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

They went back to Pinkie’s room. Rainbow was oblivious to all around her. She was holding a hoof and caressing Pinkie’s cheek.

“Rainbow, has the doctor came back by?” asked Rarity.

“Yes, he said that her condition is unchanged. But he told me not to expect a miracle. It’s a wonder that she’s held on for this long. But we know Pinkie, she’s strong and will hang on as long as possible.

I pray to Faust she does.”

Twilight smiled, she didn’t think Rainbow was the least bit religious. But Twilight also knew that something like this would make a pony reach out for any help they could get.

“When Muffins and I got to her, she thought Muffins was you. She said she was happy you were there with her. I don’t like to lie, but we let her think you were there. She smiled as she slipped back into unconsciousness.”

Rainbow grabbed Twilight and sobbed.

“I wish I’d have made more of an effort to acknowledge my feelings for her. I want to make Pinkie as happy as you and Muffins."

Twilight and Rarity looked at each other. Now wasn’t the time to talk to Rainbow about it.

“It’ll be okay,” said Twilight. “I’m going to spend the night at Carousel Boutique. It’s closer and if you need anything, just send somepony by.”

“Thanks Twi, you too Rare. If we need anything we’ll let you know.”

Twilight went to the head of the bed and looked at Pinkie Pie. Rarity was right, this made her feel ashamed for feeling sorry for herself. Twilight kissed Pinkie on the forehead.

“Sleep well happy pony.” Said Twilight, trying hard not to cry.

Rarity and Twilight walked to Carousel Boutique in the late evening cool. Rarity tried to keep Twilight engaged so she’d not think of both situations. They talked about how Fluttershy was particularly upset with the whole Pinkie issue and it was a good bet it’d be days before she came out of her cottage.

When they got to Carousel Boutique, Rarity offered Twilight some food, but Twilight declined. Rarity insisted her friend take a warm shower and a stiff drink.

Twilight obliged and before long she was in Rarity’s spare bed. She could hear Rarity busy about the place.

Twilight was about asleep when she felt somepony clime in bed with her, a warm leg draped over her.

“Muffins?”

“Sorry Darling,” said Rarity, “it’s just me. I didn’t think it best for you to be alone. But don’t take this wrong, I’m a married pony. And besides, your flanks are still a little too scrawny.”

Rarity playfully goosed Twilight’s flank. Twilight chuckled despite the situations. With Rarity comforting her, she soon fell asleep.

Muffins had Spike send a letter to Princess Celestia informing her on the situation with Pinkie and with what Shooting Star had done. When Sparkler and Applejack showed up, Sparkler let her mother know she’d seen her father not far from the library as if watching.

“That’s enough!” said Muffins, “I’m going to have a few words with him!”

“Applejack? Would you keep an eye on the children, I think it best Sparkler comes with me. I don’t want to do this alone.”

“I could go with you,” said AJ, “I could handle him.”

“No, I think having his daughter there would be enough to temper any issues.” Said Muffins. She and Sparkler left. Sparkler directed them to where she’d seen her father.

Twilight was dreaming that Muffins had walked in on she and Rarity in the same bed.

‘I can’t leave you alone for one minute without finding you in bed with some other pony!’

The dream was so real that it woke Twilight half believing that she would see Muffins in the doorway.

Knowing she’d not be able to go back to sleep, Twilight teleported to the outside as not to wake Rarity. Once outside, she couldn’t help walking in the direction of the Library. ‘Maybe I’ll see her from afar,’ thought Twilight. As she got nearer, she heard some familiar voices. It was Shooting Star and Muffins. Twilight got as close as she dared, then did a spell that enhanced her hearing.

“I knew I’d catch somepony sneaking around, but I thought it’d be that tramp Twilight I’d catch.” Said Shooting Star.

“What’s with you?” exclaimed Muffins, “you know nothing about her and yet you judge her character.”

“I don’t need to know,” he said smugly, “I’m gone for a few moments and I find you in the embrace of some mare-lover.”

“You were gone for ten long painful years, not a few moments. I thought you were intelligent enough to have understood that by now.

And you didn’t ‘find’ me in the embrace of some mare-lover, I was in the embrace of my wife! And she’s no mare-lover harlot as you had said, before I came to talk to her, she was a virgin. She’d never even 'played with herself'!

If anything I was the slut who seduced an innocent and naive mare. I took advantage her emotional state and had sex with her the first night! She’s the sweetest, most intelligent, and most empathic pony I’d ever met since you left. In many ways she’s just like you, or at least like you use to be. And it was perhaps the reason I was first drawn to her.

