The week went by slowly for Ditzy. She was happy she got to spend more time with Dinky, and Cheerilee had visited a few times throughout the week to see how they were doing. Ditzy didn’t want to admit it, but she was starting to worry. They’d run out of bits for the week, and without being able to work, they’d had to dip into the savings Ditzy had put aside for Dinky’s schoolbooks.

The list had been delivered mid week, and Ditzy’s heart sank as she saw the number of books needed. It had been easier on the wallet before Dinky had been put ahead two grades. But she could not begrudge her daughter for that achievement.

Ditzy would just have to find another way to make more bits.

She had asked to do some light work, perhaps sorting or something, at the Ponyville Post Office, but mail had slowed down, and Mr. Zippy was already filling in at the post office while Post Haste was making up the rounds. Piggin Carrier, her boss, was very adamant that she should rest up for the week and come back when she was fully healed.

“I need my top mailmare at her best when she comes back, okay?”

Her boss’s flattering words rang hollow in her own head, as she had to dip continually into her meagre savings. Worse still was when her landlord, Greedy Gus, had come around for the rent early. She was paid up, but he was going away for a week and a bit, and demanded she pay in advance.

Ditzy was glad when the three fillies came to play with Dinky.

The drawer now near emptied of bits caused her heart to sink. She’d been putting on a brave face all week. Ditzy couldn’t let her daughter see the despair in her eyes. It was a mother’s job to shield her child from the horrors of reality. Although she knew Dinky was acutely aware of how little they had, it was her job as a mother to at least give her daughter some joy. So she put on a smile all week for Dinky, trying to hide their rapidly deteriorating finances.

Today she would visit the hospital; hopefully her wing would be better (it certainly hurt less), and she could return to work. If she could pick up some extra shifts, she could reverse their fortunes.

She would also have to visit the bookstore today. Maybe she could work something out with Written Script. He’d always been fond of Dinky, as Dinky would spend almost any pocket money she could spare in his shop. She packed her saddlebag with one last bag, as there was one more thing she wanted to do today.

She steeled her resolve, and made her way to the hospital.

After a thorough check over her wing, the doctor was happy that her wing was showing strong signs of healing. He still cautioned her against flying, but at least she could return to work. She made a quick check at reception, a fleeting hope that her scarf might have turned up, but the receptionist had not seen it.

Making her way through town, she noticed a familiar pony exiting the bookstore and smiled.

“Ditzy!” Rarity cantered over. “I haven’t seen you since our luncheon last week. How have you been, my dear?”

“Sorry,” Ditzy lowered her head, “I didn’t mean to run out.”

“Oh nonsense,” Rarity pishposhed. “No need to apologise! Applejack explained to me what happened.”

Rarity lowered her voice, asking trepidatiously, “Did you, ummm, manage to find it?”

The lowering of Ditzy’s head even further to the ground was all the answer Rarity needed.

“Oh, dear.” Rarity decided to change the subject. “So, I take it you are here for Dinky’s schoolbooks?”

Ditzy nodded quietly.

“Well, when you are done, please come to my boutique. I have tea and cakes, and Fluttershy hasn’t been able to make it this week. Shall I wait here?”

Ditzy smiled, nodding. It would be nice to have tea and cake. With, with a friend. A friend? The thought still seemed alien to her.

Ditzy walked into the bookstore. She could immediately smell the scent of books. Old books, new books. They always had that book smell. Dinky loved that smell; though Ditzy prefered the smell of fresh muffins.

“Ms. Doo, a pleasure as always,” Written Script welcomed her, as he finished magically shelving a few books.

“Hi, Mr. Script,” Ditzy replied, a little sheepishly.

“I assume you are here for Dinky’s school books then?”

Ditzy nodded her reply.

He trotted behind the counter, and pulled out a large package wrapped in brown paper tied with string.

“I’ve taken the liberty of collecting a few of last years schoolbooks from some friends. Bell Perin’s young one graduated last year, and her Equestrian history books are still in good condition. And Ginger Gold graduated last year too, and her mother sold a lot of her books to me.”

