//------------------------------// // Applescarred // Story: Song of Whispers // by Wintergreen Diaries //------------------------------// Chapter 32: Applescarred There wasn’t a whole lot Fluttershy could have done to prepare Whisper for his trip to Sweet Apple Acres, other than let him know there were going to be a few new ponies to meet that were quite friendly and would likely, with or without his consent, give him a hearty greeting. Whisper, while slightly nervous, had come a long way in a short time in his efforts to overcome his fears, and Fluttershy moved him through the next phase, introducing him to the Apple family and having him spend a day amongst a group of ponies he already knew. He had hoped to practice his magic more that morning, but given that he was hiding this from Fluttershy, he had no excuse he could offer to escape the snare of her plans. Regrets found themselves left out in the cold as he again found himself walking through the orchard, the tantalizing aroma of apples pervading the air all around, convincing himself the whatever pony had contrived such a paradise had to be nice. “So who all is going to be here?” Whisper asked, unconcerned as he glanced from tree to tree. “Well, it’s hard to say, really,” Fluttershy replied, noting Whisper’s fascination. “Applejack comes from a really large family, and they’re all really nice, so they’ll probably want to meet you. But there will be a lot of ponies you know here too, like Rainbow Dash, and Storm, and Cerulean’s family... so don’t worry, there will be plenty of friends to make you feel safe. Oh, look, see that orange earth pony in front of the house? That’s Applejack. She runs the farm with her brother, but I don’t see him right now.” Glad to see the last of the gang to show up, Applejack and Silver trotted over to meet the couple halfway. “Hey there, Fluttershy! Welcome t’ Sweet Apple Acres, Whisper. We’re glad t’ have ya here,” Applejack called out as they approached. Whisper slowed to a stop, staring wide eyed at Silver who, having found his acceptance among the townsfolk, hadn’t bothered covering his scars. “What’s the matter, sugarcube? Somethin’ wrong?” she asked, noticing the stallion’s reluctance to come closer. “What... what happened to that pony next to you?” “What do you mean, ‘what happened' to him, Whisper? Ain’t nothin’ wrong with Silver,” Applejack replied, her husband’s marred frame not even registering in her mind at first. “Sweetheart, I think he’s probably worried about these,” Silver offered, motioning to his chest, both apologetic that he was worrying Whisper and filled with affection that his wife remained entirely unbothered by the more harrowing side of the alchemy he practiced. “Your name’s Whisper, right?” He nodded slowly, standing his ground as Silver drew closer, stopping a few hoof lengths away. “I know it’s not easy on the eyes, but sometimes my magic... doesn’t quite do what I want it to. These... well, these are the price I pay.” Another pony with dangerous magic? Feeling safer in an instant, seeing somepony that clearly had suffered a good deal from his magic too, Whisper edged closer and, minding his boundaries, gave Silver a good examination, paying particular attention to his chest. “Do they hurt?” “Not really. Go ahead and touch them, if you want.” Whisper took just a moment to wonder if mind reading was one of the unicorn’s talents before running a hoof over the scars that coated much of Silver’s chest. “The magic you used that did this... was it worth it?” “Yes, it was, and still is. I can’t deny my talent, but I’ve got a mare and good friends who accept me just like this, so there’s really nothing to regret. I make magical drinks, and if Fluttershy doesn’t have any objections, I could let you taste some, if you’d like.” “Please, Fluttershy? Please please please?” As much as his own magic had frightened him in the past, and still did, seeing other forms of magic produced the exact opposite effect, and as Fluttershy’s eyes tried to keep up with the green blur dancing around her, she couldn’t well say no. She did, however, impose a limitation. “Silver, it’s fine if you’d like to let Whisper taste your drinks, but, well, let’s not let him have the alcoholic ones. That could be... bad.” Fluttershy was well aware of her habit of getting quite loud, at least for her, when under the influence, and she couldn’t imagine what would happen should Whisper suddenly get vocal. “Well, what’re we waitin’ for? We better get this show on the road if we’re gonna get in a proper afternoon harvestin’. C’mon, let’s go find Big Macintosh and the rest. Ah think they’re over by the barn havin’ a bit o’ sport, last ah checked.” “Are you going to have a baby?” Whisper asked before they could get going, noting that Applejack, much like Rainbow Dash, was notably larger around the middle than anypony present. A prouder mother didn’t exist, and Applejack ushered him over as she rested a hoof on her stomach with pride. “You bet ah am, sugarcube. Come here, you can say hello. Place your hoof right here.” Glancing back at Fluttershy to make sure he wasn’t breaking any kind of rules, given that it was the mare’s stomach which, during his questioning, Fluttershy hadn’t given him a straight answer as to whether or not it was ok, he waited until she gave him a nod to obey. Fluttershy trotted over and sat down beside him as he placed a hoof over Applejack’s stomach, not knowing