A Day in The Life

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Derpy breezed through her normal wake-up routine, eager to start the day. A small smile remained on her face through the time it took to get dressed, eat a fast breakfast, and fly out. She greeted her fellow mail mares and stallions once she arrived and listened to her boss’s daily pep talk before starting her route, greeting all the ponies that happened to be up at the time- though most often, her job was done in silence, flying from place to place in the slowly-waking town.

Midway through her route, she veered off and went back to her home, slipping inside and opening the door to her daughter’s room. “Dinky? It’s time to wake up, honey- Mommy’s gotta get you to school now, okay?”

Dinky’s yawn was cute as she woke up. “Awww… mommy, do I have to get up?” She stretched a bit as her eyes peeked open and looked up at Derpy.

She nodded, stepping up to Dinky’s bed and leaning down to place a kiss on her forehead. “Yes, honey. Now come on, Mommy’s gonna make your breakfast while you get dressed, okay? And then you can brush your teeth and eat, and I’ll fly you to school.” Derpy said, flicking the lights on and smiling down at Dinky.

Dinky crawled under the blankets. “I don’t wanna get up!” Dinky whined for a moment, hoping that would work with her mom, even though it never did.

Derpy giggled and reached under them, lifting Dinky up and hugging her tight. “Yes, you do! Unless you wanna leave Sweetie to go to school by herself, hmm?” She teased, nuzzling her foal’s nose.

Dinky perked up and hugged Derpy back, “No! I don’t want her going to school alone!” She got out of Derpy’s arms and started to pick out clothing for the day. “What are ya making for breakfast mommy?” She looked back at Derpy with a huge smile on her face.

She crossed her arms and rubbed her chin, thinking for a few moments. “Hmm… scrambled eggs?” She said. “With some toast and milk. I’ll have it ready when you’re done getting dressed, honey. Don’t forget your backpack this time, okay?” She teased, ruffling Dinky’s mane before heading to the kitchen.

Dinky giggled and nodded before she started to get dressed. After she was done with that she went into the bathroom to go brush her teeth. She was more than happy to get ready if it meant seeing Sweetie again and her mommy making breakfast for her. Once she was all ready, she rushed out into the kitchen to see if her mommy was done making breakfast for her. “I’m all ready, Mommy!” She giggled with a happy smile.

By that time, Derpy was just finishing up her cooking and slid out a nice portion of scrambled eggs for Dinky, putting a couple pieces of toast there as well as a glass of milk next to her plate. “Good job, honey. Eat up now, okay?” She said, sitting next to Dinky with the small amount left of the eggs and some water, eating with Dinky in a small second breakfast.

Dinky nodded and chowed down on her own food, happy to eat her mommy’s home cooking. There was nothing in the world that she like more than her mommy’s cooked food, “Mmmm, This is really good, mommy! Thank you for breakfast!” She smiled up at Derpy as she took a sip of her milk.

Derpy laughed and leaned over, kissing DInky’s cheek. “Thank you, sweetie. Let mommy know when you’re done so I can put your dishes in the washer, okay? And then go put on your shoes.” She said, taking her finished plate and cup over to the dishwasher.

Dinky nodded as she finished up her breakfast, “I’m finished!” She smiled as she handed Derpy her plates and glass.

Derpy took them and placed them in the dishwasher as well, before heading to the sink and washing her hands. After that, she headed into the living room. “All ready, Dinky?” She asked, squatting down in front of her daughter.

“Yep! I’m all ready, Mommy! Let’s go to school!” Dinky squeed with a happy smile as she hugged Derpy. “Today’s gonna be so much fun!”

Derpy laughed again and stood up, holding Dinky tight against her as she went out of the house, locking the door and stepping a few meters away. “Alright! Hold on tight, honey.” She said, before spreading her wings and taking off towards the schoolhouse across Ponyville.

Dinky was holding on tight and she squeed with utter joy as she was flown to the schoolhouse. Once they landed she was quick to give Derpy a kiss on the cheek. “I love you, Mommy!” She waved and gave her mommy one last hug goodbye.

Derpy pulled her in close on that last hug, squeezing Dinky tight and nuzzling her for a few moments, always sad to have to leave her daughter no matter if it was for school or anything else. “Mommy loves you too, Dinky… so much.” She whispered, before pulling back, her eyes a little watery. “Have a good day, okay? I’ll be here to pick you up when school gets out.”

“I will! You have a good day too, mommy. I’ll see you after school~” Dinky nuzzled Derpy back before smiling and running off to join Sweetie as they walked into the schoolhouse together. The two looked so cute together, and it was clear they’d be friends forever.

Derpy smiled as she stood up and watched Dinky head inside, wiping her eyes a few times before she shook her head and flew off, resuming her mail route. Everything was the same up until a certain house- a new one for her route, and the last one she had to deliver to.

An alarm clock went off beside a large zebra’s bed. He groggily pushed it off, groaning as he heard it hit the floor. Well, now he was awake for sure. He yawned and stretched out, still not being used to the new bed, nor his new room.

He looked around for several moments before deciding on taking a shower. He had to get ready for his first day of work, and he really didn’t want to set the precedent of being late. His shower lasted for a good twenty minutes so he made sure everything was thoroughly clean. Upon stepping out, wrapped in a towel, into his bedroom he walked over to his wardrobe and pulled out his work uniform.

“I wonder how the kitchen crew’s gonna react to me now that we’re not all partying.” He chuckled softly as he examined his shirt. Embroidered on the left breast was his name, ‘Rush Greymane’. “Ugh… I need to get this toned down to just Rush…” He smiled to himself. He hung it back up for the moment, looking up to the one clock in his room he couldn’t just smash accidentally. It read 8 A.M. He still had at least two hours before work started.

He got out another set of clothes, one he had from home. He only really wore it when he was out tending to his garden, and now he had the time to. He got dressed rather quickly and rushed downstairs, unlocking his front door to start with the small batch of tomatoes he’d started growing.

Whereas even to him, it seemed like most zebras had a knack for more exotic things like making potions or rhyming, he had no such skills. He just had his green thumb, and a talent in the kitchen, both of which served him incredibly well so far. Though he tended to really get lost when he started gardening, today, however, he would watch himself. Or, at least he’d attempt to, but, as they say, no plan survives contact with the enemy.

He got truly lost in his own little world and was humming softly as he dug up weeds, and planted more seeds down. He wanted to grow not just tomatoes, but carrots, lettuce, and any other veggies he’d want to keep for his own home stock. He’d have to check on his herb garden to the left side of his front door before he left, but when he last checked on them everything seemed just fine.

He was so busy gardening that he didn’t notice anypony come close to his home, only being snapped up to the real world when he heard someone call out to him.

“E-Excuse me, sir?” Derpy said, not wanting to startle him or anything like that. “Do you live here?”

“Oh! Yes, I do.” Rush smiled as he slowly stood up. “What can I help you with?” He asked curiously, taking off his gardening gloves in case he needed to shake her hand. Most of his face was hidden under his sunhat, so it only settled in that he was a zebra when one of his striped hands pulled it back to give her a better view of his friendly smile.

Derpy relaxed a tad- a few ponies didn’t like being disturbed, and she was happy this wasn’t one of them that might go off on her. “I just wanted to let you know that I’m your mailmare- my name is Derpy Hooves, and I’ll usually be here around this time to deliver your mail.” She said, before pulling out a small package from her mailbag, along with a few letters- they looked like junk mail and bills. “Here you go!”

“Oh! Thank you, Derpy. I’m Rush, it’s nice to meet you!” He smiled as he took the package and the letters, grumbling a tad as he looked through it. “And thank you for, uuh… rousing me. I sorta get lost when I start gardening.” He chuckled a little as he looked back at his plants. “I can’t wait until they come in…” He sighed with a happy smile.

Now that her deliveries were over, Derpy didn’t need to flit around town- so she took a few moments to admire his handiwork.

He didn’t have much yet, only some spring tomatoes and some heads of lettuce growing. They looked to be coming in nicely though, the lettuce that was visible was a nice green color, and the small tomatoes were a ripe and juicy red. He had several other plots marked out, clearly turning his entire yard very slowly into a large garden. She could make out signs for carrots, onions, kale, leaf lettuce, and even some sunflowers.

“Heh, stop by at the right time and I might get you a sandwich.” He chuckled, “Give it a week or two though, some of the stuff isn’t good to pick just yet.” He walked over and examine the lettuce with one hand, “Yep, definitely a week for this head to even be remotely ready.”

“Better luck than I would have had,” Derpy said, a smile on her face. “I can’t even seem to grow a few houseplants without killing them. Guess I must have a black thumb.”

“Ooh, I don’t believe that.” He laughed a little more. “Just probably forgot to water em, or something.” He turned and smiled at her, “Hey… what time is it?” He asked curiously hoping she had a watch or something on her.

Luckily, she did. Pulling back a sleeve, Derpy looked at her watch, before saying, “Says it’s about… 7:35. About time for me to head back to the mailroom office.” She looked back up and gave Rush a small wave. “See you tomorrow, Rush. Er, assuming you’re out here, and… y’know.” Derpy finished, blushing a little and rubbing the back of her head.

“Actually… I have to be at work at around 5 tomorrow… so maybe some other day? It was nice talking to you though, Derpy. And I look forward to seeing you again.” He smiled and waved at her. “Have a great day!”

“You too, Rush!” She said, before stepping out of his yard and flying off.

Rush watched her for a moment before he got back to gardening, though now he was more careful with his time.

Once the time for him to get dressed rolled around he ran inside to change, now putting on his full work uniform in place of his gardening outfit. He was surprised at just how good the white fabric felt, a much softer and far airier uniform than his previous one. “I’ll need to visit Miss Rarity to get some more clothes made…” He mumbled to himself as he smiled and began to walk toward the restaurant he’d been hired at. He entered through the back and began his long, but fun, work day.

It was about halfway through the day that he took his hour break, and with it, he decided to not only grab a quick bite to eat but to visit Ponyville’s seamstress extraordinaire (her words, not his), Rarity. He knocked on the door to her Boutique and hoped she was open now. “Miss Rarity? Are you in there?” He called out.

“Just a minute, darling! Do feel free to come in, I’ll be with you in mere moments.” She called back.

Rush smiled and opened the door and walked up to the counter to wait for Rarity. He did look around the store and took in all the fancy clothes the mare worked on constantly. He was pretty sure she had her own series of fashion lines.

As she said, Rarity was out in a few seconds, stepping out from the door behind the counter and perking up as she noticed who was in her store. “Mr. Greymane! What brings you back to my abode, hmm? I do hope you’ve not torn or stained any of my apparel quite that fast, now have you?” She asked, stepping up to the other side of the counter, a slight smile on her face.

“No, no… not yet.” Rush’s smile was bright and wide, “I’ve actually come asking if you’d be able to make some more clothes for me… these are incredibly nice and I’ve been looking to replace most of my old wardrobe.” He explained. “It’d be nice to have something that fits, is comfortable, and looks nice… and well, your work fits the bill perfectly.”

“An entire wardrobe replacement, you say?” Rarity repeated, her smile growing. She put a hand to her chin as she thought, closing her eyes as she continued, “To have everything be tailor-made would be quite the cost, though I’m sure that as the head chef of The Golden Horseshoe you would most definitely be able to afford it. More than that, though, would be the work hours… hmm, but with your entire wardrobe being made by moi, it would be quite the statement…” A few more moments passed as she thought, before asking, “Tell me, dear, just how large is your wardrobe? The more accurately you can describe, the better.”

Rush took in a deep breath, “I’ll need casual wear, of course, that’s… always a necessity. Something that’ll allow me to better work my garden, a passion project of mine really. I’ll need fancier clothes too, suits and ties, I have the dress shoes for it all.” He explained in excruciating detail everything he would need to replace just so she’d be able to get it all down. “I don’t need it all at once. So, if you wanted to take your time and work on other more important projects you can.” He smiled a bit.

As he spoke, Rarity lifted a pen and notepad in her magic, jotting down everything Rush said so as to not forget. Once he’d finished, she looked over the list, humming lightly before looking back at him. “A project this large would take a few weeks to a month and a half, depending on how much work put into it each day.” She said, all traces of teasing gone. “It would require constant visits so as to get more accurate measurements with different clothing, as well as more input on just exactly how tight, loose, breathable and etcetera you’d need those clothes to be, darling.”

