Chapter 8
The morning sun hits your face like a slap, waking you groggily from your blissful sleep. The feeling of peace lasts for all of a few seconds before your eyes snap open, remembering what exactly just happened last night.
“Ditzy, I-”
Leaning up in bed, you feel yourself start to panic just a little when you realize that you’re alone. Ditzy was nowhere to be seen.
Okay, checklist. First, my clothes are still here and not out the window. She’s not angry. Good. I hope. And what’s today?
Wracking your brain, you finally realize that today is Thursday.
A school day, you think hopefully. She’d have to get up to see the kids off.
Glancing at the clock, you confirm that it’s well past the time children should be hurried out the door for school and breathe a sigh of relief knowing that you and her were alone.
Now I just gotta hope that there isn’t a holiday of some kind today and I’m wrong...
Opening the door slowly, you glance to your left and then to your right before slinking into the hallway. “Coast is clear...”
Walking with all your grace and ease, you make your way down stairs while keeping an eye out. You find yourself freezing when you reach the bottom of the stairs and see Ditzy sitting at the kitchen table, wearing a pink bathrobe and nursing a cup of coffee.
Slowly, her head turns and her eyes lock with yours. “Sit.”
The words aren’t harsh or angry like you expected. If anything, she sounded weary. With a deep breath, you steel yourself and make your way towards the table.
“So... Sleep well?” You ask, flinching briefly.
Smooth. As. Sandpaper.
Ditzy gives you a tired smile. “Yeah. Real well. I woke up feeling... happy. Really happy. I made breakfast, saw Dinky and Amethyst out and we have the day off today.”
You blink in surprise. “We have the day off?”
Ditzy gives you a deadpan look, but you can see the corners of her mouth tugging upwards. “Nice to see where your priorities are. But yes, we have the day off. All public works, sans school.”
“Well, what can I say? I love being able to experience these lovely lazy Friday mornings.”
“It’s Thursday colonel.”
“So good, they feel like Friday,” you snigger as you take a seat. A sideways glance to Ditzy and her serious expression breaks you and you slump in your seat. “What happens with us now? I gotta know.”
Ditzy contemplates her coffee before taking a deep breath. “As your handler, what we did was highly inappropriate and if a superior officer knew of our conduct, I would be taken out of the field immediately for growing too close to my charge and I wouldn’t say a single word against the decision.”
With a heavy sigh, she runs a hoof through her mane before leaning forward. “As your friend, I’m grateful you let me be selfish last night and listened to me, even in my altered state.”
Blinking in surprise, you sit up in your seat. “You... know you were affected by the potion? You know that it affected your actions and that it wasn’t something you wouldn’t do normally?”
Ditzy nods slowly. “Part of me knew what was going on, sure. It was like having a real good buzz after a night of drinking. Everything felt so far away and it didn’t matter at that moment.” With a sigh, Ditzy looks up to you despondently. “And now you know... Just how lonely I really am.”
You feel your throat start to grow tight. “Yeah, you were pretty forthcoming last night. I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault,” she whispers. “After I started dating Giggles, he and I always slept together. After sleeping together for so many years and suddenly have him... gone?” Ditzy lets out a strangled laugh. “You think you’d get used to doing something so simple. Sleeping alone.”
“You don’t,” she says as she holds back a sob. “You wake up and you’re cold and alone and just reminded that there’s something missing that you’ll never get back. Been like that for so many years now.” Her watery eyes meet yours and she lets out another sob. “I guess I just... wanted to pretend. At least for one night.”
Grabbing a napkin, you hold it out for Ditzy. “Thank you,” she mumbles as she wipes at her eyes. “Sorry for putting you through all this... Making you spend the night with me and bawling like a baby.”
“It’s fine,” you say firmly. “You’ve had a lot on your shoulders lately. Do you feel any better?”
“A bit, yes,” she says with a nod. “And... I’d also like to thank you for being so adamant about not ‘sleeping’ with me last night, given my condition. Even if those cards weren’t on the table.”
“Well, it’s the principle of the thing,” you say with a light blush. “You don’t piss into a forward wind and you don’t take advantage of a mare.”
Ditzy lets out a giggle and shakes her head. “In any case, I’m not done yet.” In a flash, her soft and sad expression is replaced with the stony, serious look that you’ve gotten used to. “We still have a job to do. So, some ground rules. We keep our relationship professional while we’re on the mission. This will be the last time that we do something like this. The invitation for breakfast is still on the table and we can keep the casual manner in which we speak to each other.”
“Once the mission is over, whether successful or not, we are expected to part ways and go about our lives as if nothing ever happened,” she finishes.
