Derpy Meets The Doctor

by Heavyhauler75622

Chapter Five: Revelation

As the morning drew close, Luna awakened Twilight Sparkle, who took the letter herself for Celestia, as Spike sleepily swayed in the middle of the large main room. Lionheart paced around the periphery, still worried for his Princess. Luna finally sat the concerned Nightwing Threstral down herself with a flick of her magic; the pacing was making her nervous. Now she understood why Cely had taken to dunking that one sergeant of hers. She then set him on post outside, by the door.

Spike did his part, the scroll disappearing in a flash of green dragonfire, as Twilight then packed him back off to bed. She took on the responsibility of serving Luna herself, preparing tea and a light breakfast as Luna stood on the balcony, her moon in front of her, waiting for the appointed time.

Twilight watched as the Princess of the Night suddenly leapt into the air, bringing her forelegs up over her head as she hovered a moment, then descended, as if she had caught the Moon midair and brought it down with her, as the Moon lowered under the horizon. Just as she was almost ready to land, the Sun rose to its starting point to travel the sky once again.

“I never get tired of seeing that,” Twilight Sparkle said with awe, as Luna walked back into the library. Twilight was amazed to see Luna leaving a trail of her shoes, her peytral; the breastplate she wore, and eventually her crown, as she stood in the middle of the floor and stretched tired, sore, and stressed muscles.

Twilight Sparkle’s eyes widened. “Your Majesty, should I…?”

Luna looked at her. “Twilight, my name is Luna. Or Luny, which is what the children call me.” She stretched again, her forelegs straight out in front, her hind ones supporting her, as a couple of noticeable pops sounded from her flexed back. She rolled onto the floor, legs straight up, as she tried to relax her back; they curled down into a more natural position as she worked the kinks out.

“Wow…what a night. I have absolutely no desire to go through that ever again.” Her horn glowed blue as she picked up her raiment, set the items down carefully near the table where breakfast waited. “Days like this, I wish there were pancakes.” She rolled back over, stood up, and then trotted over to breakfast.

“I could make some, Your Ma…Luny,” Twilight said, nonplussed. Luna waved a hoof dismissively.

“I have already pressed myself too much upon your hospitality, Twi. Thank you so much for your help this early morning. This is more than adequate. Is that Applejack’s Rainbow Zap Apple jelly I see?” Luna asked, digging in on the toast and jelly. Two bites later, she sighed contentedly. “Oh, marvelous. That hits the spot.”

Twilight Sparkle peered at the ancient Alicorn, who was now acting very much like one of her friends. In fact, Luna and Rarity acted very much alike, though Rarity wouldn’t have shed all her ensemble like that, being very conscious of decorum and rank. Watching Luna do it was disconcerting.

“Luna…what happened? You’re acting like one of my overstressed friends.” Twilight picked up a slice of toast as well, spreading some Zap Apple jelly herself on it first, as she sat down.

“I had some…entity, I suppose, in the grips of a Nightmare last night. An immensely strong, very bad one. One so powerful it should have burned me up when I confronted it. In fact, if the individual in question hadn’t taken the burden back, it would still be dark outside, and our current conversation would be very much different.”

She made another piece of toast and jelly.

“Different, how?”

“Different, as in you saying, ‘We need to get to the Tree of Harmony, before Nightmare Moon destroys all of us and Equestria!’” Luna said candidly, watching Twilight for her reaction.

Twilight froze in fear, her eyes wide in shock.

Luna, taking notice of it, nodded sagely. “Exactly. I’ve fought all sorts of things in dreams, Twi. Falling is a common one for Earth ponies. Drowning frightens most everypony. Tiny spaces so small one cannot breathe is common for Pegasi. All sorts of imaginary monsters from those in foal’s closets to giant crabs, for some reason. But this…”

“What was it?” Twilight asked.

Luna shuddered. “Monsters. Implacable monsters. Monsters so bad, they destroy everything. So powerful, they waged war across the stars.”

Twilight’s eyes widened even more than before.

“Twilight, there was something else, something too terrible to contemplate. It wasn’t a nightmare.”

Twilight just stared, terror starting to grow in her.

“It was a memory. This was no dream gone awry. It was real. It happened.”

Twilight’s forehooves flew to her mouth in shock as she gasped. Luna nodded again as she stirred her tea with her magic, a generous amount of sugar added to replace glucose she lost during that pitched battle in ‘John Smith’s’ mind.

“Derpy Doo has a guest at her place, Twi. He’s the one who had the Nightmare. He’s the one who saw all this firsthoof. I can’t explain it.”

