//------------------------------// // Dropping In // Story: The Toymaker // by AtomicMuffin //------------------------------// “Mom! Oh no! Watch Out! Not again!” CRASH!!!! A whirling flurry of splintered wood and plaster flew through the dimly lit room as a gray pegasus crashed through a formerly perfectly good wall. In surprise, the emerald coated stallion sitting behind a long counter threw aside his issue of The Canterlot Times and rushed to the mare’s aid, nearly knocking off the bottle green top hat awkwardly perched atop his head. The only thing keeping it in place was the unruly mop of curly indigo mane. Skidding to a halt next to the unexpected visitor he gently nudged her still body with a tentative hoof. “Are you quite alright, miss? Is anything broken? Please say something!” The mare shook her blonde head and cringed. She moaned, “Ow, my head. That was not a soft wall.” She gasped and jumped right back into the air. “Dinky! Where are you?! Are you alright?!” She twirled in midair, frantically scanning the large dim room. A muffled voice came from the far wall and both ponies hurried over to investigate. A large pile of stuffed animals was clustered along the far wall like debris from a hurricane, and from the cotton stuffed carnage popped the small head of a young purple filly. A stuffed chameleon hung comically from her small horn. She shook her head quite like the mare beside her had done, dislodging the poor fabric reptile, and dizzily groaned, “Mom, I think it’s time we invest in helmets.” With another groan she collapsed back into her the stuffed animal mountain, causing a small puff of loose fluff to leap into the air. The gray mare and confused stallion exchanged glances and quickly dug the unconscious filly out. The stallion plucked the hat off of his head, revealing a spiraling horn emerging from his curly indigo sea of hair. He wrapped the purple filly in a magical aquamarine aura and levitated her onto his back. He looked over his shoulder to the gray mare and asked, “Care for some tea, miss?” Still slightly stunned, the mare nodded with a sheepish smile. “That would be wonderful, sir.” The emerald stallion gently cantered into the back room with the young filly on his back. Then he enveloped her in his magic once again and gently laid her on an empty couch. Her mother knelt beside her and gently stroked her forehead, cooing softly. The stallion briskly walked off through another doorway, presumably into the kitchen to fetch the promised refreshments. When he returned, levitating the tea and a plate of muffins in front of him, he paused at the sight of the poor mare. Tears were pouring out in a deluge that would have made Canterlot Falls envious. She then followed with a barrage of apologies, but the stallion lifted a hoof to silence her and calmly placed the items he was carrying onto a low table. He then regarded her a charming half smile. “Now, now, there is no need for that. Honestly I was thinking the room needed a window anyway. Can’t have a display window without a window right? Now, why don’t you tell me your name and that of this charming young filly?” The crying mare managed to choke back her tears and answered, “My name is Derpy Hooves, and this,” she gestured to the couch, “is my daughter Dinky. I was flying her back home from school, but I got a bad case of vertigo and crashed through your wall. I’m sorry.” Her ears drooped and her eyes drifted to the floor (well one of them did, the other drifted toward the wall). The stallion, upon noticing her strange eyes, smiled compassionately at his new acquaintance and offered her a freshly baked banana nut muffin. Derpy’s expression instantly snapped from depression to ecstasy. Apparently she really, REALLY likes muffins. “I mean it; don’t worry about the wall Mrs. Hooves. A wall is simple enough to repair.” A loud shattering crash came from the front room. Wincing he continued, “The chandelier, however, may take some work.” Derpy proceeded to cry with renewed intensity and hid her face in her hooves; though still maintain her hold on her muffin. The stallion moved to stand next to her and placed a reassuring hoof around her withers. “It’s alright Mrs. Hooves, now how about we check on little Miss Dinky?” As if on cue the little filly groaned sleepily, sat up, and inquired, “Mom, where are we?” Derpy let out a worried breath and rushed over to her daughter and proceeded to gently stroke the blond mane that was so similar to her own. “Dinky, we are still in the house that I crashed into. Mister…” she looked quizzically at the stallion, “actually, I never did find out your name.” The born showpony took the opportunity to glide over to the pair and cheerfully proclaimed, “Well my dear, it is certainly a pleasure to meet such a pretty young filly and her charming mother, no matter what the circumstances may be.” With a small spark of magic he flourished his top hat and indulged in a deep bow. “And how rude of me for not introducing