Chapter 36: Reaching Out
-Late April-
“Here ya go… Shh!” Vertigo slipped an envelope into Dazzle’s saddlebags.
Dazzle had her ups and downs with letters. Whether she was sending it or receiving it, she found the waiting to be the most unbearable part. It was just a fact of the times she was living in; due to Corrosion, no more receiving the post via insta-delivery. Letters had to be delivered on hoof for the time being.
Today, oddly, she found herself in the unique position of being the mailmare. Or, more accurately, mail-filly. Coco had given her a letter the morning of, telling her to deliver it to Yttrium when she clocked in for her volunteering job.
“Okay… why the hush-hush?” Dazzle asked.
“And make the other foals jealous? As much as I want to invite everypony, my parents want this to be a small party…” Vertigo said, rolling her eyes playfully. She set her lunch on top of the table.
Vertigo’s elation seemed to smear onto Dazzle like zap-apple jam. Well, any day of the week you’d find Vertigo’s joy contagious. Today, however, was more than usual. This was her moment in the sun, after all. Who wouldn’t be happy to have their life go back to normal after being cooped up in a hospital bed for weeks?
She’d liked parties as much as the next foal, but ever since the incident at her cute-ceanera she’d never stop cringing. She didn’t want to crash another party. Maybe she’d convince Coco that she was sick the day of. But, then again, Vertigo looked so happy and really wanted Dazzle to come. She couldn’t rob her of the happiness she deserved, especially after these turbulent couple days.
“You’ve been getting quite the attention today, Vertigo!” Napoleon pointed to a group of students approaching their table.
“I’d say! It took me ten minutes to get to this table!” Vertigo answered.
“May we see your cutie mark?” Fair Wind asked.
Vertigo winked at Napoleon and then got up from the table. She strutted. “Ta-da!”
“Wow! That’s cool!” Bulk Buster shouted. “How did you earn it?”
“Pulled off a dive and got Corrosion!” Vertigo answered nonchalantly.
The group took a step back.
“Is that why you have the wing sleeves on?” Fair Wind observed.
Dazzle knew that Vertigo must’ve been warm with those wing sleeves on. She certainly felt warm with the white sweater she had on.
“Don’t worry. I’m not contagious.” Vertigo chuckled. “I would take them off to prove it, but last foal that saw started throwing up.”
Bling shook his head. With a mouthful of food, he said, “Don’t ask.”
“I trust ya.” Bulk Buster backed away. “Anyways, thank you for letting us see your cutie mark, Vertigo!”
“Always welcome! Have a good rest of your day!” Vertigo waved as they trotted off.
“I feel bad for Caramel Crunch.” Bling said. “At least we got out of quadratics homework.”
“Bling, you know if you have a problem with homework, you can ask me to tutor you,” Napoleon said.
“You go off on tangents!” Bling complained.
“Hey! I do not!” Napoleon whined.
“Do to! I’d bet you are biting your tongue right now trying not to crack a joke about trigonometry!” Bling countered.
Dazzle snickered. “Alright, you two, that’s enough. Lemme change the subject. Any prospects for the New Crusaders?”
“Dang it! Forgot about that!” Napoleon closed his book and shoved it into his pack. “Sorry, Dazzle, but I’ve been slacking on the job.”
“It’s only been a week. Don’t beat yourself up about it.” Dazzle waved off. “Vertigo?”
“The one good thing about getting my cutie mark is that it attracts the foals that don’t have theirs yet.” Vertigo frowned. “Though I forgot to ask their name.”
“You know their faces though, right? I’ve got the opposite.” Bling asked. “I’ve asked around. Nettle Kiss, who is in fourth grade, Lilypad Dusk, another fourth, and Sandy Diamond, fifth grade.”
“Gee, that helps…” Napoleon punched him in the shoulder.
“I know, but I heard that they like to hang out in the library.” Bling rubbed his shoulder. “It’s worth a shot, right?”
“Well, we’ve got time.” Vertigo lifted her covered wings and pointed. “I’m ground-bound for another three days.”
“What are we waiting for then? Let’s expand our horizons!” Napoleon said.
Upon entry, the librarian shushed them. Immediately, Dazzle and her friends hushed to a whisper.
“Is that them?” Napoleon asked quietly, pointing towards a group of foals tucked away in a corner.
“I believe so,” Bling whispered. “They match the description, but there is only one way to find out.”
As Bling and Napoleon approached them, Vertigo and Dazzle tailed them. Vertigo leaned over to Dazzle and whispered “Do you think it’s a good idea to start with three? Is that too much?”
Dazzle shook her head. “I befriended Napoleon and you on the same day, so I can’t see why not.”
“Are any of you Lilypad Dusk?” Bling asked.
