> Derpy's Reward
>  by Kevinltk
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The Reward
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It seemed like the perfect day in Ponyville. Celestia’s sun was shining brightly, the weather team had cleared away every single cloud in the sky, and there was not a single monster terrorizing Equestria in sight. It was a beautiful, peaceful day that would have put anypony in a chipper mood.

Derpy was not one of those ponies.

Wearily dragging her hooves across the ground, Derpy was making the trudge home from the post office. Her brown, white-collared mailmare shirt was ruffled and unkempt, its usual tidiness long since gone after a long day. Her mailmare cap matched the disheveled uniform, and to her tired body, the empty mail bag slung across her shoulder felt like she was dragging a load of bricks.

As much as she prided over her work as a postal worker, at the moment, she could not wait to shed the uniform. It was now late in the afternoon, and she had been working since dawn. Needless to say, she was exhausted and sorely needed some rest and relaxation.

The Friendship Festival was held last week, and Derpy, along with many of her fellow mailponies, had gone up to Canterlot to partake in the celebration. They had thought that they would be spending a nice weekend enjoying the festivities before they returned to Ponyville with only a day or two’s worth of work to catch up on.

But everything changed when the Storm King attacked.

The invasion had thrown a massive wrench into their plans. Not only were they held prisoner for three days, it took several more days for Canterlot to get back on its hooves and resume the Friendship Festival. With all the delays, Ponyville’s post office had been stuck with a skeleton crew for nearly two weeks. Whatsmore, the invasion had sparked a flood of messages being sent around Equestria, resulting in an influx of letters and packages to deal with on top of the backlog.

In short, Derpy had been extremely busy since she had returned to Ponyville.

Today had been the fifth day in a row Derpy was asked to take an extra shift, and it looked like the trend was going to continue well into next week. She was getting a bonus on top of the extra hours, but it was only a paltry sum that did little to compensate for the added stress. While Derpy was not one to usually complain, the grueling workload was taking its toll on her.

Arriving at her house, Derpy trotted through the front door and flicked her head to the side. The mailmare hat was dislodged from her head and arced towards a hanging wall hook, only to veer to the left and smack against the wall.

Derpy glared at the offending hat as it plopped onto the floor. Her aim was usually off, regardless if she was tired or not, but after her exhausting day, it would have been nice to at least get in a small victory.

With an annoyed huff, she let her mail bag slip down onto the floor and kicked it to the side. She then bent down to grab her fallen hat and placed it on the previously-missed hook, along with her hastily-removed shirt. Breathing a small sigh from being temporarily relieved of her burden, she closed the front door and headed into the kitchen.

Derpy went straight to a cabinet that hung over the stove and opened it, retrieving a tea kettle from within. She brought the kettle to the sink, turning on the faucet to start filling the vessel with water. After counting to eleven, she promptly turned off the faucet and transferred the halfway-filled kettle to the stove. With one quick, practiced twist of a knob, the stove turned on to the exact temperature she needed.

While she waited for the water to heat up, Derpy proceeded to a corner of the room where a small, wooden table stood with a stool right next to it. At the center of the table was a basket that had a red cloth on it, covering a small mound of objects underneath.

Derpy quickly tossed the cloth to the side, and a grin spread across her face when she gazed upon the revealed treasure that she had been coveting all day: a batch of her homemade muffins.

Plonking herself down on the stool, Derpy eagerly grabbed one of her prized muffins in her hooves and took a big bite, devouring a third of the baked good in one go. Despite the muffin starting to grow stale, having been baked a few days ago, it was still tasty enough to make Derpy hum in satisfaction.

Already starting to feel better, Derpy slowed down to savor the rest of the muffin, knowing that she had time to enjoy the pastry. A couple of more bites and delighted noises later, the muffin was finished right as the kettle began whistling.

The stove was swiftly turned off before Derpy went back to the same cabinet from earlier. A tin box the size of her hoof was lying close to where the kettle previously stood, as well as her favorite mug and a thick cloth. She extracted a tea bag from the box and dropped it inside the mug, setting them down on the nearby counter.

After putting the thick cloth in her mouth, Derpy closed the cabinet and narrowed her eyes at the steaming kettle. Her muzzle scrunched in intense focus while she slowly leaned forward and grabbed the kettle’s handle in her insulated mouth. Carefully, she lifted the hot vessel and slowly tipped the nozzle into the mug, pouring the hot water into the cup. To her delight, she managed to fully fill her mug without spilling anything, a process that had literally burned her more times than she would like to admit.

Derpy set the kettle back down on the unlit stove, spat out the cloth onto the counter, and took her hot cup of tea back to the table. Clutching the cup in her forehooves, she slowly raised it up to her muzzle and took a whiff, enjoying the tantalizing scent. She blew on her drink a few times and then took a careful sip of her tea, sighing in satisfaction from the tasty blend and the warmth that suffused through her.

This was her favorite part of the day. No matter how busy she got, she did her best to reserve some time where she could sit down and relax with a nice cup of tea and a few tasty muffins. It allowed her to unwind and recharge in preparation for the next day. It was not a surprise she affectionately named this period, ‘muffin time’.

Just as Derpy reached for her second muffin, a knock on her front door made her flinch before she groaned over her interrupted muffin time. Today had been a long, exhausting day, and she sorely wanted to be left alone to enjoy some rest and relaxation. The thought of ignoring the call in the hopes that her visitor would go away crossed her mind, and she was tempted to go through with it.

However, Derpy convinced herself, albeit with some reluctance, to answer the door. As tired as she was, she did not want to be rude. In addition, she did not get many visitors, so chances were that whoever was at the door was either work-related or one of her few friends.

And yet, despite minding her manners, Derpy swiftly took a big bite of her second muffin before she got up. Her long workday had left her hungry, plus if she looked like she was in the middle of a meal, she could probably get the visitor to finish their business with her faster so that she could return to muffin time.

With her cheeks slightly bulging with muffin, Derpy trotted over to her front door and opened it. Her skewed eyes bulged open when she saw that her visitor was none other than Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship.

“Hello, Derpy,” Twilight greeted with a pleasant smile.

Derpy gasped in surprise, or she would have if her sudden intake of air hadn't been replaced by a muffin chunk getting stuck in her throat. She fell backwards onto the floor as her throat was clogged, and her forehooves went to her neck while she desperately tried to cough up the errant muffin.

“Derpy?! What’s going—Oh my gosh! You’re choking!” Twilight rushed into the home, hastily picking up and turning Derpy around so that her forelegs wrapped around the distressed mare’s midsection. With a mighty grunt, Twilight squeezed, pressing her forehooves into Derpy’s chest.

Derpy continued to cough as the muffin remained inside of her, prompting Twilight to squeeze again. Twilight repeated her action several more times, each time adding a little more strength and even lifting the pegasus slightly into the air in her desperation. Finally, after a dozen or so pushes, Derpy hacked out the muffin piece, the troublesome food chunk splattering onto the nearby wall. As Derpy heaved to take in much-needed air, Twilight let out a sigh of relief and gently set the pegasus down on her hooves.

“You know, I’ve had a couple of ponies choke up when they met me, but this is the first time somepony had literally done so,” Twilight said in a lighthearted tone, only to let out a surprised squeak when Derpy sat down onto her haunches with a groan. “Er, right, too soon… Got it…”

Oh, Celestia! I can’t believe that happened! Derpy lamented over the scene she had caused. She started to whimper as her forehooves covered her reddening face, but she froze when she felt a gentle squeeze around her middle.

“It’s okay, Derpy,” Twilight assured. “I know that you might be embarrassed about what happened, but the important thing is that you’re safe now. Thank goodness that I’ve read up on the Hay Milk maneuver. I’m so happy that you didn’t get hurt.”

Oh, Celestia! Twilight is hugging me! Derpy grew even more red, just now realizing that Twilight’s hooves were still around her.

“Are you feeling alright?” Twilight asked.

“Y-yes, I am. Thank you, Princess Twilight,” Derpy replied, lowering her forehooves but still looking down to hide her red face.

“I’m sorry, Derpy. It looks like I interrupted your dinner. If you want, I can leave and—”

“No!” Derpy cried out, leaping out of Twilight’s hold and turning around to her visitor. She blinked when she saw the alicorn’s startled look. “Er, I mean no, you are not interrupting dinner. I was just having a little snack, but, uh, I bit off more than I can chew.”

Twilight glanced at the muffin splotch on her wall. “Yes, I, um, noticed.”

Derpy chuckled sheepishly. “Right… Um, anyway, what can I do for you, Princess Twilight?”

“Derpy, we talked about this,” Twilight chided in a teasing tone. “Remember how you’re supposed to address me?”

“Oh, right. Sorry, Twilight.”

“That’s better,” Twilight said with a giggle. “Anyway, I’m here to talk to you, if you have time.”

“I always have time for you!” Derpy blurted loudly. Upon receiving another odd look from Twilight, she hastily added, “Um, I mean, I’d be delighted to talk with you. Why don’t you come in? Would you like some tea or muffins?”

“Thank you, but I’ll pass on the muffins,” Twilight turned down politely. “I get more than enough of your famous muffins with all the baskets you keep sending me. You know that I’ve forgiven you for the accident, right?”

“Yes, I know, but I do enjoy making them for you. Plus, I still feel bad that I dropped all of those things on you, especially since you were recovering from some other injuries,” Derpy explained, recalling the event long ago. She never did mention that she forgot to secure the delivery carriage back then because she was busy staring at the former-unicorn, and not because of the odd sight of Twilight spying on Pinkie while in a wheelchair.

Twilight winced. “Yeah. Trying to learn about Pinkie’s Pinkie Sense was not exactly a highlight for me. It’s like the more I learn about her, the more questions I end up having. Anyway, while I won’t be needing any of your muffins now, some tea would be lovely.”

“Of course. Anything for you, Twilight.” Derpy almost facehoofed when she received yet another perplexed stare from Twilight and could feel the onset of another blush coming.

“I’m gonna… I’m gonna go… tea… thing…” Derpy mumbled before she beat a hasty retreat into the kitchen.

Stupid, stupid, stupid! Derpy cursed at herself when she was out of sight of her guest. She even lightly bonked her head with a forehoof. I must’ve look like such an idiot in front of Twilight…

Derpy was glad that she was considered a friend by Twilight, even if she was not as close as one of the other Elements. The two of them had interacted with each other plenty of times, but much to Derpy’s chagrin, a great deal of their meetings were marred by her making a fool of herself. While she was already known for being accident-prone, her blunders were more frequent when she was around Twilight, not to mention the way her mouth often blurted out stuff.

Derpy shook her head. No. This time will be different. Twilight has never came here before, so this must be important. I am going to get through this… without me being weird.

After taking another swig of her tea to help calm herself, Derpy went on to prepare another mug for her guest. Taking a few more moments to compose herself for good measure, Derpy trotted out of the kitchen, a tray carrying Twilight’s drink on her back.

Twilight was found sitting down on the living room couch and was looking into her saddlebag, an item Derpy had failed to notice earlier during her muffin crisis. The alicorn’s ears flicked up as Derpy got closer. Slowly and carefully, Twilight closed the saddlebag and set it aside before turning to Derpy with a smile.

Derpy guessed that whatever was in the bag was either valuable or a secret, but she brushed aside her curiosity. It probably was not any of her business.

“Here you go,” Derpy said, placing the tray on the coffee table in front of the couch. “I hope you like it.”

Twilight nodded in thanks and enveloped the mug in magic. Lifting the cup to her mouth, she blew on it and then took a dainty sip. She hummed softly in delight. “This is good tea. Is this one of Zecora’s blends?”

Derpy’s eyes widened slightly. “Yes, in fact. How did you know?”

“I’m a regular customer of Zecora’s teas, so I’ve become quite familiar with how her blends usually taste and smell. Still, I don’t think I’ve tried this particular one yet. Which one is it?”

“It’s a special blend she made for me. It’s supposed to help with my eyes.”

“Your eyes?” Twilight gasped. She looked into her mug and then back up at her host. “Oh, I’m sorry, Derpy! I didn’t mean for you to use up your special tea for me.”

Derpy internally groaned for yet another one of her unintentional slips. “Um, don’t worry about it. Really, Twilight, I have plenty, and even without the health benefits, it’s still very tasty. I even get a discount from Zecora, and if you’re wondering why she does that, well, let’s say that she’s a fan of my muffins.”

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief and then giggled. “That’s not so surprising. You’re muffins are delicious. Even Pinkie is a bit jealous that neither she nor the Cakes can make them like you.”

Derpy blushed, a grin spreading on her face. “Th-thank you, Twilight.”

“You’re welcome, Derpy. And now that I think about it, I really should come up with some sort of gift I could give to you. Accident or not, you’re my friend, and I feel awful that I haven’t really gotten you anything for all the muffin baskets.”

Derpy shook her head. “No, you don’t have to do that, Twilight. Your friendship is more than enough of a payment.”

“That’s sweet of you, Derpy, and I value our friendship as well. Still, I’ll be on the lookout for anything that you might be interested in.” Twilight paused to take another sip of her tea before letting her magic set the mug back on the coffee table. “Anyway, we probably should get to the reason that I’m here. You’re probably wondering what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Yeah, kind of,” Derpy confessed as she sat down on the opposite side of the couch. In reality, her mind was racing as she tried to figure out what Twilight wanted so that she could mentally prepare herself better.

