//------------------------------// // Farewell and the Future // Story: Out With the Old // by PoppyThePegasus //------------------------------// The quiet sound of ponies moving about outside our window slowly woke me from my sleep. I lifted my heavy eyelids open to yet another morning of wonderful, all encompassing warmth. My face was once again buried in my marefriends coat, but this morning, I also found myself unable to move, being hugged close by Sunny. She stirred as I woke, her bright and lovely eyes showing she was clearly awake for a while before I was. "G'mornin, Poppy. How's my little star?" She cooed softly, kissing the top of my mane. "Sleep well?" "Mmm, yeah." I muttered, pushing my face back into the fluff of her chest. Waking up to this every morning was now a somewhat normal occurrence, but one that I never tired of. It had been about a week since we had moved into our little cottage, a week that was filled with some of the most amazing experiences of my life. Being in an openly gay relationship was incredibly eye opening. Thinking of myself and being openly perceived as a gay couple alongside Sunny really made parts of my brain and identity I had felt lost on suddenly flip into place. I was a lesbian. I was transgender, and happy about it, just as Sunset was. Finally being able to solidly pin down labels I could relate to felt incredibly validating. I yawned and smiled once more at my marefriend. Her mane always looked so pretty, but the light of the morning sun always shone off it in just the right way. I sighed in contentment. "My sleep was good, but waking up to you is even better. How did you sleep, sweet pea?" "I had the wildest dream. You and I were back on earth, but we were still ponies. You were driving a car with your hooves perfectly while we ran from the cops." I snorted. "What? Heheh, I hate to tell you, but I can't actually drive." "Dream-you certainly could. We ended up stopping for gas but then just walked off into the forest and found some mushrooms to eat." "Hmm, not gonna lie, that sounds kinda tempting– and I'm only half joking." "Well, Fluttershy actually dropped off some mushrooms she collected yesterday, how about I cook you some for breakfast?" Sunny offered with her signature grin and I nodded enthusiastically, the promise of some deliciously juicy and nutty wood mushrooms making my mouth water. Sunny knew how to cook them just right too. Over the last week, she had fully revealed to me her love of cooking and food, her and I having created some delicious meals together, serving them for Ada and many other ponies that had come to visit. It was incredibly nice having ponies that came to see us instead of the expectation that I would always be the one to put in the effort, like it had been among my human friends. Twilight, Luna, and Starlight were the most common visitors, usually accompanied by Fluttershy and Spike as well, give or take a few ponies on certain days. Applejack and her wife, Rainbow Dash, came around a few times to talk to us about the queer meetup, and to ask if their sisters could come to the welcome party, to which we enthusiastically accepted. For the first time in years, I had had an entire week off work with no looming pressure on the horizon. I was relaxed and energised, able to do things when I felt up for it rather than being forced. I went for a walk last morning with Sunny, and even though my body still carried across my unfortunately quite debilitating health issues after becoming a pony, I was able to feel comfortable while going for a walk for the first time in my life. Being on all fours really did feel right, and I felt far more confident, far more secure on my hooves than how I had felt with two legs and feet. Something about having four legs and my fluffy wings to help balance was far more comfortable. It was even becoming normal. I feared if I ever tried to walk on two legs again, I would have major issues with balance, even more so than what my disabilities had given me. Despite my health problems still being prevalent, we left the house often. Ponyville was simply a wonderful place to just go for a walk around in. Sweet Apple Acres had become a regular trotting spot for us, the lovely smell of the orchard always serving to comfort me. Seeing Applejack and her wife every few mornings was also lovely, and they often invited us in to have tea and breakfast. Her family was so kind, quickly welcoming us both and making us feel like we were in a home away from home. Her sister, Applebloom, seemed to take a liking to Sunset very fast, always greeting her enthusiastically when we showed up. I had felt content and calm for the entire week. No major fears or stresses, no sense of impending doom. I was happy. Truly, truly at peace. I trotted down the creaky stairs after refreshing myself and washing my hooves, my involuntary grin spreading to Sunny almost immediately. She had already started in the kitchen, the lightly sizzling pan spreading a garlic and spice smell through the house. With a light tumble, she tipped the bag of mushrooms into the pan, their presence immediately starting a louder sizzle and slowly filling the room with their woody scent. "Mmm, smells great!" Ada said from the living room, smiling at me as I stepped down the stairs. She hopped up after placing down her coffee with an amber twinkle, trotting over toward Sunset and I. "Morning, Poppy! You look well rested." She chuckled, looking up at my frizzy and askew mane. I brushed it futilely with my fetlocks, finally giving up when a fly hair sprung outward for the fiftieth time. "Morning, Ada." I smiled back sleepily. "You seem on an up today." "Y- Yeah, I guess so." She muttered. It wasn't long until the wonderful breakfast Sunny had prepared was ready, the golden brown mushrooms steaming lightly and again filling the room with a lovely smell. I ate them quickly, my mouth getting ahead of my stomach as I snuffled them down. Sunny and Ada ate with a similar fervour, if quite slower and neater than I did. With our stomachs full, Sunny and I began to prepare