Address Unknown

by remedy

Rating: teen
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Romance, Derpy Hooves, Twilight Sparkle, Main 6
Length: 132024

Derpy's suffered scorn for a mold she doesn't fit. Will a chance meeting change her life for the better?

For Derpy Hooves, it seems like every day gets worse than before. Her whole life she has been seen as nothing but a rolling disaster. She's seen as a clueless, quirky, messed up pony, simply due to her walleyed disability. How can she possibly hope to erase the stereotypes she was assigned? For Derpy, it's impossible.

Impossible, that is, until she chances into a certain purple unicorn. Will this meeting be yet another failure, or could it be the opportunity she's been looking for, and how could that opportunity affect her life?

I'd like to thank slip_stitch for being both an editor and a proofreader for me. Without her help, this story would literally be one giant punctuation error.
Also, thanks to Ardensfax for giving me the inspiration to try my hand at writing, Tobyc for putting a massive amount of work into a tvtropes page dedicated to the story, and Perilian for the massive amount of encouragement that kept me motivated enough to work my hardest at writing.

With a giant thanks to Kevinltk, Address Unknown is now available in both ePub and mobi formats! If you would like to download them, they are available here:

ePub - Teen (Clop Free)
mobi - Teen (Clop Free)

Cover art designed by Novel Idea

And, for everyone out there that enjoys Address Unknown, I have been honored to have a dramatic reading done by HanaYoriUta!

Here are the links, in 3 separate installments:
Chapters 1-15
Chapters 16-30
Clop Chapters

Published 2012-11-16 10:10:01 UTC
Last updated 2013-06-24 16:14:21 UTC

3. Hope for the Hopeless

Chapter 3 – Hope for the Hopeless

Holding back tears, Derpy looked back at Twilight. She barely knew this pony. The unicorn was the most talented magic user in all of Ponyville, if not in all of Equestria. She, on the other hoof, was a mailpony, and a terrible one at that. How could she dare throw all of her burdens on this pony? She stared back at the floor. But, she reflected, after what she’s done for me… how she genuinely cares… how could I not? Her heart’s dam broke.

“Proud? I’m not proud.”

Her eyes clamped shut and she shook her head violently, her blonde mane thrashing fiercely with it. She looked back up to Twilight, seeing her look of concern mixed with mild confusion. “I’m not proud. I never have been and I never will be. I’m a failure, Twilight - a disaster waiting to happen. I’m the outcast with messed up eyes, a featherbrain, and the only time ponies will stay around me is when they want a front seat to the next catastrophe I’ll cause. I’m less than a nopony. Noponies don’t destroy town halls, demolish mail shipments, or drop pianos on other ponies’ heads.”

Twilight cringed at that.

Derpy looked straight at Twilight, and for a fleeting moment Twilight saw into those amber eyes. She saw despair and self loathing swimming around, about to overtake the pony sitting in front of her. They were waiting, eager to grab her and drag her down into the dark recesses they had stored in her soul when she was most vulnerable, to entrench her in their blackness forever. Twilight was frozen with fear and empathy for the pony sitting in front of her.

“Twilight, the reason I was down here doing my deliveries today was that I screwed up in Cloudsdale yesterday, too. I was sent here as a sort of initial demotion. After today, I may not even have a job anymore. All I’ll be is the comedic relief - the pony other ponies point and laugh at every time she falls, every mistake she makes. All that’ll be left is the… the featherbrained disaster with messed up eyes.”

Derpy broke completely, sobbing for what little she thought she was worth, and Twilight was not going to sit as a spectator any longer. She may not have had the incredible lack of luck Derpy seemed to possess, and thanks to Celestia, and Celestia only, she had friends now, but she was all too familiar with the feelings of awkwardness, of seclusion, and of the assurance that you’re very alone and will stay that way forever.

A fraction of a second was all that it took for this unfortunate pegasus’ situation to click into place in her mind, and she found herself rushing forward, pulling Derpy into a tight embrace silently. Her own eyes moistened with tears. No words needed to be spoken at that moment - no consolation, no empty encouragement, no arguing about what may have been right or wrong, just pure sorrow that could be shared between the two to lessen the pain that it brought.

They held each other and cried, until the tears carried the empty feelings away.

****************

It had been several long hours for Spike. He absentmindedly picked at his teeth as he wound his way back to the Golden Oaks Library, reflecting on the past several hours as he attempted to dislodge a hardened chunk of Celestia knew what from a spot between his incisors. The first thing he had done that afternoon was deviate from Twilight’s instructions, though it took all his willpower to do something not endorsed by his librarian supervisor.

Spike had run, not for Sugarcube Corner immediately as instructed, but for the post office. He decided that, whatever it was that had happened, he and Twilight owed an explanation to the postmaster about the situation with Derpy, even though he truthfully couldn't give much information regarding the subject. The postmaster had seemed to be satisfied with the simple explanation that Spike and Twilight had literally run over Derpy, and that all parties involved were not hurt.

The postmaster had raised an eyebrow at the story, finding it a bit strange to have the announcement delivered to him by a gasping and somewhat frantic dragon. Nonetheless, he thanked Spike for informing him of the problem, as he was grateful to know that the accident was in no way the poor pegasus' fault.

Pinkie had accepted Twilight’s absence easily enough, knowing that if the unicorn couldn’t come to the appointment, it must have been for an important reason. That, however, did not stop her from forcing her occasionally nauseating creations on Spike, insisting that he ate double the amount to make up for her other missing test subject.

Many of her confections were good, he had to admit, but he had definitely saved Twilight from what surely would have been a twisted study into new meanings of the word misery. Whatever had possessed the baker to use mustard and oyster sauce as flavoring agents he couldn’t say, and in all honesty, he did not want to know. He had considered asking for extras of those atrocities to take home for Twilight, just to emphasize how much he had suffered for her, but he decided that losing indoor sleeping privileges was not worth the risk.

His stomach argued with gravity as he walked, trying to drag him to the ground for some needed rest, but the thought of his bed kept him upright, at least for the moment.

His thoughts strayed back to Derpy’s unexpected appearance, and he wondered what had been wrong in the first place. The rain had stopped since he'd left the library, so he figured that her job should be at least less damp now. Deciding it was none of his business, he swept it from his mind and continued on. After all, the only reason that he had been involved in the first place was for the fact that he happened to be present, since Twilight was dragging him along with her magic when the collision happened.

There was nothing extraordinary to notice as he approached the library, but he raised an eyebrow when he noticed two silhouettes through the window. Apparently whatever had happened earlier was enough of a reason for Derpy to remain with Twilight, and, considering his friend’s tendency to overreact, he silently hoped that she wasn't forcing Derpy to delay her delivery work for some arbitrary reason, such as discussion of post office organization or some other such drivel.

Spike also became aware that a quiet discussion going on inside had been temporarily halted as he walked up the path. He gave a small knock to announce his presence and hesitated for a moment, then opened the door and stepped inside.

****************

Slowly but surely the mutual emotional outburst had worn itself out. Derpy’s crying eventually stopped, though not without several remaining whimpers and an occasional tear. Another surge of emotion ran through her body though as she realized what exactly was happening – she was sharing an undeserved but heartfelt hug with a pony she regarded in the highest esteem.

She felt a wave of heat flush her face as she slowly broke the hold Twilight had her in, being careful all the while not to look directly at the unicorn, in order to prevent this embarrassing blush from being noticed. She cleared her throat slightly, beginning to form an apology for her behavior while still staring at the floor.

“Twilight, I’m so s—”

The gentle press of a hoof over her muzzle silenced her. Startled, she looked up to see Twilight smiling at her. Derpy was suddenly struck by the fact that after several years of indifference toward her at best, she had received two very genuine smiles in a single day. That in itself mended her bleak outlook, although only slightly.

Twilight slowly withdrew her hoof and offered the dusty pony a meaningful response. In no way did she want to give the distraught and nervous mare a cliché answer that would result in nothing more than further awkward isolation.

“Derpy.” Their eyes met, at least mostly – as well as Derpy could manage, anyway - and Twilight continued. “You are not a failure or a featherbrain. I can tell deep down that you are a very kind and intelligent pony.”

Derpy adopted a very skeptical look. Twilight resisted the urge to roll her eyes before she went on.

“Trust me, Derpy. Most ponies out there don’t look at you for who you are. They see what they feel like seeing and then go on with the rest of their lives, oblivious to what hurt they may be causing. You need to look past that, because the ponies who don’t take the time to care, don’t deserve the satisfaction of making your life miserable.”

Derpy interrupted with what could best be described as resigned indignation. “How can you possibly…”

“Know that?” finished Twilight. “I know because up until two years ago, that was an exact description of me as well. Before I moved to Ponyville, I had one friend – Spike – and I treated him as more of a helper than a friend. I didn’t understand the effects that friendships can have on ponies, or how much they can infinitely change your life for the better.”

She paused, lost in a thought for an instant before resuming. “I think that this may be your first hurdle to a happy life - when you realize that your life is what you make of it, not what others tell you it is.”

She poked Derpy in the chest with her hoof as if to emphasize her point. “You need to start with finding a true friend - a friend who will share in your joys, sorrows, pains, and help lift you through the difficult times when they come.”

Derpy was speechless at the plain as day revelation was given to her, but she darkened at the mention of finding that one true friend.

“Twilight, you’ve seen what a mess I make of everything. You’ve seen the looks ponies give me. Where am I supposed to find a true friend when I can’t even find a pony that will put up with me for more than a day?”

This time, it was Twilight’s turn to blush.

“Well… ever since I came to Ponyville, I’ve made many friends, and I’m sure you know that Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie mean the world to me.” Twilight gave Derpy a small smile as the pegasus nodded. “I don’t think that there is a limit on the number of truly dear friends I can have, so... I’d be glad to have you as a close friend, too.”

Time came to a halt at this announcement, and both ponies went silent for a moment. As the meaning of Twilight's words sank in, Derpy’s jaw hit the floor, timed perfectly with the timid knock announcing that Spike had returned.

****************

The dragon entered the room to a curious sight, to say the least. Mail was to be found everywhere in the library, hanging from strung lines or pressed under moisture adsorbent papers. His eyes swept the room, and he acknowledged that something important MUST have happened for Twilight to allow such a mess to desecrate her beloved library. That something, it seemed, was sitting on a couch next to Twilight.

Much to his chagrin, he noticed that apparently the important something was not over. Neither pony made any notice of the dragon’s presence, but what he could see was that Derpy was gaping at Twilight with glistening eyes and was obviously on the verge of tears.

Emotional crises were not things Spike went out of his way to participate in, and, judging from the look on Derpy’s face, this situation was definitely one that he did not want to be present for. Trying to avoid any involvement in the scene, he dashed up the stairs as silently as possible, closing the bedroom door behind him.

He heard a muffled cry from below, and decided that now was as good a time as ever to start a deep relationship with his pillow and blanket, and possibly a couple of earplugs.

****************

On the ground floor of the library, Derpy felt the crimson burning return to her face along with newly forming wetness in the corners of her eyes. She gave one more sob, but it was subdued, a much quieter and shorter cry than before. This cry was different, and it felt unlike anything she had felt in a very long time. It was a cry of pure, blissful emotion, created from the joyous realization that finally somepony had listened to her, understood her, and still eagerly offered friendship regardless of what misfortune the ashen pony would surely bring in the future.

She surged forward, once again enveloping Twilight in a hug that was so strong it surprised both of them. She buried her muzzle into Twilight’s mane, eyes clamped shut and whispering over and over a simple phrase that most ponies voiced with no meaning behind it. Only the unicorn in her grasp could truly appreciate the significance of the almost inaudible murmur of “Thank you.”

After several minutes, the two mares released their grips on each other and sat back, each continuing to look directly at the other. Derpy had a much lazier smile on her face now. All tension, worry, and self-doubt had dissipated into an ethereal vapor that was being whisked away bit by bit.

“You’re very welcome, Derpy,” Twilight replied, almost breathlessly.

Regaining some composure, she continued. “If you don’t mind stopping by the library every once in a while, I would love to spend some more time with you.” It suddenly occurred to her that her statement might have sounded… well… suggestively flirtatious at best. “That is, if you wouldn’t mind stopping over to have some tea and talk a bit,” she quickly added, a slight pink tinge adorning her cheeks.

Derpy grinned wildly and gave a vigorous nod. “I’d love to! Can I stop by tomorrow afternoon after I’m done… with… my rounds…” She trailed off, realizing with horror that she still hadn’t finished delivering all her mail that day.

Twilight caught on quickly, offering a fast, “I wouldn’t mind you coming by tomorrow at all. Now, let’s get out there and finish off your day’s work. I think your letters are, for the most part, clean and dry by now, and with me giving you a helping hoof, we should be able to finish on time.”

Derpy beamed at the offer.

Twilight gathered all the letters up into a purple stack and deposited half of them into Derpy’s mailbag and the other half into her own saddlebags. Opening the door, the two mares headed out into Ponyville side by side, the beginnings of friendly, idle banter floating between the new friends.

4. Of Business and Bubbles

Chapter 4 – Of Business and Bubbles

The rest of the day’s work went surprisingly fast. Ponyville was much easier to navigate than Cloudsdale, due mostly to the fact that Ponyville did not have a vertical component built into its mailing system, and streets in the earthbound village were much more organized than its skybound counterpart.

Derpy didn’t need much in terms of assistance from the mare trotting next to her, though dividing the weight of the mail and having a personal guide for the day was very helpful, to say the least. As it was her first day on the job in Ponyville, she still was not the most familiar with the town layout, even if it was less complicated than Cloudsdale.

Twilight noticed that the mailmare occasionally stopped to inspect the mail she was delivering, and though the pauses were curious, Twilight decided not to mention the oddity in favor of continuing their casual talk.

The frivolous conversations helped, in a way. Rather than distracting Derpy from her route, they distracted her from her own fears of inadequacy and expectations of impending doom around every corner. She was able to accomplish her job as she was meant to – comfortably, confidently, and even slightly ahead of schedule.

As they neared the post office, Derpy and Twilight stopped for a moment before Derpy would have to finish up for the day. They turned to face each other, and Twilight couldn’t help but notice that Derpy was happier than she recalled ever seeing her before.

While she was reflecting on this, she didn’t notice Derpy moving slightly closer. Before Twilight knew what was happening, Derpy had quickly pulled her close with a hoof around her shoulder, nuzzled her ear, and gave her a short, tight squeeze. Then, just as quickly, she stepped back, a large grin spreading across her face.

The pegasus sighed, and cheerily said, “Thank you… just… thank you so much again! You can’t know how much today has meant to me. I’ll see you tomorrow, Twilight!” And at that, she turned and headed through the post office doors.

Twilight was left on the path, slightly confused, slightly stunned, and mostly reddened, with a hammering heartbeat that felt as though it was centered in her throat. Slowly she turned to head home, a large smile working its way onto her own face as well.

****************

Derpy walked into the office, still smiling. She had delivered her mail successfully, she had fun doing it, and she had made a wonderful friend all in the same day.

Post Haste, who was working behind the counter, looked up with a start when he noticed Derpy’s entrance out of the corner of his eye. She had returned earlier than he'd expected. Most mailponies tended to be on the slower side, and it was a rare sight to have a pony return early. He looked up at her with somewhat of an uncertain smile adorning his face. It was enough to slow Derpy’s entrance, turning her afterglow feeling to one of wariness.

“Good afternoon, Post,” she addressed him. “Is everything alright? You look a little… stressed.”

Post nodded at her, agreeing. “Yes, I have a little bit of a strange situation going on at the moment. I need to make sure that I address it today, and that I address it correctly.”

The mailmare cocked her head to the side slightly as she looked at him. She knew what was coming. Her smile vanished and she took a seat, fully expecting that he needed to speak with her about something serious. She was exactly right with that bit of intuition.

“Derpy, I have some news to discuss with you, but I would like you to hear me out before you jump to any conclusions. The news is all related, and I’m not sure how you might view it…”

He paused slightly, trying to not alarm the poor mare more than he was already. “I’m not sure if you will think of this as good news or bad news. Are you willing to speak with me for a little bit about it?”

Derpy seemed to turn an even darker gray than normal as she mutely nodded.

“I understand there was a bit of an accident by the library this morning,” he began.

Derpy nodded glumly, eyes downcast. This was going to be the conversation she had expected and dreaded after all. “It seems the Cloudsdale Postal Service was watching your first day on the job down here in Ponyville, and almost immediately after your accident they sent word to me that they were relieving you of your position in Cloudsdale.”

It was just as she thought. She was fired, no two bits about it. She slumped, speechless.

“But…”

Her ears perked up as he continued; she was not expecting there to be a ‘but’.

“Spike visited me shortly afterward to inform me of exactly what happened - or, at least, what he knew of what happened. It turns out that Cloudsdale’s Postal Service did not stay around long enough to watch anything more than the crash. Spike let me know that he and Twilight ran into you – literally – and that it was in no way your fault.”

He now had Derpy’s full attention. She had no idea where was this one sided conversation was heading.

“Contrary to the fact that you had a major mishap in your rounds today, you returned to me early with empty mailbags. I assume all of the contents were delivered?” he queried.

“Yes, sir,” she gulped. “Tw- Miss Sparkle helped me clean and dry the mail, so it was still deliverable.”

Post Haste sat back with a happy sounding sigh, a true smile gracing his face this time. He waved a hoof dismissively.

“Derpy, I told you, no ‘sirs’ here.” He grinned. “You had a major problem this afternoon, due only to bad luck and bad timing. Instead of giving up, you had Miss Sparkle assist you. I can think of no better course of action, and proof of quick thinking, than having our librarian, especially one so gifted as her, help you solve that problem. More to your credit, you returned to me early, even after losing hours spent fixing a problem you did not cause.”

Derpy now openly gaped, and poked at her ears to make sure they were still in working order.

Post Haste was not finished. “I could tell this morning, and can see plainly now, that you put your heart and soul into your work.” Post now seemed to be positively glowing. “I am honored to offer you a permanent position working for the Ponyville Post Office, if you would like it.”

Derpy sat bolt upright at this. The news that she had been fired from Cloudsdale had been devastating, but that meant she was open for full employment in Ponyville… There could not have been better news, unless he had decided for some reason to give her a ten thousand bit bonus. She flicked her eyes towards Post and noticed that he was still looking at her inquisitively, and then realized that she was still sitting frozen to the spot and had not given an answer.

In a burst of exuberance rivaling those only attainable by Pinkie Pie, she shot out her seat with a resounding “Yes! I accept! I accept!”

Post Haste nodded, glad that he had not destroyed her dreams, but rather renewed the hope of one of the most dedicated mailponies he had met.

“In that case, welcome to the Ponyville Postal Service.”

****************

Twilight was busying herself in the library with yet another reshelving day. In her mind’s eye, she was very much behind schedule in the reorganization, as she had only had a chance to manage five of them in the last two weeks. Every reshelving was a silent, unnoticed tribute to Spike, who somehow was still able to find virtually any book in the library, regardless of the constant shuffles. Twilight happily hummed throughout the ordeal, oblivious to the eye rolling she was garnering from her number one assistant as he tried to keep track of which books were going where during this round of random rearrangement.

The unicorn couldn’t really understand exactly why she was so excited to have Derpy visiting later that evening, but she couldn’t deny that she was anticipating the time she would get to spend with the mousy mare. There was just something about Derpy that felt familiar – something that made her feel as though she had known Derpy for years, though they had only just met. She continued her self-inflicted chore, though with much less attention than usual.

As early evening began to settle over Ponyville, Derpy began her trek toward the library. In truth, she was almost literally walking on clouds. The events of yesterday seemed like they had happened only in a dream, but she knew the dream was now reality.

She reached the door of the great tree and gave a solid knock. She barely had to wait at all before the door was opened with great enthusiasm by Twilight.

Twilight was actually expecting to have surprised the pegasus with such a quick reply to the knock, but when she looked out into the path, she saw an unusually cheerful and unperturbed Derpy waiting for her at the doorstep. Twilight invited her in, reveling in the idea that their collision the other day had been a catalyst to an almost complete reversal in the mood of the pegasus. They settled on the sofa quickly, and Twilight levitated some tea to them with her purple hazy magic, noticing that Derpy almost seemed to be trembling with excitement.

“Twilight – Post Haste offered me a permanent job in Ponyville!” she burst forth, unable to contain her enthusiasm any longer. “It feels like a dream come true! I never imagined I could enjoy my job as much as I have here, and I have you, and you only, to thank for it.”

“Me?” Twilight gave a slight cough, having inhaled some of her tea at that announcement. “How in Equestria did I help? I thought if anything I would have ruined your chances by trampling over you yesterday.”

“That’s just the thing,” Derpy admitted. “It was the best mistake we could have had. The Cloudsdale service was watching me, just waiting for a chance to dismiss me, and they got it. But Post Haste was eager to offer me the job they conveniently released me from. Plus…” she paused, blushing slightly, “he thought getting your help with fixing the mail was as close to brilliance as mailponies get.”

She beamed at Twilight, who was looking both surprised and endlessly relieved at the same time. The fact Derpy would be working in Ponyville from now on meant they would have plenty of chances at seeing each other.

“That’s great news, Derpy! I’m just glad I was able to help you so much more than we had thought.”

That statement gave Derpy a moment of pause. She did have something she wanted to ask Twilight, but wasn’t sure what the unicorn would think of her for it.

No time like the present, her mind reminded her, and she nodded internally to the voice. “Actually Twilight, I did have something else I was wondering if you could help me with tonight. If that’s alright,” she quickly finished, noticing the quizzical look adorning Twilight’s face.

“Of course, Derpy. I’d be happy to help you with anything! What was it you needed?”

“Well…” Derpy hesitated, fiddling with her hooves in nervousness, “I was wondering if you knew of any books with spells that might help fix… well, you know…” She pointed with a small amount of shame at her eyes.

Twilight felt her heart sink within her chest, a deep surge of empathy filling her soul for the poor mare in front of her. Things were going much better for her, but of course she still would be concerned about her uncooperative eyes.

“Let me think a moment, okay?”

Derpy gave a nod.

Twilight hadn’t had a vast amount of medical experience, and had even less actual training in medical magic, but she was confident her magical aptitude would make up for the lack of instruction, provided she found the correct spell with sufficient information on how to perform it.

Memories surfaced of her past dealings with illnesses, and she realized how infrequent they had been, not to mention that she was usually not the pony that ultimately found a solution. Both Apple Bloom’s case of the Cutie Pox and the incident with Poison Joke were the only true health problems she had encountered thus far, not including the situation when Fluttershy had attempted to nurse a bird back to health without knowing it was a phoenix. Both times pony illnesses were involved, Zecora had been the one to ultimately find their solution.

Unfortunately, Zecora was not present, so Twilight thought, her eyes drifting downward while she contemplated, digging through the recesses of her mind for any books that may have mentioned magical remedies for pony ailments. Ultimately, she came up with absolutely nothing. Frustratingly, her magic was more often suited to physical mastery of inanimate objects, control of behavioral responses, or manipulation of living beings as a whole. Twilight cringed inwardly as she recalled her last fundamental change to the structure of a living creature and the frog-orange hybrid that had resulted. Granted, the frog was not the intended target, but regardless of that fact, it did not instill a large amount of confidence in the unicorn.

She gave a heavy sigh as she resigned herself to her best chances – either seeking advice from Zecora, or somehow managing to find a fully detailed spell within her capabilities containing enough information to allow her to cast it comfortably. Other than those options, she had come up with absolutely nothing. With another sigh, she lightly shook her still drooping head, not looking up, still internally searching desperately for some known, but forgotten, secret.

“I don’t know of any offhoof, Derpy. I’m sorry.”

Twilight continued her downwardly distant stare while Derpy sat in silence for a minute, before murmuring, “Um, Twilight?”

“Hmm?” Twilight was snapped out of deep thought, only to realize that in her magical musings, her eyes had become transfixed on Derpy’s flank, causing a substantial blush to suffuse the pegasus’ cheeks. “Oh! Oh, I’m sorry. I was just lost in thought there for a minute…” Twilight gave a weak but unconvincing smile.

“It’s alright.” Derpy gave a slight grin back, her blush fading, though she had to admit to herself she was slightly flattered by the idea of another pony mesmerized by her flank like that. She couldn’t remember ever having somepony show anything remotely resembling attraction to her, and she welcomed the thought. “What were you thinking about?”

Twilight gave the best answer that she could, because she truthfully wasn’t completely sure what she had been dwelling on. “I was wondering about your cutie mark, actually,” she responded, looking up into Derpy’s eyes. “Cutie marks are supposed to represent that special something that makes you different from everypony else. What was it that gave you your bubble cutie mark?”

Derpy looked slightly downcast before replying, “I honestly don’t know. They just appeared when my eyes were starting to get to the point where I had real difficulty seeing.”

Her gaze dropped again. “I never knew what they meant, but everypony else thinks it’s just because that’s what’s filling my head most of the time. It’s the only explanation I’ve been given that comes close to making any sense, but I really hate that idea. I don’t want my special something to be that I’m an ‘airhead’.”

She looked back up at Twilight, expecting to find a sympathetic look, or an incoming hug, or some other similar expression of comfort. However, what she saw was vastly different.

Twilight was frowning, shaking her head and apparently lost once again in deep thought. Derpy watched her with a puzzled look, waiting patiently for several minutes for Twilight to return from her entranced state. All the while, Twilight sat, trying to piece together the timing of the appearance and the deeper meaning that must have accompanied Derpy’s cutie mark. Cutie marks don’t show up solely to ridicule their bearer.

As she thought, though, her frown began to lessen as lights in her brain started turning blinking, wheels and cogs initiated rotations, and quills began inking out a picture of what her friend’s cutie mark must be representing. She reached over absentmindedly and ran a hoof over the cutie mark, sending a slight pleasant shiver through the mare. “No, Derpy. I don’t think that’s it at all. You’re obviously not an airhead, and anypony who thinks that doesn’t know anything about the real you.”

Derpy looked skeptical, but allowed Twilight to continue. “Bubbles are a symbol of innocent joy, but also of beauty. A filly blowing bubbles doesn’t see soap filled with air. If they did, it wouldn’t be any fun for them, would it?” Derpy still wasn’t sure where this was going, but she could tell Twilight was far from finished.

“Bubbles are ever changing; they’re unique, showing brilliant colors and endless possibilities to those who look for them. But, they are also vulnerable, fragile. They are blown about, at the mercy of the winds they are caught in. To really see its beauty, a bubble needs to be in a stable environment where it can be appreciated while it lasts.

"AND…” Twilight gave a smirk and tapped a hoof directly between Derpy’s eyes, which were now rapt with attention and staring back at Twilight with wide eyed wonder, “...when you look through a bubble, it causes significant visual distortion - just like what you were starting to see when you got your mark.

"Derpy, I think your cutie mark set you aside as special because despite your distorted view, you were, and are, a beautiful, unique individual with something nopony else has. You have a deep inner splendor that can only be seen best when you accept yourself and somepony else accepts you just as you are.”

Slowly, Derpy nodded. Though it was very in depth and theoretical, it somehow… made sense. She leaned forward, looking deeply at Twilight, uncertain if she should ask, though she knew she must.

“You… think I’m beautiful?”

Twilight simply nodded, a smile gracing her face.

“Even though… my eyes…?” Derpy let out a sniffle, unable to even finish her sentence. Twilight gave another nod, and slowly took the trembling pegasus in her hooves, pulling Derpy close. She felt Derpy shudder in her arms, and nuzzled close to her ear.

She unconsciously gave the pegasus a small peck on the cheek and stated, matter of factly but also tenderly, “Derpy, never let yourself doubt that. You are a beautiful mare.”

The two embraced for several minutes, though strangely Derpy did not cry. She was touched beyond measure at what Twilight had told her, and her mind lingered on the feeling of the small kiss she had received. Truthfully, it was the first kiss she had received since she was a filly, and she was sure those kisses from her parents didn’t really count. She wished the moment would last forever, but knew it inevitably could not.

As the pair reluctantly separated, Twilight knew she had to press just slightly farther. She knew that Derpy believed her fully, and truthfully, Twilight had meant every bit of what she'd said.

As Twilight looked at Derpy, she began to realize that Derpy was not simply a friend. There was an awful feeling that bit and gnawed at her stomach when Derpy was depressed, and when they had scheduled to meet that evening, she was unable to contain her enthusiasm. Twilight realized that somehow, in some way, she deeply cared for the pony, and if she deeply cared for Derpy, she needed to know how her friend would feel in the future regarding the one thing they had yet to find an answer to: her eyes.

Twilight knew she was in full acceptance of Derpy’s walleyed look, but she had to know if the pegasus could be as well. The unicorn was set on putting Derpy’s problem to an end once and for all: she would not tolerate the continued ridicule that may come and how it might destroy the spirit of a pony that she cared for so much.

Twilight chose her next words very carefully so as to not upset the mare with the question. “Derpy, I know there may not be an answer out there, but would you like me to still look into spells that may help your eyesight?”

Derpy looked back at her, somewhat confused at the question. “Of course! I would be overjoyed if you could find something to, well, ‘fix’ my vision, but I think that even if it’s impossible, thanks to you, I could accept that.”

Twilight gave an inner sigh of relief at hearing that.

Derpy paused for a moment, and then smiled. “You know, occasionally when I’m delivering mail, I get a letter addressed to a place that doesn’t exist. Maybe somepony moved, or maybe somepony miswrote the address.” Now it was Twilight’s turn to look confused. “When we get those letters, we just send them back to where they came from and move on to the next destination. There is nothing we can do in the post office to make that address appear. Maybe that same thing will happen with fixing my eyes.”

Recognition dawned on Twilight’s face, and Derpy went on. “Maybe there is no answer, and maybe there is no fix. It doesn’t mean we can’t look, but if it’s not there, then it’s just an ‘address unknown’.”

She gave Twilight a warm smile. “If no answer exists, then I can move on without any regrets.”

Though she could not explain it, Twilight felt an enormous rush of pride for Derpy, knowing that regardless of the outcome, she would be okay. She sat in awe of the enduring patience and understanding that Derpy seemed to exude, and her mind wandered to their previous night together and the unasked question she had let slip by as Derpy finished her rounds. Though Twilight was fairly sure of the answer, the question itself may give her an opportunity to spend more time getting to know Derpy.

“Speaking of ‘unknown addresses’,” Twilight began, capturing the pegasus’ attention, “I noticed yesterday that you had to stop every once in a while. Were you having some trouble finding your way around Ponyville?”

Derpy’s face dropped slightly, but only momentarily. She shook her head as she reminded herself that, for once, she could be completely honest with somepony without fear of mockery and scorn.

“Actually… that’s not the reason, though I will admit that I don’t know my way around town very well.”

Twilight cocked her head to the side in confusion. She had been expecting an affirmative reply to what she thought was the obvious answer, and that her question was somewhat superfluous. Apparently, though, she had been mistaken.

Derpy looked at Twilight with a slightly crooked smile, appearing somewhat uncomfortable while trying to keep an upbeat façade. “The main reason I have to stop so often goes back to my eyesight. Sometimes it can be really difficult for me to read addresses, especially with the horrible hoofwriting some ponies have.” She rolled her eyes as best she could. “I stop to try to figure out where and to whom the mail is supposed to be delivered.”

Twilight looked at Derpy with dismay as she realized how much of an emphasis she had unwittingly placed on the pegasus’ disability. She dropped her head into both hooves, shaking it back and forth as she tried to stammer out an apology.

“Derpy, I’m sorry… I didn’t… I thought…” She was stopped by a hoof on her shoulder as Derpy looked at her with a truly genuine smile.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for, Twilight. It’s just something that I have to do, and being able to tell somepony about it without getting laughed at actually made me feel a bit better about it.” She smiled again at the unicorn, who was once again staring in disbelief at the patience of the mare in front of her. “In fact, now that you bring it up, it makes me feel a lot better. In Cloudsdale, every time I had to stop like that, squinting or closing an eye to focus better, it made flying almost impossible. I guess that didn’t help my image of being accident-prone. But, down here in Ponyville, I can stop without dropping my mail or losing balance in flight.”

“I still wish I hadn’t brought it up,” Twilight glumly responded. “I guess I was thinking that you were getting lost, and that I could give you a little tour of Ponyville to help you learn where everything was.” She looked down at her hooves in disappointment, only to be jolted upright by an unexpected squeal. Derpy was smiling cheerily and almost bouncing up and down on the couch.

“I’d love that!” she responded enthusiastically. “Just because I wasn’t getting hopelessly lost doesn’t mean I know where everything is. You’d be willing to show me around?”

Twilight nodded, and Derpy’s infectious grin spread to her as well. “Of course! Would this weekend be a good time?”

The pegasus’ eager nods and exuberant smile were more than enough of an answer.

****************

The night had become much cooler since she had arrived at the library, and Derpy gave a slight shudder at the breeze blowing through her fur as she trotted back toward home. She had discovered that it was much easier on her balance to walk rather than fly whenever possible, so her trek remained on hoof rather than by wing until she absolutely had to fly up to her fluffy home.

The cooling sensation was intensified by the light perspiration she had worked up during her time with Twilight. It seemed odd to her that her coat had become slightly damp throughout the night. The room wasn’t overly warm, and she hadn’t been particularly emotional during the evening. She did have some nervous energy at first, when she was working up the courage to ask about the books, but after all Twilight had done to help her accept herself, that energy had dissipated into relaxed happiness.

Her visit had gone better than she ever could have hoped. There had been no instant answer to having her vision corrected, but frankly she had not expected one. Twilight’s offer to search regardless of that fact had lifted her spirits, but that did not compare to the elated revelation that she had found somepony who not only accepted her, flaws and all, but also seemed to deeply understand her.

Her heart skipped a beat as she mused over how long she had misunderstood her own cutie mark. Ever since it appeared, it had been an embarrassment. Every time somepony noticed it she had felt awkward, and, depending on their reaction, it was not a far jump from awkward to complete mortification. It had been a relief to put on her mailbags for the first time – they were large enough to cover most of the bubbles, preventing her from displaying that source of shame everywhere she went.

Now that she had heard Twilight’s interpretation of its significance, though, she felt like it was a source of newfound pride. Once again, the unicorn had gone above and beyond what was necessary of her. She had come to the library wondering if there might be something out there to make her feel less uncomfortable, and had left with a glow of confidence and comfort that she had never experienced before. Her life had been in tatters, and one pony with profound insight and limitless kindness had taken those tattered bits of her soul and rewoven them into something beautiful.

As she reached her home, Derpy’s thoughts allowed her to discern the most important piece of the puzzle – she would not have ever felt alive again without the unicorn, and her newfound happiness intensified whenever her thoughts strayed to spending more time with her new, and only, friend. With little more than compassion and understanding, Twilight had changed her life from never ending misery to a life worth living.

She essentially could not live without Twilight Sparkle.

5. Blossoming Friendships

Chapter 5 – Blossoming Friendships

Derpy woke with a stretch and a rather wide yawn. She blinked out the sleepy haze of a pleasantly peaceful night of sleep and swept her eyes around her room. The bleary letters of her charts glared back at her, but she paid them no mind. In the morning light, her makeshift wallpaper always seemed less intimidating than at night, and she usually made no additional effort to study them when she woke.

Perhaps she had always subconsciously wished that magically, when she woke, her sight would be all better, but the more likely reason was that she needed to haul herself out of bed and get ready for work. Her mind played back to her subconscious wish though, and she thought that maybe, just maybe, one of these days she would have a magical restoration of vision thanks to her violet friend. She still didn’t expect that of course, but the idea brightened her morning and made her even more eager to return to the earthbound mail center.

She hopped out of her cloudy bed, sinking slightly into the wispy floor and wobbling slightly. Living on clouds was natural for pegasi, and she enjoyed the feeling of the soft cushion of fluff as much as then next pony, but the slight squishiness of their version of the ground did nothing to help her balance and coordination. She shrugged it off as usual - just another quirk of herself she had gotten used to.

Trotting off to the kitchen, she made herself a breakfast of scrambled eggs. Luckily she liked eggs, and scrambling things came naturally with her coordination, so her morning meal of choice had become a predetermined habit more than conscious decision.

Derpy thought as she slowly chewed her meal. There was a question that had been rummaging around her brain ever since she had started her job at the Ponyville Post Office. She wasn’t sure it was one she should be asking, because she wasn’t quite sure whether her new boss would be concerned or unnerved by it. She swallowed her last bite and decided that if she wanted to enjoy her new career, she would need to know the answer sooner or later, and resolved to bring it up when she started her shift.

She headed toward the bathroom, looking for any bulging, grayer-than-normal clouds on the way. She found a small clumped up gray ball of fluff on the wall leading from the kitchen toward the bathroom. The mare scooped it out, smoothed the wall flat again with her hoof, and headed over into the shower. She shoved the cloud above her, took a good swing at it and missed a couple times before giving it a good hoofsmack, and washed herself off in the sudden downpour, taking care to make sure her soft wings were nice and clean before stepping out, drying off, and applying some PreenSheen oil over the feathers to make sure her flights stayed smooth for the day.

She stopped and took a moment to admire herself in the mirror as she passed by, something she normally never did except for a cursory glance to make sure she was presentable. The events that had unfolded since she first met Twilight had given her a modest confidence boost, however, and she now often found herself thinking of the night they had discussed her cutie mark. She recalled and cherished the comforting words Twilight had given her, and pondered over the hope that the unicorn had instilled in her.

She considered her reflection, scrutinizing every subtle nuance and detail before nodding. She couldn’t deny it. She really was beautiful – she had just never recognized it before.

Interesting what you can miss about yourself when you’re not searching for it, she mused, grabbing her mailbag and hat and dropping out her door and toward Ponyville.

Derpy’s flight down was uneventful, and she soon found herself settling outside the post office. She suppressed the nervous butterflies flapping in her stomach and walked in to find Post Haste in his usual spot.

He noticed the sound of hoofsteps and looked up, surprised to find somepony there. It was, after all, much earlier than mailponies normally started their rounds.

Derpy had come in beforehand on purpose, so she could make sure that she was able to talk to Post by herself. It was nerve-wracking enough to have to talk about her question at all, but doing it with other mailponies around would have made the experience excruciating. Post smiled and greeted her warmly.

“Good morning, Derpy! I didn’t expect to see you here so soon. Are you that eager to start for the day?”

“Actually, I… had a question for you, if you’re not too busy.” Derpy hesitated and looked toward the floor after noticing the concerned look that crept onto the postmaster’s face.

“Of course, Derpy. Ask anything you want. I can tell something’s bothering you - is there something wrong?”

“Not really, s… Post,” Derpy corrected herself before calling him ‘sir’ again. Though the change to informality should have been an easy one, it had proven to be a difficult habit for her to break. Years of humility, belittlement, and reminders of her failures had trained her that, while on duty, she was expected to address everypony with respectful titles, whether they were earned or not.

He noticed her self-correction with a reassuring smile, and encouragingly nodded her on.

“Nothing’s wrong, really,” she continued, but the look of fear that occasionally flirted across her face betrayed that statement. “I just… was concerned because of what problems I could cause for you, and I wanted to let you know exactly what you can expect before it happens on its own.”

Post looked at her quizzically, though he suspected he knew where his recent, and quickly becoming his favorite, hire’s mind was pointing her.

She sighed lightly before beginning. “I know that the accident I had with Twilight wasn’t my fault, and truthfully I’m glad it happened because it meant I could work here.” She paused, and then sighed again. “The issue that made them send me down here in the beginning, though… that was fully my fault, and there have been a lot like them in the past.”

She successfully fought back her tears, but her eyes still shimmered as she spoke. “Post, I have a long history of making mistakes. So far, I’ve been doing better, but it doesn’t change the fact that I’m clumsy, I’m uncoordinated, and inevitably, I cause problems. I just wanted you to know that before you keep relying on me – sooner or later I’m bound to mess something up, and you have all been so nice to me…” Derpy was beginning to be noticeably less successful at holding back a breakdown. She sniffed loudly. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t keep it from you. I want you to know what to expect if you keep me here.”

Derpy resumed concentrating on the floor tiles, silence surrounding her. She expected sounds of hesitation, an “I see…," a "Hmmm…," or even something like “Well, if that’s the case…”

What she did not expect was a shadow appearing across the tiles and a hoof on her shoulder. She gave a start at the touch, though it was soft, slow, tentative, and gentle. She looked up to see Post. She was struck by how much taller he seemed at the moment, and in contrast how small she felt next to him.

His voice was calming, almost soothing, and she felt as though she were disconnected from reality by the sheer juxtaposition of the moment. “Derpy, I was well aware of what you’ve had happen in the past. Your previous boss,” he placed a certain cold emphasis on that last word, filled with disdain and disgust, “was more than happy to fill me in on what he called ‘your miserable failings’.”

His demeanor darkened as he spoke, and Derpy felt a sense of unease creep over her at the unfamiliar sight. She had never seen such a loathsome look on anypony before, let alone with Post.

“Never before have I had the displeasure of meeting such a vile creature. I want you to know, most importantly, that none of the insulting drivel that he spewed at you was true. I’m aware that you aren’t the most coordinated pony, and that you have an occasional accident.”

Derpy’s head drooped lightly at that statement.

His voice took a sardonic tone. “However, the abuse you were given in your employment while under his supervision was inexcusable, regardless of your occasional mishaps. I took the liberty of contacting the mayor of Cloudsdale regarding his maltreatment toward you, and she agreed that disciplinary actions were in order.”

Derpy’s head perked back up, and her eyes widened in shock as Post continued.

“They are currently conducting an investigation into his actions, and, ironically, now he is the one on probation.” A wry smile worked its way onto Post’s face. “I expect he’ll receive a hefty fine for discrimination toward you, as well as a demotion. The last I had heard from the mayor, she was not pleased with him, to say the least.”

Post’s appearance lightened after delivering his own personal schadenfreude, and he shook his head to clear it of any lingering thoughts of malice toward his unfortunate employee’s former boss.

“My apologies. I shouldn’t have digressed like that, but I thought it was information you were entitled to know.”

Derpy nodded, still somewhat in shock at Post’s short outburst of anger, while he regained his train of thought.

“Regardless of what you may think,” Post resumed, “Every other pony I have met has had accidents as well. Even Miss Sparkle had an accident when she literally ran over you that night. It’s just the way things are, and sometimes they can’t be helped.”

Derpy looked at Post doubtfully, and he hesitated slightly before deciding to go ahead with what he was thinking of bringing up. “Derpy, have you met Mr. Zippy yet?”

Derpy shook her head, her mane following the motion rather gracefully. Since she was usually one of the first mailponies to arrive in the morning, and also one of the first to finish her rounds, she hadn’t really had the chance to meet any of the other employees of the post office.

“I haven’t. Should I have?” She looked toward Post as though she made a mistake simply by not knowing which pony he was talking about. Post shook his head.

“He’s an elderly mailpony here. He handles mail around the outskirts of Ponyville. He… well, to put it bluntly, he delivers mail to the wrong ponies often enough.”

Derpy gave a small gasp as she tried to imagine the reaction she’d get for doing something like that.

“He also has an issue with his sight. Due to his age, sometimes he just can’t read the addresses as well, and when you can’t see the address, it can get delivered incorrectly. We know it happens, and it occasionally causes problems, but he is still a good mailpony and we are glad to have him helping us.”

“I doubt he causes problems like I can, though,” Derpy mumbled dejectedly.

Post raised an eyebrow at Derpy’s lack of confidence. If he was going to get through to her, he had to be straightforward about it. He made a mental apology to Mr. Zippy for using the experience as an example for his troubled employee.

“Derpy, are you familiar with the time when Iron Will visited Ponyville?”

Her eyes widened, and she nodded fervently. How could she not remember? She had attended his seminar, along with hundreds of other ponies. She could still see him hauling that poor pony up on stage from her spot hiding in the back row. She knew who it was, but right now she just couldn’t place the name… Then it hit her – a yellow mare with a pink mane, timid beyond anypony she had ever seen, and that tiny little voice…

“Fluttershy! I remember now. Fluttershy was a complete terror to Ponyville for a short while following Iron Will’s seminar. But how does that relate to me causing problems?” She looked imploringly to Post for an answer.

His answer did come, but not as she expected it. She anticipated some sort of detailed explanation linking everything together in order to plainly show her the point that he was trying to make.

“Mr. Zippy,” Post replied simply, “delivers Miss Fluttershy’s mail.”

He let that sink in to Derpy’s brain for a few moments, expecting it may take her a little while to put those pieces together. However, it didn’t take anywhere near as long as he thought it would for Derpy to figure it out, and the pegasus gasped at the realization of what had happened.

“Oh Celestia, he delivered the wrong mail to her right after that, didn’t he?” Derpy whispered, a look of horror painting her face.

Post nodded solemnly.

“The aftermath involved a pony getting stuffed into a mailbox and, I hate to admit it, getting carted away by none other than myself.” Post dropped his head in embarrassment.

Derpy sat on the floor, stunned and gawking at him.

“That sounds like a pretty big mishap to me, Derpy. However, Mr. Zippy got over the incident just fine, and as you can tell he is still delivering mail for us. In fact, I think Miss Fluttershy brought him a large basket of homemade cookies and bought a large bouquet of flowers from Miss Roseluck to apologize to him. I expect those did not come at a cheap price for her, either, as I hear that Miss Roseluck’s gardening skills are second to none.

“The point is, mistakes happen. They can be small, or they can be large. They can be ignored, or they can be overreacted to. It is bound to happen now and again, but things have a tendency to work out when they do. And, when they don’t work out right, I personally make sure to take care of our staff if the need arises.”

Post looked at Derpy sternly yet tenderly. “If and when you make mistakes, we’ll make sure that everything works out right. Until then, I ask that you not doubt yourself. You are a wonderful mailpony, regardless of what anypony says, and I will do anything I can to help you when problems arise.”

Derpy felt crimson creeping up her face before leaping forward and giving Post an enormously large hug. She reveled in the hope these ponies gave her, and she expressed a cheery, “Thanks Post! I really needed that,” before grabbing her mailbags and heading out for the day.

Post smiled after her, then returned to his desk.

Celestia give her the strength to regain her self-confidence wherever she can find it, he thought to himself.

****************

The week flew by, and Derpy kept herself busy with her new job while trying to adapt to her new place in the earthbound town. Thankfully, she was becoming accustomed to being grounded, as the only flight she was required to make was coming and going from home. Additionally, though she didn’t know the rest of the town, she had quickly learned the homes and streets of her delivery route.

Ironically, the deciphering of addresses that had hindered her in the air now gave her an almost natural advantage. She had learned early on in her career that if she was going to have any chance at keeping her job, she’d need to memorize places and paths to account for her frequent stops; now that keeping her balance in flight wasn’t a problem, those stops were much more easily managed, allowing her to accomplish her task with only a minimal amount of time spent reading envelopes before she was able to head off to the next delivery of the day.

As though fate was finally working in her favor, her mood improved daily as well. Each morning began with friendly greetings from Post, and when the Golden Oaks Library gradually appeared around the corner she could feel her excitement rise. She looked forward to seeing Twilight, even if only for a few minutes before she had to continue on, and the unicorn seemed to be in eternal good spirits whenever Derpy dropped by.

Additionally in her benefit was the fact that there was almost always a delivery of some kind for Twilight. Books and supplies seemed on constant order for the library, and Derpy found herself amused at the amount of supplies Twilight used, considering that Spike always seemed to be on shopping errands for the unicorn as well.

The weekend was coming quickly enough, speedily bringing with it the excitement of her grand tour of Ponyville. She had been comforted earlier in the week by Twilight, and she had even had the chance to stay at the library for lunch the afternoon before. Her mailbag had been unusually light that day, and the extra time that her decreased workload gave her had been much appreciated. It was nothing fancy, of course, but it gave her more time to spend with the librarian, and she cherished every moment.

The idea of a tour, however, both thrilled and frightened her. All of her previous time spent with Twilight had been in the privacy of the library, and for that she was grateful. Over time she had learned to filter out and unconsciously ignore most of the strange looks that ponies gave her. Unfortunately, though she no longer noticed ponies glancing at her with apprehensive expressions, she knew that her reputation had preceded her, and the social stigma surrounding her had no doubt come with it. She was finally going to get to spend time in public with her first friend, and it was a source of great pride to be able to feel just a small amount like a more normal mare, but at the same time, she feared how that attention would reflect on Twilight. The last thing she wanted to do was turn Twilight into a social outcast through association.

Derpy gave a large sigh at the thought as she neared the library, knowing that she would at least need to let the unicorn know what she may be getting herself into by being seen wandering the streets together. She stopped, pausing for a moment as the thought of turning tail and running home flitted through her mind before she violently shook it away. She wanted a tour of Ponyville, but even more so, she wanted to spend time with her friend. Sweet Celestia, how she wanted to spend more time with Twilight. Her pulse quickened at the thought, and before her nerves could get the better of her, she raised her hoof and knocked rapidly, frightening herself with how loud the echoing sound became as she struck the wooden door.

A purple glow surrounded the doorknob, turning it and swinging it open as Twilight called, “Come on in!”

Twilight was sitting across the room, and it was obvious she had been startled out of study by the knock at the door. She quickly hopped down from her seat, setting her quill down and giving Derpy an apologetic look.

“I’m sorry, Derpy, I got so caught up in my research that I lost track of the time…” She managed a smile, though it did little to hide the embarrassment covering her face. “I guess I just get so busy with my reports to the Princess that hours seem like minutes.” Twilight’s demeanor lightened as Derpy, obviously still not accustomed to being welcomed so openly, wandered slowly inside. “I can’t wait to head out for a while, though.”

Derpy looked at the floor, dragging her hoof along the ground for a moment before she could voice what she knew she needed to. “Are you sure you want to go out with me today? For the tour, I mean.” Her face reddened as she blurted out the addendum to her statement, realizing how it must have sounded. She received a confused look from Twilight in response.

“Of course! I mean, why wouldn’t I want to take a walk around Ponyville with you?”

“Well…” Derpy hesitated, trying to articulate exactly how she felt without ruining her chance at building her friendship with the unicorn. “Most ponies… don’t really like me. I don’t want to make you look bad in front of the whole town.”

Twilight took a moment to digest what Derpy was saying before giving her a stern stare in response. “Derpy, listen to me, and don’t ever let yourself forget what I’m about to say. I don’t want you to think, ever, not even for a moment, that I would be embarrassed by you. If I was so concerned about my image that I’d avoid being seen with you, then I wouldn’t be your friend in any sense of the word.”

She took Derpy by the chin, pulling the pegasus’ muzzle inches from her own and staring deeply into Derpy’s misaligned amber eyes. “I meant every word that I said to you, Derpy. You are my friend. I am not going to throw away something so important because some random judgmental ponies out there think it’s strange that I like you.”

Derpy gaped back, slack-jawed and unable to form any sort of coherent response. The forcefulness and conviction in Twilight’s voice penetrated her to the core, filling her with a mixture of emotions that she had never felt before. She stood immobilized, transfixed by Twilight’s eyes, which were still locked on her own. Time slowed and came to a halt. Her face felt as if it were on fire, her stomach churned, her hooves felt weak, and her coat dampened as she broke out in a nervous sweat. She could feel Twilight’s breath across her muzzle as the unicorn appeared to wait for her response, and the warm drift of air seemed oddly calming and welcome.

Derpy gulped anxiously, and the moment evaporated instantly as time resumed its normal course.

Twilight’s face lightened, and she gave Derpy a heartfelt smile as she stepped back from the pegasus and trotted around her toward the door. She threw a casual grin over her shoulder at the still dumbfounded mare. “So, are you ready to go on that tour, then?”

Derpy nodded, turned, and followed Twilight mutely. Her mind was overwhelmed; she felt elated with how strongly Twilight valued her friendship, but confused at the emotions coursing through her. She almost ran into Twilight’s backside, unaware that the unicorn had stopped and was now smirking at her. Twilight gave her a wink as Derpy's thoughts returned to reality.

“I’ll take that as a yes. And you can close your mouth now, by the way.”

****************

The oddly matched pair wandered down the side streets of Ponyville, enjoying each other’s company as they moved from stop to stop and chatted casually along the way, though neither pony was truthfully focused on the conversation at hoof.

Derpy, throughout their walk, had been paying much more attention to where exactly they were going and what lay at each destination, committing as much of Ponyville’s layout to memory as possible. Though Twilight was not able to point out many individual ponies’ homes specifically, Derpy was still able to note enough street names and businesses located in their vicinity to mentally map the majority of the town.

Twilight had taken Derpy to all the major stores that she could think of, as well as all of the homes of her other friends. At the pegasus’ request, though, Twilight had merely pointed out those buildings rather than actually stopping to chat with any of them. Derpy was obviously still self-conscious about reflecting poorly on Twilight’s social status, and displayed noticeable discomfort at the thought of actively meeting all of Twilight’s best friends so quickly. Although Twilight would have preferred to introduce her around, she respected the reservations of the pegasus and the couple moved on with their exploration of the town.

Derpy continually noticed the turned heads and awkward glances that she was receiving throughout the tour; her ability to ignore the reactions of others had been counteracted by the fact that somepony else was voluntarily accompanying her. Though Twilight had reassured her beforehand, every look seemed to cause Derpy’s stature to shrink and her confidence to dwindle. More than once Twilight caught Derpy attempting to shield her face with a wing if anypony ventured so close as to exchange pleasantries. It was plain to see that it would take some time for both Derpy to become comfortable, and for the majority of Ponyville to accept her more openly.

Twilight’s attention, on the other hoof, had been split between remembering where they were going and watching the townsponies with trepidation as many gawked and gossiped at the strange duo traveling amongst them. She knew that she cared little about her personal image - she was well-respected enough to be able to withstand idle gossip - but Derpy’s image was fractured enough as it was. Her resolution to protect the poor pony from misery was reinforced, and she readied herself to defend the mailpony in the possible event of verbal assaults.

It was this specific resolve that became fortuitous much earlier than Twilight would have liked. Behind and above them, a cheery, yet cocky, voice rang out as it dropped from the sky.

“Hey, Twi! What'cha up to today? Last I checked, there weren’t any egghead-type stores out –”

Rainbow Dash's teasing words abruptly died off in her throat as she realized that Twilight wasn’t alone. She swooped down to land in front of Twilight, and her jovial manner dissipated as she noticed the other mare quickly looking away in an effort to hide behind her mane. Dash cocked her head to one side, her prismatic mane sweeping along with the gesture as she tried to catch a glimpse of the pony who was now obviously hiding from her.

Rather than wander around, trying to get a good face-to-face introduction with Twilight’s mystery guest, Rainbow Dash simply threw a glance to the mare’s flank. Cutie marks were useful that way; they had a tendency to stand out like name badges, proudly announcing, ‘Hi! My name is…’

Derpy Hooves.

Rainbow Dash froze as the name floated into her mind, matching the bubbly cutie mark with the pony to whom it belonged. Her suspended animation lasted only moments, however, as she quickly recovered in order to cast a paranoid and frantic gaze around for lightning clouds or falling rubble. As no disasters were pending as far as Rainbow Dash could see, her attention returned to Twilight.

“Twilight, what in Equestria are you doing wandering around with Derpy?” Though her voice wasn’t exactly hostile toward Derpy, it had certainly lost its good-humored quality, and bordered on accusatory inquisition rather than mere curious questioning.

Rainbow Dash’s reaction to her presence came as no surprise to Derpy. It was an understatement to say that she had never gotten along well with Rainbow Dash, though not from any lack of effort on her part. Ever since foalhood, Derpy had tried desperately to gain some level of acceptance with anypony she could, but despite all her efforts, she had never been successful.

Twilight, however, had no idea as to the sort of past her two friends shared, and as she looked back and forth between the two mares, her voice and face reflected confusion at Rainbow Dash’s abrupt shift in both attitude and tone. She responded slowly, not entirely sure what could have caused her friends’ reactions.

“Well, Derpy is fairly new to most of Ponyville, and since she is starting a job at the Ponyville Postal Service, I thought it would be nice for her to have a friend show her around town.” She frowned slightly at Rainbow Dash’s contorted expression in response to her explanation.

“A friend?” Rainbow Dash remarked incredulously, and a sardonic scoff punctuated the end of her statement. “Twilight, you can’t seriously be thinking about hanging around with Derpy.” She shifted her gaze to Derpy, who was obviously uncomfortable enough without being talked about as though she wasn’t there. “No offense, Derpy, it’s just… you know… weird,” Rainbow Dash said, her attitude of indifference to the pegasus emphasized by the flat affect in her phony attempt at an apology.

Twilight’s demeanor shifted at the affront aimed at her new friend, her face flushing and her brow creasing in frustrated irritation. “I’m not thinking about being her friend,” she breathed hotly, “I am her friend. Rainbow Dash, I don’t know what problems you could possibly have with Derpy, but you know that making friends is something I value highly, and Derpy is one of those friends. Everypony deserves to have friends, and she’s no different than anypony else. I would expect that you of all ponies, as an Element of Harmony, should understand that, and would give her a little more consideration and respect.”

Rainbow Dash looked back to Twilight, shifting her gaze from Derpy and feeling disarmed by the rebuke. “But, I mean, you know what kind of stuff happens around Derpy, right? I mean, you’d need a Pinkie Sense of your own to avoid getting smashed, or blown up, or something…” Her eyes returned shiftily to the skies and surrounding areas, as though a catastrophe was imminent.

Twilight’s temper flared, and an icy calm infused her voice. “I seem to recall plenty of times where you’ve been an accident waiting to happen, Rainbow Dash. If my memory is correct, the first day we met, you plowed me into a mud puddle, drenched me with a raincloud, turned my mane and tail into a frizzy mess, and laughed at me the entire time. Don’t even get me started on how many times you’ve destroyed my library. And, regardless of that, I’m still your friend. I hope you can think about that for a bit and next time at least be a little more civil.” Twilight poked Rainbow Dash in the chest with a hoof at the end of her lecture in order to emphasize her point.

Rainbow Dash paused for a moment, mouth slowly opening, then closing, as if she were trying to find a witty retort or clever remark, and then deciding not to push her luck with each one. Finally she gave up the internal struggle, and, in the interest of not getting into a fight with Twilight, she settled for an annoyed response.

“Alright then. Sorry. I’ll be on my way. You two have fun, then.”

Without waiting for more lectures from Twilight, and eager to be free of the awkwardness surrounding Derpy, Rainbow Dash turned quickly and took to the skies. She rushed off, flying as fast as she could until she was out of eyesight. Then she simply stopped and hovered in the air, shaking her head as memories of the messed up, uncoordinated, weird little gray filly flitted through her head. She gave a quick mutter to nopony in particular under her breath.

“Twilight’s friends with Derpy now? You’ve got to be kidding me.”

With a final shake of her head, Rainbow Dash took off again, barreling through as many clouds as she could find and dissipating them into nothingness to let out her aggravation, hoping that if she forgot about all that had just happened, the whole situation with Derpy would just dissipate as well.

****************

Derpy stood unmoving next to Twilight, watching Rainbow Dash leave the impromptu face-off between friends. She was noticeably perturbed, though less about Dash’s comments and more about the fact that Twilight had just accosted one of her best friends in Derpy’s defense. The whole situation, though, had left her with an odd sense of conflict.

She wanted to bask in the knowledge that she actually had a friend who would stick up for her. Twilight’s words had stirred up a mountain of emotions. However, in reality she was frightened now more than ever. She had been the cause of an altercation between best friends, and her spirits sank lower as she realized that it likely wouldn’t be the last time.

Her face made its way out of the mask created by her mane, looking anxiously to Twilight. “Twilight, is this going to be okay? I don’t want to get in between you and your friends…” she pawed at the ground awkwardly. “They’re the most important ponies in your life, and I don’t want to ruin your friendships.”

Twilight returned Derpy’s gaze with a gentle smile. “It’ll be fine, Derpy. If they have a problem, they’ll come around eventually. They always do, even if it doesn’t seem like they will.”

She gave the pegasus another smile as another thought occurred to her; for some reason she couldn’t help but want to spend as much time with Derpy as she could, and this idea gave her a perfect opportunity to do just that.

“Derpy, would you like to get together for lunch in a few weeks?”

Derpy nearly needed to pick her jaw up off the ground at the question. Their current tour was the only outing she had ever been invited to, and though she was enjoying it greatly, an exploratory walk through town was hardly a social meeting. Her heart began hammering in her chest, and the awestruck and nervous feeling she had when Twilight invited her out earlier that week returned with force, lightly staining her cheeks crimson.

“Lunch? I… I guess that would be fine… but…” Derpy stammered, her mouth turning dry as she searched for the right words. Her confusion at the sudden invitation was plain to see by her simple response.

“Why?”

Twilight shook her head with a smile. “It would be nice to go out and spend some time together for a while; I mean, being your friend doesn’t just mean I say hello to you when you stop by when you’re working.” She gave the mailmare a slight grin. “Besides, I’ve been so busy that I haven’t gotten much of a chance to research spells for your eyes yet… but my schedule will be much lighter after the next few weeks, so I can search for what I can find, and let you know how things are coming along then.”

A wide smile graced Derpy’s face as the confusion washed away. Being invited out was entirely unfamiliar, but it was impossible for her to refuse Twilight’s offer. Without a thought, she nodded vigorously.

“I’d love to! When and where should we go?”

Twilight thought for a moment, happy that her friend had accepted her idea so enthusiastically.

“How about… the third Saturday from today. Would that work?”

Derpy paused for only an instant before nodding again – of course it would work; being socially isolated meant that she was free every weekend, so scheduling was never an issue for her.

“That’d be great! I never really do anything on weekends, or even normal weeknights… basically, if I’m not working, I’m free.” Her smile waned slightly as she realized just how pathetic that must have sounded, but she continued on quickly. “Where should we go?”

Twilight gave Derpy a teasing grin. “Anywhere you want to. You’re the new pony in town, so you pick whichever restaurant sounds good to you.”

Twilight didn’t even wait for a response as she turned back to the road, hiding her mischievous smile at putting Derpy in charge. “Let’s get going, then! There’s still plenty of Ponyville to see, and I’ll show you all the restaurants in the area so you know which options you have.”

Derpy almost had to break out into a full run to catch up – Twilight’s response had literally stunned her. She sidled up to Twilight, resuming their earlier chatter with a broad smile that never left her face.

6. A Slight Change in Plans

Chapter 6 – A Slight Change in Plans

The soft, rhythmic ticking of the clock was the sole source of sound in the Golden Oaks Library, with the occasional exception of a flip of a page or a quiet, disapproving grumble. Twilight Sparkle sat much like she always did while poring over books, though this occasion was much more frustrating than her normal study sessions. She was staring intently at the books covering the desk in front of her, reading them one by one and replacing each finished reference with a new one from either the pile obscuring her desk, or the multitude of medical texts surrounding her in stacks on the floor.

She worked through her supply slowly, and each completed book floated back to its original place on the shelves, guided by an effortless magic aura while the unicorn remained absorbed in her studies, not looking up even once. Her snorts of discontent were beginning to become more and more frequent; she had spent much of her spare time over the past few weeks – though admittedly, that wasn’t much – looking for spells that may help Derpy, and so far she had come up empty-hooved.

She cast a lethargic glare around her desk and muttered under her breath at the seemingly endless stacks of books; she had not even read through a quarter of the material she had gathered for her investigational session, and that collection paled in comparison to the contents of the rest of the library. In fact, her venture through the books this evening had taken her five hours; it was slightly past midnight, and in terms of progress it had been a complete waste of time – and time was a commodity that Twilight Sparkle valued highly.

However, there were a few things Twilight valued more than time, and one of the top things amongst that list were her friendships. Regardless of her lack of enthusiasm for the fruitless search and the many hours it took, disrupting her meticulously planned schedules made months prior, she had promised Derpy she'd look, and she fully intended to keep that promise. That didn’t mean she was not allowing herself breaks, however, and, by Celestia, she needed one.

With a frustrated growl, she slammed her current book shut, shaking her head to clear it of the clouding fog that had seemed to creep into her mind. She was accustomed to studying for long periods of time, but in truth she wasn’t exactly studying these books in depth. It was more of a scavenger hunt for some vague spell that, after her prolonged perusal, she wasn’t sure even existed.

Twilight flung the book, enshrouded in her purple aura, across the room in irritation. It struck the wall, flopping to the floor askew, its pages bent and the spine dented from the impact. She sat motionless as she silently cursed the book for having the audacity to not contain the knowledge she sought, condemning it to remain where it fell out of pure spite for the damned object. She sat in silence for an unknown time, looking toward the opposite wall in an effort to ignore it entirely. The attempt proved futile - her heart rate quickened in anxiety, and she bit her lip as a bead of sweat dripped down her forehead.

In betrayal of her sworn indifference, her eyes snapped to the book laying haphazardly on the floor. Engulfed in purple again, the book was quickly whipped back toward her as she compulsively straightened the pages, mended the spine, and carefully floated it back to the shelf where it properly belonged. She shook her head again; the mere thought of being annoyed at books was entirely foreign to her, and she simply couldn’t comprehend what had caused the emotional outburst.

An image of Derpy flashed through her mind, sitting in darkness, misery written across her face as she stared blankly at the floor, alone and forgotten. Twilight’s breath hitched at the notion, and the insight penetrated her mental fog. She wasn’t doing this for herself; she was doing this for a friend – a very special friend whom she did not want to disappoint - not if she could help it. She wanted an answer, some solution that would bring a radiant smile to Derpy's face, and she hadn’t found it. At least, not yet.

She stood from her seat, stretching her back and legs and slowly rotating her head in a futile attempt to remove all the cricks that had appeared in her neck. She looked to the wall, her gaze finding the calendar and falling on the coming day, circled in red ink with the words Lunch with Derpy neatly written in the space. She smiled at the thought and felt a pleasant warmth spreading through her as she envisioned spending the day with the mailpony. Derpy would be happy spending time together, and though she hadn’t found an answer yet, she still had plenty of time to look.

With that thought, she trotted upstairs to bed. Tomorrow would be a great day with or without the spell.

****************

The sounds of hoofsteps were muffled by the fluffy padding of clouds as Derpy walked back and forth in her home. She had spent her free evenings all week long looking out her window, daydreaming happily as she eagerly waited for her weekend lunch date with Twilight. Over the weeks, she had thought about which restaurants would be nice to visit - somewhere not overly fancy, but pleasant enough to enjoy the company of her one and only friend. Thankfully, she had come up with a few that seemed appealing.

Her wandering thoughts had been interrupted the evening before, however, as a new concern had formed in her mind. The issue was a problem that had given her terrible insomnia; she had barely slept at all that night, and the idea now had her pacing the floor in anxiety.

It wasn’t a fear of choosing which eatery they went to, of embarrassing herself in front of Twilight, or even that she’d be in a public restaurant with dozens of ponies who would doubtlessly stare at her. Glancing at her budget was all it took to remind her of her dismal bank account; all her choices for restaurants were likely to be far outside of her price range. Mailponies didn’t make much to begin with, and she was the lowest on the pay scale. Her previous boss had personally seen to that, and had taken sadistic pride in letting her know that she got the meager pittance because that was all she deserved.

Her fear was simple, but no less important for that fact – she needed to find a restaurant she could afford without making a show of her financial problem. The last thing she wanted to drag in front of her only friend was the fact that, in addition to being cross-eyed and disliked, she was strapped for bits as well. She wanted to enjoy her time out with Twilight without seeming like she was asking for charity.

She paused and closed her eyes to concentrate, letting her memory guide her through Ponyville street by street. The names of restaurants floated past her, and she made a mental checklist of which ones might be affordable and which were definitely not. She sighed as each of her previously chosen destinations were crossed off her list, leaving only a few options to pick from. The Amaranth Teahouse could work, but I don’t really care for Neighsian cooking… The Peony Diner seemed inexpensive enough, but it looked kind of greasy… Radicchio Trattoria… that could be interesting, and it seemed pretty informal and straightforward…

She nodded to herself, fairly confident in that selection. With any luck, Twilight wouldn’t give any thought to her choice, and she could enjoy their time without making too much of a dent in her already tight finances. She flew down from her home, making the short flight to Ponyville’s streets.

Tucking her tiny bit purse tightly under her wing, she shook away the butterflies in her stomach and made her way toward the library.

****************

Derpy stood in front of the red door outside the Golden Oaks Library, shifting from hoof to hoof as she waited. She was puzzled over the emotions that were running through her; she had waited patiently outside Twilight’s door almost daily for the past month without any trouble. Yet, for some reason, today she felt extremely nervous, to the point where her stomach churned and her breathing kept threatening to speed faster and faster, making her consciously try to keep her breaths slow and steady. Even her worries over whether or not she could afford going out to eat hadn’t made her this anxious.

Her reflection over the strange feelings coursing through her was cut short as the door opened, and she gave a slight start – she had been so preoccupied she had not even noticed the sound of hoofsteps approaching or the turning of the doorknob. She forced an awkward smile as she looked up from her distraction, and her breathing returned to its quickened pace.

“Hi, Twilight, I’m ready for –” both her sentence and her breathing came to a halt, and her heart raced faster as if trying to make up for those sudden stops. Her eyes locked on to the unicorn behind the door, and a brilliant flush crept up her cheeks at the sight before her.

Twilight was standing in the doorway with her mane hanging straight down and her coat slicked back, droplets of water beading at the ends and slowly dripping onto the floor. She gave Derpy an embarrassed smile. “Sorry. I was just finishing up with my shower when I heard you knocking, and Spike’s out helping Rarity - again – so he’s not around to get the door. I didn’t want to keep you waiting…”

She trailed off as she noticed Derpy’s shell-shocked appearance and adopted a blush of her own. “Sorry. I must look ridiculous. Come on in.”

Derpy snapped herself out of her apparent trance and walked into the library somewhat clumsily, and her previous anxiety returned with force. She shook her head at Twilight’s statement, but in contrast her voice quavered as she spoke. “You don’t look ridiculous… It actually looks kind of…” Beautiful. Stunning. Sexy. Her response was left hanging as she searched for the right word while she simultaneously tried to sort out where in Equestria those thoughts had come from.

“It looks cute,” she finished dully, staring down at the floor in discomfort, still entirely confused at what was going on in her head.

Twilight gave her an incredulous, yet curious, look – she had never seen anypony react that way around her before, and she wasn’t sure what might have caused her friend to suddenly act so strangely. Moreover, she could tell there was something that was bothering the pegasus; Derpy’s tremulous voice alone was enough to convince her of that. Twilight considered how she could make her friend more at ease, and changing the subject seemed to be the most promising, considering the mare’s reaction to Twilight’s greeting.

The unicorn gave Derpy a smile as they wandered inside. “Have you thought of a restaurant you’d like to go to today?” Her smile quickly faded at the reaction it elicited from her pegasine companion – her choice of subject was apparently not the correct one.

Derpy cringed immediately at the question; she shrank back slightly as though she hoped to blend into their surroundings and vanish, and her voice seemed to diminish as she responded.

“I… guess so…” she said quietly. “I was thinking… maybe… the Radicchio Trattoria?” She ventured a quick glance toward Twilight before once again returning her gaze to the floor.

Twilight gave a mild start in surprise, though she was thankful Derpy hadn’t seen it; obviously something about the idea of going out to eat was unnerving for the mailmare. Personally, Twilight had almost always regarded the Trattoria as a bit of a run-down establishment, and she couldn’t imagine what could have made Derpy decide to go there above the many other choices in town.

When she had first arrived in Ponyville, she had suggested visiting it with her friends, much to Rarity’s horror. The fashionista had spent the next half-hour berating the restaurant for its ‘deplorable, disgusting, and distasteful’ faults, as she had put it. Since then, Twilight hadn’t really had much desire to visit there again.

However, this day wasn’t about her, and her concern over Derpy’s behavior kept her from saying anything negative about the suggestion, regardless of her puzzlement at the choice. She gave Derpy another smile.

“If you’re sure that’s where you want to go, that’s fine by me.” She smiled again, trying to dissolve some of the tension that was bothering the pegasus.

Derpy merely responded with a slight nod and a less than emphatic “Mhm.” Her expression seemed almost ashamed at the affirmation of her decision.

Twilight had to admit that watching her friend’s reactions was faintly unnerving, and the discomfort reminded her that she still needed to finish getting ready; taking advantage of that fact may give Derpy a chance to calm down slightly.

“I’m going to head back up to the bathroom to finish cleaning up, okay? I’ll be back down in a little bit; I was almost done, I just need to dry off and brush my mane back into some semblance of order. Just make yourself at home, alright?”

Derpy nodded mutely, as her mind assaulted her with more foreign thoughts. No! No, you can leave your mane that way - really!

Still staring at the floor, she made her way to the couch to wait, hoping that she could calm down before Twilight returned. She sank into the cushions, leaning her head back into a pillow. Her heart still beat quickly in her chest, a sudden weakness seemed to strike her as she stretched out over the sofa.

She lifted her head and raised a hoof up to her face, her eyes narrowing to focus on the limb. She could detect a slight tremor in her forehoof as she held it in front of her. Lowering her hoof again, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, letting her head fall back to the pillow again. I must be hungrier than I thought. I guess that would account for the weird feelings. She smiled faintly at the explanation, feeling slightly better about the strange thoughts and reactions she was having. Hunger was simple enough to take care of, especially given their plans for the afternoon.

She rolled to her stomach and rested her muzzle on the pillow, stretching out her limbs and letting them fall haphazardly across the cushions. Her eyes closed as she tried to concentrate on nothing, attempting to calm the nerves that were plaguing her. She would just have to wait for Twilight and relax as much as possible until the unicorn was ready.

****************

Twilight stood on the bathroom rug, still dripping water that slowly soaked into the fabric while she stared vacantly at her reflection in the mirror. Everything about Derpy’s reaction minutes ago struck the unicorn as odd, and she had found that the whole situation, from answering the door to Derpy’s embarrassed actions, had put her in an extreme state of apprehension.

It wasn’t that she was overly self-conscious at her appearance – after all, she would have looked the same after being caught in the rain or after taking a refreshing dip into a pond. An image of Derpy’s expression at the door drifted past Twilight’s empty gaze, and a shiver ran through her, though it was not due to the cool air whisking moisture from her fur.

Twilight closed her eyes and summoned the phantasmal apparition before her mind’s eye again; closely she studied Derpy’s reaction, suspecting that the pegasus showed surprise or embarrassment from Twilight’s appearance, or perhaps fear and hesitation for their upcoming date that afternoon. Twilight froze as the realization of what she had just thought struck her.

A date? Is this a date? Would you like to think of it as that? Her inner voice sounded accusatory, taunting, and yet gleeful in the possibilities it could be forming in the unicorn’s head. Keeping her eyes closed, Twilight smirked at her own mind running away with her, and spoke softly to herself, adopting her scholarly tone to lecture the teasing voice of her subconscious. Intellect was in charge of her mind; it always had been, and always would be.

“Of course it’s a date – what else would it be? Strictly speaking, according to norms set by literary standards, a scheduled meeting in which two or possibly more ponies gather may be considered a date. In fact, any social gathering, prior arranged engagement, or set appointment may be referred to as a ‘date’. The use of the word is not limited to the standardized vernacular definition. So to answer the question – yes, I would like to think of it as a date, thank you very much.” She smiled at her eloquence in neutralizing the suggestive thought as it arose.

Her focus returned to the ethereal image of Derpy, and her smile slowly slipped away. The pegasus, though her cheeks had been reddened, did not look surprised or embarrassed, nor did she seem fearful of their date – at least, not at first. More than anything, she had seemed stunned and confused, and though Twilight felt fairly sure that those emotions accurately described Derpy’s reaction, the question of ‘Why?’ remained.

Regardless of the reason why, and even ignoring Derpy’s strange behavior at the question about their destination, it was also true that Twilight had experienced her own conflicting urges at the pegasus’ arrival, and that discomfort had been what originally nudged her into the retreat to the bathroom. She knew that she still needed to get ready, but seeing Derpy, nervous and speechless at the door, had pushed an immediate thought into her mind – one that she had nearly acted on.

Adorable. She’s simply adorable. Hug her. Hug her like the dear friend she is, remind her that she’s special to you, and never let her go.

Twilight shook her head as the thought forced its way through her subconscious again. Had she taken action on her sudden idea, it could have made Derpy feel absolutely wonderful, eradicating whatever fears she might have had. However, it was also a possibility that it could have frightened the pegasus incredibly. In the future, there might come a time when Derpy would need a display of reassurance and affection like that, but today was not that day. She would not risk alienating Derpy and ruining her relationship with the mare over a hug given for no reason other than an awkward impulse.

