“You can do this... You can do this...” you chant under your breath. “It’s just like being on the monkey bars in elementary school...”
Leaping towards one branch, you start to lose your balance, sending you into silent panic before you finally straighten yourself out and let out a sigh of relief. Oh who the hell are you fooling... This is nuts! you think as you run a hoof through your mane. Why in the wide world of Equestria am I even doing this?
“Think fast!”
You turn to the source of the voice and watch as a flash of black and a pair of teeth bear their way down on you.
All you can do is stare in dumbstruck horror as they get closer... before the entire world turns upside down and you hear a heavy thud.
“Owwwww... That hurt...” Looking down, you see Ditzy rubbing her head as she sits on the branch below you. She gathers herself and looks up to you with a smile. “Well color me impressed, Colonel... What made you think to do that?”
It takes a few moments for you to orient yourself finally realize the obvious. “Umm... You know, I really, really wish that was done on purpose so I could look like a great strategist...” you say as you shift around, your hooves still clinging to the branch as you dangle upside down. “But it just sort of... happened.”
Ditzy’s smile slowly fades until she lets out a heavy sigh. “Well, at least you’re being honest about the whole thing.” She looks down at you and cocks an eyebrow as you continue to hang there. “So... How long are you going to be hanging around?”
“Oh hardy har har... I would let go if I could, but this stupid suit is caught on the bark of the branch or something,” you say as you tug at it, making the whole branch wobble. “I can’t rip this thing, either... Can I get hoof here?”
“Why don’t you just free yourself and drop down?” Ditzy asks as she sits down on the branch.
You shoot Ditzy a look and roll your eyes. “Oh, brilliant! Why didn’t I think of that? Oh wait, this suit is made of some sort of magic fabric that’s about as strong as kevlar and even then, I can’t drop down safely because somepony bound my wings.”
“Colonel, how do you expect to get any experience moving through harsh terrain if you can’t even free yourself without the use of your wings? I mean, I went the extra mile and bound myself as well. Surely, if I can do it that you should have no problem,” she says in an almost mocking tone. “But honestly, if you can’t figure it out, then I don’t know what to do with you.”
Gritting your teeth, you hold back some of the harsh words you wanted to hurl her way and instead get an idea in your head. Taking a deep breath, you start shaking the branch as violently as you can. You hear a gasp from above and feel yourself smile as you watch Ditzy cling to the branch in surprise. “What are you doing?” she asks angrily, doing her best to hide an embarrassed blush.
“Not so easy now, is it? I bet your first reaction was the same as mine. You wanted to take off the minute you couldn’t find your balance,” you say with a little chuckle. “Now come on and give me a hoof, I’m seriously stuck and I can’t unstick myself.”
Ditzy gives you a scowl and turns her nose up to you. “I don’t have to do anything... But tell you what,” she says as she gets to her hooves. “I’ll leave you here to think about your situation and if you manage to free yourself before daybreak, I promise I’ll treat you to a breakfast you won’t ever forget. See you later Colonel~”
Oh no you don’t...
Shaking the branch harder than before, you do your best to knock Ditzy off of her hooves again before she can bound off, but instead, there’s a loud crack followed by a bounce that wasn’t caused by you.
“Uh oh... I think-”
That was about all you could get out before the branch you both stood on gave way and send you tumbling towards the forest floor with Ditzy hot on your heels. You bounce off the grass and feel the wind get knocked out of you. You look up just in time to watch Ditzy fall towards you, flailing for anything to grab onto. In almost instant, you realize just what part of her is going to fall onto you and where, but all you can do is just look up, watch, and brace yourself.
Of course... Just. my. luck.
Ditzy lands on your face and you feel your head bounce off the ground and see a mix of stars and something that made you turn bright red. Groaning aloud, you place your hooves on Ditzy’s flank and shove her backwards and off of your face before sitting up, doing your best to catch your breath. Panting aloud, you rub at your sides and try to turn to Ditzy.
“Are... Are you okay?” you wheeze out. “Are you... Are you hurt?”
