I think the part I truly enjoy about my job is interacting with other ponies.

As much as I enjoy the quiet of an office and the methodical simplicity of paperwork, it can’t compare to the hubbub and culture one finds out in the center of town. In the quiet of a home with only three ponies living in it, the noise is something I relish.

Saturday mornings are the best days to be out on the streets. The mix of stalls nestled in between the shops, the smell of the fresh bread and flowers out on display, even the murmur of conversation amongst ponies as you pass them only adds to the charm of a weekend market.

In a way, I’m glad Diamond refused to come with me. Perhaps my favorite kind of peace is what I need to fully comprehend the situation with my daughter. There’s no point to spending time with her if I’m not prepared to start dealing with this issue head on.

If only I knew how.

The barrage of noise as I turn onto the crowded main road is all I need to draw me from my thoughts. Here, I don’t need to think or plan, only allow myself to smile and exchange my hellos with neighbors and friends. Everypony knows Pinkie Pie is the best when it comes to being acquainted with… Well, everypony, but I’d like to consider myself a close second.

When I slip into Bon Bon’s sweet shop, the smell of cinnamon tickles my muzzle and I sneeze. Glancing up from a cooling rack of cookies, the beige mare offers me a smile.

“Mr. Rich! I’m so glad you could come! Sorry about the smell, I tend to overdo it on the snicker doodles, Lyra really likes cinnamon.”

I chuckle and walk over to the counter, happily accepting the cookie Bon Bon offers me. I take a bite and, not for the first time, wish I could bake like this. “Delicious as always, Ms. Bon Bon, I think these would sell well in Manehatten.”

The mare actually squeaks and I have to fight back a smile. Did she really think I was kidding when I made the offer to put some of her candies and baked goods in my store in the big city?

“Oh, thank you Mr. Rich! I was so afraid you were coming here to tell me you’d changed your mind.”

“Young lady,” I nose my way into my saddlebags and grab the paperwork I have stored there, placing it in front of her. “I am nothing if not a stallion of my word. I think you will find that arrangement to your liking, but if not, I’m happy to make changes.”

She snorts as her eyes scan the papers. “You do realize you’re only a few years older than me, right?” She glances up just as I open my mouth to respond. “And don’t give me any rubbish about passing thirty suddenly making you old or something, you’re better looking then a lot of twenty-five year olds I know.”

I roll my eyes, but smile. “Don’t let your marefriend hear you say that.”

She makes a face, but her eyes are fond as she reaches for a pen. “Lyra knows she’s safe. Speaking of which, don’t think I didn’t notice those cookies levitate off, get out here you little thieves.”

I blink in surprise as a Lyra’s mint green and rather guilty looking form slinks around the corner, followed by a familiar lilac filly. “Hello Lyra, and… Dinky?”

Lyra offers me her usual enthusiastic smile and ruffles the filly’s mane. “Yup. Derpy has a thing today, so she asked us to watch the little scamp. Luckily, she’s a great partner in crime.”

Bon Bon gives her a half-hearted glare, and slaps away a green hoof that is inching towards the tray of cookies. “You’d better not be filling her head with all your crazy stories about your hunams, Lyra.”

Lyra rolls her eyes. “They’re called humans Bonnie, if you’re going to criticize my taste in studies, at least get the name right, geez.”

I chuckle, but keep my eyes trained on the filly that is now trying to sneak another cookie.

“I... I certainly know I’m right when Derpy writes to me because her daughter is crying about Diamond making fun of her for not knowing who her father is...

Bon Bon returns to the paperwork, signing her name on each page, then gives it back to me, all the while keeping up well-timed slaps to thieving hooves. “I think this all looks perfect., Mr. Rich. Perhaps we can do lunch sometime next week in order to finalize order choices.”

I nod and slip the papers back into my bag. “That sounds fine. Before I leave though, would you mind if I have a word with Dinky? I heard about some goings on at school I’d like to confirm, and I… can’t get a word out of Diamond on the subject.”

Bon Bon offers me a puzzled glance. “Sure. Um, as long as that’s ok with you Dinky?”

The filly offers me a similarly confused glance, but nods, and Bon Bon shoes her marefriend in to the kitchen before following after her. Dinky walks up to me, and frowns. “If there’s something going on at school, I don’t know about it either.”

I sigh. “I’m afraid you do actually, Dinky. Tell me… Does my daughter… What is she like at school?”

Her eyes go wide, and suddenly looks nervous, “I… She’s ok. We, uh, we don’t really spend much time together. Not that I avoid her or anything! But… um…”

I suspect cutting to the chase is the only way I’m going to get answers here. “She picks on you, doesn’t she?”

A tremor of what I shakily recognize as fear travels through her body. “How did you…?”

“Cheerilee told me.” I say softly. “And I’m so sorry, Dinky. I had no idea. But right now, I need you to tell me what she’s really like, because Celestia knows I’ve ignored the signs for too long.”

Dinky chews her bottom lips anxiously, but after a moment opens her mouth to respond. “She’s… awful. She's absolutely awful. She teases me about my father, and Berry about her mom. She and Silver spoon call us and the Cutie Mark Crusaders blank flanks. They made fun of Scootaloo for not being able to fly. Diamond steals Twist’s glasses all the time and hides them. She even pushed me once, and… I… Oh, I just hate her!” She freezes and clamps a hoof over he mouth. “I… I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.” I tell her, though I am actually rather shaken by what she has said. Are things truly that bad?

The filly shakes her head. “It’s not. Mommy says you should never hate someone, even if they’re mean, ‘cause eveypony, unless they’re evil or Discord, do bad things because they hurt somewhere, even if they don’t know it, and they need help, not hatred.”

I stare at her, and in spite of myself, feel a small smile tug at the corners of my lips. “Thank you, Dinky. I’ll leave you to enjoy your day now. Tell Miss Bon Bon and Lyra goodbye for me.”

I turn to leave, but stop when I feel a hoof on my shoulder. Turning back, I see Dinky looking up at me, a stoic expression on her small face. “Bad things can hurt, Mr. Rich, but ignoring them just makes it worse. Sometimes we blame ourselves for things that aren’t really our fault, but there’s no point to that, because it doesn’t solve anything. The best thing to do is face our demons, and hope for the best. More often than not, things that seem impossible to do can be done quite easily, and the result can be good, better than things were before. You should remember that.”

I study the filly in front of me, and inexplicably feel both incredibly sad and much better. “When did the little filly I knew grow up so fast, huh?”

Dinky shrugs. “I’m just speaking from experience. Besides, we all have to grow up sometime.”

I smile. “Yes, that we do. Goodbye, Miss Dinky.” With that, I turn and walk out the door.

I need to see my daughter.

Author's Notes:

Well, took nearly six months, but here's a new chapter for you!

I'm so terribly sorry this took so long, if you've been following my blog posts, you're aware of my rather meager explanations for my lack of work getting down...
On the bright side, the next chapter is just undergoing revisions, so should be up sometimes later this week... Friday or Saturday, probably.

Oh, p.s.
I’m just speaking from experience.
Yes, this is totally a reference to The Hooves Family Tree.

Have a nice day.