> The Great and Powerful Fuu
>  by Makitk
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> A Bump in the Road
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I can't believe I'm writing this..

I can't believe I'm writing at all..

I mean, with all that happened.. er..

Ok, let me get back to.. pff.. has it been that long?


Somewhere in the spring of 2011 someone mentioned ponies to me. "Ponies?" I remarked incredulously. Our friendsgroup had had nothing to do with stables or any kind of farm animal before, and the subject was brought up seemingly out of nowhere.

"Ponies." They returned, as serious as ever. "They're taking over the internet, dude. Haven't you noticed?"

I stared at my friend, a big burly guy of 22 and a half years old, and blinked. "I'm sorry, did you say ponies?" I repeated, shaking my head in disbelief.

"Ponies, yes. My little ponies, to be exact."

"What, that children's show from the '80s?"

"No.. the new show? Friendship is Magic? You've not seen it?" he offered, raising an eyebrow.

I leaned back against the side of my car and shook my head. "Dude, why would I be watching a children's show?" I pushed a cigarette between my lips and reached into my pocket for my lighter. "Oh, damn.. Denise has my lighter. Mind if I borrow yours?" I wondered, looking up at my friend's face and noticing he was trying his best to stay calm. "What?"

"Ok, for one; you really should take your shit back home after spending a night there."

"She was still slee-"

"Two; It's not a children's show. Don't judge it until you've seen it. This thing goes deep."

I frowned. "How deep?"

"It'll make you cry." My friend offered, revealing his own lighter and holding it up for me.

"Psh.." I started, but the look on my friend's face made me fall silent. I took a draw from my cig and leaned back curiously. "It's that bad?" I jabbed, and immediately had to jump away as he tried to punch me in the arm! "Kidding, kidding!" I laughed, trying to dodge his next blow as well. "Take a joke, man.." I sighed, jumping over the fence around the porch as he didn't let up.

"Don't kid around the ponies." He snorted, backing away and punching the hood of my car instead.

"Hey, I just had it washed.." I frowned, leaning on the fence and shaking my head. "It's got to you that bad, eh? You softy? Ok, I'll give it a go. What channel is it on?"


That was.. March? I didn't really get to watching the show until the last couple of episodes of the first season, really. First one I watched was about some fillies running around wanting to get cutiemarks.. Silly children's show antics, I thought at the time.

My friend kept insisting it wasn't as good if I didn't watch the first episodes first, so I loaded the thing up on one of the sites it was featured at and started watching. Heck, I had all the time in the world. My girlfriends came a dime a dozen and most of them had an internet connection. And the more I watched, the more I started to notice the little tidbits in their rooms that were dedicated to the show.

Annie was knitting a little doll that looked surprisingly like Rarity, Denise slept under a Rainbow Dash blanket, and whatshername even had a couple of toys from the show. I won't lie; I was hot and I was exploiting my looks to get as many girls into bed as I could.

It wasn't like my home was a good place to be at anyway. My dad was drunk most of the time, hit my mom so often it seemed like he had a running tab at the doctor's office, the twins were going through puberty.. the girl kind.. I really didn't want to be in that house any more than absolutely necessary.

So I drove away. I was in my early twenties and the world was my oyster.


Slowly but surely, though.. the ponies were starting to get to me. I met up with my friend again. We chatted some about the regular.. and then the ponies came up again. And.. I found myself actually understanding what he was talking about. The intricate play between characters, the ups and downs in their lives.. for some reason everything started to make sense and add up. I saw the first season twice or three times before the second started.

"You know that's the same actor that played Q, right?" I offered to ... Alice.. or Anice.. or something starting with an A.. She was a blonde with a great rack. Good in bed as well; she at least shut up afterwards and let me rest.

She stared at me with a blank look. "Q?"

"From Star Trek.. Oh, don't worry.. my dad watches it over and over and over since someone bought him the VHS collection."

"VHS?"

"Came before DVD? Oh, never mind.." I shrugged, turning back to the first episode of the second series. I was hooked by that time, and not in the good way. Even if it was on television on one of the channels somewhere, I was watching it online. And not paying for it.

I know, I know, bad me. I couldn't really afford it. Most of my money went into clothes, hairgel, keeping my car running.. You know, looking good. Rarity would've had a fine colt in me. Both of us were addicted to designer clothes and looking good in them.

So I watched the first two episodes of the second season back-to-back. I'd heard it was a double episode and cliffhangers don't sit well with me. And something struck me.

"I don't get it." I offered to Anastacia? I really don't know. She was painting her toenails on the bed.

"Don't get what?" she wondered, and I turned back to her.

"Discord just up and makes them believe something else. That's impossible, isn't it?" I frowned, never having been much of a believer in mind control.

She looked up from her toenails and shrugged. "Guys seem to be able to talk me into bed even if I know they're all jerks. Doesn't sound so impossible to me." she retorted, and I smirked. Did I feel a hint of remorse about having done the same? Maybe.. but it wasn't registering consciously.

"Look, babe.. you got a good figure and a good head on it. Of course I want to be with you. I don't know about any others, but you're my girl, you know?" I tried, and her face got hard.

"That's what you said to Lizzy as well, didn't you?" she snarled, and threw the open toenail polish at me. Before she could grab something else, I was out the window and running for my car. I might've thought of myself as the greatest womaniser since Casanova, but I was also a big chicken. I can handle verbal discussions, really. But if they start tossing things at me, I'm gone.


Back in the car, I looked down at my clothes and groaned as they were covered in toenail polish.. "Great.. there goes another hundred bucks.." I sighed, putting my car in reverse and backing out the driveway.

Bump.

I blinked as my back tire rolled over something that wasn't pavement.

Bump.

My front tire as well, and now I was getting worried. I shut down the car and got out, walking up to the front to see what I might've hit. "Don't let it be her cat, don't let it be her cat.." I repeated to myself, but nothing could've prepared me for what I saw lying on the pavement instead..


Now first off, I'm not crazy. I mean, I never had any hints that I was. I mean.. the following is going to be hard to accept, but please do. I'm.. well.. I couldn't believe it myself, really. I stared at the figure for what seemed like ages. If A.. A.. that girl would've ran after me instead of sobbing on her bed, she would've easily caught up with me.

But what I saw before me was.. well.. A pony.

A blue pony.

A blue, cell-shaded pony.


Again, I'm not crazy. There's nothing wrong with my head. There is no way in heaven or hell that I could've hit her, but I did.

I hit Trixie.


Trixie.

Trixie the magician.

Trixie the magician from the cartoon series Friendship is Magic.


I mean.. this made my head spin, ok? I stood there for what seemed like forever... Ok, I'm repeating myself. But I hope this all makes it very abundantly clear how immensely confusing and incredulous the situation was, ok?

I stood there, beside my car, looking down at Trixie the magician pony lying on the pavement with trackmarks over her flank.


She was still breathing, so that was good.. Cartoon character or not, she was a hurt animal and I could be taken into custody for hitting it. No blood, also good. I quickly scooped her up and put her down on the backseat of my car. Close door, get back in, close front door, start engine, DRIVE!

My tires screeched on the pavement as my car set itself in motion, and I drove halfway across town like a maniac possessed!

There was something that couldn't exist in the back of my car. I might be hallucinating. It might be me. I could've hit any other kind of animal whatsoever. My first thought was to bury it in the nearby forest. Nobody would find it there. Whether cartoon animal or other kind.. It was still alive, though.. but for how long? What internal injuries might she have? I could just leave her at the edge of the forest..

THERE WAS A CARTOON ANIMAL IN MY CAR!

I hit the brakes and my car slid sideways on the leafcovered dirt road until it came to a stop. I switched the engine off and turned on my seat to look behind me. Cell shaded. Blue coat. Cartoon animal.

I rubbed my eyes and looked again. Cell shaded, blue coat... cartoon animal.


As I stared at her, after rubbing my eyes another time, Trixie moved. I know it was Trixie. She might not have worn her hat or coat, but it clearly was the blue magician..

"Hng.. what hit Trixie?" she groaned, reaching up with a hoof to rub at her head.

I had no response. I was frozen on my seat, looking back. I was shocked to the core. She was not just a cartoon character.. but she could also TALK.. She WAS Trixie. She said it herself..

Her purple eyes opened up and she looked around herself. Her eyes settled on me and she frowned. "A human?" she sneered, and I swallowed. "A human." she repeated, squirming a bit in an attempt to get her hooves back under herself. She visibly winced as she tried, but got her hooves under her with the second attempt. "And what may be your name, human?"

I swallowed again, and looked away. "Er.." I started, and her right eyebrow raised. "I'm.." I continued, and Trixie rolled her eyes.

"Don't bother. It's not important." she snorted, glancing down to her flank and noticing the trackmarks on it. "Ah! And my coat is all dirtied by something! Is this your doing?"

I blushed and looked away and Trixie's tone of voice went from merely condescending to downright cold and accusing.

"It IS your doing, isn't it? Who gave you the right to do this to the Great And Powerful Trixie?" She snorted, and I looked down.

"It's not like I meant to. I just backed up and ffh.. frf.. ff?" I stopped as my mouth stopped responding as I had expected it to and reached for it. My lips had all but disappeared, leaving a small ring through which I could blow air and.. whistle a bit.. but not much else.

"Silence! The Great and Powerful Trixie has no time for petty excuses." Her eyes widened at her own words. "Oh! Time! What's the time? Trixie was already running short of it.. oh, what if the spell wears off too soon?"

I blinked at her change of demeanor and tilted my head. "Ffh?"

"Hm.. It's no use, Trixie will just have to take you with her." Trixie decided, and her horn started to glow.

With her? "Hff??" I started, but got hit by a dizzy spell as her magic touched me. I groaned and closed my eyes, rubbing my hoof to my head as the world around me changed.


Hoof. Yes, I said it.


As the dizzy spell wore off, I found myself sitting on the wooden floor of a wagon. A wagon with a sink and bookcase and bed, on which Trixie was laying. Her horn stopped glowing and she sighed tiredly, lying her head on her pillow. "Fuu.. Make me some tea." she ordered, closing her eyes.

Without a second thought I moved to stand up, lost my balance and ended up with my hooves sprawled out to all sides. Only then did the reality of the situation start to sink in. "Wait.. I got hooves?" I blinked, looking at the brown-coated hooves that used to be my hands.

"Of course you do, Fuu." Trixie remarked, her head lifting up to look over the edge of the bed to where I lay on the floor trying to come to terms with it all. "Trixie had to bring you with, and it's unheard of to have a human in Equestria."

"In... Equestria?" I repeated, trying to figure out how this whole hoof thing worked.

"Trixie is too tired for wordgames. Hurry up and make her some tea." Trixie sighed, disappearing again and, from the sound of it, dropping her head on the pillow again.

The feeling of my ears moving on my head to catch that sound.. it was so strange.. my hooves felt so alien to me.. my whole body.. I looked back and spotted my brown flanks going down to a blonde tail, and some tufts of my blonde mane caught my attention as I moved my head. "Wait a second.. I'm a pony?"

"Hmm-mm.." is all that came from the bed, sounding as if Trixie was half-asleep or just didn't care to answer.

"I'm a pony.." I repeated, trying to put my hooves underneath me as I had seen Trixie do. If you don't think of things like this, it actually is quite easy to do. Your body just moves very natural. Well, to me it did. With my hooves resting underneath me I actually felt kind of comfortable. But once I tried to stand up, I must've looked like Bambi trying to stand up for the first time. I was moving forward, backward, sideways, trying to find my center of gravity and my hoofing. Took a few moments and a snort from the bed to find it, but then I was standing. Tea.. There was a small kettle, and one of those old potbelly stoves with the stove pipe running up through the ceiling so the smoke could get out.

I reached for the kettle with my hands.. and promptly collapsed on the floor again. "Right.. hooves.." I chided myself, pushing up and staring at the kettle for a long while. This was quite the conundrum, no matter how much of My Little Pony I had seen.

"Use your magic.." Trixie sighed, having moved a bit in the bed to better observe my antics.

"My.. what?" I blinked, incredulously, and Trixie rolled her eyes.

"Your magic. You're a unicorn, so use your magic." she huffed, blowing some hair out of her eyes.

I stared at her, then looked up. There was a definite something sticking out from my forehead. It's strange how I hadn't noticed it before. It wasn't until I looked up and saw the thing move around as I moved my head around that it started to dawn on me. "Er.. how?" I wondered, not at all sure how to do this sort of thing.

Trixie narrowed her eyes at me and flicked her tail restlessly behind herself. "Think of the thing you want to do, channel it through your horn, and do it." she huffed, clearly getting annoyed with me.

I moved back to stare at the kettle. What did I want to do with it? I wanted to fill it with water. There was a sink, and a faucet, so there should be some running water.. Forget the how and why it would be there, little seemed to make sense right now anyway. So, kettle. Sink. Water. Fill... I focused and focused, and focused.. and..

"Channel it through your horn, Fuu." Trixie sighed, rubbing a hoof to her forehead. "It's not that difficult."

I frowned at her. "Look, it might not be that difficult for you, but I ffh.. ffh??" Trixie's horn glowed as she made my mouth unusable again, and I sighed out in defeat. "Fuh.." I muttered, turning my attention back to the kettle. Good.. here we go.. kettle, sink.. water.. focus on your horn.. A soft light started from where my horn protruded from my forehead, and the kettle started to wobble a little. I focused more on it, focused more on wanting to have the kettle move to the sink and it started to slide off of the stove and towards the sink.

"Don't let it.." Trixie started, breaking my concentration, and the light coming from my horn disappeared abruptly, sending the kettle dropping to the floor. Before it could hit it, Trixie had taken over and lifted the kettle back up to put it in the sink, her horn glowing brightly. "Tsk.. ok, Trixie will make the tea herself for now. You have to work on controlling your magic, Fuu." she sighed, clearly not happy with my slow progress.

"Fuu.." I whistled through my useless lips, and suddenly got why she kept calling me that. My ears tilted back on my head and I groaned, while dropping to the floor and shaking my head at how ridiculous it all was.


I must've fallen asleep as I lay there, as when I opened my eyes again it was night and Trixie was whimpering in her sleep. I knew my car had hit her twice, but I didn't get a chance to ask her how bad it was. I pushed up from the floor, stared down at my hooves for a second as they still felt strange to me, then looked over to the bed. Trixie was in pain, that much was clear. Every breath she took made her whimper, and her face was pulled in a mask of pain. I took a step closer and brought my face close to her flank, looking at the marks my car's tires had left on her. I had little knowledge of biology, but the marks had flattened her coat making the depression they caused on her skin look that much deeper. Regardless of whether she would be alright or not, she needed someone medical to have a look at her.

I turned around and headed for the door, staring at it intently. What was it again? Oh, right.. focus on what to do.. then focus through your horn.. or something.. I focused on the latch. It was an easy sliding one, and I probably could've slid it open with my hooves or mouth.. "Test.. test.." I tried, and smiled weakly. At least I could explain to whatever I found outside what the problem was.

The soft glow of my horn made the latch wobble and slowly slide open with the sound of metal sliding over metal, but finally it slid open fully and I could push the door open.

And then I stood still for the longest time.


Outside, the open fields of Equestria stared me in the face. Off in the distance, set against the side of a mountain, was the capital; Canterlot. I'd seen those buildings come by in the show a few times now. Over to my left, also in the distance, were the lights of Ponyville. It was marginally closer by, but would still be a bit of a hike. And the rest.. Fields of.. nothing. Trees, grass, the occasional river or lake.. It was so different from the world I came from with its megacities and fewer and fewer green spots between..

