//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Better Times // Story: A Ditzy Relationship // by JesterintheNight //------------------------------// “Care to come back to my hotel room, my little pony.” A dark voice said, startling a young Pegasus awake she sat up her strange pale, light grayish apple green eyes looking around the room in alarm. As if she was expecting somepony to attack her, but nopony was there. A rooster in the distance was calling out, telling everypony morning had come. The young Pegasus touched her forehead to try settling down, as her hoof touched it she could feel sweat drenching her. Quickly grabbing her blankets, rubbing her face to clear away the sweat. “The dreams are getting worse…” The young Pegasus said, tossing the slightly damp blankets aside as she did she had good look at her swollen belly. It looked like she ate an armies worth of muffins, if only it was that simple she thought. Opening her grey wings and flapping hard once, she lifted herself off the bed. With a little effort she flew to the bathroom, landing on the floor a bit shaky she looked in the mirror. Her pale, light grayish apple green eyes looked into it seeing her reflection. Her matching mane was a mess from tossing and turning in her sleep, sighing lightly she grabbed a brush. As she began to comb out her mane to get it to its normal messiness she looked at her large belly. “It’s late… I wonder why. You were supposed to be born a month ago, but… I can still feel you kicking.” The young Pegasus said a hint of sadness in her voice, the doctors were just as lost as she was in why the baby wasn’t coming. One doctor joked about it saying “Maybe it’s waiting for somepony”, the joke didn’t cheer her up at the time but sometimes she’d laugh about it when she was alone. “Are you waiting for him?...” The pony asked rubbing her belly, only to receive a kick against her hoof. She blinked in surprise at the action but laughed, she then looked up at the mirror one of her eyes was looking at the ceiling while the other rested on her belly. “He won’t come back, not after… what I said to him.” The young Pegasus closed her eyes before she finished up getting ready to start the day. Taking a shower, brushing her teeth, and getting a muffin for breakfast with a cup of tea. “Oatmeal.” She said, sitting at her kitchen table she stared at the muffin for a few minutes before taking a bite. Same rich taste she loved… but it somehow didn’t taste as sweet as the one’s he would give her from time to time. She sighed lightly as she continued to eat her muffin, sipping her tea from time to time. As she finished her breakfast she heard a knock at her door, setting her plate and tea cup in the sink she went to the door opening it up. “Hey Derpy how ya feeling?” A rainbow mane Pegasus said zipping past the pony named Derpy before she sat on the couch smiling. Derpy blinked a bit surprised, not that she should have been. Rainbow Dash came almost every morning to check up on her, closing the door Derpy walked over to the sofa sitting down. Rainbow Dash stretched a bit before laying down on it casually, sometimes Derpy felt like Rainbow Dash was treating her home like her own. Not that she minded the company, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were the only ones from Flight School who cared about her. “I’m okay, the baby kicked me a little while ago.” Derpy said with a somewhat cheerful tone, she did care about her baby. Just the thought of raising it alone, hurt her more so without him around… he might have made a good father, no she knew he would have been a great father… “Have you heard anything new about him?” Derpy said, Rainbow Dash normally sighed at her questions about the same pony. But this time she sat up looking straight at her making Derpy tense up, did she hear something? “Actually yeah I have” Derpy’s eyes widen a bit as they did the baby inside her kicked her making her jump before rubbing her belly softly. Rainbow Dash kept up on all the Wonderbolts news and rumors, and he was the best the Wonderbolts had seen in years. Not that it made Rainbow happy, she was kind of mad at him for taking her dream and dropping it as soon as he took it. “Word has it Red Bullseye was spotted in Manehattan at a local bar with Light Ning, and that Red got into a fight with a cloud mane Unicorn” She said in a hushed tone as if somepony else might have been listening, Derpy’s heart stopped at the Unicorn part. Cloud mane? That Unicorn who… took advantage of her kind, and slightly foolish nature? It couldn’t of been him, but if it was then what did Red do to him?.. “Listen I have cloud duty today, AJ will be around to see you in a bit. She made you some apple muffins, Later Derpy!” Rainbow said as she dashed out door after opening it, leaving Derpy with her confused thoughts. Red was seen, she hadn’t heard anything about him for a whole year. It scared her not knowing how he was, if he was alive, unhurt or even happy. Even with what she said to him, she never wanted anything bad to happen to him… She didn’t know what to think, what she did know was… Applejack was bring her some of her homemade muffins! “Apple no less” Derpy said, it brought a comforting smile to her face. Though oatmeal was her favorite, AJ did make some amazing apple muffins. She was very grateful for having understanding friends in Ponyville it did make things a little easier for her, though being alone at night was sometimes painful. To sleep with only a little baby