Place: The Hoofer Market in Neighara Falls' Hoofer District, The Giant Gate City of Neighara Falls, Crystal Mountain Pass
Time: Sometime before the Overdude's arrival.
It was always dark down there in the Hoofer District. What little of Ahuizotl's sunlight that reached the depths of the mighty Gate City would have already been thoroughly used and abused by the nobles of the Felis District, bottled and traded in the Gate District and leased and prostituted for every last gold piece in the Airship District. But hoofers had long since learned to take anything they can get, even the secondhoof sunlight. So resourceful were the local earth ponies that they had started growing winter herbs, cave moss and mushrooms on the roofs of their sprawling shanty town of stables. Even more creative was how the pegasi managed to fit a semblance of weather in the cramped space between the rooftops and the ceiling of the Hoofer District. And the hovering mini-sun orbs, product of unicorn magic, kept the otherwise dark and dismal Hoofer District, if not bright, then at least tolerably lit.
The cranking of the massive gears powering the gates and the hiss of the many steam pipes criss-crossing the lofty ceiling that made up their sky was a persistent background noise to life in the Hoofer District. But even those were drowned out by the loud hubbub of the hoofer's market that dominated the makeshift town square. Here was a small taste of the old world, where what remnants of the fleeting elements of Harmony eke out a meagre existence in the uneasy pleasantries and nervous friendships between fellow hoofers.
"Hey, you! Hoofer streetling! Where'd you steal that haybread?!" The hoofer market's usual hubbub quietened down considerably as the four Felis guards in charge of the late afternoon beat found their latest victim. The braver hoofers looked up from their wares or shopping to aim anxious looks at the four guards cornering their choice of prey for the day. The less courageous very carefully ignored their surroundings as they carried on about their business, heads bowed low beneath their heavy iron yokes.
A cornered little coal-black filly backed up until her flank bumped into a corner between a rainbow storage tower and a murky brick wall of the local lightning smith's forge. "D-Dinky d-didn't steal this! Dinky's a good filly! D-Dinky worked for it!" She squeaked as four large shadows loomed over her, bearing feral predatory grins.
The beefier of the Felis guards, one of the magical caith-sidhe Felis, stepped up to her, swinging a cudgel in his telekinetic grasp. "You dare lie to Sergeant Yellow Tabby?! You know what we do to pilfering little hoofers?" He growled menacingly, bearing his gleaming fangs.
One of the smaller ones, a winged kasha Felis, giggled, oversized copper helmet clanking over his oversized armour. "Hoho, yeah, I know, sarge! First we whip'em, then we hurt'em! All the hoofers!" He hopped about, fiery wings fluttering excitedly.
The caith-sidhe sergeant rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Thank you, corporal Red Knobs." He sighed.
The little filly didn't need telling. She got reminders like this almost every other day. But she had long since worked out that simply being alive with no parents out here is a punishable crime. She had also very wisely worked out that punishments were only for the naughty and those who get caught. And she had become very good at not getting caught. She looked around. Her mind ran. She quickly put together her plan on the fly. She leapt for the rainbow storage tower's support struts, and with a few more nimble leaps she was beyond their reach.
The Felis guards were, first and foremost, cats. They couldn't help but lunge out at sudden movements anymore than they could help being sassy arrogant bastards. They all ran headfirst into the wooden structure that made up the tower's base. The rickety wood exploded into splinters under their weight. The rainbow storage tank it was supporting collapsed towards the open-air lightning forge on the other side of the wall. Dinky tensed up, clinging onto the tower as it fell. With a deft lunge she leapt clear of the tower, landing lightly on one of the many steam conduit pipes that ran above the Hoofer District.
Without looking back, she broke into a gallop down the narrow pipe. Meanwhile, the telltale hiss she was waiting for filled the air, along with a massive billowing cloud of rainbow-coloured steam. The rainbow storage tank had emptied its multicoloured contents onto the smithy's lightning forge, immediately vapourizing the colourful liquid into rainbows, just as planned. "Fire!" She cried, "There's a fire!" The smoke and the cry was enough. The entire hoofer market erupted into panic. Hoofers rushed about, eager to secure themselves or their belongings. The chaos provided all the cover the little filly needed to disappear.
"Get her!" The guards, dripping all the colours of the rainbow, roared with anger as they stumbled and crashed through the panicked mob. "Out of my way, hoofers!" But they were too late. The little pitch black filly had long since melded away into the chaos.
A moment later found the four guards dripping with colour arrive in the alleyway in front of the local lockup, the 'Tanty'. "I swear I saw'er runnin' this way, sarge!" The little kasha felis said, his glowing magical wings folding away as he landed by the lockup's gates.
"Knobs, you idiot!" The beefy sergeant smacked the small winged kasha one on his helmet. "You stupid or what? Nopussy would hide at the prison!"
"Well, uh, boss..." A tall lanky Sphinx Felis put in, "If I were, uh, smart, I'd hide where nopussy would expect me to hide."
"Corporal Green Slink, the problem with your thought is, number one - it's yours. Number two, you're not, in fact, smart. Number, er... next problem, she's just a hoofer; a streetling one too! You actually expect her to think that far?!" The sergeant barked. "Now, spread out! Spread the word to the guard and citizens! We've got a wanted hoofer: tiny, black as a panther's rear. Find her!" The guards barely managed to avoid running into each other as they clattered away on their hunt.
A big pair of golden eyes peered out of a gutter in a corner of the alleyway, eyeing the guards as they disappeared around a corner. Satisfied that the coast was clear, a little light lilac filly climbed out. "Phew..." She breathed a sigh of relief as she shook off some dirty rainwater off her coat. She paused to peer down at a convenient little puddle. A sunlight-maned little filly peered back at her out of her reflection. There was just a smidgen of coal dust left on her dawn-lilac coat. She quickly wiped it off with a hoof. Perfect.
"Well done, kid." A low, heavy drawl of a disembodied voice sent her leaping out of her fur. Her eyes widened, searching for the source as she tensed up, ready to flee once more. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. I'm right'ere. Behind the bars." The voice said from within the pitch black darkness behind a set of bars set right at the level of the street.