“Just my pride...” Ditzy mumbles under her breath. Slowly, she gets up to her hooves and dusts herself off before helping you up.
“This. This never happened,” she barks out with a heavy blush. “This isn’t going in my report and if you tell anyone, I’m going to deny it.”
“Yeah... I uh... I think that’s a good idea,” you say as you stretch, trying to work the kink out of your back, now your turn to hide just how embarrassed you were. “Just... umm... Just out of curiosity, how would you even word something like that? ‘Impromptu gynecological exam’?”
Ditzy’s eyes go wide and her entire face goes red. “THAT! YOU! I-WHY?!? Why would you call it that?” she asks indignantly, stomping her hooves down. “Of all things... Why?!?”
“What, too tasteless? I thought it worked, considering how little to the imagination these suits leave. I mean, if you change your mind and do end up putting it in a report, you could also try ‘period of extended facesitting’ or ‘accidental cunnilin-”
“Colonel. Why are you doing this to me?” she asks as she drags a hoof down her face, trying to hide a look of pure humiliation. “Just... Why?”
“It’s because I’m hurting all over, I’m embarrassed as all hell, and I’d rather be laughing right now than awkwardly walking back with you in complete silence, so let me just have this, okay?” you ask as you turn your back to her. “Now let’s head back to the barn so we can patch ourselves up and I can get this damned suit off. I swear to gods above, this thing has gotten so intimate with me, I would be rude if I didn’t buy it dinner.” You punctuate your statement with a tug at the thigh of your suit in some vain hope that it would get rid of the wedgie you’ve been suffering from all night.
For a while, Ditzy’s completely quiet and you think, just for a second, that you really screwed up this time.
Ohhh shit... Why do I have a feeling this is going to be boot camp all over aga-
“Pffffft...”
Turning around slowly, you look back and don’t see an angry mare as you had dreaded, but instead watch as Ditzy does her best not to completely break down laughing by keeping her hooves clamped around her mouth.
“Like, seriously. Are you not feeling what I’m feeling? This suit is giving me a prostate exam and if it keeps creeping along at this rate, it’s going to go from urologist to dentist in no time flat.”
Ditzy’s eyes tear up for just a second and it’s painfully obvious she can’t hold it back anymore and starts clutching her stomach, bellowing out with laughter until you find yourself laughing aloud with her.
“Ohhhh....Ohhh my gosh...” she gasps out, wiping away a tear from her eye. “I haven’t laughed like that since-”
Ditzy clears her throat and gets to her hooves, trying best not break out with a case of the giggles. “W-Well... I’m glad that’s all sorted. Shall we-”
“Yeah, let’s go take care of any bumps or bruises we got first, then we’ll umm... What we doing next?” you ask with a shrug. “After this movement training, you didn’t really say what we’d do after.”
“After? Oh! Yes, right,” she says, clearing her throat and trying to regain her composure. “We’ll go over Rosewing’s background. Where she’s living, her current occupation, any habits. Tomorrow, you’ll try and get close to her and learn anything that you can.”
“So, you’re going to let me play spy now?” you ask with a giddy smile. Realizing how you must look, you put on a straight face and clear your throat. “And by play, I mean act as a professional acting under the Princesses. Yeah, that’s what I meant.”
Ditzy shoots you a glance and laughs under her breath before you both fall silent as you make your way back to the barn.
“You know, I think I might just end up filing a report after all,” Ditzy finally says, breaking the silence.
“Oh? And just how are you going to word what happened? Because I’m still stumped.”
“Skull density test,” she says while trying to keep a straight face, but failing.
“Skull density? What? You mean to tell me you’d put in a report how you decided to test just how thick my skull was?”
“Yes.”
“With your flank?”
“That’s right.”
You do your best not start laughing again, but you just can’t help it and soon Ditzy’s laughing with you. “Ohhh wow... Just imagine the look on the Princess’ face if she read a report like that...”
“Oh my gosh, that would be priceless...” Ditzy says as she trots ahead with the key to the cellar door. “She’d probably think I’d gone mad...”
