//------------------------------// // Day Out // Story: Me and Mr. B // by Onomonopia //------------------------------// Ditzy wasn't sure why Mr. Bubbles had the sudden change of heart about her, but since it allowed her to get close to her daughter again she wasn't complaining. The group had met up again on the way out of the forest and they decided to head to Twilight's to take care of the unconscious filly. The other ponies had noticed as well that Bubbles wasn't attacking Ditzy, who was busy caring for her daughter and wondered if he had realized that they weren't enemies. That was until they tried getting close to Dinky. "Oh great, he has fire now?" Celestia asked as she put up a shield to protect her from the flames shooting from Mr. Bubbles had as he roared angrily at her. "When did he learn how to do that?" "Back in the forest, when we were fighting the whatever it was," Twilight responded as she shot water out of her horn to douse the fire. Bubbles quickly switched over to electricity and Twilight found herself receiving a face full of lightning that sent her crashing into her bookshelf, knocking all of the books off. "Oh that does it buster, you're in trouble now!" she yelled. Mr. Bubbles roared in response and had just started his drill up before a voice stopped the fighting. "Will you all cut it out!?" Ditzy yelled at the top of her lungs, causing all in the room to look at her. "I am trying to take care of my daughter and she needs rest! Twilight, you were supposed to be looking for what that creature was and what it was doing to Dinky, so GET TO IT!" The combatants looked at each other for a moment before Twilight turned with a growl, heading back to the shelves to continue looking. Mr. Bubbles made a threatening moan at Celestia before he turned and stomped over to where Dinky was resting. "Is this how it is always going to be like with him around?" Celestia asked with a growl as she walked over to Fluttershy and Applejack. "So, I believe that this is the first time the two of you have met Mr. Bubbles face to face when he wasn't out cold. What are your first impressions?" "I've never seen a creature like him," Fluttershy said from behind Applejack. "So scary. Yet so...intriguing." "Yah find him intriguing?" AJ asked her friend in disbelief. "Well, I've never seen a beast or pony like him and according to the princess, he's the last of his kind," Fluttershy said as she gazed at Bubbles, who was standing guard next to Dinky and Ditzy. "I wonder what he looks like without the helmet." Celestia said nothing as AJ and Shy began to speculate, having seen what he looked like without the helmet...and what he was like before the humans had turned him into that Big Daddy. She also understood his undying devotion to Dinky, but what she couldn't figure out was why he now allowed Ditzy to get close to her. "Whelp, I'm stuck," Twilight said after another minute of searching. "None of the books I have on creatures in Equestria have anything that looks remotely like what we saw. So either it's a creature like Bubbles over there or something new entirely. Either way, it's not good." "Agreed," Celestia said as she looked out the window at the rising moon. "It is getting late and I am sure that those close to you are beginning to worry about your safety. Applejack, Fluttershy; the two of you should head home for the day. We may need you at your best in the morning. Twilight, we can had back to Ditzy's for the night if you do not wish to up with us." "No, I couldn't do that," she said as she looked over at Dinky. "She needs to be looked after, especially since-" "Actually Twi, I think it's best that we head back to our place," Ditzy said as she placed Dinky onto her back, only to have the filly lifted off her back by Mr. Bubbles, who placed her on top of his head. "I don't want to cause you trouble." "Oh, the two of you would be no trouble at-" "I wasn't talking about the two of us," Ditzy said as she looked over at Bubbles, who was trying to get through Twilight's front door. "It's best that we keep him away from others that he doesn't trust...or like. It's for your own safety." Twilight nodded to show that she understood and waved to Celestia as she left with Ditzy, Mr. Bubbles having already ripped the door off its hinges and thrown in across the room. With the moon out now, Celestia lit up her horn to light the way, not that she needed to given that all of Mr. Bubbles eyes shown like spotlights. "So then Ditzy, do you have any idea why Mr. Bubbles suddenly allows you to get close to your daughter again?" Celestia asked the mare. "Maybe it has something to do with way I threw myself in front of that creatures attack to protect her?" Ditzy offered. "Maybe he sees me as a protector now. Also, earlier this morning Dinky did tell him that I was a friend. He does listen to her, so that also could be it." Celestia wasn't sure what the reason was, but she also had a few guesses of her own, the biggest one being whatever sort of brain washing had been done to Bubbles was beginning to fade. If not, then it had somehow slipped a bit and he was thinking, more so that before. "It matters not right now, all that matters is that your daughter is safe," Celestia said with a smile as they reached Ditzy's house, which was still missing the front part of it. "I will do my best to repair the wall, but you should get some sleep. It has been a long day for the both of you." Ditzy nodded before following Mr. B. inside, where he sat down in his usual spot while tucking Dinky into his arm. Ditzy laid down on the couch next to them and slowly fell asleep looking at the peaceful face of her daughter. "And now that we are alone," Celestia began once the wall was up, looking at Bubbles who shifted so all his eyes shown on her. "I still cannot figure you out. But my sister says that the only reason you care for that filly is because it is all you know, all your programmed to do." Bubbles said nothing, but she saw his eyes flicker and knew that she was on the verge of angering him. "Do you protect her because you care about who she is? What she may one day become? That she has a smile that makes all around her smile? Or is it simply because she was the first filly you came across?" Mr. Bubbles said nothing once again, so Celestia turned and sat down on another couch across from the one Ditzy rested on. "Why do you care so much for the filly?" she whispered. "Is it because you care for her because you love her. Or is it because she reminds you of your