Paintdrops Over Ponyville - Chapter 2

Dominic slowly opened his eyes to find himself in his bed. He glanced around, noticing he had flung the blankets off his bed, most likely because of violent kicking or thrashing. Lifting himself up, he stole a look at the clock and discovered it was five AM. Most other ponies would be asleep, and he reckoned he should be as well. With a plump, he dropped back down on his soft bed and closed his eyes.

Minutes passed, and sleep had eluded him. He lifted himself up once more, stretching his wings and letting out a soft yawn. He climbed out of bed and rearranged the bedspread nicely again. He pushed the door open and trotted over to the stairway, taking note of the painting, which should be nearly dry. He trotted down the flight of stairs leading back down to the lower floor to make himself some breakfast. As he glanced out the window, he too note of the sunrise. So calm, so invigorating, so inspiring. He had a busy day today, and he usually had little time to think about such trivial beauties. He trotted to the front door and opened it, letting in a cool breeze. As the wind hit him, a flier (which was taped to the door lazily) fell off the door at the extra movement and fluttered to the ground in front of him. Somepony must have left this last night. He calmly pulled it off and read the information on the flier.

The flier was for the upcoming Hearts Warming Eve dance in Ponyville town hall. There was no dress code (since ponies rarely wore clothes) but it was suggested that you bring “that special somepony” to the dance with you. Dom noticed an odd heart on the page that seemed drawn in by hoof, but he imagined it was somepony doodling. He contemplate if he would go with anypony, but only one mare popped into Dom's head at that exact moment.

Derpy Hooves.

The thought of this, however, frightened him greatly. Being the introverted type outside of his friend group, he did not usually subject himself to situations like this. Yes, he really liked and had a huge crush on the bubbly mailmare but he simply couldn't handle asking her to the dance.

All of these thoughts were rushing through his head until he realized he had been standing at his door for quite some time, and some other ponies had taken notice. He donned a visage of glum depression before shutting his door and returning to his home.

Setting the flier on the kitchen counter, he trotted over and sat down on his haunches on the living room couch. He knew many ponies would probably expect him at the dance. His brother Cameron and his friend Benevolence both had marefriends that would certainly go to the dance with them. Both knew Dom had a crush on Derpy, and would like to see him there. Dom sat contemplating this for the longest while until he realized Derpy would be around soon to deliver the morning mail. Almost as if on cue, a knock on the door was heard. Dom sprang up off his haunches a little too fast, launching  himself off the couch and onto the coffee table, landing with a loud crash among on the wood. Picking himself up and shaking it off, he galloped quickly to the door, almost slipping again in the process. He opened the door to find Derpy, standing on his front mat with an expression of concern on her face.

“You okay,” she asked, “I heard crashes.”

“Ah, yes, yes you did,” Dom said, brushing his mane back nervously, “I tripped on my way to answer the door.”

“Well, I'm glad to hear you are okay, it sounded bad,” She chimed, donning the happy face
Dom usually recognized.  “Hey, did you hear about the Dance?”

Dom nearly turned pale at the word. “Uh, yeah, somepony left a flier here sometime last night. It dropped on the ground when I opened the door.”

“Was there anything else on the flier,” she asked, “I mean, it did have information on it, but was there anything else?”

“Nope,” Dom replied.

Derpy's mood seemed to sag a bit.

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

The two looked at each other for a moment before Derpy finally spoke again.

“Anyway, I just came over to ask if you got the flier... So...”

“Yes, thank you.”

Silence.

“Okay then,” Derpy said after a few more seconds, “I have to go, see you.”

“See you,” Dom said anxiously.

The mailmare turned and lifted off the ground, and Dom turned and trotted back into his home. He plopped himself onto the couch and slammed his head into the cushion.

“You are such a failure,” He said to himself, still hitting his head, “you had the opportunity to ask your crush out and blew it, hard.”

Suddenly, he poked his head up. He jumped off the couch and ran to the kitchen counter, picking up the flier again. He looked once more at the doodled heart and facehoofed. He never would have thought it, but the heart must have been drawn by Derpy! She must have left it for him after he went back inside!

