Tap tap tap tap Fluttershy's ears perked at the sound of her best friend's little hoof on her cottage door. Derpy's here! She thought, smiling. She opened the door, greeted by the smiling cross-eyed mare.
"Hi, Derpy! How are you?" Fluttershy grinned, stepping aside to let her pal in. She laughed to herself for asking this, she already knew the answer would be-
"As happy as a muffin in an oven!" Cheered Derpy, sticking her tongue out. The two pegasi trotted over to Fluttershy's little kitchen for breakfast, which the yellow mare had already laid out on her round dining table. Two cups of freshly squeezed orange juice, stack of pancakes in the center, with some bowls full of fruit, butter, and chocolate chips to top them with, a basket of blueberry muffins, and a small vase with a lone yellow daisy in it. Both of the ponies sat down and dug into their breakfast. Fluttershy finished first, leaning back in her chair to watch the sun rise. Nopony really knew of Derpy and Fluttershy's daily get-togethers. Fluttershy just felt it wasn't the right time, that her other friends wouldn't understand.
"So, 'Shy," said Derpy, snapping Fluttershy out of her thoughts, "Where do you think you want to fly today?"
"I don't know... maybe the lake route? We could go along The Everfree Forest, and take a break by the bridge. We'd be done by about 6:30," Said Fluttershy, stretching her wings slightly. Derpy nodded, finishing off her third muffin. And the gals were off. Excited, Derpy galloped out of her friend's door, got a running start as she began flapping her wings, giggling as she did a small flip. Fluttershy laughed as she flew up to join the wall-eyed pony. This is another secret. Fluttershy has never been that bad a flier. Maybe she was as a filly, but that was only because she was so small. She and Derpy have been been training together for years now, because it wasn't really hard to tell either of them were the best fliers ever, so Derpy teaches Fluttershy how to get higher up, and go a little faster, while Fluttershy teaches Derpy how to stay in place, and to stop without crashing. In reality, these two little ponies were the perfect pair.
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The next day, Fluttershy woke up early and walked up to Derpy's house. She rang the doorbell, but didn't here anypony inside. She rang it a second time, then heard some movement, and a loud yawn. Derpy answered the door, her topaz eyes full of sleep. Strange Fluttershy thought Derpy never sleeps late Fluttershy shook her head, it was probably nothing. Derpy gave another deep, long yawn, and waved Fluttershy in. They sat down in Derpy's kitchenette, like usual, but Fluttershy couldn't help but feel something was wrong with Derpy. She seemed... quiet. She was slumped in her chair, and she wasn't making any talk with Fluttershy. As more time went on, the more concerned Fluttershy got for her friend. Finally, she asked.
"Derpy, is... is something, uh, bothering.. you?" Fluttershy stuttered quietly, immediately regretting asking.
"What? 'Shy... I... uh," Fluttershy could tell she was getting nervous, as she watched the grey pony look around, and laugh nervously.
"N-never mind. Forget I asked. Soooo," Fluttershy looked around, desperate for something to change the subject, "Where do you wanna go flying this morning?"
"Fluttershy," sighed Derpy, a sad look on her face, "I'm not really in the mood for flyin' today,"
Fluttershy was shocked by this. Ever since they started flying together, they've only missed twice! The first time was when Derpy came down with a nasty case of Hay Fever, the second was when Fluttershy had to go to Canterlot to get her medal for stopping Discord with her friends. Either way, this was a problem Fluttershy couldn't ignore, something was wrong with her best friend. After breakfast, Derpy said she was sorry again, and Fluttershy left. As she walked, her wings twitched. She needed to fly, she needed to get Derpy off her mind.
When she got near the empty grasslands that surrounded her house, she jumped up and started flying. When she got high enough, she pointed herself down, and started gaining speed. The faster she got, the more she thought about Derpy. Tears started coming from her eyes, going straight off her face because of the wind. Was it her fault? Is Derpy hurt? Is somepony being mean to her? Fluttershy was screaming, thinking about what's going to happen now. Derpy was her only escape to keep herself from getting mad at her friends. Derpy was teased just as much as Fluttershy was at flight school when they were young. No... NO! Fluttershy can't lose Derpy! She was too important to her! She was the-
"WOW! Fluttershy! You're goin' fast!," Fluttershy almost screamed when her rainbow maned friend flew up next to her, "Have you finally been followin' my tips? We should totally fly together sometim- wait... are you crying? DID SOMEPONY HURT YOU?!"
"No... no, Dash. It's just, I... uh," Fluttershy looked down at the earth beneath them, "It's nothing, Rainbow Dash. Don't worry about me. Just keep flying, I'm fine,"
"No! Fluttershy, tell me! Was it those boys, Dumbbell and Hoops? Oh, they make me so mad! Where'd they go? What'd they do? Were they teasing you again? Did they-"
"I SAID I'M OKAY!" Fluttershy cried. She was getting upset. She needed to get out of here. Rainbow was caught by surprise when Fluttershy yelled at her. That pony never yelled. She knew Fluttershy wanted to be alone.
"Well, okay, I guess. If you need me, I'm here, Fluttershy..." The way Dash sighed her name out made Fluttershy want to disappear.
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Later that day at her cottage, Fluttershy has calmed down again, with the comfort of her beloved animals. When she came home, she cried with her bunnies, talked with her squirrels, and sang a little song with her birds. Angel Bunny convinced her that, as the Element of Kindness, it was her duty to make sure her friend is happy, no matter what it took. Fluttershy packed her saddlebag and set course for Derpy's house.
