Ponyville
October 11th, Year 9 under the Four Princesses
Night had fallen over Ponyville, marking the end of another peaceful day. Out on the darkened streets, Derpy was making her way home from a late shift at the post office, humming happily to herself as she steadily flew over the town. She didn't mind the late shift too much these days, there were less things she might accidentally collide with at this time of day and her daughter was old enough to look after herself. Most neighbouring species seemed surprised when they saw sixteen year old ponies living completely self sufficient but for Equestria, it was simply the path evolution had taken. They grew up quickly and learned fast.
Derpy's smile faltered a little as she thought about how close her little Dinky Hooves was to that point. Her sixteenth birthday was coming up soon, she would be finding her own place to live all too soon...And she still didn't know everything that she should, she hadn't even asked...Her train of thought was disrupted as she accidentally flew some tree branches. Shaking the leaves out of her mane, she looked round and dropped back to the ground as she reached her house. She folded her wings in quickly and headed inside.
"Dinky, I'm home!" Derpy called as she closed the door, looking round. While she didn't get any answer, she could hear signs of life coming from the dining room. A few moments later, her daughter came into view from there. Her light violet body was somewhat lanky, as if she hadn't grown into it yet. Her mane, it's two tones of pale yellow so close they looked almost identical, had been styled to curl round itself at her shoulders. Her cutie mark an open book with a foal's writing inside, earned after realising that the greatest inspiration in her life, not including her mother, had been her teacher.
"Hi mom!" Dinky said with cheer in her voice, trotting up and hugging Derpy lovingly.
"How'd your classes go today?" Derpy asked as she returned the hug with equal care, the teen was spending her evenings learning how to be a teacher herself and she loved hearing how she was progressing.
"Great, but that wasn't the biggest thing. Go on, guess what happened? Go on go on."
"Okay," Derpy chuckled, thinking for a moment. "Turns out that Cheerilee learned everything from Big McIntosh?" The two of them shared a laugh at the idea before Dinky shook her head.
"Even better, though it does involve him. I'd only just started when Big Mac showed up. I was doing my best not to listen in on him until he asked miss Cheerilee out of the room for a moment. Or should I say now...Mrs Cheerilee? He finally proposed to her! Right there. And she said yes!"
"That's wonderful!" Derpy exclaimed, wings flaring out in surprise. Happy as she looked, anypony who knew her could see that her askew eyes were closer together than normal, something she only did when focusing hard. Her smile was also somewhat forced. Normally Dinky would have called her out on it but right now she was too excited to notice.
"I know! It's still too soon for any plans but, I can't wait for the wedding. Though, it did kind of disrupt the plans for the evening so...Could I stay up a little later to finish the book Cheerilee gave me to catch up with?"
"Of course, I'll be in my room if you need anything." Derpy ruffled Dinky's Mane and let her head back into the dining room. A small part of had wished that she had noticed the fixed grin, it would have made segueing into what she needed to tell her much easier.
Still, this gave her a little time to work with. Time she needed to make the most of. Derpy trotted toward the back of the house and entered her bedroom. It was very simply furnished, considering she usually put her bits toward her daughter's wellbeing. She sat herself down on the bed and lifted the edge of the mattress underneath her, fishing out a small key she kept hidden there. The top drawer of her bedside cabinet had a lock that she fitted it into and turned, pulling it open slowly and looking in. It only had a few contents inside. On the left was a felt coated box, left open and containing a leg sized ring resting on a velvet pillow. In the middle was a photograph frame placed face down. On the right was a photo booklet. She picked the booklet out carefully and opened it up, staring down at the first picture.
Derpy placed a hoof on the edge of the photo and stared at it, her memories coming back to the surface as she relaxed slightly. This was from...Different times. She closed her eyes for a moment and turned the page, looking at the pictures on each one. It hurt to look at them, but she needed to see them, keep the memories. Her heart sank as she reached the later pages and tensed up, squeezing her eyes closed tighter as she felt the weight of sadness bearing down upon her again. She could feel her heart tense up in longing, her eyes welling up as she looked down to keep any tears from falling on the book. It hurt more than usual tonight, since she knew that she had been keeping it to herself for so long and now, she was going to have to tell Dinky while they were still living under the same roof, while she still could.
"M...Mom?"
Derpy looked up suddenly, her hooves snapping the book shut quickly as her right eye managed to focus on the door. She had no idea how long had passed, but Dinky was standing there now. Whatever she'd been looking for before had clearly been disregarded and she was wearing a look of deep concern. Derpy wiped her eyes and glanced down again, thinking quickly. She'd been caught out here. Even if Dinky let things be tonight she was going to ask again in the future. Everything was out in the open here and...Well, it was going to hurt, but she was an almost fully grown girl now. She could handle it, she deserved to know and she wanted to tell her.
"Mom, what's wrong?" Dinky asked as she stepped into the bedroom.
"Sorry, Dinky. Talk of weddings always gets to me a little." Derpy said softly, managing to keep her voice level and watching as Dinky clambered onto the bed next to her. "It's due to, this pony."
She opened the book slowly and showed Dinky the first picture. It was of a pony kitted out in the Royal Canterlot Guard armour, a purple unicorn with an electric blue mane and tail, emerald green eyes, light brown hooves and a cutie mark of a red kite shield with a brown horseshoe on it. He couldn't have been more than eighteen years old, looking like he was on top of the world right there. Derpy knew she'd be showing her daughter the rest of the picture in the scrapbook and waited as she took it in, each picture was a story in itself and she wanted to tell the whole thing.
