Spike held onto Derpy’s hoof until they reached the edge of town. Disrupting the beauty of the grassy knoll in front of them was the large fair they were searching for.
They approached the grounds, walking side by side until they reached the entry gate. From there they could get a much better view of the goings-on. With every step closer, they could feel their nostrils fill with the scent of fresh cotton candy, sweet popping corn, and objects that had no business being deep fried… being deep fried.
“Wow,” Derpy said, eyes aglow. “This is so cool! A Ferris wheel? Even a roller coaster? How’d they do it so fast?”
“A mystery that has baffled Equestria’s greatest minds for centuries.” Spike shook his head. “Honestly, though, I think the way they do it is they just dismantle all the rides into parts every night and ship them to a different town by train.”
Derpy rubbed her chin. “That doesn’t sound very safe.”
“It’s not,” Spike said with a grin. “But that’s why these rides are the best! Every time you get on one you run the risk of horrible death. If that doesn’t get the blood pumping, I don’t know what will.”
Derpy shrugged and followed Spike as he sauntered over to the ticket booth.
“Good evening, you two!” A stallion with a wonderful handlebar mustache exclaimed with a bright smile. “Just two tickets?”
“Uh, actually, we just need to go in real quick to chat with somepony,” Spike said. “We’ll be in and out in the blink of an eye.”
The stallion shook his head and pointed to a sign hanging underneath the stand. “Well, my apologies sir, but as the clearly visible sign states, ‘Nopony Admitted Without Payment’. I don’t make the rules, I just ensure they’re followed.”
Spike grumbled and produced a few bits. “Alright, fine. How much?”
“Five bits apiece for adults, four for seniors and ten for foals and fillies.”
“Ten for foals and fillies?” Spike shouted in pure shock. “Isn’t that a bit… shady? I mean, kids are the target audience!”
“Of course! That’s why they’re the most expensive.”
“Psh, you and your capitalist hierarchy,” Spike mumbled a few choice pieces of profanity under his breath and threw the bits on the table. “Fine, take your filthy bits. Two adults. May as well be highway robbery at this point…”
Derpy chuckled and followed Spike inside. “Oh, I’m sorry, Spike. If I would’ve known it’d be so expensive, I’d have stayed behind.”
“No, of course not,” Spike said, waving the idea off. “I’m glad you came. It wouldn’t have been nearly as enjoyable a walk through town without you.”
She grinned. “Y-Yeah, I agree. Oh, walking with you, I mean. Not… walking with… myself. You get the idea.”
“I got it. No worries.”
Derpy looked around in wonderment at all the goings-on. She almost tripped over a few loose foals in desperate need of parental supervision. “Wow. I haven’t been to one of these since I was just a filly. I find it kinda silly, actually. I just haven’t had the time.”
“Oh, they’re pretty great!” Spike said with a smile. “Someday, I’ll take you to a real one. Like, one that doesn’t run the risk of falling to pieces the moment hooves make contact with it. Deal?”
“Deal.” Derpy beamed a smile at him before pausing. “So, I have to ask. What are we doing here, exactly? You never really told me. Are we getting a souvenir for Dinky?”
“Kind of,” Spike said with a wink. “You’ll see in just a moment.”
After roaming a bit more, they reached an open segment of the grounds. Spike blocked the sun with his claw and scanned the perimeter before his eyes lit up. “There he is!”
Spike pointed with his claw to a younger pink unicorn, with a black and pink striped mane, standing across the clearing. He was surrounded by a horde of fillies taking pictures and signing autographs with him.
“Is that…?” Derpy spoke up.
“You better believe it,” Spike said. “That would be Poptart. Well, an actor playing Poptart. Either way, we’ve gotta talk to him.”
Derpy smiled and followed behind Spike as they walked over. “I’m sure Dinky would love a picture! Or maybe even an autograph!”
Spike shook his head. “I’ve got something a little better planned.”
The two waded through a river of foals and fillies, finally making their way to the unicorn.
“Um, excuse me, Poptart?” Spike asked, getting his attention.
The unicorn turned around. “Yep, that’s me! In the flesh. You need a— ...Aren’t you a little old to be at the meet and greet line?”
Spike shook his head. “Oh, no worries, bro. I’m actually just here to ask you a question. I’ll make it quick. Just down the road, there’s a hospital. In that hospital is a filly who’s your biggest fan. So, this afternoon or on your lunch break or something, I was wondering if—”
“Let me guess,” he finished for him. “You want me to go visit her at the hospital, right? Say hi, recite a few catchphrases, call her my sidekick, the whole shebang?”
Derpy looked at Spike, her mouth agape. “Spike? Are you actually doing this? I don’t… know what to say.”
Spike gave her a sly grin from the corner of his mouth before readdressing Poptart. “Yes, sir. Any chance you could make that happen?”
The unicorn rubbed his chin for a moment. “Hmm, sacrifice my time and energy to spend the night at some sick kids hospital room? Not gonna happen.”
Spike wanted to respond but had no words to follow what he just heard.
“Look, man,” Poptart continued. “This is just a side job so I can have some extra cash for my vacation coming up. I get paid to stand here, look charming, and pretend to be a book character I just happen to look like. Anything beyond that is not my concern.”
Spike snapped out of his stupor walked right up in the face of him. “Look here, you pink pretty-boy, you can just say no, but don’t you dare insult Di—”
“Hold up,” Poptart said, casually sliding Spike off to the side and eyeing Derpy up and down. “Aren’t you just lovely?”
Derpy blushed and took a few steps back from the approaching unicorn. “Me? Oh, well, I uh…”
“I tell you what,” he continued. “I’d be more than willing to waste my night in your room if you catch my drift.”
