“So, I tell her, ‘No, you,’ and that’s how I won my first tournament.” Archer grinned and hopped up, her bags thumping on her back right below the joint where her wings met her body. “After that, I got my cutie mark.”
“Wow,” Dinky said, skipping over puddles of water on the road’s edge. “That’s so cool! I have never won any tournaments or anything like that.” She beamed at her friend as the clouds parted. Dinky watched as the light streamed onto her blank flank. "I wonder what my cutie mark will be. I guess I'll find out sooner or later."
“You’re not in a hurry?”
The grey filly hiked up her shoulders up. “Well, not really. I don’t know what it will be, but I’m sure it’s going to be something... me-like.” Dinky shifted her attention back to the roadway. “You must have been happy to get yours, and I bet your parents were proud, too!”
Archer drooped her head, causing her mane to obscure her eyes. “Yeah, they were really happy. But, neither of them were there that day....”
“Oh.” That must be really hard. I couldn’t live without Mommy.
“Anywho! Do you want to go over to Pinkie Pie’s? She’s got these mean
triple-decker-heart-attack-and-high-cholesterol-inducing cupcakes. They’re so good that you’re not allowed to bake them in six countries. My treat?”
Stomach gurgling, Dinky spied the road ahead where the cobblestone streets of Ponyville turned towards the town’s centre. “Well, I’d love to, but I should really be studying instead. School’s not over until summer starts and that means we should work hard until then.”
Archer slowed to a plodding stop. “You’re kidding me, right? You’d rather study than enjoy yourself? We don’t even have a test coming up yet or anything!”
“Well, there are other things to study. Right now, I’m looking into basic atomic structure and energy production. I think I figured out how to split an atom by using magic. It might be like a cell, where you split one and then get two, or maybe it’s going to be a like a burst. I can’t wait to try! Maybe you should study biology or something? It sorta goes with archery, and we’ll be talking about it in the middle of our textbooks this year.”
Placing a hoof on Dinky’s shoulder, Archer forced the young mare to face her. “Dinky, as your friend and somepony that dearly wants to endure your presence, I will take it upon myself to teach you how to have fun.”
“I-I know how to have fun...! Math is fun, right?” She called me her friend again! This is perfect. The sixteenth time in eight days! I wonder if there’s a scale of friendship, or a comprehensive list of gradual increments?
“Celestia, no!” Archer exclaimed, calling Dinky back to the moment. “Math sucks! I hate it!” Her nose wrinkled in distaste.
“Well, that’s only because you fail to understand it yet.”
“Oh, yeah? You don’t understand fun yet. When’s the last time you played instead of doing your homework? Or took a nap in class when it gets boring? Or passed along some notes? Or made silly faces at others? I’ll teach you what fun is like!”
Somepony behind and above them coughed.
With a bad case of preemptive cringing, Dinky looked up to the grey form of a pegasus floating above her with a fierce and all-too-familiar scowl.
“Dinky Doo Hooves. What’s this talk about passing notes in class and taking naps?” her mother asked, not in anger but with a disappointed whisper; it was far, far worse.
“M-M-Mommy. I... we were just talking, about stuff, and things. It’s of no concern, really,” the filly said, backing up until puddle water welled around her ankles.
Derpy Hooves stared at Archer with the discerning eyes of a mother whose precious little filly was in harm’s way and harrumphed. “Dinky, we’re going to have a long, long talk about bad influences. Okay? “
“Yes, ma’am,” both fillies said together before swallowing hard and giving each other sidelong glances. Oh no, if she doesn’t stop... Mommy's going to ruin everything. “What’s wrong, Mommy? Why’re you here and not at home?” Dinky asked, forcing a smile that never touched her eyes.
“I’ll tell you later, my little muffin." Dinky cringed and Archer’s lips twitched a tiny bit on the edges. "But first, we have to go home, and we need to get ready in a hurry. We have a date." Giving Archer a warning glance, Derpy beat her wings and took to the air, a trail of loose feathers leading after her as she soared towards the north.
Archer watched the mare go, eyes trailing after the quickly fading form before she spoke. “Your mom’s a little crazy, but she seems nice enough.” Turning her head back to Dinky, she smiled. “Maybe me and your mom can meet a little more... nicely?”
“Well, I sure hope so,” Dinky sighed. A date? What sort of date? We’re on the eighth of Fall today. Is that what she meant? Did we get new calendars? With her mane swishing from side to side, the filly shook her head, banishing the thoughts for the time being. “Right, I’d better go after her. I’m sorry about the cupcake thing. Maybe next time we could, um... do friend stuff?” she asked as her forehoof dug an involuntary hole in the ground.
