The Reward
It seemed like the perfect day in Ponyville. Celestia’s sun was shining brightly, the weather team had cleared away every single cloud in the sky, and there was not a single monster terrorizing Equestria in sight. It was a beautiful, peaceful day that would have put anypony in a chipper mood.
Derpy was not one of those ponies.
Wearily dragging her hooves across the ground, Derpy was making the trudge home from the post office. Her brown, white-collared mailmare shirt was ruffled and unkempt, its usual tidiness long since gone after a long day. Her mailmare cap matched the disheveled uniform, and to her tired body, the empty mail bag slung across her shoulder felt like she was dragging a load of bricks.
As much as she prided over her work as a postal worker, at the moment, she could not wait to shed the uniform. It was now late in the afternoon, and she had been working since dawn. Needless to say, she was exhausted and sorely needed some rest and relaxation.
The Friendship Festival was held last week, and Derpy, along with many of her fellow mailponies, had gone up to Canterlot to partake in the celebration. They had thought that they would be spending a nice weekend enjoying the festivities before they returned to Ponyville with only a day or two’s worth of work to catch up on.
But everything changed when the Storm King attacked.
The invasion had thrown a massive wrench into their plans. Not only were they held prisoner for three days, it took several more days for Canterlot to get back on its hooves and resume the Friendship Festival. With all the delays, Ponyville’s post office had been stuck with a skeleton crew for nearly two weeks. Whatsmore, the invasion had sparked a flood of messages being sent around Equestria, resulting in an influx of letters and packages to deal with on top of the backlog.
In short, Derpy had been extremely busy since she had returned to Ponyville.
Today had been the fifth day in a row Derpy was asked to take an extra shift, and it looked like the trend was going to continue well into next week. She was getting a bonus on top of the extra hours, but it was only a paltry sum that did little to compensate for the added stress. While Derpy was not one to usually complain, the grueling workload was taking its toll on her.
Arriving at her house, Derpy trotted through the front door and flicked her head to the side. The mailmare hat was dislodged from her head and arced towards a hanging wall hook, only to veer to the left and smack against the wall.
Derpy glared at the offending hat as it plopped onto the floor. Her aim was usually off, regardless if she was tired or not, but after her exhausting day, it would have been nice to at least get in a small victory.
With an annoyed huff, she let her mail bag slip down onto the floor and kicked it to the side. She then bent down to grab her fallen hat and placed it on the previously-missed hook, along with her hastily-removed shirt. Breathing a small sigh from being temporarily relieved of her burden, she closed the front door and headed into the kitchen.
Derpy went straight to a cabinet that hung over the stove and opened it, retrieving a tea kettle from within. She brought the kettle to the sink, turning on the faucet to start filling the vessel with water. After counting to eleven, she promptly turned off the faucet and transferred the halfway-filled kettle to the stove. With one quick, practiced twist of a knob, the stove turned on to the exact temperature she needed.
While she waited for the water to heat up, Derpy proceeded to a corner of the room where a small, wooden table stood with a stool right next to it. At the center of the table was a basket that had a red cloth on it, covering a small mound of objects underneath.
Derpy quickly tossed the cloth to the side, and a grin spread across her face when she gazed upon the revealed treasure that she had been coveting all day: a batch of her homemade muffins.
Plonking herself down on the stool, Derpy eagerly grabbed one of her prized muffins in her hooves and took a big bite, devouring a third of the baked good in one go. Despite the muffin starting to grow stale, having been baked a few days ago, it was still tasty enough to make Derpy hum in satisfaction.
Already starting to feel better, Derpy slowed down to savor the rest of the muffin, knowing that she had time to enjoy the pastry. A couple of more bites and delighted noises later, the muffin was finished right as the kettle began whistling.
The stove was swiftly turned off before Derpy went back to the same cabinet from earlier. A tin box the size of her hoof was lying close to where the kettle previously stood, as well as her favorite mug and a thick cloth. She extracted a tea bag from the box and dropped it inside the mug, setting them down on the nearby counter.
After putting the thick cloth in her mouth, Derpy closed the cabinet and narrowed her eyes at the steaming kettle. Her muzzle scrunched in intense focus while she slowly leaned forward and grabbed the kettle’s handle in her insulated mouth. Carefully, she lifted the hot vessel and slowly tipped the nozzle into the mug, pouring the hot water into the cup. To her delight, she managed to fully fill her mug without spilling anything, a process that had literally burned her more times than she would like to admit.
Derpy set the kettle back down on the unlit stove, spat out the cloth onto the counter, and took her hot cup of tea back to the table. Clutching the cup in her forehooves, she slowly raised it up to her muzzle and took a whiff, enjoying the tantalizing scent. She blew on her drink a few times and then took a careful sip of her tea, sighing in satisfaction from the tasty blend and the warmth that suffused through her.
This was her favorite part of the day. No matter how busy she got, she did her best to reserve some time where she could sit down and relax with a nice cup of tea and a few tasty muffins. It allowed her to unwind and recharge in preparation for the next day. It was not a surprise she affectionately named this period, ‘muffin time’.
Just as Derpy reached for her second muffin, a knock on her front door made her flinch before she groaned over her interrupted muffin time. Today had been a long, exhausting day, and she sorely wanted to be left alone to enjoy some rest and relaxation. The thought of ignoring the call in the hopes that her visitor would go away crossed her mind, and she was tempted to go through with it.
However, Derpy convinced herself, albeit with some reluctance, to answer the door. As tired as she was, she did not want to be rude. In addition, she did not get many visitors, so chances were that whoever was at the door was either work-related or one of her few friends.
And yet, despite minding her manners, Derpy swiftly took a big bite of her second muffin before she got up. Her long workday had left her hungry, plus if she looked like she was in the middle of a meal, she could probably get the visitor to finish their business with her faster so that she could return to muffin time.
