Manec Depression

by Apple John

Chapter Three: The Carousel Family Jewels

“If you keep looking at the ground while we walk, how are you gonna learn your way around Ponyville?” Derpy told her companion who was kicking a rock that she found on the road. Pinkie Pie didn’t hear, or if she did, she completely ignored it. It was quite clear by her body language that she didn’t want to have any part of the night’s events, and Pinkie perceived a sense rivalry between the two of them. She hardly knew the grey filly, but she already had grown distaste for her.

As opposed to her pink counterpart, Derpy was excited for a number of reasons: she didn’t normally go to parties, so she was looking forward to a slight change in pace. However, making a new friend is what she anticipated the most; a friend that she could relate to in ways that others could not.
For the most part, Ponyville was a slow town, in the sense that most of its citizens were from families who had lived there for many generations. Not many ponies moved in, and even less moved away, so while it was a very close knit community, settling in at first could feel like a bit of a challenge for many newcomers.

At an early age, Derpy’s parents grew tired of the hustle and bustle in the Pegasus city of Cloudsdale, and moved the family down to the ground. After all, a small town like Ponyville was a quieter and safer place to raise a young filly than the inner city of their metropolis home, where they felt crammed among everypony and lived each day in fear that their daughter may get lost, or worse! But In Ponyville, everypony knew just about everypony by name, so the family felt much more content: everypony in the family except Derpy.

She initially hated her parents for the decision, going through childish phases of not talking to them, and she would spend days on end in her room when they first moved in. But in time, she eventually got over the change, and made some new friends. Derpy loved her new friends dearly; however, she could never relate to anyone about her past before she came to Ponyville.

In this regard, she felt like there was a special connection between her and Pinkie Pie because they both had experienced the dynamic change of moving from one place to the other. If the pink pony ever needed anypony, Derpy hoped that she would come and find her. After all, the grey pony didn’t want anypony to go through the rough transition that she went through, and now was a perfect time to get to know each other. However, Pinkie Pie seemed more concerned with kicking pebbles, watching them as they rolled along the unpaved street:

“You oughta stop kicking things, y’know. You’ll scratch Mrs. Cake’s shoes,” the Pegasus suggested. She tried to not sound demanding, but the way she said it caused Pinkie Pie to view her words as such:

“Whatever you say,” she mocked. Although, she knew that Derpy was right: Mrs. Cake had been generous to let her borrow one of her own party ensembles for the event, since she lacked any sort of formal attire. It was a kind gesture, but Pinkie was starting to regret accepting it: the gown was from way back when Mrs. Cake was Pinkie’s size, and the style was outdated by decades. Not only was it old, but it featured shades of green that just didn’t compliment her pink coat at all! But nevertheless, Mrs. Cake had insisted for her to wear something as opposed to nothing. In addition, she straightened Pinkie’s magenta mane, which now hung over the shoulders and obtrusively contrasted with the dress. She felt very goofy looking, and was hoping no one else would see her.

Derpy, on the other hoof, was looking stunning. She wore a simple grey evening gown, just a few shades darker than her own coat. The flat slingback shoes on her hooves were golden colored to match her eyes and blonde mane, which she had tied in the back with a white bow. The classy, yet minimalistic look was cancelled out by the blank white cake box supported on her back, but she knew that all in all, she looked pretty. She only wished that Pinkie Pie could feel the same:

“It’s fine, I’m just being a bit protective, I guess” she tried to correct herself, but Pinkie Pie just rolled her eyes, “Y’know, if you’re gentle with her dress, maybe she’ll let you wear it again! I mean, I don’t know how you do it, but you pull the pull the look off well!” she lied. The forced enthusiasm in her voice was very obvious:

“Really? I think you’re just saying that, you lying liar-pants!” she replied begrudgingly. Derpy was almost insulted at the haste in which Pinkie Pie had shut her down, but she shook it off. There was honestly no reason why she was being so rude, in Derpy’s mind, and from her first encounter with Pinkie Pie, it just didn’t seem normal. Had she said something to offend her?

“C’mon Pinkie, you really should lighten up. I mean, we’re going to a party, after all!”