“When has Equestria ever had war like this? Even the Tribes amid the Windigoes have never fought like that.” Twilight asked fearfully.

“It wasn’t ponies, Twi. That’s why I came here first, rather than see Celestia. They were your humans, the ones from beyond, through the Magic Mirror. Humans, and some other creatures, races, in this conflict that burned across the stars.”

Twilight’s mouth fell open in shock.

“Twilight, I need to know. It’s very important. Could your humans that you met after passing through the Magic Mirror do something like this?”

Twilight took a second, then shook her head. “Luna, they couldn’t have been involved in starting it. They don’t have the ability. They have amazing technology, all sorts of amazing things. But I don’t believe they have the capability to travel the stars like that. There was all sorts of silliness going on there. That ‘High School’ thing was just so irritating and foalish, I could’ve bucked the walls. I don’t believe they would start such a thing.” She took a deep breath, then continued. “But they could have been drawn into it.”

It was Luna’s turn to stare. “Drawn?”

“Forced, coerced, lied to, manipulated, tricked, even embarrassed into such a thing. Humans don’t have a whole lot of sense, Luna. They may have even been correct to ally with a side in it.” Twilight stared at her tea. “Luna…was he pony, or human? Could you tell?”

“No.” She finished her tea. “But, I’ll soon have another look at him, not his mind. Then, I might learn something.” She heard the coach approaching, the Nightwing flight team beginning to descend, by the sound of their wings. She started putting her raiment back on, finishing the crown just as there was a knock on the door.

“Princess Twilight Sparkle, I need you to come and run interference for me while I speak with Derpy Doo. Herd the children while I ask some questions. And, you should expect some message from me afterward today. I have to talk to Princess Celestia, see about what might happen to the Tree if we need the Elements again. You should spend the day with the Equestrian Heroines. Things may require your assistance.”

“As you require, your Majesty,” Twilight answered, once more the subordinate. She was quite startled, then, when Princess Luna, the Benevolent Princess of the Night, hugged her warmly

“Cely was right. You are somepony very special, faithful one. Thank you for your wise counsel. And now, rouse your assistant once more. We must be off,” she said, smiling brightly.

“At once, Majesty,” she said, walking to Spike’s basket, as Princess Luna opened the door.

“Thank you, Lionheart. Princess Twilight Sparkle shall accompany us for a bit, before she sees to her own tasks. See to the needs of the Nightwing team for now. If you can, provide them; and should you require assistance, speak with Spike. We wish to be away within the next thirty minutes.”

“At once, Majesty,” Lionheart said. Twilight smiled at hearing that.

Spike and Lionheart offered water and bathroom breaks for the team, and a few even accepted. They decided to a Threstral to wait until returning to Canterlot for food, though, not wanting to be burdened further with the weight of it.

Twilight marveled at the shaded goggles they now wore as the Sun rose higher. Even Lionheart had donned his pair. Bright light must be hard on their eyes, she reasoned. Somehow, the glasses made the Threstrals appear even more exotic and dangerous.

Must be the subject that they had just been talking about.

Twilight and Luna talked quietly as they rode first to Rarity’s boutique to collect Sweetie Belle. The two of them kept up appearances, making “small talk” on the way, though the distance to Rarity’s home barely covered a scant hoof full of sentences. Once there, Luna talked with Sweetie Belle for a few minutes as Rarity’s magic loaded Sweetie Belle’s saddlebags into the trunk. Twilight took the opportunity to talk to Rarity.

“Rarity, I need a favor.”

“But of course, darling! Anything I can do for you at this ghastly hour?” Rarity said, trying to make light of the early time. Twilight chuckled inwardly, realizing Rarity had probably been up a couple of hours already, making sure she was in proper form to greet one of the Diarchy, even if it was just to put her sister on the coach.

Twilight decided on the direct approach. “Rarity, Princess Luna would like us to keep close to one another for today. Can you get word to the others,” Twilight asked, putting just the right emphasis on others, “…and get everypony together?”

“I would have to have Pinkie and Fluttershy get Applejack and Rainbow Dash, respectively. Where should we meet?”

“At the Library, first. Could you all help each other, if any of you have important work you need done today? You’ll need to bring Spike along just in case, too. I’ll be back as soon as I can. I have a detail of my own I have to complete first.”

“Certainly, my dear. What should I say to everypony?” she asked inquiringly. Rarity loved to know things. She wasn’t a gossip; well, not very much of one, but she was inquisitive.

