It seemed as a typical afternoon in the town of Ponyville. Citizens were wandering around the village, going about their personal business. All was peaceful, until a certain grey mare blasted through the streets, flying toward home with exciting news for her husband and daughter.
Ditzy Doo burst through the door of her cottage, beaming with joy. "Honey! I'm home! And I have some great news for you!" No one answered her excited cry. That was strange. Her husband didn't have a regular job, so unless he was out running errands... No, wait, there was a note on the coffee table in the living room. The pegasus immediately took it into her hooves and read silently.
To Ditzy:
I'm afraid I have some, well, news. The time we had together was spectacular, Miss Doo. I could never, in all of time or space asked for such a wonderful wall-eyed pegasus mare as you. We've gone on too many adventures to count, rescued millions, and eventually even fallen in love. And I still love you, Miss Doo. I always will. No set period in time could ever change that.
But I'm afraid we'll have to say our good-byes. I... didn't want you to see what is most likely happening to me at this moment, so I will say my adieu now.
Good-bye, my Derpy Hooves.
The note floated to the carpeted floor as the house's door whooshed open, left that way without a proper shutting.
"Mom?" A purple unicorn stuck her head out from a bedroom down the hall.
***
The frantic pegasus pushed her legs as hard as she could through Ponyville, unintentionally running over several Earth ponies and unicorns while doing it. She had to find him. Before it was too late. After not spying the stallion she searched for in the village, Ditzy stopped at the outskirts of the town. In the distance, the mare spotted a barely visible swirl of golden light. Ditzy now knew what was going on. No... it's too soon... The pegasus took to the air, heading straight for her target.
The brown Earth pony, trapped within the funnel, saw a bleary image of a certain pony he knew come into view from his inescapable prison.
"D- Ditzy?" The Doctor breathed.
"Don't go.. please..." the mare sobbed as she fell to the ground, exhausted.
"I'm so, so sorry you had to see this, Ditzy..." the stallion wrapped in the swirling yellow light managed between bursts of tears. "There's nothing I can do! If there was, I'd... I'd..." The Doctor was overcome with emotion, and could say nothing more at the moment.
The pegasus pushed herself up from the ground with all the strength she could muster at that moment and pleaded, "Just, before you go... promise me something!"
"Anything, Ditzy!" The light had almost completely enveloped the stallion, leaving in sight only his head and weeping eyes. Black clouds formed in the sky above.
"Just... do not forget me!" the grey mare's eyes were now blinded with tears as a great wind started to kick up, wildly throwing her mane about. "Swear you will not forget me!" she screamed, all her heart put into this one cry.
The Doctor smiled sadly, and a single tear fell from his eye. "I... promise, Derp--" A great explosion occurred, and the golden beams disappeared, leaving a wide and gaping crater where they once spun.
The pegasus tightly shut her wall-eyes, blinded by the brightness, and fell on her side against the cold, coarse grass of the field. A kick came from her abdomen as a boom of thunder struck. Ditzy stroked her belly gently until her weariness brought her into a calm, unconscious state as she lamented in her thoughts. The rain started to fall as the mare thought to herself, I never even got to tell him...
***
Soft cries emerged from within the soft white blanket in heavily-breathing Ditzy Doo's hooves. As the pegasus folded back a corner of the cloth, tears welled up in her eyes and she smiled weakly. "She's... beautiful."
"She's a unicorn." Nurse Tenderheart, the jade-haired and periwinkle-coated assistant of Ponyville Hospital's doctor, confusedly pointed out. "But how could that have happened? A unicorn born from a pegasus?" The Earth pony blinked at the mother. "Is your husband a unicorn, ma'am?"
Ditzy shook her head. "No. He was an Earth pony. And I don't have any unicorn genes in my ancestry."
"Then it's simple," Doctor Stable, returning from washing his hooves, joined in the conversation. "Your husband must have had at least some unicorn blood in him."
"I'm sorry, sir, but my husband was entirely Earth pony. No pegasus or unicorn blood was in his family genes." The grey mare shrugged. "I honestly don't know how this could have happened."
"Well," the Doctor Stable smiled at the cooing infant. "I guess that this filly is your little miracle, then."
Miss Doo nodded, kissing her foal's tiny hooves, her eyes widening a bit. "Yes. She is."
A long silence occurred until Nurse Tenderheart gently broke it with, "Excuse me, ma'am, but you keep saying your husband 'was'. Does that mean he's..."
"Nurse Tenderheart, there is no need for those questions." the doctor scolded gently. He already knew that Ditzy was a widow, and may be sensitive to inquiry.