what to expect. “Hey, you awake down there?” she chuckled. “Day’s awastin’, little one. Say hello to mah friends, would ya?” Ever the obedient one, the foal promptly gave a few light bucks, and not wanting to leave the foal hanging, Whisper tapped back a few times, grinning widely. “What does it feel like, having another pony in your tummy? Is it like being full after eating?” “Trust me, Whisper, just be glad yer not gonna be the one carryin’ a child. Much as ah love mah child, bringin’ a foal t’ term ain’t an easy task. Ah just make it look simple,” Applejack stated confidently, standing again and motioning them to follow. After giving Whisper a quick list of all the more uncomfortable side effects of pregancy, he had to ask why anypony would want to do so, and Applejack assumed as they entered the barn that his silence was due to her way with words. “Why? ‘Cause they’re worth it, o’ course. Oh, come on now, that ain’t a fair fight, pittin’ Cerulean against mah brother.” As is usual among males when left to their own devices, things had gotten physical among the friends, having grown tired of talk and boasting, and thus they shifted to good old fashioned wrestling. Storm stood on the sidelines with Dash as Big Mac and Cerulean had a merry time trying to pin the other, kicking up dust and rolling amongst the hay that littered the interior of the barn. Cerulean hadn’t the strength to even begin to imagine pinning Big Mac, but what he did have was an incredibly frustrating knack for squeezing out of holds at a moment’s notice. Eluding the stallion yet again, Cerulean nimbly hopped onto his back grinning like an idiot. At least, until he saw his brother’s face, a more horrified, disgusted expression he couldn’t possibly conjure in his mind. “Whisper? Come on, don’t look so down! Join the fun!” It was with great confusion that Cerulean watched his brother ignore his gracious offer and instead use himself as an eye mask for Fluttershy, not wanting the lewd display to taint his mare further, and after he had effectively blinded the mare by burying her face in his chest, he looked over his shoulder at his brother which he saw in a newer, much darker light. “You’re really gross, brother! No wonder Twilight isn’t with you right now. Wrestling Big Mac, and rolling in the hay at the same time? No! No, I won’t join in on any of that kind of fun!” Comprehension lit the light bulb too fast, and Cerulean’s mind burned out as Big Mac, oblivious to the conversation, promptly flipped the stunned stallion off and easily pinned him. “Wait, stop, Big Mac!” Cerulean wheezed, his lungs partially crushed by the weight. “Yer callin’ it quits already? Come on, Cerulean. I know you’ve got a little more in ya,” Big Mac taunted, grinning as he waited for the stallion to fight back. “Come on, little brother, surely you could make things a little harder for my stallion,” Crimson added in, not entirely sure why Cerulean blanched at her comment. He glanced over at Whisper who, as expected, was slowly shaking his head in disbelief. Jade, this is so not what you think it is! Stop looking at me like that! Ugh, this is embarrassing... Could it possibly... “Well, this ain’t much of a show. Storm, git in there an’ give mah brother a good tussle!” Applejack shouted with a whoop, trotting past Whisper and leaving him wondering if he and Fluttershy were the only tame ponies in existence. Storm promptly cast aside his own lessons and tackled Big Mac with gusto, backed by Rainbow Dash’s cries of approval. Cerulean slowly stood, holding eye contact with Whisper as he tried to imagine just how mind-blowing the display must be for his brother. It couldn’t be resisted. Cerulean simply couldn’t let such an opportunity slip by wasted, and thus, he threw caution to the wind, gave his brother a malicious grin, and stepped back into the fray. “Yeah, way to man up, Cerulean! Stick it to ‘em good!” Dash shouted. “Come on, darling, they’re not big enough for you! Show ‘em how it’s done!” Crimson countered, clapping her hooves as Big Mac held his ground, even with two opponents. Returning with some snacks for the healthy stallions, Twilight walked in the door, cheerfully welcomed Whisper to the farm, and promptly ruined her reputation by adding her voice to the crowd. “Cerulean, think strategically! You both need to come at him from either end! Get behind him!” During all of this, Fluttershy had patiently bore her stallion’s attempted protection, but knowing that they couldn’t possibly be doing what he thought they were, she pulled away, took a glance, and froze. The two pronged assault had ended poorly for all ponies involved, and as everypony devolved into fits of laughter, Fluttershy could only share Whisper’s embarrassment as she looked to find all three ponies in a heap, Storm’s wings splayed out and Cerulean’s horn dangerously close to somewhere it never should be. “Twi, ah think you better put the reigns on yer stallion. He seems t’ be gender confused again,” Applejack managed, tears streaming from her eyes as Cerulean yanked his head away and shuddered, rising shakily to his hooves. “Eeyup. Sorry, Mandarin, ah already got a special somepony, an’ ah don’t need a horn up there anyhow,” Big Mac chuckled, rolling away from the other two and standing up. “Storm, would you... you mind putting your... your wings away? I can’t... can’t breathe!” Dash wheezed, desperately fighting for air. “I knew you