“Trouble.” Twilight boarded the coach. Rarity stared a bit, before a tug of her tail by Sweetie Belle interrupted her. They kissed and hugged, then the coach was off, sticking to the ground as before.

Rarity watched them leave. Shaking herself, she trotted toward Sugarcube Corner to get Pinkie Pie. Twilight was not happy. Ergo, she wanted her friends nearby. That did mean trouble.

Rarity touched her neck where her Element of Harmony once was. She hoped it wasn’t that sort of trouble. She felt positively naked without hers nowadays, and it was very uncomfortable when Ponyville’s most famous fashionista felt naked. Very, very uncomfortable indeed.

Luna kept up the small talk, especially with one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders now listening in between watching the scenery from a royal coach, and exploring the appointments in it. Twilight could almost watch the tiny wheels inside Sweetie Belle’s head as she renewed the single-minded pursuit for a cutie mark caper the CMC’s could participate in. Whether Luna or Celestia would indulge it remained to be seen.

Luna explained that when the video game craze hit, she jumped in with all four hooves, as it were, not having all that much to do at times. That led to her becoming very accomplished at them. At the beginning, she hosted local area network parties here and there, but as various locations began to install high-speed ‘interwebz’, she said, her gaming was increasingly online, with mostly anonymous players. But once the kids figured out who “BestestPony247” was, they gravitated to her, and the joy Luna got from it just helped her blossom.

It was so different for her now, she told the purple Alicorn. Celestia did everything she could for everypony. Luna actually had it better. She was the one that helped on a personal level.

Twilight smiled and nodded emphatically. In most ways, it was like that with her and her friends. All of those disparate personalities. Yet, put them together, and they became unstoppable.

They shortly came upon a beautiful house, where two ponies waited. One was the intended of the group, a dark brown colt with a colorful propeller beanie, his head buried in some kind of hoof-held game as usual. The other was his fawn palomino-colored mom, Elaina, the drop-dead gorgeous mare married to Monster, a voice actor for Neightendo and Button’s father, though he spent a lot of time away working. Music was heard coming from the basement. That meant Button's brother Gibson was also home, practicing with his band.

They put Button’s saddlebag in the trunk as he kissed his mom, then hopped up into the coach. The entire time, he hardly looked up from the screen he was watching intently, tapping away at the buttons on it. Sweetie Belle’s head joined his shortly. Thus engrossed, the world dropped away as they watched the electronic escapades of some pony wanting to “Catch Them All”…

Twilight envied that mare with the ring on her tail…the one that proudly proclaimed she found someone to love enough to share her life with. Of the rarified groups she found herself included in, only one wore such a ring. She was one of her best friends, and she was married to her brother, way far away in the Crystal Empire. Twilight idly wondered if she would find somepony like that for her.

There were more friends that they played games with going. At the Apple Family farm, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo joined up with them next. As Applejack put their saddlebags and things in the trunk, such as Scootaloo’s scooter, she took Twilight aside for a moment, letting her know the friends were going to the library to ‘visit’, along with Spike, and they all could be reached there. Twilight nodded.

Finally, the coach turned toward the last stop before Canterlot, and the one both adults in the coach had been dreading, and preparing for.

Derpy-Doo’s house, Dinky’s home, and something strange.

To save time, Luna ordered the coach riders to put the safety belts on, and then gave out with a pert whistle. Immediately, the Nightwing Threstrals bent wing, and in a couple of beats, they were airborne.

The Unicorns and Earth pony fillies had managed to grab most of the window seats. Even Scootaloo had managed one. The one empty seat sat forlornly empty, as Button had stayed exactly where he had sat once he got on, still working the controls of his game, while the girls cooed and giggled as the scene outside rushed by the windows, the ground now far away. Scootaloo stared in rapt attention. Twilight hoped she would soon get strong enough to fly. Maybe Snowflake could help her learn, if he could stop lifting weights and showing off long enough; he certainly was the better flyer, having worked out with the Wonderbolts. His twin brother Bulk was training with the Ponyville team for the Equestria Games, and thus unavailable.

In moments, the coach has leveled out on approach to the house, and then touched down with a gentle bump. The Nightwing Threstral team immediately started to backwing and canter to a walk, braking them gently to a stop right in front of the house. Twilight admired the precise skill they had demonstrated in that; it was Wonderbolt accurate. Of course they pulled a Princess, and would take great pains to do it with snap. Spitfire may be the Wonderbolt team leader, but there were others equally as good. And even one better; a cyan colored one with a rainbow-colored mane and tail, and intense magenta eyes. Twilight grinned.

