The grey mare stepped in the door and breathed a sigh of relief to be among familiar surroundings. She dropped her mail bag onto the door mat and made her way to the kitchen, dragging her hooves along the floor. She opened one of many cupboards and pulled out a dented, rusty tin, dropping it onto the counter with a clang, the metal resounding upon the wooden counter top. Inside lay a half dozen muffins she had baked the previous week. Many of them had been inadvertently burnt when she got distracted during the baking process, but she didn't mind. The icing sugar she dusted over the top hid the burnt bits beautifully. To her they looked like mountains, topped with snow and black rocks. She laughed at the idea as she took a bite of one, feeling the crunchy texture and savouring the sweetness.
A delicious taste of blueberries and crunchy dough filled her mouth. They weren't all that bad, she thought to herself. She took a couple more and stacked them on a plate, before carrying it back with her to the living room, the pile of muffins precariously wobbling back and forth as she navigated the mess on the floor, while simultaneously balancing the precious cargo.
I should really tidy this place up one day, she thought, stepping over a pile of discarded magazines and old books. After finally making the short trip back that seemingly took far longer than necessary, she placed the plate on the table next to her favourite chair and slumped into it, her hooves dangling over the front edge. She picked up a book from the table and placed another muffin in her mouth, before reclining back in the chair, letting out a sigh.
As she took a few hearty bites and flicked through the pages of the latest library book she had borrowed, her mind began to wander, as it always did. She began to wonder what she was doing with her life, how each year passed her by with very little achieved. No promotions at work, no new job opportunities. She never helped save the day, and it always needed saving on a weekly basis. She would just go out, deliver the mail and come home again, stuck in her routine. Her life had no purpose.
She rested the book on her chest and sighed. There was the few times she would foalsit for one of her nearby neighbours. That gave her at least some sort of responsibility, even though it was usually just for one evening, and only once in a blue moon.
In fact, the more she thought about it, she realised how she hadn't seen little Dinky for at least a month or two. She began to remember how much fun they had together, playing simple games and feeding the little filly muffins as a treat, her cute expressions of joy. Dinky's mother had the foal over a year ago now, and she was already running about, causing her mother great stress, and many problems.
Derpy looked at the clock on her wall, and realised how late it was. It was the weekend the following day, so she decided to pay Miss Doo a visit, to see her and her daughter. Perhaps she needed babysitting again, or at least she could stop in and say hello. She very rarely got to do that.
Derpy returned to her book and carried on reading, before eventually retiring to bed. She slept soundly through the night, as a heavy rainstorm began to fall upon the sodden ground, pattering on the window pane.
The next day the rain had stopped falling, and the sun began to beam through the windows, pushing past the edges of the curtains, letting no object block it's warmth. Derpy awoke with a smile on her face, stretching her hooves out from under the bed covers. She rolled out of bed and fell onto all four hooves, before making her way downstairs at a steady pace.
She made her way into the kitchen, ready to cook up a breakfast of oats, when she decided to change up her routine by having breakfast out this morning. Grabbing her saddle bags, Derpy trotted out of the kitchen and crossed the living room, dodging all the books that littered the place. She resolved to clean them up once she got back. Time for a change, she thought, as she reached up to the front door handle, turning it with her hoof. As soon as the door opened, the warmth and fresh air of the day rushed in to greet her, the scent of the rain still lingered, filling her nostrils with a delightful aroma. She took a deep breath and exhaled the crisp air, a smile upon her face.
Derpy took a step out the door and closed it behind her, before trotting along the street. While she was able to fly, she much preferred walking along the ground, it felt much more peaceful to her, not to mention allowing her to interact with all her fellow neighbours who trotted about, enjoying the day. She soon reached a small café and had a hearty breakfast, watching as many colts and fillies ran back and forth, splashing about in the few remaining puddles that lingered on the ground, enjoying the time they had off from school. Derpy sighed as she watched them, recalling her childhood days, now long past.
After finishing her breakfast and watching the world go by, Derpy got up and made the trip to Amber and Dinky's home, hoping they were up by now. She trotted along the streets, smiling at her friends that passed by. She rounded a corner to head down a narrow street to Amber's house when she encountered Amber herself, the light blue earth pony laden with saddle bags upon her back, slowly cantering down the street towards Derpy. Derpy ran up to her and smiled widely, as Amber slowed to a stop upon seeing the familiar grey pegasus.
