Chapter 1 - New in Town
Chapter 1: New in Town
Call me Dovetail. No, I ain't really into animals. It's a woodworking thing. Some folks say it's kind of a fru-fru name for a stallion. All I'll say is that some of us earth ponies think wood deserves as much respect as trees do as when they're alive.
But I didn't set out to write this about me. This is a story about her.
It all started a few weeks after I'd moved to Ponyville. With a lot of hard work I'd fixed up the broken down house which was all I'd been able to buy, and I was just about ready to open my shop.
I hadn't really prepared for how lonely it would be, moving to a new town. Applejack was the only pony in town that I knew. Well, to be honest “knew” is a bit strong. She's something like my fifth cousin or suchlike. Not really close kin, but our families go back, and we'd met a couple of times before I came to Ponyville. I guess things like that seem a lot more important when you're in a place where you don't know anypony else at all.
You know, it sounds a bit silly to say this now, but truth be told I was pretty overwhelmed by a “big city” like Ponyville. I guess that tells you all you need to know about where I grew up. I couldn't believe how many ponies and places there were to see. There was a bakery, a library, a bowling alley... heck, they even had a shop that only sold sofas and quills! Yes sir, that big little town had everything. Most importantly for me, however (though I didn't know it yet), they had a post office.
It was that very post office that I was headed for on that very day. I needed to order some little hinges and other things the local blacksmith couldn't make from Canterlot.
A bell tinkled when I opened the door, but the sound was drowned out by a cheery song playing on one of those swanky gramophones sitting on the counter. The pegasus mare sorting mail behind the counter didn't notice me walk in at first because she wasn't facing the door, so I had a moment to look at her. Now, I ain't the type to leer and hoot at every mare that walks by, but I've still got red blood in my veins, and I couldn't help but notice that this was a fine mare indeed. What can I say? It ain't a crime to look.
She had a cutie mark that looked like bubbles on her firm, glossy flank. Her coat was the grey of a crisp winter evening sky, and her golden mane and tail swayed hypnotically as she bobbed her head to the music, dropping letter after letter into bins without a care in the world. Yes sir, she was the prettiest pony I'd seen since I'd moved into town. Well, truth be told, one of the two prettiest, but this one didn't look like she spent half the day primping in front of a mirror, like the other pony who had caught my eye. I've lived long enough to know that that type of lady is fine to look at, but more trouble than they're worth, most times.
But I'm getting away from myself. I just meant to say that the mailmare was pretty, and I beg your pardon for waxing all poetical. That's not really the point anyway, because what really caught my eye was her smile and how she held herself. Even though she was doing a boring job, every line of her body said that she loved life, and there wasn't nothing that could stop her.
I realized I'd been staring, and that the longer I stood there like an idiot the more awkward it would be when she noticed me. So I set the letter I'd been carrying in my mouth on the counter and politely tapped my hoof on the floor.
She reared slightly in surprise and knocked over a wastebasket, giving a little yelp. After she recovered herself she turned to look at me and said, “Hi there! You startled me. What can I do for you?”
I say she turned to look at me, but what I really mean is that one eye looked at me while the other was looking at the ceiling. I'd never seen anything like that before. My stomach did a little flip in my gut, and without even thinking, I reared up on my back legs in surprise. I'm ashamed to admit it, but before I could stop myself I said “What the hay is wrong with your face?”
Right away I knew I'd really put my hoof in my mouth. All of that joy seemed to just drain out of her. She stammered, not sure what to say. “I... my... face? You mean my eyes? I'm sorry...” Yeah, you heard me. She apologized to me.
She kept herself together, but I could see that those big eyes that were each pointing their own way were tearing up together. I muttered something that might have been an apology if you put the words in the right order and bolted out of there like my tail was on fire. I didn't even remember to deal with my letter.
- - -
I didn't go straight home. I walked around for a while to clear my head, but it didn't help. My mind just kept going around in circles about what a jerk I'd been.
When I reached the market square, I saw Applejack talking and laughing with five other mares. I reckoned they must have been those friends of hers she was so keen on, and one of them was that pretty mare I'd spotted earlier.
My cousin waved a hoof when she saw me and beckoned me over. When she saw my drooped ears and heavy head she stopped smiling and looked concerned. “Hey now 'cuz, why the long face?” she asked me. “I thought you were settling in well.”
