My second entry in the My Little Pony fandom. It helps to read my previous story, Lighting the Darkened Path, but not required.
Making One's Own Luck
Softly as the wind breezed through the trees, the feathered, grey wings navigated above the dense foliage carefully. It was tricky business. The smallest twig could sometimes bring a distracted flier down, though some daredevils liked to prove their mettle by being the fastest to zoom through the naturally made obstacle course. Derpy was not so coordinated, but give her an open sky and addressed letters and she was the fastest mare in sight.
Dinky, her daughter, waved eagerly during the times she saw her mother on her postal rounds. Her mother may not be the most intelligent of ponies or the most graceful, but her warm, encouraging hugs and a freshly baked muffin more than often made up for any shortcomings.
The filly pressed her elbows into the soft grass and rested her chin against her forehooves in thought. She had a dire dilemma. Today was the great race. In honor of the winged pony Filleppides who made a daring flight from Ponyville to Canterlot to warn of invading enemies, every year since then all pegasi participated in the Great Race in his honor.
Her mother had never won the race. That title always went to Rainbow Dash when she became old enough to participate. Now Dinky didn't mind her mother's inability to win. Many ponies were grateful to finish, but it was Diamond Tiara's smug attitude which bugged her. The wealthy foal's mother always managed to break the top ten looking as fresh and clean as if she just stepped out of Minuet's Spa and Salon.
It was completely infuriating to the little pony!
She had seen her mother zoom across the sky with letters and packages in hoof delivering them with lightning speed. How could Dinky convince her mother to apply that same determination to the race?
Dinky jumped to her hoofs in agitation. Maybe a bite at Sugar Cube Corner would jar an idea loose.
So deeply was her intent she neglected to pay attention to her surroundings and trotted snout first into a solid obstacle. A brown coat and a shock of dark hair which never seemed to stay combed met her vision.
"Doctor!" Dinky exclaimed. Her favorite stallion in the world stood before her as she embraced him in a warm hug.
"Dinky!" He returned the gesture just as affectionately. "Now what's got your heads up in the clouds?" he asked in his posh, Londonium accent.
A transplant to Ponyville, he had forged a close friendship with the single mare and her daughter. More in Dinky's opinion if the looks between the two adults in her life were an indication. But that was another conundrum entirely.
"Exactly, Doctor, the clouds are what I'm wondering about. You think they'll be a factor in the race?"
He shook his head in her direction with his typical manic energy. "Of course not. You know the weather ponies clear the course before the start."
Dinky shuffled her hooves on the ground, muttering, "Oh yeah, Mama did say that yesterday."
As always the mention of that special pony caused his face to relax into a silly grin. The stallion found himself eagerly anticipating the end of the race today. He had decided once and for all to have a private talk with his best friend.
The Doctor shook off his distraction, and stared at his companion intently, seemingly reading her mind with an uncanny accuracy. "Dinky... you know how your mother hates it when you let the other ponies get under your skin."
The small unicorn huffed in frustration. Darn the stallion! It was like he was alien with psychic powers or something!
"But Doctor! Diamond Tiara claims her mother is the best at everything, and her family is sooo wonderful because they have all of these things!" In mid rant, the little grey filly suddenly found herself engulfed into an unexpected embrace from the larger pony.
"Little one."
Dinky gulped. She knew the Doctor called her that only when he was being completely serious.
"Would you prefer a jeweled tiara over the paper bag crown worn by your mother on Nightmare Night? Or a fancy meal instead of the warm bowl of oats she cooks every morning for you? She loves you so much you couldn't even imagine and is always worried she's an embarrassment to you. But do you know what? I wouldn't give up that kind of love for all of the jewels in Equestria."
Dinky pressed her face against the strong shoulder of the stallion murmuring softly, "I'm not embarrassed by her! I'm not! I know she loves me, and I love her. I just want the rest of the world to see how wonderful she is."
"They know she is because she's raising such a respectful and well-mannered foal by herself. It doesn't take winning a race to show that." He released her looking directly into her golden eyes with his own.
