The Sixth Element

Chapters

An Unexpected Mailmare
A Wish on the Moon
The Two Trains
A Gathering of Elements
The Pinkie Pie Treatment
The Postal Exam
A Twilight Party
The Night Mare Returns
The Battle of Ponyville Square
The Princess of Ponyville Square
The Sixth Element

An Unexpected Mailmare

Morning came to Ponyville, and Twilight Sparkle was up early as usual, preparing to open the Golden Oak Library for the day. The lavender unicorn trotted quickly round the main room, purple bangs and tail whisking, as she made one last check for any books out of place. Finally satisfied, she took a deep breath and trotted to the door. With a flash of magic from her horn she flung it open.

"Hey, Twilight!"

THUMP. A moment later, Twilight looked up from where she'd tumbled over backwards on the floor. Standing in the doorway was Derpy Doo, the gray pegasus mailmare. She was wearing her official hat and her multi-pocketed carryall. The carryall was stuffed with letters and packages, and had slots to each side to allow her wings to fit through. Derpy smiled down at Twilight, her unkempt blond mane falling over her crossed eyes.

"Oops, my bad! Sorry I startled you! I just get so worked up 'cause I know I'm going to see you again when the door opens!"

"It's all right, Derpy," Twilight said, picking herself up again. "But... how long have you been standing out there?"

"Only fifteen minutes."

"You could always have knocked, you know!"

Derpy shook her head. "You open at nine every day, on the dot. That's when the door opens. So I waited."

"But I would have invited you in! I don't want to leave you standing out here! What kind of friend would I be if I did that?"

"What's wrong with out here?" Derpy glanced around happily. The sunlight was shining through the green leaves of the tree the Library was built into. A light breeze was passing down the street outside, carrying pleasant breakfasty aromas from the bakery nearby. And above was a brilliant blue sky. The cloud-clearing pegasi must have gotten up early as well. "It's nice! I didn't mind waiting."

Twilight shook her head. Even after all this time, she was still amazed by Derpy's one-track optimism. "You want to come in for some tea?"

Derpy shook her head. "Nope! Gotta deliver the mail!" She reached around with her snout and grabbed at the corner of a parcel with her teeth. For a long moment she worried it, threatening to upset her entire load, until it finally came loose from the pocket.

She held it out for Twilight to collect with her unicorn magic. "'Nother book, right? I can always tell because they're heavy! This one must be real important!"

Twilight decided not to mention it was the Daring Do "Best of the Best" Omnibus Edition she'd ordered as a bedside reading copy. "Sorry to make you lug it all the way over here, Derpy!"

"Not a problem, Twilight!" she replied. "That's why the Library is my first stop! It's how I get my exercise every morning. And I love saying hi to you! 'Specially if you fall over like that. Can we do it again tomorrow?"

"Uh, yeah. We'll see."

"Great! Any mail going out?"

"Nothing today, thanks!"

"O-kay! Well, gotta go post! See ya!"

Twilight watched as Derpy swung away from her door and trotted onward to the next stop on her route. After a while, the mailmare fluttered into the air and flew for a while on wing power. Then suddenly her wings collapsed under the weight and folded up. She landed with a thump, sprawled on the ground, legs sticking out in all directions.

Twilight had asked her once whether that hurt, and Derpy just laughed. "I like falling on the grass! It tickles!"

Twilight smiled at the memory. It was hard not to like Derpy once you got used to her. Whenever she fell down, she just picked herself up, dusted herself off, and got on with things as if it was no big deal.

And there was another memory... one that Twilight hadn't told anyone in Ponyville about. One that explained exactly why everyone in Ponyville put up with the wonderfully scatterbrained and klutzy pegasus pony.

Because the historians had slipped up. In addition to the five known supporting Elements that accompanied Twilight to the castle in the Everfree Forest, there was also a Sixth Element... and it wasn't Magic.

Twilight hadn't known all of the story at first. She'd had to piece it together by asking around Ponyville. Fortunately Derpy liked talking with everyone she met in Ponyville, so there were a lot of pieces.

Most of them even fit together.

A Wish on the Moon

It all started years ago, when Derpy was living in Fillydelphia, in a dilapidated fourth-story trotup in the industrial part of town. The buildings were grimy and the sky generally overcast with smog from the factories. That was one reason pegasi in the city didn't live on clouds.

Another reason was it was hard to put locks on a cloud.

Derpy worked out of her home at a variety of jobs, whatever she could scrape up to put food on the table for herself and her daughter: delivering newspapers, occasional grocery runs when the local supermarket was short-hoofed, and one of her favorite odd-jobs, envelope stuffing.

She had a system all worked out. She could manage anything, as long as she had a system. The stacks of items to go into the envelopes were lined up left to right on her worktable. The envelopes came next, then a damp sponge, then a pile of address stickers, then a roll of stamps, and another damp sponge. There was a bin on the floor beside the table. She took one item from each pile, counting to make sure she got them all, stuffed them in the envelope, sealed it, added a sticker, added a stamp, and plopped the envelope in the bin.

It made such a nice sound going thump in the bin. Done.

And then she did the next one. And the next. And the next. Always exactly the same steps, in the same order. Never change, never fail.

She knew she was doing it right. She'd often seen ponies she delivered groceries to dropping mailings just like these in a bin. It sounded exactly the same hitting the bottom.

Another job she sometimes got was recording telephone messages. It was puzzling why they wanted her to read them, but maybe they liked her voice. It was usually something along the lines of "Hi! This is Amy, and you're already qualified for an amazing insurance plan, at a price you can afford..."

Derpy had no idea who Amy was. She assumed she must be someone nice, making all these great offers for ponies she didn't know anything about.

But Derpy loved envelope stuffing the best. It kept her busy all day, and it meant she could spend time at home with Dinky, her daughter, rather than having to chase around finding someone to watch her.

Dinky was a small pale-purple unicorn with blond hair. She would play quietly with her toys and books on her bed in the corner, knowing how important it was for her mother to stay focused when she was working. Dinky's favorite toy was a small white pony with flowing purple locks. Dinky called her Bean. She carried her everywhere, usually in her mouth or a carryall pocket, since she wasn't skilled enough with levitation yet.

The toy was battered, its hair matted and unkempt, and its cutie-mark had fallen off long ago. But Dinky loved Bean for that. She was a blank-flank, just like Dinky was. And like Mommy, too.

The last envelope went thump in the bin. And Derpy turned to Dinky and held out her forehooves. Dinky jumped off the bed and ran to her for a hug. They always hugged when Mommy was done, every time. Never change, never fail.

"'Kay, Dinks! Dinnertime!"

Dinky scampered back and forth to the cupboard, bringing back dishes and glasses and tableware, while Derpy re-spread the cloth over her worktable. Derpy lifted Dinky onto the table, and then they raced each other setting up, competing like chessmasters positioning the knives and forks. Derpy went to the cupboard and brought out bread and cheese and a bag of assorted greens that had been mis-ordered by a customer the other day, and would have been tossed otherwise.

"Can we go to the playground tomorrow, Mommy?"

Derpy sighed. "Can't, Dinks! Big grocery order run tomorrow. But then it'll be the weekend. We'll have a nice bus-ride, and everything. 'Kay?"

"'Kay," Dinky replied, looking sad. "Will Mr. Shank be watching me again?"

"Nope, he's busy tomorrow. Mrs. Hack said she would."

"I don't like her much. She smells like smoking."

"Yah. She looks a grump too!" Derpy agreed. "But she's nice inside. Gotta talk to her a while to find it, tho."

After dinner, they cleared and cleaned up. Then Derpy sat with Dinky on the bed and they read together. Derpy loved reading with her daughter. It was the one time when her eyes were perfect for the job. She had her Book Eye, and she had her Dinky Eye. She could read the story and look at her daughter at the same time, and see how much she enjoyed it.

Then she tucked Dinky up in bed with Bean, kissed her, and switched off the lights, plunging the room into the gloom of the descending twilight. After a few moments she trotted over to the apartment's single window, slid it open, and climbed out onto the fire escape, shutting the window after her so the noise from the street wouldn't bother Dinky.

Extending her wings she carefully beat them vertically, the way she'd taught herself to do -- whump, whump, whump -- lifting herself straight up the side of the building to the roof.

Then she sat on the roof edge, looking up at the sky. And wishing.

She wished something would change. Just once. That things could be different just once, without it all crashing down on her like it always did whenever she reached a little too far, too fast.

She wished she knew what her cutie-mark might have been, if she'd ever found it. And what it was that she was really good at.

She wished she had more to give Dinky than a life in the city. Derpy had always lived in the city herself, and had thought she loved it. But just look at what that had gotten her.

While she watched, the sun finished setting. The moon rose steadily into view with its Mare shadow and the four bright Shepherd Stars. Derpy liked the Mare in the Moon. The shadow always looked so happy, its head held high. It reminded her of how she used to be.

As usual, she directed her wishes to the Mare, redoubling them. Just once, she thought. And my cutie-mark. And Dinky, give her what she needs.

She wished and wished to the Mare in the Moon.

Nothing happened. Nothing changed.

Derpy sighed. She got up and trotted across the roof, to take the stairs back down so she wouldn't disturb Dinky. But she didn't have to worry much. Dinky always slept soundly at night, knowing if she heard a noise at the window, it was probably just Mommy coming home.

Maybe tomorrow, Derpy told herself.

"Sorry," said Mrs. Cauliflower, the grocer. "My cousin's son just got into town and was looking for work, so I gave him the grocery run. Come back on Moonday." She shut the door.

