> The Story of 3 Hearts > by Flutterbat276 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prologue > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Oi, Ditzy! Where's my Sonic Screw Driver?" He said, trying to fix the TARDIS. "Right here Doctor. So, what's wrong with her Doc?" I said. I really was curious, even though I knew that I understood nothing. "Well, if you must know, the time traveling mechanism is broken...I'll leave it at that." I knew not to question him. Or anything having to deal with his timelord antiques. It's a very confusing thing for a normal pony like me. I simply shrugged and asked if he needed anything else. "Well, I am quite hungry. Would you go get us some muffins?" "Sure thing!" I said, quickly. I would do anything for him! He's the one I want to love me back, but I doubt he'd like a silly old mare like me. Besides, a derp eyed pegasus in a relationship with only the most amazing stallion ever? I dream of it! It's a wonderful fantasy though. I really don't mind being just friends with him, so long as he's happy. I went off to Sugar Cube Corner as quickly as possible. I ran into a blue pegasus along the way. He simply said, "Sorry miss...I'm just a little confused here." I thought it was just a tourist, but upon closer inspection, I realized something. He wasn't like every other pony you'd see on the street. I think I had started to stare as he made an expression of feeling uncomfortable. "Oh, terribly sorry sir. Might I ask what your name is?" "Um..it's Jack." I remembered the name, but it didn't click at first. I asked him, "Jack Harkness?" He nodded, then asked, "How'd you know that?" I looked at him once more. "I know all about you, Jack! He told me so much and..." I was cut off by Jack. "Woah woah woah! Hold your horse. Who's 'he'?" I explained over some cupcakes and muffins Pinkie Pie made. "Oh so your the lucky lady to be his companion, huh?" I nodded, a bit blushed at the words "lucky lady". After a few more moments, I bought a dozen blueberry muffins to go and a small raspberry muffin. "I can't believe that! That's really what your cutie mark represents?" "Yep!" I said after the long story about my cutie mark. We walked into the TARDIS as I said, "Doctor, look who I found wandering Ponyville!" > Chapter 1: The Captain and Doctor United > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I walked in, the blue stallion behind me. He walked in and the Doctor looked at him, bewildered. He stood there in awe as I set down the bag of muffins. We stood there in silence, broken only by the beeping of the TARDIS. After a moment or two, Doctor said, "J-Jack? Is that really you?" The blue pegasus nodded and grinned, "The one and only, Doc!" They chatted as I gave them their muffins. A small filly ran inside to give me a hug. "Aw, who's this little cutie!" Said Jack, interrogating about the purple unicorn that just ran in. "This is Dinky. My daughter!" "Wait a minute...how..you two...what?" "Um, what do you...oh. No..no no!" I said quickly realizing what he meant. I never imagined THAT happening! It's just...ew. "Oh ok then," said Jack. "What? What do you mean?" Asked Doctor, dumbfounded. I was glad he didn't understand that question as I did. "N-nothing. Just, ignore that. Any pony up for more muffins?" I asked, being polite. "I want one!!" said Dinky, excitedly. "Ok here ya go," and with that I have her the red spotted muffin. "My favorite!! Raspberry supreme!!" said Dinky, happily as she levitated her treat and nommed on it with a smile on her face. "Well...I'd better get to studying. I got a lot to plan for if I'm gonna pass this audition!" said Dinky, a look of determination in her eyes. I simply nodded and wished her luck. Her advanced school auditions were the following week, and I wished her well. If she got into the school, she'd be one step closer to her goal. The next spell she planned for was a sleep spell. This was in preparation for Advanced and Talented Unicorns Academy. She always dreamed of going there, learning under the wing of the princess when she proves herself in the final exams. She was so delighted to get the letter to even audition to go to advanced magic school. She wanted to meet her idols, Celestia and Twilight. She loved them so much, and she even ran into Twilight one day. "Go ahead Dinky, study away until you feel ready. Maybe you can show 'daddy' your magic later," I said. Dinky grinned and ran off. "Daddy?" Jack inquired. "Who's daddy?" "The Doctor...oh right. You don't get it. Well. Dinky is adopted, and she prefers that I call Doctor 'dad'. She looks up to him as a father anyways," I explained. It also made me feel like my fantasies were even more real. I used nearly every opportunity to call him 'dad' around Dinky. If it slipped while she was at school, I could say it was a force of habit and leave it at that. It was the perfect system! Jack and him chatted in the main area for a few minutes, talking about Earth. "How's Earth? Is it alright?" "Yep, same as always since the daleks left. I suppose they went searching for ya," said Jack. "The angels? What about them. Surely they stayed on Earth," inquired Doctor. "Well, yea. They did. They kinda got stuck though. It's amazing how a little girl can do that!" After a few moments, Doctor yawned. I was surprised at first, cause he rarely ever is tired. I always liked it when he was asleep, since that was the time I could practice telling him how I feel. I tried to a few times, but I always went to my room, screamed into my pillow saying, "ITS JUST THREE WORDS!! Why is it so HARD?!" "I'm quite exhausted. You must be, too, Jack. I mean, after all that excitement of getting to Equestria and all," said Doctor, yawning once more after he finished. When he got tired, he was really tired. He'd be out like a light. He's a very heavy sleeper, heck I could bring in a whole marching band without him even waking up! I find it adorable that he can sleep so soundly in this place. I'm not as lucky, apparently. I could wake up to a hoof step outside the TARDIS. "I am quite tired as well, now that you mention it. What with roaming around this place for so long until I found Derpy," said Jack. I simply smiled as I heard him thank me for bringing him back here. I would do anything to help a friend. > Chapter 2: Hint Droppers > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It had been a week since I let Jack through the TARDIS doors. I felt all bottled up at that point, like a paintball air tank full on compressed air or an over filled tire. I felt like all my thoughts would erupt out of me at one point or another. It was getting harder and harder not to tell the Doctor how I felt, but I stayed strong! I knew I had to tell somepony before things went wrong. "Carrot Top? No, she's a very bad drama starter. Octavia? No. She'd tell Vinyl, and Celestia knows what'd happen if the top DJ in 3 cities knew that!" I thought to myself. I considered telling Lyra or BonBon, but they would be all up in my business after I told them. "I could always tell Jack...he seems pretty trustworthy. And he knows the Doctor pretty well. Maybe he'll give me hints or tips on how to find out if he likes me back," I said softly to myself. "But what if I can't trust him?" I protested to myself. My inner thoughts were battling, throwing pros and cons at me like they were cannon balls. I couldn't let my emotions get the better of me. This must have been one of the things that happened while my true feelings were trapped inside of me. I decided that I would tell Jack about my crush on the Doctor, just to let it out. I couldn't just tell a pillow, it had to be a living being to get this stress out of me. The next day I walked into the main area with a brown bag of fresh muffins. The Doctor and Jack were chatting as Dinky lay down studying the sleep spell. She had passed the auditions for advanced magic school and was now preparing for the academy. I asked if she wanted anything when I entered the room, and she simply shook her head. I let her be, cause I knew how much passing this exam meant to her. I walked over to Jack and Doctor and asked if they'd like any muffins. "Sure. I'd love one," said Doctor, smiling at me. I wondered whether it was a hint about something. "What were they talking about while I was gone?" I thought. "Was it about me?" That gave me something to ponder over during breakfast. I took this chance to ask Jack to meet me in the other room for a bit after he ate his muffin. He nodded, having had a mouthful of blueberry muffin. I waited in the other room and popped back out. The first thing I heard was "I can't tell" come from Doctor. I pondered what that could mean. Did it mean he can't tell me something? Was it important? I couldn't tell. Doctor turned when I tripped over a ball Dinky had played with. His ears were down against his neck when he saw me, which wasn't a good sign. He ran over to help me, asking me if I was alright. I nodded and walked over the Jack asking him if he could hurry. "Welp, if you'll excuse me Doc, I gotta take care of something right quick," said Jack, getting and walking into the room. I left seeing Doctor start to help Dinky with her studying. "So, what's wrong? Anything happen?" Asked Jack. "N-nothing's wrong...just..." I stammered, quite nervous. My words almost slurred together, and I talked faster than any normal pony would. Jack noticed this and sat down, wrapping a wing around me as if to comfort me. Man did I wish that it would be the Doctor! I calmed down a little bit, and after a moment or two I regained my posture. I believed I could tell him at that moment. "T-thanks Jack. Your a good friend," I said, smiling slightly as the pegasus beside me closed his wing. "No problem, Derpy. Now, what's on your mind?" I told him everything, I could feel this emotion tank being drained slowly, which made me even more calm and collected. I knew this was the right thing to do, and I couldn't be happier to say anything. I felt relieved, less stressed, and overall, glad to let it all out. "Do you get it now?" I asked. "I...I suppose so. I guess that you just needed someone...pony...to tell it to. Now, as for some tips on how to go about letting him know, get him in the mood, or drop a few hints. It helps so much!" Jack said, giving me a few bits of advice. I was glad he was doing this, listening to me. Almost like a shrink or something. He listens, then gives me advice on how to handle my problem. "Thanks for listening to me, Jack. I don't know how much longer I could've held my emotions in like that," I said, a slight smile etched into my face. I knew everything would be alright from there. With the upcoming gala, I could easily ask him to go with me. Even if he said no, I'd have jack to take with me, as a friend. I decided that the first step to drop a hint is to make something he loves. I dreaded this, but I knew it'd be better off this way. I would make English muffins. I shuddered every time I heard this, but I looked up the recipe while Jack and Doctor were walking around in Ponyville Park. They said they were going to the gazebo for a bit to sightsee over the edge of the hill it sat on. I passed that place every time I delivered mail to Fluttershy. I always saw a couple under the canopy of the gazebo. It was beautiful, perfect for dates and such. I would daydream about me and Doctor sitting underneath that canopy those couples would kiss under at sunset. I fantasizes over it so often that I usually bump into a tree on the way up the hill that Fluttershy's house sat on. Sometimes a pony would stare at me, then walk off with a snicker. I wanted to yell out saying that it isn't my fault I daydream about my crush, but I resisted the urge to. After about thirty minutes, I took out the muffins and set them down. They didn't look exactly like the picture, but it was close enough. I put some butter down on the table and the tray of English muffins on the counter. I set out a few plates, my apron swishing around all the while. I knew they'd come through the doors any moment. I asked Dinky to come into the kitchen for a moment. "Coming mom!" She called from the main area. She ran in levitating a book on magic spells, a princess Twilight bookmark was inside it, somewhere in the hundreds no doubt. "Try this new recipe I made for daddy," I said to Dinky. She was confused but her magic caught hold if the spoon in my hoof. She ate the muffin chunk off of it and a look of delight was spread on her face. "I love it!" "I knew you would. Now here you go," I gave my filly a few English muffins, butter spread on top. She took them into her room, along with her books to study once more. "She really loves learning doesn't she?" I asked myself. Then, I heard hoof steps in the main room. Doctor ran in, obviously smelling the English muffins, with Jack right behind him. Doctor's mouth was agape as I set the plates of muffins in the table. He was speechless. A few moments later, we finished up and I washed the dishes. I blushed as Doctor came up to me and started helping. He leaned closer to me, and it seemed as if he'd rest his head on my shoulder, but to my surprise he whispered to me, "Thank you, Ditzy. You are one of the best companions I've ever had." With that, my heart raced. I felt the sudden urge to tell him how I felt. I just said "Thank you," and let it be. I regretted that so