A Princess' Request: Three Crates

by FerociousCreation

Over the Edge

Derpy Hooves stepped in front of her bathroom mirror with a prideful smile. Despite the band aids littered across her face, the mare was not bothered by them; in fact she was proud of her battle scars. “Alright Derpy Hooves!” she exclaimed, pointing a hoof at her reflection. “You remember what happened on Saturday. Princess Celestia walked into the Ponyville post office, requesting you specifically to deliver three packages. On top of that, you prevented a vicious cat from harming the her. If you can keep the princess safe from dangerous animals, you can deliver those boxes!”

Placing her mail cap on her cranium, Derpy Hooves stepped toward the bathroom door. “Hey Mom!” Dinky Hooves quickly jumped in front of the door way with a wide grin.

“AGH!” Derpy screamed.

Her daughter shrieked as well. “What… the heck mom!” Dinky ordered, stamping down her hoof in protest.

Derpy took a few deep breaths before responding to the unicorn. “Sorry, Dinky. You startled me.” The mother rubbed Dinky’s blonde mane, messing it up slightly in the process.

“Mom!” Dinky shouted again, this time bothered by Derpy’s motherly love. She ran a hoof down her mane in hopes that her nicely brushed hair would not be so frazzled. Finished with her grooming, Dinky found her smile once more. “I wanted to wish you the best of luck.”

“Aww, thanks Dinky.” Both mother and daughter hugged, happy for each other.

“When you get there, tell me what the castle looks like!” Dinky beamed.

“Of course.” Once again, Derpy rubbed Dinky’s mane, her child grunting in irritation once more.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

“I got it!” Derpy exclaimed, stepping over the light-violet child, but ended up tripping over her instead, smacking her chin on the floor as a result. Despite the pain that shot through her jaw, Derpy was resilient and made for the hallway and overlooked the foyer.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

Instead of using her wings to fly down toward the door, Derpy darted down the stairs. She did pay good money for her home and wanted to use every bit of it with her own four hooves. However, she tripped over her legs as she stepped down the second step, tumbling down to the first floor.

“D-Derpy…!?” a voice spoke from behind the door. “Are you alright!?”

Her eyes spun around in her head, dizzy from the fall. “I am fine Time Turner!” she called out, despite her now hurt head and jaw. At the top of the stairway, Dinky Hooves shook her head with an irritated frown. Why can’t you be careful, Mom? I worry every day might be your last.

Walking over to the door, Derpy Hooves opened it to see Time Turner looking rather flustered. “H-hello Derpy.” The brown stallion nervously rubbed the back of his head, having difficulty keeping his eyes on the gray pegasus.

“Hello yourself.” Derpy shivered a bit as the morning air chilled her bare body. She looked to the coat rack beside the door and saw her mailmare coat, quickly putting on to prevent any chances of obtaining a cold. “What brings you out of your lab?”

“Umm… well, since you are going to Canterlot on a special arrend, I…” Time Turner was slightly distracted by Dinky Hooves who stood at the top of the stairs, rolling her hoof to emphasize the stallion to get the right words out. “...I wish to wish you the best of luck.”

Derpy Hooves giggled a bit and pulled the stallion close for a nice embrace. “Well that was nice of you to go out of your way just to say this to me.” With her eyes not on him, Time Turner was facing Dinky who was mouthing the words, “Tell her.”

“I also… want to ask you something?”

“Hmm?” The mare broke contact from Time Turner and turned her head. “What is it?” The brown earth pony’s cheeks flared, caught in a daze by the pegasus’ cute charm. The moment Time Turner opened his mouth, a sound rang from the living room.

DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG!

“Oh my gosh!” Derpy exclaimed. “I need to get to work!” Looking back to her daughter, she exclaimed, “Be sure to lock up the house!”

“Sure thing mother…” Dinky grunted, shaking her head at the stallion.

In a quick motion, Derpy hugged the stallion and smiled at him. “Tell me what you were going to say later, okay?”

“A-alright…” In a blur of gray, the pegasus was off to work. Taking her time, Dinky Hooves walked down the stairs and right up to Time Turner.

“You and my mom are helpless…” she spoke, again, shaking her head.

Time Turner gave the filly a look of shock, punched in the gut by her words. “At least I tried!”

***

Parcel Post dragged his hooves on the earth as he approached his place of employment. The lunch with Happy Trails the day before went along nicely the day before; however, the two ponies did not end up as special someponies as Parcel Post was hoping. Despite his hurt feelings, the stallion was glad to know that the two were friends at this point, so nothing was lost in the end.

Bringing his key to the lock, Parcel Post gave it a twist.