Returning from her introspection, Twilight took a glance toward the clock. Once again, she had slipped out of contact with time, and she gasped as she realized that fifteen minutes had already passed since she had returned to the bathroom after welcoming Derpy. Most of her coat had already drip-dried – thankfully the fur was short enough that it didn’t seem any more out of place than had she taken a towel to it. Her mane, on the other hoof, needed to be brushed quickly before it dried out in the same manner – if it had, nothing short of another shower would be able to fix the frizzy mess. She seized the nearest brush with her magic and, using a simple spell to pulse warmth over her to speed the drying process, quickly set her mane back to its usual state.

Taking a few short glances from different angles, Twilight concluded that she looked presentable enough for their outing, and she walked back down the stairs to the main lobby of her home. She caught sight of the back of the sofa as she entered the room and stifled a giggle at the sight that greeted her – Derpy was obviously laying on the couch, but half of a wing poking above the cushions and two forehooves draped limply over the couch’s arm were all that were visible. Twilight suspected that Derpy had fallen asleep while waiting for her, reinforced by the fact that all was silent save for a light sound of peaceful breathing, which brought a warm smile to Twilight’s face.

She walked quietly around the furniture, and her suspicions were confirmed as the pegasus fully came into view. Derpy was sleeping soundly; her muzzle was half-buried in a pillow leaving only her nostrils visible above the padding, her mane was slightly askew, and her coat bristled with the static that had built from her movements on the fabric. One wing drooped over the side of the couch, nearly brushing the floor, while the other had been sandwiched between the cushions of the couch’s backrest, resulting in the wing’s awkward half-extended position that Twilight had seen on her way downstairs. Finally, as if to accentuate the adorable scene of the mare in blissful repose, her hind legs were stretched out with her tail splayed haphazardly over them.

It was reassuring to know that Derpy’s mood had abated enough to at least allow her to fall asleep, and Twilight immediately felt better about their exchange earlier. She stared at Derpy, unconsciously sinking to the floor as she watched the dozing mare, simply mesmerized by how unexpectedly lovable she looked as she slept. Her gaze crept slowly across the prone form, admiring the striking contrast of the pegasus’ pale yellow mane with her ashen coat.

As she cast her look down the figure of her houseguest slumbering peacefully, her attention was drawn to an unknown small lump on the floor, just under the drooping wing of the pegasus. She crept closer, using her magic to lightly draw whatever it was toward her. The unicorn’s perplexity at the identity of the object grew as a tiny, nondescript pouch floated to her.

It dropped into her hoof as she looked over the mysterious bag, and in an instant the puzzle as to what it was dissipated - a slight clinking noise emanating from the small, light pouch told her that she had found Derpy’s supply of bits, and her eyes widened in comprehension. The size and weight of the pouch told her that the pegasus’ funds were meager at best, and it shed light on the significance of Derpy’s embarrassment earlier – the mailmare simply couldn’t afford to eat anywhere else.

Biting her lip, she floated the pouch back to its resting place under the hanging gray wing. She felt ashamed, for both her insensitivity about the open invitation and the invasion of Derpy’s privacy that she had just unintentionally committed. She sat, conflicted at the decision that now faced her.

For only a moment, she considered the idea of offering to take Derpy out somewhere nicer – after all, Twilight wasn’t exactly in any financial difficulty. However, the idea was dismissed as quickly as it had been conceived; if Derpy had wanted that, she would have asked. It stood to reason that Derpy chose an inexpensive restaurant and hid away her bit purse to keep from imposing on Twilight, and making the offer would likely make Derpy feel even worse.

Twilight’s brow furrowed as her mind weighed all of the options she could think of, judging the expected reaction that each course would provide before rejecting them one by one. Every action she could imagine would produce a negative experience for Derpy; even acting as though nothing happened was no longer viable. They could, of course, still go to the Trattoria, but now Twilight knew Derpy was likely going to spend a decent portion of her budget to go to a restaurant that she picked simply because it was affordable. Complicating the idea even more was the fact that the entire problem the pegasus faced was due to Twilight’s faulty and insensitive assumption that there couldn’t possibly be any issues with a simple dinner date.

She couldn’t take Derpy somewhere and pay for the bill without making the pegasus feel mortified, and her own guilt wouldn’t let her allow Derpy to spend her hard-earned bits on a frivolous meal. All Twilight really knew for certain was that she couldn’t tell Derpy about the discovery; doing so would be the absolute worst course of action.

Her eyes wandered back up to her friend, still napping serenely on the couch, and it was all she could do to refrain herself from enveloping her in a tight hug. However, instead of waking the pegasus, Twilight’s smile returned as a better plan for their evening formed in her mind.

****************

Derpy shifted her body slightly as her cognizance wandered, flitting from the randomness of unconscious thought to the struggle of separating reality from imagination. She was mildly aware of a minor cramp that was forming in her wing, though she wasn’t sure why, and her movements were able to relieve at least some of the tightness in her muscles. With the tension gone, she relaxed again, slipping back downward, away from lucid thought as though sinking through water just short of reaching the surface.

Something, however, prevented her from sliding back into unconsciousness. She felt strange, out of place, but not in an unpleasant way. She slowly and groggily reached around, clutching for one of her blankets to snuggle under before she awoke from a wonderful nap, regardless of the wing cramp that had accompanied it. She blindly fumbled around for the covers, intent on curling up in their soothing warmth and returning to the realms of dreams from which she had drifted, rather than get up and face the reality of yet another day. However, her hooves found only empty space, and her forelegs swept around in her vain attempt at finding the comforting blankets.

Odd. I usually would have knocked something off the bed stand by now. Her dream realm began to rapidly slip away as confusion crept through her, and, as if it intended to purposefully augment her addled state, a strange but delightful scent wafted through the air, adding to the fog clouding her mind as it flooded her senses. She shifted again to her other side, sticking a hoof over in search of the missing blanket that may have wandered to the opposite end of her bed.

Rather than air and the fluffy surface of her cloud bed, however, her hoof found purchase in an unexpected wall of squishy yet very firm material; the surprise of the unexpected barrier, coupled with the force of her hoof’s unanticipated halt, pushed her away from whatever she had hit, and with a light squeak of shock, she rolled over the edge of Twilight’s couch and onto the floor with a thump, ending any possibility of resuming her nap.

She opened her eyes and blinked in confusion, trying to figure out where she was and what was going on. As her eyes adjusted to their normal alignment, familiarity began to push away her muddled sense of place and time. The books lining the walls surrounding her and the couch she had just fallen off quickly let the pieces fall into place, and she turned red with embarrassment at her ungainly antics.

Her embarrassment dissipated quickly, however, when a more worrisome realization formed in her mind. She had fallen asleep at Twilight’s library, for quite some time if the dim light outside was any indication, and had slept right through her scheduled dinner date with her friend. Feeling a lump underneath her, she mentally consoled herself that she at least had her bit purse still with her; the last thing she had wanted was to accidentally expose her pitiful financial situation to Twilight as she napped.

Her mind returned to the main problem at hoof, however, and she slapped a hoof to her face in frustration, only succeeding in giving herself a sore forehead rather than any clarity of thought. Ugh, how in Equestria do I even manage to mess up something like this? What must Twilight think of…? Her thoughts stopped abruptly. Doubtless Twilight would be angry that she had fallen asleep when they were supposed to be spending the day enjoying a mare’s afternoon out together. As the implication hit her, she sat bolt upright, scanning the room for her friend, hoping against hope that the unicorn wasn’t too upset with her for ruining their afternoon plans.

Her gaze moved toward the librarian’s kitchen, and her face registered genuine disbelief. A much different view greeted her than she had expected; a grinning and amused face was peering around the corner at her as muffled clinks and clanks emanated from the room beyond, and Twilight’s teasing, yet playful, voice rose above the din.

“Do you always shove yourself out of bed, or was that more of a spontaneous incident?”

****************

Derpy looked blankly around the kitchen, barely able to comprehend the bustling activity going on. As a result of Spike’s seemingly endless supply of energy as he helped Twilight, the multitude of purple-hazed objects being levitated around the room, and her own sleepy haze that had not fully faded yet, the flurry of action around her seemed almost surreal.

“Twilight, I’m really sorry I fell asleep like that – I don’t know how I possibly could have slept on a day as important as this one… I really have been looking forward to today ever since you suggested it.” A tinge of sadness and regret were evident in her voice; though Twilight had genially invited her over to join them in the kitchen, she still wasn’t sure what was going through the unicorn’s mind, and that uncertainty only served to escalate her concern.

Derpy’s worries and fears did not last long, however. Her insecurities evaporated and her spirit lightened as Twilight turned toward her, and the pegasus was amazed at how well Twilight was able to convey her emotions without words. There was no trace of anger or resentment, not even a hint of disappointment; there was only a kind fondness and understanding shown through a gentle smile.

“Derpy, when you came over this afternoon, you looked absolutely exhausted… I couldn’t bear to wake you up when you looked so peaceful. I thought it might be better to let you sleep and treat you to a homemade meal, instead.”

Derpy looked completely dumbfounded at the announcement; she had been so worried about Twilight’s reaction that she hadn’t even considered what exactly was going on in the kitchen. But, now that Twilight had mentioned it, she began to take notice of an enticing aroma permeating the room. The objects floating around in Twilight’s magic were ingredients and cookware, and Spike was running between pots, pans, and cutting boards, adding a dash of something here or stirring something there. What astounded Derpy, however, wasn’t the speed and dexterity of the dragon, the exact and coordinated movements of Twilight’s magic, or even the delicious smell of all that was being made.

What amazed her beyond any other thing was that Twilight had planned, organized, and implemented an entire dinner menu to rival that of an upper scale restaurant in the course of a single afternoon – and what was more – Twilight was doing this for her.

She sidled up next to Twilight, brushing up against her as she approached, her jaw still hanging much lower than would be considered normal. Bracing herself, she looked to Twilight while trying to hold back tears. The gesture could be seen two ways for Derpy – either Twilight had discovered her purse, or Twilight really cared enough to do this for her…

“I have… two questions…” Derpy stammered out, trying not to be ungrateful or rude. “First, how? I mean, how did you get everything together so fast? Are you and Spike both natural cooks or something? And second, why? Why are you going through all the bother of putting something together like this? We could always have gone somewhere else…"

Twilight smiled and shook her head. “The why is easy enough; you were tired, and I thought it would be a much better date night if we could do something more personal, more special for you, rather than run out and grab a sandwich. If it makes you feel any better, I tried to find recipes that would make dishes you’d likely find in a Bitalian restaurant like you had suggested. They’re not all as authentic, and some just sounded good so I picked them, but I think you’ll be happy regardless.”

Derpy nodded, though a slight frown crept over her face; the idea did make sense, but she felt terrible having Twilight go through so much trouble just for her. The feeling was pushed aside quickly, though, as her attention had instantly been drawn to something different than the kindness and thoughtfulness of her friend.

Twilight had called their time together a date night.

And, for some reason, Derpy had to admit she liked the sound of that.

“And no, you’re not putting a burden on me by doing this for you.” Twilight continued with a wink at the blank look the pegasus had adopted. “Your face can be so easy to read sometimes.”

Derpy’s jaw dropped open again at how well Twilight was getting to know her, simply recognizing her feelings by her expressions. It made her feel anxious, as though Twilight had also read her thoughts on the fondness that she had immediately taken with the idea of their time together being a date. However, to Derpy’s relief, it seemed that Twilight had not noticed that specific feeling, and the unicorn continued on.

“The how took a little more effort, but given my organization skills, it didn’t take long. I pulled a hoof-full of Bitalian cookbooks, and some other cuisines as well, and skimmed through them for recipes and skills that were doable. It took me maybe twenty minutes to fully plan out the meal; after it was planned, I sent Spike out to get a few ingredients we were missing while I got everything in order here so we could start right away. One of my general skill cookbooks called doing that mise en place – getting all your ingredients measured, cut, and ready to go, having all your cookware out and prepared, before actually starting. I have to say, it’s quite an efficient idea. Then Spike got back, we prepared his ingredients, went over what we were making, and got started. You woke up shortly after all of that was completely finished.”

Derpy had passed the dumbfounded phase and was now absolutely beaming that her friend cared for her that much. “So, then, what’s on the menu?” She walked over to the oven to try and take a peek inside, when a purple haze grabbed hold of her and pulled her backward, toppling her directly onto Twilight. The two lay on the floor in a conglomerated mess of manes, tails, hooves, and a few feathers flying as well, laughing hysterically. Spike merely rolled his eyes and went back to cooking.

“No peeking!” Twilight scolded amidst a muffled giggle. “I want it to be a surprise for you. But you have to promise to tell me the truth about how you like it.”

“It’s a deal.” Derpy grinned. “So, Chef Twilight, I’d better let you get back to your kitchen.”

Twilight nodded in Spike’s direction. “Honestly, I can’t take much of the credit in the cooking department; that’s one area that Spike has always been better at than I have. I found the recipes and the correct techniques they use, but he’s better at actually using them. So, technically, tonight I’m his assistant.”

The dragon continued his preparations as though he hadn’t heard her, but it was entirely evident that he had heard Twilight’s comment, and that it had the desired effect on him. His step livened, and his chest puffed out slightly with pride, and he began to incorporate a moderate amount of additional flair in his cooking techniques as he continued around the kitchen.

Twilight and Derpy exchanged knowing looks behind his back and stifled some giggles. The sight of the small dragon trying to display the skill and panache of a true chef de cuisine was borderline ludicrous; it took all their willpower to avoid bursting into laughter as he attempted to chiffonade some arugula, only to succeed in mangling it as though a madpony had mercilessly attacked it with a cleaver. Much to the delight of his entertained audience, and regardless of the resulting atrocity to aesthetic appeal, Spike continued his performance as though his expertise was unquestionable.

Derpy noticed a chair in the corner and took a seat, still watching Spike and Twilight work at cooking dinner. In time, and after several failed attempts at showmanship, the spectacle began to wane and the energy throughout the room lowered to match the excitement of preparing a typical weekend meal. A clatter signaled that Spike’s showboating was over, and his theatrics slowly simmered down following the dropped skillet of caramelized onions now residing on the floor. He begrudgingly contented himself with finishing the preparations in a normal and entirely boring fashion, resting an elbow on the counter and propping up his jaw as he mundanely stirred his replacement batch of onions.

Derpy noticed, however, that once Spike had finished trying to show off, his skill in cooking really did seem to increase; though his demeanor reflected utter boredom, it was obvious that his concentration allowed him clarity of thought and a truly innate ability to cook shone through. Slowly but steadily the meal came together, and Derpy basked in the delicious aromas filling the room.

Twilight, on the other hoof, had left Spike to his own devices. Her strength was in organization and structure, so once the preparations were completed and the food ready to be cooked, she stepped back, relinquishing full rein of the culinary responsibilities to Spike. She went off around the kitchen to finish cleaning up the messes he had left in the wake of his earlier show, and to finish washing and putting away dishes and utensils to ensure it wouldn’t be a chore later on, when she and Derpy had time to themselves.

As for Derpy, she found herself wholly captivated by watching Twilight finish up her portion of the chores; the effortless grace the unicorn held even while performing the most routine tasks stunned her, and she felt an unfamiliar sense of admiration and fondness for Twilight grow with each passing moment.

As she sat, a realization came to her; Twilight was not the only pony being watched. Several times, Derpy had caught Twilight taking surreptitious glances back at her in the midst of her cleaning, and every time she did so, they seemed to grow longer and more intense as time progressed. Twilight had even unintentionally locked eyes with Derpy during some of those furtive looks, and had turned a shade of crimson, as though she had been caught doing something improper. Twilight played it off with a wink here or a smirk there, but it was clear to both mares that they were enraptured by each other.

The evening wore on, and Derpy continued to watch Twilight throughout the kitchen, her vision tunneled to the point where she was oblivious to all around her save Twilight, who, in turn, seemed to be watching Derpy more and more, to the pegasus' delight.

That all instantaneously changed as a clawed hand waved inches in front of her face, startling her back into reality with the rest of Equestria.

“Derpy, I said dinner’s done, if you’d like to move to the table.” The dragon gave her a strange look. “What were you doing, anyway? You were just staring off somewhere for a while. I don’t think you noticed a thing I said to you until I stuck my claw in your face.”

Derpy nodded bashfully as the dragon wandered away in a huff. “I’m sorry, Spike. I guess I was zoning out there for a little while.”

A giggle came from across the room, where Twilight was taking her place at the dinner table. “From the expression on your face that whole time, I’d say you were daydreaming, and that it must have been a nice one.”

She gave Derpy a sly, yet cheerful smile. “Come on, that’s enough dreaming for today. Let’s eat.”

7. Conquering the Past and Cherishing the Present

Chapter 7 – Conquering the Past and Cherishing the Present

Derpy watched in awe as Spike had set beautiful and fragrant plates in front of them. Twilight and Spike had made a tossed greens salad – complete with Spike’s mangled arugula – to begin with, followed by steamed carrots covered with a decadent brown sugar and maple glaze, grilled bell peppers stuffed with fresh mushrooms and caramelized onions, and to finish off the meal, vanilla and cinnamon custard-filled cannoli topped with roasted pistachios and candied orange peel.

Now, they sat around the remnants of their meal; there was still an abundance of food left over, but compared to the mountain of food that they had started with, it was obvious that each of them had eaten their fill. As Twilight had predicted, the entire meal as a whole had been nothing short of amazing.

Leaning back slightly, Derpy looked blissfully at her hosts, though her attention was mostly devoted to Twilight. She was sitting contentedly, returning Derpy’s gaze with fondness, while Spike continued picking and nibbling from his plate, oblivious to the significant looks the mares were exchanging.

“Twilight, Spike, thank you so much for making dinner for us tonight.” Derpy grinned at Twilight. “Alright – since you asked me to, Twilight, I’ll be brutally honest about how I liked it.”

The unicorn shrank back a bit, afraid to hear the verdict.

“It was, by far, the best thing I’ve ever eaten. And I am not exaggerating.” She turned to Spike. “Do you think someday you might be able to give me cooking lessons? I’m pretty bad…”

Spike chuckled as he got out of his chair, slowly making his way toward the stairs for a post-meal nap. “Sure thing! Just make sure you bring gems the first day of class!”

Derpy looked at Twilight with confusion as the dragon left.

“Gems?”

Twilight giggled. “Oh, that’s just like Spike. He’ll try to get as many gemstones out of you that he can – they’re like candy for him.” Her voice dropped in volume and she leaned closer to Derpy.

“Don’t tell him, but I have plenty stashed away, so you have plenty you can bring him to make him happy.” Twilight grinned at the dragon, who had stopped on the top step to see the mares speaking in hushed tones. As Twilight acknowledged him, he waved her off and headed to bed.

Derpy’s gaze never left Twilight; she had been steadily becoming eager to ask Twilight the one question that had been on her mind for weeks, and now seemed like an opportune moment to do so.

“Twilight? Have you found anything that might help in curing my eyesight?” Her brazen statement immediately struck her as sounding brash and demanding, and her face flushed as she shrank back slightly. “That is, if you’ve… you know, had the chance to look. I was just wondering what you might have found…”

Twilight gave her an understanding smile, and though it was genuine, her demeanor reflected a hint of sadness.

“I know you must be incredibly excited, Derpy. It’s really no surprise to me that you’d want to know what I’ve found.” She let out a sigh; her shoulders slumped slightly and she gave her head a small shake. “I’m sorry to say I haven’t found anything yet. I’ve gone through every book I could find that would be relevant to the subject, but I’ve come up emptyhooved every time. I’m sorry…”

Twilight watched as her friend’s outlook deflated; Derpy’s ears drooped and her eyes drifted downward at the news she had feared most.

“I still plan to visit the Canterlot Archives,” Twilight continued, in an effort to prevent Derpy’s hopes from sinking any further. “Their medical wing ought to have something there that should help. And, if that doesn’t prove successful, I still may have one more backup plan. I can’t promise any of them will have a cure, or even something to make it slightly better, but I’m not done yet.”

Derpy regained some of her cheerfulness at the statement, and though it was clear she had been disappointed, she raised her eyes to meet Twilight’s as a slight smile played across her face.

“Thank you, Twilight. It really means a lot to me that you are willing to go through all this work for me; I’m sure that it’s stressful for you.”

“It’s not stressful, and it’s more than worth the effort if it helps you at all. Even if I don’t find anything, as long as it results in you being happier, then I’ve succeeded.” Twilight returned Derpy’s smile, and she eased from her seat with a stretch and offered a hoof to Derpy to help her out of her own chair. “Come on - the sofa is cozier, and I’m sure we can find plenty more to talk about there.”

Bolstered by Twilight’s optimism and outgoing spirit, Derpy followed the unicorn into the dimmed library, with Twilight lighting candles as they went. The pair made their way to the sofa, which was still in disarray from Derpy’s earlier nap. Derpy sat on a comfortable looking cushion, and Twilight sat beside her, not even bothering to straighten out the cushions from their previously inhabited state.

Derpy noted that Twilight had chosen to sit quite close to her, rather than at the opposite end of the sofa, and she felt infused with a sense of joy. Somehow, simply being close to the unicorn generated an immeasurable amount of happiness in her. Unconsciously she shuffled on her cushion, nudging her way closer to Twilight in the dim light of the library.

The movement did not go unnoticed by Twilight; she detected the pegasus beside her inching closer, even though Derpy herself didn’t seem aware of her own movement. She smiled slightly, happy to see her friend becoming increasingly more at ease, finally able to find some contentment in her life. Twilight felt tranquility radiating from the mare beside her, and it spread through her body, bringing a wonderful sense of relaxation with it.

She lightly leaned over and rested her head on Derpy’s shoulder. Derpy gave a small start at the unexpected contact, but did not resist the affectionate gesture. Instead, she chose to allow her own head to settle on Twilight’s, basking in the alluring and ethereal glow stemming from Twilight’s horn as the unicorn’s magic pulled in more pillows, cushions, and blankets to surround them in snug warmth.

The pair sat quietly for a few minutes, just enjoying each other’s company, before Twilight lifted her head from Derpy’s shoulder. The candlelight from around the room flickered and danced in Derpy’s amber eyes, and Twilight found herself gazing into them, captivated by their beauty. Something about Derpy intrigued her, charmed her, though she couldn’t quite explain why. As she sat beguiled by her friend, she realized that she knew little to nothing about Derpy prior to her arrival in Ponyville.

“Derpy… Can you tell me more about yourself?”

The pegasus was caught off-guard by the question; she sat back and tilted her head to the side, looking at Twilight with confusion.

“I’m not sure what you mean,” she said, still puzzled. “What do you want me to tell you about? You know that I don’t do much apart from delivering mail and spending time with you.”

“I mean, what was your life like before you came here? What was your foalhood like? Did you enjoy going to school, or have a favorite subject to study? What kinds of things do you like or dislike? How did you end up working for the postal service? I just… I don’t really know anything about you other than what happened since we met, and… I’d like to.” Twilight smiled sheepishly. “I want to know you better.”

Derpy sat stunned; she had never been asked about her past before – she simply wasn’t a pony that other ponies wanted to know about. She shifted nervously at the thought of talking about herself, but knowing that Twilight wanted to know her – not just spend time with her, but know her in a much deeper sense of the word – made her feel secure, and she found the words flowing more freely than she ever would have thought.

“My foalhood wasn’t really all that interesting; I mean, it wasn’t a spectacular failure like everypony would think it was, but I suppose it wasn’t an entirely happy one, regardless,” she began. “When I was young, life was normal. I was an only foal, so I didn’t have any siblings to compete against, and my parents were as doting as most would expect for those with only one foal. I wasn’t spoiled, but I did enjoy plenty of attention. I wasn’t very athletic, so most of my free time was spent simply playing with friends or reading. I always did enjoy reading, back then.”

Twilight smiled warmly with appreciation at another with a love for books, but her smile faded slightly as she realized Derpy had spoken in past tense, and a hint of gloominess was evident in the pegasus’ voice as she had said it.

“School went well for me for quite a while. It wasn’t my favorite place to go, but I really did enjoy geography and aerography – learning about how the world and skies were spread out, the variety of places you could go, navigation around the ground and air – I suppose that probably helped when I joined the postal service. I knew my way around pretty well thanks to those classes. Most of the other students liked meteorology and climatology more, but I guess weather just wasn’t my specialty. I was likely to shock myself whenever we practiced moving clouds, and I’m afraid that tendency hasn’t faded.

“Everything went smoothly when I attended flight camp; I obviously wasn’t the best flier, but I learned quickly enough.” Her expression dropped. “After flight camp, though – that’s when my eyes started to cross. It felt like everything I had learned disappeared as I tried to get used to my sight changing, but every time I thought I was getting adjusted to flight, the crossing simply got worse. I went from being a decent flier to being the most clumsy and awkward filly in the sky. It was a wonder I could even fly at all, and it may have been better for me to stop trying to get better, because every time I did, other fillies and colts would notice me even more.”

She sat silent for a moment before continuing, taking a breath as though bracing herself.

“I had a few friends, though that didn’t last long…” her posture drooped as she spoke. “After my eyes started going strange and I lost all sense of orientation when flying, everything just kind of went wrong. My friends stopped coming over to play, other foals avoided me or poked fun at me… There were a few fillies that were more aggressive with their teasing, like…” she hesitated, unsure of her words for the moment, “...well, who they were doesn’t really matter anymore. Almost all of the ponies who went out of their way to make fun of me were colts, which made growing up even worse. I actually went out of my way to avoid colts because of that, while all the other fillies were trying to get their attention.”

Derpy’s voice shook slightly. “Not even my family was an exception to the discomfort that my eye problem gave everypony.” Her eyes glimmered in the candlelight, and Twilight could see a tear trickle down her cheek. She reached out a hoof to Derpy’s shoulder, giving the pegasus a moment of pause.

“Derpy, you don’t need to keep going if it’s that painful to talk about. I’m sorry - I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Derpy shook her head and looked Twilight directly in the eyes, taking the unicorn’s hoof from her shoulder and holding it between her own.

“No, Twilight, I want to tell you. I’ve never told anypony before, because nopony ever cared enough to ask. You care, and knowing that helps me feel better about sharing.”

Twilight nodded silently, allowing Derpy to continue.

“My mother was always wonderful. She was supportive, reassuring, understanding, patient, and she never deviated from that. My father… wasn’t mean, or hurtful, or uncaring, but he became uncomfortable around me, and started acting cold and distant. He never left us, and I could tell he still cared for me, though it seemed like it was only because I was his daughter. I could tell that being around me made him uneasy. He seemed like he didn’t know what to expect, what to say, or how to act around me. So, he just… didn’t do anything.” She paused to wipe away a few more tears that came more readily than before.

“It stopped feeling like he was my father and more like he was a foalsitter that didn’t really want the job. Spending extra time with me became difficult for him, and I knew he tried to find ways to avoid being around me. He did want to be a responsible parent, at least by being there for us, but that tethered him to me in a way he couldn’t handle. So, he pulled away from me in the only way he could – emotionally.” She sniffed slightly.

“His hugs were there; they were always there, but he wasn’t.”

Her wall broke, and the tears came easily.

Twilight embraced Derpy as she laid her head on Twilight’s shoulder, crying away the painful memory. Twilight couldn’t find any words of comfort, but she felt confident that they weren’t needed. Derpy needed that hug she hadn’t had for so long; one where somepony actually gave it out of love and care, not because of a perceived obligation.

Eventually the tears subsided, and Derpy pulled back, giving Twilight a thankful smile.

“I’ve never shared that with anypony - not even my mother,” she said softly, though her voice cracked when she spoke. She wiped her cheeks and continued.

“My parents brought me from doctor to doctor, each trying to find a way to correct my eyesight, but every one of them said the same thing – the problem had progressed so quickly and severely that there was nothing they could do. None of them had ever heard of a cure for such an advanced case as mine.

“My life has been increasingly problematic since then. I wanted to continue my education, but my reading skills had almost completely vanished by that time. I’ve been able to adjust somewhat, but it’s still difficult. Back then, though… when I was taking our aptitude tests for applications to universities…” she bit her lip, holding back another outburst of tears, “I only was able to make my way through six pages in the test before time was called. Six measly pages, out of fifty. I had no chance of getting in.”

Twilight had to clap a hoof to her mouth to stifle the gasp that she had almost made.

“I joined the postal service after that - it let me at least enjoy exploring the skies like I wanted to - but, thanks to my reading skills, I almost wasn’t hired. The only reason they hired me in the first place was that it would have been considered discrimination if they hadn’t. That didn’t stop them from treating me as if I was worthless, though.

"You’ve heard how eager my boss had been to get rid of me – he’s been trying for years, and I think he gave me the hardest assignments and then watched me extra closely to make sure that he documented every mistake I made. I guess this year was the one that he decided I had made enough mistakes to justify firing me.”

She gave a sardonic chuckle. “With all the colts making fun of me, my father being so distant all the time as well, and my boss actively trying to throw me out since the day I started working, I guess it’s just as well that nopony wanted to be around me. I’ve never felt much emotion for any colts or stallions since my eyes started to go bad, and it’s gotten worse every year.”

Twilight sat quietly as she digested all that her friend had just entrusted to her, then pulled the pegasus back to her in another hug.

“Well, now you’ve got somepony who wants to be around you, so that’s one less thing for you to be bothered by.”

The two sat together, sharing in the remembered pain and diminishing it by doing so, then building friendship where that pain had receded.

****************

Derpy had gone home much happier than she had in quite some time, leaving Twilight with a parting gift of an enthusiastic hug and a just-as-enthusiastic kiss on the cheek before returning to the hug and whispering softly in Twilight’s ear:

“You are the best friend I could have ever asked for, and I didn’t even need to ask. Thank you so much, for everything.”

A redoubled hug, a quick peck on the cheek, and off Derpy went, happily humming as she made her way home.

Twilight had turned back into the library in a mess of confusion. She felt sad over Derpy’s past, but happy that she was able to persevere through it. She was elated to have had the pleasure of being so close to her friend for nearly the entire day, but now, looking into the darkened room with its shadowed books, she was alone. Of course, Spike was inside, but in her heart she felt alone and incomplete.

She lightly touched her hoof to her face, moving it over a spot that felt aflame – where Derpy had given her a kiss. Only there did she feel alive, and she silently wished that the feeling in that spot would stay with her forever.

Twilight lay in the early morning light, staring at the ceiling as she reflected over those last moments the previous night, replaying them over and over in her mind. The entire night had seemed like a blur after all the talking she had done with Derpy, but given how much closer that they had become because of it, it was a good blur. Those last moments, however, were crystal clear.

Hug, kiss on the cheek, you are the best friend I could have ever asked for, another hug, another kiss, and she was gone. Extremely happy, but gone. And Twilight wanted her back.

With that in mind, the unicorn set about getting ready for the long ride to Canterlot.

8. Exploring New Points of View

Chapter 8 – Exploring New Points of View

To say the train ride to Canterlot had been uneventful would still have been too generous of a description. It had been downright monotonous; in all of her past travels by train, she had at least one friend to talk to, but now she didn’t even have so much as a book to keep her company, and her car was nearly empty. Her only companions had been an elderly mare that took an entire seat to herself, defending it as if it were a priceless treasure that she was unwilling to share, and a stallion that was obviously avoiding any and all contact with anypony. Twilight had taken a seat across the aisle from him originally, and he had quickly moved to the opposite end of the car, sitting with his back to her and watching the window intently.

In an attempt to distract herself, she thought about her last visit to the Canterlot Archives; at least on this occasion she did not need to sneak around in a black coat-tight bodysuit. It had taken Spike weeks to let her forget about that night, and her appearance in Ponyville after returning was met with a combination of bemused looks, confused stares, and the occasional lecherous grin adorning a stallion passing her.

She had resolved to never wear black in public again if she could help it.

Unfortunately, her memories were only a temporary distraction. Twilight gave a soft sigh and resigned herself to the same fate as the stallion now far away from her, staring out the window at the bland scenery as it sped past and poking at the window latch with her hoof until the train screeched to a halt at the Canterlot station.

It was mildly amusing to her that she didn’t even need to pay attention to where she was heading in the slightest; her body just seemed to naturally gravitate toward the library regardless of where her mind was taking her. Before long, the tall spires of the archives crept into view, followed by the glossy marble pillars adorning its frame. The architecture of the archives had always fascinated Twilight; it was reminiscent of ancient techniques and methods from a bygone era, coupled with an expansive interior that integrated both classical features with modern designs. Etched in the stone above the main entrance was an archaic dictum, a testament to the mission of higher education – Periclum ex aliis facito tibi quod ex usu siet – “Draw from others the lesson that may profit yourself." Twilight smiled to herself at the wisdom of the implied message to those who walked through its doors – anypony going there would benefit most not by simple memorization, but by studying and understanding the experiences of ponies from past generations.

She passed through the doors, giving a smile and a courtesy greeting when the guardponies met her with their own cheerful ‘good morning’. As she trotted quietly into the foyer, Twilight was instantaneously assaulted with intense nostalgia from her fillyhood in Canterlot. These very corridors were almost like a second home to her for much of her life; she had spent so much time with her books in the vast array of rooms in the archives, studying for hours on end with no purpose other than to enjoy the delight and adrenaline of pure, unadulterated education.

As she walked the corridors of the archives, heading toward the medical wing, she quickly became overwhelmed with her memories. The feel of the carpeted hallways underhoof, the sights of the walls adorned with murals and portraits of learned scholars from bygone eras, the smell of old books and musty tomes, mixed with fresh paper and newly printed materials, all of them swept through the unicorn and filled her with an excited fervor. Returning to one of her favorite places as a filly instilled her with the burning desire to hoard an entire shelf of tomes to herself and read every page possible until she couldn’t function any more. She knew, however, that her obsession with the study of knowledge here was one she could indulge in some other time, and used that reassurance to continue her concentration on the search at hoof.

The medical wing of the Canterlot Archives was far from extraordinary in decorum, but what it lacked in style, it made up for with its magnitude. The wing was incredibly expansive, containing documents and references for all aspects of medical knowledge, separated into two distinct branches, one for physical treatments for the study of earth ponies and pegasi, and one for training in magical treatment for unicorn practitioners. The expanse was further divided a seemingly infinite amount of times, narrowing to fields such as physiology and pharmacology, dentistry and dermatology, and of particular interest to Twilight for her search, ophthalmology.

She made her way past groups of students engrossed in their work, trying to contain her excitement, difficult as it was. Regardless of her efforts, she still managed to attract attention from several ponies, earning looks of irritation for the disturbance of their studies. She was, of course, focused on finding her quarry and paid them no mind, though it struck her as a familiar feeling. Throughout her upbringing, any interruptions to her own work were met with unrestrained hostility.

As familiar as Twilight was with the archives, the medical section was not one she visited often. It took her several passes among the aisles before she was able to find the magical ophthalmology section, and a brief look over the books yielded no clues as to which would be the best place to start looking. She levitated a large collection of volumes from the shelves and headed off for a desk of her own to research.

Though it pained her to do so, Twilight began with the portion of every reference that she abhorred the most – the index. Indices represented all that could be horrible about books to Twilight; they were a slipshod way to bypass the boundless knowledge contained within in favor of a quick solution, teaching the reader nothing more than rote learning rather than in depth understanding of the material. However, she needed specific information that was scarce, if it even existed at all, and she simply did not have the luxury of perusing the entire ophthalmology section at her leisure. She needed to go straight to the heart of the issue, and the only way to streamline that process was to go against her own self-established principle.

Minutes ticked by, turning to hours, but to Twilight’s dismay all the references were devoid of relevant information. At the most she had found background reading into the development of Derpy’s condition and simple exercises meant to help foals overcome the problem; nothing had been mentioned of advanced treatments for quickly progressing and severe cases. She originally had feared that the spell she was looking for wouldn’t be in such obvious reference materials, and now her fears were being confirmed. If any treatment was to be found, it wouldn’t be in the common references.

Her only hope lay with specific and advanced texts, and there simply were too many of them in the archives. Even skimming all the available material would take months of consistent search, and even then it was likely that she would inadvertently skip what useful information there might be buried in the dense details of medicinal transcripts.

Humbled by her inability to find her answer alone, Twilight slowly approached a small group of students at a nearby desk who seemed to be in deep conversation regarding newly introduced ocular treatments and their purported benefits. She stood uncomfortably for several minutes, waiting for an opportunity to ask if they had any idea about her own personal research project, but none of them acknowledged her existence in the slightest. Taking advantage of a slight pause in the discussion, she leapt at her chance.

“Excuse me, I’m sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if you might be able to help me find information on a specific topic. Could you spare a moment?”

Silence reigned as six pairs of eyes slowly turned to face her, all of them exuding an intense irritation at the interruption. Twilight simply stood, unsure of whether they would help her or not, when a mare with a pale mint coat addressed her curtly, her voice icy with contempt.

“Well? What is it? We haven’t got all day to sit here waiting for you, you know.”

Twilight gave a start at the sudden sharp demand for a quick response.

“I, uh, was wondering if any of you know where I might find information on treatments for advanced cases of exotropia, or if you might know of some offhoof.”

A cream-coated stallion gave a scoff of derision. “Anypony with any idea about medicine would know how to treat that. It’s virtually introductory level medicine – patients with exotropia can halt and reverse the condition easily with eye exercises done daily for only a few weeks.” He jerked his head toward a large reference guide that stood out easily at the very beginning of the ophthalmology aisle. “You may want to check Standard Diagnostic and Treatment Methods in Modern Ophthalmology, Volume One.” He sneered at her before adding, “If that’s too difficult, you could always try the remedial references for struggling students.”

A chorus of irreverent snickers flowed through the group.

Twilight grew slightly red at the insult to her intelligence, but succeeded in keeping her temper in check. “I’m aware of treatments for juvenile or late onset cases of the condition. I’m looking for any information on treatments for advanced conditions, where traditional exercises have failed.”

The jeering died down as all six ponies deadpanned at her. The mint mare responded with more iciness in her tone than Twilight thought possible, speaking as though she was addressing a foal. “There aren’t advanced cases of exotropia. It’s a benign condition that progresses slowly and is easily treatable, even when not caught quickly. If you insist on looking for irrelevant and useless information for a problem that isn’t even a problem, I’d suggest you find somepony else’s time to waste.”

With that, all six ponies turned back to their discussion as if Twilight had never been there. It was just as well, as Twilight walked away muttering incensed incivilities toward the medical profession as a whole, returning angrily to her stack of books to resume her search alone.

****************

Twilight woke at her desk in the Golden Oaks Library in the early morning light, her forehooves crossed over the surface and her face buried in them from exhaustion and frustration. She had spent two full days in Canterlot, reading endlessly in the archives, and had absolutely nothing to show for it. In a final attempt, she had traveled home with what remained of her accumulated supply of research materials that she had gleaned from the archives, loaned hesitantly to her by the keeper of the medical wing. They had all proven to be utterly worthless.

Though she hated to admit it, there simply didn’t seem to be anything that could help Derpy in the slightest. Granted, she had barely made a dent in the massive amounts of books available, but she didn’t have the time, the energy, or the knowledge to search any more without taking random stabs in the dark at the books that remained. Everypony she had asked had dismissed her with as much tact as the medical students from Canterlot, and it was all she could do in the end to refrain from yelling obscenities at them.

Ultimately, books and scholars had defeated her; her most depended upon peers for her entire foalhood had let her down.

She had one last idea, but she knew that if it was unsuccessful, her search could be considered officially over. She simply couldn’t bear to look any more.

Twilight raised her head, and with a soft glow from her horn she set her last book with the rest, stacked neatly on the floor for return to the archives. She gathered her strength, pushing herself from the desk; her body felt heavy with fatigue, but her short rest the past night allowed her enough vitality to continue on for this final stretch. Confident that Spike would still be sleeping at this time of morning, and likely well into the afternoon, she levitated a quill and parchment over, writing out a quick and concise message for her number one assistant. She placed some extra writing materials in her saddlebag, magically warmed the remnants of her tea from the previous night, and drank it all in a single gulp for what small boost of energy it may give her. She turned and plodded slowly out the door, leaving Spike with her note tacked to the one spot he was sure to find it – on the refrigerator.

Spike –

Gone to Zecora’s for a while. Don’t forget to do your chores.

Twilight

****************

Zecora’s hut was peaceful as always, standing in opposition to the very nature of the Everfree Forest in which it lay, radiating the serenity the zebra often carried with her. Twilight drew her hoof up weakly, still suffering from the fatigue that resulted from her long hours of study, and gave a slight knock before sitting back to wait. She knew from experience that it would take a minute for the zebra to answer; Zecora tended to treat all aspects of life with a methodical sense of calm and tranquility. As expected, the hoofsteps inside were slow in coming and showed no sign of urgency. She gave Zecora a smile as the door set in the great tree opened wide.

“Twilight Sparkle! A pleasure to see, whenever you venture to the Everfree.” For a moment the zebra showed a look of confusion. “Tis never unpleasant to see you, but – what brings you this morning to visit my hut?”

“I was wondering if I could ask for some advice, and I thought it may be within your area of expertise, if you wouldn’t mind listening…”

Zecora nodded, turning and beckoning Twilight inside as she spoke yet again with her curiously elegant rhymes.

“Seeking counsel is always wise to gain a look through others’ eyes, and find an option yet unknown that one could miss if sought alone.”

Twilight followed the striped mare inside, gazing around at the interesting items that filled Zecora’s home. Masks adorned the walls, paying constant homage to the zebra’s homeland, accentuated by candles throwing shadows across their faces. A large cauldron still occupied the center of the room, though it currently sat empty and unused. The masks and cauldron went largely unacknowledged, however; there was something else that always seemed to capture Twilight’s attention almost exclusively.

A vast assortment of alchemical equipment, medicines and various herbs literally filled the main hollow of the tree. Tools of Zecora’s trade rested on shelves – mortars and pestles were arranged neatly, and an alembic was assembled on a large worktable, sitting next to a large balance scale. Phials and flasks hung from the ceiling, filled with a seemingly infinite variety of medical concoctions: potions, tonics, tinctures, elixirs, solutions, suspensions, extracts, infusions, and emulsions. The vials and bottles were accompanied by a myriad of medicinal herbs obtained from all parts of the plants native to the Everfree forest; leaves, roots, flowers, fruits, bark – all separated into sections for their various uses.

The immense amount of knowledge that Zecora possessed fascinated Twilight, and every visit brought with it an envy of the more scientific nature that the zebra’s work entailed. This, of course, was not to say that Twilight’s own studies were not scientific themselves, but magical studies differed greatly from the intense chemistry involved in the compounding of the various natural medicines Zecora produced.

Twilight wandered around the room enraptured by her surroundings, until she finally took a seat at a nearby table, continuing to look around in wonder. Zecora had continued deeper into her home, returning shortly with a teapot and two cups. She set them on the table and sat opposite of Twilight, giving her a friendly yet inquisitive look, and a welcoming smile graced her muzzle.

“I’ll do my best to play my part; what weighs so heavily on your heart? I trust that it’s not parasprites that brought you here for my insights – I’d heard that Pinkie Pie performed to drive them out when they had swarmed.” Her face adopted an amused look. “I was impressed that she would know an answer that was apropos. And surely I am not mistaken that your friendships stay unshaken. Perhaps, a potion you’d like to brew, on which I could teach a thing or two.”

Once again she smiled warmly, and closed her eyes as she shook her head at her random guesses. “But, I admit, I have digressed. What problems did you need addressed?”

Twilight sat dazed for a moment; the fluidity with which Zecora spoke had a mesmerizing quality to it that could quickly derail anypony’s train of thought. Returning to the moment and snapping out of her trance-like state, Twilight responded bluntly, contrasting greatly with the eloquence of the zebra’s patterned speech.

“Zecora, I came today because a friend of mine has a problem, and I was hoping you might be able to help. I’m not sure if you’ve met Derpy – she’s a new mailmare in Ponyville, and I’m sorry to say that even though she’s been in town for weeks, I’m the only friend she’s been able to make. She’s had a disability for almost her whole life; everypony has treated her miserably because of it, and they still tend to avoid her at best. I’m trying to find out if there’s any way to correct it, and I know that you’ve always been good with medicines of every kind.”

Zecora frowned, shaking her head with disappointment at Twilight’s description of Derpy’s plight. “Your friend, I fear, I’ve never met, though I may have the pleasure yet. Your care for her I see runs deep, if her joy you work so hard to keep. It’s truly sad to hear her fate, especially as it’s met with hate – I’d thought their lesson the town had learned, when my acceptance first was earned. So, what is this problem that we’re to mend if we are going to help your friend?”

Twilight fidgeted slightly. “Her disability is with her eyes; they’re crossed quite badly, and have been that way since she was a filly. It’s best to treat crossed eyes like hers right away, but they progressed so quickly that they were beyond help before they could do anything about it. She’s tried about everything she can think of to fix them, and I guess I’m the last hope she has to find a cure for them.”

The zebra nodded sagely as Twilight explained, and her face reflected deep thought. “To mend the problem at the source would have been the wisest course; though, this we cannot do, I fear – the sands of time have made that clear. I’d help your friend improve her view were it within my power to do, but this condition is not the kind that has a solution I can find.”

Twilight slumped slightly in her seat at the news. “Is there anything else you could think of, though? A potion or herbal remedy of some kind? I just can’t stand to see her looking so depressed all the time, and she needs more friends than only me.” She looked pleadingly to Zecora, desperation evident in her face.

“There are herbs that affect the eyes, but this should come as no surprise. Their uses, though, are kept constrained by just what heights can be attained.” Zecora gave Twilight a piercing look. “A brew for this I cannot mix, since standard illnesses they fix. To mend an ailment so obscure is something I cannot ensure.”

Zecora shook her head with a hint of sadness at the obvious disappointment this information caused Twilight. A smile graced her face once again, though, as she spoke with wisdom she was sure would bolster her friend’s spirits.

“It pains me to hear that your dear friend endures such hardship without end, but if my advice you truly seek, embrace the fact that she’s unique. Her sight does not define her heart, and with your help friendships will start. But still, her sight you may try to mend, so long as you remain her friend.”

Zecora’s words struck Twilight deeply; in all her studying and searching, she had lost sight of what sat at the core of her relationship with Derpy. She may not have found a solution, but she could still be the best friend that Derpy had, and Zecora was right – as long as she stuck by the pegasus’ side, she doubtless would make more friends eventually. A smile spread across her face as the sage’s words bolstered her spirit.

“Zecora, thank you so much… I completely forgot about what the most important part of my relationship with Derpy was. If I find an answer for her eyes, that’s great, but I’m not going to let that obscure our friendship.”

The sage bowed her head, pleased with the realization she had been able to help Twilight reach.

Twilight hesitated for a moment as a thought occurred to her. “Zecora, is there a chance you might be able to make a different type of potion for me? I doubt it’s something you’ve seen in your books, but with your knowledge of herbal uses, I still think you may be able to make it.”

Zecora listened intently as Twilight explained the idea, and her brow furrowed in thought before she nodded slowly.

“This is a strange request, no doubt, but surely one I can work out.”

Twilight smiled even more widely at the agreement from the zebra, and she almost knocked over the table in excitement.

“Thank you again, Zecora! I can’t tell you what this will mean to me, and I’m sure to Derpy. Do you think you would be able to mix it while I go out to leave her a message?”

The zebra nodded once again, though Derpy’s problem still weighed heavily on her heart, and Twilight’s inquiry caused her a tinge of worry about just how far the unicorn might go to find a solution. As Twilight turned to leave, Zecora found herself calling after the unicorn with a hint of trepidation in her voice.

“Be cautious of results you find – paths taken forth leave far more behind.”

Twilight stopped, slightly confused by the sudden advice, but still wearing a wide smile. “Thanks, Zecora, I’ll keep that in mind.” Leaving the zebra’s hut behind, she made her way toward the post office.

****************

Derpy had spent the majority of the day navigating the streets of Ponyville, delivering packages and parcels as normal, and nothing indicated that her day would be anything but mundane. The blandness of a routine workday had persisted without incident, and she returned to the post office at the end of her route.

Her arrival at the post office, however, brought with it a welcome change, lending an ever-increasing upswing to her mood. She found a piece of mail of her own waiting for her. Twilight had stopped by while she was out, leaving behind a concise note asking the pegasus to come by the library that evening, if she was available.

There was nothing else included in the message, leaving Derpy curious and excited as she wondered what it might be that Twilight wanted – not that it particularly mattered. Any reason to spend time with Twilight was a good enough reason for Derpy. She hurriedly put her mailbags down and left for the Golden Oaks Library with an extra spring evident in her step as she trotted along.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary as she neared the tree, but as she came closer she could hear bumps and crashes coming from inside. She reached the door just in time to hear a peal of laughter that could only have come from Spike. A curt and chiding voice followed shortly afterward, causing nothing but confusion to Derpy.

“Spike! This is not funny! Derpy’s coming over soon, this place looks like a disaster, and I think I’m on the verge of getting sick! Now get over here and help me!”

The laughter redoubled at the failed rebuke.

An aggravated groan was audible even from outside. “Fine. If I throw up all over the floor, though, you’re the one that’s going to be cleaning it up!”

Spike’s laughter died out instantaneously at the threat, only to be replaced by a resentful grumble.

Derpy took advantage of the slight pause in the argument and knocked on the door, though she wasn’t quite sure she wanted to know what was going on inside. Everything fell quiet for an instant before Twilight could be heard once again, her voice seeming almost frantic.

“Spike, she’s here! Oh, I forgot how quickly she gets done with work! I’ll get the door, you just keep cleaning! And fast!”

Derpy stared blankly at the door, entirely unsure of what to expect. If the loud crashes approaching the door were any indication, it likely wasn’t anything good. The door slowly opened, giving Derpy the chance to speak.

“If this isn’t a good time, Twilight, I can always come ba…” Her words trailed off into silence, though her jaw was left agape as she stared straight ahead at Twilight, who looked as embarrassed as she possibly could. The room behind her was an utter mess, with tables and chairs knocked over and books covering the floor. Derpy’s attention, however, had not strayed from Twilight’s face. At length, she found her voice.

“Twilight… What – what happened…” she nearly whispered, and her voice wavered as she raised a hoof and pointed. “What happened to your eyes?”

Twilight sat, smiling sheepishly as she stared back at Derpy – or at least attempted to – through a violet pair of beautiful, yet misaligned eyes, nearly identical to Derpy’s own.

“Come on in, and I’ll explain everything. Just don’t worry about me, okay?”

Derpy walked slowly past Twilight, who turned clumsily into the room herself, attempting to follow Derpy to the couch, though her path strayed much from the pegasus’. She walked in a zigzag of steps that took her through the remaining mess and directly into a wall, knocking more books to the floor.

Spike gave an irritated sigh and threw his claws to the air as he walked toward the door. “Why do I even bother? When you’re done demolishing the library, let me know. Until then, I’m going to go help Rarity. At least she doesn’t destroy what she makes after I help her with it.”

Twilight had heard none of Spike’s complaints, however. She was busy rebounding from her collision with the wall before slumping to the ground as Derpy rushed to her side, concern obvious in her voice.

“Twilight, are you alright?”

Twilight nodded awkwardly as her eyes appeared to roll around in her head.

“I’m fine, just a bit… unsteady. And dizzy. And feeling slightly sick.”

Derpy gave her a determined glare.

“Okay, so maybe I’m not fine. Do you think you could help me back to the couch?”

“Alright, Twilight. Hold on to me and I’ll guide you along.”

Slowly they made their way back to the couch, Derpy leading somepony else for the first time ever, while Twilight clung to her as though she were hanging on for dear life. Twilight plopped onto a cushion with a sigh as they finally arrived at the sofa, and Derpy took a seat next to her.

“Okay, Twilight, now what in Celestia’s name happened?” Derpy insisted.

Twilight adopted a slightly embarrassed look once again as she held her head in a hoof, trying to regain some sense of equilibrium.

“I actually asked Zecora to make me a potion that would make my eyes like yours for a little while… she was able to make a potion out of herbs that normally work to help improve eyesight mixed with Poison Joke to reverse the effect. It mimics how ponies with your condition see, and can be countered with the normal remedy for Poison Joke. I just didn’t expect the effect to be so… profound.” She gestured around the room at the mayhem she had wrought.

Derpy looked at her in disbelief. “Why in Equestria would you do that?” Her face lit instantaneously. “Does this mean you found a way that can help me see better?”

Twilight shook her head sadly, and though her sight was impossibly skewed she could still see the look of disappointment that washed over the pegasus. “I can’t find anything. I’m sorry, Derpy. I looked through as much as I could, and when I couldn’t find anything, I asked Zecora if there was a way she could help. I was hoping Zecora could create a medicine to make your eyes better, but she couldn’t. This potion simply imitates the condition, and it only makes eyesight worse, since Poison Joke simply works to impair or play tricks on ponies. Even if it did work to reverse sight from what it normally is, your case is far too advanced to be affected by the potion. It’s unlikely anything Zecora could have made would have even helped you when your problem first started, with how quickly it advanced. I just don’t think that there’s a way to improve your eyesight.” Twilight’s head drooped. “I’m sorry.”

Derpy looked at Twilight with a pained expression. “I wish there was something you could do; I know I really hoped, but deep down I think I was prepared if there wasn’t any solution.” She shook her own head in frustration. “But why did you do this to yourself in the first place, then? I wish it would help me, but if you knew from the start that it wouldn’t, what reason could you possibly have to make your eyes as bad as mine?”

Twilight groped forward until her hoof found Derpy, and pulled her in closely. “I wanted to get a chance to see the world like you do for a little while. I couldn’t truly tell what you’ve gone through and felt; you described it to me, and it helped me understand a little better. But, I wanted to know what your life was like, what you’ve adapted to. I wanted to experience it for myself so I could really appreciate you, appreciate how you’ve worked to improve yourself despite your eyesight.”

Twilight’s eyes loosely scanned the room as she looked around. “For a pony with normal sight to suddenly see like you do, it’s entirely debilitating. I could barely stand, let alone walk; I knocked over everything in my path, and I nearly gagged from the intense vertigo it caused. But you…” she tightened her grip, hugging Derpy closer. “You may be slightly clumsy, and not fly entirely straight, but you’ve adapted to it enough to function as well as anypony else. Right now, I can truthfully grasp how amazing you really are. Not only have you adjusted to your condition, you’ve come close to nullifying its effects while enduring agonizing emotions all the while.”

Twilight took Derpy’s face in her hooves, looking at her as best as she could. “I thought so before, but I’m absolutely certain, now – you really are an amazing pony, Derpy.”

Twilight couldn’t see well enough to be able to tell how Derpy took her speech, but the trembling she felt in her hooves, the dampness forming on her shoulder, and the pair of hooves that had clasped her back told her all she needed to know.

9. The Catalyst of a Dream

Chapter 9 – The Catalyst of a Dream

A small sigh escaped Twilight’s lips as she watched Derpy walk slowly down the path away from the library, her eyes lingering perhaps slightly longer than would be normal, tracing the bubbly cutie mark on the mare’s flank in contemplation.

Derpy had gone for the night, leaving Twilight behind in the library to think. The potion had been reversed easily enough with Zecora’s medicinal wash, but even though Twilight had gained new respect for her friend, her search for the pegasus had ultimately ended in failure. Derpy had been both shocked and touched by what Twilight had to say, but it was obvious that she still wanted a cure, despite how much her self-image may have been boosted.

Shaking herself out of the trance, she turned slowly back and shifted her gaze to the immeasurable volumes of knowledge that filled the room, though most still lay where they had fallen in her impaired state.

The mere sight of the books puzzled her; for the first time she didn’t feel compelled to read. Normally any sort of research project would have her running in frantic excitement like a foal in a toy store, but now the excitement had been drained.

She had been unsuccessful in her search for a cure – she had failed to find what she was looking for, and had resigned herself to the notion that future searching would be futile. However, the look that had stolen across Derpy’s face at that news wrenched her heart in a way she never thought possible.

Twilight had been left inwardly conflicted as Derpy left for the night; the unicorn was shaking with emotion, disappointed with herself for letting the poor mare down. She had been Derpy’s last hope, and when Twilight had found no solution, the unicorn had simply discarded Derpy’s dream as simply unattainable. However, as she watched Derpy’s head droop as her silhouette receded into the horizon, a spark rekindled the fire within Twilight. Though Twilight’s mind had given up, her soul kept a tight grip on the pegasus’ dream and refused to let it die out.

This wasn’t simple research for the sake of discovery, or even for averting disaster like she had so often done in the past. Those rounds of study were important of course, and she had often had fits of panic, racing the clock to find the answer before tragedy struck. This time it was neither a race nor a matter of life and death. It was a personal matter, the course of which would directly impact a friend.

Her mind reprocessed the previous weeks she had spent with Derpy, considering their interactions and recognizing significance in her increasing fondness for her, even in the most seemingly mundane events.

She froze in an instant of comprehension. Her emotional confusion was exclusively due to the fact that her new friendship with Derpy ran much more deeply than she had originally thought. She genuinely cared for every aspect of the mare’s life, and now she had a chance to make a profound difference. It wasn’t as simple as being driven by friendship – she realized that she treasured every aspect she had discovered in Derpy: her endearing demeanor, her levelheaded and calm approach to confrontations, her humble attitude, and her perseverance in the face of adversity. Twilight had taken the step from friendship to love, and there was nothing that would stop her from finding the answer that the mare possessing her affections wanted.

Twilight levitated a book over and began to read.

****************

Twilight lay collapsed in a heap. Beside her was a mound of books – reference materials of every kind, equine physiology and anatomy guides, tomes of medical literature, even her copies of “Perplexing Pony Plagues” and “Supernaturals: Natural Remedies and Cure-alls that are Simply Super” even though she seriously doubted the last two would provide much help.

Unsurprisingly, she found that all of her references were as equally unhelpful as they had been the first time she had looked. Her search this time had been more thorough; she hung on every word regarding anything that had to do with vision until she completely understood it, but none of it had revealed anything new. The night wore on as she continued to pore over every resource she could manage to find, but nothing seemed to approach a solution to Derpy’s problem.

She groaned in frustration, knowing that even though Derpy had accepted the absence of a solution, it had still been painful for her to accept. Twilight felt her stomach clench as she regretted her own hasty resignation, but her revelation earlier had steeled her resolve. Now she knew that as long as she looked there was hope, and there was only one thing that she refused to do in her search – give up quickly. She knew she had all the time in the world to research, but that did not stall her drive to find a solution sooner rather than later.

However, she also knew that studying herself into exhaustion would do more harm than good; her experience with Applejack’s apple-bucking season reminded her how overexertion can addle your brain, and she did not want to risk overlooking something important because of sleep deprivation. Laying her head down, she let her eyelids fall slowly and allowed herself to drift off to sleep.

More often than not, Twilight did not have much in terms of interesting dreams. Usually they involved bits and pieces of her many adventures with her friends, parties they had enjoyed, books she had read, and picnics out in the countryside, usually jumbled together as her brain sorted her memories for long-term storage deep in the recesses of her mind. They had a tendency to be strange but bland, and she almost never remembered any of them after waking. It was rare for her to have a vivid and clear dream, but it seemed her mind had done enough sorting for the time being and Twilight was swept into one of her few memorable dreams.

She was aware of sitting in her library, but strangely the library was empty. The shelves were empty, not a single book to be found. It felt strange, cold and isolated…it was home without being home. A cursory glance around confirmed her solitude; nopony was there but her. Even Spike was absent.

An icy gust blew from everywhere and nowhere, surrounding her, cutting through her fur and chilling her to the bone. The wind spread outward, causing the lamps to flicker and sputter until their flames died out. She was alone and cold, shivering in a darkness that seemed to envelop her. She wanted to scream out, to plead for help, but no sound came from her throat. She was shrouded in a silent despair, endless and eternal; all hope was lost, and she felt herself slowly falling.

Then, splitting the darkness, a warm light burst into existence behind her, and she heard the soft crackling of a fire. She slowly turned, as if she were lost in a stupor that separated what she willed herself to do and what her body agreed to. The warmth seemed to spread to one side, and the heat concentrated around her forehoof, pulling her around as she had been unable to do on her own.

As she turned, the popping sound of a fire dissipated, but the warmth and light remained. It was not a fire that had been behind her; she found herself muzzle to muzzle with Derpy. The pegasus sat with a gentle smile, exuding a bright glow and surrounding Twilight in comfort, shutting out the cold.

Twilight sat mere inches from Derpy, staring into her eyes. They still did not focus in the same direction, but they were stunning nonetheless, and Twilight found herself captivated by their beauty. Slowly, both mares closed their eyes tight, and she felt herself being pulled into a tight grasp with the pegasus.

Their lips came together in their own embrace, slightly parted, allowing Twilight to feel a damp pant playing across her muzzle and a tongue tracing just inside her own mouth, searching out her tongue. Her hooves moved on their own, curving across the gray fur and finding the pegasus’ wings extended. She brushed a hoof across the primary feathers of the wing, eliciting a soft moan from her partner, and she felt a pulsing heat form inside her.

The kiss broke away, and Twilight opened her eyes. She looked back into Derpy’s radiant face, and this time her eyes were clear and focused directly on Twilight, piercing her with a loving gaze.

The unicorn noticed they were no longer surrounded by dark, and that they were no longer in her Ponyville library. Files, documents, and scrolls of all sizes in a seemingly neglected corner of an ancient looking library encircled them. Twilight felt astray, lost within the abandoned niche. She recognized the style of her surroundings to be those of the Canterlot Archives, but the immensity of the repository kept her from knowing anything further of her location. A window came into view behind Derpy, and through it she saw a white alicorn raising the sun to begin a new day.

Her gaze returned to Derpy, whose shimmering amber eyes continued to enrapture the unicorn. As Twilight kept her eyes locked to Derpy’s, however, a frigid chill crept through her heart. She was tethered to the pegasus through their continued embrace, but the connection seemed ephemeral; Derpy’s crystalline eyes appeared focused, yet lost, eerily searching past Twilight, as though Twilight had simply ceased to exist and Derpy was looking desperately for her. Twilight felt the forehooves around her tighten, and she attempted to return the embrace to comfort the mare she held. Her hooves, however, passed through the pegasus as if they had been turned to gas, and everything evaporated into nothingness as Twilight Sparkle sat bolt upright.

She was still recovering from the effects of the dream; it had been both arousing and cryptic. She could still feel ghostly lips pressing against her own, her coat was in a lather and a warm wetness had left a mark on the floor beneath her haunches. She noticed none of this, though; her eyes were round with excitement and she clambered to her hooves shakily, panting to herself, “The Canterlot Archives… There must have been something I missed there after all…”

She sprinted to the bathroom, knocking over books and scrolls in her haste. She jumped into the shower, lingering in the cold water only long enough to rinse herself of the aftereffects of the previous night’s trance. Ignoring the barely breaking dawn that graced the horizon, she ran toward the train depot with nothing on her mind other than getting to Canterlot as fast as possible.

****************

The morning was strangely calm for Spike, as he turned in his bed trying to get comfortable again. A sliver of light caught his eye during the adjustment, and his eyes popped open instantly out of habit. He had overslept again, and as usual Twilight would be furious at his late start to his chores. The library did seem unusually quiet though; normally Twilight would have been yelling in his direction to get out of bed well before now.

He plodded down the stairs, looking around and calling a nervous “Twilight?” No response came, and he realized she must be gone for the morning. He sighed deeply, relieved that no lectures would be coming his way any time soon. He then sighed deeply again, but for a much different reason – his eyes had found their way to an enormous pile of books and some weird stain on the floor, as well as a strong musty smell lingering through the library. He shook his head at the mess and began cleaning.

While he usually was very quick with returning books to their normal spots, today gave him an additional challenge. Many of the tomes littering the floor were from sections of the library that Twilight seldom used. Add to that the recent re-shelving of the entire library and the nauseatingly strong scent that was distracting him, and it made for a difficult and slow task.

He gave up on the books momentarily and decided to attack the stain on the floor, reasoning that he may finish his chores better with that annoying aroma gone. He wandered over to get a bucket and mop when a blur of vivid hues burst through the door. Spike clutched at his chest, making gasping noises in surprise as Rainbow Dash slowed to a stop after her unannounced arrival.

“Heya, Spike! Is Twilight around?” She casually sauntered around the library. “I was hoping to borrow her anamo… amonit…” She stomped a hoof in frustration. “Her wind thingy. I’m trying to check my weather team’s performance. They’re starting to fall behind in work, lazy slowpokes.”

She stopped long enough to give the wheezing dragon a chance to gasp out “She’s… gone for… bit. Not sure… where…”

Rainbow gave an annoyed huff at not being able to gather the ‘wind thingy’ for the time being. She sniffed the air slightly and scrunched up her nose. “Ew, what stinks in here?”

Spike had gotten over his initial brush with death via terror by now, and responded with a huff of his own. “Twi must have been doing some major studying last night. I’m still trying to pick it all up.”

He motioned toward the pile of books. “The smell is coming from that spot by the books though. I have no idea what it is, but I was just gonna grab a mop to get rid of it.” Rainbow eyed the spot suspiciously while Spike kept going. “My guess is she fell asleep there last night while studying something for Derpy.”

Rainbow’s head snapped back toward Spike at the mere mention of the name. “Wait, what?” By now she had been able to place what that scent was, and if Twilight had fallen asleep there, that could have explained it easily enough. She was happy to not let the dragon in on what it was he was cleaning up, but as far as she was concerned the name ‘Derpy’ did not belong in his statement.

Her eyebrows climbed as she mentally replayed the times she had seen them together over the past months.

“What in Equestria is she doing for that featherbrain now?”

Spike shrugged in indifference. “I have no idea. Ever since we ran Derpy over, they’ve been hanging out together an awful lot. They are always out and about when they have some free time, and Derpy has been stopping by almost nightly now. I prefer not to get involved if I can help it, but apparently,” he jerked his thumb toward the stain and the pile of reading material, “I’m getting dragged into her mess somehow anyway.”

Rainbow just stared off into space for a moment while her mind digested the material. Derpy plus Twilight should NOT equal that mess on the floor, but yet there it was – if they had been spending a lot of time together, then this… Her brain forced an image into her head that made her wish that heads came with an ‘un-see’ button. She shook her head violently to try to clear the mental picture, and gave Spike a quick “Ok, thanks, see ya later!” before bolting back out the door, leaving a nonplussed and slack jawed baby dragon in her wake.

The wind thingy could wait; she needed a head-clearing jog with Applejack.

****************

Rainbow Dash sped over to Sweet Apple Acres; a brisk competition with Applejack was a great way for her to let out some steam, talk about whatever was bothering her, or just have good, clean fun of trying to outdo the athletic workpony. The reason for this visit was unusual; romance was not a subject the two ponies brought up frequently, and especially not romance between one of their best friends and a pony neither of them particularly cared for. Applejack was taking one of her few and far between breaks from applebucking, simply resting with drooping eyes and enjoying the slight breeze the day had brought her. The sudden appearance of vivid colors startled her out of her lightly dozing state, and she gave a short yell.

“Dash, what in the hay bit yer flank today? Nearly gave me a heart attack there!” Applejack clambered back to her hooves, brushing off the dirt and leaves and spitting out the stray strands of mane she had nearly inhaled.

“Sorry, AJ – I was just visiting the library and I’m just all kinds of confused right now.” The pegasus brushed her mane to the side, looking visibly shaken and perhaps a slight bit sick. “Interested in a quick run while I try to figure it out?”

Applejack grinned. Nothing ever interested her more than a chance to show up the ever-boastful Rainbow Dash, and the look on her face at the moment made it even more of an interesting idea. “Sure as sugar am!” She broke into a gallop immediately, leaving Dash behind her as she hollered back, a smirk playing across her face, “Think you can keep up?”

“Ohhh YEAH!” Rainbow Dash took off after her in a flash and quickly caught up, only to receive a thump to her side as Applejack playfully knocked her away from the path that ran through the apple trees.

The pair kept their pace in silence; Applejack knew that Rainbow Dash had something on her mind she needed to talk about, but she also knew that it was always best for the two of them to work off some stress before stopping to rest and talk. She threw a sidelong glance at Rainbow Dash, gave her a smirk that offered a challenge of just try to keep up, and threw all of her strength into pulling ahead. Rainbow took up the challenge and did not disappoint, as she kept up perfectly with her friend. Gradually they felt their energy ebbing away, and slowed to a mutually understood trot before stopping completely, their breath catching in their chests as they slumped to recover.

Well, now’s as good a time as any, Dash thought, and looked over toward Applejack, still winded from the run. Applejack glanced up, saw Dash hesitating, and simply nodded.

“Alright, Sugarcube, out with it. What got your mane in a twist now?”

Dash shifted her eyes left and right, almost as if she expected eavesdroppers to pop up from all sides at any moment. She kept her voice as low and steady as she could before giving the quickest and simplest answer that popped into her head:

“I think Twi’s got the hots for Derpy.”

Her face twisted as she said it; even in its simplest form it sounded absurd. Judging from the look on Applejack’s face, she was thinking the exact same thing. Rainbow Dash took a deep breath and began to recount everything; the time Twilight had apparently been spending with Derpy, and what she had seen, heard, and definitely smelled at the library.

****************

“Lemme get this straight,” Applejack drawled, and then paused, showing the same level of confusion that Dash initially had. She rubbed a hoof on her chin as she stared inquisitively at Rainbow Dash, trying to force the strange compilation of evidence into something that made more sense. She was unsuccessful; without more information to confirm or deny it, what Dash had seen, heard, and smelled could only add up just as she had explained it.

“Twilight ‘n Derpy are gittin’ along all of a sudden, Derpy is stayin’ over there more an’ more often, an’ Twi seems like she’s gittin’ hot under the collar over her somethin’ fierce.”

Rainbow Dash nodded, turning slightly green as she tried again to find a mental ‘un-see’ button to mash ferociously. “Spike didn’t have much of the details, but I don’t blame him on that; I wouldn’t spend any more time with that train-wreck of a pony than I had to. But I know that smell, and it’s obvious from how strong it was and the size of the spot it left that whatever she was thinking about REALLY got her going. And the only change she’s had in her ‘normal stuff,’” she made hoofquotes around normal stuff – nothing with Twilight was ever truly ‘normal’ – “is that Derpy is around her, like, all the time now. I don’t know what else it could be.” She shuddered again and cursed the moment she thought about getting that anemometer from Twilight.

Applejack gave a slight grunt of disapproval. Twilight wanting a marefriend was something she could accept without hesitation; not that she was particularly fond of the idea, but there were enough marefriend couples around to know that it wasn’t exactly unusual, and she was enough of a friend to the unicorn to not let something as petty as that come between them. What left her speechless, though, was Twilight’s choice of whom. Applejack mostly shared the same opinion of Derpy that Dash held – she was quirky at best, she invited disaster at every turn, and though Applejack had never personally met her, she had heard enough banter in town to get the idea that Derpy’s head seemed to be filled with the bubbles seen adorning her flank. How in Equestria the smartest pony she knew could be attracted to somepony like that baffled her.

Her own mind reeled back to the events of the previous summer; she recalled the destruction Derpy had done to Town Hall as vividly as Dash did, but it gave her knots in her stomach for a completely different reason. If Derpy hadn’t been such a lightning rod for catastrophe, Applejack may never have had so much pressure to earn money to fix it in the first place. That situation almost led her to alienate her friends completely. She knew in all honesty that the situation was not Derpy’s fault, but it had, regardless, started the whole mess rolling.

Pushing down her dislike of the mailpony for such petty reasons, she arrived at a decision. “Well, we shouldn’t be jumpin’ to conclusions right away, least of all. Yeah, Derpy’s spendin’ time with Twi now, but knowin’ how Twi took to makin’ friends here in Ponyville that really don’t surprise me that much. But, that don’t mean Twi’s reaction was because of Derpy. Maybe Twi just got to readin’ one a Rarity’s books last night. We can’t say for sure.” She paused for a moment, noticing the look of relief that swept Rainbow Dash’s face.

Applejack pressed on; she knew they had to consider all options to make sure they were prepared for whatever the truth really was. She knew, deep down, that both she and Dash were rash enough to make hasty decisions, and if they were caught off guard by Twilight’s answer, if she even gave them one, they might say something they’d regret later.

“But say Twi does have a thing for Derpy,” Applejack continued, to Rainbow Dash’s obvious discomfort. “Ah don’t think we should have much say about it. It ain’t our spot to pick who she likes,” she held up a hoof to stall Dash’s incoming protest, “but that don’t mean we can’t watch out for her. We can tell her what we think about it, an’ we can keep an eye on Derpy to make sure she ain’t gonna drag Twi into some problem or another. We just can’t tell her what to do.”

Rainbow Dash nodded in silent agreement; though she didn’t like the idea of Derpy getting anywhere near Twilight, she ultimately had to respect the unicorn’s decision, regardless of what it was. She just hoped her suspicions were wrong. Aside from poking fun of her with the rest of the foals, she had never spent much time with Derpy growing up – Derpy did not exactly fit her definition of ‘awesome’. However, she had been around her enough through foalhood in Cloudsdale, flight school, and occasionally helping in Ponyville’s events to know that the mailpony was, at best, bad luck to be around. She could only imagine what sorts of misfortune would befall the poor, unfortunate pony that found that they were attracted to Derpy.

****************

The train slowed to a halt in Canterlot station, and Twilight stepped off eagerly. The ride through Equestria had given her time to compose herself after the excitement of the morning, and, reflecting on her state when she first left, she was happy that there were not many ponies using the train that morning. She had gained a few wary glances after the fervor with which she clambered onto the train, and she was given a wide berth by the rest of the passengers; most simply because she had boarded wearing the haphazard look of a madmare.

She suspected a few may have recognized her from Ponyville given how small the town was, but the majority of the passengers were just traveling through from some of the farther reaches of Equestria, for which she was thankful. She had become aware after the first half hour that her ear had been flicking back occasionally, and anypony who knew her would not be comforted by that fact. It had taken considerable effort to calm herself, but reaching the end of her ride she felt she had been, at a minimum, modestly successful.

She left the platform in a controlled trot; she was both excited for what she might find and relieved to put space between her and her traveling companions, though she didn’t want to race off at high speeds and cause a bit of alarm in her wake. Her demeanor stayed focused – she was on a mission, and finding the secluded corner where her quarry waited silently would not be easy.

Twilight wound her way through corridors leading to innumerous rooms, each with their own particular fields of study or general themes. She was confident that she could avoid the Starswirl the Bearded wing; her studies had given her the opportunity to learn the layout of that particular wing like the back of her hoof, and the dark, sheltered section she had seen was not part of that layout.

Twilight focused her attention back to the vivid dream she experienced, taking care to avoid any intimate scenes involved as best she could; becoming excited as she had been the night before would be difficult to explain in the middle of the Equestrian capital’s biggest library.

Her mind honed in on every detail of the section she had seen… the corner was dingy, dusty; wherever it was, ponies must have a reason to not go there. It could have been a restricted section, full of dark magic; that did not seem likely to the unicorn though, a healing spell would have no place with magic intended only to harm.

Perhaps it was an area of failed spells and experiments that had not come to fruition, but the use of finding a spell that had been discredited or discarded would be slim to none.

Maybe the spell was potentially dangerous; that would give a reason for disuse unless it was absolutely necessary, but why a dangerous spell would be her answer she couldn’t explain, unless…

She thought harder about what else she could have been missing. Her brain was prodding her, telling her she almost had an answer; she only had to find the missing piece linking them together. Her brain sounded an alarm. She had seen Celestia raising the sun through a window; whatever wing she was looking for must be in the east. A link formed. The eastern end of the library contained the medical wing, but what in Equestria would be discarded and dangerous in the medical wing? Her mind buzzed and whirred, working overtime...

The final connection fell into place – medical knowledge that was only used as a last resort, knowledge that could be dangerous if not used exactly right, meant it was a spell where the risk of harm outweighed benefit to be gained. Nopony would use a spell like that unless they had magical ability to back it up – magical ability like hers. She broke into a run toward the medical wing.

****************

Twilight made her way past groups of students engrossed in their work, careful to attract as little attention as possible. She was, of course, focused on finding her treasure somewhere in the far reaches of the library, but she had no desire to speak with any of the students after her past encounter with them.

