The Misadventures of Minnuetteby DekshuduphChapters[1] No Less than an Average Dentist[2] Loyalty of Rainbow Dash[3] Sharpness of a Dragon's Tooth[1] No Less than an Average DentistNo Less than an Average Dentist "When I was little I was very intent on thoroughly brushing my teeth and flossing. My brother and I always used to brush our teeth at the same time before we went to bed. While it would only take him a measly twenty seconds to quickly scrub, I would spend five minutes in the bathroom; for that matter, I also would do it three times a day as opposed to his once. We didn't call him Caramel for nothing, it sure seemed like he wouldn't ever pick up the measly toothbrush if our mother didn't insist!" As a certain pony with a curiously toothpaste-colored mane and tail continued her story, the other pony listened with rapt attention. "He wasn't all that nice, though. He would always tell me that I was too picky and that I was just wasting my time. Anyway, the day we went to see the dentist-- which unfortunately only seemed to happen three times per year-- the dentist had said that he had gained a cavity. Right when I had heard the news, it appeared!" Minnuette waved her flank to emphasize her point. "I've never since doubted not taking my time to do things." "Ooh, it sounds like it must have been super duper amazing when you got it! Were you excited, were you, were you?" The curly-maned pony painted a profuse grin on her face, begging for more words. "Well, of course there is no doubt that I was pleased, but I had never really thought much of cutie marks. Even today I think it's absolutely disdainful to devote your life to finding it!" Minnuette smirked at Pinkie with one eyebrow raised, illiciting a response. "Wait, you aren't saying that you think the Cutie Mark Crusaders are annoying, are you? I found it fun assisting their attempt to make rainbow taffy! It was especially funny to see them all stuck together in a colorful sticky blob," Pinkie replied before snickering a bit. "Oh no, surely not! I would never imply that the Cutie Mark Cusaders Taffy Crafters have no justification for their actions, especially considering what making taffy actually meant to them," the blue pony trailed off, now having both eyebrows lowered and a drawn-out tone of voice to her words. The sun was out, brightly shining with just a few clouds in the sky. There was just one thing odd about a single cloud, and that was the strange coloration making it seem almost cerulean blue with patches of rainbow sticking out in just three places. Below this odd cloud the aforementioned ponies walked peacefully along the road away from Sugarcube Corner. The pink pony was frowning for the first time in the conversation. "Cutie marks are magical though, and show your special talent! How could you say that they're meaningless?" "They're just not all that useful, I think," the unicorn uttered, now glaring at her friend. "Adolescence is the only thing it happens to have an effect on. Otherwise it just helps to get acquainted with ponies by appearance, but by your facial expression I can see that you aren't going to be throwing any parties anytime soon," she spoke as she broke out a smirk. The earth pony's eyes went wide a moment, and then the two burst out laughing. "Hahaheheee... But you know that I can--" Pinkie paused to snort-- "throw a party at any time, no matter what I look like! Or for that matter what the ponies around me look like! Or for that matter where I'm going to get the supplies-- Oh shoot, the convenience store is closed right now; where in Equestria am I going to get party supplies now? And for that matter, where's the invitation I brought for you? How the heck am I supposed to throw a party if you can't RSVP if I don't have an invitation f--" The party pony's rapidly accelerating talking was cut off by Minnuette's bursting into laughter again. Pinkie looked at her and blinked. "And why, might I add, are you throwing a party exactly? I'm sorry Pinkie, but even if you want to throw a party, can't it wait for another time? I think it would be better to wait until the festivities are proper than to throw an impromptu party lacking thereof." "Well, it's just because we've been having so much fun together! And speaking of waiting which I don't want to do at all right now, thanks for telling me about your cutie mark, Colgate. I'm sure we'll cross ways again soon and we'll be able to talk some more!" Pinkie was just right, as the unicorn had not noticed that they had turned left when she had meant to go right. "Pinkie, stop calling me that! My name is Minnuette, and you very well know I want to stop being called by that stupid nickname. I'll see you later!" And with that, they wordlessly went their seperate ways. Minnuette couldn't help but reminisce about her brother always calling her than silly name because of her name and her favorite brand of toothpaste, but she had overlooked how many ponies would call her that until just a few months ago. Pinkie had been walking toward the market when she suddenly felt... her tail twitch? Wow, she thought, this hasn't happened in eleven days! I wonder what it could be...? She noticed the umbrella hat she had stored in a nearby bush nearly a month ago and reached towards in with her unrealistically stretching foreleg. She grabbed a hold of it and swung it over her head, and after doing so continued walking happily along. Not a few moments later she felt an ear flop, eye flutter and knee twitch. There was no doubt in her mind that this combo had a fourty-three percent chance of ending with stained wood and pony face coming into contact, but she had yet to see the effects of the earlier tail twitch. She looked up above her forehead to see a curly lock of hair dangling just below an especially small fan that did not look too unlike a clownish article of amusement. She looked forward and saw an orange pony behind a carrot stand. Just to that pony's-- Golden Harvest's-- left, she spotted a spice stand who's owner looked meticulously bored. She bounded up to the stand and spotted just the ingredient she needed to complete her recipe: Nutmeg. The salespony seemed to be very happy to get a customer. Pinkie reached into... something, but the spice dealer hadn't really seen where she had pulled five bits from, but he happily exchanged them for what the silly pony had wanted. Wow, actually, he thought, she is pretty strange. I hope she isn't going to be doing no funny stuff with what she just bought. Pinkie walked back to Sugarcube Corner, taking a more direct route than she had when walking with Colgate-- er, Minnuette-- because she had found what she wanted today, as she had not been able to for the past two days, so it made her even more excited to return to the baked goods shop. Minnuette was walking home when she heard a crash coming from the direction she had been walking towards. She picked up her pace and after a few moments looked around her. To her right in an alleyway he saw a black figure leaning up against a door, obviously having hurt himself. The door suddenly opened up and the green-eyed thing fell backwards into the house. The dentist turned away from the scene and continued walking straight forward. She just wanted to get home, it had been a long day at work and a fun few hours spent with her old friend Pinkie Pie. She needed a bit of a break to rest. Wow, Minnuette thought, it was such a hard day. She had never needed to inspect a dragon's