đ
The energetic tension in my blue legs⌠the curly tresses as they bounce up and down⌠this is wonderful! I kicked the dewy grass. Ah, the sun, the beautiful sun! I was smilingâwhen was the last time I smiled this much?
Robin was leading the way, his rainbow-quilled tail flicking occasionally.
In my favorite universe with my favorite friend! And I get to be a girl at the same time! The only thing that would make this better would be if I didnât have a constant rumbling coming from my belly. It was like being hungry as a human; that gnawing, clawing, scratching from your stomach. But added to that, was the feeling of your belly actually kicking out and making ripples. Just like the show.
I suppose I should be mature and not say anything, shouldnât I? Be a good Catholic pony and just offer the pain up for the souls in purgatory. Big Sister, I offer this to you. You know what to do with it. Those sparkling indigo eyes⌠when will I see you again?
A feeling of comfort washed over me; almost like a promise. I looked over to Robin as he frowned while looking up a tree.
âItâs so incredibly quiet,â he whispered. âOther than the birdsongâŚâ
âNo cars,â I said simply.
âItâs like the world before the industrial era,â he whispered yet again.
When you havenât heard silence for a long while, like, true, true silence, the sound is beautiful. Enthralling. Distracted from our goal, we stood there in a state of hypnotic reverence. Lack of sleep might have had something to do with it, too.
Grrrrrralllllll!
I screamed. Both Robin and I jumped. Wait, I screamed?
I dropped to the ground and covered my mouth with my hooves. Robin glared at me. My cheeks were very warm. Is screaming something Iâm going to have to get used to?
âWhat even was that?â I asked in the quietest hiss I could muster. It wouldnât surprise me if Ponyville heard my shriek.
Robin opened his mouth only for the Grrrrrrallllll sound to interrupt him. It was accompanied by a rippling across his belly. It was his turn to blush, while I exploded into yet another fit of giggles.
***
We soon found ourselves walking along a gentle river. It flowed what I assumed was southward, opposite our heading. It was an opaque blue, until we stood over it. And for the first time since becoming a pony, I saw my reflection.
These turquoise eyes, and the cute surprised expression; a blue horn and yellow curls. I brought a hoof up to my face, brushing it against my cheek while staring into my reflection. What I saw was something I utterly and completely loved. The face looking back at me soon changed from surprise to a blush and a beaming smile. And soon, she was crying. Serene, quiet tears dropping into the creek.
I never liked my reflection. I never hated my reflection. It was something that simply just was. Now, if it werenât for those little tears interrupting the image before me, Iâd probably stare at that face all day. Give Narcissus a run for his money.
Robinâs gagging brought me out of my trance. We looked into the river simultaneously, but he quickly backed away and was now hacking beside a tree. Pity shot through my heart, and the urge to place my hoof on his back.
But youâll tell me youâre fine and push me away, like you always do, wonât you?
So I sat quietly and waited for him. My ears flicked about, trying to ignore the noise. Eventually he stopped and trotted back to the river, closed his eyes and began guzzling the blue liquid.
âItâs sweet,â he said with a cough, water dripping down his muzzle.
âHopefully that doesnât mean thereâs antifreeze in it,â I joked as I followed his lead and dipped the end of my nose and lips to the surface of the water, trying to not be distracted by those gorgeous turquoise eyes.
The water was indeed sweet. Not sugary, but a different kind of sweet; a cool satisfying sweetness like biting into a fruit.
âI donât think the ponies have antifreeze,â said Robin, causing me to cough up water.
I wiped off my muzzle. âThank you, by the way.â
âFor what?â he asked as we began walking again.
âFor making this body.â I glanced over to the riverside to watch my reflection as we walked. My eyes traced my fluffy tail and cutie mark; a red heart with the lilies sprouting from it.
âI didnât make it,â Robin said quickly. I held my tongue, and continued to watch myself in the river. âI just⌠Why does being a girl make you so happy? I havenât seen you this way⌠almost ever. Only sometimes when playing a game. Like that time we tried playing Smash Bros in a mirror.â
âI really donât know, M⌠Robin. I really donât know. It just⌠does. When I look at that reflection,â I watched myself as I spoke. âI see⌠beauty. It fills me with euphoria Iâve never felt before.â
âYou were beautiful before,â answered my friend. âIn your h-h-h-horsanity⌠Ugh! In your Godly created image. And in your masculinity. I saw the femininity, too. But, altogether, I saw Godâs handiwork. I didnât like seeing you hurt, but⌠your sorrow was also beautiful. Iâm afraid Iâm going to lose you. The h-h-horâwhat you were before. What you were created to be. The boy you were. My friendâŚâ
I broke my gaze from the creek to watch Robin instead. âThatâs not going to happen, Robin. Inside, Iâm the same⌠friend you always knew. Youâre just seeing another side of me, thatâs all.â
âHow can you be so happy about it? Everything screams that this is all wrong! Every sensation in this body. Not having⌠h-h-h-hoovesânot able to talk normally! The birdsong isnât even right! Everything is alien.â
âHave you consideredâŚâ I said slowly. âThat what youâre feeling is what I felt everyday?â
âWhat do you mean?â
âI mean that my body, when I was a h-h-horse. Okay, I admit thatâs annoying. When I was a⌠boy,â I said the last word hesitantly and more quietly, like a hiss. âNothing ever felt right. I mean, sure, not quite as bad as h-h-h-hooves and f-f-f-fetlocks⌠seriously?! Again?! Whatever! Not as bad as being the wrong species, but still⌠If I looked in the mirror, it looked wrong. Everything masculine about me just felt wrong. And guys would always have fun being competitive or seeing whoâs the strongest⌠and I had a little of that, but it was just the testosterone talking! Not me. And I realize that itâs partially just a stereotype, some guys donât care about athletics and thatâs cool. Some girls love having muscle. And thatâs fine. But for me? I felt like I was on the wrong side of things all the time. I would watch girls chatter, being free with their emotions, and I would always think, âI want to be like that!â but it wouldnât come naturally. Like I was betraying cultural expectations, or something. Of course, thatâs social stuff. But I can guarantee you, I wasnât comfortable with what my body looked like. Or the clothes I wore. Things⌠it felt like the shape was wrong.â
I looked back at my reflection. Thatâs right. Youâre a girl. You donât have to let those thoughts bother you right now.