With her cheeks slightly bulging with muffin, Derpy trotted over to her front door and opened it. Her skewed eyes bulged open when she saw that her visitor was none other than Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship.
“Hello, Derpy,” Twilight greeted with a pleasant smile.
Derpy gasped in surprise, or she would have if her sudden intake of air hadn't been replaced by a muffin chunk getting stuck in her throat. She fell backwards onto the floor as her throat was clogged, and her forehooves went to her neck while she desperately tried to cough up the errant muffin.
“Derpy?! What’s going—Oh my gosh! You’re choking!” Twilight rushed into the home, hastily picking up and turning Derpy around so that her forelegs wrapped around the distressed mare’s midsection. With a mighty grunt, Twilight squeezed, pressing her forehooves into Derpy’s chest.
Derpy continued to cough as the muffin remained inside of her, prompting Twilight to squeeze again. Twilight repeated her action several more times, each time adding a little more strength and even lifting the pegasus slightly into the air in her desperation. Finally, after a dozen or so pushes, Derpy hacked out the muffin piece, the troublesome food chunk splattering onto the nearby wall. As Derpy heaved to take in much-needed air, Twilight let out a sigh of relief and gently set the pegasus down on her hooves.
“You know, I’ve had a couple of ponies choke up when they met me, but this is the first time somepony had literally done so,” Twilight said in a lighthearted tone, only to let out a surprised squeak when Derpy sat down onto her haunches with a groan. “Er, right, too soon… Got it…”
Oh, Celestia! I can’t believe that happened! Derpy lamented over the scene she had caused. She started to whimper as her forehooves covered her reddening face, but she froze when she felt a gentle squeeze around her middle.
“It’s okay, Derpy,” Twilight assured. “I know that you might be embarrassed about what happened, but the important thing is that you’re safe now. Thank goodness that I’ve read up on the Hay Milk maneuver. I’m so happy that you didn’t get hurt.”
Oh, Celestia! Twilight is hugging me! Derpy grew even more red, just now realizing that Twilight’s hooves were still around her.
“Are you feeling alright?” Twilight asked.
“Y-yes, I am. Thank you, Princess Twilight,” Derpy replied, lowering her forehooves but still looking down to hide her red face.
“I’m sorry, Derpy. It looks like I interrupted your dinner. If you want, I can leave and—”
“No!” Derpy cried out, leaping out of Twilight’s hold and turning around to her visitor. She blinked when she saw the alicorn’s startled look. “Er, I mean no, you are not interrupting dinner. I was just having a little snack, but, uh, I bit off more than I can chew.”
Twilight glanced at the muffin splotch on her wall. “Yes, I, um, noticed.”
Derpy chuckled sheepishly. “Right… Um, anyway, what can I do for you, Princess Twilight?”
“Derpy, we talked about this,” Twilight chided in a teasing tone. “Remember how you’re supposed to address me?”
“Oh, right. Sorry, Twilight.”
“That’s better,” Twilight said with a giggle. “Anyway, I’m here to talk to you, if you have time.”
“I always have time for you!” Derpy blurted loudly. Upon receiving another odd look from Twilight, she hastily added, “Um, I mean, I’d be delighted to talk with you. Why don’t you come in? Would you like some tea or muffins?”
“Thank you, but I’ll pass on the muffins,” Twilight turned down politely. “I get more than enough of your famous muffins with all the baskets you keep sending me. You know that I’ve forgiven you for the accident, right?”
“Yes, I know, but I do enjoy making them for you. Plus, I still feel bad that I dropped all of those things on you, especially since you were recovering from some other injuries,” Derpy explained, recalling the event long ago. She never did mention that she forgot to secure the delivery carriage back then because she was busy staring at the former-unicorn, and not because of the odd sight of Twilight spying on Pinkie while in a wheelchair.
Twilight winced. “Yeah. Trying to learn about Pinkie’s Pinkie Sense was not exactly a highlight for me. It’s like the more I learn about her, the more questions I end up having. Anyway, while I won’t be needing any of your muffins now, some tea would be lovely.”
“Of course. Anything for you, Twilight.” Derpy almost facehoofed when she received yet another perplexed stare from Twilight and could feel the onset of another blush coming.
“I’m gonna… I’m gonna go… tea… thing…” Derpy mumbled before she beat a hasty retreat into the kitchen.
Stupid, stupid, stupid! Derpy cursed at herself when she was out of sight of her guest. She even lightly bonked her head with a forehoof. I must’ve look like such an idiot in front of Twilight…
Derpy was glad that she was considered a friend by Twilight, even if she was not as close as one of the other Elements. The two of them had interacted with each other plenty of times, but much to Derpy’s chagrin, a great deal of their meetings were marred by her making a fool of herself. While she was already known for being accident-prone, her blunders were more frequent when she was around Twilight, not to mention the way her mouth often blurted out stuff.
Derpy shook her head. No. This time will be different. Twilight has never came here before, so this must be important. I am going to get through this… without me being weird.
After taking another swig of her tea to help calm herself, Derpy went on to prepare another mug for her guest. Taking a few more moments to compose herself for good measure, Derpy trotted out of the kitchen, a tray carrying Twilight’s drink on her back.
Twilight was found sitting down on the living room couch and was looking into her saddlebag, an item Derpy had failed to notice earlier during her muffin crisis. The alicorn’s ears flicked up as Derpy got closer. Slowly and carefully, Twilight closed the saddlebag and set it aside before turning to Derpy with a smile.
Derpy guessed that whatever was in the bag was either valuable or a secret, but she brushed aside her curiosity. It probably was not any of her business.
“Here you go,” Derpy said, placing the tray on the coffee table in front of the couch. “I hope you like it.”
Twilight nodded in thanks and enveloped the mug in magic. Lifting the cup to her mouth, she blew on it and then took a dainty sip. She hummed softly in delight. “This is good tea. Is this one of Zecora’s blends?”