much. I loved him more than any pony, and I had the opportunity to say something. I thought of the way he said it. He said it sweetly, not like he would to any pony else. Was he taking a liking to me? Did he love me back? So many questions fought for attention in my mind, my heart nearly drowning out the commotion. I was probably red as a tomato when Doctor laughed at something. "W-what is it?" "Oh, nothing really. Just your face is quite a pretty shade of red now," he snickered. "W-what? No it's not!" I protested trying to hide my face. I lied. I knew I was blushing very badly. "It's alright, Derpy. No reason to feel bad about a bit of blush," he said that as if he knew what it was like. Then I noticed that his face wasn't the brown it always was. Between his eyes and nostrils and down to his cheeks was all red. I smiled at this, thinking that maybe he liked me too. > Chapter 3: Love, Gallop, and Waltz > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A few days came and gone and I still didn't tell him. But I did drop a lot of hints. Even complementing him every now and then. He seemed to be trying the same thing, and the more he did this, the more confident I was to ask him to the gala. I folded the ticket up and put it in a muffin wrapper. I double wrapped it so the ticket wouldn't be ruined. I wrote on the second wrap "Open Me" with a loose end of the second wrap. A note was inside the ticket asking if he'd go to the gala with me. He smiled and looked back up at me, then stepped closer saying he'd love to go with me. By this point I told my friends, who actually took it better than expected. Carrot Top hasn't said a word to any pony, Vinyl hasn't rattled it out over the mic, and the others have promised to keep it a secret. They're going to go to the gala, too, so they may end up doing something to help get things going, no doubt. I just hoped it wouldn't go wrong. I went to rarity asking if she could put me together a dress and Doctor a tuxedo. She had made very few male suits, but this tuxedo that she made looked amazing. And she topped all off with a pocket watch in the front pocket, the gold chain hung out of it and looped around to another area where it was attached to the tux. My dress was an ocean blue with some grey accents. There were bubble designs everywhere and a beautiful head piece that resembled a silver and gold streaked bubble with a platinum muffin shape inside. "I...I...I love it!" I said, excitedly. My eyes watered up imagining myself in the dress and Doctor in the tuxedo. There was no doubt that the gala would go perfectly! A few nights later, we arrived at the gala. I saw Jack and another mare dancing together. I thought to myself "Jeez, Jack is just a ladies man, ain't he?" The mare had a red mane and tail with a jet black streak in the middle. Her coat was grey with a hint of red. Her cutie mark was what seemed like a glistening sword and a heart. Her talent must've been a swords mare or something. She had no dress, but Jack didn't have a tux on either, so it matched well. I giggled then I felt somepony grab my hoof. I turned to see the Doctor holding me. He asked me something that I couldn't hear, but before I could react, we were dancing to the slow song that Octavia was playing as a solo. As we danced I started to blush and he led me outside. We stood on a balcony together looking at the stars. He inched closer to me, and so did I. I couldn't even believe that all of that had just happened. I was so happy to be there with him that night, the perfect night. We looked at each other and, as if on cue, Octavia and Vinyl started to play a tune together that fit the scene around me perfectly. Doctor smiled as we started to hear the music and he asked me, "Care to dance Ms. Doo?" He talked to me so formally, and I couldn't find words to say. I was astonished that he was asking me to dance. I nodded as a happy tear sprang from my eye. He smiled back and took my hoof once more. This time we danced on the balcony where it was just us. No pony else to see this, so we let our moment last as long as possible. After the song ended, he finished the dance by kissing my cheek. I felt as if I was the happiest and most nervous mare alive! I could hear my heart pounding, my mind racing, as he asked if I could be his special somepony. I couldn't contain it anymore. I squealed and shouted "Yes!!" My friends heard me and ran out to see the commotion. They saw us together smiling, and Jack just said, "I knew you could do it!" Vinyl and Octavia looked at each other and smiled, knowing that their timing couldn't be better to play that song. It was perfect, the perfect night with the perfect stallion. I knew the night couldn't get better than that! The next day, I was asleep with Dinky snuggling between me and Doctor. Our muzzles met and I smiled, knowing that it was all reality. > Chapter 4: Aftermath > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I woke up, Doctor right beside me. Dinky was curled up between us, but our muzzles still met. We woke up as if we were synchronized. "Good morning Ditzy," he said, smiling. "Morning Doc," I said back to him. I giggled as his breathing tickled my muzzle and I sat up. Dinky was still asleep, but not for long. When she woke up, I was already cooking breakfast, humming Octavia's solo song from the night before. Doctor and Dinky were together, Dinky on his back as they played in the main area. I set out the muffins and dandelion biscuits. They ran in and Doctor took a seat next to me. Dinky looked confused as we butterfly kissed. I looked at Dinky then giggled. This made her more confused than before. I explained what happened and she started smiling, then after all of that, she spoke up saying, "Aww!! I might actually get a real daddy?" Doctor laughed and said, "Not today, Dinky. Maybe later on after we get situated." The filly laughed and went off into the main area singing "I'm gonna get a daddy! I'm gonna get a daddy!" We laughed and I started cleaning dishes as Doctor cleaned the table. Once we were done we went into the main area to check on Dinky. She was smiling and giggling while trying to study. She tried containing her excitement but she was having difficulty doing it. We all laughed together like a family. It was nice to finally live my fantasies. "Maybe we'll go to the gazebo on a date or something," I thought to myself. "Ditzy? Can you get me my sonic? It's in the bedroom," Doctor said. He was fixing a toaster for who knows what reason. "Alright Doctor!" I said nearly tripping over a ball. He just laughed as he kept working. I got his screw driver and headed back, but he was nowhere to be found. "Doctor? Where are you? I got your sonic," I called out. It wasn't long before he came out of the other room with the tux he had at the gala. "Why the fancy suit?" I joked. "Well, can't a stallion dress up before a first date? I thought that you'd want to go to the park," he said, as if teasing my emotions. It's funny how he did that. I laughed and said, "Well you gotta ask the mare first silly! Of course I'll go. But what about Dinky?" I asked. I wondered where our foal would stay while we were out. "C'mon, it's the TARDIS! We can put cloaking on and leave her on safety mode until we get back. Besides, the TARDIS will be parked beside the gazebo. We can watch it there." With that I hopped up and got on a little summer dress with muffin print. It was a nice dress despite not being made by Rarity. I laughed and told Dinky to hold on to something as the Doctor drove the TARDIS to the park. He activated cloak mode and we got out. I thought, "Are we forgetting something?" I shrugged it off as I trotted along side the Doctor out to the gazebo. > Chapter 5: First Date > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I stepped out of the TARDIS, Doctor right behind me. I blushed a bit as he held the door like a true gentle colt, even though the door doesn't automatically close. I was delighted to be at the gazebo with him. The timing wasn't as good as I imagined, but morning is just as beautiful as sunset, nonetheless. Doctor was hurrying to sit next to me as he set down a bag. "What's that?" I asked, curiously. I suspected it was full of sweets and food, but I asked anyways. Just then, I smelled muffins, daisy sandwiches, and some apple pie. Doctor opened up the bag and handed me a muffin and a sandwich. "This is great. But didn't we just eat breakfast not too long ago?" I inquired. Doctor opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted by the familiar sound of the TARDIS door opening. "Hey, did you forget about me?" Jack joked from the doorway, smiling. "Oh right! Sorry Jack. I guess I was just so excited," I said apologetically. I didn't know what to say to him, and it looked like the Doctor was at a loss for words as well. After a long moment of silence, Jack spoke up saying, "I'll just leave you two. I see I am probably interrupting something. And by the way, Dinky is pretty nice! Keeping quiet and such in her studying. Hope she makes it to that academy you were talking about!" I smiled at him, and asked him if he could watch her while we were outside. He nodded and trotted back inside. "Well then...that was unexpected. Least we know somepony is watching the foal. He's a pretty nice guy when he wants to be," said Doctor. He looked back at me, then at the bag. He cut some pie and gave me a slice. We must've been out there for hours! By the time I got up, it looked like it was noon. We went inside to find Dinky and Jack playing with a squishy ball. I giggled as he looked up at us and the ball hit the side of his head. Dinky laughed and asked if he was alright. "Yea, I'm fine," he said, rubbing his head with his right wing. Later that afternoon, Doctor sneaked up behind me and scared me. We laughed together and it felt like we were the average couple in Ponyville instead of life savers, time travelers, and adventurers. I was happy for the first time since I was a filly with my mom at the Fillydelphia amusement park for my tenth birthday. My life was going perfectly that day and I thought that it would never get better than that! Boy was I in for a surprise! > Chapter 6: Story of the Deer > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I woke up to find Doctor running around the main area flipping switches and pushing buttons. Obviously he was trying to start the TARDIS. Jack was helping him, but not being a timelord made it very difficult. "What's going on guys?" I asked, scared. I didn't know what to expect, but I prepared myself for the worst. "Well, I was on a trip to the Everfree forest, but I kinda crashed the TARDIS. Now were trapped near the zebra lands. I just hope we don't run into trouble here," said Doctor, a hint of worry in his eye. "Lemme guess, we're stuck?" I asked. It was a rhetorical question but jack still answered with a saddened nod. "I suppose we can look around to see if there's any trouble. Maybe there's a reason behind all this," said Doctor. We opened the door and there were zebra looking at us. But not just zebra were around us. There were ponies. I thought to say hello, but then I noticed something. These weren't average ponies. The foals has small spots sprinkling there backs, short tails, and stallions and colts with antlers. A six pointer approached me and snorted, his blackned nose at least five inches from mine. He stared at me intently, then stood up straight, revealing that he was around 6 feet high, antlers included. I was worried, since a pony that size could easily topple me, and with those antlers that looked razer sharp, who knows what damage he could do! "Welcome to our home pony travelers," the stallion spoke. He said that with great pride, nearly like the buffalo tribe leader in Appleloosa, but with a more African approach. "H-hello...m-m-my name is D-Derpy and this is the Doctor...is there any problems you have here?" I asked scared that the stallion in front of me would charge any moment. He grinned at us and said in a stuff voice, "No need to fear us, my friends. All are welcome here." A pony my size approached me, her color palette mostly shades of brown. Her wings had two colors in it, light brown and a slight sand color. She had small freckles in her cheeks, and bare hoofs that were dark brown. "Hi...don't be afraid of us. We wouldn't hurt a fly here," said the young mare. She was obviously around sixteen or seventeen years old. She spoke soflty and timidly, much like Fluttershy. Her brown eyes looked into mine, and I calmed down at the sight of her. She looked very kind and sweet. I glanced at one of the zebra staring at me with bewilderment. She whispered in an unknown language to what seemed to be her husband, and she looked back at me. "We do not mean any trouble. But what brings you here as to this pile of rubble?" She said, much like Zecora would. Her stripes were much darker than that of Zecora's and her mane was shorter and braided with tribal beads. I looked down and sure enough, we were on top of an old stone well. A pile of rubble lay at our hooves, and I suddenly got worried. "D-did we crush something?" I asked nervously. "No you didn't! Your fine, honest said the young deer, still beside me. Her wings were open and her mane was up in a ponytail, a very long ponytail. It went down as far as Fluttershy's mane. I noticed something else. A few of