One of the fillies eyed them cautiously. Through dark gray hair, her yellow eyes peeked through the fringes. “Uhm, yes? What do you need?”
“We heard that you might be here ―Yow!” Napoleon rubbed his ear.
Bling had bopped him on the head. “Please excuse my friend,” He said apologetically.
“Look, if you are here to do Bab’s bidding, just spill it.” The filly next to Lilypad Dusk waved her light green hoof in dismissal.
“Nono. I’m not here to do that…” Bling backed up.
“Sure you are.” The filly rolled her eyes.
“Uhm, Nettle, I think Sandy wants to say something…” Lilypad Dusk said.
Both of them turned to the last filly. She had a tan coat with electric blue mane. Shakily, and quietly, she asked “If you don’t mind me asking, what happened to your wings?”
“Oh! Glad you asked” Vertigo sprung to life. “Remember the Corrosion Outbreak?”
Sandy nodded.
“So, before everypony started to fizzle, I was pulling off a dive with Bling.” She nudged him. “All of a sudden, I felt my wings burning.”
Sandy gasped.
“But, when I landed to the ground, Bling pointed to my flank. Somehow, someway, my cutie mark appeared in the middle of that!” Vertigo strutted in front of them. “I was caught in the center, but I’m one of the first to recover.”
“Wait. You mean to tell me that you got you cutie mark recently?” Nettle Kiss asked.
“Yep!” Vertigo answered. “Although it’s been a good month. I needed to wait since I was stuck in the hospital.”
“Can you help us get ours?” Lilypad Dusk blurted. She covered her mouth as Nettle scowled at her.
“Sure thing!” Napoleon jumped in. “How about let’s start with some basic chemical compounds?”
“You’re scaring them, Napoleon.” Bling nudged Napoleon. “Let’s take it slow. We should start with getting to know them.” He turned back towards the three fillies. “What have you tried?”
“Oh, uhm, I don’t really know… homework?” Sandy Diamond answered.
“I’ve played some hoof-ball, but that’s about it.” Lilypad Dusk said.
“Oh, don’t you worry about it!” Vertigo said. “It took me a lot of time to get my cutie mark, but the best part of it is just to have fun trying new things!”
“Like what?” Nettle asked. Dazzle could tell that there was a shift. Her tone had gone from uninterested to curious.
“Wow. Comes to think of it, we should’ve thought of that before we came here.” Vertigo tapped her chin. “Nothing comes to mind at the moment.”
“I heard that Cloudsdale is going to give us some snow this weekend.” Bling said. “Anypony up for a snowball fight?”
Lilypad and Nettle shook their heads.
“I like to be outside, but not in the cold.” Lilypad said.
“I agree. Excuse Bling. I think he just wants to have a snowball fight since he’s the only one that can fly at the moment.” Napoleon pointed to Bling’s wings, then Vertigo’s.
“I guess I can get a little carried away…” Bling scratched the back of his neck.
“I do have a suggestion though,” Napoleon said. “Notice their creeds: Unicorn, earth pony, and earth pony.” He pointed to Lilypad Dusk, Nettle Kiss, and Sandy Diamond respectively. “Since the majority of you are earth ponies, I think Dazzle should pick out an activity… She’s an earth pony… after all.”
He leaned towards Lilypad Dusk. “I hope you are okay with that.”
Lilypad smiled and shook her head. “Totally alright.”
“I love your sweater, by the way.” Nettlekiss motioned to Dazzle.
“Oh uhm… Thank you.” Dazzle said, scratching her foreleg.
All of them stared at Dazzle expectantly, eager to hear what her input was. She was dumbstruck, but at the same time, the attention drawn to her shocked life into her. An idea came to mind.
“How about… uhm… cooking?” She figured that was a good go-to since Coco had a knack for it. Take it from the expert, if anything. “I know a pony who can help you!”
Lilypad Dusk nodded. “Sounds good to me!”
The other two nodded. Each managed to affirm with either a ‘Sounds good’ or ‘I’m in’.
“I will need to ask my mom if it is okay if I have friends over for the weekend.” Dazzle said. “Just two days away. I will tell you if she gives the ‘okay’ tomorrow.”
All three of them traded looks. Lilypad Dusk nodded. “Where will we meet though?”
“Oh! I know!” Vertigo cut in. “Why don’t you join us at our table for lunch?”
Sandy Diamond let out a gasp. “Really?”
“Really! Really!” Vertigo nodded.
“More company would be good.” Napoleon said.
“The more the merrier!” Bling added.
“We are almost out of time, but we’ll show you the table where we sit.” Dazzle suggested, glancing at the clock. “That way you won’t get lost.”
“Great idea!” Vertigo said. “Follow us!”