“You’ll still need a new dictionary, as someone felt last year that the word superultraextremeawesomazing,” he breathed a sharp sigh, “should be added to the common Equestrian vernacular.”

A quick calculation told her, even with the savings, she could not afford all the books she needed to get Dinky. She stifled a whimper.

“Is, is everything alright Ms. Doo?”

Useless.

“Ditzy?”

USELESS!

“Dear, you’re shaking.”

A voice screamed in her head.

YOU ARE THE WORST MOTHER IN THE WORLD!

WHAT KIND OF PARENT CAN’T PROVIDE FOR THEIR OWN CHILD?

“I tried,” Ditzy whimpered. “I really did.”

YOU DON’T DESERVE TO BE A MOTHER.

“I–”

YOU DON’T DESERVE HER AS A DAUGHTER.

Pain. Dizziness.

YOU DESERVE TO LOSE EVERYTHING.

Her breath was quickening, the world around her closed in.

THEY WERE RIGHT! YOU SHOULD HAVE GIVEN HER AWAY!

“no–”

SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER OFF WITHOUT YOU!

Barely audible, she whispered, “I just don’t know what went wrong.”

YOU WENT WRONG!

“I don’t know how to fix it–”

THAT IS WHY YOU DON’T DESERVE TO BE LOVED!

“please-”

YOU SHOULD JUST DISAPPEAR!

“Sweetie,” a gentle voice prodded while a hoof stroked her mane. “Sweetie, it’s Rarity. What’s happening, are you okay?”

Ditzy opened her eyes. Above her was a very distraught Written Script, and sitting next to her was the purple maned unicorn stroking Ditzy’s mane. Her breath was still coming in short, sharp bursts. She tried to slow it down, but panic rose up in her chest again.

Ashamed, Ditzy tried to get to her hooves. Why was she on the floor? Oh, she’d stumbled in the bookshop. That was right. She concentrated, but she couldn’t focus. Her eye was playing up again.

“Here, please, bring her to this chair.”

Written Script?

“Okay sweetie, lets get you up.”

Rarity?

“Lean on me if you have to. Lets get you comfortable. Written, could you be a dear and make some tea. You do have tea, yes?”

“Tea? Tea! Yes – yes I have tea! I’ll go make some tea.”

“Now, sit down here.” Rarity moved Ditzy to the seat, Ditzy still looking around a little bewildered. “I want you to do something for me, okay?”

Ditzy nodded. Her breath was still coming in ragged.

“Now, you need to count to four as you breathe in,” Rarity told Ditzy, gently patting her hoof. “Then hold the breath and count to two. Then when you breathe out, count to six.”

“I’ll try,” Ditzy gasped, still struggling to control her breathing. In, one, two, three, four. Hold.

Tightness rose in her chest again, and the world swam. She started to breathe shallow and quickly again.

“I know it’s hard, but please, try for me. Slow your breath. In for four, hold for two, out for six. Look, I will do it with you.”

“In… two… three… four,” Rarity counted, then held her breath. Ditzy mimicked, following Rarity’s instruction. “And out… two… three… four… five… six.”

“And again,” Rarity ordered her, giving the same instructions. They repeated the process until Written Script returned with the tea.

“Here, Miss Rarity,” Written Script extended the cup and saucer towards Rarity.

“It’s not for me.” Rarity smiled, and pushed the cup towards Ditzy. “Now, drink up. I’ll just be over here with Written Script. Once you’re done, lets go back to the Boutique. Like we planned, hmm?”

Rarity tried to piece together in her mind what had happened. Ditzy had seemed perfectly fine before she came into the bookstore.

What did Rarity know about the grey mare? Not a lot. She was a few years older than Rarity. She’d come to Ponyville when Rarity was still in school. She had a young foal with her, but Rarity could not remember a colt or stallion with her. Dinky was barely a newborn when Ditzy had moved to Ponyville.

Who did she spend time with? Rarity couldn’t remember seeing her out often. No, the only time she could really recall seeing her was when she would cheerily deliver her mail. Was she alone? Just her and Dinky?

“Is she okay?” Written Script asked nervously, interrupting Rarity’s train of thought. “What happened to her?”

