“Ahhhhhh.” The sun was rising above Ponyville, dawn had creeped over the horizon and was quickly becoming mid-morning. Mags, yawning, gently raised her head from…the workbench, great. She’d fallen asleep in the barn yet again, but at least this time she was doing something that was proper work rather than the tinkering she was used to.
The toaster was back in once piece though, she hardly remembered the last things she did as her heavy eyes kept inching her closer to falling asleep last night.
It was mostly quiet, apart from the usual chirping of the birds that went on every morning. There was also a faint knocking noise, and she could almost swear she could hear her name being called but ever so faintly. Suddenly she remembered, and looked at her wristwatch.
8:30 AM
Oh Celestia, she was here already! She quickly picked herself up and levitated the toaster next to her, she’d have to put it to the test somehow to make sure it worked again before giving it back. Her mane was a mess and she didn’t exactly smell like roses, not having had a chance yet to sort herself out.
Hastily opening the barn door and sprinting across the garden she entered the rear of the house through the back door, quietly pushing it shut in case her parents were still asleep, although she was just a little too late. Her eyes almost popped out their sockets as she realised her mum had beaten her to the door by a mile. The two of them were chatting so much neither of them had taken notice of her, maybe she could sneak by before they did and quickly leap in the bathroom…
“Hey, Mags!”
Drat.
Felicity waved a hoof at her, Mags gave a half-hearted wave back before she trotted over to the front door. She could feel the glaring and judgemental eyes of her mother on her already before she had even got there. She had forgotten in her haste to get in and sort the toaster out to tell her she would be coming over.
“Well it’s lovely to meet you Felicity, I’m always saying Magna should make new friends! Take a seat, Magna – a word?”
Double drat.
“So I see you made a friend…”
Here it comes, ‘Why didn’t you tell me last night when you came in? I haven’t made enough breakfast! What are we supposed to do!?’ She closed her eyes and braced herself for the coming onslaught.
“That’s great!”
“…What?”
“I said that’s great dear, my my you needn’t have to look so worried. She’s more than welcome to stay while you finish up fixing her toaster. She was just explaining how you two bumped into each other yesterday. You’ll have to tell me the rest later – I had better get on with some breakfast. She mentioned you invited her over, we can manage but a little heads up would have been nice. Let me know in the future, okay dear? Oh, and go wash up as well, your mane looks a mess.”
Her mum gave her a little rub on her cheek before disappearing into the kitchen, Felicity sat waiting on the sofa of the small living room. What just happened? Did she just totally forget to tell her mum something and cause her a slight amount of distress…and she just dealt with it without yelling? What was happening here?
“Your mums really nice, I was just telling her about how we ran into each other yesterday!” Mags turned herself to face her friend who she’d nearly forgot in the confusion, if she hadn’t said something she might have forgotten she was there entirely. Felicity gave her the usual super-wide beam of delight that seemed to be becoming a trademark smile across her face.
“Y-yeah, hey mind if I just disappear for five minutes? I um…spent all night fixing your toaster and haven’t had a chance to clean up.” She said, gently putting the toaster down on a small table that was in front of the sofa with her magic.
“All night? Wow you really are dedicated! Must have been a doozy to try to fix! Is it working now?”
“Um, sure. All working!”
Triple drat. She still hadn’t had a chance to test it. Why even lie?
“Yaaaaaay! Toast here we come!” Felicity said with a jovial tone to her voice.
“Just um, don’t try it until I come back. I need to make absolutely sure.”
“Sure thing, I’ll wait! Ohhh Cosmarepolitan magazine…”
Not wasting a second Mags darted up the stairs, 5 minutes should be plenty to freshen up, then for the breakfast which oddly, she was looking forward to for once. She was not looking forward to watching the toaster break yet again. Please, please work…
5 minutes later and she was well, not perfect but much better than she looked after having fallen asleep at a workbench. At least her mane was no longer a mess. She never understood how some mares could spend hours and hours in a bathroom going over every inch of their body to make themselves look perfect.
