Quick Heads up for readers: This chapter was not proofread.
Chapter 9
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“Derpy, are you sure this is where we’re meant to go?” Mark asks as we drive through the farming town.
I nod, as do Honey and Party. We’ll all had the same dream, one where Princess Luna came to each of us and told us where to go to find Rainbow Dash and any other ponies.
It’s been three days since the Sonic Rainboom. We’d barely made it out of Des Moines before things got crazy.
However, when we’d gone to sleep that night, Luna had visited each of us, telling us where to go, Muscatine Iowa. She didn't say why other than there'd be more ponies there.
Upon awakening, I’d given Kelly and Jenny the directions, telling them we needed to head for a farm.
It’s late at night, but we’re still going. We haven’t stopped for anything other than refuelling since the three of us had been visited by the lunar princess.
We need to get to that farm, soon. For all I know, Dinky is there, waiting for me. If she is, I have to be there for her.
We pull up in the driveway of a farm a few minutes later. It doesn’t look too different from any of the other smaller ones around here, aside from being a lot bigger, but it’s where Princess Luna said to go.
Besides, it’s not too hard to figure it out when we saw a sign saying ‘Mac & Applejacks's pony farm: Hooves welcome! Any persons caught trespassing will be fined on sight.’
Yeah. Like a human would put a sign saying that up.
Kelly kills the engine and we all get out.
“Halt! Who goes there?”
I feel myself deadpan as a tall muscular pony figure steps out from nearby. “Did you seriously just say that?”
The pony silhouette falters, before stepping a little closer. “Oh. Hey. Nice to see new ponies.” He then looks us over, blinking. “Derpy? Honey Rays? Party Favour? Wow. Weird combo.”
“Tell me about it,” Jenny says, stepping out.
I recognize the pony now. It’s Shining Armour, Twilight Sparkle’s older brother.
He gives Jenny and Kelly a slightly suspicious look, though that is wiped away when our eardrums are subjected to Sally’s squealing as she spots the stallion.
“Oh, my God! It’s Shining Armour! It’s Shining Armour!”
“Sally,” I say, turning to her, “sweetie, I’m pretty sure other ponies and any other humans here are trying to sleep.”
She blinks, before blushing and looks down with a guilty expression. “Sorry, Aunt Derpy.”
Shining Armour blinks, before glancing at me. “She’s... your niece?”
I nod.
He shrugs. “Alright. Come on, everypony... and everyone, I’ll see if I can find somewhere for you to sleep tonight. We’ll find more permanent bedding arrangements tomorrow.”
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“Just set them in straight lines like—no, not like that!” I look up at the human girl named Angie Raimundo, who’s for some reason in charge of us getting cots for more ponies to sleep in set up as she comes over. “Just straight up and down, ten by ten. Remember we’re trying to get the most out of what space we have.”
I scowl, looking at the cot I’ve just set up. “I thought it was straight!”
The human just chuckles. “Not quite.”
I roll my eyes. Great. So I’m still being seen as a bit of a klutz due to my eyes. Don’t you love stereo typing? Does it count as stereo typing? I dunno.
When I got up this morning for breakfast, we were introduced to the other ponies, namely the Mane 6.
I’m given reason to pause as my ears flick back, picking up the sound of Pegasus wings and glance to the entrance to the barn to see a mauve Pegasus wearing a pair of bulging saddlebags walk into the barn. She heads right over to Rarity and Sweetie Belle, who’re sewing blankets from fabrics.
“Hey,” the newcomer say, my brain nagging at me that she sounds familiar. “This is all I could find. Where do you want ‘em?”
“Hmm?” Rarity looks up from where she’s sewing. “Ah, Cloud Kicker. Just set the bolts over there, thank you. And could you possibly help Derpy with the cots before you go?”
I frown. I don’t need help. For Celestia’s sake, I’m not that uncoordinated.
“Sure thing,” Cloud Kicker says, pulling several bolts of fabric out of her bags, then comes over to assist the human and me.
She walks up and smiles at me. “Hey, Derpy. Need a hoof?”
I sigh, pushing my anger down and shrug. “If you wanna help me, sure?”
My mood isn’t bad just because some people and ponies here seem to think I’m a klutzy as I was portrayed in the show. In fact, that’s the least reason, really.
The main reason for my bad mood is Dinky. She’s not here. I know I shouldn’t worry too much. She might turn up soon. Ponies keep coming regularly, so it’s not like there isn’t a chance.
But, I guess a mother’s instincts can’t be ignored. I’m finding myself worrying about her every time I let my mind wander. Maybe that’s why I thought the cot wasn’t crocked. I’d let myself think about Dinky again.
Oh, yeah. That’s another thing I’ve been thinking about. Acording to Dash and the others, we’re not humans fused with ponies. We’re ponies who were turned into humans by Discord and sent to live in this world.
Yeah. So, that’s something I didn’t need dumped on my head. The filly whom I was afraid would be upset with her mother being fused with a human is actually my legit daughter. A daughter I have no clue as to her whereabouts.
I shake my head; I need to think of something else, anything else.
After a bit, Angie Raimundo leaves us and heads over to join Rarity and Sweetie Belle.
I just keep quiet and continue to help set up more cots. Cloud Kicker keeps trying to get me to talk, but I’m not much for it and just keep working.
After a while we’ve finished setting up the new cots, put what pillows and blankets Sweetie had finished beside them, then left to do other things.
I don’t know what Cloud Kicker is going to do, but I’m going to go up for a flight. I need to clear my head.
