Chapter 4: The Sisterly Muffin
Your tears don't fall, they crash around me. Your conscience calls, guilty to come home.
Why? Why... why out of all places to start a new, why here? Of all the blasted places... I had to end up here?! And of course -- in front of this mare... the one that I couldn't ever forget for the likes of me. Her eyes tried to transfix on me, perhaps she couldn't recognize me? Oh, no. I couldn't change THAT much could I? Am I more horridly ugly now? Old? Oh, what do I care? I'm a pony! But she certainly has grown older and her blonde hair has become more bright, it seemed to resemble some type of sunshine she kept within herself. Which reminded me of myself... a brown pony, dark hair, dark coat, yeah.. I didn't have a strap of brightness in my eyes anymore. Perhaps... that's what has changed about me.
"You know," she whispered, breaking the silence and all the jumble in my head. "I knew a pony that looked like you a long time ago. But it couldn't possibly be you." She shut her eyes, staring away from me. Tears began to flush down her face, making her cheeks moist. A sinking feeling downed in my heart, staring at her made me feel guilty. Pony or not -- I really hurt this girl in the past. That is definitely not something I wanted to remember. "He hated me, just like my parents did. He abandoned me, just like Pinkie Pie did. I'm all alone in this world, I constantly come out to this field. Searching for something, hoping I can find something or someone that needs me too."
"Come on now, I don't hate you." I stated, putting my han-- hoof down. "I was a mess, a human trapped in the world of an equine? It's all rather bizarre. I mean if you grew up where I did you would think you walked into a three year old's television show. Not to mention we are fluffy colorful creatures-" I continued to babble on as her mouth dropped. Her eyes seemed to glow with a happiness that I remember seeing when I helped her find her way to her new life.
"It... really is you." She jumped at me hugging me, but then suddenly let go and stammered backwards. "I'm sorry, I just- I forgot you weren't a fan of me... I mean you left me all on my own and-"
"It's not you, Derpy." I remembered her name, such an odd name. "I was confused, I had a lot riding on me- well." I coughed, collecting my thoughts. "That's not to matter because I am not leaving here anymore." She analyzed me, even searched behind my ears. "What on Earth are you looking for?"
"That.... contraption that you tapped that made you disappear." She responded looking down to the ground with one eye. She moved her hoof in the dirt awkwardly.
"I do not have it, it no longer works. So I am here for good, no matter the circumstance." There was a sudden rustling in the leaves and it startled both of us. We looked over our shoulders to find nothing there, but there was definitely someone spying on us. I heard the hooves galloping away quickly away from us. "Was someone spying on us?" I scoffed. "What a coward!"
"It was probably a rabbit or something." Derpy added, tapping my shoulder.
"A rabbit that gallops?!" I let out a nervous laugh. "Hmm, well, yes! What do I know! Talking ponies.." She began to walk away from me out of the field.
"Are you hungry Doctor?" She smiled as I nodded vigorously.
"Yes! I quite fancy a hamburger!" My stomach began to growl as she looked at me horrified.
"We do NOT eat friends!" Oh boy, am I going to have to become a vegetarian? No! Why! Of all the most horrible things to happen to me, this is the WORST. POSSIBLE. THING. Ah, look at me becoming a drama pony! Haha!
"Did you SEE that? He's back! I knew he would be back! I know I didn't waste ten years of my life constantly waiting for him to come back!" She tracked her hooves across the floor back and forth. "What reason does he have of coming here? I sure hope he ain't a threat! What do you think?" She stared over at her counterpart who looked dazed at the wall.
"Mm-nope."
"Always so short with words..." She sighed as she flipped through a book that she had on top of her desk. "I want to see this world he comes from, but I also want to keep my eye on him. Just in case he is dangerous.. he is hanging out with Pinkie Pie's adoptive sister after all. We do need to take care of her."
"Eee-yup."
"I nearly got caught out there! I can't let them on to me watching them, we will just have to observe from the distance and be quiet! Let's go! This time, please try not to step on my hoof!"
"Eee-yup." He gulped as they made their way out to the center of town.
We sat at a table on top of a barrel of hay... which was very uncomfortable.
"I don't know how you ponies like this stuff... it's really uncomfortable. I rather lay on a pillow made of feathers!" I shifted around awkwardly as we waited for our yummy....hay burgers....yum.
"Good news for you, we do have feather pillows!" I groaned as then it hit me, my eyes grew large.
"Oh, Derpy. Is there an Inn or something I can stay at? I mean I do not have money... ugh! That is not going to work then... blasphemy! I won't be able to stay anywhere tonight. Do ponies even use currency? Do you sleep outside? Is there a barn? These places look like normal every day houses..."
"Oh, Doctor! You're so funny! No need to say silly things! You can stay with me!" She smiled happily, grinning eye...to eye. I was about to open my mouth to oblige but she gave me this stern look. Such a stern look that it reminded me of my mother, it shut me up instantly and before I knew it a hay burger sat in front of me.
"Thank you... Derpy." I tried munching on the burger and to my surprise it wasn't so bad! It tasted like Frosted Wheaties, only without the frosting! "I can get used to this!"
"See, pony living ain't so bad!" She chuckled, when a pink line zoomed right past us. Seems rather nostalgic. Oh yes, wasn't that Pinkily Fry? No... that don't sound quite right... A sudden sigh from Derpy made me look up at her. Her one eye followed the pink flash to where it stopped. She jumped in the center amidst six other ponies who smiled and talked amongst themselves.