The little filly relaxed considerably, though she continued to eye the bars carefully. "Ooh, sorry, mister. Dinky thought you were one of the guards," She apologized. Being 'nice' was all she knew, after all. Nopony had ever bothered to teach her otherwise, or anything at all for that matter.
"Heh, anything but." The voice chuckled. "I assume that commotion in the market was your doing? I pity the fools who will have to explain that to their bosses. Coal dust to change the colour of your fur? Smart."
"Dinky won't be able to use it until they forget though." The filly muttered, tapping a hoof on her chin, thoughtfully. "Probably four days. Dinky will have to use chalk for a while."
"You gave away your name quite easily though." The voice pointed out, "Little Dinky." He added for emphasis.
"Meep!" Dinky squeaked, fidgeting nervously. "U-um, uh... yes." She sighed, sheepishly, "Dinky can't help it."
"Heh, doesn't matter. What's in a name?" The voice chuckled, "I'm Steel Horn one day, Heavy Hoof another, That Glorious Bastard on off days, maybe even the Gorgeous Hunk some nights. I'm everything anybull could ever need."
"That's a lot of names, mister," Dinky said as she cocked her head to one side. "Dinky only has one name. In fact, it's all Dinky has. It's all Dinky can share." The simple matter-of-fact tone to her statement was heart-wrenching, to say the least.
"Oh..." The voice backpedaled a bit. "Sorry, kid. It's difficult all round, huh?" He was interrupted by a loud low rumble that echoed all around the darkness behind the bars. Dinky leapt back, trembling from mane to hoof once more. "Ah, sorry, my bad. They must've forgotten about the grub today. Again," he reassured.
"Oh." Dinky remembered the loaf of hard haybread she had on her back. "Dinky has some bread here, mister. That's something else Dinky can share."
"Not really one to take food from a streetling," the voice snarked, before another loud rumble punctuated his words. "But since you insist," he conceded to his tummy’s persuasive argument.
Dinky bit off half of her bread and passed it in between the bars. Something took hold of it and pulled it into the darkness within, never to be seen again. "Whoah, kid, it's not even moldy! Probably only two days old or somethin'. Just a little soggy, but mint condition. What royalty did'ya steal this from?"
"Dinky doesn't steal!" Dinky shouted in a low volume to reduce arousing attention, her face suddenly indignant. "Dinky never steals. Dinky worked for this. Dinky works for all of Dinky's food."
"Sorry, sorry, kid. Bullstuds; now I feel bad for accepting this, considering you worked for it," the voice muttered.
"It's alright, Mister," Dinky said, generously, sitting on her rump before the bars. She wasn't too sure why but she was smiling to herself. "It's the only thing somepony's ever taught Dinky, so it's all Dinky knows. Sharing that is." She hugged what was left of her bread in all four hooves before taking a little nibble of it. It was her first meal of the day. Her meagre storage of old hay had spoiled from a leaking drain pipe during the previous night's rain.
"*Munch* It's the right idea for the wrong era, kid." The voice grumbled, in between grateful munches. "Generosity's dead."
"But she sang a song about that jelly-or-city thing. She even gave Dinky food and medicine. The one who taught Dinky, that is." Dinky said. "She was a really nice white unicorn with long purple hair."
The voice scoffed derisively. "Tsk. Yeah, I know her. The altar-mare. Loyal dog of Ahuizotl, goes around giving pity away to everybull. Thinks herself all high and noble-like." He muttered.
"But if everypony was like that, we'd never be hungry. So isn't it a good idea?" Dinky reasoned.
"Hahahah!" The voice suddenly broke out laughing. "Whoah, kid, just; whoah!"
"Dinky doesn't understand. What's so funny?" Dinky asked, frowning while tilting her head to one side, as if trying to wrap her head around his laughter.
The voice managed to settle into a light chuckle. "Nothing, nothing kid. You just remind me of my son, Iron Will, back when he was just a calf. No, you children are right. It is a good idea. But the world has too many bad people with bad ideas."
"Like the people who should be sharing food with you?" Dinky asked. "If they shared more you wouldn't have gone hungry, right?"
"Tell that to them," he scoffed. "Oh well, fingers crossed for tomorrow."
"Oh. If they forget tomorrow then Dinky will bring you some food, Mister." Dinky offered, kindly. "Oh, Dinky needs to go. Dinky shouldn't stay here too long," she said, remembering she was technically on the run. She quickly pulled what was left of her loaf of bread onto her back before trotting off. "Bye, Mister!"
"Hey, kid, no! You shouldn't come back here...oh, bullocks." The voice muttered. "Darn it, Iron Will, she really is just like you."
Dinky quietly trotted her way back past the hoofer's market, now relatively more settled, or about as settled as it could be after a massive rainbow flood. She paused to give a silent long-distance apology to the owners of the rainbow storage tank and the lightning forge, two pegasi who were busy arguing over whose fault it was.
From there it was just a stone's throw as the pegasus flies back to her home. In a dark alleyway between the local pegasus-feather quill factory and a tavern, there was a wooden box housing a little tuft of hay. It was helpfully labelled with a little caricature of Dinky's face drawn in charcoal.
She kept a cracked little bowl in front. Above it was a little artist's impression of an apple on a cardboard sign pointing to it. She left it in the hopes that somepony might be kind enough to share what little they had. She checked it as she did daily, though she didn't hold her breath.
She wished she had. For there was something in it that day. It wasn't food or money. Rather, somepony had very kindly tinkled in her bowl.
"Oh, hi, whatshername. I came to visit but you weren't around. I waited but then I felt like using your little filly's room. Hope you don't mind," a voice about as friendly as a flying brick stated venomously. “I like the drawing above it. It helps remind you where your poop goes, does it? I guess it’s easy to forget when you live surrounded by garbage.”
