To Love a Muffin

Derpy bit her lip nervously as she approached the apartment; she didn't know how to ask what she was going to ask. She took a deep breath and opened the door; sitting on a recliner chair in the middle of the living room was a pink unicorn stallion with a violet and lavender mane.

"Honey, I'm home" Derpy called as she entered

"Hi sweetie, back from work already?" Blunder Strike called back

"Yep" said Derpy who hadn't really moved from the door

"Anything in particular you wanted to talk to me about?" asked Blunder

"Actually there is" said Derpy sheepishly

Blunder looked up from his newspaper "What?"

"I was thinking, when the summer's over, of going back to high school" Derpy said as more of a question than a statement

"You silly filly, you already know how cook and clean and that's everything a mare like you needs to know" Blunder said as he rolled up his newspaper and used his magic to gently bop it on Derpy's snout

"I know but what if the government finds out I'm working and stops sending your unemployment benefits and I don't want to work at the
Post office forever and what if we have foals, we don't have the money to support them" explained Derpy

Blunder smacked Derpy up the back of the head "We're not having any damn foals and you're not going back to high school. Now get back in the kitchen and make dinner" he hit her again for good measure

Derpy trotted off to the kitchen in the next part of the apartment and began making them a salad.

***
Derpy woke up sweating all over, when she didn't immediately see Dinky she looked around gripped with fear for her little muffin but she quickly remembered that she was still as Scootaloo's. Derpy got up and went to the kitchen where she got out the apple she bought yesterday and had her meager breakfast. Morning didn't feel the same without Dinky there. Derpy looked up at the clock and decided she'd head to work early and try catch the early morning shift. Derpy landed in front of the Post Office and, ignoring the closed sign, trotted in and up to Mr Mailard's office.

"Ms Doo, you're early, you aren't thinking of pulling four shifts today are you?" asked Mr Mailard

"That depends sir, can I get back on the large package delivery roster?" asked Derpy hopefully; the large package deliveries always took place after hours on the weekend so you got paid double time and it always took forever

"I'm sorry Ms Doo, I know you're going through some hard times and that you've been working really well but after what happened last time, well we'll see but definitely not this week" said Mr Mailard

"I understand" said Derpy; a little crestfallen "Then I'll just do the one shift"

Mr Mailard looked at Derpy incredulously "Just the early morning shift?"

"Yep, I have to go see someone Sir" said Derpy

"All right then you can do your mail route and then I guess I'll see you tomorrow" said Mr Mailard still a bit surprised

"Bye" said Derpy before trotting of the mail room

Once there she picked up her mail bag and filled it with the mail she had sorted for herself yesterday. With her cap adjusted and mail bag strapped on tight Derpy took off to deliver the morning mail.

It was a beautiful day in ponyville; the sun was shining the skies were clear or almost clear. Rainbow Dash was still kicking the last few clouds which surprised Derpy because usually Dash wouldn't be up for another two hours. Given that it was so early Derpy just left pony's mail on their doorsteps instead of giving it directly to them as she usually did. Although she made an exception when she landed in front of a house she recognized all too well.

She walked up to the door and knocked; there was some muffled voices, a loud thump and then the sound of hooves on stairs and then Derpy was nose to nose with a beige earth mare who had a pink and purple curled mane which was at this moment not so curled.

"Hi Bon Bon" said Derpy

"Hi Ditzy" said Bon Bon "What brings you here"

Derpy looked down at the letter in her hoof then back at Bon Bon "This is the fourth time this month"

"What do you mean" asked Bon Bon before face hoofing when she saw that she had put her address twice "Sorry Ditzy I've just been a
bit distracted lately"

"Oh really?" said Derpy raising an eye brow and smirking

"What? no, I mean" Bon Bon's meager attempt at defending her statement was interrupted by a voice from within the house

"Bonnieeeeeeee come back to beeeeeeed" called a mysterious voice that both Bon Bon and Derpy recognized and which caused Bon Bon to blush

"This must be the best hotel ever; not only do they leave a mint on your bed but a mint that can talk and provide... services, eh Bonnie" teased Derpy

Bon Bon's face continued to turn a deeper shade of scarlet as she said "Shushers" before closing the door

Derpy snickered as she trotted away while Bon Bon mounted the stairs back to her room muttering "Lyra you're in for it now"

When her mail route was done Derpy dropped off her mail bag at the post office then dropped off her cap at home before flying to the edge of town.

