I Am Ditzy

by Saint Ragnarok

Rating: everyone
Tags: Mayor Mare, Sad, Original Character, Apple Bloom, Spike, Rainbow Dash, Tragedy, Big Macintosh, Fluttershy, Derpy Hooves, Princess Celestia, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, Cheerilee, Applejack, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Zecora
Length: 6877

When Ditzy loses custody of Dinky, she sets out to get her back...no matter what the cost.

It is Dinky Doo's first day of School and she couldn't be more excited. Her loving mother and Ponyville's Mail-mare, Ditzy Doo, drops her off and heads off to work. However, when her classmates make fun of Her mother and deceased father, Dinky loses it and hits another filly. Enraged at her daughters actions, Ditzy scolds her. daughter. Fearing her mother doesn't love her anymore, Dinky runs away. However this is only the beginning of their troubles. When Ditzy and the Mane 6 rescue Dinky from an almost certain death at the paws of one of the dangerous beasts of the Everfree forest, the other ponies in Ponyville decide that Ditzy is not a fit mother and they have Dinky Doo taken away. With the help of Twilight Sparkle, DItzy fights an unfair legal battle as well as her own demons. Even though Ditzy and Dinky face the prospect of never seeing each other again, this story shows just how strong the bond between mother and daughter can be.

Published 2011-09-29 08:35:24 UTC
Last updated 2011-09-29 09:20:37 UTC

I Am Ditzy: Chapter 1

I Am Ditzy

By

Saint Ragnarok

Preread and Edited By:

Vopogon- Author of “Soaring Hearts”

Scoopicus-Author of “Age of Terra”

Clueless313

A Dumb Door

Cheeto666

Character of “Bran Muffin” used with permission from

Roy G. Biv- Author of “Dinky Doo’s Father Revealed”

Chapter 1

It was a bright, sunny morning in Ponyville. Summer was coming to a close. The long days and warm nights would soon be traded for brisk mornings and the falling of leaves from their trees. For most ponies in town, this seasonal change had little or no meaning. However, for one filly who lived down the street from the post office, it meant much, much more.

Dinky Doo lay in bed, slowly awakening from her slumber. The rays of Princess Celestia’s morning sun beamed through the bedroom window, tickling her face. The foal cracked a smile and hopped out of bed. She stretched her limbs and let out an extended yawn.

As she began exiting her bedroom, Dinky felt that something was missing. Something very Important. Oh! She had forgotten about Daisy Doo!

The filly unicorn crawled under her bed and pulled out a yellow wooden toy box decorated with stickers and glitter. Dinky sifted through the various toys and games until she found exactly what she was looking for.

“There you are!” Dinky said.

From the box, she pulled out an old, raggedy plushie in the shape of a pegasus pony. It’s bluish-gray color and golden mane bore an almost exact resemblance to her mother. The toy itself was very old and worn out from years of play. The left wing had a significant tear, and one of the hind legs had been torn off from a run-in with a vicious dog. Her mother had offered to buy another one several times, but Daisy had too much sentimental value and Dinky refused to part with her.

Dinky gave the doll a squeeze and placed it gently on her back, happily trotting into the living room.

Entering the other room, her nose picked up the scent of freshly baked muffins emanating from the kitchen. Muffins for breakfast were not an unusual occurrence in her household. However, she knew that mommy only baked fresh ones for very special occasions...And today was one of those times.

“Come on, Daisy Doo!” She said to the rag doll, “mommy’s making muffins today!”

The foal darted into the kitchen, led on by the smell of the freshly baked goods. Daisy Doo in tow behind her, the purple filly walked up to the table and pulled out the chair. Using all of the strength in her upper body, she manged to pull herself onto the seat.

“Morning, mommy!” The filly greeted.

Across the kitchen, Ditzy Doo pulled a tray of freshly baked muffins out of the oven and placed it on the counter.

“Good morning, baby.” Ditzy said, returning the greeting with a smile.

Dinky sat, bouncing up and down in her seat, eagerly awaiting her breakfast.

Ditzy placed the muffins on a plate and brought it to the kitchen table. Dinky immediately hopped up, reaching for the plate. She spotted big blue chunks embedded in the muffins.

“Blueberries!” Her eyes widened at the sight of the muffins “My favorite!”

The unicorn reached out, grabbing a plump muffin with an abundance of blueberries. However, she did not eat it right away. Rather, she played with it for a brief moment before addressing her mother again.

“Do you know what today is?” Dinky asked expectantly.

Ditzy smiled, reaching out for a muffin. “You tell me, baby, what’s so special about today?”

“Silly mommy,” Dinky giggled, “today’s my first day of school!”

Ditzy took a bite of her muffin.“That’s right, I bet you’re very excited.”

“Yeah!” Dinky squeaked.

