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// Derpy Hooves 
// Story: Background Pony Cuddle Simulator 
// by Player 4 
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"...Derpy!"

The pony whose name you just called out holds her hoof up to her chest, pleasantly perplexed by your selection.

"Really? Me?", Derpy says, skipping over to you.

"You!", you say. "I want to cuddle with you tonight!"

Derpy smiles bigger and stands right by you, displaying a symbol of togetherness to the other guests of the sleepover. And the host loves it.

"You made a great choice here, H.C.", White Lightning says, nodding and holding her pillow. "As you might know, Derpy goes through quite the adversity. But affection, both physical and emotional, really does help her."

Oh really?, you think. Yeah, I must have made a great choice here.

Derpy excitedly runs over to her gray sleeping bag, the color of it perfectly matching her coat. "Hop in, H.C.!", she says, covering herself up right after she says that.

You follow her and slide right on in, entering "the zone" with a pony who, as White Lightning stated, is emotionally vulnerable. You had to make sure to be careful with this situation.

You enclose the bag, perfectly ready to help with whatever.

"So Derpy, what cuddling positions do you like?", you say, not wanting to pry on anything if she didn't open it up herself.

"I like a lot, but what I'm thinking tonight is spooning. With you as the big spoon."

You couldn't help but think her desire to be the non-dominant role could be correlated to her emotional vulnerability. But who knows, and you consider that 'not my business.' "Good good. Just roll over, and here I come.", you say playfully.

Derpy rapidly tumbles over onto her left side, and you, from the right, come at her with your hug attack. Trying to avoid her delicate wings, you rest your left hand on her tummy and your right hand below her shoulder, then tighten the grip with your midsection pressed against her back.

You give her sunny yellow mane a light stroke, and let out the elephant in the room.

"As for any talk about your emotional hardships tonight, that's up to you, Derpy. We can just focus on the good if you want."

Resting under your arms and hands, she does lay in silence for a bit, seemingly taking time to consider. Possibly powered by your affection power, she does decide to open up.

"Well, I'm sure you know why I can be sad a lot. Because of this stupid condition that I have. Clumsiness factor 100, eyes don't look right, sometimes can't even think straight. I'm lucky I'm stable right now, when I'm cuddling with you."

"And the worst part is... I wasn't always like this. I was born... stable. I used to be one of the best flyers in the Junior Wonderbolts Academy. I won a race once."

"But then... things started changing. Unlike my classmates, who were starting to place better and better the more races they raced in, my performance went nowhere but down. And as it went down, I could notice myself feeling... off. Like, I definitely knew how to fly, but I kept making these ridiculous mistakes, like backing up into a wall."

"And one night, after I suffered an injury that took me out of practice prematurely, my parents noticed my eyes starting to go out of place."

"They took me to the doctor... they could not help me. Even their biggest medical book did not have an entry for whatever was happening to me."

"So, my quality of life just got worse and worse without me having any idea why. And that's brutal. When your life is literally going downhill, for something you have no control over, you clamor to know why. But nopony could figure it out."

"And I was suffering. Sweet Celestia, I've lost count of how many glasses I've broken. How many drinks I've spilled. How many hard-worked-on dinners I've knocked on the floor. I trashed so many things my parents loved and worked hard to make exist... and none of it was on purpose."

"But even still, I got consumed by guilt over it."

"I've also broken some of my own beloved things, too. Like that childhood toy I had been playing with every day for years."

"And again, it didn't used to be this way. In my earlier days, I could do things, well, properly. I could carry a glass without dropping it every time. I could eat a pizza without losing my mind and swallowing too big of a piece."

"To become like this, when I previously wasn't... I cried so much. I went through grief and back for the stability I once had."

"Now, having lived with it for many years, I've gotten used to it and have sort of accepted it as the way of my life now, but it definitely causes problems."

"You know that I work as a mailmare; I delivered your first batch of mail after you arrived here in Equestria. Thank goodness my mind didn't lose itself at that part, but there is also a lost count of how many mailboxes I've broken or gotten stuck into, or how many letters I've delivered to the wrong address... it's surprising to me that I still have this job."

