Lazy Eye for Fluttershy

Chapters

Chapter One- The Party
Chapter Two- Scars
Chapter Three- Conflict
Chapter Four- Resolution

Chapter One- The Party

Happy Birthday
Ponyville in high autumn was an extremely beautiful sight. Trees burned with fierce color, their red-gold leaves blown along with the dawn wind driven by the pegasus weather brigade. Derpy Hooves watched in awe as in one gust a tree was completely blown bare. The package in her grip slipped, and subconsciously she dipped to catch it, her gaze never breaking from the trees. Eventually she had to force herself to move, but her lazy eye stayed on the trees for several seconds after she had turned to continue flying.

At this time Fluttershy was awake and tending to her animals. As she pranced lightly between rabbit burrows, bird and squirrel nests, the yellow pegasus was singing sweetly, her voice carried on the wind to the approaching mailpony. Derpy was enchanted by its magical sound. It took her a moment to realize birds were singing along in tune, making a perfect harmony. The lazy-eyed pegasus spotted Fluttershy weaving in and out of a flock of furry or feathered creatures. The pink-maned pegasus’ eyes were half-closed as she immersed herself in her own world.

“The sun is up, it’s time to wake up,

The day is warm and fine.

So come on, my furry little friends,

Get to breakfast on time!”

At the sound of approaching wingbeats, Fluttershy broke herself out of her song and looked over to see Derpy approach and set the package down just inside her yard and land nearby. The gray pegasus grinned a bright, happy grin that made Fluttershy think of one of her dogs that grinned when he accomplished a task. Derpy’s slow but still cheery voice drew her nearer.

“Hey there, miss,” Derpy said, “This package is in for ya.”

Fluttershy smiled her shy, pretty smile. “Thank you, Miss...”

“Derpy, ma’am. Derpy Hooves.”

Oh, right, Fluttershy thought, I’ve seen her around town. Being far out of the way of Ponyville, she didn’t get a lot of mail. She approached and began inspecting the package, a gaudy pink box wrapped in a blue ribbon. It practically screamed out ‘Pinkie was here’. Fluttershy looked up at Derpy and noticed something odd. One of Derpy’s eyes seemed to trail just behind the other in a wavy and incoherent pattern- as if it had a mind of its own. The gray pegasus was looking around Fluttershy’s property, fascinated by all of the animals wandering around.

“They’re all so cute!” said Derpy. As a flock of birds took off, she moved her head quickly to one side to follow them. Her lazy eye trailed along at its own pace, taking time to admire the scenery. Fluttershy then saw Derpy’s gaze follow the bunnies as they began to hop to their favorite grazing area. The yellow pegasus smiled when she saw Derpy bobbing her head in step with them. Since the gray pegasus didn’t seem to be in any hurry to leave, Fluttershy decided to try and strike up a conversation. She was always happy to make new friends. But then something occurred to her.

“Derpy, um.” she said in her quiet ‘I don’t mean to be rude BUT’ voice, “Isn’t it Sunday? There isn’t supposed to be mail today.” This got Derpy’s attention, who gave Fluttershy a ‘I know a secret and I’m not telling’ look; however, she did give up a hint. “Special delivery. Go ahead and open the package, Miss Fluttershy!”

“Just Fluttershy, please.” the gentle pony replied humbly. Biting the string off the top of the box, it burst open like a jack-in-the-box and sent six balloons flying into the sky. Fluttershy shrieked in surprise, leaping back and huddling behind her wings. Derpy watched, her mouth open as the balloons floated up and away. She noticed that they were each a different color: one was white with a purple srtipe, another purple with a black stripe, and the others were pink, cyan with a rainbow stripe, pale yellow with a pink stripe and orange with a straw-yellow stripe. Even as they floated away, the gray mailpony could see smiley faces drawn on them.

After a few seconds of staring at the escaping helium-devils, Derpy noticed Fluttershy. Worried, the mailpony flapped her wings to become airborne and glided over next to her, draping a wing over the trembling pony. “Hey, it’s okay,” she said soothingly, “Look at the box now.” Peeping between Derpy’s feathers, Fluttershy saw the box had unfolded and was now laying flat. Confetti fell like rain around a cake that lay on a plate, already cut into six slices. It was frosted white, but the inside was orange and brown. Fluttershy also saw five other ponies approaching her house. She stopped trembling when she recognized them: Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. A baby dragon was riding on the librarian’s back, waving.

When they got close, Pinkie became excited, bouncing up and down and cheering. “Happy birthday, Fluttershy! Did you like the balloons? It was really really really hard to get them in the box! I had to steal some of Twilight’s Magic-” she lowered her voice to sound sneaky, but everypony heard her anyway “Don’t tell her.” Twilight tried to demand an explanation, but Applejack cut her off with a flick of the tail.
“Happy birthday, sugarcube. Hope Pinkie’s prank didn’t scare you too much. But it looks like it worked out alright,” she finished with a smirk, noticing Derpy and Fluttershy standing so close together.

Fluttershy blushed, but didn’t move away. The yellow pegasus noticed Rainbow Dash glare at Derpy, but she didn’t get a chance to mention it. The mailpony nudged her towards the cake and said, “Happy birthday, miss Fluttershy. Have a good day.” The mailpony backed off from the yellow pegasus to get some wingspace before taking off and beginning to fly away. A pang of loneliness suddenly hit her as she flew. She hadn’t been to a party in.. A long time. She didn’t have the kind of friends who would throw her one. In fact, she didn’t have any friends. Not after he left, and took away her confidence and her vision. But he had given her something. Dinky.

Thinking of her daughter cheered her up, as it always did. She was so lost in thought that she almost missed Fluttershy’s soft voice over the sound of her wings. “Wait, Derpy..” She looked back and saw the yellow pony laying on the ground in a circle with her friends. The other ponies were busy eating their cake, but Fluttershy had saved half of her slice. Fluttershy tossed her head towards the ground nearby, her pink mane making a swish sound. The gray pegasus floated in the air for a moment before turning back. She had to fly away slightly so she could have enough room to glide in without blowing dust in their faces

Landing between Fluttershy and Rarity, Derpy laid down on the lush grass. Her belly itched for a moment, but the sensation passed. Fluttershy pushed half of her slice of cake in front of the gray pegasus. Derpy waited for both of her eyes to lock onto the morsel, then took a bite. It was delicious! “Pinkie Pie made it,” Fluttershy said. Derpy turned her eyes up to the party pony and smiled. Pinkie grinned back. She had been waiting to share the recipe all day.

“Yep! It’s made of apples, carrots, chocolate and friendship!” The party pony began rambling about her cake. Derpy had never heard a pony talk to fast. Pinkie’s words seemed to meld together into one long sentence. “See, when I was thinking of the perfect cake for today, I thought to myself, ‘It’s gotta be good. More than good, it’s gotta’ be great! More than great, it’s gotta’ be fantastic! More than-”

Rarity interceded. “Yes, dear, we understand.” Pinkie’s mane deflated slightly at the interruption, but when she saw Derpy take a bite it filled up with manic energy again. The gray pegasus had never tasted such divine cake. Each bite seemed to taste slightly different, so every new mouthful was an adventure. The overpowering taste of carrots sat heavy on the tongue, but as she chewed the apples and chocolate would blend into a fantastic mosaic of sweet, bitter and savory.

Derpy and Fluttershy shared the last of the cake in a battle of generosity. Neither pony wanted to take more than the other. The other ponies, with the exception of Rainbow Dash, watched in amusement as the pegasi would quietly debate over who has had more cake. ‘No, I had the last bite. You go on.’ was quickly followed by ‘But I had half before you even got here’, and so on.

