Chapter 11: Out of Roseluck
Roseluck, Doctor Hooves's platonic work-companion and excellent all-around-assistant fumed under her breath.
"We've got literally thousands of pegasi in Equestria and somehow that... differently-abled pegasus is going up? Everypony's bucking mad."
"What's that?" A useless government-lackey stallion good only for errand-running asked her.
"Nothing. Nothing at all. Go make me some coffee."
"You got it!" He beamed.
She watched his rump retreat, bouncing up and down, and bit her lower lip.
"I'm a bucking loser," she rubbed her forehead and looked down at the calculations, blurry both because of her tired vision and her tired wavy mouthwriting. "But maybe she won't come home."
Roseluck reflected on what led to this juncture.
"Attention to the Office of the Princess:
"It may please you to know that several of your little ponies have been industrious and inventive in a way that merits bringing the fruits of their labor to your attention. While I realize these inventions have likely not gone completely unnoticed--for it would be strange for you not to notice contrails of flying contraptions--we call them 'rockets' being launched, interfering with weather control and general pegasi safety--what may have gone unremarked is what these inventions mean for Equestria.
"A wonderful inventor named Doctor Time Turner Hooves has been testing a new invention the like of which has never been seen. He has been assistedby a number of members of the community, all for the glory of science and knowledge.
"His endeavor is quite selfless, but with the government's resources, it can fly higher.
"He plans to send a pony all the way to Marred. This wonderful achievement, if it could be popularized under the auspices of Equestria's new ruling Princess would cause everycreature to greatly celebrate her rule. It was sad that in the aftermath of all creatures coming together to defeat the Stoned Trio that some creatures looked down on Equestria for requiring their help. Equestria looked weak. And other creatures resented Equestria for being the locus of world-threatening problems. This is no secret."
Roseluck included clippings from reputable newspapers that her conspiracy-minded sisters had collected and catalogued. For once, their paranoia had been useful. They could keep their rantings about a deep state controlled by lizard ponies, and deep deer manifesting topside in the light of every third new moon, but the papers' rumblings of mustachio-twirling yak supremacists and rancid rogue dragons menacing Equestria's outskirts were very real problems.
"With a rocket to Marred, Equestria will look strong. Other creatures have magic, even without friendship. Equestria needs to demonstrate it is strong even without external aid... not because we dislike others but because we do not want to over-burden our friends. Although other creatures have magic: they do not have this technology. Only Equestria has it. And with it, any pony will be able to reach anything in space.
"Stars. There are thousands of stars. Around each star rotates planets. And on those planets reside other creatures that could be friends. With the government's backing, we can quickly reach those new friends."
Roseluck included details about the program's technology, rockets, and more. She mentioned herself, a paid assistant, and because it was expected, she included vague references to testing pegasi. There actually had been a second pegasus once, an orange youth by the name of Scootaloo, who hadn't gotten very far with an early test of a sort of "space elevator". The Doctor had Derpy take a long string pole to a cloud and held it there while Scootaloo tried to ascend. Despite Derpy's best efforts to keep the pole firmly attached to the cloud, it kept bending and Scootaloo nearly plummeted to her death, saved only by Derpy's quick dive. So, Doctor Hooves scrapped that idea.
After the Government took over, Derpy was Rejected for Project Marred Mare. Roseluck got what she wanted, and then some.
A few days later, Roseluck was alone with Doctor Hooves. She'd set up sweet-smelling candles and sweeter-smelling candies, sugar cubes, and candied hay. He'd come back to the office after dinner, like always. And Roseluck had finagled it so that other after-hours ponies were far away.
"Roseluck, this is so nice!" He smiled--a guileless grin.
She put a hoof against his haunches. "It tastes even better than it smells."
"I wish I hadn't had such a large main course." He rubbed his belly.
"Maybe we can exercise a bit of it off?" She nuzzled his side with her snout.
"I fear if we did, that I may regrettably empty the contents of my stomach."
"I could help you empty something else." She continued to nuzzle him, and she gave him a couple of quick little bites. At that, he spooked.
"Pardon? What? What?" His head jerked from side to side and he reared.
"Calm down. Calm down, Dear," She raised her hooves in supplication.
