course, and was slowly gliding down. Her hooves were almost touching the uppermost branches of the barren, leafless trees. She tucked her hooves onto her body, trying not to scrape her hooves against the trees. This only made her more aerodynamic as she accelerated, quickly advancing to the barn.

She would hit it head first if she didn't do something fast. The first option was turning, which she couldn't do. The second was snapping her wings off, which would probably be much too painful and might just end up killing her (and even if she survived she'd lose her job as she wouldn't be able to fly anymore). The third option was...

The barn was exactly one hundred feet ahead. No time to consider anything else. Option three it was.

Ditzy flipped the box into her hooves before somersaulting forwards, crashing into the side of the old barn back first. She felt shards of wood and splinters penetrate her skin before she crashed into a pile of hay. Wracked with pain, she could barely even move her body, much less her wings. Ditzy was effectively stuck in that barn until somepony came along.

After about two minutes, she saw an orange mare run into the barn. Her eyes grew wide as she saw Ditzy's bloodied state.

"I brought you a package..." Ditzy sputtered out. The mare brought a hoof to her mouth and ran out of the building. A few minutes later she came back with a large red stallion. His reaction wasn't unlike the orange mare's; his eyes grew wide before he ran up to Ditzy and lifted her onto his back.

"AJ, take the package," he said with a low, southern drawl, "Ah'll take her inside." Ditzy's vision slowly started slipping as she felt her head grow light.

"I'm so sorry Dinky..." she said slowly before closing her eyes and falling unconscious.

...

"Ah told ya we have to keep her here until she's better!" Ditzy could hear arguing as she felt her consciousness come back. The red stallion and the orange mare were yelling at each other in their strange accents. It would be slightly comical if it wasn't about such a grave issue.

"It don't matter to me what ya think, Dash said the rogue storm's comin' in two days," the orange mare retorted to the stallion, "If we can't git her back to Ponyville before then, she'll be stuck here for the rest of winter! We don't know who's waitin' for her back home. What'll we tell them once she finally comes back? 'Oh, this mare here seems to have crashed into our barn, sorry she wasn't home for Hearth's Warming!"

Hearth's Warming. If she didn't come back home she wouldn't be home for Hearth's Warming. Ditzy inadvertently let a few tears fall down her face as she thought of her daughter.

I have to be home, she silently cried to herself, I promised her... A soft sob escaped the pegasus, quickly catching the attention of an old green mare walking into the room.

"Now look what you two did! Ah betcha yer fightin' was heard all the way from Canterlot! This filly here needs her rest, don't you be disturbin' her now!" she scolded the two ponies, making their ears droop a little.

"Sorry, Granny Smith..." they both said at the same time before clearing out of the room.

The room Ditzy was in looked like a regular living room: two couches, a coffee table, and a fireplace set in the wall. Ditzy was lying down on one of the couches in the room with a blanket over her. The old mare kept a stern gaze on the two ponies who were presumably her grandchildren before walking over two Ditzy.

"Ah'm sorry about those two," she said softly, pulling the blanket over Ditzy, "They found you in our barn. You were injured pretty badly, you're lucky Big Macintosh carried you over here. Now get some rest, dear, you'll be needin' it." The mare named Granny Smith turned around and left the room herself, leaving Ditzy to be lured into the dark embrace of sleep.

Chapter 2

Ditzy woke up with a start, whimpering a little as her injured wings put themselves into an uncomfortable position in her sleep. She rolled off the couch and landed on the floor with a thud, having a hard time breathing as she tried to push herself back up. After quite a bit of effort she succeeded, and sleep didn't seem too appealing to her anymore. Slowly, she found the front door and walked into the moonlit Sweet Apple Acres, the soft light barely illuminating the snow-covered fields in front of her. The grey mare took a deep breath and smiled at the scent of snow. There was a particular smell about winter that she liked along with the blue glow all the snow gave off during the morning.

"Strange to see ya up so early." Ditzy squeaked and turned around, facing the stallion who had startled her. His eyes had widened a bit at her reaction. "Sorry, ah din't mean ta scare ya. You're the mailmare, Ditzy, right?"

"Yes...I am." Ditzy said flatly and turned around, walking into the snow without looking back. She hated stallions; their strange sense of false superiority made her gag. They always seemed to do whatever they wanted, and they ranted all the time about 'equal rights' or whatnot. They were so stuck up that they would even pretend to love a mare, leaving her at the last second, sometimes even leaving her with a foal.

