17. Reconciliation
Chapter 17 – Reconciliation
Derpy tossed and turned in her cloud bed, hanging on the verge of sleep. Her body was trying to tell her that it was time to get up, but her mind simply didn’t want to comply. It insisted that bed was a much better way to spend a weekend morning, and begrudgingly her body agreed, relaxing from its fitful attempts to wake her up and allowing her to start drifting slowly back to sleep.
The reprieve was short lived, however, as a new sensation took hold of her, this time wrenching conscious thought into her mind. It was her body’s turn to protest, pulling a blanket over her head to enshroud her in a lulling warmth, but the sensation had captured her attention enough to bring her toward some semblance of wakefulness. She was smelling food being cooked.
For a moment she smiled, thinking about Spike downstairs readying breakfast and Twilight waiting for her with a happy grin and a good morning kiss. That moment was fleeting, as reality crept back through the clouded dreaminess that lay somewhere between slumber and alertness. She was not in the library, Twilight was not waiting for her downstairs, and Spike was not cooking her breakfast.
Her brain had become more aware now, and regardless of the fact that she was only semi-awake, she could still smell a breakfast being prepared. A slight odor of burnt batter hinted that the cook was not the most talented, but if they were willing to make her food, Derpy was not one to complain.
Then reality finally seized her, dragging her from her dreams and into the realm of those stirred from slumber. She was in her home, lying in her own cloud bed, and somebody was cooking her breakfast, though admittedly not very well. Derpy relished the thought that at least she was not the only pony in Ponyville who did not have much success in culinary skills.
Deep down, she hoped that somehow, someway, Twilight had made it to her home, using her cloudwalking spell and either her hot air balloon or a teleport spell to find her way to Derpy’s house, but that situation seemed unlikely. The answer was brought to her sharply as a clang floated over from the kitchen. Her mystery chef must have dropped something while working. Heh, nope, definitely not a master chef up here with me today… but who…?”
The second portion to her question was answered almost immediately as she heard the unmistakable voice of Rainbow Dash from the direction of the kitchen. Derpy giggled under her covers, hearing Dash quietly mutter ‘Ponyfeathers!’ at the offending piece of cookware. Of course, Rainbow Dash had spent the night at Derpy’s house, so it would only make sense that it was Rainbow Dash in her kitchen…
Except, that explanation made no sense either. It had been enough for Rainbow to cook dinner last night, if not out of pity for her, then at least for the sake of Twilight. But to spend the night, get up early – which would be a feat in itself for Rainbow Dash – and then cook her breakfast, too… If it weren’t for the strong smell of roasted vegetables, eggs, and an unknown burnt object, she’d have sworn she was still dreaming. As it was, she still couldn’t be sure; maybe this was just a really lucid dream and she was dreaming of food so much she could smell it.
Derpy decided there was only one way to find out for sure, and that would be by getting out of bed. She should be able to feel her way down the wall toward the kitchen if she was slow and careful. She disrupted her nest of blankets, and pulled the heavy covering from her head. She gave a small yelp as the fabric slid over her closed eyelids. Behind her closed eyes, the room lightened.
Her heart hammered in her chest at the realization of what that small shift in brightness could mean. Very slowly, she opened her eyes, only to slam them back shut in surprise. Intense light had penetrated her eyes, and, after so long in the dark, the unaccustomed mare actually winced in pain at the sunlight filtering through her window.
She turned her head away from the window, partially covering her head again with the blanket before she began opening her eyes for the second time. A small yet relieved gasp left her as she looked up, blinking around at her room. Their suspicions were correct; the initial failed trial of Twilight’s spell was limited in time. Derpy had regained her sight.
However, as she looked around the room, something didn’t seem quite right. Derpy could tell it was her room, yet she had never seen it in this way. She tried to find the right words to lend meaning to what she saw, but the only word she thought of was ‘indescribable’. Somehow, lines did not bend quite as much as they had before, and her blurriness did not seem to be as pronounced.