There was nothing left on the plate but crumbs, now. Neither pony wanted to leav so much uneaten cake, so they began to distribute the tiny chunks of bread and frosting. It quickly became apparent that this would be a battle in itself as both ponies wanted to give the other more crumbs than themselves.

“It’s your birthday,” Derpy said resolutely. The other ponies noticed that her voice was just slightly slower than other ponies, and they found themselves hanging on the edge of each word. Derpy glared, one eye steadily locked on Fluttershy, but the other one struggled to stay straight. It wobbled up and down, overcompensating for each direction.

“Yes, but I’m sure I had more already,” replied Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus was giving Derpy the closest thing to a glare as she could manage; however, it came out as more of a ‘bad indigestion’ look. Her mouth was downturned in a weak frown that only enhanced the look.

Unable to stand any more of the passive-aggressive food sharing, Rainbow Dash jumped to her feet with an exasperated sigh. “Look, just split the crumbs evenly and finish up! We’ve been waiting for five min- Uck!”

Applejack hooked the cyan pegasus around the waist with her foreleg and yanked her back. Her intervention came too late, as both Derpy and Fluttershy were looking up at them and noticing for the first time that their friends’ plates were clean. “Uh, don’t mind her, you two. Go ahead and take yer time.” said Applejack, trying to salvage an already bad situation.

Looking back at each other, the yellow and gray pegasi smiled and drew an even split down the middle of their crumb pile. Then, in unison, they bent over and licked them up. Enough crumbs for each of them to get a final taste of Pinkie’s most creative confection. Waves of ecstasy rolled through their bodies. Their plates gleamed in the morning sunlight, completely free of food.

Derpy looked up at the sky. The sun had risen above the trees, and they basked in the warm glow of its golden light. She had told Dinky that she’d be home at least a half-hour ago. She stood up and stretched her legs, and sighed as she felt the tension dissipate. Smiling at the group, she said, “I’m going to head home and tell my daughter I’ll be out for the day. I’ll be back in a half-hour or so.” The other ponies in the circle waved goodbye. Dash looked pleased to see her leave.

Derpy got a running start before leaping into the air and beating her wings to get her moving. She pitied unicorns and earth ponies, they would never know the joys of flying. Her powerful wings surged up and down, carrying her effortlessly through the air. Before her eyesight was crippled she could hold her own in any race. Carrying heavy mail sacks all day had given her lean, strong wings.

Fluttershy watched her new friend disappear into the distance, and turned back to the group when Derpy was no more than a black smudge. Rarity caught her gaze and smiled. Fluttershy returned it meekly. Rarity’s horn glowed as she cast their private mindspeak spell.
I know that look, said Rarity telepathically to Fluttershy. What’s on your mind?

That pony.. Fluttershy replied, She was really nice. But did you see that scar on her right temple next to her lazy eye? I don’t think she was born like that.

You’re right, dear. And don’t think I didn’t notice the way you two were smiling at each other. You like her, don’t you?

Fluttershy blushed and remained silent. Twilight Sparkle raised her eyebrows, sensing the magic between the white and yellow ponies. The librarian pony briefly wondered what they were doing, but put it out of her mind when Pinkie asked her a question.

Dust rose around Derpy’s hooves as she landed in front of the post office. Dinky was playing out front with her friends Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom. The four fillies were on yet another quest to make their cutie marks appear. From what the gray pegasus could tell, this mostly involved running in circles and getting dirty. When Dinky spotted her mother, she bounded over happily. The other fillies waved.

“Hey, honey.” Derpy said, pressing her forehead to her daughter’s. The purple unicorn’s horn was smooth as polished marble and cool to the touch. Dinky nuzzled back, their blond manes flowing together.

“Hey, mom. Turns out my talent isn’t making tornadoes.” Dinky said, wobbling slightly from dizziness. She closed her eyes for a moment and put a hoof on her mother’s shoulder to help get her balance back. Her mother took this as a chance to attack.

Dinky and her mother had a running game going where one pony would exercise their racial differences to play with the other. In this case, Derpy seized her daughter and shot into the air. Dinky laughed and giggled as her mother clutched her to her chest and began to fly through the air. At the height of one spin, Dinky stopped breathing and let the world wash over her.

Her mother’s arms and knees locked her into a protective cage as they flew. With each stroke of her wings, Derpy’s chest would deflate and then expand when she took another breath. The rhythm lulled Dinky into a light doze. She raised her hoof and stroked her mother’s chest, and at once they entered a dive, spinning towards the ground. Dinky became dizzy with the sensation of freefall.

She felt heavy when Derpy pulled up out of the dive, as they decelerated. From her cage, the unicorn could see they were circling around the post office. Her friends were laughing and cheering below.

“Man, she can fly almost as good as Rainbow Dash!” exclaimed Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom nodded, watching with wide eyes.

“Even with that weird eye..” the red-maned filly said without thinking. She felt bad about saying it immediately after, but luckily neither of her friends seemed to hear.

Derpy carried her daughter with pride. The bundle in her arms was her pride and joy, the finest piece of work she had ever created. Tucking her wings in for a final spiral back down to the ground, she considered writing another poem about it. Her home was already strewn with dozens of poems about her daughter. Her heart felt ready to burst with love every time she saw Dinky and her blond mane, and the only way to relieve the pressure was to write about it.

The gray pegasus swooped over the ground and pulled up sharply, tossing her daughter a short ways forward. Dinky landed on all four hooves, to the cheering of her friends. Derpy landed nearby and walked back to her daughter. Mother and daughter nuzzled, and Derpy muttered,

“I’m going to a friend’s party. I’ll be back tonight, okay? Scootaloo’s been asking to have you stay the night for a long time, right? Go ahead and do that.” Dinky was too surprised to say anything. Her mother had never gone to a friend’s party. In fact, the unicorn didn’t even know her mother had friends. Nuggets of hope blossomed in Dinky’s heart. Her mother was finally moving on since her father was arrested.

“Okay, mom.” she managed. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Derpy nodded. She started to stand straight, but Dinky threw her hooves around the pegasus’ neck and kissed her cheek. “Love you, mom.”

Tears welled up in Derpy’s eyes. “Love you too, muffin.”

The mailpony trotted a way from the group before leaping into the air. A giant plume of dust billowed out from where she took off. Scootaloo oohed and ahhed as Derpy spiraled and looped. “Wow,” the orange filly said, “Your mom is a really good flier.” Dinky nodded. Yes, she was.

Derpy soared high above Equestria, almost touching the clouds. She wasn’t in a huge rush to return to the party, and flying near the clouds was the best way to kill time. Morning was reaching its peak, and noon was only a few hours away. Far below, the gray pegasus kept her eyes in sync long enough to find Fluttershy’s house. The ponies had moved the party inside, so she flew straight up, tucked her right wing to her side, and banked to her left. The ground opened up before her like a second sky as she plummeted head-first in a steep dive.

Tucking her other wing to her side, Derpy dropped like a stone. This was her favorite maneuver, and one she hadn’t been able to do since she became a mailmare. Her insides felt like they were being dragged into her hooves, and her lazy eye fell further out of sync; it didn’t matter, since her eyes were closed. The wind blasted past her ears in a deafening roar, but she could hear the faint echo of the approaching ground. Her body was locked in tight- wings by her side, hooves tucked to her chest, eyes firmly shut.

