//------------------------------// // Changes // Story: All I Wanted Were My Mommy's Kisses // by Sith_Dreamer //------------------------------// (Thanks as always to my pre-reader and friend Zev, for just being awesome!) The little purple unicorn sat solemnly next to the hospital bed, staring up sadly at the bandaged mare who lay in it. Dinky hadn’t left her mother’s side all day, she was content to just wait. Twilight Sparkle and Cheerilee had taken her to the emergency room when Rainbow Dash had arrived shortly after they had at Ditzy’s home, with the news the mail mare was still alive, and where she was being taken. Now only Dinky sat in the room with her mother, sobbing into the sheets every few minutes, constantly blaming herself for what had happened. Out in the hallway, Twilight and Cheerilee were having a discussion with Nurse Redheart and a red-maned doctor. His mane was bunched up in such a way that it looked like a muffin. “I’m telling you girls, for now we’re hoping for the best, but one major change and she’s got to be airlifted to Fillydelphia. We just don’t have all the tools for major surgery here, Ms. Sparkle,” the doctor told them, attempting to keep Dinky from hearing inside. The doctor motioned down the hallway to a room where several pegasi wearing flight jackets with the words Ponyville Air and Rescue Team were enjoying some free time. “I will have them at the ready at all times for the next several days. In the mean time, I think it needs to be discussed where that sad little filly in that room needs to go for a while. She can’t stay here all the time,” he shook his head, “But we will be doing everything we can.” With that, the doctor cantered away down the hallway, leaving Nurse Redheart to deal with anymore of their questions. “Well, I just can’t take her,” Cheerilee spoke up, “Between teaching classes at the school, grading the children’s work at home, and other things in my life, I just can’t.” “I don’t mind,” Twilight replied, “It may be a change, but I’m sure it wouldn’t cause me too much trouble.” “Are you absolutely sure, Twilight Sparkle,” Nurse Redheart asked, concerned that Twilight might be getting herself into something she couldn’t handle. “I’ve raised Spike since I was a little filly,” Twilight told her, “And I’m sure a baby dragon is a lot more complicated than a filly like Dinky. Ditzy had asked me about magic lessons before, maybe now would be a good time to try as well.” Nurse Redheart nodded. Twilight decided it would be a good idea to talk to the little unicorn about everything, and where she would be staying for a while. She pushed past Cheerilee and made her way for the door to Ditzy’s room. It was dark, only lit by a few light fixtures above the bed. Dinky was still sitting on a stool looking up at the figure in the bed, whom was nearly unrecognizable for being covered in so many bandages. Dinky glanced back as the purple unicorn trotted inside. “Dinky…” Twilight trailed off for a moment as she leaned in close to her, “Well, the doctors will do everything they can. But they say you can’t stay here all the time. Besides hospital rules, you’ve still got school with Ms. Cheerilee, and you can’t live alone until your mother gets better. So that’s why I have volunteered my home for you to stay in!” Twilight managed to end her proposition happily, but after a moment she felt that maybe happy wasn’t the best option for such a situation. Regardless, Dinky seemed at least a little bit intrigued. She glanced back over at her mommy’s damaged body, feeling a little guilty for wanting to go somewhere else while her mother just laid there, likely unaware of the world going on around her. Some in Ponyville would joke that this was how Ditzy always was, but Dinky knew that her mother wasn’t a pony to be judged by her eyes alone. She sat there quietly, thinking on what Twilight had just told her. “Um, Dinky?” Twilight asked. Before she could say anymore, Dinky stood on her hind legs, and leaned over her mother. She kissed her on the forehead, then lowered herself back down and turned around to Twilight. “Ok Twilight, I’ll come with you,” Dinky didn’t sound very excited, but Twilight hadn’t exactly expected her to. “We’ll come visit your mommy every day until she gets better,” Twilight promised. “I’ll make sure you know everything that’s going on with her.” Dinky managed a smile, “I’m hungry, Twilight. Do you have any food at your place?” ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dinky wasn’t a filly who talked much. Since arriving home with Twilight, she’d barely said two words, which were “thank you”, when Twilight had quickly whipped up a bluegrass and green onion sandwich for her to eat. She seemed quite lost, keeping her gaze to the ground most of the time, and generally ignoring Twilight, Spike, and Owliscious when he had flown through the window that night. “You think she’s alright,” Spike looked up at Twilight and asked, “You know, she might be a little…” he didn’t finish the sentence, but pointed to his temple and spun his finger in a spiral motion. “Spike, that’s a terrible thing to say!” Twilight snapped, “She just almost lost her mother. Anypony would feel just as bad if they were in her situation.” Spike shrugged and walked off, muttering to himself. Spike’s comment did bring about some worry. Twilight couldn’t be sure just how badly her mother’s accident had affected the little filly. She hoped the little unicorn’s mind was dealing with everything well. “Maybe I should talk to her?” Twilight asked herself. “I’ve got to make some arrangements, for her school and such. If she doesn’t look well tomorrow I’ll sit her down and see if she wants to talk about it.