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// Chapter 9: Derpy’s Best Friends 
// Story: The Long Life of Breeze Rider 
// by Tyler-the-Brony 
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	“Rainbow, I want you to run to every place you can think of that somepony might hide and look for Derpy. Check every dark corner, every alley. Just don’t take any unnecessary risks. Fluttershy, check around the places where you usually see Derpy. She might have gone to one of her usual spots in thinking that we wouldn’t look there. If you happen to find her, fly as high as you can and alert the others to where you and Derpy are if you can. Can you do that?” I asked them, worry clearly showing in my face and my words.

Rainbow saluted me with her hoof, a serious look plastered over her normally joking features.

“Sure thing Teach. I’ll be done in no time. They don’t call me Rainbow DASH for nothing.” She told me. As she finished her last sentence, she was already off to look. I turned to look at Fluttershy. She looked up at me and replied.

“O-Oh yes I will. I just hope Derpy’s alright. I’m not as fast as Rainbow, but I-I’ll do my best to look quickly.” She said looking even more worried than she usually did.

“Alright. I’m going to go around to everypony and ask if anypony has seen her.” I told her. That would only be my back up plan though.

Fluttershy nodded and set off at a gallop around the corner. As soon as she was gone, I looked around, making sure I was quite alone. No pony in Cloudsdale knew of my ability. I didn’t want them to. If they did, I’d be harassed night and day to tell everypony their futures.

I began to awaken my power, feeling it begin to gloss over my closed eyes. I saw flashes of several different things, not knowing or caring what they were or when they would happen. At this point, I had only one thought on my mind. “Show me where Derpy Hooves is.” I repeated over and over, feeling my power adjusting to show me what I needed. After another few seconds passed, I opened my eyes, now knowing where Derpy was hiding. I was definitely closest to her, so I immediately set off as quick as I could.

Within 5 minutes, I was at the alley where I knew Derpy was hiding. I had seen her sitting on a box in this alley, crying her little eyes out. It had temporarily constricted my breath to see Derpy like that. She had never even cried in front of me before. As I took another step towards the alley, I began to finally be able to hear her. I chose to speak up and let her know that I was there. 

“Derpy? It’s Breeze Rider. Can you please come out here? You don’t need to hide from me. I know what those colts said to you, and I’ve already dealt with them. Please Derpy. I can’t stand to have you crying in front of me and be unable to do anything about it.” I pleaded with her.

I heard some shifting of hooves as I finished speaking. I looked down and out trotted the little filly I had come to love as my sister, tears filling her eyes. I nuzzled her close and brought her into a tight hug, letting her know it was okay to cry now that I was here. I also told her to please never run away again. We stayed like that for quite a while. After about 20 minutes of this, I felt a vision surface.

I saw Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy come around the corner, and then proceed to cry and hug Derpy, much like I was at the moment. I smiled, realizing that this meant they were here now, but were afraid to come out, lest they frighten Derpy.

“Would you like to come out now? Eh, Rainbow Dash? How about you too Fluttershy?” I asked aloud.

Derpy stammered for a moment in her crying, turning to look where I had directed my voice. Out of the shadows came Rainbow and Fluttershy, both looking embarrassed and sad. Rainbow moved ahead of Fluttershy and asked Derpy one of the most important questions of her life.

“Derpy, why are you crying so much? What did those jerk colts say to you?” she asked, worry heavy in her voice. Fluttershy stepped up too.

“Y-Yes I was wondering that t-too. I can’t stand to see you cry Derpy. Could you please tell us what they said?” she paused before adding. “T-That i-is if you don’t m-mind telling us.”

I smiled, happy that Derpy could now see that others beside me also cared for her deeply. She looked up at me as I looked down to her. 

“Do you mind if they know Derpy?” I asked.

She shook her head side to side.

“Do you want me to tell them?”

She nodded up and down.

“Okay then. Just let me know if you want me to stop, or you want to add or change anything. Okay?”

She nodded again. I then hugged her close again, letting her know I was proud of her. I then looked up to Rainbow and Fluttershy.

