//------------------------------// // 5 – A Day Out in Filly // Story: Piece by Piece // by Krickis //------------------------------// Chapter Five A Day Out in Filly ⠀ ⠀ Life was strange. A month ago, Amber was being proposed to by a wonderful stallion whom they could never truly love. A month ago, they were still going by ‘she’ and they were pretty sure they would be locked into life as a straight mare for years to come. A month ago, life seemed simple and miserable, but now it was complicated and exciting. And while it may not be as significant as the other changes, a month ago, Amber thought they might never get to travel again. Now, they were on the train from Canterlot to Ponyville, and that was only one stop on the way to their final destination. That wasn’t even what really threw Amber off, though. What really felt strange was that they weren’t just going to visit. For whatever reason, Luna seemed to think Amber was ready to help somepony else who needed advice, even though they were themself still new to all this gender stuff. Well, they could worry about it if they wanted to, but that wouldn’t stop the train from reaching Ponyville. That was the nice thing about trains – nothing stopped forward motion from happening. “Arriving at Ponyville soon!” an attendant announced as she walked down the aisle. “Please return to your seats for arrival.” Amber was already in their seat, so they just turned to look out the window to watch as Ponyville drew closer. It had only been a few weeks since they were last there for the wedding, and they hadn’t expected to be back quite so soon. And they certainly hadn’t expected to be back for the reason that they were. Amber took a deep breath and reminded themself that Luna seemed to think they were the right pony for the job on this, and she did usually know what she was talking about. Whether Amber could see it or not, Luna could see something in them that made her sure of this. It didn’t really help; Amber kept fretting all the way to the station. They barely even knew what they were doing with themself, how were they supposed to help somepony else? Maybe Luna was just wrong this time. It had happened before… The train rolled to a stop and Amber wished it would just keep going. That was the bad thing about trains, they didn’t do what one pony wanted them to. Everypony started getting to their hooves, so soon Amber had to do the same. They shuffled out of the train with their eyes on the floor, but chided themself when they were outside. Whether they were ready or not, they still needed to greet the day head-on. When they picked their head up, they saw the pony they were here for quickly. Scootaloo was the center of a group, with ponies Amber recognized – Rainbow Dash, Spike, Scootaloo’s friends that Amber forgot the names of – and a few ponies they didn’t know. “Scootaloo!” Amber called out, catching his attention. Scootaloo looked up and smiled. “Hey, Amber. Thanks for coming to meet me.” “Of course,” Amber said as if there was nothing they’d rather be doing. It wasn’t that they had a problem hanging out with Scootaloo. The two had gotten along well enough when they met at the wedding, and his transition had also been an eye-opening experience for Amber. But that was just it. Scootaloo was the one who inspired Amber to question their gender, more or less. The other world’s Scootaloo, to be more specific, but still. The two of them were just as new as each other to this whole thing, so how was Amber supposed to help him navigate his gender? “I’m Scootaloo’s Aunt Holiday,” an earth pony mare said as she stepped up to bump Amber’s hoof. “Scootaloo mentioned you’re Princess Luna’s partner?” Amber was pretty sure they saw what was going on; Holiday was understandably concerned about a pony she didn’t know taking Scootaloo off to another town, just the two of them, so she was checking Amber’s credentials. The partner of a princess was probably trustworthy. “Yes, ma’am,” Amber said, shooting for politeness to hopefully ease her mind. “Luna introduced us at Twilight, Fluttershy, and Sunset’s wedding.” “And you two will be going all the way to Fillydelphia?” Oh yeah, she was definitely worried. Amber nodded. “We thought it might be nice for Scootaloo to go somewhere she doesn’t know anyone, that