//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Putting the Pieces Back Together // by Wheller //------------------------------// Chronology notes: Stop! You are reading the Second story in the series started by The Kindness of Strangers! Please read The Kindness of Strangers first! http://www.fimfiction.net/story/389/ Putting the Pieces Back Together Chapter 1 Derpy Hooves was happy to be coming home. Her time in the confines of the Royal Hospital in Canterlot recovering from the injuries caused by the explosion of the Ponyville Post Office had made her stir crazy. She wanted nothing more than to return home, back to her life, her job, and her happiness. Now it was finally time to do just that. Derpy was clear to leave the Royal Hospital, and while it was nice, and she had been well taken care of. She never wanted to go back. She'd spent three weeks in a magical coma. The doctors had put her under, fearing that her being awake could compromise her recovery. She understood the reasons for the concern, but she felt uneasy knowing that time, even just a small amount, had passed her by. Derpy wasn't much of a reader, her eye condition made it difficult for her to enjoy books, she'd read maybe two or three books in her entire life. But when she did read, it was usually a short magazine article about ponies that had been in comas for years, something that disturbed Derpy to no end. She couldn't imagine going to sleep one night, and not waking up for twenty years, so much would have changed! How could you adapt to that? Derpy stood in the courtyard of the Royal Hospital, now it was time to go home. The Pegasus spread her wings and leapt into the air. Fortunately for her, she could never forget how to fly. She rose to a height of 500 metres, or at least, what looked to be 500 metres. Her eye condition made her depth perception extremely poor. Derpy had to guess at what height to be flying at, which meant she usually tended to fly a lot higher than necessary in order to stay out of the way of buildings and trees. Because from her point of view, they were probably a lot closer than they appeared to be. A half an hour of flying later, Derpy came into view of Ponyville. She slowed down considerably, the last thing she wanted to do was hit the ground, or a building, hard coming in for a landing. Having to go back to the hospital after just getting out would not be good. Derpy was so happy to be back at home. It was morning. Around eight o'clock, everyponies breakfast time! Derpy was excited that she would finally get to have her favourite breakfast again, a muffin from Sugarcube Corner! She trotted along the High Street, smiling brightly and came to where Sugarcube Corner was supposed to be. However Derpy looked on in shock after arriving to find that Sugarcube Corner was no longer there. Instead, it had been replaced by a large, empty, hole in the ground. Derpy was confused, what could have possibly happened in the time she had been gone? She knew that she'd been gone nearly a month, but Derpy had not been expecting any serious changes. She looked around; hoping somepony would walk by and be able to tell her what happened. She was in luck as two ponies walked around the corner and into her view. She recognised these two ponies, the aquamarine unicorn Lyra, and her cream coloured earth pony friend, Bon-Bon. "Excuse me?" Derpy said to the two as they came into range. "Do either of you know what happened to Sugarcube Corner?" Lyra looked at Derpy with shock; she and Bon-Bon had been too absorbed in their conversation to have noticed the pegasus sharing the street with them. "Derpy! When did you get out of the hospital?" "Just this morning," Derpy said. "I didn't think I was gone that long... but clearly I missed something." "Poor dear," Bon-Bon said attempting to comfort the Pegasus. "Sugarcube Corner exploded a couple of weeks ago. The investigation is still on going." Derpy cringed at Bon-Bon's explanation; it brought back memories of the Post Office exploding in her face. "Was anypony hurt?" "Bon-Bon was caught in the shockwave and tossed about, nothing too serious, just a few sprains." Lyra said looking at her companion. "Twilight Sparkle and her friends were much closer to the blast and they got hurt pretty bad. Nopony died though, thank Celestia for that!" Derpy frowned. What else could she have missed? "Thanks. I think I'm going to go home and get some rest." Derpy said depressingly. Lyra placed a hoof on Derpy's shoulder. "Take it easy okay? We all missed our favourite mailmare, so many have gone, and we're glad to have you back." Derpy smiled at Lyra, and she departed from the High Street. No one had ever expressed appreciation for her. Derpy had always been seen as somewhat of a nuisance for the townsfolk, it was very common for her to fly into buildings and trees during her route, and every so often, a package would break on her, much to its recipient's dismay. So far, this had been the one and only change that Derpy was happy for. She arrived outside her flat; she took her key out of her saddlebag and unlocked the door. Or at least she tried. The key fit into the lock, sure, but it didn't turn. Oh no. Derpy must have missed her rent while in the hospital, and the landlord obviously changed the lock. She groaned inwardly, today was not going her way. Just when she felt that things couldn't get any worse, she realised that she didn't have a job to go to either. She hadn't forgotten that the Post Office had exploded, but then the realisation set in that without the post office, she didn't have any money. Her hospital bills had been covered by Princess Celestia herself. Derpy was truly grateful for that. But now her spirit had been dampened completely by no longer having a home, or a job, or the money to at least pay off what she owed so she could get the few possessions that she did have back. What am I going to do? This was a good question. Derpy didn't exactly have any friends in Ponyville. She was friendly with everyone, and everyone was friendly with her to an extent, but that didn't mean they were her friends. She thought about Lyra. The Unicorn had been so nice this morning, and Derpy had half a mind to ask Lyra and Bon-Bon if she could stay with them for a little while. She eventually decided against it. She didn't know them well enough. It wouldn't be right. Derpy sat on the bottom of the stairs that lead up to her flat, looking down at the ground thinking about what she was going to do. She had no idea, nowhere to go, and no way to make money. "Derpy?" Derpy looked up to find that Lyra was standing over her. "Is everything alright?" Lyra asked. "Oh. Hi Lyra... I've been kicked out of my flat; Landlord's had the locks changed." Derpy said. "He doesn't live in town; he owns a bunch of apartments all over Equestria, so when I didn't pay he probably had the locks changed without knowing the circumstances." Lyra frowned upon hearing this. "That's awful! Do you need a place to stay?" Derpy perked her head up upon hearing this, she wasn't even sure she had heard the Unicorn correctly. "I... don't want to impose." "You wouldn't be!" Lyra said. Maybe Derpy had heard her right the first time. "You just got out of the hospital, it wouldn't be right for you to be out alone with no place to sleep." Lyra smiled at the mailmare. "Come on! I insist!" Derpy smiled back and she got up to walk with Lyra. "Can I ask you something?" "Of course." "How come you're being so nice to me?" Derpy asked. Lyra looked at the pegasus and frowned, she looked down towards the ground, a look of guilt slowly forming on her muzzle. "Before you went to the hospital, almost everypony didn't like you that much, you were kind of annoying, and your antics with the mail drove me crazy, but then you got hurt, and the next morning you didn't deliver the mail, and after a few days of not getting the wrong mail, or a beat up package, it just started to feel... wrong. We thought you were annoying, but the days just got bleaker without your antics to brighten our lives." Lyra looked at Derpy; tears were forming in her eyes. "And I am so sorry! We didn't treat you the way you deserved to be treated, and we almost lost you." The two ponies stopped walking, and Lyra threw her hooves around Derpy, giving her the biggest hug she had ever had. "I'm so sorry." Lyra repeated, tears were streaming down her face and landing on Derpy's shoulder. "It's okay." Derpy said, she was crying now too. "So you can stay with me and Bon-Bon for as long as you need to." Lyra said with a smile, tears still forming in her eyes. Derpy smiled back. She and Lyra were friends now.