It was breathtaking, really, but Trixie's wheezing reached my ears again and I jumped out of the wagon and started to run. Or, well.. gallop. There was little thought behind it beside getting Trixie some medical attention. And the less I thought about my hooves, the easier it was to run with them.

The air rushed past my horn, my ears, through my coat.. I felt my mane and tail move behind me from the wind as I drew ever closer to Ponyville. I can't say it felt bad. Really, I still go out from time to time just to run around in the open fields.. er.. Well.. when she lets me.


There's a hospital in Ponyville. I noticed it from the red cross on it and ran straight to it. So many familiar sights along the way.. The farm Applejack and her family live at, the tree library that Twilight must've been sleeping in.. I rushed past them because I had a mission.

I bolted through the double doors of the hospital and promptly got my forelegs entangled, causing me to do half a somersault and end up on my back staring up at the ceiling as I slid another foot or two further from the momentum. I quickly rolled over and pushed up, looking around for a nurse. Fortunately there were a few, one of which was moving towards me with a look as if she wanted to say..

"Are you ok?" the nurse closest to me wondered, and I nodded frantically to her.

"I'm ok, but Trixie is not! I need a doctor, quickly.. she's not doing well. I need to get her a doctor. Please? Anypony?" I begged, freaked out beyond reason at it all. I hadn't come to terms with the whole ordeal yet, and seeing a cartoon hospital populated with cartoon nurses and.. it.. I just set my butt down on the ground and started to rub a hoof at the tears that came.

"Easy there.. it'll all be ok." the nurse offered, moving up to me and gently patting a hoof to my shoulder. "The doctor's with a patient right now but should be done in.."

"What's all this commotion?" a large colt wondered, dressed in a doctor's outfit with one of those shiny lens things strapped to his forehead. I started to giggle from the ridiculousness of it all, but shook my head at the same time.

"Er.. doctor, this filly came running in saying a "Trixie" was not doing well and needed your attention?" the nurse offered, looking helplessly at me.

My giggling stopped abruptly. "Wait.. a filly is a female pony..."

Three heads (two nurses and the doctor) started to move up and down slowly, passing glances between one another. "Yes.. Yes, it is." The doctor offered, moving a few steps closer and looking me over with a worried glance. "Are you sure you're doing alright, miss?"

I just blinked.

"Hm.. nurse, can you get me a.." the doctor started, but I quickly shook my head.

"I'm not important right now! Trixie is! I hit her with my car and now she's wheezing and not doing well at all, she needs medical attention and you're a doctor, and.. she's outside. It's a bit of a hike, I.. don't know how long.. I don't have a watch on me, but.. Stop looking at me like that. Just follow, ok?" I rambled, pushing up from the ground and turning my tail to the doctor before running out the door again. Behind me, I heard the doctor give the nurses some orders (one of which being that they should bring his satchel with them) and then I heard his hooves give chase.

I ran. I ran like I hadn't on the way there. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, as fast as the doctor could follow, as fast as I could while sort of remembering where I came from. I had to stop twice to catch my bearings in the darkness, but then the wagon came into view again and I sped up even more. As I reached the wagon, I was out of breath and I had left a bit of a distance between me and the doctor. It took him a minute to catch up, and I nodded towards the inside of the wagon.

He moved on inside, and I rolled over on my side trying to catch my breath.

It stayed quiet inside for a while, but then I heard Trixie whine out louder and mumble something as she woke up from the pain. The doctor mumbled something back, but no matter how I turned my ears I couldn't understand it. Off in the distance I saw a nurse appear with a satchel, and I focused on my horn with the idea of providing light. It worked, and I smiled weakly to myself. Trixie would get the help she needed. I closed my eyes as the nurse approached and the light of my horn died out as I lost consciousness.
> It's a Kind of Magic
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

And that all was.. twenty years ago? Thirty? Time moves so fast in Equestria.. And then there was the whole ordeal with.. er.. oh, right. Getting ahead of myself.


The doctor helped Trixie recover, clearly. I mean, when I woke up again I was the one lying in the bed, and Trixie was rummaging around through some cupboards, her horn glowing as she moved things around. She seemed to be doing ok, apart from a bandage around her midsection, and at least a whole lot more energetic than before.

I tried to move and found a weight settle around my neck. I blinked and looked down, but it took some tilting of my head to get even a glimpse of the collar. It seemed like leather.. or the cartoon equivalent of it. "Fuu?" I whistled through my unusable lips, then groaned as I realized my ability to speak was taken away again.

"Oh, you're awake?" Trixie offered, lifting her head up and looking in my direction while an assortment of kitchenware hovered around her. I nodded, reaching a hoof up to my collar. "Oh, that? That's just so you don't go running off again like last night." Trixie remarked, raising an eyebrow. "Trixie was doing fine on her own. The Great and Powerfu.." she winced and the light on her horn died out for a second, making the kitchenware drop to the floor around her. She needed a few breaths to push herself up in her proud stance again and a light blush showed on her cheeks. "Hrm.. well.. if you hadn't hit Trixie she wouldn't have needed a doctor in the first place. So don't expect a thank you." she huffed, returning her attention to the kitchenware.

I sighed and dropped my head on the pillow, idly feeling the collar with my left forehoof. A collar to keep me from running away from her.. it was almost like I was an animal. Or one of those creepy goth kids. "But you are an animal." my thoughts returned to me, and I shook my head at them. "You're a pony. A unicorn at that. You have hooves, a tail, fur, even if it's all cartoonish." my thoughts continued, and I closed my eyes while letting out a whimper. The sound of items dropping on the sink reached my ears and the soft clip-clop of Trixie walking nearer the bed followed.

"What's the matter, Fuu?" she asked, and I thought I detected a genuine undertone of worry in her voice. I felt my mouth change and moved my jaw a little before looking up from the pillow again straight into Trixie's purple eyes.

"I get that I hit you." I started, and Trixie nodded as that air of superiority that usually clung to her like a second coat returned, "And I get that you felt that punishment was necessary.." Another nod. "But how did I.. how did.. I.." I frowned at myself. I could form these questions, couldn't I? "How in Princess Celestia's name did you even get to my world? How did you get me here? Why am I suddenly a pony? Why am I a FEMALE pony at that? Why am I a filly?? I don't even have a cutiemark! Do I?" Did I? I quickly looked at my bare flank and shook my head at it. "No, see? I don't even have a cutiemark. What's up with that? And now I'm suddenly a unicorn? So I need to learn magic.. I don't even believe in magic! You bring me here, expect me to make tea for you? I.. I don't think I even got the blunt end of the shock yet. It all seems to just.. it.. Why does it all feel so natural? I wake up and I'm a pony. I don't think about having been a human. I think about being a pony. Only when I start to think about it, start remembering, I suddenly realize that this is not normal!"

"Done?" Trixie wondered, and I opened my mouth to continue, then shut it again and frowned at her. I needed a deep breath to calm down a little before I could answer her.

"Maybe.. What's with you changing my mouth all the time? One moment I can talk, the next I can't.. it's a bit annoying." I sighed, reaching up to wipe a hair from my face. "I mean.. I.. I just don't get all this."

"Well.." Trixie started, sitting herself down on the floor (after using her magic to move a pillow under her butt), and looking up at me on the bed. "Most of your questions are easy to answer: Magic. I AM the Great and Powerful Trixie, after all." she offered. I had to clench my teeth together to not bring up the Ursa Minor she couldn't defeat in the show.. "Magic brought me to your world, magic brought us back to Equestria, magic turned you into a filly, magic made you grow younger, magic made all of it happen. At least, it would be one explanation. The gender change.. maybe you always wanted to be a girl? Same goes for the age regression. Clearly you had a bad childhood you're trying to do over."

How did she.. "How did you.."

"Don't make me silence you again, Fuu." Trixie warned, and I shut up on my own. "About that.. You -are- here to be punished for hitting the Great and Powe.. powerful.." she coughed and reached with a hoof to her side.

"Are you sure you should be out of bed?" I wondered, but she cast a glance at me that could melt ice from a hundred paces and I shut up again.

"I'm doing fine. Just a minor setback. I'll live." Trixie muttered, using her magic to bring a glass of water to her lips and drinking half of it before continuing; "As I said.. You are here to be punished. That means you're Trixie's stagehand from now on. You'll help Trixie with her magic shows and you will be quiet while doing so."

I found myself nodding softly to the idea, but stopped as I did. "You don't need to silence me with magic to do that.." I mumbled, and immediately regretted it as she did just that.

"Clearly Trixie does. You just won't keep quiet. Now, as part of your punishment has you help Trixie with her magic, you'll have to learn magic from me. Aren't you the lucky filly?" she offered, taking another sip of her drink while I was unable to respond.

"Fuu.." I sighed, dropping my head to the pillow again. So this was my punishment then? Being a filly in Trixie's care, having to help Trixie with magic.. and for how long? Would she insist I made tea for her again? Be her.. houseslave? That's it, isn't it? I suddenly realized it. Trixie is just basically using me as a slave! Collar around my neck, ordering me around, taking away my ability to inform anypony else of my plight.. I felt a lone tear run down my cheek at the realization.


In the days that followed, I had to help Trixie a lot since she was still weakened from the car running her down. Correction; from MY car running her down. No matter how old we get.. heh..

I got a crashcourse in using magic as a unicorn, found out even unicorns use their mouth to hold things from time to time, which is an impossible feat if your mouth is changed to only allow whistling, and had my first experiences with correct toilet use as a filly.. Yeah, don't ask.

About three days after I found myself whisked away to Equestria, there was a sound of thunder in the sky and I looked up to see the rings of Rainbow Dash's Sonic Rainboom expand outwards. It was a beautiful sight to see. Really, did I mention how beautiful Equestria is yet? You have.. NO idea. Really.. If you're out there reading this, watching the series.. it's so much better in real life.. The colors are so vibrant, the sounds and smells.. I found myself sitting on the grass just staring at the world around me when I should've gotten Trixie some apples from the nearby farm.

The other ponies are so nice.. Met up with the ponies at Sweet Apple Acres after Trixie allowed me to talk again, and don't think I didn't see Granny Smith dropping an extra apple in my bag.. Avoided meeting Pinkie Pie so far.. don't want a repeat of when Twilight wandered into Ponyville. I mean, Pinkie? New pony? Right.. this filly is kind of glad she hasn't found out about her yet.

Er, yeah.. I mean.. it took a few days.. Trixie's explanation was.. well.. it lead to a conclusion.

I'm not making sense am I?


Ok, let me try again. After Trixie's explanation, and after my realization of what my new role in life was.. in my new life.. in Equestria, we kind of spent the day with Trixie constantly telling me where to find things, what to do, what was expected of me.. Kind of what I had expected.

Second day, I was told to make tea again. Fudged it up of course. Still wasn't in control of my magic. Narrowly avoided dropping the hot kettle on the floor, but Trixie helped out a bit to make sure there were no accidents.

Third day I was sent out to go get apples from Sweet Apple Acres. Our wagon is set up a few miles away, and it's a bit of a hike to get around the orchard to the front of it, and then Rainbow Dash did her Sonic Rainboom and distracted me enough to make me realize how beautiful the world around me was. I spent most of the afternoon just sitting in the grass and looking around me taking it all in. Trixie was not amused. She had been meaning to do something with the apples, I'm sure.. and when I came home when it got dark, without them, steam was coming from her ears from how mad she was.

So of course the next day I was sent out for apples again. No sonic rainboom, so I actually made it. Big Macintosh and Applejack were running around in the orchard, I noticed from a distance, but.. er.. the other one.. the little one.. Gods, I'm a little one.. Every pony is taller than me! Except for Apple Bloom, that is. Granny Smith kept saying what a cute filly I was and how dedicated I must be going to get a bucket of apples all by myself and.. well. She gave me an extra apple.

Took a while to get the bucket of apples home, but Trixie was, for once, satisfied with my work. I don't know why, but when she said I did a good job on it it made my heart flutter.

We made an apple pie with the apples. Or tried to, really. Neither Trixie nor I are good cooks.. it came out burnt and a total mess. We ate it, of course, Trixie wouldn't have it any other way. The Great and Powerful Trixie could not fail at anything, after all.. If you bit around the burnt parts it didn't taste all that bad.

Now I know I woke up in Trixie's bed once.. but that was the only time I slept in it. She must've moved me to it to defy the doctor's wishes that she stay in it, but after that it was all over. She dropped a collection of pillows on the floor and decided that that was my bed now. It's just three pillows, really.. but it's comfy enough, I guess. A small filly like me could easily fit beside Trixie in the bed, but I've not dared bring it up yet.


So yeah, the first week was largely uneventful. I mean, Trixie was healing and I.. was trying to figure out how to fit in. And that whole magic deal was getting to me as well. On the fifth day Trixie told me to balance a paper cup on a needle. No kidding. She put a needle in the dirt in front of the wagon and put a paper cup on it. It started to fall over immediately, of course, but she balanced it with her magic.

"Now you take over, Fuu." she told me, and I started to focus on the cup while my horn started to glow. "Now Trixie is going to let go, and you'll have to balance it on your own." Trixie offered, and I noticed the cup wobbling more and more as she pulled away. "Keep focus, Fuu!" Trixie chided, and I did my best to counter the wobbling. I did ok until Trixie's horn stopped glowing and she told me I was keeping the cup balanced all by myself. The feeling of pride I felt overwrote my focus and the cup launched from the needle, hitting Trixie right in the face.

"Fuu..." I whistled through my useless lips, dropping my face to the ground and covering it with my forehooves.

"Again. And try to not hit Trixie this time.." Trixie sighed, putting the cup back on the needle and staring at me.

I sat up again and returned to trying to focus.. but the trick was more difficult than you would expect, really. I mean.. it would start to wobble one way and I'd try to correct it. But then it would wobble the other way and I had to correct it again. I just kept correcting and correcting and correcting the wobbling.. and hadn't even noticed that Trixie had left.

After a while of just trying to correct the incessant wobbling of the cup, I jumped up as another cup moved right in my view. A filled one, containing some sweet smelling lemonade. It broke my concentration, and the cup on the needle went flying off, straight into Trixie's face, of course..

"Fuu... And just when Trixie brought you some lemonade for having done such a good job.." Trixie sighed, putting the two cups of lemonade down on the grass and moving the needle back to the sewing kit it came from.

I found my lips returning to normal and dipped my head down to take a sip from the lemonade, noticing that the day had passed from morning into midday and the sun was high in the sky with only a few clouds to mar the day's beauty.

"Tsk.. use your magic, silly filly." Trixie sighed, lifting her own cup to her lips while looking out over the fields.

I stared down at my cup, then snorted softly. "And splash the contents all over you?"

Trixie glanced sideways at me and smirked. "Good call."

I smiled and ducked my head down again, taking a hold of the cup with my teeth and using them to lift it up so I could empty it. That done, I dropped it to the grass again and let out a happy sigh. "I got my moments.."

"Curious." I heard say beside me, and I tilted my head towards Trixie. "The shock of your transformation, the move to Equestria.. now this.. You seem to take it all very well indeed."

I shrugged and rolled on my side. "What else can I do? Panic? Run around like some crazy pony?" Trixie kept looking sideways at me, sipping from her lemonade. "And what with you basically hovering over me giving me things to do, I can't really focus on my problems."

