//------------------------------// // Month 2 - or, Friends Old and New // Story: What's in a Name // by Comma-Kazie //------------------------------// The Ponyville Clinic wasn’t terribly impressive, at least not by Canterlot standards. It was a small squarish building tucked into the maze of buildings at the center of town, so unassuming that only the Equestria-wide cross-and-heart symbol over the entrance made it stand out from the surrounding houses. Ditzy paused indecisively in front of the glass double doors, then walked in. A white earth pony mare behind the counter greeted Ditzy with a smile. “Good afternoon! I’m Nurse Redheart. How can I help you today?” “I need to make an appointment. I’ve starting working with the weather team, and one of their requirements for new hires is a checkup.” “Of course.” Redheart ducked her head under the desk and retrieved a clipboard, which she set in front of Ditzy. “Go ahead and fill out this form; once you’re done with that, we can go in the back to start the exam.” Redheart fished out a pen for her, and Ditzy was about to begin filling out the paperwork when the nurse interrupted her. “Sorry, just one other thing: would you like to have your prenatal checkup as well while you’re here?” Ditzy nearly swallowed the pen. “How did you know about—I mean—” “Pinkie ‘borrowed’ my table for your welcoming party,” Redheart admitted. “I didn’t mean to pry, but sound carries for quite a ways in the downtown.” Wonderful. Literally everypony in the area had heard Pinkie’s songs. “I guess that’ll save me some explanations down the road.” “I’m sure she didn’t mean anything by it,” Redheart said. “Pinkie’s just a bit … overzealous about her celebrations.” “You have a talent for understatement.” Ditzy shuffled her wings again. “Anyway...who do I talk to about prenatal care? I get the feeling that that’s not just a walk-in appointment.” “I could take care of that for you as well. My studies centered around gynaecology and reproductive health—I’m actually here for my residency.” “Oh. Okay.” Ditzy sat down on a nearby cushion and began working on the medical form. Name, date of birth, and the like were easy enough, but for the life of her she couldn’t remember her insurance information. It occurred to her that being separated from her family meant that she probably wouldn’t be covered anymore regardless, so she checked ‘Bits’ as the preferred payment method. Drug use was easy enough to check off as a string of negatives, but family medical history was a bit trickier. Her father’s side of the family suffered from migraines, but she was less certain about allergies and cancers. She left those boxes blank and made a mental note to write to Cirrus about it later. When she finished, she handed the clipboard back to Redheart, who led her into one of the back rooms. Ditzy sat down on the examining table as Redheart gathered her supplies and sat down across from her, clipboard in hoof. “I see not all of the family history information has been filled in.” “Yeah, I came to town with a bag of bits and not much else. I didn’t think I’d be here longer than a few days, so having my medical file sent over didn’t really occur to me until today.” Redheart made a note on the form. “If you can have it sent over, that would be a lot of help. You really should try to stay on top of these kinds of things.” Ditzy laid back her ears. “Sorry.” “What?” Redheart looked up in surprise. “No, I didn’t mean that as an admonishment. It’s just better for me as a healthcare provider to have the right information on hoof rather than guessing.” Her eyes scanned back over the questionnaire. “Now you indicated that you have a family history of migraines. Have you ever experienced migraines yourself?” “No, but it’s something I know could crop up. Is that something I should tell my boss?” Redheart shook her head. “Not unless you get one lasting longer than four hours, or else a string of them over a period of several days. If that happens or you come down with one that leaves you unable to function, come see me and we’ll try to work out a treatment.” There wasn’t anything else on the questionnaire that caught her eye, so she moved onto the physical examination itself. She donned a stethoscope, and Dizty obligingly lifted a wing, gasping when the ice-cold instrument brushed her side. Redheart’s recently-washed hooves were a little warmer against Ditzy’s neck when the nurse checked her lymph nodes. She drew the blinds before shining a light into Ditzy’s eyes, taking extra time on the left one and making another note on the clipboard. After checking her blood pressure, Redheart had Ditzy perform a series of wing movements ranging from normal flapping to rotations, carefully watching each set. Once the nurse was satisfied that Ditzy’s range of movement was unhindered, she had her extend her wings out to the sides. It was a little awkward having another pony run a hoof across her open wings, but Redheart explained that it was necessary to check for any anomalies in the structure of her wing bones. With the physical completed, Redheart moved on to the gynaecological portion of the visit. Even in the privacy of the examining room and Redheart’s assurances about professionalism, Ditzy blushed profusely as she sat back and exposed herself for the examination. She resigned herself to the pokes, prods, and awkward questions, knowing that this was an experience she would go through frequently in the coming months. Mercifully, she was able to excuse herself to the bathroom to fill the cup, and the appointment concluded shortly thereafter. Ditzy slid off of the table and waited for Redheart to put her instruments away. “Okay, you’re all set. Just a few things before you go: first off, you’re eating for more than just yourself now, so it’s important you watch your intake. Sugar is okay once in a while, but make sure you balance that with lots of fruits and vegetables. Bread, cheese, and processed foods are fine as well, but fresh foods are going to have the most vitamins and minerals. And obviously, you should hold off on drinking alcohol until after the foal is born.” “I’m not old enough to buy it yet anyway,” Ditzy remarked offhandedly  Redheart tried not to think about the implications behind that. “Well that takes care of that then. Be sure to get plenty of sleep as well, and try to have at least a light snack whenever you feel hungry. I’ve had to remind more than one mare that their figure is less important than what’s growing in them.” She gently tapped Ditzy’s side. “If you’ll come up front, we can schedule your next appointment.” The two mares cantered to the front of the clinic, and Redheart flipped through an organizer. She marked a date in the next month and handed Ditzy her bill for the day’s visit. Ditzy’s eyes went wide when she saw the number and she tried not to think about how light her coinpurse became as she counted out the bits. With everything in place, Ditzy turned to go. She was halfway out the door when Redheart called to her. “Wait, just one more thing!” The nurse smiled at her. “Congratulations.” Ditzy returned her smile. “Thanks.” Ditzy made her way to the center of the town square on hoof rather than by wing; over the past few weeks, her sense of direction around town had improved dramatically, meaning she no longer had to try to spot her destination from the air. The voices of vendors and customers mingled together as they echoed down the line of buildings, and Sugarcube Corner’s distinctive pink rooftop served as an unofficial marker guiding Ditzy towards the center of town. “Okay, so fresh fruits and vegetables. Not too hard to find in an open-air market.” The entire square was lined with carts, each peddling a different foodstuff. Collard greens, flowers, potatoes, bread, cheese, and more were all on display, and Ditzy’s stomach rumbled at the feast laid out before her. After a quick round of eeny-meeny-miny-mo, she settled on carrots as her first purchase of the day. Manning the stand was an appropriately-colored earth pony, a yellow mare with a curly orange mane. “Hello!” Ditzy