For the longest time, Ditzy is quiet and you notice that she’s gripping her coffee cup so tight, she’s shaking. “And... And that’s why, I’d like to ask if you’d be interested in... in dinner,” she says shakily. “Just between colleagues, I mean. After everything's said and done.”
You could almost feel your heart drop into your hooves. You knew where this was going, but you keep up the charade and let out a little laugh. “It’s... a little too early to make any plans yet. But, we could have a little celebratory dinner when this is all over with and we’ve got the changeling out to dry,” you say with another laugh. “Speaking of which, we should probably start thinking about redoubling our efforts. After that little spectacle last night, we could have tipped them off.”
Ditzy’s face immediately clears up and she nods quickly. “We do have to work double time, but I don’t think we have to worry about the changeling. Ponyville is famous for all manner of chaotic outbursts. More than likely, everypony will chalk it up to ‘Ponyville being Ponyville’,” she says with a smile. But it quickly disappears and she’s left with sagging shoulders. “Unfortunately, we now have no idea who drank the punch last night and no other way to test for changelings.”
Sighing heavily, you shrug. “Any important events coming up?”
“Well, there’s Ponyville Bake Off, a talent show, the blood drive, Spring fun run-”
“Wait, wait wait. Back up. Blood drive? When’s that?’
“This Friday. Tomorrow. Dinky wanted to donate blood, the little angel. Why, what are you thinking Colonel?”
“Well, no changeling would be caught dead at a blood drive right? Their blood is green and-”
“Clear,” Ditzy says abruptly. “Changeling blood is clear, Colonel. Did you seriously forget our last study session? I-”
“Whatever, you know what I meant,” you say with a wave of your hoof. “Their blood is different. We’ve been looking at potential suspects, but why not cross a whole bunch of ponies off our list as innocent?”
Ditzy’s eyes widen slightly and she starts smiling. “Now that has potential,” she says with wide smile. “We could watch the ponies going in and out and have an idea of-Damnit... That won’t work.”
“What?”
“It’s the same time as my mail route and we’re going to be busy tomorrow,” she says with a heavy sigh. “Well, it was a good idea at the time.”
Slumping against the wall, you let out a tired grunt. Looking at the calendar again, you chew at your lip and look for something else before you notice something rather important.
“Hey Ditzy? Why do we have today off?” You ask curiously.
“National Princess Appreciation Day, what else?”
“Isn’t that on a Friday? Same as the blood drive?” You ask as you point to the calendar. “Or is this calendar wrong?”
Ditzy’s entire body tenses up and you can see the look of panic on her face. “Oh ponyfeathers, you’re right! We were supposed to be open an hour and a half ago!”
That got you panicking now as well. “Get your ass in gear! We gotta move!”
Bounding up the stairs with Ditzy at your side, you make a beeline for the bathroom and clamber into the shower, only to stop when you notice Ditzy had the same idea. The only difference was that she was just a little faster and you were at eye level with her flank.
“I-I-I...” You stammer out as you back up. “You go first, I-”
“Get your ass in here Colonel, we don’t have time for this.” With one hoof, Ditzy grabs a hold of you by the scruff of the neck and drags you into the shower before turning on the hot water.
“I think I need an adult,” you whimper as you feel the hot water fall over you. With both of you on your back legs and backs pressed together, you have a flashback to the closet and blush.
“Please Colonel, no more jokes. We need to get the post office open or we’re in big trouble. If we get another complaint about not being open during business hours, we could get fired.”
Keeping your back to hers, you lather your mane up in silence. Letting the water fall over you and rinse away last night, you reach out for the bar of soap blindly only to feel it slip from your grasp.
“Aww shit.”
“What?”
“Ditzy, I promise this isn’t a joke so don’t hit me,” you say as you try to get all the shampoo out of your mane. “I dropped the soap.”
You hear Ditzy stop moving for a moment and you expect to catch a hoof upside the head. Instead, you hear a tired sigh. “Colonel, what am I going to do with you?’
“Well, hopefully nothing when I bend over to pick this up,” you mumble. Reaching down, you grope the bottom of the tub for the soap.
“Oh please, you have nothing to worry about...” Ditzy grumbles as she rinses the last of the shampoo from her mane.
“Oh no, I’ve heard what happens to good looking stallions on the inside!” You cry as you bend over, the soap slipping from your grasp. “You’re just waiting to take advantage of poor defenseless me! I know your type! You’ll use me and trade me for a cigarette and-”
That’s when you feel something connect with you. Something important between your legs. A wave of pain and nausea washes over your body and a small whimper escapes your mouth before you collapse into the bottom of the tub.
