The Derpy I Know And Love Volume 2: Shooting Stars Are Not Always Lucky

It was like hitting a wall of wind. Pinkie may have heard Rainbow talking about wind shear but had no idea what one was and what it could do.

Pinkie lost control, she tumbled end over end with the ground coming up fast.

“DASHIE!” she screamed, knowing Rainbow Dash couldn’t hear her. But with the name of her love on her lips, it held the smallest of comforts. It was a blessing of physiology she didn’t actually feel her skull smash against the rock.

All went black.

Pinkie realized she was still thinking, still seeing although all she was seeing was black. There was no actual feeling of temperature.

“I must be dead.” Said Pinkie sadly.

“Not yet My Dear,” said a familiar voice.

The dark lifted, replaced by a swirling mist. There was a low level light which appeared to be coming from the mist itself. There was another glow ahead. Pinkie started noticing she was moving in that direction. The oddest thing was on the edge of sight were the shapes of other ponies all heading in the same direction. The glow came nearer.

“Princess Celestia!” said the pink pony.

“Yes Pinkie My Dear.” Replied the princess.

“Are you dead too?”

“No my child, I’ve existed for much longer than you ponies may realize. So long I exist in your world and in this in-between world at the same time.”

“Are you a god?’ whispered Pinkie in awe.

“No My Dear, my sister and I are powerful and immortal. But we’re not the creator of all things, that’s beyond us. We have some responsibilities to that being, like me being here. I’m here to help guide ponies to what’s beyond.”

“And what’s that?” asked Pinkie, not sure if she wanted to know.

“Even I don’t know. Some have said the flames of Tartarus for misdeeds in life. Some have said the Fields of Elysium for the right doers. Other have said there beyond is oblivion, total non-existence and here is just the brain shutting down and what’s left of the reason is trying to understand what’s going on.”

“What do you think, Your Highness?”

Celestia smiled at the question.

“I believe, I wish that beyond this, we return to the supreme being. Where we rest as part of their existence forever.”

Pinkie was starting to feel the weight of her past life. The run, run, run existence she’d enjoyed. But now she was feeling as if all was catching up with her.

“A good rest would be nice.”

“Before you give in to the feeling all get here, let me tell you this. The reason you and I can pause and talk is that you’re not yet ready to pass over, and there may still be hope for you to return. You can give up now and pass on knowing there’re friends and a lover who’ll honor your memory always. But it may not be necessary to pain them thus yet. It’s up to you to hang on as long as you can, if you do, I’ll be here to help all I can. But I can’t stop the inevitable.”

Pinkie gave Celestia a hug. Celestia hugged back.

“You being here with me is a big help.”

Pinkie felt a love from this being that was beyond words.

It felt like it took forever for the ambulance to get there.

Muffins came flying down. She saw Twilight cuddling the pink pony and fully understood what was going on, but she couldn’t help herself.

“I can’t be gone five minutes and you’re already sleeping with some other pony.”

“If I didn’t love you so much I’d kick you.” Said Twilight with a smile. Then turning serious, “she’s still breathing but I think it’s getting weaker.”

At that moment Rainbow Dash came flying up.

“PINKIE!” she screamed and ran to the pink pony.

Muffins stopped her, Rainbow was amazed at how strong Muffins was.

“She’s alive Rainbow, remember what all Pegasi are taught about a crash victim. Don’t move them or you could make the injuries worse. The ambulance is here. Let’s see if we can help them.”

Rainbow nodded her head and allowed Muffins to lead her off but she didn’t take her eyes off the motionless pony.

Twilight was able to assist by levitating the pink pony to a stretcher and keeping her from changing any position. The medics secured Pinkie to the stretcher and loaded her in the ambulance, then they hitched themselves back to the ambulance.

“May I ride along?” asked Rainbow. Then she realized something. “Wait, Muffins and I can help pull, Twilight can ride. Otherwise, it’d be a long walk back for her.”

It only took a moment to add the spare harnesses that they always carried. The medics gave the signal and six Pegasi took to the air. Rainbow tried her best to get the thing moving at her top speed, but it was too much weight. And despite them moving at a good speed, the other ponies weren’t in Rainbow’s speed class.