trotted up to the stand with an easy smile. “How much for three carrots?” “Nine bits,” the earth pony answered neutrally. Ditzy nearly tripped over her own hooves at that. She didn’t have much experience with shopping for her own food—her parents had somepony to take care of that back home, and at college food was taken care of by the school cafeteria. Still, nine bits seemed like an awful lot for three carrots. If that was the price though... Ditzy reluctantly pulled out her bits and set them on the stand. The earth pony looked down at the coins, then to Ditzy. For a second her mouth was half-open like she was thinking of saying something. After several long seconds, the pony silently took the coins and passed her the carrots. After another second, the pony reached under the stall and grabbed a slice of carrot bread and added it to the pile. “Um ... no extra charge.” “Oh!” Ditzy beamed gratefully at the earth pony. “Thank you so much!” The earth pony nervously shifted on her hooves and mumbled something about it not really being a big deal, but Ditzy immediately shook her head. “No, I really appreciate it. Everypony’s been so nice to me since I moved here! Ponyville is full of such friendly ponies.” The pegasus extended a hoof. “I’m Ditzy Doo, by the way.” The earth pony hesitantly reached out to shake her hoof. “Carrot Top.” “Nice to meet you!” Ditzy stowed the food into her saddlebags and shot one last smile at the carrot seller. “I hope we can be friends; you seem like a really good pony.” “Um...” Carrot Top self-consciously scuffed a hoof on the ground. A second later, she looked down at the bits Ditzy had given her and pushed one back. “You gave me an extra bit.” “Oh, sorry.” Ditzy picked the coin up and put it back with the others. She’d been sure she’d only put down nine bits, but if Carrot Top said she’d overpaid, then Ditzy wouldn’t argue. “Thanks again!” Ditzy trotted off to the next stall, happily munching on her slice of carrot bread—it was nice to not be shopping on an empty stomach anymore. She was feeling good about her food shopping so far. Sure, the food might have been a bit more expensive than she’d expected, but at least the vendors were nice. She trotted up to an apple stand opened her mouth to speak to the vendor and found herself mute, facing the largest pony she had ever laid eyes on. The massive red stallion greeted her with a nod, and it occurred to her that she had come to do more than gawk. “What’s the price for a half-dozen gala apples?” “Twelve bits,” the stallion answered. Ditzy gulped. If these prices were any indication, food was going to be a larger part of her budget than what Cirrus had outlined for her in his last letter. She suddenly felt guilty for how quickly Rainbow’s cloud-cupboards had emptied after she moved in. “Um, in that case I’ll just take three.” The sprig of hay in the stallion’s mouth bobbed slightly. “Yer new t’ town, aincha?” “Is it that obvious?” Ditzy asked with a laugh. “Eeyup. Don’t worry ‘bout it none—most city ponies ain’t too familiar with how a grower’s market operates. ‘Course, they usually ain’t around longer’n a few days, so they just buy everythin’ at face value.” This struck Ditzy as a rather strange observation. “Isn’t that how shopping works?” “In th’ cities, maybe. Th’ thing t’ remember at a grower’s market is that ya don’t have t’ buy yer produce at the first price th’ seller asks fer.” “Bwuh?” Ditzy felt her mind go for a loop. “Most o’ the growers overcharge a little t’ make a few extra bits. It ain’t too much, but ya have t’ know how t’ talk ‘em down a bit if ya want t’ have anythin’ in your coinpurse the end o’ the day.” “Huh.” Ditzy scratched her chin as she tried to wrap her mind around this revelation. She had rarely bought anything for herself back in Canterlot, much less something as basic as food. Then again, Canterlot had enough stores that vendors had to be more competitive with their pricing or risk losing customers to another store. Furthermore, many shops carried a variety of items of varying quality; narrowly-focused sellers like the stalls in the farmer’s market were something new to Ditzy, though she couldn’t deny that everything around her was fresher than anything she’d ever eaten at home. Asking them to adjust their prices for a high-quality product felt dishonest. The stallion seemed to follow her train of thought. “Are ya gonna be in town fer th’ long haul?” Ditzy nodded, and he placed a sign that read ‘Out fer a few’ on his stand. “Ma’am, why doncha come siddown a spell? Ah’ll teach ya a bit about hagglin’.” She followed him to a nearby table. “What’s that?” “A dyin’ art, apparently. Ah’m Macintosh Apple, by th’ way.” Ditzy shook his proffered hoof. “Ditzy Doo.” Haggling was surprisingly easy for her to pick up. Macintosh patiently explained that the best way to lead into a sale was to ask whether a vendor had a product on hoof rather than jump right to pricing. It still felt a bit backwards to Ditzy, since everypony had their wares clearly on display, but Mac told her that asking for a product was a lead-in to a negotiation—only ‘shoppers’ asked for a price up-front. She also learned how to pick up on a vendor’s tells to determine how close she was to the final price, as well as how much most types of produce were really worth. When Ditzy was satisfied that she could remember Macintosh’s advice, he led her back to his stall and patiently allowed her to practice. Her wings fluttered in excitement as she worked him down to seven bits for the apples, plus another five for a jar of spiced apple jelly. She knew he was only humoring her and probably wouldn’t give her these prices again, but the elation of getting extra food for the original price left her floating. Literally, in fact—she paused long enough to look down and thank Macintosh before gliding over the crowd, sights set on the flower stand. She landed with catlike poise and beamed at the scarlet mare behind the counter. “Hi there! Do you have any good teas?” By mid-afternoon, Ditzy was quite satisfied with her first experience at the market. Her saddlebags were a little heavier than she was used to, but so was her coinpurse. True, she had still spent more than she’d wanted to, but she would have had significantly less left over had it not been for Macintosh’s advice. She smiled and waved at him on her way out of the town square, though he was busy enough that he couldn’t offer more than a nod in response. Ditzy didn’t mind—he’d gone out of his way to help her, so she was glad to see him making up for lost time. Ditzy wove through the crowd, easing her way past the myriad of ponies around her as she searched for a clear stretch of pathway. With her saddlebags as loaded down as they were, she would need a running start to get airborne. She rounded a corner past a gaudy purple-and-white building and saw a back alley that was clear for several blocks. She flapped her wings as she broke into a gallop, She was almost clear of the alleyway when her right foreleg clipped a dumpster. Though not overly painful, the sudden impact was enough to knock the precariously-balanced pegasus out of the air, and Ditzy scrambled her limbs in a futile struggle to remain upright. Her forelegs gave out beneath her, sending her sprawling head-over-hooves and rump-first into an earth pony. The dark blue stallion shook his his greasy brown mane out of his eyes and glared at her from the ground. “Careful, Derpy,” he snapped at her. “I have enough trouble telling which end is your plot already.” “Sorry about that.” Ditzy gingerly got back on her hooves and gave the earth pony a sheepish smile. “I’ve always been a little clumsy.” “Naw, you’re not really clumsy,” his companion drawled. Ditzy was about to thank the yellow earth pony until he added, “She was just spreadin’ for you, Stones!” Ditzy’s eyes went wide. Surely she must have misunderstood him. “Beg pardon?” “Ah c’mon, Sticks.” Stones made an exaggerated gagging motion. “I don’t go for preggers, especially a whorse of this caliber.” “Yeah, good point, you dunno where that’s been,” Sticks agreed with a nasty