"Oh, h-hello, Ms. Diamond Tiara, Ms. Silver Spoon." Dinky said, quickly pushing her haybread into the safety of the shadow behind the bowl. She then steeled herself as she slowly turned around to face the bane of her life, the daughter of the local pony minister to lord Ahuizotl, Diamond Tiara. Dinky knew full well how easily Diamond Tiara could get half the guard hunting her down. So she bore with her as best as she could. "And Ms. Silver Spoon." She gave a little nod to the other filly present, Diamond Tiara's permanent shadow, Silver Spoon. The shadow filly even shared Diamond Tiara's expression, all the way down to her smug smirk.
Diamond Tiara’s smug smile only widened as she reached into her saddle bags. "I came by to show you something. I know you'll never have one, so I thought I'd be kind and show you mine."
Dinky sighed inwardly. It was probably going to be yet another new toy or dress or something, things Dinky has long since managed to convince herself she could do without, albeit with great difficulty. Well, she'll consider it a passing distraction for the evening, at least.
Diamond Tiara drew out a piece of parchment with her mouth before rearing back on her rearhooves. "I drew this at the church school. See how amazing it is?" She bragged, holding the parchment with her forehooves as she allowed it to unfurl.
Dinky gave a little gasp. It was a simple drawing, not particularly noteworthy. But it bore the cartoon likeness of what must be Diamond Tiara's mother, father and herself. They were seated around a table bearing a feast so lavish it made her piece of haybread look like crumbs under the table. Dinky had never even imagined it possible to have that much food at the same time. Around the little family the outline of a home and a roof kept the darkness of the night beyond at bay.
It was everything. It was everything Dinky could ever want for. It was everything she didn't have.
And it hurt.
Dinky struggled to fight back the tears. At the very least, she would not allow Diamond Tiara or Silver Spoon the satisfaction of seeing her break down like she has done so many times in the past.
"You could make one too if you had some charcoal," Diamond Tiara said, mock-soothingly. "Silver Spoon, give me the fireworks," she commanded, raising a forehoof towards her crony.
"Wait." Silver Spoon did a double take, her smile quickly fading. "I thought you were joking, DT. You can't seriously..."
"Just give me the fireworks," Diamond Tiara snapped, impatiently, pulling a large red sparkler tube and a piece of flint from Silver Spoon's saddlebags.
"Uh, Ms. Diamond Tiara, Dinky already has plenty of charco-..." Dinky began.
"With this you'll have all the charcoal you want," Diamond Tiara said, making a show of looking around. "Now we just need something to burn,” she pondered, eyeing the wooden box. “Ahah! This old piece of garbage will do."
"Wait, DT." Silver Spoon gasped. "That's her house!" She protested.
"What? Nopony could live in something like this. Don't be so insulting, Silver Spoon," Diamond Tiara laughed, lighting the sparkler tube. “Garbage sleeps with the garbage, after all.”
"DT! Stop it! You can't...!" Silver Spoon rushed out. But before she could stop her, Diamond Tiara had tossed the sparkler tube into the wooden box. The dry wood erupted into flames almost instantly, adding its fiery crackle to the sparkler's angry hiss. "DT...." Silver Spoon groaned in disappointed exasperation. But it was done. And nopony could do anything but watch the flames flicker and crackle, consuming the box with frightful efficiency.
"There, instant charcoal. Just add fire," Diamond Tiara trilled, jovially. "How's that, Pee-bowl? Excited? Happy? No need to thank me."
To her irritation, however, Dinky was seemingly impassive to her taunts, her eyes staring emptily into the fire.
"Hey, hello?" Diamond Tiara called out. "That's your garbage box on fire, or are you too dumb to even understand that?" She waved a forehoof in front of Dinky's eyes. But the dawn-lilac filly remained silent, the only signs of life being the fire flickering in her unblinking eyes. "Hey, Pee-Bowl? Equus to Pee-Bowl?" Diamond Tiara sighed, throwing up her forehooves in exasperation. "This is dumb. It's like talking to a wall. I'm bored already. Let's go, Silver Spoon." She waved her crony after her.
Silver Spoon hesitated, shooting Dinky one last look, before obediently trudging off after Diamond Tiara.
Dinky slowly, carefully, followed their departure by gazing at the reflection in one of the windows in the quill factory. Satisfied that Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were gone, she gave a little sigh of relief. Well, that wasn't too bad, she decided, cooly.
She first trotted up to the bowl and carefully disposed of its contents on the fire. After emptying the last of it she bucked it away into a pile of rubbish in a corner. She ducked into a corner of the alleyway and dipped into her stash of cracked bowls she had salvaged from the tavern next door. She selected a cheerful pink one, deciding it'd last a week before Diamond's next visit. After replacing her bowl she eyed the smouldering remains of her wooden box. "That's a lot of charcoal. Thank you, Ms. Diamond Tiara," she said, tearing a piece off with her mouth for later use. She retrieved her haybread and then, without another thought for the box, she trotted off into a secluded corner of the alleyway.
There, built into the wall of the tavern, was a low window looking into a basement store room. She pushed her piece of haybread in ahead of herself before crawling in after it. A short climb down a set of crates and shelves, and she was 'home' in her long-abandoned basement.
Of course she didn't live in a wooden box in an alleyway. It was cold, drafty and wet out there. Plus it was just asking for trouble from the likes of Diamond Tiara and other assorted bullies. But she kept her decoys well-maintained exactly for that purpose. That said, she'd have to pick out another empty crate from the stash by the tavern next door, but she could do that another day. She'll allow the bullies a sense of victory for at least a day or two.
She carefully deposited her bread in a cool, dark upended stone basin in one corner that served as her pantry. She then padded over to a warm little nest of assorted hay and sacking that was her bed. She stepped around in it in circles, stomping out the dust, forming a little niche for herself, before curling up in it, easily making herself warm and comfortable.
She eyed the pile of cardboard pieces arrayed by her bed, her stationery supply of sorts. She decided that even Diamond Tiara gave good suggestions sometimes. Perhaps it was a good opportunity to scribble something nice. She lit up her little horn, allowing its gentle glow to illuminate the darkness just enough for her to see her work. She then gripped the charcoal piece tightly in her mouth as she prepared to commit her imagination to the cardboard piece.
