First published
This is an anthology series containing entries into the Quills and Sofas Speedwriting Group that are too short to publish on their own and I can't (or don’t want to) extend into 1,000 word stories.
Most of these will be unedited (other than typos and formatting) from what I originally submitted because, well, if I could edit and add a ton more I would be hitting the 1,000 word mark and publishing as a separate story lol.
(Edited as of August 23rd, 2020) Most of these entries will be E rated, but those who qualify for the T rating will have it in parenthesis with the chapter title - that also doubles as the title of the story. I’ll put in an authors note at the beginning which prompt it was for as well as any particular shoutouts to the awesome people at Quills and Sofas who may have helped with comments and formatting/grammar/spelling editing.
Hope you guys like the stories!
Cover art by me (if you are an author looking to commission cover art, send me a message!)
Pride for life,
For love,
For being who you are,
Unashamed and unafraid,
Pride lives in our hearts.
Be proud of your life,
Who you love and how you dress,
Break the stereotype or fit right in,
Only you know your heart,
Your mind,
Your soul.
Even if it’s ‘just a phase’,
You are still growing up.
Free to explore,
Free to learn,
Free to make ‘mistakes’.
The human life is a journey,
One we all go through,
And though our paths may be different,
I support you.
Pitter patter,
Splish splash,
The sky is closed,
The clouds are heavy,
And the rain that started long ago,
continues.
Pitter patter,
A streak of light,
Illumination!
Then nothing
My eyes readjust to the dark night.
Pitter patter,
Curled beneath a leaf,
Crying,
Shaking,
Wondering,
Why me?
Pitter patter,
WHOOSH,
The wind blows
And I am left cold.
Pitter patter,
Clip clop,
The sound of dainty hooves passing,
Fading,
And leaving me behind.
Pitter patter,
Is this to be it then?
Left behind once again,
Without even the chance of a friend.
Pitter patter.
I could not blame them,
For who am I but a strange little creature,
Lost in the world.
I could be anyone,
Anything,
They were right to move on.
Pitter…
Then nothing,
No more rain,
No more wet,
Has release finally come for me?
No more pitter,
No more patter,
No more splish or splash.
No more cold,
No more lonely.
Only,
A mare.
Wrapped in her wings,
Warmed by her love,
She takes me home
And she calls me
‘Angel’.
Twilight gasped as she broke the storm cover, collapsing on top of the nearest grey cloud. She was freezing, edging towards exhaustion and shaking, but she was alive.
Her horn lit as she cast a drying spell, and then a warming one. She rubbed her hooves together, her shivers and chills now from the pure adrenaline rush still flowing through her veins.
Going into a storm, an Everfree Forest storm, had been dangerous, reckless, idiotic, but by Celestia was it fun!
She poked at the clouds to make a small hole, the grey fluff beneath her hooves rumbling but following her guidance nonetheless. She peeked down through the window she made, watching the wind whip the leaves all around, the rain coming down hard and slicing through the air like tiny cold needles.
Twilight took a deep breath. It was like a whole other world down there, one governed by primal forces of nature that no pony could hope to control.
One that operated without pesky forces such as ‘fate’ or ‘destiny’.
She sat there a moment, waiting for her heart to slow just a touch before diving through that hole once more.
Her wings snapped open and she was immediately buffeted to the side. She threw her head back and laughed, letting herself be tossed around in the winds and only correcting to avoid smashing into a tree or cliff.
It was the most free she had felt in a long time, letting nature, wild nature at that, choose where she went. She tumbled, she barrel rolled, she nose dived, and at one point she was free falling with her limbs all splayed out.
This was so unlike her, but that was part of the fun. Ever since she had gotten her wings, she felt more confined than ever by things like her destiny she had ‘been prepared for‘ her whole life. What kind of preparation for the Princess of Friendship was growing up an introverted shut in?
She had ‘control’ of course, but what really was control when you didn’t ask to become an alicorn? A Princess?
But now, under the roiling dark grey cover of a mighty storm, where the wind and sky were limitless, she really felt in control of herself. She decided to leave her fate to the storm, and so here she was.
She whooped as a lightning bolt sailed past her, leaving the air charged with electricity and her fur standing on end. And then the thunder, loud drumming that drowned out any other thought and roared with her heartbeat.
She was becoming the storm and the storm was becoming her. She felt the clouds charging up again, the subtle tingle of electricity gathering and turned herself right into the path of the bolt.
It crackled in her hooves, becoming a swirling ball of pure energy. She giggled madly as she held it, not noticing the sparks flying out that singed her coat. With a might cry, she turned and released the ball, eyes wide as it sliced right through the top of a tree.
