Just Another Hearts And Hooves Day
Hearts and Hooves Day is cruel
When she was a filly, Derpy Hooves went into school one Hearts and Hooves Day, with a smile on her face and a delicious muffin wrapped and packed carefully inside her school saddlebag. She skipped into her classroom, where the other fillies and colts were conversing with one another or playing about, and seated herself at her desk at the back of the room.
A minute later, her teacher, Miss Perwinkle, walked through the door, carrying some bags that had rectangular bulges, and everypony immediately calmed down and took their seats at their desks, smiling innocently as Miss Perwinkle sat at her own, putting the bags down by her seat. "Good morning Miss Perwinkle!" they all greeted in unison.
The lime-green mare smiled as she put her hooves together on her desk. "Good morning children," she replied cheerfully. "As you all know, today is Hearts and Hooves Day, and so I've decided we're all going to have a fun little activity." As the foals all watched her curiously, she leaned over and took something out of one of the bags. From behind the desk, she produced a cardboard horseshoe box, and looked back at her class. "I collected some old boxes from my friends and neighbors last night, class. Today, you're going to turn these into Hearts and Hooves Day letterboxes, and then you can each make your own Hearts and Hooves Day cards to give to one another," Miss Perwinkle explained.
Derpy was excited. This sounded like it would be a really fun thing to do. Already she knew just how she would make her letterbox look.
Miss Perwinkle passed out one cardboard box to each foal, along with some decorating supplies and colored pencils. When each foal had received their provisions for the task, they began their work, while Miss Perwinkle sat at her desk looking over some papers of importance. Now and then some filly or colt would raise their hoof to ask her for help, which she gladly came over to give. But not Derpy. She wanted to work on her creation alone. It would feel more special that way.
An hour passed by, and all the children looked at the little cardboard pouches that hung over the sides of their desks, each of them pleased with what they had made. Derpy especially was quite proud of hers; it was shaped like a muffin, with heart-shaped chocolate-colored chips dotted around it. If Derpy dared say so herself, it nearly looked good enough to eat.
Right now, she and everypony else were busy making their Hearts and Hooves Day cards, folding pieces of paper into halves and writing or drawing their messages on the inside of them. When they had finished making their cards they all got up and walked over to the desks of their classmates and placed their cards into the letterboxes they had made, some of the recipients blushing slightly when they noticed.
Derpy held a lot of cards in her mouth as she walked over to the furthest desk first, having made one for each of her classmates. She worked her way around placing a card into each foal's letterbox, with a happy go-lucky smile and attitude to match. When she deposited the last card, she skipped back over to her desk, wondering just how many cards her letterbox would have in it.
The smile disappeared from her face when she went to look. There were no letters inside for her. Instead, crumpled pieces of paper and leftover decorating glitter and cardboard had been stuffed into her muffin letterbox. As well as that, somepony had carelessly torn a part of her muffin design, likely by cramming their waste inside of it too hard.
Derpy's eyes began to water, the effort put into making her wonderful muffin box all for it to be treated as a rubbish bin. Derpy couldn't help but begin to cry, while the other foals did nothing but talk and laugh with each other, completely ignorant of poor Derpy.
It was just the first of many Heart's and Hooves Days to come.
When she was a teenager, Derpy's parents were able to put together enough money for her to attend Cloudsdale University so she could continue her education and have a better chance of find a career in life. After hugging and thanking them over and over again, Derpy left her home behind to do her parents proud and work hard and study twice as much to find her dream job.
It was the day before Hearts and Hooves Day. Derpy was in the library going over some books about the delivery industry, after having looked through books on financial businesses, military services and nuclear physics, and deciding none of them really appealed to her. She was about to turn the page of her book before she overheard some young mares conversing at a table nearby, whom she noticed kept glancing over at her now and then and giggling.
"How do you think she manages to walk in a straight line with eyes like that?"
"I feel sorry for her. Her parents must have dropped her on her head or something as a filly. How else could her eyes look like that?"
"I heard her eyes turned out that way because she drank bleach one time."
Derpy brought her book closer to her face hoping to mask her sadness. From the very first day since she began at this school, a lot of students had made fun of her, teasing her because of her funny eyes. While she didn't suffer any physical abuse from her tormentors, the constant fun they made of her over something she couldn't help was more than hurtful enough.
Derpy got up from the table, taking the book in her mouth and bringing it with her. She didn't want to stay in the same room as those unpleasant ponies. From the her corners of her eyes she glanced back over at them, and saw their gazes following her as they smirked.
Derpy suddenly staggered backwards as she bumped into somepony, dropping her book in the process. "Oh gosh, I'm sorry! I didn't see - !" She trailed off as when she looked up to see a handsome well-built blue stallion. He had flattop haircut, stood a foot taller than Derpy, and his flank displayed a picture of a football, which Derpy was aware symbolized his talent for Hoofball. Her jaw went agape. "B-B-Bucky C-Cloudbeater! OhmygoshI'msosorryIwasn'tlookingwhereIwasgoing!" Derpy blurted out with a blush on her cheeks. Bucky Cloudfeather was one of the most popular stallions in the university, and like many, many other mares Derpy had a bit of a schoolfilly crush on him.
