> Fall > by RainbowDashShadOfAproval > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Fall > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rainbow Dash looked at her goal from her house, Sweet Apple Acre’s Apple Cider stand. It was the best drink in the world and she just had to have it first. “Alright Rainbow Dash, this year, you are going to be the first one there… Ready, set, go!” With a dash, she was able to get to her destination in minutes. “YESSS! I’m here first!” With a few huffs and puffs, Rainbow Dash that she must have arrived early, an hour early. With an exasperated sigh, Rainbow collapsed to the ground. “Now what?” Rainbow Dash slowly opened her eyes as her dream about edible rainbows ended. “Ughhh where am I?” One look around told Dash that she was in the bushes, “What am I doing here? Wasn’t I waiting for the Apple Cider Stand to open up?” Rainbow poked her head out and groaned as she realized that she had in fact fallen asleep, but what was she doing in the bushes. “Hello there sleepy head!” Rainbow Dash jumped out of the bushes as she felt her heart beat really fast. Rainbow Dash turned around immediately and glared at Pinkie Pie. “Pinkie! What in Equestria are you doing!?” Pinkie Pie got right up into Rainbow’s face and smiled. “Weeelllllll, you see I always come here early and wait for the stand to open and I saw you sleeping here on the ground, and I thought to myself, hey, Rainbow Dash really hates it when she get waken up by some pony so I decided to put you in the bushes where you can’t be disturbed.” Rainbow Dash growled. “Why do you think I was there in the first place!? I was there to get some Cider, but obviously some pony decided to not wake me up!” Pinkie Pie got an irritated look. “Hey, don’t look at me you’re the one who gets grumpy if she doesn’t her sleep, so I was trying to help you!” Rainbow Dash groaned. “Now I’ll never be able to drink the awesomeness that is Apple Cider!” Pinkie smiled. “You’re right it is awesome, but if you get in line, you might be able to get one of the last cups!” Apple Jack shouted out of nowhere. “We’re outta Cider folks! Sorry!” The whole crowd of ponies groaned as they began walking away. Rainbow Dash stared at Pinkie Pie. “You were saying?” Pinkie Pie began hopping away. “Oh well, maybe next year!” Rainbow Dash yelled out into the sky. “There is always next year, but I never get it next year! I only drank a single glass in my life! UGH!” “Are you ok Rainbow Dash?” A grey feathered and blonde mane pony with a drifting eye walked up to Rainbow.” Rainbow sighed and looked up. “No I’m not, Derpy.” Derpy Hooves then sat down next to Rainbow and looked into her eyes, or at least one did. “Anything I can do to help?” Rainbow shook her head. “No, but thanks for the offer.” Derpy thought about it for a moment. “Want to talk about it?” Rainbow Dash groaned. “Not really.” Derpy smiled. “Are you sure? Talking will help.” Dash lowered her head. “Alright, I will. Every year, I try to get some Apple Cider, and every year, they run out before I can even get my hooves on some. I have only managed to get one glass of Cider before, but that was it.” Derpy smiled as she reached into her saddle bag and pulled out a glass. “Here have some.” Rainbow Dash looked up. “Are you sure?” Derpy smiled. “Yeah, I always buy two, one for me and one for my daughter, but you can have mine for this year.” Rainbow Dash shook her head. “I don’t know I don’t wanna take your Cider for the year.” Derpy smiled and left it there and began to trot away. “I insist.” Rainbow Dash then looked at the bubbling drink for a while and sighed. “I can’t, not at the cost of a friend’s drink.” So Rainbow Dash picked up the glass and flew to Derpy and landed in front of Derpy. “No, I insist you take it it’s yours. I would feel bad for taking away a friend’s only drink.” Derpy frowned. “But I have the drink every year, you only had one.” Dash groaned. “If you really want to share that bad, how about we share the drink?” Derpy thought about it for a moment as they continued walking. “Alright fine.” Dash smiled. “You take the first sip you’re the one that bought it.” Derpy nodded and took the first sip. “Alright here.” The two continued taking turns sipping from the mug in silence as they made their way through Ponyville. After many turns, Rainbow Dash held her head back as she let the last drop of Cider hit her tongue. “That was awesome! I don’t care what any pony says, you are my friend and you are very, very cool!” Derpy smiled as she put away her mug as they were walking. “Thanks Rainbow Dash, I’ve really needed some cheering up lately.” Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “You? You’re always smiling. What do you need cheering up for?” Derpy sighed as she looked at Rainbow Dash. “Well, you may not have noticed, but every pony we pass by, they look at me and they all think the same thing. That she’s a freak, that doesn’t deserve to have a child.” Rainbow Dash looked at her and smiled. “How do you know what they are thinking? Are you a mind reader or something?” Derpy shook her head as she bumped into a tree. “Ouch!” Rainbow Dash immediately checked Derpy’s head for any injuries. “You ok Derpy?” Derpy nodded. “Yeah I’m used to it. With these eyes, I see two things. I can usually judge where to go if I’m walking or flying slow, but if I’m not paying attention or not flying fast, it’s difficult to not hit something.” Rainbow Dash sat and rubbed her head. “All you got was a bruise, so you should be fine. By the way, how did your eyes get messed up? I know that you told me it was because you fell back when we were fillies, but what really happened?” Derpy’s face suddenly went stricken as her ears fell backwards, her wings along with her tail, and somehow her mane, drooped really low. Tears tears began to form in the corner of the eyes of the wall-eyed Pegasus. Rainbow Dash knew that she hit a sensitive subject. She whispered to herself. “Stupid, why bring that up now? She feels self-conscious about herself. Rainbow Dash looked up and shook her head. “Nonono don’t cry. I-I didn’t mean to upset you, I was just curious. Y-You don’t have to talk about if you don’t want. D-Don’t cry, don’t,” “WAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!” Derpy suddenly burst into a fountain of tears. Rainbow Dash instantly felt regret, a need to hug and comfort Derpy. Rainbow would do that for no pony else as Derpy was the one she wanted to be with, but she didn’t have the wing to tell her… yet. Rainbow Dash slowly walked up to Derpy and held her. “It’s ok Derpy, I’m here. I’m sorry I brought it up, I should never have, I don’t know what happened in the past but I am sorry for bringing it up.” After a while Derpy sniffled. “Th-Thank you Dash. I really don’t want to talk about it, but you have been good to me so far.” Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow at this. “All we did was share a drink.” Derpy sighed as she looked around. “Let’s go inside my house.” Rainbow Dash nodded as she followed Derpy into her house, which happened to be right there. Dash looked around the house after she walked in. It was cozy living room with a small round table in the middle with couches facing it and then it opens up into a kitchen which was small. The kitchen then had a hall way lead down the left from when you walk in the kitchen. The hallway had two doors facing each other, one for the bathroom and the other was the utility closet. At the end of the hallway was the stairs, which she believed led to the bedrooms. Rainbow Dash settled on one of the couches. “Nice place you got here… and where’s your daughter?” Derpy nodded. “Hold on, let me just pop the muffins I made before I left this house into the oven first.” Derpy sat next to Rainbow Dash and looked at Rainbow. “Thanks and as for Dinky, she’s at school. Now where were we? Ah yes. Yes we did share a drink today, you also comforted me today. Also, when I destroyed town hall on one of my bad days, you were one of the few who did not hate me for that. Yes, most of the anger died down on that, there are still a few who hold a grudge on that one.” Rainbow Dash shook her head. “So? You got friends right?” Derpy lowered her head. “No, not really, you’re the only one who even wants to take the time out of their day to hang out with me at least once a week. The other ponies at work are just associates at best and they don’t even like me that much. Sometimes I really feel like a background character for everyone to say ‘Hey look there’s Derpy, the wall-eyed Pegasus!’” Rainbow Dash put a comforting hoof on Derpy’s shoulder. “So, you don’t have any other friends? But you’re awesome! You’re the best friend a pony could have!” Derpy shook her mane. "I’m a no pony.” Rainbow Dash sighed. “Listen Derpy, you are going to snap out of this self-loathing right now! I really don’t know what happened to you in the past, but I do know this, there is today and then there is tomorrow, live those day while you can. Don’t waste it sitting and loathing on yourself. Go out there! Have confidence! Make some friends!” Derpy looked up and frowned. “Very inspirational speech Rainbow Dash, do you really want to know what happened?” Rainbow Dash thought about it for a moment. “Are you sure you want to talk about it?” Derpy scoot closer to Rainbow Dash. “You said it yourself, talking about it might help, so I’ll talk about it, on one condition.” Dash had a slight blush as she felt Derpy’s feathers lightly tickling hers. “What is this condition?” Derpy got even closer to Rainbow Dash, trying not to blush. “Hold me. You holding me made me feel so much better and while I tell you I will surely break down.” Rainbow Dash nodded as she blushed as red as a tomato. “I can do that.” With that, Dash wrapped her arms around Derpy. Derpy nodded. “You know how I was depressed for a really long time back when we were fillies?” Rainbow Dash nodded. “It took a lot to