We're Gonna Get There Soon

by Cranberry Muffin

Soap Bubbles

“Watch out for the kelpie! It’s coming to get you.”

“It can’t get me. I’m the bestest swimmer!”

“That doesn’t matter and you know it.”

“I don’t care! I’m not scared of kelpies and it isn’t gonna catch me. I’m too smart.”

“Oh, but that kelpie is tricksy, it is…It’s gonna come up, looking all nice and friendly like anypony and offer you a ride…It’ll look so fun and be so tempting and the water is too deep for you to get across yourself…And besides, everypony knows little foals have a hard time resisting a kelpie ride…and then…”

SPLASH!!

Thunderlane watched from the doorway of the bathroom as Rumble burst from a mass of soap bubbles, sending water everywhere, sopping mane hanging in his face. He was laughing outright and gasping for air, attempting to scrabble backwards, away from Derpy’s tickling hooves, and push his hair out of his eyes at the same time, which only resulted in his sinking back into the tub until only his fuzzy ears were visible amongst the bubbles.

“Now where did Rumble go?” Derpy plopped down on a towel folded on the floor, tapping a hoof against her chin. She glanced around, putting on her best confused face and pretending she had no idea where the colt had got to, “Guess the kelpie got him after all…”

A giggle came from somewhere in the bubbles.

“Oh well…Guess I can move out of the attic now and into that nice big bedroom down the hall.”

She said it with such solemnity that Thunderlane couldn’t help but laugh outright.

Unaware of his presence, Derpy jumped a little, twisting to look at him out of the corner of one eye. When his gaze met hers, she grinned, her expression making her look impish rather than cheeky, and all too utterly adorable.

“AH HA!”

It was at that moment –when Thunderlane had been about to cross the room to steal a kiss- that Rumble burst back out of the bath, sending a wave of cucumber-mint scented water splashing over the side of the tub and soaking Derpy. As the water hit her, she squeaked in surprise, fumbling back in an attempt to avoid getting drenched, only to trip over the waiting towel and go crashing to the floor. A few random bubbles went swirling through the air, their delicacy causing them to pop as soon as they touched down on the wall, the mirror, the tip of Derpy’s nose.

Rumble leaned over the edge of the tub, surveying the damage left in his tidal wave’s wake. There amidst the puddles and soap suds was Derpy, sprawled, limp mane covering her face. One of her hind legs was tangled in a now damp purple towel and her wet feathers looked kind of odd and clumpy, their down stuck together in weird ways.

A grin crept its way across Rumble’s face and he giggled, stretching to flick playfully at one of Derpy’s ears. “Guess the kelpie got you too!” He teased, his voice high and squeaky with laughter.

“Come out of there.” She tried to sound stern, and failed, her own voice dissolving into giggles as she rose, shaking herself off in a futile attempt at drying her coat. Rumble simply offered her his forelegs and Derpy hauled him from the tub, settling him on the already wet towel on the floor where he sat, shivering slightly as he waited to be dried and preened.

“Hey!” A towel suddenly landed on Derpy’s head, tossed there by Thunderlane. She tugged it off, giving him the same mock glare she had gifted Rumble with, then set about vigorously drying the colt, giving him a rubdown that left him tingling, his usually unruly mane standing more on end than it already did on its own.

Satisfied that he was dry, she started in on grooming him. Derpy was surprisingly fussy about her own appearance, though she always looked casually rumpled. On the occasion she helped Rumble with bath time, she was no less meticulous, and he knew what to expect from other such times – And he knew it was best not to protest; to remain still and let her do her thing.

She ran a comb through his mane and tail, gently yet efficiently removing the tangles and taming the unruly midnight blue tresses. Then she began in on his coat, slicking the fine hair down so it all went in the same direction, leaving Rumble looking sleek and shiny. She gave his hooves a quick check, deemed them acceptable and skipped picking them. His wings came last; she carefully rearranged and straightened his tiny feathers, pulling a stray one, smoothing the rest.

When she was finished, he smiled, fairly glowing in the light of the morning sun that shone through the bathroom window.

“There.” She sat back, admiring her work, a happy smile on her own face, “You look presentable. Try not to get too dirty on the way to school.”

“I will!” He chirped, scurrying out of the bathroom, the mess he made already forgotten.

Thunderlane shook his head as Rumble scampered past, wincing a little at the sound of tiny hooves thundering down the stairs. “You don’t have to do stuff like this, you know.” He said as he trotted into the room, tugging the damp towel out from under Derpy’s left hind leg and using it to mop up the puddles on the floor.

“I know.” She reached into the tub, pulling the plug and watching the bubbly water swirl down the drain, “But I like to.”