Derpy’s eyes widened slightly. “Yes, in fact. How did you know?”
“I’m a regular customer of Zecora’s teas, so I’ve become quite familiar with how her blends usually taste and smell. Still, I don’t think I’ve tried this particular one yet. Which one is it?”
“It’s a special blend she made for me. It’s supposed to help with my eyes.”
“Your eyes?” Twilight gasped. She looked into her mug and then back up at her host. “Oh, I’m sorry, Derpy! I didn’t mean for you to use up your special tea for me.”
Derpy internally groaned for yet another one of her unintentional slips. “Um, don’t worry about it. Really, Twilight, I have plenty, and even without the health benefits, it’s still very tasty. I even get a discount from Zecora, and if you’re wondering why she does that, well, let’s say that she’s a fan of my muffins.”
Twilight breathed a sigh of relief and then giggled. “That’s not so surprising. You’re muffins are delicious. Even Pinkie is a bit jealous that neither she nor the Cakes can make them like you.”
Derpy blushed, a grin spreading on her face. “Th-thank you, Twilight.”
“You’re welcome, Derpy. And now that I think about it, I really should come up with some sort of gift I could give to you. Accident or not, you’re my friend, and I feel awful that I haven’t really gotten you anything for all the muffin baskets.”
Derpy shook her head. “No, you don’t have to do that, Twilight. Your friendship is more than enough of a payment.”
“That’s sweet of you, Derpy, and I value our friendship as well. Still, I’ll be on the lookout for anything that you might be interested in.” Twilight paused to take another sip of her tea before letting her magic set the mug back on the coffee table. “Anyway, we probably should get to the reason that I’m here. You’re probably wondering what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Yeah, kind of,” Derpy confessed as she sat down on the opposite side of the couch. In reality, her mind was racing as she tried to figure out what Twilight wanted so that she could mentally prepare herself better.
“Well, I wanted to ask you some things about the Friendship Festival, or rather, the whole Storm King invasion that happened during it. Most importantly, are you alright after everything that happened?”
“Oh, well, it’s busy down at the post office as a result of the invasion, but otherwise, I’m doing fine.”
Twilight’s eyebrow went up. “That’s it?”
Derpy blinked. “Um, did I miss something?”
“Are you feeling any long-lasting effects or other oddities, besides your extra work?”
“Er, no? I am pretty tired, but that’s from all the overtime. I don’t think anything is really bothering me since you defeated the Storm King before things got too bad.”
“It was me and my friends, both old and new,” Twilight corrected. “I know that many ponies see me as the leader of the group, but the fact still remains that we all worked together to thwart the Storm King’s plans. I certainly could not have done all of that alone.”
Derpy winced over her blunder. “Sorry, Twilight.”
“That’s alright, Derpy. I just want to make sure everypony who was involved are properly thanked, which actually brings me back to why I’m here.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Well, there’s actually one pony who I believe did not get proper recognition for her efforts. The thing is, about a day after the Friendship Festival, my friends and I sat down to recount everything that had happened. When we were talking about our escape from Canterlot, Rainbow mentioned something odd. I thought that she had been the one who pulled me away before I was hit by one of those crystallizing balls, but she admitted that she probably would not have made it if it weren’t for another pony pushing me out of the way.”
Derpy’s eyes widened, but she remained silent.
“With how hectic the situation was, Rainbow did not see exactly who saved me, but she was pretty sure that the mystery pony had a gray coat. And when Fiz—er, Tempest told me that the crystallizing ball meant for me had captured a pegasus mare with misaligned eyes instead…” Twilight stared right into Derpy’s eyes. “It was you, wasn’t it?”
Unsure how she was supposed to respond, Derpy merely nodded slowly.
“Why didn’t you tell anypony about this?” Twilight asked with a concerned frown.
“I… I just thought it wasn’t such a big deal,” Derpy admitted with a shrug.
“Not a big deal? Derpy, you saved me!”
“And I’m glad that I did. Still, it didn’t seem like anypony noticed , and your recounting pretty much confirms that. I honestly thought that other ponies were crystallized like me, which would’ve made it hard for me prove what happened, assuming that I had wanted to. By the time that I did find out what actually happened, everypony was talking about how you and your friends saved the day. I didn’t want to seem like I was trying to steal your spotlight, especially since all I did was get turned into a crystal statue.”
Twilight shook her head. “Derpy, you did so much more than that. If I had been captured that same day, the Storm King would’ve taken my and the other princesses’ magic right away. He would’ve had an enormous amount of power at his disposal with nopony able to stop him. But you prevented that from happening. My friends and I might have been the ones to defeat the Storm King, but you gave us the chance to regroup and retaliate against him. In a way, you helped save Equestria.”
“S-save Equestria? Me?” Derpy squeaked. Her mouth opened and closed several times, unable to utter another sound in her shock. She, along with many others, did not know the full details of how Equestria was saved, but she never would have imagined that she had played such a vital role in it.
Twilight nodded with a smile. “You did Equestria a great service that day, Derpy, but it went unnoticed in all the chaos. I brought the issue up with the other princesses, and we all agree that you should be properly thanked. That’s why we would like to put together a little ceremony in your honor.”
“A-a ceremony? For me?” Derpy pictured herself on stage as Twilight trotted up to her with a big smile and a shiny gold medal floating beside her. After Twilight draped the award around her neck, Derpy imagined that her favorite princess would also give her a grand hug as they both wept tears of joy and enjoyed each other’s presence. It was such a picturesque scene that Derpy almost shouted out her agreement for the ceremony.
But Derpy then remembered that Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Cadance would also be there. Not only that, but there would no doubt be hundreds, if not thousands, of ponies in the audience, all paying full attention to her. She could see herself falling flat on her face when she tried to walk across the stage, or maybe she would accidentally say something embarrassing when she was asked to say a few words. Given her luck, both of those things could very well happen, as well as all sorts of other blunders. She could be embarrassing herself on a grand scale.