the deer had no cutie mark, so did the zebra. The mare beside me had one, a lavender plant and a music note. We stayed there looking for trouble as the six pointer stallion, named Tree Titan, gave us a tour of the deer and zebra lands. There were many deer and zebra conversing in the streets, deer trading crops for bits, zebra braiding hair or giving tribal tattoos to each other. One zebra filly with baby pink stripes came up to me and gave me a tribal necklace she made. I had no idea why, but I thanked her and she smiled. She ran off hugging her mother and I put on the beaded necklace. There was a small store that many of the deer and zebra were waiting in line at. I wondered what was going on, but I saw some ponies outside at a table, and I saw them with what looked like pastries and sweets. It must've been a bakery of some sort. > Chapter 7: A Lovely Night > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- We stayed for a bit and asked Tree Titan what the name of the village is, and he responded saying, "Forest, my friends." I looked around, sure enough, it was a forest. The zebra fillies ran in the grassy plains beside the forest. As they laughed, I remembered something. "What's wrong Ditzy?" Doctor asked. I must've looked worried. "Dinky. I need to check on her! And the TARDIS!" I responded, remembering the TARDIS door was never closed. We ran back to the TARDIS, and low and behold the door was open. The young deer was inside playing with Dinky. "Dinky, why is she in here!?" I asked, a bit overly dramatic. Dinky explained everything, and then I looked at the mare in front of me. "I suppose I overreacted...just a smidge." "Ya think?" the mare said, obviously aggravated. No pony dared speak after that. The mare, named Chord, sat down and ate a strange thing. I noticed it was some type of grass fries. This was more of a southern delicacy near the forests and mountains. You could say it's a back woods thing or something. I tried it once, and I didn't much care for it. We told Chord to leave the TARDIS and not tell any pony about what she saw, even though half the village saw the TARDIS already. I suggested to Doctor that we leave, seeing as how nothing was going on. He grabbed my hoof and asked me to go to one of the restaurants while we were there. I mean, since when can you enjoy deer and zebra food like this? I nodded and we headed off around evening. "Burr," I said, shivering. "It's pretty chilly out here, isn't it Do-" I didn't finish when he wrapped his scarf around me. I blushed and gave him a peck on the cheek. I said thank you and kept walking. We made it to the restaurant down town and took a seat. "Can I help you with anything?" said the deer waitress. Her mane was in a kind of bun, one that looped into a doughnut like shape. I glanced at Doctor as if I wanted him to go first. "Um...unsweetened tea, if you don't mind." "And for you miss?" "I suppose water is fine by me." In the matter of minutes our drinks were out. Doctor whispered something to the waitress, and gave her a wrapped up napkin of some sort. I was curious and asked about the event. "Oh, Ditzy. It's nothing! Just an old napkin I found on the floor." I could tell he was lying, but I disregarded it and our date went on as usual. We had been there for a whole day, and I quite liked it. Chord walked in and sat a table across the restaurant. She wasn't alone. She had what seemed to be her family with her. This wasn't an everyday family. I saw a slightly smaller colt, not too young, but one just around fourteen or so. He was a midnight blue and purple bat pony, his cutie mark was a paper with a mustache on it. The mother was similar, but turquoise with brown and blue hair. Her fangs showed outside of her mouth, glistening in the light of the setting sun. Her husband was a dark grey deer. His wings had brighter grey feathers and his mane was purple. The father had no cutie mark, but the mother did. Hers was a wheel zooming down a track with an atom symbol behind it. Chord waved at us and I waved back. Next thing I knew, our food was out. A muffin with heart shaped fruit on it was in front of me, an English muffin for the Doctor. I smiled seeing the little details in the muffin and hugged Doctor. He blushed a bit and I giggled at that. I unwrapped the muffin and a small metal clank sound hit my ears. A ring had fallen onto the plate. I blushed red as a tomato, but was cut short by doctor putting a silver necklace around my neck. It was a basic ring but with a small muffin indention. Doctor explained it was a promise ring and I got a little down, but still happy I had a ring. My friends would freak out until I told them about the promise ring story. After dinner we went to a mountain. By the time we were there, the sun had set and the moon glowed on us. Luna seemed to have set out this night perfectly! I saw Doctor take out another scarf from his saddle bag, and he put it on. It wouldn't have been surprising if he didn't grab the end of my scarf and tied it to his. We were looking on the horizon, basking in the moons glory when I felt something warm hit my shoulder. I blushed and Doctor laughed as he turned my head towards him. I felt a multitude of feelings that moment. Delight, anxiety, nervousness, fear, happiness, all those among other things. He was just an inch from my face, then, it happened. Our first kiss, right there in the zebra lands. I heard zebra calls in the distance, deer moans and croaks behind us in the trees. The moment I dreamed of for years had finally come! It was wonderful, and I didn't want it to end. Once we got to the TARDIS, I was so excited that I forgot the scarves were tied. He stuck close to me and we saw Titan by the TARDIS, wishing us farewell. He handed Doctor a bouquet, which I thought weird until he handed it back to me. Then Tree Titan winked at Doctor, then I understood perfectly. I smiled as Dinky opened the door. Titan nodded and waved, so did Chord and her family. We all smiled and then, we walked inside. The TARDIS cut on and we left. > Chapter 8: One Year, Many Happy Tears! > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It had been a whole year since our first kiss. I decided to celebrate with a one-year-aversary! I set up the table, the plates, the whole shebang. It was perfect! I told him to find his suit and close his eyes. During that time I found my gala dress. "Still as beautiful as it was..." I sighed remembering that night. I heard Doctor's voice from his bedroom and I called back, "Hold on!! I'm coming Docy!" We had our nicknames. He called me "muffin"! It was adorable how he said it! I ran in, and he looked at me like he saw an angel! "D-Ditzy! You look amazing! That's your gala dress from last year!" "It sure is. You look good too!" I told him to close his eyes. For security, I covered his face with my wing. He laughed as I led him outside the TARDIS. I folded my wing and said, "Okay, Doc. You can open them!" He couldn't speak. He just stood there as I said, "Happy one-year-aversary Docy!" "Muffin, you shouldn't have!" he said to me, his eyes saying thank you. There was no need for words. We had each other. I ran back inside the TARDIS and told Jack to watch Dinky. He nodded and said, "Have fun Derps! You got this!" I smiled back at him and ran out. Doctor was sitting down already, and he seemed to be pondering something. I shrugged and took a seat. I set out muffins, biscuits, cider, and napkins. "This is wonderful Ditzy! I couldn't have done better myself!" "Thanks Docy. I just wanted to let you know I love you!" "I have a surprise for you after dinner! I know you'll love it!" We ate and I asked what the surprise was. "Let's get inside and let Dinky see. She'd love it too!" With that I called Dinky and Jack into the main area. It was all set up, and Doctor ran into the other room to get something. I was curious. Maybe it was too big to carry? I shrugged and waited. "So," Jack said, "how'd it go?" "It went well. I really am curious about what he's bringing out." My eyes were straight, which surprised Dinky and Jack both. "What?" "Mommy, your eyes aren't crossed!" "Oh yea. Heh. I'm trying really hard to look normal," I said. "Alright! Are you ready Ditzy!" Doctor called from the other room. "Yes Docy! Come on out!!" I called after him. I was anxious, excited, and above all, nervous. What was this surprise? Was it big? Small? Living? He walked out and he had a small box. I was puzzled, my eyed crossed again in confusion. It was when he sat down that I understood what was going on. I was tearing up and smiling. Dinky was confused, then once it processed she said, "Awwwwww!" "Ditzy Doo?" "Y-yes Docy?" I sniffled, I felt like I was on top of the world! I couldn't have been happier than I was that moment! "W-will you do the honor in marrying me?" With that I bursted into tears and screamed, "YES!!" We kissed and Jack and Dinky wiped a tear from their eyes. It was the best surprise that could ever happen! I knew that Dinky was happy, she'd have a real dad for the first time since she was a foal. I knew my life would be great after this. My dreams were real. This wasn't a wonderful dream, it was reality, and I was delighted to know that it wasn't in my head anymore! We kissed again and made arrangements for the day. It couldn't be a better area. The zebra and deer village from a year ago. No doubt Tree Titan would let us hold it there. He could perform the ceremony, Chord could be one of the brides maids, and Jack would be Doctor's best man. The flower girl could be the zebra filly that gave me the tribal necklace and the Cutie Mark Crusaders.. It was going to go great! > Chapter 9: Friends Share Secrets > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It had been two days since Doctor and I were engaged. I had told all my friends that Docy and I were getting married and I gave them details. "My my, that quickly? You've only dated for a year, Derpy," said Tavi, a bit teasingly. "Wedding huh? Sweet! Can I bring my wubs! I can make the music!" said Vinyl excitedly. "Vinyl, we both know who'd be in charge of music and that'd be me." "Tavi, come on. No pony listens to that classical crap anymore! Dubstep is the shiz! Right Derps?" I laughed and said, "Why don't you team up and make a song like at the gala a year ago? Remember that day girls? You two played a perfect song for me and Doctor to dance to on that balcony! I'll never forget that night," I said, reminiscing that day. I sighed then smiled. I glanced at Carrot Top who was being unbelievably quiet. "What?" she said. "Oh nothing. Just that you're being awfully quiet over there CT." "I just don't know what to say but congrats Derpy!" "Thanks...I hope that Doctor will be fine doing this wedding pony style!" I said, half giggling. The girls looked at me funny, like I was talking in a foreign language. I forgot that they didn't know about the Doctor's being a timelord from a humanoid universe. "Should I explain something now?" Bon Bon stared at me for a moment, then glanced at Lyra who was already wanting to know more about this. I sighed and started to explain the Doctor's past, how he was humanoid and all. "He lived on Earth for a long time, met many wonderful human compa-" I was cut short by Lyra. "H-h-humans! They are REAL!" "Yeah...why?" I asked. I knew Lyra had an obsession with humans, but to interrupt my story like that was a bit sketchy to me. "I-I thought they were an old mares tale! I can't believe that your soon to be husband was one of them!" Lyra squealed. I could tell she was nearly about to burst from the mere thought of actual humans, much less my husband being humanoid for nine hundred years. He'll be bombarded with questions! "Actually, he's not human, so to speak. He's a timelord. He has two hearts and he works a little differently than humans and/or ponies. He cant have children, sadly. But we got an adopted child, so...not a total loss for family opportunity." We chatted among ourselves and Doctor came up to me with Jack and Dinky close by his side. "Ah, hello!" said Doctor as Lyra suddenly ran over to him and started asking questions faster than I ever thought possible. Doctor just stared at her, then at me. I mouthed, "I told them." Doctor looked back at the babbling pony in front of him and pushed her off. "I just trust that you'll stay calm throughout this Ms. Heartstrings," he said so formally, like he did the night we became a couple. "So, anypony want muffins from Sugar Cube Corner? I gotta feeling Pinkie got a good batch today," I said, mostly trying to distract Lyra, who was still asking small questions to the Doctor, bouncing all around him in excitement. He answered a few and disregarded a few, so Lyra would get quiet after some time. Bon Bon nodded at me. Vinyl and Tavi both exchanged glaces and said "yes" in unison. Carrot Top said, "Sure, I could go for some muffins right about now." With that we trotted off to see Pinkie Pie at the counter at SCC, and as if she knew what happened, she had a special cake for me and Docy made. The words "congratulations Doctor and Derpy Whooves" were written in blue and yellow frosting on the top of the ice cream cake, similar to our eye colors. I laughed and said, "Pinkie sure does know everything that happens here in Ponyville, doesn't she?" We started eating the cake together. Dinky and Jack ran in and got a few slices themselves. I