Dinky's Childhood

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.