“Along with that, I would require payments made over the working time so as to maintain a healthy balance of trust- It's not that I don’t trust you, of course, but more like when one works in this business long enough they don’t trust anyone to a certain degree, I’m sure you’d understand. Are these all agreeable terms, Mr. Greymane?” She finished, taking her eyes off of her list to look up into Rush’s.

“Of course.” Rush nodded, “Perfectly reasonable, depending on the cost I have quite a bit saved up for… emergencies like this. So I could drop off most of the cost now if you have an estimate. Otherwise, paying it all over the time it takes for you to finish is just fine.”

Rarity smiled at Rush’s agreement, her demeanor relaxing. “Wonderful! Well, considering that you’ve been a faithful customer since you arrived in Ponyville…” Her pen made an adjustment to the number on her notepad. “...and this is your first large order made with me…” Another adjustment, “... and that such a fashion statement will help me in the future…” A final mark, before she turned the notepad to him, revealing the price- an expensive, but much lower than would be normal 5,000 bits, “...I feel that this would be an adequate price.”

Rush bit his lip, he knew how far down she was marking it. “I-I agree with that.” He nodded, “And here I thought the ‘it’s for exposure!’ excuse wasn’t something anypony took.” He joked with a playful grin. “You have no idea how many ponies have tried to convince me to cook for a hundred ponies and told me ‘I’ll give you exposure! Ponies will find out about your talents!’ Though, that’s not to say I haven’t used my personal kitchen to cook for small groups… just, I’m against using work assets for something like that if I can’t pay my employees.” He sighed and shook his head, “Thank you, so, so much Rarity.”

“Something happening for the exposure normally isn’t a reason to mark down, I’ll admit. But since ponies will see you come in quite often, and I assume you’ll let anyone that asks know where you got your new clothes from-” She winked at him, a grin on her face, “Exposure is actually a fair point to make, here.”

“Well, for this I suppose I should give you an advance reservation?” He laughed, “Just let me know if you ever want to go out to the Golden Horseshoe and I’ll make sure you and whoever else you bring along have a table, alright?”

Rarity blushed, taken aback a little. “Now, er, there’s no need for that, darling. Just knowing that you’re happy with my work is good enough.” She said, waving a hand.

“Alright! Well, I’ll come with the first payment tomorrow on my break!” He smiled as he looked at the clock. “I really should be getting back, they might start falling apart without me.” He joked as he turned to leave, “Thank you so, so much Rarity!”

“Of course, darling. I’ll get started on planning out your wardrobe tonight, and more details can be discussed when you come back.” She replied, opening the door with her magic. “See you soon, Mr. Greymane!”

“Yep! I’ll be seeing you tomorrow!” Rush waved as he walked outside, going right back to work.

Rarity watched him leave, still smiling before she closed the door. “What a pleasant stallion.” She murmured, looking over the list of clothes he wanted to be made.

Getting right to work, Rarity began pulling out papers and pencils, drawing out some basic designs and patterns to make present in his clothing. She compared certain fabrics and materials, thinking about which would best fit and look on Rush and writing out a few more questions to ask him regarding his choices in apparel. The time went on as the fashionista was absorbed into her work, before she heard a particular chime ring out from her clock, looking up at the time.

“Oh, goodness! That the heavens for that clock.” She said, setting everything neatly down onto the desk before heading outside. It was a brisk walk- ladies do not run, after all- down to the schoolhouse, where Rarity waited for school to get out in a few moments before hearing the tell-tale sound of pegasus wings. Looking up, she saw Derpy land gently a few feet away and smiled over at her.

Derpy perked up as she noticed her friend. “Oh, hey there, Rarity! Here to pick up Sweetie, I guess?” She asked, stepping over towards her.

“Yes, I am!” Rarity gave a happy smile towards the pegasus, “How are you doing today, Derpy?” She asked, moving closer to Derpy to give her a small but friendly hug.

“Good! I got my whole route done faster than usual today, and the boss said he’s thinking about giving me a raise for being consistently done faster than most other mailponies, even with the break I have to take to get Dinky to school.” Derpy told her, smiling widely. Her eyes looked up at the sky for a moment, before she added, “Oh, and there was even a new addition to my route today- a zebra, said his name was Rush. He seems nice!”

“You’ve met Mr. Greymane as well?” Rarity’s smile grew. “He’s such a sweetheart… I just had him come in today with a huge order! He wants his entire wardrobe completely redone, by me~!” She giggled a little. “Oh… I can’t honestly believe that he loved my work that much, and the only things I made for him were a few uniforms!”

Derpy blinked. “Wow… that sounds wonderful! And… like a lot of work. Do you think you’ll need me to babysit Sweetie Belle anytime soon, to lighten your workload?” She offered.

“Oh… no, no I’ll be fine! Don’t worry about me.” Rarity assured with a smile. “Thank you for the offer though. Sweetie’s actually quite the help while I’m working, she’s much better than Opal.” She joked with a small laugh.

That made Derpy snort, giggling with Rarity. “I’ll never understand how you can love that evil little furball.” She teased.

“She has a wonderful fashion sense! If it wasn’t for her, my friends and I would’ve gone to our first gala in some horrid dresses!” Rarity shivered as she thought about the first rendition of all the dresses.

“If you say so, Rarity. Personally, I’ve always been a fan of rabbits.” Derpy said, grinning. “All fluffy and soft and cute… I bet Dinky would love one!”

As if on cue, the school bell rang, and moments later the foals came running out to meet their waiting parents and siblings. Dinky and Sweetie came out like rockets, jumping into Derpy and Rarity’s arms respectively.

“Hi, Mommy!”

“Hey, Sis!”

Rarity and Derpy responded much the same- both mares lifted the smaller fillies and hugged them tightly, Rarity giving Sweetie a small peck on the cheek while Derpy spun around with Dinky in her arms- about an equally emotional response, all things considered.

Looking over at Rarity, Derpy said, “Hey, you wanna meet up at the park for a playdate tomorrow? It’s been a while since we last spent some time together, and I know Dinky wants to hang out with Sweetie again.”

“Yeah! C’mon, Ms. Rarity, it’ll be so much fun!” Said foal agreed, leaning back in Derpy’s arms to look over at Rarity upside down, her arms spread wide.

“Of course! I’d love to go to the park with you, and why wouldn’t I bring Sweetie along?” Rarity giggled.

“Yay!” Sweetie laughed happily, nearly bouncing as she hugged her sister tightly.

“At about what time would you like to go to the park?” Rarity asked, looking to Derpy with a smile.

“Ah… how about 3 o’clock? It’s a little after school gets out and it gives us some time to prepare in case they wanna swim or anything like that.” Derpy offered.

“That sounds like a great time! We could spend plenty of it talking and catching up, then, while Sweetie and Dinky play about.” Rarity nodded at her offer, “It’s a playdate then?”

“It’s a date!” Derpy agreed. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Rarity! Ready to fly, sweetie?” She asked, turning to Dinky.

“Yeah! I’m ready to fly! Let’s go home!” Dinky gave Derpy a wide smile as she giggled.

She took off from the ground, soaring high as she hugged Dinky close. “You have any homework, honey?”

“Only a worksheet, but I can do it, mommy!” Dinky smiled at her mom, nuzzling her as she hugged the pegasus tightly.

“Wellll…” Derpy chuckled, “I do still have one of those potions that let you stay on the clouds for a while. You wanna sit up there and watch the sunset?”

“Yes! I’d love to Mommy!” Dinky nodded furiously as her smile grew twice as large. “Eee, thank youuuu! Thank you so much! I love you!” She squeed as she hugged Derpy tighter.

Derpy laughed, leaning her head down to nuzzle Dinky as she angled herself up, flying high into the sky. “I love you too, honey… now reach into Mommy’s bag and get it, okay? It’s right on the outside pocket.”

Dinky reached in and grabbed the potion, gripping it tightly so it wouldn’t slip and fall. “I got it, mommy!”

“Now go ahead and drink it, then. Every drop! That way we can stay up here for as long as possible.” Derpy said, starting to approach the clouds.

Dinky nodded and drank down the entire potion, closing her eyes for a few moments as she finished off the very last drop. She put it back in her mommy’s bag so they could throw the bottle away later.

“All done? Good!” Derpy said, patting Dinky’s back. She flew up through a cloud, slowing down as she reached the top. “Alright, you know the drill, honey- Mommy’s gonna hold you until you’re standing on it, just to make sure it worked.” She continued, standing on it herself and leaning down, bringing Dinky closer to the cloud.

“Alright!” Dinky smiled up at Derpy as her feet slowly touched the clouds. She wiggled her foot a bit just to check it, and she didn’t break it! The potion had worked and Dinky giggled happily. “It worked mommy!”

“Yay! That means we get to lay up here on the fluffy, soft clouds for a while!” Derpy cheered, falling intentionally back and rolling along the soft surface, nuzzling and smooching DInky’s face.

Dinky squealed and started to giggle as she tried breaking free of her mommy’s grasp. “No! Please! I don’t wanna be smooched to death!” She giggled with a happy smile “Please mommy don’t!”

“Noooo, I’m gonna kiss ya and make you all smoochified!” Derpy fake-growled, before blowing a raspberry on Dinky’s neck.

“Nooooo!” Dinky squealed in a much louder way as she tried to break away, giggles coming out of her mouth in such a cute way it nearly hurt. “Please! N-no mommy! I wanna watch the sunset!”

Soon enough, Derpy did stop, cuddling Dinky close to her. “Alright, alright… you know Mommy just loves to tease you, honey.” She giggled, sticking her tongue out at her foal.

“I knooow mommy!” Dinky stuck her tongue out at Derpy. “Mmmn… but does Mommy wanna read bedtime stories tonight?”

“Aren’t you a little old for bedtime stories, Dinky?” Derpy laughed, ruffling her mane. “Of course I will. That is if Grandma isn’t there already to read you one.”

“Mmmf… I’m never too old for a bedtime story!” Dinky huffed, looking away from Derpy for a moment before giggling. “Why not two though?” She asked hopefully, as that meant staying up longer.

Derpy shook her head. “Only one, honey. You gotta get up early in the morning, remember?” She said, sitting up with Dinky still in her lap.

Dinky whined a little bit, “Fiiiinnnneeee! Only one.” She huffed, snuggling back against Derpy. “When’s the sun gonna set mommy?” She asked with a hint of curiosity.

“Mmm… I think in about half an hour.” Derpy said. “Why don’t you tell me how your day went until then, hmm? I bet you had a lotta fun!”

“Oooh, I had lottsa fun!” Dinky began to tell her mommy everything that they’d learned that day.

The two talked and played all the way to and through the sunset, taking a small while to admire the beauty of both it and the rise of the moon.

Derpy gently closed the door behind her, sighing happily now that Dinky was asleep. She walked out into the living room and sat down on the couch, gratefully taking a cup of hot chocolate from the other pegasus in the room. “Thanks, Mom.” She whispered.

“You’re welcome, honey.” Ditzy Hooves smiled a little as her daughter sat down, sitting and wrapping a wing lightly around her. “I’m always happy to help.” She hugged Derpy for a few moments. “So, how are things going?”

“Things are going well!”Derpy said, smiling back. “I’ve gotten faster at my mail route while still being, y’know, always right about who I deliver to. And the boss says he’s probably gonna give me a raise for it. That’ll make things a little easier.” She leaned against Ditzy, giving a little sigh. “It’s… it’s been a lot better since Dinky started going to school. Where she can see Sweetie every day and learn, and…” Her eyes grew a little watery, “And she makes me so proud when she comes home and shows me how well she’s doing… did you know she can levitate small things, now? Like her pencils and papers?”

“That’s amazing!” Ditzy’s smile grew as she hugged Derpy again. “She’s learning so fast! I know she’ll do amazing things in the future!” She pulled back and sipped her hot chocolate. “Ooh… I can’t wait until she starts to teleport… perhaps she’ll get into the School for Gifted Unicorns? Wouldn’t that be something…”

Derpy blushed, chuckling a little. “M-Mom, it took Twilight Sparkle years to teleport… and that’s when she’d graduated already, for all intents and purposes… but… yeah, I think it’d be wonderful if she grew up to be that talented. It… it might be tough, though, with her all the way in Canterlot.” She said, taking a long draw of the tasty drink. “I don’t think I could afford to move there… so she might have to board there if the opportunity comes.”