"Well, you are Trixie's stagehand. Of course Trixie would give you things to do." Trixie remarked, putting her empty cup down beside her.

I sighed and dropped my head on my hooves. "There you go saying that again. I don't know how you came up with that idea, but clearly I don't know enough magic to be a good stagehand.."

"And that's why Trixie teaches you, Fuu." Trixie smiled, leaning in to give me a soft pat on my mane.


So yeah, that was most of my first week. In the weeks that followed I was taught more and more about magic until the day Trixie's bandages could come off. We both went to the hospital together, leaving the wagon where it stood. We stopped for a couple of apples over at the Sweet Apple Acres, where I found myself embarrassed by the question of Apple Bloom if I would come to school when it started again the following Monday. I looked over at Trixie who shrugged as if saying we'd talk about it later.

As we turned away from the farm Trixie had me balance both apples in the air to further my understanding of magic, which went ok until Scootaloo came rushing past on her scooter. If Trixie hadn't stopped them, both apples would've hit her right on the nose. I don't know why, but everytime something goes wrong with my magic, it tries to hit Trixie on the nose..

Anyway, I was whistling again with my apple hovering around my head since I couldn't bite into it, until we arrived at the hospital. Trixie went in and ordered me to stay out, but at least gave me back my normal mouth so I could eat my apple while waiting. The similarities between my waiting outside for Trixie to come back and a dog back home waiting for their master didn't go past me and I mused on it while eating the apple one nibble at a time.

I guess Trixie was my master in a way.. Collar, constantly demanding things, basically forcing me to stay near her unless she was sending me out for errands.. I finished up with my apple and sat down on a nearby bench to watch the going-ons in Ponyville. A lot more ponies seemed to live here than was apparent in the show. The buildings just seemed to stretch out as far as the eye could see. And this was supposed to be a "-ville"? I started to get worried about what the bigger towns would look like. If I ever got to see them. We'd been parked in the same place for the past month, after all.


And then the dreaded event happened that I had been trying to avoid. A pink flash moved from behind a building to stand behind a lamppost. I had to sigh to myself as the lamppost didn't hide Pinkie nearly as much as she might have thought. From the lamppost to hiding behind a cart that was being wheeled down Manestreet, from the cart to a nearby bush, then.. nothing. I blinked, tilting my head a bit as I was sure there was no way out of that bush unless I could've spotted it, but then the paper end of a party horn hit the back of my head and subsequently sounded out loudly in my ears! I fell forwards, reaching for my ears with my forehooves, while Pinkie jumped up and over the bench and jumped around me rattling off..

"HI! I'm Pinkie Pie and I never saw you before, and if I never saw you before, that means you're new! Cause I know everypony, and I mean EVERYPONY in Ponyville! And if you're new I'll bet you haven't met anyone yet, and if you haven't met anyone yet, you must not have any friends! And if you don't have any friends, that'd make me so sad.. Soooooooooo.." She offered, bouncing around and staring at me intently.

I chanced pushing up to look up at Pinkie's HUUUUGE smile, and then her saddlebags popped open sending balloons up to the sky and confetti raining down around us. "Er.." I blinked, and Pinkie moved in a bit closer.

"Yes? Yes? Yes?!?" she asked, some confetti flying off of her mane towards me.

"I'm with Trixie..?" I offered, blushing lightly. "My name's Fuu.."

Pinkie drew a looooooong breath, looking shocked, but then blinked and sat her butt down. "Trixie? I don't think I know a Trixie? I know a few tricks, though. Good for parties. I have a Tuba? Trixie.."

"The Great and Powerful...?" I offered, but Pinkie held up a hoof to my lips.

"Nono, don't tell. I know EVERYPONY in Ponyville. Let's see, I know a Twilight, Time, Toffee, Tree, Tropical.."

I perked up. "You know a tree?" I repeated, and Pinkie nodded so heavily I thought her head would come off.

"I know a lot of trees! Like this one, and this one.. and this one.." she exclaimed, moving from one tree to another and poking each with a hoof.

"Er.." I started again, but the doors to the hospital opened and Trixie came wandering out, oblivious to the danger that was an overexcited Pinkie Pie.

"Fuu?" Trixie offered, and Pinkie's eyes widened to double their size.

"Oh, you know her??" she exclaimed, starting to bounce around Trixie and me in a reverse 8-shape. "I don't know her, but she says her name is Fuu. I know EVERYPONY in Ponyville, I.." and then it hit her. "OOOH! I don't know you either!! That must mean you're new and if you're new, you do.."

"Come along, Fuu." Trixie huffed, leaving Pinkie standing in place blinking a bit as she was ignored.

"Hey now, that's not nice.." Pinkie sighed, but quickly grinned up again as she started to bounce after us. "You know, if you're new to Ponyville, I cou.."

"The Great and Powerful Trixie has been in Ponyville before." Trixie sighed, rolling her eyes.

"That's what I tried to explain, but you can't get a word in with her.." I offered to Trixie, nuzzling up to her flank while we were walking. Pinkie was a bit much right now.

"You have been? You were? How could Pinkie not have noticed?? My Pinkie sense must be off!" Pinkie gasped, falling over on the grass and starting to ramble on the ramifications of her not having noticed. For example, we had no friends, would've been very sad all the time, had no parties.. I dunno.. it all turned into a blur as we started to get some distance between her and us.

"Fuu?" Trixie started, glancing back to check Pinkie wasn't following us anymore, then back to me.

"Yes miss Trixie?" I offered, glancing up.

"You're going to school coming Monday." Trixie decided, then focused on the road ahead again.

"..er.. erm.. ok?" I stammered, blinking to myself. I'd seen the school come by a few times in the episodes.. but to actually go there? "Erm.. will Apple Bloom and the others be there as well?"

Trixie frowned at my question. "I think so. Does it matter?"

Only that I thought the filly was one of the cutest in the whole series.. I could hardly contain my blushing every time I bumped into her when I went to get apples. "No miss Trixie.."

"Good. Let's get some more apples. Trixie wants to try making that apple pie work for once." Trixie smiled, starting on the path past the farm.
> School's Out
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

So on the next Monday I stood scraping my hooves on the road to the school. "Go on, Fuu. Trixie has to undo the mess you made yesterday. Go join the other foals in the school." Trixie offered, still a bit angry about me somehow having made the wagon collapse.

It really wasn't my fault.. Trixie told me to pull on something and I did. Didn't know that she meant the weed around the wheels and not the wheels themselves.. So when I pulled the wheel out from under the wagon, the entire wagon slumped over and.. well.. collapsed. We slept in the sideways-leaning wagon as good as we could since we wouldn't get anypony to fix it before dawn, and had breakfast outside (a couple of cupcakes since the cupboard holding the other food was inaccessible due to the mess).

"I..." I started, but the look Trixie gave me showed it was either school or spending a day without being able to talk, so I put one hoof in front of the other and hurried over to join Sweetie Belle as she moved into the classroom. "Hi, I'm Fuu.." I offered, and one glance at my blank flank made the other filly hurry over to her friends. Yeah.. Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom.. all three of them.. in the same class as me. My ears turned down low as I thought of what was to come. I searched for an empty seat, but before I could the three of them moved towards me as one and grinned. The most.. cute and.. expectant grins I've ever seen.

"Soooooo, you're new, right?" Scootaloo asked me, and I nodded.

"And you don't have your cutiemark yet?" Apple Bloom continued, and I nodded again.

"Want to join our club?" Sweetie Belle queried, and I backed away a little.

"Erm.. what club?" I wondered, knowing full well I was dealing with the Cutiemark Crusaders here..

"The Cutiemark Crusaders!" All three exclaimed, turning their happy and expectant grins on me again.

"The.."

"The Cutiemark Crusaders!" Scootaloo repeated, "Isn't it a cool name? See, none of us have our cutiemarks yet."

Apple Bloom cut in at that point, poking at my blank flank. "And neither do you!"

"So you'd fit right in!" Sweetie Belle finished, then tilted her head. "That is, if you want to.. er.. Fuu, was it?"

I nodded again to my name being uttered, but the three of them took it all the wrong way..

"YAY! Ok, so we meet in the clubhouse over on Sweet Apple Acres! We'll show you where it is after school. It'll be sooo awesome!" they exclaimed, but before I could correct them the teacher walked in.

"Sit down everypony." Her eyes found mine and she raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I see we got a new student! Why don't you come up here and introduce yourself to the class?"

..as if my day couldn't get any worse.. With my ears and tail hanging low, I walked up beside the teacher and turned around to face the rest of the classroom. Eleven pair of eyes stared curiously up at me, and Apple Bloom gave me an encouraging wink. I felt my cheeks redden as she did and quickly looked up at the teacher.

"What's the matter, er.. Fuu?" the teacher wondered, and I fidgeted a bit.

"I don't.. have anything to say, really.." I mumbled.

She looked at me curiously, then smiled up. "It's really easy, dear. Just say something like; "Hello everypony, my name is Cheerilee and I'm your teacher. I've always wanted to teach young fillies all there is to know about Equestria." Now you try. Go on, they won't bite."

I sighed deeply and turned back to the classroom. Some ponies were looking around boredly now and I smirked. Having a few not pay attention wasn't so bad? I had little to say anyway.. "Erm.. I'm Fuu.. and I live with Trixie over a.." I started, but immediately got interrupted by Snips and Snails..


"Trixie?" Snails asked confusedly,

"The G and PT?" Snips blinked,

"Err.. didn't she leave with that one major?" Snails wondered of Snips,

"It was an Ursa Minor, Snails." Snips retorted,

"Err.." Snails started, but got interrupted by miss Cheerilee;

"Snips and Snails! I'll see you two after class." she offered, "Now be quiet please, Fuu was trying to finish her introduction. Go ahead dear."

I rubbed the side of my head with a hoof, then shrugged. "That's basically it, miss Cheerilee. I live with Trixie over at the fields and come in town every so often to get apples from Sweet Apple Acres. I don't have much else to say. No interesting family history, no nothing.. I guess I'm a bit of an orphan.. Trixie took me with her from elsewhere. Besides Apple Bloom and the ponies at the farm, I haven't really met anypony else yet." I thought it was wisest to just shut up about me having once been a human, or the interesting ideas Trixie had about our "relationship".. or the mouth thing..

Some whispers had started in the classroom, but Cheerilee smiled down at me. "That was a good introduction, dear. And don't you worry, I'm sure you'll make lots of friends once you come to class a little more. Have you studied anywhere else before coming here?" I shook my head. "Oh dear.. Well, it's going to be a repeat course today, class. Please take your seat, Fuu?"

I wandered over to the only empty seat in the room, right next to Apple Bloom of course. I cast a careful glance off to the side, and she was leaning in towards me. "You really live with Trixie?" she asked, and I nodded silently while trying to figure out how to get to my books.

"Er.. how do you.." I started, and Apple Bloom moved in to show me where the books and pencils were hidden. "Thanks.."

"Oh, you're welcome!" Apple Bloom grinned, taking to her own seat again and looking up towards the teacher as Cheerilee started to talk about Equestria's history. Judging by the bored faces on some of my classmates it was something so well-known to them that they didn't need it repeated, but I tried to focus nonetheless.

Most of the things about Princess Celestia and Princess Luna I already knew. But then Cheerilee started to talk about the dark ages when Earthponies, Pegasi and Unicorns were basically at war with one another. This was news to me!

I drank the story in as Cheerilee recounted the tale of the unstable alliance between tribes, the Summit of the Tribes following the unending blizzard that had fallen over the land, and the accusations made at that summit.

"But they were all still ponies, right?" I quipped, making some half-asleep ponies perk up, and Cheerilee nodded at my question.

"They were, yes. But they were focusing on their differences, not their similarities. Each tribal leader focused solely on their own tribe, blaming the other two for the blizzard. After the summit, each went back to their own land and complained to their advisors." Cheerilee continued, talking about each tribe and how they went to seek a new land for themselves, independent of one another. The pegasi looking for a land just for the pegasi, the earthponies looking for a land just for the earthponies, and the unicorns.. like me, I realized.. looking for a land just for the unicorns.

I shook my head at the story. Back home there had been "racial differences" that led to a lot of strange rules and regulations, but a lot of it was just silliness that I didn't much care about. I mean, I didn't care what complexion the girl in my bed had. I just as easily dated a blonde, redhead or chocolate brown girl. But that.. seemed far away already. I was learning about Equestria. The land I now lived in.. and went to school in.

The story had progressed to the three leaders finding a new land and starting their petty fight again. The blizzard was close to follow, of course, as it had been a magical blizzard made by, and here it comes; windigoes feeding off of the disharmony between tribes. It only got worse as they all took shelter in the same cave.

Before too long the blizzard reached the cave and started to encapsulate the six ponies between walls of ice. The leaders were squabbling too much to realize before they were encased by it, frozen in place with seemingly no hope to escape. Only when their assistants learned they didn't hate one another and really just disliked having to follow their leaders' silly commands that set them up against one another was there any hope again. The three bonded and the unicorn assistant let out a blast of loving magic from their friendship. Love warmed their hearts and the cave and drove the Windigoes away. The leaders defrosted, their hearts warmed by the sight of their assistants laughing and sharing stories, and harmony was found in what soon became known as Equestria.


When the story ended, I found myself having half climbed up and over my table, mouth agape, staring at Cheerilee. Some whispers around me made me well-aware of how silly it must've looked, and I quickly pulled myself back in my chair.

"It's almost like she never heard of Hearth's Warming Eve before.." one of my classmates whispered to their neighbour, and I blushed deeply.

"Settle down, class. Fuu comes from a different region in Equestria. Maybe she was taught other things that we haven't talked about, hm?" Cheerilee came to my rescue, and I sighed in relief.

"You never heard of Hearth's Warming Eve?" Apple Bloom asked, sitting to my immediate left, and I shook my head to her.

"She's never heard of Hearth's Warming Eve before?" Sweetie Belle asked Scootaloo, who sat one seat behind Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo mimicked my headshake. "Didn't miss Cheerilee just tell her?" Sweetie Belle continued, and Scootaloo rolled her eyes and nodded.

"Girls, girls.. settle down please." Miss Cheerilee tried again, as the whispers started over, but it was to no avail as the school bell sounded as soon as she finished her sentence, indicating class was over. Cheerilee sighed as everypony rushed out into the playground, but beckoned me to join her as I trotted past. I turned to face her and noticed Snips and Snails joining us as well. Cheerilee first addressed them. "What did we talk about last week again, boys?"

"No discussing things in class, miss Cheerilee.." they both replied, then Snails looked up in mild confusion. "Why was that again, miss Cheerilee?"

"Because you two get lost in your discussions and your grades are slipping, dears. Now do remember it, hm? Go play outside." She winked, then turned to me as the two boys rushed off to join the rest of class on the playground. "You live with Trixie, do you? Trixie the magician? How is she doing? She left town so quickly last time I heard of her.."

I had to giggle softly at remembering the episode, but then blushed and reached a hoof up to my collar. "Erm.. she's doing alright again, considering.." I started, scraping my hoof a bit on the ground. "Why do you ask, miss Cheerilee?"

"Oh, I do care for my students, dear Fuu." Cheerilee smiled, "And hearing about where you live just made me worry a little too much, I fear?" she blushed, wiping her mane out of her face. "Don't mind a silly mare like myself, dear. Just let me know if there's anything you need to talk about, ok?"

