Never Alone by Qwerty Words
The darkness stretched on endlessly in all directions, leaving no hope for a guided escape; The silence, the mind-numbing silence that tore your sanity to shreds before you. It was the pure lack of hope that crushed the very soul of any unfortunate to reach this state in the fandom.
It was the home of Ditzy Doo, or more commonly known as Derpy Hooves.
Did she really deserve to be here; the abyss of nothing that consumed only those truly forgotten by the world, or by the fandom in which they were generated. The answer was long since lost, along with the hope of redemption.
She sat in the center of a lone beam of light in the darkness, alone as always, and crying. She wasn’t crying because she was alone, nor because she was condemned. She was crying because the ponies she’d come to know and love had all but forgotten her. She whimpered again, looking down at her hooves.
She often tried to distract herself by remembering the old times; the times she spent with friends and family were always cherished ones, ones she would take to her grave. She sighed. This place prohibited hunger, fatigue, thirst, physical pain, and death of any kind, meaning she would live in eternal anguish.
She remembered her closest friend Carrot Top, the local vegetable farmer residing in the humble town of Ponyville. Ditzy smiled at the memory. Carrot Top was a sweet mare, always seeing Ditzy for the mare she truly was, not the clumsy mistake so many others portrayed her to be at times. She would often foal-sit for her when she had to work late. She also never made fun of her eyes, and even stood up for her when she was being bullied.
Then there was the Doctor, the strange stallion in the mysterious blue box. She looked up from her hooves and smiled. She saw the Doctor as family; her daughters, Sparkler and Dinky, loved it when he visited, for it meant another wacky and flat-out bizarre adventure was sure to ensue. She remembered the time when the Daleks had threatened to harm her. It was just a hollow threat, but the Doctor saw it as a declaration of war. He trotted right up to their stronghold, set their base to self-destruct, then sat back and watched them burn. He then came back in time for Hearth’s Warming morning with gifts for all.
Her daughters…
Ditzy let out a shaky sigh as the tears began to flow again. Her little Muffins…they were the reason she even wanted to wake up every morning, that internal drive that kept her going when all hope seemed lost. Now she would never see them again. She choked back tears, but it was no use. They tore through her defenses and streamed down her cheeks, the only warmth she’s felt since she first arrived here….
Her ears twitched. She sat upright and looked around. She had heard something, something like that of a hoofstep, only heavier. Surveying the area by craning her neck, she saw and heard the same as usual: nothing. She hung her head again, the tears once again flowing.
There it was again.
She looked up once more and hopped to her hooves, whirling around to locate the source of the sound. Upon turning around she was greeted with an unusual sight; before her, about seven or eight feet away, stood a two-legged figure, clad in an impossibly white hoodie that shown like Celestia’s coat. The eyes were shrouded by the hood’s shade, somehow seeming darker than that of which surrounded her regularly. It had a furless short muzzle unlike that of any pony she’s ever seen, and also wore strange, dark blue legging, followed by what she could only assume were meant to be boots, only the base was extended forwards. Odd.
It stood motionless, its ‘hooves’ stuffed in the pockets of its hoodie, not saying a word. Despite the strangeness of the situation, she saw it as an opportunity for conversation. She stepped forwards warily, eyeing the figure closely. “H-hello?” she said, feeling proud by how clear and calm her voice sounded despite the prolonged neglect it received.
The figure tilted its head to the side slowly, still not saying a word.
Ditzy bit her lower lip, the awkwardness ever growing. Her ears became erect once more as the sound of what sounded like ticking filled the air. To her it sounded like the ticking of a pocket watch, like that of the Doctor’s, only much more frequent and subtle. The sound seemed to be emanating from everywhere and nowhere at the same time, and in truth…it scared her.
She looked back to the figure and saw that it had an arm outstretched, the elbow still at its side, and one of its appendages pointing at her. Suspended from the appendage by a semi-long gold chain was a simple pocket watch, its dull features barely noticeable.