little chuckle. He thoughtfully scratched his close-cropped black mane. “I wonder how much she spent on paternity tests before giving up?” “I-it’s not like that.” Dizty’s wings drooped in shock. How could anypony even say such a thing? “It’s really not...” Stones eyed her venomously, smelling blood in the water. “Man, that search would leave a noble house broke.” Sticks nudged him. “You think she taught Cloud Kicker a thing or two? Hay, I bet they never figured out who knocked her up ‘cause they didn’t think to include the biggest—well, now second biggest—whorse in all of Ponyville.” “Wouldn’t surprise me in the least—she’s so loose her legs’re about to fall off her flank.” Stones smirked down at his victim. “Two whorses having a little whorse-foal. Sounds about right.” Ditzy covered her head with her forelegs, sobbing into the ground beneath her as she did her best to block out the slew of insults. Sticks and Stones’ laughter was all-consuming, echoing through her hooves and down into her ears. Ditzy curled up as tightly as her saddlebags would allow. How could these ponies be so cruel to a complete stranger? She just wanted it to end so she could go home. Why wouldn’t they stop? After what felt like hours, the voices faded. Ditzy whimpered against the ground, too distraught to appreciate the silence. She felt rather than heard hooffalls nearby, but only peeked out from beneath her hooves when somepony laid down next to her and stroked her back. “There there now, it’s okay. They’re gone now, and they won’t be mean to you anymore.” Something about this new arrival sounded familiar to Ditzy. She peeked at the newcomer from behind her hooves. There was something familiar about that pink mane, those green eyes, that soft-as-silk voice... “F-f-fluttershy?” Ditzy whimpered. The green eyes narrowed momentarily, then went wide in recognition. “Oh my goodness, Ditzy Doo! I thought that it was you, but with your saddlebags covering your cutie mark I couldn’t … oh, are you okay?” “Better, n-now.” Ditzy blinked away another round of tears. Fluttershy gently cupped her friend’s chin with a hoof and used her other foreleg to clean dirt and tears away from Ditzy’s muzzle. “Are you hurt? Should I go get somepony?” Fluttershy nervously flitted around Ditzy, checking the rest of her body for any sign of injury. “No, I—I’m okay now.” Ditzy staggered under the weight of her saddlebags as she stood up, but Fluttershy was right beside her and braced her with a wing. “Thanks, Fluttershy, I ... thanks.” “Of course, I could never just leave anypony like that. None of what those bullies were saying is true.” She looked to the grey pegasus. “Right?” Ditzy flared her wings in angry exasperation, disheartened that Fluttershy of all ponies could think her capable of such behavior. “No, Celestia dammit! It was just the one stallion the one time! I didn’t mean to—” Fluttershy let out a frightened squeak and backed away, hiding behind her mane. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, that wasn’t what—I shouldn’t have said anything.” Ditzy cut herself off mid-rant, laying her ears back. “No, I’m sorry. Here you are helping me, and I bite your head off over some random question.” “It’s okay, I understand.” Fluttershy pawed at the ground. “Um—I was wondering ... if you wouldn’t mind of course, but would you like to come to my cottage for a snack? Please?” “Well, I—” Ditzy began. “Oh, that’s fine.” Fluttershy’s ears drooped, and the timid pegasus began backing away. “Sorry to bother you. I really shouldn’t have—” “Fluttershy,” Ditzy cut her friend off with a giggle. “I was going to say that I would love to.” “Oh.” A tenuous smile formed on Fluttershy’s face. “That sounds good, in that case.” As they walked out of town Fluttershy opened and closed her mouth several times before speaking again. “What I meant to ask earlier was … well, are you really going to have a foal?” Ditzy nodded. Of course Fluttershy wouldn’t have been in town to hear Pinkie’s song: large crowds had scared her even back in Flight Camp. Actually, just about everything had scared her back then. Fluttershy smiled and hugged her friend with her wing. “Oh that’s wonderful! I’m so happy for you, I really am.” The grey pegasus nuzzled her back. “Thanks. It’s kinda weird, really. Part of me is still waiting for a notice from school reminding me to buy my textbooks.” She used a wing to adjust her saddlebags. “Hay, if I didn’t have to go to work in the mornings, I could almost convince myself I’m on vacation at Rainbow’s house.” “Is that bad?” “Not really, it’s just … different. I’ve spent almost my whole life in Canterlot, either going to school or being with my family. Now I’m out here working alongside friends I haven’t seen in years. I mean, it’s nice to see everypony again, and the weather team is kind of fun, but...” Ditzy’s smile faltered. “Sometimes I get homesick or stressed. That … those two didn’t really help, either. She felt Fluttershy’s wing tighten around her again. The physical contact was a welcome anchor for Ditzy, and she pressed herself into the hug. Silence hung in the air like a raincloud, overshadowing the happy atmosphere of their reunion. Fluttershy’s gaze alternated between the path and her friend, apparently searching for an opening to speak again. After a while, Ditzy cleared her throat and returned her gaze with a newfound smile. “So … Rainbow tells me you live on the ground now. How long have you been groundside?” “Um, ever since I moved out of my parents’ house. I miss being with them some days, but there are just so many wonderful creatures here that I couldn’t help but enjoy it.” Ditzy tried not to focus on the stark reminder of her own separation. “Isn’t it a little dangerous being this far out of town? Rainbow warned me about the Everfree Forest when I joined the weather team.” Fluttershy shook her head. “Well, it’s not too dangerous so long as I don’t go into the forest itself. Besides, most of the creatures there know I’m not dangerous.” “How do you know that?” “Well, I can communicate with animals. It’s my special talent. It’s not like an actual conversation,” she hastily added. “We just kind of … understand each other.” Ditzy stared at her friend with newfound awe. “I didn’t think anypony could do that! How did you find out you could talk to them?” “It all started on the day I got my cutie mark. You remember that day, don’t you?” Ditzy didn’t think anypony from camp would forget that day. The rush of excitement from seeing a sonic rainboom quickly turned to panic when Rainbow Dash realized she couldn’t find Fluttershy. The camp councilors had suffered a collective heart attack when they realized she had fallen. “We were just really happy to see that you were okay when the camp counselors finally brought you back. And when we saw you had your cutie mark, I think everypony was so excited that we never really asked what it meant.” “That’s okay,” Fluttershy murmured understandingly. “I guess it took me a while to really understand it myself. But once I moved down here and spent more time with all of these wonderful creatures... Well, I know it may not seem like much to a pony who has spent most of their life on the ground like you have, but it really is a wonderful place.” “Actually, I’ve had to get used to living in a cloud-house,” Ditzy said with a laugh. “I forget that things can fall through the floor if I’m not careful!” She shot a glance over her shoulder. Hopefully Rainbow wouldn’t miss that stack of plates. “Oh, yes!” Fluttershy nodded emphatically, missing Ditzy’s guilty look. “You're lucky you live with Rainbow Dash: now that she's been promoted, she can afford to have a bit less cloud in her home. It actually took me quite a while to get used to the idea that things wouldn't fall through the floor, or that I needed actual furniture.” “I imagine! Still, it is kind of nice to be able to scoop a chair or a couch right out of the floor.” “Well, yes, but if I still lived in the clouds, most of my friends wouldn't be able to visit me.” She waved a hoof at a squirrel as it scampered across the road. In spite