Derpy sat down hard, on the pavement by the store entrance. She'd been counting on this big run to help with the rent. Now she'd have to quickly scrounge up some kind of work today and maybe over the weekend to help fill the gap. And much worse, she'd have to tell Dinky the playground visit would have to wait.

Win some lose some, she thought. She got up and headed off toward the job bureau to check the listings.

Well, at least she would have done. If her hooves had cooperated. She just sat there, rooted to the spot, head sunk on her breast. For once it was all too much. The constant hustle to find work, the uncertainty, the need to provide for herself and Dinky, to keep her daughter safe and happy.

Just once, she thought to herself.

( ( ( B O O M ) ) )

Her gaze shot skyward, seeing a massive wave of dark cloud spreading across the sky. At first she was terrified. Was this it? Some kind of magic attack that would wipe out Dinky and herself, plus everything and everyone she'd ever cared for?

But as she watched, a rainbow steadily arced across the sky from the hidden source of the explosion. She began to smile, feeling charged with a strange sense of purpose. Eyes dazzled, she stood up, watching the last of the wave pass steadily overhead, the completed rainbow slowly fading.

It was as if the sky had opened up, just for her alone.

The door behind her banged open. "What the Eff'in Hay!" Mrs. Cauliflower glared around, then up at the sky. "Dumb kids setting off powder bombs again!"

"Quick, Mrs. Cauliflower!" Derpy asked, pointing with a hoof. "What's over that way?"

"Lower West Side, what else?"

"I mean... out... outside the city."

Mrs. Cauliflower shrugged. "Forest and hills mostly, and then Cloudsdale and Canterlot." She shut the door again, apparently putting the whole thing out of her mind.

But Derpy didn't. She couldn't. She had to know what it was.

"Why are you home so early, Mama?" Dinky asked as they trotted back toward the apartment, sounding anxious but also happy for the early reprieve from Ms. Hack. "Did you finish the grocery run?"

"Nope! Been planning. And doing stuff." She came to a halt, and leaned her head down to nuzzle Dinky.

"How you feel 'bout a taking a trip?"

The Two Trains

In the end it took a few days to wind everything up, but Derpy finally turned the key in the door, dropped it in the mail slot, and strode out the front door of the building with Dinky at her hooves. Derpy carried their suitcases in a heavy-duty carryall on her back, plus a smaller case in her mouth. Dinky was wearing a smaller carryall with her toys and books. Bean was tucked in the right-side pocket, poked up so she could see where they were going.

They walked down the block, then right at the corner, and a trot of several blocks finally brought them to the Fillydelphia train station. It was rush hour so the station hall was packed with commuters standing around waiting for trains. A few of the ponies they passed eyed Derpy's crossed-eye expression strangely, then quickly looked away. Derpy was used to the studied indifference in strangers by now and didn't pay it much attention.

Derpy led the way to the ticket window. Whereto-money-change-tickets, she repeated to herself as she went through the transaction. She could deal with anything, as long as she had a system.

Dinky waited patiently for her to finish before asking, "Where are going, Mama?"

"Canterlot, Dink!" Derpy said. She tucked the tickets and change in a side pocket of her small case. "After that... I dunno. We'll have to ask."

Dinky looked around nervously. "There's a lot of ponies in here!"

"Uh huh. Stay right with me, 'Kay?"

"'Kay."

"It's a jungle," Derpy suggested to her. "Like the book we read. A really thick, dark jungle, full of trees and vines. We're explorers, out in the jungle, marching single file. Stick close. I'll cut a path for us!"

"Okay, Mommy!" Dinky smiled. And Derpy picked up the small case in her mouth and led the way out to the platforms.

It was even busier out here. As trains arrived and departed, ponies pushed and shoved all around the two of them, hurrying to get on, hurrying to get off, or just hurrying to get out of the crush. Derpy found the right platform for their train and started along it, checking behind her with her Dinky Eye now and again to make sure Dinky was right behind her.

"Attention please. The 9:13am train from Manehattan is now arriving on platform 4."

Startled, Derpy looked ahead, and saw a gradually swelling herd of ponies disembarking from the newly-arrived train and heading straight towards them, spreading out so they filled the entire platform from edge to edge, leaving no room to pass. She looked around, spotted a nearby trashcan, and quickly led Dinky into the lee of it.

The advancing crowd stampeded past them, heads down, completely indifferent.

"Bean!" Dinky's shriek snapped Derpy's head around. The toy had been knocked from its pocket by the passing crowd, and was rapidly disappearing underhoof, being kicked this way and that by the unseeing commuters.

Derpy thought fast. She shrugged out of the carryall and let it spill behind her, creating a small fortress of luggage beside the trashcan. Grabbing Dinky, she set her inside it, then used her own smaller carryall to brace it.

"Stay here, Dink!" she said urgently, kissing her.

"'Kay, Mommy!"

Then she launched herself into the crowd, jinking this way and that, colliding with flanks and muzzles everywhere she went.

"Oof! Watch it!"

"Sorry!"

"Hey!"

"My bad!"

"Watch where you're going!"

"Clumsy me!"

"Ouch!"

"Oops, didn't mean that!"

She saw Bean ahead, flirting with the platform's edge. With an extra burst of speed she reached the toy and snatched it up in her mouth.

"Phah!" she said indistinctly. Bean would definitely need a bath after this.

Now she just had to get upstream again. But this was easier. She just looked at everyone. They eyed her, then looked away and went around her, pretending she wasn't there. She used that indifference, rapidly working a path through the crowd, heading back to Dinky.

WHAM.

She ran head-on into a conductor unicorn, who'd been tallying tickets as he trotted along with the crowd and hadn't been watching ahead of him. The tickets scattered on the ground.

"Hey! Why don't you look where you're going! You..."

Derpy turned her most innocent, vacant, cross-eyed stare on him. The toy dangling from her mouth was just a bonus.

"Uhm. Well. Fine. Just... watch it next time, Sister!"

"hOkay! hI hWill!" she said.

Leaving him muttering and gathering up the scattered tickets with his magic, Derpy returned to Dinky and proudly delivered Bean to her.

"Yay! You're the best, Mommy!"

"You're welcome. Tuck Bean away safe now. Lot more ponies ahead."

She rapidly re-kitted them in their carryalls, and picked up her own bag. By this time the crowd had thankfully thinned out, and they were able to board the train with no trouble.

As she did so, Derpy reluctantly took one last look at the city, wondering if she was doing the right thing.

Well, only one way to find THAT out, she thought, and got on.

After all the rush, the train pulled out ten minutes late. Trains were like that in the city.

When the train arrived in Canterlot, Derpy asked around in the station, and quickly gathered that whatever the explosion was, it had been closer to Cloudsdale. But she only had enough spare bits left for passage as far as Ponyville. Reasoning it would be easier to find work there than in aristocratic Canterlot, Derpy took the plunge and bought tickets.

The walk to the train this time was night-and-day different. The Friendship Express stood on its platform, looking like a cross between a cuckoo clock and a gumdrop factory. The cars had gaily colored, fretworked roofs. There were hearts painted on the train's cowcatcher. The pink engine gently puffed steam as if it was patiently counting to itself: One. Two. Three.

"Morning, Ma'am!" said the conductor, a chubby earth pony with graying mane and tail, touching his cap. "First class?"

Derpy set down her case. "I wish! Nope, coach for us."

"Tell you what," he said. "I had a couple deadheaders cancel last minute. You go on in and have a seat. If nobody else shows up, you can ride First the whole way."

"Thanks! C'mon Dinky!"

"All right! Thanks, Mister!"

He touched his cap again. "Not a problem, Miss!"

The train pulled out exactly on time, and they almost had the whole First Class car to themselves as the train chuffed its way along the track and down the slopes to the Canterlot Foothill Plains. It was a long ride but a pleasant one, with lots to see. Eventually they pulled into the station at Ponyville, which was basically a couple of small buildings with thatched roofs, one of which was the station office.

The conductor smiled to them as they got off and stood looking around.

"Are you new in town, Ma'am?" he asked.

Derpy nodded. "Where can we stay? And does anyone need work done?"

The conductor pointed up the road. "Your best bet would be to go on up to Mr. and Mrs. Cake's store. It's near the town square, you can't miss it. They take in lodgers -- oh boy, do they! And if they ain't looking for help, they could point you to who is."

"Thanks again!"

"Not a problem, Ma'am!"

As they trotted up the lane into town, Derpy realized the conductor had been looking at her Book Eye the entire time, and hadn't reacted at all when her Dinky Eye swivelled around to keep track of her daughter.

It certainly was different here.

A Gathering of Elements

Asking around a bit, they quickly found Mr. and Mrs. Cake's. It was just up the street from the square, past the Golden Oak Library. As they passed the Library, which was built into a massive oak tree, Derpy made a mental note to check back there later. They'd had to sell off some of Dinky's older story books to lighten the load, and it would be nice to find something new to read with her.

The sight of Mr. and Mrs. Cake's house almost bounced that thought right out her head.

"Mommy! Are we gonna live in a candy store?"

Derpy stared at Sugarcube Corner, first with one eye, then the other.

It looked like a gingerbread house being attacked by a giant cupcake.

"If they got rooms, Dink! Gotta ask first!"

They trotted up to the door. Just as Derpy was about to reach for it, it blasted open and a pink blur shot past them and down the street. Then the distant form slammed to a halt, reversed gear, and shot back up the street to stand vibrating before them. It was a radioactively pink filly with a candyfloss mane and wide, staring eyes.

The filly stared Derpy right in the face and broke into a huge smile. "Wooaaaah!!!" she cried. Then she leapt into the air and blasted away down the street again, rapidly vanishing from sight.