"Ah, are those your friends too Derpy? No need to mind me, I'll just chow down on this delicacy as you go and greet them." I took another bite of my burger as she shook her head back and forth.
"Not my friends."
"But didn't I leave you in the care of that Pinkily....Fry...pink pony?" I rubbed at my lips getting the wheat crumbs off my mouth.
"Pinkie Pie. Yes, I still live with her but I don't see much of her these days."
"Why is that? If you guys been living together for these ten years, shouldn't you be inseparable? Like... sisters?" She sighed again pushing her burger away to the center of the table.
"Care to walk and talk? I can tell you some of the details." I took one last bit of my burger and hopped off the hay barrel as I followed her in the opposite direction. I took a peek over my shoulder to find the purple and white pony staring at me, almost eying me. Eeesh, am I being hit on? I scurried next to Derpy, nearly pushing her over to the side.
"W-woah!" She cried, almost tipping over. She caught herself by flapping her wings and bringing herself back to her feet. "You're lucky I'm a klutz and used to catching myself!" I made a cringe worthy smile at her and stayed silent so that she would continue telling me her story. Which I was actually interested in, because I felt the need to help her. Especially since I did nothing at all to help her before. She still looks at me-- even now-- to help her. After all I did for her too, now she's the one helping me. So I have to pay her back somehow!
"Well, we were close for like 9 years. We did everything together! She made me my first muffin! She called it our 'sisterly muffin', she would make them for me when I felt sad, when I accomplished something, or when I even hurt myself! She would make all types for me, chocolate chip, banana, strawberry.... but my favorite is blueberry!" Her mouth began to water. "I'm almost surprised that my cutie mark isn't a blueberry muffin! I eat so many of them!" Her eyes spun in loop de loops as she talked about them. "Anyway, after you completely abandoned me, I cried for days, weeks even. I felt like I lost my first true friend... at least to me you were. Pinkie tried cheering me up. She even took me to the rock farm she grew up on! I never thought someone as hyperactive as her would grow up somewhere like that! No wonder she left! But as I was saying... Twilight Sparkle showed up. The purple pony, by the way. And all of a sudden Pinkie Pie said she felt the need that she were to be friends with this pony. Before I knew it, she was super close to her! Like I mean... Pinkie Pie had a few friends before but all they did was meet up every once in awhile. Now that Twilight is around.. they meet up almost every single day and leave me behind in the dust. I never get asked to join."
"Why don't you simply just ask Pinkie to hang out too?" I rubbed at my chin, Pinkie Pie didn't seem like the type to be snooty and say no.
"She said that they were doing top secret, friendship bonding, princess saving, harmony type of stuff." Wow, to my surprise she gave her a no in a way that sounds like her. Well, she was such a character that I remember her personality. It's not every century you meet someone like that. "Ever since then she would leave to hang out with them. I would watch them from the window and she would wave goodbye to me. I always tried to bond again with her. Every single morning I would make our sisterly muffin... but then she hops out of the shop and I wind up sitting by the counter, eating it alone." A tear drop rolled down her cheek. She been feeling alone... and lost. Like I have, I had nobody either. I reached my hoof out to her to give her a reassuring back rub that everything was going to be alright, but that's when she opened the door to a cake like bakery looking house.
"Come on in, this is where I live." She slowly trotted inside. The place was empty, it seems the shop was closed for the day. "Mister and Misses cake are out today, she just found out that she was pregnant so they are going shopping for their baby." I giggled a bit at the thought. Do they get their babies cribs too? Mobiles? A rattle? A bottle? Bahahaha! Oh, my! What a hoot!
"What are you laughing at?" She narrow eyed me as I perked up, coughing my way through my giggles.
"Oh, nothing! Nothing at all!" That's when I looked over to the counter to find six plates of half-eaten muffins. Derpy looked over at them, trying with all her might to keep from sobbing. Her jaw would make all these moves to almost stop her tear ducts from letting the tears fall. I walked over to the muffins and began to eat the other half of them. Her eyes grew wide, staring at me as if not knowing what to say.
"Doctor... why are you?"
"Ssh, now Derpy! I was the first friend you ever had! I demand that I get a- uh- friendshippy muffin?" My stomach was quite full but I managed to eat all the halves of the muffins that were left over.
"You promise you won't leave me again?" She pleaded, giving me almost puppy like eyes.
"You can't get rid of me this time. We are friends now and I will be here for you, while you be here for me as I get adjusted to this pony life!" She chuckled as she headed for the stairs.
"Let me make you a bed upstairs." Oh please don't tell me they lay on barrels of hay and feathered pillows?! "Come with me." I walked over to the stairs and after the first two steps, I tripped over my own hooves and slammed my face into the staircase. "Are you alright?!" She shrieked running down to me.
"Just fine, just fine!" I have to get used to these dreaded things! Alright doctor, one hoof in front of the other! Yes, yes, good. Almost there... ahh! Slipped a bit.. alrighty here we go! And touchdown! I made it! I would dance if I knew how to! To my surprise as I looked around the room upstairs, there were two beds. One that was obviously Pinkie Pie's seeing as how their was balloons tied to the masts. While the others were more well kept and organized. Obviously Derpy's. She walked over to another bed that was far off into the corner, she began to set sheets on it and a pillow.
"This will be for you Doctor." She smiled, even sliding a small end table next to it. I flopped onto the bed, feeling weird because my joints do not bend completely like human joints. Not to worry, I'll get this. My head hit the pillow and I was out like a light.. but before I could close my eyes and really zone out I heard her whisper to me...
You have such a light that glows about you, yet when I look at myself I'm so dark. I wish I had the light that you have.