Derpy, My Dear
Written by Skye Timber
Before I get started, I was inspired to write this after reading a few fan fictions my self. All these thoughts bubbled and burst in my head, so I felt the urge to write this. This was written in the eyes of a 14 year-old girl, and her wild experience. I hope all of my readers will enjoy my story.
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Every day I wake up, go to school, come home, and go to sleep. It's always a constant cycle. Wake up, go to school, come home, sleep, repeat. It's not completely and utterly boring, but sometimes I wish I could just stop time, and do anything. I'm only 14, so my mind is still young and full of childish thoughts. School gets stressful, piling me with work I sometimes don't even understand. But I'm looking forward for spring break, it's just around the corner, this Wednesday. Today was Monday, my most hated day of the week. With all the stress in my head, I tried to think of something that makes me happy. Pizza? No... Six Flags? Eh...
Ah! My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic! That's something I like, something that makes me happy. I pictured the six, a blend of vibrant colors. Then I imagined my favorite Pegasus, Rainbow Dash, and she was giving a pep-talk to Fluttershy- Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnngggggggggg! Homeroom was over, time for first period. Great, I thought. Time for algebra class. How wonderful.
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Kids and teen-agers alike mingled in the hallways, some rushing to get to their sixth period classes, while others slowly sauntered by. I was sitting in the library at a computer, trying to finish my essay on Benjamin Franklin.
The assignment required at least 500 words. I glanced to see how many words I'd used. 489. Almost there. I'd just typed the last word when the screen went black. "What? No, what happened? I didn't get to save the document!" I checked around the tower, where the surge-suppressor was. A small rodent sat on the power button, which was no longer glowing red. "Are you serious? Filthy rat! I'd almost finished, until you came along," I said as I stamped the floor near it, and it scampered away. I plopped back into the cheap, plastic chair. With my head in my hands, I sighed. Again I felt stressed.
Then I thought of Rainbow Dash again. She was zipping through Ponyville, while Pinkie Pie watched her. "Wow, Rainbow, you're fast!" Rainbow Dash turned her head and said aloud to Pinkie Pie, " You think that's fast? Watch this!" She zoomed by Pinkie with such velocity, Pinkie Pie had to lean forward to keep balance. "Gosh, Rainbow, I don't know anypony who could fly as fast as you!" Then Derpy Hooves galloped towards Pinkie. "Hey, Pinkie, what'cha doin'?" "Oh, I'm watching Rainbow Dash-"
Oh, wait a minute. This is sixth period. I'm late for class! I quickly grabbed my books up and skittered off to history class, momentarily forgetting my essay that was due by tomorrow.
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I walked in the front door of the house, and slid into a comfy chair in the living room. School's finally over for today, I thought to myself with a smile. Just one more day. "Skye, could you go make your bed? You forgot to make it this morning," my mother said from across the room. Make my bed? I was almost positive I'd made it this morning. But, maybe I didn't. I know I was frazzled then, because I didn't want to be late for school. I heaved my bookbag over my shoulder and walked down the hallway to my bedroom.
I set my bag in a chair and walked over to my closet for a minute. I opened the door, and stared into the mirror attached to the other side. I took up my brush and brushed through my hair quickly. One swipe, two swipes, three swipes. That's when I glimpsed the reflection of my bed in the mirror. It was made, like I thought I'd done that morning. I was about to go tell my mother this, until I realized something. There was a bulk on top of the bed, leaned against my pillow. I whizzed around, closing the closet door, and curiously looked at the object. Then, with full realization, I walked over to it. Picking it up, I rubbed my fingers over the plushie's mane, tail, hooves, then face. It was a plush Derpy Hooves!
I'd been asking for a plush pony for a while. Gripping it close, I hop-skipped back to the living room, where my mother was waiting with a grin on her face. "Mom, did you get me this?" She nodded. "Oh, thank you, Mom!" "It was no trouble, really. I'm sorry I couldn't get that blue one you were asking for, but the store only had one pony left, that one. So I figured I'd get it for you anyway." I held Derpy close and smiled at my mother. "That's quite alright, Mom. Derpy Hooves is just as awesome as Rainbow Dash!"
Later that night, I was sitting at my desk, struggling to rewrite my essay. 249 words. I glanced at Derpy Hooves where I'd set her on my desk. "Derpy, do you know much about Ben Franklin?" I asked with a slight chuckle, knowing I wouldn't get a reply. I pulled up my browser, and Googled information on Ben Franklin. I found a long entry about him, then copied it. Pasting into my document, I now only had about 150 words left. I stopped then, saved it, and went to the kitchen, where a delicious scent came from. I saw my mother cooking spaghetti. Yes! When she made spaghetti, it was better than other I'd tasted. Seeing as it was almost done, I grabbed a saucer and waited for her to scoop some in it. Then my father walked in the door with some groceries. Setting the plate down, I helped him put them away. I sat at the table and blew at the steaming plate of food. Digging my fork in the spaghetti, I pulled out a good bit of noodles covered in sauce, mushrooms, and tomato shreds. Mmmm.
