“Well, Pinkie! You've once again thrown an outstanding party!” Twilight raised a bottle of cider to her friend, and took a sip from it.
“Oh thank you thank you thank you, Twilight!” The pink earth pony beamed, “As soon as I heard it was the fifth anniversary of first elephant to be seen in Ponyville, I knew that I just haaad to throw a reaaally big party!” Pinkie clapped her hooves together, then leaned over and picked up an apple cupcake with her tongue, swallowing it whole.
“Pinkie, Dear.. You really should chew your food, before swallowing. What if you choked?” Rarity pointed out as she took a nibble out of a cookie she was holding up magically.
“What's wrong with a lil danger, Rare?” Dash smirked and ate a cupcake whole, imitating Pinkie, to which the white unicorn simply rolled her eyes.
“Well, um... She kinda does have a point, Rainbow..” Fluttershy added quietly, hiding behind her mane as she spoke up.
“Girls, lets not start arguing.” Twilight interjected as Dash opened her mouth again, closing it promptly.
“She's right. Let's all jus' have a mighty fine time while we're here!” Applejack kicked out her hooves and started eating a slice of apple pie that was in front of her.
The other five nodded and giggled, munching on their snacks and bobbing to the music playing in the background. Twilight was taking another sip from her cider, when she noticed a gray pegasus with a yellow mane walking quickly through the crowd, tears streaming from her eyes.
“Girls, do you know who that is?” she gestured towards the mare.
The others turned just as the pony in question marched into the wall right next to the wall, stomping and seeming to curse something before running out the door and flying away.
“Oh, that's Ditz, one of Ponyville's Mailmares.” Dash shrugged and took a bite of an apple fritter, “She must have delivered a letter to the wrong pony or something and got yelled at.”
Twilight frowned at her friends disinterest, “Well, I've never seen her before.. Probably because I get all my letters through Spike. She seems very upset.”The unicorn felt concerned for the mare, who was clearly distraught if she couldn't even tell were she was going!
“No one really talks to her.. If they do, its because she messed something up, and they are never nice.. I tried to help her when she was upset once, but she flew away when I got close. I usually see her smiling quite happily when she is alone, though.” Fluttershy explained.
“Well, shouldn't someone go see if she's okay?” Twilight asked, to which all of her friends gave her a quizzical look.
“Twi, ah know ya' mean well, but.. It's just that she doesn't really talk to anypony. She's a bit.. dull, to but it bluntly.” Applejack looked as if her own words hurt her.
“Well, I'm going to go talk to her.” Twilight turned from her friends and walked towards the door.
“Good luck, Twilight!” Fluttershy called out, before sinking back to her quiet self and turning back to her friends.
Twilight left Sugar Cube Corner, and looked to the sky. It was late in the evening, but the sun hadn't set yet, and it was casting an orange glow over the horizon. She scanned the sky, looking for any sight of the gray mare. Seeing no one in the sky, she sighed, and was about to head back into the party, when she noticed a pegasus far off in the distance landing beyond a hill on the horizon. The unicorn, assuming this must be her, trotted off in the direction. The path she followed led her outside Ponyville, into the fields near where Fluttershy lived. Twilight couldn't help but wonder why a mailmare would want to live away from the place where she worked, but shrugged it off as she saw a small cottage next to a lake in the distance. “I'm sure this is nothing a good friend can't solve.” She said to herself with a smile as she walked up to house, noticing that the door was left ajar.
“H-hello?” she called out and knocked, pushing the door open as she did. Cautiously, she walked into the home. There was nothing to light up the dark home, so Twilight had to squint to examine the room; there were a few chairs and a staircase, and a doorway on each wall leading to a different room. Slowly, she closed the door behind her. She walked softly into the room on the right, which was darker than the room she had initially entered. “Hello? Anypony here?”
There were sounds of wings flapping, then suddenly the gray mare landed in front of Twilight, poking her hard in the chest with a hoof, knocking the unicorn to her haunches “Who are you? What are you doing here?? Come to make fun of me some more?” She glared at the purple mare, but one of her eyes was directed off to the side “Grr.. Stupid eye!” She poked it and tried to focus on her intruder, but the eye wasn't cooperating. With a sigh, she sat down and hung her head “Well.. Go ahead then.. Get it over with..”
Twilight rubbed her chest with a hoof, wincing from the pain caused by the poke, and watched the mare with a confused look, “Make fun of you? Why would I do that? I came here because I saw you at the party. I thought you might need a friend-”
“I don't need help! And I don't have any friends..” the pegasus sighed again, and turned around, “Please just leave me alone..”
Twilight could feel to pain eminating of the pegasus, and stood up, placing a hoof on her shoulder, prompting the mare to look up at her, “Hey, I'm not here to hurt you. And if you don't have any friends, well.. Then I will be your friend.” Twilight smiled warmly.
A slight look of hope appeared in the yellow maned pony, as she seemed to be looking both at Twilight and the hoof on her shoulder at the same time, “Y-You're not going to make fun of me?”
