Derpy’s breathing had slowed to almost nothing. Her chest no longer hurt, in fact it felt quite nice. From where her bones had stuck through the skin, the bleeding was no longer quite as bad as her heart beat slower and slower. Her vision was gone, but she didn’t need that anyway. Her only remaining sense was smell, which told her she was laying in a field of fragrant flowers. The sun felt warm on her body, and exhaustion slowly gripped her as she drifted off to sleep.
Pain interrupted her slumber. Her eyes snapped open, each pupil pointing a different way. Out of her left eye she saw white walls rushing by and through her right eye she saw a doctor. Her body was jostled as the stretcher she was laying on turned down a corridor. Her ears pounded with the sound of her own heartbeat, but between pulses she heard strange and distorted sounds, like someone had slowed down time.
A plastic mask was pressed over her mouth, and she faded away into peaceful oblivion. Twisted colors and shapes floated across her eyelids and she felt like her body was made of worms- constantly churning and shifting around. Patches of light occasionally peeked through her eyelids but for the most part she stayed in darkness. It felt like an eternity, but it was over in an instant. Light exploded back into her world, fuzzy and bleary smudges piercing her eyes.
Music, like a gentle symphony filled her ears. As her pounding headache subsided the music became sharper- it really was music. Ponies were singing off to her right. They were just finishing the song, but she was still able to comprehend the words. It was slow and mournful, like a funeral dirge.
“-ll to the ground, like a blazing star,
Now return to us, from wherever you are.”
Derpy’s eyes unclouded, focus slowly returning. Her lazy eye sheepishly rejoined her good eye as she turned towards the voices. Her friends and daughter were standing there. All of them were crying. Upon seeing her move, Dinky shrieked and rushed forward. She was about to bury her face in her mother’s flank when Twilight stopped her.
“Careful, Dinkie,” the purple unicorn said, voice full of concern, “Your mother is still really fragile. The doctor said not to touch her for a few days.”
Derpy smiled sleepily at her daughter, her eyelids half-closed. She reached a hoof out slowly, which the small unicorn grasped and began sobbing into. The injured pegasus closed her eyes and fell asleep once again.
When she woke, it was like a scene straight from her memories. Dinky was curled up against her chest, sleeping soundly. The pressure on her ribs hurt, but Derpy wouldn’t have asked for Dinky to move for all the money in the world. Looking around the dark room, the pegasus saw that two ponies were asleep nearby: Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Closing her eyes again, Derpy fell asleep so that the next day would come sooner.
Fluttershy was gone when Derpy next opened her eyes, but Rainbow Dash was sitting on the couch reading a book. When the gray pegasus stirred, Rainbow set her book down and looked Derpy in the eyes. When she spoke, her voice was slow, dragged down with sadness.
“Derpy, I’m so sorry. This is my fault.” The injured pegasus blinked, but stayed quiet. “Fluttershy and I talked. She said she would have chosen me if this hadn’t happened. But my arrogance, jealousy and impatience got the better of me. You could have died-” the cyan pegasus choked up, and fell silent. Tears welled up and slipped out of her eyes onto her lap.
“She’s yours,” Rainbow Dash said, picking up her book between her teeth and standing up. She was preparing to leave when Derpy spoke, her voice rough and raspy.
“I don’t blame you.” The cyan pegasus cringed at how damaged Derpy’s voice sounded. “I would have pulled the same stunt on you if I had the talent. I understand why you would risk so much for Fluttershy.” The gray pegasus tried to say more, but her throat was dry and raw. Rainbow Dash left the room, her hooves making a steady clopping noise.
Derpy lay in her bed in silence for a while, unable to sleep. Dinky was curled up at the foot of the bed, no longer crushing her ribs. Fluttershy was the one to enter next. The pegasus’ eyes were red and puffy, and wet tracks ran down her face. She let out a choked sob when Derpy turned to look at her.
Fluttershy hardly recognized Derpy; the gray pegasus’ face was bruised black and blue, swollen and cut and bloody. The yellow peasus crept closer and gently touched noses with her. Gingerly, Fluttershy kissed Derpy’s forehead. “Oh, Derpy,” she whispered, “Oh my gosh, Derpy...”