“Yeah, sure thing. I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” Archer said. The blue filly extended a hoof and left it hanging between the two.
After the barest hesitation, Dinky bumped hooves. “Right! I can’t wait. Don’t forget to study, and remember the math homework that Miss Cheerilee gave us, all right?”
Archer nodded. “Yeah, yeah. Get going, Dinky. I’ll wait for you before school.” She turned and began walking away, her outstretched wings saluting from behind. “Bye!”
Well, I guess I should get going. Dinky turned as well and plodded towards her home. Pastel homes and colourful ponies passed by her on every side. Foals and adults laughed aloud, the joyous sounds amplified by the proximity of the buildings, while birds flitted through the sky, scavenging for food and bedding. Still, something was off.
The ponies were concerned with their own matters. Mate with mate, friend with friend. The chatting wasn’t aimless, but always targeted to an acquaintance. In the centre of it, Dinky was alone.
Lower lip trembling, the purplish-grey unicorn sped up her pace and blinked away any premature tears. D-don’t be silly. I’ve only left Archer for a minute, and I’m going to see Mommy. She’s my bestest friend, no? As Dinky crossed the threshold of weird to familiar, the little pony shook off the gripping fear and paranoia; it still remained embedded in her like a throbbing splinter, but one that had lost its edge.
With one last curve taken, Dinky found herself on the path home. Her hooves bit at the gravelly road, lifting a thin plume of dust and the occasional stray leaf behind her. I might not know too much about fun, but I know that being alone isn’t.
Her house loomed ahead, a fortress of solitude and a sanctuary of safety, surrounded by hedges that were just a little overgrown with a garden that had badly needed some weeding three weeks ago, and was now a jungle of terrible proportions. The aroma of freshly baked muffins lingered in the air, giving even the most tenacious thorny brambles a homely smell.
The old, oaken door gave way with a shove of magic and a grunt from the filly. Its opening allowed the day’s light to pour into the spartan dining room and shine on the pots and pans flying through the air.
“Huh?” was all Dinky had time to say before the clatter of steel on drywall cut her off. Before her mind had formulated a hypothesis to explain the sudden presence of airborne cutlery, Derpy Hooves flew past the entryway in a blur, dragging loose sheets of paper in her wake. “Mommy?” the filly squeaked.
Her mother appeared again, this time with all four hooves grinding on the ground to slow her flight in front of the master bedroom’s door. “Dinky! You’re home.”
“Um, well, yes, I guess I am,” she said as she stepped into the little home. The house was a mess, more so than usual. Dresses and fancy accessories were heaped across the counters, and makeup stained the kitchen mirror. Dinky had little time to determine probable causes before she found herself face-to-face with her mother’s mascara, blush and lipstick cover canvas of a face.
“Mommy... are you... all right?”
“Oh, my little muffin! I’m more than ‘alright.’ I’m all right! But you need to hurry up and make yourself pretty.” She sniffed Dinky. “Also, you smell terrible.”
Zipping back to the kitchen, Derpy pushed bottles and jars about with her wings until, finally, she grabbed a long, thin bottle of yellow-grey liquid and trotted back to Dinky. “Close your eyes,” she ordered before lifting the perfume.
Three splashes later, Dinky was assaulted with the thick scent of lilac and lemons while splotches of her coat fizzled and puffed. “Mommy, what’s going on?” Dinky said as she stepped away from her mother.
“Didn’t I tell you? We’re going on a date, my little pastry. Now, go put on something pretty and meet me outside—” she glanced at the wall clock “—two minutes ago.”
Without further ado, the mare sidestepped around her daughter and trotted out the door with her white dress flowing around her form. Blinking at her mother’s aftershadow, Dinky’s mind kicked back into full gear. Well, okay. Mom has a date with somepony. I have to go with her. Wait, Mommy has a date? A slow smile began to tug at her. “Mommy has a date!” she said aloud in a sing-songy voice. “And she didn’t remember about Archer!”
“We’ll talk about that blue filly later!” Derpy’s voice rang through the still-open doorway. “Hurry up!”
Dinky’s smile vanished. Groaning, she walked across the living room and slid into her bedroom, leaving the door wide open as she slid off her saddlebags and tossed them onto her bed. The bags bounced off the primed and pressed surface.
I wonder if I’ll have enough time to do all of next week's homework? she wondered as she made a beeline to her closet. Within the closed locker were dozens of items of clothing, all set in neat rows above stacked textbooks that couldn’t find any place on her shelves. Horn aglow, Dinky pulled out a dozen ribbons and spun them through the air. Her eyes alighted on a bright yellow affair with tiny bubble shapes printed over it. I guess that’ll do.
