Exam Jitters

Chapters

In Which Ditzy Tells Dinky a Story
In Which Dinky Gets Rained On
In Which Dinky Is Honored
In Which Ditzy Does a Bad Thing
In Which Ditzy Learns a Lesson
In Which Ditzy and Dinky Kick Some Clouds
In Which the Doo Family Bakes Muffins

In Which Ditzy Tells Dinky a Story

"... and then, the heroic knight burst into the dungeon, and he rescued the beautiful princess." Ditzy smiled warmly and spread her wings a bit. "They escaped the evil warlock's castle and returned to the castle, where they lived happily ever after." She brought her muzzle in very close to her attentive listener. "The end."

Dinky kissed her on the nose. "That was a really good story, Momma!" she declared. "My favorite part was when the knight won the pie-juggling contest." She giggled. "That was really fun."

"Maybe tomorrow I'll tell you about his adventures in the land of cakes," said Ditzy.

Dinky nodded and snuggled under the covers a little more tightly. "But there was one mistake," she concluded. "There's only six Knights -- and you're one of them! But he isn't. Where did this other one come from?"

"There can be more than six knights, Muffin. Anypony can be a knight if they try."

"How?"

It was a pertinent question for Ditzy, who had been knighted by Princess Luna a short while ago and was still getting used to it. "Well," she began, "knights help ponies who need help. No matter how scared they are or how dangerous it seems, they fight as hard as they can for justice and goodness. Wherever they go, they solve problems, help those in need, and make the world a better place. They are the shields of the world."

Dinky nodded. "You make a really good knight," she decided.

"Thank you." Ditzy kissed her daughter on the forehead. "Maybe someday Princess Luna will knight you too. As long as you keep helping your friends and doing the right thing--"

Dinky giggled. "I learned all that from you, Momma," she said. "So I had the best teacher in the world!"

Ditzy blushed.

"I hope," Dinky whispered, "When I grow up I'm as good of a pony as you."

"You already are."

The two embraced for a long moment, before Dinky let out a long yawn. Ditzy smiled and released her. "Sweet dreams, my little Muffin."

"Night, Momma," murmured Dinky as her head sank back into her pillow. Her eyes slid shut a moment later, and in a few more seconds, she was snoring gently.

Feeling contented and completely at peace, Ditzy left Dinky's room and went to the stove. A nice cup of tea would be good before bed, she thought. She couldn't dally long -- she was on duty early tomorrow, and so would need to get to bed soon -- but a few minutes spent sipping tea and looking at the stars through her window wouldn't hurt.

The tea brewed quickly, and Ditzy Doo soon found herself sitting in a comfortable chair, sipping a delightful rose-and-daffodil blend, and watching the stars twinkle in the sky. She wondered if Dinky would enjoy stargazing, and thought that maybe she'd talk to Twilight about finding a good place to try it in the village. She could just see her little Muffin scampering about, bouncing at the telescope in her eagerness, and getting all excited when she saw a famous star.

That could be really fun... we could get some hot chocolate from Bonbon's shop, have a nice picnic dinner, see if we can borrow Twilight's telescope... She smiled to herself. Dinky was the best daughter that she could have possibly hoped for, and it was always a delight showing her new things. For that matter, it was a delight to be around her no matter what she did. Dinky was smart, and kind, and energetic, and wonderful in a million ways that Ditzy couldn't articulate. All she could say was that she loved her daughter deeply and fiercely, and she would do anything for her. That was what their love was.

"Although," she murmured, as she drained the last of her tea, "for now, there's not much to do in that regard." She smiled again as she thought of her Muffin, snoozing and resting in preparation for another wonderful day. "I should go to bed," she decided. "Tomorrow, maybe I'll make her pancakes with some of Bonbon's Extra-Concentrated Maple Syrup. I--"

Somepony began pounding on her door.

Ditzy was frozen for a moment, until she realized where the noise was coming from -- and, at the same time, that the pounding might wake Dinky up. She set her teacup down and raced to the door. "What is it?" she called. "Is it an emergency?"

"Yes!"

Ditzy blinked. The voice belonged to Lily Vale, one of the flower vendors in Ponyville's market. Lily was a good pony, quick with a joke and a friendly ear, but she could be somewhat... excitable. She warned of emergencies often, but they tended to be along the lines of tangled manes, coffee shortages, and a single caterpillar snoozing in her flower bed. "Um... Lily--"

"Please let me in!" Lily sounded absolutely frantic. "I really need help and I don't know who else to go to!"

Ditzy opened her door and blinked. Lily's coat and mane were matted with sweat, despite the day having been cool and breezy. She was shaking where she stood and looked absolutely terrified. "I don't know what to do!" she cried, and flung herself around Ditzy.

Ditzy stumbled backwards. "Lily, what's wrong?"

The flower mare spoke in a torrent of words. "My sister Violet in Hoofington, she--" Lily shook her head and let out a small sob, clutching Ditzy even more closely. "She was fooling around with a stallion, now she's pregnant, when she told him he said he doesn't want anything to do with her and threw her out, she doesn't have anywhere to go and she doesn't know what to do and I don't know how to help her and--"

"Shh, shh," said Ditzy. She gently stroked Lily's mane. "I'll help you, Lily. Don't worry."

"Are you sure?" Lily looked around. "I know it's late, and--"

"Don't worry about it."

"But--"

Ditzy smiled. She was a Knight, she was the Bearer of the Element of Kindness, and perhaps most importantly, she was a mother with a daughter who had once been in the same situation as Violet. Of course she would help -- it was who she was. "Lily, please, don't worry. I'll help you in any way I can."

Lily threw her forelegs around Ditzy. "Thank you!"

"Just -- let's just try to keep it down," said Ditzy. "My little Muffin's sleeping, and--"

"Oh. Of course." Lily nodded as she released Ditzy. "That's why I came... I mean, you're also a single mother, but it's obvious how much you love Dinky. You're really good at mothering, and..."

Ditzy blushed. "Thank you," she said. "I love my daughter more than anything... I know how precious foals are. If I can help you and Violet with anything, I want to try."

Lily embraced Ditzy again. "You're wonderful," she said.

"Why don't you start at the beginning. What happened?"

"Well, it was about six months ago..."

***

My little pony, My little pony
Ahh ahh ahh ahhh...
My little pony
Friendship never meant that much to me
My little pony
But you're all here and now I can see
Stormy weather; Lots to share
A musical bond; With love and care
Teaching laughter; It's an easy feat,
And magic makes it all complete!
You have my little ponies

***

"Momma! Momma!"

Ditzy groaned and turned over in beds. "A few more minutes," she murmured, burrowing her head deeper into her pillow. She'd had a snack two nights ago in bed, and now the pillow smelled faintly of banana-nut muffin. The scent seemed to wrap around her muzzle and tie her to her bed more tightly than any rope. "Just a few minutes..."

"But Momma, look!"

Ditzy's eyes flickered open, and she let out a small groan as the sunlight poked her eyes. She had, she remembered dimly, stayed up most of the night listening to Lily. What the mare had needed more than anything was a sympathetic ear, which Ditzy had been happy to provide. It had worked too, and Lily had left much calmer and with some good advice for helping Violet through this crisis. Ditzy herself had gone to bed immediately after Lily had exited... but that hadn't been more than an hour ago. Now it felt like her whole body was pounding.

"Momma!" Dinky nuzzled into her. "I made you something!"

Ditzy forced her eyes open wide enough to settle on Dinky's smiling face. In front of her foal was a little tray, and on that tray was a big bowl of cereal, a glass of orange juice, and some sliced strawberries arranged in a little heart. "I made you breakfast!" her daughter chirped.

Ditzy's mind was still held captive by the fluffy, muffin-scented pillows. "Why?" her mouth asked.

"Because you looked real tired and I wanted to help you sleep in a few more minutes!" said Dinky. She bounced around. "Do you like it? I put extra suger on the strawberries!"

Ditzy smiled weakly. Her head still felt fuzzy, but she could tell what was going on. "It looks lovely, dear. Thank you very much."

Dinky beamed.

Ditzy managed to get into a sitting position and looked at her clock. She had... fifteen minutes before her shift started. She had overslept, but it wouldn't matter -- she had enough time. Just enough time, provided she hurried. She began to eat from her cereal bowl, stifling a loud yawn as she did so. "What... where's your saddlebags, Muffin? You have school."

"I packed them," said Dinky. "And I got your bags set up too!" She paused. "But if you're real tired I can tell Silver Script you're taking the day off--"

"No." Ditzy shook her head. "Neither rain nor snow nor... the rest of it, will stop a mailmare from her rounds." She managed a smile. "I'll be alright, dear. But thank you for your concern."

"Are you sure?"

Ditzy nodded, stifling another loud yawn. "I'll be fine. Have fun in school!"

Dinky hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Oh! By the way, some of the foals are playing hoofball after school today! Is it okay if I go play with them?"

A thought flashed across Ditzy's mind. "Didn't you want to go shopping for some toys today?" she asked. Dinky had been asking her if she could get a deck of cards and a few other trinkets so she could start doing slight-of-hoof tricks.

"It's okay," said Dinky. "We can get those some other time. But I really want to play with my friends today!"

Ditzy realized that Dinky was doing this to give her mother a chance to nap after what would undoubtedly be a tiring day. I have the best daughter in the world, she thought. "Then that sounds fine, dear. And I'll make it up to you -- we'll go to Hoofington tomorrow or something. Where is the game, and when will you be back?"

Dinky told her where she'd be and when it would be over as Ditzy hurriedly consumed the rest of her meal. Once the mailmare had gobbled it up, she got to her hooves. "Alright, dear," she said. "I'll pick you up, okay?"

"You got it!" Dinky sprang off the bed. "Oh! I'm going to be late for school -- I need to run! Bye Momma!"

"Bye!"

Once Dinky had left, Ditzy managed to take a very quick shower, get into her uniform, and grab her empty saddlebags. "Alright," she said, yawning again. "This... this won't be that bad. I've worked with little sleep before." She shook her head quickly. "I can do this. I'm a pro." She smiled. "And when I'm done, I can come back and snooze for a bit before Dinky gets back."

This plan firmly fixed in her mind, she opened her apartment door and went out into the world.

***

"Hey, Scootaloo!"

Scootaloo looked up from her game of marbles. "Hi Dinky!" she called. "What's up?"

Dinky trotted over. "Wow, that looks fun! Who's winning!"

Scootaloo blushed, and her opponent, Twist, grinned. "I am!" she proclaimed. "I'm the marble champion!"

Dinky saw the big pile of marbles by the earth pony foal. "You're really good," she said.

Twist eagerly nodded, and Scootaloo frowned. "Well," proclaimed the pegasus, "I'm still faster." She fluttered her wings. "Do you want to play winner?"

"I don't have my marbles with me," said Dinky. "But actually -- you said yesterday you were playing hoofball later today, right?"

"If we can get enough ponies for teams," said Scootaloo. "Right now it's just me, Sweetie Belle, and Pipsqueak. We need one more pony."

"I'll join!" said Dinky, smiling brightly. "I love hoofball!"

"Great!" Scootaloo grinned. "Alright, you'll be with Pip. But get ready, Sweetie and I will thrash you!"

She flared her wings as she spoke, and her right wing clipped her shooter and sent it spinning into the circle. It rolled a bit, knocked into a cats-eye, and stopped.

Twist grinned and, using her nose, flicked her shooter into the center of the marbles. Both shooters, the cats-eye, and a big swirley rolled out of the circle. The earth pony grinned. "Yay!"

Scootaloo blushed. "Well -- well, I want a rematch!"

Dinky grinned and settled in to watch as her friends began putting more marbles into the circle. Sleep tight, Momma. I'll try to pick you some flowers in the hoofball field! And--

Scootaloo's next shot bounced into Dinky's muzzle. "Hey!" she giggled. "i'm not a marble!"

"Are you sure?" asked Snails, trotting up. "Maybe you're a big furry marble with legs, and you just don't know it!"

"What if we're all marbles and we don't know it?" added Snips, scurrying after his long-legged friend.

Scootaloo blinked. "If we're marbles, then I'm a really smooth, fast shooter!"

"Nuh-uh!" said Snails. "I'm the shooter!"

"I want to be a cats-eye!" said Twist. "They're pretty!"

Soon, the foals were running off to ask Miss Cheerilee if they were marbles, and if so, what kind they were. Dinky smiled as she trotted along.

Don't worry, Momma, she thought. Even if I'm not toy shopping with you, I'm going to have a great time. You just focus on taking a nap and feeling better!

And so Dinky trotted after her friends, full of cheer.

***

"Hey, uh, Ditzy? Are you okay?"

Ditzy blinked. She realized that she had been staring at the mailbox for several moments, waiting patiently for it to reach out and take her letters. Belatedly, she realized that mailboxes didn't work like that (Twilight Sparkle's excepted). "Oh! I'm fine," she said, hoofing the mail over. "Here you go, Trixie."

"The Great and Powerful Trixie thanks you," said Trixie in a grave tone. She began to shuffle through them with her telekinesis. "Let's see. Junk, junk, bill, junk... ooh, another fan letter!" She opened it and began to read. "Dear Dame Trixie. Hello! My name is Sparkey Spells. Last week, my teacher told our class all about how you saved the world and did all kinds of awesome things! When I grow up I want to be just like you! If you have any advice or tips on being a splendiforous," she blinked, then shrugged and continued, "Mage, I'd love it if you told me! And if you're ever in Manehattan, I'll bake you some cookies. Good luck, know you'll kick Corona's flank, Sparkey." She grinned. "Aw. It's good to have fans."

Ditzy was silent for a few moments while the words worked through her head. "Yes," she said at last. "Good for you. I'm glad foals like you." She blinked a few more times. "Any outgoing mail?"

"Er... no, not today..." Trixie paused. "Are you okay, Ditzy? You're not looking so good." She cracked a smile. "You look more exhausted than Cheerilee after that big scholarship to-do."

Ditzy nodded slowly. A few weeks ago, it had leaked that some organization had asked elementary schools all over Equestria to submit the names of their top two or three students for consideration for some major award or scholarship. Cheerilee had immediately been badgered by parents who wanted to know if their foals were on the list. She had refused to tell anypony which students she had chosen, insisting that the names were confidential, but after a few days of pestering she had looked completely run-down and aggravated. I hope I don't look that bad... Ditzy thought.

Aloud, the mailmare just said, "Yes, I was up a little later than usual." She held back a big yawn. Her shift was over half complete, and she was still on time despite her exhaustion. "You don't need to worry about me."

Trixie looked hesitant. "I'm thinking Applejack, Heavy Roller, and Twilight might disagree about not needing sleep."

"I'm not going to get in a fight with Berry Punch, or bring an Ursa to town and lose control of it, or..." Ditzy frowned. "What did Heavy Roller do?"

"Remember when Scootaloo tried to mail herself to the griffin kingdoms to fight some evil warlord?"

"Oh, right." Ditzy remembered Silver Script insisting they open the mysteriously giggling package, and seeing Scootaloo's smiling head -- and the cardboard sword at her side -- pop out of the box. "That was... strange."

"That happened when Roller was really tired after spending three straight days on a rush order."

"I appreciate your concern. And if this gets really bad, I'll take some time off," promised Ditzy. "Don't worry... I'm not going to hurt myself. But I don't think I'm at that point yet, and I can't just cancel on Silver Script just because I'm yawning a bit. Just like you wouldn't want to leave Pokey to do this job alone without prior notice unless you were really sick." She paused. "Okay, maybe you're a bad example--"

"Hey! The Great and Powerful Trixie resents your insinuation." But Trixie grinned. "If you won't take time off, then at least let me watch Dinky after school today so that you can get some sleep."