way she can try being more open without worrying about what others will think.” They felt a little bad using ‘she’ for Scootaloo, but Luna had explained that he still wasn’t out to anyone but his close friends and family yet, and the train station was too crowded to risk saying something the wrong pony might hear. Holiday still looked worried, but Amber knew she would be. Fillydelphia wasn’t close, and Amber was still a stranger. But at least Luna’s word must have counted for something, because she didn’t try to argue. And it seemed Scootaloo didn’t share any of her concerns. “It’ll be fine, Aunt Holiday.” “I’ve met Amber a few times,” Rainbow said with a smile. “Besides, she’s been friends with Fluttershy for ages. She’s a good pony.” “Uh, Rainbow?” Scootaloo said awkwardly. “I think Amber goes by ‘he’ now.” He looked over at Amber. “Er, right?” Before Amber could answer, Rainbow facehoofed. “Oh, right, sorry.” “It’s ‘them’, actually.” Amber couldn’t help but blush a little saying it. They tried to laugh it off. “It’s… weird, I know.” It was nice that ponies were making the effort, but they still felt kind of odd about the whole thing. It was awkward, they knew, especially since they’d chosen a pronoun that very few ponies went with. They were saved from talking more about pronouns when a pegasus mare stepped up beside Holiday. Whether because Rainbow had convinced her or because she just needed less convincing, she placed a hoof on Holiday’s shoulder and guided her a step back. “Come on, dear, let’s get out of their hair.” “Sure you don’t want us to come too?” one of Scootaloo’s friends asked. Amber was pretty sure she was Rarity’s sister. “Come on, girls, let’s give her some space,” Rainbow said. “Scoots can tell you all about it tomorrow.” “Have a safe trip,” Spike said. He knelt down to hug Scootaloo, and Amber remembered at the party they had talked about the fact that the two of them might’ve started dating. Amber wondered if it was true after all. They got their answer when Scootaloo gave Spike a quick kiss. The two of them must not have been dating for long, however, because Spike was left blushing from it. “Ready to get going?” Amber asked when Scootaloo pulled away from Spike. “Yeah, let’s do it!” Amber smiled and led them back to the train. Travel arrangements had already been made by Luna, at least – they had a private cabin, which would let them talk a little more freely. Amber had always preferred being in the public area with all the other ponies, but they had no idea what kinds of things Scootaloo might want to talk about. But it seemed Scootaloo might not be quick to talk at all when they took their seats. He had seemed fairly eager outside when he was surrounded by his friends, but now that they were alone, he seemed to feel just as awkward as Amber did. It was hard to tell if that made things better or worse. At the very least, Amber did have a pretty good idea of where to start. “So now that we’re getting away from Ponyville, we’ll switch to using ‘he’ and ‘him’ for you, right?” “I, er, I guess. If that’s not a big deal.” Amber smiled and sat down, patting the seat next to them. “Of course. And I know how you feel, I’m still getting used to mine too.” Scootaloo took the seat, but he looked away from Amber. “And… sorry about Rainbow. She’s been really good about my pronouns and everything.” “Hey, no sweat. It was a mistake.” Amber laughed. “You know, Luna’s actually been better about my pronouns than I’ve been. I keep slipping up, she’s even caught me a few times.” Finally, Scootaloo laughed a little too. “It’s a weird change to make. I… I have a question, if… if that’s okay.” “Of course it is.” Oh no, that meant he thought Amber had an answer… “Well, I guess… are you a transstallion too? Luna didn’t exactly say, and then you said you use ‘them’…” Ah good, at least that was something Amber could answer. “Not exactly. I’m genderqueer.” “Genderqueer?” “Yeah. I’m sorta like… in between, I guess? It’s… kinda hard to describe, but not like a mare or a stallion.” Amber felt dumb trying to explain it. Up until now, other ponies had been the ones explaining this to them. Luna had explained what she could, and then her friend had explained more. They were still getting used to nonbinary genders and couldn’t yet articulate