"How did you know him, mom?" Dinky asked in thought, knowing the answer already as Derpy smiled with a mix of fondness and sadness before starting to explain.
Canterlot
June 21th, Year 988 of the Celestial Era
The city of Canterlot was bathed in a glorious summers day and everypony in the city was in high spirits. It was the day after the Summer Sun Celebration and ponies from across Equestria were still gathered in the city, making the most of their visit to tour the great capital. The streets were packed with thousands of ponies, something that was proving something of an issue for one particular visitor.
Derpy shook her head slightly as she flapped off to one side of the busy streets. This was nothing like her hometown of Tall Tale, off in the southwest. Back there things were less hectic, quieter, and everypony was used to how to she seemed to be looking two ways at once. Here though, she'd been getting strange looks regularly and overheard more than one pony whispering about her, adding on how hectic everything was and the fact she was only sixteen years old, and it was all becoming rather overwhelming. All she'd wanted was to take her first vacation by herself, enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime experience of the Summer Sun Celebration and generally feel like she could fit in with the larger Equestria than her home. Sure the celebration itself had been amazing but everything else was quickly going sideways.
Seeing a bench nearby, Derpy flew over and landed on it, trying to get her bearings again. She pushed the camera round her neck to one side and reached into the saddlebag fitted under her left wing, fetching a map of Canterlot out and looking over it quickly. She had been touring the lower levels of the city for the last few hours and was still somewhere down there, though her current location had no major landmarks in sight. Her heart sank slightly as she realised she was lost, in a city that didn't like her, with no idea where to go to start fixing this. She peered over the top of the map to try and spot something recognisable, only to be met by the sight of a grey unicorn with a fancy black mane staring back at her, looking like he wanted to shoo her somewhere out of sight. Derpy whimpered slightly under his gaze and shrunk down out of sight, trying to think of something to say as she heard more hoofsteps off to her side.
"Ma'am, is this stallion giving you trouble?" A professional sounding voice asked, an impressive feat considering how young it was. She looked toward it and saw a purple unicorn stallion standing there, his armour clearly marking him as a royal guard. The grey unicorn quickly shook his head and left the scene in response.
"No, not anymore. Thanks to you," Derpy replied, looking her unexpected help over. He was young, only about eighteen or so, but had an air of thoughtful calm about him. His emerald eyes were taking her wonky yellow-orange ones in, though his look was more of curiosity than condescension. Maybe he'd be willing to help her out a little. "I'm a little lost though, do you know the way to the Star of Equestria hotel from here?"
"I do," He replied as she brought the map over for him to look at, tracing the route out with a hoof. She couldn't help but notice how they stood out, being a light, bright brown in comparison to the more indigo colour of his body. "I'd be happy to walk you through the route so you know for next time."
"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to distract you from your duties."
"My duty is to ensure that everypony in Canterlot is safe and happy. How could I just walk off and risk letting a young mare like you be picked on again?" He answered as he gave her a reassuring smile.
"Well...Thank you," Derpy smiled back as she put the map away again and followed his lead down the street. "You're a real sweethooves to do this."
"Bronze," He replied simply, chuckling softly at her confused look. "My name is Bronze Hooves."
"I'm Derpy." She replied, smiling happily only to stop when she saw the surprised look on Bronze's face.
"That sounds...Kind of cruel."
"Oh I don't mind, everypony back home knows I can be kind of clumsy. They just think it's a...What's the word dad used...Quirk."
"So you wouldn't mind if I called you Derpy?" Bronze asked with some hesitation, waiting for her to nod her approval before continuing. "Feels strange to say but I'll adjust. So I'm guessing that you came to Canterlot for the celebration?"
"I did. I always wanted to visit Canterlot, thought that it looked wonderful. Turns out...Well, it's not quite the same when you're there."
Bronze's ears folded back against his helmet slightly as she said that. He didn't hold it against her though, she looked like that incident he'd broken up hadn't been the first, or worst, that she'd dealt with today. He felt he owed it to her to try and improve her mood somewhat after all that.
"Well, I hope that there's something you can find that lets you enjoy this city."
Derpy stopped for a moment and looked around. They had moved higher into the city by now and more sunlight was covering the area. The streets were clearer too as less ponies needed to come up here. Her right eye went up to the now visible Canterlot Castle, taking in the radiant view from this angle. Her left stayed down and rested on Bronze, the nicest pony she'd had direct contact with so far, he didn't even look fazed at how she was doing that. She smiled softly as she realised that he was right, in a sense.
"Maybe there is...I'd like to get a picture of it quickly. Stand still."
She took a few steps back and took her camera in her front hooves, using her wings to remain steady. After fiddling with the settings for a few seconds she lined it up for a shot of Bronze, watching as he noticed, looking surprised for a good few seconds before putting on his happiest look. As she pressed the shutter, she couldn't help but think to herself that if she had a friend like this, she definitely wouldn't mind coming back to Canterlot in the future.