teeth before. That wasn't a surprise to her, though, as she had just a year ago moved to Ponyville. Before then she had worked eight and a half years at Canterlot Regional Dentistry Offices, so she had plenty of time to work inspecting the teeth of fillies who lived in the care of Canterlot's rich environment. However, she had been fired and forced to work in the further outskirts of Equestria. The thing that she had been fired for was... admittedly, too embarrassing for her to think about at the moment. Ponyville seemed like a great place for the incapable pony to attempt to regain a job, and it had worked far better than expected. It just so happened that Ponyville Medical Center was a large building that held high functionality in bringing ponies all around Ponyville to health. If you were in need of medical assistance of any kind, no matter what the problem, you can guarantee this place could help you. It had just all-around doctors, of course, but it also employed chiropractors, orthopedics, dermitologists, you name it! Most importantly, however, Ponyville was in need of a dentist, so that is where she found her job. There were two other dentists at the Medical Center, and the two of them were unable to support the dentistry department on their own. The one earth pony stallion dentist who's name was Enamel Enforcer had a blue-grey coat and a navy blue mane, and he was responsible for doing most of the operations on teeth as well as being great company around the office. Pulled Tooth is a pink unicorn with a mint-green mane and she performed x-rays as well as kept the workroom organized, but both her and Minnuette shared the duty of inspections. Minnuette was the office worker; she, surprisingly, was the most literate of the three, and she also happened to become the receptionist because she had maintained more focus than the other two. It was no wonder they were in need of hiring a new dentist. "Hey, Colgate! Yuh, can you come over and help me with something? It's an emergency!" A cream-colored mare with a vibrant pink mane had interrupted her thoughts, how dare she? Oh, on second thought, it was Minnuette's good neighbor Rose! Minnuette was always happy to help her out... though it seemed like every few days she spent her entire afternoon with this mare. Minnuette walked up to the doorstep. "Sure, but only if you promise to stop calling me that. Do you ever remember that's just a stupid nickname I'm trying to get rid of?" "Oh, yeah, sure mittuene. I just need you to come inside a moment," Roseluck rambled as she turned around and walked calmly into her home, leaving Minnuette just outside an opened door. The dentist mentally kicked herself for agreeing despite her neighbor totally butchered her name and walked into the home. [2] Loyalty of Rainbow DashLoyalty of Rainbow Dash You would be an absolute liar to say that at one point or another in your life all appendages and simple features of your body have not been useful. At this point in time it would seem as though four of these are useless to a pony who is being interrupted from her walk back to Sugarcube Corner, and these four appendages all happen to have hooves on the end. A cyan blur sped through Pinkie Pie and the blow had made her begin to see rainbows. This isn't figurative, of course, as more than seven different, vibrant colors truly were held before her eyes. Just a moment after having been swept off her hooves, she recognized what had happened, only to fail to regain the use of four appendages as a figure loomed above her, holding her down. She giggled as she recognized the sight of her good friend Rainbow Dash standing on her, having pinned her down just a moment before. Rainbow would have liked to tickle her friend to bring forth her Element of Harmony, but well before she had thought to do so Pinkie had regained her hoofing, although she had struggled against the laws of physics to do so just before. Rainbow was less caught off guard, however, than Pinkie had been when she tackled her, and she turned around to see the earth pony gleefully standing on all four hooves with a smile on her face. "Rainbow Dash, hi! You surprised me! I was just walking back to Sugarcube Corner when you knocked the wind out of me! What's so important?" Pinkie finished speaking just six and a half seconds after her friend had turned around. "Hey Pinkie, I saw you talking to... one of the, um, local dentists about an hour ago. Are your teeth finally starting to fall out from the cake you've been eating over the years?" "Oh, don't be silly Rainbow! I brush my teeth every mornight!" "...Huh. You know, it's not all that strange not knowing what exactly a mornight is. So what were you doing talking to her?" "I tooold you not to be silly! Why do you have such a bad habit of doing that?" After a half second of Rainbow not responding to her, brows furrowed just a bit, she continued: "You do realize that I know everypony in Ponyville, and I don't just mean strangers; she, like everypony else, is my friend, and I have a right to talk to my friends!" Pinkie's slight frown broke into a big grin as she began a brisk trot towards Sugarcube Corner once again. She knew she had to return by five-thirty to begin mixing up her batch of Eggnog which she was preparing a month early for Hearth's Warming Eve. Pinkie would hold high festivities each and every year and there was typically quite a lot of food, all of which relied on her being able to have the time to prepare it all. Rainbows frown, however, didn't dissipate as she erected her wings, taking off with a blast of wind followed shortly by Pinkie's path being blocked by the mare who didn't quite want her leaving the conversation so abruptly. "Well, in that case, why don't you ever talk about your friends? It always seems like you're so self-centered, you never want to talk about anypony else!" Pinkie's frown came back easily as well and she looked Rainbow in the eyes; "I am so not self-centered! Don't you remember how happily eager I was to listen to the story you told about your own cutie mark, despite the story being aimed towards the Cutie Mark Crusaders? Oh, and don't even begin to forget about that time when--" Pinkie was interrupted by Rainbow's taking hold of the conversation. "Pinkie, I'm not talking about the people you are having your conversations with, I'm talking about everypony else that you know and why you won't talk about them near me! It seems like I only know eleven ponies in ponyville, you never want to tell me about any of your other friends!" It was Pinkie's turn to take a silent moment to think, but she didn't let Rainbow take hold of the conversation. "Well, duh! Don't be a silly filly, you know I wouldn't talk behind the backs of other ponies." Rainbow brought a forehoof to rest on her forehead as the pink mare continued walking once again, but this time she wouldn't be interrupted. It's strange, Rainbow thought, Pinkie just called me 'silly' three times and in the end she ended up being far 'sillier' than me for her ideas on how to maintain friends. She's good at it, but wow, she should really loosen up a little to try to avoid hurting others' feelings. Rainbow Dash suddenly took to the air as she finished her thought. "Really, Rose? It's just dirt!" "Agh, you simply don't understand, Colgate! The flowers absolutely must have clean soil to live in, and I spent the last of my bits to get a hold of that bag, and now... look at it!" Not a moment after