for our day. With the welcome party in the evening, we had an entire day ahead of us to spend doing whatever we might want. Just as we were about to head out the door, Ada approached me with an unreadable expression. "Hey girls, can we talk for a moment before you go?" She asked, her tone betraying her nervousness. "Of course, Ada." Sunny responded. "What's up?" "I just thought I'd tell you that… Twilight and Starlight have perfected a way to turn me back into a human and keep me that way, so I think… I'm going to go home tomorrow." I felt my stomach become a pit. "O-oh…" "I… We also haven't found a way for you and I to communicate regularly. Apparently the book that Sunset Shimmer from the other universe uses to communicate with Twilight also radiates magical energy passively, and any kinda spells are off the table." "Wh- What do you… does this mean I'll never see you again?" I murmured, gulping as the pit in my stomach grew larger. "You mean a lot to us, Ada, I couldn't fathom not seeing you again." Sunset added. "N- No, you'll be able to see me when Twilight opens up a portal again, but that will be… only once a year." "Oh…" The tension in my belly remained. "Okay, b-but you gotta get, like, a week off work for my visit." She giggled and nodded in response. "Got it. You two better do the same, I wanna see my two favorite girls as much as I can, ya hear?" I nodded, wiping the tears which had begun to well up from my eyes. "Got it." "I won't hold you two up much longer, so you head off. I'll see you at the party tonight, okay?" I nodded shakily, the uncertain tension still in my belly, but I was determined to not let it affect me and Sunset's day. Apparently she had something nice planned, and had been hinting at things throughout all of yesterday. I was pretty damn oblivious in general, but could tell she was trying to tell me something. The morning was crisp and cool, the early morning air lightly biting the inside of my nostrils, but filling my body with a rejuvenating freshness. Sunny stepped up next to me, immediately feeling the chill of the morning become less harsh as her coat brushed against mine. She glanced at me, but the glance turned into a look, turned into a stare. I stared back into her eyes and raised an eyebrow. "Everything okay, Sunny?" I asked, and she shook her head rapidly, clearly being off in some train of thought. "Yeah, just thinking about all of this, yknow?" She motioned vaguely at me with a hoof as we began our trot down the street. "I don't know if I've ever felt as lucky as I do now. I get to be a horse, with an awesome horse marefriend, in a town full of other horses like us. Feels a bit unreal. I get to have the stuff I always dreamed about." I giggled and nodded along with her as she spoke. This morning was particularly wonderful, the soft morning mist still lingering in the air. Dew collected on flowers and bushes, evaporating into the mist with a beautiful steam that shone in the morning sun. "I agree. I feel like we keep looping back to talking about it, but this place feels so…" I started, trailing off as I searched for the right word to use. "Like a new home?" "Exactly like a new home. I'm so happy that I'm here with you, Sunny." I leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek, the warmth of her cheeks lingering on my lips even after I had pulled away. She raised an eyebrow at me and lunged forward, locking her lips with mine and invading my mouth with her tongue. I accepted the kiss immediately, melting into it, before it ended as soon as it started. I stumbled a little, the shock of being pulled from the kiss so fast discombobulating me. Sunset laughed and stared at me as I regained my balance. I giggled along with her and leaned my weight back into Sunny. "You're such a bottom." She commented, and I burst out laughing. "Ahaha, what?" I snorted, feeling as my laughs resonated against her barrel. "What does that mean?" "Oh, you know… You'd do anything for a kiss, wouldn't you?" Immediately I felt myself nodding, only to catch myself and feel my face begin to redden and warm itself despite the cold morning air. "See?" "It's not my fault your kisses are so nice…" "I dunno, I think you're just a mega bottom." "I still have no idea what you mean by that." I whinged, desperate to actually understand what was happening. Was she teasing me? "I'm saying," she pressed her muzzle against mine, "that I can make you do anything for my affection. I could make you… beg for it." Oh stars. I leaned inward and tried to kiss her, only for her to suddenly pull back. "And that," she said, punctuating her point with a tap of a hoof on my muzzle, "is what makes you a bottom." My face was boiling red with embarrassment and I planted it into Sunny's fur, hiding my blush from any other ponies that were out this early. “Okay, you proved your point. Now give me an actual kiss.” I huffed, and her sly grin only grew bigger. “Say please, like a good mare.” She stated very plainly, and my face exploded with warmth. I stepped back and forth on my hooves, trying desperately to hide my overwhelmed state. “C-can I….” I stuttered out, looking up at my tall and beautiful marefriend. “Can I h- have a kiss? P- Please?” “Of course you can.” She leant forward and placed an incredibly short peck on my cheek. I gawked, silently begging for a proper kiss by following her lips as she pulled away, but she was faster than me. “Y- You’re really trying to make me beg, aren’t you…” I huffed again. “You bet.” “P- Please, Sunny, I… I love you so much. I want to kiss you all the time, every time I see your beautiful snout and pretty mane… I need to kiss you, sweetie, please.” I raised my pitch as I spoke, leaning inward to feel as much of my body against Sunset, only realising a little too late that I was using too much weight. I fell forward, flinching in preparation to collide with Sunny only for her hooves to shoot up and catch me. "Okay, okay, down there Poppy!" She chuckled. "A little too keen, huh? Well, I think you earned this." She learnt into me as I was held in her foreleg, her