//------------------------------// // The Mailmare of Silly Runs // Story: Derpy and the Pegasi Express Race // by TheReaderAndWriter //------------------------------// Pegasi were not known to harness and direct magic like unicorns could, but they still inherently used it during flight, it was part of what fueled them, what gave them strength in the air unmatched by almost no other race. It wasn't what allowed them to fly, but it did allow them to thrive. To see a pegasus soar through the skies was to see a miracle. Unfortunately, no miracle was going to help Derpy fly faster than a butterfly. For what felt like the hundredth time that day, Derpy flapped her wings, lifted herself off the ground, hovered for almost half a minute, but then promptly fell back down. With some bandages, medicine and even potions from Rainbow Dash's friend Zecora, the worst of the injuries had passed. But, staying in the air too long was borderline impossible. A few days had passed, but the unfortunate truth was that Derpy would not be able to fly normally until after the race. She refused to accept that. She gritted her teeth, started to flap her wings, and promptly got in the air one more time. She had never been so focused on a goal in her life, never felt this determination. Then she promptly fell down... again, but certainly not for the last time. "Derpy, please, you're going to hurt yourself again if you keep up this foolishness," said Time Turner, trotting over to hand her a bottle of water. It was a hot day, all the nice shaded spots in the park were occupied. A lot of ponies were giving them some odd looks, and while she had to keep going, she did feel self-conscious. "Doc, I know how it's like to get knocked down, but nothing is going to keep me down forever," said Derpy. Time Turner couldn't help but to roll his eyes. "Anyway, I'm not sure I understand why you can't stay in the air. I mean, what is missing from this mechanism? You are flapping, aren't you?" "Staying in the air is more than just flapping," said Derpy, easily flexing her wings to demonstrate. "The problem is my balance. I can't- I can't make those tiny little changes! I cramp up, and I spin out of control! I need to learn how to control myself! If I can do that, then I'll be able to fly again." "Derpy, I don't usually say this, but it's time to start thinking outside the box," said Time Turner while Derpy took a sip from the bottle. "This is not going to work. I'm not a pegasus, at least I'd say it's rare for me to be one, but isn't there any other way for you to finish the race?" He leaned in, lowering his voice. "Take the train, perchance?" "No, the rules say you have to travel without relying on transportation. Well, I guess you can, but anything that travels faster than the average speed of a pegasus in flight will get you disqualified." "How will they know?" asked Time Turner. "I don't know, I guess they will use magic or something, but to me it doesn't matter what they do," said Derpy and turned to him. "You know why? Because I'm not going to cheat, Doc! I'm going to finish the race fair and square." Time Turned just sat down on the ground, not sure what to do. "Is that Muffins? What is she doing?" asked a mare passing by. "I heard she got fired, lost her mind, or got brain damage," whispered her friend. "How could one tell? Well, maybe we'll get our mail on time now," said mare. Time Turner immediately got up and chased them away. "Terrible Trotting Tarts! Get out of here, and stop being one-dimensional sources of grief!" They quickly retreated. "It's okay, Doc, I've heard a lot worse." "Seriously, it's like we're back in school. Does nopony mature in this confounded town?" asked Time Turner. Derpy got back to flapping her wings, one more try, one more of many if necessary. *** No matter how many times Derpy got in the air, it wasn't for long. Eventually the sun had set. It had been hours since Time Turner had gone home; no matter how supportive he could be, he did have his own life and problems to deal with. He wished her luck, then left the park. Derpy was exhausted, absolutely exhausted, and thirsty, and starving. All alone, she eventually couldn't deal with the constant failure, so she decided to call it a day. With some food, a shower and plenty of rest she almost figured she could do it tomorrow... but she couldn't even convince herself anymore. Time Turner had been right: it was time to think outside of the box. During her trip home, she considered all of her options. If she couldn't stay in the air, could she run? There was no actual rule against finishing the race without flying. But, the biggest problem was stamina. An earth pony could have done it, assuming it was an athlete, but a pegasi wouldn't last for that long. Ponies like her were simply built to flap their wings more than moving their legs. Even if she miraculously healed in time for the race, there was also the issue whether she was quick and capable enough to actually finish the race on time. She was sure her normal self could fly that distance in a passable time, but it was more than just speed: she had never flown that far before. There was no guarantee she wouldn't get lost if the weather was bad, or that she wouldn't glide on air currents that led her astray. Part of The Pegasi Express Race was finding a good route without any of those incredible high-altitude winds that would have blown an earth pony off her hooves. The difference between a good route and a bad one could be days, and those routes could have been a stone's throw away from each other. Perhaps she could find someone exceptional, like Rainbow Dash, and glide on the current behind her, saving a lot of energy... but there the problem was again: she'd need to actually get that high up first. She couldn't run, and she couldn't