myself! My name is Finishing Touch and I am the proprietor of this humble shop. And this is my assistant, Klaus.” With another magical flourish he flipped his hat upside down and a small wooden monkey fell out and grabbed on to the brim. It quickly climbed up onto the band and then onto the top of the hat. “Say hello, Klaus.” The small primate waved enthusiastically at the two ladies and indulged in a bow of his own. Derpy was gaping in wonder, and Dinky was laughing uncontrollably. When Dinky’s giggles subsided and she assured everypony that she was alright, the flashy stallion straightened up and gestured for them to join him in the front room. When they walked back into the ravaged room two young colts were loitering around the monstrous hole in the wall. Looking in, a heavyset brown colt with a silver and gold mane jeered through the hole, “Sweet Celestia, Dinky, your mom sure did a number on this house!” His companion, a lithe tan pegasus with a spiky sea green mane, proclaimed loudly, “Yeah, what kind of pegasus gets airsick anyway? Well at least this time she didn't plow all the way through.” They both rolled around laughing, hind legs kicking in the air. Dinky blushed angrily as she confronted her tormentors, “Leave my mom alone! It’s not her fault!” Tears threatened to fall from her sparkling eyes as her mother gently draped a wing over her. Derpy shook her head softly and allowed the boys to gallop away, laughing at their childish harassment. The shopkeeper looked upon them with knowing eyes. This wasn't the first time that Dinky had to defend her mother, and it would certainly not be the last. The young filly dearly loved her mother, and Derpy clearly loved her daughter as well. Finishing Touch trotted over to the wall and once again removed his hat with magic, while Klaus lay across the flat top, holding on with all five appendages for dear life. Observing the demolition like an art critic observing a masterpiece, his horn glowed brightly and the debris floated back into the hole, filling it in and looking to all Equestria as if it had never been damaged. The emerald colored unicorn lightly plopped the top hat back onto his head, and Klaus used his tail to wipe imaginary beads of sweat from his forehead with an exaggerated sighing motion. Glancing upwards the stallion chuckled something that sounded suspiciously like “Drama queen.” Turning back to his guests, a broad smile on his face, he declared, “I told you it was an easy fix Mrs. Hooves. Now how about a little more light?” He whistled loudly and magical light flooded the entire room with its comforting glow. For the first time, Derpy and Dinky were able to see the room they had unceremoniously crashed into. They stood in a large rectangular room. On the far wall stretched a long wooden counter with a small work bench tucked behind it. Shelves lined two other walls, and the final wall was bare except for the door and a few windows. Bins littered the floor in a small labyrinth, but right now they stood empty. The small mound of stuffed animals still lay slaughtered in the corner, but the true marvel of the room was the ceiling. A small train track was suspended in the air about five hooves above the ponies gathered on the floor. With a wink and a burst of magic, the shopkeeper produced a small toy train and sent it happily chugging around the small track, which managed to disassemble and reassemble itself so that the train paraded around the room in new and exciting loops, spirals, and corkscrews. The whole marvelous scene was made even more magical because the ceiling itself glowed with an aurora of many ever-changing colors, as if it couldn't decide which one suited it best. The two visitors gawked in astonishment as Finishing Touch beamed with pride. Eventually, Dinky turned to him and asked, “Mr. Touch, just what kind of store is this?” He settled down on his haunches and looked directly at the little filly. “Haven’t you figured it out, my dear? I can tell you are very bright for your age.” She stared into his eyes and noticed something strange. Maybe it was the reflection of the ceiling, but his eyes seemed to be changing colors as well, as if they were fighting to determine how much to reveal to her own probing gaze. She blinked away the thought and tentatively said, “Well, you have bins and shelves to hold things, lots of stuffed animals, and this amazing train. Are you a toymaker?” The quirky stallion leaped to his hooves, with Klaus barely clinging to the brim of his hat, and declared brilliantly, “That I am, my dear! And you are my first customer in Ponyville!” He trotted off to the counter and proceeded to dig around underneath it. Derpy proceeded to protest bashfully, “I’m sorry Mr. Touch, but we don’t have much money right now. I’m just a mailmare and –her eyes drifted toward the floor- my husband passed on years ago. We just can’t afford to buy anything right now.” She blushed and mumbled, “Especially since I broke your chandelier.” She