The doting mother smiled at her child’s eagerness.

Dinky’s enrollment in Miss Cheerilee’s class dominated the subject of many conversations over the summer. At first, Ditzy thought that it was so cute how anxious Dinky was to begin her schooling. After three straight months of all the talk about school, Dinky’s banter soon turned from adorable to annoying. However, Dinky was her only daughter and she was always cautious about not saying anything that could possibly upset her. She just smiled and let Dinky yammer on about it, hoping that it would pass.

Pretty soon the muffin Dinky had been playing had been reduced to a pile of crumbs.

“All gone!” Dinky said, crumbs falling from the side of her mouth.

Ditzy chuckled at the mess and grabbed a cloth.

“I hope they teach you good table manners at school.” She teased, wiping the crumbs from her daughter’s face.

Dinky just rolled her eyes.

“Alright, I want you to go get your things ready for class and we’ll go in about ten minutes.” The mother ordered, giving dinky a gentle nudge.

The unicorn just nodded and dashed into her bedroom.

Ditzy did not follow her daughter into the other room. Instead, she stood in the kitchen contemplating the days upcoming events. It seemed like it was yesterday Dinky was just taking her first steps and saying her first words.

A tear rolled down her cheek. If only her father were here...

When she finally regained her composure, she made her way to Dinky’s room. Inside, she found the pale-purple unicorn scurrying about, preparing for her big day at school. Dinky’s saddlebags were almost bursting at the seams with the overabundance of school supplies.

Ditzy shook her head and laughed. “You don’t need all of that, muffin.”

The pegasus removed Dinky’s pack and set it on the floor. Rifling through the bags, she left only the bare essentials

“Here, baby. I’m gonna leave you with a pencil and a notebook. I doubt you’ll need more than that on your first day.”

“Aww...” Dinky moaned.

“Now... are you ready to get going?” Ditzy asked.

Dinky hopped up and down in joy. “Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!”

The duo made it halfway out the door when Ditzy noticed Dinky was still carrying Daisy.

“Honey, I’m sorry, but Daisy Doo has to stay home.”

The filly pulled away from her mother, grasping the doll as if her very life depended on it.

“No! Daisy wants to go, too!”

The young mother grew increasingly frustrated with her stubborn daughter. She pulled harder and harder at the doll until she was finally able to break it from Dinky’s grasp.

“No! Give it back!” The stubborn filly whined, trying to retrieve her doll.

“Sweetie, listen to me. You’re a big pony now! I need you to start acting like one! Do you want the other fillies at school to make fun of you?”

Dinky sat on the ground trying to catch her breath.

“No...”

Ditzy knelt down and placed comforting hoof under Dinky’s chin.

“Baby, I know how much you love Daisy, but eventually you’ll have to learn that if you love something you have to let it go. I swear that Daisy Doo will still be here when you get home from school, ok?”

Dinky sighed, pulling away from her mother’s embrace.

“Ok...” The foal said, her voice heavy with a tone of submission.

Ditzy placed Daisy on the shelf next to the door and the two set off towards the schoolhouse.

******************************************

By now it was mid-morning. All the traders and farmers were in the town square displaying their products for potential customers. The hustle and bustle of life in the town didn’t faze Dinky in the slightest. In fact, it excited her. Being around other ponies was something Dinky did not experience very often. At that moment, she could not be happier.

Prior to this day, Dinky led a very sheltered life. Most of her time was spent at home, alone, playing with her toys and games while Ditzy worked long hours at the post office. As much as it saddened to know that Dinky didn’t have any friends her own age to play with, it might have been for the best.

Through no fault of her own, Ditzy had spent most of her life as a social outcast. Her childhood was plagued with excruciating strife.

When Ditzy was 5 years old she suffered a terrible accident that had left her blind in one eye. Attempting to fly, she made her way to the roof of her house and jumped. Of course at the time, Ditzy’s wings were not yet fully developed. She jumped off the roof, flapping her wings as hard as she could, however they could not sustain her weight and she plummeted to ground like an apple falling from the tree.

The filly Ditzy Doo hit the ground head first, knocking her out cold. When she awoke, the filly pegasus found that she was not where she had landed. In the room at the doctor’s office, her parents stood over her. Their eyes rife with disappointment.

The result of this accident had left Ditzy’s eyes in the unfortunate manner they appear in today.

Most ponies took one look at Ditzy’s lazy eye and saw it as a sign of stupidity. Much meaner ponies had gone out of their way and bestowed Ditzy with a rather derogatory nickname: “Derpy”.

As her classmates grew up, they learned that old habits die hard. Many of them still harbored an irrational prejudice towards Ditzy. What pecked at the back of Ditzy’s mind was that was no doubt that the same prejudice her classmates held was already impressed upon their children, which is what she feared the most.

