//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Living Adjustments // Story: Wings for a Pony: Dinky's Sky // by Brawney Hooves //------------------------------// “Are you sure that you can’t stay a little longer Dinky?” “Sorry Lilly Blossom, but I promised my mom that I would come home after the slumber party. And it’s starting to get late?” Dinky explained to the slightly disappointed earth pony. “Oh… well promise you’ll come over to my next sleep over. You always make them fun.” “I will Lilly, I promise.” Dinky said smiling. “And… be careful going home.” “Why?” Lilly leaned in closer to Dinky. “Sky Terror hasn’t been around for a while; he’s bound to show up soon.” “I’m not scared of him, besides I’ve got my magic if he messes with me.” Lilly looked at her timidly. “I wish I was as brave as you Dinky, Sky Terror scares me.” “Sky’s just a bully, and bullies always get what they deserve in the end.” Dinky said bitterly. “If you say so, but I still think you should be careful Dinky.” “I will Lilly.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dinky waved goodbye and began making her way back home. She felt a sense of peace as she trotted through the streets, which were still littered with puddles from last night’s storm. As the sun began to rise she felt its warmth as she started to see her home come into view; she entered expecting to see her mother getting ready for work. Mom! I’m home!” There was no answer. “She must be working; she said that she had an early shift today.” Dinky concluded as she walked to her mother’s bedroom only to find her mother sound asleep with an empty mail bag beside her. “Oh, mom.” Dinky whispered realizing that her mother had only just gotten home from delivering the mail as she slowly closed the door. Dinky gave a slight yawn still feeling sleepy, and began to head for her room. Before she got to the door however, she heard a loud cough… a male cough. Confused and slightly startled Dinky listened again to make sure she wasn’t just hearing things, but soon she heard another cough coming from the guest room. Dinky slowly trotted to the guestroom not really sure who, or what she would find; as she opened the door slightly her eyes widened when she saw an all too familiar blue pegasus with white and blue hair sleeping soundly in the bed. “What the hell are you doing here!?” Dinky shouted startling Sky awake. Before Sky could say anything, he became engulfed in a purple aura and was then thrown against a wall with a loud bang. “Did you come here to make fun of my mom? And… how did you get in here?!” Dinky was shaking with anger as Sky struggled against the magic that was keeping him pinned. “What’s going on here?” Ditzy asked as she flew into the room. “Sky broke into our house! I found him sleeping in the guestroom!” Dinky shouted not taking her eyes off Sky. “Muffin it’s okay, I brought Sky here last night because he was stuck in the storm.” Ditzy explained trying to calm her daughter down. “You… You let him in?” Ditzy nodded. “Mom are you crazy!? Do you know who he is?! What he’s said about you!?” “I am perfectly aware of his past actions Dinky. But he needed a place to stay from the storm last night.” Dinky looked at her mother as if she was absolutely crazy. “Mom he… he… how can you just let him live in our house, our home!? You get enough trouble from those other ponies that throw rocks at our windows! If he lives with us then he can learn everything about you and turn it against us!” Dinky shouted with a mixture of fear and anger. “And besides why can’t he live with his dad?” “Because my dad wants nothing to do with me.” Sky said quietly with a hint of pain in his voice. “Well… why can’t you stay in Cloudsdale? You’re obviously better if you came over here from Canterlot.” Dinky questioned still holding Sky in her magic. “Because my wing is still broken, that’s why!” He said angrily. “Dinky please, he has nowhere else to go. It’s just until his wing is healed and then he’ll leave.” Dinky gave Sky a hard stare as if she was contemplating about what to do with him. Finally after a small but tense pause she spoke to him again. “If we let you stay until your wing is better; do you promise to leave and never come back to Ponyville?” Sky stayed quiet as he thought about the situation he was in. Finally he gave his answer. “I promise to never come back to Ponyville once my wing is healed.” “Do you pinkie promise?” Dinky asked. “What…? Yes, yes whatever I pinkie promise to never come back! Now can you let me go?” Satisfied Dinky released her hold on Sky causing him to drop to the ground, while Ditzy tried to think of a way to ease some of the tension. “Well… now that, that little dispute has been settled would you two like some breakfast?” “I do I’m starving mom!” Dinky said happily. “Sky what about you?” Ditzy asked. “Uh… sure I could eat.” He followed Dinky and her mother into the kitchen and then took his spot at the table across from Dinky. As he sat down he saw the glare that she was giving him, and tried his best to ignore her. After several minutes Ditzy returned with two plates and set one down in front of Dinky. “Thanks mom.” “You’re welcome muffin.” Ditzy replied smiling as she set Sky’s plate down. “Thank you.” Sky muttered as he looked down to his plate. Staring back at him was a smiley face