November 20th, Year 990 of the Celestial Era
A cold wind was blowing over Canterlot, further chilling the winter air that permeated the city. On days like today, most ponies were keeping warm, either in their own homes or at social gatherings. Derpy was one of the latter group today, settled in a seat at her local bar. Despite the mixed feelings of her initial visit to Canterlot, she had ended up finding a place to live there just over a year ago, found a job with the city's delivery service and ultimately managed to start fitting in here. Few, if any ponies gave her looks or comments anymore, or at least they managed to keep it to themselves. One way or another, she felt more normal and she couldn't be happier for it.
Or for the pony who had helped her to get there every step of the way.
She looked over at the counter where Bronze Hooves was getting drinks for them and smiled more. The two had initially maintained contact through being quillpals after she had returned to Tall Tale, getting to know each other better and generally being long distance friends until she had decided to return to the capital. Things had steadily built up further between them until they had started visiting the same areas together most nights that he wasn't on duty. This had been going on for several months now and while neither had said anything, they had both accepted that they were dating in all but name. They both knew it was a plus to be together, she provided a welcome ear for him to let out his worries about being in the guard and he made sure nopony made any untoward comments about her eyes.
As Bronze made his way back over, Derpy couldn't help but grin at the sight of him. Now twenty years old, the stallion had grown up in ways she couldn't help but like. He was carrying a little more muscle in his body, his coat shone from his improved fitness and he had an air of confidence that made it easier to be comfortable in his presence. Maybe it something to do with her own relative youth, but everything about him right now, from his professionally styled mane to the gentle smile he wore as he levitated their drinks down onto the table, but she couldn't help but consider him as...Handsome. She managed to keep her level head for now though, nodding her thanks as she took her mug.
"Hope this is okay, it's a new batch by Redstreak of Ponyville and I was feeling adventurous." Bronze explained as he sat down with her. Derpy nodded and took an exploratory sip, giving a sound of approval after a few moments.
"It's good," She replied, thinking about what she should follow that up with for a few moments. "You know, I always wanted to go to Ponyville. It all seems so peaceful out in a town like that."
"Really?" Bronze asked before taking a drink himself, momentarily distracted by the sweet but smooth taste before continuing. "I'm sure you could have found a place to live there easily though. Why come to Canterlot instead of taking that chance?"
"Well, Canterlot has you." Derpy admitted, her head shrinking back against her shoulders slightly and finally allowing herself to blush slightly. Bronze couldn't help but blush at the comment as well, gripping the table slightly with his free hoof. He couldn't deny that he enjoyed her company immensely and kind of wished that there was a way for them to spend more of it together. Well, he did have one but suggesting it would be potentially gambling their friendship away on his own interest. He decided to chance it, reasoning that she wasn't the type to react badly. Even if she said no, she'd hopefully still want to hang out with him.
"And it's lucky to have you," He replied, placing a hoof on her shoulder gently, letting her take another drink before continuing. "Even if it could have had somewhere better for you to live."
"It's, not that bad." Derpy said, glancing down slightly as she did. Her lie was half hearted at best though. She had an apartment on the northern outskirts of Canterlot, in an area known for carrying the wind through the older buildings in the area. She'd had Bronze there to visit before and he knew just how cold and noisy it could get when the wind was getting up, even during the summer. In truth, it was why she tried to be outside as much as possible these days. Even a winter's night out and about was preferable to spending the evening at home, being out meant she could go to places like this after all.
"Derpy, we both know what it's really like. Though I have been doing some thinking about that issue and, well I hope you like what I came up with," Bronze took a moment to let her look at him, eye to eyes. "Derpy, how would you feel about moving in with me?"
"B...Bronze Hooves?" Derpy stared at him for several seconds, her other eye managing to focus on him slightly in the process. He knew she was taking this seriously if she did that and managed a slightly nervous grin in response.
"I know my house isn't that impressive, a-and that you would have to pay some rent. But it'd still be the cheapest place in the city for you and hopefully more comfortable too." Bronze had to admit that his sales pitch sucked more than he'd hoped and he looked away in embarrassment.
Derpy stared at him for a moment, mind racing. The offer she'd been given was like a dream come true, a chance to move up into somewhere she could feel like she belonged in the world even more, with one of the most important ponies in her life. Words failed her, many actions did too, her mind went on autopilot for a moment as it decided what to do and without thinking she leaned in and gently planted her lips on his cheek. The moment hung between them, the realisation and significance of that simple action hitting them before their bodies caught up with their minds. Derpy pulled herself back slightly and blushed deeply, desperately trying to figure out why she had done that and why it had felt so right. Bronze simply turned toward her, trying to process the last five seconds.
"D...Derpy?"
"I err...I-is it too late to just say thank you?" She replied quietly. Bronze stared at her for a moment before his brain finally kicked back into gear and he smiled warmly, gently wrapping a reassuring hoof around her shoulders.
"Of course not, if you want to say it." Bronze said gently, hugging her in a soft and reassuring way. Derpy finally broke into a smile of her own as she leaned against him, nuzzling into his neck.
"In that case, thank you, sweethooves."
The moment couldn't have felt any better, the first kiss between the two of them and it had only reinforced how she felt about the stallion. Finally, she truly felt like any other pony and it was the best feeling in the world.
Moving in had been relatively straightforward. Bronze's house was simple but cosy, in a warm street not far from the guard station he was posted to. Once everything had been settled, the two had snapped a photo replicating the first kiss moment. This marked the beginning of a trend for the two of them, taking snapshots of all the important developments in their lives. Making their relationship official, promotions at work, days out together, his confession of love and her returning it in kind, the night their relationship took a more intimate turn and how much closer they felt. Everything seemed to be going so well. Of course, some steps came with their own problems...