She tapped her chin with her hoof thoughtfully. 'He would be big, with big wide hooves to hold and hug Dinky,' she thought to herself as she began scribbling. 'And he'd have a big, fuzzy mane for Dinky to curl up in. And he'd have the biggest, funniest grin. And he would always make Dinky smile and laugh. Because...' She paused to regard the manically grinning giant she had doodled in charcoal. '...because he loves Dinky, forever and ever.' She sighed, propping the little picture up in front of her bed.
She reached out with a forehoof, caressing it against the giant's cheek. She gave it one last fond smile before letting the light from her horn dim. "Good night, daddy." She whispered as she curled up to sleep. She imagined those big strong forehooves tucking her in to bed, that funny but warm smile tenderly kissing her goodnight. She fell asleep gazing at the picture, feeling safe and secure for the first time in a long, long time under its watchful eye.
That night she dreamt of a strange but funny stallion named 'Mr. Muffins'. He spoke funny, acted funny, even walked funny, but he was honest and sincere, and he loved Dinky more than there were stars in the sky. Together they planted a big pink tree of happiness in a shining crystal palace that shed happy fruit all across the world, making everypony happy forever and ever.
It was a good dream.
A week passed uneventfully, or at least uneventful by Dinky's standards. She did get caught once, but she had managed to escape when she tricked the guardsfelis into thinking he hadn't locked her holding cell's door, making him turn the key again, unwittingly unlocking her cell. It helped that they thought the runaway fugitive was a little white filly with a black mane.
Every day of that week she had visited her new friend at the lockup, bringing him something to eat. They chatted about many things, mostly about Dinky and her own life at first. Dinky told him how she had lived on the streets for as long as she could remember, growing up shuffling from the pity of one pony to the next, before finally building her own home and making her own way. Dinky told him many things. For the first time in her life, she had somepony to share it with. It was the greatest luxury she had ever enjoyed. And so she shared as much as she could. Her new friend didn't speak much about himself, but seemed more than happy to listen.
"....and the ponies at the thunder forge finally finished all the rainbow cannons for tomorrow's festival," Dinky described excitedly. "Dinky doesn't know what it's about, but they're celebrating somepony really important or something. And there'll be lots of fireworks and music! It'll be so much fun to watch!"
"Heh, that's great. I'm sure you'll have lots of fun, Dinky. You deserve it." The voice chuckled at the little filly's animated account.
"Hmm, but you won't be able to see any of the fireworks from here, Mister." Dinky said gloomily, looking up at the lofty district ceiling high above them. "Oh, Dinky knows! Dinky can bring you some fireworks to set off right here." A grin arose on her face as she began tapping her forehooves together at the brilliant idea.
"Eh, it's alright, kid. Not really a fireworks kinda guy, to be honest," he admitted. "Listen, let me tell you something even better than fireworks."
"Really?" Dinky's ears perked up, interested.
"Really really," the voice said. "Have you ever heard of the Dolphin Comet?" He asked, all of a sudden.
"Um, no? What's a co-met? Or a doll-fin?" Dinky asked, curious.
"It's like a shootin' star. It only comes around once every one hundred years or so," her friend explained. "It's special, cause it is the 'sharing' comet. It's a twin comet, made up of two parts that share one body."
"One hundred years sounds like an awful long time, mister." Dinky mused, thoughtfully.
"Well, that one hundred years is tomorrow, Dinky," the voice chuckled. "Tell you what. I'll let you in on a little secret."
"Really?" Dinky's eyes shone excitedly as she sidled up closer to the bars to listen. "Dinky likes secrets."
"But you need to promise to keep this a secret, alright? If you tell anypony, the magic will be broken."
"Uh... but you're telling Dinky. Doesn't that break the magic?" Dinky asked.
"Ouch, you're sharp." The voice chuckled. There was a pause. "Uh, well, yeah, it will, but only for me. And I'm stuck here anyway. But the magic will definitely work for you if you do what I say."
"Uhuh." Dinky nodded, eagerly. Her eyes widened as something sparkly was pushed out in between the bars right before her snout. It was a bright golden yellow gem, almost as big as her eyes.
"You need to take this to a room in the highest tower on the northern side tomorrow. If you do it in time for the comet to pass, you can make a wish on it. And the comet will grant anything you desire. Simple, right?"
"Um, what's a 'wish'?" Dinky asked, tilting her head to one side.
"Oh, uh... Well, it's something you really really want. I guess. And when you say it out loud to the comet, it'll grant it," the voice said.
"Wow, that's amazing, mister!" Dinky exclaimed excitedly, scooping up the gem carefully. "What's your wish, Mister? Maybe Dinky can make it for you so you get to have a wish too. Then Dinky can come back tomorrow and tell you if it worked."
"Uh, about that...." He took a deep breath. "Listen, Dinky. I won't be here tomorrow."
"Oh?" Dinky looked up in surprise. "Oh, that's alright. Dinky can come the day after. It'll be a Tuesday. Tuesday is haybread day. Dinky will try and bring some haybread then."
"I won't be here then either." The voice sighed, deeply.
"Then...." Dinky began, frowning a little. "Maybe the day after? It'll be a Wednesday, so...."
"Listen, Dinky," the voice said flatly. "There'll come a day, a day when somepony comes to save us all, when somepony comes to free all of Equus, when somepony finally puts an end to Ahuizotl and his crimes."
"Really?" Dinky asked.
"That time is near," he said. "And when he comes, I'm sure he'll save you too."
"You think so, Mister?" Dinky gasped, ecstatic. "Oh, Dinky can't wait to meet him."
"Now, I don't have much time left. Dinky, can you please do me a favour?" He suddenly asked.
"Um, yes, Dinky can. What is it?" Dinky asked, generously.
"I have a son." The voice sighed. "He's all I have left. His name's Iron Will. I know this is a stretch, but..." He paused for a while, before taking a deep breath. "Please, if you see him, please give him a message for me."
"Alright." Dinky nodded. "What is it?"
"’A stampede starts with a single word. But a horde needs a heart and a soul,’" the voice stated solemnly. Dinky repeated this a few times, making sure she committed it to memory just right.
"Thank you, Dinky," the voice finally muttered in a thankful voice when Dinky was able to recite the words perfectly. "I owe you, little filly."