thanked Pinkie Pie and we went on our way, since the cake was on the house. > Chapter 10: Last Minute Flashbacks > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- As I waited for the next two months to go by, I started to remember the things that happened over the year that had gone by. June fifteenth, we were going out to Manehatten, the movie theater. I cant remember the movie, but I remember a green flash in the front row. I looked at Doctor who was just watching the movie previews. I kept seeing more and more flashes. I excused myself and went to check it out when suddenly i got pinned by a creature. I yelped loudly and Doctor finally saw the black insect thing on me. He ran over to me and bucked the changeling off of me just before it could turn into me and feed. The changeling growled at me and Doctor both. "Don't you DARE hurt her!" yelled Doctor. All the ponies who were in the room had fled from the scene, screaming. I saw some staff come and attack us from behind the curtains, then they flashed again revealing their changeling selves. I was terrified for my live! Doctor told me to run and let him take care of it, but I didn't. I stayed to help him fight them off. By the end of the night, the screen was ripped to pieces, the first few rows were slimey and ripped, and I needed a cast for a few months. July fourth was fun for a while, at least until we got visited by some serial killers during the fireworks. I heard a scream behind me as a pony got murdered before my eyes. Doctor turned and tried using the sonic on them as he had daleks and weeping angels. He had disarmed them, trapped them, and got them in jail in a mere twenty minutes. I am still bewildered as to how he did it so quickly. I snapped back to reality as we arrived at Rarity's boutique. > Chapter 11: Arrival of the Fitting > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Well, here we are Ms. Doo...er, soon to be Mrs. Whooves," the Doctor said, chuckling to himself. A playfully punched his arm and said, "Wait til we're married first!" I went in while Doc stayed in the TARDIS doing whatever he does when I'm not around. Rarity greeted me with a hug and congratulations, seeing as how she hadn't had the time to congratulate me over the five months since the proposal. "Darling, I've been working ever so hard on this dress for you! I hope you find it to your liking, but if not don't be afraid to tell me," said the white unicorn leading me into a separate room. My jaw nearly dropped to the floor. "What? Is it too much? Too many sequins? Too much ribbon perhaps?" I closed my mouth and smiled, tears forming in my crossed eyes. "N-no Rarity. It's perfect! Exactly what I dreamed it would look like!" "Well, that's wonderful. Now, try it on Miss...no, Misses Whooves," Rarity said grinning at me. I glared at her, playfully, and said, "I thought you were original! Doc already made that joke before I came in!" "Oh, alright then. Just try the dress on now will you?" Rarity said as she levitated the dress to me. She opened the dressing room door and went back downstairs to call the Doctor inside. I had a little trouble getting the dress on at first, but I got it on. My wings were a little bit out of place I the dress. The openings were a bit too far back, so it was uncomfortable. Rarity, after a mere ten minutes, came back to admire her work on me. She grinned and a tear sprang from her eye as soon as she saw me. "Darling, you look positively gorgeous!" said Rarity, choking up. "You really think so, Rarity?" I had almost forgotten about my wings being a little off. "Well, is there anything I need to go back over? You look a little uncomfortable. Is it too tight!" "No. No, Rarity, it isn't! It's just the wing openings are off by a centimeter or so," I said, pointing to my wings. "Oh, yes. Well I can fix that right up! Now hold still Derpy," Rarity said, a blue aura surrounding her horn again. "Um...Rarity? What are you-" I didn't finish. She blasted a blue beam in my direction. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When the blue fog has disappeared, I realized that the holes were in proper position. Actually, they were lined up with the bases of my wings exactly! I stared at Rarity who was curling her man back up, her horn slightly smoking from the magical exertion she had just used. "What. Did. You. do!" I asked, amazed by her magical abilities. "It's a spell I created myself, with some help from Twilight. I call it....actually, I don't know what to call it! Twilight calls it 'spell M42' whatever that means," she replied. She was quite proud of herself for doing such a feat. I folded my wings, and they moved as freely as they would without the dress on. "Thank you Rarity! Thank you so so much!" I said, embracing her into a hug. She hugged me back and fixed a bow that was uneven on my back. We let go as the Doctor walked in, being lead by Sweetie Belle. "Sweetie Belle! What have I told you about the groom seeing the wife before the wedding!" Rarity scolded her little sister. "I..I had no idea you were in her with her!" Sweetie Belle argued. The Doctor just stood there staring at me. I blushed and he smiled. "You look wonderful Ditzy," he said. Rarity and Sweetie Belle still argued behind us as we started complimenting each other on our attire. It was almost a good ten minutes when the two sisters stopped fussing. Doctor and I were already out of our wedding attire and were sitting down at a nearby table playing a game of War. Doc laid out an eight of hearts and so did I. We said in unison "WAR!" Sweetie Belle looked at Rarity, who was as confused as ever, and shrugged. They left us be until the game stopped. "I must say, you are pretty good at that game, having never played it before," said Doctor, handing me his six cards he got to me. I smiled and said, "Well, I love card games! They remind me of sorting mail at my job. It's kinda easy once you get a hang of it, actually." We chatted as we got downstairs, seeing Rarity and Sweetie Belle playing dress up with some extra clothes that Rarity had left over from last season. "Ms. Belle?" Doctor asked, trying to catch the attention of Rarity. "Yes?" said the two sisters in sync. They both looked up at him. "I'd like to thank you for having us here. I left some bits upstairs on the table for you," he said. "Oh, I'd be ok with letting you two have the attire on the house. But if you really think you need to pay me, by all means do so. I'm not going to stop you. Thank you Mister and Misses Whooves for your time today, and congratulations to you both!" Rarity said. > Chapter 12: Preparations > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I ran to Twilight's castle to find Pinkie Pie. She wasn't in Sugar Cube Corner like she usually is. "Pinkie Pie! You here?" I said as I knocked on the door. I was greeted my a young purple dragon, Spike. He yelled inside for Pinkie and she bounced right over to the door, streamers in her mane. "Oh, Pinkie, am I interrupting something?" I asked. "Nope! Come on in!" said the pink party pony. She bounced right back inside without a care in the world. I sighed and went in as Spike closed the door behind me. I looked around as I walked through the crystalline castle. It was beautiful! So large, spacious, and amazing! "Wow," I said under my breath. "So, you needed something Derpy?" asked Pinkie. "Oh, um...yea I did. Do you mind making a cake for my wedding?" I asked, politely. "Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie said, stopping at her destination. I didn't pay attention and ran right into Twilight. I fell backwards and noticed that books were on the floor. "I'm so sorry Princess Twilight! I wasn't paying attention!" I said apologetically. "It's ok, Ditzy. I'm alright, and no pony got hurt," said the purple alicorn who was levitating books off the cold crystal floor. Pinkie Pie tapped my shoulder and asked me, "So, what do you want on your cake?" We talked about how the cake should look, what decorations to use, and the flavor. Once we finished, Pinkie had to all written down on a notepad, which I have no idea where it came from. I didn't dare question it, cause I knew that Pinkie wouldn't have an answer either. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After the conversation with Pinkie Pie on the cake, I was a little hungry myself. I trotted outside and got to the TARDIS where my fiancé was waiting. He pecked my cheek and we giggled. I told him about the cake and we both shared a nod. > Chapter 13: The Big Day > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I heard the TARDIS doors open and a few hoof steps. I waited until they were out of ear shot, then came out. The Doctor was no where to be seen, which I was glad for. He can't see the bride in her dress before the wedding. I was nervous, excited, anxious, and a plethora of other emotions. It was time to go down the path way. Lyra was levatating the end of my veil with Vinyl. Zimbaubi, the young zebra filly, was scattering various flower petals in front of me. Then I saw him, the Doctor at the arch. He smiled, a year running down his cheek and I noticed a few streams making their way down my face. I heard bells in the distance as I neared the podium. I could've sworn I heard I slight mechanical beep, but I ignored it. The priest, Tree Titan, said all the usual wedding things, we both said, "I do," and the bells were irritatingly load and mechanical. I tried ignoring them, and just before the kiss, I woke up on a bed. > Chapter 14: Awakened > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I heard distant cries and singing. I couldn't make out a rhythm or voice, but I heard it. I knew it was a stallion. My vision was blurry. I felt a throbbing sensation all through my head. I blinked several times to clear my vision. As my ears adjusted, I heard the same beeping from the wedding playing in a steady manor, matching my heart beat. I heard the stallion who was presumably beside me on the right side. I turned my head, my vision still a bit fuzzy, but I made out a brown coat and dark brown mane and tail, his head in his hooves right beside me. It was then that I managed to recognize the lyrics. It was one of my favorite slow songs to listen to, a duet. Sadly, no pony else joined him. He sniffled and kept singing through his tears. I saw a note on the door once my vision had cleared, and realized exactly why he was crying. Patient Name: Derpy Hooves/Ditzy Doo Condition: Broken limbs and coma Cause: Failed piano delivery Chance of Recovery: 5% I looked back at the perfectly clear stallion, who was still singing sadly. He got to the main chorus as I joined him. My voice was raspy, but I kept going. He looked up at me, his pacific blue eyes meeting my golden sunset eyes. He smiled wiping tears from his face, and he hugged me. "Derpy! You're alive!!!" the British accent was strong, sad, and happy at once. I hugged back and said, "Yes, I'm still alive Docy." He let go and looked at me in confusion. He had never heard me call him "Docy" before. I giggled slightly and said with confidence, "You sure look cute when you're confused." We embraced one last time a and I remembered something. "Doctor?" "Yes?" "Where's Dinky?" "Who's Dinky?" Doctor asked me confused once again. My heart sank, now knowing I had never had adopted a filly. I could've sworn I had, though. He laughed. "W-why are you laughing?" "I'm just messing with you! She's in the TARDIS worried about you. Jack is watching her and her little colt friend, Pip, is there, too. He's trying to comfort her," said Doc, who was still crying happy tears. "Also, why did you call me 'Docy' earlier?" "Long story. Let's say that it was a long, happy dream I was having," I said, smiling remembering the details of the way he danced at my dream gala, the way he said "I do" at the wedding, and all the times he's smiled at me. Knowing that it was just a dream all this time made me angry and sad. My dreams may never really come true after all. I sighed unknowingly. "Something wrong...Muffin?" he asked. My eyes widened at the nickname he had just given me. "H-how did you...why did you call me that?" I asked, still shocked. "Oh, I peeked into you're head a couple times to check on you. Those dreams you've been having were rather nice. Baking muffins, Dinky getting into advanced magic school, all that stuff. I heard the nickname once from my voice and decided I'd try it out. Kinda suits you, now that I said it aloud," he said. I got nervous. How much did he see? "Doc? How much of my dreams did you see?" I asked. "Not too much. Just little bits and pieces. I assume I called you Muffin cause you made muffins so much, but I don't know." I sighed with relief and put my head back down. I was so glad he didn't know my secret crush on him. Then I remembered something else. "Also, what is this about me being cute when I'm confused, Ditzy, hm?" "Oh...uhh...it's nothing. I promise!" I lied, my face was heating up, the beeps behind me steadily increasing. Doc noticed this and smiled. "You like me, don't you, Derpy?" "N-n-no!! I do not!!" I protested. I was red as a tomato at this point, my heart racing and head throbbing. I let out an "ow" then Doc hugged me once more. It would've been fine, but this hug felt different. As if he put some extra emotion into it. Was he feeling the same way I was? I looked at his face