//------------------------------// // Warmth and Welcome // Story: Out With the Old // by PoppyThePegasus //------------------------------// True to what Twilight had said, the plumbing to the house was still in the process of being set up, and we subsequently traveled back to Twilight's castle to stay for the evening, and the following few days. As we sat, conversation spread happily around a large table alongside Ada, Twilight, her marefriends, and the other mares we had met before. I shrunk into my seat a little, but Sunny stuck by my side without me needing to say anything, keeping my confidence from dipping into 'escape mode'. Every time she saw me retreating, she shifted her attention to me, checking if I was okay, before continuing on with her conversation. A small, purple dragon with even smaller wings, entered the room, carrying a platter of roasted vegetables, steaming softly from the oven's heat. "Evening, ladies, " the dragon spoke with a child's cadence, "your dinner is now served!" "Thanks, Spike, this smells amazing!" Twilight chirped and the sentiment was echoed by the others at the table. I couldn't help but still feel nice every time I was referred to with feminine terms, even in a group like Spike had just then. Once we had finished with our admittedly delicious meal, we retired to our quarters for the night. Twilight had given us first choice of the guest rooms and, as expected, it was taken as a given that Sunset and I would be staying in the same room. As the night wound down, and we had settled into our dwellings for the evening, I sat on the bed and watched idly as Sunset brushed her mane. Her hooves deftly maneuvered a toothbrush over her teeth while her magic pulled the comb through her scarlet and golden strands. My gaze drifted to her face, reflected clearly in the mirror she was grooming herself in. Even with sleepy eyelids, drooping with the weight of oncoming rest, her bright teal irises shone through the dim light of the room. She was beautiful. Her gaze caught mine and she smiled sleepily, winking at me before going back to her evening routine. I curled up, hiding my embarrassed face from Sunny as she finished before stepping over to the bed, her hooves softly echoing off the silent and cold crystal walls. Even in this castle full of other ponies, right now it felt that no pony else existed except us two. "Hey, is something up?" I heard her say from behind me, a hoof reaching forward and stroking my wings. I felt myself immediately melt at her touch, my feathers ruffling instinctively. A pang in my chest, one I knew all too well, and I pulled away from her. "S- sorry, I… is it me?" Sunset's voice cracked, and I couldn't help but turn over to face her, despite my conflicting emotions. "If I've done something wrong, you can tell me." "No." a hoof touched hers, having found its way there regardless of my conscious intentions. "No, Sunny, I just…" How could I tell her how I was feeling? How could I confide in her, of all ponies, even though she sat here before me, eyes focused intently on mine, offering to hear me out? I couldn't pull my gaze from her, eye contact suddenly feeling good instead of awkward. Something I had only experienced before with… "I don't… I don't know how I feel." "About what?" "Us! This! The thing we're doing, you know?" I gasped, and Sunset looked back confused. "I'm not too sure what you mean, I think–" "You're messing with me, right?" I laughed in exasperation. "Sunny, we've been… staying in the same bed together. We've been talking and hanging out all the time, you sit next to me at every single meal, and you've been… winking at me!" "I wink at everypony." "Not like that, you don't. And I just suppose it's a coincidence that everypony just thinks we're dating already? You gave me an adorable nickname just this morning, and it… gosh, it made me feel like you were just teasing me, trying to get me to break first." She laughed nervously and I frowned at her. "Look, I'm sorry, I j- just thought it was cute! Not to mention, you're the one who started calling me 'Sunny' first. N- not that I'm complaining. I just… I want to know what you want; how you feel." I pulled myself closer to her, shuffling over the rumpled sheets. "I… I don't know what I want. Everything has been happening so fast, and I've known you for like, a week and a bit, but I can't deny the way I feel. And… I'm feeling something." "Poppy, I… oh stars, I'm so bad at this." Sunset hung her head, though she didn't pull away at all, instead shuffling closer to me, our coats almost touching. "I m- mean, it's up to you, I just think you're cool and n-nice, but it's your–" "I want you to say it, Sunny." I sobbed, my overwhelming emotions finally spilling forth. "I can't be the first to say it. I can't… I can't go after somepony