//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Back to School // Story: Dinky's Bucket List // by Br0nyb0y123 //------------------------------// Dinky woke up from a sad dream, a dream which featured her doing everything on her list, except saying goodbye to her friends and family and meeting her dad, it made her day start off sadly, but maybe it will get better as the day goes on. Dinky went downstairs to see that Derpy was no where to be seen, Dinky, who was slightly worried, decided to check in the kitchen, and she found a small note on the table, from Derpy, Morning Dinky, Sorry, but I had to leave for work early, the post office is getting pretty busy with intern ponies, there's some breakfast in the fridge and there's also an note for your teacher explaining your absence from school yesterday on the desk near the front door, Love you, from Mom. Dinky, felt a little bit excited to see what was in the fridge, she placed the note back where she found it and skipped over to the fridge, she opened it up and found her favorite food, which also happened to be her mom's favorite as well, muffins. The fridge wasn't too cold, so neither were the muffins, there was around 3 large chocolate chip ones, and Dinky scoffed them all up, she scoffed them slowly, so that she wouldn't have a tummy ache. She put the plate, that is now covered in muffins crumbs, into the kitchen sink, Dinky went upstairs to brush her teeth and have a quick shower, she has 40 minutes until School anyways, usually she would have a shower to start her day off, but she always says good morning to Derpy before she does that, but since Derpy only left a note, saying that there was muffins in the fridge, she couldn't resist, she just had to eat them, but now was the time to brush her teeth and have a quick shower, then after that, School-time. Dinky has just came out the shower, she quickly dries her hair with the towel, after that, she goes into her room to get her saddle-pack, then it's off to go school. She takes her absence note off of the desk beside the front door, she puts it in her saddle-pack and leaves her house, there wasn't any need to lock the door because she knew Derpy almost finishes her shift at the post office at this moment, she walks over the bridge that led from her house to the School, on the way, she sees Pinkie Pie, doing her usual bouncing around the place, Pinkie then stops once she sees Dinky and says, "Hey, Dinky" She greeted politely. "Morning, Pinkie" Dinky replied, "Mister Cake, well he told me about the bad news that's been happening with you, and I just want to say, sorry about that Dinky" Pinkie said. Dinky felt a little sad, but seeing it was Pinkie Pie speaking to her, she knew Pinkie could make her feel happier, "It's OK, Pinkie" "Hmmm............I'll tell you what, how about after school, you can come down to Sugarcube Corner and I'll give you a big basket of muffins, free of charge." She said. "That would be wonderful, Pinkie" Dinky coughed, "Thank you" "Okie dokie lokie" Pinkie smiled, "I'll see you there, after you're finished at school" She hopped away in typical Pinkie Pie fashion, and Dinky was almost at the School, since it was up on top of a slightly large slope, Dinky's hooves kept on sliding down the slope and she kind of struggled to keep her balance, but she finally made it to the top of the slope and went into School, she sat in her respected seat, behind Diamond Tiara and beside Sweetie Belle, she placed her saddle-pack under her desk and placed a rubber and pencil on the desk. Diamond Tiara who was sitting in front of her, lent backwards and took Dinky's pencil, "Thanks for the pencil, Blank Flank" Tiara sarcastic laughed. "Can I have m- m- my pe-pencil back please?" Dinky whispered. "What was that, blankie?" She replied. "Can I get my pen back please?" Dinky spoke a bit louder. Diamond Tiara pulled off a put-on thinking face "No, I'll have it" "Give her it back!" A voice shouted from the other side of the room, it was Scootaloo. "Yeah, Diamond Tiara. Give her it back!" another voice shouted out, it was Apple Bloom. "What are you 3 going to do about it?" She nonchalantly asked. Sweetie Belle had to think of something, "We.....we....we'll tell Ms. Cheerilee on you" she stuttered. "Oh, I'm sooo scared" Diamond Tiara laughed to herself. "Well you should be" A much deeper female voice called from the room, it was Ms. Cheeriliee, who must have over heard the argument from outside "And, I want you to see me after school, Ms. Tiara" Ms. Cheerilee went over to her desk and sat down, she was also surprised to see Dinky after her day off, "I hope you have a note, explaining your absence, Ms. Hooves" She said. "I do, Ms. Cheerilee, it's in my saddle-pack, I'll go and it" Dinky replied. "OK, Dinky, take your time" Cheerilee smiled. Dinky got the absence note from her saddle-pack and placed it on her desk, much like any other usual student in class, she waited beside Ms. Cheerilee until she