That evening while Rainbow Dash mentally grappled with the intended use of certain items in one of Petina’s toy boxes another pony was examining different item in my Equestria Dreamscape.
 
Stone Mane sat on a stool in Lily Dancer’s bedroom while the filly retrieved something from her closet. The colt didn’t know why it felt weird being in a filly’s bedroom like this. As if he was behind enemy lines, or he’d entered some special inner sanctum.
 
True he’d briefly been in Applebloom’s bedroom during his visit to Sweet Apple Acres, but that had been a spontaneous response to a request for help from her, and that sortie had left its own odd memories in his mind.  
In the end the colt decided the best course of action was to was sit very still.
 
The apple green filly carefully dragged a stout wooden chest out of the closet and over to where the nutmeg brown colt was sitting. With that accomplished she inserted a key into its lock. There was a soft ‘click’ and she lifted the lid. Reaching in with both hooves she slowly lifted a doll from the interior of the chest and passed it to the waiting colt. With that accomplished she closed the lid of the chest and sat down on it facing her guest/customer. After few seconds she spoke.
 
“So. What do you think?” She played with one of the braids in her mane. Slowly twirling the warm white and deep green twisted bundle of hair with a front hoof.
 
The colt held the doll with his front hooves and slowly turned around. Until recently he hadn’t given them much thought. He founded it weird to be looking at something that this was suppose to be a representation of him, and that he was going to give it as gift to a filly. A filly who he hoped would be really excited to get it, and would probably spend lots of time holding and maybe even taking it to bed with her.
 
Stone Mane suddenly felt his heart was beating faster and he had butterflies in his stomach. Pushing that aside he addressed the doll’s maker with a surprisingly soft voice.
 
“It’s. It’s amazing.” The colt turned it around a few more times. “You did a really good job Lily. Thank you.”
 
The earth pony filly blushed a tiny bit. “Thanks Stone.” She stopped fiddling one of her braids. “I’m very happy with materials I found for it! Particularly the brown velveteen I used for its body. It’s almost a perfect match to your coat!”
 
The colt held the doll to his chest looked down at it. Lily was right. It was almost a exactly the same color. As he continued to stare at the doll he imagined Appleloom doing the same thing.
 
Suddenly Stone Mane had this strange flood of emotions rush through him. He didn’t know what it meant so he shook it from his head. Carefully he stowed the doll in a large, empty pocket of his school panniers. With that accomplished he removed from a different pocket a small, full tobacco pouch. It clinked with the sound of coins as he passed it to the filly.
 
“I know we’d never really discussed what the price would be for this, but hopefully that will cover the materials and your time Lily.”
 
The filly accepted the pouch and raised an eyebrow. Looking down she opened it and her eyes went wide. She glanced back up at the colt. “Stone! This is way too many bits for this.”
 
The colt blushed and looked out the bedroom window at the evening sky. “No Lily. It’s not. Even if you’d asked double that amount I would’ve paid it.” He looked back at the doll’s creator. “She’s worth it.”
 
Lily nodded her head. Then she pulled the pouch close and placed it in the top drawer her writing desk. With that accomplished she looked back at her guest. “Well It’s almost 8:30 and we both have school in the morning. Let me show you out, and please let me know when she gets it. Alright?”
 
Stone finished tugging the final leather strap of his panniers snug with his teeth. “Sure thing.”
 
With that accomplished the filly escorted the colt to the front door and wished him a good night. She then proceeded to make her preparations for bed. With teeth brushed and mane, tail and coat brushed she crawled into bed. From her nightstand she picked up a book. The bird in the golden cage. Propping herself up in bed she opened it and started reading.
 
To be continued.