One day in Ponyville, all the fillies and colts were bringing in friends and family for Career Day, and for the CMC, they each brought a member of the Mane 6. And right now, it was Sweetie Belle's turn.
"And that what my sister does for a living. It's not all glamour, but she does put all her effort into it because it's something she loves to do," Sweetie Belle finished up, bringing on a cheer from the crowd (minus Diamond & Silver), and with that, Rarity and Sweetie Belle took their bows before returning to where they'd be sitting.
"That was very nice, Sweetie Belle," Cheerilee smiled as she began to look at the class, "Alright, who'd like to go next?" She then saw one filly raise her hoof up, "Yes Dinky?"
"If it's okay, I'd like my mom and me to go next teacher," the filly, which was a unicorn with light lavender fur, a blonde mane and tail, as well as amber yellow eyes, said.
"Of course, dear. Everypony, please welcome up Dinky Doo and her mother, Derpy Hooves," Cheerilee replied as Ditzy stood up and walked up front along with a gray pegasus mare with similar mane and eyes (except the eyes themselves were like her name: Derpy), and her Cutie Mark was a bunch of bubbles.
The children cheered for Dinky and her mom, but the adults… well they seemed…uneased for some reason.
"Why're the adults acting so odd?" Dawn Star whispered to Scootaloo.
"I don't know..." Scootaloo whispered before frowning a bit when she saw Diamond Tiara snickering a bit, "But whatever it is, Diamond Tiara finds it funny..."
Dawn Star gave a slight nod in response, frowning as well at the bully before both fillies stayed quiet.
"Hi everypony, I-whoops!" The grey Pegasus began as she accidentally hit a ruler on the chalkboard, sending said item flying into a window and breaking it, "...Oops. Sorry...I just don't know what went wrong..."
This caused some of the adults to groan while some of the foals tried to hold back their laughter.
"It's fine, dear. Please continue," Cheerilee insisted.
"...Okay," Derpy nodded as she began to talk about her job as a mail carrier.
However, after a few minutes, most of the audience were more intrigued by Derpy's eyes, or trying to hold back groans and laughter over what she ended up doing.
Dawn Star felt a bit uneased by how the adults were acting around Dinky's mom. And it didn't help that at the end, no one gave an applause for Derpy unlike some of the other parents in the room received, making Dinky sigh as her mom tripped over something in the middle of the room again.
---
"Is everything okay, Dawn Star?" Twilight asked after she and the Alicorn filly returned to their home after school was over.
"...I don't know, Twilight. I guess I was still thinking about something that happened at school," Dawn sighed.
"...Would you like to talk about it?" Twilight asked as she sat down next to her.
"...It's about Dinky's mom," Dawn answered as she looked up at Twilight, "Why were most of the adults so nervous around her?"
"Oh… you mean Derpy? Well she… she's been known to be a bit… accident-prone," Twilight answered.
"...You mean like how she accidentally knocked that ruler into the window?" Dawn Star asked.
"...Yea… something like that," Twilight nodded.
"...I see...Still, I don't understand why the other adults were so nervous around her? It was just an accident. It's not like she was going to hurt anypony," Dawn Star said.
"Thing is, Dawn…that's not the first time she's caused an accident. In fact, sometimes it got even worse than that. For instance, during my first Winter Wrap-Up here, she accidentally went North to go get the Southern birds."
"I...I see..."
"And there were other cases like that, but I think Rainbow Dash could better explain what she did. But since she made those goofs, she's… not exactly the best in most cases. That's why she's a mail mare; it's one of the few things she doesn't goof up."
"R...right. Um...Twilight? Is it okay if I go see my friends?"
"Of course, Dawn," Twilight nodded.
"Thanks," Dawn nodded as she got up and left the home/library.
---
She soon arrived at the CMC clubhouse, meeting up with the rest of her friends.
"Hi Dawn Star...is everything okay?" Sweetie Belle asked, being the first one to see the look on Dawn's face.
"...It's about what happened in school with Dinky's mom," Dawn answered.
"Really?" Scootaloo asked, earning a nod from the Alicorn filly, "...Strange. We were just about to talk about her."
"Really?"
"Yeah," Quirky added, "I don't why the adults were nervous when she tripped in class and accidentally knocked that ruler into the window. I thought that was funny, and not the bad, mean kind of funny."