March 4th, Year 994 of the Celestial Era
This wasn't meant to have happened.
Derpy sat herself down just outside the house, eyes closed, mind rushing to think of what she was going to say. She was still only twenty years old, she was supposed to be expecting this in another ten years or so, not when she still had so much to do. The worst part was that she had no idea how Bronze Hooves was going to react, when he had left for work this morning, he thought she was going for a simple check up. Now she was coming back with life changing information for the both of them and it was going to affect absolutely everything. How was she supposed to break that kind of thing to him? What if he saw her in a worse light for it? What if he didn't love her anymore?
No, that was just worrying too much. Bronze had said time and again that he loved her more than anything in Equestria, he wasn't so shallow as to just leave like that. He was understanding, kind, and most importantly here, she trusted him. It was going to be uncomfortable but she just had to be honest, stay calm and say what needed to be said. The rest was in the hooves of fate. She opened her eyes and turned toward the door, taking one last steadying breath and headed inside. The familiar sight of their simple living room greeted her, still silent for now. Bronze must have still been finishing his duties for the day, good, that gave her time to prepare herself better. For now she headed for the kitchen to fix up something to eat and think about what would have to say.
One hour, and one mishap while chopping vegetables, later, she heard the telltale signs of Bronze arriving home. Derpy finished up in the kitchen and headed back for the front room, smiling at the sight of her lover stretching slightly by the front door, out of his guards armour and looking as handsome as ever. As he looked over at her, his eyes flashed a moment of worry on seeing the rather large plaster stuck to her front left hoof, only to supress it for now and let it be replaced by the familiar caring love he showed when seeing her. She smiled back and trotted over, wrapping a hoof around the back of his neck and kissing his horn lovingly, a move she knew he loved even if she had to take off slightly to do it.
"Hello to you too," Bronze said before leaning in and kissing her neck lovingly. "And how's my darling mare?"
"Always better when seeing my sweethooves." Derpy replied with a giggle. "Just got a little sloppy making a salad is all, how was your day?"
"Oh you know, just patrol duty on the castle grounds. Not as fun as being with you," He smiled and hugged her a little tighter before letting her land and stepping back. She looked so happy right now, she even had both her eyes just about focusing on the same spot...That was rarely a good sign, especially with the little moments of hesitation in her actions. "Derpy...What's wrong?"
She blinked and winced slightly, realising he knew her well enough to catch her out. She had planned to try and lead into this a little smoother but now she was put on the spot, not prepared but having to press on regardless. She sighed slightly and looked back up at him, looking back to normal now.
"You may want to sit down," She waited silently as he did so, starting to look more concerned than anything else. It hurt to see him like that but it would only be for a moment. "It's about me visiting the doc earlier."
"W-was there something serious?" Bronze asked quickly. Derpy could see that he was already running through scenarios of what it might be in his head and knew she had to say it now before he started winding himself up over it.
"Well, yes, but it's not-"
"Is it something connected to your eyes? Are they getting worse?"
"No, Bronze," She said slowly, somewhat annoyed that he had been so blunt about her lifelong condition for the first time.
"Feather flu? Hay fever?...Oh sweet Celestia, I didn't give you something did I?"
"Gross, and no," Her frustration at not being able to finish was overruling her worry quickly. "If you'll just let me-"
"Pre-emptive aging?"
"I'm pregnant, okay?!" She snapped, covering her mouth with a hoof when she realised what she'd done. Bronze's jaw dropped, his next reply dying in his throat as his brain caught up with his ears and the reality of the situation sunk in. She slowly lowered the hoof and looked back at him, her eyes silently apologising for her outburst. "I'm pregnant..."
"You...We...I-I mean...Really?"
"Really," Derpy folded her ears back slightly and moved to sit down next to him. That had gone so much worse than she had expected, letting herself be as aggressive as that. She could only imagine how he was taking it mentally. "They think I'm due around October."
"Oh...Wow." Bronze eventually replied, still stunned by the news. Derpy could see the cogs turning in his head though, weighing their situation up. While they weren't poor by any definition, neither of them had enough bits to raise a foal properly. Having children had been something they'd discussed but any plans for a family would have seen them wait until they'd married and settled into a true life together, which had been years away at best. All of that was gone now...All because she got carried away one night.
"I'm sorry..." She said quietly, looking down so he wouldn't have to see the mounting upset she felt. "I kept telling myself that I should have looked into something, that I should have taken steps to be more careful. Instead I cared more about how much I enjoyed the feeling and now, now I'm going to lose everything because of this...This mistake."
She didn't know why she'd said it, referring to somepony that she was giving life like that. Knowing that she had though, that realisation hurt far more than anything so far. She placed her head on her hoof and held it, her mounting fears and stresses paralysing her in place. The worst part was that she had no idea how Bronze was going to react, though she expected he wouldn't be happy. Time seemed to sit for an eternity before she felt a hoof wrap around her shoulders and another gently place itself on her chin, lifting her head to let her eyes meet his. He wasn't angry, he wasn't even irritated.
He was still smiling.