of what Fluttershy had just told her, Ditzy was still shocked when it stopped and waved back. “You don't mind them just coming into your home like that?” “Of course not. What else would I use a house for if not to have a place for all my friends to come?” Ditzy chewed her lip pensively. She'd never thought about it like that. “Um–I know you probably prefer staying with Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy continued, “but if you had–that is–well I would've been happy to help too.” “You mean it? You don't mind if I come by from time to time?” “Of course not, you're welcome to come visit anytime. I'd actually like that.” Fluttershy perked her ears as a thought struck her. “Maybe you and Rainbow Dash could both visit?” “I think she'll be a bit busier now that she's the weather team manager, but I'm sure she'd love to come by too.” Fluttershy frowned. “You’re right. I shouldn’t impose when she's got so many other more important responsibilities.” “It's okay! I'll just make up for it by coming by twice as much.” Fluttershy suppressed a happy squee. “I’d like that” Any further response from Fluttershy was cut off by a long, low growl. Ditzy glanced at her stomach in embarrassment. “Sorry. I only had a light snack at the market.” “It’s okay, my house isn’t much further ahead. I’ll fix you something to eat when we get there.” A painted white fence wound around the path, separating it from an orchard of neatly-spaced rows of apple trees. It eventually trailed off around around a bend, on the other side of which was a brook crossed by a small bridge. To Ditzy’s mild surprise, the cottage at the end of the path looked like it had been carved into a large tree, which had somehow survived the its transformation into a ground-house. A hint of yellow tinged the leaves, which rustled as birds flitted in and out of the canopy. Ditzy slowed her pace, drinking the sight in. No wonder Fluttershy had chosen to live on the ground—this place was gorgeous! Fluttershy gently pulled her closer as they negotiated the bridge, keeping the grey pegasus from falling off as she looked around. Her wing receded from around Ditzy as she opened the door and walked inside. “Now, what would you want to eat? I have soup, bread, and I think there’s even some apple jam left over, if you’d like.” Ditzy’s stomach grumbled again, and she thought the question over as she unstrapped her saddlebags. “If it’s not too much to ask, I have this odd craving for celery soup and a dandelion sandwich.” Fluttershy helped Ditzy lower her heavy satchel to the floor. ““That's no trouble at all. It'll take a bit of time since I need to make the soup from scratch, but I'll try to finish as fast as I can.” “Oh, that's fine! Do you want any help? “I couldn't possibly ask you to. Just relax and make yourself comfortable, and I'll bring your soup and sandwich as soon as they're ready.” “Okay. Thanks!”  Ditzy was about to step out of the mudroom when a small white rabbit hopped in front of her and pointedly sat down between her and the rest of the house. She smiled and knelt down. “Aw, what a cute bunny! Is he your pet? The rabbit glared at her, as if intelligent enough to feel indignant at being called a pet. Fluttershy’s wings gave a nervous twitch. “Not exactly. This is Angel Bunny.” She knelt down beside Ditzy and gave Angel a pleading smile. “Angel, this is my friend Ditzy. She’ll be staying for lunch, all right?” Angel huffed and rolled his eyes, then gave a quick nod as he bounced away. Ditzy stared after the rabbit curiously. “Was it something I said?” Flutershy stood back up. “I'm sorry, Angel's just a bit ... it takes him a while to get used to new ponies.” “It’s okay,” Ditzy smiled understandingly. At least, until she saw where Angel had disappeared to. “Hey! He’s in my saddlebags!” Angel shot a defiant glance at her before returning to the bags, coming up a few seconds later with a slice of carrot bread in his paws. “Angel!” Ditzy instinctively jumped back at the sound of Fluttershy’s voice, and took another step away when she saw the expression on her friend’s face. To see a look of such unbridled command on anypony’s face was unnerving, but on somepony as passive as Fluttershy... Ditzy actually felt sorry for the rabbit that had been stealing from her. Angel in turn jerked where he stood, as if trying and failing to force himself to look away from his owner’s withering gaze. He sank lower and lower against the ground with each step Fluttershy took towards him. “Angel Bunny!” she scolded. “Stealing food from other ponies is never okay, mister, and especially not from a pregnant mare! Now you apologize and go outside to think about what you've done!” The rabbit held his forelegs above his head pleadingly. He put the half-eaten slice of carrot bread on the ground and ran out the door, only pausing long enough to kiss Ditzy’s forehooves on the way. Ditzy stared openmouthed as the scene unfolded in front of her. Only the sound of the door slamming jolted her back to reality. “I’m so sorry about that,” Fluttershy sighed as she picked up the now-inedible bread with a hoof. “Angel has never done that before to anypony. I really don’t know what got into him.” Ditzy shook her head, still not quite believing what she had seen. “Wow... That was incredible! No wonder you’re so good with animals!” Fluttershy blushed as she put the bread slice onto a nearby table and birds descended on it from the myriad of birdhouses strung up around the living room. “Oh, I'm sure there are plenty of other ponies who are better than me. It’s really nothing special.” “I doubt it! Not everypony can stop a rabbit from stealing food just by looking at them.” Ditzy’s stomach growled again, eliciting a sigh from her. “Sorry.” Fluttershy covered her mouth with a hoof. “Oh, no, I'm the one who should be sorry! I forgot all about the food. Please, just have a seat on the couch, I’ll bring your meal right out.” “Okay. Thanks!” Ditzy settled onto the well-worn but surprisingly comfortable couch in the middle of the living room. The mismatched flock of birds stared at her curiously from the rafters, the carrot-bread long since devoured. Cardinals stood side-by-side with sparrows, finches, robins, and even the odd parakeet as they all tilted their heads in curiosity at the newcomer. Fluttershy paused midway through the arch leading into her kitchen and flew back to Ditzy. “Now everybird,” she cooed gently, laying a hoof on Ditzy’s shoulder. “I’d like you to meet my friend Ditzy Doo. She’s had a very stressful day today, so I want you all to be extra nice to her, all right?” The birds looked at one another momentarily, then descended on the grey mare. Ditzy squeaked, but Fluttershy kept a reassuring hoof as a legion of tiny feet made contact on her back. She giggled at the tickling sensation, then settled in as dozens of beaks began preening her mane, wings, and tail. She settled her head against a pillow with a contented sigh, and from the corner of her eye she saw Fluttershy smile as she made her way back into the kitchen. Having somepony—or somebird, as the case may be—preen her was a bit strange for Ditzy, especially since she rarely preened herself more than she absolutely had to. Still, she couldn’t deny that it was also very relaxing. Insistent pulls traced the barbs on her feathers downwards, and several of the larger birds gently tugged at knots and debris on her mane, no doubt left over from her encounter outside of the marketplace. Her ear twitched involuntarily when a goldfinch landed atop her head, but otherwise Ditzy forced herself to lie still. Fluttershy’s birds were being so nice to her, she didn’t want to scare them... Once or twice, she caught herself as she started to doze. The smell of soup boiling wafted through the house, and several birds started as Ditzy’s stomach complained yet again of its empty state. One of them flew into the kitchen and chittered noisily with Fluttershy, who spoke back in a low tone for several minutes. Eventually, hooffalls echoed as the yellow mare emerged from the kitchen. “Ditzy? Lunch is ready.” “Great! Thanks!” Ditzy