Chapter 1
A young pale purple filly unicorn was laying on her belly beside the roasting fire of a lit fireplace to keep the cold winter air away from her. Her light yellow eyes which matched her mane were focused on the drawing in front of her, her horn glowing as she levitated the pencil gently moving it across the paper. Her mother a pegasus with a light grey coat with matching mane and eyes as herself was laying on their five year old brown couch with her hooves tucked under her body, watching her daughter lovingly.
“Have you done your homework yet, Dinky?” The mare asked.
The filly, Dinky, looked away from her drawing and smiled at her mother Derpy.
“Yes mum, I finished it all.” Dinky quickly responded before going back to her picture.
“Okay, I don't want you to get in trouble with Cheerilee for forgetting to do your homework again.” Derpy said worryingly.
“Miss Cheerilee didn't give us a lot to do today so I finished it when I got back from school!” Dinky said proudly hopping up onto her hooves.
Derpy put her front hooves on the ground as she stood up flaring her wings as she lowered her head to stretch her back.
“That's good.” Derpy mildly exclaimed extending the good until the end of her stretch.
Derpy brought her hind legs down to the ground and brought her head to below Dinky's flank and shuffled it under before she brought it up causing Dinky to slid onto Derpy's back.
“It's about time we go to bed Dinky, it's a busy day at the post office tomorrow and you have school.” Derpy announced as she trotted into the hall.
She went up the stairs to the first floor of their home. She lit a steel lamp with some matches resting on the same small table the lamp was, the table was outside a door on the left of the hall on the side away from the stairs. She then went down the hall to where there were two doors one straight ahead and the other ont he right of them which had an old picture stuck to the door which Dinky had drawn as a foal of Derpy and Dinky cuddling with "Dinky's room" written on it.. Right ahead of them was the bathroom which Derpy went into going to the sink as Dinky used her magic to float out a toothbrush and toothpaste, Derpy used her hoof to squeeze some toothpaste onto the toothbrush and then Dinky brushed her teeth before floating the toothbrush down to her mum as she used her magic to brush her mum's teeth too.
“Thank you Dinky” Derpy expressed with joy due to how good her daughter was getting with magic.
They both spat the toothpaste into the sink before getting some water from the tap to rinse their mouths out. Once they were all ready for bed Derpy headed into the hall. Dinky jumped off of Derpy landing in front of her, she turned around and wrapped her front hooves around Derpy nuzzling her muzzle into Derpy's cheek.
“Night mum.” Dinky uttered as she yawned.
“Night Dinky.” Derpy replied hugging her daughter back.
Dinky broke the hug and ran into her room closing the door behind her leaving it slightly ajar so some of the light from the hallway came into her room, Dinky would never admit it but she was a little scared of the dark. Derpy went back down the hallway to the door on the left and went inside closing the door behind her as she climbed into her bed in the dark snuggling up to her pillow. She thought about how much Dinky was growing, she was very proud about how well Dinky was turning out. Soon the veil of sleep had wrapped itself around Derpy and Dinky.
Dinky was laying on her belly asleep in her warn bed with a thick blue blanket and a dark blue quilt over her. She had her small hooves tucked under her pillow ever so slightly and her head turned to her right facing the window with her light yellow mane parted by her horn laying messily behind her. Rhythmic breathing and a small smile on her lips stated the peace she was currently feeling in her sleep. The outside breeze was slowly beginning to pick up. Dinky still warm and wrapped up in her bed slowly woke up from the tapping of a branch against her window being caused by the wind. Her yellow amber eyes slowly opened to see menacing shadows being cast by the moonlight and the moonlight alone into her room making the simple tapping of the branch look like a unicorn draped in black tapping its horn against her bedroom window from the inside. Sliding her quilt over her head she pulls her pillow down cuddling it in fright.
“Daddy.” Dinky called out with a whimper.
No pony replied to her then the sound of hooves hitting the wood floor in a trot could be heard from down the hall and echoed throughout the house. The door to her bedroom squeaks open, but daddy was not on the other side, Derpy coat stood on the other side. Derpy's tail was rather messy from just getting up but her mane looked the same as It always did being rather flat going down towards the ground. She crept into the room carefully stepping over left out drawings and toys going to the left side of the bed.
“Dinky, what's wrong?” Derpy asked with concern in her voice.
Derpy looked at the lump below the quilt and blanket. She bit the quilt a little down it to get the blanket too as she dragged both down to reveal Dinky with her head buried in her pillow which was a little bigger than her with her hind legs tucked up under herself pressed against the pillow by her belly and her tail being held by her front hooves on the opposite side of the blanket than her face was. Dinky slowly looked up to see her mother Derpy.
