Blameby PlyxeChaptersPainPonderancePatiencePerseverencePain Pain. That was everything in her mind. The spaces behind her eyes flashed red, and her vision blurred. Her wing joints felt like they had been fractured. Still, she kept going, kept flying. She had to. Ditzy Doo blinked away the tears, but they were soon replaced by even more. Both from the pain, and from the wind that slapped her face. Combined with the dust and smoke in the air, it was nigh impossible to see. She wanted to stop, to be able to take a breath that wasn’t labored and followed by a dry cough. She knew she couldn’t. If she did, then they would be crushed by the rubble. Her daughter’s safety was the only thing that mattered. Dinky was clutched in her arms, eyes wide, shakily breathing. Ditzy gripped her by the barrel, tightly enough to make sure she wouldn’t slip. The thought of her baby, flattened by debris, was enough to keep her wings pumping hard enough to pull a tractor. Still, she couldn’t hold out much longer. Many of her feathers had fallen out, and the scarce air that made it to her lungs was barely sufficient to keep her conscious. But there was no way in Tartarus that she would let Dinky die. One of her eyes saw an incoming object. Her wings shrieked with the effort as she dodged another chunk of flaming ceiling, inches to spare. Mustering the strength to get back on course, she continued through the ruined building as it burned around them. There! From a gap in the wall, she could see daylight trying to pierce the blackened air as it swarmed outside. Summoning the last of her willpower, she flew towards the exit with all her might. They burst through. Ditzy’s mind exploded in agony as her wing slammed into a section of wall. With a horrible crack, it snapped. Her head whipped back as she cried out in sheer pain, only to be met with a faceful of sunlight. We made it. Her body went limp, and all was dark. ____________________________________________________________________________ ”Where should I go, Rainbow Dash?” Dash turned from the ponies she was directing, and found herself face to face with Ditzy Doo. Scrambling backwards until she had personal space again, she addressed the mailpony. “Say again, Derpy?” “Um, it’s Ditzy. And where should I go to help out?” Dash thought for a moment. “Well, no offense, but you can be sorta-” she paused as she realized that the pony would be exactly what kind of help they needed. “Actually, you can go and help demolish the middle of the house. Cloud Kicker and Thunderlane are stationed there.” “Okey-dokey, Rainbow Dash!” Ditzy saluted and flew off towards her assigned area. After a minute or so of looking around, she found her partners, donned her safety goggles, and got to work. It was pretty easy, breaking down parts that weren’t in the foundation. Ditzy found herself even enjoying it a bit. Cracking walls, busting balconies, it was just like usual. Some time later, however, it seemed like something was off. The first thing she noticed was the silence. She couldn’t hear anything but the sounds she caused, and neither of the other two ponies were present. And then she heard a shout. It came from one of the upstairs rooms, and it sounded distinctly equine. Without hesitation, Ditzy flew up to investigate. The words became clearer. “...lane, help!” “I’m trying, Cloudy! I swear! It’s too heavy!” She burst into the room it originated from, and gasped. Cloud Kicker was pinned under a chunk of the ceiling. Beside her was Thunderlane, struggling to get leverage, but failing. Quickly, Ditzy rushed over and lifted up the other side. After a short time, and immense effort, they managed to heave it off of the trapped pony. Thunderlane trotted over and helped Cloud Kicker to her feet, who winced. “Ah, I think my ankle is sprained.” “We’d better get you someone to look at that. Ditzy, do you have things covered here?” “Aye-aye, captain!” Ditzy announced, smiling. The black stallion grinned and hefted the injured pony onto his back, and slowly walked out the door. Ditzy waited until they’d left, and returned to the main room. Everything had been broken that could be broken without too much damage to the foundation. Deciding to do a quick survey, she flew around a few times, checking that there wasn’t anything left to do. Soon, however, there was a voice from the hallway. “Hello? Are you there, Mommy?” Ditzy recognized that voice instantly. She flew down to the ground, and a small unicorn emerged from the entryway. The filly had a purple coat, a blonde mane, and golden eyes, just like her. An oil lantern with glass panels was gripped in her mouth. She trotted up to the foal and gave her a confused smile. “Hey, Dinky. What are you doing here?” Dinky placed the lantern off to the side and smiled back. “Hi Mommy! I came to get you!” “‘Get me’? What do you mean?” “Well, Miss Rainbow Dash said that the house was destroyed enough that everypony should leave so they can demolish it! So I volunteered to come get you, because you’re the last one here!” Ditzy felt slightly annoyed at that, but ignored it. “Okay, muffin. Let’s go, then.” Dinky grinned, and started to reach for the lantern. Suddenly, the house seemed to shake. Ditzy cursed under her breath, alarmed. Without warning, there was a cracking sound, and pieces of the ceiling crashed down. One of the pieces fell into the lantern, and it was smashed open. The freed flames leaped from their prison, and caught on the dry wood of the floor and the debris from the demolition. Another piece smacked into Ditzy’s forehead, opening a gash. She stumbled back in pain. “Mommy!” “Ah! Dinky, come on!” Ditzy shouted as she gripped her daughter. Unfurling her wings, she galloped down the hallway, and took flight. Behind them, the fire spread along the old, dead wood, roaring and chasing its prey. ____________________________________________________________________________ “Ditzy!” Dinky’s mind refocused, and she coughed heartily as her lungs cleared the smoke she’d inhaled. After she’d finished, she looked up and shielded her eyes from the bright sun’s rays. As she breathed clean air once again, she took in her surroundings. A crowd of ponies had gathered. Earth Ponies and Unicorns all stood amongst them, chattering worriedly, while Pegasi hovered above. Some ponies in white suits had rushed over, and stood by a still gray form. “Mommy!” With a cry, Dinky rushed over to where her mother’s body lay on the ground. A few pegasi noticed, and flew to intercept. But before anything could happen, a loud noise rang out through the afternoon. Everypony’s attention was drawn to the flaming house. As Dinky watched, it seemed to fold in on itself, the roof collapsing inwards and the walls crumbling. The flames enveloped the rest, creating a giant bonfire of sorts. While everypony else was distracted, Dinky took the opportunity and galloped towards her mother. Shoving past the surprised white-coats, she got her first good look at her mother. She gasped. Ditzy’s coat was blackened and stained by soot, no longer a pleasant light gray. The same was true for her now-ragged mane, which had been mucked up with dust and ash. Cuts and scratches were everywhere, but most pronouncedly on her forehead was the large wound where the chunk of ceiling had fallen. Small trickles of blood flowed from the corner of her mouth and her nostrils, and the rest of her face was grimy. But the worst part was her wings. One of them had completely broken, bent at an unnatural angle. Most of her feathers were gone. “Oh, no! Mommy!” Dinky cried, burying her face in Ditzy’s fur. Tears flowed down her face, carving lines in the dirt that covered it. “Mommy, please wake up!” “Dinky!” a voice exclaimed, followed by a pair of forelegs attempting to get a hold on her. The unicorn struggled and squirmed, trying to escape. “You have to let go!” “No! Mommy, wake up!” Dinky gripped the ground, digging furrows in the dirt, before she was wrenched away from her mother. “Mommy!” She could only watch, helpless, as the white-coats rolled her onto a stroller, and placed it onto their shoulders. Tears blurred her vision as she cried uncontrollably, wailing and kicking at her restrainer. As the white-coats walked out of sight, she landed a hit into the pony’s stomach who grunted and released her. She fell to the ground, and landed with a thud. ”But Mommy, I don’t want to go to school!” Her mother kneeled down and looked into her eyes, offering an encouraging smile. “Now look, Dinky, it won’t be so bad! The teacher is nice, and I’m sure you’ll get along with the other students just fine. Okay?” Dinky sighed in resignation, but managed a brave face. “Okay, Mommy. I’ll try my best.” “Now that’s what I like to hear! Go get ‘em, Dinky!” Dinky nodded energetically, smiled, and galloped off to start her first day of school. She collapsed, curling into a ball. ”Great job, Dinky!” Ditzy cheered as the pale aura around the quill faded, dropping to the table. Dinky panted, exerted from the trial of using magic, but immensely satisfied nonetheless. She grinned wide, and was swept into a hug by her mother. “I did it, Mommy!” “You sure did, Muffin! I’m so proud of you.” They laughed and hugged tighter, celebrating Dinky’s first use of magic. Anguished tears fell from her eyes, dripping and making dark patches in the dirt. ”Let me come, Mommy!” The grey pegasus turned, and saw Dinky standing there, looking excited. “Dinky, this is a grown-up project. It’s not that safe.” The filly pouted. “Well, I don’t have to go inside! I can help the ponies that are working outside, or the people who are optimizing!” “It’s ‘organizing’.” “That too! Please, Mommy?” Dinky asked, and pulled out the puppy eyes. Ditzy knew she couldn’t resist. “Alright, alright, quit giving me that look. You can help.” “Yay!” Dinky cheered, and trotted out the door. “Come on, Mommy!” Ditzy smiled, and walked after her daughter, kicking the door closed behind them. Sobs wracked her body, and she tried to be strong. She attempted to sit up, and heard hoofsteps behind her. They stopped a few inches away, the sound being replaced by a voice. “Um... hi, Dinky.” The unicorn paused in the middle of wiping her eyes. That was Miss Rainbow Dash’s voice. “I... er, how are you doing?” Her words sounded hopeful, worried. Dinky was about to turn and respond, when her mind made the connection. Miss Dash told me where to find Mommy. She knew where Mommy was. She sent her there. Anger swelled in her heart, rising from her like a balloon. A previously unknown rage boiled in her stomach, filling her with energy. She’s the reason Mommy got hurt! She got to her hooves, suddenly angrier than she’d ever been before. Her head whipped back and she glared at the pegasus. Dash stepped back in surprise, fearful. “Dinky?” Her answer came in the form of a hoof crashing into her eye. Dinky landed as Dash stumbled back in shock and pain, every nerve alight. Without hesitating, she threw herself at her target’s face. Her momentum threw Dash onto her hind legs, and gravity carried them to the ground. Dinky straddled the pegasus’s chest, and hurled a forehoof at her face. “You hurt Mommy! It’s all your fault!” she yelled, letting unbridled rage take over. The blow connected with Dash’s jaw and smacked her head to the side. She winced in pain, lifting her hooves to protect her face. Dinky pulled her hoof back once again, but a tingly sensation came over her, and she was lifted into the air. A new voice spoke from the side with urgency. “Dinky, please calm down! It isn’t Rainbow Dash’s fault!” She looked to the source, and through a purple haze she saw a lavender unicorn with a shocked, slightly desperate look on her face. It pleaded Dinky, but she didn’t care. All she knew was that Mommy was hurt, and it was Miss Rainbow Dash who was responsible. And Miss Twilight was stopping her from getting to Dash. Dinky gritted her teeth, and thought of Mommy, and the angry feelings. Miss Twilight gasped. From her peripheral vision, she could see light above her head, tinted slightly gray. A familiar energy rushed into her horn, concentrating and building up. Finally, with a cry of rage, she released it without form. With the sound of shattering, the tingly feeling went away, and she fell to the ground. Miss Twilight stepped back and looked on in surprise. Quickly, Dinky got back to her hooves, and glared at Dash once more. The pegasus had pushed herself into a sitting position, and was rubbing her jaw. Furious, Dinky shouted at her. “You sent Mommy to the middle of the house! You almost got her killed!” Dash attempted to speak up, but was cut off. “Mommy looks up to you! But you made her get hurt! You betrayed her!” By now, the ponies who’d been standing to the sides were now watching the scene with varying expressions. If Dinky cared, she might have acknowledged them with a glance. As it was, however, she only focused on Dash. The pegasus managed to get a few words in, slightly hindered by her bruised jaw. “I... didn’t mean to get Derpy hurt! I just-” “Her name. Isn’t. DERPY!” Dinky screamed at her. “It’s DITZY! Ditzy Doo! All of the mean ponies, the bullies, they call her Derpy! You’re just another bully, like them!” Dash was stunned. Dinky went on, closing her eyes against the red shadows the world had taken on. “I don’t care what you meant! Mommy might... she might die because you’re a big, fat, JERK!” She searched her mind for a word she’d heard one time. Mommy had said it was a bad word, that she shouldn’t say it. During her silence, Dash took the opportunity to say something. “Dinky, please! I really didn’t-” Dinky cut her off again, opening her eyes. “Shut up! I don’t care what you have to say!” She found it. “Buck you!” Dash looked like she’d been punched in the gut. Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes, the one that Dinky had hit beginning to swell up, and her mouth was opened slightly. Dinky’s own tears began to come forth again, and she turned and ran. The gaping ponies parted to let her through. As she got further away, she headed towards the hospital. Mommy, I’m coming. Please be okay. Dash still sat, gazing after Dinky’s cloud of dust. A hoof on her shoulder, probably Twilight’s, tried to offer comfort, but she shrugged it away. Her head turned downwards, and the tears fell. I’m sorry, Dinky. Ponderance It was bright outside, and Dinky ran to her mother. They were in a field. A lush green carpet of grass was laid atop the soft ground, and flowers cropped up here and there. There were no trees in sight, or any signs of civilization. That didn’t matter though, because Dinky had her mother. She galloped joyfully, racing the wind as Mommy flew towards her, low to the ground. Mommy was smiling, and Dinky could see more and more details as they grew closer. Mommy’s coat looked so nice in the sunny weather. And everything was okay, because Dinky had her mother. Mommy was really beautiful. Dinky didn’t understand why everypony was so mean to her when she was so pretty. They were probably just jealous though, because they couldn’t be as pretty as Mommy was. Mommy had said that jealousy was bad. But there weren’t any jealous ponies around. Just Dinky and Mommy. They couldn’t have been more than fifteen metres apart when Mommy started to look different. Her coat was darker. These weird black specks were floating out of her mane and tail while they trailed behind her. Dinky was scared. Suddenly, everything got colder. It was like watching an old film reel as it sputtered along. Mommy was flickering, like she wasn’t really there. Dinky galloped harder, trying to reach her mother. A few more metres, and Mommy changed again. She was bleeding, in several places all along her body. Her coat was blackened with soot and ash. Her mane and tail were aflame, and it was spreading quickly. Dinky’s legs were hurting, but she had to get to Mommy. All of her instincts were telling her to run away, but she had to save Mommy. Without Mommy... Five metres, and Mommy wasn’t Mommy. She was almost completely engulfed in fire, and one of her wings were broken. Her hooves were dragging along the dirt, digging furrows as she somehow kept going. On top of that, she was fading, more parts of her trailing off. The sections of her that weren’t on fire were being deconstructed, slowly taking her away. And her face still held a smile, serene and calm, even as tears poured down her face. Dinky leapt towards her mother. She was so close, and it was hard to see through her tears. She could still save Mommy! Finally, they reached each other. Mommy’s forelegs were outstretched, drawing Dinky in for a hug. She fell into her mother’s embrace, and they hugged. And then they were happy, because they were together again. Just Dinky and Mommy. But then Dinky woke up, and faced reality. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Clack. Clack. Clack. Dinky’s hooves smacked against the ground. She was running, running to Mommy, and nothing could stop her. A train, barreling along its tracks, pushing everything on them to the side. Everything was blurry, except for her path. The path to the hospital, because that’s where Mommy was. She could see it, the large, once imposing white building that jutted from the ground and towered over everypony. As the ponies in her way jumped to the side, her view cleared, and she headed towards the entrance. With a cry, she broke through the double doors. Everypony who’d been in the lobby snapped their gazes towards her in shock. Dinky didn’t mind them, but looked at the nurse behind the counter. She was an earth pony mare, and looked like she was facing a manticore. Without any hesitation, the adrenaline-filled filly sprang onto the counter and stared down at her. The nurse cowered under her glare, and winced when she shouted. “Where’s Mommy?!” “I- I don’t know!” the frightened mare stammered out. Dinky would have none of it. Stamping her hoof onto the countertop, she ordered, “Tell me!” “I’m s-sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Scared tears were welling in her eyes. Dinky was about to say something else, but she was interrupted by the slamming of a door. Turning her attention to the side, she saw a stallion dressed in a white coat enter the room and look around in agitation. Setting his sight upon them, he turned and demanded, “What is the meaning of this?!” Dinky turned to him and snarled, “Tell me where Mommy is!” He flinched from the ferocity in her voice, but continued unfazed. “If you are referring to the patient we received a few minutes ago, she is currently in surgery. Nopony but the surgeons and overseers are allowed in.” “I want to see her!” “Well, unless you want to risk your mother’s death, you are not going in there.” His voice adopted a more sympathetic tone, and his eyes softened a bit. “I can see that you’re worried, but you need to remain out here until the procedures are finished. The doctors are doing their best to help her, but there isn’t anything you can do to aid them except to not get involved. Okay?” Dinky gnashed her teeth in frustration. She needed to see Mommy, but if it might hurt her, then she couldn’t! Stupid hospital, stupid house, stupid fire, stupid Rainbow Dash! She stamped a hoof again, hard enough to leave a crack in the countertop, and jumped down. Without looking back, she walked out the door. The stallion watched her until she was out of sight and sighed, returning to his duty. Dinky walked down the street, muttering angrily under her breath. If the doctors couldn’t help Mommy, then- NO! Shut up, don’t think about that! Mommy is going to be okay! She has to be! She can handle anything! But what if she couldn’t? She’d looked really hurt. What if the doctors couldn’t help her? Then Mommy would- Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP! She stomped through Ponyville, running thoughts through in her head and trying not to think of the consequences if the doctor failed. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ “Dash?” Rainbow Dash looked up, tears still dripping from her eyes, and saw the blurry visage of Twilight Sparkle. She sniffled, and wiped the moisture from her eye with a hoof. “Y-yeah, Twilight?” “Are... are you alright?” Ditzy isn’t. The thought brought another round of tears, and she fought to keep them from escaping. Looking back down, she sniffed again. “No. Dinky’s right.” “Dash...” She continued unabated, shaking her head slightly. “It...it’s all my fault. I didn’t want Der- Ditzy to get in the way, because I thought she would mess everything up.” She paused to wipe her eyes again. “I knew that she would b-break a lot of stuff, and I sent her to the middle, where the foundation is, and... and...” “Rainbow Dash,” Twilight spoke up from beside her. Dash looked back up at her, and saw a stern face. “Stop blaming yourself for this. You couldn’t have known that the building would start to collapse before she got out.” Anger suddenly ripped through Dash, and she lashed out with her tongue. “So?! Do you wanna know why she didn’t get out in time?” She turned on Twilight, who backed up a few steps. “It’s because I got her out last! She was the last pony to get out, and she barely made it! And it was because I forgot about her until the last minute!” Stepping forwards until she was almost nose to nose with her friend, she continued with her rant. “And do you know what makes it even worse?! I wasn’t even the one to go in and get her! I sent her bucking daughter! Out of all the pegasi I could’ve chosen to get her out, I chose her daughter! They both would’ve died if Ditzy didn’t-” The anger died immediately as Ditzy’s broken form appeared in her mind’s eye. She slumped and turned away, unable to face Twilight. “...if Ditzy didn’t save them both.” More tears came, but Dash was too weak to fight them this time. They slid from her face, landing on the ground silently. “And now she might die, because I’m such a buck-up of a pony.” She rubbed her sore jaw, swelled from where it got hit by a vengeful hoof. “Dinky has the right to hate me. I just... I...” Dash buried her face in her hooves. Soft hoofsteps emanated from behind her, and she felt warm forelegs draw her into a hug. It was comforting, but Dash still felt cold. The first drops of a storm landed upon their heads as she mourned her failure. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Dinky raced through the wet streets, slipping along the cobbles. It had started to rain, and she needed to get home. Her romp through town had placed her a short distance away from her house, so it wasn’t long before she arrived at the door. Unfortunately, when she tested the doorknob, she found it locked. So much for getting in unnoticed. With a resigned sigh, she knocked on the door. She counted to eight, and the door opened. In the frame stood a young mare, her coat a shade of pink. Her mane was purple, with a darker streak of pink running along its length. Worry was etched upon her features as she looked around the filly. “Dinky? Where’s Mom? Why isn’t she with you?” A lump rose in Dinky’s throat at the mention of her mother, but she swallowed it and spoke up. “Um, hey, Sparkler. I... I need to tell you something.” She stepped inside, and her sister closed the door. “It’s about Mommy.” Patience “...so then I came home. That’s what happened.” Sparkler stared at Dinky in shock as she finished her recounting. She wasn’t quite sure how to react to this. The news that Mom was in the hospital wasn’t completely surprising, considering how many accidents she had on a regular basis, but this... Dinky sniffled, pulling her towel closer, and continued on. “I... I don’t know what to do, Sparky. I just feel like I’m going to explode and...” she trailed off, unsure of what to say. Sparkler pulled her closer into a hug. Dinky whimpered and buried her face into pink fur, while her sister stroked her hair gently. “Shh... it’s okay, Dinky. Try to calm down a bit. Don’t worry too much, everything will be okay.” “Will... will Mommy be okay too?” The older sister forced a smile when her sibling looked up hopefully. “Of course she will, Dinks. Mom can handle anything. Okay?” Dinky smiled and relaxed her muscles, settling back down. “Yeah. Mommy is the toughest pony in all of Equestria.” Now Sparkler smiled a real smile. “You bet. She can handle anything! And you were pretty tough, yourself.” “Really? I was?” “Totally. I don’t think any