"No," Ditzy boldly spoke up. "Really, it's alright. My husband, well, passed shortly after I learned I was pregnant. He never even got to know that... that..." the mother became choked up and stopped.
"I'm sorry for that, ma'am. It was rude to ask." Tenderheart bowed her head in shame next to Ditzy's hospital bed. but she felt a hoof on her shoulder.
"It's fine, nurse. I understand curiosity. I, for one, am one of the most curious mares in Ponyville, maybe Equestria!" a laugh bubbled its way out from Miss Doo's throat. It felt so good; she hadn't laughed this much in a while.
"Mom!" a purple unicorn burst through the hospital room's door and gasped with delight. "Oh! The birth is over!" The young mare walked over and gingerly embraced her mother, quickly apologizing. "I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner. The market was crowded today."
Ditzy smiled at her fast-talking daughter. "Sparkler, meet your new sister-- Dinky Hooves."
Sparkler bent her head over to peer into the blanket the new filly was in, and softly laughed when she saw the teeny front hooves of Dinky. But then she breathed in in surprise. "A unicorn! But... how did that happen?" The violet mare looked straight into her mother's eyes. "Dad was a hu--"
"So you have another unicorn daughter?" Doctor Stable was now utterly befuddled. Ditzy shook her head.
"She's not biological."
"I was, well, adopted by my father, Ditzy Doo's husband." Sparkler explained. "Hey, Mom, you hungry? I was just about to head to Sugarcube Corner and--"
Ditzy answered 'no' with a flex of the hoof. "Go ahead, Sparks. I'm fine." The pegasus cuddled Dinky close to her chest, feeling the filly's breaths against her. You are my little miracle, Dinky.
Ditzy was relaxing at home with Sparkler, reclining in a rocking chair holding Dinky, still marveling at the fact that she had brought forth a unicorn. How in all Equestria could it have happened? But she didn't dwell on it for long; Dinky started to fuss. The pegasus smiled and cooed, "Is somepony hungry?" The foal's cries became louder and more desperate. Ditzy turned to Sparkler, who was lying on the floor, reading a book. "I'll be right back, Sparks. If anypony knocks on the door--"
"Don't answer unless it's somepony that's a friend; I know, Mom!" The purple unicorn blew her mane out of her eyes. I am twelve. I can take care of myself, she thought. But she said nothing more as her mother set Dinky on her back and walked into her bedroom to feed her foal.
Not two minutes had passed when a rap came from the door of the house. "Ditzy? Are you home?"
Sparkler didn't have to check the window by the door to know that Twilight Sparkle had come for a visit. She opened up to the violet alicorn with a cheery, "Hey Princess Twilight." For the formal greeting, Sparks had become quite casual with the newly-winged citizen of Ponyville.
Twilight didn't hesitate to burst out, "Where's the foal?!" and she let herself right into the house. "I want to see the foal!" This was hardly proper conduct for a princess, but this action was understandable. A new foal in Ponyville was always something to woo over.
Sparkler closed the door behind her as she explained to the alicorn, "Mom's feeding the foal right now. You can wait for a little bit if you really want to see Dinky."
"Dinky?" the princess thought for a second, then gasped. "That is the most adorable foal name I've heard in a while!" Then Twilight turned back to Sparkler. "So, what is it? Earth Pony? or pegasus?"
"Unicorn." Sparks said smugly, awaiting Twilight's reaction.
Twilight froze in her tracks. "A unicorn?!"
"Princess Twilight?" Ditzy returned to the living room, with Dinky in tow. But in a split second, the foal was no longer on her mother's back, but in Equestria's newest princess' hooves.
"How did you--" Twi started,but she was interrupted by an exasperated Ditzy.
"Everypony's been wondering that, Princess, and the truth is--"
"We just don't know how!" Sparkler finished her mother's sentence from the chair next to Twilight. "Mom doesn't have any unicorn in her, and neither did Dad, seeing as he was a, well, you know."
Twi started to pace to and fro on the carpet. "Well, if you don't have any unicorn blood in you, then the Doctor must have had something of the sort." Ditzy nodded. Twilight was the only pony in Ponyville that she and Sparkler actually felt comfortable talking about the Doctor around, since she had shared some adventures with him in his time in Equestria, before he chose to marry Ditzy. Twilight made another turn, Sparks wondering how the princess wasn't dizzy yet. "But it doesn't make sense.
