After a long day working, Derpy was worn thin. The mare dropped the last bundle of mail on her route inside the box, her now empty mail sack on her aching back was a refreshing sign of the weekend to come. Derpy spread her tired wings for the final flight of the weekend. She passed just over the lowest clouds, giving Rainbow Dash a polite wave as she passed the dozing pegasus. She dove down as she reached the post office, landing on the roof as a few other mail mares parted to allow her to land.
“Hi'ya, Blossomforth!” Derpy said, greeting one of her friends.
“Hey, Derpy. Got any big plans for the weekend?”
“Nothing special; just gonna help Dinky with a school project.”
“Flitter, Cloudchaser, and I were gonna go to a cookout at the orchard- sure you don't wanna come with us?”
Derpy smiled, “That sounds like fun, but I get so little time to spend with Dinky.”
“Wouldn't Carrot Top watch her?”
“She probably would, but you know, family first.”
“I understand. Well, I guess I'll see you Monday then.”
“Yeah, see you then Blossomforth.”
It had been a long time since Derpy was able to spend time having fun with friends. Between pulling extra hours to pay her bills with her second job at the moving , and trying her best to take care of her young daughter, it was a struggle to fit in any time for herself. Derpy pushed open the door to the sorting room, where half a dozen ponies were sorting mail and packages and the sound of the machines clanking and chattering drowned out any conversation from the sorters. The far end of the sorting room had a small office; the name on the milk glass door reading “Stamps, Postmaster.”
Inside Mr. Stamps sat at his desk. He was a portly earth pony with a square jaw and a shaggy mane. He coldly regarded Derpy as she entered, pushing her paycheck across the desk. Derpy smiled and inspected the check, but soon frowned.
“Mr. Stamps, wasn't I supposed to get a bonus for that extra route I did last week?”
“That'll be on your next check,” Stamps grumbled.
“But you said that last week, and I need that to get supplies for Dinky's project-”
“Hey, it'll be on your check when it's on your check,” Stamps interrupted, “If you need some extra money, we need an extra hoof in the sorting room tonight.”
“Carrot Top is dropping Dinky off at my apartment. I can't leave her waiting.”
“You must not need the money that much if your willing to leave me a mare short.”
“Please, Mr. Stamps, I need to pay my electric bill, I really need that bonus.“
“Not my problem! You're lucky I'm giving you all that overtime in the first place. I'll pay it to you when it comes due. Now, are you gonna help us in the sorting room or not?”
“I can't!”
“Yeah, says you...”
“I wouldn't lie to you.”
“Sure you wouldn't. Well, go enjoy your weekend while the girls in the sorting room pick up your slack.”
Derpy wanted to talk back; frankly she wanted to buck Stamps through the rear wall, but she needed this job so she had to take it in stride. Derpy just gave an uneasy grin and stepped out of the crowded office with her check. With her head low, she walked from the post office toward the bank, the entire time wondering how she would explain to Dinky the project she was so exited to work on may not be possible.
After a trip to the bank, Derpy walked home. Her hooves were aching and her wings were almost cramped, but she was looking forward to spending time with her daughter. The lower floor to Derpy's apartment was Screwball's joke shop, which was again vacant, as it had been for many weeks. Derpy wondered where that silly mare was; no one, not even her family had seen her in town. She was supposed to be on a buying trip to Baltimare, some kind of new chattering teeth design had caught the mare's interest and Screwball always loved being on top of joke technology. Still, she was supposed to return two weeks ago, and it concerned Derpy just a bit that Screwball would leave the shop vacant for so long. Derpy ascended the stairs and opened the door to her modest apartment, noticing with a drop in the pit of her stomach that the lights were all off, except for a few flickering oil lamps and candles set about. Dinky, as she always did, tackled her mother with a loving hug. Derpy allowed it even, though she felt a bit of pain in her tender hooves from the pressure of the embrace.
“Hi, Mommy!” Dinky said with joy.
“Hi ,Dinky,” Derpy said, nuzzling her daughter.
“Mommy! The ice cream is all melting and Aunty Carrot Top says we gotta eat it all real fast! Come on! I'd eat more, but I got a tummy ache...”
Derpy weakly laughed a bit, fighting back tears at the realization that the electricity had already been turned off. Dinky pulled her into the kitchen, where Carrot Top sat amongst three or four rapidly melting buckets of ice cream. The orange mare looked a little overwhelmed, and her spoon sat unused by a large bowl of the treat.