made out of two eggs and a hay bacon stripe; the sight caused him to chuckle. “What’s so funny?” Dinky said angrily. “Nothing it’s just… that’s how my mom used to make my breakfast too.” Dinky looked at him for a few seconds before returning to her food. “So Sky, where is your mother? I’m sure she’ll want to know where you are.” Ditzy asked as she sat down with her own plate. “I don’t know where she is.” Sky muttered. “What do you mean?” Ditzy asked looking to him in confusion. “She… she left me and my dad years ago with…” He stopped suddenly. “With who?” Dinky asked. “Nopony, forget I said anything.” Sky grumbled as he poked at his eggs. “Just tell us!” Dinky shouted. “Sweetie, he doesn’t have to tell us anything he doesn’t want to.” Dinky huffed slightly as she returned to her hay bacon stripe. ------------------------------------------------------------------- The three ponies finished their breakfast and then headed outside. Dinky and Ditzy played at the park while Sky simply sat under a tree and watched the other ponies enjoy themselves. Sky looked back at his bandaged wing and tried to move it slightly, only to be rewarded with a shot of pain. Sky winced and then realizing that he was still far from a recovery decided to continue watching Dinky and Ditzy. As Sky sat there he began to feel more and more melancholy until he could no longer stand the sight and walked away to a more secluded spot. He didn’t want to be around the other ponies, he didn’t want to be around the fillies and colts that had moms and dads that loved them and enjoyed being around them. As he sat there brooding, he was suddenly snapped back to reality when a red ball landed by his hooves. Sky looked up to see a small brown earth pony filly no more than five run up to him. “Excuse me mister.” The filly squeaked. “What?” Sky asked slightly confused. “Can I have my ball back?” The filly asked timidly. Sky looked to the ball and gave a small nod to the colt as he kicked it to him. “Why are you here all alone mister?” The filly asked him. “Because I love being alone.” Sky grumbled. “Do you want to play ball with me?” The filly asked. Before Sky could answer another pony, this time a colt around his age came running up to him and the filly. “Sis get away from him!” The colt shouted as he put himself between Sky and his sister. “I was just asking him if he wanted to play ball with me.” The filly said looking confused while her brother gave Sky a menacing glare. “Stay away from my sister, do you hear me!” The colt threatened staring Sky down. “I was just giving her ball back.” Sky replied. “I don’t care… I know who you are. You and your dad make me sick! In fact why don’t you do everypony a favor and go swan dive off of ghastly gorge and kill yourself!” Sky simply glared back at the other pony silently, but inside he felt as if he was going to explode. “Come on Sunflower let’s get away from this… monster.” The colt trotted away with his sister by his side. Sunflower looked back at Sky sadly and then continued to follow her brother. Sky still boiling with anger kicked the ground with his back legs and snorted angrily. “Who does that filthy earth pony think he is?! How dare he tell me to kill myself!? How dare he call me a monster!?” Sky shouted to no one in particular trembling with rage, when suddenly all his anger vanished to be replaced with sadness. “Because I am a monster.” Sky whispered hanging his head in shame. He looked up at a nearby cloud, and wished with all his heart that he could fly up to it and forget about the world below him. He wanted nothing more than to just lie on that cloud and forget about earth ponies and unicorns, and Ponyville. As he stood there wishing Ditzy hovered over to him looking concerned. “Sky… are you alright?” She whispered. Sky simply huffed and galloped past her and back to her home. He flung open the door and stormed to the guest room where he flung himself on the bed and pulled the covers over his body. He had never felt so angry, he had never felt so disgusted, he had never felt… as sad as he started to realize that the hate and disgust wasn’t at the earth pony colt, or even Dinky and her mother… but at himself. Right then and there all he wanted to do was stay in that bed and forget, forget everything had happen that day; and soon before Sky realized it he had fallen into an uneasy sleep. Ditzy had returned home to see if Sky was there. She was worried for his well-being after hearing what the earth pony colt had said to him and saw his visible anger when he ran off. She trotted to the guest room when she didn’t see him anywhere else and soon saw him buried under the covers of his temporary bed. She decided it was best to leave him alone for the time being, and quietly shut the door. As she did she heard a small sound that she was all too familiar with; a small sniffle was heard from Sky as the door finally closed. Ditzy slowly trotted away from the door wishing to give Sky some peace; maybe Dinky and the others saw Sky as a racist bully that Equestria would be better off without. But Ditzy could tell even in short time she had known him that there was a deep pain inside Sky that needed to be removed. She only hoped that she could help ease his pain, and perhaps show to her daughter that the world wasn't as black and white as it seemed.