"She's already going to be with friends, but thank you for your offer." Ditzy bowed her head a little. "I'll definitely keep that in mind in the future."

"No problem." Trixie began going back inside. "Have a good day, Ditzy."

"Have a good day, Trixie!"

And with that, Ditzy continued on her way. Just a few more stops... and then my nice, cozy, muffin-scented bed. She smiled and went on.

***

"And now, the first Ponyville Foal Hoofball Challenge begins!" Scootaloo yelled. "The winning team is officially the Most Awesome Group of Foals in ALL PONYVILLE!"

The field just outside of town, some distance past Sweet Apple Acres, wasn't really a hoofball field. It was just a rectangular-ish patch of grass that was about regulation length and had two crude goals set up at either end. But to the four foals who had gathered there, it might as well have been the National Stadium at Canterlot. And, from the way Scootaloo was talking about the upcoming game, it may well have been the continental championships.

"Hey!" said Sweetie Belle. "What about the losing team?"

"They're second most awesome. But don't worry!" Scootaloo grinned. "We'll win!"

"No you won't! cheered Dinky. "Pipsqueak and I are great at hoofball!"

Pipsqueak grinned. He was a newcomer to town, having only just arrived from Trottingham a few weeks prior. "We'll kick your flanks from here to... to..." He trailed off. "Dinky, help me out. What's far away?"

"Uh, Canterlot?"

"No, that's too close!" chirped Pip.

"Trottingham?" The agricultural city was a few hours from Ponyville by train.

"Nope!"

"... Stalliongrad?" This was one of the most northern cities in Equestria, a city of ice and steel surrounded by the frozen Rushian steppe. "Is that far enough?"

"Nope!"

Dinky wracked her mind. "Saddle Arabia?" she said at last.

Pipsqueak nodded. "Yes. From here to Saddle Arabia!"

"Oh yeah? Sweetie and I will kick your flanks from here to the moon!" cheered Scootaloo. "Let's go!"

She kicked the ball, and the game was ahoof. Soon all the foals were deeply involved, focused on the ball, on their teammates, on the score.

None of them noticed the clouds that the weather team was placing overhead.

***

It was a distant rumbing that woke Ditzy.

She yawned as she got to her hooves. She'd been tired. Her mail route that day had taken her from Sweet Apple Acres on one side of town, to Fluttershy's cottage on another. That had been several hours of walking and flying. And that wasn't even including all her detours -- a thirty minute delay at city hall, a hurt bunny that Fluttershy had roped her into helping to tend to, and, on her way back from Fluttershy's house to her own home, helping a panicking Snails coax his favorite bug out of a tree.

"How did he escape?" Ditzy had asked as she floated up to the unusually large beetle, trying not to scare it.

Snails had blushed. "I was eating a chocolate bar when Snips said it wasn't fair to bugs that we ponies get to eat all kinds of awesome things and they don't. So I got another bar and let him play with it, but then I realized I'd forgotten to get my laundry downstairs, and by the time I came back, the bug was already all the way up there!"

"That was very..." Ditzy's hesitation was evident, and not just due to her sleepiness. "Um. Kind of you. What kind of bug is it, anyway?"

"Oh, he's a baby goliath beetle. He's my favorite!"

Ditzy had blinked and hadn't known what to say. Once the bug had been safely returned to its jar, she had politely excused herself and hurried home.

It had been a long day. But it had ended, and Ditzy had flown home and settled into her bed for a nice long nap. Dinky, she was certain, would be able to handle herself with her friends for a while. My daughter is so good to me, had been her final thought before sleep had taken her.

Now she felt a little more rested and refreshed. She could get through the evening, and the next day was the weekend as well as her day off. She could sleep in, make Dinky a big brunch, and then take her toy shopping. Actually, now that she was a Knight, she would be able to get a first-class train ticket to any other city at coach-price as long as, while she was there, she 'rendered aid and assistance to an Equestrian citizen in need.' She could take some time to visit Violet in Hoofington, give her advice, a sympathetic ear, make her lunch, and maybe even show her Dinky to help her see that there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Then she and Dinky could spend the rest of their time in the city; they could shop, or see a play, or look at some of the great monuments. On the way back, they could stop at the little hamlet of Wheatley, a small village that was known for having fantastic restaurants with some of the best foals' menus in the region. They'd return after dark, look at stars on the way back, have a late-night hot chocolate snack --

There was another rumble.

Ditzy frowned and rolled over, one eye rolling over to the clock. She blinked in shock; the time was fifteen minutes past seven, which was long after she had planned to wake up. Had she not set it? She might have just fallen asleep without even touching it, but that meant...

When was Dinky coming home again?

Ditzy usually had a perfect memory, but that entire morning seemed to be covered in a hazy fog. The mailmare climbed out of bed and trotted to the window. It's okay. Dinky is still playing with her friends, I'm sure. I'll just go get her and--

She looked out the window and gasped. The sky was covered in thick stormclouds. They were big, dark, and looked almost angry. A few of them were rumbling ominously.

"Was there a storm planned for today?" Ditzy whispered.

There was another rumble. In the distance, Ditzy thought she heard Rainbow Dash yell, "CLEAR!" There was a huge crash.

And rain began to pour down on Ponyville.

Ditzy stared in shock for several moments before she realized what this meant.

"DINKY!"

Author's Note

I'll get into more about the scholarship stuff later, but for now, I'll just say that most of the stuff school-wise going on in this story is based on my own experiences with admittance tests and schools that you had to test into and such. It might sound esoteric and bizarre, but trust me, it happens.

I don't think we've had a story that was mostly sad (until the ending) in the Lunaverse since... Family Matters, and maybe oarts of Symphony for Moon and Sun. Too much sad is bad, but I think a little sad is good -- just like in the show, which has had some pretty good sad bits. Party of One, for instance, and the 'Spike is running away' bit of Owl's Well. And who can forget sad!Twilight after Discord zapped her friends?

For those wondering about (or leery about) the tone in this story, I'd say that I personally think it is about as sad in places as Family Matters (my favorite Lunaverse fic to date, incidentally, and I'm including my own.) I've taken care not to let it get sadder or more depressing than that. So if you liked that one, I don't think this one will put the Doos through too much worse.

Anyways, I'm looking forward to this one. The Doo family is one of my favorite things in the Lunaverse, and I'm really happy to be working with these characters.

In Which Dinky Gets Rained On

Ditzy pressed her head to the wall and wracked her brain for Dinky's location. Her daughter had told her where she'd be going and who she'd be with, and she had to remember it quickly. Every second she delayed was another second in which Dinky was caught out in the rain.

I woke up... I ate breakfast... Dinky was saying what her plans were... but what were they? I was so out of it I barely heard her the first time! Ditzy had been focusing on wolfing down her meal; she'd paid as much attention to her daughter as she could but it was still all a blur. She thought as hard as she could, but all she could remember was how good the orange juice and strawberries had tasted.

Where would she go? Who would she be with? But she found no answer to those questions. Dinky was friends with almost every foal in town. She could have gone looking for bugs with Snips and Snails in any one of a dozen wooded areas, or she could be playing on the Apple's farm with Apple Bloom, or getting covered in chocolate with Twist, or even helping Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon pick out new dresses at Rarity's boutique. She could be anywhere, with anypony.

Ditzy raced to her closet and grabbed two sets of raingear -- one for her, and one for her Muffin. Barely pausing to lock her door, she bolted down the stairs and dashed into the streets of Ponyville. Thunder boomed overhead, but she didn't let that stop her.

She had to find her daughter.

***

Pipsqueak's parents had showed up to take Pip home at about six, but that was okay with Dinky. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle had begun playing marbles (Scootaloo having hurried to a toy store right after school to buy more), and Dinky had helped referee as they battled it out. It was a long battle with plenty of rules decisions that had to be made, ranging from whether it was okay to bounce your shooter before it hit a marble, to whether it counted if you banked a marble off the referee's muzzle. (Dinky rather emphatically ruled 'no' to that last one).

Heavy Roller had arrived at half-past six and had taken Scootaloo home (the pegsus's protests that she was just about to win back all her marbles notwithstanding). That left Sweetie and Dinky, and they had chased each other around and talked about the other foals in the class. Sweetie Belle had eagerly chatted about Truffle Shuffle's schoolyard crush on Silver Spoon and how the latter mare was planning to string him along to try to get some presents out of him, and about Twist working hard at trying to come up with a candy so good that her mother wouldn't feel any need to try to improve it, and about Scootaloo's adventures at some kind of rock-climbing camp that had an ex-Wonderbolt as a scoutmaster. Dinky had more fun chasing Sweetie around than gossiping, but both activities were fun enough, and Sweetie seemed to like having another pony to listen to her ("Scootaloo doesn't care about this stuff," she had said, "And Rarity's too busy in her shop. But you're a really good listener.") And so they spent another half hour of fun.

Shortly before seven, Rarity had arrived, apologizing for her tardiness and telling Sweetie Belle that they had to hurry home and get washed up because, in her continuing efforts to 'culture' her sister, they would be attending a small classical recital that night at Filthy Rich's house. Sweetie's Belle offer to attend one of Vinyl Scratch's concerts instead was rejected, and the white-coated filly began to leave with her sister.

"Are you sure you don't want to come back to town, dear?" Rarity asked her. "I only ask because it's supposed to start raining in a few minutes." She nodded up at the sky. "The weather patrol's been preparing the storm all day."

Dinky thought for a moment. "I asked Momma to pick me up here," she said at last. "If I left, she wouldn't know where to find me. Thank you, though!"

"Aren't you worried you'll get wet?"

Dinky shook her head. "Momma's great. She'll be here before the rain comes!" She grinned. "I told her I liked splashing in puddles, so maybe she'll come right as it starts to rain and we can splash home together!"

"Ooh!" said Sweetie Belle. "Ooh! Rarity, can we do that?"

"No! Of course not, and--" Rarity caught herself. "I mean, no disrespect to you, Dinky, if you and your mother enjoy that sort of thing. But if Sweetie Belle and I get messy, we'll take too long cleaning up before the concert, and it would be a terrible faux pas to arrive late."

So the two white-coated unicorns left, and Dinky sat by a big rock and looked at the flowers. She knew that her mother liked daisies best, and had hoped that there would be some in the area, but they all seemed to be dandelions, sunflowers, and a few buffalobur. But that wasn't a big deal. Dinky had saved a few bits up, and decided that, the next time she was alone in town, she'd go to the flower stall and buy a half-dozen daisies for dinner. That would make her Momma happy, and of course, she had the very best mother in all the world, so it was good that she be as happy as possible. And besides, Dinky liked daisies too, so she'd get an especially delicious dinner that night. And--

Her thoughts were interrupted by a few peals of thunder. Dinky looked up in confusion. Already? But Momma--

And then it began to rain.

***

"Please, open the door!" Ditzy called as she knocked frantically.

There was no response from within the house, though a peal of thunder sounded overhead. Ditzy looked up and immediately regretted it as she got a facefull of rain. Water was pouring down, filling the small depressions in the ground and turning the lawn around her into a muddy mess. Ditzy's hooves were already soaked. But none of that mattered; she had to find her daughter.

She knocked three more times, kicking the door as hard as she could. "Trixie! Trixie, open up! This is important!" But there was no response from the Residency.

Is she out of town now? But she offered to look after Dinky, so she didn't have any trips planned. I don't have time...

With one final futile knock, Ditzy turned and began to run further through the residential district. She ached to fly, but knew that it was a bad idea. She risked crashing into things when she flew normally; between the dim lighting and her haste, she'd be more likely to put somepony in the hospital (possibly herself) than find her daughter if she took off while in town.

Carrot Top's farm is far away, Trixie's not answering, Lyra's over in the market district... Raindrops! Her house is nearby, she might be able to help, and Snails might know where Dinky is! Ditzy splashed through a large puddle as she raced towards the large structure that housed her friend, her parents, and her sister. Please be around...

The door opened at the third knock, with Snails poking his little head outside. "Hi Miss Doo!" he almost yelled. "What's going on?"

"Snails -- do you know where Dinky is? This is very important." Ditzy tried to peer past him into the dark house. "Is she with you?"

"No, Snips and I went right to the creek after school to look for bugs. We didn't see her."

"Is your sister home?"

Snails shook her head. "It's a rainstorm. She'll be out dancing in the water somewhere -- wait, no. She went with a bunch of the other Elements to one of the Farmer's Union farms." Snails nodded. "They were going to get you, but Trixie said you were real sleepy so they didn't."

Rats... so I can't find her either... "Do you have any idea at all where Dinky might be?"

Snails tilted his head and thought for a long moment. "She was playing with Twist and Scootaloo at recess," he said at last. "Maybe with them?"

"Do you know where they are?"

Another long pause. "Twist said she'd be helping her sister with the candy store today." Snails dropped his voice and loudly whispered, "I think she wants to try Bonbon's new candy before the rest of us get some--"

"Thank you Snails! Bye!" Ditzy was already running back out into the streets.

***

Dinky ducked under a tree, but it was little use. The leaves were soon soaked through, and water began spattering off her head. In moments, she was totally soaked.

"Hey!" she called up to the sky. "I'm still down here! Stoppit!" But the sky didn't hear her. It just continued to rain, the water running in rivulets through her coat before reaching the ground. Further cries proved similarly useless.

Dinky hunched up as best she could, wondering what had happened to her mothe.r Maybes he'd been more tired than she'd thought, or maybe Corona or another monster had popped up and forced her to go off and save the world. There might even be another foal in trouble that Ditzy had been asked to help rescue; maybe Snails had finally gotten that mail-order Ursa baby or something. That made sense, although it didn't make Dinky any drier.

In the meantime, the foal had to figure out what to do. Truth be told, she didn't mind the rain, and she enjoyed splashing in big puddles and getting totally soaked -- it made the inevitable shower or bubble bath a lot nicer. However, rain was nicest when she knew that she could always run home and get dry after being sufficiently rained on. It was a lot less pleasant when she was at the edge of town, unsure whether to stay or leave, and many minutes away from anything resembling a roof or an umbrella.

She picked up a hoof, then set it down again. If she stayed, she'd keep getting wetter and colder, and that didn't sound like much fun. But if she left, her Momma wouldn't know where to look for her. What if she came to this spot, didn't find Dinky, and thought something had happened to her? Dinky would rather eat Bonbon's mother's asparagus-flavored candy bars than scare her Momma. Maybe, she concluded, she should just wait.

But her Momma wouldn't want Dinky to be soaked and unhappy either. She'd want Dinky to be warm and dry -- if not at home, at some other safe place. But if Dinky left, her mother wouldn't find her. She might search all night for her daughter, getting soaked and unhappy herself. So what was Dinky to do?

Stuck in the quandary, Dinky looked back at the road in hopes of seeing her mother -- but there was no sign of her. She frowned to herself. I want to leave, but I don't have any way of telling Momma where to find me. She'll get nervous and worried, and...

As she thought, her gaze fell across the dirt path. Few ponies came to this part of Ponyville; it was past Sweet Apple Acres and there was nothing there but the hoofball court and some gently rolling hills. As such, the path wasn't paved, or even covered in cobblestones. It was just dirt when dry, and mud when wet.

If I stepped in that, I'd probably make a big hoofprint, Dinky thought.

She smiled to herself, then ran at the path and hopped into its center. In moments, there was a huge muddy pit in the center. Dinky paused, letting the rain wash over her and clean some of the spattered mud off, before making another big hop. She advanced a bit further down the path, and made another muddy hole.

Momma just needs to follow the pits! Then she'll find me! Dinky grinned. Plus, I get to make really big splashes! Yay!