what being genderqueer meant to them. “Oh, okay,” Scootaloo said, seeming to accept it at face value. “That makes sense. That’s really cool!” Amber smiled a little, glad he wasn’t pressing for a better explanation since there was no way Amber could have given one. “To be honest, this is all really new to me. I’m… not really sure I’m the best pony for this sort of thing, you know?” “That’s okay,” Scootaloo said. “I’m just kind of looking forward to getting to try being a little more open in Fillydelphia.” At least that was something Amber could help with. “I know some queer-friendly places we can go. I was thinking we could start with getting you some new clothes to look the part.” Scootaloo rolled his eyes. “I was never that into clothes.” “Well, yeah, but you always wore dresses and stuff. Have you ever worn a suit?” “Er, sort of…” Scootaloo grinned sheepishly. “I kinda… borrowed one, but it didn’t really fit.” “Right, so, you don’t have to if you really don’t want to, but I think it’s worth a shot. Trust me, suits are way better than dresses.” Scootaloo shrugged. “I guess I don’t really have anything to lose. Sure, let’s do it.” Amber nodded and felt a little more sure of the day. They were glad they’d cleared the air and pointed out that they weren’t an expert. Better to go into the day with the right expectations. And as long as Scootaloo was okay with the fact that Amber didn’t have all the answers, maybe it could just be a nice day out with a new friend. They could do that. “So… you and Spike, huh?” Scootaloo blushed. “Uh, yeah. We’ve been dating for a little over a month.” Amber snickered. “Aww, nothing to be embarrassed about. Just two cool guys being great together.” Scootaloo wore a goofy grin at that. He seemed to really enjoy being called a guy. “Yeah, Spike’s great.” Amber smiled. They weren’t really close to Spike, but they’d seen him every time they visited Ponyville since he lived with their other friends there. It was nice to know he’d found someone cool to date. “How’d he take the trans reveal? Or did he already know before?” “No, we started dating before I figured it out.” Scootaloo took a deep breath and spoke contentedly. “He wants to keep trying to make things work. I’ve been really lucky.” Amber nodded. “That’s great! I’m glad you have a good support group.” “Yeah, everyone’s been taking it really well.” Scootaloo grinned sheepishly and rubbed a hoof through his mane. “I think it’s a little like you and Princess Luna. Like, they’re all totally cool with everything, and I’m the one who sometimes worries about it.” “Yeah, I can understand that.” Amber wasn’t sure that they’d have any words of advice to give, but they couldn’t just leave the question unasked. “Have you been having a lot of doubts?” Scootaloo gave Amber a worried look. “I don’t know. A few, at least.” “I think that’s normal.” Amber shrugged. “Or at least, I know I’ve been going through the same thing. Feels like it would be a lot easier to just keep on being a mare.” “Yeah, exactly.” “But sometimes I just get hit with this wave of feeling like I’m finally being myself for the first time ever, and it’s just…” “It’s a great feeling,” Scootaloo agreed. Amber smiled, glad to hear Scootaloo had felt that too. “So what about you? Have ponies been accepting you being genderqueer?” Amber scratched at her neck. “Well, I haven’t exactly told many ponies. Luna has been of course, and she introduced me to a friend of hers who’s also genderqueer, who taught me a lot about it. And then I wrote to my brother about it, and he’s cool with it. And now you.” “That’s good, everyone’s taking it well so far.” “Yeah… My parents though…” Amber winced at the thought. Scootaloo frowned. “They don’t know?” “No, and I might just keep it that way. They’d never understand, they didn’t even approve of me being a lesbian.” “That’s awful!” Amber smiled, even if they didn’t really want to. “Yeah, well, kind of. But hey, at least I’m living in Canterlot now, so I don’t really have to worry about all that too much.” “Yeah, I guess…” Scootaloo stared out of the window. “I wouldn’t really want to tell my parents either. Not that it matters, I haven’t seen them in years. Not since Aunt Holiday and Auntie Lofty adopted me.” Amber nudged Scootaloo’s shoulder. “Hey, who even needs