//------------------------------// // Love and Cattle // Story: Transdimensional Zoology: Worlds Collide // by FictionaryThought //------------------------------// What must have been over 15 sets of cattle ran galloping towards their fence as Winona guided them. “Giddy up! That's it! Y'all know who's boss!” In a few minutes every last one of them was sitting behind their fencing. “Oh yeah! Who's the pony!” She boasted, as she trotted in a circle. She then found she enjoyed running in a circle and continued to do it at a faster pace. Applejack just stared, slack jawed as the pony with a poor attention span successfully herded far more cattle than what should have been possible for a pony. She had no idea a pony with what seemed like really low common sense could do a job so well. “Well slap me with a spoon and call me tea cup. That wright there was some mighty fine herdin'.” Winona realized she was still running in a circle, then stopped to respond to Applejack. “Thank ya kindly Applejack! So, you think Ah'm good enough?” “Darn tootin' yer good enough! I'll get a contract right now, an' have ya signed up soon as sunshine!” “Aw, yer makin' me blush.” She looked at the horizon to see that lunch was coming up, and she was going to miss out on eating with Opal. “Hey Applejack. Ah was gonna meet a friend of mine fer lunch, mind if Ah take a rain check on that contract signin'?” “Not at all.” She said waiving his hoof dismissively. “Just tell me yer name an' you can be on yer way.” She paused for a moment. “Wait...Do ya know how to get to Ponyville on yer own?” “Shoot, of course Ah do. I know mah way 'round Ponyville like I know the back of mah hoof!” She turned towards Ponyville to begin her gallop. “Mah name's Winona by the way.” She began galloping. “Nice meetin' ya Applejack!” “Nice meetin' ya too Winona!” She froze the moment she spoke the name. “Wait, what did she just-” She watched as Winona galloped off into town. “Ah need a family meetin'.” … The three mares finally made it to Fluttershy's house, just a short walk and they'd see the front door. The mares stopped in their tracks when Opal stopped them with her unicorn magic. Fluttershy continued struggling against Opal's magic, while Rarity took the opportunity to catch her breath. Opal put them both in front of herself to speak to them. “Alright....Fluttershy...Rarity....Hold on...Let me catch my breath.” She breathed heavily, trying to keep her legs from giving way beneath her. “We have to think this out.” Fluttershy kept struggling. “I have to talk to Angel!” Rarity didn't move much. “Fluttershy, stop. We don't even know if he's your Angel.” “Yes he is! Twilight said Opal was telling the truth! Can't you believe your own cat Rarity!” “An alternate dimension may exist, but she is not Opalescence!” Opal shook them some with her magic. “Both of you just shut up! You!” She pointed to Fluttershy. “He may be Angel, but he doesn't know who you are. Please don't be too affectionate. And you!” She pointed to Rarity. “Even if all of this is wrong, I'm not your Opal, and Angel isn't her Angel, fighting won't solve anything. So I suggest we negotiate with this ruffian before we continue. Are we in agreement?” The two mares nodded their heads in agreement. “Excellent.” She set them both down with her magic, and they slowly walked to Fluttershy's house. What they heard next made them freeze dead in their tracks. They listened as they heard a male angelic voice singing in a melodic tone. Hush now quiet now it's time to lay your sleepy head. Hush now quiet now it's time to go to bed... They moved closer, just past the trees to listen to more. Drifting off to sleep, exciting day behind you. Drifting off to sleep, let the joy of dream land find you... Tomorrow waits 'till morning breaks, but now it's time to sleep Tomorrow waits 'till morning breaks, so 'till then, count some sheep. Hush now quiet now it's time to lay your sleepy head. Hush now quiet now it's time to go to bed... “If that isn't an angel.” Rarity and Opal turned to see Fluttershy. “Then all the angels in Celestia's sky are looking for the one who stole that voice.” Fluttershy took a few slow steps towards her house, and watched as Angel tucked an injured blue jay to bed. Rarity reached a hoof her direction, and tried to say something, but her words were caught in her throat as Opal put a hoof on her arm, and lowered it slowly. Angel turned around to see Fluttershy, and he sighed. He didn't feel angry, he just felt...Ashamed. He slowly walked towards her, looking down at the ground as he did. He stopped a few feet away from her, and slowly raised his head to look her in the eyes. “You have a lot of nerve coming back.” He looked at the ground, looked back at her, and smiled. “I like that.” He turned to see the animals, each motioning him to keep going, then turned to look at Fluttershy again. “You really are good with animals. They all-” He looked back down at the ground. “They all hated me for what I did. I surround myself with animals every day. I never had animals hate me before. It...It hurts.” He turned to face the animals, and they motioned him to continue. He looked towards Fluttershy again. “I'm sorry.” The world fell silent. Fluttershy could see nothing but the meaning in his eyes. He meant everything he was saying. On a whim, Fluttershy hugged him, feeling as though she had just been reunited with a close friend. Angel wasn't sure how to react, so he just gave a hug in exchange. She opened her eyes to see all the animals eager to see her again, ended the hug, and ran to see her friends again. Angel looked over to Opal, and walked to her. Opal decided to speak first. “Are you feeling alright?” Angel let out a long sigh. “I just wanna go home.” Opal