After dinner, I plopped on my bed. Hugging my beloved little Derpy plushie, I lay in the covers and snuggled up tight. I let my eyes droop close as I whispered into the dark, "You're my little Derpy now."
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The next morning I woke up, with Derpy Hooves still clutched in my hands. I realized I felt groggy, and my eyes felt puffy. I sneezed, and then rolled out of bed. I got dressed and went to find my mother. She was sitting in the den, sipping from a mug of coffee. "Mom, I don't feel good this morning. My eyes are puffy, and my throat feels scratchy." She looked up in concern and said, "Well, if you really don't feel well, I don't suppose I should send you to school today..." I coughed, but I made it sound harder, trying to convince her to let me stay home. "Alright, go lie back in bed. I'll make you some chicken noodle soup, and maybe you'll feel better."
I snuggled back in the covers, grasping the small plush toy I treasured so much. I stared into it's face, it's little nose poking out, and it's eyes looking opposite directions. For a simple marketing product, it wasn't that shabby.
That afternoon, I sat at my computer. I'd finally finished my essay, for a second time, and now I was just searching the internet mindlessly. I did feel better then, as if Derpy Hooves had the magical power to heal me or something. Besides that, my mother had given me some foul tasting substance to make me feel better. Sitting the tall chair at my desk, I fiddled with a scrap of paper. Then I opened a drawer, pulled out a pencil and some paper, and began drawing Derpy Hooves. I drew her with a pencil in her mouth, her cooky eyes all over the place. One of her wings was folded in, the other clapping my hand. I drew my other hand on her head, ruffling her mane. For a quick sketch, it turned out alright. I put the things away. I glanced back at the lifeless toy and thought to my self. Wouldn't it be nice to have a real Derpy Hooves? One who would talk to you, express her crazy thoughts, and to watch her bounce around the room? I sighed and turned on the TV. There was a re-run of the episode about Spike joining the Great Dragon Migration. I curled up in a lounge chair, with Derpy in my lap, and watched.
That evening, I huddled up once again in my large bed. As my eyes adjusted to the dimness of the night, I stared at the figure of my beloved Derpy Hooves. I turned her around and around, examining the simple toy. I thought about how neat it would be to have a real Derpy Hooves again. I smiled in the dark as I imagined having to clean up Derpy's messes. I hugged the plushie close, and wished ever so strongly that she was real. I closed my eyes, and entered a light sleep. Princess Celestia's face appeared in front of my brain, her picture covering any other thought. Her voice echoed in my head as she said loudly and clearly, "If you were to have responsibility of Derpy Hooves, you must promise to take care of her, and to keep her secret from any other being." In the strange dream, I stepped out of the shadows and made the promise absent-mindedly.
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The next morning I awoke with an urge. I held up a hand and rubbed my eyes. Looking to my side, I realized Derpy Hooves was not there. Kicking back the covers, I searched the sheets, the floor, under the bed. I couldn't find her. Where could she be? I wondered to myself. I scanned around my desk, then saw that the closet door was cracked. Gripping the doorknob, I pulled the door open. I looked in the closet, and found a grayish blue wing poking out from behind my beanbag chair. "Ah, found you." I reached down for the wing, but in an instant it wasn't there. With a puzzled look on my face, I yanked the beanbag chair backwards. Suddenly the images of Princess Celestia’s serious face flooded my mind, as I remembered the conversation with her. I gasped at what I saw. "D- Derpy Hooves?" The form hesitated a bit, then tucked its head in it's wing. "I... I can't believe it..." I slowly reached my hand out, and stroked the wing covering Derpy's face, a feather sticking to my hand. Her body flinched. I quickly removed my hand, knowing that she was unsure of her environment. Staring down at the feather, I tried to reason with the creature. "Erm, I'm Skye. You don't need to be afraid of me. Princess Celestia sent you here for me to care for you," I said softly with a friendly voice. I could see her becoming less tense. She lowered her wing slightly, just enough so she could see me. The innocent eyes blinked, their beautiful yellow iris' shining in the light. "I remember her telling me that it wasn't safe there for you. She said that Discord has gotten free once again, but this time he was so strong that everypony was in danger, and that I needed to look after you. She made me promise I'd care for you. And I'm going to keep that promise, no matter what it takes." I heard a low rumble. Derpy looked to her stomach, then looked back up at me. She curled her small lip a bit. "Oh, you must be hungry. We have some strawberries. Do you like strawberries?" Her tail flicked up, then back down, as she audibly gulped. "Alright, wait right here, I'll go get some strawberries."
