Derpy's backstory is told, describing the tragic pegasus who might be different than she seems. 'The Doctor' grows up in Ponyville and begins work on a mysterious project in secret with an old acquaintance. The two ponies' stories combine in a strange way.
Derpy Hooves wasn't always the clumsy mailmare of Ponyville. You probably wouldn't know it by how she looks, with her messy mane and crossed eyes, but our favorite postal worker is from a family of Canterlot nobles. I know what your thinking, how could this be true? Well perhaps we should go back to where it began, and then you'll see for yourself.
(Flashback Transition)
Sassaflash is turquoise pegasus mare with a blonde mane and tail, and she is known for two things, being stuck up, and being undefeated in Cloudsdale's racing arena. She was a nine time pro circuit gold medalist recognized throughout Equestria, but her career is over now. The racing pegasus was forced to retire in her prime after she found out she was pregnant. It was no secret the mare was in a relationship with Clock Gear, a light gray unicorn stallion who happened to be the royal clock caretaker. The chance of bearing foals that could fall through the clouds should something happen too early had grounded the blue-green pegasus.
Canterlot was known for fancy ponies and odd decorations, as Sassaflash descended that was all she could think about. passing through the main streets she saw her soon to be husband's latest work, a giant clock tower which its' face popped out using springs every hour. The clock fit the fairy tale theme of the town, but the pegasus thought it was unnecessary, however the maintenance was sure to be costly ensuring a steady flow of bits to one she knew. The landmark made her know she was going the wrong way, so she hurried off in the opposite direction. Once Sassaflash reached the outskirts of town she finally found what she was looking for, an ancient gated mansion home to the family which for generations have been Celestia's personal clock makers, it was going to be her home now.
Entering the front door into the well appointed foyer she was greeted by the maids led by an all green earth pony named Ms. Vine.
"Welcome miss flash, the master of the house has been expecting you. You may find him in his study, just go down that hall and it will be the first door on your left." the housekeeper said with an inviting but somewhat flat tone.
"Thank you miss Vine." the pegasus replied .
"If you or the master require my services just call." the earth pony stated as she bowed then led the housekeepers up a nearby staircase.
Sassaflash admired the paintings and decorative armor as she walked down the hall until she reached her desired door and pushed it open. Inside the large library, the unicorn stallion sitting at a desk reading turned at the sudden noise to find the pegasus mare he pledged his heart to.
"Hello my love, I'm so thankful you graciously offered to welcome me into your home." said the new arrival in a cheerful tone.
"You are always welcome here for you are going to be my wife, and besides it has been too long since we last spoke pony to pony." Clock Gear happily replied.
"I know but with this new development of us getting to be parents I had to come back."Sassaflash had a slightly guilty look on her face.
"No need to feel sorry you wonderful mare, soon I will no longer be the last of the great clock keepers. That is the greatest gift I could receive... I just hope I can make grandpa Clockwork proud..." The stallion said stroking his chin with a hoof.
The last few months of Sassaflash's pregnancy seemed to fly by especially with Ms. Vine's help. Then one day as Clock Gear was wandering the town even more spaced out than he usually was, he was shaken out of his trance by his head house keeper. "MASTER you MUST go to the hospital now! The baby is on the way!" Without a reply the unicorn scrambled to the hospital, kicking a dust cloud into the earth pony's face an barreling through the crowd that was previously watching the conversation.
A frantic almost white unicorn stallion bust through the door to Sassaflash's room just as the doctors began lifting the newborn foal. "I'm glad you could make it honey." said the half conscious pegasus lying on the hospital bed.
"It's a filly, a pegasus filly!" the nurse said. Both parents were happy but Sassaflash was very happy as all in the room laid eyes on the tiny dark grey pegasus sporting a bright blonde mane. later when the new mother was well enough she went to check on her sleeping offspring.
"What do you want to call her?" asked the proud father from behind.