Letting out a long sigh, you help her open the cellar door and make your way down. “Alright, alright... We’ve had our fun, now let’s get down to brass tacks, shall we?”
Ditzy gives you a nod as she slips out of her stealth suit. “Yeah, we’ve messed around enough... We need to have some sort of briefing now so you know everything you’re going to need to know about the target.”
“And what are you going to be doing while I’m tailing a filly who may or may not be a changeling?”
“You’ll see,” she says with a smile.
Grabbing at the zipper and pulling it down on your stealth suit, something hits you. “Hey, didn’t you say that if I got myself free before sunrise that you’d treat me to breakfast?”
Ditzy freezes and rubs her forehoof nervously. “Honestly, I thought you had forgotten that after the fall,” she mumbles. “But well... technically-”
“Technically, I got myself free before sunrise. You never said how I was supposed to get free or if you had to be gone first, you just said I had to get myself free,” you say with a self satisfied grin. “Are you seriously going to back down from your promise?”
“...Fine, you got me,” she says with a sigh of defeat. “Stop by my home at around 6:30. And if you’re going to be eating with us, I at least expect you to help a bit.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” you say with a smile as you pull your stealth suit off, sighing in relief. “Ohhh so much better...”
“Oh, Colonel. You’ve got a cut on the back of your neck. Here, let me get the medicine box...” she says before grabbing a large box from a top the filing cabinet. “It’s just dirty and you don’t-”
“Yeah, I know. I’ve seen ponies walk off with smaller wounds who thought they were fine. Those ones usually end up in the hospital with an infection about half a week later,” you say with a chuckle. Pushing your mane aside, you face your back to Ditzy. “Thanks.”
“It’s no problem, I’m used to playing nurse... My littlest one likes to get into all sorts of trouble, she says before letting out sigh. “It kinda makes me worry...”
“Especially with a changeling lurking around the town,” you say solemnly, flinching a bit as you feel antiseptic touch your skin. “A pony really has to be careful with something like tha- I’m... Aww crap. Listen to me, Mr. Negativity. Sorry, I’m not saying anything to make it better.”
“No, no... I’m worried about that, too. I’ve given my kids the ‘stranger danger’ talk and even taught them how to protect themselves and what to do in an emergency, but...” she says with a heavy sigh. “I still have a little heart attack anytime they’re a few minutes late home from school. Does that make me... well, overprotective?”
“Nah, it just means you're a good mom. Hell, I remember when my mother used to just tell me to come back home in one piece and without any STDs,” you say with a laugh. “And that was it.”
“Well, things were easier back then.”
You let out a deep sigh and sit down on your haunches. “Way to make me feel my age,” you say, forcing a smile.
“I didn’t mean it like that, I mean... I just...”
“It’s fine,” you say, waving a hoof. “Now come on, we were supposed to be talking about this Rosewing. Know anything about her?”
You get to your hooves after you feel the adhesive bandage stick and take a seat at the table while Ditzy rummages through her filing cabinet.
“Well, where do you want start?” she asks as she holds up a manilla envelope with Rosewing’s name on it. “I’ve got a file on her and everypony she associates herself with.”
You give her a shrug and reach out for it. “Let’s start at the top and work our way down... Rosewing, age 19. Born in Trottingham, moved to Cloudsdale for extended period before finally settling down here in Ponyville and setting up a flower shop.”
“Kind of odd for a pony who sells flowers for a living to want to be a firefighter,” Ditzy notes.
“Just about as odd as a mailmare who does wetwork,” you say with a little chuckle under your breath.
“Used to. Just brought in again because of the circumstances.”
You shoot Ditzy a look. “Used to? What do you mean?”
“I was officially retired,” she says with a small sigh. “I really wanted to turn down this mission and just... stay a mailmare. A mother. But you know what’s at stake. If I had said no, I’d never be able to live with myself.”
You nod slowly. “Yeah... I’m in the same boat, sister. But I guess you already know all about that from my file, huh?”
“Actually, I was never told about your reasons for delaying your retirement. To be honest, I’m curious about the whole thing.” Ditzy says as she takes the file from you. “But I’m not going to force you tell me.”