I nodded to her and she visibly relaxed. "Miss Trixie is a.. curious pony to live with, miss Cheerilee." I offered, and Cheerilee perked up with a concerned look on her face again. "I don't always know what she means, but she does her best to teach me what I need to know. She said I could be her magician's assistant one day, if I get better at my magic." I beamed proudly. It had been something I had clung to. Better to look to the future than to get stuck in the past, no? And I was here now.. a whole life in front of me. Better to have a goal set than roam around lost in memories of a life I couldn't return to without help. At least, not until I got better at magic. A whole lot better at magic.

"Magician's assistant.." Cheerilee mused a moment, but then smiled down and ruffled my mane with a hoof. "It's good to work towards something. For me, it was teaching. Perhaps your special something will be working as a magician's assistant. Now go along and play with the other foals. We'll have math after recess. You do know your tables, don't you?" Again that worried look.

"From one to ten, miss Cheerilee." I grinned up, even if I knew I was overconfident in saying so. I probably could guess my way through most of them.. The table of seven always gave me a slight headache trying to remember. We'd see after recess.


Miss Cheerilee gently shooed me out the classroom, and I joined the rest of the class playing and eating outside. Off to the side, half hidden underneath the shadow of a tree, Trixie stood watching it all. As I trotted out of the building, she moved forward just a little and her horn started to glow. I felt a tug on my collar and involuntarily moved closer, but once I noticed where I was headed she didn't have to tug so hard. Forget how she treated me or how I got there.. I had quickly grown used to being around Trixie. As I joined her in the shadow, I nuzzled up to her flank and breathed out a soft sigh of happiness. Trixie frowned confusedly at that but didn't bring it up.

"Trixie mended the wagon with some help.. How was school so far?" she wondered instead, sinking through her hooves on the grass and letting me lay down next to her. I leaned into her, her bigger form making the feat quite easy, and thought this might be what having a big sis must feel like..

I banished the thought for now. "It's been interesting, miss Trixie. There's a lot about Equestria I didn't know! Did you know the three tribes fought one another in the past? Bringing the.."

"The Windigoes.. Yes. The Hearth's Warming Eve later in the year is all about it. The story's been told a thousand times." Trixie interrupted, and I snorted at her.

"Could've let me finish.." I muttered softly, using my magic to slow the descent of a falling leaf and watch it swing left and right before it landed on the grass in front of me.

"Trixie has little time. She brought you lunch." Trixie offered cooly, moving a couple of cupcakes and an apple in front of me. "The cupboard was a mess. Everything was out of place. Trixie had to sort all the books again, her showcoat and hat were full of crinkles and crumbs. They'll have to be washed, of course. And all because of.. hey, are you listening?"

I was, really, and nodded my head quickly, but my mouth was full of cupcake. Blueberry cupcake. It's strange.. I never liked blueberry. But it tasted SOOOO good in Equestria.. I just.. kept wanting to eat more.

"Ok." Trixie nodded, watching me try and chew with my mouth full of cupcake. "Smaller bites next time.. or Trixie might have to help you with that." she warned, and I looked up with a blueberry cupcake-stained grin. She rolled her eyes at me and looked away towards the playground just in time to see Scootaloo head our way. "Trixie has to go now. She'll be back for you after school, Fuu. Don't get in any trouble now." Trixie offered quickly, standing up and rushing away in the opposite direction of where Scootaloo was coming from. The loss of a pony body beside me to lean against made me start to tilt over, and as Scootaloo reached me I was lying on my back giggling while pawing with my hooves up at the canopy.

"Er.. what are you doing out here?" Scootaloo wondered, tilting her head at me looking at her all upside-down like. "Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and me have been looking all over for you!"

I pushed myself upright again and picked up my apple with my magic, taking a quick bite of it. "Miss Trixie brought me lunch." I grinned.

"Trixie was here?" Scootaloo wondered, looking around her.

"A moment ago?" I offered, stepping out of the shadow. "She left."

"Right.. we were going to tell you all about our club too! Now it's almost time for class again." Scootaloo frowned, walking off towards the playground again. I followed, since I had nothing else to do anyway. "You'll just have to hear it when we show you the clubhouse after school!"

"Ah, yeah.. about that.." I started, "Miss Trixie will come pick me up from school since it's my first day and all? I don't know if I can come."

A gasp from my other side made me turn my head to look right in Sweetie Belle's face. "Oh, but you have to. Apple Bloom's family always gives us the best apple juice while we're there."

"You and your apple juice.." Scootaloo giggled, "You're going to get that as your cutiemark, you know?"

Sweetie Belle giggled and shook her head. "Oh, I wish.. But you know how Rarity would respond; "Apples? So uncouth.."" she mimicked in Rarity's voice, and both laughed.

"What's uncouth?" Apple Bloom wondered, popping up from out of a mudpit and shaking herself clean.

"Er.." I started, but the school bell rang again to call us all inside.


Math was.. worse than I remember it having been. All the tables and additions and subtractions.. All the numbers started to swim around my head before I knew it. I must've had half the answers wrong, if not more. It made time slow down to a crawl and I had given up on the day ever coming to an end before the bell signaled it again. Knowing Trixie would be waiting for me outside, I rushed out with the others, slowing down to a trot and looking around until I felt the tug to my collar again. Still not seeing Trixie anywhere, I just followed the tug into a copse of trees. I faintly heard three others following behind, but I had to see Trixie first. The Cutiemark Crusaders could wait.

"Hey!", "Wait up!", and "Where's she going?", I heard behind me, but the trees soon hid me from their sights and when I made a sharp turn to the right - straight into a bush - I knew they would run right past me without realizing it. Inside, Trixie was waiting, sitting on her butt and staring at me intently. She didn't need to tell me to hush. Instead she just changed me so I couldn't speak and waited for the CMC to run by in their attempt to catch up to me.

When they were out of earshot, Trixie sighed. "Trixie isn't sure she should still be here. Maybe we should go to Fillydelphia or Las Pegasus.. Or Trotsdale.. Trixie hasn't been there before.."

Something in the way she said it made me realize she was hit harder by the events depicted in the show than she was letting on. I shuffled forwards and nuzzled up to her. "Ffh.. Fuu Frf.." I offered, trying to let my facial expression and ears show I meant well since I couldn't really smile or speak.

"What was that?" Trixie wondered, returning my mouth to normal again.

"I'm sure you'll be fine, Miss Trixie." I offered, giving another soft nuzzle with my nose at Trixie's side. "I mean.. well.. You're a caring pony? Even if this is punishment, you still take care of me. You teach me. If the show has taught me anything, it.."

"Show? No, Trixie won't give another show here." Trixie snorted. "They didn't appreciate the Great and Powerful Trixie when Trixie did before."

"I.. I didn't mean a show like that. Back ho.. Back where I came from originally, everypony here is part of a show on television." I tried to explain, finding myself swallow the word 'home' as it didn't feel like it anymore.

"Television?" Trixie repeated, the word clearly alien to her.

"Box with moving pictures in it.. kind of like a book in that it contains stories about things. But it's more like a small version of a theatre?" I tried to explain, and Trixie just blinked. "Never mind. Look, everypony here is part of a story in my world.. I actually.." I started, then looked down and muttered the rest, "..saw everything that happened with you and the Ursa Minor.."

The stare she gave me went straight through me. For a moment there it seemed like she even stopped breathing.

"I mean I still consider you the Great and Powerful Trixie, miss Trixie.. You.. well.. moved me from a different world to here. You somehow turned me into a filly.. You're teaching me about magic.." I tried to minimize the damage, but Trixie's face was going from shock to anger and there was little I could do about it.

"You knew??" she hissed through clenched teeth, and I could only nod.


"Home. Now." Trixie demanded, and I found my surroundings change from the interior of a bush to the interior of the wagon. Trixie shut the door and window and stood up from her bed, staring me down. "You KNEW?!? Who else knows? Who else knows about the Great and Powerful Trixie's most embarrassing moment??"

"It wasn't that bad.. really.. and you kind of had it coming.." I started, but my mouth zipped shut as Trixie leaned her face in close enough that I could feel her breath on my muzzle.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie did NOT have it coming, Fuu." she hissed, and I had to back down from the anger in her tone.

"Ffh?" I tried, but it was useless. I couldn't really do much as a filly except for backing up into my little corner.

"All Trixie did was TRY to give a good show, TRY to convince everypony that the Great and Powerful Trixie was the best magician in all of Equestria." Trixie huffed, backing away and pacing over towards the door and back to the bed. "And was I so wrong to do that? I know some of the most spectacular feats of magic every witnessed by pony eyes!"

This sounded familiar and I carefully crawled back out of my corner, lying down on one of my pillows and watching Trixie let her emotions out. I never was good with emotions..

"Trixie was, no IS the most magical unicorn in all of Equestria! She's gone between worlds for Luna's sake!" Trixie continued, but then stopped and her legs started to wobble. "And then that Twilight filly came running into the scene.. stealing the show.. ruining everything." There the tears came, welling up in her eyes and starting down her muzzle. As she collapsed on the ground, I could only shuffle forward to give her a soft nuzzle, but squeaked in surprise as she suddenly wrapped her forehooves around my neck and pulled me closer to her. "Oh, Fuu.. they called me a loudmouth.. scoffed at me.. chased me out of town.." I raised an eyebrow at the last bit, and Trixie caught it. "Oh, ok.. maybe they didn't chase Trixie out of town.. but they won't ever believe Trixie is the most magical unicorn in all of Equestria now.. Not after Trixie got upstaged by that Twilight.."

I found my mouth changing back and used it to peck a kiss on Trixie's wet cheek. "You are to me?" I offered, "Who cares what somepony else thinks? I used to be a human. Now I'm a filly. Do I stop to think of what I lost? I don't. It wouldn't help me. I'm trying my best to live with this new life of mine.. I don't know how long I'm going to be stuck here.. I.."

"Trixie doesn't know how to make you human again.." Trixie muttered, and I stopped talking.

"You... don't?" I blinked after a moment of hesitation, and Trixie shook her head.

"Trixie doesn't even know how you became a filly.. most of it was instinctual.. Most of the time Trixie just bluffs her way through these things." she revealed, being more honest in this one moment than I think she must've been in most of her life.

"Wow.. that.. er.." I stammered, the reality sinking in slowly. "So that.. er.. I.. er.. There's not a chance I'll ever.. er.."

"Well, Trixie does know how to get to your world.. b..but you'd be a filly there, as you are here, Trixie thinks.." Trixie smirked, pulling a handkerchief out of a drawer and dabbing her eyes with it. "It wasn't intended.. Trixie just got mad for getting hit by your.. car.."

I stared up at her in bewilderment until she finally looked away.


"Do you think Celestia might know?" I tried, trying to swallow that proverbial pill. "I mean.. er.."

"Trixie doesn't know. That Twilight filly might, though. Seems the Princess comes to visit her every so often." Trixie smirked, looking back at me. "Trixie didn't intend to keep you as her pet, but it was the easiest way Trixie knew how to distract you from all this. Trixie thought if she keeps you busy you won't notice you can't go back and it'll all be fine."

"And your assistant for life, I guess?" I snorted, shaking my head in disbelief. "How did you think that would work? Eventually I would start asking questions about how long the punishment would last, how much more I'd have to do, regardless of how many times you'd stop me from talking. I'm just a young pony now.. but I really didn't think I'd grow old as one.. Still don't see myself as an old mare like Granny Smith.."

Trixie winced at the thought. "Wrinkles all over.. erp.. Nono, Trixie just meant to distract you until Trixie found out how to fix it. Wouldn't take The Great and Powerful Trixie that long, she thought.."

I sighed and nuzzled in some more. "I appreciate the idea, really.. keeping me distracted so I wouldn't fall into depression, right? I get how that works.. on some level.."

"And that's why Trixie sent you to school as well. You have a lot of magical potential, Fuu. Trixie thought maybe if you could learn to live here you might not want to go back when Trixie found out how to send you back, and you could become Trixie's pupil for real." Trixie offered, smiling down weakly.

"Well, it IS nice here.. and it might be fun to get through one of those near-apocalypses Twilight constantly fights against.." I chuckled, trying to get myself to a happier mood. "Would've loved to be here for the chocolate rain."

"That was a few months ago, Fuu. Trixie hadn't even planned yet on going to your world back then." Trixie smirked.

"Er.. months? No, well.. I mean.. I've been here a couple of weeks now, right? And I saw the episodes that very day. They didn't get released until the day before.." I tried, my head swimming in math again and not seeming to get to any conclusion that worked for me.

"I don't know how that whole episode thing works in your world, Fuu. But over here it's been two, three months ago that the world changed around and chocolate rain came falling and buildings and Trixie's wagon started to fly through the sky. And then all of a sudden everything was normal again. Trixie didn't know what had happened until she asked somepony at the farm." Trixie revealed.

"Months in days?" I blinked, and Trixie tilted her head slightly. "I mean.. I.. well.. the first episode was the week before.. so if it's been six.. no, wait a week has seven days.. hm.. eight? That won't work.. Eight, nine days? Two, three months? Could that work? No.. wait.. that's four and three.."

Trixie just stared. "What..?"

"There's a problem with time here.." I offered, "I mean, you say you had all that a couple of months ago. But to me it was the episodes I saw on the day you took me here. They were only a week apart. How would that work?"

Trixie shrugged. "That's why Trixie bluffs her way through most of these things. Most magic doesn't make sense if you start to dissect it. It just works."

"Right.. except now there's no way I can get back. Because it doesn't work the other way around?" I sighed, and shook my head.

"Don't worry too much, Fuu. You're safe in Trixie's care, aren't you?" Trixie tried, and I buried my face against her coat with a soft whimper. That was it then. My former life over, this new future laid out for me. To be in Trixie's care until I outgrew it.

"Maybe if I keep learning magic I'll find a way to get back.." I muttered, and Trixie just nuzzled at me in response.

"Maybe you will, Fuu."
> Initiation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

We sat like that for a long while, and when Trixie finally opened the shutters again it was already starting to get dark. We had a simple dinner, then retired to bed since it was a schoolnight and Trixie insisted I go to school again the following morning. And so it was that, after a quick breakfast, we both started off towards Ponyville again the next day.


Halfway to school I was stopped by Apple Bloom who came running out of the farm and only stopped as she saw Trixie walking beside me. "Er.. hi."

"Hi Apple Bloom." I offered with a smile and a slight blush. "Is something wrong?"

Apple Bloom looked nervously over my flank as she walked up beside me, and I glanced over to Trixie who seemed unsure what to do. "Apple Bloom, this is.. er.. my guardian; Trixie." I offered, smiling at Trixie as she let out a sigh of relief at not having to do the introductions herself. Trixie really wasn't that special a pony without her hat and cloak. She just blended in with the other ponies walking around. Most ponies didn't even seem to recognize her as The Great and Powerful Trixie or gave her the benefit of the doubt if they did. A lot of ponies nodded their heads or said good morning to her as we passed and Trixie seemed to get more and more agitated with every pony doing so.

"Why, hello there miss Trixie! How're y'all doing?" Apple Bloom grinned over my flank, and I looked back at her. She seemed to have something on her mind, but Trixie's silence seemed to make her nervous.

"We've been trying to make apple pie with the apples from your family's orchard, Apple Bloom." I offered, trying to get the conversation going in.. whatever direction possible, and Trixie rolled her eyes lightly. "It didn't work out as well as we planned, but they sure were tasty apples." I grinned at Apple Bloom, and she lit up proudly.