The pitch of the wind changed, got lower. That was her cue. Derpy unfurled her wings, stretched her hooves in front of her and snapped her eyes open. She was still a few hundred feet off the ground, but the house was dead ahead. She gradually pulled out of the dive until she was flying parallel to the ground, just a few inches away from the dirt. Her lazy eye was lolling to the side, but she only needed her one good eye to avoid the shrubs and trees between her and her goal. Fluttershy’s house loomed in front of her. w

She was flying straight at the side of the house at breakneck speed, blades of grass whipping against her belly. Before she smacked into the tree that formed the house (which would probably have blown the building apart) she banked right. The bridge crossing the moat whipped past her. Inside the house, she saw a few pony shapes. Someone was home, anyway.

Looping back, the gray pegasus began to spiral around the house to kill speed. Her muscles trembled with exhaustion, but she flew steadily until she collapsed to the ground in front of Fluttershy’s door. Moments later, the yellow pegasus opened the door.

“That was great! Oh my,” she said, when she saw the exhausted pony, “You should come in.” The pink-maned pony ducked under one of Derpy’s hooves and helped the mailpony into the living room where the party had moved to. They had been lounging on the carpet, talking and telling jokes. A cheer went up when Derpy entered.

“Wow!” said Twilight, “That was a really cool move! The windows were rattling when you went by.”

Rainbow Dash was the only one who wasn’t impressed. “Not that big of a deal..” she muttered, but nobody seemed to hear her. Fluttershy helped the mailpony lie down on a soft bit of fabric. The gray pegasus sighed.

“I haven’t done that in a looooong time~” she said wistfully. The carpet under Derpy’s belly was soft and warm. A cupcake was presented before her on a white porcelain plate. Pinkie Pie was beaming at her, anxious for the mailpony to take a bite. Derpy raised her eyebrows.

“Another one of your experiments?” she asked, suddenly slightly nervous. Pinkie was notorious for her ‘hit and miss’ experiments. The hits were always delicious, but the misses were sometimes hazardous. Applejack once found herself in the hospital because of Pinkie’s ‘Super-Duper Knockout Spicy Cake’.

Going against her better judgment, the gray pegasus took a bite of the cupcake. The outside was a non-descript white, but as soon as her teeth broke through the frosting the cupcake exploded. Balloons burst out of the cupcake like they had burst from the cake box earlier. They had the same color scheme as the previous balloons: one was white with a purple srtipe, another purple with a black stripe, and the others were pink, cyan with a rainbow stripe, pale yellow with a pink stripe and orange with a straw-yellow stripe. They also had smiley faces drawn on them.

Everypony except for Pinkie Pie and Spike leaped back. Even Derpy was on her feet, with cupcake frosting covering her face. Her right eye was trying to roll back into her head, which gave her a piercing headache.

“Pinkie!” Rarity yowled, “You simply MUST stop making balloons explode out of benign objects!”

Pinkie Pie seemed indignant, “But I had so much leftover magic after I did the box, I wanted to use the rest of it up!”

This time, Applejack didn’t interrupt as Twilight demanded, “How in Celestia’s name did you steal my magic!?”

Pinkie rolled her eyes sarcastically. “I used a magic extractor, duh.”

This explanation answered none of Twilight’s questions, but she realized she was trying to get blood from a stone. Instead, she turned her attention to the balloons hovering around the ceiling. Their blank stares and smiling mouths were slightly unnerving. Spike was the one to point out,

“Are those ponies supposed to be you guys?” And once the connection was made, each pony was able to identify their own likeness. The party pony then released a new balloon: it was gray with a yellow stripe. Its eyes were crossed. Derpy looked at Pinkie in surprise, but the pink earth pony just smiled and shrugged.

The party rolled on, and Applejack removed a dozen pies from her saddlebags near the door. With a little magical assistance from Twilight and Rarity, the pies became piping hot once again; however, on the first bite Twilight realized they had made the pies too hot. A moan went up from the group. Pinkie Pie was the most vocal, adopting a very Rarity-like melodramatic swoon.

“Why don’t we open presents, instead?” Applejack offered. There was a general consensus. Twilight nodded, and then her horn began to glow. A sound like distant windchimes was followed by a stack of presents appearing in the center of the room with a ‘Poof!’. Fluttershy walked over to the multi-colored stack.

Fluttershy picked a present out of the pile at random. It was a plain green box with apple print. On top of the box was a notecard that read, “From your favorite Applejack”. The earth pony had gotten Fluttershy a wooden bunny figurine. Derpy had never seen a more detailed piece of woodwork. The craftpony had taken the time to chisel each whisker, each tuft of fur, and its eyes seemed to sparkle with a living glow. “Ah made it myself,” she proclaimed proudly. Fluttershy beamed and placed it on top of the shelf in the middle of the room. A stream of ‘Thank You’s and ‘Oh, I Just Love It’s flowed from her.

Rarity’s present came next. The box was a white cylinder that was filled with fluffy packing paper. Within the protective stuffing was a stunning silver tiara. The metal was smooth and curved, studded with pink diamonds. “Put it on, darling.” said Rarity. Fltutershy picked up the jewelry and placed it on her forehead. As soon as it was on, the diamonds began to glow. Fluttershy’s fur rippled as the accumulated dust and grime of the day vanished. In a few seconds, Fluttershy’s pelt gleamed with a pristine glow. Fluttershy shuddered as she was bathed magically, and she stretched out her wings. Against Derpy’s face, the yellow pegasus’ feathers were silky soft and smelled of roses. Fluttershy gasped with delight. “Oh, Rarity! I love it!”

She removed the tiara and placed it inside of the glass case containing her Gala dress, the tiara continued to glow with pink light, and the Gala dress shimmered as the tiara cleaned and polished the already exquisite dress. Everypony in the room kept glancing back at it, and each time it seemed to look more beautiful and vibrant.

Twilight’s present was, predictably, five books. But as Fluttershy examined them, she realized they were the most popular suspense series in Equestria next to Daring Do. Fluttershy had wanted to get her hooves on them for ages, but the nearest bookstore to carry them was in Manehattan. The series was titled ‘Discovery’ and was about a colt who grew up in a small town and was working to discover who killed his parents. Fluttershy placed the books on the bookshelf, in a place where she would see them often and remind herself to read.

Rainbow Dash’s gift was surprising, considering her personality: A seed. It sat within a finely crafted wooden box. “It’s a cloud tree,” Rainbow said. “It grows cloudfruit, which are really sweet fruit filled with mist. “ Placing the box near the door, Fluttershy said that she would plant it later that day. Rainbow seemed pleased with the birthday pony’s reaction.

The final present was from Pinkie Pie. The box was a gaudy, fuzzy pink and before Fluttershy could open it with her hooves, Pinkie stopped her. “No, no no! You gotta EAT the box!” Fluttershy blinked in confusion. Then she cautiously licked the box. She sucked on her tongue afterwards then took a large bite. Fibers of sugary cotton candy came loose in her mouth. Leave it to Pinkie Pie to make a box out of candy. When Fluttershy saw what was inside the box, she stopped in her tracks. A grin broke out across her face.

“Pinkie Pie!” she exclaimed, seizing the box and tearing it apart. Wispy tufts of cotton candy were thrown across the room in Fluttershy’s uncharacteristic frenzy. Inside was the most dazzling hairpiece any pony in the room (excluding Rarity) had ever seen. It was made out of a green stone shaped into a flower. The inside of the flower was made of a blue stone that absorbed the light around it to make the flower seem alive and full of shadows. It contrasted with her pink mane but at the same time augmented it.