Dinky had never really experienced true anger or sadness before. If the fillies at school ever projected their parents feelings onto Dinky....Ooh, She didn’t even wanna think about it.

However, today was a happy day. A day that Ditzy and Dinky would no doubt come to cherish for the rest of their lives. Ditzy refused to let her fears get the better of her. She had to be strong for both herself and her precious daughter.

“So what am I gonna learn at school, mommy?” Dinky queried.

“All sorts of things, muffin. Math, history, science, grammar. Everything you need to know”. Ditzy explained, watching as the filly trotted along.

Dinky thought for a second.

“What about magic? Will I learn that, too?” The foal asked, looking up at her mother.

Ditzy laughed. “Sorry, honey. I think that’s something a unicorn needs to learn on their own.”

Then something happened that Ditzy did not expect to hear.

“Mommy? If you’re a pegasus pony, why am I a unicorn pony?”

The young mother’s heart sank into her stomach. She felt hot, like she had stepped into an oven. Dinky’s question was innocent enough, but it brought up feelings that Ditzy had not felt in a very long while.

Ditzy had never told Dinky about her father. Why would she? Dinky had never asked. The mail-mare thought for a second and realized that her little filly wasn’t asking about her father directly... If she thought quickly, she just might be avoid telling her daughter the painful truth.

“Well...uh...Your grandfather was a unicorn.” Ditzy fibbed as she broke out in a cold sweat. That obviously made no sense whatever, but Dinky wasn’t old enough to know. It would have to do until Ditzy was ready to tell the filly unicorn the truth.

“Oh.” Dinky said, still not understanding.

There was nothing more DItzy hated than lying to Dinky. Although some situations warranted a lie. Or at least a slight stretching of the truth.

Dinky was a smart filly, though. She had to have noticed all the other foals in town spending time with their respective fathers. It was only a matter of time before she would pop the question. As much as it pained Ditzy to think about it, she knew that this would be a topic that both ponies would have to overcome.

Ditzy looked up at the town hall. The clock read 7:45 and school started in 15 minutes. If they didn’t hurry, they’d be late.

*****************************************

“Big Macintosh, I’m bringing Applebloom to school now! Think y’all can handle things here on yer own for a little while? Applejack asked.

Big Macintosh chewed on his shoot of wheat. replying with a simple “eeyup”.

“Come on lil’ sis, we’re gonna be late fer school” Applejack yelled from the bottom of the stairwell.

A little yellow filly with a thick licorice colored mane appeared at the top of the stairs.

“C’mon Applejack... Can’t I stay here with y’all for just a little longer?”

“No, Applebloom. Every little filly like yerself has to go to school. Whether they like it or not.” Applejack said, running her hoof along the floor.

“Aww...” Applebloom groaned.

The foal dragged herself down the flight of stairs.

“I still don’t see why I gotta go to school. Granny Smith didn’t go.” Applebloom whined.

“That’s ‘cause Granny Smith grew up in a different time.” Applejack explained. “The Apple family had just moved in from the Mild West and we didn’t have a bit to our name. Granny and her family built this farm here from the ground up. They were out here buckin’ trees all day long and didn’t have time for any fancy-shmancy schoolin’. Y’all should be grateful you have this opportunity to learn.”

“Thanks for the history lesson...” Applebloom said, rolling her eyes.

“Ya may not like it now, but when you grow up you’ll be glad you got an education to fall back on.” Applejack smiled.

Applebloom sighed.

“If you say so.”

****************************************************

Ditzy and Dinky arrived at the schoolhouse some time later. The moment Dinky had been waiting for was finally here. On the side of the schoolhouse Dinky spotted her new classmates playing in the yard. Their laughter and happy banter excited her.

“I get to go here?” Dinky asked.

“That’s right, muffin. You get to go here every day.” Ditzy replied, running her hoof through Dinky’s mane.

Dinky squeaked with excitement.

Ditzy chuckled. She had never seen her daughter this excited over anything else before in her life.

“Alright. Why don’t you go put your things in the classroom and then you can go play with your classmates.” Ditzy ordered.

The pale-purple foal rushed off into the classroom. She scanned the wall, looking for an open cubby. When she found an open spot, she shoved her bags in and ran back outside,

As happy as Ditzy was to see her daughter venture out on her own, she could no longer ignore the growing shadow in the back of her mind.

“Dinky, wait!” The grey pegasus called out.

The foal skidded to a halt. What reason could Ditzy have to stop her now?

“What is it, mommy?” Dinky queried.

Ditzy gazed at her daughter for a moment. Her thoughts raced as she tried to find the right words to use.

“How can I say this?” Ditzy whispered to herself. “Muffin? You know mama loves you very much, right?”

