Derpyball
By The Rated Ponystar
Edited by Fernin, Halcyon, Clavier
Artwork done by Tzelly (http://tzelly-el.deviantart.com/)
***
Rumors of what had happened at the training session spread quickly. Different versions were told, but the one thing they had in common was the fact that Derpy Hooves was involved. Some found it hard to believe that their resident mailmare had managed to intimidate the professional players away. The rumors went even further when ponies started saying that Derpy Hooves was actually a dangerous former dodgeball player.
They said she took out an entire team of dodgeball players, all older and more experienced, all by herself in less than three minutes. How she had never lost a game, knowing every tactic and skilled throw—it was hinted that she had the strength to throw a dodgeball through a metal wall. Some even said she was possessed by a demon and loved to drink the blood of her defeated opponents, scaring them for life.
A few tried to find the crossed-eyed pegasus, but it was learned she had called in her vacation days and had stayed home. This was a surprise to her co-workers, as Derpy had never taken a day off unless she or Dinky was sick. Since they couldn’t ask Derpy, they sought out her daughter, but Dinky repeated that she “wasn’t supposed to talk to strangers”.
As the day of the big tournament drew closer, thoughts of Derpy transferred towards the upcoming game. The team to take on the griffins was almost complete with all nine members already announced: Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Big Macintosh, Twilight, Snowflake, Lyra, Sugarberry, Lucky, and Roseluck. With the team set, they all began trying to prepare themselves for the big day.
“How the hay is it possible to miss a target three feet in front of you?!” shouted Rainbow Dash at an embarrassed Lyra.
Trying being the key word.
“Hey! It’s not my fault! You were moving too fast!” she shouted back, earning a bonk on the head.
“That’s the point, Lyra! It’s called dodgeball for a reason,” retorted Dash. “You may be able to catch everything with your magic, but your throwing is just horrible.”
Lyra lifted up the dodgeball in a green aura and narrowed her eyes. Rainbow Dash crossed her forelegs as she kept herself just above the ground, her eyes rolling out of boredom. Licking her lips, Lyra telekinetically shot the ball straight towards her target... only to hit Big Macintosh, twenty feet away to the left of Dash, knocking him to his face.
“Sorry, Mac!” shouted Lyra, running to the groaning farmer’s side.
Letting her forelegs fall with a sigh, Rainbow Dash looked around at her so-called team. Snowflake was charging at Lucky and Roseluck and knocking the balls away with his hooves instead, well, dodging while his opponents were bickering with each other for the zillionth time now. They had been doing so since day one when a throw by Lucky missed its target, knocking Roseluck into a mud puddle. Since then, they had found any and every reason to criticize each other, and it was huring their teamwork. And Sugarberry was... not at practice again.
This is the great all-star team? This is the best we could get? thought Rainbow Dash as she witnessed the arguing duo get knocked out by Snowflake’s throws. She slapped her hoof to her face. We’re so doomed.
“How bad is it?”
Rainbow Dash turned around to see Twilight and Applejack coming onto the field, dressed in uniform. Shaking her head, Dash answered, “Worse than Winter Wrap Up before you took charge.”
The girls winced. Applejack shook her head and kicked a nearby rock. “Shucks, this team is more disorganized than a drunk turkey parade in the rain. We gotta do something, and fast. The big game is almost here, and if half our team plays like this we don’t stand a chance.”
“Well, I do have an idea. Maybe there is somepony who can help us.” said Twilight, rubbing her chin.
“Can whoever this pony is also play? I’m willing to drop Sugarberry if she’s good,” said Rainbow Dash, who looked ready to find the said pony and give her a stern talking.
Twilight nervously glanced at Dash and scuffed the ground with her hoof. “Well, you might not like the idea, but... I was thinking... maybe we can ask Derpy for help?”
Rainbow Dash quickly glared at Twilight and huffed. “Are you kidding?! Don’t tell me you actually believe those rumors?”
“Well, those so-called ‘rumors’ were from the professionals themselves. Ya remember what they told us about Der—I mean Ditzy?” asked Applejack.
