Everyone knows the classic tale: the Three Bears leave to let their porridge cool, the naive little filly Goldilocks comes in, she does porridge. Hijinks, as the saying goes, shall thus ensue.

Dinky's got a little more behind her "re-imagining" than that, though. Her mind stands trial. Can she outwit the grim judge (big sister Amethyst)? Can she appeal to the all-loving jury (Derpy, walking disaster zone and friend of insurance sellers everywhere)?

Or will she find the chair to be much too hot? And not "just right" at all?

So once again the day is saved. Literally. In this case, by that new unicorn who came into Ponyville and fought Nightmare Moon, the nightmare that would never end (until it did).

They say this unicorn is strange. They say she's a princess and a witch, who lurks in dark libraries and tames mighty dragons.

Well, Dinky knows that's bunkum, but who cares? She's never turned down a quest, not with her Sisterhooves Sisters in tow.

What a team they are too: Odd Job, carrot-farming sister and cosmic punching bag; Apple Bloom, who's got the heart of an apple (and the imagination to match); Alula, the pegasus who couldn't be more pegasus if she tried (harder); and Piña Colada, who's what you get as a sort of add-on if you seek out Berry Punch's beverages.

Together, they will bravely and nobly discuss over drinks what to do about this new hero in their midst, and see if they can fit her into their usual playtime. After all, it wouldn't be much of a quest if it wasn't dangerous. Twilight will just have to take her chances.

Golden Harvest very much likes to think of herself as the sensible mare of the earth. She's certainly not one for breaking a perfectly good daily routine: give Dinky a hot meal, take care of the carrots, try to remember when she last had lunch...

Unfortunately, it's Nightmare Night coming up, and she's going through one of the least productive (and therefore least profitable) months of the year. So of course Derpy takes the chance to ask her for help with something she should've done last week. And yes, she does need it ready for tonight, and no, she has no idea how to actually go about it.

However, Derpy is a mare on a mission, a pony with a plan. And there's nothing more terrifying than that, even on Nightmare Night.

This story is a sequel to Impossible Numbers' Flashfic Anthology, Volume Two

Careless talk costs life lessons, as Amethyst finds out when confronted with the insatiably curious mind of Dinky.

Genres: Comedy, Slice of Life
Prompt: "The Most Important Things"
Original Source: https://www.fimfiction.net/group/212112/flashfic/thread/368072/closed-flashfic-150-august-2018-the-most-important-things#comment/6531432

Fluttershy takes dedication of her animal friends to a whole new realm. A posthumous one, to be precise. Rainbow Dash is curious enough to find out more.

Genres: Drama, Slice of Life
Prompt: "Dead or Alive"
Original Source: https://www.fimfiction.net/group/212112/flashfic/thread/375831/closed-flashfic-150-october-2018-dead-or-alive#comment/6607215

Take the Cutie Mark Crusaders, add a broken cookie jar, and what do you get? A headache, as Applejack inevitably finds out.

Genres: Comedy, Slice of Life
Prompt: "I Didn't Do It!"
Original Source: https://www.fimfiction.net/group/212112/flashfic/thread/383925/flashfic-150-december-2018-i-didnt-do-it#comment/6689983

Fluttershy knows that sometimes, you learn the secret of flash bee diplomacy from ancient legends and patient detective work. Rainbow Dash knows that sometimes, you just wing it.

Genres: Comedy
Prompt: "Honesty Ain't the Best Policy"
Original Source: https://www.fimfiction.net/group/212112/flashfic/thread/387339/flashfic-150-january-2019-honesty-aint-the-best-policy#comment/6730141

Zecora receives a rude awakening when a midnight thief decides to dig up some ancient history.

Genres: Drama
Prompt: "Hidden Motives"
Original Source: https://www.fimfiction.net/group/212112/flashfic/thread/390888/flashfic-150-february-2019-hidden-motives#comment/6754980

Octavia Melody finds herself in the unexpected position of convincing Lyra Heartstrings of the existence of mixed genres, such as Dubstep Cello. It requires a most unorthodox detour through past seasons.

Genres: Comedy, Random, Slice of Life
Prompt: "I Was Blind, (But Now I See)"
Original Source: https://www.fimfiction.net/group/212112/flashfic/thread/394488/flashfic-150-march-2019-i-was-blind-but-now-i-see#comment/6782038

The no-nonsense, highly organized Amethyst has to come to terms with an uncomfortable fact: this bumbling, chaotic, well-intentioned pegasus has had a far more interesting life than hers.

