“Excuse me, Miss Ditzy?” Sweetie approached the sad looking mare, sitting down and looking at a pink piece of paper that signaled her termination as a mailmare. As Sweetie approached, Ditzy quickly hid it behind her back and smiled warmly, trying to hide her sadness.
“Oh, hello. You’re uh, one of the kids in Dinky’s class. Uh… What was it…” Ditzy paused and frowned, eyes going cross eyed as she thought. Sweetie blinked in surprise.
‘Oh, so that’s why she’s called Derpy. Huh.’ Sweetie discarded it, realising Ditzy wasn’t going to get her name anytime soon. And they had a schedule to keep. Sweetie wanted to have it done under 24 hours this loop, and five seconds every other loop.
“My name’s Sweetie. Listen, I heard about you losing your job…” Sweetie glanced downward and scuffed the ground, once again proud of her acting skills. They had only improved over the loops. Sweetie, in a moment of morbid curiosity, wondered if she could fake being dead for a loop.
“Oh, you heard about that. Don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll find another job. O-Oh and don’t worry about Dinky! She’ll be at school, make no mistake.” Ditzy smiled, and then narrowed her eyes and nodded, determined. After a moment, her face fell and she sighed, looking toward the sky as she folded her wings.
“Well you see Miss. I want to help you find a new job. See I...happen to know all the jobs that are available today, and I was hoping you’d at least try each of them.” Sweetie wasn’t sure if Ditzy would go for it.
“But why?” Ditzy’s eyes focused directly on Sweetie, and then went in opposite directions. Sweetie smiled warmly, and curtsied.
“My sister is the element of Generosity. It tends to rub off.” Sweetie winked and Ditzy snorted, a proper smile finally coming onto her face. Sweetie pulled Ditzy up and pulled out a long list. Sweetie had been saving it for a non-fortune teller loop. It was obvious a long-term solution was needed if she wanted Dinky to not go hungry.
Sweetie’s plan was simple. Find the job Ditzy got, and then in future loops have a ‘stray breeze’ blow it into her face. It might take more than that, depending on how desperately Ditzy was looking for a job. Sweetie glanced to the first item on her list.
“Alright, let’s go!”
Ditzy nodded as Pinkie explained how to make the batter, watching as she demonstrated. Ditzy stepped up, copying the moves to the best of her ability. Ditzy put everything in, slotted the muffins into the oven, closed the door, and stepped back.
It was exactly three seconds before the oven exploded
“I’m sorry, you’re not what we’re looking for.” Mr Cake escorted Ditzy and Sweetie outside, and closed the door.
Applejack blinked as every leaf on the trees was bucked off, leaving only the apples.
“I’m sorry, you’re not what I'm looking for.”
Fluttershy spun around in circles as she tried to calm down every single animal that had been startled when Ditzy had tried to say hello ‘quietly’.
“I-I’m sorry, you’re not what I'm looking for, if that’s ok with you.”
Rarity’s eyes twitched, looking to all her ruined fabrics, including the priceless ones.
“I’m sorry, you’re not what I'm looking for.”
Twilight watched from outside as somehow her crystal castle burned. It wasn’t being damaged, but it was burning.
“Oh come on! We were just walking by it!” Sweetie glared vehemently at the castle.
“Face it Sweetie, there’s just no job out there that’s fit for me.” Ditzy sat down at the park bench, and sighed. Sweetie pointed to the last place on her list, and cried out as Ditzy took it, and rolled it up, tossing it expertly into the bin.
The bin spat it back out, and said something about washing its mouth out with droppings.
“Please Ditzy, just one more, and then we can call it a day. Think about it. Do you really want to be the pony that causes you to stop one step away from what might be your job? It might not be, but isn't it worth a chance?” Sweetie was begging. If Ditzy didn’t come to this last one, then she would have to try again tomorrow. And each day that passed would only make it worse.
“Ok,” she sighed, standing up. Ditzy followed Sweetie toward the final place, a construction site. It looked like the building had just been completed, and all were looking toward it. Ditzy wove carefully though the site as Sweetie went from pony to pony, trying to find the one who was in charge of the Ad. They were outside, in the backyard of the building. Nopony was allowed inside, and there were no construction-ponies inside either.
Ditzy’s tail swiped the side of the building, and she cried out warning, knowing what was about to happen. Sweetie jumped back, and the building imploded inwards, leaving only wreckage. Ditzy saw the glares from the construction ponies. Sweetie finally found the pony in charge, however it was when he was walking up to them.
“Did you do this?” The stallion pointed to the building, and looked at Derpy, who cowered on the ground, wings upright.
“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to!” Ditzy was crying at this point. So it took her by surprise when the stallion leaned down, and grabbed her hoof, pulling her upright. The stallion smiled.
“Hey, don’t worry about it, you saved us the trouble of doing it ourselves! You here about the job?” Ditzy nodded at the stallion, sniffing back her tears and rubbing her eyes.
“Well we’re a demolition company. And with what you pulled right there, I think we can safely give you the job. Heck, you did the job of ten ponies and some dynamite.” The stallion laughed. Ditzy felt tears spring to her eyes again, and shook the stallions hoof, earning herself the job. Turning to thank Sweetie, Ditzy realised Sweetie was gone.
Sweetie walked home, a pleased smile on her face.