The group blinked. One by one, grins covered their faces. Rainbow Dash and Derpy blushed deeply as Fluttershy showed off her new jewelry. The yellow pegasus swept her mane to one side and the flower caught a beam of sunlight. The green part of the piece glinted emerald green, deep and luscious. The blue centerpiece still seemed to drink in the light, remaining a dark and lovely blue. But when Fluttershy’s head moved into the shadows again, the blue center of the flower released the light it had been accumulating.

The flower glowed with a blue, shimmering light. It made Fluttershy’s entire body radiate with peaceful eminence. Within the flower, a soft white sparkle glimmered. Pinkie seemed the most impressed with the gemstone.

“You know when I said I used all of the stolen magic on the balloons?” she said
breathlessly, “Yeah, I didn’t. I actually used it all on that.”

“Pinkie Pie..” breathed Rarity, “When you requested the jade flower with a sapphire core, I knew you had something in mind. But this...” she trailed off. All eyes were wide, fixed on the beautiful sight of Fluttershy standing in the noon sunlight with the enchanted hairpiece making her glow with a subtle blue light.

Fluttershy stood, totally enraptured by her reflection in the mirror. She tilted her head each way, examining her present. Nopony was smiling, but every one of them felt joyful emotions building in their hearts. Derpy was the one who broke the silence. She said what they were all thinking.

“Fluttershy, you’re beautiful.”

Everypony in the group nodded numbly. Fluttershy had always held a cute demeanor, but now she was bathed in another light entirely. Derpy’s words shook them out of the thick of their stupor; the party continued once the trash was cleaned up. In the interest of avoiding distracting her friends all night, she placed the hairpiece with the tiara and her Gala dress. It returned to being dark, solemn flower.

Pinkie retrieved her ‘Party-To-Go’ kit and soon had tables full of cookies and cupcakes laid out. The now pleasantly warm apple pie was placed there as well, and hungry ponies took fresh slices.

Pinkie and Applejack had a knack for making snacks that tasted great and didn’t make you feel sick. You could fill up on their sugary delights and be hungry again in a few hours. Since Pinkie only used natural, local ingredients they were all incredibly healthy. In this case, Derpy had never tasted such divine apple pie. The crust had an earthy taste and it crumbled in her mouth. The pie filling was rich and sweet, surrounding her tongue and assaulting it with fabulous taste. Like with the cake earlier, Derpy savored each bite for several seconds before swallowing.

Fluttershy and Derpy began chatting over a slice of pie with a cup of apple cider- Applejack’s strongest booze, not the public apple juice variety. Eventually they wandered off on their own and talked quietly. Hours began to roll by as they sat on the couch and talked. One by one the group left. First to go was Applejack, who promised to help Applebloom with another one of her cutie mark schemes. Twilight was the next to leave, taking Spike with her. She said she needed to begin composing a letter to Celestia about a personal matter.

Pinkie Pie left when Rarity whispered something in her ear. That left the fashionista pony alone with Rainbow Dash, who was sulking in the corner and throwing moody glances at the two pegasi talking quietly on the couch.

“So, um,” Fluttershy began, looking down at the couch shyly. Derpy had seen her staring at her scar and lazy eye. “What happened? If you want to talk about it, anyway. I mean, you don’t have to you don’t want to.”

The gray pegasus sighed. Her scar began throbbing as memories of that painful day began filtering back into her mind. Instead of answering directly, she said,

“I’ll tell you.. If you’ll agree to having dinner with me tomorrow night. As a date.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened into huge circles, a blush staining her face a magnificent shade of red. Then she whispered, “Yes.. I mean,” she cleared her throat, “I’d love to.” She looked back up at Derpy and smiled a bashful smile. The mailpony pressed her forehead to Fluttershy’s, and began to tell the story of how she got her lazy eye.

Chapter Two- Scars

Derpy’s story
“I was barely a mare,” Derpy Hooves said to her audience. Rarity and Rainbow Dash had joined Fluttershy on the couch as the gray pegasus told her story. “I fell in love with a magnificent stallion named Flappy Jack.” She paused, and her face furrowed into a frown. Thinking about him always hurt. Physically. The crescent shaped scar on her right temple throbbed with a deep, steady pounding.

“Flappy was a racehorse. He was the fastest earth pony I knew, and we traveled all over Equestria to run in his derbies. One day, in a town called San Foalcisco, we were staying in a fancy hotel. Flappy had just won the big race of the year, and we were celebrating.” Derpy looked down and blushed. “I became pregnant with Dinky that day.”

“Anyway, as I became larger and larger, Flappy seemed to become less interested in me. When we spent time together he would always seem distracted. I thought he was getting bored, but one day I walked in on him injecting himself with this clear liquid- Flappy had been doping. At first it was just to ‘keep my edge’, he said. But he became more and more obsessed with his steroids. Dinky was a few weeks old when he began hitting me.”

The gray pegasus held a hoof up to her temple and displayed the scar. “At first, he pushed me around. He would shove me out of the way, or just jostle me into the wall for no reason other than to attack me. Pushes became slaps. I would hide Dinky in the back room when he would come into the hotel room sopping drunk after losing his latest race. He was in a horrible downward spiral and took out his frustration on us.”

“About six years ago, he came home with a cumbersome metal shoe. He usually preferred softer fabric or even wood, but today was special. He was bleary-eyed and staggering with his drunkenness, but he was still able to win one last race.” She closed her eyes as the scene replayed in her mind.

The smell of booze was thick as Flappy Jack flung Derpy out of the way, knocking her over. He threw open the door to the room Dinky was cowering in, the metal doorknob making a hole in the white plaster wall. His voice was rough and slurred when he bellowed,

“Ge’ ou’ ‘ere, yew stinky liddle shhiiit!”

Dinky started crying, and his ears pricked up. He began walking, homing in on the sound. Derpy was on her feet again and flew at the drunken stallion. He heard her frantic wingbeats, and flipped around, hoof raised. She couldn’t move out of the way in time, and brought that hoof down, smashing that metal shoe into her skull.

Derpy’s body went lip, and was flung aside. She hit the wall with a wet crunch and slid down to the ground. Blood seeped from an open gash on her temple. Dinky screamed from her hiding place, and leaped out to protect her mother. Flappy Jack rounded on her, mouth frothing with rage.

“This is all your fault! You are such a bad girl!”

He lunged for Dinky, but the tiny foal jumped out of the way. The red earth pony crashed into the wall, bellowing in rage and thrashing his hooves around blindly as he fell to the ground and was unable to stand again. Dinky dashed over to her mother and frantically began shaking the unconscious pegasus.

“Mommy!” she cried, “Mommy, get up! Get up, mommy!” But to no avail. She closed her eyes and began to cry, her hot tears splashing onto Derpy’s bloody face. Flappy Jack got to his feet behind her, and approached with heavy footsteps. Dinky screeched in panic, and her horn glowed.

A purple light surrounded mother and daughter, and with a loud ‘CRACK!’ they vanished. Flappy Jack slammed his hooves down on the spot where they had been a moment ago. He expressed his rage in a low growl that built to a drunken roar, collapsing to the ground in exhaustion when he was done.

Dinky and Derpy appeared in the middle of a crowded theater, interrupting the performance that was going on. Startled ponies screamed in alarm, and the cast leaped back in confusion. There was general confusion as nopony knew quite was going on. When one of the actors noticed Derpy was bleeding- profusely- he called for help. The gray pegasus and her daughter were whisked away to the hospital.

The terrified Dinky couldn’t offer any clues as to why she had appeared in the middle of a performance clinging to her injured mother. She refused to let go of her mother’s hoof, even while the doctors were treating Derpy’s severe concussion. The unicorn just clenched her eyes shut and gripped on to the pegasus’s limb tighter.

