Cocoons and Muffins

You are fuming, your patience worn thin by this clumsy pegasus. Without a word, you start walking again, aimlessly, hoping to clear your mind.

"I am really, really sorry.” Behind you, Derpy’s voice trembles, “I’m always like this. No matter how hard I try to change, I just can’t." Her voice cracks, and when you glance back, tears are streaming down her cheeks. "I’m such a failure. I always end up hurting the ones close to me."

You thought she’d seen through your disguise and was planning to take you down in the antique shop. But her tears seem genuine. A moment ago, you had this idea of revealing yourself and sucking every drop of love out of her, but now it seems your identity isn’t exposed. Acting against her now could jeopardize the entire mission. Worse, the hive would mock you mercilessly if you failed. The thought of losing their respect, of being seen as weak or incompetent, makes your chest tighten. A rebellion isn’t out of the question. Thus, you decide to tolerate this idiot for a little longer.

“It’s okay, Derpy. You just startled me a little, that’s all. Nothing too serious." Despite your words, the dull ache in your head from the clock’s impact reminds you otherwise.

"I’m so glad you’re okay." She suddenly throws her hooves around you, but that doesn’t stop her from crying. In fact, her sobs grow even more intense.

She... hugged me? No creature has ever hugged you before, let alone cried so bitterly in your embrace. For a moment, your instincts scream at you to pull away. And yet, you remain still, caught off guard not just by the hug but by the unfamiliar sensation stirring in your chest. It’s fleeting, so faint you wonder if you imagined it. But it’s enough to leave you unsettled.

“Hey, Derpy! How are you doing? Who’s this?” A grey stallion with a green mane approaches her, his expression friendly but quickly shifting to concern as he notices her tear-streaked face.

“Wait, why are you crying? Did somepony bully you?” His gaze sharpens as it lands on you. “Was it this mare? I’ll teach her a lesson if—”

“N-no.” Derpy interrupts, shaking her head frantically. “She’s m-my new friend … and I wasn’t bullied by anypony. It was just … I …I remembered something sad.” Derpy wipes her tears as she chokes out the words between sobs.

You step forward, narrowing your eyes slightly. “And you are…?”

“I’m Forest Rain,” the stallion says, his posture relaxing a little. “And you?”

“I’m Shutter Bug, I just met Derpy today. Are you her brother?”

“Not really,” he explains, “but we’re like family. It’s a long story. A year ago, I was… well, a mess. I was an adult without a cutie mark, and ponies mocked me as a blank flank. I hated myself for it. There was even a day I planned to leave Ponyville for good. But Derpy… she stopped me.” His voice softens as he glances at her. “She shared her story, how she’s been treated, and how she chose to embrace who she is instead of giving up. If she could do that after everything she’s been through, what excuse did I have?”

“Later, with the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ help, I found my cutie mark and my purpose. But it was Derpy who saved me first.” He looks back at you with a firm expression. “So, I won’t stand by if anypony hurts her.”

You didn’t expect this bumbling pegasus to have such strength. Life had burdened her with sorrow, yet she responded with warmth and compassion. The thought feels foreign and nauseating—since when do I think like these sentimental ponies?

But you can’t afford to waste more time watching her crying. After all, you still have a mission. You glance at her, sighing inwardly. "You’re stronger than you think, Derpy," you force a kind tone even as the words make your stomach churn. “Most ponies couldn’t show kindness after what you’ve been through. If some don’t see that, it’s their loss, not yours.”

Forest Rain steps closer, “Derpy, stop crying. Even though rumors say you bring bad luck, and that’s why ponies stay away and give you the cold shoulder, it’s not true. You don’t bring bad luck, but rather laughter and hope.”

His voice is tinged with frustration, “I know one thing: every Hearth's Warming, you give up time with your family to cover extra shifts so your coworkers can be with theirs. You always brave the snowstorms, delivering letters to countless homes from town to town. But what do you get every time? Cold stares and ponies rushing to sign their mail so you’ll leave. It’s almost like if you stayed long enough, their houses would collapse.

“But that’s what makes you a great pony. You have a family too. Don’t you also want to get together with them? Yet you sacrifice your own for the sake of others while your husband and daughter wait at home for you every Hearth's Warming."

Her sobbing gradually subsides. "Thank you both for trying to cheer me up. I feel better now."

“No offense, but, Derpy, what’s the reason behind your actions?” you ask.