parents when you have other ponies who care about you? And from what I’ve seen, you have a lot.” Scootaloo smiled a little. “Yeah, I guess I do.” “Now departing Ponyville!” an attendant said from somewhere outside their cabin. “So, ever been to Filly?” Amber asked, hoping to pick up with a lighter conversation. It seemed to work, as Scootaloo smiled a little more. “Nope.” “Just wait, you’re gonna love it there!” As the train started moving, Amber told Scootaloo about the cool things they’d get to do in Fillydelphia. It worked to get them away from the heavy conversation, and helped Amber feel better about the day. Maybe they weren’t an expert on gender stuff, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t give Scootaloo a positive experience. The first steps into Fillydelphia brought a smile to Amber’s face. It hadn’t been long at all since they had left, but it was still nice to be back. It set their mind at ease a little about having left in the first place, reminding them that Filly would always be there. Although there was one part about Fillydelphia that she missed more than any other. “Hey, Scootaloo?” “Yeah?” Amber glanced away, hoping they weren’t about to ruin the day before it had really begun. “Do you think it’d be okay if my brother tagged along with us? He’s not that much younger than you, and he’s cool.” “Uh, sure I guess.” “Thanks. Sorry, I know today’s kind of a big deal, it’s just that I never get to see him now that I’m in Canterlot. Promise today will still be all about you.” Scootaloo laughed a little. “Hey, it’s cool. I don’t mind having one more pony with us.” Amber smiled and led the way through the streets. They told Scootaloo a little bit about Filly as they walked, leading them to the park where they had agreed to meet with Fox Glove as long as Scootaloo was okay with it. It felt a little wrong to meet up with him in secret, especially when their parents had said Amber and Fox Glove could see each other. But there was too much room for error with Scootaloo – what if one of them wanted to tag along? What if they wanted Amber to visit him at home? There was no way to tell they’d have privacy, and this day was supposed to be about Scootaloo. And anyway, whatever concerns they had melted away once they were in the park and a small purple pegasus waved to them excitedly. Amber waved back, then they both ran for each other. “Amber, you made it!” Fox Glove said as he hugged them. “Yeah, Scoots says you can tag along today,” Amber said, hugging him back. They pulled apart and gestured towards Scootaloo. “Speaking of which, this is Scootaloo. He’s Rainbow Dash’s little brother, and we’re showing him around Filly today.” “Oh, nice to meet you,” Fox Glove mumbled to the ground. Amber rolled their eyes and pushed Fox Glove forward. “Foxy’s a little shy.” “Nice to meet you too,” Scootaloo said, offering a hoof to bump Fox Glove’s. He accepted the hoof bump and gave an awkward smile, but he didn’t manage to say anything else. “So we were gonna start with getting Scoots a suit,” Amber said. Fox Glove gave them a confused look. “Can’t he get a suit anywhere?” “Yeah, but this place is cool. Come on.” They led the way without explaining further. They weren’t actually sure if Fox Glove didn’t notice Scootaloo was trans or if he didn’t care, but they didn’t want to draw attention to it when they didn’t know how Scootaloo wanted to present himself. For his part, Scootaloo seemed delighted to be talked about so casually as a stallion. At least, that was why Amber thought he looked so happy, since his outlook on getting a suit was at best indifferent. It was a nice stroll through town to the shop Amber had in mind. Amber indulged themself by asking Fox Glove the usual things about how school was going, and Fox Glove gave the usual teenage answer of “Fine, I guess.” Feeling bad about excluding Scootaloo, Amber tried bringing him into the conversation. “How about you, Scoots? How do you like school?” Scootaloo shrugged. “It’s okay. I go to school with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, so it gives us a chance to hang out.” Amber nodded. “Spike doesn’t go to school with you?” “No, Twilight homeschools him.” Amber chuckled. “Yeah, I’m not surprised.” “Being homeschooled would be kind of cool,” Fox Glove