“My, you’re right.” Ditzy sighed. “Perhaps I’m getting too far ahead of myself…” She shook her head.

“It’s okay, Mom. Sometimes I get a little dizzy thinking about her future, too… I know she’s gonna have a lot more opportunities than I ever did.” Derpy said, her smile dropping a little.

“Derpy…” Ditzy sighed, hugging her daughter tightly. “You did the best with what you had… you know your father and I are always going to be here for you. Nothing will ever change that.”

“I know, Mom. I’m just… I’m happy she’s all… good. You know? Not.. not wrong.” Derpy replied. “Not like me.”

“You aren’t wrong! Derpy, you’re an amazing mare…” Ditzy squeezed her even tighter. “Don’t you go saying those silly things…”

Derpy nuzzled against her mother’s neck, sniffling a little. “I know! I know, I’m sorry… I just… sometimes I can’t help but think that. I try so hard to be the best I can, and still… still, some ponies out there look at me like I’m… Like I’m stupid.”

“They’re the stupid ones… you need to find a pony who makes you happy and is great with Dinky. Then what the others think and look at you like won’t matter.” Ditzy sighed. “I know you’ll find that special pony…”

“I want to too, Mom… I’m just scared that they’ll turn out like… like him.” Derpy whispered.

Ditzy squeezed Derpy even tighter. “Don’t you dare mention that… that bastard again! He was nothing but trouble and he ruined your heart! He never deserved you!” She growled as she kept squeezing Derpy. “Hmph… if one of them does turn out like him… I’ll be sure to give him what he deserves- A nice helping of-” She cut herself off and started to calm down a bit. “Then you make sure, you don’t rush into it, make sure he knows you have a daughter already. Then if he stays, you try dating. Don’t go headlong into sex, make it something special between the two of you, and… please, use birth control. Dinky’s a sweetheart… but you can’t take care of two.”

Derpy giggled a little at the last comment, pulling her head away and wiping her eyes. After a few moments, she looked back at Ditzy, saying, “Th-thanks, Mom… you always know how to make me feel better. And… and I’ll be careful, don’t worry. I know what happened was both his fault and me… rushing. I won’t let anything happen like that again.”

“I love you, sweetie.” Ditzy kissed Derpy on the cheek.

The two hugged for a good long time, taking sips of hot chocolate until the cups were cold and mostly empty. Eventually, though, Derpy had to sleep, and Ditzy had to leave, the former looking to the latter and slowly standing.

“Tell Dad I love him, okay? We’ll come by and spend some time with you guys soon… I know Ditzy really wants to show her Grandpa how good with her magic she is.” Derpy giggled. “She says she’s gonna be better than him at it all in no time.”

“Of course I’ll tell your dad you love him. And we’re always happy to have you over! Just stop in whenever you want to, honey.” Ditzy smiled widely as she stood up. “Have a good night, Derpy!” She waved as she finished up her hot cocoa. Before she left she did rinse it out and put it into the dishwasher, then with one final wave she was out the front door, closing it behind herself as she went home.

Derpy watched her go from the window, wiping away one last tear as she thought about Ditzy’s words again, trying her best to take them to heart as she always did. Heading back into the kitchen, she set it to run through the night and went back to Dinky’s room, slowly opening the door to make sure her daughter was still asleep- she was- and sneaking over to give a soft kiss to Dinky’s forehead.

“Mommy loves you, honey…” She whispered, before pulling away and heading back out, softly closing the door behind her. She went about and finished her nightly routine- preening a little, cleaning up a few small things, and then heading to bed in her PJs, staring up at the ceiling and thinking for a while before finally closing her eyes and falling asleep, her head full of dreams of the future.

Torchwood started at the readout on the console, frowning a little bit before starting to grin. “Hmm… so it seems in this dimension, everything’s just a little different, but mostly the same as last time. A little… happier, too.” He said, the smile growing on his face. “That’s wonderful, wonderful!”

A Day In The Park

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“So, you’ve got everything? Some snacks, your bathing suit, sunscreen… all of it?” Derpy asked one more time as she flew through the air, glancing down at Dinky.

“Yep! I got everything all packed up!” Dinky nodded with a wide and happy smile, before giggling. “That’s, like, the hundredth time you asked, Mommy!”

Derpy blushed, looking away. “I just like to make sure, okay? C’mon, you little ragamuffin, let’s go have some fun!” She said, coming in for a soft landing and setting Dinky down. Looking around, Derpy didn’t notice Sweetie or Rarity anywhere yet- she must be a little early.

“Yay! I can’t wait to play with Sweetie for the rest of the day!” Dinky giggled happily as she looked around. “Where are they, mommy?” She asked, looking back at Derpy.

Derpy hummed, about to say something before her eyes widened and she smiled again, waving out behind Dinky. “Seems like they just got here- hey Rarity, Sweetie!” She called out the last bit.

Sweetie ran up in front of Rarity before almost tackling Dinky in a tight hug. “Hey Dinky! Big Sis almost made us late because she said, like, ‘ladies must double and triple check that they are ade- a-adequo- um, well prepared’!” She said, doing an intentionally-poor imitation of Rarity before laughing.

Rarity huffed at that, “I do not sound like that!” She bit back a smile. “Now… I just wanted to make sure you had everything for today, Sweetie! Where’d be the fun if Dinky had a swimming suit but you didn’t?”

Sweetie groaned. “Okaaay, I guess… but I still don’t think you had to do your makeup like you always do! We’re just at the park, not in Manehattan.” She said, teasing Rarity.

Rarity just rolled her eyes.

“I think she looks pretty with it!” Dinky smiled before she giggled.

“Thank you Dinky. And I think you look pretty too.” Rarity smiled a bit more.

“You do look really good, Rarity. Though I agree with Sweetie a little bit- it’s not like you really need all that makeup, you’re prettier than most mares regardless” Derpy said.

Rarity blushed a bit. “Thank you, Derpy… I just feel a bit, well… naked without it.” She sighed.

“That’s fair. I’d feel weird if I went a day without wearing my mailmare uniform, after all.” The pegasus nodded.

“Mommy, can we go play?” Dinky asked, hopping up and down with Sweetie.

“Of course! Just stay in view and let us know if you want any snacks or toys, or when you wanna go swimming.” Derpy said, leaning down to give Dinky a loving kiss before ruffling her mane. “Have fun!”

The two fillies ran off to go play together, leaving Derpy and Rarity alone.

“Oh my… they’re so adorable together.” Rarity sighed with a smile, “Truly, they’re going to be best friends forever, aren’t they?.”

Derpy laughed, before pulling two small but sturdy foldable chairs from the duffle bag she’d brought, passing one to Rarity. “I definitely think so. Seems like only yesterday we were separating two crying infants from each other at this same park, doesn’t it?”

“Oh, goodness… yes, it does seem just like yesterday.” Rarity nodded with a nostalgic sigh. “Now we really can’t separate them. I’m incredibly surprised they don’t try to con us into sleepovers more often, in fact.” She laughed, taking the chair and folding it out to sit down.

Sitting next to her, Derpy pulled out a drink for Rarity- a fancy sparkling water she knew the mare liked- before getting a soda out for herself. “I think they’re afraid that if they tried, we might stop them.” She replied, smiling as she watched the foals play.

“Oh… most days I wouldn’t mind, darling. They’re far too sweet together! I’d never say no- unless of course, we had other plans for that night… or they had school the next day.” Rarity took the water from Derpy, “You’re so thoughtful, you know that?” She giggled, “Thank you, Derpy.”

“Hey, it’s only fair. You’d do the same if you brought all the food and drinks, I know that.” Derpy said, shrugging a little and pausing for a sip. “Mmm… so, what all’s new with you?”

“Oh, nothing much today. I just stated that large order for Mr. Greymane. With all that he asked for, I’m definitely going to be attracting a lot of attention…”

“Oh? I know he asked for a whole new wardrobe, but is there something he does that’d put your clothes in the spotlight?” Derpy asked.

“Yes! He’s an amazing chef, he works with a lot of prominent ponies. If they found out I did his entire wardrobe, my store would be booming!” Rarity smiled even more, “I’m just giddy thinking of all the new customers it would bring in!”

Derpy tilted her head. “Well, where does he work? Sounds like he’s gotta be somewhere- and someone- important, to be able to put your work in the forefront like that.”

“The Golden Horseshoe!” Rarity exclaimed. “He’s their head chef now!”

Derpy’s eyes widened, and her jaw dropped for a few moments before she gained her voice again. “Th-the… the Golden Horseshoe? R-really? I’ve… I’ve never even been in there, but I hear that it’s easily the best restaurant in Ponyville. And he’s their new head chef?”

“Yes, he is! Apparently, Mr. Greymane a most wonderful cook from Canterlot, born and raised in Equestria!” Rarity nodded quickly. “It’s so amazing that he wanted me of all ponies to make his entire wardrobe!” She said, eyes shining.

“Gosh… that really is something, Rarity.” Derpy murmured, pausing for another drink. “Seems you really hit the jackpot there.”

“Ooh, he’s so sweet, too! I wonder if he’s married… somepony like him? He has to be… any mare that didn’t take him up on an offer to go out must be just… excuse my language, darling, stupid.” Rarity sighed dreamily for a few moments. “Ooh… what a lucky mare…”

“He seems pretty nice, yeah! I’ve only met him once so far, but… he was very polite.” Derpy agreed. “It’s also good to see that the rest of Ponyville isn’t, ah… reacting to him the same way they did Zecora when she first came to town.”

“Yes, I do believe we all learned a lesson from that.” Rarity shook her head. “I’m sure with how polite he is to everypony that he’s made plenty of friends already. Other than possibly a few stray ponies… I think we’ve been more accepting of other species as of late.”

“That’s always good!” Derpy said her smile wide. “Of course some ponies will always be kinda grumpy on their own, but… as long as most of us have our hearts in the right place, they don’t matter. Mmm… maybe I’ll bring him some muffins soon, as a ‘welcome to Ponyville’ present.” She continued, before stopping and turning to Rarity. “Er… has he had his Pinkie Pie Party yet?”

“I don’t know, actually. He just moved here I think two days ago! Just started his actual job yesterday so, I assume not.” Rarity shook her head. “I… dread telling Pinkie though. It might startle him if there’s suddenly a party in his home.”

“I’ll go ahead and warn him when I next see him, then,” Derpy said. “It’ll still be a surprise when it happens, but… this way he won’t think there’s someone invading his house or anything like that.”

“I’ll also warn him a bit more about Pinkie when he comes to drop off his first payment.” Rarity nodded, “As long as it doesn’t happen tonight… and knowing Pinkie…”

:...You think she will, just based on how nopony else would do it like that?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s already at his house.” Rarity groaned.

Derpy frowned. “Maybe I’ll, ah… make a quick stop over there when those two are all tuckered out, then.” She said, pointing to Dinky and Sweetie.

“Yeah, I think that’d be best.” Rarity nodded with a sigh, “If only Pinkie would respect privacy a bit more sometimes…” She shook her head and looked to the two foals playing happily together.

Derpy giggled, shaking her head- but in amusement. “If she would have ever learned, it’s too late by now. Best to just make sure Rush knows what he’s in for.”

Rarity smiled even more now, “Oh, for all we know he’s used to parties or one of the other chefs already warned him, and he’s going to cook for the entire party.”

Before Derpy could reply, a purple blur tackled her, almost knocking the pegasus and her chair over. “Mommy, Sweetie and I wanna go swimming now!” Dinky said, bouncing in Derpy’s lap.

“Ooof! Eurgh, D-Dinky… you’re too big now for just tackling into me, jeez…” Derpy said, chuckling regardless. “And alright! D’you need my help to change, or have you got it?” She asked.

“I got it, Mommy! I’m a big filly now.”

“Hah! Yeah, you’re getting there honey.” Derpy ruffled Dinky’s mane. “Come back for sunscreen and then we’ll all move to the lake.”

Sweetie ran over too and Rarity already had her swimming suit pulled out. “There you go, Sweetie.” Rarity smiled happily at her little sister. “And just like Dinky… please come back so you can get some sunscreen on before you go trying to swim, dear. I don’t want you getting sunburnt.”

“Okay! I’m gonna go change with Dinky, we’ll be back soon!” Sweetie giggled as she and Dinky ran off to the bathroom nearby.