Looking up, her eyes scanned her own personal brand of wallpaper, and she discovered the source of her confusion. On each chart, not only was she able to see the top ‘E’ clearly, but the set of letters on each second row was more in focus – almost recognizable. Her vision had gotten clearer. It wasn’t a large change, but it was enough of one to be noticeable, and it took her several minutes to gain her bearings on the new way in which she viewed her surroundings.
She smiled widely; Twilight had messed up something with the spell, but she had gotten enough of it right to make a discernable difference in Derpy’s vision. Derpy slid out of her bed, being careful not to fall when her hooves found the floor; after all, she would need to get used to walking with her slight change in sight. She made her way out the door and down the hall slowly, occasionally using a wall or a door as a support when her balance swayed, as she made her way to the kitchen.
****************
Rainbow Dash trotted around the kitchen, looking high and low for anything she could find to help in making breakfast for the blinded mare. She had easily found eggs, fruits, and vegetables in the refrigerator, and those were fairly easy to cook. She decided to make waffles as well – if she was going to make breakfast, she wanted to at least make something substantial.
She usually didn’t do well when making several things to eat at once, but today was more different than normal. Her problem in cooking this morning stemmed from several sources. Her unfamiliarity with the kitchen was an obvious disadvantage. She scanned shelves and cupboards for pots, pans, bowls, mixing spoons, measuring cups, and the basic ingredients for making a batter. For the most part she had been successful in finding the rudimentary tools needed, but no matter where she looked, she could not find a waffle iron.
After several failed searches, she had given up on the idea of waffles, instead shifting the idea to pancakes. Pancakes required much less specialized equipment than waffles, and so her search began anew for a griddle of some kind to cook the pancakes on. Her search was still fruitless after browsing countless cupboards.
She gave up on a griddle and just grabbed a normal skillet.
It wasn’t the best tool for the job, but, eh, she supposed it could work. Maybe. She started roasting the vegetables and slicing up fruit.
Her second problem was much simpler than the first. Unlike virtually all her friends, she had absolutely no cooking skill whatsoever. She mused that her only competition for ‘worst cook in Ponyville’ would be Twilight, who never seemed to have cooked a meal in her life thanks to Spike, and, according to Rarity, Sweetie Belle. She had never seen Sweetie Belle cook, but after telling her about the poor filly’s attempt to make breakfast, Rarity only would allow three words to sum up the experience: liquefied burnt toast.
Rainbow wasn’t that bad, thankfully, so she continued her chore, turning the heat up on the eggs and pouring some batter on the skillet for the pancakes, trying to pay attention to her creations so that nothing burnt or got too cold. That was where her last, and worst, problem showed itself. Her concentration was non-existent.
She had barely slept at all the previous night. It wasn’t that Derpy’s couch was uncomfortable, but during her awakened hours, she had been plagued by conscious discomforts at her treatment of Derpy over the past years – they had been indifferent at best, and spiteful at worst, and her guilt was increased by her more recent trend toward the latter.
Occasionally she would drift off to sleep, but those periods of rest vexed her more than sitting awake thinking about it. When she nodded off, visions of foalhood were forcibly dragged from her memories, commanding her attention on the insults she had callously cast toward the gray social misfit, hoping to impress the other foals with her audacity.
The look of misery etched in the filly’s face began to haunt Rainbow Dash’s dreams, tormenting her until she woke, each time covered in a cold sweat. Shivering and wet, she would try to calm herself, only to return to intentionally reflecting on her behavior while awake.
Rainbow Dash shuddered at the memory of her reflection in the mirror that morning. Her mane was tangled beyond recognition, her eyes were puffy and baggy from sleep-deprivation, and her cheeks were stained with streaks where tears had run in rivulets the night before.
The morose thought crept into her mind that at least Derpy wouldn’t be able to see her looking like this, but as soon as the callous thought crossed her mind she shamefully cast it aside. They had known each other for long enough that Rainbow knew there was only one option – she had to have a fresh start; she needed Derpy to forgive her, accept her apology, and be willing to give her the second chance she didn’t deserve.
