Chapter 1- Behind A Window
Gazing upon at the mammoth dragon standing above her, Derpy Hooves flapped her wings as she scowled at the evil creature.
Its long fangs were bared at the silver pony and its claws had extended to full length. The green eyes of the creature seemed hypnotic, but would not stop the brave young mare. As Derpy's wings flapped second per second, she began to rise into the air until she met face to face with the dark, smelly creature.
Glaring into the dragon's eyes she saw her own reflection, a magnificent ash mare with a butter mane and- no eyes crossed? Snapping her from her daze was a lengthy, clear claw striking her cheek with a lasting heavy blow. Knocked into the nearby tree, Derpy Hooves could feel her head spinning, but it seemed as if she was undamaged. After a brief look over for any wounds, which there was none of, she stood up with a mighty smile and lifted her head toward the filthy beast.
Thrashing her wings to send her into flight, she watched the dragon, never letting it leave her sight. When reaching height above the dragon, so she towered over the monstrosity, she took a moment to hesitate, waiting to see if the monster would make a move.
After several long lasting silent seconds, Derpy Hooves stretched her front hooves as she dove for the creature bellow her. As her hooves made impact with the dragon, she was flung into blackness.
Opening her eyes with a startling gasp, Derpy Hooves found herself hugging her striped pillow ever so tightly. After a strange moment of silence, she was able to let out a relaxed sigh, glad she wasn't out fighting with dragons.
When pulling herself from the snugly warm comforter of the bed to the apartments cold wooden floor, she headed for the bathroom. Snatching the ebony comb filled with blonde strands of hair, she flattened her mane, getting ready for the day. After brushing her teeth thoroughly, she headed for the kitchen.
Reaching the kitchens stable counter, she noticed a white sheet of paper laying untouched. Snatching the paper and settling in a nearby chair, she read through the note. Upon the notes heading, it read in printed words 'To-Do'. Racking her brain, she tried to remember when she had picked these note pads up, but quickly gave up to read the rest of the note.
Scanning the note, it read;
To-Do
Pick up tomatos
Halp rainbow with cloud clearingg
Get knew mail bag
Comparing the printed letters to her own scribbling mess that supposed to be words, she set the note on the table the sighed. She doubted the words on there were spelled correctly, but it didn't both her.
Well, it didn't bother her too much.
Flapping her wings happily, she danced to to the door, grabbing a small saddlebag, opening and closing it as she locked it behind her. One thing she never forgot. Always lock your doors.
Stepping onto the busy street, she decided the quickest thing to do was to help Rainbow Dash.
Galloping with an unknown pride, she passed the villagers of Ponyville. She never cared what anypony thought about her. She learned that in Pony School. All the fillies and colts teased her for her crossed eyes, and her silly voice. Day dreaming about her schoolyard times, she hadn't noticed a certain bright blue pony trotted behind her.
"Hey! Derpy!"
Startled, the ash coloured mare turned around, spotting the rainbow mare behind her.
"Hey Rainbow Dash" Derpy spoke, smiling at the aqua pony behind her. "Ready to clear?" Rainbow Dash announced with a grin as she flew off, not giving Derpy a chance to respond.
Quickly beating her wings, eager to catch up with the other Pegasus, she followed the rainbow trail, leading to a area rich with clouds of all shades.
"Today we're supposed to have a sunny day." Rainbow Dash stated. "But these clouds came in at a sudden. I've got better things to do then clear clouds, Ditzy. That's why I called you in to help."
Landing at a cloud near Rainbow Dash she raised her arm and gave a proud salute.
"Yes ma'm!"
Each mare took their share of cloud clearing. Jumping on clouds. Dashing through them. Bucking them with hooves. All sorts of ways.
Landing atop a particular dark cloud, Derpy Hooves began to playfully jump, hoping to make is disappear.
"Derpy! Stop, you'll end up-" Rainbow Dash was cut of as a lightning bolt struck her hind quarters. Stopping in place of her jumping, Derpy looked down frowning on the blue pony. "I just don't know what went wrong?" She stated, hoping off the cloud.
Glaring at Derpy then to the cloud, Rainbow Dash quickly dove around the cloud, making it vanish in a matter of seconds.
"Oh! Sowwy Rainbow Dash I gotta go!" Derpy uttered, gliding gently down to the grassy field bellow their cloud clearing area. Rubbing her sore hind quarters, Rainbow Dash managed to mumbled a rude "Thanks" to Derpy before taking off.