said. Amber was glad to see him joining in on the conversation with them. “There’s too many ponies at school…” “Yeah, wouldn’t you just love if Mom or Dad gave you lessons?” Amber said with a grin. “No,” Fox Glove answered quickly. “But it would’ve been cool when you were living with us.” Amber chuckled. “I dropped out, Foxy. I don’t think I’m qualified to teach anyone.” “What was it like dropping out of school?” Scootaloo asked. “Not as fun as it sounds. I was making all kinds of mistakes back then, and it took years to get back on track with my life.” It was a bit unexpected that Amber became the topic of discussion, but they didn’t mind. They told Scootaloo and Fox Glove about their journey of self-discovery as they travelled Equestria, which of course Fox Glove already knew about. It was a conversation that kept them busy until they reached the tailor’s. It was a small building with a pride flag outside, which was why it had first caught Amber’s eye years ago. Of course, the main reason she chose it now was the mare who ran it. They walked inside and were greeted by a gruff mare in a pristine suit. “Well, if it isn’t Amber Glow. And you finally cut off that ridiculous mane, too.” “Hey there, Dazzle. Long time no see.” Amber gestured towards the others. “This is my brother Fox Glove, and this is Scootaloo. Scoots came here from Ponyville because he needs a suit.” Dazzle looked nothing like her name. She was a plain earth pony with a mane shorter than Amber’s, and she had a rugged build. She had been a pony that once changed Amber’s views on the kind of mare they wanted to be, which is why it made sense to bring Scootaloo here. On top of running a very queer-friendly business, she was an expert on gender nonconforming apparel. “Well, you came to the right place. Step on up and let’s see what we can do. So what kind of suit did you have in mind?” “Uh, I don’t know.” Scootaloo looked to Amber for help. “I’ve never done this before.” “You’ve never gotten a suit before?” Fox Glove asked. “No, only... dresses.” Scootaloo looked down at the ground. Fox Glove’s mouth curved into an ‘oh’ shape, but Dazzle just grinned without missing a beat. “Well then you definitely came to the right place. Lemme see what I can do for you.” As she took Scootaloo’s measurements, Amber found themself even happier that they had come here. Even if she wasn’t trans herself, Dazzle was clearly used to the subject. “So how long you been out, Scoots?” “Well, I’m not exactly… out yet…” “Big day today then, huh?” “Yeah, we thought it’d be easier for me trying things out away from home.” “Makes sense. Here, lemme get your midsection.” Scootaloo followed her instructions as she told him to let her measure different places. “Interesting cutie mark.” Scootaloo lit up. “I got it with my two best friends. We’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” “Cutie Mark Crusaders?” Dazzle smirked. “Sounds important.” “It is! We help ponies figure out their cutie marks. Younger ponies come to us to try new things so they can get their marks, and we even help older ponies when they don’t understand what their cutie marks could mean.” Dazzle laughed. “Well, if I ever have cutie mark problems, I know who I’ll turn to.” “Uhm…” Fox Glove pawed at the ground. “Do you… would you be able to help me get my cutie mark?” Scootaloo must have really loved what he did, because he was beaming as he answered. “Of course!” Amber nudged their brother. “Since when do you care about getting your cutie mark?” Fox Glove blushed. “Well, I d-don’t really… I was just, you know, just curious.” “You’ll probably get yours soon.” Amber put their foreleg around Fox Glove’s shoulders, and he wriggled away. Since he didn’t want to be hugged, Amber whacked him with their wing instead. “I was around your age when I got mine, you know.” “I know,” Fox Glove answered with an eye roll. “I’ve heard that story a million times.” “I haven’t,” Scootaloo said. “How’d you get your cutie mark?” Amber grinned as they launched into the story. They always liked to tell it, even if for Fox Glove’s sake, they kept to the short version this time. “When I was thirteen, two of my friends got into a fight. I mediated between the two of them and got them both to open up to me. They both had something they didn’t want to