//------------------------------// // Adventure // Story: My Little Transition // by Sprocket Watchclock //------------------------------// The next morning started off rather well. Cogsworth was awoken by sunlight gently caressing his face, shining in from his bedroom window. He came downstairs to the smell of hay waffles being prepared by his father. His mother was softly humming as she tended to some of the flowers she had sitting in the windowsill. His sister was downstairs playing with some of her dolls which she has strewn across the floor in a haphazard pile. It was a saturday, so the school was closed. “Something smells good!” Cogsworth said as he trotted downstairs. “Your father is making waffles,” Lilly replied. “They’re almost done!” Sawtooth chimed in from the doorway. “I hope you’re hungry!” “Quite,” Cogsworth said as he plopped down next to his sister. “Mind if I join?” “Here, you can be this one,” Flutterbloom said as she pushed one of the few male dolls she had towards Cogsworth. “He’s busy doing colt things in his room right now.” “But I’d rather be this one,” Cogsworth said as he picked up one of the pretty mares in a glittery gown. “No, she’s mine, she’s busy getting ready for the ball” Flutterbloom said as she snatched the doll back from her brother. “You’re a colt so you can be the colt.” “Fine…” Cogsworth said, trying to mask the disappointment in his voice. “I’ll be the colt...again.” They played dolls for awhile until the breakfast was finished and their father called to them. Then they got up and trotted into the dining area, leaving a large pile of dolls strewn all over the floor. Shortly after, Lilly trotted in from the hallway and stepped on one of the dolls. There was a moment of pain written across her face followed by a scream. “You kids and your stupid toys I swear if you don’t clean these things up right now I don’t know what I’ll do!” Lilly said visceral. “Don’t hurt my dolly!” Flutterblossom retorted and rushed to the aid of her fallen, smushed comrade. She moved all the dolls into the box she stored them in and put them away in her room. “We aren’t going to play after breakfast?” Cogsworth said, masking the disappointment in his voice. “Nope, I’m done with dolls. Mommy is going to teach me how to plant flowers.” “I guess I’ll play alone then.” Cogsworth said. “Don’t touch my dollies when I’m not around,” Flutterbloom said in a snide tone. “I never said anything about your dollies, I’m going to play trains.” Cogsworth replied, making the snap decision as he said it. “Fine!” Flutterbloom said. “Fine!” Cogsworth replied. Later that day there was a knock on the door. Lilly answered it with a trowel in her mouth which was covered in dirt. As she did she was greeted by the face of a shocked and confused looking orange colt staring back. “GAH!” Braeburn said eyeing the trowel. “Miss, I’m not a plant!” “Mwff wffflfflfff flffff flffwwffll flwffwflfls,” Lilly said, the trowel muffling the words. “Wha?” Braeburn replied, confusion dripping from his voice. Lilly placed the trowel on the tea table by the door and said, “I was teaching Flutterbloom how to plant flowers. Come on in Braeburn, I bet Cogsworth would love to have you join him in his game of trains. He’s in his room, why not go surprise him?” “Ok!” Braeburn replied and trotted down the hall. When he got to Cogsworth’s door, he burst in and shouted “Howdy cousin!” Cogsworth jumped and threw something pink across the room, it smashed against the wall and slid under the bed. “AHHHH! Don’t sneak up on ponies like that!” “Sorry, wasn’t tryin’ to give you no scare, just thought I’d come over and see if y’all wanted to do somethin’ today.” “Sounds fun,” Cogsworth said, slowing the toy train to a halt using the plastic control mechanism. It whirred to a halt in the tunnel that ran under his bed. He trotted over and donned his second set of saddlebags, the ones that contained his exploring gear. “Let’s go exploring, I’m tired of being cramped up inside.” “Sounds like a plan to me!” Braeburn said as the two trotted out the door. After the front door closed, Lilly turned to Sawtooth and said “I’m glad to see Cogsworth getting some exercise for once.” “Eeeeyup” Sawtooth agreed. Braeburn hopped up on a fallen log. Cogsworth followed sheepishly. They were growing ever closer to the Everfree forest and