//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 // Story: The Tale of a Cross-eyed Mare // by Cheezy805 //------------------------------// The Tale of a Cross-eyed Mare – Part 6 Zedd froze for a moment then frowned. ‘Not funny,’ he said vehemently, casting his eyes to the ground. That was a bad joke from someone he considered a friend. ‘No, Zedd, it’s true. I… admit that I haven’t seen him in a year or so, but at last check he was alive and… well,’ said Bazz, imploringly. ‘Fine. Let’s assume you aren’t lying. What does he look like?’ Bazz glanced up to the sky and his eyes glazed over. After a few seconds of silence he said ‘he’s an earth-pony. Unusual since you’re a unicorn,’ he began, only to be cut off by Zedd. ‘My mum’s- was- the unicorn,’ ‘That would explain it, but it’s still rare. You have his mane. And his eyes. I swear the only difference between you two is in the shape of your muzzle and your height,’ he said. Zedd frowned and muttered ‘we don’t look the same.’ ‘Zedd, I saw him not too long ago. He wouldn’t stop asking about you, he wanted to know you were alive and well. He cares about you.’ ‘That wasn’t my father!’ Zedd shouted. He refused to accept that someone that supposedly loved and cared about him would leave him on his own. ‘Appearances can change, Zedd! How do you know what he looks like?’ Bazz was raising his voice to match Zedd’s. ‘I have a picture of him and my mother.’ ‘Taken how long ago?’ Bazz pressed. This struck hard and Zedd’s face fell. ‘…When I was a foal…’ ‘Now, what did I just say, mate? That picture is probably seventeen years old. I hate to kick you while you’re down, but you need to accept the truth before you can do anything about it.’ Zedd fell silent and sat watching young Pegasi flying to town to celebrate school being over. Bazz sighed and sat next to him, casually placing an earphone back in. The sun had moved noticeably. All of the ponies had finally settled down either at their favourite places in town or back home, barely anypony was still in the streets or the sky. Zedd finally looked down and spoke. ‘Can I see him?’ ‘If you have eyes, yeah, I guess,’ Bazz said nonchalantly. Zedd shot him a violent glance and Bazz seemed to realise he’d said the wrong thing. ‘You can do one better than that, Zedd. I’ll help you find him. School’s going to be kinda sucky without my favourite students in it, so why not, eh?’ ‘When can we leave?’ ‘What, you don’t want to say goodbyes? This could take a while, mate. It’s harder to track people than books make it seem. I’d know.’ Seeing Zedd’s sceptical expression, he quickly noted ‘I’m a writer!’ ‘Well, when can we leave?’ ‘Zedd, think about this… it could take years. Years, mate! Ponies say that time flies and you’ll be old before you know it, but they never left their normal lives for years. At any rate, this’ll probably take a week at least to plan. I need to tell the school if I’m leaving, and you probably need to say goodbyes to certain ponies. Besides, it’s a three-day trot to Manehattan. That’s the last place I saw him.’ Zedd felt his guts lurch. He had found a note under a loose floorboard once. All he could read from it was ‘life is nought but a story. Who will read yours?’ The paper disintegrated almost immediately after he picked it up. This was one of the most important decisions of his life, and if he went through on the plan a huge hole would be left in his story, not to mention Bazz’s. Wait, why would Bazz be willing to go this far for… me? ‘Bazz… why-’ ‘Your father is the best friend I ever had. Sure, I talk to people here and there, and most of the students here like me, but nothing can compare to the friendship I had with your father. We were brothers in all but blood.’ Zedd looked back down at the ground. How could I have ever considered just leaving like that? All of his friends… Pine and Spring… Ditzy… ‘Don’t… you have anypony here that you’d be leaving?’ ‘As I said, mate, I don’t have anyone here. My parents haven’t been around for years, so it’s not like I’m leaving them, and, well, I don’t have a Special Somepony, so whatever.’ He looked at Zedd staring downcast at the ground for a moment. His ears suddenly perked up and he glanced to a spot beyond Zedd. ‘Come and talk to me if you want to go through with this. If you’re serious, we’ll leave in a week. Seeya later, Zedd.’ Almost immediately after Bazz left, Ditzy appeared around a nearby corner and trotted over to Zedd with watery eyes. Zedd immediately felt worse as she said ‘please don’t go…’ Zedd looked properly at her for a moment and saw how she looked so isolated. She was sitting away from him with her shoulders slumped and she was fighting back tears. She looked almost as though if he went, it would be the end of her world. ‘Ditzy, I…’ He trailed off, thinking harder than he had about anything ever before. This would be the most important decision of his life. Love, or closure? Fate plays a cruel game, he thought bitterly. He moved to sit next to her and she pulled back slightly. Zedd felt horrible at this. She saw the look in his eyes and knew this was causing him just as much pain as it was her. She buried her face in his shoulder and hugged him tightly with both forelegs and wings, tears finally overflowing. They sat and hugged together for the longest time, neither willing to relinquish the other for even a moment. Zedd closed his eyes and leaned against her neck as her tears finally stopped and the sobbing slowed. When he opened his eyes again, he saw that the sun was inching closer to the horizon. The moon began to rise. Zedd looked to the familiar collective of craters on the moon face making the shape of the Mare in the Moon. An idea suddenly struck him. ‘Ditzy… let’s go to the forest.’ ‘Why?’ ‘I don’t know, it just feels… right.’ After a sceptical look from Ditzy, they stood and began to canter towards the edge of Ponyville. Zedd was only taking in the small town’s beauty and appeal for the first time now that he was considering leaving it. Sugarcube corner stood above most other buildings, only out shadowed by the hospital and the town hall. Numerous small houses were lining Mane Street with their quaint appeal. The tree near the centre of town was being excavated by Pine and his men; it was to become a library. Zedd wished he could see it complete. The further through town they progressed, the sparser the houses became until finally the town ended and a thick wall of trees and scrub began. The sky was beginning to redden as the sun set, but Ditzy didn’t wish to say anything about going home. She followed Zedd into the forest, walking behind him to avoid walking into trees and bushes. They reached their special clearing and saw something they never expected. A small shack had been erected, and there were several animals sleeping under a small makeshift marquee nearby. Curious, the couple moved to investigate. ‘Hello? Anypony there?’ Zedd called to no response. A squirrel dashed over to Ditzy and climbed over her face to rest in her mane. Ditzy let out a small scream. Zedd fell to his knees laughing, then when he saw her blushing face he laughed even harder and fell over, rolling on the ground. ‘Be quiet! He just startled me, that’s all!’ Ditzy suddenly felt a small squirrel hair on her nose and violently sneezed, knocking the squirrel to the ground. They both heard a high pitch gasp and a young yellow mare flew over to pick the squirrel up and embrace it. As soon as she realised that two other ponies were watching her she retreated to her house and found the door jammed shut. Glancing back at the two ponies (who still hadn’t moved) she squealed and began to pound lightly on the door, quietly begging for it to open. ‘Hey, it’s alright, we won’t hurt you,’ said Zedd softly, leaning towards her and stretching out a hoof. The small Pegasus squealed again and curled up in a ball, the squirrel quickly running to the nearest tree. ‘Please, it’s okay. My name is Zedd, and this is Ditzy. What’s your name?’ The mare lifted her face just high enough that a watery blue eye was visible past her foreleg. ‘Flutt-rm-mm,’ she said quietly. ‘I’m sorry, we didn’t get that,’ said Ditzy a bit too loudly. The mare recoiled a bit behind her hoof. ‘Flu-hmm-mm.’ She hid behind her hoof and her mane now. ‘One more time?’ asked Zedd, a bit quieter than Ditzy. The mare let out a small squeak and hid completely behind her hoof, shaking in fear. Zedd looked to Ditzy who gave him a look that said “I have no idea.” He began to move towards the mare and, when she didn’t run away, he gently turned the doorknob and let the door creak open. Ditzy moved over to stand next to Zedd and the mare chanced another look. Seeing the two much closer than before, she almost hid behind her hoof again, but then noticed the Pegasus and she was filled with hope. ‘Oh! You’re a Pegasus, too! You see, my friend Rainbow Dash was racing, and she knocked me off the cloud I was on- accidentally, I’m sure- and I fell down here, and-’ She suddenly caught sight of Zedd again and fell silent. Ditzy looked to him and back to the Pegasus before slowly saying ‘do you want to talk to me… without him?’ The mare nodded slightly, then looked at Zedd again and eeped. Ditzy stepped in front of Zedd to shield him from view and she steered the small mare into her own makeshift home, nearly pushing her flat into the doorframe because of her depth-perception problems, and gestured for Zedd to sit outside. After the door had closed, the yellow Pegasus lightly sang a few notes and a swarm of fireflies lit up the ceiling, flooding the room with light. The entire house seemed to be made of some form of wood or another; save for a small pile of blankets in the corner that Ditzy assumed was a bed. ‘I… still don’t think I got your name….’ Ditzy thought hard trying to discern whatever it was she was trying to squeak out earlier. ‘I’m sorry, I just get a little bit scared around ponies I don’t know. My name is Fluttershy.’ She moved over to her “bed” and spread a few blankets around the floor; shielding their backsides from the cold wood. ‘So why are you out here in the forest?’ ‘Well, my friend Rainbow Dash- she’s another Pegasus- she was standing up to some bullies for me and they challenged her to a race. I didn’t want to, but Rainbow convinced me to wave the flag to start the race. I’m not good at being the centre of attention, and I could barely stand there, but when they flew towards me I lost my balance and fell. I’ve been living down here for nearly a year now. My wings just aren’t strong enough to carry me all the way back up to Cloudsdale.’ She fluffed her feathers and extended a skinny wing to show Ditzy what she meant. A collective of fireflies landed on her extended wing. ‘Even if I could make it back to Cloudsdale, I don’t think I’d want to. I like taking care of the animals down here! They’re all so cute and nice,’ she said as a firefly landed on her nose. ‘I don’t think I’ve seen you before, though. I came in here with Zedd less than a year ago, why didn’t I see you then?’ ‘Oh, I only found this clearing a few weeks ago. I used to live further into the forest, but I was very scared at night… this part of the forest is filled with cute little critters and it’s not scary at all during the day.’ Ditzy thought about this for a moment before realising something. ‘I think Zedd would be getting cold outside. Should I let him in? Do you think you could handle meeting another pony?’ Fluttershy gasped and rushed to the door to let Zedd in, but then stopped and blushed lightly. ‘What’s… the problem?’ Fluttershy glanced back at Ditzy then opened the door. Zedd looked up from where he was lying on the ground. ‘Hello,’ he said, showing an honest smile. Okay, Fluttershy, you can do this. Please come in. Please come in. Just say please come in! ‘Pleeeaa….’ She trailed off and finished the sentence in a squeak. She ducked behind her hooves and blushed even more. Ditzy appeared next to her and called out ‘come on in, Zedd.’ As Zedd approached, Fluttershy felt her wings moving behind her and rushed over the lean against the wall and flatten them. Zedd walked into the house and glanced around, taking in what little she had in her house. Ditzy led him to sit down opposite Fluttershy. ‘So, do you want to tell me your name yet?’ Her hooves were covering her face to hide her blush and she let out a muffled sound from behind them. Zedd glanced to Ditzy and back again. Fluttershy began to lower her hooves from her face and suddenly shouted ‘You’re cute!’ She looked absolutely shocked at what she had just said and she finally fainted, wings springing open and blush appearing bright on her face. Zedd blushed a bit and looked away. ‘Maybe we should… go…’ he suggested slowly. Ditzy nodded, refusing to make eye contact, and took a spare blanket to drape across the unconscious Pegasus before leaving. As soon as they were out of the clearing Ditzy spoke up. ‘Let’s go to the forest, it feels right!’ she said mockingly. ‘Well, we met someone new. You did, anyway.’ Ditzy grinned at him and tripped over a root. Zedd sighed as he helped her back to her hooves. ‘What are you going to do without me?’ he asked. They both stopped walking. A cricket chirped and an owl hooted in the silence. Zedd regretted opening his mouth at all. He didn’t know what to do. If he kept walking it would be inconsiderate. If he stood silently they would be there all night. He could try talking, but he didn’t know what to say. Ditzy spoke for him. ‘So you’re definitely leaving?’ He spoke without thinking. ‘I have to, Ditzy. This could be one of the most important things to ever happen to me.’ Ditzy looked shocked at this statement. ‘You mean I’m not important?!’ ‘No! I mean, you’re the most important thing in the world to me!’ ‘Then why do you need to leave everyone? Why do you need to go? Why are you leaving me?’ Zedd was struck dumb. Either he had just told a lie or he was being selfish. He opened his mouth to answer, though nothing but a croaky ‘Aaa…’ came out. Ditzy grimaced and turned to dash through the forest. Zedd tried to follow, but was blocked by a thick patch of thorns. She must have been using her wings. He helplessly watched as she turned to a silhouette and disappeared. He was snapped back to his senses by an owl hooting nearby and he continued out of the forest alone. --- ‘Zedd! You’re back. You’re either really early or really late. Don’t the end-of-school parties usually last all night?’ Pine asked as he trotted through the door, head held almost low enough to touch the carpet. Zedd offered a small sad glance and Pine’s smile faltered. ‘What’s happened?’ he asked, realising Ditzy wasn’t with him. Pine glanced at a small burn scar on Zedd’s foreleg and assumed the worst. Zedd couldn’t answer properly. His throat was constricting of its own accord. He tried harder to speak and only succeeded in forcing out a sob. Pine called out to the kitchen ‘Honey, can you put on some coffee? I think we’re going to need it strong.’ He beckoned for Zedd to take a seat on the lounge as he put down his ever-present newspaper. The front page was showing several ecstatic ponies rushing from Ponyville High. ‘Take your time, son,’ he said, despite being worried for his daughter. If he even knew where Ditzy was the information wouldn’t be able to be forced out of him. ‘I’m an idiot. I’m a dumb, selfish, foal! I… I drove away one of the only ponies who matters at all to me in the world. I’m so stupid!’ He collapsed to the floor sobbing. Pine moved over and helped him to his hooves. ‘Zedd, you’re not stupid, that much I’m sure of. Now What. Happened.’ Zedd sat down on the lounge and took a great, shuddering breath before beginning. He thought about everything that had happened since school ended, and while Pine looked saddened that Zedd would possibly be leaving, he knew that Ditzy would be safe. She’s a smart mare, he convinced himself. If she gets into any trouble she’ll come home immediately. I hope she comes back soon, though… ‘I’m such a selfish foal,’ Zedd repeated. ‘No, Zedd. You’re the most selfless stallion I know. As much as I hate to admit it, Ditzy’s in the wrong here. She’s probably just sad that she knows you need to do this, and she’s covering it up with anger. Believe me, her words are lies. She isn’t angry with you, Zedd.’ He took to his hooves and moved out the door, heading Celestia knows where. Zedd was- as far as he knew- alone in the house, so he went to bed and cried himself to sleep. --- She rushed off into the brush. Ditzy knew the Forest better than anyone. She flapped her wings to vault over a patch of thorny vines and continued on into the darkness. Refusing to slow, she continued barrelling through the forest, breaking branches, yet still refusing to slow down. The pain of numerous cuts and scrapes was helping to distract her from internal pain. She finally hit a branch too big to snap through and collapsed, lying across it, sobbing. She looked up through the forest canopy and saw the moon directly above; the face of the Mare in the Moon staring sadly down upon her. The Mare almost seemed to be crying, herself. Ditzy lay there long enough that the moon passed out of her sight under the tree and she decided to get up and move. Some of the cuts were beginning to sting, and the temperature was lowering drastically. She thought for a moment about going back home and seeing Zedd and grimaced. She couldn’t handle that right now. She decided instead upon going back and seeing Fluttershy. Maybe she could spare a bed. As she tried to take off, Ditzy realised her wings wouldn’t move. Her joints had stiffened from overuse. She pushed a bit harder to get them to open and tried to glide to the forest floor and walk. Immediately after jumping from the branch, she realised how high up she was, and how weak her wings really were. Ditzy strained her hardest to keep her wings open and straight, but it was a useless effort. Her right wing gave in, followed by her left, and she dropped. Ten yards. Twenty yards. Thirty. How high was that tree, she thought frantically, still falling. Eventually she hit a patch of vines and snapped through a few before landing in a muddy puddle. She would have lain there catching her breath after the near-death experience, but she could feel herself sinking in the mud. Give me a break, her mind shouted as she grabbed onto one of the recently-broken vines with her teeth and slowly began to pull herself out of the puddle. She looked up and saw that the trees here stretched up a full hundred feet and must have been a yard thick. I must be pretty far into the forest. Drained of energy- physically and emotionally-, and covered with mud, she began to trudge along through the forest hoping to come across one of the paths she knew. Eventually she found a path, and looking both ways, decided which way would lead her back to her- or Fluttershy’s- clearing. She began to pant from the menial task of walking. The mud was weighing her down drastically, and she racked her mind trying to think of where a stream would be so she could wash it off. Before she could complete the thought, she heard flowing water and moved toward it. At least something’s going right tonight. --- ‘You’re bleeding! Oh no, oh no, oh no, what happened? Please, come in! I’ll get some bandages!’ Fluttershy began to move around frantically searching outside. A baby bunny hopped across from the small marquee outside to pass Fluttershy a roll of gauze and another of tape. ‘Thank you so much, Angel Bunny,’ said Fluttershy to the small rabbit who grinned with glee. She passed him a small carrot from under a wing and he scampered back across to the animal shelter. ‘Fluttershy, please, I’m- nngh- I’m fine,’ protested Ditzy as she plucked a thorn from her lower foreleg. Her good luck had run out at finding the stream. There were leeches in it and vines all around, some of which she had stepped on. ‘No, please, you’re my guest. I need to help you. You must be in a lot of pain.’ Fluttershy tore off a piece of the gauze and strapped it down across one of her larger cuts. ‘I’m sorry about earlier. I guess I must have looked like a foal.’ Ditzy remembered what happened and blushed. No, you looked like a completely mature mare, she thought, but only answered with a small nod. ‘I hope he’s not mad with me,’ she said timidly. ‘No, he could never be mad with anypony. He’s just too forgiving. And I… I must have hurt him a lot,’ she finished with a whisper. Fluttershy uttered a small ‘oh,’ and continued dressing Ditzy’s wounds. ‘Do you want to stay here for the night? It’s awfully cold out tonight. Oh no, the animals!’ she said, gathering a spare blanket and rushing out to the marquee. From the house, Ditzy could see nothing more than Fluttershy leaning over outside. She picked up the blanket and walked back to the house, carrying a blanket full of woodland creatures. After placing them in the corner, she moved to assemble her own bedding. ‘So… where do I sleep?’ asked Ditzy. ‘You can sleep right here.’ Fluttershy gestured to the bedding she had just prepared. ‘But then where do you sleep?’ ‘Don’t worry about me, I can sleep with the animals. Isn’t that right?’ she asked in a higher voice. The animals simultaneously climbed out of the blanket and rushed to climb on Fluttershy, with the exception of a young tortoise that made it three steps out before Fluttershy sat down on the blanket. ‘They like it when I sleep with them, and they’re so warm! Come here, Mr. Tortoise,’ she said, scooping up the shelled amphibian and placing him next to her. He turned his head and smiled widely at Fluttershy. Ditzy smiled and nodded, moving to her own bed. The glowing fireflies dimmed and she fell asleep quickly. She dreamt of a brown colt with a messy mane and a smile that could melt even the toughest of hearts. --- Ditzy didn’t return for the rest of the day. The first day of the holidays was spent alone, and despite Pine’s words, Zedd was slipping back into depression. Spring said a few kind words to him before heading out to work for the day, but they didn’t have much effect. After wandering completely around the house for the twelfth time that morning, he decided to go out and plan. He had to leave, no matter how much anypony didn’t want him to. Mental checklist. Find Ditzy. Find Bazz and tell him I’m going with. Find Pinkie to plan a going away party. Find Ditzy. Invite people to the going away party. Find Ditzy. I need to stop thinking like this, it’s going to tear me apart. Maybe I deserve to be torn apart… Sugarcube Corner, come on, Zedd! Just stop thinking. I’m no longer thinking about anything. Nothing at all. Hmmmm… Unable to force his mind to go blank, he had resorted to making the voice hum. After a few moments of extreme concentration he walked into another pony. He stumbled back, torn out of his thoughts, and apologised. ‘Sorry about that. Hey, you’re Big Macintosh, right?’ ‘Eeeyup.’ ‘I don’t see you much. I guess the farm keeps you busy?’ ‘Eeeyup.’ ‘Don’t you ever get sick of it?’ ‘Nnnope.’ The conversation was going nowhere slowly. Zedd changed tactics. ‘What brings you to town today? You’re not here very often.’ The large, red stallion nodded to the trailer he was pulling. There were a few bushels of apples and a compacted stand. ‘Sellin’.’ ‘Well… good luck with that, I guess.’ ‘Eeeyup.’ Zedd walked away from the other stallion. Even the people he didn’t know well were nice… he could only hope that ponies of other towns and cities would be as nice as those in Ponyville. Zedd was looking all around for Pinkie. As he walked, he continued to glance behind him repeatedly hoping to catch a flash of pink somewhere. Eventually he gave up and moved to Sugarcube Corner to wait for her. The door was half way open before he saw a flash of streamers and heard a crowd shout ‘Surprise!!’ He wondered what was going on, but then Pinkie’s voice called out ‘wrong pony! Get back into place! Zedd, over here!’ He had half a second to take in the banner saying “Happy Birthday, Mrs. Cake!” before a pink hoof appeared around his neck and yanked him behind the lounge. He was awkwardly lying directly underneath her on his back. ‘Pinkie, I-’ ‘Shhh! You don’t want to ruin the surprise, do you?’ she whispered frantically. Zedd put up with his discomfort for another full four minutes before the door opened again. Pinkie suddenly vaulted over the lounge and shouted “Surprise!” with the rest of the room. Zedd slowly got to his feet, back leg having massively cramped against the lounge back. The crowd laughed at the shocked look on Mrs. Cake’s face. ‘Thank you, dearies! I can’t believe I forgot my own birthday! I guess I’ve just been so busy lately and all-’ ‘Talk later, Missus Cake, it’s time to party!’ shouted Pinkie, leaping over to set the music going. Zedd quickly wished Mrs. Cake a happy birthday and tried to get Pinkie’s attention. The sooner he asked for some help, the sooner he could leave. Zedd wasn’t in the mood for a party. This place is way too happy. Minutes passed and several ponies tried to engage him in conversation, only to be rebuffed and apologised to. ‘Come on, Zedd, have some punch.’ ‘Sorry, but no. I need to do something.’ ‘But we’re at a party!’ Zedd sighed and turned to see who he was telling off only to see it was Pinkie herself. Well, that makes things easier, I guess. ‘Pinkie, I need to talk to you.’ ‘What about?’ she asked, drinking a whole cup of punch in one go and refilling it. ‘Something’s happened and I think I need to leave, so… I was wondering if you’d throw a going away party.’ He was expecting her to look sad, but was surprised by her reaction. Her jaw fell open for half a second before she said, ‘two parties in one week?! This is going to be the best week ever! When do you want the party? Ooh, we could do it tomorrow! Or the day after, if you like! Maybe the day after that?’ ‘I’m planning on leaving in six days. Maybe make the party five days from now.’ ‘Okie dokie lokie!’ Zedd was glad to finally be able to leave this place and continue his search for Ditzy and Bazz. Closing the door behind himself, he took a deep breath of the cool air. ‘Boo,’ came a quiet, deep voice. Zedd turned to see Bazz sitting by the door, wearing a pair of blue-shaded sunglasses. ‘Why are you out here?’ ‘I could ask the same to you. I’m out here because things like that just… get to me. I’m fine with loud noises, but if there’s a huge crowd and loads of stuff going on, I just get overly stressed. So now I will ask the same to you.’ ‘I’m out here looking for you.’ ‘Oh? You have an answer, then?’ ‘I do. I’m going. This could be one of the most important things I ever do.’ Zedd sat down away from the door to avoid being flattened if it opened. ‘Alright, I’ll send a letter to the school tomorrow. When do you want to go?’ ‘A week from now. I’m having Pinkie organise a going-away party in five days, and the day after that we’ll leave.’ ‘And that’s it. No more Ponyville.’ Zedd didn’t answer. He continued to think hard. ‘I reckon it’s about time for me to go back in. ‘You coming?’ ‘No. I need to find Ditzy, too.’ ‘Your loss, mate.’ He opened the door and closed it again, leaving Zedd alone in the street. Ponyville seemed emptier than normal. He sighed and began to walk back to the forest. If she was still there, maybe he’d be able to find her with the added sunlight. --- Ditzy woke up slowly. For a blanket on the floor, her bedding was surprisingly comfortable. She could feel several weights on and around her. Looking down, she saw several small animals sleeping against her for warmth. She closed her eyes and smiled. Looking across the room, Ditzy noticed that Fluttershy was missing. She probably hadn’t been for too long, because the tortoise was still making his way across the room to lie next to Ditzy. ‘Come on, Mr. Tortoise. Do you know where Fluttershy has gone?’ The tortoise seemed to smile a bit and pointed his head to the door. As soon as he did, Ditzy heard a few notes being sung and the animals sleeping on her woke up and scurried out the open door. Ditzy stood, stretched, and received several cramps in her legs and wings. She had far overexerted herself yesterday, and sleeping on the floor probably didn’t help. The tortoise followed her movements, and she picked him up on her back to walk out the door. ‘Oh, you’re awake! Thank you for bringing Mr. Tortoise out with you, he sometimes misses out on breakfast because he can’t get out fast enough,’ said Fluttershy. She was standing near a small pile of cut up fruit and nuts with animals eating from it. Ditzy placed the tortoise next to the pile where the other animals made some room for him to eat. ‘Thank you so much for going to the trouble of helping me, Fluttershy. Is there anything I can do to repay you?’ ‘No, no, it was no trouble at all! But, um, if you wouldn’t mind, do you think you could pick up some apples for the animals? I found a poor little injured birdie this morning and I don’t think I’ll be able to get them like I normally do… Big Macintosh should be in town today selling some, and I can give you a bag of bits, but if you don’t want to that’s fine.’ ‘No, I will! I’d be happy to, in fact. You’re so kind, it’s the least I can do. You helped me, so I’ll help you, too.’ ‘Oh, thank you, thank you! I think the bits are inside-’ She was interrupted by Angel stomping on her hoof. He held up a purse almost as big as himself. ‘Thank you, Angel. Mummy’s very proud. Um, here, there should be enough bits for a bushel of apples.’ ‘I’ll get them back to you later today. Thanks again, Fluttershy!’ She trotted through the forest and away from Fluttershy’s clearing, smiling. She came upon the spot where she had run away from Zedd and crushingly remembered why she had gone back to Fluttershy to begin with. She stopped and looked down through the makeshift path of broken vines and brambles. Eventually she forced herself to move on, but not before she heard herself utter the words ‘oh Zedd, please forgive me…’ ‘’Re you okay there, Ditzy? Yeh’re lookin’ pretty glum.’ Ditzy was snapped out of her trance by the farmer Applejack in the market. She had been dwelling on her sad thoughts, only succeeding in making herself feel even worse. ‘No, I’m fine, Applejack. I’m just here to pick up some apples for Fluttershy.’ ‘What? But she never misses her Saturday bushel! She’s alright, ain’t she?’ ‘Yeah, she’s fine; she just found an injured bird. Besides, I owe her for the bandages,’ she said, lifting a foreleg to show several small bandages on it. ‘Well, alright then. That’ll be twelve bits.’ Applejack retrieved a bucket of apples from the ground next to her stand and put it down on her counter. Ditzy passed the bits and thanked her. ‘Now if Big Macintosh don’t get here soon Ah’ll be all outta apples before long. If yeh see him, c’n yeh tell him t’ kick his flank in t’ high gear? Ah’d appreciate it.’ Applejack dropped the bits into a rectangular tin to the left side of her stand. Ditzy resumed her thoughts about how terrible a pony she was as she trotted back through town to the clearing. Zedd would probably be looking for her, so waiting at Fluttershy’s would be better than looking for him. That’s if he ever wants to see me again, she thought bitterly. I’m such a foal… Half way back across town she saw the familiar large, red stallion pulling a wagon full of apples. ‘Big Macintosh?’ ‘Eeeyup?’ She thought about what to say. Tell him to hurry up, or ask if he knew where Zedd was. She decided almost immediately. ‘You haven’t seen Zedd, have you?’ ‘Eeeyup.’ She was suddenly filled with hope. ‘Do you know where he’s gone?’ He pointed a hoof over the opposite shoulder, saying ‘That-a-way.’ She looked down to the forest and smiled broadly. ‘Thanks Big Macintosh! Oh, also, Applejack says she wants you to hurry to the stand, okay?’ The stallion let out a huge sigh before saying ‘eeeyup’ one final time and pulling the trailer a bit faster. Still in a good mood, Ditzy went to take off, but remembered her wing was still sore and she would probably fall, crushing the apples. She began to canter happily towards the forest instead. --- ‘Hello? Is anypony here? Gah, what was her name…’ Zedd racked his brain, attempting to think of what the mare’s name had been. After a few moments he gave up and moved to the far side of the clearing where a group of animals were sleeping in a patch of sunlight. Only the tortoise paid him any attention, standing and beginning to walk (slowly) toward Zedd. ‘Hello there, Mr. Tortoise. You haven’t seen… whoever it is that takes care of you, have you?’ Zedd started laughing at how he had been driven to talking to animals. After he stopped and looked back, the tortoise had changed direction and was walking to a nearby tree. Zedd followed behind the tortoise, who stopped and looked up. Zedd heard frantic whispering from above. ‘No, Mr. Tortoise! Go somewhere else, he’ll find me! Go! Eep!’ Zedd looked up to see the yellow mare up in the tree. ‘Why… are you up there…?’ ‘UM! I’m, uh… looking after this little birdie! You see? Um… cheep cheep… see? Bird!’ He gave her an unamused expression, but she continued the show. ‘Sorry, little birdie, but mummy has to go now, a-heh.’ She flew down from the tree and stood in front of Zedd, hiding behind her pink mane. She’s so shy… oh, that’s her name! ‘So, Fluttershy, how’s the bird?’ She gasped before muttering something about how he remembered her name before her gaze was drawn back to the entrance of the clearing. ‘You’re back! And you brought the apples!’ --- She was nearing the clearing now. Not even the site of broken vines was able to dampen her mood on the way back. Ditzy continued to happily canter directly into the clearing, where she was met with Fluttershy attempting to make herself as small as possible in front of Zedd. ‘You’re back! And you brought the apples!’ ‘Well, of course I did! I owe you, remember?’ Her thoughts stopped again as she looked at Zedd. His face wasn’t betraying it, but she could see the hurt look in his eyes. Her good mood suddenly hit the ground and dissipated right below her. She dropped the apples to the ground in front of Fluttershy and began to walk toward Zedd. ‘I’m sorry-’ he began, only to be cut off by Ditzy. ‘No, Zedd. I know you need to do this, I was just sad, and I didn’t want to lose you…’ ‘Ditzy, you’ll never lose me. My heart has grown with each new experience, and it’s found a home with all you. I’ve become a part of your heart, just as you’ve become a part of mine. And if you think of me now and then… if you don’t forget me… then our hearts will be one.’ ‘I’ll never forget you,’ she whispered. ‘I’m always with you.’ He smiled broadly at her and embraced her as she began to cry. She pulled her head back to look into his eyes. ‘How can you just forgive me like that? Why aren’t you angry with me for all I’ve done?’ ‘I was never angry. I was sad because I thought you’d lost your way, but I could never be angry with you.’ She looked in disbelief. He was so trusting. In her bitter, sad state she had feared he didn’t love her anymore. Her mind had told her that he was leaving to get away from her… and she had believed it. Fluttershy picked up her bushel of apples and moved to her house as quietly as possible. She had a tear of happiness in the corner of her eye, jealous of what Ditzy had, but happy for their relationship at the same time. The couple was snapped out of their blissful trance by a tortoise stepping in between them. Zedd looked down and laughed before picking him up and giving him a hug, too. Ditzy couldn’t help but smile at the scene in front of her. ‘Zedd… do you think Fluttershy would let up adopt a pet?’ He looked between her and the tortoise a couple of times before realising that it was actually a good sounding idea. ‘I don’t know… maybe. We should probably clear it with Pine and Spring first, though.’ Ditzy hummed a flat note. She watched as he put the tortoise back down and patted his shell gently, still grinning like a mad sheep. ‘Well, come on, let’s go back to town! I mean… my party’s going to need guests.’ Ditzy, finally accepting that which she couldn’t change, followed. She didn’t walk as closely to Zedd as she normally did; she was still mad with herself. --- The next three days had passed quickly. The town hired a new weather mare who, despite her extreme laziness, did an exceptional job keeping the skies clear. Fluttershy was being seen more and more in town, talking with a few other ponies, even, and Rarity was preparing to fix up a run-down carousel and turn it into a boutique. Pinkie Pie was working full-time at Sugarcube Corner, attempting to make enough treats to last a decade after Zedd’s party, he thought. Ditzy was reluctant to forgive herself for her selfish behaviour, but she was putting on a bright smile for Zedd’s sake. She didn’t want his last memories of her to be sad ones. All too soon were all of the invited handed out and the party was looming. Pinkie had invited Vinyl (who was clubbing in Manehattan) back to Ponyville, but she had declined, saying she had a business opportunity she couldn’t pass up. Tell Zedd that if he’s ever in the big city he should come see me! I’m gonna be mixing alongside DJ Pwn-E for a few months before moving on to Canterlot. Sorry to miss your party, Pinks, but the club’s just calling louder. About 2,000 watts louder, actually. ~Vinyl Zedd looked forward to seeing her again. Bazz had mentioned that Manehattan was where they were headed first. He decided to help Pinkie finish setting up her own sound system. It wasn’t as good as Vinyl’s, but it got the job done. The party was being held in the town square again. ‘Pinkie, what can I help with?’ ‘If you think you can, could you help me move this speaker up to that ledge? It’ll sound so much louder with the speaker up there!’ She gestured to a ledge just under the town hall’s roof overhang. The speaker was enveloped in a light brown glow and floated up to sit on the ledge, where Pinkie appeared to secure it. She grinned and held up her hoof to show he could let go, but it wouldn’t have mattered anyway, because he dropped it in shock. Zedd swung his head around to face where Pinkie had just been and back to the ledge. She was gone again. He was getting a little bit worried now. He turned around quickly and almost collided with her. ‘How did you do that?!’ he shouted. ‘Do what?’ Pinkie began to chew on a muffin. ‘Get from here to there and… where did you get that from?’ ‘Right over there, silly! Weren’t you watching?’ He looked back up to where the speaker was secured. There was no way she could have made it up there and back. As he turned to continue his questioning, he noticed that she had disappeared again. ‘Wh… no. I don’t even want to know.’ Zedd left the area a little bit faster than socially acceptable and almost ran into Bazz coming around a corner. ‘Whoa there! What’s up? The party’s starting in about half an hour, you know…’ ‘Yeah, I know that, it’s just… never mind.’ Bazz laughed as he realised what was going on. Pinkie had been pranking again, surely. He had to bail her out of detentions so many times at school that he almost had an extra sense of ‘Pinkie-Pranking’. Sure enough, as soon as he rounded the corner he saw Pinkie standing next to… Pinkie. Zedd almost screamed with frustration at how he had no idea what was going on, but everyone else did. ‘Pinkie, come on, you’re scaring Zedd,’ Bazz said, mockingly, making a face. ‘Oh no, I didn’t mean to scare anyone! Pinkie, you said nothing bad would happen!’ Zedd recognised the voice. It definitely sounded like Fluttershy. Looking closer, he saw that there were odd lumps to either side of the second Pinkie’s side, and her mane and tail looked like they were forced to be springy. ‘Don’t worry, Fluttershy, he’s not really scared, but we did get him good!’ She broke down into a fit of the giggles while Fluttershy continued to look shocked at what she had been a part of. ‘Go on, you should probably wash up before the party, erm, Fluttershy, was it? I think one Pinkie is more than enough for Ponyville.’ ‘Come on, Fluttershy, you can use the bath at my house,’ said Pinkie, leading Fluttershy away from the park. Zedd and Bazz looked around at all Pinkie had achieved in the two hours she had been setting up for. Streamers were strung between every pole in the park, most of them attaching somewhere to the hall. Several tables were spread around the park, piled high with baked goods and balloons. Bazz finally located a small platform to the side of the town’s stage and remarked ‘Dibs’. Zedd followed his gaze and chuckled. Even Bazz was just a little colt when it came to electronics. Plugging in his electronic device, the speakers kicked to life with music. Bazz grinned and moved to centre stage as ponies began to flood the area, whether for the music or because they were invited; only Celestia knew. Zedd could swear Pinkie had invited the whole town, so it was possible. Bazz beckoned for him to come up onto the stage and he complied. He suddenly noticed that most of the crowd was looking up there, almost as though they were expecting something. He tried to make himself as small as possible next to the large, grey stallion. The crowd began to go quiet of their own accord, so Bazz took this as his moment to act. His horn glowed and the music turned down nearly all the way. Bazz didn’t even need to use magic to magnify his voice, instead simply raising it loud enough to reverberate through the park. ‘Good evening, fillies and gentle colts! Alright, stuff the formalities. How is everyone tonight? Hungry, by the looks of it,’ he said, pointing to Stones already raiding a snack table. It took Stones nearly five full seconds to realise the crowd was silently watching him and they started laughing. ‘I’d ask you to just stave off your hunger for a few minutes while I get the notes out of the way, alright? Anyway, we’ve got a party, organised by the Ponyville-famous Pinkie Pie,’ he paused for cheering. ‘Unfortunately, this party is in recognition of two ponies leaving the town.’ The crowd gave an audible ‘aww’ of disappointment. Bazz intentionally stayed quiet for a few seconds until somepony shouted ‘Well, who are they?’ ‘I was wondering when you’d ask! Well, I’m pretty sure you can already guess. One of them, as you probably already know, is going to be Zedd. He’s leaving to find his father, and I’m going with him.’ He voiced it in such a way that he got almost no recognition. Zedd thought back to Mrs. Cake’s party and remembered their conversation. If there’s a huge crowd and loads of stuff going on, I just get overly stressed. He’s probably just trying to minimise the amount of attention he gets, Zedd thought to himself. ‘Despite the fact that he’s leaving, this is a happy occasion! No sad faces tonight, okay? Oh, bugger, where’s that donkey gone?’ He raised a hoof to his glasses and scanned the group of ponies. The crowd murmured a small chuckle at the reference to their resident donkey, Matilda, who was rarely seen smiling, despite being a generally cheery character. ‘Alright, well… Zedd, any words?’ ‘I… uh… um…’ Any other words were lost as his voice broke off, leaving him- literally- speechless. He looked through the crowd nervously. He was never good at public speaking; why would Bazz do this to him? He looked into the eyes of his closest friends and felt a sudden, overwhelming sadness. Pinkie had returned with Fluttershy, but she had left her smile behind. One of her friends was leaving town. This was no occasion to be happy. His gaze moved on to Spring and Pine standing near the stage, tails intertwined. Spring’s face was inscrutable, but Pine seemed… proud of him. Pine gave a small nod and a smile before Zedd moved his gaze again. Rarity was holding a handkerchief to her eyes. When she saw him watching her she gave a small sob and looked away. Zedd moved on. Sticks and Stones were standing over near a snack table, presumably to be first in when the speeches were over, but they were watching with appropriate attention. Stones’ eyes were glazed over- probably thinking about donuts- and he didn’t react. Sticks, however, gave a small nod; almost as though accepting their rivalry to be over and them to be equals. His eyes drifted to Carrot Top and Applejack. He didn’t know either of these ponies very well, but they were kind to him, too. They seemed sad to see him leave. He couldn’t see a single happy face in the crowd. He could, however, see Ditzy. She was wearing the most beautiful dress he had ever seen her wear. It was a simple grey to match her coat, along with a gold trimming to match her mane and tail. There was a bubble pattern around the edges complemented by a pearl necklace and complimenting her cutie mark. She had a teary look in her eyes, but she was smiling brightly. Zedd’s mind cleared and the words just fell from his mouth. ‘Hello, everypony. I’ll try to keep this short. I’ve known you all for years, and some of us have become close friends; some closer still. I’m going on this journey because it could be one of the most important things I ever do. This could change my life forever, and even if it doesn’t, I’ll learn a lot about life on the way. ‘Look at me getting all philosophical… Believe me when I say that I’ll miss every single one of you every day that I’m gone. We may have had our hardships, but I think that the good here really does outweigh the bad. Once again, thank you all for being such great friends.’ Zedd took a half step back and Bazz took the lead again. ‘Truer words were never spoken. He’ll be here all night if you want to talk to him, but for now, on with the music.’ He turned the music back up to the level it was on and used magic to make himself heard over it. ‘You can go back to your food now, Stones!’ Zedd gratefully thanked Bazz for calling the crowd off before moving to where Ditzy had met her parents. ‘No problem, mate,’ he said, moving back to where the music stand was in order to set up a playlist. On his way through the crowd he was greeted with a few ‘hello’s and ‘hey’s, but nopony tried to stop him for a conversation. When Zedd eventually reached the family of three, Pine spoke up first. ‘Zedd, I’ve known you for years now, and I still don’t completely understand your motives. But I know that whatever you’re going to do on your trip, it’s important. I just hope it’s going to be important enough to give up all of this…’ ‘So do I,’ Zedd replied, giving Ditzy another glance in her incredible dress. Spring spoke, barely audible over the next track playing. ‘I’ve told you before: you’re a smart colt. Whatever you choose to do is the right choice. If something bad happens, you’ll learn from it.’ Zedd nodded to her, smiling, and turned to Ditzy. She didn’t need to say anything, instead choosing to press her head against his neck in a hug. Zedd felt his heart lift and he returned the gesture as Spring lightly nudged Pine and the two moved on to speak with Bazz. Ditzy and Zedd spent their time becoming better acquainted with ponies they didn’t know very well before speaking to their closer friends. Rarity was the first close friend they found. ‘Good to see you, Rarity!’ began Ditzy. ‘Oh no, see me? I look garish compared to you, darling. I’d go as far as to say that that dress is my finest work yet! I do hope you like it?’ ‘Yes, Rarity, I love it. But… can’t you please let me pay you for it somehow? I feel bad having it for free!’ ‘Nonsense, I won’t take a single bit. It’s a gift for a friend, nothing more, nothing less. Now Zedd, I wish I could have made something for you, but I couldn’t think of anything to match your mark, nor your coat...’ ‘Don’t worry, Rarity, I don’t need gifts. I’m just happy to have you for a friend.’ ‘Ah, but it doesn’t end there! Just because I couldn’t get anything to match your mark doesn’t mean I didn’t get you anything! It’s a little informal, but I made this for you.’ She produced a small box concealed within her tail and passed it to him. Upon opening the box, Zedd found a grey tie with a white collar attached. ‘Thank you, Rarity.’ He levitated it out of the box, only to see it enveloped in a light blue glow. ‘Allow me, dear!’ She moved it to his neck and secured it tightly, unnecessarily double-checking by running a hoof along his neck. A little bit uncomfortable, Zedd took a half step back and looked down unsuccessfully trying to see it. ‘No, no, no, here, try this,’ she said, magically freezing a plate of punch into a reflective makeshift mirror. ‘That looks really nice,’ said Ditzy. ‘Yeah, it does… simple but elegant?’ ‘Precisely! I’m glad you like it, Zeddicus.’ Zedd shuddered at the use of his full name, but didn’t press the matter; Rarity was far more formal than most ponies, and if he ever went to Canterlot he’d have to get used to it. ‘Why don’t you come with us? We were just about to go and have a snack.’ ‘Well… it’ll go straight to my flanks, but Pinkie Pie did bake a special batch of blueberry muffins for this party…’ She bit her lip as she considered for a moment before saying ‘Very well, but I’ll only have one!’ Zedd couldn’t help but smile to himself about how self-conscious she was, despite being the fairest mare in Ponyville. They went to the emptiest looking table and found Applejack talking to a cyan Pegasus with a rainbow mane, along with Pinkie Pie. ‘Hey everypony,’ said Zedd to the group. ‘Hey, you’re that new weather mare, aren’t you?’ ‘Yeah, I am! The name’s Rainbow Dash,’ she said, extending a hoof. He shook it, saying ‘I’m Zedd.’ ‘Well, duhh! You were just on stage, remember? Awesome party, by the way, Pinkie. I can tell we’re gonna get along great!’ ‘Yes, absolutely swimmingly,’ muttered Rarity, lifting a muffin with magic. ‘How y’all doin’, Zedd?’ ‘I’m great,’ he said, taking a small bite of an apple fritter. ‘Woah!’ he suddenly said, barely restraining himself from scoffing the whole thing in one bite. ‘Did you make this yourself?’ ‘Darn tootin’!’ ‘It’s really good! Ditzy, give it a tr-’ He cut himself off when he saw her with a muffin in each hoof and a huge bite missing from one, and he started laughing. ‘An elegant dress does not make an elegant mare, I’m afraid,’ noted Rarity from the sidelines. ‘Don’t worry, Ditzy, was it? Yeah, I’ve been in worse situations. Besides, those muffins are pretty good after all.’ ‘Good? They’re great! I stayed up half the night preparing the batter and I only got a few hours sleep to make sure they were fresh for the party.’ ‘I’m indifferent as to how they were made; I only care about the final product. Though in this case, yes, they are, erm, “great.”’ Ditzy shrugged and went back to eating her muffins. ‘Have any of you seen Fluttershy around? She just sort of disappeared,’ remarked Zedd. ‘Ah haven’t seen her.’ Rarity shrugged. Rainbow didn’t seem to know who Fluttershy was. Pinkie was grinning broadly and pointing at the table, much to everyone’s confusion. Zedd faintly heard somepony say ‘down here,’ and bent down to look under the table where, sure enough, Fluttershy was cowering. ‘Why are you down there?’ ‘I don’t like crowds or loud noises, and… I…’ She looked up at Rainbow Dash before whispering to Zedd ‘I’m not good with meeting new ponies.’ Zedd smiled and shook his head slightly. ‘Come on up, Fluttershy. Look, there’s no crowd around here, and I can always tell Bazz to turn the music down a bit. Besides, Rainbow seems to be a nice pony.’ ‘Are you kidding me? I’m the nicest pony you’ve ever seen!’ ‘And a bit competitive.’ ‘The most compet- hey, wait a second!’ They shared a laugh before Zedd turned to ditzy and nodded to the stage for them to leave. Ditzy finished her first muffin and began to walk alongside him to the stage. ‘Have I ever mentioned how classy a mare you are?’ ‘You coulb menfion i’ more,’ she spoke through a mouth full of muffin. Zedd couldn’t help but laugh at this comment before nuzzling her on the cheek. ‘And that’s why I love you,’ he said softly, barely perceptible over the music. Ditzy blushed and swallowed, returning the nuzzle. ‘Well, isn’t this sweet? How’re ya finding the party, Zedd?’ Zedd snapped his attention back in front of him where Bazz was standing. ‘Oh, uh, it’s good. Y’know, you’re really good at making awkward situations.’ ‘It’s an acquired skill; an art, almost. It comes in handy sometimes, but most of the time it’s just funny.’ ‘Right… anyway, Fluttershy wants the music to be turned down a bit.’ ‘Sure thing. I was just beginning to wonder how long it’d last before somepony told me to turn it down. Ah well, nothing lasts forever.’ He didn’t bother to walk to the stairs, instead just climbing onto the stage from where he was. They continued on through the party talking to friends here and there until the guests began to leave and the music’s tempo slowed. Zedd bade his final goodnights to the guests before walking home with Ditzy. Half way home, Ditzy broke their silence. ‘Zedd… how long do you think you’ll be gone?’ ‘I… I don’t know. I could be gone for a month, or a year, or three… I have honestly got no idea. Bazz couldn’t give a definite answer, and he explained everything… it all depends on how much my dad has moved in the last year.’ ‘But…’ ‘I’ll come home as soon as I can.’ ‘Zedd... I’m going to miss you so much…’ ‘And I’m going to miss you, too. Every night when I fall asleep, there’s only going to be one mare in my mind. She’s the most beautiful mare in Equestria,’ he stopped walking and looked deeply into her eyes, ‘and she’s perfect because she’s imperfect.’ They slowly leaned in together, not breaking eye contact until their lips touched end their eyes closed. They came closer together still, Ditzy wrapping her wings around Zedd’s back and each putting their hooves around the other in embrace. When they finally broke apart, panting, they noticed how silent it was outside and dropped back to their hooves to hurry home. Pine and Spring couldn’t be found anywhere in the house, Zedd assumed they were still out. They went straight upstairs and Ditzy said she was going to get changed. Zedd moved off into his room and lay down on the bed thinking about everything that had happened that night, but focusing on his and Ditzy’s kiss on the way home. Her lips were so soft and warm. He loved her so much, and she loved him back… the feeling of her wings lightly tickling on his back… the feeling of her smooth coat under his hooves… he could almost feel her against him. He closed his eyes against the light and continued to fantasise until he actually did feel something. His eyes show open and he saw Ditzy climbing on top of him, kissing him deeply. He closed his eyes again, turning off the light and closing the door with magic. --- Ditzy awoke slowly, feeling more drained of energy than ever before, yet she still felt better than ever before. She smiled to herself and snuggled deeper into Zedd’s embracing hooves, enjoying the warmth. ‘You’re finally awake,’ he whispered. She was slightly startled to find him awake, but got over it quickly, turning around in his hooves to face him and hug back. ‘Yes. How long have you been awake for?’ ‘Probably half an hour now.’ ‘And you didn’t want to get up at all?’ ‘Ditzy, I never want to let go of you again… I love you. Today is our last day together… I want to make it last.’ Satisfied with his answer, she kissed him lightly on the lips and returned to leaning her head against his foreleg. ‘I love you too, Zedd.’ --- After another half hour of enjoying each other’s warmth, they decided it was time to get out of bed. After quick showers, they descended the stairs together and moved to the kitchen. Pine had left for work an hour prior to them awaking and Spring had rushed out as soon as she heard them walking down the stairs to avoid an awkward conversation. After coffee and a quick breakfast, Zedd took his pre-packed saddlebags and the couple walked through the front door together, tails intertwined all the way to the centre of town. They saw Bazz waiting by Sugarcube Corner, saying his final goodbyes to the Cakes and Pinkie. ‘I’m going to miss you, Mr. Quill. You were the best teacher at Ponyville High!’ ‘Well, look at it this way, Pinkie. You don’t have to go back next year, so you won’t be missing me as much.’ ‘Oh yeah! So that’ll be good! But oh no, if I don’t go back next year I won’t be able to help out in the pre-school and see all of the little fillies and colts playing and happy…’ ‘I’m sure they’ll let you if you ask. Maybe you could even get a job in the school, eh, Pinkie?’ Her jaw dropped as she thought about it for a moment. ‘That… would… be… so much fun! But I suppose I should just stick with baking. Maybe I can go and visit the school every week!’ ‘Sounds like a plan, Pinkie. Well, look who it is, little Zeddicus ready to leave on an adventure.’ ‘Yeah, yeah.’ Zedd just brushed off the mocking tone. Bazz never really meant it. ‘Are you ready to leave?’ ‘I wouldn’t have my saddlebags on if I wasn’t!’ ‘No, and you wouldn’t have your glasses on either.’ Bazz reached up to his face and blinked. He moved to get his glasses from his bag, but Zedd stopped him. ‘Don’t. I like your eyes.’ ‘Mate, I never go out in public without my glasses. School was the only place I wouldn’t wear them because the principal told me not to.’ After seeing the “Trust Me on This” look he was getting from Zedd, he put his hoof back down. ‘Fine. For you, mate.’ Bazz turned to face the cakes. ‘You’re great ponies. I’ll be sure to recommend your shop to anypony considering coming to town.’ ‘Now, now, you don’t need to do that, Bazz,’ said Mr. Cake. ‘No, but I want to. Thanks for being such nice ponies. I’ll be sure to remember you. You too, Pinkie,’ he said, grinning at the pink pony, then turning, ready to leave. Zedd turned and faced Ditzy again and the couple lifted their hooves to each other. ‘Ditzy, do you remember what you said before? I’m always with you, too. I’ll come back to you, I promise!’ ‘I know you will.’ His hoof left hers and he turned around with Bazz to walk out of Ponyville. He didn’t dare look back for fear that his morale would break and he’d run back to her immediately. Tears began to spill over and without even looking back he knew the same was happening for Ditzy. Zedd felt a reassuring hoof on his back and looked up to see Bazz smiling at him with a sad look in his eyes. Zedd nodded and steeled himself, trotting out of Ponyville with his head held high.