Dinky sighed knowing the he was right, as usual. She should just let Diamond Tiara's taunts slide off her like water on a duck.
She smiled freely for the first time today. "Come on, Doctor. I was going to go to the Cakes' bakery. Do you want to join me?"
"Of course. We can get those muffins your mother likes."
Dinky had to smile. Always the Doctor couldn't help but mention her mother in conversation.
They waited patiently for their treats and made light conversation.
Dinky laughed with banana oat muffin crumbs all over her face as the Doctor regaled her with a story of how he saved a shop girl from a rampaging mannequin. She could never be sure whether the Doctor was stretching the truth for her entertainment or not, but it certainly made for a wonderful time.
Mr. Cake called Dinky for her muffin to go order. The Doctor gallantly retrieved the box for her.
Trotting over with the item in hoof, the Doctor took a deep whiff. "If you put these in front of me there would be nothing in Equestria that would stop me from getting to it."
"Nothing would stop you?" Dinky murmured absent-mindedly, an idea brewing in her head.
The Doctor gave her a searching look, but didn't have time to question her. He was the official timer for the race and had to get to the finish line early to inspect the regulation sand glass.
"I'll see you after the race, Dinky," he remarked with a wary glance. His favorite filly was pondering something in her mind, most probably something involving a lot of running. Strange. He had never been on the receiving end of that look before.
The grey foal carefully walked home with the box's wrapped ribbon in her mouth mulling over the outlandish thought conjuring in her head. She made one brief stop to Twilight Sparkle's library to look up something in one of the dusty tomes. At home, placing her precious cargo atop the kitchen table, the little pony got to work.
MLPMLPMLPMLPMLP
Derpy stamped her hoofs in place making sure her muscles were loose and limber enough for the race. Injury often plagued many over eager flyers due to an inadequate warm up. She remembered the Doctor having to ice her wing last year and blushed at the memory. Her friend, the Doctor. Or was he just a friend?
He was kind, courteous and offered a listening ear to her worries. He was madly devoted to Dinky. At first Derpy thought he was nice to every pony, but he'd politely turned down the advances of several ponies his first week in Ponyville. Rarity accosted him once, insisting that he would look divine in this new tuxedo she'd designed. He seemed to pale at the fashion pony's words but sidestepped the invitation with ease. No mare or filly could turn his head in their direction.
Well except for one little pony.
Dinky had skinned her knee as she tripped and fell running past his shop. The Doctor had capably bandaged the injury and dried her tears, though he insisted he wasn't that type of doctor. She had pestered him with all of her questions about the clocks and time pieces in his quaint business. He patiently explained each and every device. Ever the gentle-stallion he escorted the young pony home continuing to answer her questions along the way.
Derpy watched warily as a stranger was discovered in the company of her beloved daughter. Picking up on her maternal instincts, the Doctor stayed a good distance off her front porch. Dinky had made the introductions with her childish exuberance, showing off her bandaged knee.
"Oh sweetheart!" The mother exclaimed while carefully checking over the wound.
The Doctor had done a good job. Derpy gave the brown pony a nod of thanks politely inviting him in for a cool glass of lemonade.
Tense shoulders and terse sentences. He could sense she still was not comfortable in his presence and wisely declined. "I should get back to my shop, but perhaps a later time." He left the opening for her to decide, one the mare was grateful to possess.
Many stallions would have just barged in assuming a single mare would require the company of a strong male. Derpy had been on her own for far longer than that for her to need help.
The meeting had started off a slow friendship from that point on. The mare gifted him with a home cooked muffin as she dropped off packages at his lodgings above his shop in town. The Doctor kindly walked Dinky home from school with an umbrella during one wet day. The filly had laughed as he purposefully splashed through the mud puddles. Derpy had flown up to fix a loose shingle on the Doctor's roof. Next he had a couple of extra apples some pushy foal had forced him to buy. The blonde mare capably baked them into apple turnovers she shared with him and her daughter on an impromptu outdoor picnic.
