Part 1
It was a cold, stormy day in the city of Cloudsdale. Their was no light shining from the afternoon sun, and not many pegasi were out and about. In a large, hoof-made cloud house high in the sky, an obscure family resided, sitting next to a warmth cloud, fending off the snipping cold. If you had seen this family, you would've thought it be obscure too. A blue Pegasus, Rainbow Dash, with rainbow colored hair, who was the pride and joy of one Rainbow Blaze. Fluttershy, a yellow Pegasus with pink hair, was as shy and timid as any pony could possible be. Finally, there was Derpy Hooves, a grey Pegasus with yellow hair, who, if not noted, could've resembled Rainbow Blaze except for the hair and eyes. Rainbow Dash was the only true daughter of Rainbow Blaze, and the other two were adopted not too long ago. There had been some rough times for the yellow and grey pegasi, but they had fought through it to a new life.
They sat around the warmth cloud, talking, telling each other different stories that they had made up or heard from someone else.
"Yes yes, that's understandable...I guess." Rainbow Blaze stated.
They chuckled along with him.
Derpy sighed. "Oh, how my mother would've loved that story." Her smile faded, and she grew silent.
Rainbow Blaze glanced at her changed figure. "I just realized, you never did tell me about your mother Derpy." Rainbow Dash shot him a look and shook her head, from what seemed like worry. he glanced back at Derpy, sensing a mistake.
"I mean...you don't have to tell me if--"
"No, no you're right. You deserve the right to know. I guess...I never really talked about her because of how, down, I felt when I arrived here." She sighed. "Another reason is because I never knew my real mother. She, she left me when I was barley a newborn."
A foggy silence filled the room. Fluttershy gulped, and Dash could almost hear it.
Derpy took a breath before speaking. "I'll never forget some of the things she said, like...like the story of how I came to be with her." She paused, swallowing a lump in her throat before continuing. "It was a night, kind of like how it is right now; stormy, cold, pouring rain."
--She lit the last of the candles in the house, lighting it up with a vibrant orange color. It was pitch black outside, and if it hadn't been for the rain, there wouldn't have been a single sound in the house. She sighed, eyeing the light.
Suddenly, there was a loud bang on the door. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard that! It almost sounded like a tree branch had flown straight at her door, but that couldn't be possible. There were no trees in Cloudsdale. She grabbed one of the candles and sat it on a chair next to the door. She slowly reached for the door handle, turned it and pulled.
She couldn't see anything in the storm, and the impending darkness didn't make it any easier. She looked around for what, or who made the loud noise. When she looked down, she gasped.
Sitting there was a small cardboard box, slightly damaged and soaked in water. When she looked inside, her heart jumped in her throat.
Curled up inside the box was a lone, grey, Pegasus. It looked to have been barley a year old, and it was shivering and wet. She immediately picked it up out of the box. It shivered violently in her hooves, and it's eyes were shut tight.
"Oh, you poor, poor thing." She looked around again for the owners of this little baby. They were long gone by now, and she still couldn't see because of the storm. She looked down at the little bundle of grey fur. It whimpered lightly from the cold.
"Ohhh. Here, let's get you inside and get you dried up." She closed the door behind her, still holding the baby in one hoof. The baby Pegasus squirmed around in her arm, shivering, whimpering. It was so pitiful. She set her down on a small table, quickly looking around her house.
"Hang on. I'll get you a blanket." She rushed to the bathroom. The little Pegasus curled up again, whimpering. She returned a second later with a towel. She wrapped the towel around the little Pegasus, rubbing her fur lightly and forcefully. The tiny Pegasus squeaked from the feeling, enjoying the warm, dry towel on her cold, wet fur. She smiled at her feeble squeaks, sensing her happiness. Soon, she was dry, and her fur was wacky and spikey. She chuckled at the sight. The little Pegasus smiled happily, still not opening her eyes. She slowly covered her body with the small blanket, and the grey baby sighed from the comfy feeling. She had to wonder why she wasn't opening her eyes. Maybe she wasn't old enough, maybe she couldn't open her eyes.
"Hey little filly..." She paused, thinking of her words. "Would you like to, um, open your eyes?"
As soon as she said that, the little Pegasus turned away, whimpering. This came as a bit of a shock to her. Why did she seem so afraid?
"Hey...it's okay little filly. I'm not going to make fun of you, if, that's what you think." She smiled.
The little filly hesitated, contemplating her decision. She turned her head again, and she slowly opened one of her eyes. She saw the smiling, dark grey Pegasus in front of her, and she opened the other one, blinking twice. She still had that slight look of fear, but it didn't seem like...fear of her.
"See? That wasn't so bad was--"
She noticed it suddenly. It was unmistakable.
"Your eyes are...crossed." She studied her.
She gasped, turning her head away and closing her eyes, whimpering again. She immediately felt guilty. She didn't know that's why she had her eyes closed, but she felt bad in the fact she said it. She hated to see this little Pegasus like this.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I actually...I thought your eyes were, beautiful." She said.
The little filly opened her eyes again, staring up at her in wonderment. She couldn't believe what she had just heard.