"Oh. Oh. Oh!" His eyes grew wide and he made the connection. He bit his lower lip, curling it over near-completely. "Oh, my. Oh, dear."
"Yes," she smiled. "It's been a while and we've been really busy, but it's time we take our relationship to the next stage. Center stage." She gestured to the table. "We're both desperately in need of relaxation and joy after putting in all these hours. And you have more time for recreation now that you're working for the Government. Their ponies can handle our menial tasks. We can delegate."
"Oh, dear," he said.
"Oh, Dear!" She smiled, misunderstanding.
"Oh, dear, oh, dear, oh dear."
She reached for him again, but he shied away.
"Roseluck. I am so sorry. I knew we had that one rather intense date night but afterwards, you left so quick and we resumed working in a completely professional manner."
"I rubbed your rump every day!"
"I thought that was a friendly massage."
"It was!"
"It appears one of us may have conceptualized it as a more-than-friendly massage."
Her eyes darted away from his. "True."
"I am sorry to say, Roseluck, that your interpretation of my interest in you has been misplaced. I, in fact, am besotted with another, who is, it turns out, is likewise besotted with me."
"Who?"
"You may know her--"
"Derpy."
"Yes! Indeed. You surmised it. Capital. That will save the need for a protracted discussion about the circumstances since you clearly noted the attraction."
"But why--"
"I was concerned when she was dismissed from the Program, so I brought her flowers and muffins and chocolate and we got to talking. And then her delightful daughter made a slightly rude suggestion and we stared at each other, mouths stuffed with pastries and we fulfilled the suggestion her daughter had posited--we kissed. And we talked some more and then it was decided."
"What was?"
"That we would be married."
"When? You arranged it so sudden!"
"So sudden but not soon enough, I think. We really were missing out!"
"You're already..." Her voice trailed off.
"Married! Of course. Last night."
"Without telling anyone."
"It was a spur-of-the-moment event. Mayor Mare performed the rites and Dinky witnessed it, along with Minuette."
"You invited Minuette, but not me?"
"It was spur-of-the-moment. You were hard at work with Mrs. Harshwhinny, arranging personnel governance. I asked her if you could take time off. She said: 'absolutely not'."
Roseluck lowered her head. "Fine."
"We would have been honored to have you. You were there the day I realized Derpy also lived in Ponyville! But alas, it was not to be. Apologies but you must excuse me, I was just returning to grab a few notes to puzzle out at home."
"Not in the office?"
"No, no. I have certain... obligations...."
Roseluck at least managed to get the Program to ban ponies from taking notes home. Of course, that meant she had to spend even more time at the office, but it was worth it to keep Doctor Hooves close. Even though she probably shouldn't have bothered since he didn't spare her a lusty smile or a touch. She fumed for days. And he barely noticed.
She sought revenge, by way of indigestion, with a probably safe amount of arsenic. But, he somehow didn't eat an adulterated sandwich. It was burned up on the test bay floor. She tried again, and he ate it! But that horrible Derpy Hooves visited him at Mission Control on her way to lecture ponynaut candidates... and kissed him and fell on him and he vomited it all out.
She herself felt like vomiting, but she tried one further time... and the wrong pony ingested the sandwich and then there was an inquiry and Equestria thought foreign creatures were trying to undermine the space program and they started getting really aggressive about questioning.
Roseluck had given up then, until...
Derpy was still sporting her pregnant belly and she was testing rocketry equipment.
"Why not one of the Wonderbolts? Sure, Spitfire had certain problems, but none of the professionals? The best Equestria has is Derpy Hooves?" Roseluck sputtered at Mrs. Harshwhinny, who nodded.
"How? Surely there's a better option?"
"You need not be concerned about any risk to her fetus," Harshwhinny put a hoof on Roseluck's shoulder and gently--but oh so awkwardly--tapped it. "It has been removed."
"She got a bucking abortion to go save that buck-up?"
Harshwhinny shook her head, then leaned over and whispered into Roseluck's ear. "Accidental miscarriage."
"Oh," Roseluck's ears stood at attention, and she brightened and she almost chuckled, but she placed a hoof over her mouth and swallowed the laugh. "Oh." Her face contorted as she tried oh-so-hard to not triumphantly laugh.