“Hi Amber! I was just coming to see you!” Derpy said, continuing to smile happily.
“Oh, err hello... Derpy! I didn't think I'd see anyone down this street,” she said, her eyes darting frantically. “But, now you're here, I wonder if I can ask you a favour?” she continued, her voice sounding rushed.
Derpy continued to hold her smile, and nodded enthusiastically. “Sure thing Miss Doo, what can I do for you?” she giggled softly.
“I've got a busy day ahead of me, and I was hoping you could look after Dinky for the day! I'm just so swamped, I could do with the relief, she's such a handful.” She sighed heavily, breathing rapidly.
Derpy nodded and watched as Amber turned her head back to the her offside saddle bag. She reached in and pulled out a small, pale purple unicorn filly from within, gripping her by the short blonde mane that lined the nape of her neck. She put her down on the ground in front of her, the little filly looking around blearily as her eyes adjusted to the bright morning sun, as though she had just woken up.
Dinky rubbed her eyes with her hooves, adjusting to the bright daylight, when she suddenly noticed the grey mare that stood before her. She darted over to her suddenly, hiding behind her forelegs, looking sheepishly up at her mother. Derpy giggled and moved her legs to expose the filly, who only moved to hide behind them again. Amber looked on as her daughter darted back and forth, hiding and burying her face in Derpy's legs. She forced a smile over her weary expression, causing Dinky to stop and stare.
Derpy took the opportunity and stepped back, completely exposing the foal. She bent down and picked her up before she moved again, putting her into her own saddle bags. Dinky tucked her head inside the bag and hid from sight, as Amber stood motionless, her forced smile long gone. Derpy giggled as she watched Dinky hiding in her bag, before turning back to Amber.
“Shall I drop her off tonight then, Amber?”
“No, no don't worry about that. I might be busy tonight, so I'll pick her up tomorrow morning. I hope you don't mind?” Amber said.
“Not at all, we’ll have fun, won't we Dinky?” Derpy said, turning to reassure Dinky. “Now say bye, bye to Mummy, Dinky!”
Derpy turned back to face Amber, only to find that she had turned back the way she came from, and was already trotting down the street at an increasing pace. Derpy turned back to her saddle bag and spoke to the filly who sat within.
“Looks like your mummy is a bit busy at the moment Dinky! Come on, let's go home and tidy up my living room, then we can play some games!”
Derpy turned around and headed for home, slowly trotting along the streets as she began to day dream about the fun games she could play with Dinky. She hoped the little foal wouldn't miss her mother too much. Derpy had never looked after Dinky for more than a day before. To have her for a day cheered Derpy up immensely. She smiled wider as she thought of the fun things she would get to do now, like bathing her, and feeding her a proper meal.
Derpy stepped in the front door of her house and began to clear a space to put the little filly down. As she wandered back and forth across the littered floor, Dinky precariously peered out the top of the saddle bag, looking around her surroundings. She smiled as she recognised the familiar house, in its usual untidy state. Derpy eventually cleared a space on the sofa she rarely used, and set her saddle bags down upon it. Dinky rocked the bag over and crawled out, looking around the room and up at Derpy, who towered above her, her smile reaching from ear to ear.
“Hello Dinky! You remember me don't you? I'm your aunty Hooves!” Derpy reached forward and bopped the little filly on the nose, causing her to giggle softly. “Now, you just sit here while I tidy up this mess, then I'll get you some dinner!”
Derpy turned away from Dinky and took the task of cleaning up the living room floor. After half an hours efforts, she had just about finished, so decided it was time for a well earned break. She trotted to the kitchen and made up a dinner of oats for herself and a bottle of milk for Dinky, using the same bottle she had from when Dinky had been just a foal. She checked the temperature before carrying it back into the living room.
“Dinky! Dinky-” Derpy called, before spotting the filly sleeping quietly on the sofa. She crept slowly over and draped a blanket over her, and left her to sleep.
Derpy awoke with a start, the sound of crying filling the air of her home. She flicked her eyes open, only to see Dinky was laying on the floor, her legs waggling in the air, bawling her eyes out. Derpy got up rapidly and scooped her into her arms, gently rocking her from side to side.
