//------------------------------//
// Chapter 57 - Heart's Calling 
// Story: Second Chances, Many Changes 
// by ASGeek2012 
//------------------------------//

Rainbow Dash stared at me as if I had grown a second horn, her mouth dropping open as she hovered alongside me while I trotted off to school. She finally face-hoofed and said, "You're telling me that you actually met and talked to the Rose Sunshine, and you didn't get her autograph?!"

I rolled my eyes. "Seriously, it's been two weeks since I came back from Manehattan, and now you--"

"Yeah, but I only just heard that you met Rose Sunshine!" She spread her fore-hooves. "For crying out loud, Rose Sunshine!"

"Actually, she prefers to be called Rosey."

Rainbow gasped. "You're on a first name basis with her?!"

"I didn't know she was famous at the time."

"Not know she was famous?! She's only the best flier ever to come out of Manehattan!"

I smirked. "In case you haven't noticed, I don't have wings. I'm not up on famous pegasi other than you."

"Look, did you at least find out from her why she retired?" asked Rainbow.

"Come again?"

"First she up and moved to Baltimare for no reason," Rainbow explained. "Then a few years go by and she just drops out of sight. Moons later, she shocks everypony by announcing her retirement. I mean, what the hay? Yeah, she was getting on in years, but she was still amazing."

It was obvious that Rosey didn't want her drug troubles to be public. Maybe she should come clean about that, but it wasn't my place to force the issue. "Rainbow, considering that I had helped her try to repair her relationship with her daughter, maybe that means whatever stopped her from flying is, well, kinda personal."

Rainbow sighed and rubbed a hoof through her mane. "Yeah, you're probably right. And helping her with her daughter was more important, I can see that." Her gaze flicked to my flank. "Um, don't take this the wrong way, but ... are you kinda surprised you didn't get a cutie mark out of it?"

I had been waiting for somepony to ask that awkward question. Mom had danced around it several times. I had the uneasy feeling that Sweetie Belle and her friends were scheming away about the conundrum, considering how Sweetie avoided the topic.

I should have known it would be Rainbow Dash who would be the first. I should have also been prepared with an answer, but instead I had to say the first thing that came to my head. "I'm not even worried about it anymore."

Rainbow tilted her head. "You're not?"

"All I care about is figuring out my place in this world."

"I thought you sorta had that figured out."

I shook my head. "Rainbow, do you remember how I still appear as my original form in my dreams?"

"Um, yeah, I think so." She blinked. "Wait, you still do?"

"Yes, because ... because I think some part of me is not yet willing to give that up. And that's what a cutie mark represents to me, Rainbow. It's someplace I'll go that I can't return from even if I wanted to."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" said Rainbow. "I thought you already settled whether you wanted to stay in Equestria or not. What gives?"

I had a feeling this would be hard to explain. The word "humanity" didn't have a direct equivalent in Equestrian, though it was more than just a failure in translation. It wasn't just having hooves instead of hands and feet, or living under a different name; I had become so used to both that the differences no longer mattered to me.

As I pondered, memories of Manehattan came back to me in vivid detail. In my mind, my hooves clopped against concrete instead of dirt, and the noises of galloping ponies pulling carriages in a mad rush filled my ears. "Okay, think about this: what if you make it full time into the Wonderbolts and--"

Rainbow snorted. "If? More like when!"

I rolled my eyes. "Fine. When you make it into the Wonderbolts, what if they tell you that you have to move somewhere far away from Ponyville if you want to stay in?"

Rainbow's pupils shrank. "They wouldn't do that!"

"I know, but, please, humor me, I'm trying to make a point."

She averted her eyes and rubbed a hoof through her mane. "Um, okay."

"So here you are, doing exactly what your heart's calling is, but now you have to give up something you also hold dear."

Rainbow nodded slowly. "I, uh, kinda hope I never have to decide something like that."

"You'd have to be really sure you wanted it that badly, right?"

"Yeah, I get it," said Rainbow in a subdued voice. "I guess I never looked it that way with you."