“Hi Derpy. I'm sorry; I called Mr. Stamps so he could tell you before you got home, but he said you weren't supposed to get personal calls.”
Derpy sighed, holding back anger. If she knew about this, she could have stopped by the power company instead of waiting until Monday.
“Carrot Top, can you stay with Dinky for just a little longer while I run to the power company?”
“I'm sorry ,Derpy, but I'm supposed to take my mom to Nurse Redheart for her appointment. She doesn't have anyone else to take her and-”
“It's all right, Carrot Top; Dinky and I will just take a walk. We had to do a little shopping anyway.”
“Yay! Shopping!” Dinky said, “Can we get stuff for the project? I'm gonna make a model of Ponyville Town hall!”
“Sure Dinky, but...we'll only have enough money for a few things...”
Dinky looked a little disappointed, but cheerfully said, “Well, if it'll help I could just do a model of something smaller- like the clock tower.”
Derpy smiled, “That'll help, Muffin. Thank you.”
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Derpy and Dinky stopped by the craft store, having just enough spare bits to buy the supplies they needed for a small model. They rushed to the electric company, getting there just as the clerk was locking the door.
“Sir, sir!” Derpy said running up, “Please, I have to pay my bill- my power was shut off!”
“We're closed lady.”
“Sir, all our food is going bad, and it's supposed to get cold this weekend. Please, can you just stay open a few minutes longer?”
The clerk looked at Derpy and sighed, walking back into his office. “All right, what's your name?”
“Derpy Hooves. I live at 48 Big Yoke Way.”
The Clerk curtly flipped through his files, checking the receipts. “That account is in the name of a Ms. Screwball, and she's behind.”
“I rent the apartment upstairs; I've got cash for the payment.”
“To turn it back on, you'll have to pay the back payments and a sixty bit reconnection fee.”
Derpy bit her lip, “I only have enough for the back payments. I just had to buy some groceries.”
“Lady, without the reconnection fee I can't restore your service.”
“Please, mister, all our ice cream is melting,” Dinky said, putting a hoof on the clerk's chest. “It's making an awful mess.”
The clerk grumbled, “I'll tell you what Ms. Hooves; I'm not supposed to do this, but I'll put the reconnection fee on your next month's bill. But if you don't pay it then, I'll get in trouble too.”
Derpy smiled, “I promise I'll pay it. Thank you very, very much!”
“I'll send a man out tomorrow to turn the power back on.”
“No one can do it tonight?”
“Lady, I'm gonna have to call somepony in on the weekend for you; I gotta do that tonight! I'm sorry, but I've really done all I can do.”
“I understand, thank you.”
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It was a long walk home, and Derpy hardly had the energy to look around, but in the night she could see a hundred lights in the orchard, some kind of camp, but the pegasus felt to weary to even contemplate what was going on. When she reached her apartment she had to fight the urge to take a nap halfway up the stairs. As expected, the cold night had chilled the apartment, so much so that Derpy could see a misty ribbon of her breath escape her as she walked into the dark room. The mare lit an oil lamp, casting a ghostly orange light over the room. Absent mindedly, Derpy grabbed a small space heater from one of the opening closet, replacing it as soon as she remembered there would be no way to plug it in. She instead grabbed a stack of thick blankets from the upper shelf.
In the distant kitchen, Derpy could make out what was likely a spreading pool of chocolate ice cream. It would certainly be a sticky mess come morning, but Derpy would take care of it when she awoke. Little could be done ,and her fatigue was reaching critical levels. She looked at Dinky as the little unicorn playfully danced in the dim light, laughing at her exaggerated shadow on the wall.
“Dinky, it's gonna be pretty cold tonight; you wanna come sleep in my bed so we can share the covers, like a sleepover?”
“Okay Mommy,” Dinky said, looking nervously about, “It's dark and scary anyway.”
Derpy laughed a bit, walking the little filly into her room and laying down the extra blankets on the bed. “You know, Dinky, a friend of mine told me that when your afraid, you should just laugh, and scary things will go away.”
Dinky forced herself to smile at a dancing shadow on the wall, then let out a little giggle just as Derpy moved the light, and the the offending shadow was spirited away. Dinky smiled widely, hopping energetically. “It worked Mommy!”