“Well, I wanted to ask you some things about the Friendship Festival, or rather, the whole Storm King invasion that happened during it. Most importantly, are you alright after everything that happened?”

“Oh, well, it’s busy down at the post office as a result of the invasion, but otherwise, I’m doing fine.”

Twilight’s eyebrow went up. “That’s it?”

Derpy blinked. “Um, did I miss something?”

“Are you feeling any long-lasting effects or other oddities, besides your extra work?”

“Er, no? I am pretty tired, but that’s from all the overtime. I don’t think anything is really bothering me since you defeated the Storm King before things got too bad.”

“It was me and my friends, both old and new,” Twilight corrected. “I know that many ponies see me as the leader of the group, but the fact still remains that we all worked together to thwart the Storm King’s plans. I certainly could not have done all of that alone.”

Derpy winced over her blunder. “Sorry, Twilight.”

“That’s alright, Derpy. I just want to make sure everypony who was involved are properly thanked, which actually brings me back to why I’m here.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well, there’s actually one pony who I believe did not get proper recognition for her efforts. The thing is, about a day after the Friendship Festival, my friends and I sat down to recount everything that had happened. When we were talking about our escape from Canterlot, Rainbow mentioned something odd. I thought that she had been the one who pulled me away before I was hit by one of those crystallizing balls, but she admitted that she probably would not have made it if it weren’t for another pony pushing me out of the way.”

Derpy’s eyes widened, but she remained silent.

“With how hectic the situation was, Rainbow did not see exactly who saved me, but she was pretty sure that the mystery pony had a gray coat. And when Fiz—er, Tempest told me that the crystallizing ball meant for me had captured a pegasus mare with misaligned eyes instead…” Twilight stared right into Derpy’s eyes. “It was you, wasn’t it?”

Unsure how she was supposed to respond, Derpy merely nodded slowly.

“Why didn’t you tell anypony about this?” Twilight asked with a concerned frown.

“I… I just thought it wasn’t such a big deal,” Derpy admitted with a shrug.

“Not a big deal? Derpy, you saved me!”

“And I’m glad that I did. Still, it didn’t seem like anypony noticed , and your recounting pretty much confirms that. I honestly thought that other ponies were crystallized like me, which would’ve made it hard for me prove what happened, assuming that I had wanted to. By the time that I did find out what actually happened, everypony was talking about how you and your friends saved the day. I didn’t want to seem like I was trying to steal your spotlight, especially since all I did was get turned into a crystal statue.”

Twilight shook her head. “Derpy, you did so much more than that. If I had been captured that same day, the Storm King would’ve taken my and the other princesses’ magic right away. He would’ve had an enormous amount of power at his disposal with nopony able to stop him. But you prevented that from happening. My friends and I might have been the ones to defeat the Storm King, but you gave us the chance to regroup and retaliate against him. In a way, you helped save Equestria.”

“S-save Equestria? Me?” Derpy squeaked. Her mouth opened and closed several times, unable to utter another sound in her shock. She, along with many others, did not know the full details of how Equestria was saved, but she never would have imagined that she had played such a vital role in it.

Twilight nodded with a smile. “You did Equestria a great service that day, Derpy, but it went unnoticed in all the chaos. I brought the issue up with the other princesses, and we all agree that you should be properly thanked. That’s why we would like to put together a little ceremony in your honor.”

“A-a ceremony? For me?” Derpy pictured herself on stage as Twilight trotted up to her with a big smile and a shiny gold medal floating beside her. After Twilight draped the award around her neck, Derpy imagined that her favorite princess would also give her a grand hug as they both wept tears of joy and enjoyed each other’s presence. It was such a picturesque scene that Derpy almost shouted out her agreement for the ceremony.

But Derpy then remembered that Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Cadance would also be there. Not only that, but there would no doubt be hundreds, if not thousands, of ponies in the audience, all paying full attention to her. She could see herself falling flat on her face when she tried to walk across the stage, or maybe she would accidentally say something embarrassing when she was asked to say a few words. Given her luck, both of those things could very well happen, as well as all sorts of other blunders. She could be embarrassing herself on a grand scale.

“T-Twilight?” Derpy uttered meekly. “I very much appreciate what you’re trying to do for me, but with all due respect, do I have to have a ceremony?”

“Um, no, I suppose not,” Twilight answered, a hint of disappointment in her tone. “Don’t tell me that you still think you don’t deserve one.”

“Maybe a bit, but that’s not the reason. I just don’t feel comfortable at being the center of attention.”

“Are you sure? We could keep things small if you don’t like standing in front of a huge audience.”

“Thank you, Twilight, but my decision remains the same. I have a feeling that I would just become a nervous wreck, so I’m going to have to pass on the ceremony. While it might be nice to get some recognition, I think I much rather prefer staying in the background.”

“I understand. Not everypony enjoys the spotlight, and if you’re more comfortable not doing the ceremony, then we won’t have one.” Twilight sighed, but her mouth formed into a soft smile a moment later. “You know, I actually had a  hunch you might feel that way, so…” She opened up her saddlebag with her magic, but she used her forehooves to reach inside and pull out a small case.

“This is for you, Derpy,” Twilight stated, her smile growing wider as she presented the case.

“What is it?”

“Why don’t you open it and find out?”

Derpy took the offered item in her hooves and set it down on the couch right in front of her. Slowly, she opened the case. What she saw inside made her gasp.

A medal was the only object inside the case. Its centerpiece was a heart-shaped ruby that shimmered brightly in the light. Derpy did not have much interest in jewels, but even she could tell that this ruby was intricately cut after many hours of toil. The ruby alone was probably worth a fortune, but the jewel was also set into a thick, polished gold frame with pegasus wings sprouting from its sides, further increasing its luster. A length of lavender silk was attached to the medal, forming a loop for a pony to wear around their neck.

Derpy had seen four of these majestic medals not too long ago. They were awarded to Starlight Glimmer, Trixie, Discord, and Thorax for saving the princesses and the Elements from Chrysalis, as well as turning most of the Changelings into allies.

The medal was none other than the Equestrian Pink Heart of Courage. As the name suggested, it was a highly-acclaimed award given to courageous ponies who did Equestria a great service in a feat of bravery.

And Twilight had just presented Derpy with one.

“Is… Is this really for me?” Derpy asked, her voice barely above a whisper as she continued to stare at the medal.

“Turn it over,” Twilight answered simply.

Derpy glanced up at Twilight’s odd instruction and saw the alicorn waving her hoof to just go with it. She gingerly picked up the medal in her forehooves as though it was the most precious thing she had ever held, which was very much true in her case. Flipping the medal around, she gasped again when she found words etched into the metal:


Awarded to Derpy Hooves
For Braving the Storm to Give
Equestria a Brighter Future


“Wow…” was all Derpy could say as she read those words over and over again. There was no doubt now that this medal was truly for her.

“You deserve this, Derpy,” Twilight said quietly.

“I… I don’t know what to say, Twilight,” Derpy uttered, looking up at the smiling alicorn with a sniffle. “Thank you.”

“No, thank you, Derpy. You saved me and all of Equestria.”

“So you say…” Derpy looked back down at the medal and gently glided a hoof over her etched name. “You know, it’s funny. I’m just the clumsy mailmare with the weird eyes. Never in my wildest dreams would I imagine a pony like me would actually receive a prestigious award like this.”

With her magic, Twilight gave a gentle tug on the medal in the pegasus’s hooves. “May I?”

Derpy nodded and allowed the medal to float away from her.

Twilight grabbed the medal’s lavender silk neckband with her hooves. “Derpy, I know that you have a tendency to get into unfortunate incidents, but not many ponies could be in your situation and maintain a positive attitude like yours. You quickly get back on your hooves whenever something gets you down, you’re always willing to lend a helping hoof, and based on what happened during the invasion, you are a very brave pony who would go to great lengths to help her friends.”

Scooting closer, Twilight fixed the medal around Derpy’s neck, and once it was in place, she wrapped her hooves around the pegasus in a hug. “You’re not a princess or an Element or anything like that, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything extraordinary. This medal is proof of that. You’re a special pony in your own way, Derpy. Never forget that.”

Smiling broadly, Derpy sniffled as her vision blurred slightly from a few held-back tears. “Th-thank you, Twilight. You don’t know how much it means to me to hear all of that from you,” she said gratefully as she returned the hug.

Derpy sighed blissfully as she sunk into the warmth of Twilight’s embrace. Feeling safe and comforted in her current position, a wave of calmness washed over her, and she wished that this moment could last forever. Receiving the Equestrian Pink Heart of Courage was one of the most remarkable events to have ever happened to her, but right now, being in Twilight’s hooves was a far better prize.

Eventually, Derpy felt Twilight start to pull away, and despite her urge to tighten her hold on the alicorn, she reluctantly let go as the both of them returned to their previous sitting positions.

“So, I’m very glad that you liked your award, Derpy,” said Twilight. “And I think that you’ll be pleased to know that I have something else in mind.”

Derpy blinked. “Wait, there’s more?”

“Medals are nice and all, but they don’t have much practical use, plus, you turned down having the ceremony. Mind you, it’s not an official thing, but I would be more than happy to arrange a little treat for you.”

“A treat? Like what?”

“Well, anything you want.”

“A-anything I want?” Derpy repeated, her eyes widening.

“Within reason, of course.” Twilight added while she smiled sheepishly.

“Er, right, of course. Don’t worry, Twilight. I wouldn’t dare to abuse your generosity.”

Twilight’s smile relaxed into a natural one. “I know you wouldn’t, Derpy. Anyway, let me know when you think of something, and I’ll do my best to fulfill your request. And don’t worry about time; take as long as you need to figure out what you want.”

There’s only thing that I really want… Maybe I could… Derpy bit her lip, her eyes flicking around the room for a while before they settled on Twilight. “I… um…”

“Yes? Is there something you want to say, Derpy?” Twilight asked.

Derpy cleared her throat, and in a quiet voice, she muttered, “Uh, actually, there is one thing I would like…”

“Really? Already? Are you sure you don’t want to take some time to think about it?”

“No, this is… Well, it’s something that I have been wanting for a long time.”

“Alright then. If you’re sure.” Twilight nodded, sitting up straight and staring at Derpy with rapt attention. “What can I do for you, Derpy?”

“Well, I was hoping that… you… um…” Derpy gulped as the words got caught in her throat. Her gaze drifted in opposite directions, away from Twilight. “You know what? M-maybe I shouldn’t…”

Twilight tilted her head in confusion. “Is something wrong?”

“N-no, nothing’s wrong. I just thought it over, and I think that I might be asking for too much.”

“Let’s hear it anyway, Derpy. The worst that can happen is that I say no and have you pick something else.”

“Um… Right…” Derpy took a deep breath. “T-Twilight, I was wondering if you… could…” Again, she could not find herself able to continue. She gulped as a lump settled into her throat.

“What is it, Derpy?” Twilight asked with concern. “You’re wondering if I could what?”

“A-actually, never mind, Twilight.” Derpy shook her head. “I don’t think what I want is really appropriate.”

“Derpy, just tell me. We can talk it over to make any needed adjustments, and like I said, the worst I can do is say no. You said it yourself that you have been wanting this for a long time, so clearly, it is important to you. I’m guessing that your request might be something odd or embarrassing that you don’t want other ponies to find out, and that’s fine. Everypony has their guilty pleasures. I assure you, whatever you ask of me, I will try to keep things discreet, and more importantly, I will not look down on you or anything like that.”

“Um…” Derpy cautiously glanced back up. “You promise?”

“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my AHHH!” Twilight performed the infamous Pinkie Promise, yelping at the end as she stuck her hoof into her eye. She groaned as she gingerly rubbed her irritated eye. “Ugh, why do I keep forgetting that?”

Derpy felt a bit guilty for giggling at Twilight’s error, but it was a nice reminder that despite being a princess, Twilight was not flawless and was still very much a regular pony. That, along with the promise, made Derpy’s worries start to ebb away.

Steeling her resolve, Derpy repeated the words she wanted to say in her head like a mantra. This was something she had been wanting for so long, and now was probably the best chance she will ever get to make it come true. Even though she knew that her request would likely be only just a taste of what she truly desired, it still was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

But it all hinged on Twilight’s approval.

“Twilight… Would you maybe…” Derpy tried to keep her gaze on the smiling Twilight, but her nerves got the best of her, and she glanced down at the couch as she came to yet another pause. This was probably the hardest question she had ever had to ask, and she dreaded the possible rejection that could follow it.

“Go on, Derpy,” Twilight encouraged. “You don’t have to worry. I Pinkie Promised, remember?”

Derpy nodded. Taking another deep breath, she looked back up at Twilight, both eyes focusing on the alicorn. “Twilight, would you… like to go… on a… d-d-date… with m-me?”

Twilight’s pleasant smile slowly dropped as her eyes widened, and red creeped up on her cheeks. “A-a date? W-with you?”

Derpy winced at Twilight’s reaction and silently cursed herself for asking such a foolish thing. She hastily added, “I-it’s alright, Twilight. Forget what I said. I knew it was inappropriate and stupid and—”

“N-no, Derpy. I was… I need, um…” Twilight stopped to take a long, calming breath. “Derpy, listen. I was merely caught off-guard. There is nothing wrong with your request. But, um, j-just to be clear…” She coughed nervously and had to take another breath. “Um, you are asking me to meet and interact with you at a specified time, r-right?”