**************************************************************
“I said I was sorry,” Ditzy mumbles with a heavy blush as she opens the post office door.
“Sorry doesn’t help,” you grumble as you walk towards your office, flinching every now and again with each step. “Grab some ice from the freezer and stick it in a bag.”
“I didn’t know you were bending down! I was aiming for your flank! It wasn’t even that hard!”
“Ditzy dear, contrary to what you may believe, you are a strong mare and your light tap could floor a buffalo and has left my boys feeling bruised. Now please, get som-”
Turning towards the office, you see Raindrops standing in the doorway and looking to you and Ditzy with a rising blush. “W-What happened with you two?”
“Nothing” “Ditzy kicked me in the nards.”
Ignoring the burning look from Ditzy, you make your way for the kitchen to get the ice yourself.
Raindrops lets out a laugh. “Did you deserve it?”
“Yes.” “No.”
It’s your turn to glare at Ditzy as you hold open the freezer door and shake your head.
Raindrops can only laugh harder. “You two are acting like an old married couple... So, you two a thing now?”
You could almost hear a pin drop.
“What?” Ditzy asks flatly. “A thing?”
“Yeah, you two had your date last night and were all over each other. Everypony’s talking about it. Heck, you two won second prize for ‘Cutest Couple’,” Raindrops says with a giggle.
“Second? Who won first?” You ask as you close the freezer door.
“Flare, that’s hardly the issue here...” Ditzy grumbles.
“Big Mac and his marefriend won it actually,” Raindrops says. “They were all awkward and bashful that night, but come on Ditzy what’s wrong? You two were cute last night and the town agrees.”
Ditzy could only blush harder. “It wasn’t a date-date... I was just...”
“It was a favor for Pinkie Pie,” you say matter of factly with a hoofful of ice. “I lost the game from her party and owed her. She said I needed to got the charity last night and I needed a date. Ditzy was nice enough to come along with me, that’s all.”
Raindrops nodded slowly. “Ohhh, okay. But really? You two aren’t a thing?”
Throwing the ice into a cloth bag, you take a seat behind the desk and sigh. “No Raindrops, we aren’t a thing. We’re just friends, right Ditzy?’
“Right,” Ditzy says, finally regaining her composure. “We’re just friends.”
With a satisfied smile, you take the bag of ice and slip it inbetween your legs and let out a satisfied sigh. “Ohhh that’s so much better...” You say, leaning back into the chair as the pain slowly starts disappearing. “You two start organizing letters and get the delivery ready for today. I’ll watch the front desk. And Raindrops, before you ask why, just ask yourself why I have the ice pack and there’s your answer.”
Raindrops' open mouth slowly closes and she lets out a sigh. “Alright, alright. Come on Ditzy.”
Leaning back in your seat, you let out a satisfied sigh as you let the ice do its magic. Alone with your thoughts, you let all your troubles just melt away into the ice.
The feeling of relief is short lived when the door opens and a familiar stallion walks through. Grimacing, you lean forward and sigh. “Thunderbolt... Honestly didn’t expect to see you back here so soon.”
The black stallion stood there, shifting on the spot. “Listen, my dad’s already chewed me out for what I did. I’m sorry for what I did, I-”
“Are you sorry for what you did,” you interrupt sharply. “Or sorry that you got caught?”
His jaw drops slightly and you lean in more as you get into ‘drill sergeant’ mode. “You’re giving me a canned response, boy. Now, grab a chair and sit your ass down. Lecture time.”
“You’re not serio-”
“Grab a chair and sit down now,” you say more forcefully this time. Thunderbolt tenses up and scrambles for a chair, taking a seat right in front of you and sitting at attention.
You keep quiet as you shuffle around papers on the desk, pretending to look for something. Alright, this is a damn familiar situation. Heavy Weight acted the same way when he went through puberty. Rebellious, spoiled, and swinging at everything that tried to get him in line, you think. In a sudden flash, a memory comes back and you smile. And I remember just how I dealt with him.
“Good. Now, let me ask you something Thunderbolt... Do you love your mother?”
Thunderbolt’s face contorts slightly and he hangs his head. “I... I did, yeah.”
Uh-oh... Toning down the anger in your voice, you give him a patient look. “What happened?”
“She... passed away. I was like 7. Cancer,” he says bitterly.
Oof. Drama bomb. Works though. He just forgot, like I thought. Less drill sergeant, more counselor.
“Sorry for picking at old wounds... but, tell me. What would she say if she saw you hurting Ditzy? Or acting out? Or just walking the path you are now? Think she’d be happy? Think she’d be proud of her son?”
