The Whole Darn Thing
"Thank you ma'am, and enjoy the lettuce!"
The most recent customer of yours gives you a nod before trotting off, a hefty bag of lettuce in tow. You pat yourself on the back for such a successful sale. Why that mare needed that much lettuce was beyond you, but heck, you aren't complaining.
It is an average day for the peaceful population of Ponyville. Celestia's magnificent sun is shining brightly and the Ponyville Square is bustling with activity. Ponies trotting to and fro, visiting stands and exchanging bits and products. Just your average Tuesday.
As more customers approach, you continue to hold your fake smile. It's been quite a busy day for you. There must be some sort of celebration or holiday coming up. Admittedly, you didn't know. You are actually fairly new to the town. It's been but a few months since you moved here, and you are still unfamiliar with all of the procedures and whatnot.
Either way, it's a cozy place. The ponies are friendly, the town itself is quite clean, and the atmosphere is quite mellow. Not many places are as peaceful as this. Having lived in big cities for most of your life, you were glad when you finally got away to somewhere a bit more relaxed. And now, you are glad you made that decision.
"Thanks for your business! Enjoy!" you say, handing the bag to the couple in front of you as the stallion hands you a pile of bits in return. At this rate, you are going to run out of veggies!
At least they were the last in the current line of patrons. You slide the bits he left into a nearby box before turning around, bringing your attention to the boxes of lettuce behind you. You quickly run a few checks in each box to see just how much you have left. Many of them have since been emptied, but there are some stragglers left. Crunching a few numbers in your mind, you come to realize that you may very well sell out by the end of the rush!
Smiling in excitement, you return to the front of the stand to be greeted with a whole bunch of nothing. Well, there goes that notion. You keep your spirits up. Surely the rush isn't going to slow down. It's just a lull, they'll be back. You decide to bide the time by prepping up some new heads of lettuce. It's a tad annoying having to constantly be scooping out some more for coming patrons.
Just as you are about to turn around you hear an incredibly loud crash. Cringing at the sound, you whip your head to the left to find a pony half embedded in a box of carrots from the neighboring stand. A pair of gray legs kick furiously at the air as the pony's tail twitches.
You'd recognize that fla- er, that Cutie Mark. Yes, that Cutie Mark. You'd recognize that Cutie Mark anywhere, and it only sparks you to immediately get up and help the poor pegasus.
Trotting around your table, you quickly make your way over to the pony. "Are you alright!?" you yell, unsure if she can hear you.
A few pained grunts come from the mare before she begins to speak. "Yeah! I'm just- ack!- Just fine! Just a little- ow, that smarts... a little slip-up! No worries!"
Failing to be reassured by her words, you wrap your hooves around her legs and give a strong tug. She squeaks lightly at your pulling, but doesn't request for you to stop. Giving another tug, you finally manage to pull her out of the carrot box with an audible 'pop.'
You fall onto your rear as the mare sails right over you, landing behind you. You rub the back of your neck as you stand up, your rump protesting slightly thanks to the impact. Turning around, you find the mare lying face down away from you, saddlebags resting over her sides.
"You alright?" you ask, taking a step towards her.
She manages to stand up, albeit shakily, and turns to face you. "Yeah! Thanks for the help!"
You are about to respond before stopping. You feel your face contort in confusion, but make no attempt to stop it from doing so. Given her current state, it's not like she could see it anyway.
The mare before you is none other than Ponyville's own Derpy Hooves. As one of the first ponies you met when you came to town, she had immediately befriended you. You quickly learned five things about her. You learned that she has a gray coat with blonde mane and tail. You learned that she is the primary mailmare for the town. You learned that she has a rather unique pair of eyes. You learned that she is quite sensitive, but is still generally outgoing and friendly.
And you learned that she really, really likes muffins.
The two of you quickly hit it off, and often have lunch together (which usually includes a muffin somehow) on your off days. She's genuinely funny, and you've always enjoyed spending time with her. You would admit, she can be kind of goofy and spacey, but that's just another quality you've grown to admire in her.
By far, her most distinguishing feature are her eyes. Not only are they a gorgeous shade of gold, but they have a bit of a...unique quality to them. They seldom aim in the same direction, one of them often drifting away to observe something other than what she's trying to focus on. You made the mistake of asking about them before you became close friends with her. She wouldn't stop crying, saying that you only noticed that strange quality about her. Ever since, you managed to console her about it and learned to never address it so bluntly again.