"If you need to excuse yourself, I understand. I considered bringing in a psychiatrist to console Doctor Hooves, but he is taking the situation surprisingly well. Throwing himself into work--always a good sign. Idleness is the Hoofmaiden of King Sombra, one knows. But you were close to both. Perhaps you could use mental health support?"
"No. No need," Roseluck shook her head violently. "But--" she jerked her head toward the door. Harshwhinny nodded.
Soon thereafter, Roseluck was cantering toward the toilets. Once ensconced and having locked the door behind her and ensured that no ponies were in the immediate vicinity, she started cackling. And a plan started forming.
Roseluck had fixated on the Doctor and he'd fixated on work. She'd thought he preferred stallions. But then a hotflank showed up and he had no interest in him at all. So, she'd started showing off and touching him. Months later, she worked up courage to ask him on a date.
They transitioned from work in his home office straight to dinner, which they prepared together with food he bought on her request, garnished by sweet smelling flowers from the shop she shared with her sisters.
"Nice trim," he commented.
She blushed.
"Trimmings..." he corrected.
"Already thinking about later?"
"Yes! I need to trim the flanges on my time machine, but I conflated that brilliant conceptualization with trimmings on your wonderful plate. This raises an idea--"
"Why don't we set aside work for now?" She placed a hoof on his foreleg, smiled and directed him toward dinner. Throughout, she leaned forward and nuzzled him from time to time. But he was distant, lost in thought.
"You've really given me a good idea!" he nodded.
"I love your enthusiasm," she said. "And I love the way your mouth moves."
"My mastication?" He stopped chewing on a celery-piece.
"It's so stallionly," she sighed. "All the stallions in Whinnyapolis were smelly farmers, pimply and greasy, dumb, or too old. You're just right."
"Why did you come to Ponyville?" he asked.
She frowned. "I mentioned this before."
"Sorry. Yes, yes, I recall."
She sighed, "No problem. Just to make sure you're not guessing: Mom set my sisters and me up with the flower shop. She thought it could make a lot of money. But she couldn't afford Canterlot. We were supposed to start here, in the rump-end boonies of Canterlot's exurbs, and parley our business into something bigger."
"Ah, yes."
"But I'm going to bow out before that happens. I'd like to bow out with a successful, clever pony. Like Mom."
"She sounds like a good businessmare."
"She grows all sorts of flowers and edibles. She's always inventing new lines. Always has a plan in her head. Like you."
"Sorry that sometimes those are the only items in my head."
"It's all right." She touched his shoulder. "Have you thought about settling down?" She walked around the table and sat beside him. Then she started stroking his underbelly, working toward his private flap.
He gulped. "On a first date?"
"Dear. We've been dating ever since you invited me here to help with your experiments. And don't tell me we haven't been flirting on-and-off."
"We may have, I suppose. I was impressed by your interest in science."
"And... you liked me too."
"I..."
She grabbed hold of what fell out of his flap. "Are you getting full?"
"My plate's about half finished."
With her non-squeezing forehoof, she picked up some food and fed it to him.
A knock came at the door. "Special Delivery!"
Roseluck fed another helping to Doctor Hooves.
"Special Delivery! Ma'am or Sir, I see your candles are lit!" The lilting voice traveled to the window, which was partially open. "I'm sorry this delivery is so late, but it was a rush and we were backed up--understaffed." Roseluck moved away from Doctor Hooves.
"There you are! Ma'am and Sir! I have a package that needs your signature."
"Oh!" Doctor Hooves rose and went to the door. "I was expecting some gears from the minotaurs. They fashion great tools!"
Roseluck sulked and watched him easily tuck himself back in, which was a bit of a disappointment since she'd hoped to have excited him more.
When he opened the door, a large crate appeared, carted by a huffing blonde-maned pegasus, who sat it beside the door and pulled out a stylus. "Please sign here, Mr. Hooves," she said. And her eyes went wide. "Time Turner?" she asked.
"I prefer Doctor Hooves these days," he said. "I'm proud of my doctorate but also of my time in the orphanage. But that is no matter. No large matter at all. Indeed!" he clarified, spreading his forelegs and embracing Derpy. "It has been so long. I did not know if I would ever see you again!"
Roseluck tapped her hoof on the side of the table.
Doctor Hooves continued enthusiastically greeting Derpy. After a while, Roseluck got up and cleared her throat.