“T-Twilight?” Derpy uttered meekly. “I very much appreciate what you’re trying to do for me, but with all due respect, do I have to have a ceremony?”
“Um, no, I suppose not,” Twilight answered, a hint of disappointment in her tone. “Don’t tell me that you still think you don’t deserve one.”
“Maybe a bit, but that’s not the reason. I just don’t feel comfortable at being the center of attention.”
“Are you sure? We could keep things small if you don’t like standing in front of a huge audience.”
“Thank you, Twilight, but my decision remains the same. I have a feeling that I would just become a nervous wreck, so I’m going to have to pass on the ceremony. While it might be nice to get some recognition, I think I much rather prefer staying in the background.”
“I understand. Not everypony enjoys the spotlight, and if you’re more comfortable not doing the ceremony, then we won’t have one.” Twilight sighed, but her mouth formed into a soft smile a moment later. “You know, I actually had a hunch you might feel that way, so…” She opened up her saddlebag with her magic, but she used her forehooves to reach inside and pull out a small case.
“This is for you, Derpy,” Twilight stated, her smile growing wider as she presented the case.
“What is it?”
“Why don’t you open it and find out?”
Derpy took the offered item in her hooves and set it down on the couch right in front of her. Slowly, she opened the case. What she saw inside made her gasp.
A medal was the only object inside the case. Its centerpiece was a heart-shaped ruby that shimmered brightly in the light. Derpy did not have much interest in jewels, but even she could tell that this ruby was intricately cut after many hours of toil. The ruby alone was probably worth a fortune, but the jewel was also set into a thick, polished gold frame with pegasus wings sprouting from its sides, further increasing its luster. A length of lavender silk was attached to the medal, forming a loop for a pony to wear around their neck.
Derpy had seen four of these majestic medals not too long ago. They were awarded to Starlight Glimmer, Trixie, Discord, and Thorax for saving the princesses and the Elements from Chrysalis, as well as turning most of the Changelings into allies.
The medal was none other than the Equestrian Pink Heart of Courage. As the name suggested, it was a highly-acclaimed award given to courageous ponies who did Equestria a great service in a feat of bravery.
And Twilight had just presented Derpy with one.
“Is… Is this really for me?” Derpy asked, her voice barely above a whisper as she continued to stare at the medal.
“Turn it over,” Twilight answered simply.
Derpy glanced up at Twilight’s odd instruction and saw the alicorn waving her hoof to just go with it. She gingerly picked up the medal in her forehooves as though it was the most precious thing she had ever held, which was very much true in her case. Flipping the medal around, she gasped again when she found words etched into the metal:
Awarded to Derpy Hooves
For Braving the Storm to Give
Equestria a Brighter Future
“Wow…” was all Derpy could say as she read those words over and over again. There was no doubt now that this medal was truly for her.
“You deserve this, Derpy,” Twilight said quietly.
“I… I don’t know what to say, Twilight,” Derpy uttered, looking up at the smiling alicorn with a sniffle. “Thank you.”
“No, thank you, Derpy. You saved me and all of Equestria.”
“So you say…” Derpy looked back down at the medal and gently glided a hoof over her etched name. “You know, it’s funny. I’m just the clumsy mailmare with the weird eyes. Never in my wildest dreams would I imagine a pony like me would actually receive a prestigious award like this.”
With her magic, Twilight gave a gentle tug on the medal in the pegasus’s hooves. “May I?”
Derpy nodded and allowed the medal to float away from her.
Twilight grabbed the medal’s lavender silk neckband with her hooves. “Derpy, I know that you have a tendency to get into unfortunate incidents, but not many ponies could be in your situation and maintain a positive attitude like yours. You quickly get back on your hooves whenever something gets you down, you’re always willing to lend a helping hoof, and based on what happened during the invasion, you are a very brave pony who would go to great lengths to help her friends.”
Scooting closer, Twilight fixed the medal around Derpy’s neck, and once it was in place, she wrapped her hooves around the pegasus in a hug. “You’re not a princess or an Element or anything like that, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything extraordinary. This medal is proof of that. You’re a special pony in your own way, Derpy. Never forget that.”
Smiling broadly, Derpy sniffled as her vision blurred slightly from a few held-back tears. “Th-thank you, Twilight. You don’t know how much it means to me to hear all of that from you,” she said gratefully as she returned the hug.
Derpy sighed blissfully as she sunk into the warmth of Twilight’s embrace. Feeling safe and comforted in her current position, a wave of calmness washed over her, and she wished that this moment could last forever. Receiving the Equestrian Pink Heart of Courage was one of the most remarkable events to have ever happened to her, but right now, being in Twilight’s hooves was a far better prize.
Eventually, Derpy felt Twilight start to pull away, and despite her urge to tighten her hold on the alicorn, she reluctantly let go as the both of them returned to their previous sitting positions.
“So, I’m very glad that you liked your award, Derpy,” said Twilight. “And I think that you’ll be pleased to know that I have something else in mind.”
Derpy blinked. “Wait, there’s more?”
“Medals are nice and all, but they don’t have much practical use, plus, you turned down having the ceremony. Mind you, it’s not an official thing, but I would be more than happy to arrange a little treat for you.”
“A treat? Like what?”
“Well, anything you want.”
“A-anything I want?” Derpy repeated, her eyes widening.
“Within reason, of course.” Twilight added while she smiled sheepishly.
“Er, right, of course. Don’t worry, Twilight. I wouldn’t dare to abuse your generosity.”
Twilight’s smile relaxed into a natural one. “I know you wouldn’t, Derpy. Anyway, let me know when you think of something, and I’ll do my best to fulfill your request. And don’t worry about time; take as long as you need to figure out what you want.”