Hope, dread, and anticipation all bubbled within Derpy, and all she could do was slowly nod.

“R-right… And, um, is this… date a regular social engagement or… um… of the romantic kind…”

Derpy gulped. “Th-the second one…”

“O-oh…” was all Twilight responded with.

Again, Derpy winced. “T-Twilight, I know that this is really awkward, so let’s just drop it. I really am sor—” She was cut off when Twilight’s forehoof quickly, but gently, went over her mouth.

“Derpy, let me make this clear: you are not in any trouble, so relax, alright?” Twilight assured, removing her hoof from Derpy.

“A-alright…” Derpy mumbled, slowly nodding. Twilight’s words had soothed her a bit, but she was still on the verge of a meltdown because of the situation she placed the both of them in.

“As for your date request, well…” Twilight blushed slightly. “Um, if it’s alright with you, could we talk about a few things before I decide?”

“Of course,” Derpy swiftly obliged, trying to hide her disappointment of having to anxiously wait longer. She consoled herself that at the very least she had not been outright rejected.

“Thank you, Derpy. I actually want to ask you some questions, just so that I can be sure.”

Derpy cocked her head. “Sure of what?”

“Well…” Twilight glanced away and lightly tapped her forehooves together. “This isn’t exactly the first time I’ve been asked out on a date…”

Derpy’s ears drooped. Of course you have been asked out, Twilight. You’re Twilight! I bet that they’ve all been more interesting than a simple, silly mailmare…

“But I think this is the first time I’ve actually considered accepting one,” Twilight continued.

“W-what? Really?” Derpy grinned hopefully, but her brow furrowed in confusion a moment later. “Wait, does that mean you’ve never been on an actual date?” Upon seeing Twilight glance away with a blush, she hastily added, “N-not that there’s anything wrong with that. You can choose to do whatever you want, and it’s not like you have to date somepony, a-and…”

Derpy stopped herself and took a calming breath. “S-sorry. I’m just surprised that… well, you of all ponies…”

Twilight chuckled softly. “Trust me, I’ve been asked out a lot. I’ve just turned them all down, and no, it’s not because I have high standards… er, at least I hope it isn’t. The reason I’ve rejected them is because those ponies were only interested in Twilight the Princess, instead of Twilight the pony. They only care about my position. Even before I became a princess, I was Celestia’s personal student, and ponies were hoping to use me as a sort of middlepony between them and Celestia. Fortunately, one of the many things I’ve learned from Celestia was how to tell if a pony was vying for that kind of thing.”

“And you think that I could be one of those ponies?” Derpy asked, suddenly finding it hard to breathe.

“What?” Twilight stared at Derpy for a second and then her eyes shot wide open. Hastily, she cried, “Oh, no no no no no! I didn’t mean to imply that! I wasn’t thinking and got lost in my explanation and…” She groaned loudly and planted her face in her forehooves. “Derpy, really, I’m so, so, so sorry.”

Derpy exhaled the air she was holding in relief, now realizing why she had trouble breathing a moment ago. “It’s alright, Twilight. I understand why you want to be careful. I just can’t believe that there are ponies who are only interested in your position and not the wonderful pony you are. I’m glad that you don’t consider me to be like those ponies. Um, that is the reason you told me all of this, right?”

“Yes, that’s exactly why!” Twilight cried out, as though desperately latching onto Derpy’s reasoning. She blinked and smiled sheepishly. “Er, I mean, yes, that is right. Thank you for understanding, Derpy, and sorry for being weird. The thing is, if I do go out with you, it will be my first date ever, and honestly, it’s making me really nervous.”

“Now you know how I felt when I was trying to work up the courage to ask you out,” Derpy remarked.

“Heh, yeah. I can see why you had so much trouble now. Even with all of my time with Cadance, this sort of stuff still confuses. So, um, if you don’t mind me asking, why do you want to go out with me?”

“Well, who wouldn’t want to go out with you? Er, not talking about the princess stuff, of course. You’re kind, generous, helpful, brave, smart, talented… Well, you get the idea. To tell you the truth, I, um…” Red flooded Derpy’s cheeks. “I-I kind of had a crush on you for many seasons.”

“R-really?” Twilight squeaked.

Derpy nodded. “It started not too long after you moved into Ponyville. At first, it was just admiration. I mean, you and the others saved Equestria from Nightmare Moon, and that was pretty much your first day in town. Then you went on to pacify an Ursa Minor and then prevent an adult dragon from covering Ponyville in smoke…”

“To be fair, Fluttershy was the one who actually convinced the dragon to leave,” Twilight pointed out.

“Yes, but you still were the one to led the expedition. And let’s not forget Winter Wrap Up. Ever since you took over as lead organizer, we’ve actually been finishing everything ahead of schedule. You’ve done so much for Ponyville and Equestria, and yet you always remain so modest while always ready to help others in need. How could I not admire a pony like that?”

Derpy sighed. “Then came the day that I dropped all those things on you… I’m still so sorry about that, Twilight, and I feel absolutely awful that I hurt you.”

“Derpy, like I said before, it was an accident,” Twilight replied. “I forgave you when you apologized that same day.”

“And that’s when I started to really like you, Twilight. I can be pretty klutzy, thanks to my eyes, and although everypony here in Ponyville is nice and all, they’re also wary of the accidents I tend to get into. Ponies act cautious around me or want to keep their distance, but not once have I felt that whenever I talk to you. Most ponies would’ve gotten angry at me if I had dropped all of those things on them, but not you. Instead, you used the opportunity to become friends with me. You’re not bothered by my quirks, and that means the world to me.”

“So is that why you started sending me those muffin baskets?” Twilight asked.

“At first, they were merely an apology, but as I developed my crush on you, they also became a sort of gift of my affections, even though I never actually told you that they were. When it became obvious that my crush wasn’t going away, I thought about actually asking you out.”

“But you never did, right?” Twilight asked. “I, uh, I often tune things out when I get into my studies, so I really hope that I didn’t miss something as important as that.”

Derpy giggled softly and shook her head. “I… I ended up always putting it off. I made up excuses like I was busy at work, or you were occupied with something to help Equestria, or an army of Pinkie Pies was terrorizing the town. When you became an alicorn, well… I kind of gave up. You were a princess on top of all your amazing qualities. What chance did a simple mailmare like me had?”

Derpy looked down at her medal and caressed it with a hoof. “You’re a wonderful pony, Twilight, even before you became a princess. I’m sure that I would be as nervous then as I am now because I wasn’t sure if I was good enough for you. It feels kind of wrong that I’m using the favor you gave me to ask you out on a date, but I don’t think I would’ve had the courage to do it otherwise. I… I know it’s probably still asking for too much, but I really do hope that you’ll accept going out with me. It only has to be a one-time thing, and if things don’t work out between us, I promise that I won’t bring it up again.”

Letting out a long sigh, Derpy felt some of her tension dissipate. It felt liberating to have finally let out her feelings after keeping them inside her for so long. When she looked back up at Twilight, she found the alicorn staring at her with her mouth agape.

“T-Twilight?” Derpy called out.

“Derpy… I…” Twilight’s mouth closed, and she bowed her head. “All those things you said… I’m so sorry that I caused you so much distress because I was oblivious to your affection.”

Derpy shook her head. “No, Twilight. Please don’t blame yourself. It’s not your fault at all. It’s not like I ever hinted at it, and you couldn’t have known what I was thinking.”

“I still feel terrible that you went through all of that because of me, especially after you said those touching things about me. I know that you’re intimidated by my princess status and the things that I’ve done, but you should never feel like you’re beneath me or anything like that.

“You’re a wonderful pony yourself, Derpy. I admire your resolve to keep on going no matter what happens. Your bubbly personality is always a delight to be around. You enjoy helping others; not to mention that you bake the best muffins. You have many amazing qualities as well, Derpy, and anypony would be lucky… to…”

“Twilight? Is something the matter?” Derpy asked, confused by the alicorn’s gaze dropping, as well as the sudden silence.

“Yes,” Twilight quietly replied.

“Y-yes? What’s the matter then?”

“No, I mean, yes. I mean…” Twilight took a deep breath and lifted her head to reveal a soft smile. “Yes, I’ll go out with you.”

It took a few seconds for Twilight’s answer to process in Derpy’s head. “R-really? You’re really going to go on a date with me?”

“Yes. We’re already friends, you’re a great pony, and I do enjoy being with you, even more so after today. Since we’re both interested in each other, it makes sense for us to try and explore deeper relations. Plus, if you can work up the courage to ask me out, then I shouldn’t be so nervous on going out on my first date.”

“Thank you, Twilight! You don’t know how much this means to me!” Derpy scooted forward, her forehooves spread open for a hug, but she hesitated and dropped her forehooves back to her side with a sheepish grin.

Twilight giggled and gave a quick hug to the giddy pegasus. “I think I have somewhat have an idea. However, I should warn you that I have two conditions for this date.”

“Anything!” Derpy obliged immediately.

“The first condition is if things don’t work out between us, we will do our best to at least remain friends.”

Derpy smiled and nodded without hesitation. “Of course. I wouldn’t have it any other way. What’s the second condition?”

“That I will be the one paying for whatever we do on our date.”

Derpy blinked. “W-wait, but I’m the one who asked you out.”

“True, but this is meant to be a reward for you, and having to pay for it doesn’t make it much of a reward.”

“Spending time with you is the greatest reward,” Derpy proclaimed. She froze upon seeing Twilight’s cheeks redden, and she soon felt a blush of her own forming. “Er, too much?”

“Coming from somepony else, probably.” Twilight smiled. “But from you, I think it’s very sweet.”

Derpy squealed in delight, and after realizing the sound she just made, she was pretty sure she was more red than gray at this point.

“So, it’s settled. I will be the one paying for our date, and before you try to protest any further…” Twilight spread her wings and smirked. “Princess’s orders.”

Derpy’s muzzle scrunched up. “I guess I can’t really argue with that, huh?”

“No, you can’t, so let your princess treat you,” Twilight happily ordered.

Derpy sighed in mock exasperation, even though a small smirk snuck onto her face. “Fine, I guess that you win.” Her smile reverted to a grateful one. “But really, thank you for this, Twilight. I never imagined that I would get this chance.”

“Well, I’m glad that you did decide to take a chance, and I hope that I can live up to your expectations.”

“You already have and then some.”

Twilight sighed in amusement. “I guess that I’m going to have to get used to these kinds of comments, huh?”

Derpy smirked. “Probably.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Anyway, I’ll need to check my schedule for when I’m free next. How are things on your end?”

“Well, it’s been really busy at the post office since the Friendship Festival ended. I don’t know when things are going to clear up though, but I’m sure that I can work around whenever you’re available.”

Twilight frowned. “Derpy, you don’t have to bend over backwards for me. This is supposed to be an enjoyable experience for you, and that’s not going to happen if you’re exhausted from work. It’s not like I’m going to change my mind if we wait until you’re not so busy.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to be a burden.”

“And I don’t want to be one either.”

Derpy sighed, but she nodded in deferment. “Alright. I’ll let you know as soon as I find out when I’ll be free. So, I, uh, guess that means we’ll keep in touch with each other?”

“Of course, Derpy. Feel free to drop by the castle anytime.”

“And, um, feel free to come here whenever you feel like it.”

“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind. Anyway, I have to head back to the castle now,” Twilight informed as she slid off the couch. “Thank you for having me.”

“And thank you for coming, Twilight,” Derpy said, following her future date to the door. “You’ve made this the best day of my life.”

“Well, let’s see if that changes when we actually go out on a date,” Twilight teased with a grin, making the pegasus blush. “Goodbye, Derpy.”

Derpy smiled and waved as Twilight exited her home. As soon as Derpy closed the door behind the alicorn, she began trembling with joy, until a loud squeal escaped her. She then commenced hopping up and down, giddily chanting “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

This had been so worth interrupting muffin time.
> The Pickup
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been two weeks since Derpy was visited by Twilight and was awarded the Equestrian Pink Heart of Courage. More importantly, it was also when Twilight agreed to go out on a date with her.

Since then, Derpy had been eagerly waiting for her work schedule to calm down so that she and Twilight could plan their date. When the post office did finally return to normal, Derpy literally went to tell Twilight the good news right away; an action that got her a brief scolding from her boss, considering that it was still the middle of her shift. Nonetheless, Derpy was elated to find out that Twilight was not too busy, and they had scheduled their date a few days later.

Those next few days had been a whirl of emotions for Derpy. At first, a part of her still believed that she was living in some sort of long, elaborate dream. It seemed too good to be true that she was finally getting a chance to show her affection to the pony that she had been fawning over for the past few years. But as the fabled date drew near, she became more and more convinced that she was in not in any fantasy, and the reality was that she truly was going on a date with Twilight. A smile had been a permanent fixture on her face as she quite literally counted down the hours. It was going to be the best day ever.

And now that it was the day of the highly anticipated date, Derpy was having second thoughts about it going to be the best day ever.

It was late in the afternoon, and it was pleasantly warm with not a cloud in the sky nor a monster rampaging through the street. All in all, it was perfect for the upcoming date. However, Derpy's attention was a bit preoccupied to enjoy the good weather. Standing to the side of the small flight of stairs leading up to the front doors of the Castle of Friendship, she was nervously fidgeting in place and was rapidly breathing in and out, a few steps away from hyperventilating. Despite being an hour early from when she was supposed to pick up Twilight, Derpy lamented that it probably would not be enough time to bring her frayed nerves under control.