"She didn't even mean to do it either. She said so herself," Sweetie Belle added.
"Yeah...but Diamond Tiara found that funny. She was snickering the entire time Dinky's mom was talking," Applebloom frowned.
"Why do I have a feeling I know why she was snickering?" Dawn randomly asked.
"Ano...I...I don't know..." Timid replied with a stutter while Mischief rested nearby, reading the local newspaper.
"...That was rhetorical, Timid. I do have an idea in what she was snickering about."
"You do?" Quirky asked.
"She would've insulted Dinky about how her mom acted as well as call her a blank flank."
"Ahh..." The rest of the CMC nodded before frowning, knowing how big of a bully Diamond Tiara is.
"...Yea… sorry for saying that," Dawn apologized.
"It's alright. But...since you brought it up, I think we should check up on Dinky and make sure Diamond Tiara isn't messing with her," Scootaloo suggested.
"Sounds like a good plan," Applebloom nodded.
"H...hai," Timid nodded as she turned towards Mischief, "Ano...M-Misty? C...can you look after the c-clubhouse while we're gone?"
"Yeah sure whatever," Mischief said nonchalantly, not looking up from his newspaper.
With that, the CMC walked out of the clubhouse and prepared to go meet up with Dinky.
After they left, Mischief...popped his head out the window? Wait...then who...
"In case you're wondering, this happens to be..." Mischief began as he poked the other mischief, popping him like a balloon, "A dummy I created so I can get rest...and now I'm curious about what this Dinky's mom...well, since I technically promised to watch this place..." He paused as he pulled out a balloon and blew into it, creating another Mischief, "You watch this place until I return, got it?"
"Whatever," the Mischief double shrugged as he sat down and began to read the paper.
"Good boy. Now then..." Mischief began as he jumped up on the windowsill and grabbed a rope...which was somehow tied to the branch of a nearby tree, "Yoinks, and away!" He declared as he swung on the rope… before crashing right into the tree the rope was tied too, "...Yoinks, and away…"
He continued to slur this and ram into tree after tree with each swing before landing on the ground, twitching a bit. Then, he stood up, obviously infuriated.
"Why… you…" he growled before zooming off, and coming back with an axe, chopping away at the trees below where he hit them. After taking down the last tree, Mischief was back at the windowsill, holding a rope, "Now then. Yoinks, and away!" He yelled as he swung down, making it past every tree this time around, and he smirked as he looked back when somehow, he slammed right into a large boulder, creating a Mischief shaped dent in it, "...Why me?"
---
Meanwhile, the CMC were looking around town for the young unicorn filly.
"Any luck spotting Dinky?" Dawn Star asked her fellow CMC.
"Nope," Quirky responded, shaking her head rapidly.
"N...no," Timid stuttered.
"So far, no," Applebloom added with a sigh.
"Me neither," Sweetie Belle sighed as well.
"No...but we better hurry and find Dinky before..." Scootaloo started until they bumped into the filly in question.
"Whoops! Sorry, I… didn't see you there," Dinky apologized.
"It's oka..." Scootaloo began before realizing who she bumped into.
"...What?" The unicorn filly blinked, "Do I...have something on my face?"
"No, it's just that… you're the filly we were looking for," Dawn answered.
"Really? You were looking for me?" Dinky blinked before frowning, "You're not going to make fun of my mom, are you? Because the last few ponies who asked me that just came to make fun of my mom."
"No, of course not, Dinky. There's no way we'd make fun of her," Scootaloo insisted.
"Yeah. In fact, we wanted to make sure Diamond Tiara wasn't bullying you," Sweetie Belle added.
"Really? 'Cause most ponies would make fun of me or mommy," Dinky sighed, looking away from the CMC.
"...We're not those kind of ponies, Dinky," Dawn Star spoke as she walked up to the unicorn filly, "I promise you we won't make fun of you, or your mom."
"...Do you promise?" Dinky asked, just to make sure they weren't lying or not.
"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," the six all Pinkie Promised.
"..." Dinky just blinked in confusion at that before recalling something about a 'Pinkie Promise', "...Okay. I'll trust you six then..."
"Thank you, Dinky. We just want to help you and be your friends," Dawn replied.