The glowing ribbon spun about around her short mane and tied itself into a tight bow. Her reflection smiled back, the bow bouncing behind her head as she nodded to herself. Right, now to find out what this is all about.... I can’t believe Mommy has a date!
I wonder if he’s handsome? Oh! Maybe it’s that weird doctor.... Nah, he pretended not to know me last time, she thought before sticking out her tongue. That was rude. I guess I could just ask her, she reasoned as she clicked the door shut and headed outside.
“That’s all you’re wearing?” Derpy asked with a lifted brow.
“Well, I don’t think it’s going to be too formal... is it?”
Derpy shook her head. “No, he doesn’t even know that we’re going, yet. You should be fine. Maybe you can play with his little brother while Mommy talks about big-pony things?”
The two young mares began to walk along the gravelly path. Derpy took the lead with long skips and bounds that brought her into the air with the erratic beats of her wings. An enormous smile split her features, only beset by the inkling of worry hidden behind her forward-looking gaze.
When the mother-daughter duo reached the town's edge, a question lingered in Dinky's head. "Mommy?" She shook her head, letting the bow settle along her back. “Who is it that we’re going to see? I mean, your ‘date’?”
The mother settled at her daughter's side, wings gently folding back into place with each feather stretched to their limit. “Just a very nice, and very handsome, young gentlestallion. He has a little brother in your class.” Derpy stared at her daughter with the same expression reserved for final warnings. “Now, you’d better be nice to that little colt. I don’t want to hear about you hurting his feelings, all right?”
“Um, sure Mommy... but who is it?” she asked before nudging up to her mom’s side and firing away with the biggest puppy-dog eyes she could manage.
Derpy’s face twisted into a wispy knowing smile and she looked ahead, ignoring the water-filled orbs her daughter was presenting. “That nice, charming young stallion I met on your first day of school. You know, Mister Thunderlane.”
“Rumble’s brother?!” Dinky blurted out, almost tripping as the ground turned from uneven gravel to paved stones. Wait, wait, wait, she told herself as the entire world dropped out below her, unleashing a wave of vertigo that yanked her insides around. Mommy wants to date Rumble’s brother?
“Yup. That little colt.”
For a moment of silence, the two listened to the plodding of their hooves on the ground, Derpy’s excited tapping and Dinky’s measured pace. Derpy led them through the twists and turns of the town, always navigating towards the centre where more and more ponies were gathered. The markets were closing for the day to escape while the sun was still in the sky. Carts rattled by and ponies were saying their goodbyes on street corners and from one window to another, while the wafting scent of a dozen different supper meals circulated with the traffic.
Dinky closed her eyes and faced the descending sun, feeling the calming rays as they played across her visage. I hope this date thing’s not too long. I need sleep if I’m to do well in school tomorrow.... I wonder how Rumble’s going to be? Her stomach began to churn, but she suspected that it had little to do with the aromas around her.
“I’ve had my eye on this Thunderlane colt for a little while now. He seems like quite the gentlestallion... and he’s one good-looking stud-muffin.”
Dinky shrugged. “Okay. Isn’t he a little young though, Mommy? He’s, like, half your age.”
“He is not! He’s two-thirds my age. And don’t you go telling him or his brother, okay? There’s no age to love.”
“Huh. Does that mean I can date somepony older than me?” Dinky asked.
Hooves crashed into the pavement and struck up sparks as Derpy came to an immediate stop and swung around, bringing her face within a hair's breadth of her daughter’s. “No.”
Swallowing hard, Dinky nodded slowly. “Okay.” Note to self: Never mention dating to Mommy. Not that I would want to date... I don’t think. Dating sounds complicated. And scary. And I’d need a colt to date. Maybe Rumble wou— Dinky shook her head and allowed her thoughts to jumble about. Blood rushed to her cheeks and, under her mother’s questioning stare, she found something to look at on the ground below.
“We’ll talk about that later, too. I can’t have my little filly worried about things like that, yet. You’re too young to fall in love.” Placing a wing on Dinky’s back, Derpy nodded to the road ahead while her face contorted into a mischievous smile. “Come on, I’m sure we’ll have nice, safe fun.”
As they made their way around a few more bends, the pair began to gain some momentum. Ponies were becoming scarcer as the sky started to darken and shops began to close their doors, all save for one.
Up ahead—standing in full decorum like a testament to joy, fun, and pies—was Sugarcube Corner.