"Of course they would! We been sellin' these apples for years an' years an' years and Applejack says there ain't a better orchard in all of Equestria!" Apple Bloom grinned back.

Trixie hummed at that and I flicked an ear as I turned my attention back to my right side. "Trixie isn't sure about that.. There are some orchards near Hoofington that have lovely pears, Dodge Junction's cherry orchard.." she started, but then fell silent.

"Well.. Yeah! But they ain't no apple orchards!" Apple Bloom giggled, "Sweet Apple Acres is the best apple orchard in all of Equestria, hoofs down!"

I couldn't help myself. "And what about the orchard over at Appleloosa?" I offered, giving Apple Bloom a soft nudge with my shoulder. "They're doing ok?"

"Ah, but that's run by mah cousin Braeburn." Apple Bloom offered. "It's practically th' same orchard."

We giggled a bit at that, then fell silent as the school came into view. "So what is it you wanted to say before, Apple Bloom?" I wondered, and she frowned thoughtfully.

"Well, we wanted to see you yesterday an' all, an' waited in our clubhouse for hours but you didn't show up. Scootaloo an' Sweetie Belle an' me just wondered if everything was fine, is all." Apple Bloom offered, and I nodded my head.

"Just had to go home early because I made a mess. We spent all afternoon cleaning up." I lied, not wanting to explain what really happened.

"Oh." Apple Bloom responded, then noticed Scootaloo a little up ahead and ran up to her. "Scootaloo! Hey, wait up!"


Trixie and I watched as Apple Bloom joined up with Scootaloo, then looked at one another. "Trixie doesn't feel comfortable around all these ponies faking niceness.." Trixie muttered, glancing back in the direction of the wagon and then back at me. "Trixie won't come pick you up out of school. Go make friends. Be home before dark." she offered with what she must've thought was a stern look. To me, it looked all kinds of adorable. Insecure Trixie trying to regain her strong composure.

"Yes miss Trixie." I smiled, then nuzzled up to her side. "I'll make sure to get home before dark. Thank you."

Trixie smirked at my response, but gave a nuzzle back. "It may be a show where you're from, but this is reality for us here, Fuu. Pay attention in class. I expect good grades from my student."

"Oh, I'm your student now?" I blinked, and immediately regretted it as Trixie narrowed her eyes and snorted.

"You're either going to be Trixie's student or her pet, Fuu. Either way Trixie has to take care of you somehow.. The only way Trixie knows is by doing magic shows. And it would be better for everypony involved if you kept up the "guardian" ruse and told them you were Trixie's student, yes. Trixie's student learning to be as Great and Powerful as she is." Trixie orated, bringing her face close to mine.

"Erp.. Yeah, I'll take the student over the pet dealy.." I swallowed, backing up a little. Immediately Trixie's face cleared up and she shook her head a bit to have her mane fall back in position.

"A student of magic to Trixie, but a student to Equestria's knowledge in school. Do your best, Fuu."

I nodded. "I will, miss Trixie." and watched as she turned tail and trotted off back home. I sighed in relief and turned back for school, noticing the two crusaders had become three as Sweetie Belle had joined the others. Apple Bloom was eagerly motioning for me to join them, and I hurried on over.

"..nd then I flew through the air like Rainbow Dash, over four ponies standing in line in front of the cake's bakery and almost landed on Spike! But with a swift kick of my hind legs I turned around and skidded to a stop behind him instead!" Scootaloo detailed.

"Wow Scootaloo, you must be the best stuntrider in all of Equestria!" Sweetie Belle gasped in awe, "Way more exciting than helping Rarity with her boring chores... Stand there, Sweetie Belle.. Don't move, Sweetie Belle.. Don't touch that, Sweetie Belle.. It's like she don't trust me with nothing, you know?"

Apple Bloom nodded. "Same with Applejack. She don't trust me with nothing either. Always saying I'm too little for ev'rything. Well, I was big enough to know Zecora wasn't no threat to us!"

"And then Applejack got turned little and you were her big sis for a day.." I offered, making Apple Bloom stare at me dumbfoundedly.

"How'd you know about that? Did anypony tell you?" she asked, and I realized she might not have told anyone but the main group.

"Er.. Spike told me." I lied, "Like he told me about that song Pinkie sang about Zecora; "She's an evil enchantress, she does evil dances.."" I started, but stopped as Apple Bloom huffed. "I know she's not, but Pinkie thought she was. Right? At least Spike said so.."

Apple Bloom shrugged. "I guess.."

The school bell rang to call us into class and I waited a moment to wipe the sweat off of my brow before following behind the other crusaders. I felt like I had made a mistake commenting on something few ponies would have had knowledge of. Just because the series had shown almost everything that went on around Ponyville didn't mean everypony had been privvy to the situations. Nopony but Applejack and Rainbow Dash would know about Rainbow having had Applejack in her mouth at one time, after all. It would've been too embarrassing a fact to talk about. I sighed and entered the classroom, avoiding Apple Bloom's curious glances as much as I could during the day.

The day was largely uneventful, with miss Cheerilee teaching math and some basic physics like how gravity works and all that before recess and recounting the story of the two sisters Celestia and Luna after recess. I liked how miss Cheerilee told these tales. Her voice drew you into the stories as if you would have been there watching them unfold before your eyes.


After school I joined up with the crusaders again and finally made my way to the clubhouse. The trio were eager to show me around, although there wasn't much to see. They had a piece of paper nailed to the wall where they would check off who was present, just like miss Cheerilee did at the start of the day, a table and chair with some cups and a bowl on it for eating, and a gap in the ceiling leading up to a small attic with a ladder that could be pulled up to free up space in the main room. It wasn't much, but it was a nice atmosphere the three had created for their clubhouse.

As the "grand tour" was coming to a close, Scootaloo started to drag a lone chair to the center of the room. Once there, she motioned towards it while looking in my direction. "Why don't you sit down, Fuu?" she offered, in a tone that offered no option other than doing as suggested.

I froze and glanced between her and the other two girls. Apple Bloom just nodded in Scootaloo's direction, but Sweetie Belle was digging through a pile of seemingly random objects located along the back wall as if looking for something in particular. With a shrug I set in motion, walking up to the chair and sitting myself down on it. As I did, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo moved to the windows and closed the curtains, shrouding the room in darkness.

"Er.. what's going on, you guys?" I asked blindly, hearing them stumble around me, until I heard Sweetie Belle's voice shout out;

"I fwouph iph!"

"Can ya turn it on then?" I heard Apple Bloom say to my right, while Scootaloo was still doing something or other on my left.

"Turn what on?" I asked, but immediately regretted it as a beam of light shone from where Sweetie Belle was standing right at my face the very next moment. I squinted my eyes at it and lifted my left forehoof in front of my face. "Ow, that's bright.."

"Fowwy." Sweetie Belle offered, the beam of light darting everywhere as she did. She returned the beam to my face and I looked off to the side to find Scootaloo taking up position to my left, wearing a Fedora hat. When I glanced to my right, Apple Bloom was still trying to fit a similar hat over her mane and I got a cold shiver down my spine.

"Er.." I started, but Scootaloo quickly leaned in and brought her face mere inches from mine.

"And who gave you the right to speak? Huh? We haven't even asked you any questions yet!"

I blinked and looked on in confusion as Apple Bloom gently pushed Scootaloo out of the way and smiled up from under her hat. "Don't listen to her, da'hling. Now jus' answer our questions and you'll be fine."

"What questions? I'm not getting this." I asked, blinking at the bright light.

"Where were you on the night of three days before yesterday!?" Scootaloo almost shouted at me in her eagerness to be the bad cop, and I inched away from her as far as the chair allowed.

"Scootaloo! That's not what we want to know." Apple Bloom interjected.

"It's not?" Scootaloo blinked, backing off a bit. "Huh."

"Wehh, iff haff of ih.." Sweetie Belle offered, the beam of light dancing around the room again.

"Gah! This is not working, girls! I'mma open ta curtains again." Apple Bloom groaned, turning tail and stumbling over to the weak hint at where the window was. With the curtains open again the beam from Sweetie Belle's flashlight did not seem nearly as strong as it had been in the utter darkness.

"Er.. I'm willing to answer any question you want, you know? As long as I can?" I offered, glancing around at myself and noticing the annoyed way in which Scootaloo pulled the hat off of her head. "I'm sorry it didn't work, girls."

"Nah, it's Sweetie Belle's fault. If she'd have kept the flashlight stable, it would've worked. I'm sure of it." Scootaloo sighed.

"My fault?!? MY fault?" Sweetie Belle retorted, the flashlight dropped to the floor and aiming its beam at the back wall. "Whose idea was it to do this anyway? Not mine!"

"Girls, girls!" Apple Bloom stopped them, stepping in-between them. "Sweetie Belle did a mighty fine job holdin' the flashlight. And Scootaloo's idea was good too. It's nopony's fault. We jus' need to think up a better way to initiate our new members."

I nodded at that. "I honestly didn't know what you all were planning or I would've done my best to help out as well. Can we just sit down and talk about it? Over a drink perhaps?"

"Ooh! Apple juice!" Sweetie Belle perked up at the mention of drinks.

Scootaloo grinned up at that as well and Apple Bloom nodded. "Let's go ask Granny Smith for some apple juice then."

I sighed in relief as I moved off of my chair and followed the three girls outside, but I couldn't stop myself wondering what those questions may be. I half suspected I already knew.


Whatever tension may have lingered after that situation, it was all forgotten as soon as we had our first sip of apple juice. Granny Smith always made the best juice. Forget all the juices you may have ever tasted out there in the human world, they were raw sewage in comparison. The only thing better than the apple juice Granny Smith made was the zap-apple jam that Granny Smith made.

Four juice-slurping fillies and one babbling old mare sat on the porch of the Apple family's farmhouse that day: Granny Smith in her rocking chair with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle on her left, Scootaloo had climbed up on the railing and was keeping balance with the flutter of her small wings, and I just sat to the right of Granny Smith taking it all in while sipping from the straw stuck in my cup. With the afternoon sun slowly making its way across the sky, the sound of the birds and other animals around the farmhouse, and the taste of apple juice so sweet it made me wish I could drink it forever, I was thoroughly enjoying myself.

After a while it became apparent Granny Smith had talked herself to sleep, her snoring adding to the sweet song of sounds around me. Apple Bloom blushed and quickly emptied her cup, motioning for us to move away from the porch and over towards the barn. Reluctantly I followed the others in finishing my drink, then gathered the cups all in one place beside the door before following the rest.

The barn was mostly empty except for the haybales and some farm equipment laying around, and there were still some party string-remains hanging down from the rafters and walls.

"Why did we go here?" Sweetie Belle wondered, looking around as she walked further into the barn.

"It jus' didn't feel right goin' back to the clubhouse after what happened, ya know?" Apple Bloom answered with a shrug, and I nodded.

Scootaloo wasn't paying attention. She was looking up at the attic and judging the height between the floor and it by eye.

I passed her by and looked up at the broken party string dangling down from a nail in one of the support beams.

"When was thi.." "What we wan.." both Apple Bloom and I started at the same time, turned to one another and giggled. "You first," I offered to Apple Bloom.

"What we want ta know, is where did ya come from, Fuu? You have such strange reactions to miss Cheerilee's teachings, and.. well.. you know.." Apple Bloom offered, and I sighed as I sat my butt down on the straw-covered floor. Sweetie Belle turned to face me, but Scootaloo was climbing up a ladder to the attic instead of paying attention.

"I come from a land far, far away. Trixie found me there." I started, not wanting to go into details. "We had heard stories about Equestria, but never really went there ourselves." Stories. That's what they were. "Trixie.. adopted me as her student, and we travelled here to Ponyville for me to learn about magic and everything else." It was all true, in a way.

"There are ponies living outside of Equestria?" Sweetie Belle asked, and I nodded. They weren't cell-shaded, but I had seen ponies in the human world.

"Hey girls! What if I get my cutiemark for stagediving?" Scootaloo shouted from up high, and three pair of eyes turned upwards as the orange pony peered down from the attic. "Just watch me, it'll be awesome!"

"Er.." I started,

"Ooh.." Sweetie Belle gasped in anticipation,

"Are ya sure it's safe?" Apple Bloom wondered in concern, but then turned her head as the barn door opened and her sister walked in, an eyebrow raised at seeing Scootaloo up on the attic looking like she was about to jump down.

"Now what the hay is going on in here?" Applejack demanded, "Will ya come down from there before ya break something?" she addressed Scootaloo, "Use'in the ladder.." she added, concern showing on her face.

"Scootaloo was tryin' to get her cutiemark for stage diving, big sis." Apple Bloom offered, to which Applejack made some noises of surprise.

"Hrf.. Tsk.. Mrfl.. Whoa now Nelly, that ain't no way to get a cutiemark! Y'all got to calm down some and think about what it is ya like doin'." Applejack offered, shaking her head as Scootaloo joined us on the ground again. "All yer runnin' around and breakin' bones ain't workin' one bit. And who's this then?" she offered, turning to face me.

"Er.. I'm Fuu? Trixie and me come by the stand to buy apples from time to time, remember?" I blushed, scraping a hoof a bit uncomfortably over the floor.

"Well, ya gotta excuse me for not recalling yer face all that well, hun. It's been a long day working an' we get so many ponies from all around for our apples it's hard to keep 'em apart, ya know?" Applejack offered, reaching out to rub my mane with a hoof. "But if ya stick around here for some, I'm sure everypony will get ta know ya before ya can say "Pretty Pink Ponies Prance Pretty Perfectly"."

I blushed more under the tousling of my mane, giggling a bit as Sweetie Belle tried to repeat what Applejack had said and kept stumbling halfway through.

"Pretty Pink Pronies Pr.. Pretty Ponies Prance Prinkly.. Pretty.." she tried, her own cheeks flushing as Scootaloo broke into laughter.

"Heh. Now y'all go and get doin' something safer, ok? Like maybe ya could go bother Rainbow Dash an' see what's taking that rainstorm I was expectin' today?" Applejack suggested, nudging her head towards the open barn door at the same time as a flash of lightning illuminated the world outside.

"That rainstorm, sis?" Apple Bloom chuckled, but Applejack's reply was drowned by the thunderclap. The flick of her tail and look on her face said enough to let know her little sister's smarts were ill received. Ah, the love between sisters.


We ran out of the barn and through the suddenly pouring rain outside while giggling at Applejack shouting after us that we should not use the barn for playing next time and that Big Mac would hear of it, but the sound of our hooves hitting the wet ground and the occasional thunderclap soon drowned her out. We ran out of Sweet Apple Acres and over towards Ponyville with no clear target in mind, just running side-by-side, bumping flanks and giggling happily. I can't remember a situation before this in which I was this genuinely happy to do nothing in particular. Well, nothing in particular except for running. With friends. Something I don't think I'd ever done before. I never was much of the athletic type.

We stopped in front of Sugarcube Corner to catch our breaths and shook ourselves dry, still giggling but clearly calming down again. The sun in Ponyville was shining, the rainstorm localized over the apple orchards at Sweet Apple Acres. The thunder was still audible off in the distance, but most of the sound was reflected by the surrounding buildings. Scootaloo buzzed her little wings a little to shake the water out of her feathers, spraying it over Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom in the process. Apple Bloom didn't seem to care that much, but Sweetie Belle made a face and tried to dry herself again.

