//------------------------------// // Moving Forwards - part 1 // Story: We're Gonna Get There Soon // by Cranberry Muffin //------------------------------// “I’ve never been here before,” Cheerilee commented mildly as she and Derpy trotted through the late afternoon sunshine towards the small bakeshop situated at the edge of the Ponyville farmer’s market, “In fact, I don’t think I even knew another bakery existed in Ponyville!” Derpy glanced over her shoulder at the other mare, one eye still trained on Gingerbread’s shop in the distance. “I don’t think a lot of ponies know it. Everypony just goes to Sugarcube Corner when they want something sweet.” She herself had discovered Gingerbread’s place only by accident when –scared off by the sheer number of customers swarming the Cakes’ bakery- she had gone in search of breakfast her first morning alone in town. “Gingerbread’s stuff is a little less, um, sugary. She makes lots of muffins with fruits and vegetables in them and breads and stuff. Not too much bread, though, because she’s friends with Pumpernickel and Marble Rye and doesn’t want to give them too much competition…And besides, her specialty is cookies.” She was kind of rambling, and she knew it, but she didn’t really know how to stop. Cheerilee simply smiled, however, eyes kind, and fell into step beside the grey mare. She knew Derpy was nervous; the teacher knew full well that uncharacteristic rambling was a good sign of nerves. Her students were prone to the same kind of behavior when faced with nerve-wracking assignment. “I don’t think I’ve ever met Gingerbread before,” she said, hoping to distract the other pony, “but you seem to know a lot about her. Is she a good friend of yours?” Derpy shook her head. “Oh, no, um…I’m just, you know, a customer. But Gingerbread is kinda…Well, she’s nice and sometimes we talk when I’m alone.” She glanced around, eyes shifting restlessly for a moment. When she looked back at Cheerilee, she looked even more anxious than she previously had. Apparently, she was too keyed up for weak attempts at distraction to work. “It’s going to be fine,” Cheerilee said, tone one of firm reassurance, “Written Script is really receptive to ideas that may help Dinky. He worries about her a lot.” The two mares were on their way to Gingerbread’s to meet with Dinky’s father. Cheerilee had sent a note home with Dinky the very same day she spoke to Derpy, explaining the unusual circumstances and extending Derpy’s offer to spend time with the filly. Written Script had responded promptly –he usually did- saying he didn’t think there’d be anything wrong with the weather mare’s presence in his daughter’s life, but that he’d like to meet her first. It was a completely typical response of any parent; who wouldn’t want to know the ponies their foals were spending time with? But for Derpy, with her poor social skills and self-esteem issues, meeting with a stranger –especially a stallion- about something so important was incredibly unnerving and she was finding herself growing more and more nervous the closer they got to the bakery. Though it should have, it didn’t really help that Cheerilee had thoughtfully suggested she chose the meeting place. Even in a setting in which she was comfortable, the pegasus didn’t think she’d be able to set aside her nerves and make a good impression. “I guess I can see why…” She trailed off, wistful. And Derpy could understand; a special foal like Dinky Doo should be worried about and cared for. The grey pegasus knew all too well what could happen to a little one who wasn’t given the care they needed and, though Dinky’s problems seemed far worse than her own, she didn’t want to see the filly headed down the same path of misery her own childhood had taken. It wasn’t, after all, Dinky’s fault that she had been born the way she was, whatever was wrong with her, and she deserved all the love and support a parent could give. “He couldn’t believe she spoke to you. I know he’s mentioned before that she’s never spoken directly to anypony but him, though she does speak in the presence of a few others.” Cheerilee continued, still smiling in an effort to keep both Derpy’s confidence and bravery up, “And Written is a really patient, kind stallion. I’m sure you’ll get along well.” The grey mare nodded, staring down at the ground as she continued slowly along the path to the bakery. The shop’s bell tinkled merrily as Derpy pushed the door open, and Gingerbread called a greeting without missing a beat in the assistance she was offering another customer. Derpy just watched as the baker worked for a moment. Gingerbread was pointing out the subtle differences between her various loaves of quick bread, guiding the somewhat familiar slate-colored pegasus peering through the display counter glass in her selection. Gingerbread always seemed so calm and in control; anytime Derpy had come into the shop, the earth pony was ready with a smile, eager to help her patrons find just the snack they were craving – Even if they hadn’t come in knowing what they were in the mood for. She was simply a nice pony, extremely good at what she did; confident and certain in her role in the community. The grey pegasus wished she could be more like her. Maybe then she wouldn’t feel so nervous about this meeting. It seemed as if her insides were twisting themselves up in knots just at the thought of speaking to a stranger for the first time. Glancing about, she caught sight of sturdy-looking unicorn stallion seated at one of the small cluster of tables to the left of the display counter. He had a barely-grey coat and deep purple, flyaway mane, and was wearing a wooly scarf that almost perfectly matched the bright emerald of his eyes. Something that looked like it may have once been a muffin but then resembled a heap of crumbs sat on a plate before him on the table, a steaming mug beside it. Across from him, slouched casually in a chair, was the very same white unicorn that had been giving Gingerbread a hard time when Derpy had last visited the shop. At the sight of the surly mare, Derpy felt her nerves doubling, tripling, quadrupling. She had her back to the room and was leaned in on the table, speaking in a tone too low to overhear, though there was something intense about her posture, as if what she was saying was of the utmost importance. The stallion nodded, lifting his drink in a wash of green magic and taking a sip. He placed the mug back on the table before responding to whatever she had said, tilting his head towards her as he spoke. “Oh, there’s Written.” Cheerilee’s sudden words startled Derpy, who jumped slightly, turning to look at the mare by her side. “Over there, at the table?” The pegasus was well