Now it was all too common to make outings with each other. The new trio was often seen around town - Dinky carried across his broad shoulders while Derpy and he laughed over some silliness. "Were they an item?" the gossiping mares whispered amongst themselves. It was a puzzle for the ages.
It was a few moments before the official start of time. The grey mare struggled not to think about the official timekeeper waiting at the finish line. She was already a bundle of nerves. Daydreaming about the Doctor would make her miss the start of the race, or worse, go in the wrong direction. Who was she kidding? After far too much time spent alone, it was easy for her feelings to develop into something more, but what did the timekeeper see in her, the accident-prone mailmare?
Derpy needed a distraction from her wandering thoughts. She closed her eyes picturing her darling filly. Dinky would never laugh at her in malice or spite. A sudden nudge against her flank jarred her from her calming, motivational thoughts.
"Dinky?"
The object of her affections lugged a large bag towards her mother, pulling items out carefully one by one. The enchanted bag had been gifted by Princess Luna on Dinky's birth date, one that was designed to hold the entire contents of a closet yet still remain light weight.
"What are you-"
The mother watched her daughter throw their traveling blanket atop her, buckling slightly when the saddle followed. It must have been an odd sight seeing a pegasus being saddled, but just because Dinky was a unicorn and magic user didn't mean she had to be anchored to the ground. Her winged mother made sure her daughter could experience both the world of earth and air.
As Dinky checked that the harnesses and straps were securely tied, her mother lectured her. "Dinky now's not the time for a flight out."
The filly squinted for a moment with indecision before readjusting a strap again. "I know, Mama, but I'm going to help you with the race."
Derpy frowned in disbelief, but placed all of her trust in her daughter. "Alright sweetheart. If you know what you're doing..."
Her filly gave her a manic grin (one that was eerily familiar to her mother), "Trust me. This will work." (How many times had they heard that from the Doctor before running for their lives?)
The grey unicorn hopped onto the saddle quickly with the ease of youth. "I'm ready."
Her mother shook her head swishing her blonde mane. "What do we do before each flight?"
"Run through the safety checklist," Dinky replied dutifully.
"One -" her mother started. "Saddle secure?"
Dinky leapt off her mother tugging on the straps and belts once more.
"Check," she confirmed.
"Two," her mother continued, "Seatbelt?"
Her filly pulled a harness attached to the saddle across her lap fastening it into a buckle.
"Yup," her daughter announced, popping the p in the word.
Derpy lightly shook her body back and forth ensuring her daughter was safely secured. The saddle also continued to remain in place as she did, mentally adding an additional check.
"Three, eye and head protection."
The pony pulled out a set of flying goggles and a helmet from the magic bag as she placed them on her head.
"Check!" She shouted.
Derpy smiled. Even though she was a poor flyer, getting bumps and bruises didn't mean she wanted the same for her daughter.
The start of the countdown was announced, but Dinky continued to rummage around in the bag atop her mother's back.
"Dinky?" Derpy wondered. "We're going to miss the start..."
"Just a minute," she muttered.
"Zero!" was the cry as a hundred ponies surged ahead of the duo.
Derpy's eyes countered and wavered as the dust settled. She arched her back to take off when Dinky let out a great big "YES!" and dropped her rigged fishing line in front of her mother's face.
The mare frowned in confusion for a split second before a perfectly baked, triple oat, sugar glazed muffin floated before her golden eyes. All thoughts evaporated from her mind except for the goal of obtaining the muffin tantalizingly floating in front of her. She took off like a shot barely hearing her daughter's giddy shouts of glee.
Dinky couldn't help letting out another jubilant cheer as she carefully guided her mother back to the pack of competitors. Past the stragglers at the end, overtaking the main bunch veering around the bend, the grey filly could soon see the pink sweatband of Diamond Tiara's mother. Another instant and the mother-daughter duo slipped by with ease.
Success! Dinky reveled that her plan worked perfectly.
Let's see how far they could go.
Up here amongst the fluffy clouds, the wind in her hair, Dinky felt almost relaxed. It was such a fantastic world that none of the earth bound ponies ever experienced. She loved her mother for sharing her world with her. If only she could do the same with her magic.