Cheered up, Dinky continued hopping back to town.

***

"Oh, no, Dinky didn't go home with me." Twist's face was covered with chocolate, and taffy was stuck all over her mane. "I've been here all afternoon, working on making candy." She offered Dinky a candy cane. "Want to try one?"

Ditzy shook her head, not having the bandwidth to politely decline. "Bonbon?" she called. "Are you there?"

A few moments later, the candymare trotted up to the front door. "Hey Ditzy. What's up?"

"Dinky's caught out in the rain. I don't know where she is." Ditzy's teeth were beginning to chatter from the rain; it was spring, but the rain had been stored in a cool silo and was rather cold. "I'm trying to find her."

"I'll get my raincoat. I can help."

"Where's Lyra?"

"The other Elements went to help Carrot Top with some Farmer's Union thing. I think they needed to monitor one of the irrigation systems to make sure it didn't back up in the rain."

Ditzy could have groaned. Every farm in Ponyville except for Sweet Apple Acres was part of the Union. The other Elements could be almost anywhere by this point.

"I would have gone," continued Bonbon, "But I had to mind the shop." Bonbon was tugging on her raincoat. "But if Dinky's missing and you don't know who she's with or where she is, I--"

Twist smiled. "Oh! I know who Dinky was with."

Ditzy stared for a moment. "Why didn't you tell me?" she managed.

"You didn't ask," said Twist, in a tone of complete innocence. "You asked if she was here, and she wasn't."

Bonbon, fortunately, interceded for Ditzy. "Alright -- who is she with, Twist?"

"Scootaloo said she and Dinky and Sweetie and Pipsqueak were going to play together after school!" Twist nodded. "I wanted to, but I also wanted to finish this candy, and--"

Bonbon shushed Twist. "I'll help you find her, Ditzy."

Ditzy tried to think of the right thing to do. It was hard; her mind was full of images of Dinky being swept out to sea, even though she knew there was no ocean within any reasonable distance from Ponyville. "Bonbon," she said at last, "I hate to ask this of you, but could you wait at my place for a while? If Dinky comes home while I'm out looking for her, I don't want her to be locked out." She wanted a companion to go with her, but she also couldn't help but think of Dinky wandering the darkened streets of Ponyville, locked out of her own house, with nowhere to go and no shelter from the pouring rain...

Don't be stupid! Ponies would take her in. She could knock on any door in town and get shelter.

But what if the ponies aren't home, like Trixie? What if they don't hear her? What if--

Bonbon cut off her thoughts. "No problem. I think Lyra still has those communicators Trixie made for the Gala. As long as you stay within the town limits, they should work fine. If Dinky shows up, I'll contact you."

"Thank you." Ditzy felt weak. "I need to find Scootaloo."

Bonbon rooted around in a drawer until she located the communicator crystals. She passed one to Ditzy. "Go. And let me know if you need anything else--"

Ditzy was already running into the night.

***

SPLASH

Dinky grinned as she beat her personal record, causing the water to spray up and touch the very tip of her horn. At this rate, she would easily be the best splasher in Equestria. If they ever had a contest, she'd be sure to win first prize!

The path had led her through the Apples' back gate and into the orchard. The leaves on the trees provided some protection from the rain, but not enough to keep Dinky from getting any wetter than she already was. Then again, the foal wasn't sure that was possible at that point. She was thoroughly soaked.

It occurred to her, briefly, that Pinkie Pie had once warned her that she shouldn't get too wet because she was an incredibly sweet foal, and sweetness meant sugar, and sugar dissolved in the rain. But Dinky didn't think she was dissolving yet, so that probably wasn't an issue. Besides, even if she dissolve, she knew her Momma could fix her. Momma could fix anything.

I should find out what dissolving means, she decided. Maybe it means popping. Scootaloo told me once that Night Guards could make bad ponies pop. She shuddered. It sounded painful to go 'pop.' But her Momma could probably fix it anyway.

She slipped as she hopped and went splashing down, getting a facefull of mud that she immediately began to cough out. Shaking her head, she tried to rub off some of the excess mud, but her hooves were so muddy that it was futile. "Yuck!" she managed. "Stupid mud!"

The mud did not answer.

Dinky wondered what her friends would do in this situation. Most of them would probably be splashing around in it, just like her. A few, like Diamond Tiara, would have scampered for cover as soon as they could. (Diamond Tiara, Dinky knew, had once angrily complained that rain was bad and they should get rid of it because it messed up her mane and tail. Apple Bloom had tried to explain that rain was needed for crops, but Diamond Tiara had just said that Ponyville could just buy crops from places that didn't have ponies as important as her. Cheerilee had been forced to intervene before the foals began fighting over Ponyville's import/export priorities.) But none of them were with her, and so she couldn't ask them for advice.

I hope I'm doing the right thing, she thought. It was hard, sometimes, to know what the right thing was. Miss Cheerilee said that was okay because she was still a foal, and for the most part, Dinky agreed. But it was tough now, because doing the wrong thing might make her Momma scared or upset, and Dinky didn't want to do that. If she--

Dinky rounded an apple tree, and Miss Applejack's home came into view. The foal grinned and aimed towards it as she hopped along. She knew that Miss Applejack had been mean to Dame Carrot Top once, but Carrot Top had said that was just a one-time thing and that Miss Applejack was a really good pony who cared a lot for the ponies of the town. Besides, Apple Bloom had nothing but good things to say about her sister. She would surely be willing to take Dinky in.

With a smile on her face, Dinky shook off a little more mud and continued on. Soon she'd be inside, and then she could wait for her mother.

Everything was going to be alright.

***

Scootaloo had told Ditzy where she had been playing with Dinky. Ditzy had raced off immediately thereafter, without even pausing to say goodbye. She charged towards the edge of town, and then, as the buildings fell away behind her, she soared into the air.

Come on, come on! she thought. Her wings flapped as hard as they could. Why did I never train to fly faster? I should have been practicing! Dinky could be scared and crying, or stuck in a sinkhole, or... or anything!

Her mind wracked with worry, Dinky flew as rapidly as she could. She almost clipped the ground a few times, but she was past caring. All that mattered was finding her Muffin, who had been out alone in the rain for so long and was probably wondering where her mother was and why she was so late, and all the other things she'd have every right to wonder. Dinky, please, hold on a little longer. I'm coming...

Finally, at long last, the hoofball field came into view. Dinky soared towards it, eyes scanning as quickly as she could. It hurt to focus both eyes in one position, but she managed to look over the entire length of the field. No inch was left unexamined.

And Dinky was not there.

Feeling like her heart was doing cartwheels in her chest, Ditzy dropped to the ground in exhaustion. She was terrified, yet she couldn't move. She didn't know what to do next. Get ponies to help her in town? Maybe she should have done that already; maybe Dinky would have been found by now if she'd tried harder to get helpers -- but if she'd delayed to do that, Dinky might have wandered even further away. Or should she continue off into the distance, leaving Ponyville and examining the fields and hills to the north? Dinky could be in a tiny cave, scared, terrified, maybe dealing with mean animal like a snake? Or should she go back towards town? Dinky might have sought shelter in the apple orchard. Or--

Ditzy's eyes fell upon the muddy hoofprints.

They had almost, but not quite, been washed away by the rain. There was one on the path right before her, and another on the way back to town. She saw a third, then a fourth. They were heading towards Applejack's farm.

That path was probably hard before the rain -- those hoofprints had to be left after it started. That must be Dinky!

Ditzy raced along the path, following the hoofprints towards, and then into, Sweet Apple Acres. For a few terrifying moments she lost the track, but then she caught a small tuft of fur that had been snagged on a tree and was able to find it again. She wound through the trees, calling Dinky's name frantically. She wanted to run around every tree to check for her daughter, but she forced herself to keep following the trail. The hoofprints were getting deeper and less washed out; she was closing in. If she could make it a little further--

There. They stopped at Applejack's front door. She was at it in an instance and began hammering on it.

The door opened. Applejack took one look at her, then nodded her head. "She's in the living room--" the mare began.

Ditzy blasted right past her and into the room Applejack was pointing at. Apple Bloom was there, sitting in front of a roaring fireplace and toasting marshmallows. And there, right next to Apple Bloom, wrapped in a fluffy towel and holding a stick of marshmallows of her own, was her daughter.

"Dinky!" she gasped.

Dinky turned and brightened immediately. "Momma!"

Ditzy felt herself hurling forwards, and she seized her daughter in a massive hug. She knew she was getting her foal wet and muddy again, but she didn't care. She wrapped her legs and wings around Dinky and fell on her back, hugging her daughter close so that nothing could ever separate them. Dinky, for her part, didn't seem to mind the mud. She just nuzzled into her mother and hugged her back.

"I'm so sorry!" gasped Ditzy. "I'm so -- it was--"

"It's okay," said Dinky. "I had a lot of fun, and Miss Applejack was really nice to me! She said I could stay over until the rain stopped, and maybe even sleep over if it kept going all night! And Mr. Macintosh went into town to find you, and--"

Ditzy hugged Dinky even closer, cutting off her words. "I'm so sorry," she repeated. "I love you so much, but..."

"Momma, it's okay," Dinky managed.

"Are you sure?" Ditzy released Dinky so that the mare could crawl up and look into her eyes.

Dinky nodded. "Although... maybe I could use another hug?"

Ditzy smiled and obeyed.

In Which Dinky Is Honored

“Momma! Momma!”

Ditzy yawned as she awoke, once again, to the sight of her daughter’s smiling face. “Yes, Muffin?”

Dinky was bouncing so high that she looked like Pinkie Pie had been giving her lessons. “Momma! We have to hurry or we’ll miss the Hoofington train!”

Ditzy stretched as she looked around. She was back in her own apartment, curled up on the couch. She shook her head slightly, trying to remember what had happened. “What...”

The memories came back. She had found Dinky at Applejack’s place, safe and warm. The apple farmer had insisted that they stay at least until the rain had stopped, and so the Doos had taken seats by the fire and toasted marshmallows with Apple Bloom and Applejack. Big Macintosh had returned a few moments later, said that he’d sent Bonbon on home, and then joined them. It had been a peaceful evening.

The rain had stopped just before midnight. Applejack had offered to let them stay the night, but Dinky had looked like she’d wanted nothing more than to go to sleep in her own warm bed. With another round of thanks to the Apples, and a promise that she would take care of Apple Bloom the next time they needed a sitter, Ditzy had gotten Dinky on her back and had trotted home. They had made it, gotten inside, embraced one more time, and collapsed on the couch... which was where Ditzy was now, looking at her bright-eyed daughter.

“I’m so excited! I’ve always wanted to see Hoofington! Can we go to the Animal Library? Miss Fluttershy once told me they have the cutest puppies in Equestria, and they let you play with them! And I really want to see the statue of Chancellor Puddinghead standing on her head!”

Ditzy smiled as she embraced her daughter again. “I’m so glad that I found you. Dear, I’m sorry--”

“I already forgave you, Momma,” said Dinky. She ducked out of the hug. “Oh! While we’re in Hoofington, can we try the chocolate donuts? Miss Pinkie Pie said the Hoofington chocolate donuts are the twelfth-best donuts in Equestria!”

Ditzy hesitated. She had told Dinky that they might go up to Hoofington, and her daughter seemed really eager, but with all that had happened, she felt a twinge of fear. Hoofington was big, and nopony knew her there. What if she was separated from Dinky and couldn’t find her? She wouldn’t know where to even begin looking.

“Oh, and maybe we can see Swan Lake? I heard they have really pretty swans, and they come right up to you so you can feed them bread!”

Ditzy opened her mouth to say that she was very tired and would prefer if they spent the day in Ponyville, but then closed it again. How could she deny such a simple pleasure to her daughter? Dinky was everything she could ask for. What kind of terrible mother would look at such a perfect daughter and cancel a trip for no other reason than her own selfish fear?

“And we could even go to the Candy Factory! Bonbon told me once they have a big factory where they make all kinds of candies, and they let some tour groups see it all close up! And Snails says he went once and he got stuck in the taffy machine and got stretched out, which is why he’s so tall and skinny. Although Miss Cheerilee says that probably didn’t happen...”

Ditzy said nothing. She was torn, unable to say whether they would go or not. If they went, she could lose Dinky and she would be a bad mother. If they stayed in Ponyville, she would be horrible anyway for disregarding the wishes of her only child. A tear crept to her eye. What do I do?

Dinky hesitated. “Are you okay, Momma?” she snuggled closer. “Your eyes are leaking.”

“Momma’s fine, Muffin,” whispered Ditzy, pulling Dinky tight. “She’s just... she’s very sad that she let you down last night.”

“Don’t be sad!” Dinky protested. “I don’t want you to be sad, Momma!” She hugged Ditzy even harder, as if she could squeeze the sadness out of her. “I’m fine! And I had a really good time with Scootaloo and Pipsqueak and Sweetie Belle, and Applejack and Apple Bloom were really nice too!”

“I know, but...”

Dinky paused for a moment. “Momma... we don’t have to go to Hoofington if you don’t want to. We could have a picnic in White-Tail Woods, or--”

“No, I want to!” protested Ditzy. “It’s just...”

What do I do? I wish somepony else was here that I could ask for advice. If one of my friends--

A thought struck her.

Wait, yes... one of my friends... Her heart slowed down a bit, and she began to breathe easier. Her friends were good. They would never lose a foal. They could help her.

“Muffin, we’re going to Hoofington,” she told Dinky. “And we’re going to see absolutely everything that you want.”

“Are you sure? If you don’t want--”

“I’m sure!” Ditzy got to her hooves, rolling Dinky up and onto her back. “We’ll see the Candy Factory and the statue of Puddinghead and Swan Lake and everything else! And I’ll see if we can’t get a friend to come along with us.”

Dinky brightened. “Oh wow! That’s great, Momma! Miss Cheerilee says that everything is more fun with friends!”

“Miss Cheerilee is a very smart mare.”

Dinky nodded and began to chatter about her teacher, about the stories she had told and some of the adventures the class was certain she’d been on (“Archer says he heard from a trusted source that Miss Cheerilee used to be an archer in the elk army! And Snips says she was the secret head of the Night Court, but she left after a while because she wanted to be nice and give Princess Luna and the other ponies a chance to run things.”) The little unicorn laughed and giggled. Ditzy noted that she sounded just like a foal who hadn’t been abandoned out in the rain by her mother.

Ditzy laughed too as she got cleaned up and went with Dinky to exit her apartment. Even if she had failed, her friends wouldn’t. They were good ponies, reliable and true. They wouldn’t fail her.

***

“Feeling okay?”

Ditzy rubbed a weary hoof as she sat at the little counter. “Yes, I’m fine,” she told Trixie. “How are you?”

The two watched as Dinky scampered around with a fluffy, big-eared puppy. The foal was laughing and giggling so hard that she was causing spontaneous smiles to break out in faces all throughout the pet library. Even Ditzy, who had spent most of the day in a state of nervous anxiety, was soothed by this.

Dinky had wanted to go play with the puppy, not just in the indoor room, but in the large backyard section. Ditzy had been reluctant to allow that, though, since the backyard was big enough that Ditzy might have lost sight of Dinky. Dinky had seemed to understand when Ditzy asked her daughter to stay indoors, and she certainly seemed to be having plenty of fun as she pet and ran around with the puppy. Ditzy smiled as she watched her daughter. She's such a good foal...

“I’m good," said Trixie. "Always wanted to visit Hoofington. Even better doing it with a friend, right?”

“Why haven’t you ever come here before?” the pegasus asked.

“I might have, um, soaked the local Lord Mayor when I melted the ice palace, and he just might be the sort to hold grudges...”