Bucky brushed himself off and looked down at the mare with a smile. "Hey, it's okay. No harm done, missy." He stopped and stared at Derpy in thought. "Say, aren't you the mare from Mr. Hinky Dink's classroom?" he asked. "The one who sits at the back?"
Derpy slowly nodded her head. "Um, y-yes?"
Bucky nodded. "I thought you were. You're, er, Ditzy Doo, right?"
Derpy rubbed her foreleg, an awkward feeling coming over her. Oh wow, I can't believe that Bucky's actually talking to me. to ME of all ponies. "Er, w-w-well, my n-name is Ditzy Doo, but everypony's always called me Derpy," she replied.
"Derpy, huh?" Bucky repeated, and then grinned. "I like that name. It's unusual, but it's kinda got a bit of a cute edge to it." Derpy couldn't keep her cheeks from flushing a rosy pink when he said that.
"Well, um, I'm sorry again for bumping into you, Bucky," Derpy apologized again. "I gotta get going, so er, see you back in class, maybe, I guess?" She gave a nervous laugh and scooted past Bucky out of the library.
"Say, um, Derpy?" Buck spoke up, making Derpy stop and turn around. "I know this is pretty short notice and all, but see...well, you probably know about the Hearts and Hooves Day dance that's going down tomorrow night, right?" Derpy nodded. "Right. Well, I wanna go to it, but I'd like to have somepony to take with me." He leaned in closer until his muzzle was nearly touching hers, and flashed her a dreamy smile. "So, would you care to come with me to the dance?" he asked sweetly.
Derpy felt sweat drizzling down her face. OhmysweetCelestiaohmysweetCelestia, is Bucky asking to take me out? "Do you mean, l-like a d-d-date?" Derpy stuttered.
Bucky scrunched his face in thought. "Well, I was thinking just maybe as friends. But you never know where one thing might lead you." he replied with a wink.
Derpy thought her head was going to fall off at the speed she nodded.
The rest of the day her thoughts were of going to the big dance in the company of the most popular stallion in the entire university. She thought of how the other ponies would treat her differently once they found out about Bucky having asked her - HER - to the dance when he could have had any other mare he wanted. When the lessons of the day were over, Derpy retired to her dormitory room and spent the evening in the local town buying a beautiful dress for the big event. Derpy wanted to look her best for Bucky.
The next day flew by, and the night of the Hearts and Hooves Day dance came at last. Everypony was talking and laughing and dancing, and overall just generally having a good time. Derpy was with Bucky, who came for her as promised, listening in on his talk about the recent Hoofball game he had won with some other stallions who Derpy didn't know. She assumed they were his friends or just ponies from his Hoofball team perhaps. After a while of talking, they left to mingle with some pretty mares that had caught their eye, leaving Derpy alone with Bucky.
"Sorry about that, Derpy," Bucky apologized, turning to the blushing mare. "So, um, would you like to dance?" he asked as he held out his hoof.
"Me?" Derpy repeated pointing to herself. "You want to dance with me?" Derpy still couldn't believe what he had said. To have been brought to the dance by Bucky of all stallions was one thing, but being asked to a dance with Bucky was even harder to believe was happening.
Bucky chuckled. "Well, I'm not going to dance by myself now." He nodded his head towards a small spotlit area out on the dance floor. "You joining me?" he asked over his shoulder already making his way there.
With a loud 'squee!', Derpy hurried over to where Bucky stood waiting for her to join him. Her heart felt all in a flutter as he put his hoof on her hoof. Oh my Celestia, he's actually going to dance with me! I feel so happy right now! Nothing can ruin this moment for me!
"Oh, by the way Derpy," Bucky's voice interrupted her thoughts and bringing her attention back onto him. "Did I forget to mention you're looking a little pale?" Strangely Bucky put quite a bit of emphasis on that last word, which puzzled Derpy.
"I...I do?" Derpy asked. She then suddenly saw Bucky's eyes momentarily glance up above her as he seemed to surpress a giggle. Derpy looked up to see what was going on, but it was too late to do anything by then.
The two ponies that Bucky was speaking to earlier were on a walkway above everypony. One of them, a unicorn, was levitating a bucket of...well, Derpy didn't know what it was exactly, and she didn't really want to know even after it was poured from the bucket and all over her. She let out a frightened squeal, which made everypony in the hall stop what they were doing and turn to look in her direction, just in time to witness the mare being drenched in a foul-smelling gunk.
Derpy stood there, frozen to the point in shock and confusion. She suddenly was snapped out of it by the sound of Bucky's laughter. Wiping away the gunk from her eyes, she looked on in horror and broken-hearted as Bucky laughed away at her, the rest of the ponies slowing joining in on the sick cruel prank too.