Derpy sat down on the steps, feeling her sense of comfort and belonging suddenly punctured. No one else had reacted like that all the way up from the train station. And she'd hoped, really hoped... Oh, well, gotta take the rough with the smooth, I guess.

She felt Dinky touching her foreleg. "I'm sorry, Mommy."

"It's okay, Dink! Maybe she's a nice pony. Once you get to know her."

Re-shouldering her carryall she led the way inside.

Mrs. Cake was behind the glass-fronted display case, but rapidly trotted around to welcome them. She was a pudgy, sky-blue pony with a swirled pink mane and tail, and a gingham apron.

"Welcome!" she called, in a matronly voice. "I'm Mrs. Cake. I don't recall seeing you here before, dear!"

Derpy introduced herself and her daughter.

"Oh, what a sweet little filly!" Mrs. Cake said, eyes twinkling. "And your daughter is even more charming!"

It was a weak attempt at pleasantry, but to Derpy it was solid gold. She quickly explained why they were there. And Mrs. Cake looked truly hurt.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, my dear!" She said. "I just rented our spare room out to our new assistant last week. Maybe you passed her outside? Dear little Pinkie! I just don't know where that young pony gets her energy from!"

She looked thoughtful for a moment. "I do recall Mr. Davenport over at the Quills and Sofas shop was talking about looking for a lodger, now that Mr. Quill has opened his own shop in Manehattan. You might ask there. And my dear, if you don't find anything else today, you're more than welcome to just pull up a cloud or two over our store for a few days whilst you get settled. I don't want to leave you in the lurch!"

"But...," Dinky piped up, confused. "Where can we lock up our stuff?"

"My darling girl! No one needs to lock their doors in Ponyville! If you're worried at all, you can leave your things in the front closet over there. And Derpy my dear, if you like, you can leave Dinky here with Mr. Cake and me while you're out looking for work. You might try asking at the local moving company, Three Mares and a Truck, they're always looking for new help! Sweet Apple Acres is a bit out of town, but they often need seasonal help with fruit-picking and farm care. And it's also worth asking at the shops here in town. You never know, there's always something that needs doing!"

Derpy felt like crying. "Thanks, Mrs. Cake. For everything!"

"Not at all, my dear! I'm glad I could help you feel welcome."

Three Mares and a Truck was only somewhat promising. The gruff forepony didn't have anything immediately, but allowed that one of his staff was going off to college the week after next, so he might be able to hire someone new then. Derpy told him she'd remember to ask, and moved on.

She didn't have enough bits to stretch for two whole weeks. She needed to find something short-term. Sweet Apple Acres sounded more promising for that, so asking directions of the townsfolk, she headed there.

It was a lengthy trot along the roads outside of town, but a pleasant one. There were whitewashed fences and meadows and orchards all around. The bright sun and blue sky were incredibly soothing. Eventually she arrived at a trellised entrance with an apple-shaped signboard and a tall red barn beyond. A heavily-built, bright-red stallion was in the front yard, using his head to shove a wheel onto a jacked-up cart.

Derpy was just about to call out a greeting, when out from beneath the cart came a scruffy brown-and-white border collie. She locked eyes with Derpy.

And came at her, barking like fury. Derpy shrieked and took wing, but between the sudden fright and trying to keep one eye on the approaching angry collie, she took off in the wrong direction. She pinballed off a tree, the apple signboard, and the cart itself. She collided painfully with a triangle hanging from a post nearby, sending it whirling and clanging. And then she shot skyward, finally having oriented herself, and headed straight back to town as fast as her wings could take her.

"Heel, Winona!" the stallion called crossly. "That ain't no way to... Sorry!" he called after the rapidly disappearing pegasus. "She's been like that ever since AJ...!"

He gave it up, realizing there was no way the pegasus could hear him.

Then his gaze fell back to the gate, landing on an orange-flanked young pony, wearing an eleven-gallon Stetson hat, who had just trotted through it.

"Hey, Big Mac. Did ya'll miss me, big brother?"

He blinked, overcome with emotion. "Eee-yup."

When Derpy got closer to town she got a grip on herself and slowed down. Well, maybe Sweet Apple Acres wasn't the place to start. But the town square was just ahead, maybe...

A sky-blue blur whipped past her, leaving a rainbow contrail.

Derpy did a flip in the air to keep watching, as the blue pegasus filly performed an amazing sequence of spins, curves, feather-raising dives, and pretzel-like maneuvers that would have put the Gordian Knot to shame. Derpy clapped hooves in applause, and kept watching, entranced by the speed and precision the flyer displayed.

She was so sucked into the performance that she began flitting back and forth herself, tumbling and righting herself, swerving back and forth in time with the aerial artistry on display. And she didn't realize until too late that she'd drifted straight into the filly's path, just as she went into a screaming power dive.

"Eeeyahhh!" At the last second the pegasus swerved, leaving Derpy tumbling in a hurricane-like wake. Her wings folded on her, and she dropped like a stone, struggling to right herself.

A blur of blue, a fluttering of wings. "Gotcha!"

She found herself being supported by the blue filly, who was stronger than she looked. Derpy was finally able to get her wings righted so she could support herself.

The pegasus looked her in the face, then drew back in midair. "Woah! What's with the eyes? Anyway, try and stay clear of around here, I'm practicing my awesome maneuvers! Almost took ya out! Bye!"

And the pegasus blasted away again, just like that.

Derpy watched a little while longer. But her heart wasn't in it any more.

"...excuse me..."

The very quiet voice made Derpy turn in surprise. Standing behind her in the town square was what looked at first like a pile of pink hair. Then she realized it was a very long mane and there was a young pegasus pony, pale yellow in color, huddling out of sight behind it.

"...um, if it's not a bother..." The pony peered around her mane at Derpy. "I was at Mrs. Cake's and, well... she mentioned you're new here and looking for something to do, so... I was wondering..."

Derpy was startled. She'd never experienced another pony wanting to speak to her and having such difficulty doing so.

"I'm planning on opening a Center for Companion Animal Friends... um... because there are so many critters that need help. Would you be interested? I'm afraid I can't pay very much, but if you're at all interested in animals, it would be fun work. And I would love to have someone working with me."

Derpy noticed that as soon as the topic turned to animals, the pony's voice rose to a nearly normal volume, though still very demure.

"Well..." Derpy admitted. "I'm from Filly. Don't know much. About animals, I mean."

"Oh it's not a matter of what you know. You just need to want to work with animals. I'm sure you'd pick things up quickly!"

Not wanting to miss an opportunity, Derpy nodded. "I can always try!"

"Yay! C'mon. I'll introduce you to some of the critters I've been working with. I just know you'll get along fine!"

Derpy followed willingly. They headed out of town along a different road that led into rolling green meadows. At a point only the yellow pony could identify, they turned off the road and struck out over the grass, coming at last to a low area by a stream.

"C'mon out, little friends!"

And the grass and bushes seemed to come alive with small creatures. Squirrels and chipmunks, brown and gray rabbits, a raccoon, some white mice, a ferret, many kinds of small birds, and from out of the river came salamanders and a box turtle.

From a hole in the ground a white rabbit popped up. It twitched its nose, and then ran over to the yellow pony, scrambling quickly up onto her head.

"Oh, hello, my little Angel!" The pony smiled up at it. "This is Angel. He's my very best Companion Animal Friend!"

The way she said it, you could Hear the Capital Letters.

"Everybody, I brought a pony friend with me today. She wants to help build the Center I was telling you all about. Say Hi!"

The rabbit just sat on her head, looking sceptically at Derpy.

Then it started laughing. It fell back on her mane, giggling merrily.

"Angel! Shame on you!" The yellow pony scolded it. "That's not nice at all!"

But now the other animals were peering at Derpy. And they started laughing too. The field was full of giggling critters. Only the turtle hadn't joined in, but it looked like it was thinking about getting around to it in a few days.

Derpy turned away sadly. "I guess... I'm not very good with animals!"

"No wait! Um..."

Derpy put out her wings and flew back to the road, and then started running, all the way back to town.

"I'm so sorry!" the yellow pony called after her. "Oh my. Um... what was your name again?"

It was late afternoon. Derpy had been up one side of the square, down the next, around the third, and was working her way along one of the side streets even though the shops were becoming increasingly upscale the closer one got to the Canterlot side of town. Although the pony shopkeepers she spoke to all expressed sympathy, there just wasn't much work going spare at the moment.

She wasn't sure she should even try asking for work at the Spa. Further down the street was an elegant looking building that strongly resembled a wedding cake made by following the recipe for merry-go-rounds.

Carousel Boutique, the sign read. Derpy shrugged. As Mrs. Cake said, you never knew.

She gently pushed through the door, making its bell jingle softly. Around her were worktables and shelves covered with sewing equipment, rolls and cuts of fabric, and endless design patterns. And dresses -- rack after rack of them, some complete, some only lacking being complete by addition of a few insignificant touches. If Hearth's Warming Eve had been done entirely in silk and chiffon, it might have come close to the shop's interior.

"Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique and magnifique!" A young pony, ivory white with a stylish purple mane, fairly waltzed over to her and took her forehooves. "How can I help you -- waugh!"

For a moment, Derpy expected her to make a comment about her eyes, but then she realized the pony was staring at her mane instead. "My dear! How dreadful! How can you walk around town with your head held high with your coiffure looking like that?"

Brooking no argument, the purple-haired pony summarily hauled Derpy onto a platform in the middle of the room. Derpy was not quite certain what transpired over the next few minutes, but found herself on the receiving end of a blizzard of coiffure and couture work that came at her from every direction.

"Pin this, tighten that, flip this back out of the way, and... voila!"