say, but once I got the whole story from them, I was able to get them to see that it was all a misunderstanding.” “And then Amber learned that they’re super good at talking to ponies,” Fox Glove finished. “Not just talking to ponies.” Amber poked Fox Glove in the chest. “I’m good at getting ponies to open up to me.” “Yeah yeah, I still say they just like talking a lot,” Fox Glove said with a smug look. All at once, Amber felt a surge of emotion at Fox Glove’s words. They wanted to hug him, although they knew he’d just squirm away again. But it just felt really nice to hear that coming from Fox Glove. Sure, other ponies had been good about adapting to their new pronouns, but it felt different coming from Fox Glove. Better. If they had to choose, Fox Glove was the pony most near and dear to Amber’s heart, and hearing him use non-gendered terms for Amber so fluently really cemented it as the right decision. So naturally, Amber showed this by ruffling Fox Glove’s mane. “With how often you speak up? I have to talk enough to make up for both of us.” “I talk to you,” Fox Glove shot back. “Yeah, and Mom and Dad and that’s it.” “I have friends, you know…” Amber ignored his comment and grabbed him roughly by the shoulder. “Aww, don’t worry. Someday you’ll learn to talk, then you can get your own cutie mark!” Fox Glove grinned and pushed Amber away. “No way, if I got my cutie mark for that it might just be a picture of your dumb face! I need to get it in something cool.” “Cooler than my face?” Amber asked in faux shock. “That’ll never happen.” “Don’t worry,” Scootaloo said. “Whenever you get your cutie mark, I’m sure it’ll be awesome.” Being reminded that it wasn’t just the two siblings present seemed to snap Fox Glove back to his shy self. “Oh, uhm, thanks…” Scootaloo snickered at the effect, and Dazzle stepped away. “I think we got what we needed. Let’s see about actually getting you in a suit.” “Alright,” Scootaloo said. He was wearing a small grin. “I’m getting a little excited. I don’t think I’ve ever been excited about clothes before.” “That’s because you’ve never worn clothes from me,” Dazzle said. “Not wearing a dress probably helps,” Amber pointed out. Dazzle pointed a hoof at Amber. “If I designed dresses, he’d be excited for a dress,” she said, then disappeared into a back room. “I tried to get her to make a dress for me to wear to the wedding,” Amber said. “She said I was being dumb and to wear a nice suit instead.” “But… you did wear a suit,” Scootaloo pointed out. “Yeah, turns out she was right. I was being pretty dumb.” When Dazzle came back, she had a suit with her. “It’ll need adjusting, but if you want it for your big day today then we’ve got no choice but to go with one I’ve got on hoof.” Dazzle helped Scootaloo try it on, and like she said, it wasn’t a perfect fit. Still, it was undeniable that he looked quite dashing in a suit. “Damn, Scoots, you sure you’ve never worn a suit before?” Amber asked. “Because you are rocking it.” “Yeah, dude, looking good,” Fox Glove said. Scootaloo blushed and looked at himself in the mirror. Amber had been where he was now, and although there was no way to tell if he felt the same way, they remembered how they had felt. It had felt a little wrong, but in all the right ways. At the time, they had already known they were a lesbian, but there was something about defying gender norms that had felt just as right. Looking back on it, they could see that it wasn’t about looking like a stallion, and it wasn’t about looking like a mare in a suit. They had always been interested in existing somewhere in between. Okay, so that probably wasn’t how Scootaloo felt. But maybe it was something similar, because the way he beamed at himself in the mirror left no doubt that he was feeling pretty good about himself. And if there had been any doubt, he’d have erased it when he struck a pose. Facing the mirror, he lifted one foreleg to his chest and gave his most suave grin. Amber clapped their hooves, and Fox Glove soon joined in. Scootaloo turned to them with a blush, but he was still grinning. Dazzle told him to hold still while she adjusted the suit. Time flew by as Dazzle resized the suit. Scootaloo’s good mood was infectious, and they shared jokes while they hyped him up. When she was done, Amber paid her