"They make mares suffer simply because they think they're better. Equestria is a mare's nation, stallions have no authority in my mind." She began muttering the list of insults out loud, unbeknownst to herself.

"Hey, look, ah'm sorry if ah scared ya more than I thought, but can ya at least not ignore me?" What the hell did he think he was doing?

Ditzy looked away from the stallion with a huff, walking ahead as Big Macintosh looked at her with his head cocked sideways and a look of worry creased his brow.

Did I say somethin' wrong? Big Mac wondered to himself. He grunted, cursing himself for his lack of knowledge about mares, and walked back to the house. While he was climbing the stairs on his way to his bedroom, he saw his sister Applebloom looking up at him while rubbing her tired eyes.

"Big Mac, what are ya doin' up so early? It's not even two in tha mornin' yet..." she yawned and rested her head against her brother's foreleg.

"Ah just needed a walk is all. Git on back to bed now, you've got school tomorrow." Big Macintosh nudged the filly's head a little, turning her around before she walked back into her room.

He continued down the hallway, reaching his door. Walking into his room, he closed the door behind him and walked back into bed. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

...

"Big Macintosh, have ya seen that nice filly anywhere? She wasn't on the couch when I woke up." Granny Smith questioned the stallion as he walked into the kitchen with a zombie-like gait.

"Nope." he said flatly while taking a box of cereal from the pantry.

"Why are ya up so early? Ah haven't even started on breakfast yet," the old mare continued while Big Macintosh took a bowl out of a cabinet and a milk carton from the fridge, "Speaking of breakfast, ya don't need to make some for yerself, sonny. I'm startin' right now."

"I'm just hungry already is all." Big Macintosh poured the cereal and milk into the bowl, took out a spoon from a drawer, and walked over to the table, staring into his bowl. He did not eat for a while. Breakfast was almost ready when he actually started eating an hour later.

"Hiya Big Mac! Mornin' Granny Smith!" an orange mare that seemed to be about the same age as Ditzy walked downstairs. She had an orange coat much like Big Macintosh's mane, and her blonde mane was hanging loosely around her shoulders. "What are ya doin' up so early, big brother? This is the first time you've been up before me on a Sunday."

"Ah know." Big Macintosh said in between spoonfuls of cereal.

"Somethin' botherin' ya?" she asked as her smile faded a little. Before Big Mac could answer, the front door could be heard opening and closing as a familiar pegasus walked in.

"Hi everypony!" a cheery voice called out as a bit of a stumble could be heard before a wall-eyed pegasus poked her head into the kitchen.

"Hiya Ditzy." Big Mac smiled at the mare who only huffed at his greeting.

"Wait, you're Ditzy Doo the mailmare?" Applejack's eyes widened. The pegasus nodded as Applejack continued, "What the hay are we keepin' ya here for? Don't ya have a daughter ta take care of? We have ta get ya back to Ponyville right away! As much as I'd like ta keep ya here until you're all better, you've got responsibilities ta take care of!"

"How did you know I have a daugh--" Ditzy started.

"Ponyville is a two hour walk from here. Most pegasi can't walk that far, sis." Big Macintosh cut her off in his usual stoic tone. Sometimes she wondered how he could keep such an emotionless tone at times.

"Your brother's right, dear. Also, it seems her right wing's dislocated. The way it's sticking out can't be good for her balance!" Granny Smith added. It was true; Ditzy's right wing was stuck in an angled position, the tip sticking out at a twenty-degree angle from her side. That explained why she was struggling to walk into the house.

"No, no, I want to walk back, I'll be fine," Ditzy spoke up with a bit of a cracked tone, "I'm a strong mare, I can do this!" She looked up with a face on the verge of tears, "I can't bear the thought of Dinky not knowing I'm alright!"

"Alright, if that's what ya want," Big Mac stood up, "That's what you'll get. But you're not goin' alone."

"I don't need your help." Ditzy snorted and looked away from the stallion.

Applejack leaned in next to Big Macintosh and whispered, "Did somethin' happen between you two?"

"Ah don't know," Big Macintosh shrugged, "She's been like that since last night."

"What the hay do you mean last night?!" Applejack stared at her brother, dumbfounded.

