Repair and Deliver

by SleeplessScribe

Chapter 7: Looking Up

Repair and Deliver
Story 6
Chapter 7: Looking Up
By: SleeplessScribe

Everything was in order now. My dad had gone along with my request and sent me a list of tonight’s movie listings in Vanhoover along with his reply to my letter. Everyone was doing fine, but he went into detail about how much everyone missed me at least three times. Though television had spoiled me back home, I still knew you could also find the weather forecast in most papers, and luckily the Ponyville Express was one of the papers that gave it for all major cities in Equestria. Tonight was going to be a warm, cozy, typical spring evening, at least in terms of weather.

I had also gone around the town and finally found a sitter for Dinky. As it turns out, Rarity offered to keep her since her sister’s friends were having a sleepover, and I found out that Sweetie Belle had actually invited Dinky to that sleepover at school. That meant that it would be just Ditzy and myself, but I really didn’t mind that at all.

With those things taken care of, I then made a list of all the nice restaurants in Vanhoover, going down and marking off ones that didn’t have the kind of atmosphere I was hoping for. Taking the pegasus’ mind off of her troubles was my goal in this venture, as well as to have some fun with a good friend, but I really didn’t think some of these places would be good for trying to relax. The sheer amount of sports grills my home town had was pretty amazing. I counted at least seven going down the list.

To top it all off, I already completed the sketches and the blueprint for my latest idea. It would be a little bit of a challenge to make, but with two professional musicians in town, how hard could it really be? Besides, if this succeeded, at least one girl would be made incredibly happy. That in itself made all of my efforts worth it. I contemplated working on it right then and there, but by the time all my planning was done, it was after midnight.

On the bright side, I was pretty tired and the thought of finishing this and putting my plan into action put me at ease, so getting to sleep was easier than giving candy to a foal. Though, a little chunk of my morning was spent taking apart that speaker. The device I had in mind would need a few of the wires from inside of it, and I really hoped I could at least finish a prototype before tonight. I had actually told Rarity, Vinyl, and Beat about my idea, and I was expecting at least one of the musicians here later.

As strange or unsanitary as it may sound, I felt the best option was to forgo taking a shower until later today. The best part about this was that a lot of the scrap metal and my final product mini-smelter were included in the things moved from my house back home to hear. Of course I had to prepare all the wires and circuitry before even trying to make the frame.

Beat came in at about noon, spotting me and clapping. “Dang, dude! The way you talked about that thing, I thought it’d take a lot longer than this to even get that far along!”

I wiped my forehead with a rag, setting down the tools I was working with. “Well, this is just a test version. If it works, I’ll be putting all the extra stuff in it.”

The unicorn nodded and set the hardware I had asked for on the table beside me. “So, let me ask something. How are you gonna make it so that it only plays once you get the sound, and doesn’t start recording again instead?”

It was actually really cool to hear him ask that. To be quite honest, I didn’t expect him to think that far ahead. Not saying Beat was stupid, I just didn’t think anyone but me would actually realize that there might be an issue there.

“Well, once I have the clip recorded, I’m probably going to shut off the recorder completely. If that doesn’t work than I’ll just transfer the necessary hardware to a purely playback piece.”

He nodded slowly, looking over my current progress. “You know what you could do? Doesn’t look like you started with the playback stuff yet, so why don’t you make this here pure recording, and then build the playback around it and just wire them together?”

My hoof met my head harder than it should have. “Whoa, Beat, that’s genius! I’m gonna have to make some changes to the blueprints, but that’s a lot better than my original idea!”

That was kind of a half-truth. The plans I had drawn were still valid, so all I had to do was leave out a few things. As I worked, something else came to my mind as well.

“So Beat, you been working on your dog voice?”

He chuckled at both my reaction to his idea as well as my question. “I’ve got at least four different ones. Gotta love my sound magic. Do you want to hear them now?”

I gave a slow nod as I worked, but I soon found myself unable to do anything as he spoke. There wasn’t any good way to judge how accurate he actually was since dogs don’t actually talk, so I just chose the one I liked the best.

“How do you do that, bud?”

Beat tapped his horn softly with a smug grin on his face. “It’s the magic, my friend. You know, speaking of magic, good luck tonight. First dates can be really nerve racking.”

At once I jumped, a pink tint forming over my cheeks as I looked at the singer. “Hey, wait a second! This isn’t a date, per say, I’m just taking her out to help calm her nerves.”

The unicorn kept laughing and patted my back. He started shaking his head, though I failed to see any humor in this. “Dude, this is a date. You’re taking her to a movie and dinner, and paying for it all. Regardless of your motivation, it’s a date.”

It’s not like I could actually argue, and even if I did, anything I could say would be a lie. “Alright, it’s a date. It’s not like that though, we’re friends.”

Honestly, I wasn’t surprised that he didn’t seem convinced. With the way I was right now, I couldn’t sound firm or certain to save my life. Instead all that came out were somewhat quiet words with a few stutters here and there. My blush probably didn’t help my case, either.

“Bro, listen. Calm down, Torque, this isn’t a big deal. Just chill out, be yourself, and have fun!”

I set my hoof on my face and held it there. There was no way I could do any work now with the way I was feeling. My current demeanor equated me to a school student who forgot to study for a massive test; thoughts raced through my head, and I had absolutely no idea which ones to listen to.

Eventually I let out a low grunt and just sat myself down. “Beat, my mind’s all kinds of messed up. This whole thing started off as me just trying to help, but I think I’m being drawn into something more. I’m not sure if I want this to go on or not. I care a lot about Ditzy and Dinky, but….”

Before I knew it, I had one sandy hoof poking my head and another poking my chest. “Torque, I may be in a relationship, but I can only tell you one thing. Get the butter out though, because it’s gonna be corny: stop listening to this,” he then stopped poking my chest and focused only on my head, “and listen to this,” Beat then did the reverse, focusing on my chest instead. “Torque, things aren’t going to happen overnight. Believe me, I’ve seen celebrity relationships that have tried. However, I honestly think this is one of those things that you need to go with your gut on.”

See, this really confused me. Being told to go with my gut only made me think about things more, which was the exact opposite of what I was being told to do. “So… just wing it?”

