Different Views

by AlphaOmega

Rating: everyone
Tags: Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dinky Hooves, Derpy Hooves
Length: 3625

Only 1/3 of the entire nation of Equestria has the ability. Of those 30%, only a few truly realize their true potential.

What is it like to fly? To defy gravity in all its' power. To say no to the very laws of physics that keep the world in order.

To be able to see the world in a way only 1 out of 3 ponies can view.

I live that life everyday. Some could even say it is not longer nostalgic. I think I've seen it all. From the lush forests of the Everfree to the splendor of Canterlot and the big city, Manehatten; to the small town of ponyville where I reside to the city of Cloudsdale where I was born. But only now do I realize what true ability I have. Now I understand why I was gifted with such an ability.

They make make fun of my eyes, but I see the world in a different way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is my first "artistic" style fanfic, so please criticize as much as possible! This is meant to be sent in to EqD as part of the "Writer Training Grounds". Please enjoy!

Art by alexmakovsy. All rights and appreciation goes to him

Published 2014-01-21 02:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2014-01-21 02:40:02 UTC

Journal Entry #22

Sometimes life throws you for a loop. Not the kind that you have to go through, but rather the one that you have to recover from. I'm not sure if that even made sense to me! But it any case, it was certainly a doozy. It really makes you think on your life; why you were even meant to exist.

Deep thoughts, huh? Well that's what I've got you for. Someone to tell my feelings to when no pony else may understand. I guess I should probably start from the beginning so when I look back at you in times of need, I'll always remember what I learned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun had shown brightly the window this morning. My room on the second floor of my comfy little abode allowed for me to feel it to a great extent, though perhaps not as much if I was flying. As the rays of gold seemed through my window pane, my wings were the first to have their senses tickled my Celestia's rays.

"UUUGHHHhhhhhh." I grumbled. I turned my body away from the window, tucking my wings well into the colorful bed sheets. The sun continued to strike my back it as Luna brought down her moon. Several turns later, I realized that I would not go back to sleep for the morning. Especially not with the work that was to be done.

I slinked my gray form from under the sheets. Extending my wings to stretch them to their limit, I yawned and let my vocal chords get a start on waking up.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" I yelled. "Good morning Equestria! Hello sun!" I did a few turns in bed, trying my best not to knock over furniture. My wings tended to sometimes cause more harm than good, so it was best to always be alert. Once I had fully extended my wings and stretched. I walked over to my daughter's room.

"Hey sweetie!" I called from my room. "It's time for school! Let's go!"

I knew she heard, despite the fact no response came. But I just let her sleep. She was so young and it felt wrong to disturb her peace. Especially in a world that offered very little of that. I returned to my sanctum and prepared a nice bath. The warm water filled the room with sweating steam. I pulled back the curtain, ready for my daily bubble bath.

Scrubbing myself down and finally drying myself off, the room acted as a personal sauna, with the steam coming to rest on my body. The soothing ambiance relaxed my tense muscles. I brushed my hair the regular fashion. I always say that blonde hair is the hardest to keep in shape!

Exiting my room and going downstairs, I heard the radio turn on, signaling that my pupil has awoken. I trotted down stairs as the morning sky became brighter, light flooding the house.

"GGOOOOOOD MORNING PONYVILLE!" I heard as I neared the kitchen. DJ-Pon3 was doing her bit on the radio this morning. Perhaps, if I was lucky, I could switch to Cello Radio (but since I'm telling this from the future, you might be able to guess what happened).

"Hi mommy!" My offspring greeted. "How are you? Did you sleep well?"

I smiled. She was such a wonderful child. At her age, most children had already moved away from their parent. But not her. She was always close to mother. Whenever parents would come into school, she always insisted I come. When she wanted to spend time together, I always agreed. Perhaps I could have pulled away at times, if just to get her to have some backbone. But I always fell for her eyes.

"It was good sweetie. Did you want something for breakfast?" I inquired.

"Nah. I've got my oats and the radio. I think I'll be good."

I nodded and began to brew my own morning drink. I usually just bought from the store, but I always did love a good, organic, home-made tea. Plus, I'm pretty sure my garden has some special property...I can't prove it but who cares.

I turned to her as I finished. "Do you need a lift to the wagon stop?"

"No. I think I can manage on my own. I have to learn to be more independent." She responded, much to my dismay. I walked over to her and pulled her into a hug with my wings. I gave her a quick peck on the head.