nudged the twisted cluster of iron and broken crystal with a hind leg. Finishing popped his head back up and smiled sweetly. “Oh, think nothing of that old thing. I said I could fix it given enough time. It’s no trouble really, just a bit more delicate than a wall. Anyway, I don’t want money from you. Young Dinky has something much more valuable.” Derpy cautiously sidled alongside her daughter and glared fiercely at the stallion standing before her. With her wings flared protectively and her ears pinned defiantly she growled, “What is it that you want with my daughter exactly, sir?” Finishing Touch gasped and placed a hoof over his chest in apology. “I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression Mrs. Hooves! I merely wanted little Dinky to come and visit for our grand opening. That way she can see my quaint little shop in all of its glory.” Derpy relaxed and folded her wings back. She turned her head towards her daughter and asked, “Well what do you say, Dinky?” The little filly beamed and hopped around excitedly. Three small golden sparks flickered at the tip of her horn due to her barely contained excitement. Finishing Touch trotted around the counter and resumed his previous position on the floor next to Dinky. His expression became inexplicably serious and his gaze contained an indescribable intensity. Dinky was so surprised at his sudden transition that she had to choke back a hard lump of fear rising in her throat. The unusual stallion looked her in the eye and said in a soft yet serious voice, “Now Dinky, I know you and your mother have had a hard time because of her situation.” Dinky paled slightly but he continued, “I see the love between you two and I know that you are a wonderful daughter. Can I trust you with my greatest treasure?” Dinky looked questioningly at her mother who smiled encouragingly. Taking a deep breath Dinky replied, “Mr. Touch, I just met you. And I’m just a filly. I wouldn't feel right with any kind of treasure. I don’t think I have earned that trust yet.” Her mother nodded approvingly and nuzzled her sweet little filly. Dinky turned and looked back into the stallion’s eyes. His gaze softened and he whispered to his new friend, “That is a very good answer. Trust must be earned, but faith is given freely. I believe in you Dinky, so I want you to have my treasure.” He lifted the hat off his head once again to reveal a cloth doll sitting atop his head. The toymaker continued in his soft, almost reverent, voice, “This is the first doll I ever made. Her name is Patchwork.” The name suited the doll; she was shaped like an earth pony filly made from irregularly cut pieces of different colored fabric. The stitching was fine, and the seams were barely noticeable. Her corn silk mane and tail gleamed slightly in the bright magical light. Klaus was sitting on the doll’s back, pretending he was in a rodeo and she was trying to buck him off. Finishing picked up the protesting monkey and stuffed him unceremoniously back into his green hat, then he used his magic to gently place his prized possession into Dinky’s outstretched hoof. She hugged the doll lovingly. “I know you will love her just as much as I do. Remember Dinky, she is your friend. Whenever you are sad or angry, she will be there just as your mother is. But she is missing something.” Dinky looked questioningly at the toymaker and inquired, “What do you mean? She looks perfect to me.” The mysterious twinkle returned to his color-changing eyes and he whispered, “She is perfect, but that doesn't mean she is complete. Every creation of mine needs to fit its owner. She just needs a little… finishing touch.” With another trademark wink he encompassed the doll in a corona of swirling aquamarine magic. When the light died down and their eyes adjusted, Dinky looked curiously at Patchwork. The multicolored doll now sported an orange and a purple wing. And her painted eyes stared off in different directions. The toymaker let out a quick “oomph” as the tiny filly tackled him in a crushing hug singing, “Thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU!!!” Finishing Touch chuckled and hugged his new friend back. They both got back to their hooves and he opened the front door with his magic. Derpy gathered her daughter onto her back and prepared to take flight once again. As she leaped into the air, she thanked Finishing Touch yet again and he called back to her, “Remember that we open officially in three days, and you can both call me ‘Finn’ for short. See you both on Friday!” Finn closed the door and looked pensively at his new shop. His cheerful demeanor was replaced by a look of tired displeasure. He quickly repaired the chandelier and set it back into its position on the ceiling. Once that was done he walked slowly into the back room thinking to himself, well now that that part is finished, it is time for the real work to begin. Turning for one last glance into the large room he whistled once again and the shop went dark.