Over A Year Later…
“Okay, Bee, let’s go over the rules one more time,” Eventide said while fussing over Beebee, much to his four-year-old son’s chagrin. The two of them were standing in the living room of their home, with Beebee in his human form and dressed in a pair of plain shorts and a t-shirt. The warm light of the summer sun was streaming in through the windows, bathing everything in a soft glow.
Beebee rolled his eyes at Eventide's words and tried to squirm away from his hands. “Daaaaad, we’ve been over them a dozen times,” he whined in protest before lightly batting away Eventide’s hands with his own to get some personal space back. “Come on, I’m not an idiot.”
“No, but you are my son,” Eventide rebuked without missing a beat. He still managed to offer a smile and reached out to ruffle Beebee’s hair. “Now, repeat it back to me. This is the last time, I promise.”
Beebee tugged his head out from under Eventide’s hand and puffed up his cheeks at him in indignation. After a moment, though, he let off a resigned sigh, knowing all too well that there was no way out of this. “Ugh, okay, fine. I’m supposed to be back two hours after I leave, I’m supposed to call you as soon as we get there and when I’m coming home, and I’m to be on my absolute best behavior,” he recited in a monotone drone.
Eventide playfully punched him on the shoulder with an approving smile. “That’s my boy,” he praised with before his eyes drifted from Beebee’s face to his hair. His smile disappeared. “...Fix your hair.”
Beebee blinked in surprise and lifted a hand to idly toy with a loose strand. “Uh? It’s fine, isn’t it?” he asked, frowning.
Eventide gave Beebee a flat look. He crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. “It looks like Buddha started licking it with a tongue covered in glue.”
“Oh. Ew,” Beebee cringed at that decidedly unpleasant mental image before closing his eyes and concentrating. A swirl of green flames whipped around his head. His hair, which had been a spiky and greasy mess mere moments ago, was now neatly combed down and cleaned to perfection, making him presentable. He opened his eyes and beamed at Eventide. “That better?”
Eventide nodded, his smile returning. “So much better, yes…” he acknowledged, and Beebee felt brave enough to start relaxing when he saw Eventide’s aura glow with satisfaction. For a moment, just a brief moment, he was expecting all of this fussing to be done and over with so he could be on his way.
But then, coming as a surprise to nobody at all, a little shimmer of anxiety slid into Eventide’s emotions, and his face twisted in a perfect reflection of that. “But… are you sure you don’t want me to go with you? I mean, you’re going over to a girls house, and it’s a new thing for you, and-”
“Dad,” Beebee cut him off in a soft voice before stepping forward and wrapping his arms around Eventide in a gentle hug. “I know you’re worried about me, and it means a lot… but this is Apple Bloom we’re talking about. She’s messier than I am, and she’s my best friend,” he said before backing out of the embrace. “It’s going to be fine. I’ll call you when I get there, I swear.”
Eventide hesitated, raising his hands and opening his mouth to speak. He was no doubt fishing for another excuse he could make to delay Beebee’s departure, some other tiny detail to poke and prod and adjust to perfection. Beebee let his expression flatten in response.
Eventide stopped his fidgeting and let his hands fall to his sides with a defeated sigh. “I know, I know… I’m sorry, Beebee. I’m just worried that something bad might happen, is all. I mean, what if you lose control of your form while you’re there?”
“I can hold it for around four hours if I’m not tiring myself out,” Beebee pointed out, thinking back on the progress they had made at the park. “I think I’ll be good as long as we don’t do anything tiring.”
“And if they do want to do something tiring?” Eventide countered, shuffling uneasily on his feet. “You and I both know you can’t hold it for even one if you’re wearing yourself out. You’re a lot stronger than you were, and the trails have helped, but you’re still kinda…”
Beebee’s expression soured. “I’m still a twig, dad, I know,” he finished for him before crossing his arms over his chest. “I know… but they won’t ask me to do anything tiring. They know I get tired easily.”
“I know…” Eventide relented in turn, his shoulders slumping. “I just want to make sure, that’s all…”
A sudden knock on the door cut off any more conversation, and both Beebee and Eventide turned to face the sound. Beebee looked back at his father and smiled. “That’s my cue,” he stated before lunging in and giving Eventide one more hug. “It’s all going to be fine, dad. I promise. I’ll see you later, alright?”
