RINGRINGRINGRING -click-
Pulling your arm back from hitting the off switch on your alarm clock, you lie on your bed peacefully smiling. At this point in your life in Ponyville, you have never been so calm. Ditzy was officially your girlfriend, you have a job, and Wingsley is happy. Life is good.
With the small smile plastered on your face. You take in a deep breath and look at the light shining through your bedroom window. As far as you could tell it was about 9 in the morning. Before you forced yourself up onto the floor, you took a second to remember the kiss on that fateful night at the club less than a month ago.
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...The kiss, after what seemed like years or seconds had passed, came to a close. Your lips moved away from each other as your other senses flooded back into your brain. Slowly, you became aware of the sounds and ponies around you. The bass, previously silent to your senses, slowly resonated through your body, slowly at first, then like a tidal wave, jarring you back to reality. It seems to have the same effect on Ditzy. Together you also start to notice the other ponies dancing around you, some even watching the spectacle. Both of you share a moment looking into each other’s eyes, if either of you wished to move, your minds would not send the messages to the muscles telling them to move.
There you both were, paralyzed by your first kiss, standing like fools on the dance floor. Ditzy made a motion to move but her front hooves accidentally slipped, a moment of panic was seen in her eyes as she sprawled out on the ground. She inclined her head at you with a pleading look and you couldn’t help but assist her. You pick her off of the floor and meekly she tells you in an embarrassed tone, “At least now I decide to show you how clumsy I normally am. I didn’t want to scare you off by dropping more soup on your face, or crashing into you, giving you a burning muffin, or like in Twilight’s case, dropping a piano on you.”
“There is no way you could scare me off. And besides, you would only seem cuter to me.”
Ditzy only blushed, leaned in, and gave you the second kiss of the evening.
____________________________________________________________________
You sigh again, feeling your heart fluctuate in your chest. I will never forget that.
Realizing you need to get out of bed, you take a deep breath one last time before hopping onto the floor. The hard floor comes as a shock to your body as the impact wakes you up. Yawning, you walk to the bathroom to fix your disheveled mane and brush your teeth. The morning was still young as you sleepily walked through the hallway and into the bathroom.
After about five minutes you leave the bathroom and head downstairs. Today is an off day for weather patrol, which means that you have the day all to yourself. Luckily, you were able to change your schedule so you work the same shifts as Prevailing Wind, your new best friend in Ponyville. Trotting downstairs, you see Wingsley enjoying breakfast on the table. As food still looked disgusting to you this early in the morning, you walked to the cabinet to make some coffee for yourself. Before doing that however, you say good morning to Wingsley with a medium strength brotherly noogie.
“Good morning, big guy,” you laugh as you noogie him.
“Hey stop that!” Wingsley complained.
You release his head soon after, and he looks at you with a disapproving glare. You give a cheerful laugh, mess up his mane with your hoof and begin to start making your coffee. But before you could start, you hear a knock at the door. Opening the door, you see Ditzy standing before you.
“I brought you a letter!” Ditzy says, holding an envelope in her mouth. She drops the letter, leans in and gives you a large kiss, blushing.
“Hey cutie!” you exclaim, calling her by your pet name.
“Hey Stud-muffin!” she responds in turn, giving her own pet name for you. Deep in your subconscious, you enjoy the name Stud-muffin over all of the possible names for you. You motion for her to come inside and she complies. She leans into the house and sees Wingsley sitting at the table, “Morning Wingsley!” and rushes over and gives Wingsley a big hug. In this past month Wingsley and Ditzy have become a lot closer as her house became his second home, metaphorically speaking.
“Morning Miss Doo!” Wingsley exclaims, reciprocating the hug. “How’s the mail today?”
“Oh same as always, good thing I’m not the only mail-pony. I made sure to deliver your mail first.” Ever since you became boyfriend and girlfriend, Ditzy has delivered your mail personally as a way for you to always see each other every day, you always looked forward to get a letter since it meant seeing Ditzy. “Actually, I had to rush to the post office today, I didn’t even get to have my breakfast blueberry muffin,” her voice trailed off.
Forgetting that you hated to look at food at this early hour you suggested, “How about we go out for breakfast; you, Dinky, Sparkler, Wingsley, and myself?”
Finishing his breakfast, Wingsley interjects, “Oi! You’re a little late!” gesturing to his empty plate.
