The Secret of Dinky's Father

by Mockingbirb

After All These Years

After Dinky fell asleep, somepony a few seats back stood up, and walked down the train's center aisle to stand beside Derpy. The stallion wore a long coat and a wide-brimmed hat, which cast a shadow across his face.

Derpy said, "I know it's you."

"I'm so sorry."

"I'll bet you are. We were so stupid to get drunk at that party."

"Don't blame yourself." Shining snorted. "I was the stupid one. I held the most beautiful mare in Equestria in my forelimbs, and I didn't know enough to hold on tight forever."

"I didn't really give you a chance. When I caught on that I'd...caught, I panicked and left town. I thought, I can give birth someplace where nopony knows me, and give her up for adoption. And then I can come back to Canterlot, and pretend like nothing ever happened."

Shining smiled, looking at the sleeping foal. "I can understand why you couldn't give her up."

Derpy nodded. "I couldn't. She was perfect and precious and so, so beautiful. She was the best thing in my life."

A tear ran down Shining's face. "I'm sure she is. I wish I could have helped raise her."

"YOU weren't even out of high school yet. It was...the wrong time. If we'd been more careful...but we weren't. By staying in school, you did the right thing. And it's not like I gave you a choice."

"I wish I'd known. I wish I'd had that choice."

Derpy gently poked him. "But look at you now. You became a shield mage, and a royal guardpony, and now you're a prince, married to an alicorn princess. Be honest. If you could go back and change everything, knowing what you know now, would you?"

"I have learned a few things, working in royal courts for years."

"HAVE you? Have you learned how to...be diplomatic? How to get what you want? How to say and do whatever it takes to be successful at court?"

"Ouch. That's not what I was thinking of. I was thinking, in all my time around Cadance, watching Cadance work, and being married to her myself...I've learned a lot about how to recognize true love. I can tell you and Dinky love each other so much." Shining smiled.

"It's about time you learned how to recognize true love. If a little late."

"I know I've learned a bit late. More than a bit late. But better late than never." Shining's smile turned serious. "I understand, now, that you truly loved me. Because of how you loved me, to protect what you saw as a responsible future for me, you chose to run away. You chose to give me up, and not even give me a choice in the matter. But now..."

"It's too late, Shiny."

"I know. Once upon a time, you loved me very much. And I really think I loved you too. But I can look at you now, and listen to your words, and I can tell you don't love me that way anymore."

Derpy snorted. "Once, I didn't know what went wrong back then. But I've learned. I've learned to make better choices."

Shining grinned. "You don't even have to tell me who he is."

Derpy shoved him, almost toppling Shining Armor over. "You knew?"

"I could guess. You don't seem the least bit lonely, not even in that way. After you and Dinky talked with us, Cadance told me she can feel you have a very special somepony back home. In Ponyville, I assume she meant."

"I do. He's a...time scientist. But if he could give me the chance to go back and change my past? I wouldn't change a thing. Somehow, when I look at how everything turned out, I feel like my past was perfect. Perfect for getting me where I am now. Perfect for helping me get wherever it is that I'm going. Wherever WE'RE going. Me and Dinky and Whooves."

Shining chuckled. "I never knew it could feel so good to get dumped twice in a row."

Derpy poked Shining again. "That's because you know you deserve it."

Dinky moved, making a small sound. "Mom? Who're you talking to?"

Derpy adjusted her wing around Dinky. "Just an old friend, Dinky. From a long time ago. Even before I had you."

"Wow," the filly said sleepily. "That IS a long time. What are the odds you'd happen to see each other on the train?"

Derpy stroked her daughter's mane. "He wasn't in Ponyville. So he had to be someplace else. This is someplace else."

Shiny whispered, "I should go."

Derpy nodded. With her free wing, she waved her prince goodbye.

Comments

[Bronycommander]

I see you got inspired by "What else could go wrong", eh?

[Mockingbirb]

10542010
The funny thing is, I'd never seen nor heard of that story. Then I created a fimfiction.net entry for "The Secret of Derpy's Father," and I saw the other story's summary in the "Similar" tab, and I said...buuuck. Even though I guess they're really rather different stories?

[Bronycommander]

10542051
Shall I give you the link?

[Mockingbirb]

10542054
I have very recently received the link from another source, thanks. For more about that, see my PM to you.

[Bronycommander]

10542072
okay