A World That Never Was
By One-Fate1223
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Celestia had just brought another warm day to all the citizens of Ponyville and all the inhabitants of Equestria. From Manehattan to Las Pegasus, every pony, unicorn, and pegasi was waking up, reading the daily news and bathing in the brisk sunlight. It truly was the perfect day for everypony. One of whom was a light grey Pegasus who had a very long flowing blonde mane and the most peculiar cutie mark ever, bubbles. To her friends, she was known by many names; Ditzy-Doo, Derpy Hooves, but her most common name was just, Derpy.
With a powerful yawn and a wide stretch of her hooves she had risen from her slumber and took a quick, cool bath, brushed her teeth and her mane then headed out to grab her favorite breakfast of all. It was no secret that Derpy was a huge muffin maniac. That silly pony would have muffins at any time of the day. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, afternoon snack, late night snack, any time she saw fit to eat a muffin, she would help herself to one. Even her refrigerator was stuff full of muffins. She just couldn’t get enough of them.
A quick fly by to Sugar Cube Corner and a satchel filled with her favorite muffins was all she needed to start her day. She sat down at an empty table in the park and chowed down on her breakfast. Satisfied, she licked the crumbs off her lips and a broad smile formed on her face.
“What shall I do today?” she though as she looked around the park to find that Rainbow Dash was doing her usual nap on the clouds. Why else wouldn’t she? Sure she had to clear the clouds for today’s fantastic weather, but she was also the fastest Pegasus in all of Equestria so simple chores like weather control only took her maybe thirty minutes to do. With a smile on her face, Derpy began flapping her wings and flew up to talk to her best friend Dash.
“Hey Dash, you wanna do something today?” she said in her usual slurred tone.
“Nah, not today Derpy. I just cleared every cloud in Ponyville today in and I’m kinda tuckered out. I’m just gonna get some shut eye.” said Dash. A bit disheartened, but not defeated, Derpy flew off to find somepony else to play with her. Despite her age, Derpy was still a proud filly at heart. You can say it was the biggest reason everypony liked her so much. She landed in town square and decided to walk around a bit when she heard three voices calling her name from behind.
“Derpy! Wait up Derpy!” they called out. A swift turn of her head revealed that it was none other than the three most hyperactive fillies in all of Ponyville. One had a yellowish colored body and a cherry-red colored mane with a bright pink bow. Another was a brisk orange Pegasus who was wearing a helmet that covered a purple spikey, adventurous style mane. Behind the yellow filly was a pale white unicorn who had a curly mane with a light violet color on one half and lavender color on the other half. All three rode of a scooter that was being propelled by the Pegasus’ small wings.
Derpy recognized these faces immediately, it was none other than her best filly friends, the Cutie Mark Crusaders; Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Applebloom. “Hey you three, what’s up?” Derpy asked.
“We wanted to know if you wanted to help us find our cutie marks today.” Applebloom chirped. “Yeah, it’s gonna be totally awesome today Derpy.” said Scootaloo is her usual spirited tone. “Would please please pleassseeeeee?” Sweetie Belled begged, using her older sister’s whinney tone.
Derpy couldn’t refuse such cute faces, and to add to it, she also needed someone to play with, and with a simple shrug she responded, “Sure girls, I’ll help you.”
All three of the fillies squealed in glee as they busted out into their Cute Mark Crusader chant. Derpy watched on and lightly giggled as she was taken back to the day they first sang that song at the talent show in another failed attempt to earn their cutie marks.
“But uh, what are we gonna do today?” Derpy asked. All three smiled and looked at their friend. “Simple, we all think our special talent is hiding, like camouflage and stuff.” Applebloom said, stepping up. “Yeah with my super awesome ability to be sneaky and crafty, I make the perfect spot finder.” Scootaloo added. “And thanks to my sister, I have the knowledge to mix colors and make the perfect camouflage.” Sweetie Belled stepped in. “And with my ability to get down and dirty like my big sis, I’m sure to never be found.” Applebloom said, finalizing their trio before all three spoke up, “And together, we make the ultimate Hide and Seek team!”