spitting her dilemma into Minnuette's face she started bawling her head off, tears flowing out of her eyes in deep rivers of salty fluid and begging for sympathy from the unicorn. What it appeared to Minnuette was that Rose was planting a patch of, well, roses to allow them to grow in the spring. The issue with this was that she had bought a bag of dirt to plant them in, but when she'd gotten home she had realized she actually bought sand and now she was out of bits and needed her help. What surprised Minnuette the most was that it wasn't even winter yet; was it really possible for her to run completely dry of money? "Well, seeing as you haven't exactly opened the bag yet, I'd say you could run back to where you bought it and trade it for the soil you'd intended to buy." Rose's face lit up like a lightbulb. "Of course! Haha, wow, where even is my common sense today?" Where is it any day, Minnuette thought? "Hey, you wouldn't mind coming along with me to help me out, would you?" Oh, great, yet another one of these adventures. "Oh, well, why not? I hadn't been planning to do anything else this afternoon, of course," Minnuette drifted of speaking as she nonchalantly pranced out of the flower pony's home. Practically sprinting to catch up in the matter of a second, Rose bumped into another pony before being able to voice her gratitude. What did come of her voice on the other hoof was a loud, "Oof!" The pegasus took a step back at getting knocked into, and quickly muttered, "Hehe, oops. I... think you should look where you're going, Rose." The earth pony merely stepped around the pony, uttering "You're right, sorry about that!" She kept walking, oblivious to the fact that Minnuette stood in place, eyeing the pegasus that now was standing on the sidewalk. "Ah, you must be Rainbow Dash, you came in for a checkup four months ago!" "Yeah, uh, Colgate, we need to talk." "Oh, please don't call me that, it's what my friends call me in the office. My real name is Minnuette." She looked over Dash's shoulder to see Rose prancing around a street corner, out of sight. "Okay, that's nice and all, but I saw you with Pinkie Pie a couple of hours ago coming out of Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie isn't smart enough to understand that I want to know what you were talking about, and why she never tells me about any of it." The pegasus still held a confused expression on her face, hoping she could find some answers. "Well, you have to understand that Pinkie is a strange mare. Sometimes I'm not sure how she can live restrained to the laws of physics." "Yeah, I get that. So what were you talking about?" "Pinkie wanted me to tell her about how I got my cutie mark. After I got off work I went to Sugarcube Corner to get a snack and she sure seemed excited to see me. Is there anyone in Ponyville she doesn't know?" "Ugh, no. You really need a better understanding of that crazy pony; she's the embodiment of the Element of Laughter! She is happy for everyone who lives here, even those who... aren't ponies. Once she even spent a whole week trying to get a grumpy old donkey to lighten up to her." As the two ponies talked, they'd begun to walk down the sidewalk opposite the direction of the earth pony who they completely forgot about. "So what exactly makes Pinkie so special to you that you want to know why she wasn't telling you about who she's talked to?" "I, if you didn't know, am the Element of Loyalty. All six of us are real great friends, but Pinkie is different. Her crazy ideas and my awesome skills work great together, we hang out and pull hilarious pranks on people!" Rainbow seemed to be beaming with joy. "She also makes a pretty nice audience when I'm practicing for the Wonderbolts and Fluttershy isn't there to watch me." A note of shame rose in her voice as she spoke the name of the yellow pegasus. "You practice for the Wonderbolts, huh? I honestly wonder how a pegasus like you could possibly get accepted, you feed off the love of your friends!" "Hey, I caught that! You called me a changeling! And besides, I do have a job, you know. Right now I'm the captain of the Ponyville weather team! I'm sure to be able to get a spot in the Wonderbolts!" Rainbow understood where the conversation had been heading, and didn't want to have to kick a whole bunch of clouds like she did to show Twilight Sparkle how awesome she was. "I wouldn't exactly hold my breath, Rainbow... not until you're the captain of the Canterlot weather team, if you understand where I'm going." "Hey, I could surely get a job there! The only problem is, I'd rather stay in Ponyville with my friends. After all, this place is way better than Canterlot could ever be in my mind! Minnuette was doubting where she was leading this conversation; she had been ever since Rainbow got going on how she wanted to be a Wonderbolt. She'd gotten to her house, she'd get the conversation to end. "Well, that certainly is a nice thing for you to say... you certainly seem loyal to this town," Minnuette paused what she was saying to open her mouth wide and let out a deep yawn, "and such a nice town it is... such wonderful homes..." Minnuette's horn glowed with a faint cyan aura as she lifted a key from a nearby bush, oblivious that Rainbow would know where it'd be the next day. "I hope to be able to talk to you tomorrow, but I'm just gonna stay home and think about what's happened today. Minnuette looked into Rainbow Dash's eyes. "Actually, you can come inside, and I'll start making dinner. You can't possibly get back home before it's freezing outside!" It was true, too, the sun was setting on Ponyville earlier as it often did as the year came to an end. Rainbow wordlessly agreed. Minnuette seems like a nice mare, spending the night at her house doesn't seem like too big of a deal. Hopefully we'll get to talking more and I'll make a new friend... and possibly learn more about Pinkie Pie. Minnuette was thinking just the same, and she used her magic aura once again to close the door behind her as she entered her home behind the rainbow maned pegasus. [3] Sharpness of a Dragon's ToothSharpness of a Dragon's Tooth If Rose would have learned anything that day, it'd be from the accident that'd happened just ten minutes prior. Most lessons she learns tend to become neglected in her mind, though, and often the next day she would have forgotten something had ever happened. This would apply here because she found herself paying good attention to her path as she walked, careful to not bump into anypony by accident. She stopped abruptly in her path to see a happy mare with a very fluffy mane trot in her direction. "Hi Rose! How's your flower business going?" Pinkie Pie smiled as Rose recognized her. "Oh, Pinkie, how nice it is to see a familiar face! The business is just terrible; I'm all out of bits and I need some soil to get the rose buds planted to grow come spring! Colgate offered to come and help me, but that stupid dentist ended up talking to another pony. No matter, we probably would have ended up in another argument anyways." "Well, that just sounds awful! I was talking to Colgate maybe twenty minutes ago; I hate to admit, I can't stand to see a frown on one of my friends' faces!" "That's not much to admit, considering you're... you." Roseluck paused the conversation for just a moment, in thought. "How's your preparations for Hearth's Warming coming along?" "It's fantastic-licious! I was planning on making Eggnog this evening, but