As they made it to the hospital, there were several doctors and nurses waiting. One stopped the stretcher and listened with a stethoscope to Pinkie’s chest. Then he opened one eyelid and looked at her eye, then the other.

“Prep her for surgery STAT, her brain is swelling and we need to relieve the pressure,” he said to a nurse.

The stretcher was taken inside, Rainbow tried to follow but she was told she couldn’t go in the O.R.

All waited in the waiting area. They each took turns comforting Dash. A message was sent to spike to let the princesses know and if somepony could let Sparkler know as well.

A few hours later, about eight in the evening, they were told the operation was successful, but the prognosis was still grim. The next few days would tell if she was going to make it or not. Even so, if she did make it, there was no telling what condition she’d be in. There was a lot of brain damage along with the swelling.

They were taken to a room, there Pinkie lay, her head bandaged and most of her pink mane shaved off. Her hind legs were also bandaged. There were wires attached to her chest and an oxygen mask was on her muzzle. The indicators above the bed were moving but not very strongly.

Rainbow started to collapse. Rarity and Twilight helped levitate Rainbow to a chair and moved it by the bed. Rainbow took Pinkie’s hoof.

“I didn’t say goodbye or give her a kiss,” said Rainbow in guilt and pain.

Rainbow kissed Pinkie’s hoof, then put her cheek to the hoof and started crying.

All were standing around watching and waiting when the door behind them opened. They looked, it was Shooting Star.

“Sparkler told me what happened,” he said. “Is there anything I can do?”

“There’s nothing anypony can do. It’s up to Pinkie and time now,” said Muffins.

“Then I need to talk to all of you,” said Shooting Star, “the lobby would be better than in here.”

Muffins and Twilight were bothered by this turn of events.

“Rainbow, you stay here with Pinkie,” said Twilight.

“Celestia and Luna couldn’t make me leave,” said the blue Pegasus.

They walked down the hall to the lobby, there was Sparkler and two Ponyville police officers.

“What’s this all about?” asked Muffins.

“Twilight! I’d nothing to do with this, I tried to reason with him!” said Sparkler.

“Twilight, you’re a very intelligent pony. I’m sure you’ve read the works of Albert Ponystein and the relativity of time?” Asked Shooting.

Twilight’s eyes went wide, Muffins understood as well.

“You’re not serious?” said Muffins.

“What’s he talkin’ ’bout?” asked AJ.

“I may’ve been gone for ten years, but to me it has only been a couple of days. So which is correct?”

Shooting then levitated a document from one of the police officers to Twilight.

“This is a restraining order, It says that you’ll stay away from MY wife and children until what time the courts make a judgment. And with the load in civil court, that could take years.

Also it orders a genetic testing on her foal Dawn to prove the authenticity of her parentage.

The only time you may be around Muffins or the children is with an officer of the law present.”

Both Muffins and Twilight were floored.

“This is ‘one of the most wonderful Unicorns ever’, you told me about?” asked Twilight.

“No, it isn’t!” said Muffins sternly.

“I’ve every right to protect my wife and children,” said Shooting.

“Protect!” exclaimed Twilight, “protect from what?”

“Okay, if you want it in the open in front of all these ponies, then here it is,” said Shooting. “Protect my wife and children from some mare-lover harlot who preys on lonely mares who are defenseless and unawares.”

Twilight’s horn started to glow, her face was grim. Muffins jumped between her and Shooting.

“No!” Muffins commanded, “think Darling, if you do this, it’ll only work in his favor.”

Twilight lowered her head and her horn stopped glowing. A tear hit the floor.

“I’ll appeal to Princess Celestia,” said Twilight.

“No you won’t” said Shooting smugly, “the princesses are relatives and therefore it’d be a conflict of interest. Besides, this is a civil matter, not a criminal or state matter. If the princess intervened, it’d only prove her a tyrant and bully.”

Then Shooting looked at Muffins.

“Listen to me young mare, we’re going home, NOW!”