Taking a running start, I leap into the air, before dropping back down and looking around frantically. Spotting a bush not too far off, I rush over and hurl.
For several minutes I just remain with my head in that bush, brining up my stomach’s contents.
Okay. Dinky being my actual daughter and not knowing where is is isn’t the only thing worrying me right now. Something else has been worrying me... something Honey and I are sharing.
It’s something I don’t want to believe has happened, but I’ve started noticing signs from both of us that it’s the real deal.
...
I think Honey and I might be pregnant.
True, it’s not been too long since we had our... little roll in the hay with Party, but, after that first day, I’ve felt a need to suddenly hurl at random. Honey too.
We’ve also been having some... very odd cravings, mostly pastry related for myself. And no, I don’t mean muffins.
Once I’ve got my stomach back under control, I take my originally planned flight up and find a cloud to sit down on. Settling down, I lay into the soft fluffiness of the cloud and just let my mind wander.
Having so many of my memories of Equestria is more of a curse than a blessing right now.
I honestly wish I could be more like the other ponies down below, even Honey and Party have it better than me. Ignorance is bliss. In all honesty, I’ve never felt that saying was more appropriate than now.
I’ve so many of my memories that it’s painful. I have no idea where Dinky or Sparkler are. Hell, I don’t even know if Sparkler’s even here. For all I know, she’s been in Equestria these last twenty-five years, having to suffer under Discord.
That idea chills me like no other and makes me uncertain which would be worse. Being stuck in Equestria under Discord’s rein, or lost out there in this world.
I don’t know how long I sit up on this cloud, but, as I look to the sky, I suddenly notice the sun is going down.
No wonder I’m getting hungry.
I get up, give my wings a few flaps and fly down at a glide. As I do, I can’t help noticing a speck of white sitting in one of the fields.
Frowning in confusion, I pull my wings in a bit and touchdown, my hooves lightly brushing against the ground.
The pony sitting there’s ears twitch and they turn around, letting me see who it is. It’s Sweetie Belle. She looks... sad.
I move over and sit down next to the filly and drape a wing over her. “Something wrong?”
She looks away, staring up at the sky. “I’m waiting for the others to come back.” When I give her a questioning look, she continues. “The Mane 6, Shining Armour and Big Mac have gone off somewhere. Daring Do told me she heard something about going somewhere, but that’s all I know.”
I blink. “Wait. Daring’s here?” Then I shake my head. “Nope. Sorry. Wrong thing to focus on.” I sigh. “It’d be a lot easier if I didn’t have so many memories,” I mutter to myself. “It’s too confusing at times.”
“Tell me about it,” she sighs.
There’s silence for a moment, before we both turn back to each other, our eyes wide.
“You have your memories of Equestria?!” she gasps before I can.
I cock my head to the side, looking away. “Well, not all of them. I’ve a lot, but not all. More than a lot of other ponies seem to have, anyway.”
“Oh,” she says, her expression saddening and she looks away. “So, not all... like me?”
I blink, before sighing and pulling her a bit closer. “Guess I was a bit luckier, huh?” I can only imagine how hard it is if she has all her memories from Equestria, plus all the years she gained living in this world.
She nods slightly.
We remain quiet for a while, just enjoying the comfort of each other, before she looks to me. “Sorry you couldn’t find Dinky here.”
I flinch, but sigh, giving her a sad smile. “Hey, it’s not all hopeless. She might turn up soon. For all we know, I could wake up tomorrow to find a little unicorn cuddling me under a wing, just like... she used to...”
I trail off, sighing. Maybe having so many memories isn’t such a good thing.
“So... how come you have so many of your memories from Equestria?” Sweetie eventually asks.
I give a sad smirk. “Discord hit me with the wrong spell.”
“Huh?”
I look to her, closing my eyes as a few tears slide down my face. “He hit me with the spell he meant for Dinky, but missed her because I bucked her off my back at the last second.” I wipe my eyes, before opening them again and look back to her. “You?”
She sighs, looking down. “Rarity did something back when Discord was casting his spell on me. It... gave me the chance to have my memories back.”
I give a small chuckle. “Just our luck, huh? The only ponies with any real memory of our past lives... and there’s nothing we can do for anypony else.”
Sweetie remains silent, save a few sniffles.
Little under an hour later, the Mane 6, Shining Armour and Big Mac return, so Sweetie gets up to go see her sister.
However, just as she’s about to go, to turns back. “Please don’t tell anypony about me having my memories?”
I smile a nod, winking. “Just as long as you do the same for me, okay?”
She nods, then heads off, whilst I go to see Kelly. She’s been feeling off for a while, but I’d not really notice much until we weren’t having to worry about getting somewhere safe.
She’s not told me what’s wrong, but I have noticed she’s been eating some odd things lately. I could swear I saw her eating some of the alfalfa this afternoon, covered in strawberry and chocolate syrup.
I head over to the RV and find the kids sitting, listening to a radio. Thankfully it’s a song by that Asian Pop group, Girls Generation and not another news report. I’ve heard enough of those to last me a life time.
I glance around. “Where’re you mother and aunt?” I ask them.
Mark turns to look at me and nods his head towards the farmhouse. “Mom’s helping prepare dinner. Auntie Kelly too, I think.”
I sigh, nodding my thanks, before heading back out, this time to try and find Honey Rays or Party Favour. No point going and distracting Kelly whilst she and any of the other humans helping with dinner are busy.
Besides, we three ponies need to talk about the slight chance we’re adding new ponies to our group. New, smaller ponies.