As she left the top of the landing and started to trot down the stairs the smell of cooking permeated the air. ‘Mums started on the breakfast then.’ She thought. It wouldn’t be too long now. Felicity was still sat on the sofa, reading the Cosmarepolitan magazine she’d picked up and gently flicking through the pages.
“Anything good?”
“Oh hey, you look better sleepy head! Uhm, not especially. There’s an article about yet another boutique opening in Manehatten and somepony giving fashion advice but that’s about it.” She closed the magazine and put it down on the table, clearly talking to her friend was much more interesting.
“Oh, well mum always buys those. I don’t really have any interest in them…” Mags kicked her hooves off the edge of the sofa slightly. She was never hugely good at small talk, in fact it was a miracle she had managed to say as much as she did yesterday. Then she remembered she did have something to ask, wondering to herself if the question would be dodged yet again.
“Soooo, yesterday…”
“Oh yeah, wasn’t it great? I’m gonna remember that day forever. It was so much fun.”
“Well yeah, but like yesterday at points I kept asking you about flying and it’s the only time I’ve seen you look a little nervous. Although I’ve not really known you that long anyway…” She gave her a little bemused grin, somewhat trying to ease the tension but she had to ask. She could already see Felicity clamming up a little.
“Oh uh really? I don’t remember…”
“Oh come on! I asked you about 3 or 4 times and you always came up with some sort of vague answer or avoided it. You must remember at least one of the times I asked you!”
“I uh…”
Mags looked at her new friends face, clearly this was a very uncomfortable line of questioning. Her eyes weren’t focusing, again. Her lips were slightly pursed and she had moved her hooves to grip around her body, as if she was a little insecure about it. Maybe she’d asked too much? Mags gave her a little smile.
“Okay, look. You haven’t got to answer. I’m just curious about that sort of stuff. Don’t worry, I don’t really mind one way or the other.”
“T-thanks, look um like you said this is a little uncomfortable for me to talk about. Can I tell you when I get to know you better?” She un-tensed her body and facial expression and returned the smile.
“Sure, no problem. I like that was a when and not an if you get to know me better.” She giggled a little, enjoying the enthusiasm in the response.
“Oh uh, I always try to go for the positives.” She said, still returning that smile.
“Girls!?”
Translite came trotting out from the archway to the kitchen and started placing plates on the table.
“Breakfast will be a few minutes.”
“Thanks mum, hey – isn’t dad joining us. You only set 3 places.”
“Oh I meant to say dear, he left for work early this morning to work on a project. He had his while you were still snoozing in the barn!” Mags blushed slightly and Felicity giggled, she didn’t know her mother knew she had fallen asleep out there. Obviously she hadn’t gotten away with it. “I’d have come and woken you but you looked so peaceful I just left you to snore.” She carried on.
“O-okay thanks mum! Don’t need the whole story!”
“Anytime dear, you know I like to tease a little.” She laughed before disappearing back into the kitchen to finish sorting out the rest of the breakfast. Mags and Felicity moved off the couch and over to the small dining table at the end of the living room. They sat and Mags offered Felicity a some toast.
“From ours, I still need to test yours. But here, at least you can have some now.”
“Hehe, you don’t disappoint Mrs Save. Beats cereal!”
“Mrs Save? Please don’t start calling me that.”
“Haha I’m just kidding, I like giving people little alternative names. Makes life more fun, although you’ve already got yours Mags.” Felicity chortled as she started spreading butter on her toast, helping herself to a little jam.
“Stick with Mags, Magna at a push. I don’t really have any others.”
“Maggy?” Felicity asked, just about to push a slice into her muzzle.
“Please no.”
“Ooookay, Mags it is.” She finally took a bite, and immediately sunk into a small toast-induced moment of pleasure as Mags watched her face ever so slightly melt. “Ohhh I’ve missed toast, I haven’t had it well…since the toaster broke.”
“I know, just make sure not to put anymore milkshake in it huh? No matter how thick it looks.”
“You got it.”
“This is really good, you’re mum sure knows how to make toast.”
“You mean she’s good at putting the sliced bread in and pressing the lever down?” Mags put a hoof on her face and giggled slightly.
“Well…yeah.”
“I’m sure she’d love the compliment, you should tell her when she gets here.”