A rolling mirror was shoved in front of her. Derpy, who had never put her looks very high on her priority list, was taken aback. She stared at the mirror, first with one eye, then the other, then tried both together. She simply didn't recognize herself. Her mane and tail were swirls of golden fire, the tight-fitting dress and cloak edged in gemstones gave her a streamlined look she didn't know she had, her wings were perfectly arranged with not a single pin-feather out of place, and even her hooves were polished to a glimmering sheen.

"I just don't know... what to say!" she whispered in a choked voice. "It's really... nice!"

"Nice! NICE! Nice is not the wohrd, dahling! Gorgeous is the wohrd! Or maybe spectacular?" She thought for a moment. "No! Gorgeous definitely has the right ring to it!"

"It's just, well... I can't afford this!"

"Oh, my dear! No-no-no-no-noooo! It's my pleasure! Because you're the perfect model! To truly work my magic, I need a subject who can bring the garment to life! Show me how well it breathes! Give me immediate feedback!" She cast a disparaging hoof toward a collection of dressmakers ponies standing to one side, some with partial ensembles arranged on them. "I don't get any of that from these... tailors dummies! Oh! I wish I could work with someone like you all the time! Most of my customers just come in, get fitted and leave!" She pouted, looked down-hearted. "After all I do to make them look..."

"Gorgeous?" Derpy hazarded cautiously.

"EX-ACT-LYYYY!" The pony hugged her closely, making it hard for Derpy to breathe. "We are clear-ly sympatico!"

"hokay!" Derpy rasped tensely. Finally the pony released her. "I did want to ask," she ventured, "if you maybe had work. I'm new here, and..."

"Hoh! Say no more! You're hired!" The white pony hugged herself with joy.

"I have a daughter to look after!"

"Bring her along! I'm sure we can find... something to occupy her!"

"She's fine. She keeps busy."

"All the better! Oh, I can't wait to get started. But my dear, when can you start?"

"I still need to find a room. Can I come tomorrow?"

"Ab-so-lute-ly! I look forward to it! But it will have to be afternoons, my dear -- ahem..." She looked embarrassed. "I'm still at school, you know, and my parents would read me the riot act if I cut classes."

"Afternoons are fine for me!"

"WON-der-ful! I'll see you tomorrow afternoon then!"

Okay, Derpy, she told herself. Don't mess this up. It's just like flying to the roof. One wingbeat at a time. Watch what you're doing...

She kept her wings tight against her sides. Her eyes were glued to both the floor and the door, her Book Eye watching every hoofstep so she didn't trip over the cloak, her Dinky eye on the door, watching for anyone coming through the other way so she wouldn't crash into them.

So it was monumentally unfair when the cat dropped on her head.

"REARRROOWWWWW!!!"

Unable to stop herself, Derpy snapped out her wings and bolted. She only missed the door by a foot, but it was a foot too high. Stunned, she rebounded onto a table, slithering off in a pile of fabrics and patterns on the far side. She finally shook the cat off, but now her fancy coiffure was covering her eyes. She stumbled into a clothes pony, felt it cannon into another, then that into a third. She tried to step back into what she thought was the center of the room, and felt herself jostle a table that tumbled over with an expensive-sounding metallic crash.

She thought she could prevent further damage by just sitting down and staying put, but that just gave the cat an easier target. It landed on her back between her wings. She completely lost it, crashing around the room trying to shake it loose.

In the end, she finally was able to brush the hair from her eyes with a forehoof.

She saw the cat stalking off archly, as if nothing had happened.

And she saw the white pony looking daggers at her.

Derpy didn't even bother to ask. She quickly slipped out of the fancy clothes and ran for the door.

She drew a partial blank at Quills and Sofas. Mr. Davenport did have a room to let, but he had promised it to a couple from Canterlot visiting Ponyville on a second honeymoon. Apparently their daughter had been accepted into Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. "And believe you me," Davenport said, "the lady sounded really stressed out in her letter. They must have been burning the midnight oil giving the kid every advantage to help her get in, and really needed to take a breather. Wouldn't want to take that away from them! It should only be a couple of days, though. Come by tomorrow and I'll tell you when it'll be available!"

So Derpy found herself trudging back toward Mrs. Cake's with nothing tangible to show for the entire day.

As a pegasus pony, she could always gather some clouds to sleep on, and she and Dinky had long ago practiced sleeping with Dinky carried in a sling on Derpy's back, so she wouldn't fall through the cloud layer.
But what would they do for money for the next couple weeks, even assuming Three Mares had a job for her? And even if Mr. Davenport's room came available, how would she afford the rent? She hated having to impose on the kindness of Mrs. Cake, but she didn't see what else she could do at the moment.

She was passing the Golden Oak Library at this point and remembered wanting to stop in. Hopefully the library didn't close too early. She could at least find a book to read with Dinky before they turned in.
The place looked friendly enough. She trotted up to the front door with its cheery candle icon, and rapped gently with a hoof.

The top half of the door swung open.

The bottom half remained resolutely closed.

And a very bored looking mare looked down her nose at Derpy, through finely-worked pince-nez glasses perched in front of her eyes.

"Ehyes. May I help you?"

"Is the library still open?"

"Ehyes. What is you need help researching?"

"I won't be long, I just want to browse..."

"Browse!" The mare looked shocked. "Madam, this is not a bookstore! It is a establishment for serious re-search-uh."

Even Derpy was pretty certain "research" didn't come with that many syllables in polite company.

"Now," the librarian asked, "was there something in particular I could look up for you?"

"Do you have a kids section?"

This earned her an even more reproving stare.

"Uh. Wanted to look for a book... to read... with my daughter?"

"Hmph." The librarian glared at her. "No. We do not have a 'kid's section'. Good day to you!"

The door shut.

Derpy drew back. She gazed up at the Library tree, at its branches and windows and balconies, probably chock full of books, none of which were available for browsing. It had seemed like such a welcoming place, probably because she'd always found the quiet openness of libraries to be comforting, a place to get her jumbled thoughts back into some kind of order.

She turned away, putting it out of her mind. She and Dinky still had a couple books to get through. Somewhere in one of the suitcases.

The Pinkie Pie Treatment

Like a wounded soldier returning after a serious rout, Derpy sadly turned the final corner into the street in front of Sugarcube Corner.

"SURPRISE!"

A sudden cannon blast filled the air with confetti and streamers. There were balloons tied to anything that didn't try to run away. There were tables with cake and cookies and a punch bowl, plus a record player and a stack of records. And there were dozens of ponies gathered around, wearing party hats and welcoming smiles.

Dinky came running up. "Mommy! Mommy! The Pinkie Pony got everybody together to throw a party, just for us!"

"Absolutely!" It was the radioactively pink filly, standing right beside Dinky and babbling at a rate just short of White Hot Sugar Rush. "I saw you earlier, and I was like Woahhhh, and I was like Woahhhh because I didn't know you, and if I didn't know you, you must be even newer in town than I was, and I've only been here a week, and I was all like, Pinkie, you're gonna need to bring your A-game on this one, because here's your very first chance to throw a Welcome-Someone-New-To-Ponyville Party, and you don't want to mess it up!"

She turned to the assembled crowd. "So everyone! Say hello to Derpy and Dinky! And let's all PAR-TAY!"

The assembled ponies cheered, and the crowded around Dinky and Derpy, shaking hooves and hugging them and smiling, while Pinkie ran around getting the music started and everything else taken care of.

Still a little stunned by the cannon blast, Derpy found herself speaking with all the other ponies she'd met on her travels around Ponyville that day.

The red stallion was there, accompanied by an orange-hued mare wearing a Stetson and a warm smile. "I'm Applejack," she said. "And this here's my brother Big Mac. Sorry we didn't get a chance to jaw earlier, and I'm powerful sorry 'bout Winowna. She's been missin' me something fierce, but now I'm back she's calmed right down. I hear you're looking for work! We can certainly use the help in sortin' apples for sale -- you come on by the Farm tomorrow, and we'll see what we can do fur ya!"

Standing beside her was the blue pegasus filly, her forelegs crossed, wearing a pair of dark glasses and a smug expression.

Applejack nudged her and gave her a fierce look.

"Eh... sorry about earlier! Name's Rainbow Dash. Didn't mean to be rude. I was just really focused on perfecting my moves, and didn't think about what I was sayin'. You're welcome to share the skies with me! Anytime!"

Rainbow glared up at Applejack. "That enough?"

Applejack gave Derpy a measuring look. "Yeah, I think so. Fur now!"

"Mmm... excuse me..." It was the yellow pegasus, speaking so quietly Derpy had to lean close to hear her. "I'm Fluttershy. I'm very sorry for the way the critters treated you. I thought I'd taught them better than that. And I'm very glad to finally know your name, Derpy!"

"And I'm Rarity, dahling," said the white pony with the purple mane. "I did come to my senses after you left, and I realize what happened was totally Opalescence's fault. I'm so sorry if you left thinking I blamed you! I'd still love to work with you, if you're available! Want to come by tomorrow, and we can try to put the Boutique back in order?"

Numbly, Derpy nodded. "I'd love to help! Still haven't found a room though."

"Hey! About that," said Mr. Davenport, coming over to them. "Turns out that couple I mentioned, their kid wound up as the personal protégé of Princess Celestia herself! Huh, some ponies have all the luck! So the second honeymoon's off while they figure out what's what, and that means the room's available, whenever you want it!"

"Mommy!" Dinky cried. "It's all turned out all right!"

"Yes, Dinky," Derpy replied, and hugged her. "I think it has!"

"Would anyone like a muffin?" said Mrs. Cake, pushing a trolley with a tray full of them on it. "Derpy, my dear? A muffin?"

"Dunno. Never had 'em."

