An Odd Present
Derpy Hooves lay face down,legs splayed, drooling all over her pillow as she woke up.What a weird sleepover,she thought.Eyes swirling like always,she peered over the sides of the bed to look for her friend,Carrot Top.Derpy sighed.Her friend wasn't here."It's not much of a sleepover if you don't stay to sleep!"She barked aloud. She then remembered she was alone. Dismounting from the bed, Derpy fluttered down the staircase to the living room.Shimmery pink cardboard hearts hung from strings around the whole house,and red and white tinsel was all over the kitchen.Leave it to Carrot Top to decorate the house with Valentine's Day stuff while I'm asleep.She loves that silly holiday!It's just more work for us mail ponies.....us..mail ponies....I'M LATE!Her mind was whirling much like her eyes.She turned to the door and galloped out...right onto her face."What did I fall over?"She mumbled.Turning to look at the doormat,she saw a package.She then remembered this was her week off."Could've hurried more..."She mumbled sarcastically.The pegasus picked up the package and took it inside.Looking around for a knife to open the tape,she fell again.It takes real skill to fall over yourself....she thought.She picked up an Exact-o Knife,and took it back to the package.The sharp knife tore easily through the tape.Derpy set it down gently on a table. She had respect for tools,and always treated them well if she could.A small note was laying at the top of the box.It read:
From Zecora
Dearest-
With eyes that sw-
inside is a gif-
that-
The note was torn.That was it.She couldn't even know if it was to her!Derpy dug through the box for more paper.She found a small scrap that read Derpy.Okay,so the package was for her.Good.She didn't need to commit a felony.She realized-who would send a whole package just to hold a scrap of paper.She reached into the bottom of the box suspiciously.Although she wasn't one to judge,Zecora was one weird pony.Derpy picked up a beautiful wooden,shoulder-mounted bow.She reached for more.There was a leather quiver with arrows.The arrows had heart shaped tips.Why would Zecora send me this?I'm not an archer.The blue-gray pegasus thought."Wait..this seems familiar.Heart-tipped arrows and a shoulder-mounted bow?Familiar...."She mused aloud.Strapping the bow to herself,and the quiver,she wondered what she'd do with it.Oh,I'll give it back to Zecora.I just want to see if Twilight Sparkle knows anything about it.
~Later~
"Twilight?Twilight Sparkle?"Derpy Hooves called as she knocked on the door."Twilight?"She had been knocking an awful long time.Maybe she wasn't home.A disgruntled Spike came rushing to the door."Hello?We're kinda busy?"He said.Derpy took a step back."Oh...sorry to interrupt,I needed to talk to Twilight,but I can come back later.."The baby dragon's eyes lit up."You need to talk to her?!?That's great!Bye Derpy!"He called as he ran off in the direction of Carousel Boutique.She stepped in quietly.What could possibly be so awful?"SPIKE!I need you!Spike!"Twilight Sparkle galloped into the room,covered in sugar,flower,and what she hoped was chocolate frosting."Oh,Derpy Hooves!You'll do as well.Come in;to the kitchen.I'm baking a cake."The messy unicorn said happily,and trotted back into a possibly even messier kitchen.Derpy followed reluctantly.She didn't mind getting dirty,but she was a terrible baker.Maybe not as bad as Twilight,though."Okay,Derpy Hooves!I need you to recite the words for this egg-cracking spell to me."Twilight Sparkle said,pushing a spell book towards the off-duty mail pony.Derpy stood,staring.Twilight held the eggs in the air with her magic,ready to get to work.Getting no response,she looked over.The unicorn set the eggs down."What?"She asked.Derpy found it hard to reply."Well...It's just...Did you know that you can crack eggs with your hooves?"Twilight blushed, embarrassed."Well,I'm not very good with my hooves."Derpy looked down at the book."Okay.Yeah,I understand that."She began reciting the spell,while Twilight's magic cracked the eggshells perfectly.The truth was,Derpy Hooves didn't understand.She was alright with her hooves,constantly peeling off stamps with out tearing them,carrying heavy packages,open heavy packages while still holding them,etc.Perhaps Twilight could be good with hoof-work.Maybe it's just easier for her to use magic.She mused.
~Later~
Twilight sighed."Thank you for helping me with the cake.It's hard to do this by myself.I don't know how ponies do it.Hmm.I was just wondering,have you seen Spike?"Derpy sipped tea quietly at the table."Yes,I did.As soon as I came in,he ran off to go see Rarity."Twilight laughed in a way that sort of scared the mail pony."Of course he did."Derpy Hooves blinked a couple times,staring at the purple unicorn.She had still not cleaned herself up yet,although she'd had time to."Anyway."Derpy said,trying to change whatever subject they were on to the reason why she had come."I was wondering if you could look this over for me."She pushed the bow,quiver,and arrows across the table to Twilight Sparkle."They seem...familiar,but I don't know why."Twilight looked them over carefully."Oh my gosh!"Her face lit up."This is a beautiful replica of the great pegasus Cupid Hooves' enchanted bow and arrow!" Derpy stared yet again."Cupid Hooves?Enchanted?"Twilight stared right back at her,but in disbelief."Cupid Hooves! You know,her arrows made ponies fall in love!Where'd you get it?"Twilight gushed."Zecora sent it to me.I was just about to return it.I'm not into archery."The happiness on Twilight's face died down."Oh.Well.Okay,but if you don't want to give it back just yet,let me have another look!"Derpy smiled,and collected her things."Will do,Twilight Sparkle."She replied as she left the library.