had... some earth pony in ya, but... I never thought it was...” “Gentlecolts, I believe we did well here today,” Cerulean declared, doling out brohooves all around with full knowledge that somehow, the universe was bound to repay him for his deeds. “Silver? Got anything to drink around here?” “Of course I do, though I think we should tend to the other guests first,” he replied, shaking his head and looking outside where two thoroughly disgruntled ponies were attempting to blot out the memories. “Hmmm... maybe they’re both gonna need alcohol after this.” “Maybe just a touch, sugarcube. C’mon, everypony, daylight’s wastin’!” Applejack encouraged, ushering everypony out. “Ah hope you all have plenty left in ya, cause ah’m gonna put you three t’ good use.” It was the final nail in the coffin, and Whisper, unable to allow further defiling of his mind, tore off into the orchard, screaming silently as he went. “What’s ‘is problem? Was it somethin’ ah said?” After a short search, a brief explanation about euphemisms and an apology from the males, Whisper took a few moments to calm down before returning with Fluttershy to a group of amiable ponies no longer filling Whisper’s mind with thoughts too horrid to contemplate. Having learned enough about pony biology, Big Mac didn’t get the traditional examination, Whisper making a point of avoiding everypony who would dare to wrestle in public, be it regular or naughty. He was still a little fuzzy as to how what they were doing was different, but he didn’t particularly care either, and was eager to begin working the fields to occupy his mind. Before this could begin, it was decided that they would all head over to Applejack’s pad for some pre-work refreshments, and not having tasted much of anything save water and tea, Whisper’s apprehensions with his male company soon dissipated under the oppressive optimism that established its totalitarian regime within his head, courtesy of a glass of chilled butterscotch soda. Applejack stood to one side as the ponies filed in, and as the last pony entered, she prepared to follow when she was halted by the untimely entrance of Ponyville’s resident eccentric and Zap Apple jam aficionado. “Applejack! Where’s the new pony, eh? I need t’ give him a wallop!” Granny Smith called out, trotting creakily over with a serious glare stamped on her face. Whoa nelly, she’s got the cookin’ pot on. What could he... “Granny Smith, calm down or you’ll frighten the poor colt. An’ what’s Whisper done, anyhow?” she asked, walking over and meeting her grandmother halfway. “Done? Why, I hear he’s quite fine, and everypony knows yer supposed to put age before beauty! An’ I got both, doncha know! Now, he better... eh... what was I gonna say...” she muttered, dropping into thought with the risk of never coming back out. “Pony feathers, ah’m gettin’ too old fer chasing colts... Oh well, what’s one more? Where is he?” “He’s inside. Granny, please be nice to him. He’s got enough to be scared of without you playin’ the stern drill sergeant,” Applejack chuckled, gently lifting the pot from her grandmother’s head. “Nice? I’m always nice! Fillies these days, no respect for the elderly. Callin’ me mean after invitin’ me over...” Applejack rolled her eyes as the rickety mare creeped inside, where Whisper was beside himself with sheer elation at the magical bubbly drink that tasted like nothing he’d ever eaten or drank. Sitting still was not an option, and even though the living room was rather large, given the size of the house itself, it was quite crowded and thus Whisper was unable to romp it out of his system. “Silver? Be a dear and bring me some of that cider!” Granny called out, making her way over towards the green unicorn avidly sending out messages of bliss to everypony around. “Fluttershy, you’ve got incoming,” Applejack called out as her grandmother edged closer. Fluttershy, with some difficulty, managed to grab Whisper’s attention, pointing at the grinning mare with wrinkles and a gray mane. Little ponies were fine, adult ponies were a challenge, but he had no idea what to make of the elderly, and Fluttershy did her best to answer his questions before the meeting. “Huh? No, she’s not sick. That’s just what happens when ponies get old is all. Yes, I suppose her wrinkles are a little, well... Whisper! That’s not very nice. Come on, everypony gets old. Now, when she gets here, I want you to be polite, ok?” He nodded, and waited as the mare took her sweet time making her approach. “Youngin, if you get any prettier, Rarity’s going to get huffy with ya fer stealin’ the show!” she called out cheerfully, stopping uncomfortably close and eyeing him up and down. “Granny! Come on, now, ah thought ah told you t’ be nice,” Applejack interjected, not wanting to cross her elder but shocked that she’d open with something so possibly offensive. “Callin’ a pony handsome ain’t no insult, Applejack. Now then, what’s your name?” He would have answered, but unfortunately, carbonated beverages produce a need to burp, and since he had some trepidation with the mare lingering in the back of his mind, he let forth a mighty belch in conjunction with a small ripple of magic, not enough to do any kind of damage save perhaps spill a few nearly empty glasses. “Well, that’s... oh, pony feathers...” Granny Smith muttered as her dentures popped out, landing with a plop and covered in saliva. Convinced he had just blown part of the