Main Characters: Rei, Stormy, Inkie, Dinky, Pipsqueak, Scootaloo
Cameos: Twilight, Derpy
Original Write Date: June 21, 2012
Derpy rushes around her house, tossing things into a saddlebag. Dinky watches her mother from a couch while Rei enjoys the show from her post at the entryway.
‘Thank you so much for helping at the last moment,’ Derpy says to the older filly. ‘Sparkler is away with friends, and I got called up so suddenly.’
‘No problem!’ Rei cheers. ‘I don’t mind helping any friend of my father.’ She yawns, having already spent the day working for Rainbow Dash’s weather crews.
‘Again, why couldn’t Chief come?’
‘Now that Fluttershy isn’t my mommy anymore, everypony is after him again. He has a date with Twilight tonight.’
‘Lucky him. I have been out in...’ Derpy stops and looks at her daughter.
‘It is okay, mommy.’ Dinky smiles.
Derpy smiles at her daughter then turns to Rei. ‘You know your responsibilities, right? Make sure she gets her homework done. Make sure she gets a good meal. Not too much television or video games. Get her to bed on time.’
‘I got it. No need to worry,’ Rei moans.
Derpy trots over and kisses Dinky on the forehead. ‘You be good for Miss Rei, okay?’
‘You can trust me, mommy.’
Derpy trots to the door. ‘I’ll be back later. If I am too late, you can have Sparkler’s room for the night, Rei.’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
‘Have fun!’
Derpy exits her home and flies away. Rei waves before closing the door and joining Dinky on the couch.
‘So, what video games do you have? Or do you want to watch TV?’
Dinky hops off the couch. ‘No TV until homework is done.’
‘But that is so boring! I wanna watch TV!’
Dinky glares. ‘We only get one hour of TV and only if homework is done.’
Rei moans and follows the young filly as she gets out her homework.
Twilight and Inkie trot out from the laboratory in the library’s basement. The younger mare has a box of plant samples on her back.
‘Thank you for letting me use your lab,’ Inkie says.
‘I don’t mind,’ Twilight replies. ‘Anything to help a fellow scientist.’
‘I’ll keep you informed to my results.’ She laughs. ‘I just hope I don’t burn down the apartments in the process.’
‘Is... that a risk?’
‘I have learned that if my sister or Rei are anywhere near any of my experiments, there is always a risk of fire.’
The older mare groans, ‘I know that too well.’
The ponies reach the door, and Twilight opens it for the encumbered Inkie. On the other side of the door, Scootaloo was about to knock.
‘Oh, hey, Scootaloo,’ Twilight greets. ‘How can I help you?’
‘I am here for my tutoring,’ the filly replies. ‘Is this the right time?’
Twilight thinks for a moment. She gets a panicked look on her face. ‘Oh no! I completely forgot!’
‘Yes! No tutoring.’
‘No! I forgot about my date with James tonight. I need to get ready!’
‘Good luck with that! See ya!’ Scootaloo cheers.
‘I can handle tutoring for you until you get your schedule fixed,’ Inkie offers.
‘Are you sure you can handle it?’
Inkie laughs. ‘Twilight, please. I was top of my class. I think I can handle it.’
‘Thank you so much! Good luck!’
‘Yeah. Thank you, Inkie,’ Scootaloo grumbles.
Twilight shows her guests out of the library as she rushes to get ready. Inkie smiles at the pegasus filly.
‘Let’s head back to my place. We can work there.’
‘Fine.’
‘What do you need help in?’
‘Mostly history and composition. I am okay in maths and science, I guess.’
‘Uh, hmm,’ Inkie laughs nervously. ‘We’ll see what we can do.’
Stormy trots home after a day of helping the Cakes fill an order. He is tired of baking. He just wants to return his mom’s notebooks to his room, then go out for the fanciest dinner he can afford.
He stops for a long sigh and deep breath. In that moment, his unicorn senses tell him somepony is behind him. He spins around and looks for his stalker. Nopony. He snorts and turns back to his path.
‘Looking for me?’ a Trottingham accent asks.
Stormy freezes. He looks around. ‘Oh dear Sagan. All that time around Rei has caused me to hear voices now.’
‘Down here, idiot.’
Stormy looks down to see a small pinto earth pony staring up at him.
‘Phew. You had me worried for a moment. Well, see ya.’
Stormy trots away. Pipsqueak snorts and gallops after the unicorn.
‘Wait up. I don’t have as long legs as you.’
The older pony stops and groans. ‘Kid, what do you want?’