The pair crawled under the covers, Derpy snuggling her daughter close to her chest, feeling the tiny body shivering against her despite the layer of blankets. Derpy felt the cold in herself too. While the blankets helped, there was still a bitter cold. The mare knew that despite the discomfort, Dinky would never complain. She was such a strong little filly, so smart, so optimistic. Derpy would have taken every ounce of suffering on herself, if she could. She felt as if it was her fault, all of it. She felt as if she could have done more to make her daughter happy. As Derpy lay there with her mind racing, the physical fatigue she felt was turned into an emotional fatigue, and her eyes filled with tears, and her chest heaved with sobs.
“Mommy?” Dinky's quiet voice said, “Are you crying?”
“I-”
“Is it about the ice cream? Don't feel sad Mommy, that ice cream was old and fuzzy anyway.”
“It's not that, Muffin, I'm just . . .I'm so sorry-”
“Sorry for what?”
“Sorry it's cold. Sorry I can't be there for you. I'm sorry I'm always screwing up . . .”
Dinky just hugged her mother closer, nuzzling her neck, allowing her to cry. The little filly didn't understand why her mother was in tears, but she knew when she was sad, a hug from her mother always made it better.
“I had a good day Mommy. I got to hang out with Aunty Carrot Top, and eat lotsa' ice cream. We met that nice pony at the power company, and now I'm having a sleepover!”
Derpy didn't respond, didn't know what to say.
“And it's not really that cold; you're here to keep me warm, and I'll help keep you warm!”
The gray mare laughed to herself, feeling a bit warmer as her daughter spoke. She snuggled the young unicorn to her chest.
"Mommy, do you miss daddy too?"
"I do, honey, but he'll be home someday.”
Her lover, Doctor Whooves, was off on another one of his adventures, and Derpy knew that his missions were important. She didn’t resent him for being away, but his absence was hard to deal with sometimes. He had been gone for so long this time, that his presence was almost a memory, constantly nagging at Derpy's mind. She looked down at her daughter, now yawning and blinking sleepy eyes.
“I love you, Dinky.”
“I love you back, Mommy.”
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With the rising sun came warmth again, and while there was still a chill in the air, Derpy welcomed the warm sunlight through her cloudy window. Dinky was already awake, eating a cup of yogurt in the doorway.
“Morning, Mommy! The yogurt doesn't smell yucky yet!”
Dinky could eat yogurt for every meal, though Derpy knew she could hardly fault her with how many muffins she ate every day. “That's wonderful honey, let's both have some breakfast, clean up the kitchen, and get to that school project, okay?”
“Okay, Mommy. That table's gonna be real sticky.”
“It's okay, we'll clean it together.”
Derpy helped herself to some celery sticks from the refrigerator's crisper and a pair of muffins, the last two left over from a batch made by BonBon. The rest of the food in the refrigerator was rapidly starting to take on a musty smell, and it was saturating the kitchen. Derpy knew she'd likely have to give the refrigerator a thorough cleaning as well. Still, with Dinky at her side, she could be scrubbing the sewers and she would be happy. The young filly was the light of her life, and held her together even when Derpy though she'd lose her mind. Even know, Dinky was polishing off her yogurt and gathering some rags, happily going about a task most children would complain about.
“Thanks for helping out, honey.” Derpy said.
“No problem, Mommy; we gotta take care of each other.”
There was a notably unfriendly knock at the door, a banging, then the door opened itself.
“Who's that, Mommy?”
Derpy grumbled to herself, “It's my boss...”
Mr Stamps trotted into the room, completely uncaring that he's in somepony's house. “Morning Derpy, I- phew! What stinks?”
“My power is out. The food in the fridge went bad. Mr Stamps, what are you doing in my house?”
“Well I tried to call you, but the phone doesn't work.”
“The power is out.”
Mr Stamps observed the melted ice cream and rags on the table. “Wow, this place is a mess!”
Derpy couldn't take another word, “Look, tell me what you want or get out!”
The stallion looked at Derpy as if the outburst was totally uncalled for, and shook his head. “Derpy, you know I never really liked you. So many people think your just so noble, so infallible, and you all you did to have that opinion from ponies is have a kid without a Dad.”
Derpy tried to fight back tears, “I'm in no mood for this Mr. Stamps; just let me know what you want, please, and leave me and my daughter alone.”
Mr Stamps looked at the floor, now apparently having trouble. “I have a package that needs delivering today, from Canterlot. I know you have a route only you and Cloudchaser know and she quit three weeks ago.”
“Forget it! You barge into my home, insult me, and expect me to do you a favor?!”