She smiled. "Yes, you heard me. Your eyes are beautiful, little thing." She smiled wide.
The little filly continued staring up at her, and a moment later, she smiled too.
She chuckled, but soon the realization hit her, the reason why her parents left her.
"Wait..." She paused. "Is, is that why your parents left you?" She asked.
The filly's smile faded, and she tucked herself into the blanket, not making a sound.
"They left you because your eyes are...different?" She said in shock.
She curled herself tighter, sobbing lightly into the blanket.
It took a moment to process this for her. It was one of the stupidest things she has ever heard of in her life, one of the most arrogant things ever. It left her a tad angry, and extremely shocked.
She saw the filly's position, curled up and crying, and she picked her up. cradling her in her hooves. This was probably the hardest thing to understand for her, especially at this young of age. She continued sobbing in her fur, shaking lightly from her feelings. She stroked the little filly's hair, trying to calm her. Finally, after a minute pure silence, besides the soft sobbing of the Pegasus, she spoke.
"Well, you know what? If they don't want to love you just because your eyes are...different, than, they don't deserve to be true parents."
The little filly looked up at her, her eyes sparkling from her tears. She smiled at her.
"Well, since they aren't your parents anymore," She thought about her next decision. It would be one that would change her life forever. "How would like it...if, I became your mother?" She asked, hoping she'd understand the question.
The little filly's yellow eyes shown something new, something like, surprise and maybe, happiness. She hadn't shown either of those emotions tonight, except when she said her eyes were beautiful, so it was a very nice sight.
"Well, what do you think?" She asked.
She stared up at her in silence, and then she smiled, nodding her head.
She smiled back, hugging her tightly. "Well then, welcome to your new home."
As she continued hugging her, the little filly began crying on her shoulder, but this time, the Pegasus knew that these were tears of joy.
"Aw..." Was all she could make out. This was the most touching moment she had ever experienced. The little filly eventually gathered herself, and she looked up at her new mother, her eyes glistening her tears. It's like they were shining.
The Pegasus hugged her again. "Well, since you're with me now, you need a new name." She thought about the perfect name, one that would suit this little Pegasus well. "Hm...let's see..." She thought of her favorite constellations, the one's she looked at every night. Some of the names would be really odd, like naming your Pegasus...Pegasus. That would not be suitable. She thought of a different one, and it clicked in an instant. The constellation, Derpius Ostilauous looked somewhat similar to Derpy's eyes. It was two separate ovals, each with a smaller oval inside it, and they were pointing separate, diagonal ways. It was perfect for her.
"How about..." She looked down at her in that instant. "Derpy Hooves!"
The little filly gasped, reacting to the name. Her eyes glanced around, thinking. She really hoped that she would like the name, it would really suck if she didn't. After a moment of silence, the little filly smiled and squeaked, giving the obvious happy answer. She smiled back, hugging her again.
"Well then, welcome to your new home, Derpy Hooves." She said, tears forming in her eyes.
The little filly nuzzled herself into her chest, sighing from the softness. She looked down at her. She looked absolutely adorable. Her face was nuzzled into her chest, her corn yellow hair flowed along her head, her little ears were down. Her breathing slowed as she drifted off into a slumber. She slowly walked to her room, carrying the little grey Pegasus in her hooves. She was already fast asleep, breathing softly into her body. She smiled down at her, crawling into the bed. The little filly stirred lightly on her chest, sighing. She stroked her soft hair, before she fell into a deep sleep.
--Derpy finished her story, smiling to herself. The others had been deathly silent throughout the entire story, listening very intently.
"Awwww!" Dash and Fluttershy said at the same time. Dash quickly gasped, clearing her throat and blushing. She wasn't much into the soft stories, or, anything soft for that matter (except clouds, because clouds are amazing), and the way she reacted was very...un-dash like.
Her dad chuckled. "I heard that." She blushed even more.
Derpy smiled to them. "The reason I loved her so much is because...even though she wasn't my birth mother, she, she was still my real mother. And, she treated me like her real daughter." She looked to them. "I was her real daughter, no matter what anyone said." She sighed, looking up. "She was with me through it all, she saw my growth. She was there when I said my first words, when I took my first steps, and when I took my first flight." She chuckled. "I remember, one of her favorite things to do was, look at the stars. Every night, around 9 or so, she would fly me up to this cloud that was much higher than the others. As she described it, it was her star watching cloud. Since the day I could remember as a filly, she took me up to that cloud, and every night we would watch the stars." She sighed. "I'll never forget the first time she told me about it. At least...this was the first time I ever remember her bringing me to it..."
--Derpy clutched her mother tight as they lifted into flight. The cold night air blasted them, causing Derpy to bury her face into her fur. Even though she wasn't able to fly by herself, she loved to fly with her mom by her side. The thrill of it all, the wind, the adrenaline, the pure feeling of lifting off the ground, was incredible. She exhaled a chilled breath, still holding on tight.
Her mom slowly halted and floated down on a small, light cloud, sitting down on it, still holding Derpy Hooves in her arms. The little filly sighed.
"Oh...I f-feel a little...lightheaded..." She said, rubbing her temple.
