//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: Sleepover // Story: Dinky's Bucket List // by Br0nyb0y123 //------------------------------// Dinky has arrived at her house, she is going to ask her mom if she can have a sleepover at Applebloom's home, Dinky hopes that she'll say it's OK to have one. Dinky checked in the living room, but Derpy wasn't there, she then checked in the kitchen, again, she wasn't there. Dinky was a little worried, so she decided to call out, "Mom? Where are you?" She called and asked. "In the basement, honey" Derpy replied. Dinky made her way to the basement and found Derpy fixing up wires, Dinky didn't know what the wires were for, "What are you doing Mom?" Dinky asked. "The electricity in my room switched off, it's just a loose wire needing plugged in again" Derpy replied. "Isn't that dangerous?" Dinky asked. "No, you just get a tiny shock, but it feels like nothing" Derpy replied, "You shouldn't do it though, if the electricity goes out in your room, come to me and I'll fix it" "Sure thing, Mom" Dinky replied, "Mom, can I please ask you something?" "Of course, go ahead and ask" Derpy replied as she finally got the plug to fit in the socket, "Briliiant, my lamp should be on now" "OK, so Applebloom is hosting a sleepover at her house, and is it OK if I go?" Dinky asked. Derpy had to think for a second, she thinks it's OK for her to go, but wasn't aware if Dinky had a key to the house, since she was leaving for work early tomorrow, "Sure you can, but do you have an extra key to the house?" Derpy asked. "Yeah, it's in my room. Why?" Dinky puzzled. "Remember I'm going to work tomorrow? I can't leave the door unlocked" Derpy explained. "Oh OK" Dinky replied. "So, yeah, you can sleepover at Applebloom's, who else will be there?" Derpy asked. "Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Applebloom's cousin, Babs" Dinky replied. "Oh right, is she the one that almost destroyed their float in that parade thing a few months ago?" Derpy questioned. "Yes she is, I think" Dinky replied. "OK, make sure she isn't any trouble with you" Derpy explained. Dinky raised her eyebrow very slightly, "I don't think that'll happen Mom" "Alright then. C'mon, let me help get your saddle pack ready with the stuff you need" Derpy said. "OK Mom" Dinky replied. The mother and daughter both made it for the stairs that led to the kitchen and then they would make it upstairs to sort the things Dinky needs, then she'll be off to Sweetie Belle's home to meet up with the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Dinky has all the stuff she needs for the sleepover at Sweet Apple Acres, in her saddle pack, she has a sleeping bag in the right side of her saddle pack, rolled up, and the spare key to her house and some snacks, just in case of midnight feast, in the left side of the pack. She made to Sweetie Belle's home and all the Cutie Mark Crusaders were waiting outside her house, and all of them were happy to see her, "Dinky, you made it!" Applebloom cheered. "Yeah, I thought I wasn't" Dinky replied. "Well the sleepover wouldn't be the same without you" Sweetie Belle said. "Girls, you're all acting like you've not seen me in months" Dinky explained, "I've only been away an hour" "Yeah, but it's your first sleepover with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, it's like a rite of passage, you know" Scootaloo explained. "I guess I didn't know" Dinky replied. "Yeah and it's my first Cutie Mark Crusaders sleepover too" Babs said. "Huh, maybe we can both experience this "rite of passage" together then" Dinky spoke back. "Well, kinda. I already had a rite of passage, the girls held a ceremony for me" Babs explained. "How come I didn't get a ceremony?" Dinky asked. "We didn't have time to hold one for you, Dinky. Apologies" Scootaloo explained. "Hey, it's OK, i was only half-interested in one. A sleepover is fine" Dinky said. "Cool, did you bring all you need?" Babs asked. "Yeah, sleeping bag, snacks, spare key to my house. Yep, everything I need. What about the rest of you? You girls got everything?" Dinky asked. "Yeah, I've got all my stuff" Scootaloo said. "Me too" Sweetie Belle added. "My stuff and Babs' things are at my house" Applebloom explained. "OK, let's head out" Babs said. All the Cutie Mark Crusaders, all but 2 equipped with their saddle packs, were just beside the dirty road that led to Sweet Apple Acres, it would take them 20 minutes to get to the farm, but they know how to make time go quicker, by playing a road game, like "I Spy" or by singing a song, the Crusaders skipped the game and sang their song from their performance at the talent show and Dinky and Babs tried to sing along, but only the original three knew the words of by heart. The five made it to Sweet Apple Acres and were getting told the rules by Applejack, just outside the barn, "OK, my little ponies, before you have your little sleepover, I have to get over some ground rules. 1. Don't have too much sugar, I don't mind y'all staying up all night, I just don't y'all to be extremely hyper. 