"And if I lose my job... I don't know where to go."

"Oh yeah, and there is currently no cure for my condition."

Derpy lets a few tears fall, accompanied by light crying noises that are audible to you. You respond by continuing to hold her tightly and run your fingers through her mane.

This was your first time hearing Derpy's full story. You knew she was a mailmare and had that clumsiness problem along with her, well, derpy-looking eyes, but never had you known before that this condition snuck up on her. That she used to be like a "normal pony."

What did she say about her performance regressing in the Junior Wonderbolt Academy? Oh yeah. With her saying she once won a race there, your heart starts to hurt thinking of what she could have become. If her mind hadn't left her like that, she might be a Wonderbolt today.

Dinners ruined, toys broken... ouch. You use your strong sympathy to hopefully power your support, as you prepare to let out your verbal comfort.

"Hey Derpy, to start off, I'm really sorry this all happened to you. You're right to be frustrated and wish you weren't like this. I can't pretend to know what it's like myself."

"What I will say then, is that your derp makes you unique. You've sure gained a lot of recognition from it. I too wouldn't know you as well without the condition."

"And ponies seem to agree with me when I say that your eyes are cute. Like, really, they are."

"Lastly, you have, and still do, provide good things to others. You have a child, Dinky, and ponies say she does great with you. That's a really big accomplishment to be had."

"And you have a service job, that you went into despite the challenges. You clearly are a very sweet pony who cares about others."

"One more thing: Who's to say you couldn't be the star of a comedy show? Your condition doesn't only lead to ruining things; what if we placed you at a table full of pies?"

"I praise the derp!"

Derpy lets out a cathartic sigh after about a minute; it seems your efforts worked.

"Thanks, H.C. I really needed to hear that."

"And I can tell you're sweet too; this cuddling feels good."

"Let's move further into it. A bit of trivia about me; I love belly rubs. A lot. And... you already have a hand there. Know what I'm getting at?", she says, lifting up her head a bit to wink at you.

You do know what she's getting at, and your hand is about to move. You start the tummy rubs by going around in circles, then back-and-forth, with slow, smooth flow. She lets out a content sigh, a far cry from what she showed earlier.

"Oh yes... it's just as good as ever.", she says.

You let out a light giggle. You didn't know Derpy liked belly rubs so much. Perhaps she could use more of it; you wonder if any ponies have given some to her.

You double the petting by going back to her mane with your right hand; her mane is a lot thinner than most ponies. You could only bet she has the shortest showers.

Continuing on, you come across another surprise in hearing Derpy lightly giggle as you continue to rub her tummy.

Wow. She's ticklish? Who knew?

Derpy may be different than most ponies in regards to stability and ability, but affection sweet spots and ticklishness; not at all. Right now, she seems just like any other pony. And while she does need to be handicap-accommodated, ultimately, she really is just any other pony.

"You feeling better?", you say to her.

"Yes.", she replies instantly. "Thanks a lot; this really does help."

"And now... I'm thinking we should change positions, so I can hug you too."

This excites you as if you were just told you're going out for pizza tonight. You slightly raise your voice above sleep levels as you say "Yes. Let's do that."

Derpy giggles at your enthusiasm and rolls over onto her other side, holding out her limbs. You slide further in and Derpy scoops you up in her grasp. She clearly is happy to be with you.

As the warmth settles in, both of you let out a content sigh at the same time. Perfect.

"You're awesome, H.C.", Derpy says.

"Aww. You too.", you say, giving her mane another pet.

There aren't very many feelings better than comforting a pony who suffers from a visible disability that puts them at odds with living the "normal" life. And per the disabled pony's words, you were great for doing it.

It's also good to get a more in-depth look at what the disabled ponies go through, as opposed to just watching it from the sidelines in town.

With you firmly in Derpy's grasp and her smiling face being visible to you, your heart is almost going to explode.

Perhaps it's time to close your eyes.