"Yeah, maybe it's not quite that extreme," I said. "I don't have anything to go back to in my original world but ..." I looked around as the illusion of a big city dropped away from me, and I gazed over the tranquil and laid back environs of Ponyville. "... maybe I have someplace else to go here."





Bright Flame took a sip of his soda before stretching his fore-hoof across the table and tapping it against a formula I had just partially solved in my notebook. "So you see, Candy, in this case, there's always an unsolved variable. We don't know quite as much about the magic behind it, so we can't solve it for every instance."

I frowned. "That was a dirty trick on Professor Red Quill's part."

Bright snickered. "Yeah, he does that in every first year Arcane Theorems class, and you even went into it knowing the science behind it is still inexact."

I didn't know whether to chalk it up to coincidence or fate that the class had started studying the magic behind cutie marks. "I suppose if we did know this stuff, we could predict what any pony would get."

Bright smiled as he chomped on a hay fry. "Exactly!"

I paused to finish my milkshake. "So did he do this in your class, too?"

"Yeah, but this time he probably counted on the students thinking they should be able to solve it after the Glimmer Incident."

I knew a little of that from Twilight: something about some crazy unicorn who could actually remove cutie marks. "Yeah, but what she did was different. It's like taking apart a machine without knowing how it works or how to build one from scratch."

Bright nodded. "That's a good analogy. I think you'll do okay in the midterms."

I smiled. "Thanks to your help. The class is turning out to be just slightly over my head."

Bright waved a fore-hoof. "Really, it's not. You just have a tough teacher, that's all."

Part of the problem was that I had taken the class when I still thought myself unsure of what direction I would go. I had wanted to hedge my bets. Twilight had been delighted to hear I had taken the class, so she may have hoped I'd make a career in hard magic.

I glanced at the clock. "We should head back to school."

Bright gave me a small smile that seemed suddenly nervous. That I could pick up on such subtle nuances in emotion still stunned me. I remained silent as we gathered our things, which just increased the tension.

"Um, Candy?" Bright said in a tentative voice as we headed for the exit. "Can I ask you something?"

And right there, I knew exactly what he was going to ask. Oh, boy. "Sure."

"Uh ... this weekend ... I was wondering if you'd like to go with me to the harvest festival?"

Yeah, nailed it. He was asking me out on a date.

I didn't want to say no. I didn't know whether that was just pure pony hormones talking, or that I felt comfortable enough around him to know he wouldn't push me into something I wasn't ready for. Yet I didn't want to build him up to a big disappointment if my path led me elsewhere. "Can I think about it for a bit?"

Bright slowly smiled. "Of course! Please, take all the time you need."

I smiled. "Thanks. No matter what I decide, I want you to know that you're a really good friend."

He blushed, which I had to admit, against all that orange and red, looked kind of cute. "Thank you, Candy. I feel the same way about you."

Yet he exuded an almost palpable aura that suggested he had stronger feelings than that, but it didn't seem overwhelming. That helped.

"You know, I never asked you how your trip to Manehattan went," said Bright as we trotted back to school.

"Oh, it went really well, actually."

"Did you like seeing the big city?"

I smiled. "Yeah, I did."

"I have to admire you," said Bright. "I'd be totally lost in a place like that."

I looked around. Plumes of dust rose from the wheels of a carriage as it leisurely rolled past. Ponies strolled at a sedate pace before the houses and shops along the road, the line between road and sidewalk occasionally tenuous at best.

"It's definitely different than here," I said in a soft voice.

"Maybe I'll have the gumption to visit it some day, but I'll always be glad to be back home."

Ponyville was nice. All my friends and family were here, save for those I had made in Manehattan. It tried to be home for me. Living at the boutique felt like a proper home with all the love that I could ever want. Yet stepping out into the streets had always felt a little off, and now even more so. The juxtaposition of the two feelings made my heart ache.