Derpy and Dinky came out, her saddlebag neatly packed for the overnight. Rather than have an adult help her, Dinky levitated the bag into the trunk herself proudly. She then came around where Princess Luna had disembarked for a moment, as Derpy and Twilight talked.

Twilight noticed Derpy was looking a bit haggard, as her golden eyes flitted first to Luna, then the open doorway, then to Twilight, then back to Luna. Princess Luna stood before her, and before Derpy could think of a curtsey or bow, Luna hugged her hard.

Derpy’s eyes whirled in amazement. Luna released her, looked deep into those gently twirling gamboge ponds with just a hint of apple green. “We heard you last night, my little pony. Many call for help in bad dreams. Very rarely, We hear a call from one pony to help somepony else. That is special, when somepony beseeches help for another.” She touched Derpy’s cheek with a hoof kindly.

She kissed the grey mare on the forehead, as everyone gasped, including a bodyguard named Lionheart.

“Hullo.”

They all whirled around to stare at the strange chestnut colored pony with the shock of spiky brown mane.

Twilight Sparkle took in the details of the handsome pony, the odd coat, the white collar and green tie, the flash of an hourglass cutie mark. Dinky took that to be her cue.

“Princess Luny, um, Luna, everypony, I would like to introduce Doctor Mister ‘John Smith’. From,” she concentrated hard, then smiled. “…Croupwich. Mister Doctor ‘John Smith’, these are my friends, Princess Luna, Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Crusaders Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle. And the silly colt still inside the coach is Button Mash. I’ll try to fix his manners later.”

Dinky positively beamed! Diamond Tiara was going to completely scream in rage when she popped this on Miss Cherilee! That gold star was in the saddlebag!

‘John’ nodded at everyone, and then spoke directly to Luna quietly and respectfully. “I’m very glad to meet you, Princess. Not too many try to step in and help me on a whim. More my suit, really. Hope I helped there. Thanks, much.”

Twilight immediately thought of that unusual word. “Cheeky”. ‘John Smith’ didn’t bow, as was customary for ponies all over Equestria to do. But somehow, she got an impression of sincere thanks, as well as a hint of equals, talking back and forth over the usual things going on about them. Like she and Luna had been doing.

She snuck a look at Luna. And stared in shock.

Luna had suddenly lost some color, the usual midnight blue of her coat ashen and flat, as her face showed total shock. Even ‘John’ felt it.

“Sorry…did I do something thick? I do that, you know. Derpy, have I done a thing? Not the good thing, right? Maybe a silly thing? I’d not like to do a bad thing to the lovely Princess that helps. Friends are rare in the world. Like to keep as many as I can.”

Luna ground back into gear first. “No, stranger, thou hath not offended us. We pray thee to pay it no mind. We were simply taken aback by thy presence here.”

Twilight’s head now oscillated between the cheeky stallion, and The Princess of the Night Sky, who was using forms and diction of Old Equestrian unheard on the planet nowadays. Sure, she still employed them teasingly, Nightmare Night being the one uppermost in her mind, but never in normal conversations. Given the situation, and the apparent stress, Twilight calculated that her lapse was from shock, and she had retreated back into a familiar behavior pattern for reassurance. She decided to leap in and brave the roiling water.

“Doctor ‘Smith’, I’m Twilight Sparkle. I run the Golden Oak Library in Ponyville.”

‘John Smith’ knew a lifeline when he saw one. He grabbed it deftly, and hung on for dear life.

“Oi! A library, you say? I adore libraries! Nothing says civilization better than the smell of books. Is it a big one? I love big ones!” His smile gained wattage as he rambled on.

Twilight wrinkled her nose a bit. Suddenly, she had an impression of her, rambling on endlessly about books, as she and her friends set out on some adventure or another.

So that’s what I sound like, she thought to herself. No wonder Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes the way she did when she prattled on about any books not authored by J.K. Yearling. It was taking enormous concentration on her part to keep from doing it herself.

Luna got there first, though. This was something Celestia needed to know, as quickly as possible.

The Doctor was in Ponyville.

“Princess Twilight, we ask a boonfavor of thee. Please escort The Doctor,” (‘John’s’ ears flicked forward when he heard that. She knew who he was.) “…to thine grand library, escorted by the intrepid mare Miss Doo, and see to his comfort. We shall go on ahead with the wee ones and speak with our Sister. Watch for our fastest cab later in the day to bring the three of you to Canterlot. Will thine friends be with thee at thy home?”