“You’d better,” Eventide responded, hugging his son back and giving him a firm squeeze. A few seconds later, Beebee tugged himself back and out of the grip.
The two made eye contact for a moment, where Beebee gave Eventide one more nod of assurance before turning and jogging over to the door, leaving Eventide behind. His hand flew out and yanked the door open, and sure enough, there was Apple Bloom on the other side, dressed in a dark green t-shirt and pale blue shorts. She was just putting her phone back in her pocket, and a big grin spread on her face when she saw the boy that had answered the door. “Howdy, Beebee!” she greeted enthusiastically.
“Hey, Apple Bloom!” Beebee replied, stepping forward and throwing his arms around Apple Bloom in an embrace. Apple Bloom grunted from the impact, then chuckled and returned the hug.
“Hoo-wee! Yer gettin’ stronger, ain’t ya?” Apple Bloom commented once the hug broke off. She reached out with one finger and poked Beebee on the shoulder. “Got some actual muscles on ya, now. Those walks doin’ ya some good?”
“Yeah, but I’m still skinny,” Beebee bit back, only mildly annoyed at the second reminder of his frailty. He looked past Apple Bloom in the general direction of the woods, eager to change the topic. “So, we good to go?”
“Long as yer papa’s given the all clear, then yup,” Apple Bloom confirmed before leaning to the side and giving Eventide a friendly wave. “And howdy to you too, mister Eventide!”
Beebee turned to look at Eventide as well and saw the last fragments of trepidation and worry in his aura. All the same, Eventide held himself in check and waved back. “Hello, Apple Bloom. You two be nice, and you make sure Beebee’s home in two hours, alright?”
Apple Bloom gave a curt nod. “Will do!” she confirmed before nudging Beebee in the ribs with her elbow. “C’mon! Let’s go!”
“Right,” Beebee agreed before giving Eventide one last look. “I’ll be home soon, dad! Bye!”
“Bye, Beebee!” Eventide called after him as the door began to shut. Beebee had to resist the urge to roll his eyes and groan when he just made out Eventide shouting ‘remember to call’ through the door as it clicked closed.
He spun away from the door and noticed Apple Bloom giving him an unusual smile. Curious, he raised an eyebrow and started to walk down the path from his front door. “What’s with the face?”
Apple Bloom fell into step beside him, her hands remaining casually behind her back. “Oh, nothin’. Ah just think it’s real nice that yer dad’s lettin’ you leave the house like this fer a change. He’s really protective of ya, Ah noticed,” she explained before her expression softened somewhat. “Ah’m glad for it, honestly.”
Beebee glanced over his shoulder at his house, a brief flicker of uncertainty igniting inside his own chest. He’d walked with the Crusaders in the woods before, yes, and he’d played out here on his own many times. But this would be the very first time he would be at someone else’s house… and it had taken weeks to convince Eventide to let it happen.
As they drew closer to the woods, Beebee was unable to keep himself from feeling a similar wave of anxiety that Eventide had felt a minute ago. What if something did go wrong, he wondered? What if he lost control of his form? What if his only friends saw him for what he actually was?
He quickly snuffed out his concerns and shook his head dismissively. Putting on a small smile, he looked back at Apple Bloom. “Can you blame him? I’m his only son, and we live out in the middle of nowhere.”
Apple Bloom shrugged her shoulders. “Eh, point taken. Applejack’s the same way - er, well, she was when Ah was little,” she quickly corrected herself, her lips pulling back into a line. A small amount of vestigial irritation crept into her emotions. “Real overprotective… didn’t wanna lemme outta her sight for one moment. She’s gotten better as Ah’ve gotten older, though. She knows Ah can take care of myself, now.”
Beebee hummed thoughtfully but did not offer a worded response. He lifted his hands and rested them on the back of his head before breathing in deep through his nose. He let it out with a content sigh and smiled sideways at Apple Bloom. “Alright, so - your house?”
Apple Bloom nodded. “Mah house.”
Beebee had no complaints, and the two made their way into the woods, disappearing amid the trees and foliage. In the privacy of his thoughts, Beebee couldn’t help but think back on how he had met Apple Bloom in these very woods over a year ago. An injured leg, all alone in a ditch, covered in dirt and in so much pain... it had been a scary day. But thanks to it, he had grown a lot, in more ways than one.
