Author's Note

It's Fireflower yet again with the seventh installment of my first My Little Pony fanfic still going beyond the typical oneshots I'd made from before and already using canon characters as human beings instead of their normal forms; however, this is nonetheless a Mature fimfic despite this chapter also being tame compared to future ones.

As usual like before, My Little Pony, or rather Friendship Is Magic, including its settings and characters belong to Lauren Faust and Hasbro; however, this concept of my fanfic still belongs to me so I will say this very line one time only: please do not steal this story or I will sue.

Lastly, let me also say that I'd planned this chapter to have Derpy take center stage without being a repeat of certain evens: since, I'd wasted so much time with the past chapters, this wasn't easy for me to get it over, especially since she barely spoke; either way, I'm kinda glad that I've been able to finish this at long last so to speak of, even knowing what I wrote.

Froth

A sky full of silver linings were soon etched about, swirling over the earth in its broken patterns as patches of some blue were breaking dawn without a care. A flock of birds in various sizes and shades soon soared so serenely, not even gravity dared to pull any of them down towards the solid plane of existence. A small civilization was starting to carry on with its own lives and times, living and breathing around their happy little abodes topped off with so much hay. All pedestrians were being greeted with an abundance of some calm gentle breezes currently surfing across from the grassy knolls and to parts unknown. Aside from the town itself were a nearby forestry with a road as its guide and smoky mountains raging with growth and erosion from the trying times therein.

Out of the many traversing about in this here environment, there were but a pair of pedestrians in particular whom were standing out and about in the dense atmosphere before themselves sniffed: not much whatsoever could ever be said about the two in question, except for the fact they were none other than Dinky and Flutter all dressed up in similar attire as the ones worn much earlier.

Residing before the lonely individuals was an enormous building residing in the very outskirts of the town presently. It’d reached high as at least three stories tall with a pair of stone chimneys stretching upward as they were isolated. The very roofing had possessed a style similar to the likes of many residences within the adjacent area but with wood. Hanging over from the very entrance was a big red circle with four pink hearts, sequestered by a large whitely cross. Surrounding it already were such countless windowpanes made of the same material and shape but in variety as is. All which had remained out there were but a pair of olive doors resting underneath an awning up in front of the trail.

“So I guess there’s no turning back from this: your uncle is still subbing for that summer school teacher anyway; perhaps, once we get back home, he’d be surprised to see her again, right…?” the eldest of the two females had spoken up after taking in a long drag of oxygen from their very own surroundings.

Almost immediately, they’d soon traversed throughout the partition afore themselves, greeted by a sight cuts above than whatever stones could’ve been thrown. All of the ceilings were painted in a brownish shading style; many all separated into intersecting but otherwise equal lines with domed lanterns into the mixture. Every single wall within the room the lonely individuals had entered were but a lighter hue than the brilliant green left behind in the outside world abaft therein. The beige flooring underneath was interspersed with some set of teal carpeting which had looked like it been purchased at a bargain prior to becoming cleansed. Every geometric corner nearby the entrance was occupied by a potted plant with an abundance of leaves so spacious to cover all the many kinds of footwear here. It could also be seen by the very visitors that many others were sitting on olive colored chairs, either becoming amongst the well–adjusted or under the weather.

Out of the many within their collective eyesight, Flutter came across another pair of women standing out and about a few yards away from her and Dinky themselves nearby a desk as is. Unlike the outsiders walking in, they were nurses with likenesses in fair dignity, possessing commonalities between the latter pair such as darker complexions and somber emotions already. Still, the workers in question had some significant differences between each other that even the young maiden in question was quick on the uptake to acknowledge so instantaneously altogether. Their uniforms alone were similar but not the same, at least as far as the nurses were concerned: one, a dark heavyset in prim plum with blue eyes; another, bright, lanky, snood, blue, and jaded.

The eldest of the visitors watched as the harlequin worker holding up a clipboard with a left hand lock eyes as the latter’s bulky counterpart greeted the former group almost immediately no less, “good afternoon, miss Fluttering; we’ve been expecting you: Derpy Hooves has been waiting to be discharged from the hospital since she’d woken up…”

“We know that: my brother Time has relayed us both the message about a week ago regarding the situation at hand after all…” the titular traveller told as she’d held firm before the two nurses all the same, more than what could be said about the former’s grip, “how is she by the way: has she made a full recovery this week…?”