Derpy watches them run off, smiling a little bit. “Have… you ever wanted to have a foal yourself, Rarity?” She suddenly asked, turning to her friend.

Rarity sipped from her water. “I think about it occasionally… yes, but I’m getting far, far too old now… most stallions would be looking for a pretty and younger mare now.” She sighed wistfully.

“Whaaat? Rarity, you’ve gotta be kidding me, right?” Derpy asked, her eyes going wide. “You’re, like… easily the most beautiful mare in Ponyville. And you’d probably knock Canterlot’s mares outta the park, too!”

Rarity giggled a little and blushed, “Oh, thank you, Derpy. I’m closing in on thirty-one, though! I’m growing far too old to be dating, and it seems some stallions are scared of a successful mare.” She giggled. “I’m also just… far too busy, especially right now with such a large order I need to fill… to try dating and finding a stallion I’d want to marry so we could have foals? It’d take up too much of my time… and I can’t let the life I want for Sweetie fall apart just because I want to date some… hunk.” She blushed a bit more.

Derpy’s eyes widened a little more before narrowing, and she leaned a little closer, a grin on her face. “I bet you’re thinking of someone you’d wanna go out with right now, aren’t you?” She teased, unfolding a wing to poke one of Rarity’s shoulders. “Huh? Huuuuh? Tell me~!”

“No one, darling, I swear it!” Rarity huffed. “I am not thinking about going out with some… rich and studly hunk.” She blushed brightly. “Don’t think such uncouth things about me! It’s the stallion’s duty to come court a lady like myself!” She turned her nose up jokingly before giggling a little.

“Yeah, and I bet you’d just melt into a little puddle if a rich and studly hunk came up to you and begged to go out on a date with a gorgeous mare like yourself, wouldn’t you?” Derpy kept teasing, giggling herself. “You’d get all flustered and start stammering and then faint onto you convenient little couch in front of him!”

“J-just because I have that couch on standby… hmph!” Rarity huffed, “You’re counting yourself out far too much! You’d be more likely to have a rich hunk come to you… beg you to allow him to take you out to have the privilege of being in your company! Derpy, I’m more surprised that there aren’t more stallions clambering to go out with you!” She blushed fiercely.

Derpy’s face got very red, very quickly, and she looked away. “N-not true… It’s not l-like I’m anyone special, not like you are! I’m just a mailpony, you’re… you’re an Element of Harmony! A-and, like a hugely successful business owner!”

“Derpy! You are exceedingly beautiful, dare I say… most days when I see you so early, looking so bright and pretty it makes me jealous of you!” Rarity pressed on, smiling a bit more as she got up and went over, hugging Derpy. “You’re a beautiful mare… you just have to trust that.”

Derpy calmed down a little, still blushing hard but much less nervous now. “Mmm… w-well, when it comes from somepony like you, I know you really mean it.” She said, leaning her head over to lightly nuzzle Rarity. “Thanks… I appreciate it.”

“Sometimes… we all need to hear just how beautiful we are.” Rarity returned the light nuzzle as she hugged Derpy for a few more seconds. “But… do tell me something Derpy…”

“Y-yeah?”

“Have you tried dating again?” Rarity asked, “I… know it might be hard, but you have plenty of time, you’re still so young…”

“It’s not like you’re that much older than me, Rarity!” Derpy giggled, glancing away.

“Derpy, I will not let you get away from answering my question! Have you tried dating?” Rarity huffed, blushing a bit at the compliment.

Derpy squirmed a little bit, looking out to see- “O-Oh! Look! Dinky and Sweetie have finished changing let's go to the lake now if you could take the stuff I’d be happy!” She blurted, wriggling free and taking off towards the foals, gathering one in each arm as she flew over toward Ponyville Park’s close by lake.

Rarity huffed and followed Derpy, not giving up on finding out the answer. As she saw Derpy again she said loudly, “Derpy Hooves, you will answer me!”

Dinky and Sweetie flinched, not used to hearing Rarity raise her voice in… anger, it sounded like.

“S-sis? What’s wrong? I-Is everything alright?” Sweetie asked, looking from Derpy’s downcase face to Rarity’s slight glare.

“I don’t like that you keep dodging my question! I’m worried about you!” Rarity hugged Derpy warmly.

“Question? What question? Mommy, what’s going on?” Dinky asked, frowning as she stared up at Derpy. “Are you okay?”

“I’m… I’m fine, Dinky. Rarity, just… let me tell you after th-the foals are away?” Derpy said, looking over at her helplessly.

“No, Derpy… you will tell me this instant.” Rarity said firmly, though there wasn’t any anger in her voice this time.

Derpy deflated, and her eyes grew a little unfocused. “I… no. I haven’t, okay? I’ve never tried dating again since…” She shook her head and glanced at Dinky, before looking away. “Since you-know-what.”

Rarity’s face fell and her ears drooped. “Oh… oh, I’m so sorry for pushing…” She apologized quietly, looking away.

“Dinky… w-what’s sis and your mommy talking about?” Sweetie asked in a whisper.

“I-I don’t… well… I might know. Um, when we’re swimming I’ll tell you, okay?” Dinky whispered back.

“It’s okay. I know why you did it… I just didn’t want to make you sad by telling you the truth.” Derpy said, sighing a little.

Rarity nuzzled Derpy. “I… don’t want to risk making it any worse… but perhaps, now is the time?” She suggested. “If you do ever have a date, I’ll watch Dinky while you’re out.” She offered with a smile. “It’d give Sweetie and Dinky more time to play with each other.”

Derpy nodded at the suggestion and gave a weak smile in return. “I’ll… I’ll keep that in mind, Rarity. Thanks. We should, um, get some sunscreen on these two rascals while we have them here, though.” She said, half-heartedly ruffling Dinky’s hair.

“Right… we should.” Rarity nodded. “Come on you two… time to make sure neither of you gets burnt in the sun.” She somewhat forced a smile, pulling out a bottle of sunscreen from her bag.

Sweetie was in the water first, waiting with a small, confused look for Dinky to come in with her.

Paddling over, Dinky stopped a few feet away from Sweetie, held up by her floaties. “So, um… what do you think that was?”

“I dunno… I was hoping you’d know.” Sweetie shrugged, floating beside Dinky in her own floaties. “They looked like they were about to fight too…”

Dinky glanced back over to her momma and Rarity- the two were talking still, but much quieter and more reserved than before. “I… I think it might have to do with, um, how Mommy is sad a lot of the time…”

“Your mommy’s sad a lot? She always looks so happy around you, though… or whenever I’m over.” Sweetie watched her sister and Derpy for a few moments, before looking back to Dinky. “Huh… do you know why your mommy’s sad?”

“Uh… well, I think it might be ‘cuz of Daddy… or how I don’t have one? I-I’m not sure…” Dinky frowned. “Sometimes I’m awake when she thinks I’m asleep, an’ I can hear her talking to Granny Ditzy about him.”

Sweetie sighed, “Huh…” She mumbled quietly, “Why don’t you talk to her about it at all?” She asked curiously.

“Well, Mommy gets all sad when she talks about it! And… And I don’t wanna make her any sadder.” Dinky said.

“Oh…” Sweetie let out a small sigh. “Huh, is there… anything we could do then? I… don’t think they’ll want us to try…”

Dinky hummed for a few moments, thinking hard, before saying, “I… I wanna help Mommy get a special somepony. Someone that’ll make her happy!”

“I’ll help you then! Why don’t we find a pony that makes your mommy happy?” Sweetie suggested, “We should… watch her some day, see where she goes and who she talks to!” She smiled happily at her own idea.

Dinky gasped, waving her arms. “That’s a great idea! I’ll try and, um, get her to bring me with her on more stuff… and see who she’s around. Maybe… um, do you know when the next school holiday is?” She asked.

“I think it’s next month.” Sweetie said, “I dunno, but we could ask tomorrow at school!” She smiled widely, “We’re gonna find your mommy a special somepony!” She giggled happily as she splashed around.

“Yeah! And I’ll keep a notebook of who it should be! We’re gonna make Mommy happy, yay!” She cheered, before swimming forwards and hug-tackling Sweetie.

Derpy giggled as she saw Dinky dunk herself and Sweetie, happy the foals were having fun with whatever they were talking about. She turned to Rarity, deflating a little at the worried look on her face and looking back at the lake. “Look, you… you don’t have to worry, okay? I’m fine… I’m just… not looking right now.” She said.

“Alright, I’ll… try not to worry.” Rarity let out a long sigh, “But… th-” She cut herself off, “No… No… it’s not my place.” She shook her head and forced another smile. “Look at them, while we’re back here talking about something that makes the two of us sad they’re out there having fun…”

Derpy nodded, giving a small grin herself despite being sad that Rarity had to fake a smile just to cheer her up. “Yeah… that’s just foals for you. To tell the truth, I wouldn’t be surprised if they already forgot about our little, um… spat.” She said, rubbing the back of her neck. “S-sorry, by the way, about all that.”

“No-no, I shouldn’t have pressed like I did. I should’ve realized… when the time is right, you’ll get back into dating.” Rarity assured, hugging Derpy and giving her a genuine smile.

Derpy sighed, leaning her head over to gently nuzzle Rarity. “I hope so. I… I wanna find someone nice and caring, that’ll be okay with me already having a foal. I don’t really care if they’re, uh… rich and hunky. That’s just a plus.”

“Heh… It’ll always be a plus.” Rarity giggled, nuzzling Derpy back. “Do let me know when you find someone though… I want to make sure you look your best for every date, darling~” She smiled wider as she hugged Derpy for a few more moments.

“Pfft… maybe I’ll just end up with you as my special somepony, and then you’ll always be able to make sure.” Derpy joked. “I bet Sweetie and Dinky would love that, hah!”

Rarity blushed a little, “Um… yes, they’d love that.” She nodded slowly, before smiling once again.

Having turned back to the lake, Derpy didn’t notice Rarity’s blush. “Mmm… still, though, I can’t even really think of anyone I’m particularly interested in… I mean, I don’t know that many ponies on a personal level anyway.”

“That’s what dating is for! Don’t even treat the first as a date, go out for coffee, or for something light and just… talk. Don’t worry about anything beyond just becoming friends, if you do, then you’ll start to second guess yourself and worry far, far too much.” Rarity said, looking out at the lake as well. “And… finding someone you’re interested in, that’s the easiest part of it all, darling, you just have to find someone who’ll treat Dinky like a daughter, and be a good father figure for her.”

Derpy frowned. “But… what if I’m wrong? If, well… if I find someone I think will be good and a father figure, but… they’re not? I don’t want to put her through that… or… or myself.” She admitted. “I don’t wanna be wrong, not again.”

“Then take it all slow. Don’t rush into it, introduce them to Dinky early on… not when you start dating. See how whomever you want to date reacts to her, treats her, and then if you don’t like the way he treats Dinky? Don’t go any further.” Rarity frowned a bit too. “It’ll be hard at first… it always is. But, until you know that they’ll treat Dinky right… don’t invest yourself in more than just a friendship.”

Derpy gave a small laugh. “Sounds like the same advice my mom gave me last night… I guess if multiple ponies are saying it, I should really listen, huh?”

“Maybe. In the end, though… It’s all up to you.” Rarity patted her shoulder. “Should we get them out of the lake and get ready to head home?”

Derpy nodded. “Yeah, I think so. I’ll go ahead and stop by Rush’s house on the way home to let him know about the Pinkie Pie party… and if it’s already happening, maybe join in for a little bit.”

“Alright!” Rarity smiled as she walked to the lakeshore to get the attention of the two fillies, waving out to them. “Come on, dears! It’s time to get you all clean and dry, Sweetie, we’re heading home!”

“You remember the plan, right?” Dinky whispered as they swam towards the shore.

“Yep! I won’t forget it.” Sweetie whispered back with a small giggle as she paddled to her sister. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Dinky!” She waved with a happy smile.

“Bye-bye!”

Derpy came over with a towel and a change of dry clothes, pointing over to the nearby showers. “Mommy’s gonna help you get all clean, and then we just have one stop before we head back home.” She said, before turning to Rarity. “This was fun… and, well, enlightening. I’ll see you again soon, Rarity!”

“Of course! I can’t wait, Derpy!” Rarity smiled widely as she guided Sweetie to do the same.