Dinky was about to respond before her stomach began to growl, making her blush in embarrassment a bit.
"Yea, we're kinda hungry too," Scoots admitted with a giggle.
"Ooh ooh! Why don't we head to the Cakes bakery?! They should be placing some fresh cookies out!" Quirky suggested.
"...Actually, my mom should be home right now making muffins," Dinky spoke, "In fact, my place isn't too far from here."
"Really?" Dawn blinked before her nose caught the smell of muffins baking, "I think I can smell them from here."
"Yeah. If you want, you can come in and have a few. My mom always likes to make a lot of muffins when she cooks," Dinky said with a small giggle.
"She must really like her muffins," Sweetie Belle giggled.
"And yes, we'd love to join you, Dinky," Dawn smiled.
"Cool. Let's hurry then before the muffins get cold then," Dinky smiled as she and the CMC left, the CMC following the unicorn filly and the scent of freshly baked muffins.
---
Back in a comfy little house, Derpy was just pulling out the next tray of muffins she made when she heard a knock on the door.
"Coming!" The grey Pegasus replied after placing the tray down on the counter and walked over to the front door, "Who is it?"
"It's me, mommy! And I brought some new friends from school!" Dinky's voice called out.
"...That's nice to hear!" Derpy smiled as she opened the door, "Come in! I just pulled the last muffin tray out of the oven. Hope you all like blueberry...or banana nut, or strawberry."
"You really do like muffins, don't you?" Dawn asked as she, Dinky, and the rest of the CMC walked in, the Alicorn filly noticing the miniature pyramid of muffins on the table.
"Oh yes! I absolutely love muffins! Especially..." Derpy paused as she drooled a little, "Lemon Muffin surprise..."
"That's one she never let's me have," Dinky whispered.
"Why?" Scootaloo asked, earning a shrug from Dinky in response.
"Come on, have a seat," Derpy insisted as the fillies sat down.
"R...right," Dawn Star nodded as Derpy placed a few muffins in front of the CMC.
"Try them. They're really fresh," Derpy insisted as Dinky ate her muffins.
The other fillies just shrugged as Dawn took a strawberry muffin first and took a bite before her eyes widened and her tail stood up.
"...Is it...?" Applebloom began.
"It's...it's..." Dawn began before she was crying tears of joy, "Absolutely delicious!"
"Huh?" The rest of the CMC blinked as Dawn Star began to eat her muffins.
"I knew you'd like my muffins," Derpy smiled.
The other CMC members looked at each other before they each took one of their muffins and took a bite before their eyes widened and their tails stood up.
"U...umai!" Timid gasped, her tone a bit louder than her usual one.
"So… GOOD!" Scootaloo smiled.
"Good?! It's down right tasty~!" Quirky practically sang as she held her cheeks, which were filled with two whole muffins.
"How'd you fit two whole muffins in your mouth at the same time?!" Dinky gawked at what the dark green filly did as Applebloom and Sweetie Belle just enjoyed their muffins in silence.
"It's Quirky being...well, Quirky," Scootaloo replied as she resumed eating her muffin.
"...Okay…?" Dinky blinked, not sure how to respond to that.
"Just relax, Dinky," Derpy insisted, eating a blueberry muffin.
"...R...Right, mommy," Dinky nodded as she resumed eating her muffin.
"That was delicious," Dawn smiled after they finished.
"Yeah. It..." Quirky began before she let out a very large burp, "...Excuse me."
"You got some really interesting friends, Dinky," Derpy giggled.
"...Actually, I only just met them today," Dinky admitted.
"Really? I just assumed they were your friends because they were with you," Derpy blinked.
"Well… they were looking for me, but I don't know why," Dinky admitted.
"...Okay," Derpy nodded before gasping when she noticed the time, "Oh no, I'm supposed to help deliver something in a few minutes!" She then looked at Dinky, "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to work again. I'll see you when I get home, Dinky."
"...Okay mommy," Dinky sighed a bit as her mother hugged her.
"I'll be home as soon as I can...I promise," Derpy whispered to her daughter as she released the hug and left out the door.
Dinky just nodded before sighing.
"What's wrong, Dinky?" Quirky asked.
"Nothing...it's just...mommy works so hard just so we can have a place to stay..." Dinky replied with a sigh.