The smell of disinfecting alcohol stung Derpy’s nose as the world became visible again. Her vision was blurry and unsteady. She couldn’t move her limbs and had trouble breathing. There was an odd warmth on her chest, and after considerable effort was able to look down and see the blurry, unfocused shape Dinky, curled up under the blankets with her. The pegasus’ mouth stretched and distorted itself into a wavy line that was her best attempt at a smile. Tears fell down her cheeks and made wet marks on Dinky’s mane, but the foal was sleeping peacefully. Derpy rested her hoof on her daughter’s warm flank, and fell back asleep.

The pegasus dipped in and out of consciousness. Each time, her vision was a little sharper. But she became aware of the fact that her right eye didn’t behave right. It wouldn’t go where she wanted it to- it moved on its own volition. Dinky- being the sweet girl she was- assured her mom that it looked perfectly alright. But Derpy saw in the mirror that it looked grotesque and lifeless, mostly looking down and rolling to either side when she moved her head.

Doctor Oddlove came in to see her the day of her discharge. “Miss Hooves,” he began, “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but your eyesight has been permanently crippled. The scans reveal extensive damage to the nerves not only in your brain and spine, but the eye itself. You will be able to control it better with time, but it shall always be a difficulty to control. I truly am sorry.”

Derpy had cried a lot during her stay at the hospital, but now she decided to be strong for Dinky. She set what she hoped what a brave face, and said in a slurred tone,

“Thanksh fur all yur hulp while ah was hurr, Doctor. Meansh a lot to ush.”

Oddlove nodded, and exited the room. Derpy and Dinky were left alone. The pegasus quietly sat in her bed and performed eye exercises, attempting to lock both eyes on a fixed point in the room and keep them there for as long as possible. She couldn’t achieve the first part of the test. Dinky gripped her hooves tightly, and the purple unicorn’s big eyes glistened with tears.

“Don’t worry, mommy,” she said in a shaky tone, “I’ll always love you, even if you have silly eyes.”

That shouldn’t have made her laugh, but the gray pegasus giggled anyway, hugging her daughter closer.

“I’ll always love you too, even if your horn looks goofy.” Dinky playfully laughed and pushed her mother away.

“My horn is NOT goofy!” the unicorn said with mock indignation.

For hours, the two ponies laughed, talked and joked until Doctor Oddlove returned. “It’s time, Miss Hooves. You can go now.” Hiccuping with rapidly dissipating laughter, Derpy stood on shaky legs and with the help of Oddlove and Dinky, walked out of the room and down the hall. And there, in the lobby, was Flappy Jack.

He looked like hell. His mane was disheveled and limp, his eyes were red and bleary. Dark sags hung below them, saying that he hadn’t slept in a while. He stood, his face brightening up when he saw Derpy. His face froze when he saw his wife’s head bandage and her right eye, which was staring at the ground while the left stared back at him. Dinky whimpered and hid behind his mother.

“Doctor Oddlove,” Derpy said in a low, pained voice. The stallion doctor leaned closer to hear, “I want you to call the police and have my husband arrested. He’s the one who put me here.”

Oddlove’s face remained calm as he straightened up and caught hospital security’s eye. He got their attention with a brief wave, then pointed at the red earth pony. The burly tan stallion wearing a blue jacket that read ‘SECURITY’ nodded, and approached Flappy Jack. Panicked, the stallion tried to flee. He had already been hitting the drink, so he ended up just falling over. Security had shackles around his hooves before he could get back up. Derpy and Dinky watched while Flappy Jack was dragged out of their lives. The pegasus turned to Doctor Oddlove, and kissed him on the cheek. The brown stallion smiled and nuzzled Derpy’s cheek.

“I hope everything works out for you two,” the doctor said.

“Thank you.” Derpy said, pressing her flank against Dinky. “I do too.”

“We wandered for a while, unable to hold any work with my eye,” Derpy said to her audience, “Eventually, we ended up on a train to Canterlot. It was there that I met Princess Celestia.” The pegasus’ face misted over with happiness as she recalled the memory. “She was on the way back to her palace after visiting Ponyville. She liked taking the train to meet with her subjects. I told her my story, and she was shocked and ashamed that one of her people would do something like what Flappy Jack had done to me. She couldn’t heal me, but she did the best thing she could have: She gave me a job. You can probably guess what it was- Royal mailpony.” Derpy’s face flushed with pride.

“I carried royal letters, packages and even had the chance to act as scribe for one of Celestia’s royal meetings. Those were great days. Dinky and I lived in the palace, attended royal schools, ate fantastic foods.. I think that’s where I healed, emotionally as well as physically. For a while, I was afraid of everything. Shadows, stallions, rustling paper.. I dropped dozens of parcels because I was startled. Celestia and the other royals were patient with me. Their kindness and generosity eventually calmed me down, and when I was finally back to my old self, I left. Celestia understood that court life wasn’t for me or for Dinky. We retired here, and through Celestia’s influence I was able to get a job as the town mailpony. Dinky likes going to school here better, she didn’t get along with those snooty noble fillies. And me, I like having genuine friends like you girls.”

“And that’s it,” she concluded with a wave of her hoof. “I’ve been living here for a few years now and I’ve never made any real friends. I talk with the parents of Dinky’s friends sometimes but that’s about it. I am so glad to have found you all.”

Fluttershy and Rarity stood from the couch, walked over to the gray pegasus and hugged her. The mares had been crying during Derpy’s story. The mailpony found herself crying too, but they were tears of joy as she hesitantly raised her hooves to embrace the girls. Rainbow Dash remained on the couch, but the hostile expression she had been wearing earlier had softened somewhat. Derpy made eye contact with the cyan pegasus, who jerked her head towards a side room and mouthed something. Derpy gave a short nod as the mares hugging her detached themselves.

“Gosh, Derpy,” Fluttershy murmured, “I don’t even know what to say, I-” the gray pegasus cut her off,

“Fluttershy, you don’t need to say anything. Just listening like you did helped more than any words ever could. If you girls don’t mind, I need to use the filly’s room.” Rainbow Dash had already slunk away, and as Fluttershy and Rarity began talking she slipped into the dark room as well.

It was too dark to see her, but Derpy could hear Rainbow Dash’s breathing. It was slow, controlled. The daredevil pony was holding back a considerable amount of anger. Derpy broke the silence.

“You have feelings for Fluttershy too, don’t you?”

Ranbow Dash’s reply was bland, anguished. “Yes.” the mare’s voice was choked up as she said, “Since the day I met her. I just can’t say it to her face.”

Derpy was in an uncomfortable position. She wanted to help the pegasus, but that would mean giving up Fluttershy. She was unwilling to do that. “Rainbow Dash..” she began, but the other pony cut her off.

“I know, you don’t want to give her up. So, I propose a challenge. Whoever Fluttershy chooses, that’s it. That’s the end. The other person has to leave them be.”

Derpy’s eyes had adjusted to the low light, and saw Rainbow Dash’s dim outline in the gloom. The cyan pegasus had her hoof raised towards the mailpony. Derpy slowly reached up and shook Dash’s hoof.

“Agreed,” the gray pegasus said, “But I won’t hold back.”

“I was about to say the same thing.” Rainbow Dash growled.