“I find it hard to believe that Derpy Hooves is some sort of dodgeball goddess. For that matter, I just can’t picture her, of all ponies, being good in anything that features coordination!” groaned Rainbow Dash.
Twilight shook her head and sighed. “Rainbow, why are you always so harsh with her. She’s a nice mare. Sure, she’s a bit of a ditz, but that doesn’t mean you have to be mean to her.”
“It’s not my fault she keeps messing things up. Whether it’s during Winter Wrap Up or even just her mail job, she is always causing problems,” complained Rainbow Dash. She stomped her hoof and turned away. “I’m not willing to believe that she’s this ‘crossed-eyed demon’ unless I see it with my own eyes.”
“Well, you know what they say. All rumors have some truth in them. Aren’t you the least bit curious about all this?”
“Not really. Besides, Derpy’s been avoiding everypony all week. Chances are we won’t find her,” said Rainbow Dash.
Applejack shook her head. “Not nesscarraly. I talked to Carrot Top at the market this mornin’ and she said Derpy was takin’ her daughter out for a picnic at the park. The little filly wanted to do somethin’ fun this week so she gave in and agreed to go outside.”
“That means this is the perfect time to go out there and ask Derpy if she can help us,” said Twilight with a smile.
“Fine!” shouted Rainbow Dash, rising to the air. “We’re going to settle this once and for all. Meet me at the park in an hour.”
Before the girls could question further, Rainbow Dash was already long gone, her trademark rainbow streak trailing in the air. Applejack sighed turned to Twilight, eyebrow raised. “What do ya think she’s gonna do now?”
“I’m not sure, but I guess we’d better do as she says....” Twilight took a look at Roseluck and Lucky who were now wrestling one another, the former holding the other in a sharpshooter hold. “… and hope that Derpy is who everypony says she is, even if she won’t admit it.”
***
An hour later, the girls arrived at the park and started searching for any sign of Rainbow Dash. They even asked a few ponies, but they said no. With nothing else to do, they sat down under the shade of a tree.
Twilight started reading a book she brought along while Applejack watched ponies come and go. An hour later, the girls were ready to just leave the park altogether when they heard somepony cry out “Hey!” just as they got up. The two spotted Rainbow Dash flying towards them, dodgeball in hand. Upon seeing their glares she tilted her head, and asked, “What?”
“You’re late. It’s been over an hour,” said Twilight, putting her book in her saddlebag.
“Yeah, sorry. Thought I had enough time for a quick snooze,” replied Rainbow Dash, shrugging her shoulders. “Anyway, follow me. We’ll find out if these rumors are true or not, right now.”
Her friends glanced at each other and shrugged before getting up. They followed her across the park until they got to the playground, where parents and their foals laughing and playing around on the various equipment available to them. Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes, scanning the area until she smiled. “There she is.”
The others followed Dash’s line of sight, and spotted Derpy watching Dinky play on the swings. They turned back and gasped, as Rainbow Dash prepared a kick, the dodgeball in her hooves positioned just right.
“Rainbow, stop!” cried out Twilight, but Dash had already kicked the ball.
The dodgeball sped through the air as a red blur. Its target: an ignorant Derpy Hooves. Just as the dodgeball was about smack Derpy, she twirled around, wings spread out, and caught the ball in mid-spin with her left wing. She spread out her left wing and threw the ball back towards Rainbow Dash like a sling.
The ball’s speed was doubled, zooming right past Rainbow Dash’s face, inches away from her cheek. The three of them stood still as they heard the ball continue to fly, until the echoing sound a large crash made them jump. Ponies instantly looked around, some asking if there was an explosion. The only three who knew what had just transpired slowly turned their heads around, dropping their jaws.
The ball had sailed nearly half a mile before colliding with a tree, now broken in half. They quickly turned towards Derpy, and timidly stepped back. Derpy’s eyes were no longer their crooked-looking selves, but straight and narrow. A cold, predator-like glare was aimed at the three, who felt as if she was staring right into their souls. There was none of the usual warmth Derpy usually held in her eyes, only the enraged glare of a demon.