When I looked back at Robin, his eyes were wide in thought. âI never thought of it like that before. Well, I did, but now IâŚIâm sorry. I guess some part of me never believed you before. Like, just get used to the body you have, An-n-n-n-Lilyheart⌠Y-you want me to use female pronouns, donât you?â
âWell, it would be weird, and unpleasant if you didnât once we got to Ponyville.â I eyed the thatched roofed buildings, steadily becoming ever closer.
Robin halted suddenly. âWe actually should figure out exactly what we should say. I mean⌠I didnât tell Midnight anything. And I donât think I want to tell random background ponies that weâre hâwhat we are.â
âI agree. Except for the Mane Six⌠well, maybe not Pinkie Pie. At least not until weâve met the others.â
âBasically, just head straight to Twilightâs library. Or the castle. If itâs there. We should have looked for it when we were on the hill,â agreed Robin. âBut as for who we are?â
âItâs not like we can say our names are An-n-n-n-Lilyheart and M-mâm-m-Robinwind, and weâre friends from earth. Oh. I guess we can say the last part. The real world? I donât think theyâd like that. Regardless, if Twilightâs been to the Equestria Girls universe, then just saying we look like the creatures from that world ought to explain. Weâll know if Twilight has her wings if thatâs the case.â
âOkay,â said Robin. âUntil then, Iâm⌠Robinwind. And youâre⌠Lilyheart. Iâm⌠a horse. A p-pony.â
âMaybe think of it like playing a character? Like DnD. Or a play?â I offered.
âThatâs what Iâm trying to do.â He pranced in place for a moment. âIâm an earth pony⌠Iâm probably a farmer or something. Used to hard labor⌠from San Filliesco?â He eyed me strangely.
I shrugged. âI mean, they have farmland not too far away from it, right? To anyone not from California, San Francisco just means northern California to them.â
âThatâs not my problem. Whereâd you even get the idea from? Does it show up in the later seasons?â
âNope. Maybe the comics, though. I just kind of came up with it on the spot,â I said.
âOkay,â Robin said again. âSo, Iâm an earth pony from west of Equestria. So⌠Iâm practical. A hard worker. Dang it! Iâm just Applejack! And I donât have a clue how to explain my cutie mark!â
I glanced over at the slender red cross with brown wings.
âYou⌠like birds?â
âWhat does that have to do with farming? Do I farm feathers or something? Ponies farm rocks, why not feathers, too? And the cross? Are ponies religious? Everythingâs so perfect, why would they need a Savior? They have magic to raise the sun, why have God? And magic is apparently good, not something hipster teenagers do when they think theyâre being all cool checking out ouija boards before getting possessed by demons and become witches trying to bring about the downfall of the Catholic Church! But that doesnât matter, no Church, here! No bishops or popes! Might as well get Celestia the papal tiara! Itâs big enough to fit her crazy hair! But if Celestiaâs the Pope, what does that make Luna? A Bishop? The Patriarch of Constantinople? I mean, I can imagine her singing Gregorian chant; she might as well be Eastern Orthodox!â
Robin finished this tirade with a maniacal laugh.
âRobinâŚâ
He collapsed on the ground and covered his head. âI⌠Lilyheart, I⌠Iâm not having an easy time.â
I rushed over and placed a foreleg over him. âItâs okay, Robin. I can take care of the talking. You⌠I think you just need some sleep.â
âThatâs not my name!â
âIâm sorry.â Okay, clearly saying Robin doesnât help. âI believe we can get back home. I believe we can⌠become what we were before⌠Itâs okay to be afraid.â
He only whimpered in response.
âThe emotion will pass. The emotion will pass,â I said as I knelt down beside him. âIâm here for you. We will get through this.â
âUm, do you two need help?â
I looked up to see an amber-colored mare with a fiery mane looking at us bewildered.
âSunset Shimmer?â I gasped.