Ditzy giggled. “Thank you for coming,” she told her friend. “It means a lot to me.”

“Bonbon told Lyra what happened, and Lyra told me.” Trixie touched Ditzy’s hoof. “You know it’s not your fault, right? It was really bad luck.”

Ditzy shook her head. “There’s no bad luck in parenting. If I had paid more attention to my daughter, if I had set my alarm properly--”

“Ditzy, you couldn’t possibly have anticipated that, after the one night you spent awake helping a friend, there’d be a huge rainstorm. Or that Lyra and Carrot Top and Cheerilee and I would be away helping Green Grapes keep her irrigation system from backing up and drowning her fields.” Trixie shook her head slightly. “It was really, really, really bad luck -- and it still all worked out.”

“No thanks to me.” Ditzy sighed. “I never claimed to be perfect, but I thought I could keep my daughter safe. When she really needed me, when she was stuck in the cold and soaked and there was thunder overhead, where was I? I was home, asleep, completely useless. I couldn’t do anything for her--”

“You taught her what to do in case of an emergency. She was able to figure out where to go, and how to leave a trail for you to follow her.” Trixie sounded unusually sincere. “I’ve known a lot of mothers, Ditzy. Trust me. You are still the best that I know. I can’t think of anypony who would have handled that mess better than you.”

Ditzy hesitated. “But Trixie... what if she’d gotten hurt? What if she’d gotten lost, or stuck in a mudpit, or struck by lightning or something?” She shut her eyes. “What if that happened?”

“What if she got up one normal night when you were asleep, and slipped into a table and knocked her head?” Trixie asked. “Ditzy, you can’t always be there for your daughter. It’s just not possible.” She smiled and poked her. “You know that, right? No matter what you do, you can’t keep her perfectly safe. No mother can.”

“I know, but--”

“What you can do, though, is keep her as safe as you can, and raise her so that she’s good and smart, and help her figure out how to make decisions when she’s in trouble so that she doesn’t get hurt. Which you did, and which she was able to do.” Trixie turned Ditzy so they had locked eyes. “Ditzy. You did everything right. And because of that, Dinky didn’t stay out in the rain waiting for you forever, and she didn’t run off in a random direction. She found shelter. She made herself safe... thanks to your teaching and parenting. You have nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Maybe you’re right...”

“Of course I’m right. I’m the Great and Powerful Trixie, and--”

“Wheee!” Dinky had climbed on the back of the large puppy, which was now trotting after a cat. Dinky cheered as she rode the dog all around the lounge of the pet library. “Go catch her, Woofie!”

Trixie grinned. “You,” she told Ditzy, “Are doing a great job as a mother. Dinky is happy and healthy and moral and brilliant in every way. You’ve raised her right.”

“...I just get so worried sometimes,” said Ditzy. “This isn’t like work. If I misdeliver a letter, it’s bad, but I can fix it. I can’t fix it if I screw up with Dinky and she gets hurt.”

“You won’t screw up.” Trixie leaned in close to her friend. “And if you ever think you’re about to, talk to me and the other Elements. We are your friends. We’ll help you.”

Ditzy hugged Trixie. “You’re the best friend I could have.”

Trixie blushed.

And then Dinky was running up to them with a huge grin on her face. “Momma! Momma, that was great, that was so much fun! Thank you so so much!” She bounced onto Ditzy’s back and embraced her, covering her with hugs and kisses. “That was AMAZING!”

Ditzy grinned. “I’m glad you had fun, Dearie.”

“Momma? Can we maybe come back some time, and bring Miss Fluttershy? I think she’d really, really, really love this place!” Dinky bounced up and down. “And the animals would love her!”

“That’s a splendid idea, dear.” Dittzy rose and began to walk. “Trixie, would you like to see Swan Lake?”

“The Great and Powerful--”

“Hey!” A pony by the entrance stared. “Ain't you that Trixie mare? The one that melted an ice palace on our Lord Mayor?” He turned to a companion. “Look, it’s Trixie--”

“Where?”

Ditzy turned to see that Trixie had gone invisible. “The Great and Powerful Trixie,” the showmare whispered in her ear, “Would love to see Swan Lake! But perhaps in a disguise. They have a clothing district, right?”

Dinky said, “Oh! You should wear a fake mustache! And get a really fun hat! Then nopony will recognize you!”

“A mustache?” Trixie snorted. “That isn’t really me...”

Dinky giggled, and the trio walked out into the streets of Hoofington.

***

It was a good day.

Ditzy smiled as she tucked Dinky into bed and walked back into her living room. The pet library, Swan Lake, the monument district, a short foal’s play at a bright and peppy little theatre, and then they headed to the little town of Wheatley, halfway between Hoofington and home, for dinner. Dinky had loved the floating cracker dish, in which a unicorn had enchanted a bowl of flavorful crackers to float around so that Dinky would have to catch them to eat them. Ditzy and Trixie had eaten more conventional fare, and then the trio had returned to Ponyville.

Dinky had enjoyed herself, and she hadn’t gotten lost or in trouble once. Ditzy nodded as she began to put on a pot of tea. Trixie was probably right. She really was a good mother, and she could take care of her daughter. She’d had a scare, but everything had worked out... and besides, she had her friends to call on if she needed help. She didn’t need to worry so much. Nothing would happen to her daughter. As long as Ditzy could keep her daughter close to herself or her friends, nothing would happen at all.

Besides, Dinky was still supervised for most of the day. She was usually at school with Cheerilee, or at home with Ditzy, or studying magic with Trixie. The rainstorm had been a freak aberration, an unlikely string of coincidences that would, in all probability, never repeat. And, if she felt it necessary, Ditzy could exercise a little more supervision over Dinky's leisure time... Dinky would understand. The days would settle into their usual routines. Dinky would go to school, play with her friends, have fun with her mother, and wouldn’t get stuck in any more storms. Ditzy would see to it.

The mailmare’s thoughts were interrupted by the whistle of her teakettle. She poured herself a cup, then went to the couch to sit down. Dinky was asleep, and she had no other responsibilities for the night. She could just relax and drink tea, and think of what to do the next day. There were many options, and--

Somepony knocked at the door.

Ditzy sighed to herself, wondering who would be stopping by so late. I need to get it... it could be somepony else who needs a friendly ear. But I do wish they would come by during daylight hours more often. With a rueful smile, she rose and stepped over to the door. "Hello?"

"Ditzy, it's me! I've got some amazing news!"

Ditzy smiled upon hearing the voice of Blackcherry Lee 'Cheerilee' Punch, the Element of Laughter and one of her close personal friends. Opening the door, she warmly embraced Cheerilee. "Hello! I've got some tea on that we can share. Just be careful to keep your voice down." She chuckled. "My little Muffin had a big day."

"Trixie was just telling me all about it," said Cheerilee as she stepped inside. "Sounds like Dinky has quite the way with animals."

"Fluttershy's told me so a few times." Ditzy poured some tea for Cheerilee. "What brings you here? Not that I'm not happy to just chat--"

"Oh no, it's not just that. First--" Cheerilee leaned forward. "Dinky is alright, isn't she? I'm so sorry I wasn't around the other day--"

"It's not your fault." Ditzy nodded. "It was just... like Trixie said. A really bad accident. But Dinky is alright, and I'll make very sure that never happens again. Thank you for your concern, though."

Cheerilee nodded. "I'm glad she's alright. You really do have an amazing daughter."

"I know."

"That's actually why I stopped by." Cheerilee opened her saddlebag and withdrew a thick envelope. "Remember that scholarship I had to submit some student names for?"

"Yes...?"

"I just heard back." Cheerilee's face split into a big smile. "Dinky made the semifinalist list!" She passed Ditzy the letter. "This confirms it! She's eligible to take a test, and if she passes--"

"Wait, what list?" Ditzy blinked several times. "What exactly was that submission for?"

"Are you familiar with the Sharpwhinny Academy?"

The mailmare thought back. "A prep school in Manehattan. They're supposed to be really academically strong in all sorts of areas -- every kind of art and science, magic, leadership, everything." She chuckled. "When I was little, I'd hoped they'd ask me to go there, because then I'd be able to study hard and become the dancer-slash-astronaut-slash-princess-slash-pirate that I wanted to be. But you couldn't apply, they have to... to ask..."

She trailed off. "Cheerilee, you don't mean -- I mean, Dinky can go--"

"Not yet." Cheerilee held up a hoof to cut Ditzy off. "Equestria has 100 million ponies, and about 2.8 million foals of the right age to attend Sharpwhinny. Teachers all over Equestria are asked to submit their top two or three students for consideration, so that's about 400,000 names." She paused. "Well, not all teachers are asked -- some provinces use standardized tests, and do it that way. But elsewhere, teachers are allowed to use their own judgement."

"The entering class can't be 400,000 ponies," said a confused Ditzy.

"It isn't. The committee looks over the submitted names and narrows it down to what they see as the top 10% -- 40,000 foals. Those foals are the semifinalists, and Dinky Doo is one of them." Cheerilee nodded. "Those foals are permitted to take an entrance exam -- usually, about 10,000 do; the rest either not wanting to go to Sharpwhinny, or having parents who don't want them to leave. Of those that take the test, the top 100 are admitted." The teacher hesitated. "I won't pretend that the odds are good -- only about 1% of those who take the test qualify. But still, Dinky's been ranked as a semifinalist in the first place -- that's an amazing accomplishment. And if she does get in, Ditzy, the possibilities... graduating from Sharpwhinny is the closest thing you can get to a guaranteeor of success. That school's produced generals, statesmares, business leaders, archmages... anything Dinky could want to do, Sharpwhinny would prepare her for."

Ditzy sat very still for a few moments while she processed this. Once she thought she understood, she allowed herself to grin. "Cheerilee, that's... that's incredible. It's amazing. Thank you so much for nominating Dinky--"

"I nominated the most deserving students. Dinky earned it." Cheerilee hugged her again. "As your daughter's teacher, all I can say is that your daughter has proven herself to be near enough the top of the class to justify nominating her. As your friend... I can say that it's rare that I have a student as amazing as her. She is a very special foal, Ditzy."

"I still can't believe it. Sharpwhinny Academy." Ditzy let out a laugh -- albeit a soft one -- and shook her head. "Still, the top 100 foals in the nation, that's..."

"They have to be somepony, and there's no reason why Dinky can't earn a slot."

"Has anypony from Ponyville ever gone?"

"Mayor Mare, way back in the day. Also Sterling Silver, I think."

The mayor, and the richest businesspony in town. Ditzy could scarcely believe it. "What happens next, then?"

"If Dinky wants to go -- and you want her to go -- she needs to sit the test. It's next Saturday at noon, at the regional testing center. Mayor Mare pushed to have it here in Ponyville -- she's a graduate, so she's got some weight, and I offered to talk to the parents -- as both an educator and an Element -- while they wait for their foals to finish the test. Should be a nice tourism boost to the town, and it makes the commute easy for you." Cheerilee chuckled again. "They change the test enough each year that there's no real preparation Dinky can do for it; they want to evaluate intelligence, not test-taking. Just make sure she's got plenty of rest the night before, and a good meal the morning of, and Dinky should be fine."

"I think I can handle that." Ditzy was starting to get her mind around what Dinky had just earned. She could see her daughter attending one of the very best schools in the nation, learning as much as she possibly could. She could see Dinky becoming a great businessmare, or a famous mage that could rival Twilight Sparkle, or a noble in the Night Court, leading Equestria into a new age of greatness. Sharpwhinny set ponies for life, it gave them the skills they needed, and--

"I imagine it'll be something of a change for you too," said Cheerilee as she drained the last of her tea. "But I bet Pinkie will throw the biggest parties in Ponyville history when Dinky returns!"

"Returns?" Ditzy blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Sharpwhinny's a boarding school," said Cheerilee. "I believe the current term lengths are twelve weeks, with a four-week break between terms. But during terms, Dinky would have to live at the school. You could see her during evenings and weekends, but she wouldn't be allowed to leave except for school trips or in case of some emergency. It's to ensure that the learning experience is uninterrupted -- you know, total immersion and all that. It also helps the students bond and form friendships. They come from all over Equestria, so if they were going home all the time they'd never see each other again except in class."

Twelve week terms? Dinky would be away in a big city for twelve weeks at a time? Ditzy was frozen for a moment. If Dinky got in to Sharpwhinny, she’d be going to Manehattan. And she wouldn’t be back. For three months, she'd be gone.

Ditzy took a sharp breath of air. If Dinky qualified, she'd be away in a distant city -- where anything could happen to her. And there’d be no one to watch out for her. She wouldn’t be able to seek shelter at Applejack’s if she got wet, or run to Trixie if she got hurt. She wouldn’t be anywhere near her mother; if something happened, it might be days before Ditzy even knew. Dinky would be on her own -- no friends, no family, no safety.

For a moment, Ditzy thought of Dinky, lost in a big city, crying on a street corner, covered in rain and mud and soot as the uncaring pedestrians walked by.

“Well!” she heard herself saying. “This is a fantastic opportunity. It’s amazing. It's... really good. Thank you for notifying me, Cheerilee.”

"You're welcome. If Dinky wants to attend, just have her take the test -- that's it. Good luck!" Cheerilee hugged Ditzy one more time. "I should be getting back to my house -- I think my fish are getting antsy. And, a few goodbyes later, she was gone.

Ditzy was alone in her living room. "Yes," she said, setting the Sharpwhinny letter down on her coffee table. "This is a fantastic opportunity. Sharpwhinny won't let her come to any harm. They're good at what they do." She nodded. "I can let Dinky go away. I don't need to worry about anything. Dinky will be fine... and I'll be fine."

And, after saying it a few times, she almost believed it.

Author's Note

Horray, Dinky is getting honored! I foresee no problems with this.

The numbers: RDD said that Equestria has about 100,000,000 ponies. Assuming their population is roughly proportional in age to the US, I used census data to determine how many of those ponies would be under age 17 (the lowest bracket on the census that I found). Then, assuming there isn't a spate of foal deaths, I assumed a uniform distribution under that bracket. I came up with 2.8 million as the number of foals of the right age to qualify. Then I figured teachers would nominate 2 or 3 students per class (assuming average class size of 20, that's about 15%) to get 400,000 or so nominees, then the admissions committee cuts that down to the top 10% or 40,000 (this stops teachers from just nominating politically connected foals in exchange for favors; the admissions committee can figure this out and disqualify those nominees), then only 10,000 take the test, and then only the top 1% of test-takers qualify.

Dinky being brilliant: I'm deliberately leaving it vague as to why why Dinky made the cut from 400,000 nominees to the top 10% of that. Personally, I like the idea that Dinky is smart and a very dedicated worker and so does very well in school, maybe 3rd in the class or something, and that this would be apparent in the information Cheerilee submitted. If we decide to go back on that later and make her more average, she could then have made the cut because Daughter of Element or something.

In Which Ditzy Does a Bad Thing

“Momma! Momma!”

Ditzy awoke and, once again, found herself staring into her daughter’s big eyes. “Good morning, Muffin.”

“You fell asleep on the couch again,” said Dinky. “Is your bed okay?”

“It’s fine. I was just... tired,” managed Ditzy. “Did you have a good sleep?”

Dinky nodded. “I dreamed that I was an awesome knight, and I was riding into battle on a puppy! And there was a real mean monster who wanted to eat everypony’s cakes, but I bopped him on the head with my wand and turned him into a nice pony! And then we had a party and ate lots of marshmallow cakes!.” She frowned. “When I woke up, though, my pillow was gone.”