Dinky jumped off her swing and landed, before turning to her mother. Her eyes widened a bit at seeing her in such an intense state. “Mommy? Is everything alright?”
Derpy’s eyes quickly changed back to normal. Turning to her daughter, she laughed nervously. “Y–yes, muffin. Let’s head back for some lunch, okay?”
“Okay!” cheered Dinky, skipping on ahead as her mother soon followed
Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash stood silent, their mouths dropping as far as their jaws could let them. Finally, Applejack spoke. “Great Apples… that was... that was just... ah have no words...”
“Me neither,” said Twilight, shaking off her stupor. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so... frightened. I guess ‘demon’ wasn’t an understatement. She really is good.”
“Good?! Dangit Twi, she could knock out Discord with a blow like that!” exclaimed Applejack. She turned towards a still-shocked Rainbow Dash and chuckled. “Guess ya were wrong about Derpy, huh?”
Rainbow Dash didn’t respond. Twilight waved her hoof in front of Rainbow’s eyes, but still didn’t say anything. “I think she’s out of it.”
“Ah know how to get her goin’ again.”
Applejack put her muzzle near Dash’s ears and whispered, “Hey Rainbow Dash, Ah hear the Wonderbolts are gonna be disbandin’.”
“Wait, what?! NO!” cried out Rainbow Dash, snapping her head towards Applejack. “They can’t disband! I haven’t even joined them yet! THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING!” She started bawling into her hooves. “My life is over!”
“Easy, Rainbow. Ah was just kiddin,” said Applejack, easing her friend.
Rainbow Dash’s quickly stopped crying and growled at the giggling farmer before turning her attention to the broken tree behind them. She got up and rushed towards it, her friends right behind her. When they arrived, they felt their previous shock return at the sign of the destruction. The tree was completely split in half, as if an Ursa Minor had bashed through with a swipe of its paw.
Rainbow Dash stared at the three for a while until she said, “We have to have her on the team.”
“So what were you saying earlier about Derpy and dodgeball?” asked Twilight, with a smirk.
“I’ll take back everything I said if it means getting her to join our team!” shouted Rainbow Dash, with the biggest grin on her face. “If we have her playing, we’ll be invincible!”
“Do you think she’ll join?”
“Oh course she will,” said Rainbow Dash, puffing out her chest. “All it’ll take is some of the old Rainbow Dash charm.”
***
“What do you mean you won’t join us?!” shouted Rainbow Dash. Some bypassers walking across the park glanced at her when they heard her shout, but soon moved on
Derpy turned her eyes away from her daughter, who was chasing butterflies some hooves away. Keeping her face hidden from the three, she answered, “I’m not that good at dodgeball. I’m sure there are better ponies than me.”
“Better than you? Derpy, you just broke a tree in half with one throw! You're like some kind of super awesome mega killing dodgeball champion!” shouted Rainbow Dash.
“Those are just rumors, nothing more. And that throw... it... it was just a fluke,” said Derpy, trying avoid their gaze.
Applejack snorted, “Fluke mah hat. That blow could keel over a dragon. Come on now, Derpy, if that is your real name.” Derpy flinched, which they all caught.
Rainbow Dash turned her attention to a picnic basket with Derpy’s cutie mark on it, where she spotted a box of fresh muffins. Grinning, she slowly walked towards them. “Well, if you're not going to tell us, then we’re going to have to force it out of you!”
One of Derpy’s eyes spotted Dash reaching for the muffins. Realizing what she was going to do, Derpy reached out to grab her precious muffins but, Dash had already scooped them up into her hooves. Derpy growled as Rainbow Dash flew into the air, the baked goods in her hooves. “Rainbow Dash! Give those back! I spent all morning on those!”
“You want them?! Tell me why you won’t play anymore!” shouted Rainbow Dash. What she didn’t expect was Derpy attempting to blitz her in mid-air. She quickly maneuvered out of the way and flew across the park with an enraged, crossed-eyed pegasus right behind her.