...click…

Without warning, the door swung open and smacked the stallion square in the face. “GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD MORNING!” Derpy exclaimed aloud. Passerbys looked with confusion at the boisterous mare, wondering why she had to be loud on Monday of all days. Derpy looked left and right, wondering where her boss went. Peering behind the door, the pegasus noticed Parcel Post’s face was glued to the door. “Oops… sorry boss…”

Popping his head off the door, Parcel Post staggered a bit before looking to his employee. “How… did you get inside?” he asked with confusion.

Grinning with glee, Derpy replied, “Weeeeeell, since you said the window I keep breaking was insured, I broke in to surprise you. And, I am also super excited for today.”

Peering into the post office, Parcel Post jaw almost hit the floor, but somehow amused with Derpy’s silly nature; it also got his mind off of Happy Trails. “Right…” he muttered. He was glad to see that there was no mess of glass on the floor, so it clued the stallion that his employee was not clueless; she was just… clever with her methods.

***

With the post office now open for business, Derpy stood by the door, bouncing in place with eager anticipation. “When is the courier going to arrive?”

Parcel Post scratched his chin, “I am not sure. Princess Celestia was not very specific about the time when said courier would arrive. However, she did mention that they will be here early this morning. So… just stay put and... “ The stallion looked to the one unbroken window to his left. “...don’t jump out the window in excitement if you see the courier; or think you see them for that matter.” Because that one is not insured…

“No worries!” Derpy saluted. “I will remain at this spot until we get a knock at the door.”

Several minutes pass as Parcel Post began placing mail in certain holders behind the front desk, preparing the orders that need to be delivered by days end. As for Derpy, she continued to wear a gleeful grin on her face. Thirty minutes go by and the workers of the Ponyville Post Office began to enter. Raindrops greeted the cross-eyed mare with a happy embrace and cheered her friend on before taking off with her own deliveries.

An hour slowly crawls by…

The front door opens up and Derpy Hooves flinches at its movement. A muscular light-brown stallion walks in, his hooves almost pounding on the ground as he walked toward the front desk. Derpy is slightly dazed by his amazing physique, and the pony almost resembled Time Turner. She giggled at the thought of Time Turner gaining a massive amount of muscle; probably in the name of science as he would put it.

“I have a delivery of three crates set fer Canterlot here,” he spoke, exhaustion deep in his voice.

“I have been expecting you, Mister...” Derpy spoke, turning the handsome stallion’s attention toward her. His emerald eyes almost knocked her off her feet.

“Payload.” The earth pony flashed a smile, and Derpy had to look away from his charming grin. “And I am glad you have been waitin’ here fer me, ‘cause I have been waitin’ to get rid of this cargo,” he grunted with a chuckle.

“If you need help, I can assist you with unloading the crates.” Once again, the pegasus took another good look at the stallion up and down, her cheeks flushed. “Then again, with someone as strong as you are, I wouldn’t mind just watching you lift… things.”

Payload chuckled, “Oh, I don’ wanna say I can handle everyin’ on my own. Besides, these three crates have been weighin’ me down fer miles. If it wouldn’t be too much to ask as to ask you fer yer help.”

“Anything for you,” Derpy responded, batting her eyes. She turned to her boss to ask Parcel Post if she could help him out, but her boss nodded without having to say a word. Both ponies left the store and over to Payload’s wagon. Derpy could now understand what the stallion meant by Payload wanting to get rid of the three crates he was pulling along.

Payload’s cart was held down, the bed of the wagon bending down a bit as three large crates stood out from the other cargo. Derpy Hooves turned to the stallion and asked, “It’s the big ones, yes?”

“Yup!” Payload lifted a brow at the mare. “Now, who is the one goin’ to deliver those insanely heavy packages?”

“That would be me!” Derpy looked at the large containers, not intimidated by its massive size, what may be inside them.

A look of shock fell upon Payload. “You!? I- ugh, I mean, I’m not saying you aren't strong. It’s just… well, those three crates are quite heavy and took a few stallions my size to lift em.’

Flexing her arm, Derpy gave Payload a soft grin. “Watch me move those boxes with ease.” The pegasus fanned out her wings and flew over to the cart, landing into the nearly full bed as it bounced slightly from her weight. The first crate was near the edge and Derpy chose that one to show the stallion her strength. Placing all of her weight on the wooden box, the mare began to push… and slowly began moving the crate.

Payload was in shock and worry as he watched the mare push the crate toward the end of his cart. He didn’t stop her before because he doubted her strength. But now being proven wrong, Payload briskly walked over to the mare. “Mam, don’ be pushin’ that package over the edge!”

His words, however, fell on deaf ears. “This is not that heavy,” Derpy spoke to Payload. “What’s in this thing anyways?” With the crate now more than halfway out of the cart, it rolled over and fell to the ground. A loud crash exploded from within the wooden box; the sound of glass breaking. As Derpy stood on the bed of the wagon, she noticed a wine glass with a small line through the cup, and the word “Fragile” was printed in bold red below the sticker on the surface of the crate.

Derpy bit her lower lip and muttered, “Oops…”