"Well, you've only flown three times with me, and that's it. You're just still not used to it, but once you are, you'll love it." She smiled.
She nodded. She looked around, wondering where they were. She shivered. It was much colder up here than way down in Cloudsdale. She wrapped her hooves around herself, exhaling cold air.
"Hey Derpy, look up." Her mom said.
Derpy glanced up, and she gasped from the amazing sight above her.
Stars. Stars everywhere. They illuminated the entire sky, glistening and flashing with it's crystal white color. Derpy was mesmerized. She had never seen so many stars, and she had never seen them shine so bright. She couldn't take her eyes of them. Derpy's mom had secretly been watching her, sensing her reaction. She smiled.
"You like it?" She asked.
Derpy looked back at her after many moments of star-staring. Her smile was wide. "Y-Yes! It's beautiful!" She stared up at it again.
"Mmm hmm..." She looked up with her. "Before you came into my life, I would go up to this cloud every single night and watch the stars, counting them, looking for their constellations."
"C-C-on-st-tell---a-a-tions?" She tried to pronounce.
She wrapped her hoof around her. "Constellations." She said. "Their the stars that paint a picture, make an image that you can see with a telescope, or with your eyes. I told you about the telescope, right?" She asked.
Derpy nodded. "Yes. It's that thing that..." She rubbed her chin with her hoof, digging deep in her mind, trying to remember. "...You can like, look through it and...see the stars and the...p-planets up close." She finalized.
She nodded. "Very good. Well, when I met you, you were just a wee-little filly, not even a year old. And, since you were now my daughter, I needed a good name for you. At first, I was a little stumped. I couldn't think of the right name. Then I thought of my favorite constellations, Pegasus, Olock's Wing, The Magic Horn, but there was one certain one that I knew would fit perfectly." She paused, pointing up to the stars above. "See if you can find a set of stars that are in the shape of two big ovals, with two smaller ovals inside of them. Also, this constellation will be a slightly more yellow color thean the shiny white. Give it a try." She said to her.
Derpy looked up again, excited to have a challenge put in front of her. She always loved a challenge, including one that she could complete on the spot. She looked and looked and looked, trying to find the slightly yellow stars. It took a while, but eventually, she spotted a pair of circles, each pointing a different direction, with two smaller ovals inside them, and they were slightly more yellow than the other stars.
"Is...is it that one?" She asked, pointing up at the spot.
Her mom nodded. "Yes it is." She looked up with her. "I named you after that constellation." She looked to her, and she turned her head. "It's called, Derpius Ostilauous." She waited for her to figure it out.
Derpy gasped, realizing it quickly. "Derpi-us...Derpy! Like me!" She said happily.
She smiled wide, chuckling. "Yes, just like you." She hugged her tighter. "I named you after that little group of stars." She said.
Derpy smiled. "I like it." She said, looking up at her. "I really like it."
"I'm glad." She replied.
"It's like...when we arrived here," She paused. "I forgot about everything in the outside world. I forgot all about the good things and the bad things, and now, I'm just here, in this wonderful place." She paused. "I love this feeling."
Her mother rubbed her shoulder lightly, and she sighed. She began looking slightly drowsy, which wouldn't be surprising. It was very late, and she usually went to bed about an hour ago.
--"I don't remember what happened next. I probably fell asleep. I was pretty tired." She said, chuckling lightly.
Fluttershy "awed" again and Rainbow Dash smiled. "Wow...that would be nice, wouldn't it?" She asked her dad.
"What?"
"Just, looking up at the stars. It just sounds so...calming." She said. She suddenly glanced around at them. "I mean, not like I wanna' do that or anything!" She quickly stated, keeping her pride and not letting her compassionate side take over. That wasn't her, obviously, and it wouldn't be unless it was necessary. She still could think it was nice in her mind though.
Her dad chuckled, and she blushed again.
Derpy smiled. "My mom and I had such good times. She was the greatest mom could've asked for; kind, compassionate, caring, while still having a stint of humor. But the one thing that I loved about her the most was, she never got really mad at me." She paused. "You guys know that I'm very...clumsy, and, obviously with that clumsiness, I sometimes, mess things up or accidentally knock things over. I did that a lot when I was younger." She sighed. "You've seen it, that obvious side of me." She shook her head. Dash nodded. "But...she never truly got angry with me. She would get a little upset, don't get me wrong. I've broke some of her favorite items when I was younger, but even amidst that, she never yelled at me, or reprimanded me, she just told me not to do again or to be more careful, and...I loved that. I loved that she never got angry. It made me feel...special, appreciated, loved. It's like she appreciated my clumsiness. I don't think she did but it almost seemed like she did." She smiled in that instant, but it faded a second later. "But...those good times took a sharp turn." Her face darkened greatly. "Too quickly..."
They could feel the mood change drastically in the warm, sunset lit room. It changed from the very happy, upbeat story that it had been for most of the it's length, too a darker. deeper aspect, and they could sense that just from Derpy's words, and how she presented them.
"What do you mean?" Fluttershy asked, fearing her answer.
Dash gulped, already knowing what she was about to say. She stayed silent however.