again. I was an absolutely horrible partner, I just didn't know what I wanted and I fucked up so much. I can't trust myself, after everything that happened with Ada, I just– I can't." Sunset stiffened at my touch, biting her lip nervously. If I had any ability to read faces, I might be able to tell what this nervousness meant, but all I could do was wait. And wait. "It's okay, you don't have to say anything. I mean, if you don't like me, that's okay, and I-I can move on with my life." What had I done? I had all but screamed my intentions to her. Her eyes darted back and forth between me and her twiddling hooves. She sat in silence for a few moments more, taking a deep breath in and out, her face relaxing before turning to face me once more. "I'm… I'm in love with you, Poppy." With those words alone, the dam within me broke. I felt the flood of happiness spread through once more, filling my every being, and my body exploded with bliss. I launched myself forward and held Sunny in my forelegs, fully and openly taking in her warmth. My legs kicked out backward in sheer joy, stimming and shaking with the rush of endorphins flooding my entire self. I hummed happily and without repressing anything. Sunset laughed with joy and relief as her forelegs wrapped around me and pulled me closer. I laughed too and felt my muzzle sink deeper into her fur, fully taking in the subtle, sweet smells that her body naturally gave off. It was distinctly horse, distinctly her, and it filled me with a deep joy as I breathed deeply once more. It reminded me of happy times, of all the moments of intimacy and closeness that had been trickling in throughout the week. The night we had stayed up, talking about our shared desire to be a pony. The morning she brought me food and we ate together side by side. The many times I had woken up to find I had crawled closer to her in my sleep, or to find that she was beside me despite falling asleep alone. I relaxed my body fully, finally slowing my heartbeat enough to comprehend what had just happened. Sunny's hoof brushed over my mane, compressing the curls with each soft stroke. "So…" "Hm?" "This means you lov– that you like me too?" Sunset stammered out, her usual bravado and confidence having melted away to reveal a nervous filly, as new to this as I was. I giggled and looked her in the eyes. "Yes, Sunset. I love you too." I learnt forward and placed a soft, dainty kiss on Sunset's cheek. I watched them redden until she shoved her face into her fetlocks, a reaction not unlike what I was used to doing. "I-I was so nervous, I thought you would think I was some kinda creep!" Sunset let out with a wobbly laugh, peaking out from behind her fetlocks. "Seriously? But you seem so confident, how could you possibly be nervous?" "Ever heard of masking?" Sunset grinned for a few seconds and then fell back to her nervous smile. "That shit is the only reason why everypony doesn't see me as a nervous wreck, but I am! I'm still nervous right now. What if I screw this up? You're like, kind and sweet, and you're really pretty too, I just feel like I'm not good enough for you. I have the same fears as you, like… what if I hurt you? " "Well there's nothing to worry about anymore." I leaned forward again and felt my lips instinctively drift towards hers, unexpected bubbles of joy spreading through me as the short kiss came to a close. Even that tiny contact, that small instant of intimate connection, and I had melted into a putty once more, giggling like a child at how raw and pure this feeling was. "I don't ever expect a relationship to be perfect. You have my answer, Sunny. I love you." "Y- yeah?" "Yes." "For real?" "Yes, for real." Sunset looked at the back wall, her forelegs still wrapped around me, while her expression hung loosely in a surprised smile. I felt very similar, almost in shock that we had found ourselves here after I expected tonight to end like every night prior had. "This is real." Sunset laughed and turned her gaze back to me. "I'm a horse." "Me too." I giggled in reply. "I'm actually, really a mare, and now I have a marefriend." Hearing that word finally be used in reference to me hit harder than I could have anticipated. Not just a girlfriend, but a marefriend. I had a marefriend! "I guess… That makes us gay, right? I always wanted to be gay." Sunset said with a deadpan, earning a laugh from me."Guess my brain never understood that I could like girls and still be gay. Well, before I was a mare." "Hell yeah, me too. I think even using the word lesbian just… feels nice." I said as I planted my face into Sunset's coat once more. I rubbed my face all around, nuzzling her and cuddling with her warm, soft form. I sighed in relief, incredibly happy that this night had not become some awkward confrontation. I had no idea what I would