Mr. Cake decided I should have some free time since my nights have been busy for the past week. This year's party is just going to be the best, I don't think there's a single pony in Ponyville that wouldn't want to be at Sugarcube Corner to celebrate with us!" Rose was looking straight ahead. I don't think I'm going to be able to be there, but I'd really hate to break it to Pinkie! Maybe it'll change, but I don't want to just miss it on short notice... Rose thought Pinkie had still been talking, but greeted by a concerned glance she realized she'd have to pick up the conversation. "Well see, I'm not sure if I can make it, Pinkie... It's just--" Pinkie chirped in, interrupting her friend: "I totally understand, Rose! It's a very small deal, but you're obviously having problems, so I'll leave it at that. Hey, Speaking of, why don't I get you something to eat and then we'll go get your dirt! It's on me." Roseluck became just a tad bit annoyed at her friends calling it dirt, but hey, it's free! Maybe she'll be able to spend some time with Pinkie, they haven't talked in a while after all. A purple unicorn walked in and went up to the receptionists desk. "I'll be with you in a moment," the receptionist said so she looked around the waiting room for a place she could sit. Before the unicorn walked away, Colgate greeted her with a smile, and a "How may I help you?" "Spike's dentist appointment is today; are you busy? It wouldn't be a bother at all to wait-" The unicorn's sympathetic voice was cut off by the receptionist, now standing. "Oh no, no worries! We have a spot open. Your child can come right on back, I'll just need you to stay out here so I can get your information in order." The pony who's name she'd soon find out was Twilight sparkle gestured to the form on her back and smiled as the receptionist told the-- baby dragon?-- where to go and another unicorn dentist came out to take him away. She could hear him grumble something about being called a kid before being taken away, leaving two ponies to exchange details. What happened next went all too fast in Colgate's mind, and she soon found herself in the workroom with two other dentists. On one side of the room, Enamel was performing an operation on a silver filly who had earned her cutie mark and looked to be very shy. "Alright, now this won't hurt a bit, alright?" The earth pony stallion paused to take out a tool. "Now, which brand of toothpaste do you prefer?" As the filly answered, Enamel smirked and shot Colgate a glance, who suddenly looked a bit agitated. Colgate shot her head around at the voice of Pulled Tooth, who asked if she would take over for her. The process went very simply: Tooth would check all the teeth for cavities and other tooth problems while making the patient feel comfortable, then Colgate would come over and perform the routine scrub, scrape and glaze. Assuming all went as planned, Enamel wouldn't have to get involved. Pulley had a look on her face which meant something needed to go just a bit different this time around, and just below her the green patient was keeping his mouth wide open bearing sharp teeth, an innocent look on her face. "Look, Colgate, this patient is a dragon and while normal pets don't visit dentists, this one is obviously special. He's given his consent to rounding his teeth for safety, but I want you to listen, Colgate." Pulled held a stern expression on her face. "You will not take the easy route for this." With that, the former dentist left. Colgate glanced down at the dragon who hadn't held his position and was giggling. "Why do they call you that? If I was named after a brand of-" Spike started outright laughing at the dentist. The operation went simply. A rounding tool acting like sandpaper and was responsible for rounding teeth that had unright protrusions. For pony standards, the tips of this dragon's teeth counted and were also downright dangerous so the operation was necessary; and, unfortunately, would take some time. This patient had gotten on Colgate's nerves since the very beginning. In fact, now that she thought about it, she was wondering why she hadn't been correcting anyone today. Maybe it was since-- she started thinking before being interrupted. "Gah-hah-hah!! Spike, unable to control his instincts suddenly blew a giant gust of flame at the dentist as she had lost concentration in her thoughts and slipped the tool, knocking into the dragon's gums with well known consequences. Before she had time to correct her mistake and apologize, Colgate was suddenly thrown into blackness. Minnuette stood up in her bed, breathing abnormally and wiping her face with her hoof to find no scorch marks were left. But wait, why would my face have just been burned? I'm in bed and midnight is closing in. Suddenly conscious of the name Colgate having haunted a nightmare she had just seemingly awoken from, Minnuette began feeling torn from her intentions as she slowly pulled away sheets above her and rolled out of bed. Minnuette quickly threw on a navy blue robe and opened up her door, stepping into the hallway of her own, familiar house. She walked slowly toward the living room where a tired pegasus lay on the couch. Rainbow Dash, having not fallen asleep, opened her eyes and sat up. "Reconsidering my request to stay up late? Come on Minny, how about another game of Battlecloud?" The unicorn gave her a blank look. "Well, I just woke up from a terrible dream," Minnuette explained as she took a seat beside her new friend. She had taken the pegasus in for the night afraid that she might not make it home, and figured later that air conditioning in a cloud home during the winter must be terrible. She still envied Rainbow for having the awesome house, however. "Aww, does the little unicorn need comfort? I'm managing to sleep dreamlessly, right out here on this uncomfortable piece of furniture," Rainbow Dash boasted as she raised her eyebrows, lowering one eyelid and smirking. "A warm bed takes its toll on me," she replied nonchalantly. "Today I shaved the teeth of a particular reptilian creature, and it just so happens to be taking its toll on me." Rainbow's brows lowered once again as she took this in. "Right, you didn't talk about today. I didn't even know Twilight cared to take Spike to the dentist! I guessed I just assumed, like all pets, he didn't take care of his teeth..." Rainbow trailed off as Minnuette took into realization Rainbow knew who the dragon was. "I dreamed that I slipped up, causing him to cough fire and burn my face off." Rainbow chuckled, now mirthful with a memory. "He did that once to Twilight when she was trying to stay still for as long as possible. She had the silliest hairstyle for a week!" "You told me about all your friends, and I guess that this Twilight was pretty crazy... But you didn't mention she was so crazy as to have a baby dragon as a pet!" "Oh, yeah. Well, I guess you can't really call him her pet, more like... an assistant. Owloysious is Twilight's pet, if you wanted to know. All my friends have pets! But he is an owl, which is just a bit weird, and happens to also be a sort of assistant." "...Huh. Look, this is interesting and all, but I got up so I could get something to drink, maybe it'll help me sleep. You're not going to need anything, am I correct? "A blanket would be nice." "The one blanket I own is my bedspread." At this, Minnuette's friend raised an eyebrow. "Uh, okay, if that's what you want, sex is out of the picture." Rainbow smiled contentedly and got up as Minnuette continued to the kitchen.