finished reading it, once she finished reading the note, she looked shocked, because the note wasn't just an absence note, but a note explaining that Dinky won't be coming back after a few months, Ms. Cheerilee told Dinky to come closer so that she can whisper in her ear so the other fillies and colts can't hear her, "You OK, Dinky? Sorry to hear about the very bad news" Ms. Cheerilee whispered. Dinky nodded, "I'm OK, Ms. Cheerilee, I'm fine" Dinky whispered back. "You sure?" She asked quietly. "Yep" nodded Dinky. "OK, then, Dinky. Take your seat" She replied a bit louder. Dinky went away from her teacher's desk and back to her seat, on the way there, Diamond Tiara gave Dinky a cold stare, making Dinky feel down a little bit, once she sat in her seat, Ms. Cheerilee went over towards the chalkboard beside her desk, She wrote down what Dinky thought might have been the continuation of yesterday's lesson, with large, bold letters that read out, Star Swirl the Bearded A history lesson, a lesson on a pony that Dinky thought only existed in myth, but she was apparently wrong. Dinky loves history, one of her favorite subjects at School is history, she wants to be a history teacher when she grows up, but then again, she knew she couldn't. Dinky was then tapped on her shoulder by a hoof, that hoof was Sweetie Belle, she lent to her side and whispered to Dinky, "Are you OK, Dinky? Was Diamond Tiara making fun of you because you have no cutie mark?" Sweetie Belle asked. Dinky covered her flank with her tail, "Um.....yes" Dinky said quietly. "What was that, Dinky? Sweetie Belle asked again. "Yes" Dinky replied a little louder. "It's OK, you don't need to cover your flank with your tail,she makes fun of me all the time about my cutie mark, she just thinks she's better than everyone else. OK, so, me, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were just wondering if you want to speak to us during lunch?" Sweetie Belle asked her. "Um.....yeah sure, at your usual table?" Dinky replied and asked. "Yeah, just come over there when you can" Sweetie Belle smiled. "OK, I'll speak at lunch" Dinky smiled back. Dinky kept paying attention to Ms. Cheerilee's lesson on Star Swirl the Bearded, but also looking forward to lunch, because she thinks she knows what The Cutie Mark Crusaders are planning for her. And she looked at the clock above the chalkboard, lunch was only 45 minutes away. Lunch has came, she enjoyed her Star Swirl lesson, she was going to Sugarcube Corner after school, her day went from waking up to a sad dream, to something more happy, this was the happiest Dinky had been since the day before she found out she had cancer, about two months prior, and getting her chances of survival, a day prior, only made things worse, but today was a happy day for Dinky, and almost forgot about the sad dream and her time in the doctor's office, crying with Derpy, so it was lunch time and she had her lunch in her saddle-pack, a ham salad sandwich, her favorite school lunch, once she finished, she went over to the table that The Cutie Mark Crusaders usually sit at, "Dinky! Over here!" Scootaloo shouted from a distance. Dinky came over and sat across from Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, and sat beside Apple Bloom, they had their lunch on their table, Sweetie Belle had something fancy that must have been made by Rarity, Scootaloo had a cheese sandwich and Apple Bloom had apple fritters, Dinky already knew what was coming, but she still hasn't made her decision on if she wants to be a Cutie Mark Crusader or not, "Hey Dinky" they all said. "Hey girls" Dinky replied. "Listen, we don't like the way Diamond Tiara has been treating you because of you not having your cutie mark and we also heard you have cancer so......" Sweetie Belle couldn't finish the sentence. "....we just felt sorry for you and wondered if you want to join the CMC?" Apple Bloom finished Sweetie's sentence for her. "Can I have a think about it for a second please?" Dinky asked. "Sure thing" smiled Scootaloo. The reason Dinky wanted to think about her decision was because she knew the Crusaders are prone to getting themselves into trouble and making fools of themselves, with a primary example sticking out the most to Dinky, was last year, when they did an unintentionally funny dance act. But Dinky, who has been friends of the Crusaders for some time now, decided to make her decision, "Yeah, I'd love to be a Crusader with you girls, because all of you are cool and everything, also, getting my cutie mark is a priority I want to accomplish before I pass on, so yeah, I'm in, and girls, thank you so much for sticking up to Diamond Tiara for me" Dinky said. "Anything for a fellow crusader" Scootaloo and Apple Bloom both said. Dinky felt really happy and School has got only 2 more hours and then it's off to Sugarcube Corner, things were suddenly feeling brighter for the dying filly, spending her final months with a smile on her face will surely help her.