“Ok sure, but uh, how do you play Hide and Seek?”
“You mean you’ve never played?!” all three fillies chime.
“Nope. Is that bad?” Derpy asked as she shied away. “You mean to say you and your friends never played Hide and Seek when you were a filly?” Applebloom said.
“To be honest, I never had any friends. They all ignored me cause I looked weird with my eyes.” Derpy said, her head sunk a bit as she kicked a small pebble across the dirt road. “How could nopony be your friend just cause your eyes are different. Applejack always says ‘What’s different about you makes you unique cause it’s your thing and nopony elses.’”
Derpy started smiling again, Applebloom’s kind words sinking in fast. “Thank you Applebloom, I’m glad to have friends like you three. So let’s play.” she said as she got up from her spot and trotted off. They all sat back down near a tree in the center of the park and Applebloom began explaining the rules of the game.
“So got it? If anypony touches this tree, they’re safe and you can’t tag them. Once all ponies are tagged the first one out is it.” Derpy nodded in agreement but opened her mouth to speak, “But what are the boundaries?”
Applebloom got a big smile as she spread her hooves wide and cried out softly, “The whole town of course.”
“Really?! The whole town? But, it’s so huge.” Derpy said in disbelief. “But if we’re gonna make sure we earn our cutie marks, we gotta make sure we use every single hiding spot we can find. Besides, you’re a Pegasus, you can sweep the whole town in now time at all.” Sweetie Belle said, reassuring the timid Pegasus.
“Alright, I guess you’re right.” Derpy said as she closed her eyes and began her count to one hundred.
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“97…98…99…100! Ready or not, here I come.” Depry said as she got up and began walking around instinctively checking the park first. She searched high and low, checking through each bush and each tree, looking for her devious little friends. She expanded her search from the park to the street, checking behind mailboxes and under stalls in the market, shrugging off a few stares and awkward glances from nearby ponies.
She thought she heard rapid movements nearby, like hooves clopping on the dirt as she turned around she was on the hunt, following what looked like a cherry-red tail ducking behind a bush.
“Got you!” Derpy shouted as she dove in after the hiding pony to see it was none other than Applebloom.
“Shoot Derpy, ya got me.” Applebloom pouted being the first one out.
With a victorious smile she pulled out a muffin from her satchel and ate it, calling it her “Victory Muffin”. After her snack she resumed her search of the other two fillies still hiding. Minutes passed and she saw no sign of Sweetie Belle or Scootaloo. Derpy was becoming frustrated as she nearly searched the entire town, sweeping every stall and building looking.
All hope was nearly lost until she came across a very awkward looking bush near Sugar Cube Corner. A bush she didn’t see earlier today when she walked in, but she then noticed something off about the bush before spreading the bushes part to see Sweetie Belle’s face peering back at her as she squealed.
“Eeeek you found me!” Sweetie Belle said, giggling till she fell over on her side. Her outfit was perfect! She had used some magic she learned from her sister to piece together a few twigs and leaves to form a very canny camouflage suit. Except there was one flaw, her tail was barely sticking out of the bush right in clear sight of Derpy. She couldn’t help but laugh at her own silly mistake as Derpy helped herself to another Victory Muffin.
“Two down and one to go.” Derpy said to get her out of her funk after the long search just for Sweetie Belle before taking to the sky once more. She looked left, then right, then left again. She saw no sign of Scootaloo anywhere on the streets. She landed once more so the other fillies could stick close to her, seeing that none of them could keep up if she was flying. Once more she was searching everywhere, bushes, trees, stalls, carts, even inside stores.
Her search finally led her to Twilight Sparkle’s library. She entered and was greeted with a friendly hello from Twilight herself.
“Can I get you anything Derpy, never knew you read books.” Twilight said with a small smile on her face.
“Oh I’m not here for a book, I’m here looking for somepony.”