Off in the distance she barely missed the shade of blue nearly the same hue as the sky. The shock of rainbow colored hair was a dead giveaway to that pony's identity. Rainbow Dash won every year. Wouldn't it be a lark to buzz her? Dinky let out a mischievous snicker and carefully angled the delectable treat toward the multicolored pony. With a shot, Derpy was off zipping through the air towards her prize.
"What the?!" Rainbow Dash could only splutter out as she spotted her neighborhood mailmare blaze by her at a scorching pace.
The damage was done, and as the little filly turned in her seat to watch the competitive blue pony wind herself up for a burst of speed, her mother continued to rocket on. Dinky could start to make out the finish line now.
Hordes of ponies on the ground cheered wildly as the watched the first racer near the end of the great race. Grey colored, blonde… with wonky eyes? "It couldn't be Derpy!" they exclaimed with surprise.
The noise and chatter grew louder as the spectators saw a rainbow colored flash approaching quickly.
Rainbow Dash! Dinky thought with panic. She truly was the fastest flyer in Ponyville!
But not fast enough.
With a whoop, the impromptu pair crossed the finish line moments before the rainbow streak could reach them.
Dinky raised her hooves up in jubilation, relaxing her grip on the fishing pole. Unfortunately her enthusiasm changed the direction of her mother to drop towards...
The Doctor! Dinky yelped in horror seeing the brown stallion carefully watching the sand hourglass. They were flying way too fast!
"Dinky?" he muttered in a confused tone recognizing her voice, but unsure where it was coming from.
He looked around then finally glanced upward realizing in a panic the trajectory of the duo.
"Derpy!" He shouted. His warm voice swiftly penetrated her muffin induced haze.
"Doctor?" the mare breathed and her strange eyes tore itself away from the baked treat only to fixate on his form approaching much too quickly into her vision.
It was too late as she fought to stop her crash, but with his stronger earth pony form he braced himself, at the same time shielding his two precious burdens carefully from the hard ground. The trio landed with a heap on the soft grass a little dazed.
"Is everyone alright?" The Doctor questioned as he helped Derpy stand.
"Dinky?!" Derpy shouted anxiously. Was her little filly alright?
"I'm here, Mama!" A jubilant voice cried out from behind her mother.
Derpy rotated her body around instinctively towards her, forgetting that her daughter was still strapped in.
"Whoa!" Her daughter shouted while giggling at the unexpected head rush.
"Here, do allow me." The Doctor stepped in with a smile as he deftly unhooked the grey filly.
"Thanks Doctor!" Dinky chirped as she swung upside down in the Doctor's hold. She was unharmed, thank Celestia. He tickled her mercilessly until he righted her.
The stallion checked to see who was manning his post. Another pony with a raggedy tweed jacket had stepped in, fantastic. He turned his attention back to his pretty pair. Ever curious, he bent around carefully extracting the odds and ends between the group. He spied a fishing rod with broken string and let out a laugh of his own. Dinky was a genius.
Derpy removed the cumbersome saddle with a sigh letting the weight fall to the ground. Had she really flown so far? She felt strangely exhausted.
"Uh oh," came quietly from Dinky a few paces away.
Smashed against the ground were the ruins of a perfectly baked triple oat, sugar glazed muffin.
Derpy let out a mournful sigh. Her favorite... She took a step to see if anything could be salvaged and nearly tumbled to the ground. The strong bulk of the Doctor kept her standing.
"Steady there," he murmured in her ear causing her to flush a rosy hue. The Doctor gave her a searching glance, calling out to their third member. "Dinky, I think your mother needs some water. Be a good filly and fetch some."
"Aye aye, Doctor!" she remarked with a salute and took off to do as he bid.
Derpy sighed, abandoning all pretense of staying upright for her daughter, wearily letting the Doctor hold her up. "What happened?"
"My guess is that Dinky used a very persuasive bargaining chip so she'd pull one over Diamond Tiara."