The singer nodded, tapping my upper foreleg with a smile. “Yeah, bro. Whatever happens happens. It’s best not to try and keep things from happening or to make things happen yourself. Now, I’d love to stay, but I need to get back home, I’m taking Vinyl to the hospital to take a look at the foal.”

I waved to him as he headed towards the door. “Let me know how it looks!”

His laugh was pretty audible, even from down in the garage my apartment was over. “It’s still only a few weeks in, I doubt it’ll look like much! Later, dude!”

I began to debate the pros and cons of the singer’s arrival in my head. On one hoof, he gave me this brilliant idea for my sound box. On the other hoof, it was kind of his fault I was so nervous now. Had he not said anything about this “date”, I would have been fine. I guess being nervous was a small price to pay for the happiness that this device would no doubt bring.

Once I had my head together again, I resumed my work, though the clumsily cute pegasus permeated my thoughts every now and again. A part of me contemplated just making the test version and using that if it worked. It would had saved me a lot of work, though I decided against it in the end. This was just like what I did for a living, and I did not do sloppy work.

By three o’ clock, I had a good chuck of the recorder finished. It still needed a small microphone and the button to activate it, but those were the easier parts in my opinion. There was time to at least start one of them, so I worked on installing the mic until about three forty-five. Getting ready with a shower, brushing my teeth, and gathering up all the information I had collected didn’t take nearly as long as I thought it would, and that left me with another half hour to keep working.

Despite this extra time, I just couldn’t focus anymore. Just like Beat had said, this was a date, and I had no idea what to do. I found myself wishing my sister were here now, she’d at least be able to help me calm down. Since it was clear I wouldn’t be getting any more work done, I decided to just go see Ditzy early. The only thing I had to go on was Beat’s advice, which basically meant I had to do my best to stay calm and be myself. It was easy enough when I took her and Dinky on a tour of my home town, but the mere fact that it would be just us made it a whole lot more nerve racking.

In fact, it was so unnerving that I almost forgot my hat as I left. The hat not being on the rack I had assigned it to probably didn’t help, but once I felt a light breeze over my head, I made a beeline back to the apartment to grab it. Being left alone with my thoughts on the way to her house brought a very strange idea to mind. As I walked, I contemplated using my spare time to go to Carousel Boutique instead. Rarity was a gorgeous mare, and there was no doubt in my mind that she’d been on dates before.

The only bad part about going to see her would be that she’d probably try to dress me up like she had insisted on doing when I told her I was taking Ditzy out. That unicorn would be incredibly hard to argue with, as well; those puppy dog eyes she puts one almost got me the first time, and I wasn’t sure how well I could resist them this time, either.

Regardless, I needed help, and I’m sure the fashionista knew how to give it. After just one knock on the door, it swung open, and I was pulled inside somewhat forcefully. Just as I had thought, Rarity already had various outfits in her magical grip with a grin on her face wider than my aunt’s hips. You don’t even want me to get into that, trust me.

“Torque, darling, you’re back! I take it that means you’ve reconsidered my offer, hm?”

I’m not sure if it was her looks, my difficulty saying “no” to anyone, or a mix of both, but I was at a loss for words as I scratched the back of my head. Trying to figure out how to tell her I wasn’t here to try on clothes was harder than I’d thought.

“Uh, listen Rarity… I… I just need your help with something.”

Immediately, she folded up the outfits and set them on a nearby desk. Her excited expression had been replaced by upturned brows and a slightly open mouth as she walked over to me. The mare looked me over, tilting her head a bit before pressing her hoof up to my forehead.

“Dear, you don’t even look well. Are you sure you should be going out this evening?”

I slowly shook her off, giving a slow nod. “I’m fine, Rarity, just nervous. I was fine until Beat came over and mentioned that this actually was a date… and now I’m afraid of—”

“Messing up? Making a mistake?”

After I nodded again, the unicorn reached up and adjusted my hat. “Torque, listen. I know it’s hard, but try to keep calm. All mares are different, but I’ve been on my fair share of dates, and if Ditzy is anything like me, all you need to do is be yourself. You’re sweet, kind, and very polite. A little less than clean most of the time, but I admit, not everypony is as adamant about neatness as I am. Just have a bit of confidence, and you’ll do fine.”

I took a deep breath in an attempt to do just that. “Rarity, do you have any idea why I’m so nervous?”

She put her foreleg around my shoulder — once she confirmed a lack of dirt or dust on me — and flashed a bright smile. “As I said, you’re probably just afraid of making a mistake. You shouldn’t be, though. To be quite honest with you, in most dates I’ve been on, if the mistake wasn’t a result of something foolish, the results were actually kind of cute. Most others like you aren’t the kind to expect the lady to pay for things or drag them around doing what you want to do, though. What exactly are you afraid of, if you can think of something specific?”

That was a head scratcher. It took a few moments to pinpoint my exact fear, but as I thought about it, it was a pretty reasonable one. “I’m just scared something may go wrong.”

Rarity tilted her head again and began to giggle. At first I felt slightly insulted, but those feelings ebbed away as she explained herself. “Who are you, and what have you done with Torque? The colt I know would be more focused on the bright side of this than be worried about what might go wrong. Above all else, remember this: No matter what happens, it happens to you together.”

She soon began nudging me towards the door, and a quick glimpse at the clock told me why. “Now good luck, dear. Next time, however, I won’t be taking ‘no’ for an answer when I ask that you allow me to provide you with an outfit. Have fun!”

Before I left, I had to say one more thing, so I poked my hoof in the door as she began to close it. “Rarity… you do remember that we’re coming back here to drop Dinky off first, right?”

A light pink tint faded into her cheeks as she giggled. “Oh, yes, I forgot that little detail for a moment. Sweetie is over at Sweet Apple Acres planning for tonight with the other girls, so I suppose it just slipped my mind without her here to remind me. In fact, I should probably go and get them now.”

“We’ll bring her by in a little bit. I’ve still got a good ten minutes to spare at least. You know, I would’ve told her I’d get her at six if the train ride didn’t require us to go to Tall Tale and cross into Vanhoover.”

