Exodus

"I say, auntie, this is completely uncalled for!" spoke the indignant tones of Prince Blueblood as he walked down the hallway with Celestia. "This is simply vulgar! How could you expect me to go all the way to the back woods of Stalliongrad just to play politics with some dogs, birds and lizards?"

"Because you have prior experience and a certain diplomatic flair," Celestia answered. I hope we find a room to talk in soon, translating his 'Snobbish' is getting a little old.

"Oh, auntie, you're too kind! But what about my retinue? Hang on a moment, in here." Prince Blueblood gestured to a side door and opened it to a reveal a small waiting room, completely devoid of outside observers. "Ahem," Blueblood spoke once he had closed the door.

The room was respectably spacious. If Celestia had felt so inclined she could have walked about with wings outstretched, but she did not. The books lining the shelves constituted a healthy mix of all topics, from the innocent to the amorous to the macabre. Nestled on the left wall was a long unlit fireplace and to the right was a small washroom with a toilet and shower. The walls were a deep maroon and a full-size window gave a respectable view of the Canterlot Gardens, its position and facing also meant that the eye-sore of Discord's statue was not visible.

"You'll be going by carriage with just the drivers, nopony else," Celestia replied.

"Alright 'Tia." Blueblood allowed his facade to slide off, referring to the sun goddess by her nickname. "But seriously, which pony are you planning on introducing me to this time? I've told you already that I'm not interested in having you play matchmaker. Cadence may have appreciated the effort with you making her Twilight's foal-sitter; but I can't take it anymore, after all my comrades died hundreds of years ago, every mare you've suggested just ... never clicked. Not to mention, auntie Luna's prank with that gelding didn't help at all."

"And why didn't any of these mares 'click', as you say?" Celestia inquired with genuine curiousity. She had thousands of examples of mortals on which to base her judgments, but only a hoofful of gods to choose from.

"After the war, nopony knew what it was like. War... conflict, being pushed away from one's afternoon of relief and thrust into suffering, nopony could... understand me, nor I them," Blueblood responded, his left hoof shuffling.

"And that is why I want you to go to this summit, to get away from the center where everypony is perfectly happy, to go out and find somepony who does know what it means to suffer, so you can come together and create something beautiful," Celestia said, a bright grin shining through with a cheery and encouraging tone soaking her voice.

"So you mean to tell me that nopony else is going to be in that carriage when I get on it? Nopony is going to show up on the road from some bush you had them camp in for a week before my arrival?" Blueblood asked incredulously.

"Now, nephew, you're being cynical." Celestia brought a forehoof to her chest, hoof guard disturbing the preened fur. "I swear upon my divinity, I have done absolutely nothing to arrange for anypony to meet you save those you meet in the course of performing your royal obligations. Anypony you meet shall be the result of serendipity."

Blueblood nodded slowly. Casting a glance around the room, Blueblood liked what he saw. "You know, I like this room, it has a certain cozy feeling."