A gust of wind sent her tumbling head over tails and she followed it. The storm was getting weaker, she could feel it, but it still had a good hour or so in it. She intended on making the most of that remaining hour.
Later, when she went home and dried off, she would sit with a cup of tea and write a report or read a few books. She would be Princess Twilight Sparkle.
But for now?
She was the storm.
Sugar Belle bit her lip.“And you are sure you can handle him for a few days?”
Rainbow grinned, “Of course! Kids love me!”
Applejack glanced sideways at her enthusiastic wife before looking at her sister in law. “Ah promise it’ll be alright. Now go on, git! Y’all need this vacation.”
Big Mac heaved a soft sigh and nodded, the bags under his eyes making him look sleepier than normal. “Eyup.”
Sugar Belle stifled a yawn herself and shook herself. “You're right, I just... oh, I know I’m gonna miss him so much…” She nuzzled her three month old foal. “Momma will be back soon dear, I promise.”
She sniffled and reluctantly passed him off to Applejack. “Y’all have a good weekend now, we’ll see you come Monday.”
“We will, see you then!”
Applejack and Rainbow waved them off, Rainbow waiting until the cab was no longer in sight before grabbing the foal from Applejack and taking to the air. She hovered just out of Applejack’s reach, nuzzling the foal. “Now this is what I’m talking about! A whole weekend of awesomeness with the little one. Who’s gonna do awesome things with the awesome Rainbow Dash, you are, yes, it’s you!”
“Consarn it Rainbow Dash! Be careful!”
Rainbow rolled her eyes, “Don’t get your hat into a bunch AJ, I’m a pro with kids.”
The pegasus flashed her winning grin, usually reserved for the cameras after a Wonderbolt performance.
Applejack chewed on her lip nervously, watching her closely. “N-now don’t go too high there. Remember, ya gotta be gentle with a foal.”
Rainbow didn’t respond, focused now on the little purple and orange bundle in her hooves. The foal cooed and babbled, flailing his tiny hooves at her.
Rainbow chuckled and tossed him up a bit, much to the foals’ delight and Applejack’s horror.
“Rainbow Ah swear on my parents grave if you drop my nephew Ah’m-“
“First off, our nephew. Second, yeah yeah, I won’t be able to fly, I’ll be lucky to walk, blah blah.”Rainbow smirked down at her, “You gave Spitfire the same speech when she offered to take Apple Bloom up for a flight.”
“An’ it applies to this.”
Rainbow sighed and tossed the bundle up once more, catching him and floating to the ground. Applejack rushed over and practically ripped him from Rainbow’s hooves, fretting over her nephew and looking for any sign of discomfort or injury.
Rainbow nuzzled Applejack, pressing against her side and wrapping a wing over her, turning on the charm. “Hey, I swear, I’m not gonna let anything happen to the little squirt. I’ll be next in line to make sure anyone who hurts one little hair on his body is buried in the depths of Tartarus.”
Applejack snorted. “Right after Sugar Belle, Big Mac, me, an Applebloom.”
“Hey, gotta save the best for last.”
Applejack sighed and leaned into her, gently bouncing the laughing foal. “Well, he ain’t too scared or nothing at least.”
“Of course he isn’t! A flight with Rainbow Dash is the best!” She had the good grace to look chastised at Applejack’s glare. “Alright, alright, no more high flying.”
“Good. Let’s get back inside, it’s almost nap time.”
Rainbow stretched, “You’re telling me! I’m waaaay behind on my naps already thanks to training.”
Applejack rolled her eyes, “Ah mean for little’n here.”
“Oh, of course. But, I can get a nap too, right?”
Applejack chuckled and nodded at the farmhouse. “Go and git the livin’ room set up with all the pillows and blankets you can find.”
Rainbow whooped, kissed her cheek, and took off in a triail of rainbow and dust.
Applejack glanced down at the foal and shook her head with an smile. He yawned and wiggled in her hoof as she started towards the house.
By the time she made it into the living room, it was like one of Pinkie’s impromptu sleepover cannons exploded and covered the room with fluffy pillows and plush blankets.
Applejack stepped carefully to the middle and carefully hoofed him to Rainbow so she could make a little cradle for him to sleep in, just to keep him safe.
“You don’t think that’s a little...excessive? He isn’t exactly a newborn anymore.”
“Oh hush, Ah won’t be able to sleep if Ah think he might be in danger.”
“Alright, alright.”
When it was finished, he was placed into the little basin of blankets, Applejack carefully laying down beside it.