Dinky suddenly felt worried. Mommy didn’t ask her that unless something bad was about to happen.

“Yeah...” Dinky said affirmatively.

“And you know I’d do anything in the world for you, right?”

Dinky began to frown. “Yeah...”

“Well I need you to do something for mama this time.” Ditzy said, bearing a worried look.

“What is it?” Dinky asked.

“Whatever happens today, I need you to be strong for me. Some ponies may say or do things you’ll want to stop, things that will make you very angry or very sad. What matters is how you deal with it. If somepony is upsetting you or hurting you, turn the other cheek. Don’t ever fight back because that always makes things worse...Most important of all is that you know I love you more than anything else in the world.” Ditzy explained.

“Even more than muffins?” Dinky asked, cracking a smile.

Ditzy chuckled.

“Especially muffins. Now go on... Go play.”

Dinky ran off disappearing into the crowd of little fillies and colts. A tear rolled down Ditzy’s cheek. This was the hardest thing she’s ever done in her life.

“C’mon, Applebloom. Pick up the pace!” Applejack said.

“Are y’all sure I can’t stay on the farm today?” Applebloom pleaded.

Applejack sighed,

“For the millionth time, no! Now put yer things away and go meet all yer little friends on the playground.”

Applebloom lazily dragged herself into the classroom and put her saddlebags away.

“Howdy there, Ditzy. What brings you here?” Applejack asked in her southern drawl.

“Hi Applejack.” Ditzy greeted, wiping the tears from her face. “I just came here to drop Dinky off.”

Applejack quickly noticed Ditzy tears. As much as she knew it wasn’t her business to pry into another pony’s business, the orange earth pony’s down-home hospitality got the better of her.

“Aw. What’s the matter, sugarcube?” Applejack said, putting a friendly hoof on ditzy’s back.

“It’s just so hard. I’ve dreamed about this moment for so long and now that this day is here...I wish it had never happened.” Ditzy openly admitted.

“Well, don’t you fret none...We got a saying down on the farm: ‘The chick’s gotta leave the nest eventually.’

Applejack’s southern charm and wisdom brought a smile to Ditzy’s face. As hokey as it sounded...She was right.

“When you’re right, you’re right.” Ditzy chuckled.

“Well,” Applejack laughed, “I do represent the element of honesty.”

“The what now?” Ditzy asked.

“Uh, never mind that...Point is, we can’t hold on to them forever. Besides, in my experience there’s nothin’ a filly hates more than an overbearin’ parent.” Applejack pointed out.

The bell rang atop the cherry-red schoolhouse. The students began making their way into the building, eager to began learning. Ditzy searched the crowd for her foal. She didn’t have to search long, however. Dinky pushed and shoved her way through the group, making her way over to her caring mother.

Dinky shot up, putting her hooves around her mother’s neck.

“I’ll miss you, mommy.” She said.

“I’ll miss you too, muffin.” Ditzy said, returning the hug,

The little unicorn ran off into the schoolhouse. That would be the last Ditzy would see of Dinky. At least for the next few hours.

“Well, I better get back to the farm. Big Macintosh will have a fit if I ain’t there to help him harvest the orchard. So I’ll see y’all later?” Applejack asked.

“Yeah.” Ditzy replied. “I’ll see you later.”

Applejack galloped off into the distance.

Ditzy stood motionless, taking a moment to gather herself. Dinky had been left on her own before, but this time was different. Much different.

However, Ditzy could not linger much longer. Not only did she have a responsibility to Dinky, but also to her job. Gathering her strength, The grey pegasus flapped her wings taking off to her job at the post office. As she whizzed by overhead, Ditzy could do nothing but count down the minutes until she would be able to see her precious filly again.

********************************************

In the classroom, the room was filled with the banter of the little colts and fillies conversing. Everypony seemed to be at least somewhat acquainted with each other. This worried Dinky, who didn’t know a single soul. She stood in the corner of the room, too nervous to move. Her excitement regarding her first day had all but disappeared.The pale-purple unicorn had never missed her mother more than she did at that moment. Oh, what she wouldn’t give to have Daisy Doo back right now...

“All right, class, settle down!” Another voice called out.

Through the door walked in a mulberry colored earth pony with a somewhat poofy pink mane. Dinky stared at the pony, noticing her cutie mark: Three smiling sunflowers.

“Good morning, my little ponies! I’m Cheerilee and I’ll be your new teacher.” She greeted her students with a warm smile.

“Good morning, Miss Cheerilee!” The class echoed.

“First off, I’d just like to take the time to welcome you all to your first day of school here in Ponyville.” Cheerilee said.

Cheerilee’s candor put Dinky at ease. Originally, Dinky had pictured a much different mare as her teacher: somepony who was old, grumpy and strict. The pale-purple unicorn was blown away by the pony that stood before her.