“Mummy...” Dinky whispered.
“It's okay.” Derpy replied in that tone only mothers had.
Derpy climbed onto Dinky's bed laying on her back with the back of her head against the headboard. She looked down at her daughter still looking concerned and scooped Dinky up with one hoof though the little filly was reluctant to let go of the pillow but did, as Dinky let go her tail was released from her hooves causing it to hit Derpy's left hind leg lightly. Dinky turned around hugging the chest of her mother and burying her head into it.
“I thought I saw a monster.” Dinky said muffled by her mother's chest.
Derpy brushed Dinky's mane out of her eyes and gave her a warm smile while she wrapped her front hooves around Dinky. The branch began to hit the window lighter and lighter as the wind settled back down to how it was while Dinky was asleep.
“there are no monsters here your daddy makes sure of that.” Derpy whispered as she thought about her husband who she loved.
Dinky nodded her head and relaxed a little in Derpy's hooves.
“Mum, can you tell me about Dad again?” Dinky asked resting her head on Derpy this time facing the left so she did not see the scary shadow near the window.
“Of course I can Dinky.” Derpy said letting out a yawn.
Derpy adjusted herself sliding down the bed a little to lay down. She moved the pillow Dinky was cuddling back to where it should have been and laid her head on it.
“Well I first met your dad when he started working for me at the post office. I was a little nervous since I did not know how well a Unicorn would do but he was very confident and memorised his route almost instantly and his first day went very well. We were very good friends for a while though that changed when.” Derpy was about to carry on when she was interrupted by Dinky.
“When you first realised you loved him?” Dinky asked curiously.
Derpy giggled a little and held Dinky a little closer, Derpy's warmth and scent relaxing Dinky, she had always thought that her mum was warmer than any blanket.
“Yes Dinky. He had been working for me for about four months now, the morning started the same as any other day but your dad didn't show up for work, he used to always tell me the day before if he thought he might have the day off for some reason but he didn't that day. So on my route I went to his house and knocked on the door to see how he is and there was no reply. I was very worried now, this wasn't like him so I couldn't help but think something had happened to him.” Derpy said trying to imitate a worried expression.
Dinky giggled at Derpy's attempt to look worried as Derpy was over exaggerating the look of worry.
“So after I finished the route and was putting my post saddle bag away who should come into the post office but him, before he could get a word out I just hugged him right where he stood.” Derpy hugged Dinky incredibly tight as she said this.
Dinky wiggled a little in the firm grasp, noticing Derpy relaxed the hug.
“Oh sorry, I hugged a little too hard.” Derpy said though a giggle.
“It's alright mum” Dinky replied nuzzling Derpy's chest.
“Anyway, he explained to me that he had gone to the hospital and just forgot to leave a note. After I finally broke the hug he asked me if I wanted to go have dinner and I said yes. We dated for about a year after that and well... On our one year anniversary of being a couple we went to the restaurant where we had our first date and, he offered me a ring which was on his horn and asked if I wanted to marry him. I said yes though he had forgotten in his preparations that I had no horn for the ring to go on. So that same night we went and bought a thin chained necklace and we just put it on that. I wore it everyday up to our wedding.
“Do you still have the ring mum?” Dinky asked.
“Of course I do, I keep it in a safe place though. Anyway we got married and soon Sparkler was born. She was a very talented Unicorn and once she was old enough she got in Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Your dad and I were very sad when she went to Canterlot but I was pregnant with you so I still had one of my children with me. Later the same year Sparkler started school in Canterlot you were born and I remember laying there in the hospital with you in my arms and your dad beside me and Sparkler laying on the bed beside me looking at her new sister. Everypony agreed you were a very cute foal and you have only gotten cuter.” Derpy said nuzzling the top of Dinky's head.
Dinky's cheeks got a little red.
“Mummm.” Dinky whined.
Derpy held Dinky a little tighter.
“And... you know the rest dear...” Derpy said her ears folding down a little in sorrow.
Dinky nodded understanding her mum's reluctance to talk about dad after her birth. Derpy looked a little down now.
“Mum, I think I am okay to sleep now.” Dinky said loosening her grip on Derpy.
“Oh, Alright dear.” Derpy said beginning to get up.
Derpy gently slid Dinky off of her laying her back onto the bed as Derpy got off the bed. Derpy once again used her mouth to grab the quilt and blanket to tuck Dinky in.
“Good night Dinky.” Derpy said with her mouth still holding the quilt and blanket.
