A (W)Hooves Story

by Bizmarck_au

1

The party at the town hall was in full swing. Every pony was relaxed and having fun. Octavia and DJ Pon-3 were providing dance music with a few ponies already out onto the floor. Derpy had arrived late, having a lot of mail to deliver that day. Having wanted to dress up, but also in a rush to get to the party, the blond pony had neglected to tie together all of the straps on her light blue dress. Having flown from her house she had not noticed that they were loos until she landed and trotted into the town hall where the party was being held. After trotting only a few meters in, she tripped over the lose cords and unceremoniously tumbled and rolled forward, crashing into a drinks table and ending up with the punchbowl on her head.

“Derpy!” exclaimed a nearby pony in shock.

“Sorry,” said Derpy with a frown, her dress wet. A few nearby ponies gave the young mail filly a disapproving glance.

Pinkie Pie was over in a flash.

“You ok?” she asked, helping Derpy up.

“Yeah, I suppose… sorry about the mess,” Derpy replied apologetically, still gathering her bearings.

“No problem’o,” said Pinky Pie cheerfully. As quick as a flash, Pinkie Pie had collecting the Punchbowl and had restocking it. She cleared up the mess and put the table back in order with a new tablecloth.

“Wow,” said Derpy admiringly. “You are always so well organized.”

Pinkie Pie smiled. “I have gotten into the habit of having a “Derpy” reserve on hand!” She said in a chipper voice. “It means I’m always prepared for every eventuality!”

Just in earshot of the two, a nearby mare with a snooty disposition said disapprovingly “It is sad that everyone has to account for such ‘regular’ accidents.”

“How true,” agreed her equally inpatient stallion partner.

Poth Pinkie Pei and Derpy had heard this, with Derpy suddenly looking sad again.

“Oh, don’t listen to them,” said Pinkie Pie encouragingly, grabbing her hand. “Come and get something to eat! We have muffins!”

Derpy shook off her melancholy as she always had done, returning to her smiling state.

“OK,” she said, following the Pink pony. Derpy seemingly ignored the fact that her dress was now half covered in punch.

Looking around, Derpy noticed that Dr. Whooves was absent. But that was not uncommon for the Dr. who was often busy with experiments.

The evening progressed as most parties did for Derpy. She would spend a bit of time with her closer friends Carrot Top and Sparkler before they drifted off to do things with their other friends. Dinky being already in bed. She would awkwardly chat and dance with a few others she knew before doing or saying something clumsy which sooner or later resulted in nervous laughter and excuses to be somewhere else. She just shrugged and smiled as she usually did, doing things on her own until she was one of only few ponies left on the dancefloor.

As the party wound down and ponies left for the night Derpy suddenly announced that she was off home as well. She got a few nods, smiles and goodbyes, the usual. What was unusual, however, and something that no pony had noticed, was that Derpy had not been as quick as she usually was when shrugging off dismissals and unflattering comments sent her way. It had taken her longer to return to her chirpy self then usual each time. She was also quitter than normal; her energy had been lower.

Instead of flying home Derpy slowly walked through the lovely evening night. Alone now, her expression changed to that of a frown, looking down instead of up at the starry skies above. She passed a few ponies on their way home, a small group of friends, a few couples being romantic. These pleasant scenes did nothing to lift her mood. In fact, it was the opposite.

About an hour later it Was Dr. Whooves who was the one cantering through Ponyvill at night. With a smile on his face and a letter between his teeth he looked as cheerful as always. Arriving at Derpy’s home he was about to knock on the door when he caught a glimpse of pale blond hair in the moonlight in the garden nearby.

“Oh, there she is,” he said, trotting over. “Good thing I didn’t knock… I don’t want to wake up Dinky”.

Derpy was sitting on a bench under a tree next to a small lawn.

Approaching Derpy, Dr. Whooves did not notice her turn away from him as he enthusiastically started to talk.

“Hello Derpy. I need to send this letter off tomorrow, but I have to head off early to finish an experiment, so I thought… hey! I know a mail pony who could take care of this for me...”

Derpy did not reply straight away. He could see that she was wiping her face with her hooves.

“Sure thing Doc.,” she said in her quiet voice, only half turning towards him. The moonlight was bright enough that Dr. Whooves could quickly tell that she had been crying.

“Is everything alright?” he asked in concern, unused to seeing Derpy be anything other than cheerful.

“I’m OK,” she replied, turning away. “Don’t let me stop you from your experiments.”

Her tone was contradictory.

“Nuts to my experiments,” said the Dr. after a moment’s contemplation “you are much more important than some silly experiment.”

He sat down beside her on the bench.

“Now tell me what is troubling you.”

Derpy was a little surprised. Wiping her eyes again, she turned to face Dr. Whooves. Derpy’s eyes where focused straight, and it was only after they began to wonder that the Dr. noted that her eyes had been straight at all. It occurred to him then that he had pretty much forgotten that she could do that.

Derpy could see his eyes track hers as they drifted apart.

She started to cry again, hugging the Dr. in an exaggerated manner.

“There, there,” he said reassuringly, patting her on the back. “Surely it can’t be that bad.”

Derpy’s quiet crying turned into quiet sobs.

After a few moments to gather herself she whispered, “I am sick of being Derpy.”

Dr Whooves looked shocked for a moment, pulling her back he looked down at her.

“What in Equestria do you mean by that?”

“I am sick of being clumsy, always causing accidents, being strange… being alone.”

“You are not alone my dear,” said the Dr. reassuringly. “You have your friends, your family.”

“Who tolerate me,” she replied, a little anger creeping into her voice.

“That is not true…” said the Dr. as a reflex.

“It is,” she interrupted. “I make situations awkward; I am a burden to my friends.”

Dr. Whoves thought for a moment.

“I think most ponies who have gotten to know you would find your propensity to clumsiness to be… well, charming.”

“Well not me,” Derpy replied with conviction. She turned to the Dr.

“You got to help me Doc,” she said suddenly, grabbing his hooves in hers. “I don’t want to be like this.”

Dr. Whooves looked unsure.

“You have already been to the hospital many a time. There is nothing I can do against your Strabismus (*) that they haven’t already tried.” *(Lazy eye)

“I know there is nothing I can do about my eyes directly,” Derpy continued, looking up at the sky.

“But surely there is something else I can do that can help.”

Dr. Whooves once again noticed that Derpy held her focus for longer then he was used to. Placing his hoof to his chin in contemplation he thought for a moment.

“Hmmmm…”

Derpy took in and let out a long breath.

“Look Doc thanks for…” she started.

“If you really want to improve yourself that much,” the Dr. interrupted. “What friend am, I if I don’t try and help you.”

“Really?” exclaimed Derpy leaning back and clapping her hooves together hopefully.

“Sure,” said the Dr. kindly

He jumped off the bunk and back onto the lawn

“Come by tomorrow afternoon after work, we have some training to do!”

Derpy jumped off the bunk and gave the Dr. a hug.

“Thanks Doc,” she said.

They parted and the Dr. picked up his letter before making to go.

“Don’t you want me to mail that?” she asked as he made to leave.

“No,” he replied. “It will have to wait after all.”

Derpy smiled, things were about to get interesting.