2. Be quiet when you're out of your room after my curfew, I don't want to wake up, however if it's an emergency, then you can either wake me or Big MacIntosh. and finally 3. Have fun y'all." Applejack explained. "OK Applejack" The five said. "Alright then, I'm gonna help Big MacIntosh finish off work for the day, you girls do whatever you want, just don't cause any trouble" Applejack said, "We clear?" "Crystal" Applebloom replied. "OK, I'll see you in a bit" Applejack said as she went off to help Big MacIntosh. "So what now?" Scootaloo asked. "How about we go to the clubhouse, until it's time to have the sleepover" Sweetie Belle said. "Yeah, I guess, there isn't really much to do anyways" Babs said. "Oh, I know what we can do" Applebloom called out. "What?" Sweetie Belle asked. "We can hold the ceremony we owe Dinky" Applebloom explained. "No thanks, Applebloom. The offer was kind though" Dinky replied to her. "No, we insist. We have all the stuff for the ceremony" Applebloom said. "Well, since you insist. Thanks, I'd like a ceremony" Dinky thanked her. "No sweat, Dinky" Applebloom replied. Sweetie Belle went over to Scootaloo to whisper something about the ceremony for her, "You still have the timpani drums, Scootaloo? Sweetie Belle asked quietly. "They're in the crate just outside the clubhouse" Scootaloo whispered back. "We're still doing the ceremony the same way as it was with Babs?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Dunno. Ask Applebloom" Scootaloo replied. "Applebloom, is the ceremony going to be like Babs'?" Sweetie Belle asked. Applebloom faced Sweetie Belle and nodded. "OK, let's not waste any more time and start heading to the treehouse" Babs spoke out. "I agree, we've been standing around for about 5 minutes now" Applebloom said. "Yeah, let's head to the treehouse" Dinky said also. The crusaders all left the front of the barn and walked followed Applebloom towards the direction of where the clubhouse is, they all trotted into the acres and were soon going to give Dinky a Cutie Mark Coronation. All the crusaders were in the clubhouse, it was close to night time, but not quite. All the crusaders except from Dinky were wearing their capes, and Dinky was standing in front of Scootaloo who is playing the timpani drums, and Sweetie Belle is sitting on a chair with a large desk in-front of her, and Applebloom and Babs leaning against opposite sides of the treehouse, with Applebloom on Dinky's left and Babs on her right, "We, The Cutie Mark Crusaders, elect Dinky Hooves to join us a sister, friend, confidante, ally, boss-om buddy..." Sweetie Belle read from the paper, "Scootaloo, I thought you changed the writing in this thing" "I....um....forgot to" Scootaloo stuttered. Sweetie Belle sighed at Scootaloo, and took a deep breath as she was going to say something quickly to Dinky, "Congratulations, you're now a Cutie Mark Crusader" Sweetie Belle said as she chucked the paper into the air. Applebloom and Babs came towards Dinky, Babs had a cape for Dinky, she and Applebloom both put the cape on her and now finally she is an official member of CMC. Sweetie Belle went over to Dinky as did Scootaloo, and the five fillies huddled together in celebration of Dinky becoming an official member, "Girls, I can't thank you enough, you've been so nice to me, it's almost not fair on you" Dinky thanked. "How not, Dinky?" Sweetie Belle asked. "I've not done anything for you in return" Dinky explained. "Dinky, that's fine, you don't need to do anything" Scootaloo said. "Yeah, it's the least we can do. After Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were making fun of you, because of you not having a cutie mark, we wanted to help you, because we all relate to you" Applebloom told Dinky as they all stopped huddling. "Girls, I'm glad to have you as my friends" Dinky said. "We're glad to be your friends" All of them replied. "What's the time? Isn't getting late?" Babs asked. Applebloom checked out the window to the Sun was setting, "I think so, but there isn't a clock in here, so let's head back to the house" Applebloom said as she faced away from the window. "Sure thing" Dinky said after her. The five left the treehouse and made it back to the house beside the barn. It's Midnight. All but the five crusaders were sleeping in the Apple's house, the Crusaders were in Applebloom's room, Dinky, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Babs all laid in their sleeping bags whilst Applebloom was lying on her bed. Dinky lay in her sleeping bag with her eyes wide open, as all of the other fillies were doing, it was silent, they were all trying to get to sleep, though all the sweets they've had has made them wide awake, no pony is eager to break the silence, though Dinky is about to, "Applebloom? Are you awake?" Dinky whispered quite loudly. "Yeah, I am" Applebloom replied. "Me too" Sweetie Belle whispered out. "Same here" Babs spoke. "I'm awake as well" Scootaloo said. Applebloom sat up and leaned over towards her lamp, she switched it on, after she switched it on all the other ponies sat up too, "Sorry to have broken the silence, girls" Dinky said, "I just thought I was the only one awake" "I can't get to sleep anyway" Sweetie Belle said back. "Yeah, neither can I" Babs said as well. "I think it was all the sweets we had" Applebloom explained, "Speaking of which, do any of you have anything else, I've ran out" All the fillies lying in sleeping bags checked in their saddle packs beside them, "I've got nothing" Scootaloo said. "Neither