“Well, if you must know... I lost a good friend. This changeling got him and I feel like I owe him,” you say, leaning back in your chair. “It’s the least I could do.”
Ditzy smiles and nods slowly before she furrows her brow. “Wait a minute... This is odd. Rosewing moved her stall around three days ago from Apricot Lane to Central Square.”
“What’s so bad about that?” you ask, rolling your shoulders.
“Colonel, if you were a changeling and wanted to observe your prey, wouldn’t you like to be where they gather the most?”
“Well wait, let’s not jump the gun here... Central Square is the main town square, right? Wouldn’t it make sense for someone owning a market stall to want to get to the busiest place in town? What if she just wants more customers?”
“Well, yes, that does make sense, but there’s only one problem. Apricot Lane is where everypony goes to buy anything garden related, be it flowers, fruits, or vegetables. If you’ve got a stall in Apricot Lane, then you don’t need to worry about attracting customers,” she says as she bites her lip. “I remember because my friend Carrot Top wouldn’t stop going on about getting a spot there.”
“Then why would Rosewing move her stall? Did somepony force her out?”
Again, Ditzy shakes her head. “Not unless somepony had something to hold over her head... But still, this all smacks of something deeper going on that we need to find out. I’ll get a hold of some contacts and see if they know what’s going on.”
“Contacts?”
“Well... More like the local gossipers. But still, they’re just about as good as a contact with how forthcoming they are about the goings on in Ponyville,” she says with a little giggle. “As for you, Colonel... I think it would be smart if you started becoming a customer of Rosewing’s. It’ll give you an excuse to talk to her on a regular basis.”
You let out a long breath and slump back in your chair. “Well, that’s sort of a good idea. Except what am I going to do with... what does she sell again? Flowers?” You tap a hoof against the table, thinking it over. “Well... I could always put them around the post office. Better than just throwing them away, at least.”
Glancing at the clock on the wall, you let out a yawn. “Well would you look at the time... Can I be as forward as to ask for us to call it a night? I’m not as spritely as I used to be and my bedtime was about... Oh, three hours ago.”
“Yes, go ahead... I’ll see you tomorrow morning Colonel,” Ditzy says as you get to your hooves. “I’ll see you tomorrow, 6:30 sharp.”
You let out another yawn and nod. “You can count on it. See ya tomorrow.”
Making your way up the stairs, you give Ditzy a final wave before trotting off into the general direction of Ponyville, flinching a bit as you feel your knees and back throb in pain. Gonna take me a muscle relaxer and sleep like a baby tonight
*****************************************************
A cacophony of electronic screeching and beeping jolts you awake and sends you scrambling to your hooves.
“I’m up, I’m up!” you yell out as you roll out of bed. “You stupid little...”
Grabbing ahold of your alarm clock, you look at it through eyes that were still half asleep for the off button. After failing to locate one, you pull the alarm clock and its plug out of the wall and toss it aside.
“I miss sleeping in...” you grumble under your breath as you stagger towards the bathroom. Stepping in front of the bathroom mirror, you start your daily routine.
First the eye drops for my chronic dry-eye... Then my blood pressure medication... a painkiller for my aching back... Okay, next, a shower, brush my teeth, get dressed and head over to Ditzy’s place.
Climbing into the bathtub, you turn the water on and jump back when you realize it’s ice cold, but feel a little better now that you were more or less awake. Facing the shower head, you let the warming water fall over you and take away all your aches and pains.
Ohhh, this is nice... you think with a smile as the steam starts to fill the bathroom. When I finally do retire, I’m getting myself a hot tub.
You let out a long sigh and close your eyes for just a second, but quickly open them again. “No, can’t fall asleep again.” Grabbing a bottle of shampoo, you squirt some into your hoof and lather it into your mane. “If I’m late for her breakfast, she’s gonna have my hide...”
Keeping that in mind, you rush through the rest of your daily rituals and slip on a jacket and flat cap before walking out the front door.
“Alright! Gotta open the post office up at around 9-ish... Remember, 9 o’clock,” you say under your breath. “9 o’clock, 9 o’clock...”