“Hmm? Oh- yes.” Rarity frowned. “What were the two of you doing before she started shaking?”

“Well, we were talking about Dinky’s books. She was about to pay for them,” he looked nervously back at the counter.

“Hmmm, and how much did the total come to?” Rarity asked calmly. Business. She could ‘do’ business.

“Oh, uhh.” Written Script had to pause and think back. “Forty-two bits.”

Rarity pointed to the spilled bits on the counter. “And how many bits would you say were there?”

“About twenty-five, maybe thirty?”

It dawned on him. “Oh! Oh, I see.” He looked to the floor, embarrassed. “I thought, with the second-hand books she’d have had enough.” He looked back at the slumped Ditzy sitting on the chair near his window.

“Well, forty-two bits, you said, right? And that is everything she needs?”

“Well, there was also the dictionary.”

“So, how much?” she asked patiently.

“That would be, forty-nine bits. Though I could probably do it for,” he paused to do a quick calculation,  “forty bits even. I’d be making a loss, but if it is to help Dinky.”

“Forty-nine bits? Very well.” Rarity pulled out her purse, and counted forty nine bits out, exactly. Smiling sweetly, she continued, “Would you be a dear and please wrap them up?”

She started to count Ditzy’s bits back into the pouch. Twenty-three bits. Rarity frowned. That was a very small amount to expect to pay for school books. While Rarity hadn’t had to pay for Sweetie Belle’s books (if her parents could afford another cruise, they could afford seventy bits for the school books); she hadn’t thought even the most frugal shopper could get everything needed for twenty-three bits.

“I do hope they’re doing okay,” Rarity thought to herself, as she looked over at the slumped figure by the window.

Once the books were wrapped, Rarity brought them to the table, along with Ditzy’s purse.

“Here you go. Now shall we go back to the boutique for those cakes?”

Ditzy looked down at the books, and at her still relatively full bag of bits.

She shook her head. “I can’t do that,” Ditzy whimpered. “I can’t-”

“You can’t what?” Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Come back and have cakes? Well, if you are busy.” She finished with a smirk.

“I can’t let you pay for the books,” Ditzy looked into Rarity’s eyes. “It’s too much!”

Rarity leaned forward, once again comfortingly patting Ditzy’s hooves.

“Sweetie, if the Element of Generosity can’t help out a friend,” she smiled, keeping Ditzy’s eye, “then what hope does Equestria have.

“Actually, don’t answer that,” she chuckled. “It happened once, and we got cotton candy chocolate rain clouds. Please, let me do this for you, as a friend.”

“But-” Ditzy interrupted, “you don’t know me. How could I be your friend?”

“Well, I recently learned a very valuable lesson: ‘A true, true friend helps a friend in need.’” Rarity smiled as she helped Ditzy up. “And I may not know you very well, but I would like to change that. I think I would like that very much. Now come, tea and cakes await.”

Rarity put the kettle on to boil, and sliced two pieces of cake. “Earl Grey alright, Ditzy?” she called from the kitchenette.

“Yes please.”

Rarity brought the two small plates with a slice of cake on each, along with a small fork.

“Tea will be ready soon,” Rarity sat down. “Feeling a little better?”

Ditzy looked down and nodded, thinking back to the embarrassing state she had just been in.

“Oh, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” Rarity gave a little laugh. “I get that way before every fashion show. And some of the panic attacks our Twilight Sparkle” - Rarity stopped herself, correcting her own impropriety - “Sorry, Princess Twilight Sparkle, had when she was here. Well, you remember that incident with her old doll and the entire town.”

Ditzy chuckled. “Ummm, yes. I think I ended up hoof-wrestling with Mayor Mare.”

“See! So if they can happen to me, and they can happen one of the Princesses. Well, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

A sharp whistle came from the kitchen. “And there’s the kettle. I’ll be back in a few seconds.”

Ditzy enjoyed the afternoon with Rarity. She’d never thought much of the fashionista; Ditzy had suspected she would be a bit of a snob. The pony she found in front of her was gentle, kind, and generous. A little dramatic, but essentially a very nice pony.