“For the most part, yes though at the same time she may as well need her bedrest and fluids for the next two weeks ahead; as a matter of fact, Mrs. Hooves must take some medication to help her get some sleep at night in the meantime so to speak…” the nurse in yellow had quickly answered the pale skinned individual soon enough, now already at ease so to speak of.

It didn’t take much for the likes of Dinky herself to look around briefly before turning back to face the purple coated coworker, “is my mommy going to be okay…? I don’t want her to be sad again after what happened: I miss her and so does my aunt and uncle; even my father has been writing letters to her since he’d been imprisoned years ago. I’ve been writing to mommy as well and so has uncle Turner; we were both hoping she would be able to come home again after what had been told to us months ago: even now, we’re all still anxious about her all the same, especially regarding her condition…”

“She’ll be okay, little one: her resolve is far stronger than she thinks it is; after all, they’d told me about what happened back there…” the bulky nurse replied softly as her star sapphires starred back into the young maiden’s amber with a somber gaze altogether as is, “it’d been real difficult for the lot of us ever since the war came to our shoreline years ago especially with Canterlot.”

“You don’t need to remind us of this, Nurse Sweetheart; after all, the Princesses were pretty shook up about what had happened to their loved ones: Celestia feared a relapse from her sister Luna on the account of losing her niece Cadance, just after hearing about Twilight Sparkle…” Flutter had said as Dinky looked downward already.

It didn’t take much for the likes of the yellowy harlequin to chime in mirthlessly so to speak of, “I was told it was sabotage when she was rushed to the hospital on that day: someone sat her up a bomb in what used to be the town’s old library; apparently, Twilight was digging up something for an impending court case. Seems to me whatever she’d stumbled across had been more than enough to give some the bright idea to go on ahead and do it; this was as far as I was about to learn about until we were given orders to evacuate from Ponyville about the week after: it seems that Princess Celestia was real desperate enough to get her and many of her kind out of here in case the war got fierce enough. Perhaps what was really catching me off–guard was how she was able to recover so fast in such short notice altogether as is: the last time Twilight got injured, it was all because of some heavy objects falling from the sky, stuff that would’ve easily kilt; failing that, she would’ve been crippled for life, especially since we’d her sent out by wheelchair per the Princess’ request. Come to think of it, this was only mere months before the whole war ended up coming to our homeland directly so to speak: at this point, we’d never gotten any word whatsoever in regards to what had happened with either her friends or classmates; of course, one exception in particular was none other than Swain himself and he was killed in the surprise attack leading up to it all. After that, many of us were forced to evacuate the patients from this hospital and gather as many supplies needed for the long trip; although Canterlot had plenty of spare rooms in their facilities, not everyone ended up there directly, let alone in one day as is: last I’d heard, Fillydelphia still has patients of ours whom have yet to leave the city, much less return here, alive and otherwise.”

“Well, it seems to me that your own hospital wasn’t even the only one whom had made a hasty call in retrospect, no offense…” the eldest visitor replied as far as the rest of the females were concerned all the same, taking a brief glance at the scenery, “even medical personnel from Appleloosa had to leave for Dodge Junction since they were still in their infancy with projects.”

“Everyone, sorry to intrude on the conversation but the patient’s ready to be discharged now: miss Derpy Hooves will be leaving the hospital now, I’d just gotten her out of the bath earlier…” another maidenly voice had escaped within their collective earshot, clearly belonging to none of the quartet as of yet.

This was more than enough to have the foursome look onward to find yet another pair of women approaching them now this time: like Flutter and Dinky whom had both entered the domain, they were brightly skinned with eyes wearied from the worldly weight; however, just as much like themselves and the two nurses they’d seen not long ago, there were many significant differences. To begin and end with, one was in a same uniform, much like the coworkers in question, already wearing leaf green locks in the same bun as her heavyset correspondent albeit with but solidarity; the other, was like the youngest maiden, out of perhaps many, like, and unlike, her in question, albeit aged as the accompanying matron whom been in association dressed in tan, boots and all.

Though Derpy was currently in the area being pushed towards the quartet, both figuratively and especially literally thanks to the third nurse in question, the sight of the former in a wheelchair was more than enough for the likes of Dinky to spring into action at long last, wrapping both arms around the flesh and fabric over the latter’s target with a bittersweet greeting, “mommy…!”