of your classmates could have handled what you went through.” “Even the Cutie Mark Crusaders?” “Well... they’re an exception. Though I’m pretty sure those fillies are a bit crazy, with the antics they pull.” “Nah,” Dinky yawned, laying her head against Sparkler’s side. “They’re pretty cool.” “You’ll have to tell me more about them sometime, then.” “Yeah... I guess I will.” The filly yawned again, longer this time, and her sister chuckled. “Sleepy, huh? You wanna go to bed?” “Well... could we stay here for a little bit? Please?” “Of course, Dinky. No problem.” Dinky curled up into her sister’s side, and mumbled. “Awesome.” They stayed like that for a time, relaxing. Sparkler ran what Dinky told her through her mind again. It sounded bad, and she was actually really worried. Not that she would let her sister know that. A soft snore pulled her from her thoughts. Dinky had fallen fast asleep. She looked adorable, smiling and resting peacefully. Just like fillies her age should. The pink mare gently enveloped her little sister in a soft purple glow and lifted her up. Slowly, she got up from the couch and stretched her legs, before softly depositing the sleeping filly onto her back. She then slowly walked over to the stairs, and made sure not to disturb Dinky as she climbed them. In the hallway, she opened the door to her sister’s room and stepped over to the little bed. Sparkler once again lifted the filly from her back and placed her onto the mattress, where she turned on her side and tucked in her legs. Grinning, her sister gently removed her towel and pulled the covers to her neck. Leaning down, she planted a little kiss on the side of her head, and whispered, “Sleep well, little sis. I love you.” She pulled away, and looked over the slumbering unicorn. She really did look a lot like Mom, even the eyes. A little angel, a little muffin. Just like Mom said. Walking out, she pushed the door closed behind her, and it clicked quietly. Her expression fell into a frown as she looked at the wet towel. Going back down the stairs, she tossed it into the laundry room and walked over to the door. She needed to see this for herself. ________________________________________________________________________ Luckily, the rain had stopped, and Sparkler made it to the hospital without incident. Walking through the lobby, she glanced at the sun behind her. It was probably going to be the end of visiting hours soon. She had to make this quick. At the counter, she noticed a small crack on the countertop. Deciding it would be best to ignore it, she addressed the nurse behind the desk. “Hello, I would like to see a patient. Her name is Ditzy Doo. I believe she checked in earlier today.” The nurse looked down at something out of sight, and stared at it for a second before looking up and responding. “Room 643, down the hall and to the left. Second to last door on the left side.” “Thanks,” Sparkler said, before turning and walking down the hallway. She wasn’t quite sure what she expected to see, but she knew it probably wouldn’t be good. Left turn. But then, what kind of daughter would she be if she didn’t? Not a good one, that was for sure. Besides, she was just as worried as Dinky. 639, 641... Room 643. There. Sparkler softly turned the handle and opened the door, and was met with a curious sight. An unfamiliar mare sat to the side of the bed, leaning over it. A long pink mane flowed down her back, its wavy pattern mirrored by her tail. Her coat was a canary yellow, and her flanks were adorned with trios of pink and blue butterflies. When the door opened, her ears had pricked up and she’d turned around. Her eyes were a soft blue, misty and scared. A brief moment of awkward silence passed, before the mare quickly stood and walked to the door. She passed Sparker, mumbling out a series of indistinct words that sounded like apologies. After she exited, the remaining visitor shut the door after being rid of her confusion. It took only a few strides to reach the side of the bed. Dinky was right. From the parts of her not covered in bandages, Mom was clearly injured. To what extent, Sparkler didn’t know, but they couldn’t have been good. She wasn’t sure what scared her more: what she could see, or what she couldn’t. The upper half of her mother’s head was wrapped with gauze, leaving her face exposed. It was mostly undamaged, aside from some cuts here and there. She looked peaceful, somehow, despite everything. Her gown and the covers concealed the rest of her body below the neck. Even if she didn’t look bad, she still probably had severe injuries out of sight. Dinky had said something about her wing, so one was probably broken or sprained. Sparkler, of course, didn’t know all the details, and that made her uneasy. She really hoped it wasn’t as bad as it seemed. She didn’t know how long she’d sat there in silence, when it was broken by a click. The door opened a second later, and a more familiar mare stepped in. Her coat was a shade of blue that matched the sky, and her unruly mane was a prism, seven colors striping along its length. One of her fuschia eyes were swollen shut. Upon seeing Sparkler, she paused in the doorway, before nervously stepping in and closing the door with a hind leg. Walking over to the other side of the bed, she sat down and looked everywhere but the other mare and the bed. “Um... hi there.” The greeting was awkward and distracted. It was obvious that she didn’t want to be here. “Er... what’s your name?” Sparkler sighed and looked back down at her mother. “I’m Sparkler. If you wanna get technical, the name’s Amethyst Star. Everypony calls me Sparkler.” Glancing up at the new arrival, she added, “And you’re Rainbow Dash, the weather manager and self-proclaimed fastest flier in Equestria.” “Oh... yeah, I guess I am. Nice to meet you, Amethyst.” The purple mare froze, before looking back up with a dangerous glint in her eyes. “Everypony calls me Sparkler. You included.” “Oh.” The pegasus rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. “If you say so, Sparkler.” Sparkler grunted in agreement. Dash found the ceiling tiles to be an interesting point of study. “So... if you don’t mind me asking, how are you and Ditzy-” “Adoption.” Now the tiles seemed even more interesting. “...oh.” Another ten or so seconds passed, before she spoke again. “How is she doing?” “She’s right there, no need to ask me,” the younger mare replied, gesturing to the bed. Dash shook her head and rubbed her temples. “Alright, so how is Dinky doing?” Sparkler turned away. “She’s... getting along okay. I can’t quite figure out how she feels about this, and it bothers me.” Dash started to speak, but the other mare picked up again. “She’s angry at you, ya know.” Groaning, the pegasus muttered, “Yeah, I know, I know. She made that pretty clear,” she pointed to her black eye. Tensing her jaw, Sparkler replied, “So, why?” The question caught Dash off guard. “Why? Why what?” “You know what.” “What?” she muttered, before it registered. “Oh, why.” “Yeah, why. Why?” “Well... I don’t know why, okay?” “That doesn’t tell me anything. Besides, you sound like you do know why. So, why?” “Urgh... look, I would tell you why if I knew, but-” “But you do know why. So, why-” “Because I couldn’t!” Sparkler flinched a bit from the sudden outburst, but was otherwise unaffected. Dash herself shrank back, clamping her hooves over her mouth. That had come out louder than she’d wanted it to. Resuming a normal speaking voice, she continued. “Because I couldn’t do it myself.” “Why is that?” Dash stood up and walked over to the window. The blinds were closed, and weak light filtered in through the gaps. “I was being intulsive, or whatever Twilight calls it. If it wasn’t for my stupid decision, this probably wouldn’t have happened.” __________________________________________________________________________ “Hey, Rainbow Dash!” Looking down, Dash saw a purple unicorn standing and waving at her. The mare had a vest on that displayed her role as an organizer. She flew down to eye level. “Yeah, Twilight?” Looking at a clipboard, Twilight said something science-y that Dash barely understood. “According to my calculations, the building’s structural integrity has been weakened to the point that no further interior demolition is required. If everypony is out of the house, we can begin external demolition, which should-” “Oh, wait a second!” the pegasus blurted out, interrupting her friend. I think that Derpy is still in there! I assigned her to the middle.” Twilight’s brow furrowed. “The center of the house? Well, somepony needs to go and retrieve her before we start tearing everything down. The supporting strength of the foundation in the middle has probably been significantly reduced by now.” Dash heard only the part about retrieval, and was musing over who to send when a squeaky voice piped up from behind her. “Hey Miss Twilight! Can I go get Mommy?” A little filly had walked up and listened to their conversation and was now shivering with anticipation. The librarian frowned. “Sorry, Dinky, but this is a grown-up job. I’m afraid that-” “You can totally go!” Both of them turned towards Dash at the same time, Dinky in excitement, and Twilight in shock. The former spoke first. “Really, Miss Dash? You mean it?” “Of course, kid!” exclaimed the pegasus. Dinky cheered and walked over to a group of lanterns. Twilight turned to her friend with a stern expression. “Dash, you cannot be serious. She’s just a filly! What if she gets hurt?” “Oh, stop worrying so much, Twilight.” Rainbow Dash flew in lazy circles around the mare. “It’ll be fine! Just in, and out. Nopony’s gonna get hurt, trust me.” The unicorn pursed her lips, but sighed a second later. “If you insist, Dash.” “And I do!” She chuckled to herself. “I mean, what could possibly go wrong?” __________________________________________________________________________ Sparkler sat in silence, before she spoke up once again. “Well, yes, I agree that it could have been a more well thought-out decision.” The pegasus groaned. “Yeah, I know. I don’t know what I was thinking.” The other mare stood up and walked a bit closer. “So, why couldn’t you?” “Because... I was scared, okay? I don’t like those small spaces, and the cramped and stifled feeling. I didn’t even do anything besides supervise.” “Then why didn’t you just send another pegasus in?” “Because Dinky was the most convenient pony at the time. Like I said, I don’t know what I was thinking.” Sparkler put her hoof on the mare’s shoulder. “Look, Dash, Dinky will forgive you. She’s just frustrated, and afraid. I think we all are right now. By the time this is all over, I’m sure you two will have made up.” “Yeah... maybe.” “Excuse me,” a third voice spoke up. The pair turned to see a nurse standing in the doorframe. “Visiting hours are over, I’m going to have to ask you both to leave.” Sparkler nodded to the pegasus, before walking over to the bed and giving her mother a short nuzzle. She headed for the door, before turning around and addressing her new acquaintance once more. “Remember what I said, Dash. Everything will work out.” With that, she walked past the nurse and out of sight. The nurse nodded to Dash, who slowly walked out of the room as well, but not before shooting one last glance at the still figure on the mattress. Then the nurse shut the door, which gave a quiet click before the room descended into silence again. And in her mind, Ditzy danced a quiet dance. Perseverence Dinky was woken by light. Rays from the morning sun stretched out and fell on the room, some falling on her face. Groaning, she turned and pulled the covers over her head, but it was no use. She wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep. She pulled the quilt from her head and lifted her head from the pillow, body still waking from its restless slumber. Indeed, sleep had not come easy, and when it had, it was fitful and hard to keep. The snatches of dreams that had entered her mind were full of flames. Dinky wasn’t stupid. She knew that she couldn’t just close her eyes and wish all the bad things away. To just close her eyes and be with her mother again, like always. Life didn’t work that way. All she could do