“I will!”
At that moment her Translite re-appeared with a frying pan that seemed almost packed to the brim with a large cooked breakfast. She never went this far out of her way to make food. Clearly it showed as both Mags and Felicity’s eyes locked on the pan and didn’t leave it until she started to use a spatula to begin scraping things onto their plates.
“W-wow mum, that’s quite the feast.”
“Oh I know dear, but when Felicity here explained she’d been resigned to eating only cereal for Celestia knows how long I thought she could use a decent meal.”
“You uh, didn’t have to go through much trouble Mrs Save. The toast is really good…” Felicity managed just about to squeak out as she watched her plate piled high with food.
“Haha, yes I do excel at pushing the lever down on the toaster. And call me Translite dear” She laughed, again. She never laughed this much in a week let alone in a day. She made her way over to Mags plate and pushed a generous portion onto there as well before finally giving herself the remaining modest amount. She sat down at the table with her daughter and new friend placing the pan down to one side.
“Well this is nice, you know Mags hardly ever brings anypony back here. In fact I think I could count all the friends that have ever come home on my hoof!”
“Mum! Can we talk about something else…please? Anyway I had friends at school.”
“I know dear, but you seemed to lose touch with them rather quickly after it finished. It’s just nice to see you getting on with someone. I guess making you go out yesterday wasn’t such a bad thing after all.”
“…You kicked me out.”
“I sent you out for work, like any responsible parent who sees their child cooped up in the house all week would have.”
“…Still kicked me out.” Mags mumbled under her breath, she knew she wasn’t going to win this one but at least she could have the satisfaction of getting the last word in. Her mum had already turned to Felicity who had polished off half her breakfast already, clearly enjoying each mouthful.
“So Felicity, you’re a Pegasus? I bet that must be exciting. Flying off all over the place.”
Felicity stopped chewing for a moment to answer. There it was again, clamming up, face starting to contort into a strange uneasy gaze. “Oh yeah, it’s great. I just love to fly…”
“You don’t sound too enthusiastic about it dear.”
“Oh well, it’s okay. I suppose. This breakfast is great! I haven’t eaten like this for ages! You make a really good breakfast.” ‘Nice try changing the subject there.’ Mags thought. ‘That will never work with mum.’
“Well I’m glad you are enjoying it dear. I’d have thought you would have gotten good breakfasts elsewhere being able to fly off to wherever you like.”
“Oh um sure, breakfasts from other places are great…”
“Have you ever flown to Manehatten? Whinnyappolis?”
“Oh uh…”
“You must have relatives all over Equestria you visit?”
“Sure but…”
“Ever flown at night? That must be great in the cool night air.”
“Uh….uhhhh….”
Mags just watched, she could see it happening in front of her eyes. Felicity clamming up more and more as her mother tried her usual tactic of a relentless onslaught of questions that usually got her the answer she wanted. It usually worked on Mags pretty well, but she didn’t know Felicity really. She was waiting to see what happened.
“Yes dear?”
“I CAN’T FLY!” Felicity almost practically screamed. The onslaught of questions becoming far too much, fed up with the barrage of endless flying-related queries. She quickly put her hooves to her mouth looking completely shocked, eyes wide staring at both of them.
There was a moment of silence as the three of them sat there. You could have heard a pin drop as Felicity slowly moved her hooves away from her mouth. Mags smiling and her mother looking a little perturbed.
“S-sorry, I don’t usually shout like that. I uh…can’t fly.”
‘I knew it’. Was the only thought that entered Mags head.
As it was her line of questioning, Translite thought it best to compose herself first and say something. She looked at the poor girl, who was now ever so slightly shaking and looking extremely glum, before choosing her next words very carefully.
“My dear, I’m so sorry. I had no idea, please don’t worry about it. I’m sure there are plenty of Pegasus who can’t fly.” She reassured her, before shooting Mags a glare of ‘You could have said something’. Mags shrugged her shoulders at her in a ‘I didn’t know.’ Reply.