But now, you don't see how you couldn't address them, given their current circumstances. You're not sure if she is aware of them or not, but taped over her eyes are two pieces of paper with crudely drawn eyes on them. They appear to be the same shade as her own eyes, but they look as though they were scribbles by a school filly. And, for whatever reason, she appears to be oblivious to them.
You have to ask.
"Uh, Derpy?" you start.
"What's up?" she replies ever-so-cheerfully.
"You, uh, mind telling me what those things on your ey-"
"OH!" she suddenly blurts out. "I just remembered! I've got a letter for you!"
Before you get a chance to speak, she suddenly plunges her head into one of her bags and begins to root through it. You can't help but wonder how she even knows what she is doing. She can't see through those things!
After a bit of sifting, she retracts her head from the bag and quickly presents a letter to you.
"Here we go! Iff fer you!" she says with the letter in her teeth.
You lift a hoof and take the letter from her grip. You immediately look at the name of the intended recipient, not feeling surprised to find that it isn't your name.
"Uh, Derpy? This is for Noteworthy, not me." you state plainly.
She frowns slightly in response. "Whoops! My bad!"
"You know," you start. "If you took those things off your eyes, you-"
"Here! I know I've got something for you!" she says, cutting you off again. You notice her face scrunches up slightly as she speaks.
She then snatches the letter from your hoof somehow and begins going through her bag again. You open your mouth to say something, but stop yourself from doing so. You figure this is just some strange little gambit she devised, but why? You can't help but wonder why she has those things on her face.
After another brief moment of searching, she reemerges with another letter in the grasp of her teeth.
"Here we are!" she says with a muffled voice.
Giving her a stern look, you slowly take the letter from her. You notice her almost shivering a bit as you take it from her. Looking at the address, you're surprised to find this one is actually for you. The letter is wrapped up in a pink envelope. Oddly enough, there isn't a return address. A little strange, but it isn't the main concern on your mind at the moment.
"Oh, uh, thanks..." you say uncertainly.
"Y-Yep! Ponyville Postal guarantees satisfaction!" she says, giving a little salute. She recites that every time she brings you your mail. It was kind of cute, to be honest. You notice her voice cracks slightly.
"So, when do you plan on telling me why you have those-"
"Whoops! Just look at the time! I've gotta get going!" she says hastily before taking to the air.
"Derpy, wait! You can't just fly with those things on your ey-"
"I-I'll see you some other time!" she gives you another salute before she begins to fly in the opposite direction.
"Derpy, stop!" you call out, lifting a hoof to her.
Sadly, by the time the words leave your mouth, she's already flown face first into a pole. Only pausing and shaking her head for a brief second, she quickly regains her bearings and begins to fly off. You watch her as she flies away, cringing as she nearly crashes into everything in sight.
It doesn't take you long to come to the conclusion that something is bugging her. Whatever it is, you make it a point to figure it out, lest she remain a health hazard to both herself and those around her. She's done some pretty...unsafe things before, but nothing like this.
The fact that she was purposefully dodging your questions is what bothers you though. She's never avoided your questions like that. Heck, she usually answers anything, regardless of how embarrassing the answer might be. The fact that she couldn't trust you enough to simply answer why she had those things over her eyes made you a bit uneasy. Whatever is bugging her must be pretty serious.
Either way, you were going to get to the bottom of it later. Right now, you have a stand to run.
"Ahem."
Flinching slightly at the intruding voice, you turn around to be greeted by a yellow mare with a rather displeased look about her face.
"So I've got a load of ruined carrots over there, and nopony has paid for them yet..." she says, nonchalantly examining her hoof.
You suddenly feel a knot form in your stomach. Looking back to the direction Derpy flew off in, you find that she's nowhere in sight. Shifting your gaze back and forth, you finally let out a defeated sigh.
She owes you for this one...
~*~*~
"Thank you! Please come again!"
You watch as the last customer of the day begins to trot away. After several long hours of work, you finally managed to sell out of all your wares. Just in time too, the sun is just now beginning to set! You breathe a sigh of relief after the long day of work. It had been a pretty hectic day. The rush never really slowed down after your encounter with Derpy.