Your words carry the weight of a strong haymaker and you could almost see him reel from the weight of your words.
“I... I don’t know...” Thunderbolt is looking like you kicked him right in the emotional balls. He looks like he honestly hadn’t thought about that and now he’s doing everything he can to not cry. “No, no she wouldn’t.”
“Then why aren’t you making her proud?” You say as you stand up slightly. “If you know she wouldn’t approve, why are you doing it? You said you loved her.”
Thunderbolt looks up to you with glassy eyes. You were hitting every right button. “You know, I almost told Ditzy to go to the hospital for stitches,” you say grimly. “Think mom would like knowing her son almost sent a mare to the hospital? What would she say if she heard that?”
That was all you needed to break whatever tough-guy act Thunderbolt had left. He was 7 years old again and bawling like a child.
And there we go. Hundred some odd years and I still got it. Knew there was a good stallion in there. He just lost him for a while. I think he’s suffered enough.
“How do you feel now? Pretty lousy now huh?”
Thunderbolt nods and quickly wipes at his eyes. “Uh-huh...”
“Do you feel sorry now? Do you feel bad for what you did now, not just bad that you got in trouble for it?” You ask as you pass him a tissue.
“Yeah. I do... ” Thunderbolt says as he wipes his eyes. “How the hell did you do that?”
You can’t help but laugh at the question. “Years of experience and training. Raising a kid helps, too. Now, this is what you’re going to do now. You’re going to go apologize to Ditzy and Raindrops now. Then go visit your mama.”
Thunderbolt nods slowly. “Yeah... Yeah, okay... And after that?”
“Well, if you’re willing to work here and straighten up then you’re more than welcome to have your old job back. You’ll be under a magnifying glass for the first couple of weeks mind you.”
“Okay, okay that’s fine,” he says as he gets up. “And uh... sorry Flare. For, you know. Being an ass.”
“Apology accepted.”
Leaning back in your chair, you feel yourself smile as you see Thunderbolt disappear into the sorting room, only to leave a few minutes later. Shortly after that, Ditzy and Raindrops come out and stare at you in dumbfounded amazement.
“What manner of sorcery did you put on him under?” Raindrops asks in slack jawed horror. “That... That wasn’t Thunderbolt. He actually apologized and meant it.”
“Just... How?” Ditzy asks in complete shock. “I... I don’t know where to begin.”
With a big smile, you reach between your legs and pull out the now melted ice bag. “Sometimes, you just need a good kick in the butt to remind you of something you forgot.”
“I... I don’t think I can take you seriously after you did that,” Raindrops says as she grimaces.
“It’s fine, I don’t take myself seriously either. Now come on, let’s get the last of the letters sorted.”
**********************************************************
With a heavy sigh, you collapse back into your chair and look back out the window to see the night sky cresting over the horizon. The day had been going so well, too. The pain between your legs had faded, Ditzy and Raindrops made a few jokes at your expense, but it was all in good fun.
Then you got the letter.
Your mail had been forwarded to you from your previous address, under your new name and address. It made your life a bit more believable to be getting letters and junk-mail. But you didn’t want this letter.
Addressed to Flare Chaser, from Canterlot Hospital.
More bad news, I bet... I got enough on my freaking plate, you think with a grumble as you hold the letter up. Bet they just want to tell me how screwed I am. ‘It’s amazing, really. Your cells are deteriorating so fast, they’re actually becoming dust!’
With another sigh, you grip the letter and get ready to tear it open when your office door opens. In one jerky motion, you shove the letter in your desk and sit up.
“Flare? You alright?” Ditzy asks as she closes the door behind her. “You’ve been a bit... out of it.”
You wave a hoof and laugh. “Yeah, yeah. Just a letter from the VFW getting their narc on about me not paying my dues. You heading home?”
“Yeah, just checking in on you before I head out. Just know that you can tell me anything. I’m here to help you, remember that.” She gives you a little smile and you feel your heart wrench just a little bit.
Don’t. Please don’t this. You don’t need another heartbreak.
“I know, I know... Here, I’ll walk with you. I need to stop by the library anyway.” Getting to your hooves, you lead Ditzy out of the post office, locking the doors behind you and making your way into the quiet streets of Ponyville.
Hopefully Twilight won’t ask too many questions... You think with another sigh.
“Oh come on now Flare, I know something’s wrong. Get it off your chest, it’ll make everypony feel better,” Ditzy says with a small grin.
I’m over a hundred years old. I like to act like I’m clueless and dimwitted because it makes ponies laugh and I like to hear them laugh. I’m an alcoholic. You’re beautiful, smart, funny and talented and all you gotta do is show the world and you could have them eating out of your hoof. I’m dying in less than five years.