“How could I have been so blind,” he said to himself with a scowl, “you should have seen the signs, the drop in mood, her enthusiasm about the flier! Arrgh!”

He hit his head on the counter.

“I'm such a jackflank,” he said, burying his face in his forelegs, “I should have noticed, I should have asked.”

Taking another moment to gather himself, he glanced at his wall clock, and was immediately taken back.

Twelve O'Clock.

“I'm going to be late!”

He rushed upstairs and lifted the tarp from his canvas, revealing the dried portrait of Rarity. He wrapped it up in protective paper and hefted it onto his back. (The painting was a good size, it was quite large.) He carefully walked it downstairs on his back and squeezed it out the door.


Panting quite heavily, Dom ran to the door of the Carousel Boutique and knocked on the door. The door popped open and Rarity donned a smile.

“Ah,” she squealed, “you've brought it! This will look wonderful above my workspace!”

She levitated the painting off Dom's back and into the building, motioning with her hoof for him to follow. He walked inside, the weight of the painting off his back, and plopped down on a waiting chair, exhausted. Rarity set the painting down and walked over to the seat he had taken.

“Are you alright sweetie,” she asked, looking at him, “I can tell you are tired but something else seems to be troubling you.”

Dom let out a huge sigh, waving his hoof back and forth a bit. “Nope, it's really nothing.”

Rarity seemed unconvinced but trotted to a rack of dresses, looking over her shoulder back at him.

“Raindrops was in here just a bit ago,” she chimed, a smile spreading across her face, “she was very riled up about the Hearts Warming Eve Dance.”

Dom cringed at the mention of the Dance. “Really? I didn't know she had a special somepony,” he said.

Rarity giggled. “No,” she said, “no she doesn't. But her friend Derpy was hoping her crush would ask her.”

Dom's eyes grew very wide, a horrid mixture of guilt, regret, and astonishment rushing through him. “R-Really? Who was she going to ask?”

Rarity giggled again, still pretending to study the dresses. “I would hope you know the answer.”

Rarity heard the bell above the door ring and in that instant, Dom was gone.

“Oh my,” she said aloud, “I wonder what has him riled up,” She walked the painting upstairs, “after all, he left without paying.”

Oh well, she would just mail the payment later. She fixed the painting above her workspace and marveled at it before returning to her sewing machine.


Dom flew, and he flew faster than he ever had before, searching madly throughout town for a sign of Derpy or Raindrops. He flew over the park, the plaza, and the town hall, but there was nary a  sign of either of them anywhere. Frustrated, he flew down to the ground outside the floral shop and stood there, panting. As if by fate, Raindrops left the floral shop at that very moment and noticed Dom.

“YOU JACKFLANK!”

Dom barely had time to react before Raindrops rushed towards him, stopping inches from his nose.

“You have got a sick mind, you worthless pile of manure!”

Dom took a large step back. “W-what do you mean?”

Raindrops stared directly at him, her face red with anger. “You made Derpy cry!”

Dom's heart dropped out of him instantly. “I... I did what?”

“I don't know what you said, or did, but she was in absolute tears when she met me after her shift. Tell me, what HAPPENED?”

“I... I don't know... S-she dropped by my home to ask me if I got a flier for the dance... And... I... Got anxious and kind of went back inside...”

“Well then, Dom, if you are thinking of rekindling your relationship with her, if one was ever present, you are way too late.”

“W-why?”

“She asked Thunderlane to the dance instead.”

The entire world shattered around Dom. His body wouldn't move, his mind was blank, and nothing affected him. Thuderlane was a jackflank, a pony that would make fun of smaller ponies and would show off way too much. He suddenly felt very woozy, like he had been on a tilt-o-whirl. His hooves felt like they were missing. His senses returned, and apparently Raindrops had stalked off. He picked himself up with what strength he had and waddled towards home, nearly falling over a few times. He passed through the the park, plaza, and past town hall. After a good deal of walking, he arrived at his door. He opened it, walked upstairs, and climbed into his bed. He stared, teary eyed, at the photo of Derpy he had on his nightstand. He curled up under the blankets and cried softly, for the longest time.

