Dinky Daybreak was in love with George Spencer. Not literally, but figuratively, as she was a unicorn filly from Equestria and he was the manager of Chelsea Football Club. But she was definitely in love with the style of football his side played.
Since being placed with foster parents in the town of Coltsborough, she'd turned to football to try and help cope. That was simple enough, as The Beautiful Game was highly popular in Equestria, and Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar, Mbappé, Pogba, Kane and Salah were all household names even literally a world apart. In addition, her foster parents supported Newcastle. But Newcastle, to put things politely, were appalling, losing their opening seven matches before finally picking up a point away to Aston Villa. In contrast, Dinky would sit, enthralled, in front of the Sunday morning repeat of The Premier League Show as Chelsea passed the ball around, going forward every time they won possession back, with a core of young English talent, comprising of striker Tammy Abraham, midfield prodigy Mason Mount, versatile centre-back Fikayo Tomori (who quickly earned himself a starting place in the England first team) and attacking full-back Reece James.
Dinky became fully enraptured when Chelsea travelled to the Emirates Stadium late in September. The Tiki-Taka style that they put into practice left Arsenal struggling to keep up, and a brace from Tammy Abraham and a header from Willian helped them to a 3-2 win and cemented Abraham's place as Dinky's favourite player. Fikayo Tomori then scored his first goal for the club in a routine 2-0 win over Burnley, before a 3-1 win at Leicester saw Chelsea go top of the league. They would stay there until a 2-0 defeat at Anfield a couple of weeks later, after which Manchester City retook top spot and never looked back. That would be compounded by the first real rift between Dinky and her foster parents.
"How long has this been going on for?" her foster mother asked, referring to the postcards that Derpy sent Dinky each day.
"Since I arrived," Dinky replied, "Look, it's not a big deal, I-"
"But it is a big deal," her foster mother said, "How can you adjust to living with us if you keep clinging to the past? You're part of this family now, that's why you have our name."
She paused.
"I'm sorry, but this is where it ends. You can keep the ones you already have, but we'll be taking any that arrive from now on."
"She's right," her foster father added, "Chelsea haven't been moping over Hazard, they've made do with what they've got. It's time for you to do the same."
Dinky went to bed that night very unhappy. First they'd changed her name, and now they'd taken the only contact she'd had with her mother. The only thing she could cling onto now was Chelsea, whose next game was against Newcastle - and which her foster parents had unknowingly turned into a proxy war.
Saturday arrived, and so did the visit of Newcastle United to Stamford Bridge. Dinky, to her dismay, found herself surrounded by members of Toon Army Equestria in the social club on Station Road as the match was being shown live, although she was delighted to see James, Tomori, Mount, Hudson-Odoi and Abraham all in the starting eleven. Virtually everyone expected an easy Chelsea victory as the Blues looked to bounce back from what Kick Off, Equestria's primary Football commentator, called "That Anfield debacle". They were right.
Barely three minutes into the match, Italian full-back Emerson Palmieri received the ball from Hudson-Odoi and fired it into the net off the post. Emerson then turned provider in the 8th minute, setting up Tammy Abraham to head home from point-blank range.
There was only one team in it, and in the 27th minute Emerson and Abraham combined yet again, with Abraham planting another header into the net from the edge of the six yard box. Down in the dugout, Steve Bruce was serenaded with a chorus of "You're getting sacked in the morning" as the hosts showed no signs of letting up.
Newcastle tried to put up a fight, and midway through the second half, they pulled a goal back through a header from on-loan Tottenham wingback Danny Rose. Chelsea, however, took it as a personal affront, and restored their three goal cushion almost immediately as American winger Christian Pulisic turned another Emerson cross into the net. They still weren't finished, and with eleven minutes to go, a free kick from Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic found Abraham, who once again headed home to complete the rout and score his first Premier League hat-trick. It could have been more, but VAR had saved Newcastle from further humiliation by disallowing goals from N'Golo Kanté and Jorginho.
Chelsea comfortably topped their Champions League group before sweeping high-flying Norwich aside at Carrow Road, but December proved to be rocky, beginning with defeats at the Etihad, where Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling put leaders Man City in control before Hudson-Odoi headed in a stoppage time consolation, and at home to Wolves, which was nothing short of shambolic. Victories away to an under-performing Tottenham and at home to Manchester United in the Carabao Cup brightened things, but draws at home to Man Utd and away to Brighton saw Chelsea drop to third, twelve points off Manchester City. The FA Cup saw Chelsea once again face Newcastle and once again the Blues swept their opponents aside in a 3-0 win, with Reece James scoring again.
"Have you heard, Dinky?"
"Heard what?" Dinky asked, as an excited-looking colt joined her and their group of friends on their way to the school canteen on the first day back.
"I was walking past the staff room and I heard the radio, and-"
"Just get to the point." Another of their friends said.
"Jadon Sancho is coming to Chelsea."
"Rubbish!"
"No way."
"Dortmund will never sell-"
"They have to," the colt continued, "They've activated his minimum fee release clause. And they were saying that he's very keen to make the deal happen."
Jadon Sancho duly signed on the dotted line and made his debut in a 1-0 victory over Arsenal before getting his first goal in a 5-0 win over Leicester. Chelsea then held their nerve to defeat Arsenal on penalties in the Carabao Cup semi final over 8 rounds of kicks and set up a meeting with Everton at Wembley.
"...send her victorious,
Happy and Glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God save the Queen!"
Dinky tried to banish the butterflies in her stomach as Katherine Jenkins finished singing the English national anthem at Wembley. In the run up to the match, Chelsea had won all three of their league games in February, including a 6-2 win at Bramall Lane, but Everton sat sixth in the table and were under the management of wily Italian Carlo Ancelotti. In addition, Chelsea had lost 1-0 to Benfica in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie.