“I'll give you a bonus-”
“Like the last one? I'm still waiting on that. Dinky and I have plans.”
“Look, the customer paid for same-day service, and if I get one more late package, the postmaster is gonna have my job!”
“That's your fault, not mine.”
Mr. Stamps stomped in frustration, retrieving a sack from his saddlebag and tossing it on the ground, a few bits spilling out. “All right! Here's your bonus, and the bonus for this trip in cash, in advance. Just...please! I can't loose my job.”
Dinky tapped her mother on the shoulder, “Mommy, please don't let him lose his job. He's not very nice, but that doesn't mean we can't be nice to him.”
“You're right Dinky. Okay Mr. Stamps, let me find a babysitter for Dinky and I'll stop by the post office.”
“Yeah, thanks.” Mr Stamps said heading back out, “Just be careful; I heard from some soldier in town say some weird stuff is going on in those mountains.”
“No one knows my route Mr. Stamps; no one that wants to hurt me, anyway.”
“Good...I, uh, owe you one...”
“Sure.”
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BonBon and Lyra were happy to babysit, despite the fact that they seemed on their way to a picnic for two. It had only taken Derpy a few moments to suit up in her flying gear and hit the skies to retrieve the package at the Canterlot post office. It was something for Pinkie Pie, no doubt some ingredients for an upcoming catering order. She was the type to always wait until the last minute before picking things up. Derpy's mountain route was a strait shot though a few low passes and some hidden caves that were only known to her, and a few Diamond dog clans that sometimes mined the area. The dogs were always grumpy, but never paid much mind to Derpy as she flew over. The mare was always fascinated with them though; their lives were so simple.
This time, however, the mines Derpy normally saw abuzz with activity, were abandoned, wooden scaffolding still standing as if was left recently. Also, a large number of dragons were hovering about, almost as many as Derpy saw during the last great migration. Still, dragons wouldn't bother her this low. Even if they wanted to reach her down here, dragons had trouble breathing at low altitudes, and couldn't fly very well through narrow passes.
It took only a few minutes to load the package at Canterlot's post office and Derpy darted for the return trip. Her route only took a few hours each way, and it was actually a fairly scenic flight, even relaxing. Her eyes adjusting to the light as she emerged from a deep tunnel, and Derpy felt a cool shadow over her as she flew. She looked up to see a small female griffon flying above her, blocking a corner of the sun.
Derpy had seen one or two griffons in her travels, but not many, being how rare they were. But Derpy could tell this one wasn't one of the more docile ones that lived around Equestria. Despite being slightly smaller than Derpy, her glimmering bronze armor and the clanking of numerous weapons told that she was a warrior. As the griffon descended closer, Derpy could make out intricate engravings on her bronze breastplate. It was a stylized griffon, with both forearms outstretched holding the sun in his right talon, and moon in his left. Derpy remembered the design form somewhere; a book Dinky had been reading and excitedly tried to show her.
“Hi!” Derpy said cheerfully. “I'm Derpy!”
The small griffon scowled down at Derpy, with her narrow, almond eyes. Derpy could make out two jagged scars over the griffon's head, and across her beak.
“Glenda.” the griffon said, introducing herself.
“Nice to meet you, Glenda!”
“Where is Gilda griffon?”
Derpy knew of Gilda, though she'd never met her personally. She delivered mail to her house, and met her husband Gregory. Still, Derpy knew she wasn't supposed to give out someone's address.
“I dunno.”
“You deliver her mail, yes?”, a slight accent creeping into the griffin's voice.
“I'm not supposed to tell where her house is.”
“I will make you!”
In a flash Glenda pulled out a long flintlock rifle, the end of the heavy barrel ending in a bell shape. Derpy knew the shape of the weapon, it was a kind of fire magic the griffons commanded, something like fireworks. The rifle boomed in the air with enough force to toss Glenda's petite body upward like a rocket but the griffon caught herself, and as the thick white smoke of the explosion cleared, Glenda saw nothing where she was expecting the see a plummeting corpse. Then, she felt something on her back, weighing her down.
“Hey, don't point that at ponies!” Derpy giggled.
“Get off me!” The griffon pulled out a long dagger and spun, trying to throw Derpy off and lash out at her at the same time, but the mare held tight on the griffon's back. Derpy didn't want to hurt Glenda, but she also had a delivery to make. She reached her hooves around and covered the griffon's eyes, immediately throwing her off.