"Dinky'll find him and give him your message, Mister. But Dinky will try and bring him here as well so you can tell him yourself," Dinky promised. "Dinky is sure he'd want to see you. If Dinky had a daddy, Dinky would want to see him every single day."
There was a lengthy pause. Then a sigh and a little chuckle. "You're a good filly, Dinky. The world would be a much better place led by children like you and my son. I'd love to see that; a world ruled by you, by Empress Dinky, the Wise."
"But... Dinky doesn't want to rule nopony. Dinky wants everypony to be happy," Dinky said, frowning.
"Both of those things are exactly what would make you a good Empress, Dinky." The voice noted with a hint of fondness. "Remember that, my little Empress."
"Alright, Mister." Dinky didn't quite get it, but agreeing seemed like a good idea. "Oh, it's already dark again. Dinky needs to go home." She noticed the artificial lighting in the ceiling above dim, heralding the twilight hours. "Dinky will see you on Wednesday then, Mister," she said, cheerfully, as she trotted off.
"Take care, Dinky." The voice replied, fondly. "Live well."
The following afternoon found Dinky carrying an entire saddlebag full of treats and even some spare fireworks. There's nothing like a big festival to make everypony a little generous. And Dinky was as accepting as she was giving as far as generosity went. While her street-smarts would normally have her go home to secure her stash for the day, she felt like making a stop to see her friend, maybe even show him the fireworks she got.
She trotted across the Hoofer Market, admiring the colourful festival decorations festooning every bit of it. Statuettes and pictures of lord Ahuizotl was on display everywhere, bedecked with flowers, a rarity down in the Hoofer District. It took a herculean effort on her part to not reach out and take a bite out of the delicious-looking blossoms. But what caught her eyes the most were the families out in their celebratory best. Everywhere she looked there were mothers shepherding their daughters, fathers carrying their sons.
Ah, but this would be the day she would make her wish, she reminded herself. Soon she too will have parents, a warm home, a family to call her own.
The thought allowed her to smile the rest of the way to the lockup. "Hello, Mister!" She called out as she arrived at the cell window where her friend resided. She was greeted by her own empty echo. She frowned at the silence. "Hello?" She ventured again, a little louder. "Mister? Dinky has some sweets today, and plenty of food too," she coaxed, growing more and more nervous by the minute. She inched closer to the bars, squinting as she peered into the darkness within. "Mister? Are you there?"
"Mister, please...?" She called out, one last time.
"I'M HERE!" A loud booming voice bellowed behind her. She almost leapt out of her fur as she fell over forwards, spilling the contents of her saddlebags all over the floor.
"Ahahahahahah!" Familiar giggles rang out. Dinky sighed as she recognized them as the all-too-familiar voices of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.
"Hello, Ms. Diamond Tiara, Ms. Silver Spoon," she said, slowly picking herself up. She spared the two bullies a quick glance before eyeing the treats lying on the ground, biting her lip as she tried to work out which ones weren't too badly ruined.
"Are you looking for your friend?" Silver Spoon smirked.
"Oh my, you have friends?!" Diamond Tiara gasped in mock surprise. "I think this calls for a celebration! Oh, wait, I think they're already celebrating your friend today." Her smile turned into her usual evil gloat.
"Huh?" Dinky's heart sank. "Wh-what do you mean?"
"Just listen. They're announcing it now," Diamond Tiara said.
"Greetings, fellow faithfuls." A monotone yet resolute voice boomed across the entire Hoofer District, amplified manifold by an exceptionally powerful sound-amplification spell. "Praise be to lord Ahuizotl, the one just and holy god, our guardian and saviour. Today we gather to celebrate the Ordermakings Eve Festival, commemorating the ascension of the Elements of Order exactly one thousand years ago now. In celebration of the Order that lord Ahuizotl and his Elements have brought us, today we shall together witness the end of a number of Order's enemies, including the nefarious rebel, Steel Horn."
"That's your friend," Diamond Tiara gloated. "On his way to the traitor's walk. Silver Spoon and I were on our way to watch, maybe throw a few rocks. Then I thought you might want to come along. Aren't we nice?"
Dinky remained silent. She was too busy trying to understand. He was kind. He was nice. Why would anypony want to hurt him? It made no sense!
'The world has too many bad people with bad ideas,' she remembered him say. He wasn't bad. The world was. That must be it. An expression she wasn't familiar with grew on her face. A boiling emotion beyond any upset she had ever bored festered within her.
She knew what she would wish for.
Punishments are for the naughty. And the world had been too naughty for too long.
She would wish for punishment for the whole world. Everypony, everything!
"Awww, sad that your only friend ever is going to die soon?" Diamond Tiara smirked as she paced around Dinky like a shark closing in for the kill. "Don't worry, let me tell you something that might make you feel better. He..." She licked her lips with relish, "...was never your friend. He has no friends. He’s a traitor. He's everypony's enemy. He's always been alone. And he will be when he dies. Just like garbage. Just. Like. You." She rammed the last few words home with her forehoof on Dinky's chest.
To her surprise Dinky didn't remain silent and downcast as she normally did. Diamond Tiara gave a little gasp, staggering backwards when she saw the furious glare in Dinky's tearful eyes. "You win!" The dawn-lilac filly suddenly shrieked at the top of her lungs. "You win! You win, alright?! You WIN! The whole world wins! Today, you all win!" 'But tomorrow, tomorrow you will all be punished! You, the world, everypony!' She screamed inwardly.
Diamond Tiara seemed taken aback a little by Dinky's sudden outburst at first. But she wasn't one to miss even a moment of gloating. "Of course I win. I always win," she said smugly. "I win so much I..." She was interrupted by a bright flash of light erupting from her flanks. "H-huh?" She blinked, looking around over her withers. "Wh-what was that?" She asked, suddenly frightened.
"Th-there's something on your flank, some sort of mark." Silver Spoon gasped. "Are you alright, DT?" She quickly rushed to her friend's side. Her flank was quickly enveloped in light too. "M-my flank's shining too!" She squeaked in fear, turning round and round in circles as she tried to look at it. "W-what's happening to us?" She cried in panic.