She continued to wander from corridor to corridor, trying to keep heading in an eastern direction but noticing nothing but expansive rows of books or dead ends.

Then, turning a corner, she noticed a ray of sunshine splaying across an intersection of columns, illuminating the small square of flooring between the crossing shelves; she noticed immediately that the area showed signs of isolation – the carpeting unmarked by hooves for what could have been years, undisturbed books covered in dust, and a dreadful and ominous silence. She looked, then crept slowly down the hall, unsure of what to expect, and rounded the corner to find her prize.

A large section opened up in front of her, filled with musty tomes and ageless scrolls, and a window adorning the eastern wall toward the corner. She glanced up at the sign that denoted what branch of study she had entered and caught her breath.

Helsinki Branch: Spells of Great Risk
The Well-Being of the Individual must take Precedence over all Other Interests

An involuntary shudder worked its way down her spine at the implications. Looking closer she saw each shelf had its own label denoting what she assumed could be anything from the field of study, the group contributing to the shelf, or even the author for the section. Any or all were possible; each sign was cryptic and foreign in meaning. She began to read.

Book by book, scroll by scroll, Twilight scanned through every bit of script she could find. Early on she discovered that she would need to be very careful with the works; almost all were yellowed with age, brittle, and, in some cases smudged to the point of being almost illegible.

She had made herself comfortable with the fact that she would need to limit her research to scanning only; there were too many texts to go through to read in-depth, and as the light through the window slowly receded, she was reminded that the day was passing quickly.

She reached a shelf marked ‘Geneva’ and felt a wave of hope surge through her; the shelves seemed to each contain similarly themed subjects, and her first find from this section was concerning optical disorders.

She scanned through books one after another, becoming frustrated as nothing of promise showed. Nearing the middle of the section, she opened a scroll and her breath caught in her throat. Drawn in smearing ink under the title was a clear depiction of eyes pointed in separate directions. Her ears and eyes began to twitch slightly as she read the title of the document – ‘Nuremberg Research, Article 6: Exotropia – A Study on Treatment for Advanced Disorders with Poor Prognosis’.

The scroll was written in ink, which to her dismay was smeared in sections, and made worse by addendums from the author jotted throughout the article. One such note caught her eye, and made the twitch double in rate: If performed incorrectly, this spell may cause significant damage. Damage done appears proportional to mistakes made in spellcasting. Patient must be informed of risk before consideration of usage.

The spell seemed moderately simple to Twilight, though the steps it took would have made it intimidating to a less adept magic user. Aside from the prospect of damage, the other main concern with the spell she found was that it was not permanent; at least, not to begin with. The spell was a temporary solution that would grow repeatedly stronger with each successful reapplication of the magical remedy.

The reason this spell was disused became painfully obvious. To fully correct the condition, the spell would have to be repeated innumerable times, each occasion offering the prospect of damage if not performed perfectly.

She carefully tucked the scroll into her saddlebag as she left the archive; if Derpy truly wanted to pursue this cure, she would have to be unquestionably certain that she made absolutely no mistakes. Twilight resolved to painstakingly rewrite the entire smudged text verbatim before studying it repeatedly in depth.

Derpy may not be comfortable with the risk, but if it was what her friend truly wanted she needed to be sure to not let the pegasus down. She could not endanger the safety of the pony that she now fully realized she cared so much for.

10. Uncertain Reactions

Chapter 10 – Uncertain Reactions

Anypony happening across Applejack and Rainbow Dash heading toward the library in the afternoon would have doubted their eyes and ears. The two mares walking side by side weren’t arguing, racing, or poking jokes at one another. For what must have been the first time ever, the pair was walking slowly, talking about what seemed to be a very important topic in hushed tones.

“So, whatta we do then?” Dash asked. “We need to find out what’s going on, and we can’t just sit around and wait for Derpy to make Twi’s tree fall on her head or something.”

Applejack nodded, but seemed to be trying to consider every angle before responding. “Well, first we should just see for ourselves how Twi feels about Derpy. Right now all we got is a buncha guessin’ and we’re not gonna figure nothin’ out without just askin’ her. Ah’m not quite sure how ta do it, but Ah think that’s first.”

Rainbow Dash gave a short “Mhm,” before sinking back into thought. “Yeah, we need to figure that out, but what do we do about Derpy? I mean we can’t just tell her to get lost, especially not if Twi really likes her.”

“Yea, Ah know” Applejack huffed. “Ah don’t like that pony all that much, an’ it don’t mean we gotta be best buds with her an’ all that, but Ah wanna make sure she ain’t gonna give Twi any trouble. Last thing we need is the clumsiest pony in Equestria ta break everythin’ Twi’s got. Y’all know how she gets with messes an’ all.”

Both ponies fell silent. Neither was good at discussing feelings and it made it even worse that they only had vague suspicions about what the feelings even were, if they even existed at all. The only way they were going to get anywhere was to get up the courage to talk to Twilight about it, and that was maybe their best bet. They were, after all, the bravest of the elements, ready to throw themselves into the thick of anything without hesitation, or at least anything that didn’t involve emotions.

They let out simultaneous sighs as they saw the giant tree loom into view. For all their thinking about the matter, they were just going to have to wing it and hope for the best.

****************

Twilight had left the archives and gone straight for the train depot as soon as she had found the scroll she was looking for. She knew that she had to get the parchment transcribed before it disintegrated itself and destroyed her dreams of helping Derpy, but she also was mentally fatigued from her search, extended reading, and ethical dilemmas. Riding back along the tracks, she merely allowed herself to casually daydream; she didn’t dare take the scroll out while on the train for fear that a simple bump might cause it to dissolve in her hooves.

Her thoughts turned to her friends and how they would react to finding out that she had a new obsession that wasn’t book-related. It gave her an uneasy feeling that all of Tartaros would be released if she confessed to be interested in a mare rather than a stallion, but she knew she would have to eventually.

Undeniably it was hardly a trivial matter for her to announce her sexual preference to be different from what must inevitably be the social norm – though admittedly she was not entirely keen on societal perception. Regardless, her horrid tendency to imagine the worst case scenario surfaced; it forced itself to the forefront of her consciousness and began displaying vivid situations that could possibly arise.

Rarity would spread the news to everypony in Ponyville, and though Twilight didn't value her reputation above all else, it would nonetheless be ruined. There wouldn’t be a mare or stallion who wouldn’t be aware that she wanted a marefriend and the taunts and laughter would be unbearable. She wouldn’t be able to leave her library without ridicule and ponies would refuse her business; she would be forced to grow her own food, completely ostracized from society.

Finding out that Twilight was in love with a mare, and not just any mare, but Derpy - would completely crush Rainbow Dash. Dash had already been extremely critical of Derpy; the notion that Twilight had fallen for her would horrify Dash, and all contact between the two would cease. Rainbow Dash’s loss of faith in her friend might plunge her into depression, causing her work to suffer and her speed training to falter. There would be miserable weather all year round, and there would never again be a Sonic Rainboom.

As if she wasn’t enough of a recluse, Fluttershy would be so devastated that she would become a complete hermit, never leaving her cottage again. Animals would go uncared for and the lack of proper attention would leave the poor creatures sick, spreading disease to animal and pony alike. A plague outbreak would be imminent and ponies would be streaming to hospitals for treatment.

Of course, Applejack would be thoroughly disgusted at the idea and immediately refuse to talk to her. She may even reject the notion of seeing Twilight altogether. She would never be allowed into Sweet Apple Acres ever again, and probably wouldn’t get to eat another apple for as long as she lived.

Granny Smith and Big McIntosh would shun her anywhere she went, and Applebloom would be traumatized by the whole experience. Unquestionably Applebloom would share the news with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, though Sweetie would hear it from Rarity too.

The three fillies would spread it around the schoolyard and Miss Cheerilee would catch wind – she would be banned from the schoolgrounds for life, and countless fillies and colts would avoid the library from the stigma she had brought to it; books would go unread and pony intelligence would drop sharply, slowing all development in Ponyville.

Pinkie Pie… well, Pinkie Pie wouldn’t be fazed in the slightest. She would throw a party of course, but then, nopony would show up… nopony would want to celebrate an aberration in natural societal norms. The failure to cheer her friend would throw Pinkie Pie into a depression only seen in the pink mare once before; her mind would crack and she’d begin talking to inanimate objects again.

Complete social upheaval, dismal weather for eternity, sickness running rampant, driving students from the ability to learn, and the friendliest pony in town thrown into insanity, and it would be ALL HER FAULT.

The train whistle sounded and she was snapped back to reality. She looked up and saw everypony staring at her, unsure of whether to be concerned for the sanity of the unicorn who had been twitching, shaking, and sweating uncontrollably, or for the safety of themselves from the nervous wreck in their midst.

Twilight took several deep breaths, her twitching fading away as she apologized to the other passengers for her behavior... too much coffee this morning, she had said. She doubted anypony believed it, but they were at least satisfied enough to turn away and go back to ignoring her.

She facehooved, recognizing the signs of her own near meltdown. It had happened before, and every time her friends had been there to help her, to reassure her that her fears were completely unfounded. It took her considerable effort to push the nightmarish vision from her head, but she was sure now that her friends would never abandon her. They never had, and never would.

Twilight stepped off the train at the Ponyville station much to the relief of every other pony on board, and she headed toward the library. It was still early afternoon, and studying could wait until she had spoken with Derpy about the risks. Right now, she needed to relax.

****************

“Howdy, Spike!” Applejack shouted as she barged straight in through the front door of the library. The greeting was answered by some sort of wobbly sounding yelp and a large crash.

“Ugh! Don’t you ponies ever knock?” Spike looked up from under the pile of books he had been re-shelving. “Twilight’s not here anyway. She still hasn’t gotten back from wherever she disappeared to.”

Applejack and Rainbow Dash exchanged glances before Rainbow Dash spoke up. “That’s okay. We were just gonna hang around here for a while until she gets back anyway. There’s a new Daring Do book out that I’ve gotta find besides. By the way, nice job cleaning up the place.”

Spike sighed. “It took me long enough, and as you can see from this pile I’m still not done.” His look turned sour instantly. “Most of my morning was taken up with that stupid stain. I got the spot out, but it still smells kinda funky over there. Whatever it was she spilled on the carpet, she’s cleaning up herself next time.”

Applejack shot a bemused look at Rainbow Dash. She had gotten a whiff of what was lingering in the air as well, and though it was much fainter there was no doubt as to what it was. “Don’ worry Spike. Ah think if she ever makes a mess like that again she’ll want to clean it up herself.” She winked at Rainbow Dash, who was trying her best to hold in fits of laughter by clamping her hooves over her muzzle.

Spike gave Dash a confused look. With her eyes bulged out like that and the muffled snorts coming from her, he thought she may be about to get sick. Right. In. His. Clean. Room. “Dash, if you’re gonna hurl or something, do it somewhere I didn’t just clean.”

She lost it, breaking out into a snorting, high-pitched squeal of a belly laugh. Spike looked to Applejack, who just rolled her eyes and gave a tip of her head toward Dash, acknowledging their friend’s insanity. The baby dragon gave a chuckle.

“Well, if you guys want to wait around for her, be my guests. I’m going out shopping for groceries. If she’s mad that some books are still on the floor, tell her to clean up her own spills and THEN I’ll do it.” Spike wandered out the door, still annoyed at Twilight.

The two mares waited for a few minutes, watching him leave through the window. The moment he was out of sight they both burst into roars of laughter. Wiping the tears from their eyes, Applejack looked over at Dash. “That settles it,” she said. “That’s definitely the smell of a turned-on mare. We’re just gonna hafta bite the bullet on this one and just come right out and ask her what’s goin’ on.”

Dash nodded, still giggling but holding up a hoof. “Alright, fine, we’ll be blunt about it. Manners can kiss my flank on this one. I’m asking her though; this is too good of an opportunity to pass up.”

“Too good of an opportunity for what?” inquired a familiar voice behind Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Twilight had just returned from her trip, and was looking at the two mares sitting in shock in front of her. “Well, at least Spike got the books cleaned up. Whew though – what’s that sme…”

Twilight froze. Oh sweet Celestia, please don’t let it be that.

Rainbow Dash sauntered over, batting her eyes lightly and playfully at the unicorn. “Oh, THAT smell.” She grinned, holding a hoof to her chin. “Funnily enough it was SO much more powerful smelling before Spike cleaned up the spot it left.”

Twilight’s eyes went wide and her coat lightened by several pale shades. She looked over at Applejack, who was merely sitting there with a sly grin on her face.

Dash took full advantage of the silence so she could continue. “So I guess it’s our turn to be asking YOU the questions. Who’s the lucky stallion,” she paused slightly, “…or mare who got you so riled up last night?”

Dear Celestia, they already know…

Twilight allowed it all to sink in. They knew. How much she wasn’t sure, but they did. She hadn’t planned on bringing the topic up for a while yet; she hadn’t even had a chance to talk with Derpy about her feelings, but now she had no choice but talk to the most uncouth ponies out of all her friends. She took a deep breath.

****************

Twilight recounted her story for the next half hour. She had gone through an entire summary of Derpy’s demotion, the accident, the comforting talks, the shared emotions, the time they had been spending together, and the research into the spell. She had only neglected one detail in her speech, and she smiled inwardly as her friends took her explanation very well, optimistic that they hadn’t noticed the omission.

Applejack was the first to shatter that hope. “So that’s all fine ‘n’ good an’ all,” she smirked, “But that don’t tell us what got you so flustered last night. We can tell you were havin’ a might nice dream there. What got ya so riled up that ya done left such a strong smell lingerin’ ‘round here?

Twilight sat, fumbling for words but none came. She felt her face afire with crimson, and she knew perfectly well that the explanation was simple. She loved Derpy. There it was, yet she couldn’t find a way to describe the feelings she had for the mailpony. Somehow the unicorn was, for the first time, unable to state the obvious.

Rainbow Dash looked at Applejack, who gave her a nod back. They both knew their friend was trying her hardest to explain what they had already figured out. Whether or not they liked Derpy was beside the point; Twilight was one of their best friends and they couldn’t let her suffer in front of them.

“Twi.” Rainbow Dash walked toward the unicorn slowly.

Twilight looked up fearfully, still frantically trying to assemble an explanation that wouldn’t make her friends angry with her for her emotions. Rainbow Dash was so close that Twilight could almost feel the disdain building up in her friend, ready to ridicule and scorn her for her idiotic infatuation.

“You’re in love with Derpy, aren’t you?”

It was simply stated. No judgment in Dash’s voice, no scorn or contempt. Applejack began walking toward Twilight as well. Twilight glanced toward Applejack, then back to Dash. She meekly nodded, bracing herself for the worst.

“Alright, Sugarcube. If that’s the way ya feel, then that’s the way it is, and we ain’t gonna give ya grief about it.”

Every synapse in Twilight’s nervous system seemed to fire simultaneously and then freeze in suspended animation. She snapped upright, confusion and shock displayed prominently across her face. She felt paralyzed and just sat, staring at the two mares in front of her.

Dash nodded an assent to Applejack. “Twi, I can’t honestly say what in Equestria you’re thinking. I know you said she’s not a klutzy airhead, but I won’t believe it until I see it. But that’s no reason for us to hold you back.”

Twilight had a fleeting feeling that two changelings were posing as her friends. It didn’t seem natural for them to be so… accepting. Then again, loyalty and honesty were sincere traits, even if she didn’t see them often in such a heartfelt state. A wave of relief swept over her as she shakily got to her hooves.

“You guys… aren’t angry? AJ, Dash, doesn’t this bother you at all?” She tried to collect her thoughts, but they remained a helpless jumble of mush at this point.

Applejack was the first to respond; Rainbow Dash may be loyal but she still wasn’t very good with expressing how she felt. The honesty in Applejack merely led her to give the answers Twilight was desperately looking for.

“We were for a bit, Sugarcube – bothered at least, not angry. When Dash here put the pieces together it nearly blew our heads off ta even think ‘bout it. Took us a bit ta get used to the idea, but we did.” She gave Twilight a bit of a stern look. “Whatever got it in yer skull ta pick that pony over any other Ah doubt we’ll ever know. Can’t say we rightly like ‘er, an’ we’re more than worried ‘bout ya getting’ hurt with Derpy ‘round, but it ain’t our right ta say ya can’t be in love with somepony, no matter who it is.”

“Yep,” Dash chimed in, “but don’t let your eyes off her for a second. Last time I did that I wound up with a column smashing my head into the basement of the town hall. Ugh, I still get headaches from that. Twi, just remember that it’s Derpy. She’s a walking accident.”

Twilight winced at that statement, but bit her tongue before she said something without thinking. She hated letting her friends undermine Derpy after all she had learned to love about the pegasus, but she also knew her friends hadn’t been given the chance to get to know her better either. She was also eternally grateful for their understanding; she never expected such open acceptance from her friends. It would be alright after all; they just needed some time to get to know Derpy.

She smiled weakly and gave them a rather timid, “Thanks, you guys. Just, please, give Derpy a chance. She’s really not the pony you may have thought she was.”

The pair nodded to her as they let themselves out of the library. “Take it easy for a while, Twi,” Rainbow Dash called over her shoulder. “We’re still gonna watch out for you, especially when Derpy’s around, but we trust you enough to know you can take care of yourself.” And with that Twilight was alone, left to mull over her thoughts and wait eagerly for Derpy to stop by.

11. Convergence

Chapter 11 – Convergence

Derpy left the post office with renewed vigor, ready to tackle the day and begin her weekend, and even more excited to visit Twilight later that evening. Today she intended to completely finish her rounds before stopping over; usually when she went over to the library, it was for short calls or for talks when she was feeling a bit low for the day. Last night, though, she had such a moving time with Twilight that she wanted to make sure they had as much time as possible to spend together.

She knew that Twilight would no longer be looking for spells to fix her eyesight, but truthfully that was her furthest concern at the moment. She hummed happily, depositing envelopes in mailboxes as she went, reflecting on what she had come to realize Twilight meant to her.

She had been very confused at first. To be given the opportunity to talk with somepony openly was a new experience for her, and it had felt good to know that somewhere out there was somepony who legitimately cared about her. Twilight’s was not a simple care for wellbeing, but a deep care for her emotions and a desire to understand how she felt. She had been given the reassurance she had needed, and in the end gained what she was searching for most – a true friend.

The afternoon flitted by. Derpy filled mailboxes and made deliveries as though she was on autopilot; her entire mind was filled with thoughts and affections for Twilight, her heart lighter than it had ever been before. The mailpony gave cheerful greetings to everypony she met on her route, and received many pleasantries in return. By mid-afternoon she had finished her last delivery and was positively glowing with happiness.

With her mailbags empty, she flew home to return the bags and her hat to their normal resting places before turning back and heading toward the giant tree marking Ponyville’s library. It was all she could do to keep herself from galloping there like a schoolfilly, but she decided that showing up on Twilight’s doorstep as a sweaty gasping mess wouldn’t be the most attractive of sights.

She drew closer to the building, turned the corner, and came to an abrupt halt. Two mares were directly in front of her, and they seemed as startled as she had been. Her mind raced as they drew closer, trying to put together what it was that they wanted to say. They were definitely coming over to talk, but neither Applejack nor Rainbow Dash seemed excessively happy to see her.

****************

Applejack and Rainbow Dash were as equally surprised at the additional company as Derpy, but it only took them an instant to quietly agree that this was a good time to talk to the gray pegasus who had become their friend’s mare of affection.

“Hey, Derpy.” Rainbow Dash spoke first, cementing the fact that they were, in fact, intent on stopping to talk to her. Her voice was not hostile, but it was far from friendly as well.

“Uh, hi, Rainbow Dash. Hi, Applejack,” She timidly responded, not exactly sure what, if anything, she should say.

Applejack spoke next, and it seemed to confirm that the conversation was meant to be one-sided. “Ah’m guessin’ yer headed over ta Twilight’s place for a bit.” Her tone was somewhat flat, hinting that she was not very happy about that idea.

Derpy could only nod; she could not think of anything to say to either pony. She had never exactly been on friendly terms with Applejack, and Rainbow Dash intimidated her greatly. They had never gotten along as fillies, and Dash was one of the most aggressive fillies that had poked fun of her so long ago. Their relationship had mellowed to indifference over the years, but after she had given Dash that concussion during the town hall incident, it was obvious that Dash still held a fair amount of animosity toward her.

“We know that Twi’s got a bit friendly with ya for a while now,” Applejack continued. “She seems ta be a might confident that yer a fine pony ta pal ‘round with.”

Derpy lightly blushed at this; her heart leapt to know that Twilight was comfortable enough to talk with her friends about her deepening friendship with the pegasus. However, her elation was kept in tight check by the mares currently eyeing her carefully.

Rainbow Dash took the chance to speak up. “Twi may like you enough, but I still have a feeling you’re gonna be giving her nothing but problems.” Dash rubbed her head absentmindedly as she spoke, rubbing a phantom pain where a pillar had once crashed down on her head.

The words and gesture gave Derpy a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

“Outta respect for Twi, we’re not gonna argue with her about it,” Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes and pushed herself forward, almost muzzle to muzzle with Derpy. “But you’d better be extra careful around her, Derpy. We know enough of your track record to expect some disaster or another to come sooner or later, and you’d better be sure that when it does, Twi doesn’t get caught in it.”

“Dash’s right on, Derpy.” Applejack wasn’t pressing into her face like Rainbow Dash was, but regardless, she stared at Derpy with a piercing gaze that exuded mistrust. “Twi can take care a’ herself, but ‘round you Ah can’t help but think she’s in danger a’ somethin’.”

She took a few steps forward and poked a hoof in Derpy’s chest. “Ya best be careful. If ya slip up and make trouble for Twi, Dash’n Ah will be on yer flank ta fix it an’ fix it fast.”

Derpy gulped. She knew they weren’t threatening her safety, but their discomfort with having her around their friend was obvious. Of course they’d be overly cautious; she had a reputation for destroying property and causing harm to ponies within her vicinity. The incident where she dropped the entire contents of a moving cart directly on Twilight’s head forced itself to the front of her memory and made her gut clench and twist.

Derpy looked from Rainbow Dash to Applejack and nodded solemnly. She spoke, but not with a defensive retort or an emotional outburst, like Applejack and Rainbow Dash had expected. Rather, her response was serious and heartfelt.

“I know what you both mean. I think I’m getting better with my coordination and concentration lately, and it’s all thanks to Twilight. I know I haven’t done anything to give you any reason to trust me; it’s understandable that you’d think I’d hurt Twilight somehow. Please believe me though,” she paused, trying to find the right words, “if I did anything to harm Twilight I don’t know how I could stand myself, either.”

Her eyes moistened, not from tears, but from genuine concern for only the unicorn. “Twilight is the first and only friend I’ve ever had. I’ll do everything I possibly can to not let you down.” She lowered her head in resignation, hoping that they would at least give her a chance.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash exchanged a glance; they had not planned for Derpy to take what they had said to heart. Even more surprising was that she had not protested their accusations at all – she had shown concern only for Twilight. Rainbow Dash looked back to Derpy with a puzzled expression, not quite sure what to make of the agreement Derpy had given them.

Applejack’s appearance softened a bit. They had only wanted to give Derpy a fair warning to be cautious, but their warning hadn’t been seen as that. It had been perceived as a reminder to the pegasus of what could happen if she wasn’t careful.

“Alright, Sugarcube. Twilight trusts ya, and Ah can see ya take that trust seriously. We ain’t gonna stop ya,” she shot a look to Rainbow Dash, who seemed completely lost by now, “an’ seein’ ya put Twi first makes me feel a might better about ya stayin’ ‘round for a bit.”

Dash caught on to what Applejack was talking about, and staring straight into the mailpony’s eyes reluctantly added a blunt, “Yeah, okay.” She silently continued her stare for several long moments, not breaking eye contact as she and Applejack began turning to leave. “I’m still keeping my eye on you though.”

Derpy nodded back gravely. “I’ll be watching myself, too,” she murmured to herself.

****************

Twilight answered the knock at her door readily; she had been looking forward to seeing Derpy all day long, in addition to having news about the vision spell. She quickly noticed the crestfallen look adorning the pegasus, and her excitement gave way to worry.

“Derpy, is everything alright?” Twilight looked to her friend, sincere concern evident in her voice.

The pegasus looked up. She had been pondering the conversation that she had just had with Applejack and Rainbow Dash, and was feeling genuinely unnerved by the consequences her involvement with Twilight could have. However, looking up into the face of the lavender mare, all her fears evaporated immediately. She wasn’t sure how, but even in Twilight’s most worried states, she still gave Derpy a feeling of peace and happiness.

Derpy gave a smile. “Yeah, everything is alright.”

Twilight’s worries seemed to float away now that she knew Derpy was not troubled or depressed, and she wasted no time in getting to the news she had gathered.

“Derpy, I found a spell that just might work for your eyes.” She hesitated; Derpy had perked up instantly at that announcement and she couldn’t leave her without the full truth. “There’s a catch, though,” she continued. Derpy sagged a little at that, but retained a hopeful demeanor.

“The spell I found was buried deep away in the Canterlot Archives, and it hasn’t been used in ages due to the risks it has.” Twilight let that fact out slowly – she was hesitant to bring it up and cause Derpy more worries, but she had to know.

“What kind of risks?” Derpy cocked her head to one side, giving an inquiring look.

Twilight sighed. “The spell doesn’t look like it would be too difficult, but the scroll had a note scrawled on the side that said it could cause significant damage if done incorrectly.”

Sensing the next question coming from the pegasus, she hurried along a quick addition to her statement. “It doesn’t say what kind of damage. All it says is that the worse the mistake, the worse the damage caused.”

Derpy smiled slightly. “Well, I really don’t think I have anything to worry about with that. You don’t make mistakes.”

Twilight managed a weak smile of her own, but shook her head. “It’s not that simple though. The scroll is badly smeared, so I would have to copy it over, making sure I have it all correct. If I miss something, it could go horribly wrong. Plus, the spell is only temporary at first. It needs to be repeated every so often, kind of like reinforcing the magic until the effect is permanent. That means I would have to cast the spell so often that a mistake could be inevitable.”

This fact gave Derpy pause; she definitely trusted Twilight’s abilities, but multiple chances at unknown damage from a single mistake did make the choice much more difficult. She looked at Twilight, who was clearly uncomfortable with the whole ordeal, and felt an upwelling of guilt for putting such pressure on her friend. She walked over to the unicorn slowly, until she was right next to Twilight.

The purple mare was running her hoof across the floor, frustrated with herself at the disappointment she must have caused for the pegasus. Then she felt a hoof on her shoulder, firmly tugging her closer. Derpy wrapped her in her forehooves, trying to comfort the only pony in Equestria to have ever shown her consideration, especially of this magnitude.

Twilight returned the embrace, tears trickling down her cheeks reminding her of her failure to find an acceptable solution. Derpy nuzzled her cheek, feeling the tears soaking into her mane.

“Twilight, I know it’s not a perfect solution. I’ll have to give it some serious thought before I can decide if it’s something I want to go through with or not.”

Holding the unicorn, Derpy’s heart sped up and her face flushed. If there had been any doubt in her mind before as to her feelings for Twilight, they were now long gone. Spending so much time with her had convinced Derpy that there was one pony she wanted to stay beside, and that pony was in her embrace, sure that she had failed at meeting the pegasus’ request. Derpy, however, felt a flame of emotion ignite in her chest; Twilight had become her reason for existing, and whatever problems she had with her eyes were now only a distant consideration.

Placing a hoof under the unicorn’s mouth, she gently pulled the mare’s face in line with her own. Twilight noticed they were muzzle to muzzle, and she could feel Derpy’s breath playing across her lips. She looked upward to find herself locked in a gaze with Derpy and felt her face flushing with heat.

“To be honest, Twilight, my vision is the last thing I’m thinking about right now.”

She leaned forward slightly, her eyelids falling shut, and placed a delicate kiss on the unicorn’s lips.

****************

Derpy had felt uncertain about how Twilight would react to the abrupt display of affection, and her heart began to race faster as her wings slowly spread. She forced her wings back down for the moment, and questioned herself at how much she had just escalated the relationship. Her feelings for Twilight had undeniably blossomed into genuine love – the two ponies seemed to share so much in common – but there was no guarantee that Twilight might feel the same affections.

Her uncertainty vanished as she felt pressure pushing back against her own muzzle. She parted her lips slightly, allowing her tongue to trace the outline of Twilight’s mouth, tasting an intriguing mixture of orange and almond. She was pleasantly startled when another tongue cautiously emerged to mingle with her own.

She had fallen in love with Twilight, and even though she had been unsure of what the unicorn though of her, she had unabashedly bared her feelings with a calm reassurance that it was meant to be that way. Apparently she’s not the only one of us that can read the other’s mind, she reflected with an inner smirk. The pair remained entwined for only a short time before slowly pulling apart, a thin strand of saliva connecting their two tongues which were still unwilling to separate from their partners.

A furious crimson blush crept up both of their faces as each pony realized what that moment had meant. Each sensed a deep affection for the other, and it took no words to express it; they had just seemed to know how the other felt and responded accordingly.

Derpy inhaled sharply at the implication of what had just happened struck her. Her wings had extended again in excitement, and she looked toward Twilight with wonder, attempting to put together the words to confirm what her mind was telling her. There really was no need.

Twilight stared back at her, mouth partly open, and panting slightly. She looked at Derpy caringly as she reminded the pegasus of their conversation from what now seemed like an eternity ago. “I told you that I thought you were beautiful… I guess I just didn’t realize how much more there was to say.” She paused tentatively.

“I know it may be a bit strange to hear, but I guess we have the same thing on our minds.” Twilight bit her lip cautiously as she considered where her heart was leading her. Taking a deep breath and throwing all hesitation to the wind, she quickly made her admission before her mind decided to stifle the emotions now coursing through her.

“I love you, Derpy.”

She hadn’t been sure exactly how the pegasus would respond to her confession; shock, confusion, hesitation, and fear were all very real possibilities. Her answer came with a tackle of gray as the mare launched herself forward and wrapped Twilight in a tight embrace. She could feel tears flowing down Derpy’s face as she whispered, “I love you, too. Dear Celestia, I love you so much.”

They could at last release the emotion that they had neglected. They finally had somepony to love them back.

Author's Note

An optional clop chapter follows this chapter. If you are interested in reading it, you may find it here.

12. To Discuss and Distract

Chapter 12 – To Discuss and Distract

Twilight and Derpy lay on the couch, basking in each other’s affections and recovering from the intimate time they had just spent together, with Twilight nestled against Derpy’s back. Twilight was gently stroking her hoof through the mane of the pegasus and playfully nibbling at her ear, causing the pony to giggle lightly. Derpy turned to her other side with a lazy smile, beginning with her head and the rest of her body following along until they were muzzle to muzzle and belly to belly.

Twilight gave a contented smile back with her eyes half lidded, and snuggled closer, feeling a comfortable warmth as Derpy stretched one wing out and laid it over the unicorn like a blanket. She had never been huddled in a pegasus’ wing like this, and she relished the plush feeling the feathers had, soft and gentle, yet strong enough to clasp her like a light hug. Even the slightest shift from Derpy caused the feathers to flutter imperceptibly, feeling like her entire side was being lightly tickled.

It gave her an amazingly relaxed sensation, and her eyes closed as she pulled her lover close and delicately nuzzled the light yellow mane. She felt the pegasus reciprocate, and Twilight gave a happy sigh that could have meant nothing less than ‘I love you’.

Derpy heard the contentment in Twilight’s sigh, and she gripped Twilight tighter as she whispered a gentle, “I love you, too.”

They would have stayed on the couch indefinitely, enjoying each other’s company for the entire night, but Twilight knew that couldn’t happen. She gave Derpy one more stroke down her mane before slowly pushing herself upward and giving her new marefriend a loving look.

“Sorry, Derpy,” she apologized, “but we need to get this place – and ourselves – cleaned up before we have any traumatized baby dragons.” Derpy gave a slight grin at this and nodded, getting up from the couch herself.

Judging from what Rainbow Dash had said about Spike’s cleaning adventure earlier, she could only assume he was out gathering extra cleaning supplies. She had left a shopping list for the day – one of Spike’s occasional chores that she assigned. She hurried to check and see if he had taken the list. He had.

Shopping was one of the chores he didn’t seem to mind, as it let him avoid cleaning and sorting books, let him roam the town, and – of course – visit Rarity. Twilight gave a slight smile, knowing they had plenty of time before he returned. Still, remembering that she had locked the door so she and Derpy could enjoy privacy, she cast her magic toward the door once again, prompting an audible click as she unlocked it; the last thing she needed was an explanation to Spike as to why she had felt the need to secure the library. As for cleaning up, she had already figured out their best way to get started, and wasted no time in letting Derpy know.

“Okay, Derpy, I’ll take care of cleaning up the couch and any spots we may have left.” She gave a mental grin at that, remembering what Dash had told her again. “You go ahead and get washed up in the shower, and when you’re done I can take my turn. After that we should be free from at least any of the telltale signs of the mischief we were up to.”

Derpy gave another nod and started off before pausing and looking over her shoulder at the unicorn, who had already flipped the windows open to allow a breeze to whisk away lingering scents from the room.

“Um, Twilight?”

“You can just call me Twi like everybody else does, Derpy,” the unicorn replied cheerily.

“Oh, um, okay. Twi, where’s the shower?” Derpy blushed slightly, her gray coat turning a few shades darker over her cheeks.

Twilight facehooved. “Sorry, Derpy! I completely forgot to show you around the whole library. It’s up the stairs, down the hall, the second door on the right.” Twilight smiled as Derpy trotted off toward the shower, a new plan forming in her mind already. This plan would have to wait though, she had to focus her magic on lifting stains from any carpets or cushions before they could soak in and dry.

A purple glow grew, and cushions flew off the couch to be scrutinized by the librarian who quickly vaporized each offending spot or mark into oblivion. Satisfied that the couch was at least safe now, she turned her gaze to the carpet; spot cleaning the floor was less practical.

She settled on illuminating the entire floor with her lilac magic, concentrating on cleaning, disinfecting, and deodorizing spells all at the same time. It took more focus than usual to cast spells in triplicate such as this, but the spells were fairly simple and that made the task relatively easy.

She finished cleaning any trace of their tryst within a few minutes, and spent the rest of her time collecting flowers from outside to aid in masking the few remaining faint smells. Until Derpy was finished with her shower, Twilight contented herself with repeating her spells as many times as she could before it was her turn.

A short wait later, Derpy stepped out of the shower and dried herself off as best as she could. It had taken her a few tries to get the shower to turn on; punching a cloud was much easier than valves and pipes and Celestia-knew-what. At least she quickly figured out the temperature control before she either boiled or turned into a pony-cicle.

Twilight turned into the bathroom. “All done with cleaning downstairs!” She proudly announced, stepping toward the shower herself. “While I’m getting washed up, you can explore the library if you want – I have a feeling you’ll be spending quite a bit of time here,” she added with a wink. Derpy gave her a smirk, and turned around, trotting off to explore.

****************

“Stupid chores.” Spike kicked a pebble as he trudged through Ponyville with a long shopping list in one of his claws and pulled a wagon full of supplies behind him with the other.

“Spike, get the groceries. Spike, dust the books. Spike, fetch me a new quill. Spike, clean up Celestia-knows-what mess I’ve made this time,” he muttered to himself in a mock imitation of Twilight’s voice. He glanced at the piece of parchment again and gave a mixture of a growl and a huff loud enough to draw a few curious looks from ponies surrounding him in the market.

He had been out running errands for at least a couple hours now; his feet were killing him, he was tired, and he was very tempted to crumple the list up in a ball and go home. That would be like pouring salt on a wound, though; he knew Twilight well enough that if he deliberately shirked his duties there would be repercussions of some sort that would definitely be worse than sore feet.

Thankfully, even though his stamina was dwindling down to nothing, so was the list of chores. He had gotten all his chores done at the library earlier, he had gotten food from the market, he had bought enough parchment to last six months for a normal pony (or two days for Twilight), he had visited Quills and Sofas for the fourth time that week, and he only had one thing left to do. He glanced back at the list and groaned. The task itself wasn’t difficult in the least, but finding its subject would be.

Get the last set of Daring Do books back from Rainbow Dash – they’re overdue by weeks.

Spike muttered again, trying to think of where Dash may be hiding out. She always seemed to pop up when least expected, but when you actually needed to find her… He face-clawed at the job, and then snapped his head back up with an idea. She had been with Applejack at the library. Maybe they were back at Sweet Apple Acres. He turned around and wearily plodded toward the farm.

It took a good fifteen minutes to get there, but he was relieved to see both mares sitting at a picnic table, chatting over mugs of what he guessed to be cider. Seeing how quickly Rainbow Dash was chugging mug after mug confirmed his guess – it was definitely cider. He approached the pair, who noticed him coming and quickly ceased all conversation and eyed him cautiously.

“Uh, hi, guys,” Spike called as he trotted over. As he neared, he wondered why the two had immediately stopped talking the moment that they detected his presence.

“Howdy, Spike,” Applejack responded tersely. She was uncomfortable about something and was trying to not show it, but Spike noticed easily. Applejack was not known for her ability to keep secrets; being the embodiment of honesty had its drawbacks, and being unable to conceal things with the occasional white lie was definitely among the top of those drawbacks.

“Um… am I interrupting anything important?” He looked at Rainbow Dash and Applejack, hoping to glean at least some information from them.

Applejack’s mind raced furiously trying to come up with something plausible to tell the baby dragon that didn’t involve the speculations they had as to what Twilight and Derpy had been doing since they had left some hours ago. She was spared the difficulty of lying as she received a sharp kick under the table from Rainbow Dash, who gave her a slight shake of her head to send Applejack a clear signal. Don’t even try.

“Nah, nothin’ important.” Dash looked back over to Spike with a smile. “We were trying to come up with some more stuff we could do for our next Iron Pony competition. We just wanna keep ‘em a surprise for the main show.”

She looked over at Applejack, attempting to cue the farm pony to at least pretend the story was the truth. “Doesn’t matter what we come up with though, I’m still gonna wipe the floor with your flank.”

Applejack let out an indignant snort, half from an instant competitive reflex and half from how easily Dash was making this story believable; she had almost believed it for a moment, and she used that moment to fuel her own deceit. “Ya ain’t gonna wipe nothin’ ‘cept the mud off yer face after Ah whoop yer flank.” The idea of a repeat competition sparked her imagination enough to give authenticity to her challenge.

Spike was apparently convinced enough by the story, and he turned to Dash. “Well, whatever it is you come up with, remember I’m the best announcer. Unless you want Pinkie Pie commenting on how you stole pajamas from a cat or talking about fudge instead of whatever it is you come up with.” He rolled his eyes, recalling the confusion the pink enigma had inflicted on him the previous year.

He turned back to Rainbow Dash. “Anyway, I actually came to find you to ask you for those Daring Do books back. Twi wanted me to let you know they’re weeks overdue. I’ll just guess you don’t have them right now, so I’ll settle with giving the message so I can go home and crash.”

At this statement the ponies exchanged concerned glances. They weren’t sure what was going on in the library, but they had at least come to one conclusion: it would be much better to delay Spike more than risk scarring the poor dragon permanently. Rainbow Dash stumbled from the table over toward Spike as he was walking away.

“Hold up, Spike,” she said as she scrabbled over to the weary dragon. “I’ll forget again if I don’t give them to you now. C’mon back over, and I’ll get ‘em for ya.”

Spike let out a low groan, and he slumped a little at the news. A trek over to Dash’s would take at least fifteen minutes, and the pegasus showed no inclination to fly straight there and back for him. He began his dull trod with Rainbow Dash trotting up behind him.

Rainbow Dash gave a smirk that went unseen by the small purple reptile in front of her. She’d give him the books back of course, but only after delaying as long as possible while ‘looking’ for the books. Whatever it was that Twilight and Derpy were up to, she hoped the extra time spent assistant-less would be appreciated.

****************

It was mid-evening when Twilight stepped out of the bathroom, feeling refreshed after her brief shower. She spryly returned to the main room in the library to find Derpy waiting on the newly cleaned couch for her.

The unicorn’s pace diminished significantly when she entered.

Derpy was merely sitting with her back to Twilight looking around the library, though her gaze swept through the room slowly. Twilight surmised that the poor mare’s vision wouldn’t allow her to focus on anything quickly, and every sight the pegasus took required an extra amount of effort.

Twilight felt her heart sink with empathy at the realization of how much joy Derpy must be missing out on simply from watching the world as if through a blurred lens. She approached her friend with a look of compassion etched across her face.

Derpy heard her hoofsteps, though, and she turned toward Twilight, emanating an aura of pure joy that erased any concerns Twilight had. Derpy wasn’t frustrated with her problem; she had accepted it and moved on, and it lifted Twilight’s spirit to know that she was the reason that Derpy could finally find some happiness.

She sank onto the couch next to her partner, draping her forehooves around Derpy’s neck and giving her a small peck on the cheek. Derpy responded with a hug of her own, accompanied by a nuzzle to the unicorn’s ear. The pair embraced for a short period before separating enough to hold hooves and gaze blissfully at each other.

Twilight collected her courage to ask the question that had been lingering in her mind all through her cleaning of both the room and herself. “Derpy…” she hesitated and bit her lower lip, unsure of how to phrase the question.

Derpy watched her with an inquisitive look, waiting to hear what her marefriend had on her mind, before her own mind began giving her worries of her own.

“Twilight, is there something wrong?” Her face paled, drained of the blush as quickly as it had appeared. “Are you uncomfortable with… with being… this close to me?” She knew it was an irrational thought, but years of torment from everypony had a way of whittling away the pony’s confidence in herself. Of course, she must have come on too strong, too fast, and Twilight was thinking of the best way to let her know that a relationship between them couldn’t work.

“Would you like to stay here tonight?” Twilight managed to meekly pose the question, though barely. The heaviness in her chest rapidly lifted, however, as a glowing smile graced the pegasus’ face.

“Of course, I’d love to stay over. If you don’t mind, that is,” another blush crept onto Derpy’s ashen cheeks, and she stared at the floor again. She was flattered by the request, and her heart leapt at the idea of being able to spend the night with Twilight.

“But I am curious,” she continued, looking back up to the unicorn. “Why do you want me to stay here tonight?”

“Well,” Twilight responded thoughtfully, “we should consider the spell some more, although that may be best left to ourselves. In case you decide you want me to try, I should at least look over the scroll and transcribe it before trying to fully understand it. You may want to have some quiet and comfortable time to think it over. It is a very big decision, after all.”

Derpy simply nodded assent; she would definitely need to spend time thinking.

Twilight pressed on, “It may not be a bad idea to be able to talk with each other if we think of questions about it.” Derpy nodded again.

“We also need to figure out how to tell our friends about our… relationship.” Derpy blushed furiously at this acknowledgement; she had a special somepony, and what’s more this somepony wanted their relationship to grow strong and last.

“I want to make sure they know we are both committed to making this work, but I know that they will all have preconceived ideas about you,” Twilight sighed, “and I am very sorry for that, Derpy.”

“That’s okay, Twi. I’m used to it by now. Besides, Applejack and Rainbow Dash didn’t seem, well, angry with me…”

Twilight perked up, hearing that Derpy had been talking with Rainbow Dash and Applejack. It was a miracle Derpy had any courage left to show up at all if she had talked with them.

“Wait,” Twilight was piecing the afternoon together in her mind, “when did you see them?”

“Right before I came over, actually.” Derpy admitted. Twilight nodded; that explained her downcast look at the door. “They weren’t friendly, but they weren’t mean either. They seemed more like overprotective parents.” Derpy sighed. “They don’t want me getting you hurt, and I promised myself, as much as them, that I wouldn’t.”

Twilight frowned slightly, she didn’t like to see Derpy getting depressed like that, but it was a hurdle they would get through together now. The unicorn spoke up, “Well, we know that AJ and Dash are at least aware and somewhat okay with it then. Fluttershy would likely be embarrassed at most, but she’ll get over it, especially after getting to know the real you, not the one everyone pretends you are.” She gave the mare a loving smile.

“The only problem I can see with Rarity is how fast word will spread around Ponyville, but I don’t think it’ll be a problem.” Twilight rolled her eyes as she thought about rumors. “They’ll meet the real you soon enough, and if they point and giggle, that’s fine by me. I’ll take any grief they give me as long as I have you to hug at the end of the day.” Derpy practically shone with exuberance at that statement.

“Pinkie Pie should be easy to get along with. She’ll probably throw us a ‘new marefriends’ party or something.” She giggled at the thought until she caught sight of Derpy’s face, which had suddenly taken on a serious demeanor. “What’s wrong, Derpy? Was it something I said?”

Derpy shook her head, and smiled back before responding. “Just do me a favor if she wants to throw a ‘marefriend’ party. Ask her to please, please not make muffins.” She grimaced, while Twilight just looked confused. “I haven’t been able to even look at a muffin since her ‘baked bads’ batch without feeling like I’m going to be sick.”

Twilight thought back, a wide grin adorning her face as she recalled the incidents of that day. “Absolutely. No muffins whatsoever. Are worm cupcakes okay though?” She grinned at Derpy, and the mares broke out in a fit of giggles.

“As for Spike,” Twilight paused. “Well, I have no idea for Spike, but I’m sure everything will be fine. He’ll just need some explanations and time.”

A slight flush crept its way up Twilight’s face this time. “I do have one last reason for asking you over, and I suppose it’s the main reason, to be honest. I want to be able to spend the night together, snuggled up next to you under the blankets.” She smiled, her cheeks reddening even more at the confession. Derpy only nodded, but Twilight could see the spark that had lit in the pegasus’ eyes.

Twilight leaned forward, tugging slightly on Derpy’s head, their lips pressing together in a deep kiss; not of passion, but of tenderness and care. There was an absolute silence through the library, but it was welcome. There were no distractions; for each pony, the world ceased to exist with the sole exception of the two mares. The moment was magnificent but short, as it shattered when Spike backed in through the door, pulling his wagon full of loot.

13. Lasting Comfort

Chapter 13 – Lasting Comfort

“Hey Twi! I got your stuff! Took forever for Dash to find her books though – I swear she was trying to waste my time, but I got them anyw… Huh?” Spike turned, and froze at the sight that assaulted his eyes.

It was very lucky for Spike that Rainbow Dash took over an hour to retrieve the books. If she hadn’t, he would have been exposed to a very intimate scene that no doubt would have left him heaving and retching on the floor. However, the sight was still enough to trigger a small gag reflex as he watched his lifetime friend quickly removing her tongue from Derpy’s mouth in response to the intrusion.

Crimson filled the cheeks of the mares, caught in a situation they were certainly unprepared for. Twilight’s mind raced furiously, trying to come up with an adequate explanation that would clarify everything for the dragon, but her inclination to overanalyze even the slightest idea was rendering her completely mute. Every thought she had would only have confused Spike more, and she found herself only able to stare back at him with the same frozen expression he had.

Surprisingly, it was Derpy who made the first move, rising from the couch and walking slowly over to the faux statue in the doorway. She drooped her head slightly, knowing she had caused a very awkward moment between Spike and Twilight. Being the source of any kind of discord was a feeling to which she had become accustomed, and asking forgiveness was now second nature for the poor pegasus.

She came close to Spike and knelt down to the floor, allowing her to look the dragon in the eye. Her face expressed concern and regret, and her voice was soft and apologetic.

“Spike, I’m sorry we startled you like that… I don’t know exactly what to say that can make it less strange for you, but the truth is that I’ve come to love Twilight, and I think it’s safe to say she feels the same.”

She looked back to Twilight who merely nodded, still flushed, though her expression had changed from frozen shame to astonishment at how easily Derpy was handling the situation. Derpy turned back to the dragon, who was obviously struggling to comprehend what was going on.

“I’ll be staying here tonight to talk things over with Twi, and I’m sure I’ll be over here a lot more from now on. I understand if this upsets you, and if you are angry at me for it I won’t have a problem with it. Just please, don’t be angry at Twilight because of me.” She gave him a sincere look of regret, and the only fear she had was that she may have caused a rift between the two friends.

Spike looked from Derpy to Twilight, then back to Derpy, slowly processing what he had heard. It was certainly a lot to take in, and he wasn’t sure he understood what had been said. Then he realized what was going on – he felt the same around Rarity. Twilight and Derpy both felt the same way, but much stronger.

It came as a blow to him, but not for the reasons that Derpy and Twilight were afraid of. He wasn’t concerned about mushy love, that Twilight had come to love a mare, or even that the mare was the clumsy gray pegasus in front of him.

He merely wasn’t able to fathom Twilight ever having feelings like that. The unicorn was nothing but a flurry of study and science, and the realization that she could feel the same as he did with Rarity nearly made his brain pop. However, instead of popping, it simply shut down completely. Spike’s vision became blurry, and he saw fuzzy images of Twilight and Derpy in front of him just before he passed out cold.

****************

Spike awoke in bed a short while later to find Twilight hovering over him. He gave a weak smile and managed a feeble “Hey Twi… Sorry for passing out on you.”

“No, you don’t have any reason to be sorry, though I definitely do. Spike, we shouldn’t have shocked you like that – I guess our feelings built fairly quickly, and we hadn’t realized how we really felt about each other until today. Are you alright?”

Spike gradually rose to his feet, still recovering from his impromptu nap, though he still could recognize the double meaning in Twilight’s question. He nodded in response to both. “I feel fine, Twi, and I’m okay with you and Derpy, too.”

Twilight’s jaw literally dropped at that; she had been expecting a flurry of questions and protests.

Spike shrugged. “I don’t know what brought that on with you guys, but it is what it is. I still don’t really get what’s happened between you two, but I’m not sure it’s something I want to get into anyway. Even if I didn’t like it, it’s not like I could change your mind. Once you get set on something there’s never any turning back.”

He grinned widely. “What floored me is that you actually fell in love at all. I didn’t think you would ever be interested in anything that wasn’t a book.”

Twilight began to protest the jab at her capacity for emotion, but she stopped herself. Deep down, she knew that Spike was right. Up until her meeting with Derpy, romance was the lowest thing on her priority list, if she could even say it was on her list at all. She smiled at Spike and nodded.

“You’re absolutely right, Spike. I’m actually a bit stunned myself, but I’m really happy the way this all has worked out. Thank you for supporting us like this, though I should have expected it. You do know me better than anypony else, after all.”

Spike swelled with pride when Twilight acknowledged his insight in how she thought and how much trust she had in him. He still had two nagging questions that he did want to know the answer to though, and it would be better to get them out of the way now when Twilight was in an understanding and happy mood.

“What were you studying so much earlier today anyway? I saw that pile of books when I woke up – you have to have been up all night reading.” He paused, wondering if he should bring it up, and decided he had nothing to lose by making the comment.

“By the way, whatever it was you spilled on the floor last night, you’re cleaning it up next time. It took forever to get out and made the whole library smell funky.” He folded his arms crossly.

An embarrassed look crept along Twilight’s face at that comment, and she looked away quickly, blushing furiously. Spike felt ashamed for being so abrasive toward his friend on the subject, and he speedily revised his statement.

“I mean, just be careful next time, okay? Please? It was really hard to clean up.”

Twilight meekly looked back at him, the blush draining slightly, though she was obviously still uncomfortable.

“You have my word, Spike. You’ll never have to do that ever again, and I’m sorry I left it for you to take care of in the first place. It was inconsiderate and rude of me, especially after leaving the books in such a mess as well as that list of chores. I should have at least left you a note to not worry about cleaning it up and to let you know where I was.”

Twilight looked regretfully at the baby dragon, feeling horrible for what she had put him through. “I definitely owe you for everything you’ve done today. Would a week free of chores make up for it?” She smiled weakly.

Spike’s face lit up at that offer, and he nodded eagerly, relishing the thought of a full week of vacation time coming his way.

“Anyway, I still haven’t really answered your question,” Twilight returned to the previous topic, happy to have made it through that conversation without having to explain any more. “I was looking for spells that could possibly help Derpy’s eyes again. It would make her life so much easier and pleasant if her sight was more normal, and I realized last night that I had given up too quickly. I couldn’t find anything in the books here, so this morning I went back to the Canterlot Archives to look for anything I might have missed the first time I went – that’s where I’ve been all day.”

“Good enough for me. I kinda figured you were on a studying craze from the pile on the floor, I just wasn’t sure what it was about.” Spike wasn’t sure if he should continue, but his second question kept bothering him, and it wouldn’t just go away on its own.

“So, why exactly is Derpy staying here tonight anyway?” He looked at the unicorn expectantly. Twilight looked almost relieved that the question wasn’t anything more prying, and the fact she had just told him about the spell made the answer much simpler.

“Well, of course I want to spend more time with Derpy…” Spike rolled his eyes but let Twilight continue, “but it turns out the spell is risky and the scroll it’s on is badly damaged. I have to copy it over word for word to be able to study it well enough to not endanger her. She’s staying so she can ask any questions that might help her choice on whether to use it or not. In addition, if I find out more information while I’m studying the spell, I can let her know about it.”

Spike nodded; that made enough sense to him. Twilight mentally thanked him for keeping the question to the point and not pressing farther. She knew he could easily make her very uncomfortable if he questioned much more in depth than that.

“Guess that means I’m off to fetch you some quills and parchment, then,” Spike gave a grin and hopped out of his bed. “I’ll grab them and put them in your study for you.” Spike smirked a little. “Then I’m taking advantage of my vacation and going to bed. Today has been long enough for me.”

Twilight gave a giggle and rubbed Spike’s head with her hoof. “That sounds fine to me. Thanks, Spike.”

****************

Derpy lay on the couch with her eyes closed, listening to the sound of Twilight scribbling away at her desk, writing furiously, making notes, sounding out sentences she could hardly read, and muttering about the dismal condition of the scroll. She felt a fair amount of guilt for causing her friend so much consternation, but those feelings were somewhat allayed by the knowledge that Twilight’s obsession with research was her natural response to anything unfamiliar.

She opened her eyes, letting them adjust to their usual abnormal state, if you could really call it adjusting. Misadjusting might be the better term, her thoughts whispered. Her own mind poked fun at her, taking joy in tearing her down when others weren’t around to do so. She attempted to repress the thoughts, but was rather unsuccessful as her maladjusted psyche continued to float taunts and jeers at her.

She sighed in resignation; it would take a very long time to break herself of her self-abusive habit. She slowly let her eyes close again. The darkness didn’t shut out the illusory voices, but the absence of her skewed vision did allow her to concentrate better, and that was what she needed right now. There was a chance that her vision could be improved, and she had to make the very difficult decision of whether she should accept the risk accompanying that chance.

Her unconscious tormentor, realizing that its mockery was being ignored, decided to assault her with memory next. Like a projector against her eyelids, she saw herself the first and last time Twilight had cast a spell on her, as well as the majority of Ponyville. She viewed her hooves locked against the mayor, fighting furiously over a scraggly looking doll.

The sadist in charge of the mental projector took the opportunity to send up a contemptuous wave of fleeting desire for the doll, just to remind her of the havoc Twilight’s magic could render. It then conjured up her memory of Twilight that day; a crazed look on her face, teetering on the edge of pure dementia, her ears twitching, and her eyes unfocused – just like yours, the voice hissed.

Then the voice was silenced instantly as she noticed forehooves being wrapped around her neck, and her eyes blinked open in confusion to see a blur of lavender above her. She became aware that her face and mane were wet; she had been crying through the torturous show her mind had put her through and she hadn’t even known it. Yet Twilight was there, looking over her with concern and her brow creased with worry.

“Derpy, are you alright?” Twilight hugged her close, not sure what her ashen friend was upset over, but convinced all the same that providing a shoulder to cry on would be the correct solution for whatever the problem was.

Derpy dove forward into her friend, throwing her own hooves around the unicorn and burying her muzzle in the sapphire and purple mane, releasing her pent up anxieties, fears, and anguish through sobs into Twilight’s soft coat. Twilight was there to help, to comfort, to support. Regardless of what her mind said to diminish her self-worth, Twilight was there to build it up again, the calm answer to her inner storm.

Her tears subsided somewhat, and she felt the despair drain away, but she continued to silently cling to the unicorn, unwilling to let her go as though she may evaporate away if she did. She felt a hoof stroking her mane as they sat on the floor, and a quiet tranquility crept over her. Derpy slowly released Twilight, looking back up to the unicorn’s face through the distortion of her tears and mismatched eyes.

The worry etched into Twilight’s face was still apparent, and she knew she had to strengthen herself enough to put the unicorn’s fear to rest. Her crying fits had fully halted, and she blinked back her remaining tears as she managed a smile. Twilight’s features softened, and Derpy felt a sense of serenity cover them.

“I’m alright now, Twi. I’m sorry; I was thinking about what to do, and my mind just… I guess it just tried to convince me that I was some aberration beyond help, and I was starting to believe it. But… then you came.” She smiled again, but now her smile was much stronger than before. “I think… I’ve made my decision.”

Twilight seemed startled to hear that; she had expected discussion about the risks, the benefits, what could possibly go wrong. She wasn’t sure she understood what just happened, and she could only manage a stunned, “What? How?”

Derpy laid her head against Twilight’s shoulder again, and prodded her in the chest with a hoof. “Just because of you.”

She saw the confusion on the unicorn’s face, but just smiled peacefully. “I’ve always had problems with mockery, but that wasn’t as bad as when other ponies weren’t around to call me names or make fun of me – somehow I’d manage to do it for them. That’s what just happened. I’ve never been able to deal with it before. This is the first time that it stopped. It stopped because you were here.”

Twilight watched the mare in awe; she still wasn’t following the logic of how this helped the decision, but it put her at ease to see Derpy openly dealing with her fears.

“Twi, I want you to go ahead with the spell when you’re ready, but not because I want my eyes fixed. Whether they get better or worse doesn’t feel as important to me as being with you, and a large part of a relationship is trust. I trust you Twi – you are here, willing to help me with all you can. If the spell is a success or failure, I trust that you’ll still be there, and as long as you are, my insecurities won’t be able to get to me.”

Twilight just stared at Derpy for a moment, trying to collect her own thoughts. She had been in full study mode, and she was fully aware that when she was in that trance, nothing could break her out of it. The last time she was this deep in thought it had taken Spike five minutes straight of poking her with a fork to snap her out of it. All it had taken to break her concentration tonight was a small whimper from Derpy on the couch.

She slowly nodded as it began to make sense to her as well. It wasn’t about the spell any more, though she was definitely going to try, and try her best. She was still frightened of failure and of hurting her friend, but she knew Derpy was right. They needed each other, and whether things went right or wrong, they would stay together. That was what mattered.

Twilight gave Derpy a tight squeeze and a wide smile before getting back up from the floor. “I think I understand what you mean, Derpy. Thank you, for trusting me with something like this.” Derpy nodded and settled herself back on the couch.

Twilight looked at her affectionately for a moment before turning back to her desk. “I’m going to do my best to make sure I get this right. I still may not, but I’m going to try, and it makes me happy knowing that you’re alright with it either way. You go ahead and get some rest. I’ve got some studying to finish.”

Derpy nodded, lying back against a pillow as she allowed her eyes to drift to sleep. She heard the scribbling and muttering resume, but somehow it was a comfort to her. No thoughts of catastrophe pervaded her mind as she drifted off to sleep, listening to Twilight work.

She slowly awoke to rays of sunshine filtering through the room, tracing warmth across her body as they moved. She stretched, and noticed that she was not sleeping on the couch anymore; at some point she had been moved to Twilight’s room, and was resting comfortably in her bed.

The question of how she got there didn’t concern her; she reveled in the fact that she was in her marefriend’s bed. She lay back down in bliss and let out a small, but happy, sigh, drinking in the scent of Twilight that permeated the pillows and blankets. As if on cue, something shifted under the covers next to her, and Twilight pushed the blankets out of the way so she could snuggle closer to the mare sharing her bed.

They both lazily closed their eyes again, resting in each other’s forehooves, Derpy’s muzzle underneath Twilight’s chin, buried in the soft fur of her coat, while Twilight placed her muzzle across the top of Derpy’s head, breathing in the scent of her mane. The intoxicating embrace continued as the mare’s drifted back to sleep, nestled in each other’s arms, savoring the Saturday morning in the best way they could imagine.

****************

At length, Derpy removed herself from bed, much to Twilight’s dismay. The unicorn weakly searched for her marefriend by running her hooves through the bed, still half asleep and eyes fully closed. Derpy watched with fondness as Twilight’s fruitless search slowed to a stop and she fell back asleep.

She must have been up late last night, Derpy thought. She wanted to feel guilty for making the unicorn stay up so late on her account, but a look back at Twilight sleeping soundly on the bed reminded her that nopony made the unicorn stay up. She chose to, because she cared enough about a certain ashen special somepony to worry about the time. Some rustling downstairs reminded her that they were not the only residents in the library, and she headed downstairs to tell Spike good morning.

The baby dragon was lounging around the library, taking full advantage of his newfound freedom, though he had gone nowhere close to any of Twilight’s notes from the night before. Derpy approached the desk, and almost laughed at the sight. Apparently before turning in for the night and bringing Derpy upstairs with her, Twilight had cleared a massive spot on the desk and left a comically large piece of parchment. Printed on the parchment were words written in a fatigued scrawl – SPIKE. IF YOU TOUCH ANY OF THIS, SO HELP ME CELESTIA, YOU WILL NEVER EAT ANOTHER GEMSTONE FOR AS LONG AS YOU LIVE. Love you though, Twi.

Spike cast a sideward glance at the pegasus. “Morning, Derpy!” He noticed the look on her face and where she was, and gave a smirk of his own. “Yeah, I’m not looking to get punished for doing work, especially when I don’t have to, so I’m not getting anywhere near that mess. Are you guys going to try that spell out this morning?”

Derpy shrugged. “I really don’t know. It depends on how successful Twi was at deciphering and learning, as well as how comfortable she is with casting the spell, and we’re not going to learn that until she wakes up.”

She glanced back up the stairs. “I’m not going to wake her up. She can sleep in, she deserves the break.”

“She doesn’t really like sleeping in, but I’m with you on that,” Spike agreed. “I think she was up almost all night just working on that one scroll, so I’m sure she’s tired.” He shuddered. “Trust me, you DON’T wanna wake her up when she’s extra tired.”

Derpy gave him an inquisitive look, but didn’t press farther; she was sure she’d find out herself sooner or later, regardless. What was more pressing right now, though, was getting some food ready. She grimaced, remembering her limited menu of things that make.

“Spike, does Twi like scrambled eggs?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, she likes those. Are you gonna make breakfast?” He looked at her like she had spoken in a foreign language for a moment. “I usually do all the cooking around here,” he said, looking slightly out of place at the idea of somepony else volunteering to do something that was normally one of his chores.

Derpy shuffled her hooves a little, poking at the floor with one of them. “I’m not exactly the best cook, but I’d like to make Twi breakfast. All I can usually make is scrambled eggs though. My coordination in the kitchen isn’t the best.”

Spike thought about the idea for a moment. Twilight would definitely appreciate the thought, but nothing but eggs for breakfast sounded pretty boring. He had been looking forward to seeing Twilight attempt to make her own breakfast for once, but seeing Derpy so eager to please caused him to mull over the prospect of breaking his no-work policy. Reaching a decision, he trotted over to her side.

“Would you like some help cooking breakfast?” he asked. Derpy smiled at the offer and gave him a nod.

“That would be great, Spike. I’m sure it would be much better if you helped, you know what foods she likes more than I do, and I’m betting that you know how to make more food than just eggs.”

“Sounds good to me, then. I’ll get some coffee and pancakes started.” He gave her a genuine friendly smile. “You’ve got free reign over the eggs today.” Spike started heading toward the kitchen immediately with Derpy trailing behind him. Cooking was a lot of work, but he hadn't had much else planned for the day, and having somepony around with him made it feel like it would be less of a chore.

****************

Twilight woke from a peaceful night, though her sleeping had not come until early morning. She stretched her hooves, recalling her study session the previous night. She had successfully copied the spell from the scroll, though it was difficult to read through some of the smudges and smears that time had left on it. She was confident it was transcribed perfectly, down to every side note left by authors and practitioners from an unknown time.

There were several places in which she had been unsure, but she pored over each spot, noting every mark she could find. Once she had transcribed the full spell, she had gone over the instructions, noting that the syntax of every direction and footnote made sense. It was this that confirmed her confidence; if she had missed any part of the spell, even by one letter, the directions would have not made sense at some point, but that was not an issue.

She had gone to bed happy, carefully levitating Derpy off the couch and up to the bedroom, gently placing her on the bed before blissfully climbing in herself, snuggling up to the mare and enjoying the warmth they shared. She had placed a hoof across Derpy’s chest and took delight as a pleased murmur came from the gray pony. She had fallen asleep to the feeling of her hoof rising and falling with the pegasus’ breathing, and the rest had been deep and refreshing.

She was brought back to the moment as the smell of breakfast came snaking its way up to her room, and she smiled as she heard Spike and Derpy chatting about cooking. It seemed that Derpy was trying to learn some culinary tips from her number one assistant, which meant she was probably trying to help cook breakfast. She came down the stairs just as Spike and Derpy were finishing with the last of the place settings.

Spike and Derpy had worked hard to make a wonderful breakfast; Derpy had worked out of appreciation and affection for Twilight, and Spike had, for lack of better reason, worked out of habit mixed with a desire to get on Twilight’s good side in hopes of extending his vacation from one week to two.

Regardless of the motivation, breakfast went well for the trio. There wasn’t an overabundance of food, and it was by no means a gourmet meal, but for Twilight it was the best meal she had ever eaten. It was her first breakfast prepared by her marefriend, and she savored every bite as though it was a gift. Derpy would have been delighted to have received a grade of ‘noteworthy effort’ for creating a meal consisting of something other than scrambled eggs, but Twilight had enjoyed it thoroughly enough to make Derpy feel as though she were a professional chef for the morning.

Aside from the emotional investment put into it, breakfast was pleasant yet uneventful. The majority of the meal was idle chat and updates on progress. Twilight had informed Derpy of her research into the spell and explained how Derpy had ended up in the bedroom after falling asleep on the couch, and Derpy responded with cheerful descriptions of the lessons she received from Spike.

Spike just sat at the table eating and wondering if every morning would be filled with inane banter now; truthfully, he had become accustomed to eating quickly and silently as Twilight would virtually inhale the food and dash off to study something. Eventually the meal finished, and Spike went about his normal job of cleaning the kitchen and doing dishes, having given up his hope for additional time off while Twilight and Derpy made their way to the library’s central room.

****************

“So, this won’t hurt, will it?” Derpy looked toward Twilight uncertainly.

They had decided that now would be as good a time as any to perform the first of what would hopefully be multiple castings of Twilight’s spell. Despite their mutual trust they of course were still nervous regarding the procedure. Twilight was focusing on getting everything just right, and was reviewing the spell that she had committed to memory the night before.

Derpy was just anxious to see what would come of it and hoping that whatever happened it didn’t hurt. Unfortunately for her, the spell did not go into details on what the patient could expect in terms of comfort. She watched Twilight going over her transcribed parchment for what must have been the tenth time and noticed that the unicorn’s ear gave a nervous twitch on occasion. The sight did not help put Derpy at ease.

Nonetheless, she was still resolute in her decision. Twilight would cast, she would stand still, and they would both hope everything turned out like it was supposed to. Looking toward the desk, she noticed Twilight had gathered her instructional scroll and was on her way over toward the pegasus. She felt a knot tie in her stomach, but she was determined to go through with it.

Twilight noticed the grim look the mare had taken and tried to steady herself as well. Her mind had been asking her ‘what if’ questions the entire morning, but she knew that falling to nerves would be even more counterproductive than just stopping the entire business altogether. If it were stopped it could be started again, but if it were stopped because of fear, they would lose the courage to try at all. They had to do this, and they had to do this now.

“Spike!” she called, “I want you in here while this happens. Just in case something… happens… when we’re casting this spell, I’ll need you to help.” Spike hurried into the room and sat at a table, becoming stony and silent as Twilight explained “I need you to not allow any distractions in the least. We need absolute silence.” The dragon nodded.

Derpy looked at Twilight and steeled herself, then closed her eyes and gave a small nod. The unicorn took the signal, and slowly approached, reminding Derpy of her role in the spell – she was to move as little as possible, keep her eyes shut, and stay silent. Twilight had promised to tell her when it was over, though it likely wouldn’t be necessary.

“Alright, I’m going to start in a moment, Derpy. Unless it’s unbearable, try not to move or say anything. Once this starts, it’d be worse to stop in the middle than to see it through to the end.”

Derpy gave one more small nod, and then resumed her iron stance.

Twilight approached, making sure to follow the directions to the letter. Positioning – muzzle to muzzle, then one step backward – check. Hooves planted firmly on the ground – check. Tip of horn not touching forehead of patient – check. Eyes open and focused directly on patient’s eyes – check. All that was left was the spell itself.

The unicorn concentrated, feeling the magic flow slowly through her horn. Speed was to be kept to a minimum to avoid sudden changes. An arc formed between the two, connecting Twilight’s horn directly with Derpy’s forehead, surrounding her eyes with a purple glow as the unicorn concentrated on the magical exchange taking place.

Derpy felt the magic the moment the arc touched her forehead. It was uncomfortable, but not painful. There was an odd sensation in her eyes, and then the sensation intensified, feeling as though her eyes were being pulled, and it almost seemed as if her eyes were burning. The sensations lasted only a few seconds before they began to ebb, and after a minute all feeling of discomfort was gone.

She felt the magic arc leave her forehead, and inwardly sighed at the relief. The anticipated yet feared event was over, and she at least wasn’t in pain. She felt no pressure on her eyes, and it did not feel as though any damage had been done. She did well. I knew she would.

Twilight’s voice broke through her concentration, sounding small though she was still only inches in front of the pegasus’ face, announcing somewhat shakily, “Okay, Derpy. The spell is finished. You can move and open your eyes now."

Derpy permitted her muscles to relax, and allowed her eyes to slowly open. She and Twilight stood face to face, gazing straight ahead, each pony standing motionless with a blank stare on her face.

14. Aftermath

Chapter 14 – Aftermath

Twilight Sparkle’s eye and ears began to twitch simultaneously. Her shoulders slumped, and her horn burned almost painfully as its glow subsided. It felt as if she was in complete shutdown following the casting of the spell. She was exhausted from the exertion and concentration, but there was a more important reason for her nervous twitch and physical dysfunction than mere exhaustion. She had failed to cast her spell correctly.

She stared forward, looking at her marefriend; Derpy stood statically, still facing Twilight with the blank look adorning her face. Derpy’s eyes had been intended to focus to the center, the pupils tugged toward a more normal alignment. Her stare, however, was literally blank – instead of the intended result, Twilight found herself looking directly into two featureless eyes, devoid of irises and pupils completely. She had not improved Derpy’s vision – she had erased it.

“Twilight? Did the room turn dark for some reason?”

Derpy tried to look around for her friend, but found only darkness, and the inky black confused her. It had been morning a moment ago, but now all she could see was black pitch. She reached forward in the darkness, expecting to not meet anything with her hoof; there was, as far as she could tell, nothing there. She gave a slight gasp of shock when she almost immediately touched Twilight’s breastbone, as the unicorn was still standing directly in front of her.

Twilight was only able to respond with incoherent and distraught mumbling, disconcerting the pegasus even more.

Twilight found a moment of clarity in her haze of thought and barked an order. “Spike! Go get all of our friends. NOW!” The dragon gave a start; sitting toward the side he did not know what had happened, but Twilight’s frantic tone and her twitching facial features did not bode well.

Without a single question, he bolted out of the library, embarking on the grimmest scavenger hunt he had ever had the displeasure of being involved in. Without thought, he went where his footsteps took him – toward Sweet Apple Acres in hopes that Applejack would be there with Rainbow Dash.

Twilight watched Spike’s receding form for a moment before turning back to Derpy. She owed the pegasus as much of an explanation as she could figure out, though at the moment that wasn’t much. She attempted to steady her voice but failed, the words coming out cracked and weak.

“Derpy, your eyes… I… something didn’t go right… I don’t know what happened… Your eyes, they’re still there, but they look… like I erased them.” Twilight broke down in tears.

Derpy stood there for a moment while comprehension took hold. She tried blinking, closing and opening her eyes slowly, rubbing at them with her hooves, and everything felt as though it was normal. She just could not see anything, and the horrifying realization finally took hold. Twilight’s magic had blinded her.

Her head swam for a moment, unable to grasp the torrent of emotions that cascaded through her mind. She was frightened by the blindness, dejected that the spell didn’t work, nervous of what the future would be like, and empathetic toward the unicorn who was so distraught by her own failure.

She took a deep breath in to attempt to clear her head and thought back to the previous night, and doing so gave her a sense of calm amid the chaos. She still firmly stood by her statement; she would not be frightened by the outcome. She had Twilight with her and that reassured her regardless of her sight. The spell had not worked, but that did not mean she was doomed forever. Twilight may come across another spell to help mend the previous one.

The future would come regardless of what she thought of it, and she had always been miserable up until this week. Meeting Twilight had given her hope for the future, and she still had that hope, with or without sight. Ultimately, Derpy decided that right now worrying or being afraid would change nothing. The one thing she could do was comfort her friend.

Twilight had collapsed in a heap, her mind reeling and tears flowing freely from her eyes for the damage she had done to her friend. She felt a hoof graze past her head before returning, then felt it slide from her head down to her shoulder. She looked up to see Derpy’s vacant eyes.

The mare’s coordination almost seemed clarified by the darkness; without the conflicting visual input she was able to pick out directions and sounds much more easily than before. The pegasus turned her head down to where the noises were coming from and sank to the floor, using her hooves to guide her towards Twilight’s neck and then pulling her into a hug.

Twilight was approaching hysteria, but the only way Derpy would be able to tell was through the sound of her voice. Twilight had become a nervous wreck of twitching and paranoid glances around the room. She threw herself into the calming forehooves being offered to her, and she sobbed into Derpy’s mane.

“I’m sorry… I’m so, so sorry, Derpy. I don’t know what went wrong, I went over the spell so many times that I was sure I had it right…” Twilight made a choking sound through her cries as she was once again swept with guilt.

“Shh,” Derpy tried to calm Twilight down and gave her a loving smile, hoping Twilight had seen it. “It’s okay, Twi. Remember what I said last night? You’re more important to me than anything else. I’m not angry or hurt – I just want you to be okay, too.”

She gave the unicorn another tight squeeze, and another thought occurred to her that could be reassuring for them both.

“Remember what you said about the spell? It’s not supposed to be permanent right away… maybe the mistake was small enough that it only affected my sight temporarily. There may be no reason for concern at all right now. Maybe it will just go away on its own.” She felt Twilight shift at that, and the sounds of crying lessened slightly.

“We knew the risks, we’ll work through this together, and maybe we can find out what went wrong. Please, just don’t sit blaming yourself for this, okay?” She gave Twilight another smile, and heard the crying die down to strong sniffles.

Twilight couldn’t comprehend how Derpy was managing to stay so calm, but she was at least becoming a bit more composed by the pegasus’ reassurances, though her twitches still remained. She nodded into the mare’s mane, and hugged her back, both mares falling into silence broken only by the occasional sniffle still plaguing Twilight.

****************

Spike had been successful in finding Rainbow Dash and Applejack at the farm, and he was extremely relieved at that. They eyed him suspiciously as he raced toward them at breakneck speed, a grim yet frightened look painted on his face. He came to a halt in front of them, panting deeply from overexertion, but still trying to deliver his message. Instead, the only sound emanating from him was a ragged wheeze.

“What in tarnation’s got into ya Spike?” Applejack demanded, half out of concern and half out of frustration at the dragon’s panicked arrival. “Calm down a sec, get a holda yerself, ‘n then tell us what in Equestria gotcha so riled up.”

Spike’s wheezing lessened to a point where he was at least able to deliver the bare idea of the message between gasps. “Something happened at the library with Twilight and Derpy. I don’t know what happened, but Twilight was casting a spell, and next thing I knew she was twitching and panicking and yelling at me to come get all of you guys.”

AJ and Dash exchanged equally reproachful looks. Derpy. They didn’t know the details but they were sure they didn’t have to. Twilight was having a signature ‘Twilight Meltdown’, and it involved Derpy. That was all the information they needed – the pegasus screwed something up for Twilight, and screwed it up badly.

“AJ, you take Spike back to the library. I’ll go round everypony else up.” Rainbow Dash took to the air in a flash, and Spike let out a relieved sigh. That was a lot less work and frantic running he had to do.