I softly closed the door, and hurried to the kitchen. I grabbed a bowl and filled it with fresh, red, juicy strawberries. Almost jogging back to my room, I closed the bedroom door. Then I went to the closet, and looked back down to the spot Derpy had made herself comfortable in. She'd covered her face with her wing again. I slowly closed the closet door behind me, then sat down. I placed the bowl between me and Derpy. "It's okay, it's me again. I brought you some strawberries, and I already cut off the leaves, just for you," I said as I gestured to the bowl. She lowered her wing again, and stared at the dish. Her eyes darted from it and back to me. I realized her eyes did not look opposite directions. "Oh, um, do you want me to leave, or...?" Her eyes projected a look of loneliness. "Maybe I should stay?" Derpy suddenly ruffled her wings. She took a brave step, still unsure of what to think of me. She made her way to the bowl, craned her head inside, and gripped a strawberry in her jaws. Sitting back down, she sucked it in her mouth and chewed it. Her eyes portrayed a look of enjoyment. I noticed that her eyes, those beautiful, gorgeous eyes said more words than I could utter. She stepped forward again, grabbing another plump strawberry.
I couldn't help but smile. This was it. A real live Derpy Hooves for myself. And I started off well, giving her something she apparently likes. After a while, she'd eaten the last strawberry. She went for another strawberry, but seeing that the dish was empty, she pulled her head back and flared her little nostrils. I chuckled, and leaned back against the wall. It seemed that we sat for hours, staring at each other, studying the other's features. The thought of it all made me feel sleepy, and I found myself slipping into slumber, once again. I took one last look at the wonderful gift in front of me before my eyelids shut and I fell asleep.
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When I opened my eyes, I didn't see Derpy in front of me anymore. I sat for a minute, then I went to lean forward. But I stopped myself short. I glanced down and saw Derpy Hooves underneath my arm. I leaned back again. I slowly moved my other hand over to her, and stroked the top of her head and down her back. I combed my fingers through her yellow mane, brushing it out of her pretty face.
At that moment, all of my stress had disappeared. All I could think of was my Derpy Hooves, my precious Derpy. My eyes seemed to look over to her cutie mark, seven little bubbles. "Huh, bubbles..." Derpy's ears perked up, and she looked up at me. "Oh, I'm sorry Derpy, did I disturb you?" I asked almost in a whisper. For the first time, I heard Derpy speak. "No..." Her voice wasn't like what it was on My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It was soft and nervous, like a slightly deeper version of Fluttershy's voice. "Oh, well, would you like some more strawberries?" She stared back up into my eyes and said, "No, I'm fine. You said your name was Skye, right?"
I nodded with a warm smile. "Well, Skye, you said Princess Celestia sent me here. I know Discord had returned to power, but I just don't understand..." I stroked her head again. "Don't worry, Derpy. Everything will be alright. She sent you here because she needed to get everypony other than the six to go somewhere far away. Princess Celestia sent you to me because, well, not only did you need me, but I needed you."
Derpy had settled down next to me again, her head resting on my hand. She wasn't sleeping, just resting and thinking. All afternoon she'd been asking questions, and I'd answer them as best as I could. Soon, after a bit of quiet, she piped up. "Skye, don't you have parents?" After a moment, I replied, "Yes, I do, but yesterday they told me they had to go on a business trip for the week. Since I get to stay home, we have the whole house to ourselves."
This seemed to brighten her up. "The whole house? That means, I can go throughout the house freely without anyone else seeing me?" I nodded. I heard another grumble, but it came from my stomach. Derpy dipped her head to the side, not knowing where the noise had come from. "Don't worry, that was just my tummy. Are you hungry? I am. You can come help me put some food together." She nodded vigorously.
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It was now Saturday. For the past few days, Derpy and I shared stories and laughed. Derpy had tried to make a sandwich, but instead made a mess. I cleaned it all up for her and told her making a mess was a common thing everyone did, which made her feel better.
I was propped up on a pillow on my bed. Derpy lay beside me, curled up and snuggled in. At one moment, she'd asked, "Skye, you're so much like family to me. Would it be okay if I considered you as my big sister?" I pondered the question for a bit. I thought of myself as family to Derpy. It made me realize that she loved me so much, she'd consider me as a sister. "Of course you can, my little Derpy." With this, I reached over and tickled her. She giggled and wriggled around. The sight of my Derpy, laughing, made my heart swell. I felt a tear rise up in my eye, and I brushed it away. I felt true happiness then.