Celestia smiled, with Blueblood once more taking on his snide tone, she knew the conversation in the candid was over. "I'll have it ready for you when you return."

~~~

Ditzy 'Derpy' Doo, or, as she had come to be known by coworkers and villagers alike, simply 'Derpy Hooves', was walking towards the mail chief's office. She had just returned two minutes earlier after having barely managed to keep up with her schedule to deliver five hundred and sixty-four pieces of mail in the one hour time slot she had been given as one of only a hoofful of mail-mares. Her back and wings ached and her vision swam from the exertion, and her left eye had started to drift off on its own course.

"Hey! Derpy!" a voice called out. The grey mare closed her eyes at the name, the voice’s possessor having no knowledge of how much it hurt her. "How are you doing? I totally had a horrible workday, do you know how many pieces of mail I had to deliver in like, an hour? Thirty-seven, isn't that just like, totally ridiculous?"

Ditzy opened her good eye and looked over at the creme earth pony trotting up beside her. "Sorry to hear that, Bonbon, but I need to see the boss, he just called me over the intercom."

"Oh, that's alright, talk to you again soon Derpy!" With that the mare trotted down a hallway to the cafeteria, humming as she went.

Ditzy opened her other lid to see if her eye was obedient. Sadly, it was not and she was faced with images that did not mesh together and she had to stop to wait for the episode to pass. When her sight lines settled, she was bumped from behind and sent sprawling.

The two interns, Snips and Snails, turned to the mare. "What are you doing standing in the hallway? Our dad was asking for you! Go on, get!" the orange one said before hurrying off with his brother in tow. Ditzy observed that down the hall they ran into Lyra, and the two began a profuse set of apologies to the mint-green unicorn. Ditzy sighed and rounded the corner to her boss' office door.

Imprinted on the door, in large, friendly letters, was the name and title of Ditzy's small, unfriendly boss. 'Pressing Order, Chief of Ponyville Mail'. Ditzy grabbed the the door handle in her mouth, and twisted it, pushing inward she let herself into her boss' office.

"Derpy, don't drool on the handle, and don't bite down on it either! It's solid brass, and I don't need your insurance policy paying for dentures!" Ditzy released the handle and tried to spin around out of the closing door's path, but was smacked across the rump by the door.

"Sorry, Pressing Order, sir," Ditzy said.

"Don't apologize! Don't do it again! Now sit!" the petite, grey-green stallion instructed, pointing with a hoof to the bare wooden seat opposite his own, spacious cushioned office chair. Obliging, Ditzy sat and looked up at her employer.

"Do you know why you're here?" Order asked.

Ditzy shook her head. "All I know is that you called for me on the intercom when I got in."

"I got a special assignment for you kid, long distance delivery," Pressing Order spoke before continuing. "Got a package that needs delivery to Stalliongrad, shipment of, uhhh, sandals. Need to get it there in a week."

Guess he got tired of me and wants me out of his mane for a bit, the grey mare thought. Not the first time.

"Okay, sir, I'll do it, but—" Ditzy felt her eye stray again and shut her eyes tight, not wanting to be seen by her boss in that state.

"What is it? Talk!" Pressing Order yelled.

Ditzy cowed and whispered timidly, "I'd like to make arrangements for my daughter first."

"What's that? I didn't quite catch that."

"I said I would like to find a foal-sitter for my daughter before I go on the delivery," Ditzy said in a level tone.

"It's hard to catch what you're saying with your eyes closed, personal habit of mine and all that," the green stallion said to her.

Ditzy opened her eyes and looked at her boss, and the framed photo of the post office to the left.

"Ah, you're having another episode, fine, take the day off. You're out of sick days until April now, though. I expect you to pick up the package to deliver tomorrow morning, five o'clock sharp." As the blonde maned pegasus turned to leave, Pressing Order spoke up again, "And Derpy, don't go losing the bag in a pile of snow."

~~~

"In nine-sixty-three after banishment, the Diamond Dog clan Vulpex signed a non-aggression treaty with the gryphons. This agreement later evolved to free-trade agreements and finally a military alliance against the Platinum Claws in nine-eighty-four, a situation that has lasted until this day." A knocking sounded at the door and Blueblood lowered the book 1000 Years of Diamond Dog History onto a pile on top of 1000 Years of Draconic History and Everything you need to Know about Gryphons. Blueblood put on an irritated tone and called out, "What is it?"

A royal pegasus guard stepped into Blueblood's chamber and cleared his throat. "Your Majesty, I came here to inform you that the carriage is prepared to take you to Stalliongrad anytime you so desire."

"I shall be there for seven AM tomorrow, now if you don't mind, I was busy." Blueblood lifted a copy of Playcolt from a separate pile of magazines he kept for just such an occasion. The guard hastily excused himself when he saw a yellow mare with her rear stuck in the air upon the magazine cover.

"Now I can get back to my real work." Blueblood gave a slightly disgusted grunt as he tossed the bawdy magazine away and replaced it with historical anthologies he had gathered. His bags were packed, several with excessive dress clothes that he had no intention of wearing. The stallion shifted position and finally set the book down as he finished the chapter. It was ten o'clock at night and the journey would be long.

"Might as well shower. I can read during the trip," the prince muttered to himself.

Blueblood stood up from his lounge chair and used his magic to unfasten his jacket buttons, letting the jacket fall off as he stepped towards the en suite. His ivory coloured wings finally freed themselves of their trappings as he flapped them gently. It wasn't a secret that he was an alicorn by any means, but the magazines over the years had begun referring to him as 'The Prince of Unicorns'. He was thought by some as a mortal, and a terrible one at that; it made keeping his distance from others much easier.