was wait. With a frustrated groan, she kicked her covers off and onto the floor at the foot of the bed. Stretching, she extended a hind leg to the carpeted floor, and eased herself down from the mattress. Setting all four hooves on the floor, she yawned and walked over to her bedroom door. Through the doorway, down the stairs. Her movements were mechanical, automatic things made by a distracted mind. She was preoccupied with other thoughts, macabre and grim. Her hooves clacked on the kitchen tile. Dinky lifted her head to find her sister leaning over the stove. “Mornin’, Dinks,” Sparkler called over her shoulder. Although her words were cheery, her tone wasn’t. It lacked her usual pep, replaced by something Dinky couldn’t place. “How’d you sleep?” “Not so good.” She made her way over to the counter and climbed up onto the stool. “You?” “Meh.” Sparkler stepped away from the stove, and levitated a pan from its top. “I made us some scrambled eggs. You hungry?” “Not really.” Her sister’s face fell. “Well, you still need to eat. You have school today.” Dinky grumbled. “Do I have to go?” “Yes. Now eat up.” With a sigh, Dinky watched in resignation as Sparkler placed a plate in front of her and scooped some eggs onto it. She picked up her fork in her magic and took a bite from the pile. As good as Sparkler was at cooking, today breakfast tasted bland. “Do you want some juice or anything?” Sparkler asked, her hoof on the door of the fridge. “I’m good.” She dropped her hoof and walked over to the table, setting up her own plate. They ate in silence, until Sparkler said, “Are you feeling okay, Dinky?” “Fine.” “Are you sure? If you need to talk to somepony, I’m always here, okay?” “I’ll keep that in mind.” A few minutes later, they finished their plates and Sparkler took them over to the sink. “Do you want me to walk you to school?” “Yeah, I guess.” “Okay. Go upstairs and get ready. We’ll leave in a minute.” _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Soon, they stood at the entrance to the schoolyard. Most of the foals had already arrived, and were walking through the door to the schoolhouse. “Here we are. You ready?” Sparkler asked, glancing down at her sister. “No.” The older unicorn frowned. “Well, just try your best. It’s only a few hours.” They walked over to the schoolhouse, the sun shining brightly. Cheerilee, who’d been standing at the door, waved to them and gave a look of concern. Dinky looked up to her sister, who met her gaze. “See ya later, Dinks.” “Okay, Sparky.” Sparkler smiled a bit at that, and turned around. She walked out of the courtyard and out of sight. Dinky turned and brushed past her teacher without acknowledging her. The classroom’s chatter died down a bit as she walked through the room. Glances revealed various looks on her classmates’ faces, ranging from pity to worry to reassurance. She sat at a desk near the back, and didn’t say a word. “Alright, class!” Miss Cheerilee announced. “Today, we’re going to be focusing on History. Please open your textbooks to page 219, and we will begin a lesson on...” Dinky barely heard her, merely following the instructions and wishing for the day to be over. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ “Okay, everypony, make sure you study for the test on Friday. Class dismissed!” The foals all packed up their things and took off to the door. As Dinky walked through the door, she felt Miss Cheerilee’s eyes on her, and increased her speed. She didn’t make it far. “Hey, Dinky!” The call came from her right. She stopped and turned towards its source, a trio of fillies. The Cutie Mark Crusaders. “How are you feeling?” Sweetie Belle questioned nervously. “Okay, I guess,” Dinky replied. Her voice was flat, not revealing her emotions. “That’s good. Umm...” Apple Bloom trailed off, apparently at a loss for words. “We heard about what happened with your mom. Sorry about that,” Scootaloo added, receiving an elbow to the side from Sweetie. “Ow! What? I am!” Before an argument could break out, Dinky intervened. “Look, I’m fine. There’s no need to worry. Everything’s gonna be fine.” She couldn’t figure out whether she was assuring them or herself. “But what about-” “Well, look what we have here.” Oh, great. Dinky turned around, as the Crusaders stepped up next to her. Sure enough, the sneering voice had come from a pink filly, wearing a scowl on her face and a tiara on her head. Behind her stood a gray filly with glasses, who looked less sure of herself than her companion. “Looks like the Dork Club just got a new member,” the pink one said, a mocking tone heavy in her voice. “What do you want, Diamond?” Scootaloo challenged, a fierce look on her face. “Oh, nothing. Just wondering why anypony would be stupid enough to join your little clique, but now it’s obvious. She’s a blank-flank.” Apple Bloom stepped forward. “Diamond, I know it ain’t easy for ya, but could ya please can it for once?” “Well, why would I do that? You losers are just asking for it.” Dinky started to walk away, figuring it wasn’t worth the effort to argue, but a certain filly stepped in her path. “Where do you think you’re going, blank-flank?” “Home. Get out of my way.” “You can’t wait to go home to cry to your momma, huh?” Dinky’s blood ran cold. “Oh, wait,” Diamond continued, smiling maliciously. “You can’t, can you?” “Shut up.” “Your mommy’s at the hospital, isn’t she?” “Shut. Up.” The tone in Dinky’s voice was unyielding, heavy with anger. “Uh, Diamond?” Silver Spoon piped up. “Maybe you shouldn’t...” She was ignored. “Oh, did I hit a nerve?” Diamond smirked. “I said, shut up. Now.” “And if I don’t?” “I’ll knock your teeth out.” “Ha!” Diamond mocked. “You couldn’t hit me if you tried. You’re just as stupid as your mom. A family of screw-ups.” Dinky’s horn lit up. Diamond noticed. “Oh, are you gonna shoot me? Touch a single hair on my head and my daddy will-” CLANG! Diamond’s head jerked forward as her tiara flew off. It fell to the ground and slid over to Dinky. A rock rolled away from where it landed, a crack marking where it had hit the metal. “Darn. I missed.” Dinky’s voice was cold, unfeeling, as she made eye contact with Diamond again. Her eyes held a blank stare, contributing to the other filly’s shock. Shock which quickly turned to anger. “You could’ve hit me with that!” she said in indignation, voice cracking slightly. “That was the point. And you say I’m the stupid one.” “Give me my tiara!” “Oh, this?” Dinky questioned sarcastically. She didn’t let Diamond answer. “You don’t deserve this.” She continued on, cutting off Diamond as she opened her mouth. “You don’t deserve to be rich. You don’t deserve respect. And you definitely don’t deserve a daddy who gives you anything you want.” Dinky placed a forehoof on top of the tiara. “You are the most selfish, arrogant, unthankful, brattish, snobby, and disgusting pony I’ve ever met. What you deserve is a taste of your own medicine. You deserve to get your fat flank kicked. And you deserve this.” With that, she lifted her hoof up high, and brought it crashing down. It hit the tiara at the top, and smashed it down in on itself. The thin metal it was made of bent easily, turning the delicate patterns into an undistinguished mess of broken frame. Everypony stared at it in shock, until Dinky kicked it over to Diamond Tiara. “There. Keep it. Now get out of here.” Her voice did not beckon any questions, and none were asked. Diamond simply spluttered for a second, unsure of what to do, before gripping her tiara in her teeth and running. Silver Spoon, visibly shaken, followed after a brief hesitation. The remaining ponies were silent, except for Scootaloo. “Whoa...” she said, awestruck. “Dinky, that was incredible!” Dinky’s ears pricked up, and she turned her head. She’d forgotten that the Crusaders were still there. “Yeah, whatever. She got what she deserved.” Apple Bloom spoke next. “That was pretty cool. Still, though, it seemed kind of...” Dinky glared at her. “‘Kind of’ what?” Apple Bloom shrank a little under the unicorn’s gaze. “It just seemed a bit... severe.” “I warned her. It was her fault, not mine.” “Yeah, but-” “Would you leave me alone?” Dinky exclaimed, spinning around. “Whoa, Dinky, chill!” Scootaloo said, leaning back a bit. “I don’t want to chill!” Dinky yelled. Realizing her volume, she lowered it to conversational level, but still loud. “I just want to be left alone. Is that so much to ask?” Sweetie pitched in. “Of course not! We’ll give you some space, right, Scootaloo?” “Hmmph! Yeah, I guess so.” “Good.” Dinky turned on the spot, stamping away. She needed to find somewhere quiet. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Dinky had taken a sharp turn when she’d left the yard, and found a clearing in some trees not far from the school. There was a tree stump, which she plopped down on and thought. Stupid Diamond, stupid Crusaders, stupid tiara, URGH! Angry thoughts ripped through her head, none lingering long enough to examine but all holding the same level of malice. She just wanted to break something. At some point, the rational part of her brain spoke up. Okay, just calm down, Dinky. Deep breaths. Distract yourself. “Hi there.” “AHHH!” Dinky leapt a foot into the air at the voice from behind her. She landed on the ground in a heap, groaning. “Oh! I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you,” the voice said, worriedly. Dinky picked herself up and stretched, before turning around. The voice had come from a small, pink filly. It wasn’t Diamond Tiara, luckily. This pony seemed familiar, but she couldn’t quite place her hoof on it. She had a smooth, pink mane, stopping at her shoulders like Dinky’s, that turned into sharp points at the back. Her coat was pink as well, but a lighter shade that reminded her of fruit punch. A small horn stuck out of her hair above her eyes, which were green, and shining with curiosity. “I’m Ruby. Ruby Pinch.” Dinky walked towards the tree stump as Ruby came around it. They met in the middle, Ruby leaning against it while Dinky sat on the dirt. “I’m Dinky.” “So I heard.” Ruby looked her up and down. “I saw that little exchange earlier.” For reasons she couldn’t explain, a small blush came to Dinky’s cheeks. “Oh, you did?” “Yep. It was pretty cool, you standing up to Diamond like that.” “I guess so.” “And I’m sorry about your mom.” Before Dinky could grit her teeth and state that everything was fine, Ruby continued. “My mom does stupid stuff all the time. I come here whenever I need to just get away from it all.” “Huh.” A short silence passed. “So, you wanna... talk about something?” Ruby suggested. Dinky was going to decline, but she realized that the alternative was to do nothing, and changed her mind. “Yeah, sure.” “Okay. Um... what’s your favorite color?” “Green.” “That’s nice...” It was apparent that Ruby wasn’t used to things like this, so Dinky stepped in. “What’s your mom like?” Ruby’s face fell. She turned away slightly, eyes downcast. “Well... she’s my mom. And I love her, but she’s made some really bad choices.” Dinky listened intently as Ruby continued. “She tries, she really does, but she really needs help. Alcohol doesn’t solve everything. I don’t know if she’s figured that out yet.” Ruby shook her head, and gestured to Dinky. “What about your mom? What’s she like?” Dinky thought for a moment. “Well... she gets a lot of attention. Not really good attention.” She lowered her head. “She’s klutzy, and she messes things up, but she’s a really good pony. Most ponies just don’t see that. But she’s a really great mommy, and I love her a lot.” “Do you have a father?” Dinky’s head shot up. Ruby was looking at her with sad, solemn eyes. “I’ve never met my father, so I just wondered... sorry...” “No, no, it’s fine,” Dinky assured her. She looked down again. “Mommy told me that he’s a great pony. I really wish I could meet him someday.” “Oh.” The silence returned. It was a few minutes before Ruby spoke up. “I should probably go home. My mom’s probably wondering where I am.” “I should too.” They both stood up. “Oh, and Dinky?” The gray filly looked at her. “Just stay strong. Your mom will get better, I promise.” “Thanks. Good luck.” “You too.” With that, they left the clearing. And Dinky found a new friend.