An acrid smell broke through her regret, reminding her that she needed to focus her attention on the task at hand. She had left her first pancake on the skillet for too long, burning it and sending wisps of smoke throughout the house. It didn’t obscure the rooms, luckily, but it definitely succeeded in spreading around the burnt smell.
She hauled the skillet across the room, unceremoniously dumping the ruined pancake into the garbage. A thought occurred to her, and she wondered if it were possible to cook a pancake so long that it liquefied. Rainbow gave a slight chuckle and walked back across the room, turning off the heat on the eggs and vegetables to ensure they didn’t meet a similar fate.
She lightly tossed the pan into the sink, intending to scrub out the charred remains of her failed attempt at pancakes. Unfortunately, Rainbow had forgotten that the other pans and mixing bowls she used were also in the sink, and they clattered together in an unholy racket.
“Ponyfeathers!” She swore, wincing at the noise, but she continued her mission, intent on at least getting a few edible pancakes on their plates.
Rainbow Dash had just finished cleaning off the skillet when she heard a light sound behind her. She turned to see Derpy, leaning against the wall, sleepily looking into the kitchen.
Wait. Rainbow’s eyes went wide with realization as she stared at the pegasus in the hallway. She was looking.
A smile crept across Dash’s face, though it felt somewhat insincere after her reflections from the previous night. She walked over to Derpy cautiously, and gave her a small hug that certainly befuddled the still half-asleep pegasus.
“You got your sight back!” Rainbow mumbled rapidly, looking quickly at Derpy’s eyes and then glancing away to avoid staring. She paused a moment, remembering that looks didn’t always imply function, and her brow slightly furrowed. “I mean, you did get it back, didn’t you?”
Derpy nodded slowly, still recovering from the shock of Rainbow Dash coming over to give her a hug like that.
“Yeah, I can see again.” She grinned. “Things even look clearer than they were before. I’m sure Twilight will get the spell figured out perfectly before long.”
Derpy looked at Dash, expecting a spunky of-course-she-will look, and maybe a snort of indignation. She did not get what she had expected. Dash was sitting on the floor at her hooves, trying her best to not look at the other pegasus.
“Rainbow Dash, are you alright?” Derpy asked with genuine concern. Though she was not a close friend of Rainbow Dash, she knew her personality well enough to know that this was highly unusual. A small sniff was her response, almost throwing Derpy into a panic; she wondered if Rainbow had burned or cut herself while cooking, and almost ran for a first aid kit. What stopped her was a light touch of a hoof on her own.
Rainbow Dash shook her head slightly, and when she spoke, her voice was gravelly and cracked.
“Derpy, can I ask you something? It’s really important to me right now,” Dash managed to choke out.
Derpy’s response was reserved, but soft and soothing; it was exactly what Dash needed, but the care put into her words started a slow trickle of tears from the corner of Rainbow Dash’s eye. “Of course, Rainbow Dash. Take all the time you need, and I’ll listen.”
There was another sniff, and Rainbow Dash raised her face to meet Derpy’s, eliciting a small gasp of surprise from the gray pony. Rainbow Dash looked disheveled and broken, and Derpy could have sworn she saw a few stray tears on Dash’s cyan fur. Their eyes locked for an instant, then Rainbow Dash turned away quickly, unable to look into Derpy’s innocent and unjudging eyes.
“Derpy,” Rainbow Dash started, her voice cracking more as she spoke, “I have to say I’m sorry. I really am. I wanted to ask you if you can ever forgive me.” She looked back to the pegasus, searching for either confirmation or denial, but she found neither. Instead, she found confusion.
“I… I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash, I don’t really understand… why are you sorry, and what do I need to forgive you for?” Slight realization dawned on Derpy regarding the previous day’s events, and Derpy assumed that Rainbow was referring to her indifference at the meeting and the harsh outburst on the way to her house. “If you mean for yesterday, it’s perfectly fine.” She shook her head. “I can understand why you would be upset with me.”