There’s only thing that I really want… Maybe I could… Derpy bit her lip, her eyes flicking around the room for a while before they settled on Twilight. “I… um…”
“Yes? Is there something you want to say, Derpy?” Twilight asked.
Derpy cleared her throat, and in a quiet voice, she muttered, “Uh, actually, there is one thing I would like…”
“Really? Already? Are you sure you don’t want to take some time to think about it?”
“No, this is… Well, it’s something that I have been wanting for a long time.”
“Alright then. If you’re sure.” Twilight nodded, sitting up straight and staring at Derpy with rapt attention. “What can I do for you, Derpy?”
“Well, I was hoping that… you… um…” Derpy gulped as the words got caught in her throat. Her gaze drifted in opposite directions, away from Twilight. “You know what? M-maybe I shouldn’t…”
Twilight tilted her head in confusion. “Is something wrong?”
“N-no, nothing’s wrong. I just thought it over, and I think that I might be asking for too much.”
“Let’s hear it anyway, Derpy. The worst that can happen is that I say no and have you pick something else.”
“Um… Right…” Derpy took a deep breath. “T-Twilight, I was wondering if you… could…” Again, she could not find herself able to continue. She gulped as a lump settled into her throat.
“What is it, Derpy?” Twilight asked with concern. “You’re wondering if I could what?”
“A-actually, never mind, Twilight.” Derpy shook her head. “I don’t think what I want is really appropriate.”
“Derpy, just tell me. We can talk it over to make any needed adjustments, and like I said, the worst I can do is say no. You said it yourself that you have been wanting this for a long time, so clearly, it is important to you. I’m guessing that your request might be something odd or embarrassing that you don’t want other ponies to find out, and that’s fine. Everypony has their guilty pleasures. I assure you, whatever you ask of me, I will try to keep things discreet, and more importantly, I will not look down on you or anything like that.”
“Um…” Derpy cautiously glanced back up. “You promise?”
“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my AHHH!” Twilight performed the infamous Pinkie Promise, yelping at the end as she stuck her hoof into her eye. She groaned as she gingerly rubbed her irritated eye. “Ugh, why do I keep forgetting that?”
Derpy felt a bit guilty for giggling at Twilight’s error, but it was a nice reminder that despite being a princess, Twilight was not flawless and was still very much a regular pony. That, along with the promise, made Derpy’s worries start to ebb away.
Steeling her resolve, Derpy repeated the words she wanted to say in her head like a mantra. This was something she had been wanting for so long, and now was probably the best chance she will ever get to make it come true. Even though she knew that her request would likely be only just a taste of what she truly desired, it still was too good of an opportunity to pass up.
But it all hinged on Twilight’s approval.
“Twilight… Would you maybe…” Derpy tried to keep her gaze on the smiling Twilight, but her nerves got the best of her, and she glanced down at the couch as she came to yet another pause. This was probably the hardest question she had ever had to ask, and she dreaded the possible rejection that could follow it.
“Go on, Derpy,” Twilight encouraged. “You don’t have to worry. I Pinkie Promised, remember?”
Derpy nodded. Taking another deep breath, she looked back up at Twilight, both eyes focusing on the alicorn. “Twilight, would you… like to go… on a… d-d-date… with m-me?”
Twilight’s pleasant smile slowly dropped as her eyes widened, and red creeped up on her cheeks. “A-a date? W-with you?”
Derpy winced at Twilight’s reaction and silently cursed herself for asking such a foolish thing. She hastily added, “I-it’s alright, Twilight. Forget what I said. I knew it was inappropriate and stupid and—”
“N-no, Derpy. I was… I need, um…” Twilight stopped to take a long, calming breath. “Derpy, listen. I was merely caught off-guard. There is nothing wrong with your request. But, um, j-just to be clear…” She coughed nervously and had to take another breath. “Um, you are asking me to meet and interact with you at a specified time, r-right?”
Hope, dread, and anticipation all bubbled within Derpy, and all she could do was slowly nod.
“R-right… And, um, is this… date a regular social engagement or… um… of the romantic kind…”
Derpy gulped. “Th-the second one…”
“O-oh…” was all Twilight responded with.
Again, Derpy winced. “T-Twilight, I know that this is really awkward, so let’s just drop it. I really am sor—” She was cut off when Twilight’s forehoof quickly, but gently, went over her mouth.
“Derpy, let me make this clear: you are not in any trouble, so relax, alright?” Twilight assured, removing her hoof from Derpy.
“A-alright…” Derpy mumbled, slowly nodding. Twilight’s words had soothed her a bit, but she was still on the verge of a meltdown because of the situation she placed the both of them in.
“As for your date request, well…” Twilight blushed slightly. “Um, if it’s alright with you, could we talk about a few things before I decide?”
“Of course,” Derpy swiftly obliged, trying to hide her disappointment of having to anxiously wait longer. She consoled herself that at the very least she had not been outright rejected.
“Thank you, Derpy. I actually want to ask you some questions, just so that I can be sure.”
Derpy cocked her head. “Sure of what?”
“Well…” Twilight glanced away and lightly tapped her forehooves together. “This isn’t exactly the first time I’ve been asked out on a date…”
Derpy’s ears drooped. Of course you have been asked out, Twilight. You’re Twilight! I bet that they’ve all been more interesting than a simple, silly mailmare…
“But I think this is the first time I’ve actually considered accepting one,” Twilight continued.