"I think I will call Her Derpy Flash." the now awake newborn was making a silly face and drooling.
"It suits such a silly filly!" Clock Gear laughed.
It did not take long for Derpy to start walking, just like every other foal in Equestria however she was an unusually strong flyer. Once Sassaflash was chasing her daughter around the mansion she knew that her legacy would continue. The grey pegasus said her first word "Muffin!" she proclaimed only a year after taking that first step. The next year the filly took her first flight after jumping from the central staircase, Ms. Vine made sure the young prodigy was kept safely watched after that. Sassaflash however made sure the young pegasus had flight training as often as possible.
The very moment Derpy was old enough she got sent off to flight camp, with her mothers reputation long forgotten she was quick to make friends. The grey pegasus instantly started winning every race at school, which made her even more popular. She was quick to defend the class' lowest ranked from bullying whenever she saw it happening, though that didn't make it any easier for a certain competitive rainbow colored classmate and her yellow and pink friend.
On her way home from Cloudsdale one day she saw one of the windmills had been struck by lightning, without thinking she leaped from the school's carriage a flew straight into the inside of the downed device. The young pegasus quickly discovered the problem, several gears were strewn about the floor. Effortlessly the filly replaced the gears and suddenly a bright flash and bubbles appeared on the little pony's flank. The bubbles symbolized the bubble wands that comprised the blades of Canterlot's fantasy style windmills being restored. Beaming with pride Derpy darted back towards the very concerned School staff that had been pulling the carriage. "I got my cutie mark!" she shouted with glee. But before she could reach the grownups tragedy struck, the barely six year old filly was struck by lightning. Horrified the the chaperones began to move even faster, before they could reach her princess Celestia herself descended from the sky. The princess had been fighting a magic invisible storm and the last of it had struck below. Without a word the mighty ruler of the sun picked up the injured pegasus and flew a breakneck speed to her own personal doctor.
"Mommy? Mommy where am I? I'm scared!" cried Derpy.
"Don't be afraid little one you are safe now." said a calm and regal voice that sounded slightly familiar.
"Who are you? I'm so dizzy, I can't see. I want to see my mommy and daddy!" the pegasus whimpered.
"Calm down I'm princess Celestia, and your parents will be here soon. Since you somehow got caught in the crossfire of my battle with an illegal storm I am going to do everything I can to make sure you can carry on. I am so very sorry!"Derpy heard crying
"P..p..prin..cess d..don't cry I was just t..trying to help. D...Daddy says machines shouldn't be left un..repaired. I..it's m..my fault!" said the sniveling filly.
"DERPY" shouted the grey and blonde filly's parents as the burst into the room.
"Mommy, daddy help me!" squealed the little pegasus.
"Don't worry little muffin I'm here we will get through this!" said Clock Gear. Sassaflash just cried.
It had been a week. With the princesses' help little Derpy was able to go back home on her own. Her mother had locked herself in the mansion's east wing "GO AWAY!" she shouted every time her daughter knocked on the door. Derpy decided it would be better to stay with her father instead. The pegasus filly returned to flight school shortly after but very few of her friends wanted to be around her anymore. Crashes made her flying worse and soon she was last and the rainbow colored pegasus was first, the complete reversal of how it had been.
Then that special day came Rainbow Dash preformed a sonic rainboom, but down on the ground things were a lot less happy. A brown earth pony colt was playing with some of his friends when it happened, the burst caused the unicorn in the group to fire a magic bolt. One of the group was hospitalized and Doctor Hooves never full trusted magic ever again.
A few years had gone by filled with the bullies teasing Derpy and she barely graduated. Though her mother had rejoined the family, she kept her distance and did not come to watch her daughter. Shortly after graduation the family welcomed a new member, a unicorn filly with a similar coloration to her older sister, this time they name their foal Dinky Gear.
Shortly after Derpy's graduation princess Celestia made an unexpected visit. "I want to to join me for a special job Derpy. You have very strong wings, and I could use someone as smart as you." the solar princess said as she sipped some tea.