Rainbow shook her head violently, trying to form syllables into words. She was unaccustomed to giving apologies, and it was rare for her to be overwhelmed by her emotions like this.
“No, not just that, Derpy.” Dash looked at her, mustering her confidence as best she could. “I’m sorry for everything that I’ve ever done to you, since the day I first met you. I never gave you a chance, I never got to know you, I just joined in the crowd making fun of you, and it’s only gotten worse since.” Her willpower was slightly shaken by the admission, and she wiped a tear from her eye with a hoof.
“You never deserved any of it, and if I had only stood up for you, your life may have been so much happier. That’s why I’m sorry, and why I’m asking for your forgiveness. I’m apologizing for years of undeserved misery for you that I’ve been an eager part of.”
The severity of the statement hit Derpy, and she actually staggered back, sitting down to think. She thought back to the mockery the little cyan filly had thrown at her, and the exclusion she had received at the hooves of the broken pegasus sitting in front of her. The memories stirred up bile deep inside her: pain, shame, bitterness, and hatred.
They were all being brought up by the ‘truly awesome Rainbow Dash, self-proclaimed best flyer in all of Equestria’. Derpy almost snorted at the irony that Rainbow Dash wanted her to just pretend it all never happened. Derpy’s chest tightened at the thought, and her skin flushed with cynical anger.
Derpy looked at Rainbow Dash, almost furious at the impudence of her request, but she didn’t see Rainbow Dash any more. She saw a mirror. Everything Rainbow Dash had done to her, she had just reflected. She had almost responded in irrational anger, impulsive and thoughtless. There was no regard for the pony in front of her, only self-satisfaction at her own smug superiority over the other.
Within that instant, Derpy saw that Rainbow Dash had finally seen a similar mirror as well – she was hurt, dejected, and miserable, the perfect description of what Dash had caused to Derpy. All of the anger Derpy felt deflated. The mare in front of her no longer wanted to show her supremacy at the expense of the other; she recognized the pain she was causing for what it truly was, and she hated it. She wanted to start over.
Rainbow Dash watched Derpy with horrified fascination. Rainbow had been sitting frozen to the spot, watching the anguish ripping through Derpy as though an old wound had been torn open. She had no right to ask what she had, and was prepared for Derpy’s denial; she was just glad she was able to finally voice her deepest regrets, whether they were accepted or not. Her head drooped, waiting for the inevitable rejection.
The hooves wrapping around her neck came as a surprise, and she felt herself tugged closer. An occasional tear had slipped out before, but the sudden hug prompted a small outburst of tears. She heard a quiet voice, whispered as a muzzle pressed against her ear.
“Rainbow Dash, I accept your apology, and I forgive everything you’ve done.” There was a soothing quality to her voice, but it still sounded sad, hurt from the painful memories dredged up. “It’s not easy for me to forget the past, but the past does not need to be forgotten to be accepted, and it does not need to be ignored for us to move on.”
Derpy’s neck was wet with Rainbow’s tears, but she only rocked slightly, holding the blue fur to her own to give comfort until the cries subsided.
Derpy pushed Rainbow Dash back slightly, looking directly at her only to find Rainbow staring at the floor. She placed a hoof under Rainbow’s chin and lifted slightly, bringing the two ponies eye to eye.
“Rainbow Dash, I want us to fully understand what each other is thinking right now, okay?”
Rainbow Dash nodded meekly.
“Why did you bring this up right now? Did you tell me this because you felt guilty to Twilight, or because you just felt bad about it, or was there something more behind it?”
A gulp escaped the blue-furred throat of the pegasus. “I do feel bad, but… yeah, there was something else behind it.” She cowered under the piercing gaze Derpy was giving her. “I was wondering… if it might be possible… for, you know, us to kinda… start over.” There. You said it, she’ll just say no, and you’ll just move on and stop treating her like dirt. Got it?