Rarity clapped her hooves together, her eyes sparkling. “Oh, you didn’t hear? They finally got the tracks repaired and got the fissure filled up. From what I hear, it took quite a few powerful unicorns to help, but it is indeed working now.”

That was certainly good news. “Thanks for telling me that, Rarity. Still, I don’t want to be late, so I’ll see you in a little bit.”

She waved to me as I made my way to Ditzy’s place, her smile still wide was it was when I first came in. “Goodbye for now, dear!”

I was still a nervous wreck on my way to Ditzy’s. Even my legs were a little shaky as I approached the door and knocked. My mouth opened at the same time as the door, but I was left with no time speak as a pair of grey hooves found their way around my shoulders.

It seemed almost wrong not to return the hug, and the both of us sat there for a short while doing just that. “Good afternoon, Ditzy.”

Finally she released me and patted at her mane. It looked fine to me, but I wasn’t about to bring it up just in case she took it the wrong way. “Hi, Torque! I-I’m really happy to see you.”

Her cuteness was impossible not to smile at, and the little filly that popped up on her head didn’t help matters at all. “Hi, Mister Torque!” The little filly waved at me excitedly, leaving me with almost no choice but to wave back.

“Hi, Dinky. How are you?”

At once she hopped down onto the ground, jogging circles around me. “I’m super excited! This is my first sleepover ever! I don’t even know what a sleepover is exactly, but I’m sure it’s like the name says! I can’t wait for it!”

Ditzy rubbed her daughter’s head with a smile. The pegasus tried to hold her still, but the excited filly proved just a little too energetic to stop moving. “Alright now, calm down, sweetie. We’ll be there soon, okay?”

She gave a quick nod, hopping back onto her mother’s back. “Yay! Yay! Yay!”

As we made our way back to the boutique, the tiny unicorn couldn’t stop talking about all the fun things she bet they’d do, how excited she was, and how great it was that she got invited. It made things a little unfortunate, since neither of us wanted to interrupt her, but we both knew we’d have plenty of time to ourselves once she was dropped off.

The seamstress was all too eager to allow the girl inside, giving Dinky’s head a few small pats after checking her hooves. Once it was clear that she didn’t have any dirt on them, the filly was allowed in, and not just Sweetie, but four fillies including Rarity’s sister met Dinky.

Rarity herself gave Ditzy a wink. “Please, dear, don’t worry about your daughter. I’ve done this sort of thing before, and if they get too out of hand, I have a friend with… methods.” Her ears fell flat as she saw the pegasus’ reaction to her words and the unicorn began to flail her front hooves in the air. “Oh, no, no, no! That came out wrong. You know Fluttershy, yes? She has a way with children the likes of which I’ve never seen. Even when they’re on their worst behavior, a simple breath from that pegasus is enough to make them freeze. I’m sure it won’t come to that, but I can call for her help if need be.”

My friend let out a sigh and wrapped the seamstress in a hug. “Thank you for doing this, Rarity. Dinky’s a good girl, I promise she won’t give you any trouble.”

She nodded, patting Ditzy on the back. Rarity was almost singing as she spoke her next words, and they actually made me feel good. “Now, if you two come back and I hear that you didn’t have fun, I’m not going to be happy.”

I couldn’t help but give her a hug too, and this time she knew I was clean already. “We’ll be fine, don’t you worry.”

Her brows turned down a little, though her smile remained. Rarity leaned me forward and lowered her voice almost to a whisper. “Be yourself, remember that.”

“I will, thanks.” Once she had released me, I turned back to the googly eyed mare with a smile. “Are you ready to go?”

Ditzy slowly nodded before turning to Rarity. “Thank you again. We’ll see you tomorrow!”

Again, I found myself walking away from Rarity’s house with the fashionista waving at me. “Be careful, you two, and have fun!”

“We will!” The warmth from my friend could’ve held off even the harshest winter wind as she moved herself close to me. I felt a small chill run up my spine as she did, though I was also much calmer than I had been earlier.

“I owe you so much, Torque. You’ve been so kind to me, and I think I’ve already said this more times than I can count.”

I guess she wasn’t paying enough attention to realize this wasn’t the same train we had gotten on last time, but it didn’t matter. It was now five fifteen, though in all honesty, I think the train ride from Ponyville straight to Vanhoover would take a little bit more time than going to Tall Tale. It was almost a straight shot there, but to get to Vanhoover, the train had to go north before going west, leaving us plenty of time to talk.

“Ditzy, even after you’re as happy as can be, my kindness won’t stop. You don’t owe me anything, and believe me when I say if you try to give me anything in return, I won’t take it.”

Yet another chill ran up my spine as she leaned against my shoulder. The gesture made me very glad we were in our own room on the… whatever they call the train care with the rooms in it. There was no doubt in my mind eyes would’ve been all over us if they could actually see this.

My friend let out a long, relieved sigh, her head still against me. “Okay, I won’t. Just… please accept my thank you.”

I set one foreleg around her, and the soft, quick sigh from her nearly brought a blush to my face. “It’s not like I really have a choice in that regard. Of course, you know I do accept it.”

Before she could say anything, I handed her the pamphlet with the movie listings and my list of restaurants. It didn’t surprise me that she hadn’t heard of a lot of these; movie theaters were a rarity… no pun intended, in Equestria, and only big, tech-heavy cities like Manehattan, Las Pegasus, and Vanhoover had them. If I’m not mistaken, Fillydelphia has one, but don’t quote me on that.

Luckily, each title had a description that went along with it, and as she read through she almost slammed her hoof on “Wandering Souls”. I had no idea what that movie was about, so it was going to be an adventure for both of us. Next, we went down the list of restaurants, and I explained each one to her again. She decided on The Bale, a place my parents told me they always went when they were dating. I guess the apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree, even in things like this.
The rest of our trip continued in silence, save for near the end. We gazed in disbelief at the Unicorn Range, a set of multicolored hills that stretched from the Smokey Mountains all the way to Canterlot Mountain. The pegasus rested herself against me, and the relaxed, content look on her face was one I’d been hoping to see for a long time.

“Torque, can we do this more? Maybe… Sunday nights? I have the bake sales going on Saturday, normally, and I need to prepare for them Friday… but I’d love to spend some more time with you, like this.”