Spike snorted a billow of steam and walked between the two of them. “C’mon, Derpy. Let’s not waste our time with this loser.”
As they were walking away, Poptart opened his mouth one more time. “Hey! That counted as a meet and greet! You owe me three bits.”
He had not even the time to flinch before being pelted in the head with three coins.
Spike and Derpy walked out of the fair, the dragon still fuming.
“I can’t believe the nerve of that guy!” Spike said, stomping the ground with each word. “I go in there to try and do something nice, and what happens? I pay him three bits to insult me and harass my marefriend. “ Upon realizing what he said, he quickly covered his mouth. “Oh, whoops. Sorry. I wear my heart on my sleeve when I’m angry.”
Derpy bit her lip and gently took Spike’s claw into her hoof. “It’s okay. And, Spike?”
“Yeah?” Holding her hoof causing his voice to become much calmer. “What’s up?”
“Thank you.”
“For what?” he asked. “For introducing you to a jerk that disrespects your sister then tried to hit on you?”
“Mhm,” she said with a nod. “The fact that you even tried to do something like that… It makes me really happy. And it would’ve made Dinky happy, too.”
Spike used his free claw to rub the back of his head. “Oh, well… Yeah. I suppose its best that Dinky didn’t meet him after all. What’s the old saying about not meeting your heroes?”
“That’s definitely true, here.” Derpy let out a sigh and looked up. The two of them had slowed to a gentle stroll now, claw in hoof. “At least we got to go out on such a nice day.”
“No joke,” Spike said. “Any day I get to spend with you is nice in my books.”
Spike mentally facepalmed upon replaying what he just said in his mind. You need some crackers to go with that cheese, Spike?
“I agree,” Derpy said with a giggle. “Pretty soon, Dinky will hopefully get to enjoy these days with us, I hope.”
”She will,” Spike said. “On that note, you wanna go back and see her now?”
“Sure!” Derpy paused for a moment. “Actually, Spike? I was gonna ask if you had the time time to read her one of the Poptart and Note Pad stories. It’d really cheer her up.”
“Of course I can!” Once again, a lightbulb went off in Spike’s head. And this time, he knew what his mind was concocting would work. “You know what, Derpy? I have another plan. Come with me to the Castle real quick. We’ve got a little work to do.”
Spike and Derpy crept down the quiet halls of the hospital. It took them a bit later than expected to get everything finalized for Dinky’s surprise. It was now the late afternoon and most of the kids were already fast asleep, so they tried not to wake them.
Knowing Dinky, however, they could almost guarantee she would be awake and more than likely pestering one of the nurses about something.
They eyed her room a short way down the hall just in time to see Nurse Redheart making her way out of it, her mane frazzled.
Spike beckoned her over which she happily obliged to. “So,” he began, “is she awake?”
The nurse slowly nodded. “Oh yeah, she’s definitely awake. She’s been cranky all night. Wouldn’t eat her dinner until I cut it up for her. Didn’t like the apple juice. On and on. Can hardly blame the dear, though. She’s had to get bloodwork done all afternoon. That many needles make the toughest of creatures cry.”
“No joke,” Spike said. “Doctor gets near me with one of those things and I’m welling up. But that’s beside the point. I think this is the perfect night to surprise her. You think so, Derpy?”
She happily bobbed her head. “Definitely. Let’s do it.”
“Good luck, you two,” Redheart said. “She deserves a fun night.”
As she walked away, Spike and Derpy snuck up to her door.
“Alright, you ready?” Spike said.
“Ready.”
With a silent nod, Spike thrust open the door, catching Dinky by surprise. Without bothering to greet her, he hopped up on the nearby bookcase and pulled out a flashlight from behind his back.
“Note Pad!” he shouted across the room to Dinky. “Be on the lookout, because I do believe the dreaded Doctor Poniferus is right behind me.”
Dinky’s mouth opened. “Spike? What’s going—”
“Spike?” he responded. “Who is that? I’m Poptart, of course.”
The door burst open once more, Derpy dashing in. “And I’m Doctor Poniferus! I”ve come to finally get you, Poptart! And you too, Note Pad.” Derpy gave a sinister yet playful grin at her sister.
Spike thrust out the flashlight like a sword toward Derpy. “Not today, you diabolically deviant doctor!” Spike hopped through the air, landing on Dinky’s bed. He gently stepped across until he was within arm’s reach of her. He stuck out a claw for her to grab. “Note Pad? Will you please aid me in taking down this villain? I can’t do it without my trusted sidekick.”
Dinky stared at his claw, eyes widening by the second. Her eyes wandered up to Spike’s face, seeing the reassuring grin he was wearing. She instantly lit up and grabbed his claw. “Don’t worry, Poptart! I’ll help you! I promise!”
“Excellent!” Spike pulled her up to her hooves and handed her the flashlight. “Take this weapon. The doctor is dangerous. You never know when it’ll come in handy.”
Derpy looked at the both of them towering over her on the bed. “So, two against one, huh? Well, no matter! I’ll defeat you twice as easily!”
“No, you won’t!” Dinky wrapped a hoof around Spike’s leg. “We’re a team! And you’re just a meanie!” Dinky used her limited magic to throw a pillow at her sister and hopped onto her, smiling and laughing as she did so. “C’mon Spike! I left another pillow for you so you can help, too!”
Spike nodded and grabbed the remaining pillow and hopped down into the massacre.
“No!” Derpy shouted, trying to subdue her laughter. “I shall not be defeated this easily! Not by the likes of you!”
The three of them erupted into a fit of laughter and bright smiles that lasted the rest of the afternoon. And not one of them could remember the last time they enjoyed an afternoon so much.