blinked away another wave of sleepiness and rolled on the couch. The entire flock shrieked in protest and took off, chirruping angrily at her from the rafters. Ditzy cringed and offered an awkward smile. “Heh... Sorry. I got a little excited.” She cantered through the archway under a myriad of disgruntled stares and joined Fluttershy in her kitchen. The muted aroma of spices wafted from a nearby cabinet, and Ditzy’s mouth watered at the smell of the newly-baked bread Fluttershy had used to make the sandwiches. Plates were laid out at an oval table, stacked with sandwiches and accompanied by a cauldron of soup. Ditzy took her seat and waited for her friend to sit down across from her before serving herself, digging in like she hadn’t eaten in days. Daffodil sandwiches had always been one of her favorite meals, but the bread Fluttershy used took them a step beyond; sunflower seeds and rosemary had been baked into it, giving an extra crunch and aftertaste that mixed wonderfully with the daffodils themselves. Fluttershy hadn’t spared any effort on the soup, either. She had somehow found the perfect balance of pepper, salt, and lentils to offset the bland taste of the celery, which in turn had been stewed long enough to heat up without becoming limp and soggy. Ditzy went through half her bowl before the heat started to overwhelm her, and she took a sip from the glass of milk beside her, in which Fluttershy had helpfully put a straw when preparing the meal. It didn’t occur to her quite how much she had eaten until she went to scoop another bowl of soup. She was surprised to hear the ladle scrape across the bottom of the soup tureen, and when she looked towards the middle of the table Fluttershy froze, her hoof above the serving plate. “Oh, I’m sorry. Did you want the last sandwich?” Ditzy stared for a moment, then shook her head. “No, you go ahead and have it. I’ve probably eaten more than my fair share already.” “It’s all right.” Fluttershy pushed the serving plate away from her. “You’re eating for your foal now, as well as yourself. I’m just glad you were able to have some food after all, you must have been really hungry!” As guilty as she felt about it, Ditzy helped herself to the last sandwich. She heard rather than saw Fluttershy at her side, and when she looked back her milk glass had been refilled. Once she finished that off as well, she heaved herself to her hooves and started to take her plates to the sink, only to be beaten by her hostess. Feeling too full to argue, she let Fluttershy clear their places. While Fluttershy filled the sink to let the dishes soak, Ditzy idly glanced at a cuckoo clock next to the window. She almost fell out of her seat when she saw that it was almost three in the afternoon. She had been at the cottage for over two hours. She hoisted out of her seat with more than a little difficulty and made her way back to her saddlebags. Fortunately, nothing she had purchased had begun to spoil yet, but she realized that most of her groceries would need to go into Rainbow’s ice-cloud within another hour if they were going to keep. Hooffalls echoed behind her as Fluttershy joined her in the mudroom. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize how long I’d kept you here! How much of your food to you have to throw out? Oh, I’m such a terrible friend—I’ll pay for new groceries, I promise!” Ditzy laughed at her nervousness. “It’s all right, Fluttershy, nothing’s gone bad yet. I just need to put it away.” “Oh, good. I’d feel terrible if you had wasted money because of me.” She watched for a minute as Ditzy struggled to put her saddlebags back on. “Um, is everything all right?” The grey mare huffed, struggling to find enough slack to latch the bags around her middle. “These—fit earlier! I—rrg—know they did!” “Well, you did have a lot to eat.” Fluttershy clapped her hooves over her mouth. “N-not that I’m saying that you’re fat! I mean, you’re in great shape for somepony who’s two months along and I—I’ll just stop talking now.” Ditzy laughed in triumph as she finally secured her saddlebags in place. “Got it! Oh yeah!” She pumped her foreleg and promptly stumbled, overbalanced by the sudden weight of her groceries. Under other circumstances, she would have been shocked by Fluttershy’s sudden burst of speed as she leapt forward and caught her. “Heh, thanks.” “You’re quite welcome.” Her friend pawed the ground nervously. “Do you want me to come with you, in case you lose your balance again? It’s perfectly fine if you don’t, I know you can take care of yourself...” “Sure! I’d like the company.” Fluttershy opened the door for her, and they began their trot back into town. They walked in silence for a minute, reaching the apple orchards before Ditzy spoke up. “So, what’s it like living in a town? Aside from Flight Camp, I’ve never lived anywhere other than Canterlot.” Fluttershy’s ears perked at the inquiry. “It’s very nice. I’ve only lived in Cloudsdale before moving here, but Ponyville is a lot quieter. There aren’t as many crowds ... or noises.” Ditzy nodded in agreement. Even in the upper echelons of Canterlot, her house hadn’t entirely escaped the busy noises of the capital. “It’s really great that you get to live in the same town as the rest of the gang.” “Yes,” Fluttershy quietly agreed. “It’s so wonderful to see Rainbow Dash every day.” “Cloud Kicker too!” Ditzy said with a smile. “Um ... yes.” Fluttershy flinched and shrank back a bit as she fumbled for the right words. “That’s ... nice too.” Ditzy’s smile faded. “Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you two had worked things out.” “We tried to sit down a few months ago, but Rainbow Dash … well, she tried to sit us down and make us talk. She didn’t do a very good job.” Fluttershy gasped softly. “Oh, I shouldn’t have said that! I mean, I know she just wanted to help, it’s just that—” “She’s Rainbow,” Ditzy offered. “She tried to force a solution and it didn’t work, then she tried to make it work and things ended up worse than ever.” The yellow pegasus nodded sullenly, and Ditzy shuffled her wings in frustration. She hadn’t meant to reopen old wounds, but judging from Fluttershy’s sudden refusal to make eye contact, it was still a pretty raw injury. Her thoughts were interrupted by a shadow passing over the path in front of them. Ditzy looked up to see the pegasus in question high above them. She waved and called out to Cloud Kicker, who waved back before calling out to somepony in the distance. Cloud Kicker made her descent, followed soon after by a familiar blue figure who came in fast enough that Ditzy could see the faint outline of a Mach cone forming. In spite of starting significantly farther away, Rainbow Dash touched down seconds after Cloud Kicker did so, barely missing the pregnant mare. “Where—the hay—have you been?!” Rainbow yelled between breaths. “Been looking—for hours!” “I’m sorry.” Fluttershy cringed slightly as she warily eyed Cloud Kicker. “I invited her to lunch after—” “—meeting me at the marketplace!” Ditzy interrupted, stepping up to Cloud Kicker. “I was really hungry after a day of shopping, so we caught up over lunch.” Rainbow glowered at the two grounded mares but nodded, accepting Ditzy’s half-truth at face value. Cloud Kicker, however, frowned. “And what happened before that? C’mon, Derpy, what are you not telling us.” Ditzy shifted uncomfortably, forcing herself to maintain an innocent smile. “Nothing! Really.” “Except for Sticks and Stones,” Fluttershy murmured from behind her. Ditzy traded an awkward look with Rainbow and Cloud Kicker as they went silent, letting the implications sink in. Fluttershy had contradicted somepony. That in and of itself was groundbreaking, but it raised extra flags when the Ponyville residents considered who Fluttershy was talking about. “What did those punks do?” Rainbow shouted. “I swear, if they so much as laid a hoof on you—” “Really, it’s okay.” Ditzy blinked away tears as the bullies’ words resurfaced in her mind. “Eepysqueak?” Cloud Kicker half-whispered her old nickname for Fluttershy as she approached the timid mare, and