"Derpy, I know it's not what either of us had in mind but this, this is still wonderful news," Bronze said softly, his voice full of care and pride. "We can find a way to make this work, we always have. Just give it some time to settle in and then you'll see this isn't a mistake, this is the best thing that has ever happened to us."
"But, wh-what about me?" Derpy said quietly. "I'm going to change so much during this, I mean my comments so far, I already have. Not to mention my klutziness..."
"It won't change who you are, or how I feel about you," Bronze leaned in and kissed Derpy's forehead lovingly. "I love you, with all my heart and soul, always have, always will. I know that you're going to be a wonderful mother as well, just give it a little time and you'll see it."
In his gentle hold, feeling his hooves gently stroking her back and mane, his head nuzzling her with pure affection, she thought that he may just be right. She knew that with that attitude though, he was going to be a great father.
June 9th
The sun was starting to set over Canterlot, ending what for most ponies had been a standard summers day. It marked something extra special for one pair of ponies though. Today was Derpy's twenty-first birthday and Bronze Hooves had been able to take a day off for the occasion. They had elected for a quieter day than most ponies would for such a milestone, mostly due to the fact that that was approximately seven months along now. Lunch at a scenic café in the classical district, followed by an afternoon at the city spa before returning home for an evening of simply enjoying each other's company. Even that much had taken more out of Derpy than she had hoped and simply getting off her hooves and wings again was the perfect gift right now.
That was just what she had. The two of them had retreated to their bedroom and were simply relaxing in each others company. Derpy was laid out on her side, snuggled into the blanket underneath her, hoof wrapped around a box of muffins that had been including in her presents and was doing wonders for her pregnancy cravings. Bronze was behind her, front legs wrapped around her, their namesake hooves gently massaging over her moderately swollen middle, teasing over sensitive spots and getting happy little giggles out of her each time. Neither of them had any idea how long they had been here for, but the moment was just so peaceful that neither really cared either.
"So, how would you rate that birthday?" Bronze asked, raising his head enough to nuzzle into Derpy's neck lovingly. She gave a soft sound of content at the attention and tilted her head slightly to kiss his horn, getting a similar sound out of him.
"One of the best, I'm sure."
"Awww, not your best ever?" He asked in mock disappointment, slowly planting kisses up her neck and behind her ears before relaxing again. "Well, I do have some more gifts for you that might change your mind."
"Sweethooves, you know you don't have to charm me in this condition." She replied with a giggle, knowing how he enjoyed teasing her up before things got steamy between them.
"Cute, but this is about something more serious," He waited for her to look back at him again, realising he wasn't kidding, before continuing. "The guard commander came to me yesterday and, long story short, she offered me a transfer to another town. Slight pay raise and easier duties. I told her I'd think about it, but I'd like your opinion before I decide for sure."
"Would, this mean we'd have to move out? To where?" She asked, sounding more than a little concerned. He nodded to the first question, understanding that moving would be stressful at the best of times and in her current condition...He just hoped the location might put her more at ease, one way or another.
"Ponyville."
Even from here, he could see her eyes widen slightly at that piece of information, taking what this meant in. A quieter town with a friendly atmosphere, more time with her lover, less pressure on everypony, overall a far better environment to raise a foal in.
"That...That does sound nice," She finally replied, cautious optimism in her voice. "But, how complex would it be? You'd have to do all the transfer papers, I'd have to hand in my notice at work, how long would it all take?"
"You'd be surprised how efficient things are up at the castle," Bronze reassured her. "The commander knows about us and she assured that we would be there and settled before the foal arrives. She's a good mare and I trust her word."
Derpy stretched herself out slightly more, looking into his eyes as she tried to come to a decision. This was a dream opportunity for them, sure it would involve up and moving from everything they spent the last five years building up together but that could easily be replicated, in a better environment to boot. Her free hoof went to one of his and gripped it gently, her smiling growing as she knew it wasn't really a choice at all.
"I think you should do it." She said simply, watching happily as he broke into a full smile at her opinion. It wouldn't be completely easy for him either, handling the move himself and saying goodbye to his friends in the Canterlot guard, but he would be able to make new friends easily enough, he was quite a likeable pony.
"I hoped you would say that. Thank you, my one-of-a-kind pegasi." He normally tried to keep from referring to her as unique since it could easily be taken as a comment about her eyes. Tonight though, he knew she was in too good of a mood to mind, a point proven when she simply giggled and kissed his cheek.
"Love you, Bronze Hooves."
"I love you too, Derpy," He kissed her muzzle in return, his horn starting to glow as it was covered by it's brown aura. "Always have, always will. You've changed my life in so many ways, every one of them for the better, and now you're carrying my foal. There's no doubt in my heart that you're the pony that holds sway on my soul, now and forever."
He'd been planning this moment for some time, now it was now or never. He gently pointed her attention forward, toward the side of the bed, and watched for her reaction. Derpy slowly followed his gaze and gasped sharply at the sight. Held in his magic there was a box, covered in black felt and lined with silver edges. He opened it as she watched, revealing a small velvet cushion inside with a gold ring, large enough to wear on a leg, resting upon it. She slowly looked back at him, her eyes silently asking before he nodded, his voice filled with pure love.
"Derpy, will you marry me?"