mares face out with his unwitting release of magic, Whisper fainted dead away with nary a sound, leaving Granny to celebrate the most obviously conclusion. “Oh yeah, this mare’s still got it!” The scent of raw earth, of apples hanging from laden trees and ripe for the taking, and the clear, crisp country air: Celestia cherished these things as she made her way slowly through the orchard. True, the experience wasn’t exactly perfect. Discord, when he wasn’t out playing in his personal wonderland and scarring any poor soul that happened to wander into it, usually passed his time at the palace, causing just enough mischief that she couldn’t justify kicking him out, but still more than sufficient to make her assess the structural integrity of her desk via her forehead many a time. However, even he seemed to be lulled into the closest he could come to docile by the tranquil farmlands, and with Luna at her side, Celestia found a genuine smile forming on her lips, the kind she didn’t get to show all that often. Discord, on his part, was living the dream, as much as a highly watched, all but chained down lord of chaos could be. He had a livable amount of freedom, his own private playground, and a relationship with an eternal being like himself that was the very definition of love and hate, although it did admittedly fall more towards the latter. Never in a hundred years, though perhaps two hundred would be sufficient, would he dare to admit he was developing a small fascination with somepony who, like the trees, was so rooted in order that it drove him sane, leading him to random bouts of lucidity, generosity, and other such horrendously sensical things. Waving a paw, several apples fell from a nearby tree, sprouted legs, and ran to meet the draconequus as he stooped down to collect them. Celestia paused and watched as he hunched over, muttering too low for her to hear before there was a bright flash and he presented the Solar Princess with her favorite of treats. “Cake?” Celestia cried in a manner not befitting the ruler of Equestria, and she immediately composed herself and adopted an officious tone. “This pleases me. I shall accept your gift.” “But, dear sister, just last night you had...” Luna started before she was idly brushed off by the uncaring hoof of a sibling too enraptured with the confection levitating in front of her to listen to such idle chatter. One bite and she was in her own world, and Luna dropped back to where Discord was trotting a few pony lengths behind. “Discord, it’s not right to manipulate my sister in such a way.” “The only thing that may be manipulated is our favorite alicorn’s flanks,” he whispered back, eliciting a stifled giggle from Luna. “I’ll bet you wish you could be that cake, am I right, Discord?” “Don’t you?” he replied easily, giving her a sensuous leer. “What?!? What kind of depraved accusation is that?” Luna cried, recoiling. “The best kind.” Luna’s indignation was cut short as a surprised yelp from Celestia bid them both catch up. “Sister, whatever is... what’s this, a letter from Twilight?” Luna asked, staring at the scroll held aloft. “Can’t read. Cake,” Celestia said dismissively, moving into the second half of the slice. “But what if it’s something important?” Luna pressed. “Ugh, fine, then you read it aloud so I don’t have to,” Celestia conceded with a sigh, taking another mouthful, mumbling as she did so and casting aside any semblance of manners. Luna was a bit shaken, but had seen her sister in such a fervor before, and taking up the mantle of responsibility, she unfurled the scroll and clear her throat. “Dear Princess Celestia... Today I learned that...” she started, pausing as her eyes scanned ahead. Her gasp was meant to be one of indignation, of outrage, of horror that Twilight would dare speak of her sister in such a manner, but instead she found herself on her back, breathless as she laughed loud and long. Celestia turned, peeved that her cake time was being disrupted by such an uncouth display, rolling her eyes and fixing them on Discord. “Discord, would you mind reading in my sister’s stead since she’s clearly incapable of such a trivial matter?” He accepted the scroll, scanned the contest, and adopted perhaps the sweetest smile Celestia had seen. Were she not in cake mode, she would have known to be very, very worried. “Oh yes, certainly, Celestia. Listen closely, this one is real important. Ahem...” He paused, savoring every fleeting second. “Dear Princess Celestia, Today I learned that cake is loaded with fat and carbohydrates, and one should avoid over-indulgence lest it go straight to the flanks. Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle P.S.: If your hind quarters cause a lunar eclipse when you go for a night flight, it may mean you have a problem.” Discord looked up from the letter just in time to watch the last bit of cake fall to the ground. Celestia regarded the frosting on her hooves and face as if it were blood, and she slowly turned around, looking first to Luna who was still struggling for air, then to the letter still held in Discord’s claw. Yanking the parchment away, she read it line for line, and then lost all concentration, the paper floating gently down to the ground just beside the cake. Her lack of neural activity roared back to life with all the blazing intensity of the noonday sun as Discord gave her a playful smack to the flanks, chuckling as he did so and not knowing just how close to immolation he was treading. At least, not until he heard the princess speak. Whisper paused for a moment to wipe the sweat from his brow, blinking a few times as a droplet ran into his eye. His chest was heaving, his hooves hurt from bucking trees, and he was loving every minute of it. It was true that his experiences on the farm had been less than ideal, but once he had been reassured that Granny Smith was alright and the group headed out to an unharvested section of the orchard, he found that doing things with more than a few ponies at a time was invigorating. A break was called as the sun reached its zenith, and he sat down next to Fluttershy under the shade of a large red delicious tree, gratefully accepting a glass of chilled soda and some kind of wondrous pony food known as a fritter. This is really fun, more fun than I thought it would be. Everypony is so nice. He glanced around at the sea of faces, many of whom he had only known for days, but yet felt almost like he couldn’t live without them. I can’t wait until I can talk. It’ll be nice to actually be able to tell everypony how much I appreciate what they do for me. His thoughts were disrupted as a stealthy kiss was snuck to his cheek, and he again returned to the present to find Fluttershy offering him a bite of a different treat of some kind that smelled every bit as delicious as his fritter. “Mmm, this is really good! What is this?” “Apple pie. Pinkie may be really good at baking sweets, but if it’s made of apples, then the Apple family can make it better.” Whisper couldn’t really say which he liked better, but not wanting to hog it all for himself, he returned Fluttershy’s kindness and offered her a bit of his fritter, unaware of the fact that many of those present were watching the sweetness of the two exceed even that of the desserts they were putting away. Cerulean lifted a hoof as Twilight finished her meal and leaned against his chest, gratefully letting her head droop a little, her thoughts drifting from subject to subject before coming to a rest on Spike, who was out doing just what she had commanded him to. “You did fairly well bucking trees for a librarian,” Cerulean murmured, giving her a light squeeze and breaking her contemplation. “That doesn’t make it any less exhausting. Ugh, I’m gonna be sore tomorrow. Still...” she paused, a faint smile playing at her lips. “It’s given me a little more of an appreciation for the day you worked the orchard with Applejack.” “And I’d do it again, if I had to. However, I’d like to avoid a repeat of the next morning, if at all possible.” Twilight attempted half-heartedly to pull away, but wasn’t permitted an escape. “You know, I still feel bad about that...” Twilight said softly, turning her head away and averting her gaze. With the memories at the forefront of her mind, she could almost still see the burn scars. “Sorry, I wasn’t trying to poke at old wounds...” There was a moment of silence before she took a cue from Fluttershy and pulled Cerulean into a gentle kiss. He held her gaze for a moment after pulling away before ruining any seriousness of the moment by shooting her a cheeky grin and throwing his hooves wide. “All better!” “You’re such a foal sometimes. I swear...” she muttered, pounding her hoof lightly against his chest before snuggling back up to him and turning her attention to Dawn as she pranced about, pulling apples from the tree one by one with her magic and loading up a basket of her own, with frequent intervals to pay due attention to the generously provided pastries and other such goodies, the first and foremost of which was cake, second only to its delightfully diminutive cousin, cupcakes. Whisper was also watching, frowning at the fact that a little filly had better magic control than he. “Oh, don’t look so sad, Whisper. You’ll get better someday soon, I just know it,” Fluttershy encouraged, holding him close. “Do you really think so?” “Sure I do. Why don’t you give it a try now? Now, come on, don’t be nervous,” she urged, reaching over and pulling his muzzle back towards her. “Just look around, Whisper. You’re surrounded by friends. So, you see, there’s really nothing to worry about.” Emboldened by the mare’s confidence, he stood upright and trotted a short distance away, fixing his attention on a laden tree ripe for harvest. His eyes darted from apple to apple before settling on a particularly large fruit on a low hanging branch, and narrowing his eyes, he recalled the spell as Cerulean had shown him and focused his magic. A few seconds passed, and a faint green aura shimmered around the fruit. “Whisper, you’re doing it!” Fluttershy cheered softly. His concentration broken, he lost control and what was once a pristine apple suddenly fell to the ground as a pile of sludge. “Well, that sure is an interestin’ way t’ make apple sauce, Whisper,” Applejack chuckled, giving the frustrated stallion a pat on the back. “Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it. Until then, there’s work t’ be done. C’mon, everypony, there’s still plenty o’ daylight left! Lunch time is over!” There was a chorus of groans, most in good humor, and Applejack dismissed the rest, not fazed by the daunting task even in pregnancy. Whisper offered his hoof and helped Fluttershy upright, and as they joined the rest, he realized that he truly felt at ease, despite being surrounded by unfamiliarity. “TWILIGHT