Derpy scowled. "How many times have I told her not to let bullies bother her?"
"Yes, but you have to admit that her plan worked like clockwork."
Derpy groaned at his favorite but terrible pun, burying her face into his mane.
The pair laughed together softly, content just to be in close proximity to each other.
Dinky cantered back with a container full of water which her mother took gratefully. "Sorry Mama. I didn't tell you what I was planning. You could have gotten hurt." Her daughter kicked the dirt near her with her hoof in shame and remorse.
The mother bent down enveloping her daughter in a tight hug. Derpy smiled thankful to hear that her filly knew there might have been consequences to her rash actions, but didn't want Dinky's creativity to be stifled.
Another voice smoothly interrupted "Yes, it's true, but sometimes the best plans require no explanation."
"Luna!" Dinky shouted as she charged towards the royal pony escaping her mother's hold. She nuzzled her friend affectionately on the nose.
Not only had Dinky managed to find the elusive alicorn in her dreamscape, the little pony had no fear of the dark co-ruler of the realm. Princess Luna, herself, had found another friend.
"Your majesty," the Doctor replied politely.
"Hello Luna," Derpy greeted still leaning contentedly against the Doctor's side.
The grey pegasus and her family were the only ones given leave to address the imperial pony so casually. No one knew just how much the impact of a chance moonlit encounter with the wall-eyed pony would have on Nightmare Moon's path to redemption.
"You did very well, Derpy. I always knew you had speed ever since you delivered that slice of cake to Celestia when she was at her weakest."
The pony blushed demurely emphasizing her daughter's clever plan.
"Congratulations my little ponies on a well flown race!" The announcement came from Celestia's broadcasted cheery tone. The last racer had flown in and the prizes were being handed out.
"Should we go?" The Doctor asked.
"Dinky can accept for me. After all, it was her idea," Derpy conceded. With all honesty, the mare found she couldn't bear to move from her comfortable spot next to the stallion.
The smaller grey filly eagerly dashed forward with Luna following sedately behind, leaving her tired mother alone with the Time Pony.
The mare sighed happily. "I'm not going to be able to deliver the mail tomorrow."
"Well you'll just have to take the day off and spend it with me then," the Doctor proposed.
"Oh, that would be nice. Dinky would love to spend a day with you."
Now was a good as time as any. With a deep breath, the Doctor pressed his nose against the mare's cheek intimately with a brushing touch. "Actually I was just thinking of making a day for just the two of us. Perhaps, even, to talk about a future together."
Derpy flushed red at his low tone. Just she and the Doctor? Their future together? His admission made her heart pulse faster than any race could.
She couldn't help but let out a cheeky grin in her exuberance, "It's about time, Doctor!"
Hearing one of his favorite sayings coming from his beloved, the Doctor's laughter could be heard all the way to the stage where the race's prizes were being awarded.
Diamond Tiara scowled petulantly, complaining loudly how her classmate had cheated. Dinky merely shook her head calling on Twilight Sparkle's encyclopedic memory of the rulebook. That had been her purpose in her detour at the Ponyville library. Dinky ecstatically trotted back to her mother and her favorite stallion, reward in hoof.
"Well done, Dinky." Luna murmured in a low tone atop the platform. She didn't mean just the race.
The royal pony glanced over at the cozy trio already a family in all but name. Derpy rested her chin against the Doctor's back as he bent down to ruffle Dinky's mane. The little pony chattered on enthusiastically holding the 1st place ribbon aloft.
Dinky may have pictured capturing bragging rights in her efforts at the start of the race, but the filly would realize, in time, she had really found something much better than that at the finish line.
The royal pony hoped there would be delicious muffins on the wedding day.
Inspired by "Motivation" on Deviantart by stupidyou3, it features Dinky grinning atop Derpy's back as she dangles a muffin in front of her mother's face. Poor Rainbow Dash can only look on in confusion. Raggedy jacket and many references to the Doctor Who series abound in this story, and of course many concepts are taken from the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic cartoon series.
Please review!
Grignard