"Mrs. Cake's muffins are the best!" Applejack said. "'Specially the apple chunk variety! Not that Ah'm biased in any way, ya hear!"

Derpy shrugged, and picked up one of the kind Applejack had pointed at. She bit into it.

And somehow, the happiness she felt, right at that very moment, was in every single bite of the treat. She rapidly finished it off, tears in her eyes.

Maybe wishes on the Mare in the Moon do come true, she thought.

The Postal Exam

Months passed, and Derpy gradually settled into a routine in Ponyville. Jobs were still catch-as-catch-can, but between the moving company, occasional odd-jobs at the Farm and around town, and being Rarity's clothes-pony whenever the fashionista was developing a new line, she managed to scrape together enough to keep the room at Quills and Sofas long-term.

But somehow she didn't feel like she was really there yet. Things had changed, yes, but she was still working odd jobs, still didn't feel like she knew what she was really good at.

And her flank was as resolutely blank as ever.

One morning she was trotting through town on her way to Mrs. Cake's to say good morning and pick up a muffin for later, when she happened to pass the post office and saw a sign in the window:

LETTER CARRIER NEEDED -- ENQUIRE INSIDE

Derpy read the sign a few times. Letters. Like envelope stuffing? I know how to do that.

She stepped into the office. A gruff-looking, sandy-haired pony in a postal uniform looked up from behind the counter.

"Yah?"

"The sign? Outside? You want letters carried?"

"Got any experience?" he shot back.

"Well. I used to stuff envelopes." She hung her head, worried it wouldn't sound like much. "It was my favorite job," she added sadly.

"Perfect. You're hired. You start tomorrow."

Derpy blinked. "But --"

"Look lady, I've seen you around. You may be cross-eyed, but you're not stupid. I know stupid, and you're not it! My kid brother is stupid! He's dumb as a stick! If you can get from one end of that street to the other carrying a muffin in your mouth, you're already better at the job than he was!"

"Are you sure?"

"Hah? Well let's try you out. Pick up this envelope here. Go on!"

There was a letter on the counter in front of him. Derpy trotted over and carefully grabbed it in her teeth.

"Now put it in that slot over there!"

Derpy saw the Outgoing Mail slot. She trotted over and slipped the letter through it. Thump. Done.

She smiled. It was just like envelope stuffing -- but with less work.

"Brilliant, you pass," the post pony said. "Congratulations. Everything else is just sorting, sacking, and delivering."

"My memory's not that great..." she warned.

"We do all the sorting here. We group the letters by house number. All you have to do is follow your route, and drop 'em off at each house, in order, every single day, 'cept Sundays!"

Never change. Never fail. Derpy nodded. "I can do that."

"Great. Now come on around back here and lend me a hoof with these bags."

Before she did so, Derpy quickly checked her flank. Nope, no cutie-mark yet. But she had a job she could really do now. That was something at least.

A few years later, on the morning before the Summer Sun Celebration, which this year was being held in Ponyville itself, Derpy had just trucked a large cardboard box of supplies down to the porch of the Costume Shop, and was on her way back to the office with the trolly.

Faster than a speeding chimmi-cherry-changa, a pink blur raced up to her. It was Pinkie, who stood in front of Derpy simply vibrating with excitement.

"Hi, Derpy!!!"

"Hey, Pinkie!"

"I just saw, like, a totally new pony in town! And I was like Huaaaahhh! And I wanna throw her a really big super-duper-whooper party bash this evening! Will you help spread the word while you're out posting?"

"Sure, Pinkie. Where and when?"

"I dunno! Isn't that great? I love not knowing! I asked around, and I think I heard old Ms. Theseus has been booted out of the Library by Princess Celestia -- 'bout time too, she was a real meany! -- and this new pony's gonna be staying there. So just tell everypony to be ready to show up there this evening when I give the word!"

"Sure, Pinkie!"

"Thanks, Derpy! Byeeeeee..."

Her voice vanished with her down the street as she blasted off again.

Derpy smiled and rolled her eyes, first the left one, then the right one.

A Pinkie-Pie-New-Pony-in-Ponyville Party, she thought.

Nothing ever changed here.

A Twilight Party

That evening, after completing her rounds and the preliminary sorting for the day after the Summer Sun Celebration, Derpy dropped Dinky off with Mrs. Cake for the evening, and trotted quickly down the street towards the Library.

She was just in time. In the distance she could see a lavender pony she didn't recognize coming up the street from Fluttershy's meadow, with Fluttershy herself right behind her. There was a small dragon sitting on the lavender pony's back, and he and Fluttershy were chatting amiably.

The lavender pony, on the other hoof, was looking tired, bored, and seriously aggrieved by the whole thing.

Derpy nodded. If any pony needed the Pinkie Pie treatment, this one did!

She slipped into the darkened main room of the Library and shut the door. To avoid any catastrophes she carefully allowed herself to be buffeted back into the crowd waiting in tense, happy silence within.

There was a long wait, and then she heard voices outside. The door was flung open, and Fluttershy flitted in, carrying the dragon. The lavender pony shot in after her and nabbed her by the tail, causing the dragon to fall to the floor. She quickly bundled Fluttershy back outside.

"Yes, yes... we'll get right on that! Well... G'night!"

SLAM. She shut the door. And heaved a sigh of relief.

"Huh! Rude much?" The dragon grumbled from the middle of the darkened room as she trotted forward to join him.

"Sorry, Spike! But I have to find proof to convince the Princess that Nightmare Moon is coming, and we're running out of time! I just need to be alone for a while so I can study without a bunch of ca-ra-zy ponies trying to make friends all the time! Now, where's the lights?"

It was one of those perfect straight lines that a large crowd standing in a darkened room will wait endlessly for, no matter what happens or is said.

The lights flicked on.

"SURPRISE!"

Derpy looked around. Pinkie had outdone herself, yet again. The room was decorated with streamers and balloons. There was a snack table with drinks, and several of the ponies had noisemakers, which they plied with wild abandon. And just as the lights went on, Pinkie had touched off her party cannon, filling the air with confetti.

The lavender pony just stood there, stunned by it all.

Pinkie ran up to her.

"Surprise! Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie! And I threw this party just for you! Were you surprised? Were ya? Huh? Huh? Were ya? Huh-huh-huh?"

"Very surprised!" The pony agreed with her. "You see, libraries are supposed to be quiet!"

"Ha-ha-ha! That's silly! What kind of a welcome party would this be if it were QUIET? I mean DUH! BO-RINGGG!"

Derpy smiled as she watched Pinkie Pie follow the new pony over to the drinks table, nattering away at high speed. The new pony tried to ignore Pinkie's blather, while distractedly pouring herself a drink from a random bottle on the table.

Derpy saw all her friends gathering in a group behind Pinkie: Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy as well, getting ready for their cue.

Then the new pony took a big sip of her drink.

"And now you have LOTS and LOTS of FRIENDS!" Pinkie cried.

The lavender pony turned towards them, her face contorting in surprise, shock, horror, and various degrees of eye-watering pain.

"Are you all raight, sugarcube?" Applejack asked, concerned.

"Awwwwww," Pinky said. "She's so happy she's CRY-ING!"

What happened next was amazing. Derpy had never seen a pony leap in the air, her mane and tail bursting into flames, snorting like a train whistle. Then, looking severely singed, the lavender pony shot out of the room through the rear door.

Her dragon picked up the bottle she'd poured from. His eyes went wide. "Hot sauce!"

Pinkie Pie's hoof reached out and tipped the bottle in his claw, pouring a large dollop of sauce onto a nearby cupcake. Which she then tossed in the air and ate, with every sign of enjoyment.

"Yum," she said indistinctly, while the others stared at her in mixed horror and amazement, "This is GOOD!"

Applejack sighed. "Uh... wayall, all in all, that didn't go quite how we expected!"

The dragon trotted over. "You just gotta give Twilight some time. She's been so focused on this, uh... research project of hers that she hasn't been able to unwind all day!"

"If'n you say so, Spike! Oh, and by the by, this here's Derpy, our mail-mare," she added as Derpy trotted over to join them.

"Hi, Derpy! Hey, I like your eyes!" Spike said, "They're cool!"

He said it so earnestly that Derpy couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Spike! You got nice dragony eyes yourself!"

Spike preened happily at that.

"So, girls!" Rarity said. "Do we give Twilight a few minutes, and then go find her? Or... should we carry on and let her join us whenever she feels ready?"

"I'll just... go check on her, make sure she's okay." Spike scampered off after Twilight.

"Um," said Fluttershy guiltily. "We might have overdone it, actually!" Fluttershy whispered.

"Nah, she's just flighty!" Rainbow said. "Seen it before!"

"I dunno." Applejack shook her head. "Maybe we are bein' kinda pushy here. This is her place, while she's here. Maybe we should give her some space until she gets to know us."

Derpy tried to imagine what it would be like, coming home to the room above Quills and Sofas after a long hard day of posting letters, one after the other, in the same slots in the same front doors every single day, and finding the room redecorated in party favors, with all her friends there, and not having to worry about doing a single thing to keep it all going.

It would be the best thing in the world, ever.

"Maybe... we should just keep her party going?" she ventured.

"Even if she don't come back?" Applejack asked, doubtful.

"Especially if she doesn't, dahling," Rarity said. "So she knows we're here for her, whenever she needs us!"

Applejack thought about it, then nodded. "Pinkie, think ya'll can keep the party stoked all night?"

"Are you CRAZY? I can keep a party stoked all YEAR!"

The party roared on into the wee hours. But Derpy had to beg off early to go collect Dinky from Mrs. Cake, read with her in bed, and then tuck her in.

