Ditzy and Dinky got up early the next morning. Dinky was excited at the proposition; both as thanks to the Apples, and the possibility of playing with her new friend. They’d made the soup fresh the night before, and reheated it over the hearth as the muffins came out of the oven. Dinky happily stacked the muffins one by one, in her meticulously ordered manner, into the basket. Ditzy poured the soup, filling two large vacuum flasks, then packed them in next to the muffins in the basket.

Dinky carefully tucked the folded blanket into the sides over the food.

It was the second to last day of Dinky’s holiday. After tomorrow, Dinky would be going back to school. Ditzy would miss her dearly, but she needed to get back to work, and it gave her some peace knowing Dinky would be at school with her new friends, not alone.

They walked together, Dinky carrying the basket with her magic for five minutes, then Ditzy would take over carrying it in her teeth for fifteen. They were at the outskirts of Ponyville when Dinky stopped asking for the basket. Ditzy nuzzled the back of her daughter’s neck.

“Just keep practicing, and soon your magic will be able to carry things like this the whole way!”

Dinky beamed at the praise from her mother.

When they arrived at Sweet Apple Acres, Dinky bounded ahead, calling for Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom burst through the door, a smile on her face.

“Dinky! What’re you doin’ here?” The foals bounced around each other. “Ah didn’t think I’d get to see ya again until school!”

“Momma and I came here.” Dinky bounced, a sight Ditzy had not seen in many years. “We brought lunch for your family.”

Ditzy had finally caught up to the two fillies, and Apple Bloom eyed the basket. “Ooooooooo! What’cha got there?”

“It’s a thank you lunch, for you, and Applejack, and Granny Smith, and Big Mac,” Dinky listed off the members of the Apple family.

Ditzy placed the basket on the ground, she could talk with a clipboard between her teeth, but the basket was a bit too unwieldy. “We wanted to say thank you for all your help lately.”

“Oh wow!” Apple Bloom ran back to the door, “Granny! Mah friends have brought a picnic lunch for us! Can we eat outside?”

Ditzy was certain she heard a ‘buh-wuh?’ from inside as she followed Apple Bloom to the door.

“Ummm, hello, excuse me?” Ditzy called in. “I’ve— sorry, we’ve brought some lunch to say thank you. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Who’s there?” The frail, aged pony with a faded green coat came to the door. “Oh, it’s Dimpy.”

“Hi Granny Smith,” Dinky laughed. “This is my momma.”

“Ditzy,” Ditzy held her hoof forward to shake.

Granny Smith frowned as she shook the hoof. “I might be a littl’ addled in me old age, but I ain’t ditzy,” she muttered.

Ditzy could feel her ears burning with heat.

“Umm, no. Ditzy Doo,” she coughed. “Ditzy Doo is my name.”

“Hmm,” the creases on Granny’s forehead becoming very pronounced. Then her face lightened. “Oh fiddle-faddle! I’ve dunnit ag’in! Now, why were yah here again?”

“Ummm, lunch,” Ditzy was a little confused.

“Oh, well-” Granny scratched the back of her head, “Haven’t started makin it yet, so should be able to make summ'it for two more.” She looked around, to confirm it was only two extra guests.

Dinky and Apple Bloom were in fits of laughter, watching the exchange between the befuddled mares.

Ditzy lifted up the basket in front of Granny Smiths eyes.

“I brouf fom foob to sfare.” She knew it would be hard to understand, but hoped she’d gotten the meaning across.

“Apple Bloom,” Dinky managed to get out, after the fits of laughter had subsided, “We need some bowls, or mugs, if you guys have any.”

“This way!” Apple Bloom giggled, still struggling to contain her laughter. “Whah don’t yah sit down on the porch Granny? We’ll get lunch sorted.”

The two ran inside, laughter echoing out the door.

They’d set the blanket on the soft ground partially beneath the shade of a tree. Apple Bloom looked over the muffins with a hungry expression. Granny Smith had sat on the edge of the blanket, under the shade. Ditzy laid on her side, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her back and wings. She enjoyed the feeling of the breeze as it ruffled her feathers.

Two figures emerged from the eastern fields. Apple Bloom bounced on her rear legs, waving her forehooves in the air. “Big Mac! Applejack! Over here, quick!”

