The Misadventures of Minnuette

No 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.