Cogsworth was growing more and more apprehensive. He had heard quite a lot of bad creatures lived in the Everfree forest and he didn’t exactly relish the idea of running into one. Especially something large and dangerous. “Come on Cog, y’er fallin’ behind!” Braeburn shouted once Cogsworth was no longer in visual range. “Y’all don’t wan’na get too far behind out here. It tain’t safe.” “Braeburn, I don’t know if we should be out here, it’s getting dark and the Everfree forest isn’t exactley the safest place to be.” Cogsworth shouted back. “What are ya’? A sissy‽” Braeburn shouted. “No…” Cogsworth said, trailing off. “I just don’t wan’na get eaten!” Just then, there was a large crash, like something big fell over. “Braeburn! I don’t like the sound of that.” Cogsworth said as he caught up to his cousin, who had stopped dead and was staring at something unseen in the bushes. “Don’t move!” Braeburn whispered. “What is it?” Cogsworth whispered back. “Shhhh!” Braeburn replied. Just then, the bushes rustled and Cogsworth could see the body of a manticore move past. It seemed not to notice them and Cogsworth found himself too scared to move. The silence was deafining and the fear made what was only a few moments seem like entire centuries. Then, when it looked like the manticore would never move, it jumped! Cogsworth gasped, then the manticore rushed off into the forest, chasing after some unseen animal. “That was cool!” Braeburn said once the coast was clear. “I’ve never seen one up close before!” “Cool? Are you bucking kidding me? That was downright scary!” Cogsworth retorted. “Don’t be such a sissy Cog. It wasn’t after us. Manticore don’t eat ponies, they eat rabbits.” “Still, it could have killed us if it wanted to.” “Whimp!” Braeburn teased. “Come on Braeburn, I wan’na go home,” Cogsworth pleaded. “We just got here. Stop bein’ such a baby!” Braeburn replied. “I’D RATHER PLAY DOLLS!” Cogsworth shouted. “WHAT‽” Braeburn questioned. “Nevermind...forget about it…” Cogsworth whimpered as he slunk back behind a tree. “Did you just say…?” Braeburn asked. “YES! NO! I DON’T KNOW! STOP ASKING ME SO MANY QUESTIONS I WANNA GO HOME!” Cogsworth replied, tears dripping down his face as he did. “Well seein’ as ya’ just woke up everythin’ in the forest...I guess we can go home.” Braeburn said, the disappointment clear in the sound of his voice. “Ok then good,” Cogsworth said, promptly turning and trotting towards home. “This place gives me the creeps.” That night, Cogsworth had another nightmare. He found himself alone in the middle of the Everfree forest being stalked by a manticore. The beast dashed between trees and let out a piercing growel. It got closer and closer. Cogsworth whimpered. Once it got within striking distance a bright light pierced from the sky. Cogsworth found himself in the middle of a circle of ponies, each one looking just like his cousin Braeburn. Each one pointing their front hoof at him and laughing. “Sissy! Sissy! Sissy!” They teased. Cogsworth looked down at himself. He was wearing the pretty purple princess dress. He shrieked and began tearing at the thing, trying to remove the source of the ridicule, but the more he tugged, the tighter it clung to him. Then, when it seemed like the dream would never end, the same owl from the previous dream emerged and shreeked. Cogsworth snapped awake to find himself on the floor, writhing in anguish. His nose, tail and shoulders ached, almost burning. He tossed and turned and continued writing but it wouldn’t stop. Tears began dripping down his cheeks as he continued fighting every fiber of his being. Something was wrong with him and he didn’t know what, all he knew was it hurt and he wanted it to stop. Just when it seemed like the horrible sensation could get no worse, he remembered how the whole adventure with the manticore had began. He hopped up, reached behind his bed and pulled out the pink toy he had tossed their earlier. He caressed the pretty pink princess doll he had borrowed from his sister without her knowledge earlier in the day. Somehow, something about it just made everything seem much less painful. For some strange reason, he found comfort in her. He found that just caressing the doll was enough to calm him down and before long he drifted off into a deep sleep, one where his dreams were of castles, ballgowns and galas.