Locking the door, you make your way into the streets of Ponyville, flinching a bit as you feel your back tighten up.
That pain killer can’t kick in soon enough... you think as you grit your teeth and smile at another pony walking by.
*****************************************************
“Alright... 221 Lilly Lane. This is the place,” you mutter under your breath as you walk up to the front porch of the modest looking home. Rapping your hoof against the door, you take a step back and wait for an answer. It takes a few minutes, but the door finally opens and a magenta unicorn peeks her head out, looking to you with a plastic smile.
“Ummm... Whatever it is, we really don’t need what you’re selling,” she says with a sheepish smile before slowly closing the door.
You knock on the door again. “Hey, will you bother to hear what I have to say before you close the door in my face? I’m a friend of your mother’s. I don’t know if she said anything, but-”
The door opens again and the mare nods quickly. “Oh, you’re that guy! Yeah, uh, my mom said you’d be stopping by... Hey mom!” she calls out to the house.
“Yes?” a voice yells back.
“Your friend’s here!”
“I’ll be right there, just one second...”
Sure enough, Ditzy comes trotting up to the door and gives you a little grin. “Well heya boss! Great you could make it! Hey Amethyst, can you go keep an eye on the pancakes for a moment? I need to have a word wit-”
“Say no more, I got it.” Amethyst says before walking off.
“Oh, and don’t forget to wake up your sister!”
“I will!”
Ditzy’s smile seems to change from one of happiness to amusement. “Well look at you... Mr. Big Shot manager... Not only do you look the part now, but you even managed to be here on time. Gold star, Colonel.”
You roll your eyes and step into Ditzy's house, making sure to wipe your hooves before going any further. “Do you have to call me boss? I honestly don’t like it...”
“Well fine then, Flare Chaser... I was just showing you some respect. Now, why don’t you go wash up and help Amethyst. We still need to crack some eggs for the omelettes,” Ditzy says as she trots towards the backdoor. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to grab my work shirts off of the line.”
With a shrug, you take your hat off and set it on an end table before wandering into the kitchen where you find Amethyst levitating a pan and spatula into the air. “Oh come on! Why do these things keep ripping apart?” she asks angrily as she attempts to salvage what remains.
“Hey, hey! Easy now, you can’t force it... You have to use some finesse to flip a good pancake,” you say as you help her scrape the mess off of the pan.
“Well then, if you’re so smart, why don’t you do it?” Amethyst says, sticking her tongue out at you.
You shrug and move in front of the oven, grabbing a hold of the bowl of pancake batter and pouring some into the frying pan. “Sure, I’ll do this if you can get some eggs cracked and whipped up. You mom said something about omelets.”
Grabbing a hold of the frying pan handle, you start moving it around in a circle until the batter starts to bubble and it moves freely on the pan. With one quick, fluid motion, you toss the pancake into the air and catch it in the pan. “Now look at that!” you say with toothy grin, laughing as Amethyst stares on in amazement.
“How did you do that?” she asks before setting the eggs down on the counter. “I mean, without magic? That was so cool!”
“Well, first you need to practice a bit and don’t expect to get it right the first time. But besides, that, it’s all in the reflexes.”
Amethyst watches, mystified as you keep tossing the pancakes in the air and catching them with ease. It’s just like riding a bike, you think with a goofy smile.
“Hey, didn’t your mom say something about waking up your little sister?” you ask before sliding a perfect pancake onto a nearby plate.
Amethyst’s eyes go wide and nods quickly. “Oh thanks, I almost forgot!”
“I’ll try and take care of the eggs, too,” you call out as she trots off and up the stairs.
Opening the carton of eggs, you stare at it for a few moments before gingerly picking up one and holding it between your hooves. “Okay... Okay... I got this.”
Bringing it over to the bowl, you tap it against the side, but it doesn’t break. You try again, but harder this time. Still, the egg doesn’t want to budge. This happens again and again and each time, the egg refuses to break open or even crack.
“Oh you little...”