“W-what? Really?” Derpy grinned hopefully, but her brow furrowed in confusion a moment later. “Wait, does that mean you’ve never been on an actual date?” Upon seeing Twilight glance away with a blush, she hastily added, “N-not that there’s anything wrong with that. You can choose to do whatever you want, and it’s not like you have to date somepony, a-and…”
Derpy stopped herself and took a calming breath. “S-sorry. I’m just surprised that… well, you of all ponies…”
Twilight chuckled softly. “Trust me, I’ve been asked out a lot. I’ve just turned them all down, and no, it’s not because I have high standards… er, at least I hope it isn’t. The reason I’ve rejected them is because those ponies were only interested in Twilight the Princess, instead of Twilight the pony. They only care about my position. Even before I became a princess, I was Celestia’s personal student, and ponies were hoping to use me as a sort of middlepony between them and Celestia. Fortunately, one of the many things I’ve learned from Celestia was how to tell if a pony was vying for that kind of thing.”
“And you think that I could be one of those ponies?” Derpy asked, suddenly finding it hard to breathe.
“What?” Twilight stared at Derpy for a second and then her eyes shot wide open. Hastily, she cried, “Oh, no no no no no! I didn’t mean to imply that! I wasn’t thinking and got lost in my explanation and…” She groaned loudly and planted her face in her forehooves. “Derpy, really, I’m so, so, so sorry.”
Derpy exhaled the air she was holding in relief, now realizing why she had trouble breathing a moment ago. “It’s alright, Twilight. I understand why you want to be careful. I just can’t believe that there are ponies who are only interested in your position and not the wonderful pony you are. I’m glad that you don’t consider me to be like those ponies. Um, that is the reason you told me all of this, right?”
“Yes, that’s exactly why!” Twilight cried out, as though desperately latching onto Derpy’s reasoning. She blinked and smiled sheepishly. “Er, I mean, yes, that is right. Thank you for understanding, Derpy, and sorry for being weird. The thing is, if I do go out with you, it will be my first date ever, and honestly, it’s making me really nervous.”
“Now you know how I felt when I was trying to work up the courage to ask you out,” Derpy remarked.
“Heh, yeah. I can see why you had so much trouble now. Even with all of my time with Cadance, this sort of stuff still confuses. So, um, if you don’t mind me asking, why do you want to go out with me?”
“Well, who wouldn’t want to go out with you? Er, not talking about the princess stuff, of course. You’re kind, generous, helpful, brave, smart, talented… Well, you get the idea. To tell you the truth, I, um…” Red flooded Derpy’s cheeks. “I-I kind of had a crush on you for many seasons.”
“R-really?” Twilight squeaked.
Derpy nodded. “It started not too long after you moved into Ponyville. At first, it was just admiration. I mean, you and the others saved Equestria from Nightmare Moon, and that was pretty much your first day in town. Then you went on to pacify an Ursa Minor and then prevent an adult dragon from covering Ponyville in smoke…”
“To be fair, Fluttershy was the one who actually convinced the dragon to leave,” Twilight pointed out.
“Yes, but you still were the one to led the expedition. And let’s not forget Winter Wrap Up. Ever since you took over as lead organizer, we’ve actually been finishing everything ahead of schedule. You’ve done so much for Ponyville and Equestria, and yet you always remain so modest while always ready to help others in need. How could I not admire a pony like that?”
Derpy sighed. “Then came the day that I dropped all those things on you… I’m still so sorry about that, Twilight, and I feel absolutely awful that I hurt you.”
“Derpy, like I said before, it was an accident,” Twilight replied. “I forgave you when you apologized that same day.”
“And that’s when I started to really like you, Twilight. I can be pretty klutzy, thanks to my eyes, and although everypony here in Ponyville is nice and all, they’re also wary of the accidents I tend to get into. Ponies act cautious around me or want to keep their distance, but not once have I felt that whenever I talk to you. Most ponies would’ve gotten angry at me if I had dropped all of those things on them, but not you. Instead, you used the opportunity to become friends with me. You’re not bothered by my quirks, and that means the world to me.”
“So is that why you started sending me those muffin baskets?” Twilight asked.
“At first, they were merely an apology, but as I developed my crush on you, they also became a sort of gift of my affections, even though I never actually told you that they were. When it became obvious that my crush wasn’t going away, I thought about actually asking you out.”
“But you never did, right?” Twilight asked. “I, uh, I often tune things out when I get into my studies, so I really hope that I didn’t miss something as important as that.”
Derpy giggled softly and shook her head. “I… I ended up always putting it off. I made up excuses like I was busy at work, or you were occupied with something to help Equestria, or an army of Pinkie Pies was terrorizing the town. When you became an alicorn, well… I kind of gave up. You were a princess on top of all your amazing qualities. What chance did a simple mailmare like me had?”
Derpy looked down at her medal and caressed it with a hoof. “You’re a wonderful pony, Twilight, even before you became a princess. I’m sure that I would be as nervous then as I am now because I wasn’t sure if I was good enough for you. It feels kind of wrong that I’m using the favor you gave me to ask you out on a date, but I don’t think I would’ve had the courage to do it otherwise. I… I know it’s probably still asking for too much, but I really do hope that you’ll accept going out with me. It only has to be a one-time thing, and if things don’t work out between us, I promise that I won’t bring it up again.”
Letting out a long sigh, Derpy felt some of her tension dissipate. It felt liberating to have finally let out her feelings after keeping them inside her for so long. When she looked back up at Twilight, she found the alicorn staring at her with her mouth agape.
“T-Twilight?” Derpy called out.
“Derpy… I…” Twilight’s mouth closed, and she bowed her head. “All those things you said… I’m so sorry that I caused you so much distress because I was oblivious to your affection.”
Derpy shook her head. “No, Twilight. Please don’t blame yourself. It’s not your fault at all. It’s not like I ever hinted at it, and you couldn’t have known what I was thinking.”
“I still feel terrible that you went through all of that because of me, especially after you said those touching things about me. I know that you’re intimidated by my princess status and the things that I’ve done, but you should never feel like you’re beneath me or anything like that.