"It's for Dinky" whispered Derpy before taking off

***
Blunder Strike barged in through the door with a call of "DEEEEEEEERPYYYYY I'M HOME"

It was two in the morning and even though Derpy new that Blunder was way more violent when he was drunk, which by the slurring in his speech barely covered his current state of intoxication, she knew that it would be worse if she wasn't up when he got home. Blunder looked around for the grey mare that was right in front of him. When he eventually found Derpy he leaned in and smothered her in a drunken kiss, forcing his tongue down her throat. Derpy tried to push him off but Blunder just smacked her and returned to what he was doing. After a few moments Blunder released Derpy from the sorry excuse for a kiss and picked her up. He walked over to his chair and dropped Derpy in it before climbing on top of her. This time Derpy did manage to push him off, quickly she got up and ran to the bedroom. Once inside she tried to shut the door but before she could he barged in.

"So you prefer the bed eh?" asked Blunder

He picked her up again, with his magic this time, and Derpy suddenly found it very hard to breathe until she fell on the bed gasping for air. Then he was on top of her again. Derpy tried to push him off again but he hit her twice so she just lay still quietly sobbing.
Then it started and Derpy couldn't stop herself from screaming, screaming for him to stop and just screaming from the pain.

***
Derpy landed in front of Star Jewels; the main store of a chain of jewelries of the same name. It had been a long flight to Canterlot but Derpy knew she'd be back in ponyville in time to pick up Dinky. She walked inside and up to the help desk.

"Excuse me; I would like to talk to the manager" Derpy said trying to sound as professional as possible

"The manager is right up stairs ma’am" said the green mare at the desk

As Derpy ascended the stair case she could have sworn she heard the mare say "Nice eyes weirdo"

Derpy ignored the mare's comment and continued up the stairs until she found herself in front of a pink door with the words 'Manager's
office' written on a golden plaque set on the door. Derpy bit her lip nervously as she approached the door; she didn't know how to ask
what she was going to ask. She took a deep breath and opened the door; sitting on a chair behind a desk was a pink unicorn with a violet and lavender mane.

"Now there's a surprise" said the pink pony as Derpy stepped in to the office

***
Dinky sat at her desk doing her best to concentrate on the work sheet in front of her. Everypony in the class room could feel the tension in the air; Diamond Tiara was back from the hospital. Everypony in the class room include Cheerilee and she was practically freaking out; she'd had foals who fought before but she'd never seen any pull such a low blow as what Diamond said the day before last.
Luckily everypony had made it through the day without any outbursts and as the school bell rang to signal the end of the day Cheerilee could have breathed a sigh of relief. However that sigh would have been premature as she saw out the window Dinky was moving to talk to Diamond Tiara.

"Um, hey Diamond" said Dinky awkwardly while Scootaloo stood a bit behind her

"What do you want Dink" spat Diamond

"I just..." said Dinky before she realized she didn't know what she wanted to talk to Diamond about

"What did you want me to apologize?" said Diamond in an overly sarcastic tone

"That would be nice" replied Dinky

"Well you've got a fat chance of that happening" said Diamond

Dinky didn't really know why but she was really starting to get angry "Is my chance of that happening as fat as you, I mean I know earth ponies are meant to be muscular but what's your excuse?"

Everypony, including Dinky, was shocked at this outburst. Diamond mouth was hanging open as if she was going to reply but instead
she closed her mouth turned her nose up at trotted of accompanied by Silver Spoon.

"Dinky!" said a shocked Cheerilee

Dinky and Scootaloo spun around to find their teacher standing behind them with her eyes wide; staring at Dinky. Cheerilee was about to tell Dinky off for being so rude when she caught sight of a grey pegasus glaring at her, when the pegasus saw that she had been noticed she flared her wing and pawed the ground.

"Uh... please excuse me girls I think I have some paper work to do" said Cheerilee before almost galloping back inside the school.

Dinky turned back around, slightly confused by her teacher's sudden departure, to see her mom waiting for. With a rushed goodbye to Scootaloo, Dinky was galloping towards her mom.

"Hi mom!" Dinky almost yelled, she hadn't realized how much she'd missed her mom

"Hi muffin" Derpy said as she caught her galloping filly in a hug "I've got a surprise for you"

Dinky looked up at her mom with a huge grin on her face "What is it?"