kicking her, no one to smile with her at the babies actions. As she thought this a kick came making her laugh a somewhat hollow laugh, softly touching her stomach. “Whenever I think about him… you move. Do you know something I don’t?” Derpy thought, a small hopeful smile came to her face. She got up from the couch and closed the door Rainbow Dash left open on her rush to leave for her job. As it closed shut she could have sworn she heard the faint sound of the morning train coming to Ponyville. “I think Applejack had to get Granny Smith this morning.” Derpy said, maybe that was why she was in town this morning. Derpy wandered to her bedroom to lay down for a bit, as her head hit the pillow she turned to her side to see a picture frame. Holding one of her favorite memories, reaching for it she gently picked it up careful not to drop it… again. Pulling it to her she looked at the cracked glass, she dropped it a few days ago… thanks to her clumsy nature. Though the picture wasn’t damaged, well any more than it already was. It had some water damage from past tears that fell, that was til Big Macintosh was kind enough to make her a picture frame as a birthday gift… … ….. ……. “Happy Birthday Derpy!” Applejack cried out to a surprised Derpy, she blinked surprised at the four ponies who knocked on her door. A pony with a light brilliant gamboge coat was smiling at her, the pony’s mane pale, light grayish olive almost matching Derpy’s mane. The pony had her mane in a large pony tail, along with her tail, a cowpony hat on as well. Her flank had three red apples, she also had beautiful emerald green eyes. By her side her older brother Big Macintosh, he had a brilliant amaranth coat, with brilliant orange mane. His mane was in a mess it looked a lot like Red’s mane style, Big Mac’s eyes matched his younger sisters though. “Happy Birthday Derpy” Another pony said making Derpy look down to see a little filly. Applebloom, she had something both her siblings had, her coat matched Applejack’s mane. Her mane simply brushed looked the same as Big Mac’s coat, kind of an opposite which was strange to Derpy. She had a nice large red bow in her mane, and behind them all was Granny Smith!... Asleep. A soft snore was escaping her mouth, though now that Derpy looked closer. Big Mac was pulling a cart with Granny Smith in it, with some gifts. “Ya going to leave us outside?” AJ asked in a kind tone snapping Derpy back to her senses, she opened the door a little more to make room as everypony came in. Big Mac pulled the cart carefully through the doorway and slid free from the harness, setting it on the floor carefully before pulling a basket of Apple Muffins out of the cart. It had a pretty little yellow bow tied around the handle of the basket, Big Mac set it on the coffee table. Then reaching into the cart once more he took out two gifts wrapping in apple theme wrapping paper. “We brought you gifts!” Applebloom said full of joy as she jumped onto Applejack’s back smiling at Derpy who was still a little confused as to what was going on. It wasn’t til Big Mac placed the gifts on the table she slowly reached for the smaller of the gifts. There was a tag on it… “Happy Birthday Derpy, Applebloom” Derpy read aloud, Applebloom smiling more. “I made it for you!” Applebloom said sounding excited, Derpy smiled finally a tear escaped her crossed eyes as she opened the gift. Tearing up the paper she tossed it casually to the floor where Big Mac picked it up so there wasn’t a mess. As Derpy got the last of the paper off there was a small wooden box with a heart painted on it, she opened the box slowly. “A bow?” Derpy said, there was a bow that matched her mane inside the box. Taking it out she smiled at it, it was big like Appleblooms bow that was in her mane now. A small laugh escaped her lips, making the two sisters smile in responds. “Ya did good AB” The older sister said, Applebloom nodded a few time seeming proud of her gift. “Here Derpy open Big Mac’s gift. I’ll get this into your mane.” Applejack said, Derpy handed the bow to her then picked up the next wrapped gift with was from Big Mac. It read… “Happy Birthday Derpy, Eeyup” Derpy laughed at the last part before eagerly ripping the paper off. As she did though she saw glass which made her freeze. It was made from glass which meant it was gentle, so this time she slowed down taking the paper off while Applejack carefully did her hair. Finally getting the paper off she saw it, a picture frame. Blinking she turned it over carefully it was the perfect size for her favorite picture… “Big Mac did you make this?” She asked her voice a bit shaky. “Eeyup” “For me?” “Eeyup” “Was it hard?” “Nnnope” “Was it for my picture?...” Her last question made her gently hug the picture frame. “Eeyup” “I saw your picture by your bed when you asked me to grab the pillow for you. It was a bit damaged, but it looked very important. So I told Big Mac and he smiled” Applebloom said, she hoped down from Applejack back before going to Big Mac. Who puffed his chest out, showing he was proud of his work. “Thank you… everypony…” Derpy said before her tears escaped her eyes and fell to the floor… ....... ….. … As she opened her crossed eyes, she noticed she was crying again. Hugging that precious memory, loosening her grip on the frame she looked at the picture. There he was, Red hugging her from behind with a large smile on his face. He was always handsome colt she thought, his red eyes that normally frighten everyone. Eyes that looked