Her beautiful dress was ruined, as was her Heart and Hooves Day evening. Tears welled up in poor Derpy's eyes, and as the dam finally burst she turned and ran away, out straight through the dance hall doors and as far from the scene as she could get, though even when she reached outside the sound of mean-spirited laughter echoed through the night.
It was just another awful Hearts and Hooves Day
When Derpy became a young mare, she found herself a career in the delivery service, and she moved from her old home in Cloudsdale to a beautiful cottage in the quiet town of Ponyville. Due to the way ponies in the past had treated her, Derpy was apprehensive at first about interacting with other ponies, but over time she came to learn that the town was home to a few oddballs and strange ponies of its own, and that even the normal ponies who lived there treated them with acceptance and kindness. Soon, Derpy made friends, and she felt happy living someplace where nopony made or said hurtful comments about her funny eyes.
It was another Hearts and Hooves Day. Derpy was walking along the garden path to one Miss Cheerilee's house. The scent of the flowers that grew in the schoolteacher's garden* tickled Derpy's nose playfully as she approached the door. She knocked on the door three times as she always did at each house she serviced, before calling out to the inhabitants inside.
"Special delivery for Miss Cheerilee!" Derpy announced, holding the important package - a very large bouquet of red and white roses.
"Just a moment!" the sweet yet muffled voice of Cheerilee answered back from within. A few seconds later, the door opened to reveal Cheerilee, as true to her name smiling cheerfully when she saw Derpy Hooves. "Hello, Derpy! Wha -" Cheerilee then noticed the bouquet and she trailed off. "Oh..my goodness. Are all of those for me?" she asked while staring at the roses.
Derpy nodded with a smile. "One really big bunch of flowers for one very lucky pony, ma'am," Derpy said as she hoofed the bouquet over to Cheerilee, who took them and breathed in the aromatic scent. She sighed in dreamy bliss as she noticed a small card tag attached to some string.
"'Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, Love B.M,'", Miss Cheerliee read aloud the message written on the card. She smiled knowingly as she read out the initials. "Oh, that wonderful stallion. I'll have to pay a visit to Sweet Apple Acres this evening," she sighed happily, lost in her thoughts and forgetting Derpy was there.
"Well, I guess I'll just leave you to it then," Derpy giggled. This brought Cheerilee out of her daydream and she blushed, attempting to hide her small embarassment behind the bouquet. "Um, thank you Derpy. If you'll excuse me, I have to, um, go and sort something out," Cheerliee said. "Happy Hearts and Hooves Day to you, Derpy!" And with that Cheerilee bolted back inside the house and shut the door behind her. From inside the house Derpy could hear the schoolteacher giggled and squeeing like an excited filly.
"And good to you too this evening, Miss Cheerilee!" Derpy called out before turning to leave.
Derpy's smile faltered for a second as she reflected on how happy Cheerilee was. Never had Derpy received anything special from another pony before on Hearts and Hooves Day. Oh, she got presents and the like on other days, yes. And she appreciated that. But Hearts and Hooves Day never ever EVER saw the mare getting so much as even a card written to her instead of somepony else. Nopony seemed to realize how upsetting, depressing even, it was for Derpy to have to be the one bringing them gifts, and yet never once receiving her own on this particular day of the year.
Derpy couldn't help but feel some jealousy towards mares like Cheerilee. But she knew she couldn't be angry towards her.
As she left Cheerilee's home, she looked around at everypony who was out and about in Ponyville this day. So many couples roamed the scenic town, mares cuddling up close to their stallions, heads rested against theirs. Colts and fillies sharing ice creams at the tables outside the cafe. Up above, Derpy saw some pegasi busily moving and reshaping the clouds to form giant fluffy white heart images and 'I WUV U' messages in the sky, for their special someponies who were watching either from the ground, or on their own little patch of cloud nearby.
Everypony had somepony special this day.
Except for Derpy.
She looked to her saddlebags, filled with love letters and cards and a few more bundles of flowers and gifts yet to be delivered to other special someponies. Derpy gave a sad sigh as she wondered how nice it would have been if one of those parcels was addressed to her. Just once she would have liked to have gotten something on a day like this. Even if it was just a plain old card.
But as the mare had learned from first-hoof experience, Hearts and Hooves Day was as terrible as it was wonderful. And Derpy had seen and known only the terrible side of Heart's and Hooves Day all her life.
But still she couldn't help but wonder how nice it would be for just one day of change, just for once...
Derpy shook the thoughts from her mind as a bunch of foals suddenly ran past laughing together, and reminding her that she still had a job to do. She had many cottages to go to before her work was done, and standing around doing nothing wasn't going to help put food on the table, so Derpy spread her wings out and took off into the air once more towards the next destination - Fluttershy's cottage.
She wasn't going to let today get to her, Derpy promised herself as she forced a smile onto her face.
After all, it was just another Hearts and Hooves Day.
The End
Author's Note
It's not as great a day as some people make it out to be. Not for other people at least...