"Really? Why is that?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"...Well, with all the accidents my mom accidentally causes, she has a lot of money to pay off...so she has to take multiple shifts just to pay them off, and pay the bills," Dinky replied.
"Oh… sorry I asked," Sweetie Bell responded.
"It's okay..." Dinky said as she turned to a small portrait of her and Derpy, "Mommy's always there to take care of me...I remember the day she adopted me...or rather, found me."
"Huh? You mean you're not Derpy's birth daughter?" Quirky asked.
"No...it happened a few years back..."
---
"Oops! Sorry.." Derpy apologized, having crashed into someone's garden.
"It's okay...just don't let it happen again..." The owner of the garden sighed.
"Okay," Derpy nodded as she began to walk away.
Just when she was walking around the area leading to outside the town, she heard crying nearby. Curious by who was making it, she walked into an alley to find an even younger Dinky, sitting cold and alone, crying so much she made a puddle underneath her.
"...Hello?" Derpy said, startling the younger filly as she backed away in fear, "...There's no need to be afraid. I won't hurt you."
"..." The young Dinky just whimpered a bit as she moved forward a bit.
"Where are your parents? They must be worried sick about you," Derpy said to the filly in concern.
"...They… they left me… I have no mommy or daddy!" Dinky cried out, trying to run away, but she tripped, falling to her face.
Derpy eyes widened when she heard that. 'Why would Anypony abandon a filly? Why?' Were her thoughts. She then slowly approached Dinky, who tried to get up before wincing, seeing as she sprained her leg when she tripped.
"P...please...stay away..." Dinky begged before she felt something wrap around her.
"I'm not here to hurt you," Derpy assured, her wing around the young unicorn, "What's your name?"
"...I...don't have a name..." Dinky whimpered a bit, tears still in her eyes.
"Well… let's see… you look dinky in size, even for a filly…" Derpy noticed before she got an idea, "Would you be okay if I call you Dinky Doo?"
"...y...yes," Dinky nodded a bit, kinda liking the name, smiling a bit before hugging Derpy.
Derpy gave a soft smile as she held the young filly, whispering to her, "Don't worry...I promise nothing bad will ever happen to you...ever."
"...Do...you promise?" Dinky asked hopefully, tears threatening to pour from her eyes once more.
"I promise," Derpy nodded.
Dinky began to sob as she cried into Derpy's chest, staining her fur with tears of joy as Derpy held her close.
---
"Ever since that day, mommy's been taking really good care of me," Dinky said, still looking at the portrait of her and Derpy, both of which looked as happy as could be.
"Aw… that's sweet," Sweete Belle smiled while Quirky sobbed a bit.
"Yeah...it was," Quirky nodded as she blew her nose into a tissue she pulled out from her hammerspace.
"Sorry if we pulled up any bad memories," Applebloom apologized.
"No no...it's okay. Though..." Dinky began as she looked out the window, "I sometimes worry about mommy."
"Are you worried she won't be able to keep her job?" Scootaloo asked.
"...Yeah...this is the only job she has where she won't accidentally cause trouble," Dinky nodded.
"Wow… I heard of a parent concerned for their child, but this is the first time I heard somepony this concerned for their mother, and at such a young age, too. I really admire you, Dinky," Dawn told her.
"...Thanks," Dinky smiled a bit.
"..." Quirky was about to say something before she noticed another picture, this one showing a male Earth Pony with light brown fur and a hour glass for a Cutie Mark, "...Who's this?"
"That? Oh, that's Dr. Hooves, a friend of Mommy's," Dinky answered, "I met him once, and he's really nice."
"Really? Wow."
"Yeah...I'm actually hoping one day, he'd be my daddy. Because when mommy's around him, she's really happy," Dinky added.
"Really really happy?" Quirky asked.
"...um...yes?" Dinky nodded, earning an excited squeal from Quirky.
"Again, that's Quirky being Quirky," Sweetie Belle pointed out.
"R...right..." Dinky nodded.
"Is there anything we can do to help?"
"...no no...I think I held up enough of your time," Dinky said before giving them a small smile, "Thanks for hanging out with me while mom's out at work."
"You're welcome," the CMC nodded.