fly, so what then? "Think, Derpy, think. You're a mailmare, so what would a mailmare do?" she asked herself. "Well, find a way and deliver." She stopped and sat down on a nearby bench, looking down at her hooves. "Can't fly, can't run... can't fly... can't run." She put her hooves to her forehead and lied down on her back. "Fly... run... fly... run..." she perked up, sat up, stood up. Experimenting, hoping for inspiration, she flapped her wings once. All she managed to do was blow away some dust. Bracing herself, she flapped again, as hard as she could. Without much control, she shot several feet up into the air before falling back down. "Hm... maybe I have something here." She ran home, it was time to prepare for tomorrow. If her idea worked, she would need a lot of time to practice. The race wasn't too far away, but with her idea, there was a chance. Just a few minutes later, she arrived at her front door, opened it, and suddenly a tiny little purple unicorn filly launched into her embrace. "Mom's home!" "Hi, sweetie! How was school?" "It was so much fun! They talked all about the race, Manehattan and the Pegasi Express!" said Dinky. "Good evening, Derpy, I suppose I'm to welcome you home," said Time Turner, walking into the hall straight from the kitchen. "Doc, what are you doing here?" asked Derpy, surprised, but not unhappy. "Just checking in on Dinky. I sent the babysitter home, and I also made dinner. You must be starving." "So much, Doc! That's so kind of you," said Derpy. "Thank you!" *** Just a few short moments later, Derpy had finished enjoying a delicious vegetable stew, along with some homemade bread. They say together in the small kitchen, Dinky diligently cleared the table as Time Turner leaned in. "So, any progress?" he said. While Derpy appreciated him being supportive, she couldn't help but to notice a subtle tone of doubt. "Yes, actually," said Derpy. "Oh good!" said Dinky. "Because all the ponies at school say there is no way in tartarus you're going to finish the race. They called me a liar when I said you would." "Well I'm going to show them, just you wait!" said Derpy. Time Turner had to keep from cocking his head in confusion, like a dog, at her confidence. "Is that a fact, dearest Derpy? If so, could you perhaps show me?" Derpy didn't say anything, didn't waste time, she just grabbed hold of him with her wings and dragged him outside into the night. "You just wait here," said Derpy, before she galloped down the road for several seconds, before turning around. "Okay, you can do this," she said to herself, trying to overcome any doubts. "She can do this," said Dinky over by their house, confident. "Please, you can do this," whispered Time Turner, almost pleadingly. Derpy took a deep breath, and then started to flap her wings, gently. Bit by bit, she increased her speed and force. Eventually, her front hooves achieved lift. She never fully got off the ground, though. "Okay, this can work," she said. Then, very carefully, she leaned forward, and started to direct the flapping to give her forward momentum. Holding her front hooves up, she started to walk on her hind legs, and flap faster, and walk faster, and flap even faster! Eventually, she was almost sprinting over the ground, sometimes jumping and almost gliding. She was fast enough! She was doing it! She was heading straight for that tree. "Oh no!" Crash! "Derpy!" said Time Turner, running over to her. Lying on her back, dizzy and unfocused, she shot her hooves up in the air with a great big smile. "See! That's how you do it!" *** "But, Derpy, how is this different from just running the race?" "Because, as a pegasus, I can flap my wings super long without getting tired. Just like how pegasi can drag carts in the air, I'm sort of holding myself up. If I do it like this, and if I can just find the right balance, I can run very quickly on the ground, and still save a lot of stamina. If my wings get tired I can use my legs more, and if my legs get tired I just flap harder with my wings. Come on, Doc, this has to work!" Time Turner scratched his chin, and then his mane. "Well, I do admit you were quite quick. Quicker than I expected, at least." "You looked so silly, mom! This is going to be the best race ever!" "Well, yes, you also looked absolutely ridiculous," said Time Turner. "But, that's to be expected. You need more practice, clearly. We've got a few days left, so maybe we can make it in that time, but if we're to take the train we don't have too long. Is there any downsides to this strange way to run, or fly, or whatever this is?" "Well, I guess that I can't take the quickest way, and I need to think about terrain a lot. But, at least I don't need to worry about getting blown off course." Time Turner seemed to think about it, and then eventually stood up. "In any case, it's getting late. I have some calculations to do and you need plenty of rest." "And Dinky," said Derpy, turning to her. "Bedtime." "Aw! But mom!" "No buts! You have school tomorrow, and you're going to need rest for when we all travel to Vanhoover!" Dinky's face lit up like the morning sun. "I get to go with you?!" "You're going to see me off in Vanhoover, and you're going to be there to greet me in Manehattan!" "Riveting racing rascals! A cross-equestrian trip for all of us! Splendid!" Time Turner gave them both a friendly hug goodbye, and with new energy he bolted out the door. "This is going to be so much fun!" said Dinky. After brushing their teeth, they turned off the lights and went straight to bed. After such a long rough day, Derpy's bed felt almost like it was made out of cotton candy. Finally some time to relax, and she suspected it was going to be her last for quite some time. All she knew was that there was real hope again. Dinky was right, it was going to be fun.