Smart In Different Ways

by Frothy

Rating: everyone
Tags: Slice of Life, Sad, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dinky Hooves, Derpy Hooves
Length: 1143

For Derpy, many ponies over the course of her life have told her that she was stupid or dumb in many kinds of ways but when her daughter, Dinky doo needs words of comfort for that exact reason, she proves that she is smart in a different way.

When Dinky comes home from school one day, upset with... Something. Her mother, Derpy Hooves try's to find out what's wrong.

Comforting the small filly is the only thing on her mind but when she finds out that she is part of the problem, it turns out to be more difficult that she thought.

Though Derpy has been called dumb for most of her life, can she come up with the right words to say to aid her daughter.

Published 2016-01-04 00:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2016-01-04 00:00:01 UTC

Comfort For A Crying Dinky

Author's Note

Short but sweet I hope!:derpytongue2:

This is a very personal story for me and what I believe in. I find it hard to love who I am (especially when it comes to looks) but I never pretend to be anyone else. I thought that Derpy would deeply portray what I feel and think as she is the perfect character for this situation.

I hope you like it and enjoy the read:twilightsmile:

Comfort For A Crying Dinky

Being different isn't easy.

Many get bullied, beat up or called names on a daily basis because of it.

For some, this would make them less comfortable to be themselves. For others, it just encourages them to ignore the haters.

Derpy Hooves has been subject to mass amounts of bullying in her time but she just brushes it off.

Talent means to excel at something more than normal. Shouldn't this be classed as different? If so, shouldn't that be celebrated instead of punished.

That's what she believed.

She had just finished work, walking straight into her home and sitting down on the sofa, she closed her eyes letting out a deep sigh.

As she had her eyes closed, she heard her home start to come to life. There was a buzzing in her kitchen that belonged to the fridge, a slight ringing in her ears from the wind she had endured while delivering mail, a small filly crying... Wait, a small filly crying?

Re-opening her eyes, a look of concern crossed her features.

"Dinky, is that you?"

No reply.

"Dinky?" The grey mare asked, walking to the bottom of the staircase.

After waiting for a short while, the Pegasus decided to investigate.

Starting her ascent, Derpy listened carefully to the source of the crying. It was definitely coming from dinky's room.

Quietly, she made her way across the landing to her daughters bedroom.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly walked in to see dinky's tiny body sprawled across her bed.

"Dinky? What's goin-"

The filly snapped her head up to look at her mother with red eyes. "Go away Mom!"

Derpy's jaw dropped. She had never treated her with such disrespect.

"Dinky! Don't avoid the problem... tell me what's wrong, please?"

"I-I... No!" She shrieked into her pillow.

Growing even more concerned, the mare went over to her daughter's bed and sat on the end.

After sitting there for a few more minutes, Derpy heard her daughters sniffles become less frequent. It was as good a time as ever...

"You'll feel better after talking about it." She insisted, draping a grey wing over her daughters back.

The sniffles came to an abrupt halt. The little foal lifted her head off of the pillow and gazed at it intently.

"The other foals at school are being mean to me."

Finally the truth was out. Derpy sat still, waiting for her daughter to elaborate. When no extension came, she sighed.

"What do you mean by 'being mean'?"

The filly snapped her gaze up to her mother. Tears were still falling from her eyes but she didn't look sad. It was almost as if she were angry.

"They were being mean to me because of you! It's all your fault and now I don't want to go to school never ever again!" Dinky yelled pushing her mothers wing from off of her back.

Another wave of tears emerged from the filly, her body racking with wails and sobs. Derpy just watched, her mouth open and her eyes wide.

Maybe that's why she didn't want to talk to me about it. Ooooh... What should I do. Does she want a muffin? No that won't work. Should I just wait it out? She thought looking at her daughter in a state of confusion.

Dinky was coughing and urging by now, a sign that she had simply crying too hard for too long.

Enough is enough.

Ignoring the cries and shouts of her daughter, Derpy picked Dinky up and held her close to her chest. Though the young unicorn fought to free herself from her mothers grasp, the elder mare had enclosed her. Realising defeat, Dinky buried her face in Derpy's chest and wrapped her arms around her waist. Derpy may not have been the brightest mare, but she noticed the change in her daughters actions and immediately reacted by running a hoove through her mane.

"Shhhh! It's alright. I'm here now."

This caused Dinky to wail in despair even more, hugging her mother tightly.

The pair sat like this for a long time, till Dinky's crying had reduced to sniffles.

"Do you feel like talking about it now, Dinky?"

A deep sigh came from the pony in her arms.

"I-I w-was just playing, w-when somepony came up t-to me a-and said that I was stupid."

"And?..."

Dinky brought her face away from Derpy's chest to look her dead in the eye. "They said that its probably because I have a stupid mother..."

"Was that all?" She asked in a soft voice.

"N-no,... they started to say that I was contaminated, 'The Derps syndrome' they said, which made everyone run away and hide from me!" She finished.

Derpy took her wing and wiped away the last tears on her daughters face.

"I'm so sorry my muffin, I wish I could make it all better for you." She took her daughters face in her hooves. "But you listen to me! I have been made fun of and laughed at thousands of times but I never have up hope. I kept smiling and laughing just like I always will.The only thing that I learned from the entire experience is don't use it as an excuse to try and be someone else, use it to become even stronger than you were before. No matter what they say, keep your head held high Dinky because if you are being yourself, it doesn't mean as much and when you find friends that adore you for being you, it matters even less. You are really special Dinky, and don't you forget it." Derpy concluded bopping the filly's nose affectionately.

Dinky looked at her mother in wonder. She wasn't stupid. She was smart in her own way. She was unique. She cringed at the way she had talked to her before.

"Momma?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry... It's not your fault at all. I shouldn't of-" she was cut off by two wings drawing her close to the cross eyed mare.

"I already forgave you for that sweetheart."

Dinky sat rigid with shock before melting into her mothers embrace.

"I love you Momma!"

The bubbly Pegasus smiled warmly, resting her head on the filly's mane.

"You too Dinky..." She looked over at the picture on the wall of her, her husband and dinky when she was born, hovering over the stallions face.

"You too." She whispered.