A Journey's End
Chapter 8
Twilight Sparkle opened her eyes as the glow of her teacher's sun bathed her in warmth. Rising up, she yawned and stretched out her stiff neck. Standing up on the bed, Twilight posted her fore hooves and extended her legs to stretch her back out. After her muscles were loose, Twilight became aware of her surroundings. A gentle snoring made her roll her eyes and then it hit her, snoring? Peering over the end of her bed, Twilight saw Spike snuggled up in his bed. Usually, the two woke together to get the day started.
"I told you not to stay out too late, Spike," she said with a smile. Twilight got out of bed and decided to let Spike sleep a little longer. The unicorn left her bedroom to get some breakfast. Descending the stairs into the main room of the library, Twilight stopped in her steps as she heard something coming from the kitchen. "That sounds like humming." Peering into the kitchen, Twilight Sparkle saw Dinky Doo at the table eat a bowl of cereal.
"Hm Hm Hm hm HM," Dinky chimed and swallowed. "My Little Pony," she continued while waving her hooves and magicing her spoon to conduct an orchestra. The filly dunked her spoon to get another bite and saw Twilight watching.
"Good Morning, Miss Twilight," Dinky said happily.
"Well, Good Morning, Dinky," Twilight responded. The two unicorns hugged each other and Twilight went to make herself some tea. "Did you make breakfast by yourself?" Dinky nodded and to another bite from her enchanted spoon. Twilight listened as the filly continued to hum and sing while she ate. "Feeling better, Dinky?"
"Yes I am," she said. "I'm not sad anymore. I feel all better."
"Really," Twilight said in trepidation. The older unicorn was puzzled how Dinky could be some happy, merely hours after she was an emotional wreck. "Dinky, are you sure you are ok?"
"Of course, Miss Twilight," Dinky took another bite of her breakfast and hummed along as she chewed. Twilight continued to watch the foal as she waited for the water to boil. The unicorn's mind was racing as she recalled everything she read about grief. Dinky was displaying no indicators of it, and it puzzled Twilight. "Well, what brought this about, Dinky?" Dinky swallowed the cereal mush in her mouth and wiped her mouth on her napkin.
"Mommy, helped me," Dinky said. Twilight nodded at the filly.
"Oh, you dreamt of Mommy?" the older unicorn asked.
"No, she visited me," Dinky quipped. Twilight pulled a double take and stared at the filly as her tea water began to whistle. Twilight stood frozen in shock. Regaining her train of thought, Twilight removed the tea pot from the heat source. Dinky took a final bite of her breakfast and gulped the milk from the bowl.
"W-W-What do you mean she visited you?" Twilight stammered. Dinky levitated her bowl and walked it over to the sink.
"Mommy AND Daddy came to visit me last night," she started. Twilight listened intently; sure that Dinky was only dreaming. "They told me not to be sad and be sweet self again." Twilight nodded as Dinky told her story. "And they told me they loved me and they'd be watching me. Oh, and Daddy told me to behave for you." Dinky appeared to be finished and Twilight was satisfied that the filly had been dreaming, it was only logical. Twilight pulled a chair over to the sink and Dinky hopped up to clean her bowl.
"Well, I'm glad to see that you are feeling better, Dinky," Twilight said. Convinced that Dinky's encounter was a dream, she played along to help finalize her healing process.
"Yea," she began. "It really helped when Mommy and Daddy tucked me in. Daddy even gave me my Luna doll." Twilight's eyes snapped open and her pupils dilated in shock.
"Your…doll?" the older unicorn stammered.
"Yes," Dinky said moving her bowl over to dry. The little unicorn hopped down from the chair and trotted happily to the main room. Before she left the kitchen, Dinky turned to Twilight. "I'm going to start unpacking everything you brought over Miss Twilight." Twilight froze in her state of disbelief. "Miss Twilight…" Dinky said to the stunned unicorn. After a moment Twilight regained her senses. "Are you ok Miss Twilight?"