Big Macintosh's eyes widened at the implication, "No, no no! Not like that! Ah heard Ditzy step outside last night and I went to see her. She just shrugged me off like that."

Applejack started to worry about the grey mare. Something wasn't right about her suddenly disliking Big Macintosh.

"Hold yer humans," Granny Smith intervened, "Ah'm sorry dear but Big Macintosh will have to come along with ya. We don't want y'all ta collapse on the way back or somethin'. If you're set on headin' back to Ponyville ah won't stop y'all but you're not goin' alone."

Ditzy wanted to object, but disagreeing with an elder was a bad idea. Especially a matriarch. There was no point saying anything against it so she settled for grunting and rolling her eyes...although it looked more like her eyes were twitching rather than rolling.

"Sorry sugarcube, but that's how it's gotta go. Can't have ya goin' alone if we don't know for sure you're okay." Applejack added, much to Ditzy's dismay. Was she honestly expected to be left alone with this stallion? Who knows what he'd try to do to her when they were out on the road, miles from either the acres or Ponyville?

"I am not leaving with just him! One of you have to come along as well!" Ditzy stomped her hoof, affirming her case with a grunt and a pout.

"Either yer leavin' with 'im or you're not goin' anywhere until you're better, and that won't happen before the snow clears. Either ya wait until you're better or you're leavin' with Big." Applejack assented her position.

"Why can't you come along instead of him? Why can't he just stay here?" Ditzy's voice cracked a little from her frustration.

"Ah can't leave because of work, today's a Sunday. Big Macintosh and I alternate on Sundays, and Granny Smith isn't in tha best shape ta walk ya all the way to Ponyville, if you know what Ah mean."

"Can't you just make Big Macintosh work today?" Ditzy was getting exasperated at the mare's stubbornness.

"Of course not!" Applejack grimaced, "Breakin' tha traditional order is by no means acceptable."

Ditzy looked at Applejack, then at Big Macintosh, and then back to Applejack. She sighed in frustration while stomping her hooves, making the biggest show as she could like a filly throwing a temper tandrum. Big Macintosh and Applejack sat unimpressed. After a while of trying to stare them down, Ditzy sighed and sat down, actually starting to decide what would be the best choice.

On one hoof, if she stayed at the farm with these three strangers, she would be safe for the winter and would be able to fly back once she made a full recovery. Unfortunately, this meant leaving Dinky alone.

And that just wasn't an option at all.

On the other hoof, she could go with the big red stallion, entrust herself to him, and follow him to Ponyville. It would be about a three-day walk. It would be difficult for a pegasus like her who hardly ever walked, but it would have to be done if she wanted to get back home before the snow cleared.

Of course, you can never trust being alone with a stallion you don't know in the middle of nowhere.

Ditzy just sat there, her snout scrunched up into what looked like a concentrating look while her eyes drifted off more and more. While she was truly in a serious debate with herself, on the outside, she looked just plain silly to Granny Smith and Applejack.

Big Macintosh found it kind of cute.

"Eh, Ditzy, what exactly are ya doin'?" Applejack spoke first. Ditzy's look vanished and she looked a bit surprised that somepony had broken her train of thought. She got another 'determined' look on her face (in this case, her snout scrunching up again) before she got up and declared her decision.

"I'm going with Big Macintosh." She then proceeded to trip on empty space and fall face first on the wooden floor.

...

"Ow..." Ditzy held her snout in her hooves while sitting on a rock by the trail she and Big Macintosh were walking. Her nose had broken when her mind blanked out and caused her to fall forwards directly on her face. After a bit of bandaging, she was good to go, although sometimes the pain surged again and made her stop. Big Macintosh patiently waited for the mare's pain to pass, helping her up afterwards. She resisted at first, but after a while she decided that it wouldn't be the end of the world to accept his help once in a while.

"Ya alright Ditzy?" Big Macintosh asked again. It seemed routine now; Ditzy's nose started hurting, Big Macintosh would ask if she was alright, she would sit there for a while, Big Macintosh would help her up, they would keep going, lather, rinse, repeat.

"Just hold on a sec..." she muttered for the tenth time that day.

"Ah brought some aspirin in case your nose would swell; take a pill or two, it should keep the pain away for about two hours." Big Macintosh hoofed over two white pills, which Ditzy graciously took.

