Ch. 6: Old Friends and New Faces or HEY I REMEMBER YOU!
Prose, strode along happily into the town square hoping upon hope that somepony here had either met or knew of Mint Crystal. His mind was also on the new hat Ms. Rarity had given him as a welcoming gift of sorts, and then his mind started going to dark places as he remembered that she said she had another way for him to repay her for the stolen clothing articles.
‘I can only imagine what she has thought up for me, I mean it can’t be all bad right?’ Prose shuddered actively at some of the ideas he came up with, but he decided he’d worry about it when it happened. He started humming a jaunty little tune to himself with eyes closed and not a care in the world now, that is until something slammed into him and knocked him ten feet backwards rolling the whole way. When he tried to get up and assess the damage he noticed he couldn’t move. He opened his eyes to a, not unpleasant looking he had to admit, grey bubble covered flank sitting on his chest.
“Umm…excuse me,” he said as he poked the offending flank.
A startled squeak was the response he got and then the sight he beheld was strange indeed. He looked up and saw a set of golden eyes, mind you the one looked like it wasn’t even looking at him, but once they focused on him the body they were attached to leapt off him and helped him up.
An exasperated response came, “I’m so sorry I couldn’t see you there and I just…”
Prose held his hoof up after dusting himself off, “It’s fine, no need to worry nothing is br..o..ken?”
When prose finally focused on who he was talking to it clicked, the lazy eye, the bubble cutie mark, the grey coat, ‘No way! It couldn’t be her!’ he thought rapidly.
Ditzy sat darting her head between him and the ground, “Umm, are you ok sir? I didn’t mean to run into you, I just can’t see straight because of my eyes and…” She trailed off as she finally got a good look at who she ran into, “Prose?” was the only question she could ask.
“DITZY DOO!” Prose shouted his hooves in the air, “I can’t believe it! It is you!” Prose pulled Ditzy into a hug.
Ditzy returned the hug, “OH MY GOSH PROSE! It’s been so long! Too long honestly, how have you been, I haven’t seen you since high school.”
Prose broke the hug, and just looked Ditzy up and down, “My gosh, Ditzy, you certainly have grown into a quite beautiful mare, if I do say so myself, and I do!” This caused a blush to creep into Ditzy’s cheeks, Prose chuckled, “I’ve been doing better in the last few years, but what about you, after we graduated I haven’t heard hide nor hoof of you. Have you been taking care of yourself?”
“Oh you know,” Ditzy said rubbing her neck chuckling, “I’ve been doing good for myself, I mean it’s nothing you have to worry about. I’ve been living here in Ponyville with….”
“MOMMA WHERE’D YOU GO!” A little filly interrupted her catching up.
“MUFFIN! I’M OVER HERE!” Ditzy shouted waving her hoof.
“Momma?” Prose asked an eyebrow raised.
“There you are momma! Don’t do that to me, I was scared to death when I couldn’t find you, I knew you were a good hide and seeker, but…” Dinky trailed off as she saw her momma with a green and purple stallion. She walked to Ditzy, being extra careful to stay next to her.
“It’s ok my little muffin,” Ditzy sweetly said, patting Dinky lightly on her head, “This is just one of momma’s old friends from back when she went to school. Say hi Dinky.”
Dinky shyly waved at Prose and went back to hiding next to Ditzy.
Prose bent down to be face to face with the little filly, smiling he said “Hey there sweetheart, My names Burning Prose, but you can just call me Prose, me and your momma have known each other for a long time now, even longer than you’ve known her.”
Dinky’s eyes lit up slightly, “Really!? You’ve known momma longer than I have?” she excitedly asked.
Prose nodded still smiling, “That's right Dinky! We’ve been friends since we were your age. In fact your mom was the first filly to be my friend. We used to have all kinds of adventures back then.”
“WOW!” Dinky said, eyes wide, “Mr. Prose, you must be really old then!”
While Dinky didn’t mean anything by her comment, Prose’s smile still faltered slightly, “Yea….old.”
Ditzy giggled still patting Dinky’s head lightly, “Now muffin it’s not nice to say that, why don’t you go along and play while I talk to Mr. Prose here and catch up huh?”
“Ok momma! I’m going over to the playground to swing.” She looked at Ditzy and hugged her foreleg, “I love you momma!”
Ditzy lightly hugged her back, “I love you too my little muffin.”
Dinky turned around to run back to the playground when she stopped and turned back to Prose and surprised him with a hug, “Bye Mr. Prose, it was nice meeting you!”