“I’m serious Ditzy, it’s nothing,” you say, returning the smile. “It’s just the VFW and I guess just... everything as of lately. Having one of those moments where I feel like I have the world on my back.”
“If you say so, Colonel. The offer still stands,” she says with a shrug. Ditzy glances down her road. “Well, this is where we part ways. I’ll see you tomorrow? Plans still stand?”
You give her solemn nod. “They do. I’ll see you.”
Ditzy gives you a wave and you return it before making your way to the library. Luckily, the lights are still on but all the shades are down. Walking up to the door, you open the door and smile.
“So, Twi’! Getting in some late-night reading in? or...”
Your voice dies in your throat when you see a rather stunned looking Twilight holding what looked like a spliff betwixt her lips. Slowly, she levitates the unlit joint and neatly tucks it in her mane before sitting up straight and looking you dead in the eye. “You didn’t see anything. If you try to tell Princess Celestia, I’ll deny everything.”
You try to hold back your laughter, but end letting out a strangled laugh before trotting up beside her and joining Twilight on the couch.
“I won’t tell,” you say as you wipe away a tear. “And Princess Celestia wouldn’t care. She ain’t exactly the purest sheet in closet, I’ll tell ya that much.”
Twilight gives you an disbelieving look and you could tell from her fish impression that she wanted to ask. “Not gonna give specifics, but just ask her to borrow a riding crop and watch her reaction.”
“I-I... wait, what? WHAT?” You let out another laugh as Twilight visibly reels at the information and enjoy the spectacle while it lasts.
“Alright, alright, alright... Serious talk Twilight? Need a favor. Big one.”
Her eyes dart left and right, looking around the room for a brief second before nodding. “What do you need?”
You take a deep breath and shake your head. “This ain’t my line of work, Twi’. I’m feeling a little sloppy. I almost got found out a couple times and I want a backup plan in case of the worst.” Taking another breath, you look her in the eyes. “I need an amnestic.”
It takes a moment to register, but Twilight’s eyes nearly bug out of her head. “Don’t you think that’s a little... extreme?” She asks nervously. “There’s a reason those kind of potions are outlawed.”
“For the general public,” you say solemnly. “And I know. But I honestly just need like, a spritzer thing, you know? Spray it in someone’s face, they can’t react, breathe it in and forget what just happened.”
Twilight lets out a long sigh before nodding slowly. “All right. All right. I can make it without any questions being raised. I might even be able to make it focused...” She trails off before nodding. “Alright. Is that all?”
You nod back and get up. “Yup, thanks Twilight. Feel free to light up now,” you say with another laugh.
You hear her grumble and keep on smiling all the way out the door, but as soon as you’re out the door and back on the streets, you let it go and have another long sigh.
Always good to have a plan b, you think as you look up to the night sky. “Always good.”
**********************************************************
You heft your saddlebag a bit, tugging at the straps digging into your wings and grumble. “Why am I carrying this again?”
“Because I’ve got more precious cargo,” Ditzy says with a smirk, nodding to Dinky clinging to her back. “Now are you sure you want to donate? You were scared of needles not too long ago.”
“We were talking in class and Ms. Cheerilee said that blood drives are an important part of the community!” Dinky says with a smile. “It means that I can help somepony when they need it the most.”
Taking a few more steps, it suddenly dawns on you. “Wait, is Dinky old enough to donate?”
Ditzy stops and blinks a few times. “Well... I don’t know what age you have to be. We’ll ask Fluttershy. She’ll know.”
“Ohh what if I can’t?” Dinky whines. “I wanted to help!”
“Oh you can do a lot to help somepony,” you say with a smile. “Heck, a ‘can I help you’ can change someone’s whole life. I-Whoa!”
Rounding the corner, both you and Ditzy stand there in shock. The blue pavilion tent set up near the center square wasn’t the unusual sight: it was the massive sea of ponies waiting to get in.
“Uhh... So, uh, is Fluttershy the only one who does the blood drive?” You ask idly as you try to work your way closer.
“Yeah, she turns down the help of the nurses ever since there was a year when a pony broke her leg and there was no one there to help. She felt awful,” Ditzy murmurs. She tenses up for a moment and slowly turns to you. “Flare... Do you know how to draw blood?”
You let out a laugh. “No. Bet I could rock a nurse’s outfit, though.”
This earns a glare from Ditzy and a giggle from Dinky.
“Well... You can do paperwork. I can draw blood. Let’s give her a helping hoof, shall we?”
