A Beautiful Mind
by: Euphora-Borealis
Authors note: Hello, thank you for taking your time to read my fanfiction based off of the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic property. This work is that of fiction, and in no way do I claim any ownership over the properties, or trademarked characters. This is my first time posting fanfiction, and thought this would be a good idea to explore Derpy Hooves past in a more realistic manner, as to why is she the way she is. This was really just meant to be a excerpt, but if anyone wishes me to continue with the longer story I had planned out, feel free to let me to know, otherwise, enjoy the fic!
-Euphora Borealis.
"Miss…hooves?" The blonde haired mare stared off into the middle distance for some time, she was processing what the doctor had told her, but it just wasn't connecting. Derpy sat upright upon the stainless steel examining table, her front hooves clasping each other in her lap. She wore a white hospital gown wrapped around her body, her hair was pulled back into a pony tail, and the look on her face was emotionless, and stoic. "Miss Hooves." The voice pulled the mare away from her thoughts, with a shake of her head she turned to the older Stallion, her eyes focusing on the white beard that flowed from him chin, her mind once more doing that…. that thing, what did he call it again? Her concentration seemed to lock back into place as the doctor started speaking again.
"Do you understand your condition Miss Hooves?" The blonde mare nodded her head slowly, fixating on his words carefully, taking each in and imagining it, transferring its meaning, for each and every word, it was becoming a exhausting affair. " I… Understand," The mare finally spoke, her attention refocusing and she seemed to become normal once more, if only for a moment.
" Good. Now since this is a progressive disease, symptoms will eventually become worse and worse, perhaps slowly…." The doctor frowned. "…most likely not however…" He added at the end, not wanting to give the mare no hope whatsoever, but he wasn't a liar, and a patient trusted in their doctor implicitly, no matter the situation, and that trust wasn't to be broken. " There is some medications we can give you however, these may slow the symptoms and the progression of the disease to a snails pace, but don't get me wrong Miss Hooves, this isn't a "if" situation, its a when. Its also a HOW, situation." Derpy tilted her head, looking at her doctor. "How?" she repeated. The doctor nodded. "Yes how, How will you use the remaining time you have with your current mental strength? How will it affects your plans in the future? How will you plan to take care of yourself in the future?" Derpy stayed quiet, for the remainder of the the doctors speech, it wasn't due to her having a episode either, not like how the doctor figured, but the mare's mind had always seemed to wander far off, it was something they noticed in the Pegasi when she was only a filly, she was intelligent for her age, remarkably so.
From before she could remember, she was always…curious, her mother had told her she always got into things as a baby, then they noticed her ability to differentiate colors, recognize shapes and her reasoning skills were off the charts, but she always had one flaw… her mind would begin to work overtime doctors had discovered, her brain activity was off the charts, and she became well known in the medical field as the Genius Filly. She learned to speak and read years before anyone of her comparable age, when physically capable, she learned to write and soon after, arithmetic followed. By the time those of her age were doing basic math, Derpy was already achieving high marks in pre-algebra, and geometry. There was a problem however, boredom got the best of the young mare. If she wasn't challenged, if her brain, due to its high levels of comprehension, wasn't given the appropriate amount of stimulation, it would slow down to a crawl. This was accompanied by Derpys most embarrassing traits. When Derpy would descend into these fits of metal lethargy, her mind would literally shut down, her thoughts would cease, and subconscious control over her physical body, such as motor skills, the position of her eyes and speech would be affected. She would become increasingly clumsy, her IQ would be that barely of a child, and her eyes crossed, giving the appearance of a seriously mentally handicapped individual. This was a personal hell for the young mare, and as one could guess, she did everything in her power to keep herself mentally busy. This usually kept her far from the personal life that most mares her age enjoyed, relationships, friendship, fun, but that wasn't part of the plan, and it didn't fit in the equation.
It seemed to her, however, that fate dealt cruel hands to the just and the unjust alike. 3 weeks previous is when the symptoms began to start, it wasn't something she had ever experienced before or ever wished to again. The first symptoms were headaches, which every-pony experienced once in awhile, so it wasn't something that caught her attention as some aspirin usually did the trick. It didn't stop there however, the headaches got worse, followed shortly thereafter by migraines, and bouts of her inability to focus. She thought perhaps it was simply too much studying, after all she had received a tuition to one of Equestria's most prestigious universities, the University of Canterlot, it was either that or go out of the country to Coltcutta. She wasn't however, leaving her home in Ponyville, it was her fear of having a episode in some strange place that frightened her the most, she could loose herself, and then who knows what would happen then.
"Miss Hooves…" The doctor said one last time impatiently, he had repeated himself several times now, and he was loosing his patience, however he wouldn't take it out on the mare, she would have enough troubles soon enough. This time Derpy immediately looked at the Doctor, nodding and sliding off of the table, frowning as she adjusted the hospital gown. " I understand Doctor, its a progressive mental disease, symptoms include gradual mental deterioration, and eventually the disease will become the norm." The doctor nodded slowly, pushing her prescription towards her with his hoof. "Remember to take your medication, AS prescribed, no more, no less." He warned her with his stern voice.
Derpy thanked the doctor, got herself dressed and found her way out of the hospital, waiting for her in the lobby was her mother, Ditzy. She approached cautiously, she knew how her daughter was, methodical, and non emotional, except of course when her condition set in. Ditzy looked very much like her daughter, or perhaps the other way around. There were some facial exceptions, but besides the faded blonde hair that held streaks of white from years of fighting with her ex husband, and the long hours she worked raising Derpy on her own, saving money she couldn't afford to save for the education she knew her daughter deserved. Well, after all these years, life had taken its toll on Ditzy. As much as she loved her daughter, their relationship had always been a very… professional one to say the least. Her daughter didn't convey much emotions, almost none at all. She couldn't remember the last time she hugged her daughter, or heard her say. "I love you". She would never admit it aloud, but when her daughter did have her episodes, even though the mare was incredulous and clumsy, and not very bright, she felt like she had the daughter that was hidden into the methodical mare, hugs…kisses, all those things a parent should have as memories.
Ditzy resisted the urge to tear, gulping away the lump in her throat and trotted slowly after her daughter. " Did they…?" Ditzy began, but Derpy interrupted. "They did their tests, it seems my condition is….aggressive, and progressive. There will be medication, but the prognosis isn't good.. may I be alone mother?" Derpy asked half heartedly, her way of telling her mother she wished to be alone. The mother mare knew better to argue, so she nodded and turned, heading home on her own.
Derpy stood there outside the hospital and closed her eyes, feeling the wind blow over her face, her hooves digging into the earth below her, clearing her mind of any and all distractions, and then suddenly. Her eyes opened, and she stared off into the middle distance, her eyes slowly moving every close to each other and a single thought formed in her mind. She really was craving a muffin.