Prose returned the hug then let go and said, “It was nice meeting you too sweety.”
With that Dinky smiled and ran off, Prose looked on and smiled warmly thinking, ‘Is this what it’s like to have one of your own? Because if it is, I wouldn’t really mind it at all.’ Prose broke his thoughts and looked back at Ditzy.
“So, ‘momma’ huh?” He asked with a slight mischievous grin.
Ditzy blushed, “Yes, I had her after we graduated. She’s my little muffin and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Prose’s grin didn’t leave and he raised his eyebrow in question, “So? Who’s the lucky stallion huh?” Prose lost his grin when he saw the smile fade from Ditzy’s muzzle. “Ditzy are you ok? I didn’t mean to hit a nerve or anything.” He asked looking concerned.
Ditzy waved her hoof, “No, no, it’s just, how about we go sit down on one of the benches that way I can at least keep an eye on her.”
Prose nodded, “That’s fine, I mean you don’t want her getting lost or anything.” Prose and Ditzy walked over to the nearest bench sitting down.
They both sat there for a bit watching Dinky playing on the swings, steadily laughing and yelling as she went a little higher. Prose finally broke the silence by placing his hoof on hers.
He looked at her at the same time she looked over, “If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to you know, we can just sit here and keep an eye on Dinky. Maybe even talk about some of the good times we’ve had. Is that ok, golden swirls?”
Ditzy smiled at the use of their childhood nickname, and focused both of her eyes to look at Prose as she said, “That would be lovely Prose.”
Prose smiled himself, “There’s that smile I love seeing.” he said still looking at her.
“But, I need to tell somepony and why not let it be you.” Ditzy said, her smile fading a little. She breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly, glancing back over towards Dinky.
Prose noticed the slight pause and said, “It’s ok sweetheart, whatever happened I won’t judge or look at you any differently, believe me I have some problems of my own.”
Ditzy looked back towards Prose and began telling him about the Unicorn stallion she had met after graduating, while Prose listened intently. She told him of how she had met him at this party she had been invited to and how sweet he had been the whole night. She even mentioned, while blushing, how she had gotten a little more drunk then she meant to and one thing lead to another and her and him had made out.
Prose raised his eyebrow remembering some of his, uh, let’s just call them rendezvous, and asked, “Is that all that happened that night?”
Ditzy’s blush deepened a bit more, “Oh yes, I may have been tipsy but not that tipsy!” She giggled, “If anything he was too much of a gentlypony to do anything more, in fact he ended up being the one to give me a ride home that night, and when we got to my door I kissed him while giving him my number telling him to call me sometime. After that he drove off, with me waving after him.”
Prose smiled then laughed, “Well that certainly sounds better than some of my hookups.”
Ditzy giggled again, “Yes, well we had started dating for a bit and well one day we both decided to go a little further and…” She rubbed the back of her neck, “You know how it is, and then a month later I found out I was pregnant with Dinky.” She smiled at the memory.
Prose asked, “Well what happened to him? Did run off on you when he found out you were with foal?” Prose’s blood started boiling a bit at the thought of some stallion knocking up Ditzy and then running off.
Ditzy waved her hooves lightly in front of her, “OH NO! Nothing like that, he was actually very gung ho about being a father, he wouldn’t stop talking about all the things he wanted to do when I finally had it.” She smiled warmly, “We didn’t know if it was going to be a filly or a colt at that time so he was planning for either eventuality.”
Prose lightened his face, “Well that’s good, at least he was willing to stick with you. But I noticed he’s not here now….did something happen?” he asked.
Ditzy frowned, “Well about a year after having her, he had gotten real sick.”
Prose noticed a tear at the corner of Ditzy’s eye and wiped it away, he lifted her face to meet his, “Hey now, I did enough crying earlier to count for the both of us. Always remember the good times you had, not the bad ones ok?”
Ditzy nodded and sniffed, “Well he was only given 6 months to live when we found out, but he managed to last a whole year, before his illness finally took him from us.” She sniffed again but managed to smile, “He may be gone now, but he left me my little muffin.” She said looking over towards Dinky. “And he left me some great memories.”
She sniffled once more and wiped her face looking back to Prose. “Enough of me and my crying self, what made you cry so much earlier to count for the both of us huh?” she asked.
Prose looked down, but then looked back up into Ditzy’s eyes. ‘Well I’ve told Rarity it wouldn’t hurt to at least tell an old friend what happened.’ He thought to himself.