Candlelight flickered out from within; the wispy trails of smoke mixed with the steam of a dozen baking pies. Cooked apple, blueberry, chocolate and a hundred spices made the air thick and succulent to the taste. Dinky found herself licking her lips and biting back the need to salivate all over the ground as her mother beelined to the restaurant.
“Are we going to Sugarcube Corner?” Pupils dilating and eyes widening, Dinky ran ahead of her mother, spun around, and began hopping on the spot. “Are we? Are we? Are we?”
“Yes, my little muffin, we’re going there. But Mommy wants you to be very calm and respectful. And don’t talk to strangers or follow them into carriages, especially if they offer you candy.” Derpy forged ahead until she reached the propped-open door to the restaurant. Laughter poured out, the high-pitched giggles of mares and throaty guffaws of older stallions. “Be very polite, okay? Mister Thunderlane doesn’t know that we’re on a date yet.”
Can you do that? Date somepony without them knowing? Dinky followed her mother into the pastry shop, the shift in sound of her hooves hitting the wooden floor coming in time with the sensory overload of the brightly lit interior.
Pastel-painted walls with candy-cane and lollipop trim was the backsplash to a room filled with awesome and intriguing paraphernalia. A pink mare was skipping about with a platter of cupcakes on her back, the pastries only holding on by the tiniest margin as she bounced from one table to the next, and chatted away in a high-pitched tone. She stopped at a table, one that held two colts of interest.
Another mare, older and radiating a warm calmness, walked across the room and stopped a few steps from Derpy. “Hello, is there any way I can help you?” she asked.
“Yes, please,” Derpy said. “Could we have a seat... over there?” Derpy pointed to one of the empty tables, one placed right beside that of Thunderlane and Rumble.
“Certainly.” The older mare led them through the maze of seats and chairs that filled the store currently at half-capacity.
As she trailed further behind her mother, Dinky craned her neck to see around the assortment of ponies until she could get a clean fix on Thunderlane and, especially, Rumble. As she was staring, a pair of pegasi seated nearby began whispering in hushed, conversational tones. Their voices carried over to Dinky’s perked ears.
“Come on, Flitter. It’s only for a bit of fun. Plus, you’ve seen how good he looks,” said the first, a purplish blue mare with a wild mane. She toyed with the mug on her end of the table, pushing it with a hooftip before dragging it back.
The other mare rolled her eyes and tossed a lock of her long mane over her ear. “Don’t be silly, Cloudchaser. You can see that he’s doing something with the kid. It’s important to them.”
“Hey, Rumble loves me!” Cloudchaser replied in a barking whisper. “I used to foalsit him. I can just trot up all nonchalant and strike up a conversation. No biggie.”
“Come on, Dinky. Sit down,” Derpy called from across the room.
The filly blinked and sped to the table where her mom was sitting, losing the conversation behind her as she did so. While she pulled out her seat and climbed into it, Derpy spoke with the waitress mare in a quick, clipped speech pattern, but wore a giddy smile the entire time.
“—and Dinky’s going to have some hot chocolate, please,” Derpy said, then nodded as the lady spun around and trotted away, murmuring the order to herself. “Okay, Dinky, this is it.” Eyes not-so-subtly turning in the direction of the table beside theirs, Derpy spied on Thunderlane and his brother.
Shrugging to the benefit of nopony but herself, Dinky looked at them, too.
Both colts were leaning on the table’s surface, staring at each other with easy smiles over two platters that had recently been filled with cakes, but that now looked like the sand of a dessert. Beside them were two boxes: one near Rumble, the other by Thunderlane. Both had been torn apart, decorative wrapping and ribbons drooping around the open maw that hid the box’s contents. Rumble’s had expert folds and crisp packaging, while Thunderlane’s was held together with more tape and well-wishes than anything else.
“Mommy, what are they doing?” Dinky asked as the waitress pony returned with their drinks.
“Oh, I don’t know. Celebrating some special occasion or something. I heard about it in his mail.” Both boys laughed aloud, the combination of their chorus of joy sending a wave of unease through Dinky. “I’m going to go talk to him,” Derpy said before beginning to push herself off the seat.
Dinky’s forehoof shot out and grabbed at her mother’s leg. “W-wait,” she said, still uncertain as to what she had done. The gaily painted walls of the store around her seemed to be closing in. Questions without answers flowed through her, pinging each time she realised that this was like a test she had not studied for: a situation that was new and scary and dangerous.
“M-Mommy,” she stuttered while her thoughts began to shape into a coherent string. “Mom, why are you doing this?”
“Oh, Dinky. One day you’ll understand. Ponies need friends, and some ponies need to feel loved. Mommy needs herself one hot stud-muffin to keep herself feeling loved.”
