Laughter

There was a huge party yesterday. Princess Celestia came back. She brought the sun with her. And it turns out Nightmare Moon really is a princess. Her real name is Princess Luna, and she’s not as big as I remembered. She’s not as mean, either. My bad. Actually, she seemed scared of everypony. She spent the entire party trying to hide behind the Princess. The party was so big, I can’t blame her. I got to thank the Princess again for helping me see. I’m so glad I have you, Mathilda. I wouldn’t have remembered if I hadn’t told you about it.

Twilight Sparkle is back too. So are all the other missing ponies. Even my parents came down from Cloudsdale to the party. They love spoiling my Dinky. Maybe they wouldn’t be grandparents if they didn’t. They also love reminding me that I can’t give Dinky enough attention. I’m too derpy. They’re willing to help if I let Dinky live with them. It’s good that they love her so much. It’s also good I have Golden Harvest and her special stallion to help out on busy days. Amethyst Star also helps. She’s Goldy’s adult daughter and Dinky’s best friend. They hang out a lot.

But I’m glad Mom and Dad are willing to help if I need it. They’re the best ponies. They weren't at first, after I crashed. They had lots of dreams for me. All of those dreams were gone. They had to move to the ground from Cloudsdale so I wouldn’t fall. I had to go to an earth pony school in Ponyville. I couldn't get good grades anymore. I couldn't fly like a normal pegasus. I definitely couldn't be a Wonderbolt. And when all the fillies who liked me picked on me, I couldn't even be happy. So my parents weren't happy, either. They cried more than I did. They got mad, too, like really mad. They didn't know what to do. Me either.

Then Rainbow Dash happened. I noticed her before because we both raced the same races, but then she came to my school. She was everything I lost. She was smart, and fast, and strong, and brave, and a racer. I hated her. I hated her so much I tried to race her again and crashed. She laughed at me in the locker room and gave me a participation sticker. I got super mad. I tried to hit her and knocked myself over. She laughed even more when I started screa~~ming at her~~

Oops. I shouldn't write and giggle at the same time. I sounded pretty funny. I had more trouble talking back then. But I kept screaming at her. She kept laughing. I don't know when I started crying.

She stopped me from leaving. It wasn’t hard to push me around or get in my way. She finally asked about it and I told her. I don't know why, but it was good I did. I said how much I hated her. I said I couldn't fly anymore. I said how hard homework was now. I didn't say Miss Cheerilee moved me back three grades, but she knew. I think. Most ponies did. She got quiet while I talked, more quiet than I've ever heard her. After a while I stopped. I was going to cry more, but I couldn't. Then she said the nicest thing. She could have been the Princess.

"I'll fly for you."

I tried to say something. Then I hugged her. Then I did cry more. Then she hugged me back. I think that was the order. She told me how jealous she was when I was finishing first. She said how mad she was that I was going to be a Wonderbolt and how that got her going and made her fight for what she wanted. She said her parents didn’t do that. Then she said if anypony asked, she didn’t say anything. She'd lose coolness points, or something. She's such a silly pony. We hung out a lot after that, but not with her gryphon friend. Gilda would hit me for being derpy.

Sometimes I watched Rainbow practice and I wanted to scream again. Sometimes I do now. But it wasn't as bad. She worked so hard, and when I asked she said she was flying for two. I was able to cheer for her eventually. I think she forgot how many ponies she’s flying for now. I remember, though. She’s nice when she’s not being “cool,” and she puts up with it when I mess up.

And Rainbow Dash has one thing I still have. I can’t give up, because I would never get past my morning shower. She never gives up, either. I can’t believe how strong she gets when she fails at something. Maybe she’s the next Spitfire now.

Okay, now I’m a little jealous again. I’m going to write about Bulk Biceps instead. He’s a huge pony. His biceps are as big as me. He showed me which muscles those are. And I’m not making it up, they’re really big!

But his muscles aren’t important. Well, they’re important to him. He hurt himself in the head worse than me. He said it’s because he took the wrong medicine to make his biceps so big. I think he said it was altoids. Mints didn’t do that to me. One of my doctors called my problem rebar.

Oh no, I’m going to be late to see Doctor Horse! Bye Mathilda!

Dinky clogged the toilet today. She kept flushing because she thought that would work. I had to do a lot of mopping and buy a new bath mat. I have to hire somepony tomorrow. I don’t know how to take out the carpets outside the bathroom by myself. I have to do extra work to get the bits for that, too. I’d be mad if she wasn’t my filly, and if I wasn’t derpy too. I love her so much, even if I’m grinding my teeth right now.

The house stinks. So do my hooves, even though I washed them lots. Dinky and I are staying over at Golden Harvest’s place. Golden said Dinky can’t sleep in Amethyst’s room. I don’t know why not, but she was super serious. I didn’t ask.

Anyway, I started writing about Bulk Biceps last week. Bulk is really nice. The first time he saw me, I was trying to do a simple trick. All my doctors said not to, but I did anyway. If I go at their pace, I’ll get to be Granny Smith’s age and still not fly straight! So I tried to fly fast through a hoop. I kept missing it, or hitting it and bouncing off. It’s a good thing I’m sturdy. I don’t know when he came. He started cheering before I knew anypony was there. I nearly stopped right away, but he sounded nice. He meant it, not like everypony else who sees me practice. Sometimes ponies cheer to make themselves feel better about seeing me. Sometimes they cheer to be mean.

Bulk Biceps cheered because he wanted to see me do it. He yelled “Yeah!” and “Go Derpy!” a lot. It felt good when I saw he was being nice. I didn’t do my trick before I got tired, but I really tried. Then he gave me some roasted cinnamon walnuts. He makes very good cinnamon walnuts. I’ve said a lot of times that he should sell them. He finally started just the other month. His little nut stand makes him happy. Happier, I mean. He was already pretty happy. It’s easy to be happy with him.

We meet on Thursdays now. We talk about things and eat cold sandwiches. Well, he yells about things, but it’s nice. I would call it dating if I wanted to date him. I think he knows. He doesn’t call it dating. I don’t think he cares about dating. I had him meet Rainbow Dash once. Now she sometimes meets us on Thursdays too. She’s very busy.

But Bulk and Rainbow aren’t the only ponies I know. I know Fluttershy. She’s nice. She started coming to school one day when I was fourteen. I remember because that’s when I was pregnant with Dinky. Fluttershy said she fell from Cloudsdale and likes it on the ground. She has a heart the size of the moon! But it was hard to be around her. I couldn’t stand her pity. I still can’t.

So the most important pony I know isn’t a pony. Her name is Zecora, and she lives in the forest. She might be older than Granny Smith. She said she came to the Everfree Forest for rare plants. Well, it rhymed when she said it. Everything she says rhymes.

Then ponies built a farm and Ponyville nearby, and Zecora stayed in the forest when the ocean ate her home. I think that’s why she only says rhymes. Ponies get that way too sometimes. I laugh, Bulk lifts, she rhymes. It’s nice, anyway. Rhyming makes her voice pretty.

Zecora doesn’t get mail often, but I have to go and deliver mail to her tomorrow. I’ll need to prepare so nopony worries. Everypony thinks the Everfree Forest is dangerous. It’s never done anything bad to me.