Derpy looked behind her and a pink pony took its que to step out from behind the bush it had been hiding behind. Dinky squealed in excitement; there stood Amethyst Star; Dinky's older sister.

"AMY!!!" squealed Dinky as she ran to give Amethyst a hug

***
Derpy screamed at the pain, she wished it would all just stop.

"Come on Ditzy breathe" said nurse Redheart

Derpy tried to breath but when another contraction came she yelled out in pain again.

"Ok, now push" said the nurse

After what felt like hours of labor the nurses finally told Derpy that she'd given birth to a healthy little filly. They gave her a bundle of pink towels and when Derpy moved some of the folds she saw a little pink unicorn with a few purple hairs.

"What are you going to call her?" asked Nurse Redheart

Derpy hadn't had much time to think of a name between cooking, cleaning, delivering mail and being blamed for being pregnant. However now that the moment was here Derpy had the perfect name.

"Amethyst Star" said Derpy as she looked down lovingly at the little bundle of joy she held in her forelegs and the little star looked back in to the two amber eyes above her, both locked on her, and she giggled.

***
The three members of the Doo family walked down the streets of ponyville towards the Derpy's apartment, or two of them walked and the on little filly hopped along in front with a beaming grin plastered on her face.

"So mom, we didn't really get a chance to talk; how are things" said Amethyst before quickly adding "Not financially, I meant..."

"Things are fine; Dinky's grades are good and the Post Office is really nice" said Derpy

"Good... Good" sighed Amethyst

The three continued the rest of the way in silence. When they reached the apartment Amethyst went to talk to the land lord while Derpy took Dinky upstairs.

"Where's Amy going?" asked Dinky

"She's just going to talk to the land lord" said Derpy before leaning in and whispering "were moving tomorrow"

Dinky just looked at her mom; unsure of how to react.

"It'll be fun" said Derpy trying to put on her biggest smile

"But I don't want to move" said Dinky

"I don't really want to either, but sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do, if it’s for the best" said Derpy

"Okay" said Dinky in a sad tone

The next thing Dinky knew she was pinned to the floor and her mom stood over her as she blew raspberries on Dinky's belly. Dinky's giggling filled the apartment and Derpy knew that it didn't matter where they went as long as she was with Dinky nothing else mattered.
Although she was down the mighty Dinkasaurus was not to be defeated, she pushed off the larger Derpodactyl before leaping on top of it and crushing it in a mighty bear hug. Dinky nuzzled her mom's neck as she hugged her.

"Everything will be fine; tomorrow after school we'll go out for muffins!" said Derpy

"YAAAAAY!!" hollered Dinky "I want to eat a whole basket"

"You can't eat muffins!" said a shocked Derpy

"WHAT!" squealed Dinky

"You are a muffin; if you ate a muffin that would make you a cannibal" explained Derpy

Dinky used her magic to fetch the crown her mom had made for her from the cabinet and proclaimed "Then call me DINKY DOO PRINCESS OF THE CANNON BALLS, RAAAAAAR!" she then leaned down and pretend bit Derpy

"OH NO, I have been infected by the Cannibal's curse" called out the now doomed Derpy

"BWAHAHAHA, now I shall rule all of Equestria with my cannon ball army!" proclaimed the soon to be ruler of Equestria

Dinky and Derpy were too busy laughing and rolling on the floor to notice Amethyst standing in the door way with her jaw fighting to
reach the floor.

"You lived like this for four years" Amethyst eventually said as she gazed around the near empty apartment

"Yes, I'm sorry I couldn't afford a fancy five star Canterlot Hotel but I am only a mail mare" said Derpy

"I didn't mean, Ugh. I'll make dinner" Amethyst groaned

Derpy took Dinky to the breakfast bar and sat her down on one of the stools.

"Is this all you have?" asked Amethyst looking in the fridge

"Yes it is but you could always call room service, O wait we can't we're not in a Canterlot hotel" said Derpy sarcastically

Amethyst sighed and began making a salad for the three of them.

"So Dinky how was Scootaloo's house" asked Amethyst

"It was really fun" said Dinky smiling "Hey mom why don't I brush my teeth?"

There was a crash from the kitchen and Amethyst turned with a shocked look on her face, she was about to say something along the lines of 'YOU DON'T BRUSH YOUR TEETH' but she was silenced by Derpy staring daggers at her.