Ditzy helped Dinky find her pillow, which had fallen off her bed in the night and had somehow bounced under her bed. Then she took her daughter back into the living room and began fixing her a big breakfast. “Would you like pancakes today?”

“Can I have waffles, please?”

“Of course!” said Ditzy. “Do you like them better now?”

“Well, I was talking to Apple Bloom and she said that pancakes were made with buttermilk. But she thinks that the only thing butter should be mixed with is apples, to make apple butter. So she asked all us foals to stop having buttermilk in solid air at Rarity's!” She paused. "What's solid air, and why does Rarity have it?"

“Solidarity,” corrected Ditzy. “And that’s... not quite how buttermilk works.”

Dinky looked confused. “It isn’t made by putting butter in a jug of milk?”

Ditzy laughed and began to explain. By the time she was done, the waffles were ready, and the two enjoyed them with plenty of fresh maple syrup, powdered sugar, and a little bit of jam (which tended to wind up on their muzzles more than the waffles, but they were both fine with that).

When they were done, Dinky’s gaze fell upon the living room table. “Oh! Did we get some good mail?” And she pointed to the letter that Cheerilee had left on the table, the one formally qualifing Dinky to take the admissions test to Sharpwhinny.

Ditzy heard herself speaking before her mind caught up with her mouth. “Just some letters for your Momma, dearie. Nothing for you yesterday.” She made sure not to look at the qualification letter Cheerilee had given her, which lay quietly on the table. I don’t want to bother her about some big test she needs to take... not now, when she’s so happy. I’ll tell her tomorrow.

“Phooey,” said Dinky. “I was hoping I’d get an invitation to a Pinkie Party.” She grinned. “Those are so much fun!”

“Yes, she’s certainly very good at throwing parties.” Ditzy began to clean up the dishes. “How about later today, we go to Sugar Cube Corner and you can ask when her next one will be?”

“YAY!” cheered Dinky. “Oh -- if there’s a party, we should invite Apple Bloom and Applejack too, for being so nice to me when it was raining.”

“Yes, I was meaning to do something to thank them.” Ditzy thought. “We could bake them a big batch of fresh apple-cinnamon muffins... it's a bit hot today, but perhaps tomorrow. Would you like to help?”

Dinky nodded eagerly. “I’ll do a great job! I promise!”

“Now, remember, if you help me with the muffins, you can’t get sugar all over your nice clean coat.”

“Momma!” laughed Dinky. “That only happened once. And it was a lot of fun! I looked like I’d been in the snow!”

Later, Dinky scurried around and got ready to go outside, while Ditzy tidied up the room. The mail, including the letter from Sharpwhinny, went into a drawer in a desk near the front door, so it wouldn’t get messy. Ditzy looked at the drawer for a long moment, then nodded her head. She would tell Dinky about the application after the next day of school. There was no reason to inform her daughter that she might be asked to take a big test; not when she was looking forward to the bright new day of leisure with such eagerness.

“Come on, Momma!” called Dinky. “If we don’t hurry, Pinkie Pie might eat all the muffins again! She did that once, remember?”

Ditzy did; she’d helped quell the Great Foal Army (led, of course, by Scootaloo) that had besieged Sugar Cube Corner and demanded their daily dose of sugar. “Coming, Muffin!”

Mother and daughter hurried out the door and went out into the day.

***

The day passed uneventfully. There was no muffin shortage, Pinkie said her next party was scheduled for the weekend after next and would commemorate Vinyl Scratch’s next album, and Dinky wound up scampering around with Alula and Featherweight in the park. A few more foals joined them and they all decided to play Zombie Pony, which the zombies won without too much trouble. Dinky was actually the last Living Pony remaining, but her tail poked out of her hiding place and Zombie Scootaloo chased her down and tagged her.

“Do zombies have to bathe?” wondered Dinky, as Ditzy led her home.

“Of course they do. If they don’t stay nice and clean, then the other zombies won’t want to play with them!” chirped Ditzy.

It was a pleasant evening as well. Dinky regaled her mother with tales from the earlier zombie war over dinner that night, and the two went to bed without further ado.

The next day, Ditzy woke up before her daughter -- she had slept uneasily, her dreams full of images of Dinky running around, fleeing some monster that she could never quite escape and that Ditzy couldn’t do anything about. The mailmare was able to put this out of her mind, though, and helped her daughter get ready for school. Dinky was soon scampering out the door, all smiles and laughter, and Ditzy followed her as far as the downstairs door. Then she picked up that day’s set of letters and began making her daily rounds.

Time flew by, and before long, Ditzy found herself at home and waiting to hear the pitter-patter of Dinky’s hoofsteps. She’d be flying through the door at any moment, and Ditzy would be waiting -- to help her get out of her bags, to help her with her homework if need be, and to prepare something fun for dinner. Dinky told me once that she wanted to try making our own pasta. I’ve got flour, salt, and eggs, and I’m sure I could borrow the tools from Berry Punch. That could be fun. I don’t think there’s anything else to do--

Her gaze fell upon the drawer with the letter from Sharpwhinny in it.

It was only for a moment, but Ditzy suddenly felt very cold. She shut her eyes and yanked her head away from the drawer, looking at the front door with a laser-tight focus. That’s not important. I am a mare waiting for her daughter to return from school. That is all. There is nothing else that matters right now; not that, not anything--

The door opened and Dinky raced in. “Hi Momma!” she said, shucking off her saddlebags as she ran into her mom’s embrace. “Are you all ready?”

“Ready for what?” asked Ditzy. Okay -- she’s home. I should tell her now. It won’t be hard. Just say, ‘You have a shot at going to Sharpwhinny.’ That’s--

“Apple muffins!” Dinky said. “You said we could bake the Apples some delicious muffins in order to thank them for drying me out the other day!” She grinned. “I’ve been looking forward to it all day! I even got a fresh jar of cinnamon on the way home!” Her horn glowed, and a jar floated out of her saddlebag. “See?”

“Of course,” said Ditzy, hugging Dinky tightly.

“And now we -- agh!” The cinnamon jar burst, scattering spice all over the floor. Dinky blushed. “Oh no, I gripped it too hard again. I’m sorry...”

“That’s alright, dear. You’ve got better telekinesis than me,” said Ditzy, hurrying to get a broom and dustpan.

“...but you aren’t a unicorn.”

Ditzy giggled and began to sweep up. “Why don’t we go back to the market and get some more cinnamon, then bake the muffins?” I can’t tell her now. It will take too long and the market will close. We’ll just head out and get some fresh cinnamon, and then I can tell her once we’re back home.

And so they did, with Dinky riding Ditzy to the market and handling the purchase of the spice herself. They returned home and began getting ready to bake the muffins. Dinky grinned. “This is going to be so much fun!”

“Yes, dear. It will.” Ditzy paused. Now's a bad time, when we’re getting all ready to bake like this. There’d be no point in distracting her. I’ll tell her once we finish baking and get all cleaned up. Then she’ll be ready to listen, and we can snack on some of the extra muffins while I tell her about her... about her great opportunity. Ditzy shut her eyes for a moment. Her great opportunity, which no good parent would ever deny their foal...

“Momma! Look!” Dinky was balancing a measuring spoon on her muzzle. “I’m a circus pony!”

Ditzy smiled, and went to help Dinky with the muffins. The letter lay in the drawer, forgotten.

***

The next day was overcast and dreary.

“Why does the weather patrol do this to us?” grumbled Trixie, as she sat with her friends in Berry’s Bar. “Who gains from having a bunch of clouds sitting up there and doing nothing?”

“They need to get the old clouds out of the silo to get ready for a fresh shipment,” said Raindrops. “Rainbow Dash ordered too many.”

“Figures,” said Trixie. “Who’d have thought she wouldn’t be paying attention.”

Raindrops sighed. “It’s not really her fault. We got a bunch of clouds coming from the Everfree that regulations stated we had to collect and store, and the cloud order had already been placed. Couldn’t have seen that one coming.”

Ditzy said nothing. She had slept badly. In her dreams, Dinky had wandered out of a big building and found herself in the jungle-like forest of Manehattan’s Central Park. She had wandered along, growing more and more frantic, but the prickly bushes and gnarled roots had given no response to her cries. Dinky had begun running, but hadn’t been able to get out of the woods, no matter which way she went or what she did. She had finally reached the central lake, but a monster within had surged up and grabbed her, dragging her into the depths. Ditzy could barely hear her squealing in fear and horror.

And then she’d awoken.

At least it’s Sparkler’s day to watch Dinky, Ditzy thought. I don’t know what I’d do if--

“... Ditzy? Equestria to Ditzy?” Lyra grinned. “You awake in there?”

“Oh, yes...” Ditzy shook her head, as if to clear it. “Sorry. I had some bad dreams last night.”

“Hmm.” Cheerilee tapped her muzzle. “Normal bad dreams, or evil-monster-messing-with-you bad dreams?”

“... I’d guess the former.”

Cheerilee nodded. “Well, if they keep up, or more of us get them, we should ask Luna to look into it. It could attack all of us if we aren't careful.”

“Bah.” Trixie laughed. “Nopony would dare mess with my dreams. Entering the head of the Great and Powerful Trixie? I’d thrash them.”

“Or frighten them,” commented Raindrops.

“Yeah. I wouldn’t want to enter your head,” added Lyra.

“Hey!”

Ditzy laughed. “I don’t think it’s that serious. But thank you for the advice, Cheerilee.”

Cheerilee nodded. “Oh -- Ditzy. Any decision on you-know-what?”

The mailmare felt a cold sweat break out on the back of her neck. “Sharpwhinny, right?” she asked. “Not yet. Why?”

Cheerilee blinked. “Er... curiosity, really. I just wanted to know if Dinky had decided whether or not to take the test yet.”

“She hasn’t decided,” said Ditzy. It was true. “I want her to have time to make the decision... I don’t want to rush anything.”

"Dinky qualified for Sharpwhinny?" asked Trixie. "Well, congrats!"

The others chimed in congratulations as well. Ditzy smiled as best she could and said nothing in response.

“Who else is eligible from Ponyville?” asked Raindrops.

Cheerilee shook her head. “Sorry. I had to submit the names of the top students in my class, and I can’t tell ponies who’s on that list. If a foal or a parent wants to say they were on it, that’s different, but it can’t come from me. I take confidentiality about those things really seriously."

Raindrops nodded. "Okay, no sweat."

“Sharpwhinny Academy...?” Trixie whistled. “That’s a tough school to get into. I couldn’t even get into it.”

“Did Twilight?” asked Lyra.

“She could have. I think she went straight into Luna’s Academy, though.” The showmare shrugged. “Actually, a lot of students at the Academy spent some time at Sharpwhinny. It’s a great prep school.”

“I heard that ponies who attend there can get jobs or careers in any field they want,” said Ditzy. “I mean, that’s probably an exaggeration...”

“Oh, no. Seriously, it’s one of the best schools in the country. If Dinky can get in... well, she won’t be learning magic from me anymore, so that’s a downgrade, but in every other subject, she’ll be working with experts in the fields. It’d be fantastic for her.”

“Of course,” said Lyra, “Dinky would have to go away. Are you able to let her go?”

Ditzy paused. “I... I want what’s best for her,” she insisted. “If it’s better that she study, and learn, and become a great scholar, of course I couldn’t stand in her way. What kind of mother could?”

She left the cafe soon afterwards and went home. Sparkler and Dinky arrived a few minutes later, and they had a dinner together. Ditzy thought of bringing up the letter then, but she decided it wasn’t the right time. Dinky had limited time with her half-sister, after all. She wouldn’t like wasting it on something that didn’t involve her at all.

Sparkler left, but then Dinky was tired, and Ditzy put her to bed early. She cleaned up, made some tea, and sat on the sofa.

She sat there for quite a long while.

***

The next day, Ditzy’s dreams were bad, but she was getting used to that.

She bid her daughter goodbye mechanically, and performed her postal duties in the same way. It was hard for her to think, somehow. All she could think of was the letter, and what it could mean for Dinky. It could mean her ascending to great heights, becoming a pillar of Equestrian society. Or it could mean her coming to some horrible end in a Manehattan ditch. She didn’t know which was more likely. All she knew was that, should her daughter pass the test and go to Sharpwhinny, she would be utterly powerless to influence it.

The others, she could tell, knew something was up. Lyra had seemed puzzled by Ditzy’s reluctance to talk about the application; Ditzy gathered that Twist had been one of the other few foals that Cheerilee had recommended, and Bonbon was already working with Pinkie to throw her a party after taking the test. Snails was probably right out of the running, but Raindrops had also asked her why Dinky hadn’t talked to Cheerilee yet. “Cheerilee said there's nothing she can do to help the applicants prepare for the test,” Raindrops had said, “But Dinky’s usually more decisive than this. Is she stuck on whether or not she wants to leave home?”

Ditzy had shrugged, said that she didn’t want to pressure her daughter, and made her getaway.

By the time evening rolled around, Dinky could clearly tell that something was wrong with Ditzy. She’d looked sad too once she realized this. “Did I do something, Momma?” she had asked.

“No!” Ditzy’s reply was automatic. “No, of course not! You are the best, most precious little Muffin I could ever have.” She had gathered her daughter into a big hug. “It’s... it’s Mommy stuff, dear. It has nothing to do with you.”

“Can’t I help?” asked Dinky, with her big, sad eyes. “Even a little?”

Ditzy hadn’t known what to say. She had cradled her daughter until the food was ready, and then they’d eaten, played a half-hearted game of cards, and gone to bed.

The fourth day of the week was sunny again, but it didn’t cheer Ditzy up. She had tossed and turned all night, winding up in a tangle of covers and pillows that eventually flopped off the bed and rolled under the window. I can’t keep going like this, she thought. I have to... I have to tell Dinky. I have to. Only a horrible mother would keep this a secret.

“Momma?”

Ditzy crawled out of her blankets and made her way to the door. “Yes, Muffin?” she managed.

Dinky was looking at her. “I think you’re unhappy,” she said. “Do you want me to get Miss Trixie or Miss Cheerilee?”

Ditzy wondered if other mothers were so transparent to their children. “No... no, it’s okay. Come on, Dearie.” She took a deep breath. “I have something to tell you.”

Dinky looked confused, but followed Ditzy to the kitchen table.

Ditzy sat down and faced Dinky. As best she could, she fixed a smile on her face. “Dinky,” she said. “Do you know what the Sharpwhinny Academy is?”

“It’s a really good school up in Manehattan,” said Dinky promptly. “Miss Twilight was telling us all about it the other day. She said that only the very best foals get to go there, but then they learn so much that they know almost everything!” She paused. “Why?”

“Well... I got a letter in the mail.” Ditzy stretched her smile even wider. “They’re going to let you take a test to see if you can go! If you pass the test, you’ll get to go to Manehattan and study there!”

Dinky was staring at Ditzy’s face, seeming perturbed by her weirdly forced smile. “Um... that’s good, right?”

“Oh, of course -- if you want to do it, I’ll support you completely.” Ditzy’s face hurt. “If you attend, you’ll get to move all the way to Manehattan and you can stay with really smart ponies and you won’t have to come back here for three months at a time!” She paused. Where did that come from? No -- I can’t be trying to influence Dinky here. “I mean, you’ll get to stay there for as long as you want and study really hard!”

Dinky still seemed puzzled. “Study really hard?” she repeated.

“Well, yes, I’ve heard it’s a very difficult school, so you’ll probably need to study and work a lot harder than at home -- but if you want to do that, I’ll support you completely. Because you’re my little Muffin, and I want you to be happy. Even if I won’t see--” She cut herself off again. “I mean, even if you’re really far away.”

“What’s Manehattan like?” asked Dinky.

