My mother said she'd be staying for a couple of days, and she often insisted on watching Dinky while I was away. As much as I didn't want to go to work, my mother often persuaded me to do so.
"She's in good hooves, no need to worry." she told me, smiling with a wave of her hoof. Dinky slept peacefully in her little crib nearby, clutching her little doll tightly.
"I know, I just can't help but feel worried."
"It's tough for every mother, I can tell you that." she says. "but she'll be fine."
"You're right." I say, turning for the door. "But if she gets upset-"
"I know, the honey's in the cupboard."
"Or if she-"
"She's fine, Ditzy. You're acting exactly like I did when you were younger. But I can assure you, she'll be fine."
"Alright, thanks Mom," I say, giving her a squeeze. With a smile, I take one last glance at Dinky, a mixed feeling of relief as well as worry couldn't help but rise, but I eventually turn away.
When I decided to pay Ditzy a visit this afternoon, I didn't expect to find anyone else there other than her. She usually came home at around 2p.m. or so, sometimes earlier, depending on her route. But Instead, she wasn't there, rather, someone else.
"Why hello," the mare greeted, cradling Dinky in a free arm. The tiny unicorn smiled up at me and reached for me. I couldn't help but smile back. The mare looked like a near carbon copy of Ditzy, only her coat was lighter, her eyes were different, and had more of a long and golden mane.
"I apologize, " I say, "I was expecting Ditzy to be home. I wasn't aware she had company. Are you perhaps a sister of some sorts?" I ask. To my surprise, the mare chuckles.
"What a gentlecolt," she said after a round of chuckles. "I'm her mother." she explains. I was taken back. It was hard to believe such a thing, she looked as though she could've been an older sister rather than her mother.
"I apologize, Madam. I could've sworn you were her sister. You don't look a day over thirty." I say. She chuckles again.
"I guess it's safe to assume that you're Time Turner. Ditzy's told me so much about you! I was hoping I'd get to meet you in my visit, I guess that it's fate to have run into each other like this." she grinned. "Come in, Ditzy would never forgive me if I didn't invite you in."
"Thank you, Madam." I say, stepping past her. She closes the door behind me and leads me to the kitchen. Where she settles in her chair and pats the one across from her. "I'd love to chat for a bit before Ditzy comes home." she says. I smile and settle across from her, reaching across the table to tickle little Dinky's chin. Who giggles.
"Ditzy's never told me how much of a lovely mare you are," I say, "I can see where she gets it from."
"Oh, you are too much of a gentlecolt." The mare laughs. "I can see Ditzy's in good hooves."
"You think so, Madam?" I ask.
"Of course, with as much as she's told me about you, I'm sure you treat her nicely."
"It's my pleasure, Ditzy's such a wonderful mare. I imagine she was a joy to raise."
"You're right about that. Sure there were always a few incidents, but my Ditzy's always meant well. Such a shame she went through so much."
"Whatever do you mean?" I ask her. She senses the concern in my voice.
"She never told you?" she asks, her smile shrinking.
"Told me about what?" I ask, my voice trembles a bit from my fear for Dinky.
"Growing up, Ditzy's always had a few, problems with other ponies. As you could imagine, she was often bullied for her eyes, or her mistakes. But as much as she tried to hide it, she went through some difficult times. I can't tell you how many times she's come home, and I'd find her with a black eye. Or how I found new cuts around her forelegs before she left for school."
I tense up a bit. She did such a thing to herself? Are we talking about the same mare? Surely DItzy, such a bubbly mare didn't do such a thing, Ditzy, who walked away rather than yell at others who made fun of her.
"Then there was that one terrible night, when she didn't come home. I remember frantically running through the streets," her eyes became clouded, as though she was actually there rather than here. "I remember finding her in a dark alleyway, and some stallion was trying to...." her lip quivers as tears spring in her eyes, and she quickly tries to wipe them away. Careful jot to wake the now sleeping foal in her arms.
"You don't have to finish." I say.
"I stopped him of course, and poor Ditzy was never quite the same. Even after years, she's always been cautious with walking alone at night. She often glanced over her shoulder or looked in alleyways whenever she went out into the streets, a bit of a habit she developed.
"But then she came here, and she made some friends. As much as I hated that she was away, I knew she was happy here, even if that one part of her seemed to be missing." She glanced up, looking to me with a new intensity. "Until she found Dinky. Now she seems to be like her happy little self again. And you."
"Me?"
"Yes, you. You support her, defend her, help her, she trusts you. Can you please, please, please, help my Ditzy find happiness. After all the years of pain she's experienced, please help her to keep her happiness." she says.
"I will." I say. "Of course I will. Anything for Ditzy." She smiles, it was as though nothing had happened at all.
"You really are a good stallion." she chuckles. Resuming her casual state, she slowly rubbed Dinky on her back, who seemed to find comfort in the gesture. "I'm sorry to have been the one to tell you this. Especially all at once." She says.
"No need," I reply. "I'm glad that you told me."
"What exactly does such a handsome and charming stallion like you admire about her?" she asks.
"Well, I wouldn't consider myself that," I reply.
"Don't be so modest, you seem to be such a charming stallion. I'm just a bit curious about why you have an interest in her."
"Well," I begin. "I just have to admire her determination, her strength. Perhaps not physical, but I mean how she never breaks, how she's always doing her best to stay together, rather than breaking down. No matter what happens, she's always shown the bubbliest attitude, and the biggest and most beautiful smile on her face..." I stop myself, realizing how much I was talking at once.
"I apologize, I'm ranting, aren't I?"
"You don't need to apologize all of the time. I'm glad you told me. It's nice to know there's someone out there besides myself who can see the good and the beauty in her. Thank you Time Turner."
"My friends call me Doctor,"
"Why, you've got a degree in medicine or something?" she says, smirking and raising and eyebrow.
"Mostly because of my experiments," I say, smiling at the teasing. "But I can understand their point."
"So I guess that makes us friends, then." She says.
"So it does."
We both turn for the door just as it clicks open, and we hear the sound of hooves on the floor. "We're in here." She called out, I could tell that Ditzy was surprised, but she did eventually come in.
"Hey Mom, is Dinky with yo-" she stops once she sees me, and I notice how her saddlebags seemed to have something inside. I wonder what it could be. Perhaps a toy for Dinky. "Hello, Doctor, I didn't expect to see you here."
"Hello, Ditzy, you never told me just how lovely your mother is." I say.
"Oh, you." The mare says, smiling my way.
"I can't believe I forgot to introduce you two! Doctor, this is my mother, Dippy Doo, Mom, this is Time Turner. But I'm guessing you two already know a little about each other by now."
"You could say that." I reply.
"What exactly took you so long, Derpy?" Dippy asks, bringing Dinky closer to her.
"I wanted to make dinner for us, so I took the time to shop for a bit, and I found these." Ditzy reached in her saddlebags, and pushing past her ingredients, she pulled out a set of children's books.
"I can't believe it." her mother said. "These are the same stories I read to you," she said with a smile.
"I can't either, I figured Dinky would enjoy them, so I decided to buy them."
"These are perfect for her," I agree, looking through the titles. "I believe she's going to enjoy listening."
"I hope so." Ditzy says, walking over to the counter, where she set out her ingredients. "How rude of me, I never asked if you'd like to stay fir dinner Doc," she says.
I glance at the clock, 4:30, it reads. I don't have much else planned. "I'd love to." I reply. Ditzy flashes me her beautiful smile, and turns to the counter, where she takes out a pot.