You can see the glean in Ditzy’s eye and she’s thinking about the bigger picture here. Smiling, you nod your head. “Yeah, let’s get up there.” Taking the lead, you start clearing a path. “Pardon me, make way! Coming through!”
When you finally reach the front, you’re greeted to the sight of a rather frazzled looking Fluttershy who’s desperately sifting through a stack of papers. “I-I-I’m sorry, please, I’m sorry I’m sorry!” She chants as she tries to get everything in order. “I’m not used to so many ponies! We usually only get a hoofful and-Sir, sir! P-Please, you can’t cut in line. I’m going to have to-”
“Oh no, we’re here to help!” You say with a beaming smile. “I can handle the paperwork, Ditzy and you can draw blood. You need help, after all.”
Fluttershy seems to tense up for a moment and looks between you and Ditzy before swallowing dryly and behind you in the crowd, you swear you hear a snicker.
“U-Umm... As nice as this is... I, umm, I don’t think she.. I mean....”
“I’m a registered nurse, though.” Ditzy says firmly. “I can-”
“Oh come off, Derpy! Knock it off!”
You feel yourself bristle and snap your head towards the voice. “Hey!”
The mare in the back shrinks a bit and any snickering or murmuring you heard died with your yell. “Alright Fluttershy, what’s the deal? Ditzy says she can do it why are you sitting on the fence?”
Fluttershy’s eyes keep darting between you and Ditzy, shrinking her seat slightly as you stare her down. “I just... I don’t... know if she can do it...” She squeaks out. “I’m sorry, it’s just...”
You follow Fluttershy’s eyes and see just what she’s looking at; Ditzy’s eyes. You’ve gotten so used to it and when she can do everything and more, you don’t think too much about it. But other ponies seem to do and you can tell from Ditzy’s forlorn expression that she knows it too.
Gritting your teeth, you set down your saddlebags and make your way into the pavilion tent. “Come on Ditzy, get your tuchus in gear. These big babies wanna doubt you? Fine. Show ‘em how it’s done.” Climbing into one of the phlebotomy chairs, you give Fluttershy a grin. “I trust her.”
Fluttershy’s jaw moves up and down slowly and looks to Ditzy expectantly. She’s mirroring Fluttershy’s expression and after a quick moment, swallows dryly. “Well... Alright. Honey, stay with Fluttershy alright?”
You watch as Ditzy quickly mills about the tent, grabbing a number of instruments and an empty blood pack, you hold out a hoof and smile.
“What the hell are you doing?” Ditzy whispers under her breath as she starts to work.
“Proving a bunch of ponies wrong,” you whisper back. “You said it yourself, you’re a registered nurse.”
“Yeah, but I was hoping to ease back into this... I haven’t exactly done this in a while,” she whispers back.
Pulling out a rather large needle, you feel yourself grow a little queasy. “Uhh... How long is a while?”
Ditzy applies an alcohol pad to the crook of your arm and sighs. “Oh... about 6 or 7 years...”
You open your mouth in shock and want to yell something, but stop as she places the needle on your skin and guiding it in with her wingtips. “There we go...” She says aloud. “Just like riding a bike.”
You nod and grit your teeth as you slip back into the chair. You hated needles. You hated doctors. Why the hell did I just do this? You think, exhaling a held breath as you watch the red blood flow into the bag.
You tap your hoof impatiently, no discomfort and just the feeling of the needle putting you on edge. From the corner of your eye, you can see Fluttershy creeping up closer and closer as Ditzy puts on the finishing touches.
“Oh my... That was very well done, De-” Fluttershy stops herself, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. “Ditzy. That was very well done. And I’m sorry for how I acted earlier. And um, Flare was it? When you’re done, you can help with the papers.” Turning to the crowd, Fluttershy takes a deep breath. “If you could all form an orderly line, that would great.”
A bunch of the ponies look around and start to line up, with most of them trying to angle themselves towards Fluttershy. But a harsh look from Fluttershy and a point from her sends a rather nervous looking stallion to the chair next to you.
“Come on, look at me,” you say flatly as he climbs into the chair. “Ditzy’s got this, stop acting like she’s Dr. Coltvorkian.”
The stallion gives you a small, nervous nod and puts his hoof out like you and in a few seconds, Ditzy’s over with a needle and a blood bag. And just like you, the hardest part is over in seconds.
“Alright Flare, you’re done,” Ditzy says with a warm smile. Undoing the line and taking out the needle, she bandages you up and smiles. “And thanks.”
“No problem,” you say with a smile. Stepping off from the chair, you immediately stumble and hit the floor. Every pony in the room turns to you as you try to get up. “Okay, which one of you flatfoots moved the floor?” You ask, feeling lightheaded and blinking back stars. Locking eyes with one rather worried looking Ditzy, you laugh. “Been a while,” you say with a wave of your hoof. “Since I donated. Gimmie a sec, I’ll be right as rain.”
