Our Friend Derpy

Derpy was quite happy she was with her friends, especially because she was on her way to Canterlot for the first time. However, what threw her over the top of happiness was when Dash gave her the muffin necklace. She loved it to death! While examining and cherishing her new gift, the train conductor peeps into their caboose and lets everypony know they were about to start heading towards Canterlot.

"Yay Canterlot! Woohoo!!"

Everypony turned to see Derpy, who was now trotting around the caboose. Rainbow Dash stretched her hoof in Derpy's path, causing her to stop. Derpy, in return, smiled bigger than she thought she ever could and gave Dash the biggest hug she had ever given anypony. "Thanks so much Rainbow Dash! I love the new necklace, and I want to thank everypony for letting me go on this trip!"

Twilight and the others couldn't help but smile. They all knew Derpy was pretty cute just the way she was, but when she went out of her way to make others smile it was just too adorable. Twilight made her way towards Derpy and put her forehoof around. "It's truly our pleasure to have you come with us Derpy".

Pinkie Pie enters with a basket of pastries. though, nopony noticed that she had even left. "Come on everypony, I brought snacks for us to share!"

Pinkie sets the basket on a nearby table and begins sorting the pastries. She set out plates and had put two muffins on each plate, followed by two cupcakes and a slice of cake. Just as Pinkie was finishing up with the snacks, Applejack decides to pull out something of her own.

"Ah brought us some apple cider if anypony wants some" Applejack reaches into her saddle bag and pulls out two boxes, each filled with six bottles of cider and sets it on the table next to the basket.

Dash was the first to reach for the cider. She grabbed a bottle in her mouth, then placed it in between her forehooves for a better grip as she began to open the bottle using her mouth. Applejack knew Dash loved her cider so she figured she would need two boxes. Dash was already about to finish up with her first bottle while the others were grabbing their plates and bottles of their own. However, Derpy was quite impressed how Dash guzzled the bottle within seconds.

Applejack was the last to grab a plate and bottle of cider. As she went to grab a bottle her hoof met with another causing her to jump away in shock. "What in tarnation?"

"Oh I'm sorry Aj, were you reaching for the cider too?" Rainbow Dash smiled and grabbed the bottle.

Applejack gave Dash an angered look and snatched the bottle from her, beginning to open it herself and tease the unamused Dash as she gulps the cider down to the last drop.  "Gaaahhhh! Rainbow, you had a bottle already. This one was mine haha".

Rainbow Dash laid on the floor and pouted, moving her forehooves so Aj couldn't see her face. Applejack sat down and waved a hoof in the air, "Oh quit fakin' yah big baby".

Rainbow Dash got up and chuckled, "Fine, you got me Aj, you know how much I love your cider. I just wanted another bottle".

Applejack chuckled herself and gave Rainbow Dash a jokish look, "Well your still a lil' big baby Rainbow".

Derpy laughed at Applejacks remark to Dash being a big baby over a bottle of cider. She found amusement with the whole little debut anyway but didn't really say much, and just let the two go at it. Applejack and Rainbow Dash both began to laugh and then looked at Derpy, who was just sitting there with a small smile on her face. Rainbow Dash looked at the box nearly full of bottles of cider and picked one out, handing it to Derpy.

Derpy smiled and grabbed the bottle between her forehooves and opened it with her mouth. "Thank you Rainbow" she said before she took her first sip. The first time she ever got to taste Applejack's cider was the day the Flim Flam brothers tried take over Sweet Apple Acres. As delicious the Flim Flam brother's cider was, they didn't know how to make it the way the Apple Family did. They made their cider with love and care for everypony to enjoy, and that was the cider she loved.

Rainbow Dash noticed there were still two more plates of snacks on the table and grabbed one, passing Derpy as she went to an empty table. She passed Derpy once more, grabbed the last plate, and brought it to the same table. "Derpy, I grabbed one for you if your hungry."

Derpy smiled and trotted to the table and began to stuff her face. Rainbow Dash watched as Depry devoured the candy first, and then the cake. She left the best for last and went to take bite of her muffin. Just as she did, the train had made a sharp turn, causing both plates to slide towards the edge of the table. Rainbow Dash managed to catch hers, but Derpy was a little too busy trying to bite into her muffle before she even realized it was moving away from her.