lips pressing against mine. I exploded with joy from the kiss, feeling the softly rising sparkles in my belly spread throughout me, down my legs and up into my wings. I flapped them happily, the joy uncontainably bubbling out of me as she held me in a soft embrace. Eventually, we parted, and I was left a flustered mess, still held in a foreleg by my marefriend. I glanced around quickly, sighing in relief when I realized that no pony had seen our brief, yet intense, kiss. "You're so mean, Sunset." I joked, huffing again, but with far less dedication. "I know. And you love it." "I do." I giggled. "I really do." We reached the café in the middle of town after our short walk from the outskirts where our cottage was. It looked to be just opening its doors, a wondrously sweet coffee smell wafting out. I took a seat on one of the benches as Sunny went inside, ordering us a few oat milk coffees before coming back out. In her magic, she carried a few small biscuits, placing them on the plate between us as we waited for our coffee. We relaxed as we waited, again taking in the beautiful Ponyville morning. Life was just kinda like this now. Waking up to the sounds of birds chirping, like something out of a movie, the sun slowly rising above the rooftops. Now, the morning mist had cleared, and more ponies seemed to be awake and going about their day. I even recognized a few of them, going about their business from a distance, but being in a community of ponies I truly might get to know in the future was freeing. How many more friends were out there? Our coffee was delicious and warming, filling us with a rejuvenated vigor, and helping me push to continue on our morning journey. I still dealt with the chronic energy issues I had from when I was a human, but having a wonderful marefriend like Sunny was great. She often offered for us to take a break and sit on a bench, a suggestion I accepted when I could. It may have taken longer for us to get to the market than other ponies, but I got there with a good amount of energy still in me. Once we were there, the bustle of the market roared before us in its full glory. I didn't expect it to feel like it had in my dream, but it was uncannily accurate. Ponies and creatures all around, buying and selling trinkets, food, saddlebags, seeds, anything that the average townspony could need. We stopped at a jewelry store and I hung back a little while Sunset browsed, watching as a foal ran past with her mothers, the two of them laughing as they failed to keep up with their daughter. I laughed along, my mind drifting as I daydreamed. I wondered what it might be like, if Sunny and I eventually had a foal like those two mares. I blushed at the idea of being called a mum, the concept of using the warmth and love I held inside me to support the life of a wonderful foal. I shook myself, never really having let my brain go down this line of thinking before now. I… I was a mare now, wasn't I? According to Fluttershy, even being a trans mare, magical conception was a very common thing, as the magical side of the transition process usually lets you choose whether you wanted to be fertile or not. Apparently, based on Twilight's inspections, I had a fully functioning set of ovaries, as did many other trans mares that decided on this path. Meaning with the right spell, Sunset could be very capable of… I shook myself rapidly. Not the kind of thing to be thinking of in public! Luckily Sunny hadn't noticed my strange behaviour and I focused on keeping my eyes straight forward, happy to have avoided Sunny's teasing comments for now. Thinking about how she might react if she knew I was daydreaming about being bred by her, I– Groaning in annoyance, I shoved a hoof into my maw and chewed on it. Shut up, brain! Shut up, shut up! "Hey, you alright, filly?" "Yes! Yes, I'm fine." I laughed unconvincingly. "You can tell me about it, you know that I'm no pony to judge. Hey, if it makes you feel better, I–" "Okay, I promise to tell you later, but please stop." I whinged. "it's… it's very embarrassing, okay?" With a raised eyebrow, she nodded. "Okay, as long as you're sure. I'm here to listen, okay?" "I'm sure. Th- Thanks sweetie." We continued on through the market, my brain now able to focus on the things around me rather than my inner thoughts. Passing by multiple bright and interesting shops, I stopped and stared at a particular something, a square bandanna hanging up in a nearby stall. My gaze lingered on it for a moment before Sunny stepped forward, picking it up with a glow of her teal magic. "Ah, like that one? I embroidered those little flowers myself." The pony behind the counter commented as Sunset twisted it around in her magic. There were small, pretty flowers of many colours along the corner rims of the small beige square, spirals of green stems reaching down the sides. "This is perfect." Sunset grinned at the piece of cloth. "We gave back that other head wrap to Twilight, so how about this as a replacement?" I look in awe at the somewhat simple piece of fabric. Thinking about it filled me with that familiar bubbling feeling in my tummy, a feeling I had grown to trust. "I-It's really okay for me to have it?" I asked my marefriend, her warm smile filling me with reassurance even before she said anything. "Of course!" Sunset levitated a hoof full of bits to the store keep, who accepted them with a wide grin. Sunny spun me around in her magic, shocking me for a short moment, before I felt her lift up my mane in a similar way to how she had done twice before, collecting my curls together into a bun before trying the shawl behind my mane in a loose knot. I shook my head, testing how the new head wrap felt, and concluded that it was perfect. "Oh stars, th- thank you, Sunny. I… oh gosh." I stammered, my reddening face combined with my sparkling happiness overloading me yet again. I threw my forelegs around her, nuzzling up against her soft face repeatedly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" "H- Hey, it's okay!" She stroked my mane as I hugged her tightly. "You know I'd do