Chapter Three
I awoke the next morning to the sun's warm early morning orange rays hitting me in my forest green eyes. I grunted and grumpily kicked off the covers, and rolled out of bed. I stumbled to my hooves, and let out a loud yawn as I stretched with my joints and back crunching like little foals running on snow with thick rubber boots on. I tripped over my own hooves a few times, but I eventually made my way into the bathroom. After performing my morning duties -- showering, brushing my light green mane, and shaving for the first time since Shining Star's death -- I decided to go down to the reception desk and ask the receptionist if she knew of any decent cafes around. I opened the dark wood door of my apartment and walked down the stair to the lobby. As I stepped into the lobby room, my eyes fell upon two familiar, unique eyes.
She had an ash grey coat, and a blonde mane and tail. Her mane swerved on top of her head to the left, and a ponytail laid down the right side of her neck. She had a brown bag laying to her side with a strap attached to it going around her neck. However, despite her distinct coat and mane, it was her eyes I recognized. Those unique, golden-colored eyes.
Her name was Ditzy, according to her name tag at the restaurant Shining Star and I ate at on the night I proposed to her. Ditzy had rich golden eyes. Her irises where aureate like an expensive, pure golden watch. They shone through her transparent glasses and right at me. She smiled instantly when she saw me, and I returned the kind gesture. I walked over and said to her, "Well, hello there! I haven't seen you in three years."
She chuckled lightly and replied, "It's nice to see you. You and your marefriend were very cute together when I waited your tables every time you came. Shining Star, was it? Anyways, I just recently moved here to get a fresh start. I'm a mailmare now. So, how come you're here?"
I sighed at the mention of Shining Star's name, "I came here for a fresh start, too." That was all I could muster. Ditzy noticed the sudden change of expression, and asked me, "Hey! Whats wrong? Did something happen between you and Shining Star?" There seemed to be a tang of false cluelessness in her voice.
"She passed in a stagecoach accident," I replied while looking at the ground, and I was struggling to keep the tears back. I felt a grey hoof push up on my chin, and I found myself looking into magnificent golden eyes.
"Well, let's go cheer you up, eh? I'll take you to a nice cafe, and we can get some coffee." She gave me a comforting smile, and a sincere embrace of sympathy. It felt good to be in the forelegs of another pony. The last time I had embraced somepony like this was the day before Star died. When we broke off the hug, I was actually a little disappointed. Ditzy told me to follow her, and we walked out of the building and onto the outside sidewalk. I followed her down the street where there appeared to be a cafe. On the way, she explained to me that she delivers early morning mail, and that's why she still had her mailbags on. Why this mare was showing me such a magnificent act of kindness when she barely knew me, took me a very long time to figure out.
When we arrived at the cafe, a professional, well-mannered waitress greeted us. She welcomed us, and led us to our table after she asked us, "Table or booth?" Ditzy and I decided on a booth, and the waitress led us to a booth in the corner of the dimly lit restaurant. We sat down on the incredibly comfortable cushions, and the waitress asked us if we wanted anything to drink. We both asked for coffee, and the waitress told us she would be right back. We were the only ones in the cafe, so it wouldn't take very long.
Ditzy then began to ask me some questions. "When did she pass?"
I sighed. I knew it would have been best to just tell this mare in front of me, instead of bottling everything up like I used to do when I was teenager. She was the closest thing I had to a friend in this new town. "Three weeks before our wedding. I proposed to her that night that you waited us for the first time."
Ditzy's golden eyes went wide, and she gasped, "My goodness! That must have been hard for you."
I looked into the eyes of Ditzy. They were inviting, and comforting. I sniffled and replied, "Yeah, it was. Everything possible that could have gone wrong did. "
Ditzy gave me a confused look, and asked me, "How so?"
"It was the coldest winter Los Pegasus had in over forty-five years, the funeral was on the day that our new life was supposed to begin, not a day for mourning, and her family and my friends betrayed me. I blamed myself for her death, and I still do. But when I needed somepony the most, everypony betrayed me and blamed me, too. I was literally driven away from my fiance's funeral by her family." I finished with a low, pain-induced voice. The same pain that I carried for nearly seven months.
Ditzy's mouth held slightly open, and after a moment's pause and some hesitation, she asked me, "Have you been doing any better since that?" she asked me, correctly assuming I became depressed.
I, more then I intended to, aggressively replied, "I've been just peachy. The love of my life was taken from me because of my own stupid decision to message her when I knew she would be trotting in streets. The only reason I didn't commit suicide is because I knew she would have been ashamed of me. So yes, I'm doing just fine with the fact it was my fault she's gone."
Ditzy gave me a look of slight hurt from my sarcasm, which for some reason made me feel even more horrible. "You know, it's not your fault. You can't--" she began, but I interrupted her.
"Yes,I can. Its my fault she's gone. Mine," I sternly interrupted with guilt lucid in my voice. Ditzy opened her mouth to speak again, but closed it, indicating she changed her mind about replying.
A few moments of silence later, the waitress came to our table and gave us our mugs of coffee, and asked us, "Are you ready to order?"
I simply held my death glare at the newspaper on the table, hoping that if I stared long enough that Shining Star would somehow be back home. Ditzy looked up at the waitress after noticing my silence and looking at me, "Just two blueberry muffins, please."
The white-coated, red-maned waitress quickly scribbled something on her notepad and answered, "Coming right up!" She then put the pen back into her poofy maroon mane. Ditzy thanked her and took a silent sip of her black coffee. I could tell she wanted to speak to me, but her and I both knew that I wasn't in a talking condition. We sat there, silently drinking our coffee while waiting for our waitress to bring us our muffins. A few moments later, she came back with a small plate with two muffins on it, and set it between us. I quickly ate my muffin, while Ditzy ate it fast as well, but at a slightly slower pace from my own.
Once she finished, she looked at me and said, "I've got to get going. I'm working a double shift today, that's why I didn't change out of my mail bags. Are you gonna stay here awhile longer or are you gonna leave with me?"
I, for the first time since my aggressive replies, looked up at the blonde beauty in front of me. I said to her, "I'll stay here awhile, Ditzy."
Ditzy smiled at me and said, "By the way, I go by Derpy." She then nodded with a smug grin and walked to the counter, where she paid the five bits for our two muffins. She then skipped off out the door. I stared wide-eyed at the door, thinking my ears had just lied to me. I shook it off and finished my cup of coffee and slowly got out of the booth and decided to go home. I left a three bit tip for the waitress, and lazily walked out of the cafe and down the street to my apartment building. I was going to walk past the doors and around the block a few times before I went inside. I hoped that a walk would help clear my head. As I got close to the door, however, I felt something hit the top of my head.
I brushed the suspicious object off of my head and saw it fall to the ground. It was a simple white envelope sealed with a heart. Confused, I looked up and saw the golden-eyed beauty simply wave at me from the fire escape, and take to the skies. She was still wearing her mail bags and glasses. I thought I was crazy when I saw her. I picked up the envelope and walked into the lobby of the building, then up the stairs to my apartment. I opened the lock and walked inside. Once inside, I closed the door and walked over to my white and beige bed, and sat down. I carefully peeled off the heart seal, and inside the envelope was a folded piece of lined paper. I unfolded the letter, and what was written made my day.
The note simply read, "It's great to be different. Love, Derpy."