"I'maa I'maa I'm OK, Dinky," she said. The filly tilted her head at her new caregiver in curiosity.
"You're just like Mommy," she giggled after moment. "She was silly too." Dinky walked away from the archway and made her way upstairs to her room. Twilight fixed her cup of tea and sat at her breakfast table. Her mind was racing like a hummingbird's wings.
"It's not possible! Scientifically unsound! Was it a hallucination?" were just some of the million questions in Twilight Sparkle's mind. Her eyes watched the steam rise from her tea.
"Twilight!" a voice called. She was snapped out of her thoughts and Spike stood in the kitchen with his friend. "Are you ok, Twilight? You're starting to act as odd as Pinkie Pie, and that's saying something."
"Spike, are you sure you didn't give Dinky her doll last night?" Twilight asked. Spike looked at her as he pulled out a hidden stash of topaz.
"Twilight, I tucked her into bed and left her," he started. "I didn't know she slept with her Luna doll, it was on the floor when I closed the door. I came down stairs and went through your check out and return paperwork. And then…" Spike trailed off and scratched head.
"Then what?" Twilight asked. Spike looked at her and shrugged his shoulders.
"I'm not sure," he said. "Next thing I remember was waking up in my bed. Wait…what are you getting at, Twilight?" Twilight sighed in defeat knowing she had no reasonable explanation.
"Last night," she started. "Dinky said her parents came to visit and comfort her." Spike looked at Twilight as if she had two heads. "My reaction exactly, Spike." The baby dragon's mind was trying to wrap itself around what his friend was saying.
"Her parents…" Spike said. Twilight nodded. "As in…their ghosts?"
"Yes," Twilight said. "And her father put her doll in her bed with Dinky."
"But that's not possible," he countered. "I mean there's no such thing as ghosts. She must have been dreaming last night like we talked about. And in her dream, her father gave her the toy when in reality; she used her magic in her sleep." Spike tossed a topaz in the air and caught it in his mouth with a crunch; satisfied she had appeased Twilight's concern. "Case closed."
"Uh, Spike," Twilight said. The baby dragon continued to chew his gemstone as she spoke. "I also had an encounter with Ditzy Doo last night." Spike spit his topaz out and started coughing at Twilight's statement. Using her magic, Twilight put a shield around herself to avoid being impaled by the shrapnel coming from Spike's mouth.
"What?" Spike exclaimed when he stopped coughing. "You saw Ditzy?!" Twilight nodded as she continued to tell Spike of her encounter. "Where?" he asked.
"It was on my way home from the reception," she started. "I stopped at the fountain in the middle of town to get a drink of water. After I took my drink, in the ripples, I didn't see my reflection. I saw Ditzy in the water."
"Are you sure?" Spike said in disbelief. "Could you have been mistaking? I mean it was dark outside. And you may still be in shock from watching Ditzy Doo get killed."
"That's what I thought, until she spoke to me," Twilight continued. Spike's jaw dropped and hung for a minute. When he regained his senses, Spike listened as Twilight finished. "She said, 'Thank you, Twilight,' and then disappeared."
"Please tell me you were drinking last night," Spike asked.
"Spike!" Twilight responded harshly. "This is serious, don't joke like that." A knock at the door brought Twilight and Spike out of their moment. Together, they went to answer it. Opening the door, Twilight and Spike were surprised to see their friends standing there.
"Hi, girls," Twilight said ushering them inside. "You're looking much better Rainbow Dash." Twilight noted that Rainbow's eyes were clear and beautiful again and her mane and coat shined.
"Yea, last night did me a lot of good," she said. "Everypony was talking and laughing, telling stories about Ditzy. And I found out a little more info about why she considered me a friend." Twilight and Spike invited the girls into the main room and Spike went to get more tea. "Turns out she never held it against me for calling her a feather brain and 'Derpy.' She knew I was only upset and a little stressed out."