Speaking of that crazy mare, your mind had been lingering on her ever since that little encounter. You wondered if she had ever taken those things off of her face. She can't keep flying around with those on, it's dangerous! You hoped she hadn't seriously injured herself, or anyone else for that matter.
You lift up the 'Closed' sign from behind the counter and lay it out on the table, the sign dangling in front. With no products left over, there isn't any need to haul anything back home for the evening. Trotting over to the box where you place your earnings, you flip open the lid and scoop the bits within into your saddlebags. It's a bit lighter than usual, due to much of your cash being spent on a box of soiled carrots.
Still, it's a nice days worth of earnings. Closing up the saddlebag and stashing the empty chest back under your booth, you begin to make your way back to your home. It isn't too far, but it would still take you a good fifteen minutes or so to get there just walking.
You take a deep breath of the evening air. Crisp and clean, just as you expect. With the midst of Spring quickly approaching, you could feel the air growing warmer with each passing day. Though you are fond of Winter, Spring is where it's at. The warm air, the gentle rolling clouds, the everything.
The area around you is quite serene. Most ponies are tucked away into their homes for the evening, and only a few stragglers are around. Most of them are couples hanging out at the cafes that are still open, enjoying smoothies and the like. The air is being illuminated by the gentle glows of streetlamps, filling the area with a faint, golden light.
Your smile fades lightly. Thoughts of Derpy suddenly jump to your mind. You just can't seem to get her out of your head. It just seems troubling that she was acting so oddly today. There was almost a bit of hostility in her voice when you talked to her earlier.
Something must be irking her. In all the time that you've known her, in all the days you've spent with her, she has never acted so strange. And for her, that is saying something. She's had her moments, sure, but never had she done something so...unorthodox. You come to the conclusion that she must be upset, for whatever reason. But what can you do about it? You've got no clue what could be bugging her after all. Perhaps you could just talk to her, see if she'll open up to you.
At that moment, a scent catches your attention. Wafting through the air is an incredibly delicious smell. Sniffing around a bit, your attention is brought to the cupcake-styled building to your left. What did they call that place? Sugar Cube Corner, was it?
It suddenly hits you. What better way to cheer someone up than by giving them something they love? You smile to yourself as you begin to trot towards the bakery. Walking up to the front door, you push your way inside, the bell overhead ringing as you do so. The aromas of many different treats suddenly bombards you as you walk deeper into the sugary structure.
Looking around, you see the building is pretty much vacant. You can hear a bit of activity going on in the room behind the counter, but there are no ponies within the surrounding area. With no one stopping you, you approach the front counter, which is currently unmanned. Within the glass container underneath the counter is an assortment of different treats. Cupcakes, cookies, donuts, and the like.
Reaching the counter, you take a quick glance around. No pony seems to be in sight. Are they closed? Pondering the status of the store, you decide to ring the bell on the counter. You lift a hoof and touch it, ready to-
"Hi!"
You jump in surprise at the sudden voice. Out of nowhere, a very pink pony appears in front of you. The pony before you is none other than Pinkie Pie. She was one of the first to greet you when you came into town, and the only one who threw you a "Welcome to Ponyville" party. Apparently that's her thing, according to her friends.
Clutching your chest with a hoof to make sure you don't have a heart attack, you respond. "Hi Pinkie."
"So what's up! See anything ya like?" she asks kindly. "Here for some cantankerously crumbly cookies? Or some deliciously delectable donuts? OH! How about some ooey-gooey gumdrops!?"
"Ah, n-no Pinkie! I just needed a half dozen muffins!" you reply hastily, trying to prevent her from going on one of her tangents. Again.
"Okey dokey lokey! What kind would ya like?" she asks sweetly, her head tilted slightly.
"Uh..." you suddenly realize you've forgotten her favorite kind of muffin. What was it again? Bran? Raisin? Chocolate? "Hm...crap, what was it..."
You bring your gaze back to Pinkie, only to find her eyes nearly closed, staring at you very intensely. You retract your head a bit in discomfort, her gaze never letting up. Your eyes dart around, trying to get her to break contact, yet she never does. After a few seconds, you finally snap.
"Uh...Pinkie?" you ask nervously.