“Rainbow! Derpy! Get back here!” shouted Twilight at the top of her lungs, but the two flyers were already gone. Stomping her hoof, Twilight turned to Applejack. “Come on, let’s go after them!”
Applejack nodded, and the two gave chase. Just as they left, Dinky walked up towards the picnic blanket, as slowly as possible lest she scare the butterfly on her horn. “Look, mommy! I caught a butterfly!”
She looked around, but saw no sight of anypony. “Mommy?”
***
Okay, I’ll admit it. She’s faster than I thought.
The muffin-driven pegasus was hot on Rainbow’s tail. Looking at those fiery eyes, Dash decided she didn't want to be on the receiving end of that rage. Weaving through trees, Dash hoped Derpy would crash into them like usual.
“Give me back my muffins!” yelled Derpy, picking up speed as she avoided each tree with ease.[
“Aw, horseapples,” muttered Rainbow Dash, diving for the ground. Derpy followed in pursuit, inches away from grabbing Dash’s back hooves.
Rainbow Dash looked around for anything that could help her, and saw a flock of geese not too far away. Using all her wingpower, she headed straight for the birds, Derpy close behind. Dash charged straight through the flock, scaring the geese as they flew around in confusion. Derpy Hooves saw the panicked geese right in front of her and gasped. She tried to slow down, but her brakes were too slow, and she flew right into them.
She flailed her legs around, struggling to keep herself from getting overwhelmed. Seeing no other choice, she flew down as fast as she could. Unfortunately, she managed to land in the park’s fountain, resulting in a large splash.
Twilight and Applejack, having seen the splash, rushed over and quickly helped her out. Shaking her mane, Derpy turned to the girls and nodded in thanks before glaring at Rainbow Dash, who had landed nearby. She looked ready to charge again, but her anger soon waned and she lowered her head, sighing. “You girls really want to know, don’t you?”
Twilight placed a hoof on her shoulder. “We just want to know what’s wrong, Derpy. You’re normally so cheerful and happy, but this past week you’ve been the complete opposite. We just want to help. That’s all we—”
“Ditzy.”
“Huh?”
Struggling to keep her eyes straight, Derpy looked at Twilight and shook her head. “My name is Ditzy Doo. Not Derpy Hooves.”
***
Derpy—or Ditzy—continued to curse to herself as she guided three curious ponies back toward her picnic table. I should have known this was going to happen. After all, you can’t escape your past, no matter what you do.
When they arrived, Dinky cheerfully walked over and hugged her mother. “I found you, mommy! We were playing hide and seek, right? That’s why I couldn’t find you, right?”
Forcing a smile, Derpy nuzzled her daughter. “That’s right! You did find me! Great job, muffin! Now it’s your turn to go hide! I’ll count to one hundred and go look for you, okay?”
“Okay!” shouted Dinky. She ran off as fast as her little legs could carry her, until she was out of sight.
With her daughter gone, Derpy turned to the others and frowned. “Alright, I might as well get this over with. It all started when I was a filly in Los Pegasus...”
***
The school bell rang as little pegasus foals rushed out of their classrooms and towards the playground waiting for them. Unlike earth ponies and unicorns, their playground equipment was made out of pure clouds. From the swings to the basketball court, all the foals played with each other as their laughs echoed across the playground… except for one lonely filly, who was sitting on a bench and blowing bubbles.
Ditzy looked at all the smiles and wished she was just like the other foals, but knew it was a hopeless wish. With a sad sigh, she blew into her bubble wand and watched her bubbles pop in the air one by one. Blowing bubbles always cheered her up, but, just like their existence, her joy from them was only temporary.
One of her eyes shifted to the left, spotting some fillies pointing at her and giggled. One of them put their hoof next to her head and rolled it around while sticking her tongue out. While the other girls found it hilarious, Ditzy felt her eyes mist up. This was nothing new. After all, she was the “freak” of the class. A title she hated more than her stupid eyes.