“Well, uh, I haven’t been there myself, but it’s got... you know. Buildings, and factories... ports... streets...” Ditzy tried to make herself mention things Dinky might like, such as museums and the big park and Coneigh Island, but the words wouldn’t come. Besides, everything she said was, technically, true. “Not a lot of trees on the streets though. It’s not like Ponyville, and it’s kind of gray, but the ponies there like it.”

“Would I know anypony there?”

“I don’t think so, but... but I’m sure you could make all new friends if you tried!” said Ditzy. Her mouth seemed to be completely disconnected from her mind at this point; it operated on its own. “And I’m sure you wouldn’t miss your friends in Ponyville too much if you only saw them every three months.”

Dinky paused. “Um... Momma?”

“Yes, Muffin?”

“Do you not want me to go?”

“It’s not about what I want!” Ditzy’s smile was stretching her face. “It’s about what you want. It’s your life, and you need to decide which choice works better for you. Whatever choice you make, I’ll support you every step of the way! If you want to leave your mother behind and go to a city miles and miles away -- that's fine with me! As long as it makes you happy.”

Dinky sat silently for a few moments, looking at her mother.

“Well?” asked Ditzy.

“Um... I think I understand, Momma. I’ll decide today.” Dinky bowed her head.

“Good. I love you, my Muffin.” Ditzy hugged Dinky very tightly. “Now, hurry on off to school! You’ve got a great big day ahead of you!”

When Dinky was gone, Ditzy sat still for several more minutes, smiling at nothing.

I told her. I was scrupulously honest. I did my duty as a mother. Now... now it’s up to Dinky.

And, again, she almost believed it.

***

The week ended, and the morning of the test was bright and sunny.

Trixie yawned as she stumbled out of her residency. As a general rule, she did not like to get up early, but this was different. Cheerilee had somehow finangled her into talking with the Sharpwhinny applicant parents, and she had to be ready for them. Granted, it would probably be a lot of hero-worship, which was always nice, but it still required a good breakfast and a few other chores to be completed before the applicants arrived. Hence her early-morning walk through Ponyville's streets.

"If it were up to me," she mused, "Representatives wouldn't need to do all this paperwork. They could be trusted to do things on their own. After all, haven't I shown what I can do?" She paused. "That one time I ordered forty thousand of the same form notwithstanding. Besides that, I'm awesome at my job. And--"

"Hello, Trixie!"

Trixie waved at Cheerilee. "Hi!" She galloped over. "Getting ready?"

"Yes!" Cheerilee grinned. "I've got a great speech planned on educational policy. Did you know that some ponies are pushing for standardized tests in our province? But I'm ready for them. I have all the facts and statistics--"

"I... think they want to know about our heroics, not our politics." Trixie chuckled. "Although, if I had to, I could give a great speech on why the Greatest and most Powerful of Representatives deserve to be ennobled and given a province to govern--"

"Okay, we can cut the politics."

"That's what I thought."

As they walked, they had to stop to let several foals scamper across the path. Scootaloo was wheeling about on her scooter, with Sweetie Belle, Snips, and Snails trailing. A few moments later, Pipsqueak chased after them, and with him was a familiar purple-coated unicorn foal.

"Dinky!" said Cheerilee. "All ready for that test?"

Dinky skidded to a stop. "Test? Oh... right." She looked down. "I'm not taking it, Miss Cheerilee."

The two adults looked at each other in shock. "That's... um. Not what I would have expected." Cheerilee knelt down. "Do you not want to move to Manehattan?"

"No, I'd like to try that... and if I didn't like it I could just quit the school and come back here."

"Are you worried you wouldn't be able to keep up?"

"No, it's not that..."

"Would you miss your mother?"

Dinky was silent for several moments. "I don't think Momma wants me to go."

Trixie blinked. "Uh, what?"

"She doesn't want me to go. I can tell she's been really upset, and when she told me about it, she made it sound really bad." Dinky bit her lip. "Like it's just factories and ports and ugly stuff and there's no fun shops or trees or friendly ponies." She paused again. "I don't think that's really true; I think Momma's just upset about me going and doesn't want me to take the test. But Momma looked really, really, really upset, like she was afraid I'd go and leave her behind. And Momma says that what makes knights good ponies is that they do good for others without thinking of themselves. If I went away just 'cause I thought it'd be good for me, and I made Momma really upset, I'd be a bad pony."

"But--" began Cheerilee.

“And you always told me I’d do great no matter where I was, so I figured, if I can stay here and keep Momma happy, I can go somewhere else later.” Dinky smiled, but the mares could see the hurt in her eyes. “That’s okay, right? I’m doing the right thing, aren’t I?”

Neither Trixie nor Cheerilee could find anything to say.

"Right?"

Trixie knelt with Cheerilee. "What do you want, kiddo? Do you want to take the test?"

“I mean... I think it’d be fun to try, but I don’t want to hurt Momma. She’s a really good Momma! She’s always there for me and she loves me and she’s generous and kind and loving and the best mother ever! I don’t want to do something that makes her cry or miss me!” Her eyes began to water. "I really wanted to try for it, but I can't be a bad pony and make my Momma sad--"

Cheerilee hugged Dinky tightly. “Dinky -- it’s okay. You’re not going to make your mother sad. I guarantee it.”

“Are you sure?”

"We're sure. In fact, we're going to make extra-sure." Cheerilee rose. "Where are you going, Dinky?"

"Scootaloo said that she was digging for treasure in the mud patch on the east side of town..."

"Alright. Miss Trixie and I are going to talk with your mother. Stay at the mud patch, okay? We might come looking for you. But right now, we need to handle things."

Dinky cautiously nodded, and slowly, over a period of several seconds, she managed a faint smile. “I think I can do that,” she said. “I’ll let you handle things, Miss Cheerilee and Miss Trixie."

The two adults smiled as Dinky hurried off after Pipsqueak and the others. Then they looked at each other. "Do you want to talk to her, or should I?"

"Let me go first." Trixie sighed. "She's still shook up from the rain--"

"I don't care. This is inexcusable."

"And you're perfect?" Trixie frowned. "We'll talk to her. We'll fix this."

"Fix it how?" Cheerilee gestured at the sky. "The test is so soon--"

"Then we'll be fast."

And with that, Trixie began to lead the way towards Ditzy's apartment.

In Which Ditzy Learns a Lesson

Ditzy was cleaning her apartment halfheartedly. She sighed as she washed up the last of the plates and put them in the rack to dry. Everything seemed oddly gray. And not the gray of her coat, either, but the dreary, saddish gray of a thick fog. The kind that made her want to hide from the world for a while.

"I did my duty," Ditzy said. "That's all there is to it. Some parents probably wouldn't have even told her, but I did. That was the right thing to do."

The room was silent in response.

"Besides, only 25% of the selected foals take the test in the first place. Plenty of parents don't want their foals going away at such a young age. I'm not alone in that. And Dinky's such a sweet child... she wouldn't be able to deal with the bullies and the prima donnas she'd get at a school like that."

She cleaned as she talked, and the dishes were soon done. Wiping her hooves, Ditzy trotted over to the window to debate what to do with her morning. Dinky was out of the house and she had no work to do or guests coming over, so her day was free. Maybe she would start a new book, the one Trixie had given her for her birthday a while ago. It would take her mind off of things, and Marechiavelli was supposed to be a good writer.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Ditzy frowned and quickly checked her little planner on the counter. She didn't have any visitors scheduled, and her friends were likely unavailable. Most of the Elements would probably be preparing to talk with the parents of the foals who would be taking the Sharpwhinny entrance exam. Sparkler would be running her shop. Silver Script was out of town; his college roommate was getting married out in Califurlong and he was attending the ceremony. Maybe it's Fluttershy? thought Ditzy as she approached the door. Although, I doubt she'd come into town when it isn't pouring rain... maybe it's Angel? Fluttershy might be in trouble.

"Ditzy, open the door."

Ditzy recognized Trixie's voice and unlocked the door. "Good morning, Trixie," she said as she let the showmare in. "How are you doing?"

"Fine."

Ditzy moved to close the door, but Trixie held it open and Cheerilee walked in a few moments later. "Ditzy," she said without preamble.

"Um... hi, Cheerilee." Ditzy looked between the two of them. "Is something the matter?"

Cheerilee opened her mouth, but Trixie quickly waved her off. "Yes. We were just talking to Dinky."

"...and?"

"She's not taking the Sharpwhinny entrance exam."

Ditzy felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. "And? That's her choice. I don't really think it's appropriate for you to question that."

"We aren't," said Cheerilee. "But we are questioning what you told her about Manehattan. You said it's some kind of urban wasteland, and it's got nothing there she'd like."

"You can't deny there's more buildings there than here," said Ditzy. "I've been there, and--"

"So have I. There's also parks, and museums, and candy stores, and all the things Dinky likes." Cheerilee fixed Ditzy's eyes in a hard gaze. "Why are you lying to your daughter, Ditzy?"

"I didn't lie!" the mailmare protested. "It just... it didn't come up."

"Uh-huh."

Ditzy frowned and began to trot back to her couch. "She's my daughter," she said. "Not yours. I can tell her what I want."

Cheerilee began to say something, but Trixie again cut her off. "Do you think that's what Dinky deserves?"

"I think..." Ditzy closed her eyes. "I think I'd prefer not to talk about it."

There was silence for a few moments, and then Trixie moved to sit on the couch. "Ditzy--"

"I said, I don't want to talk about it." She scowled. "Why are you still here?"

"Because we're your friends," said Trixie. "And we know you're going to regret this in a few days, once it's too late to do anything about it."

"And because Dinky is a student in my class," added Cheerilee. "I have a responsibility to her."

"Not like mine," hissed Ditzy. "I am her mother. If she gets hurt, or if something else bad happens to her, it is entirely on my shoulders." She stood and glared at Cheerilee. "You might be a teacher, but that's a responsibility you never bore. I have."

"If a student gets hurt in my class, I take the blame," snapped Cheerilee.

"And if Dinky gets hurt at any other time -- at night in bed, at a friend's house, on a trip, anywhere -- it's on me!" Ditzy yelled. "It will be my fault, because I wouldn't have been a good enough mother to prevent it! If Dinky breaks a leg in Manehattan, if she has a permanent injury, it will be entirely because of my bad decisions. You aren't a mother, and you don't know what that's like. Either of you." Her eyes flashed. "I will not let my daughter get hurt."

"You're hurting her now, Ditzy," said Trixie in a quiet voice. "Have you seen her lately?"

Ditzy didn't want to think about the reasons Dinky had been quiet and withdrawn for the past couple days, or why Dinky had rejected all attempts to play games or otherwise have fun with her mother in the preceding evenings. "She made the choice of her own free will. I'm sure she'd be unhappy if I forced her to take the test." She scowled. "She chose."

"No," said Trixie. "She didn't. She made her choice because she knew the choice you wanted her to make. Your daughter is really smart, Ditzy. It's why she qualified for the test in the first place. She knew you were lying about Manehattan because you didn't want her to go. So she took the option she thought would make you happy."

"I told her that she should choose what she wants--"

"So, what, if she didn't, now it's on her?" asked Cheerilee. "You know better than that, Ditzy."

There was silence for another few moments. Ditzy got up and began making tea, but she barely seemed to be focusing on the teapot and the water. "What do you want?" she asked at last.

Trixie rose from the couch. "Right now? I want to know why. Ditzy, this isn't like you. You're the best mother I've ever known. You've done so much for Dinky... why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Telling your daughter that you don't want her to go. Using emotional blackmail to get her to give up this incredible opportunity, because she thinks if she takes it, she'll hurt her Momma, the one pony she loves more than any other," said Cheerilee in a flat, brisk voice. "Doing that."

"I didn't--" Ditzy could see that her friends didn't believe her, and she let the sentence trail off. "I told her what I did because I thought it was the right thing to do." She raised her voice a little. "What does it matter if I don't want her to go? I didn't force her. I let her choose!"

"Why don't you want her to go?" asked Trixie.

"Maybe I just don't want her to. Lots of parents don't let their foals go to Sharpwhinny. Only 25% of foals that qualify even attempt the test. Why don't you go bother them?"

Cheerilee shook her head. "Of those foals," she said, in a brisk and scholarly voice, "Many of them, while academically qualified, lack the emotional maturity to perform well away from home -- they wouldn't do homework without being prompted to by parents, or would become shy and withdraw from campus life, or some other such situation. Dinky, however, has demonstrated remarkable maturity from her age, and would have no problem in that regard. Still other foals are needed to assist their parents with their jobs, as Apple Bloom helps with chores on Sweet Apple Acres. Those foals might be unable to leave home -- but Dinky is not in such a situation. Some might know in advance that, while the top of their class, they are still unlikely to perform well on the admissions test, and so don't want to bother taking it -- but Dinky told us that she wants to try." Cheerilee paused, as if for emphasis. "There are several reasons why foals or parents might not want a slot at Sharpwhinny, but I'm not aware of any that apply to your daughter."

"Well, then she could get hurt!" said Ditzy, blurting out her real reason without thinking about it. "She almost did, a week ago -- and the only reason she didn't is because she's friends with the Apples!" The mailmare slammed a hoof onto her kitchen table for emphasis. "Dinky is safe in Ponyville. She knows ponies that will look out for her -- me, you, and all the others. She doesn't know anypony in Manehattan! Do you think if she got caught in a rainstorm, she could just knock on some random stranger's door and be let inside? She'd--"

"Get wet?" asked Cheerilee.

"She could get hurt! She could break a leg, or catch some serious disease, or get lost! She could get abducted! She could walk off a pier and drown!"

"Ditzy--"

"Think about it!" insisted the hysterical mailmare. "I caught Dinky sneaking out after dark to try to get sweets at one of Pinkie's late-night parties two weeks ago. Remember, I had to cancel her magic lesson with you because she was grounded? Well, what if she does that in Manehattan? She sneaks out and she decides to run over to a candy shop she likes a few blocks away. And she gets hit by a carriage in the dark. Or she gets mugged. Or she gets lost and she's wandering around in the night for hours, hopelessly turned around and miles and miles away from anypony that would know or care that she's missing! Or she turns her ankle and she's stuck outside all night, crying and terrified, in pain, because she's not friends with any of the adults there and nopony would stop to help her!"

"Ditzy--" Trixie tried again.

"Or the class trips! I mean, she almost got away from you in Canterlot -- and that was with three adults there who knew her and an entire castle full of Guards, and she still wound up playing Diplomacy with Trixie's personal enemy! I know Sharpwhinny has all the students go on class trips once a term, and they go all over Equestria and sometimes even to neighboroing countries. What if they take her to the Rainbow Factory up in Cloudsdale, and she wanders away from the group and falls into one of the machines? Or maybe they'll take her to Neigh Orleans where she could get lost in the bayou swamps! Or what if they go to Stalliongrad to see the old castle, and Dinky falls off the battlements or gets lost in the Rushian steppes? Or--"

"DITZY!" yelled Cheerilee.

Ditzy, her train of thought derailed, stopped talking. "I mean--"

Trixie shook her head. "Sharpwhinny's been open a long time, Ditzy. They know what they're doing. Foals don't get hurt there any more often than at any other school, they have highly qualified medical staff, and there's plenty of supervision. None of those things are going to happen. You know you're overreacting."

"Fine! I'm overreacting! I'm weak!" Ditzy yelled. "I guess I'm just a weak stupid mare who can't bear to see her daughter go thousands of miles--"

Before she could say anything else, Cheerilee's hoof was planted firmly over her mouth.