Bronze had just enough time to register the feeling of her wing muscles tensing before his world went sideways and he hit the floor on his back. That was going to leave a bruise but he had been through worse in his time. The squeals of joy coming from up on the bed and ringing in his ears were enough to know that it was an accident. As he got back to his hooves and looked back where he'd been lying, his world was covered again as Derpy hugged him tightly, wings flared to their full extent, happy sounds muffled in his shoulder, a slight coolness in her front right leg indicating she'd put the ring on...She'd put it on, she wouldn't have done it unless...He managed to free himself from her grip enough to look up at her, seeing her the happiest she'd ever been.
"Yes, sweethooves, of course!" She managed to say, keeping pressed close to him. "Thank you thankyou! Best birthday ever!"
He gently moved back enough that he could breathe again and smiled warmly, his hoof wrapping around hers, gently rubbing the ring as if to make sure it was real. He could feel tears coming up in his eyes as all the emotion he'd been holding back for this moment started to come out. Derpy blushed slightly at the reaction and carefully wiped them away before nodding toward their bedside cabinet. He understood the meaning and his horn glowed again, fetching their camera out and lining it up in front of them. This was the start of something truly special. A new start in a new home, with a new life joining them soon. Neither of them could wait to see what would come next.
Ponyville Hospital
October 13th
Derpy sighed slightly to herself as she paced round the room. Pacing was all she wanted to do right now. It was at least ten o'clock at night but she was too uncomfortable to sleep, her room lacked anything that could keep her attention right now and even having Bronze next to her couldn't take her mind off her situation. Moving to Ponyville had gone well so far, with moving in having gone relatively smoothly and everypony being welcoming, none of them had even commented on her eyes. Bronze had adjusted to his new duties quickly and she had managed to set the house up exactly how they liked it. All that had been left to do for her was wait for her foal's due date.
Two hours ago, that date had arrived.
Derpy stopped and bit her lip as she felt a fresh contraction roll through her midsection. Despite her best efforts, she let a grunt of discomfort out before it passed and she knew that it was only going to get worse from here. Pegasi typically had a tougher time during childbirth than the other pony races due to their more fragile build, which would have been bad enough without fact there was a horn in there as well. Bronze couldn't do anything to help at this point, though his presence did keep her calm. She'd often joked that she'd be losing her mind during labour but a small part of her couldn't help but feel that that was really going to be the case. Right now, she'd almost welcome it just to take her mind off the boredom.
"So, I was thinking," Bronze finally said as she trotted over to the bed and sat back against the side of it. "Maybe we should get the picture done now, before things get too busy?"
"...Your timing sucks, you know that?" Derpy replied, though she was still smiling as she said it, she welcomed the momentary distraction. Bronze chuckled softly and brought the camera over, having made sure to include it in their ready bag a few days ago. The two of them settled into a sitting position by the side of the bed, Derpy resting her head on his neck and him gently holding a hoof to her full term belly, before managing to smile for the camera as the picture was taken.
She slowly got up and resumed pacing, glancing up at the ceiling and silently counting something to herself. Bronze had just got up and placed the camera back on the bedside table when he heard somepony entering the room. He looked round expecting to see one of the doctors, instead he was greeted by the sight of a crimson pegasus stallion kitted out in full guard armour. He immediately snapped into a salute as he recognised them instantly as the commander of the Ponyville guard.
"Captain Moon, sir."
"Bronze Hooves," Red Moon replied, motioning for him to relax. "How're you and your wife to be?"
"Waiting for our foal, who's taking longer than I'd like to get here." Derpy replied as she glanced back at her belly before looking at the two stallions. Red looked away slightly at that, looking like he was weighting some unknown options, before looking back at Bronze.
"I see...I really hate to be here right now then. Bronze, one of our fliers just confirmed that one of the creatures of the Everfree Forest is moving out of the forest depths, quite possibly toward Ponyville, we need every single hoof available to turn it back before it puts anypony in danger."
Bronze froze up and slowly looked between his leader and his fiancée, the realisation coming crashing down on him hard. He was going to have to leave her, when she needed him more than at any other time in her life. He couldn't bring himself to speak, to say that he couldn't do it, that she meant more to him than the job. Red stood there watching him, his face neutral but his eyes showing that having to do this was tearing him up inside as well. Derpy looked down in thought for a minute before slowly walking over and placing a hoof on Bronze's shoulder.
"Go, sweethooves. I know it won't be easy without us beside each other but knowing you're out there keeping me and everypony else safe will see me through. And when you come back, me and your little foal will be waiting for you." It had been hard to make that choice but she knew that it was the right one in the long run. He looked at her for a minute before nodding, leaning in and kissing her lovingly.
"Alright hun, I'll get this done quick and come back to you as fast as possible. I love you."
"And I you." She smiled, slightly forcing it, watching as Bronze gave her one last caring look before following Red out. Once they were gone she slowly trotted over to the bed and gripped it, groaning as another contraction hit, harder than the one before. She may have supported her love having to leave, but she wished more than anything that he didn't have to. Something told her that this was going to be even more difficult that she'd anticipated.
She didn't know what time it was, only that the dawn had come already. She didn't know how it had been done, only that it had been the worst and most painful experience of her life. The only thing she knew right now, was that it had been worth it.