"You are never too old for mother." I smiled down at her. She looked up at me, her brilliant eyes staring into mine. "You are never too old to be a daughter." She responded.

I ruffled her hair. "You know it, my little muffin." I made my way to the door, grabbing my satchel and bag, along with my mail mare hat.

"I'll see you later tonight honey! I might be late, so don't wait up!"

"Alright mom! Have a good route! Be safe!"

Time to do what I did best.

Ponyville was looking lively for the time of day. Usually, ponies were still waiting around for there to be more sunlight so they could see better, but Celestia seemed to bring out the sun sooner today. Better for me; I had a long list of items I had to pick up from the postal office and deliver.

I quickly took off to the skies at my usual altitude. A gentle breeze blew through my mane as it fluttered in the wind. I could smell the Cakes baking from the sky. I could hear our resident musicians preparing for the day's practice. It was truly a peaceful site over Ponyville.

I flapped my wings hard to gain a good altitude. Funny thing about flying: the harder you worked at the start, the easier it was later on. Most pegasi (like our weather patrol captain) preferred to take it easy. Yet, flying, the natural thing they had to learn to survive, required patience, skill, and hard work.

After 2 great flaps, I reached the perfect altitude to begin my descent via gliding. I had done this enough times to know the distance. As I glided, I felt the sun again on my wings, warming my body, almost as if cheering it to go forward. By this time, the sun was fully up and shining its' glory to all of Equestria.

Several clouds moved in; Naturally, I head butted them. It didn't hurt one bit as the soft cloud parted before me. I could even feel a few drops of water in my mane as I went through. My eyes began to water and sting. It was normal; it was the reason why goggles were an actual business. I really had to invest in some when I had the chance.

As I wiped them away, I neared my destination. The postal office was relatively small. Only a few ponies really worked there. But as captain, it was my job to be the first one every day. And today was no different.

Unfortunately, I slightly over-estimated my glide...and ended up running into the HEAD captain.

"DERPY!" He roared. "Can't you be more careful!? Imagine if I was a package. I would be broken and that would cost us a pretty bit to replace it."

Ugh. Him again. I put on my best smile and apologized. "Sorry, Mr. Runner. Just wanted to make sure I was on time and-"

"Enough chatter. We have work to do." He opened the door and trotted to the locker area. I followed him, just like I did every day.

We said nothing to each other for a good 10 minutes. He said no hi; I didn't. Finally, he turned to me.

"We need this delivered up to Canterlot." He said, facing me. Sliding over a massive package, he gave the following warning: "Hurry up before the storm comes in. Don't lose the package or break it; another accident and you are out."

I stared at the Head Captain. A storm?! One didn't simply just go "through a storm". "Uh, sir? I don't know if-"

"No buts, Derpy." He declared. "This is an important package. If Flutters was here, I would ask him. Celestia knows he has more ability for this."

Ouch. I felt a deep sting in my heart. Sure, I wasn't always the best delivery mare for packages, but I delivered letter mail just fine. Sure, I can be slow, but I can be fast too! With a heavy sigh and a hurt heart, I prepared for the long flight.

Saddle. Check.

Package. Secure.

Goggles. Check.

Scarf. Check.

I had exited the locker room with my gear. Not much to wait on really. I took a step out of the back door into the take off area. It may seem weird to have one, but take off was extremely important if one wanted to get to a destination on time and safe.

I looked up at the bright, blue sky. Not a cloud in sight since the ones I had flown through. Perfect weather, at least over Ponyville. I had checked up on the weather schedule and there was, in fact, a 40% chance of the weather team bringing in several storm clouds. However, that could change if the gardeners were able to complete their job by 4 P.M.

The flight would take about 2 hours. Train would have made it 3-4 depending on how many passengers and where they were stopping for today.

Yeah. We get lazy sometimes. So what?

I stretched my wings wide. I bent my legs back, ready to take off. I took a good long look at my area of ascent. I breathed in the fresh morning air as the sun beamed down, warming me. In the back of my head, I always imagined a crowd behind me yelling me forward: 'Go Derpy! Make 'em proud!'.

I do one last check. The crowd grows louder as I make final preparations. I slip my goggles on, trying to block out the cries of adoration. I begin to trot, soon quickening my pace to a gallop.

Clop clop clop...

Clop clop clop clop clop clop...