[1] No Less than an Average DentistNo Less than an Average Dentist "When I was little I was very intent on thoroughly brushing my teeth and flossing. My brother and I always used to brush our teeth at the same time before we went to bed. While it would only take him a measly twenty seconds to quickly scrub, I would spend five minutes in the bathroom; for that matter, I also would do it three times a day as opposed to his once. We didn't call him Caramel for nothing, it sure seemed like he wouldn't ever pick up the measly toothbrush if our mother didn't insist!" As a certain pony with a curiously toothpaste-colored mane and tail continued her story, the other pony listened with rapt attention. "He wasn't all that nice, though. He would always tell me that I was too picky and that I was just wasting my time. Anyway, the day we went to see the dentist-- which unfortunately only seemed to happen three times per year-- the dentist had said that he had gained a cavity. Right when I had heard the news, it appeared!" Minnuette waved her flank to emphasize her point. "I've never since doubted not taking my time to do things." "Ooh, it sounds like it must have been super duper amazing when you got it! Were you excited, were you, were you?" The curly-maned pony painted a profuse grin on her face, begging for more words. "Well, of course there is no doubt that I was pleased, but I had never really thought much of cutie marks. Even today I think it's absolutely disdainful to devote your life to finding it!" Minnuette smirked at Pinkie with one eyebrow raised, illiciting a response. "Wait, you aren't saying that you think the Cutie Mark Crusaders are annoying, are you? I found it fun assisting their attempt to make rainbow taffy! It was especially funny to see them all stuck together in a colorful sticky blob," Pinkie replied before snickering a bit. "Oh no, surely not! I would never imply that the Cutie Mark Cusaders Taffy Crafters have no justification for their actions, especially considering what making taffy actually meant to them," the blue pony trailed off, now having both eyebrows lowered and a drawn-out tone of voice to her words. The sun was out, brightly shining with just a few clouds in the sky. There was just one thing odd about a single cloud, and that was the strange coloration making it seem almost cerulean blue with patches of rainbow sticking out in just three places. Below this odd cloud the aforementioned ponies walked peacefully along the road away from Sugarcube Corner. The pink pony was frowning for the first time in the conversation. "Cutie marks are magical though, and show your special talent! How could you say that they're meaningless?" "They're just not all that useful, I think," the unicorn uttered, now glaring at her friend. "Adolescence is the only thing it happens to have an effect on. Otherwise it just helps to get acquainted with ponies by appearance, but by your facial expression I can see that you aren't going to be throwing any parties anytime soon," she spoke as she broke out a smirk. The earth pony's eyes went wide a moment, and then the two burst out laughing. "Hahaheheee... But you know that I can--" Pinkie paused to snort-- "throw a party at any time, no matter what I look like! Or for that matter what the ponies around me look like! Or for that matter where I'm going to get the supplies-- Oh shoot, the convenience store is closed right now; where in Equestria am I going to get party supplies now? And for that matter, where's the invitation I brought for you? How the heck am I supposed to throw a party if you can't RSVP if I don't have an invitation f--" The party pony's rapidly accelerating talking was cut off by Minnuette's bursting into laughter again. Pinkie looked at her and blinked. "And why, might I add, are you throwing a party exactly? I'm sorry Pinkie, but even if you want to throw a party, can't it wait for another time? I think it would be better to wait until the festivities are proper than to throw an impromptu party lacking thereof." "Well, it's just because we've been having so much fun together! And speaking of waiting which I don't want to do at all right now, thanks for telling me about your cutie mark, Colgate. I'm sure we'll cross ways again soon and we'll be able to talk some more!" Pinkie was just right, as the unicorn had not noticed that they had turned left when she had meant to go right. "Pinkie, stop calling me that! My name is Minnuette, and you very well know I want to stop being called by that stupid nickname. I'll see you later!" And with that, they wordlessly went their seperate ways. Minnuette couldn't help but reminisce about her brother always calling her than silly name because of her name and her favorite brand of toothpaste, but she had overlooked how many ponies would call her that until just a few months ago. Pinkie had been walking toward the market when she suddenly felt... her tail twitch? Wow, she thought, this hasn't happened in eleven days! I wonder what it could be...? She noticed the umbrella hat she had stored in a nearby bush nearly a month ago and reached towards in with her unrealistically stretching foreleg. She grabbed a hold of it and swung it over her head, and after doing so continued walking happily along. Not a few moments later she felt an ear flop, eye flutter and knee twitch. There was no doubt in her mind that this combo had a fourty-three percent chance of ending with stained wood and pony face coming into contact, but she had yet to see the effects of the earlier tail twitch. She looked up above her forehead to see a curly lock of hair dangling just below an especially small fan that did not look too unlike a clownish article of amusement. She looked forward and saw an orange pony behind a carrot stand. Just to that pony's-- Golden Harvest's-- left, she spotted a spice stand who's owner looked meticulously bored. She bounded up to the stand and spotted just the ingredient she needed to complete her recipe: Nutmeg. The salespony seemed to be very happy to get a customer. Pinkie reached into... something, but the spice dealer hadn't really seen where she had pulled five bits from, but he happily exchanged them for what the silly pony had wanted. Wow, actually, he thought, she is pretty strange. I hope she isn't going to be doing no funny stuff with what she just bought. Pinkie walked back to Sugarcube Corner, taking a more direct route than she had when walking with Colgate-- er, Minnuette-- because she had found what she wanted today, as she had not been able to for the past two days, so it made her even more excited to return to the baked goods shop. Minnuette was walking home when she heard a crash coming from the direction she had been walking towards. She picked up her pace and after a few moments looked around her. To her right in an alleyway he saw a black figure leaning up against a door, obviously having hurt himself. The door suddenly opened up and the green-eyed thing fell backwards into the house. The dentist turned away from the scene and continued walking straight forward. She just wanted to get home, it had been a long day at work and a fun few hours spent with her old friend Pinkie Pie. She needed a bit of a break to rest. Wow, Minnuette thought, it was such a hard day. She had never needed to inspect a dragon's teeth before. That wasn't a surprise to her, though, as she had just a