Gritting your teeth, you bring the egg up above your head and practically smash it into the side of the bowl, making the whole thing explode in your hooves in a mix of yolk and broken eggshells. Cradling your dripping hooves, you turn to the sink and watch some of it drip onto the ground.
“Ohhh shii-”
Out of the corner of your eye, you see Amethyst standing there with a small pale violet filly standing next to her.
“Shii...Shiitake mushrooms would go really well with this omelet, if only I could crack a few eggs. Hey uh, Amethyst? Can you take care of that for me? I tried, but I can’t exactly-”
“Here, let me show you how it’s done,” Amethyst says before trotting over and levitating a few eggs into the air before almost expertly cracking them into the bowl. Rinsing off your hooves, you glance down to see the little filly unicorn staring up at you from behind a chair.
“Well hey there. What’s your name?”
“D...Dinky...” she says nervously. “Umm, you’re my mommy’s friend?”
“Oh, you don’t have to be so shy honey~” Ditzy says as she walks into the kitchen. “Flare Chaser here’s a really nice pony. Oh, I see the pancakes are coming along nicely.”
You give Ditzy a smile as you walk over to the pan and pour some new batter into it. “Yes ma’am. I used to work at a diner during the breakfast shift and I still haven’t forgotten how to flip a pancake like a pro,” you say, grinning a bit as you toss the pancake into the air and catching it.
Dinky lets out a giggle. “Ohh wow! That’s so neat! Can you flip anything else like that?”
“Ohh sure. I can flip eggs, too. But only if you like your eggs scrambled.”
It’s Ditzy’s turn to laugh and she shakes her head before opening the fridge door. “As much as I’d love to see that, I’m more in the mood for an omelet right now.”
“Oh, mom? Do we have any sheet.. Shit...wait, what were they called? Shit...Shiitake? Am I saying it right?” Amethyst asks as she glances over to you. “Flare Chaser here was talking about them.” Swallowing the lump in your throat, you see Ditzy glare at you.
“Uhh, yeah... Shiitake. Shiitake mushrooms. I like throwing them in all sorts of things,” you say with a nervous laugh. “Because... They’re great for what ails you. And go great with soy sauce.”
The kitchen goes awkwardly quiet before Amethyst speaks up. “What? Was it something I said?”
“No, not you sweetie,” Ditzy says before walking up up to you and turning on one of the burners. “Just what did you say in front of them?” she hisses at you, putting on a fake smile.
“I caught myself and made it into something else... I didn’t exactly sw-”
You stop as Amethyst trots up between you and Ditzy and sets the bowl of whipped eggs on the back of the stove. “Here are the eggs, mom. You mind if I go take my shower now?”
“Of course not. I’ll call you when breakfast is ready, okay?”
Amethyst leans up and kisses Ditzy on the cheek. “Thanks mom.”
You let out a little sigh of relief and look over your shoulder to see Dinky sitting at the table expectantly.
“You hungry?”
Dinky nods quickly. “Yeah! Can I have an omelet and some pancakes and some orange juice too please?”
“Well I don’t see why not... Do you want me to do the omelet?” you as as you step in front of the stove again.
Ditzy expression softens and she shakes her head. “No thanks. But we don’t have any orange juice, but I did pick up some oranges yesterday... Think you can juice them?”
“Sure, got something to juice ‘em?” you ask as you root around the refrigerator.
“Top shelf above the microwave, next to the sugar. I’m afraid I don’t have a fancy automatic juicer, so you’ll have to do it by hoof.”
Grabbing the orangers and the juicer itself, you roll your shoulders and set it down on the counter. “I don’t mind. Hoof squeezed orange juice tastes better anyway.”
Grabbing a nearby kitchen knife, you cut the first orange in half and start grinding it into the juicer. All the while, you feel a pair of eyes burn into the side of your face.
Glancing over, you give Dinky a weak smile as she continues to stare at you. “Need something?” you ask as you finish your first orange half.
“No, I’m just bored waiting...” she says as she kicks her legs back and forth.