Taking a deep breath for the umpteenth time, Derpy checked her faint reflection in the crystalline walls of the castle. Twilight had told her not to worry about dressing up, but Derpy still wanted to look her best for Twilight. A lack of experience and products for this kind of thing, however, limited her options, and in the end, she had to keep things relatively simple. While her appearance was relatively the same at first glance, she had spent a long time meticulously brushing her mane and coat to make sure that not a single hair was out of place nor a speck of dirt was on her, leaving her looking better than ever. And yet, despite seeing no flaw in her preened form, it did little to help calm her down.

Breathe, Derpy. Just breathe and try not to think about messing this up. It’s not like she won’t stop being your friend if this date goes bad… r-right?

“Derpy!” a familiar voice suddenly cried out from the side.

“Gah!” Derpy leapt high into the air in fright, her wings shooting open and flapping wildly. Barely suppressing the urge to fly away, she looked back down to see Spike staring up at her with a raised eyebrow and a small cardboard box in his hands.

“S-Spike! Er, hi,” Derpy timidly greeted as she slowly descended to the dragon.

“Uh, hey, Derpy. You alright?” Spike asked, his eyebrow still quirked up.

“Never better!” Derpy answered, her voice cracking slightly, and she gave the dragon a wide smile. “Why do you ask?”

“Because I’ve been trying to get your attention for like a minute before you finally responded, and when you did, you almost flew away in terror. Plus, that smile is creepy.”

“Oh, uh, sorry,” Derpy apologized, shrinking her smile into a sheepish one.

“Nervous about your date with Twilight, huh?”

Derpy winced. “Is it that obvious?”

“Well, you’re standing right next to the castle, your date is coming up, and you’re kind of freaking out the same way Twilight has been doing these past few days.”

“Yeah, sorry about… Wait, Twilight is panicking as well? You mean for our date?”

Spike nodded. “Yep.”

Derpy gulped and slowly asked, “Um, you wouldn’t happen to know if she’s worried about going on a date, or it’s because we’re going on a date?”

“Isn’t that the same…” Spike stopped to mull over the question again, soon following up with a chuckle. “Oh, I get it now. Don’t sweat it, Derpy. Twilight thinks you’re cool and all. She’s just all worked up because this is going to be her first real date.”

Derpy breathed a huge sigh of relief. “Thank goodness. I was afraid that she was having second thoughts about me. Er, not that I’m glad that she’s panicking. How is she anyway?”

Spike shrugged. “Eh, it’s just one of her usual nervous breakdowns. She’ll get over it. No need to worry.”

“Uh, right… I’ll take your word for it,” Derpy said with a slow nod. Feeling a bit more at ease, she peered into the box Spike was holding, seeing it filled with various hair-brushes and manecare products.

“These are all Rarity’s things,” Spike preemptively answered Derpy’s question. “Twilight borrowed them to get ready for your date. I was on my way out to return them when I saw you.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to keep you,” Derpy hastily apologized.

“It’s cool. So, you’re actually pretty early, and I think that Twilight is still getting ready… probably. To be honest, I’ve been letting Starlight deal with Twilight’s craziness for the past few hours. Uh, don’t tell them about that though.”

Derpy giggled. “Don’t worry. I won’t.”

“Cool. So, you wanna go inside to wait for Twilight?”

“Is that alright? I don’t want to be rude or anything.”

“It’s not like we weren’t expecting you, and Twilight would go ballistic if she found out that I made you wait outside for her. Just say that I let you in if anypony asks.”

“Oh, uh, alright then. Thanks, Spike.”

“No problem.” Spike took a moment to shift his claws to get a better grip on his cargo. “Anyway, I should get going and get these back to Rarity. I’ll see you later, Derpy, and I hope that you feel better in time for your date.”

“Me too, Spike. I really hope so too…” Derpy mumbled to herself as she waved goodbye to the dragon waddling down the road. Turning back around, she trotted up to the castle’s entrance, and although she froze at the door for a few moments, her desire to see this date through eventually overwhelmed her fear. Taking a deep breath to steel her nerves, she let herself into her date’s home.

Despite having been inside of the Castle of Friendship a number of times, mostly for brief mail or muffin deliveries, Derpy still let out a small gasp of wonder as she walked into the foyer. The crystalline architecture was always a marvel to gaze upon, and the various tapestries, drapes, and decorative lights hanging on the walls only further enhanced the wondrous sight.

But Derpy was not here to admire the castle’s decor today. Looking around, she saw no sign of Twilight or anypony else. Going off of Spike’s words, she guessed that Twilight was in her room, still preparing for the date. Not wanting to pressure the alicorn into hurrying up nor be rude by wandering around by herself, Derpy elected to stay and wait in the foyer.

In truth, it was just an excuse to give herself more time to try and mentally prepare herself. Talking with Spike had been a minor distraction, but Derpy was now left alone with her thoughts and worries again. She could feel her hammering heart beating as though it was trying to leap out of her and hide itself in the corner. As time slowly ticked away, her attempts to try and calm herself down were met with little success.

Suddenly, her ears flicked up when she heard the hoofsteps of somepony wearing heavy, metal shoes. Zeroing in on the source of the noise, Derpy shifted her attention toward a side hallway in the back as the sound slowly grew louder. Eventually, the mystery pony emerged from the hallway, and Derpy’s breath hitched as she instantly recognized the newcomer.

It was none other than Tempest Shadow, the infamous unicorn that led the Storm King’s forces against Canterlot. It was also the same unicorn that risked her life to save Twilight and her friends from the Storm King. In all of the excitement, Derpy had forgotten that Twilight had brought Tempest back to Ponyville, taking the former commander under her wing.

Standing a head taller than the average pony and a stoic expression on her scarred face, Tempest radiated pure intimidation, and her toned body honed for combat only furthered her daunting appearance. She was also still clad in the battle armor that she had worn during the invasion, the only change being the removal of the Storm King’s insignias. Despite believing Twilight’s word on Tempest’s redemption, Derpy could not help but still feel uneasy around the unicorn with the broken horn.

It did not help that Tempest was heading right towards her, and Derpy gulped as the unicorn eyed her up and down with a piercing gaze.

“Derpy Hooves, I presume?” Tempest asked after a few seconds of scrutiny.

“Um, yes, Tempest… sir, no, uh, ma’am, um, Miss Tempest,” Derpy hastily replied.

“Just Tempest is fine.” Tempest’s gaze swept over Derpy again. “So, I finally get to meet the pegasus that prevented me from capturing Twilight, starting the chain of events that threw my carefully laid out plans in disarray.”

“Um, y-yes. I suppose that’s me,” Derpy replied with a nervous laugh, starting to worry that Tempest had developed a grudge against her for ruining her plans. “Um, no hard feelings?”

To Derpy’s surprise and immense relief, Tempest released a short snort of amusement before a small, but genuine, smile graced her face. “Relax. I am actually glad that you managed to foil my plans. I would’ve never had the chance to become friends with Twilight if I had captured her from the start. Being grateful for a failure is certainly an odd thing, but I strongly believe that my current situation is far better than what I would’ve ended up in had I succeeded. I owe Twilight a great deal for all that she has done for me, and I owe you a debt as well for giving her that chance by saving her from, well, me.”

Tempest bowed her head deeply. “Thank you, Derpy.”

“Oh, um, you’re welcome, Tempest,” Derpy replied, a blush appearing on her cheeks. Despite Twilight’s explanation, Derpy still felt a bit weird to know that she had played such a crucial role in saving Equestria. It felt even weirder that she was being praised by a former villain.

Tempest raised her head back up and cleared her throat. “I suppose that I should also apologize for turning you into a crystal statue… even if it wasn’t my intention.”

“That’s, um, alright, Tempest,” Derpy assured with an uneasy grin. “It’s no big deal. Besides, I kind of should be thanking you because, in a weird sort of way, you helped me ask Twilight out. You know, since she went to talk to me when she found that I saved her… from you…”

Tempest chuckled softly. “Twilight did say that you were quite the humble pony, and I see that she wasn’t exaggerating. Speaking of Twilight, I’m guessing that you are here to pick her up. Does she know that you’re here?”

“Er, no. Not really.”

“Then I’ll go tell her,” Tempest stated, promptly turning around to head for the stairs leading up to Twilight’s room.

“W-wait! Don’t!” Derpy cried, hastily flying in front of Tempest. Getting an inquisitive raised eyebrow from the unicorn, she then explained, “I, uh, don’t want to disturb her if she’s not ready yet.”

“You won’t. Last I heard, she’s been ready for your date for at least half an hour and has been anxiously waiting for your arrival.”

“Sh-she is?” Derpy gulped, her primary excuse for delaying the inevitable suddenly gone. “Oh, well, um, that’s alright. I am still pretty early, and, um, I don’t want to be rude or anything…”

“So you’re just going to wait here while Twilight waits for you?” Tempest asked flatly.

“Er…” One of Derpy’s eyes shifted left and right. “Yes?”

Tempest slowly blinked, staring stone-faced at Derpy.

“I, uh, really like looking at the foyer here?”

Tempest’s expression did not change at all, and yet, Derpy could somehow feel the unicorn’s gaze upon her intensify, staring right into her soul with a burning anger. She tried to look away from the judgemental stare, but one of Derpy’s eyes would keep on shifting to Tempest’s glare every few moments.

Finally, with a huge sigh, Derpy bowed her head in defeat and confessed, “Okay, okay… The truth is, I’m actually very nervous about this whole date thing.”

“Really now? I never would’ve guessed,” Tempest remarked dryly.

Derpy groaned. “First Spike and now you. Am I really that obvious?”

“Very,” Tempest bluntly answered, earning her another groan from Derpy. With a sigh of her own, Tempest glanced away and said in a lowered voice, “Perhaps… Perhaps you want to explain to me why you’re nervous? It might help you calm down. Twilight did mention that talking could help ponies in situations like this.”

“Well, I suppose that is—Wait, what?” Derpy’s head jerked up, her wide eyes fixed on Tempest. “You want to help me?”

Tempest shrugged. “I did say that I owe you a debt, so consider this a step toward repaying it. Though, I suggest that you hurry up and start talking before I change my mind.”

“Oh, uh, sure, okay. Thanks, Tempest.” Derpy took a deep breath to try and gather her thoughts. “Well, I guess the first thing that I could say is that I really like Twilight. Even before she was a princess, I’ve looked up to her. She’s done so much for everypony, even going on adventures to save Equestria. She’s smart and kind and caring and—”

“Yes, yes, I agree that Twilight is a great pony, but could we maybe get to the point?” Tempest interrupted. “We don’t exactly have all day.”

Derpy chuckled sheepishly. “Er, right. So, I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m ecstatic about being able to go out with her, but at the same time…” She sighed as the worries that had hounded her all day crept up again. “I’m also scared. You see, I can be a ditz at times, and I’m afraid that I’m going to end up messing something up on our date. If anything like that happens, she might not want to have anything to do with me anymore.”

“I highly doubt that Twilight will not want to be your friend after one bad date,” Tempest said. “Consider all of the crimes that I have committed. I invaded Canterlot, imprisoned her, and even stole her magic, and yet, despite all of that, she still wants to be my friend. She’s a very forgiving and understanding pony.”

“I suppose that is true…” Derpy admitted. The thought of her favorite princess did put a small smile on her face.

“Great. So problem solved, right?”

Derpy shook her head. “I’m sorry, Tempest, but I wish it was that easy. Even if Twilight still wants to be my friend regardless of what happens, that doesn’t mean that I can’t still affect her. Accidents tend to happen more often when I’m involved, and I don’t want to embarrass Twilight, or worse, hurt her again.”

“Again?” Tempest inquired.

“It was a long time ago, but I, uh, dropped a flower pot on her head…” Derpy confessed sheepishly.

“That’s not too—”

“And an anvil…”

“Wait, what?”

“And a cart full of hay…”

“That’s not—”

“And a piano…”

Tempest remained silent after Derpy finished her list, and after a moment, she queried, “Is that everything?” Receiving a nod from the pegasus, Tempest then asked, “So what exactly happened?”

“I was helping out with a big delivery, and I might’ve forgotten to secure everything…” Derpy admitted. “Twilight was right below the carriage when… well, you get the idea…”

“I must admit, I didn’t expect to hear something quite like that,” Tempest stated.

“At least you now can see why I’m getting all worked up about this date.”

“Yes, I can…” Tempest was quiet for a few seconds, probably trying to think of the right words. Eventually, she shrugged, along with a defeated sigh. “Honestly, I’m not sure what to say.”

Derpy gave a weak smile to the unicorn. “It’s alright. I really do appreciate you trying though. Things are just… complicated.”

Tempest mulled over her thoughts for a few more seconds before refuting, “See, that’s one thing I’m not quite so sure about.”

“What do you mean?”

“Seems to me that you’re overthinking stuff. Just stop worrying and go on your date.”

“But it’s not that—”

“Did I say you had permission to speak?!” Tempest suddenly barked, causing Derpy to yelp.

“T-Tempest?” Derpy asked fearfully, slowly backing up from the glaring unicorn.

“And what’s with that sloppy stance? Stand up straight!”