Thunderlane was silent for a moment, busy working on the wet floor. Then he glanced around the room, surveying the mess. There was a splatter of shampoo on the outside of the tub that needed to be wiped clean, a sure sign of his little brother attempting to assert his independence and wash himself. The inside of the sink was crusted with toothpaste; Rumble was a rather enthusiastic brusher, but he often forgot to rinse properly. And then there were the puddles everywhere…

“…Why?” Thunderlane couldn’t help asking the question; there was nothing enjoyable about helping Rumble with his morning grooming. And it was even worse in the evening, when he was filthy from a day of play and adventure.

Derpy efficiently wiped the surface of the tub clean, inside and out, then turned to look fully at Thunderlane. She looked serious for a moment, then smiled, tapping a hoof lightly against her cutie mark. “I’m good at it.” She answered plainly, not even bothering any further elaboration on that revelation, “And besides, every foal should know they have lots of adults who care about them. I guess…doing stuff like that is a good way to show Rumble that I do care.” She shrugged one shoulder, reaching for another towel to dry herself.

The stallion was quiet again, just watching as she finished with her own coat, then rinsed the sink and carefully hung all the used towels to dry. She was surprisingly graceful as she fussed around the bathroom, something he’d never took notice of before. Or perhaps she had just never been that confident in her movements in his presence; he wasn’t sure.

After knowing her for nearly four years, there were still so many things about her that were a mystery, and Thunderlane was finding that he loved uncovering new things that made her who she was. He had always known she was slow to warm up; she was so uncertain and shy about her personal life and her past in Cloudsdale. Every time she shared some new part of herself with him, whether intentionally or otherwise, he found himself enjoying her more and curious to see what he would learn next.

Derpy started when Thunderlane suddenly appeared beside her, nuzzling one of her still damp ears. “Come here…You deserve a reward for taking care of Hurricane Rumble.” When she glanced up at him, about to protest –he knew what she’d say: ‘It was no big deal; she liked helping.’- he silenced her with a perfectly wonderful kiss.

She closed her eyes, leaning into him, her heartbeat quickening, wings fluttering to match its pace. Every time he kissed her, she felt lightheaded, as if nothing else in the world could touch her at that moment. It didn’t matter that they were standing in the bathroom or that the musty smell of sleep still clung to him or that her feathers were awkwardly out of place from her toweling off.

He pulled back, resting their foreheads together. “I really came looking for you so we could go get some breakfast together.”

Her eyes fluttered open, lit with a soft, happy glow, and she smiled. “I’d like that.”

-

The heart of Ponyville was bustling with busy ponies at or on their way to work, which was a strange sight for the two pegasi, who were more used to seeing the view from above as they performed their daily duties.

They had elected to land and stroll through the village square rather than continue flying once they hit the marketplace, taking in the brilliant whirl of colors and sounds that made up their world. Merchant ponies were busy hocking their wares, some still putting the finishing touches on the day’s display. Shoppers browsed the stalls, inspecting produce for freshness and haggling with the salesponies over prices they found unreasonable. A few foals –too young for school- scampered by, giggling and playfully chasing after one another, an already weary looking mare cantering dutifully behind them.

It was nice, Derpy thought, to see the world on eye level. She was used to observing this kind of activity from above as she was shoving around clouds, only catching glimpses of what ordinary life was like down on earth. All of her life, the normalcy of these ponies had been too far away, too much out of her grasp. She had never really known how to connect with other ponies; they just didn’t seem to understand her simplistic and sometimes roundabout way of thinking.

But there, walking with Thunderlane and just enjoying the morning, she felt normal, like she actually fit in for once and nopony was staring or whispering or making fun of her. He treated her like she was no different from any other pony; like she wasn’t a walking disaster who wasn’t worth his time. And when he did treat her in a different way from everypony else…Well, Derpy know it wasn’t bad, because it was when he was too busy fussing over her to care what anypony else thought, because he loved her.

At that thought, she lifted her head to the warmth of the sun, reveling in the warmth it provided and the sudden warmth of her heart. Her step became bouncy and light; she felt like she was walking on air – And maybe she was; there was always that distinct possibility that she was a few inches off the ground without even noticing.

As they headed further into town, a few ponies greeted the couple – Or, more accurately, they greeted Thunderlane, just barely acknowledging Derpy enough to be considered polite. The first time it happened, she didn’t even know the stallion to begin with. The second time, when a pegasus she vaguely knew from the Weather Factory in Cloudsdale pretty much ignored her, she pressed close to Thunderlane’s side, her usual insecurities returning with a vengeance and bringing her down from the high she’d previously been on.

The third time, she wasn’t even sure the unicorn Thunderlane was currently chatting with had even noticed her. As she looked up at her special somepony –so happily discussing the practicality of trying to harness lightning as a source of energy with the brown unicorn who had approached them- she felt invisible, a feeling she wasn’t unused to by any stretch of the imagination.

“Omigosh, Derpy!”

It came as a shock, then, when a voice rang out through the morning, calling her name. She lifted her head, searching for the source of the voice, and forcing herself to look completely in one direction, only for her gaze to land on the familiar form of a very pale grey mare, her blunt-cut pink and green bangs bouncing on her forehead as she trotted over.