All the foals made fun of her for them.They tripped her when she walked down the halls, gave her swirlies, and stole her stuff. They even made fun of her cutie mark, calling bubble-blowing a waste of a talent. Naturally, they also made fun of her eyes. Adults weren’t any better. They always ignore her or treated her as if she was stupid or something. Even her own parents didn’t interact with her that much. Ditzy knew the real reason why though. They were ashamed of her.
Fighting back the tears, Ditzy noticed a shadow gradually appear over her. She looked up, but she quickly wished she hadn’t. Standing above her were three tall colts, whose grins made Ditzy’s spine tingle. She knew these three as Ace, Lancer, and Teddy; her worst tormenters.
“Well, well, well. Look who we have here, boys,” said Ace, a gold colored pegasus with a light blond mane. In his hooves, he held a dodgeball that he tossed over to his buddy, Lancer, a crimson manned blue pegasus. “It’s everypony’s favorite crossed-eyed freak, Ditzy Doo!”
Ditzy’s eyes spun around and saw everypony facing her. The third one, Teddy, a light blue colt with an orange mohowk, pushed her over the benched. Leaning right over her, he grinned and taunted, “What’s wrong, Ditzy Doo? Is the little, freaky baby scared? Need a diaper to go doo-doo in?”
“You’re the big baby, you jerk,” muttered Ditzy.
Her comment managed to get her lifted off the ground. Teddy narrowed his eyes and shouted, “What’s that, you little freak?! Maybe I ought to pound you into the clouds so hard you’ll end up on the ground!”
Ace patted his wing against his friend and smiled. “Easy, Ted. We’ll all get some fun out of her. Follow me and bring the freak.” Teddy dragged Ditzy by her wings as they headed towards the school. The entire crowd followed them, some taking bets on how long she would last before crying, while others glanced at her with sympathy.
Ditzy looked around for a teacher, but to her horror, none of the adults were around. Where are they?!
The bully kept dragging her until they were near the school, and then threw her against the wall. Rubbing her shoulder, she looked up and saw the three bullies now had dodgeballs in each hoof. Ditzy pressed herself against the wall and gulped. She looked for a way out, but the crowd had all but boxed her in. Flying was also useless, since everypony was faster than her.
“Let’s see how long you can dodge these until you’re black and blue, derp eyes,” said Ace. He and his friends nodded to each other before they threw their dodgeballs at her, like a unified firing squad.
Acting on instinct, Ditzy just barely managed to dodge them before the balls bounced against the wall. The bullies collected them again and continued their assault, forcing her to dodge again and again. The only saving grace she had were her eyes that managed to help her see in two directions.
The bullies laughed and slapped each other’s back. The red colt was laughing the hardest. “Come on! Dance, derpy eyes!”
“Dance, derpy eyes!” cried Lancer and Teddy as did a few other foals. “Dance! Dance! Dance!”
Tears were leaking from her eyes, but for once they weren’t tears of sorrow. Inside her chest, she could feel something burning as hot as the fire she’d accidentally caused in the kitchen a month prior.
“Dance! Dance! DANCE!”
“SHUT UP!” roared Ditzy, her vocal cords enflamed.
Everypony instantly shut up and stared; even the bullies were stunned. Gritting her teeth, Ditzy stopped dodging and turned towards one of the balls heading straight towards her. Standing on her two rear legs, she grabbed it with both hooves and threw it straight back at Lancer. The ball smashed into his face, before he could react knocking him back a few feet. The other foals gasped in horror as he landed and started screaming in pain.
“Mah fabe! Mah fabe!” he shouted, holding his bleeding muzzle. Droplets of red colored the section of the white cloud he was on.
The children stared at the crying colt before turning their eyes back on Ditzy. In unison, they all stepped back. She was growling at them as if she were a wild beast. Her body leaned back like that of a predator, and the foals sensed they were the prey.
Teddy snapped out of his stupor and nervously threw his dodgeball that Ditzy easily caught. It was quickly sent back, nailing him straight in the chest. He keeled over and gasped, saliva dripping down his mouth as he started to cry.