He had trained himself to transform for long stretches of time, and as a result, he now had three great friends that he saw on a regular basis, and he was able to spend time with his grandparents on the rare occasion they came over to visit. His eyes briefly looked down at his human legs, and his smile grew. Once upon a time, he’d barely been able to stand under his own power, much less walk like this. He’d had to lean on others for support, but here he was now, walking along like it was nothing.
Although, privately, he still wondered how Eventide got around on these things so easily. To Beebee, it would always be incredibly awkward.
“What are ya smilin’ like that for?” Apple Bloom questioned, craning her head down slightly to appear in the side of Beebee’s vision with a curious look.
He blinked, pulled from his thoughts, and looked over at her with his smile growing even more. “Nothing. Just… thinking about how glad I am I met you,” he replied honestly before looking ahead. “I owe you, Apple Bloom. I owe you a lot.”
Apple Bloom hummed contentedly in response to that question but offered nothing further. There was, however, a steady flow of gold and small amounts of pink coming out of her, though.
Beebee was sure to subtly drink some of that down, relishing the taste.
The trip to Apple Bloom’s house had been made in relative silence after that, with only a few moments of small-talk scattered throughout. The forest had eventually thinned out, and they soon came out of it to the sight of a lovely two-story home with a barn house on its left-hand side. The paneling of the walls was a lively red color, with the support beams being colored a bright snow white. The roof tiles were a darker shade of gray.
It was a nice home, and Beebee had to spend a few minutes to just stare at and appreciate it. He only just remembered to borrow Apple Bloom’s phone to call Eventide and let him know that they’d made it, and that was only because the teenager had reminded him to do so.
After that, they went inside. Beebee had been momentarily taken off guard to find a stunning lack of any of Apple Bloom’s family in the building, to which she told him that they were all down in town for the next few hours. The only one who’d be back before Beebee left was her big sister, Applejack.
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were there, though, waiting for Apple Bloom and Beebee in the living room while watching - er, playing something on the TV. They said it was called a ‘video game,’ something Beebee had literally no experience in. He expressed as such, much to the shock of all present.
Scootaloo especially had been deeply offended by this revelation. She made Beebee sit down on the floor in front of the television, shoved a weird contraption with buttons and sticks into his hand, and insisted he play a round of ‘Smash Brothers’ with her.
With nothing else for it, he agreed. What’s the worst that could happen? he thought.
...Well, he could fail miserably, apparently.
“Apple Bloom, how do I video game?” Beebee complained, watching in despair as his character, a weird pink ball that he was told ate everyone else, walked uselessly into the wall on the screen.
Sitting next to him, Apple Bloom just giggled and leaned down to poke at one of the sticks on the controller in his hands. “Well, try pushin’ that one the other way so ya stop walkin’ into the wall,” she suggested, smiling sideways at him.
Beebee did as instructed, and to his delight, the pink ball walked the other way. He was so thrilled that he was no longer plowing the thing’s face into a solid surface that he didn’t even notice the gap in the floor… until the pink ball fell through it.
Said pink ball disappeared in a violent explosion as soon as it was off the screen.
Scootaloo, who was to Beebee’s right, raised one of her eyebrows while her aura was filled with abject bewilderment. “Huh… y’know, that’s the first time I’ve ever won a game of Smash without having to do anything,” she commented slowly before scratching the back of her head.
“Not very fulfillin’ is it?” Apple Bloom quipped playfully before her eyes fell on Beebee again. Her smile fell away when she saw the confused look on Beebee’s face, and how he actually looked a little upset.
“...So, I lost?” he eventually asked, lifting the controller and turning it over in his hands, searching it for any sign of what he had done wrong.
“Spectacularly,” Scootaloo confirmed before going about setting up a new match on the game. “Here, lemme get you a level that doesn’t have any holes in the floor…”
Beebee wasn’t really paying much attention. He let out a quiet breath and set the controller down before leaning back. “I’m not sure I like video games…” he grumbled in annoyance, his face dropping to match.
“Oh, come on,” Sweetie Belle urged in soft reassurance from behind him. ‘Don’t give up now! It’s really fun once you know how to play.”
“Honestly, what was your dad thinking, not giving you a console?” Scootaloo asked with a slow, disappointed shake of her head.