“Oh come on, you eat like a manticore. Tell me you can’t eat another bite,” you counter.
“Well I guess I could eat more,” Wingsley admitted.
“Of course you could. So Ditzy, how does that sound?”
She lit up at you asking her, her face all smiles. “Sure! I’d love to! Let’s go!”
Before you left you pick up the mysterious letter Ditzy brought and put it in your saddlebags, to read later.
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After picking up the remaining members of your party, you start walking to a breakfast restaurant. Everypony seemed to have an opinion on where to go, over the arguing and complaining, you decide to start walking and let fate decide where you should go. Ditzy rolling her eyes at the commotion behind you, seems content to follow your lead.
“Oh! Oh! We should go to Colt’s Confections!” Dinky exclaimed.
“Dinky, we are not going to a chocolate shop for breakfast,” Sparkler countered.
“It’s not just chocolates, you have lollipops, ice-cream, and a lot of other stuff,” Dinky whined.
“Dinky, no! We are not eating dessert for breakfast!”
“But Sparkler...” she continued to whine.
Wingsley butted in, “I want to go to Dagwood’s Daffodil Subs.”
“That’s lunch, Wingsley,” Dinky rolled her eyes.
“Well excuse me, I already ate breakfast.”
The complaining took place for a long time after, leaving you irritated. To alleviate your oncoming migraine, you start up a conversation with Ditzy. “So what’s it like being a mail-mare, other than accidentally dropping pianos on unicorns?” you say with a chuckle.
“Oh well, Saturday’s are always the hardest work days. It’s the end of the week, so everypony is expecting their mail to be delivered by today. Which means that I have to do extra work lifting packages and boxes of letters around my office, my hoovsies can get so sore sometimes. Not to mention what a workout it is for my back with those extra-heavy saddlebags.”
“Ouch, you don’t ever ask for help with that kinda stuff?”
“No not really, I mean everypony has their duty right? Besides, I’ve carried heavier things on my back before.” she said fixing a sultry glance at you that caused you to blush and your wings to flutter.
You try to avoid eye contact after that last comment, cautiously looking back at her from time-to-time with an uncomfortable smile. Your brain rushes into overdrive, Ok so she actually might want to take the relationship to the next level. Are we even ready for this? Am I ready for this? I can count the number of mares I’ve been with on my left hoof. Your thoughts then move back to the past and your “past experience.” Come to think of it, that’s kinda sad. But it was high school, who knew she had to be institutionalized? I mean she only waited outside my window and watched me sleep, then threatened to cut off my cutie mark. You shuttered, I would hate to have another crazy mare after me, but I don’t get the feeling Ditzy is unstable. Quirky, yes. Not to mention adorably cute, fun, and beautiful.
“How about Muffin Factory?” Ditzy asks, bringing you back from your journey to your past.
Smiling, you say, “Muffin Factory it is. Hear that kids? We’re going to muffin factory!”
An audible “Aww!” came up behind you, clearly disappointed. This caused you and Ditzy to start chuckling. You didn’t really care however, you were taking Ditzy out for breakfast, it was her choice. The Muffin Factory was about a block south of town square, practically in the center of town. Since Ditzy lived closer to the edge of town, it was sure to be quite a walk. You quietly wished that you could fly, that way the trip would take about a quarter of a minute, give or take a few seconds.
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After a considerable amount of time, you arrive at the Muffin Factory. You roll your eyes at the kids behind you complaining about the amount of time you have spent walking.
The group of you walk in through the front door and are swiftly greeted by an overly energetic blue stallion. “Hiya! Howya doin’?” He questioned, eyes wide with excitement. Before you get the chance to answer he continues his questions. “How many of ya are there t’day? Five? Fantastic!”
The blue earth pony grabs a handful of menus, and continues to the nearest available table. The stallion hops enthusiastically by other groups in the restaurant, asking how everypony is doing and if they needed drinks. It seems as though most of the other customers are as disturbed as you are, this waiter is almost as energetic as Pinkie Pie. Perhaps they’re related in some way?
The stallion seats you all in a semicircular booth connected the wall of the restaurant, featuring a large window facing the main square of ponyville. Wingsley, Dinky, and Sparkler rush into the booth, sitting near the window to see who in ponyville they could spy on, allowing you and Ditzy to sit near the end of the booth together.