"Oh oh! I just thought of something!" Quirky gasped as she looked over at Dinky, "How would you like to become a Cutie Mark Crusader?!"
"...um...thanks, but no thanks," Dinky replied, making Quirky's hair droop a bit.
"Aw~ why?" Quirky asked.
"...Well," Dinky sighed, not quite sure how to respond, drawing circles on the ground with her hoof, "I appreciate the offer but...well..."
"...well what?"
"...I just don't want Diamond Tiara to bully me more than she already has…"
"...oh...I see..." Quirky sighed.
"Sorry," Dinky said with a sigh.
"...It's okay. You don't have to join now if you don't want to," Dawn told Dinky, "Just know that if you need help… we'll be willing to give it to you as best as we can."
"...Thank you," Dinky smiled.
---
"Okay...let's try this again..." Mischief muttered, the dragon still wanting to follow the CMC while his clone looked after the clubhouse, "Yoinks, and a...oh no. I'm not doing that again! Instead..." He grinned, now attached to a large slingshot, "I'll send myself flying there!"
With a grin, he waited to be flung, however, he forgot he had the thing locked into the ground so he could get himself set up.
"Alright...here we go!" Mischief declared as he unlocked the sling, and he was sent flying through the air. However, he was flying so high and fast he passed over the CMC, "...Nuts…" he then paled when he saw where he was going to crash, "...oh...n..." He couldn't finish as he was slammed against the left side of a mountain before sliding down slowly until he was back on the ground, face first into the dirt, "...Ow…"
---
"Was that Mischief just now?" Scootaloo blinked, having barely seen the blur that passed over them not to long ago.
"I dunno," most of the others shrugged.
"Maybe it was; he probably just flung himself from a giant slingshot into a mountain… maybe," Quirky smiled, making a 'squee' sound.
"...Okay…" Scootaloo replied, a bit confused before shrugging, 'Remember Scoots, it's just Quirky being Quirky.'
Dawn Star wasn't paying attention as she thought back to Dinky and her mom Derpy. She heard of parents concerned for their foals, but not the other way around… then again, those two were in the most interesting of situations...
"...Dawn?" Applebloom spoke, getting the Alicorn filly's attention, "Ya'll okay?"
"...yeah. Just thinking about something is all."
"Thinking about what?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Nothing..."
"Ano...y-you sure?" Timid asked.
"Positive."
"...okay. If ya'll are sure," Applebloom said before suggesting, "Why don't we just head back to the clubhouse for a while until we need to head home?"
"Sounds like a plan. Let's go," Scootaloo nodded.
---
"Mischief! We're...back?" Scootaloo blinked when she saw the dragon, who's face was flatter than a pancake while his arms and legs were in cast, "...uh...wha...?"
"Don't ask…" Mischief groaned, "And…don't you… say a word."
"...uh...sure..." Scootaloo and most of the CMC nodded with sweatdrops.
"Don't worry Mischief! We won't tell Anypony!" Quirky stated as she wrapped her left front leg around him, unintentionally touching his castes arm.
"..."
---
"Al...most..." The same guard from Quirky's debut chapter slowly said as he was about to put the finishing touch on his card pyramid before...
"YEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWCCCCCHHH!"
"...Oh come on!" The guard exclaimed as the scream caused his pyramid to collapse...and most of the windows in Canterlot.
---
"Oopsie… sorry Misty," Quirky apologized while the other fillies were trying to regain their hearing.
"What?! What did she say?!" Sweetie Belle asked.
"What?!" Scootaloo asked, looking at the unicorn filly, "What did you say?!"
"'What the hay?' Nopony said that!" Applebloom responded.
"Huh?! Wh...there it is..." Scootaloo sighed in relief once their hearing was back.
"Was Mischief really that loud?" Quirky asked, the bubbly filly being the only one unaffected by Mischief's really loud scream of pain.
"...Do I even wanna know how you were unaffected by that scream?" Scootaloo asked.
"Nope!" Quirky smiled, making a 'squee' noise again.
"...Let me guess...nopony heard that, right?!" Mischief exclaimed, having been the only one to hear that 'squee' noise.
"Ano...h...heard what?" Timid blinked in confusion with the others.
"Ugh… forget it…" Mischief sighed before looking at the reader, "That's all folks."