Did I consider Manehattan to be home? Despite all my feelings about it, it still remained a copy of a city I had grown up in. No, it wasn't home. No place could ever magically just be home. I had to make it my home. That was the hardest part; it would be flippant and insincere of me to say "Ponyville doesn't feel like home." I had to face the reality that a more accurate statement was "I didn't want to make Ponyville my home."

"You okay, Candy?" Bright asked.

I smiled faintly. "I'm fine. In fact, you just helped me clarify something."

"I did?"

"It would take too long to explain." When that felt a bit like a cop-out, I quickly added, "I mean, I will explain it to you, just not right now."

Bright paused. "Does this have anything to do with your decision to go out with me?"

"In a way, yes. If it helps any, I want to say 'yes' but I've got some other things going on right now."

Bright smiled. "Thanks, Candy. I really appreciate your honesty."

I certainly needed that right now, but mostly with myself.





"Mom, I'm home!" I called out as I stepped into the boutique via the back way after school.

"Heya, Candy!" said Sweetie Belle as she trotted towards me.

I smiled. "Hey, little sis. What's up?"

She giggled. "I finally found somepony who got a picture from the Sisterhooves Social."

"Oo, let's see it!"

We headed down the hallway and glanced towards the front to ensure Mom was occupied with a customer before galloping up the stairs. I levitated my saddlebags into my room as we passed without breaking stride and followed Sweetie into her room.

Sweetie giggled again. "You better sit down for this," she said as she grabbed a photo from her shelf in her magic.

I hopped on her bed and sat on my haunches, grinning like a little kid. "Okay, lay it on me."

Sweetie sat next to me and levitated the photo before me. As soon as my eyes beheld the picture of Big Mac wearing a dress, I uttered a snort, and my eyes teared in my vain attempt to suppress the laughter that burst out of me the next moment. I fell over on my back, kicking my hooves. "Oh, s-sweet Celestia!" I cried as I wiped tears from my eyes. "I almost wish I'd been here to see it myself!"

Sweetie Belle erupted into giggles as well. "He didn't fool a single pony."

Hoof-falls approached, and Mom poked her head in. "Just what in the world is so funny ..." She trailed off as she saw the photo. "Oh, that," she deadpanned. "Honestly, Sweetie, hasn't he felt enough embarrassment over it?"

I rolled onto my side. "Oh, come on, Mom, I hadn't seen it before now."

Sweetie Belle tucked it back onto the shelf. "Yeah, I only wanted to show her. I'm not going to show it to anypony else."

Mom smiled gently. "Thank you. Candy, I have some letters for you that came in the mail this morning."

I righted myself and hopped off the bed. "Um, yeah, I was expecting something from Coco."

Sweetie giggled briefly.

I turned my head towards her. "What?"

She smiled. "Oh, nothing."

I raised an eyebrow. "Sweetieeee? What did you do?"

She waved a fore-hoof. "Don't worry about it. You're going to love it."

I rolled my eyes. "Great." I headed for the door and drew up short when Mom levitated two envelopes before my eyes. "Wait. Two letters?"

Mom smiled. "I had said letters, plural."

I grabbed them in my magic. The one on top was clearly from Coco. "Okay, here's the one I was expecting but ..." I gasped as I flipped the second one to the front. "Cherry?! I got a letter from Cherry?!"

"Oh, cool!" Sweetie Belle said. "Can I see it when you're done reading it?"

I smiled broadly. "Of course. Mom, can I go read these now? I know I said I would help you with that backlog of alterations but--"

"It's fine," said Mom. "And I would love to know what Cherry has to say as well."

I dashed into my room and closed the door with a push of magic. I hopped onto my bed, simultaneously placing Coco's letter on the night table and tearing open the letter from Cherry. I settled back on my haunches as I slipped the letter out, took a deep breath, and unfolded it:



Dearest Candy,

I am sorry I took so long to write. The events of the past month have forced me to reflect on not only my life but where I will go from here. It seemed so simple after acquiring a cutie mark that fit so well with what I wanted to do, yet I have learned that in the execution of those plans, things are never quite as easy.