He felt a yank as Applejack grabbed him and flipped him onto her back before she sprinted off toward the towering tree.

As Spike clung to her tightly to keep from falling off, one thought played through the farmpony’s mind. If Derpy got Twi hurt, so help me Celestia, she ain’t gonna be flyin’ fer months after Ah’m done with ‘er.

The tree loomed into view, and as they got closer Applejack could distinctly hear the sound of Twilight’s crying, though much less intense now in volume and frequency, coming from inside. Her face flushed with rage, crimson burning her cheeks, and her mind spoke to her body with full wrath.

Whoa Nelly! She is gonna be gettin’ her flank whooped somethin’ fierce.

****************

Twilight was finally calming down, much to Derpy’s relief, and the quiet that had fallen was welcome. The unicorn had begun to think about the reassurances that Derpy had given her, and though she still felt incredible guilt she knew that Derpy was not upset with either her or the situation in general.

She was still impressed by the way the pegasus had adapted to dealing with pain, shame, and disappointment. Derpy had been through so much in her life that, since Twilight had given her acceptance, nothing seemed to bother her aside from her own lingering insecurities.

She hugged the pegasus tightly as her mind began racing; moments before she had been in complete mental turmoil, but now Derpy had given her enough peace of mind that the only thing left of her breakdown were residual tears and sniffs. Within her thoughts, however, she was already reverting to her tendency to analyze.

Twilight was quite certain that Derpy was right about the effect of the spell. They couldn’t be absolutely sure, but it was very likely that the effect would be only temporary given that the nature of the spell required constant repetition even if it had been cast perfectly.

It only made sense that a mistake would result in a different physiological change rather than a change in the spell’s duration, since bodily change was the focus of the magic. She had already resolved to check and recheck what had gone wrong as soon as their immediate emotional reactions had soothed.

Her thoughts were interrupted sharply though, as the door behind Derpy swung open violently, revealing a much redder version of Applejack than she was used to, with Spike sitting on her back. Twilight saw the mare look at her, concern showing in her face before an intense fire ignited in her eyes.

She quickly saw what was going through Applejack’s mind. Twilight was disheveled, crumpled on the floor with tearstained cheeks, and the farmpony had already come to a conclusion about what the problem must have been. Her insight was proven almost instantly as the mare’s gaze locked onto the back of the pegasus in Twilights hooves.

“Derpy, what in Celestia’s name did you do to Twi?” Applejack demanded, a ferocity in her voice that could easily give anypony nightmares for weeks. “You promised us you weren’t gonna get her hurt at –“

Applejack’s tirade halted abruptly as Derpy turned to the sound behind her, freezing the farmpony’s blood at the sight. She stared directly into the blank eyes adorning the forlorn face of the pegasus. Her mouth dropped open in shock, and all the anger coloring her face drained from vermilion to pale orange.

Applejack’s voice dropped from a bellow to an almost inaudible whisper. “Girl, what in the hay happened in here?”

Derpy couldn’t see the changes that came over Applejack, but she could hear the change in voice. It relieved her to know that Applejack had dropped her accusatory perception and was now open to listening. Her response was gentle but remorseful.

“Twilight was working on a spell to help mend my vision, but it didn’t quite go as well as we hoped.” She gave a small sigh. “I’m sorry, Applejack. I know I promised not to hurt Twilight. I guess I couldn’t keep my promise after all.”

Derpy closed her eyes in regret and turned back to lay her head on Twilight’s shoulder, giving the unicorn another squeeze, though this hug was meant more as apology than a comfort.

Applejack winced at the sadness in the pegasus’ voice, and she felt awful to know that her outburst had likely contributed to making the situation worse. She felt Spike hop off her back as she slowly walked into the room and up to Derpy. Tentatively, she placed a hoof on the mare’s shoulder and her stomach tied into a knot when the pegasus instinctively flinched, as though she was expecting a punishment of some sort.

“No, Derpy, Ah’m the one that’s sorry. Ah assumed ya messed somethin’ up when Ah shouldn’t have, an’ Ah can tell it ain’t yer fault. If anythin’ was outta line in here, it was me for blamin’ ya without any idea what happened.” Her head drooped a little out of shame for her hasty actions. She turned to look at Twilight, who sat stunned at the conversation between her longtime friend and her marefriend.

“You doin’ okay, Sugarcube?” Applejack looked to in her in hope that Twilight had not taken the accident too harshly, or that the unicorn resented her brash behavior. She looked relieved as Twilight nodded back slightly.

“I’m okay, AJ,” she replied quietly. “I just got a bit… emotional, for a while. I think I’m feeling better now. Derpy helped me calm down and collect my thoughts. It still seems a bit surreal, but I think we’ll be alright.”

Twilight turned to Spike. “Are the others on their way? I thought you were going to get everypony.”

Spike gave a slight nod. “Rainbow Dash was with Applejack when I got there. She went to round up everypony else. I’ll bet they’re on their way now.”

Applejack’s eyes went wide at this thought, and she quickly turned toward the door. “Ah’m gonna go out and see if Ah can explain what’s goin’ on to them before they all get in here.”

She reddened a bit again, slightly ashamed to admit this in front of Derpy. “Ah’d wager that Dash is gonna be thinkin’ just like Ah was when Ah got here. Ah reckon y’all need some time together alone after all of this.” She nudged Spike to emphasize ‘alone’; he got the hint and followed her to the door.

“Thanks, Applejack.” Twilight smiled weakly at her. “I think that’s exactly what we need right now.”

As the door closed behind the farmpony, she returned her muzzle to Derpy and gave her a peck on the cheek. “Thank you, Derpy. I promise I’ll make this right again – just give me some time.”

Derpy gave her a kiss back, nuzzling at her ear. “I know you will. I still trust you just as much as ever.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much. I love you, Derpy.”

“Love you too, Twi.”

15. Shattering Expectations

Chapter 15 – Shattering Expectations

Applejack and Spike did not need to wait long before their friends began showing up one by one. They honestly were not sure why they were there other than something happened involving Twilight and she needed their help. Rainbow Dash had been very vague with the details, mostly due to the fact that she didn’t know much more about what was going on than any of the others.

Rarity arrived first, looking concerned yet confused by the interruption at her boutique. She had been hesitant to leave her work for what may have been as mundane a task as helping pick up books, but Rainbow Dash had been so insistent that she had reached the conclusion it must be something worthy of at least minor crisis status.

Pinkie Pie showed up only moments later in typical Pinkie Pie fashion, randomly hopping out of nowhere and running toward her friends, looking oddly happy considering the urgency of the meeting. It turned out that she had not listened to Rainbow Dash at all. She had launched instantly, like a sugar-fueled rocket, the instant Dash mentioned they were all going to Twilight’s place.

Only a few minutes later Fluttershy appeared at a distance, worriedly trotting along and mumbling quietly to herself, while Rainbow Dash flew slowly, but impatiently, along at her side. The timid pegasus had almost been thrown into a panic at Dash’s sudden arrival at her cottage, and hearing that there was a problem at the library had seized her wing muscles in tension, snapping them to her sides.

Fluttershy knew that when Twilight needed everypony’s help with something, it was seldom pleasant and usually included something dangerous, frightening, or both. Rainbow Dash almost had to literally pry her from her home to get her to come, and now Dash was keeping a close eye on her friend to keep her from running home and hiding.

When they had all finally reached the library, all eyes turned expectantly to Applejack and Spike, who were obviously in a state of uncomfortable restlessness.

“So, why exactly are we all here?” Rarity’s tone registered frustration at being bothered in the midst of inspiration. “Rainbow wouldn’t give me any details, and my designs were so close to being finished.” She finished her complaint with a pout at the obvious injustice of the disruption of her inspiration.

Pinkie chirped up happily, “Maybe she came up with a super-duper totally amazing spell that would let us all party for hours and hours without ever needing to stop unless we wanted to eat some cake or something and I have the best cake back at the shop if we need to go get it but that shouldn’t take long if – mmmph!”

A blue hoof lodged in the pink pony’s mouth as Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes in annoyance. “C’mon, AJ, what exactly is goin’ on in there?” Her voice was icy and contemptuous, and her eyes pierced the farmpony.

Fluttershy squeaked at the harsh tone in Dash’s voice and hid behind Rarity, wondering if anypony would notice if she slipped away. A glare from Dash at her movement guaranteed that they would.

Applejack shifted uncomfortably. She wasn’t exactly sure how much she should be telling everypony, but she knew that she needed to explain the problem with some detail at least.

“Derpy’s in there with Twi right now… they had an accident with one of Twi’s spells.” She shot a scowl at Rainbow Dash to keep her quiet; she knew the pegasus was itching to ask what Derpy had screwed up, and she didn’t want the entire group to get the wrong impression immediately.

“They’re both okay,” she continued, “but Twi’s not feelin’ too great about it an’ Derpy ain’t doin’ any better.” She noticed a slightly confused and deflated look cross Dash’s face. She had obviously been expecting Applejack to go into a description of Derpy’s failure at life in general.

Applejack felt a tug at her mane and looked down at Spike.

“AJ, shouldn’t we tell them about Derpy and Twi being–” The mare gave a small but violent shake of her head to signal him to keep quiet. Twilight and Derpy hadn’t explained their relationship to any of the other three ponies yet, and she wasn’t about to explain it for them.

Everypony else caught the slight exchange and gave each other inquisitive looks.

“Everything will make more sense inside, but it ain’t mah place to be givin’ the details right now. If you have questions, y’all will hafta ask them.”

Having said her piece, Applejack turned around and gave a small knock to the door. “Twi? Derpy? We’re all here now, ya okay with us comin’ in?”

There was silence for a moment, and then the doorknob glowed purple before turning and creaking the door open. The friends filed in, wondering what in Equestria was going on.

****************

Twilight and Derpy sat silent as Applejack and Spike left the library. Though the pair was still tightly embraced, their thoughts were very far apart. Twilight was left thinking about what could have gone wrong, going over her research in her head and trying to find some clue to what she had missed.

Derpy, on the other hoof, was thinking much more practically. All of Twilight’s friends would be gathering outside soon, and out of the five ponies, two knew of their relationship, and only one of those two had seemed to accept it, albeit begrudgingly. She thought of how Rainbow Dash would react; the prismatic mare had made it clear that she did not think highly of Derpy. The thought left Derpy with an involuntary shudder, which Twilight immediately responded to.

“Derpy, are you alright?” Her look of concern was lost on the sightless pegasus, but her worry was evident in her voice.

Derpy was slow to respond, unable to decide the best way to voice her concerns to Twilight.

“Well,” she began, “all of your friends are going to be here, and we haven’t really told any of them. The only ones who know are Applejack and Rainbow Dash, just because they figured it out on their own.” She laid her hooves on her lap, looking dejected at what she suspected would be coming.

“They’re all going to be here because we had a problem with the spell, but we’ll have to tell them about our relationship, too. How are we going to handle telling them about that, along with explaining the accident with my eyes?”

Twilight hadn’t even considered the fact that Pinkie, Rarity, and Fluttershy still knew nothing about their relationship, and she felt grateful that Derpy still had the clarity of thought to recognize the problem about overloading them all at once. She thought for a moment about how best to handle the situation.

“I think it would go best if I explained it to them, and we should probably start by letting them know about us being together,” Twilight said thoughtfully. “I think starting at the beginning and explaining how everything happened in order would make the most sense to them, and we can end with the accident. By the time we get to that I think they’ll have gotten over the announcement of our relationship.”

Derpy nodded in agreement, though she still had a problem with that plan. “What about my eyes, though? They’ll notice that right away, and if we don’t explain that right away they might panic.” She began to feel slightly panicked herself; she could hear voices of several ponies outside the door already.

“Not if you just keep your eyes closed until we finish explaining.” Twilight pointed out.

Derpy facehooved at the obvious solution she had missed. She nodded again. “That sounds like a good plan. I guess it’s up to you to take it from here, then.” She felt around to find Twilight’s head, and when she found it she pulled them together, giving Twilight a slightly misplaced kiss.

Twilight felt another pang of guilt at the off-target sign of affection, but she moved her lips into the right position, returning the gentle brush of the mare’s muzzle with a more passionate kiss of her own. They shared a short hug, each drawing courage from the embrace of the other.

They were startled out of the moment by a small knock on the door. “Twi? Derpy? We’re all here now, ya okay with us comin’ in?” Applejack called in.

Derpy closed her eyes and gave Twilight a smile and a nod to indicate she was ready. The unicorn gathered her nerves, concentrated her magic on the doorknob, and slowly pulled the door open.

****************

As the five ponies and one baby dragon shuffled into the library, they could feel tension flowing through the room. Nopony knew what was going on except Applejack and Spike, and even they didn’t know what was going to come next. As Rainbow Dash entered, she quickly scanned the room for Derpy, shooting a venomous glare at her almost instantly.

She was disappointed to notice that her expertly timed expression of disdain went unnoticed by the pegasus, who for some reason had her eyes closed. Regardless, Rainbow Dash kept her gaze locked on Derpy, intent on repeating her glare the moment Derpy was looking.

A small smile crept over Dash’s face though, as a revelation occurred to her. She’s ashamed for whatever it is she did to Twi and can’t own up to it. She gave a smug sneer at the pegasus sitting next to Twilight, certain she was right about her assumption. Can’t even look us in the eye. She’s a disaster and a coward. Dash nearly snorted out of disgust at the thought, and wondered how in Equestria Derpy had messed up whatever Twilight was trying to do.

As soon as everypony was situated comfortably in the room, all eyes turned to the mares sitting together on the couch. A mutual sense confusion flowed through the group at the sight of Derpy, who sat motionless with her eyes clenched shut. Twilight broke the silence, interrupting the curious gazes being cast at her marefriend.

“Thank you for coming, everypony. I’m sorry we had to call you all here like this, but there’s been a lot going on over the past week that we haven’t been able to talk about with all of you yet. I’m not sure how much Applejack has told you about why I asked you all to come here so quickly, so I’d like to start by letting you know that we don’t have a crisis or problem that Princess Celestia requested we take care of,” she paused as Fluttershy gave a quiet exhale, visibly relaxed at that announcement, “and also that both Derpy and I are okay.”

The rest of the room gave a relieved sigh at that news. Applejack’s terse explanation had served only to frighten them about the situation.

“I really wanted you all here mainly so we could explain everything that’s happened. There’s a lot to go over, so I’m just going to start at the beginning up to now, just so everypony knows what’s going on.” Twilight fidgeted a bit, and her ear gave a slight twitch of nervousness.

At that, Spike simply wandered away for a while to clean up until they got to whatever it was that had happened that afternoon. He had been looking away when Applejack confronted Derpy, unable to watch the carnage about to unfold, and had missed whatever it was that had stopped Applejack short. The rest of all this stuff he knew, so there was no sense sitting and listening to it again.

“First, we have some good news,” I hope, Twilight thought, biting her lip as she looked around at her audience.

Twilight took a deep breath. “Derpy and I are together, as marefriends.” She bit her lip again and gave a small wince, looking around the room expecting to find reproachful looks from the other ponies. The moment was tense, since nopony responded immediately. It took a few seconds for what Twilight had said to sink in.

To Twilight’s relief, smiles and grins began to light faces around the room.

Rarity gave a bit of a squeal, jumping up and clopping her hooves together. “How wonderful, darlings! I believe some congratulations are in order!” She bounded over to Twilight and gave her a quick hug, then gave another hug to Derpy, who was extremely startled at the sudden appearance of hooves wrapping around her.

Derpy gave a bashful smile back toward Rarity’s direction and gave a meek “Thank you, Rarity.” She was careful to keep her eyes closed throughout the encounter, earning a confused look from Rarity, but the unicorn eventually shrugged it off and returned happily to her seat.

Fluttershy flushed at the news, happy for her friend, though it was quite a shock to her to hear Twilight had found a companion. She hid behind her mane, slightly embarrassed, but she still offered a genuine smile at the couple and extended a timid “Congratulations, Twilight. Congratulations, Derpy. I hope you two have a lovely time together.”

Rainbow Dash made a quiet scoffing sound and folded her forehooves at the scene, giving a disapproving look to Derpy, though nopony noticed. All eyes had turned to Pinkie Pie, of course with Derpy being the exception.

Derpy was almost radiating happiness; she had received acceptance from two of the three mares instantly, though she was confused at Pinkie Pie’s silence. Derpy had thought if anypony would be happy for them, the pink mass of energy would have been the first to express it.

She couldn’t have known that since the moment Twilight made their relationship public, the party pony had begun trembling almost violently, with a manic smile playing across her face. Everypony else, however, noticed the change in Pinkie’s demeanor instantly, and quickly and quietly began edging away from the incoming explosion of noise and activity.

Twilight barely had time to whisper a warning to Derpy before Pinkie erupted into a jubilant frenzy of celebration. A party cannon appeared out of virtually nowhere, blasting confetti in the air, though the confetti couldn’t even come close to reaching the height Pinkie had leapt to. She gave an almost earsplitting “WOOHOOOO! Omigoshomigoshomigosh, I can’t believe you two are in love! It’s so wonderful I can’t even explain it, but I just want to run around and give you all hugs and high-hooves, and I really can’t believe this is happening! And if you guys ever need a foalsitter you can call me anytime! Oh, wait, you can’t have foals but besides, you can call me anytime anyway, and we can celebrate some more!”

Pinkie charged directly at the couch and almost tackled the two stunned mares. Twilight at least had the advantage of being able to see what was coming, and she attempted to dart over to help brace Derpy for the incoming pink onslaught of affection.

Twilight partially succeeded in blocking the blow that Derpy was obviously not prepared for, but after the outburst of noise and half-assault, the pegasus had almost turned to a shade of white, clutching her chest and trembling slightly.

Rainbow Dash snickered at the sight, while behind her Pinkie was now hopping around the room making nonsense refrains in a singsong voice. For a few minutes, everypony tried to recover from the insanity that had materialized and taken form as a pink pony. The Element of Laughter had clearly checked out of the conversation for a while, so even though Pinkie would likely not hear a word she said, Twilight decided to press on.

“After we started being together, we thought it would be nice to see if there were any ways that we could fix Derpy’s exotropia.” Twilight garnered puzzled glances from everypony in the room. “Her eyes not pointing together.” Twilight huffed at having to phrase it in such an unsavory way, but it got the idea across and everypony gave a simultaneous ‘ahh.’

“I researched spells to mend her eyesight, even though I love her regardless,” Twilight stopped momentarily to give Derpy a peck on the cheek, gathering a blush from the pegasus, three ‘awww’s from Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy, a gagging sound from Rainbow Dash, and no reaction whatsoever from Pinkie Pie, who was still bouncing around the room as though somepony had injected her with pure sugar and a good dose of caffeine on the side.

Twilight resumed where she had left off. “After researching all my books here, I still wasn’t able to find anything. I tried looking at the Canterlot Archives, and after a while I came across a magic spell intended to cure the exact problem Derpy has. There were a few… problems, though.”

Twilight paused to let her friends think about what she was telling them; she knew that now would not be a good time to go into lecture mode and speed past everypony, leaving confusion behind. Rainbow Dash yawned disinterestedly, Applejack glared at Rainbow Dash for acting so cold, Rarity and Fluttershy seemed to be digesting the information, and everypony continued to tune out Pinkie Pie’s incoherent blathering.

“The problems with the spell kind of compounded each other,” Twilight said as she returned to the topic. “If done incorrectly, the spell could do damage instead of healing – the worse the mistake, the worse the damage. The second problem made the first worse – the scroll the spell was written on was in poor shape, smudged, smeared, and covered with authors notes and additional information scribbled in on the sides. I basically had to translate it into something that was readable so I could study the spell.”

She sighed heavily. “We tried the spell out this morning.” Now she had everypony’s attention. Spike came back from his cleaning to listen, Rainbow Dash was leaning forward to hear how Derpy had screwed it up, and even Pinkie Pie fell silent and watched, though she continued to bounce around the room – Twilight guessed from gained momentum.

“I performed the spell exactly as I wrote it out, down to every last detail. Derpy didn’t move or flinch for even an instant. Regardless, the spell didn’t work right. I must have transcribed it wrong at some point, maybe misread a blotchy word or something, but when I had done the copy everything seemed to make sense, so I really don’t know how I messed it up. But, I did.”

Twilight’s voice started to crack toward the end of the statement, and her eyes began to well up with tears. Derpy picked up on the emotion in Twilight’s voice and put a forehoof around her, pulling her closer.

After the admission, Applejack faced Rainbow Dash, a grim look on her face that communicated everything the pegasus had wanted to know earlier, and the glare gave her a shudder. It ain’t Derpy’s fault, numbskull. Leave the poor thing alone, for once.

“But, darling, nothing seems to be out of order with you,” Rarity commented, breaking the silence. “You both look just fine; whatever could have happened?”

Twilight placed her hoof on Derpy’s leg and gave her a light peck on the cheek, to indicate that it was time. Derpy turned her head toward Twilight and nodded, then turned back to face the room. Slowly, she raised her eyelids, though her eyes did not invite any light in. The chalky orbs were revealed to the room and its occupants, and all shared a multi-voiced gasp.

Spike’s eyes grew wide at the sight. He now knew what had turned Applejack from raging mad to meek repentance.

Rarity gave an overdramatic swoon that, for once, wasn’t faked, and the unicorn fainted immediately.

Fluttershy gave a frightened squeak, shrinking back further behind her mane. She felt her eyes filling with tears, and wanted desperately to rush forward and give the poor mare a hug, but the sight of those eyes froze her to the spot. All she was able to do was whimper and shiver.

Applejack wasn’t surprised at the outcome, but it reminded her of her behavior earlier. That, and the fact that the view was so unnerving, prompted her to pull the brim of her hat down over her eyes in shame.

Pinkie Pie, in the middle of a bounce at the time of exposure, had forgotten about momentum and came to an abrupt halt upon landing, face-planting on the floor.

Rainbow Dash’s jaw went slack, her mouth hanging open at the sight. Derpy didn’t hurt Twilight… Twilight hurt her. Her mind almost cracked at the thought, but she couldn’t just leave it at that. If Derpy hadn’t been so selfish and pressured Twilight into getting that spell, then it was her own fault that it went badly, and her fault for putting Twilight in such distress after so much work. It was a pitiful excuse, she knew, but it let her somehow keep a bit of blame on Derpy, and then she wouldn’t have been wrong about her.

“So that’s what the panic was about,” Twilight mumbled. “Thankfully, we think that since the spell only lasts a short while at first, we’re hoping that her sight will come back soon. Until then, I was hoping I could ask for your support, and I may need a little help from some of you.”

The group nodded in unison, even Rainbow Dash. Horseapples to Derpy, but I’ll do anything Twi wants me to if it’ll help her.

Twilight smiled at her friends. “Thanks, guys. I knew I could count on you.”

All eyes were on her, apprehensive about what her plan would be now.

“I want to know what went wrong. I’m going to pore over that scroll, and I’m not budging from my desk until I figure it out.” Twilight bluntly stated.

Everypony looked at her as though she were quite insane, and even Derpy was surprised, not to mention slightly nervous at the prospect of Twilight wanting to try again, but she decided that if that turned out to be the case, she’d stand by her word of trusting Twilight. Besides, if her vision wasn’t coming back, it couldn’t get worse, and if it did come back and Twilight messed something up again, it should come back a second time, too.

Twilight continued, apparently oblivious to the fact that her friends were under the impression that she was a nutcase. “Mostly, I’m going to need to be free from distractions for a while, but Rarity, if you’re able to stay for a little while I could use your help studying the spell.”

The white unicorn looked at her curiously; she wasn’t exactly the type to be any good with studying.

Twilight noticed her confusion. “Your attention to detail might catch something on the scroll that I missed. You also haven’t seen it, so you won’t skip something that I might think wasn’t worth a second look.”

Rarity nodded, though she much rather would have gone back to her boutique. Helping her friends always came before personal goals though, so she pushed the thought of fashion out of her mind and prepared to spend the day scrutinizing the spell for any hidden details.

Twilight turned to Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow, I’d also like to ask you for a favor, if you don’t mind.”

The pegasus responded without hesitation. “Of course I don’t mind. What did ya need?”

“If I’m going to be trying to focus, it’d be best if I was left alone, aside from Rarity helping me, of course. I think Derpy should go home to rest for the day, but she can’t see anything, so she’ll need help getting home, as well as finding her way around the house. You and Fluttershy are the only other pegasi here, so the rest of us can’t do it. Fluttershy doesn’t really like flying at the height’s Derpy’s house is, and I’m not sure that she’d be able to help Derpy fly back up. So, you're the best pony I can think of for the job.”

Rainbow Dash’s face turned pale, her eyes widening at the shock of what Twilight was asking. Derpy was the absolute last pony in Equestria she wanted to spend the day with, and truthfully the request was almost infuriating, but she had given Twilight her promise to help, so she was stuck with no other choice.

She ground her teeth in irritation, and gave a curt response, trying unsuccessfully to disguise the coldness in her voice. “Yeah, I guess I can do that.” She suppressed a revolted shudder at what she had just agreed to do.

All the life seemed to drain out of Derpy’s face at the request as well. Derpy knew that Rainbow Dash didn’t like her, and spending the afternoon with her would be extremely awkward. The animosity was evident in Rainbow’s response, and she knew that the mare disliked the idea as much as she did. She did want to go home, though, and she couldn’t do so alone.

“Thanks, Dash. I knew I could count on you.” Twilight turned to address the rest of her friends. “Alright, everypony. I think I’m going to get started, but I’ll be sure to let you know if anything important happens.” She walked over to Derpy and gave her a kiss on the cheek and a nuzzle.

“I know you two don’t get along all that well, but give her a chance to get to know you, and I’m sure it’ll work out,” she whispered. “Unless we get Dash to give you a chance, it’ll be pretty weird around here every time she comes over.”

Derpy understood what Twilight was trying to do, but it didn’t make her feel much better about it. She shuffled a bit in discomfort, but gave Twilight a soft, but weak, smile.

“I’ll try my best, but I don’t know how well this will go. Are you sure about this, Twi?” She had a difficult time speaking with the apprehension that clutched at her.

Derpy received another peck on the cheek. “It’ll be ok. I promise.”

The group mumbled some words of encouragement as they left, and Dash walked over and gave Derpy a bit of a rough shove toward the door. “Okay, Derpy. Let’s go.”

Derpy slowly plodded out of the room, guided by Rainbow Dash, and neither of them looked happy. Twilight watched them leave, feeling slightly uneasy herself, but she trusted her friends. They had their faults, but they had never let her down, and she didn’t expect Rainbow to start now.

Twilight turned back to Rarity, who was still sitting at her chair and was warily eyeing the pile of books surrounding the desk. “Alright, ready to get started?” She levitated a chair next to hers at the desk, and headed over, followed by Rarity. The two unicorns sat together and silently began to read.

16. Revelations

Chapter 16 – Revelations

Rainbow Dash cantered through Ponyville in grim silence, focused on ignoring the pony that followed behind her, holding the tip of the multicolored tail of the weatherpony in her teeth to guide her. Holding the impromptu tether at least gave Derpy an excuse to not have to talk, and Rainbow Dash seemed to not mind the quiet.

Rainbow slowed her speed, looking above to judge their location. She had never been to Derpy’s house before, and taking the blinded mare into flight would be more difficult than merely having her trail on the ground. Derpy had tried a short flight after leaving the library, and flying sightless was close to impossible – she had immediately begun weaving and spinning, her sense of direction completely disrupted after leaving the ground.

The pair had decided to walk until they were as close to Derpy’s house as they could get to minimize the time spent in the air looking, and then Rainbow Dash would have to literally carry Derpy up to her home. The weight of another pony did not bother Rainbow Dash; she had easily carried four ponies at the ‘Best Young Fliers’ competition. She didn’t want to be Derpy’s personal transport all day.

Her pace went from slow to fully stopped, and she turned to the mare behind her.

“Hey, Derpy, what was your address again?”

“31969 Cirrus Minor,” Derpy replied. She hesitated for a moment before adding, “Thank you for taking me home, Rainbow Dash. I’m sorry that I have to be a burden on you today.”

Dejection and guilt were evident in Derpy’s voice, and the tone was so melancholy that for an instant Rainbow felt sorry for her. The feeling was fleeting, though, and the thought of Twilight’s panic earlier steeled her nerves back to apathy.

At any rate, her anger had abated to indifference after the time they had spent in silence. Actively staying angry required too much thought, so Rainbow just let her mind wander, and her grudge against Derpy had lessened, though only slightly.

“Save your apologies for later,” Rainbow Dash said flatly. “I think we’re close to where your house is, but I’m still probably gonna have to spend some time looking. I’m rarely out by the housing district on this side of Ponyville.” She considered their position again before deciding that they might as well take to the air. “Okay, climb on my back and I’ll fly us up.”

Derpy clumsily got onto Rainbow’s back, accidentally kicking her a few times in the process and eliciting a growl from her unwilling guide.

“Watch it back there, featherbrain!” she snarled. “Sitting at your place all day is painful enough as it is, without having you give me bruises, too.”

Rainbow heard a squeak, followed by a hasty, yet meek, “I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash. I didn’t mean to,” followed by a few sniffles. Rainbow replayed the last few seconds in her mind, and her eyes widened as she realized how harsh she had sounded, not to mention the fact she had just told Derpy, in no uncertain terms, that spending the day with her was an agonizing experience.

It also occurred to her that, had she not previously known Derpy was behind her, she would have easily mistaken the hushed, mild apology as coming from Fluttershy. She winced at the thought of how Fluttershy would have been hurt by the comment she had just made, and that understanding twisted her emotions painfully. Even if she disliked Derpy, it was no reason to be cruel to her.

She looked over her shoulder to see Derpy sitting on her back, trying her hardest to keep her balance without having to grab at Rainbow Dash. Adding to her guilt, Rainbow saw her attempting to quietly hold back tears all the while. The sight wrenched her gut. She had not simply been cruel; she had been downright malicious.

Rainbow’s tone softened slightly.

“Derpy, I’m sorry. I didn’t really mean it like that. Just, try to be careful, okay?” Her voice cracked as she spoke, still picturing Fluttershy in her mind.

Derpy sniffed a little and calmed down, shocked by the immediate change in Rainbow Dash’s voice. She wondered what might have triggered it, and wished more than ever that she could have seen what had made the mare so much softer. She didn’t get to enjoy the empathy for long.

Rainbow Dash shook the vision out of her head, just glad that Derpy wasn’t crying any more, and her voice turned steely again.

“Okay, I’m taking us up, and I’ll keep it slow so you won’t need to worry about slipping off. Hold on tight, but not too tight. I don’t want you choking me and making me blackout halfway up.”

Derpy leaned forward carefully and tentatively wrapped her hooves around Rainbow Dash’s neck. She made sure to keep her grip a little loose, fearful of what reaction she would get from her unwilling helper if she held on too hard. She felt the mare shift beneath her, crouching her hindquarters down as she readied to push off from the ground.

The feeling made her slightly nauseous. She clamped her eyes shut instinctively and tried to brace herself for the plunge her stomach would take when Rainbow Dash took flight. Getting airsick on Rainbow would be certain doom for her, either by being bucked off in midair or by the thrashing she’d receive on landing. Neither sounded pleasant.

Thankfully Rainbow Dash’s mastery of flight meant in addition to being agile and fast, she could be graceful and gentle when she wanted to, though those times were few and far between. All Derpy could feel after Rainbow’s initial shift in posture was a faint push, and they were airborne.

Derpy had never imagined Rainbow Dash would intentionally travel slowly. She knew she was not well liked by Rainbow, but she was extremely grateful that Rainbow was showing her consideration regardless. The flight upward was smooth, and Derpy couldn’t even tell how high they had climbed until Rainbow Dash banked her path toward the left and shifted to a descent. She felt Rainbow Dash stop to hover for a few moments, apparently checking the address.

“Alright, I guess this is your place.” Rainbow said shortly, settling down lightly on the wispy landing step outside the house. “It doesn’t look like too bad of a place,” she remarked. Her voice still sounded a bit cold, but Derpy took the statement to be as good of a compliment as she would get.

“Thanks. It’s not really big or impressive, but it’s home.” Truthfully, that was an understatement. Derpy’s house was small compared to nearly all the other homes in the area; mailponies didn’t receive the best pay to begin with, and her previous employers in Cloudsdale had seemed to look for reasons to deduct bits from her paycheck.

In hindsight, she thought it was pretty obvious that they were actually trying to make her life miserable, and for the most part they had succeeded. The biggest mistake they had made in their quest to torment her was firing her, and the thought that they had unwittingly given her the happiest opportunities of her life brought a small smile to her face.

She heard somepony impatiently clearing her throat, and she snapped back to the present, realizing that she was still clinging to Rainbow Dash outside her house. She carefully slipped off Rainbow’s back onto the cloud, embarrassed at drifting off into a daydream while sitting on a pony that clearly didn’t care much for her to begin with.

“Sorry about that,” she muttered softly. “I kinda drifted off there for a minute.”

“So I noticed,” Rainbow replied in a sardonic voice. “What were you smirking at, anyway?”

Derpy fidgeted at being put on the spot like that – it had never occurred to her that Rainbow Dash might have been looking at her while she sat there, lost in her thoughts.

“Nothing, really,” she sheepishly answered. “I was just thinking about how the Cloudsdale mail team fired me a little while ago.”

“Huh?” Rainbow Dash was truly confused now. “Why in Equestria would getting fired make you smile?” She sat down on the doorstep, intrigued enough at Derpy’s odd behavior that she forgot about her impatience to go inside the house.

Now Derpy was truly embarrassed; her reasoning was complicated and personal, but she knew if she brushed the pegasus off she’d be infinitely worse off in her attempt to extend her friendship to Rainbow Dash.

She rubbed the back of her head with a hoof in discomfort, but figured she had nothing to lose by talking about it. She certainly couldn’t get Rainbow to dislike her much more than she already did.

“Well, when they fired me, they sent me to Ponyville. That’s when I got to meet Twilight, and, well, I guess that kinda tells it all.” She blushed further. “I would have never found somepony to love if I was still stuck with them.”

An awkward silence fell after Derpy’s admission, and Rainbow Dash was glad that Derpy couldn’t see her. She had been momentarily stunned at Derpy’s positive outlook at even the most negative events, and she couldn’t find any words to appropriately explain it. The absence of her visible reaction meant that she could pretend the silence was only indifference to the response. Awesome ponies didn’t get touchy-feely.

“Eh, if you say so, I guess,” she said dismissively. “Whaddya say we go inside? I could use a rest after carryin’ your flank all the way up here.”

“Oh, um, yeah, I guess so…” Derpy acknowledged. She had hoped her response might have shown Rainbow Dash how much she really cared about Twilight, but apparently it hadn’t. She sighed a little at what she thought was a missed opportunity. It’ll be okay. Twilight said so. I have all night to show her what I’m really like. The thought gave her some hope back, and following Rainbow’s voice to the door, she let them in.

****************

“Argh! I simply cannot abide sitting here for such a long time, Twilight!” Rarity used her perfected wail of self-pity in an attempt to get a reaction from her study partner. She let out an exasperated huff, putting on the best fake pout she could muster. She was determined to wheedle at least a little break time out of Twilight.

Unfortunately for her, Twilight was lost in deep concentration, her nose almost touching the desk, comparing her transcript with the original parchment containing the spell of interest. The only acknowledgement Twilight gave the ivory unicorn was a short verbal jab.

“Rarity, you promised to help me look for the problem with this spell. If you want to practice your whining, go find the Diamond Dogs and knock yourself out.”

Rarity let out a dignified snort and dropped back into her chair.

“How many times must I explain to you all that there is a difference between whining and complaining?” she badgered.

“Less time than it would take for you to just stop doing both and be done with it.” Twilight countered sharply, nose still buried in parchment.

“Twilight!” Rarity gave an indignant gasp, and then dropped to her gruff, accusatory, and yet somehow still ladylike tone. “How could you force your friend to sit in one place for so long like this?”

“Rarity, you’ve been here a total of one hour, and forty-two minutes of that hour have been spent flipping your mane, inspecting your hooves, staring blankly into Celestia-knows-where, complaining or whining or whichever one it was, and you even tried to start flirting with Spike when he walked past earlier to distract yourself.”

Rarity slipped back into complaint mode. “… But, but…” she sniffed, “my coiffure is being ruined by the musty old air in this library, this tiny little desk is so stifling that I’m all sweaty, my hooficure is being absolutely marred by flipping through these stiff old books, and my beautiful coat is getting completely covered with dust.” She spat out the word with contempt. “You simply must let me out to refresh myself at the spa for a little while.”

Twilight didn’t even bother to look up from her texts. She pointed a hoof down the hall.

“Down there is a ‘spa’ you can use for fifteen minutes or so. The rest of us refer to it as a shower. Get all that icky dust off your coat, dry yourself completely so you don’t destroy my books, then get your flank back here and help me find out what went wrong.”

Rarity huffed again, but she realized that a fifteen minute shower was the best sympathy she could expect from the obsessed librarian, and she took the opportunity while it was there. She had been gone for no less than one minute before Twilight heard her voice floating over from the bathroom.

“Twilight, darling, where do you keep your exfoliating creams and moisturizers?”

Twilight facehooved. It was going to be a long day.

****************

Rainbow Dash led the way into Derpy’s house, trailed by the pegasus that lived there. It felt strange to be leading Derpy around like this; she was giving a tour of a place she had never been to before to somepony who knew it well. She took her time walking through the entry, looking around in order to gain some familiarity with the building. She was, after all, going to be responsible for being Derpy’s guide for the day.

The responsibility was unsettling, and she felt an urge to free herself from the chore and simply leave Derpy alone to fend for herself. The thought was definitely appealing, but she had made a promise to Twilight, and the fact that she had even considered both breaking her promise and abandoning the blinded mare appalled her.

Her mind floated back to earlier, seeing the hurt on Derpy’s face, and regret tugged at her chest. As the day went on, her thoughts continually asked her why she was being so hard on the poor pegasus. Sure, she didn’t like her, but there were plenty of other ponies she didn’t get along with in Ponyville, and she had never treated them with contempt as she had with Derpy.

That fact hit her, and she immediately responded in defense, aggressively shoving all emotion from her head. Sometimes if you ignore a problem, it’ll go away on its own. Thinking can wait. I have to find my way around this place anyway. She smiled emptily to herself. This problem was one she wanted to ignore as long as possible, and she had no issue indulging that idea.

“Umm…” a hesitant and small voice brought Rainbow Dash back to the present. “Rainbow Dash? Are you still there?”

Rainbow turned around and saw Derpy still by the doorway, trying to feel her way along the floor with her hoof, cautiously moving forward but trying not to trip or run into anything. She felt another pang of guilt at leaving her standing there while she was looking around, and walked back over to help Derpy around the room.

“Sorry about that Derpy, I was kinda lookin’ around to see where everything was and forgot that I’d need to help you around.” Rainbow glanced around again, unsure of what exactly to do. “So, uh, what should I be helping you with? I mean, obviously I gotta keep ya from running into stuff, but is there something else I should be doing?”

“Well, we could have some lunch, or dinner, I don’t really know what time it is any more. Last I knew it was late morning, and that’s when I lost my sight. Since then I haven’t been able to judge what time of day it is.” Derpy gave a weak smile. “All I know is that I’m kind of hungry.”

Dash nodded, before realizing that the gesture wouldn’t be seen anyway.

“Right. That makes sense. It’s mid-evening now, I’d guess about five-ish, so if you want we can grab a bite to eat.”

“Alright, the kitchen should be over that way,” Derpy made a vague gesture to her left with her hoof, and almost lost her balance lifting it off the cloud. Wow, and I thought it was hard to walk on clouds with my sight like it was before… “I should have some salad greens and flower buds in the refrigerator, that’d be fine for me, if you wouldn’t mind just getting some on a plate for me. You’re welcome to anything you can find in the kitchen.”

Rainbow Dash looked at her a bit quizzically at the simple request.

“You sure you don’t want something more than just a salad? If you haven’t eaten since breakfast you must be starving.”

“Oh, no, that’s enough for me, you don’t need to make anything. I’m just glad you’re here to help me maneuver through my house, you didn’t volunteer to be my personal caterer for the night.”

After all she had put Derpy through so far, Rainbow couldn’t fathom the consideration that Derpy was giving her. Had the horseshoe been on the other hoof and she’d been the blinded one, she’d have been asking for the most complicated meal ever, just to get even. Her offer to Twilight to help with anything floated back to her, and she shook her head.

This time, though, she was not shaking it to clear an unwelcome thought. She was arguing with herself, and for the first time ever, her pride lost. It was one thing to dislike somepony, but as she thought about her behavior that day, her anger, her redirecting of blame, her harsh words, her coldness, she realized something.

She was doing nothing but holding a petty grudge as though Derpy was her sworn enemy, and she couldn’t even say why she had a grudge in the first place. She still wasn’t able to accept Derpy – she would need to do some major thinking about that later. Until she figured out what and why she was feeling this way, she wasn’t going to treat Derpy like dirt for no reason.

“Nah, it’s no problem, Derpy. I’ll whip up something for us. Tell you what, you go lay down and get that rest, and I’ll let you know when I’ve got something ready. Sound okay?”

The look on Derpy’s face at that suggestion told Rainbow Dash that everything she had suspected about her behavior earlier was dead on. The blind mare wasn’t just surprised or speechless; she was genuinely shocked to hear the prismatic pony offering to do something by her own choice. Rainbow pretended not to notice and just continued.

“So, where’s your room at, anyway?”

Derpy recovered from her daze, trying to remember which way she was facing. She steadied herself a bit more before lifting her hoof this time, and gestured ahead and slightly to her right. “There’s a hall down around there, at least I think it’s around there. The bedroom is all the way to the end on the right. If you need it, the bathroom is on the left about halfway down the hall.”

“K’, hold on to my tail a minute, and I’ll take ya down there.”

Derpy lightly grasped the tip of the tail that was lightly brushing her muzzle, and slowly followed Rainbow down the hall, carefully stepping across the cloud to make sure she didn’t stumble and yank on the tail. She felt the tail come to a sudden halt in front of her, and almost pitched forward into Rainbow’s flank from the unexpected stop, and she heard a sharp gasp from the colorful pegasus.

“Is all this… what’s with all the letter thingies in here?” Rainbow didn’t even try to hide the confusion in her voice. She gazed around, her head swimming from puzzlement to amazement to amusement at the sight.

Derpy had completely forgotten about the strange decorations adorning her room, and embarrassment flushed its way across her face. Well, that’s that, I guess. If she didn’t think I was a freak before, she does now. She gave a big sigh.

“After my eyes went all weird, I started collecting these from eye doctors. I guess after all the hassle I was getting, I was willing to do about anything to get them back to something more normal. I try to focus on the letters every night; I guess you could say it’s kind of an obsessive exercise for me.” She lowered her head, waiting for the derisive comments that were sure to follow.

Nothing came. Rainbow Dash was trying to comprehend the lengths Derpy had gone to just to try to be a little less of an outcast. Amazingly, she somehow was able to relate to how Derpy felt. Rainbow had always received her own amount of teasing – ponies hadn’t called her ‘Rainbow Crash’ for nothing – and just that small amount had been all it took to propel her to obsessive exercises of her own.

If that amount of teasing was all it took to make her obsessive about flying practice, what would she have done had she received the amount of scorn Derpy had?

She turned to look at Derpy, and was taken aback by the pained grimace she wore, as though she was waiting for something… A light clicked on Rainbow Dash’s head. Derpy was waiting for more ridicule. Of course she expected it – she had gotten it her entire life, why would now be any different?

“Did it ever help?”

“Huh?” Derpy wasn’t sure what Rainbow had said. It sounded foreign, spoken in a calming yet interested voice.

“Your letter practice thingy. Did it ever help you get any better?” Rainbow Dash actually surprised herself with the question. She hadn’t consciously chosen her words to make Derpy feel better, and she wasn’t feigning interest. Looking at Derpy’s room had made her wonder if all the work had paid off, and she legitimately wanted to know. The question had just tumbled out as a result.

“No,” Derpy softly replied, “it never did. I’ve still been trying, but I think Twilight is the only hope I have left of improving.”

She paused, and her face brightened a bit. “If she can’t get it to work right, though, I think I’m okay with it. She doesn’t mind how my eyes look, and the fact that she loves me anyway makes my sight feel so much less important.” She grinned a little. “Not that I’d complain if she did make them better.”

Dash gave her a bit of a playful swat with her wing, directing her toward her bed. “Well, when your sight comes back, keep trying until Twi gets it right. Now, get some rest while I see what I can whip up for food.”

****************

It had been hours since Rarity came back from her impromptu ‘spa treatment’, and she had only moaned about Twilight’s lack of styling products for a short while before she finally gave up and sat, studying quietly. Her inspirations for her designs were long gone anyway, so she may as well help as best she could, even if they hadn’t made any progress.

Twilight had re-transcribed the scroll entirely, and then compared it to her previous attempt to try to spot any differences she may have written. Frustratingly, they had been identical. She had since moved on to cross-referencing medical terminology for any abbreviations or words that might have dual meanings in the context of the spell. So far, her efforts were unrewarded.

Rarity was almost mindlessly flipping through a journal on medical reference formatting; Twilight had suggested that the writers of the spell might have had a special sequence for documenting their findings that differed from normal reading, something like having a section specifically for subjective observation that might not belong in the actual spell itself. It had taken only minutes into the book for Rarity’s eyes to glaze over as incomprehension took hold of her.

She gave a frustrated sigh, staring at the accursed scroll sitting between her and Twilight. Lamplight danced over the page. Darkness had crept over the library some time ago, and with a series of overdramatic thumps she intentionally dropped her forehead on the table several times. Each thump was accompanied by a rude or vulgar comment regarding the document, until finally she let her head rest where it dropped, rolling it to the side to give Twilight a disheartened look.

Twilight had stopped reading for the moment, regarding her friend’s theatrics with a raised eyebrow. Rarity gave an irritated groan and glanced back at the parchment, only able to see the thin line of the text from her vantage point on the desk. A flicker from the lamp dispelled some shadow from the page, and an indentation caught her eye in the glint of the light.

There was a slight impression on the page, clearly left by a quill years ago, directly in a very dark patch of smudged ink. She raised her head to look, and the mark vanished, the faint depression of paper imperceptible from above. Her eyes locked on the sentence containing the smudge.

At all times, the caster’s horn must be separated from the patient’s forehead.

Smears dotted the sentence, but it was clear enough to read, and it made sense; Rarity dropped her head back to the desk, looking along the edge of the page. She focused a small bit of magic to conjure a light opposite the page, and the indentations appeared again, more visible with a stronger light behind them. The letters ‘n’ and ‘t’ shone in the ink stain.

Shaking, she raised her head, eyes still on the word that had been partially obscured to be sure she didn’t lose which stain they were in. She reread the sentence.

At all times, the caster’s horn mustn’t be separated from the patient’s forehead.

Rarity had found Twilight’s error.

****************

Rainbow Dash lay on the couch, poking at the pillow she had found in one of Derpy’s closets. Derpy had offered more than once to let Rainbow have her bed for the night; after all, it was the least she could do to thank Rainbow for the dinner she had made. Rainbow had, of course, refused – partially out of manners as a guest, and partially because sleeping under the charts in Derpy’s room would have seriously creeped her out. In daytime, they were thought provoking, but at night… creepy.

She was going over and over in her head all the thoughts she had thrust aside during the day. It was still early, but Derpy had fallen asleep almost effortlessly. Even after her rest before dinner, she was exhausted from her day. With her host sleeping in the next room over, Rainbow Dash had plenty of spare time to think without emotions betraying her iron-pony image.

Her entire life she had disliked Derpy, and more recently that dislike had escalated. She had presumed it was because the clumsy mailmare was getting close to one of her best friends – that much was obvious. Her earlier time in Derpy’s home had taken much of that bitterness away; the pegasus really was kind of likeable, in a weird sort of way.

For some reason, though, Rainbow still had a deep-seated distaste for her, and she couldn’t explain why she couldn’t accept the mare for who she was. She had come to an easy enough answer for why she didn’t like her at first, and it was the same reason everypony else had.

Derpy was different, and as a filly she had been made fun of for that by everypony, Rainbow Dash included. It didn’t make her proud, but that’s the way it was. She went with the crowd, poking fun at the filly with the weird eyes. Rainbow Dash punched the cloud in frustration, remembering the looks of dejection the young filly had worn every day – they were the same looks that she had seen earlier in the day on the grown mare.

She froze at that thought. She had seen the same looks on somepony else when she was a filly. Somepony else she knew had worn a face of rejection and fear her entire foalhood, and she still carried pieces of them today. Rainbow Dash had glimpsed her when she had been cruel to Derpy. Fluttershy.

All her life, the yellow pony had faced mockery from all sides but one, and it was the only difference between how Fluttershy and Derpy had grown. Rainbow Dash was the difference. Everypony made fun of Fluttershy – everypony except for her. She had stayed by Fluttershy’s side through it all, defending her from the teasing at her constant fear and virtually non-existent flying skills.

Fluttershy was still timid, still fearful, still a poor flyer, and just like Derpy, still hurt easily from the scars of foalhood. The only variation between her long-time friend and Derpy was that Rainbow Dash threw insults at Derpy instead of repelling them. It was time for that to change.

17. Reconciliation

Chapter 17 – Reconciliation

Derpy tossed and turned in her cloud bed, hanging on the verge of sleep. Her body was trying to tell her that it was time to get up, but her mind simply didn’t want to comply. It insisted that bed was a much better way to spend a weekend morning, and begrudgingly her body agreed, relaxing from its fitful attempts to wake her up and allowing her to start drifting slowly back to sleep.

The reprieve was short lived, however, as a new sensation took hold of her, this time wrenching conscious thought into her mind. It was her body’s turn to protest, pulling a blanket over her head to enshroud her in a lulling warmth, but the sensation had captured her attention enough to bring her toward some semblance of wakefulness. She was smelling food being cooked.

For a moment she smiled, thinking about Spike downstairs readying breakfast and Twilight waiting for her with a happy grin and a good morning kiss. That moment was fleeting, as reality crept back through the clouded dreaminess that lay somewhere between slumber and alertness. She was not in the library, Twilight was not waiting for her downstairs, and Spike was not cooking her breakfast.

Her brain had become more aware now, and regardless of the fact that she was only semi-awake, she could still smell a breakfast being prepared. A slight odor of burnt batter hinted that the cook was not the most talented, but if they were willing to make her food, Derpy was not one to complain.

Then reality finally seized her, dragging her from her dreams and into the realm of those stirred from slumber. She was in her home, lying in her own cloud bed, and somebody was cooking her breakfast, though admittedly not very well. Derpy relished the thought that at least she was not the only pony in Ponyville who did not have much success in culinary skills.

Deep down, she hoped that somehow, someway, Twilight had made it to her home, using her cloudwalking spell and either her hot air balloon or a teleport spell to find her way to Derpy’s house, but that situation seemed unlikely. The answer was brought to her sharply as a clang floated over from the kitchen. Her mystery chef must have dropped something while working. Heh, nope, definitely not a master chef up here with me today… but who…?”

The second portion to her question was answered almost immediately as she heard the unmistakable voice of Rainbow Dash from the direction of the kitchen. Derpy giggled under her covers, hearing Dash quietly mutter ‘Ponyfeathers!’ at the offending piece of cookware. Of course, Rainbow Dash had spent the night at Derpy’s house, so it would only make sense that it was Rainbow Dash in her kitchen…

Except, that explanation made no sense either. It had been enough for Rainbow to cook dinner last night, if not out of pity for her, then at least for the sake of Twilight. But to spend the night, get up early – which would be a feat in itself for Rainbow Dash – and then cook her breakfast, too… If it weren’t for the strong smell of roasted vegetables, eggs, and an unknown burnt object, she’d have sworn she was still dreaming. As it was, she still couldn’t be sure; maybe this was just a really lucid dream and she was dreaming of food so much she could smell it.

Derpy decided there was only one way to find out for sure, and that would be by getting out of bed. She should be able to feel her way down the wall toward the kitchen if she was slow and careful. She disrupted her nest of blankets, and pulled the heavy covering from her head. She gave a small yelp as the fabric slid over her closed eyelids. Behind her closed eyes, the room lightened.

Her heart hammered in her chest at the realization of what that small shift in brightness could mean. Very slowly, she opened her eyes, only to slam them back shut in surprise. Intense light had penetrated her eyes, and, after so long in the dark, the unaccustomed mare actually winced in pain at the sunlight filtering through her window.

She turned her head away from the window, partially covering her head again with the blanket before she began opening her eyes for the second time. A small yet relieved gasp left her as she looked up, blinking around at her room. Their suspicions were correct; the initial failed trial of Twilight’s spell was limited in time. Derpy had regained her sight.

However, as she looked around the room, something didn’t seem quite right. Derpy could tell it was her room, yet she had never seen it in this way. She tried to find the right words to lend meaning to what she saw, but the only word she thought of was ‘indescribable’. Somehow, lines did not bend quite as much as they had before, and her blurriness did not seem to be as pronounced.

Looking up, her eyes scanned her own personal brand of wallpaper, and she discovered the source of her confusion. On each chart, not only was she able to see the top ‘E’ clearly, but the set of letters on each second row was more in focus – almost recognizable. Her vision had gotten clearer. It wasn’t a large change, but it was enough of one to be noticeable, and it took her several minutes to gain her bearings on the new way in which she viewed her surroundings.

She smiled widely; Twilight had messed up something with the spell, but she had gotten enough of it right to make a discernable difference in Derpy’s vision. Derpy slid out of her bed, being careful not to fall when her hooves found the floor; after all, she would need to get used to walking with her slight change in sight. She made her way out the door and down the hall slowly, occasionally using a wall or a door as a support when her balance swayed, as she made her way to the kitchen.

****************

Rainbow Dash trotted around the kitchen, looking high and low for anything she could find to help in making breakfast for the blinded mare. She had easily found eggs, fruits, and vegetables in the refrigerator, and those were fairly easy to cook. She decided to make waffles as well – if she was going to make breakfast, she wanted to at least make something substantial.

She usually didn’t do well when making several things to eat at once, but today was more different than normal. Her problem in cooking this morning stemmed from several sources. Her unfamiliarity with the kitchen was an obvious disadvantage. She scanned shelves and cupboards for pots, pans, bowls, mixing spoons, measuring cups, and the basic ingredients for making a batter. For the most part she had been successful in finding the rudimentary tools needed, but no matter where she looked, she could not find a waffle iron.

After several failed searches, she had given up on the idea of waffles, instead shifting the idea to pancakes. Pancakes required much less specialized equipment than waffles, and so her search began anew for a griddle of some kind to cook the pancakes on. Her search was still fruitless after browsing countless cupboards.

She gave up on a griddle and just grabbed a normal skillet.

It wasn’t the best tool for the job, but, eh, she supposed it could work. Maybe. She started roasting the vegetables and slicing up fruit.

Her second problem was much simpler than the first. Unlike virtually all her friends, she had absolutely no cooking skill whatsoever. She mused that her only competition for ‘worst cook in Ponyville’ would be Twilight, who never seemed to have cooked a meal in her life thanks to Spike, and, according to Rarity, Sweetie Belle. She had never seen Sweetie Belle cook, but after telling her about the poor filly’s attempt to make breakfast, Rarity only would allow three words to sum up the experience: liquefied burnt toast.

Rainbow wasn’t that bad, thankfully, so she continued her chore, turning the heat up on the eggs and pouring some batter on the skillet for the pancakes, trying to pay attention to her creations so that nothing burnt or got too cold. That was where her last, and worst, problem showed itself. Her concentration was non-existent.

She had barely slept at all the previous night. It wasn’t that Derpy’s couch was uncomfortable, but during her awakened hours, she had been plagued by conscious discomforts at her treatment of Derpy over the past years – they had been indifferent at best, and spiteful at worst, and her guilt was increased by her more recent trend toward the latter.

Occasionally she would drift off to sleep, but those periods of rest vexed her more than sitting awake thinking about it. When she nodded off, visions of foalhood were forcibly dragged from her memories, commanding her attention on the insults she had callously cast toward the gray social misfit, hoping to impress the other foals with her audacity.

The look of misery etched in the filly’s face began to haunt Rainbow Dash’s dreams, tormenting her until she woke, each time covered in a cold sweat. Shivering and wet, she would try to calm herself, only to return to intentionally reflecting on her behavior while awake.

Rainbow Dash shuddered at the memory of her reflection in the mirror that morning. Her mane was tangled beyond recognition, her eyes were puffy and baggy from sleep-deprivation, and her cheeks were stained with streaks where tears had run in rivulets the night before.

The morose thought crept into her mind that at least Derpy wouldn’t be able to see her looking like this, but as soon as the callous thought crossed her mind she shamefully cast it aside. They had known each other for long enough that Rainbow knew there was only one option – she had to have a fresh start; she needed Derpy to forgive her, accept her apology, and be willing to give her the second chance she didn’t deserve.

An acrid smell broke through her regret, reminding her that she needed to focus her attention on the task at hand. She had left her first pancake on the skillet for too long, burning it and sending wisps of smoke throughout the house. It didn’t obscure the rooms, luckily, but it definitely succeeded in spreading around the burnt smell.

She hauled the skillet across the room, unceremoniously dumping the ruined pancake into the garbage. A thought occurred to her, and she wondered if it were possible to cook a pancake so long that it liquefied. Rainbow gave a slight chuckle and walked back across the room, turning off the heat on the eggs and vegetables to ensure they didn’t meet a similar fate.

She lightly tossed the pan into the sink, intending to scrub out the charred remains of her failed attempt at pancakes. Unfortunately, Rainbow had forgotten that the other pans and mixing bowls she used were also in the sink, and they clattered together in an unholy racket.

“Ponyfeathers!” She swore, wincing at the noise, but she continued her mission, intent on at least getting a few edible pancakes on their plates.

Rainbow Dash had just finished cleaning off the skillet when she heard a light sound behind her. She turned to see Derpy, leaning against the wall, sleepily looking into the kitchen.

Wait. Rainbow’s eyes went wide with realization as she stared at the pegasus in the hallway. She was looking.

A smile crept across Dash’s face, though it felt somewhat insincere after her reflections from the previous night. She walked over to Derpy cautiously, and gave her a small hug that certainly befuddled the still half-asleep pegasus.

“You got your sight back!” Rainbow mumbled rapidly, looking quickly at Derpy’s eyes and then glancing away to avoid staring. She paused a moment, remembering that looks didn’t always imply function, and her brow slightly furrowed. “I mean, you did get it back, didn’t you?”

Derpy nodded slowly, still recovering from the shock of Rainbow Dash coming over to give her a hug like that.

“Yeah, I can see again.” She grinned. “Things even look clearer than they were before. I’m sure Twilight will get the spell figured out perfectly before long.”

Derpy looked at Dash, expecting a spunky of-course-she-will look, and maybe a snort of indignation. She did not get what she had expected. Dash was sitting on the floor at her hooves, trying her best to not look at the other pegasus.

“Rainbow Dash, are you alright?” Derpy asked with genuine concern. Though she was not a close friend of Rainbow Dash, she knew her personality well enough to know that this was highly unusual. A small sniff was her response, almost throwing Derpy into a panic; she wondered if Rainbow had burned or cut herself while cooking, and almost ran for a first aid kit. What stopped her was a light touch of a hoof on her own.

Rainbow Dash shook her head slightly, and when she spoke, her voice was gravelly and cracked.

“Derpy, can I ask you something? It’s really important to me right now,” Dash managed to choke out.

Derpy’s response was reserved, but soft and soothing; it was exactly what Dash needed, but the care put into her words started a slow trickle of tears from the corner of Rainbow Dash’s eye. “Of course, Rainbow Dash. Take all the time you need, and I’ll listen.”

There was another sniff, and Rainbow Dash raised her face to meet Derpy’s, eliciting a small gasp of surprise from the gray pony. Rainbow Dash looked disheveled and broken, and Derpy could have sworn she saw a few stray tears on Dash’s cyan fur. Their eyes locked for an instant, then Rainbow Dash turned away quickly, unable to look into Derpy’s innocent and unjudging eyes.

“Derpy,” Rainbow Dash started, her voice cracking more as she spoke, “I have to say I’m sorry. I really am. I wanted to ask you if you can ever forgive me.” She looked back to the pegasus, searching for either confirmation or denial, but she found neither. Instead, she found confusion.

“I… I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash, I don’t really understand… why are you sorry, and what do I need to forgive you for?” Slight realization dawned on Derpy regarding the previous day’s events, and Derpy assumed that Rainbow was referring to her indifference at the meeting and the harsh outburst on the way to her house. “If you mean for yesterday, it’s perfectly fine.” She shook her head. “I can understand why you would be upset with me.”

Rainbow shook her head violently, trying to form syllables into words. She was unaccustomed to giving apologies, and it was rare for her to be overwhelmed by her emotions like this.

“No, not just that, Derpy.” Dash looked at her, mustering her confidence as best she could. “I’m sorry for everything that I’ve ever done to you, since the day I first met you. I never gave you a chance, I never got to know you, I just joined in the crowd making fun of you, and it’s only gotten worse since.” Her willpower was slightly shaken by the admission, and she wiped a tear from her eye with a hoof.

“You never deserved any of it, and if I had only stood up for you, your life may have been so much happier. That’s why I’m sorry, and why I’m asking for your forgiveness. I’m apologizing for years of undeserved misery for you that I’ve been an eager part of.”

The severity of the statement hit Derpy, and she actually staggered back, sitting down to think. She thought back to the mockery the little cyan filly had thrown at her, and the exclusion she had received at the hooves of the broken pegasus sitting in front of her. The memories stirred up bile deep inside her: pain, shame, bitterness, and hatred.

They were all being brought up by the ‘truly awesome Rainbow Dash, self-proclaimed best flyer in all of Equestria’. Derpy almost snorted at the irony that Rainbow Dash wanted her to just pretend it all never happened. Derpy’s chest tightened at the thought, and her skin flushed with cynical anger.

Derpy looked at Rainbow Dash, almost furious at the impudence of her request, but she didn’t see Rainbow Dash any more. She saw a mirror. Everything Rainbow Dash had done to her, she had just reflected. She had almost responded in irrational anger, impulsive and thoughtless. There was no regard for the pony in front of her, only self-satisfaction at her own smug superiority over the other.

Within that instant, Derpy saw that Rainbow Dash had finally seen a similar mirror as well – she was hurt, dejected, and miserable, the perfect description of what Dash had caused to Derpy. All of the anger Derpy felt deflated. The mare in front of her no longer wanted to show her supremacy at the expense of the other; she recognized the pain she was causing for what it truly was, and she hated it. She wanted to start over.

Rainbow Dash watched Derpy with horrified fascination. Rainbow had been sitting frozen to the spot, watching the anguish ripping through Derpy as though an old wound had been torn open. She had no right to ask what she had, and was prepared for Derpy’s denial; she was just glad she was able to finally voice her deepest regrets, whether they were accepted or not. Her head drooped, waiting for the inevitable rejection.

The hooves wrapping around her neck came as a surprise, and she felt herself tugged closer. An occasional tear had slipped out before, but the sudden hug prompted a small outburst of tears. She heard a quiet voice, whispered as a muzzle pressed against her ear.

“Rainbow Dash, I accept your apology, and I forgive everything you’ve done.” There was a soothing quality to her voice, but it still sounded sad, hurt from the painful memories dredged up. “It’s not easy for me to forget the past, but the past does not need to be forgotten to be accepted, and it does not need to be ignored for us to move on.”

Derpy’s neck was wet with Rainbow’s tears, but she only rocked slightly, holding the blue fur to her own to give comfort until the cries subsided.

Derpy pushed Rainbow Dash back slightly, looking directly at her only to find Rainbow staring at the floor. She placed a hoof under Rainbow’s chin and lifted slightly, bringing the two ponies eye to eye.

“Rainbow Dash, I want us to fully understand what each other is thinking right now, okay?”

Rainbow Dash nodded meekly.

“Why did you bring this up right now? Did you tell me this because you felt guilty to Twilight, or because you just felt bad about it, or was there something more behind it?”

A gulp escaped the blue-furred throat of the pegasus. “I do feel bad, but… yeah, there was something else behind it.” She cowered under the piercing gaze Derpy was giving her. “I was wondering… if it might be possible… for, you know, us to kinda… start over.” There. You said it, she’ll just say no, and you’ll just move on and stop treating her like dirt. Got it?

The response came even softer than her last whisper. “Then, I gladly accept your offer, Rainbow Dash. If you want to be my friend, I can’t think of any reason you shouldn’t be.”

Rainbow’s coat stood on end at the answer she had just received, and she sat on the floor in shock. She barely noticed that Derpy had released her grasp on the pegasus and was getting up from her sitting position. She looked up into the gray face smiling down at her, and took the hoof being offered to help her up.

The two ponies stood for a moment, exchanging gazes, while Rainbow wiped her hoof across her face to dry some tearstains.

“I smelled that you were making breakfast; would you like to get some, Dash?”

Rainbow smirked back. “You betcha! No pancakes, though. First batch kinda bombed out, and I didn’t get to a try a second batch.”

Derpy gave her a happy glance. “I think I’m fine with anything you put the effort into making for me, delicious or otherwise.”

They both chuckled for a moment, gathering plates and helping themselves to fruits, vegetables, and eggs. Dash paused for a moment thoughtfully.

“Derpy, can you do me one more small favor?”

Derpy raised an eyebrow at the request. “What did you have in mind?”

The rainbow mare grinned sheepishly before replying. “Can you not tell anypony that I was crying like that up here?”

Derpy gave a laugh and winked at Dash. “Your secret is safe with me, most super-awesome pony ever.”

They both laughed happily as they began to eat their breakfast, each feeling like the day held endless possibilities.

18. Building Friendship

Chapter 18 - Building Friendship

The morning sunshine crept across the floor of the bedroom, spreading warmth through Twilight’s lavender coat as it passed over. The unicorn woke slowly to the light filtering in through the window, and a smile played across her face as she vividly relived her studies from the previous night.

Her mood could have been described as obsessively intense, as Rarity could have attested to. She had been slightly distracted and annoyed by the ivory unicorn's occasional antics while they searched for answers, and she had regrettably lost her patience once or twice during the night.

Her last distraction came as Rarity began raising and lowering her head from the table while eyeing the scroll containing the spell. It had been a curious sight, and if it weren’t for the intense look the unicorn had adopted, Twilight would have ignored her and gone back to her own texts. Something about her movements didn’t seem like her general distractions, though, and she became captivated when Rarity’s eyes widened, darting over the scroll in concentration.

The moment when Rarity conjured her light and lowered her head back to the table was when Twilight realized what exactly her friend was doing, and her breath hitched in her lungs as she watched. Rarity began to tremble as she read, her own breath coming short and ragged, and Twilight couldn’t tear her eyes off Rarity’s quivering figure, intrigued yet worried at what she may have found. Obviously she had found something extraordinary, and Twilight could only hope the error was slight – her mind recalled the warning about any damage being proportional to the severity of the mistake.

Dawning comprehension flashed across Rarity’s face. Her trembling slowed, and her breathing returned to a regular rate. She noticed Twilight’s questioning gaze out of the corner of her eye, instantly understanding the unspoken inquiry of her friend. She turned slowly toward Twilight, who waited apprehensively for the outcome that might be the conclusion of their studying. Rarity had given a small nod, with an overly simple statement.

“I found it.”

The joy spreading through Twilight’s face as Rarity explained the solution to her misstep was unmistakable. She had almost tackled Rarity in an enthusiastic and thankful hug, choking out uncounted thanks, emotion wracking her frame. She would be able to help Derpy after all, and it was entirely thanks to the ivory unicorn in her arms.

She gave Rarity a small kiss on the cheek as a final gesture before breaking them apart, her face alight with happiness and giving a small squeal of elation that sounded like a schoolfilly discovering she had just earned her cutie mark. Rarity could only stand mute, unsure of how to respond to such a heartfelt reaction, but words were unnecessary at that moment.

She had given hope to her friend, and the feeling of being able to provide her with something so meaningful filled her heart enough that it felt as though it may burst. She smiled back, the sentimentality of the moment snaking a tear down her cheek, though it had gone unnoticed by Twilight, who had proceeded to hopping happily in circles, almost Pinkie-esque.

Twilight finally slowed from the adrenaline rush, and gave her friend a beaming smile.

“Rarity, thank you so much! I don’t think I could ever have done it without you! I don’t know why I hadn’t thought to look for remaining parchment impressions before, but I’m certain I wouldn’t have found it on my own. How can I ever thank you enough?”

Rarity waved a dainty hoof dismissively at the idea of needing any sort of thanks, smiling and shaking her head back at Twilight.

“No additional thanks are needed, Darling. Watching you finally come back to your normal happy self is thanks enough. I’m simply glad I was able to help you with your problem.”

Twilight shook her head at the thought of leaving Rarity unrewarded. Being generous was noble, but sometimes effort given freely as a volunteer deserved more than modest thanks regardless. She thought quickly about what Rarity enjoyed most, and the answer virtually jumped at her – the unicorn had even mentioned it earlier in the evening.

“I can’t do nothing, Rarity, you know that. How about we schedule a visit to the spa this week, the complete works, my treat – would that be acceptable?”

Rarity’s face had brightened at the prospect, though she did have one small problem with the idea.

“That would be absolutely divine, Darling, but I do already have an appointment set up with Fluttershy the day after next. Going to the spa is wonderful, but receiving such a wonderful treatment such as you’re offering would likely be spoiled by going twice within a week, and I simply couldn’t break my engagement with Fluttershy.”

Her demeanor fell slightly at the prospect of declining such an invitation, but her explanation was truthful. She didn’t want to disappoint Fluttershy, and she wouldn’t dare degrade the bliss of a full treatment at the hooves of Lotus and Aloe. Twilight thought for a moment, unsure if she wanted to make the offer she was considering.

Ultimately, she decided to proceed regardless. Rarity could always still decline if the idea was uncomfortable. She bit her lip tentatively, then asked, “Would it be alright if I joined you and Fluttershy and treated you both, then?” She was hesitant to invite herself along and intrude on their special time together, but she really wanted to do something special for Rarity.

Apparently Twilight did not need to worry; Rarity’s face brightened at the thought, and she even added a twist Twilight did not expect.

“That would be absolutely marvelous, Twilight! We would undoubtedly have an excellent time together.” Her eye glinted as she gave her own suggestion, born slightly of curiosity, but mostly created by a feeling of friendship and welcoming. “Would you like to invite Derpy along, too? I’m sure she would love the treatment as well, and it would give us all the opportunity to talk and get to know each other better.”

The idea caused Twilight’s jaw to drop slightly. She had not expected Rarity to accept her self-invitation, let alone extend it to her new marefriend as well. She flushed slightly at the substantial counter-offer, and found herself nodding vigorously.

“I would love to,” her thoughts came a bit less frantically now, wondering how the pegasus would react. “I’ll need to ask Derpy, though. I’m not sure how she would like the idea of spa. I’m not sure she’s ever been there, and it might be intimidating for her to get to know you both better in an unfamiliar setting. Let’s plan on it, though, and if she’s not comfortable with it, I’ll let you know as soon as I can.”

Rarity nodded assent, smiling back at Twilight’s thoughtfulness for Derpy as well as her friends. “It is a date, then.” She giggled at the thought that it really would be a date for Twilight if Derpy decided to join. “I am sure she would have a splendid time with us.”

She gave Twilight a slight wink. “Not to mention, if your spell works better this time, think of how stunning you would both look for each other after the girls give you the works. I shall plan on it, and let Fluttershy know about our extra company.” She grinned at Twilight.

“We’ll see you in a couple days then, and I do hope Derpy would like to join us. Good night, Twilight, and do get some rest. You’ve earned it.”

With that, Rarity gave Twilight a joyful, beaming smile of her own before letting herself out of the library and heading home. The smile spread from Rarity to Twilight, and that look lingered for hours, well after Rarity had taken her leave and returned to Carousel Boutique.

Twilight returned to the present, the last moments of the previous night flitting through her mind, and the smile returned to her. She made her way downstairs, humming happily, and looking forward to seeing Derpy that afternoon. She only hoped that Derpy had as successful of a time with Rainbow Dash that she had with Rarity.

She knew Rainbow, and underneath her sometimes harsh exterior was a caring, understanding pony. It only took some time for that pony to welcome a new friend. She expected them to eventually get along, and for some reason at that moment her heart lightened even more than she thought possible.

At the same time, across Ponyville, Derpy felt the same light feeling flood through her as she sat at breakfast, smiling and talking with her newest friend. She seemed to be making more friends within the last week than she had her entire life, and she had never been happier.

****************

Rainbow Dash sat opposite Derpy at the table in Derpy’s dining room, her mouth full of a huge bite of eggs, and her eyes bulging almost as much as her cheeks were. She seemed to have been frozen in time, not moving in the slightest, not even chewing. The muscles in her jaw were the only part of her body that seemed to have some semblance of movement, and all they were allowing her to do was slowly drop her mouth open.

Then, time snapped back into its usual flow, and Rainbow Dash reacted to the shift almost immediately. She forcefully closed her mouth to prevent eggs from dropping from her slack jaw, swallowing them immediately to free her mouth. She angrily slammed a hoof down on the table, and rage flowed through her veins like ice.

“Bastard!”

The sharp insult ripped through the room along with the crack of her hoof on the table. Rainbow continued seething, while Derpy mildly sat unperturbed, sipping coffee and letting Rainbow work through her outburst.

Dash flared her wings angrily and spluttered more obscenities throughout the room, her fuming rage subsiding slowly, but still Derpy sat calmly opposite her, eating her breakfast, only casting an occasional raised eyebrow or smirk at Rainbow’s agitation.

Finally, Rainbow Dash calmed sufficiently to sit back at the table, though her head was still shaking at the injustice Derpy had just told her – about how Crafty Crate had demoted her and then intentionally trailed her, looking for a way to fire her. The idea that a pony could be that downright sadistic that they would stop at nothing simply to make the other pony’s life miserable infuriated her.

The reason they were discussing this horrid abuse was that Rainbow, knowing nothing about Derpy, had earlier asked to know more about her past, and Derpy had obliged. Rainbow now almost regretted asking; the mare’s life had been quite painful to hear, but it did help her see Derpy for who she was, not who others thought she was, and for that she was grateful.

Derpy thought the best way to start from the beginning was to merely explain how school in Cloudsdale had felt for her, to let Dash know how she had felt being cast aside as she had been.

She didn’t dwell on it, though; she didn’t want to continually remind Rainbow Dash of her involvement in Derpy's foalhood misery. Rainbow sat with a gloomy expression throughout the description of Derpy's foalhood, and Derpy sped through it as quickly as possible. That part didn’t need to be pressed on much, as Rainbow had been present through most of it.

The rest of the story continued, with Derpy elaborating on the events leading up to her meeting with Twilight: her demotion, the literal collision with Twilight, the firing from Cloudsdale that had sparked such a response from Rainbow Dash, and meeting the staff at the Ponyville Post Office. She decided to end her tale there; Rainbow surely wasn’t interested in hearing about the night of heated passion she shared with Twilight. And, well, if Rainbow was interested to hear, Derpy wasn’t interested in telling.

“So, whaddya do for fun then?” Dash’s next question caught Derpy off-guard.

“Fun? I… uh, don’t really do much for fun…” Derpy fidgeted with her hoof on the floor.

“Aww, come on, ya gotta do something to relax!” Rainbow chided. “Take leisurely flights around town? Go to shows, hang out with friends, play sports, cook, read? Oh, if you like reading, you totally have to check out the Daring Do series. Twi’s got ‘em all!”

Derpy continued to fidget in uncomfortable silence, while Rainbow just stared at her.

“Okay, you can’t honestly tell me you don’t do anything for fun, can you?”

Derpy morosely shook her head. “I pretty much just worked and went home, cleaned up, ate, and went to sleep. Maybe the closest I had to fun was sitting in a comfy cloud and enjoying the peace and quiet, letting all my worries go for a little while. I never was very… good… at having fun.”

“Well, why the hay not? Ya gotta do something to unwind every once in a while! What about all that stuff I came up with? You don’t like any of ‘em?” Rainbow Dash looked at her, somewhat incredulously.

