Pepper set her book down on the small table beside the sofa as a few loud knocks rang out from the front door.

“Just a minute!”

Trotting over, she opened the heavy oak door, a smile quickly dawning on her features.

“Oh! Toxic Shield! What can I do for you today?”

Toxic smiled, nodding back in greeting and levitating the parchment.

Hey there Pepper! I was wondering....

Pepper scanned over the explanation, then looking up at Toxic as he levitated a strange cube into view.

“That's the water monitor...thing?”

A nod was his response.

“Well, that's fine with me. The best place would be by the pump, right beside the field. It draws water before the house. You might have to dig through a few feet of dirt to get to it though...”

A shovel then levitated out to float beside Toxic's parchment.

I guessed that was the case.

“Well, looks like you'll have no problems then! And I thought I told you that you can talk around me, no writing necessary.” Pepper's tone was slightly condescending, but infused with a bit of amusement and jesting.

“N-not as fa-st.”

Pepper shrugged, motioning Toxic to follow her. May as well show him the pump.

“Still, if speed isn't an issue, I don't mind hearing your voice at all...”

She sighed sorrowfully, shooting Toxic an apologetic glance.

“I'm guessing the ponies in Canterlot aren't as tolerant?” She kept her tone even, not wanting to make too big of an assumption.

“N-nope.”

The hint of sorrow was present in Toxic's tone, even with the stutter and voice inflection. Pepper quickly decided to change to a more pleasant and relevant topic.

She then pointed to the simple pump on the side of the house bordering the field as they trotted up to it.

“Well, that's it. Right where you're standing is where the pipe is. I don't mean to be rude, but I need to get back inside. My friend is staying here, and and I was hoping to catch her before she went out for today. Is there anything I can do to help?”

Toxic thought for a moment, then shook his head, placing the saddlebags down on the ground and levitating the shovel.

“I s-shou-ld be go-od!”

Toxic turned his attention to the shovel as Pepper made her way back inside. She was really nice...

But why?

Whatever the reason, he didn't really care. It was nice to get away from the social tension that flowed through Canterlot. Looking at the ground, he sent a simple detection spell into the ground, a satisfying 'ping' ringing through his mind. Yep. The pipe was here.

He could use his magic, but such a repetitive motion would quickly get annoying. Add to the fact that he didn't want to be exhausted by noon...

The earth-pony way it was, by hoof.

Hooray digging.

“Good to see you're awake! Did you shower and eat already?”

Sky nodded, the weariness from the previous night having faded.

Well, mostly.

“You doing ok?” Pepper posed the expected question.

Her friend nodded, settling on the couch.

“How long have you been up?”

Pepper shrugged, indicating the book with a nudge of her hoof.

“A few hours. A good thing too, someone came by to check the water, but I can explain about that later. What are you plans today?”

Sky took a deep breath, fiddling with a pillow in thought.

“Well, maybe I'll go out and look for a job...” Her tone was a bit shaky.

Pepper glanced over to her friend, not missing the lack of enthusiasm.

“You still bothered by what happened in Canterlot?”

Sky's head bobbed slightly in response.

“I guess so...”

The mare sighed, then moved to get up.

“I'll get over it. I probably should start looking before-”

“Nope!” Pepper was quick to jump up, push her back down onto the couch, and then return to a sitting position.

Sky shot her friend a surprised look.

“What do you mean?” She couldn't help but ask. Pepper usually wasn't so assertive....

Oh dear. She had a cheeky grin on her face.

“You need some time off, so no job searching for at least a day or two. Just wander around, read a book, try to relax!”

Pepper's eyes then grew wide, and she facehoofed, letting out a groan.

“Darnit! I knew I forgot something! Let me go ask him!” Pepper quickly shouted to her friend as she trotted out the door, leaving Sky Duster sitting on the couch in shock.

“Forgot what? And ask who?”
– --------

“Hey! Toxic!”

At the sound of his name, Toxic popped his head up above ground. Pepper's reaction was to burst out laughing- and for good reason. He must have looked like a large blue gopher. The hole was a good three feet deep and four or so wide...

“Y-yes?”

Pepper sat down, looking at the mound of dirt that had been excavated.

“Wow. You've been busy!” She couldn't help but comment. It was a big hole...

She shook herself back to reality, before she forgot again.

“I forgot to ask you! We- my friend and I, are trying to figure out who this stallion is, and I thought you might know him! He used magic similar to the stuff you used to cut down those trees. It was more like royal guard armor though, but made of light...”

Light armor? There weren't many who...hmm. Maybe one of his co-workers?

The armor spell was adapted for others in dangerous environments, he had just modified it for physical damage absorption.

“May-be one o-f my c-co wor-kers. On-ly a fe-w kn-ow a spel-l like t-that. S-sorr-y.”

Pepper nodded, her brow furrowed in thought.

“Hmm. Maybe we'll look up the roster then! Thanks for the info!” She spoke speaking over her shoulder, trotting back inside, leaving Toxic sitting in his hole.

Now that he was alone, Toxic couldn't help but have his mind wander. Who was this other pony? No matter....