"Why me?" asked Derpy.
"Because.. I feel as if I need to, you know.. as payment for what happened all those years ago... But anyway it pays well, I'm sure It will be good for you." she said looking down at the table.
"Well then princess I accept. When do I start" the grey pegasus said
"Right now" said the white alicorn as she set her tea down and stood up.
(Transition Back)
So they set to work to protect Equestria from monsters in secret, But that story and this one will continue and end another time. It has gotten too late for me to continue, so come back another day If you want to hear the rest. Have a good night and I hope to see you again.
Welcome back my friend, I suppose you've been wondering how this story ends. Now I can tell it to you.
(Flashback Transition, Between chapter events will be told in a different story.)
Alarms blared at the secret base of Equestria's monster hunters. Derpy Flash was looking at a series of gauges as other ponies of zipped around the series of interconnected rooms. Some of them we pushing buttons, others were digging through files, all of them were confused by what was happening. Derpy began trying to run diagnostic tests on the equipment.
A sudden slam stopped the panic, as the ponies looked towards the source and saw princess Celestia in the doorway. "The strongest one has escaped Tartarus!" she exclaimed. the others looked at their ruler in shock
"How?" said the voice of one just entering from a room labeled storage. Derpy knew it was one of the friends she had here named Sweetie Drops.
"It has gotten stronger somehow agent Drops." the white alicorn said finally catching her breath. "I didn't come here to help you track that thing though. I've come to shutter this operation..."
"Why? Shouldn't we need this place now more than ever?" asked Derpy.
"My goal has always been the safety of my subjects. It is now to dangerous for me to ask all of you to keep doing this. Cut the power and meet me one at time in my office, that is your final order for this assignment." Celestia said and walked away.
It was now Derpy Flash's turn to enter the office she watched her coworkers exit holding strange briefcases. When the gray pegasus entered the room it was dimly lit by only a few small candles. "Come over and have a seat old friend. It has been too long since we spoke in private." as she followed princess Celestia's instructions the solar alicorn watched. When the pegasus sat down Celestia said "Welcome, I'm sure you have questions, but before you ask me anything let me tell you why I called you here. I'm going to give you your real orders.
Elsewhere in a farming town known as Ponyville, a brown earth pony stallion named Doctor Hooves was going shopping. He wandered throughout the town with a cart, adding an unusually large amount of groceries into a pile of various antiques and seed packets. This sight earned some odd glances because 'the doctor' was not a farmer or a collector, and there was no reason to hoard food. That brown earth stallion was the towns clock repair pony, it was odd to see him around town, because it seemed he only left his home to pick up shipments and buy a few meals fit for a single pony. "What'cha doin' there Mr. Doctor!?" said a bouncy pink earth pony named Pinkie Pie.
"Just picking up some supplies for something I'm going to be doing Pinkie." Doctor Hooves said.
"Oooohhhh... in the past, present, or future Mr. Doctor!?" Pinkie said with a smile.
"Uuuhhhh... the present I guess, unless you consider when I get home the future... which I mean... you could very well say that... but..." he said nervously before pinkie interrupted him.
"Okie-dokie-Loki" she said in a sing-song voice before bouncing away.
"Whew that was close. Great whickering stallions that mare is so weird." breathing a sigh of relief, the doctor started walking home.
Back with Derpy and Celestia their important conversation was just beginning. "What do you mean by sending us on reconnaissance mission princess?" the gray pegasus asked.
"I'm saying your going undercover to monitor the situation. Only monitor don't engage an enemy unless your life is in danger, do I make myself clear?" said the white alicorn.
"Yes your majesty." Derpy replied.
"Now with that out of the way let's move on. I will be sending you to a town called Ponyville. It's a nice town where I will be sending only my most important agents. You will move there under an assumed name of your choice. The crown has already made arrangements for your stay, along with a fake job for you to work at." said the princess.