“Yeah.” Felicity started to say. “There are, just not really any in Ponyville. I don’t really talk about it, it’s not so bad. I can get around on my hooves like every other pony. I have tried, I just…clam up.” She smiled a little awkwardly, somewhat able to talk about it now she had let them know.
“Funny, you know for somepony who’s as athletic as you are I’d have thought flying would be a breeze.” Mags commented as she took another bite of breakfast.
“Oh well, all that yoga stuff I do helps my body and legs and things sure, but wings not so much. They just sit folded on my back and don’t really move, probably why when I have tried I can’t move them so well. They always feel so stiff, I guess through lack of use.”
“Well makes sense, if you never fly.”
“Most I do is give them a little stretch to clean them or get something out that’s trapped in them, oh and get my key of course.” She giggled, finally returning to her regular self and taking a few more mouthfuls of her food.
“Have you always lived in Ponyville?” Translite interjected.
“Oh yes, my whole life. I’ve always been here, which is why I’ve never needed to fly anywhere. If I do ever travel it’s never very far, or I take the train.”
“I suppose this isn’t really the time to be asking but, is there a particular reason you don’t fly?”
Felicity put her hoof on her chin and thought for a moment, one eyebrow raised as she pondered the question. “No, no real reason. I’ve never really needed to. I could maybe learn or take lessons I think? But I guess I just never really got round to doing it properly. Like I said I have tried, I just find it hard and it does hurt a little.”
“It hurts?” Mags gave her a slightly concerned look.
“N-not much! Just a little, again I think I might be doing it wrong or like, just from not really having done it.”
“It seems like a bit of waste.” Mags mother chimed in. “It would be like if Mags didn’t use her magic, although I still don’t think she does to its full extent…” She looked at her daughter a little motherly stare of encouragement but still a small amount of disappointment. Mags rolled her eyes in return.
“I know, maybe it’s something I’ll try to look into soon. I just spend so much time doing my yoga, or being in town, or trying to sort my house out. I still need to do that!”
Mags giggled. “It is a bit of a mess…”
“Says my daughter, queen of the untidy rooms. I swear if that room had any more random bits and bobs in it I’d start calling it a workshop.” Mags blushed and Felicity chuckled a little. They returned to eating breakfast which was finished within the next 5 minutes, all 3 plates completely cleared and the toast rack emptied.
“That was great Mrs Sa… Translite. Thanks for letting me come over to eat.”
“Well no problem.” She started to clear the plates away. “I’d like for you to come back in the future, you seem like a nice girl. I hope you two stick together for a little while anyway.” She said, taking the dirty dishes.
At this point Mags decided it was her turn to interject. “So now we’ve eaten, lets test the toaster?”
“Oh yeah! The whole reason I’m here, how could I forget.” Felicity gently got down from the breakfast table and came round to meet Mags on the other side. “Shall we give it a test run?”
“Of course, I’ll provide the bread this time.” Mags laughed, and disappeared into the kitchen to grab a slice.
Shunk
“I-it’s supposed to do that right?”
“…what do you mean? Of course it is. You have used this before.” Mags replied with an ever-so slightly sarcastic tone of voice.
“Well duh, course I have. But you know, breakfast. Lots going on, the toaster is like something you just press on once and forget about until it goes ping!”
“Ping? Your toaster…this toaster goes ping?”
“Uh maybe, honestly it’s been a while since I used it so I kinda forget what noise it makes.”
Felicity moved her snout close to the slots on the top and sniffed a little, then moved her head back and gingerly extended a hoof over the top.
“Well it feels hot, and it smells like it’s doing something.”
“Trust me, it’s not doing anything bad. I know the smell of burning electronics, it’s extremely distinctive.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, it’s a burning smell but…different to like a normal burning smell. Once you’ve experienced it once you don’t ever forget it.” She sighed a little, remembering the first time she accidentally did some not-so good work on her game and spent the next 3 hours digging around trying to pull out a very small melted chunk of plastic. “Yup, it’s bad, more like you wish you weren’t smelling it bad because something somewhere has gone wrong.”
“Ah okay, well hope I don’t ever have to smell that then!”
The two of them looked, the toaster seemed to be doing its thing. Felicity, somewhat impatient kept hovering her muzzle around the top of it as she stared at the bread still trapped inside.