CLOPCLOPCLOPCLOPCLOP-

WOOSH!

I begin my ascent into the skies as the crowds reach their maximum excitement. I follow my ascent pattern as I always do. I feel the air sharpen in front of me. My mind goes into complete free fly. The warm air on my coat and fur slows my pace down to enjoy the flight. I give one mighty flap to gain more altitude. My feathers could feel the air bending under them, allowing me to completely defy gravity.

At last, I broke into the air traffic zone. This would be where most of the traveling would be done. It was also where my mind had to focus on much as possible. The crowd cheering has ceased. My mind was in total solitude. At this altitude, it could be dangerous not to pay attention. Fortunately, my years of doing the job took over.

My wings extended once again to begin a glide. My legs and hooves found the proper angle and folding position to take. One had to make sure to be in complete comfort if they wanted to avoid cramps later on.

I looked down at Equestria. I saw my little hamlet of a town, Ponyville. The beautiful little homes made of all colors of the rainbows caught my eyes. I could see the Carousel Boutique, were Rarity designed clothes. I saw the Village Hall where Mayor Mare was most likely working. Right near it, I saw Twilight Sparkle's little abode; a massive tree that had stored a historic library. No doubt she was-

"HEY! WATCH IT!" A voice rang out, distracting me from my daydreaming. I looked up quickly only to see another mail mare, probably in a rush, swerve from his original location to avoid me.

"Sorry!" I yelled in return. What was his problem?

I went back to having my head in the clouds. I turned my attention to the Everfree forest in all its' mystery and splendor. No pony, except Zecora, ever went there; yet from the skies, I could see creatures with their families in their homes. Nearby, I noticed the house of Fluttershy, the animal caretaker and veterinarian.

For some reason, I never really gave all that much thought. After all, my job came first, and I had seen all those locations up close before. But there was something about looking at them from a view Celestia and Luna often saw as they raised their Sun and Moon.

To the regular earth or unicorn pony, all of Equestria seemed divided, separated my miles and miles of land. But to be truthful, they were all just in one location. Equestria was only so big; despite the view you would get from just being on the ground.

I could even see the heights of Manehatten, shining its' tall towers all over Equestria. In the far off distance, I could see the faint sparkle of the Crystal Empire, its' ponies working hard to reflect their emotions of love and unity throughout all of Equestria.

I returned my attention to the flight ahead. Dodging several clouds and head butting the ones that looked soft enough, I finally got to a big clearing in the sky.

In front of me, my home town of Cloudsdale was alive as ever. Pegasi were working efficiently and fast to prepare for the Equestria games. Banners and posters were hung all over the place, showing support for the Cloudsdale team and all the other competitors.

The cloud columns rose high, supporting the clouds as workers applied cloud glue to fix buildings and make repairs. It was around noon and the local school had let out all the little fillies and colts to enjoy the outdoors for recess.

The sight reminded me of Dinky. She was about those fillies age. She may have been a unicorn, but she has always wanted to know what it felt like to fly. I had often told her it was a boring sight once you have seen it about 100 times, but nonetheless, she always wanted to know.

I would tell her of the rainbows in the sky I saw; of the snow the falls lightly on my nose and mane, chilling to the bone, yet so beautiful. I told her off the rough weather that could sometimes appear and how I would have to change my course to avoid getting hurt.

"But mommy," she would say, "you're always careful, right?"

"Of course, my little muffin." I grin. "Someday, I'll take you out flying, okay?"

She would nod her head as she drifted off to sleep. But now that I look back and think on that as I flew, I realized something spectacular.

Only 1/3 of the entire 3 tribes who live in Equestria got to experience the feeling I get. Earth ponies and unicorns would never get this high. They would never know the feeling of the clouds touching their bodies. They would never taste the morning air and the precipitation that could only be experienced in the skies. It truly was a shame for them.

I had flown for a good 3 hours before I began my descent into Canterlot. The city truly was a marvel. It almost seemed to hang on the cliff of Mount Equestria. The waterfall nearby only added to the beauty of the surrounding nature.

I could see the tall towers in all their purple and gold splendor. Such a town was nowhere else to be seen all of Equestria. One could almost feel the regality that came from the city. As I made my descent, the little ant ponies became bigger and bigger.

To the left of my goggle's vision, I saw several ponies wearing this year's latest fashion trends. And was the Fancy Pants sporting a new cardigan? To my right, I saw several ponies leisurely enjoying the park, walking their pets and playing crocket.