A wide grin split his face as a childish idea entered his mind. He crept to the edge of the hole, making sure his head was below ground level. He then popped his head up, scanning the surroundings, then back down.

Back up.

Back down.

Back up.

Back down.

Tee-hee. I'm a prairie dog.

Pepper was glad to see her friend finally relaxed. They had chatted for about half an hour, topics ranging from Canterlot to favorite foods. For the most part, they relayed their experiences back and forth, catching up on the time spent away.

“So Pepper, who was it you were asking by the way, when you dashed out a while ago?” Sky almost yawned the question, settling back onto the couch cushions.

Her friend waved a hoof dismissively, indicating outside with a nod.

“Oh, his name is Toxic Shield. He's just installing some water-testing doohicky. I saw him use some cool magic the other day, and thought he would know who your stallion-in-shining-armor was. He has some co-workers who use spells like that, so maybe we could look it up.” A smile then meandered onto Pepper's face, prompting a questioning look from Sky.

“Oooh. Does Pepper have a crush?” Sky made her statement as loaded with eagerness as possible. Wait for it....

Bingo.

Pepper's face went as red as her name implied, the mare shaking her head.

“What? No! Not like that. I mean sure, he's nice, and quite a gentle-colt, but I barely know him! I was just thinking- he looked rather funny popping out of the hole he had dug in the ground. He seems rather nice, maybe you should go and say hello! He talks a little bit funny, but it's not that hard to understand at....all....” Pepper's voice drifted off as a strange look came over Sky's features.

“He talks funny?” Sky's tone was now very curious.

“Umm, yes. The people in Canterlot where he works apparently had given him a hard time for it. Usually he writes on some parchment. He has a stutter, and the pitch goes up and down. Understandable though.”

Pepper couldn't have expected the reaction from Sky Duster even if she had tried. The light-blue unicorn gasped, literally falling off the couch as she half-jumped into the air.

“Hayseeds Sky! What was that for?”

Her expression was unreadable, but Pepper guessed Sky was halfway between shock and being pleasantly surprised.

“The stallion who saved me had the same voice problem.”

Toxic nodded approvingly as the metal cube glowed a dull green, a red crystal emerging from the top. Perfect.

The crystal would gather information and send it back to the terminal at his apartment. If there were any strange readings from the station, he'd know.

“Hey! Toxic! You there?”

Where else would I be?

Poking his head above ground again, he elicited a giggle from Pepper as she spoke.

“There's someone who wants to say hello.”

It couldn't be...

Pepper stood back and watched her friend and Toxic closely. The stallion's expression was that of amusement for a moment, and then his eyes rested on Sky Duster. The reaction was almost instantaneous. His eyes widened, expression changing to that of utter shock.

Sky Duster simply stared, her expression very similar.

It was him.

Covered in dirt and sweat, but there was no mistaking those eyes. At first, he seemed as startled as her. Then, almost imperceptibly, his expression changed. Sky saw a gentleness ease across his feature, gaze softening as a small smile twitched onto his face. He climbed out of the hole, obviously feeling a bit awkward as his gaze alternated between the ground and her.

“I-I'm gla-d you-re o-k.”

Before Sky knew what she was doing, she had dashed over and wrapped her forelegs around the stallion's neck.

“Thank you!”

For a moment, Toxic had absolutely no idea what to do. He was filthy...and yet this mare had decided to give him a hug.

A very pretty mare mind you.

Oh stop thinking you dunce. Do what feels right.

He went with his brain's admonishment, and gently wrapped a single hoof around the mare's shoulder as she continued to whisper her thanks over and over again. After a moment, she let go, backing up a few steps.

“S-sorry....I didn't mean...I...”

What was she apologizing for? The hug?

“It-s ok.”

There was a moment of silence, an awkward feeling starting to edge in...

“My n-name is T-oxic Shield. I g-guess we have-n't off-icial-ly met.”

The mare smiled, a nervous, but genuine, smile.

“Sky Duster. I guess we haven't.”

Good heavens that was a beautiful name...wait, what?!

“Do y-you li-ve in Pony-ville?”

Pepper watched the two converse, her eyes flicking back and forth between her friend and Toxic. Despite an awkward introduction, the two appeared to be getting along quite well...

Wait a second.

While she loved her friend dearly, Pepper knew Sky was a bit oblivious when it came to the more subtle social things.

And by 'social things,' she meant dealing with stallions. Mainly from lack of experience mind you.

Was it normal for ponies who have just met to be chatting about who knows what like long-lost friends? Maybe, but not for Sky. This was the mare who was reluctant to share what her cutie mark meant. Pepper didn't miss how Toxic's stutter and inflections lessened slightly, nor how Sky seemed a bit apprehensive meeting Toxic's gaze.

The two now walked over to the large hole and looked inside, Toxic probably explaining what the water-testing thing did.

Now that her friend couldn't see, Pepper let a wide grin slide onto her face. The two ponies now had sat down and were talking about...something.

She had her work cut out for her.

Author's Note

Tada!
Enjoy! Feedback, as always, is appreciated!