“What I’d like you all to do right now is get up out of your seats and introduce yourselves to one another. Tell you classmates your name and a little something about you!”

All the little fillies and colts hopped down from their desks and began mingling with one another. Dinky felt a bit apprehensive about meeting the other ponies, fearing they might not like her. For the moment, Dinky decided to stay at her desk, burying her face in her hooves.

In the corner. Applebloom noticed Dinky sitting by herself. Sharing the same hospitality and kindness as her sister, she decided to go introduce herself.

Dinky felt a light tug of her tail. She looked down and saw Applebloom grinning.

“Hi!” Applebloom greeted.

“Um...Hi.” Dinky said in a hushed whisper.

“I’m Applebloom!”

“I’m...Dinky Doo?”

“Hi Dinky, pleased to meet you!” Applebloom said, shaking Dinky’s hoof.

Dinky retracted her leg and went back to burying her face in her hooves.

“What’s the matter?” Applebloom asked. “Don’tcha wanna meet everypony else?”

“Not really....” Dinky replied.

Applebloom thought for a second. She couldn’t stand idly by while her new friend shut herself off from the rest of the world.

“Tell you what, Dinky. How about you and I go meet everypony else together. Would that make y’all feel better?” Applebloom confidently proposed.

“I guess.” Dinky said.

"Alright! Let's go!"

Dinky reluctantly crawled out of her desk. Applebloom seemed nice enough but the filly unicorn still had reservations about meeting her classmates. Her heart and her mind began racing. What if they didn't like her?

Applebloom led Dinky into a gaggle of their classmates.

"Hey guys! I'm Applebloom and this here is Dinky Doo!" Applebloom interjected.

The ponies turned their attention to their new acquaintances, greeting them with a smile.

"So Applebloom, what do your parents do?" One filly asked.

Applebloom grimaced at the question.

"Well... I don't have a mom or dad...but I live with my brother Big Macintosh and my sister Applejack at Sweet Apple Acres.” She said hesitantly.

“That’s cool, I guess.” The filly replied while simultaneously turning to Dinky. “What about you? What do your parents do DInky?”

Dinky froze for a second before addressing her peers.

“Well, I just live with my mom, Ditzy Doo. She works at the Ponyville Post Office.” She said sheepishly.

A dead silence fell amongst the group of little ponies. Two of the students looked at each other, seemingly embarrassed at what Dinky had told them. One student even raised an eyebrow at the reply.

“Wait...That’s your mom?” Her classmate asked with a surprised tone of voice.

Dinky suddenly feel a rush of heat through her chest.

“Yeah...Why?” She asked, hoping for an answer.

“Oh...Nothing.” The filly replied, slowly backing away.

Dinky didn’t feel that the class’s little meet and greet was going over very well. Her classmate’s response to her story unnerved her. Hopefully, the rest of the day would prove to be a little better.

*******************************

DIng a ling a ling!

The bell that sat on top of the front door of the post office chimed, alerting everyone to Ditzy’s late arrival. The grey pegasus had hoped that she might sneak in, undetected. The bell had other plans, however.

Ditzy made her way to the back room. Piles of letters and packages littered the tables in the back. The grey mail-mare picked up her bag which had already been packed with today’s deliveries.

Before Ditzy could step put to begin her rounds, she heard her boss, Boxxy Brown call out.

“Look who finally decided to show up.” He said in his usual gruff manner.

Out of the back office stepped out a large brown pegasus pony wearing a black ball cap.

“I’m sorry, Boxxy, I had to drop Dinky off at her first day of school and I--”

Boxxy interrupted.

“Look, you’re breaking my heart here, but I have a ton of mail that needs deliverin’ before day’s end. That being the case, you need to get your flank in gear, pronto!”

Ditzy began trotting off dejectedly.

“Ah nuts...”Boxxy said, wiping his brow. “Hey, uh Ditzy...Can I see youse in the back here a minute?”

The grey pegasus stepped into Boxxy’s office.

“Look. I know how hard it is for you an’ all, raising a filly all by yourself, but I need workers who are on time. If one of us is off our game, the rest of us are off our game.”

Ditzy shuffled her hoof along the ground.

“I understand.” She said.

“Good.” Boxxy said.”I know I seem tough on you at times here, but that’s only ‘cause I care so much. Your husband was a good friend a’ mine, and I’ll have you know that I always take care of my friends.”

This statement lifted Ditzy’s spirits. Boxxy wasn’t an uncaring pony, he just maintained a strong sense of professionalism. Something Ditzy had come to respect in the years she had worked for him.

“However...” He continued. “ If you don’t straighten up your act soon... I may have to let you go.”