have done if she said no, but luckily for me, I didn't have to contend with that possibility. "I'm gay for you, Poppy Star." I laughed again and looked back up at my new marefriend. Marefriend! "I'm gay for you too, Sunset Shimmer, like, so gay it's unfathomable." She returned the chuckle and closed the distance between us, hugging me tightly and nuzzling against my fur. She hummed in contentment, the vibrations of her deep voice spreading throughout me. It was incredible, feeling so close and warm, so content and truly at peace for the first time in ages. I couldn't help but think back on how Ada and I had been around each other, particularly in these last two months. That distance, the cold and nebulous wall between us was in stark contrast to the warmth that Sunny radiated. She bent down to kiss the top of my head every few minutes, each time filling my tummy with bubbles and sparkles of joy. I leaned my ear onto her barrel, her powerful heartbeat racing in my ear. My eyes fluttered to a close and I fell into the strong rhythm of her heart, pulling my mind deeper and deeper into relaxation. All worries disappeared, all sounds, all of the tense feelings that had collected in me. Everything except the sound of Sunset's lungs breathing in and out, and her heart beating, slower and slower as she too fell into the warmth of my forelegs. "Thank you, Sunny." I whispered sleepily, my words hardly audible through the muffling of her fur. "Hm?" She muttered. "Why're ya thankin' me?" "For loving me back." She pulled me even closer, my entire being seeming to meld with hers as sleep began to take me. I felt her kiss the top of my head once more as I drifted off, head rising and falling with Sunset's breathing. "There was never any doubt." I woke with my face surrounded by a soft, golden embrace. Its warmth filled my vision and my senses, an unconcerned hum escaping from my throat. The warmth moved and spoke at me. "Hm?" I questioned it, pulling myself closer, conscious thought slowly returning to me as I began to remember the events of last night. I smiled, finally recognising the warm mass I was cuddling with as Sunset, one of her hooves tapping on my wing rapidly. "Uh, Poppy? Wake up please." She said with a somewhat panicked tone. "Mmm, morning Sunny." I pried myself from her slowly and yawned, stretching my forelegs out. I felt so wonderful, so refreshed! I hadn't had a night of sleep that restful in years. I opened my eyes properly after rubbing them free of sleep, only to see Sunset grinning awkwardly at something across the room. Spinning around, a pit dropped in my stomach at the sight of Twilight standing in the doorway, her eyes wide and her smile wider. Uh oh. "Oh my stars!" She snapped back, her expression changing immediately to one of extreme embarrassment. "I– I'm so sorry, I should have knocked, I usually always knock, Spike gets so mad at me when I don't, and this is the first time I've forgotten in years, I'm so–" "Twilight!" I shouted an interruption, "I– It's okay, I just, uh…" I looked awkwardly between Sunset and her, a no doubt similarly anxious expression on my face as was on Sunset's. "Can- uh, can we help you?" "Oh! Yes, that's right, I came to tell you that breakfast is ready; oh, and that the house will be ready to move into by tonight! A few townsponies heard about your plight and decided to volunteer!" "Oh wow, r- really?" I sat there, shocked. There were ponies in this town this willing to just drop their plans to come help prepare a house for some strangers they'd never met? Equestrian ponies surprised me every day with a new way to help me feel welcome. "Isn't it great? I hope you don't mind, Poppy, but a few of them wanted to come to your welcome party and I tentatively told them yes." "Oh, y- yeah!" My heart fluttered. They really wanted to meet us? "Of course!" "Yay!" She chirped, clopping her front hooves together happily. "Oh, and don't worry, I won't tell anypony else." She hopped up and walked out, closing the door behind her without another word. We sat there, neither of us saying anything until slowly laughs overcame us. I fell forward into Sunset's forelegs, planting my face firmly into her slightly longer chest fur, giggling all the way. "I guess that's one pony we don't need to announce anything to." Sunset said, a hoof ruffling my mane. "Yeah." I said with a playful huff. "Whether we like it or not, apparently." "I think she could see it coming." "Seriously?" I grunted "How did everypony except me see this coming?" "Wait, who else saw this coming?" I froze. "Oh, ah… Ada." I pursed my lips nervously as Sunset looked back at me incredulously. "You're kidding me. How did she react?" "I think she's the same as me, she just kinda wants me to be happy after our divorce, so she uh… encouraged me." I let out