Pain Pain. That was everything in her mind. The spaces behind her eyes flashed red, and her vision blurred. Her wing joints felt like they had been fractured. Still, she kept going, kept flying. She had to. Ditzy Doo blinked away the tears, but they were soon replaced by even more. Both from the pain, and from the wind that slapped her face. Combined with the dust and smoke in the air, it was nigh impossible to see. She wanted to stop, to be able to take a breath that wasn’t labored and followed by a dry cough. She knew she couldn’t. If she did, then they would be crushed by the rubble. Her daughter’s safety was the only thing that mattered. Dinky was clutched in her arms, eyes wide, shakily breathing. Ditzy gripped her by the barrel, tightly enough to make sure she wouldn’t slip. The thought of her baby, flattened by debris, was enough to keep her wings pumping hard enough to pull a tractor. Still, she couldn’t hold out much longer. Many of her feathers had fallen out, and the scarce air that made it to her lungs was barely sufficient to keep her conscious. But there was no way in Tartarus that she would let Dinky die. One of her eyes saw an incoming object. Her wings shrieked with the effort as she dodged another chunk of flaming ceiling, inches to spare. Mustering the strength to get back on course, she continued through the ruined building as it burned around them. There! From a gap in the wall, she could see daylight trying to pierce the blackened air as it swarmed outside. Summoning the last of her willpower, she flew towards the exit with all her might. They burst through. Ditzy’s mind exploded in agony as her wing slammed into a section of wall. With a horrible crack, it snapped. Her head whipped back as she cried out in sheer pain, only to be met with a faceful of sunlight. We made it. Her body went limp, and all was dark. ____________________________________________________________________________ ”Where should I go, Rainbow Dash?” Dash turned from the ponies she was directing, and found herself face to face with Ditzy Doo. Scrambling backwards until she had personal space again, she addressed the mailpony. “Say again, Derpy?” “Um, it’s Ditzy. And where should I go to help out?” Dash thought for a moment. “Well, no offense, but you can be sorta-” she paused as she realized that the pony would be exactly what kind of help they needed. “Actually, you can go and help demolish the middle of the house. Cloud Kicker and Thunderlane are stationed there.” “Okey-dokey, Rainbow Dash!” Ditzy saluted and flew off towards her assigned area. After a minute or so of looking around, she found her partners, donned her safety goggles, and got to work. It was pretty easy, breaking down parts that weren’t in the foundation. Ditzy found herself even enjoying it a bit. Cracking walls, busting balconies, it was just like usual. Some time later, however, it seemed like something was off. The first thing she noticed was the silence. She couldn’t hear anything but the sounds she caused, and neither of the other two ponies were present. And then she heard a shout. It came from one of the upstairs rooms, and it sounded distinctly equine. Without hesitation, Ditzy flew up to investigate. The words became clearer. “...lane, help!” “I’m trying, Cloudy! I swear! It’s too heavy!” She burst into the room it originated from, and gasped. Cloud Kicker was pinned under a chunk of the ceiling. Beside her was Thunderlane, struggling to get leverage, but failing. Quickly, Ditzy rushed over and lifted up the other side. After a short time, and immense effort, they managed to heave it off of the trapped pony. Thunderlane trotted over and helped Cloud Kicker to her feet, who winced. “Ah, I think my ankle is sprained.” “We’d better get you someone to look at that. Ditzy, do you have things covered here?” “Aye-aye, captain!” Ditzy announced, smiling. The black stallion grinned and hefted the injured pony onto his back, and slowly walked out the door. Ditzy waited until they’d left, and returned to the main room. Everything had been broken that could be broken without too much damage to the foundation. Deciding to do a quick survey, she flew around a few times, checking that there wasn’t anything left to do. Soon, however, there was a voice from the hallway. “Hello? Are you there, Mommy?” Ditzy recognized that voice instantly. She flew down to the ground, and a small unicorn emerged from the entryway. The filly had a purple coat, a blonde mane, and golden eyes, just like her. An oil lantern with glass panels was gripped in her mouth. She trotted up to the foal and gave her a confused smile. “Hey, Dinky. What are you doing here?” Dinky placed the lantern off to the side and smiled back. “Hi Mommy! I came to get you!” “‘Get me’? What do you mean?” “Well, Miss Rainbow Dash said that the house was destroyed enough that everypony should leave so they can demolish it! So I volunteered to come get you, because you’re the last one here!” Ditzy felt slightly annoyed at that, but ignored it. “Okay, muffin. Let’s go, then.” Dinky grinned, and started to reach for the lantern. Suddenly, the house seemed to shake. Ditzy cursed under her breath, alarmed. Without warning, there was a cracking sound, and pieces of the ceiling crashed down. One of the pieces fell into the lantern, and it was smashed open. The freed flames leaped from their prison, and caught on the dry wood of the floor and the debris from the demolition. Another piece smacked into Ditzy’s forehead, opening a gash. She stumbled back in pain. “Mommy!” “Ah! Dinky, come on!” Ditzy shouted as she gripped her daughter. Unfurling her wings, she galloped down the hallway, and took flight. Behind them, the fire spread along the old, dead wood, roaring and chasing its prey. ____________________________________________________________________________ “Ditzy!” Dinky’s mind refocused, and she coughed heartily as her lungs cleared the smoke she’d inhaled. After she’d finished, she looked up and shielded her eyes from the bright sun’s rays. As she breathed clean air once again, she took in her surroundings. A crowd of ponies had gathered. Earth Ponies and Unicorns all stood amongst them, chattering worriedly, while Pegasi hovered above. Some ponies in white suits had rushed over, and stood by a still gray form. “Mommy!” With a cry, Dinky rushed over to where her mother’s body lay on the ground. A few pegasi noticed, and flew to intercept. But before anything could happen, a loud noise rang out through the afternoon. Everypony’s attention was drawn to the flaming house. As Dinky watched, it seemed to fold in on itself, the roof collapsing inwards and the walls crumbling. The flames enveloped the rest, creating a giant bonfire of sorts. While everypony else was distracted, Dinky took the opportunity and galloped towards her mother. Shoving past the surprised white-coats, she got her first good look at her mother. She gasped. Ditzy’s coat was blackened and stained by soot, no longer a pleasant light gray. The same was true for her now-ragged mane, which had been mucked up with dust and ash. Cuts and scratches were everywhere, but most pronouncedly on her forehead was the large wound where the chunk of ceiling had fallen. Small trickles of blood flowed from the corner of her mouth and her nostrils, and the rest of her face was grimy. But the worst part was her wings. One of them had completely broken, bent at an unnatural angle. Most of her feathers were gone. “Oh, no! Mommy!” Dinky cried, burying her face in Ditzy’s fur. Tears flowed down her face, carving lines in the dirt that covered it. “Mommy, please wake up!” “Dinky!” a voice exclaimed, followed by a pair of forelegs attempting to get a hold on her. The unicorn struggled and squirmed, trying to escape. “You have to let go!” “No! Mommy, wake up!” Dinky gripped the ground, digging furrows in the dirt, before she was wrenched away from her mother. “Mommy!” She could only watch, helpless, as the white-coats rolled her onto a stroller, and placed it onto their shoulders. Tears blurred her vision as she cried uncontrollably, wailing and kicking at her restrainer. As the white-coats walked out of sight, she landed a hit into the pony’s stomach who grunted and released her. She fell to the ground, and landed with a thud. ”But Mommy, I don’t want to go to school!” Her mother kneeled down and looked into her eyes, offering an encouraging smile. “Now look, Dinky, it won’t be so bad! The teacher is nice, and I’m sure you’ll get along with the other students just fine. Okay?” Dinky sighed in resignation, but managed a brave face. “Okay, Mommy. I’ll try my best.” “Now that’s what I like to hear! Go get ‘em, Dinky!” Dinky nodded energetically, smiled, and galloped off to start her first day of school. She collapsed, curling into a ball. ”Great job, Dinky!” Ditzy cheered as the pale aura around the quill faded, dropping to the table. Dinky panted, exerted from the trial of using magic, but immensely satisfied nonetheless. She grinned wide, and was swept into a hug by her mother. “I did it, Mommy!” “You sure did, Muffin! I’m so proud of you.” They laughed and hugged tighter, celebrating Dinky’s first use of magic. Anguished tears fell from her eyes, dripping and making dark patches in the dirt. ”Let me come, Mommy!” The grey pegasus turned, and saw Dinky standing there, looking excited. “Dinky, this is a grown-up project. It’s not that safe.” The filly pouted. “Well, I don’t have to go inside! I can help the ponies that are working outside, or the people who are optimizing!” “It’s ‘organizing’.” “That too! Please, Mommy?” Dinky asked, and pulled out the puppy eyes. Ditzy knew she couldn’t resist. “Alright, alright, quit giving me that look. You can help.” “Yay!” Dinky cheered, and trotted out the door. “Come on, Mommy!” Ditzy smiled, and walked after her daughter, kicking the door closed behind them. Sobs wracked her body, and she tried to be strong. She attempted to sit up, and heard hoofsteps behind her. They stopped a few inches away, the sound being replaced by a voice. “Um... hi, Dinky.” The unicorn paused in the middle of wiping her eyes. That was Miss Rainbow Dash’s voice. “I... er, how are you doing?” Her words sounded hopeful, worried. Dinky was about to turn and respond, when her mind made the connection. Miss Dash told me where to find Mommy. She knew where Mommy was. She sent her there. Anger swelled in her heart, rising from her like a balloon. A previously unknown rage boiled in her stomach, filling her with energy. She’s the reason Mommy got hurt! She got to her hooves, suddenly angrier than she’d ever been before. Her head whipped back and she glared at the pegasus. Dash stepped back in surprise, fearful. “Dinky?” Her answer came in the form of a hoof crashing into her eye. Dinky landed as Dash stumbled back in shock and pain, every nerve alight. Without hesitating, she threw herself at her target’s face. Her momentum threw Dash onto her hind legs, and gravity carried them to the ground. Dinky straddled the pegasus’s chest, and hurled a forehoof at her face. “You hurt Mommy! It’s all your fault!” she yelled, letting unbridled rage take over. The blow connected with Dash’s jaw and smacked her head to the side. She winced in pain, lifting her hooves to protect her face. Dinky pulled her hoof back once again, but a tingly sensation came over her, and she was lifted into the air. A new voice spoke from the side with urgency. “Dinky, please calm down! It isn’t Rainbow Dash’s fault!” She looked to the source, and through a purple haze she saw a lavender unicorn with a shocked, slightly desperate look on her face. It pleaded Dinky, but she didn’t care. All she knew was that Mommy was hurt, and it was Miss Rainbow Dash who was responsible. And Miss Twilight was stopping her from getting to Dash. Dinky gritted her teeth, and thought of Mommy, and the angry feelings. Miss Twilight gasped. From her peripheral vision, she could see light above her head, tinted slightly gray. A familiar energy rushed into her horn, concentrating and building up. Finally, with a cry of rage, she released it without form. With the sound of shattering, the tingly feeling went away, and she fell to the ground. Miss Twilight stepped back and looked on in surprise. Quickly, Dinky got back to her hooves, and glared at Dash once more. The pegasus had pushed herself into a sitting position, and was rubbing her jaw. Furious, Dinky shouted at her. “You sent Mommy to the middle of the house! You almost got her killed!” Dash attempted to speak up, but was cut off. “Mommy looks up to you! But you made her get hurt! You betrayed her!” By now, the ponies who’d been standing to the sides were now watching the scene with varying expressions. If Dinky cared, she might have acknowledged them with a glance. As it was, however, she only focused on Dash. The pegasus managed to get a few words in, slightly hindered by her bruised jaw. “I... didn’t mean to get Derpy hurt! I just-” “Her name. Isn’t. DERPY!” Dinky screamed at her. “It’s DITZY! Ditzy Doo! All of the mean ponies, the bullies, they call her Derpy! You’re just another bully, like them!” Dash was stunned. Dinky went on, closing her eyes against the red shadows the world had taken on. “I don’t care what you meant! Mommy might... she might die because you’re a big, fat, JERK!” She searched her mind for a word she’d heard one time. Mommy had said it was a bad word, that she shouldn’t say it. During her silence, Dash took the opportunity to say something. “Dinky, please! I really didn’t-” Dinky cut her off again, opening her eyes. “Shut up! I don’t care what you have to say!” She found it. “Buck you!” Dash looked like she’d been punched in the gut. Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes, the one that Dinky had hit beginning to swell up, and her mouth was opened slightly. Dinky’s own tears began to come forth again, and she turned and ran. The gaping ponies parted to let her through. As she got further away, she headed towards the hospital. Mommy, I’m coming. Please be okay. Dash still sat, gazing after Dinky’s cloud of dust. A hoof on her shoulder, probably Twilight’s, tried to offer comfort, but she shrugged it away. Her head turned downwards, and the tears fell. I’m sorry, Dinky.
Ponderance It was bright outside, and Dinky ran to her mother. They were in a field. A lush green carpet of grass was laid atop the soft ground, and flowers cropped up here and there. There were no trees in sight, or any signs of civilization. That didn’t matter though, because Dinky had her mother. She galloped joyfully, racing the wind as Mommy flew towards her, low to the ground. Mommy was smiling, and Dinky could see more and more details as they grew closer. Mommy’s coat looked so nice in the sunny weather. And everything was okay, because Dinky had her mother. Mommy was really beautiful. Dinky didn’t understand why everypony was so mean to her when she was so pretty. They were probably just jealous though, because they couldn’t be as pretty as Mommy was. Mommy had said that jealousy was bad. But there weren’t any jealous ponies around. Just Dinky and Mommy. They couldn’t have been more than fifteen metres apart when Mommy started to look different. Her coat was darker. These weird black specks were floating out of her mane and tail while they trailed behind her. Dinky was scared. Suddenly, everything got colder. It was like watching an old film reel as it sputtered along. Mommy was flickering, like she wasn’t really there. Dinky galloped harder, trying to reach her mother. A few more metres, and Mommy changed again. She was bleeding, in several places all along her body. Her coat was blackened with soot and ash. Her mane and tail were aflame, and it was spreading quickly. Dinky’s legs were hurting, but she had to get to Mommy. All of her instincts were telling her to run away, but she had to save Mommy. Without Mommy... Five metres, and Mommy wasn’t Mommy. She was almost completely engulfed in fire, and one of her wings were broken. Her hooves were dragging along the dirt, digging furrows as she somehow kept going. On top of that, she was fading, more parts of her trailing off. The sections of her that weren’t on fire were being deconstructed, slowly taking her away. And her face still held a smile, serene and calm, even as tears poured down her face. Dinky leapt towards her mother. She was so close, and it was hard to see through her tears. She could still save Mommy! Finally, they reached each other. Mommy’s forelegs were outstretched, drawing Dinky in for a hug. She fell into her mother’s embrace, and they hugged. And then they were happy, because they were together again. Just Dinky and Mommy. But then Dinky woke up, and faced reality. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Clack. Clack. Clack. Dinky’s hooves smacked against the ground. She was running, running to Mommy, and nothing could stop her. A train, barreling along its tracks, pushing everything on them to the side. Everything was blurry, except for her path. The path to the hospital, because that’s where Mommy was. She could see it, the large, once imposing white building that jutted from the ground and towered over everypony. As the ponies in her way jumped to the side, her view cleared, and she headed towards the entrance. With a cry, she broke through the double doors. Everypony who’d been in the lobby snapped their gazes towards her in shock. Dinky didn’t mind them, but looked at the nurse behind the counter. She was an earth pony mare, and looked like she was facing a manticore. Without any hesitation, the adrenaline-filled filly sprang onto the counter and stared down at her. The nurse cowered under her glare, and winced when she shouted. “Where’s Mommy?!” “I- I don’t know!” the frightened mare stammered out. Dinky would have none of it. Stamping her hoof onto the countertop, she ordered, “Tell me!” “I’m s-sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Scared tears were welling in her eyes. Dinky was about to say something else, but she was interrupted by the slamming of a door. Turning her attention to the side, she saw a stallion dressed in a white coat enter the room and look around in agitation. Setting his sight upon them, he turned and demanded, “What is the meaning of this?!” Dinky turned to him and snarled, “Tell me where Mommy is!” He flinched from the ferocity in her voice, but continued unfazed. “If you are referring to the patient we received a few minutes ago, she is currently in surgery. Nopony but the surgeons and overseers are allowed in.” “I want to see her!” “Well, unless you want to risk your mother’s death, you are not going in there.” His voice adopted a more sympathetic tone, and his eyes softened a bit. “I can see that you’re worried, but you need to remain out here until the procedures are finished. The doctors are doing their best to help her, but there isn’t anything you can do to aid them except to not get involved. Okay?” Dinky gnashed her teeth in frustration. She needed to see Mommy, but if it might hurt her, then she couldn’t! Stupid hospital, stupid house, stupid fire, stupid Rainbow Dash! She stamped a hoof again, hard enough to leave a crack in the countertop, and jumped down. Without looking back, she walked out the door. The stallion watched her until she was out of sight and sighed, returning to his duty. Dinky walked down the street, muttering angrily under her breath. If the doctors couldn’t help Mommy, then- NO! Shut up, don’t think about that! Mommy is going to be okay! She has to be! She can handle anything! But what if she couldn’t? She’d looked really hurt. What if the doctors couldn’t help her? Then Mommy would- Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP! She stomped through Ponyville, running thoughts through in her head and trying not to think of the consequences if the doctor failed. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ “Dash?” Rainbow Dash looked up, tears still dripping from her eyes, and saw the blurry visage of Twilight Sparkle. She sniffled, and wiped the moisture from her eye with a hoof. “Y-yeah, Twilight?” “Are... are you alright?” Ditzy isn’t. The thought brought another round of tears, and she fought to keep them from escaping. Looking back down, she sniffed again. “No. Dinky’s right.” “Dash...” She continued unabated, shaking her head slightly. “It...it’s all my fault. I didn’t want Der- Ditzy to get in the way, because I thought she would mess everything up.” She paused to wipe her eyes again. “I knew that she would b-break a lot of stuff, and I sent her to the middle, where the foundation is, and... and...” “Rainbow Dash,” Twilight spoke up from beside her. Dash looked back up at her, and saw a stern face. “Stop blaming yourself for this. You couldn’t have known that the building would start to collapse before she got out.” Anger suddenly ripped through Dash, and she lashed out with her tongue. “So?! Do you wanna know why she didn’t get out in time?” She turned on Twilight, who backed up a few steps. “It’s because I got her out last! She was the last pony to get out, and she barely made it! And it was because I forgot about her until the last minute!” Stepping forwards until she was almost nose to nose with her friend, she continued with her rant. “And do you know what makes it even worse?! I wasn’t even the one to go in and get her! I sent her bucking daughter! Out of all the pegasi I could’ve chosen to get her out, I chose her daughter! They both would’ve died if Ditzy didn’t-” The anger died immediately as Ditzy’s broken form appeared in her mind’s eye. She slumped and turned away, unable to face Twilight. “...if Ditzy didn’t save them both.” More tears came, but Dash was too weak to fight them this time. They slid from her face, landing on the ground silently. “And now she might die, because I’m such a buck-up of a pony.” She rubbed her sore jaw, swelled from where it got hit by a vengeful hoof. “Dinky has the right to hate me. I just... I...” Dash buried her face in her hooves. Soft hoofsteps emanated from behind her, and she felt warm forelegs draw her into a hug. It was comforting, but Dash still felt cold. The first drops of a storm landed upon their heads as she mourned her failure. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Dinky raced through the wet streets, slipping along the cobbles. It had started to rain, and she needed to get home. Her romp through town had placed her a short distance away from her house, so it wasn’t long before she arrived at the door. Unfortunately, when she tested the doorknob, she found it locked. So much for getting in unnoticed. With a resigned sigh, she knocked on the door. She counted to eight, and the door opened. In the frame stood a young mare, her coat a shade of pink. Her mane was purple, with a darker streak of pink running along its length. Worry was etched upon her features as she looked around the filly. “Dinky? Where’s Mom? Why isn’t she with you?” A lump rose in Dinky’s throat at the mention of her mother, but she swallowed it and spoke up. “Um, hey, Sparkler. I... I need to tell you something.” She stepped inside, and her sister closed the door. “It’s about Mommy.”