"No," the teacher said. "No, Ditzy, you aren't weak. You helped us get through the Everfree Forest and defeat Corona, the Tyrant Sun. You helped beat those lizards under Canterlot Castle to rescue Trixie. You fought off that mobster who wanted to abduct Dinky. You are not weak, Ditzy. You do not have that excuse."

Ditzy seemed to deflate, slumping to the ground. Tears began to spill from her eyes. "Those times were different. I look at Dinky, and I see... I see horrible things happening to her in Manehattan..."

Trixie trotted over. "Ditzy, we can help you. I can enchant some kind of communication spell -- or we can have Luna do it; you've certainly done enough for the country to merit that. Mayor Mare, as an alumnus, could ask the administrators there to write you updates on how Dinky is doing. Ditzy, you could go to Manehattan every weekend to see your daughter -- you're a Knight, as long as you do a good deed of some kind while you're in town, the government'll pick up most of your train fare and hotel bill, and trust me, I can find ponies in Manehattan that could use the services of a wonderful pony like yourself."

Ditzy clutched Trixie as a drowning mare would a life-preserver. "What if that isn't enough? You don't understand... I'm so scared! If she gets hurt--"

"She's being hurt now," said Cheerilee. "Ditzy, just telling her not to go would be one thing. I could understand that, even though I think it would be wrong, and I think Dinky would too. She'd be sad for a day or two and then get over it. But you made her 'decide' not to go for your sake. Ditzy, your daughter is too young to be giving up on her hopes and dreams for the sake of another."

Ditzy said nothing. She was seeing Dinky, now -- not in Manehattan, but in Ponyville. A Dinky who had never moved out of the town, who had never done anything with her life or taken the slightest risk, for fear of hurting her mother. A Dinky who lived her life in an unremarkable, safe way, and wondered at night, perhaps, if she could have done something more. Who never resented her mother for making her waste her life as an idle mediocrity... but whose life was wasted all the same.

"You're a strong mare," said Trixie. "We know you are. You need to be strong now, Ditzy. For your daughter's sake."

Ditzy shut her eyes. "I can't..." she trailed off. "Would you help me?" she almost whispered.

"Of course. Ditzy, we'll always be there for you. We're your friends."

Realistically, Ditzy knew the odds were very small of Dinky being hurt in Manehattan. The odds were certain of Dinky being hurt if she gave up on her ambitions to placate and ease the worries of her foolish old mother. She knew the right thing to do, but she could barely open her mouth to say it. "I know."

There was silence for a moment. And then Ditzy whispered, "I'm sorry..."

"You need to tell Dinky, Ditzy. Not us." Trixie hugged her friend. "Do you know where she is?"

"She's... she's with Scootaloo, I know where..." Ditzy shook her head. "I'll go..."

"Do you want us to go with you?" asked Trixie.

"No. I need to do this myself." Ditzy coughed a couple of times. "I'll just have to hurry."

"Are you sure?" Cheerilee frowned. "Ditzy, if you guilt her again--"

"I won't. I know... it's hard, but I know what I need to do." Ditzy bowed her head. "Thank you for talking to me--"

"Don't thank us yet. The test is soon, Ditzy. Go talk to your daughter. Have her make a real choice," said Cheerilee. "

Ditzy nodded again and went to her door. "Dinky," she murmured to herself. "Don't worry, my little Muffin. Your mother is coming."

She went out the door, and a few moments later, she had taken flight and was racing to find her foal.

***

"Can't we stall the test?" asked Trixie as the two ponies returned to city hall. "I mean, what if a bunch of Knights of the Realm requested a fifteen-minute recess?"

"No. This is a national exam; it's beginning at precisely the same time all over the country. Allowing students to start late here gives them a few extra minutes to study. It's an unfair advantage."

"Yeah, but... you're proctoring, right? Couldn't you just let it slide?"

"I'm not proctoring." Cheerilee gestured at a fancy carriage parked outside the town hall. "The Academy sends an official proctor to monitor each testing center. I don't have any power in that room, and I can't push the test time back. Ditzy needs to get this wrapped up before the test begins at noon."

Trixie tilted her head. "That's in less than an hour," she said. "I... let's at least get one of the faster pegasi involved. Rainbow Dash owes me about five thousand favors thanks to the whole 'legally a natural disaster and so not responsible for damages incurred by her stunt training' thing I've been keeping going for her. She could go and fly Dinky back to Ponyville once Ditzy talks her around."

"I talked to Raindrops earlier. Rainbow Dash is napping in White-Tail Woods today. We can't get there in time." Cheerilee sighed. "I think this is something Ditzy is going to have to do herself. I wish we could help more, but she's on her own."

"Nuts." Trixie frowned. "Well... nevertheless, I have faith in her. She's the best mother I've ever known. She'll work it out."

"I hope so."

***

The sky was bright and blue, with only a few fluffy clouds dotted around like isolated islands in the air. The sun was nice and warm, perfect for sunbathing or swimming or playing hoofball on the beech. The birds trilled sweet tunes, and the bugs playfully buzzed along with them.

Ditzy ignored all of this. She was just focused on the little field where Dinky had said she would be playing. She hadn't raced in years -- even during the Running of the Leaves, she limited herself to a brisk trot -- but this was different. Her daughter's future was on the line.

"Hold on, Muffin," she whispered. "Momma is coming."

Her wings pounded the air behind her. Sweat was beading through her skin and soaking her coat. A few droplets dripped into her eyes; this stung, but she just blinked firecely and kept going.

"Momma," she added, "Is not going to let you down."

In Which Ditzy and Dinky Kick Some Clouds

"Alright! I found something! Give me a hoof!"

Scootaloo cheered in joy as the other foals ran to the shovels and began digging around Scootaloo's hoof, hoping at last that they'd discovered the Secret Stash where (an eager Snails had told them at recess) Bonbon was said to store all of her extra-good candy. Pipsqueak was the most eager, attacking the dirt and mud with an impressive amount of energy. Snips and Snails seemed to be having more fun getting dirty than actually digging, but they did pick up shovels and get to work a few moments later. Sweetie Belle, for her part, dug more slowly. "I dunno... Rarity won't like having to give me another bath..."

"Oh, who cares? Rarity's such a stick in the mud," said Scootaloo.

"No, she hates sticks and mud." Sweetie Belle frowned. "Oh well. If she's giving me a bath, she's not dragging me to another boring 'opera' concert with ponies that don't even sing in Equestrian. I mean, it could be the greatest love song ever, but I don't know what any of the words mean! And I don't think my sister does either."

"Maybe it's a code," said Snails as he dug. "Maybe they're trying to tell something that they don't want spies to overhear."

"Yeah!" said Snips. "That's the only reason it could be!"

Dinky poked the dirt and said nothing. She hadn't said much over the past few days. The world seemed to be... well, gray. Gray as her Momma's coat, although not nearly as warm or loving as she usually was.

"Hey, Dinky, what's wrong?" asked Pipsqueak. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, you've been real quiet these past couple days," said Scootaloo. "What's up?"

"Nothing..."

"It can't be nothing," said Sweetie Belle. "Nothing wouldn't be making you so sad."

"You shouldn't be sad," added Snips. "Being sad isn't fun. I was sad last week and I couldn't even taste the yummy-ness of the ice cream sundae I got from Sugar Cube Corner!"

"What's wrong, Dinky?" repeated Pipsqueak.

Dinky sighed. "You know about Sharpwhinny Academy?"

"Yeah, that's why Twist and Apple Bloom couldn't be here," said Scootaloo. "I guess Twist qualified to take some really tough test, and Apple Bloom was helping her get ready. Apparently, the more apples you eat the better you do on tests." She blinked. "I didn't know that, but it'd explain my grades in... uh, everything. I don't eat many apples, see..."

"What about shrimp?" asked Snails. "I know Trixie eats shrimp, and I heard griffins think that fish are good for your head!"

"Ew. I wouldn't want to eat a fish. They're all slimy and yucky." Scootaloo stuck her tongue out. "And everypony knows how weird Trixie's diet is. She'd eat slugs if they sold them. In fact--"

Sweetie Belle cut Scootaloo off. "Um, Dinky? Did you not qualify for the test?"

"No, I did, but I'm not taking it." Dinky rolled onto her back. "I wanted to, but..."

"Then why not?"

"Momma doesn't want me to. And I need to listen to Momma." Dinky turned away from the others. "Cause she's the best Momma in the world and she's a good pony and she saved the world and..."

Digging for treasure was forgotten as the rest of the foals went to sit by, and comfort, Dinky. "Parents do weird things sometimes," Snails said. "Like when my Mom said I could only keep one goliath beatle. But Raindrops says they usually know what they're talking about."

"Yeah, maybe she has a good reason for you not taking it," offered Pipsqueak. "Maybe she's afraid you wouldn't like Sharpwhinny because you'd have to study too much."

"I heard if you study too much your head falls off," said Snips. "That's why I never study. You know, just in case."

Dinky smiled a little. "Thanks. I mean, I'm sure she does have a good reason. It's just... I dunno..." She was young, and could not express in words the unfairness of what had happened. She knew, dimly, that it was not right that her mother had indicated the correct choice, but left her to be the one to actually make it -- disclaiming all responsibility, and putting the onus on her to give up on her ambition. She knew that it was wrong that it was her mother's choice, but it was she, Dinky, who would take the blame and responsibility for it. She could not state her problem, but she felt it nonetheless. "I wish it was different."

"Maybe it is," said Scootaloo, looking up.

"What do you mean?"

"Your mother's coming." Scootaloo pointed a wing. "Really fast. In fact -- look out!"

Foals scattered as Ditzy crashed into the ground. Dinky hopped to her hooves. "Are you okay, Momma?"

"I'm fine, dearie," said Ditzy as she crawled out of the new crater. "Ow..." She shook her head. "Did you all bury something? It felt like there was something hard under there--"

"Let's dig it up!" yelled Scootaloo, grinning. "Thanks, Miss Doo!" She attacked the new crater with renewed vigor, most of the other foals hurrying to help. "We'll be rich! Rich in CANDY!"

Dinky looked at her mother. "Hi, Momma," she said. Her voice was very quiet. "Do you want me to go home now?"

"No, not really..." Ditzy trailed off. "Muffin, I want to talk to you."

Dinky looked confused. "But... we are talking."

"Privately." Ditzy inclined her head. "Just over this hill."

A confused Dinky said a quick goodbye to Scootaloo and the others, then followed her mother. "Are you okay, Momma? You look sad."

"I've just been... thinking. And talking with some friends." Ditzy sat down on her flank and brought Dinky forwards so the little foal was sitting in front of her. "Muffin, your mother needs you to do something very important for her, okay?"

"Um... okay?" Dinky blinked. "What is it?"

"I need you to answer some questions honestly," said Ditzy. "As if I wasn't here." She gently embraced her daughter. "Can you do that?"

"...yes?"

Ditzy nodded to herself. This is it... I need to do this. I need to do this for Dinky. It's the right thing to do. "Do you want to take the Sharpwhinny Academy entrance exam, Dinky?"

Dinky's response was immediate. "No, Momma! I already said--"

Ditzy cut her daughter off by enveloping her in a tight hug. "Dinky... this is very important. I need you answer honestly. Do you want to take the exam?"

Dinky said nothing for several moments. "But... but Momma... what if my answer hurts you?"

"It won't."

"Yes it will--"

"Dinky, I'm an adult mare." She hugged Dinky again. "I won't be hurt unless you lie to me. Please answer me honestly." Her voice quavered. "This is... this is really important... can't you do this, Dinky? Please?" I haven't lost your trust already, have I? Please let that not be the case...

Dinky seemed to understand what her mother was thinking. "Then... then yes." Her voice was quiet but firm. "I think it'd be a lot of fun to try it, and even if I didn't get in, just to take it and compete against the smartest foals..."

Ditzy let out a long breath. "And, if you pass the test, would you want to go to the Academy in Manehattan?"

"... uh-huh." Dinky's voice was little more than a whisper. "Just to try it out... if I liked it, I could stay longer..." She frowned. "It sounds like so much fun, Momma. All kinds of really smart foals and really smart teachers, and I could learn about everything! And they have big libraries, and really neat athletic fields, and all kinds of games and lots and lots of things to do. And Miss Twilight was saying that they go on class trips all over Equestria, and even to other places on the continent! It sounds like I'd have a great time, and I'd get to do all kinds of things I want to do that I can't do here..." She trailed off. "I mean..."

"Then you should take the test."

Ditzy hugged her daughter, who seemed stunned at the statement. The mailmare's voice was strong and steady, and she knew as she spoke that she was saying the right thing. She took a moment to gather herself, then continued. "Take the test, Muffin, and if you qualify, attend the Academy. I'll support you every step of the way."

"But you'll be sad!" It was almost a cry. Dinky buried her face in her mother's barrel. "You'll be so sad! I don't want to hurt you, Momma! I want to be a really good pony, and no good pony would hurt their Momma!"

"I won't be sad--"

"Yes you will!" insisted Dinky. "You'll be sad and scared! I know it!"

"I..." Ditzy sighed. "Maybe a little, yes. But I have some amazing friends, Dinky... they'll help me. They'll make sure I don't get too sad or scared, and that I'm always acting with your best interests in mind. You shouldn't need to worry about me, dear. I'm your mother... it's my job to look out for you. It's your job to grow into the great pony I know you can be."

"But I don't want you to be even a little sad," insisted Dinky. "That's not what a knight would do."

"You're not a knight yet. Knights help other ponies." Ditzy bit her lip. "I am a knight, dearie. I want to help you grow into the spectacularly wonderful pony I know you can be. Now, if I let you hurt yourself and give up on your goals because of me... that'd be backwards." She turned her daughter around so they were looking each other in the eyes. "Do you trust me, Muffin? Do you think I'm a good knight?"

Dinky nodded vigorously.

"Then let me do my job. Let me help you in any way I can to grow up as great as you can be." Ditzy shut her eyes for a moment. "My friends will help me through the rough spots. But... if you give up on your dreams for my sake... then I'll have failed completely." She shook her head. "I can't fail... not here. Not with you."

Dinky was silent for a few moments. "Do you really mean it, Momma? You want me to take the test?"

"If you want to take it, then yes -- I want you to try." Ditzy took a deep, shuddering breath. "That is what I want."

"Then..."

Dinky was silent for a few moments, and Ditzy tensed inside. If Dinky repeated that she'd rather not take the test, it was over. She would have lost her daughter's trust and faith, possibly forever. Dinky would be making decisions based, not on what she wanted, but what she thought her weak, fragile mother would want. Please no... please, no...

"Then I want to take the test, Momma."

Ditzy realized that she was hugging her daughter only after she had already grasped her closely. She then realized that she was crying. "Thank you," she whispered. "Dinky... you're the best daughter in the world..."

The two remained locked in an embrace for several more seconds.

Dinky spoke first. "Um, isn't the test soon? Maybe we should hurry..."

Ditzy looked up and gasped -- there were less than fifteen minutes until noon. "Right. Let's get you back to town as quick as possible."

Dinky ran back over the hill to shout a quick goodbye to her friends. Scootaloo offered to take her back to town on her scooter, but Dinky turned her down. "I want to go with my Momma!" she chirped. Already she seemed like her usual eager self. "But thanks anyway!"

Ditzy hurried over and knelt down. "On my back, Muffin," she said. "We can still make it."

In moments, the two were in the air.

***

The minutes raced by.

Ditzy beat her wings as hard as she could, driving for city hall, but it was rough going. She was already tired from her hurried flight out to the fields, and Dinky's added weight was sapping her strength. She forced herself to continue, but she couldn't deny the obvious strain.

Dinky's legs were clamped tightly around her barrel. "Yay!" she cheered. "I love pegasus rides!"