“Dinky… I’m so glad to see you again; I wish that the others could’ve been there with you as we’d have wanted: I know he’d…” the restrained mother had said to her dear daughter almost instantaneously before stopping in place with a saddened sigh as is, “anyways, how’s your uncle Turner, is he doing well for himself…?”

“Mm–hmm, he’d been taking up a substitute teacher role to put food on the table like he did a few years ago; although, we’d all been worried about what has been happening lately ever since midterms had ended…” Dinky answered Derpy rather immediately, breaking away from the hug the former had recently initiated all the same.

It wasn’t even long until Flutter was quick to join back into the conversation, this time with the eldest blonde locked on into the former’s sight, “Time Turner’s been trying to get you out of this place since your fifth year in the facility; apparently, I, too, was worried about what it has been doing to you following the war anyways: not only that, Ponet’s been sending letters to us also…”

“Yeah, I heard… I’m still feeling sorry for the others I’d met who can’t or won’t leave, if at all, at least not yet so to speak of…” Derpy spoken back to her colorful double, the former’s eyes more dull and listless as they were both strabismic by comparison, “Applejack still won’t set foot out of this place, Rarity’s been out of the operation, and Twist still can’t even see me at all…”

“Dinky told me about her and the rest of their friends from school, like she did back in the past; honestly, it’d made me sick back then and still does to this day as to what it’d done to them: nightmares and trauma should have no place in a child’s mind, body, or soul, not then, not now…!” Flutter snarled as she’d looked further away from the aforementioned youth in question.

The bound mother had started sniffling about, looking down at her own attire with a melancholic gaze as they were started to become attacked by constricted downpours established freeformly, “oh, Sparkler, what have I done to you to deserve this; why did they have to torture you in your last moments…?”

“In any case, here’s some Erobad for Derpy: it’s been used decades ago as an experimental way to deal with most complex trauma…” the green haired nurse declared as a small bottle was retrieved from the pocket of the jacket still being wore onto its owner’s body, “the formula may have changed over the decades since but it’s still the only option left now that he’s persistent…”

“I guess brotherman is still worried about her after all these years and I can’t even blame him: our sister’s been a broken bird ever since that accident in her youth a little over few decades ago; now, it seemes with schoolhouse rock becoming harder on him, Time Turner’s ticking away…” said the violet haired substitute with the item in question now in her hands all the very same.

Needless to say, the middleweight in uniform was quick to tell the visitors and Derpy almost instantaneously so to speak of, “in either case, I’d recommend making sure she takes this every night before bedtime so to speak: it’s a very strong medication and it’d been in the trial runs ever since the war had ended; it was almost on its way out to the public before the place was attacked. Nonetheless, the surviving scientists said it was a good call that they were forced to suspend the project lately during the invasion: considering the development, they’ve had to reconsider the potential options on the off–chance of something going wrong as is; as a matter of fact, many were worried that this would end up falling into enemy hands as many things would altogether. Still, even I’ve had my doubts about this concoction being used as medicine now, with or without Brander’s Law in effect: considering the use and its side–effects thereof, I couldn’t help myself but to think of what it’d be done to their users such as her; after all, as one southern man had said, ‘between the drugging and the lying, somebody has to show some gotdang integrity!’”