“I would never, I promise.” She kept smiling, and recalled what Dash told her earlier, “Ditz, that's your name, right?”
The look of happiness seemed to drain from the mares face as she shook the hoof off her shoulder and glared at the unicorn, “No! My name is not Ditz! Or Ditzy Doo! Or Derpy Hooves! Ugh why can't anyone remember my name!” She growled and rubbed her temples, “My name is Sunshine, okay?”
“I-I'm sorry, that's just what I was told..” Twilight felt her ears flop back as she had obviously caused this mare pain, “Nice to meet you Sunshine, my name is Twilight Sparkle.” She held her hoof out.
The mare looked at the hoof with a confused look, “Why are you here? What do you want from me?”
Twilight blushed and pulled her hoof back, “I told you.. I saw you at the party, and you looked upset. I came here because I wanted to cheer you up. You know.. You looked like you needed a friend..” She kicked a hoof at the ground, and turned towards the door, feeling like she was about to be thrown out.
The pegasus looked her over once more, easing up a bit as she noticed the unicorn's expression. She didn't know if she could trust this Twilight.. But it was nice to have someone to talk to who wasn't constantly making fun of her. With a deep breath, she held out her hoof “A-alright then.. Nice to meet you too, Twilight.” She gave a weak smile.
Twilight turned back with a big smile, seemingly recharged by her acceptance, and shook the extended hoof, “It's my pleasure. Now, do you want to talk about what happened?”
Sunshine looked down for a moment, before taking a deep breath and standing up, “I suppose so.. If you're willing to listen.”
“Of course I am! That's what I am here for, after all.” Twilight grinned, “But.. Is there a place in here a little bit.. brighter?”
~
A few minutes later, Twilight and Sunshine were sitting in the living room, which was now lit by a lantern and a few candles. It was very homely, there was a a couch and two arm chairs in the center, in front of a table that rested on a red and white carpet. In front of the table was a fireplace, which seemed to have been dormant for some time. Atop it was a mantle, that had pictures of Sunshine with a little filly scattered about it. On one wall there was a large painting of a beach, with a lighthouse perched on a cliff side above it. Sunshine was lying down on the couch, while Twilight was sitting on a chair next to her. The pegasus was still not sure if she could trust the purple mare, but decided she couldn't hurt her any worse that she already was.
“Now,” Twilight looked over to the other mare. “why were you so upset?”
With a sigh, Sunshine began to explain. “Well, as you can see..” she points to her lazy eye, “I have a messed up eye. That, and because I'm so shy has led people to think that I.. well, am mentally challenged.” She looked down, ears folded back, seeming to tear up a bit “I try to explain things, but I always get shut out by more harsh words.. So I tend to stay away from other ponies. But today, I felt like having some fun, so I decided to go to the party at Sugar Cube Corner, thinking that the happy mood would keep people from making fun of me. But I was wrong, and I got chased out of there like usual..” she sighed again, laying her head down in her hooves and looking away from the mare she was talking too, “It's always been like this, since I was a foal.. I've always been treated the same.”
Twilight didn't know what to say. She thought about the pain the pegasus must have had to endure her entire life, and how no pony should be treated like that. “Sunshine.. that's horrible. I'm.. so sorry. If it means anything, I don't think there is anything wrong with you. And I think your eye only makes you unique!.”
The pegasus looked back to her, and Twilight smiled warmly. Blinking away a few tears, Sunshine lifted herself up and smiled back weakly, “You.. You mean that?”
“Cross my heart, hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye.” Twilight pointed a hoof to her eye, and giggled.
Sunshine couldn't help but to giggle as well, and Twilight beamed at the sight, making her blush, “Thank you, Twilight.. I needed a laugh.” She smiled meekly.
“It's my pleasure!” Twilight chirped, “So, friends?”
Sunshine nodded, “Friends.” She smiled and got up from her couch, walking slowly over to the purple unicorn and pulling her into a hug. Twilight was a little surprised by her sudden warmness to her, but returned the embrace.
The pegasus pulled back with a big smile, having been a very long time since she had been close with someone who wasn't her own kin. Just as she thought that, she remembered something and looked at a clock sitting on the table. “My filly will be home soon, would you like to join us for dinner?” She asked excitedly.
Twilight's head seemed to jerk up a bit, “Filly? You're a mother?”
Sunshine nodded with a smile, “Her name is Dinky. She's my little muffin.” She said with a giggle and gestered towards the pictures on the mantle.
Twilight looked over the pictures with a smile “I would love to stay for dinner, thanks!”
Sunshine flew up into the air with a big grin, “Alright then! I'll get dinner started!” she quickly took off into what Twilight could only assume was the kitchen.
The unicorn couldn't help but giggle as she sank back into the chair. “Such a sweet mare. I wonder why everyone seems to be so mean towards her..” She started to think, but then she heard a clink, and turned to see the front door opening.