Glenda thrashed and bucked wildly, Derpy holding on fast and still blocking her vision. “Let me go!” When it was apparent that Derpy was not going to uncover her eyes, she screeched, “If you don't let go we'll both crash!”
“I crash all the time! It's not so bad!”
The connected pair dipped low, Derpy careful to steer the griffon away from rock faces and spires, hoping for a chance to break away, but Glenda still wildly swung her knife, and Derpy knew the moment she was free she'd try to kill her.
Derpy reached down with her wings, lightly brushing them against the griffon's sides, just below her breastplate. “I hear griffons are ticklish.”
Glenda rocked and laughed loudly, suppressing rage. “Stop! Ha! No! I'll kill you!”
Derpy saw the griffon drop her knife, the plummeting weapon clanging off a passing rock face. The ,are leaned forward, pointing the griffon headfirst toward a shallow muddy river.
“Well I appreciate the company on my flight, but if you'll excuse me, I have a package to deliver!”
Derpy released her hooves over the Glenda's eyes and flew off. Glenda only caught a glimpse of the onrushing muddy river before splattering into it face first, her legs kicking in the air, and muffled, unintelligible curses coming from under the muck. The pegasus laughed as she flew off; she had dealt with bandits trying to steal the mail before (especially out here in the frontier) but had never bested a griffon or been shot at. Derpy always loved out-smarting crooks, it made her feel good to be good at what she did. Soon she would be home, and relaxing with her daughter for the rest of the weekend.
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At Sugarcube Corner, just after the delivery, Derpy was swarmed by soldiers, asking her a thousand questions at once about her route. What she had she seen while flying through the mountains? How did she manage it unscathed? Honestly, Derpy was surprised to learn the military hadn't figured out the route for themselves, and wondered why a thousand armored ponies needed it in the first place.
“A griffon?” General Helios asked, “You were attacked by a griffon?”
“Yeah, she wanted to know where Gilda was. She probably wanted to steal her mail.”
Aquilinus rubbed his chin, “My dear, was this griffon wearing armor?”
“Yeah! I had loads of pictures on it.”
“Pictures of what?”
“One was a griffon hold a Moon and a Sun-”
“The Myrmidons- I'd stake my reputation on it! Mercenaries, not affiliated with the griffon government.”
“Who is Gilda?” Helios asked.
“She's a griffon who lives in the woods,” Derpy said.
“The Myrmidons used to be commanded by Gilda griffon, but she disappeared years ago.” Aquilinus added.
“Would this have anything to do with our mission?”
“Likely an internal struggle in the group,” Aquilinus said, “Probably attacked Derpy here because she thought she could lead her to Gilda's house.”
“Or they could be here to try to claim the gem for themselves,” Fulldark said, “The griffons have magicians and seers too; they must know of the gem.”
“Possible Sir Fulldark, but the matter at hand is this route. Can you map it for us, my dear?”
“I don't know how to make maps, General,” Derpy said, “It's a very hard route to fly.”
“If I could make a suggestion,” Rainy Days interjected.
“Of course Rainy.”
“Perhaps flying an army though this route wouldn't make sense. What if we keep it a secret? Send a the gem with a few of our best fliers along the secret route, and sent a diversionary force along the land route.”
Helios nodded, “I like it. The dogs know I have it, and will think I'll want to keep it near me.”
“And a small force of fliers would look like little more than a scouting party to the dogs,” Long Strides said, “But why even have a diversionary force? Why not make them come here? We could barricade this town, and by the time they're able to properly overcome our defenses, the gem will be in Canterlot."
“No, there would be to many civilians at risk. We must face the dog's army in the mountains, away from innocents.”
Helios nodded, it was a shaky plan, but the best they had. “Well my friends, we have a lot of planning and preparation to do. Luna and High Regard will be here with our re-enforcements tomorrow. When Her Majesty arrives, I want her to arrive to a well trained army with a perfect battle plan. Aquilinus, I want ten of your best fliers ready to escort the gem.”
“Yes, General. I have some in mind.”
“Rainy, ready the linebreakers. As usual, they're going to be at the head of this thing. Prepare a strategy to face the Diamond dog army in the mountains.”
“We'll be ready sir.”
“Long Strides, head to those militia outposts; recruit as many men as you can.”
“It will be done,”
“And Fulldark, have your engineers prepare a war tent for Luna and Veleris.”
“Consider it done.”
“And you- Derpy, was it?”
“Yeah?”
“If you have the time, tell me about your secret route.”