“Looking for somepony? Why would you look in a library?” her face grew puzzled as she watched erpy search every cabinet and drawer in the house.
“Playing Hide and Seek with the Crusaders, and Scootaloo is the last one left, but she’s a tough muffin to find, but I always find the muffin Twilight. Always have, always will.” Derpy said, she was practically sniffing the floor as if she was some bloodhound looking for a criminal.
“Well I can assure you that she’s not in here.” Twilight said.
“That’s exactly what a muffin would want you to think. They’re crafty, but a muffin will not escape me.” she continued as she sniffed for the “muffin” Scootaloo. Finally, she gave up her search and left the library. As she did, she saw a shadow dart from one building to the next and out of pure instinct, Derpy dashed for it. She was determined to find her “muffin” and she was not about to lose it.
“Derpy! Wait up!” Applebloom yelped as her and Sweetie Belle were being left behind in Derpy’s dust. She couldn’t hear them though, all her focus was on the pony running away from her knowing they had a pursuer hot on their trail. Left, right, right, left, right, left, left. Each turn they made, Derpy followed as she was getting closer, but she still couldn’t make out who it was she was following. It definitely looked like Scootaloo, but she couldn’t see a definite shape of wings as she got closer. They were running through an alley, getting closer to the park before the Derpy’s target tipped a trash can slowing her down just a bit so that they could escape.
“That won’t stop Derpy Hooves from getting to her muffin.” she said with a confident smile, weaving around the obstacle and turning the corner to see the park, but no target. There was nopony there as she dashed out of the alley and into the street.
“Derpy! LOOK OUT!!!” she heard someone scream before feeling something hit her from the side and knock her unconscious.
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Depry finally awoke, in her bed with Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Applebloom and a tall, strong-built, red stallion with a gold mane standing at her bed side. “Derpy are you ok?” Applebloom said, in a concerned tone.
“Yeah, I think I’m fine.” She responded weakly. “My head hurts. Ow!” she winced in pain rubbing a hoof to her head where a bandage was placed. “Well you can thank my big brother Macintosh for that. If it wasn’t for him, you’d be in worse shape missy.” Applebloom responded with a smile. Derpy looked over to Big Mac with a puzzled look on her face, “You saved me?”
“Ehhyup.” Was all he said.
“Is there any way I can repay you?” she asked.
“Nnnope.” he shook his head, somehow keeping his straw glued to his mouth. Everypony wondered how he did that. He could say all he wanted and yet that straw never dropped or moved from his mouth. Some called it one of the seven wonders of Sweet Apple Acres, which are just funny rumors and stories the townsponies had.
Out of the back, came a stallion dressed in a white coat and a stethoscope around his neck slowly approaching Derpy’s bedside. “Wakey wakey Derpy. You had quite the fall earlier today. Glad to see you’re all better.” he said.
“Thanks doctor.” Derpy responded with a smile.
“No worries hun. Now I suggest you get some sleep so that injury disappears quickly, okay?” Derpy nodded in agreement as he offered her what little remained of her crushed muffins to her, quickly wolfing them down with a smile, licking her lips of the crumbs. With a few simple goodbyes, everypony left her room as she gazed out the window at the setting sun. It surely was an interesting day for old Derpy, but the real adventure was about to begin.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The sun shined through her window the next day, and Derpy woke up to the strangest feeling. Well it wasn’t a feeling at all, but that’s what had her feeling weird. There was no pain what so ever. She removed the bandages and saw that there was no bump on here, or any scratches where she had cuts on her hooves. She was healed within a day?
She couldn’t believe what she saw before walking out of the house and into the street. She made her usual routine, walking to Sugar Cube Corner, but something was off. The clouds were grey, but there was no rain at all, but the most peculiar thing was walking into Sugar Cube Corner. Inside nopony offered her a welcome or a simple hello. They all ignored her, and on the counter wasn’t her usual tray of muffins. There was nothing there at all. Confused and lost, Derpy walked up to the counter and asked Mrs. Cakes, “Where are my muffins?” she received no answer.