cheer you up.” Derpy sighed. “It wasn’t the fact that my eyes were messed up or the teasing about my eyes, no it was something else that depressed me. It was about my parents, and what happened to me.” Rainbow Dash felt Derpy tense up and when that happened, Rainbow Dash ran her hoof through Derpy’s mane. “Yeah, they were nice ponies, but I never got to see them after your eye got messed up.” Derpy nodded. “Something really bad happened. They were good parents, good ponies with a bad past. They were in a gang before they moved to Cloudsdale and somehow, they managed to get the leader angry so they had to bolt, but they eventually found my parents and killed them. I was hiding but one of them spotted me and threw a bottle at my head. It hurt a lot and I was knocked out.” Derpy curled up and began shaking as Rainbow Dash used her wings hug Derpy, knowing that something bad was about to come out of her mouth. “It’s ok Derpy, I’m here.” Derpy nodded and through her tears she managed to continue. “When I woke up, they smelled like alcohol. They looked at me and one of them mentioned that the bottle that knocked me out messed up my eyes. When I completely regained my senses, I noticed that I was seeing two of everything. I was scared of these ponies. They looked mean so I tried to get up and run but then realized that I was tied to my own bed. They smirked saying that ‘Good little fillies live, good little fillies don’t run. After that, they… they…” Rainbow Dash held the tear breaking Derpy to her. “It’s ok I’m here. You can tell me.” Derpy gulped. “They… They did stuff no filly should ever experience. I was only 8 when they… Oh Celestia! It hurt! It hurt so much! They hurt me in way you could never understand!” With that Derpy broke down into tears. Rainbow Dash rested her head on Derpy’s head as she rubbed Derpy’s back. “Just let it all out. There we go, I’m here for you.” Derpy’s eyes widened as she broke contact and backed away. “St-Stop it! Mommy! Daddy! Help me!” Rainbow Dash shook her head, confused at what was going on. “Derpy, it’s me Rainbow Dash.” Derpy looked like she was trying to move, but couldn’t as her legs were eagle spread, as if they were tied down. “Please stop it! It hurts! Mommy! Daddy! OW Stop it! Take it out! OW!” Rainbow Dash then realized that Derpy was reliving her past and went to immediately hug Derpy. “Derpy it’s me! Rainbow Dash! No one’s hurting you! It’s not real! Please snap out of it! I’m right here!” Derpy suddenly became still for a moment, scaring Dash a little bit before Derpy launched right into Rainbow’s arms. Rainbow Dash held onto Derpy tightly. “Why didn’t you tell any pony about what happened?” Derpy cringed as she continued crying into Rainbow’s shoulders. “Be-Because, th-they to-told me th-that they wo-would kill me i-if I t-told a-any pony! Be-Besides, no pony would ever love a mare whose a-already been de-defiled.” Rainbow Dash rubbed Derpy’s back. “You’re wrong Derpy.” Derpy sniffled as she looked up. “Huh?” Rainbow Dash smiled as she stroked Derpy’s mane. “I love you Derpy Hooves. I have been in love with for a long time. What you just told me made me so angry that I will hunt down and kill whoever hurt you.” Derpy’s smiled and snuggled up to Rainbow. “Good, because I have also been in love with you, I mean you’re the only pony that ever cared for me throughout my life. I mean I’ve had friends come and go, but you’re the only one that ever stuck by my side throughout my entire life. That is why I told you in confidence about what happened that day.” Dash inched her face forward along with Derpy’s until their lips met. The kiss felt right, and they felt like everything was going to turn out alright. All of a sudden there was a knock on the door. Derpy was about to get up when Dash shook her head. “No, I got this.” Derpy nodded as Rainbow approached the door. “Alright.” Rainbow Dash smiled as she opened the door. “Hello there, how can I help you?” Standing there was a group of pegasi all wearing the same jacket, black leather and torn with a logo she could not exactly see. These ponies gave Rainbow Dash a chill. She knew that they were not to be trusted. The leader, who had red feathers and a green mane stared at Rainbow Dash, as if he was trying judge her worth in life. “Excuse me, but do you know where Derpy Hooves is?” Rainbow Dash had an idea that whatever they wanted was not good so she shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know,” Rainbow Dash was interrupted by Derpy herself. “Rainbow Dash, who is it?” The leader snarled. “You don’t know what now?” Rainbow Dash shook her head. “I don’t know who Derpy is. If it is the previous homeowner you’re looking for, then you came too late. She flew away about a week ago.” The red Pegasus shook his head. “Liar. I could see through bull when I see it. Now where is she!?” Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “I’m sorry but you’re looking in the wrong place.” She was about to close the door when the leader bust it wide open. “I’m sorry but I don’t think you know the position you are in. You are looking at the Flaming Pony Skulls. You see, after a certain incident, we made a promise to Derpy. After that, we had one of our people keep an eye on her and put a bug on her.” To illustrate the leader’s point a bug flew in and Rainbow Dash turned around and saw it fly in her mane. “A talking bug… What the… no.” The leader smirked as he turned around and bucked Rainbow in the back of the head, which sent her flying across the room. “Damn it! I shouldn’t have been distracted.” Derpy suddenly jumped up out of her almost sleeping stupor when Dash hit the wall. “Dashie! Are you alright!?” “No she will be fine. You’re the one you should be worried about.” Derpy looked up and saw the red Pegasus before her. “Nooooo. It can’t be. Rainstomper… How did you find me?” Rainstomper laughed. “Did you think that you weren’t being watched?” Derpy shook her head. “Wh-What are you talking about?” Rain smirked and called out. “Mindspike! Come in here.” Dash shook her head as she got her senses about her and notices an orange unicorn with a pink mane, walk in. The sight was quite an eyesore but Rainbow Dash had the feeling that this pony was bad news and that if she did not do something now, something very bad will happen. So with that she dashed off to tackle the unicorn and pinned her to the ground. “Don’t you dare come closer to Derpy!” Rainstomper laughed hysterically. “The spell is not for Derpy but rather for you, my dear Rainie.” Rainbow Dash stuck out her tongue in disgust. “Rainie, why the hell would you call me that. That sounds so uncool coming from your mouth.” Derpy looked at Mindspike and saw the magic gather on her horn. “Rainbow Dash look out!” With a smirk Rain pointed his hoof at Mindspike. “Do it.” Rainbow Dash looked at Mindspike and before the spell went off, she punched Mindspike in the face, causing a distraction, but unfortunately, the distraction was not enough to throw the unicorn’s concentration. Rainbow’s mind was suddenly enveloped with magic and soon memories started to flood her, memories of her reporting to the red Pegasus, no not Pegasus, Rainstomper. The memories made her confused as the reports consisted of anything and everything of Derpy. The fly was not the spy, but more of insurance, but Rainbow Dash was the spy herself. The fly was just a distraction to knock her out. The worst part about her memories were the last ones. They were of her childhood, when she remembered her parents, her father. Rainbow Dash backed off of Mindspike, sick to her stomach. “Wh-What’s go-going on? Fa-Father, wh-what the di-did you make me do?” Derpy was confused. “Fa-Father?” Rainbow Dash shook her head, tears welling up in her. “Derpy! I’m so sorry! I’m so very sorry! I never wanted to hurt you!” Derpy shook her head. “What are you talking about?” Rainstomper was mad to say the least. “Mindspike! Why didn’t the spell completely work this time!?” Rainbow Dash just sat down and cried. “I-I’m a traitor. I-I went ag-against my element.” Mindspike sighed. “She punched me in my face, screwed up my concentration. I’ll get it right this time.” Rain shook his head. “No, Rainbow’s use to me has run out. She fulfilled her purpose. It will be best to leave her with her original personality and all of her memories.” Derpy was confused and went straight up to Rainbow Dash and tried to hug her. “Dashie, what’s wrong.” Rainbow Dash rejected the hug. “No! You will hate me when you find out!” Derpy growled. “Find out what!?” Rainstomper laughed. “That she is my daughter. I told her to make friends with you I could keep an eye on your family. She refused to use people like that. She refused to be a part of anything that my gang was, but I needed the perfect informant, so I hired Mindspike here to erase Rainbow’s memories of me and made it so that you two could become friends. After a while, I had her lift the spell and added an obedient spell, which I originally tried but it only lasted 10 minutes. With that method I got a lot of information on your family and after these little father daughter talks, I would have her memories erased again. It was too easy and I decided to continue to keep my eye on you but I kept a talking fly around you just in case.” Derpy gasped. “Dashie! How could you! Y-You’re t-the one th-that l-let them know wh-where I li-lived.” Rainbow Dash had her mane, tail and ears go down. She felt terrible. “I’m soooooo so-o-o-orry!” Derpy was appalled. The reason her parents were dead, the reason why her eyes were like they were, and the reason why she lost her innocence was the pony balling right in her. No it wasn’t Rainbow Dash’s fault It was The Flaming Pony Skulls’ fault. They were the ones that killed her parents, they were the ones that threw the bottle, they were the ones that stole her virginity in a violent and painful way and they were the ones that were using Rainbow Dash against