anything for you, Poppy." "I- I'd do the same." I glared at her with a mixture of determination and overwhelming love. "Anything for my mare." I leaned forward and placed a loving kiss on her lips, emboldened by the fact that ponies walking by could see my affection for my lovely marefriend. Eventually, we parted, and I lifted a foreleg up, fluffing my mane up lightly with a fetlock. I couldn't see my reflection, but I felt incredibly cute. From Sunny's transfixed look, I could tell that she felt the same. "Oh, hey!" A young voice piped up from behind us and I swung around, seeing as Spike and Twilight rounded the corner. "It's the new girls!" Spike smiled at us, flapping his little wings to speed up his approach, "Hey, lil' guy." Sunny said, ruffling his spines with a fetlock. "How's your morning been?" "Eh, Twilight and I have been looking for a new desk for Starlight's office, but no such luck." Spike shrugged, Twilight trotting up behind him. "Well if a certain little dragon didn't keep getting distracted by every food stall we passed…" "Yeah, yeah, like you didn't also spend ten minutes picking out an ice cream." He huffed, folding his claws against his chest. Twilight giggled before turning to us. "So, what have you two lovebirds been up to?" Twilight waggled her eyebrows, Sunset groaning as the princess sidled up next to her. Ever since we had gone fully public with our relationship, Twilight had taken every possible opportunity to rib us about it, and how she could 'see it coming from a mile away'. "We had some breakfast this morning– Sunny made the best mushrooms, and then we went out for coffee before we got here." I chirped happily. "Then she bought me this!" I lifted up a hoof, brushing my mane to the side to better show off the new shawl. "Nice! This one doesn't even have a ring stain on it from a vase either." Spike grinned up at me, my face beginning to warm up in embarrassment. Twilight chuckled knowingly and I retreated inward further. "It looks beautiful, Poppy." Twilight commented sincerely, only deepening the blush on my face. "Suits you perfectly. Spike and I were just about to grab some hayburgers for lunch, did you two want to tag along?" I looked nervously over at Sunny. My energy issues were starting to get to me already, but I was determined to make this a nice day. I nodded. "Let's do it!" It was a bit longer of a walk to the burger joint than I would have preferred, prompting me to hover a little of the way, flapping my wings softly to hold myself just above the ground. I was pretty bad at it, and often tipped to the side while hovering, but it gave my tired hooves a rest at least. Over the last week, Rainbow had futilely tried to teach me to fly, but Fluttershy's method of slower flying was far more conducive to the way I flew, and she had subsequently taken over my flight lessons. I appreciated her kinder approach too; some ponies might thrive under pressure, but I wasn't one of them, and Rainbow really knew how to lay it on thick. By the time we reached the hayburger restaurant, I was puffed, and flopped down onto the seat next to Sunset. I put a wing around her, resting my weight against her. She leaned into me too, nuzzling me softly and cooing softly at the comfort. Twilight took our orders and went off to the counter with Spike, coming back not long after with a tray of messy looking burgers. I eyed the greasy sandwich, drooling as Twilight placed mine down in front of me. I had become a very big fan of hayburgers ever since the first time I tried one, and this one was no different than before. I picked it up in my shaky hooves, making sure to not to drop it, and savouring the rich, but distinctly-not-meat taste of the hay pattie. I had gotten engrossed with my meal, only now tuning in as Sunset and Twilight began talking about the cottage. "Yeah, I mean, the place is small, but it should be okay for just the two of us once Ada goes back to earth tomorrow." Sunset said, following up with a long slurp of her drink. "I mean, you won't just kick us out, right?" "No, stars no!" Twilight said with a nervous laugh. "For all intents and purposes, that cottage is yours now. You can stay there as long as you like, your whole life, if you decided on it. Most ponies move on and hoof the cottage off to the next pony in need, but you don't have to. We have many cottages set up in Ponyville for situations like yours." "Oh, so humans turning into ponies and showing up here is a regular occurance?" Sunset grinned. "What? I– no, pfft." She joined in with my giggling, realizing Sunset's joke just a little late. "Are you sure it's okay?" I questioned nervously. "You've all done so much for me, and I feel like such a burden." "Yes, Poppy. I'll answer the same no matter how many times you ask." Twilight replied warmly. "You're welcome here in Ponyville. There's a space for every creature here." I nodded, tears of happiness threatening to burst from my eyes, but I held them back. Only just. Sunset held me in her forelegs yet again, my body instantly melting into hers. "So," Twilight started, "You two have any plans before tonight? Everypony seems so excited to meet you properly!" "I have a lil' certain something planned for Poppy– a surprise." She said, glancing down at me and offering a sly wink. I blushed brightly, nuzzling against her coat. "And, no Poppy, you don't get any hints." I almost squeed in joy, even just the thought that Sunset had prepared something specifically for me felt incredible. My brain was full with possibilities, but in all truth, she was incredibly good at hiding; I had no idea what she had planned! After our meal, we said our goodbyes to Spike and Twilight, trotting down the path side by side with Sunny. I glanced at her, taking in her beauty in the midday sun. She was just as beautiful as every other time I looked her way, which was more often than I might like to admit. I just couldn't tear my eyes away from her wonderful two toned mane, and her glowingly blue eyes, or her sleek and powerful horn. She was the perfect mare for me, confident and commanding, a