‘I, uh, wanted to, uh, hang out if that is okay.’
‘With me? Are you on drugs and/or a NARC?’
‘Um, well, you see...’
Stormy groans again. ‘Whatever. I was just going to dinner. You can tag along, I guess.’
‘Thank you, Mr Stormy!’
‘Whatever, pipsqueak.’
‘Whoa! You must be smart if you knew my name already.’
‘That is your name? Seriously?’
‘Sure is!’
‘Ugh. This is going to be a long night.’
Inkie flips through Scootaloo’s textbook while the filly works on her composition assignment. They are working on the floor of Inkie’s still-bare apartment.
‘I really don’t understand the names of the ancient unicorn royalty,’ the tutor complains. ‘Princess Platinum? Sapphire Ruby? King Gold the Shiny? So pretentious.’
‘Yeah. Not as cool as Commander Hurricane or Marshal Typhoon.’
‘Actually, they just chose boring elements for names. Not even the most valuable ones.’ Inkie giggles. ‘I once came up with a Prince Rubidium. Do you want to see my anatomically correct sketches of him?’
Scootaloo cringes. ‘Uh... No thanks.’
The older filly sighs. ‘So... How much of your history do you know?’
‘I don’t know. Mostly pegasus stuff. My dad made sure I knew all about it.’
‘Hmm...’ Inkie sets down the book. ‘How about you study while I check your writing?
Scootaloo sighs and slides her paper over. Inkie stares at the paper. She bites her lips and thinks. She gets up and goes to a makeshift kitchen.
‘Hey! How about I make us some dinner while you study?’
Rei rests her head on Derpy’s table. Dinky happily works on her homework beside the moping pegasus. She sets her quill down and levitates her paper over.
‘Miss Rei, can you check my work?’
Rei scans the paper. ‘Looks good, D-chan.’
‘Great! I’m all done now.’
‘Finally! We can catch the end of the afternoon cartoons.’
‘Are you sure you want to use all of your TV time on cartoons?’
‘But, it is cartoons.’
‘Oh, Rei. You are such a silly filly.’
Rei’s stomach growls. Dinky sighs and shakes her head.
‘Rei, are you hungry?’
The pegasus groans. ‘That is like asking if water is wet.’
‘Do you want to make dinner now or watch cartoons?’
Rei looks from the living room to the kitchen. She lets out a high-pitched whine. ‘Can’t we watch television while cooking like mommy used to do with me?’
‘But this is you and me, Rei. Not you and Fluttershy. Do you want my mommy to think you are not being responsible?’
Rei snorts. ‘Let’s make you the bestestest dinner ever!’
The pegasus stands and marches to the kitchen. Dinky groans and follows.
This is not the dinner Stormy hoped for. Instead of going to Ponyville’s finest restaurant, with plates costing up to thirty bits each, he and Pipsqueak are at a diner, looking at a thirty-bit meal. They have both ordered, and their server has just left a large basket of chips and drinks for them. The young colt starts digging in while the young unicorn calmly snacks.
‘So, kid, what did you want to talk to me about?’ Stormy asks.
Pipsqueak finishes his mouthful of chips and takes a breath. ‘To be honest, you weren’t my first choice to ask.’
‘Oh?’
‘I tried talking with my father, but he is a little intimidating.’
‘I know that feeling,’ Stormy groans.
‘I tried asking other older colts, but you were the first that didn’t laugh in my face.’
‘I’m surprised you found others you could look in the face.’ Before Pipsqueak can correct him, Stormy sighs, ‘Other colts my age can be total jerks somet... often.’
‘Right...’
‘Still haven’t heard what you wanted to ask.’
Pipsqueak summons all the courage he can muster. ‘How do you get the filly you like to notice you?’
Stormy sits back and thinks. ‘You know. I have no clue. Trixie and I were forced together, and that is how we bonded. Before her, I pined after Rei. I have no idea if she ever noticed me until we were in Rarity’s class together. Sorry, kid.’
‘Thanks anyway, Mr Stormy,’ the young colt sighs.
‘Do you really like her?’
‘I guess. She was my first friend when I moved to Ponyville.’
‘When you pick partners at school, do you ask her?’
‘Only if she doesn’t ask me first.’
‘Do you spend a lot of time together?’
‘Loads! We do almost everything together. She even had me over at her house for a sleepover.’
‘Then I hate to tell ya, buddy, but I think she likes you already.’
‘Really?!’ Pipsqueaks voice cracks.