This has been an eye-opener for me, Candy, and I feel I must apologize to you. I did you a great disservice for so long. I imposed myself on you in ways that I've come to realize only recently. It was more than just always thinking my way was the right way, but it played a part.

What has been brought home to me very clearly is how much I need to listen to others. Really listen, not just lend an ear to laments or pain and think I know the answers. I need to really understand their thoughts, their feelings, their fears, their needs.

But most of all, I have to let them know what I'm thinking. So much distrust still exists concerning changelings that my penchant for keeping things to myself simply will not work here. I never really understood how much I kept my cards so close to the vest. I think I started to understand that day I told you I was leaving, but I have so much more to do if I want ponies and changelings to trust me. I have to realize that everything I do -- and what I don't do -- speaks volumes.

I want you to give this letter to Applejack when you can, as this part is for her: Applejack, thank you so very much for everything you've done, for just simply being you. You exuded an openness and honesty that helped me try to do the right thing with Candy when I told her I was going away. If it had been up to me, I would likely have done it in a roundabout and overly dramatic way. I still have a way to go, but you helped set me on the right path.

And, Candy, I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart, for you have helped me far more than I have ever helped you, and I don't mean my new life in Equestria. Maybe you are still trying to determine your ultimate calling, but you face life with a sincerity that I had failed to see until now.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

All my love,
Cherry Blossom



I swallowed as I set down the letter in trembling magic, raising a fore-hoof to my face to wipe away tears. She had likely never meant to dispense advice to me in that letter, but she had managed it anyway, and it was exactly what I needed.

Some of my tears were not just a reaction to the outpouring of feelings from my dear friend. Much of it was for what was to come. Even with my vision clouded, the path ahead was coming into crystal-clear focus. I thought back to the moment when Digs and Rosey broke through the barrier separating them, how I had managed to look past their pain with an insight I wished I had been able to bring to bear in my own life so long ago.

I had so many people across two worlds that I could thank for how I came to be at this point in my life, yet I could not choose my path merely out of obligation. I now wondered if Cherry had done this despite how ardently she felt about pursuing her dream. Though cutie marks were not just randomly bestowed. They meant something.

I shuddered. I knew what it also meant for me: the one last thing I had to give up. But what was I giving up? Just a concept? Just a way of expressing who and what I am?

I took another deep breath and levitated the envelope from Coco. I tore it open, and, curiously, found two pages inside, each a different kind, plus a newspaper clipping. My eyes were immediately drawn to the first page, and I started there:



Dear Candy,

I had hoped to write sooner, but things took a little longer to arrange than I thought. However, I have good news for you. I found a friend who has a daughter attending a local college, and she's looking for somepony to share the rent. I believe I can share enough of the profits of the shop to allow you to cover your half and still leave you with enough to live on.

Candy, I cannot express in words how excited I am about the prospect of having you work with me. At the same time, I feel a little guilty for stealing you away from Rarity. I cannot do this in good conscience unless she agrees as well. Legally, she's your guardian, so she would have to approve anyway.

Please make absolutely sure that this is where your heart is leading you.



I put the page down as my eyes misted again. I never wanted something so badly in my life. Surely that was enough? I couldn't let myself fall into the trap of "want" versus "should." I indeed needed to be sure. Yet it seemed when I did listen to my heart, it was screaming at me; Digs perhaps was not the only one with a thick skull.

But she didn't come from another world. She didn't once have a different mindset. She didn't once doubt exactly what she was or what it meant. Thoughts passed through my head in a mad rush as I struggled to sort it all out.

I lifted the letter again:



Digs wound up writing up something about the theater, and it wasn't quite what I was expecting, but it was moving. I included it with the letter. Please, read it. I think you'll like it.

Also, I received an interesting letter the other day. It seems you have ponies who really want to see you succeed at whatever you do. I have my doubts that it came from the, ah, company that it claims to, but regardless, the fact that there are ponies who care that much about you was very touching. If you know them, please give them a hug for me. I've enclosed it for your reading pleasure.

I look forward to your response. Take care.