pony who knew what she wanted; and got it. Especially if it was something I could give her, I would do it in a heartbeat. We walked slowly down the road towards… well, I wasn't really sure where, but that was all part of the surprise that Sunny had in store! I trotted happily beside her, newly invigorated by the meal and sugary drinks we had just consumed. "So, you're sure about the whole 'no hints' thing?" I pleaded. She chuckled, planting a quick kiss on my cheek as we walked. "Yes, Poppy. We're almost there, okay? Just a few more minutes." I hopped between hooves as we traveled down the road, flapping my wings around happily. Sunset giggled, watching as I ran around in a circle stomping my hooves against the compounded dirt road. I flung up dried leaves and dirt with each powerful kick, skidding around and jumping with all four legs. Eventually, Sunset joined in, running alongside me as we once had in the stream back on earth. It was much warmer than it was then, but the wind passing us by cooled me plenty as I raised my run to a canter. The wind rushed past me and I lifted my wings so they caught the air in a perfect line, until a flap lifted me off the ground. I was far more confident in my flying now, and this was far from the first time I had flown, but the exhilaration was there every time. I had never taken flight at this speed before either, and with that I was able to shoot upward, gliding speedily above my marefriend. Sunset laughed in pure joy as she watched from below. I glided along for a short while, slowly closing my eyes as the breeze passed softly over my fur. As I opened my eyes, I realized suddenly that I was tipping slightly, and pulled down. I swooped low to the ground, grazing my hooves against the grass before landing calmly ahead of Sunset. For the first time in a while, I hadn't sent myself tumbling after a high speed landing like that, and I fluffed my wings up in pride. Sunny came to a stop, panting heavily and smiling at me with bright eyes. "Woah, that was fast!" She said, still catching her breath. "Those wings are more powerful than you think. They're… stars, just watching you fly was so amazing. Your wings are so pretty and beautiful." I giggled, spreading a feather appendage out and looking it up and down. It was fluffy all over, having the appearance of down feathers even closer to the tips of my pinions. I folded it up against my barrel happily, their mere presence providing me with a sense of comfort. "Y'know what? You're right." I said with determination. "I am cute. I'm a cute little Pegasus mare, and I got the cutest unicorn in all Equestria as my marefriend." "Damn right, filly!" Sunny said as she threw a foreleg over my withers, knocking the air out of me a little. "Look, here we are!" In front of us was a large collection of plant boxes, filled to the brim with widely varied plants. Ponies and creatures wandering around, carrying tools and wheelbarrows around with them as they went about their tasks. "Eh- what is this place? It seems so cool…" I stared around in awe, some incredibly impressive plants on display before us. "It's a garden?" "A community garden." Sunset said, trotting off into the crowd of creatures. I hung behind nervously for a tiny moment before running off after my marefriend. I ducked and weaved through the busy garden, eventually coming to a stop when I found Sunny standing next to an empty plot of dirt. "Wh- what's all this about, Sunny?" "This is yours!" She motioned toward the plant box, an ever widening smile on her face. "Fluttershy said she'd come with you to find some nice seeds to get started with; something a little hardy, so you don't have to worry too much." I stared at the dirt, my brain snapping into motion as I slowly put context clues together. "This is… for me?" "Yep! We don't really have enough space at the cottage to grow anything, and I know you wanted to start a little flower patch, so Fluttershy and Treehugger helped me set this up for you. We can get equipment whenever you like, too." My eyes welled up with tears of joy and I launched myself at my marefriend, assaulting her face rapidly with as many kisses as I possibly could. She stumbled a little from my weight as I hung off her squeeing in joy as I did. "Thank you! Thank you so much, Sunny, oh my stars, thank you!" "Y-You can thank 'Shy and Treehugger, they set it all up, I just… I dunno, asked for their help." "You did this for me! You make me feel… oh stars, I feel so happy!" I pried myself from her for just long enough to look at the plant box before throwing myself at her again, kicking my hind legs out in joy while my muzzle rubbed against her coat rapidly. I forced myself to give her some space after a good minute of hugging her and humming in contentment, still looking rapidly between my wonderful marefriend, and the new future flower patch she had found for me. I would have to go for roses first– no, they were too finicky, how about some sunflowers? Or maybe even zinnias… I could think about what flowers I was going to grow later, for now I was focused on peppering the snout of my wonderful marefriend with kisses. "Okay, okay, enough, Poppy!" She cried dramatically, returning a few of her own kisses as she lowered me down. I giggled anxiously, my face warming up as I reflected on the scene I had just made. "H- How about we head out, huh? I- I think the excitement and the flight before has tired me out a bit, hehe." It wasn't a lie either, the events of the day were wearing on me quite heavily. "I might need a nap before the party tonight. Y'know, recharge my batteries a bit. I was wondering, maybe you'd like to…?" "Of course, I'll come take a nap with you. I'm pretty puffed myself, that run was intense on me too." She gave me yet another wink and bumped her flank against mine playfully. I followed behind her lovingly as we trotted out of the garden and back toward home, catching up and once more draping a wing over her shoulder for balance. It was a little awkward, seeing as Sunny was a good half head taller than me, but the extra stability