"Of course. Where are my manners? Derpy--here is my assistant, Roseluck! And Roseluck, this is Derpy Hooves!" he beamed. "We grew up in the orphanage together! She's lovely!"
"Is she?"
"I hope you two can become great friends. We'll need to have a threesome tomorrow."
Roseluck's face contorted.
"Derpy--do you still like muffins?"
She nodded exuberantly.
"Then it's settled, we'll have muffins together downtown."
Roseluck shook her head, realizing the Doctor had, again, committed a malapropism. Although the word he used wasn't particularly wrong, it was still an unintentional double-entendre.
"I'm sorry," Derpy gestured to her mailbag. "I have a lot of deliveries. I need to move on."
She hugged the Doctor again and they shared their goodbyes.
"It was nice meeting you too," she nodded at Roseluck.
Roseluck glared at Doctor Hooves, who moved with a jump in his step. "I'm so glad we found each other! We were best friends."
Roseluck looked between his legs as he hummed and busied himself in the kitchen, pulling out ingredients to prepare coffee. Her face grew beet red as she saw his body had responded vigorously to meeting his old friend.
"I need to go," she'd said. And left immediately.
After Derpy got married to Doctor Hooves, she got pregnant. Immediately. She was not only hoarding Roseluck's stallion but also the next generation....
Roseluck glared as Derpy had the equipment fitted. She'd go up on the morrow.
If Roseluck could reach the equipment and make a few tweaks, then she could guarantee Derpy wouldn't return. A plan formulated.
But then she thought of a simpler plan. It wasn't certain she could safely reach the equipment--the Government was on high alert for sabotage. But, her sisters could use their connections with conspiracy newspapers--contacting the newspapers' more-reputable reporters and she would use that back-channel to inform the Princess of rumors that could cause trouble for Derpy. The reporters had helped her before, with her anonymous letter about how the program could benefit from government insight.
Tattletaleing would be more reliable than sabotauge and it'd confuse issues and sully Derpy's name. If something went wrong in space, Derpy'd still be the pony who saved Lightning Dust, but she'd also be known as the pony who selfishly sabotaged the program to ensure she had a chance to go up. Then, Doctor Hooves wouldn't mourn her. Then he'd be able to make the right choice.
Roseluck would make her own luck.
The pony with wrapped sweets as her cutie mark gave her report to Princess Twilight.
"You no longer conclude diamond dog separatists conducted the sabotage?"
"No, Princess."
"And you think a pony on the inside did it? The poison sandwich? The diamond dog incident? The piranhas?"
"Yes, Princess."
"This profile suggests the pony could be 'somepony with a penchant for disaster. A nihilist. A weirdo. Someone driven to take drastic actions for personal gain?"
"Yes, Princess."
"And you want to question our selfless pilot who's going up tomorrow to save Lightning Dust?"
"Yes, Princess."
"She needs to sleep in."
"We may need to arrest her."
"Don't."
"Then we won't. But we need to question her so we can take appropriate actions when she returns. A pony almost died."
"And another will die if she doesn't go."
"It's always hard decisions."
Twilight Sparkle, twitching nervously, couldn't help herself and visited Derpy hours later, after the questioning was complete.
Derpy was at her dining room table, crying.
It was midnight.
Twilight Sparkle let herself in and said, "It's me, Derpy,"
Derpy looked up. Then she stood up. "Princess--"
"At ease, friend," Twilight motioned for her to sit.
"You're going to say I can't go?"
"Did you sabotage--"
"No!" she shouted. Then, she whispered, "no."
"I didn't think so. But we had to ask.... Where's Doctor Hooves?"
"He's at the office, triple-checking equipment."
"Why do you want to do this, Derpy?"
"Because nopony else can."
"That's a good reason," Twilight Sparkle nodded. "But you have your daughter. If something happens..."
"I was on my own younger than her. And she has someone to take care of her. I trust him.... the project's going to be canceled if somepony dies."
"Maybe it will go slower..." Twilight Sparkle commented.
Derpy swallowed. "You want to be the First. To beat those griffons."
"And to find friends!"
"Doctor Hooves doesn't consider it likely that ponies live beneath Marred."
"Elsewhere in space, though!"
"Maybe!"