year ago moved to Ponyville. Before then she had worked eight and a half years at Canterlot Regional Dentistry Offices, so she had plenty of time to work inspecting the teeth of fillies who lived in the care of Canterlot's rich environment. However, she had been fired and forced to work in the further outskirts of Equestria. The thing that she had been fired for was... admittedly, too embarrassing for her to think about at the moment. Ponyville seemed like a great place for the incapable pony to attempt to regain a job, and it had worked far better than expected. It just so happened that Ponyville Medical Center was a large building that held high functionality in bringing ponies all around Ponyville to health. If you were in need of medical assistance of any kind, no matter what the problem, you can guarantee this place could help you. It had just all-around doctors, of course, but it also employed chiropractors, orthopedics, dermitologists, you name it! Most importantly, however, Ponyville was in need of a dentist, so that is where she found her job. There were two other dentists at the Medical Center, and the two of them were unable to support the dentistry department on their own. The one earth pony stallion dentist who's name was Enamel Enforcer had a blue-grey coat and a navy blue mane, and he was responsible for doing most of the operations on teeth as well as being great company around the office. Pulled Tooth is a pink unicorn with a mint-green mane and she performed x-rays as well as kept the workroom organized, but both her and Minnuette shared the duty of inspections. Minnuette was the office worker; she, surprisingly, was the most literate of the three, and she also happened to become the receptionist because she had maintained more focus than the other two. It was no wonder they were in need of hiring a new dentist. "Hey, Colgate! Yuh, can you come over and help me with something? It's an emergency!" A cream-colored mare with a vibrant pink mane had interrupted her thoughts, how dare she? Oh, on second thought, it was Minnuette's good neighbor Rose! Minnuette was always happy to help her out... though it seemed like every few days she spent her entire afternoon with this mare. Minnuette walked up to the doorstep. "Sure, but only if you promise to stop calling me that. Do you ever remember that's just a stupid nickname I'm trying to get rid of?" "Oh, yeah, sure mittuene. I just need you to come inside a moment," Roseluck rambled as she turned around and walked calmly into her home, leaving Minnuette just outside an opened door. The dentist mentally kicked herself for agreeing despite her neighbor totally butchered her name and walked into the home.
[2] Loyalty of Rainbow DashLoyalty of Rainbow Dash You would be an absolute liar to say that at one point or another in your life all appendages and simple features of your body have not been useful. At this point in time it would seem as though four of these are useless to a pony who is being interrupted from her walk back to Sugarcube Corner, and these four appendages all happen to have hooves on the end. A cyan blur sped through Pinkie Pie and the blow had made her begin to see rainbows. This isn't figurative, of course, as more than seven different, vibrant colors truly were held before her eyes. Just a moment after having been swept off her hooves, she recognized what had happened, only to fail to regain the use of four appendages as a figure loomed above her, holding her down. She giggled as she recognized the sight of her good friend Rainbow Dash standing on her, having pinned her down just a moment before. Rainbow would have liked to tickle her friend to bring forth her Element of Harmony, but well before she had thought to do so Pinkie had regained her hoofing, although she had struggled against the laws of physics to do so just before. Rainbow was less caught off guard, however, than Pinkie had been when she tackled her, and she turned around to see the earth pony gleefully standing on all four hooves with a smile on her face. "Rainbow Dash, hi! You surprised me! I was just walking back to Sugarcube Corner when you knocked the wind out of me! What's so important?" Pinkie finished speaking just six and a half seconds after her friend had turned around. "Hey Pinkie, I saw you talking to... one of the, um, local dentists about an hour ago. Are your teeth finally starting to fall out from the cake you've been eating over the years?" "Oh, don't be silly Rainbow! I brush my teeth every mornight!" "...Huh. You know, it's not all that strange not knowing what exactly a mornight is. So what were you doing talking to her?" "I tooold you not to be silly! Why do you have such a bad habit of doing that?" After a half second of Rainbow not responding to her, brows furrowed just a bit, she continued: "You do realize that I know everypony in Ponyville, and I don't just mean strangers; she, like everypony else, is my friend, and I have a right to talk to my friends!" Pinkie's slight frown broke into a big grin as she began a brisk trot towards Sugarcube Corner once again. She knew she had to return by five-thirty to begin mixing up her batch of Eggnog which she was preparing a month early for Hearth's Warming Eve. Pinkie would hold high festivities each and every year and there was typically quite a lot of food, all of which relied on her being able to have the time to prepare it all. Rainbows frown, however, didn't dissipate as she erected her wings, taking off with a blast of wind followed shortly by Pinkie's path being blocked by the mare who didn't quite want her leaving the conversation so abruptly. "Well, in that case, why don't you ever talk about your friends? It always seems like you're so self-centered, you never want to talk about anypony else!" Pinkie's frown came back easily as well and she looked Rainbow in the eyes; "I am so not self-centered! Don't you remember how happily eager I was to listen to the story you told about your own cutie mark, despite the story being aimed towards the Cutie Mark Crusaders? Oh, and don't even begin to forget about that time when--" Pinkie was interrupted by Rainbow's taking hold of the conversation. "Pinkie, I'm not talking about the people you are having your conversations with, I'm talking about everypony else that you know and why you won't talk about them near me! It seems like I only know eleven ponies in ponyville, you never want to tell me about any of your other friends!" It was Pinkie's turn to take a silent moment to think, but she didn't let Rainbow take hold of the conversation. "Well, duh! Don't be a silly filly, you know I wouldn't talk behind the backs of other ponies." Rainbow brought a forehoof to rest on her forehead as the pink mare continued walking once again, but this time she wouldn't be interrupted. It's strange, Rainbow thought, Pinkie just called me 'silly' three times and in the end she ended up being far 'sillier' than me for her ideas on how to maintain friends. She's good at it, but wow, she should really loosen up a little to try to avoid hurting others' feelings. Rainbow Dash suddenly took to the air as she finished her thought. "Really, Rose? It's just dirt!" "Agh, you simply don't understand, Colgate! The flowers absolutely must have clean soil to live in, and I spent the last of my bits to get a hold of that bag, and now... look at it!" Not a moment after spitting her dilemma into Minnuette's face she started bawling her head