"So what I wanted to ask.. when was that party over at Sweet Apple Acres?" I tried, glancing between the three of them before shivering from a cold water droplet leaking down my neck.

"Party? What party? Oh, hi girls! Wanna come in? I made mint-flavoured cupcakes! MINT! FLAVOURED! CUPCAKES!"

You guessed it; Pinkie Pie. Her upper-body sticking out through the open upper-half of the door leading into Sugarcube Corner, her lower body hidden by the closed lower part of the door, Pinkie's face was smeared with green glazing and cupcake crumbs. As we moved to stare up at her, she produced another mintgreen-glazed cupcake and stuffed it into her mouth, then chomped on it in a very excited, messy, and carefree manner, bits of her cupcake flying off everywhere as she chewed on it.

"Er, sure?" Apple Bloom blinked, and the others shrugged as well.

Pinkie Pie squealed from excitement and pulled the lower door open for us, and we walked in in single-file, Scootaloo up in front, Apple Bloom following, and Sweetie Belle just in front of me. Her tail looked nice up close, the smooth transition from pink to purple hairs changing a little as she moved. I got distracted by it to the point where I missed the last step up into Sugarcube Corner, my left forehoof moving up to try and find another step to go up, then finding only air and causing me to stumble forward a little. I bumped into Sweetie Belle's rear as I tried to find my hoofing again, who bumped into Apple Bloom, who bumped into Scootaloo, who jumped up from surprise and all-but launched herself into Pinkie Pie who fell backwards while giggling happily at it all.

"Apple Bloom! What was that for?" Scootaloo whined, fluttering her wings to get out of Pinkie Pie's enthusiastic hug.

"I didn't do nothin'! Sweetie Belle bumped into me first!" Apple Bloom replied, turning to face Sweetie Belle who meeped and shook her head quickly!

"It wasn't me! Fuu pushed me!" she exclaimed, stepping aside and turning to face me as well.

I felt my cheeks turn red and scraped an embarrassed hoof over the floor. "Sorry.. I thought there was another step.."

Pinkie Pie finally let go of Scootaloo and jumped up and started bouncing around us at hearing my words, exclaiming loudly, "Of course there's another step! If you want to get somewhere, you have to step step step step step step around!" she giggled, taking very theatrical steps around me as she did. "See? Step step step step step.."


With Pinkie Pie continuing her stepping around in seemingly random circles around and in-between us, the crusaders shared a glance between themselves and me. Scootaloo still looked a little annoyed that she was made to lose her composure, but nodded at Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom didn't really seem to mind what had happened, and gave a warm smile towards me and Sweetie Belle, the latter of which looked to be a bit more distracted by Pinkie's stepping around than the rest of us.

"So.. somepony mentioned cupcakes?" Apple Bloom offered as Pinkie started another circle around her, stopping the pink pony dead in her tracks.

"Cupcakes?!? Where?!?" she cried out, as if she'd already forgotten all about them.

"Yeah!" Sweetie Belle piped up, "You said they had mint in them?"

"Oooh, THOSE cupcakes." Pinkie Pie seemed to remember, putting her butt down on the ground and smiling at us.

"Er, yeah.. You said we could have some?" Scootaloo frowned, her wings fluttering in an annoyed fashion.

"Oh yeah! Wait here!" Pinkie Pie grinned, standing up and bouncing towards the kitchen area in the back.

"She's always like this, isn't she?" I sighed, walking up towards Apple Bloom while Sweetie Belle moved up to my right side. With Scootaloo moving in from the opposite direction we stood waiting in an odd kind of semi-circle. "So, er.. what about my initiation, girls? I gotta be home before dinner." I wondered, glancing between them.

"Well, you didn't answer all our questions yet." Scootalooo pondered, and Sweetie Belle said "Yeah!" to that.

"But you have been good company." Apple Bloom mused, to which Sweetie Belle said "Yeah!" again.

"Oh, and! And! Er..." Sweetie Belle started enthusiastically, then blinked and stared blankly ahead of her for a moment. "Er.. What they said!"

"I'm ok with her joinin' us, girls." Apple Bloom stated, to which Scootaloo nodded.

"Me too." she stated, looking towards Sweetie Belle who seemed to have lost track of the conversation again.

"Er.. Er.. me three!" She finally exclaimed, all three turning towards me with big smiles.

"That settles it, then. Welcome to the cutiemark crusaders, Fuu!" Apple Bloom grinned.

I blushed deeply but smiled between them. "Aww, thanks guys."

"You'll have ta wait until Sweetie Belle makes your cape, tho." Apple Bloom continued.

Sweetie Belle frowned at that and stomped a hoof at the floor. "If Rarity lets me in her workshop again.. "Oh, no, Sweetie Belle. You can't go play in there! Run along.."." she mimicked her bigger sister, then huffed.

"Teehee! That sounded JUST LIKE Rarity! Do me! Do me!" Pinkie Pie popped up behind Scootaloo, making the pegasus meep as she jumped up and forwards at me!

"Oof.." I gasped out as Scootaloo hit me, falling on the ground and laying there sprawled out with her for a second before I just had to giggle at how easily she was spooked. Pinkie Pie started to giggle as well, and soon all five of us were laughing happily at how silly it all was.
> A Nightmare on Manestreet
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I had a great time at Sugarcube Corner. The day had started off a little weird, but it had ended up being a good day in the end. The cupcakes had been tasty, and Pinkie wasn't that much of a nuisance once you got used to her antics.. The Cakes had been very nice ponies as well, cleaning up after the messes Pinkie made as if they had long since gotten used to it, while constantly asking if we needed anything else. I felt a little bit sad when it was time to go, but it was starting to get dark outside and Trixie's cart was parked on the other side of Sweet Apple Acres...

Apple Bloom offered to keep me company, at least until we'd reach the farm, but Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had to go in different directions and we said our goodbyes after I said I would definitely see them in school again the next day.

So there I was, walking flank-to-flank with Apple Bloom down the dirt road leading up to Sweet Apple Acres. With the last of Ponyville's buildings behind us, we were basically the only ponies on the road for miles. I looked over at the cute filly beside me and felt my cheeks turn red again as I saw how her mane moved in the wind. So cute!

Apple Bloom noticed me staring and looked back with a confused look on her face. "What? Do I got anythin' on my face?"

"No.. I just.. er.." I stammered, then looked away again at the road we were walking on.

"Whaaat?" Apple Bloom wondered, turning into my path and staring me down.

I had to stop so I wouldn't bump into her, but I still looked away while scraping at the floor with my forehoof. "It's nothing.."

"Nothin' is nothin'. You were starin' at me for a reason." Apple Bloom demanded, and I duck my head lower.

"I just thought you looked cute, is all.." I mumbled, feeling so very embarrassed to admit it.

"Huh?" Apple Bloom blinked, but then smiled up. "Why thank you! I think you look pretty darn cute yourself as well, Fuu! But that ain't no reason to stop lookin' at where you're goin'.. you might bump into somepony an' spill their apples!"

I blushed and turned my attention forward again, but fell into a slower trot, letting Apple Bloom take the lead. Even her butt looked cute! Oh, if I'd only been human again and she and I a few years older..

I snorted at my own thoughts and banished them. Exactly those thoughts caused me to be a little filly now! Emphasis on the little. Both Apple Bloom and me were like.. What.. five? Six? I had no idea how to count pony years.. Whatever my age, it was farther below the age of adulthood than I dared to go. Even while I was still a human. Anypony above 16 years of age was fair play, really.. but below that? Never!

I quickly cantered up to Apple Bloom's right side, trying to hide my blush. "So can we meet up again tomorrow?" I wondered, trying to make some smalltalk to get my embarrassment under control.

"Aww, I wish. But Granny Smith wants me ta be home early tomorrow 'cause of Nightmare Night comin' up soon. She wants ta make mah costume, as usual.." Apple Bloom sighed, clearly not looking forward to it. "I'll probably end up getting Sweetie Belle ta get me a better one from Rarity."

I perked up my ears at that. "Nightmare Night? What's that?"

Apple Bloom stopped and I stumbled to a stop myself, blinking at her reaction.

"Ya haven't heard of Nightmare Night? Ya haven't heard of Hearth's Warming Eve.. Where have you been hidin' away?" Apple Bloom decried, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I'm.. er.. sorry?" I tried, my ears drooping low. "I'm not from here.. Trixie only recently brought me over."

"But from where? Ya never said! An' ya knew 'bout cousin Braeburn's farm. Are ya from Appleloosa?"

I scraped a forehoof over the ground. "A bit further than that.."

"How much further?"

"I can't tell you. Sorry."

Apple Bloom narrowed her eyes at me for a moment, but then shrugged. "Well, okay then. If ya can't tell me, ya can't tell me. But it sure must be a strange place if they ain't even heard of Nightmare Night."

"Well, I haven't.. maybe some others may know." I shrugged. "Just never paid much attention to what was going on in Equestria."

Apple Bloom snorted at that, but thankfully left the topic at rest. She started off towards the farm again in a slow trot, keeping half an eye on me. "So ya never heard of Nightmare Night?"

I rolled my eyes as I moved to fall in with her pace. "I think we established that.."

"Ok, well.. here's what ya need to know to survive:" Apple Bloom started, and I lost a step, stumbling to find my hoofing again.

"I.. what?"

"On Nightmare Night, Nightmare Moon comes down in search of all of us. We gotta get candy from everypony and give 'er the candy so she won't eat us. And we have fun scarin' each other and such." Apple Bloom continued despite my stumbling, and I blinked uneasily at her.

"Nightmare Moon? Comes down from where?"

Apple Bloom poked a hoof up. "From the Moon, of course."

"You mean Princess Luna, right? From the moon? Where she was imprisoned for a thousand years?" I could not hide my disbelief.

"Well, duh." Apple Bloom frowned. "That's what I said, ain't it?"

"And you collect candy to have her not eat you?" I continued, to Apple Bloom's nodding. "So it's like Halloween?"

"Hello-whatnow?" Apple Bloom replied, looking at me as if I had gone crazy.

I sighed. "Never mind.. I guess it's a different name for it. So it's October here?"

"All month long!" Apple Bloom grinned.

"See, I didn't know that.." I mumbled, falling quiet. The farm's entrance was coming up, and soon I'd be walking the last bit home to face Trixie and her confusing whims. "It doesn't look like October.." I decided, "Far too green."

Apple Bloom shook her head. "October always looks like this. I ain't seen it any other way yet."

"Well, where I'm from? October always came with a bunch of cold and snow and stuff."

"Ain't ya glad you moved out here?" Apple Bloom grinned, then turned into the farm's entrance and then around to face me again. "Well, I'll see ya at school tomorrow?"

I nodded at that. "For sure. I guess I'll go work on my own costume after school then."

"Oh, you should. Nightmare Night is only a week away." Apple Bloom offered, then waved and pranced off towards the farmhouse, where a worried Applejack was standing in the doorway. I gave a wave to her as well, then continued on my way around the farm towards where our cart was.


Heh. A costume. Little did they know I was already wearing one. But this surprised me. I thought it had been summer. It certainly felt like summer. All the leaves were green, the sun was nice and warm, even the cool wind of the falling night did nothing to take away the feeling of a warm blanket just wrapped snuggly around me in the way the perfect summer days always do.

And it wasn't just that I was now wearing a coat of fur around me all the time. I can assure you!

Of course, it had been September when I'd backed out of that driveway and hit Trixie.. When was it again? The 25th? 26th? With a week left before supposedly the 30th of October, that would put today at the 23rd? Time really had gone by faster than I realized. I'd been here a month already and I hadn't even noticed.

So.. Halloween in Ponyville.. I wondered if Trixie would allow me to even attend it. And, if she did, what as? With my collar snuggly around my neck, I would have to choose my costume carefully. Not everything would fit. And I really didn't want to go as a ghost.

Night was falling faster than I had anticipated, and while I could see the cart in the distance, it was quickly becoming nothing but a shadow amongst other shadows, half hidden by the shadows of the copse of trees we were parked next to. I quickened my pace to a canter, which soon turned into a gallop as Trixie stuck her head out of the cart and put a lantern up on the hook beside the door.

I made it to the cart in under a minute, and fell up against the steps leading into it while trying to catch my breath. Trixie, who had followed my approach with a raised eyebrow, just looked down at me laying there with a broad smile on my face.

"You barely made it before nightfall, Fuu. Trixie was getting worried." she offered in a chiding tone, pushing the door open for me to come in and using her magic to drag me up by my collar.

I didn't care. I let her drag me in, then heard the door fall closed behind me. Even with her acting like I did wrong, I knew she cared. Just by hanging out a lantern like that. Her split-second honest worry for me was all I needed to remind me I was home. I picked myself up from the floor and walked after Trixie as she climbed up on her bed again, and before I knew it I had jumped up after her and had wrapped my arms around her waist, my face happily buried up against her larger form.

"Fuu! What are you doing?!?" Trixie meeped, trying to detach me by poking me with her forehooves.

"Thank you." I whispered up at her, looking up at her confused face. Her expression softened as I did, and she managed a weak smile, but then she poked me lightly on the cheek and nodded towards my collection of pillows on the floor. "I know, I know.." I blushed, tearing myself away from her and hopping down onto my pillow-pile instead.

"Just because it was getting dark and the Great and Powerful Trixie put a light out, does not mean you should climb up on Trixie's bed, you know?" Trixie tried to get her composure back, and I giggled a little as I settled in a comfortable position.

"I'm just glad to know you care about me." I smiled up, and found Trixie looking at me with affection in her eyes and a little blush on her cheeks.

"Hmph.. just as long as nopony else finds out." she snorted, picking up the book she was reading and pretending to be fully absorbed by it already.

"Trixie?" I asked, and she looked sideways past the book at me.

"Yes, Fuu?"

"Apple Bloom says next week will be Nightmare Night. Did you know?"

"Yes, Fuu." Trixie nodded, returning her attention to her book.

"Trixie?" I started again, and Trixie sighed out in mild annoyance, looking back at me again.

"Yes, Fuu?"

"Everypony's wearing costumes on Nightmare Night, you know?"

Trixie sighed again. "Yes, Fuu. Trixie knows. Trixie is reading a book."

"Yes, Trixie. But I was wondering if I could too?"

Trixie reluctantly put her book back down and stared at me. "If you could what?"

"Wear a costume and collect candy?" I answered, looking up hopefully.

"Will you let Trixie finish reading her book if she says yes?" Trixie grumbled, and I nodded quickly.

"Oh, yes! Definitely!"

"Hm.. Trixie guesses it's fine then." Trixie answered, picking up her book again. "Now let Trixie read." I fidgeted a bit on my pile of pillows, and Trixie's attention drifted from her book back to me. "Out with it."

"THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!" I exclaimed, while Trixie's ears fell flat on her head.

When my excited thank yous finally subsided, she perked her ears up again and raised an eyebrow at me. "Are you done now? Can Trixie go back to reading Trixie's book? Or does Trixie have to silence you again?"

I blushed and shook my head at the last question. "I'm done, miss Trixie. I'll be quiet."

Trixie smiled at that and flicked her tail in my direction. "We'll talk about it tomorrow after school. Go read your own book if you're not tired yet."

"My own.." I started, but Trixie's face made me shut up and look around myself a bit for the book she had mentioned. After a moment I saw the book peeking out from under one of my pillows and I nosed the pillow out of the way to look at the exposed cover.