“Okay girls. Why don’t you come close and take a seat? It’s a short story, but I’d prefer to speak quietly to not let others hear.” I told them.

Rainbow and Fluttershy both nodded, moving closer to take seats only a small ways back from me and Derpy.

“Okay girls. The first thing you need to know is that Derpy is a Pegasus very much like me. She wasn’t born here in Cloudsdale like you were. She was also born in Canterlot. Her father is a member of the Royal Guard.” I began.

Although both fillies were clearly shocked to learn this, they kept their mouths closed, waiting for me to continue and finish. I continued Derpy’s story.

“Although she was a Pegasus, Derpy had always been fascinated by Unicorn magic, ever since she was born. Perhaps it’s simply normal to enjoy Unicorn magic if you’re an Earth Pony or a Pegasus. Derpy’s mother often took her to Unicorn shows, so she could enjoy watching their magic tricks. As you may be unaware, unless it is used by only the very best of the best, and even sometimes then, Unicorn magic is always very unpredictable. Especially when it’s used by a showpony unicorn. Most of the spells they use in their shows are made simply to look pretty, and are never tested fully to see what effects they may have if they hit somepony.” I said.

Rainbow and Fluttershy both looked up at me. It seemed they both knew where the story was going, but were afraid to go there themselves. I began again.

“All it took was a single moment of distraction. Derpy’s mother turned away for a moment and Derpy got a little too close to the ending of the unicorn show. The various spells swirled around her and picked her up from the ground. She was trapped within them. The Unicorns tried their best to stop their spells once they noticed their terrible mistake, but they were too late. The damage had already been done. The spells had collided in such a way that Derpy was changed a little bit. The best the Canterlot doctors could figure out was that the colliding spells had placed Derpy in a permanently disorientated state.” I said with a heavy heart, imagining every moment in my head. 

Rainbow and Fluttershy were beginning to tear up, but they also seemed a little confused as to the exact meaning of my words. I elaborated on what I had meant.

“This meant that while she visualized doing something one way, the magic would make her do it another. For example, if she wanted to fly to the right, she would have to go to the left and do a loop first. All the magic collision did was make her a little more unpredictable in terms of her flying. Though, once her parents realized that this meant Derpy could spread a bad reputation to them, they sent her away to Cloudsdale and forbade her to return home until such a time as she was ‘fixed.’ Derpy hasn’t been home in more than 8 years.” I finished, excluding the near family relationship me and Derpy now had. That part wasn’t important to the current situation.

Rainbow and Fluttershy both looked at Derpy, tears fully streaming down their eyes now. Rainbow spoke up first.

“Derpy…why didn’t you ever tell anypony else?” she asked.

Derpy finally lifted her head to look over at Rainbow Dash and answer her. She didn’t stammer, but you could feel the sadness in her words.

“I was afraid. I’m already made fun of for being clumsy. If anypony had known it was like this, I was afraid they would have called me worse names.” Derpy said, almost crying at the end.

Seeing that Derpy was about to begin crying again, Fluttershy too stood up and addressed Derpy.

“D-Derpy…we’re sorry for what you’ve gone through. I promise you I’ll be here to help you from now on. A-And I bet Rainbow Dash will be too.” Fluttershy paused, looking scared of what she had said. “R-Right Rainbow Dash? S-Sorry I didn’t m-mean to speak for you.” She finished blushing, worried she had said too much.

Rainbow Dash shook her head at Fluttershy.

“No Fluttershy, you don’t need to apologize for that. I was getting ready to say that too.” She smiled at her friend, before turning to Derpy to finish. “That is…only if you want us to be there.” Rainbow asked, pawing the ground nervously.

For the first time since I had found her in the alley, Derpy let go of me to jump down and hug Rainbow and Fluttershy. Both fillies looked shocked at first, but then smiled and cried as they hugged Derpy back.

Even though she wasn’t really my sister, I felt brotherly pride swell in me as I saw Derpy hug Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. I felt content now. In a few years when Derpy would graduate, even though we wouldn’t be able to be as close as we are now, she would still have her new best friends by her side.