Derpy's body ached, her hospital bed feeling like she could lounge here forever if it meant not having to move. Her eyes were locked on her front legs, a warm smile on her face. Nestled in her hooves, resting peacefully, was a newborn unicorn filly. Light violet in colour, two-toned mane and tail of blonde and light gold, eyes still shut tight. Derpy felt herself relaxing just at the sight, knowing that however difficult it had been, and it would have been extremely hard even with Bronze present, she had done it. The few hours of recuperation she had been able to take had done her mentality wonders and now all she needed was for the proud father to return to this sight. She looked up on hearing the door open, watching as one of the doctors came in with a clipboard of notes, wearing a look that made her feel strangely uneasy.
"Miss Derpy?" The doctor said, looking through his notes. "We've had a patient brought with an indication that you're his closest relation in town. Bronze Hooves."
"My, fiancée..." Derpy said slowly, her blood freezing and heart stopping at where she feared this was going.
"Ah...I wish this was more pleasant news. Bronze Hooves was brought in to the emergency wing half an hour ago by members of the town guard with multiple serious injuries. He's been treated as best we can but his condition is-"
"Where is he?" Derpy asked quickly as she got up, still managing the instinctive gentleness to keep from waking the foal up. Her body may have been tired but her wings were still at full strength as she lifted off the ground and stared the doctor down. He clearly wasn't used to such drive and quickly quailed under her gaze.
"Emergency treatment ward, room four."
Derpy only hesitated long enough to grab the camera, feeling like she'd need it, before taking off out the doorway as quick as she could with a filly in her arms. She knew that the next word out of the doctors mouth about Bronze's condition was going to be serious at best, critical most likely, or quite possibly...She was expecting the worst as she flew the hallways, so focused that both eyes were fixated dead ahead. There weren't any other ponies about at this time of morning and she reached the emergency room without trouble. The medics inside had obviously been alerted to her coming as they let her in without trouble. She finally reached the rooms bed and stopped, her whole being freezing up in shock at the sight.
Bronze Hooves was laid out on his left side, at least a dozen damp, reddened bandages wrapped all over his body and a patch of gauze covering his right eye. It didn't seem to be much use though, with how bloodied it was there was no mistake of how bad things were underneath. For every bandaged wound there was another cleaned but uncovered one elsewhere, coupled with the fact that he had a respirator over his muzzle and his eyes were shut, it all pointed to him having suffered through something brutal. If not for the active heartbeat monitor fitted to him, Derpy would have been convinced that he was dead right there. She slowly managed to get enough feeling back into her legs and moved to the side of the bed, the reality of the situation hitting faster than she could deny it.
There was nothing that would help him recover from such serious and extensive injury.
She was going to have to watch him die and she could do nothing about it.
"Bronze? Can you hear me?" She said softly, resting her front hooves on the edge of the bed, glancing down at the still sleeping foal nestled in her hold. A small part of her was glad the filly wasn't able to see this, a part was instantly flooded by relief at watching the stallion stir slightly and open his remaining eye. Even in this state, he managed to crack a small smile at the sight of her.
"Hey," He said quietly. "I came back."
"You did," She replied, placing the camera aside and steadily angling herself so that he could see the little one. "And she was here for you. It's a unicorn filly."
Bronze stared for a moment, taking in the first sight of his daughter. His emotion was almost unreadable with so much of his face covered but what little could be seen was clearly as joyful as could be shown from a body in critical condition. He slowly and shakily moved a bandaged hoof out toward her before hesitating and settling for placing it on Derpy's cheek, likely recognising he shouldn't touch a newborn in his condition.
"She...She's so..." He said slowly. "Dinky. And, beautiful. I...I love her...Love you both."
"We love you too, we always will, sweethooves." Derpy said, voice quivering slightly, before having to stop as he broke into a weak coughing fit from the effort.
Realising there wasn't much time left, she stepped back and picked the camera up again as one of the medics removed the respirator to make him more comfortable. As he laid his head back against the pillow she flicked the camera on and pointed it at the three of them for the first, and final, time. Managing to angle it to keep the foal in the shot while hiding the worst of his injuries, she waited as another medic caught the significance of the moment and held the camera steady until she managed to take the picture. She'd managed to keep a small smile on her face and as she put the camera down and turned it off she saw that he had too.
"Cherish that one..." Bronze said weakly as Derpy returned to her former position.
"We will, me and Dinky will." She replied simply, getting a slight look from him.
"Thought we, said...Star Glider, for a filly. Though, I prefer that." He managed to smile a little more at that, even if he couldn't do anything else anymore.
"Cuter, and less corny." She admitted, looking down at Dinky and managing another smile of her own.
There was nothing left to say between them now. Derpy took Bronze's hoof and held onto it, her focused eye meeting his and holding there. She wasn't going to cry now, she'd shed all her tears when he wasn't there to see it, all that mattered now were giving him all her silent love during the final moments. He kept that smile all the way, never taking his gaze off her. She didn't know how long they stayed that way, only that after one moment like any other, she felt his whole body relaxing and her ears filling with the soul piercing tone of a flatline.
"I didn't learn until much later, but the creature Bronze had gone against was a Celestia-forsaken chimera," Derpy said as she finished the recollections, wiping away a few stray tears. "They managed to bring it down, though four guards lost their lives in the fight. Your father sustained his injuries buying his friends time to pull other wounded away."