“Will you stop telling me what to do! And why would we be welcome? We didn’t even receive an invitation!”

“We don’t need one, silly filly,” she winked at the Earth Pony, “we’re bringing the cake!” Derpy giggled at her own joke as Pinkie Pie shot her a suspicious look. After all, they were simply being used as a delivery crew, not actual guests:

“We’ll be kicked out for being misfits before we can even get to the punch table.” Derpy paused at the rude remark. She didn’t hold it against her; Pinkie was just a little intimidated, she thought. After all, it was her first full day here in Ponyville, and going to a party with a bunch of strangers is a bit of a leap up the social ladder. Maybe she just needed some comfort before she could relax:

“Look, Pinkie, I’m sorry,” the pink filly stopped to curiously watch the Pegasus apologize, “I just want you to be happy here. I mean, I was new to Ponyville once, too. I moved here from Cloudsdale when I was younger, and, well, I remember it being the worst day of my life. Like, I had to leave all my friends behind, and I remember always thinking that I’d never make new ones.

“I thought I had to make something of myself to get noticed by other ponies, so I took a job as a papermare here in Ponyville. I figured that if I could do a really good job at delivering things to other ponies, maybe they’d like me, but I always screwed up and everything. It was so humiliating that sometimes, I felt like I couldn’t show my face in town for days!” she paused to check if Pinkie Pie was still listening to her, but her eyes were pointed to her hooves again. Regardless, she continued:

“Then one time, I took the wrong paper to Sugarcube Corner. I was so embarrassed, but Mrs. Cake told me it didn’t matter. In fact, she told me that it was silly to try to impress other ponies to make them my friends. Ponies should like other ponies for who they are, not what they do, and if nopony could accept me for who I am, then it isn’t even worth the trouble.

“Basically, what I’m trying to say is, don’t be afraid that you don’t know anypony at the party tonight, or feel pressured to be somepony you’re not. You’ll make friends, I promise. Just be yourself!”

Regardless of the sweet sentiment, Pinkie Pie didn’t want to deal with her grey partner, or anypony else for that matter. She didn’t realize it before she headed out, but the first day at Sugarcube Corner left her pretty exhausted. All she wanted to do at the moment was to go home and take a long nap. Having to put up with all this was frustrating for her:

“I’m not afraid!” Pinkie Pie stomped angrily, “I’m not lonely, I’m not trying to impress anypony, and I definitely don’t need you here to lecture me about it! Just leave me alone!”

Derpy jerked backwards in shock, causing the cake to lose its balance on her back. As the box wobbled, she tried to catch it’s momentum to keep it from splattering on the road, but the box tumbled off her back. Luckily, Pinkie Pie was able to catch the box before it hit the ground:

“Well don’t drop it, feather-brain! Do you even look where you’re going?” Pinkie scolded, setting it on her own back, “I’ll carry it, before you trip and fall or something.”

“I’m sorry,” apologized the clumsy filly, who shortly returned to her enthusiasm, “But that was a really good save! Thanks!” she applauded, but her companion wasn’t amused. She glanced at her as they continued to walk, and then shortly turned away; Pinkie Pie was fixated on the ground moving beneath her as Derpy led the way to Carousel Boutique, afraid to open her mouth again in fears that her new friend would say something else to spoil her fun.

. . .

The two finally reached their destination as the jovial-themed exterior of Carousel Boutique came into view, along with the dozens of ponies who were setting up for the evening’s party. The teams of Unicorns and Pegasi were hard at work, swarming around the place like bees as they did myriads of jobs, from setting up tables to making the sure outdoor lighting worked properly.

At the center of the mass stood a white Unicorn mare with a pink mane, levitating a clipboard in front of her. It was clear that she was the one in charge, not only from the clipboard, but by the manner in which she yelled at all the ponies who spoke to her.

“Umm, that must be Ms. Carousel, the hostess for tonight,” she pointed out to Pinkie Pie as she observed the mare’s stressed out behavior, “but she looks really busy. Maybe we shou-“ she turned to notice that her partner had already headed into the crowd. With a sigh, Derpy chased after her.