“B-but you have me, right? I love you.” Dinky let go of her mother’s hoof, her own clattering on the tabletop and making their two mugs of warm cocoa shake and shiver. “Well... what are you doing?”
“Of course I love you, Dinky, and don’t you ever forget that. But I want someone... more. Is it too much to want more love?” Derpy leaned her head to one side, an eyebrow arching gently.
Mommy does deserve a lot of love. “Yeah, okay. Have fun?” Dinky began to turn her gaze away, pushing through the haze of curiosity when a hoof touched her shin and turned her back.
“How about you help Mommy a little?” When Dinky began to shift her weight uncomfortably within her seat, Derpy began to give her a sly smile. “You can play with that nice Rumble colt while we talk, okay?”
With a scarlet blanket creeping over her features, Dinky nodded. “Okay,” she squeaked.
With much screeching of chairs and some adjusting of bows and dresses, Derpy and Dinky made their way to the nearest table. Derpy strutted ahead of her daughter while Dinky prayed that she could fade away into nothingness. This is all happening far too quickly, she thought as Derpy moved to one side, which gave her a clear view of Rumble. I’m not even sure what’s going on!
Thunderlane was the first to look at Derpy, his easy smile shifting and growing a little wider as he leaned back into his chair and nodded a quick hello. “Hey, Miss... Hooves? Right?”
“Mister Thunderlane,” Derpy replied, her own smile growing until every muscle along her face’s sides were stretched. “It’s such a coincidence to see you here today, and you too, Rumble. What are you two doing here today?”
“Oh, you know, just grabbing an unhealthy bite to eat and celebrating a little something. It was either that or try my cooking again.” Thunderlane and Rumble both stuck their tongues out and wrinkled their noses at the same time.
“You think that your cooking is bad?” Derpy asked with mock sincerity. “All I can make are muffins. But I make really good muffins.... Right, Dinky?”
Dinky nodded the affirmative while still keeping her head low, only peeking up at Rumble through her eyelashes. They’re really nice to each other. Just like me and Mommy.
“Hey, Dinky!” Rumble exclaimed. “Want to see what my brother got for me? I mean, if you're cool with that?”
Blinking back her surprise, Dinky stared at the grey colt’s inviting smile, then up to his jovial eyes. “Well, I-I guess, if y-you don’t mind....”
Reaching up, Rumble clasped the edge of the gift box with his teeth and pulled it off the table before turning and walking away. His tail swished around and the colt hummed an incoherent but happy tune as he trotted to a nearby table. “Comph ouhn, Ah’ll show yah!”
Dinky followed after him, keeping her ears low and pointed behind her as the conversation between her mom and Thunderlane grew in resonance and the two drew closer to one another. As she skirted around Rumble, she noted from the corner of her eye the blue pegasus, Cloudchaser, joining in on the conversation with a tight, strained smile. Wow, Mommy sure does have a lot of friends.
“So, every year,” Rumble began, cutting through her thoughts, “Thunder and me exchange gifts.” He tipped the box, the opening facing away from the familiar ponies. The cardboard side thunked against the tabletop and three objects tumbled out, rolling into Dinky’s sight.
“Well, um, t-that’s interesting,” she said while eyeing the trio of pastel ponies. The plastic figurines looked up to her with glossy eyes that reflected the lights on the ceiling above. Two of them were mares with very shapely bodies that wore thin armour while the third was a bulky brick of a stallion with a large sword clamped in his square jaw. “Um.... Dolls?”
Rumble laughed, the tittering sound coming from deep within his chest as he hopped off the table to grab at his belly. “Ah, Thunder told me not to show them to fillies. I guess this is why!” Still laughing, Rumble began to explain. “Not dolls; action figures. They’re from my favourite comics. Penitentiary and Ponies.”
Aren’t dolls and action figures the same thing? Dinky wondered as she tilted her head to one side and shifted her focus between the colt and the figurines, then back again. “Well, okay. I guess.”
Crossing his legs on the surface, Rumble leaned his head onto them. “It’s okay if you don’t get it. It’s something my brother and me share. It is a little weird, but we’re cool with ponies thinking of us that way. And it means something to us, you know?”
Dinky’s eyes lit up and for a moment, the colt’s easy smile cracked through her defences. “Yeah, I guess I sorta do. Mommy and I have our things, too. And I guess it could be worse. They could be girl toys.” They shared a smile, eye meeting eye before a blush creeped up her features and made her tear her attention away. “So, do you and Mister Thunderlane do this often?” she asked, more to gain time for herself than to actually know.