Stormy nods. ‘Uh huh. You just have to tell her. Make her a giant card for Hearts and Hooves Day or get her a nice Hearths Warming gift. Let something else do the talking if the words get stuck in your throat.’
The young colt nods excitedly. ‘Right. Thank you.’
‘Also, if Rarity offers her class again, sign up. Trust me. It does wonders.’
‘Doesn’t that mean she will teach me to be a lady?’
Stormy growls. ‘She teaches more than that.’
Pipsqueak laughs. The waiter returns with the meals, ending the conversation for now.
Rei and Dinky sit down to Dinky’s first meal without muffins in months. They both have large salads to start and an array of dishes Rei made for them.
‘Itadakimasu!’ Rei cheers, with Dinky trying to mimic her foalsitter.
Rei buries her muzzle in her bowl. Dinky uses her magic to lift a fork and eat.
‘Um, Miss Rei...’
‘Yes?’ Rei replies without looking up.
‘Um... How do you tell somepony you like him?’
Rei looks up, lettuce, tomatoes and dressing on her face. An onion slice hangs from an ear. She finishes her mouthful before going back down. ‘Lick his horn.’
‘But, he is not an unicorn.’
‘Trust me. He has a horn.’ Rei shudders as she remembers Rarity’s videos. ‘They all do.’
‘Oh! You mean a pe...’
‘Don’t say it!’
Dinky giggles. ‘Rei is shy about sex.’
Rei blushes. ‘Am not! I am just, uh, not as obsessed with it as most ponies are.’
The young filly giggles again, and both ponies go back to their meal.
‘Miss Rei...’
‘Yeah?’
Dinky takes a big breath. ‘Your daddy is an earth pony. Was your mommy, your real mommy, a pegasus like you?’
‘Why do you ask?’
‘Me and my sister are both unicorns, but our mommy is a pegasus. I am just trying to figure out if our daddy was a unicorn, too.’
‘I would think he would be an unicorn. Pony genetics don’t really allow for much tampering. It is highly unlikely that your father was an earth pony or pegasus.’
‘Oh. Okay.’
‘Do you miss your dad?’
‘I guess. I don’t know. I don’t know much about him, and mommy and Sparkler don’t talk about him much.’
‘Maybe you can ask my daddy or The Doctor to take you to meet him. They are always going on adventures like that.’
‘I could try asking them...’
‘Hey, wanna know a secret?’
‘Sure!’
‘It is a really big secret. If you tell anypony, and I will know if you told, I will do really bad things to you.’
‘I swear I won’t tell anypony. I Pinkie Pie swear!’
Rei looks around and leans over. She whispers, ‘My real mommy is Luna.’
Dinky gasps, ‘That is so cool!’
‘I know, right?’
The two fillies giggle at the secret and go back to their meal.
Having given up on studying and making dinner, Inkie and Scootaloo play video games while eating the pizza they ordered. Inkie growls and sets down the controller.
‘Damn it!’
‘This is much better than playing against Mr Wanderer and Rei.’
‘Ugh. They are too good.’
Scootaloo sets down her controller. She looks at her books. ‘So, uh...’
‘History is just memorization. Don’t worry about it.’
‘What about my writing?’
‘Looks fine to me. Just run it through your spell check when you get home.’
‘Oh. Okay. What now?’
Inkie shrugs. ‘We can play games until you want to go home.’
‘Sounds fun.’
The fillies pick up their controllers again. They play in silence for a bit.
‘Um... You’re dating Rei, right?’
‘Hmm... Not really dating, but we did confess to each other,’ she giggles. ‘It was really sweet.’
‘Sounds... good.’ Scootaloo thinks for a bit. ‘Was she the only pony you liked?’
‘Pretty much. I was somewhat introverted when in school. When I saw her on the cruise...’ She blushes. ‘I didn’t think love at first sight was possible.’
‘Don’t tell anypony I got all mushy, but that is a really sweet story.’
‘What about you? Is there somepony you have a crush on?’
Scootaloo blushes. ‘Sorta... I like Apple Bloom, but I did spend a lot of time with Diamond Tiara. I think Featherweight might like me, too.’
‘Scootaloo the Heartbreaker,’ Inkie laughs. ‘Either you are taking after Rainbow Dash or you caught whatever it is that Mr Wanderer and Rei give off.’
The young pegasus groans. ‘Why can’t having a special somepony be simple?’
‘You know, I found this one book while I was living with Twilight. It had a recipe for a love potion...’
‘NO! Trust me on that.’