“I was,” I said with a sigh, “but I think I just made myself not welcome at the post office. Do you know the pony who works there? The one with...” I swallowed, not sure how to put it. “... the eyes?”
Applejack started to say “Oh, that's Derpy. She's really a...”
Before she could finish she was cut off by a little grey unicorn filly who stomped up to me. The little foal scowled up to me and said in a rush, “She crashed and hit her head really hard when she was little so that's why her eyes are like that and there's nothing wrong with that because she's as smart as anypony else,” Her pace, volume, and pitch both increased with every word in that way that kids sometimes do when they're tripping over themselves to say everything at once. After pausing only a heartbeat for breath she continued, even more shrilly than before, “Anyway she's probably even smarter than a meanie like you and you made her cry so I hate you 'cuz she's my mommy and I love her AND YOU SHOULDN'T BE MEAN TO HER!”
She was just a little thing but the way she was scowling and holding her head low reminded that unicorns evolved to charge and gore with their horns. She panted for a moment after her rant, still glaring at me. Then in one swift motion she spun around, kicked me surprisingly hard in the fetlock with her sharp little hoof, and ran off.
For the second time today all I could do was stare wordlessly. To be fair, that's all AJ and the others were doing too. That is, until the pain registered and broke me out of my trance. I winced and lifted up my abused leg. “I think I earned that, but confound it that hurt!” I said, and explained to Applejack and her friends what had happened.
“Well, I think it's pretty plain what you gotta do,” Applejack said, after I'd finished, “You need to go to her and apologize. I reckon you ought to apologize to Dinky, too. That's the little one who gave you a piece of her mind.”
I nodded unhappily. It was obvious she was right, but I was not looking forward to it.
“Dovetail, I have a suggestion,” said the purple unicorn, whose name I couldn't remember. Midnight something? “When somepony is upset, sometimes you need to leave them alone for a while, to cool down. Why don't you try to apologize tomorrow?” The others nodded in agreement.
“Thanks, ladies,” I said. “You're probably right. I expect I'd just make things worse if I went over there now." With that I gave them a nod and walked home, limping slightly.
- - -
The next day I left home in the morning, dreading what I had to do. Looking somepony in the eye after you've done them a bad turn is never pleasant, and it's even worse when you know you've made a bad impression on somepony you've just met.
As I passed through the square on my way to the post office I bought a bundle of daises from a cream colored pony with a little flower stall. “What the hay,” I figured, “it can't hurt.”
Once I reached the post office, I stood outside with the bouquet in my mouth for, well, I don't know how long. It must have been only a couple of minutes, but it felt like hours.
Today there was no music to drown out the bell on the door, so Derpy looked up as I walked in. For just a moment I saw that same bright smile that I'd seen yesterday when she'd first turned to me. It was just a for moment, though. When she saw it was me her face fell a bit and got a bit colder. She didn't look rightly mad; I don't know if she could ever look really mad, but she sure didn't look pleased to see me, either.
“Oh, hi,” she said. After an awkward pause she said, “I mailed your letter. You owe me two bits.”
“Um fuvvy,” I started to say, like an idiot. I set the flowers down on the counter and tried again. “Miss Derpy, I, uh...” I realized that looking somepony in the eyes when you apologize is harder when they're both going off in different directions. After a few moments the obvious hit me. I'd been a damned fool for not realizing it earlier. I just picked the eye that was looking at me, and looked back at that one, ignoring the other one.
“I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry, Miss Derpy. I didn't mean to say what I said and be so rude. I was just surprised, is all. I meant no offense. Uh... I got you some flowers too. I figured I could apologize with plants, 'case my words aren't very good.” I nosed the flowers towards her.
She took a deep breath, and for a moment I thought she was going to reject my apology. Then a little of her smile came back and her ears perked up. “It's okay,” she said, “I get that a lot with new ponies. Just usually not quite so... loudly.” She ate one of the flowers and put the others upright in a pencil cup, not bothering to remove the pencils first. I couldn't help but smile a bit when I saw that; it seemed so carefree, if a little silly. She really did look pretty when she smiled, when I wasn't being distracted by her eyes.
It was then that I noticed a little horn and pair of ears poking up over the counter. I leaned over and saw the filly from yesterday peering up at me, giving me the stinkeye. I told myself that it was stupid to be intimidated by a child, for Celestia's sake, and put on a weak smile. “It's Dinky, right?” She nodded, and I went on, “I'm sorry to you too. It's terrible when somepony upsets a pony you love. I didn't mean to be mean, but I was, and I'm sorry.”