Derpy reacted to Tempest’s commanding voice without thinking. She swiftly brought her legs together and stood up straight and still with her chin held up high in a pose that would make the Royal Guard proud.

“Better. Now, tell me, do you want to go on this date with Twilight?” Tempest asked firmly.

Derpy blinked at the abrupt question. “W-what?”

“I asked you a question!” Tempest barked, causing Derpy to yelp and stand up straight again. “Do you want to go on this date with Twilight?!”

“Um, y-yes, but—”

“No more buts!” Tempest rebuked sternly, punctuating her command with a stomp of her hoof. “All that I’m hearing from you is excuses! You either want this date with Twilight or you don’t! I might not know much about dating, but I do know that you cannot let anything get in the way of your goal. Indecision and hesitation will only cloud your vision and hold you back. If you don’t give it your all, then I assure you, something will go wrong on your date, so I suggest that you either buck up or just go home and stop wasting my time. Now, I’m going to ask you one more time: do you want to go on this date with Twilight?”

Derpy stared wide-eyed at Tempest’s ultimatum. With a gulp, she nodded and answered, “Um, yes.”

“Pathetic!” Tempest immediately rejected. “Nopony is going to believe a feeble answer like that! Give me an answer worthy of a princess!”

Derpy took a deep breath, and with more confidence, she repeated, “Yes.”

“Still not good enough! Say it like you mean it!”

“Yes!” Derpy cried out.

“Louder! Put your heart into it!”

“YEAH!” Derpy shouted, rising up on her hind legs as her forelegs rose into a flexing pose. “I’m going on my date with Twilight!”

“I suppose that shall do,” Tempest said, a faint smirk crossing her face. “By the way, you can relax now.”

Derpy blinked, just realizing that she was still standing in the awkward position, and promptly got back down on her hooves. “Um, right.”

“How do you feel now?”

“I feel…” Derpy blinked as she took a quick assessment of herself. “Better. How did you do that?”

“Getting the Storm King’s soldiers pumped up before a battle was not a rare thing for me to do,” Tempest explained. “You’d be surprised how effective some inspiring words followed by a bunch of shouting can be, especially for meatheads like them…  Er… not that I’m implying that you’re a meathead. Also, sorry if I was harsh on you, but I believed that you needed a figurative slap in the face.”

“It’s alright. I think I needed something like that to get my head straightened out.” Derpy was still feeling a bit nervous, but Tempest’s pep talk had quelled it down to a much more manageable level. She gave the unicorn a wide smile and added, “Thank you so much, Tempest. I know that I’ve been a hooffull, and I’m glad that you stuck around to help me out.”

“Like I said, I’m paying back a debt I owe.” Tempest paused for a second. “Nonetheless, I am pleased that I was able to be of assistance. It’s good to know that some skills from my… previous occupation are useful for helping ponies. Twilight wants me to interact with others more, but idle conversation isn’t exactly one of my strengths.”

“I’m guessing that you’re still adjusting to your new life here in Ponyville.”

Tempest nodded. “Things are certainly… different than what I have been used to, but overall, it has been pleasant.”

“Have you made any other friends besides Twilight and the others?”

Tempest scoffed. “Not exactly. They have been very understanding with me. Other ponies, not so much.”

Derpy winced. “Oh… I… I’m sorry.”

“No need for that. I’m used to receiving the looks of scorn, and it’s not like I don’t deserve it,” Tempest explained in a nonchalant tone.

“But that’s the old you. I doubt that the Tempest from before would have helped a quirky mare with her nerves.”

“True, but one good deed does not erase a lifetime of bad ones,” Tempest pointed out. “Especially when some of those deeds could have doomed all of Equestria.”

“But… I mean… You…” Derpy tried to find a good rebuttal, but she sighed when she could not. “I suppose that’s true…” She then looked at Tempest with determination. “Still, what’s important is that you are trying to be a better pony now. Just give it some time. I’m sure that more ponies will get used to you and want to be your friend.”

“Twilight actually said the same thing. Still, I am in no rush to make more friends.” Tempest paused for a moment before adding, “Although, I suppose that it would be nice to be able to take a walk without ponies fleeing from me.”

“Well, here’s one pony that most certainly won’t be doing that sort of thing,” Derpy proclaimed, flashing a wide smile. “I wouldn’t be much of a friend if I did.”

“You? My friend?” Tempest asked with a raised eyebrow.

Derpy’s smile shrunk. “Um, yeah. I mean, if you want. If you don’t want to then that’s fine too…”

“No, I…” Tempest stopped to take a composing breath. “My apologies. I just didn’t expect us to be friends so soon.”

“Well, why not? We’re having a pretty good time just talking to each other, and I would like to get to know you more.” Derpy’s smile grew back to its former self, and she raised her forehoof toward Tempest. “So, do you want to be friends?”

Tempest smiled warmly and lightly tapped Derpy’s hoof with her own. “I would like that.”

Derpy’s grin grew even wider. Twilight would be so proud of her for making a new friend so quickly, especially one that had turned her into a crystal statue.

Stepping back from the hoof bump, Tempest stated, “So, it’s almost time for your date. I do hope that you weren’t lying about being better because I’m not letting you delay any longer.”

Derpy giggled. “I think that I can handle it now. Thanks again for helping me, Tempest. I do hope that we can spend some more time together.”

Tempest gave a nod of approval before turning around to head up the stairs, only to stop after a few steps. Turning her head slightly back to Derpy, she said, “Fizzlepop… Fizzlepop Berrytwist.”

Derpy tilted her head in confusion. “What’s that?”

“My real name, before I became Tempest Shadow. I figured that my friends should at least know that about me. And I would prefer it to stay between friends, for now.”

“Got it. Your secret is safe with me, Temp—er, Fizzlepop. Thank you for sharing this with me.”

Tempest flashed a brief smile at Derpy before resuming her trot up the stairs and into a hallway.

Derpy took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Meeting Tempest was a big surprise and admittedly a tad stressful, but she had quickly warmed up to the scarred unicorn and was glad to now count her as a friend. Despite the awkward introductions, Derpy enjoyed talking with Tempest and was also very grateful for the help in easing her nerves. Hopefully, she would be able to keep her composure for when she finally saw Twilight again.

“Hello, Derpy,” an all too familiar voice greeted, instantly snapping Derpy out of her thoughts, and she looked up to the pony descending the stairs.

Derpy’s breath hitched as she took in her date’s beauty. Just like she had done, Twilight had spent a good deal of time cleaning and grooming herself. The main difference was that the Princess of Friendship had changed her manestyle; her mane now curled upwards at the bottom, and a lock of hair looped toward her ear on the opposite side of her head. It gave her a more regal appearance, and for good reason, because Derpy had seen Twilight wear this exact same manestyle at her coronation ceremony.

“Hi, Twilight,” Derpy finally replied when her date stopped in front of her, just now realizing that she was smiling widely.

“How are you?”

“Fine! Fine. Super fine,” Derpy blurted out. She internally winced at her babbling. Despite everything that she had gone through with Tempest, Derpy felt her nerves start to act up again in the alicorn’s presence, but at least she was able to quash most of the creeping feeling. Taking a deep breath, she followed Tempest’s advice and tried to not overthink things, focusing on the first thing that came to her mind. “I, uh, really like your mane.”

Twilight perked up at the compliment. “Oh, thanks! Rarity helped me choose it. I wanted to keep things low-key, but she insisted that I had to do something for our date. The last time I wore this manestyle was a pretty special occasion, and I think that we can both agree that this date is also a special occasion.”

Even though Twilight probably did not mean to equate her coronation to their date, Derpy’s heart still felt a flutter of giddiness from Twilight considering that their date was special.

“So, it sounds like that you and Tempest really hit it off,” Twilight said. “She mentioned that she had a nice talk with you.”

Derpy nodded. “We did. Although, I have to admit, I was a bit scared when she first came up to me. That quickly changed when we started talking though, and we even became friends in the end.”

“That’s wonderful!” Twilight cheered, her smile growing bigger. “I’m actually relieved to hear that. A lot of ponies still avoid her, even after I’ve announced that she’s a changed pony. She’s had a rough life, and I really want to help her. Just curious, how long did you two get to talk with each other before Tempest went to get me?”

“I can’t exactly say for sure…” Derpy’s mouth scrunched up slightly as she tapped a forehoof on her chin in thought. “But Tempest came up to me not too long after Spike let me inside.”

Twilight’s smile dropped as she tilted her head in confusion. “Spike is still around? I thought that he went to Rarity’s to return her things.”

“Oh, he did. I met him just as he was leaving the castle, and before he left, he said that I could come inside to wait for you.”

“So, if you arrived when Spike left, then that means…” Twilight’s eyes slowly grew wider and wider with fear, and she eventually released a loud gasp. “Y-you’ve been waiting for me for more than half an hour?”

Derpy blinked, quickly running through the recent conversations in her head. With a slow nod, she replied, “Um, yes. I suppose that I did.”

“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry!” a flustered Twilight apologized. “I didn’t mean to make you wait for so long!” She let out a loud groan as she fell to her haunches, burying her face into her forehooves. “We haven’t even started our date, and I’m already messing it up.”

“No, no, no, Twilight,” Derpy hastily assured, rushing forward to sit down in front of the moping alicorn. “You’re not messing up anything at all. I got here early, so you can’t blame yourself that I had to wait a bit.”

“But you were nice enough to come pick me up. Early or not, I should’ve been waiting for you at the door, especially since I was technically all ready about an hour ago.”

“Really, Twilight. It’s alright. I neglected to tell anypony I was here until Tempest saw me, and even if she hadn’t come around, I have no problem waiting for you. Besides, if I had not ended up waiting for you, I wouldn’t have got to talk and become friends with Tempest.”

Twilight let her forehooves drop and looked up at Derpy with a small smile. “That is quite the silver lining for having you wait. Befriending Tempest means a lot to me, and I’m sure that it means a lot to her as well.”

“So it’s more like a gold lining situation, huh?” Derpy joked.

Twilight giggled. “I suppose so…” She got back up on her hooves and closed her eyes. Raising a forehoof to her chest, she took a deep breath in and then slowly let the air out, her hoof stretching out in front of her as though she was pushing the released air away.

“I’m sorry for, as Spike and Rainbow would put it, spazzing out,” Twilight apologized, opening her eyes again and no longer looking as anxious. “I’ve been fretting over our date all day. It’s pretty much why I was still in my room as Starlight tried to help me calm down. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Spike left for Rarity’s just to get a break from me.

“I just want our date to go smoothly and not just because it’s your reward for saving me. I know that you’ve been wanting to do this for a long time, so I want to make this the best experience possible. And well…” Some red graced Twilight’s cheeks as she glanced away with a sheepish smile. “I really do want to see if it’s possible if we could be, um, more than friends.”

Derpy felt a blush of her own from Twilight’s words, but she quickly composed herself. “I’m glad to hear that. And… well… since you’re telling me all of this, I should tell you that I was super nervous as well.”

“Really?” Twilight said in surprise. “What did you do to deal with it because you seem quite calm and collected right now.”

“Tempest helped with that,” Derpy explained. “She tried talking to me at first, but when that didn’t work, she used… Well, in short, she went, uh, Commander Tempest on me and told me to ‘buck up and stop worrying’.”

Twilight chuckled softly. “An unconventional method, but as long as it helped.”

“It did… So much,” Derpy admitted. “To be honest, when Spike let me in, I think I was a few steps away from a mental breakdown. In fact, that’s why I didn’t announce that I arrived. I wanted some time to try and calm myself down. I was worried that I was going to mess up something on our date that would embarrass or even hurt you.”

Twilight frowned. “Please don’t tell me you’re thinking about the delivery accident again.”

Derpy chuckled nervously. “Yeah… I was. But before you say anything, yes, I know that you forgive me and all that. It still doesn’t change the fact that I felt terrible for hurting you, and well… I might’ve thought that I could screw up this date enough to make you not want to be friends anymore.”

“Derpy…” Twilight chided in a light, scolding tone. “What was the requirement that I made when we first agreed on our date?”

“Requirement? Oh, right, it was…” Derpy paused for a moment, and then with a groan, facehooved. “Oh yeah…”

“Say it out loud, Derpy,” Twilight instructed, much like how a teacher makes a student recite a lesson.

“That you would pay for everything on our date?” Derpy said with a sheepish grin.

Twilight rolled her eyes in amusement. “Okay, yes, I made that requirement as well, but I meant the other, more important one.”

Derpy sighed and dropped her gaze in shame. “That we would do our best to remain friends if things don’t work out between us… Sorry, Twilight. I guess that in all of the excitement, I kind of forgot about that. I really should’ve remembered something as crucial as that.”

“I didn’t do this to make you feel bad,” Twilight stated, her voice softening to her usual friendly self. “I did it to remind you about an important promise we made and to make sure that you don’t forget it again.”

Derpy looked back up at Twilight with a grateful smile. “Don’t worry. I won’t.”

“I guess that we’ve both got pretty worked up over this date, huh?” Twilight pointed out.

“Yes, we did, but I guess that just shows how good of friends we are.”

“And how much we want this date to actually work out,” Twilight added, nodding in agreement. “So, um, I guess from the sounds of it, we’re ready for our date, huh?”

Derpy replied with a nod of her own. “Ready whenever you are.”