It was Rumble’s turn to shy away. “No, not really. Just once a year, at this time. We trade some gifts and then we eat something that tastes better than what we usually eat at home. It’s fun. And it keeps our minds off of other things.” Reaching up, the colt scratched at the nape of his neck. “So, should we go outside, or something?”
Dinky looked over her shoulder at her mother, who was still batting her eyebrows and sharing in a deep conversation with Thunderlane. Still, every so often she would glance around and glare at Cloudchaser when Thunderlane’s attention deviated. She does look happy, like she’s playing with some friends, Dinky thought. She won’t mind if I leave for a little bit. “Well, okay, I guess. Where did you want to go?”
“Just outside; get some fresh air.” He shrugged. “Talk a bit.”
“Oh... that sounds... um...”
“Just like friends. Yap away and complain about the weather.”
“All right.” Shuffling her hooves next to one another, Dinky began to turn around as Rumble shoved his figurines back into their box. Did he call me his friend? Is it that easy? I-I thought becoming somepony’s friend was hard. Hmm, maybe my previous theory on levels of friendship was correct. When the last toy thumped along the box’s bottom, Rumble sped to his table with the container and slid it onto his seat. I wonder how much Mommy and Thunderlane are friends?
“Come on,” he said as he trotted by with eager steps.
Without any fuss, Dinky fell in behind him, casting one last glance at her mother before the two foals crossed the maze of chairs and tables. The hubbub of clients talking and the different aromas of their meals washed over the young pair until they reached the entranceway. There, Rumble slid the door open and placed his hoof against the base of it, leaving the doorway wide open for Dinky. Like the gentlestallions in the novels she had read, Rumble gave her a curt bow as she slid past him.
Fresh evening air met Dinky as she walked out of Sugarcube Corner, filling the filly’s lungs with the cool scent of the town going to sleep.
Rumble was right beside her, close enough that his coat brushed against hers and sent a tingle-like jolt of electricity along her spine. “Hmm, maybe we could go over there?” he asked, pointing to the nearby patio with its round tables and many chairs. “You know, as long as we get fresh air and all that.”
Dinky hummed an okay and began walking after him, all the while stealing glimpses at her less-than-steady legs. It’s just Rumble. He’s a friend, so it’s normal to spend time with him. Why is it making me so nervous? I shouldn’t be afraid to speak or talk or laugh, right?
“Are you okay, Dinky?” he asked before slowing to a halt halfway to the tables. The last orange rays of the sun’s light fragmented across his grey coat, giving him the appearance of being made of molten gold. His brows furrowed in concern as he took a step to her. “You look out of it. Is something wrong?”
“N-no, not really. I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?” he asked again, moving in a little closer and into the bright rays of light. His coat radiating Celestia’s sun, Rumble looked into her eyes. “Thunderlane always said that a stallion should go out of his way to make sure that all mares are happy. And that means knowing why you’re not happy.”
“I-it’s okay, I’m goo—well. I’m well.”
“You don’t look ‘well.’” Rumble sighed and shifted his weight to one side, his face contorting into a half-grin. “If you want to talk about it, I’m here. That’s what friends do.”
“Friends?” Dinky blurted out before slapping a hoof over her mouth. “Um, I, well, I mean....” Oh, calm down, Dinky! she internally screamed as she bit her lip and squeezed herself into a tight ball. He’s my friend. He said so! We’re friends and we’re supposed to be comfortable. Right?
Then, why does he make me feel so different?
A soft hoof touched her on the shoulder, the same place where he had touched her when they first met so many days ago. “If you don’t want to talk, that’s fine too....” She felt, rather than heard, Rumble shifting until he was seated by her side.
Moments passed. Dinky felt an odd warmth radiating from the colt beside her that gently chased away the lukewarm grip that had taken hold of her that day. Like fine cider, Rumble’s presence warmed her belly and burned its way down her throat. “Things are going fast today,” she found herself saying. Her gaze was firmly planted on the spot where her hooves met the stone pavement.
“That happens, sometimes,” Rumble agreed. The colt took in a breath of air, his chest puffing out and making him seem so much bigger, so much stronger. “I remember the same thing happening a few years ago today.”
Dinky nodded, not quite understanding either what he had said or the undertone of sadness in his youthful voice, but agreeing nonetheless. Slowly, she lifted her eyes up and swallowed the world around her in a single gulp.