"Of coarse she wouldn't hold it against you, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy said in her gentle tone. "Her heart was the purest of all."
"You ain't just whistling Dixie, girl," Applejack agreed.
"Who's Dixie, I thought we were talking about Ditzy," Pinkie began. "Unless…" Pinkie took a deep break, but found a white hoof shoved into her mouth.
"It's an expression, Pinkie," Rarity said. "No need to go off on a rant." Pinkie removed the white hoof from her mouth a little upset. She did not enjoy being hushed. Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight Sparkle and something just told her Twilight wasn't herself. She went over to her friend and put a hoof around Twilight's back.
"Everything ok, Twi?" Rainbow asked. Twilight was about to answer when Dinky came out of her room and down the stairs. On her back were the Dinky's saddlebags.
"Hi, everypony," she chimed. Dinky hummed along as she passed the group and placed her bags at the front door. "I'm unpacking my school stuff, Miss Twilight. I want to go back on Monday." Twilight nodded and Dinky quickly ran upstairs humming to herself again. Spike went back to the kitchen to finish his breakfast.
"Well," Rarity said. "She seems to have recovered, rather quickly." The girls all looked at each other. Twilight looked at the floor, still trying to make sense of Dinky's encounter.
"Um…Twilight?" Fluttershy asked.
"It doesn't make any sense…" she replied.
"What doesn't, Sugarcube?" Applejack added. Twilight looked at all of her friends before taking a deep breath.
"Dinky said she feeling better," she began.
"That's super duper!" Pinkie Pie interrupted.
"Pinkie!" Rainbow scolded.
"Sorry," the pink one said sheepishly.
"Please continue, Darling," Rarity finished.
"Well," she started. "Dinky said it was because her parents visited her last night."
"Like, in a dream?" Rainbow said. Twilight shook her head and her friends stood in disbelief. Rarity covered her mouth with her hoof, while Pinkie Pie sat with her mouth hanging.
"Oh…my," Fluttershy said. Applejack stood taking in what Twilight had said.
"Let me get this straight," Dash said. "The ghosts…of Dinky's parents came and visited her?"
"SOMETHING'S STRANGE IN MY NAAAY-BERHOOD!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Who we gonna call?"
"PINKIE!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "We really don't need your randomness right now."
"What?" Pinkie replied. "I was just thinking that we might need Zecora. If anypony knows about the spirits…" Pinkie paused in mid sentence and got a bewildered look in her eyes. "Uh-oh." Pinkie looked at the bottom of her hoof and walked over the mat at Twilight's front door. Quickly, she scratched her hoof on the mat.
"Are you alright, Pinkie?" Fluttershy asked.
"Yes-sir-e-bob, just my pinkie sense," she replied. "My hoof was itchy, that means a visitor is coming." Reaching up, Pinkie opened the door. There standing in the doorway with her hoof up to knock was Princess of the Night. Pinkie gave a quick bow, and the rest of the girls followed. "HI, Princess Luna."
"Oh, hello Pinkie Pie," the dark alicorn said. "Chipper as always I see." Pinkie smiled and ushered in the princess. "Hello, everypony." The girls bowed to their royal guest and Luna entered the house. Spike took this moment to rejoin the group after his breakfast was done. "Twilight Sparkle, I miss the beard of Starswirl." The girls laughed at the joke and Twilight spoke.
"What brings your to Ponyville, Princess?" she asked.
"Minor legalities," Luna responded turning to the other. "Would you please excuse myself and Twilight Sparkle, dear friends?"
"Absolutely, Princess," Applejack said. "Come on, y'all. Let's go finish helping the Cakes clean up from last night." The girls all bowed to the Princess and left the library. Spike went with the girls to give Twilight and the Princess privacy.
"How are you and the fair Dinky Doo?" Luna asked.