it offered my clumsy hooves was welcome. Besides, I would never look past the opportunity to get as close as possible to Sunset. We entered the house to find it empty, Ada having left some time before. It was mid afternoon now, maybe about five hours until the party started. Sunset and I sleepily trotted up the stairs to our room, flopping down onto the soft duvet with exhaustion. I stared at the wooden roof for a moment before rolling and again appreciating the presence of my wonderful marefriend. The golden yellow unicorn turned as well, reaching a hoof across to lock fetlocks with me. I smiled warmly, looking directly into her eyes. This was it, wasn't it? I was going to be able to spend my days with Sunny, growing closer and closer with each passing moment, finding fulfillment in my life through pure access to opportunity. I wasn't held back by that horrid copywriting job anymore, nor did I need to find a replacement just to survive. I had been given that feeling of freedom to choose the direction of my life, and all of it felt laid out before me like a map. I hummed as Sunny stroked my barrel with a hoof, starting at the fluff on my chest and eventually finding her way to the blank spot on my flank. It still filled me with those pangs in my chest to look at that area, but at least I knew what the feeling meant now. Longing. Yearning. I sighed, eyes transfixed on my spotless rump. "Something on your mind again, sweet pea?" I slowly nodded in response. "I think… It's mostly about my cutie mark. I still don't know what I want to do with my life, and what if it takes me forever to find out my talent? Do… Do ponies get judged for that kind of thing?" "I'm not sure, but even if they did, they're thinking about it the wrong way." "Whad'ya mean?" "Why would you make fun of somepony for that? They have all the excitement, all the joy of discovery ahead of them. I discovered my talent pretty fast, but that's not the 'better' way to go about it." Sunset explained plainly as I listened with intent. "I just think it's cool, okay? I get to help you too; to help support you in your quest to find a mark, and you get to have a moment of self discovery. Sounds like a solid deal to me." My brow furrowed in concentration as I thought. She was right, wasn't she? The blank spot on my flank represented possibility. It could be anything that showed up, but I had a feeling that when it finally did appear, it would be something I knew to be mine. Something unique and special as Sunset always insisted I was. "What if it takes forever?" "Then it takes that long. I doubt it will though; you're free of responsibility right now. Free to try out all those things you always wanted to do, like the gardening we got you that plot for." Sunset gesticulated with a hoof as she listed things off. "You could try your hoof at learning an instrument. I'm not too shabby at guitar myself; maybe I could teach you sometime." "I guess… I mean, I kinda like to sing, so who knows. Maybe we could play together." I tapped my hooves together and Sunny shuffled closer until our bodies were pressed together. I sighed as her warmth spread to me and filled me with those familiar butterflies and sparkles of happiness. "I'd love to hear you sing for me, Poppy." I laughed. "What, now?" Her expression betrayed no joke. "Damn right. Now." "Um, I… oh dear, I've never sung anything in front of any pony before; at least, not seriously." I stuttered, my cheeks reddening with a blush as Sunny smirked my way. "Just go for it. Anything at all." "Oh stars, okay, um…" My brain spun it's gears, trying to think of something– anything to sing for Sunny. Wait, Sunny? Sunshine… I cleared my throat and took a deep breath in and out before opening my mouth and singing. "You are my sunshine, My only sunshine, You make me happy When skies are grey." I sang quietly, hardly pushing my voice beyond its minimal limits, and letting out a sweet and sonorous tone. The notes reverberated softly off the wooden walls of our bedroom, creating a pleasant and warm toned resonance "You'll never know dear, How much I love you, So please don't take my sunshine away." It was a simple song, one that basically anypony knew. I cringed a little at my choice, almost about to open my lips to apologize at its cheesiness when I noticed tears dripping from Sunny's eyes and down her cheeks. "Nopony's ever sung for me before…" "Oh gosh, I'm sorry, Sunny, I–" She locked lips with me, interrupting me with a fervent kiss. I almost tried to protest, but the passion was too much, and I felt myself sink into the wondrous embrace. She forced me down further, pushing her weight into me, which only made the sparkles in my belly intensify, and I moaned involuntarily. She took that as an excuse to escalate the kiss further, passion radiating off of her in the most scorching heat. Her body was pressed against me, the friction of her fur against mine intensifying the warmth between us and creating proverbial sparks from our love. I realized after a short moment that this wasn't a proverbial spark, but a real one, as small magical particles flew from the tip of Sunset's horn. As she kissed me deeper, the sparks intensified, illuminating the room slightly with its teal glow. When the kiss finally ended, I fell down, panting to desperately catch my breath. Sunset, who was previously positioned over me, fell to the side as well and pulled herself close to me. The bubbles of joy in my tummy calmed down slightly, but spread slowly to the ends of my legs, relaxing my entire body with a slow wave. I felt the tension in my muscles fade away, instead focusing on the feeling of Sunset's velvety soft coat against mine. I rolled and draped my legs over her, pulling her in as close as possible. "I love you, little Sunshine." "S- Sunshine?" She murmured, still clearly reeling in shock from the kiss. "Y- Yeah. You're my little Sunshine. I mean, I don't have to call you that or anything, if you don't like it, I'll stop–" a hoof softly pressed against my lips silenced me. "I love it. And I love you, Poppy." She planted a