Coco Pommel



I raised an eyebrow as I set the letter aside and looked at the second one. My mouth fell open as I stared. I had not read a single word yet, and I knew exactly what had happened.

"Oh, sweet Celestia," I whispered, my lips curling into a wide smile as I recognized the mouth-writing of the opening lines:



Dear Miss Pommel,

Here at Really Big Important Company of Ponyville, we value talent. And when we see talent, we want to let other ponies know about it. So we're here to tell you all about the great talent that is Candy Swirl. You really should hire her, Miss Pommel, as she is the best seamstress ever! Why, many ponies say that she might even be better than Rarity



I snorted as new writing picked up right after the struck through part:



she might not be quite as good as my sis Rarity, but she's really really good! Did you know that she even once stared down a changeling queen? That she actually stood up to the Spirit of Chaos himself? Well, I guess that doesn't have a whole lot to do with fashion but



And I laughed as I saw a mark that almost went off the page as the pencil (yes, it was written in pencil) was pulled from the second writer's grip into that of a third:



it means that she's completely and totally awesome! Maybe not as awesome as Rainbow Dash She's really awesome at everything she does, and awesome at everything she says. Every moment of her day is filled with sheer awesomeness! Did I mention she's awesome?

Oh, the other Cru CEOs are telling me that I need to wrap this up. So, please, Miss Pommel, give Candy a chance. You won't regret it.



I broke into a wide smile as I read the last part of the letter:



Sincerely,
A. Bloom
S. Belle
S. C. O. O. Taloo
CEOs, Presidents, Big Bosses of
Really Big Important Company of Ponyville, Inc Ltd CMC DDS PhD ...



I laughed until my eyes teared when the random acronyms continued onto the next line and then the back of the page. Never had I felt such love towards three little girls. Of every pony I knew, they had the biggest hearts, and now they were trying to clear the way for mine.

I set the letter from the Crusaders carefully aside, as I intended to forever preserve it as a cherished memento, and picked up the newspaper article:



Revival and Reconciliation
by Daisy "Digger" Flower

Those of you who have read my stories know this type of article is usually not my thing. You're all used to reading my hard-hitting exposes or scathing editorials. Don't worry, those will keep coming for as long as I draw breath. Yet I felt the need to step back for a moment and share with you an experience that rattled me to my core.

A little background. In downtown Manehattan, there once lived a very kind mare named Charity Kindheart. Year after year, she put on a community theater, funded by donations, and when they weren't enough, funded out of her own pocket. She put great care and love into what she did.

Yet all good things come to an end. She moved away to be closer to her grandchildren, and nopony picked up the mantle. The park where the plays took place fell into disrepair, and the memory faded.

Then a local resident named Coco Pommel rose to the challenge. Make no mistake, she had taken on something bigger than she had expected, but help arrived and managed to bring it all together at the last possible minute. The resulting revival was a huge success, bringing together those who for too long had remained as isolated ponies instead of a single, living community.

But this isn't their story.

Lost in the glare of the spotlight are the "little" stories. When the play ended, many ponies lingered for hours into the night, renewing bonds of friendship that had long been neglected. My mother and I were one of those stories.

I won't go into excruciating detail. Suffice it to say, a huge divide existed between us because of past pain, and neither of us could look past the ends of our muzzles to do anything about it. That's a vast oversimplification, but I'm not emotionally ready to divulge the details. So why am I going into this at all?

Because I met a pony who exemplified everything Miss Pommel was striving for when she decided to revive the theater. She helped my mother and I take a step back and understand what was important. I saw actual magic that day, sparked by the renewal of a mother and daughter bond that never should have been sundered.

Yet the magic was almost superfluous. It was merely the coda to a vast symphony. No magic made her give a darn. No magic gave her the heart to care. That's really what this is about. That's what seems to be missing sometimes as we go about our hurried lives.

I've heard some ponies speculate that we were never meant to live in large cities. That, in my opinion, is just so much horseapples. The community theater showed that we can come together. We can keep our friendships among the hustle and bustle of a city. And my personal experience has shown that there are ponies who care, and they are the heart of any community, not just Manehattan.

