> Mud the Kelpie Part 2
>  by Topazzia
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Kelpie Quest pt 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kelpies were all the same,
Hunt, fight, sleep. Not at all had Mud thought about special talents. 

Ponies had more emphasis in that category, as their whole species depended on it. At least t a personal level. 

The marks on their flanks were odd enough, but on one midday after lunch, those marks flashed bright. But only on three of those ponies the mark-less kelpie stayed with.

“Well shoot…” Apple Jack stomped the ground, glaring at her flank. 
Rainbow looked from the farm pony to Fluttershy’s cutie mark, “What?!” 

Mud paused, wondering if the ponies had suddenly caught fire, but more like a firefly. She leaned down cautiously to sniff Starlight’s glowing rear, flinching back as the mare shifted to look at it. 

“All three of us?” The unicorn looked at her flashing mark, “Guess we should see where we’re going.”

In the map room, Mud paced impatiently around Starlight, her whimpering increasing.
“Are we going to the park now?”

The mewling question drew a response from her guardian.
“Not now Mud, we actually might not make it to the park today.”

She points a hoof at the small cutie marks swirling around a small town, not far from Ponyville at all. Recently Mud became familiar with maps, and recognized what this meant.

“You going away?” A hint of sadness shown in her voice.



Starlight looked up at her, then to the cutie map. An idea came to her, and looking at each of the others, they smiled in agreement. 

“You know Mud, maybe you should come with us.” The pink unicorn rested an urging hoof on the kelpie’s massive shoulder. 

Mud looked hesitant, glancing at Pinkie who responded;

“I gotta head to Sugar Cube Corner, you can go with the girls if you want!”

“I have to do some flying tricks for practice this afternoon” was Rainbow Dash’s excuse.

“Sorry darling, but I have orders to fill.” Rarity was sympathetic, but also was busy.

Mud looked down at Starlight, huffing as she rested her chin on the table. 
“Can we get food first?”


Grinding and clattering, the train sped down the rails.

The three ponies only took up one booth, Apple Jack and Fluttershy together on one bench, and Starlight the other. Mud had to have her own booth, and the table folded up so she could curl up between seats. Still a tight fit, but better than crowding ponies and blocking the aisle in case she fell asleep. 

Starlight scratched her hoof along the base of Mud’s ear, soothing the kelpie into sleeping. Also she just could not resist, the massive grey face’s cheeks pressed on the bench, and made the loudest purring Starlight ever felt. 

The unicorn slid back into her seat, relaxing her body. “Finally asleep, big lummox.”
Fluttershy glanced at the road map, seeing the small dot labeled “Hay Town”.

“Have any of you been to Hay Town?” She looked up at the other two.
Starlight saw Canterlot at the end of that rail road, “We must pass through it every trip to Canterlot.”

Apple Jack nodded, “We’d buy bales from them when we can’t make enough of our own.”
She recalled seeing the brand logo sewn onto the cords that bound the large rolls of hay, usually showing up to the farm by wagon. 

Starlight was expressionless, pondering what she just heard. “I never thought about hay bales coming in the mail.”


Grinding to a stop, the train hissed and doors opened. 

Mud was first to bolt out of car, her waiting impatiently at the door as the group’s destination neared. Her massive size and teeth startled many of the ponies waiting on the platform, a scream from one mare was enough for Starlight to hurry out and chase the kelpie. Starlight teleported herself right in her path, forcing Mud to skid to a stop, leaving a nice patch of bare dirt. 

“Mud!” the unicorn said in a hushed, frustrated voice, “try not to terrorize the whole town right off the bat, please?”

She only tipped her head in response, ceasing her excited panting.

“Don’t make me put the harness on you!” The small unicorn threatened. 

Mud’s eyes went wide, “No!” 
Memories from the times she would have to where an uncomfortable vest so that Starlight could use magic on it, as kelpies turned out to be immune to the wispy fields. Mud, more so, as she grew.
“I hate that thing! I can’t scratch under it!”

The kelpie shrank down, tucking in her legs and keeping her head lower than Starlight’s. the big amber eyes, wide and pleading, Starlight sighed and settled a hoof on Mud’s mane.
“Just behave yourself.”

Starlight led the way from the scared ponies, Fluttershy and AJ on either side of Mud to keep her focused. The group wandered to the open street, taking in how open the town was.