Derpy shook her head again. “I just never was good at any of those, my eyes kinda messed them all up in some way or another. I don’t fly well at all due to my depth perception being all off. I can’t see shows very well, I don’t… well, didn’t have any friends to hang out with, sports take even more coordination than flying, my cooking is miserable since I can’t see straight, and I don’t read unless I absolutely have to – it’s too strenuous on my eyes.”

Her eyes brightened slightly at that, though. “I am trying to have Spike teach me how to cook better, though. And I’d love to read, I kinda like peace and quiet, so a good book would make it even better. That’s for after Twilight fixes me up to the point where I can actually read comfortably, though.” She smiled at the thought.

Rainbow Dash smirked a bit at that. “Hah, you and Twi are two of a kind then! She never takes her nose out of her books, and peace and quiet has her written all over it, too. Looks like we might have a second egghead in our group!” Rainbow let out a little giggle, and after a moment Derpy joined in, too.

“I wouldn’t mind being Twi’s little egghead…” Derpy said somewhat bashfully, evoking a peal of laughter from Rainbow Dash. Derpy grinned sheepishly, but still thought that it sounded kind of nice to spend some peace and quiet with Twilight, wrapped up in both a good book and a better mare.

“Well, at the very least, let me offer you something for when your eyesight gets a bit better.” Dash gave Derpy a warm smile. “Since you’re not the best flier, I could give you some pointers on flying better. We’d better save it until you can see a lot better, though, we wouldn’t want you learning wrong and end up making it worse.”

Derpy gave a sincere smile at that. “I’d love that, Rainbow Dash! I’ve always wanted to get better at flying – you’d really give me lessons?”

“Pfft, sure, why not?” The cyan mare scoffed. “Besides, it’d be nice to have somepony around to fly around with, Flutters isn’t really into flying.”

“That sounds like a great idea to me, then.” Derpy grinned. “Thanks, Rainbow Dash.”

“No prob,” Rainbow assured her. “I can’t wait.”

The pair fell into silence once more after that, not sure what else to talk about for the morning. It seemed Derpy had covered most of the basics of introducing herself to Rainbow Dash, so the stillness permeated the room for several minutes, leaving an awkward feeling in the air as the two finished eating their breakfast.

The brief period of awkwardness passed, however, as a thought occurred to Rainbow Dash.

“Hey, how did you get your cutie mark, Derpy?” Rainbow had no idea what the mark was really supposed to signify, and when the thought occurred to her, she thought it would be a really interesting thing to find out. All she had known about Derpy’s cutie mark had come from general mockery.

Derpy resumed her stories about her life, focusing on when she received her cutie mark as a filly and the added jeers that had earned her. Rainbow recoiled slightly, but Derpy had anticipated the reaction and had a plan to put it to ease.

“I never knew what my cutie mark stood for, really, other than what ponies called me because of it.” Rainbow slumped a little lower in her chair. “That was before I talked to Twilight about it, though. She thought about what meaning it might have, and I have to say I was pretty amazed at the insight she took into it. Whether she was right on or not, I don’t know, but it definitely made me feel better about it.”

Rainbow gave her a querying look. She had never known any other explanation for the bubbles adorning the mare’s flank, and now she was curious about what Twilight thought they could mean. If anypony would be able to crack an indecipherable puzzle, it would undoubtedly be Twilight.

Derpy saw the confusion and continued. “Long story short, at least from how I understood it, she thinks it’s a symbol of uniqueness, represented by bubbles because they have a simplistic beauty, especially when caught in the light just right, when you can see shimmering colors and all they could mean. But they’re also vulnerable, which fit me as a filly – being picked on like I was. It all came together with my eyes being weird. Looking through a bubble makes stuff look all wobbly and weird like I see things.”

Derpy wiped a tear from her eye, recalling how she felt that night.

“She told me I was special because even though my eyes were messed up, I still had beauty, worth, and potential, and that when others truly accept me regardless of how I look, my inner beauty can be seen the best.”

Rainbow wasn’t sure that she quite got it, but she was sure that Twilight had said it much more technically and accurately. A simplified version made much better sense to her, even if it was obscure. It also gave her a warming feeling to know that there might be something more to the mark than lending weight to the idea Derpy was an airhead. She glanced back at the seven bubbles adorning Derpy's flank before turning back to face her.

Then, once again, Rainbow Dash froze. She hadn’t noticed it except by mere chance, and it was very possible her eyes were playing tricks on her. She chanced another look, earning a raised eyebrow and a strange look from Derpy. Her eyes were not playing tricks.

“Derpy… This is gonna sound really, really weird,” she began. “What color is your cutie mark?”

“You mean, what color are the bubbles? They’re kind of a dull bluish-gray. Not very flattering, I know.”

Rainbow Dash gasped slightly and then bit her lip, puzzlement working its way across her face.

“Um, were they all the same, Derpy? Any, you know, differences between them?”

“Just the sizes are a little different, but the colors are all the same.” She looked at Rainbow Dash, feeling a bit awkward at the sudden interest in her flank. She hesitantly asked the question that she wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer to. “Why in Equestria do you ask?”

Dash stared, transfixed, before shaking her head out of the momentary stupor. She simply pointed at Derpy’s flank. “Two of your bubbles look… different. Kinda… shimmery, and there are some streaks of different colors on them.”

Derpy gawked at Rainbow Dash for a moment, trying to decide if the pegasus was serious or playing a really, really good practical joke. She decided that Rainbow’s stare was much creepier than joking, and turned slowly to look at her flank, stretching a wing up and out of the way to see them more clearly – generally her wingtip had a tendency to obscure the mark when folded to her side.

Though they were still blurry to her, it was undeniable. Two bubbles had changed from their bluish-gray hue to a shinier version, adorned by varying rainbow tones distorted across the surface, though each bubble seemed to favor a portion of the spectrum. If anypony wasn’t looking straight at it and looking for differences it would not have been obvious. There was no way to tell how long they had even been like that.

She turned back to Rainbow Dash, wide-eyed. The two locked a perplexed gaze that wordlessly communicated what they were both thinking. Whatever it was, neither of them had any clue. They finished their meal in silence, cleaned up, and went out the front door. They exchanged a few short “see ya laters” and flew off, Rainbow Dash heading home, and Derpy heading to the library.

The two odd bubbles gripped at their minds, though they tried not to think about it. Derpy decided to ask Twilight about it, but only after things had calmed down. For now, she was content to ignore the oddity. Twilight was back at the library, and Derpy’s countenance lifted considerably at the thought of her marefriend.

20. Exceeding Expectations

Chapter 20 – Exceeding Expectations

Twilight’s room gradually illuminated as the Monday sunrise peeked over the horizon. The dim light awakened very few ponies, but Derpy happened to be among them. Her early internal clock reminded her that work beckoned, and though free time was always appreciated, she was enjoying her new job enough to not mind the early mornings.

She looked affectionately to the side, Twilight resting peacefully next to her. The previous day had been her most enjoyable in a very long time. She was able to make several strides forward socially, had received great news from Twilight regarding their spellcasting endeavors, enjoyed some amazing intimate time with her marefriend, taken a relaxing afternoon nap, and finished their evening with a quiet snuggle on the couch.

Twilight had laid across Derpy’s lap reading – though Derpy had insisted she read something not connected with studying – while Derpy absentmindedly continued the massage from earlier. The two had headed off to bed at the end of the night completely relaxed, and had fallen asleep in each other’s embrace almost instantly.

Derpy smiled down at Twilight’s sleeping form and gently placed a kiss on her cheek, causing the unicorn to stir slightly. Twilight gave a small, happy sigh and snuggled back into the blankets, a slight smile playing across her face.

Derpy eased her way out of the bed and proceeded down the hall silently so she wouldn’t disturb Twilight or Spike so early in the morning. She made her way to the bathroom, hopping into the shower for a short scrub down. She finished, brushed her mane into as normal as she could get it, and exited in the direction of the kitchen to grab some toast before heading out for work.

Normally, she would have taken her time getting ready, but this morning she had to get to work early for two main reasons. She wanted to get a head start on her day so she could be assured to be out in time for the spa date with Rarity and Fluttershy. The other reason was much more practical – she had left her mailbags and hat at home the previous day in her haste to meet Twilight at the library, and she needed to make sure the post office had a spare set she could use for the day. She threw a fond glance back toward the bedroom where her closest friend lay sleeping, and then noiselessly slipped through the front door.

Post Haste was at his desk as normal when she arrived, presumably going through some important paperwork as his face registered a look of concentration and mild irritation. He didn’t look up right away at the sound of hoofsteps entering the building, though his face instantly lightened in intensity.

“Good morning, Derpy!” he announced in a jovial voice, seeming much too happy for a Monday morning. Derpy supposed being an early riser must just come naturally to mailponies.

“Good morning, Post,” she returned, though a curious expression crossed her face as he finally ended his focus on the paperwork. “How did you know it was me coming in?” she queried.

Post offered back a smile in response. “Derpy, I’ll be quite honest with you – you’ve only been working with us for a week, but you’ve been early every single day since I hired you. I can’t say that about anypony else, so I naturally assumed it was you coming in. My intuition wasn’t wrong, either, as you can tell.” He smiled at her again, though his face registered slight confusion for a moment.

“I have to say though, that this is early even by your normal standards,” he raised an eyebrow at Derpy. “Is there some reason that you’re here so much earlier than normal? Not that I disapprove, mind you.”

Derpy blushed at the compliment from her boss. It wasn’t often that she received compliments, but Post seemed to have a knack for making her feel appreciated.

“Actually, I did have a reason to come in early – well, two reasons, actually,” Derpy admitted.

Post cocked his head slightly, and one of his ears perked up in interest.

“First, I’ve been invited out this evening, so I wanted to make sure I was able to finish on time.” Derpy replied bashfully.

Post grinned at the first announcement, though the second slightly puzzled him. “You’ve been invited out this evening? Is there a special somepony I haven’t heard about?” He gave her a sly wink, and she blushed slightly and nodded. “You’ll need to let me know how your evening goes, then.” His grin broadened into a full smile. “Though I doubt you’ll need much extra time, given your job performance.” His eyes shifted momentarily back down to his paperwork at that statement. “So, what’s the second reason?”

“Well, I kinda left my bags and hat behind yesterday, so I wanted to make sure there were extras I could use for the day.” Derpy sheepishly admitted, her voice dropping slightly in volume at the embarrassment of showing up to work unprepared.

Post looked puzzled at the statement. “You left them at home yesterday? Why weren’t you able to get them this morning?”

Derpy blushed a furious crimson, but she couldn’t find a reason not to be honest with Post. “Well… I stayed at the library last night.” She bit her lip nervously. “Twilight is my special somepony,” she admitted, her flushed face intensifying in color.

Post gave a jolt of surprise at the announcement, and his eyes drifted off in thought after a moment. Derpy’s stomach tied itself in a knot at his reaction. Oh Celestia, why did you have to bring that up right away? That’s most likely not something he wants to know.

“Umm, sorry… I guess I probably shouldn’t have brought that up…” Derpy stammered.

Post shook himself out of the haze. “Oh, no, that’s great news! Congratulations! It just… gave me an idea that just may help us both out. I’ll let you know after I finish figuring out all the details.” He gave her a pleasant smile. “We have plenty of extra bags and hats over this way,” he motioned. “Help yourself to them, and have a good day out there, okay?”

Derpy nodded and headed over to the supply room Post had pointed out, and she noticed that he had dropped back to his paperwork, but looked much happier than he had before. She grabbed some bags and a hat, collected her deliveries for the day, and headed out for her walk around town, noticing on the way out that Post had begun humming happily to himself.

****************

Twilight sat at her study desk in the library, looking through various texts and references. She was surrounded by several open books at a time, each one being replaced by another from a very substantial pile every time she decided there was nothing further to be gained from it. She had promised Derpy a study free night, but now she was free to research as much as she wanted.

There was only one problem with her research – she had never heard of a cutie mark ever changing from the time it originally appeared, and she realized, as she neared the end of the pile of books she had collected, neither had anypony else. They were full of information about the origins of cutie marks, their significance, average time of appearance, statistics regarding delayed or early appearances, even multiple interpretations on similar or identical cutie marks that occasionally appeared on separate ponies.

However, the subject of a cutie mark ever changing had not been even alluded to remotely. Considering the complete lack of literature on the subject, it seemed that Derpy may very well have been the first case in which a cutie mark changed after it had appeared. Twilight was certainly not going to let a discovery such as this go undocumented. She levitated over a quill and parchment and set herself to writing.

Her mind returned to the details of everything she had seen, the quill scribbling furiously over the parchment as she thought. She knew for a fact that the previous week the bubbles had been normal; her musings over their meaning had allowed her plenty of an opportunity to inspect them, so it was obvious that something recent had caused them to change.

Her mind drifted to what the changes had looked like, her quill jotting down notes on the specifics as she recalled them. Only two bubbles had changed out of the seven, and they had become transparent and colorful, looking like true bubbles did in life rather than a simplified mark. A spark ignited in her chest as she recalled her emotional conversation with Derpy on that night many weeks ago.

“Bubbles are ever-changing; they’re unique, showing brilliant colors and endless possibilities to those who look for them…” Twilight’s mind filtered through the conversation, small links forming between her interpretation and how Derpy’s cutie mark had changed. “You have a deep inner splendor that can only be seen best when you accept yourself and somepony else accepts you as you are.”

Twilight’s brow furrowed. She knew there was a connection to be found. She returned to what else had set the changes apart, and the colors imbued into the bubbles floated through her mind’s eye. A slight mulberry color… sapphire and rose… cerulean… red, green, and violet… Something about them seemed very familiar, but it eluded her, taunted her for her oversight of something she should be recognizing without a second thought.

She gave a frustrated groan and dropped her head forward on her hooves, eyes closed in concentration. She sat, her brain filled with fleeting ideas and continuous fragments of thought, each initially promising enlightenment before vaporizing before fully developing. Twilight opened her eyes with a disappointed huff, pushing strands of her mane from her face, only to have her breath catch in her chest as her eyes widened.

Her mane hung next to her hoof, and the connection crystallized in her head. Sapphire and rose strands crossed themselves in front of her eyes, contrasted against her mulberry coat. She thought for a moment about the second bubble, and it immediately struck her. Rainbow Dash. Celestia, they represent us… But, what’s triggering them to change? Her thoughts roamed back again, and settled once again on her interpretation.

Somepony else accepts you as you are. She had obviously accepted Derpy, and Rainbow Dash had realized how badly she had misjudged Derpy after the night at her house, asking for forgiveness and friendship. Twilight smiled to herself; she was now confident that Derpy’s cutie mark wasn’t changing so much as it hadn’t fully developed, and it would develop as each of her friends came to know and accept her.

Still, she couldn’t be sure that her hypothesis was correct until she had proof; as it stood right now, it could be mere speculation combined with coincidence. To add to the mystery, she reminded herself that Derpy’s cutie mark had seven bubbles – if the bubbles truly did represent Twilight and her friends, then that would account for only six of them. She rubbed her temple with a hoof.

Whatever it could be, she would have to settle for observation until the next change appeared to be sure her explanation was right. She jotted down the last of her thoughts on the parchment and sat down with a happy sigh. Since she would have to wait for further data, she was free from studying the subject for the rest of the day.

Twilight smiled to herself as she began thinking about her previous night with Derpy, and how her marefriend had gone out of the way to make sure Twilight enjoyed herself immensely. It was her turn to do something exceptional for her special somepony, and her mind raced with ideas, until one specific plan stood out. It gave Twilight a fluttering feeling in her stomach, but it was a wonderful idea, provided that it was possible in the first place.

Twilight resolved to make this her next goal, and set out to make some visits with other ponies who would no doubt be crucial in her plan. She giggled happily as she trotted out the door toward town hall – after all, there’s no time like the present to get something done.

****************

It was early afternoon as Derpy was delivering the last of her mail. Even by her typical standards, she was faster than normal, due mostly to a lighter load of mail than usual combined with her enthusiasm for her spa night with Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy. She hummed idly as she trotted through the market, depositing letters in various business mailboxes happily, with a spring in her step.

Her mind had been wandering for most of the day, reflecting over the strange turns things had taken. Her changing cutie mark intrigued her, and she was sure that Twilight had not wasted any time in beginning to study it. She wondered if Twilight would have found an answer or not, but she was sure that regardless of when it happened, Twilight would figure something out.

Derpy had also been puzzled by Post’s behavior that morning. He had been happy enough, but the way he had been ruffling through papers at his desk, especially with the concerned look he’d held, had unsettled her slightly. Ultimately, that worry had been pushed away as well. He had promised to talk to her about an idea he thought would benefit them both, and remembering that had changed her worry to curiosity.

Finally, the spa date added the final piece to her curiosity and excitement, resulting in a very distracting day. With all that was going on, it was no wonder she hadn’t heard the cheery voice a small distance behind her, calling her name several times over the last minute, until the voice was directly behind her.

“Ground control to Major Derpy! Come in Major Derpy!”

Derpy ground to a halt at hearing her name uttered in such an odd way. The speaker paid no mind to the fact that Derpy had finally heard her, and she continued bouncing merrily on ahead for several yards before seamlessly reversing herself, bouncing just as exuberantly backwards, and landing next to Derpy with a wide smile.

“Pffft, where were you off to there, Derpy?” Pinkie Pie giggled back a snort. “I’ve been calling you for forever! Or a few minutes. I can’t tell.” She smiled radiantly again, unaware of the confused look the mailpony was giving her.

“Oh, uh, hi, Pinkie Pie! Sorry I didn’t hear you, I was sort of daydreaming while I finished up my work for the day.”

“Oh, that’s okay, silly!” Pinkie chuckled back. “I’m usually daydreaming too! Unless it’s nighttime – then I’m normal dreaming. Rainbow Dash says I have my head in the clouds, but I’m always like DUH, I can’t fly, how can my head be in the clouds? Unless, of course, it was fog, but I never get a chance to jump through fog. I wonder what it would taste like. I think it would be like whipped cream but wetter.” Her face brightened.

“Hey, you’re a pegasus! What does fog taste like?” Pinkie looked at Derpy, who stood with a stunned expression crossing her face, frozen in time.

Derpy finally came back to her senses, and gave a shaky grin. “I’ve honestly never tasted fog, Pinkie. I’m sorry.”

“You really are a silly!” The raspberry mare chuckled. “Fog looks icky anyway. What you really need to stay away from are liquid rainbows, though! Now those are spicy!”

Derpy resumed her pace, still not sure what to make of the overjoyed ball of energy that began hopping along beside her. She still wasn’t sure exactly what Pinkie was talking about, and would never comprehend it in the slightest even if she knew, not that she really wanted to know. She simply gave the hopping pony a smile and a nod as she continued about her route, the pink mare bouncing behind her giddily.

“So then, whatcha up to, Derpy?” Pinkie interjected, though it was clear to everypony else what she was doing. The mailbags and postal hat made it a somewhat obvious conclusion. Derpy simply shook her head in amusement.

She walked to the next deposit box. “I’m just delivering mail, Pinkie. What are you up… to…?” Derpy turned to find an empty street behind her. She stood a moment looking around the desolate streets for the party mare, but she was nowhere to be found. Derpy shrugged in confusion at the strange antics, though she had to admit that they were quite amusing.

Derpy turned back to the large mailbox in front of her, one of the last deliveries of the day, thankfully. She opened the mailbox, only to be assaulted with confetti, a pink hug, and a very bad case of nervous tics in her eyes and ears.

“Pinkie! How- what- When did you get in there, and why did you scare the feathers off me like that?”

“Oh, I dunno, it’s just something I like to do to kinda spice things up.” Pinkie grinned, and then cocked her head to the side slightly, looking at Derpy’s still twitching ears. She burst out laughing. “Ohmigosh, you and Twi are gonna be absoposilutively perfect together! You even have the same nervous twitches!”

“Wait,” Derpy was confused again. Constant confusion must be a theme when talking with Pinkie Pie. “Twilight gets tics?”

“You betcha!” Pinkie chirped, then giggled more as the two continue their walk to the next destination. “Last summer, I was explaining my Pinkie Sense to her, but she really didn’t get it. I warned her, and she still got a piano dropped on her!” She giggled at the memory. “She was all kinds of twitchy that day.”

Derpy was beyond confused now. “Wait. What’s that about a piano?”

Pinkie gave a high-pitched squeal of laughter. “She never told you? She was following me around all day trying to prove my Pinkie Sense wrong. I told her that when my tail gets twitchy stuff will start falling from the sky, but she didn’t believe me. It got twitchy, she ignored it…” Pinkie paused for dramatic effect, “and an entire vanload of junk crashed on top of her!” She snorted through her giggling again.

Derpy’s eyes fell at that, and she dejectedly admitted, “Yeah, that was me and Raindrops that dropped all that stuff on her…” She poked the ground with a hoof, expecting sounds of disgust or disdain. Much to Derpy’s surprise, though, Pinkie dropped to the ground, clutching her sides through peals of laughter.

“Oh Celestia, that was YOU? That was so hilarious! Twilight learned a lot about trust that day, that’s for sure.” Pinkie grinned at Derpy, wiping a tear away from her eye with a hoof.

“Just be careful not to get her too twitchy, though. After the hydra came after us, she got super extra twitchy, and then – she exploded in a fireball! I’ve never seen somepony light their mane and tail on fire before, but I guess that’s just a Twilight thingy.”

Pinkie grinned at Derpy’s expression at the thought of Twilight bursting into flames. Apparently Derpy’s vacant stare was highly amusing, because the pink pony broke out into tearful laughter again.

Derpy smiled at that. Apparently what she had thought was one of her giant failures was a lesson in trust that the friends looked back upon with fondness. The weight shifted from her chest fully as she realized nopony held her personally responsible for it.

Pinkie stopped laughing abruptly and hopped to her hooves, the bounce continuing for multiple rebounds before she slowed to a stop, resting on the ground.

“So, how many more deliveries do you need to make?” Pinkie pressed.

Derpy glanced through her bags. “Only a hoof-ful to go!” she said cheerily.

“Great! Mind if I tag along until you’re done? Then afterwards we can grab a treat from Sugarcube Corner, on me!” Pinkie began bouncing in circles, waiting for an answer.

“You really wouldn’t mind spending time with me?” Derpy cautiously asked.

“Of course not, silly! Friends hang around each other all the time, duh! It’d be boring if I didn’t want to hang around with you!” Pinkie jumped at Derpy, wrapping her in a tight hug.

Derpy smiled to herself. There was that word again – friend. She grinned, her pace picking up, along with her enthusiasm. “Sounds good to me! Let’s get these delivered, and then I’m free until I have to go meet Twilight.”

The pair walked off together, though Pinkie hopped more than walked, inane banter floating between them as they deposited a few more letters and moved on to grab a deliciously sweet snack.

****************

Derpy skipped her way into the post office with a large grin playing across her face. Her side trip after her mail rounds had been incredibly fun, and Pinkie’s constant stream of joy was definitely infectious. Not only had she been treated to one of the largest cakes she had ever seen, but she had also received an impromptu party for two at Sugarcube Corner.

She wasn’t sure how on Equestria Pinkie had gotten hold of a cannon that shot confetti and streamers, but she wasn’t complaining. The Cakes hadn’t even blinked at the production of all the noise and merriment. Derpy surmised they must be used to Pinkie Pie’s antics by now.

Regardless, Pinkie certainly knew how to make a pony feel special, and the entertainment of the afternoon, combined with the sugar rush of the cake and Pinkie’s contagious enthusiasm, had put her in a mild state of euphoria. She hummed excitedly as she skipped to the supply room to return her borrowed gear, unaware that Post Haste was watching her from his desk with a raised eyebrow and a looked of amused bewilderment.

“Derpy, do you have a minute to talk before you get going for your special night out?” Post’s question caught her by surprise, halting her trek toward the exit. Normally the question would have put butterflies in her stomach, but Pinkie had left her feeling so happy that she turned and nodded with an almost uncharacteristic cheeriness. She bounced back over to Post’s desk and gave him a smile.

“Sure, Post! Is there something you needed?”

Post nodded, smiling back. “I have a few changes that I was hoping I could make around here, but I wanted to talk with you first to see how comfortable you’d be with them.”

Derpy felt a few butterflies try to force their way into her stomach, but it was too full of cake and they failed miserably. “Of course! What can I help with?” She noticed Post’s smile widen, and she giggled to herself. Pinkie’s happiness was undeniably contagious.

“Well, I noticed how well you do handling your normal route, and I was wondering if you might be open to expanding it a bit.” Derpy nodded, listening intently. “Ever since Miss Fluttershy’s mishap with Mr. Zippy, she has been avoiding him a lot more than normal. Like I mentioned last week, she felt pretty bad about the whole incident, and I wonder if having him continue to deliver her mail is reminding her of that every day.”

Derpy nodded again, wondering where Post was going with this.

“When you mentioned this morning that you were together with Miss Sparkle, it gave me the idea that Miss Fluttershy might be more comfortable having you delivering her mail. Seeing as the two of them are close friends, and I’m sure you will be too, if you aren’t already, I thought it just made more sense that way.” Post continued his proposition.

“What I was wondering was if you would be willing to take over that portion of Mr. Zippy’s route. Miss Fluttershy’s cottage is the last stop there, and he would certainly have more normal days without that section. Given your speed and aptitude, I don’t think it would be anything you couldn’t handle.”

Derpy blushed at the compliment. “Sure. That would be fine with me.”

Post smiled again. “I had hoped you would say yes. That leads me into the second reason I wanted to talk with you.” Derpy looked at him inquisitively. “I’m not sure if you noticed, but this morning I was somewhat… distracted by some paperwork. I was looking through your employment files from the Cloudsdale Postal Service.”

Post could see the confusion growing on Derpy’s face, and he pushed ahead, unwilling to make her wait for his point. “I was a bit aggravated, to say the least, at where they had placed you in their pay scale. Your pay is far below where it should be for your job performance, and I intend to correct that.” Post grinned, watching Derpy’s jaw drop as the words sank in.

“In addition, the expansion of your route, as we just discussed, brings a raise with it. I believe that, between your inadequate pay from before and the additional pay from the new route, it would amount to an increase of about thirty-five percent. Would that be acceptable to you?”

Derpy stood dumbfounded. Never before would she have imagined that she would be commended for her ability, given more responsibility, and rewarded with a substantial raise. She couldn’t comprehend even getting one of those results, but having all three happen simultaneously left her utterly speechless.

Her eyes misted over with emotion as she stared at her boss, feeling completely overwhelmed by the offer. Her legs quivered, and she crumpled to the floor in shock, silent tears running down her cheeks at the generosity she was being shown. “I… I don’t know what to say,” she spluttered. “I can’t even begin to describe what this means to me. I’ve never been rewarded like this for anything before. I just hope I don’t let you down. I’ll do my best to meet your expectations.”

“I’m sure you’ll meet them and more, Derpy. You’ve exceeded my expectations more than you know, and, to be honest, you’re the most dedicated mailpony I’ve ever hired. You deserve recognition for that – I’m just sorry that it took so long for you to receive it. Now, go on – I’m sure that you have an exciting night ahead of you.”

Derpy slowly made her way to her hooves, still stunned by the news. “Thank you so much, Post. I’ll keep working as hard as I can.” She walked toward the door on wobbly legs, casting a final glance back at Post as she opened the door. “I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow!” Post gave her a warm smile back, and she headed out the door.

Outside, she paused for a moment to let out a foalish squeal of excitement, one phrase repeating over and over in her head. Best. Day. Ever. To make it even better, the day was only half over. The only thing that could have possibly improved the day further would be if Pinkie had lent her the party cannon.

****************

Twilight eagerly waited for Derpy at the library, looking forward to a relaxing evening with her marefriend and two of her best friends. Her trip to town hall that afternoon had been productive, and all she needed now was wait for the appropriate papers and approval to be finalized. She was excited to tell Derpy about it, but wanted to keep it a surprise until everything was ready. She was content to keep her focus on Derpy’s cutie mark, in order to test whether her hunch was correct.

She busied herself sorting and putting away books as she waited, only stopping to read one, or two, or ten of them before they made it back to the shelf. Normally she would have delegated the task to Spike, but he was still enjoying his week off, even if most of it was spent just oversleeping. Needless to say, it took Twilight much longer to clean up given her tendency to remove more books than reshelve them, but the job eventually got done.

Her feat of cleaning accomplished, Twilight promptly removed a book she had just put back and settled on the couch to read until Derpy arrived. She didn’t have much time to read, however, as a small knock at the door fifteen minutes later announced the arrival of the pegasus. This time, though, Derpy didn’t wait for an answer; she bounded inside happily, making a beeline straight for the couch to tackle Twilight in an enthusiastic hug.

“I take it you had a good day?” Twilight asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. Her eyes roamed over Derpy as she gave her marefriend an appraising look, a smile playing across her face.

“Good doesn’t even begin to describe it. It was an incredible day!” Derpy radiated cheerfulness, giving Twilight a quick peck on the cheek before settling on the couch with her, laying her head in the unicorn’s lap.

“I met Pinkie Pie while I was finishing up my rounds; we talked for a while, then went to Sugarcube Corner for the best cake I’ve ever had!” Twilight smiled widely at that news, while Derpy continued on. “She told me all kinds of fun stories, though most of them either didn’t make sense or didn’t end up going anywhere. She even hauled out a cannon that shot confetti everywhere!”

Twilight chuckled. “That’s pretty normal for Pinkie. I have a feeling you’ll see that cannon a lot more often than you’d think, and just to prepare you, her stories usually never bear any resemblance to reality. I guess that’s what makes them so fun, though.”

Derpy grinned back. “She said that I needed to be careful not to make you mad, or else you might explode in a fireball.”

“That only happened twice,” Twilight admitted with a blush, “though one of them was just because I accidentally drank some of Pinkie’s hot sauce. I wouldn’t worry about it – I think the only way you’ll get me to spontaneously combust would be with some other ways of getting me fired up.” She gave Derpy a mischievous wink, and Derpy giggled in response.

“So anyway, after I met up with Pinkie, I went back to the post office to bring back the bags I borrowed.” Derpy looked annoyed with herself at that. “I really need to remember to take my stuff with me if I plan on staying over. It’s too far of a trip for me to head all the way home to get it before heading to work in the morning.”

Twilight gave her a sly grin. “I don’t think that will be too much of a problem, so don’t worry about that too much.”

Derpy responded with a curious look, but pressed on with her story. “Anyway, you’ll never guess what happened at the post office.” Twilight sat up a little straighter, her curiosity piqued.

“Post asked me to wait around for a minute to talk, then he asked me if I would be okay with adding a new part to my route, since he was so impressed with how well I’ve been doing. Not only that, but the route means I’ll get to deliver Fluttershy’s mail, so I can see her more often, too.” Twilight clopped her hooves together happily and wrapped her forehooves around Derpy in a tight hug.

“I knew you were doing a good job! I’m glad he’s so confident in you.” Twilight smiled happily, though her smile was halted momentarily by an excited look on Derpy’s face. “Wait, is there more?”

Derpy nodded vigorously, taking a deep breath to compose herself so she wouldn’t squeal from the excitement. When she actually spoke, the exhilaration was so intense she could only manage a whisper. “He gave me a thirty-five percent raise.”

Twilight sat dumbfounded. “He… what?”

Derpy nodded in acknowledgement, looking somewhat awestruck herself. “He told me I was grossly underpaid in Cloudsdale, plus the added route added an even bigger amount.” She beamed with pride that her boss placed so much value on her.

Twilight wrapped her in a tight hug again. “I suppose this calls for an extra special celebration tonight, but I’m afraid it will have to wait until after we meet Rarity and Fluttershy. Our spa appointment is coming up quickly.”

“I think I can manage to wait. Let’s get going! A spa treatment sounds perfect after all the excitement I’ve had today.”

21. Embracing Change

Chapter 21 – Embracing Change

Twilight and Derpy arrived at the spa well before Rarity and Fluttershy – Twilight wanted to make sure she was there ahead of schedule to take care of the bill in advance, as well as to allow them to familiarize themselves with the treatments they could expect. The list was far more expansive than Twilight had thought, and it was daunting to try to imagine what awaited them.

Derpy occupied herself by gazing around the spa in wonder. She had never been to a spa, and even if she had tried to read the treatments several times over, she still wouldn’t have the slightest idea what was going on. She planned to wing it, so to speak, and just follow Rarity’s lead.

Eventually she tired of looking around the limited view she had from the waiting room, and Derpy sat patiently, leafing through several magazines. She was slightly surprised to see Fluttershy’s image adorning several of them. It was somewhat strange – she remembered Fluttershy modeling, but hadn’t heard about why or when she had stopped. She made a mental note to ask her about it later.

Twilight spoke with the receptionist, who looked rather disinterested in the conversation, filing her hooves while Twilight rambled on about whether or not the imported volcanic ash used in the mud baths were from dragon territory, or if the rocks used in the sauna were igneous in origin, and how well the porosity of the stone dispersed heat through the room.

The receptionist shifted from filing her hooves to staring at Twilight incredulously, her eyes glossed over in utter incomprehension, until Twilight mentioned they were there for ‘the works’ with Rarity and Fluttershy.

At the mention of those names in conjunction with ‘the works’, a small shriek emanated from the back of the salon, and a pink pony with light blue hair bolted to the front desk, pushing the ice blue mare aside.

“Roxie! Move out of ze way! Zese are ze ponies Miss Rarity told us would be joining zem today!” She shot an annoyed glare at Roxie as the mare indignantly trotted elsewhere, trying to straighten her mane back into the purple and blue punk style it had been in before she had been shoved aside.

Aloe turned her attention to Twilight and Derpy, who had both sat down by now, uncertain as to what was going on. The spa pony smiled at them widely, perhaps a bit too overenthusiastic about being able to give someponies the rare ‘works’ treatment.

“I am so sorry for ze improper welcome, ladies,” she politely apologized. “Please forgive us. We had not been expecting you for quite some time. So, what can we do for ze two of you to start?”

Twilight and Derpy flushed uncomfortably at the question.

“Well, we were just waiting for our friends to meet us here. I just wanted to make sure we were on time and able to pay in advance. Aside from that we’re fine with waiting.” Twilight forced a smile, hoping she was not showing the discomfort that both she and Derpy felt.

“Of course, of course. We may do ze paying now – zat would be fine.” Twilight let out a sigh of relief, which was immediately cut short. “However, I insist zat you two simply must get started. Miss Rarity would not appreciate making her friends wait, and zat is somezing I cannot tolerate. Oh, and I must apologize again, I do not zink I have had ze pleasure of meeting you before.”

Twilight nodded. “My name is Twilight Sparkle, Miss…?”

“Aloe, ma’am. My sister Lotus and I will be taking very good care of you all today. By ze time we are finished you will hardly recognize yourselves.” She turned to Derpy. “And what is your name, ma’am?”

Derpy gave a jolt at the formality of the situation. Rarity must have been right to praise the spa so much if even their talk in the lobby was refined. “My name is Derpy, Miss Aloe. Thank you.” She uncomfortably shuffled her hooves, looking toward the floor to avoid direct eye contact.

“No, no, no. Zat will not do. Neizer of you should feel ze need to call me ‘miss’. I simply am here to make your day special.”

Aloe took Twilight’s payment, and whipped her head around instantly. “Quake! Roxie! Take zese ladies to ze hot tub for ze pre-soaking, s’il vous plait.” She turned back to Twilight and Derpy. “Zey should be here in just a moment. Should you be needing anyzing at all, please do not hesitate to ask.”

Aloe bowed low to the stunned pair, and as Quake and Roxie ushered their guests inside, she smiled after them. It had been quite some time since they had ‘the works’ requested, and given the fact they were friends of their most frequent clients, she resolved to make the night as special as possible for the ponies in their care.

****************

Rarity was, of course, punctual to the minute for her appointment, with Fluttershy trailing in only a few minutes later. The snowy unicorn exchanged idle pleasantries with Aloe and Lotus as usual, and then the pair was led to the hot tub, where Twilight and Derpy were happily reclining in the tranquility of the bath.

Both Twilight and Derpy sat lazily upright at the sound of the door opening, and they gave warm smiles at the sight of Rarity and Fluttershy entering the room, both wrapped comfortably in beautifully embroidered robes, though Fluttershy seemed to be attempting to hide behind Rarity.

“Oh, it’s wonderful to see you both,” Rarity breathed with her natural airy sophistication. “I’m so glad you were able to make it here – especially you, Derpy, I wasn’t sure if Twilight would be able to convince you to join us.”

Derpy gave a slight nod. “Well, I couldn’t say no to an invitation to the spa with you girls. It was very kind of you to invite me along. Thank you very much.” She flushed slightly, but the warmth of the water accentuating her blush to a much more noticeable shade of red.

“Absolutely, dear – it is our pleasure to have you here. I’m sure you’ll have an undeniably superb experience tonight. Aloe and Lotus were nearly beside themselves with excitement at the idea of treating us all to something so extravagant tonight.” Rarity flipped her mane triumphantly at the prospect of being pampered more than usual and stepped out of her robe and into the hot tub.

As Rarity sank into the water, Fluttershy was left standing quietly with nopony to hide behind. “Hello, Twilight. Hello, Derpy. It’s nice to see you,” she greeted in her subdued manner.

She exuded both friendliness and timidity, as was usual for the pegasus, though her welcome to Derpy was milder than normal, and every glance she took at Derpy was laced with nervousness. She also slipped from her robe into the water, silently gliding below the surface without making so much as a ripple, submerging until only her head was visible.

Twilight responded with a very cheery “Hello, girls! Thank you again for letting us join you; I felt like a bit of a party crasher, to be honest. It’s really nice to be back here again, though. It’s been so long since my last visit that I’ve practically forgotten how good it feels.”

“I’ve never been here, so I don’t really know what to expect,” Derpy added. “I just thought I’d do whatever you girls do. I couldn’t even understand what the list of treatments were for.” She gave a sheepish grin. “I spent my time in the lobby leafing through magazines rather than try to figure them all out.”

A spark ignited her memory and she looked toward Fluttershy with raised eyebrows. “I saw your picture on some of them, Fluttershy. I had forgotten you had been a fashion model. Did you give it up?”

The sudden question drew an embarrassed gasp from the pegasus, and she slid further down in the water, leaving only the top half of her muzzle and head above water, as if she were hoping it would make her vanish. Her eyes darted away, seemingly focused on something on the wall, and her face quickly reddened.

Twilight cut in quickly to cover for the self-conscious mare. “She had a little time in the spotlight, but it wasn’t really a voluntary choice; Photo Finish sort of pushed her into it. Fluttershy really didn’t want to do it, so we don’t really talk about it, but I guess her pictures still pop up from time to time.”

“Oh… I’m sorry I brought it up, then,” Derpy apologized, her own eyes dropping downward at having made Fluttershy so uncomfortable their first time together as friends. Both Twilight and Rarity noticed the awkward silence between the two pegasi, and Twilight struggled to come up with something for them to talk about to break the tension.

Rarity, however, did not need to struggle for ideas; socializing was her specialty, and she didn’t hesitate to try to mend the situation.

“Oh, come now, Fluttershy. Derpy was just wondering, she didn’t mean to offend you. She was only curious as to why she hadn’t seen those pictures around anymore, and you do have to admit that even that incident with Photo Finish helped us learn not to hide secrets from one another. It’s not something you need to continue to be embarrassed by. Besides, the poor dear hasn’t even had the opportunity to get to know you yet. I would think you two would get along rather well.”

Fluttershy looked at Rarity and noticed the unicorn giving her an encouraging smile, and she meekly nodded. Her best friend had always had an uncanny ability to make her feel better regardless of the situation; however, she still stayed silent, her eyes apprehensively drifting towards Derpy’s dejected face before snapping back to Rarity. She shut her eyes tightly, as if trying to muster the courage to talk to Derpy and failing.

Rarity picked up on her friend’s non-verbal cues almost instantly, and she smiled knowingly at the cowering pegasus. “My goodness, you’re still thinking about that, aren’t you?” A small nod was her only reply, mostly due to the fact that Fluttershy’s mouth was still underwater.

Twilight and Derpy exchanged confused looks. Neither of them had any idea as to what the cryptic conversation was about, though it made Derpy feel slightly better knowing that Twilight was as lost as she was.

Rarity gave Fluttershy a short stare, ascertaining whether her friend was going to speak or not. Evidently she came to the conclusion that the answer was no, and she turned back to Twilight and Derpy with an exasperated sigh and a roll of her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Derpy. Fluttershy has a bit of a phobia of mailponies ever since an accident a while back.” Rarity gave another small sigh. “For some reason she thinks the postal workers have a grudge against her for it.”

Fluttershy propped herself up slightly in the water, just enough to allow her to speak, and gave an apologetic look to Derpy. “I’m sorry, Derpy – it’s just that I lost my temper before and I was just so awful to that poor pony delivering my mail. I just know that everypony that works there must hate me now.”

Her posture drooped, her head sagged, and her voice lowered to a mere whisper. “Since you’re new you probably haven’t even heard about it, but I still feel a little nervous. I don’t want everypony you work with to be mad at you for being around me.” She gave a defeated sigh and chanced a look at Derpy.

Derpy was sitting quite still, her face fixed in a thoughtful expression. You can’t tell her everything Post told you – not yet. She needs to get more comfortable around you before hearing the entire story. Derpy gave Fluttershy a timid smile of her own, along with a slight shake of her head.

“Don’t worry, I promise you that nopony will have any problems with us being friends.” Derpy’s reassurance gained only an uncertain look as Fluttershy furrowed her brow in doubt. “I haven’t heard anypony saying anything about you in the post office, either. I really don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

A slight aura of discomfort remained after Fluttershy’s admission, but Rarity had succeeding in breaking the initial tension. Slowly Fluttershy gave in to the soothing warmth of the water, and the group reclined in calming silence until Aloe and Lotus came to announce that they were ready to move on to their facial masks and massages.

The facial masks turned out to be a very odd sensation for Derpy; the material felt oddly like clay, though she knew it couldn’t be from the greenish color it held. It was somehow refreshing and relaxing, but at the same time she had to continually fight the urge to scrub her face clean of the mystery substance. Now it made sense to her why Fluttershy had only gotten a few small dabs of it on her face – she had obviously had not enjoyed the feeling of the full mask either.

At the least, the cucumber slices over her eyes felt cool, and let them enjoy the massage without visual distractions. Auditory distractions, on the other hand, were plentiful given Rarity’s fondness for gossip. Derpy was endlessly amused by the stories she told, often involving Twilight’s mishaps in the past.

Rarity clearly enjoyed sharing the tales, though Derpy began to get the impression half of them were being told solely to get a reaction from Twilight, who gave the occasional gasp or exclamation of protest at some of her more embarrassing moments. Twilight had countered with reminding the group of Rarity’s evaporating wings in Cloudsdale, gaining giggles from everypony but Rarity, who responded with an indignant huff.

Derpy continued to listen with rapt attention as they moved through various stations – seaweed wraps, mud baths, saunas, and more. Nonstop recollections flowed from each pony; even Fluttershy had interjected some of her own anecdotes, though she had difficulty being heard above Rarity. Derpy was shocked to hear that Fluttershy had stared down a cockatrice and told off a fully-grown dragon.

Derpy reminded herself that outward appearances never told the full truth; she was living proof of that fact. The timid mare had impressive bravery, and she could apparently be very intimidating – it just wasn’t a skill that she took lightly, and she seemed to use it only in extremely emotional situations. Derpy was relieved that she wasn’t the only pony with hidden qualities, and though she had not shared much in conversation with Fluttershy, she felt an unspoken connection with her – they were both two seemingly mundane ponies with vastly different inner selves that most ponies would never see.

They neared the end of their session. Roxie and Quake focused on horn filing and hooficures for Twilight and Rarity, while Aloe and Lotus applied their talents to Fluttershy and Derpy by preening their wings. Derpy adopted a sly grin, noticing Twilight was engaged in joking with Rarity on the other end of the salon.

She nonchalantly tilted her head back to whisper her question on learning massage to Lotus. The spa pony paused preening long enough to give Derpy an appreciative smile and a few whispered words in her ear, and then returned happily to working through Derpy’s wings.

A dramatic gasp from the unicorns’ side of the room startled Derpy back to reality, fearing that Rarity’s overly attentive ears had overheard her little secret. She let out a short-lived sigh of relief as Rarity exclaimed excitedly, “Dresses! I made you all dresses for the Gala, but…” Her gaze traveled to Derpy, who realized where the conversation was heading.

“Derpy! I haven’t had the pleasure of making a custom dress for you yet! You simply must stop by the boutique. We can’t have everypony with a fabulous outfit and leave you out.” Derpy balked at the offer, even as Rarity continued her ramblings about coming in for a fitting, which hues would complement Derpy’s mane and coat, accessories that would be appropriate, and many, many other mumbled half-thoughts that left Derpy’s comprehension far behind.

There were only three things Derpy knew for sure: she had never been given such a generous personal gesture before, she had never owned a garment fancier than her mailbags, and she would never be given the opportunity to use any dress that was made for her.

“Rarity,” she cut across the continuous rant, “I appreciate the offer, but I doubt I’d ever have the need to wear one of your beautiful dresses.” Her eyes trailed downward. “I don’t ever go to parties, let alone fancy ones.”

“Nonsense!” Rarity replied in an oddly cheerful manner. “You just never know when there will be a special occasion, and when it comes, you absolutely must be ready for it.” Derpy tried to decline several times, but Rarity interrupted every attempt, insisting that Derpy accept her offer. Derpy finally gave up and agreed with Rarity.

“Just… don’t go out of your way. Please, Rarity.” Derpy asked hesitantly.

“Oh, don’t worry, dear. Your dress will be an absolute gem.” Rarity’s eyes sparkled with intensity as she slipped off the hooficure seat, having just finished her treatment. “And trust me, it won’t be anything over the top. I’ve already learned that lesson from some other friends of ours.” She gave Twilight and Fluttershy a wink; Twilight facehooved at the comment, and Fluttershy reddened once again and became very interested in the tiles on the floor.

“Alright, then. I’d be delighted if you’d make me a dress then, Rarity.” Derpy smiled genuinely, her happiness emanating around the room.

“That is a very generous offer, Rarity,” Twilight remarked. Her eyes drifted over Derpy, a warming smile crossing her face at the sight of her gray marefriend. “Derpy, just don’t give Rarity too many suggestions. I’d show you a picture of what happens if you do, but I think we all burned every image of it that we could find.”

The room erupted in laughter as the four friends left the spa, thanking their hosts generously on the way out.

****************

It was late evening, and Twilight and Derpy were in the library, snuggled under a blanket on the couch, still giggling occasionally as random thoughts of the stories they had told flitted through their heads. After they left the spa, Derpy had pestered Twilight unforgivingly about what she had meant about giving Rarity suggestions on dresses, and Twilight finally gave in, recounting the wretched outfits that Rarity had begrudgingly made by following her friends’ ideas.

Derpy had to suppress a fit of laughter as Twilight described what she had worn, trying desperately to picture in her mind how the unicorn must have looked. The dresses sounded horrifyingly ludicrous, and she wiped a tear out of her eye as her giggling subsided slightly.

Twilight gave Derpy a faux-reproachful look at her amusement, then leaned over and whispered, “Galoshes.” They both burst out laughing, continually mentioning bits and pieces of the garments to add to the hilarity. Finally, their sides aching from the constant laughter, they calmed down enough to change subjects.

The unicorn smiled as Derpy finished snickering; she had been waiting eagerly to tell Derpy about her cutie mark.

“I had an interesting day today, too,” she started, gaining the pegasus’ attention. “I spent a good portion thinking about that change to your cutie mark,” her hoof pressed over top of the mark and held there, as Twilight locked eyes with Derpy, “and I think I may have figured out what’s happening.”

Derpy grinned. “I knew you’d find something! So, how many books did you have to go through to find the answer?”

Twilight looked at her marefriend slyly. “All of them, and none of them,” she riddled. She noticed the blank stare from Derpy at her answer and giggled. “Technically, I would have had to read all of them, but there’s no information about this happening in a single one of them. So, technically, to find the answer I really had to read none of them.”

Derpy looked at Twilight as though a few screws had slipped loose, though from which one of them she couldn’t tell. “Wait, I thought you said you found the answer.”

Twilight shook her head with a glint in her eye. “No, I said I figured out the answer. It was in front of our faces the whole time – quite literally, too. The two bubbles that changed match the coat and mane colors of Rainbow Dash and me – we were the first ponies to accept you for who you were, despite your appearance or reputation.”

Derpy’s jaw dropped at the explanation. Twilight’s initial interpretation of her cutie mark had been exactly right, but neither of them thought of the further implications it could have. Twilight hadn’t realized it that night, but she wasn’t just interpreting a meaning. She was describing an unfinished cutie mark, and it was eerie how correct she had been about it.

Twilight, however, wasn’t finished. “I thought I knew it for sure when it came to me, but I wanted to be absolutely positive I was right before I told you about it.”

Derpy’s gaze drifted to her flank, and she felt Twilight’s hoof tighten over her cutie mark. When she looked back into Twilight’s eyes, there was a radiant happiness glowing in them. Derpy felt as though her face was on fire.

“I knew you met Pinkie Pie today before you told me,” Twilight admitted gently.

Derpy’s eyes widened as she felt Twilight’s hoof slowly slide a few inches to the side. Below where it had been, a previously drab bubble had acquired a translucent yet vibrant pink color, with a deeper pink rim along the top. She looked back at Twilight, her eyes misting with happiness as she threw her forehooves around the unicorn’s neck in a fierce hug.

Twilight removed her hoof from Derpy’s flank and returned the embrace with just as much vigor. They sat in silence for a few moments, until it was broken by a few joyful sniffs of emotion from the pegasus. Twilight held her firmly and nuzzled the side of Derpy’s head.

Twilight leaned forward slightly. “I can tell Rarity enjoyed your company, as well,” she breathed into Derpy’s ear.

Derpy’s breath cut short at the comment and she froze in place, not wanting to leave the embrace, yet still wanting to look back at the spot that Twilight’s hoof had subtly kept covered moments ago. She felt Twilight relax her grip, and the unicorn drew back, smiling warmly. Derpy turned her head back downward to see what she had been hoping for – a snow-white bubble, fringed with a beautiful deep violet.

Her excitement bubbled over as she flung herself on Twilight, wrapping her in a tight hug and peppering her with miniscule kisses all over. It took well over a half-hour for Derpy to calm down again, but that wasn’t something Twilight was going to complain about.

****************

After Derpy’s euphoric hysteria had died down, the two had settled back into the idea of trying the incantation on Derpy’s eyes again. Twilight had read and re-read the parchment, envisioning everything that was supposed to happen, while Derpy sat, trying to keep herself as calm as possible. Twilight held her corrected copy of the spell with her magic, studying it one last time before they tried again, though she knew it backwards and forwards by now.

Derpy was having a bit more of a difficult time than Twilight. Though she trusted her marefriend implicitly, that did not imply she couldn’t be nervous, and after the last fiasco a mistake had brought, her mind raced with fears. She had gone blind from a minor mistake, though it thankfully did not last long. She quivered at the thought of what might happen if there was a more serious error.

She knew, though, that if she wanted her sight to improve, she had no other option than the spell Twilight had found, and there was nopony more skilled in magic that she knew of – except, of course, Princess Celestia herself. She slowly got up, plodding toward Twilight with heavy hooves. She braced herself – she had made up her mind.

“I’m ready to try, if you are,” Derpy stated as firmly as she could, though her voice held a tremor of undeniable apprehension.

Once again, Twilight approached Derpy, though she noticed the mare was visibly shaking. She gave Derpy a peck on the cheek to try and calm her nerves.

“Derpy, are you okay? Remember, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.” Twilight kept her tone calm and gentle, trying not to make Derpy even more anxious than she already was.

Derpy shook her head. “I’m okay… It’s just a bit scary. I don’t want something to go wrong again.” She looked at Twilight, her eyes pleading. “You are absolutely sure you know what went wrong?”

Twilight nodded solemnly.

Derpy sighed. “Alright, I trust you. But, please, be very careful. I don’t want everypony getting mad again, and I definitely don’t like the idea of going blind again, not even for a minute.”

Twilight’s stomach knotted up with guilt, but she stoically pushed the feeling aside. She had no room for emotion right now; all her concentration had to be focused on one thing only – performing the spell absolutely correctly. She let her mind forget everything she had done during the last attempt. That attempt was flawed, and if she let herself get distracted because it felt different, she may miscast the spell.

She looked squarely at Derpy, who had stopped shaking, but looked edgy nonetheless. “Remember, Derpy – no moving, no talking, and keep your eyes closed.”

Derpy gave her a small nod back, and Twilight erased her mind of everything but her magic. The room went silent, her vision tunneled on Derpy alone. She noticed nothing and heard nothing except what came from the mare directly in front of her.

Twilight went through her steps. Positioning – muzzle to muzzle, then one step backward. Hooves planted firmly on the ground. Tip of her horn – touching Derpy’s forehead and never leaving it. Eyes open and focused directly on Derpy’s eyes. She focused her mind, feeling the magic flowing through her entire body before it left the tip of her horn, which felt like it had fused to Derpy’s forehead. A strong purple aura enveloped them both.

Derpy stood like a statue. The feeling that hit her when Twilight’s spell started was immediately distinguishable from the last try. Though the aura completely encased her, she felt no pressure. It felt as though something had been stuck to her forehead with a strong magnet, and the magic moved that magnet down toward her eyes before splitting off in opposite directions.

She did not feel any burning sensations like the last time, nor any strong pulls on her eyes. It simply felt as though the magnets were being traced along her eyelids, and her eyes followed them. The magnets stopped in the direct center of her eyelids, paused, and pulsed three times before blinking out of existence.

The horn touching her forehead receded, and she heard Twilight’s voice apprehensively telling her they were done.

She opened her eyes, blinking several times at the intensity of the light in the room. She swiveled her head from left to right, then came back to the center, where her gaze stuck permanently. Standing before her was Twilight, wearing a proud grin, but this was not the Twilight she had known. This Twilight held no double image, and her form wasn’t blurred or hazy. Every aspect of the unicorn stood out in sharp detail, down to single strands of Twilight’s mane that strayed from the rest.

The spell had worked, and it had worked perfectly. She smiled widely at her marefriend, and stepped forward for a tight embrace, only to stumble over her own hooves, face-planting on the floor.

Derpy stood up shakily, clutching her nose with a hoof. “Owww…” She took another step, stumbling again, but this time Twilight caught her before she could meet the floor again. “Twilight, did something go wrong again? I can see perfectly, but I can’t keep my balance at all, and my head feels like its swimming.”

Twilight smiled and shook her head. “Nothing went wrong this time; I’m sure of that. Your eyes are perfectly centered.” She giggled a little. “I think your body just needs to get used to actually being able to see. You’ve lived for so long with poor vision that your body overcompensated to help you keep your balance. It’ll just take some getting used to.”

Derpy’s face lit up to hear that it wasn’t a problem with the spell.

Twilight gave her a small wink. “I think it might be a good time to get to know Applejack. Some walking around Sweet Apple Acres would be perfect for balance control, and I’m sure it’ll give you a chance to get to know her better, too.”

The suggestion sounded like a good plan to Derpy. She had been worried about how exactly to approach Applejack ever since she had been blinded. The event had left them both feeling extremely awkward, and even though they hadn’t seen each other since then, Derpy was sure trying to get to know the farmpony would be uncomfortable.

Being able to work with Applejack on her coordination would give them reason enough to get along, and she was sure that her instability would result in quite a few humorous pratfalls on her part. Being able to laugh at herself with Applejack, in addition to spending time together, would inevitably lead to a more amicable relationship.

Derpy returned to the moment to find that Twilight had wandered away momentarily. Twilight was looking thoughtfully at her calendar, and an adoring smile crept across Derpy’s face as she stared at her marefriend with her crystal-clear vision. Twilight looked more stunning than she ever had before, and Derpy flushed as she realized just how lucky she was to have such a beautiful mare as her best friend and lover.

Twilight turned around to see Derpy staring, and the two beautiful amber eyes focused directly on her gave her a warm, glowing feeling. Derpy shone with beauty more than ever after both the spa treatment and her perfectly corrected eyes, and Twilight felt a rush of affection for Derpy. However, she had recalled something important leafing through her schedule, and discussing it with Derpy made her somewhat fidgety.

The pegasus noticed the shift in Twilight’s behavior immediately.

“Twilight, is something the matter?” Derpy locked a concerned gaze on the unicorn, and took very slow, wobbly steps forward, trying to come closer to her friend without falling over.

Twilight smiled and gave Derpy a nod, crossing the floor to save the unsteady pony from another sudden meeting with the ground.

“I was just reviewing my schedule for the week, and tomorrow I have something that I really ought to do.” Twilight bit her lip, worried at how Derpy would respond. “Tomorrow is Tuesday, and I usually send a friendship report to Princess Celestia on Tuesdays. I don’t really have to, I suppose. She told me that I didn’t need to report so regularly, but… I still try to send her a letter each week on the same day. Plus, I missed last week’s report – would you be comfortable if I sent her one tomorrow?”

There was a pause as Derpy took it all in, and she eyed Twilight warily.

“Write a letter to the princess? About what?” Derpy had known Twilight knew the princess, but she had not known that Twilight kept in close contact with her even while in Ponyville. The thought that she was in a relationship with a pony so closely connected to the princess was intimidating at best.

“Well,” Twilight explained, “usually I write about lessons we’ve learned, or research projects I’m doing, but this letter is more significant. I think she’d like to know that we’re together, so I’d like to write her about that. Of course, I’d also include my report on the vision spell, your progress with making friends, and we can’t forget to tell her that there is a special somepony out there who has a cutie mark that changes as friendships form.” Twilight smiled broadly.

“Yeah, I guess that sounds… okay.” Derpy conceded.

Twilight bounded off happily to look for some parchment as soon as she heard the positive answer, though she had missed the hesitant tone in Derpy’s voice.

It made Derpy glad to know that Twilight was so happy with their relationship that she wanted to tell the princess, but still… Her gut clenched tightly in fear, and she lay on the couch in a state of unease until sleep took her.

22. Surprises Come in Many Forms

Chapter 22 – Surprises Come in Many Forms

Tuesday morning started fairly normally; Derpy woke feeling much better than she had been the previous night. She was still intimidated by the idea of being the subject of a letter to Princess Celestia, but lately it was harder and harder for her to remain in a depressed mood. There were simply too many good things happening that she found it almost impossible to dwell on anything negative.

She woke slightly earlier than normal to allow herself extra time to make her way to the post office. She was gaining balance little by little, but she was still unsteady, and the trek took her long enough to arrive at the same time as some of the other mailponies – still early by most standards, but late according to her own.

“Good morning, Post!” she greeted enthusiastically as she made her way to the storage room, occasionally bumping objects in her path. She had, of course, forgotten to retrieve her mailbags in the excitement of the previous day.

“Good morning to you, too,” Post replied slowly, watching as Derpy stumbled in the direction of the extra supplies. “Are you feeling alright this morning, Derpy? You seem a bit… out of sorts.”

She giggled slightly, drawing a confused look from her employer. “I couldn’t feel better.” She turned toward Post with an exuberant smile, though his focus wasn’t drawn to her grin. He gave an audible gasp as she fluttered her beautiful amber eyes at him, both of them staring directly at him for the first time ever. He was only able to gawk at her until another giggle drew him out of the trance.

“Derpy – your eyes – what happened?” He spoke disjointedly, never abandoning his stunned expression as he fumbled unsuccessfully for more comprehensive questions.

“Twilight has been working very hard on a spell to help me see straight, and last night she cast it perfectly!” Her face darkened for a moment as she recalled the previous attempt. “She tried it earlier this weekend, but that didn’t work quite so well… I spent a day blinded by it, instead.” The light returned to her face as she continued. “She figured out what had gone wrong, though, and now we just need to keep working on it until the effects become permanent.”

She gave a slight blush as a thought occurred to her. “I may be a bit slow with my extra rounds for a little while, though. I haven’t quite gotten used to walking with normal sight, but I’m working on it.”

Post took another moment to shake himself from the surprise, and then nodded. “That’s perfectly understandable. Just so long as you deliver your mail, that’s fine.” He smiled. “Nopony’s timing you, after all.”

She smiled cheerily as she turned back to the extra bags. “Thanks, Post.”

The postmaster shook his head as she trotted off happily, though clumsily. Celestia, she never does cease to amaze, does she?

****************

Dear Princess Celestia,

I am writing you today concerning three topics, though they all relate to the same pony. I have been fortunate enough to recently stumble into Ponyville’s newest mailmare, a gray pegasus from Cloudsdale named Derpy. She is a very smart, sweet, and trusting pony, but she has had a very difficult life due to a condition with her eyes known as exotropia. She has suffered from this condition from foalhood, and it has had a profound impact on her life.

Due to this disability, she has trouble with coordination and has been viewed – incorrectly, I might add – almost universally as accident-prone and unintelligent. Because of this, she has received much ridicule and disrespect, and when we first met she was terribly depressed and had very low self-esteem.

Her view of herself had been shaped solely by those who took it upon themselves to make her life miserable, and it did not help that she did not even understand her own cutie mark, which is a collection of seven bubbles, colored a dull blue-gray. They lead her and everypony else to believe she was, as she described, an ‘airhead’. I will delve into the subject of her cutie mark and its significance at a later point in my letter.

Following our meeting, I am glad to say that we were able to become close friends swiftly. I was able to relate to her feelings of isolation; as you no doubt remember, I was quite reclusive in my youth. The night we met, we talked extensively, and she poured out her pent up feelings of personal failure to me. We discussed her fears and anxieties, which I reassured her were unfounded. That night we formed a tight bond.

Since then, our friendship and relationship has grown immensely. She has developed an incredible amount since we have been together, and she has exemplified an amazing amount of determination, reliability, supportiveness, and trust. I have come to care for her deeply, and it turned out that she felt the same way toward me. Throughout our time together, our relationship advanced more and more; eventually, the two of us realized that we shared a level of affection neither of us had experienced before, and we are now together as marefriends. Being able to say I have a special somepony whom I love, and that they share that same love in return, is a new experience that defies all expectations of what the magic of friendship could achieve.

I apologize for having to tell you all this through a letter, but I thought it more important that you know about our relationship than wait until we see each other next.

The second topic I wished to inform you of is more of a report on a spell that I have been researching. Shortly after meeting Derpy, she inquired whether I knew of any magic that could correct her vision. I had not, and set about studying all the materials I could find in my library. Nothing was to be found there, and so I visited the Canterlot Archives, hoping to find spells in the medical wing.

I was eventually able to locate a spell intended to specifically correct exotropia; unfortunately, it was in poor shape, and contained warnings that each cast was only temporary, and that it could cause damage if cast incorrectly. However, this scroll was the only one containing the spell we were looking for. I scrutinized the scroll for every detail I could find, transcribing every instruction and note it contained, until I was confident I had every nuance recorded.

Derpy and I discussed the spell and its risks, and ultimately, she decided she wanted to attempt it. We performed the spell exactly as described, but unfortunately I made a mistake in my transcription due to a couple obscured letters that changed the context of one of the steps. Derpy was blinded from the mistake, though only for the day, as the spell was temporary in effect.

I am quite ashamed for having made such a mistake, and I admit I was devastated at the harm I had caused to Derpy, but we continued to delve until we discovered the aforementioned error. Having found the source of the problem, Derpy and I talked over whether we would like to try once more, and we agreed to make another effort. This second attempt occurred last night, and it succeeded perfectly.

Needless to say she is ecstatic at the possibility of having a more normal life than she ever has, and it is exciting for me to be able to offer her that chance. We will need to continue repeating the spell to strengthen its effect until it becomes permanent, but it is much less daunting now that we know we have succeeded.

I have enclosed the entirety of the spell, including the mistake I made and its effects as well as all of the author’s footnotes, in the event that the Canterlot archivists would like to re-document the procedures for the medical wing. I hope it can be of some help for future use, and we will keep you informed of any additional discoveries or data that may come from upcoming castings.

The final topic I wanted to bring up with you is related to budding friendships surrounding Derpy since her arrival, and it includes an interesting phenomenon that I have never heard of or seen before.

As stated before, Derpy did not have an uplifting social image when she first arrived, and several of my friends were very reluctant to accept her; in fact, at times they may have been borderline hostile. I am sorry that our lessons on friendship may have been partially forgotten at the time – I am reminded of our lesson when we first met Zecora, and the parallel of her situation to Derpy’s is uncanny.

Thankfully, we did not entirely forget what the experience had taught us. Though it took a few ponies some time to reflect on their initial prejudice, they are all beginning to accept Derpy for who she is, and not who she appeared to be. This brings me to the subject of her cutie mark, as I had alluded to earlier.

I had suspected there must be a deeper meaning to the bubbles than the insulting interpretation that it had been assigned, and the explanation I thought to be most appropriate was that her own distinctive attribute that set her apart from everypony else was similar to the aspects of a bubble – beautiful, unique, shifting, and represented best when they are given thoughtful attention to their subtle beauty.

It seems that my speculation on the subject was well-founded, and this led to the phenomenon I had previously mentioned. We began to notice that Derpy’s cutie mark actually began to change over time – her bubbles began taking on different color schemes at seemingly random times.

After much thought, I came to the realization that the colors imbued in the altered mark matched those of my friends and myself, and that they appeared as we came to accept her as our friend, regardless of her looks or the misconceptions held about her.

I have not been able to find any record of this happening before, so it seems that she is the first case of a pony exhibiting an incomplete cutie mark. I thought it might be something of interest for study for Canterlot scholars. So far, four of her seven bubbles have been changed, signifying myself, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity, leading me to believe that six of them stand for the Elements of Harmony, though I have not discovered a seventh representative for the last bubble.

Regardless of the significance of her changing cutie mark or how interested I may be in making such a discovery, there is no discovery or knowledge that does not pale in comparison to the blessing we have received in each other’s company.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

Twilight sighed as she set down her quill. While she was excited to send her report to the princess, she couldn’t help but feel slightly jittery at the major news she was sending. She was not sure how Princess Celestia would respond to her having a marefriend, to her discovery of a changing cutie mark, or to her admission to making such an egregious error.

Regardless, the princess requested that she make reports on what lessons she had learned in Ponyville, and so she would. She went off to find Spike to send her letter, though the task was not difficult. He still had a few days left of his vacation, and he had spent the majority of it lounging in his bed.

Spike begrudgingly propped himself up on an elbow, opening only one eye halfway, and stayed upright only long enough to envelop the letter in green flames, sending it magically traveling to Canterlot with a swirl and flourish of smoke. His lone chore of breathing being done, he dropped back heavily and resumed his nap as though Twilight hadn’t even woken him.

****************

Derpy’s workday was proving to be much more problematic than normal. She had expected it to be a challenge, but it had become downright difficult. Regardless of the rough day, she grimly set herself to continuing on. Her speed had dwindled considerably, and she was covered with bruises and scratches – unintentional trophies to pay homage to her unfamiliarity with her newfound visual acuity.

Her injuries came from almost every source imaginable: walking into random objects, slamming her hooves in mailboxes, stumbling over small pebbles enough to crash heavily to the ground, and even tripping over her own hooves into a rose bush, which had earned her a few derisive comments from Roseluck. She wandered painfully down the street, depositing letters as she went, acquiring new wounds from various obstacles along the way.

It was discouraging, but she reminded herself that, with practice, she was bound to get better. Her thoughts returned to the idea of asking Applejack for some walking company to regain some balance, and she smiled at the prospect of getting to know the farmpony better, although she still held some anxiety over their shaky history over the past week.

She rounded the corner onto the next road, reaching into her mailbag for her next stop, but she halted abruptly at the name and address that appeared in front of her on a large manila envelope. Her eyes roamed the bulky parcel, registering the formal script across the front.

From the Office of Mayor Mare

Town Hall, Ponyville

Ditzy ‘Derpy’ Doo

c/o Golden Oaks Library

Derpy stared at the envelope, trying to comprehend what in Equestria the Mayor would be sending her, let alone addressed to the library instead of her normal home. She supposed it would do no good to just stand and stare, so she shambled her way towards the library to deliver the missive to herself.

She let herself in, shrugging off her bags for the moment before calling out, “Twilight! Are you home?”

A distant reply floated through past some bookcases. “I’ll be there in just a moment!” Several thuds and crashes announced that the librarian was rushing to the front door and did not particularly care what happened to be in the straightest path to it.

Twilight skidded to a stop, her mane askew, one hoof caught in a stepstool, and a book skewered on her horn. “Derpy!” She gave a wide grin, though that was quickly replaced by a perplexed look. “Shouldn’t you be out at work? And what happened to you?” The unicorn cast her gaze over the numerous minor injuries.

Derpy tried to reply, but every response she tried to make was stifled by laughter at Twilight’s absurd appearance.

Twilight blew an awkward sounding ‘pffft’ as she puffed a strand of mane out of her face, the grin returning. “Hardy har har. Yeah, I know. I look ridiculous.” She shook the stepstool off her hoof, and lifted the book off her horn with a purple glow. “Now, what’s going on?”

Derpy calmed down, her giggles subsiding now that Twilight looked more like herself, and held up the manila envelope. “Well, I do deliver mail to the library, so I technically am at work. Though,” she glanced behind her at the advancing sun, “I shouldn’t stay long, I’m getting behind. If you couldn’t tell from the scratches, I haven’t quite mastered walking yet.”

Twilight grinned, but stifled a giggle of her own.

The mailmare continued, “The reason I stopped in was that this mail is addressed to me. At the library. Do you know anything about what this is or why mail is coming to me here?”

Twilight hopped up and down in excitement. “Ooh, it came! Open it! Open it! I’ll tell you all about it, I promise.”

Derpy gave Twilight a leery side-glance as she opened the envelope, letting a multitude of papers or forms of some kind slide out slowly onto the floor. She kneeled down to read the top paper, a cover page of the Mayor’s embossed stationery.

“These forms establish rezoning approval of the mentioned properties, as surveyed and measured by the Zoning Ordinance Administration of Ponyville, in accordance with previously detailed plans provided no infractions of laws or bylaws are enacted in any way…” Derpy stood back up and cocked her head at the dense legalese. “Twi, what exactly is this?”

Twilight smiled and gave a giggle. “It’s your surprise.”

Derpy raised an eyebrow, completely lost in whatever it was Twilight was talking about.

Twilight looked back at Derpy, barely able to contain her enthusiasm. “I went to the town hall yesterday, and went through all this paperwork with the Mayor. These are the final approvals, if, of course, you decide you like the idea.”

Derpy stared blankly ahead. Comprehension at this point was long gone, and she stood waiting for Twilight to explain what in the hay was going on.

“Simply put,” Twilight stated, “I asked for permission to move your cloud house.”

Derpy’s jaw dropped.

“You don’t have to move it, of course, but if you would like to, the Mayor has approved it. You are now allowed to move your house to the library, and an allowance has been made for a connection to be made from your front door to the balcony outside my room.” Twilight blushed slightly as she thought of a better way to make the explanation clear.

“With my cloudwalk spell, I would be able to move freely around your house as well, so think of it this way… I’m asking you if you’d like to move in with me, and bring your house with you. Since cloud houses aren’t too difficult to move, I think all we would need would be some help from Rainbow Dash this weekend. All you have to do is say yes or no.” She smiled widely as a grin crossed Derpy’s face. A spoken answer wasn’t even necessary.

****************

Derpy returned to her work, feeling immensely better despite the aches still running through her body. The thought of being able to officially move in with Twilight as well as keeping her own home was thrilling. What was more, even though she still had little coordination, it seemed that the distraction on her mind took her intense focus off her balance, oddly enough making movement slightly more natural for her.

She followed her route, placing parcels, letters, and the occasional bit of junk mail in their appropriate boxes along the way. Her gait was still unstable, and she still had intermittent accidents adding to her collection of scrapes, scratches, cuts, and bruises, but concentrating less on her movements and more on doing her job as normal allowed her to hasten her pace moderately.

She neared the end of her route, noticing Fluttershy’s cottage coming into view as bright daylight began to fade to the muted intensity of evening. She hoped that her appearance wouldn’t startle the pegasus; though they had become more comfortable around each other at the spa, Derpy still had the feeling that Fluttershy would still be intimidated meeting without their other friends present.

Fluttershy was outside her cottage feeding her animals as Derpy approached, flitting about with various types of food that she retrieved from numerous kinds of bags littering the ground. Derpy couldn’t help but be amazed at the deep understanding the mare must have to know exactly what nutritional requirements so many different types of creatures needed.

The mailmare paused to wonder what kind of approach would be most appropriate to not frighten Fluttershy while she was focused on her chore. It was obvious that calling out to her would be a poor choice of action, and remaining silent as she neared would not fare much better – turning around to find somepony right behind her would certainly terrify her.

It turned out that her decision didn’t really make a difference; when she stepped forward on the path her balance once again got the better of her, and she tripped into a thorny flower bush with an audible thump and yelp. Though unintended, it was likely the easiest way to gain Fluttershy’s attention without causing alarm, and the yellow mare cautiously approached the source of the noise.

“Hello? Is anypony there?” She asked reservedly, casting her gaze around for any movement. She noticed some rustling in the branches of the bush to her side and cautiously approached. She came to a stop as a gray hoof stuck itself out of the greenery, and a mild but familiar voice came from within.

“Uh, hey, Fluttershy. It’s me, Derpy. Could you possibly help me out of here? I kind of tripped on my way over to your house.” Derpy’s plea was tinged with embarrassment.

“Of course!” Fluttershy breathed in relief, knowing it was only Derpy and not something much more sinister. She grasped Derpy’s hoof and pulled, attempting to extract the gray pony, who gave a few groans of discomfort. Finally, Derpy tumbled out of the brush, sprawled fully on the path with her mailbags splayed to the side. Fluttershy froze at the sight momentarily, and Derpy feared she had blown her first opportunity to make the pegasus in front of her less wary of her.

“I’m sorry, Fluttershy, the post office asked me to start delivering your mail – they noticed you seemed to shy away from them and thought it might make you feel a bit better if somepony more familiar – ” Derpy’s apology was cut short by a cry of concern from Fluttershy.

“Derpy, what in Equestria happened to you? Oh, you poor thing. You’re all scratched up! Come with me – we need to get these cleaned up.” She helped Derpy to her hooves and began leading the way to cottage. She hadn’t gotten very far, though, before she realized that Derpy wasn’t following her – at least, not very quickly. She was stumbling forward slowly, falling behind Fluttershy’s lead. Fluttershy turned and rushed back.

“Oh my goodness – did you hurt your legs? I can get you a cast if you need one…”

“Fluttershy, I’m fine - really I am, but thank you for the consideration,” Derpy explained. “Twilight’s spell worked on my eyes, and I’m not quite used to walking like this yet. The scratches and bruises are just from me knocking into things or tripping over my own hooves today. I’ve had much worse, believe me. They’ll go away soon enough on their own.”

Fluttershy let out a relieved sigh to hear the pegasus was not seriously injured. “I’m so glad that Twilight was able to find out what the problem was. I was worried she was going to lock herself up studying for weeks.” She gave Derpy a warm smile and gave her face an appraising look. “Congratulations. I know you must have been awfully frustrated to wait for so long before finding a solution to your eyes being unfocused.” She smiled kindly and trotted back over toward Derpy. Her gait slowed, though, as she recalled what Derpy had said to her while she was in a panicked state.

“Wait - you’re going to deliver my mail? What happened to the other mailpony? He didn’t quit because of me, did he?” Fluttershy began hyperventilating as her fears began to surface. “I knew I was absolutely horrible to him, but I didn’t think I would push him that far…” Her eyes began brimming with tears, and she hung her head shamefully, guilt welling up in her chest.

Derpy interjected before Fluttershy had a chance to blame herself more. “Fluttershy, that’s not it – not by far. Mr. Zippy is still working for the post office, and he was never angry with you.” Fluttershy seemed to relax slightly, but she still hiccupped tearfully, not quite willing to believe Derpy yet.

“So, why did isn’t he going to deliver my mail anymore, then?” She asked quietly.

Derpy stepped forward and carefully placed a hoof around Fluttershy’s neck in a comforting gesture. “Post Haste told me that they noticed you seemed frightened by them. He thought you might feel better if somepony more familiar delivered your mail, and since you’re friends with Twilight, he thought it might be better if I do it. Nopony there is mad at you – they were concerned that you were still dwelling on that one mistake from so long ago.”