Pinkie Pie sifted through the crowd of workers, overhearing bits and pieces of quiet conversations and slander from disgruntled laborers; some talked about their families, others about sports teams, and many others shared words about the crazy mare in charge, though Pinkie Pie ignored those comments. She had a responsibility to deliver the cake to the client, and then she was done for the day. Approaching the mare, she began to overhear part of a quarrel between the white mare and a Pegasus stallion:

“… I can’t believe you ruffians brought me nine tables when I had asked for eight! I didn’t ask for nine tables, and we certainly don’t need nine tables!... Why yes, I’m aware that we don’t have to utilize the ninth, but I’ll have you know first and foremost that I refuse to pay for it!... Yes, now let’s see… How many table skirts, did you say?... Eight? Well why in Equestria would you have brought eight table skirts if you originally thought I had requested for nine tables! Are you daft? Can any of you goons count? How can you expect-”

“Excuse me, ma’am,” Pinkie Pie interrupted, expressing the irritated tone in her voice.

“And who are you?” the lady lashed out, wiping the sweat off her face, “Can you not see I’m in the middle of setting up for my daughter’s fête tonight? It’s in a short few hours, and I’m extremely busy! What is it that you need that couldn’t possibly wait until later?” The mare’s short temper almost caused Pinkie Pie to do something she would’ve regretted, but Derpy landed in between the two, separating the tensions as she took the matter into her hooves:

“We’re terribly sorry for interrupting, but we wanted to tell you that the cake has arrived.” The mare leaned to the side as she eyed the pink filly behind Derpy. When the courier approached the mare with the cake, her furrowed brow relaxed:

“Oh, you girls must be from Sugarcube Corner! Dear me, I do apologize, darling.” She held her nose to the sky as she spoke, “Allow me to introduce myself: I am Miss Tunica Carousel, owner and proprietor of this fine dressmaking establishment, and hostess for my darling daughter Rarity’s birthday party this evening.” By the way she said it, it seemed as though she was simply after recognition before an actual introduction. Regardless, the Pegasus’s friendly nature compelled her to reply:

“I’m Derpy Hooves, and this is Pinkie Pie. Nice to meet you!” Derpy curtsied slightly, but the latter pony made no such gesture.

“Oh darling, the pleasure’s all mine,” She replied arrogantly. Pinkie nudged Derpy in the side, urging her to wrap it up; she didn’t want to make any more unnecessary small talk with the stuck up mare, as Derpy could clearly see it in her expression:
“Yes, well, anyway, what did you want us to do with the cake?”

“Take the box inside and my daughter Rarity will see to it that it’s taken care of.” she stated plainly, as if ordering her subordinates, “Thank you girls!” As she had said, the two ponies began to make their way towards the blue-and-purple speckled building in search for Ms. Carousel’s daughter.

Derpy had known Rarity from her school days, but the two hardly ever talked. Even so, she knew that the Unicorn didn’t have her head in the clouds, or at least nothing like her mother. Generally speaking, she was a humble pony who had always offered a helping hoof to those who needed it. Given this, as much as she hated to criticize other ponies, it baffled Derpy how a modest filly like Rarity could possibly come from such a conceited broad of a mare.

She stopped her silent questioning as Pinkie Pie rang the doorbell. The two could hear the howling cry of a foal from the other side of the door. Could Rarity even hear the bell? Before Pinkie Pie moved to press it for a second time, the top half of the door swung open to reveal a white filly. She was breathing heavily, as if she had been galloping about, and her wavy violet mane drooped under the stress. Pausing from her gasping, she recognized the Pegasus who stood before her:

“Oh, Derpy, how lovely of you to stop by. Is there anything I can help you with?” she took another deep breath. The family shared the same sophisticated dialect, with a fancy ring to her voice. It was odd, though: It felt as if Pinkie Pie already knew the girl…

“We brought you the cake from Sugarcube Corner,” Pinkie Pie answered, motioning to the box. Why did nopony ever notice what she was carrying?

“Oh yes, the cake, how did I miss it before? Please would you come in? I’ll be with you in just a second.” She opened the door, allowing her guests inside as she ran back into the depths of the facility.