“It's over,” he sobbed.


Dom was suddenly on a large cloud, his eyes still watery. He wiped them off and stared blankly into the large sea of clouds ahead. It was an empty, lonely place. Somehow it felt familiar... Yet it felt alien to him. Dom began to get nervous a bit.

“Hello,” he called out into the emptiness, “anypony there?”

A small noise came from the distance. Dom heard it and began to trot in the direction of the sound. As he grew near, the sound got a bit louder. He quickened his pace into a gallop and continued towards the sound. He called into the abyss again.

“Hello? Hello? Who is there?”

“I hate you.” A voice said from far away.

Suddenly, Dom fell forward, tumbling a bit before coming to a stop upright on his hooves. He was standing there, fine. However, he found her could no longer move. He began sinking into the clouds below. He heard the voice again.

“I can't stand you. I don't like you. I don't ever want to see you again.”

Dom saw a silhouette of another pony approaching. The figure drew closer until they finally came into view. Dom's torso was sinking into the cloud now, and he felt his hooves touch free air below. He looked up at the figure, which was now standing over him.

It was Derpy, making a face filled with rage.

“Derpy! Please, help me up,” Dom pleaded, “I'm stuck in the clouds, and I'm sinking!”

Derpy just stood there, watching. Dom's neck was falling into the cloud now. He looked up at Derpy again.

“Please,” He begged, “help me... I really need you now, Derpy. I have always wanted to say it but...”

His head went under the clouds and suddenly he dropped out the bottom.

“I love you.”

Dom fell from the clouds, his wings locked, unable to move. He looked through the hole his body had made, and saw Derpy walk away, ignoring him. He fell, the air around him getting cold. There was no ground beneath him, just an endless pit. He fell for what seemed like an hour, before the world turned black around him...


Dom's eyes fluttered open again, and just as it had happened the previous morning, he was on the floor. His sheets thrown everywhere. He got up, remade his bed, and took a shower. He got out, dried off, stretched his wings and legs, and walked downstairs. He was tired, exhausted, but not sleepy. He felt like he had slept on a log. (In this case, he did.) He went downstairs and trotted to his fridge. He opened it up and got out his carton of orange juice. He poured himself a cup and drank it before returning the carton to the fridge. He walked to the door and pushed it open. The sun was shining. He looked at his wall clock inside and realized it was ten o'clock. He checked the mailbox, and there was a single letter. It was odd since the fact was that today was Hearts Warming Eve, and nopony would be working today. Not even Derpy. He opened the letter up and read it. It was a letter from the Princess. She wanted Dom to go to the dance tonight and meet her to talk about a huge commission in the near future.

Dom was in a huge pickle. If he went, he would have to go alone. However, he couldn't disappoint the Princess. His only choice was to get ready to go tonight, whether it pained him or not.

Dom went inside and trotted upstairs. He went into his room and opened up his nightstand drawer. Inside was a black bow tie. He picked it up and put it on his neck. (The tie had a magical hold on it. It was from a magical shop that sold items with minor magical enchantments.) Also inside the draw was the Hearts Warming Eve card he had received last year from Derpy. He picked it out of the drawer and opened it. Inside was a drawn in muffin and the words, “Happy Hearts Warming Eve, Dom.” It was signed by Derpy and dotted with bubbles.

Dom just sat there, looking it over. He really did love her, he was just shy, and it had cost him everything.

Dom sighed and sat down on his bed. He picked up his book from the nightstand. It was volume 3 of “The Guardians of the Pool”, a story written from the point of view of a fish. He opened it up and began reading.


It was seven o'clock. Time to head to the dance. Dom left his house and trotted downtown to the town hall. The building was heavily decorated with red and green streamers, along with loads of wreathes. He trotted up to the door. Hesitantly, he took a deep breath and pushed it open...