The streets of Ponyville stretched out from where she stood, rising and falling but remaining true and straight. The houses, already homey and comforting, were painted in the purples and reds of the sunset while the orange light of candle flames danced on curtains and window panes. The sky above was a kaleidoscope of mismatched clouds. Long, thin, fat and minuscule blotches of careless greys and vibrant cobalts formed a rough semicircle around the hazy outline that the sun left.
Contrasted against it all was Rumble. The lights played with his fur as if he was a canvas for the sunset. He turned to her and smiled. “It’s sorta pretty out tonight, huh?”
“Yes. It is,” she said. Then, after a short pause, she added, “Rumble?”
“Yeah?”
“Are we really friends?”
One of his eyebrows arched up. “Of course I’m your friend! Dinky, you’re one of my classmates. And we’re friendly enough. I mean, you’re really nice to me, a-and Thunderlane and your mom get along... so there’s that.”
“Oh, I guess we are friends then,” she said. That’s it? We’re friends now? That was so... easy! And this feeling. It’s so much better than being... with no friends. “I think I like having friends,” she declared.
Rumble laughed along with her and then he stood, preferring to trot over to the seats than spend time sitting on the cold pavement. When Dinky followed after him, he pulled a chair back for her and helped her into it before finding his own seat. “Having friends is a good thing, usually. I mean, things sure are more fun when we’re together, right?”
She nodded from her seat as she shifted about, making herself comfortable. “Do you know what friendship means?”
“I guess it means being together, liking somepony enough that you want to be with them. Part of their lives. Maybe you need to have some things that are the same as the others. An-and it’s feelings, like trusting that pony no matter what, and knowing that you can tell him or her the truth about anything and expecting the same from them.” Rumble grinned shyly at her, almost as if he were embarrassed. “Or something like that.”
Dinky grinned back and nodded, the cogs of her mind swirling about as knowledge became understanding. “Well, in that case, I really want to be your friend, too.”
Surprise registered on his features, but only for a brief moment before moving on. “Okay. I don’t think I ever agreed to be somepony’s friend before. It usually just sort of happens,” he said before adding a shrug.
He’s so... easy to be with. I have to ask Archer about things that friends do with each other and then do them with him. Exhaling an easy breath, Dinky leaned her hoof on the table and shared a long look with Rumble until the colt began to giggle for no apparent reason. “What’s wrong?” she asked, not alarmed in the least.
“I didn’t think my night would be like this. We were supposed to eat good, trade gifts, then go home. Now, I’m with a pretty young mare, outside, and far from home.”
Dinky’s heart infiltrated her ears at the sound of ‘pretty,’ thumping away with a deep, bass-filled beat that drowned everything out. A dozen maddening beats later, and the blood rushed out of her in a whooshing cascade that left her feeling light.
“S-so, y-you and Thunder—Mister Thunderlane trade gifts today?”
“Yup, this time, every year.”
Placing her forehooves over her chest, Dinky spied at Rumble through her eyelashes. “Well, I didn’t bring much, but I guess I could give you something...”
“Huh?” the colt said, an eyebrow rising up in a fashion that played tricks with her heart. “No, there’s no need for that. It’s just betwee—”
“No!” she said with more force and conviction than she had expected from herself. “Um, please, take this?” Closing her eyes, the filly set her horn aglow, knowing that the pink hue of her magic was washing across the world around them.
With delicate tugs, she pulled at the strings of her bow, undoing the knot with a graceful sweep as the material unfolded behind her.
Wide-eyed, Rumble watched the cloth circle the air before cascading around his neck to form a thin, silky scarf.
“Well, I-I hope you like it!” Dinky said as the luminosity above her head faded into obscurity. She watched attentively as Rumble pressed a hoof against the pliable material and stroked it.
“It’s, it’s really pretty,” the colt said, his joyous, youthful voice suddenly edged and rough. The bubbles printed on the yellow texture waved as his hooftip moved by. “Thank you, really.”
He’s happy. I made one of my friends be happy! Chuckling, Dinky mussed her mane to fix the stops where the bow had tapered it down, then she leaned back into her seat, letting out an easy breath as she did so.
The sun faded into obscurity as their conversation resumed, transitioning from half-baked gossip about Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon to an almost in-depth analyses of Miss Cheerilee and her teaching habits. In the end, when the two could see each other as vague outlines and sketches of ponies, Derpy stomped out of Sugarcube Corner, Cloudchaser hot on her heels.
“Why did you have to say that?” Cloudchaser hissed, a hundred droplets of spittle arched through the air to assault Derpy’s muzzle. “I didn’t want to humiliate you.”
“Humiliate me? You don’t know nothing.” Surging forward, Derpy poked the tip of her hoof into Cloudchaser’s puffed chest. “Just let go of my stud-muffin.”