Fluttershy stood stunned, not sure if she could believe what she was hearing. She had been convinced that her aggressive indiscretions had caused the ponies she had wronged to permanently despise her. It was nearly impossible for her to understand why they wouldn’t hold some sort of grudge against her for it, but here was Derpy, assuring her that they not only had forgiven her, but were worried for her. She stared at Derpy, her eyes searching the mailmare’s face for signs of deception simply to make her feel better, but the mailmare was regarding her with complete sincerity.

Once more, Fluttershy’s eyes brimmed with tears, touched by the consideration the mailponies were showing her despite her avoidance of them altogether. She leaned into Derpy, returning the hug as the guilt lifted fully from her chest.

“Thank you,” she whispered, squeezing Derpy emphatically. “I’ve worried about that for so long. Thank you for letting me know.”

Derpy pulled back, giving Fluttershy a nod and a smile. “Anytime. Feel free to let me know if anything else bothers you, and I’ll try to help, if I can.” Derpy picked up her bags, passed the few letters she had remaining to Fluttershy, gave her another uplifting smile, and turned to leave.

“Did you want to stay for a while, Derpy? I could make us some tea, if you’d like,” Fluttershy offered.

Derpy turned back and shook her head, but looked happy nonetheless. “I’d love to, but I need to finish off my shift, and I was also hoping to visit Applejack tonight before it gets too dark. Twilight suggested that she could help me with my balance with some walks through Sweet Apple Acres.”

“Some other time, then,” Fluttershy offered. “Enjoy the rest of your night, Derpy.”

“Thanks. You too.” Derpy blundered off back down the path, nearly tripping over her own hooves again.

As she faltered, trying to catch her balance, a sharp laugh could be heard from above. Her blood turned to ice, and she slowly turned, her gaze lifting upward to see two pegasi, one silver and one blue, silently hovering above Fluttershy’s cottage. She didn’t know their names, but she recognized their faces immediately; both were mailponies from Cloudsdale, and they weren’t exactly fond of her.

“What a touching scene, Featherbrain. Looks like the worst fliers in Equestria found each other.” The blue pony gave another sharp laugh, while his companion snorted with contempt.

“We heard that you’d been seen crashing your way through Ponyville today. We had to come and see how pathetic you were for ourselves, especially after the holy hell the boss caught, thanks to you and your holier-than-thou postmaster down here in this junk heap of a town,” the silver stallion taunted her. “Looks like we weren’t disappointed. You’re worse than we even had imagined possible.”

Derpy cast a look downward to see if Fluttershy was alright. Though it still stung, she was used to ridicule enough by now. However, she wasn’t sure how Fluttershy would react to the insult on her flying skills. She saw that Fluttershy was staring upward, completely immobile, with her cheeks flushing red. Derpy felt a pang of guilt that her mere presence had involved her friend in the mockery. She looked back to the pegasi above.

“It’s really too bad we had to end such a heartwarming get-together, but it’s just not possible to watch you fail on the ground as badly as you do in the air without laughing.” The blue pegasus sneered at her. “Honestly, I didn’t think it could be more pitiful for a pegasus to get demoted to earth pony mail, but you can’t even do that without wreaking havoc on yourself. Seriously, you have to have set a record for most injuries from putting papers into boxes. It’s too bad you haven’t managed to blow yourself to pieces,” he grinned maniacally. “Yet.”

Derpy dropped her head at the laughter, trying to block out the ridicule as she had done so many times before. She caught a glimpse of Fluttershy out of the corner of her eye, still watching the stallions. Derpy could see her figure trembling and a bright blush running through her face. Something about the yellow pony seemed off, though. Derpy turned to look at her, and the stallions above followed Derpy’s movement. Their faces paled, and their wings lost strength, causing them to awkwardly drop to the ground.

Fluttershy wasn’t trembling, and she wasn’t blushing. Her body was visibly shaking in anger, and the red in her cheeks was borne of purely violent rage. She took a step toward the stallions, who cringed in response. The gleam in her eye reflected the bitter hostility of a madmare, and venom flowed from her half-cracked smile, paralyzing them on the spot.

“You think,” she seethed, her voice menacing and dark, “that you are so much better than her, and that you have the right to sit here and laugh at her? That you can track her down simply to drag her through the mud, so you can feel better about your pitiful, shallow selves? That you can use her like a punching bag to fill the void in that wretched, meaningless existence you call a life, so you can face tomorrow feeling like you’re more than the worthless scum you are? I swear to Celestia, if I ever catch you – or any of the miserable vermin from your rat pack – insulting her again, I will personally ensure that you will not live long enough to regret it.”

Fluttershy clenched her teeth, breathing her next words with murderous intent. “Do. I. Make. Myself. CLEAR?”

The stallions whimpered and nodded with what little control they still had.

“Then get out of my yard and don’t let me ever see your useless, vile, sorry excuse for carcasses ever again!”

Her voice reached a volume that would rival Princess Luna’s, and the stallions vanished from the premises as though she had vaporized them where they sat.

Derpy stared, slack jawed and motionless, at Fluttershy, the red draining from her cheeks and her form slumping from exertion. A tear trickled down her cheek as she slowly turned her head to face Derpy.

Her voice quieted to a whisper, and it quivered as she spoke. “I’m sorry you had to see that. It’s just… sometimes I just can’t help myself when somepony treats somepony else like they did you.” She blinked back a few more tears. “I can’t just sit and watch while somepony abuses my friends like that.” Fluttershy collapsed to the ground with a few silent sobs.

Derpy moved forward, laying down next to her and draping a hoof around her. “No - thank you, Fluttershy. Thank you for standing up to them for me. Twilight is the only other pony that has ever done that for me. Ever.” She gave her crying friend a tight squeeze, and they lay in silence until Fluttershy had calmed down. The tears had left stains down her cheeks, but at least they had stopped. She looked at Derpy and managed a weak smile.

“You’re not upset with me for that outburst?”

Derpy shook her head. “Never. That outburst of yours meant the world to me.” A thought passed through her head, and she glanced backwards.

Fluttershy gave her an inquisitive look. “Is there something wrong?”

Derpy shook her head once again as she got to her hooves. “Fluttershy, can I still take you up on that offer for tea?”

“I thought you needed to get going,” she replied.

“There’s still plenty of time left tonight, and I think we could both use some tea to calm down a bit.” Derpy glanced backward once again as the pair entered Fluttershy’s cottage, a smile lighting her face at the yellow and pink circle gracing her flank. “I definitely wouldn’t mind spending some time catching up with you.”

23. Apples and Oranges

Chapter 23 – Apples and Oranges

Celestia’s sun was setting for the day, and Luna’s moon was beginning its slow ascent from the horizon as Derpy made her way from the post office to Sweet Apple Acres. The time she had spent with Fluttershy had been enlightening for both of them – Derpy was relieved that Fluttershy was accepting her as a friend, as well as believing that the mailponies at the post office really did not bear a grudge against her.

Fluttershy had sat amazed while Derpy had told her of the shifting cutie mark she bore, and the yellow pegasus had been flattered to find that she had influenced yet another change. They had enjoyed a cup of tea relaxing for some time, chatting idly. Fluttershy had apologized again for her display from earlier – she admitted it was the first time since her experience with Iron Will that she had become that enraged, but Derpy kept the yellow mare from being too harsh on herself for it.

After all, from what she had heard, back then Fluttershy’s aggression had been over minor incidents, and this was her first experience since then actively watching somepony being verbally abused by others. It was only natural she wouldn’t be familiar with how she’d react in a situation like that.

Fluttershy had been thankful for the comfort, and they fell into a soothing quiet, watching flames dance in the fireplace as they enjoyed each other’s company. Eventually, though, Derpy had to excuse herself – night was creeping closer, and she still had several things to do for the day. Fluttershy had bid her a pleasant farewell as Derpy wobbled down the path toward the post office.

The building had been nearly empty of everypony when she arrived. Only the mail sorting crew remained, and in a small town like Ponyville, only a handful of ponies were needed for the job. Derpy had been relieved to not have to face Post coming in as late as she was, and she deposited her borrowed equipment as quickly and quietly as she could, so as not to draw attention to herself. She had not been entirely successful, however.

Several bumps and crashes had alerted the other ponies in the area to her presence, and she left hurriedly to the awkward stares of the night staff. She resolved to not forget her bags again, and she trotted off toward Applejack’s home to talk with her about the possibility of getting some help from the farmpony. The light was fading fast, and it would be too late to start tonight, but at the very least she wanted to ask Applejack if she’d be willing.

As she came closer, the giant barn of Sweet Apple Acres loomed over her, illuminated by the rising moon. Slivers of light shone through the windows of the family home, filtering through the apple trees and reflecting off the arch trellises and post-and-rail fencing adorning the grounds. Derpy marveled at the subtle beauty of the farm in the tranquility of the night, and she hoped she would be able to spend more time enjoying the gentle atmosphere. She wondered how much contrast there would be during the daytime. Surely the day would be as full of activity as the night was peaceful.

Derpy approached the Apples’ house, and noticed Applejack’s pet Border collie snoozing beside an apple tree in the balmy night air. It suddenly occurred to Derpy that, aside from Applejack, she really did not know any of her other family members. She may have seen them around town, but she could not particularly recall exactly what they looked like, and she realized with the onset of a cold sweat that she did not even know their names. Unless by some lucky chance Applejack was the only Apple around that night, it seemed that she may be in for an uncomfortable meeting with the entire family of a pony who tolerated her reluctantly at best.

She paused nervously, trying to decide whether she should continue or not, and fumbled over her own hooves in the brief moment of indecision. Her small misstep did not make much noise, but what noise she did make was enough to wake the dog from its comfortable nap underneath the tree. The collie gave a startled bark at the sound, noticing the unfamiliar pony in its master’s yard so late in the evening.

Derpy turned inelegantly toward the collie, carefully backing away from the rising dog and toward the farmhouse, the warm glow from the windows falling across her backside. The dog gave a low growl of warning, unsure of whether the pony was a threat or not, but not willing to take the chance of allowing Derpy unannounced passage to the house.

Behind her, the light intensified, and Derpy could see the area of light expand along the ground around her. The collie stopped its advance, its job of alerting its master done, though it still held a low growl in its throat – at least until the pony in the doorway spoke.

“That’ll do, Winona.” A low voice drawled out, clear but slow. “Go on, get out of here.”

Derpy froze momentarily. She didn’t know if the last command was aimed at her, at the dog, or at both of them, but at the moment she wasn’t sure that she really cared. She almost took off at a gallop, except the voice took advantage of her brief hesitation.

“Ma’am.”

Derpy turned slowly back toward the house, not sure if she really wanted to meet the overly succinct stallion at the door. His voice sounded calm but wary of the unknown mare before him, and his speech, or lack thereof, did not give any indication of whether he was in a welcoming mood or not. As she turned to face him fully, she shrunk back, feeling dwarfed by his immense size. The darkness shadowed his features, and the light emanating from behind him obscured his face against the dim shroud of the early night.

Only one thing was certain – the bulky stallion was silently watching her, rooting her to the spot with an appraising stare.

At length, he spoke – quietly, unperturbed, but to the point. “Was there something you needed, Ma’am?”

Derpy stood, statuesque. The stallion intimidated her immensely, and she barely stammered out a coherent response.

“I was wondering if Applejack was home…” It was a pathetic answer – entirely uninformative and showing no valid reason for her presence. She wanted to elaborate, to somehow give a more useful statement, but she simply couldn’t find the words to put one together.

The stallion stood, unmoved, his darkened eyes never leaving the strange mare who had come calling in the night. “AJ,” he called, his speech indifferent, yet terse, “somepony’s here to see ya.” The stallion stood in the doorway, waiting on his sister.

Finally, a familiar and much more amiable voice spoke. “Thanks, Big Mac. You head on in. Apple Bloom ain’t wantin’ to hit the hay yet, an’ she ain’t listenin’ to me. See if ya can’t get her to get out of that silly crusader cape an’ into bed. Last Ah saw her she was runnin’ up the stairs lookin’ like she got another idea.”

The shaded figure nodded and let out a sigh. “Eeyup.” With that, he turned and walked past Applejack, allowing her a glimpse of her visitor.

Her face registered a look of incomprehension. “Derpy? What in the hay are ya doin’ here, especially at this time of night?”

“I’m sorry, Applejack. I didn’t mean to get here so late, but I got a little sidetracked, and things are moving a bit slower for me today.” She gave Applejack a sheepish look. “I was hoping I could talk for just a little bit, and maybe ask a favor of you. Not tonight,” she added hastily as Applejack gave her an incredulous look, “but maybe sometime later.”

She noticed the suspicious look on Applejack’s face at the mention of a favor. “I can always come back some other time. I’m sorry to have bothered you.” She drooped her head in a slight bow, backing up a few steps to turn and leave.

“Nah – that’s okay, Derpy. C’mon in.”

Derpy looked up to see a welcoming smile on Applejack’s face, though the mare still appeared somewhat ill at ease. Well, at least we have something in common, Derpy thought. Her mind drifted back to the beginning of her time with Rainbow Dash; the two had made amends eventually, but that didn’t change the fact that initially their time together was tense at best.

Derpy’s last time with Applejack had been when Twilight had blinded her, and she couldn’t see how the farmpony had reacted that day. All she knew for sure was that Applejack had originally been furious with her, but had lost all her fervent anger quickly after the situation had been revealed. Following that, Applejack had been almost silent the rest of their time together. Just how she felt after that day was a mystery, and Derpy hoped that she would be receptive to Twilight’s idea.

Derpy stepped forward into the glow radiating from the house, her face partially covered by Applejack’s shadow. The farmpony turned to lead the way inside, and Derpy followed, stepping cautiously as she walked. They made their way to the spacious living room, and Applejack took a seat on a chair while Derpy sat on a loveseat on the opposite side of the room.

There was an uncomfortable silence that hung between them; Derpy wasn’t quite sure what to talk about, and Applejack didn’t even know why she was there in the first place. All of her meetings with the others in the group had somehow clicked into place, either by accident or by another pony’s introduction. She had known Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash when they were fillies, Rarity was a socialite that thrived on meeting new ponies, and Pinkie Pie was happy talking with anypony, whether she knew them or not.

Applejack, on the other hand, was entirely different. She hadn’t known Applejack from any time other than the incident at town hall, and they hadn’t even talked then. It was terrible to know the only commonality they shared in the past was a disaster, and it wasn’t likely to be a good way to start a conversation. She also knew that it wouldn’t be a good idea to bring up her cutie mark – at least, not yet. It was an interesting topic, but every one of Applejack’s friends had initiated a change in her cutie mark, and pointing out that Applejack was the only one of the close group that had not made an influence would be rude, if not downright insulting.

Despite the night being pleasant and clear, she felt as if the air had grown denser and was pressing her deeper into the cushions of her seat. Then, without warning, a shrill whine jolted both ponies upright.

“Ah said Ah don’t wanna go to bed! Ah’m tryin’ to earn my rock climbing cutie mark!”

A stern voice rumbled after Apple Bloom’s outburst. “There ain’t any rocks in your room, and your special talent isn’t in climbing. You’re picking all this stuff that you knocked over tomorrow. Now get off the top of your bookshelf and get in bed!”

A few muffled thumps and scurrying sounds moved across the ceiling, tracking the chase upstairs in Apple Bloom’s room. The scurrying ceased abruptly, followed by a squeal and a single thump – presumably Big McIntosh had caught her and shoved her in bed under protest from the filly.

“Now stay in bed. You can crusade tomorrow, after all this mess is cleaned up.”

Both Big Mac and Apple Bloom gave loud huffs of frustration, clearly audible by the two mares sitting in the living room below. Derpy, smirking, looked over at Applejack, who was holding back a laugh.

“Does this sort of thing happen often?” she asked Applejack.

Applejack stifled a snort and wiped a tear from her eye as she let a little laugh escape. “Just ‘bout every night. Ah swear that filly’s gonna tear the farm apart tryin’ to get that cutie mark.” She grinned and lifted an eyebrow at Big McIntosh as he came trudging into the room. “Cutie Mark Crusader rock climbing? Seriously?”

Big Mac trotted across the room and took a seat himself, muttering lowly and shaking his head. “Of all the absurd things that filly can get in her head… you don’t even want to see her room. At least she didn’t wake up Granny with all her crashing around.”

Applejack gave a chuckle, earning a reproachful look from her brother.

“You’re on crusader duty tomorrow,” he stated matter-of-factly.

Applejack stopped her laughter abruptly, and once again the room fell into an awkward silence, with Applejack and Derpy looking anywhere but at each other. Occasionally one of them would happen upon a thought, almost breaking the ice, and then the words would slip off their tongues, and they would regress into reticence.

Big McIntosh watched his sister and her unknown visitor fidgeting in discomfort, and the taciturn stallion took it upon himself to put an end to the quiet. He, at least, had a question he wanted to ask.

“AJ? Ain’t ya going to introduce me to your friend?” He gave a nod in Derpy’s direction. “Never met her before.”

Derpy looked up, startled at the broken stillness, but also glad the stern stallion was looking at her much more receptively than earlier. When she had been outside, he had been very intimidating. Inside, though, he looked much friendlier.

Applejack cleared her throat and gave her brother an appreciative nod for giving them something to talk about. “Ah’m sorry – yer right. Big McIntosh, this is Derpy. She’s the new mailpony Twilight’s got herself all in a twist over.” She turned toward the pegasus. “Derpy, this here’s my brother, Big McIntosh. He don’t say much, but he’s as hard workin’ an’ reliable as ya can get.”

Derpy and Big Mac exchanged a brief acknowledgment of the introduction, before Applejack decided to carry on with the conversation before it died out altogether again. “So, not that I mind ya stoppin’ by or nothin’, but how come ya came over, Derpy? Ya said ya needed to talk and wanted to ask a favor, but ya ain’t said more than a few words since we got in here.”

Applejack paused as she noticed all of the scratches covering Derpy. “Land sakes, girl – how’d ya get all them scrapes on ya?” She looked extremely concerned as a thought crossed her mind. “Winona didn’t do that to ya, did she? I heard her goin’ off at somethin’ earlier.”

Derpy shifted uncomfortably. She really must look like a mess to have everypony asking her about it, but that explanation would have to wait until later. “Winona is your dog, I assume?” She asked.

Applejack nodded.

Derpy shook her head. “No, I just startled her earlier – that’s why she was barking and growling. These…” she indicated her injuries, “I got myself, but I’ll tell you how in a little bit. It’s kind of related to one of the reasons I came over.”

She took a deep breath. “I kind of wanted to start off with saying I’m sorry about how I made you and Rainbow Dash feel uncomfortable the past week. I should have taken the time to sit and talk with you all before charging full tilt into the middle of your friendships. I could have been a threat to one of your best friend’s safety, and I should have been more mindful of how you felt.”

Applejack held up a hoof to stop Derpy from continuing her apologetic ranting. “Derpy – honest, it does ya no good to keep worryin’ ‘bout all that. The way Ah see it, you ain’t in any spot to go hurtin’ Twilight anymore.”

Derpy smiled at the reassurance. “I know. It’s just that it’s been really weird for us all since I got here, and part of the reason I’m here tonight is that I think it’s been more awkward between you and me than most of the other ponies. We really don’t know each other all that well, and I’d like to be able to take some time to get to know you better. That is, if you wouldn’t mind.” Derpy fidgeted at her request, dragging her hind hoof across the floor.

A pensive expression crossed Applejack’s face at Derpy’s statement. Though it bothered her to admit it, Derpy’s assessment was true – the pegasus did make her feel uneasy at times. “Ah think we’re all fine with ya by now. But yer right, that ain’t to say Ah’m exactly comfortable around ya.” Applejack blushed. “Ah think we just need some time before we can be all ‘chummy friends’. Hangin’ around is easy enough – with all the gals there’s always somethin’ goin on, so maybe we can get a little more used to each other goin’ out as a group.”

The farmpony sighed. “Ah guess what it all comes down to is we all need to be more accepting of you bein’ with Twi’ an’ all, and Ah’m probably the worst pony around when it comes to puttin’ up with stuff changin’ from what it was all like before.”

Big Mac gave a snort at the understatement. “Worst don’t even come close to touchin’ you, AJ.” He grinned. “She may be the Element of Honesty an’ all, but she’s still stubborn as a mule with a skull twice as thick.”

He laughed as Applejack launched from her chair to give him a solid punch to the shoulder, taking the blow and then casually swatting her away as if she were a fly. “Anyway,” the red stallion turned to Derpy, “you were saying?”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry, I guess we kind of got derailed there.” She looked back to Applejack. “I was hoping I might ask you for some time to do some jogs around Sweet Apple Acres to get some time to talk, and to help me improve my balance.”

Applejack looked confused. “Improve your balance from what?” She dropped her face into her hoof. “Don’t tell me Dash up and whapped ya over the noggin fer some fool reason and got yer balance all wibbly-wobbly.”

“No, no - nothing like that,” Derpy reassured her. “Rainbow Dash and I are getting along much better now, anyway.” Applejack looked shocked at that announcement, but allowed Derpy to continue. “Twilight fixed my eyes with her spell last night – "

Applejack shot up, utterly shocked. “She did? Honest ta… how in the hay did I not notice yer eyes were all better?”

“I don’t know what y’all are talking about, but you’d miss whatever it was pretty easily, since neither of you were looking anywhere near each other until I came down,” interrupted a slow and amused voice.

“Hush, you!” Applejack snapped, shooting Big Mac an irritated glare.

“I have a very bad case of what I guess you’d call wall-eyes – my eyes never focus on the same thing at once,” Derpy interjected, trying to give Big Mac a basic idea of what they were talking about. “Twilight has been trying to fix them for me.”

Applejack looked back to Derpy. “So Twi went an’ fixed ‘em proper this time. Glad to hear that it all went well for ya, but what does this have to do with your balance?”

Derpy looked slightly embarrassed. “I guess I just got so used to my eyes being messed up, that I got used to moving with them like that. When Twilight cast the spell, my sight got better, but I’m not used to moving with perfect vision. That’s how I got all banged up today – I’ve been bumping into and tripping over almost everything in my path.”

Applejack cocked her head momentarily, trying to grasp exactly how that concept made sense. It sounded a little strange, but she could imagine how she would react if her vision abruptly changed, and even though the change would give Derpy perfect eyesight, it would still be just as sudden. She nodded with the realization, and decided that taking some time to wander the farm with the pegasus wouldn’t be a problem. Even if she were busy bucking apples, Derpy could walk along with her as she went, and some added conversation while she worked could help the day go by faster.

“Ah’d be happy to help, Derpy. Feel free to c’mon over any time ya want – if Ah’m free we can go for a jog, and even if Ah’m workin’ ya can walk along with me. You okay with Derpy stoppin’ over, Big Mac?”

“Eeyup.” He grinned at Applejack. “Long as she don’t interrupt when it’s your turn on crusader duty.”

Derpy giggled as Applejack shot her brother another glare. She got up from the loveseat, trying to find her sense of equilibrium as she stood. “Thanks, Applejack. And you too, Big McIntosh. It was nice to meet you.”

The red stallion gave her a nod of courtesy. “Same.” He stifled a yawn. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m headin’ off to bed.”

Derpy smiled. “Have a good night, then. I need to head off myself; I need to tell Twilight that I need to head home for tonight. I keep forgetting my mailbags at home, and I want to make sure I remember them tomorrow.” She made her way toward the door, nearly falling as she knocked a hoof into a table leg.

Applejack sidled up next to her. “Hold on, there, sugarcube. If you’re headin’ out, Ah may as well walk ya home to make sure ya end up there in one piece. If you’re trippin’ on stuff in here, Celestia knows what’ll happen to ya in the dark.”

Derpy looked at her in gratitude. “Thanks, Applejack. I suppose you’re right about that – I’d probably end up with half my bones broken by the time I got back.”

The two shared a laugh as they walked out the door, the darkness enveloping them as they aimed their way toward the library, guided by the moonlight.

****************

“… So, Twi needed to make sure everythin’ we did was on her checklist,” Applejack chuckled. “She was so focused on that dadgum list that she did whatever it told her without even thinkin’. She wanted a pillow fight, and she didn’t even know what one was!”

Derpy gave an appreciative snicker at her marefriend’s obsession, but stopped abruptly as Applejack took on a somber expression.

“We messed it up pretty bad for her that night, though. Me an’ Rarity were goin’ at it somethin’ fierce, an’ we never noticed how miserable she was gettin’. Ah guess it took me pullin’ half a tree through her window to get our heads on straight.”

Her face lightened to amusement again. “Heh, that was probably the best thing Ah coulda messed up at. Got me an’ Rarity to act civil, an’ through it all, Twi was still checkin’ her book to see if we were still goin’ by it.” She laughed out loud. “She was actually looking through her book to see if there was a section about tree branches at a slumber party!”

Derpy laughed along with Applejack, picturing Twilight sitting with a toppled tree behind her, frantically searching a book to see if it was supposed to be there or not. The absurdity of the whole situation made her stop for a moment – a stitch was forming in her side, and she had to catch her breath to recover from the fits of laughter. Applejack and Derpy eventually calmed to periodic giggles and continued on their way.

The pair had been ambling slowly on from Sweet Apple Acres, and though silence came often, occasionally other anecdotes would run through Applejack’s mind, giving her something to share with the pegasus beside her. Even though the farm was not far from Ponyville, Applejack and Derpy were just arriving on the outskirts of the town – Derpy’s clumsiness was clearly slowing them down, and more than once Applejack had caught her as she stumbled.

The ponies lapsed back into the quiet of the night, carefully picking their way through town, though the road was less cluttered than the path from Sweet Apple Acres. As Derpy tripped once more, however, a thought occurred to her that caused her to pause after Applejack had helped her back to her hooves.

“Applejack, if I have this much trouble on the ground, there’s no way I’m going to be able to fly myself home tonight.” Derpy paused, hesitant to ask what was on her mind. “Do you think Rainbow Dash might mind if I asked her to help me fly home? I’d hate to bother her at night like this, but if I want to get my stuff from home I’m going to need help.”

Applejack pondered the question before responding, trying to think of what Rainbow Dash might say to such a request. After a minute of deliberation, she nodded. “Ah think she’d help. She’ll probably be a bit annoyed if she’s sleepin’ an’ we wake her up, but she wouldn’t go an’ leave us hangin’. An’ she don’t go to bed too early – she takes too many naps durin’ the day to get to sleep fast. Ah’d bet right now she’s just loungin’ on a cloud somewhere.”

They cast their eyes upward, scanning for small clouds the multicolored pegasus might be relaxing on. Thankfully, the night sky was beautifully clear, with only a few small groups of clouds dotting the skyline. They walked along from patch to patch, Applejack watching the sky while Derpy watched the ground, intent on not falling again.

Finally, Applejack spied a multicolored tuft of tail hanging over the side of a wispy cloud positioned conveniently enough over Sugarcube Corner. Applejack gave a smirk, and broke the night silence.

“Dash!” She grinned sassily to herself as she heard several coughs and splutters from overhead. She had surmised that Rainbow Dash was snacking on the bakery’s goods, and gave a cocky laugh as her guess was confirmed. Rainbow Dash poked her head over the edge of the cloud, still spitting out chunks of the cupcake she had been eating before Applejack had scared the ever-living hay out of her.

“What the hay, AJ? Ya trying to give me a heart attack?” she spat angrily at the chortling farmpony beneath her.

Applejack caught her breath as the fit of laughter subsided. “Nah, Derpy was wonderin’ if ya could help her out a bit tonight, and Ah couldn’t pass up the change to scare yer tail off ya.”

Dash's face softened as she noticed Derpy standing next to Applejack, though she still took a moment to blow an aggravated raspberry at the snickering mare.

“Yeah, yeah. Funny stuff. Remember that when Pinkie and I make our next visit to Sweet Apple Acres.” Applejack shot back a raspberry of her own, remembering her orchard of painted apples, while Rainbow Dash turned her attention to Derpy.

“So, what did ya need, Derpy?” She sneered at Applejack again. “I hope it has something to do with a cocky orange pony and a mudhole.”

Derpy laughed as Rainbow Dash chucked the remainder of her cupcake at Applejack while waiting for an answer. “No, no mudholes tonight – sorry. I was kinda wondering if you could help me fly home in a little while – Twilight’s spell worked, but I can’t even walk straight until my body adapts to how everything looks. I think if I tried flying I’d head directly into the side of a building.” She flushed with embarrassment, though she doubted either pony noticed since Applejack had started kicking pebbles at Rainbow Dash.

“Ow! Okay, okay! Knock it off!” Rainbow Dash gave a final glare at Applejack as the farmpony stood smugly beneath her. “Yeah, I can do that – no problem. Were you heading there now?”

“Actually, I was going to stop by the library first to let Twilight know that I’d have to head home for a little bit tonight, since she lives much closer to here than I do.” Derpy glanced down the road toward the towering oak tree. “Would that be alright?”

“Yeah, I haven’t gotten a chance to see her for a bit, anyway.” Rainbow Dash landed softly next to her friends. “Speaking of Twi, did she ever figure out what was going on with your cutie mark?”

Derpy cringed at the question, pushing her wing farther over her flank as Applejack gave her a curious look. “Yeah, she kinda figured it out…” she hesitantly admitted.

“Figured what out?” Applejack asked. “Somethin’ funny goin’ on with yer cutie mark?”

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash interjected, before Derpy could form an excuse. “When I stayed over at her place last week, we noticed in the morning that a couple of the bubbles changed color. It was kinda freaky. I’ve never seen that happen before.” She grinned with anticipation. “So, what’d Twi come up with?”

“Ah wanna see ‘em, too,” Applejack added, somewhat haughtily, noticing the gray wing hiding the mark. “How come ya never mentioned yer cutie mark changed color?”

Derpy sighed at having to admit the truth; she didn’t want to single Applejack out, and she also didn’t want it to look as though she was only spending time with Applejack to earn another change to her cutie mark. She really did want to get to know the farmpony better, and now Derpy had no choice but to tell her about it and hope she didn’t think the pegasus was being shallow about her request.

Keeping her wing over her flank for the moment, Derpy looked up at the two ponies in front of her. “The truth is… well… the changes are coming from you guys.” She noticed the confusion spread between Applejack and Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow, do you remember what I told you about Twilight interpreting my cutie mark?”

Rainbow Dash nodded slowly. “You said it was something about being unique, and having potential or something.” She scratched her head trying to remember. “Sorry, I don’t remember the whole explanation – I kinda got lost in half of it. Twilight’s details can be pretty heavy to figure out.”

Derpy giggled. “That’s true, she can get very in depth on things. Well, it had to do with my inner beauty showing best when I’m accepted for the pony I truly am. It turns out that was more accurate than we thought.” She moved her wing out of the way as she continued. “They’re changing to represent each of you as you accept me – although I’m not sure who the seventh bubble is supposed to represent.”

Derpy watched as Applejack’s and Rainbow Dash’s eyes grew wide, their jaws dropping in shock. “Applejack, I didn’t want to tell you right away, because you’re the last one. I didn’t want you to think I was only interested in getting to know you to change my cutie mark.” She dropped her head as she spoke; just admitting that as a possibility felt sickening.

Applejack watched Derpy’s crestfallen form as she finished her reasoning. Shaking her head, she approached the pegasus and draped a hoof over her neck. “Sugarcube, Ah know ya were bein’ sincere about that, so don’t go worryin’ about me thinkin’ that. Ah was tellin’ ya the truth about me not bein’ all that comfortable with ya yet, so Ah’m not upset to be the last one.”

Derpy raised her head with a small smile. “Thanks, Applejack.”

“Anytime, sugarcube,” Applejack replied, with a smile of her own. “Now let’s get a move on, or else we ain’t gonna be done until the night’s half over.” She looked over to notice Rainbow Dash was still staring at Derpy’s multicolored cutie mark. She gave a smirk as she and Derpy started walking again, and threw a taunt behind her. “Dash! Stop starin’ at her flank, ya look weird doin’ that.”

Rainbow Dash snapped out of her vacant gaze with a shake of her head and trotted up to catch her friends, a light blush forming on her cheeks. “Sorry about that – I’ve just never seen anything like it. It’s seriously a level of awesome higher than any other cutie mark ever. Aside from mine, of course,” she added hurriedly, hoping her own coolness hadn’t taken too severe of a hit from the comment.

Applejack rolled her eyes at the near constant self-worship her friend held. “Of course not, Rainbow. Nopony can come close to your awesomeness.” Her sarcasm was apparently lost as Rainbow puffed out her chest proudly. Derpy just snickered quietly to herself, careful to make sure Rainbow Dash didn’t hear the muffled chuckle.

They moved down the road, Applejack and Rainbow Dash giving each other half-playful pushes and shoves along the way, nearing the giant library. Then, without warning, a loud mixture of a growl and a shriek ripped through the night, followed by a short, bright flash emanating from every window in the tree.

Derpy stood in shock, fixed to the ground, unsure of what had just happened. Rainbow Dash and Applejack, however, exchanged anxious glances. They had heard that sound and seen flashes like that before, though rarely. They were the sounds and sights of a certain purple unicorn igniting into a seething fireball.

Something had to have made Twilight really, really angry.

24. A House of Cards

Chapter 24 – A House of Cards

Spike was sitting in the bedroom, glancing furtively left and right to make sure nopony was around. Secure in the knowledge that he was alone, he quickly darted to the closet to retrieve his hidden stash of jewels. It wasn’t very large, but it was enough to snack on when he was hungry and Twilight wasn’t in the mood to indulge him.

Searching through the satchel, he passed over the more common gemstones – emeralds and rubies were fine, but their flavors became mundane after a time. He had begun saving up a much more dazzling array for when he was feeling exceedingly hungry. He rummaged past a peridot, some citrines, a spinel or two, and paused for a moment to regard a sphene before deciding that its vaguely lemon taste didn’t sound appealing at the time.

His eyes settled on a beautiful rubellite tourmaline, his mouth watering with anticipation of the savory gem. His mouth wide open, he popped the light red stone toward it at the same instant a belch of green flame spewed from his mouth, producing a scroll that knocked his precious snack away and under Twilight’s bed. He grumbled in frustration at the interruption, aggravated more by the fact that his food was now likely covered in dust.

He walked over to the bed, clutching the ill-timed letter in his claw. He was just about to lay across the floor to retrieve his gem when his stomach gave a furious rumble, and he spat out a second letter. Oddly enough, the second scroll was bound particularly tightly and was addressed to Derpy. He swiped up the letter and tossed both of them onto the bed before crawling under to grab his sullied snack.

Wriggling out from under the furniture with his prize in tow, he unceremoniously wiped the grime off on Twilight’s sheets. It’s her letter that got crud all over my snack, so if she wants it, she can wash her own sheets. Stupid letter. He inspected the gem for leftover dust. Satisfied that it was clean, he quickly wolfed it down before he could be interrupted again.

He grabbed both scrolls and headed toward the door, before pausing. If the princess sent this one specifically for Derpy, she probably doesn’t want Twilight reading it… Patting himself on the back for his quick thinking, he deposited the second scroll in his bed for temporary safekeeping and headed out the door with Princess Celestia’s response.

Twilight took the letter from Spike, showing annoyance with his normal lackluster attitude. Her excited squeals earned an eye roll from Spike, and she unfurled and read it with anticipation. She seemed genuinely happy at the response, but Spike paid no more attention to her than usual – Princess Celestia’s letters were usually mundane and meant specifically for Twilight, meaning his comprehension of the notes would be minimal at best.

His lack of attention to her reading, however, meant that he had not noticed the sudden change in Twilight’s demeanor as she continued to read, her brow furrowing as she scrutinized every word it contained. He calmly walked back toward the bedroom, looking forward to another gem treat, completely unaware that behind him, Twilight was quivering with anger as she continued to read.

She paced back and forth heavily, shaking her head and muttering incoherently as she stared at the cerise-enveloped parchment she magically held in front of her face. Her eyes fell down the page to the end, and her cheeks burned red. A low growl began in her throat, Spike’s only warning of what was to come.

He whipped around quickly, just fast enough to see Twilight let out a bestial shriek. He dove for the corner as her mane and tail burst into flame, singeing the books in her immediate vicinity. Her coat flashed a fiery orange and her eyes burned crimson as she glared venomously at the document.

With one final flare of intensity, her energy reserves dwindled, and she collapsed in an extinguished heap, smoke still rising from the various charred pages surrounding her. Her head hung low, and she began sniffling and sobbing into her hooves, not moving from her solitary spot in the middle of the floor.

Spike cowered in his corner as Twilight’s fury subsided into despair, and his fear for his friend was outweighed only by his confusion at what had just happened. He heard a clambering noise outside, and turned to see Applejack and Rainbow Dash standing in the door, and Derpy slowly catching up beside them, a slight wobble in her step.

The three ponies looked around the room in alarm, noticing the smoldering remains of books, burnt bindings and pages turned to ash that surrounded Twilight’s crumpled form. They rushed forward, circling around Twilight. Rainbow Dash and Applejack quietly sat to her sides, and Applejack placed a hoof across her back in a futile gesture of comfort.

Derpy, however, knelt down in front of the broken unicorn and threw her forehooves around her neck, pressing her muzzle firmly against Twilight’s tear streaked cheek, and held her tightly. Without knowing the cause, she simply cried with her best friend, their tears mixing as Derpy offered her solace in the only way she could – by sharing the nameless sorrow.

Twilight’s response was subtle, noticed only by Derpy. She leaned into her marefriend, slightly moving her muzzle up and down Derpy’s cheek, seeking the warmth and support of the pony gently embracing her in her time of need. Her breath hitched with each sob, and her hoof instinctively reached around Derpy’s neck and pulled the pegasus closer to her. Time ceased its relentless flow to the couple, and they lay with regard to nothing but the soft caresses that they shared.

Rainbow Dash gave Applejack an awkward glance, and both understood the unspoken message. They were adding nothing to Twilight’s comfort at the moment, and it would be better for them to leave Derpy in charge of consolation. They quietly stood, not daring to move too quickly and risk disturbing the healing release of emotion. The two mares made their way to the side of the room, standing in a doorway and beckoning Spike to join them away from his huddled corner. The dragon rapidly complied, hurrying to join them in another room, away from Twilight and Derpy.

They entered a study room to the side of the library’s main chamber, slowly closing the door to muffle both incoming and outgoing sound. The privacy of Twilight and Derpy ensured, the mares turned to Spike with an expectant look.

“Spike, what in Equestria happened?” Applejack enquired. “Ah’ve never seen Twi so beside herself before.”

The dragon shook his head in confusion. “I have no idea what happened! I brought her a letter the princess sent, and the next thing I knew she went into spontaneous combustion mode. I thought she was going to burn the whole library down; even I could feel the heat she was giving off, and you know how dragons handle heat.”

He gave an exasperated sigh. “The next thing I knew, she completely deflated. It was kinda like seeing Pinkie Pie on her last birthday – livid one second, and then crushed into nothingness the next.”

“Well, whatever it was the princess sent her, it definitely wasn’t something she liked,” Rainbow Dash commented. “Unless we have that letter and read it ourselves, we’re not gonna have any idea until Twi tells us.”

Spike fidgeted, attracting the attention of both Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

The farmpony stared daggers into Spike’s eyes. “Well, Spike? Out with it – you know somethin’ more, don’t ya?”

Spike shook his head violently. “It’s just… Princess Celestia sent another letter right after the first one that I took to Twilight.”

He saw the sparkle kindling in Rainbow Dash’s eye, and shook his head again. “It was sealed tight and addressed to Derpy. I know whatever is bothering Twilight is probably brought up in that, but I’m not opening it.” Dash visibly deflated at the news. “It’s Derpy’s, not ours. We’re going to have to wait until she tells us what’s going on.”

Applejack nodded solemnly at the decision. “We ain’t got a choice on it, unless we wanna risk makin’ her more upset an’ gettin’ Derpy mad at us, too. Much as Ah don’t like it, we’re gonna have to wait.”

Rainbow Dash huffed impatiently, outnumbered two to one on a decision she knew wouldn’t change regardless of her protests. She resigned herself to slumping in a corner and staring at the ceiling, while Spike simply wandered aimlessly. Applejack stood near the door to wait until the muted crying in the next room died down.

****************

Derpy held Twilight tightly, continuing to lightly nuzzle her for comfort. Twilight’s sobs gradually diminished, and though her crying had died out to whimpers, she kept a silent hold on Derpy, her eyes tightly shut from the ordeal. Derpy lightly stroked Twilight’s mane with one hoof as she kept the unicorn in a hug with her other. She noticed as they embraced on the floor that her eyes were beginning their drift back to normal; the spell was wearing off, but she mentally shook the idea out of her head. She didn’t care if they stayed like that forever – Twilight was infinitely more important.

The unicorn slowly opened her eyes, and looked into the loving face of her friend. Her eyes drifted over Derpy’s features until they locked on the pegasus’ skewed gaze. In an instant, her eyes clamped shut again, a new torrent of tears flowing forth. Confusion worked its way into Derpy’s expression, and she grasped Twilight again with renewed strength.

“Twilight, please, just tell me what’s wrong…” she whispered, her voice cracking slightly. “Please, don’t hold it all in – let me know what happened.” She resumed stroking Twilight’s mane as the unicorn’s voice choked in her throat.

Twilight slowly nodded into Derpy’s neck, though her eyes remained closed. With a slight glow, a piece of parchment drifted slowly over from the desk, oddly unsinged amid the burnt wreckage surrounding it. Twilight’s magic held it in place before Derpy, who never lessened her embrace. Slowly she began to read.

Dear Twilight Sparkle, my most faithful student,

Congratulations on your newfound relationship! I am thrilled that you have found somepony you care for so much, and I think you’ll find that love is the greatest form of friendship there is. Take care to nurture it, cherish it, and let it bloom into the greatest blessing you are ever likely to receive. I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of meeting your marefriend, and hope that sometime soon you will introduce her to me. I am very interested to meet her and thank her for giving you the kind of love you have deserved for so long.

Though I am sorry to hear she has had a difficult past, I am positive that her life will take her in new directions she never thought possible with you as a partner and friend. From what you have told me in your letter, she possesses an amazing amount of the qualities present in the Elements of Harmony. Supportiveness and trust are kindred spirits with honesty, kindness, and generosity, and reliability shows a great deal of loyalty lies within her as well. Fostered with the magic you share together, and cultivated with laughter in good times as well as bad, you will no doubt see friendship as you never have before in this pony.

I am also intrigued by your report on her cutie mark; never before have I seen a cutie mark that has been incomplete at its time of appearance. From what you have described, your friend no doubt is the first documented account of a cutie mark changing in response to the actions of others. For it to happen once is amazing, but for it to happen in representation of the holders of the elements is nothing short of remarkable, though, like you, I am unsure of what the seventh mark may represent. I look forward to hearing more on her development as it occurs, and I hope you will let her know that she is indeed an especially unique individual, though not only due to her cutie mark.

Though it pains me to do so, I must end our letter in a less than happy fashion. Please bear in mind that I continue to hold you as my dearest student while reading what I must write. I am saddened that you took the one most dear to you and, though your goal was noble, knowingly put her directly in danger. The fact that you sought a spell to cure her does not worry me, but the fact that you accepted risking her safety for that cure certainly does.

As you have likely heard, the phrase is: “The road to Tartaros is paved with good intentions.” Your research, though appreciated, has brought your spell into review by the Equestrian Medical Association. It had been forgotten to time, but now that it has been found, they have deemed it too great a risk to still be kept, and its use will be forbidden. Along with it, the entire branch of the Canterlot Archives in which you found it will be subject to review; such spells should not be available to any but the most talented of physicians, and even then many of them will likely be removed from use indefinitely.

Understand that the ends do not justify the means – with this in mind, I must forbid you from using this spell again. I know you have worked tirelessly in your effort, and no doubt you were proud of your efforts when making your report to me. Please do not underestimate the value of your research, but in this instance it proved to be more hazardous than beneficial.

I ask that you relinquish the original scroll, as well as your notes, to me for disposal, and, once again, I stress that you are not to use this spell again.

Remember that you continue to be my most treasured and trusted student, and in no way does this incident diminish that fact.

I remain your most proud mentor, and hope you will forgive me in this decision.

Princess Celestia

As Derpy finished reading, her heart had sunk to the depths of her stomach. Twilight had been officially reprimanded by the most important pony in her life, not to mention the ruler of Equestria, and to add insult to injury, her work was being confiscated for destruction. The words from the princess, though phrased as kindly as possible, were likely pulling the unicorn apart. Derpy felt sick to her stomach that she was ultimately the one responsible for the despair Twilight was going through – after all, it was her suggestion to find a spell in the first place.

In addition, she felt a tremendous amount of disappointment rushing through her. She had been closer than ever to being normal – it was within their grasp, and then it had been yanked away like a lure. As she looked into Twilight’s pained face, the unicorn admitted the most hurtful consequence, and it broke her heart to know that Twilight had seen her thoughts through the expression on her face.

Twilight stared at her with anguish and whispered, “I’ve let you down. I failed, and because of that, I can’t give you the thing you deserve the most.” With that, she broke down, burying her muzzle into Derpy’s chest, crying silently over the lost chance to offer her marefriend the most meaningful gift she knew.

Derpy could only gaze blankly ahead, incapable of speech or movement, trying desperately to sort out her thoughts and feelings, and unable to give any comfort to the mare she loved the most. She had no comfort left to give.

****************

Rainbow Dash returned to sitting in the corner of the trio’s makeshift, self-imposed prison and rubbed her temple, grimacing slightly at the small throb it gave. She threw a dirty look at Applejack, who had resumed standing at the door after whapping the cyan pony in the head.

“You coulda just told me to be quiet, AJ. You didn’t need to smack me.” She glared at Applejack accusingly.

Applejack gave a derisive snort. “Ah did tell ya to be quiet. Last count Ah had, Ah told ya seventeen times. Now shush, or Ah’ll whap ya again. Ah’m tryin’ ta hear if Twi’s calmed down, an’ your whinin’ an’ huffin’ an’ compainin’ ain’t makin’ it any easier.”

She scowled at Rainbow Dash, who harrumphed one last time before folding her forehooves and turning away in defiance. Applejack simply rolled her eyes and returned to her post.

She stood mutely near the door, her ear cocked to the side, listening for any trace of sound. A few short moments ago, just before whacking Dash over the head, the sobbing sounds from the central room of the library had begun to ebb. Now that all three of them were quiet, Applejack couldn’t detect any cries at all. She quietly motioned to Rainbow Dash and Spike.

Her whisper was barely audible. “Ah think she’s stopped cryin’. Let’s go an’ take a look to see if they’re doin’ okay. Just, stay behind me, an’ follow my lead.” Her voice raised just a little as she stared at Rainbow Dash. “An’ for the love of Celestia, stay quiet. We don’t wanna startle or upset ‘em.”

Rainbow gave a curt nod, and she and Spike followed Applejack as the farmpony eased the door open and slipped out into the hall, careful not to draw attention to their reappearance.

Applejack crept to the corner and peered around the edge. She saw Twilight and Derpy in the center of the room – Twilight had her muzzle buried in Derpy’s chest as the pegasus held her close, and Derpy was concentrating on a purple-tinged parchment hovering just over Twilight’s shoulder. From her vantage point, she could see Derpy’s face, absorbed in the letter Twilight was sharing. Applejack turned back into the hall.

“They’re sittin’ there lookin’ alright,” she whispered. “Derpy’s readin’ the letter Princess Celestia sent, but Ah could see her eyes are back to normal, so it might take a smidge longer than we’d like.”

Rainbow Dash facehooved, and Spike just sat back down on the floor to wait. Applejack gave Rainbow Dash a reproachful look at her edginess; at least Spike was patient. Then again, he lived with Twilight, so patience was something he had probably developed long ago.

Applejack crept back, this time halfway around the corner. She wanted to stay aware of what was going on, and she also wanted to let Derpy notice on her own that they had returned. Twilight had calmed down, at least for the moment, so there was no reason to stay hidden, but it would still be best to not walk in unacknowledged. She lay down and waited for Derpy to take notice, watching the pegasus’ face as she read.

Derpy’s head slowly followed the lines down the page – her skewed vision took extra focus in order to read. Applejack noticed that Derpy’s head was still aimed toward the top of the page, so she must have just begun. Oddly, a small smile washed over her face while she read; obviously the first portion of the letter was not the source of the problem.

However, as Derpy’s head dropped further down the page, her demeanor changed, darkening initially. Applejack watched with mounting tension as the pegasus’ mouth dropped agape, her head darting back upward occasionally to reread portions as though they were simply too much to believe. Derpy’s gaze lowered still, and her countenance altered yet again – to a horrified expression.

Applejack noticed Derpy’s glare shift from the letter as she tried to process her thoughts, her face taking on a crestfallen and depressed look, and Applejack could make out the slight glisten of tears in her eyes.

Then, Twilight lifted her head, gazing at her marefriend with regret, and Derpy slowly looked down into her eyes. Twilight whispered something to her, and then collapsed back into Derpy’s chest with a cry. The pegasus looked devastated, an agonized expression crossing her face.

It was all the farmpony could do to keep from rushing in to comfort both of them now – Twilight’s cries had resumed, and Derpy lay vacantly staring ahead as though something in her mind had snapped and was furiously attempting to mend itself. Applejack shifted slightly and gave a soft cough in an attempt to draw Derpy’s attention.

The ploy worked, as Derpy shook herself from her stupor and turned to the side to see the concerned gaze of her friend. She slowly nodded assent to Applejack, realizing that the others had been kind enough to give them space, but they undoubtedly wanted to know what was going on.

Applejack stood and nodded silently behind her to Rainbow Dash and Spike, and the three cautiously made their way into the room.

Derpy turned back to Twilight, giving her a tight squeeze. “It’ll all be okay, Twi. We’re all here for you.” She placed a hoof under Twilight’s chin and drew her head upward, giving her a loving kiss on her trembling lips.

The others approached, and Derpy took the initiative to quietly ask Twilight, “Would you like me to tell them what she said?”

Twilight gave a nod and a cracked-sounding “mmhm,” before returning her muzzle to the crook of Derpy’s neck for comfort.

Without getting up or even moving, Derpy softly addressed Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Spike. “Princess Celestia’s letter…” She tried to find the right words. She had to get the point across, but also needed to be succinct. She did not want Twilight to dwell on everything the letter had said. “She told Twilight that she was disappointed in her for putting me in danger. She was concerned that the spell was too unsafe. Twilight is not allowed to use it again.”

Twilight gave a loud sniffle at the words, and the ponies and dragon gasped at the decree the princess had given.

Derpy struggled with how best to phrase her next thoughts. She needed to let Twilight know how she felt. It was a risk, but they needed to talk about their feelings or nothing would improve. She took a deep breath and continued.

“I won’t lie. I don’t like the decision Princess Celestia made.” She made sure Twilight was looking her in the eyes as she spoke. “Twilight worked tirelessly on this spell for me, and I know it means a lot to her that she could help me. But, Twilight, you mean so much more to me than just a way to make my eyes better. I know Princess Celestia means a lot to you, and I don’t want you to ruin your relationship with her. My vision is not as important to me as making sure you’re happy.”

She closed her eyes. “Twilight, I may not like it, but I’ll support the princess’ decision on this.”

Twilight stared back at Derpy, her mouth hanging open, completely speechless as her friends waited nervously for her reaction.

25. A Time to Break Down

Chapter 25 – A Time to Break Down

An anxious silence hung in the air as Twilight brought herself to her hooves, fighting for words. She looked from Derpy’s bowed head to her friends tensely watching her, and her mind reeled from the evening’s events. Everything felt wrong to her – her mane was askew and frayed, her eyes swollen and sore, her mouth parched, and her voice cracked and strained. With a few words, her world had been turned upside down.

The princess had taken her achievement from her – the achievement that she had worked so hard for, that they had risked their safety for, that would have given her marefriend her deepest wish. But now, its destruction was being demanded, and the one she had labored tirelessly for had just told her that it didn’t matter – that she was all right with the outcome.

She flushed with indignation. No, Derpy wasn’t “all right” with the outcome, Twilight was sure of that. Derpy was conceding defeat, accepting it for the sake of Twilight’s relationship with her mentor. But, that mentor had turned on her, betrayed her. Did Celestia not believe her when she said that they had cast the spell successfully? Or, maybe she thought Twilight was not talented enough, and that she would no doubt make a mistake. There were many possibilities that could have explained why the princess had forbidden the spell, but to Twilight, all of them meant exactly the same thing: Celestia did not trust her.

All their previous communications flowed through her mind – Celestia had taught her all this time about the power and importance of friendship, the value of the virtues ponies could find in each other. After all their lessons, though, when it really mattered – when it counted the most – she was telling her student to abandon the entire pretense of friendship. Her newest lesson was to abandon your friends when you can make a difference. Don’t even try, simply because Celestia lacked confidence in her ‘most faithful student’, and because an agency of suits, which had no actual interest in improving lives, decided that trying wasn’t worth the time.

Her friends looked on with fright as crimson crept up Twilight’s face, and the room felt eerily quiet in contrast. Derpy opened her eyes, catching Twilight’s gaze and igniting the fiery spark that was burning before. Derpy stood frozen, petrified by the ferocity that seemed to possess the unicorn.

Her voice, still scratchy from her crying, began softly but firmly. “Derpy, you know as well as I do that you don’t want to quit. You don’t want to listen to what Celestia is telling us to do.”

Her friends gasped; this was the first time they had ever heard Twilight disrespectfully refer to the princess by name only, ignoring her title completely.

“You don’t really want to give up, do you?”

With some shame reflected on her face, Derpy slowly shook her head. “I don’t want to, but I will if it means that it doesn’t make a rift between you and the princess.” Her eyes pleaded with Twilight. “I don’t want to be the pony to destroy that bond.”

Twilight’s voice took a venomous, icy tone. “You aren’t – she is.” The tension in the room rose dramatically as she continued. “We studied the spell, and we perfected it. We’ve cast it correctly, so I obviously have the skill to do it, but she doesn’t care! You want it, and I can give it to you, but…” she stomped her hoof in anger, “after all we’ve done for her, after all the obstacles we overcame, she doesn’t even trust me enough to cast a spell that I’ve already done!”

The pain and betrayal she felt cut deeply, as if everything she had learned from her mentor had been a farce. Everything had played out with Celestia instructing her ‘Elements of Harmony’ to do the seemingly impossible, tugging on their strings, almost as if… her mind focused on the image it brought forth, and her fury snapped. “I am not her damned puppet! I have my own free will, and I am not giving up just because they don’t like what we’re trying to accomplish!”

She felt triumphant at the declaration. Whatever impact ignoring Celestia had was justified in her mind. She would not be limited by arbitrary rules.

Twilight trembled with the emotions that were flowing through her. Her ears buzzed as she frantically tried to make sense of the princess’ actions, but failed. Her mind separated itself in her confusion, her conscious thought unwavering from the perceived insult to her pride and her abilities, while her unconscious mind independently began to manipulate her magic without restraint. Her eyes flashed into incandescence, glowing a hot white that burned with a maleficent vigor. An uncontrollable purple aura enveloped objects seemingly at random in the library, seizing them into an irregular orbit around the room.

With complete freedom from its master’s influence, the unicorn’s magic wreaked havoc throughout the room. Books spontaneously combusted, desks overturned violently before smashing themselves to debris against the walls, and chairs whipped around viciously as though held in a tornado.

In utter terror, the dragon and ponies scattered throughout the room. A purple tendril caught Spike around his leg, dragging him along the floor before heavily colliding him into a bookshelf. A bookstand threw itself toward Rainbow Dash, who deftly avoided it only to have a scroll case burst into flame inches from her head, searing her mane and causing her to yelp in pain.

Derpy was flailing around the room as best she could; the nonsensical maelstrom combined with her depth perception made it virtually impossible to anticipate the movement of magically controlled objects. A bookshelf loosed itself from its moorings and hurtled toward Derpy, who stood bewildered at the madness that had encompassed the library. She held up a hoof in front of her face, attempting to brace herself for the inevitable impact.

The collision never came. A loud grunt, accompanied by a sickening thud and smash, resounded beside her, and Derpy looked out from behind her hoof to see Applejack sinking to the floor, the bookshelf stopped in its tracks due to Applejack throwing herself between it and Derpy. A grimace of pain worked over her face as she pushed herself to her hooves beside the fallen shelf.

Derpy rushed to her, managing to dodge a chair as it sailed over her head.

“Applejack, are you alright?” she gasped, panicked and out of breath.

The farmpony nodded with a strain. “Ah think she knocked somethin’ loose in my shoulder, but Ah’ve seen worse buckin’ apples. We gotta snap her out of it.”

Derpy cast her gaze around at the carnage. Despair welled in her, screamed out in desperation.

“Twilight!”

Twilight was so focused internally that her vision had tunneled to nonexistence – she could not see or hear her friends, and she was oblivious to the havoc she was causing. Derpy’s terrified scream, however, penetrated her to the core. She blinked, and the white luminescence vanished immediately. The magic flowing through the room ceased, and everything was still, the abrupt cessation of chaos creating a petrifying void of sound.

Twilight could hear her own ragged breathing as the cloudy haze of anger cleared from her vision, and she became more acutely aware of her surroundings.

Around her were her friends, but there was nothing but shock and confusion in their reactions. Spike lay limp on the floor, his eyes closed and mouth hanging agape. Rainbow Dash hovered close by, her mane blackened across several bands of vibrant color. In front of her, Applejack was kneeling on the ground, staring at her, pain burned across her face. Twilight’s gaze swept around the room, perplexed at the ruin that used to be her library. Her gaze then dropped past Applejack, and every trace of rage extinguished in a heartbeat.

Every thought of Celestia, the spell, the letter, her fury, the disaster surrounding her, every feeling and emotion vanished – every feeling except one. In the place of every forgotten torment and offense, a torrent of remorse flooded through her – an all-consuming guilt that rendered her incoherent. The sight in front of her grabbed her soul and tore it into shreds.

Derpy lay cradled in Applejack’s forehooves, staring with fright at Twilight, tears streaking her cheeks, and when Twilight’s eyes dropped to her, she cringed, turning her head into Applejack and quivering.

Twilight’s thoughts were a blur. What have I done? I completely lost all control of my magic, injured my friends and terrified the one pony who means the most in the world to me.

A lump caught in her throat as she stared, trying to stammer an explanation, an apology, something or anything to undo what she had done.

“I… Derpy, I –”

“Twilight.” The coarse voice cut her off before she could form any sort of meaningful words. She looked up slightly to its source, her view resting on Applejack. She noticed the large bruise forming on the farmpony’s side, and that a dull lump was forming on her shoulder. The tone Applejack’s voice held was cold, conveying anger and contempt.

“Look around you, Twi. You just look. You went and lost all control you had, and this is what the result is. If this is what you can go doin’ just by getting’ mad, Ah can’t blame the princess for tellin’ you to stop that spell. You’d best go get yer head on straight before you even think about talkin’ to Derpy. Ah ain’t gonna lecture you about this. You just take a look at her. Take a good, long look, and then go somewhere quiet an’ private an’ figure out what it is yer thinkin’ before freakin’ out like that again.”

Twilight tried to swallow the lump in her throat, but it caught again as she looked back to Derpy. She wanted to cry, simply collapse and wallow in her guilt, but Applejack’s cold stare never left her, fixing her to the floor. She nodded, slowly and almost imperceptibly, as she turned toward the door in a cold sweat. She didn’t know where she was headed yet, but Applejack was right – it needed to be quiet, and she needed to be alone. The warning echoed through her head, and she was chilled her to the core as her mind spoke. Spend some time alone with your thoughts now, or you’ll be alone with only them for the rest of your life.

****************

A calmed hush fell over the library at Twilight’s departure, but the quiet was both welcome and unwelcome simultaneously. Relief flowed through the group, knowing that any imminent danger was past; however, the quiet also reminded them that Twilight had been sent away. Though they knew it was necessary for both their safety and for Twilight’s reflection, it was painful to tell their friend to leave.

Applejack’s demeanor softened after Twilight left. She was hurt, and she was upset at how Twilight had frightened Derpy, but at the same time she knew that her stern tone with Twilight had been intentionally harsh. Twilight needed to come to terms with her actions and attitudes, and the only way she could do that was by decompressing how she normally did: through quiet contemplation.

Applejack turned her attention to Rainbow Dash, who was rubbing her scorched mane and the underlying burns accompanying it.

“Dash,” Applejack addressed the pegasus softly. Rainbow Dash turned toward the farmpony in expectation. “Get Spike an’ bring him up to his room, okay? Ah think the little guy ain’t fit to move much for a bit. Ah don’t think he’s too hurt, but he took a good knock there into that shelf – he’s probably gonna be out like a light for a while.”

Rainbow Dash nodded silently and made her way to the dragon, lightly picking him up and setting him on her back before carefully heading toward the bedroom. Applejack turned back to Derpy, who still lay trembling in her hooves.

“You gonna be okay there, sugarcube?”

Derpy gave a large shudder, clenching her eyes tightly, the heavy lids forcing more tears down her face. She shook her head lightly, taking care not to jostle Applejack for fear that she would cause her even more pain.

“I… I’ve never seen Twilight like that before…” she looked up at Applejack, pain clearly showing in her face. “I mean, she was throwing things around the room, attacking us all! One of us could have been…” She looked at Applejack’s side and shuddered again. “If you hadn’t jumped in front of it, the shelf would have hit me… Oh, Celestia…Applejack, are you going to be all right?”

Applejack looked at her side and gave a lighthearted shrug. “Ah told you Ah got worse buckin’ apples. Ah probably just bruised somethin’ fierce, maybe dislocated somethin’ at the worst. Ain’t nothin’ a little visit to the doc won’t fix.”

Derpy looked skeptical, but she continued with her concerns; it was obvious Applejack wanted to help her first. “I don’t want to lose Twilight, but how can I love her and be afraid of her at the same time? What if she tries to hurt me again?” She began crying softly, burying her muzzle into the soft orange coat of the farmpony.

Rainbow Dash trotted down the stairs. “Spike’s in bed. Little guy didn’t wake up, but he did start snoring, so I think he’s fine. He’ll probably be feeling sore for a while, though.”

The sound of Derpy’s muffled cries reached her, and she stopped, concern washing over her. “Is Derpy okay?”

“She’s a bit shook up. Ah think we just need to give her some time an’ talk a little.” Applejack paused, seeing Rainbow Dash glance to the side and shuffle her hooves. The idea of deep conversation was obviously uncomfortable to Rainbow Dash. “Can you fly on over to Derpy’s place an’ get her stuff? Ah don’t think she’s gonna be able to make that trip tonight.”

Rainbow Dash saw the task for what it was – a chance to escape – and took it gladly. She nodded, opening the door and taking flight in the warm night air. For once, the pegasus did not depart in blinding speed, adding an odd surrealism to the situation.

Applejack watched Rainbow Dash fly away through the window and felt some relief at being left on her own with Derpy. She knew the pegasus needed answers, and she had them ready. Derpy was closer to Twilight emotionally than any of them had been, but she still did not know Twilight’s behavior and past as deeply as they did.

Applejack kept herself almost unnervingly calm as she continued to hold Derpy, giving her a light squeeze in a gesture of comfort and returning to the question the mare had asked her. “She ain’t gonna try an’ hurt you, sugarcube. An’ Ah really don’t think she was tryin’ to tonight, either.”

Derpy looked up at her in confusion, her sobs dying to sniffles as she listened for an explanation.

“Derpy, do you know how Twilight got her cutie mark?”

The pegasus shook her head.

“She told us all about it a while back. When she was a filly, she had to take some test to get into her magic school. Not just a normal test, neither – she had to cast a spell that would hatch a dragon egg right in front of some persnickety judges. She dang near blew it, too. She was all a bundle of nerves an’ thought she was gonna fail completely. That’s when Dash went an’ did her first Rainboom. Scared the livin’ daylights outta Twi – right in the middle of her test, when she was freakin’ out the most. Do ya know what happened next?”

Derpy took a guess. “She hatched the egg, and it was Spike?”

“Kinda. She did hatch the egg, and it was Spike’s egg to boot.” She smiled at Derpy. “But that’s not the important part. The important part was how she hatched the egg. An’ did some other stuff, too,” she added with a sparkle in her eye.

“When that boom scared her, her eyes went white an’ shiny, an’ her magic went haywire. Picked up all them judges off the ground, hatched Spike an’ immediately made him grow into a giant, even turned her parents into plants. She lost all control of it, all from gettin’ scared in the middle of a nervous fit. An’ it was Princess Celestia that snapped her out of it.”

Derpy sat in shock, and Applejack put the night’s experience parallel with that incident so long ago.

“Ah figure that’s the same thing that happened tonight. Love’s a mighty powerful emotion, an’ the princess’ letter upset her somethin’ fierce an’ threatened that love. All it musta took was a hair to nudge her into a complete loss of control. Same thing as when she was a filly, ‘cept now she’s got much stronger magic, an’ somepony that’s more important to her than anythin’. An’ that somepony was the one to snap her outta it this time.”

She gave Derpy a significant look. “Ah don’t think she knew anythin’ of what was goin’ on till it was over, so you really don’t need to be scared of her. We’ve all seen Twi in bad times, but we’ve had just as bad an’ worse times ourselves. What really makes the difference is how we come outta them. ‘Sides, if we didn’t stick by our friends through times like that, we wouldn’t be all that good ‘a friends.”

Applejack gave Derpy a poke. “An’ if we let one glimpse of what somepony can do shape our whole view of ‘em, we’d all still be waitin’ for you to turn this place into a pile of rubble, an’ there ain’t one of us that’s still waitin’ on that.”

The words sank into Derpy, dissolving her fears and doubts. She reflected over the time she had spent with her new friends, how their views had been radically changed by giving her the second chance she needed, and her eyes drifted over the cutie mark that had come to stand as a constant reminder to her that she was loved by more ponies than Twilight. As her eyes drifted, they came to stop on a familiar shade of orange, tipped with yellow and brown. She smiled widely, looking back at Applejack with happiness.

“Applejack… my cutie mark changed again.”

Applejack bowed her head slightly and smiled warmly back. “Ah know, sugarcube. It did a while back, before Twi’s magic went wild. Ah saw it when Ah saw you calmin’ her down before readin’ that letter.”

Derpy cocked her head to the side. “If you knew, how come you didn’t say anything about it?”

The reply was simple, yet profound. “Ah don’t need a cutie mark to tell me that Ah like ya.”

****************

The night air was warm, yet the slight wind picked sweat off Twilight’s lavender fur, sending a chill through her body. She wandered through Ponyville with her head hung low, making her way toward the outskirts of town. She was heading toward the hill where, some time ago, she sat with her friends to witness the centennial meteor shower. Now, however, she was going to sit alone on that same hill to ensure her future held any friends at all.

Her mind was completely blank for the time being; by choice, she was avoiding active thought as long as she could. Until she reached the solitary peak, she did not want to interpret her actions and feelings. To make sure she had clarity of thought, she wanted absolute quiet, a complete lack of any distractions before she dared confront herself. The trek continued in silence until she finally reached her chosen sanctuary – a sanctuary she was about to desecrate with her presence.

Slowly, she sank to the ground, feeling the grass lightly tickling her fur as the wind played across the clearing. Laying her head on her hooves, she closed her eyes and lapsed into deep thought.

What had gone wrong tonight? Everything had been fine until Spike brought her that letter, and even then the letter had started out promising. The praise that the princess had given Derpy in her letter, as well as Princess Celestia’s joy at the announcement of their relationship, had caused her to swell with happiness. Then, everything had gone horribly wrong. Within a short span, she had been snapped from elation to despair, guilt, and anger.

You know what. Celestia stabbed you in the back, that’s what.

She shook her head at the thought. Of course that’s how she felt; the announcement had been a shock, and a very unpleasant one at that. But, she had received painful news before, and her reactions had never been so severe. This letter had been different somehow – it was bad news, but she had become violently angry over it. However, the anger that caused her to burst into flame had only lasted an instant before she lapsed into despair.

It didn’t last because the letter wasn’t attacking your abilities. You gave in to despair because it pointed out the truth that you didn’t want to hear. You made a foolish decision by trying to do everything yourself. You rushed into it, grasping at straws to give Derpy what she wanted.

The assessment was true. The letter had told her a fact that made her ashamed. She had knowingly put Derpy in danger. Whether the outcome had been perfect the first time or not, that fact did not change. And it wasn’t the princess’ fault – it was her own. She could very well have looked further, she could have sought advice, or she could have even asked the princess herself – but she had done none of that. Instead, she had arrogantly insisted that she was more than able enough, and she had been wrong.

So you know the underlying cause was yourself, not Princess Celestia.

Twilight reluctantly nodded at that conclusion. It was painful, but it was true.

That’s why you were depressed and crying. You had made a mistake, and because of that mistake your research is being discarded. Discarded. It wasn’t being unfairly stolen away, because it shouldn’t have been kept in the first place. Celestia did not tell you to ignore Derpy’s problem – she told you that you chose the wrong way to help.

Then why had she lost control? Her temper had flared past anything acceptable, and she needed to know why. What had been the trigger?

Twilight’s eyes shot open, stinging in the wind after being shut tightly for so long. A sudden thought forced into her mind, jarring her from the trance-like state of inner turmoil.

Derpy accepted what you couldn’t. She saw how much it hurt you, but it must have hurt her just as much. You weren’t able to give her what she wanted, but she wasn’t able to get it, either. The difference was that she chose to accept the decision, for your sake. How much has the princess meant to you all these years? She was your teacher, your guide, and your first true friend. Derpy knew that, and she was willing to give up her dream to keep that alive. How did you repay that selfless act?

Twilight bowed her head again, closing her eyes and letting tears fall when they came. She felt broken and twisted, and her contemplation had shown her the reason.

You weren’t trying to help Derpy anymore. You only wanted to shirk your guilt and keep doing whatever you wanted, even when it was plainly the wrong choice. You turned down her offer of acceptance so that you could turn the princess into your scapegoat. Problems are a lot easier to deal with when somepony else is to blame, aren’t they? So you created your own accusations, created reasons to blame Princess Celestia for everything. And when you got caught up in it, you lost control of your own ability. Your own special talent, embodied in you as the Element of Magic, acknowledged by the princess herself, and you lost control of it.

She trembled as the chaos at the library flashed into memory. Books charred, shelves overturned, furniture scattered, and her friends hurt. Applejack’s eyes, flaming, boring a hole into her soul. Derpy, sobbing in terror, avoiding even looking at her.

The night seemed to grow darker around her by the second, and her mind gave her no reprieve. It demanded an answer, and the answer was needed now.

So, what are you going to do about it? You ignored Derpy’s decision, didn’t see your failure for what it was, and thanks to that you hurt your friends and almost hurt Derpy. I thought you loved her, and that doesn’t sound like love to me.

She stood, stamping her hoof on the ground, finally giving a voiced response to the accusations her mind was throwing at her. “I’m going to listen to her. I’m going to show her that I love her, and if that means burning all my research, yelling to all of Ponyville that I failed completely, and admitting to the princess that I nearly killed three of my friends and the mare I love, then so be it. I’m going to make this right. Somehow, I’ll make it right.”

About damned time. You’d better pray she accepts you back after this, though.

The thought chilled her to the bone, and she ran off at a gallop toward the library. She had a lot of apologizing and explaining to do, and she had to do it while she still had the chance.

26. A Time to Build Up

Chapter 26 – A Time to Build Up

Rainbow Dash returned after Derpy and Applejack had finished their discussion, bringing with her the mailpony’s bags and hat and looking relieved that nopony was still upset or deep in conversation. Derpy gratefully accepted her equipment from the technicolor pegasus, looking much less depressed than when Rainbow Dash had left.

“So, in a nutshell, what did I miss while I was gone?” Rainbow Dash asked hesitantly. “Just spare me the real in-depth stuff, okay? I just want to know where everypony is standing on everything when Twilight gets back.”

“No major damage was done,” Applejack replied calmly, reclining on a couch Derpy had set back up for her to rest on. “Ah got a bit banged up, an’ Ah assume ya know how Spike’s doin’. Your mane ain’t lookin’ too bad, just a bit darkened in a spot. Bet Rarity’d have somethin’ that’d be able to patch it up in a pinch, though.”

Derpy trotted back from hanging her gear on a coat rack that she retrieved from the corner it had been flung to. “I’m feeling a lot better, too,” she added. “I don’t think Twilight really had much more than a panic attack at the sudden news. Applejack doesn’t think she was doing any of the magic on purpose, so really, looking back at it, it seems more like a bad temper tantrum than anything else. So, I’m not going to hold tonight against her.” She frowned slightly. “I’d prefer she not have any more tantrums like that, though.”

“Agreed on that,” Applejack chimed in.

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow, giving them a look that told them she thought they were both insane. “You don’t think she did any of that on purpose?” She gestured around the room. “How could that wreck of a room be all a mistake?”

Applejack rolled her eyes at her friend. “Did you even look at her when it was happenin’, Dash?”

“No, I was trying not to have my head blown off by exploding books!” she snapped back.

Applejack glared back, annoyed at both Dash’s aggressive attitude and her lack of perception. “Her eyes went all white, like they do when she’s channelin’ her most powerful magic. The only times that’s happened is when we’re usin’ the Elements on somethin’, or when she flipped out when she got her cutie mark. An’ that mess sounded a lot like what she did tonight.”

Rainbow Dash thought for a moment, trying to remember Twilight’s story about the cutie mark. She only remember bits and pieces; everypony was trying to tell her how her Sonic Rainboom helped them earn their marks, so it all jumbled together for her, but if Applejack said it was the same, then it had to be true. She wouldn’t lie to Derpy just to make her feel better, mostly because she couldn’t lie worth a hay anyway. Besides, it was true that Twilight got extremely flustered when anything deviated from her plans.

She shrugged at the explanation. “If you say so, AJ.”

“Oh, Rainbow Dash – one other thing,” Derpy said, trying with difficulty to conceal excitement in her voice.

Rainbow Dash looked back at her with a raised eyebrow, and nearly toppled backward in surprise as Derpy spun around suddenly, throwing her flank directly into Dash’s line of sight.

“What in the hay are you sticking that at me for?” she exclaimed with annoyance, averting her eyes quickly from the unexpected assault of a gray rear-end.

Derpy looked at Applejack and winked, her smile growing wider by the second. “Well, you were so focused on my cutie mark before, I thought you might be interested in the newest addition.”

Applejack burst into a fit of laughter, nearly falling off the couch and clutching her side as the laughter threw the bruise back into pain. “Well, she gotcha there, Dash! Just don’t let Twi catch ya eyein’ her flank!” She erupted in a new fit of giggles as Rainbow Dash’s faced burned crimson.

Rainbow grudgingly turned back to Derpy, glancing over the new orange bubble quickly before turning away to sulk in embarrassment.

“Congratulations – you got new butt-spot. I’m thrilled for you.” She shot a withering glance at Applejack, who was now doubled over in both laughter and pain.

Derpy smirked, elated at being able to finally be able to joke with other ponies in such a casual manner. She knew they were accepting her, but being allowed this level of teasing gave her much more confidence that she truly had friends rather than mere tolerance.

“Yeah, but it’s a nice butt-spot, and I like it,” she said mischievously, a grin crossing her face.

Rainbow Dash settled back on one of the few chairs remaining upright, muttering under her breath. After a few minutes of sulking, though, her attention turned to watching Derpy busy herself around the room, though she made a conscious effort to avoid looking at the mare’s flank. Though she hadn’t noticed initially, as Rainbow Dash looked around the room, she noted that it definitely didn’t look the same as when she left.

The library truly did appear vastly different from a short time ago. After Derpy had her talk with Applejack, she felt slightly better, and had taken to picking up the mess Twilight had left as best she could. For Derpy, the tree had become more of a home to her than her own cloud house, and she felt an obligation to keep it somewhat clean. True, the chore was never-ending with Twilight’s constant removal of books from their resting places, but Derpy figured that if Spike could keep it clean, she could, too.

She found it mildly amusing how a pony so obsessed with neatness and order could consistently make such a mess, but somehow there was a balance between the unicorn’s two extremes. She thought again about Spike had managed all this time. It might actually be nice for her to get used to cleaning; she was sure the dragon could use some help now and then.