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Due to Twilight’s busy schedule, she’d asked Cheerilee if she could move Dinky up to the morning class, the same one the Cutie Mark Crusaders attended. The mauve earth pony hadn’t had any objection to the switch, and the first thing the next day, Twilight dropped Dinky off to join her new class. While she was sure Dinky had probably a lot going on in her head, Twilight had decided keeping Dinky to a relatively normal schedule would be for the best. She’d promised they’d visit the hospital as soon as Twilight picked her up that afternoon. Dinky wasn’t sure what to make of her new class. She was happy to know she wasn’t the only blank flank in the class, receiving warm welcomes from three fillies just like her. However, several other classmates didn’t seem so nice. Still, Dinky sat quietly and didn’t try to notice the scornful stares she received, especially from two certain ponies that were sitting to her left in the front row. “Another blank flank?” Diamond Tiara whispered disgustedly to her best friend, Silver Spoon. “You’d think they’d have some special place to keep those…less talented than us till they became normal,” Silver Spoon whispered back, “I’d be surprised if she ever gets one, especially with a mother like hers.” “Oooo, tell me more,” Diamond Tiara tried to keep her excitement down as she thought of all the things she was going to say at recess. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dinky sat alone at the corner of the playground, watching all the other ponies have fun and play games around her. She’d been invited to play some ball with the three fillies from earlier, but she’d declined. Inside it had made her happy, no one ever seemed to want to play with her much in her old class. Still, she was afraid of getting in the way of anypony elses fun. “Hey, Little Derpy,” a shrill voice cried out to her from across the playground. Dinky turned her head and saw two fillies, a gray one with glasses and a spoon cutie mark, and a pink one with a tiara for hers, cantering towards her. “It’s…it’s Dinky,” she squeaked out, “M-my name.” “Oh, sorry,” Diamond Tiara stressed the word. “You know it must be so hard being you.” The unicorn didn’t reply, instead she glanced down at the ground so she didn’t have to face the two. “Yeah, being a blank flank, and having a mom that’s dumb as a rock and all of Ponyville knows it!” Dinky still tried to look away from them, their talk about her mother cutting deep into the little filly’s heart. “I heard her mom got hurt the other day,” Silver Spoon continued, “My mom’s a surgeon at Ponyville hospital, and she told me they brought her in all beat up the other night. She said she’s surprised they didn’t just let her go, she couldn’t imagine anypony less worth saving.” Dinky teared up at their comments. She couldn’t hold her emotions much longer, and she knew it. “A blank flank with no mom, how horrible would that be? Surely they wouldn’t let such trash stay in Ponyville around the likes of ponies like us?” Diamond Tiara snipped. Dinky meanwhile couldn’t hold back anymore. She began to sob uncontrollably. “Oh, did we hurt your little feelings blank flank? Why don’t you go cry to you—Oh that’s right, you might not have one soon!” Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara both began to laugh at her. “Hey! You leave her alone!” a voice shouted across the playground, causing several ponies to take notice. Scootaloo stood at the head of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, followed by Sweetie Belle and Applebloom, as well as their friend Twist. “Gonna take up for this one too, Cutie Mark losers!” Diamond Tiara stuck out her tongue as she finished. “You leave her alone! She’s going through a lot, and doesn’t need you two making it worse!” Sweetie Belle shouted at the pair. “And mah sister and mah Granny Smith know yer father, Diamond Tiara, and Ah’m sure they’d love to hear what ya’lls been saying to her!” Applebloom followed her friends. Diamond Tiara knew her father had a soft spot for the Apple Family. She didn’t want to have anything to do with them, and certainly didn’t want to be punished because of them. “Pssh, whatever. Come on Silver Spoon,” and with that the two fillies trotted off to play on the swings. The four fillies rushed up to Dinky who continued to sob. “We asked ya to come play with us,” Applebloom said sweetly, “Ya’ll didn’t have to sit here alone and get har…har…get made fun of by them two.” “Don’t let them get to you. They’ll never be awesome and they know it! Besides, who’d want the special talent of being spoiled bi-“ Scootaloo was cut off by Sweetie Belle who slapped a hoof to her mouth. “Language Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle chided. “Yes mom,” Scootaloo mocked back. They both shared a small laugh. “Th-th-thank you,” Dinky sputtered out through her tears. “Come on, lets go play some ball together,” Sweetie Belle offered her a hoof and helped Dinky stand. Dinky wiped the tears from her eyes with her foreleg, and managed a small smile. Then off she went with the other fillies to play. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After school, Twilight was the last one to pick Dinky up. Her new friends had offered her the chance to walk home with them, but Dinky was used to staying, and had declined their offer. They’d said their goodbyes and Dinky had sat quietly in the schoolhouse with Cheerilee until Twilight knocked on the door. “Did you have a good day in your new class?” Twilight asked with a smile. Dinky looked up, a mix of happiness and sadness plastered across her face. She nodded without a word. “Well, alright then,” Twilight wasn’t sure how to handle it, so she decided it was probably just how Dinky was. They said their goodbyes to Cheerilee who wished them well until tomorrow, and headed off into town. As they walked, Twilight levitated something from her bags and brought it down to the little unicorn. “Muffin!” Dinky cried out happily, stopping to grasp it in her hooves. “I thought you might be hungry, so I picked this up on the way to get you.” Dinky munched on the muffin for a few moments, until she’d devoured the whole confection. “Thanks mom-I mean Twilight,” suddenly she lowered her head and seemed out of sorts again. Twilight sighed, but knew that Dinky was probably still trying to cope with all that had happened. “Come on Dinky, let’s go visit your mom.”