like blood, eyes that could frighten even the toughest of ponies. But never her, to her they were always gentle. Like the red setting sun on the water… “When did I get so sappy?...” Derpy said laughing a little as she wiped her eye with one hoof, she then set the picture carefully on the bedside table. “That was the same day… he asked me to the dance…” … ….. ……. “Congratulations on making the Junior Speedsters Derpy” A voice said from behind her, as she was looking up at the roster for the Pegasus fliers. Derpy wiped around to see a handsome colt smiling at her, his coat the same grey as her’s. His red eyes like a red apple, a mane in a brown mess but it only made him look handsomer. He had his hoof extended with a muffin, but not just any muffin. It was oatmeal! “Thank you Red!” She said taking the muffin, eagerly she began to eat it with a large smile. Red had always treated her well, as if she was normal in his eyes… or like they were dating. The idea brought a small blush to her face, no, no way would Red want her like that. He was just very nice, always protecting her from bullies, helping her with the work she didn’t understand for class, even protecting her from her own clumsiness. Never once complaining, always had a smile on his face for her. He was just nice to her, and well he was nice to Firefly as well. Firefly loved him for protecting Derpy from Bill and his goons, he was the only nice guy in Derpy’s life. “Come on Derpy, Firefly set up a celebration party for us.” Red said, snapping Derpy out of her muffin loving… and Red admiring state. She nodded once, stuffing the rest of the muffin into her mouth before walking beside Red to the exit of the school. “Mphm hmm mhm? (Where’s the party?)” Derpy said, her mouth still full of delicious muffin. Red blinked at her before laughing lightly, he then looked forward. “At the pizza place” Red answered, Derpy smiled widely looking forward. Red seemed to know what she was thinking half the time they talked, it was nice it ment she didn’t have to try hard to explain things like must ponies needed her too. It was like they had the same train of thought when it came to things, swallowing the rest of the muffin she paused seeing something. Red continued to walk on a few feet, before stopping to look at her. “Derpy?” He asked slightly worried, but her attention was on the large poster. The poster for the school dance next month? Red walked to her side looking up at her, if memory served him right. Derpy was going with Firefly and they were going to make their own dresses for the dance, date or no date they were going. “Red, do you…nevermind” Derpy said, Red looked to her. Did she want to go to the dance with him? A soft blush rose on Red’s face, dancing with Derpy? The idea sounded… fun, but he didn’t know how to dance. No one taught him… “Hey you two lovebirds coming!?” A voice called out making Derpy jump a bit in Red’s direction, he did the same making them collide in mid-air. Red however weighed more than Derpy so he fell on top of her, he raised his arms quickly to wrapping them around Derpy’s small body. His wings slammed onto the ground to catch them both, Derpy instinctively wrapped her arms around Red’s neck. As they held each other close, Derpy looked up at Red staring into his eyes deeply. A soft blush rose on her grey cheeks, she could of sworn Red’s cheeks were getting warmer too… “Hey… Derpy… Will you go… to” Red was struggling to get the right words out, as if his brain was turned off. But Derpy smiled at him, she knew what he was trying to ask. Or at least she hoped it was what he was trying to ask, so with a timid voice. Both her eyes focus on his, she nodded to him. Before she pulled him closer into a strong hug. “I’d love to” Derpy said, Red jumped a bit but a smile came to his lips. And he nodded once in response holding her, til a faint galloping was heard behind them. “You know, you two can make out when we’re at the party. I don’t mind selling tickets to the show” A playfully teasing tone came, Red’s eyes widen and finally his wings gave out making both Derpy and him land on the floor. A small “Eep” escaped Derpy’s lips as Red landed on top of her, he quickly rolled off her though sow’s not to crush her. He got up at an almost blinding speed, his face bright red. “A-Ah I’ll meet you at the party!” Red said, he tried to run off but Firefly cut him off. “Woah, woah, woah! You going to leave your little Derpy on the floor?” The pink Pegasus said, her mane blue. Red froze looking at Derpy, whose face was bright red but she wasn’t moving from the ground. Red sighed lightly, by Celestia this was embarrassing. Red flew to Derpy side gently picking her up, her eyes were spinning in their sockets. She almost look like she blew a fuse in her brain. “K-K-K-K” Was all she could spit out, Red raised an eyebrow in confusion. “K?” Firefly said as she came over to Derpy, Derpy looked ready to faint so Red got behind her hugging her waist to keep her up. Derpy hugged his arms without even thinking about, Red was trying to look down at Derpy’s face so he rested his head on top of her’s. “Derpy are you okay?” Red asked sounding worried about her, but Derpy smiled she could feel Red’s voice echoing in her heart. “K-Kissing Red wouldn’t be so bad…” She whispering to herself, Red’s eyes widen but he smiled gently rubbing his head into her soft mane. His smile grew when she rubbed her head against him til finally Firefly said… “Say cheese!” Smiles still on their faces they