Ditzy glared at the ringleader, the only one left. She turned to a dodgeball right next to her and picked it up. Realizing his predicament, Ace screamed like a filly and flew away. Ditzy raised her arm, aimed, and threw with all her strength, sending the dodgeball into the air like a missile. The bully didn’t even get a chance to dodge as the dodgeball smacked him in the back of the head, silencing his screams.
The crowd watched in terror as he motionlessly fell from the skies before crashing into the cloudbox, head first. The crowd stared at the sight, believing it to be a makeshift grave until they heard moaning and sobbing.
They slowly turned towards Ditzy, whose glare disappeared and was replaced with confusion. Ditzy looked at each of the bullies and wondered, Did I... Did I do this?
She turned towards her stupefied classmates. “Um... shouldn’t somepony get the nurse?”
One of the colts nodded and quickly rushed inside. Ditzy stepped forward only to have the crowd step back in unison. Some even flew away. Walking back to her lonely bench, she asked herself, she picked up her bubbles and watched as the nurse came carried all three bullies back inside. When it was all over, all the foals went back to their respective spots, but didn’t play as much. Some of them peered over their shoulders at Ditzy who tried to look away.
All while asking herself what had just happened.
***
The next day, Ditzy was sitting in her usual spot during recess, but this time she was actually being ignored, instead of made fun of. Ever since she arrived at school that day, ponies had avoided her like the plague. The three bullies were out of school. Some rumors hinted that they were in the hospital; others suggested that she'd killed all three of them. She personally found out from the school nurse that they were staying home due to a dodgeball game gone wrong. Apparently, they didn’t tell anybody she’d caused their injuries. Whether this was out of fear of her or embarrassment from getting their tails handed to them by the “freak” was anypony’s guess.
She turned her attention to the playground. A few eyes looked at her, but then they quickly looked away. She heard some whispers, but these were different from the mocking she was used to. It was like they thought she was the Mare in the Moon coming to gobble them all up if they angered her too much.
Ditzy had to admit, it was nice to go through a recess without getting made fun of for once. Just as she was about to blow more bubbles, she heard somepony walk up behind her. “Um, Ditzy?”
Turning around, she saw a filly with green pigtails and orange pelt timidly looking at her. Behind the pigtailed filly, Ditzy could see a group of other foals, whispering to each other as they looked at her with fear. The other filly gulped. “Um, about yesterday. That was amazing what you did...”
“I didn’t know I was good either,” admitted Ditzy, shrugging her shoulders.
The fillies’ jaw dropped. “Y–you mean that was your first time?! But you played like a pro!”
“R–really?” asked Ditzy, blushing. “I–it was just so easy.”
“Wow,” said the nervous filly. She shifted her front hooves a bit. “Say, do you mind playing with me and my friends after school? We got challenged by another school who's always beating us, and we would really appreciate if you helped.”
Ditzy blinked and then bit her lip to see if this was really happening. “Y–you're asking me to play with you?”
“If it’s not too much trouble!” said the filly, quickly as she backed away a bit.
Ditzy felt her heart soar. A smile stretched across her muzzle as she quickly shook her head. “Yes! Yes, I’ll play!”
This made the other filly smile as well. “Great! Thanks!”
Ditzy squealed in delight. She couldn’t believe it! Her first time being asked to play! A blank look then appeared on her face as a thought occurred to her. “Um, excuse me?”
“Yeah?”
“How do you play dodgeball, anyway?”
***
School ended far faster than Ditzy thought it would, and soon enough she was following a group of eight classmates through the busy streets of Los Pegasus. They were still far away from any of the high class casinos and resorts, but close enough to see various tourists such as earth ponies and unicorns all walking thanks to the cloud-walking spell.
While she followed the others, Ditzy mentally went over the rules again of dodgeball. It was all simple, mostly, but according to the others, there were a lot of different throws and tactical positions players could take on the field. It was unlikely that they would face such a situation, since, according to her new friend Starfall, only pros could perform such moves. Still, Ditzy wish she knew more about the game.