The waiter hands out menus and begins standard waiter operating procedure, “Welcome to the Muffin Factory everypony, I’ll be your host this morning. My name is Calvin Comet. Today’s specials are the Mousse Muffin, the Tarte De La Muffin, the Blue Bolt Muffin, the Mini Muffin Platter, the Mega-Muffin of Moist Marzipan, the Blue Poppy Muffin, the Volcano Muffin, and the Blueberry Muffin.”
You zone out about halfway through the list, you didn’t even recognize the names of most of the muffins listed. “Uhh Ditzy?” You ask under your breath, “What exactly is a ‘Blue Bolt Muffin’?”
Ditzy turns to you, mouth watering, eyes dilated. “OHHH!” She exclaims, “The Blue Bolt is one of my favorites! It’s like a combination of blueberry and raspberry, but the chef also adds some spices to give it that extra kick in the mouth. It’s usually covered in poppy seeds too, so it’s kinda crunchy. It’s basically like the Blue Poppy Muffin, but spicy.”
Your sense of confusion only grew as Ditzy tried to describe the muffin to you. “Um,” You stammer, “I guess I’ll have the Blue Bolt Muffin then.”
The waiter grins brightly, showing off his unnervingly perfect white teeth, “Excellent choice sir! Now Ditzy what will you be having this morning? The usual, or would you like something specially made from the kitchen?”
“Well,” Ditzy begins, placing a contemplative hoof under her chin, “Can you have Muffin Marvin make me something like the Tarte De La Muffin, but with extra poppy seeds? I don’t know why but those things are great at waking me up in the morning!”
“Of course Ditzy, “The waiter responds politely, “And what about the youngsters here?”
You and Ditzy turn to face Dinky, Wingsley, and Sparkler to see what they want. But, the three are too distracted from spying on the outside world to pay you or Ditzy and mind. “Just get them a muffin platter, I’m sure they can share it.” You tell the waiter. “Besides, Wingsley already had some breakfast this morning, so he won’t need much anyway.”
“Alrighty then everypony! I’ll return soon with your orders.” The waiter collects your menus and hops away, leaving you and Ditzy alone to chat while the three little ones distract themselves with the window.
“So...” You begin, giving Ditzy a raised eyebrow, “I take it you come here often?”
Ditzy broke out of her trance at the sound of your voice, “What’s that? OH! Yes, I come here all the time, they have the best Muffin selection in all of Equestria! And I just love muffins!”
“I can tell.” You chuckle, giving Ditzy a small smile. She returned your smile with a smile of her own, her cheeks wrinkling as her lips spread across her face. Her golden eyes illuminated, and the sun from the window reflected off her hair, giving the illusion of a halo around her head. She truly was an angel, and she was your angel.
It seemed almost seconds before Calvin returned with a platter stacked with three plates of muffins in varying size and color. Calvin first set a large artsy looking muffin in front of Ditzy. It had a velvety looking texture and was covered in a thin blanket of poppy seeds.
Next, the waiter placed a large plate with an assortment of about a dozen smaller muffins in front of the three kids. All of the muffins were nearly half the size of Ditzy’s, and all of them were different colors. Some even had what appeared to be glitter on top of them, giving them a colorful sparkle that looked strangely delicious.
Finally, Calvin dropped in front of you the most delightfully frightening thing you’d ever seen. Delightful because of the colors, the muffin itself was colored a deep blue color, and was covered in blueberries and raspberries. There was also a thick coat of poppy seeds tossed over the top part of the muffin. It looked delicious, the only problem was the size. It was at least three times larger than Ditzy’s muffin, about the size of your head, and it smelled like it had been dipped in the hottest peppers known to pony kind.
Ditzy and the kids happily began eating away, leaving you staring at your muffin in pure awe. It was quite possibly the scariest single piece of food you’d ever encountered in your life, and now you had to conquer it.
You’ve done this before, conquered other horrible smelling foods. Broccoli, carrots, brussel sprouts; all defeated. And now, today, this beast of a muffin. The best tactic would be to dive straight in and take a large bite, which is exactly what you did. The massive muffin was soft and moist, but had a small crunch from the poppy seeds. The berries popped under the pressure of your jaws, coating your tongue in the fresh juices. It was so sweet, so delicious. Then you got to the core of the muffin. Your teeth clamped together as you finished your bite near the middle of the muffin, which was filled with the hottest and spiciest liquid you’d ever felt. You cringe at the heat penetrating your tastebuds, but power through it and swallow the fiery bite.