Derpy made a breathy sigh, shutting her eyes for a moment. "Well, one day, about 3 years ago, my mom started getting really sick. At first we just thought that it was a cold or some other random sickness. A week past, and she was getting worse, so she finally went to the hospital. Hours passed with no word from her. Finally, a doctor came to our house and told me that my mom would have to stay for a couple of days, so that they could run some tests. Already, that didn't sound good. You never really want to hear that from a doctor, you know? So, another three days passed, an finally, she came home, looking as good as ever. I was very excited to see her, obviously. She had been gone far to long, and I was stuck at the house praying for her safety and health." She paused, gulping. "S-She led me to my room, and sat me on the bed. She stayed silent for a full two minutes, before finally uttering four words that I will never forget, as long as I live."
Dash bit her lip and turned away for a second. Fluttershy noticed.
It took Derpy a couple of moments to gather herself, for the tears had started forming already. She took a breath, continuing with a staggering voice. "S-She said..." Derpy closed her eyes, fighting the tears. "D-Derpy...I have cancer."
You could hear Fluttershy's gasp clearly over the engulfing silence. Dash looked back at the grey Pegasus, her eyes glistening a bit. Even Rainbow Blaze shifted from the uncomfortable turn that this story took. He deeply regretted bringing the topic up. He scooted over closer to the feeble Pegasus.
Derpy shut her eyes for a minute, thinking deep, remembering her past thought's, sad one's that she would love to keep away forever, but she knew she never would.
She gulped before continuing. "She told me she would do everything she could to stop it, and I believed her. I stayed by her side the whole way, giving her confidence, keeping her spirits up. I think the my general presence kept her fighting." Derpy's mouth twitched slightly. "But..."
Right as she said that, the outcome was clear. Fluttershy whimpered almost silently in her spot, and Dash gulped the lump in her throat.
Derpy breathed again. "B-But...we couldn't do it. We tried everything, every possible thing to stop it...b-but we couldn't. It was already spreading to much, and a very fast rate. The last time she went to the hospital, the doctor, who had been one of the most helpful pegasi on earth, said she had about two months to live." She dropped her head for second, sniffling. Dad was there, wrapping a hoof around her, pulling her closer to him.
She sniffed. "I-I'll never forget the last moment I s-spent with her..." She breathed a helpless breath that was a combination of sadness and remembrance.
--I sat there, waiting, praying, hoping for any sort of miracle to keep her alive. I knew it wouldn't help. It was inevitable. This horrible, painful fact was inevitable. It was going to happen, weather I wanted it to or not. I sighed in sadness.
The door opened up, and the doctor came walking out slowly, sighing. I turned to him. He was looking down at me, his eyes full of consent and what seemed like, pain.
"Would you like to see her, Derpy? This might be the last time you will get too." he said remorsefully.
My heart wrenched at that sentence. I nodded slowly. He stepped aside, leaving the entrance open. I took a deep breath, before entering the door.
My eyes were already filled with tears.
There she was, the once healthy and happy Starchaser. Now, all the color of her usual pink fur, her usual shinny silver mane and tail, was gone. Her fur was a light pink-white, and he mane was the color of grey dirt. She was thinner than ever, having not eaten in three days. I continued to stare, seeing the hollow shell of my mother.
"I'll be back in a moment." The doctor said before closing the door behind him.
I slowly approached the bed, afraid to see the rest of my mother. The cancer was nothing like I had ever seen. It had taken her pride, her health, her soul. And we thought we could fight it...
I jumped on the chair near the edge of her bed, and I winced and wept at the sight in front of me. Her eyes were closed and her face had ridges, like she was clenching from indescribable pain. I almost couldn't bear the sight.
"M--Mom..." I said weakly.
She opened her eyes slowly, turning to me. She smiled slightly at the sight of her daughter beside her.
"Hi Derpy..." With a breathy voice that sounded like a ghost. "I'm...I'm glad to see you again..." She sighed.
I nodded, my mouth quivering from my tears, my hooves shaking as I stroked her soft brow.
"O-Of c-c-course..." I stuttered. I couldn't say much more past that.
She made a deep sigh. "Derpy...I just want you too know..." She gasped suddenly from pain, clenching her eyes shut and tensing up, before finally relaxing with another sigh. She gulped. "I just want you to know...that...you have been...the greatest experience...in my life. Before you came along...I didn't know...I didn't know what I would do with my...my life. My husband was dead...my life was partially empty...but then...y-you appeared on my doorstep..." She winced again. "And...and my life was changed forever..." She smiled wider than last. I continued crying, smiling along with her. "Y...You have been...the greatest part of my....my life...and...I love you so, so much..." She sighed again, her breaths becoming ragged. I looked on in worry. She relaxed again, taking choking breaths. "Derpy...I...I don't want you to...to grieve over me...I want you to..." She winced, gulping. "I want you to live your life...I want you to be happy...don't dwell on my loss...please...that's the l-last thing I want you to do..."
I heard the door open. The doctor appeared before us a moment later. I looked back to my mom. She looked at me one last time, smiling at me. For a split second there, I could've sworn that I saw the stars in her eyes, her soul recalibrated for a brief instant.