Afterward, she carefully climbed out through their window and steadily flap, flap, flapped her way up onto the roof. She sat down and watched the Moon with its Mare shadow, hanging in the sky.

She sent her wishes to the Mare, and didn't much mind nothing happening. It was nice just having someone to ask.

Then she tilted her head, puzzled, staring at the sky.

Was she imagining it, or were the Shepherd Stars moving, ever so slightly? Getting closer to the Moon?

She shook her head.

Derpy, you are so tired, you're seeing stuff.

And went to bed.

The Night Mare Returns

Derpy was roused the next morning before sunrise by a gentle rapping on her door. "Wake up, Derpy, dear! You don't want to miss the Celebration!"

This was followed by a hearty BANG BANG BANG of a hoof on the wall. "Hey Derpy! Hey Dinky! Rise and shiiiinnnne, party tiiiimmme!" Pinkie yelled.

Dinky rubbed her eyes sleepily and sat up in her bed.

Derpy smiled across at her from her own bed.

"Ready for the Celebration, Dink?"

"Uh huh!"

They washed up, split a muffin between them in lieu of breakfast, and quickly trotted down to the square and into the main rotunda of Ponyville's Town Hall. They'd left it a bit late, and had to squeeze in at the back of the crowd. Derpy lifted Dinky up onto her shoulders so her daughter could see. Looking over the heads of the crowd, they could see Twilight and the other ponies standing at the front of the hall, near the dais.

A bold trumpet fanfare split the air, accompanied by a chorus of songbirds conducted by Fluttershy. A spotlight swept down to the dais, landing on a tawny-flanked, grey-maned pony: Ponyville's administrative head, Mayor Mare.

"Fillies and gentle-colts!" she called as the music came to an end. "As Mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!"

A cheer rose up, accompanied by much hoof-stamping.

"In just a few moments our town will witness the magic of the Sun rise, and celebrate this, the longest day of the year!"

Derpy happened to glance upward, toward an upper window of the Hall through which the light of the Moon was falling.

She could see the face of the Moon itself framed in the window. And as she watched, she saw the Shepherd Stars suddenly close in, and appear to slip behind the Moon.

Derpy blinked. Okay, so I wasn't seeing things last night.

And then, all at once, the Mare's shadow itself flashed and faded away, leaving the Moon's face as bare as a filly's flank.

Derpy's mouth dropped open. The Mare! Where is she!

"And now," the Mayor continued, "it is my great honor to introduce to you the ruler of our land; the very pony who gives us the Sun and the Moon each and every day; the good, the wise, the bringer of Harmony to all of Equestria... Princess Celestia!"

The music rose and so did the spotlight, to the curtained balcony.

Rarity was standing ready beside the curtain ropes and she gave them a tug, drawing back the curtains with a grand flourish, perfectly on cue.

Except for one thing. The balcony was empty.

Princess Celestia wasn't there.

There was a long, shocked silence.

"Uh, remain calm, everypony!" the Mayor called, in a We're Officially Not Worried tone of voice. "There must be a reasonable explanation!"

From the balcony, Rarity called out, "She's GONE!"

A horrified gasp went up from the assembled crowd. A dark, shadowy cloud was rising from the balcony where Celestia should have appeared. It was like a translucent gap in the air itself, through which the nighttime sky was visible. It swirled and rose in the air, flinging off dark streamers of itself. And then in the center of it all, appeared a mare.

Tall, night-black, with a crescent moon mark on her flank, wearing night-steel armor and helmet, she spread black wings and flourished a fierce-looking horn.

Derpy's eyes went wide. Alone out of the crowd she smiled in amazed joy. The Mare in the Moon! She heard my wishes to her! She's here!

"Ahhhh, our beloved subjects!" the Mare's booming voice easily filled the entire Hall. "It's been so long since we've seen thy precious, little, sun-loving faces!"

From the crowd Rainbow Dash bounded into the air. "What did you do with our Princess?" And then she tried to launch herself at the dark pony. She was only stopped by Applejack, who had grabbed Rainbow's tail in her teeth.

The black mare just laughed. "Why? Are we not royal enough for thee? Dost thou not know who we are?"

The Mare's wings beat powerfully, lifting her from the balcony. She suddenly darted close to Fluttershy, scaring away the bird chorus and causing Fluttershy to cringe in midair, scared out of her wits.

"Dost our crown no longer count? Now that we have been imprisoned for a thousand years?"

She swept over toward Rarity. An edge of the shadowy cloud had formed itself into a sharp point, forcing Rarity's chin upward.

"Did thee not recall the legend? Did thee not see the sign?"

"I did!"

The Mare turned at that, and looked down to the floor of the Hall. Twilight stood forward, facing her.

"And I know who you are. You're the Mare in the Moon -- NIGHTMARE MOON!"

At this, the crowd of ponies gasped. Even those who didn't recall the legend of Nightmare Moon could recognize a Seriously Bad Thing when they heard it named.

All except Derpy, who was still struggling to work it all out.

This is the Mare, she thought. The Mare in the Moon! I wish to her every night! Why is she like this?

"Well, well, well!" Nightmare Moon chuckled. "A pony who remembers us! Then thee also knowst why we are here!"

"You're here to --" Twilight felt her courage slipping away. "To --" She found herself unable to go on.

To grant our wishes? Derpy shouted deperately to herself. But she was becoming less and less certain.

"Mommy, I'm scared!" Dinky whispered.

"Me too, Dink!"

Nightmare Moon chuckled at the crowd's terror. She swept back to the balcony, and stood facing her terrified audience.
"Remember this Day well, little ponies! For it was thy last! From this moment forward...

The Night

Will Last

Forever!

And she bellowed a sinister laugh that shook the Hall, as the shadows swirled about her darker and darker.

Finally, Mayor Mare pulled herself together. "Seize her! Only she knows where the Princess is!"

Three of the Royal Guard Pegasi launched themselves into the air, aiming for Nightmare Moon. She merely glared at them. Then her eyes shone with power, and lightning bolts cut the air, sending the guards flying.

At the same time, the swirling shadows swept around her, hiding her from view.

And then the shadows leapt from the balcony, swept through the air across the hall, and flowed out through the main doors, leaving panic and chaos behind in the hall.

"Hold tight to Mommy, Dink!" Derpy turned and bolted for the exit herself, just in time to avoid the crush that formed as everyone else struggled to leave the building.

She raced across the square outside, coming to a halt at its far edge. In the distance overhead she could see the flickering shadows disappearing, speeding away above the tangled boughs of the Everfree Forest.

"Come back here!" called a voice from above her. Derpy looked up and saw Rainbow Dash, wings flapping, hanging in the air and staring after the disappearing shadows in frustration.

Behind her, she heard hooves pounding. It was Twilight, with Spike on her back, rapidly disappearing up the road towards the Golden Oak Library. After watching for a moment, Rainbow spun in the air and dove after her.

"What's happened, Mommy?" Dinky asked.

"The Mare in the Moon," Derpy whispered. "She's here. She's real! But she's angry. She's real angry --" All at once, she got it. "-- because no one remembers her! Except for Twilight," she added. "And for me."

"Oh! Derpy, my dear! And Dinky!" It was Mrs. Cake, trotting up to her in quite a state. "Well, I never expected anything like this! What are we going to do?"

Right behind her was Mr. Cake, a tall, lantern-jawed yellow pony. "We're going back to the store, that's what! To barricade ourselves inside." He nodded to Derpy and Dinky. "You're welcome to come with us, if you want!"

For a long moment, Derpy stared off toward the Everfree Forest.

Then she swung her snout around, collected Dinky, set her on the ground, and gave her a serious look.

"Go with Mrs. Cake, Dink! Mommy has to work now."

Dinky looked about to object. Then she nodded sadly. "'Kay, Mommy!"

"Come along, my dear!" Mrs. Cake said to Dinky, gathering her in. "And you do be careful, Derpy!"

"I will! Thanks, Mrs. Cake!"

She watched them leave, glad she had Mrs. Cake as a friend.

Then she turned back to her plan.

First, she was going to need a way to hide herself. A disguise, I need a disguise. She immediately galloped away down the street leading to the Costume shop. She didn't like taking advantage of its unlocked door, but she reasoned she could pay Ms. Harlequin back later -- assuming there was a later.

And then she spotted the cardboard box sitting on the porch. It was the one she'd delivered the previous day. Its contents had been unpacked, and the box had been left out for collection. Just a big empty box.

Derpy's concept of disguises was somewhat literal-minded.

Perfect, she thought. Nopony will recognize me in that!

She nabbed it by a flap and dragged it back up the street towards the post office.

Nightmare Moon, in her shadow form, flitted over the dark and twisted Everfree Forest, covering the distance in minutes. She arrived at the ancient ruin at its heart: the Castle of the Two Sisters. And here she sought out the one thing that could possibly stop her.

Yes, the Elements of Harmony were here. No one had come to claim them. And no one ever would!

Satisfied, she indulged herself by materializing in the old throne room, with its twin thrones.

"Thou thought to imprison us? US? The Princess of the Night? I hope thee enjoys thy imprisonment in the Sun, dear Sister! For we will never allow it to rise, never allow thee any chance of escape! NEVER!"

And there were none who would challenge her! None who would dare stand against her! The ponies she had seen today were weak! Defenseless! Powerless! None of them knew of the legend! Except...

She considered. There was that one in the hall, who had called her by name. That one was a potential threat. Well, she would not be so for long. And then -- and THEN! Nightmare Moon would rule as the Night itself! Eternal!

With a mighty laugh, she exploded into her shadow form and rose above the Castle, coming about and flitting away across the Everfree, back toward Ponyville and a certain lavender pony who knew far more than was good for her.