“You’re a wonderful pony yourself, Derpy. I admire your resolve to keep on going no matter what happens. Your bubbly personality is always a delight to be around. You enjoy helping others; not to mention that you bake the best muffins. You have many amazing qualities as well, Derpy, and anypony would be lucky… to…”
“Twilight? Is something the matter?” Derpy asked, confused by the alicorn’s gaze dropping, as well as the sudden silence.
“Yes,” Twilight quietly replied.
“Y-yes? What’s the matter then?”
“No, I mean, yes. I mean…” Twilight took a deep breath and lifted her head to reveal a soft smile. “Yes, I’ll go out with you.”
It took a few seconds for Twilight’s answer to process in Derpy’s head. “R-really? You’re really going to go on a date with me?”
“Yes. We’re already friends, you’re a great pony, and I do enjoy being with you, even more so after today. Since we’re both interested in each other, it makes sense for us to try and explore deeper relations. Plus, if you can work up the courage to ask me out, then I shouldn’t be so nervous on going out on my first date.”
“Thank you, Twilight! You don’t know how much this means to me!” Derpy scooted forward, her forehooves spread open for a hug, but she hesitated and dropped her forehooves back to her side with a sheepish grin.
Twilight giggled and gave a quick hug to the giddy pegasus. “I think I have somewhat have an idea. However, I should warn you that I have two conditions for this date.”
“Anything!” Derpy obliged immediately.
“The first condition is if things don’t work out between us, we will do our best to at least remain friends.”
Derpy smiled and nodded without hesitation. “Of course. I wouldn’t have it any other way. What’s the second condition?”
“That I will be the one paying for whatever we do on our date.”
Derpy blinked. “W-wait, but I’m the one who asked you out.”
“True, but this is meant to be a reward for you, and having to pay for it doesn’t make it much of a reward.”
“Spending time with you is the greatest reward,” Derpy proclaimed. She froze upon seeing Twilight’s cheeks redden, and she soon felt a blush of her own forming. “Er, too much?”
“Coming from somepony else, probably.” Twilight smiled. “But from you, I think it’s very sweet.”
Derpy squealed in delight, and after realizing the sound she just made, she was pretty sure she was more red than gray at this point.
“So, it’s settled. I will be the one paying for our date, and before you try to protest any further…” Twilight spread her wings and smirked. “Princess’s orders.”
Derpy’s muzzle scrunched up. “I guess I can’t really argue with that, huh?”
“No, you can’t, so let your princess treat you,” Twilight happily ordered.
Derpy sighed in mock exasperation, even though a small smirk snuck onto her face. “Fine, I guess that you win.” Her smile reverted to a grateful one. “But really, thank you for this, Twilight. I never imagined that I would get this chance.”
“Well, I’m glad that you did decide to take a chance, and I hope that I can live up to your expectations.”
“You already have and then some.”
Twilight sighed in amusement. “I guess that I’m going to have to get used to these kinds of comments, huh?”
Derpy smirked. “Probably.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Anyway, I’ll need to check my schedule for when I’m free next. How are things on your end?”
“Well, it’s been really busy at the post office since the Friendship Festival ended. I don’t know when things are going to clear up though, but I’m sure that I can work around whenever you’re available.”
Twilight frowned. “Derpy, you don’t have to bend over backwards for me. This is supposed to be an enjoyable experience for you, and that’s not going to happen if you’re exhausted from work. It’s not like I’m going to change my mind if we wait until you’re not so busy.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to be a burden.”
“And I don’t want to be one either.”
Derpy sighed, but she nodded in deferment. “Alright. I’ll let you know as soon as I find out when I’ll be free. So, I, uh, guess that means we’ll keep in touch with each other?”
“Of course, Derpy. Feel free to drop by the castle anytime.”
“And, um, feel free to come here whenever you feel like it.”
“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind. Anyway, I have to head back to the castle now,” Twilight informed as she slid off the couch. “Thank you for having me.”
“And thank you for coming, Twilight,” Derpy said, following her future date to the door. “You’ve made this the best day of my life.”
“Well, let’s see if that changes when we actually go out on a date,” Twilight teased with a grin, making the pegasus blush. “Goodbye, Derpy.”
Derpy smiled and waved as Twilight exited her home. As soon as Derpy closed the door behind the alicorn, she began trembling with joy, until a loud squeal escaped her. She then commenced hopping up and down, giddily chanting “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
This had been so worth interrupting muffin time.
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Well, here's a ship I never expected... Still, great work!
8598170 I've seen the Twilight-Derpy ship in a couple of Taelea's (now NIghtsong Writes) stories, so I think it's kinda cool.
A new DerpLight fic! Featuring all of the adorbs!
This story actually had me weeping tears of joy because Derpy was finally recognized by someone else for something other than being at clutchy accident-prone pegasus with misaligned eyes. For once they weren't making fun of her for her flaws, and calling her all kinds of awful names.
8598275
I support this ship surprisingly, this and Sci-Twi + Sunset Shimmer, ONLY THEY ARE THE TRUE TWILIGHT SHIPS!
this was a sweet little story, very touching and adorable - I'd love to see a follow-up at some point
This was such a sweet, warm and fun story to read! I think Derpy is just adorable and shipping her and Twilight just fits so well. I really enjoyed how you had them talk about how nervous they each were and why they liked each other. I hope you write a sequel soon!
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If you liked this ship, I greatly recommend reading Address Unknown by remedy if you haven't already. It was written back during Season 2, but it still is the best story for this ship on this site.
8598404
Thanks, I'll check it out and read it when I get the chance.
That was adorable.
8598404 Thanks for the tip; I'll read it in a day or two.
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8598297
Silly that's not how you spell TwiDash
This is just so cute and lovely. Glad i read this.
I also like how you ensure that it wasn't actually Rainbow that saved Twilight although the movie shows otherwise.
Finally! Someone writes a Derpy story following the aftermath of the Storm King invasion! This was very cute & worth the read. I was quite surprised that Derpy asked for a date from Twilight, instead of becoming the Princess of Muffins, but then again that would be unoriginal. Excellent job
8598289
Just because her life is a bit more challenging, doesn't mean that she can't do great stuff as well.