She asked again. Still no answer. She kept asking and asking, slamming her hooves on the counter, anything to get her attention, but Mrs. Cakes made no move towards her, not to answer her, not to acknowledge, not to even stop her screaming. Derpy grew sad eyed and wondered why she would just ignore her like that. She felt as if it was Pony School all over again.
Everypony was ignoring her, not just Sugar Cube Corner, but the market, the streets, even her friends Twilight and Dash ignored her. Derpy was beginning to weep tears. She felt alone again.
“No, this can’t be happening. Not again. Not again!” she laid in the street, her head buried in her hooves as she let out soft sobs into the dirt. The only thing that brought her out of her weeping was the sound of a familiar song she had heard several times before. She looked around to see her ears had not deceived her, it was her friends the Cutie Mark Crusaders, singing their song as they walked down the road.
It was them! She knew they couldn’t ignore her, even if she was the most hated pony in Ponyville, she knew they would not ignore her and turn their back on her. With a quick jump next to them she shouted, “Hey guys what’s up?!”
They didn’t stop, or even respond. They just kept going on singing their song, talking about what they would do to earn their cutie mark. “No, not them too…” she said softly in a hushed, depressed tone. Her head hung low as she walked off, the grey clouds above grew darker and darker with each passing minute, and a hush wind blew across the street. Suddenly, she felt like she was being watched by somepony. When she looked up she realized, she was alone.
The once bustling streets of Ponyville were empty, and the town around her was grey. As grey as her coat, it was depressing. The earlier feeling was growing stronger as she looked around. She saw nothing, until her eyes landed on a single dark figure off in the distance.
“Who are you?” she called out only to get a few hushed whispers echoed around her as the figure drew closer. Whoever it was, they wore a dark cloak with a hood and immediately, Derpy thought it was Zecora.
“Zecora! I’m so glad to see you! Everypony h..as..been…” her sentence slowly stopped as she gazed closer at the figure getting closer, whoever, or whatever “it” was, wasn’t a pony or, wasn’t one at the time. What she saw under that cloak were the hooves were, was tattered flesh that was rotting to the bone, and piercing red eyes glowing from under the hood. Derpy was frozen in fear as she scooted back, slowly at first then got up to walk away, only to see that the thing was only getting closer not slowing down one bit and soon she broke out into a full gallop trying to get away from the grotesque pursuer.
Derpy began galloping as fast as she could, look back to see she had lost the pursuer before looking ahead to see the same cloaked pony mere feet from her position. She grinded to a stop and began shrieking and galloping down a side road.
“Whatever you are, go away! Please leave me alone!” she cried, tears streaming from her eyes as the cold, harsh wind almost froze them to her cheeks. She closed her eyes, not daring to look up at what might be in front of her. She finally stumbled and tripped, crashing hard into the ground. She looked up to see she had tripped on a root in the Ponyville Cemetery. Behind her were 6 different cloaked beings, all quickly walking towards her, as more hushed whispered echoed around her ears.
“STOP! LEAVE ME ALONE! JUST GO AWAY! I WANT TO GO HOME!” she bellowed once more before getting up and galloping further into the cemetery. She stumbled over more rocks and roots, but kept her balance as she run further. She tripped again and slid in the mud. Before she could get up, all six hooded ponies stood over Derpy who was not crying anymore. The fear had completely taken over her body and refused to let another tear drop.
“Wh-what do you want from me? Why are you chasing me?” she asked, but received no answer. The center pony pointed a rotting, boney hoof toward something behind her. Derpy, against her will turned to see a single gravestone with an inscription on it.
Here Lies Derpy “Ditzy” Hooves
A proud, simple Pegasus
October 25, 2010 – April 12, 2013
R.I.P
‘No’ was all she could muster out. She didn’t want to believe it at all. Everything seemed so normal the day before, when she realized what had happened.
Derpy had died, three months ago, in a fatal cart accident…
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