The Battle of Ponyville Square

It was quiet in the square outside the Town Hall. The building had been evacuated. The townsfolk had fled to their homes, where they huddled in silence, wondering what would happen next.

The warm night breeze whipped up a scrap of paper, fluttered a banner.

And nudged a large cardboard box, sitting upside down by a trash barrel to one side of the Square. There was a broad, rectangular slot cut in one side of the box, rough-edged, as with a box cutter and too little time. And a pair of eyes peered out of the box. One looked left, the other right.

Derpy waited. There was no use trying to figure out where the Mare had gone in such a hurry. So she waited for the Mare to return, as she hoped she would.

And after little more than ten minutes, her hopes were rewarded.

She saw the wraith-like shadows of the Mare rising over the Forest, coming closer and closer. They cascaded like dark-light meteors onto the cobbles of the Square, and swirled into the tall, proud form of the Mare herself.

The Mare looked left, then right, seeing nothing. Filaments of shadow sped away from her along the darkened, silent streets, spreading out over the town, as if searching for something.

Seeing that the Mare was looking away from her, Derpy rose up, lifting the box. She tiptoed closer. Then the Mare's questing eyes swept back in her direction. She hunched down again.

The Mare took a few steps across the square, and again swept her head back and forth, as if listening, waiting for word from her questing tendrils of shadow.

Whenever her gaze was elsewhere, Derpy again rose up and crept closer, then dropped when her gaze swept back. Creep. Drop. Creep. Drop. Almost there.

"Thinkst we are not aware of thee, little foal?"

The Mare's head snapped round. The merest flicker of her sword-like horn whipped the box away. Derpy was revealed, sitting forlornly on the cobbles. The Mare rounded on her, stalked closer.

Derpy sat looking up at her, eyes crossed and vacant.

"Why dost thou gaze upon us with only one eye?"

My Book Eye! Derpy thought. She knows I use that when speaking to ponies. She knows me! She must be the Mare in the Moon!

"And why dost thou smile at us like that! Like an idiot child? Knowst thou not who we are!"

"You're... the Mare in the Moon?"

"We are far more than that! We are NIGHTMARE MOON!" the Canterlot Voice thundered across the square, accompanied by a dramatic flash of lightning and roll of thunder.

Derpy goggled. "You're kidding! You're kidding, right?"

The Mare's eyes glared angrily. "Kidding? What beest this kidding thou speakst of? Cease thy prattle!"

But Derpy was overjoyed. "I just can't believe it! I just don't believe it! You're the Mare in the Moon!" Derpy leapt up and began capering about. "It's you! You're here! You're real! I knew it -- I knew it -- I knew it!"

"BE STILL!"

Derpy's rear end thumped down on the cobbles. She fell silent. But she couldn't help beaming in joy.

"Thou thinkst to jest with us?" The Mare's eyes flared. "Thou shalt learn the cost of thy impudence!"

Her horn blazed. Lightning struck the pavement, melting the cobbles. But Derpy was no longer there. Startled by the flash, the gray pegasus had bolted into the air in a random direction. She now hovered in the air on a slant, looking at the Mare cross-eyed from eye level.

Again the Mare struck at her, and again Derpy dodged. Bolt after bolt sizzled the air, but none found its mark, for the simple reason that not only could the Mare not figure out which way Derpy would bounce next, even Derpy herself wasn't all that sure.

The Mare's head came up, angry and tense. Derpy was nowhere in sight.

"Can I ask you something?"

The Mare's magic lashed out behind her. Derpy bounced in front.

"Only take a minute."

Zap! "I mean..." ZAP! "If it's not..." ZAP! "Too much trouble?"

"ENOUGH!" The Mare pawed the cobbles with a fore-hoof in frustration. It was beneath her to contend with such a powerless, addled wretch. This little one was a waste of time, far more trouble than she was worth! Yet a thousand years of imprisonment left her unwilling to turn away from any challenge, no matter how minute, to her absolute sovereignty.

Her expression turned crafty. "Thou seekst an audience with us? Hast a petition? Seekst thou a boon, mayhaps?"

"I dunno. I just had a question."

"Then land thou in front of us, make thy obeisance, and ask." She smiled evilly. "We grant thee assurance of safety."

Derpy fluttered around and landed in front of the Mare, who lined up her horn for one quick immolating blast.

Derpy bowed deeply, then sat down on the cobbles and looked up at her.

"Are you here because of my wishes?"

Despite herself, the Mare stilled the blast readied in her horn.

"Wishes? Speak'st plainly, thou golden-eyed gnat!"

"Every night I looked up at the Moon. I sent my wishes to the Mare in the Moon. My wishes brought me here. And now you're here. Did my wishes bring you here?"

"Let us understand this clearly... thou wished for our return? Thou sought to be here, to witness our return?"

Derpy shrugged. "I dunno. I did kinda feel like I had to come here."

The Mare's eyes narrowed, suspecting treachery. "Thou seek'st to flatter us? Gain our trust? And then betray it as our sister did a millenia ago?"

Derpy looked puzzled, and shrugged. "I was just wondering about my wishes."

Nightmare Moon glared straight into the dominant-oclar eye of the tiny pony before her, saw nothing but innocent plaintive hope. This pony had nothing to hide. She barely had anything to hide it in.

"And thou art pleased by our return? Pleased we have come to reclaim what was ours?"

Derpy wasn't sure. "I always liked looking at the Mare in the Moon," she said. "I was happy when I was little. The Mare looked like that. Happy, I mean. I wanted to be happy again, like I had been. So I wished, every night." She looked up, into the face of Nightmare Moon, and smiled. "And I'm glad I wished, because you're real. I'm glad you're here." She tilted her head, looked up at the Mare, her voice small

"Can I have the rest of my wishes? Please?"

Somewhere within Nightmare Moon, locked away deep inside, a Princess gazed down upon a face that might have been her own a millenia ago. A face that looked up and wished on the moon and stars themselves, for things to be different.

And the Princess cried, in the dark.

Nightmare Moon hesitated. She arched an eyebrow.

"Well! Let it never be said of us that we were ungenerous to those who awaited and desired our return!"

She leaned closer, raised a long, black forehoof and pointed it at the pony's face like a gunship cannon.

"Dost thou desire thy vision made whole, little one?"

"Oh, no! Please don't take away my Dinky Eye!"

"Thy what?"

"My Dinky Eye. I use it to keep an eye on my daughter, to make sure she's safe." She demonstrated, the eye wandering about in all directions.

"Hah." The Mare drew back. "How resourceful of you."

Shaking her head, she stood tall, lifting her head high. "Name thy wishes, supplicant! And make haste!"

Derpy smiled. Now this was the Mare in the Moon she understood. "Well, I wished for my life to be better. It's definitely gotten better here in Ponyville. So guess I got that one." Derpy decided not to mention her cutie-mark, since she wasn't sure what the Mare could do about that. "I suppose the only thing left is just..."

The Mare tapped a hoof impatiently. "Go on!"

Derpy looked up at her. "I wanted a better life for my daughter, for her to be safe and happy. And for my friends, too, the ones I made here in Ponyville. That's pretty much it, I guess."

"Commendable," the Mare sneered dryly. "Nothing for thyself? No gold, jewels or principalities?"

"I want a good life for my daughter. Better than I had, anyway. And for my friends to be happy. That's pretty much it."

"Hmmm..." The Mare smiled. "Very well then! Arise, uh ---"

She looked down at the pegasus. "What is thy name?"

"Derpy!"

"Uh huh. Ahem. Arise, Derpy! And harken to our proclamation!"

Derpy stood up and waited attentively.

"We, Nightmare Moon, hereby proclaim that henceforth the domain of 'Ponyville' and environs shall be granted to thee, Derpy, and to thy daughter -- uh?"

"Dinky."

The eyebrow arched higher. "Thou art kidding, right?" The Mare sighed.

"-- and to thy daughter, Dinky, in perpetuity, to rule in our name!" She smiled. "That should make thy friends 'happy'. They shouldst findst that a source of much amusement! And furthermore, that only those of its inhabitants that thou countest amongst thy 'friends' shall escape our wrath!"

She sneered. See how thou dealst with that one, small foal! They shall tumble over themselves like mice trying to turn thy silly head!

Derpy smiled. "Thank you, Mare in the Moon!"

"Hmph. We have business to attend to this night, and we have tarried here long enough!" Her tone became dirisive. "So, farewell to thee, Princess Derpy of Ponyville!"

The Mare was surrounded by swirling shadows, which consumed her and then arced away into the sky.

Derpy saw they were heading towards the Golden Oak Library. She hopped into the air and flapped off after them -- though at a safe distance.

Gliding up the street, she saw the shadows pause at an upper window of the Library tree, and then, apparently thwarted, speed onward through the town. Derpy gave chase, wings flapping madly to keep up. They passed the Cakes' house. They passed the post office and the Costume shop. And after some time they finally arrived at the edge of Ponyville... the edge that bordered on the dark and forbidding Everfree Forest.

Here Derpy could just make out Twilight trailing after her friends as they all disappeared up the path into the Forest. And she saw the Mare's shadows flit swiftly after them, disappearing into the trees overhead.

Derpy very much wanted to follow, to warn them, to help them, to join in what looked like a great adventure.

But then she remembered Dinky. And something else. The Mare had said that she, Derpy, was now in charge of Ponyville. She sat down and considered that. It seemed like an awful lot for her to manage. But it was her job now.

Reluctantly, she got up, and turned away from the Forest and back towards town.

The Princess of Ponyville Square

She had got as far as the Cake's shop when the crowd found her.

"There she is!"

"Hooray! Huzzah!"