My eyes widened a bit. Not only did I really like the idea of just spending more time with this mare, but that was also the perfect time to do so. It was the end of the week — or the beginning depending on which way you looked at it — and a great chance for both of us to relax after a week of work and stress.

“I’d love to do that, Ditzy. However, let’s get through today first, okay?”

She nodded, nuzzling up against my chin with the sweetest smile I think I’ve ever seen. “I’d like that, Torque. I’m really looking forward to tonight.”

If I had a bit for every chill that ran up my spine in a good way this evening, I’d have at least… enough bits for a large soda and one of those boxed pies. Aw man, those things were so delicious. Oh, wait, I’m getting off track!

Anyway. As the train slowed to a halt, Ditzy set her foreleg around mine and we walked off the train together. Once again, I felt that same warmth flow through me as I had when she was nestled against me in the train and even the comfort I felt one the way to the train station. We still had some time before the movie theater started showing “Wandering Souls”, so we decided to take a look around town for possible places to go next Sunday.

We both agreed on Horseshoe Park; it was lovely this time of the year, but I assured her, it was even more gorgeous in the autumn. However, I really didn’t want to go in with her now, bringing a giggle from the pegasus as I told her I didn’t want to spoil anything. We spent the remainder of our time walking around, with my friend resting against me the entire way.

“Torque, may I ask you something?”

I gently caressed the pretty blonde mane before answering. “Of course, Ditzy.”

It seemed this mare was either incredibly lucky, or actually knew exactly what to say to get me flustered. “If tonight goes well, can we start calling ourselves a… couple? I mean, it’s okay if you don’t want to, but I had so much fun last time, and I love being with you, and—”

I was surprised at my ability to speak with a hot, red face. “I don’t see why not. I like being with you, too. You’re a really sweet mare, and I have no qualms about you thinking of me that way.”

All she did was smile, those cute, crooked eyes bright with excitement. She wrapped herself around me in a warm, close embrace, and soon I was doing the same. That made me all the more hopeful that tonight went over well.

Finally, it was almost time for our movie to start showing. We both agreed that getting a big snack was not a good idea, so we settled for sharing one popcorn and soda. Ditzy’s choice in drinks wasn’t all that great to me, but at least I wasn’t one of those strictly Coca -Colta drinkers. The theater was already packed when we got in, though there were a few seats a little farther in the back. We were also fortunate enough not to have anypony taller than us in the seats before us, giving us a clear view of the screen once the movie started.

It seemed to be centered on a young mare named Silver Wind, who still did not have a cutie mark despite her age. At first we thought it would be more of a relatable, down-to-earth film, but as Silver’s search for her special talent progressed it became a much more trilling adventure. In time, she met a stallion the producers made obvious to be her love interest, and that’s when things got a tad bit awkward.

Nearly every time I set the cups they gave us to scoop out popcorn in the box, Ditzy did the same. This was also the case for at least two times when I tried to take a sip from the straw. By the end of the movie, Silver Wind learned that her special talent was peacekeeping and received a dove with an olive branch on her flank. For at least a third time, the pegasus’ head rested against my shoulder, and just looking at her soft smile made it hard to get up and force her to move.

She didn’t seem to mind when I finally did, moving her head as she felt me fidget a little. “I liked that. It was a good movie for my first one ever.”

I was getting very used to having the mare close to me, and every moment she remained there made my desire for her to stay grow. The movie was a tad longer than normal, being at two hours instead of the usual hour and a half, so it was eight when we got out. Luckily most places stayed open until at least ten, and The Bale was one of those places.

Ditzy’s stomach answered my question before I could even ask it. She let out a nervous giggle as she tried to cover it, though it was already too late. Almost teasingly, I started to tug her towards her restaurant of choice. Not even the ten minutes we were asked to wait out could dampen our spirits, though I did find it odd that they only asked us to wait ten. I remembered back when my entire family would come here, and if we hadn’t made reservations, sometimes we’d have to wait thirty!

However, I soon became very, very glad for that wait time. Ditzy and I sat on one of the benches outside the door, since this was one of those places that gave you a buzzer when a table was ready. The silence was a bit awkward, but the way it was broken was almost more awkward.

The grey hoof set itself atop my own as its owner tried to speak, her words peppered with stutters and pauses. “Torque… I know you said you didn’t want me to pay you back for all this, but I think I know a way I can do something for you at no cost of my own. That is, if you’d like it?”

I bit my bottom lip a little. I really could not think of anything Ditzy could give me that wouldn’t cost her something, regardless of if it was effort, time, or money. In the end, I felt she wouldn’t take no for an answer this time, so I simply nodded.

Only after she made her request did anything click. “Close your eyes please.” Even with them closed, I saw it coming. A light pressure, a small moan, and warm breaths against my muzzle all came at once, and even after she drew away I still felt them.

The small smile and half-lidded eyes told me my friend was completely satisfied, though our moment was interrupted by a loud buzzing. “Thank you, Torque. I just couldn’t hold that in anymore.”

I nodded again, allowing her to hook herself around my elbow as we entered again. We were led to a booth in the corner of the two… mediums, I guess? There were two walls in the middle of the room that formed a square, though two sections on each side were cut out to actually allow customers inside it. Ditzy and I decided to sit next to each other as opposed to across, and the corner made that very easy. It also didn’t take that long for a waitress to come to us, and though some of the wines they had sounded really good, we decided to go nonalcoholic and just get lemonades.

When the waiter came back with our drinks, both Ditzy and I decided to share again. We both got a small salad and ordered a large spaghetti for us to split. I felt a small blush cross my face as the order prompter the waitress to wink at me and giggle, but the hug I received afterward really helped to ease my embarrassment.

“You’re the best, Torque. Really, you’re the best colt I’ve ever met.”

Another little moan escaped the pegasus as I gently caressed her mane. For some reason, I couldn’t help but feel like knowledge of that little sweet spot would come in handy at some point in the future. I had no idea what it would come in handy for, I just felt like it would.

“You’re an amazing mare yourself. You keep going despite what you’ve already been through, and still manage to smile while doing it. I really admire that, and if you ask me, everypony else should too.”

