Blame

   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.