Genres: Slice of Life
Prompt: "The Last Thing on the List"
Original Source: https://www.fimfiction.net/group/212112/flashfic/thread/397877/flashfic-150-april-2019-the-last-thing-on-the-list#comment/6829897

This story is a sequel to Impossible Numbers' Flashfic Anthology, Volume One

Twinkleshine simply wants to bask in the untarnished glory of the heavens with her best friend Minuette. Is that too much to ask!?

Genres: Slice of Life, Comedy
Prompt: "A Lovely Night, Ruined"
Original Source: https://www.fimfiction.net/group/212112/flashfic/thread/349811/closed-flashfic-150-february-2018-a-lovely-night-ruined#comment/6309117

Despite being sisters, Dinky and Amethyst are as different as rocks and hearts. One must live as her own mare and not as a patronized child; the other just stifles her. But what will Dinky learn once she leaves home for her own life?

Genres: Drama, Bittersweet
Prompt: "What You Leave Behind"
Original Source: https://www.fimfiction.net/group/212112/flashfic/thread/352754/closed-flashfic-150-march-2018-what-you-leave-behind#comment/6339368
N.B. Since the original version received substantial criticism, this version has been updated accordingly, to meet that criticism without fundamentally changing the spirit of the original text.

From humble beginnings, Lyra Heartstrings just wants to make her parents proud when she finally makes it to Canterlot.

Genres: Drama, Slice of Life
Prompt: "Waiting Time"
Original Source: https://www.fimfiction.net/group/212112/flashfic/thread/308613/flashfic-150-open-practice-thread-prompt-waiting-time#comment/6365448

Minuette takes part in the Advanced Chronology course. Twinkleshine takes a moment to find out what that entails, and soon regrets it.

Genres: Comedy, Slice of Life
Prompt: "No Time Like the Present"
Original Source: https://www.fimfiction.net/group/212112/flashfic/thread/355571/closed-flashfic-150-april-2018-no-time-like-the-present#comment/6380855

Somnambula longs for the grand gardens of her forsaken past. So, against all common sense, she hires the Flower Trio to make a new one.

Genre: Comedy
Prompt: "Kindness and a Garden"
Original Source: https://www.fimfiction.net/group/212112/flashfic/thread/359312/closed-flashfic-150-may-2018-kindness-and-a-garden#comment/6418894
N.B. Similar to Outclassed above, this entry has been edited in order to meet the criticisms of the original.

Twilight wants Applejack and Fluttershy to tell her honestly what they think of her latest friendship-teaching tool.

Genre: Slice of Life, Comedy
Prompt: "Now We're Friends"
Original Source: https://www.fimfiction.net/group/212112/flashfic/thread/363089/closed-flashfic-150-june-2018-now-were-friends#comment/6466140

When Dinky recruits a living Pillar of Friendship for her history project, Somnambula is asked to relate what life a thousand years ago was like.

Genre: Drama, Comedy
Prompt: "What were you thinking?"
Original Source: https://www.fimfiction.net/group/212112/flashfic/thread/365346/flashfic-150-july-2018-what-were-you-thinking#comment/6494074

“Why do we get gifts every year?” said Dinky. “For Hearth’s Warming, I mean.”

This seems an easy enough question, but Ruby Pinch never had it easy. Trying to find out the real reason for all this gift-giving, she confronts the odd bond between the energetic Dinky and the reserved Amethyst, the simple-minded approach of her hapless cousin Piña Colada, and, on top of that, her beloved "Auntie" Berry, who's a confusing trial all on her own.

And then there's Ruby herself. For, sensible young mare as she thinks she is, she has her own growing mistrust of the answers she seems to be getting. Especially when it comes time to find her own gift.

Proofreading provided by Sunset_Sparkles of The Proofreader Group.

Inspired by, but not involved in, The Obselescence Memorial Jinglemas Twinglemas Secret Santa Sendoff: Part 2 Edition!

Dinky the Discoverer gets it into her head that the world needs a scientific study of cuddling, embracing, snuggling, and all that good wholesome stuff that makes life truly worth living.

Unfortunately for Golden Harvest, who needs the time to prepare for an important festival, this isn't a joke. Fortunately for Derpy, this is a golden opportunity to prove she's not a joke.

With all the silly little conflicts going on, Golden Harvest can't offer much in the way of guidance, much as she'd like to. (Nor can Derpy, though for more conventional reasons). Still, Dinky's not a quitter. She will rise up and face the call of duty.

The trick, of course, is to hear it over all this shouting...

Inspired by, but not a contestant for, CategoricalGrant's CuddleFic Contest.

Please Note: This is a story in progress. The Science of Hugging is currently being written for National Pony Writing Month 2017. Final version may be very different.