SPARKLE, WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?!” Celestia hadn’t been intending to scare Whisper beyond rationality, and it was only with great fortune that the stallion remained conscious as the furious Solar Princess swooped down and landed in front of everypony, her piercing glare singling out her unruly student. Certainly, he wished he could have simply passed out, as whatever type of pony had both horns and wings was making a horrible first impression, but fate would not grant him this. Twilight filtered through the ponies towards Celestia, trembling as she did so and wondering what she possibly could have done. “Celestia, what’s... what’s wrong?” “What’s wrong? You know very well what’s wrong, Twilight! How could you say such things about me?” “Say what things, your majesty?” But before either of them could work further to sort out their differences, Dawn bolted over and made an unfortunate offering to the princess. “Celly! Want cake?” Celestia recoiled away from the morsel like it was the vilest of concoctions before yanking it away with magic and stomping it into the ground. It was a combination of seeing the foal begin to sniffle at the horrid waste of a perfectly good piece of cake and watching her student burst into flames at such a threatening act towards her child that informed the ruler she may be overreacting. Fortunately, the timely intervention of a blue mediator doused the flames while Luna tended Celestia, and there was a mutual sigh of relief from everypony else as some semblance of order was restored, even if tempers were still running hot. “Celestia, what’s gotten into you? I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about, and whatever it was, it wasn’t enough to justify stomping Dawn’s cake!” Twilight yelled, surprised at just how quickly her temper had risen. Being a mother sure changes things... "Nopony stomps my daughter's sweets, Celestia! You'd better have a good reason for making Dawn cry. Oh, wait, there isn't one!" “Just explain this, Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia demanded, holding out the letter. Twilight extinguished herself long enough to peruse the scroll, looked up at Celestia, read it again to make sure she was indeed reading what she thought she had, and disappear without warning in a flash of lavender light. “Oh, this is going to be priceless!” Discord quipped, throwing his arms wide. “Celestia, what was in that letter?” Rainbow Dash asked, everypony just as curious. Not seeing a point in hiding it, she suffered the snickers with great patience as the note passed from pony to pony. “Oh, don’t worry, Celestia. Your flanks look fine,” Fluttershy assured her. “Quite,” Discord agreed, nodding sagely. “Discord, not now,” Celestia barked, not in the mood for his teasing. “Oh dear, it looks like somepony is on her cycle...” Discord whispered to Storm, who happened to be closest. He didn’t even have a chance to respond before Twilight reappeared, a scroll of her own levitating beside her. “Celestia, send this to Spike. That dragon is SO busted! Applejack, which way to your sister’s tree house?” “Right down that way.” Wasting no time, Twilight took off in the direction she had pointed, and an uneasy silence fell over the workers who were unsure of how to respond. For a time, nopony moved, and as Celestia looked first at Dawn, and then to Whisper who was cowering behind a cart, she heaved a sigh and summoned her patience once more. “I apologize, everypony. It was unbecoming of me to appear before you all in such a way.” “Bad Celly! Bad! Squishy my cake...” Dawn pointed an accusing hoof, scowling from behind her hair to let the princess know just how much trouble she was in. While Celestia attempted to restore Dawn’s good graces, Luna noticed a certain green unicorn eyeing her with as much wonder as he did fear, and she slowly made her way over to Whisper and Fluttershy, stopping a few hoof lengths away as Whisper trembled. “Fluttershy, is this Whisper? I have heard much about him from Celestia.” “Yes, that’s right. Whisper? That’s princess Luna. She’s the one who puts out the moon and stars at night. Can you say hello?” “What... what is she? She’s got a horn, but she has wings too!” “That’s because she’s a very special kind of pony called an alicorn. Don’t worry, she’s really very nice, and she had trouble fitting in at first, too.” Whisper peered out from behind his hair, studying the princess and regarding her with awe. “Did you really have trouble getting used to other ponies?” “Verily, she speaks the truth. In fact...” she paused, wracking her mind and sifting through many years of knowledge. “I was away from Equestria for a thousand years. Things had changed quite a lot when I finally made it back.” “How... how are you talking like me?” “It’s really quite simple. All you’re really doing is sending your thoughts and emotions with your magic.” Fluttershy wasn’t sure at first, but watching their facial expressions, she knew they weren’t just having a staring contest. “Um, Luna? What’s going on?” “Huh? Oh, I’m simply speaking to him the way he speaks to me, of course.” “But... how does that work? He can’t read.” “I shall attempt to explain. From what I can tell, Whisper isn’t sending the words themselves, but simply conveying emotion and thought with his magic. Your mind interprets it as words, since that’s what makes the most sense. Whisper, have you spoken with animals