"I love you," said Ditzy. Come on... it's almost noon! I've got to hurry!

Then she felt a searing pain in one wing as she strained something. She had not flown like this in far too long. She had sprinted, it was true, when Dinky had been abducted by the mob -- and perhaps during a few other combat situations -- but none of that was for anything approaching this amount of distance. It was just too much for her. "Augh!"

"Momma! Are you okay!? Dinky gasped.

Ditzy grunted a weak affirmative, but her wing flared in pain as she tried to move it. She found herself quickly sinking, and used her good wing to steer just well enough that they hit a nearby cloud instead of crashing into the ground. "Sorry... no... keep going..."

"I'll help!" said Dinky immediately.

"How?"

And then the cloud began to inch forwards.

Confused, Ditzy tilted her head back to see that Dinky had dipped her legs into the thicker cloud and was paddling furiously, as if paddling on a kickboard. The cloud was indeed beginning to move forwards. "I'm helping!" she cheered.

Ditzy grinned and began to kick herself, her powerful legs propelling them forwards. She steered with her good wing and aimed at town hall. "We're going to make it, Muffin," she promised. "Don't worry."

"I'm not! Wheee!" She continued to kick.

Ditzy kept going, moving as fast as she could. A few more minutes... come on...

***

Had anypony been in the upper floor of town hall at that time, standing somewhere near one of the rear offices, they would have heard a panicked shout.

And then they would have seen a cloud crash through the building and spill into the corridor.

"Oww..." Ditzy shook herself off as she got to her hooves. "Muffin! Are you okay?"

Dinky popped her head out of the cloud and the debris. "That was FUN!" she yelled. "Let's do it again after the test!" She bounced into the air. "Can I ask Twilight to cast a spell on me to help me walk on clouds?"

Ditzy looked at the broken wall. "Um... we'll see, dear," she said. "Now, don't you have a test to go to?"

"Oh, right! See you later Momma! Love you!" Dinky kissed her mother on the nose, then scurried off.

Ditzy disentangled herself from the wreckage. Guess I'll be working a few extra shifts to get this fixed up, she thought. Well, it's worth it. I made it. Dinky's going to take the test, and if she gets in, I'll let her go. Her stomach still twinged with worry at that thought, but Ditzy knew how to push past that. She knew that, while she might worry and fret, she'd have her friends to keep her sane. I'll do right by her.

Distantly, she heard chatter. It sounded like her friends, and she realized that the 'Ask An Element' ceremony would be going on during the test. I guess I could go to that... could probably say a few things about balancing being a hero with raising a daughter. She smiled. Besides, I need to pay Cheerilee and Trixie back for them breaking me out of my behavior... maybe I'll field some of the tough questions.

Smiling, she trotted away.

***

Dinky Doo scampered into the testing room. "i'm not to late, am I?" she gasped as she ran in. "I'm on time, right?"

"Barely," sniffed the proctor. He was a tall and thin pony with a tan coat, an orange mane, and a pocketwatch cutie mark. "Take your seat. The test will begin in forty-eight seconds."

Dinky scurried around and found her seat. She was sandwiched between the other two Ponyville applicants -- Twist, who gave her a quick highhoof, and Silver Spoon, who sniffed and muttered something about letting blank flanks apply for prestigious schools. Dinky was feeling too good to be mad at her, though, so she just ignored it. I'm going to make Momma proud!

"Good luck!" whispered Twist. "Wouldn't it be fun if all three of us got in?"

"Yeah! Ponyville foals in Manehattan! We could start our own club!" Dinky giggled. "That'd be fun!"

The proctor raised his voice. "At the mark, you will pick up the pencils in front of you, turn your papers over, and begin," said the proctor. "Three... two... one... GO!"

And Dinky began.

***

Trixie sighed as she sat at the table. "I feel stupid," she whispered to Cheerilee.

"Why? You go on stage all the time."

"As a magician! Not a..." Trixie looked at her placard. "Not as a role model for young foals on how to grow up into a proper mare."

"Proper? You?" whispered Lyra. "I think there might have been a few wires crossed there."

"Har har. I'll have you know I can be very proper when the situation calls for it. Why, back when I was studying politics under Luna I frequently attended Court meetings that included the highest officials in the land!"

"Would that include the one in which you melted an ice palace?" asked a grumpy Raindrops. She didn't seem to like being on stage any better than Trixie was.

"That happened once!" Trixie frowned. "Melt one ice palace and nopony ever lets you forget it--"

"I'm here! I'm here!" said Ditzy, hurrying up to the stage. She smiled a little as she approached. "Sorry I'm late," she called to Mayor Scrolls and the other officials. "But I'm here now."

"And Dinky?" asked Trixie, immediately.

"She's taking the test." Ditzy bowed her head. "Cheerilee, Trixie... thank you." She embraced them both. Cheerilee grinned, while Trixie blushed furiously.

"Thank you for what?" asked Carrot Top. "Did you two help Dinky study for it?"

"We'll explain later," said Trixie. "Um... let us go? Please?"

Ditzy did so as Mayor Scrolls introduced them. "Thank you," she repeated. "I'll make it up to you later. I promise."

"If she qualifies," said Cheerilee, "What are you going to tell Dinky?"

"That she can go, or not, as she pleases. That it's up to her. And..." Ditzy smiled. "That her mother will support her, however she decides."

"That's a good answer."

"I know. Two very special friends taught it to me."

The questions were beginning -- most seeming to be directed at Trixie, and relating to various embarassments such as the ice palace melting -- and Ditzy settled into her seat. However you decide, Muffin, I will support you. she thought. However you decide.

In Which the Doo Family Bakes Muffins

"Now this," said Scootaloo, bending her muzzle down so she could flick her last marble, "Is going to be the greatest marble shot in Ponyville history! I'm gonna knock all ten of your marbles out of the circle!"

Dinky giggled. "But you haven't knocked even one of them out yet!"

"I was just lulling you into a false sense of security. And it worked!" Scootaloo grinned. "You feel secure! I can read it in your face!"

Dinky, for her part, considered her large pile of marbles, and Scootaloo's single remaining shooter. "Yes," she conceded. "I do."

A week had passed since the Sharpwhinny entrance exam. Dinky had been on pins and needles for a day or so, but her mother had persuaded her that being nervous wouldn't change the results, so she should do her best to relax. So she'd spent time with her friends, and gone to the park with her mother, and chased Angel Bunny around when Fluttershy had run into some difficulty getting him to take his medicine. It had been a good week.

"Dinky! My little muffin!"

Dinky turned to see her mother exiting the post office, with a mailmare's cap on her head, a fresh bag of mail at her side, and a big smile on her face. "Hi Momma! Did you have a good day so far?"

"Hey!" Scootaloo frowned. "I'm trying to concentrate!" She stuck out her tongue as she re-aimed her marble.

Ditzy nodded. "I'm having a wonderful day, dear." She smiled and looked down at the marbles. "That looks fun! Who's winning?"

"Me!" cheered Dinky, as Scootaloo fidgeted with her marble. "I've almost won!"

"Not yet, you haven't!" Scootaloo gave the marble a mighty flick of her muzzle. It bounced into the circle and hit one of the marbles there. Both rolled towards the edge of the circle... but stopped just short.

"My turn!" Dinky scampered over and prepared her own shooter. "Alright! I predict this marble knocks all the rest out!"

"I--" began Scootaloo.

"Miss Doo! Miss Doo!" Both foals and Ditzy turned to see Twist running up towards the group, dirt flying everywhere as she scurried towards the post office. Bonbon trotted after her at a more sedate pace, along with Sterling Silver and Silver Spoon. "Miss Doo!" cried Twist. "Did they really come today?"

"Did what?" asked Scootaloo.

"The Sharpwhinny admissions decisions," said Silver Spoon, a sour note in her voice. "The newspaper, like, said they were released yesterday and should have arrived today." She frowned. "They did arrive, right?"

Ditzy Doo smiled. "They might have--"

Dinky bounced up in the air like she'd been zapped by lightning, her marble falling from her mouth and bouncing away. (It did knock the other marbles out of the circle, to Scootaloo's consternation, but Dinky didn't even notice). "Ooh! Ooh! Momma, did the letter come? Can I see? Please please please?"

Ditzy giggled. "I'm not really supposed to go out of order on the rounds--"

All three foals crowded around her with pleading eyes, though Silver Spoon somehow managed to project a condescending air nonetheless. Ditzy grinned. "Well, if Postmaster Script is okay with it I might be able to make an exception..."

Silver Script stuck his head out of the post office. "Yeah, it's fine." He chuckled. "Foals these days. Always so impatient..."

Ditzy carefully opened her saddlebag and dug out the three letters. Dinky took hers as soon as her mother showed it to her and marveled at its thickness. Snails had told her before that thicker letters were better in these cases, because it took a lot more words to tell someone that they'd gotten in than it did to tell them to go away. She lifted it up with her telekinesis, carefully opened it, and read the first--

"WHAT?!" Silver Spoon's eyes blazed as she flung her letter down. "I didn't get in?! How could I not have gotten in?! This is unfair! This is rigged!"

Sterling blushed, looking embarrassed. "Ah... maybe we'd better head on home. Thank you for the letter, Miss Doo." And he began dragging his daughter home, even as she started ordering him to call the papers, the prosecutors, and the princess of Equestria. The foals could only watch as she was taken away.

"...um." Scootaloo blinked. "I guess it was harder than she thought."

"We should go too," said Bonbon. "Twist wanted to open this at home."

"Thank you, Miss Doo," said Twist, taking the letter and tucking it into her schoolbag. "Oh, I hope Dinky and I both get in. That would be so sweet!"

"Good luck!" said Dinky.

They left, and Dinky returned her focus to her own letter and began reading the first words: "Dear Miss Dinky Doo. We are sorry to inform you..." Her face fell, but she kept going. "...that you have not qualified for Sharpwhinny Academy..."

Ditzy was at her side in moments, gathering her daughter in a hug. "I'm sorry, dear."

Dinky sighed. "Aww, I really wanted to get in... but at least I tried." She recovered a bit of her cheer. "I'm really glad I tried. Even if I didn't get in."

"I'm glad you tried too."

The two embraced for a while before Scootaloo said, "Huh. That letter's really thick to tell you that you didn't get in. Were they just being wordy?"

Confused, Dinky picked the letter back up and kept reading. "Though your score did not qualify you to attend the Academy, please note that you still performed very well. We wish to foster the development of all foals with such potential, as do many affiliated universities, academies, zoos, and museums..." She trailed off. "This goes on for a while."

Ditzy smiled and took the letter. "Let's see... oh! Oh, this is interesting..."

"What is it?" asked Dinky, with Scootaloo echoing a moment later.

"Well, even though you didn't qualify, you still performed very well. Well enough that some of the museums and other places affiliated with Sharpwhinny still want to help you grow into the best, smartest little pony you can be." Ditzy began to quote from the letter. "Of those who took the test but did not qualify for Sharpwhinny, 1,000 foals will be designated as Official Runners-Up. Such foals are entitled to discounts at participating museums, zoos, and other academic institutions throughout Equestria, as well as special programs the museums only offer to a few visitors at a time." Ditzy turned the page. "Most of the rest of this is listing the special programs. For example, the Canterlot Gem Museum lets Official Runners-Up watch actual gem polishings, and also lets them see some of the gems that aren't currently on public display. The Equestrian History Museum does special lectures with its field archeologists for the Runners-Up..."

"That sounds boring," said Scootaloo. "Uh... I mean, sorry Miss Doo. But Dinky, that sounds--"

Ditzy chuckled. "Oh, and the Trottingham Museum of Vehicular Transport lets Official Runners-Up try out some of their vehicles -- under close supervision, of course. Including a replica of what is thought to be the very first scooter!"

Scootaloo's mouth dropped. "Lucky!"

Dinky was smiling from ear to ear. "That sounds really fun! So the next time we're in another city, I can see a really fun museum and some special exhibits?"

"Yes!" Ditzy grinned. "Congratulations, my little muffin. This is a big honor."

Dinky hugged her mother tightly. "Thank you for letting me take the test, Momma. I love you."

"I love you too, dear."

***

"So in the end, nopony around here's gong to Sharpwhinny this year." Cheerilee sighed as she drank her glass of wine. "Oh well."

"Well, it's not all bad." Trixie took a swig of her bourbon. "I mean, if they went there, they wouldn't be here, and they couldn't learn from the greatest teacher of all. The Great and Powerful--"

Cheerilee raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, uh, the Brilliant and... Teacheriffic Cheerilee. That'd be a shame."

Ditzy chuckled as she drank her daffodil wine. "I'm proud of Dinky anyways. That Runners-Up thing looks like it will be a lot of fun."

"Tell me when you start going to the museums. I can help you pick out the best ones." Cheerilee smiled at a memory. "I mean, some of them sound good, but you sneak in a few minutes after closing and you find the curator licking salt in the break room and using a priceless Cavallian teaspoon to..." She trailed off as she noticed her friends looking at her. "What? I had an interesting life before I settled down."

Ditzy finished her drink. "Thank you again," she said. "For helping me. I was--"

"Don't worry about it," said Trixie, immediately. "We're friends. We help each other. You made the right call in the end, and that's all that matters."

Ditzy nodded slowly. "I'm still worried about Dinky," she said. "But I... if I forced her to live her life safely, just to please me, I'd be trading possible bad consequences for certain ones. Dinky's a great pony. She's going to grow up to do truly amazing things. And it's my job to support her and help her, not hold her back." She frowned. "I just hope I don't mess up again..."

"You're a good Mom," said Trixie. "You're the best one I've ever known. You'll do fine."

"And we'll be there to help you if you need it." Cheerilee draped a foreleg over Ditzy's shoulder. "What're friends for?"

Ditzy grinned. "Yeah... I guess you're right. I have the best friends in the world. And I can count on you." She smiled. "You're wonderful..."

"Aw, stop, you're making me all mushy." Trixie laughed and waved to Berry Punch. "Another round!"

"Actually, I need to go home. Sparkler's almost done with Dinky by now, and we've got some mother-daughter bonding to take care of." Ditzy rose. "See you tomorrow."

"Going to start looking at the museums?" asked Cheerilee, as Ditzy took out a few bits for her drinks.

"Not exactly..."

***

Ditzy walked in her front door to find Dinky standing there with a chef's hat that almost covered her entire head. "Hi Momma! Let's bake!"

The mailmare grinned and shut the door, then moved over to the counter and took down flour, salt, sugar, and a few other baking ingredients. "Of course," she said. "Now, I suppose we could just go to the Equestrian Baking Institute and try some of their food..."

"But ours will be better!" chirped Dinky, with the certainty of a foal who believed in her mother.

Ditzy smiled and helped Dinky onto the counter so she could reach the ingredients. "Of course they will. Now -- do you want to pour the flour?"

Dinky agreed, and in the end, she was right.

The muffins were absolutely delicious.

Author's Note

That's all, folks!

So, no one's going to Sharpwhinny -- probably not much of a surprise. Silver Spoon was rejected outright, and Dinky only got the Runners-Up thing. Originally, I was going to have Twist actually qualify but then decide with her family that she was probably too young to go away (I don't see her as being as independent and mature as Dinky, so it might not be as advisable. Going away that young is not for everyone.) But I wasn't sure if other people would dislike that, so I left her letter ambiguous. Maybe she was rejected, maybe she was a runner-up, maybe she got in but decided not to go. We can work it out in brainstorming, if it ever comes up again.

That said, I like the idea of Dinky having passes to exhibits at museums all over the place. I can see some fun plot ideas working with that.

Poor Scootaloo. She is terrible at marbles. :-)