"I'm home!" Silver called as he entered Carousel Boutique.
"Oh, Silver Belle, darling, great timing!" Rarity exclaimed. "I was just about to start making your marefriends' dresses for the winter's ball and your tux! Just one second!"
The white unicorn mare hummed a bit as she hovered a measuring tape over, scribbling down measurements on a notepad nearby.
"Uh, Rarity, there's something I need to tell y-"
"Whatever it is, it can wait. What color would you like? I think a light blue would look absolutely divine on you!" Rarity exclaimed. Silver just nodded along.
"Aren't tuxedos usually black?" Silver asked.
Rarity paused. "I forgot you were a colt for a second there! I'm so used to making dresses - for Diamond Tiara and my friends - that I thought you were a filly! I'm sorry!"
"Actually Rarity, that's something to do with what I have to tell you." Silver admitted.
"What is it?" Rarity asked.
Silver inhaled. Here goes...
"I'm a trans filly."
There was a silence for a moment before Rarity smiled.
"Oh, darling, that's wonderful!" Rarity exclaimed. "Have you told anypony else yet?"
"No, just you." Silver said.
"Do you have a filly name yet?" Rarity asked. "Like Belle Chime? Both sound elegant and, well, you!"
"No, I don't. But those are good suggestions." Silver added. "Honestly earlier today I just felt like I'd never truly be a mare, like I'd just be stuck as a stallion forever. I stuffed my feelings down and forced myself to feel like it was just a phase."
"Oh, darling, why-ever did you do that?" Rarity asked.
"I don't know..." Silver murmured. "I just did.
"Well I won't tell anypony you're a filly," Rarity said.
"Do you Pinkie Promise?" Silver asked.
"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Rarity recited, doing the motions as elegantly as she could.
"Thanks." Silver smiled a bit.
"AB and Scoots are coming at 5 to model dresses," Silver added, "just so you know."
"Thank you, darling." Rarity said. "I won't make you do your homework. It must've been stressful, coming out."
"It was..." Silver admitted.
"I understand, darling. Coming out as a lesbian* to my friends was hard to do." Rarity mused.
Silver nodded. "Well I'm going to color or something. Thanks for supporting me."
"Of course, darling. I'll call you down when Apple Bloom and Scootaloo come over." Rarity said. The transfilly nodded as she walked up the stairs to her bedroom.
"Silver Belle!" Rarity called.
"Coming!" Silver exclaimed, stumbling a bit down the stairs.
"Hey Silver!" both of her marefriends exclaimed simultaneously.
"Well," Rarity hovered over the notepad with Silver's measurements from earlier, "I have Silver's measurements, I'll just have to get you two's, okay?"
The fillies both nodded. Rarity hovered over a measuring tape, scribbling on the notepad as she got their measurements.
"Okay! Now, what color would you two like? A pink could look nice on you, Apple Bloom. Ooh, and a pale yellow for Scootaloo!" Rarity hovered over a few pieces of fabric.
"Ah'm fine with anythin' honestly." Apple Bloom shrugged. Scootaloo nodded agreement.
"Okay! I'll get started on the dresses. I still have the ones from last year's dance, and I still have the designs, I'll just modify them a bit. Oh, this will be absolutely divine!" Rarity exclaimed.
The three Crusaders watched the fashion pony work, although Scootaloo seemed a bit bored.
"Are you done yet?" she asked.
"Actually," Rarity said, twirling around, "I am! Silver's first, of course!"
Silver awkwardly approached her sister as she hovered the dress on her, sticking her tongue out to focus.
Both of her marefriends gasped, blushing intensely. Silver giggled.
"Ah thought ya'd look goofy in a dress!" Apple Bloom exclaimed. "But yer beautiful, Silver!"
"Colts don't usually look good in dresses." Scootaloo agreed.
That simple word pierced into Silver. Colt.
That's all she was, and all she'd ever be. Colt.
Suddenly feeling woozy and tired, her marefriends rushed to her side.
"Silver!" both exclaimed.
"Darling, are you alright?" Rarity asked.
"Yeah... I think I'm sick, that's all." she murmured.
The older unicorn clearly knew what was actually happening, but just nodded. "You can go and sit on the sofa, I'll finish letting these two try on their dresses."
Silver nodded, sitting on the nearby sofa, feeling naseous.
All because of a simple word.