Twilight suppressed an irrational urge to say, ‘aye’, forced herself to remain rooted in the now. “Yes, Majesty. My friends and my Assistant are gathering at my home. Would you please ask your Sister to send word to my Assistant to remain there with my friends? I’m very sure they would like to meet Doctor ‘Smith’.”

“Verily, We shall do as thou asketh. Children, surmount the coach, and employ the belts. We shall be travelling swiftly.” She quickly herded the children onto the coach, and made sure they were properly buckled in. As she did so, she leaned toward her personal guard.

“Lionheart, your Princess has work for thee,” she whispered. “Accompany the party to the library. Do not either threaten or treat incorrectly the chestnut stallion, but watch him carefully. His presence is an omen, but one of good or ill, We do not know, and cannot say. We must consult with Celestia forthwith, and We have no time to waste!”

“I understand, Majesty. Why does the stallion upset you?” he asked.

“One of his many names frightens Us. He is known as the Oncoming Storm for very good reasons. Sterte, We must be off!” She shut the door to the coach as she shrilly whistled. The Nightwing team blasted out of there in one massive cloud of dust and wind, streaking directly for Canterlot with all due speed.

‘John’ coughed delicately in the dust.

“Well…that was…unexpected.” He looked at the grey Pegasus mare helplessly. “I mucked it up, didn’t I? I’m just SO thick at times…” he said, walking into the front yard and sitting down heavily.

Derpy walked up and sat down in front of him. “Tie,” she said.

“What? I beg your pardon?”

“Tie, silly boy. Fix your tie.”

“MY tie? Why would I need a drink now? This isn’t celebration, it’s a disaster!”

Derpy clucked her tongue, started re-tying ‘John’s’ tie, her tongue’s tip slipping out of her mouth as she concentrated. Just as he started to wind up again, she gently laid her right hoof against his lips.

“Shhhh. I have to concentrate. Let me finish, and then you can start over. Okay?”

‘John’s’ eyes bulged with effort, and his own concentration watching her. She ignored it, as she worked the cloth strip into a knot. With a triumphant flourish, she worked the knot back into its proper place, smiling as she did so.

“Perfect.”

‘John’s’ eyes continued to bulge, as he watched the blond tail of one Derpy Doo stand up and swish into the house. He wanted to say something, but for some inexplicable reason, his tongue was as tied as his tie.

Derpy radiated cuteness like a defensive energy field, invariably bollixing up ponies around her at times. There was a debate ongoing in Ponyville as to which of the two of them, Derpy or Twilight Sparkle, actually personified the term ‘adorkable’. Twilight was currently winning, but only by three votes.

And for a creature well known for his frequent rashness to leap before he even knew that he might consider the possibly of needing to look at all; ‘John’ sat quietly in her front yard, frozen in place by it. Twilight and Lionheart had watched the interplay; Twilight with curious interest, Lionheart dispassionately. Both were amazed that the chestnut pony could be so easily diverted by the grey Pegasus.

She reappeared a moment later, her own saddle bag in place, as she locked the door and put away her key in the bag, along with a card she had removed from her mane. His brain was still in neutral, until she came up and put a foreleg against her barrel as she stared at him.

“Planning to come, ‘John’, or would you rather just sit there? It is your invitation she gave you.”

“Oh. OI!” he said, clambering to his feet. “Definitely thick day today. Like custard between the ears. My apologies, ladies.” He started walking as he turned slightly toward the Threstral trailing just behind him. “And to you also, good sir!”

Derpy fell in alongside the Mad Pony with the fawn trench coat, as the Purple Princess Alicorn with the books moved to the front. The Nightwing Threstral stayed in his position behind the formation as they walked down the road.

“Now, this feels familiar!” he said to nopony in particular as they walked.

“Why is that, ‘John’?” Derpy asked.

“Been here before many times. The clever one in front. The friend alongside. And the gruff guard in the back, usually prodding with some kind of weapon, most days.” He grinned like a maniacal pony. “Just where I wanted them!”

Derpy smiled. This felt much more real. The pony with the call box in transit when it fell off the wagon never really felt right to her. This one was much more the right one. Somehow, it just felt right.

Comments

[redmar]

I don't think Luna would become Nightmare Moon again if she can't deal with a nightmare. She would be exhausted and feel ashamed for her failure but not become Nightmare Moon again. It also doesn't fit Luna to use nicknames for ponies because she isn't that informal with other ponies.