After the first bite, the muffin isn’t so bad, you actually manage to enjoy it eventually. But alas, the mighty beast was too much and you’re unable to finish it.
Finishing breakfast and seeming content, Ditzy looks at you with a questioning glance. “Hey, did you open that letter you got yet?”
“No,” you admit. “I did bring it with me,” you tell, reaching into your saddlebags and pulling out the letter.
“Who is it from?” Ditzy asked. At this time the entire table was looking at you in expectation.
“Hmm, I don’t think I actually looked at that.” You drop the letter on the table as you read the return address, you blink. The time you spent staring at the letter caused the tension in the air to become palpable. You look up and turn to Wingsley, “It’s from Dad.”
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Later that night, you read the letter your dad had written.
Dear Son,
I’m sorry I couldn’t write you sooner, but I am glad to hear that Wingsley is doing well. What about yourself, how are you doing? Any cute mares over there? But to answer your question, no I will not be moving in with you, I wish I could but I just can’t.
With love,
Dad
That’s it? THAT’S IT? Months pass and he couldn’t mail me a decent letter. Who does he think he is? Four sentences? What the buck is he doing that’s so important? Oh that’s right, nothing! You thought bitterly, rage from the deepest parts of your buried subconscious begin to rise, Does he care? NO! Does he love Wingsley? NO! Does he love me? NO! WHY SHOULD I CARE? What has he done for us? NOTHING! No father leaves his kids to fend for themselves! No, he’s not my father, he never was, I raised myself. I reject him as a father.
“BUCK YOU!” you scream at the top of your lungs, and tear up the letter in in your hooves. In a clump of shredded papers you throw it into the fire. You collapse in front of the fireplace and proceed to try beat a hole into the floor.
You smash your hooves into the ground as hard as you possibly could, face contorted into a vicious mask of pure hatred. Eyes, bloodshot and wide. Every hit was accompanied by a grunt as you burned your energy and sapped the strength of your muscles. After some time your legs gave out. And you sit there, letting the warmth of the fire wash over your strained and weakened body. You were breathing heavily, it felt good to let out all that frustration that had built up inside you. You heard movement behind you.
“B-big Brother?” Wingsley stammered cautiously. “Is everything alright?”
Turning to look at him, you turn your watery eyes toward him and gesture for him to come to you. He slowly comes toward you and you embrace each other. For a while you sit there, staring into the fire, watching how it curls and cracks with its own energy.
“Why did you yell big bro?” Wingsley asks.
“I just got... frustrated.”
“With something on the letter?”
“Yeah,” you sigh, “With something on the letter.”
“Does Dad love us, big bro?”
“Of course he does,” you say with a knot in your stomach. A tear falls down your face as you hate yourself for lying to Wingsley like this. But no matter what is happening in your internal struggle, this statement relaxed him as he dozed off into his wonderland of dreams. You let him lie there on your side as you fold your wing over him. You stare off into the fire before your eyes become heavy and sleep takes you.
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The light shining into the window caused you to awaken from your slumber. It took you a moment to adjust to your surroundings. You remember the events that took place last night and felt the hollowness of abandonment that came with your realization. Turning your head to look at Wingsley, you see him curled up beside you underneath your wing, sleeping contentedly. Looking so peaceful, you couldn’t wake him up to allow you to move. Instead, you gently nudged him up onto your back and carried him to his room where you allowed him to wake up at his own accord.
8:17, wow we slept in late. Only a few more minutes until it’s time for me to go to work and to get Wingsley to Ditzy’s house for a playdate with Dinky. For the sake of nutrition, you down a simple breakfast, eager to get something solid into your stomach. Finishing your quick breakfast you wake up Wingsley and get him to Ditzy’s house.
“Bye Wingsley! I’ll see you after work.”
"Make sure to bring us sunny weather!"
“I’ll try,” you laugh.
Before you took off from the ground you noticed Prevailing Wind. It appeared he was in a heated discussion with a unicorn you hadn’t seen before. You quietly watch from a distance as to not intrude. The discussion escalated to the point where you heard Prevailing let out a sigh of exasperation and storm off in the other direction from his verbal assailant. The unicorn also looked irritated but stayed there watching Prevailing stalk away.