"Will he be able to keep working on it?"
"If something happens to you? It's a dangerous project. We need to protect ponies."
"So you will stop it."
Twilight didn't say anything.
"That will ruin him."
"He has a lot of plans--"
"And this one had a chance of success."
"He already had a big success. A non-alicorn made it to space!"
Derpy smiled a tight smile and remembered:
Doctor Hooves was fuming. "We will work on the temporal machine. The gamma wave generator. The philosopher's stone!"
"Please, don't quit just because of me," Derpy said. "They removed me from the Project for my own safety."
"You are completely safe! You survived countless rapid unexpected dissassemblies.... I should quit."
"Don't."
"I want to support you."
"I don't want to cause your hopes, your dreams, to disappear. Somepony else will take over and they'll take your laurels."
Doctor Hooves bit his lower lip. "But we should share our laurels."
"Goodness and kindness is good enough to share. If we help others, we'll help ourselves. I think," Derpy smiled.
"You're right, though," Derpy said. "I shouldn't do this. I don't want Dinky to be alone. But if I don't, who will?"
"...We may have to let space take its course--" Twilight Sparkle said.
"What about the other creatures with rockets--the griffons."
"We don't have a lot of positive interaction with them."
"You could make contact."
"They tried to kill you!" Twilight said, recalling the piranhas and sandwiches.
"But you could still make contact? Aren't we strong believers in the power of friendship?"
"You may be right," Twilight said.
"I feel like I've killed her, if I don't try," Derpy sighed.
They heard hooves clattering against the floor and a teenage unicorn soon appeared in the doorway.
"Mom. If you can save her, do it. If there's a chance you can make it back. Isn't there a chance?"
Twilight Sparkle nodded. "We have a relay system planned for resupply."
"You taught me to care for others. But if you don't feel fit, let it go, Mom. You can only do what you have capacity for."
Derpy sighed. "I think I was meant to do this."
"You don't have a spacefaring cutie-mark," Twilight Sparkle nervously laughed.
"Maybe I do?" Derpy looked back at her bubbles.
"Aren't they registered as meaning 'hope'?"
"They are."
"But you think they're something else?"
"I acquired them when I was descending from the edge of space. I could always breathe really well at high altitudes. It's why I'm able to go without the oxygen Device. It's why I can bring one for Lightning Dust and still reach her in time. This makes sense."
"Maybe you're just interpreting this way because of the stress..." Twilight Sparkle looked at Derpy's still somewhat-swollen belly.
Derpy stared at Twilight.
"I am sure you will do fine," Twilight said, and quickly left.
"I wish I wasn't the pony best suited to do this," Derpy hugged her daughter. "No pony's making me. But I think I should."
"Mom. No one's going to look down on you or make you feel small if you don't do this."
"No. But when they make me feel small about other things... I might not have enough hope to feel good about myself."
"Mom!"
"If my cutie mark isn't for hope... and I've lost hope a lot of times... then, we'll know. I've always felt so different."
"Mom. You've done so much for me. I don't care what your cutie mark might be for--you're my mother! And you're an amazing mailmare. And a ponynaut! You're great."
"Thank you, Dear. I suppose it doesn't really matter much. But if it really is for hope, then that's why I'm doing this. I hope I can make a difference."
Stats
Page generated in 0.017 seconds
Total duration
633 users online
752,314 hits today, 2,439,861 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
11889267
Those are excellent images!
Thank you for the fanart!
11889934
11889267
Thanks!
11889267
EDIT: Second concept cover based on https://mlp.fandom.com/wiki/Derpy/Gallery?file=Derpy_flying_through_the_hoop_S4E24.png
images2.imgbox.com/42/5c/CpkFfdPQ_o.png
And a meme version (Interstellar and The Martian were space rescues of characters portrayed by Matt Damon.)
images2.imgbox.com/54/d0/peerxaQ0_o.png
EDIT: additional concept cover fanart/meme with an edit to the above post, inspired by the cover of "The Martian", which had similar themes
images2.imgbox.com/7f/05/A4wT2KKg_o.png
Other concept fanart of potential covers, based on discussion several chapters ago when I was still speculating on the ending (same picture, with title and shifted pictures)
images2.imgbox.com/7e/f9/mmhJjsSC_o.png