Derpy found herself gathered up by the mob of rejoicing ponies and borne on their shoulders, carried in triumph all the way back to the Square.

"She faced down Nightmare Moon!"

"I saw the whole thing! Couldn't lay a hoof on her!"

"Then she chased Nightmare Moon out of town!"

"HOORAAYYYYYY!"

Derpy was finally set on the ground in front of the Town Hall, where Mayor Mare was standing talking with some members of the Guard. Once the crowd's cheering had stilled somewhat, she peered through her glasses at the gray pegasus sitting before her.

"Uh... Ms., uh, Derpy, is it not?"

"Yes, Mayor Mare!"

"You're... our mail carrier, correct?"

"Yes, Mayor Mare. Oh! There's a letter for you from Las Pegasus at the post office. I'll bring it by with the delivery on Moonday."

"Ahem. Yes, uh, well, we'll discuss that later. Do I understand correctly that you drove Nightmare Moon out of town single-hoofedly?"

"Not exactly, Mayor Mare!"

"I thought not."

"She decided to go on her own."

"Hwat? You persuaded her to let Ponyville be?"

Derpy looked at that from all sides. It sounded right. "I guess I did!"

"Unbelievable! And yet... we have the evidence of eyewitnesses! Astonishing! Well! What remains now is to figure out how we go about rescuing the Princess, and obtaining the return of the Sun to our skies!"

"Uh, Mayor Mare?"

"What is it, Derpy?"

Derpy thought about Twilight and all her friends, setting off into the forest. About how capable her friends were, how well they got along and worked together.

"You don't have to worry about that. There are some good ponies working on it."

"Already?"

Derpy nodded.

"Well... uh... then... I... suppose we should focus our resources here," she said, getting back up to speed again. She turned to speak to the guards. "We should gather the townsfolk here at Town Hall for safety, and pool our resources during this crisis. We should also inquire if there are any entertainers who would be willing to put on an amusement for us, as a diversion to keep up morale!"

Derpy took a moment to bushwhack her way through the thicket of Mayorese.

"Oh!" She finally said. "Like a Pinkie Party!"

"I... guess so," Mayor Mare looked at her, nonplussed.

"All right! I help Pinkie with her parties all the time! I'm on it!"

Before the Mayor could respond, Derpy raced off through the crowd. She fetched up with a screeching halt on the cobbles right in front of Big Mac, who was worriedly asking everyone he ran into if they'd seen Applejack.

"Hey, Big Mac!"

"Eee-yup?"

"Mayor is organizing a Pinkie Party to keep everyone from getting scared! They're gonna need a lot of food for folks here. Can the Apple Farm take care of that?"

Big Mac looked surprised, then thoughtful. Then he nodded.

"Eee-yup!"

Things kind of snowballed after that. The townsfolk gradually filtered back into the Square, bringing bedding and belongings. And word of how Derpy had faced down Nightmare Moon spread farther and faster. She found herself being greeted by smiles and amazed looks wherever she trotted in the crowd.

It was intimidating at first, but she quickly found that all she needed to do was nudge ponies away from worrying, and they did the rest themselves. She could handle anything, so long as she had a system.

"Oh, I really can't bear it," fretted an older socialite pony with blued mane and tail. "Having to rush out of the house, not a thing to wear, in the middle of the night with this Nightmare Moon thing hanging over us, and I look a sight! Honestly!"

"Don't worry, ma'am," Derpy said. "You look gorgeous!"

"Why thank you, Ms. Derpy!" The pony gave her a puzzled look. "Say now, that sounds like something Miss Rarity might say. Do you know her, by chance?"

Derpy nodded. "I help her design clothes!"

"Really!" The pony gaped. "Oh, my dear, you have hidden talents! We must have you over for tea when all this is over!"

"Can I bring my daughter, Dinky? She loves holding tea parties."

"Absolutely, my dear Derpy! Bring her along! We'd love to see her!"

Derpy circuited the crowd, both outside in the Square and inside the Town Hall, where the smaller fillies and older retirees were staying. On one of her circuits around the outside of the Town Hall, she was surprised by a bird falling on her head. She picked it up on a hoof and nuzzled it. It chirped sleepily.

"Mayor Mare!"

"Ee-yes? Oh, Derpy! What is it?"

"Look! The birds have been up so long, they're falling asleep!"

"Oh, my word!" Mayor Mare quickly began organizing teams to go out and check on the day-dwelling animals and birds, to make sure they were not being harmed by the extended period of night.

As the night wore on, Derpy found herself racing a blue streak from pillar to post, helping find lost children and lost pets and lost toys. Soon she was moving so fast she began to collide with walls and pillars and knock over piles of luggage. But somehow this only cheered everyone up more.

CRASH!

"Oops! My bad!"

"Hey, good one, Derpy! You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine! Whoops, gotta post! 'Scuse me!"

Finally, once most ponies had settled down and tried to get some sleep, things quieted down enough that Derpy could take a breather herself. She sat on the steps of the Town Hall and gazed up at the sky, at the bare white disk of the Moon. She wondered about the Mare, and about her friends, what had happened to them. It had been a long time without word from them. And she wondered who she would direct her wishes to now.

"Oh, my dear Derpy! There you are!"

"Hi, Mrs. Cake!"

"Mommy! Are you done with work now!"

Derpy put out her forehooves. Dinky ran to her for a hug.

"I'm so sorry, my dear!" Mrs. Cake said. "Little Dinky was having trouble sleeping since it's still day by the clocks, and she desperately wanted to know if you were all right. We heard from one of the animal patrols going by the shop that you were here at the Square, so I left Carrot to watch the shop while we came to find you."

"It's okay!" Derpy reassured her.

"Can we read a story now, Mommy?"

"Uh..."

Mayor Mare, standing nearby, spoke up. "You've gone above and beyond already, Derpy. Take some time for yourself!"

"Okay! Thanks, Mayor!"

"And we brought along a book, just in case," Mrs. Cake said, taking it from a pocket of her apron.

So Derpy settled down on the steps with Dinky, under the lantern light, and read to her. And gradually she noticed other parents with small children gathering, seating themselves around her, listening in.

Okay, Derpy, she told herself. Keep it together... It's just like reading with Dinky only there's more ponies.

She got to the end of the story they were on, and with a glance around, kept right on reading. Soon she and Dinky were at the center of a crowd of ponies gathered around the pool of light on the steps of the Town Hall, seeking comfort and reassurance, huddled together against Night Eternal.

And then...

The sun came up. Just like usual. As if nothing had happened.

Several minutes later, there was an expanding gleam of radiance in the center of the Square, which the surrounding ponies quickly made room for. From it stepped Princess Celestia and the six bearers of the Elements of Harmony. And with them was a huddled, night-blue mare with a star-swirled mane and tail, and sad and frightened eyes.

There was celebration and much telling and retelling of the story of the harrowing and miraculous defeat of Nightmare Moon and the rescue of Princess Celestia by the Elements of Harmony: Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight Sparkle.

Somewhere during all this, Derpy noticed that Dinky had fallen asleep. With a nod of thanks to Mrs. Cake, Derpy picked up her daughter and gently carried her home to bed.

The Sixth Element

The next day, the official celebration got underway. Princess Celestia and the somewhat recovered Princess Luna arrived by Golden Chariot in the Town Square in Ponyville. Princess Luna was presented to the crowds, who readily cheered her return.

The Elements of Harmony were presented next, and quickly surrounded by happy throngs of ponies wanting to thank them and celebrate their accomplishment.

There was a proclamation by Princess Celestia that henceforth Twilight Sparkle would take up permanent residence as Librarian in Ponyville.

And then an impromptu photograph of them all was organized.

Standing in the midst of her friends, Twilight looked around for Derpy, but couldn't find her. She hadn't been seen anywhere around town for the past couple of days. And there was a good reason for that. It was necessary to figure out what exactly to do about Derpy, given the Proclamation made by Luna while she was Nightmare Moon. Though very irregular, it had technically been made by an uplifted Princess, which made it officially binding. And it effectively meant that Derpy Doo was herself a Princess -- in title at least -- and moreover was now the hereditary ruler of Ponyville and environs into the bargain.

In the end, it was decided it was best to just let the whole matter quietly slide. Derpy had shown neither inclination nor interest in pressing claim to her title, nor even much memory of the incident, aside from a great happiness at finally having her wishes answered.

Twilight shook her head and focused on the picture taking, not wanting to be caught with a vacant look in the photograph.

Then she noticed that her friends were all smiling and laughing even more so than they had been before. Right at that moment, the picture was taken.

Twilight Sparkle looked past the camera, and finally spotted Derpy. She was sitting on the ground beside her daughter, watching Dinky blowing soap bubbles with a small cup of soap and a wand. And the sight made Twilight smile as well: the sense of calm happiness in Derpy's face as she kept one eye on her daughter, and the other eye on the bubbles, watching them drift idly away.

And then Derpy looked at Twilight, and winked. First one eye, then the other. She swept Dinky up onto her back and trotted off happily...
... with a bubbly cutie-mark on her flank.

For she was the Element of Optimism, you see.

Dear Princess Celestia: Today I learned that you don't need a prophecy, gemstone, or magic to be one of the Elements of Harmony. You just have to be the kind of pony other ponies need you to be, when they need you to be it. And sometimes, the most important ponies are the ones who make the choice to stay behind.

The End

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, its characters and indicia are the property of Hasbro.
No infringement is intended. This story is a work of fan fiction, written by fans for fans of the series.

Cover image is based on vector graphic generously made available by Bobbatron808 at DeviantArt.
(https://www.deviantart.com/bobbatron808/art/Derpy-and-Dinky-Hugging-and-Smiling-2-619216252)