You keep your head down and make it look if you didn’t notice the entirety of the argument. If Prevailing knew you saw it, he didn’t seem to care. You walk in silence for a little while before you ask, “Who was that?”
“An old friend,” was his reply.
“You sure didn’t seem like friends,” you comment.
“It was somepony who wanted me to move back to Fillydalphia.”
“You were from Fillydalphia?” acknowledging this new information about your friend.
“Long time back,” he responds quickly.
It was obvious you weren’t going to get anymore information out of Prevailing so you stay quiet as you both fly toward the station.
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You went through both of your shifts in silence, Prevailing still apparently had his mind wrapped around earlier today. He did not say anything to you as you prepared the weather for the day. On your way back to the station you tried to start up a conversation about cloud architecture. The only response you got was minor head nodding to acknowledge you.
Setting down on the landing pad, you two walk to the locker rooms, the silence was deafening. He only broke his silence after you two had finished your day and retired back to the locker room. Unlocking your belongings from captivity and placing your flight gear back into your locker, you notice a smile peaking on his face in your periphery. Hearing him speak was a shock to your system, “So I hear things are getting more serious with that mare-friend of yours.”
Unsure how he knew, you say cautiously, “Yes, how’d you know?”
“We work together, I see you everyday,” he laughs, “Don’t think you can hide that from me.”
“Well yes, things are getting more serious. We’ve officially been going out for about a month now.”
Sitting back on the bench behind you, Prevailing, stretching his back gave you an expression you have come to know all too well. You responded in turn with a counter expression that told Prevailing, ‘Watch your mouth.’
With a shifty expression he asked, “So... did you, you know, eat her ‘muffin’ yet?” bobbing his eyebrows to emphasize a few words.
Catching you off-guard with that blunt statement, you swallow your spit down the wrong pipe and immediately began choking. After coughing you clear your throat and catch your breath, “No Prevailing, I have not done anything...” you struggle for the right word, “...intimate with her. Why do ponies always ask this?” Your cheeks were a deep shade of scarlet post-conversation.
“Oh come on, you can’t blame me for asking. And besides, it’s always good to see you get flustered.”
“That can be debated,” you counter.
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Leaving the station, you took a small detour to Ditzy’s house, wanting to run a quick errand first. Gliding through the air, you were in no rush to go anywhere. The sun fell on your backside, warming you from your day. Deeply breathing in the high altitude air, you closed your eyes and allowed the air and wind to guide you in the general direction of Ponyville. You flew slow, but at a steady pace; faster than other ponies could sprint, but a leisurely pace for pegasi, only briefly flapping your wings to remain afloat.
Taking in a large breath through your nose into your lungs, you held it before releasing slowly. You repeated the cycle, fully oxygenating your blood, leaving you content and burdenless. You were taught this form of relaxation a long time ago when you were still a colt after the most traumatic moment of your childhood.
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-Cloudsdale, many years ago
Today was the day of your mother’s funeral, the service had just ended. Most ponies left immediately afterwards, you watched as they left the hall, dressed in their mourning outfits, not waiting another moment to leave the dread infested place. Although a few stayed that knew your mother and wished to console each other.
Sitting there, eyes red and wet with tears, you sobbed quietly. Wingsley was next to you curled up in his blanket. He too was crying before and had since cried himself into a slumber. The corner you occupied was dark and secluded, away from all the prying eyes and empty remorse that so many had already offered you.
Stupid ponies, stupid ponies and their stupid expressions. ‘She’s in a better place,’ you recalled, mocking those ponies who offered you the heartless phrase. How can she be in a better place? She doesn’t have us. If she was in a better place, wouldn’t she take us with her? The thought of this brought on a new flood of tears. Noticing a stirring from your brother caused you to cry quieter to not subject him to the horrors around you.
Your quiet sobbing and sniffling are interrupted by an old looking pony you had never seen before. He sat down a respectful distance from you. Turning to him you scowl, “Don’t try cheering me up, it’s not going to work.”
“No. No, I won’t try to cheer you up. You need your time to grieve. If you were cheerful now, given your age, it would be unnatural for you to not to be sad.”
Wiping your eyes you ask, “Then why are you here?”
