A Love to Remember

by SleepingPegasus


Another Day. Another Muffin. [Redo]

The rain fell hard, silencing everything in the area. Hooves raced through the woods, rushing frantically towards bright lights. A young pegasus mare broke through the treeline, coming to a halt in an open area. The ground, background, and even the sky seemed to blur together within the light that illuminated the field. The mare continued towards the light, tears forming in her eyes only to be washed away by the rain. A single silhouette stood at the edge of the light.

“Please don't go.”

“I don't belong here. I never did. This is how it should be.” The figure turned, fading into the light. The light grew brighter, vanishing abruptly and leaving the young mare alone, sitting in the pouring rain. She sniffled, crying her eyes out.

“Don't leave me. Please.”

A Few Months Earlier

Do you believe dreams can come true? That to be able to wake up every day just to stare wonderfully at the stallion you love most, all you needed to do was confront him? To Derpy Hooves, that dream had become her reality. Even she wasn't used to waking up every morning to see the one and only Doctor slumbering next to her. It still left her to helplessly gaze at him before finally coming to her senses and getting out of bed. As mesmerizing as the Doctor looked as she slept, this pale gray pegasus would not be apart from her muffins any longer. They were the singular thing that dared to come between Derpy and her love for the Doctor, though neither side seemed to mind.

The sun had just broken over the treetops as the Doctor rose from his slumber. He stretched out his hooves, letting out a long yawn. His eyes looked around, taking in the bright sunlight. “Bollocks! Did I sleep in again? Well, guess this is what I get for coming home late from work.” It took the Doctor a moment to register the fact that one; this was Derpy’s house, and that he was in Derpy’s bed. And two, there was a small plate of buttered English muffins resting on the nightstand next to him with a note. He read the letter as he took a few bites of an English muffin, a little cold from sitting there since this morning.

I'm off to work. I’ll be home to cook dinner, so you don't need to worry about cooking tonight. I didn't know when you were going to wake up, and I didn't want to wake you since you came in so late last night. So I just left a plate of English muffins for you. Still don't understand why you like them so much. They aren't even real muffins. And there I go rambling. Anyway, I dropped Dinky off at school. I'm going to need you to pick her up around three o'clock. Please don't forget. Again.

Sincerely,

Derpy

The Doctor stared at Derpy’s note, finishing off one of the muffins. “That mare can be quite weird. I know she wakes up a few hours before she has to leave for work so she can get breakfast cooked, Dinky up and fed, and leave me my breakfast and these notes. That is a lot of time to do so little. Yet, she still can't help but make a rushed note, even going as far as to leave undeniable traces of blueberries from her muffins randomly smeared on the note. I guess that is one mystery of the universe I might not ever figure out. Though I think it's that part of her that I find so, entrancing. Anywho, let's get up." The Doctor turned himself, resting his back hooves on the floor before pulling himself forward. After the regular occurrence of losing his balance and landing on his back, gaze stuck to the ceiling, he trotted down the stairs and into the kitchen.

It wasn't much to see, at least compared to other kitchens found in Ponyville houses. Off to the left side was a row of counters and the sink, as well as other daily machinery; the toaster, coffee maker, toaster oven, and small fruit and vegetable juicer; complemented by a small window granting a view to a small portion of Ponyville. The left side counters continued and met with the backside, where a stovetop and double-decked oven rested. Why in Celestia’s name did this house have a double-decked oven? Allow her to point you back to the pale gray pegasus and her strange worship of muffins. Resting in the middle of the kitchen was an island with an overhang, with a few seats arranged around it. The refrigerator sat at the end of the counters. Before the Doctor came around, it looked and acted much like any other fridge in Ponyville. However, the excellent Doctor saw fit to have some fun with it. The poor fridge no longer needed to be plugged in, saving Derpy money on electric. It even kept detailed monitoring of all food inside, going as far as to rid itself of any bad food. And to add more humor to it, the fridge doors were even remodeled to look like the TARDIS door.