PING!!
The toast shot up, coming to a gentle rest at the top. Felicity jumped back in surprised and nearly backed herself into a wall. Mags let out a roar of laughter, all this happening within about 5 seconds. Felicity pulled herself together and frowned.
“Is scaring me really that funny?”
Mags gave a chuckle “Heh, no it wasn’t that. Well it was a little that. I just didn’t think it would actually go ping! Where did you even get this thing?”
“One of the shops in town, I can’t even remember which. I was just buying whatever was cheap and would go into my house. I was just moving into it then.”
“It will probably last a few more years, but you might want to look at replacing it then. They don’t last forever.”
“I will, but hey – it works! Cheaper than getting a new one! So what do I owe you?”
“Well you bought me that milkshake, and I’ve had fun the past few days. Wanna call it five bits?”
“Five? But a new one costs fifty! You’ve saved me a lot of money, and I’ve had fun too…” A very faint shade of red started to coat Felicity's cheeks as she finished her sentence. Shifting herself a little and staring at Mags with her big green eyes. There was a very short moment of silence.
“…Toasts getting cold.”
“Huh, what?”
“The toast, we made toast to test to toaster remember?.”
“Oh yeah, of course! Um, but we just had that super big breakfast.”
“Well…be a shame to waste it, and it’s only toast, it’s not that much. C’mon mum left the jam out. One more round?”
“Ohhh okay. Might as well enjoy it while I’m here.” Felicity smiled and the two of them made their way back to the table and parked themselves. There were still a few small plates and Mags decided to make things a little easier this time, manipulating a knife with her magic so she spread each of their slices with jam. Another opportunity for conversation presented itself.
“So earlier, are you okay? I’m surprised you didn’t blow up before with both of us asking you things about your flying.”
“Yeah I’m fine, thanks for asking…and being concerned.” Another small smile filled with affection graced her face. “It’s just, I can get away with it. Nopony sees a Pegasus walking and thinks about it twice. It’s not like we fly constantly. You gotta be on the ground sometimes.” She sighed, and took a bite of toast and contemplated it a little more as she munched. “I’d say I never got around to it like I told your mum, but really…I’m afraid.”
“Afraid?”
“Yeah, just of well, all the stuff that comes with it. Like you hear stories of Pegasus ponies clamming up mid-flight and just falling out the sky, or injuring themselves because they’re flying and not looking where they are going. There’s like a thousand different reasons why I don’t want to do it and only two why I do.”
“Well what’s the two?”
“Number one I guess is the obvious one, because it would be faster to get around. I mean duh! I could fly across town in like ten seconds, how great would that be?! I could fly to Sugarcube Corner, get a shake to go and be home in about a minute!”
“Well I suppose that is obvious, so now what’s the other one?”
“Fun.”
“Fun?”
“Yeah fun, I bet it is super fun. I’d just wanna scoot around the clouds, maybe even lie on them. I bet they’re super springy and would make great yoga mats.” Felicity giggled. “At least…that’s what I’ve thought in my head.”
Both of them sat there, Mags didn’t really know what to say. Words of encouragement weren’t really her thing. She took the last bite of her toast and got down, coming round to Felicity and giving her a friendly pat on her shoulder with her hoof…she really didn’t know what else to do.
“Thanks, it’s okay. I’ve been like this my whole life! I think I can survive the rest of it as I am. Plus I love using my wings as storage, it’s super convenient.” She smiled weakly, and finishing up her toast as well got down from the table. “I’ll just look for your bits, I usually keep some in here somewhere.” Felicity turned her head and started rooting around in her wing feathers with her hoof.
“Sure, just give me a minute. Mums still in the kitchen. Just want to take the jam in.”
“Oh no problem!” Felicity replied, still rooting around.
Mags picked up the Jam and made her way towards the kitchen, being her usual self and shoving the door open abruptly with her hoof. A “Hey!” met her and her mother’s slightly annoyed face who looked as if she had been bolt upright against the door with her ears pressed against it.
“Just bringing the jam in, also I knew you’d be listening.”