Steeling himself, Prose told the bullet points version of what he told Rarity, the whole time looking at Ditzy. When he finished he sighed heavily and looked down, when a hoof was placed on his shoulder. Prose looked up to his old friend and saw a warm smile on her face.
“Prose I have no idea the kind of torture that was, but in all honesty, the fact that you’re here alive and well proves that just because bad things happen doesn’t mean you need to let them get you down so far.” Ditzy said as she hugged Prose.
They broke the hug, “Thank you sweetheart, that means an awful lot to me.” Prose said reassuringly. “I do have a quick question though seeing as I have your attention, have you seen a stallion that matches the description of the one I told you about?” he asked hopeful.
Ditzy thought it over before saying, “I think I have seen somepony like that once or twice on my mail route.” She looked to Prose, “I’ll tell you what, I’ll keep my eyes open for him, if I see him I’ll let you know as quickly as I can ok?” she asked.
Prose sighed, “I guess that’s all I can ask for isn’t it?” Prose stood up and looked at Ditzy smiling, “It was great seeing you again Ditzy,” Prose hugged her as he said, “Make sure to take care of that little muffin of yours, I might have to come visit you guys sometime if you’d like?”
Ditzy hugged Prose back, “That would be great Prose,” she broke the hug and looked Prose in the eyes, “You take care of yourself ok? I don’t want to hear of anything else bad happening to my favorite ruby eyed pony, and I hope you find this Mint Crystal, he sounds like a nice stallion.”
“He certainly is,” Prose smiled, “tell Dinky I said to behave for her momma.” Prose said as he walked away.
Ditzy called out giggling, “Oh don’t worry I’ll tell her.”
Prose continued his way to the town square, his mood lightened a bit more, he smiled. Then he frowned slightly as his stomach grumbled loudly, making him blush at the same time. It had been a while since he ate, Prose started looking for a nice place to eat and came upon Sugarcube Corner.
“Hmm?” Prose thought out loud, and then to himself, ‘Isn’t this where Ms. Pinkie said she had to go?’ Prose’s stomach growled angrily and he just shrugged, “Seems as good a place as any, I wonder what kind of good eats they have here?” He said out loud and walked in.
“HI WELCOME TO…” Pinkie began until she noticed who had just walked in. She immediately abandoned the counter and rushed over to Prose, “OH MY GOSH! It’s you, the poety pony I met earlier today! How was Rarity’s place? HUH? HUH?” she asked giddily and without taking a single breath.
Prose backed up from the blur of pink that had invaded his main line of sight, “Hi Ms. Pinkie, I had a great time talking to Ms. Rarity, and look!” Prose pointed to his stylish new hat, “Ms. Rarity gave me a welcome gift, doesn’t it look so pretty!?” he asked with a wide smile.
Pinkie kind of cocked her head to the side looking at the hat. “Isn’t that a girls hat though? I mean if you want to wear it that’s fine and all, but seriously, why not wear a ball cap, LE GASP!” Pinkie got an excited smile, “I should wear a ball cap! That would be so awesome, it could be pink and….”
Prose had put his hoof to her mouth to stop her from continuing, after making sure she wouldn’t speak anymore, “Sorry about that, but yes it is a girls hat but I happen to find it very fashionable, and so does Ms. Rarity. Now before we continue this..” Prose swirled his hoof around, “fast paced conversation I…” His stomach interrupted with an angry growl and caused Prose to blush.
“OH I get it, well what would you like, we have…” Pinkie began listing off, with more speed than thought possible, a lot of the different sweet confectionaries that the shop had.
Prose stopped his head spinning from the rapid fire list, and said “Ms. Pinkie I think I will take a strawberry rhubarb muffin and a half dozen Prench Toast bagels.”
Prose’s mouth began to water at the thought of wolfing down the bagels when his thoughts were interrupted with another pink blur in his field of vision. When he finally looked down in front of him he had all of what he ordered in his hooves and had no idea as to how it had got there. He saw Pinkie sitting there in front of him with her trademarked smile plastered on her muzzle, and all he could think was ‘Oh well, that’s Pinkie.’
Prose went to grab his coin bag when Pinkie put her hoof up.
“Prose this first order is on me, think of it as part of your “WELCOME TO PONYVILLE” party I’m planning for tonight, which by the way is at seven, now go and explore the town. You still have about three hours until everything is ready and I haven’t even loaded the party cannon with the right load out, I mean even somepony like me needs to make sure nopony gets a full blast to the muzzle, have to make sure what happened at the last party doesn’t happen again! NOW GO ON SILLY FILLY YOU HAVE MORE ADVENTURING TO DO!”