The Doctor made his way over to the coffee maker, fixing himself something dark and tasteless, at least that’s what Derpy said. Hard to think that just a few months ago, they had spent Hearth’s Warming Eve together. It was going on May now, and even the Doctor wasn't entirely used to living with Derpy. There was nothing wrong with Derpy, or even Dinky. It was just that he was used to living alone and sleeping alone. Now having to deal with anypony but himself, and the occasional multiversal individuals who came out of bloody nowhere. If anything, living with Derpy has at least kept them away. At least ever since the Doctor learned just how deadly a muffin can be in Derpy’s hooves when something tries to mess with either him or Dinky.

With a cup of coffee in his hoof, the Doctor sat down at the island. He took a few sips, looking up at the clock. “It's a little past nine now. Should be able to finish those tests before I have to pick up Dinky. Getting close to finally cracking the spatial anomaly that seems to be keeping me either leaving this universe, or any universe connected to this one or returning to my original form.” The Doctor, unbeknownst to Derpy, had been working tirelessly to figure out just why he was stuck here, and in the body of a stallion. He didn't exactly want to leave this place, but that question had been bugging him ever since he found himself here. His thoughts of returning home and stretching out his old legs brought up a particular idea. “I wonder if Derpy would come along with me. And if so, what would happen to her body? Would she take on similar human biology as me, since that's what happened to me when I got here, or would she still be a pegasus? Then again, I really couldn't ask her to leave her home just to be with me. Besides, she already has her place here.” Shaking the thoughts from his mind, the Doctor finished his cup of coffee and dropped from his seat. “Anyway. Time to get to work. The secrets of the universe won't solve themselves.”

Midday was always a time of day for Derpy. With the sun beating down on top of her. Mix that with the fact that midday tended to be the point of time where she needed to rush about to deliver mail. It was a wonder how she could keep flying around as she did. “Okay. Where to next?” Derpy landed in the shade of a tree, checking her carrier bag. Her eyes fell on a small package addressed to one Twilight Sparkle, and judging from its size, it had to be a book. No shock there. That mare was always getting more books. It wasn't like she didn't live in a castle with an extensive library in it. Well anyway, the package needed to be delivered and by Celestia, Derpy was going to do it. Even if her wings felt like lead drenched in so much sweat.

It was a little after four by the time Derpy finally finished her runs for Ponyville, and her wings were feeling it. And when it came to aching wings, hooves, or just about anything else a pony might have overworked, there was only one place to relax; Ponyville Day Spa. During the hotter times of the year, Derpy would stop in after her deliveries to help ease her pains.

After a few minutes of getting situated, Derpy found her body softening as her aches and pains were melted away by professional hooves. This relaxation, however, helped her mind towards specific thoughts. Thoughts about the Doctor, and the work he's been doing. She knew he was always getting home late and knew why. She wasn't an idiot, against popular belief. She knew he was still determined to find out why he was stuck here. And as much as she wanted to, Derpy knew she wouldn't be able to stop him once he found a way back home. To his world. She only hoped that either he wouldn't find a way, or that he'd just stay with her and Dinky. However, neither would be right to wish for.

“Would I really be okay if he left?”

“Would it really be such a bad thing for him to go back to his world?”

He was an essential being from another universe. What if him being here is stopping him from doing his job?”

“Could I really justify keeping him here?”

All those thoughts swirled around in Derpy’s head, to the point she didn't realize the pony behind her speak up. “Derpy? Hey, is that you, Derpy?” She glanced around her, tilting her head back to see the purple pony speaking to her from the opposite chair.

“Princess Twilight? I didn't know you came here.” If Derpy didn't already have her hind hooves in a relaxing bath, her tone of voice would have been accompanied by various ecstatic movement. It wasn't uncommon to find Twilight outside her castle. Still, most of the time, she was with her friends, either saving Equestria, again, or was already being swarmed by other ponies. She never expected to find her not only alone but relaxing at the spa in broad daylight.

“Well yeah. I don't really get much time to relax being a princess and all, and the Ponyville Day Spa works wonders on my body. But enough about me, what’s going on with you? Is the mail delivery job treating you good?”