All six of them slowly made it for the library doors. They kept their voices down since the librarian made it clear that they overstayed their welcome. The librarian glared at them while stamping the cover of some books on the turn-in cart.
Through the hallways, Dazzle kept to herself while Bling, Vertigo, and Napoleon chattered with the three recruits. Ironically, Napoleon was the one to start it off, beginning with his favorite topic: books. Bling gave him a hard time for it, but altogether, Napoleon found his teasing in good humor.
Lilypad Dusk and Nettlekiss joined into the conversation after Vertigo asked them a couple open-ended questions. As they pushed open the lunchroom doors, the din of chattering ponies forced them to raise their voices.
As they made their way through the cafeteria to show them the table, Dazzle accidentally made eye contact at the far end of the lunchroom. A colt that had raccoon eyes. She looked away, figuring that staring would provoke him and give him a reason to growl at her.
Then, again, she felt her heart tug at her. She shouldn’t treat him like an animal. She looked back at him. This time, he was busy, closing his eyes while munching down on the spaghetti and wheatballs served for lunch today. He seemed peaceful, which was odd for his nature. Something about him had changed, but she didn’t know what exactly.
Wait a second… he didn’t have his cutie mark yet… which meant… No. That was just plain crazy.
“Dazzle, are you okay? You seem to be out of it today…” Napoleon tapped her shoulder.
Dazzle looked back to Napoleon. “Yeah, I’m just tired. I’ll be fine.”
Napoleon shrugged and continued towards the table.
Back to her thoughts, Dazzle dove deeper into the swirling thoughts in her mind. I was just like him. I got my opportunity, and I’m ever so grateful for it. Doesn’t he deserve a chance? Then again, how would she approach him?
“Hey Dazzle, you got that?” Bling asked.
“What?” Dazzle asked.
Bling chuckled. “We were just making final preparations. We’re going to meet here tomorrow. Will you let us know when your mom gives the okay?”
“Oh! Yeah! I will!” Dazzle said.
“Great!” Bling and the others trotted towards the doors.
Vertigo tailed behind them. As she passed Dazzle, she said “Hey, silly, the bell is about to ring! Don’t want you late for class!”
“Oh! Right!” Dazzle ran towards Vertigo and exited the cafeteria.
Right on que, the warning bell rang, meaning that all the students currently had three minutes to get to class.
As Dazzle saw her friends rush off to their classes, she reflected. All this happened for her. It was time to share it with others. Maybe that would satiate her ingratitude.
Perhaps she could approach him tomorrow and ask if he wanted some help with his cutie mark. Didn’t hurt in asking, did it? Afterward, if he said yes, that was half the battle. Asking the Crusaders would be the extra hard feat, but if it payed off, it could make him very happy.
Tomorrow. That’ll be the most remarkable day in her life.
Hopefully.
A soon as Dazzle approached the nurse’s station, Nurse Transfusion galloped towards her. “You need to follow me.” She instructed sternly.
Dazzle nodded before following Nurse Transfusion. Probably checking on a patient that need immediate care.
She heard clamor from the nearby waiting room. As they passed by, Nurse Transfusion stepped through the containment for the Corrosion side of the hospital. Weird. Nurse Transfusion usually liked to stay in the cardiac department.
If it wasn’t a patient, then what was urgent. One look, then, she knew where they were headed.
Nurse Transfusion motioned for Dazzle to go inside Yttrium’s office.
Dazzle quietly trotted in.
“Were you seen by the crowds?” Yttrium asked as he set down his pen.
Nurse Transfusion shook her head.
“Okay. Dismissed.” Yttrium instructed. He held out his hoof. “Have a seat, Dazzle.”
“Am I in trouble?” Dazzle asked as she took the seat and set her bags down.
“Nono.” Yttrium said. “I just need to talk to you regarding the lab work you’ve been helping me with.”
“Did you find a cure?” Dazzle leaned forward. Maybe. Just maybe. Light at the end of the tunnel.
“Close to one, but I need a few more things proven first.” Yttrium said. “No, I need to tell you about the future of your volunteer work.”
Dazzle paused.
“For safety reasons, I will need to have you stay at home for a little bit. I will send you a letter when it is safe to come back.” Yttrium said.
“Something happen in the labs?” Dazzle asked.
“Nothing with the labs.” Yttrium shook his head. “I just have to let you go for a bit.”
“B―But am I going to be able to come back?” Dazzle asked.
“I cannot guarantee that,” Yttrium said. “Also, can you tell Coco that she needs to stay away from the hospital for safety reasons?”
“Uhm. Okay?” Dazzle raised an eyebrow. Suddenly, she remembered! “Wait a minute! I have something for you!” She reached into her saddlebags and took out Coco’s letter. She held it out gingerly.
