Protecting Derpy Hooves

Those two mares just walked away! They didn't even try to help her as far as I'm concerned, thought Foster. The taunting in front of him continued.

"I said, let me see those eyes, Derpy!" The filly shouted, grabbing the Derpy's blonde hair and yanking it up. Foster didn't know what he was gonna see, but when he did, he was indifferent to how he felt. He knew he wasn't disgusted or weirded out by it, but other than that, he was confused. Derpy's eyes were off centered. One was looking straight but the other was looking... at Foster. The trio laughed again at the sight of her eyes. The filly then yanked her hair down, causing Derpy's face to hit the ground.

"Hey! Get away from her," Foster shouted, running forward. All three of the teasers looked to Foster. Even Derpy lifted her head a little bit. Foster finally got a good look at them. The Unicorn filly had a gold and well styled mane with a white coat. Her eyes were purple. She had a cutie mark of a quilt. Foster assumed that she was some sort of designer. The Unicorn foal on her right had a green mane with a light blue coat. His eyes were the color of the grass. He had a cutie mark of a football helmet. That seemed pretty self explanatory to Foster. The Earth foal on the filly's left was big. He had visible muscles and stood with authority. The longer Foster stared at the behemoth, the more intimidated he got. This foal had a brown, gelled mane with a black coat. His eyes were a brilliant blue. His cutie mark was, surprisingly, a picture frame. Foster thought it would be a weight but he guessed this foal liked photography. He was the first to speak.

"Who are you?" he said with a sneer.

"I'm Foster, I just moved here," Foster answered back.

"Well, Foster, welcome to Ponyville. I'm Snapshot," he motioned to the filly, "this is Dezzy," he motioned to the other foal, "and this is White Night," Snapshot then held out his hoof, asking for it to be shook. Foster stared at it. Was this guy seriously trying to make friends with Foster after ridiculing Derpy? Foster slapped it away and the smile of Snapshot's face turned to a frown.

"Whatever, you're a blank flank, anyways. But, if you excuse us, we have business to attend to," Snapshot began to turn toward Derpy. Foster leapt to the side, now in between the trio and Derpy. Snapshot raised his eyebrow quizzically.

"Do you know her?" Dizzy asked.

"Don't have to, what you're doing is wrong," Foster said. He looked behind him at Derpy. How long had this sort of stuff been going on? Foster thought. As if she read his mind, she smiled a sad smile, and Foster turned back to the teasers.

"What do you have against her?" Foster asked. White Night stepped forward.

"Just look at her! Those stupid eyes and the gimpy way she moves, she's just so weird." Foster contemplated asking why that gives them the right to tease her, but he doubted they'd look at themselves so deeply.

"Look, kid, just leave, you're not gonna change a thing," Dezzy said, coming so close they were almost nose to nose. Foster looked her dead in the eyes and rotated his hooves, planting himself further in the ground. Dezzy sniffed.

"So be it, White, move him." White Night moved closer. Foster didn't doubt that they were bluffing. And Foster doubted he'd be able to take them on. Let alone White Night. He would either run and leave Derpy, or fight. Run. Fight. Run. Fight. He shut his eyes. He had to run.

He turned and grabbed Derpy's hoof. She looked up, frightened.

"RUN!" Foster shouted, pulling Derpy to a standing position. Still holding her hand, he took off through the bushes, Derpy stumbling from the unexpected pull. Behind them, White Night began to run, too. But Dezzy stopped him.

"It's not worth it. We'll get them later."

After their run, Foster and Derpy stopped after they couldn't run any more. They stopped in the market of Ponyville. Panting, Derpy turned to Foster.

"Who are you?" she asked. Foster regained his breath.

"I'm Foster, I just moved here," he answered.

"Do I know you?" she asked, closing one eye and widening the other.

"Haha, no... but I'd like to get to know you," Foster answered, holding out a hoof. Derpy looked at it, as if questioning its entire existence. She blinked and her eyes switched positions. One straight, the other now looking to the bottom right.

"I'm Derpy, nice to meet you," she said shaking Foster's hoof.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go, my mother's making lunch, find me sometime," Derpy said, turning to leave.

"Oh, and, thanks, Foster. Bye!" and with that, she was gone.