actually knelt on her forelegs as she spoke. “What did they say?” “Well, um, what they were saying to her wasn’t very nice.” Fluttershy pressed herself into the ground, speaking so softly that Ditzy almost didn’t hear her repeat Sticks and Stones’ hurtful words. “They called her a whorse.” “They what?!” Rainbow flared her wings and stomped the ground, as if preparing to charge the bullies. “When I get my hooves on those two...” Cloud Kicker stood up and wrapped her wings around Ditzy in a gentle hug. “Oh Derpy... Look, don’t let those punks get to you. What they were saying was complete horseapples. You know that, I know that, and everypony who knows you knows that.” Ditzy leaned into the hug, fighting back tears memory “I know, I know. What they said doesn’t matter. It was just words.” “They’ll be eating those words,” Rainbow Dash snarled. “I’m gonna make ‘em eat them. With my hoof. By hitting them in the face. A lot.” She hovered above the ground, trading warm-up jabs with an unseen opponent. “Boss? Boss!” Cloud Kicker took a mouthful of prismatic tail and yanked Rainbow out of the air. “Chill out, all right? I think you should take Derpy home.” Ditzy sniffed and shook her head before facing her friends once more. “I do need to get these groceries put away,” she conceded. Rainbow landed with a huff, clearly far from through with her tirade against Ponyville’s resident bullies. “Fine. Let’s go put this stuff away. And then I’m gonna—Cloud Kicker? Where are you going?” “Oh, there’s just one quick little errand I need to take care of,” Cloud Kicker answered lightly. She took off without another word. Rainbow frowned after her rapidly-departing employee, then turned to Ditzy. “Where’s she going? We were supposed to double-check the storm cloud cache after we found you.” “Rainbow,” Fluttershy’s voice brought her back to the present. “Um, now that you’re here, would you mind taking Ditzy’s things? She really shouldn’t be doing a lot of heavy lifting...” “They’re just groceries,” Ditzy argued. “Besides, I’m two months along. I don’t have to worry about that sort of thing yet.” Fluttershy wasn’t having any of it. She reminded her as adamantly as she could about how any kind of strain wasn’t healthy for a developing foal, and for once Rainbow sided against Ditzy—she didn’t quite understand the medicine-y stuff involved, but she wasn’t about to let Ditzy take a chance like that. The grey pegasus sighed in defeat, and even though she wouldn’t admit it she was secretly relieved when Fluttershy insisted on helping her take her saddlebags off. They had been digging at her a little bit … she’d have to adjust them later. Fluttershy casually placed her saddlebags on Rainbow’s back, dropping the speedster to the ground. Rainbow huffed, and it took her a few seconds to regain her footing. “Jeez! What’d you buy at the market, wing-weights?” Rainbow’s complaints went unheard; Fluttershy had taken off, gently guiding Ditzy towards the cloud-house in the distance. Rainbow grumbled as she struggled to follow them, her wings beating like a hummingbird’s as she struggled to leave the ground. The passing of several weeks helped Ditzy put the hurtful incident from her mind. Her appetite, however, was not as easily satiated, and more than once she had to stop herself from devouring her purchases at the market right after buying them. She knew from talking to both Fluttershy and Redheart that she should expect this, but she quickly became annoyed with the increasingly random cravings—that and the awful timing with which they struck. They became especially annoying, and thus prevalent, on Friday afternoons. Today was especially bad. She could feel a little less guilty about being a clock-watcher on the last Friday of the pay period, as she was hardly alone. Everypony wanted to get off of work and go home to the paychecks waiting in their mailboxes, and given the ever-present rumbling in her stomach Ditzy knew exactly where she wanted to go with hers: Sugarcube Corner. In spite of Redheart’s insistence, she’d been eating just a bit more sugar than she probably should have. She told herself it didn’t count as fudging her sugar intake unless she actually ate fudge. Which she did. So that shoots that down. “Fudge,” she mumbled to herself, mouth watering at the thought of the thick, chocolatey— “Equestria to Derpy,” Cloud Kicker quipped, sitting down next to Ditzy with a muted foomp. “Equestria to Derpy, please come in, Derpy. Just a reminder that during the process of cloud clearing, one is generally supposed to clear the clouds.” Ditzy looked at her friend, then down at the cloud the two of them now occupied. They shared a laugh as they cleared off of it, and Cloud Kicker retreated to a minimum safe distance as Ditzy braced herself for a kick. Once the area had been cleared, the two pegasi took off in search of the next stray. “Everything okay, Derpy?” Cloud Kicker asked. “You looked pretty out of it back there.” “Fine, fine. Just a little hungry, is all.” She snuck a guilty look at Sugarcube Corner before turning back to the task at hand. Cloud Kicker, for her part, looked around them. There were only a dozen or so small clouds left to clear away. “Go ahead, Derpy, it’s close enough to quitting time. I can get the rest of these on my own.” Ditzy waved appreciatively. “Thanks, Cloud Kicker, I owe you one.” The grey pegasus circled around with an aileron roll and made her descent into town. Her first stop was at the weather team’s office, where she clocked herself out for the day and went to the payroll office. With crime almost nonexistent in Ponyville, she was able to collect her bits in cash rather than taking a piece of paper to a bank, and she enjoyed the sudden weight when the paymaster gave her coinpurse back. With her money comfortably secured around her neck, she took off and looped over the city hall. Ordinarily she would had just walked around, but today there was fudge to be had! A sudden downdraft forced her towards the ground faster than she had anticipated, and her wings buzzed in an attempt to keep her airborne. Unfortunately, this meant she kept moving forward—right towards Sugarcube Corner. She tried to pull up, but there was no way she could break her momentum. Speaking of breaking things, that door looked rather solid. Impossibly, it flung open seconds before Ditzy would have impacted it, and she found herself cushioned by a surprisingly soft pink blur as she tumbled head-over-hooves into the bakery. She and her impromptu landing pad narrowly missed a set of tables and halted abruptly as they slid rump-first into the counter. Mrs. Cake was by Ditzy’s side in an instant. “Goodness! Are you all right?” “I’m fine.” Ditzy rolled off of her back and stretched a twinge out of her wings. Mrs. Cake clicked her tongue as she helped the grey pegasus up. “You need to be more careful, dear. I don’t think your little one can take very much of that.” Pinkie bounced back to her hooves. “I totally could, though! Being a Pinkie Pie Pegasus Plantation Pad is super-fun, ‘cause you were all ‘Waa!’, and I was all ‘Whoa!’, then you were all ‘Wham!’, and I was like ‘Whee!’” Ditzy laughed as Pinkie played out her dramatic interpretation of events, happy that nopony had been hurt. However, the pegasus’ nose wrinkled in confusion as a thought struck her. “Not that I don’t appreciate the save, but how did you know I was coming down in the first place?” “That’s easy!” Pinkie said as she put a table back upright. “My tail was twitching.” The pegasus waited for further explanation, but she realized that none was forthcoming when Pinkie continued resetting furniture. Ditzy was about to ask exactly what made a twitching tail so important when she saw Mrs. Cake frantically shaking her head and making a slashing motion across her throat. She took a hint and closed her mouth, shifting her wings in resigned confusion. “So,” Mrs. Cake trotted back behind the counter. “Is there something I can get for you?” Ditzy scrutinized the selection of sweets in front of her. “Do you have anything that doesn’t have a lot of sugar? I’m