and saw his usual light brown coat was turning a bright red. I giggled and he just looked back up at me and my tomato red face. "I was about to do something no pony, or timelord, had ever done. The doctors gave you another two days to wake up, otherwise they'd take you off of this machine that's keeping you alive right now. I was so worried, I'd find some way to give you my regenerative abilities, but I couldn't find out how to, so only time would tell. I stayed here waiting to see your golden eyes again, and here they are. Looking at me along with that smile of yours," he said. I couldn't stop blushing. He really did like me as more than a companion. He thought I was pretty, and frankly, I thought he was cute myself. I told myself that I must still be dreaming. That this isn't really happening. It was, and I was in for a wake up call. He leaned in while I wasn't paying attention and he kissed me. The stallion if my dreams kissing me! I was truly happy! I knew for sure this wasn't a dream, and all my pains just left my mind. My head throbbing, my rising heart rate, everything left. All that mattered was him, nothing else. I kissed him back, not realizing that Nurse Redheart was trotting in. I only noticed when she screamed in delight. We broke up in shock and stared at her. My face turned red of embarrassment. The Nurse called in the doctors and nurses that were around, presumably ones who had treated me, and they came running. As soon as they saw me, they all squealed and cheered. The mare given two more days and a five percent chance of recovery was awake. She was happy, and I knew that all these ponies cared about me. Doc and I looked at each other once more and grinned. > Chapter 15: Recovery Sessions > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Doc held me up and I wobbled a bit, not having been on my hooves in a year. The whole scenario was awkward, but with him by my side, I knew that it was okay. I took a few steps forward, backward, and I opened my wings to try and fly. The doctors said that I should be able to get my body off the ground and hover, but I couldn't. I was disappointed, the only thing that helped me with my job wasn't working. The next day, Rainbow Dash came in and helped coach me back to flight. She taught me all the usual flight camp basics, like wing form, speed, and control of breath. I managed to do so fairly quickly and before I knew it, I was going up and down the recovery halls like I used to. I thanked her and she grinned at me before flying back out the hospital. I flew slowly back to my recovery office where Doc and my primary recovery doctor, Dr. Stallinburg, was waiting. I took a seat next to Doc and he wrapped his hoof around me, trying to pull it off a stretch and yawn. I rolled my eyes and thought, "that's the oldest trick in the book, Doc." "Miss Doo?" the doctor asked me. I looked up at him and answered in a calm tone, "Yes, Doctor Stallinburg?" "You seem to be recovering quite quickly, and it seems you are a tad more confident than what you used to. Is your head still throbbing?" "No, not as much anyways. And I do seem to be recovering pretty fast aren't I?" I said. "That's great news! And yes it sure does seem that way," said Doctor Stallinburg. My Doctor looked down at me and smiled. He was glad that I was recovering so quickly. He'd get his companion back, and he may ask me out sometime. I hoped that he did! The rest of the day was pretty much uneventful, aside from more walking recovery exercises. I was to stay another day before I could be released. Doc was hugging me so hard that I was afraid he'd make me stay another month with a broken limb. I got him off of me and he apologized. I forgave him and laid back down, the Doctor never leaving my room. He yawned when I did, and I figured he was tired as well. He hasn't slept is weeks and I was getting worried about him. He woke me up the next day as I playfully smacked his face a few times as if I was searching for the snooze button on an alarm clock. He smiled and laughed at me, and so did I. We were happy together and it was the day he'd take me back home! > Chapter 16: End of Recovery > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- That day was one of the best of my life! Nurse Redheart threw me a party that Pinkie Pie planned, wishing me luck in the real world again. There was a cake, gifts, and balloons scattered in my recovery room. I stepped on something and a small party cannon went off, spewing confetti and streamers all over me. I laughed and then everypony came out from behind the desk. They all hugged me and some were even crying, especially Nurse Redheart. She was my primary nurse who came to check on me every day! She made sure I was doing okay, fed me through tubes, and gave me water. She was a really kind pony who takes care of her patients really well. I smiled at the sight of Dinky running to me and practically toppling me. She was taller than I remembered, and she had her cutie mark. It was a set of five light yellow stars and a book with a pink ribbon coming out of one of the many pages. Her horn glowed a hot pink with a few golden waves as she levitated a present to me. I opened it and it was her acceptance firm into the Canterlot Academy for Gifted Unicorns. I was crying happy tears at this point. My little pony being a part of Celestia's possible students! I congratulated her on her achievement and hugged her tightly. She hugged back and I kissed her forehead. Pip came running in levitating a gift about a few inches long and wide. It was about half a foot tall. He handed me glowing golden box and I grabbed it, it's golden glow fading as his horn did. It was a blue box with gold and silver ribbon. I opened it and it was a fold out picture frame with a picture of Pip and Dinky with Doc and Jack in the Everfree forest, a large deer behind them with a sign above them reading "Welcome Travelers to Forest City". I instantly recognized the deer as Tree Titan from my dream. He wrote a note on the back. Dear Derpy Hooves, Your family is a great bunch and I wish to have y'all back soon. Get well soon and I'll be sure to let the village know about your recovery if and when it happens. Sincerely, Tree Titan, I smiled then laughed rereading it. His tone seemed far more southern in this form than what I had seen and heard in my dream. I flipped the picture back over and put it in the frame once more. I noticed Zimbaubi and Chord together next to Dinky. They were smiling as if to wish me luck in my recovery. I started to cry again. I wasn't even bothered by the fact that these ponies were real, I just knew they cared about me. I heard a familiar voice, but the hoof steps were unlike anything I had ever heard before. Hard, hollow-ish, and nearly wooden sounding. I heard a slight high pitched screech and more of the hollow hoof steps. A normal pony, or so I thought, was with them. I assumed it was just a bare hooved stallion or mare walking by, but the brownish mare opened the door and said, "There she is!" I smiled recognizing her voice and turned to see not one, but four ponies walking in. The oldest mare, presumably the mother, came up to me, said hello, and trotted off taking a chance to slide a gift onto the desk which was now full of recovery presents. The father, a grey deer with horns that were a light sand tone, came up and shook my hoof. His hoof was a darker grey than his body and it felt cold to the touch. It was hard and solid and had no fur to cover it. I introduced myself to the couple and Chord came up to me. Her eyes reminded me of Pinkie Pie, the shape of them anyways. Three curved lashes on top, three below, and totally round like an oval. Her brown eyes met with my golden ones and she smiled, revealing the smallest of fangs. I was startled at first, but relaxed looking back at her family. They must've been there because of her mom, a bat pony who was named Mafia. The father, Night Chord, looked to his son, a dark purple stallion about the same size as Dinky, and nudged him. His midnight blue mane whipped as his head turned and his ears were much fluffier than the average pony's ears. His eyes had a slit pupil which contracted and widened at will. His cutie mark was a piece of paper with a mustache on it. Behind it was a cross bones and in front was a pencil lying down across the paper. I thought that the cutie mark was different than what I had seen in my dream, but shrugged it off. He walked over to me, his dark purple wings opening revealing small claw-like figures being projected out of the folds. I saw thicker ridges leading up to these claws and recognized them as bones. He shook my hoof and introduced himself as Midnight Wing. He had some clay in his hooves as he started to flap his wings to keep balance. The shape of the clay was unbelievable! It was a miniature sculpted version of Celestia. He sat down and started to use his clawed wings to make designs and small details in the clay figure. Chord got something out and played a tune. I didn't recognize the instrument until I turned to see a silver trumpet up to her mouth, her hooves holding the instrument as her wings pushed the valves. She played a tune that sounded graceful and everypony in the room applauded when she finished up. She put the trumpet in her case and gave it to her dad. "So, Miss Hooves?" said the mother. Her coat was a light teal color, her mane a slightly darker brown shade that her daughter's. There was a dirty blonde streak down the middle. Her darker teal wings resembled Mindnight's, the claws, folds of skin, and bone structure. I noticed something about Midnight then. He had two stubs on his head, I assumed horns. His fangs hung out of his mouth as he worked on his mini Celestia. The mother, Mafia, looked at me, showing blue green eyes. I answered her and we had a conversation for a few minutes. Everypony else enjoyed some cake and chatted amongst themselves. The nurses kept looking at the two odd ball siblings who were sitting together. Chord was drawing a beautiful landscape of her home. Midnight still kept working on the Celestia, not making eye contact with anypony. Mafia finished saying her sentence and asked me about the Doctor. "So, this Doctor that came to our village told me that he kinda liked you. You feel the same about him?" My mind drifted to the kiss a few days prior. My face turned red and Mafia chuckled to herself. "What?" I asked, not noticing the red on my face. "You're just turning a lovely shade of red Derpy! I take that as a yes?" I looked down at my muzzle and saw the red, then I looked I the nearby mirror and blushed a deeper red. My face looked like a tomato, but I say back down next to Mafia and nodded. She giggled and told me that it was okay to be a little embarrassed, but not to let it get in the way of anything. I took her advice and continued to talk. I heard Night Chord come up behind me and Mafia said bye to me before leaving with her husband. The two got Chord and Midnight and started to head out. I called out, "Wait!" Chord looked back at me and so did Mafia. Midnight, not paying attention, bumped into the door. Night helped his so as Chord and Mafia came up to me. "What?" they said in unison. "Don't you wanna see me open my gift from you?" I said. "Oh right the gift!" said Mafia. Chord looked at me and nodded, a smile coming into her face. "Alright everypony, present time!" Doctor called out as soon as I told him about wanting to open the gifts. I picked up the first one I saw, a green bag with white glittery tissue inside. I opened it and it was a wing brace, a muffin recipe book, a dress, a wrapped up apple fritter, a mini party set, and a stuffed bunny. There was a note attached to the book. Dear Derpy, We got you a few things you thought you may want. Sorry we couldn't make it to the party, but if you ever need anything, just give us a call and we'll be happy to help. Have a great recovery and a long happy life from now. Sincerely, Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity Belle, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy, I smiled and put the various things back in the bag, being extremely cautious of the fritter. I set the bag behind me and grabbed the next gift. It was a purple box with pink and brown spotted ribbon. I opened it to reveal a set of baking supplies. The tag read, "To: Ditzy Doo, From: Nurse Redheart" and as if on cue, she came up behind me and said, "I know you love to make muffins, so I got you a new set of baking supplies." I thanked her, hugged her, then set the things in a bag that the Doctor had handed me to put all the gifts in. It took about another half hour before I had finally gotten to the gist that Mafia left. I opened it and it was a necklace of beautiful rocks, some small macaroni beads, and some wooden hoof carved letters spelling my name. I put it on and started to tear up. "Thank you! Thank you all so much for coming! Thank you nurses and doctors for treating me and helping me get back on my hooves. This has been a wild time this past week, and I know that I will be forever grateful for your kind and generous nature towards me on my journey back to health!" I said, choking up. Doctor hugged me and everypony applauded. Chord and Mafia both had a tear sting from their eyes. Once they had felt like they were good to go, Chord came up to me and said, "Good luck, Derpy. Not just with recovery, but with your Doctor. He's a really nice guy and I think you took look adorable together!" I blushed and said, "Thanks." ~~~~~IF YOU SKIPPED, CONTINUE READING HERE!