Now I don’t even know who the hay you are! My Shooting Star would’ve sat down and talked to all parties involved. Petty jealousy was never part of his character.”

There was an odd look on Shooting’s face.

“You know this! I can tell! You remember the way you were, so why pull all this? You know any court would throw out any time-relativity horse-apples.”

Shooting lowered his head.

“No, no, no! It can’t be that simple. You know you could never win in the long-run. You want to keep me from my wife just in hopes of winning me back. It can’t just come down to the old ‘if I can’t have her, nopony can’. That in itself is proof that the Shooting Star who came to the future isn’t the one I watch die!”

“I’m sorry, I can’t stand to see you with another pony,” he said. “If it’s not how I was, it’s how I am now, I don’t want to be a monster, but I’ll never let you be with her as long as I live. Even if I have to kill her.”

“Good luck with that one,” said Muffins with a chuckle which unnerved Shooting Star. “You don’t know how close you were to being disposed of back in the hospital. Perhaps I should have let Twilight teleport you to Tartarus!”

Shootings eyes went wide.

‘Twilight can teleport a pony to Tartarus?’ Shooting thought, ‘that settles it. I want her powers. Even if it kills me.’

A thought flashed through Shooting’s mind.

‘That’s exactly what I’ll need to do!’

Twilight’s eyes filled with tears. She couldn’t understand why somepony would work to keep her from her wife and children forever. Twilight took off galloping, it happened that it was in the direction of the hospital. Sparkler, who was shocked at the entire interaction between her mother and father, happened to see Twilight and took off after her. Muffins turned around and returned home. Shooting followed Sparkler at a distance.

Twilight stopped at the hospital and went inside. She looked in on Pinkie and Rainbow. Pinkie was being examined, the doctor was talking to Rainbow.

“I’m sorry Ms Dash,” said the doctor, “short of a miracle, she’ll probably not last until, at the most, tomorrow night.”

The doctor left, Twilight was going to go in but she heard Rainbow talking and paused to hear what Rainbow said next.

“It’s okay Pinkie, I’ll not let you go alone.” Said Rainbow sobbing, “as soon as you go, I’ll go outside and fly as high as I can and then do a sonic rainboom straight into the ground. Rainbow Dash has to go out in style.”

Twilight’s blood froze. She’d lost her wife and children, a pony was threatening to kill her and now she was about to loose two of her best friends. Twilight now felt that the world had turned against her.

Twilight then remembered some rather off limit spells in the Canterlot Archives. She noticed a fruit basket AJ had left sitting on a table outside of Pinkie’s room, she took four apples and gobbled them down. She was going to need the energy.

She concentrated and the next moment she found herself in Canterlot. She was about to go to the archive, but she remembered her brother was still in Canterlot and she should see him for a couple of reasons. She did want to make sure she said goodbye to somepony. So she decided to make a side visit first.

Shining Armor heard a knocking at his door. He crawled out of bed as carefully as he could as not to wake his wife. Cadence could be a bear when her sleep was disturbed.

Seriously!

She became a bear or something truly scary. She had a transformation spell she’d involuntarily use as a defense mechanism when abruptly awakened. Something to do with when she was an orphan Pegasus left/lost in the woods as a filly.

He went down the stairs and opened the door.

“Twilie, why are you here so late at night?”

“I’m sorry, but this is an official visit. I need two Unicorn guards who can manage teleportation and I need them in fifteen minutes.”

“That’s a tall order, why?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t tell you that, please trust me. I don’t want to pull rank on you.”

Twilight had never even hinted at such a thing before. But he saw the look in her face and decided not to argue.

“Yes Lady Twilight,” he said.

“Then I’ll meet you back here in fifteen minutes.” Said Twilight, then she vanished.

It was only ten minutes when Twilight returned. Two large Unicorns in uniform were waiting.

“Here are the ponies you requested, Lady Twilight.”

Twilight looked very grim, but sorry.

“I’m sorry I came off the way I did. This is very important and very hard for me.” She said, trying to keep a brave face for the guards. “I love you so much, BBBFF, tell Cadence, mom and dad that as well.”

“What’s going on?” Shining asked.

“I’m sorry, I can’t tell you that.”

“I’ll have to let the princesses know.”

“You do what you have to do, just as I must do now.” Said Twilight. She gave Shining a hug and a kiss on the cheek then turned to the guards.

“Please stand close, we’re going to teleport to Ponyville on three.”

The guards nodded.

“One, two, three,” Twilight and the guard vanished.

Shining went inside to get his uniform to see the princesses.

The three ponies appeared in the town square.

“Follow me gentlecolts.” Said Twilight going off in the direction of the hospital.