The response came even softer than her last whisper. “Then, I gladly accept your offer, Rainbow Dash. If you want to be my friend, I can’t think of any reason you shouldn’t be.”
Rainbow’s coat stood on end at the answer she had just received, and she sat on the floor in shock. She barely noticed that Derpy had released her grasp on the pegasus and was getting up from her sitting position. She looked up into the gray face smiling down at her, and took the hoof being offered to help her up.
The two ponies stood for a moment, exchanging gazes, while Rainbow wiped her hoof across her face to dry some tearstains.
“I smelled that you were making breakfast; would you like to get some, Dash?”
Rainbow smirked back. “You betcha! No pancakes, though. First batch kinda bombed out, and I didn’t get to a try a second batch.”
Derpy gave her a happy glance. “I think I’m fine with anything you put the effort into making for me, delicious or otherwise.”
They both chuckled for a moment, gathering plates and helping themselves to fruits, vegetables, and eggs. Dash paused for a moment thoughtfully.
“Derpy, can you do me one more small favor?”
Derpy raised an eyebrow at the request. “What did you have in mind?”
The rainbow mare grinned sheepishly before replying. “Can you not tell anypony that I was crying like that up here?”
Derpy gave a laugh and winked at Dash. “Your secret is safe with me, most super-awesome pony ever.”
They both laughed happily as they began to eat their breakfast, each feeling like the day held endless possibilities.
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That's why Derpy is best background pony. Never forget, but choose when best to forgive.
New chapter.
How super is Twilight then?
YUS!
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Punch her! Punch in the face! What? Forgiveness... I guess that's okay too.
12:44am rolls over and clicks refresh one last time on fimfiction. New chapter of some story well I'll see what it is and read it in the morning... Screw sleep that can wait this can't! Glad to see this updated its a really good story. Can't wait for the next chapter. Keep it up your on a roll.
Oi... I needed that. Today has been so messed up and you turn it around with a new chapter. I could make a 'Remedy to my ailment' pun but you know what I mean. Thank you for this.
Thanks a lot to all of you on Chapter 14's comments so far... I'll be honest, I was a bit scared on this one, simply due to the raw emotion and conflict resolution it was devoted to while trying to stay within the actions the characters would take. I'm glad to hear that, at least so far, it has been enjoyed.
(Yeah, I'm sure there are flaws but to hear it's still liked makes me feel better about it! 
)
Well done Rainbow Dash. Well done indeed.
makes me suddenly feel even more... eeer Christmas-y(?) 
And well done Derpy for being able to forgive her
Stumbled onto this at work last night... Nothing got done! Story was truly captivating! Then it stopped.
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This is the size of my smile whilst reading this chapter:
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You have given me a nice case of happies. Yay happies.
Chapters like this are the reason I get happy everytime I see an update for this story!
yay!
Was afraid that this would happen
Its like a steep mountain you know? You made this really big mountain in the last chapter (with them bein such an ...well you know) and now those apologies are just...were riding a cart here, where we get to a really high mountain in the last chapter, and now were just riding from that steep mountain, its seems so...dunno, weird. Its like with that term "From zero to hero" but this would be "From asshole to ...not so asshole" lolz. (I hope its...somehow understandable)
Again i will say that its not bad, but it could have been better, for me at least. I mean if you really want to just focus on Derpy and Twilight its okay, but you had a chance to make a subplot about Rainbow Dash, or scratch! 2 subplots with AJ and RD and their feelings about derpy, this conflict you know? it could have ben resolved in a much more subtle way. But well, thats your story, im just here to give you a piece of my mind on this one.
And maybe Derpy being saint...well MAYBE it would have been better if she just told RD something like "Dunno, i have to think this over" just because it has that Marry Sue implication (ima forgive everything! IM TEH BEST)
I know that I am bitchin in those comments like crazy, so maybe i will tell you something that i REALLY REALLY liked about this (be prepared for a REALLY LONG COMMENT! OH BOI!)