The injured pony brought her hoof up and touched Fluttershy’s cheek. Still unable to talk, Derpy just smiled. Dinky stirred and slowly woke, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. Seeing her mother awake, Dinky gasped and darted forward, forcing Fluttershy out of the way to grasp her mother’s hoof. The displaced pegasus slunk off shyly. Derpy frowned at Dinky. She couldn’t get her throat to make words to scold her daughter. But when she looked up, Fluttershy was gone.
Dinky and Derpy stayed together for most of the day, until the doctors had to whisk her away for additional surgery. When Derpy was awake in her room again, Fluttershy was back. The injured pegasus was still unable to speak, so Fluttershy did the talking while Dinky lay at her mother’s feet.
“I realized who I really have feelings for,” the yellow pony said in quiet, bashful tones. “And that’s you. Rainbow Dash and I have been good friends for a long time, and I let that blind me to her rash flaws. So, Derpy, I’ll take you out to dinner. How does that sound?”
Derpy smiled, hot tears splashing down her face. She nodded. Fluttershy smiled and gave Derpy another light kiss on the forehead, then bent down to pick up a basket full of food. Apples, carrots and lettuce had been arranged into beautiful salads, complete with olive oil dressing. Derpy ate light, still recovering from her surgery. But every bite was delicious.
Recovery was slow. Many of Derpy’s bones and internal organs had been broken, punctured or otherwise damaged. Her wings had been more or less spared and would heal completely; however, her legs and ribs would have permanent damage. Fluttershy paid her daily visits, bringing in sweets as well as healthy food. For the first week or so, Derpy was too roughed up to speak, so it was mostly Fluttershy and Dinky who carried the conversations. Dinky didn’t like Fluttershy. She blamed the yellow pegasus for her mother’s hospitalization. But every time she said something hurtful and Fluttershy tried to retreat, Derpy reached out and grabbed her hoof. A glare at the unicorn usually silenced her.
Three weeks after being admitted, Derpy Hooves was released. She had braces on all of her legs, and she leaned heavily on Fluttershy as she walked. But they hobbled their way back to the post office, where Derpy collapsed heavily on the soft chair in the living area she shared with her daughter. The smell of paper and glue from the main sorting and sending room permeated the entire building. After weeks of smelling antiseptic and bandages, the gray pegasus was glad to be home with all its familiar smells.
Fluttershy had lunch ready, and Dinky rolled in a cart with a silver platter. Underneath the platter was an apple diced into ten slices. To the side of the apple was a loaf of dark bread and a cup of the Apple family’s finest stock cider. In the hospital, Derpy had always looked forward to their visits: hospital fare lay flat on her tongue, utterly tasteless. The scene that unfolded next had Derpy reeling in confusion.
Fluttershy reached for the bread to break a chunk off for Derpy, but Dinky snatched it away with her magic and when Fluttershy went to grab the jug of cider, Dinky lifted that magically as well. The small, inexperienced unicorn tried to both pour the cider and cut the bread but ended up dropping both. Cider, bread and apples flew in all directions, splattering on everypony present. Dinky let out a frustrated screech. Fluttershy quietly began mopping up Derpy with a rag, when the unicorn turned on her in a fit of rage.
"Why are you still here?" Dinky demanded. Fluttershy kept her silence as she continued to mop the cider off of Derpy, who was glaring at her daughter;however, this time just a glare wasn't enough. Dinky stood in a challenging position with her body hanging forward and her horn poised to strike.
"My mommy doesn't need you, we don't need you! Just leave!" shrieked the small unicorn. Fluttershy paused mid-stroke. Derpy reached up and gently grabbed the pegasus' arm.
"Stay," Derpy murmured. Dinky's mouth dropped open.
"But MOM!" she howled.
"That is ENOUGH, Dinky." Derpy said in low, obviously hostile tones, "Fluttershy has been nothing but kind and gentle to us. She has been more than patient with your tantrums- more patient than I would have thought possible." Derpy turned to Fluttershy, who was staring into her eyes. "I love her," Derpy whispered.