short kiss on my snout, still filled with passion however brief. "So, did you wanna tell me what was up at the market? You seemed a little off, I just wanna make sure you're not upset or anything." A hoof stroked my mane idly while holding my head to her chest. I could hear her heart beating softly. "I'm not upset. I…" I reflected back on my thoughts. "I'm not sure what I want. I was just… I dunno, watching that couple before." "Ah, the two mares that were chasing their kid?" "Yeah." I stopped, twiddling my hooves together while Sunny continued to calmly stroke my head. "They looked… really happy. It just got me thinking about… ugh, it's stupid, I'll stop." "No, Poppy, please talk." She lifted my chin up with a fluffy fetlock, her hoof shifting to cup my cheek lovingly. She looked into my eyes, and I looked back at hers. "Whatever you wanna say, I won't judge you." "I…" I gulped down my nervousness and forced myself to continue. "I started thinking about… maybe, if we ever… are together f- for long enough, and we are stable enough to support somepony else, you might want to… try for a foal." I felt her tense slightly, and prepared myself for a loud and vocal rejection, but none came. Of course, I should know better by now. The only words she ever said to me were ones of love. She continued to look at me with her slight smile, growing softly as she pulled me closer. "Poppy, I would love to have a foal with you." I felt the torrent of euphoria yet again, feeling the oh-so familiar wave of joy wash over me. I felt almost emotionally burnt out with how much happy today had been filled with, but this reaction from my wonderful marefriend was more than I could have ever asked for. “Are— Are you serious? You really would have a foal… with me?” I gasped, still holding her as close as I possibly could, and still in disbelief. “G- Gosh, I… oh gosh.” Sunset laughed with her beautiful low chuckle, her mane bobbing slightly. “I’m serious. I’ve never really thought about having a foal before, but heck, I never thought about being a pony before either. Every time something new and exciting happens to me, everything gets better. I embraced being a girl. I embraced being a pony. I embraced coming to Equestria, and I’m embracing you right now.” I chuckled excitedly at her joke, my heart still racing while I listened intently. “Being a m- mum… I don’t know, but it sounds exciting! Raising our little foal together, and teaching them to be a loving and caring pony… it seems pretty great to me.” I buried my face into her chest fur, feeling the tears of happiness flow forth. She stroked my mane yet again, the calming motions helping my heart relax and my thoughts collect themselves. “You’re sure? I know, it’s a huge decision to make—“ “And so was all this too. Moving here with you meant throwing away my streaming job, and I did that in an instant. I’m serious when I say that coming here was one of the best decisions of my life, next to becoming a girl and transforming into a magical horse.” She chuckled. “What I’m trying to say is that I’m sure. I want to be with you, Poppy. I wanna spend my life with you. If you want a foal, then I want a foal too.” I couldn’t help but explode yet again, stimming rapidly with leg kicks and high pitched squeaks. Sunset just laughed and held me close, as she always did when I had happiness overloads like this. I knew at my core, I was at home here, in her forelegs, held close to the radiating warmth of her love. With my head pressed against her barrel, I could hear her powerful heartbeat, now slightly more powerful and faster than before. Being in equine bodies seemingly made our heartbeats stronger, a fact I appreciated right now as the solid, steady beats calmed me. “I love you so much, Sunset.” I murmured sleepily, feeling my eyelids droop in relaxation and contentment. “Thanks for listening to me…” I trailed off as my consciousness began to phase in and out, sleep almost taking me. “No problem, sweet pea. You have a nap, okay? I’ll wake you up when it’s time to get ready for the party.” “Okay…” I murmured happily, hugging my marefriend tighter, too enraptured in bliss to care about any kind of denial. With our legs tangled together, I drifted off into sweet dreams of love and bliss equal to the waking world. I had woken from my nap feeling rejuvenated and energised, Sunset shaking me lightly with a hoof. I rolled over and got up eventually after begging for a short little extra cuddle— which I received. Sunny brushed her mane calmly as I continued to wake up properly. Standing and trotting into the bathroom where she was doing her makeup, I nuzzled up next to her with a loud yawn. “You’re so beautiful.” I murmured. She looked even more beautiful than usual, her eyes accented by sharp and strong eyeliner strokes. Her irises shot through the contrast, making her gaze seem somehow more striking than usual. She had a leather jacket on, collar popped and tucked under her mane, which was pulled into a high messy ponytail. Collected strands hung from her fringe, framing her snout perfectly while giving accent to her new style. “You really think so?” “Yeah. You look badass.” I kissed her neck, eliciting a gasp from her. “Hot.” “H- Hot?” She said, letting out a decidedly non-badass wimper. “Of course.” I kissed her neck again, earning me a poorly muffled giggle, trailing pecks up her cheek until I planted one on her black lipstick coated lips. “Oop!” I gasped, swinging to see my lips also now stained slightly with that same lipstick. I giggled playfully as I wiped the pigment clear, still leaving a hint of it behind afterward. I shrugged to myself. If somepony sees that and notices I’ve been kissing Sunny, good. I want everypony to know that I love her. “Are you gonna put anything on?” “I- I dunno, I don’t really want to be the center of attention or anything…” “Filly, this is our night. Ponies are coming tonight because it’s our welcoming party. They’re gonna be paying attention to you no matter what.” I blushed instantly, lifting a hoof up to shield my embarrassment