“Yes, Princess.” Just calling her Princess made Derpy feel giddy.

“Just call me Twilight. Being called Princess all day gets annoying. And please, you can relax when talking to me.”

“I'm sorry. Delivering mail has been fulfilling, Twilight. It would help if the temperature went down. Flying around with the sun constantly beating down on your wings really puts a pegsasus' body to work.”

Twilight nodded, even though Derpy couldn't see her do it. “But it is such a great feeling to fly. Am I right? I've walked around on my hooves my entire life. And I only recently learned how to fly, and even now, it feels great.” There was a long stretch of silence between them, the only noise heard were the clops of the spa ponies. “Oh yeah. I almost forgot. How’s the Doctor been? Has he gotten the hang of our biology yet?”

“He. He’s been good. Don't get to see him very much during the day, working deliveries and all, and most nights he doesn't get to bed until early the next morning. With the constant work he keeps putting into his research, I hardly get to see him.” Twilight could hear the subtle sadness in Derpy’s voice.

“He's still trying to find a way home. Isn't he?” Twilight’s words cracked the emotional shell Derpy had built around her to try and keep her feeling from affecting her.

“Yes… He doesn't know that I know. And it really bothers me. I don't know if I can just simply let him go. But I also don't think I can just keep him from leaving either. I just… I don't know what to do.”

“I'm not exactly the one to be giving advice on what and what not to do in that kind of situation. But if you ask me, you should do what you think will make him happy. Let the Doctor decide what he wants to do. Just be certain that you don't sacrifice your happiness in return. Alright?” One of the spa ponies threw a towel over their shoulder, giving Twilight a nod before trotting off. “Looks like I'm all finished up.” She dropped from her chair, giving her wings and hooves a stretch. “Do take care Derpy. Try to figure out what's best for the two of you.” With those words, Twilight pulled her wings back in and trotted off.

Do what you think will make him happy, but don't sacrifice your happiness in return.

“Yeah. Easier said than done.” The moon would be breaching over the trees by the time Derpy got out of the spa. With a few stretches of her wings, she was flying through the night sky. The calmness of the flight didn't help to keep Derpy’s thoughts on track. Her worries just kept bouncing around in her head. Would it really be such a bad idea to just let him go? Who am I to try and keep him here? What even am I to him? Her thoughts increased the sadness she was feeling. “No! Stop this now, Derpy! You of all ponies know that the Doctor has feelings for you. And you love him. Whether or not you can keep him here, that fact will not change.” Her words perked herself up, just in time for her to begin her descent down to her house. She stepped down on the ground only to find the Doctor waiting for her outside the door.

“Welcome home, Derpy. Hope the heat didn't get to you too much.” Derpy stared at him, wondering why he would be waiting for her. The faint scent of charred hair and machine oil seemed to waft off of him, a visible sign he had been working on his tests to get home.

“Yeah. Today was unbearable.” Deciding not to dwell on her thoughts, she went over and took a seat next to him. “You’d think the weather pegasi would give us some cloud cover, Or at least some rain. I think I felt some of my feathers singe.” That got a laugh out of the good Doctor, which helped ease her pain. “So, I hope you remembered to pick up Dinky today, mister.” She shot him a teasing glance, trying to catch him off guard.

“She's up in her room playing. Asked her to come down and wait for you with me, but she told me she wanted some time to herself.”

“Oh. I think she was just tired from the heat like I am. No need to be worried. Anyway, I should get dinner started. Bet the two of you are hungry.” Derpy stood and made her way towards the door.

“Derpy?” The Doctor stood, a faint look of worry and concern wore on her face.

“She stopped in the doorway, turning her head to glance back at him. “Hmm? Something the matter.”

He seemed like he wanted to say something, but the words just couldn't come out. “N-nothing. It's nothing. Cook up something delicious tonight. Okay?”

Derpy chuckled. “I’ll try. I'm only one pegasus. You are, however, welcome to give me a hoof.” She walked into the house, leaving the Doctor alone at the front door.

“Why can't I ask you?” He whispered to himself. “Why can't I just tell you?”