After calming down a bit, she takes a deep breath and replies, "The answer is actually pretty simple. When I was little, there was once a Hearth's Warming Eve when it snowed so heavily that my dad’s train from Manehattan got stuck halfway. Since he couldn’t make it home, my mom and I were worried sick, not knowing if he was safe. Then, there was a knock at the door. It was a mail pony. He brought us a message saying my dad was okay and would be home as soon as the storm cleared. I’ll never forget that moment. The relief, the hope… Since then, I’ve dreamed of becoming a mail pony. Even after the incident, I never let go of that dream."

You want to ask what "incident" she was referring to, but you figure you should save that question for later. As Derpy feels much better now, Forest Rain doesn’t plan to stay long since he has other things to take care of. He wishes the two of you a pleasant day as he trots away.

You arrive at Sweet Apple Acres because Derpy insists that you’ll miss the best part of Ponyville if you don’t try the apples here.

If you had known the owner of this orchard was Applejack, you would have stayed far away. Now, here you are, standing face-to-face with this honest earth pony. You are worried she might sense something.

After Derpy introduces you to her, she tips her hat with a warm smile, “Howdy there, Shutter Bug! Your eyes look a kinda familiar, but I reckon this is our first meetin’. First time to Ponyville?”

“Yeah, first time,” your voice sounds stiff, but you manage to keep your emotions in check.

“Yee-haw! If Pinkie were here, she’d be planning you a big ol’ welcome party for ya right now. She’s got a knack for makin’ ponies feel at home. She even threw one for Twilight when she first came to town, and the next thing you know, Twilight’s stickin’ around. Of course, that’s probably more Twilight’s thing than Pinkie’s party, but still… if she threw you such a party, you might want to stick around, too.” Applejack laughs, but as neither of you shares her amusement, her laugh fades and recovers her composure.

“A-anyway, welcome to Sweet Apple Acres! Help yourselves to some apples! No need to be shy.” Applejack sizes you up, and then her eyes widen. “Oh, horse apples! I got so excited seein’ ya, I didn’t even notice you’re hurt. Sit tight, and let me fix ya up real quick.”

You didn’t notice that until now—when the clock in the antique shop fell on you, some shards of glass had embedded themselves in your flesh. Now that you are aware of it, the pain starts creeping in, but it’s nothing unbearable. Changelings shrug off minor injuries, unlike ponies, who seem to make a fuss over every little scrape. Applejack, however, is not about to let it go. She calls for Apple Bloom to fetch some alcohol and bandages, and despite your protests, she approaches you and starts cleaning the wound. Changelings never need this kind of fuss—they just tough out the pain. If your soldiers saw you like this, you’d never live it down.

With the wound taken care of, the two of you enter Sweet Apple Acres and start picking apples. At first, Derpy busies herself with plucking apples from the trees and placing them in a basket. But before long, she starts sampling her work. Soon, her “picking” turns into snacking, her basket largely forgotten as she hops from tree to tree, munching away. You watch her for a moment, trying not to roll your eyes. It’s already afternoon, and she probably hasn’t had lunch yet. These ponies and their fragile bodies—so dependent on plant-based food to sustain themselves. Changelings, on the other hand, survive on something far superior: love. You feel a faint sense of superiority at the thought.

“Shutter, watch out! I accidentally bumped into this tree besi—” Before she can finish her sentence, a cascade of apples rains down from the tree, landing squarely on your head. You reel from the impact but to your own surprise, you burst into laughter. Derpy stares for a moment before her giggles join yours, her laughter bubbling up like a fresh stream.

However, what happens next quickly kills the laughter. Derpy, in her usual clumsy fashion, kicks a nearby tree too hard, snapping it in half. Before you can react, the trunk falls directly onto your back. Though it doesn’t injure you, it’s enough to make you reevaluate your proximity to this disaster-prone pegasus. As you move to the edge of the orchard, your hoof plunges into empty space, and you find yourself tumbling into a pit. It’s one of Applejack’s traps, cleverly designed to capture Timberwolves. Your startled cries bring Derpy and Applejack running. The two ponies scramble to pull you out, grunting with effort as the trap’s design resists their attempts. When they finally manage to free you, your mane ends up in a complete mess, with broken branches sticking out of it. You have no choice but to take a bath in Applejack’s backyard and tidy up your mane.

As you leave Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack and Apple Bloom apologize profusely for the mishaps.

It’s 3 p.m, and you’ve explored almost every corner of Ponyville. Now, you start wandering around the street. When you first arrived, you thought it was too big, but now you find it almost too small.