"I-I don't know!" Diamond Tiara cried, earnest tears welling up in her eyes. "I-I want my daddy!"
Dinky gasped. "Wh-what's h-happening?" She took a few steps back. "N-no, Dinky couldn't have...?" She raised her forehooves to her mouth as she realized what she had wished for. "N-no! Dinky hasn't even seen the comet! T-this can't be..." But she realized she had wished them both harm. And now something had happened to them, goodness knows what. It was her fault. It must be.
"W-what if..." Her eyes widened, quickly filling up with tears, "W-what if this happened to the whole world because D-Dinky wished it?" Pure horror filled her. "O-oh no! Dinky needs to fix this." Dinky whispered, urgently, "Dinky needs to save that Mister too. Dinky needs to fix the whole world!" She peered into the her saddlebags. The gem from that Mister was still there.
There was only one thing she could do. Her mind ran faster than it had ever run before. No, her previous plan to get up to the tower would no longer work, not in the time she had. She'd need something faster, no matter the cost, no matter the risk.
Yes, that was the only way. Her little hooves tensed up. Cold fear chilled her heart at the thought. If she were caught carrying out such an impossible plan, it wouldn't be just a few days in the lockup, it'd be straight to the traitor's walk. Dare she risk it? She was just a little filly. All she really wanted was to finally break down and cry, to shut out the world with her own cries and tears, even for just a while.
But that was not an option. For all she knew she just broke the entire world with her wish. Now she had to fix it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXj0eH5E2RU
She raised her head. There was no more room for doubt. She broke into a gallop, running as fast as she could, scattering her ruined treats aside. She didn't spare the two bullies another look. She ran, she ran and she ran. She dove through crowds, wove in between legs, dashed under carts and stalls. She finally reached the end of the Hoofer district, an open-air gallery cut into the massive cliff overlooking the magnificent waterfall that gave the city its name, Neighara Falls. Here the open sky was visible, the perfect place for the fireworks display, hence the array of fireworks batteries and rainbow cannons lining the edge of the opening.
Without slowing down she reached into her saddlebags and pulled out one of the sparkler tube fireworks. She rammed it into the floor as she ran, allowing the friction to light it. It sparked to life, crackling furiously. Without another thought she dove under the fireworks batteries and began lighting them all as she ran along the entire gallery.
An explosive roar filled the air in her wake as the batteries of fireworks came alive, spitting rocket after blazing rocket into the air above the gallery. The fireworks erupted into fiery blossoms in the air, drawing the attention of everypony on the gallery, including the Felis guards.
Then, abandoning her sparkler as it burned out, she leapt atop a raised turret housing the last rainbow cannon at the end of the gallery. Satisfied nopony was watching her, she eyed the rainbow cannon's mechanisms. She had watched the ponies at the thunder forge work on these so she had some idea of how it worked. She began turning the handle to rotate the turret, aiming the cannon for the highest tower on the north side in the higher districts above.
"Hey, hoofer, what're you doing?!" A heated voice shouted behind her. Her heart threatened to leap into her head and erupt out of her ears. It was the guards! And she didn't have a disguise on either! But she had no time to freeze in fear. She turned another handle, raising the turret's snout, squinting as she aimed it for the tower.
"Get down from there! That's for lord Ahuizotl's celebration!" The voice barked angrily. Hurried footsteps approached, accompanied by the clatter of loose armour. "You're under arrest, hoofer! Get off that thing right now!"
Biting her lip, Dinky prayed. She wasn't sure who she was praying to, but she prayed anyway, prayed with all of her heart that this would work. She pulled her ears down against her head with her forehooves. She bit the trigger cord with her mouth. With one almighty tug of her head, she ripped the cord free.
A violent explosion rocked the turret platform. The deafening roar shook Dinky to the core, sending her rolling onto her side. She just about managed to spy out the Felis guards behind her, clutching their ears in agony as they fell to their knees. She aimed her gaze to the sky. What was left of her breath left her. The cannon had blasted a wave of rainbow light high up into the air in a graceful arc, right into the tower.
With the guards down, it was her chance. She rolled onto her hooves and leapt atop the cannon's muzzle, running up to its very lip where the rainbow began. Now was the moment of truth. She had overheard the lightning forge pegasi talk about how real unicorns can trot on rainbows as easily as any pegasus.
She looked down. Below her was a sheer drop straight into lake Neighara below. Well, now she got to find out if she was a real unicorn. She took a deep breath. She reached out with one forehoof and closed her eyes.
She took a step.
And another.
And then another.
She opened her eyes.
She did it. She was walking on rainbows. She gave a little squeal of excitement as she picked up her pace, breaking into a canter straight for the tower high above the city.
The guards below shouted something indistinct after her but she paid them no heed. They wouldn't be able to follow her up here. She was home free, at least for the time being. She allowed herself to revel in the feeling of the breeze against her mane, the fresh damp air of the falls in her chest and the sheer freedom of walking through the very sky.
"She's walking... on rainbows," the guardsfelis stared, dumbstruck. "That's... impossible." He gaped.
"You can tell her that. I don't think she knows," his fellow guard commented, nodding at the hoofer streetling bounding up the rainbow as if it was just another hillock.
"But she's just a teeny one," the guardsfelis argued. "I'm a caith-sidhe Felis; I know my magic. Only the most powerful of their unicorns can do that."
"Eh, doesn't matter." The more laid-back guard shrugged. "That rainbow will disappear in a while and there's no way down from that tower she's going to. We'll just wait here till the rainbow disappears. Either way, she's trapped."
"Huh, good thinking, boss," the caith sidhe felis said.
"Of course. That's why I'm the boss," the boss responded.
There was too much breeze. Dinky cowered against the fierce wind buffeting her about, threatening to blow her off the rainbow. She pressed her body against the shimmering band of colours as she scooted along slowly. Below her airships lazily drifted in and out through the gigantic crystal gates set into the mountain, the only entrance in and out of the Crystal Valley. Around the gates the magnificent Gate City of Neighara sprawled, gleaming in the dwindling sunset, surrounded by the roaring curtains of the Neighara Falls.