I would love to mention this pony's name, but I suspect she is like the two who assisted Miss Pommel, wishing no public accolades for what they did. Let's just say that if you ever meet a teenage filly who seems to have some insight into what you are feeling in a relationship that's gone sour, you might want to listen to her.

Oh, and if you happen to have some apparel of great emotional significance that is as damaged as your relationship, take that to her, too. You won't regret it.



I let out a long breath as I slowly set the article down.

For the first time in my life, everything became clear. There was the oft-repeated refrain, usually said in jest upon hearing bad news: don't kill the messenger. Yet I had been guilty of the more overarching sentiment, that of paying attention only to the message and not the messenger. The messenger was my heart, and that was something that had not changed in my transition to this world.

Yes, I have changed and grown as a person. That's to be expected and desired. I once might have said that was very human as well. But guess what? Becoming a pony hadn't stopped that. Changing worlds hadn't stopped that. I was still me. No outside force was pushing me along anymore. I had full control over my life.

And I knew what I wanted to do.

I very carefully put back all the letters into their respective envelopes and placed them on the shelf. I opened my door and trotted down the hall, poking my head into Sweetie Belle's room. She looked up from what she was reading and smiled. "So what's the word from Coco?"

Whatever I wanted to say was lost in a swell of affection and love. I bolted over to her and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you so much for everything you and your friends have ever done, Sweetie." I chuckled. "Or should I say, S. Belle, CEO?"

I felt her cheeks burn against my fur. "Oh, um ... she, uh, told you about the letter?"

I drew back and nodded, wiping a tear from my eye.

"You're not upset?" Sweetie asked in a tentative voice.

I laughed. "Of course not! You really are the best sister a pony could ever have."

Sweetie smiled. "So did she give you some good news?"

I nodded quickly. "I-I can go to Manehattan if I want. I mean, that is ... if Mom will let me."

"Of course she will!" Sweetie said. "I mean, she's going to be sad to see you go." She sighed, some of her smile fading. "I'm going to be sad to see you go. But you have to do this."

I glanced into the hall when I heard Mom step towards the back of the boutique. "I better talk to her now. I'm too wound up to wait."

"Can I go with you?" Sweetie Belle said. "I won't say anything, I just want to be there for you."

I gave her another brief hug. "Okay, let's go."

My stomach was all butterflies as we headed down the stairs. Mom was in her work room, humming to herself. I hesitated just outside, and Sweetie Belle nudged me and gestured with a fore-hoof, so reminiscent of when she encouraged me to ask Mom if I could go to Manehattan in the first place.

I swallowed hard and stepped inside. "Um ... Mom?"

Mom turned her head as she floated a bolt of fabric to her table. "Hello, Candy. Is Cherry doing well?"

"She is, but ... I need to talk to you about something really important."

Mom set down the bolt and stepped away from her sewing machine. "Yes, of course, dear. Sweetie, would you mind heading over to--"

"No, I want her here," I said as Sweetie trotted around me and stood near her sister, smiling at me encouragingly. "I want her to hear this, too."

Mom gave me a concerned look. "Is everything okay?"

I smiled. "In a way, yes, everything is perfect but ..." I took a deep breath. "Mom, I want to go back to Manehattan."

Mom paused. "Well, dear, I do hope we can make another visit soon. I know how much you liked it there and--"

"No, you don't understand. I mean just me. I want to go there. To live."

Mom was quiet for a long moment. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Candy, I assume there's something else behind this rather than just wanderlust for a place that resembles your original home."

I stepped closer to her. "Yes, it's much more than that. It's about what my talent is."

Mom opened her eyes and glanced at my flank. "But you don't have ... I mean ..."

"Look, Mom, I'm not even thinking about that right now."

"Very well, but why can't you keep using your talent here in Ponyville?"

"Because that's not the whole story," I said. "I need to do this in Manehattan. Yes, part of it is because of where I grew up. I'm a city girl, no matter what world you put me in. Manehattan is not my home, but I can make it my home. I want to make it my home, and I want to help the ponies there."