I liked how Twi and Derpy just...became together you know? It wasn't this slow stupid realization of "oh hey i love dat pony, oh boi! however will i tell him/her!" from both sides, it was just...natural you know? they meet, they kinda saw how it was, and they rolled with it. And i know i said that if something is made more subtle, its better, and im stickin with it, it was subtle and it was good yet wasn't prolongin it (is that even a word?). Little positive comment there lol
Again, i like this story and i like what it tells, its just kinda bugged me HOW it told 1 specific thing.
did i tell you that I LIKE THIS STORY? im just TRYING to help? by not saying "OMG TEH BEST FANFIC EVAH !!!111ONEONEONE" and actually writing some thoughts i had about it? no? well i like this story, and i thank you for takin your time and writing it for my enjoyment
Other wise keep up the great work and so on
oh and Merry Christmas and all that crap! (im not grumpy -.-)
i actually cried a little bit during this last bit of this chapter. im loving this story, and i have no doubt that i'll love the rest as it comes out. just, dont take to long to post some more, ok?
Drain my tear ducts, will you?
That was a beautiful chapter, especially since I can relate to rainbow dash so much.
The way you portrayed Rainbow Dash in this chapter was perfect, but Derpy's responses were just a little too formal and perfect.
This is why I kept going with this story, this right here: character development. The changes Dash made in this chapter were amazingly relatable and your portrayal of her is bucking spot on. The comparison between Derpy and Fluttershy in regards to their youth was brilliant and not something I have ever thought of bravo. You continue to tug at my heartstrings good author, and I am loving it.
1841209 I... mostly agree with this. It's a good chapter, but way too sudden for Dash. She can be frightfully stubborn when she wants to be.
oh god i laughed more than i should've at that!
on a side note; TEARS AHAHAHAHAAHAHA!!! TEARS AND HUGS FOR EVERYPONY AHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAA!!!
I can fully relate to Derpy I
ve been picked on for my ENTIRE life.
I dont cry but when I do its when I read your story.
Hmm, a chapter named Reconciliation that immediately follows a chapter where Rainbow Dash decides to be a friend to Derpy? Well, color me intrigued!
At first I was saddened by the fact that Derpy didn't wake up with restored vision, and I had a fleeting hope that when she pulled the blanket up over her head she was blocking light from her eyes, but now as I read her crawling out of bed and you indicating that her eyes are still closed, I cannot help but wonder if her morning blindness is self-imposed. I'm sure I'll find out in less time than it took to ask the question =p
And whaddaya know! The very next paragraph has her seeing light! In fact, you could say she was....BLINDED BY THE LIGHT! Ahh, I love that song, but not nearly as much as I love this story ^.^
Huzzah! Her sight is, indeed,back! I thought for a second maybeshe was just able to see light and dark as a beginning to a slowly returning vision, but you did us one (or several) better by giving her her full sight back, plus a little bit of repair!
And now I'm getting a case of the "d'awww"s for Dashie and her misery of her treatment of Derpy. I'm not saying she doesn't deserve it, but because she's recognizing how much of a bitch she was being and trying to make it better though knows she never truly can, I wanna hug her ^.^
Another beautiful quote that I want to be pointed out to whomever peruses the story.
D'aww, Dashie hugged Derpy and now she's sniffling on the floor. I'm crying again >,A,< So much sweeeeeeeeeeeeet I may be diabetic before this is over! Derpy doesn't even know why she's being applogized to! I'm grinning and crying, WTF is wrong with my brain xD How dare you be such a good writer as to make me laugh and cry and feel so d'awwww <3
Damn...you truly are an artist of story and development. You didn't have Derpy go for an innocent, truly selfless instant forgiveness...you had her go through phases of anger and sorrow before that. That's deep, that's real real deep. And I love every inch of its depth <3
I feel like the chance at an impromptu kiss inspired by deep emotions was missed, BUT I'm the type of asshole that would rip the rug of love out from under Twilight to cause drama
Daww that was sweet. Next chapter then.