Ditzy’s heart sank. Boxxy wasn’t serious was he? No.. He couldn’t be. He knew darn well what would happen to her without this job. Ditzy had half a mind to tell him off, but she maintained her composure and took the moral high ground.

“Yes sir.” She replied, biting her lip.

“Glad we’re seeing eye to eye...Now go on, get outta here.”

Ditzy walked out feeling worse than when she arrived. All her life she had been jerked around, but by now she was used to it. The only thing she could do now was do her job as best she could, motivated by the fact that soon she would reunited with her precious Dinky Doo.

The mail-mare reached into her pack pulling out her first delivery of the day. Ditzy pulled out on oblong shape about 2 inches thick. Checking the front she saw who it was addressed to.

Ms. Twilight Sparkle

Ponyville Library

57 Stirrup Street

Ponyville, Equestria

***************************************************

*Knock Knock knock*

“Spike! Can you get that? I’m a little preoccupied here!” Twilight requested.

“I got it!” Spike said, descending the steps of the library.

Spike answered the door. Ditzy stood, package in her hoof.

“Hey, Ditzy!” Spike greeted.

“Hi, Spike. Is Twilight around?” Ditzy asked,

“Yeah, hold on. Twilight! Ditzy’s here! I think she has your book.” Spike announced.

Twilight managed to tear herself away from her studies. She climbed down the staircase meeting Ditzy at the door.

“Hello, Ditzy. I understand you have a package for me?” Twilight asked.

Ditzy handed the book to Twilight. Her horn glowed as she used her magic to tear away the packaging. Twilight walked into the middle of the room where she lay the book down on a pedestal.

“So I heard it’s the first day of school today.” Twilight stated.

“Yeah, I just dropped Dinky off an couple of hours ago.I’ve never seen her more excited.” Ditzy added.

“I’ll bet she was. I still remember the day I got accepted into Princess Celestia’s school.” Twilight reminisced with a smile.

“Ugh... Not this story again.” Spike groaned.

“Oh, come on, Spike. You know you and I would never have met and been friends if it wasn’t for that day.” Twilight said, prodding spike with a hoof.

Spike cracked a smile.

“You know, Dinky has been asking me a lot about magic lately.” Ditzy said.

Twilight’s ears perked up at Ditzy’s announcement. If there was one thing Twilight knew, it was magic.

“Really?” Twilight asked, leaning towards Ditzy.

“Mm-hmm. Just this morning she was asking me if they would teach her magic at school. Of course, when I told her they didn’t, she was a little disappointed.” The mail-mare explained.

Princess Celestia’s prized pupil thought for a brief moment.

“You know, I’ve got some free time in the afternoons. Maybe you could bring Dinky by once or twice a week after school for magic lessons.” Twilight proposed.

Ditzy’s eyes widened at Twilight’s offer.

“Really?!? You’d do that?”Ditzy asked,

“Absolutely. I kind of like the idea of having my own little apprentice.” Twilight chuckled.

“Ahem!”

Twilight laughed. “Oh, you know what I mean, Spike.”

“Well, I gotta go Twilight. I guess I’ll see you around, then?” Ditzy said, packing her bags.

“Of course. I’ll see you later.” Twilight said, waving a hoof farewell.

Ditzy soldiered on, delivering mail from house to house. Her interaction with Celestia’s pupil had left her in a good mood. Ever since Twilight first moved to Ponyville all those months ago, Ditzy had grown quite fond of her. Twilight was well-read and intelligent but above all, she treated Ditzy like an equal while most looked down on her. If only more ponies were like her.

This job had been a godsend for Ditzy. Before he disappeared, Dinky’s father had been the sole breadwinner in his household. He had worked in Canterlot, at Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns as a handyman. The job wasn’t glamorous and it didn’t pay well, but it kept food on the table and a roof over his family’s head. Dinky’s father may have worked in Canterlot but the family didn’t live there. It was much too expensive.

Ditzy’s husband would regularly visit once or twice a week, to check up on her and baby Dinky Doo. These visits were often bittersweet. Ditzy pleaded with Dinky’s father to find a job closer, preferably in Ponyville. However this was easier said than done since he had little or no education to fall back upon.

After his disappearance, Boxxy came to the door a couple weeks later. Much like her husband, Ditzy lacked a unique skill that might have led her to a better job. Of course, beggars can’t be choosers, and Ditzy took the job as it was offered to her.

As sad as it made her to know that she would never see her husband again, the single mother knew she had to be strong for Dinky. Like most ponies, Ditzy had her good days and bad days. Sometimes she would wake up with a smile, rushing into Dinky’s room waking her up early, just so she could play with her daughter before rushing off to work. Then there were days where she felt like lying in bed all day, unwilling to move.

However, Ditzy knew that she had a great responsibility, taking care of a young, healthy, energetic unicorn filly like her daughter. She had to be strong. For both herself and Dinky.