"She's fine, Princess," Twilight said. "I am the one who is losing her mind." Twilight turned and walked into the main room. With an exasperated sigh, Twilight sat down in front of her staircase.
"You seem vexed to some degree," Princess Luna said. "Pray tell, what is causing your strife?
"I am so confused," Twilight said. "Dinky said her parents came to visit her last night, even I had an encounter with Ditzy. But how can that be? They are gone. It's just so, so…"
"Twilight, Twilight, please," Luna said interrupting the rambling. "Calm yourself." Luna walked over to Twilight and sat down next to her. "Let your mind slow down. Now tell me, you say that both you and the child experienced an encounter from beyond the grave?" Twilight nodded.
"It just doesn't make sense, Princess," she started. The Princess arched one of her eyebrows as she saw Twilight begin to twitch and get a lost look in her eyes. "I mean, I may be a unicorn capable of magic, but I am also a pony of science. It's not scientifically possible for ghosts to exist. Theories do abound to try to explain their possible causes. I can't…"
"TWILIGHT SPARKLE!"Luna boomed. The sudden explosion of sound snapped Twilight back into focus. The boom of the voice also caught the attention of Dinky, who gasped in awe when she spied the visitor from her bedroom door. "Forgive me for resorting to the Royal Canterlot Voice, but you mind is a tempest sea. As I said calm your mind." Twilight took a few breaths to calm down and Luna continued. "I know you are a pony of science and it may cause conflict at times with the mysterious nature of magic. But such visits are not unheard of." Twilight listened intently as Luna spoke. "As the Princess of the Night, I am more in tune with the mysteries of Equestria, and there is nothing more mysterious than that of the spirits, and beyond the grave. But regardless of the logic at hand, you cannot argue with the results." Luna's eyes shifted up and caught the filly spying on them. "Isn't that right, Dinky Doo?" The filly walked over to the edge and nodded. Luna beckoned her to come downstairs, Dinky complied and stood by Luna.
"Hello, Princess," Dinky said with a bow. Luna smiled and put her hoof around the unicorn. Dinky giggled as Luna bent down and nuzzled her young subject, drawing an equal giggle from the ruler.
"You see, Twilight," she began. "The cause may not make sense, but the effect is grand. I beseech you; do not dwell on the issue." Twilight watched as Dinky smiled and bolted to her room.
"You're right, Princess," she sighed. "As long as Dinky is happy again, it doesn't matter how or why. Oh, you said you had some legality to discuss with me?"
"Oh, indeed I do," Luna said. "Guard!" she called towards the door. The door opened and one of Princess Luna's guards came into the library. The cat-like eyes and bat wings made him an imposing figure. Under his wing was a piece of parchment, which was given to Luna. "Thank you, dismissed." The guard bowed and returned to his post outside. Luna unfurled the document and presented it to Twilight. "This document states that you, Twilight Sparkle, will become the legal guardian and master to Dinky Doo. And she will become your magical apprentice. All I need is your signature to finalize it." Twilight looked over the document with scrutiny. Dinky picked now to come back downstairs with her Luna doll floating with her. Dinky grasped it and showed it to Luna.
"Oh my," she sighed. "What a charming little doll."
"Mommy had it made special for me after you visited on Nightmare Night," Dinky said.
"I recall that night," Luna said taking the doll in her hooves. "You were dressed as a…guardian of fire." Dinky looked at the Princess a little confused.
"I was a firefighter, Princess," she said.
"Ah, forgive me. I still have some difficulty with modern vernacular," Luna said returning the doll. She was genuinely touched to see the love her young subject had for her. Twilight finished looking over the document and levitated a quill to her. With a smile, Twilight smiled as she signed the document. Luna took the document and quickly looked it over. "Everything is order, Twilight Sparkle," Luna said with a smile.
"What's that paper, Princess?" Dinky asked. Luna turned to her young subject and showed her the parchment.