a nervous chuckle. "I told you, I'm not the best at sharing my emotions, but I'm also not the best at hiding them, I–" I felt a hitch in my throat. "I think I was crushing on you for… for a while." Sunset's hiring grew cheeky and she raised an eyebrow at me. "Oh really~? I could tell it was only a matter of time until you would fall prey to my charms." "Okay, look me in the eyes and tell me with a straight face that you didn't have a crush on me either." "Oh no, I never said that." She smirked again, kissing me on the forehead. "Don't put words in my mouth, Poppy." "Th- then why were you- you're such a tease!" I bumped her chest playfully with a hoof. I left it there before relaxing my face and letting my head down, nuzzling up against her neck. "You love it." "I do, " I sniffed, "and I love you, Sunset Shimmer." "I love you too, Poppy Star." My tummy bubbled at the use of her new name for me and I pulled my muzzle deeper into her fur, absorbing the wonderful, sweet, and horsey smells of my marefriend. "We better get ready." "No." I snapped softly, pushing my snout into her warmth. "The others will start to wonder what's taking us so long~" Sunny's hoof trailed along my back stroking down along the base of my spine, across the soft down feathers of my wings, and as she reached the base of my tail, I gasped and pulled it in-between my hind legs. "Good point, okay, let's go!" I hopped up quickly, tail remaining in place as I walked straight out the door. "Wait, Poppy!" Sunset laughed as she chased after me. "Wait a second, your mane!" "What about it?" "I think you got a little too invested in rubbing your head into my barrel last night, your mane is a mess; here, let's give this a try." Sunset stuck out a tongue as her magic lit up, pulling on my mane softly and neatening up the shape. A nearby vase lifted from the table it was on, and the plain beige-brown cloth underneath was levitated toward us. Folding it over and pulling it under my mane, she collected my curls into a bun, tying the cloth into a shawl that held all the loose and annoying strands free from my face. "There!" Sunset grinned, eyeing me up and down as she took in my new look. "Wow, that actually suits you really well! I'll have to throw Twilight a couple of bucks to replace that cloth." "That's if she ever finds out. She's got a castle full of them." I joked with a sly wink, Sunset laughing in response and trotting after me down the hall. We entered the dining hall, pushing the large door open together, stopping when all heads turned to look at us. I bit my lip, preparing for the worst. Had Twilight told them about Sunny and I, despite what she had said before? I got my answer as the mares in the room greeted me calmly and with no hint of the excitement or noise-making that might have occurred if Twilight had blabbed. I breathed a sigh of relief and made my way over to the dining table with Sunset at my side. I couldn't help but notice the slightly overly excited expression on Twilight's face as we took our seats, but her mouth stayed shut. It seemed that the others had all gone home after last night, leaving Ada, Sunset, and I alone with Twilight and her marefriends. She chatted happily with Luna, while Starlight and Ada conversed as well. After we had been seated, we ate another one of Spike's home cooked meals, this time a plate of mushrooms that had been pan fried with various spices, and was letting off a wondrous aroma. I thanked my pony senses again for making what was definitely already a delicious meal taste even more intense and nice. The mushrooms were juicy and moist, each sweet and full of flavour. We all thanked Spike for yet another lovely meal, and slipped naturally into conversation with the other mares at the table. I sat mostly in silence, listening idly as the others conversed about things; life in Ponyville, the families and friends of the ponies we had met so far, with Twilight particularly focusing on how we should get to know Fluttershy more. She brought attention back to her multiple times, which left me wondering as to exactly why, but I didn't think too much about it. Ada seemed to be staring at me more this morning than usual, and once I began to notice it, I saw that the others were side-eyeing me too. Did Twilight actually tell them? Or am I that easy to read? "Nice headwrap. Very art 'decor'." Spike commented as he passed with a glass of juice and I felt my face redden. Of course that's what they were looking at… At least they weren't suspicious of anything, right? "So, what's the plan for today?" Sunset asked, wiping her face clean with a napkin after having finished her plate, "Well, I have a lot of friendship school related issues that need addressing, and I need to send a lot of letters… I've been shirking my duties while on Earth, so I have