Snarling like rabid animals, the two pegasi locked eyes and glared at one another. "Um, ladies," Thunderlane began, "is something wrong?
Cloudchaser’s scowl disappeared, replaced by a tittering laugh. “Oh, it’s nothing, Thunderlane.”
“We were just talking, about the weather,” Derpy added with a massive grin. “And we were noticing how very... night-ish it was?”
“Yeah, and commenting on how Derpy’s here,” Cloudchaser grabbed Derpy in a wing-hug, one that looked awfully tight to Dinky. “Was just saying that she was going to head off to home. She’s got a little filly that has school tomorrow and all.”
Thunderlane scratched the nape of his neck, just like Rumble had done earlier and plastered his easy smile back on. The two mares bit their lips as the stallion beamed at them. “Ah, that’s too bad. But I guess it’s just part of being a mom, huh? Actually, we should probably get going, too. Rumble’s got class in the morning, and he’s probably already hyped up on Miss Pie’s cakes.” The two mares shuffled from side to side, Cloudchaser finally loosening her grip on Derpy.
Dinky turned to Rumble, a wistful smile on her face as she ran the day’s events by in a glimmer that soon faded away into a dull throb of hope. “It was... fun,” she whispered to Rumble.
The colt nodded in the darkness. “Yeah. Thanks for the bow... scarf thing. It’s cool.” He slipped out of his seat and helped her out of her own. “Will I see you at school tomorrow?”
“Well, I hope so,” she truthfully said.
As they approached the trio of adults, they saw Derpy Hooves splitting off and heading to them. Behind her, Cloudchaser was staring up to Thunderlane with her tail twitching, like a cat enamoured by a laser pointer. “So, Thunderlane,” she said. “Do you want to walk me home...? Protect me from criminals and stuff?”
The stallion seemed to consider it for a moment, then pointed to a nearby cloud. “Don’t you live right there? And isn’t Flitter with you?”
“Oh, yeah.... Want me to walk you home?” she asked, her tail’s twitch missing a beat. “I could... protect you from criminals and stuff.”
“N-no, it’s okay Miss Chaser. We live far across town. I, uh, appreciate the offer, though.” Turning to his brother, Thunderlane reached out and ruffled Rumble’s mane. “Come on, we’ll get our things and head home before Miss Pie gets tired of seeing us.”
The doors to the Sugarcube Corner closed with a gentle thump, locking the night from the welcoming store and leaving those outside to think in the darkness. “You know, this would had been perfect if you weren’t here,” Cloudchaser said, not with venom, but with the pouting discontent of a child left unsatisfied.
“Well,” Derpy replied with the prim and proper tone of a high-class mare. “We were doing fine until you showed up. Come, Dinky. We’re going home.” The filly watched as the two mares separated, sparks clashing in the air between them until Derpy strolled to her daughter’s side and nudged her with a wing-tip. Dinky spun about and trotted along at her mother’s side, stealing a last glance over her shoulder to the shop where her new friend was hiding.
The pair walked through Ponyville in the general direction of their home, Derpy’s tense shoulders slumping little by little with every step she took away from the restaurant. Dinky sighed contentedly, basking in the low tide of happiness that the night had given her. She had made another friend. Two. Soon, everypony was going to be her friend. But she wondered if there was more to friendship.
Her mother’s anger dissipated and her ears drooped, hanging on either side of her head like a comical pair of wet leaves. “Dinky,” she whispered in a voice that was too hoarse tobe her mother’s. “Don’t ever fall in love, my little muffin. Love can be very, very painful, and I don’t want to see you get hurt, okay?”
Dinky blinked at her mother, sensing the gloom building around the mare’s heart. “But, Mommy. What is love?”
Derpy reeled away, a tiny blush appearing on her cheeks as she was taken aback. “I-it’s when two ponies come together and share. They become close and stuff. Like how me and you are, my muffin. I love you a lot, so I’d do all sorts of things to make you be happy. I’d even hurt you for your own good. But it’s more than that.” The mare looked to their house as it coasted into sight around the bend, a hovel squatted on a lonely hill.
“It’s wanting to be close to that pony, and wanting to share smiles and laughter and to make each other happy. You always have fun with somepony that you love, almost.”
“Oh, okay.” Have fun with them? I have some fun with Archer, she thought while the dull throb returned in full force. And I had a lot of fun with Rumble. I want to be close to him, and we did share things. Does that mean that I’m in love?
Edited by:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_86hYr6EtqRWFU1X8MfKsb66trHI0o75NmvkWHdKoRI/edit?usp=drive_web]The Misfits