Only a few houses were visible through the trees, but only on one side of a wide empty road. Even the grassy sides were a huge gap until a short white fence stretched all along the way, giving breaks to show smaller more reasonable paths winding up to the houses. On the other side of the road, however, were a couple tall brick structures, looming a good four stories high, with chimneys on top. There were a couple small houses on that side as well, but paled in comparison to these factories. 

Starlight faced her friends, glancing again up and down the street. 
“Everyone keep an eye out, if someone is in trouble, we don’t want to miss them.”

AJ pointed at the tall mare beside her, “And that?”
Mud glanced at her.

The unicorn hesitated, “Um, Mud? Do you wanna… help?”
The kelpie frowned, “I wanna go to the park.”

Wincing at the promise made long before being called to the map, Starlight tried to smile.
“I’m sure there’s a park around here somewhere, maybe we should look there first.”

Mud only grumbled, standing again to follow. 

After being with the kelpie almost six months, Starlight knew to expect this pettiness. Often times work would come up or plans had to change, and Mud hated being put secondary. She was an attentive creature, and an attention thief. She’d have her way whether Starlight’s plans would accept her, or not. 

At least now she was at the park, letting the familiar grass and trees fill her vision. And lots of ponies too, more than the few houses visible along the road. 

Apple Jack noticed too, “Woo-wee, looks like the whole town is out here.”
Starlight looked around, scanning faces and body movement for any signs of depression or frustration.
“This could help. If everyone is here, it’d narrow down the search.”

Mud leaped out, spun around, and crouched playfully in front of her. That big round face, huge eyes, and lolling tongue, made her next words hurt to come out.
“Sorry Mud, but we have work to do.”

Devastated, Mud sat up.

“We’ll play later, okay?”

She only nodded, “Okay.” And the kelpie slowly trudged away.

Starlight called over, “Don’t leave the park!”

Only a tail sweep as a response. Starlight sighed, but kept composure.
“Let’s solve a friendship problem.”

End of part one
> Kelpie Quest pt 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mud didn’t pout for too long, as Starlight bought an popsicle for her while in the park. The kelpie sat in the shade of a large tree, chewing on the stick that was left of her ‘distraction’. It was not hot, nor was it cold, but nothing mattered as no one was around to take notice. 

Mud huffed and grunted in spite to herself, wondering why she even agreed to tag along on this ‘quest’. Nothing about this quest was like in the fairytale books Twilight would read to her, or like the stories Rainbow Dash told her about dragons and epic battles she went on with the other six ponies. 

Sick of being alone with thoughts and wishes, Mud scanned the area for anypony who might give her the attention she wanted. 


Starlight’s ears pricked up, hearing the sound of verbal conflict.

“As if that’s fun!”

A young mare’s voice by the sound of it, typical for fillies to pick fights with each other, but worth a shot at finding the target problem. 

Starlight turned to the others, gesturing with a hoof. “This way, I heard something!”

Rounding a couple trees, there appeared a circle pathway, in the middle a gazebo with trails leading off of it. Two young fillies, visibly angered, stood across from each other.

“Can’t think of anything better?” the second one spat. A vibrant purple earthpony. 

“It’s your fault, you do something!” the first one, the one Starlight heard before, a bright green and pink mane. She pointed an accusing hoof at her opponent. 

Fluttershy looked on, “this seems serious.”
Rainbow narrowed her eyes, puffing out her chest and began an approach. Starlight pinned her tail down, stopping the Pegasus.

“Hey! I thought this was the plan!?”
Starlight looked at the fillies, “We can’t march up there, take it slow.”
The unicorn started forward first. 

“Hey, what’s all this?” She sounded friendly.

The first filly, not noticing another pony interjecting, pointed an accusatory hoof at her opponent.
“She’s being selfish and wants us to play ‘dolls!”

The other huffed angrily, “As if anyone would wanna do makeovers instead!”

Rainbow Dash groaned, “Seriously?”
She steps back, “You two got this one.”

Starlight gives the Pegasus a stern look, “Don’t fuss, we’re here to help.”

The earth pony filly overheard, and looked up curiously. “Really?”

“When did all of this start?” Starlight sat down next to the fillies.


Ponies, being the skittish creatures they are, kept their distance from anything that bore fangs and looked threatening. Not a thought to give Mud a proper welcome, say except for her new friends. 