Mom swallowed hard. "But what would you do for a living? You can't just--"

"That was in the letter from Coco. She's arranged it for me, but only if you say yes. I'm going to be working in her shop."

In the silence that followed, I could hear my own heart pounding. I also felt something like a charge of electricity hovering around me, enveloping me like an aura, just barely there.

Mom let out a long sigh. "And your schoolwork?"

"I've got midterms coming up. I can finish those, and then transfer to a school there."

"Candy, I ... I feel like I've grown to really know you, and yet sometimes I realize I don't know your mind at all," Mom said in a quavering voice. "And it seems like we had such a short time together, a-and now you want to leave ..."

I drew closer to her. "It's not like I'm going to be gone forever. I want to spend my first Hearthwarming Day with you and your family." I smiled. "Our family. I love you, Mom, and i-it's going to be hard to be away from you, but--"

Mom wrapped a fore-leg around me. "A-are you sure? Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?"

"Yes," I said without even a moment's hesitation. "This is what I want to do. This is where my heart is leading me, and I want to follow it. This is my heart's calling."

The aura I had only just barely sensed suddenly intensified, and I felt a wave of energy, soft and pleasant, pass through the core of my being. Everything I had ever wanted, dreamed, or hoped came together in that moment of clarity like I never had felt before. When it finally passed, I exuded an unshakable confidence that I had chosen the right path.

I heard a gasp off to the side. I turned my head and saw Sweetie Belle staring at me, her mouth open. Before I could say anything, she let out a delighted scream that set my ears ringing.

"I saw it I saw it I saw it!" Sweetie whooped as she danced in place. "It happened RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!"

I blinked. "Wait, what happened?" I turned back to Mom.

A smile stretched across her muzzle, and her eyes had filled with tears. "Dear ... look at your flank."

"My ...?"

But I suddenly realized I didn't have to, because I knew what I would see.

My cutie mark.

I uttered a tremulous sigh as I gazed at it. A spool of golden thread lay in the upper left, a shiny needle in the lower right. A thread wound a circuitous loop between them, but not before passing through a red heart in the center, having stitched closed a ragged tear in its side.

It was beautiful.

It was perfect.

Mom drew me into a tight hug as she uttered a quavering sigh. "Candy, I'm so proud of you. As much as it pains me to see you go, I will do everything I can to help." She drew back enough to smile and wipe away tears. "And I can think of nopony better to work for over there than Coco."

I sniffled, my muzzle aching from how hard I was smiling. "Thanks, Mom. You really are the best."

Mom narrowed her eyes. "But you are not leaving Ponyville, young lady, before we hold a proper cuteceañera for you."

I laughed. "I wouldn't miss one of Pinkie's parties for the world."





The auburn-haired woman seated across from me picks up her teacup with long, delicate fingers. She moves them with such grace and purpose that it's hard to see the lingering callouses from where they once worked cloth, needle, and thread day in and day out, all in a dogged pursuit of her dream. Yet I know they are there, as I know every detail of this woman who was once so much a part of my life.

She smiles as she samples the tea, and I relax. She has let me pick everything, from the venue -- a little outdoor café not too far removed from the hustle and bustle of the city -- to the beverage -- one of my favorite herbal blends that Fluttershy introduced me to.

Yet I still wait with bated breath until I hear her speak. She gives me an affectionate look that I so missed and utters a contented smile. "You have done so well for yourself, my dear, in the time I've been gone."

I utter a shaky sigh. "I've tried, Mom, I really have."

She pauses before setting down her cup, a troubled look clouding her face. "I ... I must apologize, Rachel, I should have been there for you."

I shake my head. "No, stop it."

"You have every right to hate me for what I have done."

"No, I won't hear of this," I say in a firm voice. "What's done is done. My life is good. I have no room for hate anymore. Or guilt." I slowly smile. "In fact, I'm about to start helping others with that. I already have."

She looks at me with a gentle affection that makes my heart ache, but in a good way. I meant what I said; I have no regrets. I have no resentments. I just have our memories.