looked to Firefly who had a camera in her hooves, then a soft click before they even figured out she took a picture. ……. ….. … “But you never went with me…” Though she didn’t blame him, what happen. He was picked by Light Ning to be the next Captain of the Wonderbolts, and the trainer at the Wonderbolts Academy. He was forced to leave a week before the dance, things only got harder without him around to brighten up her days. Without him there to protect her from Billy, the bullying got worse because they wanted payback for all the times Red beat them up for messing with her. Though she never told him… “I couldn’t have you rushing back to school to protect me… you had a great future in store for you. I couldn’t be the one to take it away.” Derpy said as a single tear slipped from her eye, even though she didn’t want to steal his future for her sake. She missed him so much, the night he left she put on the strongest face she could… But she cried all night alone, Firefly was busy making her dress that night… “I didn’t want to be a burden on her or you...” She said looking at the picture, as she reached for the picture a knock on the front door causing her to jump. Her hoof hit the bedside table knocking the picture into the air, it flew across the room landing on the dresser. Bouncing a few times til it hit the vase of flowers sitting on the dresser, the vase rolled off the table landing on the pile of blankets she threw off her bed earlier. But it didn’t stop there, it slipped free from the blankets rolling down the stairs of her room to the living room. “Hey!” Derpy cried out, she struggled to get off her bed but once she did she took off flying after the vase. The vase reached the bottom of the stairs by the time she got off the bed, it was rolling to the door. “Come back here!” Derpy cried out, not that the vase could listen to her. The front door open as she said this though, a pony stepped into the door. She was an earth pony wearing a tan cowpony hat, freckles on her face, a messy pale, light grayish olive mane. A light brilliant gamboge coat, with three apples on her flank. Only one pony looked like that! “What in tarnation is goi-” Applejack’s words cut off as she walked in stepping on the vase, the world was then flying by in Applejack’s eyes. She flew across the floor on the vase going past Derpy who froze as AJ’s hat flew off hitting Derpy in the face as she went by. Derpy flew straight into the front door breaking it right off its hinges, Applejack on the other hoof hit the sofa flying over it her face hit the soft cushions luckily but she bounced off the couch making her land on her hooves in a daze state. “W-What the hay just happen?...” She said as she took a good look around the room, the couch was almost knocked over. Derpy was laying on top the front door with AJ’s hat covering her face, AJ walked across the floor swiping her hat from Derpy placing it on her head. Derpy smiled nervously… “I just don’t know what went wrong…” Derpy said, making AJ roll her eyes. … ….. ……. “Thanks for fixing my front door Applejack, sorry for what happen though.” Derpy said, sounding ashamed of herself. AJ sighed lightly but smiled at Derpy patting her messy mane with a soft hoof. “Ah its okay, no pony was hurt. I’m just glad the muffins weren’t damaged” AJ said, she had set the muffins down before entering Derpy’s home. Good thing too or else the chain reaction of accidents might have been much worse knowing Derpy’s luck. But AJ decided to keep that last part to herself, Derpy was already feeling bad enough. “But thanks for going with me to pick up Granny Smith, I’m sure she’ll love seeing you.” AJ added on, Derpy perked up a little Granny Smith was always a pleasure to see even when she forgot things a little. Both fillies walked up the train station platform stairs as the train was rolling into the station. Derpy sat down on a bench with AJ as the train came to a complete stop at the platform. “There’s Granny Smith!” AJ raised raising a hoof at the window, Derpy squinted at the window. She could faintly make out Granny Smith’s messy white bun moving as she got out of her train seat and grabbed her bag with her mouth. Granny Smith then turned to look out the window seeing AJ waving at her, she smiled waving a hoof back. Granny Smith then turned to somepony who Derpy couldn’t see she set her bag down and seemed to be talking to the pony. Then picking up her bag to walking away from the pony going to the exit, Applejack got up with Derpy to go greet her. But as did Derpy could have sworn she saw the pony’s cutie mark in the shape of a bullseye with a red dot in the middle. “Wait.. is th-“ Her words were cut off as a sharp pain stabbed through her womb. She grabbed her stomach in pain, Applejack on the over hoof didn’t notice as she walked to Granny Smith. Granny Smith hugged her granddaughter, as she did she saw Derpy shaking. “Applejack!” Granny Smith cried out, but before Applejack could turn around Derpy was falling… slowly. She could feeling the world slowly disappearing as she fell to the side, as she was about to hit the ground. She felt something catch her, strong arms lifted her off her hooves. “She needs a doctor!” A new voice said, reaching her ears. She could have sworn it was Red’s, but that was impossible. Her senses were dying now, the pain in her womb almost too much to bare she wished it would end. Just as her senses died she heard that same kind tone reach her ears once more… “I got you Derpy…” Then… silence…