Blossomforth stopped a few scant inches away from her, clear blue eyes scanning up and down Derpy’s body as if searching for something. “I heard about your accident the other day! It sounded scary!” She stepped back a bit, her critical gaze making one last sweep before settling back on Derpy’s face, “Are you okay?”

For a moment, all Derpy could do was stare at her stupidly, so shocked at the seemingly legitimate expression of concern that both her eyes were focused squarely on Blossomforth’s face. Her mouth moved of its own accord, though no sound came out; when was the last time she had even spoken to Blossomforth? It wasn’t that the other mare wasn’t nice, it was just that she usually ignored Derpy, especially when Flitter and Cloudchaser were around. “I…” Suddenly Derpy found her voice, though she looked away, unable to stand that searching gaze any longer, “I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Are you sure?”

Her head jerked up when Blossomforth’s hoof lightly touched her shoulder and she wheeled about to once again look at the other pegasus, who wasn’t usually so forward. Derpy had spent plenty of time in Blossomforth’s presence over the years –she was one of Thunderlane’s oldest friends, after all- and never before had the other mare spoke so directly to her or seemed overly concerned with her well-being. “You don’t have to pretend to care, you know.”

Blossomforth took a step back, letting her hoof fall slowly back to the ground. Her blue eyes were impossibly wide, her mouth hanging open in shock. “But I…I’m not…” She stammered, fumbling a little before her expression fell, crumpling into something akin to embarrassed sadness, “I really do care…”

Her tone was enough to give Derpy pause and she frowned, cocking her head as she looked at the forlorn pegasus standing in front of her. “You got a funny way of showing it.” And it was true; Blossomforth had laughed at her right along with the twins, or ignored her when she tried to join a conversation. Derpy may not have been the best at interpersonal relationships, but she knew that was not the way to treat ponies you cared about.

“I’m sorry.” This time Blossomforth’s voice came out as a little squeak, her head sinking lower to the ground, “It’s just…it’s really hard being friends with Flitter and Cloudchaser. They expect a pony to act a certain way and…” When she looked up again, her eyes were dark with shame, “And I guess I cared more about being popular than being nice. And they said…” She shook her head, “No, I’m not going to say what they said. But I really was worried when I heard about your crash, I swear! And I can’t believe they laughed at you. What an awful thing to do!”

Derpy stared at her, worrying her lower lip uncertainly between her teeth. It wasn’t often that anypony offered her a heartfelt apology for anything. Blossomforth seemed sincere and, though it wasn’t in her nature to be overly trusting, Derpy smiled a little, willing to take a chance. “I don’t care what they think,” She replied solemnly, and she found that –for once- she actually meant the words. She had spoken them many times before, but it had been difficult to believe them for the way her heart was always hurting. But then, in that moment, she felt the same inexplicable lightness from the previous evening wash over her, as if something heavy had been lifted from her heart. “And you shouldn’t either.”

Blossomforth smiled in reply, as if somehow understanding the silent forgiveness and acceptance that Derpy only just then realized she’d been offering.

“Yeah, you’re-“

“There you are!” Whatever Blossomforth had been about to say was cut off by a harried-looking pale yellow pegasus stallion who had appeared seemingly out of nowhere. “I stopped to get some carrots for lunch and when I turned around, you were gone! Blossomforth, we are going to be late and you know how Rainbow Dash is!” He panted, already priming his wings for takeoff, “Let’s go.”

“Oh hay!” Blossomforth pranced in place for a moment, trying to get her bearings and acknowledge both of them at once. “I gotta go!” She grinned apologetically at Derpy, tightening her saddlebag’s strap and flexing her wings, “Duty calls. See you later!”

Derpy watched as they flew off, the stallion grumbling something about getting yelled at while simultaneously urging Blossomforth to fly faster. Then she turned, trotting the few steps that put her right back at Thunderlane’s side. He was still talking to the unicorn, but she found that she suddenly didn’t mind waiting the conversation out.

It gave her plenty of time to sort out what had just happened.

Comments

[Sanity]

I haven't even read this yet.
I've just been reading the comments, and I LOVE this story.

[Cranberry Muffin]

1592721

Why thank you. I hope you still like it as much after you read it!

[armoredbrony]

where do I put all this diabeetus?

[Cranberry Muffin]

1593163

*readies the insulin* Hope you like needles; it's a big one

But seriously...More diabeetus to come!

[RadBunny]

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY
*pant* *pant*

Love it! the first bit was amazing! quite a sweet touch......beware the kelpies......

[L4]

cannot wait for more :D

[Cranberry Muffin]

1599971

Rumble is by far the coolest foal ever. Other colts just wish they were as awesome as him.

[JAG]

^ He's probably the coolest colt, yeah. But he has a long way to go before he surpasses the CMCs on the Coolness scale.

So, Derpy seems to have picked up another friend. Good for her. She's on her way to becoming as popular (as popular!) as a misunderstood outcast can be.