from the money Luna had given her for the day. They were all smiles on the way out. “This is awesome,” Scootaloo said as he examined himself again. “I think I finally see what Rarity likes so much about clothes.” “Oh yeah, gonna become a tailor now?” Amber asked with a smirk. “Well, okay maybe I don’t see exactly what she sees.” “So what now?” Fox Glove asked. “Hmm…” Amber considered Scootaloo, then they smiled. “I think I have an idea.” Scootaloo kept rubbing his hoof through his mane. Truthfully, he had always kept it short enough to be a stallion’s cut, but a new self-image wasn’t complete without a new manecut. It still curled up at the end, but it wasn’t as prominent now that he had less hair in his mane. That had been the second stop on their day, and then after that, they had gone to a tea bar. It was Amber’s favorite establishment in Fillydelphia, in part because of the theme – vaudeville, which was always fun – and in part because of the type of ponies that theme attracted. Needless to say, it was the type of place that didn’t bat an eye at the largely queer group. Amber thought it would be a good idea to cap the night off by just hanging out, but in a queer-friendly place. “So, Fox Glove,” Scootaloo said with a smile, “tell me about what you like to do. Maybe I can help you get your cutie mark.” “Oh, I don’t know…” Amber clapped him on the back. “Foxy’s really good at working with plants. Our mom is a florist, so it could be a family thing.” “I do not want to be a florist,” Fox Glove said defensively. “Why not?” Scootaloo asked. “Don’t like it?” Fox Glove looked between the two of them, then addressed the floor. “It’s okay, I guess.” “Hey, we’re not saying you have to or anything,” Scootaloo said. “Just trying to get an idea, you know?” “Why don’t you want to be a florist?” Amber asked. “Are flowers and stuff just not your thing, or is it, you know… because Mom’s a florist.” Fox Glove frowned, and Amber got the answer they wanted. “Wait, why’s that matter?” Scootaloo asked. “We don’t always see eye to eye with our parents,” Amber explained. Fox Glove looked away from both of the others. “I don’t want to follow in her hoofsteps. I’d rather… not even get a cutie mark.” “Hey, there’s lots of cutie marks you could get,” Scootaloo pointed out. “And if you like plants, there’s other things you could try. Like maybe you could be a wicked cool adventurer who goes around looking for rare plants!” “See, Mom and Dad have nothing on that,” Amber said with a nudge. “I guess not. But for that, couldn’t I just be a regular adventurer and look for treasure and stuff? That’d be cooler.” “Do you wanna be an adventurer?” Scootaloo asked. “I don’t know. It’d be pretty cool.” Fox Glove shifted in his seat. “But probably not.” Amber downed the rest of their tea. “Well, I think for one of us, today’s adventure is over.” “Aww, come on!” Fox Glove pleaded. “Sorry, but it’s getting late. We need to head back to the station, and if you’re not home soon, Mom and Dad will start asking questions…” Fox Glove sunk a little in his barstool. “Yeah, okay…” The boys finished their tea, and Amber paid off their tab. They left the tea bar and made their way back to the Fillydelphia streets. It felt a little bitter since Amber had no way of knowing when they might get to see Fox Glove again, but they kept their spirits high. They walked and joked together until they reached the street Amber’s family lived on, then Amber stopped them. “Okay, we don’t want Mom and Dad to see me, so I’ll leave you here.” Fox Glove frowned at the ground. “Okay…” “Hey now, none of that.” Amber wrapped a foreleg around his shoulder and gave him a noogie. “I’m dating Princess Luna now, so you know. I’m pretty much royalty. I’ll find some reason to come back.” Fox Glove laughed and beat Amber back with his wings. “Okay, okay! I’ll see you soon then.” “And hey, if you’re ever in Ponyville, come and find me,” Scootaloo said. He bumped hooves with Fox Glove. “Then I’ll get the other Crusaders together and we’ll really get to the bottom of your cutie mark!” Fox Glove nodded. “Mom and Dad probably want me staying away from Ponyville since they don’t really like the royal family there, but I’ll keep it in mind.” “Take care, Foxy,” Amber said. “You too, Amber.” Fox Glove seemed uncertain, so