Immediately beneath her now was the Crystal District, the seat of Neighara city’s government. On its northernmost side, overlooking the entire city like a watchful sentry, was the tower. It was within a stone's throw now. She could even see a window she could jump through once she's close enough. Just a little more....
Her next step felt oddly loose. She blinked. She chanced a glance down.
The rainbow was slowly dissolving away. She could feel herself slowly sink through it.
Her heart raced again as she broke into another frenzied gallop. No, it was no longer time for half measures. She had to hoof it or lose it.
She galloped and galloped as fast as her little hooves would carry her. The tower seemed so far away through the veil of tears and sweat in her eyes. There was no way she'd make it! It was too far! She'll just fall down and...
....and nopony will save that poor Mister. Nopony will help Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Nopony will save the world.
She blinked the tears out of her eyes as she galloped on against the fierce wind, pushing her little hooves out against the rapidly disappearing rainbow. She had to make it. She had to. She wasn't alone anymore. She had others to fight for. And she will make it!
With one last desperate lunge she kicked off the last of the rainbow. She soared. The tower seemed to glide towards her. She gave a loud squeak of fear as the window came closer, and closer. She'll make it! Just another hoof! Just another inch!
She missed.
She slammed against the wall of the tower under the window. Stars exploded in her eyes from the impact. Her head reeled in pain. Her heart dropped into her stomach as she realized there would be nothing between her and her grave way down below.
This was it.
But what was this?
Her forehooves felt something. It felt like an edge; the window ledge! She held her breath as she struggled to tug herself up, her rearhooves scrambling against the wall to pull the rest of her body after her.
With one last scurry of her little hooves she pulled herself all the way through the window and into the dark, empty circular room beyond.
She lay for a while, panting for breath. Never had she exerted herself so, not even when running from the guards. She gave a few hiccups as she curled up into a trembling little ball. Relief and terror washed over her together, causing her to break into weak, weary little whimpers.
A strange heat against her withers caused her to almost jump. She looked down and noticed her saddlebag glowing an ominous yellow. She gave one last little whinny as she recalled why she was there. Yes, every minute mattered.
She pulled out the little yellow gem in her forehooves. She cast her eyes at the gathering twilight, looking for her prize. And then sure enough, it was there, streaking through the night sky trailing a brilliant golden glow, almost as if it were casting stars in its wake. The Dolphin Comet had come.
Dinky clutched the gem close against her chest and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath. She knew what she would wish for now. It was clear, clearer than ever. "Dinky's sorry, Dinky's sorry for what Dinky did. Please, Mr. Dolphin Comet, please grant Dinky's wish, just this once." She pleaded, fervently. "Dinky promises, Dinky promises Dinky will always always give anything Dinky has, that Dinky will work very very hard for anypony who needs Dinky's help, if you'll let Dinky be selfish with this one wish, just this once. Dinky wishes, Dinky really really wishes, for you to bring us the one who will save us all, the one who can save that poor Mister, who can save Ms. Diamond Tiara and Ms. Silver Spoon, save everypony, save all the world, so he can fix Dinky's mistake! Please, Mr. Dolphin Comet, please please please grant Dinky this one selfish wish."
She felt a warmth erupt forth from both her flanks. She opened her eyes and looked around. Both her flanks were bathed with a mysterious prismatic light. She gave a little squeak of fear as she fell back onto her rump, eyeing the strange glow with growing dread. Whatever had happened to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon was finally happening to her too. This must be her punishment for making that awful wish. She watched with pained resignation as the glow receded, leaving a mark on her flanks. It looked like fish, a pair of them, swimming around each other, sharing one circle.
Meanwhile, the gem in her forehooves grew warmer and warmer. Dinky gasped as it pulled away from her clutches, floating up into the air. The glow grew to a blinding glare. A flash of light erupted forth from it, bathing the entire room in its brilliant golden yellow glow.
"Activation command from Coordination Core Unit EQ-03, codename Crystal Heart, confirmed." A cool, almost sleepy female voice announced. "Coordination Core Unit EQ - 06, codename QT Heart, deactivating hibernation protocols." There was a loud yawn as the blinding light finally dissolved away.
Dinky finally dared open her eyes, blinking away the stars from the bright light. As her eyes readjusted to the darkness she just about spotted a figure lying on what looked like a circular bed that she was quite sure was not there when she arrived. The figure looked like a pony, specifically a pegasus judging by the wide wings sprawled on either side of her. Though she was also possibly a unicorn judging by her horn.
Dinky blinked. 'How is that possible,' she thought to herself with a frown. But what she found even more inexplicable was the loud snoring emanating from the odd creature.
"Hello?" She ventured.
"Mmm, another one hundred years." The strange creature murmured, sleepily.
"Um, Dinky is pretty sure Dinky can't come back in one hundred years," Dinky stated with uncertainty.
"A thousand then," the figure yawned, turning over.
"A-are you the one who's going to save us all?" Dinky asked, worriedly. Thus far, it didn't look very promising. But if anything, Dinky was at least hopeful.
The mysterious mare slowly raised her head off her bed. Dinky finally managed to get a good look at her. She was a creamy yellow mare, though slightly on the petite side for an adult. Her long, silky pink and magenta mane and tail lay tousled all around her. The strange mare eyed Dinky for a while, frowning as if considering her question. Then she looked at her left forehoof, then the other, mouth moving silently as if counting something. She then shifted her gaze to her tail, having run out of hooves to count on. She then straightened up, as if finally coming to a conclusion. "I don't know. Am I?" She asked, groggy exhaustion taking a brief respite. "I am certainly yellow now, maybe a creamy yellow. Oh, but I've always been a creamy yellow," she said in a lazy drawl.
"Let me look at my day planner." She reached out for a bedside table which Dinky was again sure wasn't there just a moment before. Atop it was a little black book and what looked like one of those clock things. "My day planner is... one thousand years late. I wonder why Crystal Heart didn't wake me up until now. I only went off for a little nap." She frowned. "She would normally be breaking my door down for this."
"Please, you need to hurry," Dinky pleaded a little more urgently. "A poor mister is about to die!"