Chapter Three- Conflict

Knotted heartstrings

Derpy and Rainbow Dash slipped out of the side room and returned to the living room where Rarity and Fluttershy were still chatting. Neither mare seemed to notice the two pegasi had slipped off together. Derpy’s heart hammered in her chest out of anxiety. She and Rainbow Dash had thrown their gauntlets down and begun the battle to win Fluttershy’s affection. Sparks flew between the two mares as they calmly returned to a sitting position on either side of the yellow pegasus. The empathetic Fluttershy immediately felt the tension between the two, and tried to sidle out of the way. The mares sidled back next to her and simultaneously tried to strike up conversation.

“So, Fluttershy-” Rainbow began.

“What do you want-” Derpy said.

The gray and cyan pegasi glared at one another, fresh sparks exploding between them. Fluttershy whimpered and retreated away from the flames. Rainbow Dash put her hoof forward threateningly.

“You got somethin’ to say?” she demanded, her eyes narrowing to slits. Derpy’s lazy eye tried to retreat from the vehement stare and dropped to the ground. The gray pegasus’ good eye matched Rainbow’s glare. Rarity was the one to intervene, stepping between the two before a fight broke out.

“Girls!” she said in a scolding tone, “This is Fluttershy’s birthday party! Don’t ruin it with your squabbling!”

Derpy and Rainbow Dash cringed as Rarity’s words bit into them like blades of logic. Their shoulders sagged as they realized what they were doing. They turned to the nervous Fluttershy at the same time and apologized in unison.

“Sorry, Fluttershy.” they mumbled. Fluttershy shook her head.

“No, no, it’s no problem, really.” the yellow pegasus muttered timidly.

Rarity decided the party was over, stamping her hoof down with all the authority of a royal judge.

“Derpy, Rainbow Dash, I think it’s time for you two to depart for the evening. Work your problems out away from this establishment of merriment.”

The white unicorn drowned out the pegasus’ protests. Fluttershy was looking at her hooves sheepishly, not saying anything. Under Rarity’s severe glare, the pegasi shuffled out of the house with their tails hanging low in shame.

Outside the house, they were about to round on each other in anger when Rarity screeched from inside,

“NOT ON FLUTTERSHY’S PROPERTY! GO FIGHT IT OUT ON A CLOUD OR SOMETHING!”

That was motivation enough. Derpy leaped into the air, flying with all speed for a large and particularly fluffy cloud. Rainbow Dash was right behind her.

The gray pegasus stayed just ahead of the cyan mare, and Rainbow Dash felt a growing rage as she realized Derpy was just as fast as she was; however, there was no way she could compete with her stunts. She yelled out a challenge to the speeding mailpony, her voice barely audible over the wind.

“Hey! I bet your crippled ass can’t land in that grove down there!”

They were flying over a wooded island with a small circular clearing near the center. Rainbow Dash pulled her wings in for a dive, plummeting towards the earth. A rainbow contrail extended behind her. Stubborn pride got the better of Derpy, and she followed close behind Rainbow Dash. The stuntpony shot into the glade and pulled up just before she hit the ground, zipping through the trees at a breakneck pace. Derpy didn’t fare as well.

As soon as she was passing through the canopy, the gray pegasus knew she was in trouble. Her lazy eye refused to cooperate, and in the gloomy trees she had no depth perception. The world seemed flat, and dodging trees was extremely difficult. A thick oak tree appeared from the shadows, and Derpy was unable to get around it. She pulled up slightly, but not enough to avoid the massive plant. Her body smacked into the wood with a wet crack as her bones snapped. Blood sprayed from her mouth as she fell to the ground in a stunned heap.

Breathing was brutally hard for the grounded pony. Her chest was on fire, but her limbs were freezing cold. Each ragged breath sounded like she was breathing underwater as the air bubbled through the blood filling her lungs. Her head pounded with each heartbeat and a shrill ringing filled her ears. Her vision faded quickly, dimming to black.

I’m going to die here, she thought through a haze of pain. The world was dark, her body was cold, and her breathing slowed. Blood continued to dribble out the side of her mouth. Then the pain stopped.

“You sure have gotten yourself in trouble, dear.” Rarity said to Fluttershy. The two mares were sitting on the yellow pegasus’ couch. The unicorn lifted a cup of tea magically and sipped from it.

“Both of those ponies are after you,” she continued, “And I’m afraid they won’t give you up without a fight.” Fluttershy was staring at the cushions, her face blushing deep crimson. She mumbled something, but Rarity ignored her and kept talking.

“The trouble is that Rainbow Dash is stubborn as an ass and Derpy, well...” she trailed off. “I’m not sure. That girl wants to love again, and she wants to love you. I think she’ll be just as stubborn as Rainbow.”

Fluttershy quailed, but was more vocal this time. “But I don’t want them to fight over me, I-” Rarity interrupted her.

“Fluttershy, what you want isn’t important. Like it or not, you’ve been lashed into their little love triangle. You have to choose one or loose both.”

Tears welled up in the pegasus’ eyes. “But I don’t want to choose!” she said, anguish etched into her face. “Rainbow Dash has been my friend for almost my whole life, and Derpy...” she trailed off for a moment before continuing. “Derpy is special.”

Rarity set the tea cup down. “You have to decide who you want to spend your life with. There is no wrong choice here: both mares will make you happy, but in different ways. Think about it; analyze the pros and cons of choosing each pegasus.”

Against her better judgment, Fluttershy did stop and think about it. She verbalized her thoughts so that Rarity could hear and appraise her logic.

“Well,” she began, “Rainbow Dash and I have been friends since we were fillies- almost foals. She’s loyal, brave, and I think she has a lot of potential. But she’s brash, sometimes mean, and impatient. I think she would end up getting bored with me..” Rarity said nothing, simply nodded in a neutral way. Fluttershy continued,

“Rainbow Dash would bring a lot of variety and fun to a relationship, but I’m not really interested in joining her on her stunt flights. I love cheering for her, but flying fast like she does just scares me.”

“Now, Derpy and I just met today... But she has a great reputation around town, and after meeting her tonight I can say that she is one of the kindest and gentlest ponies I know. Her past scars make her slightly timid like me, but when she is faced with a challenge she over comes it. She’s really lonely, and has so far relied on her daughter to keep her company. The daughter adds a random element to the relationship, because I’ve never met her. She might like me, which would add extra pressure for me to choose Derpy. Or Dinky might dislike me, which would make it harder TO choose her mother.”

Rarity continued nodding, a thoughtful look on her face.

“Derpy would fit my personality better, because she is both strong and sensitive. But I’m afraid of what might happen if I don’t choose Rainbow Dash. We are both holders of the Elements of Harmony. That cycle might be disrupted if I choose Derpy. But if Derpy and Rainbow Dash can become friends, then it would be alright, right?”

Rarity was still nodding slowly, silently.

“But..” Fluttershy said quietly. “I still choose Rainbow Dash.”

Chapter Four- Resolution

Derpy’s breathing had slowed to almost nothing. Her chest no longer hurt, in fact it felt quite nice. From where her bones had stuck through the skin, the bleeding was no longer quite as bad as her heart beat slower and slower. Her vision was gone, but she didn’t need that anyway. Her only remaining sense was smell, which told her she was laying in a field of fragrant flowers. The sun felt warm on her body, and exhaustion slowly gripped her as she drifted off to sleep.

Pain interrupted her slumber. Her eyes snapped open, each pupil pointing a different way. Out of her left eye she saw white walls rushing by and through her right eye she saw a doctor. Her body was jostled as the stretcher she was laying on turned down a corridor. Her ears pounded with the sound of her own heartbeat, but between pulses she heard strange and distorted sounds, like someone had slowed down time.