“Who hasn’t in this day and age no less…?” the lightweight nurse had had jumped back into the conversation once more, this time a little irate than she were so long ago, “if anything, drug–runners are nothing new lately, especially when you consider the main reasons why in general; as a matter of fact, the real problem is how they’ve been making it in their own homes and gardens. It’s rather safe to say that at least we’re not stuck in the past several centuries when people can sell them for goods and services: at the very least, we didn’t have to worry about going to war over them, let alone lose it all ‘cause of their superior firepower; you don’t even want to know what living in opium den would be like all day everyday, especially considering how dingy it is. Nowadays, it’s not just larger countries pushing drugs onto other small countries just to force them into opening up trade ports: other smaller organizations, both legitimate and otherwise, are buying and selling the means to push poison out onto the streets; we see this in the movies with cartels stealing land just to make more and hear more of that on the radio about some rolling lab. Not only that, anyone looking to cause problems for other people can just simply slip something into someone’s drink and/or food so they can wait for them to just be weakened and be no more: it’s no wonder why that law exists now ever since that scholar in Canterlot almost overdosed on these salts – after everything that had happened since the war, this was rather enough as it were. In addition, we had to deal with Princess Luna making a major fuss over what had happened in Peachtree Acres a few years ago: to think they were used in a revenge plot to harrass and humiliate a bunch of outcasts only to turn into an insane lethal conclusion; even her own sister, Celestia, was at a lost for words on what came next, especially with what that boy’s doing now. Needless to say, the worst they could do to them was to strip their entire province they were all in of the opportunity to compete; humiliating as it was, the punishment they came up with together was more merciful than either of them could do by themselves: stuff like this either ended up with a full–scale war between empires or total annihilation of a few cities altogether. Generally speaking, almost all of those adolescents at the avenue got off lightly since they weren’t even adults at the time; that being said, I can’t imagine, much less dream, what it’d be like to even live here, knowing they’ll not be inside the Games: sure, their citizens can come visit but being unable to compete altogether is like not being able to teach shop for bringing in tools. Suffice it to say, it’s amazing we haven’t been taken over by any narcocracies in this day and age or, worse yet, transmutated as is; of course, it’s sobering when you realize how many countries and their subjects struggle to get out of the drug trade all at once: Sanguine had gone from being a major player in the Iorian job to so irate anti–drug they’ll wipe out any gang smuggling them.”

“At least the medication isn’t illegal since people like her will need it; nevertheless, we must pay attention to the instructions to the letter as is: even Derpy’s eye problem has been a staying point, no offense, sister…” Flutter exhaled as she’d quickly studied the text printed on the bottle within her grasp so to speak of.

Sure enough, it was now time for Nurse Sweetheart to tag back into the otherwise simplistic tête–à–tête between herself and the slimmer chaperone all the very same as they all were no less, “in any case, you won’t have to keep coming to and from the hospital during visiting hours now: Derpy Hooves is all yours now, girls; just make sure she gets her bedrest and fluids at home…”

“We will, we need to; we should be lucky that sister gets to go back today after all these years no less, even after all of this mess…” Flutter said just as her eponymous sister had ended up being wheeled further closer to both the former and the latter’s daughter, “besides, Time Turner won’t be back for another few more hours so this should come as a surprise for him all the same now.”

“I know…” the green haired individual sighed.

Just then, a rather loud klaxon had suddenly blared into all of their very ears without so much as a warning whatsoever so to speak: this was more than enough to catch the sextet off–guard, especially Dinky whom had to cover her own with both hands instantly; needless to say, her guide was quick to rush both her and their shared kinswoman further away from the three nurses.

Out of the trio which had stayed behind, the one in green asked almost immediately in spite of the noise in question all the same, “what’s going on…?”

“I can’t say for sure: last time in particular, Applejack cut herself banging the table during visiting hours all of the sudden…” the yellowy harlequin answered as she was now the first to head off into the very same area their colleague had originated from, “who knows what in the world could it be all about this time around: some anaphylactic shock or even neurosthenia…?!”

“Either way, we can’t let the visitors get exposed to this, directly and otherwise; get them out thru the entranceway and make sure that they vacate the premises before we lockdown again…!” Nurse Sweetheart said following after their coworker unquestionably, her blue eyes now troubled by the sudden change in pace altogether now.

As the brighter trio were now deep inside of the hospital, another voice had suddenly echoed throughout the hallway, this time coming from the speakers themselves rather than any of the people alone, “LOCKDOWN PERIOD IS NOW IN EFFECT: ALL VISITORS ARE TO VACATE THE PREMISE IMMEDIATELY; REENTRY WILL NOT BE PERMITTED…!”

Speaking of which, the small family of civilians were now back into the outside world alongside with many like, and unlike, them: despite being further away from the entrance in question, they could still hear the loud noises all the same, albeit at a lower decibel; out of the slowly growing crowd in and out of control, the youngest of them all in particular was starting to cry at long last.

“Mommy, I don’t like this noise at all: it’s too loud and reminds me of those air raids; not even sis’ been alive to hear them…!” Dinky fell down onto her knees planted upon the grass, still covering up both ears the second that klaxon had invaded their ranges, “DON’T ABANDON ME, PLEASE; DON’T LEAVE ME ALONE WITH YOUR OWN KILLERS, I BEG YOU…!”