However, the ponies in this small town locked eyes on the massive creature as it slowly lurked past the trees, not any ran, and instead returned smiles and waving their hooves in greeting.

But while these ponies were friendly, Mud saw that they were all in groups, families, more than one. She glanced over them, looking for someone unoccupied and willing to give all the attention to a lone kelpie. With no distractions whatsoever. 

Loneliness had a smell; a scent kelpies could differ from their environment. It was empty, lacking any other stimulant in the blood, making it leave a flat bitter taste on the breeze. A scent Mud would force to wash off in rotting swamp water. 

But the “loneliness” was not from Mud this time, instead was just past some trees. Following it, she came out into a clearing. 

There was a large platform, shadowed with a decorated dome just above it. But also, Starlight, Rainbow, and Fluttershy were there standing on it with some other ponies. 

Letting out a huff, Mud saw they were well into talking, and supposed they would be for some time. But the smell of this depressed pony was much stronger, and looking to her side, Mud saw her.

A young filly, deep orange mane, part of it colored black. Her fur a yellowish brown, though covered with a black jacket. The pony reclined much on the bench, looking on at the ponies, expression showing sadness and frustrations. 

But this pony was indeed alone, and in much need of comforting. 

Mud sat next to the bench, looking down at the small mare. This made her presence known, and the pony glanced up. 

“Hey.” The filly’s eyes were big and brown, and turned back to focus on the gazebo.  

Mustering all her Ponish lessons, immediately knowing the greeting, and returning one. 

“Hey.” Mud lowered her frontal body so she would be at eye level, seeing the filly was now looking of at the other ponies again.
“What doing?”



The filly sighed, shuffling her crossed arms, dipping her muzzle into her jacket.
“Ruining everypony’s day.”

Mud gave a questioning look; this pony was just sitting here. 
The kelpie tapped herself with a large grey hoof, “Mud.”

The filly looked more relaxed now, “Cordy.”

“What do?” Mud urged quietly, setting her large head on the open seat next to Cordy.

She took a deep breath again, arms falling to her lap sadly. “I can’t be like everypony else.”

“You pony.” Mud hummed.

Cordy looked her in the eye, “But not a good friend.”

“Friends?”

Cordy nodded, “Those two over there.” She looks over at the two other fillies.
“They’ve been like that since yesterday, all because they couldn’t find something to do that all of us would enjoy.”

Mud took it in, gaze slowly turning to the ground. 

“It’s my fault,” Cordy muttered, “I tried to like the games the other girls play, but it’s just not me.”
She frowned, “Now no one’s having fun, ‘cause I don’t know how to have fun.”

Mud let in and out a quick breath, thinking to herself. Being so different from all her friends, and every other pony, stuck as something to just live with. Often Mud did, or wanted to do, things other ponies’ thought was weird, or even beastly. But she was different, she was never a pony, and will never be. 

She had fun being herself.

“Friends.” Mud began, “There for you, when need friend.”
She turns her head on the seat to look at Cordy. “Mud friends like playing kelpie games. Cordy’s friends like Cordy games?”

The filly’s expression became uncertain, “Like, ask them to do things I like?”
She shifts in her spot, “What if they don’t like the things I do? Like me and their games.”

Mud grins, “Ponies need taste own medicine.”


Starlight sat by her two friends, looking on as the two fillies snarled and accused each other. 
“Well, what should we do?” 

Fluttershy glanced at the lone pony on the bench a ways off, “Maybe we can talk with their other friend.”

Rainbow looks over aw well, “I don’t know, looks like Mud’s taking care of it.”

Starlight whipped around, “Huh?” 
Then seeing the kelpie and small filly walking towards them.

The first two fillies saw their friend, and immediately sputtered blame.

“Cordy! I’m so sorry this seed-for-brains had to come along, she can leave if you want.”

“You know I didn’t do anything! We can do something else, and ignore her!” 

Cordy huffed, “Minty, Milly, zip it!”

The two fillies froze, taken aback. 

“I’m just about sick of watching you to squawking like that, so until you decide what you wanna do, I’m gonna choose!” 

Starlight, Fluttershy, and Rainbow stared in surprise, while Mud looked down at Cordy proudly. 

“Um… okay, like, dolls or dress-up?” Supposed the green filly known as Minty.