"This paper is to show the courts that Twilight Sparkle will be taking care of you from now on," she started. Dinky looked from the paper to Luna as she spoke. "It also says that Twilight will be teaching you all she knows about magic. Twilight agreed to this because she wants to make sure you are alright." Dinky looked back at the paper and over to her new guardian. Twilight was smiling warmly at the filly.
"So, Miss Twilight is my new mommy?" Dinky asked Luna. A tear came to Twilight's eye at the idea that Dinky would consider her in such a way. Luna noted the touching moment and continued.
"In the eyes of the law, she'll be your new mommy," she said. "But if you wish to address Twilight as such, that is up to you." Dinky scratched her head with her hoof, thinking about what the alicorn was saying. Unsure of what to think, Dinky clutched her doll, and looked at Twilight. Luna rolled up the document, and took a final look at the Dinky, and her doll. "It might be best for the two of you to discuss that matter on your own. And I must return to Canterlot, Top Shelf's hearing is scheduled for tonight. As the head of the judiciary system, I must prepare. Good Day to both of you." Twilight bowed to Luna and she left. Dinky remained at the base of the stairs with her doll. Twilight walked over to her and sat down with the filly.
"New mommy?" Dinky said. Twilight hugged the filly, feeling the reservation coming from her.
"That's only if you want, Dinky," Twilight said. Dinky looked up at Twilight and shook her head. "I understand, Sweetie. But you can just call me Twilight if you want to." Twilight's heart sank a little and she tucked her ears.
"I'm sorry, but Mommy was the best mommy ever," Dinky replied and the two broke the hug. Twilight let a tear fall. Deep inside, she loved the idea of Dinky calling her that. "I can't call you or anypony else 'Mommy.' But…" Twilight perked up and looked Dinky right in the eye. Dinky cuddled up to Twilight and hugged her. "I can call you 'Mom' instead." Twilight smiled and let more tears fall as she embraced the filly. Dinky cried a few tears of joy in this embrace. Twilight bent her head down and gave her new daughter a quick kiss on the forehead. The two got up and went over to a podium. "What are we going to do, Mom?" Twilight's heart filled with joy as she heard her new title.
"We're going to send a letter to Princess Celestia," she said. Dinky watched as Twilight levitated a quill and began writing. "Dear Princess Celestia," Twilight spoke as she wrote. "It is with immense joy that I inform you that Dinky's sadness has departed her. I found her this morning singing and playing, I feel that we need not worry about her any longer. Although I was unsure of her truly being healed, recent events have convinced me otherwise. I learned that the love you feel for the ones you care about will always be with you. And that love will always be there to heal you if you need, sometimes in ways that just cannot be explained. But just because it seems beyond explanation, doesn't mean it is any less effective. Even if the explanation comes from beyond the grave. How is that, Dinky?" The little unicorn smiled and nodded at the older one. Twilight turned back to the letter. "Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle." Twilight floated the quill to Dinky and she took it in her own magic.
"And Dinky Doo," Dinky wrote and spoke. Dinky put the quill back into the ink well. Twilight left the letter where they were and Dinky ran over to get her doll.
"Let's finish unpacking, Dinky," Twilight said walked over to her new protégé and daughter. "And we can play together all weekend before you go back to school."
"YAY!" Dinky yelled. She picked up her doll with her magic and ran up the stairs. Twilight giggled and followed after Dinky. As Twilight passed the window in her loft, she stopped. Something had caught her eye. Approaching the window, Twilight could make out the figure. It was Ditzy again, smiling at the unicorn. Twilight looked at Ditzy and smiled right back. "MOM, hurry up."
"Coming, Sweetie," Twilight called taking one last look at the window. Ditzy had disappeared. "I promise, Ditzy. I'll love her like she was my own." Twilight left the window and entered Dinky's room. Together, they unpacked all of the boxes not only as master and apprentice; but as mother and daughter.