Origins of Derpy

by Scourgeous

The Phone Call

The dawn chorus began to rise from the trees as the sun rose into the open skies. Cloudsdale was the first place to feel the warmth, golden and blue milky light washing over the thick billowing clouds. Movement began to shift in the clouds, slowly filling the area with life. Pegasi began to flutter from their homes and stretch their drowsy wings, greet the sunlight, then slowly work away the wariness in their limbs.

Derpy Hooves had awoken far before first light. She had trotted out of her house, quickening to a gallop as she was sure that no-one was around, and made haste to the small workshop that she came to every morning. Less letters came to the post office every year, due to unicorns having magic to send letters, and other Pegasi delivering their own. Still there was plenty to deliver, and she sat down by the stacks and began to sort them into her saddlebags.

When the bags were heavy, she clipped the latches down with some degree of difficulty, unable to focus her eyes on the buckles and use her hooves to twist them in. When she'd tied it securely around her frame, she slipped her head out of the door, wincing at the sight of ponies already moving about.

I hate ponies seeing me... She thought miserably, scooting out of the room and across the soft, plush clouds.

Only a few gazes strayed onto her, and even those muttered fierce things under their cold breath. Derpy spread her wings and rose into the air with a few beats, swiveling around a few times in the air. She hovered for a long moment, then dived over the edge, spreading her wings out to the sides. Clouds whirled on each side of her, and she squealed, unable to make out which side was which. The more she tried to focus her gaze, the more her uncontrollable eye began to drift, and she soon saw nothing but topsy turvy.

The ground was approaching fast, she could feel it around her. The pressure of the wind and the air around her was how she had learnt to stabilize herself when cascading for the ground at speed. She pulled in her wings, stretched out her legs and made a rearing movement at the last moment, impacting with a branch and sliding through a thick knot of leaves and twigs.

Thorns scraping her pelt, she slipped through and landed on a thicker branch with an oof! "Ugh..." She groaned, looking around, head whirling.

Most of her mornings began with a headfirst crash. Mostly they involved walls, the ground, but this time obviously she'd found herself spread like streamers through the branches of Golden Oaks Library. She slid backwards, hooves flaying, then fell off the branch and landed in a heap on the ground. Her limbs ached with bruises from days before, and throbbed with new found pain of stabbing branches.

"Derpy? Is that you out there?" Twilight Sparkle, the unicorn who lived in the library came walking out of the door, blinking tiredly.

"Oh yes... uh, very sorry... I, uh..."

"It's okay." She smiled, yawning and raising a hoof to her mouth. "Better me than Rainbow, right?"

Derpy shuddered, remembering the first time she'd run off course and into Rainbow Dash's abode. The tomboyish mare had sneered at her, telling her to watch where she was going next time, and to not interfere with the cooler ponies. She'd skid away and off the edge again, trying to block the taunts from her ears.

She shook herself back to reality, just nodding sheepishly to Twilight. She muttered a tiny farewell, then took off again, focusing very tightly on the road ahead. Being closer to the ground with things on every side of her made it much easier to maneuver around. She dropped letters in their boxes, keeping her eyes low as she went by. Ponies often stopped to stare at her, little rumors whispering from their mouths.

"Is that the pony with no mommy?" A little filly cried from her mother's side.

Derpy bit her lip and hurried past, landing quietly so she could gallop away. She rounded a corner and sighed, a few loose tears escaping. It wasn't her fault that she had no parents. All her life had been the Equestrian Orphanage. Years of ponies watching her from the streets, being fed porridge and apples for her fillyhood, under the gaze of foster parents that barely cared for her.

Sure, they had loved her and raised her up. But there was no loving mother and father to daughter bond between them. Their time was on their other work, and there was no tenderness shared. Derpy had no memories like other ponies did of growing up. She yearned for memories of hugs by the fire, laughter and singing, movie nights with her family. But there was no family for her to share.

Rubbing her eyes, she stepped out and delivered the last few letters. There was one letter left in the bottom, one for Carrot Top, her room mate. Spreading her wings, she set her one good eye on Cloudsdale high above, flying slowly and steadily for the city in the sky.

Going upwards was much easier, her destination in sight, and soon her hooves gently rested into the cloud layer. Now the city was bustling with noise. She hurried through, bumping into the occasional pony and tripping over a hoof.

"Watch it!" "Look where you are going, oh can you even do that?" "Don't take up too much space!"

She bit back her tears and burst forward, hoping to make a clear run home, but she smacked head first into a black Pegasus and staggered backwards. He dropped his glass, and it disappeared through the clouds. He snarled at her, and she stared up into his amber eyes with terror.

"Leave her alone!" Said a loud, commanding voice.

The black Pegasus raised his gaze to glare at an Earth pony standing before him, but how? "What are you doing in Cloudsdale, ground pony?"

"A simple spell really," The brown stallion said, glancing at Derpy. 'What's all the hubbub?"

Derpy shook her head frantically. 'It's fine! I'm going home!" She hurried off, but the Earth pony persisted to follow her.

"Please! At least let me know the name that you behold."

She turned around and stared at him with burning eyes, just wanting to get out of public. 'Derpy Hooves! The clutz! The failure! The orphan!" She stormed away, bursting through her door and slamming it behind her with a cloud of mist rising around it.

She stood in the entrance, panting. She shook her head slowly, pretending nothing had happened, and stepped into the next room. She slumped her saddlebags to the floor, digging out the letter to Carrot Top from her sister and carried it over to the ochre mare, who also used a spell like that of the strange brown stallion she'd seen.

"We need to move. It'll be easier for both of us," Derpy said, passing the letter.

Carrot Top cut into the letter, pulling out the paper and scanning her eyes over it. "Why do you say that?"

She shuffled away, sitting down and sighing. "We wouldn't have to pay for Twilight to cast a spell on you all the time. And I wouldn't have to crash every morning."

"Again?" Carrot Top exclaimed.

"Yeah... Golden Oaks Library this time."

The mare blinked, turning and frowning. "Huh? Oh, no, not you. I mean this letter. My little sister says she wants me to go and stay with her and my parents again. They miss me."

Derpy stared at her with the coldest glare, knowing that Carrot Top knew better than to mention family around her. The pony winced, clearing showing that she had forgotten in her moment of distaste in his sister. Derpy had always urged Carrot Top to love her family more than ever and appreciate every moment she got to spend with them, but that was simply not the case.

"Anyone ring?" Derpy said, changing the subject and glancing at the phone, on the bench. Ponies seldom phoned, and when they did it was for Carrot.

"Yeah, but I missed it, I was in the bath."

She stepped towards it and lifted the phone, placing the top by her ear and dialing the number for voicemail. There was a faint ringing sound, then a beep that showed there was a message waiting. She sighed, reaching for a pen with her mouth so she could write down whatever it said. When the message clicked into place, there was a long brief moment.

"Miss Hooves," It began, "We are sorry to inform you some news from the Orphanage. Your caregiver has a note here that was supposed to be read to you on your twenty first birthday."

Derpy glanced at the calendar, seeing her birthday marked with a red vivid the day after the one she was on. The pause in the recording made her uneasy. There was the sound of breathing, and of a note being unfolded. The next words made the pen drop from between her teeth.

"Your parents are alive."

Comments

[Loeden]

Could use a bit of extra proofing, but I'm intrigued! I'll definitely be following this.

[CDFA]

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[Scourgeous]

2300632

Funny cause it's my avatar