The clock tower in the middle of town chimed across the landscape. It was now 3 o’clock. Dinky was likely finished at school and Ditzy was wrapping up the last of her deliveries. Ditzy had just taken off, after delivering new materials to Carousel Boutique, the fashion outlet owned by Rarity across town.

Ditzy’s thoughts now focused on Dinky. She couldn’t wait to land at school, where her daughter would would be waiting eagerly for her arrival. On top of that, Twilight had also offered Dinky magic lessons, something that would no doubt leave her ecstatic.

The mail-mare landed in front of the post-office, kicking up a cloud of dust as she impacted the ground. Ditzy rushed in, almost taking the door off its hinges. She hung up her pack, clocked out and darted out the front door.

*****************************************

The bell that stood atop the bright red schoolhouse rang three times, signaling the end of the school day. All the little fillies and colts cheered as they jumped out of their seats, eager to return home.

Dinky’s day had started out a little shaky, but overall, she had enjoyed her first day. Earlier, Cheerilee had laid out the lesson plan which excited her even more. Except math...She didn’t think math seemed all that fun.

“That was great wasn’t it, Dinky?” Applebloom asked, grinning at her new friend.

Dinky replied with a nod as she removed her saddlebags from the cubby.

“I can’t wait ‘til we learn all about cutie marks. I wonder what mine’ll be?” Applebloom wondered.

“My mommy says a pony only gets a cutie mark when they discover that thing that makes them different from every other pony.” Dinky explained.

“What is your mom’s cutie mark, anyhow.” Applebloom asked.

“A bunch of bubbles.” Dinky stated.

Applebloom looked confused. “What in Equestria does a bubble cutie mark mean?”

Dinky thought about it for a moment and came up with nothing.

“I don’t know.” She said sheepishly.

“C’mon, Applebloom. we gotta head off home now.” Applejack said, beckoning her sister.

“I gotta go Dinky, but it was nice meetin’ you. I’ll see you tomorrow, ok?” Applebloom said.

Dinky waved a hoof goodbye. She walked down the steps of the schoolhouse and sat in the yard, waiting for the arrival of her mother.

“So...” A voice said from behind. “I heard your mom is the mail-pony.”

The purple unicorn filly turned around. A group of her classmates led by a blue earth pony colt with a black spiky mane stood before her. Their tone of voice didn’t seem as pleasant as it was before. It actually sounded downright sinister.

“Um...yeah?” Dinky said, avoiding eye contact.

“Wow, that’s sad.”

Dinky didn’t understand. Why were they being so mean all of a sudden?

“No it’s not.” Dinky countered. “ My mommy is the best mail-pony in town.”

“Oh please... Have you seen her freaky eyes? It’s amazing she doesn’t crash into everything all the time.”

The colt pretended to fly around, crashing into imaginary buildings. The other students laughed at the mockery they were making of her mother.

Dinky shot up. A small fire grew in her belly.

“You don’t know anything! You’re stupid!” She yelled.

“Not as stupid as your mom!” The colt said, bringing himself towards Dinky

“BE QUIET!” Dinky screamed.

“You must be as stupid as she is. No wonder your dad left you guys.”

Dinky froze, losing all touch with reality. She fell into a daze, not remembering who she is, where she was, or what was happening. A few seconds later, she shook herself off. The world began spinning. When she came to, Dinky looked towards the ground where her classmate sat.

The colt’s eyes were shut tight as he clutched his nose. After a few seconds, the earth pony removed his hooves from his nose, noticing they were covered in blood. Dinky’s classmates gasped in horror. Tears welled up in the colt’s eyes and he began wailing.

Dinky looked down at the crying pony, shocked as to what she had just done.

A little white pegasus stepped forward.

“I’m telling Miss Cheerilee on you!”

The filly rushed into the classroom to retrieve the teacher. Dinky wanted to run but couldn’t move.

“Dinky!”

The foal knew that voice all too well. She turned around to catch her mother landing in the yard. Dinky dashed over to her mother, hugging her leg with tears in her eyes.

“Hey, muffin I’m so happy to see--” Ditzy stopped, noticing the tears in her daughter’s eyes.

“Oh my gosh! Baby, are you okay?!?”

Dinky said nothing. She buried her face into her mother’s leg.

“Here! Over here!” A filly said, leading the teacher out the door.

Cheerilee looked at the colt sitting on the ground as he continued to cry his eyes out.

“What in Celestia’s name is going on out here?”

The crying colt pointed an accusatory hoof at Dinky who took refuge underneath Ditzy’s wings.

Ditzy shook her head in disbelief. “Dinky...No...You didn’t.”

Dinky needed to say nothing. Ditzy saw it in her eyes.