plenty to catch up on." "I tried my hardest to keep the place in order, but you know how they can be… " Starlight muttered, Luna reaching a wing around her and kissing her on the head. "You did amazing, my dear." Luna said as Twilight smiled happily over at them before turning back to us. "Unfortunately, there's lots of stuff that I need to be there to do, signing official documents and such, so how about you and Sunset go over to Fluttershy's cottage for a visit? I'm sure she would love to get to know you two better." There it was again. Why was she so insistent? I decided to nod along with Sunset in agreement. There wasn't any reason not to hang out with her, besides my anxiety telling me something was up. "S- sure, we can go soon, I guess." I offered my response. "Great! Ada will be helping us out with the reversal magic today, so feel free to explore the town as well." After breakfast wrapped up, Sunny and I made our way across town, stopping only once for a short talk with Applejack, and eventually finding the path at the outskirts of Ponyville that led to Fluttershy's cottage. I cautiously knocked at the door, listening out for any noises of movement inside, only for the door to swing open with no warning. I hopped back in surprise, Sunny catching me with a hoof before I tumbled any further. "Oh my, are you okay?" Fluttershy asked, a small white rabbit peeking around the door corner. "I'm sorry if I scared you." "Don't worry about it Fluttershy, I'm just… naturally anxious." I explained, Fluttershy giggling knowingly. "That's something else we have in common. Oh, how thoughtless of me, come inside and I'll get you both some tea." Fluttershy turned around and we followed behind her, Sunny shutting the front door for us with a twinkle of magic. What did she mean by 'something else'? As we took a seat on the couch, I glanced around at the cottage. It was warm and homely, the open window in her kitchen perfectly mixing the smells of brewing tea with the fresh scent of the nearby forest. A small wood fire burned in a stove, the flames boiling the cast iron kettle that sat on its surface. Fluttershy deftly maneuvered the tea bags and cups, surprising me with how precise she was able to be with such non-prehensile appendages. Maybe I could ask her, or somepony else, for some pointers. "How are you finding Ponyville so far, girls?" She called out from the kitchen. "It's great! Ponies here are so cool and nice. We caught up with AJ on the way here too." Sunset said, and I nodded in agreement. "I'm so glad! We try our hardest, but not everypony can feel like they belong here. I'm glad you two are able to feel welcome so far." Fluttershy smiled warmly, two steaming cups of tea held deftly on a serving tray. We took them and muttered our appreciation. "Thanks to Twilight and you girls, mostly." I added. "Knowing that there are even a tiny few ponies that are thinking about me is more than I'm used to anyway. Life before was hard. Hardly any friends, and the few friends I did have ghosted me years ago." "That's horrid!" Fluttershy gasped. "Well, I'm sure you'll meet lots of other nice ponies in time. Actually, that's kind of why I had Twilight ask you two here." Fluttershy started, her expression becoming slightly more nervous. "I- I'm not sure how much Twilight told you, but I'm also transgender." "No freakin' way!" Sunset jumped to her hooves, shocking me a little and almost causing me to drop my tea. "Oh crap, sorry Poppy, I just– this is so damn cool!" Fluttershy giggled softly and looked between Sunny and I with a smile. "I'm glad you think so as well. I know all too well what it's like to come to a new town without knowing any other trans ponies like me, so I wanted to extend a hoof before you began to feel alone." "F- Fluttershy, I don't know what to say." I smiled warmly at her, feeling a very similar excitement to what Sunset was feeling. "Thank you so much for confiding that in us. You didn't have to tell us." "Oh, I'm happy to! I used to hide it, but my friends taught me to how to confident in being myself, which includes being trans, and now I'm happy to share that with as many ponies as possible." "I'm glad we got the same philosophy! Being loud and proud is the way to go, if you ask me." Sunset grinned widely, her smile infectious. "I agree. The main reason I asked Twilight to invite you two here was to tell you that, but I also wanted to offer an open invitation to come to one of the queer meetups we have in Ponyville." "For real? That sounds like a great idea! What do you think, Poppy?" I didn't know exactly what I thought, but as always, I knew that I felt nervous. What would ponies think of me? There would be so many new faces, so much untread ground, but my desires echoed in my mind. I didn't want to be alone, or to be isolated