Patience “...so then I came home. That’s what happened.” Sparkler stared at Dinky in shock as she finished her recounting. She wasn’t quite sure how to react to this. The news that Mom was in the hospital wasn’t completely surprising, considering how many accidents she had on a regular basis, but this... Dinky sniffled, pulling her towel closer, and continued on. “I... I don’t know what to do, Sparky. I just feel like I’m going to explode and...” she trailed off, unsure of what to say. Sparkler pulled her closer into a hug. Dinky whimpered and buried her face into pink fur, while her sister stroked her hair gently. “Shh... it’s okay, Dinky. Try to calm down a bit. Don’t worry too much, everything will be okay.” “Will... will Mommy be okay too?” The older sister forced a smile when her sibling looked up hopefully. “Of course she will, Dinks. Mom can handle anything. Okay?” Dinky smiled and relaxed her muscles, settling back down. “Yeah. Mommy is the toughest pony in all of Equestria.” Now Sparkler smiled a real smile. “You bet. She can handle anything! And you were pretty tough, yourself.” “Really? I was?” “Totally. I don’t think any of your classmates could have handled what you went through.” “Even the Cutie Mark Crusaders?” “Well... they’re an exception. Though I’m pretty sure those fillies are a bit crazy, with the antics they pull.” “Nah,” Dinky yawned, laying her head against Sparkler’s side. “They’re pretty cool.” “You’ll have to tell me more about them sometime, then.” “Yeah... I guess I will.” The filly yawned again, longer this time, and her sister chuckled. “Sleepy, huh? You wanna go to bed?” “Well... could we stay here for a little bit? Please?” “Of course, Dinky. No problem.” Dinky curled up into her sister’s side, and mumbled. “Awesome.” They stayed like that for a time, relaxing. Sparkler ran what Dinky told her through her mind again. It sounded bad, and she was actually really worried. Not that she would let her sister know that. A soft snore pulled her from her thoughts. Dinky had fallen fast asleep. She looked adorable, smiling and resting peacefully. Just like fillies her age should. The pink mare gently enveloped her little sister in a soft purple glow and lifted her up. Slowly, she got up from the couch and stretched her legs, before softly depositing the sleeping filly onto her back. She then slowly walked over to the stairs, and made sure not to disturb Dinky as she climbed them. In the hallway, she opened the door to her sister’s room and stepped over to the little bed. Sparkler once again lifted the filly from her back and placed her onto the mattress, where she turned on her side and tucked in her legs. Grinning, her sister gently removed her towel and pulled the covers to her neck. Leaning down, she planted a little kiss on the side of her head, and whispered, “Sleep well, little sis. I love you.” She pulled away, and looked over the slumbering unicorn. She really did look a lot like Mom, even the eyes. A little angel, a little muffin. Just like Mom said. Walking out, she pushed the door closed behind her, and it clicked quietly. Her expression fell into a frown as she looked at the wet towel. Going back down the stairs, she tossed it into the laundry room and walked over to the door. She needed to see this for herself. ________________________________________________________________________ Luckily, the rain had stopped, and Sparkler made it to the hospital without incident. Walking through the lobby, she glanced at the sun behind her. It was probably going to be the end of visiting hours soon. She had to make this quick. At the counter, she noticed a small crack on the countertop. Deciding it would be best to ignore it, she addressed the nurse behind the desk. “Hello, I would like to see a patient. Her name is Ditzy Doo. I believe she checked in earlier today.” The nurse looked down at something out of sight, and stared at it for a second before looking up and responding. “Room 643, down the hall and to the left. Second to last door on the left side.” “Thanks,” Sparkler said, before turning and walking down the hallway. She wasn’t quite sure what she expected to see, but she knew it probably wouldn’t be good. Left turn. But then, what kind of daughter would she be if she didn’t? Not a good one, that was for sure. Besides, she was just as worried as Dinky. 639, 641... Room 643. There. Sparkler softly turned the handle and opened the door, and was met with a curious sight. An unfamiliar mare sat to the side of the bed, leaning over it. A long pink mane flowed down her back, its wavy pattern mirrored by her tail. Her coat was a canary yellow, and her flanks were adorned with trios of pink and blue butterflies. When the door opened, her ears had pricked up and she’d turned around. Her eyes were a soft blue, misty and scared. A brief moment of awkward silence passed, before the mare quickly stood and walked to the door. She passed Sparker, mumbling out a series of indistinct words that sounded like apologies. After she exited, the remaining visitor shut the door after being rid of her confusion. It took only a few strides to reach the side of the bed. Dinky was right. From the parts of her not covered in bandages, Mom was clearly injured. To what extent, Sparkler didn’t know, but they couldn’t have been good. She wasn’t sure what scared her more: what she could see, or what she couldn’t. The upper half of her mother’s head was wrapped with gauze, leaving her face exposed. It was mostly undamaged, aside from some cuts here and there. She looked peaceful, somehow, despite everything. Her gown and the covers concealed the rest of her body below the neck. Even if she didn’t look bad, she still probably had severe injuries out of sight. Dinky had said something about her wing, so one was probably broken or sprained. Sparkler, of course, didn’t know all the details, and that made her uneasy. She really hoped it wasn’t as bad as it seemed. She didn’t know how long she’d sat there in silence, when it was broken by a click. The door opened a second later, and a more familiar mare stepped in. Her coat was a shade of blue that matched the sky, and her unruly mane was a prism, seven colors striping along its length. One of her fuschia eyes were swollen shut. Upon seeing Sparkler, she paused in the doorway, before nervously stepping in and closing the door with a hind leg. Walking over to the other side of the bed, she sat down and looked everywhere but the other mare and the bed. “Um... hi there.” The greeting was awkward and distracted. It was obvious that she didn’t want to be here. “Er... what’s your name?” Sparkler sighed and looked back down at her mother. “I’m Sparkler. If you wanna get technical, the name’s Amethyst Star. Everypony calls me Sparkler.” Glancing up at the new arrival, she added, “And you’re Rainbow Dash, the weather manager and self-proclaimed fastest flier in Equestria.” “Oh... yeah, I guess I am. Nice to meet you, Amethyst.” The purple mare froze, before looking back up with a dangerous glint in her eyes. “Everypony calls me Sparkler. You included.” “Oh.” The pegasus rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. “If you say so, Sparkler.” Sparkler grunted in agreement. Dash found the ceiling tiles to be an interesting point of study. “So... if you don’t mind me asking, how are you and Ditzy-” “Adoption.” Now the tiles seemed even more interesting. “...oh.” Another ten or so seconds passed, before she spoke again. “How is she doing?” “She’s right there, no need to ask me,” the younger mare replied, gesturing to the bed. Dash shook her head and rubbed her temples. “Alright, so how is Dinky doing?” Sparkler turned away. “She’s... getting along okay. I can’t quite figure out how she feels about this, and it bothers me.” Dash started to speak, but the other mare picked up again. “She’s angry at you, ya know.” Groaning, the pegasus muttered, “Yeah, I know, I know. She made that pretty clear,” she pointed to her black eye. Tensing her jaw, Sparkler replied, “So, why?” The question caught Dash off guard. “Why? Why what?” “You know what.” “What?” she muttered, before it registered. “Oh, why.” “Yeah, why. Why?” “Well... I don’t know why, okay?” “That doesn’t tell me anything. Besides, you sound like you do know why. So, why?” “Urgh... look, I would tell you why if I knew, but-” “But you do know why. So, why-” “Because I couldn’t!” Sparkler flinched a bit from the sudden outburst, but was otherwise unaffected. Dash herself shrank back, clamping her hooves over her mouth. That had come out louder than she’d wanted it to. Resuming a normal speaking voice, she continued. “Because I couldn’t do it myself.” “Why is that?” Dash stood up and walked over to the window. The blinds were closed, and weak light filtered in through the gaps. “I was being intulsive, or whatever Twilight calls it. If it wasn’t for my stupid decision, this probably wouldn’t have happened.” __________________________________________________________________________ “Hey, Rainbow Dash!” Looking down, Dash saw a purple unicorn standing and waving at her. The mare had a vest on that displayed her role as an organizer. She flew down to eye level. “Yeah, Twilight?” Looking at a clipboard, Twilight said something science-y that Dash barely understood. “According to my calculations, the building’s structural integrity has been weakened to the point that no further interior demolition is required. If everypony is out of the house, we can begin external demolition, which should-” “Oh, wait a second!” the pegasus blurted out, interrupting her friend. I think that Derpy is still in there! I assigned her to the middle.” Twilight’s brow furrowed. “The center of the house? Well, somepony needs to go and retrieve her before we start tearing everything down. The supporting strength of the foundation in the middle has probably been significantly reduced by now.” Dash heard only the part about retrieval, and was musing over who to send when a squeaky voice piped up from behind her. “Hey Miss Twilight! Can I go get Mommy?” A little filly had walked up and listened to their conversation and was now shivering with anticipation. The librarian frowned. “Sorry, Dinky, but this is a grown-up job. I’m afraid that-” “You can totally go!” Both of them turned towards Dash at the same time, Dinky in excitement, and Twilight in shock. The former spoke first. “Really, Miss Dash? You mean it?” “Of course, kid!” exclaimed the pegasus. Dinky cheered and walked over to a group of lanterns. Twilight turned to her friend with a stern expression. “Dash, you cannot be serious. She’s just a filly! What if she gets hurt?” “Oh, stop worrying so much, Twilight.” Rainbow Dash flew in lazy circles around the mare. “It’ll be fine! Just in, and out. Nopony’s gonna get hurt, trust me.” The unicorn pursed her lips, but sighed a second later. “If you insist, Dash.” “And I do!” She chuckled to herself. “I mean, what could possibly go wrong?” __________________________________________________________________________ Sparkler sat in silence, before she spoke up once again. “Well, yes, I agree that it could have been a more well thought-out decision.” The pegasus groaned. “Yeah, I know. I don’t know what I was thinking.” The other mare stood up and walked a bit closer. “So, why couldn’t you?” “Because... I was scared, okay? I don’t like those small spaces, and the cramped and stifled feeling. I didn’t even do anything besides supervise.” “Then why didn’t you just send another pegasus in?” “Because Dinky was the most convenient pony at the time. Like I said, I don’t know what I was thinking.” Sparkler put her hoof on the mare’s shoulder. “Look, Dash, Dinky will forgive you. She’s just frustrated, and afraid. I think we all are right now. By the time this is all over, I’m sure you two will have made up.” “Yeah... maybe.” “Excuse me,” a third voice spoke up. The pair turned to see a nurse standing in the doorframe. “Visiting hours are over, I’m going to have to ask you both to leave.” Sparkler nodded to the pegasus, before walking over to the bed and giving her mother a short nuzzle. She headed for the door, before turning around and addressing her new acquaintance once more. “Remember what I said, Dash. Everything will work out.” With that, she walked past the nurse and out of sight. The nurse nodded to Dash, who slowly walked out of the room as well, but not before shooting one last glance at the still figure on the mattress. Then the nurse shut the door, which gave a quiet click before the room descended into silence again. And in her mind, Ditzy danced a quiet dance.