~~~~~~~~ It was another hour before the guests left and all that was left was a couple nurses, me, Doc, Pip, and Dinky. We all started to clean up and once the office was cleared, we left. It was about one in the afternoon and I had an hour of check sessions. They needed to be sure that I was well enough to leave the hospital. Doctor waited outside the room for me as I took my check up tests. Flight, walking, trotting, galloping, and a few other things that needed to be examined. They checked my head, my right hind hoof, my left wing, and my spine to be sure I had recovered entirely from the incident. Once I was done, Doctor Stallinburg said, "Alright Miss. Doo, you're free to go. You've recovered well and your broken limbs have been healed." I tilted my head at "broken limbs". "Wait, I broke my wing and leg?" I asked. "Yes you did. They've been recovered for a few weeks, even before you woke up. I just decided to give them one last look just in case if something had happened. Now run along. You can leave the hospital now," said Doctor Stallinburg. I nodded and walked out of the room. Doctor stopped pacing and looked at me and asked if I could go. "Yes. I can go now. Dinky and Pip alright?" I said as I started to walk down the hallway towards the exit. "Oh, yes. They're with Jack in the TARDIS now waiting for us," said Doctor, trotting to catch up with me. I sped up and before I knew it, we were racing to the door. A doctor stopped us and told us not to run in the building. I hung my head glumly and said, "Yes, ma'am." Doctor looked at her and nodded in agreement. The doctor who had stopped us trotted off, levitating her notepad for a patient named Lemon Drops. We trotted outside and got into the TARDIS where I was greeted by a blue pegasus and two young unicorns. I hesitated for a moment then asked Doctor something. "Doc? Why is Pipsqueak in the TARDIS exactly?" "Oh, he knows about all this. It's nothing to worry about. Anyways, Dinky, mind telling your mother what happened between you and your friend here?" Doctor said, glancing at Dinky and Pip. "Well, mom, you see, we were just hanging out one day and he said..." Dinky paused made nudging Pip. "Oh, I said, "So, Dinky, you maybe wanna hang out again sometime?" I didn't realize it at first, but I was blushing as I said it. I stuttered a little before I got the words out of my mouth," said Pip. "So, I agreed to it and the next time we hung out, he said something under his breath I couldn't hear. I used my magic to make him repeat himself when I got closer. He said, "Oh Dinky Doo, if only you knew how much I loved you," and I had blushed terribly. Pip was oblivious to the spell I casted and blushed, too. We shared a laugh at how red we were getting and I asked him if he would mind going out to the movies or something. At that point he'd forgotten what he said earlier and stared at me. He laughed and said, "Are you kidding? You can't be serious, right?" I just shook my head and said, "Does it look like I'm kidding, Pip?" So, here we are," explained Dinky. I hugged her and Pip at once and said, "Honey, I'm so proud of you! You got a colt friend!" Pip and Dinky blushed, probably of embarrassment. "M-mom! Stop that! You're embarrassing me!" Dinky exclaimed. I chuckled and let the two be while I talked to Jack. We chatted for what felt like only twenty minutes, but we stayed up chatting for hours! It was time for Pip to go home and before he stepped out, Dinky grabbed him with her magic and made a move. Pip was blushing red as a tomato and looked shocked. Dinky broke away from him and her face was becoming red, too. She simply giggled and said, "Pip, when somepony kisses you, you should kiss them back." She punched his arm playfully, but he stood not moving. "Um, Pip? You okay?" I asked concerned. No response. "Mom. I think I broke him," Dinky said. "I don't think so, what's he afraid of?" "Um...I think he's afraid of bananas," Dinky replied. "I mean, he ran away from me during lunch this one time as I peeled a banana to eat it." "Hm...strange fear but alright. You have one?" I asked. "I think so. Lemme check," Dinky said, looking in her lunch box. She pulled out the yellow fruit and waved it in front of Pipsqueak. "Pip! I gotta banana!" she said as she continued to wave it around his face. He blinked and jumped back. "GET THAT THING AWAY FROM ME!!" he screamed. Dinky put the banana in her box again. "That actually worked?" I asked, surprised. "What worked? Last thing I remember was Dinky kissing me before she pulled out that devil fruit!" Pip said, giving a slightly angry glance at Dinky. "I can explain, Pip. You see, I broke off and was just messing with ya but you didn't answer me or my mom. We got worried and she told me to use something you're afraid of to get you back to normal. Forgive me please Pippy?" Dinky said, giving Pip an adorable face he couldn't refuse. "Ooh...I can't stay mad at you forever Dinks!" said Pip, hugging her. "By the way, Dinky, you're a really good kisser. That your first?" Dinky blushed, "Y-yeah. That's my first kiss. And I am?" "Yeah, at least I would think so. I've never kissed anypony either. You're my first mare friend, so..." Pipsqueak said, but he didn't finish his sentence. "Oh Celestia! I'm gonna be late for dinner! Bye Dinky, Doctor, Derpy, Jack. I'll see you all tomorrow I guess," said Pip rushing out the door, using a teleportation spell to get him home in time for dinner. I laughed and looked at Dinky sternly. "Are you mad about me kissing him?" Dinky said worriedly. I didn't respond, I just stepped closer to her, and closer, and closer. She was on the wall panicking. "Don't hurt me mom!" she exclaimed. I raised my hoof, then hugged her. "I was just picking, Dinky! I wouldn't hurt you after your very first kiss! I'm so proud of you!" I said, comforting her. "M-mom. Don't ever do that again!" "Okay, I promise I won't," I said, motioning the Pinkie Promise. Dinky looked up at me and then to Doctor who was shocked by my filly's recent action. "You...actually had the courage to kiss him?" Doctor asked Dinky. "Yes, I guess I did! I didn't even realize I was doing it until I really was. I don't know why I didn't know what I was doing, but I did it!" Dinky said, squealing of excitement. "Okay little filly, I think that's enough excitement for one day," I said, pointing to her bedroom. "Time to go to bed, Dinky." "But mom! I can't sleep like this!" Dinky said. "Dinky, listen to your mother," Doc said as sternly as a father would. "Okay dad..." said Dinky. It was like my dream where Dinky called the Doctor dad. She really did see him as a father figure. I yawned and said, "Momma needs sleep, too. Today was a pretty big day for me." I started towards the room I usually sleep in. Doctor grabbed my shoulder and I turned. "What? Something wrong?" "N-no..nothing just I feel like you should let Jack sleep somewhere other than the couch in the living area. I let him sleep in your room while you were at the hospital that whole year. You can sleep in my room. I don't sleep much anyways, so I don't mind at-" he couldn't finish before I jumped in. "So, you want me to sleep in your bed?!" I said. "Well, yes. It's comfortable and I rarely use it. So, you wanna do that?" Doctor said. "YES! I-I mean...yes. That'd be great. Thank you," I said, trying to keep calm. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I walked into the room after setting my bag down. I looked at the calendar and realized that the gala was in a couple of weeks. Doc came in behind me and caught me looking at the calendar. "Something wrong, Ditzy?" "Oh. No, nothing. It's nothing at all," I lied. My face was beginning to heat up a small bit. He trotted up next to me and took note of the gala. "Oh, yes. This reminds me!" Doctor said opened the drawer on the far side of the room and pulled out something that I couldn't see. He came back with his hooves together. I was confused, but I let whatever would happen happen. "So, Ditzy, about that gala thing, would you mind...do you wanna...ugh!" Doctor said. He was acting like a nervous wreck! He was sweating, his face was turning a deep red, and he stuttered and had difficulty saying things. I then realized what he was trying to do, and my face turned as red as his was. "You want me to...go to the gala...with you?!" I said. I couldn't believe that it was happening! "Y-yes?" Doctor said, hesitantly. He was probably worried I would say no, but the idea of saying no to such a stallion was preposterous! How could I say no to him! "OMIGOSH YES!!" I squealed. I couldn't contain my excitement and I didn't care that I screamed. I embraced his with a tight hug. "G-great! You're...a really strong gripper, you know..." Doctor said, his face going from red to blue to purple. I didn't realize until he had passed out. "Oops..." I said. I went to get a cup of cold water and an emergency pear. I came back and poured the water on his face. He woke up gasping. "You ok Docy?" I asked. "Y-yeah. Thank you, Ditzy," he said just as he took notice of the pear in my hoof. "AAAAH!!" he screeched like a young filly on Nightmare Night arriving at the scariest house on the block or when Luna pays a visit in her Nightmare Moon costume. I laughed and comforted him by saying that they were not real. It was plastic and used for emergency situations. He sighed relieved that it wasn't real. I got in bed and Doc tucked me in like my dad used to when I was little. I blushed as he planted a soft kiss on my cheek. As he walked out, he turned off the lights. The hour glass figures in the glass cases lit up dimly and changed colors smoothly and slowly in a relaxing manor. I yawned and fell asleep after a few minutes. > Chapter 17: First Day Home > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I woke up to a somewhat familiar smell. I opened my eyes to see myself in somepony else's bed. It had clock and hourglass designs and the pillow was a print of the same design. The design was plastered on a navy blue color. I saw the glass panes at the front of the room on either side of the door, each emitting a dim light. I immediately remember what had happen the night before and sighed of relief. I got up after a few moments and brushed my mane. It lay flat for a moment before it popped back to its natural state. I stretched my wings out to the full extent and bent over to do my usual morning stretches. I remembered one thing that Doctor Stallinburg told me, "You can't work at the post office for a few weeks, at least not the delivery. It is to be sure that you are recovered entirely and that you are capable to doing tasks like that again." I grunted as I had half gotten my uniform on. I took it off sadly and put it in my bag again. I looked at the calendar. Grand Galloping Gala: 5-12 I smiled remembering that Doc and I were planning on going. Maybe I'd tell him how I felt there. If he didn't say anything at least. Then I remembered something. "Oh...my....I didn't think about this! He's already kissed me when I woke up!" I said to myself. I turned to face opposite of what I was facing previously. "He may have done that because he was just being excited!" "But he's hugged me so many times! And you can't say that that one hug was a normal friendship hug either!" "But it was. He was just being a bit emotional and dramatic. He doesn't know you like him and you don't know either!" I heard three ponies walk in on my argument with myself. Fortunately the Doctor never heard the rest of it, but he heard just the muffled yells through the walls. He probably thought I was insane! I honestly felt like I was as I was being split apart, my optimism and negativity butting heads in my mind. I looked over at them and tilted me head. "What?" "N-nothing mom. You were just umm..arguing with yourself?" Dinky said. > Chapter 18: Gala Dress > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I flew out of the TARDIS doors to head to Ponyville. It wasn't too far away, so I didn't mind the short flight. I walked into Rarity's boutique to pick up my order for my gala dress. "Rarity? You home?" No response from the unicorn I was searching for. I figured she was asleep, seeing as it was around nine in the morning. I knocked again and a bright green glow illuminated inside the window as the door opened to the boutique. "Oh, hello Sweetie Belle! How are you this morning?" I asked. She had her mane done in a ponytail and her flank bared a new cutiemark. It was the shield and a music note. "Oh, hi Derpy! I'm good, thanks. How's about yourself?" asked the mid sized pony. "I'm great, thanks. Recovery has gone well and I can fly well. I can't remember some things like the recipe for Banana Berry muffins or Blueberry, which is sad cause I love Blueberry muffins!" I said. "Sorry about that Derpy. Well, come inside! It's a bit chilly out there," said Sweetie Belle. A small brown colt came up holding a GameColt sysem. He had a propellor hate and his mane were a lighter shade of orangey brown than his coat. "Hello, Button Mash. How we you?" I said as I walked inside the boutique. "I'm good Derpy. You doin okay after recovery?" Button asked, putting the GameColt away in it's case. I nodded