Rush was actually having a peaceful night, though he had a gut feeling something was going to happen… but he passed it off as what he ate for lunch. “That chicken was undercooked…” He muttered, chastising himself for trying to cook the food just enough and not staying in the normal safe range.

Outside, Derpy fluttered to the ground, Dinky in her arms. As she landed, her foal squirmed up so she was sitting on Derpy’s shoulders, looking around from her new vantage point. The pegasus laughed as she walked towards the door, softly knocking.

Rush’s ears perked and he walked out of his living room and to the front door, opening it and peeking you. “Hello?” He asked with a smile, he saw the grey pegasus and smiled a bit more. “Hi, Miss Derpy! How can I help you?” He opened the door the rest of the way and smiled, he had just gotten out of his uniform and was in some green PJ’s.

“Hi, Rush! Er, Mr. Rush. However it is you like it. Um, I just wanted to ask and make sure first- have you met Pinkie Pie, by any chance? Earth pony, pink mane, tail, and coat, loves to surprise people and do impossible things…” Derpy asked.

“Hiii! I’m Dinky!” Said foal added, leaning over Derpy’s head to wave at Rush.

“Yes… yes, I have. She planned my new job party… and destroyed the restaurant in the process, then the next morning? The entire thing… tables wrecked, kitchen utterly trashed… it was all clean. Everything, spotless… I just ignored it and carried on.” He laughed a little, “Why? Is she p-planning something else?” He sounded a bit worried as he looked around a bit.

“W-well, um… Pinkie Pie has a tradition, okay? She… she throws parties for the new arrivals in town. And she never forgets anyone. So… I guess this is a warning or a reminder… or something. Just be on your toes, I guess? She’ll get you soon, and more than likely at your house.” Derpy explained.

“Thanks for the warning.” Rush smiled, “So… who’s this little filly?” He asked curiously, waving at Dinky. “It’s nice to meet you, Dinky, I’m Rush.”

“Oh! She’s my daughter, Dinky Hooves. We just got back from playing in the park with Rarity and Sweetie, and I wanted to make this stop really quick to give you a heads up on Pinkie’s whole… party thing.” Derpy said. She scooted Dinky down to let her shake Rush’s hand.

“Nice to meet you too, Mr. Rush! You seem like a nice zebra!” She said, smiling widely up at him.

Rush looked Derpy over for a moment, “You… have a daughter?” He asked curiously, tilting his head a bit. “That’s surprising to say the very least… you look so young!” He smiled, “And, Dinky, you already seem like a very sweet filly! Especially if how nice your mother’s been to me is anything to go by.” He laughed a bit.

Dinky looked down at Derpy and then back up at Rush, thinking for a second… “You should take Mommy out on a date, Mr. Rush!” She said, her smile wider than ever.

Derpy’s eyes widened dramatically, and her face turned very red. “D-D-Dinky! Th-that’s not appropriate!” She sputtered, looking anywhere but at Rush.

Rush nearly choked at those words, just out of sheer surprise. His face turned a tomato red and he looked away. “I um… I…” He stammered, trying to think of words, but the embarrassment was strong in him now as he lost all ability to speak in any known language besides stuttered vowels.

The pegasus looked down, scuffing a hoof on the ground. “M-Maybe I should, ah… just go now. I-It was nice seeing you again, Rush. I hope you have a good d-ahh!” She squeaked, jumping back in shock as she turned to see Pinkie Pie standing right behind her. “P-Pinkie!”

Rush’s attention snapped up and his eyes widened as he looked right at Pinkie. “Whaa…” He trailed off. He was scared to turn around now. His eyes had been off of Derpy for one second and Pinkie was there. “The party’s here isn’t it?” He mumbled, knowing he’d have to turn around eventually, but still wondering how she managed to do all of this.

“Mmmmhmmmm.” Pinkie’s trademark grin™ was only growing wider by the second as her eyes lit up.

“Everything’s already in my house… isn’t it?”

“Yep.” Pinkie nodded.

“I should… turn aroun- AND SHE’S TURNING ME AROUND!” The zebra gave an exacerbated cry of submission as Pinkie turned him around to see all of his coworkers were already in his home, along with more ponies he didn’t know yet.

Derpy was also inexplicably in the house, a party hat on both her and Dinky’s heads. “Ah… H-Happy ‘Welcome To Ponyville’ Party, Rush!” She said, still blushing a little.

Rush let out a long sigh. He had a party hat on now too, and a blower in his mouth. “Thanks.” He gave Derpy a small smile.

“Don’t worry about your house, Mr. Rush! It’s all gonna be okie-dokie-lokie in the morning!” Pinkie said, bouncing up and down in front of him. “So, are ya surprised? Huh? Are ya are ya are ya?”

“Surprised? I would never have expected this Pinkie… not in all of my life.” Rush laughed a bit, “Ooh… you definitely know how to throw a surprise party.” He grinned once again. “Let’s get this party started then!”

“Hooray!” Dinky cheered. “Can we stay, Mommy? Please please pleaaaase? Just for a little bit?”

Derpy hummed for a moment, before slowly nodding. “Only because you don’t have school tomorrow… but the instant I see you getting tired, we’re heading home. Rush, is it okay if I leave this in a closet or something?” She asked him, holding up the duffle bag.

“Yeah! Here, there’s one just over here.” Rush nodded and lead her to a closet just up the stairs. “Just put it in here.” He smiled, opening up the empty storage closet for her.

She set it down inside, and also let Dinky down to the ground. “Now, you need to stay near me, okay honey? Mommy wants to keep an eye on you since we’re in somepony- er, someone else’s home, and I don’t want you to accidentally break anything.” She said.

Dinky nodded but looked up at Rush afterward. “Does this count as a date with Mommy?” She asked.

Rush blushed brightly. “I uuh… will… um, I… Guess? Dating doesn’t happen when two ponies meet for the first time… usually… It usually happens when they know enough about each other to know they like one another.” He tried to explain. He looked to Derpy, silently pleading for help.

“J-Just because Rush is nice to be around doesn’t mean I automatically want to date him, Dinky… maybe, uh, if we got to know each other better that could happen, but… this is the second time we’ve ever seen each other, so…” Derpy trailed off.

“R-right! If we do start dating, you asking us to date constantly won’t help…” He nodded slowly in agreement. “It’s up to Derpy though… you can’t push it to happen.” He said, still blushing a bit. “L-like Derpy said we’ve only ever spoken twice… g-given some more time it may happen. I’m n-not going to count it out.” He blushed brighter, “I’m going to be down at the party…” He made like his namesake, rushing downstairs.

“Dinky…” Derpy sighed, squatting down so she was on eye level with the foal. “Can you listen to Mommy for a moment before we go back to the party?”

“Yep!” Dinky smiled happily up at her mom.

“You… you can’t do that anymore, okay? It’s… well, It’s kind of embarrassing. Wh-why are you trying to get me and Rush to date, anyway?” She asked.

Dinky pouted, “Because… you get really sad when you talk about me having a daddy to Grandma…” She looked away, “And I don’t like it when mommy’s sad…”

Derpy frowned, pulling Dinky in for a tight hug. “Honey, I appreciate you trying to help, but… this is something Mommy’s gotta do on her own, okay? It’s… grown-up stuff. You’ll understand when you’re older.”

“Okay, Mommy… I won’t talk about it anymore.” Dinky nodded a little before she hugged Derpy back.

After nuzzling her daughter for a few moments, Derpy stood back up. “Alright… so, then- are you ready to party, Dinky?” She asked, smiling again.

“I am!” Dinky nodded with a wide smile.

About an hour later, the party had started to calm down a little. There was still dancing and games and such, but some ponies had left, citing a need to work the next day. Derpy sat on one of the couches in Rush’s living room, watching Dinky as she played with Pinkie Pie.

Rush walked over and sat down beside her, “Hey Derpy.” He smiled, “I… wanted to chat with you a bit about what happened earlier.”

“O-oh! Um, don’t worry… I talked to Dinky, and… she won’t do that again. Sorry.” She said, assuming that Rush was weirded out by it.

“No-no! It’s fine, really… I was startled by it. Heh, she sounded almost like my parents, demanding I date every mare I’ve ever talked to.” Rush joked, smiling a bit more.

Derpy laughed a little, calming down some. “Yours too, huh?”

“Yeah, I never hear the end of it.” He laughed a bit, “Every letter they send me, they usually start with, ‘Do you have a marefriend yet?’, or some variation of that.”

Nodding, Derpy continued, “My parents live here in Ponyville… and every time I go over, or they come for a little while, they always end up asking if I’ve found a stallion or mare. I know exactly the feeling.”

“Mine still live in Canterlot… I’m pretty sure all they want are grandfoals.” He smiled, “So, I um… wanted to ask you something.” He began quietly.

“Oh! S-sure, Rush, what is it?” Derpy asked.

“Um, maybe we could... go out for coffee sometime?” Rush offered with a small smile.

Derpy’s eyes widened, and a massive blush lit up her face. “Oh! Um, I… w-well…” She stammered, trying to think of an excuse… but then Ditzy’s words echoed in her mind, strengthened by her friend, Rarity… and even the insistence of her daughter wanting her to be happy. Gulping, Derpy gave a tiny nod. “I-I… I’d be happy to, R-Rush! M-Maybe, ah… Saturday? We could meet at S-Sugarcube Corner?”

“S-sure! Saturday it is.” He smiled widely, blushing a bit too now. “Um, you and D-Dinky are staying for a while longer yet, aren’t you?” He asked as his blush grew brighter. “N-no need to stop talking now just because we have a date later, right?”

“R-Right, yeah! I’ll be here for… as long as she’s awake.” Derpy said, peeking over at DInky- still in the midst of a sugar high- before looking back to Rush… noticing now how close he sat to her, just a few inches away at most.

Rush took notice too, “Um… she’s a really nice foal… heh, must be hard… raising her all alone.” He sounded a bit saddened. “Look… It may seem strange and all but… it’s how I’ve been raised. If a friend of mine needs anything… just come and ask.” He smiled at Derpy, shakily taking her hand. He was sweating a little bit, clearly a bit awkward when he was dealing with a mare one on one.

Derpy’s blush grew, but even with Rush taking her hand, she calmed down a little. “I… th-thanks, Rush. I appreciate the offer.” She said, surprising herself by letting his hand stay.

“Thank you for, um… agreeing to go out… you’ve gotta be a busy mare.” Rush let out a small sigh as he squeezed her hand a bit. “And… um, leave your money at home, alright? I feel like, I should be paying for the date. No if’s, and’s, or but’s about it.” He teased a bit, glancing towards Dinky and Pinkie. “I won’t let you pay. And that’s final,” He turned his smile back at Derpy.

Derpy looked down, smiling uncontrollably for a few moments. “Th-that’s… really nice of you, Rush. I-I appreciate it.” She said, interlocking her fingers with his. Despite her nervousness, she looked back, her own grin turning a bit mischievous. “S-so… it’s a date now, huh?”

He raised an eyebrow and smirked, “I mean… what would you call asking a mare out for coffee?” He joked, “If it isn’t a date, well… I see no reason we can’t split the check.” He stuck his tongue out in a playful manner. “I don’t mind it just being two friends going out… doesn’t have to be anything more, right?”

“If, well… If it’s okay with you, c-could it… could it be just two friends going out for coffee? You’re really nice, Rush… but I don’t want to, e-er… rush into anything.” Derpy said, taking her hand back to rub the back of her head in slight embarrassment.

“It’s still a date, though.” He teased. “Next Saturday…” He laughed a bit, his smile not fading at all. “I’d… honestly like it if we didn’t get ahead of ourselves… let’s just become friends first. So… coffee with my new friend sounds like a perfect way to learn more about each other.”

“It really does. And… I’ll bring muffins! So we don’t have to spend too much money or anything.” Derpy offered. “What kind do you like?”

“Blueberry.” Rush sighed, “Just… don’t bring too many, eh? I don’t want to overeat on muffins… no matter how good they are.” His smile grew a bit.

“Well, they’re gonna be the best dang blueberry muffins you’ll ever have, so I’ll do my best to keep the number of them down.” She replied, giving him a cheeky wink.

Rush smirked, “I can’t wait! Though you’d better keep your word… I don’t wanna be eating a whole lot of them! It’d be so bad… but taste soooo good!” He chuckled.

Pinkie bounced up from nowhere, saying, “OH MY GOSH! Rush, Derpy makes the beeeeeestestest muffins ever! Even better than me, and that’s weird because I’m paid to bake and stuff!”

