//------------------------------// // Entries 1, 2, & 3 // Story: The Legend of Derpy // by AdrianJNovelle //------------------------------// Entry #1 Dear Diary, Although I was not the best of friend when I first met Rainbow Dash, when I asked for a second chance with the group, they welcomed my friendship with open arms, as if friendship is magic to them. There’s a special group of ponies in Ponyville I’ve come to know, a group which seems to have impact or influence on just about anything that goes on ‘round here. It was Rainbow Dash who was with me when I accidentally destroyed Town Hall, and it was Applejack everypony was praising at the ceremony down below at the time. Since then, I reproached the group, and requested a second chance to accept my friendship. Many days have passed, and I have really been connecting with these guys. Pinkie Pie invites me to all of her parties. Rainbow Dash and I soar through the sky on a regular basis. Twilight reads to me, since I am hard of seeing, but I greatly enjoy hearing her read, and I love the way she changes her voice to match all the characters she’s voicing when she’s reading something other than The Adventures of Daring Doo. Fluttershy has introduced me to all of her animal friends, including Angel. He doesn’t like me much, but that’s okay. I don’t take offense to that. Applejack lets me help her buck apples, and then eat some. Rarity lets me try on dresses as a living Manichean. I am honored to regain their friendship. After all this fun we’ve been having, I think it’s about time we take our friendship to the next level. Tomorrow, I am proposing to the ponies that I become the seventh member of their group. They call themselves “The Mane Cast” but I guess that’s not something I’m supposed to know the context of. I’ve always felt too much like I was in the background. I could be found on every one of their adventures, but never really talked much. The first time I spoke, Pinkie Pie had baked the whole town cupcakes (which poisoned everypony, thank you very much Applejack). Recently, though, I feel like I could become more than just a drifter lingering the background: I could become one of them. Tomorrow, I make my move. Entry #2 Dear Diary, Today I made my move, Diary. I walked right up to Twilight Sparkle and said, “Twilight…I think the time has come for me to be one of you guys – one of the Mane Cast.” Twilight looked at her friends, and then back at me, a smile on her face. “Isn’t it obvious?” she asked. “You already are, Derpy.” I almost cried. I could feel a tear in my eye, which I shed, but I only shed the one. The girls knew how much this meant to me, to be part of the Mane Cast. Ever since I destroyed Town Hall, I thought their forgiveness was impossible to obtain, and their friendship even more difficult. I learned today that I was always friends with these ponies. I just had been in the background, away from all the action, and now they want me on the front lines, with them. I am even closer to these girls now than their own brothers and sisters. I guess dreams really do come true if you believe in them. Pinkie Pie was right along with me on the crying. She wept helplessly for about three seconds, and then was instantly brought back to her cheek-to-cheek smile when the idea for a party entered her mind. She’s throwing the party this evening, and everypony in Ponyville is invited to participate in the celebration of my new position in Ponyville. I offered to help, so I must go, Diary. But I shall write tonight before bed. Entry #3 Dear Diary, I have terrible, terrible news, Diary. The party was an enormous hit in Ponyville – everypony in Ponyville was there – even the Mayor and the legendary Wonderbolts (courtesy of Rainbow Dash) showed up to celebrate. After an hour or so, disaster struck. These large ponies – about the size of Princess Luna – showed up. They were all dark and black-coated with blue manes, wearing leather jackets over their bodies with the words, “The Gallopers” printed on their backs. They wore shades over their eyes, like the ones Rainbow Dash wore at the picnic they had when Twilight went totally mad, which they kept even though it was nighttime by this point. And boy were they tough-looking! They made Big Macintosh look like Twilight (no offense to her). A paper cup rolled to the hooves of one of the ponies, who raised his hoof and crushed it to dust under the pressure. “Which one of you is Derpy Hooves?” that some pony asked, his dark, masculine voice so deep it scared everypony. I was about to call out, but Twilight covered my mouth with her hoof. She shushed me. The Gallopers wandered through the crowd, everypony backing up in their presence. The Gallopers looked and looked, finally seeing the suspicious-looking Twilight covering my mouth, a fake grin on her face as she tried to blend into the crowd of party-happy ponies. Between Twilight trying to hide me, and my dislocated eyes, it only took a moment for the Gallopers to recognize me. They slowly approached me – all four of them – and looked me right in my good eye. The leader dismissed Twilight, completely ignoring her presence otherwise. It was clear they only wanted me. “You,” he said, his shades so shiny I saw my reflection in them. “You do not know what you are doing. You are not one of these ponies. They are the Mane Cast, there was only six to begin with, and there will always be only six ponies in that gang. There is no room for a drifter like yourself, Derpy Hooves. We force you to relinquish your position as one of the Mane Cast, or we will take less merciful actions towards your unacceptable behavior. Surrender your title!...Or you will be bullied with all the strength of the Gallopers.” The world grew still. I froze right there in front of everypony, the Gallopers staring daggers into me, which I could only imagine given that I could not see their large eyes, as all ponies have. I looked over at Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash, tears in my eyes. They didn’t know what I should do. Should I just say that I am no longer one of them so these guys will leave me alone and not beat me up? Or should I stand up for myself, and accept my fate, regardless of what it may be? I am Derpy Hooves…and I am one of the Mane Cast: that is what I said to the lead Galloper. “Boys,” he said, the other three Gallopers encircling me, “let’s show our little friend what happens when you mess with the law.” The Gallopers beat me up left and right. Defenseless against them, everypony simply watched in horror as I was brutally beaten up. As I felt the pain pulse through my feeble body, I realized something: the pain I am feeling is a small price to pay if it means I get to remain as one of the Mane Cast. My wounds will heal, and I’ll be fine eventually. But my friendship with the girls will last forever. Knowing that, I closed my eyes, and just let come what may. There was more pain than I could ever hope to endure, but I finally felt my body drop to the ground in a heap. They stopped beating me up. “Maybe now you’ll learn your lesson…you derp,” the lead Galloper said as they started on their way. They only walked a few feet before turning back ‘round and facing me. “Yeah, look at this pony!” said the one to the left of the leader. “What a ditz! Her eyes don’t even line up! I was surprised she could even tell we were here – I thought she hadn’t even see us coming!” “And she’s a Pegasus, oh good grief!” said the one to the right of the leader. “How can she even fly if she can’t see where she’s going? I bet she crashes into trees and mountainsides all the time! What a horrible flyer she must be!” The fourth Galloper only laughed with the other three. “C’mon guys, let’s go hit Fillydelphia – ruin someone else’s life!” The ponies high-hooved each other, and then casually parted from the scene. Silence hit Ponyville again following the departure of the Gallopers. The girls circled me, Twilight putting her hoof on my shoulder. I hadn’t cried the whole time I was getting beaten up by those humongous ponies. I only thought about my best friends, and being the newest member of the Mane Cast, and truthfully, I didn’t feel any pain, no matter how badly they struck at me. I only started crying at the harsh words they said to me. Those words were more painful than any hoof which ever struck me. “Are you okay, Derpy?” Twilight asked. I nodded, wiping tears from my eyes, more trickling down my bruised cheeks. “Yeah, I’m fine, Twilight…I’m sorry this happened…I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused.” I know now what I must do.