I neared the designated platform. Taking careful aim, I began to extend my wings as much as possible to catch the wind and begin a steady descent. I could feel the rythm of the wind. I just had to hit the right note.

Bum bum. Bum bum. Bum bum. Whoosh.

There it was. My wing quickly caught the pace. The music rhythm played in my mind like a set of drums followed by a whistle.

Bum bum. Bum bum. Bum bum. Whoosh.

My wings continued the beat as my legs and hooves began to unfold. My speed began to increased as I descended, only to occasionally slow down. The voices returned. All I had to do was stick the landing now. I wasn't far off. I just needed to land it to make the Equestria Games...

Finally, the ground in front of me quickly rushes up. I extend my wings as much as possible to catch the air and slow my descent as much as possible.

Bumbumbumbumbumbum. Whoosh.

The crowd goes wild! "Derpy! Derpy! Derpy!" The judges through up their numbers, giving perfect tens from all. I almost felt so real.

I trotted my way to the drop off area. "Here you go, good sir!" I greeted, handing over the package.
The pony just looked at me. I knew him well enough. Straight Talk was a fitting name for him.

"Wait around. I need to inspect the package." He took it behind to the counter. I stared out into the open blue. Several storm clouds were moving in; the gardeners had failed their duty. The flight back would be quite difficult. I could almost feel the fur on my coat standing up from the sheer electricity that would be flowing around me.

The pony came back. "Looks all good here." He re-wrapped the package as I began my flight home.

"Oh? You're flying?" He asked.

"Yes sir! I gotta be back in Ponyville soon. My boss will probably wonder why I was gone so long."

"He does know that it's a 3 hour flight here and probably 4 going back because of the weather, right?"

I shrugged as he turned around to finish his packaging. There was no point in complaining. Perhaps it was not for the love of wishing to see my employer again, but to see the sites from a different view. I never thought of it much, but thinking on it, I saw so many things. The birds in the sky chirping through my eardrums. The pure air and freedom cleared my mind.

I began my preparations for flying.

"Go Derpy!"

Clop clop clop.

Clop clop clop clop.

CLOPCLOPCLOPCLOP. WOOSH!

It happened about 1 hour before arriving over Ponyville. The dark clouds had fully taken over the skies. I could barely see my way around. The rain was falling heavy on my coat and wing feathers. I could hear the sound of thunder and saw the lightning bolt up close. It was truly a force to be reckoned with.

The wind was no longer steady. I could barely find any rhythm. I decided it be best to get closer to the ground. I quickly began a descent and tucked my wings in a little. The cold air shivered me to the bones. I could feel the water in my mane, dripping down my body.

That was when it happened.

A rouge cloud smashed me in the face. Lost for a moment, I quickly recovered my sight...only to realize I was in freefall. The wind around me rushed upwards. My mind went into panic mode. Was this how I was going to die? Was this how I WANTED to die?

The sheer blotting out of the sun blinded me in the darkness. To my right, another lightning bolt has formed and I could hear the thunder soon after. My coat was heavy with not only rain but not my perspiration. I had to get back into normal flying position.

Twisting my body, I began to put myself in an upright position. The wind denied me any rest. I was quickly once again caught in the wind, thrown helplessly into nowhere. I was completely lost.

Then I could hear it.

Not the screams of fans. Not the rhythm of nature.

No. It was something that warmed my heart. To this moment, I still don't fully understand what it was. I could feel my body get into perfect position. My wings and mind began to work again. My body defied the pain and straightened itself out. And my head swerved to the side.

"But mommy," she said, "you're always careful, right?"

"Yes, my little muffin." I grinned. "Someday, I'll take you out flying, okay?"

My vision began to clear. I could see the end of the storm and where I had begun. I made my way towards home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And I supposed that is how I got here. Home at last. It was certainly an interesting experience. Once I had found my way, I just follow my regular route.

But I suppose what I really wanted to remember from this was...you can look at life in several different ways. But what matters is that you see it from ALL directions. Everything you see and know has a different story, whether from their standpoint, or yours.

And the ones who will always help you through the tough times, whether physical or mental, are those who you cherish and promise to always be with.

Author's Note

Thanks for reading! I really hope you enjoyed. This is my first "artistic" style writing and I would absolutely LOVE all criticism, both positive and negative.