The grey pegasus pulled the foal out from underneath her.

“Muffin, please tell me you didn’t do this. Please...”

Dinky stopped gasping long enough to choke out a few words.

“Th--they were s-s-saying mean things,” Dinky said.

The colt’s father furiously stomped his way over to Ditzy. The young mother’s heart sank into her stomach as the earth pony stood towering over her.

“Your daughter just brutalized my son! I demand an immediate apology!” He bellowed.

“Excuse me? EXCUSE ME?!? Your son was teasing her! As far as I’m concerned, he had it coming! Where do you get off raising such a nasty little punk?” Ditzy replied

“Where do you get off raising a brutish monster?!?”

Ditzy shook with anger.

“You listen to me, buddy! I bust my flank everyday to provide for my family! I’ve done more work in the past 7 years than you’ve done in your entire life! So you’d do well to take a step back before you pass judgement onto other ponies!!!” She shrieked.

The stallion stood his ground, staring daggers at Ditzy. He said nothing and walked off in a huff.

Ditzy turned her attention to Dinky who lay on the ground shaken with fear.

“Dinky Doo, we are going home right this instant!”

*********************************************

The two ponies finally arrived home after a long awkwardly silent walk back from the schoolhouse.

Ditzy opened the door and angrily stormed in. Dinky stood outside, immobilized by fear

“Dinky! You get your sorry butt in here right now!” Ditzy barked.

“Please...” Dinky whimpered. “Stop yelling at me.”

“Well, If I’m yelling at you, it’s your fault! You completely disobeyed me! I can’t believe I actually thought I got through to you earlier! ” Ditzy exclaimed.

“I’m sorry!” Dinky said as she broke down.

Ditzy stood over Dinky with a furrowed brow and outstretched wings. Mommy looked more like a monster from one of her bedtime stories than a caring parent

“ Oh ho...Not as sorry as you’re gonna be! So help me, If you get expelled from school for this... I don’t even want to think about what I’ll do. You are gonna march straight to your room without dinner and I don’t wanna hear a single peep from you for the rest of the night!” Ditzy yelled pointing down the hallway.

“YOU’RE STUPID AND I HATE YOU!” Dinky screamed at the top of her lungs.

Dinky took a moment to catch her breath. A river of tears flowed from her eyes, soaking the carpet. On the shelf above the door, she saw Daisy Doo sitting right where mommy had left her. The foal retrieved the doll, placing it on her back.

The pale-purple unicorn lurched into her bedroom. The door slammed shut, echoing audibly throughout the small house.

Ditzy exhaled, releasing the breath she had held for the past minute. Her body felt restless as a burst of adrenaline rushed through her veins. She felt as though she would explode.

The pegasus grabbed the pillow off the couch and screamed.

“MMMMMMFFFFFFGGGGGHHHHHH!”

Ditzy fell to the couch. She began to cry. What had she just done? Dinky must’ve thought she was a monster. The mail-mare wasn’t as angry at Dinky as she was about the situation her family was in.

Most ponies in town already weren’t very fond of Ditzy’s family and this incident would further cement those feelings. Ditzy didn’t know how she was gonna fix the situation. On top of her being a social outcast, Dinky no doubt despised her mother after she had scolded her so harshly.

If Dinky’s father was here he’d know what to do. Although he rarely saw her, it was easy to tell that the two shared a deep connection. Whenever Dinky had a tantrum in the middle of the night as a baby, his mere presence was enough to calm her. Now that he was gone, Ditzy didn’t know how she ever survived without him.

Dinky furiously stomped about her room. She tore the sheets off of her bed and overturned her furniture.

“Stupid ponies! I hate them!” Dinky said.

The distraught filly sat on her bed, clutching Daisy Doo to her chest.

“Mommy hates us, Daisy! We didn’t do anything and she hates us! I hate her too!”

Dinky stopped to catch her breath, Her mind began racing until she came with an plan on how to fix the situation.

“We’re gonna run away, Daisy. We’re gonna run away and never come back!” Dinky stated.

The foal hopped from her bed and poked her head out the doorway. Mommy was still in the living room. Dinky searched the room for a means of escape and spotted the bedroom window.

Dinky brought her desk chair up to the window. She reached up unlocking the lever that held it down. Raising the window, Dinky threw Daisy out the window, closely following suit. The filly lost her footing and fell. She impacted the ground landing flat on her butt with a light thud.

Seething through the pain, Dinky managed to pick her self up and gallop off into the distance.

The distraught pony didn’t care where she went. Anywhere was better than Ponyville. As well thought out as she thought the plan was, there was one huge flaw. Dinky did not know the world outside of Ponyville. Unaware of the dangers that lurked outside of her sheltered life Dinky continued her escape...Deep into the maw of the Everfree Forest.