Taking a deep breath, you get up and smile as you finally get your balance. “See? Just fine. Now, lemme take over for ya Fluttershy.”
“Umm, are you sure?” She asks timidly. “You took quite a spill and-”
“Bah, I say! Bah. Had worse spills. So, what’dya need for paperwork from ‘em?”
“Uh, just uh... Name, date, birthday, ask them if they have any medical conditions. There’s a little packet that will let you know if they can or can’t donate blood,” Fluttershy says. “Are you all set?”
You nod a few times and grab Dinky and a chair, bringing them both to your side. “Ready to help a few ponies?” You ask her with a wide smile.
Dinky’s original bored expression left quickly and she mimicked your smile and nodded quickly.
“Great.”
We got this.
**********************************************************
The process soon become methodical; ask a pony their name, date of birth, and went through the packet.
“Name?” You asked flatly as you started in on the next pony.
“Starburst.”
Your pen stops and you glance up to see a bright red unicorn standing in front of you with a big smile. “Well then Starburst, birthday?”
“9/23/01.”
“Okay Starburst, any medical conditions we should know about? Blood diseases or conditions?”
Starburst shakes his head. “Nope, none whatsoever.”
You smile from ear to ear and give him a few papers. “Just take that over to Ditzy, she’ll help you out.”
Starburst gives you a nod and trots over to Ditzy and from the corner of your eye, you see her tense up a bit as you did when Starburst walks up to her.
You keep yourself busy with the next few ponies, but keep glancing over to Ditzy and when you see the needle go into Starburst’s hoof and red blood flow into the bag, you feel yourself smile from ear to ear.
We got one. And we didn’t even need to get stuck in a closet together.
“Oh well heya Flare!” You almost jump and find Rosewing now in front of you. “You volunteering to help, huh?”
Flashing your bandage, you give her a smile. “And donating. Speaking which, wanna get signed up? Donate a little blood and help somepony who might need it.”
“It’s always nice to help,” Dinky says with a cute little smile.
Rosewing gives you a shrug. “That’s why I’m here. So do I just go on back or...”
That threw you for a loop. “Uhh, no, we gotta do some paperwork first. Date of birth?”
“2/24/00.”
“And any medical conditions? Or anything we should know about?”
“Well, a bit of hemophilia runs in the family,” she says with a nervous laugh. “I mean, it’s not that much of a problem, is it? You can just bandage it up.”
You purse your lips and slowly shake your head. “No, sorry... We honestly can’t take somepony in who might have hemophilia. I’m sorry, Rosewing.”
She makes a tired face and stomps one hoof. “Darn it...” With another sigh, Rosewing walks off to the side of the table. “So, uh... Flare? Are you busy tomorrow?”
You finish up the next pony rather quickly and blanch a bit at the question. “Busy? Uh, no. Why?”
“Well...” Her face seems to go a bright red. “I was hoping to have a movie night, but my friends all cancelled on me again. So I thought ‘Well, what about Flare?’ and... here we are.”
She gives you an awkward smile and you hold up a hoof to the next pony and turn to her.
“Well Rosewing... I think that sounds nice. I haven’t had much chance to get out of the house as of lately and I think a movie night would be a great idea. What time should I come over?”
“Ohh great! Like, around 6-ish?” She says clapping her hooves together. “I’ve got some tapes I bought I’ve been wanting to watch! I know you’ll love them! Here, let me give you my address.”
She reaches out for a pen, but you wave a hoof. “Oh no it’s fine, I know where it is.”
“Huh?”
“I, uh, work for the post office, remember?” You say with an awkward laugh. “Sorry that came out as weird, but I’ve sorted the mail enough times to know where most every pony lives.”
“Ohhh, that makes sense,” Rosewing says with a laugh. “Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow!”
“See ya then.”
You go back to the paperwork and after another pony, you feel a burning sensation on the back of your neck. Glancing back, you can see Ditzy staring at you rather intently.
Uh-oh...
**********************************************************
“I can’t believe you agreed to a date with a possible changeling!” Ditzy yells. It’s been awhile since you’ve been in the barn cellar, but you’re happy it’s sound proofed and out of the way. “She could be luring you right into a trap!”
“I know, I know!” You yell back, slumping in your chair. “It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up, though! Starburst just came through and we crossed him right then and there when he didn’t bleed green g-”
“-clear. Their bile is green.”