"Derpy...I love you...don't...don't ever forget that..." I hugged her tightly, crying into her shoulder. The doctor watched on silently, closing his eyes for a moment.
"N...Now y-you can c-chase stars in t-t-the heavens!" I wept. crying even more.
I could feel her tears on my body as well, cool droplets that I would never feel again. I finally pulled away, shaken, weary.
"Whenever you feel down...alone...sad...just...look to the stars...I will be watching you...forever." She said at last.
I nodded, smiling. The doctor put a hoof on my shoulder.
"It's time for you to go, Derpy." He slowly lead me out the room, even though I cried for my mom, almost resisting. When I was outside the door, he closed it, and I was left, soul shattered, mind blank, tears rolling. I crept back to the bench, and lying on it, I curled myself into a ball, and cried.
--The doctor approached Starchaser eyeing her condition. He stopped above the edge of her bed. He reached inside his jacket, and pulled out a needle, with a substance already inside it.
He gave a hefty sigh. "Are you ready, Starchaser?"
She nodded slowly, not able to speak.
He slowly took the safety cap off of the needle, took her right hoof in his own, and slowly stuck the needle inside her vein, pressing down on the top to let the morphine flow inside.
Once he finished, he discarded the needle and knelt down beside her bed, looking directly into her eyes.
"I'll take good care of her Star, you know you can trust me." He said.
She smiled.
"Now, think of a place where nothing is bad, a perfect paradise where everything and everyone you love is there. Derpy, your husband, and think of all the stars, the constellations. Imagine your flying high above the sky, where all the stars can be seen. Your flying with the other Pegasus, with Derpuis, and of course, your own loving daughter. In this paradise, you'll find new stars, and explore new galaxies, new worlds, new stars to find and fly with. Imagine all this, let your body rest, in death and in peace."
The morphine had already invaded her senses. She could feel no pain, no breaths, no heartbeat, nothing. She was finally at peace.
The doctor took a breath, closing his eyes once more, lowering his head.
"We'll miss you, Starchaser."
He left her body to rest for another moment, as he shut the door behind him.
--Derpy couldn't hold back her tears as she cried into Dad's chest, shaking. He stroked her soft hair, comforting her deeply. Fluttershy had crawled close to me, and during the story, I wrapped my hooves around her in a comforting hug as she bawled into me. I couldn't hold my tears either, which was a repeat of when I heard the story for the first time. This was the one story that broke me every time.
Dad continued stroking her hair softly, slowly. "Wow Derpy..." He paused. "That...that story touched my heart deeply." The little Pegasus clutched him tighter. "I never knew that's how it went." She nodded slowly in his fur.
She squeaked in response, still sobbing into his fur. Eventually, she pulled away, whipping her fuzzy eyes, sniffling.
"S-So...t-that's the...st-story of my l-life." She said weakly. "A-After she...passed..." She hated saying anything related to the word 'death.' "I-I stayed with the d-doctor...w-who my mom had, b-been friends with for...a couple y-years..." She paused, trying to regain her composure. "He...he helped us through this, t-tough time, giving her the chemo therapy and, other types of medicines, along with the, usual comforting w-words..." She paused, taking a breathy sigh. "I stayed with him for a, couple of y-years. Obviously, with how hectic his job was, he never really had much time to spend with me." She sighed. "That didn't really float well with me but, I got used to it. Through those two years, I became very independent. I did everything on my own. The only time I ever had with him was when he came home after work, and even then, I spent maybe thirty minutes with him before I had to go to bed. But again, I got used to it, and even with the little bonding time we had, he still treated me like his daughter, and I still loved him enough to be my temporary dad."
Fluttershy nodded. "Well, at least...at least you had a dad for a while." She realized what she said, and she turned away, leaning her head on Dashes shoulder. Dad noticed and he sighed. Derpy also saw her change, but she decided to not ask any questions. She didn't want to have another emotional conflict.
"Yeah." Derpy said after a moment. "For a while." She paused, smiling to Dash. "When I heard that you guys had accepted Fluttershy and I into you're family, I jumped with joy." She paused, smiling to herself. "That was the happiest I'd been in two years."
Fluttershy smiled with her. "I agree Derpy. That, to be honest, was the happiest moment of my life."
Dash and Dad were both equally surprised to hear that. They gave each other a glance.
"I...I love you guys..." Fluttershy said softly, looking down in embarrassment. Dash wrapped her hoof around her, shaking her lightly. Dad hugged Derpy tighter, and she buried her head in his fur, feeling the soft warmth.
"And we love you!" Dash said, smiling. She gasped, quickly letting go of the yellow Pegasus, blushing. She had let her more compassionate side come out again, which is something she didn't like to do. Fluttershy chuckled.
Dad glanced up at the clock. "Oh wow, it's late. You three need to get to bed."
"Aww!" Dash whined. As she did that, both Fluttershy and Derpy yawned, Derpy snuggling herself closer to him. Dash groaned, knowing she lost.
"Come on, let's get to bed." Derpy stood first, stretching her hooves. Fluttershy started towards her bedroom, but she stopped before she reached the doorway. Dash trotted over to her room.