and asked why he was at the Carousel Boutique. "My mom got cancer last week and had Rarity take me in. She's been in the hospital undergoing a kidney transplant. They're having a hard time finding a donor with her blood type of O negative. She can't take blood from anypony other than that of her own, at least that's what the doctors told me," said Button, starting to choke up. "But I've been okay here, ever since Sweetie and I have been a thing." "That's so sad Button. I'm so sorry about your mom. I hope she does well. And that's great! You two are an item?" I said, pointing a hoof between the two ponies. "Well, yea! He asked me to be his marefriend one day when we got milkshakes. Here we are ten months later!" said Sweetie Belle, embracing her colt friend into a hug. He happily hugged her back and after a moment they let go of each other. "Derpy! Oh thank goodness you're here! I have your order ready upstairs!" Rarity called from the steps. Her mane was a bit messy, but otherwise she was her usual picture perfect self. Her makeup on point and coat groomed. "Morning Rarity. I see you've been asleep," I said as I walked up the stairs. "Heavens no! I've been up working since late last night. I took a couple naps in between my work, but otherwise I've been working nonstop on your dress to make absolute certain your onehundred percent satisfied with it!" Rarity said levitating a comb through her mane. "Oh you didn't have to do all that. I could've waited another day or two. After all the gala isn't until this Saturday, which is almost three days from now!" "Darling, this is fashion! Besides, if I waited and it wasn't to your liking I would have no time on my hooves to redesign the dress. Also I have me and my friends' dresses to worry about too. It was no trouble at all dear Derpy," Rarity said, finishing her mane. "Okay, I see your point," I said. "Now, what do you think?" Rarity levitated a maniquin with my dress to the middle of the room. I stared in awe at the dress in front of me. "It's perfect! Thank you Rarity!" "It was my pleasure darling. I also heard you had somepony going with you, somepony special perhaps?" Rarity said, winking. "You mean the Doctor? Yeah, why?" I asked as I started to try take the dress into the fitting area. "I've heard you have a thing for the stallion. He is easy on the eyes, so I don't blame you," Rarity said. "I think that you misunderstand this relationship we have. You see-" I never finished my thought. "Wait, relationship!" Rarity exclaimed, nearly making her voice crack out of its usual British flare. I blushed realizing what I had just said. "N-no! Not like that Rarity!" I argued. "So he and you are friends?" Rarity asked in a tone that told me she didn't believe me. "Yes. Just friends going to hang out at the gala. It's nothing more or less. Just. Friends," I said. "Alright. I see...but I can't help but notice that your face is a delightful shade of pink now," Rarity said looking at me. I had gotten the dress on and my face was burning up pink. My ears felt like they were the same way. "I-I am?" "Yes. Yes you are. Now be honest Derpy. Do you like him as more than a friend or not?" Rarity asked me. "N...yes..I do. He's all I think about. Even in my coma I only thought about him. Even having a whole dream about a relationship I fantasized with him! We were going to be married, but I woke up right before the kiss happened," I said reluctantly. Rarity stared at me. "What?" "Darling...I thought I knew what love was, but I apparently didn't! You are truly in love with this Doctor, aren't you?" Rarity said. "Yes. I'd trade all the muffins in the world for him. If it meant he'd be happy, I'd do anything. And what do you mean 'you thought you knew love'?" I asked her. "I always had crushes on ponies, like Trenderhoof and BlueBlood. It never lasted long and I moved on fairly easily. I guess it was just a silly filly crush, but never a true feeling of love or connection," Rarity said glumly. She gasped, "Derpy! I know what you must do! You must tell him how you feel before somepony else does! The gala is the perfect opportunity! Take it and he may actually like you back!" "Rarity, it's awkward now. We aren't dating, but he's already kissed me when I woke up! I thought it was just him being excited, but I don't know for certain. What do I do!" I exclaimed. "Darling he's kissed you! On the lips!?" "Yes!!" "Darling he probably does like you!" Rarity said just as excited as I was the moment he did kiss me. "Maybe, but knowing him, he probably was just excited," I said, blushed deep red. "He likes you, no doubt, but you could ask him at the gala to be certain if you so desire." "I will," I said remembering the gala dream I had in my year of coma. I sighed and took off my dress. Rarity levitated it and put it in a bag. "You said something earlier Rarity about him?" "Easy on the eyes?" Rarity asked. "No, before that," I said "Oh yes, I made him a tuxedo for the event. I hope he likes it, but it's nothing too extreme. A simple modern British type with the tail. Would you like to see it?" Rarity explained. "That'd be nice, thank you," I replied. She led me out of the room. I was flying holding the bagged dress in my hooves. "Here it is! What do you think?" Rarity said, opening a curtain to a tuxedo of her description. I noticed that the tail would reach the floor in its current state. "Rarity, do you mind trimming the tail down a smidge? It's a bit long," I said. "Sure thing darling," said Rarity, her horn illuminating as she cast a spell on the tuxedo. "An inch or two, Miss Doo?" "Um, maybe a half foot will do." "Alright, six inches off the tail we go!" Rarity said, her horn lit up bright. I shielded my eyes from the blinding light of her horn. When I opened my eyes, the tail was shorter, fully stitched and unwrinkled. I looked at Rarity, whose mane was messy and her horn smoking the massive exertion of magical energy. It was like my dream with the wedding dress. "Rarity! Are you alright!" I said, seeing her a little shaky. "Never better. Anyways, that is a new spell Twilight and I have been preparing for ages! She calls it 'Spell 23R' which I believe stands for Rarity! I am 23 years old after all," Rarity said, getting up shakily. I helped her up and got her to her room to lay down. "Thank you Derpy. Have the suits on me. You move had a rough week so far and I know you don't have a job to work at for now," Rarity said. "Are you sure? I have a few bits that you can take for your work!" "No no, it's on me. Have them!" "Well, alright Rarity. Thank you for your generosity!" She giggled at me and said, "Darling, that's why I represent the Element of Generosity!" I left after a small charge with Sweetie Belle and Button Mash. As I walked into the TARDIS, I was surprised by confetti and balloons all around me! > Chapter 19: Birthday Bash > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The confetti covered my mane and tail. I fluffed my wings to get the confetti from between my feathers. Then I heard another explosion if confetti as several ponies trotted out from the various doors around the main area. "Happy Birthday, Derpy!" all the ponies shouted at once. "Aw! You all did this for me?" I asked, remembering it was my birthday. "Yes, we did. You deserved this! You missed it last year, so this year were throwing a bigger, better party than what we had planned for you last year!" a cream colored pony said, her blue and pink mane bouncing her curls. "Bon Bon, you planned this?" "No, Pinkie Pie did. She can't come inside the TARDIS, though. So she can't attend this one. She's fine with it anyways, since she has a young filly party to plan across town," Bon Bon explained. "Oh, ok then. I forgot it was my birthday today, to be honest with you." "It's ok, Derpy. That piano got ya pretty hard a year back," said Lyra, who had gotten punched by Bon Bon after the words escaped her mouth. "Ow! Bon, what the hay!" "Piano? What piano?" I asked. I then remembered the clipboard in my hospital room. "I got in a coma cause of a piano delivery?" Everypony nodded, Dinky, Lyra, and Vinyl used their magic to creat a screen of sorts. Dinky was the one who conjured the film, or at least what would be a film. It showed me, my boss, and a few of my friends from work, Hurricane Blitz, Rain Fury, and Night Cloud, all at the back of a flying delivery carriage. There was a large, black, glossy grand piano in the load. Rain and Night, the siblings of the group, had a grip on the back end whilst me and Hurricane had the part with the keys. Hurricane was new to delivery at that point, so he was pretty nervous, as it was clearly obvious by the large amount of sweat beading on his forehead and hooves. The piano slipped and I glanced at Hurricane, who was early glistening in the sunlight due to the sweat of both the heat and his nervousness. I rolled my eyes and said, "You, Hurricane! You need a towel?" I mostly said it as a joke and I laughed with the siblings on the back end. Hurricane glared at me, grunted, and kept flying. My boss, Free Fall, was leading us to the new Ponyville musicians club. Octavia greeted me with a smile as I carried the piano to the third floor balcony where Free Fall was leading us. Hurricane's grip slipped numerous times as me and the siblings shared nervous looks. Vinyl came onto the scene with her bass cannon and decided to blast it. Hurricane shrieked at let go of the piano, as well as Night Cloud, who had sensitive ears. Me and Rain tried desperately to hang on as Free Fall tried to get the piano up, but it was no use. The piano slipped from Rain's hooves and landed on my back left hoof. I tried to fly out of the path of the piano, but it hit my head hard as I fell limp to the ground that was stories below me. I landed in a ditch, luckily, so my body's vital parts stayed in tact, but my wing wasn't so lucky. It fell just outside the ditch and got slammed on. I saw white and knew instantly that it was bone. I gagged seeing the scene that was me a year ago. Octavia and Vinyl instantly started calling my name while Hurricane was obviously in a panic, the scene around him was unlike anything he'd gone through in flight delivery training! Rain called for help, her voice cracking everywhere as she yelled the word "help" repeatedly. Night but his hooves and shortly after the incident, started calling for help as well. They flew as fast as they could to the nearest hospital to got a medical team while Hurricane Blitz and Free Fall had at it in an argument. I thought, "Why are they arguing in a time like that!" After another couple of minutes, the tape ended. The three unicorns let their horns' glow leave them as they panted from the massive amount of energy they had used. "T-that's how it happened?" I asked, nearly terrified. Vinyl nodded and started to profusely apologize, saying it was her fault. "Derpy, it's my fault! I shouldn't have set off my bass cannon there! I'm so sorry Derpy! I'm so so sorry!!" Vinyl said. She was on the verge of tears, her voice cracked and choked. "Vinyl, no. I can't blame you for this! You didn't do that! It's not your fault! Don't cry, please!" I said, nearly crying too. Octavia hugged Vinyl and started to whisper soothing things into her ear to calm her down. Vinyl reached back and hugged her back. "O-okay. If you say it's alright..i-it's alright," Vinyl said, reluctantly. "Well why are we so sad at a birthday party! I got a guacamole sombrero I wanna try this time!!" Doctor said, cheerfully. It was so cute how he ran to get the filled guacamole and tortilla chip hat. "ARRRIIIBAAAAAAA!!" We all shared a laugh at the return of the Doctor's humor. That's one thing my dream was missing! The randomness the Doctor had. I missed it so dearly. "Well, if you put it like that, OLAY!!" I yelled back. I laughed as he took my arm, placed a sombrero on my head as well, and proceeded to do a salsa. Or, well, what I assumed was the salsa. With hooves he obviously had troubles. I laughed and helped him through the pony steps. He got it soon an enough and we enjoyed the rest of the night. Through the Latino music played by Lyra, Octavia, and Vinyl, everypony danced the night away. Little did I know, there was a banging from the added room at the end of the hallway for Dinky's old school supplies, which called for help. > Chapter 20: Average Morning > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I woke up Saturday morning to a beaming smile from Dinky. Her grin was somewhat unsettling, but the huge adorable eyes made it impossible to be uncomfortable. I laughed and got up from the bed. I turned to see Doc on the hoof of the bed asleep. He was curled up like a cute little kitten. Dinky and I walked out of the room to the kitchen to start breakfast. My legs were a bit wobbly and my head ached a bit, but I shrugged it off and continued my baking and cooking. "Oh, morning Ditzy! Guess what day it is!" Doctor said, trotting happily into the kitchen. He proceeded to put Dinky on his back and carry her around whilst she giggled furiously waving her hooves around. I laughed and gave a two word response. "Gala day?" "Gala day!" he said joyously. "Mommy, look at my new trick!" Dinky said, now being back on her hooves. "Ok, it'll take a few minutes before the muffins are ready anyways, so knock yourself out!" I said, turning towards my enthusiastic daughter. Her