“Whatever! Biology!” You cry in frustration. “And Rosewing actually wanted to donate blood, but couldn’t. To me, that’s strike two. She didn’t act like a changeling before and she wanted to donate blood. So, that leaves Comet Tail or an unknown third party that wasn’t on the list of primary suspects. If I can get in there and prove she’s not a changeling, we can focus all of our efforts on Comet Tail and the small pool of ponies who didn’t donate today.”
Reaching into your saddlebag, you fish out a half-eaten peanut butter sandwich and a notepad. “Fluttershy didn’t notice, but I started taking down each name that came through like we planned. With what happened today, we eliminated more than half the population as suspects.” With a tired sigh, you toss it to Ditzy. “Just trust me on this, I’m not going in there without a thought ‘tween my ears and on a silver platter. You got my back.”
Ditzy purses her lips as she goes through the list and sighs about half-way through. “Okay, you were thorough, that’s for sure. I just... don’t like this, okay? She’s going to be close to you. If you falter for even a second, you could be dead in seconds and I won’t be able to do a thing. And I just... can’t let that happen.”
“Ditzy, wasn’t it you who said we needed to keep our relationship professional?” You ask curtly. “You're getting too close to me and your judgement is getting clouded here. I knew what I was signing up for when I took this mission, alright? It’ll be fine. Worst case scenario, I get to watch some cheesy B-Movies on VHS.”
“I...Alright, alright,” she says throwing her hooves up. “You’re right. But you’re not going in there unarmed. I’m digging up a cache of old weapons I have buried out back for emergencies.”
Ditzy stands up and starts for the stairs, but stops at the landing. “Just... don’t die on me, okay?”
You give Ditzy a small smile. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
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Glad to see an update to this, you are my favorite 2nd person author so far. Keep up the good work, mang
I was ecstatic to see another chapter of this story was out; despite the glacial pace of updates this is one of the stories I drop everything else for. It’s always been worth doing so.
Ah, so we’re closing in on the slippery bugger now I take it? Does that mean that this story is nearing its end?
dust!’
not
let out a
tuchus (Yes, there is a standardized spelling for it; it’s Yiddish slang, apparently.)
7243900
Sorry.
>glacial pace of updates
I've been finishing up school and these last two semesters were kicking my ass. God, I remember when I first started writing fics all those years ago. I was able to churn them out really damn quick because I was NEET at the time and just finished highschool. Then, things slowed down when I became a part time student. And then slowed to a crawl when I became a full time student. And when I could see the home stretch? Stopped for a moment so I could concentrate. But, I'm done now as the blog post said.
I managed to hammer out this in a week, even scrapping it once because I didn't like it and spent the rest of the day working on it again.
I'm really damn happy to be writing again and you should see regular updates.
7245593 I'm really happy with this and the way it has turned out. But there is one small thing that is getting to me, and there are some edits that kinda need to happen, so if you would like, I would be happy to edit for you
, though it is all up to you
Edits,
1)
Original sentence: “Nice to see where your priorities are. But yes, we have the day off. All public works, sans school.”
2)
Original sentence: “It’s Thursday colonel.”
3)
Original paragraphs: Ditzy lets out a giggle and shakes her head. “In any case, I’m not done yet.” In a flash, her soft and sad expression is replaced with the stony, serious look that you’ve gotten used to. “We still have a job to do. So, some ground rules. We keep our relationship professional while we’re on the mission. This will be the last time that we do something like this. The invitation for breakfast is still on the table and we can keep the casual manner in which we speak to each other.”
“Once the mission is over, whether successful or not, we are expected to part ways and go about our lives as if nothing ever happened,” she finishes.
4)
Original sentence: “It was a favor for Pinkie Pie,” you say matter of factly with a hoofful of ice. “I lost the game from her party and owed her. She said I needed to got the charity last night and I needed a date. Ditzy was nice enough to come along with me, that’s all."
5)
Original sentence: With a satisfied smile, you take the bag of ice and slip it inbetween your legs and let out a satisfied sigh. “Ohhh that’s so much better...” You say, leaning back into the chair as the pain slowly starts disappearing. “You two start organizing letters and get the delivery ready for today. I’ll watch the front desk. And Raindrops, before you ask why, just ask yourself why I have the ice pack and there’s your answer.”
6)
Original sentence: “She... passed away. I was like 7. Cancer,” he says bitterly.
7)
Original sentence: Your voice dies in your throat when you see a rather stunned looking Twilight holding what looked like a spliff betwixt her lips.
That's all for now, the rest later on, hope their easy to find
No, Star Squirrel. She did NOT donate blood. She said that she wanted to, but then she didn't. BIG red light flashing "danger!" here.