Fluttershy hiccuped as she repressed a sob. Dinky surrendered, bowing her head in shame.
"I'm sorry, Fluttershy." the child said, her voice cracking. "I just don't want you to hurt her like daddy did."
Fluttershy detached herself from Derpy and walked to the child, who was on the verge of tears. The pegasus lay her hoof on the unicorn's back, moving to hug her as she looked up. "I'm not going to hurt your momma," Fluttershy said.
While Fluttershy and Dinky hugged, Derpy stood and walked into the back room, taking a dark mahogany box out from the closet. It was about twice as large as her hoof. The box had a leather strap on the top, which she grasped in her teeth and returned to the living room. Fluttershy and Dinky were quietly talking on the couch. They smiled at each other, then at Derpy as she set the box on the table. Dinky gasped.
"Mom, is that-" Derpy hushed her with by swishing her tail. She pushed the box towards Fluttershy, who looked at the box curiously.
"Open it," Derpy said. Fluttershy gingerly slid forward and lifted the lid of the box. Inside was a thick layer of plush velvet. Fluttershy removed the soft black fabric and her face was etched with shock. Inside was a gold anklet, wrought in ornate loops and polished to a perfect shine.
"Fluttershy," Derpy said, getting on to her knees stiffly, "will you marry me?"
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Nopony breathed. Fluttershy stared at the pegasus on her knees, then at the anklet. Then back at Derpy. Then back to the anklet. Her hooves moved slowly as they reached into the box, lifted the anklet out and then slid it on to her right-forward hoof. She breathlessly nodded.
"Yes, Derpy. I'll marry you." Derpy got back on her hooves, approached Fluttershy and touched noses. A sleepy, happy grin spread over her face. The pain in her body vanished and was replaced with pure contentment. Fluttershy's nose was warm, flushed red with a blush. Dinky was quiet at first and didn't smile but as she watched her mother and Fluttershy together, something clicked in her heart. She stopped resenting Fluttershy, because she made Mommy happy.
The child got crept out of the room while Fluttershy and Derpy lay down on the couch together. Behind her she heard the adults quietly talking, occasionally giggling. Dinky found herself in her mother's bedroom. It was a plain room, with the same dull white-gray color scheme as the rest of the post office. A straight bed lay in the back-center of the room, big enough for an adult pony and a filly. She often slept with her mother in that bed to keep her company. The young filly understood enough about life to know that soon the bed would be replaced with a larger mattress.
Approaching hooves from behind made Dinky turn around. She saw Derpy walking next to Fluttershy, and both were blushing madly. Dinky's mother cleared her throat and gestured for her daughter to leave the room. The unicorn walked past, smiling slightly. The adult ponies moved into the bedroom, and closed the door behind them. Dinky heard the squeak of the bed as two ponies lay down on it. The child retreated as she heard more private noises coming from the other side.
The months leading up to the wedding seemed to fly by Derpy. After breaking the initial news to Fluttershy's friends, they seemed to absorb her into their group. Rainbow Dash in particular was extremely helpful with the planning, taking great pains to secure convenient arrangements at the hottest and most romantic spots in the area. Derpy healed in body and soul as Fluttershy filled the cracks left by Flappy, in more ways than one. The shy pegasus was voracious in the bedroom.
One week before the ceremony, Fluttershy and Derpy sat in the marriage lawyers' office, signing the paperwork that would officially seal them as wives. The lawyer, a kindly looking older stallion with a graying mane, asked what family name they would choose. This was an extremely important step. Pony family names were only shared with their spouses. The couple looked into each other's eyes. Derpy leaned forward and kissed Fluttershy's forehead, then looked at the lawyer.
"We'll take Fluttershy's." The lawyer looked down and inscribed the new name.
"Derpy.. Shy. Got it. Congratulations, you two. You are now legally married. When's the ceremony?"
The couple were almost too dizzy with joy to hear. Fluttershy whispered, "This Saturday." The lawyer nodded and reached out a hoof to shake with each mare.