The alicorn turned the knobs of his bath and let the warm water soak into his fur and feathers. Stepping out of the shower, he dried himself off and preened, setting his feathers straight. Anypony who was a pegasus or royalty would have noticed the congruence and symmetry of his primaries was askew, even after his self grooming. Blueblood stepped to his bed and at the magazine he had cast aside, it was open to the image of a grey mare with a blonde mane, a pegasus, her cutie mark an empty wine glass.

"Looks a bit like Vigil," Blueblood muttered, before lifting the magazine and dropping it into his fire place.

~~~

"Dinky! Mommy's home!" Ditzy called out to her basic apartment. It was quiet, but the pegasus could hear the soft muttering of her child coming from the living room. The grey mare walked into the room and looked at her six-year-old filly. Ditzy smiled warmly at the joy of her world. Ditzy walked to her daughter. Dinky had the same mane and coat colour, and the same eyes as her mother, except she did not have a lazy eye.

The filly was rocking back and forth on the floor, a book open in front of her. The filly was muttering as her horn glowed softly, turning the page of the book. "Lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, caesium, francium...."

"Dinky," Derpy spoke softly so as to not startle the filly.

The filly stopped rocking back and forth and looked at her mother, a wide grin spread on her face. "Mommy!" The grey foal leaped at her mother and hugged her. "Guess what I learned today!"

"What did you learn, sweetie?"

"I learned about the periodic table of elements! I'm busy trying to memorize it, I almost have all the names down!"

"That seems a little advanced, what did the other students have to say about learning that?" Ditzy asked her daughter.

"Oh, they didn't learn it. I spent my lunch break reading inside, and I found the chapter in a grade seven textbook and it was just so fascinating!" The filly was bouncing around now and waving her fore hooves in the air.

"Dinky, dear, you still ate your lunch I hope?" With that question the filly fell down and looked at the floor.

"No..."

"Well, go grab it and eat. You know I don't like it when you forget to have your lunch." Ditzy looked at her daughter and nuzzled her.

"I don't know where it is," Dinky said dejectedly.

"Did you leave it at school?" Derpy asked.

The filly shook her head. "Some pony at school took it."

Ditzy drew her head back, shocked that anypony, even a child, would steal from her daughter. "Dinky, do you know who it was?"

Dinky had started crying. "No! I mean, I recognize them but I can't remember their name!"

"Describe them, sweetheart," Ditzy instructed her daughter.

"She was grey, and she had a white mane, and she's always wearing glasses, she has a two week old scuff mark on her left front hoof from when she slipped while carving soapstone, she spends her time with a pink filly and–"

"Silver Spoon," Ditzy interrupted, knowing the filly well. The blone-maned mare had spoken with her father and mother several times. She was dismissed and told that their daughter would never do such a thing. Cheerilee had been more receptive, and had caught Silver Spoon bullying Dinky; Diamond Tiara never too far away. Ditzy was glad she had somepony else to make sure her daughter was safe, but Cheerilee was only one teacher.

"I'll talk to Cheerilee about it before I leave," spoke Ditzy.

"You're leaving again?" Dinky sobbed. "How long will you be gone this time?"

"One and a half weeks. Don't worry, honey, I'll be back before you know it."

Dinky ran to her room and screamed, "NO! I don't want you to leave, I want you to stay!"

Ditzy sighed and went to the kitchen, her daughter needed some time before she would calm down. The grey mare opened a cupboard and easily picked out a loaf of bread. She didn't have much money to spare, but the grey pegasus made sure her daughter never went to sleep hungry, even if some nights the pegasus did. Ditzy made a simple peanut butter and blueberry jam sandwich. Setting it on a plate she carried it over to the fridge where she poured out a glass of milk. She made her way to Dinky's room and sat beside her on the bed. The young filly was screaming into her pillow.

Ditzy began nuzzling her daughter, grooming her mane that had become unkempt from her frustrated thrashing. "I know its not fair honey, but we need the money. I'll let you choose the foal-sitter this time. How does Lyra sound?"

"Her stories give me nightmares," Dinky responded.

"Berry Punch?"

"She never talks to me," the unicorn filly replied.

"Applejack?"

"She's too far away from the library, and besides, Applebloom hates me."

"Don't be ridiculous, how could Applebloom hate you?" Ditzy asked.

"When Applejack let me sleep in Applebloom's bed, I wet it."

"Oh, sweetheart, what happened?" Ditzy began stroking her daughter's mane with a hoof.

"I had another nightmare that night," Dinky said.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" the mare asked. When Dinky shook her head the grey pegasus lifted her head from her daughter's head, the mane now parted neatly around her horn.

Where would she be happy? Wait, she mentioned the library. An idea formed in Ditzy's mind. It was a long shot, but the studious unicorn had developed a reputation of always helping out the townsfolk of Ponyville. "Dinky, would you like to try a different foal sitter?" The grey unicorn nodded her head. "I want to see if Twilight Sparkle would be willing to foal-sit you." Dinky's eyes brightened at the suggestion.

"Miss Sparkle's nice! She always helps me find books!" Dinky declared. Noticing the sandwich, the grey filly floated it over with her magic and took a big bite and swallowed.

"Chew dear, and I'm glad you like the idea. We can go see if she agrees after you finish eating." Ditzy stipulated her terms and her daughter eagerly accepted.

