//------------------------------// // A Small Problem // Story: Mail Call // by BlazzingInferno //------------------------------// Thunderlane paced back and forth in front of his door. There was still an hour left to go before work, and yet the ticking clock on the wall was mocking him. Each passing second made the letter waiting on the table seem like a worse idea. “Whitetail Woods Bridge… Sunset… Whitetail Woods Bridge… Sunset… What if she doesn’t know where that is? What if there’s some other couple there?” He stared at the clock. “What if Ditzy doesn’t show?” At last there was a knock on the door. He nearly pulled the handle off as he turned it. “Ditzy! I’m so glad you’re…” Ditzy’s head was bowed, and twin puddles were forming on the ground below. She sniffled loudly and wiped her nose. “Can I come in?” “Of course! What’s wrong?” She walked in without taking her eyes off the floor, leaving two wet trails in her wake. “T-thanks.” He guided her to the couch and held out a tissue box. “Ditzy?” She burst into tears and grabbed the box. “I… I got suspended from work.” “What? Why?” A soaked tissue landed on the ground, and she reached for another. “The mail. I… I lost some important mail. The postmaster says if I can’t shape up, I’m… I’m…” He put a foreleg around her. “Hey, it’s okay. You probably just left it in your spare mail bag.” She shook her head. “No. I was up all night looking… It’s gone. I lost it for real. What if… What if they fire me? This is the only job I’ve ever had, and I’m awful at it! What if I can’t pay my rent? I-I’ll have to move back to Cloudsdale with my parents! Dinky won’t see her school friends anymore! She’ll hate me forever!” “You’re her mom, she’s not going to hate you.” “B-but—” “If it comes down to it, you can move in here with me. Rumble and Dinky are friends, to them it’ll be like a really long sleepover.” “But my job…” “You’ll get another one if you have to. I can even put in a good word for you with the weather team.” Her latest tissue flew out of her hooves and hit him in the face. “Oh my gosh! Rainbow Dash! I… I can’t deliver your letter, somepony else already took my route! What’ll she think?” “Doesn’t matter.” She sat back and stared at him. “What?” “You’re family, Ditzy. You come first. I’ll worry about Rainbow Dash later.” Her sudden embrace upended the coffee table and sent tissues flying. “You’re the best cousin ever, Thunderlane!” Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the letter on the kitchen table. Meeting Rainbow Dash on a bridge was probably a bad idea anyway. --- Forty-five minutes later, he was standing at the door again with an entirely different mindset. The curtains were closed, Ditzy was asleep on the couch next to a mountain of soggy tissues, and his letter to Rainbow Dash was folded up in a drawer. Instead of a ticking clock he heard the slightly disturbing sound of Ditzy snoring. “Rainbow will understand, right? So the letter shows up one day late, that can’t possibly ruin everything.” Ditzy’s snoring was the only reply. He took a deep breath, and walked out the door. After a quick stretch, he spread his wings and took to the skies. Dark clouds blotted out the sun today, albeit slightly ahead of schedule. Apparently he and the rest of the weather team had been a little overzealous setting up today’s light showers. The streets below were mostly deserted. Foals were already in school, and any adult pony out and about at this hour would likely be across town at the market. The overcast skies didn’t even leave him with a shadow for company. That just left him and his thoughts. “Maybe I’ll just come out and tell her. It’s worth a shot.” His thoughts turned to Ditzy sleeping on his couch, and he sighed. “Doesn’t matter, that’s what I said. Family comes first. Anything with Rainbow just has to wai—” The deep gong of the city clock reverberated through his wings and nearly knocked him out of the air. He looked up to see town hall looming a mere foot in front of him. A second later, he heard a laugh from overhead. “Ha, and here I thought you were going to smack right into it.” He glared up at Sassaflash, who was perched on a cloud. “Nice to know you care. At least I’m here on time.” Several pegasi looked over the cloud’s edge, all wearing big grins. Sassaflash shook her head. “Too bad, you’re still last. You’re stuck getting Rainbow.” “She’s not here already?” Sassaflash shrugged. “I told you we should’ve had a betting pool going for how long ‘New Rainbow Dash’ would last.” Another pony held up a bag of bits. “Some of us did, actually.” “Huh? What about me?” Sassaflash said. “You could give me your bits too, if you want.” Thunderlane sped away before Sassaflash could respond. He landed on Rainbow’s doorstep a few minutes later. “Rainbow Dash? Are you okay?” The door swung open when he knocked on it. Looking down, he saw a trail of unopened letters that started at the doorstep and led into the unlit interior. He stuck his head through the opening and peered into the darkness. “Rainbow Dash?” A loud sniffle broke the silence, followed by Rainbow’s sullen voice. “Go away.” One of his hooves was about to cross the threshold when a paper ball whizzed past his eyes. “I said go away! I don’t want to see anypony.” He already knew the answer, but asked anyway. “What’s wrong?” “The mail came on time but… there’s no letter from him.” “Maybe it just got lost. Maybe it’ll come tomor—” “What’d I do wrong? Did I do something dumb so now he’s not interested anymore?” “Rainbow, I’m sure—” Then she was at the doorstep. Her face was streaked with tears, and her teeth were bared. He’d seen friendlier looking lightning bolts. “It was all just a big prank, wasn’t it?” He gasped. “What? That’s insane! Who’d do something like that?” She had a collection of paper balls cradled in her wing. Judging by the color of the paper, they were the crumpled up remains of his love letters. She took one in her hoof and threw it at him. “I don’t care!” He ducked under the first ball, but not the second or the third. “I don’t care, I don’t think it’s funny, and I’m never opening a letter from this pony again!” The last ball hit him on the nose, and the slamming door came within an inch of doing the same.