“Oh, you!” With all the warm fuzzies I was getting tonight, it was a wonder I didn’t catch on fire. The kiss was just as sweet on my cheek as it was on my lips, but I was very glad she pulled back when she did. Once again the waitress winked at me, though this time I was able to shrug it off. She gently set our salads on the table along with the utensils. I had always wondered what being a unicorn was like, being able to use magic and not having to curl my hooves up to hold forks and tools and such.

Almost in unison, Ditzy and I tasted our salads and let out loud moans of satisfaction. If the appetizer was this good, I could only imagine what the entrée would be like. There was a lot I wanted to say, but with Ditzy enjoying her food, I really didn’t want to divert her attention. We enjoyed our food in delighted silence, each of us subtly scooting closer until we finally met.

Finally, maintaining the peace became just a little too large a task. I didn’t know what to say, so the first thing that came out was all I had. “You know, Ditzy, you’re really cute.”

A soft, red tint grew on the grey cheeks and she nuzzled one against mine. “You are, too. I like your little hat, and your cutie mark suits you!”

The mention of my mark brought something to my attention that I never even gave a second thought: the bubbles upon Ditzy’s own flank. “Speaking of… what does your cutie mark represent?”

She spoke after downing another bite of her vegetables. “It has a lot to do with my clumsiness, actually. I never said anypony was outright mean to me… in fact, they’re quite nice when they have no choice but to talk to me. I’ve been told that I seem quite cheerful despite my being so prone to accidents, and I guess that’s how I got it. It happened when I first went to the doctor for my eyes. I was still making jokes about it even when they said there wasn’t much they could do, and this appeared. The only thing I can guess is that my special talent is… well, being bubbly!”

I seriously needed some kind of cute-o-meter for this mare. Some of the events that have unfolded screamed anything but bubbly, but for the most part, that fit her very well. I wanted to say something, but was interrupted by the arrival of our spaghetti. The mere smell of the tomato sauce mixed in with the seasoning and spices in both the sauce and on the noodles themselves had my mouth watering, but before I allowed myself to eat, I set my hoof on top of my friend’s.

“Alright, let’s make a deal: avoid eating the same noodle if possible, okay?” The idea of that seemed adorable to me, having our lips meet in such a manner, but it was so cheesy I could imagine that being a scene in a really old movie.

Ditzy giggled lightly, leaning forward and forcing me into the same state of near intoxication as she had outside, leaving me slightly dazed as she drew back. “I don’t need food to kiss you.”

There was no doubt in my mind that the gesture was sincere, but she also didn’t seem to mind that her kiss had stunned me and kept me from making a move for the entrée before us. Finally I managed to shake in off and smile, reaching for that sweet spot on the top of her head and giving it a small rub. Once again, Ditzy gave a quiet moan, and this time I caught sight of her twitching ear. Yeah, I definitely needed a cute-o-meter or something.

After we were done goofing, we both started enjoying the food again. Not once did we end up grabbing hold of the same noodle, and only once did the pegasus playfully lick sauce off my muzzle. By the time we were finished, we were both bloated and slightly tired. We were coherent enough to read the bill, though, and while I thought the price would be pretty high, it was actually pretty reasonable. I guess my parents just exaggerated whenever we came here when I was younger.

I tipped the waitress generously after paying, and we were out. Ditzy had one wing around me the entire time we walked back to the train station, and kept it like that even as we went back to our room on the train car. I loved the way you could still look out the window while lying down, and I wondered if Princess Luna herself was watching us in that starry sky and making sure everything went perfectly.

The silence was broken once again by my friend, this time in an even more flustering manner. She nestled up against me, either oblivious or not minding the fact that we were basically in the same bed. It wasn’t like we were spooning, or forking, or knifing, or whatever the term is, I don’t remember, but it was still enough to make my face heat up a little.

Ditzy looked up at me with the same expression I was met with when I opened my eyes after our first kiss. “Torque, is it too early to say ‘I think I love you’?”

It was a really, really tough question. Normally I was one to give this at least a few days before even thinking of uttering those words, but with my forelegs around her, and the moonlight reflecting off that adorable face, there wasn’t much I could do to keep from saying yes.

I just closed my eyes, giving her back a few gentle rubs. “I love you too, Ditzy.”

We continued the rest of the train ride in silence, perfectly content snuggled up together and just enjoying being so close. Of course, the ride eventually ended, but we slowed our pace to our homes just to give ourselves more time together, and even the goodbye took ten minutes at least.

Things were really starting to look up, and they’d only get better as time went on. I was sure of it.

---

I couldn’t help but poke my head between Rarity and the door as I waved to Momma and Mister Torque. Rarity kept telling them to have fun, and they were still waving at us as they walked away.

Momma turned at us with a smile, uttering her last words before they disappeared. “Thank you again! We’ll see you tomorrow!”

When they were gone, the older unicorn slowly closed the door and flashed me a bright grin. “It’s so wonderful to have you here, little Dinky! I promise you, my sister and her friends, while they can get a little crazy, are some of the most fun fillies you’ll ever meet!”

I couldn’t help but bounce around as she told me. “I know, we played all day at school yesterday! Where are they?”

Before she could even answer me, I was on the floor with at least two of the four on top of me. I couldn’t see them from where I was, but I could hear Sweetie’s voice from above.

“Hi, Dinky! It’s so great that you were able to come! Cutie Mark Crusaders Sleepover is a go!”

All of a sudden, I heard all of them, including the two that weren’t on top of me, fill the room with a loud, resounding “Yeah!”

Sprint hopped off of me, nothing but a light brown blur as she ran circles around Sweetie and myself. “We’re gonna stay up all night! Since Sweetie Belle already has her cutie mark, she’s in charge! So what are we gonna do tonight?”

My fellow unicorn clapped her hooves together with a bright smile. “Well, I say the first thing we do is give Dinky her present, right?” She turned to all of her friends, and each of them nodded.

Rarity trotted by us, her own smile as bright as her sisters. “Dinky, close your eyes, dear. I’ll go fetch your gift and then you can open your eyes. I’m sure you’ll love it.”

The fact that I had to close my eyes both scared and excited me. I could hear light giggles and soft hoof steps all around me as I stood there, trying to resist the urge to open my eyes. After a while, I heard the shuffling of fabric and something settle itself on my back. A few moments after feeling a very light pressure around my neck, Rarity spoke again.