The two figures approached, quickening their pace at Apple Bloom’s request. They slowed down as they approached and saw the blanket laid out, and the four ponies sitting relaxed. Well, three ponies sitting relaxed, and one bouncing near clear out of her own coat.

“What in tarnation’s the big rush, Bloom?” the orange mare frowned.

“Muffins!” Apple Bloom squealed with so much glee that Dinky had to look up to her mother to make sure it wasn’t her that had exclaimed with such enthusiasm. Ditzy chuckled, seeing her daughters look.

“Dinky and I wanted to say, ummm, thank you,” Ditzy explained, though she could feel her ears starting to burn, so looked down at the blanket. “You know, thank you, for everything.”

Apple Bloom rocked, clearly anxious to get to the baked treats.

Big Mac and Applejack took their places at the picnic blanket. Ditzy hadn’t failed to notice Big Mac had taken his place next to her. She’d hoped that the heat she could feel in her cheeks was obvious only to her.

Ditzy coughed.

“So, who would like some soup?” she asked, looking to everypony other than the stallion beside her. “Or if you’d just like muffins, go for it.” She winked to Apple Bloom.

Dinky helped by holding the mugs with her magic, and Ditzy poured the contents of the vacuum flasks into cups, thankful there was still a lot of heat. Dinky hovered each one to each grateful recipient.

“I hope the muffins are good,” Ditzy picked one up gently, balancing it on one hoof. “They're a new recipe, cheese and parsley. We thought they might go nice with the tomato soup.”

Dinky hovered one of the muffins towards Apple Bloom and brought one to herself. She pinched a small bit off, and dipped it in the soup. Carefully hovering it to her mouth, she popped the soup drenched muffin into her mouth.

“Oh wow! Ah can do that too!” Apple Bloom exclaimed as she broke off a piece of muffin, and dropped it with a plop into the soup. What followed was a humorous twenty seconds of Apple Bloom trying to get the muffin piece out of the soup. First she tried her hoof, then her tongue, then her whole snout was in the mug. Dinky giggled, lifted the piece out and held it for Apple Bloom to take.

The other members of the Apple family laughed.

“Apple Bloom, what you need to do is take a small bite of the muffin,” Ditzy instructed. “Then take a small sip of the soup. That’s how us pegasi and earth ponies have to do it.”

Ditzy smiled at Apple Bloom, then demonstrated.

They enjoyed the meal in relative silence. Ditzy had asked how the farm was going, and Applejack had happily talked away about the different vegetables they’d grow and store for the winter. Ditzy tried to follow, but she was admittedly a mailmare, not a farmer. Added to that, there was somepony whose stoic silence next to her that kept her mind distracted.

He’d kept quiet for most of the meal; Ditzy nervously asked if the food was okay. She’d been answered with an “Eeyup”, and her heart eased a little when she looked up and saw him smiling, inhaling the smell of the soup, and drinking delicately from the mug.

The foals finished first, and as predicted, had asked if they could go and play. Dinky excused herself as she stood on all fours, following the excited Apple Bloom.

“Dinky sure is a sweetie,’ Applejack giggled. “Maybe Ah’ll be right, and those manners will rub off.”

They continued to slowly snack on the food, most of the muffins and soup gone by this time. Soft snores interrupted the serenity. The three ponies turned to see Granny Smith had fallen asleep on the blanket.

Ditzy was amazed by Rarity’s amazing foresight.

“Whelp, we better get back to work, hey Big Mac?” Closing her eyes, Applejack sighed, “Aww hay, Ah could jes lay’n this sun all day.”

Big Mac shook his head. “Nope. Too much to do.”

“Well, I better get this cleaned up,” Ditzy smiled.

“Ah’ll help!” Applejack got up. “Big Mac, can you help Granny Smith back up to the porch.”

“Eeyup”

Several miles away, a white unicorn with a purple mane standing in the attic of her boutique let out the most unladylike scream of frustration. She stomped down the stairs, leaving the recently requisitioned royal astronomy telescope broken at that window, wondering how much she’d owe Twilight to replace that. Next Chapter: Chapter 8 Estimated time remaining: 46 Minutes