her will. “You shouldn’t be. It’s not your fault. It’s theirs. They were the ones that controlled you, made you do something you never wanted to do.” Rainbow Dash sniffled. “A-Are you sure?” Derpy smiled. “Yeah, I know you never meant to hurt me in any way.” Rainbow Dash smile through her tears. “Thank you.” Rainstomper sighed and pointed at Mindspike. “Kill Derpy and your job will be done.” Mindspike nodded and her horn started glowing. “With pleasure.” When Rainbow Dash heard that she growled and tackled Mindspike. “I will not let you hurt the love of my life!” With that she began beating Mindspike to death. Derpy looked on horrified at what Rainbow Dash was doing. “Dashie… please stop.” Rainstomper held out his hand. “Wait, I want to see Rainie turn into something I can be proud of.” Rainbow Dash didn’t hear Derpy as she continued beating Mindspike, not letting her shoot off her spell. “You made hurt Derpy! You made an instrument to Derpy’s parents’ death! You controlled me against my will!” When Rainbow Dash stopped, the spell disappeared from Mindspike’s horn and what was left was a bloody face of broken bones. Derpy began having tears fall. “Dashie stop.” Rainbow Dash just stared at the pony that ruined everything in Derpy’s life, while her father was the one that ordered her to do it, Mindspike was the one doing the action. “And to make sure you don’t hurt any other pony,” Rainbow Dash grabbed Mindspike’s horn and tried to rip it off. Derpy flew at Dash wrapped her hooves around Dash and began crying. “Dashie please stop! Don’t do it! She’s so hurt she can’t do anything now, so please stop.” Rainbow Dash snapped out of it and held onto Derpy. “I’m sorry Derps, it’s just that I was angry at her for using me like that.” Rainstomper sighed. “And she was so close to earning her spot here in the Flaming Pony Skulls. Oh well. Time to kill you Derpy.” Rainbow Dash’s eye widened as Derpy was ripped from her grasp and she being held back. “Derpy! No!” Derpy was dragged a few feet away as Rainstomper came up and drew knife from his jacket and positioned himself so Rainbow Dash would fully see what was about to happen. “Dashie, I love you.” Rainbow Dash started struggling but could not escape the grasp of the two ponies holding her. “I love you too Derps… Please, don’t kill Derpy, I will do anything, I will even join the gang, but please don’t hurt her.” Rainstomper shook his head. “You had your chance, you could have ripped Mindspike’s horn off and killed her, but you didn’t. You could even have called off the hit, but now…” Rainbow Dash and Derpy struggled in their captor’s hooves, trying to break free as the knife was raised. Rainbow Dash started crying hard. “No don’t kill her! Please daddy! Don’t kill her.” Derpy looked into her killer’s eyes. “Pl-Please d-don’t, I want to live.” With that the arm dropped and the knife punctured Derpy’s chest and all of sudden every pony was out of there except for Rainbow Dash and Derpy. Rainbow Dash dashed to Derpy. “DERPY! NOOOO!” Rainbow Dash held the dying Derpy in her hooves, pulling the knife out Derpy slowly and crying harder than ever. “Derpy, pl-please don’t die. I love you so much.” Derpy coughed up blood as the blade exit her chest. “I was excited you know? That I finally found some pony to love, to share my life with. I know it’s a bit early but, where do you want our future wedding?” Rainbow Dash shook her head. “What are you talking about!? Please stop talking, you’re making it worse.” Derpy smiled. “I know, we can have it right here in Ponyville, with a cake shaped like a muffin, or muffin shaped like a cake.” Rainbow Dash shook her head and shouted for help. “HELP! SOMEPONY HELP!” Rainbow Dash looked at Derpy. “Please hang in there.” Derpy smiled. “I think it might be too late.” All of a sudden Twilight flew in fast. “There you are Rainbow Dash, I was looking for you when I heard your voice and,” With a loud gasp she noticed Derpy on the ground with a life threatening wound. “OMYGOSH!” Twilight immediately began to work her magic on Derpy no questions asked. Derpy smiled and coughed up blood again. “I said it’s too late. Rainbow Dash, it’s too bad we only got to kiss once, not even a single date. I love you so much Dashie” Rainbow Dash let her tears freely as she held Derpy. “I love you too Derps. Please don’t go. Please.” Derpy smiled as she kissed Dash in the embrace. “I love you Dashie, all of a sudden, Derpy’s body went limp. Rainbow Dash sniffled as she continue to hold Derpy. “I love you too Derps.” Twilight felt her own tears fall as she failed to heal Derpy in time. “If only I came here faster… What happened.” Rainbow Dash bawled as put her body over Derpy’s. She was crying too hard to speak. Over the crying, Twilight heard a ding coming from the kitchen and went to investigate. It did not take long to figure out that the source of the ding was the oven. When Twilight opened the oven, there sat the last muffins that Derpy will ever make.