“I came because you need to vent. No-pony crams themselves into a corner unless they have something they are trying to hide.” He paused and took a breath, “If I were to guess, you are here because you don’t want ponies to know your grief, you don’t want to be coddled by their empty pity.”
It was shocking how right he was, “Y-yeah, how did ya know?”
He sighed and sat back, “I’ve seen this many times in my life. You cannot force happiness, telling somepony to cheer up won’t solve anything. Frankly, it does the opposite.”
You nod in agreement.
The odd pony confided, “Happiness must be found by the individual, I’m only here as a guide, to push you in the right direction. After that, you must look for yourself.” He paused again, “So what’s on your mind?”
“Why did she have to go?” you ask in almost hysterics.
“Hmm,” he sighed, “Death is the natural end to all things. She died because it was her time, nothing could change that. No-pony not even Celestia, knows why the these things occur. Everything happens for a reason, we simply cannot grasp the full nature of it. You will see her again someday, I promise. I’m sorry I cannot give a better answer.”
“But I want to see her NOW!”
“In time. Your mother, out of her love for you gave you your most precious gift, life. Don’t stay your life in solitude in grief, that is not living. Rather, honor her memory by using her gift to you, live freely. It won’t always be easy but you must do it for her.”
“Okay,” you say, stunned by what the pony told you.
“Take life one breath at a time. Close your eyes.” You close your eyes. “Take a deep breath and hold it inside you, think about nothing else.” You do as he says. “Let it out slowly and do it again and again, I trust you will find a way to move forward after this or any other hard time in your life in the future.”
Taking deep breaths, you began to relax and after a while you opened your eyes to thank the stranger. But when you did, he was gone, you never saw him again.
_______________________________________________________________
-Present
Ever since that moment, you had taken the stranger’s advice to heart. The memory of the old pony brought a few sad memories back with it, but it was the silver lining you needed at the time. Giving another thanks to the stranger, you bank sideways and descend into Ponyville.
Your destination was the Ponyville library. You needed to drop off your copy of The Legends and Mythology of Dragons that was horribly overdue, you hoped that Twilight Sparkle, the resident librarian, wouldn’t mind.
The library was just beneath you. Angling yourself slightly, you descend to ground level, giving a final flap of your wings before you touched down.
You open the door to the library and walk inside, scanning the room for any sign of the librarian. “Anypony here?” you call out, loud enough to get somepony’s attention but not loud enough to scare them.
Your call was met by a friendly voice, “Good afternoon, is there anything I can help you with?”
“Um, yes. I checked out a book some time ago and I forgot to return it,” you admit, holding the book in front of you.
“It’s quite alright,” the purple unicorn tells you. “This happens all the time.” She takes the book from you with magic and places it into a shelf to be organized later. Unexpectedly, she turns to you and asks, “Hang on, you are the pony going out with Ditzy, right?”
Second time today... “Yes I am, how did you know?”
“It’s a small town, word gets around fast,” she chuckles, “Pinkie also can’t stop talking about how she played matchmaker for you two.”
“Well, that does sound like Pinkie.”
A moment of silence comes between you two before Twilight interjects, “Be good to Ditzy, she really needs to have a good pony in her life. I’m sure you heard about her past, I wasn’t here for it but I heard the stories,” she looked to a point on the horizon, “If you care about her, really be there for her. I’m sorry, I must be rambling.” She turns away blushing.
“No, it’s fine. And yes, I do care. And I will,” you tell Twilight. You did have feelings for Ditzy, yet you were not sure what they were as of now. No matter what you thought, it felt good admitting it to some other pony. And in your opinion, it was freeing. You said goodbye to Twilight and exited the library to go to Ditzy’s house.
_______________________________________________________________
Arriving at Ditzy’s house after a quick couple of minutes travel, you approach the door, giving a quick knock before entering. It was always unlocked for you after you came home from work, allowing you to get Wingsley even if she wasn’t home. Gazing around the house, you look for any of the Doo’s or Wingsley. To your great happiness you saw Ditzy sitting at her table, apparently the feeling was mutual. She lit up and waved you over to have a seat. You obliged her request.
Sitting on the same side of the table as her, you lean and give her a small kiss.
Blushing, Ditzy asks you, “How was your day?”
“Well it’s good now,” giving a slight chuckle, and giving another kiss. “I should ask you the same question.”