"How about this?” Derpy exclaims, “Let's go to the amusement park!"

"No way, absolutely not. That’s a terrible idea. We're too old for that." The mere thought of wasting time at an amusement park during what you consider work hours feels like a grievous dereliction of duty. If you ever caught a drone slacking off like that, you'd sentence them to the Maw of the Abyss without hesitation.

"Pleeeeease! Can you play with me? " Her eyes cross as she tries to make a pleading face, and for a moment they almost align before slipping back to being uneven again. "I spent my entire day off helping you explore Ponyville. Can you accompany me to the amusement park for a little while?"

…

Ponyville has only one amusement park. From afar, you can see a giant Ferris wheel dominating the view, shaped like a peacock with its feathers fanned out in vibrant colors. The roller coaster sprawls across the park like a coiled dragon, taking up most of the space. Even from a distance, you can hear the thunderous roar of the coaster and the screams of ponies on board. For ponies from bustling cities like Las Pegasus, this amusement park would feel unimpressive—its attractions are too sparse, relying heavily on the roller coaster to attract crowds.

I can't believe I agreed to such a stupid idea. You suppress a groan.

There is a long line for the roller coaster, while other rides barely have ponies waiting. Despite the long wait, Derpy insists on starting with the roller coaster—it’s the one ride she’s most excited about.

As you shuffle forward in line, she leans in and says, "Ever since I was little, I dreamed of going to an amusement park. But my parents never let me. They made me spend all my time practicing flying in my spare time, forcing me into lessons and competitions. They said that as a pegasus, being an expert flyer was your best calling card. Crowds would cheer for you from the stands, and you'd become the brightest star in Equestria. They said maybe one day I’d even join the Wonderbolts, earning a chance to meet Princess Celestia."

"Your parents wanted you to be a success. I feel ya. My father was the same." Memories of your father begin to resurface. To make sure you’d become a worthy heir to the throne, he ruled over your upbringing with an iron hoof. Sometimes, his lessons came as harsh punishment. Yet, his love for you runs deep, and you knew it. After every punishment, he would visit your room to talk to you, to explain why he had done what he did. It hurts me more than it does you, he’d say, but it’s for the hive. You must be strong. You must be loyal. You still remember one time you let a filly escape and were punished with three days of starvation to make you understand why you couldn’t do that. From that moment on, you never let any prey escape again.

Finally, it’s your turn. You and Derpy climb into the front row of the roller coaster car, sitting side by side.

"Awesome, the front row is the most exciting! Yay!" She raises her hooves, grinning from ear to ear.

The staff moves down the line, checking each safety harness before starting the ride.

"Three, two, one!"

As the countdown hits zero, the car shoots forward with a jolt that presses you into your seat.

Your heart pounds, your hooves tremble, and a shiver races down your spine. You squeeze your eyes shut as the wind howls in your ears.

Summoning every ounce of your willpower, you force yourself to open your eyes—only to be met with a dizzying blur of sky and ground twisting and flipping in every direction. The car loops over and over, zooming into the clouds and then plummeting back down at a speed that feels impossible. Your mouth opens to command the car to stop, but instead, all that escapes is a scream. Besides, you know the futility of such an order.

The ride finally comes to a halt. You step off the coaster and notice that your mane is a tangled disaster. It must have been the wind, you tell yourself firmly. There’s no way you were scared. Queens don’t get scared.

"That was amazing! If only you could ride this with me every day!" She flutters her wings in excitement but stays grounded—a gesture that you assume is some kind of display of enthusiasm for pegasus.

"I'm never getting on that again, ever!" Despite your firm declaration, you can’t shake the faint thrill from the moment you dared to open your eyes.

With about an hour left before the park closes, the two of you wander aimlessly, pausing now and then as Derpy excitedly points out more rides she wants to try.

You stop at the archery game. Or rather——she stops there, and you reluctantly shuffle to her side.

"Do you want to play this game with me? We can compete against each other!” she leans closer, covering her mouth with a hoof like she’s sharing top-secret information, “Here's a secret—when I was a filly, I won first place in the national archery competition for my age group!"

"Impressive.” you force a smile, though skepticism pricks at the back of your mind, “Uh, I think I’ll just watch. Getting totally crushed by you doesn’t sound like much fun." Something tells you this is the safer option, and for once, your gut doesn’t fail you.