As she closed the photo booklet and placed it aside, she looked over at Dinky to see how she was doing. She'd been very quiet ever since the part where she'd unwittingly been called a mistake with more than a few sniffles at times, though her attention hadn't wavered in the slightest. She'd been listening the entire time, taking the whole story in. Part of her wondered why she'd never asked about this earlier, why she never thought to question it by the time she was old enough to do so. Eventually she looked up at her mother and managed to smile slightly.
"Dad was right, I prefer Dinky Hooves to Star Glider," She said. Derpy gave a soft chuckle and gave her a gentle supportive hug, knowing that even with such chipper comments she was pretty torn up inside. "So, how did we manage afterward?"
"Well, it wasn't easy," Derpy admitted. "If we were still in Canterlot, I don't think I could have done it. Ponyville lived up to it's reputation though as numerous ponies came forward to help me out any way they could though. Bits, supplies, advice on foalcare. Coupled with your father's hazard pay and casualty compensation, it was enough to keep us going until I could find work myself. Red Moon was an invaluable help during the first weeks, doing everything he could for me while I got my strength back. We both knew he wasn't trying to replace Bronze, just wanted to do right by the friend he'd denied a future. As for me, I became a mailmare because I thought I could meet everypony in town that way, make enough friends that maybe one day, they could all help fill the void that he's left."
"Wow..." Dinky looked down for a minute and shook her head slightly, knowing that she had been too young to remember any of this. "I'm not sure if I want to thank him or punch him."
"If he was here, I'd still want to do both as well. He moved away a few years ago though." Derpy commented as she put the booklet back in the drawer and took out the picture frame, letting her see it. The picture inside was of the final shot of all three of them in the hospital. Even in as bad a state as he had been, it was clear just how happy Bronze had been to have this moment. The small smile on his face had traces of full joy and he looked more relaxed that he should have been in that condition, though the angle of the picture hiding the majority of his injuries helped with that.
"So...Where did they bury him?" Dinky eventually asked as she looked over the picture, her eyes flicking between her three hour old self and the father she'd never known. Derpy slowly looked over at her and paused, finally breaking a small smile.
The air was silent, respectful even, as Derpy and Dinky made their way through Memorial Forest. Part of the woodland at the foot of the Canter mountain, the site had been chosen centuries before to lay rest to those that had given up everything in the defence of ponykind. There was something serene about the atmosphere surrounding the area, which helped since it had taken them two days to make their arrangements and travel here. Derpy hadn't made the trip in months and this was the first time Dinky had joined her. She just hoped that this went smoothly, today's visit was the most important in sixteen years.
She stopped as they reached one of the numerous clearings in the trees, letting Dinky take in the sight before them. A dozen statues were standing there in the clearing, lined up in rows of four, each one a marble depiction of the pony laid to rest there and magically protected against the elements. At the base of each statue was an engraving of each pony's memorial. It was a rather sobering fact that this was one of dozens of such clearings in the forest. Dinky just blinked for a moment before turning to look at her mother.
"Are they...?"
"No, they're laid to rest underneath where the statues are. It'd be pretty offensive if they were the statues, if you ask me." Derpy replied before moving forward to the rightmost row. Dinky followed her steadily, looking toward the other three statues in the row, the others who had died defending her home. Her eyes went to the engravings as she passed each, thinking about the pegasus and two earth ponies that lay there.
'Winter Dawn, Storm Funnel and Cinnabar...I wonder if they left anypony behind like us.' She thought sadly to herself before she and Derpy stopped at the final statue. With how well sculpted each one was they could clearly see that it was Bronze Hooves, standing in a silent salute, looking every inch the happy, caring stallion he had in the photos. Dinky found herself drawn to reading the engraving before anything else.
Bronze Hooves
21/2/971CE - 14/10/994CE
One of the finest stallions a pony could ever meet
May he watch over his family in peace
"Hi sweethooves," Derpy said quietly, feeling herself tearing up. She didn't need to look to know Dinky was doing the same. "I know I said I'd be back sooner but, she's come with me. I finally told Dinky and she wanted to meet you. She's learning to be a teacher now, hoping to put the same care toward others as you did. I'm so proud of her...I'm sure you would have been too." She unfurled her right wing slightly, revealing a bouquet of blue and white flowers she'd kept tucked under there since landing outside the forest. Dinky took hold of it in her magic and stepped forward, gently placing a hoof on one of the statues'.
"Hi...Dad," She looked down to compose herself as best she could before continuing. "You, you sounded like you would have been amazing to know in the flesh. I bet you would have had a field day lecturing me on properly using my magic and keeping me from sleeping in when I was a filly. I...I just want to say that mom's done a wonderful job at raising me after you were taken too soon. And that, even though I was too young to remember the only time I met you...I miss you...And thank you, for giving me this life. I love you dad."
She gently placed the flowers down in front of the engraving and sat back on her haunches, feeling the tears start to flow properly. Derpy gently draped a wing over her back, the soft touch comforting in a way that only those close to pegasi could know. She pressed up to her mother and simply stared up at the statue. Both of them were silently thinking the same thing, hoping that somewhere up above them, he would be watching over them for as long as they remembered him. Until the day that they were there alongside him, they always would.
Author's Note
Well, this was quite an experience to write. Originally this was going to be part of The Quickverse Chronicles. Then I had an idea, ran with it and this was the result, the biggest piece of single writing I've ever done by a good 2,000 words. Me and my proofreader both thought it was good enough to post on it's own.
I only hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.