“Hrmmm...” Turning your back to her, you get an idea in your head and push the orange peel into your mouth and roll your eyes back into your head while making a muffled groaning sound.
Dinky lets out a little scream before going into hysterics as you stumble around towards, making as many silly faces as you can By the time you get right up to her, her eyes are tearing up and her face is bright red. Taking the orange out of your mouth, you let Dinky catch her breath before saying anything.
“Still bored?”
“Nooo!” she yells out, all the while trying not to break down into a giggling fit again.
“Good. Now, why don’t you sit tight while we put the finishing touches on breakfast? And just remember... Good things come to those who wait.”
“And patience is a virtue,” Ditzy chimes in.
“Okaaay...” Dinky says before slumping forward. “Can you at least tell me how much longer?”
Ditzy slides the first omelet onto a plate and grabs a few pancakes before trotting up to Dinky. “Ohhh... About now.”
You lick your lips at the site and feel your stomach grumble. “Ooooh, that looks good...”
“You’ll get yours soon enough,” Ditzy says as she guides you back to the counter. “But first, you need to squeeze enough oranges for four ponies.”
“I can’t even get one pancake?” you ask with frown. “Just one?”
“Squeeze first, then you can eat,” she says before pouring more egg into the pan.
You grumble under your breath before going back to juicing. “Slave driver...”
“I’m going to want one hundred push ups before training tonight,” Ditzy whispers.
“But-”
All Ditzy has to do is give you a look you remember one of your drill sergeants giving you whenever you would argue with him and decide to shut your mouth before you got yourself into anymore trouble.
“Good. Now... Is there anything you want in your omelet, Flare?” Ditzy asks with an innocent smile. “We have cheese, tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms.”
“I’m good with just a plain omelet,” you say before tossing away another squeezed orange, filling the juicer with freshly squeezed orange juice. Grabbing a cup, you pour it out and carry it over to Dinky, who looks up to you with a smile as chews away at her breakfast.
“Mmm, thank you!” she says after swallowing a mouthful of omelet. “Mr. Flare Chaser is a really nice pony, mommy. He should come over more often.”
“I gotta agree with Dinky,” Amethyst says as she walks down the stairs, combing her mane all the while with a levitating brush. “I wouldn’t mind him stopping over for breakfast more often to hang out.”
Ditzy looks to her her children before slowly turning to you and staring. She’s quiet for a few moments before she turns back to the stove. “Well... If... If that’s how you feel. But then again, we really shouldn't trouble Mr. Chaser. I mean, he is quite a busy pony after all.”
“Well, that doesn’t mean I can’t stop by every now and again... That is, if your mother’s okay with it,” you say as you shoot Ditzy a smile. Instead of smiling back, Ditzy turns walks over to the kitchen table with another omelet and sets it down in silence.
“I can take care of the rest, Mr. Flare Chaser...” Ditzy says flatly. “Why don’t you enjoy your breakfast?”
“Are you sure? I mean, I’m almost done with the-”
“I’m sure.”
You and Ditzy stare at eachother for a while before you shrug and meander over to the kitchen table. “Well, alright... Thank you.” Grabbing a plate and a couple pancakes, you sit down with a smile and pour some syrup on them.
“You really learned that stuff at a diner?” Amethyst asks as she nibbles on her on breakfast.
“Oh yeah... I learned a lot of stuff while working at the Manehattan 80. Though, I learned the good stuff during the breakfast shift. The third shift brought me lessons I didn’t expect, but still value.”
Dinky takes a sip of orange juice and swallows a mouthful of pancake. “Like what?” she asks curiously.
“Yeah, you must have some good stories Mr. Flare Chaser. Think you can tell us one before we have to go to school?” Amethyst asks with a growing smile.
“Well... There was this one time I was working the third shift. It was around 3 AM when these really tough looking ponies walked in. Now, these guys looked like biker thugs. Piercings, jackets, tattoos... The works,” you take a bite of pancake and try your best to talk as you chew. “So. They all sit down and I expect them to start causing some trouble and just making my job that much harder for me. But, I gave them some rope and asked them what they wanted.”