off, tears flowing out of her eyes in deep rivers of salty fluid and begging for sympathy from the unicorn. What it appeared to Minnuette was that Rose was planting a patch of, well, roses to allow them to grow in the spring. The issue with this was that she had bought a bag of dirt to plant them in, but when she'd gotten home she had realized she actually bought sand and now she was out of bits and needed her help. What surprised Minnuette the most was that it wasn't even winter yet; was it really possible for her to run completely dry of money? "Well, seeing as you haven't exactly opened the bag yet, I'd say you could run back to where you bought it and trade it for the soil you'd intended to buy." Rose's face lit up like a lightbulb. "Of course! Haha, wow, where even is my common sense today?" Where is it any day, Minnuette thought? "Hey, you wouldn't mind coming along with me to help me out, would you?" Oh, great, yet another one of these adventures. "Oh, well, why not? I hadn't been planning to do anything else this afternoon, of course," Minnuette drifted of speaking as she nonchalantly pranced out of the flower pony's home. Practically sprinting to catch up in the matter of a second, Rose bumped into another pony before being able to voice her gratitude. What did come of her voice on the other hoof was a loud, "Oof!" The pegasus took a step back at getting knocked into, and quickly muttered, "Hehe, oops. I... think you should look where you're going, Rose." The earth pony merely stepped around the pony, uttering "You're right, sorry about that!" She kept walking, oblivious to the fact that Minnuette stood in place, eyeing the pegasus that now was standing on the sidewalk. "Ah, you must be Rainbow Dash, you came in for a checkup four months ago!" "Yeah, uh, Colgate, we need to talk." "Oh, please don't call me that, it's what my friends call me in the office. My real name is Minnuette." She looked over Dash's shoulder to see Rose prancing around a street corner, out of sight. "Okay, that's nice and all, but I saw you with Pinkie Pie a couple of hours ago coming out of Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie isn't smart enough to understand that I want to know what you were talking about, and why she never tells me about any of it." The pegasus still held a confused expression on her face, hoping she could find some answers. "Well, you have to understand that Pinkie is a strange mare. Sometimes I'm not sure how she can live restrained to the laws of physics." "Yeah, I get that. So what were you talking about?" "Pinkie wanted me to tell her about how I got my cutie mark. After I got off work I went to Sugarcube Corner to get a snack and she sure seemed excited to see me. Is there anyone in Ponyville she doesn't know?" "Ugh, no. You really need a better understanding of that crazy pony; she's the embodiment of the Element of Laughter! She is happy for everyone who lives here, even those who... aren't ponies. Once she even spent a whole week trying to get a grumpy old donkey to lighten up to her." As the two ponies talked, they'd begun to walk down the sidewalk opposite the direction of the earth pony who they completely forgot about. "So what exactly makes Pinkie so special to you that you want to know why she wasn't telling you about who she's talked to?" "I, if you didn't know, am the Element of Loyalty. All six of us are real great friends, but Pinkie is different. Her crazy ideas and my awesome skills work great together, we hang out and pull hilarious pranks on people!" Rainbow seemed to be beaming with joy. "She also makes a pretty nice audience when I'm practicing for the Wonderbolts and Fluttershy isn't there to watch me." A note of shame rose in her voice as she spoke the name of the yellow pegasus. "You practice for the Wonderbolts, huh? I honestly wonder how a pegasus like you could possibly get accepted, you feed off the love of your friends!" "Hey, I caught that! You called me a changeling! And besides, I do have a job, you know. Right now I'm the captain of the Ponyville weather team! I'm sure to be able to get a spot in the Wonderbolts!" Rainbow understood where the conversation had been heading, and didn't want to have to kick a whole bunch of clouds like she did to show Twilight Sparkle how awesome she was. "I wouldn't exactly hold my breath, Rainbow... not until you're the captain of the Canterlot weather team, if you understand where I'm going." "Hey, I could surely get a job there! The only problem is, I'd rather stay in Ponyville with my friends. After all, this place is way better than Canterlot could ever be in my mind! Minnuette was doubting where she was leading this conversation; she had been ever since Rainbow got going on how she wanted to be a Wonderbolt. She'd gotten to her house, she'd get the conversation to end. "Well, that certainly is a nice thing for you to say... you certainly seem loyal to this town," Minnuette paused what she was saying to open her mouth wide and let out a deep yawn, "and such a nice town it is... such wonderful homes..." Minnuette's horn glowed with a faint cyan aura as she lifted a key from a nearby bush, oblivious that Rainbow would know where it'd be the next day. "I hope to be able to talk to you tomorrow, but I'm just gonna stay home and think about what's happened today. Minnuette looked into Rainbow Dash's eyes. "Actually, you can come inside, and I'll start making dinner. You can't possibly get back home before it's freezing outside!" It was true, too, the sun was setting on Ponyville earlier as it often did as the year came to an end. Rainbow wordlessly agreed. Minnuette seems like a nice mare, spending the night at her house doesn't seem like too big of a deal. Hopefully we'll get to talking more and I'll make a new friend... and possibly learn more about Pinkie Pie. Minnuette was thinking just the same, and she used her magic aura once again to close the door behind her as she entered her home behind the rainbow maned pegasus.
[3] Sharpness of a Dragon's ToothSharpness of a Dragon's Tooth If Rose would have learned anything that day, it'd be from the accident that'd happened just ten minutes prior. Most lessons she learns tend to become neglected in her mind, though, and often the next day she would have forgotten something had ever happened. This would apply here because she found herself paying good attention to her path as she walked, careful to not bump into anypony by accident. She stopped abruptly in her path to see a happy mare with a very fluffy mane trot in her direction. "Hi Rose! How's your flower business going?" Pinkie Pie smiled as Rose recognized her. "Oh, Pinkie, how nice it is to see a familiar face! The business is just terrible; I'm all out of bits and I need some soil to get the rose buds planted to grow come spring! Colgate offered to come and help me, but that stupid dentist ended up talking to another pony. No matter, we probably would have ended up in another argument anyways." "Well, that just sounds awful! I was talking to Colgate maybe twenty minutes ago; I hate to admit, I can't stand to see a frown on one of my friends' faces!" "That's not much to admit, considering you're... you." Roseluck paused the conversation for just a moment, in thought. "How's your preparations for Hearth's Warming coming along?" "It's fantastic-licious! I was planning on making Eggnog this evening, but Mr. Cake decided I should have some free time since my nights have been