As they turned to exit the castle, Derpy felt a whirl of emotions. Despite a pang of anxiety flaring up, she could also feel eagerness, excitement, and happiness flow through her. Looking toward her date and receiving a smile in return, Derpy’s heart fluttered again. This was what she wanted: some time alone with Twilight to get to know her favorite princess better and possibly even take things further.

Despite having dealt with so much today, the night was just beginning, and it was going to be one she was going to remember forever.
> The Date
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Should I do it? I don’t think that she would mind, and lots of ponies do it when they go out, right? Would she expect me to do it, or am I actually rushing things? Ohh… what should I do?

A swarm of questions went through Derpy’s head while she trotted through Ponyville’s streets, and it was all because of the pony walking right beside her. 

I still can’t believe I’m actually on a date with Twilight, Derpy thought. She checked on the Princess, and her heart fluttered when Twilight happened to glance right back at her. Their gazes meeting, Twilight gave a quick smile, and Derpy could not help but return it with a wide smile of her own. She’s just gorgeous. I just want to lean in and…

Derpy blushed and swiftly shifted her eyes forward, trying to block out the images in her mind, and focus her attention back on their walk.

Despite both of them having wings, the two of them had elected to stick to walking for their date, a decision that Derpy was secretly grateful for. It not only made it easier for them to enjoy each other’s company, but given her penchant for crashes, Derpy was more than happy to avoid any sort of flying to reduce the chances of an accident during this momentous night. While her worries about messing up had been quelled back at the castle, there was still a lingering fear dwelling in the back of her mind.

Not flying also gave Derpy plenty of opportunities to admire her long-time crush, and the little exchange earlier had been one of many such delightful moments. It was hard not to keep adoring Twilight, and soon, one of Derpy’s eyes went back to stealing glances at the alicorn, shortly followed by the other. She just could not help it. To her, Twilight had always been a beautiful sight. Tonight, however, as Twilight walked by her side, Derpy thought that the alicorn looked positively radiant. 

Oh Celestia, I want to nuzzle her so bad.

“Derpy, is everything alright?” Twilight asked, turning her head to give the pegasus her full attention.

Derpy blinked, broken out of her admiration. “Oh, um, yes. Of course it is. Why do you ask?”

“You’ve kind of been staring at me for the past few minutes.” Twilight frowned slightly. “Is there something on my face, or did my mane get messed up?”

“No, no, you’re good. Perfect, even,” Derpy said, smiling sheepishly. “Sorry, about staring. You‘re just…” She tried to think of the right word to say, but after a few moments, she lamely uttered, “pretty.”

To Derpy’s relief, not only was Twilight not put off by the plain compliment, she actually grinned, and as Twilight turned her attention back to the road, Derpy saw a light blush on the princess’s cheeks.

Not wanting to be rude and return to blatant staring, Derpy tried to keep the conversation rolling and said, “So, um, I know that we’re headed to dinner now, but you didn’t mention where exactly we are going to.”

“It’s a nice, little cafe just a few more blocks away,” Twilight informed.

“That sounds nice,” Derpy commented, smiling in satisfaction, but that smile slowly faded when a concern came to mind. “Um, just curious. Is this place really fancy or anything like that?”

“F-fancy?” Twilight audibly gulped. “N-no… No, it isn’t.”

Hearing her companion’s trembling voice, Derpy turned to find that Twilight had stopped walking with her eyes wide with fear.

“Twilight, is something wrong?” Derpy asked with a worried frown.

“Wrong? No, nothing is wrong,” Twilight blurted out, grinning uneasily. Several strands of her mane suddenly popped out of place. “I was just kidding about going to the cafe. Good joke, right? Haha. We’re actually going to a really nice restaurant. Rarity told me all about it, and it’s really fancy. I just need a moment to make sure our seats are still reserved, which I totally did and don’t have to pull a few strings for. Everything is going to be just—”

“Twilight!” Derpy interrupted in a raised voice as she clamped the alicorn’s mouth shut with her forehooves. As the alicorn stared at her with worried eyes, Derpy took a deep breath, put on a warm smile, and in an assuring tone, she stated, “The cafe sounds delightful. I would love to go there.”

As soon as Derpy’s hooves slipped away, Twilight uttered, “But I thought…” She stopped to bite her lip as her brow furrowed with uncertainty. “Are you sure, Derpy? You were asking if we were going to someplace fancy, and I thought…”

Derpy sighed as she gently raised a forehoof to Twilight’s mane and begin smoothing out the errant strands. “I’m sorry that I made it sound like I didn’t like your idea. I was just asking if the cafe was fancy so that I could try to prepare myself for it. I’m not that good with the high society stuff, and I don’t want to accidentally do something embarrassing.”

“That’s…” Twilight laughed softly, and as she relaxed, she let out a huge sigh of relief. “That’s actually the main reason I picked the cafe. I didn’t peg you as somepony who is into fine dining, and to be honest, neither am I. I figured that we could go someplace more simple and laid back, where we don’t have to worry about all of those stuffy rules.”

“And I am glad that you made that choice,” Derpy confirmed, smiling as she managed to restore Twilight’s mane back to perfection. “If we had gone to someplace really fancy, I probably would have spent the entire night trying to mind my manners or figure out why a pony would need so many different forks for one meal.”

“Actually, the answer to the fork thing is pretty simple,” Twilight remarked, perking right back up. “While one of the primary reasons for the myriad of utensils in formal dining is merely a display of wealth, we have to consider the fact that…”

Of all of the things Derpy had thought was going to happen on this date, she never would have imagined that she would be receiving a lecture on the history of eating utensils. And yet here she was, listening to Twilight drone on about the difference between a salad fork and a dessert fork. However, despite the mundane subject, Derpy had little issue with letting Twilight speak, especially since she saw how the studious pony was now speaking with confidence and a smile on her face.

“And that’s why silversmiths owe a great deal to the popularity of dinnerware,” Twilight eventually concluded, finishing her lecture with her chin held up and chest puffed out in pride. She held the position for a moment but blinked when Derpy giggled at the pose.

“Um, how long was I talking?” Twilight asked warily.

“About ten to fifteen minutes,” Derpy answered.

“What?! Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn’t want to interrupt you.”

“That’s really sweet of you, Derpy, but next time, feel free to stop me if I go into, as Rainbow calls it, lecture mode. I know that I can get carried with my explanations, and I don’t mind when my friends have to tell me to stop… usually.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, but really, Twilight, it was no trouble. I admit that I didn’t get everything, but you looked so happy and relaxed while you were lecturing. I couldn’t cut that short.”

Twilight smiled. “That’s very thoughtful of you, Derpy, and I really do appreciate it. Still, we’re on a date, and all of my talking has put us behind schedule. Come on. We need to get a move on if we want to make our reservation.”

Traveling the rest of the way in a brisk trot, the two of them arrived at the cafe in a matter of minutes. The cafe itself was a simple wooden building with a straw-thatched roof, much like most of Ponyville, but an orange-striped awning and large windows lining the front wall differentiated it from the other buildings. Most of the seating area consisted of tables, each covered with a light-yellow tablecloth, and short, cushioned stools set up right outside of the structure.

“Ah, Princess Twilight. Always a pleasure to see you,” a pale-yellow stallion with a slight Prench accent greeted as he emerged from the cafe’s entrance. He had a slicked-back dark-blue mane and wore a white dress shirt, complete with a red bowtie and pristine white cuffs around his hooves.

“Nice to see you too, Savoir Fare,” Twilight greeted back. “And I’ve told you before that you don’t have to call me Princess.”

“My apologies, Twilight,” Savoir said with a slight bow. “It’s just a habit, even when you’ve reminded me time and time again.” 

“I hope that it’s alright that we’re a few minutes late for the reservation that I made.”

“Not at all, Twilight,” Savoir assured, waving a hoof across the dining area with just a few other ponies eating. “As you can see, there’s plenty of room for you and your companion. Speaking of, good evening, Derpy,” he added, giving the pegasus a bow.

“Hello there,” Derpy replied, along with a small bow of her own.

“I am pleased to serve the both of you for the evening. If you don’t mind me asking, is there a special occasion tonight? This is the first time that I’ve seen you two come here together.”

“Actually, yes, it is a special occasion,” Twilight informed, a slight blush showing on her cheeks. “Derpy and I, well, we are actually having our first date together.”

“Oh, ho, ho,” Savoir uttered with a grin. “I am honored that the both of you chose to come here for such a momentous event. I shall endeavor to make this a memorable night for you two. Please, let me show you to your table.”

Savoir promptly led Twilight and Derpy to the opposite side of the dining area, placing them at a table away from the other customers. Once they were seated, Savoir gave them their menus and asked, “Is there anything I can get for you two while you make your selections?”

“We’ll be fine, Savoir. Thank you,” Twilight replied.

“Very good, Twilight.” Savoir turned to walk away, but he stopped and looked back at the alicorn. “But might I suggest that you try something else besides your usual daisy sandwich for once?”

Twilight rolled her eyes in amusement. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Derpy chuckled as Savoir shot the alicorn a cheeky grin before he left. “I take it that you order daisy sandwiches here pretty often.”

“That’s an understatement,” Twilight admitted. “I’ve been a regular customer since I moved to Ponyville, and yet, I have never tried anything else except for the daisy sandwich.”

“If you like it that much, then you should order it. Savoir was just teasing you, and I’m sure that he wouldn’t actually mind that much.”

“Teasing or not, he does make a good point. Tonight is about trying new things, just like I’m doing now as I go out on a date with a really special pony.”

Derpy barely suppressed a squee of delight. “I’m really glad that I get to spend time with you too, Twilight. Even though it’s still early in our date, I’m having a lovely time.”

“Then I hope that I can make the rest of the night just as enjoyable.” Twilight then raised the menu up in her magic. “Anyway, I don’t know about you, but I’m starved. We should hurry up and order.”

Derpy nodded and picked up her own menu in her hooves. Now that Twilight had mentioned it, she could not recall if she had eaten lunch or breakfast today amidst all of her nervousness. Judging by the pangs in her stomach, she had most definitely not.

Combing through the menu, one of Derpy’s eyes glossed over the price tags of each item, noting that most selections were reasonably priced. It still compelled her to ask, “I know that you wanted to pay for dinner when we planned this date, but are you sure that you don’t want me to pay instead, or at the very least, let me pay for my half? I was the one to ask you out, after all.”

“Like I said before, Derpy, I want to treat you as thanks for saving me,” Twilight stated. “Don’t worry about bits. I have more than enough saved up, and that’s before I even became a princess, so please, just pick whatever looks good to you.” Twilight set down her menu and looked directly into Derpy’s eyes. “Oh, and if you try and pick the cheapest thing here, you and I are going to have words.”

Despite the playful tone of Twilight’s warning, Derpy could tell that her date was serious. “Thanks, Twilight. Sorry if I overstepped a boundary.”

“Not at all, Derpy, and it was thoughtful for you to ask. That thoughtfulness is one of the many reasons that I agreed to go out with you.”

Derpy quickly raised her menu, not just to finish deciding her order, but to also hide her blush.

After a few moments of silence went by as they chose their orders, Savoir came back to their table and asked, “Have you lovely ladies decided what to get?”

“Yes. Could I please get the pasta?” Twilight replied.

“Praise Celestia, Twilight has actually ordered something besides a daisy sandwich for once,” Savoir stated in mock wonder, earning him another playful eye roll from the pony in question. “And what about you, Derpy?”

“I think that I’ll try the vegetable lasagna,” said Derpy.

“Excellent choice. One of my favorites actually. Can I get you two anything to drink while you wait?”

“Cider for me, please,” Twilight requested.

“I think that I’ll just stick to a water—” Derpy stopped when Twilight raised her eyebrow. Clearing her throat, she amended, “Um, actually, cider for me too, please.”

“Very good, mademoiselles. I shall have those out for you two right away.”

“So, how’s the post office doing?” Twilight asked as soon as Savoir took their menus and left.

Despite being a bit surprised by the sudden question, Derpy was more than happy to continue talking with her date. “It’s still busier than usual, but compared to what it was like right after the Storm King’s invasion, things have definitely calmed down a lot. We even hired three new pegasi onto the team, which is nice. I don’t have to do as many deliveries so that means I get to foalsit Dinky more often.”

“Speaking of Dinky, I was actually surprised when I found out that she wasn’t actually your daughter, given how often I see the two of you together.”

Derpy chuckled. “I can see why ponies would think that. Dinky does live right next door, and I’m always more than happy to watch her whenever her sister Amethyst gets caught up with work.”

Twilight’s smile faded slightly. “Ah right, Amethyst. How, um, how is she?”

“Twilight, I already told you that she doesn’t have any grudges against you.”

“I know it’s just…” Twilight sighed. “I just feel guilty that I pretty much took the title of Ponyville’s best organizer from her.”

“It’s true that Amethyst was a bit miffed that you took over some of her duties, but she got over it after she saw all of the improvements that you made, especially for Winter Wrap Up.  Besides, she has plenty of other things to keep her busy at Town Hall. If anything, you’re actually lightening her workload.”

“If you say so.” Twilight still sounded a bit unsure about stepping on Amethyst’s hooves, but at least her posture seemed to have relaxed.

Before they could say anything else, Savoir came back to the table with a tray floating beside him in his magic, bearing their ordered cider. The cafe had opted to serve their drinks with a bit of class by pouring them into tall, narrow glasses with a thin apple slice wedged into the rim.