Inkie giggles and goes back to the game.
Rei happily trots to the living room after the large meal. Dinky drags herself behind, having overeaten to try and impress her foalsitter. The older filly plops on the couch.
‘Okay! TV time! What do you want to watch?’
‘Um, what do you want to watch? I usually watch what mommy puts on.’
Rei thinks. ‘Nothing good on tonight... Good thing I brought some anime with me!’
The pegasus retrieves her saddlebag. She pours out the contents, a number of DVD cases and manga graphic novels. Dinky levitates a graphic novel while Rei digs through the DVDs.
‘So what do you like? Yuri? Joso? Mahou bishoujo? Giant mecha?’
‘Um... I don’t really...’ Dinky opens the comic and shrieks at what she sees.
‘So no joso...’
Rei digs through her DVDs more. Dinky hesitantly lifts another graphic novel. She peeks inside and gasps.
‘Yeah. Kantoku is a great artist.’
Dinky nods and blushes as she flips through the book.
Rei holds up a DVD. ‘Here we go!’
Dinky does not respond. Rei gets up and peeks over the unicorn’s shoulder. She giggles at what Dinky is staring at.
‘You know, I had a tartan skirt with my last school uniform.’
Dinky squeaks in surprise as she drops the book. Her horn maintains a faint glow. ‘R-r-really?’
‘Yep. If I still had it, it might fit you.’ Rei scowls. ‘Everything I had might fit you.’
The embarrassed filly glances at the dropped book. ‘W-what show did you pick?’
‘Well, since you liked those skirts,’ -- Dinky blushes -- ‘how about some Shugo Chara?’
‘O-okay.’
Rei giggles. ‘Don’t worry. You’ll love it.’ She puts the disc in the player and sits next to the other filly. ‘Maybe we can get Rarity to make us some skirts like in the show.’
Dinky blushes more and nods.
‘Don’t worry, mom. I’m on my way.’ Scootaloo hangs up her mobile. ‘Sorry, Inkie. I gotta go.’
‘That’s fine,’ the young mare replies. ‘I had fun tonight.’
‘Me too, I guess. Didn’t get much studying done.’
Inkie laughs nervously. ‘I guess I am not as strict a taskmaster as Twilight Sparkle.’
‘Nah. It’s cool. Mom’s had more time for me since my dad left. I can get some extra help from her.’
‘That’s good.’
Scootaloo picks up her saddlebag and heads to the door. She stops and looks back. Inkie is cleaning her apartment.
‘Um, Miss Inkie.’
‘Yes?’
‘If you want to hang out like this again or if you just want to come over for dinner or something...’
‘You’re a fun kid, Scootaloo. I’d love to be your friend.’
‘Thanks! Awesome! Uh, see ya around!’
Scootaloo gallops out of the apartment. Inkie laughs and returns to her cleaning.
Stormy trots with Pipsqueak down a well-lit street. The young colt looks even smaller next to the tall and slender young stallion.
‘Listen, Pip...’
‘Yes, Mr Stormy?’
‘I am sure you heard this a million times, but a little confidence goes a long way. If you ever need a boost before talking to the filly you like, I don’t mind helping you out.’
‘Thank you, Mr Stormy!’
‘Also, come by the shop sometime. I’ll have Rarity give you a discount on a suit. You could look very dapper.’
‘Great! Thank you again!’
They stop in front of a house. Pipsqueak starts heading towards his home.
‘Pip,’ Stormy calls. ‘Keep me informed of this filly you like. I hope everything works out.’
‘Will do! We’ll have to chat again sometime!’
Stormy nods and waves before trotting away.
Derpy looks in on a pony sleeping in a bed. She smiles and closes the door on the sleeping filly.
‘She really wiped herself out, huh?’
‘Yeah.’
‘I am glad nothing went wrong while I was out.’
‘Uh huh.’
‘I’ll call Chief and tell him that Rei is sleeping over.’
‘Okay, mommy.’
Derpy escorts her daughter to her room and tucks the young filly into bed. She leans in and kisses her daughter on the forehead. She trots out of the room and turns off the lights.
‘Mommy?’
‘Yes, Dinky?’
‘Can you get Rei to foalsit me more often? She is really fun.’
‘I’ll see what I can do.’
Dinky smiles. ‘Goodnight, mommy.’
‘Goodnight, my little muffin.’
Derpy closes the door and trots to her room. As soon as she is sure her mom is gone, Dinky pulls one of Rei’s comics from under her covers. Her tiny horn gets a slight glow.