It was probably the winter mornings that Derpy Hooves loved the most.

True, it was freezing, but just the pure natural beauty made up for that. Words couldn't describe the unbridled joy she felt from a simple stroll through Ponyville park on an icy winter morning. She would listen with pleasure as the frost-coated grass gave away beneath her hooves with a satisfying 'crunch' every time she took a step and watched in awe as the sun slowly rose over the distant Cloudsdale mountains, sending rays of purest light cascading across the surrounding valleys, illuminating each individual speck of snow and making them all glitter like thousands of minuscule diamonds.

Despite the fact that she had lived in both Ponyville and Cloudsdale over her life, she had actually been born in Neighbury, a small, old-fashioned village on the outskirts of Trottingham. Derpy and her family hadn't lived there very long due to the fact that her father found a better job as a weather monitor in Cloudsdale, but she could remember those days she spent lazily playing in the picturesque fields as the happiest of her life. Ponies like her old school friend Rainbow Dash would claim that these memories were soppy and soft, but that was just Dash for you.

"Oh crap!" she suddenly thought "I'm late for Applejack's send-off for the rodeo!" with one last admiring look at the stunning view spread out before her, she turned to leave. "I hope I don't mess everything up again."
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Throughout the day it had slowly grown warmer, until eventually it seemed as if it was the middle of spring rather than early winter. Rainbow Dash and Derpy had decided to make the most of the sudden change in weather and were both sitting at one of the tables outside Sugarcube Corner watching the world pass on by.

"So Dash, do you think Applejack's gonna do well in the rodeo?"

"Well duh, of course she's going to win, she's Applejack! If there's anypony in Equestria who's more of a raw, apple-bucking cowgirl then I'll eat my wings!"

"I guess you're right there. Hey, didn't you two date a few years back?"

Rainbow Dash suddenly became very tense and flustered "It was only a weird college experience! It meant nothing! I'm straight! I'm straight!"

Derpy laughed, she could never get enough of messing with the speedster's head "I know that Dash, you just act so hilarious when I bring that up!" A a hostile yet somehow slightly friendly scowl was all that she received in response.

"Well are you coming to her surprise party?" Dash asked, trying to clear away the tension.

"Nah, I have a class then."

Dash raised an eyebrow "What are those classes that you go to anyway?"

"Oh it's just classes to help my concentration and brainpower. I hate the damn things but I've had to go ever since I was a kid because of my... condition."

"Well I don't think you need those classes. You might not be quite on the same level as other ponies, but in my opinion you're just as smart as other ponies, you just can't show it very well."

"Wow Dash... that really means a lot to me."

"Hey, no problem! Sorry, but I gotta go, urgent weather duty calls. See ya later Derps!"

"Bye Dash!" Derpy watched as one of her closest friends flew off into the clouds and smiled, it was ponies like Dash that really made her feel good about herself, she was lucky.

Throughout her entire life, Derpy had never been alienated for being slightly different. When she first arrived in Ponyville after completing school in Cloudsdale, she'd obviously been treated quite patronizingly, all the mares in town had tried to befriend her because they saw her as a charity case. But after a while the entire town had come to recognize her for not being nearly as incompetent as they had previously thought. Within a couple of weeks Derpy managed to build up a very high amount of adoration from her fellows for her optimism and just general good attitude towards life. She was pretty much considered the town's official mascot by now.

"Derpy! Can you come here please, we need to have a talk!"

Derpy turned in her seat to see Mayor Mare waving at her from across the town square. She buried her face in her hooves "Crap. Is she still pissed at me?" she trotted reluctantly over to where the mayor was waiting and bowed her head "Are you still mad at me for messing up Applejack's send-off?"

Mayor Mare chuckled warmly in reply "Oh don't worry, you're not in any kind of trouble, everypony makes mistakes. I was just wondering if you were available for a special event that's happening next week, preferably Wednesday?"

"Yeah I'm free on Wednesday, but for what?"

"Ponyville Elementary is having it's annual 'Ponyville History Day'. Basically what happens is that they have different citizens who are related to ponies that played an important part in Ponyville history, and they talk about them, give an interesting presentation. And I believe that you're related to Admiral Hooves, the soldier who saved Ponyville in the Great Equestrian War? Isn't that partly why you moved here?"

"Yeah," Derpy smiled with pride "my great-grandfather was a real hero!"

"That's exactly why Cheerilee has requested you."

"So... what do I have to do for this 'Ponyville History Day'?"

"Just do some research on your great-grandfather, then find a way to present it interestingly, the aim of this event is to get the local foals more excited about history."

"I'm pretty sure I can do that."

"Great! It's at 1pm on Wednesday. I'll be attending as well, so I hope to see you there!"

"Don't worry Miss Mayor, I'll make sure to work hard!"

"There's a good girl."
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I know that this is a tragedy/dark story and not much has happened yet, but shit's probably going to get real by the second or third chapter

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