She suddenly perks up again, regaining her usual Pinkie-esque nature. "Blueberry?"
It suddenly feels as though a lightbulb has been lit in your head. That was it! "Uh, yeah! Half a dozen blueberry muffins!"
"Alrighty! Just one second!"
With that, she darts into the door on your left. In only a fraction of a second, she reappears in front of you from the door on your right, a paper bag in the clutches of her teeth. Wait, how did she-
"That'll be nine bits!" she says coolly.
"Um...alright." you reply. Better not to question, you deduce.
You dip your hoof into your saddlebag and fish out the aforementioned price. Pulling out the bits necessary, you lay them out onto the table, exchanging the money for the bag. Resting the bag of muffins into your own saddlebags, you bring your attention back to Pinkie.
Pinkie slides the bits into the register and pushes it shut. "Thanks for your business! I hope she likes them!"
"Yeah, thanks Pink-" you freeze momentarily. "Wait, what?"
Upon her face is a pair of half-lidded eyes and a cocky smile. "Oh c'mon, I know what they're for~" she says, her voice laced with tease. "Tell Derpy I said hi!"
You just stare at her for a moment, unable to complete any thoughts for a few seconds. How did she- When did she- Where did- What- Why!? "Uh...yeah, I will Pinkie..."
"Great! Buh-bye!" she replies as you begin to trot for the door. With that, she simply bounces her way into another room.
Your mind draws a blank. Her friends told you she can be strange, but...boy...
~*~*~
The approaching house almost seems a bit...foreboding.
After a brief walk from Sugar Cube Corner, you find yourself at the house of a certain Derpy Hooves. It's a relatively small house, with two stories and a small yard. Her house isn't too out of the way, so it wasn't that long of a journey. Probably about five minutes tops.
Though it may not seem out of the ordinary to the common passerby, you notice the house is unusually quiet. Not to mention all the lights are off. Is she even home? It isn't too late, but her shift surely should have ended by now. Truth be told, you can't quite remember what her hours are. Still, the sun is beginning to fade from view. You hope that even with those things she had on her face that she still had enough sense to get home before it gets dark.
You begin to trot towards the door. The closer you get, the more you notice how eerily quiet it is. Maybe she really isn't home. Did she get lost? It wouldn't surprise you. She actually has come to you for directions to her house. How she manages to keep a job at the post office is beyond you.
Well, perhaps that is a little harsh. She does a pretty great job at what she does. Admittedly, you have gotten a few incorrect packages, but for the most part, you haven't had any troubles with her. Whether or not the same can be said by others you're not certain.
You finally reach the door. You still can't detect any activity coming from the inside. Still, you didn't come all this way for nothing, right? You lift up a hoof to knock on the door. Giving it a few taps, you're surprised when the door slowly pushes open with a creak.
Staring into the dark insides of Derpy's home, you feel a bit uneasy. Why wasn't her door closed? Did she just forget to shut it, or...is someone else in there?
Feeling a small rock form in your gut, you swallow nervously. Looking around, you don't see any signs of someone else's presence, but still feel unsure nonetheless. Looking back into the house, you can't help but worry about Derpy's well-being.
With no other options, you readjust your saddlebags, take a deep breath, and walk into the home. The floorboards below creak with your steps, and the house is a bit chilly. Upon entering fully, you find yourself in the living room. You've only actually been inside of Derpy's home a few times, so it's still a bit foreign to you. Looking around, no one seems to be in the room.
"Derpy?" you call out, only to receive silence as a response. Perhaps she really isn't home.
Well, this was a bust. You turn around, feeling slightly defeated, and head for the door. At least you can do the courtesy of locking her home up for her.
At that moment, you freeze in place. You swivel your ears around, having just heard something at the very edge of your range of hearing. It almost sounded like a...whimper?
You turn back around, facing into the house once more. Standing as still as you possibly can, you hold your breath, trying to keep your hearing as sharp as possible. After a brief moment of silence, you hear the sound repeat.
Curiosity taking over your hooves, you begin to move towards the source of the sound. Trotting deeper in the home, you keep your ears perked, listening in for any more sounds. Turning down a hallway, you find yourself approaching the kitchen. As you draw closer to the kitchen, you notice the faint whimpering growing louder.