~~~

Twilight Sparkle was reading a book on the reproductive cycles of cordyceps fungi when she heard a knocking at the library door. "Come in!" the purple mare called out. The door opened and a grey unicorn filly was guiding a grey pegasus with closed eyes inside.

"Hi Ditzy! And hello to you Dinky, are you looking for another book?" the lavender unicorn asked. She stood up and hopped off her couch.

Dinky looked to the ground and prodded her mother's leg.

"Twilight, I came here to ask you a favor," Ditzy began.

"Hang on, Ditzy, why are your eyes shut? Is your strabismus acting up again?"

With a sigh, Derpy opened her eyes, a vision of Twilight Sparkle and her daughter's faces meshing together. "Yes."

"I'm sorry about that. What was it you wanted to ask?" Twilight questioned.

Shutting her left eye, Ditzy focused on the purple unicorn. "I was wondering if you could foal-sit Dinky for me, I have to go away for a while on work."

Twilight was taken aback. "Work? Don't you work at the post office?"

"My boss sends me to deliver long distance packages every so often," Ditzy replied. The pale pegasus twitched her left eye beneath the lid in an attempt to get it to cooperate. "I need the extra money, and my boss doesn't really like it if I refuse."

"What about her father?" At this, Dinky backed away from Twilight and started trembling. "Or relatives?" Ditzy shook her head.

"I understand, Twilight, we'll find somepony else." The grey mare turned and nuzzled her child to walk in front.

"Wait! I'm not refusing. It's just, why would you want me as a foal sitter?" The purple mare looked at Ditzy as she turned back, amethyst eyes met topaz..

"Well, you have experience taking care of children don't you?"

"With Spike? Yeah, but that's kind of unconventional, you could have asked Pinkie Pie if you wanted experience, she's great with kids."

Dinky spoke up, "Pinkie is too loud, she makes a lot of noise and I can't concentrate around her."

"Besides," Ditzy began, "she loves being here at the library and well... Is it okay if Dinky looks at some of the books?" Twilight nodded confusedly at the non sequitur and followed Ditzy to a corner as Dinky headed towards the fantasy novels. Ditzy began in a hushed whisper, "Dinky has special needs, and I thought if you could handle a baby dragon, you could take good care of her."

Twilight tilted her head. "Special needs? How so? She seems bright to me. I've never seen a foal who loves to read as much as she does, except, uh, maybe me when I was little... okay, I still do," Twilight chuckled.

Ditzy shook her head. "She does fine in class, but she has problems socializing. She's really shy and she gets bullied sometimes. She also has night terrors and wets the bed sometimes."

With this, Twilight gave a determined nod. "Okay, I'll do it."

Ditzy lifted up onto her hind legs and embraced Twilight in her fore hooves. "Thank you so much, Twilight, I'll pay you once I get back from Stalliongrad." The mare stepped away from the Element of Magic and called to her daughter. "Dinky! Find anything?"

"Not yet!"

"Well, you can keep looking tonight. We have to pack. I have to leave early tomorrow."

"Okay!" Dinky galloped to her mother and the two stepped back outside.

Twilight was left in the library by herself, smiling softly at the touching scene. "I better set up the guest room and find Spike to tell him the news."