Beebee went to retort but ultimately held his tongue. It wasn’t worth it, he figured.
The group fell into an awkward silence as Scootaloo worked on the game, getting the next level set up, whatever that meant. Beebee shrank down a little, the tension in the air from his comment being tangible, especially to him. “...Sorry,” he murmured, closing his eyes.
“...Scoot over, Sweetie,” Apple Bloom suddenly said, shifting around until she was sitting behind Beebee. Sweetie did as instructed, sitting down behind and between the others, her eyes curiously watching Apple Bloom. The farm girl in question leaned forward, her arms reaching past Beebee’s waist and picking up the controller he had put on the floor. “Here, lemme help ya.”
“Wha- hey!” Beebee protested, his eyes snapping open in alarm when Apple Bloom pushed the controller back into his hands. She then layered her fingers on top of his and held them firmly in a comfortable position. He squirmed for a second, but then gave up when he remembered just how much stronger than him she was. So he did all he could and pouted at her. “What are you doing?”
Apple Bloom just let off an amused giggle, resting her chin on his shoulder so she could see the screen. “Teaching ya how to play Smash!” she declared energetically. “What’s it look like?”
Beebee just stared at Apple Bloom for several seconds, completely confused. Eventually, though, he decided to defer to her judgment. These three knew how to video game, and he didn’t, so they obviously knew much better how to teach him. He nodded before returning his attention to the TV, growing curious as to how Apple Bloom was going to teach him while practically hugging him from behind.
In the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Sweetie. He felt a rush of confusion when he saw just the most awful of teasing smirks spreading out on her face, and he inwardly blanched as he realized that her aura was glowing with some mixture of sadism and amusement. Why did he not like the look on her face? Why was it making him feel so uncomfortable? He shrank away from her, an inaudible whimper bubbling up from his throat.
“Sooooo…” Sweetie began in a slow, knowing voice, walking her fingers along the floor until she was leaning closer to Apple Bloom and Beebee. She fluttered her eyelashes at the farm girl and grinned. “That’s so cute… you comfy there, Apple Bloom?” she asked quietly.
Beebee’s confusion grew to new heights when he felt Apple Bloom tense up behind him, and an emotion he was not used to flowed out of her in gratuitous amounts. He thought it was… embarrassment? Apple Bloom sat bolt upright up and shot Sweetie Belle a sour look with a red blush on her cheeks. “S-Sweetie Belle! Shut it!” she commanded, though the slight stutter in her voice killed any authority it might have otherwise had.
Scootaloo shrugged her shoulders and grinned at them, apparently in on whatever the joke was. “Heh, I ship it.”
“SCOOTALOO!” Apple Bloom shrieked, her face turning an even darker shade of red.
Beebee’s expression blanked. “I don’t get it.”
“Then don’t ask,” Apple Bloom quickly stated, putting her chin back on Beebee’s shoulder. He felt the heat radiating off of her face and inwardly noted how much more intense than usual it was. “Just help me beat ‘em up.”
“Heh, sorry, Apple Bloom,” Scootaloo apologized, though the twinkle in her eyes made it clear that she was lying. “But it was just too good to resist.”
Apple Bloom’s cheeks puffed up while her eyes narrowed in indignation. She then spoke quietly into Beebee’s ear. “Y’all just pay attention to what Ah’m doin’ with yer fingers on the controller, and how it makes things happen on the screen, alright?” she whispered to him in a low, sinister voice.
Beebee felt a chill run down his spine, genuinely intimidated. Judging by the uneasy look on Sweetie Belle’s face, he wasn’t the only one. Beebee swallowed heavily and nodded his head. “...Kay.”
The next round began, and Apple Bloom led him by the thumbs into action.
Needless to say, Scootaloo lost that round spectacularly.
After allowing Apple Bloom to use his hands to absolutely demolish Scootaloo, Beebee began to play the game under his own power. He still made plenty of mistakes and errors, but he gradually improved with every match he played in. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom got controllers of their own after a while and joined in the matches.
Beebee never came in first place, but to be frank, he didn’t mind all that much. He was able to be in third once or twice, and by sheer luck, he got to be in second in this most recent match. He had squared off against Apple Bloom when Scootaloo made an error in judgment and fell off the map. The following duel had been one for the ages.