do I" Babs spoke after her. "I've got..." Dinky paused as she checked how much food she has, "...six chocolate chip muffins" "And I've got a bag of chips" Sweetie Belle mentioned as well. "Does anyone want a muffin?" Dinky asked. All the fillies in the room raised their hooves, Dinky got out four muffins and passed one to Sweetie Belle, who was right beside her and another one to Applebloom, who was on the other side of her, and passed another two to Sweetie Belle so she could pass them to Scootaloo and Babs. Dinky got a muffin for herself after she gave everypony in the room a muffin. They all sat up and leaned their heads against to eat their muffins, "So what do y'all wanna talk about?" Applebloom asked. "Not sure" Dinky replied. "How about family?" Sweetie Belle optioned, "That could get us to know each other a bit more" "That seems like a good option, Sweetie Belle" Babs praised her. "Thanks" Sweetie Belle appreciated. "OK then, we'll do that" Applebloom said, "Who wants to start?" "I'll start, since I brought it up" Sweetie Belle replied. "OK" Applebloom said. Sweetie Belle had one more bite of her muffin before she was going to talk about her family, "My mom is an accountant and my dad is a commercial fisherpony. You all know what my sister does, she's into fashion, obviously, growing up with her, we haven't seen eye to eye a lot of the time, but as Applejack taught my sister, we're like apple pie, me and Rarity" Sweetie Belle told, "That's all I've got to say about my family, we've pretty been a good one, even though my sister can really annoy me sometimes. Anyone want to go next?" She asked. Babs raised her left hoof, "I do" Babs called out. "Go ahead Babs, talk about who you want to talk about" Sweetie Belle said to her. "Most of my family are apple ranchers, though most of you already know that, but my part of the family is somewhat different. My mom is on the apple side of the family, she owns and works in an apple cider brewery, whilst my dad is a Broadmane theater director in Manehattan" Babs explained. Once Babs mentioned the words "Broadmane theater director", she instantly thought if Babs' dad knows her dad, "Excuse me, Babs?" Dinky said. "Yes, Dinky?" She replied to her. "Does your dad talk about who he directs or with a lot?" Dinky asked. "He does with my mom, but I don't really pay attention to that sort of thing" Babs replied, "Why do you ask?" "My dad is an actor, he went to stay in Manehattan to follow his dream" Dinky replied. "Why don't you tell us a little more, and if it comes to mind I'll try to tell you about who he works with" Babs explained. Dinky sighed, "OK" Dinky sat up a bit more and comforted herself so she can tell her friends about her family, "I was born to a Pegasus mom and a Unicorn dad, my mom, Derpy, works as a mailpony and my dad, Greyson, works as an actor in Manehattan, I can't exactly remember what he did before, but it had something to do with magic, I think. Me, my mom and my dad lived a happy family life, mom and dad would say how much they love each other, my mom loved him because he didn't care what she looked like, and it made her happy that he could beyond her wall eye. And my dad loved my mom because he loved her for what she does. But all this happiness didn't last, my dad left me and mom to follow his stupid dream" Dinky teared up, "I remember the last thing he ever said to me, "Dinky, no matter what you do, always be yourself, don't let anypony else tell you otherwise" and after that he was gone, a day before my mom's birthday. I haven't seen him for two years and now I have cancer" Dinky started to cry silently, "All I want to do is complete my bucket list, I want to meet my dad one last time before I die, and I know I'm going to die, my chances of survival are 70/30 and the procedure I just found out about like nine hours ago, say that I can die just by pulling my horn out wrong, so the chances of me living are slim, and I'm sorry if I rambled on a bit to much, but thinking of my family makes me upset sometimes, especially when I think of my dad, I want to forgive him, but after all the pain he put me and my mom through, I just don't think I'll ever forgive him" Dinky said. Dinky started to cry a bit more, she crossed her hooves and placed them over her eyes, all of her friends there were moved, and had a tear come out of each ponies eye, Sweetie Belle went closer to Dinky and put her arm around her and patted her back gently, "It's OK, as your friends, we'll help you complete your list" Sweetie Belle comforted her. "Yeah, we'll help" Scootaloo said also after her really long silence. "If it helps, my family life had it's moments of depression as well. I feel as if I should you all it" Applebloom said. Dinky's eyes cleared up slightly and placed her arms away from her face and looked at Applebloom as did all the others, it was now Applebloom's turn to talk about her family, "As Babs said, most of our family are Apple ranchers and my part of the family are definitely ranchers, I live with my sister, my brother and my granny. There was two more of us, my mom and my dad, but they died not long after I was born, so it's pretty much Applejack, Big MacIntosh and Granny Smith who've been looking after me. I remember my parents faces well, my dad was one of the best