"Thank you Celestia. I choose to go by the name Muffins if that is alright." derpy said seemingly quickly.
"Of course Derpy, I will see to it, just remember it. For you to blend in you will also need to act different compared to your usual self. Try not to act in a suspicious manner and please be safe." Celestia said handing Derpy a freshly printed piece of paper.
"Thank you princess ,I will be on my way now." Derpy said as she stood up.
"Don't forget to grab a briefcase full of field gear on your way out. Remember 'Muffins' you are a true friend." Celestia called.
Looking at the paper Derpy saw an address and a job listed. 'Official postal employee huh... I guess it wont be too hard.' Derpy sighed and folded the paper she knew her clumsiness would lead to problems with this job she would just have to increase the number of them. Muffins would have to act as clumsy as the cross-eyed mare looked. She boarded a train as a different pony, one setting off for a new job in a new town that would not know who she was.
The train ground to a halt at Ponyville station and the passengers departed the cars. Muffins started walking to the post office making sure to stumble a few times so the townsponies would get the message that she was uncoordinated. Falling through the post office door the grey pegasus let out a cheerful "Hello!"
"Welcome mam, how can I help you today?" said the pony at the counter.
"I'm here to pick up my schedule. I just started here and I'm so excited to be working here!" replied muffins.
"I see... you must be the new hire. Muffins wasn't it" The postal worker was clearly suspicious of the clumsy mare that had finally came up to the counter.
"YUP that's me! I sure do love muffins!" She made sure to give the worker a goofy grin and tilt her head.
" Okay then, you will start in two weeks. After the postmaster decides your route. We will deliver your hours to you." the postal worked said clearly annoyed.
"Okay.." Muffins said putting her head down and walking out the door. 'I hate having to do that just for a reputation. Everypony knows postal workers don't use a regular hourly system. I feel bad for annoying that nice stallion, but maybe a muffin will make me feel better.'
Muffins wandered the town for several minutes before spotting a bakery called Sugarcube corner. She stepped through the door and walked straight to the counter. A light blue earth pony mare with a pink mane was standing a the register. "Welcome to Sugarcube corner, would you like to try our special apple tart today?"
"No tanks, I'll just take a chocolate chip muffin please!" A pink earth pony dashed up the stairs behind the business's employee area but neither of the conversing mares seemed to care.
"Here is your muffin mam." the shopkeeper said as the gray pegasus set her bits on the countertop.
Finishing her muffin the cross-eyed pegasus made her way to the house she had been given. When she arrived and pushed the door open the inside was completely blacked-out, almost no light made its way through the opening Muffins had made. "Surprise!" came a mares voice as light flicked on abruptly revealing most of the town was in the house.
The pegasus's eyes derped and she scrunched her muzzle, trying not to act defensive she said "Oh my..". A banner that said welcome to Ponyville on it hung and the room was lined with streamers and balloons. The centerpiece of this scene was a tower of muffins of every flavor surrounded by punch bowls and cider. The partygoers had shared some laughs at the reveal and the gray pegasus immediately sauntered over to the stack of her favorite treat. Grabbing one of every flavor and a bottle of cider, Muffins sat on a nearby couch.
"I see you were surprised! Every new pony gets one of my signature welcome parties when they first move here! I'm Pinkie Pie and I love meeting new ponies so I can be their friend! I know every pony in Ponyville, so when somepony new comes to town I celebrate!" the energetic pink mare explained to the pegasus. Derpy never had a surprise party before
"It's a great party pinkie!" she said barely keeping up with the strange party pony.
Muffins was exhasted by the party, she had flopped down in her new bed as soon as it had ended. All the dancing and common party games had continued well into sunset. The disguised agent could now see why this place was Celestia's favorite place outside of Canterlot. Wandering only for a moment what Equestria's ruler would be doing now that the agents were scattered, the pegasus shut her eyes and fell asleep.