Cordy grinned evilly, “None of that sissy stuff, we’re going Hay Bailing!” 


The plastic tarp lay on the side of a hill, stretching all the way to the bottom directly into a pile of straw.

Minty and Milly stared with worrisome looks as Cordy set a burlap cloth right in front of them.

“Um, is this safe?” Minty leaned forward to see all the way down.

“Don’t worry,” Cordy shoved her friend down onto the cloth. “It’s fun.”

A gentle shove sent Minty down the makeshift slide, shrieking as she picked up speed. All the way took only ten seconds, slamming her into the pile of dry grass. Her pink mane burst out, eyes wide with excitement. 

“That was so cool!” She yelled to the top of the hill.

Cordy smiled big, showing full happiness. 

Milly hopped in place, “Me next! Me next!”

Starlight looked on, and then to Mud, seeing the kelpie also letting a faded smile form. Looking to her own flank, the unicorn’s cutie mark flashed. The same with Fluttershy’s and Rainbow’s marks. 

Mud watched as Milly was sent sliding down to Minty, leaving Cordy at the top. The brown filly looked back at the kelpie, striding up and reaching into her jacket pocket. She pulled out a bracelet, a loop of braided colors and knots made to look like flowers. Mud supposed this was why she was called Cordy, being so skilled to make a loop of colors like this. 

“Thanks.” Cordy smiled up at the large mare.

Mud took it on her larger hoof, smiling back.

The filly hopped back and launched herself down the slide, shrieking happily as she went to join her friends. 


Taking their seats on the train, Starlight held back to let Mud fall to the ground exhausted. The unicorn smiled as Mud looked up at her.

“Good job out there.” Starlight set a hoof on the kelpie’s head and moved it in satisfying circles. 

Mud only purred, feeling the bracelet around the base of her ear. Smiling at the thought of some pony else just like her, let her fall asleep easy.
> Kelpie's Dress
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ponies may look like Kelpies, but they were much stranger creatures when given time to study them. The food they eat, how they speak, and the things they do for fun. While kelpies had similar methods for camouflage, ponies did the exact opposite, dressing in bright puffy clothes to make themselves bigger and more noticeable. 

Mud saw no point in this, and found the activity boring and eating into very useful naptime. However, Rarity had other plans, plans to make Mud into pony material. 

The boutique was shaped round and topped with a cone or dome roof, reminding the kelpie of the huts she used to sleep in. But it was much bigger than a hut, and more colorful. The bright colors blended together and lit a small spark in the grey mare’s chest, almost calming and soothing her thoughts.

The unicorn wanted to commence with decorating her new giant doll, but was forced into providing hayburgers, lest there would be nonstop grumbling and growling for the afternoon. After a very quick snack that became a meal, it was time to make a new dress. Once inside her master lair, Rarity went to work, trotting over to her sewing desk of tools. 

Mud stalked along the wall, eyeing all the different pelts in each cubby. Some were black and had all legs for ponies, and others looked like big flowers of all shapes and sizes. She had eaten flowers before, and they were sweet and melty. 

Licking her muzzle, she picked the tastiest looking one. Due for desert after filling up on burgers and fries, with not one milkshake. There was one dress, and pretty orange one with white swirls, looking almost like pumpkin pie. 

From spending winter with the ponies, they made very peculiar foods, even from their usual diet. Pumpkin pie was very memorable as they never made it any other season. The best part was that it was fluffy, gooey, sweet and seasoned, and was served with big blobs of whipped cream. Just thinking of actual pie made this dress look even more delectable. Muzzle now dripping with saliva, the kelpie opened her jaws as wide as possible.

Rarity turned with her measuring tape at the right time to see her dress be engulfed in that filthy maw. Shock and surprise filling her body, eyes went wide as she let out a harsh accusatory “Mud!”

The kelpie whipped around, a piece of orange hanging out her mouth. Blue magic grasped the visible piece, tugging it up into the air above Mud. The rest of the dress slid out of the kelpie’s throat, partly swallowed. Mud released it and gagged as the last bit left her mouth. 

Rarity winced at the drenched and stained fabric, “Well, that’s ruined forever.”
Levitating it into a waste bin, she turned with a smile to Mud. 
“How about, instead of devouring my inventory, you pick one you imagine yourself wearing.”

Mud huffed and slunk over to a rack, looking over each dress with the most lack of interest. 