"Well, you two will be happy together, I just know it."
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Derpy Shy sailed through the next week in a pink haze. She delivered her mail quickly and with a dopey smile plastered on her face. Rainbow Dash now worked as a junior postman in her spare time. Dash had worked extremely hard to make up for Derpy's accident, and though she still had feelings for Fluttershy did not act on them. She had resigned herself to being the close family friend. Derpy knew that Fluttershy would always have feelings for Rainbow Dash, but also knew that marriage meant something profound. Something that couldn't be broken because of past emotions.
That Saturday dawned crisp and bright, Rainbow Dash made sure of it. Derpy and Fluttershy took different routes to the field where the ceremony would take place, each chariot pulled by a team of black-clad stallions. They arrived on opposite sides of a wide courtyard, walking in opposite directions through a large spiral. They met in the center, where the mayor was waiting. She wore around her neck two pendants; golden semicircles that swung back and forth as the magnets in their straight edges fought to connect. The pegasi stood in front of the mayor and each took hold of one semicircle.
The couple's friends and family watched through binoculars from outside the spiral. Like sharing family names, marriage was extremely private. The only ponies involved in the ceremony were the mayor and the couple. Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Applejack held back tears while Dinky couldn't hold back a smile. Over the past few months, the child had grown fond of Fluttershy. She was nice, pretty and always had cute creatures for her to play with. She looked through her binoculars and strained her ears to try and catch what the distant ponies were saying, both only heard the wind and the breathing of the other onlookers.
"Today is a day of love and truth," said the Mayor, looking through her spectacles at the pegasi in front of her. "When you connect this amulet, you shall be connecting your souls. You shall forever bind yourself to the other. There is no higher joy nor greater pleasure than what you will experience in marriage. Derpy Hooves and Fluttershy, you may connect your bodies, minds and souls when you are ready. Do you have vows or other words you wish to say?"
They both nodded, and Derpy spoke first.
"Fluttershy," she said, "I first met you on your birthday and I knew from the start that you were something special. Getting that date with you was one of the greatest victories I had ever achieved in my life. Competing with Rainbow Dash only made me want you more. After my accident, you were with me at all times. You gave me a reason to recover. Dinky resisted you at first, but you won her over in the end, too. I fell in love with you, and I haven't been able to get out of it since. Fluttershy, I shall devote the rest of my life to repaying you for all of your kindness and generosity. I'll say it again. I love you, Fluttershy- and I won't stop loving you until I take my final breath."
Fluttershy bowed her head, and then spoke.
"Derpy Hooves, when I first met you I was taken by surprise. I was wrestling with my own feelings for Rainbow Dash, and I think that you saved me from the pain our relationship would eventually have caused. You are loyal, kind and completely devoted to every pony- even Rainbow Dash, whom a weaker pony would now hate. You forgive and allow ponies to forgive themselves. You bring out the best in me and my friends and I will gladly stay with you until I draw my final breath along with you."
With both ponies finished with their speeches, they pressed their faces together in a gentle and loving kiss while they pushed their pieces of the pendant together. The magnets made a clicking noise, then the magic built into the pendant sealed the gap shut, forging the metal into a perfect circle. When Derpy and Fluttershy separated, the Mayor removed the chain from around her neck and looped it around the newly wed couple's. They stood close together while the amulet went around both of them. Together, they walked out of the spiral to their friends and family who rushed forward to embrace the couple.
Eight bodies pressed together as love and joy permeated the air. Fluttershy and Derpy were at the center, connected by the pendant. Derpy finally pushed Flappy Jack out of her mind, never once looking back. Dinky reached up and kissed Fluttershy on the cheek.
"Now I have two mommies." she said. With Dinky's approval, Derpy felt that the marriage was complete. She was surrounded by loving friends next to the mare she would spend her life with. Her life stretched out in front of her, but nothing could ever compare to the happiness she felt right here, right now. Her lazy eye had ceased to bother her. Like every other flaw in her body, she had simply accepted it as part of herself. Fluttershy had healed her wounds. Love had truly prevailed.