Amber stepped forward to give him a real hug. He hugged her back, took a deep breath, then walked to the house. Amber and Scootaloo waved him off, but they made their getaway before they ran the risk of Amber’s parents seeing them. “Thanks for letting my brother tag along,” Amber said as they walked away. “No sweat, he was cool.” Scootaloo wore a small smile. “You know, he’s the first pony who was ever introduced to me as a stallion. And he just… didn’t even question it.” “Foxy’s great about all that stuff.” “Maybe… maybe it means other ponies won’t care either.” Amber frowned. They wanted to agree, but they couldn’t really manage to. “Look, Scoots. I don’t want to scare you out of this. The most important ponies already accept you, you’ve hit a major step and come out on top. But you know, ponies haven’t always liked me being how I am, even before the genderqueer stuff.” “I know,” Scootaloo said sadly. “I’ve seen enough of Twilight, Fluttershy, and Sunset’s problems to know how ponies can be.” Amber hesitated. They didn’t know how confident Scootaloo was in his decision by now, but they knew he seemed really happy about it. “Well, I think it’s good for you that you’re not a prince then. A lot of their problems are because they can’t just ignore the backwards ponies. Like I said when we started, I’m no expert on gender stuff. But one thing I know a lot about is living as a queer pony, and you can watch who you surround yourself with. Like the tailor and the tea bar today.” Scootaloo nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. And you’re right that the important ponies accept me already, so I know that no matter what comes, I’ll be okay.” Amber smiled. “Good.” “Thanks for taking me out today,” Scootaloo said a little bashfully. “It helped me feel a lot better about myself.” Amber nodded as the pieces started to click into place. “You know what? I think it helped me too.” “Really?” “Yeah.” Amber laughed a little. “I bet Luna planned that all along. She’s always doing stuff like that.” Scootaloo quirked his head to the side. “Like what?” “I met with another genderqueer pony, right? Well, it was pretty cool. But… it was also a little overwhelming. They were so sure of themself, and I was so confused. I think… it’s a little easier hanging out with you, because we’re kinda on the same level.” Scootaloo smirked. “Heh, that sounds like Princess Luna. That’s why I wrote to her, she always has the best ideas.” “She had another one,” Amber said as they reached the station. Their train hadn’t arrived yet, so they took a seat. “What do you mean?” Amber had been unsure if they were going to go through with this plan or not. It was daunting, even more so than spending the day together had been. But now that they had spent the day together, it wasn’t so daunting after all. In fact, Amber was looking forward to it. “So you know Twilight and Fluttershy’s Unity program, of course.” “Yeah, with the journals and stuff.” Twilight and Fluttershy had initially started Unity to get gay ponies in touch with ponies who could support them. Since then, the goal had expanded to include other ponies in need, but their biggest use was still queer youth. And now, that included Scootaloo. “Well, how would you like to be my penpal?” Amber asked with a smile. “I’m pretty good at it. I was penpals with a colt for a few years.” “That… sounds awesome!” Scootaloo grinned, which spread to Amber. “It’d be great to have someone to talk to who gets all this stuff. Well, at least as much as I do.” Amber nodded. “Yeah, that’s what I was thinking too. I think both of us could keep helping each other figure things out.” They smirked. “And hey, then I’ll get to tell you when Fox Glove gets a cutie mark of my face.” Scootaloo laughed, then ended it with a content sigh. “This has been such a good day.” Their train was pulling into the station, so they would have to leave shortly. But for the moment, Amber put their hoof on Scootaloo’s shoulder. “And you’ll have a lot more good ones to come. Trust me.” Scootaloo nodded. “I do. Now let’s get back to Ponyville.” Amber stood up and led them back to the train that would bring them back to all the ponies waiting to meet the new Scootaloo. The two of them would figure things out, even if they had to do it piece by piece.