Derpy blushed again, turning away. “I-I mean… thanks, Pinkie… they’re just muffins, though, nothing special.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.” Rush teased, putting a hand on Derpy’s shoulder. “You just do what you normally do to make them, alright? If Pinkie thinks they’re impressive, then I know I’ll love them to death.”

“You toooootally will! I asked her for her recipe once and she gave me it and I made them but they were bleh so I asked what her _secrety secret_ was, but she said they’re just normal muffins! She must have, like, a second cutie mark for muffin-making!” Pinkie continued, hopping in place. Before either of them could respond, she added. “Oh and Derpy, Dinky’s about to fall asleep! You should get her home now~!”

Dinky, hearing that, turned and pouted. “N-no I’m not! I’m completely awake!” She said, before guiltily letting out a massive yawn.

Giggling, Derpy stood up. “Thanks, Pinkie… and, um, no. My cutie mark is only one, and it’s still bubbles.” She said, patting Pinkie’s poofy mane before making her way over to Dinky and picking up the sugar-crashing filly. “A-alright, Rush- I’m gonna head home and put Dinky to bed. S-see you, um… well, tomorrow morning, but also Saturday.”

“Alright! I’ll see you soon, Derpy! Have a wonderful night.” He smiled as he got up from the couch and went to go let them out.

Following Rush to the door, Derpy couldn’t help but really look him over for once… eyes taking in every detail they could see about the zebra.

He was a tall stallion, to say the least, about a foot taller than she was. He still hadn’t changed out of his pj’s which made him look a bit cute, though, beyond the very surface, he wasn’t showing very much. Just… a normal handsome zebra...

….

Okay, he shockingly had some visible muscles for a chef- they weren’t completely visible, but just looking at his arms made it clear that he tried really hard to take care of himself. Then his eyes, the vibrant bright green irises just seemed to ooze care and a general warmth. His face had a rugged handsome dash to it like someone was mixing up what made a stallion look good, and then slapped on a nice icing of charm to it all. Beyond that, without him going shirtless, she’d be seeing nothing of the rest of Rush’s body.

Rush meanwhile looked down at her with a smile, taking in every detail of her body as well.

Derpy wasn’t short, but she was perhaps a little below the average height for pegasi. Her gray fur looked silky-smooth, and if anything, her wings were a little bit bigger than most pegasi her size, full of soft-looking gray feathers that covered her wing, all carefully preened and almost shining with how much care she put into them. Her blonde mane and tail seemed to brighten up the room just by being there and nearly matched with her soft golden eyes- of which, he’d noticed, one would always be looking in a different direction from the other.

Beyond that, though, Derpy was… well, attractive. Her assets were all nicely sized, and she had a slightly plush look about her while also seeming quite solid, almost to an earth-pony level. Probably a combination of her sweets intake and all the exercise being a pegasus mailpony would give one. Her breasts looked about D-cup range, from Rush’s brief glance there, but what was Derpy’s most obvious feature was, well… her plot. Even in her pants, it was obvious that the bubbles on her butt went on to describe more than just her special talent, with how large and eye-catching her rump was.

Drawing his eyes back to her face was Derpy’s light blush, which precluded what she said. “Rush? A-are you gonna open the door?” She asked, looking past him to the still-closed door, which he’d been standing at for almost ten seconds, not opening.

Rush blushed brightly, “S-sorry!” He opened the door for her. “I uuh… heh, h-have a great night, D-Derpy!” He gulped a little and pushed out a smile to pretend like he hadn’t clearly been ogling her, like the attractive mare he thought she was.

Thankfully, Derpy didn’t seem to notice, stepping past him into his yard. She spread her wings and glanced back, giving him one last, “Goodnight, Rush! Thanks for letting me join the party!” Before she took off, her wings blasting a fairly strong wind against Rush as Derpy left.

“A-anytime!” He waves as she left.

“You were ogling her… you naught-“ Pinkie was cut off as Rush put a finger to her lips.

“Please… just not now.” He sighed before shutting the door. “And I was not!” He huffed defensively, trying to cover the obvious lie up.

Pinkie just giggled like mad and bounced away. Something in his gut told him it’s all be cleaned up when he entered the living room, and much to his non-surprise it was. He was left alone for the bedtime he’d missed hours ago. “Ooh… my parents will not let me hear the end of this…” he groaned as he flopped down onto the couch.

Young mares, New hangouts, But the same ol' Mom

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Derpy knocked on the door to the Carousel Boutique, smiling as she bounced lightly on her feet and waited for Rarity to come out.

Rarity was, of course, not one to make anypony wait long- unless it had to do with her makeup or finding the right clothes to wear- and was at the door in under a minute. “Derpy! It’s so great to see you, darling~!” She giggled happily as she invited the pegasus in.

Stepping inside, Derpy closed the door behind her before she reached over and pulled Rarity into a tight hug, letting out a soft ‘squee’ of happiness. “Mare’s day!” She said, pulling back and smiling widely.

Rarity’s smile doubled in size and returned the hug, “I know!” She giggled happily, nearly bouncing in joy, “Oooh, It’s going to be so much fun! I do hope you’re all ready to head out.” She pulled back from the hug and used her magic to straighten out both their clothes.

The pegasus was dressed in a simple shirt and skirt combo, her wings slipped through specially-made holes in the back. “Yep, I’m all good! Do you have anything else you need, or are we set to go?” She asked.

Rarity as per the usual was dressed to be fashionable. She had on a nice, casual dress on that didn’t do much to show off her sex appeal, now really not being the time for that in her mind. “I’m ready too, darling!” She nodded, “Now, let’s go so we can get the best table!”

“Oh?” Derpy asked as they went outside, waiting patiently as Rarity locked the door behind her. “You know where we’re going already, then? I didn’t have anything planned, because I thought we’d do it on the way- but do you have something in mind?”

Rarity closed and locked the door, “Oh! I’m just talking about getting there before the lunch rush!” She giggled softly, walking with Derpy into the center of Ponyville, “Mmm, I’m feeling something nice and light myself, what about yourself?”

Derpy hummed for a few moments, before answering, “What about the little cafe near Sugarcube Corner? They have some very tasty little breakfast sandwiches… and they make delicious muffins.” She blushed slightly at the last bit.

“That’d be wonderful, darling.” Rarity said with a small grin, “Let’s not waste any time, shall we?” She motioned for Derpy to walk right beside her as she began to head towards Sugarcube Corner, looking for the cafe.

It only took a few minutes to reach the center of the town, the bakery in full view. “So… have you had any neat adventures with the other Elements? Element Bearers? Is- is there a particular way I should say that?” Derpy asks, tilting her head.

“They’re just our friends, Derpy.” Rarity covered her mouth as she giggled a little. “And… nothing much really.” She shrugged, “We’ve just been… hanging out really, not much to do since Twilight defeated Tirek.”

Derpy shivers a bit, frowning. “Jeez, yeah. It’s been a while since then… I forgot how bad everything got before she took him down. Er, well, since all of you did.”

“Yes… that was really bad. But, for now, everything seems to have calmed down!” Rarity smiled, wrapping Derpy in a small hug. “And I couldn’t ask for anything else.”

The mood is brought back up with the small, quick show of emotion, and Derpy is instantly back to her bubbly self. “Well, good! And on that note- we’re here!”

The two come to a halt before a cozy little cafe named ‘The Cracked Yolk’, from which a delicious smell of toast, butter, eggs, and many more breakfast-oriented foods emanate.

Rarity smiled widely and walked in, “A table for two please.” She said to the host at the front.

The stallion nodded and smiled, “Right this way then.” He motioned for both mares to follow to an open booth, he gave them each a menu as they sat down, “I’ll be back over in a minute or two to get your drink orders…” He walked away to go to another table to see if everything was alright with them.

“So, what’s new with you Derpy?” Rarity picked up her menu and began to look it over for something she’d enjoy.

Derpy did the same but had the added benefit of having the menu hide her slight blush. “W-well, um… so, you know how we speculated that Pinkie would throw a party for Rush? And that it might happen around when I was there?” She asked.

“Mmmhm, Pinkie told me about how she threw him a party afterward… came into my locked house and woke me up for it, all to deliver a piece of cake- even though she knows I’m on a diet!” Rarity huffed before giggling, “It was a nice cake though…”

Derpy joins her in laughter for a little, before clearing her throat and continuing. “So, um… at the party… I did spend a little time, um, k-kind of… close to Rush…”

Rarity lowered her menu and looked to Derpy with a happy smile, “Oh? Knowing you, it was just sitting beside him and talking… but that’s wonderful to hear.~” She giggled, “So… did something else come from it?”

Derpy doesn’t answer immediately, and Rarity can see her hunch down a little behind her menu- hiding. The tips of her ears are a suspicious red color…

Rarity giggled, “You have a date, I presume? That’s amazing, Darling!” She smiled widely, bouncing just a tiny bit in her seat. “So, where’s he taking you? Just out for coffee, I presume?”

“Noooo, it’s not a date!” Derpy says, quickly shaking her head as she sets her menu down. “It, h-he says he just wants to, um, b-become better friends! It’s… It’s not a date.”

“Darling… going out for coffee with a stallion to get to know him better is a date.” Rarity was rather blunt, but she kept her grin. “Even if you don’t see it as one now, further on you’ll look back at it as your first date… if you two do get together that is.”

Derpy hid her face in her hands. She stayed silent for a few seconds before speaking up, saying, “...Yes, i-it was coffee. Is coffee. We’re going ou- w-we’re getting coffee together as friends.” The pegasus said, her wings ruffling behind her in nervousness.

“You’re going out on a what now, Derpy?” Rarity teased, “You’ll have to speak up…” She bit her lip and held back a giggle. She was smirking now, “I’m only kidding, darling…”

This made Derpy groan, her head sinking to the table. “Why do I have such an evil friend? All you do is torture me, day in and day out… it’s not fair…” She whimpered.

“Oh, dear… you know I mean well, I want you to be happy!” Rarity sighed, moving to Derpy’s side to hug her. Though the playful smirk remained on her face, she held her tongue and decided to tease her after her day out with Rush.

Derpy stayed in her melancholic pose for a second or two before giggling and reaching over to pull Rarity into a tighter embrace. “Yeah, I know. And… I do hope it goes well. Rush seems like a nice pony. Er, n-nice zebra. Dang, I’ll have to make sure I don’t do that anymore.”

“Either way, I’m sure you two will become friends.” Rarity smiled warmly as she tightened her own hug for a moment. “Now, just remember if you two do start dating, please do come to me. I’ll make sure you always look your best.”

Derpy’s blush returned in full force, and she playfully pushed Rarity away. “You are evil! You won’t stop teasing me ever, it’s so mean…” She fake-pouted, before picking her menu up again. “But… I mean, of course. You’re the best dress-maker in Ponyville… and Equestria… and probably the whole world.”

Rarity blushed, “Ooh… I’m not that good. But, thank you for the compliment!” She giggled quietly as she went back to her own chair and looked over her menu. “Now, you… do realize what it means to start dating again? You know your mother will find out as they always, always tend to.” She chuckled, “And… eventually, he’ll have to meet them, either way. Dating or not…”

“I know, I know,” Derpy said, putting her menu down again. Geez, it would take a long time to order at this rate. “I already told my mom to come over tonight so we can talk… I figure that talking about it with you should help me do the same with her… since she’ll probably freak out over it and stuff.”

“As long as she doesn’t go threatening him, you’ll be fine.” Rarity giggled quietly, as the waiter finally came back over.

“I’m so sorry for the wait! What can I get for the two of you to drink?” The waiter smiled as he stopped by the side of the table.

“I’ll take… chocolate milk, please! Um, and if you can get them to make it extra chocolatey, I’d really appreciate it.” Derpy decided, grinning back up at him.

The waiter nodded and smiled, “I’ll get them to do just that.” He looked to Rarity.

“Hmm… a glass of apple juice, please.” Rarity smiled.

The waiter took their drink orders, “Alright! I’ll get your drinks out right away and give you a bit more time to decide what you want to eat!” He walked to the kitchen to get their drinks.

“So, I take it you brought Dinky along with you? I mean… if she just threw the party like she normally does it must’ve been impossible for her to not have been with you.” Rarity looked up from the menu, “How’d he treat her?”