Doctor Hooves didn't go to the party. He was busy and didn't really care to socialize. "So, have you finished that magic inductor yet Cog?" he asked a brown and ginger unicorn stallion
"Yes I have Doc, and please call me Lightweight. You've known me for years at this point, and besides Cog is too confusing while were working on this." The unicorn passed the part to the doctor
"Well that is true, but are you sure this thing wont blow up or something?" the Doctor said as he squinted at the machine.
"No Doctor it functions perfectly. I know you are afraid of me for that incident... But I assure you that you can trust me." The doctor didn't reply and continued to hammer a sheet of metal. "With that in place the automatic spell caster is done." lightweight said as he pushed a device to Doctor Hooves' work area.
The sun shining through a window woke muffins from her slumber. It had been a week since she came to this town and she still hadn't done much. 'With this place already having all my stuff set up for me it has been so boring around here. I can't just keep bothering the townsponies but I have to do something.' the cross-eyed mare left her home and went to the other end of town. A cloud house was one of the few structures and a cottage wasn't too far away. 'Whoever lives here must enjoy solitude.' she mused. "Derpy!?" a scratchy voice called from behind. Her cover was blown now, she knew that voice all too well. It was the overly competitive star of her flight school class Rainbow Dash. "I didn't know you moved out here too Derps, Fluts and I have been living here for a while. If I knew you were the one pinkie was having that party for I would have stopped by." 'Great she's here too'
"It's so nice to see you Rainbow, I was just learning the layout of the town." Derpy said looking side to side.
"I'm pretty busy right now Derps, we can catch up another day. It has been far to long since we spoke but I have to manage the weather right now. Come see me and Fluttershy sometime, we could always let you join us for one of our weekly picnics." Rainbow dash was clearly distracted by something in the distance.
"I will think about it."Derpy replied before Rainbow Dash flew off.
Muffins had started her route for the mail yesterday. She had gotten the list along with a uniform in the mail the day after her run in with her old classmate. Throughout her stops some of the townsponies had called her Ditsy. The gray pegasus didn't bother correcting them. Name confusion would lead to them thinking Rainbow was just using a nickname, and the mailmare would no longer have to try and avoid her. Making her last drop off muffins flew to the post office. "Look who decided to show up, Ditsy the clumsy mare!" said Derpy's least favorite coworker.
"Starshower I don't want to talk right now." Muffins rolled her eyes as best as she could.
"Fine go burn your oven tryin to make muffins, or whatever you do when your not dropping an packages!" Starshower said sticking her nose in the air and trotting out the door. Derpy flew out the door and straight to the town clock tower, she needed some familiar comfort and alone time that stuck up mare had gone too far.
At the clock tower Derpy cried herself to sleep listening to the rhythmic ticking of the mechanism. Waking up she didn't know how much time had passed, but when she opened her eyes she saw a brown earth pony stallion poking her forehead. "Who are you!" the gray pegasus jumped back.
"My name is Doctor Hooves. I found you sleeping in my thinking spot, so I was just trying to wake you. I wasn't watching a mare sleep... not that I wouldn't want to... but I'm not Implying that I did... great whickering stallions this is so awkward... I said that aloud didn't I?" the stallion said getting more and more nervous.
"You're funny Mister Doctor, I like you! My name is Muffins, I like muffins!" Derpy said with a goofy grin.
"You mean you don't find me weird? Nopony has ever had a conversation with me when I say something stupid like that." he said looking up in thought.
"That wasn't very stupid Doc, you tried your best. I for one am flattered that you would even think like that around me. My eyes lead to ponies wanting to avoid me, or they think I need help, or they make fun of me. I never had another pony not mention it when they first meet me." The two ponies laughed and sat down conversing as the giant gears of the clock spun nearby.
(Transition Back)
So there you have it, the story of Derpy and how she met the Doctor. As for their adventure it has only just begun. Another story ends, another one begins as they say.