ranchers in the family and my mom made some of the best cider in Equestria, I remember everyponies face during my parent's funeral" Applebloom told them, "I mostly remember AJ's and Big Mac's faces during the funeral, it was the most I ever seen them cry, I didn't understand at the time, and I didn't cry, but if I regret one thing on that day, is that I never cried during the funeral" Applebloom calmed down after she closed her eyes and counted to ten in her head, she didn't want to think about her parents anymore. All of her friends were moved listening to her story, much like how they reacted to Dinky, even some of them went misty eyed, except Dinky who was calming down after crying about her dad, "Has everypony talked about their family now?" Sweetie Belle asked. "I think so" Dinky said. "Wait, what about Scootaloo?" Babs asked, "She's hardly spoke" "She's an orphan, Babs" Dinky replied, "I don't think she'd want to talk about it" "Oh, I didn't know" Babs said, "Sorry, Scootaloo" "It's OK, Babs" Scootaloo replied to her, "I'll tell you about it anyways" "Seriously, Scootaloo, you don't need to tell us" Sweetie Belle said to her. "I want to though, you guys, just get yourselves comfy" Scootaloo replied. Scootaloo let out a huge gasp of air, in preparation for her story, "Much like you, Dinky, my mom wasn't the same race as me, she was an Earth-pony whilst my dad was a Pegasus, the both of them were really bad workaholics, they were so busy that my dad never had time to teach me how to fly. My mom worked in the sofas and quills store, and my dad had to fly to Cloudsdale everyday to work in an office building that was apart of the factory where the weather is made. My family was really small, it was just me, mom and dad, they didn't really have any relatives. They also hired a babysitter to look after me everyday, I only saw them once everyday in the morning before they both went to work, as they worked nights as well, I used to try staying up all night, just so I could have a chance to speak to them, but I always fell asleep before they came home. And the sad thing about that was..." Scootaloo choked up, "...one night, I thought my parents weren't going to come home early since they never did, so I just went into bed and tried to sleep, but my mom came home early that night, to speak to me, and instead of getting up and speaking to her, I instead did a stupid thing and just carried on pretending I was asleep, I don't know why I did that. About two weeks later they were killed during a storm on their way to work, and I got moved to an orphanage. But whenever I think about my parents, I think about how I never spoke to my mom that night, and how stupid I was then" Scootaloo had a tear fall slowly from her left eye, and she wiped her tear using her left hoof, Dinky got out of her sleeping bag and went beside her, and Dinky had a tear drip from her eye as well, "Scootaloo, if there is one thing my mom taught me, is that your friends are apart of you're family, and since I'm glad to have you as my friend, I'm glad to have you as part of my family. So if you want to see it from that point of view, then your family isn't completely gone, you have us, and from the paper you wrote when I officially became a Cutie Mark Crusader, I am now your sister, and so are the rest of us" Dinky tried to calm her down. Scootaloo felt much better after Dinky said that, she realized she still had family in her friends, her sisters, her boss-om buddies and such. Scootaloo choked up once more, but not in sadness, but in happiness and she hugged Dinky and didn't want to let go, "Dinky, thank you" Scootaloo said. "It's OK" Dinky replied. "I'm glad to have you as my family" Scootaloo added. "Should we let the others join?" Dinky asked. "Yeah" Scootaloo replied. Scootaloo and Dinky opened space for the other three, Sweetie Belle went closer to Scootaloo and Applebloom got out her bed to get closer to her friends, and Babs went closer to Dinky, and they all gave each other a great, big group hug, "I love you guys" Scootaloo said. "I love all of you too" Sweetie Belle added. "Me three" Applebloom spoke. "You girls are the best" Babs said. "I think we should get some sleep now, girls" Dinky explained. The five fillies all released from their hug and all went back to their respected sleeping areas, "Dinky?" Scootaloo asked. "What's up?" Dinky replied. "Thanks again" Scootaloo said. "Don't mention it" Dinky added. "Dinky, what's your dad's name again?" Babs asked. "Greyson Hooves, why?" Dinky asked back. "Because I'll ask my dad if he knows him, and I'll tell Applebloom by letter and I'll ask her to tell you" Babs explained. "Thanks" Dinky said. "You're welcome" Babs replied. Applebloom switched off her light at her bedside table, and laid comfortably in her covers, as did the other fillies in their sleeping bags, "Night girls" Applebloom said. "Night everypony" Dinky added. "See you in the morning girls" Sweetie Belle proclaimed. "Goodnight" Babs said. "Night night" Scootaloo finally added. All of the fillies closed their eyes and smiled, they were all relaxed, and they slowly drifted off to sleep, Dinky went through another night without crying herself to sleep and it made her happy that she was sleeping over with not just her friends, but her family.