Behind the Derp: The Untold Story of Derpy Hooves

by Trot Pilgrim

Chapter 4

When Pinkie got close to Canterlot, her tail started twitching. She had no idea what this could mean. Her tail never twitched. She looked up at Canterlot and saw something falling from the sky onto a balcony. As soon as the object hit the balcony, her tail stopped twitching. She didn't know what had just happened, but she knew it wasn't good. She started galloping towards the castle as fast as she could.

When Ditzy started dropping, Twilight looked up. She noticed the purple glow around her and looked at her horn. It was glowing as well. She quickly tried to stem the magic, but it just wouldn't stop flowing. She still didn't have much control over her powers. She struggled and strained, trying to cut the flow for just a second, just enough for Ditzy to break free. She looked up and saw Ditzy hit the balcony hard and heard a loud crack. She looked up and saw Princess Celestia fly across the sky towards the balcony swiftly. This wasn't going to end well. She ran inside the castle to hide.

Princess Celestia was enjoying her quick nap when she heard a scream from outside. She immediately flew outside and saw Ditzy falling quickly. She dived straight at her, her horn glowing. At the last moment before Ditzy hit the balcony, she was covered with a white light, and then she hit the floor and lay still. The royal pony glided down and landed beside her fallen assistant. She knelt and gently lifted her into the air, levitating her into her room and onto her bed. Just as she walked to the side of Ditzy's bed, a pink blur flew through the door and stopped next to the bed. Pinkie looked down at her fallen friend, her only friend, laying there so peacefully quiet, and her hair fell around her face.

"She… She'll be alright, won't she?" Pinkie asked the princess, tears forming in her eyes.

The princess bowed her head, a single tear falling from her eye. "I don't know, Pinkamena. I'll try my hardest. You should go home."

"No."

The princess raised her head and looked at the little pink pony. "Wh-what?"

"No! I'm not going home until she's all better!" The little filly glared at the princess, tears overflowing her eyes. "I'm not leaving!"

The princess smiled warmly at the determined look on the tiny Pinkie's face. "Very well, then. But you must stay out of the way while I try to help her."

Pinkie nodded and took a step back, sitting next to her basket as the regal pony stepped up to the filly on the bed. She slowly bent her horn down and touched its glowing tip to Ditzy's forehead. Ditzy's body started glowing a bright white, so bright Pinkie had to shield her eyes. When she looked back, Ditzy looked exactly the same. She looked up at the princess. The royal pony smiled down at her.

"All we can do is wait…"

Pinkie nodded, then grabbed her basket and trotted over to the edge of the bed and sat down, watching Ditzy's face intently. Princess Celestia chuckled and left the room to send word to the Pie family that Pinkie was alright.

Pinkie sat, staring at Ditzy's face. After several hours, Pinkie jumped as Ditzy murmured something. Pinkie leaned in extremely close and started whispering back and giggling when Ditzy mumbled something in her sleep.

Suddenly, Ditzy opened her eyes and looked at Pinkie. Her eyes were pointing in opposite directions, one pointing straight up, and the other straight down. Pinkie giggled and grabbed a muffin, handing it to Ditzy, who took it shakily. She tried to stare at the baked good, and narrowed her eyes. Suddenly, her face lit up as she grinned.

"MUFFIN!" She exclaimed excitedly as she took a big bite.

Pinkie smiled and took a huge bite out of a muffin, her hair springing back up. "Muffin!" she yelled back.

The princess poked her head in and sighed in relief as she walked in. "Ditzy… You're a-"

"-MUFFIN!" Ditzy yelled, taking another big bite.

The princess stared at her aide's eyes as she took a bite of her muffin. "Oh… Poor Ditzy… What has happened to you?" She sighed and pet the poor pegasus' head gently. "Well, you cannot be my aide anymore… But I shall find you a suitable, easy job elsewhere."

Pinkie suddenly jumped up. "Ponyville! PONYVILLE! Send her to Ponyville!"

Princess Celestia chuckled and nodded. "Very well. I shall set you up with a job in Ponyville as…"

"Muffins?"

"No, sweet Ditzy. A mailmare. That should be easy enough, yes? I'm sure Pinkie would be more than delighted to help train you and show you around."

"Are you kidding? I'd be tickled pink! Oh wait! I already am! Hahahahaha!" Pinkie giggled.

The princess rolled her eyes, grinning. "Yes, Pinkamena. Now take your friend to Ponyville. I shall send a Royal Guardian down soon to check on you two."

She watched the two fillies run down the path, then turned to the castle. She had a filly to discipline.

Twilight shook as she thought of how Princess Celestia would punish her. Maybe she would take away her magic, or her whole horn! Maybe she'd banish her. She had killed the princess' aide! That was punishable by death, or worse, she could lose her mentor! She might get sent back home, never to learn magic again!

Suddenly, the door to the closet Twilight was in flew open, and there stood the princess, looking down at her. "Twilight Sparkle! Why are you hiding?"

Twilight cringed and cowered. "I-I'm s-sorry, Princess… I was just… I was afraid of what happened and didn't want you getting mad at me… I-it was an accident... I was trying to...to make my book... fly..." The purple filly started tearing up. "I didn't mean to... to..." She whimpered quietly.

The princess smiled suddenly, kindly. "My dearest Twilight, I mean you no harm… I understand."

And with that she bowed her head down, touching her horn to Twilight's. The purple pony's eyes glowed, then dimmed as she passed out. Celestia levitated the tiny filly into the air and carried her to her room. As she laid her down, she smiled. "There. You'll forget everything about Ditzy. It will be as if she never existed to you. I don't need you having any psychological issues…" She smiled and sighed, walking out of the room, starting to think of any evidence of Ditzy she must hide.