Derpy could not help but lick her lips at the sight of the beverages. Now that she thought about it, her throat was parched with all of the talking that she had been doing today. As soon as Savoir placed her drink in front of her, Derpy swiftly grabbed the cider in her hooves to chug it down, but she froze with the glass about to touch her lips when she saw Twilight raise her own in her magic.

“Um, do you think that we could maybe do a quick toast?” Twilight requested.

“Oh, of course!” Derpy hastily fumbled with the glass in her hooves, even almost dropping it, and raised it up toward her date. “So, uh, to us?”

Twilight smiled gleefully and clinked their glasses together. “To us.”

In an attempt to maintain her poise because of their toast, Derpy restrained herself to taking a dainty sip. However, the sweetness of the cider, undoubtedly made from Sweet Apple Acres, and her dry throat prompted her to guzzle more of the refreshing beverage. In a few seconds, she managed to chug more than half of her glass before she set it back down with a satisfied sigh.

Her look of contentment did not last long as Derpy felt some pressure coming from her stomach, and her eyes widened when that feeling swiftly traveled up her throat. She hurriedly slapped a hoof over her mouth, and although she managed to muffle it, an audible burp still escaped her.

“S-sorry,” Derpy squeaked after she dropped her hoof, revealing her bright-red cheeks.

Fortunately, Twilight merely giggled and said, “I guess that you were pretty thirsty.”

Derpy chuckled nervously. “Yeah. I spent the whole day getting ready and panicking for this date, and I hardly had anything all day.”

“Then it’s a good thing that we’re here to fix that,” Twilight remarked. “Feel free to get as many refills as you need, and if you’re really hungry, I’m sure that Savoir can whip something up for you really quick.”

“I can wait for our orders, although I might have to take you up on the cider refill, if that’s alright.”

“I wouldn’t have offered if it wasn’t,” Twilight replied, earning her a grateful smile from Derpy. “Anyway, I asked you about the post office, so it’s your turn to ask something about me.”

“Oh, um, alright. Let me see…” Derpy tapped a forehoof on her chin in thought. It did not take long for her to think of the perfect subject that she wanted to know more about. “Well, if you don’t mind, I would love to hear about the adventure that you went on during the Storm King’s invasion.”

“Ah, yes. I guess that I haven’t told many ponies about everything we’ve been through yet.” Twilight took a quick sip of her cider and then cleared her throat. “As you already know, it’s a pretty long story. It all started when my friends and I escaped Canterlot. We only had one lead, and that was to find the Queen of the Hippos somewhere to the south…” 

Derpy had read in the newspaper what went on during Twilight’s journey, but it was only a woefully short summary that hardly did justice to the accomplishments of Twilight and her friends. Hearing the full story from the Princess of Friendship herself had Derpy on the edge of the seat as she learned about all of the wondrous places and strange characters that Twilight met on her journey. She was so captivated by Twilight’s words that Derpy almost forgot about the gnawing hunger that she was feeling.

Almost.

Fortunately for Derpy’s empty stomach, by the time Twilight had wrapped up the story, Savoir returned, this time bearing the food that they ordered. 

Twilight was served first, her pasta almost looking too pretty to eat. Covered with white alfredo sauce, a medley of diced vegetables including bell peppers, carrots, onions, and tomatoes were mixed in with the noodles, creating a colorful palette.

Impressed by the presentation of Twilight’s dish, Derpy could hardly wait to dig into hers as it was placed in front of her. The lasagna that she ordered stood tall, each layer holding a generous amount of either vegetables or cheese and all topped with tomato sauce. The sight of the delicious meal alone made Derpy’s mouth, but when the savory aroma hit her nose, it took all of her willpower to not just faceplant into her dinner. She was pretty much starving at this point, but the need to mind her manners in front of Twilight won out.

“Well, let’s dig in,” Twilight proclaimed after Savoir left them.

Derpy was more than happy to oblige, and she quickly cut off a piece of her lasagna and shoved it into her mouth. It felt like pure bliss when the delectable food hit her taste buds, and she could not help but moan… loudly.

When she came down from her food high, Derpy blinked when she saw that Twilight was staring at her with a fork-full of pasta in front of her open mouth. A quick glance around showed that the eyes of the other ponies in the dining area were also on her.

“Um, the lasagna was really good?” Derpy sheepishly offered to her audience, trying to salvage her dignity. Luckily, the other ponies shrugged off her faux pas and returned to their own meals.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Derpy turned back to her date and apologized, “I’m so sorry for that, Twilight.”

“It’s alright, Derpy,” Twilight assured with a comforting smile. “You mentioned that you hardly had anything today, and I’m guessing that your hunger made your food even tastier than normal. It’s a natural reaction that your body does to let you know that you need to eat more because you need more sustenance. That or the lasagna here is, and I quote, really good.”

The small joke was enough to get Derpy to chuckle softly, easing her tension. After taking a calming breath, she said, “Thank you for being so understanding, Twilight.”

“It’s no problem at all, Derpy. Now, let’s get back to our meal. I’m sure that you’re still hungry after only one bite.”

Derpy nodded and promptly returned to her lasagna. The second bite was just as enjoyable as the first one, but thankfully, there was not another loud moan to interrupt everypony. With their dinner regaining a sense of normalcy, Derpy relaxed to enjoy the good food, and more importantly, the good company.

Small bits of conversation were exchanged between the two of them while they continued their meal, but when they were both about halfway through their entrees, Twilight said, “You know, this pasta is delicious. Would you like to try some?”

“Oh, um, sure,” Derpy replied, looking up from her own food.

With a broad smile, Twilight quickly used her magic to pick up a spare fork and gather a sizeable portion of pasta. She then floated the ladened fork across the table, which Derpy reached for with a hoof.

To Derpy’s surprise, the offered food veered around her hoof and went on to stop in front of her mouth. “Uhh,” was all she could say as one of her eyes glanced up at Twilight while the other kept on staring at the floating food.

Noting Derpy’s hesitation, Twilight’s smile faded. “Sorry, I just thought that I could feed you and… and I’m making this weird, aren’t I?

“No, not at all,” Derpy hastily assured, now that she understood what was going on.

Twilight shook her head and returned the fork to her plate. “It’s alright, Derpy. I can tell that I was making things awkward. It’s just a silly idea that I saw in some books anyway.”

“What kind of books suggested that?” Derpy asked curiously.

“Um, dating guides and maybe a romance novel or two,” Twilight admitted sheepishly. “I wanted to be well-prepared for our date, so I’ve been reading every book on romance that I could find. I even compiled a huge list of things to do so that I would know how to act on our date.”

“Wait, so you’ve just been following a list this whole time?” Derpy was not sure how she felt about this piece of news, but it definitely did make her insides twist uncomfortably.

“Not exactly. You see, soon after I finished that list, Spike took it from me and dragonfired it to Cadance.”

“Cadance? As in Princess Cadance all the way up in the Crystal Empire?” Derpy asked, her eyes widening. “Why would he do that?”

Twilight sighed. “Because I was getting all worked up about making this the perfect date. In short, I was driving everypony in the castle crazy as I literally planned everything for our date down to the second. Spike knew that it was a bad idea, so that’s why he sent the list, along with an explanation, to Cadance. When she replied, we ended up sending a few letters back and forth, and she managed to talk some sense into me.

“She made me realize that there are no set rules when it comes to love and that there was no way a list could account for everything that could happen on a date, not to mention distracting me from paying proper attention to you. Still, while I’m not relying on my list tonight, I can’t help but fall back to some of the things I wrote on it, such as trying to keep the conversation going, making a toast, or feeding each other. In a way, it helps keep my nerves in check.”

Derpy frowned. “Wow, you told me that you were fretting over our date, but I didn’t realize you went through so much trouble. I really do appreciate you putting so much time and effort on this date, but I don’t want you to go through all of that stress. In truth, I don’t need any grand gesture or for you to do something fancy to impress me. I just want to spend time with you.”

Twilight chuckled softly. “Cadance actually said the exact same thing when I told her about you. In hindsight, I really should have asked her for advice in the first place since she’s such an expert on matters of the heart. It would have saved me a lot of stress, especially since the books I read often contradicted each other.

“I really should thank Spike as well for reaching out to her, not to mention getting rid of that list. During my, uh, episode, I wasn’t exactly thinking clearly, so quite a lot of the things that I put on there were…” She paused to clear her throat as her cheeks reddened. “Um, let’s just say that they were a bit much for a first date.”

“Much? What do you…” Derpy stopped when she realized what Twilight was talking about, and a blush of her own grew on her cheeks. “Oh.”

“Yeah…” Twilight smiled sheepishly as her gaze fell back onto her pasta. “A-anyway, I interrupted our dinner for long enough. Let’s get back to eating before our food gets cold.”

“Um, before we do that, do you maybe still want to try that feeding each other thing?”

“What?” Twilight uttered, blinking several times in surprise. “Derpy, I told you that it was just a silly thing from my ridiculous list.”

“True, but it must have been something that you wanted to do because I saw how eager you were when I first agreed to it.”

“Only because you weren’t aware I was going to feed you like a foal. I’ll admit that I thought it was a fun and cute thing that we could try, but it’s not worth it if it makes you uncomfortable.”

“I was just caught off guard with what you were trying to do. Now that I know the full story, I am more than fine with it.” Derpy smiled, making sure that it was warm and reassuring. “Really, Twilight, it’s just a little harmless fun, and you even got me wanting to try it. Also, I really do want to try some of your pasta.”

That got a small chuckle from Twilight. “Alright then, if you’re really sure…”

Derpy watched as Twilight, once again, picked up a generous serving of her pasta with a fork. This time, Derpy leaned forward, her mouth opened wide, and the beautiful sound of Twilight’s giggling filled her ears as the offered pasta went into her mouth. Humming in satisfaction, Derpy found the pasta quite delicious, but she still preferred her own lasagna.

Twilight’s giggling turned into snorts of laughter when she withdrew the now empty fork. “Oh my gosh. That was so corny. I can’t believe we just did that.”

“But did you have fun with it?” Derpy asked after she was done chewing.

“Yes, even if it was very silly,” Twilight answered.

“Well good, because now it’s your turn.”

Twilight’s eyebrow went up as Derpy quickly cut off a piece of lasagna and held it up with a fork of her own. Grinning in amusement, she conceded, “I suppose that fair is fair, not to mention that I’m curious about your lasagna after that display you put on earlier.”

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Derpy focused on keeping her hooves steady as she reached over the table to feed the princess. Just as she was about to put the offered food into Twilight’s mouth, Derpy’s eyes acted up, blurring her vision. It was just for a moment, but it was enough to throw off her aim, causing her to smoosh the lasagna into her date’s cheek instead.

Derpy froze, her mouth agape and her eyes wide with fear as she stared at the splotch of cheese and tomato sauce she had sullied Twilight’s cheek with.

“Oh my gosh, Twilight! I’m so sorry!” Derpy apologized as she quickly grabbed a napkin. In her haste to reach over and wipe off her mess, her hoof slammed down on the edge of the table, causing it to tip over from her weight.

Derpy yelped when she and the table fell sideways, and her eyes clenched shut as she braced for impact. However, after a few seconds of not hitting the ground nor hearing anything break, she slowly opened her eyes to find her vision being bathed in a familiar magenta tinge.

Glancing over at her date, Derpy saw Twilight’s horn alight with magic, confirming that she had indeed been saved by the alicorn. Not only that, but the alicorn had also managed to catch the tossed contents from their table, suspending them in the air.

Looking around, Derpy saw that the whole dining area and even a few ponies passing by the cafe were all staring at her. With a whimper, she bowed her head in both shame and embarrassment, keeping it like that while Twilight gently reseated her, as well as neatly placing their dinner back on the table. Other than their food being jostled around a bit, it hardly looked like that they had just narrowly avoided disaster. 

Too bad that Derpy could not say the same for herself.

“Guess all those times I’ve had to stop Rainbow or Pinkie from crashing into me has paid off,” Twilight muttered, followed by a sigh of relief. “Are you alright, Derpy?”

“I… No, not really,” Derpy mumbled while she sank into her seat, trying to make herself as small as possible.

With a burst of magenta light, Twilight teleported to Derpy’s side and promptly began examining the pegasus with a worried frown. “Oh my goodness. Did you get injured? Where does it hurt? Do we need to go to the hospital?”

“No, it’s not that.” Derpy kept her head bowed, unable to bring herself to meet the alicorn’s eyes. “I… I screwed up.”

“Oh, Derpy…” Twilight placed a hoof on the despairing Derpy’s shoulder. “It’s alright. It was just an accident, and there’s no mess to clean up.”

“Only because of you.” Derpy groaned and buried her face into her forehooves. “First the cider burp, then the food moan, and now this. I was afraid that I would do something stupid on our date that would embarrass you in front of everypony and that is exactly what I’ve been doing since we got here.”

“Derpy, look at me. Please,” Twilight coaxed gently, getting the distraught pegasus to lower her forehooves and glance up at her. “It’s going to be alright. You did nothing wrong.”

“B-but I screwed up,” Derpy repeated, trying hard to fight back tears. The last thing that she wanted to do was cry and cause an even bigger scene for Twilight to sit through.

“It was an accident,” Twilight reaffirmed. “Everypony gets into them.”