She flitted about moving pieces of furniture back to their original places, picking up books, and, after she had found the cleaning closet, swept up the remains of many burnt books. On occasion, Derpy would notice a damaged book that wasn’t quite unrecognizable, and she thought it might be a nice surprise for Twilight in the future to have some of her precious lost books replaced. She brought them over for Rainbow Dash to catalogue the titles, while Applejack continued to rest her sore shoulder.

Rainbow Dash continued to eye Derpy between the occasional book retrievals, and her curiosity finally got the better of her.

“Derpy? Um, not to be, you know, rude or anything, but how in Equestria are you cleaning this up so fast? I thought, you know, your sight was still kind of… off.”

Derpy paused. The question was certainly a valid one – even now, once that Rainbow Dash brought it up, she found it more difficult to focus and nearly tripped over something directly in front of her, earning a snicker from the cyan pegasus. Applejack shot Rainbow Dash a dirty look from her spot resting off to the side.

“I guess as long as I’m not focusing on it, I do better,” she thought out loud. “I mean, I still read terribly, and my flying is horrible, but I can sort mail well enough, and on the ground I don’t seem to have much of a problem.” She blushed slightly. “And I guess I share Twi’s gift of organization – at least, as long as I’m not thinking about it.”

Rainbow Dash went back to thinking as she watched Derpy clean. Derpy was awkward at first, but her coordination improved after a few minutes of instinctive work.

After watching the rapid improvement in Derpy’s coordination, Rainbow Dash suddenly spoke. “So, if your vision doesn’t really throw you off when you’re not concentrating on it, and when it was normal you couldn’t even walk straight no matter what, why is making your eyes better so big of a deal to you?”

Rainbow Dash's insight froze Derpy to the spot. Applejack perked up at the question, watching Derpy’s face intently as the pegasus mulled over the thought.

Derpy’s brow furrowed initially; she slowly sank to the ground as her mind reeled over the innocent but profound question. Her lifelong dream was to be normal, to be just like everypony else, but why was that her dream? Her demeanor lightened slightly, and her eyes drifted closed in contemplation. She wanted to be normal because she never fit. Nopony thought she was worth their time because of her eyes, and that had shaped her entire outlook. Nothing would ever be right for her, nothing would resolve until her eyes conformed to what everypony thought they should be.

Except, that was wrong – it was completely wrong. She had fallen in love and was loved in return, and her eyes had not prevented it. She had met wonderful ponies who shared in joy, understanding, and pain alongside her, and her eyes had not prevented it. She had been accepted fully as a dear friend by the holders of the Elements of Harmony, the most respected and honored ponies in all Equestria, trusted by Princess Celestia herself, and her eyes had not prevented it. And tonight, one of those friends had risked her own life to protect Derpy, and her eyes had not had any part in the decision.

Derpy’s face softened in serenity. Her disability was an inconvenience and nothing more. She had focused her entire life on what she could not do, and blamed it on her eyes. Now, she was able to see what her life could become, and her vision had no bearing on that potential. Her eyes opened slowly, peace resting over her like it never had before.

For once, she could look at her life with fondness for the future, whether her eyes were normal or not. They would not limit her. Not anymore. She genuinely smiled, trying not to cry at the most comforting personal moment she had ever experienced. Tranquility held her as she looked from Rainbow Dash to Applejack.

Her voice trembled with her revelation. “It’s not a big deal. In fact, it doesn’t matter at all – I’ve never been happier than I have been after meeting all of you, regardless of what my eyes have been like.” Her eyes shone; skewed as usual, but with a brightness they had not ever seen from Derpy before. Her heart swelled with emotion as she knew what the answer to Rainbow Dash’s question was.

“I don’t need my eyes to get better. I just need you girls for friends.”

Applejack and Rainbow Dash gave each other pleased looks. “Welcome to the magic of friendship, sugarcube,” Applejack beamed. “We ain’t got an extra Element of Harmony for ya, but ya ain’t gonna need it anyway. Ya got six of your own, in your own special way,” she concluded, indicating the cutie mark adorning the pegasus’ flank.

All three ponies looked toward the cutie mark, though Derpy had some difficulty seeing it through her joyful tears. As they looked, however, a flash lit the room, startling the trio. Derpy’s cutie mark had erupted in a fierce flare of light, and as both Applejack and Rainbow Dash turned from the blinding gleam, they felt a warmth pass through their own cutie marks, bringing with it a surge of emotion for their newest friend.

The flash faded out of view, and they stared at it intently. A light shimmer remained over all the bubbles Derpy’s flank held, and a final change had taken place. The last bubble had changed, a shimmering thin blue outline was all that remained of its original form. The center had turned gray, though slightly darker in hue than Derpy’s coat to accentuate the mark, and it was edged by a beautiful blonde representation of her own mane.

Derpy started awestruck at the mark. “I was the final bubble… my cutie mark was waiting for me to accept myself…”

Applejack hobbled over from the couch, and Rainbow Dash flew straight to Derpy; the two of them encircled her in a tight embrace. Applejack winced in pain through the hug, but the joy of the moment outweighed her discomfort.

“Ah felt it when it appeared, Derpy. It made my cutie mark glow with warmth, and Ah never wanted to hug ya more in my life than Ah did just now,” Applejack admitted.

“Ok, so I know it sounds kinda weird for me to say it,” Rainbow Dash tensely added, “but I… I felt the same way. I felt like there was a connection or some sort of bond that cemented us together just now.”

Derpy’s smile widened, and she returned the hug to her friends with overflowing joy. They stayed in a tight embrace for minutes, until a slightly nervous voice came from the stairs.

“Uh, am I catching you guys at a bad time?”

Applejack looked up to see Spike standing outside the bedroom door, rubbing his head with one clawed hand as the other clutched a thick, tightly rolled scroll. She shook her head at him, releasing the others and looking toward Derpy. “Derpy, Ah think Spike’s got somethin’ for ya that probably needs readin’.”

Spike nodded, walking slowly down the stairs and coming to a stop next to Derpy. “Princess Celestia sent this for you earlier. Sorry it took me a while to get it to you, but it’s addressed directly to you, and by the time you got here, everything was going wrong already.” He placed the thick scroll in her hoof, the immaculate handwriting plainly spelling her name on the missive.

Derpy gazed in shock at the letter, amazed that Princess Celestia herself would send her a personal message. Her friends gave her a moment to recover from her astonishment, and as her tension appeared to diminish, they all took seats around her. Slowly, trembling, she unfurled it, and began to read.

****************

My dear Derpy,

I am very sorry that my first opportunity to speak with you has to come in the form of a letter. I very much would have liked to meet you face to face, give you my congratulations, and thank you for the joy you have brought to Twilight. It is obvious to me that she cares a great deal about you, and a close, caring relationship is the one thing that she has never had the joy of knowing before.

My words of congratulations and thanks, however, need to be cut short, as my purpose in this letter is of utmost importance. I have sent letters to both you and Twilight at the same time in hopes that you would read them as closely together as possible, though their contents and purposes are quite different. The first thing you must know is that using Twilight’s vision spell on you is being forbidden. For the moment, the only reason she needs to know is that it has been deemed too risky.

I know and love Twilight like a daughter, and I can only imagine how she will react to this news. I fear it will not be pleasant. That is my reason for postponing the announcement in her letter until the very end, while being up front with the subject in your letter. I need you to anticipate a very negative response from Twilight, and to negate it, if at all possible. In the event that she reacts poorly and is not to be dissuaded from anger, please be patient and understanding with her. If she offends anypony by responding with hostility, please forgive her as best you can.

While Twilight is not being told the reasons for the ban on her spell, I deem it necessary that you know all of them. If we were to give her the information I am about to reveal to you, she would likely be stricken with heartbreaking grief and regret. You, on the other hoof, are, in effect, her patient, and must know everything about how the spell came to be and what it is capable of doing. In fact, the delay between Twilight’s letter to me and these responses was necessary because that entire time was spent finding and researching everything possible about the spell; everypony in the royal medical staff was put on duty looking for any information regarding it, and Luna and I also joined in the hunt.

The material we sought was found in the history of medical research sections, long forgotten to time, and for good reason. Magical medicine was crude in its infancy, and involved much trial and error – repeat the spell in question over and over, and make notes on mistakes as they occur. This particular spell’s age was archaic, and at the time it was written, many ponies were severely injured by the spells meant to treat them. This spell is no different from the others in its time. The copy existed in the archives for one reason only – for students to understand the danger associated with medicine, and unfortunately this was not known to Twilight.

I suppose I shall start with the most personal of the notes we found. According to Twilight’s notes, her initial cast of the spell caused you to go blind, due to her horn not touching your forehead. In our own research, we found that this mistake would cause the patient to feel a pulling, burning feeling in their eyes during the casting. I am not sure if this is something you told her or not, but I am confident that is a fairly accurate description of how it felt to you. What your scroll did not mention, however, was that if Twilight had been a mere yard farther from you and cast the spell identically, the pulling and burning would have ended with your eyes being ripped from their sockets. I am sorry to have to put it so bluntly, but this is the truth behind the spell, and you need to know how much danger you had been in.

Derpy paused in the letter; her face blanched at that information, and she felt sick to her stomach. However, she had to keep reading, no matter how sick it made her.

I will not go into details of how the spell was miscast each time, but know that each outcome came from an easily made mistake. Anything - from a slight distraction, to sneezing, to itching a muzzle while casting - caused a disastrous mistake, usually resulting in physical bodily harm to the patient. Eyes were gouged, torn, swelled until they popped, and several poor souls… well, let’s just say they lost body parts in painful ways that did not allow them to survive.

I truly do trust Twilight’s ability, and am amazed that she was able to successfully cast the spell once already, but you know as well as both Twilight and I that the spell requires multiple casts. I am not willing to put you at that kind of risk, and I feel if Twilight knew the spell’s disastrous history and possible consequences, she would have destroyed the spell the instant she found it.

Do not give up hope, but do not actively seek it, either. There may be another spell in existence that could help. We are searching, but as of yet we have not found one. I will keep my staff seeking an alternative, and have informed them to give this pursuit priority over all other research. Until then, I am afraid, you will have to continue living as you have.

I humbly request that you withhold this information from Twilight unless it is deemed necessary, for her sake. I also request that, should any significant events develop, you inform me through letter as quickly as possible. Communication on this issue is crucial.

I am not concerned that Twilight may become upset with me; in fact, I expect that she will, and it would no doubt be terrible to see. However, I am very concerned that she may push ahead with the spell regardless of what I say.

My dear Derpy, you have become the most important pony in Twilight’s life. Keep yourself safe at all costs – for your own sake, and for Twilight’s.

We will continue our search for alternatives; all I ask is you stay safe and let me know of developments as they happen.

Yours most truly,

Princess Celestia

Derpy slowly rolled up the parchment, her face as white as a sheet and her gut wrenching. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Spike sat mutely around her, faces caught between surprise, horror, and a violent urge to vomit. They sat in stunned silence, until the door slowly opened, and Twilight Sparkle entered even more slowly, her head bowed and her expression repentant.

****************

All eyes turned toward Twilight Sparkle’s shamed figure, plodding slowly and silently into the library. Her eyes were drooped, half-lidded and lined with regret; beneath them, tearstains could clearly be seen streaking her cheeks. Her gaze was constantly downward, not daring to look any of her friends in the eye. She didn’t deserve to receive a second chance, and she would not speak unless given the opportunity to do so.

Her friends mutely watched her walking, exchanging worried and sympathetic looks with each other. They knew their friend well enough to know exactly how she was thinking, that her heart was aching with blame and guilt. She recognized her own failings, and when faced with them, every trace of her self-worth was lost to their accusations. Forgiveness was her only chance at redemption, and they knew she expected none.

Twilight continued her slow journey through the room; every so often her eyes would lightly shut, her inward reflection reminding her that she had no right to be there. She walked past her friends with humility, not able to bear approaching them on her own. She reached the far end of the room, and sat, facing the wall. Her body slumped, defeated, and her head never raised. She sat in isolation, waiting for the inevitable chastising, the scorn and derision to come from her best friends, sealing her fate as a detested and unwelcome monster in their midst.

It was in this mindset that she waited, poised to cringe at the oncoming verbal assault, though it never came. Instead, a pair of hooves clasped themselves around her neck, and she could feel warmth pressed against her back, a cheek meeting her own in a comforting embrace. Though she still sat with closed eyes, she heard the light sounds of hooves coming to a stop on both of her sides, and the soft padding of dragon feet accompanying the hoofsteps on her right. Her heart rose slightly, unwilling to believe in forgiveness, but unable to deny the tight embrace she was receiving from behind. A slight sniffle escaped her muzzle, and she fell silent again.

A small voice came from the pony embracing her from behind – not derisive or angered, but full of compassion and empathy.

“Twilight,” Derpy spoke softly, her hooves encircling her marefriend as she kept her cheek pressed against the unicorn. “I love you very much; we all do.”

A murmured assent came from Twilight’s left and right as a tear made its way down her face, following the trail left by the streams she had cried earlier. Derpy leaned close, nuzzling the tear away, then pulled herself away, sliding around Twilight and sitting down directly in front of her. The unicorn kept her head bowed and eyes shut.

Derpy took Twilight’s chin in her hoof and lifted the unicorn’s face to be level with her own. Once again she spoke, her voice a little louder, but still full of concern.

“Twilight, we all love you. Nothing will change that. Ever.”

Twilight opened her eyes, looking Derpy directly in the face. Twilight’s eyes shimmered with emotion, threatening to overflow again at any minute. She tried to speak, but only a choked noise came out. Once again she tried, managing to eke out a single word.

“How?”

Derpy smiled warmly at her, then grasped her in a tight embrace, prompting Twilight to begin crying heavily. She stroked a hoof through Twilight’s mane, attempting to give her some comfort.

“We know you weren’t trying to hurt us. You just couldn’t control your magic, and we can’t blame you for that.”

Twilight sniffed and pulled back slightly, looking at Derpy with a mixture of confusion and wonder.

Derpy continued, “Applejack told me about how you lost control in the same way when you applied for magic school – how you had trouble keeping control when you were under extreme stress. How can I be mad at you for losing control now, then? I can’t think of anything that could have stressed you out any more.”

Twilight gave her a weak smile. “I’m just… I’m so sorry – I didn’t just lose control of my magic, I lost my temper entirely. I made a terrible decision to use that spell, and instead of accepting responsibility for it, I blamed Princess Celestia for it just so I could feel better about it. And then, you said you would give it all up for me… and I threw it back in your face. I stubbornly refused to give up, even when you gave up all your hopes so I could be happy.”

Twilight shook her head in disgust at herself. “I’ll listen to whatever you want to do, Derpy. No matter what it means, I’ll listen. Just, please, don’t resent me for failing you. I failed at finding you an appropriate spell, I failed to keep your safety my top concern, and I failed at accepting your decision when it mattered most.”

Derpy pulled Twilight back into a hug and gave her a slight whap on the back of her head. “Silly pony.” She giggled. “You didn’t fail me. You just didn’t make all of the best choices, and nopony can be right all the time. And I am perfectly happy with my eyes messed up just as they are, as long as it means I’m with you.”

Twilight pulled back again, looking deeply into Derpy’s eyes at her statement. “Are you absolutely sure about that?”

Derpy grinned. “Well, if a perfect solution throws itself at us I don’t think I’d complain, but…” She stood, turning to the side in front of Twilight. “I think that this tells me that I’m fine with myself the way I am.”

Twilight stared in awe at the cutie mark in front of her, before tackling Derpy with a squeal and a flurry of kisses while Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Spike looked away in embarrassment.

Derpy was overjoyed to see the unicorn happy again, and the wordless display of affection made her heart race. After a moment’s thought, Derpy’s mind drifted to the reactions both Applejack and Rainbow Dash had mentioned when her own bubble had changed. She paused, pushing herself away from Twilight slightly, catching the unicorn’s eyes with the twinkle in her own.

“Twilight? Earlier, while you were out, did anything feel odd with your cutie mark?”

The unicorn looked both puzzled and surprised at the question – it was a peculiar question, seemingly coming out of nowhere, but she had, in fact, felt something strange as she made her way back to the library. She cocked her eye curiously at Derpy.

“Actually, it did feel kind of weird. It felt like my cutie mark was giving off heat. I figured it was because I was running.” She looked warily at Derpy. “Why do you ask?”

Derpy giggled a little and snuggled close to Twilight again. “Applejack and Rainbow Dash felt the same thing when my cutie mark changed. It feels like it connected me to the rest of you, somehow – like I fit perfectly with all of you.”

Twilight leaned forward and closed her eyes, placing her forehead and muzzle on Derpy’s. “Now who’s the silly pony?” A placid smile played across her lips. “You do fit.”

27. Returning to Harmony

Chapter 27 – Returning to Harmony

Derpy succeeded in untangling herself from Twilight’s grasp after a short while, though her efforts to break apart from her lover were less than wholehearted. The night’s events were far from over, and keeping the secret that Princess Celestia had sent Derpy a personal letter would be impossible. Derpy needed to talk with Twilight about the princess’ letter, though she would need to be careful which portions of her letter to disclose to Twilight and which she could gloss over to avoid worrying the unicorn too much.

She simply had to summarize the letter and sidestep a few specific examples to avoid alarming the unicorn unnecessarily. Letting her know that the decision to not use the spell was well founded, as well as the fact that the princess was working hard at looking for alternatives, would doubtless make Twilight feel better.

She took Twilight’s hooves in hers, and a serious look shadowed her face, contrasting the exuberance they had just shared. Her voice was hesitant at first, unsure how to address the subject.

“Twilight, I do need to talk with you about something else tonight. It’s not anything bad,” she added quickly, as concern and fear etched into the unicorn’s face. “It’s just that Princess Celestia sent me a letter tonight, too, and I think it might help you feel better to know a bit more about what’s going on.”

Twilight’s expression changed to one of puzzlement, and she cocked her head to the side, looking slightly hurt. I thought she trusted me…

A hint of sadness echoed in her response. “Why did she send you a letter explaining more about the situation than telling me?”

Derpy spoke carefully and slowly, making sure to pick and choose her words cautiously. “The letter she sent me was more about how they were dealing with the situation, the risks involved, and why they decided to stop the use of the spell. If the princess gave you the information on everything they found, she probably would have caused you more worry and anxiety than was necessary.”

The explanation seemed a bit vague to Twilight, and the hint that some of the contents of Derpy’s letter might be disturbing unsettled her. However, she hadn’t heard any of it yet, and so drawing conclusions already would be foolish. She nodded to Derpy, waiting for the pegasus to start when she was ready.

“First of all,” Derpy began, “the princess didn’t respond to us right away because they immediately started additional research on the spell you found. They thought there might be more to the spell than you had found, and Princess Celestia said that she, Princess Luna, and the entire royal medical staff immediately began looking for any more information about it. They wanted to know where it had come from, and if there were more detailed accounts of mistakes and risks available.”

Twilight nodded; that certainly seemed to make sense. If anypony had access to more detailed records, there was nopony better to ask than the top doctors and researchers in Canterlot. She mentally berated herself for not thinking of that first.

Derpy continued, noticing the slight self-doubt crossing Twilight’s face. “What they found was that the spell was incredibly old – the princess described it to me as being an experimental spell from when magical medicine was not understood. In fact, the reason it had been in the Canterlot Archives was for reference material for medical students on how medical research began.”

The idea of keeping records of past failures for learning purposes was certainly familiar to Twilight; she meticulously kept journals of every action, reaction, success, and failure of every one of her spells for reference and reports. However, the thought that she had chosen a spell that was being used only as an example of what not to do made her heart sink, and her face reflected a degree of self-loathing. It was a cue that Derpy picked up on immediately, and she did not intend to let it continue.

“Twilight!”

Derpy’s tone was caring, yet firm and demanding of attention. It did its intended job of snapping the unicorn back to the moment with her full focus on Derpy.

“This is exactly why the princess didn’t bring these topics up in your letter. You’re already criticizing yourself over a simple explanation of what steps they took in addition to your own. You can’t anticipate everything, and they had the entire medical staff looking into this. Even they didn’t know where to begin looking; they spent all day simply trying to find any record of the spell. It’s a miracle they found anything at all, but I suppose with hundreds of researchers looking through their own libraries, it was the best possible solution.”

Twilight looked slightly ashamed at Derpy’s reprimand, and she shrank back further as Derpy continued. “There’s more in the letter that I think you would benefit from knowing, but if you’re going to do nothing but beat yourself up over it, I’m not going to tell you anything more.”

The unicorn openly gawked at her marefriend’s threat, and she could see that Derpy fully meant every word she had said. It was all true, as well; if she wanted to know anything about the situation, she couldn’t let her emotions beat her down. The scientist in her spoke in her mind.

In learning, you need to be objective about whatever may happen. When you lose your objectivity to sentiments, all purpose in your study becomes biased and unfounded. Your study loses its value, and since your emotions are vested in it, you unavoidably fail and suffer because of it. If failure only results in regrets, nopony would ever press to succeed. If you truly want to learn, listen to the facts instead of looking for faults.

With grim determination, Twilight steeled herself and nodded. “I messed up, but that can’t be changed. I can either learn from my mistakes, or wallow in pity because of them.” She shook her head in disgust at the latter choice. “I’d much rather learn.”

Derpy smiled slightly; the response was enough for her to believe that the strong and intelligent, ever curious Twilight she knew and loved was returning.

“If you really feel that way, I’ll keep going. But…” she stared hard at Twilight, “if you start blaming yourself again, then I’m just going to let it drop, and you will just have to trust me that there’s reasoning behind this.”

Twilight gulped at the ultimatum, but gave a mild nod of assent.

Derpy resumed where she had left off. “When they found the spell with all its notes, it was in the historical archives, and had details of every failure catalogued, a lot like you do with your work.”

Twilight brightened slightly at the compliment to her researching abilities.

“Princess Celestia looked through the notes for anything similar to the initial mistake we had; she actually found the reference that prompted somepony to make that annotation that was smudged out. It described exactly what happened to me, right down to the sensations I had when you were casting it, and so I trust the rest of the information was accurate as well.” Derpy paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing.

“From what was written in the documents, the princess said some of the mistakes could have been extremely dangerous. She said that it wasn’t that she doubted your abilities – it was that she didn’t want us to be in that danger, and I’ll agree with her on that. I don’t want to take the risk for two reasons – of course, what might happen scares me. But, if something horrible did go wrong, I don’t want to think of what that would do to you.”

Derpy looked at Twilight affectionately. “It’d be terrible for both of us if something went wrong, and it’s just not worth chancing.”

Twilight bowed her head in agreement. “You’re right; of course you’re right, and I’m sorry that I was so stubborn about it.”

“It’s okay, Twilight. We were both so set on getting it to work we weren’t thinking clearly about how much worse it could get if it didn’t work.” She smiled at the glimmer of hope that Princess Celestia had left her with. “The princess did say that they were still looking for anything else that might help.”

Twilight jolted upright with shock.

Derpy’s look turned slightly sheepish. “She said not to count on anything, but they were still going to try. Even if nothing comes of it, that still makes me feel better.”

“It makes me feel better, too,” Twilight conceded. “But, it makes me feel horrible that I got so angry at the princess while she was working so hard for us. I said terrible things about her, but she was working relentlessly to make sure you stayed safe, and she’s still trying to make everything turn out all right.” She hung her head, ashamed at her actions from earlier.

“Well, the princess did ask us to keep her informed on any developments here. Maybe this would be a good time to send her a letter explaining what happened tonight,” Derpy responded thoughtfully.

Twilight smiled at the idea, noticing Spike ready with parchment and quill in hand. “Spike? You can relax. I’d like to write this note myself.”

****************

A flash of green fire illuminated the chambers of Princess Celestia, and she looked up from her vast collection of parchments and books to see a familiarly tied scroll. A mixture of happiness and apprehension blanketed her over what it could contain. She knew that it could be ill news of Twilight’s reaction, especially given the time that had lapsed since she had sent the pair their own letters, but she kept a glimmer of hope that it would be a better update than that. She slowly unfurled the document, revealing various pages rolled together, with a letter situated on the top of them all.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I would like to start by letting you know that both Derpy and I received the letters you sent us, and thankfully we were able to use them to come to terms with the difficult decision you had to make.

However, though I was eventually able to accept your choice, I still owe you an apology; after reading your letter to me, I became very upset, and that is only a mild way to describe my reaction. My moods shifted quite violently for a while, and at a point in that time I became bitterly hostile toward you. I said some horrible things, and harbored several thoughts that were even worse.

When my anger reached these new heights, I lost control of my magic, much in the same way as I did in my youth on the day you accepted me as your pupil. On that day, my magic was relatively weak, and the unintentional release of magic was rather harmless. However, during this incident my loss of control resulted in damage to the library, and worse, I harmed several of my friends in the incident.

Luckily, none of the harm was severe, but I believe Spike received a concussion, Rainbow Dash got several burns and a singed mane, and Applejack suffered the worst of the injuries – she currently has several large bruises and what appears to be a dislocated shoulder. I am ashamed to admit that her injuries were a direct result of protecting Derpy from my magic, and I shudder at what may have happened if she had not.

I deeply regret my actions, most of all to my friends, who were gracious and understanding enough to forgive me. I also give my apology to you; I owe you as much for such an excessive and dangerous response to a decision that you most certainly did not take lightly. It was entirely unwarranted for me to react as I did, and I humbly beg forgiveness from you for it.

Regarding my research, you will find it enclosed with this letter in its entirety. No other copies remain, of either the original spell or any of my notes concerning it. No further attempts at using the spell were made since the first successful cast, and I do not intend to continue seeking alternatives.

Derpy has informed me that, in your letter, you stated that you have tasked the royal physicians with looking for a safer spell that may help her, and for that I am grateful. I shall do what I should have done in the first place; namely, leave the use of medical magic to the professionals in the field. Though I am skilled in magic, this experience has taught me that regardless of talent, I possess neither the ability to perform all spells, nor the knowledge of when to use them properly. It was a true lapse of judgment that I did not come to you seeking help in the first place.

All that being said, please do not feel obligated to devote all of your staff’s resources for us. Derpy has accepted her sight as it is; her self-assurance has increased exponentially since we have met, thanks to the friendships extended to her by not only myself, but all my friends as well.

This leads me to the final point in my letter, and it lifts my spirit to be able to share this with you. As of my last letter, I had told you of the changes to Derpy’s cutie mark, and that four of her seven bubbles had changed to represent the Elements of Harmony. This evening, her cutie mark has fully completed its changes; as suspected, two of the bubbles that remained signified the final elements, and now reflect representations of Fluttershy and Applejack.

The seventh bubble turned out to represent Derpy herself. Its change manifested at her realization that, with the friends she gained, she was happy with herself as she was. She recognized that, despite her vision impairment, she was, and will continue to be, an integral part in all our lives.

With this revelation, her cutie mark changed in an extraordinary fashion, flaring a splendid burst of light and spreading a tangible warmth and love through our own cutie marks. Even now, as I write this, I cannot help but smile at the way a chance meeting has influenced and changed the lives of seven ponies for the better.

Yet again, the power of friendship has given us pause for reflection on its deep meaning in our lives. There is a certain magic inherent in friendship that can vastly improve the way in which ponies see themselves and the world around them. The strength others lend us not only serves to build us up momentarily, but also permanently impacts on our entire outlook on life.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

Princess Celestia smiled to herself, feeling pride in her student’s insight and maturity. She set the remaining contents of the message alongside the other copies of research Twilight had given her earlier, and placed the letter itself on her desk next to several documents she had finished separating out just prior to the missive’s arrival. She gave the note one last approving look before turning back to her own blank parchment and picking up a quill.

****************

The lights were dimmed and the atmosphere was jovial in the Golden Oaks Library as the night wound its way on, occasional bouts of giggling interrupting the constant stream of voices interrupting, overlapping and intertwining with one another. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Derpy, and Spike were lounging in the main lobby of the library while Twilight worked silently to systematically arrange and classify the books lining the shelves in the library.

The unicorn marveled at how well Derpy had done with categorizing and organizing her books. However, the perfectionist in her still insisted that everything had to be just right, so her evening was spent sorting books rather than partaking in casual banter as her friends had. She rolled her eyes, noticing the trend that had begun to guide the conversation – Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Spike were all sharing stories about Twilight with Derpy, most of them humorous at the expense of the unicorn.

She shrugged to herself in mild amusement – after all, having Derpy for a marefriend meant sharing everything with the pegasus, embarrassing moments and all. In addition to that, Derpy was certainly enjoying herself, and more than once Twilight had caught her stealing affectionate glances in her direction. She smiled to know that, rather than making her look foolish to Derpy, the stories seemed to be endearing her to the pegasus even more.

The discussion was currently revolving around her total of five days without sleeping when her future self had visited her, not to mention the commotion she caused by making everypony ‘disaster-proof’ all of Ponyville. While Rainbow Dash was chortling over Twilight’s attempt to stand completely still no matter what happened, a belch and flash of green emanated from beside Derpy, startling her noticeably. A small scroll dropped to the ground in the midst of the circle of friends while Spike awkwardly blew out a residual haze of smoke.

I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to that, Derpy thought, glancing toward Spike, who gave her a sheepish grin as an apology.

Twilight trotted over nervously, picking up the response the princess had just sent via dragon-mail with a rosy glow of magic. The room hushed suddenly at the arrival, and everypony stared at Twilight with nervousness as she broke the seal over the letter and started to read.

Dear Twilight Sparkle, my most faithful student,

I would like to start by setting your mind at ease, as you seemed quite distraught in your letter to me. My dearest Twilight, there is no reason for you to feel ashamed or apologetic, least of all to me. I will be entirely honest with you – I expected you to react in the way you did, though how strongly I could not predict.

Regardless of how harshly you may judge yourself, remain calm in the knowledge that I do not think any less of you or harbor any anger toward you over this incident. I made the decision knowing fully that you would take it to heart and would likely resent me as a consequence. The importance lies in the fact that you reconciled with your friends and learned from the experience.

I am happy to hear that Derpy has had her cutie mark finish with its transformation, and it will certainly be documented as a first in Equestrian history. I look forward to being able to meet her myself, and I intend to do just that tomorrow. I would like you to have all your friends assembled in the library by noon, if at all possible on such short notice.

In addition, given the current circumstances that surround this ordeal, I have sent an additional letter with this one. It is to be delivered to Post Haste requesting a leave of absence for Derpy, so she may be present tomorrow and be given some time to recover from any aftereffects of the spell and the incident at the library that you described in your letter to me. I will assign two of our Canterlot mailponies to cover for her in her absence; from what I have heard about her, at least two will be needed to make up for her ability. If more are necessary, the Post Office need only request them. Derpy’s pay will be reimbursed through royal funding, in case she is concerned regarding loss of income.

As for the injuries inflicted to your friends, I am sorry to hear that the incident harmed them, though I am glad it was nothing more severe. I commend them for being understanding of the situation and not holding a grudge against you. It is more proof that you have friends that value your relationships above all else. I would recommend that Applejack spend the night at the library with you if that is acceptable for her. When I arrive tomorrow, I will bring some of our doctors to look over her wounds, as well as tend the burns and concussion that Rainbow Dash and Spike received, respectively.

Once again, I am proud of all of you for your strengthening friendships, and I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow. Until then, I wish you a pleasant night.

Princess Celestia

Twilight looked up, her eyes wide at the unexpected contents of the letter. She had not anticipated such a praising and positive response, especially after her earlier mental meltdown. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Spike, however, seemed to have taken the news in stride; it was no surprise to them that the princess had forgiven Twilight, and though she didn’t make a habit of it, it wasn’t entirely uncommon for Princess Celestia to visit Ponyville.

Derpy, though, sat completely immobile, petrified of the prospect that the princess, Princess Celestia herself, wanted to meet her personally. Rainbow Dash noticed her blank stare and flew over to Derpy, giving her a soft and playful punch to the shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Derpy. As much as Twilight tends to freak out over her, the princess is pretty cool. I’m sure she’ll love meeting you.”

Derpy snapped out of her trance and gave Rainbow Dash an appreciative smile. “Thanks, Rainbow. I guess it’s pretty obvious that I’m nervous.”

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “It’s not every day you have royalty make a special trip to meet you.” She nudged Derpy. “Besides, you’re marefriends with her prized student. She’s gonna want to know who you are.”

“She’s right, sugarcube,” Applejack added from her place on the couch. “Ain’t no point in gettin’ worked up over it. She’s gonna like ya just fine.” The farmpony turned her attention to the rest of the group.

“Ah got a few favors to ask of y’all, now that the princess brought ‘em up.” She fidgeted with her hooves momentarily, trying to pose her question in a way that wouldn’t be too crass.

“Twi, would y’all mind if Ah took the princess’ advice an’ crashed here tonight? Ah don’t wanna intrude on any of your special time together or nothin’, seein’ as ya just got together after a bit of a tussle…” Her gaze fell to the floor in embarrassment at the underlying connotation.

Twilight looked quizzically at Derpy, apparently missing the suggestive idea Applejack had been referring to. Derpy, however, had not missed it, and she was more than happy to let them know she was perfectly comfortable around them, regardless of the topic. A quick smirk crossed her face.

“Applejack,” Derpy began, drawing the mare’s face to hers in nervous apprehension, “are you asking us about make-up sex? Because, if you are, I highly doubt I’d be much use with all these bruises from the day I’ve had. Though,” she rubbed her muzzle with a hoof, a faux-playful grin spreading across her face and a sultry tone in her voice, “I just might…”

It took several seconds for everypony to process what Derpy was suggesting. Twilight blushed a violent shade of deep violet as the crimson mingled with her purple coat; Applejack stared straight at Derpy, her jaw completely slack at the brazen statement. Rainbow Dash simply burst out laughing at all the ponies’ reactions to Derpy’s unanticipated insinuation.

Derpy giggled quietly to herself for eliciting such an amusing response from her friends. She had no idea it had only started.

With an annoyed huff, Spike got up, folded his arms, and remarked in a cross, dry tone, “If anypony needs me, I’ll be moving my bed out of Twilight’s room. Probably permanently.”

The room erupted in peals of laughter as the dragon trudged up the stairs, and out of the corner of her eye, Derpy noticed Twilight giving her an amused, yet lecherous, grin.

After the chuckles and laughs had died away, Applejack returned to the question on hoof. “So, Ah never really got mah answer – y’all mind if Ah stay the night?” She shot a glance to Derpy, accompanied by a wink. “Ah’ll even stay on the couch down here, just in case y’all really are feelin’ frisky.”

Derpy grinned back. “I don’t mind; do you, Twi?”

Snapped out of her daze, Twilight shook her head. “By all means, feel free to stay, if you’d like to.” Now it was Twilight’s turn to do the unthinkable, looking Applejack directly in the eye as she said very matter-of-factly, “Though, if anything like that's going on tonight, I can’t promise we’ll be very quiet. Derpy can moan kind of loud.”

It took several long minutes for order to be restored in the library. As they wound down again, Spike tromped down the stairs, dragging his bed, blanket, and a small sack of gems to snack on. He looked around the room at the four mares, in tears of laughter. He sighed.

“The complete other side of the library it is, then,” he said irritably.

Order would have to wait a good long while before it could take residence in the library again.

****************

“Well, Ah guess that’s settled, then,” Applejack remarked after finishing her broken questioning session. “Ah’ll spend the night here, Dash’ll let my family know Ah’m here, Derpy’ll go deliver that message to the post office so her boss gets it bright an’ early, Dash’ll gather up the other gals in the morning,” she paused, wondering if she dared. She decided she did.

“An’ Spike’ll gather socks ta stuff in y’all’s mouths if ya get too loud.”

Pandemonium ensued.

Finally gathering their wits, the mares each set off on their own tasks, Rainbow Dash flying toward Sweet Apple Acres, while Derpy made her way to central Ponyville, aimed for the post office. At least, this time she had her key, thanks to Rainbow Dash gathering her equipment.

Derpy let herself in, only to be greeted once again by the night shift, who eyed the mare cautiously; to them, it looked as though she had gotten into a fight with a badger and lost. Derpy gave them a curt nod, writing Post Haste on an envelope and sealing the letter inside. She set the envelope in the middle of his desk, politely asked the puzzled night crew to ensure that their boss received the letter, and let herself back out into the night air. She took a deep breath, savoring the refreshment it gave, then set out on a trot back to the library.

28. Valuing Unity

Chapter 28 – Valuing Unity

By the time Derpy returned to the library, she found the ground floor deserted with the exception of Applejack, asleep on the couch, with her bruised shoulder supported by several extra pillows. She eased the front door shut, glancing at the dozing orange mare with a mixture of thankfulness and guilt for the injury that Applejack had taken to protect her from harm.

She walked as quietly as she could through the room, heading toward the bedroom for some long deserved rest, as well as some quiet time with Twilight. As she walked up the stairs, though, something soft hit her in the back of the head. She turned questioningly to see Spike at the base of the stairs, looking up at her somewhat sheepishly. Derpy’s gaze dropped to see something small dropping back down the stairs.

A smirk crossed her face at the ball of wadded up socks that Spike had thrown at her. She looked at him slyly, and he stepped back slightly in apprehension.

“I’m sorry, Derpy, Applejack told me I had to do that when you got back.” He looked at the floor, his brow creasing as he thought. “I still have no idea why she wanted me to, I guess it’s some inside joke I missed.” He shrugged, shaking his head. “Sometimes I just don’t understand you guys.” He turned and trudged back toward his own bed, now situated in a cozy study to the side of the library. He stifled a yawn. “G’night, Derpy.”

“Good night, Spike.” She smiled after the dragon, then returned her gaze to the crumpled ball at the base of the stairs. After a moment’s thought, she giggled, picking up the socks.

“Heh, it was their idea, after all.”

Derpy made her way to the bedroom, slipping through the door silently and closing it behind her. Her gaze found Twilight quickly, nestled under the covers, facing away from her. She playfully tossed the socks onto Twilight, who gave a small jolt of surprise, both from the unexpected gift that bounced off her side, and also from the fact that she was no longer alone – Derpy’s entrance had been so quiet that Twilight had not even noticed. The unicorn eyed the socks warily, turning toward Derpy and raising an eyebrow at her.

The pegasus chuckled as she trotted over to the bed. “A present from Applejack, delivered to the back of my head by one small purple dragon.”

She gave Twilight a coy smile as she climbed into the bed, sliding beneath the blanket and sighing slightly at the warmth of the unicorn’s coat against her own, though a wince ran over her face as her bruised body settled into relaxation. “Would you mind if we spent just a little quiet time together, though?” She shifted a little uncomfortably. “There was so much going on earlier that I didn’t really notice, but now that everything is settling down I’m starting to feel a bit sore.”

Twilight gave a slight smile and offered a gentle nuzzle to her marefriend’s cheek.

“That’s actually what I was thinking, as well,” she admitted softly. “To be honest, I’m still recovering a bit.”

Twilight inched closer to her lover, breathing out a soft sigh as the downy feathers of Derpy’s wing lightly tickled her side. She stretched out a hoof and placed it lightly over the silky wing, enjoying the soft feeling underneath her hoof. Her eyes darted over Derpy’s face, watching for any sign of pain she might be causing, but was relieved to find that her marefriend was smiling at her serenely through half-lidded eyes.

The two mares lay in pleasant relaxation, gently stroking and caressing each other in affection, though neither was actively attempting to arouse the other. Twilight had become focused on soft massages, running her hooves over Derpy’s body in search of tender areas and giving lightly pressured rubs to ease the soreness when she found them.

The pegasus responded in deeply relaxed sighs and quiet moans of relief at the treatment of her bruised and aching muscles. She leaned forward slightly, slowly peppering kisses and nibbles along Twilight’s head and neck while the unicorn continued her massage. A light glow began emanating from Twilight’s horn, causing Derpy to blearily open her eyes by a fraction, but they remained open for only a moment before she melted back into blissful comfort as the magical aura pulsed soothing warmth over the spots Twilight was actively attending.

Derpy pressed forward farther, groaning softly into Twilight’s shoulder, her body giving slight shudders of satisfaction with her partner’s efforts. She hummed in contentment, moving upward slightly, nuzzling further into Twilight’s cheek and giving a light nip to the base of her ear.

“You’re perfect, you know,” Derpy purred into Twilight’s ear. “Absolutely wonderful.”

The unicorn gave a short pause at the statement, and Derpy could feel Twilight’s hesitation before she quietly resumed her soothing rubs.

Derpy slowly propped herself up on her foreleg and rubbed her muzzle along Twilight’s cheek.

“Twi, is everything alright?” she asked tentatively.

She replied only with a short “Mhm,” though Derpy noticed that Twilight was intentionally avoiding direct eye contact as she gave her answer.

Derpy looked at Twilight, searching her face for some glimpse of what the unicorn may be thinking. Though she couldn’t place a hoof on anything specific, it didn’t take much to notice that something was bothering Twilight.

She prodded Twilight lightly with a hoof. “Come on, Twi. I can tell something’s upsetting you. If something’s wrong, please don’t try to hide it.”

Twilight pulled back from Derpy for a moment with a deep and heavy sigh. Their muzzles lightly touched as she looked searchingly into the pegasus’ eyes. A touch of sadness crept into her voice.

“I just can’t understand how you can tell me I’m perfect or wonderful after all I did tonight. I really am sorry for everything that happened. I know you all forgave me, but I still can’t help but feel guilty for it.”

Derpy lightly shook her head and placed a small peck on the tip of Twilight’s muzzle. “Don’t.” She gave the unicorn a genuine smile. “I think you really are perfect and wonderful, even if you might not feel like it all the time. But, I do think it would be a good idea for us to talk about what happened tonight, or else it’s going to keep worrying you and eating away at your confidence.”

Derpy let her eyes drift shut as she felt Twilight’s hooves gently close around her, pulling her closer, and she shuffled the covers as she returned the hug and extended a wing to drape over the unicorn.

“Twi, I know it won’t be easy to hear, but I can’t lie about it, either. I was scared of you tonight, and I can’t pretend that I wasn’t. I’ve never seen you like that before, and I didn’t know what was going on. The idea that you might hurt us was terrifying.” She felt Twilight tightening her embrace, tensing up under Derpy’s wing at the statement.

Twilight’s tone dropped into despondency as she spoke softly in response. “I know that I could have hurt you all tremendously tonight, and you can’t imagine how glad I am that what I did was relatively minor to what it could have been. Please, Derpy, believe me when I tell you that I would never, ever try to hurt you.” Her voice rose into a desperate, feverish pitch as her apology gained momentum. “Not you, not any of the girls, not Spike, nopony. It just… happened – I didn’t even know what was going on, and I would have stopped it if I had mmmphhh-”

Derpy forced Twilight into silence with a quickly placed kiss directly over her mouth, returning the unicorn to the moment and restoring a piece of the calm that had been lost. Slowly, Derpy pulled herself from the impromptu kiss, praying to Celestia that Twilight wouldn’t instantly start where she had left off. Thankfully, the unicorn sat stunned for a moment, allowing Derpy the chance to put Twilight’s fears to rest.

“Twilight, it was only frightening when everything started. Before you left to think, I was scared because I had never seen you react like that before. Thankfully, Applejack was able to explain your behaviors and quirks to me, so I know now that you would never have done that willingly. It was just so surreal, because I never really knew the extent of your magical ability. I knew you were a powerful unicorn, of course – one that nopony else could even come close to in ability – but last night I got a glimpse of just how powerful you can be.”

Twilight nodded slightly, looking dejected. “I know; my magic is strong, and it would scare anypony to have seen that.”

Derpy thought a moment. “Well, I think you’re right, but only partially.”

Twilight looked at her with a puzzled expression.

“Anypony who had seen your magic tonight would have been terrified. I know that I was; but the emphasis is on was. I know now that you weren’t trying to do any of it – it was all an involuntary release of your abilities, brought on by a surge of emotion.”

Derpy looked sheepish for a moment. “Likely a surge of emotion that had to do with both me and Princess Celestia.”

Twilight nodded thoughtfully. “I really didn’t get so upset until you said that you were willing to give up your lifelong dream of having normal eyesight, just so I could get along with the princess.” She gave Derpy another tight squeeze. “You’re infinitely more important to me than anypony else, and I wanted to make you happy regardless of the cost…”

Her eyes dropped in shame. “And all that chaos happened because I wasn’t willing to give up on making you happy. You were the only one that mattered, and I wasn’t going to let anypony else prevent me from keeping my goal of making your dream come true. That’s when I lost control.”

Derpy ran her hoof down from Twilight’s mane, sweeping it back and forth across her flank in a soothing motion. “I know that now, Twi. The problem was that I didn’t know it then, and so it frightened me. But… there was something worse that worried me much, much more.”

Twilight looked at Derpy in confusion. “What could possibly have worried you more than having random objects bursting into flame and being thrown around the room?”

Derpy gave a little shrug. “You probably won’t believe me, but if you want me to be truthful, I’ll tell you.” Twilight gave an interested nod. “It scared me to be in danger, but it was worse – so much worse – to think what might happen to our relationship as a consequence.”

Derpy tightened her grasp. “I didn’t understand you like your friends do. I still don’t, to be honest. When I fell in love with you, I felt a connection to you, and I knew that I wanted to be with you forever, but that didn’t give me instant knowledge of your past.”

Twilight giggled slightly through a sniffle of emotion. “Silly. I wouldn’t expect it to.”

“It would have made all the difference in how I responded, though,” Derpy replied. “There’s so much more that our friends know about you than I do, but that’s okay with me. They’ve been with you for so much longer, and have been through so much with you, that they understand how you think and react. They let me know how you think, how you’ve reacted in the past to stressful situations, and that gave me the reassurance I needed. Knowing that your emotion for me was a trigger for a loss of control… It reminded me just how much I mean to you.”

She ran a hoof along Twilight’s cheek, feeling a trace of wet fur where it touched.

“Twilight, I love you, and I know you love me back. That’s the most important thing I need to know. It may have been frightening, but I learned a lot about you tonight, and I’m thankful for that. There’s so much more for us to learn about each other, but that can only come with time. The good news is that we have all the time in the future to do that. Tonight was a reminder that love’s lessons can be difficult sometimes. Every relationship has its stumbling blocks; this time, it was a tough lesson for me, and I’m sure that, sooner or later, you’ll learn plenty of lessons about me, too. The important thing is that we learn those lessons, and if we work through them together, remembering that we love each other, then everything will turn out fine.”

Twilight looked deep into Derpy’s eyes, though her vision was blurred through tears. Her voice came out as a whisper, and was filled with emotion. She hugged Derpy tightly. “What did I ever do to deserve somepony as wonderful and understanding as you?”

Derpy returned the hug and ran a hoof gently through Twilight’s mane, letting the strands lightly cascade over her hoof as it moved.

“Twilight, you don’t earn love. It’s not something that’s deserved; in fact, it’s quite the opposite. If I loved you only because of something you were doing, it wouldn’t really be love. Continuing to love somepony in difficult times, even though something might have gone wrong or been hurtful – loving somepony in spite of their faults – that’s when you know you really love them. Love is freely given, and I have plenty of it to give.”

Her words trailed off as Twilight sniffled with emotion. Lightly, Derpy pulled the unicorn’s muzzle to her own in a soft, tender kiss, and she felt Twilight’s anxiety and fears melt away in the intimate gesture. She slowly trailed her hoof from Twilight’s muzzle, sweeping it across her cheek and through her mane, lingering teasingly over her neck, and then brushing it down her withers and back, finally bringing it to rest over the stars decorating Twilight’s flank.

Twilight shuddered at the cascading touches, and the sensations mingled with her already heightened emotions to elicit a surge of passion that she wouldn’t have thought possible. She teased her own hooves around Derpy’s back, stroking at the base of her wings, causing the pegasus to gasp intensely.

Derpy’s wings spread quickly, stiffening enough to turn their blankets into a makeshift tent, drawing an amused giggle from Twilight. Derpy tried her best to pout at Twilight, which was rather difficult considering the ragged breaths she was drawing in.

“Wh… What’s so funny?” she demanded shakily, utterly failing in her attempt to sound threatening.

Twilight gave another giggle, sensuously brushing her hoof along the pegasus’ primaries, causing Derpy’s head to snap back in bliss, her eyes rolling back and tongue poking slightly through her panting lips as she quivered from the unexpected jolt of pleasure. Twilight could already feel a warm trickle of liquid brushing across her thigh, and she smirked at the gray mare next to her.

Derpy grinned back, momentarily coming to her senses. “That’s not fair, Twi… you’d better be careful, or I’ll have to get those socks, and Celestia only knows where they’ve been.” She gave a low growl, ignoring any lingering soreness in her muscles as she pounced onto Twilight, turning the bed into a writhing mass of squeaking and moaning blankets, fur, and feathers.

The librarian’s bedroom became a scene of increasing heat and excitement, one of which lasted long into the night. It was fortunate for the other residents sleeping within the library that the bedroom door was shut tightly, muffling the increasing noises from inside. If it had not been, they may have been rudely awakened in the middle of the night – Applejack’s donated ball of socks sat at the foot of the bed, completely ignored.

****************

The clock ticked loudly, echoing through the bedroom with each passing second. Derpy lay under the blankets, staring at the ceiling vacantly. She had woken at her normal time, her body unaware that she did not need to report in to work. Now that she was awake, however, her mind swam with anxiety over what the coming day would bring. Her nerves were frayed from anticipation, and though she would have liked nothing more than to fall back to sleep, she felt wide awake.

A gradual humming noise drew her attention – a short yet familiar sound drifted to her ears, drowning out the ticking of the clock and soothing her considerably. Twilight rolled over in the bed, still breathing heavily in her sleep as she let out a contented sigh and placed a hoof across Derpy’s chest, snuggling as close as she possibly could.

The unconscious affection shown by Twilight calmed Derpy, her heart rate dropping to normal and a sense of peace falling over her. Her mind desperately tried to cling to her fears and worries, but Twilight always seemed to give her the warmth and strength she needed, whether Twilight intended to or not.

Derpy shifted her way down the bed, wriggling imperceptibly until her head was level with Twilight’s chest, the unicorn’s hoof moving over her lover’s neck from the movement. Derpy lay in silence, no longer hearing the agonizing tick of the clock, but listening instead to the slow, steady heartbeat emanating from the mare beside her.

Her gaze shifted from the ceiling to Twilight, mesmerized as she watched the mare’s chest rise and fall in tranquility and still enjoying the warmth given by the sleeping embrace. She turned from her back to her side, draping a wing over Twilight in a returned gesture of fondness, and slowly felt her eyes growing heavy. Her best friend was with her, and she had no reason to be nervous. Her anxiety faded away with the hypnotic sounds of heartbeats mixed with breathing, and with no effort at all, Derpy peacefully fell asleep in the relaxing embrace of her marefriend.

Derpy gradually awoke much later. Not yet willing to open her eyes in the intense light that pervaded the room, she blindly groped around the bed, searching for soft lavender fur to pull herself into. Disappointingly, she found none, discovering after several short, painful blinks that she was alone in the bed. She glanced around the room, squinting, as her eyes grew accustomed to the bright sunlight shining around her. Finally able to see in her paradoxically clear yet fuzzy vision, she found that aside from her, the room was empty.

She could, however, hear the sound of lively chatter in the library below, catching snippets of her friends’ voices as they enjoyed each other’s company. She stood by the door, amused by the conversation. A sharp and indignant tone reached her ears, and she recognized instantly that it belonged to Rarity.

“Honestly, will nopony tell us what’s going on? All Rainbow Dash told me was that I absolutely had to be here today, but she wouldn’t say why in Equestria that was.” An indignant huff was clearly audible through the bedroom door. “I daresay she refused to tell me simply to spite me; she certainly seemed to take great pleasure in my frustration.”

Derpy eased the door open, slowly exiting the bedroom in hopes of not being noticed. While she wanted to hear what was going on without disrupting them, she knew it would be rude to eavesdrop. Silently walking along toward the main lobby, she heard a low, almost indiscernible murmur, followed by an overdramatic gasp that obviously had to have come from a certain ivory-coated unicorn.

“It is most certainly not alright, Fluttershy. If one is to be so crass as to interrupt a lady’s work, then they at least owe them a proper explanation,” Rarity snorted. “I mean, she didn’t even tell me what had happened to her mane!” She stomped her hoof in frustration. “Really, Twilight, why won’t you let us in on your little secret already? Something clearly happened to Rainbow Dash and Applejack last night,” she motioned to the couch-ridden farmpony, whose bruising had intensified overnight.

“She already told ya, Rarity, we ain’t gonna say anythin’ till everypony’s here, and Dash ain’t got back with Pinkie yet.” Applejack looked at Rarity crossly.

“Wrong wrongity wrong wrong wrong!” a singsong voice piped out, accompanied by a vibrant, bouncing, bubblegum-pink pony through the front door. Pinkie hopped merrily through, followed by a ragged looking pegasus. “Dashie and I hurried here as fast as we could! Well, I had to make a few detours on the way, but we hurried to those, too,” she chirped, while Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.

“She wouldn’t stop getting distracted for an instant,” Dash complained through gritted teeth.

“Well, duh, I had so much to do this morning! Twilight isn’t the only pony that’s allowed to have a to-do list, you know,” Pinkie retorted, looking affronted at Rainbow Dash’s insinuation that her errands were trivial.

“First, I had to get coffee and some donuts for breakfast from Mr. and Mrs. Cake, and then I had to get some more coffee and donuts, because you can never have too much of those,” the confectioner began.

“Celestia knows we wouldn’t want you to have less caffeine and sugar,” Rainbow Dash interrupted flatly. The other mares suppressed a laugh as Pinkie Pie nodded vigorously at Dash’s comment, completely oblivious to the dripping sarcasm.

Applejack poked Twilight in the side. “It’s no wonder after all that stuff she got her twitchy Pinkie Sense, ain’t it?”

Twilight giggled as quietly as she could.

“I know! I have to have plenty of all that fun, wonderfully great goodness before I can start my day, and then I had to head to the joke shop lickity-split because I needed to get more confetti and noisemakers and those little fireworks that you don’t know they’re there but they are, and then they go all skreeeeeeeee really loud. Wait. Rarity, you’re not supposed to know I got those. Forget I said anything about them, and they definitely don’t make a lot of noise that would wake you up in the middle of the night, so it’s really nothing and you have absolutely nothing to worry about. But then…”

Pinkie continued rambling along with her morning’s description while Rainbow Dash tried as hard as she could to not break out in screams of laughter at the nervous tics Rarity had suddenly developed at Pinkie’s last comment.

“And Dashie kept pushing me and telling me we had to keep going, for pony’s sake, but I had to stop by the market because I think I’m getting a rash or something on my flank because last night it got all hot and funny feeling on my cutie mark, so I wanted to see if they had any creams or anything – ”

“Wait, what?” Rarity snapped out of her trembling fits at Pinkie’s mention of her cutie mark. “What do you mean, your cutie mark got all ‘hot and funny feeling’?” she inquired tremulously.

Pinkie Pie shrugged. “I dunno, it got kinda warm and tingly and I felt kinda dizzy and fuzzy.” She watched as both Rarity and Fluttershy’s faces echoed something akin to panic.

“Omigosh, don’t tell me you gals felt that way, too! Everypony get away from us, we’re contagious with rashy cutiemarkitis or something!” Pinkie Pie bolted out the door only to instantly zip back in wearing a full hazmat outfit. If it had been possible, Rarity would have blanched even whiter than she normally was; Fluttershy, on the other hand, simply fainted.

Incapable of containing themselves any further, Twilight and Rainbow Dash fell to the floor in laughter, while Applejack had flopped to her back on the couch in a mixture of riotous snorts and yelps of pain from her shoulder. The pink and white mares stared at them as though they had gone mad, and the floored yellow pegasus floated back into cognizance.

Unable to leave her new friends in confused distress, Derpy rounded the corner, a sheepish smile on her face.

“Uh, good morning, girls.”

Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity turned to face Derpy; Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash merely continued their amused chortling.

Derpy poked at the floor with her hoof, slightly embarrassed to have unwittingly been the cause of such panic.

“You really don’t need to worry about it – you all had a weird warm feeling in your cutie marks last night, when mine finished its change…” Derpy trailed off, realizing that neither Pinkie Pie nor Rarity had any idea what she was referring to. Fluttershy seemed to understand what she meant, and she looked at Derpy with a searching gaze.

“Waffa meem yow kuwie mock thaned?” Pinkie garbled through her still-fully worn suit. Rarity gave her an exasperated stare and rolled her eyes overdramatically. She walked slowly over to Derpy.

“I think what Pinkie was asking was ‘what do you mean, your cutie mark changed?’” Rarity looked thoroughly puzzled, as the yellow pile of pony-shaped rubber nodded enthusiastically at the unicorn’s translation.

“Well, it just sort of… started changing colors after I met you all,” Derpy blandly replied, not wanting to start in with a full explanation of the source before they had a chance to process what she meant. She slowly turned to the side, revealing the multifaceted mark to Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy. The bubbles adorning her flank shimmered in the light, causing the shocked ponies to drop their jaws in dumbfounded wonder.

“It started slowly at first,” Derpy explained, “so we weren’t really sure exactly why it was happening or what it meant.” She looked over the three ponies, noticing that, while Fluttershy and Pinkie were staring at her listening intently, Rarity hadn’t moved her eyes from the mark. She smiled to herself; it reminded her just how special it must be if it captivated Rarity that much.

“It took a little while, but Twilight was able to figure out what the changes meant – there is a bubble to represent each one of you, and they changed when you truly accepted me as a friend, just as I am.” She grinned. “Last night, I earned my own bubble for accepting myself as I am, as well. When that happened, it seems that all of you had a warm feeling pass through your cutie marks. My guess is that it was a signal of a completed bond between us all.”

She let the comment linger for a few moments, and giggled slightly at Rarity’s unwavering stare. “We could have Photo Finish take a picture for you, if you’d like, Rarity.”

Snickers broke out around the room as Rarity turned away with a blush. “I can’t help it if your cutie mark is gorgeous, dear. It just seems that I’m the only one here to truly appreciate its beauty.” She gave a resentful snort as she turned up her snout, trying to save her artistic pride.

“Ain’t no problem with that, Rarity. Dash had the same reaction last night, too,” Applejack added with a smirk aimed at the cyan pegasus. The snickers redoubled in strength as Rainbow Dash glared at Applejack angrily.

A small voice spoke up through the merriment, and Fluttershy turned to look at Derpy. “Speaking of last night – what happened, Derpy? I know you got hurt from bumping into a lot of things, but what happened to Applejack and Rainbow Dash?” Noticing the looks from her other friends, the yellow mare added, “Derpy delivered my mail last night, so I saw her bruises. That’s all that I know about, though.”

Derpy shifted uncomfortably as all eyes returned to her, and she seemed to take great interest in a smudge on her hoof as she stared downward, attempting to evade the gaze of her friends. She heard a heavy sigh and hoofsteps and looked up to see Twilight stepping forward, looking deflated.

“That was my fault,” she said dejectedly. She closed her eyes, trying to avoid having to face her friends as she admitted the previous night’s events. Even though she had accepted that it had gone beyond her control, and knew that she had been forgiven, it still pained her to confess her actions.

“Princess Celestia sent letters to both Derpy and me last night. I got my letter first, but Derpy didn’t actually get hers until after I ended up hurting Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Spike.”

There was a small gasp from the group; none of them had noticed before that Spike wasn’t present until after Twilight mentioned him. She hurried along, noticing their concern.

“Spike is fine, but I gave him a pretty hard knock on the head. I expect he’s sleeping off a headache right now.” There was a sigh of relief from all around.

“Anyway,” Twilight continued, “most of my letter seemed to be congratulations for Derpy and me, and also told us that Princess Celestia was very interested in Derpy’s cutie mark, but…” She let out another heavy sigh. “The last part of her letter told me that I had to stop all research on the spell we found for Derpy. I was not allowed to use it again, and the princess told us she intended to destroy all traces of it.”

Silence governed the library while Twilight gathered her courage to press on.

“We found out later, from Derpy’s letter, that there were many good reasons for her to do that, but… when I first read it, I kind of lost control. I didn’t know what was going on at all, but my magic went absolutely crazy. I threw things around the room, lit things on fire – it must have been absolute chaos. Derpy snapped me out it eventually, but the damage was already done.”

She lifted her head and gave a weak smile, opening her eyes to her gawking audience. “Thankfully, I have friends that are forgiving.” She gave an appreciative nod to Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Derpy, gazing for a bit longer at her marefriend with a still apologetic expression. Derpy returned the look with an encouraging smile.

Twilight turned her attention back toward the group of friends. “The reason you’re all here today is that Princess Celestia requested that you would be. After I wrote her an explanation and apology last night, she said she was going to visit today. She’s going to bring doctors to take a look at the damage I caused…” Her demeanor shifted to a guilty appearance, but she paused as Applejack gave her a reproving look.

“How many times do we gotta say it, sugarcube? We ain’t mad at ya.”

Twilight gave a slight smile in return and cleared her throat. “Anyway, the princess was coming to bring doctors, but she also wanted to meet Derpy. I suspect she has more reason for coming than that – if she was visiting for only those reasons, she wouldn’t have asked you all to be here – but I’m not sure what else she has in mind.”

Derpy walked over to Twilight, noticing the worried look showing on the unicorn’s face. She gave Twilight a light nuzzle on the neck in comfort, and the rest of the ponies quietly looked around uncomfortably, not entirely sure what to say.

A disconcerting stillness fell over the room. Nopony knew what to expect or what to say; Twilight was obviously nervous, and the atmosphere was increasingly awkward as the utter silence pressed around them. A few times somepony would try to introduce a topic, only to withdraw in hesitation moments later.

Derpy watched the uncomfortable scene before her. She had six friends here with her, yet nopony was talking. So much new information seemed to overload them all, and they simply stood at a loss.

A thought from the previous night’s activities flashed through her mind, and she gave a slight smile, stepping forward to break the tension.

“Does anypony have any amusing stories about Twilight to share?” A purple hoof gave her a light knock on the shoulder, and she turned around to see Twilight giving her a large grin.

“Picking on me again? You’re just a big meanie,” the unicorn teased.

Derpy giggled and gave Twilight a wink. “I can’t help it if you do all kinds of funny and crazy stuff. I’m glad you do, though. It makes everything more fun.”

29. Sharing Friendship

Chapter 29 – Sharing Friendship

The seven ponies sat in the library, waiting for the princess to arrive and chortling as they each shared yet more tales of their past adventures. At Twilight’s insistence, they broadened the topic to amusing stories regarding any of them, and the gaiety flowed through the room. They each brought up some of their proudest moments, though they were often countered by somepony else pointing out an equally embarrassing anecdote.

Spike had joined the storytelling session about halfway in, though more from boredom than anything else. His ears were ringing from his concussion, and the laughter and talking were too loud for him to sleep. Eventually the dragon had given up on sleep, and decided that, if he was going to be miserable anyway, he may as well hear some decent stories to pass the time. He grumpily wandered into the library, taking a seat as close to Rarity as he could, and settled in for the remainder of the tales.

The storytelling came to an abrupt end, however, as a loud thump penetrated the library door, announcing the arrival of Princess Celestia and her escort. The ponies clambered to their hooves, ready for their royal guest in seconds. Only Derpy seemed nervous.

Everypony else had met the princess enough to be comfortable around her, but Derpy was nearly trembling from anxiety. Twilight placed a hoof over Derpy’s in an attempt to make her feel better, and gave her a serene smile. Though no words were spoken, the unicorn’s eyes said everything the pegasus needed to know: Don’t worry – I’ll be here with you the entire time. Derpy sighed and gave a weak smile, trying her best to appear more at ease. Twilight gave Derpy a light kiss on the cheek, then headed toward the door to invite their visitors in.

She opened the door wide, revealing the approaching solar princess, accompanied by two serious looking unicorns; one was an older stallion, bespectacled, prim and proper, and exuding an aura of competence and wisdom. The other, a younger stallion, appeared weary, disheveled, and displayed a rumpled mane of auburn, streaked with gray and silver far earlier than his years should have allowed. He seemed displaced, oddly out of his element, though Twilight could detect exceptional knowledge below his crumpled exterior.

The older stallion, oddly, was the pony who intimidated Twilight most. The younger stallion could have been a mirrored, though male, version of herself had she stayed in Canterlot – obsessed with research to the point of exhaustion and stressed beyond what any normal pony could tolerate.

Twilight stepped aside, bowing in respect as the princess and her companions entered her library. The rest of the ponies inside followed suit, bowing heads and bending knees to their regal company.

Princess Celestia looked around and gave a light chuckle. “Come now, my little ponies. You should know by now that it is not necessary for you to respond to me like that. We’ve depended on you in enough crises that I think you almost qualify as royalty yourselves.” The princess gave them all an admiring gaze as they stood, each turning a shade of red from modesty at receiving such generous praise.

The majestic alicorn motioned to the stallions behind her. “If you would, please allow me to introduce Dr. Splendid Verdure,” she gestured to the older stallion to her right, “and Dr. Sterling Enquiry,” she nodded to the rumpled younger stallion on her left. “At my request, these gentlecolts here have agreed to assist me today.”

She looked to Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Spike, noting their bumps, burns, and bruises. “It looks like our good doctors have their work cut out for them today. Please, don’t worry, though.” A knowing glint passed through the princess’ eye as she looked at Derpy while she continued. “I assure you, though their appearances are quite different, they are both well respected experts in their fields, and you will receive exemplary care from them.”

The pair of stallions stepped forward, each giving a polite bow. “Good day, ladies, and my young sir,” Dr. Verdure addressed the mares and dragon. He glanced back at Princess Celestia. “Shall we begin right away, Your Majesty?”

Princess Celestia smiled. “I see no reason why not. I expect the two of you likely won’t be taking long, regardless, but I would think our hosts would like to feel better sooner rather than later.”

Dr. Verdure gave a curt nod. “If I may, then, I shall tend to our young dragon and his pegasine friend, if you would do the honors of treating the young filly resting on the couch, Dr. Enquiry.”

“Yep – can do.” The younger stallion blew a strand of silver mane from his face, hiding it within the auburn. He glanced toward his colleague. “By the way, just call me Sterling. I don’t care for formalities much.”

He turned to Applejack, effortlessly lifting the couch she sat on with his magic without a hint of throwing her off balance, guiding it off to a private side room. “No worries, Miss. We’ll be done shortly.” He saw her giving him an appraising glare and chuckled. “And no, I’m not going to make you take off your hat.”

The others giggled as Applejack visibly relaxed at that.

“As for you two, my young friends, if you would be so kind as to follow me, we’ll get you mended more quickly than you thought possible,” Dr. Verdure reassured them.

“Fine by me.” Rainbow Dash trotted ahead. “The faster, the better!”

The doctor chuckled at his rambunctious patient as Spike walked along by his side, head still pounding, looking apathetic.

Rarity nudged Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy as the doctors and their patients left, jerking her head to the side of the room, away from Derpy, Twilight, and the princess. They caught on to her inference to give the three ponies some additional privacy, and silently shifted their position to a furnished section a short distance away.

Twilight looked to Princess Celestia, her head drooping somewhat. “Princess, I’m just so sorry, please-”

Princess Celestia held up a hoof to silence her student, locking eyes with her. Slowly, the alicorn closed the distance between herself and her student, and when they were mere inches apart the dignitary wrapped her hooves around Twilight and pulled her into a tight hug.

“Twilight, I want no more apologies from you. You are more dear to me than anypony else, and nothing you could ever do will change that. Do you understand that?”

Twilight nodded, not sure what to say to the princess hugging her tightly.

Releasing her, the princess caught Twilight’s eye, and Twilight could detect the glimmer of a tear forming in the princess’ eye. “Now,” Princess Celestia said, “I believe you have somepony extra special here for me to meet.”

Twilight nodded, smiling back radiantly. “I most certainly do.” She looked over toward Derpy, who still stood slightly bowed, seemingly attempting, unsuccessfully, to hide her presence. Twilight gave her another reassuring smile.

“Princess Celestia, this is my marefriend, Derpy,” Twilight grinned proudly, though a few drops of sweat beaded her forehead, reflecting the fact that she still hadn’t completely lost her fear of the princess disapproving of her friends.

The transcendent alicorn walked forward in a stately manner, stopping just before Derpy. To the mailmare’s surprise, Princess Celestia bowed her head to the pegasus, causing Derpy’s jaw to go slack. The princess stood straight again, smiling at the dumbfounded mare.

“It is certainly an honor to meet you, Derpy. I must thank you, both for myself and on the behalf of Twilight.” Both Derpy and Twilight looked confused at the princess’ statement, and Derpy cocked her head to the side in puzzlement.

“Pardon me, Your Highness, but why are you thanking me? I haven’t done anything special, and I couldn’t have done anything deserving your thanks.” Derpy bowed her head in reverence and humility.

“Quite the contrary,” the princess calmly responded. “From what Twilight has told me, you are extremely faithful, trusting, and supportive. Derpy, I have taught Twilight for many years, and she is talented far beyond she knows. There is one thing, however, that she has a tendency to lack,” Princess Celestia stated, glancing at Twilight.

The unicorn shrank behind her gaze. Dear Celestia, I’m sorry, what did I do? What have I failed at? The fear was displayed across the mare’s face plainly.

Celestia looked back to Derpy with a certain aura of confirmation. The pegasus had watched her marefriend’s reaction with a cringe of empathy, and she looked to the princess with sadness.

“Derpy, Twilight often lacks confidence. She doubts her own ability, and I believe you are just the pony to support her in her times of doubt.” The princess smiled. “Though I admonished her for her use of that spell, there was one positive aspect to it. I only couldn’t mention it until I was sure she would not try to use it again.”

Derpy’s face contorted in confusion as she attempted to decipher what the princess meant, and Twilight didn’t show much more in terms of understanding.

“Derpy, you gave her confidence. In all the years I have taught Twilight, I would never have expected her to attempt a spell with such little room for error. Even if I had reassured her myself, she still would not have had the confidence in her own ability to succeed. Your faith and trust in her gave her the strength to acknowledge her own potential. It is unfortunate that the spell was the incorrect choice; nevertheless, it stands that you can provide her with the support she needs to have as much faith in herself as she does in her friends.”

Both Derpy and Twilight stood, astonished by the gratitude the princess was expressing.

To their sides, both doctors re-emerged with their patients, all three looking as though they hadn’t been injured in the first place. Rainbow Dash glanced in Applejack’s direction just in time to see the farmpony stealing an admiring glance over her healer, and the pegasus gave Applejack a smirk, causing her to blush slightly.

Princess Celestia took notice of their re-entry. “Perfect timing! As I thought, the two of you were able to make quick work of healing their injuries.”

Dr. Verdure waved a hoof, almost dismissively. “Please do not mention it, Your Highness. Their wounds were minor in comparison to what I had prepared for.”

Sterling gave the princess a short nod accompanied by a slight grin. “My pleasure, princess. Feel free to call on me anytime.” His eyes darted to Applejack momentarily as she, Rainbow Dash, and Spike joined the rest of the group.

“Very well, then.” The princess returned her attention to Derpy. “If I may have a word with you a moment, Derpy, it would be much appreciated.”

Derpy nodded wordlessly.

“This way then, please.” The princess indicated the opposite end of the room, and the two made their way out of earshot of her friends.

“Derpy, I have some news for you, but I would like you to keep it to yourself for the moment. I would like to talk to you and Twilight about it separately.” The pegasus nodded solemnly, though she was curious about what the princess would want to talk to Twilight about.

“With the amount of researchers we had looking, we were able to locate a newer spell with the potential to bring your vision to normal standards.” Derpy let out a small gasp, drawing the attention of her friends, though they stayed at a distance and averted their eyes at a quick sweeping gaze from the princess.

Princess Celestia continued, “In truth, we were losing hope that we would find anything; we had at the very least seventy of our researchers, forty of our record keepers, and every ophthalmologist in Canterlot searching, and there still hadn’t been any information reported by dusk. The discovery was actually quite fortuitous – when Twilight sent me her letter regarding the events of last night, I had just finished reviewing all the details necessary for the spell, which had been found not half an hour prior.”

“It is something I need to discuss with Twilight as well, but I would like to know your thoughts first. The main thing you need to know is that the spell has been documented to be effective, and it contains a failsafe spell to prevent harm in the event that the spell is interrupted. In short, there is no risk to you if you would want to use it. Is that something you would still want?”

Derpy remained silent at the proposition as she thought. The options and implications fell like a torrent through her mind. They found it… but do I really want this? I’ve already decided that I can accept myself as I am, but does that mean I need to pass over the opportunity if I have it? I was happy as I was with Twilight. I was still happy even though I lost my sight because I could still be with Twilight… As long as I’m with her, I’ll be happy – my vision doesn’t define me anymore.

Slowly she looked up to Princess Celestia. “Fixing my vision isn’t the focus of my life anymore, but that also doesn’t mean I should ignore it entirely. As long as Twilight is alright with it, I’m willing to use it. If it doesn’t work, I’ll still be me, and if it does work, I’ll still be me, just with better eyesight. The most important thing to me is that she stays with me through it.”

The princess nodded at her, a smile crossing her lips. “That is a wise view to hold, and I believe it to be a good choice. I also need to discuss this with Twilight, though, so if you would, please, give me a moment to speak with her.”

The pegasus nodded, and the princess crossed the room to her anxiously waiting student.

“Twilight,” the princess began, “I need to ask you a question of utmost importance for both you and Derpy.”

A wave of concern swept across the unicorn’s face.

“Do not worry,” Celestia continued, “There is nothing wrong, but I do need you to make a decision. As I just finished discussing with Derpy, there is another spell that may be used to fix her vision. It is a permanent version, and has a failsafe included in the spell to prevent any harm to both the caster and patient.”

Twilight’s heart leapt into her throat.

“There is a small catch with the spell, however, and that is what I must discuss with you.” Twilight’s face fell slightly as the princess continued. “The spell is extremely difficult, so much so that it requires the aid of other physicians.”

She nodded to both doctors, who began walking toward Derpy, taking positions at a distance on her right and left sides.

“That is the reason I brought these stallions with me rather than Ponyville’s doctors to tend to your friends. They are the most skilled physicians in the kingdom, and I wanted to be prepared in the event that both you and Derpy agreed to this.”

Twilight nodded in comprehension, allowing her mentor to carry on.

“Derpy has consented that she is comfortable with this spell, as long as you are. She has stated that she is not concerned with her eyesight; she will take a cure if it exists, of course, but only if you agree with it. Twilight, it is very important for you to realize that she values you far more than curing her vision.”

Twilight smiled warmly at that, but the princess was not finished. Celestia’s voice took on a serious tone as she continued.

“The most important portion of this spell is where your decision must be made. In order for the spell to last permanently, the caster must transfer some of their own magic into the pony being treated. In effect, the caster permanently donates a portion of their power to keep the spell active in the patient. The stronger the unicorn’s magic, the less the effect of the magic transfer will be felt, but it will be felt nonetheless.”

Twilight paled slightly at the implication of Princess Celestia’s words. She could fix Derpy’s vision permanently, but at the cost of some of her own magical ability. Not only that, but she would likely need to practice repeatedly with the two stallions to gain the skill to cast such a spell. Can I do this? Am I willing to sacrifice some of my own strength for this?

Twilight quickly recovered from her inner questioning, looking across the room to her special somepony, the pegasus looking back at her inquisitively. There really was no question at all. Of course I will. How could I not?

There was, however, one question that did need to be answered first. Twilight took a deep breath before addressing the princess. “Your Majesty?” Twilight cast a keen eye toward the princess. “Derpy doesn’t know about the spell needing a magic transfer, does she?”

The princess looked down at her own protégé, smiling at the perception of her pupil. “No, Twilight. She does not. I told her only that the spell existed and could be used, if she wanted. I fear that if she knew the full implications, she would discard the idea immediately; that is why I decided to leave that decision to you.”

Twilight shook her head. “That can’t be the way we make this work, though.”

Princess Celestia blinked, showing slight confusion at her hesitation. If anything, she had expected Twilight would balk at the loss of her magic, but that did not seem to be the case. Twilight stepped forward, leaving the princess behind her as she looked sadly at Derpy, and the princess followed her gaze.

Derpy was happily trotting in place, turning in circles every once in a while from excitement at the princess’ news. She had occasionally glanced their way, but when Derpy noticed that she was being watched, she kept her gaze away, giving the pair the privacy that the princess had requested. Twilight spoke quietly to Princess Celestia, though she never turned to face the alicorn, instead choosing to keep her focus on the pegasus in the center of the room.

