//------------------------------// // Is Not Stopping // Story: Package Not Delivered // by M48 Patton //------------------------------// Dug strode into town to the small shack that passed as a post office. There he laid the colt down in his own cot before walking to the front of the office and staring at the board mounted near the door. On it was a list of towns with prices next to them. Postage wasn't cheap this far out in the middle of nowhere, but sometimes it was worth the cost. “Mister Diggum?” Bit's voice, small and frightened, came from inside the shack. Dug walked into the door and stood there sheepishly looking down at a sniffling Bit. “Mister Diggum.” Bit said. “What happened?” Dug would have traded his entire life away if if meant he didn't have to answer that question, but he was here and there was no easy way out. “Yer aunt. . . She was not there.” Dug said slowly. “She never was.” Bit's eyes moistened but he didn't start crying, at least not yet. “So what does that mean for me?” Dug looked around and saw a stamp that had never been used before. He reached over and picked it up before giving it to the colt. “Return to sender.” Bit read aloud. The silence was deafening. It was almost a relief to hear the train whistle in the distance, and even more so when the train rumbled past and shook the entire shack. The train didn't last forever and eventually passed leaving the two in silence once again. It was Bit who broke it, speaking out in a hushed voice. “Somehow, I knew it was too good to be true.” He whispered just barely loud enough to hear. “The yelling stopped, the fighting, the hate. It just stopped. Suddenly, Mom and Pop were smiling, telling me that it was going to get better. I was going to leave and they'd come get me when it was all better. “I knew they were lying, but I wanted to believe them. Why did they have to lie?” Dug didn't have an answer, so Bit asked again, the tears beginning to flow. “They could've told me! Why lie to me? Why send me so far away? Was I that bad of a colt?” The diamond dog didn't know how to respond and so he picked up the colt and hugged him close while sitting down on the cot. “Why does nopony want me?” Bit cried into Dug's shoulder. “Why was I even born if not even my own parents wanted me?” Dug made soft growls as he stroked the back of the colt, trying to calm him like he had seen a mother calm her baby. “Bit, I. . . Bad things happen.” Dug began. “But you have to keep going. Keep going, it will get better.” “You can't know that!” Bit yelled, squeezing his eyes shut as he slammed a hoof against Dug's shoulder. “What would you know? You're just a mail pony! I- I don't even know what you are!” Dug let Bit hit him a few more times, each of the colt's punches weaker than the last. “Bit, I tell you story.” Dug said, placing Bit on the cot to his side and reaching down. Bit watched as he pulled up a metal ball attached to the chain that ran to his ankles. “Your chain?” The colt whimpered. “It not always there.” Dug said. “I young once, and free. Many years ago, I was digging. Digging far and finding shinies. Two dogs with me. Best friends. One day, I find white pony, she find best shinies. We try to take her, but she escape.” “You tried to kidnap her?” Bit asked, horrified. Dug nodded sadly. “I bad dog. And I pay for bad.” Bit looked at the ball and chain. “You're a prisoner?” Nodding again, Dug reached under the cot and pulled out a picture frame. “When King Dirt learn we take pony, he angry. He say we start war with ponies maybe. My friends go to griffon land. Me, I get caught. I punished.” Bit looked at the frame and was surprised to see it written in Equestrian. Taking a hold of it, he began to read aloud. “I, King Dirt Mover, hereby find thee, Dug Diggum, to be guilty of treason. From this day forth, you shall serve as a post dog until your. . . your dying day?” Bit looked at Dug with scared eyes. “You're never able to leave?” Dug took the frame and placed it back under the bed. “Maybe. I still young. Maybe someday King change mind. Someday, I dig again.” “Have you ever tried to escape?” Bit asked. “Once.” Dug said, picking his ball and chain again. “Magic. No escaping. No money. No food. Only mail.” “No food?” Bit asked. “Wouldn't you starve?” Dug merely pointed to the ball. “Magic.” Bit looked down at the stamp and sniffled. “I guess you got it pretty bad, huh?” “No. You rock bottom. Me okay.” Dug said. “But you keep going, okay? Just like me. One day, it get better.” Bit looked up at him, and even though he was still crying, he was smiling. “Okay, I'll keep going.” Dug took the stamp from him and set it back on the shelf. Shuffling over to a corner of the room, he picked up the floorboard and reached inside. The moment he grabbed the handful of gems laying in the hole, his ball and chain lit up with a burning light. Searing pain jolted up his legs and he yelped at the feeling. “Mister Diggum!” Bit ran to help, but Dug pushed him away. “Okay! Okay!” Dug yipped. He quickly placed the bits in a metal tray next to a register looking device and the light died out as well as the pain. Bit looked at the ball and chain in fear but moved to help Dug. “What happened?” He asked as he checked to see if there was any damage to Dug's legs. “No money.” Dug said before pulling the lever on the side of the register. The tray of gems tipped into the machine and there was grinding noise before it spat out a set of stamps. Dug took them and began placing them over the stamps already on Bit's address card. “What are you doing?” Bit asked. Dug finished placing the stamps on the card and began looking for the quill the post office had been given. “You go new home.” He said. “Pony town. They take good care of you.” Upon finding the quill, he crossed out the address of the mining complex and wrote 'pONyt0WN OrFunAGE'. “But, I want to stay with you!” Bit protested. “No money, no food, no you.” Dug answered firmly. “What about Goldie then?” Bit asked. “What if I stay with her and work in the town?” “She more poor than me.” Dug said. “You go, but visit someday.” Bit tried to protest but Dug held up his hand. “You visit?” The colt's words died on his lips and he mutely nodded. He began to tear up again, but was suddenly wrapped in a bear hug by Dug. “You keep going. Someday, I go too.” The evening train's whistle shrieked and the engine yanked forwards, straining against the heavy load trailing a mile behind. The caboose felt the jolt moments later, slowly beginning to moving out of the station. Bit stood on the rear railing, waving to Dug as the train slowly picked up speed. Dug stood on the platform waving to Bit. For the first time in a long time, he smiled.