"Uhm... Derpy? He-hello...? Are you in here?" Fluttershy peeped her head into Derpy's house. There was no reply. Fluttershy looked all around the living room, nothing. Kitchen, nothing. All that was left was the bedroom. On her bed, there was an indent. Still warm and a little sweaty, Derpy was here, not that long ago. If she isn't here... she could be anywhere. Fluttershy got a lump in her throat again, and quietly sobbed, putting her head on Derpy's cozy little bed. As she shifted her weight on the mattress, she heard a crinkle, and the sound of paper falling. She hadn't seen it before, it was a scrap of paper (easily recognized as Derpy' penmanship) It said Help with a picture of a frowning face, and lost with a picture of some clouds and mountains.
"WHAT DOES IT MEAN? WHAT IS SHE TRYING TO TELL ME?" The stress was getting to Fluttershy again, and she knew she needed to calm down. She took a deep breath, and decided she should report a Missing Ponies Report on Derpy. She has to put a call in to Chief Golden Justice.
After dropping her stuff off back at her house, Fluttershy flew over to the town police office. She was well acquainted with Chief Golden Justice, and Officer Copper Badge. After one of her animals escaped, they helped her investigate where he'd run off to. She opened the double doors into the busy office. Phones rang, hooves clicked, and mugs were sipped. Fluttershy timidly crawled through the mess of mares and colts, making her way to the Chief's office without causing trouble. She opened the door, and was greeted with a booming voice that scared her straight.
"DAMMIT, BRONZE, I TOLD YOU I'D GET TO IT!!" Barked Golden, soon after realizing it was not his coworker, but his old pink-maned friend he remembered from a while back. "Oh dear," he whispered, "Please forgive me, I though you were somepony else,"
"Oh, er... yes. So, um, hello," the yellow mare whimpered,"Chief, one of my friends has gone m-missing," this got his attention. Her Majesty Celestia had informed him long ago that, as the highest authority figure in Ponyville, he had to have the keepers of the Elements of Harmony protected in times of disaster. Things have been calm since they had returned from the Crystal Empire a few weeks ago, so how has one of them gone missing?
"What? We need to file a Missing Ponies Report immediately! We'll ask ponies around the area and then surrounding villages. I'll have a team of my best pegasi search the skies, and have some unicorns see if they can track her,"
"Really?" said Fluttershy, her hopes rising high, "You'll do all that just so you can find her?"
"Of course, dear," said Golden, trying to comfort the flustered mare,"Now, which friend did you say it was again?"
"Derpy Hooves, sir," the Chief almost spat out his coffee at her saying this.
"Derpy? That retarded little thing?" Golden Justice was laughing now, "Who cares if she's missing! She's such a pain and the ass 24-7! Screwin' up mail deliveries, crashin' into houses... Hell, we're still patching up a hole she caused not even a week ago! And if she is gone, she's probably just being a freaky little weirdo again. We have her on about 4 counts of trespassing and 9 on suspected stalking! She's wormed her way into the Royal Wedding, pony's private properties, even on trains without a pass! We don't know how she does it, but the only place that thing belongs is the Everfree Forest,"
Fluttershy stumbles back at what she just heard. Did she just hear that? No, nopony in all of Equestria was that mean, but then why did he just say all that nasty stuff about her best friend? Does everypony feel this way about Derpy? Obviously not, right? She'd just go ask her friends... they'll know what to do.
As Fluttershy walked towards Twilight Sparkle's library, she shuddered at what than stallion just said about her friend. That thing, that retard , ugh! Just because she's different, because she makes mistakes, she's a menace to society? No, what is she thinking... police ponies have a lot on their mind, her accidents just cause him some stress. Twilight, or one of her friends, will know exactly how to solve this. They'll care, and they'll help. Of course it'd mean Fluttershy sharing the secret of her and Derpy's friendship, but with as friends as great as them, it wont even faze then. Probably.
Fluttershy knocked on the door of the large treehouse, and Spike opened the door, his large emerald eyes staring up at her. He looked busy, so he waved her in and dashed back up the swirling wooden staircase. Twilight walked in soon after, happy to see the face of one of her best friends.
"Why hello, Fluttershy, what brings you to my..." She rolled her eyes over the book she was levitating, "Bibliotheca today?"
"What? Twilight, I-" The purple unicorn giggled.
"Hehehe, sorry Fluttershy, I just got this new thesaurus and it is SO GREAT! Bibliotheca means 'library'. Isn't that just sooo neat?"
"Um, Twilight, I need your help with something,"
"Sure Fluttershy, what is vexing you?" She smiled again, "That means bothering!"
"Well, none of you or the girls know, but I am very good friends with Derpy Hooves," This seemed to have caught Twilight's attention, as she set the thesaurus down to listen to Fluttershy's words, "She has been coming to my house, or I to her's, and we have had a daily tradition to fly all over together, every morning. But this morning, she was acting strange. She turned down flying, and went I went back later to see if she was okay, she was... She was gone, Twilight. Leaving behind nothing but this note," Fluttershy handed over the slightly wrinkled piece of parchment while Twilight tried to absorb what she had just heard. The unicorn turned her attention to the scrap of paper, reading the sloppy hoofwriting twice, three times. She was surprised that pony had the ability to write,
"Flutters, I mean this in the nicest possible way, I don't want to help you find Miss Hooves," Fluttershy stopped listening right there, as she panicked in her head, she only caught small parts of what Twilight was saying, "Disturbing the peace..... weeks to fix....... bothersome and destructive,".
How can this be happening?! First the Chief, now her best friend? Derpy is the nicest pony she has every met, and everypony hates her because she's a little... off. No matter, Fluttershy was going to find her friend, with or without help.