“Well how could I not!? This is the first friend you’ve invited here since forever. I wanted to make sure it was going okay. I couldn’t help overhearing the poor girl…”
“…Of course you couldn’t.”
“She sounds so conflicted! I mean really, A Pegasus that can’t fly? I mean yes sure it happens but usually only if they are injured. They don’t just choose not to.”
“Well, she clearly has. You did overhear every word?” Mags retorted, putting the jam away.
“Magna, you know what I’m saying. The girl clearly needs a friend and a little bit of confidence. Confidence often comes with friends.”
“Well you don’t have to worry there mum, I like her too. She’s nice. I’ll probably see her again when she inevitably puts milkshake in her toaster.”
Her mother frowned. “You know what I meant. You should give her a little more of a chance. You two clearly get on well. She already thinks you’re her friend.”
“Well…maybe because I said I was. But I meant more like casual friend! She got all excited mum and was bouncing up and down. I couldn’t correct her.”
Her mother gave her another judging stare.
“What?”
“Magna, you can’t tell this girl you’re her friend and then leave her in the cold. She’s already shared a more personal secret with you. She clearly trusts you to tell you something like that.”
“Or your incessant barrage of questions dragged it out of her…”
Her mother continued, ignoring that one. “You can’t just tell somepony you’re their friend and then drop them like that. You either need to let her down easy and do the right thing. Or you never know, why not see her a few more times? You might be surprised. Why not offer to meet her somewhere tomorrow just for a catch up and see where it goes?”
“A catch up? Mum you can’t catch up after one day, there’s nothing to catch up on.”
“Fine, then use something. Tell her you want to make sure her toaster is still working okay or something. Just tell her something. Otherwise you know all you’re going to do is be trapped in your room again, and all I’m going to do is kick you out…” Her mother gave her a little wicked smile, Mags knew she meant business.
“Okay fine, I’ll come up with something. She’s still rooting around for the money for the repair.”
“You charged her?”
“Of course I did! She really messed that toaster up mum, I had to use some parts I now need to replace to fix it.”
“What am I saying, of course you did. I told you to go out and get work and that includes payment!”
“Look mum, calm down. You’re getting all worked up. Stay here, give me 5 minutes and I’ll sort something out with her. Okay?”
“Okay dear, just be nice.”
“Of course I will be.” Mags said, trotting back through the door. Felicity was sitting on their sofa again, and a shiny give bit piece was sat upon the coffee table in front of it.
“Found it! Only took five minutes! Maybe I should get a pouch or something…” Before she could drift off in her head Mags picked the bit up and put it in one of jacket pockets. She smiled at her.
“Thanks, glad to have helped…”
“Okay great, well this was fun. I’d best be going…” Felicity stood up, and Mags levitated the toaster onto her back and watched as Felicity moved her wings slightly to grip it, making sure it didn’t slip.
“So um, see you around?”
“Oh yeah sure, see you around…” The two of them stared at each other before Mags trotted over to and opened the door. Felicity walked outside the house and turned to wave.
“Wait.”
Mags trotted outside and gently closed the door behind her, just in case curious ears were listening.
“Look uh, I need to make sure it’s still working okay. I’m in town tomorrow. Can you have toast for breakfast again and just tell me that it’s working okay?”
“Oh, sure!” Her face instantly brightened up. “Where shall we meet?”
“Sugarcube corner? I could go for another shake.”
“Ohhh great, that sounds ideal. I’ll meet you there just around mid-morning? Sound okay?”
“Sure, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Byeee!” Felicity finally trotted off towards her home, looking much happier than a few moments ago. Mags sighed, maybe it would be okay. Maybe she just needed to spend a little more time with her. She did seem fun, and she had really had a great time over the past day. There was something about her that made her enjoyable to be around, despite what she had told her mother. She didn’t want to let on that she liked her as much as she did just yet, that could come later. Her mother always fussed and if she told her she had a new best friend well, she’d never hear the end of it or would she leave her alone about it.
The grey Unicorn flicked her tail, turned around and opened the door to go back inside, gently shutting it behind her. She couldn’t wait for tomorrow morning.