Happily trotting back to town, she saw the market sign, and headed down the dirt path toward the market. Watching all the marketers selling their goods made Derpy Hooves smile at the sight.
Heading toward a small wooden stand, a brown earth pony sat behind the stand, adjusting an old straw hat. Examining the red vegetables laid upon the light coloured stand she spotted for bruises and dents. After picking out four fine tomatoes, she looked up at the stallion behind the stand. " Twelve bits" he grunted, apparently not as friendly as he looked. Digging through her saddlebag, she plucked twelve shiny bits, exchanging them for the four tomatoes in her saddlebag.
Trotting excitedly to the far corner of the market, she noticed a orange bright pony standing behind a cart of ripe apples.
Drawn by the delicious looking apples, she was greeted by a cheery AppleJack.
"Hey Derpy" she called as the silver pony approached her cart full of goods. "Hey AppleJack" she quietly said, scanning the food. "Could I get two apples?" Derpy asked, lifting her head. "Sure thing! Four bits, please!" Exchanging apples for bits in her saddlebag, she headed off through the market once again.
Seeing the stand she was looking for, she hurried over. Behind the stand was a light orange mare, whose mane was a rich strawberry colour. Scanning the bags laid upon the counter, she looked until she found the perfect one. Pointing her hoof at the bag with a smile, she watched as the tangerine pony behind the counter sort the price.
" Forty bits" she scowled grumpy,flipping her mane. Grabbing thirty-one bits from her saddlebag, she watched as the mare counted out the bits on the counter.
Giving Derpy a dark glare, she growled "Not enough" while watching Derpy closely.
"W-what?"
"Not enough bits."
Derpy Hooves shook her head in an awkward confusion.
"You gonna give me the bits or not?"
"B-but, that's enough bits!" Stuttered the bewildered grey mare.
"Look, you're giving me thirty-one bits. Nine more, stupid."
Gasping at the apricot mares harsh words, several standing by ponies, including the stunned Derpy Hooves, eyed the mare behind the stand. Feeling the tears threaten to fall over her eyelids, Derpy was unaware of the hoof on her shoulder until she heard a familiar voice.
"What did you just say?"
Glancing quickly over her shoulder, she spotted the darling blue mare she cleared clouds with earlier.
"Hey, it's not my fault the mares an idiot." The peach mare snapped, glaring at Rainbow Dash.
"You know" Rainbow Dash growled, coming face to face with the mare running the stand. "Ponyville doesn't accept disrespectful ponies."
Scoffing the carrot pony turned her back to the Pegasi.
"Well I didn't know ponies here could be so rude, as well as morons."
Slamming her hoof on the counter, Derpy watched Rainbow Dash as she slowly backed off.
"Rainbow Dash Please-" Derpy started, but was cut off by Rainbows useless ranting.
"Morons? Oh, guess you're talking about yourself!"
"Oh please, you saw how stupid that pony was. Don't be a fool."
And with that, Derpy Hooves dashed out, tears streaming down her face and onto the soil beneath her flee.
It felt like it was raining. Maybe even snowing.
But it was just the sobbing grey Pegasus.
Laying in a pool of tears on the floor of the kitchen of her small apartment.
She still didn't understand why the mare had been so rude. She thought she had the right amount. Of course she didn't. She wasn't smart at all.
Rolling onto her back Derpy Hooves stared distantly at the ceiling. Though the tile underneath her hooves seemed frozen she didn't move from her position on the floor.
I thought Ponyville had nice ponies.
But even she knew each town had their pro's and con's. At least she was that smart.
Flipping onto her stomach she began to cry once again. About the bag. The names she was called. Her eyes. Her voice. Her life. Everything. As the time passed, this cycle happened multiple times before the Pegasus was able to pull herself together.
Sitting on her rear legs she wiped the tears from her eye with her hooves. Standing on her four trembling legs, she stumbled over to the living room, where she plopped on a puffy old couch.
Stretching a long ash wing out, she gently groomed it with her hoof, watching at her tears softly landed on the feathers.
"Stop crying, you baby" she whispered to herself, obviously still upset. Tucking her wing in, she pushed herself off the cough and shuffled to the bathroom.
Standing there, she looked at herself in the mirror. How terrible she looked. Hair ruffled. Face red. It even looked like she had small dark circles under her eyes.