“Momma! I'm home!” called out a little filly unicorn as she walked in and closed the door behind herself. Her coat was a very light lavender, and her mane matched the same color yellow as her mothers. She looked around, and saw Twilight looking at her from the living room. Not used to seeing other ponies in her house, she yelped and looked around nervously, searching for Sunshine, “M-momma?”
The mother came flying out of the kitchen and swooped over to the filly, picking her up and nuzzling her mane, “Why hello dear! How was your time at your friend's house? Did you have fun?” She smiled and gave Dinky a squeeze, making her squeak.
Twilight couldn't help but giggle, and the filly blushed brightly. “Yeah, I had fun momma. Now let me go! That mare is laughing at me.. Is she your friend?”
Sunshine giggled and rubbed her mane with a hoove, “Yes, her name is Twilight. She's mommy's new friend.” She smiled up at unicorn, “And this is my little muffin, Dinky. Named after her grandmother.” She giggled and ruffled the filly's mane more.
“Mooom cut it out!” she squirmed in her mothers grasp.
“Ohh, fine.” She smirked and let her filly go. “Now, go upstairs and get cleaned up while I finish up dinner, okay dear? Twilight's gonna be eating with us tonight, so behave yourself.” She giggled.
“Yes, mom.” Dinky rolled her eyes and started heading up the stairs. Twilight couldn't help but smile at the cuteness. Sunshine noticed this and smiled back, before going back to the kitchen to finish cooking.
After some time, Twilight found herself sitting at the diner table with Dinky, while Sunshine placed down plates of food in front of them. The elder unicorn looked over the plate, which had apple pasta, a dandelion sandwich and a salad on it, “Wow, this looks delicious Sunshine!”
“Why thank you, Twilight. I usually don't cook for anypony other than Dinky and myself.” She smiled and sat down with her own plate in hoof, “I hope you enjoy it!”
“My momma is the best cooker ever!” Dinky clapped her hooves together and licked her lips, looking over the meal in front of her, ushering giggles from both the elder mares.
“It sure seems like it.” Twilight commented, eying over the food once more, and smiling happily at Sunshine before they all dug in.
~
About an hour later, Sunshine had just tucked Dinky in to bed and read her a bedtime story. With her kin asleep, she was trotting down the stair, humming a song to herself.
Twilight was waiting by the base of the stairs, and exchanged a smile with Sunshine as she approached, “Thank you for the great time, Sunshine! I really enjoyed dinner.”
She giggled and nodded, “I'm glad you did. And thank you for cheering me up. It's nice to have a.. friend.” She gave a meek smile.
Twilight walked up and gave her a big hug, “Yes, I couldn't agree more. I'm happy I can be your friend! But, I have to get going now, I'm sure my dragon is worried about me.”
Sunshine's eyes went wide, “You.. have a dragon?”
“Just a baby dragon. He's my assistant.” Twilight laughed nervously and rubbed a hoof against her foreleg .
“Oh, well that's.. unusual.” the gray pegasus couldn't help but think out loud.
“Here, maybe. But back in Canterlot, a lot of unicorns have dragon assistants. After all, you have to hatch one to get into the Princess's School for Gifted Unicorns.” Twilight explained.
“Y-You're from Canterlot? And you studied under the Princess??” Sunshine was clearly shocked, wondering how such an obviously important pony wound up in her home.
“Yes, I grew up in Canterlot. And I still do study under the princess, I'm her star pupil. She's taught me personally since I was a foal, not letting me out of her sight until she decided I was old enough to study on my own. But I still had to write her reports on what I learned, and I still do til this day.” Twilight smiled, feeling proud of her relationship with the ruler of Equestria.
Sunshine felt her jaw hanging open as she stared in awe at the unicorn. Here she was, just a simple misunderstood pegasus living alone with her filly in a house off the beaten path, and standing in front of her was the protege of the ruler of all the land, harolding from the royal city! “Wow.. That's.. Amazing! You must feel so special!”
“Well, I don't want to seem like I'm bragging.. But yes, I do.” Twilight blushed, realizing she was almost boasting about her experiences, “But hey, I'm still just a normal, friendly pony. Hey, do you want to come to my house tomorrow? Maybe meet my friends?” Twilight tried to change the subject, smiling earnestly.
Sunshine's trance was suddenly broken at the thought of meeting other ponies. The thought making her sink down a bit “I.. Well, I don't know.”
Twilight smiled reassuringly, “Come on! My friends are really nice, they will like you, I promise!”
Sunshine thought for a moment, thinking over all the outcomes before deciding that no one that was this sweet unicorn's friend would be a nasty pony that would make fun of her eye, “Well.. Okay. Your place, tomorrow.” She smiled at her new friend, “Where do you live?”
Twilight pepped up and gave the pegasus an excited look “I live in the Ponyville Library! You know where that is?”
Sunshine nodded, “Of course! I am a mailmare after all.” She giggled
With a final embrace, Twilight left the little cottage, heading home. She turned around to see Sunshine waving at her from the doorway, and she stopped to wave back, smiling brightly as she turned and continued on.