"Thanks," she said after swallowing, "I appreciate it."

"We should stay here for the night. Timberwolves don't obey the borders of the Everfree durin' the nighttime." Big Macintosh dropped his saddlebags, pulling out a tent and two bedrolls before he was stopped by Ditzy.

"Wait a minute, don't think I'm going to stay inside the same tent as a stallion." she said as she started searching through his bags for another tent.

"Ah don't have another tent, and Ah promise Ah won't do anythin' fishy," Big Macintosh put up a hoof to his chest, "Cross mah heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Big Macintosh finished off the gesture by pushing his hoof against his closed right eye, topped off with a smile.

Nopony broke a Pinkie Promise. Ditzy was convinced that Big Macintosh meant what he said...but she wasn't sure if she could trust him yet with anything else. She made a mental note to take anything he said that didn't involve promises with a grain of salt.

Well, then again, his sister was the element of honesty...

"Tent's all set up. Ah'll get a fire goin', y'all just sit 'ere and wait for me while Ah get the firewood." Big Macintosh walked into the underbrush, and before long he was gone from sight.

Ditzy sat in front of the tent, a stick in her mouth while she traced random things into the dirt: letters, hieroglyphs, kanji, whatever she could think of. She felt depressed, but most of all bored. She felt like she was useless.

"What am I doing, feeling useless?" she asked herself out loud, "It's not like he'd want my help..." She sat for a while in the same place, not really moving or thinking. She decided after a while that she would just get up and try to find Big Macintosh. He hadn't come back in a while, and Ditzy wanted to check up on his progress.

As she was getting up, she heard a rustle behind her. Then some scratching and snarls.

Ditzy froze. She wasn't sure what she just heard. Timberwolves didn't live outside the Everfree, and they were miles away from the border of that gods-forsaken forest.

However, when she dared to turn around, her eyes grew wide.

Three timberwolves were crawling out of the bush, creeping up on her with drool dripping from their snarling jaws. Ditzy could smell their rancid breath; the smell of dead creatures and sap filled her nostrils and almost made her gag. She wanted to run, but her legs wouldn't let her. All she could do was stand there, staring dumbly at the three wolves as they surrounded her. Ditzy's breath quickened and she could hear her heart pounding in her ears. The wolves smelled her fear, and she swore she could see them smile through their oversized fangs. A few tears welled up as she gritted her teeth and started whimpering. Panic was overtaking every fiber of her body as the wolves slowly closed in around her cowering form.

"RAH!"

Ditzy opened her eyes as she heard a sharp snap. Instead of a timberwolf in front of her, a certain red stallion had broken the spine of one of the creatures that was about to attack her. Beside her, the two timberwolves that were previously intent on devouring her had started yipping and scampering away with their tails between their legs. Big Macintosh just stood there, watching them with his normal bored look. Neither of them said anything for a long time. Ditzy just stared at him while he watched the last trace of the wolves fade away into the undergrowth as they scampered back to their dens.

"Dear Celestia, ya alright Ditzy?" Big Mac immediately changed his mood, running over to Ditzy who was still shivering on the ground. Ditzy didn't answer, she just lay there in a ball, not daring to peek up.

Big Macintosh tried again, "Ditzy, the wolves are gone, 's'just me, now." Ditzy finally looked up with tear-stained eyes. Instead of seeing a timberwolf faking the stallion's voice, ready to eat her face clean off as soon as she looked up, she saw the still-faced pony who had been gone for at least the past hour. A pile of wood was lying near the edges of the track, presumably from Big Mac's earlier quest for some firewood.

"Ya alright?" Big Macintosh asked quietly. Ditzy just nodded her head a little, a few sobs escaping. "D'ya think we should keep goin'?" Ditzy shook her head silently.

"Just stay with me..." she said, the sound barely reaching Mac's ears.

"'Right, ah'll just bring ya back over to the tent." Ditzy squealed as she felt herself being hoisted up onto the large stallion's back. She didn't fight it. She just felt his warm pelt and slowly beating heart as he carried her over to the camp without a sound. Ditzy hadn't realized that she had strayed from the camp before being attacked by the wolves, but she didn't care, either.

She buried her face inside Big Macintosh's fur and fell asleep almost instantly, the tears on her face drying up as a contented smile cleared her face.