set a hoof to the side of Angel's face, and slowly stroked downward. *smack* She got hit in the side of her face. “Nothing you just saw happened. You here me!? Nopony will ever know about this. Got that?” Opal rubbed her now sore face. “Good to see you too. Oh, I'm fine thanks for asking.” … Sugar Cube corner was having a fine business day. Orders were being made to and fro for delectable desserts of all sorts. Pinkie Pie was doing just fine, and so was her new assistant Gummy. But in her strange mind, Pinkie thought he was doing too well. In her mind she thought No OC pony should be this good. She tapped a hoof to her chin in thought. He must be involved with the plot. She looked beyond the fourth wall to make a stern look towards the author. He motioned her to act on her thoughts, as he was the one to illustrate them in her mind to begin with. She grabbed three orders that had just been set on the counter by Mr. and Mrs. Cake; a glazed doughnut, a slice of chocolate cake, and a cinnamon bun. She put one on her head, and the other two in her hooves. “Hey Gummy!” Gummy turned around with his blank stare, wondering what Pinkie wanted. “Think fast!” Suddenly and swiftly, Pinkie threw all three orders directly at Gummy, somehow preventing gravity from bringing them to the floor, and keeping them flying his direction. Instantly, he put the tea pot he was carrying on his head, grabbed the cake and doughnut with his left and right hooves, and used his right hind hoof to catch the cinnamon bun, all while standing on his left hind hoof. He spun carefully and sent each plate to the table they were meant to go to, and poured the tea he had with him into the cup that had been waiting at the table he stood by, ending his tea pouring just as each plate landed in it's destination. The room was silent for only two seconds, and the silence was broken by the sound of everypony in the room cheering, and clapping their hooves together. Gummy didn't respond, he just looked around the room in curiosity, as he was adored by ponies he never met. Pinkie was the only one not cheering. Her expression was a combination of suspicion and anger. Pinkie dashed towards Gummy so fast, that there was a burst of smoke in the shape of her body where she was standing, and she was eye-to-eye with Gummy in under a second. “Oh, so you think you can just alter the story however you want!? If you were gonna break the fourth wall, you should've told me you could.” Gummy raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?” “Oh don't play dumb.” Pinkie said, rolling her eyes. “Nopony can do that unless they know what's really going on. Now stop lying and tell me how you know!” Gummy was just as confused as before. “Know what? I just did that 'cause it seemed easy.” Pinkie's anger was showing more and more each second. “You. Me. Dance off. Now. Triangles.” Gummy blinked one eye at a time. “What?” “Boy, don't you pretend you didn't hear me.” She said moving her head in a circular motion. “I know you have ears.” She moved her right hoof around in the shape of a Z, and somehow made a snapping sound with each point she reached, still moving her head in a circular motion. “Okay, but...What do triangles have to do with-” The room fell completely dark, and the only light that could be seen were the spotlights shining on Pinkie Pie and Gummy, which slightly illuminated the audience. Suddenly some strange music started to play. Pinkie Pie was now dressed as a gypsy, and twirled around to show off the sparkles in her dress. When she finished she somehow had a rose in her mouth. Gummy accepted her challenge, and pulled a tablecloth off of a table so fast that none of the plates or cups on it even budged. He twirled around with the cloth in his hooves, and as he wrapped the cloth around his neck, it showed he was now wearing a long sleeved white shirt, with frills on the chest, and on the ends of the sleeves. He also had his hair pulled back by what must have been hair gel, and a fake pointy mustache adorned his mussel. The two began to twirl around one another, and ended a few feet away from each other, striking poses as they did. They side stepped around each other still standing in their poses. After they stared at each other for a few seconds, they started ham boning "slapping their torsos and legs in an entertaining manner". As the pace of the song increased, so too did their slaps, until they stopped. The string section of the song's orchestra began plucking their strings, and they tap danced. Once the violins stopped being plucked, they sat on their haunches, and started to dramatically play patty cake, somehow shaking the ground as they did. Sweat was beading on the foreheads of the two dancers, as they kept slapping their hooves against each other. The music stopped for a fleeting moment, and they stared into each others eyes. Once the music began to pick up, they rose to their hind hooves, and proceeded to do the tango. Each loud step complementing the metaphorical fire in the dancers eyes. As they danced with each other rather than against, they started smiling warmly towards each other. Pinkie was thrown gracefully into the air, rose still in her mouth, and caught by Gummy. After staring into each others eyes, just as the song was ending, Pinkie spat out her rose, pulled a sombrero out of thin air and used it to sensor a kiss between her and gummy. The shop lit up again, and the audience cheered and clapped their hooves so loudly it could be heard by all the nearby businesses. Winona was among the crowd cheering, and nearly jumped out of her seat in excitement. The only pony that wasn't cheering was Opal, who'd been there long enough to see the kiss. “Things can never be easy for me can they.”