Rainbow zoomed off again for a moment before coming back to flop on the other side of the cradle, half curling around it on her side as she held up a few foal bedtime stories in hoof.
Applejack glared at her again for her recklessness, but softened when she saw the books. “Good idea. Celestia knows he gets cranky without being read too.”
Rainbow smirked, “I know. I told you I’m good with kids AJ. Don’t you think I deserve some sort of..., reward perhaps?”
She puckered her lips, making Applejack shake her head in amusement. “Well...Aw shucks, get over here you.”
They laughed and shared a gentle kiss before lying back with Rainbow’s wings holding a book up.
“Once upon a time…”
A seagulls cry,
The salty breeze,
Warm sunny rays,
The ocean calls once again to me.
It’s soft, shifting sands,
The crystal clear and deep blue waves,
Inviting me, tempting me,
I simply cannot stay away.
And so I make the trek,
The journey,
The adventure is starting!
And what an adventure to be had.
For what better way to spend a summer day,
Than at the beach,
Lying in the sand,
Bathing in the sun's hot rays.
It seems many others have heard the siren call,
I would make jokes at their behalf,
I know quite a few, but I half,
For was I not drawn here too?
I pass by families and foals,
Young and old alike,
Making my way to a special cove,
For a gathering of those whose minds are like mine.
For ponies yes,
We are usually nude,
But for some odd reason,
We tend to wear swimsuits.
There is however,
A lovely little cove,
Where clothing is optional,
Or so I am told.
I pick up the pace,
For I am nearly there,
And look behold!
The bare rear of a mare.
It seems I made it,
The rumors were true!
Now I can really relax,
And be on the beach, in the nude.
Pitter patter,
Splish splash,
The sky is closed,
The clouds are heavy,
And the rain that started long ago,
Continues.
Pitter patter,
The rain dampens my coat,
Soaking through and leaving me cold,
I quicken my step,
And hurry on my way home.
Pitter patter,
Clip clop,
My hooves on the ground,
Splishing and splashing through the puddles,
Spraying water without a care.
Pitter patter,
WHOOSH
The wind blows
And I shiver in response.
Pitter patter,
A leaf is blown into my face,
I shake it off and continue,
But,
Wait,
Was that a bunny back there?
Pitter patter,
I slow,
My hooves growing heavier with every step,
I should go back.
Pitter patter,
Oh I just can’t leave them!
I turn and begin to run,
Poor little thing,
All alone in the cold,
What sort of monster was I,
That I even thought of leaving them alone.
Pitter patter,
There!
I pick them up and hold them close,
And continue on the short journey home.
No more pitter,
No more patter,
No more splish or splash.
No more cold,
No more lonely,
Not for this little thing.
This little bunny.
So small and fragile,
So cute and fluffy,
I take him home.
And I call him
‘Angel’.
“Momma momma look! My tooth!”
Pinkie looked down at Lil Cheese and smiled brightly, “Oh my goodness oh my goodness! You lost your tooth! You know what this means!”
Lil Cheese squeed and bounced up and down. “The tooth fairy the tooth fairy!”
Pinkie winked and pulled him into a hug, “Righteo Cheese. Do you remember what we do for the tooth fairy?”
“I put my tooth under my pillow and go to sleep.”
“And what don’t we do?”
Lil Cheese froze, a slight frown pulling his lips and he looked down. “We don’t try and catch the tooth fairy cause that would be mean.”
Pinkie nuzzled him tenderly, “Yes exactly. The tooth fairy is a busy pony after all, and if you keep her for even a minute, that would be...hmm, multiply by 7, carry the 5, divide by 2.67... 25 foals that she can’t get to! And every foal deserves a visit, don’t you agree?”
Lil Cheese nodded his head rapidly. “I promise to be a good boy this time momma.”
“Oh sweetie, you are definitely a good boy, the best boy, wanna know why?”
His eyes widened and he tilted his head, “Why?”
Pinkie gigglesnorted and lifted him up, throwing him in the air, “Cause you are my son, and my son is the bestest most kindest and sweetest boy there is! Now, let’s get you all tucked into bed so the tooth fairy can come.”
Lil Cheese laughed as he was tossed and then caught, a sudden yawn exposing the hole where his tooth fell out. “Yeah, I can’t wait to see what the tooth fairy leaves for me.”
Pinkie giggled again and hummed softly as she took her increasingly drowsy child up the stairs to his room. She hummed more and tucked him in, “Goodnight Cheese.”