supposed to be more careful about that sort of thing.” “We do need some muffins for the display case,” Mrs. Cake told her. She looked around, and seeing that nopony else was in Sugarcube Corner she nodded for Ditzy to come closer. “We’re really busy with today with a large order, so if you’d like to help you can have your share free of charge.” “I don’t know a lot about cooking,” Ditzy admitted. “That’s okay!” Pinkie joined Mrs. Cake at the register. “Aunt Pinkie can walk you through every step. It’s an easy recipe, and everything you need is right at your hooves!” “Isn’t she older than you?” Mrs. Cake asked. Her question went unanswered, as Pinkie was already halfway to the kitchen. The older mare rolled her eyes and gestured for Ditzy to follow her assistant. The pegasus thanked her and followed the bouncing baker into the back of the building. Wait, why was she thinking in alliteration now? The two mares entered the heart of the establishment: a massive counter made up two sides of the room, covered in pans, cookingware, and loose ingredients. The counter continued to the right and wrapped around, coming to a massive sink overflowing with suds and dirty dishes; beside this in the corner were a pair of massive iceboxes. The entire left wall consisted of ovens, spaced just far enough to allow for easy access to each of the racks of baking goods. Mr. Cake hummed to himself as he kept watch over an assortment of saucepans on a six-top stove nestled in the middle of the counter on the far wall. He turned when he heard Pinkie humming along with him. “Pinkie m’girl, good timing. Can you take over here with these saucepans? I need to get these cakes out of the oven and—oh, hello.” Ditzy smiled. “Hello, Mr. Cake. I’m here to lend a hoof.” The yellow earth pony arched his eyebrows. “Well, I won’t say no to some extra help—somepony placed an order for over a dozen large cakes, and Cup’s been busy up at the register all day. Pinkie, would you take over with these funnel cakes?” “Okey-dokey-lokey!” Pinkie traded positions with Mr. Cake with practiced ease, the ladle still spinning when freed from his grasp as Pinkie balanced on her hind legs and resumed stirring. Ditzy gave him room to pass her and joined Pinkie near the stove. The pink mare grabbed an extra whisk and held it in front of her like a microphone. “And today on Cooking with Pinkie, we have a very special guest helping with our baking project. Tell me, Ditzy Doo, what is the key ingredient in banana-nut muffins?” Ditzy backed up a step when the not-a-microphone was thrust in her face. “Um … bananas and nuts?” “Correct!” Pinkie jabbed at the ceiling with her other hoof, coating the wall and ceiling with a trail of molten chocolate. She glanced over her shoulder, but Mr. Cake has his back to the stove. She returned the whisk to the saucepan and redoubled her stirring. “Aaaanyways...bananas and nuts, yes! And flour, and eggs, and shortening too! But first, the bananas. Put them in a bowl and mash them into a fine gooey goo.” Ditzy tore bananas off of a nearby bunch and peeled them as Pinkie counted them out in a cheesy Transylneighian accent. “Vun, vun banana! Ah-ah-ah-ah! Two, two bananas! Ah-ah-ah-ah! Tree, tree ba—” “She gets it Pinkie,” Mr. Cake interrupted from across the kitchen. Clearly, this was not the first time his hired help had taken liberties with her baking process. Ditzy didn’t mind, though she imagined that it would get old quickly. Pinkie hardly seemed discouraged. Her stirring slowed to a melodic bob as she hummed a tune and, to Ditzy’s amusement, broke into song. “Peel six bananas and mash ‘em down until they’re good and smooshed, Crack an egg or four and add a cup of shortening to the mush. Two teaspoons baking powder also go into the goo— Two pinches of salt and a half cup chopped walnuts go in there too! Muffins! So warm and tasty Muffins! Better than pastries Muffins! A good meal or snack Muffins! You’ll keep coming back Next up is the sugar—and you’d think that that’s the easy part! But if you do it wrong they’ll come out icky, bland and tart. You need a half cup sugar for extra sweetness in this recipe. The trick is to mix it up, brown and white sugar equally. Muffins! So warm and tasty Muffins! Better than pastries Muffins! A good meal or snack Muffins! You’ll keep coming back Last to add is the flour, sift three cups into the mix. Spray the pans before you pour the batter to make sure nothing sticks! Three-seventy-five is the temperature—bake for half an hour. Don’t burn yourself—let everything cool before you chomp and devour Those muffins! So warm and tasty Muffins! Better than pastries Muffins! A good meal or snack Muffins! You’ll keep coming back.” Ditzy hummed along as Pinkie repeated the song, following the tempo of the music as she mixed the ingredients. By the end of the third rendition, the batter was thick enough that Ditzy’s neck was becoming sore from stirring. She greased the pans and carefully poured the the batter into them. Pinkie turned to take the pans from her and promptly burst into laughter, and the pegasus heard Mr. Cake choke back a snort from across the room. A glimpse of her reflection in the window showed why: her grey coat was a mishmash of white and yellow, so caked with ingredients in various stages of readiness that made her look like she had dipped her head in the mixing bowl. Mr. Cake graciously took over for her, allowing Ditzy to excuse herself to the sink. There was a conspicuously muzzle-shaped niche over the far sink, along with hoof-operated water controls built into the floor below. It made sense, really—even as experienced bakers, cooking without magic meant that Pinkie and the Cakes would be a bit of a mess by the end of the day. Ditzy held her breath as a spray of warm water cascaded over her face, and once she was satisfied that her muzzle was clean she took her hoof off of the pressure panel, blindly groping for a towel. She dried off and shook her head, sending her mane in all directions. She jumped as something banged against the sink beside her before disappearing into the suds with a splash. Pinkie’s apologetic giggle echoed in the confined area near the stove. “Sorry about that. I’m not used to having somepony near the sink while we’re baking.” “It’s all right. I’m in your way, really. I can wait in the lobby if that would help.” The earth pony shook her head. “Actually, you wanna get me another whisk? This funnel cake needs be to be stirrific before it can be terrific.” Ditzy cocked her head. “What about the one you just had?” “Are you crazy? That’s my oatmeal whisk!” Pinkie turned off one of the burners and moved the saucepan on it to a cooling rack. “Besides, I’ve been singing into that thing for the last twenty minutes. It’s not sanitary anymore, you silly filly.” Ditzy couldn’t really argue with that. She retrieved a whisk from the drawer and was about to give it to Pinkie when a thought struck her. “‘Oo min’ e—” she gently spat the whisk on the counter and started over. “You mind if I try? This seems like fun.” “Righty-o!” Pinkie helped her stand on her hindlegs and showed her how to stir with her hooves. Pinkie kept a supporting hoof on her back. Ditzy flared her wings to help balance and jerked a bit as she re-oriented herself, spilling a bit of oil over the side of the saucepan. The oil exploded into flame as it came in contact with the burner. Ditzy shrieked and pulled her limbs back, emptying the entire pan adding even more fuel onto the fire. She crab-scuttled away from the inferno as it licked the wall and ceiling, blackening everything it touched. Mr. Cake abandoned the half-iced cake in front of him and grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher, taking aim and biting down on the release handle. The world exploded into white. Ditzy gagged at the taste and shook her head to try and clear eyes. When her vision finally cleared, she wished it hadn’t; Mr. Cake’s haphazard attempt to contain the fire had covered the entire back half of the the kitchen with the the fire-retardant foam, covering ovens, ingredients, metalware, and finished