“Alright, dear, open your eyes.”

If I had a mirror, I was sure my eyes would’ve been lit up brighter than stars. All four fillies were wearing their little capes that I had seen them sporting sometimes, and as they pointed behind me, I saw that I had one too. The unicorn filly approached me, tapping both my shoulders with her horn.

“As leader of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, it is my honor to pronounce you as our newest member!”

My mouth hung open as she spoke, leaving me frozen with a mix of emotions and reactions all battling for release. Eventually I filled the room with the echoes of my delight, forcing everypony else to cover their ears until I had calmed down.

“This is the best thing ever! I’m a Cutie Mark Crusader!” I started hopping around all of my friends, repeating this phrase over and over again until they joined in and chanted “You’re a Cutie Mark Crusader!”

In my excitement, I actually forgot Rarity was hear until she cleared her throat to get our attention. “Now girls, I hate to say it, but you’ll need to stay indoors tonight. I have some work I need to complete, though watching you won’t be a problem, simply stay inside tonight, alright?”

We all nodded, prompting our caretaker to smile. “One more rule: when I say it’s time for bed, it’s time for bed, understood?”

This time only I nodded, Rarity’s words bringing out a loud, simultaneous “Aw” from the other girls. The elder unicorn gave me a pat on the head and then addressed my friends. “I’m sorry, girls, but by the time I’m done, it will be too dark to go out. If you’re good, I’ll think about letting you play outside tomorrow morning before you’re picked up, okay?”

Now we were all nodding again, though I was still the odd one out being the only filly who didn’t sound upset when we all said “Yes, Rarity.”

“Good, now go play. I’ll make you all some yummy dinner and call you down when it’s ready, okay?”

Before I even knew what happened, my friends rushed upstairs. It took me a moment to process what just happened before I followed, but soon I was in the midst of a pony hurricane. All four of the others were bouncing around Sweetie’s room much like I had been doing on the way here. Pretty soon, I joined in too, laughing and giggling with all my friends until I bumped into Apple Bloom. Scootaloo then tripped over us, Sweetie Belle fell onto her, and Sprint toppled down onto Scoots.

Rather than any of us getting mad at another, we all started laughing again before getting up. Once we did, all eyes were on my fellow unicorn as Sprint spoke. Thankfully there was no food for her to have in her mouth this time.

“So? What are we gonna do tonight, Sweetie?”

Our leader closed her eyes and smiled. My eyes widened as I saw her horn shine with a pink glow similar in color to the heart on her cutie mark. I wasn’t the only one, either; Scootaloo and both earth ponies were staring at the horn until a pillow flew into Sprint’s face, prompting Sweetie to giggle and shout out.

“Cutie Mark Crusaders Pillow Fighters!”

Immediately, everyone including myself let out a loud “Yay!” We all dove for the bed before us, grabbing pillows and slinging them at each other. Now that she had magic, Sweetie had an unfair advantage, and it made me kind of jealous. I was hopeful though, too. Maybe if I did well enough, I’d have a pillow on my flank when we were done.

Getting hit in the face with a pillow wasn’t as painless as you might think, but I’d definitely take that over a kickball like one time in school. I really didn’t think I would, but I actually managed to get a few hits as we played. Unfortunately, I also managed to get hit a lot myself, so by the time we were all tired and panting on the floor I think I lost.

Once we regained our energy, everyone but Sweetie looked back their flanks. Sadly, nothing new had popped up on any of them. All ears perked up as Rarity called to us, leading to everyone including myself bolting down the stairs. The smell of eggs and hash browns filled the kitchen as we skidded to a halt. Rarity stood before us, setting plates down on the table.

Just as I made my way in the oven started to go off, and our sitter opened it to reveal a delicious looking tray of hay fries. My mouth was watering at the mere sight of it, and I think at least two stomachs were growling.

Upon hearing this, Rarity turned around and giggled. “We had quite a few leftovers from breakfast, so I figured I’d fix them up for us rather than letting them sit in the fridge for Celestia knows how long. Just give me one moment and everything will be ready!”

Napkins neatly folded themselves and, accompanied by knives and forks, set themselves beside the plates with the aid of Rarity’s magic as she spoke. Once they were all just the way the unicorn wanted, she beckoned us to the table and pulled out the chairs for us. We all rush for the table, but I grabbed as many hooves as I could once I saw Rarity’s angled brows.

Unfortunately, this led to some tripping. Scootaloo was the first to fall, and she made it clear that she wasn’t happy. “Hey, what did you do that for, Dinky?”

Accidentally tripping my friends actually scared me a bit. Despite this, I still managed to point a slightly shaky hoof at the mare before us. “I assumed there’s no running in the kitchen?”

Rarity nodded and used her magic to put us in the chairs. This made her smile a bit in spite of us breaking the rule my friends probably forgot about. “Sweetie, didn’t you tell them there’s no running allowed in the kitchen or my work room? In fact, I’d prefer if you didn’t run indoors at all, but I know you all well enough not to expect that to happen.”

I could almost see the halos over my friends’ heads as they flashed their sweet grins. Rarity rolled her eyes a little, smiling at us again. I saw everyone lift their forks to eat, but I couldn’t until I accidentally brought all eyes on me.

“Thank you for the food, Miss Rarity.”

She blinked a few times before patting me on the head. “Well you’re most certainly welcome, darling. Though, you should eat before your food gets cold.”

I sat there beaming for a moment before taking the mare’s advice. The meal tasted just as amazing as it smelled, and the fact that the eggs were scrambled didn’t help; that’s how I liked them the best. Rarity being a good cook was not an easy thing to imagine, but as my tongue absorbed the flavor of each bite, that image became more and more realistic.

A shudder ran through my body as I saw Sprint getting ready to speak, but as her eyes met mine she paused and swallowed her food first.

“This is delicious, Rarity! I thought Applejack was a good cook, but this is something else!”

The seamstress giggled, the sudden praise distracting her from her own meal. “Oh my, thank you, Sprint. Really, though, I’m nowhere near the chef that Applejack can be, sometimes.”