Sighing lightly she picked up a washcloth, turning on the sink faucet and running it underneath.Holding the cloth under the water longer than needed to, she let it soak into her hooves before withdrawing it to scrub her face down. After cleaning her face, she looked fresher. Much better before she entered the bathroom.
Picking up the black comb she had used earlier in the morning, she sluggishly combed her hair, taking her time. Setting the comb back on the counter, she went to the wooden door, picking up a small brown bag that had a hole in the bottom and laid it around her neck, just like if she were delivering the mail.
Slowly opening the door, she peeked outside the tiny crack she created. Oh how she didn't want to go out there. But she had things to do, and a job to be done.
Lucky for poor Derpy Hooves, the street was empty.
Slipping into the streets and locking the house door, she beat her wings quickly, reminding herself of the brave Pegasus who stuck up for her.
When reaching height above Ponyville's building she scanned the area until she found the one place she was looking for.
Carousel Boutique.
Swiftly beating her wings she glided close to the few lingering clouds, trying to prevent being seen. Once overhead the Boutique she dropped carefully, slipping inside the glamoured building ever so quickly.
"Rarity?" Derpy called, glancing around the fragile room around her. "Coming!" A sweet voice called from the other room, followed by quick trotting.
Shuffling her feet, she waited till a white head with a lovely flowing purple mane popped from behind the corner.
"Great Celestia!" The white pony squealed, hurrying over from the corner to the confused ash mare. "You look disastrous!"
Embarrassed, Derpy ducked her head and whispered an apologetic " Sorry Rarity. I didn't get much time to get ready." Giving the cross-eyed pony a reassuring nod, she dragged the mare to the room she had come from and asked.
"Mind that, what do you need?"
"Oh, could you please fix my bag?" Derpy asked, taking her mail bag off and laying it on the floor for the Rarity to examine.
"Of course, Darling!" The gorgeous pony squealed, picking it up and setting it on her sewing machine where she lined the needle up with the corner of the hole. Sitting on the floor, Derpy watched as Rarity turned the machine on, stitching the hole faster than the Pegasus could even fly. Just as the Pegasus began to drift off, she heard Rarity's sweet voice call.
"Finished!"
Shaking her head, Derpy Hooves stood as Rarity settled the bag upon the dusky mare.
"Thanks so much!" Derpy called, heading toward the door to fulfill her job.
"My pleasure, Sweetie!"
At least there are really nice ponies around here. Derpy Hooves thought. I know i can always count on friends. They're always sweet and nice, unlike some ponies.
Raising her wings once again, she lifted herself into the air and headed off into the distance, toward a large cloud that seemed so small at the distance where she was.
Wind blowing through her mane as she flew toward the distance cloud that grew larger every moment, she wondered what is was like to be a Wonderbolt. Yea, they got to put on shows and were about the best Pegasi in all Equestria, but wouldn't it get boring? Pondering this very thought, she never realized how close she was getting to the cloud till she was hit in the face with a puffy white cloud.
Dazzled, she looked up, spotting three mares looking down at her with evil grins growing on their faces.
"Well, if it weren't for Derpy." The middle mare laughed, her yellow pelt twinkling. "Did you screw up the school bell today? Or did you get stuck to the flagpole?"
All three of the Pegasi laughed, while Derpy clutched the cloud, hoping to hide behind it. If she could just slip around her old schoolmates she'd be in Cloudsdale quickly. Sadly it wasn't that easily.
On the left of the middle Pegasus was a dark purple pelted mare, she laughed at Derpy with her high pitched voice. "So, Derpy Hoop" she grinned, referring back to the time she got stuck in the basketball hoop. "How are you and your stallion doing- oh wait. I forgot, you're to stupid to have anyone ask you out."
The three Pegasi burst into a fit of laughter, leaving the poor ash mare clinging to the cloud with tears daring to fall from her eyes.
How she hated them. Always making fun of her in Pony School. And even though they don'y live near each other, they still find a way to get at her. And she never did anything to them. She was always a victim. To everyone.
On the right to the middle Pegasus, was a emerald coloured mare. "So, whats your super special talent, huh Derpy?" She smirked, giggling like a school girl. "Being an idiot? I bet that's it, huh."
The group went into a storm of laughter once again.
"STOP!"
The three mares went silent, looking down at the ash mare whose face was buried into the cloud, hiding the tears she couldn't stop. "Stop?" The middle mare laughed again. "Who you gonna tattle on? Your cross-eyed Mommy?"