"I see." The mare straightened up quickly, horn suddenly glowing bright. "Nopony dies needlessly in my city." She declared, eyes glowing a bright white. "Wait, there are no MiniHearts active in the city? Are they all slacking off again?" Said the one who had just taken a one thousand year nap. "Linking into citywide crystal grid instead. Ah..." She bit her lip. "If you meant this... this barbarism tainting my city square... then I'm afraid it's too late." She closed her eyes, looking away. "They're... they're done." As if punctuating her words, the night sky behind her lit up with a myriad of fireworks blossoming brilliantly in multitudes of colour against the gathering darkness.
The loud explosions outside drowned out the cries of anguish from the little filly. Everything, everything she had borne with her usual faint smile and silent perseverance, all simply spilled out all at once. She cried and she cried, her tears running free and unabated for the first time in a lifetime.
The mysterious mare seemed to hesitate, seemingly unsure of what to do. For a while she just sat, transfixed, as if the sudden outburst of emotion from the filly was the most alien thing she had ever seen. Then, finally, she reached out, patting Dinky awkwardly on the head. "I am sorry; I failed you. I failed this entire city." she whispered, sounding sincerely apologetic. "I have very little operating capacity. I have no Emperor to provide me with power. But I shall restore this city and flush out these barbarians, so help me Harmony," she growled.
"Then get to it," a voice at the other side of the room ordered.
Dinky quickly leapt onto her hooves, blinking away her tears as she eyed the robed figure stepping up from the shadows. The figure lowered her cowl to reveal a flaming sunset yellow and red mane topping a fiery yellow mare. A pair of brilliant sapphire eyes gleamed with fierce purpose as she cast her eyes on both the mysterious creamy yellow mare and Dinky herself. Dinky couldn't help but shrink away a little as the mare advanced with grim determination in her hoofsteps.
"You have your directives from Crystal Heart. You need to activate your summoning node," the robed mare said. "Tonight is the night. ’On the shortest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in his return, and he will bring about freedom eternal.’"
"Sunny, isn't it?" The creamy yellow one asked, eyeing the new arrival warily. "Crystal Heart told me about you in the directive she just gave me. But I can't help but question, what is it you plan to do by summoning the Crystal Emperor?"
"I don't have to answer your questions. You have a directive. Now execute it," the robed mare snapped, impatiently.
"Hmm. Very well. An Emperor would go a long way in helping me clear this city of these... barbaric interlopers." The creamy yellow one nodded. "This will consume what little energy reserves I have left. I shall have to resort to low-power functioning until the Emperor himself comes here."
"That's fine. We shall make recapturing the gate city our priority. Until then, do as Crystal Heart instructed. Send any information on major movement in and out of the Gate City to her. We need to know if Ahuizotl makes a move against us."
"Very well. Give her and my Emperor my regards," the creamy yellow one acquiesced. "Little one," she said, nodding at Dinky. "I thank you for waking me up. I admit the time of action is long overdue. I apologize that I was not able to save your friend. But I will now work to summon the one you ask for, the one who will save the world."
"Um, thank you, miss...." Dinky trailed off, unsure of who to call the mare.
"You may call me QT Heart. You have earned that right, little hero," the mare said. "I look forwards to our meeting again." She closed her eyes. "Directing all power to summoning nodes. Activating low-power mode." She gave a loud yawn, stretching a little, before curling up as if preparing to sleep. Her body gave out a soft, golden glow. Then, just as suddenly as she had reappeared, she disappeared into a shower of twinkling sparkles.
Dinky was frozen, dumbstruck. She didn't understand even a bit of what just happened. She ventured an apprehensive look over at the robed mare in the hopes of an answer or two. The robed mare, thankfully, didn't keep her waiting long. "So, you brought the directive crystal here, I see." Her eyes glared questioningly at Dinky. "What happened to Steel Hoof? That was his mission."
"You mean that Mister?" Dinky's head fell in answer. "He...he's..." She closed her eyes as a new wave of tears struck her. If only she had known, if only she was stronger, she would have saved him herself.
"I see." The mare nodded, trotting over to Dinky. "It's... uh, it's alright," she mumbled, awkwardly, placing an uncertain forehoof on Dinky's mane, in what was probably an effort to comfort her. "He... he was a good person. It's alright to cry for him, I suppose." She looked down at her own forehooves for a moment. "And you've achieved what he came here to do. You've summoned the Crystal Emperor for us. I'm sure he can rest in peace now," the mare nodded, mostly to herself.
"Dinky... Dinky doesn't understand." Dinky shook her head, sniffling gently. "Dinky doesn't understand anything."
"You don’t have to, at least for now," the mare said. "I will be taking you to see the Crystal Emperor, after all."
"The one who will save us?" Dinky asked, looking up at the strange mare's sapphire blue eyes. But her expression was strangely unreadable. "B-but, why does Dinky have to come?"
"You're marked," the mare said, simply, nodding at the mark on Dinky's flank.
"W-what does it mean?" Dinky asked, worriedly.
"It means you're not safe here. Not anymore," the mare stated, simply. "You will have to come with me if you wish to stay alive."
"Oh..." Dinky considered what it was she was leaving. Not much, admittedly, but it was everything she had ever known. Still, to finally meet the promised saviour, the very prospect made her feel at least a little excited. After all, she had made a promise with Mr. Dolphin Comet to help everypony in the world. What better way to achieve that than to help the one who will save the whole world?
Wait, weren't there two others she had to help? "Miss, there are two other fillies who are marked like me," she explained, quickly. "Are they in danger too?"
The mare gave her a grim look. "Yes, they will need to come with us." She nodded. "We can pick them up on our way out. We have a long journey ahead of us." She waved Dinky towards a door. "Lead the way."
Dinky gave a little nod as she led the way to the door. She took a deep breath, steadying herself. Until that day all she expected from the future was a loaf of haybread at the end of a long day’s work. Suddenly her life had become more uncertain than ever. But if there was one thing she could be certain about; it was that her wish had somehow, someway been granted.
The saviour of the world was on his way, and she would finally meet him.