"No more talking," yelled our leader
The last thing said aloud
Into the Stream of Silence
We stepped as a crowd
The sun peeked in through the window, the early morning rays easily surpassing the weak defences of the flimsy curtain. It was like clockwork, the sun on my face at the same time every morning. I blinked, awaking from yet another dreamless night. It had been like that since we bathed in the Stream of Silence.
I sit up and slide my blanket off before standing up and heading to the bathroom, ready to start my routine. Every day has become routine since the Stream.
Freshened up and ready for the day, I head to my kitchen to make my breakfast of plain toast and a cup of jasmine tea. It is the same thing I eat for breakfast every day, but it is not bad. Nor can I really say it is good. Life just is as it is.
After eating comes wandering. One may wonder how unusual and non routine-like wandering can be, but let me assure you, it can be as routine as anything else. There are few jobs to be had in the village, depending on the season, and now is not my time to work. Now is my time to wander.
The first place I go is by the old theatre. I begin to wonder why we leave it up, but the thoughts quickly fade. Thoughts about anything tend to fade, just like any attempt at feeling.
What is feeling anyways?
After passing by the theatre, I walk past Vernal Bloom’s house. She is outside and watering her plants. We give each other a nod as I pass.
Next is the marketplace, but I merely walk through it. There is nothing I need today, I have three more days until my shopping time.
I walk by Autumn Blaze’s old house and wonder for a moment where she went. She was banished after making a ‘cure’ for the Stream. It seemed odd, a ‘cure’ for the best thing to happen to us. No more fighting, no more arguments, just peace. She did seem happy though, talking and jumping around and...
I continue on my walk. There is no use dwelling in the past, especially not of kirin no longer in the village.
Next on my wandering routine is the fountain. I walk up next to it and pause a moment as I always do. If there was one thing that could really make me start to feel, it was this fountain. There was just something in watching the water, the way it sparkled in the light and...
I turn away and continue on my wandering path, the same I have taken every day.
Today is a day like any other, and so it shall continue to be.
Ever the same, ever since we stepped in the Stream.
The first one was Angel.
Of course, I hadn’t intended him to be the first one, but life is funny like that sometimes. I couldn’t stand to see Fluttershy so upset though, she’s one of my best friends so of course I would do anything to make her happy again!
Months before, I had started research into robotics, mostly for my own curiosity over anything. Technology was advancing and it was just so fascinating. Wires and gears and heat and electricity, all working together with or without magic.
One thing that doesn’t come easy as an Alicorn is the immortality. Ever since I got my wings, I could see my friends start to age before me. Every day came and went, another wrinkle, another grey hair, steadier complaints of feeling tired and sore when a month before they were fit as a fiddle. All while I stayed the same.
Okay, so maybe I lied just a teensy little bit when I said my research was purely curiosity-driven. I mean, who wouldn’t want to have their best friends with them for life? You understand, don’t you?
…
I’m getting off track here. You wanted to know about Angel didn’t you?
It started when Fluttershy crashed, yes, crashed through my window in Rainbow Dash fashion, sobbing and incoherent. It was only when I peeked in the basket on her back I understood.
Once I calmed her down with some tea and biscuits and blankets, I took her down into my basement and showed her my research. It wasn’t exactly a secret I kept from anyone, and I have a sneaking suspicion that’s why she came to me first.
We worked together for months, pouring over tiny gears and tiny wires and tiny metal plates that eventually formed the shape of a rabbit.
It wasn’t perfect of course, and he no longer had fluffy white fur, but Fluttershy seemed happy with it. Once the body was built and working, I mixed in a little magic to get the right mannerisms and make sure he would never stop working again.
Technology is amazing, but you can’t go wrong with a little magical help.
Okay you can, but Starlight hasn’t used magic to solve a friendship problem in years, which I think is great progress.
Anyways anyways, the day that A.ngel.3 (don’t ask about .1 or .2) came to life...I don’t think I’ve ever seen Fluttershy that happy.
She swept him into her hooves and with a flurry of ‘thank you’s and ‘I’ve missed you so much!’, she finally went home.
It’s been months since then and you’ve seen how well he’s done, how happy Fluttershy is. I know you’ve also seen O.pal.2 around too. Both Rarity and Fluttershy have been happy again with their pets.
Unnatural? Sure, maybe a little, but so is an alicorn being born. So was me becoming an alicorn. Come on Applejack, I know you miss her.
I’ve already run the data and have learned so much more, I can show you my papers. Please, let me do this for you; it worked for Angel and Opal didn’t it?
Yes, they were animals, but didn’t you hear what I said? Those were the test runs, and now? Now I believe, no, I know I could bring Applebloom back for you.