"The Doctor was a human, well, at least he wasn't a pony. But he had to be; otherwise Dinky couldn't have been born a unicorn." Twi held her head in confusion. "Argh! The science is unbalanced! It just can't be explained!" The alicorn finally fell to the floor, exhausted by all the brain-power she had just used. "I give up."
Ditzy put her hoof on Twilight's shoulder, laughing a little, but not noticeably. "I'll get you some coffee, Twilight."
Dinky laughed a genuine, bubbly laugh that had all the girls smiling. Twi leaned over to the foal and nuzzled her. "You are one strange filly, Dinky." the princess froze in surprise as the tiny unicorn embraced her, cooing softly. Twilight took Dinky into her hooves and rocked her, all while still on the floor. The foal was amazingly still, and quickly drifted off to sleep in the alicorn's gentle hold. It was funny. Dinky had warmed up to Twilight immediately, very unlike a usual foal separated from its mother. It was all so befuddling. One strange filly, indeed.
***
"Happy zero-eth birthday, Dinky Hooves!" Pinkie Pie tossed confetti into Ditzy's house as she burst in the door, getting tiny colorful flakes all over the floor. "Don't worry, Ditz," the Earth pony reassured the grey pegasus, who held Dinky on the sofa in the living room. "It's disintegrating confetti!" The rainbow mess disappeared in a matter of seconds. "The particles separate until they're practically nothing! Leaves no mess!"
Ditzy had to laugh at her pink friend. Of all the citizens of Ponyville, Pinkie Pie was certainly the most fun to be around. "Hey, Pinkie. I see you've come to see Dinky too. You're probably the tenth pony who's come to visit!"
"Oh, I'm sorry. Is Dinky too tired? I can come back later." Pinkie showed an understanding expression on her face as she reached over and gingerly tickled Dinky on the belly. "I know how tired a little filly can get when she gets so much attention."
Dinky exploded into a fit of giggles from Pinkie's tickling. Pinkie then suddenly gasped excitedly.
"Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh!" The pony smiled the biggest smile Ditzy had ever seen on a pony's face. "You know what this calls for, Ditz?"
"I think I do." Ditzy smiled as the two exclaimed in unison.
"A PARTAAAAY!!"
"I'll totally invite everyone in Ponyville! It's gonna be the greatest bash evar!" Pinkie, without a good-bye, trotted out the door, conversing with herself about the party she was going to throw.
***
"Oh, she's so adorable!" Many ponies gathered around Ditzy and Dinky at Sugarcube Corner. Ditzy held a proud smile for the whole time of the party. And Dinky never seemed to tire, not too much to her mother's surprise considering the day before.
"Hey, Ditz!" Pinkie trotted over, balancing a tray of hors d'oeuvres on her head. "Where's Sparks?"
Ditzy sighed, shaking her head. "I don't know what's keeping her so long. She said she had something to do that shouldn't have taken more than a few minutes."
"Well, she'd better hurry if she wants to see Dinky open up her presents!" Then the magenta Earth pony gasped, jumping into the air and nearly dropping the tray, but it remained balanced. When Pinkie returned to the ground, she readjusted the hors d'oeuvres and continued. "What if Sparks is on a..." she whispered in the new mother's ear, making sure the other ponies didn't hear. "...date with a special somepony?"
But Ditz shook it off. "Sparkler isn't very much the social type to others except family friends. I think she'd be too shy to even speak to a stallion she barely knew. Even if she did have a crush on him." Suddenly, a mare rushed through the doors of the Sweet Shoppe.
"I made it!" Sparkler shouted a bit too excitedly. She turned her head back to the open door and waved briefly to a ginger-maned colt who then proceeded to walk on his way. Pinkie nudged Ditzy and whispered out of the side of her mouth.
"Coltfriend..."
Sparks continued toward her mother, with a saddlebag in tow, and pulled out from it an intricate picture frame. "I... got you and Dinky a present." Turning the frame around, Ditzy could see an enlarged photograph. And she started to tear up.
In the photo was herself, snoozing on her bed, Dinky beside fast asleep as well, hugging her new mother's neck gently. "Oh... My Celestia... Sparks, this is..." Ditzy set Dinky in another guest's hooves, much to their joy, and leaped forward into her daughter, knocking her to the floor. Everypony "aw"ed and laughed.
"I love you so much, Sparkler." Ditzy said as she helped the unicorn up from the ground.
Sparks whispered into her mother's ear. "I love you more."
"I love you most."
Pinkie shouted to the crowd in the room, "GROUP HUG!!!" Soon a whole multitude of ponies surrounded Ditzy and Sparkler, hugging tight.