“Dinky, please, calm down…!” Flutter pleaded.

It was to little avail as the young maiden finally surrendered to the solid earth underneath their feet as she was on her left side, shuddering and panting about as her goldeneyes were shut away, “I DON’T WANT TO DIE, I DON’T WANT TO DIE, I DON’T WANT TO DIE, I DON’T WANT TO DIE…!”

“Hey, what in the world was going on: what all that commotion, did they find another terrorist among us once again…?!” yet another voice, this time more masculine judging by the baritone, had approached them, gathering about around her, “oh no, is this actually seizure the child is having…?!”

“No, I don’t believe so: she was calm a few seconds ago before they’d sounded the alarm; we were just leaving the hospital when Dinky ran out the second she’d heard it all with us as well…!” the titular traveler’s chaperone had answered almost instantly as the grass and ground was now assaulted by the shockwave of kicking and screaming about in due time nevertheless.

It didn’t even take long for Derpy to utilize her own upper body strength to jump out of her own wheelchair at last so to speak of: despite being restrained, she’d started making own her way to her dearest daughter dauntlessly, so determined to reach the latter; even now, this was enough for the former to say something suddenly soft yet sternly, “Dinky Doolittle Hooves, listen to me…!”

“Would you look at that: I never thought this would even happen – she’d just gotten out of there without any effort whatsoever…!” another masculine voice entered their ears out amongst the same crowd, albeit at a higher octave than the very first in question, “why did no one take off her restrains before this all happened…?!”

“Dinky, I want you to open your eyes and look at me: this is still Equestria and I’m still your mother as is; I don’t want you to end up worse off than either one…!” the bound mother said to the otherwise still growing child, already having swam to meet face–to–face in a recent bid of moving through heaven and earth slightly.

Despite being riddled with tears, the aforementioned youth complied and found Derpy’s visage riddled with dirt and grass but nonetheless sympathetic to their shared plight as the latter whimpered, “mommy…?”

“I’m sorry for leaving you behind after all these years because of what they did: I know for a fact everyone in this family is before…” the constricted mother spoke to Dinky with newfound resolve from inside the pit of the former’s stomach all the very same hereof, “I’m even willing to accept the fact that Sparkler isn’t here with either of us anymore because what had happened. Still, I can’t let what they did to me personally go and turn you into something like this, not him, her, or them for that matter, dear; I’d already seen what had been done to my friends as well and even your friends too for that matter, what they’d suffered thru: Celestia knows I want the pain to end as much as the next person but not if it means you go in my place after all this time, Dinky. Even after everything that’s been said and done, I don’t want to lose you either, not after what that witch did at Canterlot no less; not only that, I’ve already made peace with the fact that your father is in prison and who knows long until he ever gets out of there: either way, the last thing he’d want from you is to end up in here while I’m out of the hospital, today of all days no less. Many of our friends and family have been separated over the years all thanks to the war and even after what came next so to speak; the Bearers alone weren’t even the only ones who lost them one way and/or another and they know it too because I’d met them: you’d already heard of both Applejack and Rarity from your friends Twist and Apple Bloom, out of them and so have others. In spite of that, they’ve been nothing but supportive to us over the years, especially since the postwar period presided over: Pinkie and Fluttershy have been slowly going back to their roots for a few years and counting because of their kith and kin; even now, I know that your big sister would want you to be big and strong no matter what and she’d proved herself to all of us then…”

“I know that, I just need to understand: why did they have to hurt us all – you, me, sis, and even daddy too; what did we ever do to deserve any of this – are we even cursed all of the sudden…?” the youngest maiden sobbed, causing Derpy’s restraints to falter about on the visage as the latter also shed a tear again, this time for the former as far as anyone can see, literally and figuratively.

All that had remained of everyone, especially Dinky and her mom in particular, was the cool breeze flowing on their skin, free rom the presence of such hostile relations born of uncertainty. Of all the wonders that had once flourished throughout the twon they were still in, they were all long ago in some brief long spring, in a place that is no more, much like the stardust memories. In that hour, a lustrious sheen from the world’s brilliant green twinkled afore the pair themselves and the closeness between had become the strongest in that real momentum of a wrinkle in time.