A plastic mask was pressed over her mouth, and she faded away into peaceful oblivion. Twisted colors and shapes floated across her eyelids and she felt like her body was made of worms- constantly churning and shifting around. Patches of light occasionally peeked through her eyelids but for the most part she stayed in darkness. It felt like an eternity, but it was over in an instant. Light exploded back into her world, fuzzy and bleary smudges piercing her eyes.

Music, like a gentle symphony filled her ears. As her pounding headache subsided the music became sharper- it really was music. Ponies were singing off to her right. They were just finishing the song, but she was still able to comprehend the words. It was slow and mournful, like a funeral dirge.

“-ll to the ground, like a blazing star,

Now return to us, from wherever you are.”

Derpy’s eyes unclouded, focus slowly returning. Her lazy eye sheepishly rejoined her good eye as she turned towards the voices. Her friends and daughter were standing there. All of them were crying. Upon seeing her move, Dinky shrieked and rushed forward. She was about to bury her face in her mother’s flank when Twilight stopped her.

“Careful, Dinkie,” the purple unicorn said, voice full of concern, “Your mother is still really fragile. The doctor said not to touch her for a few days.”

Derpy smiled sleepily at her daughter, her eyelids half-closed. She reached a hoof out slowly, which the small unicorn grasped and began sobbing into. The injured pegasus closed her eyes and fell asleep once again.

When she woke, it was like a scene straight from her memories. Dinky was curled up against her chest, sleeping soundly. The pressure on her ribs hurt, but Derpy wouldn’t have asked for Dinky to move for all the money in the world. Looking around the dark room, the pegasus saw that two ponies were asleep nearby: Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Closing her eyes again, Derpy fell asleep so that the next day would come sooner.

Fluttershy was gone when Derpy next opened her eyes, but Rainbow Dash was sitting on the couch reading a book. When the gray pegasus stirred, Rainbow set her book down and looked Derpy in the eyes. When she spoke, her voice was slow, dragged down with sadness.

“Derpy, I’m so sorry. This is my fault.” The injured pegasus blinked, but stayed quiet. “Fluttershy and I talked. She said she would have chosen me if this hadn’t happened. But my arrogance, jealousy and impatience got the better of me. You could have died-” the cyan pegasus choked up, and fell silent. Tears welled up and slipped out of her eyes onto her lap.

“She’s yours,” Rainbow Dash said, picking up her book between her teeth and standing up. She was preparing to leave when Derpy spoke, her voice rough and raspy.

“I don’t blame you.” The cyan pegasus cringed at how damaged Derpy’s voice sounded. “I would have pulled the same stunt on you if I had the talent. I understand why you would risk so much for Fluttershy.” The gray pegasus tried to say more, but her throat was dry and raw. Rainbow Dash left the room, her hooves making a steady clopping noise.

Derpy lay in her bed in silence for a while, unable to sleep. Dinky was curled up at the foot of the bed, no longer crushing her ribs. Fluttershy was the one to enter next. The pegasus’ eyes were red and puffy, and wet tracks ran down her face. She let out a choked sob when Derpy turned to look at her.

Fluttershy hardly recognized Derpy; the gray pegasus’ face was bruised black and blue, swollen and cut and bloody. The yellow peasus crept closer and gently touched noses with her. Gingerly, Fluttershy kissed Derpy’s forehead. “Oh, Derpy,” she whispered, “Oh my gosh, Derpy...”

The injured pony brought her hoof up and touched Fluttershy’s cheek. Still unable to talk, Derpy just smiled. Dinky stirred and slowly woke, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. Seeing her mother awake, Dinky gasped and darted forward, forcing Fluttershy out of the way to grasp her mother’s hoof. The displaced pegasus slunk off shyly. Derpy frowned at Dinky. She couldn’t get her throat to make words to scold her daughter. But when she looked up, Fluttershy was gone.

Dinky and Derpy stayed together for most of the day, until the doctors had to whisk her away for additional surgery. When Derpy was awake in her room again, Fluttershy was back. The injured pegasus was still unable to speak, so Fluttershy did the talking while Dinky lay at her mother’s feet.

“I realized who I really have feelings for,” the yellow pony said in quiet, bashful tones. “And that’s you. Rainbow Dash and I have been good friends for a long time, and I let that blind me to her rash flaws. So, Derpy, I’ll take you out to dinner. How does that sound?”

Derpy smiled, hot tears splashing down her face. She nodded. Fluttershy smiled and gave Derpy another light kiss on the forehead, then bent down to pick up a basket full of food. Apples, carrots and lettuce had been arranged into beautiful salads, complete with olive oil dressing. Derpy ate light, still recovering from her surgery. But every bite was delicious.

Recovery was slow. Many of Derpy’s bones and internal organs had been broken, punctured or otherwise damaged. Her wings had been more or less spared and would heal completely; however, her legs and ribs would have permanent damage. Fluttershy paid her daily visits, bringing in sweets as well as healthy food. For the first week or so, Derpy was too roughed up to speak, so it was mostly Fluttershy and Dinky who carried the conversations. Dinky didn’t like Fluttershy. She blamed the yellow pegasus for her mother’s hospitalization. But every time she said something hurtful and Fluttershy tried to retreat, Derpy reached out and grabbed her hoof. A glare at the unicorn usually silenced her.

Three weeks after being admitted, Derpy Hooves was released. She had braces on all of her legs, and she leaned heavily on Fluttershy as she walked. But they hobbled their way back to the post office, where Derpy collapsed heavily on the soft chair in the living area she shared with her daughter. The smell of paper and glue from the main sorting and sending room permeated the entire building. After weeks of smelling antiseptic and bandages, the gray pegasus was glad to be home with all its familiar smells.

Fluttershy had lunch ready, and Dinky rolled in a cart with a silver platter. Underneath the platter was an apple diced into ten slices. To the side of the apple was a loaf of dark bread and a cup of the Apple family’s finest stock cider. In the hospital, Derpy had always looked forward to their visits: hospital fare lay flat on her tongue, utterly tasteless. The scene that unfolded next had Derpy reeling in confusion.

Fluttershy reached for the bread to break a chunk off for Derpy, but Dinky snatched it away with her magic and when Fluttershy went to grab the jug of cider, Dinky lifted that magically as well. The small, inexperienced unicorn tried to both pour the cider and cut the bread but ended up dropping both. Cider, bread and apples flew in all directions, splattering on everypony present. Dinky let out a frustrated screech. Fluttershy quietly began mopping up Derpy with a rag, when the unicorn turned on her in a fit of rage.

"Why are you still here?" Dinky demanded. Fluttershy kept her silence as she continued to mop the cider off of Derpy, who was glaring at her daughter;however, this time just a glare wasn't enough. Dinky stood in a challenging position with her body hanging forward and her horn poised to strike.

"My mommy doesn't need you, we don't need you! Just leave!" shrieked the small unicorn. Fluttershy paused mid-stroke. Derpy reached up and gently grabbed the pegasus' arm.

"Stay," Derpy murmured. Dinky's mouth dropped open.

"But MOM!" she howled.

"That is ENOUGH, Dinky." Derpy said in low, obviously hostile tones, "Fluttershy has been nothing but kind and gentle to us. She has been more than patient with your tantrums- more patient than I would have thought possible." Derpy turned to Fluttershy, who was staring into her eyes. "I love her," Derpy whispered.

Fluttershy hiccuped as she repressed a sob. Dinky surrendered, bowing her head in shame.

"I'm sorry, Fluttershy." the child said, her voice cracking. "I just don't want you to hurt her like daddy did."

Fluttershy detached herself from Derpy and walked to the child, who was on the verge of tears. The pegasus lay her hoof on the unicorn's back, moving to hug her as she looked up. "I'm not going to hurt your momma," Fluttershy said.