Everything was so good that I actually didn’t notice that it wasn’t a very big dinner. Even with all of us talking, we were done in a few minutes. Had I been older and taller, I would’ve offered to help Rarity with the dishes, but ever since that one time I tried to do them myself for Momma and broke a plate when I dropped it, I’ve been avoiding that chore until I knew I could hold the dishes with some degree of stability.

Instead, I joined my friends upstairs again so we could think of more things to do. As it turns out, nopony had an idea ready. We all sat on the floor and thought for what felt like forever. After a while, a light bulb lit up in my head as I saw Rarity’s cat walk by.

I threw my hoof in the air and jumped up, a wide smile on my face. “I have an idea! Cutie Mark Crusaders Animal Doctors!” Once I landed back on the floor, I opened my eyes to see the reactions of my friends. Contrary to my expectations, there were no smiles, only straight mouths and upturned brows.

The lack of any positive feedback nearly made me sink back. Sweetie began to wag her hooves in front of her quickly, trotting up to me after she was done. “Oh, don’t look so sad! It’s a great idea, it’s just… Opal doesn’t like anyone but Fluttershy. Trying to mess with her is just asking for trouble.”

Momma always told me rolling my eyes or going “pfft” at others was very rude, but I couldn’t help but do the latter. “Aw, she’s just a kitty! You just have to be real slow and patient.”

All my friends reached out like they were going to stop me as I walked in the direction of the cat, and the cat herself turned to me and began to hiss. It didn’t scare me, though, most animals, at least the ones I played with, were all bark and no bite. I kept my steps short and my motions slow, never showing any fear or anger as I approached the kitty.

After a few steps, she stopped hissing, but I did see her claws come out as I reached forward. She never swiped at me, but I think if I hadn’t guessed just the right spot behind her ear, she would have. Sweetie’s mouth hung open while the other three girls stared at me with eyes as big as dinner plates, watching me gently pet the cat they were so afraid of.

She walked away after a few pets, but judging by my friend’s faces, that was all they needed to have their minds completely blown. Apple Bloom walked up to me, watching Opal walk away.

“How… how did you do that? Opal never lets anypony but Fluttershy even get close to her!”

The only thing I could do was smile at them. “Well, I like to play with the animals whenever Momma takes me to the park. She lets me feed them and stuff, so I kind of learned how to get close to them. It’s not that hard if you just know what to do.”

I was met with tilted heads as my friends looked at me, their brows cocked. It took a moment, but Scootaloo finally piped up. “That’s it? Just being slow?”

I guess I had given them that impression. Slowly shaking my head, I turned back to the direction Opal had gone. “It’s not just that. You have to be brave, too. Animals can sense fear, at least that’s what Momma told me. Opal Kitty can probably tell you’re all afraid of her, so she’s scared you might do something to her. Just try not being so scared, and maybe she’ll let you get closer!”

Apple Bloom rubbed the back of her head, though the smile had returned to all their faces. “Wow, Dinky, you sound like Fluttershy right now! I never would’ve pegged you as the kind to be good with animals like that!”

If I had a mirror, I was sure my cheeks would have been as red as that earth pony’s mane. I started circling the floor with my hoof, unable to look them in the eye. “Actually… I’d love to learn from her. Fluttershy is the best animal caretaker ever! I’ve always loved little animals, too, which is why I would love having a dog so much!”

At once, the girls did a group hoof bump. “Cutie Mark Crusaders Veterinarians! Yay!” This time, I was actually able to include myself in it with just as much excitement as my friends!

Sprint tilted her a head a little and began to tap her chin. “So, what should we do? Opal’s not really sick, so we can’t really be animal doctors….”

Suddenly, another light bulb popped on, prompting me to throw my hoof into the air again. “Cutie Mark Crusaders Pet Groomers!”

At once, all four pairs of eyes lit up, and my hoof was met with the approving bump of all of them. “Yay!”

I was excited at first, but as soon as the three original Crusaders traded looks, I felt my hope begin to fade. Scootaloo started rubbing the back of her neck, which at this point I assumed could never lead to anything good.

“Wait… didn’t we already try this once when Spike tried to dump all those pets on us?”

All three nodded, but Sprint poked her head up between them. “Wait, when was this? I don’t remember that at all.”

Watching Apple Bloom slowly push her pseudo-sister’s head down made me giggle a bit, but it was only a temporary fix for my disappointment. “It was before you and your brother moved here. Sorry, Dinky. It was a good idea, but it’s something we already tried and failed at.”

I guess I couldn’t blame them. Taking care of animals wasn’t something I actually knew a lot about, and seeing as how my friends had already tried, attempting it again would’ve probably ended in failure.

Eventually we all agreed that it came down to one thing: what could we do staying inside? The fact that we had to stay in actually scared me a bit; I didn’t know about Sprint, but I knew at the very least that Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were known for not exactly following rules, and Sweetie Belle I wasn’t too sure about either. Thinking about one of them proposing that we go outside behind Rarity’s back made me shudder, leaving me hoping with all my heart that they didn’t.

Of course, things are never that easy. Just as I had expected, the pegasus spoke up with a daring idea. “You know, maybe if we snuck outside we could find more stuff to try! I mean, there’s only so much we can do inside, right?”

I bit my bottom lip a bit. Momma always told me that rules were made to keep us safe, and that breaking them could very well end in somepony getting hurt. I couldn’t help but shrink back a bit, knowing that what I was about to say could very possibly be interpreted as an argument.

“Are you sure we should do that? I mean, Rarity did tell us not to, and I don’t think it’s a good idea to disobey her.”

Small frowns and raised brows were the response I was met with. All the girls traded looks with one another before returning their gazes to me. For a group that chose Sweetie Belle to be a leader, Scootaloo was doing a lot more talking for it.

“Well, if you’ve got a better idea, we’d love to hear it. You do have a point, too; I’d hate to get caught and have to listen to Rarity’s constant nagging.”

Had it not been for that second part, I would’ve probably assumed she was being sarcastic. However, I did have another idea, though it required some looking around for writing utensils and paper first.

After sifting through some of the shelves and drawers around, I actually froze mid-search and turned to Sweetie after remembering what Miss Cheerilee taught me. “Oops. I’m sorry Sweetie, I should’ve asked before I started looking through your stuff.”