busy for the past week. This year's party is just going to be the best, I don't think there's a single pony in Ponyville that wouldn't want to be at Sugarcube Corner to celebrate with us!" Rose was looking straight ahead. I don't think I'm going to be able to be there, but I'd really hate to break it to Pinkie! Maybe it'll change, but I don't want to just miss it on short notice... Rose thought Pinkie had still been talking, but greeted by a concerned glance she realized she'd have to pick up the conversation. "Well see, I'm not sure if I can make it, Pinkie... It's just--" Pinkie chirped in, interrupting her friend: "I totally understand, Rose! It's a very small deal, but you're obviously having problems, so I'll leave it at that. Hey, Speaking of, why don't I get you something to eat and then we'll go get your dirt! It's on me." Roseluck became just a tad bit annoyed at her friends calling it dirt, but hey, it's free! Maybe she'll be able to spend some time with Pinkie, they haven't talked in a while after all. A purple unicorn walked in and went up to the receptionists desk. "I'll be with you in a moment," the receptionist said so she looked around the waiting room for a place she could sit. Before the unicorn walked away, Colgate greeted her with a smile, and a "How may I help you?" "Spike's dentist appointment is today; are you busy? It wouldn't be a bother at all to wait-" The unicorn's sympathetic voice was cut off by the receptionist, now standing. "Oh no, no worries! We have a spot open. Your child can come right on back, I'll just need you to stay out here so I can get your information in order." The pony who's name she'd soon find out was Twilight sparkle gestured to the form on her back and smiled as the receptionist told the-- baby dragon?-- where to go and another unicorn dentist came out to take him away. She could hear him grumble something about being called a kid before being taken away, leaving two ponies to exchange details. What happened next went all too fast in Colgate's mind, and she soon found herself in the workroom with two other dentists. On one side of the room, Enamel was performing an operation on a silver filly who had earned her cutie mark and looked to be very shy. "Alright, now this won't hurt a bit, alright?" The earth pony stallion paused to take out a tool. "Now, which brand of toothpaste do you prefer?" As the filly answered, Enamel smirked and shot Colgate a glance, who suddenly looked a bit agitated. Colgate shot her head around at the voice of Pulled Tooth, who asked if she would take over for her. The process went very simply: Tooth would check all the teeth for cavities and other tooth problems while making the patient feel comfortable, then Colgate would come over and perform the routine scrub, scrape and glaze. Assuming all went as planned, Enamel wouldn't have to get involved. Pulley had a look on her face which meant something needed to go just a bit different this time around, and just below her the green patient was keeping his mouth wide open bearing sharp teeth, an innocent look on her face. "Look, Colgate, this patient is a dragon and while normal pets don't visit dentists, this one is obviously special. He's given his consent to rounding his teeth for safety, but I want you to listen, Colgate." Pulled held a stern expression on her face. "You will not take the easy route for this." With that, the former dentist left. Colgate glanced down at the dragon who hadn't held his position and was giggling. "Why do they call you that? If I was named after a brand of-" Spike started outright laughing at the dentist. The operation went simply. A rounding tool acting like sandpaper and was responsible for rounding teeth that had unright protrusions. For pony standards, the tips of this dragon's teeth counted and were also downright dangerous so the operation was necessary; and, unfortunately, would take some time. This patient had gotten on Colgate's nerves since the very beginning. In fact, now that she thought about it, she was wondering why she hadn't been correcting anyone today. Maybe it was since-- she started thinking before being interrupted. "Gah-hah-hah!! Spike, unable to control his instincts suddenly blew a giant gust of flame at the dentist as she had lost concentration in her thoughts and slipped the tool, knocking into the dragon's gums with well known consequences. Before she had time to correct her mistake and apologize, Colgate was suddenly thrown into blackness. Minnuette stood up in her bed, breathing abnormally and wiping her face with her hoof to find no scorch marks were left. But wait, why would my face have just been burned? I'm in bed and midnight is closing in. Suddenly conscious of the name Colgate having haunted a nightmare she had just seemingly awoken from, Minnuette began feeling torn from her intentions as she slowly pulled away sheets above her and rolled out of bed. Minnuette quickly threw on a navy blue robe and opened up her door, stepping into the hallway of her own, familiar house. She walked slowly toward the living room where a tired pegasus lay on the couch. Rainbow Dash, having not fallen asleep, opened her eyes and sat up. "Reconsidering my request to stay up late? Come on Minny, how about another game of Battlecloud?" The unicorn gave her a blank look. "Well, I just woke up from a terrible dream," Minnuette explained as she took a seat beside her new friend. She had taken the pegasus in for the night afraid that she might not make it home, and figured later that air conditioning in a cloud home during the winter must be terrible. She still envied Rainbow for having the awesome house, however. "Aww, does the little unicorn need comfort? I'm managing to sleep dreamlessly, right out here on this uncomfortable piece of furniture," Rainbow Dash boasted as she raised her eyebrows, lowering one eyelid and smirking. "A warm bed takes its toll on me," she replied nonchalantly. "Today I shaved the teeth of a particular reptilian creature, and it just so happens to be taking its toll on me." Rainbow's brows lowered once again as she took this in. "Right, you didn't talk about today. I didn't even know Twilight cared to take Spike to the dentist! I guessed I just assumed, like all pets, he didn't take care of his teeth..." Rainbow trailed off as Minnuette took into realization Rainbow knew who the dragon was. "I dreamed that I slipped up, causing him to cough fire and burn my face off." Rainbow chuckled, now mirthful with a memory. "He did that once to Twilight when she was trying to stay still for as long as possible. She had the silliest hairstyle for a week!" "You told me about all your friends, and I guess that this Twilight was pretty crazy... But you didn't mention she was so crazy as to have a baby dragon as a pet!" "Oh, yeah. Well, I guess you can't really call him her pet, more like... an assistant. Owloysious is Twilight's pet, if you wanted to know. All my friends have pets! But he is an owl, which is just a bit weird, and happens to also be a sort of assistant." "...Huh. Look, this is interesting and all, but I got up so I could get something to drink, maybe it'll help me sleep. You're not going to need anything, am I correct? "A blanket would be nice." "The one blanket I own is my bedspread." At this, Minnuette's friend raised an eyebrow. "Uh, okay, if that's what you want, sex is out of the picture." Rainbow smiled contentedly and got up as Minnuette continued to the kitchen.