horn started glowing with it's unique pink and gold aura as she began to levitate herself. She was flying around the kitchen like I did when I was younger. Back when my dad would grab me out of the air when he got home and swing me around in his arms. He would nuzzle my mane and get it all ruffled as I giggled furiously. My mom would be baking while my dad told me stories in the living room. I missed them so much and I didn't even notice when I began to shed tears. "Mommy? Are you okay?" Dinky asked, hovering in my face. "Uh...what? Yeah I'm fine Dinky. I just thought about my parents again," I said. "Your parents? I rather believe I never heard much about them, Derpy. If you don't feel comfortable about saying anything, it's quite alri-" Doctor started saying when I interrupted him. "I have told you about my parents...Rain Cloud and Gusty Winds. Don't you remember? Wait, of course you'd remember! You never forget things!" I said. "Oh...alright. Come t-to mention it I do remember n-n-now. It just slipped my mind for a second," he said, adding a slightly suspicious laugh to it. I was about to question him when my attention was drawn to the oven. The alarm rang and I trotted over to it to let the muffins out. "Wow, Doc is acting quite weird lately. Should I question him about it?" I thought. Pip, having had a TARDIS key by then, walking in, locking the door again. Jack also got up and trotted in himself. "Oh, hi Jack! How's your day been going?" Pip said, just walking into the kitchen with Jack. "The way it usually is when I wake up from a dream like that...splendid!" Jack said. I rolled my eyes thinking, "Well what mare or stallion did he dream sleep with last night?" "Okay then. I certainly hope you don't mind me taking Dinky out to Sugar Cube Corner this morning for pancakes, don't you Ms. Doo?" Pip asked me. I sighed, knowing that Dinky and Pip were a good fourteen years old by this point. I smiled and nodded my head. "Go ahead, I trust you two won't cause Pinkie too much trouble!" I said. Dinky lowered herself down from her magic flying trick and trotted over to Pipsqueak. Her cheeks flushed lightly as the two teens trotted out the door, locking it back behind them. "Are you sure that's a good idea? Letting two fourteen year olds out on their own like that?" Doc asked me. "It's fine! In a couple years, is she goes for the usual way of things, she'll want to move out! I don't want her too, but she might," I reassured him. I wondered how he wouldn't know about that after being with Dinky and Pipsqueak for ten months now. "Any who, are you two ready for the gala tonight?" Jack asked in the silence. "You bet! I've been waiting all week for this!" I said, setting the cooled muffins out on plates. "Well, somepony is a little eager to spend some time with the Doctor!" Jack said, winking at me. "I-I don't know what you're talking about! We're going as friends!" I said, though I doubt my red face conquered with my argument. "Well, I know I'm ready to go. Though I don't have a suit," Doctor said. "Oh that reminds me! Rarity made you a suit!" I said, excited. I ran to the bedroom and got a large bag. "Really, she did?" Doc asked when I got back in. I swear if I went faster I'd make a rainboom! "Yep!" > Chapter 21: At The Gala > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next few hours were mostly uneventful, say for the Doctor trying his suit on. I swore I heard banging, but the Doctor only went towards the source whilst Jack and I sat in my old bedroom. When Doc came back, the noise was gone. I wanted to question him, but the bell rang on the new TARDIS alarming system. It's like one of the alarms on a "cell phone" from the Doctor's previous home on Earth. "Ah, that's our que! Come along Miss Hooves!" he said, grabbing my hoof. "Doc, it's only four thirty! I need to get my dress on and my hair done!" I said. "I can help, mommy!" Dinky chimed in. Doctor was nervously chuckling to himself, then he spoke up to say, "Oh, right." After half an hour of getting my dress on and Dinky helping to fix my hair up nice, I finally came out of the bedroom. Doctor and Jack were chatting amongst themselves about who knows what when I came out. "Hey guys. I'm ready!" I said. "Alright! Allons-y!" the Doctor said as he stood up to head to the control panel. I giggled to myself as Dinky for herself ready. Pipsqueak was elsewhere in the TARDIS getting his suit on. "Are we there yet?" the small colt asked me. "Ah, yes! Come along now!" Doctor answered for me. Dinky teleported into the room in a pink dress. It was threaded in golden thread and there were some golden silk layers I the dress itself. The collar was in a golden silk as well with sequins. She had a headpiece that showed a shining star. One look at Pip told me that he was awestruck. "Wow Dinky, you look just...just...magical!" Pip stuttered, his thoughts probably swimming about. "Thanks Pippy. You, too," Dinky responded, blushing a light rose. I looked at Pip's suit. It was the usual black tuxedo, but it had a light brown undershirt. He had a black bow tie as well. "You all coming or what?" Jack said, starting out the door. "Yes Jack, we're coming!" I said. "Come on you two." We were greeting by Cadence and Shining Armor at the entrance to the empire. As I walked, I managed to start leaning up against the Doctor, as if using him as a support. He rested his head on mine a slight bit as we both smiled. He must've thought I was tired, as he didn't question my behavior. "Go down this way to the end and take a right. The ball room will be on the end of that hallway," an orange colored guard said. I smiled and thanked him for the directions. "I'll take the door!" Pip said, rushing ahead to hold the door open with his magic. "Such a little gentle colt! Thank you!" I said as I walked into the room, Dinky close behind. The Doctor and Jack came in with Pip taking the rear. "Octy, let me put a song on next, please!" Vinyl whined. The stage was just to the left of the doorway, well in earshot of anypony coming into the room. "Vinyl, this is a high class event! It took a lot to get booked for this for the second time in a row, so don't blow it for me!" Octavia said. "Can't we just make a mashup song?" "Vinyl," Octavia said. "Ugh! Whatever! I'm gonna hang out with Neon!" Vinyl snapped. "Fine! Fredrick is a much more classy pony anyways!" Octavia said. I walked over to the two friends and said, "Um...is it a bad time to request something?" "Not at all Miss. Doo! What would you like to hear?" Octavia asked me. "How about a good slow song?" I said. "Perfect! Lyra, you're on in five!" Octavia said, running to Lyra who was adjusting her golden bow tie for the event. Octavia's long black dress was trailing behind her, her amethyst earrings sparkled under the ambient lighting. Lyra had a similar dress with golden heart earrings. I laughed and joined the Doctor again. He chatted on the sidelines, as did many other couples. It was when the song played that I asked him to dance. He took my hoof and soon we were dancing to the song. As it went on, my legs became wobbly an I grew more tired by the second. By the end, I felt as though I'd pass out from exhaustion. The only thing keeping me on my hooves was the Doctor. "Derpy? Are you okay?" he asked me. "Y-yes..just tired..." I said. "Derpy! Don't trust him!" I heard a voice say across the hall. > Chapter 22: Bugged Out > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I didn't have time to study the new stallion's features before he pushed me and the Doctor apart. At that point, the only thing that stood between us was the strange stallion. Doctor snarled at him angrily. The stallion between us stood his ground. I couldn't see his face, nor could I see his cutie mark, due to the massive amount of green goo that covered him head to hoof. What little patches of coat I could see through the goo was a light brown, a brown that I recognized. "I suggest that you take your leave and leave my companion alone!" he said to the Doctor. "S-sir! I don't know who you are, or why you are covered in slime, but please let us be!" I said. "Ditzy, do you believe that he's real! Listen to me, that's a changeling! He trapped me in Dinky's old school work closet!" he said to me, turning his head enough to keep the supposed changeling in his peripherals while still being able to see me. It was in that moment that it clicked. His pacific blues looked right into my golden sunsets, and I finally realized who it was. "D-Doctor!" I screamed. I didn't know whether it was excitement or horror, but that didn't matter then. "Derpy! Listen, this is ridiculous! An obvious attack from a changeling trying to end my life so he could feed without interruption or interference! I am the real Doctor, not him!" said the one I was dancing with. "Oh hush it you over sized butterfly!" the goo covered Doctor retorted. I swear that I heard Jack in the back going, "oooooooh" like something was going to go down. Surely enough, something did go down. The two Doctors began fighting. By the end of it, I couldn't tell who was who. Both were equally covered in slime, the suit was torn to bits, and both looked nearly similar. I heard galloping hoof steps approaching rapidly from behind me as Twilight barged her way into the scene. She quickly levitated both Doctors, who had started to resist, but found it impossible to move. "Cut it out you two!" she wailed over them. She proceeded to turn to me and say something. "Derpy, I need to know which is real. Think of some questions that only the real Doctor could answer." I nodded and thought. Immediately the first question I thought of was... "When is my birthday?" I asked, confidently. The Doctors thought for a moment. "February twenty first!" called both of the Doctors. "Okay, that one was easy! How about this! When, and where, did we first meet?" This question made the left-most Doctor nervous. "Ditzy, that's too easy! We met outside of Ponyville on the day of the Summer Sun Celebration! I'll never forget it when we traveled all through the Everfree in order to save somepony that didn't end up needing our help anyway!" the right-most Doctor told me, smiling at the nostalgic memories. I smiled and told Twilight to let him go. As soon as I did, he fit the floor with a thump as he quickly scrambled to his hooves. "As for you..." Twilight said, looking dead at the still trapped "Doctor", "you will now return to where you came from. And don't think about coming back!" As soon as she had finished her words, she made the changeling transform into it's true form, took away the energy it had drained from me, and teleported it back to wherever it came from. She gave me back the energy from the changeling, which was quite the procedure to be honest. After some time of getting cleaned up and returning the gala to normal, the Doctor ran up to me crying. "I'm so glad you're alright!" "Me too," I said. He sniffled, seeming to be at the end of his crying. "Just one question though," he said, "why would the changeling feed off of you and turn into me? Don't they feed off of love?" > Chapter 23: The End of a Friendship (Finale!) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "U-uuuuhhh..." I said. I was nervous, no, scared. I didn't want him to know. But I knew it's be better off this way. Even if I didn't like it, I'd need to tell him at some point. I twirled my hoof on the floor. "W-well...y-you see, I...I..." I stuttered. He grabbed my hoof and sat me down. "I'm listening," he said. I lightened up looking into his blue eyes. "Well, Doctor...can I be honest with you real quick?" I said. He nodded and I sighed of relief. "Ok, look. For years I've kind of..sort of...um...ugh can't I just show you instead?" I said. I thought, "Hey if I can't tell him and if this whole friendship will go down, might as well go down with a bang!" "Er...alright?" He said. I quickly leaned over and kissed him. I heard a muffled sound from him, but soon enough, he kissed back. My eyes widened in shock. "Omigosh! He's kissing me back!" Was the only thing I thought. We stopped and he just stared at me. I stared back,too embarrassed to say anything. My wings were flung open and my golden eyes were the size of pins. "I...I...." I started. He placed a hoof over my muzzle. "I love you too," he said. "eeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!" I squealed. I hugged him as we giggled our way onto the floor. We payed there happily giggling and hugging. I thought, "this friendship ended with a bang alright! And it started a relationship!" (Years later) "The end, Red Star! How's that for a grandparents day story?" I said. My grandson looked at me, his orchid coat and red eyes looking up at me. "That was awesome! You should tell stories more, Nana!!" He said. I giggled. "Maybe so!" "By the way, where's Papa?" He asked. I smiled. "Gone...he had to leave, but he promised he'd be back," I said. I looked out the window to see a flash. "And today may be the day, Red," I said, leading my grandson outside. A grey coated stallion earth pony stumbled out, his green eyes looked at me. "Ditzy!" He said. He ran up to me, smiling as tears fell from his eyes. "Doctor!" I yelled back. I mostly trotted over, but held a steady pace. Red Star followed yelling "PAPA! PAPA!!" We had the family together. Dinky even came along. We had a happy family reunion together.