Before Prose knew it he was shoved out the door to the street, Prose looked back and chuckled thinking about the party Pinkie was going on about and then his heart felt like it fell into his stomach, ‘A party….FOR ME!?’ was his main thought as he walked away.
Prose sat there on the bench he called his table, patting his content and full belly, which responded with a low growl as if to say thanks. He chuckled to himself, “Man who knew that old saying was true, a way to a stallions heart really is his stomach.” He said this to nopony in particular and stood up to throw away his trash.
After throwing away his trash, Prose stopped, his ears perked up to a strange sound. It sounded like a couple of screaming fillies but he couldn’t place where it was coming from. The park was near so Prose thought nothing of the sound as he started walking again until he heard it again this time a little closer, moving his ears every which way to determine where it was coming from. ‘Oh well,’ he thought shrugging.
Unbeknownst to Prose a little orange blur and her friends were, speedily, making their way towards him. Prose noticed the sound way closer and before he could react was crashed into and knocked to the ground.
“Did anypony get the cutie mark of the one who hit me.” He said groggily.
When he looked up he noticed three things; one, he wasn’t run over by a pony, well not technically; two, what he was run over by was bright red and had wheels. Three, and most importantly, he noticed three fillies and a colt piled up on top of him and groaning as well.
“Umm…excuse me kids?” All of them turned suddenly to look at Prose, “Do you think you could get your wagon off me, it’s starting to dig into my left leg something fierce.”
All four of the kids jumped up quickly, blushing and muttering something about their crusading getting them in more trouble, and moved their wagon and what looked like a scooter off of him. Prose stood up and looked down at the four young ones standing in front of him and he couldn’t help but smile a bit.
“We’re awfully sorry sir, we couldn’t see where we were going and we managed to get more speed than I thought we would.” Said the little orange one, looking down.
Prose, smiling said, “Think nothing of it, just be glad nopony got seriously injured. Now, what in the name of Luna’s moon were you four doing?”
The red maned light golden colored one spoke up, “Well, ah was just trying to get Scootaloo here,” she pointed to the first one I talked to, “to get us to the park a little faster so we can go crusadin’ quicker.” she said apologetically.
“I told you it was a bad idea! But no you have to get to crusading as fast as ponily possible.” Squeaked out the little colt shooting a slight glare towards the other three.
“We didn’t think Scootaloo would try and kill us getting there Pip.” Shot back the purple and pink maned, white coated filly.
Prose put his hooves up before an argument could start, prompting all four of them to lower their heads again and go silent.
“Now, as I see it,” stated Prose, “You guys weren’t trying to intentionally hurt anypony so that’s good. Before we go any further with the ‘this one said that, and that one did this’ what is all of your names?”
The orange coated one said, “I’m Scootaloo, sir”
“I’m Sweety Belle, sir” said the white coated filly.
Ah’m Apple Bloom, sir.” Said the light gold colored one.
“And I’m Pipsqueek, sir.” Said the pinto colored little colt.
Prose smiled and lowered down to be face to face with the group, “That’s all well and good, but please you don’t need to say ‘sir’, my name is Burning Prose, but you guys can call me Prose.” He smiled and stuck out his hoof waiting for a reply.
All four of them looked at each other first and then back at Prose not wanting to move at first. Scootaloo was the first to hoofbump him and as soon as they saw Prose smile a little wider they all took turns hoofbumping him. With the introductions out of the way Prose asked them the question he had wanted to ask since he heard the word ‘crusading’.
“So, what’s this about crusading, and what are you guys crusading for?” he asked raising his eyebrow slightly.
The three fillies eyes seemed to brighten at the question, while the little colt sighed heavily, before they all said at once, “We’re crusading for cutie marks!”
This made Prose chuckle and Scootaloo shot him a small glare, “What’s so funny? Cutie marks are what make a pony a…well a pony!”
“Yea, we’ve been tryin’ to get ours for a while now, this ain’t no laughing matter mister.” Huffed Apple Bloom while puffing her cheeks out.
Prose chuckled again saying, “No, no don’t misunderstand me little ones, I was just remembering my crusading days. Trying my hardest to get whatever my cutie mark would be.” Prose smiled at his foalhood memories.
Scootaloo’s glare turned into a confused look, “You used to crusade to? But it’s had to have been years, I mean your old!” she exclaimed with her hooves in the air.