Dinky settled down getting back in her usual position.
“Night mum.” Dinky whispered.
Derpy turned around to the door and trotted over to it taking one last glance at Dinky before quietly closing the door behind her as the echoing of hooves became quieter and quieter. Then the light from the lamp came back in, Derpy must of lit it on her way back to her room. Dinky was once again alone in her bed.
Derpy walked though her dark room towards the bedside cabinet which she knew the location was off by heart. Derpy felt around with her mouth until she felt metal against her teeth followed by a small clang, she held the metal object in her mouth and shook it waking up the Fireflies in it illuminating the room. Her old double bed she had ever since her husband moved in with her. Derpy looked at her bedside cabinet, atop the cabinet was a steel lantern with Fireflies fluttering franticly about it and beside the Firefly lantern was a wooden picture frame with a message carved into it.
“For my beautiful wife Derpy on our little Dinky's first day.” Derpy read it out under her breath lovingly.
Derpy picked up the frame with her hoof looking at the old picture of Derpy sat up in a hospital bed with Dinky as a foal asleep in her arms, beside Derpy was her husband standing beside the bed and Sparkler as a young filly was laying on the bed between the two of them, everypony apart from Dinky in the picture was smiling. It truly was one of the happiest days of her life. She placed the picture frame back down before opening the top draw in the bedside cabinet. The draw was barren apart from a golden horn ring around a chain necklace, the ring had a small diamond sat on the ring with a faint layer of dust over it. Derpy picked up the necklace hanging it over her hoof watching the light reflect off the ring as it swung gently, Derpy could feel her eyes welling up with tears.
“I miss you...” She simply admits with a small smile.
Derpy got on her bed as she placed the necklace over her head.
“But you gave me the two dearest ponies in my life and I see a bit of you in Sparkler and Dinky everyday.” Derpy whispered placing her front hooves on the ring.
She used her mouth to get the blanket over herself as she rested there in bed.
“I love you, always.” Derpy said with love clear in her voice.
Derpy closed her eyes finding herself falling back to sleep with a content smile on her face. It had been hard raising Sparkler and Dinky but she would not trade a single second with her fillies for anything in Equestria.
Dinky turned from side to side restless, her mind was stuck thinking about her dad. She had never known her dad as he died when she was only a couple months old and since then Derpy has been raising her alone. She turned her head and sighed, it really was not easy for Dinky everyday she would see her friend's dads picking them up when she... she wouldn't even know what her dad looked like if it was not for pictures. Dinky slid her pillow back down against her chest and belly burrowing her face in its soft fabric.
“I miss you daddy...” She said quietly as well as it being muffled by the pillow.
She clenched the pillow tighter.
“I'll never know your voice. It's not fair, why am I the only pony in school without a dad.” Dinky asked shaking lightly from sorrow.
Dinky closed her eyes wanting to pretend the faint warmth from her pillow which came from herself was her dad's.
“What did me and mum do to deserve losing you dad?” Dinky asked the void of silence which surrounded her.
There was no reply as she expected. Dinky was never told what happened to her dad and she always wondered why they kept it a secret from her, every time Dinky asked her mum she would change the subject. Dinky had a lot of questions she felt she deserved answers to; What had taken him from Equestria? What had decided she didn't deserve a dad? Who was to blame for it all? Dinky felt her warm salty tears dampen the pillow in front of her face, she curled up tighter wanting to calm herself down. Dinky would hold back her feelings about her dad but sometimes they would seep out and when they did they all came out, she just had to cry sometimes.
Dinky stayed curled up weeping quietly. She felt alone even though she could call out for her mum and Derpy would come to cradle her telling her it would be alright but it was not alright, it would never be alright since she would never get her dad back.
“It's true, I will never get you back...” Dinky muttered with a sniffle.
A small timid smile appeared on her face.
“But, you will always be there to protect me daddy, won't you?” she asked to the silence once more.
But this time she knew the answer. That he would always be her daddy and that he would always be watching over her. Her tears began to dry up as she wiped her eyes on the pillow. There was no more reason to cry, no matter how much she wanted him there was no chance of her ever being able to spend another day with her dad. Dinky closed her eyes once more, she may not know how her dad was but she knew that her mum loved him and that he loved the both of them.
Dinky rested in her bed letting herself calm down as her tears dried and her heartbeat returned to normal. Dinky got up out of her bed and closed her door causing the lamp's light to be trapped outside. Dinky got back in her bed and cuddled up to her pillow. She didn't have anything to fear in the dark, her daddy would make sure of that.