The cover read "Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone" and the picture on the cover showed a grey-maned pegasus dangling from a jungle vine above a pool filled with crocodiles. I stared at it a moment, but then tried to push the cover open with my hoof, resulting in the book sliding over the floor a bit.

"Magic." Trixie simply said, and I blushed as I hadn't thought of using my magic for this purpose. With a glow of my horn and careful focus, I lifted the cover and leafed through the first few pages to where the story finally started, then rested my chin on my forehooves and started to read.

There was no real introduction to this Daring Do. The book immediately threw you into the action. Here we had Daring Do exploring the jungle in search of a big sapphire, and she had to fend off plants and animals alike at every turn! Before I knew it, I was so lost in the story that Trixie had to throw a pillow at me to get my attention!

"Fuu! Bedtime!" she grumbled, "And give Trixie her pillow back."

I blushed and closed the book, levitating Trixie's pillow back towards her and managing not to plant it right in her face.

The story had been so exciting, and I was now forced to end on a cliffhanger. Daring Do had only just escaped a pack of jungle creatures wanting to tear her to shreds by some lightning-fast thinking, grabbing a vine to swing over a ravine in which a pool with alligators had hidden, barely escaping their snapping jaws before she landed on the other side. And then she found..

Darkness, really, as Trixie turned off the lights. I felt for the edge of my book and pushed it down under one of my pillows, then curled up in the darkness to go sleep.


And then I dreamed. For perhaps the first time since I arrived in Equestria, I had an actual dream! Well, a nightmare. It had all the elements of a real nasty one too; different worlds and scenes blending together in ways reality would never allow.

It all started innocently enough; I was walking home from school but had chosen a different path than usual. Instead of heading past the farm, I was finding myself head into the Everfree Forest. It made sense in my dream. Afterall, I knew that Trixie's cart was just through here even while knowing it was parked on the other side of Ponyville. Dreamlogic.

Of course, as I passed through the trees which got closer and closer together, it became darker and darker. And the undergrowth got more and more tricky to get through. There were shadows and eyes hidden within them forming all around me. But just as I was getting scared, Daring Do swiped me off of my feet and took me through the trees while swinging from a jungle vine. It was very Tarzanesque.

We landed in a clearing and Daring Do told me she was on a quest to find Candy, one of my former girlfriends from the human world. I asked her to repeat that, but she told me there was no time and that Nightmare Moon was going to eat us if I didn't get in my car!

So I looked behind me and my car was there, with Trixie laying on the backseat moaning in pain. "But how do I drive with hooves?!?" I asked, climbing in through the passenger side and over to the driver's seat. I sat down awkwardly as Daring Do sat down on the passenger seat, and stared at the steering wheel. Yeah, that's not going to work. I couldn't look over it. So I stood up on the seat instead, placing my forehooves on the wheel. "How am I going to drive?"

"Use the magic, Fuu." Trixie's voice said, very much like a Jedi-master would tell their Padawan apprentice.

With Nightmare Moon's maniacal laughter quickly approaching behind us, I focused my magic and started to drive out of the Everfree Forest and into the human world, in search of Candy.

I couldn't even remember her house, and did all the houses start to look the same? Why were their shadows growing? What was that up ahead on the road?

I strained my eyes to find Apple Bloom standing there right in the path of my car, her eyes wide as she stared at us like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Apple Bloom! Get out of the way!" I called out in distress, finding I could not steer my car away, nor stop it! But Apple Bloom just stood there, unmoving, my car approaching without any signs of stopping until the hood seemed to swallow her..

..and I woke up sweating and crying out in anguish!

"Hn.. Fuu? What's wrong?" Trixie wondered sleepily, stumbling around to find where she left the candle so she wouldn't magically torch the entire carriage.

I just wheezed as I tried to get my emotions back under control.

"Fuu?"

"I.. I just.. I think I just had a nightmare.. I.. I'm fine." I stammered, and I heard a thud as Trixie's head must've fallen back on her pillow.

"Oh. Well, don't have those.." Trixie muttered, and I heard another thud as her hoof landed on the bed. "Mush bedder to juss.. hm.. hnm...mmh.." she continued, but it was mostly unintelligible as she fell back asleep.

I rubbed at my eyes a moment, curled up, and tried to fall asleep again.

Stupid nightmare.. what was that even all about? It just didn't make sense.. Find a girl I couldn't even remember? Get chased by Nightmare Moon? And then hitting Apple Bloom? So stupid.


I woke up with a headache, not having slept well at all. My pillows had spread out across the floor and I was clutching the Daring Do book for some reason.

Trixie was still asleep, so I quietly pulled my pillows together and stuck the book underneath the pile, then walked over to push the door open and take a good whiff of the morning scents to clear my head. It looked like the sun had only been up for a little while, the morning dew still lingering on the wood surface of the cart. A few early birds were chirping and flying around in search of food, but the rest of the world still seemed to be asleep.

Knowing Trixie would want her morning tea, I reached back into the cart to take our water bucket's handle between my teeth and dragged it up on the small landing before tipping out the old water. With the empty bucket dangling in front of me, my head held up a bit more than usual so the bucket wouldn't drag over the ground, I pranced on over through the small copse of trees to the river behind it.

I filled up the bucket by simply dunking it under water, but then had to use my magic to get it back on the bank again as it was just too heavy for a little pony like myself. I still had a headache, and decided to walk into the water to immerse myself a little, drinking some of it as the cool flow rushed past me. Maybe I was just a little dehydrated because of the sweating I'd done through the night? I took a deep breath and ducked my head under the water, feeling my mane get washed out as I did.

I blew the water out of my nostrils and shook my head to get it out of my ears, splashing water all over Trixie who'd joined me on the bank.

"Hm.. good morning to you too, Fuu." Trixie sighed, walking into the stream herself and carefully dipping her head under for a brief moment, blowing bubbles up out of her nose as she did.

"I'm sorry, miss Trixie." I sighed, lowering my head into the water again as my headache came back. The cool water helped a little, but it wouldn't stay away.

Trixie looked at me for a moment, then approached and put a hoof to my forehead. "You don't look so well, Fuu."

"I just have a headache, miss Trixie."

Trixie nodded, brushing some hairs out of my face with her hoof. "It shows." I looked away, but winced as the pain shot through my head again and fell my ears falling flat against my head. "Did you sleep at all last night? Trixie remembers waking up from something, but she doesn't remember what happened exactly."

"I had a nightmare yesterday." I whimpered, stepping forward a bit to nuzzle my head up under Trixie's for comfort.

Trixie awkwardly returned the nuzzle, then walked back onto the bank and used her magic to drain most of the water from her mane, tail, and coat. "Hm. Come up here, Fuu. Let's head back to the cart. You'll feel better after a cup of tea and some breakfast."

I followed onto the bank, and Trixie's magic washed over me to dry me off a little. Just enough so I wouldn't be dripping wet, but was still damp. Trixie grabbed the water bucket with her magic as well, and we passed back through the copse and up into the cart again where I basically collapsed on my pillows. The little walk had only made my headache worse and I felt as if my head was about to split in half.

Trixie put up the kettle to boil some water for tea, but then sat down beside me and started to gently brush my mane out. The little tugs at my hair hurt, but it still felt nice to know Trixie really cared. Her brushing went from my mane to my tail before the water was done cooking. Trixie poured us both a cup of tea, then continued brushing her own mane and tail as the tea cooled down to drinking temperature.

"Thank you, miss Trixie.." I mumbled, focusing to get my cup up to my lips after blowing at it for a while. It wasn't halfway yet or it started to wobble as my headache got worse, but then stabilized and gently bumped into my lips as Trixie took over from me. I sipped at it but then just lay my head down on my pillows and whimpered. "How can a nightmare give me this kind of a headache?"

Trixie put my cup down and dabbed a cool wet cloth to my forehead instead. "Nightmares bring our deepest thoughts to the surface, Fuu. The fears we tell ourselves we don't have, the pain we buried so we would not cry, the questions we have no answers for." she said in a gentle voice, "It's not uncommon for somepony to get hit harder than others. Especially us unicorns. Our magic makes us more susceptible to thoughts wanting to pass into reality."

"It does?" I wondered, looking up at her.

Trixie nodded slowly to that. "We usually learn to control it while we're still little foals. It's when we have most of our magic accidents and headaches. Trixie guesses you're getting to that point now. It will pass, but you're staying home from school today."

I let my head sink back onto the pillow and sighed. "Yes miss Trixie."


We had our breakfast after that, and I drank three cups of tea while Trixie dabbed cool damp cloths to my forehead, but Trixie had to go let miss Cheerilee know I wasn't going to show up, and buy some new apples as she passed by the farm, so she left me alone after telling me to just focus on getting better.

I really just curled up and closed my eyes, trying to get some sleep. Sleep usually helped when I got sick back in the human world, and it should have a similar effect here. With the relative Equestrian peacefulness helping a great deal, I was out before I knew it.

I woke up again as night fell, with Trixie having moved me up onto the bed and letting me drink some water from a cup. My headache was a lot less already, and I made some protests about being on the bed where I usually wasn't allowed to go, but Trixie hushed me (fortunately without changing my mouth around again) and gave me more water to drink.

Seeing as how I wasn't fully recovered yet, Trixie then got up on the bed as well and lay down beside me, pulling me to her and just shushing me to sleep again. I was feeling too awful at the time to really appreciate it, but remembering it later really helped me to focus on Trixie's good side.

Thanks to Trixie's care, I felt a lot better in the morning, especially waking up snuggled up to Trixie's form, with one of her hooves draped over me. I nuzzled in to her a bit more, cherishing the moment, and closed my eyes with a happy sigh. Trixie leaned her head down as I did, pulling me a bit closer and mumbling something unintelligibly in her sleep.

We rested like that for.. some time.. I need a watch. But then Trixie started to stir as she woke up and pushed me away again. I whimpered in disappointment, but then shared a yawn with Trixie and stretched myself out as much as I could. "Good morning, miss Trixie." I offered, giving her another nuzzle.

Trixie responded in her usual awkward fashion, giving me a few odd pats on my head. "Feeling better, Fuu?" she wondered, an eyebrow raised.

I nodded a bit at that. "The headache's gone, miss Trixie."

"Would you kindly get off of Trixie's bed then?"

I drooped my ears at hearing that. "Aww. Yes miss Trixie.." I sighed, rolling over to get up on my hooves and jump down on the floor.

"And if you're feeling better, make Trixie her tea, please." Trixie continued, and I sighed out. Back to the old Trixie then.

I took the kettle and felt its weight, checking to see if it still contained any water. I topped it off so there would be enough water in it for four cups, then put it on the stove and turned the fire on underneath it. Only then did I notice Trixie looking at me with an odd smile. "Er.. I did do ok, did I not?"

"Without so much as a wobble, Fuu. A sign your understanding of magic has grown." Trixie smiled, "Trixie is proud of you."

I blinked and looked back at the kettle. It had felt easier to move it. I didn't really think about it. I just did it. "Huh.."

"As we grow our magical powers, our bodies adapt to accomodate the larger amounts of energy we use, Fuu. Some of us get nightmares, headaches, others just feel ticklish. It's something that's taught in Canterlot's kindergarten to the unicorn foals so they know it's a part of life."

I felt a shiver going down my back as Trixie's words settled. "So I'm gonna have nightmares and headaches all my life?"

Trixie smirked and climbed off of the bed, giving me a soft nuzzle. "Trixie can't say. It may be that the closeness to Nightmare Night gave you the nightmare. Or that your sweating during it dehydrated you and caused the headache. We have to see what happens next time. But while you're here with Trixie, she's going to take care of you every time it happens. Whatever it is that happens."

I gave a thankful nuzzle back up to Trixie's form, sighing out a bit. "And yet you'll always push me away again." I voiced my concern, to which Trixie responded by breaking away from me and checking up on the tea as if it was the most important thing in the world. I looked at her from the corner of my eye, then walked up to my pillow pile and dropped on it. "It just confuses me, is all. I never know when you'll be nice and when you'll be cold and distant."

"Drop it, Fuu." Trixie's voice came from where she stood in front of the stove, and I noticed she was trembling a little.

"Yes miss Trixie." I muttered, resting my head on my hooves and closing my eyes while trying not to cry. It was so confusing to see her act like that, to be the target of love and loathing in constantly switching random patterns..


We had our morning breakfast in silence, then Trixie told me to hurry on over to school since I was feeling better again. She hadn't come back from her closing herself off again, and I left home with a similar feeling as I had my former home in the human world. It just seemed like nopony wanted me to be around. Or cared whether I lived or died. My parents certainly hadn't cared, raising me on television and whatever food mom had managed to produce while dad wasn't looking. That I had even got an education was a miracle in itself. And now Trixie gave me the cold shoulder and made me feel just as wanted.

I kicked some pebbles aside as I dragged my hooves to school, feeling miserable. The sound of happy foals playing in the playground near the school reached my ears but I couldn't get my mood up enough to want to join them there. I know Trixie had said I should go to school, but as the bell rang to call us in, I found myself turning away from it and wandering over to the clubhouse. I was a cutiemark crusader myself now, so it was my clubhouse just as much as it was that of Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle.

I closed the door behind me after climbing up the ramp, and fell flat on the ground as I felt the wave of sorrow that I had tried so hard to push back come over me. My tears freed themselves from my eyes and I soon was sobbing uncontrollably, just wishing somepony was there who'd accept me for who I was. Somepony who didn't mind I had been a human before. Somepony to help me understand why Trixie could be nice and mean in the same minute.

I cried until I couldn't anymore, curled up on the floor and just sniffled to myself as I thought all my questions over again. Having met Trixie the way I did was probably enough grounds for her to hold a grudge. I should've looked in my rearview mirror and seen her. Or maybe taken her to a vet instead of the forest.. I dunno, I had been acting in a panicked rush.

But if I had taken her to a vet.. she would have been a cartoon animal in the hands of humans.. No good would come of that. Only test after test until her life would be spent. If I thought the situation over again, it probably was a good thing I went out to the woods. Fewer people, nopony to see what had taken up the backseat of my car.

Trixie's reaction also made more sense to me, as I thought it over. She would have woken in shock of the car running her over. I'd seen my mom act out in such situations after dad got to her. Erratic behaviour was par to the course.

And then my sudden arrival in Equestria. Trixie must have had just as much a shock as I had with her finding me changed into a pony like her. Somewhere in my mind her actions made a little more sense, but I still didn't get why she collared me, put so much effort in teaching me, and then acted like I wasn't worth paying attention to.

Something about Trixie just bothered me. Like I knew the answer but the puzzle wasn't coming together yet.

I closed my eyes and sighed. I was too tired from all this crying and thinking. Too many questions left unanswered, and nopony in Equestria was going to be able to give the answers to me. Except perhaps for Trixie.


I fell asleep from mental exhaustion, just laying there in the clubhouse, and only woke up because Apple Bloom threw the door open with a loud bang!

"Oh, there you are!" she exclaimed as I jerked up in surprise, and then turned her tail towards me to call back out: "I found her! She's up in the clubhouse!"

"I.. uh.. huh? What time is it?" I wondered, rubbing at my sleepy eyes with my forehooves.

"It's like close to nightfall already. Everypony's been lookin' for you!" Apple Bloom revealed, and I looked past her at the sky that was slowly turning a darker shade of mauve.

"I must've fallen asleep.." I mumbled, pushing up on my hooves and wobbling forward a bit. "Whaddya mean "everypony"?"