“W-what are you…?” she asked quietly and almost to herself.
“I am the Administrator.” It said in an odd voice. It sounded like a pony and a machine were saying the line at the same time.
“the…what?” she’d never heard the word before, but it must be important if such an odd being bears such a title.
The Administrator stepped forwards, his movements smooth and calm. He came to a stop directly in front of her, his unseen eyes staring into hers. Oddly enough, she wasn’t scared anymore. She felt no fear or worry at all.
“Why are you here?” she asked cautiously.
“I am here to retrieve you.” It replied smoothly, extending its open palm towards her, placing it upon her chest above her heart.
“W-what? How?!” she blurted out, but was silenced as he placed a finger to her lips.
“You are here merely by the ignorance and faults of those who cannot handle your innocence. Their anger and disapproval have been drowned out by the love and admiration of your peers and the dedication of the fans.” He droned, his calm facial expression never changing.
“Fans?” she asked, confused. “I have f-fans?” that couldn’t be right. What did she ever do to deserve another pony’s admiration?
“Do not worry about that. Just know that you are loved for who you are, regardless of what some may say to your face or behind your back. So long as you stay true to yourself and follow your heart you will always stand above those who despise you.” Sand fell from his cheek, exposing more sand as his arm began to deteriorate too, leaving a pile of shimmering sand at her hooves.
“Administrator!” she gasped as he literally began to fall apart, his body becoming the sand that now littered the floor until there was only the sand. “NO!” she shrieked, digging through the sand with hopes of finding something, anything to bring him back. All at once the sand started to move, spinning around her in a small hurricane of gold. She let out a startled ‘eep’ as she was now completely enveloped.
She felt the ground beneath her fall away, making her land on her back, land on something…soft. She realized her eyes had been closed the whole time and finally opened them. She lay frozen in shock on the bed, HER bed, looking all around the room, HER room. The steel-grey wallpaper, the soft beige carpeting, the nightstand with a picture of her, her little Muffins, and the Doctor, all smiling in a picture perfect image of them. Next to that lay a plain pocket watch, not a sound could be heard from it.
Shakily and unsure, she climbed out of bed, testing the carpet to ensure it was real. It was, the softness feeling good on her hooves. She turned to the door, cautiously walking towards it, her heartbeat increasing like the beat of a drum as she neared it. Finally she reached a hoof out and grasped the handle, then with her eyes clenched tight, she opened the door.
“MOMMY!!!” squealed a little filly as she pounced on her mother, her tiny forelegs wrapped around her mother’s neck, nuzzling her.
“Hey mom.” Said the older filly unicorn, her voice cool and laidback as she gave her mother a casual wave.
Behind her was a slightly larger chestnut stallion, an hour glass on his flank. “morning, Ms. Hooves. I’m glad you’re up. I have a surprise for you…out in the…TARDIS…say, why are you crying?” he asked his voice soft. Ditzy just hugged them all as new tears began to flow, tears of relief and joy.
“I-I’m just so…SO happy to be back…” she managed through her tears.
“Mom, you were only asleep for, like, six hours.” Sparkler said, though she didn’t resist the hug.
“I-I know, Muffin….it just feels like it’s been way, WAY longer. I love all of you, I just want you to know that…” she hugged them all tighter.
“I love you too, mommy!” said the younger filly, hugging her mother even tighter.
“I’m glad you’re happy, Ms. Doo, but if it’s all the same with you…” he gestured to the front door. Reluctantly, she released them all and stepped back, wiping a tear from her cheek.
“S-sorry…you’re right, Doctor. What is it you wanted to show me?”
“Ah! Right this way!” he replied giddily, already heading for the door with her fillies close behind. Ditzy stepped out of the room and was about to close the door when she heard the unmistakable sound of ticking. “Thank you…” she whispered before closing the door and heading to the door.
She was finally home.