little girl and you are trying to make up for what happened in the past?" ===K> Celestia had left during the night, but once again Luna had taken her place to watch over Mr. Bubbles. Ditzy once again served her what she believed to be a lackluster meal, but Luna enjoyed it the entire time. "It has been far too long since I had a home cooked meal," she said with a smile. "I need to come here more often." Ditzy smiled at her kindness when a small yawn could be heard from the other room and Dinky came bounding in a moment later, Mr. Bubbles following her. "Hello, Mr. Bubbles. Any pleasant dream?" Luna asked. Something that had been bothering her was that a pony normally knew when she was in their dream or going through their memories, but if he knew she had been in his mind, he wasn't showing any signs of it. The thought was banished from her mind the moment the door was kicked open and a plum colored pony staggered in, the smell of alcohol reaching the ponies before the pony did. "Wassup Ditzy?" she slurred as she walked up to the mare and went to pull her into a hug, missing wildly and falling flat on her face. Luna and even Mr. Bubbles looked at her laying on the floor as she pulled herself up, smiling as she hit her mark and hugged Ditzy. "Hey ya sis, been a while since I've seen you." "Hiya Berry Punch," Ditzy said as she returned the hug. "Sorry about not seeing you for a while, but I've been so busy with Dinky and work that I-" "You don't need to explain it to me, I know you mean well," she slurred before looking up at Princess Luna. "Hello there princess," she said with a bow, which resulted on her falling on her face again. "I was not aware that you had a sister, Ditzy," Luna said as Berry picked herself off the floor. "We're not related by blood, but she's been one of my closest friends since school and after the death of...we've been as close as sisters," Ditzy explained as she folded her ears down. Berry Punch saw Dinky eating at the table and walked over to her, but a massive metal frame placed himself between her and the filly. "And you must be the talk of the town," she said with a small smile as she looked up at the eight yellow eyes. "Well aren't you a big one? You this...protector, I've been hearing so much about at the bars?" "His names Mr. Bubbles, but I wouldn't advise getting too close to Dinky," Luna suggested when Berry tried to get around the Big Daddy. "He tends to impale anything that gets too close to her that isn't her mother." Dinky hopped off her chair and placed a hoof on Mr. Bubble’s leg, calming him to the point where he let her get somewhat close to the mare. "Hey auntie Berry," Dinky said with a smile. "What are you doing here so early?" "Well...I figured that since I hadn't seen the two of you in a while that we could do something today?" she offered as she pulled a small bottle of booze out of a pouch on her back and downed it in one go, causing Dinky to laugh as Luna raised an eyebrow. "Well, I must be taking my leave then," Luna said with one more look at Mr. Bubbles. "Ditzy, Dinky, let me know if ANYTHING changes with Bubbles. We still do not trust him." "Will do princess," Ditzy said as Luna walked out of the larger front door and flew off towards Canterlot, leaving the three ponies and one giant alone. "So what were you thinking sis? I hope you're not trying to get me to go drinking again?" "After the spectacle you put on last time?" she asked with a smile before shaking her head. "Naw, on a day like this, we should do something fun for all of us, like a picnic...unless brass ass over there doesn't like to have fun." "Language around Dinky please," Ditzy whispered quickly. "And yes, a picnic sounds nice. Celestia knows I could use a break from all my work." Berry smiled and helped Ditzy pack a lunch for the group in the kitchen, while Dinky went to grab a few things from her room, leaving Bubbles alone in the front room for a moment. "Alright, I think we're ready to go," Ditzy said as she and Berry walked out of the kitchen with a picnic basket. Dinky came bounding down the stairs a moment later with a few toys and the group walked out of the house, the door having been modified by Celestia so that Bubbles could get through it without breaking it. "So sis, still single?" Berry asked on the way to the park, causing Ditzy's face to flush. "No, I have more important things on my mind on the moment," she snapped back. "Like the metal monster that has attached itself to my daughter." Dinky didn't hear what her mother was saying, having been distracted by a group of butterflies that had gone by. The group reached the park in a few minutes where Dinky found a spot under the shade for them to sit. "Hey mom, can I have a piggyback ride?" Dinky asked almost the moment that they had sat down. Ditzy stopped for a moment to think about her answer, but before she could speak Mr. Bubbles picked up Dinky and placed her on his head before charging off into the park, terrifying the other ponies that had been relaxing there. "That's supposed to be my job," Ditzy said with a sigh. "So sis, back to the whole coltfriend thing," Berry began as she reached into the basket and pulled out the only thing she had packed, more alcohol. "Are you seriously thinking about spending the rest of your life alone? I know with the whole thing about your past husband, but you have to let the past stay in the past." "And if I get a colt friend, will you listen to your own advice?" Ditzy asked her with a look, shutting Berry Punch up as she looked down at her bottle before looking back up to Mr. Bubbles, who was still romping around with a laughing Dinky on her back as they ran. "He really seems to care for her," Berry noticed. "Luna told me that something happened to him that turned him into that metal monster...and that he had been instructed with protecting another who he considered his daughter," Ditzy said with a shake of her head. "What do you mean, tasked?" Berry asked, afraid of how Ditzy would answer. "According to Luna, he fought hundreds of humans in his lifetime to protect that little girl," Ditzy said. "But he only needed to fail once." Berry looked back towards the green eyed creature that was walking back over to them with a look of sympathy now, but she said nothing as Dinky hopped off his head and dropped down next to them. She ate her sandwich quickly before looking back to her mom with a worried look. "Hey mom, can I ask you something?" she asked. Ditzy raised an eyebrow, afraid of what that question might be.