"Well, big sis Applejack, Trixie, Nightmare Moon.." Apple Bloom offered, and then faced me with a fanged grin as her eyes turned red.

"Er.. what's happening?" I asked, backing away from her a bit.

"Well, we can't have Nightmare Night without a little filly to gobble up, can we?" Apple Bloom offered, while the door's opening filled up with more fanged ponies trying to enter behind her.

I backed into a wall that felt like taffy getting stretched out, until it suddenly gave way and I fell through it into a dark hole! All the light around me leaving as the clubhouse flew off into the sky, leaving just a dark bottomless pit for me to fall down through!

I flailed my hooves around as I fell, hearing Nightmare Moon's evil laughter coming from below. But as I looked down at where I was falling towards, I just saw Trixie's face below me, her eyes glowing and her mouth opening to reveal sharp fangs.

As I fell past them into her mouth, I screamed in terror..


..and woke up with the sun shining its rays down on me through the window. I looked around in a panic, realized I was still in the clubhouse, and quickly rushed to the door to pull it open and see what was outside! No Apple Bloom. No Nightmare Moon. No Trixie. Nopony out there threatening to eat me. Or gobble me up for that matter. Just a beautiful afternoon in Equestria staring me in the face as if nothing had happened.

I sighed in relief, wiping the sweat off of my brow, and went back inside the clubhouse where I sat down on the ground and tried to stop my heart from beating so fast. Another nightmare. No headache this time, but it was definitely a nightmare. During the day. What was going on?

I rarely had nightmares about anything! Not even dad gave me nightmares anymore, even if I had had them during my childhood. But now, in about the safest place in all of Equestria, I had two nightmares almost in a row? Both of which had featured Apple Bloom and Nightmare Moon.

I'd seen a show on daytime television once where a spiritual softy talked about dreams being the key to our subconscious and whatever. That they tried to tell us something. And what had Trixie said? Something about unicorns manifesting thoughts into reality? I wasn't sure I understood it. But I did know who would; Zecora. If there was anypony around in Equestria who would know about dreams and their meanings, it would be Zecora.

Where did she live again? The Everfree Forest somewhere, right? Right. But would I be able to find her on my own? Maybe Apple Bloom could.. No. Bad idea. Apple Bloom was in my nightmares! I would need to find a neutral party. Somepony who wouldn't ask too many questions.

I pranced over to the door again and stuck my head out, looking around over Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack would be out of the question. She was too responsible. Would probably shoo me off to Trixie. But I had to know what was going on and Trixie wasn't much help with her odd emotions.

Pinkie Pie would be too loud. Fluttershy wouldn't go anywhere near the Everfree Forest unless absolutely necessary. Maybe if I could find Rainbow Dash? I could offer it as a challenge.. She never turned down a challenge as far as I knew. But then I hadn't actually seen Rainbow Dash except for the few times she flew by through the air moving clouds this way or that.

Could I ask Twilight? She was responsible, but also a seeker of knowledge. And inexplainable nightmares could spike her curiosity.

I smirked at myself. "Heh.. "Spike" her curiosity. Good pun, brain."

So be it then. Twilight would really be the only pony I knew who could lead the way to Zecora. I just had to be careful not to reveal more about myself than absolutely necessary. And on no account should I mention Trixie.


I started down the ramp and turned back towards Ponyville, staying on the inside of the fence so I would evade most ponies on the main road. Any one of them could decide I should be in school and prevent me from getting anywhere near Twilight's treehouse, let alone speak with the mare.

I climbed over the fence when I was close enough to Ponyville and rushed over to the nearest building, then jumped from cover to cover in my best Pinkie Pie impression until I got to the treehouse library. Stepping out of cover, I first checked my coat for any leaves that may have stuck to it, before lifting my hoof and knocking on the door.

"Spike! Someone at the door!" I heard Twilight call out from inside, and then a muttering voice coming closer as Spike responded.

The door opened, and Spike looked at me with some surprise. "Er, yes? Can I help you?"

"Hi.. my name's Fuu?" I offered to him, feeling a blush creep up on my cheeks. Spike looked utterly adorable! His scales were shining in the light, his eyes were looking at me with that adorable confusion as he tried to place me among the faces he knew. "Er.. I was looking for miss Twilight Sparkle?"

"Oh! Sure, come in!" Spike smiled, stepping aside. He glanced into the library, then put his hand in front of his mouth and whispered to me; "She's reading some stuffy book about the history of magic. Good luck getting her attention."

I giggled some, walking further into the room and looking around to try and spot the unicorn. "I think I can grab her attention just fine, Spike. But thank you for the warning." I offered.

Spike made an awkward salute to me and then looked around shiftily. "Well, if you don't need me.. I got a gemstone with my name on it." I shook my head and he quickly rushed off to his precious meal. I watched him go with a little smile. He was too darn cute.

Said the cute little filly in the library.

Anyway, I found Twilight absorbed by a large tome after I headed into the next room, her pet owl Alo.. Alio.. Aloistitius... However you spell his name, sitting on a perch nearby.

"Miss Twilight?" I tried, but got no response. I moved a little closer, and Alo.. Alio.. The owl turned his head towards me and went "Who." I giggled up and went "Who." back. The owl seemed to like it, as he said who again, and the two of us spent a few moments who-ing back and forth until Twilight's twitchy ear got to her and she snapped free from her book, groaning at being disturbed.

"GRR! That's enough, <insert owl's name here>." she told the owl, then faced me and her face went from annoyance to surprise. "Oh my, I'm sorry. I didn't know we had a visitor. Can I help you with anything?"

"Hello miss Twilight Sparkle. I'm Fuu." I introduced myself, and Twilight blushed and shook a hoof.

"No need to call me miss, I'm really not that old.." she giggled, looking me over. "That's an uncommon name, Fuu. You're not from around these parts, are you?"

My turn to blush, and I shook my head. "No, mi.. er.. Twilight Sparkle. I've only really arrived here a month ago?"

"Oh? From where, if I may ask? You're not from Canterlot, are you?" she wondered, but then started rattling off names of places I hadn't even heard of as I shook my head.

"Er.. miss Sparkle? I.. er.." I tried, and Twilight stopped with a blush.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry.. I just get so excited about ponies from far-away places, you know?"

I nodded and fidgeted a bit. "I kind of noticed that.."

"So, how can I help you? Did you want a copy of the adventures of Daring Do? Most foals your age want to read about her?" Twilight tried, walking over to her massive collection that was suspiciously missing the first volume.

"Er, no miss Sparkle.. I wanted to ask you about nightmar.."

"Nightmare Night? Oh, yes, I'm very excited about it myself. I'm putting my costume together myself. Let me see, where's that book. Spike! Spike?!"


I sighed as Spike came running in and Twilight asked him for a particular book about Nightmare Night, the name of which I really can't remember right now. They went through their motion of Spike finding the book and Twilight not appreciating his efforts, but when they calmed down again and Twilight held up the book towards me with her magic, I could finally voice my problem again. "I'm sorry, Twilight. But I didn't seek a book on Nightmare Night."

"Oh." Twilight responded, dropping the book on a random stack around her instead of putting it back where it came from. I could see how the poor little Spike would get exhausted from living with Twilight.

"I'm looking for information about nightmares, miss Twilight." I started, "I was hoping to ask if you could help me get to miss Zecora's house cause she knows a lot about it? I would go myself, but I don't know my way through the Everfree Forest and I heard you knew where Zecora lived.. so I wanted to ask if you could help me get to her?" I wondered, and Twilight raised an eyebrow at that.

"Do your parents know you want to go into the Everfree Forest?" she asked, being the responsible one and all that.

"I don't.. er.." I started, looking away. "My parents aren't here.." I ended up muttering, and I heard Twilight swallow.

"I'm sorry I asked, sweety." she offered, gently tousling my mane with a hoof. "Well, I do have some things I need to ask of Zecora myself.. I guess I could show you the way." she smiled at me, then looked up again and shouted "Spike!" while he was standing right next to her.

"Yes Twilight?" Spike answered, rubbing a hand over his ear.

"Oh, there you are Spike. Can you get me my saddlebags please?" Twilight asked, and Spike pulled them from under the table Twilight had been studying at just before, a mere two steps away from her.

"Here you go, Twilight." Spike offered without any sign of resentment in his voice for Twilight making him do these trivial things.

It seemed a little bit like my relationship with Trixie.. She'd tell me to do something and I'd do them. Mostly because I didn't want my mouth to get turned into a whistle again.. but I still did my best to do what she told me to do. And here little Spikey-wikey was doing what Twilight asked of him, if only because Twilight asked it of him. And Twilight didn't even thank..

"Ah, thank you Spike." Twilight smiled, using her magic to move her saddlebags on her back and pull the straps tight.

Ok, so maybe she did thank him. I wasn't feeling jealous, really.. Not me. Nuh-uh. Ok, maybe a little. Trixie's behaviour this morning just made me feel I deserved a bit better for all the coping and learning I had done since arriving in Equestria. Was that too much to ask?


With Twilight ready to go, I followed her as we walked across town and into the Everfree Forest, with Twilight trying to make smalltalk by explaining facts about who-knows-what. They were so booooooring to listen to, I quickly tuned her out.

The dark forest made me walk up a little closer to Twilight's side, as close as her saddlebags allowed, and I tried not to give in to the shivers of fear that ran down my spine. Nothing to fear here.. Before I knew it, I started to hum Pinkie's song "Giggle at the Ghostly".

Twilight looked at me in surprise, but soon we both were humming it and trying to remember the words to it. An attempt at which we both failed. We did get the whole giggling at the ghostly and ghoulie part down, but the rest was a little more difficult, with each of us trying to fit words in with the words the other had thought up would fit in the song.

With the right words or not, the song did help distract us so that we arrived as a cheerful pair at the tree in which Zecora had made her home.

"Zecora, are you home?" Twilight asked, moving up to the door and knocking on it twice.

"Oh my, is that Twilight Sparkle that I hear? Why of course I'm home, come in my dear." Zecora offered from inside, and Twilight pushed the door open, beckoning me to follow.

"I brought a little filly with a question, Zecora. Her name's Fuu." Twilight told the zebra as I carefully stepped into the hut, my nose getting hit with smells that I had no name for as I did.

"Ah, come in my little Fuu. And tell me, what can I do for you?" Zecora asked of me, and I looked up at her while trying to find a place for the smells and feelings I was experiencing.

The tree was.. Well.. it had.. There were masks and potions and things hanging around everywhere. A table and chairs was over in one area, with a bed close beside it, and there was a large cauldron in the center of the room. Smells and smoke wafted through the place in disorganized fashions, hitting my nostrils whenever I was expecting them the least. There was the lingering smell of incense of just about every flavor having been burned, wafts of herbal medicines with their potent scent (which somehow never smelled nice but always did their job) having been prepared, and flavors I could not distinguish from one another drifting in the background of the rest. It was a little overwhelming.

Knowing Zecora was waiting for my question, I focused back on her and looked up at her questioning eyes. "Erm.. hello miss Zecora. I was.. er.. I have been having these recurring nightmares.. and I was.. er.. hoping you would.. er.."

"Spooky dreams that give you fright, this close to Nightmare Night? It's not unexpected for foals to fear, as the festival of nightmares draws near." Zecora offered with a smile, but then narrowed her gaze in sudden wonder. "But what is this I see in you? Hm.. Twilight, could you leave me with this Fuu?"

Twilight perked up at hearing her name, then nodded lightly. "Er, sure.. But can I borrow that fake beard from you before I go? It's for my costume."

I looked between Zecora and Twilight in confusion as Zecora carefully dismantled a mask she had hanging on the wall to give Twilight the fake beard, and then said goodbye to the purple unicorn. Left alone with Zecora, I was suddenly feeling a lot less sure of myself...


Zecora moved past me and sat down on a seat at the table, and motioned for me to sit across from her. She looked closely at me as I did, and I fidgeted a bit with my hooves. "I sent Twilight away because this is not for her to hear, but I sense there's another reason that you're here." she spoke, but I knew she wanted me to verify her claim, so I nodded.

"Hmm. Do you think you can confide in me? Perhaps over a nice cup of tea?" Zecora asked, and I winced a bit at the tea-part.

"No tea, please.. I have to make enough tea as it is. Every morning it's "Fuu, make us some tea." and then she's all sweet and when I try to be sweet back she's all "Go do something else, Fuu." and I don't know what I did wrong! And now there's these recurring nightmares, even during the day! And I don't know what they mean!"

Zecora just stared in wonder, before raising a hoof just as I was about to open my mouth again for another sentence.

"Nightmares are no need to panic, but your friend sounds almost manic. Switching emotions like that's not good for any foal, stability and safety makes a pony whole. Did you ask why she's in doubt? Of whether to be nice or to shout?"

I nodded softly. "She doesn't want to say."

"There's not a lot that you can do, but I could talk with her for you?" Zecora offered, but I quickly warded that off.

"Nono, it's ok.. she doesn't really like strange ponies intruding upon her privacy. Nor zebras, for that matter." I sighed, rubbing at my forehead a little. "She's a complicated pony. I want to be there for her, but she keeps pushing me away. And I need her to be there for me, but well.. She tries, I guess. In her own way. But it's confusing when one moment I'm allowed to cuddle with her, and the next I'm told to stay away from her."

Zecora nodded softly while moving a couple of empty cups in front of us, then waved her right hoof over them and they were suddenly filled with a murky green liquid. Steam started to rise up from it, and she blew some air at her own cup while she seemed to think about what I had said.

I sniffed the drink that had magically appeared like that, and it smelled a lot like tea. Even with its murkiness. Having been out and about without having had anything to drink since breakfast, and with the sweating I'd done in the clubhouse, I lowered my head to the cup and gently breathed air at it myself. It really wasn't the tea that was the problem. It was Trixie's behaviour.

"So what you say is this; that there's a closeness between you that you miss?" Zecora wondered, and I nodded slowly.

"I guess so. She's the only pony in all of Equestria that knows what I've been through. I can really only talk with her about it, nopony else, because she was there when it happened."

Zecora hummed at that. "A trauma shared between you two, could cause the instability towards you."

"I dunno.. I just want her to make up her mind whether she's nice or stern.." I sighed out over my cup of tea, daring a little sip but finding it still too hot.

"Whether she acts nice or stern should not really be your concern. If you love her, straight and true, she will find it easier to be nice to you." Zecora decided. "The best way for worries of the heart to mend, is the constant support of a true friend."


I pondered Zecora's words as I sipped from my tea. Was that really all there was to helping Trixie? Just be nice to her, support her, and she'd be fine in the end? I didn't think anything could be that easy. And it probably wasn't going to be.

With the day drawing to a close, Zecora helped me to get back to the forest's edge and sent me on my way. I didn't get the help I needed for my nightmares, but Zecora did help me see I was whining too much about the little things.

There was no denying Trixie took care of me when I needed her most. Letting me sleep in her bed if I felt sick, gently brushing my hair while I lay hurting on my pillows, making tea when I couldn't.. She really was a caring pony. She just didn't want to be seen as one for some reason.

So now I needed to be nice to Trixie, support her where I could, get her to trust that she could show her nice side around me without me betraying her. I had no idea if I was up to the challenge, but I didn't really have much of a choice. I lived with her, I depended on her, I didn't know anypony else I could tell about my past. Without Trixie, I would be even farther from home.

And now I just had to figure out how to explain to Trixie where I'd been all day..