Lost in her thoughts, Ditzy almost bumped into the others when they stopped. She looked around, and saw that they were in an abandoned basketball court. Looking past her teammates, she saw nine other fillies and colts she’d never seen before standing across from them.
One of them, a pink-pelted filly with a bandana covering her mane, stepped forward with a sneer. “So, Starfall, ready to get your butt kicked again?”
Starfall, stepped forward. “Not this time, Storm Gallop. We’re going to be sending you home with your tails between your legs.”
Storm Gallop stared at each of them until her eyes locked on Ditzy’s. Taking one look at her criss-crossed eyes, Storm Gallop started laughing.“Hey, Starfall! Who’s the one with the freaky eyeballs!”
“That’s Ditzy. She may look weird,” she muttered, “but she’s just as good as any of you.”
Storm Gallop held her front hooves up. “Hey, I ain’t complaining. If cross-eyes wants to play, she can play.”
The team leaders returned to their respective teams and huddled up. Ditzy felt her brow getting sweaty as Starfall looked at her. “Ditzy, are you ready? I know this is your first real game, but just trust me and listen to everything I say, okay?”
“O–okay,” muttered Ditzy, feeling her stomach turning.
Starfall nodded before turning to her teammates. “Alright, you know what to do! Let’s kick some flank!”
“Yeah!” shouted everyone as they took to the air. Their opponents set up six dodgeballs on the ground before levitating themselves. They both lined up, glaring each other as their tails twitched. Ditzy felt her entire body shivering from both excitement and fear.
Starfall and Storm Gallop both raised their right hooves and kept them up for a while. A few seconds later, they let them down and everypony dived for the balls. Ditzy tried her best to reach for one, but a colt from the other team grabbed it first. He snapped the ball to another team member, who threw it at Ditzy. She managed to bend her back far enough for it to pass right over her.
Adjusting herself, Ditzy tried to keep her eyes straight when Starfall’s voice cried out, “Ditzy! Here!”
One of her eyes turned right and she saw a dodgeball being passed over to her. Reacting on instinct, she kicked the ball towards the colt who’d tried to shoot her down, resulting in a clear shot against the head. To her surprise, it bounced off him and smack the other colt as well, earning her a double out.
Players on both teams saw it and started shouting at what had just happened, either in astonishment or concern. Ditzy noticed Storm Gallop glaring at her, realizing that she wasn’t an ordinary dodgeball player. Confidence began to grow inside Ditzy as she rushed across her team’s zone, dodging any throws that came towards her.
She felt invincible. She felt like Princess Celestia, all powerful and dwarfing everypony else. She caught each ball thrown at her and even managed to block a few others. One time she knocked another ball towards Starfall, who caught it and got the thrower out. They lost a few of their pegasi, but Ditzy was quick to bring them back in. Soon, only one player remained on the opposite team.
“Give it up, Storm Gallop!” shouted Starfall. “Why don’t you just sit your rump down on the clouds and admit defeat!”
“Never, loser! I can still cream you and that freak of yours!” screamed Storm Gallop as she flew forward.
She was suddenly stopped by Ditzy, who appeared from below and glared at the filly, her eyes cold and unforgiving. Storm Gallop dropped her ball and gulped. Narrowing her eyes, Ditzy muttered, “I’m not a freak, you jerk.”
A few second later, a semi-conscious Storm Gallop was on the clouds, suffering a nose bleed. Meanwhile, Ditzy was getting hugs and congratulations from her teammates. She looked at them and then at the defeated team, who quivered in fear when they spotted her staring at them. For the first time, she felt important. She felt she was somepony.
That day she made a vow. To become the best dodgeball player ever, so that nopony would make fun of her again. If they did, she would make sure they ended up just like Storm Gallop.
***
“So that’s how you got into dodgeball, but when did this whole ‘cross-eyed demon’ thing come to play?” interrupted Rainbow Dash, earning her a few glares.
Derpy sighed, “I’m getting to that. We have to go years later. Where I became a legend... but also a demon...”