“Princess, as much as I want to freely go ahead and do this for her, I can’t agree to do it without her knowing just what it means. If I do this without her knowing, I’m absolutely sure that she’ll feel remorseful that we did it. I’m sure she’d keep loving me, and I’m sure she’d be happy for her vision to be made normal, but… If Derpy decides that she is not willing to go through with the spell, I would be all right with that. Having her back out isn’t what I fear the most.”

Twilight stood, staring at the pegasus in the center of the room. Derpy was smiling widely, unable to stop moving about, as though she were an excited schoolfilly waiting for a special surprise.

“What I fear most is that, for the rest of her life, she’ll see me in whatever weakened state this spell puts me in, and every time she does, every second she spends with me will be filled with guilt. She will feel that she took something from me, something she can never give back, and it will haunt her forever.” Her voice took on an even more serious tone, her face turning to steel as she fought back tears at the thought of what could be. “That idea scares me immensely.”

Twilight hung her head in sorrow, her steel façade breaking at last, bringing forth a small trickle of tears. She trembled slightly, and her voice was much weaker than it had been a moment ago.

“I would be the most horrible pony alive if I did that to her. I would be willfully ignoring any consequences other than what would happen to me, and because of that I would be destroying her happiness permanently. I’d be trying to fix a small physical problem by creating an immense amount of sorrow.”

Twilight looked to the princess, looking for an encouraging smile, a look of understanding, any sort of reassurance that she was making the right choice. What she saw, however, was the opposite of any reaction she could have anticipated.

The majestic alicorn of the sun was standing mutely, with her head bowed and eyes closed. Her own muzzle held a line of tears, and though she kept silent, her face did not hide her emotions. It displayed a twisted, lonely look, filled with self-reproach and regret, and she was filled with disappointment at what she had neglected to consider.

Twilight looked at Celestia in surprise as the alicorn slowly gazed up at her, and her expression showed signs of duress as she tried to assemble an answer to Twilight’s unspoken question.

“Twilight, I’m sorry. I never even thought about any of that. My concentration was so focused on finding an alternate spell that I disregarded all thoughts of how you both would react. I never considered either of your feelings in the matter, only how I would tell you what you needed to hear in order to make it look like a perfect solution. I failed to take into account how you would feel afterward.”

Celestia blinked back another tear. “If you hadn’t been so focused on her wellbeing, I could have set up a situation where I would be responsible for destroying both of you emotionally.” She gave a sardonic chuckle at herself. “All this time, I’ve stressed the importance of friendship to you, and it seems ironic that, in the end, I had forgotten the trust that underlies all friendships.”

She looked fondly at her student, blinking more tears from her eyes as she did so. “I will need to reread all of the letters you’ve sent me about the lessons you learned. It seems that I need a reminder of what true friendship means.”

Having Princess Celestia admit self-criticism directly had shocked Twilight into immobility. The ruler of Equestria stepped forward and nudged her, breaking the unicorn from her stunned daze.

“Go on, Twilight. Go discuss this with her, and make sure that she knows everything before agreeing.”

Twilight nodded curtly, wiped a tear from her cheek with her hoof, and turned toward Derpy. Slowly she walked toward the pegasus in the center of the room.

Derpy noticed Twilight’s movement and turned toward her, a smile lighting her face as the unicorn approached. However, the serious look on Twilight’s face did not give her a confident feeling, and behind Twilight she caught a sight of Princess Celestia, looking somewhat downcast. She felt a bit of panic creep into her chest, but only for a moment.

Remember, you don’t need this to define who you are. If they’ve decided they can’t do it, then that’s all there is to it. Derpy nodded resolutely to herself. She would not be let down by whatever answer they had come to. She would simply listen and agree with their decision regarding the spell.

Twilight spoke softly in order to keep some semblance of privacy. Though everypony else was far away enough to not hear what she said, she still did not want to broadcast their conversation.

“Derpy,” she began, “Princess Celestia didn’t exactly tell you everything about the spell that she had found; that’s what she wanted to talk to me about.”

Derpy’s face reflected confusion; she had been expecting either a yes or a no; what she had not expected was additional information to consider. She sat on the floor, and merely stared at Twilight, waiting for the explanation to come.

Twilight fidgeted, unsure of how to breach the subject to Derpy. She knew, deep down, that if she was blunt about it, the pegasus would give her an instant denial. While Twilight was willing to accept that, she wanted Derpy to know just how she felt about the decision before she made any rash choices.

“Derpy…” she began, “Princess Celestia left off one important detail about the spell, because the choice can affect me, as well.” Twilight saw Derpy give a sudden jerk at the news, and quickly held up a hoof, stopping the pegasus’ imminent protests. "I’ve already made my choice as to how I would like to deal with this, but I can’t do it without you knowing exactly what is going on and agreeing to it.”

Derpy nodded wordlessly, staring at her marefriend in both confusion and expectation.

“The spell would be able to last permanently because I would be placing some of my own magic into you to keep it active. From what I can understand from Princess Celestia, my magic is strong enough that I won’t lose much ability, but regardless of how strong I am, I will feel some effect from losing some of my magic. We don’t know specifically what the effect will be, but whatever it is, it’s likely to be permanent, since the magic will stay in you for the rest of your life.”

Derpy’s eyes widened as the implications of Twilight’s explanation crystallized in her mind. If we do this, Twilight will be weakened forever… Her head dropped and her eyes closed, and she slowly shook her head.

“I can’t ask that of you, Twilight. That’s an immense sacrifice you’d have to make, and I don’t want to make you choose to lose your magic for me.” She looked back up, staring at Twilight. “I’m happy with my messed up eyes as long as I can stay with you. You don’t need to worry about fixing them for me.”

Twilight leaned forward, reaching out a hoof and pulling Derpy close. Her muzzle slid along the gray fur of the pegasus’ cheek, feeling a slight dampness on her marefriend’s face from an unseen tear.

“You don’t need to ask me to do it, Derpy. I’ve already decided that I’m more than willing to do it for you. I know that you would be okay with your eyes staying as they are now, but I also know that you would still love to have your vision corrected. You’ve made such a huge difference in my life; now I have the chance to make a huge difference in yours, and if it means I lose a little magic to do it, then I’m okay with that.”

She gave Derpy an emphatic squeeze, and her words came out in a whisper. “Please, let me give you what you’ve always wanted. I love you so much; let it be my turn to give it freely.”

Twilight felt Derpy shift slightly, and the pegasus’ forehooves clasped around her neck as Derpy grasped her tightly in an embrace.

A small, nearly imperceptible squeak came from Derpy, her voice completely faltering. She sniffled a little and cleared her throat, then barely mustered up enough strength to softly ask, “Are you absolutely sure, Twilight?”

The unicorn gave a gentle nod into Derpy’s shoulder. “I’m completely sure. I’ve put everything I had into finding a solution. Now we have one, and if I need to give you some of my magic, I’ll do it gladly.”

She gave the pegasus another squeeze, followed by a peck on the cheek. “Besides, you’ll be with me, so my magic really isn’t leaving at all. It’s just… moving around a bit.”

Derpy eased herself back down on her hooves and gave Twilight a weak smile. “Okay, then. If you are sure that you want to do this, then I accept your decision.” Her eyes glistened with affection. “Thank you, Twilight.”

Twilight gave Derpy a light bonk on the snout with a hoof. “Silly. You don’t need to thank me for loving you.” She gave Derpy a quick kiss on the tip of her muzzle, then turned around. “I’ll let Princess Celestia know.”

Twilight walked back over to the princess and gave her a small smile and nod. “Derpy knows what I’ll be doing, and she is okay with it, as long as it was my decision to do it.”

The princess turned to face Derpy, then cast her gaze down to Twilight. “Just to be sure, Twilight, I want to ask you once more. Are you absolutely certain that you want to make this sacrifice for her, even though she is not concerned with her eyesight any longer?”

Twilight nodded. “I’m sure. She has shown me over and over again how to place others before herself. She has made sacrifices her entire life, some by choice, others not, but when it has mattered most, she has always put my welfare first. It’s time somepony did that for her. I’ll do anything it takes. Of course, I’ll need a lot of study and practice with your doctors to learn how to do the spell, but I’m willing to do it.”

Princess Celestia nodded in agreement with Twilight, though a tiny smile crept over her face. “I don’t think that will be necessary, Twilight. Are you familiar with the ‘Entwined Guidance’ spell?”

Twilight nodded reflexively. “That’s the spell that teachers used in school to help unicorns with the ability to cast a spell, but weren’t able to grasp the actual process of casting it. The teacher needed to be proficient with the spell they were teaching, but the actual magic was cast using the abilities of the student. It was kind of like a hooves-on active training manual.” Twilight looked puzzled. “How will that help us, though?”

The princess gave Twilight a nod, her smile widening. “I have learned many magical techniques used in medicine over the years, so I have the background skill to use this spell. Ever since we discovered it, I have been intensely studying its details. I now know how to use the vision spell, and you have more than enough ability to cast it. We can use the Entwined Guidance spell to heal Derpy; I will channel the directions of the spell through you, and your magical ability will be used to infuse her with the magical treatment.”

Twilight sat, stunned at the suggestion. She would never have considered the use of a spell intended for training foals for such a practical use, and the repurposing of the spell was certainly an inspired idea.

A hint of skepticism stole over Twilight, and she looked searchingly to the princess.

“Will that simple training spell really be enough to allow me to cast such an intricately detailed incantation?” she hesitantly asked.

The princess gave her an affirming nod. “I have had the chance to use the guidance spell countless times through the ages, and in every case, regardless of the difficulty of the spell, it has worked, so long as the pony being taught has sufficient ability.” Her eye twinkled at her student. “I think it’s safe to say we don’t have any reason to be worried about that. If you still have any worries, remember that this spell has a failsafe in case something goes wrong.”

Twilight responded with an appreciative grin and enthusiastic nod. “All right, then. We can give it a try. Just tell me what I need to do.”

The princess walked slowly over toward Derpy, stopping after several paces and glancing to each of the doctors that were standing off to Derpy’s sides. She gave them an acknowledging gesture, and lined herself up with them, forming a perfect triangle around the pegasus in the center.

As the discussion changed to activity, it drew the attention of the ponies and dragon gathered to the side of the room. With great interest, they perked up, watching the precise positioning of the princess and doctors. They had been quietly guessing what the princess had been discussing with Derpy and Twilight; it was obvious it was something important, but with the stations being set as they were, the answer was plain to see. They were preparing to cast a spell.

Princess Celestia looked over her shoulder to Twilight. “Twilight, please come and stand exactly where I am right now. When you are ready, simply start channeling your magical energy through your horn. I will be behind you, leading the spell’s direction along. All you will need to do is focus on keeping your magic amplified as much as you can, and allow the guidance spell to shape that magic.”

Twilight trotted over, moving into the area the princess had been standing in and turning to face Derpy, who was watching with a mixture of anticipation, excitement, fear, and confusion at the actions of Twilight and the princess.

Princess Celestia moved into position behind Twilight and cast her gaze to the pegasus a short distance away. “Derpy, please stay still until I say otherwise. Alright?”

“O… Of course, princess,” the mare stammered, bracing herself as the alicorn had requested. Her eyes darted to Twilight, and it was clear to see that, though she stood motionless, anxiety was overwhelming her. The silent atmosphere, combined with the presence of two very serious looking doctors and the princess herself, all concentrating on her, was almost more frightening than she could tolerate.

Twilight returned the pegasus’ gaze, feeling a rush of empathy for the terrified mare. She did her best to appear strong and confident, giving Derpy a wide smile, though, in truth, Twilight was every bit as nervous as her marefriend. She broke her smile for a moment, silently mouthing words to Derpy. I love you so much – don’t worry, everything will be fine.

Derpy gave a very small nod back, trying to move as little as possible, and gave Twilight a smile. Her eyes shimmered with emotion for the unicorn, then her eyes returned forward as she resumed her motionless position.

Celestia watched as Twilight bowed her head and closed her eyes, and a rose-colored aura accumulated around the unicorn’s horn. In turn, Celestia closed her own eyes, and her horn began to emanate small tendrils of green magic that snaked toward Twilight, circling around her momentarily before dissolving into her coat, leaving a slight glow in their wake.

In an instant, the alicorn’s wings snapped upward, and her horn glowed a furious white. Twilight’s eyes jerked open, and her own magic intensified, forming a beam of pure energy that shot out, stopping over Derpy’s head. Simultaneously, the doctors on each of Derpy’s sides took their cues from the princess, concentrating beams of their own in the same fashion, both beams connecting with Twilight’s own, forming a perfect tetrahedral pyramid over the pegasus.

A wave of magenta energy flowed slowly downward from the tip of the triple connection, creating a wide and perfect circle around Derpy before sinking into the floor. Underhoof, the circle’s magic spread rapidly, creating vibrantly bright and intricate patterns along the floor – perfectly symmetrical and all centered directly under the confused, frightened, and, in spite of everything, stone-like pegasus.

Derpy felt the magic coursing through her; little nudges and prods were positioning her as she stood; in addition to contributing to the triangle of beams, the doctors were using extra magic to ensure she was exactly where she needed to be. The light pushes stopped, and she felt her eyelids slowly and gently being pressed closed.

Twilight felt a sense of overwhelming exertion, and her eyes glowed a ferocious yellow as a small, solid ball of magic formed and was forced up the beam. Upon reaching the crest of the spell junction, the patterns within the circle on the floor flashed in intensity, and a rose-colored ball of magic slowly dropped straight down, settling between Derpy’s withers.

Derpy felt it sit for just a moment before it began seeping into her body, spreading magic from her core outward, feeling it affect every part of her. She felt the warm magic spread into her eyes, though the feeling was indistinct; every other portion of her body tingled in the same manner as her eyes. She felt a final surge of warmth as all three beams dropped from their height, converging on the pony in the center, cocooning her in a swirl of magenta as the rays of magic and the circle beneath her dissipated.

Though the magic swirled and pulsed around her, the room was oddly devoid of sound, as well as any movement but that of the magic. The rotation of the sphere surrounding Derpy slowed gradually, shrinking as its spin ceased. The magic absorbed into the glowing coat of the pegasus until all trace of it had disappeared, and Derpy was left standing in the center of the triangle of ponies.

The doctors stood, breathing heavily from the force of the spell, and even Princess Celestia seemed to be trying to recover from the tiresome ordeal. Twilight, however, slumped to the floor, her chest heaving from exertion and her body aching and sore. With great difficulty, she slowly pushed herself up onto her hooves, her legs trembling from exhaustion. Rest would have to wait for later; her concern was focused entirely on the still motionless pegasus in front of her.

Twilight began to walk toward Derpy, fatigue weighing her hooves down as they scraped across the floor, and Princess Celestia trailed behind her. The rest of the group gathered silently behind them, then fanned out around Derpy in the center of the room. Celestia stood just to her side, and gave a soft whisper in her ear. “You may open your eyes, now.”

Gradually, Derpy eased her eyelids up, revealing her enchanting amber eyes, now perfectly centered. She looked around in amazement; never before had her vision been so clear. When Twilight had performed the old spell correctly, things were sharply in focus, but even that paled in comparison to the clarity she could see with now.

An amused sounding voice piped up at Derpy’s side. “My, my, those spellbooks were quite literal when they said they would infuse the patient with some of the caster’s magic.”

Everypony turned their gaze to where Celestia was pointing. Underlying the center of Derpy’s cutie mark, she had acquired a final change to her cutie mark that nopony, not even Princess Celestia herself, could have expected. Dim and slightly translucent, occasionally pulsing with the donated magic, was a mirror image of Twilight’s cutie mark, each pulse sending random faint lights through the bubbles, casting various shimmering colors around.

Derpy looked to Twilight with tears of gratitude in her eyes. With a cry of joy she threw her hooves around the unicorn’s neck, hugging her as hard as she possibly could and sobbing heavily but happily into Twilight’s shoulder. Twilight gently wrapped a hoof around Derpy’s neck, though her fatigue made it feel much heavier than normal.

Eventually, the cured pegasus dropped back to the ground, releasing her marefriend, though not before placing an emphatic kiss to the side of her face.

Twilight turned, looking at the princess with reverence. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you so much, this means all of Equestria to us.”

The princess smiled in return. “I know it does, Twilight, and that’s why I wanted to help as much as I could.”

The noise in the room fell into hushed murmurs as Derpy was enveloped by hugs from her friends. Princess Celestia eventually broke up the affectionate display, clearing her throat loudly, trying to douse the emotion that was threatening to break her own composure as well.

“Well,” the princess announced, “I think this visit went rather well.” She looked around, smiling widely. “Thank you, ladies, and you too, Spike, for allowing us your company today. Derpy, I wish you all the best with Twilight – try to keep her in line as much as you can for me.” She grinned and gave Derpy a wink. “I’m sure you’ve heard some stories already.”

Derpy smirked and nodded vigorously. “I’ve heard some real doozies, that’s for sure, but I’m guessing that there are plenty more to come.” She gave Twilight an affectionate glance out of the corner of her eye. “We’ll be making some more amusing stories to tell in the future, too, I’m sure.”

Her friends erupted in giggles as Twilight’s face flushed in embarrassment.

The princess addressed the doctors as she walked toward the door, “Dr. Verdure, Sterling, would you be so kind as to accompany me back to Canterlot?”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” they replied in unison, bowing in courtesy.

Derpy, realizing the princess was almost out the door, called out, “Thank you so much, Princess Celestia! I wish I could do something to tell you how much this means to me.”

The princess turned to her with a smile. “There is something, actually. I have the Elements of Harmony send me letters recounting lessons about friendship when they learn them. I would like you to join them in their studies.”

The pegasus beamed widely. “Consider it done, Your Majesty!”

The princess gave Derpy a fond look before raising an eyebrow and smirking at the sight she saw.

“Girls!” Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash snapped to attention at the stern tone in the princess’ voice. The stern tone melted away instantly.

“Stop staring at Derpy’s flank. You look… strange.”

With a grin, the princess walked out the door, leaving behind a very large giggling pile of hugs in the middle of the library.

30. A New Beginning

Chapter 30 – A New Beginning

“You know, Twilight, I’ve been staying at the library so much that I almost forgot these existed at all. I’m sorry I never actually mentioned them; they kind of slipped my mind after we first met.”

Derpy smiled over at the shocked unicorn, who was gazing around the room in a mixture of wonder and bewilderment. The eye charts adorning Derpy’s room stared back at them, seeming to dare the ponies to take them down. Regardless of the eeriness of the makeshift shrine, it needed to be removed, and in Twilight’s mind, they couldn’t be removed fast enough.

“I just can’t believe you kept all these around for so many years…” she mused, glancing at the pegasus standing next to her.

Derpy nodded, but a smile crossed her face. “Well, there’s no need for them now, and we don’t want to make Cheerilee’s first class field trip here creepy.”

Twilight smiled as she began magically removing charts from every area of the wall she could. There had been an immense amount of progress in Derpy’s abilities over the months that had passed since the vision spell had succeeded, leading her to take part in far more jobs, athletics, and hobbies than she had ever thought was possible. Their current project was one Derpy had suggested, much to the delight of both Twilight and Cheerilee.

They had followed up on Twilight’s initial idea to move Derpy’s cloud home to the library, and the cloud home gently floating at the library’s balcony was a nice addition. The one thing they had not counted on, however, was that Derpy rarely used her home any more.

She had moved fully into the library, sharing Twilight’s bedroom, keeping an extra coat rack on the wall for her mailbags and hat, moving the remainder of her meager possessions over into the large tree, and selling anything she no longer needed for a few extra bits here and there.

The realization that she was no longer living in her old house, however, had sparked an idea in the pegasus while she was in one of her many flight lessons with Rainbow Dash. During one of their few breaks in training, Rainbow Dash had recounted the trip her friends had made to Cloudsdale, including the spell Twilight had found allowing non-pegasi to walk on clouds. The idea fully crystallized as she made her way home – she lived in Ponyville, where a majority of the population were not pegasi, and even less pegasi were being taught in the elementary school there.

Cheerilee had almost leapt from her seat when Twilight and Derpy approached her, suggesting the idea to permit field trips for her students to tour an actual cloud home – courtesy of one disused and highly accessible home at the library and a highly skilled unicorn who knew a spell to allow anypony to walk on clouds.

Twilight became even more excited at Derpy’s suggestion when she thought over the consequences of regular field trips – students would be given a rare chance to walk on clouds, and all the while they would be touring the library as well. It may even be possible for the students to be allowed to tour the cloud home outside of school trips, and for Twilight, the thought of attracting colts and fillies to the library of their own volition was nothing more than exhilarating.

Of course, this meant cleaning Derpy’s cloud completely for the students, but it was a short day’s work, considering most of her possessions had already been removed from the fluffy home. All that remained were the posters in Derpy’s room, and they were removed with a small amount of time and seemingly less effort.

The pair trotted back across the surface of the cloud, exiting Derpy’s old home and entering the library through the balcony. Derpy slowed, halting Twilight just inside the terrace and giving her a quick kiss on the tip of her muzzle.

“Thanks, Twi. You really made the job of cleaning up in there so much easier.”

Twilight grinned, returning the kiss, lingering slightly longer than Derpy had. “I doubt I made all that much of a difference. With the way your coordination, speed, and flight are improving, you’d have raced around the room about as fast as my magic did – you know my magic takes a bit more concentration and time now.”

That much was true. Though Twilight was still amazingly powerful, the portion of magic she had given Derpy made her reactions a bit slower, and some of the more strenuous spells took an immense amount of her energy. She would often be left feeling quite fatigued after such exertion.

Twilight pouted slightly, unsuccessfully trying to appear jealous. “You even rush through work so fast that sometimes I wonder if you get to spend more time with Fluttershy than with me.” Her pout broke out into a fit of giggles as Derpy rolled her eyes at the melodramatics.

“I don’t rush – I just get done fast.” Derpy countered. “You know as well as I do that I was fast before; now that I can see perfectly and I’ve improved athletically, it just goes by even more quickly.” She grinned. “Post Haste still isn’t thrilled that I turned down the position of assistant postmaster, but I like my job already, and I’m good at it.”

She paused, building a little tension in the silence. “Besides, then I get to spend all afternoon at Fluttershy’s cottage for tea, and Angel is so cute…”

Twilight gave Derpy a playful jab at the taunt, but she quickly returned to thoughtfulness, giving the pegasus an impressed look. “All joking aside, I’ve been watching all the activities you’ve done over the past few months, and I’ve never seen anypony make so much progress in so many areas. I really am proud of you.”

Derpy blushed at the compliment. It really was true that she had been extraordinarily busy, and she was enjoying every minute of it. To be honest, she was simply taking pleasure in learning many skills she never had the chance to learn before, and her passion for self-improvement made her strive for excellence in everything she did.

She ran a hoof down Twilight’s side, expertly finding the areas on the mare that were the most pleasurable, eliciting a shiver and soft moan from Twilight. The unicorn gave a relaxed sigh, melting onto Derpy’s shoulder as her knees buckled.

“Okay,” she said, speaking softly, “seriously, how did you learn to do that? I mean, when we first were together, you were an amazing lover, but now you can literally sap all my strength with a few simple touches. I know I gave you some of my magic, but that doesn’t explain how you can do that.” She poked Derpy softly. “It also doesn’t explain how you managed to get so good at cooking, either.”

Derpy shrugged and smirked a little. “I guess somepony’s tendency to obsess rubbed off on me a little.” She gave Twilight a peck to the forehead, as the unicorn looked back at her with amused skepticism.

“Okay, and maybe I’ve been studying and taking lessons, too,” Derpy finally admitted with a grin. She snickered a little at Twilight’s confused expression. “You know how we like to relax on the couch together with our books?”

Twilight nodded. It had become something of a nightly ritual for them. Twilight would lay across Derpy’s lap, levitating her own book above her while Derpy would read, resting her forehooves across Twilight’s belly. Occasionally her hooves trailed elsewhere, but that wasn’t what she was thinking about. At least, it hadn’t been until now. She grinned lazily, feeling her body warming up against the gray coat and feathers of her marefriend.

Derpy draped her wing over Twilight’s back, hugging her close. “Do you know what I’m usually reading?”

Twilight nodded once again. “Usually some fiction novels, and the occasional Daring Do book, when Rainbow Dash has the decency to return them.”

Derpy caught Twilight’s eyes and gave her a sly smirk. “Nope.”

She now had Twilight’s full attention, and confusion was written clearly over the unicorn's face.

“I was having some fun keeping it a secret. I’m usually studying massage techniques. I’ve been switching the jackets of the books so you wouldn’t notice.” Twilight nearly fell over in shock as Derpy continued, giggling throughout the exposure of her little secret.

“I usually ask Aloe and Lotus for tips when I’m at the spa with Rarity and Fluttershy, too. I had them Pinkie Promise that they wouldn’t tell you. They thought it was too funny keeping you in the dark about it, anyway.” A glint ran through her eyes. “And you can’t tell me you haven’t enjoyed the benefits of it.”

An involuntary shudder ran down Twilight’s spine as she thought about their many nights of passion and excitement; she couldn’t deny the fact that Derpy had far surpassed being a wonderful partner – she was an amazing partner. She shook her head slowly, nuzzling into Derpy’s neck.

“So, what other surprises are you keeping hidden from me?” Twilight jabbed jokingly.

“Hmm, what indeed…” Derpy swatted Twilight on the flank with her wing as she slowly started walking again, throwing a mysterious and mischievous glance over her shoulder at the unicorn. Twilight smirked at her marefriend’s coy behavior and walked along behind her.

“Well, the cooking part you can thank Spike and Pinkie for. Spike taught me your favorite dishes – I think it was fair enough of a tradeoff for us. He gave me lessons, and in return he gets to take breaks from having to cook so often. Pinkie…” she trailed off, giving a little giggle.

“It took me a fair bit of courage to ask Pinkie for lessons in baking, what with those horrendous muffins and all. But, she works at Sugarcube Corner, so I finally decided she must be at least good at baking other things.”

She glanced back at Twilight again. “And she did convince me to try a muffin she made, though it took her quite a bit of pleading. I’ll be honest – I was surprised, but it was amazingly good; nothing like those wormy nasty things she made the last time I had one of her muffins.”

Twilight giggled. “She really is amazing at making sweets and desserts; she does live and work with the Cakes, after all. It’s just that sometimes she can get a bit… adventurous. In her defense, though, those ‘wormy, nasty’ muffins were mostly Applejack’s doing.”

Derpy stopped cold at hearing that, turning around quickly with a look of astonishment. “How in Equestria was Applejack responsible for those… things?”

Now it was Twilight’s turn to burst into laughter. “It was in the middle of Applebuck season, Derpy. She was so exhausted that she didn’t know which way was up, and she just happened to have promised to help Pinkie bake muffins around that time. I don’t think you were in the same hospital wing as she was, but you were probably just as sick as Pinkie was from those monstrosities. I still don’t know how Spike kept eating them.” She stuck out her tongue and grimaced in disgust.

Derpy looked thoughtful for a moment, recognition dawning on her slowly. “Now that you mention it, I do remember Pinkie saying something at the award ceremony about Applejack helping her bake.” She facehooved at the thought.

“I definitely owe Pinkie an apology, then,” she said sheepishly, though her face suddenly regained its mischievous grin. “And I owe Applejack some extra teasing the next time I’m helping out at Sweet Apple Acres.”

Her grin widened as an idea occurred to her. “Maybe I could tell her that her cute little doctor guy developed an allergy to apples.”

Twilight looked skeptical, but still laughed. “You mean Sterling? I don’t think she’d fall for that. They started going out just after he started studying your cutie mark – he’s probably eaten more apples in the last couple weeks than you have in your entire life.”

Derpy seemed to deflate slightly, and she and Twilight resumed walking back through the library. “You’ll have to help me come up with a better prank then, Twi.”

Twilight giggled. “I guess I will – just give me a while to think on it.” She cast a sidelong glance at Derpy, her gaze lingering over the light glow of the magic that showed in the pegasus’ cutie mark. “Are you going to start getting ready for the celebration that Pinkie Pie put together for us tonight? I still want to see that formal dress Rarity made for you.”

Derpy gave her a sly grin. “Good things come to those who wait, Twi. I’m not putting it on until we’re ready to go, just to increase the suspense, but she made it the most gorgeous shade of arctic blue to contrast my mane, with pale orchid accents and mane clips.”

Derpy smirked as Twilight’s eyes glazed over slightly as she tried to imagine the mastery of Rarity’s fashion combined with the beauty of her pegasine lover.

Her smile softened, and she brushed past Twilight seductively, tickling the unicorn’s muzzle with the tip of her tail as she passed. “I’m going to start my letter to Princess Celestia. You know I still don’t do very well with writing them; I just can’t seem to feel comfortable sending reports to the princess. It will still probably take me at least a couple re-writes this time.”

Twilight sighed, walking past Derpy as the pegasus stopped at a desk to retrieve a pencil and some parchment.

“Alright, Derpy, if you say so. If you’re going to write that letter to the princess, I’m going to go take a shower to get ready for tonight. Does that sound like a plan?”

Derpy looked up from the seat she had taken, pencil already held at the ready in her mouth. She gave a quick nod and a muffled ‘mmhmm’. She looked back down to the parchment as Twilight wandered off toward the bathroom. Her brow knitted in concentration as she tried to come up with an eloquent way to describe how Twilight had just recently proposed to her, and her heart skipped a beat as she remembered the moment with deep emotion. She set her pencil to the parchment.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I am writing to you today because yesterday Twilight gave the most beautiful gesture of friendship I have ever rece-------------------

Derpy’s pencil skidded across the page as she fell victim to a playful tackle from Twilight, who had decided to pounce on her fianceé rather than head to the bathroom.

Twilight looked down at the pegasus who was laying beneath her on the floor with a stunned expression etched on her face and a broken off eraser still clenched in her mouth. Twilight brushed the eraser aside and followed the move quickly with a deeply passionate kiss. She then lifted her partner to her hooves, giving her a playful rub over the shimmering cutie mark.

“Come on,” she purred. “Letters can wait, and the shower’s big enough for two.”

Derpy recovered quickly from the surprise and trotted off happily after Twilight, a warm flush creeping over her. She had a feeling this would be a long, long shower.

Author's Note

Thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoyed reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it!

I'd also like to give a big thank you to slip_stitch for this picture she made of Derpy's transformed cutie mark. Thanks so much!

1. Doomed from the Start

Address Unknown – by Remedy
Chapter 1 – Doomed From the Start

Scattering from a darkened sky mottled with gray clouds, a myriad of white specks drifted downward, lazily blowing and swirling in the gentle breeze passing through Ponyville. An onlooker might have stopped to admire the sight, enjoying what could have been the beginnings of a crisp winter morning. Nopony, however, stopped in appreciation of the work of the weatherponies today. That it was the middle of summer, and no weatherponies were causing precipitation of any kind, was the main reason. The deluge of white was of a papery variety and unexpected by anypony on land or in air, except for those employed by the Cloudsdale Mail Delivery Service, who immediately knew the cause of the unannounced flurry of envelopes.

“Ditzy Doo!”

A furious voice cut through the air, reaching the ears of a gray pony who was trying desperately, but unsuccessfully, to blend in with the underside of an ashen colored cloud. The poorly hidden mare clenched her eyes shut, shuddering at the use of her proper name. Only those about to berate her used it, yelling like an angry mare does to her foal before threats of punishment begin to come out. Resigning herself to defeat, she abandoned her attempt to remain concealed. Slowly and with reservation, Derpy lowered herself from her hiding spot, her head drooped low and her empty mailbags slung haphazardly over her back.

She steeled herself for the onslaught to come and managed to gulp out a hesitant “I’m here, Boss."

Crafty Crate barreled toward her with raging, black eyes narrowed to pinpricks.

“What in Celestia’s name are you doing?” he demanded. He barely managed the restraint needed to hold back from cursing obscenities, succeeding only due to the audience that the outburst had gathered. “You already consistently mangle packages and misread addresses, and for the third time this month you’ve dropped your entire bag of deliveries!”

Without raising her head, she peered back at her fuming boss with apprehension.

“A side wind caught my bag while I was looking for my next stop…” she trailed off, meekly. This was only a half truth. She left out the part about how long she had been looking, carelessly ignoring the wind as she flitted this way and that, vainly trying to gather her bearings. Although she did not think it was possible, Crafty’s eyes narrowed more, burning her core as he delivered his own message.

“Once more, Ditzy. Just once more and you can find a new line of work to fail at.” Her eyes dropped, cringing once more at hearing her name. Crafty Crate barked orders to all mailponies in the area.

“Every single one of you! Quit gawking and get down there to collect that mail!” Glaring at Derpy he quietly growled, “And as for you, you will not stop working until every single envelope you dropped is accounted for and delivered - correctly this time.”

It felt like an eternity passed over the next several hours as Derpy scoured the area for any errant mail she could find, her mind wandering as much as her eyes tended to. She had earned the nickname ‘Derpy’ as a filly. Flight school in Cloudsdale had not been particularly kind to her, but oddly that was the one insult that she had been happy to earn. ‘Derpy’ exuded an aura of clumsiness, and it gave the impression that she was accident-prone and uncoordinated. This certainly was true of her as her severe case of strabismus caused her extremely impaired depth perception. The problem resulted in difficulty in almost all aspects of her life, from flying to simply walking straight.

As a filly it was not uncommon for her to walk directly into objects straight in front of her, and it had taken her years of adaptation to learn to function as close to normally as she could. Ditzy Doo, however… she shuddered again. Her real name always implied to her that she was stupid. Senseless. Irrational. “Featherbrain," she muttered to herself, as she picked up what seemed to be the last of her lost cargo.

“Featherbrain Ditzy! Featherbrain Ditzy!” echoed the voices she had heard so often before. She gladly accepted being called ‘Derpy’, as she was comfortable knowing that she was utterly lacking in grace and agility. To be immediately discounted as the village idiot, however, was the ultimate insult. Unfortunately, it was one she had grown all too familiar with.

It was past nightfall as Derpy made her way slowly home, exhausted from yet another disastrous day at work made worse by the extra hours she had endured gathering the errant letters. She was thankful that Raindrops had stayed to help her longer than most of the other mailponies had, even though much of the search had been in silence as Derpy quietly mulled over her past failures. Raindrops was one of the few ponies she could think of as a friend, though perhaps even that was a stretch of her imagination. They did not spend time together outside of work, and even during work they seldom talked. Derpy supposed that there must have been something about dropping an entire load of heavy items on Twilight Sparkle’s head the previous summer that had pulled them a little closer - the two butterhooves of the mailponies.

She managed a small, bitter smile recalling that day and the barrage of threats of personal injury Crafty had thrown at the pair. She had spent the rest of the day building up the courage to apologize to Twilight, but ultimately had decided that it was in her own best interest to wait until the damage she had inflicted on Twilight had healed. In hindsight, that had been a good decision, because she had heard some days later that Twilight and her friends had unwillingly spent some time with a hydra during that same day. Derpy was glad to have missed that particular event, but had spent the next week apologizing profusely to Twilight every chance she had.

At the very least she had expected a malicious glare, a jabbing insult, or a snide comment questioning her ability to fly right side up. Then, of course, the barrage of humiliation and mockery would start - crossed eyes in imitation and feigned absurdity that everypony knew would obviously accompany such a walleyed stare. It would be the same kind of derision every other pony she met had given her at some point or another. However, to her surprise, Twilight had laughed the event off and had forgiven her instantly. Derpy had not been expecting that kind of graciousness, not even remotely. Since then, she regarded the unicorn with a quiet sense of awe and wonder.

That was in the past, though, and in the present she was still the same clumsy pegasus, still butterhooved as ever, and still, thankfully, somehow, employed in the service of mail delivery. She sighed and hung her postal worker’s hat and CPS mailbags on the wall. She glanced at the logo on the bags. Cloudsdale Postal Service – We’re on our Wings to Deliver Your Things! It was a tasteless logo, really. Derpy sighed again and trotted wearily off to bed.

Sleep did not come quickly. Derpy lay in bed staring at the ceiling for seconds, or minutes... possibly hours, she wasn’t sure which. Her thoughts turned to past attempts to restore some semblance of normal eyesight. She had been to every optometrist that practiced in Ponyville and Cloudsdale alike. All of them easily identifying her problem, but were never able to offer a solution.

Exotropia, they had called it - a form of eye disorder that occasionally developed in foals. Caught early enough it could be treated with relative ease using eye exercises and glasses, and even if the condition progressed further it was relatively easy to treat. In her case, however, the problem had progressed more rapidly than anypony had seen before. She sighed softly to herself as she recalled the collective prognosis from every doctor she had seen: untreatable. Her condition had gone uncorrected for years and had manifested so quickly that there was virtually no chance of improvement. Even surgeons had refused operations, deeming them too likely to cause permanent damage or even complete loss of vision. The end result had always been the same: learn to live with it. She sighed again.

Her hoofsteps padded across her cloud floor as she made her way to bed, and her eyes strayed around the room. Most ponies had some sort of decoration adorning their bedrooms, and Derpy was no exception, although her choice of posters strayed from the usual selection of role models, favorite performers, or art. Her physicians had all assured her that any effort to improve her vision would be futile, but Derpy had insisted that she take something with her from each unsuccessful appointment. She lay on her bed, intensely concentrating on the eye charts used to test vision that she had obtained from every doctor’s office she had visited.

They were tiled across her ceiling and walls, papering almost every square inch of open space she could find. Every night she would stare, simply trying to clearly discern letters in the jumbled mess. Eventually she would drift off to sleep until work came the next morning, just as she had been doing for years. After all those years, staring every night, she still had not been able to clearly read any letter other than the giant ‘E’ adorning every chart.

Tonight was different though. Tonight she looked, but even the largest letters were blurred as she gazed through the haze of tears, silently trailing down her cheek and pooling on her mane. Once again she had made a mess of things, and everypony would add another tally mark to the list of catastrophes caused by ‘Featherbrain Ditzy’. Her solitude and isolation were ensured by every added mark. Her mind had created a small cell for herself, a prison that closed itself around her slowly with every mistake. Nopony would choose to stay by the side of an accident waiting to happen.

She wanted nothing more than to break out of her mental prison, to find somepony who could see past her walleyed look and frequent misfortune, but in all her years an exit from that penitentiary had never come. Her hope had constantly lingered though, refusing to give in completely to despair.

She blearily cast her eyes around the room, intent on making progress even though she knew deep down that it was a lost cause. Still, she practiced on. If she could improve her vision then just maybe she could break away from the cycle of disaster. It was the only hope she had left. Practice may not always make perfect, but sometimes practice makes acceptable.

****************

The sound of thunder echoing through the clouds greeted Derpy as she woke to what she expected to be just another day in the dull grind of work. She had forgotten that the weatherponies had a scheduled storm for the day, and was at least thankful that mail delivery in Cloudsdale usually meant little to worry about in the form of rain. After all, living on top of the clouds didn’t lead to much precipitation on their routes aside from the occasional lower level homes.

Her night’s sleep had been restful for once. She had feared that she would be plagued by nightmares, occasionally woken in an abysmal and terrifying semi-consciousness before plunging back into her horrific dreamland. She surmised that her exhaustion and anguish the night before had at least provided her with a rejuvenating rest, and grabbed her hat and mailbag before heading out to the post office for another routine day on the job.

The expectation of a routine day was short lived. It was shattered the moment she entered the office to find Crafty Crate waiting for her, an impatient and borderline malicious look on his face.

“Hope you’re ready for some rain, Derpy. After yesterday, I’m putting you on probation, or whatever you’d like to call it. You’re delivering in Ponyville today. Depending on how well you do, or in your case, how badly you screw up, you may end up being demoted to ground delivery indefinitely.”

He sneered as he watched the mare’s face change from a smile to a blank stare, and then to dejection and defeat as he laid down his ultimatum.

Delivering mail on the ground for a pegasus was extraordinarily embarrassing as it announced to the world in general that you had botched your job miserably in the air. Not only that, but she would be forced to work in the middle of a storm with the full knowledge that her superiors were watching her every move.

Derpy involuntarily shrank back as the implications sank in, much to the sadistic delight of Crafty. With a cruel grin, he tore the Cloudsdale mailbag from her hooves and stated simply and heartlessly, “Ponyville Mail Office. Get going.”

The terse command signaled an end to the one sided conversation, and Derpy slowly turned and trudged back out the door. Her gaze never deviated from the ground as she began her slow and wet descent into Ponyville. Behind her a callous voice called out from the receding post office. “Enjoy the weather, Derpy. I hear it’s a wonderful day down there.”

Derpy entered the building in a state of dishevelment, her pale yellow mane and tail drenched and sagging straight to the floor. She sheepishly looked up to find her temporary supervisor smiling over at her.

“Welcome to the Ponyville Postal Service!” Post Haste greeted warmly. “I had heard we’d be getting some additional help today. What’s your name, miss?”

“Derpy,” the ashen pegasus replied, somewhat dejectedly. She reflected that Post Haste obviously hadn’t been informed whom he was getting to help him, given his pleasant demeanor.

“Ah yes… I heard you had a bit of an accident yesterday. We found a few of your letters on our routes and returned them to some pegasi who were out looking for them.” He smiled again. It looked unsettlingly genuine. “Welcome to the Ponyville team, Miss Derpy.” At this warm reception the pegasus could barely muster a response.

“Derpy is fine, sir,” she mumbled, astonishment washing over her. He had heard of her… and he wasn’t angry to have her thrust into his staff, even though it was supposed to be a punishment for her.

“Come on now,” he continued. “Sir isn’t necessary here. You can just call me Post. Follow me, and I’ll show you your route and get you a mailbag.”

At least they seem nice enough, she thought to herself. Just keep out of trouble for the day, and maybe your coworkers will stay pleasant while you’re here.

2. A Meeting with Misfortune

Chapter 2 – A Meeting With Misfortune

“Spike! Hurry up!” Twilight yelled, racing through the library as though her tail was on fire. Spike rolled his eyes as he lazily trotted down the stairs, listening to the patter of rain on the window and rolling thunder outside much more than the frantic librarian. As usual, Twilight was working herself into a frenzy over nothing. Pinkie Pie had asked the pair for some help taste testing her newest confectionary creations, and Twilight had reluctantly agreed.

Spike was indifferent about the idea since the sweets were certain to contain no gems, but he was still never one to turn down free food, especially of the sugary kind. He also knew that his iron stomach could take whatever Pinkie happened to dish out, so to speak.

Twilight, conversely, was the polar opposite of indifferent. She dreaded the notion of having to taste some of the bizarre things the bright pink blur of activity would undoubtedly concoct, but a simple request from a friend was not something she could turn down easily. Her state of mind this morning was due to nothing more than a combination of apprehension of the unknown atrocities looming ahead and the absence of the nausea preventing medications she was sure to need.

“Geez, Twilight, calm down,” Spike muttered, attracting a look of reproach from the unicorn.

“Calm? Calm? How can I be calm at a time like this? I’m going to be feeling sick for a week unless I can find some medicine! Where in Equestria did I put that potion Zecora made me?” she snapped, her eyes and ears beginning to show signs of involuntary twitching.

Spike slowly walked over to the shelf where the vial sat undisturbed, taking his time as he counted how many times the distorted purple streak shot past it. Time had taught him that keeping calm both allowed him to easily recall where everything was in the library as well as counteract Twilight’s occasional frantic outbursts. He smirked as the counter in his mind hit 17 times that she had run right past it.

“It’s right here, Twi, in the same spot you always put Zecora’s medicines. Now, can you please slow down a bit? You’re going to wear a groove into the floor if you keep that up.”

Twilight glanced at the clock and gave a small gasp. This was not an encouraging sign to Spike.

He shrugged as Twilight inevitably announced, “We can’t slow down! We’re late!” The unicorn enveloped him in a magical haze as she dragged him along, dashing out the door.

****************

Derpy trotted along the road, having distributed half of her mail for the day already. She was wet, cold, and a bit muddy, but overall the day had not been unpleasant. She had tried flying low for the first portion of her rounds, but had decided shortly afterward that walking wouldn’t be any more effort for her, and flying in the rain was more bothersome than walking in it anyway. She had been traveling so easily through the town that she was actually hours ahead of schedule.

Her mind had been conflicted for the day. Her embarrassment at the thought of being, in effect, an earthbound pegasus was being crowded away by the prospect of working with friendly ponies such as Post and traversing these enjoyable streets in proper weather. She steeled herself as she walked, resolving to be as careful as possible in order to not tarnish her reputation with her newfound colleagues so quickly. She glanced at the next delivery on her schedule and turned down the road leading toward the library.

Upon approach, she heard some commotion coming from inside. She wondered what in Equestria could cause such a racket in a library of all places. The mystery didn’t last long though. As she stopped to make her deposit at the mailbox, she was literally run over by a purple wall made up of a combination of pony and dragon. Twilight, Spike, and Derpy rolled in a jumbled mess, the force of the impact knocking her back several yards and sending her bag soaring away in a vibrant splash of white confetti against the darkened sky.

Twilight Sparkle hurriedly extracted herself from the living pile of her own creation, while Spike simply lay sprawled on the ground, dazed from the sudden tugs and stops he had endured within the past thirty seconds. Twilight whirled around looking for to find what she had run into, but a soft groan coming from the ground quickly made her realize that her obstacle was not a what, but rather a who.

Still trying to recover some of the wind that had been forcefully ejected from her chest, she dropped to her knees in apology, managing to gasp out, “…Sorry! Derpy, I’m so sorry! Are you all right? Are you hurt anywhere?”

Spike had also recovered from the initial shock, and was looking the pegasus over for any bruises or sprains. As far as he could see, there were none.

Derpy lay silent on the ground, not responding to the questions as her mind caught up with what had just happened. Her eyes roved over the scattered mail - wet, muddy, and blowing away in the breeze. It was as though Twilight and Spike were not even there. None of Twilight’s apologies or questions were heard, no dragon looking inquisitively at her was seen, and no pains or aches from the fall were felt.

In fact, Derpy had barely noticed anything, save the mucky remains of her career splayed haphazardly around her. There was only one voice that was heard in the abrupt chaos of the moment, and she was the only one to hear it.

You did it again, Featherbrain.

She dropped her face into her muddy hooves and silently sobbed.

You did it again.

Of all the responses that could have come from the collision, this is the one Twilight had expected least. She had run full tilt into another pony, apparently knocked them temporarily senseless, and, as it seemed from the sudden outburst of tears, she had hurt the poor mailpony horribly somehow. Twilight was confused, though, as she could see no visible injuries, and Derpy was showing no signs of having any pain at all - just that deep, quiet, and almost imperceptible weeping coming from the shuddering pegasus. She looked up shortly.

“Spike, go to Sugarcube Corner and tell Pinkie Pie that I won’t be able to make it this afternoon. You can stay there to help her, if you’d like. I’m going to check up on Derpy.”

No argument came from the little dragon. He gave a small nod of acknowledgement and took off in the direction of the shop, throwing glances back every little bit at the kneeling unicorn next to a quivering gray lump in the mud until they were out of sight.

Twilight turned back to Derpy, wondering how best to handle the situation, and the thought of Fluttershy flew through her mind. She had somepony here who was hurting in some way, though in which way she could not tell, but knowing Fluttershy gave her the insight at what anypony in this instance would doubtlessly need: kindness, care, and compassion.

She allowed her expression and voice to soften as much as they could and tried her hardest to resemble the level of care one could expect from the Element of Kindness herself. She heard herself speaking, though it did not sound like her frantic self from only moments ago. It sounded like another pony entirely, one who abandoned all concept of self in order to raise another from whatever suffering they were going through.

“Derpy, just let me know what I need to do to help you.”

It was simple, it was straight to the point, but with the amount of care squeezed tightly into those few words, it was just what was necessary.

Derpy slowly stopped sobbing long enough to look around at her demolished responsibility - a testament to her ineptitude at life in general and a signal to her that change was coming, and it would not be a welcome one. Twilight followed her gaze as the prone equine looked around. She had no idea as to what significance some spilled mail could have, but even though it was unspoken she knew that this was the problem. Her horn glowed gently as she gathered together as many envelopes as she could into the purple magic cloud that had formed. She regained the soothing voice that was not her own.

“Come on, Derpy. I’ve got your mail. Let’s get inside and clean them, and you, off. I’ll send Owlowiscious out to track down any others the wind may have carried away.”

Derpy sniffled and tearfully looked up at the one pony who not only cared enough to help her, but who understood her without needing to hear the problem first. Her vision was blurred even more than usual from her tears, and she was unable to identify the pony who was now offering to help her. However, as she wiped the tears from her eyes with a muddy hoof, it took only a few seconds of cleared thought to recognize whom she was with.

Dear Celestia, it’s Twilight Sparkle…

****************

Being a librarian had few advantages, unless you were an odd sort of librarian who was not completely obsessed with books. In the latter case, being a librarian had no advantages whatsoever. However, Twilight was likely the most book obsessed, half crazed, neatly compulsive librarian to ever roam Equestria, and she knew and took every advantage she had available. One such advantage was the knowledge and skill to clean and restore books that were returned wet, filthy, and falling apart. Twilight smiled to herself as she thought of how much practice with that skill she had gotten thanks to three small fillies who were, in a euphemistic sense, the four ponies of the apocalypse shrunken to miniature and missing a member.

Twilight tended to cleaning and drying the damaged missives, while Derpy sat on a sofa, drying off and sipping hot chocolate, calming herself beside a magically conjured and contained fire Twilight had made for her. Twilight glanced over to see that Derpy’s quivering fits were subsiding, her tears had dried along with the rest of her coat and mane, and the only remainder that could hint she had been upset was an occasional sniffle escaping her muzzle.

She still had no idea what had sent Derpy over the edge, but had decided not to press her for details until she had sufficiently relaxed, so she kept about her work while the tension in the pegasus wound down. Seeming satisfied with her work, she left the last of the envelopes to dry and went to join Derpy on the couch.

“Are you feeling any better?” she asked, giving the mare a bit of a start from the broken silence.

“A little, yeah, I guess.” Derpy suddenly became very interested in the floor and felt her cheeks redden slightly as Twilight sat down next to her. Her mind flashed back to the previous summer’s accident and she gave a slight wince. Apparently Twilight had been studying her features quite well, because she picked up on the involuntary movement immediately.

“Derpy, if you’re still thinking about last summer, I told you to forget about it.” Her head was cocked inquisitively to the side, with a small caring, but knowing, smile playing across her face.

Sweet Celestia, she’s a mind reader, too.

Derpy slowly closed her mouth, which had momentarily gone slack at Twilight’s insight. “Yeah, I was thinking about… Yeah. Still, I am sorry about that.” She gave a weak smile.

Twilight returned the smile, adding, “Well, now I ran you over and made a mess of your mail, so I guess we’re evened back up a bit.”

Her smile was dampened slightly as she realized that bringing up the incident so quickly, and in such a lighthearted way, could have been offensive. “I am very, very sorry about that, by the way. I guess I never realized how much you cared for your work. You must be very proud to be able to give such a service to everypony around.”

Proud. That struck a nerve.

19. Repartee and Repose

Chapter 19 – Repartee and Repose

A soft knock on the library door floated to Twilight, causing her heart to skip and flutter. She had been anxiously awaiting Derpy’s return all morning; there was an enormous amount of information she wanted to discuss with the pegasus. She needed to know how the night went with Rainbow Dash, and if the two had managed to get along. She also had to let Derpy know about the significant discovery Rarity had made, as well as the invitation to the spa the next day.

Of course, last but not least, she had missed Derpy’s presence terribly, even though it had only been for the remainder of the day. She couldn’t wait to feel her embrace, enjoying the warmth and the slight tingle from their coats brushing together, or to feel her lips pressed against her own, subtle darts of their tongues pushing excitement into each other. The thoughts were already arousing her, but, with difficulty, she repressed her urges; sensuous activities would have to wait for later.

She took a moment to compose herself, ready to meet Rainbow Dash and Derpy at the door, greet her marefriend affectionately, and profusely thank Rainbow for agreeing to take care of her sightless partner. She paused at the door, however; a foreboding silence had followed the knocking. Her soul felt heavy at the implication it could have.

Perhaps Derpy and Rainbow Dash had not gotten along at all, and weren’t even on speaking terms. Her heart rate picked up at the thought of what may have been the most uncomfortable night the two mares had ever had, and she shivered at the knowledge that it was her idea to put them together in the first place. She bit her lip in anxiety, readying an apology to both in her mind in case she found them outside in an arrogant stalemate, neither acknowledging the other’s existence.

A misjudgment on Twilight’s part could have both prevented a mended relationship between the two pegasi, and created a rift in her friendship with both of the mares. She shuddered at that thought, that she could possibly have alienated both the mare she loved deeply as well as one of her most trusted friends.

She steeled herself for whatever situation she would be presented with, and nervously opened the door. She was shocked to find only Derpy waiting patiently for her. Had Rainbow Dash dropped her off and just left, not even wanting to talk with Twilight at all? Her mind was abuzz with confusion as she looked about for Dash, until her eyes returned to Derpy, who was still standing outside the library, looking puzzled at the unicorn’s vacant gaze.

A realization forced its way into Twilight’s head as she stared at Derpy, the truth of why she was alone taking unusually long to sink in. She was alone because she didn’t need a guide. Derpy’s sight was back. Twilight’s mind tried to make sense of the situation, but her recent suspicion kept a tight hold. Reality clashed against the scenario her brain had created, her mind lost all focus and function, and she stood inert from shock.

Derpy was still left standing outside the library, utterly baffled by Twilight’s behavior. She wasn’t quite concerned – she was beginning to recognize some of Twilight’s peculiar quirks, such as this one – but she still was unable to come up with any reason for it. She waited a few moments for Twilight to come around to her senses, but the few moments passed without change.

Derpy offered an inquisitive, “Twilight? Are you okay? Twi?” She waved her hoof in front of the unicorn’s face, but the look of shock still remained. Derpy quietly grinned to herself. It seemed that if she wanted to snap her lover out of her trance, she’d need to take ‘drastic measures’.

She approached Twilight slowly and wrapped her hooves around the neck and withers of the mare, allowing her to support her marefriend as well as give her a warm hug. Then she gently pressed her muzzle against Twilight’s, her lips slightly parted, and gave unicorn the softest kiss that she had ever received.

At first there was no response, but quickly Derpy felt the lips touching her own begin to quiver. Heat rushing through Twilight’s face as her eyes closed in pleasure, until the unicorn gradually melted toward the ground, kept upright only by Derpy’s supporting embrace.

Derpy allowed the kiss to linger until she felt the tip of a tongue tapping against her lips, seeking entry. She teasingly refused the attempt for now, affectionately giving Twilight a final light peck as she pulled away slowly, eliciting a small groan of disappointment from Twilight. Derpy watched as Twilight’s eyes fluttered open, still seemingly in somewhat of a daze, and she gave the unicorn a coy smirk.

“There will be plenty of time for that later, Twi. How about we head inside for a bit?”

Twilight nodded groggily, a dreamy smile smearing across her face as she allowed the pegasus entry, and then closed the door behind them.

They headed inside the library, taking seats close to each other on the sofa, and Derpy noticed that Twilight was starting to become more lucid now. Derpy gave her marefriend a playful grin. “It’s not often that I get to see you that unresponsive, not that I mind the cure for it.” She licked her upper lip lightly to tease Twilight a little more.

Twilight shook her head to clear it some more, her comprehension returning. She gazed back into Derpy’s eyes, reflecting on how beautiful they were. Though askew, the amber colored irises of the pegasus were captivating, and Twilight was reminded just how adorable Derpy could be.

She had seen Derpy as beautiful before, and since their relationship began she had the privilege of watching Derpy’s confidence grow, but never before had she seen Derpy so playful or teasing. Derpy was obviously opening up to Twilight, and it seemed the openness was extending to the rest of her friends as well. The heat spreading down her body reassured her that she did not mind the flirtatious behavior, and her tail flicked absentmindedly to the side. She leaned forward on the couch with closing eyes, clearly intent on finishing what Derpy had started only minutes ago.

She felt something press against her muzzle, but it wasn’t the soft texture of another muzzle; rather, it was much harder and colder. Her eyes floated back open to see Derpy wearing an entertained look and casually holding a hoof over her marefriend’s mouth to halt her advances. Twilight sat back and gave a little pout at the denial. Derpy simply shook her head, the grin never leaving her face.

“I told you, we’ll have plenty of time for that, but later.” The grin changed to a warm smile. “Don’t you think we should at least catch up on what’s happened in the past day, and maybe take some time to unwind? I know I have several bits of news you might like to hear.”

Twilight blinked several times before her mental circuitry reminded her that she also had some things she had wanted to talk about. She was slightly amused yet annoyed with herself at how easily Derpy had derailed her train of thought. Finally free of all concerns and distractions, she nodded back with a smile of her own.

“I never thought I would have been thrown so far off course like that,” she gave a playful grin of her own. “But you’re absolutely right, and I have news of my own for you.” Her smile turned to a look of pure excitement; she could barely contain the information she had for Derpy about the spell, not to mention the invitation to the spa. However, she wanted to hear about Derpy’s night with Rainbow Dash first, and was definitely interested in how and when she regained her sight.

“Okay, you first.” Twilight sat almost bubbling over with excitement, looking expectantly at Derpy for the update on the previous night. “When did your vision come back? And how did things go with you guys?”

Derpy held up a hoof to calm Twilight down. “I got my sight back this morning, but I’ll get to that in a little bit.” Twilight looked flustered at the delay to her answer, but still sat, listening.

“Yesterday started off pretty much as expected. Rainbow wasn’t exactly pleasant to me, and a couple times, well, she was actually pretty mean.” She frowned at the recollection. “It felt as though she was literally trying to find ways to be mad at me. A few times I even cried a little bit about it. I was feeling pretty horrible.”

An indignant look stole over Twilight’s face, but Derpy continued before her friend could voice her frustrations and anger.

“I didn’t think she had noticed, but now I think she just may have. Obviously, I couldn’t see if she was watching me, but as the night went on, she started acting… strange. She seemed to space out at times, and would get really quiet for much longer than I’ve ever seen Rainbow get. She was really interested in the… uh, pictures and stuff I had around my room.”

Derpy danced around the topic of the pictures; she realized halfway through her sentence that Twilight had never been to her house, and had never seen her chart collection. Now wasn’t the time to bring it up.

“Rainbow Dash actually cooked me dinner. I was surprised that she would go to so much trouble for me, when earlier she had pretty much made it clear she outright hated me. I assumed she was trying to do it as a favor to you.”

Twilight sat with an astonished look, but nodded. The same thought had occurred to her as well, though she still was having a difficult time believing the polar shifts in Dash’s behavior.

“We went to sleep; I offered her my bed, but she refused and slept on the couch instead. When I got up, my sight had returned, and it’s actually a bit better than it was before.” Twilight gave a wide smile at that update.

“I don’t think she slept very well at all last night. I heard her cooking breakfast, but she looked really ragged, like she had been up all night. When she saw me, she came over, and out of nowhere started apologizing like crazy. I think it was eating her up all night long – she was really worried that I wouldn’t forgive her. What it came down to was she wanted to tell me how sorry she was and start over as friends.”

Derpy beamed joyfully at that, and Twilight echoed the emotion. “After that, we got along great this morning. Rainbow even offered to help me with my flying once my vision was better.” Derpy’s face shone with excitement. “She went home after breakfast, and I flew straight here.”

Twilight took a moment to consciously close her mouth, which had fallen ajar throughout the tale. She gave Derpy a giant smile, and then nearly tackled her, planting a firm kiss on her lips and letting out a joyful squeal.

“I’m so happy you guys got along after all!” Twilight thought back to meeting at the door and bit her lip. “That’s what had me so worried… before I opened the door, I didn’t know you were able to see and that you came alone. I assumed you both were out there, but I didn’t hear any talking, and I kind of thought I had made the two of you even worse off than before.”

Twilight let out a heavy sigh. “That’s what threw me off so much when I opened the door. I was fully expecting to see the both of you irate with each other and I had fully planned out apologies, ready for each of you. I almost lost it, thinking about how miserable you both may have been because I asked you to stay together…”

Derpy smiled gently and ended her friend’s confession by pulling Twilight into her chest, folding her wings around her, enveloping her in a warm and comforting embrace.

“It’s all fine, Twi. Everything went perfectly, and it was all thanks to your idea.” Twilight smiled upward at the pegasus, and Derpy continued speaking. “We just need to work on your overactive imagination a little bit.” Derpy poked Twilight teasingly. “Things are never really as bad as they seem, and we have each other to rely on when times get tough.”

Twilight gave a sniffle of sentimentality, and then pulled out of the embrace. Her face had lightened considerably, and she reflected on just how much Derpy was right. They had each other to rely on, regardless of the situation. She gave a smile – not a strong smile, but it was far from weak.

Derpy’s returned the smile, but she dreaded what she needed to do next. She knew she had to tell the unicorn about her cutie mark; doubtless Twilight would notice soon, and it would be best if she knew about it right away. The pegasus knew that she would have to keep Twilight’s reaction in check, or else their entire day of relaxation would be ruined by a frenzy of study.

“Twi,” she began cautiously, “I have one other thing to let you know about, but I need you to promise me something first.”

Twilight stared back, lines of worry etched over her darkening face. “Derpy, what’s the matter?” She was already getting anxious, and that did not instill confidence in the pegasus. Derpy mentally kicked herself. Stupid! You should know her well enough by now to know saying something like that would scare her! The subject had been brought up, though, and there was no way to back out now.

Derpy’s hurried to reassure Twilight. “Absolutely nothing is wrong, Twi, but… I need you to promise me – seriously promise me – that you won’t obsess about it. At least for tonight.” Her eyes pleaded with the unicorn. “I don’t want you to overexert yourself again.”

Twilight tried to focus, but it was obvious she was worried. She knew something significant was going on, and she couldn’t just promise to pretend to ignore something that could be so serious that it evoked this much caution from Derpy. Her focus broke, her gaze dropped, and her shoulders sagged.

“I… I just can’t… not without knowing what’s going on.” She looked apologetically at her friend. “If there’s a significant problem, you know I can’t just sit around pretending there’s nothing wrong. I can try, really,” her voice cracked, “but I’m sorry, I… can’t promise that.” She sat with a defeated tremor.

Derpy closed her eyes and silently cursed herself for introducing the topic so vaguely that it upset Twilight this much. She inched closer to the mare, extending a wing over Twilight and pulling her closer. She wrapped her hooves around the unicorn’s neck, holding her snugly as she rested her head against Twilight’s cheek.

“I’m sorry,” Derpy whispered. “I didn’t mean to upset you like this; I really said that wrong. It’s really not a problem, but I want to enjoy today together with you, not spend it with you absorbed in research all day. It’s something I know you’ll be very interested in, but… I just want you to wait a little before you get all ‘science-y’ on me.”

Twilight hugged Derpy back before responding pensively. “I can promise not to overreact,” she gripped the pegasus tighter, “if you can promise me it’s not something I need to be worried about. It’s only logical. If it’s possibly dangerous, I can’t ignore it. You know that.”

Derpy nodded into Twilight’s shoulder. She loosened her grip, adjusting her position so she could look the unicorn in the eyes.

She gave Twilight an encouraging smile and a small kiss on the nose. “I can accept that.”

Twilight tried to calm herself as best as she could. She felt Derpy take her hoof, and the pegasus tugged it slowly toward her flank. Her hoof came to rest over Derpy’s cutie mark, and she looked back to Derpy with confusion.

Derpy gazed back, a tentative whisper escaping her mouth. “Twi, look at my cutie mark.”

Twilight’s eyes slowly crept over to Derpy’s flank, and she moved her hoof to the side. There were several agonizing seconds of silence while she inspected the mark, looking for what might have made Derpy so nervous. Then she saw it.

Two bubbles at the top of Derpy’s flank appeared different, while the rest remained unchanged. They had become slightly translucent, and the morning light filtering through the window accentuated the colors. One held a slight mulberry color, flecked with sapphire and rose tints, while the other had adopted a cerulean hue, with thin streaks of red, green, and violet coloring the upper margin of the circle.

A gasp escaped her lips; all traces of her worry were erased by wonder and elation. She had never heard of a cutie mark changing; at least, not a true cutie mark. Her breath hitched a little as she recalled Apple Bloom’s case of cutie pox, but her mind immediately reminded her that none of those had been true cutie marks to begin with.

Her muscles tensed with enthusiastic energy, her mind whirring at the implications of a variable cutie mark. Immediately her memory went to work, retrieving bits of information on books that may be helpful in explaining the phenomenon. She was unaware that, even while sitting motionless on the couch, her magic had been awakened by her subconscious and was already levitating books from shelves, floating them across the room to pile up next to her desk.

She turned to Derpy, brimming with questions, but she halted instantly at the sight of her marefriend. The raspberry hue faded from her horn, and any books still in motion thumped loudly to the floor in a haphazard mess.

Derpy was sitting rigid, her eyes clamped closed, her head turned away, and her face stripped of happiness. This is exactly why she didn’t want to tell you. You almost ran off to look through your books, didn’t you? The small voice echoed through her head, accusing her, berating her. Look around – you were already pulling books off the shelves before you even said anything to her. Forget the books, for once.

Twilight let the voice die down, taking deep breaths as she strained to suppress her innate urge to investigate. A second voice echoed through her mind. We have each other to rely on. She smiled, remembering Derpy’s reassurance from earlier. She grasped Derpy’s hoof and pulled her back into a tight hug, startling the pegasus in her forehooves.

“It’s beautiful.” Twilight breathed into her ear. “Thank you for letting me know. I promise you, I won’t obsess over it.” She grinned, giving Derpy a squeeze. “Not today, at least.”

Derpy brightened at the realization that she hadn’t destroyed her chance of a calm afternoon. She returned the hug, and gave Twilight a light kiss as they pulled apart. She smiled happily.

“Rainbow Dash noticed it at breakfast today,” Derpy confessed, “and I’m not sure how long it’s been like that. I’d like to know what it means, too, but I’d much rather hear your news for the day.” She grinned playfully at Twilight.

“Alright then,” Twilight cleared her throat, trying to sound a little more composed than she felt. “Sorry to keep you waiting so long for it.”

“I can wait for as long as you need me to, though I’d much rather hear it now,” Derpy replied with a wink.

Twilight nodded. She looked directly at Derpy’s eyes, and felt a surge of happiness flow from her core.

“Late last night, Rarity discovered what went wrong with the spell. It turns out that one smudge was in just the spot to conceal a couple letters, and those will make all the difference. It was, thankfully, only a minor mistake.” Twilight’s face shone, happy that a solution had been found, and her enthusiasm to try again peaked.

“Would you like to try it out? We can perform the spell whenever you’re ready; I’ve reviewed it over again and again, and Spike is out on errands so there will be no disruptions!”

Twilight was practically hopping with excitement, until a gentle hoof took her own, pulling her down on the couch. She looked over to see Derpy still smiling serenely at her, though her demeanor became slightly more serious for a moment.

“Can we wait to retry the spell for a little while, Twi? I’d like to wait until later, if you’re okay with that…”

Twilight’s excitement fell away, her face crestfallen. Has she lost her trust in me? Did I mess everything up with that first attempt? It took another kiss from Derpy to pull her back into reality once again. Twilight looked at her marefriend, confused. “Why don’t you want to try? Is it because I messed up? I’ll quadruple check everything again if you want me –“

Twilight was silenced by a hoof gently pressing her mouth, and she looked back up to Derpy, who was still wearing her smile, her eyes radiating nothing but affection.

“Twi, I would be more than happy to try the spell with you later.” Derpy noticed the questioning look on Twilight’s face. She pulled herself closer to the unicorn.

“I’d just like to spend a normal day with you, Twi. No studying, no spells; I want nothing more than to just spend time together. I don’t mind whether we’re talking, silently sharing company, playfully teasing one another, or possibly doing some other activities as well, as long as it’s with you. None of those require my eyesight to be better. So I think it might be better for you to relax. Celestia knows when the last time you really relaxed for a full day was.”

Comprehension dawned on Twilight, and she nodded reflectively. A small smile graced her face at the idea, and she gave Derpy a peck on the cheek for her thoughtfulness. “So, did you have anything specific in mind, Derpy?”

“Actually, I kind of did.”

The pegasus returned the kiss, then turned, sitting against the arm of the couch. As she did so, she gently pulled Twilight along with her. The unicorn simply followed her marefriend’s lead, and found herself laying with her chin and muzzle on the pegasus’ lap, her mane splayed widely across the slate coat of her mate and her tail resting on the cushions, occasionally twitching to the side.

“You’ve done so much for me lately, Twi. You’ve made my life wonderful, you’ve introduced me to your friends, and you’ve worked hard at finding a solution for my problem.” Derpy trailed a gray hoof from the base of Twilight’s horn, down through her mane, and brought it to rest in the middle of her back, eliciting a small groan from the unicorn.

Derpy’s voice dropped to barely a whisper, and she placed her muzzle right next to Twilight’s ear, speaking calmly, with a slight sultry tone. “I’d just like you to lay and relax for a little, while I give you the best massage I can manage. If you’d like to talk, I’d love to, but if it’s more comfortable to lay in silence, that’s fine, too. Just, please, try to take some time to enjoy having something done for you for once.”

Twilight managed a weak nod and a muffled “mmph” before surrendering herself to the pegasus. Her eyes slowly drooped, the lids closing as she felt the pegasus moving her hooves around her back, shoulders, head, and mane, feeling as though she would melt under the soft pressure.

She had been working very hard lately, and this morning’s mood swings had definitely proved that it was taking a toll on her. It was as though Derpy had seen directly through her, pinpointing exactly what she needed, and she felt her tensions and worries drift away.

Derpy sat quietly with Twilight’s head in her lap, softly rolling her hooves across the unicorn’s scalp, occasionally stopping the massage to run a hoof through the beautiful dark blue mane spread across her flanks and legs. She gave a light giggle as a few strands adhered to her coat, caught by static electricity and giving her occasional pinprick shocks. She absentmindedly brushed the hairs back down and continued her massage in silence, the stillness broken only by the occasional low moan of pleasure made by Twilight.

Derpy moved her hooves down, rubbing circles around Twilight’s shoulders, watching with adoration as a wide smile spread across Twilight’s face, and she could hear a low but long rumbling sigh coming from the unicorn, almost as though she were purring like a kitten. The noise was alluring, and it took a large amount of concentration from Derpy to keep herself from ending the massage that moment and descending on Twilight in a voracious flurry of hugs and kisses.

However, now was not the time to indulge herself. Even though Derpy was thoroughly enjoying the intimate contact with her marefriend, the purpose was to provide Twilight with the most relaxing and enjoyable time she could remember. Derpy was no masseuse, but she seemed to be doing a decent enough job of it, judging from her partner’s reactions.

The presses from the gray hooves were often met with slight pushes from the lavender fur as Twilight subconsciously leaned into the movements. Derpy had even noticed Twilight giving her leg playful nips or licks from time to time. It was nothing intense, but teasing nonetheless. The purrs were nearly continuous now, growing in volume and culminating in a happy but soft moan, then gradually settling back into a purr.

Working through the unicorn’s back provided Derpy with a firsthoof view at how tense Twilight had been; nearly every patch of fur felt like it was hiding knotted muscles, and more than once she heard audible pops as the muscles and ligaments pulled at each other in their strained state. She could only guess how long Twilight studied at a time, but a constant position for hours on end couldn’t be comfortable.

Derpy gave a smile as an idea played through her mind. Both ponies enjoyed peace and quiet, obviously. They had been sitting in silence for close to an hour now, and neither showed any sign of wanting it to end. Sitting on the couch like this with Twilight was extremely enjoyable – as well as somewhat arousing.

Once she had better sight, she made a mental pledge to study massage therapy. She envisioned them in the future, every night Twilight snuggled across her lap, paging through a book, sharing a conversation, or simply enjoying in silence as Derpy became her own personal stress relief for the night.

Derpy gave herself a small nod, unnoticed by Twilight. She definitely liked that idea, and committed it to memory. She couldn’t imagine a better way to simultaneously unwind, enjoy relaxing time with Twilight, and talk if they had things on their minds, and best of all, it was something they could share every night.

A slow, warm smile spread across her face as she gazed at the pink and purple locks swimming in the deep blue ocean of Twilight’s mane, slowly moving a hoof down a lock, straightening it down the mare’s back. Just past the end of the lock lay Twilight’s flank, and Derpy gave it a teasing caress before moving back up to start over again. She felt Twilight respond to the light touch, and her dark blue tail trembled as Derpy’s hoof trailed over her flank.

Twilight rolled over slightly in Derpy’s lap, her eyes heavily lidded and a look of serenity blanketing her face. She reached a hoof up and around Derpy’s head, gently pulling it down. Derpy offered no resistance, and the two met halfway, muzzle to muzzle, exchanging teasing pecks and half-kisses before finally melding together in a passionate caress, tongues exploring each other.

They pulled apart slowly, their tongues still hanging from their mouths, both panting for breath as though they had just run a marathon. Twilight lowered her head back into Derpy’s lap, but looped her hooves behind the pegasus’ back, pulling Derpy closer so she could nuzzle into the fur on her belly.

Derpy simply basked in the embrace around her midsection, glowing with contentment. She leaned down and gave Twilight a light nibble on the ear, then returned to her sitting position, reflexively running her hoof through Twilight’s mane again. She felt the embrace loosen slightly, and looked down to find Twilight turning to face her now.

“Derpy, I thought of something I meant to talk to you about earlier. At least, until you distracted me yet again.” Twilight gave a suggestive wink and smiled. “To thank Rarity, I offered to take her to the spa tomorrow evening; that’s one of her favorite places to go. Fluttershy usually goes with Rarity, and they actually had an appointment set up already. She suggested that we all go together.”

Twilight blushed slightly at the idea. “Would you be interested in going? The appointment won’t be until after you’ve finished your delivery rounds, and I know how Rarity showers Aloe and Lotus with praise, so it would probably feel really nice…” She trailed off, and then looked to Derpy, giving her a nudge and a wink. “I think I’d take a massage from you any day of the week over theirs, but it would be a nice relaxing time for us to spend with both Rarity and Fluttershy.”

Derpy winced at the reminder that her weekend was almost over. She wasn’t quite sure how to respond to such a kind offer. She felt intimidated by the idea of ponies she had never met running their hooves all over her, but she did not want to turn down a generous invitation. Truthfully she had never been to a spa, and wasn’t sure what exactly to expect.

Twilight quickly picked up on her hesitance and held Derpy’s hoof, giving it a quick peck. “I’ve only been to the salon once before, so I’d probably feel a bit weird by myself. I mean, Rarity and Fluttershy go together all the time, so I’ll probably just be a bystander for the day. But, I think if you were there it would make it much more fun for both of us.”

Derpy nodded quietly, smiling back at Twilight. “I’d love to go. It can be like our first official date, and sharing a spa treatment sounds like a pretty romantic idea for me.” Plus, it will give me a chance to ask Aloe and Lotus where to start learning how to give massages. I could ask Twilight where the books are, but that would spoil the fun…

Derpy gave a small jolt, realizing she had drifted off for a moment. Twilight was smirking at her. “Is your mind wandering places it shouldn’t be?” she asked teasingly.

Derpy blushed. “Possibly,” she admitted, “though which places they are you’ll just have to guess.” She gave Twilight a mischievous wink. “I was thinking, though, that after a spa treatment it would be a perfect time for us to try the spell again.”

Twilight cocked her head to the side. “Why would that be perfect?”

Derpy postponed her answer, lifting Twilight up slightly so she could slide out from underneath the unicorn. Free from being pinned to her sides with nowhere to go, her wings stretched up and out, slowly turning rigid.

“Well,” Derpy said, “we’ll both be as relaxed as we can be. Plus…” She gently moved her stiffened wings back and forth, “then my first clear sight will be you, looking even more amazing than you do now, if that’s possible.”

Twilight grinned widely, her fur blushing to a deeper purple as she took both the compliment and the unspoken suggestion from Derpy. She flicked her tail to the side, her own arousal obvious in the air as well, as she led the way up the stairs and to the bedroom, with Derpy trailing behind her.

Twilight hopped up onto her bed and lay down, casting a sideways glance at the pegasus following her lead. A quick glow of her horn brought extra pillows to the bed, and then shut the door with an audible click.

Author's Note

An optional clop chapter follows this chapter. If you are interested in reading it, you may find it here.