Red, eye catching, but too vibrant.
White, wouldn’t look good under a brown mane.

Mud had not noticed she was actively being “fashionable” like a pony, devising what she looks like and putting it with what she saw before her, nothing like she saw herself before entering the boutique. 

Rarity the whole while floated the measuring tape, wrapping it around the various parts of the large grey mare. Mud was too distracted to notice, but caught a slip of words from the unicorn behind her.

Rarity just viewed the mark from the kelpie’s waistline, “Hm, extra strength thread.”

Shooting a glare at her small friend, Mud took a few annoyed strides away. 

After a few more minutes, Mud was growing bored of just looking at dresses. Just until she was ready to give up and fall asleep on the spot, she stopped in front of one dress. Finding she did not move from it, she took a few deep breathes, letting the color and shape sooth her. Imagining herself wearing it, the way the shoulders and skirt looked, and her grey fur matching deeply with the fresh blue. 

Rarity peeked around to see Mud’s choice, strolling up to see it better. 
“Ah, an excellent choice Darling.” 

She levitated the dress off the hook, lifting it to Mud’s side to see the colors side by side. Looking please with the choice, the unicorn took it to her desk. She took out thread and scissors and the same color of fabric from a large roll. The unicorn then went to work.


Mud stood defiantly in front of the small creatures, they surrounded her, cornering her against her own bedroom door. After doing almost four test fits at Rarity’s boutique, the kelpie thought that would be the last of it, but now the ponies want her to wear it in front of them!

Mud felt embarrassment welling in her chest, the box holding the vary dress on her back. The ponies around her eyed the box and the kelpie evilly, urging her.

“Y’all can’t just get a new dress an’ not show us.”

“You looked perfectly fine earlier Darling; I don’t see the problem.”

“C’mon! You’d feel better once you do it!” Pinkie jumped up and down.

Mud stayed quiet, backed up completely against the door, eyes shut tight, wishing her antagonizers will go away. But Starlight opened the door behind her, causing the kelpie to fall backward. Looking up in surprise, Mud saw Starlight peeking through the crack.

“Now put it on, we wanna see how you look.”

Mud whimpered as the door closed, and stood up, looking down at the box. She sighed and batted off the lid with a hoof, grumbling as she scooped the folded dress with a hoof.

A moment later, after hearing her grumblings and whimpers, the door slowly opened again. The kelpie shuffled out, dragging her hooves, and the dress she now wore. 

It was a sky blue against her fur, being a very simple style of dress. The shoulders were folded over, and a thin binding around the waist. No layers, and just solid color. And as promised, it was reinforced with the addition of a very stretchy material. Probably best it be resistant enough to roughhousing and other kelpie activities. 



“Well I’ll be…” Applejack exhaled, tipping her hat with a hoof.

“Splendid Darling.” Rarity smiled proudly.

“So cute!” Pinkie shrieked excitedly. 

Starlight’s eyes sparkled, taking in the moment. “Come on Muddy, smile.”

Mud struggled to turn her head, meeting the unicorn’s gaze. It was no smile, embarrassed quivering and blushing, it was enough. A sudden flash of light, and Mud growled in shock. Starlight now held a camera, and the fresh picture slid out, depicting the kelpie in her beautiful new dress. 

After more ogling, Mud could bare it no more, she looked pleadingly at her unicorn guardian. 
“Can I take it off now?”

Starlight nodded, “Yes you can, but you wear it whenever Twilight visits.”

The kelpie spun around; thankful the skirt covered the tail tucked between her legs. She quickly slid out of it and packed it away in her closet, thankful the attention wasn’t on her. It was however, very comfortable to wear, not at all restricting or bothersome on her scruff, and was very lite. She considered it might not be horrible to just wear when she was by herself.

The ponies left the hall, and were now in the lounge room. Mud spied through the doorway, seeing them all standing in front of the fireplace. Sneaking over, she saw what they were squeaking about. It was that picture, of Mud in a dress, framed and set on the mantelpiece. It was only slightly embarrassing at this degree, but still enough that the kelpie’s ears burned and face turn red. 

Her assertive nature now crippled. Ponies managing to render this kelpie to mewling against a wall with nothing but flimsy fabric. But perhaps, if she was to be a dress wearing kelpie, she would be the best dress wearing kelpie. 


The End…