Beebee had to admit to himself Sweetie Belle was right. Once he had figured out what he was doing with the controller, it was a lot of fun. It was so fun, in fact, that he began to lose track of time, the moments between matches blurring together and the matches themselves feeling much shorter than they actually were.
Time would be reintroduced to the four of them when the sound of the front door opening up echoed throughout the house. Curious, Beebee rotated in place and looked over his shoulder. A taller woman with tanned skin and long blonde hair tied into a ponytail stepped into the living room. She had a brown Stetson hat on her head, and her emerald eyes immediately locked onto Apple Bloom. He paused, one of her eyebrows taking a trip up north.
Beebee offered a weak wave. “Uh… hi?”
The woman nodded slowly. “Uh, howdy…” her eyes then turned to Apple Bloom. “Apple Bloom, is this that Beebee feller ya told me about?” she asked, stepping into the room.
“Oh, yep!” Apple Bloom quickly rose to her feet. She cleared her throat and gestured at Beebee with a smile and a nod. “This is Beebee!” she then looked at him and pointed at the new arrival. “Beebee, this is mah big sister, Applejack.”
Beebee, remembering his manners, quickly stood up and nodded his head. “Hello! It’s very nice to meet you, Applejack. Apple Bloom talks about you sometimes” he said while folding his hands behind his back.
Applejacks considered him for a moment before her face lit up with a small smile, and the tension in her aura was replaced with satisfaction. “Well, howdy, Beebee. Nice to make yer acquaintance. Apple Bloom talks about you quite a bit, too, y’know.”
Curious, Beebee looked sideways at his yellow-skinned friend to find she was looking bashfully to one side while whistling an innocent tune. A small amount of embarrassment was floating off of her. “She does?” he asked, looking back at Applejack inquisitively.
Applejack nodded with a knowing look in her eyes. “She sure does. Although, lookin’ at ya now, Ah get the feelin’ she mighta been exaggeratin’ a little bit.”
Apple Bloom’s cheeks began to change in color to match the family name. She pouted at Applejack indignantly. “Applejaaack, please don’t! Ah just got done shakin’ off Sweetie and Scootaloo!”
“For the moment,” Scootaloo piped up, rising to her feet and clapping Apple Bloom on the shoulder blades with that mischievous look in her eyes again. “But you’re forgetting - we’re us. You’re not getting loose just because you smashed my butt in a video game.”
“I still don’t get it,” Beebee deadpanned, his expression flattening in irritation.
Applejack gave a bark of laughter before stepping closer to the group of four friends. “Well, that’s alright. Ah’m sure ya will when yer a little older,” she assured before her gaze shifted to look at a clock on the wall. Her smile fell away, replaced with a grim frown. “Oh, shucks. Is it that time already?”
Beebee followed Applejack’s eyes and, after a few seconds of squinting at the clock, realized that it was almost time to go. He couldn’t stop the groan of disappointment that escaped his lips. Sweetie, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom were similarly disappointed if their sighs and groans were anything to go off of.
“Time for me to go home?” Beebee questioned anyway, his voice quiet and resigned.
“Aaaw, but we’re having so much fun!” Sweetie Belle whined before shaking her head. “Ugh…”
“Can’t Beebee stick around a little longer?” Scootaloo suggested hopefully while stepping a little closer to Applejack. “C’mon, just one more game of Smash?”
Beebee glanced at Scootaloo and couldn’t help but smile in appreciation. He went to voice his agreement with the idea, so long as the Apple’s were in favor, but to his surprise, Apple Bloom beat him to the punch.
“Naw. Ah made his dad a promise to bring him home on time. If we stay here any longer, we’ll be late, and Ah’ll be makin’ a liar outta myself,” she said simply with a shake of her head.
Beebee turned to look at her, surprised. She had a look on her face of not just disappointment, but also commitment. Those two emotions were perfectly represented in her aura, adding a strange layer of confusion to Beebee’s own mood. He went to say something, but the words caught in his throat.
“Call yer dad, let him know we’re on our way” Apple Bloom instructed while pulling out her phone and handing it over to Beebee. She then turned to look at Applejack. “Can Ah walk him home, though?”
Applejack thought it over for a moment, humming to herself. She then shrugged and nodded her head. “Ah don’t see why not. Just don’t be gone super long, alright?”