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8598360
If I do get the time to write more for this, it will be another chapter to this fic, and it will likely be about the date.
8598564
When the crystallizing ball was heading for Twilight, you can actually see Derpy running towards her from the side.
8598583 Exactly my point. As a someone who is disabled, and has to deal with such challenges in real life, I understand what Derps has to endure, and how it makes her feel sad at times. Though she is certainly a better pony than I for being able to manetain such a positive attitude about it, and cheeful outlook on life, even in the face of such adversity.
What an awesome story, I sure do live seeing unusual ships like this, it's refreshing after reading the same thing over and over again. And now that you've suggested you might, I don't know if I could ever forgive you for not writing a follow up chapter, this idea is just too good to leave alone!
I noticed a couple of errors here and there, but nothing too bad, and nothing that I want to go back and look for due to the size of the chapter, not that the size is bad, it would just be exhausting to go find aforementioned errors. Also...
Did you think you could slip an Avatar the Last Airbender reference past me? Cause I'll have you know that until it got near the end, this was the highlight of the story for me, and even compelled me to write this little thing...
And... There's that, anyway, I other stuff to go do, unfortunately I can't make this comment go on forever
Until next I you! Or you reply to this comment and I probably reply back... 
I haven't even read this yet and I already approve. What sorcery be dis?!!
*gets down to readin'*
I remember that part of the movie. When Derpy ran towards Twilight, and yelled her name...
I was wondering when someone else would post a comment or story about that.
8598739
That was Rainbow yelling, actually.
Yeah, fixed.
Now, where is Dinky during all of this??!!
No.
Well, Dinky can be very proud of her mother.
D'aw,
It's a nice story. My only criticism is that it feels a bit... unfocused, I guess? Like the narrative and dialogue could be more streamlined, if that makes sense. You also have some odd grammar errors here and there, though nothing big.
8599124
"Haymlich" would actually have been sufficient by most horse-pun standards.
Right right, I know, I'm picking nits and this really has nothing to do with the story, but I offer this as a discussion point-
As much as I want to credit Derpy for saving Twilight...I don't think she did. I think she was just spooked (like the rest of the population) and happened to be galloping towards Twilight - Dash saved Twilight, by pushing her out of the way of the blow before it hit, and Derpy happened to be struck. The Dash part definitely happened so I would credit the ultimate 'save' to her, but the question remains...was Derpy also trying to save Twi, or was it just a question of right place, right time?
Right, I know, hush, nothing to do with the story and interpretation is just that. I promise I'll read this later when I have some time - congrats on the top billing!
8598578
It had to be a date because shipping is the only thing I'm decent at.
8598624
Some errors had been fixed. Also, have a reply.
8598943
I know that Dinky is often seen with Derpy, but I don't think I could've worked her in without spending a lot more time and effort.
8599124
Yes.
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Some errors were fixed. As for the unfocused part, I tried to have Derpy and Twilight be nervous, so they end up dancing around the subject a bunch. Perhaps I overdid it a bit.
8599623
It could go either way. There's not enough evidence to give any concrete explanation about what Derpy was doing. It just gives writers the chance to fill in the blanks.
8600034
I want a sequel that follows their date
8600034
Crap... Now what do I do? Your reply answered none of my implied questions... Like, was that really an AtAB reference, or just a coincidence? And how bout the question of are you actually planning on writing a follow up chapter, or am I going to be forever disappointed waiting for one?
Ha, I didn't think it could be done, but I did it, I replied to a reply just saying to have a reply...
8600042
Given the popularity, I will be writing up the date scene. I just have to find the time first.
8600044
Sorry. I had a long night and derped on your reply. Yes, it was an Avatar reference, or more specifically, the meme. As for the sequel, yes, I do plan on making it, given the popularity this story has gotten. I just need to find time for it first.
8600091
Yay! I can wait!
8598909
oh my god that just turned one of the dumbest commercials ever, into one of the greatest things I've ever seen! 😂
Part 2 please!
8599124
Yes!
This was a pretty nice story and I enjoyed it, another shipping story I guess I mean don't ask me to define genres
But I would like to see the actual date of course and it would be more of a romantic thing than this
But I would like to point out a few things that were just you (the author) writing them up and doing the things to bring your story to others:
The dialogue seemed rather stilted, as if they were said as a part of narration, and it didn't seem like it would fully come out of a characters mouth. The use of stuttering was just a bit overused and felt a tad unrealistic - like, instead of that, use something like swapping between half started words.
In any case don't let this get you in any negative way I don't want to be rude but I like it anyway yeah hoping for a next chapter
Nice. Read the comments to see if you said you'd be doing the date. I hope you have the time soon. WE NEED TO SEE THE DATE!
I SHIP IT!! Also part 2 please.. please!
This is adorable and I love it.
EEEEEEE! Yesyesyesyes! Have all my Yes! *advances slowly, eye twitching and with a manic shipper grin* I need moar!!!
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Part 2 is in the planning stages now.
8600456
The date chapter will be coming eventually. Thanks for the feedback; I'll try and remember them the next time I deal with nervous ponies.
8600034
Right, I know. As I say, there's always room for interpretation. I brought up the Derpy bit in the movie in one of my own fics too recently, just I took it down the other route
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You should've just stuck with Heimlich Maneuver. Not everything needs to be pony-pun.
Especially when it's a bad pony-pun.
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👍🏻
This is a very sweet story! Excellent job!
"But everything chnaged when the Fire Nation attacked."
Ooooh, I see what you did there. ;)
8600717
I love this! It's so cute!
There's not enough of this Ship, and I really love it. Thank you for making such an adorable story! Can we have a continuation?
Very well written, and I love this ship please continue it.