And yet ... I feel I must know one thing.

"Mom," I say in a tentative voice as a breeze swirls around us. I grab her napkin before it is lost to the wind. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, dear. You know you always can."

I set her napkin down near her hand. "Do you think ... i-if you were still around, that you'd be proud of me?"

My heart melts when she gazes at me with the love that I still cherish in my memories. She reaches forward, and my heart skips a beat as she lays her hand against my cheek. "Rachel, I will always be proud of you ..." She brushes her fingers against my mane. " ... no matter what you do or where you go …" Her fingers trail along my horn. "... and no matter what form you take."

My eyes mist as I gaze at her, enjoying her gentle touch. I almost don't hear the approaching hoof-falls, not until my birth mother turns her eyes towards them. "Oh, is this one of your new friends?"

I turn my head. "Oh, um, yes, she is."

"I hope I am not intruding," says Princess Luna. "I simply happened to be in the neighborhood and thought I would drop by."

I smile. "No, of course not." I turn to my mother. "This is Princess Luna."

My mother raises a hand to her mouth. "Oh, my, a princess! You certainly have come up in the world, dear."

I giggle and blush as Luna takes a seat next to me.

"Forgive me, I only realized now I've been calling you by your old name," my mother says.

I levitate a teacup before Luna and pour her some tea. "It's okay, Mom, really."

"Thank you, Candy," says Luna as she picks up her cup in her magic. She turns to my mother. "You have a wonderful daughter here, and it has been my distinct pleasure to have come to know her."

My blush deepens.

"Has she explained to you about her cutie mark?"

My mother lifts her cup again and takes a sip. "Yes, she has. I don't profess to understand quite how all this pony stuff works, but all I know is that it makes Rachel ... that is, Candy very happy, and that's all that matters." She smiles. "And I do admit, I'm a bit jealous of that horn of hers."

We laugh and chat idly as we finish our tea, and my mother finally stands. "As enjoyable as this has been, I must be off." She turns to me and draws me into a hug. "Please take care of yourself, and remember: only look forward."

I let out a tremulous breath and hug her back. "Thanks, Mom."

I draw back and wipe my eyes as my mother walks away. I utter a forlorn sigh as she ripples and vanishes at the edge of my dreamscape. "I guess it's too much to hope for that she wasn't just a conjuration of my own mind."

Luna sets down her cup. "Perhaps a way to look at it would be that some part of your birth mother still exists in your heart. Beyond that, even I do not understand fully how the spirit world works. What matters is how you feel about yourself."

I smile and turn to her. "Well, and there is this." I throw up my fore-hooves. "Look at me! I'm a pony in my dreams now!"

Luna smiles. "And yet, I sense nothing inherently different about you."

"I know. That's what I had figured out. I'm still me. I never stopped being me."

"That, Candy, is perhaps the best lesson you could have ever learned," Luna says. "And before I go, I wish to congratulate you on earning your cutie mark."

I smile but sigh. "Even if it means having to move away from those I love. I have to admit, it's a little daunting."

Luna drapes a wing around me. "You are well on your way to becoming a strong, self-confident mare. I have a feeling you have a bright future ahead of you. This is only the beginning, Candy Swirl."





My eyes flickered open as the approaching sunrise cast a deep, warm glow around me. I stretched luxuriantly as the sun brightened and painted its morning rays across the room, briefly shining on the treasured letters I had received just the day before.

I yawned and lingered, stealing a few last moments of rest before sliding out of bed and trotting over to the window. The sun slowly rose in golden splendor, and I stared off towards the distant horizon.

How many times had I done this back on Earth and saw nothing but sky and clouds? Instead, now I saw my future, one I could look at with a sense of excitement and anticipation. I had everything I could ever want: a life, love, and a purpose, all packaged in the body of a colorful unicorn in a world I had never conceived of in my strangest dreams.

I glanced at my cutie mark before turning my gaze back to the sun and the clear blue sky. It was going to be a beautiful day.