Yttrium accepted and opened it. Through the light, Dazzle could see the words on the other side of the page. Curvy, yet conserved, as Coco’s writing usually was.
Yttrium looked up from the page. “This is good to hear. I thought she was mad at me forever.”
“What happened?” Dazzle asked.
“I guess she kept this little quarrel in private.” Yttrium said. “So, a week ago, she came to see me, I couldn’t spare the time, so I sent her off. Naturally, she was frustrated with how many times she was dismissed. In this letter, she mentions that she now understands what I was trying to do.” He leaned back in his chair and pointed out the door “Did you notice the ruckus in the waiting room?”
“Yeah… actually.” Dazzle said. “What was that about?”
“Those are reporters… and not the good kind.” Yttrium said. “This is the reason why I want you to stay away from the hospital for a while. If they discover you are Mare-ison Bergeron, things will get more convoluted from here.”
Dazzle understood. Just like Napoleon had said, Florin wanted to keep her pregnancy in private since the tabloids eat this stuff up. She had her share of secrets too; Mare-ison for one, Coco being her mother, Silver Spoon, her biological parents. Stuff that Coco and every one of her friends did their best to keep out of reach of rumors and gossip.
Dazzle looked to the photo to the side of his desk and smirked. “Now we are on the subject, what is the story behind you and Coco?” She pointed towards it.
“You are as bad as the press!” Yttrium teased. He shook his head. “Luckily, the press will not venture into the Corrosion section of the hospital, so we don’t need to worry about any eavesdroppers. That… and my colleagues are close friends. We share secrets together.”
Dazzle sat upright in the chair.
“So, long ago, when Coco was a filly, she broke a foreleg, and had to get a cast.” He motioned to the picture. “Something about a sewing machine. Anyways, I was a volunteer, just like you, but in the skeletal department.”
“Skeletal department?” Dazzle asked. “What made you choose that?”
“I was eager to learn about any system, and the place that they put me in was in the skeletal department.” Yttrium raised his eyebrows for effect. “Call it fate, I guess.”
“…Anyways, I was often exhausted since most ponies admitted to the hospital and sent to our department in were bigger than me. Mostly Athletes. Hence, more muscles… more weight.” Yttrium snickered. “However, one day, a filly came in. Coco. I was just glad to be assigned to somepony who I could lift better than the others.”
“I’d bet,” Dazzle said.
“Anyways, as she healed up, we got to know each other. But, by the time she was given the choice to heal up at home or spend an extra week in the hospital, she stayed the extra week. I’d bet you are familiar with how often a patient is woken up?”
“Yep.” Dazzle said. “At two-hour intervals.”
“She chose to stay even though she would be constantly bothered. When it came time for her discharge, we took a picture, she gave me her mailing address, and everything has progressed from there.”
“Wow!” Dazzle said. This reminded her of the patient she was getting attached to: Wild Card. However, she flinched when she thought about it more. He was at least four years younger than she was. Eww.
“I know it seems like a cheesy thing, but since then, I’ve been inspired non-stop!” He said. Suddenly, he surged to his hooves. “I should write another letter, this time, pass it through snail-mail!”
“You should!” Dazzle said.
“Sorry if this had been majorly cheesy, Dazzle. I’m just happy that this whole misunderstanding is sorted out.” Yttrium looked at the picture. “Maybe I should take it down from my office, keep it at home?”
“Don’t worry about it.” Dazzle said. “Here’s a little secret: if you feel bad for having a picture of her in your office, you should see the picture of you hanging in her room!”
“That makes me feel a lot better actually. I’m not the only one going crazy!” Yttrium crossed his eyes playfully.
“Not a problem.” Dazzle snickered. She hopped out of her seat. “Don’t delay to invite me back when you think the coast is clear!”
“Don’t worry, I won’t! Just please be careful not to run into reporters!”
“I’ll avoid them like the Corrosion!” Dazzle answered back as she slipped out the door.
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This story's premise confuses me. I can understand Spoiled disowning Diamond if she got mad enough, but I just can't see Filthy doing such a thing.
10496504
Answering this while the concern is still fresh, so please bear with me the unrefined answer I have:
I was about to put in a whole block of text, but in the words of Kevin Malone from the Office; "Why use lot word when few do trick?"
It all boils down to three words:
Filthy was coerced.
From Chapter One, it is mentioned:
Thank you for bringing this to my attention!
I guess I need to work on the art of implication 
In my experience, its proven to be my weakness.
If you have any more concern regarding the premise, feel free to PM me. I can elaborate if needed (as I said before, I was about to post a huge block of text, but stopped myself).
Again, sorry if this reply comes off as blunt. I'm not meaning it to be that way. Confusion is rarely a friend to reading/writing/comprehension, so I'm glad to clear up any of it!