aware of how stupid she must have sounded; the only other ponies in the store were the two unicorns at the table, the pegasus at the counter –who’s name, Derpy suddenly remembered, was Dust Devil- and Gingerbread, and the grey unicorn was the only stallion present, so of course he was Dinky’s father. But she couldn’t help herself from asking anyway; it was all she could manage to get out. Her throat had suddenly gone dry at the sight of that other unicorn. It wasn’t that the white mare had done anything to her particularly during that last visit; she just couldn’t bring herself to reconcile with the fact that that mare had been so rude, yet Gingerbread wasn’t at all phased by it. In fact, the earth pony had made it sound as if the unicorn’s behavior was normal! And Derpy couldn’t get over that; didn’t want to be anywhere near a pony like that – It had potential to be bad for her, after all. Those kinds of rude, demanding ponies were usually the ones who made her life miserable. Cheerilee nodded, “I hope he wasn’t waiting long. I don’t think we’re late…” She glanced about, gaze falling on a wall clock above the sales counter, which showed that they had indeed arrived a few minutes ahead of the arranged meeting time. Satisfied at not being tardy, she started towards the table and the two unicorns. Derpy lagged behind her, her reluctance growing more with each step she took. Written Script glanced up at their approach, smiling when he caught sight of Cheerilee. The teacher had always done her best to make things good for Dinky, often meeting with him after school hours about her progress, sending home notes, and generally proving that she cared beyond the call of her profession about his precious little filly, and for that, the stallion was grateful. “Hi Cheerilee,” He said pleasantly. The other unicorn glanced over her shoulder at them, recognition flickering across her face when she laid eyes on Derpy. For a moment, she looked embarrassed, then turned up her muzzle and slid from her seat. “Guess I should get lost…” She muttered, “Later, Script.” And without further preamble, she trotted off, nudging open the swinging door that lead behind the sales counter and disappearing somewhere into the back of the shop. “Hello, Written.” Cheerilee returned the stallion’s greeting, a warm smile crossing her face. “Derpy,” she turned to the mare behind her, “this is Written Script, Dinky’s father. Written, this is my friend, Derpy Hooves.” “It’s nice to meet you.” Written said, attempting to peer around the dusky pink mare at the other pony. He knew, of course, who Derpy was; everypony in Ponyville knew of her reputation. But he’d never spent any time around her and if it weren’t for her reputation, he probably would never even been able to pick her out of a crowd. She was a soft, almost-purple grey, her coat indeed very similar to Dinky’s. Her hair was thin, the color of daffodils, and hung limp and straight, framing her face neatly. Her head was canted to the side, bangs obscuring his view of her defining trait – Her funny eyes. A shy smile lit her face; she was the very picture of quiet nervousness. He could easily see why other ponies had likened his Dinky to this awkward mare. Aside from simply their similar appearances, Derpy stood in a manner similar to the filly, legs slightly apart as if the keep her from falling over, gaze focused somewhere not quite where it should be. “Nice to meet you, too.” She mumbled, lifting her head only slightly to half look at him, half at the table. And he was struck, suddenly, with the notion that this might not be the best idea. What would it be like, putting this mare and Dinky together? The pegasus seemed, in a way, even more withdrawn than his quirky little daughter. How was she supposed to help Dinky? Cheerilee, easily recognizing the tension between the two, took a moment to gather her thoughts, trying to figure out the best way to break the ice and get them talking. She knew Written Script was eager to do all that he could for Dinky and she also knew that Derpy wanted to help in any way she could, but with the two of them uncertain and awkward as they seemed, how would that even be possible? “Derpy,” She finally said, “Why don’t you go get us some muffins or something? You know what’s good here, right?” The grey mare nodded, thankful for both the distraction and the time to bolster her nerves. “Okay,” She said shortly, turning and practically stumbling over her hooves in her hurry to escape from the table. Cheerilee watched her for a moment, then settled in the chair only recently vacated by the white unicorn. “She can help, Written. I’m sure of it. She’s just…Well, she’s kind of shy.” She kept her voice low, and though she was speaking to the stallion across from her, she was still watching Derpy as the grey mare perused the day’s selection of baked goods, “You know what everypony says about her…I think she’s just nervous you’ll have the wrong impression.” He sighed, following the teacher’s gaze over to the pegasus at the counter, who was then pointing to various things she wanted, Gingerbread nodding and fetching the appropriate items from the glass case. “I trust you, Cheerilee. It’s just…” “I know; I know.” The plum-colored mare said good-naturedly, her smile lighting her eyes, “It’s Dinky and you can’t help it.” And she did understand, in a way; she was as protective as she could be of the little filly herself. Cheerilee loved children, loved helping to nurture their minds and foster healthy growth and development. And when it came to the rare exceptional child –Ponyville was a small town; there weren’t too many foals with special needs- she found herself opening her heart even more, reveling in their successes and mourning bitterly their failures. “But I really think it’ll be okay.” Derpy appeared back at the table then, a plate held carefully in her mouth. She set it on the table, glancing at both Cheerilee and Written Script at the same time. “Um…I hope you like lemon?” She said tentatively, giving her head a little shake in a failed attempt at getting her bangs out of her eyes. Cheerilee smiled and nodded, while Written Script used his magic to drag a third chair over from another table, indicating that Derpy should sit. “Thanks.” They both said at the same time, he for the muffins, her for the chair. There was an awkward pause as they simply looked at one another, then a slow smile crept across Derpy’s face, while Written Script laughed outright, their nervousness over the meeting all but vanishing. Cheerilee grinned, pushing the plate more towards the middle of the table, while Derpy plopped down on her chair, ready now for all of the talking that was about to begin.