“You’ve been gone ten years, I’m as old as you are so don’t order me around like some little filly!

You may’ve taken me from my wife.”

“YOU HAVE NO WIFE!” ranted Shooting.

“MY WIFE!” shouted Muffins stomping a hoof. “And for now we may have to be apart. But unless that order has taken all my civil rights and made me a slave, I don’t have to follow your orders!”

“You’ll come home with me and you’ll perform ALL your wifely duties!”

There were shocked faces all around. Even the police officers.

Muffins lowered her voice in an effort to make plain the following meaning.

“I’d kill myself rather than have you soil me,” Muffins said in deadly earnestness.

“You’d not have to do that Muffins.” Said AJ, if looks could kill, Shooting Star would be lying dead on the floor. “I’d never let any of my friends suffer that.”

Rarity swallowed hard, she understood the real and deadly danger this stallion was about to put himself in. She was sure, remembering AJ’s past, the wrath of Applejack would overcome any magic this unicorn could throw at her. Rarity didn’t want to lose her wife to being arrested for murder. Especially in front of two police officers.

Shooting Star was unnerved by the look Applejack was giving him.

“I’ll go home, to my home. And my home is Ponyville’s Golden Oak Library where I’m Assistant Librarian. Twilight may not be able to come home with me, but the Library is still a government facility and she’s the highest government official without involving the princesses themselves. And I’m sure that she’d have no problem backing me banning you from there, or you’ll face trespassing charges. I’m sure these officers will agree with her authority.

I assume the order doesn’t bar me from my children?”

Shooting shook his head.

“Then I expect Dinky to be with me this evening. I doubt that any court would keep a mother from her children without due cause. And since you’re accusing Twilight as being the instigator of all this, then I’m still a fit mother.”

“We dropped Dinky at home, mom,” said Sparkler. “Spike is with her.”

Then Muffins looked at Twilight, who levitated Dawn in her foal carrier from her own back to Muffins’.

“It’ll be okay Darling,” said muffins, reassuringly.

Then Muffins kissed Twilight a long passionate kiss, which still took Twilight’s breath away.

“You’ll stop that! You’re to stay away from my wife!”

“I kissed her! So sorry! But your orders says that Twilight can be around me if police officers are present. Keep this up and they might get a nice sex show!”

Shooting was shocked to hear Muffins talk like that. Ten years had made the young mare mature into a strong confident adult.

Muffins then turned back to Twilight;

“We’ll be together soon.” Then Muffins kissed Twilight again and walked out.

Shooting looked at Twilight;

“Don’t count on it! And I’m going to put a spell on the library that will let me and the Police know if you come near there and violate the order.”

Shooting and the police officers left.

“I’m so sorry Twi,” said Sparkler “I tried reasoning with him.”

“It’s okay Dear,” said Twilight, “your mother and I’ll need your strength, stay with her.”

Twilight kissed Sparkler and she took off after her mother.

Twilight stood at the door. She was so tempted to teleport the stallion into airless space like she had Filthy Rich that time after Dinky’s fight at school. Except she’d make it a one-way trip. But there was a hoof on her shoulder. Twilight turned and saw that Rarity’s eyes were as misty and her own. Rarity hugged Twilight.

“It’ll be okay Darling” said the white pony. Then she turned to AJ, “would you also go to the library and watch after Muffins and the children? Twilight and I’d feel better.”

“That’s what I was ’bout to do.” Said AJ.

She hugged Twilight and kissed Rarity and headed off in the direction of the library.

“What do I do Rarity? What do I do? A few years ago I’d have welcomed the solitude. But now I can’t stand to be away from my wife and children for more than a few hours.”

Twilight broke down and cried on Rarity’s shoulder.

Rarity gave Twilight a couple of moments to get it out, then she gently pushed Twilight back.

“As bad as this is. We have a couple of friends who’re much worse off. We need to be strong for Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. We’ll stay a while and make sure there isn’t anything we can do, then you’re going home with me to Carousel Boutique. It’s closer than Applejack’s and my cottage. You don’t need to be alone tonight.