//------------------------------// // Belgian Waffles Happy Life // Story: Belgian Waffles Happy Life // by Buttery Biscuit //------------------------------// Belgian Waffle sat on an uncomfortable examination table. The thin paper sheets crinkled under his thick hooves.  'I’d be shocked if this terrible paper protected anything' he thought to himself. Belgian smooshed the thin slices of paper, his blue hoof just slightly duller on the other side. He continued to crinkle the paper between his heavy hooves, his gaze watching the muscles work as pressed them. His body changed so much since the procedure but he didn’t regret it, not even a second. Even when his anatomy shifted painfully, even when his hoove throbbed with soreness, even when his voice sounded like a squeaky toy. Belgian smiled, he would not miss using a step stool to reach his favorite cereal.  “Mr. Waffles." A unicorn doctor greeted, stepping into the room. "Good to see you. Let's get this checkup started." She said a loud squeak sounding as she sat down. Merry, the young dark green mare with light pink curly hair, ran the only gender-swapping facility this side of Equestria.  "How have you been adjusting?" Merry asked, the chair clacked against the uneven tiles as she adjusted a magnifying glass. She parted her patient's fur, running her hooves through it genty. Her magic hummed as she continue to increase the magnifying glass to see the lines of purple and green magic weaved through his hide. "Good, weird but good. Everything's changed; my voice and my body. It's like I had twice the puberty!" Belgian chuckled. Merry chuckled too, "we get that a lot it's all normal." She spoke as moved down to his cutie mark. She enhanced her tool as far as it would go, smiling as she saw no magic residue. Her chair clicked loudly as she switched to the other side, still a blank flank. Merry parted the fur to see no magic running through the other side.  “I have good news and bad news. The good news is your new cutie mark has been set although it is extremely unusual to only be on one side. It has happened before but mostly to gardeners and forest talents. It should cause no future medical issues but I’d like to keep an eye on it. Your spell is pretty much set, the magic is faded and light. Congratulations Mr. Waffles.”  “Now for the best news, you may now come and go from the facility. Unfortunately, you have to stay until the spell is completely gone and we're sure your mark has stopped spreading.” Merry levitated the magnifying glass down and listed a stack of signed documents. “This is the paperwork saying you can leave when you want, and ID’s to get back into the facility.”  Belgian chuckled, “twinzies,” he said as he brought out his lofty amount of paperwork, handing it to the doctor. "This is why you're my favorite patient; shhh don't tell the bar of medicine I told them they were my favorite." She chuckled. Belgian snorted. "Your secret is safe with me."  "Fantastic. One more thing this is for you." Her magic hummed as she pulled a white paper bag out of the brown cabinets. "It's contraception you will need to take both kinds for a month. After that, it'll be just fine. It's now safe to experiment if you catch my drift." Belgian's eyes widened, face reddening than a ripe tomato on a summer's eve. He quickly grabbed the white paper bag. "Uh, thanks." The doctor lightly chuckled, "go have some safe fun and call me if there are any issues." She hopped up from the small black chair. Trotting the door. "See you in a few weeks.'' She waved, leaving to see another patient. Mr. Waffles was another successful and happy patient. Nothing could make her happier than that. Belgian smiled, his face still warm, there were so many things to try. That smile held as he trotted out of the doctor's office with his prescriptions in his bag. He opened hospital doors to the courtyard beaming with life. 'Loud,' he thought, the hospital village made the outside world seem on high volume. Life bustled all over, ponies trying to brush by him, others shipping at nearby stalls.  Belgian lightly whined as it quickly became too much. His heavy hooves clacked against the cobblestone pathway. The wind gave way to a harsh whoosh instead of the voices of thousands. Walls and buildings morphed into one cohesive color.  His stress became pure glee as unknown streaks of color passed him. Never did Belgian feel such pure speed. The walkway gave way to gentle clouds as he dashed through the streets. He even jumped higher than before, so strong, so hoofsome. Belgian jumped high and felt the weight of his fur gently push up upon his descent. Never did he think such pure bliss would come his way. Completely at peace within his own body.  Crunch! He crashed headfirst into a large wooden fence post. His muzzle blushed bright red as Belgian realized he had gotten carried away. He fumbled the pieces of wood to look at least passable before trotting away.  "Ding! 20 points, an elephant for you. Step right up, the strong win a prize." Belgian looked over at a modest fairground. Containing more than four rides and three games. "I'll have a go,' his voice vibrated through his chest, something he would have to get used to. Belgian trotted up to the stand, hoofing over the mandatory two bits.  An evil smile crept over the carnival pony's muzzle. He handed his guest a padded hammer and stepped back to watch him fail. Belgian concentrated, taking a deep breath he lifted the hammer. His muscles pulled working together as he smacked the weight. A loud crack sounded before the metal ring hit the bell right off the game and onto the ground. Belgian could help but smile as he looked at the damage. First the fence, now this. It felt like these once heavy objects were lighter than air.  The carnival pony's jaw dropped. No one broke through the nailed wooden board in the back. That's why no one got the grand prize. "Congrats, here you go." He said handing over a large plush bear. "Thank you, sorry about your game." He said throwing the large prize over his back. Even with how tall and broad he was, that bear could fall over at any moment.  "Don't worry about it." The carnival pony said. There was nothing he could do about this. No pony outside of carnival staff knew the rigged secrets of the game. His boss would be livid but anything was better than an angry mob. Belgian grunted as he approached a small forest of trees, out of sight of the carnival. He flopped the big bear down onto the ground and sat across from it. Taking out a bottle of water he took a bear-lugging break. Birds chirped and time flew as he watched the goers of the carnival. He taped his bad, running his hoof over the pills the doctor gave him. "Hey, good looking are you a 10 because you're pretty and you're the only ten I see?" Belgian awkwardly smiled at the bear and threw in a wink. Immediately he groaned. "That was awful..." he stared at the bear some more. The practice did make perfect. "Hey, um are you single because I am single." He shuddered, he never knew how terrible he was at this. Before he was always approached, and he did not miss that. "Your a mare and I can take you out for a good time." He awkwardly grinned at the bear before burying his muzzle in his hooves. "I have the worst game ever." Belgian laid against the rough tree, not that he minded. "Hey you are soft and fuzzy and I would like to see you bear naked." He snorted and scoffed "I think I would get bucked in the muzzle for that one. I'll get a mare friend when you start speaking." "That wasn't so bad," pink magic surrounded the bear wobbling it back it forth as a voice spoke from who knew where, Belgian screamed and slammed back into the tree, cracking it. "Ow." He rubbed the back of his head. "Ohmygosh. I'M SO SORRY!" A blue mare came bounding out into view. "I thought it be funny and it might give you a laugh. You seemed down. Why are you flirting with a bear?" "I was trying out some stuff I read in a book, it's not really me." Belgian groaned as he got up, shaking himself off from the sudden impact. "I'm sorry you had to see that." "Well don't be. This is much more interesting than manning the unused candy grass stand." She pointed to the stand, the only thing with a direct line of sight into the woods. "Come on big guy, go for it." Belgian rubbed his hooves together, blushing hard as he realized she had been watching the whole time. "Mm your mane is nice and your pretty a ten so we should get dinner." He cracked a crooked smile. His eyes darted back and forth and he couldn't be tenser. "Oof, ow. That was...really bad. Like this," She hummed in thought before shooting a devilish smile. "You very strong, perhaps you should break my bed sometime." "HMEKRJOIEJIFJW," Belgian stuttered his muzzle bright red at the vivid image. The mare snickered, "My name is Scarlet Snow, it's nice to meet you. Perhaps I can give you some pointers over dinner?" Belgian rubbed his hooves together, "you are very forward.." As red as his muzzle was, he couldn't help but be impressed at her sheer gut. She sighed "I understand, you're not interested." Scarlet always went too far when approaching stallions, she wasn't trying to. It's just, that when she found someone she liked she didn't want to beat around the bush with courtship. It was filled with too many what-ifs, and will they won't they, for her liking. "Wait...I don't mind. I could actually use it." He lifted the bear up and flopped it in front of the mare hooves. "I am uh, I suppose you can say I'm not very good at flirting. Is this a good payment for your services?" Scarlet smiled and gathered up the bear with ease, "yes!" She squeaked and her tail flopped she slightly dragged the bear beside her. "How does Dragon's Dungeon sound?" "Oh that new bar, haven't been yet. Sure." Belgian smiled relaxing a lot the blush left his face and turned into a smile. At the very least he made a new friend, and that was always nice. He was putting too much pressure on himself. All he had to be was him and he was sure, that one day it would happen.