“Shush, it's okay Dinky, Derpy's here!” Derpy smiled at Dinky, only to find she wouldn't stop crying. “What's wrong Dinky?”
Derpy then saw it. On the top of Dinky's head, under her mane there was a small lump. She quickly realised Dinky must have fallen onto the floor while she slept. Derpy began to panic, it was only a small lump, but what if it was serious. What do mothers do in this situation? It'd never happened before.
Derpy started to check Dinky over for any other injuries, and quickly found several bruises of varying size. Derpy hadn't seen them before, but didn't think it was possible for her to get so many injuries in such a short period of time. She didn't like it.
“Come on Dinky, let's go find your Mummy, she'll make you better!” Derpy said, quickly putting her saddle bags on and placing the crying filly within.
Dinky soon stopped crying once she was nestled in the bag, but Derpy didn't reconsider. She was in charge of Dinky, and knew she couldn't take any chances. She wrapped a blanket around her small body, and then darted out the front door, heading to Amber's house. It was right on the other side of Ponyville, so she trotted as quickly as she could, without waking Dinky up.
By the time she arrived, the sun was already starting to set in the sky. Derpy approached the house, noting how overgrown the garden appeared. She knocked on the wooden door with her hoof, a hollow sound ringing out from it. She knocked harder, and found the wood gave under the weight of her hoof, with small, damp chunks flaking away.
“Hello? Miss Doo? Anyone home?”
Derpy knocked again, still getting no response. She walked to the side of the house and peered in through one of the windows, hoping to see if anyone was home.
As Derpy looked in, what she saw shocked her. The house was a shambles, rotten furniture lay about the room, empty cans and broken cider bottles littered the floor. There was dirt and mould everywhere. Derpy was soon snapped back to reality when Dinky began babbling softly from inside her bag. She reached back with her muzzle and gently shushed Dinky, before making sure her bag was secure. Once satisfied, Derpy gently took off and flew up to one of the higher windows to peer inside. She hovered gently near the window, making sure Dinky was safe and looked in.
A similar sight greeted her, rotten wood, a damp looking room, cold and uninviting. Just like downstairs, the room was devoid of any furniture, as if all the good furniture had been packed away and removed. All of it, apart from a small basket in the corner. laying next to it was a white teddy and a small pacifier, both were covered in mould and dirt. Derpy's mouth fell agape. She gently landed again and trotted away quickly, heading home.
How could she live like that? She wondered to herself as she trotted away. What kind of mare could let her child live in such conditions? Derpy hoped it was all wrong, that she had gone to the wrong house. But she knew that it wasn't. She knew what it meant.
She got home and quickly tucked Dinky into her bed, making sure she was comfortable and warm. She quietly left the room, knowing what needed to be done. Derpy wanted to keep Dinky for herself to look after, but it wouldn't be right. There are people better suited for her. She headed out into the street to find help.
“Dinky? Dinky, wake up.” Derpy said softly, rousing the sleeping filly. She slowly opened her eyes, to be greeted by Derpy, alongside a member of the Canterlot guard. “This man is going to take you to a nice new home to be looked after, so you be good for your aunt Derpy, okay?”
Dinky looked bemused and closed her eyes again, falling asleep. Derpy sighed and gestured for the guard to take her.
“She'll be in safe hands, right?” Derpy asked, her voice fighting back tears.
“Yes Miss Hooves, we'll make sure of it. Thank you for bringing it to our attention, we'll make sure to pursue the foal's mother, to see she is brought to justice.”
“Dinky,” Derpy interrupted, “Her name is Dinky.”
“Yes, thank you ma’am. I'm well aware of that.”
Derpy watched as the guard picked her up, still wrapped in the blanket and walked away with her. She started to cry freely as she watched the filly being taken away, but Derpy knew it was for the best.
“Bye Dinky, you be a good girl now...”
As she closed the door behind the guard, she could have sworn she heard Dinky crying out, but she knew she was imagining it. No, Dinky would be in safer hands elsewhere, with a loving mother and father. Derpy knew she wasn't good enough to raise a foal full time. Derpy just wasn't capable.
She climbed into her bed and fell asleep, tears streaming from her eyes. She hoped she would hear the door knock, the guards bringing Dinky back, to leave her with Derpy, if only for one more night, just until she could be found somewhere safer to stay.
Derpy lay awake all night, waiting for it to happen.
But the knock never came.