before?” “Yes, a few times. They normally get it, but I never understand what they say back.” Luna isn’t as scary as that other one, and she even talks like me! I never knew others could do it. “Luna, if you know how to speak like me, then... do you know how I can control my magic?” Luna frowned a little at this, knowing she likely could circumvent the condition but provide no permanent solution. “Unfortunately, that’s a little more complicated. I’m afraid that is something you’ll have to solve on your own. But fear not, little one. I’m sure your time will come.” Everypony keeps saying that, but it just doesn’t seem like I’m getting any better. I mean, I know I’ve only been practicing a little while, but still. I wanna talk now. Sulking was not permitted around Fluttershy, and Whisper’s worries over the white alicorn pleading for forgiveness from a very stubborn Dawn were nearly forgotten before being introduced rather suddenly to something else entirely. Whisper couldn’t even recognize all of the different animal parts that made up Discord’s body, and he didn’t know whether to laugh silently at his comical appearance or run away. “Discord, keep thineself reigned. This colt requires special treatment.” “Special treatment? You should know full well that in that area, I excel above all others,” he chortled, floating over and landing in front of the unicorn. “Now then, I supppose an...” “You look funny.” Discord was rather caught off guard by the statement, expecting to be holding the stallion in a state of awe or fear, not have his physical appearance appraised, and poorly at that. “Look fu... all right then, since you’re clearly the expert on how a draconequus such as myself should appear, what do you think I should look like?” Whisper glanced around, grabbed a stick, and drew a very crude representation of an earth pony in the ground, highlighting all the place Discord had gotten it wrong with circles. By the time he stopped, it was an incomprehensible mess of circles, to the point that one could no longer tell it was once a pony. “Fluttershy, I daresay your stallion is most intelligent," Luna declared with a laugh. "Discord, you’re clearly quite confused, and even this poor colt knows better.” Discord gave the drawing a bored look before snapping a claw and causing a rain of apples from a nearby tree, and another dose of magic made them mobile, dancing in a circle around Whisper. It was, perhaps, the greatest magic trick Whisper had ever seen, and rather than spook as Discord had intended, he simply joined the dancing ring and romped with them. Luna was growing more fond of the stallion by the moment, if only for the grief he was causing Discord, and she laughed freely as the hapless draconequus covered his face with a paw, heaving a sigh. “Don’t feel bad, Discord. You see, Whisper just really enjoys, well, everything.” What, and now sympathy from Fluttershy? Catching on to the universe’s scheme to make his attempts at chaos fall flat, he snapped his claws once more, causing the apples to explode, and sauntered off, muttering as he went, but fate held one last mockery for the draconequus in the green letters that flashed across his vision. “Yay, apple sauce!” “What is wrong with you!” Discord yelled, whirling and marching back over to Whisper. “Here I am, knowing that you have an acute fear both of new things and of ponies, so I try to have myself a little fun, and what do you do? You dance with apples! It doesn’t make any sense! What have you got to say for yourself?” “You’re all messed up.” Discord’s arms, held aloft, fell to his sides in disbelief. “Luna’s really nice, maybe she can fix you up! See, like right here, and here, and...” And on he went, pointing to the drawing of which he was quite proud. “...I give up.” His interest in the stallion lost and his confidence being seriously called into question, he decided that, if he was going to receive verbal abuse, it may as well come from Celestia. Everything was so much different the first time I came back to Ponyville... Do stallions really change mares that much? Ridiculous. It hadn’t been long since Twilight had left, but Discord prepared himself for one more show as the livid lavender mare appeared before Celestia with a very guilty looking Spike. “Celestia, here’s your culprit. I will apologize for my student, who will definitely be getting a lecture this evening on peer pressure!” Twilight barked, looking pointedly at Spike for a few seconds before turning her attention to Applejack and Big Mac. “Oh, you two may want to find Applebloom before they continue their kissing game. I caught Spike and Sweetie Belle about to go for it, and there were colts with the rest.” “Oh ho, she better not be gettin’ frisky in the tree! Come on, Big Mac!” Applejack cried, tearing off before Silver could get a word in. He instead turned to Storm and Rainbow Dash, who weren’t taking anything seriously, as usual. “Aren’t you worried about Scootaloo?” “Are you kidding?” Dash scoffed, shaking her head. “Kissing is the last thing on that filly’s mind. She’d sooner frolic through town in a dress than be caught kissing anypony. Besides, if she’s with Applebloom, Applejack’s tirade will be plenty to stave off anything like that.” “Eeyup,” Storm mimicked in wholehearted agreement. “Spike, word of advice; don’t ever, ever comment on a mare’s flanks in a negative light. You just don’t do that.” “Scootaloo approved it.” “She