The unicorn trotted up to me, poking her head in the drawer I had opened. “That’s okay, but what are you looking for, exactly?”

“Pencils and paper! I actually do have an idea for something we can do!”

A small smile spread across my friend’s face as she used the magic I was so jealous of to pull some pens, pencils, and a few sheets of paper off of a desk near her bed. “Well that’s all you had to say! What were you thinking?”

Now I was beaming once I had my own pen. “We think some more!”

Again, I found myself in the middle of a bunch of confused stares, and once again Scootaloo spoke up before anypony else could. “That’s it? You can’t get a cutie mark for thinking!”

This time, the response was much easier to take. “Not like that, Scootaloo! Remember what Miss Cheerilee taught us about accomplishing goals? First, you have to make a plan, and then you take steps in the plan towards your goal!”

It was nice to hear someone other than Scootaloo speak this time. The fact that it was Sprint, somepony I didn’t know very well, made it even better. “Wait, you remembered that? That was at least three weeks ago! I think… all I remember is that she didn’t start that lesson too long after we moved here.”

I gave a quick nod. “I listen to everything she says! She even had a special lesson dedicated to cutie marks, remember?”

Sprint shook her head, but the other three nodded. “Must’ve been before I came here.”

The other unicorn jumped up, pointing a hoof at all of us. “Alright then, Crusaders! What is our goal?”

We all threw out hooves in the air, shouting in unison. “To get our cutie marks!”

Sweetie eyed us all with a sly grin. “And what’s our plan for getting them?”

Now it was everyone but me repeating the gesture. “Do everything we can to see if we’re good at it!”

Now our leader’s attention was on me, though the somewhat snarky expression on her face had faded to a more curious look. “Dinky?”

“I say we go about this… less dangerously?”

It’s amazing that no necks snapped given how much head tilting was being done tonight. Also amazing was the fact that the pegasus’ throat was still fine given how much she was stealing Sweetie’s thunder.

“How exactly do we do that?”

Immediately, I started writing on the paper. I put down Sweetie’s name and drew a line to a description of her cutie mark, “microphone in front of pink heart”.

“Let’s think, like I said. Sweetie Belle has her cutie mark, how did she get it? It was during the talent show rehearsal when she used her magic to make her voice louder, right?” After they all nodded, I continued. This time I wrote down Miss Cheerilee, drawing a line to “three flowers”.

“We all know that Miss Cheerilee loves teaching, and that would explain the flowers on her flank, because she wants to see us all grow! What other examples can you think of?”

I didn’t actually mind Scootaloo piping up this time. “Oh! Oh! Rainbow Dash has a cloud with a rainbow lightning bolt! She’s totally awesome, and the fastest pegasus in all of Equestria!”

This got a snicker from both Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, though the earth pony was the one that responded. “Except for that one colt that tied with Spitfire when they had a race.”

The pegasus rolled her eyes, scoffing at her friend. “Nah, Rainbow Dash could take him down in a few seconds!”

Apple Bloom caught sight of me putting Rainbow Dash on the list, jumping up to get my attention. “Oh, oh, put Applejack down, too! She’s got three apples on her flank, and she’s been working on the farm ever since she was my age!”

As I wrote, she turned to Sprint and started rubbing her chin. “Say, Sprint… what about Jet? I mean, his cutie mark is a horseshoe with wings, what exactly does that mean?”

Her response was to jump up in the air and do a backflip. “Acrobatics! You’ve seen how he works on the farm, Apple Bloom! He doesn’t buck the trees like Applejack, he jumps around on the branches to get them down! He can do all sorts of fancy moves and stuff, too!”

We continued this trend until I had at least twenty names in my list. Once Sprint got a good look at it, she started tapping her chin. “Now what?”

I ran my hoof down the list along the side with the names on it. “Let’s think about this: what do all these ponies like to—”

The melodic voice that came from downstairs was actually a very unwanted sound right now. “Aright, girls, it’s time for you to go to bed! You were very good, so I’ll think about taking you outside tomorrow morning before it’s time to go!”

I’m sure Rarity could hear our loud, resounding “Aw”. She slowly trotted up the stairs and into Sweetie’s room, her tail slowly swishing from side to side.

“I’m sorry, girls, but there’s always tomorrow.”

Once again, we all spoke at the same time. “Okay.”

Getting settled into bed proved more difficult that any of us, including Rarity could’ve thought. Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo fit in snugly, but when Sprint or I tried to get it, everyone started to get squished. After a moment of thinking, I rearranged the pillows so that we could all sleep horizontally, and the bed was wide enough so that or hind legs weren’t hanging off the other side of the bed.

After we were all tucked in and Rarity was gone, all of us started whispering at once. “I was going to say, we figure out what all these ponies like to do and how that links up with their cutie marks. Maybe then, we can find a pattern we can use to find ours!”

Sweetie Belle started clapping softly. “Yeah! That sounds much better, and safer, than just doing everything we can think of!”

Getting to sleep was a task in itself, with both my excitement and the whispers of my friends keeping me up. We all decided that use our time together tomorrow morning to ask the ponies on our list some questions. The idea of finally getting my cutie mark also contributed to my restlessness, as it did with all the other girls. It was too dark for me to see Sweetie’s clock, but the moon was at least in the middle of the sky and actually starting to go down by the time a yawn finally escaped me.

I slowly closed my eyes, dozing off with my friends. Things were looking up, and I could only dream of how much more fun my days were going to be.

Author's Note:

PHEW! Over 10k words! I never would've thought myself capable of such a lengthy chapter.

Comments

[sonicx]

as much as i like reading what dinky has to think or say, you keep throwing her in there. what really brought me in to this story was torque him self and I'm still figuring out as of why you want her point of view in this story. may i ask why?

[SleeplessScribe]

3391234 A) She's adorable.

B) She plays a massive role in this story.

[The-voice-of-the-dragon]

What would Dexter cutie mark be

[dormagio]

I enjoy this very much.

[Hot Charge]

Dinky is amazing!!! She got the Crusaders to use LOGIC. That was something I thought was impossible when getting their cutie mark was involved. It also helps that she is adorable beyond belief.