"Goodnight guys." She said before closing the door.
Dad gave Derpy one more pat on the head before entering his room.
"Sweet dreams you two." He said to Derpy and Fluttershy. Derpy smiled at him as he closed his door. She sighed.
"Hey, Derpy." Fluttershy said.
"Hm? What is it Flutters?" She asked.
"Um...do you mind...if you slept with me tonight? I...I want to tell you a story, and I think i'll need someone there to, help me..." She said softly.
Derpy thought about what she meant by "help," but she nodded, agreeing to her plan.
"Sure. I'll "help" you." She said with a smile and chuckle. "What's this story about anyway?" She curiously asked.
"Oh, you'll see in a moment." Fluttershy said. Derpy walked into her room. Fluttershy sighed under her breath before closing the door.
Author's Note
First story I've written in months! School has been a jerk for my time, so don't expect many more for a while, but here's one in the meantime.
Part 3- Days To Remember, Days To Forget
Dad stared intently on the book he was reading, the dull lamp being the only light source in the room. A moment later, he heard the door open. He poked his head over the book to see Dash standing there. She looked a little frightened, her eyes wandering the room.
"Hey Dash. Why are you out of bed?" He asked, closing the book and setting it on the bed. It was way passed her bedtime, and even a filly like her needed a good nights sleep.
Dash slowly walked over. "I...I can't sleep Dad..." She hopped up on the bed, sitting on her haunches, staring at him with shimmering eyes.
"Why not?"
Dash's ears drooped. "Just...Derpy's story. It keeps swimming in my head..." She paused. "It...it reminded me off..." She looked away from him. "M-Mom..." She breathed.
Dad's heart sank. Oh...Dash, I'm sorry...He thought.
"It...just came back to me, when she was speaking...but I ignored it for the most part." She sighed. "B-But, there was a sliver of thought in my mind where...it just came back and, h-hit me in the face..." Her eyes were welling up already. She clasped her hooves close to her heart, feeling the empty space that had been there for years. She took in a shaky breath.
Dad was right there. He wrapped a hoof around her and pulled her into him. She buried her face into his chest, tears flowing on his fur. If there was one thing that made Dash cry every time, it would be the thoughts of her mother, and what happened to her. She hated to remember it, but she knew she would never forget it. It was scratched into her brain, never to leave.
--Dash was only five years old when it happened. Her mother had an important business trip to attend in Baltimare, but there was only one problem. Three days prior to her departure, she had accidentally clipped her wing when she flew too close to a tree, and she ended up injuring it. She was very distressed that day, but she found out that a Ponyville train was leaving for Baltimare on the day of her trip, so she decided to take it. She had everything packed for the week long trip, and she said her goodbyes to her family on the grounds of the train station. Dad had to help her fly down.
"See ya honey." Dad said as he kissed her on the cheek. She gave him a short hug, before kneeling down to Dash.
"Have a safe trip mommy!" She said, jumping up to hug her.
"I will sweetie." She answered, embracing the small Pegasus. She waved bye to them as she entered the train. The steam exited the pipe and the loud horn whistled as the train began to slowly depart from the station. Dad and Dash slowly trotted away, not knowing that it would be the last time they see her...
A day passed by with nothing going on. Dad was watching TV, and Dash was playing with her Wonderbolt action figures in her room, humming happily. Suddenly, a Braking News scene popped up on the channel. Dad groaned. The show was just starting to get good, but that thought quickly faded when he saw the headline...
PONYVILLE TRAIN HEADED FOR BALTIMARE DE-RAILED BY ICE ON TRACK.
The news pony spoke afterward. A Ponyville train on route to Baltimare was de-railed by a chunk of ice that fell on to the train track in the mountains of Coltorado. The train then was flipped onto its side on a flat stretch of plains after sliding on the snow for many seconds. Officials report that many have been injured, but there have been no reported deaths as of yet. Police are still trying to find survivors in the wreckage of the destroyed train--
The TV shut off. He couldn't watch anymore. His heart stated beating fast as he feared the worst. He had to think positively though, he had to have hope, hope that his wife was okay. He stood up quickly, heading for his room. He picked up his jacket, knowing full well it would be cold in Coltorado, and then proceeded to Dash's room.
Dash looked up at him. "Hey Dash, Daddy's got to go for a while alright? I'll be back soon though, so don't you worry." He headed for the entrance to he room. He tried to be as calm as possible while speaking, as to not entice any bad thoughts in Dash's head.
"Where are you going?" She asked with that cute little smile.
Dad couldn't tell her, not yet at least. "Just...to run some errands. I'll be back soon!" He flew out the door rather quickly, and Dash noticed, but she shrugged and went back to playing. Dad knew that he lied about being back soon. He was headed to Coltorado, which would easily take a few hours tops, just from flying. He hoped Dash wouldn't be too worried about him.
--Five hours passed by, and Dad hadn't come home yet. Dash paced along the cloud floor in the living room, worrying like crazy. Why was he taking so long? Where was he? Did something happen to him? Dash bit her lip. Never had Dad left for this long.