By now, Dinky and Amethyst were leaning in, hooked on your every word.
“The biggest one of the lot, the guy who looked like he bench pressed 300 easy... He looks me square in the eye and says ‘Can I get some eggs, pancakes, and a slice of melon so it looks like smiley face?’. I couldn’t believe what I just heard!” you choke out, laughing aloud with Dinky and Amethyst. “And the rest of his buddies ordered stuff just like that. One guy even asked for whip cream and rainbow sprinkles. I learned that night not to judge a book by its cover. Those ‘biker thugs’ turned out to be some of the nicest guys I’ve ever met.”
“Got any more stories?” Dinky asks excitedly.
You open your mouth as you recall another funny incident while working the third shift, but Ditzy cuts you off. “You two really should hurry up and eat or you’ll be late for school. It’s already 7:30.”
The two glance over at a nearby clock and gasp. “Oh crud, you’re right...” Amethyst mutters. “Come on Dinky, let’s get a move on.”
“Maybe some other time then,” you say as Dinky glances at her food, looking rather down.
Dinky manages a smile and looking over, you smile at Ditzy, but she doesn’t smile back.
What’s going on with her?
*****************************************************
Stepping outside, you let out a long sigh and pat your belly. “Ohh wow... You were right about a breakfast I wouldn’t forget. That was great!”
Ditzy walks past you and starts her way down the road. “I’ll meet you at the post office. You should go and find Rosewing’s shop and make contact. I expect to have a full report on everything that’s said between the two of you, down to the letter.”
“I... I well... Okay,” you say rather dumbly as she walks off. “I’ll...see you there.”
Glancing around, you make your way towards the center of town.
“Now where is... Ah... There she is.”
A yellow pegasus with a bright red mane sits happily at a wooden stall, talking away to another mare. Making your way closer, you do your best to listen in on the conversation.
“And how many roses did you need? A dozen was it? Yeah, I can do that. I just need an address.”
“542 Mandrake Road. Oh, and... Make sure the roses say that it’s from ‘A special somepony’.”
“Sure thing, now... Oh! Hello sir! How may I help you?”
Rosewing smiles at you as you walk up to the stall and the other stallion walks away.
Putting on your best smile, you lean against the stall and smile. “Well hey there! ...Come on, you don’t recognize me? From the party?”
Rosewing blinks a few time before smacking her forehead. “Oh! Sorry, it’s just an early morning for me... That game of Pony Hunt went late into the night,” she says with a nervous laugh. “But good morning, Flare Chaser. Is there uh, anything you wanted? I mean, you couldn’t of stopped by just to talk to boring old me.”
“Oh don’t put yourself down just yet... But now that you mention it, I could use something to brighten up the post office,” you say as play with a nearby magnolia. “Can you recommend me something?”
“Well... Did you have anything in mind?”
“I don’t know. What I really need is a mare’s touch. So, what would you recommend?”
Rosewing taps her chin for a few moments before smiling. “Oooh, I got just the thing.”
She grabs a vase of purple flowers and holds them out. “Lilacs. They not only look pretty, but their smell can fill a whole room. I personally think they make a nice centerpiece.”
Handling the vase, you take a sniff and let out a sigh. “Oh wow, those smell good... How much for them? Vase and all?”
“7 bits. But just a word of warning... They don’t last that long after they’ve been cut. About three days. After that, they start to turn brown.”
You pull some bits out of your jacket pocket and set them down on the stall. “Oh it’s alright. I’ll just stop by again when I need some new ones,” you say as you balance the vase on your back. “Thanks Rosewing. See ya later.”
“Catch ya later, Flare Chaser!”
You can’t help but smile as you walk away with your new purchase, but not for the reason most ponies would thing. That went pretty well... Contact has been made and I even have a legitimate excuse for coming back. In three days, I’ll talk with her again. And hopefully, she’ll either be cleared... or...
You let out a heavy sigh at the thought of ‘or’ and crane your head towards the sky. You’ve killed before. If... If you really have to, you can do it again.
Somehow, that thought didn’t make things better. If anything, it made it worse.