what?” Storm cried, mostly to save face and keep himself from laughing. “That’s... that’s horrible, I would never...” Dang it, can’t hold it... Dash was less amused by the revelation, being a mare herself and knowing exactly what kind of pain Storm would be due for if he ever made such a callous remark. Looking up from the ground, he caught her pointed stare and dusted himself off, coughing once to clear his throat. “I think we may want to tell mom about this one.” “Yeah, you think?" Dash replied sarcastically before turning back towards the dragon. "Spike, come on... you had to know you were crossing a line on that one.” “Thanks, Dash. I’m well aware that I messed up, ok?” he shot back, snappy enough to give Twilight pause. “Ok, everypony, that’s enough. Spike’s aware of his mistake, and we don’t need to dwell on it right now. Spike?” she said softly, giving him a nudge. I don’t know what exactly is going on, but he’s clearly a little overwhelmed right now. “Tell Celestia you’re sorry, and then let’s go for a walk, ok?” When it came to a battle of wills, Twilight was queen, and his sullen glare melted as she stood her ground. “I’m sorry for calling you fat, Celestia. You’re not. It was a joke, and one that clearly wasn’t very funny.” “It is forgiven. I should not have been so offended, nor should I have jumped to conclusions. Twilight? Tend to your student. I will still be here when you are done.” Whisper watched the pair depart, staring until they disappeared amongst the trees before turning his gaze skyward, noting that it was just past noon and wondering how much more crazy could be packed into one day at the orchard. As much as Twilight knew her duties as both teacher and friend dictated she confront Spike for his actions, as she glanced at the stalking bundle of gloom, she knew that simply demanding an answer was out of the question. “So...” she started, hoping he’d come clean himself. He instead made no sound at all, and Twilight decided that the first order of business would be to restore his good graces, and thus he found himself suddenly outside the library. “Come on, then,” Twilight said gently, holding open the door. Spike sat immobile for a moment, simply staring at her, before heaving a long sigh and marching inside, depositing himself on the couch and staring down at his claws. Did I do this? I mean, I know I was angry, but it wasn’t nearly enough to do this to him. Did he really... want to kiss Sweetie Belle that bad? Twilight had to wonder if there really was something between the two, but given that he was young, and crushes normally flare bright, she knew it was the last thing she should bring up. Instead, she trotted to the kitchen, filled two bowls with a generous portion of ice cream, and sat down beside him, offering him a bowl with a smile. “Positive reinforcement, huh, Twilight?” “Of course. I’m rewarding you for continuing to learn about friendship.” Reluctantly, he accepted the bowl and started in, his expression softening in proportion to the amount of the sweet, icy treat he consumed. He paused about halfway through, staring at an empty spoon. “I’m sorry.” “I know,” Twilight assured him, motioning him to continue eating. They both finished, and rather than wait for Spike to cave under whatever dark, brooding emotions were plaguing him, Twilight gathered him into her lap and held him close. “Friendship is tough...” he said after a while, glancing up at Twilight who was giving him her full attention. “I suppose... you’re wondering why I’d write such a thing, right?” “Actually, I’m more concerned with why you're so upset, Spike,” Twilight corrected. “I mean, you’ve seen both Celestia and I upset many times, but you never get like this. There’s something else going on, isn’t there?” “Can I take a pass on that?” “Is that what you really want?” Her question hung in the air as Spike weighed the option, but he knew that he had been wanting to unload on somepony, and Twilight was likely the safest option. “It’s been a little strange for me, hanging out with all fillies. I know about crushes, and how temporary they can be. I also know about... obsession. But... recently, I’ve been... geez, this is embarrassing...” he muttered, obscuring his face with a claw and peeking out with one eye. “Take a guess, because I can tell by that smile you know exactly what I’m thinking.” “Sweetie Belle?” “Gee, how’d you know?” he muttered sarcastically. “Look, I know we’re still really young and everything, and I’m not saying I want anything to happen now, but...” “Yes?” “Gah, stop looking at me like that!” “Like what?” “Awww, that’s so cute~!” he sang before dropping to a mock glare as Twilight slipped and let out a chuckle. “I don’t even know why it bothered me so much, not actually getting my kiss...” “Maybe because everypony else had already gotten theirs? There were other colts with you, right?” “What? Twilight, we weren’t there to kiss!” Spike immediately defended, shuddering at the thought of participating in such a thing. “Well, what were you doing, then?” Memories flashed through Spike’s mind, remembering all the horrors and laughter that came with them, and he hopped from Twilight’s lap onto the floor where he’d have plenty of room for extravagant arm motions. “Oh man, listen to this story. Twilight, have you ever heard of a game called ‘Truth or Dare?’” Twilight could only cover her face with a hoof as suddenly, everything made sense.