As the two entered and shut the door behind them, the voluminous cries of the little foal grew louder and louder, the source coming from a purple crib by a dress rack on one of the side walls. Pinkie Pie went to go set the cake box on a makeup table, while Derpy hovered over to look at the foal. The pink pony glanced at her as she bent over the sides of the crib, and soon brought the foal for Pinkie Pie to see as it continued to scream at the top of her lungs.

“Isn’t she so adorable?” Derpy tried to exclaim over the sounds of the foal, rocking her gently. She was pure white, like the color of the two others in her family, with a light purple and rose colored mane, the colors parted symmetrically in the middle. The foal wore a lavender dress with floral designs, slightly wrinkled, but adorable all the same. Though Derpy tried all that she could to calm her down, Rarity came back and snatched the foal from her arms:

“Derpy, you just can’t hold somepony’s baby sister without permission! There’s no telling where your hooves have been!” Rarity placed her back in the crib, and from it she produced a baby bottle. Setting it in her mouth, she dashed within the depths of the building once more.

Within a minute, the white filly returned with a bottle full of baby formula. Grabbing her whining sister from the bed, the foal started to quiet down when she saw the bottle, then the outcries ceased completely as the teat met her mouth. After she had quieted down, she was a perfect angel:

“Thanks for helping me find the bottle, Derpy. I never would’ve checked her cradle had you not taken her,” the white filly seemed to calm down as well, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow as the foal and its bottle telekinetically floated next to her. Although Derpy was glad to have helped, she blushed at her fault; she loved children, and couldn’t help but try to cheer the foal up when she saw how upset it was. Rarity knew that she had good intentions at heart: “Would you care to hold her?”

“Omigosh, yes!” the Pegasus replied as the Unicorn began to levitate the foal to her. Derpy cradled the floating baby that continued to eat. Now that she wasn’t a screaming banshee, Derpy could really appreciate the cuteness of the foal as it lay in her forelegs. She watched her as she tried to hold the bottle with her own hooves, while Derpy ultimately secured it in place. “Your sister is so precious! What’s her name?”

“Sweetie Belle,” said Rarity. Even though Derpy’s good eye was locked on the foal, she knew that the Pegasus had heard. “Aside from when she’s hungry, the name really does fit!” The two giggled at the banter, but Pinkie Pie stood in the corner, watching. She still couldn’t shake the idea that the white filly was someone she had seen before, and she occupied herself at the moment with piecing together the case of déjà vu.

As Rarity remembered her other guest, she turned from the Pegasus to greet her:

“Excuse me, where are my manners?” Rarity approached the pink pony, but gasped at the sight of her atrocious green dress. She forgot the introductions completely as her fashionista instinct involuntarily kicked in, “Darling, you just can’t wear that outfit to my soirée! It’s just so… Ugh, I don’t even know where to begin! Please, you must come with me, I insist! Derpy, please be a dear and put the cake in the icebox after Sweetie Belle is done eating. I have some business to attend to!” Rarity began to push the pink pony into the back room as they left the other filly and the foal.

. . .

The two ponies ended up in a dark room, but Rarity switched on the lights to reveal the dress studio. Pinkie Pie was first startled at the bright lights, but as she adjusted to the setting, she saw the white filly wearing a yellow measuring tape over her neck like a boa, along with a pair of red glasses and a clipboard as she marched towards her, looking as if she were ready for a fashion war:

“Now, if you would just take off that horrendous mess of fabric, we can begin.” It was the first decent thing Pinkie Pie had heard since leaving Sugarcube Corner, and she quickly followed through with Rarity’s request, part in thanks and in curiosity. “I’ll put this old thing over on this hanger so that you can get it after the party, though I couldn’t understand why you’d even want it back after you see the dress I’ll give you tonight.” Rarity began to take the pink pony’s measurements, telekinetically jotting the numbers down. Pinkie Pie could start to see the family resemblance as the clipboard hung in front of the white pony, and while she wanted to continue getting to know her hostess for her own sake, she knew that she couldn’t afford anything like this:

“I don’t have enough money to buy a dress,” she said plainly, causing Rarity to pause shortly:

“Buy? Oh heavens no, dear: consider this a party favor, free of charge.”

“I don’t want to make you work at your own birthday party.”