I pulled one of the flowers from the pencil cup and offered it to her. She took it and chewed it thoughtfully, peering at me with a judging look. “Well, okay,” she said, around a mouthful of daisy, “But don't be mean anymore or I'll kick you again. Even harder.”
“Fair enough,” I said with a weak smile. “I earned that last one.”
- - -
I didn't talk to Derpy again over the next few days, but I saw her around town. It took me a while to realize that I was keeping an eye out for her whenever I went out. I never went up and talked to her, but I did watch as she interacted with the other ponies in town. Most ponies were friendly to her. A few seemed to be cool to her, or uncomfortable, but she paid it no mind and kept smiling all the while. I reckon the only pony in town who smiled more than her was that manic pink friend of Applejack's who worked at the bakery, and that one seemed like she could be a bit of a hoof-full to be around.
Derpy, on the other hand... there was just something about her. She seemed so relentlessly happy, but in a quiet way. The fact that she was pretty once you got used to the eye thing didn't hurt either. Like I said, I was always keeping an eye out, hoping to see her. I found that I was thinking about her a lot also. Once she saw me from across the square. She waved a hoof at me and flapped her wings. Let me tell you, that made my day.
Of course, once I noticed I was watching her all of the time, I felt like a bit of a creep. I realized that I'd have to either get over her, or get up the nerve to talk to her. I couldn't go on just peering at her all the time; that didn't seem right. The problem was that I never was too good at talking to ponies, at least back then. Especially mares. Especially pretty mares.
Fortunately, I didn't need to get up any courage at all, because that problem got solved for me right quick.
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oops sorry I'll erase my story then. (Click) sorry about that, Im all about sad fictions.
259917
There's nothing at all wrong with sad fictions. I just saw all of the sad fictions and wanted her to have some happy stories also.
I'll try that sometime, though the reason I write sad fictions is because happy moments and people only last for so long, it's the life scarring events that make sad fictions memorable.
259979
That's fair enough. Those can be quite good and quite touching. I just thought that Derpy deserved a break and maybe a date.
I love your writing and can't wait for the next chapter. Agreed that sadfics can be very touching, but I also totally agree with you that Derpy deserves a break, and to be shown in a different light sometimes
259985>>260030 Strange how I just submitted a sad derpy fiction 3 hours ago then this.
260069
Why is that strange? A lot of people submit a lot of things. I wrote the chapter this morning.
260069 Are you drunk, dude? Because you're both reacting strangely, and overreacting, to the existence of this story.
What? Oh no no no of course not!
(Seriously though, why would I be drunk, I was just being Raritydramatic:) I'm too young to drink anyways
260129
OMFG DERPY IS SO HAPPY!
I turned over a new leaf, for one comment, back to the old sad fictions now if you'll excuse me.
Alright, first Derpy fic I've ever read. Let's do this!!!
260030 DINKLEBERG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love it!
so cute and touching! it is about time derpy got a love story! 
keep the chapters coming!!
im not gonna read this, because derpy doesnt deserve to be happy. shes a retarded little bucknut with no earthly buisness being as popular as she is.
Never knew there was a Dinky Tag
I noticed a missed word and a misplaced quotation mark when he's talking to AJ. I'm liking this one so far, keep it up.
263367
Thanks! I'll look for that. I plan to do a minor revision anyway.
263367
I'm not seeing it... care to help?
264327
(“Well, I think it's pretty plain what gotta do, “Applejack said) That is missing a 'you' and the second quotation mark is backwards.
Side note, that picture Fluttrick posted is killing the page for me, just lags like crazy going over it.
264705 Thanks!
264705 Thanks!
260107
Really sorry, but I'm going to delete the comment with the awesome derpy picture. It's making my and other people's browsers choke.
Everyone, go here for a cute Derpy picture: http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/276/8/6/derpy_is_a_happy_pony_by_noxwyll-d4bpemz.png
264961 Eh I don't mind. Just wanted to express happiness and derp = happy derpy!
Dinky is best pony.
"People..."
GAAAAAAAH.
Good so far, I like the telling in first pony.
You should be more careful with your ponification, however. I saw you used the word 'people' several times instead of ponies.
646439
648549
Thanks. Fixed the first chapter. I'll keep an eye out as I go through and revise the rest.