Once you manage to reach the room in question, you slowly peek inside. It is being faintly illuminated by a small lamp on the far side. That simple lamp isn't the object of your attention, however. At the center table is the body of a pony, slumped over with her back facing you. Her face is tucked away in her folded forelegs on the table. Her body shakes with each whimper she emits. Her tail hangs dejectedly behind her.
You feel another knot form in your stomach at the side of Derpy Hooves crying before you.
"...Derpy?" you call out quietly. She doesn't seem to notice, given her lack of a reaction.
You take a few steps forward, your hooves clacking quietly on the tiled floor. Approaching the mare, you can make out distinct sniffles and whimpers. You can practically feel your heart aching at the sight.
You stop a few feet behind her and speak again. "Derpy?"
At the mention of her name, she suddenly gasps. She fumbles for something on the table before slapping the objects onto her own face. Turning to face you, you find she has those images of eyes on her face once more.
"H-Hi! Hey! Wh-What's up, what're y-you doing here?" she says frantically, quickly wiping her nose with a foreleg.
You speak cautiously. "I just came by to check up on you...you seemed kind of, well, distressed earlier."
"O-Oh! No, nah, I'm fine!"
"Derpy," you start. "Why have you been crying?"
"I-I haven't been crying! Honest!" she says. You notice the papers over her eyes are stained with tears.
"Derpy, come on. It's not that hard to tell." you reply.
"Nuh uh, no! It's nothing." she says stubbornly, turning her head away from you.
"Please, tell me. If something is bothering you, I want to help you." you say honestly. You are determined to get her to admit to you. You can't stand to see her so upset.
"No! Nothing happened! Nothing happened at work, alright!?" she says, her volume beginning to increase.
"At work...?" you ask.
Her nose then scrunches as she flinches. She then starts to bat herself in the head with her hooves. "Oh, stupid, stupid!" she says as she drops to her haunches.
You drop down to match her level and place a comforting hoof on her shoulder, to which she tenses up at. You slide your saddlebags off of you before speaking. "Derpy, please, tell me. I only want to help you. And how about we take those things off your eyes?"
You begin to bring up a hoof to the papers over her eyes. Just as your hoof draws near one, she suddenly swats your hoof out of the air blindly, causing you to retract both of your hooves.
"NO! Don't touch them!" she yells harshly.
What the heck is wrong with her? "Derpy, please. You can't keep flying around blindly, you need to take those things off." you state.
"No! I, I..." her voice begins to trail off. As she takes a few shuddering breaths, you notice tears flowing from beneath her false eye drawings. "I don't wanna..."
"Derpy..." you replace your hoof back on her shoulder, resulting her in tensing again. "I'm not trying to be mean. I only want you to stay safe. Please, why won't you take those things off?"
She sniffles a bit more before speaking. "M-My eyes are all dumb, a-and you shouldn't h-have to see them..."
You feel your head pull back slightly against your will. "What? Your eyes aren't dumb, Derpy-"
"Yes they are!" she yells suddenly. "They're stupid, and they can't point straight, and they don't cooperate, and they're just...dumb!"
"Derpy," you speak softly. "Why would you think that?"
She sniffles again. "Because they just...are."
You remain quiet for a few seconds, trying to deduce just why she would suddenly be so upset about this. The only thing you can come up with refers back to the first time you said something about her eyes. You remember just how offended she was when you asked about them, and you made it a point to never bring it up again. You were afraid she would never forgive you for it.
But now, you have a pretty good idea of what's bugging her.
"Derpy, did someone say something about your eyes?"
Even with the papers covering a good portion of her face, they don't hide the twitch that occurs. Her mouth settles into a rather disheartened frown, and she continues to sniffle.
"N-No..." she says weakly.
"Derpy, you know you're a bad liar." you say jokingly, trying to lighten the mood slightly.
She remains silent for several moments after that. The only sound breaking the silence being her sniffling. You only wish you could know what thoughts are running through her mind behind those sheets of paper. You only wish you could know what strange circumstances led to her being so crestfallen.
"Derpy..." you say reassuringly.
"...Cliff." she replies solemnly.
"Huh?"
"Cliff. One of my c-coworkers..." she says quietly.
"What about him?" you ask.
"I-I might have...messed up. Th-There was a complaint at the office today. A customer came in saying that they got a wr-wrong package the day before...I didn't mean to! I just got them mixed up..." she says defensively.