“Ah won’t.”
“We’ll come too!” Sweetie added in eagerly, joining Apple Bloom’s side and nodding her head. Scootaloo took up a position next to both of them in a show of agreement.
“Me, too!”
With that decided, Beebee set about calling Eventide up to let him know they he was coming home.
The light of the sun was slowly starting to turn yellow as the sun began its gradual descent for the horizon. Apple Bloom and Beebee walked in silence while Sweetie and Scootaloo talked to each other in hushed voices. Occasionally, Beebee found himself looking up at the sunlight filtering in through the branches of the forest, appreciating the warmth and the colors.
More often than that, though, Beebee would look over at Apple Bloom with his face scrunching up in thought. She looked a lot happier now than she had back in the house. Maybe it was because she had calmed down from her earlier disappointment. Maybe she was just enjoying the fresh air and the time with her friends like he was. Maybe she was just enjoying the quiet. Either way, she seemed at ease.
So why did Beebee feel so uncomfortable? He looked down at his feet and thought it over some more, running through everything that had happened when Applejack had walked in. Everyone kept teasing Apple Bloom about something, though Beebee, for the life of him, couldn’t quite figure out what. Whatever it was, Apple Bloom had found it embarrassing.
But that didn’t bother Beebee, not really. He thought it over a little more, and finally, after almost a minute of just turning the cogs in his head, it came to him.
“Ah made his dad a promise to bring him home on time. If we stay here any longer, we’ll be late, and Ah’ll be makin’ a liar outta myself.”
Beebee looked over at Apple Bloom, his eyes widening somewhat. This time, she noticed his look, and her brow furrowed with confusion. “...What?”
Beebee quickly looked away, trying to find the words. “Sorry, I was just thinking about what you said before we left,” he explained, putting his hands into his pockets and doing his best to ignore the unusual feeling of his skin sliding inside his skin. He was never going to get used to his clothes being parts of his body, he just knew it.
“Which thing?” Apple Bloom pressed, raising an eyebrow and slowing her pace.
“Well, I was thinking about what you said about making a liar out of yourself,” Beebee replied hesitantly, his eyes darting over to observe Apple Bloom’s response.
Scootaloo answered for her, though, having apparently listened in to their discussion. “Well, that’s just an Apple Family thing,” she explained, moving a little ahead of them to get their attention. “Applejack pretty much drilled it into everyone’s heads to not lie if they could help it.”
Sweetie joined Scootaloo, nodding. “Yeah, and I think that’s really noble of them,” she agreed before looking at Apple Bloom. “Even if I think it can be noble to lie, sometimes.”
“Well, yeah,” Apple Bloom nodded her head slowly. “There’s a time and a place for lyin’. Protectin’ friends and family from a bad guy? That’s as good as time as any. But this wasn’t one of those times,” she explained before looking over at Beebee. “Most of the time, lies are bad. Nothin’ good comes of it if ya tell one when ya don’t gotta. If ya do that, yer likely to just lie again and again, until it spirals outta control and, sooner or later, ya got a disaster on yer hands that started with one little bit of deception.”
Beebee stared at Apple Bloom for several moments, considering her words. He felt his heart rate accelerate, and in his mind’s eye, just for a moment, he saw his true self looking back at him. Glowing blue eyes, ragged wings, long fangs, a forked tongue, holes in his legs… nothing at all like the boy he looked like now.
Nothing like the little boy the crusaders had gotten to know over the last year...
Beebee, feeling very nervous all of a sudden, licked his lips. “O-oh… you take lies pretty seriously, huh?” he asked, his voice hitching for just a moment.
If any of his friends noticed his sudden anxiety, they chose not to comment on it. Apple Bloom gave him a warm and tender smile. “Very.”
Her face was so warm and encouraging right then… under any other circumstance, it would have put Beebee at ease. So why was it that, right now, it made Beebee feel so cold and frightened?
He knew the answer as soon as he asked himself that question. It was simple… he’d been lying to her from the moment she had met him.
Beebee fell silent and looked forwards again, his mind racing at the implications, and his heart stirring in his chest. He was glad that the Crusaders couldn’t see emotions like he could because if they did, they would see the dense cloud of guilt steadily filling the air behind him as they returned home.