Her ears perked up as she heard the flapping of wings. A smile grew on her face and she rushed to the door. She could see her Dad flying towards her, his head hung low. As he neared ever closer, Dash could see that he was holding something in his right hoof, but she couldn't quite tell what it was. When he landed, Dash immediately started blurting out questions.
"Dad! Where were you? What happened? Why were you so late? What--"
Dash gasped when he looked up. His eyes were red and swollen, the tears flowing freely down his fur. Parts of his fur had dark spots, as if he had been playing in dust and dirt. His hair and tail were frizzy and unorganized. He had multiple cuts along his hooves. His legs were shaking under him, Dash thinking he would collapse right there. Dash slowly turned more worrisome.
"Dad? W-What's wrong?" She asked.
He didn't answer. Instead, he slowly, very slowly walked up to one of the cloud walls, lying his back against it. His back slid down it, his face still having that sullen look of complete loss. Dash trotted up to him, still waiting for an answer, the worry building inside her.
"D-Dad?"
He stared straight at her. He uncurled his hoof, revealing the item he was holding. Dash glanced down and saw the last thing she expected...her mothers necklace, the one that Dad got her on their 10th anniversary. Dash stared at it for a moment, shock and disbelief taking her. Why does he have her necklace?
When Dash looked back up, Dad's head was slightly turned, revealing his grey, tear stained cheek. He was sobbing lightly.
"Mom's necklace...Dad, why do you have this?" She asked, confused.
He closed his eyes, a tear rolling down his face. "D-Dash..." He said shakily. When he opened his eyes, he motioned to Dash for an embrace. Dash leaned into him, feeling the soft fur of his coat. Dad took a deep breath, fearing his own words.
"Dash...m-mommy's gone..." He said with difficulty.
Dash looked up at him, not quite understanding what he meant. "I-I know. She's on her business trip..."
"No Dash..." Dad gulped. He didn't want to have to say the word, but he knew he had no choice. "Mommy's...dead." He said, nearly breaking down into a sobbing fit.
Those words hit Dash's heart like wrecking ball, and in that moment, she felt a piece of herself get ripped away from her.
She sat there in complete shock, feeling the imminent tears rising to her eyes.
"Wh-What?" She asked, trying not to believe him.
"Th-The train h-hit a piece of ice a-and she was i-in one of t-the cars that sustained the most d-damage and...s-she--" He couldn't finish. He broke down right then and there. Dash had never seen him break down like that, but due to the circumstances, and the feeling of sadness overtaking them, she couldn't help but join in his grieving.
"N-No...no-no-no it c-c-can't be--" Dash cried, feeling hysterical and broken. Her tears were hot from all the feelings hitting her at once, and she couldn't help but want to scream, scream from the pain she was feeling in her heart.
"No no no no no!" She repeated, yelling into her father's fur. She closed her eyes tight. Dad wrapped both of his hooves around her and held her in a tight embrace, not wanting to let go of the little Pegasus. She was so young, but already, she was having to experience the blistering pain of loss, which to Dad, was the worst pain anypony could ever feel.
Dash buried her head in his chest, crying uncontrollably, the hot tears staining his fur. She had never felt so empty inside, feeling her mothers presence in her heart disappear into thin air. Dad felt the exact same way, sobbing into his daughters rainbow hair.
They stayed like that for what seemed like hours, grieving over the loss they just faced. Finally, Dad raised his head, breathing a shaky sigh as he stroked his daughters hair.
"D-Dash..." He said, "I-I know it's g-gonna' be hard but...w-we have to be s-strong." He paused to look down at her tiny form, he body shuddering at his words. "W-We'll get through this...w-we'll get through th-this together..." He stuttered.
Dash finally looked up, tears rimming her eyes, stains on her cheeks and below. The utter destruction that was on her face made him want to hug her until the day broke again. She seemed darker, metaphorically darker.
"L-Look Dash...Mom...Mom wouldn't have want us to...m-mourn for her, y-you know that...I u-understand it's hard not t-to, believe me..." Dash lowered her head, silent tears falling on his hind hooves. "B-But you know that she w-would want us to keep going...s-she would want us to l-live our lives like w-we always have, a-and in the process, t-try not to r-remember what happened, a-and all the bad things...b-but r-remember all the good times w-we had with h-her..." His voice was shaken. He didn't even want to speak anymore. He just wanted everything to be silent, just for a moment.
Dash sniffed, feeling his words touch her in a way. If there was anything about mom, it was her motto. Whenever something bad happened, she wouldn't look at the negatives, she would look at the positives, even if for Dad and her, there weren't any. She would say, Why look at things in a negative way? Look at the positives to those negatives, and you'll be happier, you won't stress out as much, and you won't have to be so worrisome." Dash remembered the first time she ever said that, the first time that mom lost her job, when the company she used to work for laid off half the workers, her included. Dad and I were both upset, but she wasn't. She just said, "Well, I guess I'll just have to work hard now, to find another job!" She ended that sentence with a chuckle, which surprised them both. She was literally the happiest Pegasus on the face of this planet...and now she was gone.