products alike. Ditzy was honestly surprised one fire extinguisher could hold so much material. Somepony gasped behind her, and she turned to see Mrs. Cake standing at the doorway, a hoof over her mouth in shock. “Mr. and Mrs. Cake … I’m so sorry.” “It was totally an accident!” A white mass quivered as Pinkie stepped backwards, somehow leaving behind the goop that had covered her seconds ago. “Ditzy didn’t mean to start the fire, she just had to get out of the way when it fwooshed up! I mean, fwooshing is bad!” She helped Ditzy to her hooves and offered her a towel. “But everypony’s okay, and that’s the main thing. Right?” White foam floated away from Mr. Cake’s mouth as he sighed. “I’m glad nopony got hurt, and we do have fire insurance well in hoof, but … well, we lost a lot of time and effort on the food. That’s a lot of orders that we’ll have to cancel.” Ditzy gulped as she asked, “How much?” Mrs. Cake shook her head. “Ditzy, dear, that’s very sweet of you to offer but—” “This is my mistake and I’ll own up to it. How much?” Mr. Cake shared a hesitant look with his wife, but when Ditzy opened her mouth to ask again he cut her off with an upraised hoof. “Almost seven hundred bits.” Ditzy’s stomach felt like somepony had poured molten lead into it. That was how much a day’s worth of labor was worth to a bakery? Still, she had made the offer and she was committed to it. She followed the earth ponies out of the kitchen. Pinkie vanished into the bathroom while Mrs. Cake flipped the sign on the front door to ‘Closed.’ Her husband gave Ditzy a hooftowel and sat down at one of the tables in the front, reviewing a stack of sales ledgers with an abacus and pencil close at hoof. Ditzy dabbed at her ear to try and clear out the fire suppressant, allowing Mr. Cake to make his calculations in silence.  After several minutes, he sighed again and sat back. “Okay, factoring in labor, materials, ingredients, and the post-fire inspection, we’re going to be out six-hundred and forty-nine bits. Are you still sure you want to try and cover that?” Ditzy tried to force her eyes to remain neutral as she nodded. Mrs. Cake handed her coinpurse back from its hiding spot underneath the register, and the pegasus began counting out bits; she knew that she needed some money to tide her over until her next paycheck. She counted out enough money to cover her next visit with Redheart, plus thirty bits for herself, and pushed the rest towards the Cakes. What she had to offer wouldn’t even cover a fifth of the cost, but after several minutes of debate she convinced them to take it as a down payment while she took a few days to budget the rest of the expenses from her income. All three of their heads turned as a timer went off in the back of the kitchen. “I’ll get it!” A pink blur shot past them, and a few seconds later Pinkie Pie emerged with a shallow pan in her mouth, curiously untouched by the foam in spite of her trek through the kitchen. She set the steaming tray onto the front counter. “It’s okay, everypony! The muffins made it!” They had let her keep the muffins at no charge. That had been a bonus, but the small favor was ultimately lost upon Ditzy when she found how bland they tasted when she returned home. Not that they were bad by any stretch—she’d eaten Pinkie’s muffins several times since first discovering the wonderful bakery she worked at, and there was little doubt in her mind that the recipe the party pony had taught her was the same one she used for her own baking. The issue was that stress and guilt can ruin the taste of just about anything. Ditzy had put the rest of the muffins away in Rainbow’s ice-cloud after the first one, amazing though it was, tasted to her as bland and unappetizing as the pencil currently in her mouth. She shook a bead of sweat away from her eye, accidentally scoring the check stub in front of her. Grumbling in annoyance, she nudged the beads on her abacus as she glanced back at the check stubs in front of her. Even though she received her money up front, the Equestrian Revenue Service required her to have a paper copy of her earnings on hoof for tax purposes; before now, she had thought the measure a bureaucratic annoyance, but today it had proven itself a blessing in disguise. It had taken her from the time she returned home to just before dusk, but after careful analysis, she realized that she would be able to make good on her promise to the Cakes. Her income, combined with the money Cirrus was sending her, would just cover the damages while leaving her money left over; best of all, it wouldn’t take her more than a few pay periods. Realistically, she could have spaced it out over a longer period of time—after all, they weren’t charging her interest or anything like that—but she wanted to clear this up as quickly as she could. She’d have enough debts soon enough without having outstanding damages owed to Sugarcube Corner. Ditzy wrapped the abacus and pencil in the papers and pushed the bundle down into the cloud table, then flapped over to the ice-cloud and reached into it. She ignored the chill crawling up her foreleg and held that pose until the front door opened. Shaking the cold sensation away from her hoof, she withdrew a pair of muffins and nonchalantly cantered back to the table. “Oh, hey Rainbow! Care for a muffin?” Rainbow stared at the confection for a minute, eyebrow raised. “Sounds good, but first I’d like to know: how the hay did you set Sugarcube Corner on fire baking that!?” “Technically, it was a funnel cake,” Ditzy offered weakly. She cut off Rainbow’s response with an upraised hoof. “All right, all right. I accidentally set the Cake’s kitchen on fire.” “That’s not even what surprises me!” Rainbow stomped a hoof, sending puffs of cloud around her legs. “You offered to pay for all of that, Ditzy! You have a foal on the way, in case you’ve forgotten—you’ve got more important things to spend your money on!” “I burned up their kitchen!” Ditzy shot back. She walked back to the table and pulled the papers out of it. “Besides, I’ve been crunching the numbers. Between the money that Cirrus is sending me and my income from the weather team, I can pay the Cakes back after just three checks. I’ll even have some money left over!” She motioned Rainbow over to the table and tapped the paper in front of her. “You see? If I’ve done the math right—and I think I have—I can cover their losses and still have eighty bits to myself at the end of the week.” Rainbow’s eyes darted from side to side as she looked over the lengthy set of calculations. Ditzy sat back to give her a better view, like a student making room for the teacher to lean over and check their work. Her optimistic smile fell when Rainbow picked up the pencil and wrote out her own calculation. When she finished, her expression was grim. “You carried an extra zero.” She tapped a hoof against the paper. “If you go with this plan, you’ll have eight bits left over from your paycheck.” “Oh...” Forget knots, it felt like somepony had tied her stomach into a balloon animal. “Ditzy, I’m telling you: write. To. Cirrus. If you’re so bound and determined go through with this, you need the extra money.” Ditzy shook her head. “He’s already sending me more than he can afford. I’ll figure something else out.” She bit her lip. “Maybe pay them back over five pay periods instead of three? That’d give me a little more breathing room.” Rainbow looked back at Ditzy’s calculations and found the result of her earlier estimate. “And that would leave you with a whopping twenty-four bits in between checks. That wouldn’t be a lot to live off of even if you weren’t pregnant, and it’ll sure as hay leave you out to dry if something else goes wrong.” “Oh,” Ditzy said again. She bit her lip until she tasted blood. “Tell you what. I’m gonna go and think about this for a bit, okay?” Without waiting for a response, she stood and trotted upstairs. Closing the door behind her, Ditzy laid down and scooped as much of the cloud-mattress against her stomach as she could, vainly hoping it would somehow cool the burning pit which had formed in her stomach.