Derpy opened her eyes to a table with no plate on it. She looked over and saw her muffin was now on the floor and covered her mouth in surprise. Her eyes filled with tears. "I really wanted that muffin..."

Rainbow Dash didn't want to see her close friend cry over her favorite food. Besides, she wasn't very fond of muffins the way Derpy was, so she had no problem handing hers over. "Here you go Derpy, I'm not really that hungry. So here, take mine."

"Wow Rainbow, I didn't think you were that nice!"

Rainbow Dash turned around, finding Twilight who was at a table by herself. Twilight was reading and happened to look up to find Derpy almost in tears over her muffin. She had watched Rainbow Dash from across the caboose. Dash rubbed the back of her head with her hoof, "Well, I'm not really that hungry anyway. So it wasn't that big of a deal."

Twilight smiled, "Well that was still nice of you Rainbow." She went back to reading one of the several novels she decided to bring on the trip.

Rainbow Dash chuckled and turned back to finish her food. As she did, Derpy was already half way done with the muffin she was given a moment ago. Rainbow Dash started with the candy and finished with the cake. Savoring the flavors of the cake as they passed her lips and down her throat. Pinkie Pie always made the best snacks, but whenever they were all going somewhere she would go out of her way to make them extra special. Pinkie even made the most plain snacks look spectacular and delicious.

Once Rainbow Dash finished with her plate, she noticed Derpy was just sitting there quietly. She got up and went to the other side of the table, sitting next to Derpy. "Hey Derpy, whats up?"

Derpy lowered head, trying to hide her face from Rainbow Dash. "N-nothing, just not used to being this far from home... my mother never really let me outside, let alone out of Ponyville..."

Rainbow Dash embraced Derpy in a reassuring and close hug. "It's ok Derpy, your with friends and I know its hard not being able to come out all the time. If it'll help, me and my friends will visit you more often ok?"

Derpy lifted her head and smiled. "Promise? I get lonely when I'm home alone."

Smiling back at her, Rainbow Dash got up and nudged Derpy on the shoulder. "I promise!" She said as she grabbed the two empty plates and headed towards the trash can.

Applejack was walking past the table, carrying an unopened box full of cider bottles when she noticed Derpy sitting alone. She looked around the caboose for Dash and spotted her by the trash can. "Hey Derpy, you thirsty? I got this last box of cider if you want some."

Derpy nodded her head and looked at Dash. She was still by the trash can, however, was stopped by Pinkie Pie before she could make her way back to the table. Derpy looked back at Applejack, who was opening the box of cider and placed a bottle on the table in front of Derpy and then one for Rainbow Dash, who was now making her way back to the table.

"Well, Pinkie said it should be another hour or so until we reach Canterlot" Dash said as she sat down.

Derpy opened her bottle and began drinking. Applejack grabbed a bottle for herself and pointed out the bottle for Dash. Both of them opened their bottles. The three friends looked at each other, Derpy held hers in the middle. The other two did the same, bringing their bottles together. All three of them cheered "To Canterlot!" before downing their drinks.

After finishing their drinks, Rainbow Dash was the first to get up. "Well, I'm gonna go take a nap. Wake me when we get there."

Applejack agreed. Both Derpy and her watched as Rainbow Dash made her way to the sleeping cabins. Everypony was pretty tired after the long day of packing, and were either sleeping at the tables, in the sleeping cabins, or just as wide awake as Pinkie is. Pinkie was really excited, as was Derpy.

Pinkie Pie was sitting at her table and singing to herself. She was singing Giggle At The Ghosties when Derpy walked up to her. "Oh hi Derpy, whats up?"

Derpy smiled and looked at Pinkie, tilting her head to the side a little. She never heard Pinkie sing before and thought her voice was quite beautiful. Pinkie Pie smiled back at Derpy and began to sing her song Smile. Pinkie watched as Derpy's smile grew even bigger. She got up and began to sing a little louder, getting an applause from the pleased mare.

Twilight trotted over to the two, "Sorry Pinkie, but you gotta be quite. Some ponies are trying to get some rest before we get to Canterlot."

A door behind Pinkie's table sings open and a pony with a striped cap walks in. "Only 10 minutes till we arrive at Canterlot!" The pony said before closing the door.

Twilight stood there for a minute or two. She was confused on how fast time had flew by, and there were only 10 minutes left till they get to Canterlot. "Well, I guess it's time to start waking everypony."