"Don't think about it muffin" said Derpy

"And how come I never see dad" asked Dinky

Both Derpy and Amethyst froze, then Derpy said "Don't think about that either"

"But Scootaloo said her dad is really cool and I want to see dad" explained Dinky

"No" said Derpy

"I want to see dad!" whined Dinky

"NO YOU DON'T" screamed Amethyst

Dinky was taken aback by her sister's sudden outburst; the few times she'd seen her sister she had never heard her raise her voice, or seen her cry.

"DO YOU WANT TO KNOW, WHAT, THE ONLY THING OUR DAD LEFT US WITH" yelled Amethyst in between sobs

"Stop Amy" said Derpy

"NO, SHE SHOULD KNOW" yelled Amethyst before taking a moment to collect herself "Dinky, look at our mom, do you see her eyes? do you know how our mom has... moments where she forgets things, little things?"

Dinky nodded slowly while she started to tear up.

"That is all dad left us with" sobbed Amethyst

Dinky was really starting to cry now so Derpy picked her up, of course it didn't help that Derpy was crying too.

"So you're lucky that you got to grow up not knowing him, all you knew growing up knowing was how wonderful our mom is" said Amethyst before putting three plates on the bar

The three ponies ate their salads in a heavy silence.

***
Derpy walked down the streets of ponyville with her daughter in tow. The grey mare was trotting along with a tired look on her face and the pink filly hopped along beaming and looking at everything she could. The two walked past a jewelers and it took the grey mare a few moments to realize that her pink partner in crime had not walked past the store.

"Come on Amy" Derpy called back

"Can we go in mommy" Amethyst called back

"We don't have the money to buy anything" said Derpy

"Pleeeeeeeease" begged Amethyst

Derpy couldn't say no twice to her little filly so the two walked into the store. Immediately Amethyst ran to the counter and looked at the jewelry.

"Well hello there little one" greeted the stallion at the desk

"That's a ruby" said Amethyst as she pointed at a big red jewel set into a necklace

"It is" said the stallion

"And that's an opal, and that's a sapphire, and that's an emerald, and that's an amethyst" said Amethyst pointing to several gems in turn "and that is plastic made to look like a diamond"

The stallion behind the counter was shocked; he'd never seen anypony who could tell the difference between that lump of plastic and a real diamond without a loupe. This miracle was explained by the sudden appearance of three perfectly cut diamonds in a flash of light on the flank of the filly.

"It appears we have a budding jeweler in our midst" said the stallion nodding towards Amethyst's side

Amethyst look down and when she saw her cutie mark she started jumping around in a circle exclaiming "I got my cutie mark! I got my cutie mark!" repeatedly

The other patrons of the store turned to see what the commotion was about but when they saw a little pink filly jumping for joy because she just got her cutie mark all they could say was 'D'aaaaaw'

Derpy and Amethyst left the store shortly after and headed home. When they got home Amethyst burst in and ran to her father.

"Daddy, I got my cutie mark!" cheered Amethyst

"Is it in getting your daddy another beer?" asked Blunder

"No" said Amethyst as her joy began to ebb

"I didn't think so, because if it was I would probably already have it. Now go get me one" said Blunder

Amethyst went off to the kitchen and Derpy walked further into the apartment.

"What took you so long, I was sitting here for, like, half an hour without a beer" scolded Blunder

"You could've got it yourself" said Derpy but the remark got her cuffed over the head

"Don't get smart with me, now go make lunch" said blunder

Derpy shuffled off to the kitchen and began preparing lunch.

***
It was early evening but everyone had agreed it was time for bed; Amethyst was lying on the couch thinking about how things used to be while Dinky and Derpy were curled up under the sheet in their usual bed.

"Mom?" asked Dinky

"What is it muffin?" asked Derpy

"Was daddy mean to you?" asked Dinky sheepishly

Derpy sighed "Yes dear"

"Why?" asked Dinky

"I don't know" answered Derpy

Dinky seemed confused "but..."

"Don't think about it; it’s in the past, you should think about the future; like how we're going to get muffins after school tomorrow" suggested Derpy

"How many can I have?" asked Dinky

"Not too many" said Derpy "Hush now and go to sleep"

"Night mom" said Dinky for the second time that night

"Goodnight muffin" replied Derpy, adding a little while latter "I love you"

But Dinky was already asleep.