It surprised and confused me that Derpy suddenly felt anger and hatred after Rainbow Dash's apology, when throughout the story she pretty much supported the stance of her tormentors, and played the part of the self-depreciating doormat. But then I realized that Rainbow Dash's apology abruptly brought her attention to just how badly Rainbow Dash had treated her, and just how wrong it was. So it made sense.
FlutterDash1's comment: "I feel like the chance at an impromptu kiss inspired by deep emotions was missed, BUT I'm the type of asshole that would rip the rug of love out from under Twilight to cause drama"
. There's no reason that Derpy's love for Twilight would fade, and this kind of "twist" (and I use that word with mocking contempt) would cheapen any romance that Derpy switches to. She would come off as fickle, her relationship with Twilight would become hollow and fake, and no romance that she could embark on thenceforth would ever be believable as being any better. Plus, it's erroneous to think that reconciling and becoming friends with someone has to be romantic. Why can't it be what it is? The fact that Derpy and Rainbow did not kiss, fall in love, suddenly feel sexual desire for each other, is not an opportunity missed. It's a crisis averted. So again, I have to praise you, Remedy, for not doing that.
I see it often in stories. And you know what I think? It's never ok. I've actually gotten to where I will screen multi-chapter fics to make sure that kind of "plot device" isn't in there. I don't spoil the story for myself. I've seen enough of this kind of thing, that I've seen a pretty universal pattern of where a writer is likely to put that kind of thing in a story if they're inclined to throw that in there. Since the little snippets I do check have no context, I don't spoil the story for myself. I just hate to waste my time sitting and reading something only for something like that to happen. It's not a good plot twist, it's not a creative way to introduce romantic conflict. It's a serious error in judgement, and destroys a story.
bout fucking time RD you dont know how much i wanted to smack you in the head the last few chapters
Wow, these past couple chapters really had my eyes watering.
I also happen to think that these have been a few very exceptionally written chapters. I was seriously wanting to punch the screen because of that stupid RD. I honestly couldn't think of a better way of making her realize her cruelty to Derpy. It was soooo satisfying to read this chapter. And I can honestly imagine Fluttershy saying what Derpy says. 
EXCELLENT WORK.
That darn RD...
Wow. That was beautiful.
Rainbow Dash, I forgive you for being mean to Derpy.
2190088 I've been trying to crack your code involving these Fluttershy heads. What could it mean?
5112736
Its either a 'Yay'-case to heaven, or a decibel display with more Fluttershy heads meaning the 'Yay'ness is louder.
1838469
Actually, Derpy's anger is anything but irrational when you consider the emotional baggage, the years/decades of bullying/antagonism by Rainbow, and the consequent self-hate/depreciation and negative self-image that Derpy has had to suffer/deal with through the years. And while I'm fine with the whole 'quick to forgive' thing. I would have liked for Derpy to let Rainbow know of the hurt feelings and how her bullying/antagonism only hurt her self-image and her ability to love anything about herself. If you wanted to get real dark, then you could have her mention about having to deal with severe depression and even suicidal thoughts. Because any kind of negativity is like a poison, if it isn't treated, then it'll continue to corrupt, and damage, leading to things like organ failure and death.
Also, though Derpy might have forgiven Rainbow, trusting her is a completely different matter and I think the two of them should have an uneasy truce/walking on eggshells for a while until both develop and grow from ex-antagonist/bully and ex-victim to friends. But that is my thoughts regarding this chapter.
9170550
I think you captured it pretty well. While Derpy might be willing to forgive Rainbow, that's easier said than done. Intentions are important - yes, but... real life rarely (if ever) works out the way we intend to, sometimes despite our best efforts.
If it were me, I'd probably offer the same... but there'd be many snide comments-in-waiting, a shit-ton of heavy sarcasm served up the ass without anesthetic, and sometimes I might even be openly hostile - especially if I ever felt RD was slipping up somehow (regardless of that being the case or not). RD would have to face a lot of indirect, perhaps somewhat misguided and poorly tempered abuse, if it were me.
Well, I think "at her hooves" would fit better :D