"Well, that's alright, isn't it? We all make mistakes, right?" you offer.
"B-But I do that a lot...I don't even know why they keep me there." you open your mouth to respond, but she cuts you off before you get the chance. "C-Cliff came up to me today when we were alone, a-and he started to just...just..."
Without warning, she throws herself into you, crying into your chest. Her sobs shake her entire body, and the drawings over her eyes crumple as she buries her face into your body. She doesn't let up, only pushing herself into you as much as physics would allow for her to.
"H-He called me w-worthless...he said my eyes were j-just useless. I c-can't do anything r-right. It's not my fault that I-I have them...B-But he said they were a curse, both for me and e-everypony else. He said he can't stand to-to look at them..." she says between sobs, her voice muffled due to her placement. "I d-didn't want a-anypony to have to s-see them...th-they're just worthless..."
You think carefully before responding. "Did you not tell somepony about this? Your boss?"
"I couldn't...I'm already on th-thin ice, and I don't wanna go complaining to him...and I-I can't prove it anyway..." she responds.
You simply stare down at the mare crying into you. You suddenly feel three emotions all at once. First and foremost, anger. How anyone could be so cruel to her is beyond you. You don't even know why, but you can almost feel yourself shaking in rage. The second feeling is pity. Derpy shouldn't have to be subject to this, especially over something that is out of her control. It isn't her fault her eyes are a little different, but 'different' isn't synonymous with 'bad.' And it sounds like somepony needs to learn that.
The third feeling is a feeling of...actually, what is this third feeling? It's something strong, and it's tugging at your heart. You can't put it into words, but you suddenly feel the most powerful urge ever to simply hug her. To be here, with her, right now. You lift your hooves and gently wrap them around her, pulling her close. You softly stroke her mane, trying to make her pain go away. Her mane feels like silk under your hoof.
"Derpy," you start. "It's alright. I'm here for you."
"B-But it's not..." she stammers. "I'm just dumb, my eyes are dumb-"
"Derpy." you say forcefully, cutting her off. "You are not dumb. You are not stupid, in any sense of the word. You are a wonderful pony. Kind, sweet, generous, everything."
"B-But..." she whispers.
"Derpy, ever since that day I met you when I first came to Ponyville, you've done nothing but been kind to me. When I had no idea where I was going and was lost, who helped me out?"
"...I did."
"When I was caught out in the snowstorm by surprise and was far from home, who was the mare that let me stay with her until the storm died out?"
"...that was me."
"What was the name of the mare who left me a surprise basket of muffins on my porch one Sunday morning?"
"...Derpy Hooves." you could physically feel her perking up with that question.
"So you are about to tell me that a mare as kind as that is dumb? Or worthless? A mare who can be so welcoming and joyful to be around?"
"...N-No." you can still feel her quivering, but it is much less severe than before.
"Derpy, look at me." you ask softly. She hesitates, but after a few moments, she finally brings her head up to have her false eyes gaze at yours. Their cheerful look contradicts the mood of her body entirely. "You are a wonderful pony in every way. Don't let some jerk tell you otherwise."
Her lip quivers slightly as her false eyes simply gaze at you, the paper they are drawn on crumpled and soaked in tears. You feel a powerful urge to simply tear them from her face, just so you could see the eyes beneath them, but you restrain yourself from doing so.
"D-Does that, um..." she starts. "Does that mean you s-say 'yes?'"
"Huh?" you reply.
"T-To my letter..."
Your mind clicks as you remember the letter she gave you earlier. You had completely forgotten about it until now, actually. "Oh, I haven't actually gotten a chance to read it yet."
She tenses again. "Oh, f-forget it then..."
She falls silent afterward. You notice her face has taken a bit of a red hue to it. She is still quivering in your grasp, but you feel compelled to look at that letter, for whatever reason. Taking your hooves off of her, you silently reach into your bag and pull out the pink envelope. With a lack of return address, you had wondered briefly who it could be from when she gave it to you.
Opening up the envelope, you pull out the contents. Within the envelope is a folded pink piece of paper. You set the envelope aside, unfold the paper, and look at it. Written upon the page is a single sentence.
Will you be my special somepony this Hearts and Hooves day?