Derpy picks up the bow, drawing the string with a strength that surprises you. She narrows her eyes, aiming with what appears to be perfect focus. With a confident release, the arrow whistles through the air…

…and it veers wildly off course. The arrow misses the target entirely, striking a metal statue in the prize area with a force that slams the metal chunk into the wall. The statue then ricochets back—straight toward your head. Thankfully, you are prepared and dive out of the way just in time. The statue lands with a heavy clang where you’d been standing moments ago.

Realizing what she’s done, Derpy drops the bow in a panic and rushes over to you. "Are you okay, Shutter? I’m so sorry!"

"I'm fine. But if I’d agreed to compete with you and stood closer to the wall, I might not have been so lucky." you sigh, brushing yourself off.

"I'm terribly sorry!" The booth operator hurries over. " We didn't expect a customer to use so much force on the bow and accidentally shoot toward the prize area. Are you hurt, ma’am?"

"I'm fine. Just make sure next time the prizes aren’t so dangerous. Maybe you should switch them out for plushies," you reply.

The booth operator shifts his hooves nervously, "Please, please don’t report us to our manager. It’s tough running a business these days. How about this—as an apology, you can take any prize you want. Anything from the prize area is yours."

"Don’t worry, we share some of the blame. It wasn’t like you could predict this. There’s no need for compensa—" you are cut off mid-sentence.

"What? We can take any prize? That's amazing!” Derpy interrupts, her eyes lighting up as she points excitedly, “I was hoping to win that Twilight Sparkle plushie from the start!"

Hearing this, the operator breathes a sigh of relief as he thought you two planned to take all his prizes. Now that it becomes clear you two have no ill intention, he eagerly hands the stuffed toy to her.

You do your best to avoid looking at the disgusting toy as she slings it over her back.

"How can you still be into plushies? You are not a filly anymore," you ask, unable to hide your disdain.

"Twilight Sparkle is my idol! Plus, I’ve always loved plushies ever since I was little. You probably won’t believe it, but I’ve got tons of them——on my bed, in my closet." she says with a laugh, "But this one, I’m actually going to give to my daughter, Dinky. She’s my most precious treasure, way more important than all my plushies. She also looks up to Twilight Sparkle and says she wants to be as great as her when she grows up. I think if I give her this, she’ll remember her goal every time she sees it and work hard to achieve great things just like Twilight."

"You really are a thoughtful parent."

"I try to be. Work keeps me busy, so I don’t get to spend as much time with her as I’d like. Dinky’s amazing—always so well-behaved and top of her class. Saves me a lot of trouble. And my husband? He’s always tinkering with some high-tech gadgets. I don’t understand half of it, but I support him anyway."

"You’re lucky to have such a happy family." A wave of jealousy rises in your chest. Memories of the hive flood your mind—the power struggles, the looming crisis, the burdens you carry. She doesn’t have to worry about the survival of an entire race… at least for now.

Derpy’s voice pulls you from your thoughts. "By the way, you haven’t eaten much today. How about we stop at food stalls for muffins? I’ve heard the muffins here are amazing. My treat!"

"Uh, no thanks, I’m not hungry. I’ve had such a good time today that I don’t even feel hungry." you try to sound polite while avoiding whatever this “muffin” thing is—it sounds revolting to you.

"Hey, I’ll take two muffins. Shutter, what do you want?" she asks, her cheerfulness undeterred.

"Me? Uh, let me see…” you glance at the menu, scrambling for an answer. “Oh, right, I’ll have a blueberry juice." you figure ordering something will help maintain your cover.

"Coming right up!" the stall owner replies without even looking your way.

Derpy happily digs into her muffin, crumbs speckling her muzzle. You, on the other hoof, cautiously levitate the cup and take a sip of the magenta liquid. To your surprise, it’s… good. Really good. But as you savor the flavor, a nagging thought reminds you: changelings don’t need pony food. It provides no nourishment—only love can sustain you.

After finishing, she waves to the stall owner, " Check, please."

"That'll be 108 bits."

"What? That’s expensive!” she exclaims, rummaging through her bag, “Are you sure you got the price right? Let me see how much I have left."

"Muffins are 26 bits each, and the blueberry juice is 56 bits a glass, miss. There's no mistake," he says coolly as he watches you both like a hawk.

"Darn it, I didn’t bring that much money. Shutter, do you have any?"

"Sorry, I didn’t bring a single bit." Why would you? Pony currency means nothing to you.

Then, you and Derpy bolt out of the place as the stall owner shouts behind your back.