When Dash looked back to her dad, she saw something about him that surprised her, something she thought she wouldn't see at all tonight.
He was smiling.
Shock and confusion combined with utter destruction and sadness, and Dash really didn't know what to do or say. She just sat there, frozen in place, staring at her father, bewildered.
He saw Dash's confused expression, and he said, "I-I'm just trying to...b-be positive in t-this, rough t-time..." Dash then surprised herself.
She smiled with him.
Dad brightened up when he saw her change of expression. "I-I was t-thinking the exact s-same thing..." He nodded. Dash leaned into him again, feeling his chest rising and falling, filling her body with warmth.
"I...I can't b-believe she's g-gone..." Dash sighed. Dad started stroking her hair again, making the little one purr. She loved it when he did that...
"I know...I know." was all he could make out. He couldn't believe it either. He wouldn't dare try to describe the things he saw...Dash was already traumatized enough. She buried her face in his chest, purring lightly from her dad's actions. He smiled down at her, relieved that she had stopped crying. He started scratching her right ear with the other hoof, knowing full well she loved to be scratched there. She gasped from the sudden feeling, leaning into it happily. He chuckled, seeing her instant change of character. He was so glad that the mood had changed, for he was starting to get sick, just from thinking about...everything.
Dash was starting to get sleepy from the incredible fallings she was receiving, along with the intense warmth of her father. She shifted, pressing her whole body against his, her cheek against his chest. She sighed, letting his warmth take over. She closed her eyes, trying not to think about her mother. The one thing she did know was that it would be strange to wake up in the morning and not see her mother. Then she would remember...
"Dash...I know it's going to be a rough couple of months but, we just have to be strong. We'll get through them..." He kissed her on the head. "We'll get through them together."
Dash smiled, sighing in response. Dad lightly pat her on the back.
"Goodnight Dash..." He said. That was the last thing she heard that night, before the sweet warmth, the mental exhaustion, and the caring love took her into the land of dreams...
--Dash had stopped crying. The tears were running dry now. Dad had been comforting her through her sobs, patting her back, or rubbing her hair, or scratching behind her ears, just how she liked it. Dad looked down at his daughter, remembering how young an little she was when it all happened. To think that it's been seven years...it blew his mind. But he did know one thing...
"Hey Dash, I just gotta' say..." Dash looked up, whipping the remaining tears from her eyes and cheek. "I know for a fact that mom would've loved to see how much you've grown, and just the Pegasus you've become."
She smiled at that. "Y-You really think so?" She asked.
He nodded. "You're strong, you're caring, you're very passionate, you're an excellent flyer, and you have a bit of an attitude." He chuckled. "It was everything you're mother envisioned in you."
Dash felt butterflies when she heard those kind words. Then she realized something. "Wait, I don't have a bit of an attitude!" She said defensively.
He raised an eyebrow at her. "No? You should hear yourself sometime Dash. You might surprise yourself." He said with a wink.
Dash did not find that at all amusing, but nonetheless, her hard expression filled out, and she smiled. "Maybe sometime." She responded.
She leaned into him, and he hugged her soft body. "I love you Dash."
"I love you too Dad."
Dash sat back up. "You feeling better now?"
"Yeah, I am. I just needed to, you know, let some of my emotions out." She blushed, knowing that Dad, and occasionally Fluttershy would be the only two people she could openly cry and let her emotions out too.
"Of course Dash. Anytime you need to do that, you know who to go to." He smiled at her, and she smiled back. Dash jumped off the bed and headed for the door.
"Thanks Dad. Goodnight."
"Goodnight Dash." He said. She closed the door behind her as she left the room. He looked around for the book he had been reading before Dash came in. He spotted it on the same dresser with the lamp. He picked it up, turning to the page with the rainbow colored bookmark.
"Now...where was I?"
Before he continued the riveting story, he thought of something. It was something that pertained to the situation of Dash's remembrance. He reached down into the last drawer on the dresser, fumbled around the other assorted things he had collected, and pulled out a necklace. His wife's necklace, the one that he saved up and bought for her on their tenth anniversary. It truly was a special necklace, and it cost a fortune, but it was because of the main features. The necklace itself was silver, but it also had seven colored gems all around it, one each for every color in the rainbow. The gems were made of ruby, orange sapphire, yellow mail garnet, emerald, sapphire, azurite and amethyst. It was absolutely beautiful to look at, including in any type of sun or moonlight. It looked even more beautiful around her neck, how it shown off her pink fur.
He stared at it for a moment, remembering her reaction when he pulled it out of it's little case and gave it to her. She said it was the best thing she had ever received, and it really did show how much she had meant to him. He sighed, grasping it tightly, closing his eyes and saying.
"I miss you honey."
When he opened his eyes, he could've sworn he saw the gems sparkle, and not from the lamp light in the room. He blinked, figuring it was his imagination playing tricks. He set it neatly back in the drawer, and closed it, knowing that he may not look at it again for a while. He took a breath, then he picked up his book, continuing his story, remembering his wife and the joy that she brought to Dash, to him, to his family, knowing full well that she, as well as Derpy's mother, were watching down on them every day, and every night.