from other ponies around me, ever again. "I- I wanna go!" "Oh, I'm so happy! There are so many friendly ponies in Ponyville. I can't wait to introduce you to Lyra and Bon Bon too! Lyra is trans and her partner is cis, but I think it would be great for you to meet another lesbian couple." Wait. "Uh, come again, 'another'?" "I also know how isolating it can be to not be around any gay couples either, but ever since I met Autumn Blaze, I've felt far less alone knowing lots of other gay couples. Hopefully it will be the same for you and Sunset!" "I– but, we're n– ugh, why does everypony assume Sunset and I are dating!?" I groaned in embarrassment. "Oh, you're not? I'm so sorry, I really thought you were! You two seem so close." I looked over at Sunset, heat rising in my face, and I noticed that we were, in fact, pressed close together on the couch. My instincts told me to pull away, but a yellow hoof wrapped its way around my side and pulled me closer. "We are! I think it just might not seem too real yet, since I only told her I liked her last night." Sunset answered for us and a shot of happy feelings spread through my belly. Having Sunset so confidently and happily assert our relationship to others was really nice, especially compared to how scared Ada seemed to even admit she had a 'husband'. "Really? Only last night? I'm so happy for you both!" Fluttershy smiled, her positivity infectious. "You're both trans too, right? That must be lovely. Dating somepony who relates to you on such a deep level is an amazing feeling." "That's how I feel too." Sunset said softly, nuzzling an ear with her snout and instantly causing me to melt into her forelegs. I was never one to reject PDA, but after Sunset and I had confessed to each other, I couldn't deny that each time she touched me, brushed up against my side while we were walking, or held me in her forelegs, I only felt safe and warm. The embarrassment clearly came only from being seen as weak, seen as needing to rely on comfort from another pony, but as time was progressing, the prospect of it seemed less and less weird. So what if I was weak? So what if I was emotional, and let it affect my decisions? I felt a sense of pride in being open with how I felt, and sitting here in Sunset's forelegs, I couldn't help but want to be open and proud about my relationship with her too. I conceded to my admittedly wonderful fate and nuzzled up against my new marefriend, hugging her soft barrel tightly. It felt so, so wonderful to openly express my love for Sunny in such a public way, and I held nothing back, even pecking her on the cheek as we separated from the embrace. "The next meeting is next week, if you wanted to come?" I nodded shakily. "We'll be there! A-are there any other trans ponies who are going to be there?" "Oh yes, plenty! My marefriend is also trans, and she'll be there too." "Oh hell yes," Sunny cheered, "I can't wait to meet them. I had like, zero trans friends back on earth, so it'll be great to meet more." "I'm sure they'll be happy to meet you two as well." "Oh hey, we're gonna be having that welcoming party sometime soon, you should invite your marefriend along. I'm sure Poppy would love to meet her before the queer meetup too, so she knows at least somepony else before we show up." I smiled up at Sunny with immense appreciation. "Th-that would be great! I- I mean, if she wants to meet me too." "Of course, she will absolutely be there!" We finished off our tea and brunch, reluctantly saying goodbye to our new friend as we wandered back into Ponyville proper. I had entered feeling anxious, but Fluttershy was too nice, too kind and welcoming to feel uneasy around for long. The prospect of meeting Fluttershy's marefriend was exciting too, yet another trans pony who I might have the possibility of being friends with, alongside the yellow Pegasus herself. Trotting through the central area of town, Sunset sidled up to me and I felt her flank pressing against mine as I slowly walked in lockstep with her. I lifted a wing up nervously, placing it with care around the withers of my marefriend. She turned her head toward me, her smile warming my heart, and I couldn't help but lean over slightly for a nuzzle. As I did so, my muzzle bumped against hers clumsily and I almost tripped over my hooves in distraction, only to be stabilised by the wing I had draped around her as well as Sunset herself with an outstretched hoof. I giggled nervously at my mistake, only to burst out into full blown laughter alongside the beautiful unicorn beside me. I stood still and let her nuzzle up against me once more, brushing my cheek with hers, and we made our way down the cobble road. My mind wandered into daydreams of hope and peace, all I had ever desired, now possible for me to have for the first time in my life.