“Oh, it was just the usual. Packages, letters, the works. And, I didn’t drop anything today,” she beams proudly.
With a broad smile you exclaim, “You didn’t? That’s great news!” Ditzy had been working on her balance and coordination for some time now. She wanted to show everypony that she was not as klutzy as they thought, this was just the start.
“Yep,” she beamed. “I figured that if I focus really hard, I can uncross my eyes,” she explained while demonstrating on you. Truthfully, you didn’t care if her eyes were crossed or not, Ditzy was quite self conscious about her eyes, but if it made her feel better then you were going to support her every step of the way.
“You know what? This calls for a celebration,” you tell her. “I can get a cake from Sugercube Corner and then we can do whatever you want.”
“Cake does sound good, but I think I need to take you up on your offer to take me stargazing,” she suggests.
“I think I can do that,” you say with a grin. “What time?”
“Eleven, can you meet me outside my house? I need to get Sparkler and Dinky to bed first.”
“Sure, I can do that.” Of course you could, it would be you, Ditzy, some cake, under the romantic night sky all by yourselves. The only trouble would be getting Wingsley to bed.
______________________________________________________________
Taking deep long breaths to steady yourself, you begin your approach to the door. Wingsley is asleep but a single sound could awake him. You must pull this off flawlessly. Just one hoof in front of another, piece of cake. You facehoof, Dammit, the cake. You had left the cake on the table and now you had to go back for it, adding more time to your trip. The cake is quite heavy as you slowly move it off of the table and onto your back. Careful, careful... you think as you lift it. Suddenly, it slips from your hooves, Crapcrapcrap! No! Buck! Dammit! Sonofa... by a miracle you catch it before it hits the ground, causing a large sigh from you. Carefully, again, you go out the door, this time without incident. Locking the door behind you, you leave to meet with Ditzy.
_______________________________________________________________
As planned, she is outside her house waiting for you. Never before had you ever snuck out with a mare, so you had no idea how to act in this situation. Ditzy on the other hand, seemed to have an idea on what to do. Wasting no time with greetings, she kissed you quickly and led you onto a grassy knoll where you were isolated and had a clear view of the sky. She brought with her a blanket that she threw over the two of you, causing you to snuggle close together. For some reason, Ditzy was excited to go out tonight with you. As to why exactly, you were not sure but you were still going to enjoy every moment of it.
Some time later.
“...and if you look right up there-”
“By that bright star?”
“Yep that’s it. That’s Orion, the Hunter.”
“Wow, I never looked at the sky like this,” Ditzy said in awe.
“It’s beautiful isn’t it.”
“It really is.”
“Not as beautiful as you,” instantly realizing the corniness of your statement, and blushing accordingly. Ditzy gave a little chuckle at this and snuggled in closer. No matter how corny, Ditzy enjoyed the compliment. Taking this as an opportunity, you lean forward and kiss her; a long kiss that neither of you had any intention of breaking.
Trying to move forward with your kiss, as a way of asking Ditzy if she wanted to take this to the next level. As you attempted this, you were met with a firm resistance immediately, not wanting to push the limits anymore you relax and so does she. Content to enjoy the kiss, your heart fluttered and soon enough, just like in the club, the world fell away.
______________________________________________________________
A second, an hour, or an eternity had passed before the kiss ended. There you sat with her, embracing each other, keeping each other warm by the heat from your bodies. Ditzy nuzzled her head onto your neck, sighing deeply and relaxing. She seemed to want to get as close to you as she could, and you felt likewise.
Aside from the heat from Ditzy, you felt another kind of warmth building up inside your chest that radiated like tendrils spreading through your body. This odd warmth replaced another feeling; rather an absence of feeling, a void comparatively. The warmth, you believed, was comprised of happiness, joy, courage, compassion, and every positive emotion you could think of.
Bliss, you thought to yourself. Just being with Ditzy gave you this feeling, and like a drug was very addictive. Parting would certainly result in withdrawal. Mulling over the causes of this sensation you come to a shocking realization that you found hard to believe. Is it that I’m... No, how could it be? Do I just think that I am... I don’t know, I’ve never been experienced in these matters. What do I do? How do I react? Why can’t I think? Is this true? Is this what I really want? WHAT IS HAPPENING?
...Am I in love?