His smile faltered ever so slightly that they didn’t notice it. “Now, now, I may seem old to you, but it wasn’t all that long ago I was out spying on other ponies, or trying to get a cutie mark for being a ninja.” The little foals ears perked up.
“Heh, I remember this one time I tried getting my urban explorer cutie mark and got lost only two blocks from my house!” Prose laughed at the memory.
“That’s all well and good Mr. Prose,” said Sweety Belle, her head lowering as she continued, “but we’ve tried all of that stuff.”
“Yea, ah’ve even tried catapult buildin’ and didn’t get my cutie mark.” Apple Bloom said sadly.
Scootaloo lowered her head as well, “I feel like we’re never gonna get our cutie marks.”
Pip squeaked up, “I’ve only just started crusading and I’ve failed as well.”
Prose stood up fully and looked down at the four in front of him when a thought came to him.
Lowering his head, “You guys want to know a secret about cutie marks?”
All four of them at the same time, “YES!”
Prose smiled, “Well the secret is…” He looked around for dramatic effect making the four foals lean in closer. He whispered, “There is no secret!”
He looked at all four faces of confusion before chuckling.
“That’s it?” Scootaloo asked.
“That’s it.” Prose said smiling.
All four of foals frowned at his answer. They were hoping for some big reveal on how to get their cutie marks and Prose told them there wasn’t anything big about.
Prose chuckled at them, “Let me explain,” He lowered his head so he was face to face with them, “you see it doesn’t matter if you don’t have your cutie marks yet. Just have fun, go crusading, maybe you’ll get your cutie mark while doing it. But don’t try too hard, you do that and you won’t have as much fun.”
Sweety Belle spoke up first, “But what if we never get them? I don’t want to be called a blank flank for the rest of my life!” she raised her voice slightly saying this.
“Calm down,” Prose said reassuringly, “You guys want to know another secret? This time about me?” He asked them.
All four present lifted their heads.
“I was a blank flank till I was in high school.” He answered.
All four of them stared at him disbelievingly when Pip spoke up.
“There’s no way! How did you deal with all of the bullying and name calling then?” Pip inquired.
Prose thought for a second, ‘Well I’m not telling them my way of doing it, hmm?’
He answered, “By ignoring them and being safe in the knowledge that one day you’ll get your cutie mark.” He noticed the four of them looking at him with their head cocked to the side.
”I know that doesn’t sound like much, but if you just keep thinking to yourself, ‘Man maybe today it will happen, but if it doesn’t then I haven’t failed.’ Then nopony can make fun of you, you’ve taken all of their ammunition from them.” He finished.
Scootaloo spoke first, “I think I get what you’re saying but what if we don’t ever get them?” she asked.
“Well you can’t think like that, I got mine after I made somepony happy after I noticed they had a bad day. It doesn’t always work out that way, but no matter what happens you just have to keep telling yourself that everything will work out.” He replied.
They all four still had quizzical looks on their faces, which made Prose sigh some.
“How about I tell you using my special talent?” he asked.
They all nodded in agreement and stood there waiting.
Prose took a deep breath and said,
“Though we try and try and nothing comes to fruition at first
We relish at the thought of trying again and again to quench that thirst
And though nothing happens still, we keep trying, with the knowledge that one day
Our trials and errors will get us to that edge, that cusp where victory lay.”
Prose lowered his hoof realizing he had raised it as he spoke, and looked down at the group.
Scootaloo closed her mouth after finding it open, then opened it again to say, “Wow, that was amazing! I think I see what you’re saying now!” She turned to the rest and yelled out, “CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS LET’S GET TO CRUSADING!”
All four of them excitedly got into their respective vehicles and as they started making their way away, Scootaloo turned her head to face Prose, “Mr. Prose, thank you for the words of encouragement.” She waved and turned her head forward as she started pushing with all her might.
Prose waved back, “It’s no problem at all kids, and remember let nopony tell you that you can’t do something, but at the same time please do be careful.” He called out.
As Prose watched the group make their way, quite speedily and somewhat dangerously, away he smiled and continued waving until he couldn’t see them.
He thought to himself while smiling, ‘Well that went good, I helped a group of little foals get their spirits up and I had some delicious bagels.’
He continued his way around the center of town taking in all of the simple buildings and shops. Finally looking at a clock he noticed he still had two hours to kill before Pinkie Welcome to Ponyville party. He decided to go to the house he would call his own. ‘Thank Celestia it’s next to the town library….wait.’ Prose interrupted his own thoughts with a question mostly to himself, “Where is the town library?” he said out loud.