“He was very nice! The, um… the only kind of bad part was when Dinky, ah… sh-she told him he should date me. Very bluntly.” Derpy told her. “I-I mean bad in general, of course, like awkward. He didn’t do anything except blush and stammer… l-like me.”

Rarity gulped and held back an honest fit of laughter. “She just… came out and said… he should date you.” She repeated slowly, “Oh… oh my, that’s just…” She covered her mouth to hold back the giggling.

Derpy huffed, turning back to the menu. She ignored the stifled laughter of the unicorn across from her, intent on finally deciding what to get.

“That’s cute… it means he thought about it.” Rarity teased, “But enough on your friendship… you don’t really need to date a cute and nice zebra… one who’s rich too.” She smirked behind her menu. “Especially one that seems to like you enough to ask you out…”

“Rarity, don’t make me have to show him the pictures from our visit to the petting zoo. I’ll do it.” Derpy threatened, fighting off a smile. “Especially the one with you freaking out because of the duckling in your hair.”

“Mmmm…” Rarity hummed, clearly not backing down. “I’m just saying… I’d kill to be in your position~” She teased, setting her menu down to look over at the pegasus. “Go ahead, darling… show him those pictures. But, be warned… I have my own pictures I can show him.” She smiled playfully.

Derpy gasped. “Y-you don’t mean…”

“Oh yes. I do~ And I have it in a special place you’d never find it in~” Rarity giggled, “So… what was that about the ducklings?” She teased while covering her mouth up.

“But… but I don’t even have that anymore! Th-there’s no proof, he’d think you were making it up!” Derpy said, her face turning bright red. “You wouldn’t dare!”

Rarity giggled, “Oooh, but why would I do that? You haven’t done anything to me…” She put her hand down. “And… I think it was cute… maybe he would too if you were both dating for a little while…”

“N-no! I… I would actually die of embarrassment, Rarity.” Derpy said, shaking her head. “Do you want to be responsible for that? How could you tell Dinky you killed her Momma with a photograph?”

“Oooh, don’t worry! I won’t show it to him… I just have it in reserve if you ever show him those pictures of me. And… it just shows the thing in question! It’s not like he’d be seeing anything!” Rarity said defensively. “Now, if it were more… eh hem, lewd. I wouldn’t be showing it to him until you two were well and truly together! Then, if he’s really as nice as he lets off, he’d probably be there to comfort you!”

Derpy’s blush deepened at the thought of Rush seeing something so embarrassing on her, especially in such a place as… where it had been. “Mmrr… f-fine, you win. I won’t show him any pictures of you if you promise to never show him… that.” She said, holding a hand out to shake.

Rarity shook her hand, “I promise I won’t ever show him the picture.” She assured, smiling a little at her friends’ reaction. “I’ll even hand them over to you… but they’re enchanted so they can’t be destroyed~” She giggled, “If you give me the pictures you have of me…”

Derpy pursed her lips for a few seconds before nodding. “Next Mare’s Day, I’ll give them to you. It’ll be a trade.” She said. “No funny business?”

“No funny business.” Rarity nodded and smiled, “I swear.” She giggled, “I’m glad we could work something out! It’d be horrible if those pictures slipped out…”

Huffing, the pegasus took her hand back and flipped her menu open. “Can we just order now? You’re gonna make me pass out from blood… uh… over-circulation if you keep making me blush so often with all this teasing.” Derpy mumbled.

Rarity nodded, “Of course!” She looked over her own menu and thought of what she was going to eat. “What are you getting, Derpy?” She looked up at her friend for a moment.

“Hmm… well, definitely part of my meal is gonna be muffins. Maybe chocolate. Otherwise… I keep coming back to this one omelet they have- all stuffed with, like, a ton of different cheeses and other foods- so I think I’ll get that.” She said. “Is anything catching your eye?” Derpy asked, looking back at Rarity.

“That omelet sounds good! I think I’ll try it, too.” Rarity smiled as she set her menu down. “Hmm… when should our next Mares Day be?”

“Mmm… we could make it for next week, Thursday? After school, we can catch a movie and let Dinky and Sweetie have a sleepover with Applebloom and Scootaloo.” Derpy suggested.

“That’d be wonderful, dear… just don’t go making another date for Thursday.” Rarity teased with a playful grin. “And with that… I’m well and truly done teasing you.” She giggled and shook her head.

Derpy gave a relieved sigh, setting her menu down and dramatically wiping her forehead with a wingtip. “Oh, thank goodness! I don’t know that I could go through much more of that sheer torture.” She said, before bursting out into chuckles.

Rarity couldn’t help but giggle, “Ooh, you’ll get enough from your mother, probably… you should at least relax around me~!” She smiled warmly as the waiter came back.

“What can I get you two to eat?” The waiter smiled warmly.

Derpy handed her menu to Rarity and answered for both of them. “We’ll both take one of the Large Mixed Omelettes, and I’ll have two cho...no, two banana nut muffins. Fresh, if possible.” She finished.

The waiter wrote down their order and nodded, “Alright! I’ll have it out as soon as possible.” He walked back into the kitchen.

“Hm, what else should we talk about?” Rarity hummed as she thought about anything interesting she’d done since the last time they spoke to each other. “Has anything else happened in your life, Derpy? Or is it just going out for coffee with Mr. Greymane?”

“Hmm. Well… nothing else new has really happened, no. Mom and I talked a little about Dinky’s future the other night… she seems kinda powerful for her age, and we… y’know, it’s silly saying it, but we think she might be good enough to get into a nice school, like Celestia’s up in Canterlot.” Derpy explained.

Rarity listened and her smile grew a bit, “I think she would be good enough for that too! But… that isn’t exactly a cheap place to send anypony, and even if you took out loans you’d be paying them back for the rest of your life!” She let out a quiet exhale and shook her head, “It’s a wonderful dream to have though, darling.”

“Well… yeah, it does cost a-a lot. I think we could find a way, though, one that wouldn’t have me in debt forever.” Derpy says, her ecstatic mood sobered a bit.

“Don’t worry! I’m sure you’ll find a way.” Rarity assured, giving Derpy a warm and caring smile, “Once I have some money freed up, the two of us can possibly start saving some money just so both Sweetie and Dinky can go together.” She suggested.

“R-really? You’d want to do that?”

“Of course! We can’t just separate the two of them… and if we’re both saving up together, it’ll make it easier on both of us, won’t it?”

Derpy blushed again, but not out of embarrassment- or at least, not the same kind of embarrassment. She glanced away, nodding slightly. “It… I just… y-you know you wouldn’t have to, right? I’d be able to do it on my own, w-with enough time…”

“Don’t worry, darling… it’s something that I want to do.” Rarity assured with a smile, “Dinky and Sweetie are too good of friends to keep apart like that, you and I both know, without one… the other just wouldn’t go as far as she could with them.”

Derpy brought an arm up to her face, wiping off a few swelling tears in her eyes. “I… a-alright, Rarity. I’m still not sure if I want to go down that route- or, o-or even if she could make it in, though I really think Dinky can- but… I’ll gladly take any help you want to give.” She said, looking back up and beaming over at Rarity.

Rarity smiled back, “I’m happy to help, dear! You’re one of my best friends, and I’d do anything to help any of my friends.” She giggled a little bit, “And… I do believe she could get in too. After all, she has one of the greatest mothers around, and if she’s anything like you, she’s going to go far in life!”

The pegasus’s blush only increased at that, and she covered her face with a slightly-shaking wing. “S-stop it! You… y-you evil… too nice pony…” She mumbled.

Rarity giggled a bit more, “Oooh, if you insist.” She looked to the kitchen to see if their food was coming out just yet. Luckily for the both of them, the cafe wasn’t too busy yet, and was known for their fast service- just a few seconds later, their server came out through the door, holding a tray in each hand with a large, steaming omelet on top of it, with a drink sitting right next to it.

He gently set each one down in front of Derpy and Rarity respectively, before giving a wide smile and asking, “Is there anything else I could get for you two lovely ladies?”

“I’m fine! Thank you though.” Rarity smiled as she looked down at her omelet. “It looks so delicious!” She giggled a little as she looked over to Derpy.

“Mmm, it does!” She replied, lifting up a muffin and taking a greedy bite, moaning happily at the sweet, hot pastry. Once she swallowed, Derpy asked, “So… you have any gossip you wanna talk about? I know you keep your ear to the floor for all the juicy rumors in town.”

Rarity perked up, smiling widely as she took a sip of her apple juice. “Oh, do I ever, Derpy! You would not believe some of the things I’ve recently heard about- listen to this- Cheeriliee of all ponies! Why just yesterday morning I overheard two stallions discussing just how she had…”

Derpy came back into the living room with two cups of hot chocolate as was the norm, passing one to her mom and sitting next to her. She took a greedy gulp of the thick, sweet liquid, letting out a happy sigh.

“So…” She dragged out the word, waiting until Ditzy was mid-sip. “I’m… gonna be going out for coffee with a zebra friend of mine in a few days. A… male friend.”

Ditzy finished her sip and held her cup in both hands. “Okay…” She nodded slowly, looking her daughter over. “And… where did you meet this new male friend of yours?”

“Well, um… he’s on my mail route. And I stopped and said hi one morning… then Rarity and I thought it might be best to see if he knew about Pinkie, and by the time I got there, I was dragged into the party. We talked for a while, and… he wants to take me out for coffee.” Derpy explained.

Ditzy took another sip, “Honey… I’m happy that you’re making a new friend.” She began, smiling slightly, “So, you met him through your mail route, then went to his house to warn him of the Pink Scourge herself… and she was already there?” An amused grin came over Ditzy's face. “Did anything else happen between you two at the party?”

Derpy blushed, but less so than usual- she’d gone through this with Rarity already, after all. “W-well, Dinky did blurt out that, ah… h-he should date me.”

The corners of Ditzy’s mouth twitched. “My… such a spunky little filly.” She giggled just a little, “I take it you were utterly embarrassed by the outburst.” She smiled at Derpy again, “So, tell me a little about him. If he’s taking my little filly out I need to know he’s right for you...”

Derpy’s blush now started growing. “Mooom, I’m not a child anymore! I know… I… w-well, I mean we did just meet, so I don’t know him that well yet. B-but he seems very nice! He’s, er, I told you he’s a zebra- named Rush Greymane, by the way- and he works as the head chef of The Golden Horseshoe. Oh! And he has, um, a nice garden in his front yard. Seems like he takes good care of it.” She explained, periodically pausing for some more hot cocoa.

Ditzy choked just a bit as she sipped her hot cocoa. “Mph… what?” She looked to Derpy for a moment. “The head chef… Oh my.” She blushed a tiny bit, “And… Did he ask you out? My… perhaps he is quite nice.” She smiled a little more, “So… he does know of your relation to Dinky, right? How did he treat her for the short time you two were at his home?”

“Rush was really polite to her! He didn’t seem to mind the fact that she was my daughter- which he does know, yeah.” Derpy said, giving a small nod. “Even though both of us were embarrassed quite a bit by what Dinky said, we still managed to have a long talk, and… you know… he did ask me out. So there’s that.”

Ditzy nodded, “And that’s a step in the right direction! You both have stable jobs, you’re quite beautiful. And if you agreed to go out with him, I’m sure you find him handsome~” She teased, gently bumping Derpy with her shoulder. “But, before anything becomes serious… the best bet would be to have him spend time with Dinky, right?”

“Yeah, that’s true. Um… how would I do that?” Derpy asks, her smile shrinking a little. “I can’t just have him babysit her… maybe invite him to one of Rarity and me’s park visits? Cuz then he’s gonna be around Dinky and Sweetie, and if he isn’t good with Sweetie he won’t be good with Dinky.”

“Wait until after a few times out!” Ditzy grinned, “After that, if you two do become good friends, and he’s off one day, why not have him watch both fillies? Just as you said, that’ll give you time to talk with Rarity, and he’ll be able to show how he acts around them!”

Derpy’s smile regained its max length as her happiness rebounded. “Alright! Thanks for the advice, Mom. I’m happy to have you to give me it.” She said, leaning in close to nuzzle the older mare.

Ditzy nuzzled her back, “I’m happy I could help!” She smiled widely, setting her cup down and hugging her daughter tightly.

“You always help, Mom. I just gotta parse it out sometimes before I finally understand what you mean.” Derpy said.