While Fluttershy and Dinky hugged, Derpy stood and walked into the back room, taking a dark mahogany box out from the closet. It was about twice as large as her hoof. The box had a leather strap on the top, which she grasped in her teeth and returned to the living room. Fluttershy and Dinky were quietly talking on the couch. They smiled at each other, then at Derpy as she set the box on the table. Dinky gasped.

"Mom, is that-" Derpy hushed her with by swishing her tail. She pushed the box towards Fluttershy, who looked at the box curiously.

"Open it," Derpy said. Fluttershy gingerly slid forward and lifted the lid of the box. Inside was a thick layer of plush velvet. Fluttershy removed the soft black fabric and her face was etched with shock. Inside was a gold anklet, wrought in ornate loops and polished to a perfect shine.

"Fluttershy," Derpy said, getting on to her knees stiffly, "will you marry me?"

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Nopony breathed. Fluttershy stared at the pegasus on her knees, then at the anklet. Then back at Derpy. Then back to the anklet. Her hooves moved slowly as they reached into the box, lifted the anklet out and then slid it on to her right-forward hoof. She breathlessly nodded.

"Yes, Derpy. I'll marry you." Derpy got back on her hooves, approached Fluttershy and touched noses. A sleepy, happy grin spread over her face. The pain in her body vanished and was replaced with pure contentment. Fluttershy's nose was warm, flushed red with a blush. Dinky was quiet at first and didn't smile but as she watched her mother and Fluttershy together, something clicked in her heart. She stopped resenting Fluttershy, because she made Mommy happy.

The child got crept out of the room while Fluttershy and Derpy lay down on the couch together. Behind her she heard the adults quietly talking, occasionally giggling. Dinky found herself in her mother's bedroom. It was a plain room, with the same dull white-gray color scheme as the rest of the post office. A straight bed lay in the back-center of the room, big enough for an adult pony and a filly. She often slept with her mother in that bed to keep her company. The young filly understood enough about life to know that soon the bed would be replaced with a larger mattress.

Approaching hooves from behind made Dinky turn around. She saw Derpy walking next to Fluttershy, and both were blushing madly. Dinky's mother cleared her throat and gestured for her daughter to leave the room. The unicorn walked past, smiling slightly. The adult ponies moved into the bedroom, and closed the door behind them. Dinky heard the squeak of the bed as two ponies lay down on it. The child retreated as she heard more private noises coming from the other side.

The months leading up to the wedding seemed to fly by Derpy. After breaking the initial news to Fluttershy's friends, they seemed to absorb her into their group. Rainbow Dash in particular was extremely helpful with the planning, taking great pains to secure convenient arrangements at the hottest and most romantic spots in the area. Derpy healed in body and soul as Fluttershy filled the cracks left by Flappy, in more ways than one. The shy pegasus was voracious in the bedroom.

One week before the ceremony, Fluttershy and Derpy sat in the marriage lawyers' office, signing the paperwork that would officially seal them as wives. The lawyer, a kindly looking older stallion with a graying mane, asked what family name they would choose. This was an extremely important step. Pony family names were only shared with their spouses. The couple looked into each other's eyes. Derpy leaned forward and kissed Fluttershy's forehead, then looked at the lawyer.

"We'll take Fluttershy's." The lawyer looked down and inscribed the new name.

"Derpy.. Shy. Got it. Congratulations, you two. You are now legally married. When's the ceremony?"

The couple were almost too dizzy with joy to hear. Fluttershy whispered, "This Saturday." The lawyer nodded and reached out a hoof to shake with each mare.

"Well, you two will be happy together, I just know it."

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Derpy Shy sailed through the next week in a pink haze. She delivered her mail quickly and with a dopey smile plastered on her face. Rainbow Dash now worked as a junior postman in her spare time. Dash had worked extremely hard to make up for Derpy's accident, and though she still had feelings for Fluttershy did not act on them. She had resigned herself to being the close family friend. Derpy knew that Fluttershy would always have feelings for Rainbow Dash, but also knew that marriage meant something profound. Something that couldn't be broken because of past emotions.

That Saturday dawned crisp and bright, Rainbow Dash made sure of it. Derpy and Fluttershy took different routes to the field where the ceremony would take place, each chariot pulled by a team of black-clad stallions. They arrived on opposite sides of a wide courtyard, walking in opposite directions through a large spiral. They met in the center, where the mayor was waiting. She wore around her neck two pendants; golden semicircles that swung back and forth as the magnets in their straight edges fought to connect. The pegasi stood in front of the mayor and each took hold of one semicircle.

The couple's friends and family watched through binoculars from outside the spiral. Like sharing family names, marriage was extremely private. The only ponies involved in the ceremony were the mayor and the couple. Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Applejack held back tears while Dinky couldn't hold back a smile. Over the past few months, the child had grown fond of Fluttershy. She was nice, pretty and always had cute creatures for her to play with. She looked through her binoculars and strained her ears to try and catch what the distant ponies were saying, both only heard the wind and the breathing of the other onlookers.

"Today is a day of love and truth," said the Mayor, looking through her spectacles at the pegasi in front of her. "When you connect this amulet, you shall be connecting your souls. You shall forever bind yourself to the other. There is no higher joy nor greater pleasure than what you will experience in marriage. Derpy Hooves and Fluttershy, you may connect your bodies, minds and souls when you are ready. Do you have vows or other words you wish to say?"

They both nodded, and Derpy spoke first.

"Fluttershy," she said, "I first met you on your birthday and I knew from the start that you were something special. Getting that date with you was one of the greatest victories I had ever achieved in my life. Competing with Rainbow Dash only made me want you more. After my accident, you were with me at all times. You gave me a reason to recover. Dinky resisted you at first, but you won her over in the end, too. I fell in love with you, and I haven't been able to get out of it since. Fluttershy, I shall devote the rest of my life to repaying you for all of your kindness and generosity. I'll say it again. I love you, Fluttershy- and I won't stop loving you until I take my final breath."

Fluttershy bowed her head, and then spoke.

"Derpy Hooves, when I first met you I was taken by surprise. I was wrestling with my own feelings for Rainbow Dash, and I think that you saved me from the pain our relationship would eventually have caused. You are loyal, kind and completely devoted to every pony- even Rainbow Dash, whom a weaker pony would now hate. You forgive and allow ponies to forgive themselves. You bring out the best in me and my friends and I will gladly stay with you until I draw my final breath along with you."

With both ponies finished with their speeches, they pressed their faces together in a gentle and loving kiss while they pushed their pieces of the pendant together. The magnets made a clicking noise, then the magic built into the pendant sealed the gap shut, forging the metal into a perfect circle. When Derpy and Fluttershy separated, the Mayor removed the chain from around her neck and looped it around the newly wed couple's. They stood close together while the amulet went around both of them. Together, they walked out of the spiral to their friends and family who rushed forward to embrace the couple.

Eight bodies pressed together as love and joy permeated the air. Fluttershy and Derpy were at the center, connected by the pendant. Derpy finally pushed Flappy Jack out of her mind, never once looking back. Dinky reached up and kissed Fluttershy on the cheek.

"Now I have two mommies." she said. With Dinky's approval, Derpy felt that the marriage was complete. She was surrounded by loving friends next to the mare she would spend her life with. Her life stretched out in front of her, but nothing could ever compare to the happiness she felt right here, right now. Her lazy eye had ceased to bother her. Like every other flaw in her body, she had simply accepted it as part of herself. Fluttershy had healed her wounds. Love had truly prevailed.