“Not as often as me though…”

“True, but you’re looking at it all wrong. Yes, you might be a bit more accident-prone than the average pony, but that’s what makes you so wonderful, Derpy. No matter how many times you mess up, you always get back on your hooves. Well, excluding right now of course, but this whole date thing has been making both of us act a bit weird. Point is, I actually envy you.”

“Y-you envy me?” Derpy repeated, hardly able to believe what she heard.

Twilight nodded. “I do. I’m sure that you know that when something doesn’t go as planned, I tend to panic, sometimes with spectacular results. Need I remind you of the Want it, Need it spell that I put on my Smarty Pants doll many seasons ago?”

Derpy slowly nodded. “That was certainly an interesting day.”

“That’s an understatement… Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that despite your hardships, you always remain positive, upbeat, calm, and caring. Do you think that I’m going to pass up on dating such a wonderful pony just because of one little accident, especially one that I don’t find the least bit embarrassing?”

“Twilight…” All Derpy could do was stare at her date in wonder as she processed the alicorn’s words. 

A pony clearing their throat made them turn to find Savoir standing nearby.

“Is everything alright, mademoiselles?” Savoir asked, concern in his voice.

Twilight looked back to Derpy with uncertainty. “Um…”

“We’re fine, Savoir. Thank you,” Derpy stated with a soft smile. “There was a little incident, but it’s all cleared up now.”

Savoir smiled back and bowed. “I am happy to hear that, Derpy. Please don’t hesitate to call me if you do need anything.”

“So I take it that you’re feeling better now?” Twilight asked after Savoir left.

“Much better,” Derpy replied. “All of those kind words you said about me… How can I stay sad when you make me feel so special? It just means the world to me that you think so highly of me. I’ll do my best to not let you down. Thank you, Twilight.”

Twilight smiled and wrapped her hooves around the pegasus in a hug. “Anytime, Derpy.”

Derpy and Twilight finished the rest of their dinner without any further incidents, and their empty plates were soon whisked away by Savoir. To their surprise, the waiter came back a moment later and placed a tall glass of strawberry milkshake between them.

“Um, I don’t think that we ordered this, Savoir,” Twilight informed.

“Compliments of the establishment for two lovely mares,” Savoir explained. “I do apologize that I can only give you one though. Unfortunately, all of our other glasses are being used.”

Derpy and Twilight glanced over the rest of the dining area, noting that only a few customers were left, none of which were drinking milkshakes. They then looked back at the stallion with raised eyebrows.

“Yes, very unfortunate,” Savoir restated unabashed, who then quickly inserted two straws into the milkshake. “I suppose that you two will have to make do and share. Enjoy.”

“That was… subtle,” Derpy remarked when the waiter beat a hasty retreat.

“As subtle as Pinkie Pie,” Twilight agreed.

Derpy chuckled. “So, um, yeah… Pretty obvious what Savoir is aiming for.”

“We could just take turns if you’re uncomfortable with drinking at the same time.”

“No, I’m fine with sharing it. We did the whole feeding each other thing after all... mostly. Besides, this seems like just the sort of thing that would be on your list.” When she saw Twilight glance away and nervously cough, Derpy could not help but grin. “It is, isn’t it?”

“I told you that I wasn’t thinking clearly when I made that list!” Twilight protested. She tried to pout, but she was not doing a good job since her mouth kept twitching into a grin.

Derpy giggled and then gestured to the awaiting dessert. “Shall we then?”

Receiving a nod from her date, Derpy leaned toward the milkshake, only to yelp and reel away when her muzzle bumped into Twilight’s.

“Oops, my bad!”

“Sorry!”

The two mares stared at each other after their hasty apologies for a second before bursting into laughter.

As Derpy sat back into her seat and rubbed her muzzle with a hoof, she remarked in an amused tone, “Well, that didn’t quite go as planned.”

“No, it didn’t,” Twilight agreed with a chuckle. Her horn glowed as her magic readjusted the straws so that they were further apart and sticking out of the glass more. “Shall we try again?”

Derpy nodded, and both of them inched forward slowly, careful to not bump muzzles again. After some careful maneuvering, Derpy was able to get a straw into her mouth at the same time Twilight got the other into her mouth, and the both of them giggled over their little victory before they started drinking the milkshake.

A mix of strawberry and a splash of vanilla danced on Derpy’s taste buds while she sipped on the milkshake, and yet, despite the delicious dessert, her attention was quickly grabbed by something else. With them both drinking from the same glass, their faces were only a few inches away from each other, allowing Derpy to gaze into Twilight’s beautiful violet eyes. What’s more, Twilight was staring right back with a smile, causing Derpy’s heart to flutter with joy.

Derpy was so lost in their reciprocal admiration that she hardly remembered that she was drinking the milkshake until the noise of the last drops being slurped up startled her out of her trance.

“Ah, that was an excellent way to end our meal,” Twilight stated. “I’m stuffed.”

“Yeah, me too,” Derpy agreed. As she sat back, she noticed that the cafe’s dining area was empty. “Oh wow, we’ve been here longer than I thought.”

“Well, time does fly when you’ve got good company,” Twilight remarked. “But we should get going. It’s getting late.”

After Twilight paid for their meal, along with a generous tip to Savoir, the two of them started making their way back to the castle.

“Thank you for dinner, Twilight,” Derpy said as they trotted down the streets, happily noting that the alicorn was walking much closer to her side compared to the beginning of their date.

“You’re welcome, Derpy,” Twilight replied. “I pretty much already know the answer, but just to be sure, did you enjoy the meal?”

“Absolutely. The food was delicious, and I’m certainly going to go back there to try other stuff.”

“I’ll be doing the same. Savoir was right about me trying something else besides the daisy sandwich.”

Derpy giggled. “But really, the food is only a small part of what made tonight so magnificent. The best part was being able to spend time with a wonderful pony who looked past my clumsiness and kept picking me back up every time I made a fool of myself.”

“You’re never a fool, Derpy,” Twilight stated, draping a wing over her companion’s back. “I meant every word that I said earlier. You’re a special pony, and I’m glad that I got to spend tonight with you.”

Derpy blushed when Twilight’s wing dragged her closer to the alicorn, embracing her in a wing hug.

She’s holding me so close and not letting go! Does that mean I can do it? She must like me, right? We did so much tonight after all. That means I should be able to do it. You know what? I’m doing it. I’m so totally doing it!

Taking a deep breath, Derpy moved her head into the crook of Twilight’s neck, and she silently cheered to herself when she did not feel the princess move away. Derpy then proceeded to bury her nose into Twilight’s neck, relishing the warmth and soft fur as she rubbed into it. Much to Derpy’s delight, Twilight’s wing hug squeezed tighter as the alicorn returned the affection by brushing her own muzzle into Derpy’s mane.

I just nuzzled with Twilight Sparkle. Best night ever!

Derpy was in heaven as the rest of the world melted away. All that mattered was the pony she shared her nuzzling embrace with. Sadly, despite wanting to spend the rest of her life in this perfect moment, they eventually reached the castle, and Derpy had to try hard to hide her disappointment since their date was essentially over. It was a small consolation that Twilight took her time, almost reluctantly, to leave Derpy’s side.

“So, uh, here we are,” Twilight muttered, lazily waving at the castle door with a wing.

“Here we are,” Derpy repeated quietly.

A silence then followed as both mares found more interest in everything except each other.

Not wanting to let things end with just a simple ‘good night', Derpy took a deep breath and said, “Twilight, I just want to say that tonight was the best time I’ve ever had. This date was everything that I dreamed of, and then some. Even if things don’t go any further and that we decide to stop here, I will treasure this night for the rest of my life.”

Taking another deep breath, Derpy continued, “But, um, I also have to say that this date has only added to my respect and fondness of you. I know that I’m probably getting ahead of myself, but it looked like you had a great time with me, so I, uh, I was wondering if you would maybe be interested in going out with me again sometime in the future?”

During Derpy’s talking, Twilight had been listening attentively with a smile on her face. “Derpy… I…” Twilight trailed off, and with a frown, she turned around to face the castle door.

“Oh…” Derpy felt her heart sink at the silent rejection. “I thought that we…” She stopped and shook her head, doing her best to ignore the hollow feeling in her chest. “I-it’s fine, Twilight. Thank you for at least giving me a chance.”

“What?” Twilight quickly looked back toward Derpy, and her eyes widened. “Oh, no, no, no, I didn’t mean to imply that I’m turning you down. It’s just that…” She growled in frustration and glared at the door for a second before turning back to Derpy and asking, “Could you, uh, just give me a moment?”

“Uh, sure?” Derpy tilted her head in confusion.

“Actually, could you step over here for a moment with me?” Twilight requested, taking a few steps away from the door. “This will only take a second.”

Despite still being unsure what was going on, Derpy followed after the alicorn without protest.

Twilight’s horn suddenly lit up, and the front doors were flung wide open as Spike and Starlight tumbled onto the ground, while Tempest stood a few steps away from the entrance.

“Um, hey, guys,” Spike greeted sheepishly, despite being upside down as his back rested on Starlight’s splayed out form.

“How was the date?” Starlight asked, wearing a nervous smile.

“Why were you eavesdropping on us?” Twilight demanded, sternly frowning at her castlemates.

“What? Eavesdropping? Us?” Spike asked, trying to sound nonchalant. “Pffft, no. Why would you say that?”

“So you two just happened to be leaning on the door when I opened it?”

“Yes. That’s exactly what happened,” Starlight hastily answered.

“Uh huh…” Twilight narrowed her eyes at Starlight. “Then can you explain why I sensed a listening spell on the door with your magic signature a few moments ago?”

“Oh…” Starlight looked to Spike, who ended up frantically shaking his head, before turning back to the peeved Twilight. “You see, there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for that.”

“Which is?”

“Um…”

“The jig is up! Run!” Spike suddenly shouted as he scrambled to his feet and rushed out of sight.

“Uh, what he said,” Starlight said before she disappeared in a flash of turquoise light.

Twilight rolled her eyes and focused her attention on the remaining eavesdropper. “And what about you, Tempest?”

“I was merely keeping an eye on those two,” Tempest stated calmly.

“Really?” Twilight asked, sounding unconvinced.

Tempest coughed lightly and glanced away. “And perhaps I was interested in how the date of two of my friends fared.”

“This is great!” Twilight suddenly cheered, much to Derpy and Tempest’s surprise. “Derpy told me that you two had a nice talk earlier, and it’s wonderful to hear that you accepted her friendship!”

Gleefully smiling, Twilight sat down on her haunches to clap her forehooves in excitement, but she soon stopped when she noticed the amused stare that Derpy was giving her. Blushing lightly, she got back up and cleared her throat.

“Um, sorry about that. You know me, Princess of Friendship and all that. Anyway, Tempest, it’s great to hear that you’re making friends, but would you mind leaving us be? I promise to tell you about our date later, but for now, Derpy and I would like some privacy.”

Tempest nodded. “Of course. Sorry for disturbing you two. Good night.”

“Good night, Tempest,” Twilight and Derpy both bade as the tall unicorn made her exit.

With them being alone again, Twilight turned back to Derpy and sighed in both relief and exasperation. “Sorry about them.”

Derpy giggled. “It’s alright. You do know that they eavesdropped because they care about you, right?”

“I know, but I'd still rather enjoy these last few moments with you without any prying eyes. Anyway, you were asking me something before we were rudely interrupted?”

“Oh, right. So, yeah…” Derpy cleared her throat and then took a deep breath. “Twilight Sparkle, would you be interested in going out with me again?”

Twilight walked up to Derpy and threw her forehooves around the mare’s neck. “I would love to go out with you again, Derpy.”

Derpy squeed in delight as she returned the hug. This time, when Twilight pulled away from their embrace, Derpy did not feel disappointed because now there was a promise of more bonding moments like this in the near future.

“Good night, Derpy,” Twilight said as she slowly walked into the castle, all while smiling back at the pegasus.

“Good night, Twilight.” Derpy smiled back, keeping her gaze on the princess. Even after the castle doors closed, she continued watching where her date had been, sighing wistfully as she recalled the wonderful night that she had.

Eventually, Derpy regained her wits to begin heading home, but just as she turned to leave, her ears flicked up when she heard the castle doors open again. Looking back, she saw Twilight standing in the doorway.

“Um, Derpy?” Twilight muttered, keeping her eyes focused on the ground.

“Yes, Twilight? Is something wrong?”

“No, it’s actually… Um, there’s one last, quick thing from my silly list that I want to do before you leave,” Twilight confessed, her cheeks blushing brightly.

“Sure, what is it?”

Twilight took a deep breath and slowly walked right up to Derpy. “I just want to…”

Before Derpy could react, Twilight suddenly looked up and pushed forward, planting her lips on Derpy’s cheek. Twilight pulled away only a second later, but in that second, Derpy’s wings had popped wide open. Her eyes were also bulging, and her mouth was locked in forming a tiny ‘O’ as heat flooded her face.

“G-good night, Derpy,” Twilight said, a smile gracing her now bright-red face, before she quickly trotted into the castle, closing the door behind her.

Derpy stood frozen in front of the castle for a few moments, still processing what had just happened. Eventually, her brain started working again, and she slowly raised a forehoof to her cheek. The spot where Twilight had kissed her still felt pleasantly warm, and Derpy could not help but break out the widest grin that she had ever used.

So much better than a nuzzle! Best. Night. Ever!