"...and this is how Chelsea line up," Kick Off said, "It's Kepa Arrizabalaga in goal, with James coming in for the suspended Azpilicueta in a back four with Rüdiger, Zouma and Emerson. In midfield, Kanté and Kovacic sit behind Mason Mount, with a front three of Pulisic, Abraham and Sancho."
Kick Off then ran through the Everton team, which included England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and former Arsenal winger Alex Iwobi, before the match got underway. Chelsea made all the early running, but failed to convert their chances and Everton managed to bring the pendulum back into the middle as the match passed the 20-minute mark.
"Now Kanté, looking to get forward with it," Kick Off said, "But he's brought down by Delph, and it's a free kick to Chelsea. Doesn't look like it's in scoring range, so it's going to be Kovacic to take it. Kovacic sends it into the box, and Rüdiger's there! Pickford was rooted to the spot, and Antonio Rüdiger makes it first blood to Chelsea here at Wembley!"
"Wish I could have been there today," Dinky thought, as she scanned the TV screen for the sight of one of her school friends - the same one who'd told her about Jadon Sancho - who had a season ticket and was in attendance.
"Richarlison now," Kick Off said around ten minutes later, "And he goes down, it's a free kick to Everton, and it's also a yellow card for Zouma. 30 yards from goal, slightly left of centre, it's Lucas Digne to take...and Digne scores! A wonderful free kick which Digne curled around the wall, Kepa had no chance of stopping it, and Everton are level!"
Both Chelsea and Everton had chances before half time, with Pickford producing saves to deny James, Mount and Abraham in the final minutes of the half, but half time arrived with the teams all square. It would be just two second half minutes before the deadlock was broken.
"Mina plays it back to Pickford," Kick Off said, "Pickford's on the edge of the area, looking for a player to pass to, oh, but he's lost it! Abraham, will score, does! A howler there by Pickford, he spent far too much time on the ball, and Tammy Abraham caught him cold! Abraham will surely not score an easier goal in his career, and Chelsea lead again!"
That goal set the scene for the second half, as Chelsea dominated, despite the introduction of former Arsenal winger Theo Walcott for Richarlison as the match entered its final fifteen minutes.
"Willian with the cross," Kick Off said, "Keane heads it behind, corner to Chelsea. Emerson goes across to take it. Both Rüdiger and Zouma are up there. Emerson goes for the far post, Abraham's got in behind Sigurdsson, and Abraham has surely won it! Barely a minute left, Chelsea lead 3-1, and surely now there is no way back for Everton!"
Sure enough, the final whistle blew minutes later, giving Chelsea the first silverware of the season (the UEFA Super Cup, which Chelsea had also won thanks to Tammy Abraham pouncing on a mistake from Virgil Van Dijk of all people, generally not being counted). The Chelsea team, led by Cesar Azpilicueta, lifted the trophy, before the players and managers were interviewed. Seamus Coleman, Carlo Ancelotti and Tammy Abraham all gave interviews, but Dinky paid special attention to George Spencer when he was approached.
"Well, if you look at the start of the season," he said, "I don't think anyone expected anything of us. We'd lost Hazard to Real Madrid, we were under a transfer ban, quite a few people probably thought we'd be sixth or seventh by this point. But you saw it with the Super Cup back in August; if they say something isn't possible, then they're setting themselves up to be proven wrong. If you put your mind to it, you can do anything."
"And obviously, your team will be in a celebratory mood this evening, are you planning any celebrations?"
"I'll be letting the lads have a beer or two this evening to celebrate, but obviously we've got to prepare for Sheffield United in the FA Cup on Wednesday…"
Dinky lay in bed later that night, replaying the match in her head. There was something about George Spencer's words which made her think.
"I'm afraid that it's not possible for you to see your mother again. We don't think it would be safe."
"You're Dinky Daybreak now. Cherish your new name instead of living in the past."
"If they say something isn't possible, they're setting themselves up to be proven wrong."
"Oh, and Chambers has been caught napping, and Abraham's in here! Abraham will surely score, and Chelsea lead 3-1 here at the Emirates!"
"Kovacic with the free kick. Header by Tomori...who opens the scoring and his Chelsea account!"
"Long ball from Kanté finds James in the area, Schmeichel is stranded, and Reece James has his first Chelsea goal! Chelsea are surely now heading to the top of the league!"
"Hudson-Odoi with the cross. James with a first time shot...and it's in! Chelsea three, Newcastle nil, and that's the best of the bunch!"
"Abraham dribbles past Morgan, he's one-on-one with Schmeichel, this could be five...it is five!"
"If you put your mind to it, you can do anything."
Dinky sat up in bed, as the last quote played over and over in her head.
"He's right," she thought to herself, "Why should I let them decide who I can and can't live with? I'm not a footballer who they can transfer as they see fit."
She paused, briefly wondering why the Real Madrid anthem was playing in her head, but still letting it rise to a crescendo.
"I'll see you again, Mommy," she thought, "I don't know how just yet, but I will."
A/N: I remember a fic called "Derpy on Trial" which followed on from "Today, Tomorrow and Forever" and featured the Foal Protection Agency trying to fit Derpy up for foalnapping after Dinky ran back to Ponyville. The author, IIRC, abandoned it just before Twilight Sparkle was about to put them on a hiding to nothing.
I thought I'd do my own take on the concept, in a semi-crossover with my FM20 save. The character Kick Off is based on the BBC commentator Jonathan Pearce.
Things might be starting slowly, but the first few chapters cover Dinky and how her decisions and actions, as well as the actions of other people and ponies, shape consecutive events. The M rating will come into play for some coarse language further down the line.
And finally, the Real Madrid anthem can be found here: watch?v=6dhHFo6oeF4