Perseverence Dinky was woken by light. Rays from the morning sun stretched out and fell on the room, some falling on her face. Groaning, she turned and pulled the covers over her head, but it was no use. She wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep. She pulled the quilt from her head and lifted her head from the pillow, body still waking from its restless slumber. Indeed, sleep had not come easy, and when it had, it was fitful and hard to keep. The snatches of dreams that had entered her mind were full of flames. Dinky wasn’t stupid. She knew that she couldn’t just close her eyes and wish all the bad things away. To just close her eyes and be with her mother again, like always. Life didn’t work that way. All she could do was wait. With a frustrated groan, she kicked her covers off and onto the floor at the foot of the bed. Stretching, she extended a hind leg to the carpeted floor, and eased herself down from the mattress. Setting all four hooves on the floor, she yawned and walked over to her bedroom door. Through the doorway, down the stairs. Her movements were mechanical, automatic things made by a distracted mind. She was preoccupied with other thoughts, macabre and grim. Her hooves clacked on the kitchen tile. Dinky lifted her head to find her sister leaning over the stove. “Mornin’, Dinks,” Sparkler called over her shoulder. Although her words were cheery, her tone wasn’t. It lacked her usual pep, replaced by something Dinky couldn’t place. “How’d you sleep?” “Not so good.” She made her way over to the counter and climbed up onto the stool. “You?” “Meh.” Sparkler stepped away from the stove, and levitated a pan from its top. “I made us some scrambled eggs. You hungry?” “Not really.” Her sister’s face fell. “Well, you still need to eat. You have school today.” Dinky grumbled. “Do I have to go?” “Yes. Now eat up.” With a sigh, Dinky watched in resignation as Sparkler placed a plate in front of her and scooped some eggs onto it. She picked up her fork in her magic and took a bite from the pile. As good as Sparkler was at cooking, today breakfast tasted bland. “Do you want some juice or anything?” Sparkler asked, her hoof on the door of the fridge. “I’m good.” She dropped her hoof and walked over to the table, setting up her own plate. They ate in silence, until Sparkler said, “Are you feeling okay, Dinky?” “Fine.” “Are you sure? If you need to talk to somepony, I’m always here, okay?” “I’ll keep that in mind.” A few minutes later, they finished their plates and Sparkler took them over to the sink. “Do you want me to walk you to school?” “Yeah, I guess.” “Okay. Go upstairs and get ready. We’ll leave in a minute.” _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Soon, they stood at the entrance to the schoolyard. Most of the foals had already arrived, and were walking through the door to the schoolhouse. “Here we are. You ready?” Sparkler asked, glancing down at her sister. “No.” The older unicorn frowned. “Well, just try your best. It’s only a few hours.” They walked over to the schoolhouse, the sun shining brightly. Cheerilee, who’d been standing at the door, waved to them and gave a look of concern. Dinky looked up to her sister, who met her gaze. “See ya later, Dinks.” “Okay, Sparky.” Sparkler smiled a bit at that, and turned around. She walked out of the courtyard and out of sight. Dinky turned and brushed past her teacher without acknowledging her. The classroom’s chatter died down a bit as she walked through the room. Glances revealed various looks on her classmates’ faces, ranging from pity to worry to reassurance. She sat at a desk near the back, and didn’t say a word. “Alright, class!” Miss Cheerilee announced. “Today, we’re going to be focusing on History. Please open your textbooks to page 219, and we will begin a lesson on...” Dinky barely heard her, merely following the instructions and wishing for the day to be over. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ “Okay, everypony, make sure you study for the test on Friday. Class dismissed!” The foals all packed up their things and took off to the door. As Dinky walked through the door, she felt Miss Cheerilee’s eyes on her, and increased her speed. She didn’t make it far. “Hey, Dinky!” The call came from her right. She stopped and turned towards its source, a trio of fillies. The Cutie Mark Crusaders. “How are you feeling?” Sweetie Belle questioned nervously. “Okay, I guess,” Dinky replied. Her voice was flat, not revealing her emotions. “That’s good. Umm...” Apple Bloom trailed off, apparently at a loss for words. “We heard about what happened with your mom. Sorry about that,” Scootaloo added, receiving an elbow to the side from Sweetie. “Ow! What? I am!” Before an argument could break out, Dinky intervened. “Look, I’m fine. There’s no need to worry. Everything’s gonna be fine.” She couldn’t figure out whether she was assuring them or herself. “But what about-” “Well, look what we have here.” Oh, great. Dinky turned around, as the Crusaders stepped up next to her. Sure enough, the sneering voice had come from a pink filly, wearing a scowl on her face and a tiara on her head. Behind her stood a gray filly with glasses, who looked less sure of herself than her companion. “Looks like the Dork Club just got a new member,” the pink one said, a mocking tone heavy in her voice. “What do you want, Diamond?” Scootaloo challenged, a fierce look on her face. “Oh, nothing. Just wondering why anypony would be stupid enough to join your little clique, but now it’s obvious. She’s a blank-flank.” Apple Bloom stepped forward. “Diamond, I know it ain’t easy for ya, but could ya please can it for once?” “Well, why would I do that? You losers are just asking for it.” Dinky started to walk away, figuring it wasn’t worth the effort to argue, but a certain filly stepped in her path. “Where do you think you’re going, blank-flank?” “Home. Get out of my way.” “You can’t wait to go home to cry to your momma, huh?” Dinky’s blood ran cold. “Oh, wait,” Diamond continued, smiling maliciously. “You can’t, can you?” “Shut up.” “Your mommy’s at the hospital, isn’t she?” “Shut. Up.” The tone in Dinky’s voice was unyielding, heavy with anger. “Uh, Diamond?” Silver Spoon piped up. “Maybe you shouldn’t...” She was ignored. “Oh, did I hit a nerve?” Diamond smirked. “I said, shut up. Now.” “And if I don’t?” “I’ll knock your teeth out.” “Ha!” Diamond mocked. “You couldn’t hit me if you tried. You’re just as stupid as your mom. A family of screw-ups.” Dinky’s horn lit up. Diamond noticed. “Oh, are you gonna shoot me? Touch a single hair on my head and my daddy will-” CLANG! Diamond’s head jerked forward as her tiara flew off. It fell to the ground and slid over to Dinky. A rock rolled away from where it landed, a crack marking where it had hit the metal. “Darn. I missed.” Dinky’s voice was cold, unfeeling, as she made eye contact with Diamond again. Her eyes held a blank stare, contributing to the other filly’s shock. Shock which quickly turned to anger. “You could’ve hit me with that!” she said in indignation, voice cracking slightly. “That was the point. And you say I’m the stupid one.” “Give me my tiara!” “Oh, this?” Dinky questioned sarcastically. She didn’t let Diamond answer. “You don’t deserve this.” She continued on, cutting off Diamond as she opened her mouth. “You don’t deserve to be rich. You don’t deserve respect. And you definitely don’t deserve a daddy who gives you anything you want.” Dinky placed a forehoof on top of the tiara. “You are the most selfish, arrogant, unthankful, brattish, snobby, and disgusting pony I’ve ever met. What you deserve is a taste of your own medicine. You deserve to get your fat flank kicked. And you deserve this.” With that, she lifted her hoof up high, and brought it crashing down. It hit the tiara at the top, and smashed it down in on itself. The thin metal it was made of bent easily, turning the delicate patterns into an undistinguished mess of broken frame. Everypony stared at it in shock, until Dinky kicked it over to Diamond Tiara. “There. Keep it. Now get out of here.” Her voice did not beckon any questions, and none were asked. Diamond simply spluttered for a second, unsure of what to do, before gripping her tiara in her teeth and running. Silver Spoon, visibly shaken, followed after a brief hesitation. The remaining ponies were silent, except for Scootaloo. “Whoa...” she said, awestruck. “Dinky, that was incredible!” Dinky’s ears pricked up, and she turned her head. She’d forgotten that the Crusaders were still there. “Yeah, whatever. She got what she deserved.” Apple Bloom spoke next. “That was pretty cool. Still, though, it seemed kind of...” Dinky glared at her. “‘Kind of’ what?” Apple Bloom shrank a little under the unicorn’s gaze. “It just seemed a bit... severe.” “I warned her. It was her fault, not mine.” “Yeah, but-” “Would you leave me alone?” Dinky exclaimed, spinning around. “Whoa, Dinky, chill!” Scootaloo said, leaning back a bit. “I don’t want to chill!” Dinky yelled. Realizing her volume, she lowered it to conversational level, but still loud. “I just want to be left alone. Is that so much to ask?” Sweetie pitched in. “Of course not! We’ll give you some space, right, Scootaloo?” “Hmmph! Yeah, I guess so.” “Good.” Dinky turned on the spot, stamping away. She needed to find somewhere quiet. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Dinky had taken a sharp turn when she’d left the yard, and found a clearing in some trees not far from the school. There was a tree stump, which she plopped down on and thought. Stupid Diamond, stupid Crusaders, stupid tiara, URGH! Angry thoughts ripped through her head, none lingering long enough to examine but all holding the same level of malice. She just wanted to break something. At some point, the rational part of her brain spoke up. Okay, just calm down, Dinky. Deep breaths. Distract yourself. “Hi there.” “AHHH!” Dinky leapt a foot into the air at the voice from behind her. She landed on the ground in a heap, groaning. “Oh! I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you,” the voice said, worriedly. Dinky picked herself up and stretched, before turning around. The voice had come from a small, pink filly. It wasn’t Diamond Tiara, luckily. This pony seemed familiar, but she couldn’t quite place her hoof on it. She had a smooth, pink mane, stopping at her shoulders like Dinky’s, that turned into sharp points at the back. Her coat was pink as well, but a lighter shade that reminded her of fruit punch. A small horn stuck out of her hair above her eyes, which were green, and shining with curiosity. “I’m Ruby. Ruby Pinch.” Dinky walked towards the tree stump as Ruby came around it. They met in the middle, Ruby leaning against it while Dinky sat on the dirt. “I’m Dinky.” “So I heard.” Ruby looked her up and down. “I saw that little exchange earlier.” For reasons she couldn’t explain, a small blush came to Dinky’s cheeks. “Oh, you did?” “Yep. It was pretty cool, you standing up to Diamond like that.” “I guess so.” “And I’m sorry about your mom.” Before Dinky could grit her teeth and state that everything was fine, Ruby continued. “My mom does stupid stuff all the time. I come here whenever I need to just get away from it all.” “Huh.” A short silence passed. “So, you wanna... talk about something?” Ruby suggested. Dinky was going to decline, but she realized that the alternative was to do nothing, and changed her mind. “Yeah, sure.” “Okay. Um... what’s your favorite color?” “Green.” “That’s nice...” It was apparent that Ruby wasn’t used to things like this, so Dinky stepped in. “What’s your mom like?” Ruby’s face fell. She turned away slightly, eyes downcast. “Well... she’s my mom. And I love her, but she’s made some really bad choices.” Dinky listened intently as Ruby continued. “She tries, she really does, but she really needs help. Alcohol doesn’t solve everything. I don’t know if she’s figured that out yet.” Ruby shook her head, and gestured to Dinky. “What about your mom? What’s she like?” Dinky thought for a moment. “Well... she gets a lot of attention. Not really good attention.” She lowered her head. “She’s klutzy, and she messes things up, but she’s a really good pony. Most ponies just don’t see that. But she’s a really great mommy, and I love her a lot.” “Do you have a father?” Dinky’s head shot up. Ruby was looking at her with sad, solemn eyes. “I’ve never met my father, so I just wondered... sorry...” “No, no, it’s fine,” Dinky assured her. She looked down again. “Mommy told me that he’s a great pony. I really wish I could meet him someday.” “Oh.” The silence returned. It was a few minutes before Ruby spoke up. “I should probably go home. My mom’s probably wondering where I am.” “I should too.” They both stood up. “Oh, and Dinky?” The gray filly looked at her. “Just stay strong. Your mom will get better, I promise.” “Thanks. Good luck.” “You too.” With that, they left the clearing. And Dinky found a new friend.