“Oh no, no, no, I insist! I want you to look your best, dear! The pleasure is all mine!”

It was the second time today that Pinkie Pie had heard that phrase used, but this time, she believed it to be sincere, as opposed to Ms. Carousel’s self-centered comment earlier. In fact, it caused her to recollect all the past events from her day, starting from after she had left her home at Sugarcube Corner.

She thought about Derpy: the overall friendly Pegasus pony only wanted for her new friend to be happy, given the circumstances she was in. And some friend Pinkie Pie was in return! She didn’t even try to look like she enjoyed her company, and returned all of Derpy’s compliments with insults and rude comments. To think that she had only answered Derpy’s selflessness with her own selfishness was nothing less than an embarrassment for her!

And then there was Rarity, who Pinkie Pie had misjudged from the beginning. Though she had held suspicion of her at first, it was clear that Rarity was nothing like her mother. From Pinkie Pie’s experiences with Rarity, or at least those she could confirm, the white filly had not done a single thing in her own interest, whether it was caring for her baby sister’s best interests when her own mother wouldn’t take responsibility, or offering to give a complete stranger a new dress, free of charge! She felt sick to her stomach as she realized that Rarity was truly a gem of generosity, despite what she thought before, and didn’t want to treat her like she had Derpy:

“Thank you,” Pinkie Pie muttered with a smile, forgetting the suspicion of her hostess: even if she had met her in the past, it didn’t matter to her anymore.

“Oh, but of course, dear!” Rarity replied as she returned to taking measurements. It had just dawned on her that she had skipped introductions earlier. Still working, she started to get to know her client: “Now dear, what did you say your name was?”

“Pinkamena,” she said. Pinkie’s curiosity piqued as the white filly suddenly lost her focus:

“Pinkamena?” she set the clipboard and tape down. Taking off her glasses, she looked over her client: pink coat, magenta mane, blue eyes… Why didn’t she see it before? “Pinkamena! Oh heavens, it’s been so long! How’s your farm? And your family? What brings you here to Ponyville?” Pinkie Pie was startled at the outburst; she hadn’t told anypony yet that she was from a rock farm! How did she know? Pinkie Pie wasn’t allowed to have friends back home- let alone, from a town- and it only fueled her search for answers more and more:

“Wait, you know me? How? From where? Please tell me!”

“Oh darling, you don’t remember? Well it was a while ago, wasn’t it?” Rarity’s smile pursed as she returned to her work. She spoke again when the measurements were complete:
“Now then, I have this one dress that I think you’ll find quite flattering. It’s a cute blue gown, and it’ll compliment your eyes perfectly. Let me go get it for you.” Rarity turned to the dress rack, revealing to Pinkie Pie the three diamonds that formed a triangle formation on her flank, causing her to look back at the three balloons as her own cutie mark! She made the connection as her mane exploded into a set of curls, making a squeaky noise that caused the unicorn to double-take in surprise:

“Oh Rarity!” Pinkie Pie laughed, suddenly delighted with the situation. She couldn’t help but squeeze the white pony tightly into a hug, “I could never ever, ever forget you!”

Comments

I like how Derpy is a tad clumsy and has a somewhat poor sense of direction but is otherwise fairly bright. It certainly explains Winter Wrap-Up and dropping all that stuff on Twi.

[Meta Knight]

♫♥I look forward to reading what happens next in your story♥♪

[littlerobotbird]

I like your characterization of Derpy. I understand, but don't quite like the swings in Pinkie's personality (it's kinda the point of the story after all). Overall, nicely continued. (I think the perspective got a bit shifty at times, but it wasn't really distracting or anything)

[DJ-Pinkamina]

Where the hay is this! I miss it soooooooooooo much! I understand writers block and all... But I want more! It kinda left off with a cliffhanger I want more naow!!!!

[Luxina]

What! Come on man dont leave us hanging

[Crescent-087]

3863743 its been three years...i doubt he's even still here

[Autum Breeze]

Well, that didn't quite go how I thought, a pinkie not wanting to make friends was kinda weird for me, plus I'm tired, so that probably factored in somewhere.

Anyway, this was nice, a little confusing in regards to pinkie's past, but nice