Several times Rarity had to get up to serve one or two ponies that came through, but each time she insisted that Ditzy remain seated, and she’d be back soon. Rarity sighed after each one, harumphing something about window shoppers.

“You’ve been looking down at those saddlebags all afternoon dear. Please tell me you still aren’t feeling guilty about those books!” Rarity asked, worried.

Ditzy lowered her face, trying to hide a blush, and vigorously shook her head. “No, it’s not that.”

A sparkle lit in those azure eyes. “Ooo, now that is an interesting reaction.” Rarity smiled with mirth. “Now I absolutely must know what is in those saddlebags.”

“Muffins,” Ditzy replied, sinking a little lower in her seat.

“Muffins?” Rarity looked at the bags, her gaze trying to pierce through them.

“Thank you muffins,” Ditzy was almost prone, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

“Well-” Rarity teased with a devilish grin. “I hadn’t helped you out before today. So they couldn’t be thank you muffins for me. I wonder, who could they be for?” Rarity’s grin widened.

Ditzy could not sink any lower in her chair.

“Hmm, could it be somepony with broad enough shoulders to carry somepony to the hospital? Or could it be somepony who ran around looking for some other pony’s daughter?” Rarity chuckled, noting that she could roast marshmallows on the blush across Ditzy’s face.

“Could it be somepony who made sure Dinky had a warm place to sleep, so she wouldn’t be alone,” Rarity pushed, a little more gently this time. Her grin had changed to a very soft smile.

“Just wanted to say thank you,” Ditzy muttered.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t tease,” Rarity giggled. “You certainly wouldn’t be the first mare who's fallen for Ponyville’s most popular bachelor.”

“Haven’t fallen for him,” Ditzy grumbled. “Just wanted to say thank you.”

Rarity giggled. “Of course dear. I shall say no more!”

“Besides, he wouldn’t be interested in me.”

“Hmm?”

“Nothing.”

“Why wouldn’t he be interested in you?” Rarity frowned.

“No pony is interested in someone with a foal already.”

“What?” Rarity had to place her teacup down, she’d almost spilled it at that remark. “What are you talking about?”

Ditzy focused intently on her tea. “Just that. No pony is interested in somepony who already has a foal.”

“Well,” Rarity paused. “Not to get your hopes up, but I think Big MacIntosh understands family. He has always been very dedicated to that family. He gave up the chance for a higher education to help with the farm when his parents- well.

“I’m not saying it’s a definite thing, but I think you should take him those muffins. Or,” a smile crossed her face as the idea came to her mind, “why not bake some fresh ones tomorrow, and take them out to him. Perhaps a vacuum flask or two of soup? If I recall, the family have lunch about eleven. Yes! Tomato soup on an autumn afternoon. Savory muffins too. Hmm.”

Ditzy stared wide eyed at the white unicorn before her.

“Yes? Yes I think, this will work wonderfully!” Rarity got up, and walked to her closet. She trotted back with a folded blanket and picnic basket hovering in front of her.

“Tonight, you should get Dinky to help you, make the soup. Tomorrow morning, you should make the muffins, about nine in the morning. Once they are done, you should make your way with Dinky over to Sweet Apple Acres. So long as you get there before they have lunch, which if I know the Apples, it will be spot on eleven, you can invite the family to a small thank you meal from both you and Dinky.

“Will you need a few bits for the ingredients?”

Ditzy, still wide eyed, shook her head. “Ummm, I should have enough from the book money.”

“Excellent! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!” Rarity squealed.

“Dinky will run off to play with Apple Bloom. Granny Smith will likely go back to her porch to sleep. Hmmm,” Rarity scratched her chin. “Applejack is a hard one. She’ll not likely get the hint. She’s not exactly a romantic, and subtlety is not her forté.” Rarity frowned. “I am not quite sure what to do about Applejack.”

“I don’t like it,” she let out a deep sigh, “but perhaps we will have to leave that up to fate.”

Ditzy stared in awe at the Marechiavelli of romance that stood before her. Celestia save us, should Rarity put that intellect to nefarious use. Next Chapter: Chapter 7 Estimated time remaining: 52 Minutes