Later that day, I looked around for something Derpy could do. She'd started flying around, zooming and zipping around corners. I moved all the furniture to the side, and we'd have races. "Whew, Derpy, you sure are fast. You might be as fast as Rainbow Dash!" The mention of her friends name made Derpy stop in the air and sit on the floor. "What's wrong, Derpy? Did I say something wrong?" She shuffled her hooves and stared at the floor. "No, it's just... I miss my friends." I walked over to her and sat down. "Derpy, don't worry, you'll see your friends soon. You know how good they are with the Elements! I bet they've just about got Discord running away." She stared at the floor for a moment more. Then, evidently feeling better, she remarked jokingly, "How much you want to bet?"
Thinking I'd found the perfect thing for Derpy, I grabbed a few peices of paper and some crayons. "Here, Derpy, do you like to draw?" Derpy Hooves trotted to the table I'd set the supplies. Picking up a crayon in her mouth, she weaved her head side to side, up and down, creating a work of art on the paper. When she'd finished, she gestured for me to look at it. There stood Derpy and I, her wing in my hand, and a big heart around us both. At the top, "I love you" was scribbled in ponyscript. Taking the peice of paper, I taped it to the wall. I turned back around to see Derpy smiling at me. I returned the smile, leaned over, and hugged her. "I love you too, Derpy."
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"Well, Derpy, it's Monday night. What do you want to do?" Derpy looked at me, her brow creased. "Monday? It's Monday? Oh no..." Crouching to her level, I asked, "What's wrong with it being Monday, Derpy?" She turned her head up at me, tears swelled in her eyes. "Princess Celestia is taking me away tonight!" She jumped into my arms, her hooves around me. "She's taking you away tonight? How do you know?" She sniffled, then held me tighter. "She came to me in a dream last night. She told me that the six had defeated Discord, and that all the ponies must return. She's sending Rainbow Dash to get me tonight!" She sobbed into my shoulder. "I don't want to leave you, Skye! You're my best friend, my... my... my big sister!" "Ssshhh, don't cry, Derpy." I started rocking back and forth, hoping the movement would calm her. "It'll be okay. You... you need to go back home, where you belong," I said, struggling to keep myself together long enough to help Derpy.
After dark, Derpy and I sat on the couch. She huddled next to me, wanting to stay there forever, but she knew she couldn't. I'd just gotten a bowl of strawberries for her. She was nibbling on a strawberry, sobbing into my side, and trying to talk to me all at the same time. I rubbed up and down her back, soothing her some. She gulped down the last strawberry when the knock came at the door. She glanced up, then looked worriedly at me. "Derpy, go sit in my room for a minute, that might not be Rainbow Dash."
I shuffled to the door, hesitated, then answered. "Who is it?" "This is Rainbow Dash. Princess Celestia sent me." I opened the door to see a cyan pony with rosy eyes and a vibrant rainbow mane. "Hello, Rainbow Dash. I'm Skye, and I guess you've come for-" "Derpy Hooves, yes. Where is she?" I looked down the hallway to my bedroom door, slightly cracked, with a grayish blue face peering through it. "I'll go get her."
Walking down the hallway, stared into Derpy's face, a mask of sadness covering it. I opened the creaky door, and held it open for Derpy. She walked out slowly, placing her wing in my hand, like a small child would place his hand in his mother's. We both walked along back to the door, moving begrudgingly. Rainbow Dash perked up. "Ah, Derpy Hooves. How've you been?" Derpy Hooves tilted her head up from the hanging position it had been in. "I've been alright," She said with a sniffle. "Has Skye taken good care of you?" Derpy nodded slowly. "Yes, in fact she's taken great care of me." I bent down and wiped a tear from Derpy's face. "Before you take me back, could I say a few words to Skye?" Raibow Dash nodded. Derpy Hooves whirled around a gave me a tight squeeze. By this time my tears had started to flow as well. We both sat on the floor, crying, hugging each other. I swayed side to side in a rhythm. "I love you!" Derpy said to me. "I love you too, Derpy, my dear."
Rainbow Dash made a quick sniffle. "Alright, Derpy, are you ready to go?" Derpy Hooves finally nodded. "Okay. Thank you, Skye, for looking after my friend here." "It was no trouble at all, Rainbow." Rainbow Dash gave a salute, then signalled for her and Derpy to fly away. As Derpy and Rainbow let off the ground, Derpy turned around and took one last look at me. She mouthed the words, "I'll miss you." Derpy and Rainbow disappeared into the night shadows. I sat on the front porch for a long while after their departure.
When I did go back inside, I moved the furniture back to where it was supposed to be. I went back to my room and flopped on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Then I remembered something. I leaned up and went to the table Derpy had drawn at. On the wall still hung the picture Derpy had drawn. I flipped it over on the back this time. There, scribbled in the corner, was a message that read, "I'll miss you, Skye. Maybe one day they'll have to send everypony away again, and I could come back to you... -Derpy"
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The End