“I mean… I could word things better, but being a bit roundabout does tend to be fun!” Ditzy giggled a little. “Now, if you two do go out on a second date… I want to meet him.”

Derpy let out a sigh and fell limp in the hug. “Uuugh, Moooom!”

A Letter To Home (The first of many)

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Rush let out a sigh as he stepped into his home. It had been a long day, even longer because he was waiting for go out with Derpy! Even if it was a good few days off, he still couldn’t wait for it!

For now, though, he pushed those thoughts aside- he had nearly forgotten to write his first letter back to his parents!

He stopped in his little study and sat down at the desk, pulling out some paper and a pen before starting the letter.

‘To Mom and Dad:

First, I’m so sorry for being late with this letter! I know I promised a letter on my first day but this week has been so hectic. I want you to know, I’m doing great! I hope you two are doing well now that I’ve flown the coop.

I’d like to say, everything’s going well with the Golden Horseshoe but… it’s hell. Some of the chefs don’t know what they’re doing. One of them is directly hostile to me for being as he puts it, a stupid zebra… though that’s around five of the ponies. The rest are incredibly nice and know everything that they’re doing! I feel as if the one thinks I’m threatening his job… but, if only he’d stop being an asshole! The way he cooks, it’s like he made it into the same artform I have! If we could work together we’d double the quality overnight!

I met a mare who’s making all of my uniforms and now an entire wardrobe upgrade for me! She’s incredible, and mom, I really think you should come to meet her! Her name’s Rarity, one of the heroes of Equestria! And she’s actually making clothes for me! It’s just… so shocking, I never thought I’d meet a real-life hero...

That’s actually just about everything on the work side of things, now… personally, I know, you’re either going to come storming here, or send me a few hundred letters and boxes of… dating aids to my door. Please don’t, please! I don’t want to scare the mare I met off… now, with that out of the way...

I’m going out on a date with a mare. She’s really sweet and beautiful, like… she blew me away when I first met her! She’s a nice pegasus mare named Derpy, and well… she has a daughter who despite being quite… forward with what she wants to be done, is the sweetest little filly I’ve ever met! I’d love to spend more time with both of them… just, er, I don’t think she sees me as a dating partner. She was bent on not treating it as a date, but hopefully, after getting to know each other better, we can start to go out.

That’s just about everything that’s gone on so far. Ponyville is a really great town! I already love it here, and like I said before I left… you’re always welcome to spend a night or two here. As always, I love you both and… I do miss you sometimes. But, the freedom is so nice…

Your Loving Son:

Rush’

He signed the letter and let it dry a bit before he slowly folded it up and slipped it into an envelope. “Alright…” He wrote the address and applied a stamp to it. “There we go! Time to send it.” He smiled widely, going downstairs and stepping outside to slip it into his mailbox. “Now to wait for their reply… and whatever hell my mom’s going to put me through.”

Break-Time Banter

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“... and you’re sure that nobody will mind, darling? I know in some businesses- usually of the higher-class, like this one- you have a specific room that you take your break in, not out in the actual restaurant.” Rarity asked, glancing about before her gaze turned back to Rush.

“I’m sure! Really, don’t worry.” Rush reassured as he lead her to a seat. “And it’s not like anypony would really mind, I am the head chef, after all.” He laughed a little before pulling out a seat for her to sit down in. “After you.”

“Such manners! Chivalry lives on, it seems.” She let out a dainty giggle, sitting and letting Rush scoot her in. “Thank you, Rush.”

“You’re welcome, Rarity.” He smiled as he took a seat across from her. “Now, onto some slightly more… pressing matters.” He offered her a menu first, though. “Since we aren’t here to just talk, why don’t you pick out what you want and I’ll cover the check? It’s the least I can do for all that you’re doing for me.”

Rarity’s eyes widened, and she put a hand to her cheek. “Why, Rush! You… well, normally I would turn such an offer down, but I suppose I can make an exception just this once. I’ll keep my appetite under control, so worry not.” She took it from him and began looking through it, glancing up and adding, “So, then- pressing matters, as it were?”

Rush relaxed back in his chair, “I was just wondering if you needed to know anything else while you worked on my clothes.” He nodded as he picked up a menu, though instead of looking right at the menu, his gaze remained trained on her.

“Oh? Well, I don’t believe I need any extra measurements or information… and your wardrobe is coming along quite nicely. It should be finished by… what is today, again?” She asked.

“Friday.” He let out a relieved sigh, “Just this last day and I’m off…” He glanced down to his menu. “And that’s a relief, I… really don’t know what else there is that I’m comfortable telling somepony I’m not dating.” He laughed quietly, hiding his face a little bit as he examined the menu he helped put together.

Rarity waved a hand. “Trust me, Rush, that feeling is shared by most everyone that gets a personal measurement from any tailor. It happens, Darling. But! Your clothes. They should be done come Tuesday.”

“That’s great!” Rush smiled, a slight blush coming over his cheeks as he lowered the menu. “I can’t wait! Now if only…”

As he finished speaking, a waiter walked out to take their orders. He gave a courteous nod to Rush before looking to Rarity with a warm smile, “Hello, Miss… can I get you anything to drink to start out?”

“I think a virgin piña colada would be wonderful- I have the worst sweet tooth today. Thank you, darling.” She said, returning the smile.

“Alright! And for you, Mr. Rush?” He turned to look at Rush. Upon turning Rarity could see quite clearly, his uniform served its’ purpose but… it wasn’t very practical, nor did it look that comfortable.

“Water, please.” Rush smiled, closing his menu to look up at the waiter.

“Alright! I’ll be back shortly with your drinks!” The waiter wrote down what they ordered so far, and went off to go get them what they’d ordered.

“Wonderful! Now, then, what was it you were saying, Rush?” Rarity asked, turning her focus back to the zebra.

“Oh! Just um, was thinking about some stuff going on tomorrow.” Rush shook his head and looked over to her. “Though since we were just discussing clothes… I uuh, compared what you made for me to what the restaurant provided… It’s really noticeable how much better your craftsmanship his compared to the mass-produced uniforms… I was gonna talk to my boss and see if he’d be willing to... well, go to you to outfit the entire team.”

Rarity’s eyes widened, and she dropped her menu in lieu of placing a hand over her heart. “I… a-are you serious, Rush? You… why I never… I-I mean, I suppose the uniforms are rather bland- n-no offense, of course- but I never dreamed of being partnered like this to such a fine establishment!” She gushed, her cheeks bright with blush in surprise.

“I mean, your uniforms have done wonders for making me feel more comfortable in a kitchen. So, I can’t even begin to imagine what it’d do for everypony on staff.” He smiled a bit wider and set his menu completely down. “I can… well, try to set up a meeting with my boss, Golden Shoe, if you wanted me to.” He offered with a sincere and warm smile.

“I would be delighted, Darling! Oh, goodness, I can’t thank you enough! Though on the same note, I must curse you for filling up my work schedule for the next month or so- of course, ah, assuming he does agree to it.” Rarity said, rambling on as her thoughts were absorbed with the massive tentative project.

Rush laughed merrily, his smile brightening even more than usual. “I’m glad I can hopefully help you in more ways! I really, really do hope he agrees to it, too! I know with your help we could shine even more, and… well, once other restaurants take notice of our uniform change, when they go to emulate us, they’ll be going right to you for more business. It’s a win all around!”

If Rarity was a greedy pony, her eyes would’ve flashed with dollar signs at the thought of just how much money she could make from this business venture. They didn’t, of course- Rarity appreciated the money, obviously, but she was more happy about the exposure. Fame was, perhaps, more important to her than any fortune. Regardless, she swooned, almost falling over as she got light-headed from such a huge opportunity. “Oh, gods. I have to… wooh. Give me a moment to catch my breath, Darling, for you’ve taken it away.” She said, closing her eyes for a few seconds.

The waiter came out with their drinks and sat them down. “I’ll… come back in a minute or two.” He nodded his head just a bit before leaving them alone once more.

For the moment Rush moved to her side to give her somepony friendly to lean on while she regained her breath. “Take your time, Rarity. I’ve got as long as I want to have for a break.” He joked.

Rarity let out a small giggle but did gratefully rest her head on his shoulder for a few moments, before sitting back up. “Thank you, darling. You really are kinder than quite a few other ponies- or zebras, or any race- that I’ve met.” She said, giving him a soft smile before clearing her throat. “But! You are also wicked and dastardly because I know that you knew that such a hypothetical would overwhelm me! For shame, Mr. Greymane.” She teased, waving a hand at him Rush.

Rush laughed a little, giving her a playful wink. “Maybe I did… maybe I didn’t.” He teased, looking around for… something. Or maybe was it somepony?

All she could really tell was in this part of the restaurant they were nearly alone, only a few higher class patrons were in this section of the dining room. Then a rather well dressed and well-kept earth pony walked in. His coat and mane both a dazzling gold color.

“And… what if I uuh… lied just a teensy little bit… and already had the meeting set up?” Rush blushed a little as he pulled the chair he was sitting in towards the side, giving up his old seat to the new stallion who sat down in it and smiled at Rarity.

“You must be Rarity. It’s so nice to meet you.” The older earth pony spoke, his accent clearly from the upper Canterlot sphere. “I’m Golden Shoe.” He offered her his hand with a warm smile.

Rarity stood up immediately, a bright- if somewhat nervous- smile on her face. “Rarity Belle. It is a delight to meet you, even if it is… rather unexpected…” She said, glancing at Rush and narrowing her eyes before turning back to Golden. “Do you, ah, prefer Mr. Golden or Mr. Shoe? I suspect the former, but… it’s always best to ask, I feel.”

“Mr. Golden please.” Golden assured, “Please relax…”

Rush looked away for a moment and mouthed, ‘You’ll do fine!’

“Now… why don’t you tell me a bit about what you could do for my business… and I’ll see what I can do to help boost yours.” Golden put all his attention on Rarity but kept that friendly smile up.

“Of course, Mr. Golden.” Rarity said, before clearing her throat once more. “What I offer is my own personal touch to your restaurant by making custom uniforms for every employee you have hired. This includes an apron, shirt, pants, a belt, socks, a bowtie and/or a tie, a suit jacket for yourself and any others that need it. Also, specific items for specific workers, such as chef hats for chefs here and custom shirts with a large pocket for notepads to be used by waiters. I would, of course, make two spare uniforms to go with the first- so essentially triple of each item- with more on personal request or make that number go up right now should you so ask.”

She took a breath before continuing. “In return, all I desire is the following- firstly, that you come to me for any issues with uniforms, including unremovable stains, tears, or requested size changes. Secondly, for each new employee you hire, you send them over to the Carousel Boutique for a personal sizing. Third, I will be allowed to put my logo on top of the shoulder of all shirts I make for you- it is small and unobtrusive, and on top of the shoulder to minimize any issue you would have to display branding. Finally, I would like to have a formal contract written up that allows any new clothing you need to be made by myself alone- unless it is specialized beyond my capabilities- for a reduced price.”

Finished with giving Golden her terms, Rarity smiled. “If you have any questions about the quality of my work, Mr. Greymane here should suffice as an answer to them- he has been wearing uniforms made by me for a good length of time. Further discussion over what type of material, length of time before completion of a base for everyone here, pricing, and a contract- should you agree to my terms- would likely be done in your office or mine, whichever you prefer.”

Golden nodded slowly as he listened to her terms. “Alright…” He tapped his chin, “I’ve seen how much better Rush has been doing with his custom work attire… so, I have no reason to doubt your skills. Not as if I’ve had any in the first place! I’ve heard a bit about your work from some of my customers. I do believe that this sort of deal is too incredible to pass up!” He smiled brightly and offered her his hand. “We’ll discuss more back in my office if you wouldn’t mind.”

“Of course! Thank you, Mr. Golden.” Rarity turned to Rush. “I’m sorry, but it seems like I’ll have to cut our lunch a bit short. Do give the waiter my apologies, would you?” She asked.

“I will! Have a great day Rarity.” Rush nodded back and smiled warmly. “I hope everything works out!”

Rarity gave a dainty laugh, nodding her head. “And so do I, of course.” She turned back to Golden and took his hand, following him back to his office. The unicorn was eager to see how this would turn out for both of them.

From Their Hearts

by TheOnlyOneWhoCared

A Day in The Life

A Day In The Park

Young mares, New hangouts, But the same ol' Mom

A Letter To Home (The first of many)

Break-Time Banter