Your mind draws a blank. You look back up to Derpy, only to find she hasn't budged an inch.
You know what that day is. A day where couples get together. A day where ponies find their 'special somepony.' A day where love is celebrated.
A day that, back where you come from, is celebrated in Autumn. Not Spring.
"Derpy..." you say quietly.
"J-Just forget it. Throw that letter away, don't even bother to read it." she says.
She doesn't realize that her words fall into pointlessness. It's far too late for that.
She's asked you to be hers. She wishes to be yours.
You begin to root through your bag. You know you have one in there somewhere, where is it!?
After a brief moment of fiddling with the contents, you finally manage to pull out a small blue-ink pen. Clicking it into functionality, you write a single word on the paper in your hooves.
"Derpy?" you ask. "Can we take those things off your eyes now?"
For several moments, she simply remains silent. She's still contemplating the value of them, you figure. After a bit, she finally nods wordlessly.
Setting the paper onto the floor and stashing your pen away, you lift a hoof and peel the papers off of her face, one at a time. Each come off with little resistance, the tape holding them in place having lost its strength.
Once they are resting on the floor, you watch as she slowly opens her eyes. Tears are still brimming on their edges, but no more fall from their place. She looks you right in the eye with her left eye. Her other is busy admiring the ceiling.
You chuckle slightly. It feels like it has been an eternity since you last saw those eyes, and it only made you adore them all the more now that they were visible again. A short silence passes as you stare into her eyes. Their golden shine seems all the brighter, having been stowed away for so long.
Without a word, you simply lift her letter up in front of you.
You watch as Derpy observes the paper. Only a split second passes before her eyes widen, her wings flare, and her face goes beet red.
What she sees?
Will you be my special somepony this Hearts and Hooves day?
Yes.
You watch as her lips tremble and her eyes quiver, tears slowly starting to escape their grasp. You give her a sheepish smile.
Without warning, she lunges forward, wrapping her forelegs around your neck. She rests her head against yours as she squeezes you tightly. Her wings flap idly as she presses herself against you, her warmth coursing throughout your body. You can feel your heart flutter within your chest as her breath grazes your neck.
"Th-thank you...thank you thank you thank you..." she whispers.
You set the paper aside, re-delegating your hooves around her body instead. You close your eyes and rub her back gently, causing the mare to sigh gently. After a brief moment in the hug, you feel her shift. You open your eyes just in time to witness her giving you a kiss on the cheek. Her lips are warm to the touch as she lingers on your cheek for a few moments. After some time, she finally pulls away, giving you a embarrassed smile.
Now it was your turn to blush. It only took a few seconds for a stupid grin to form on your face. Even in her distress, she wanted you to be hers. Yet every attempt to console her throughout this entire day, you were unable to break through to her, all because of the pain she's been suffering.
Now that the pain has been subdued, perhaps you could try just one more time. Try one more time to show her what she really means to you.
You respond to her action by giving her a kiss of your own. Unlike her, you had a much more precise target. She gasps through her nose as your lips make contact with hers, and you can feel her wings quiver. She doesn't protest though, as she pushes back into your kiss with as much or possibly more passion than you. Her lips are as soft as it gets, and she tastes faintly of...a fresh muffin. A bit odd you figure, but somehow you aren't surprised.
After a few moments, the two of you pull away. You find her with a massive blush about her face and chuckle slightly.
"Heh, that reminds me," you start.
Derpy tilts her head slightly at your words, giving a sort of cute and innocent look. "Of what?" she asks curiously.
You take a hoof off of her and dip it into your saddlebags. Pulling out a familiar paper bag from them, you wave it beside your head.
"I brought some muffins for you." you state simply.
She gasps in surprise as she regains the happy nature you've grown to love in her. "Wait! Did you get-"
"Blueberry, yes." you say, one step ahead of her.
Her smile widens to infinity. In one swift motion, she plants her hooves on your cheeks and brings you in for another kiss, sending a pleasing shiver down your spine. The contact between lips last for only a split second before she pulls back and takes to the air.
"I'll get some plates!" she states ecstatically.
As she flies over to the cupboard, you chuckle slightly. Bringing yourself back onto all fours, you pick up the bag of muffins, and begin to happily trot towards the table to meet her. To be with her. To love her.
To see those golden eyes.