instinctively. “Okay, maybe.” “Great!” Her horn lit up and after a short moment, a row of dresses levitated into the room, stopping in front of the two of us. “Rarity dropped a bunch of these by the other day; I think she knew we might need a few choices for tonight.” I looked over the selection, my eyes darting between each of the beautiful garments. “I- I dunno, what do you think?” “Well,” she glanced down with a half lidded stare. “You’re a soft little ball of happiness.” “Wh- what?” I sputtered. “I’m saying that we need a dress which shows off how cute and bubbly you are, y’know?” “I- I’m not cut—“ I started, but Sunny ignored me. “How about this one?” A garment floated in front of me before being quickly whisked away. “No, not with your colour of coat. Hmm, how about … ha! Here we go! With a flash of light, I looked down to see that a real sundress, almost exactly the same buttery yellow as the streak in Sunset's mane, was magically placed on my body. I stepped from side to side, giggling at the feeling of the fabric brushing up against the dock of my tail. It still let the appendage flow free and I spun around, again enjoying the feeling of the wind passing me by. Coming to a stop, I caught a glance of myself in the mirror. Combined with the lovely short dress, and the new shawl I had been given, I really did feel like the prettiest filly on the block; only shadowed by the unfiltered hotness of the unicorn that stepped up beside me. "Wow, Poppy." She leaned down and placed a kiss on the top of head. "You're so pretty." "I… I feel pretty." I said with a determined nod. "Th- Thanks, Sunny. For forcing me to try this on. I really… really like it." I admitted with a bright blush and a raised hoof nervously brushing my mane. "So, want me to do any makeup on you?" Sunset offered, a collection of brushes and palettes levitating before us in her magic. "N- Nope." I stammered out quickly. "I think this is enough for tonight, if that's okay… Even the dress makes me feel like ponies will be watching me." "Absolutely, Sweetpea. If you ever want me to do your makeup for you, just say the word." She said warmly and lowered the makeup paraphernalia back to the bathroom bench. "But the only reason why somepony might stare at you is because of how beautiful you are." "I hope so…" A knock on the front door, and Sunset called out in response. "One sec'! So, you still feeling okay about this?" I nodded once determinedly. "I'm okay. Besides, Ada will be leaving soon… this might be the last chance I get to properly celebrate with her for like, a year. Not to mention, I gotta meet all those ponies who came here to meet us, right?" "Yeah, that's the spirit!" Sunny grinned and pecked me on the cheek before leaving the bathroom and opening the front door. Outside, Ada and Twilight stood, dressed quite nicely themselves in evening wear. Ada was in a long black evening gown that flowed all the way down to her hooves, while Twilight was in a very simple purple dress, quite similar to mine, besides the longer skirt. "Wow, Sunny, what a look!" Ada commented, grinning as she inspected my marefriend's outfit. "Gives me rockstar vibes. Or some kinda stereotypical teenage delinquent." "Jokes on you, I was a stereotypical delinquent." She flicked her ponytail with yet another one of her signature flourishes. "Never got to be a rockstar, unfortunately. You two are looking great too! Love the dress Ada. Very 'you'." "Thanks!" She replied with an appreciative smile before turning to me. "You also look lovely this evening, Poppy. I see the clothes Rarity gave you are getting some use." I smiled, but shied away somewhat. "Th- Thanks, Ada. You t- too." As we walked together through the evening Ponyville streets, I could further appreciate the pleasant feeling of the dress on my body. With each step, the fabric brushed against my flank lightly, emitting a soft 'swish, swish' with each hoof fall. It still wasn't something I felt like I'd want to do outside of special events, but wearing a dress and getting all prettied up was a validating experience. I was a pretty mare who got to dress up in a lovely dress and go to a party with my beautiful marefriend. What could be better than this? As we approached the castle from a distance, we could hear a soft pulse of bass coming from the foyer where the party was being held. A slowly shifting coloured light pulsed from the windows; I had asked them not to use any bright flashing lights so I didn't get overwhelmed. It was a little embarrassing to ask for accomodations like that, but Twilight had insisted. "It's your party!" She had replied, so I had shyly asked for the music to not be too loud too. We pushed open the large front doors, walking into a bright, music filled room. Despite everything, the party hit me like a wall, the noise and pure amount of ponies here shocking me. Ponies previously wandering about and conversing among themselves turned to look at us, immediately greeting us with warm smiles and bright eyes. I grinned back shakily, feeling the immediate awkwardness with everyponies attention on us. "Poppy! Sunset! It's so good to see you." Rarity trotted up to us, flanked by Fluttershy and an orange maned pony with a very unique horn and scales on her body, who Fluttershy seemed to be figuratively hanging off the side of. I rushed to prepare myself for social interactions, our arrival still leaving me discombobulated. "Very nice choice of garment, Poppy. The colour suits you both." She winked at Sunset, who chuckled when I fell back into a blush. "I'm gonna go mingle, okay? See you girls later." Ada and Twilight waved, walking off into the crowd as the group of mares approached us. "Hey, Rarity! Great to see you too." Sunny turned, greeting Fluttershy and the other mare boisterously. "Is this your marefriend?" "It sure is!" The pony stepped forward, picking up Sunset's hoof and shaking it rapidly in greeting. "Oh wow, I'm so excited to finally meet you! You must be Sunny, right? Fluttershy has talked so much about you and Poppy!" Both I, and the butter yellow Pegasus, shrunk in embarrassment. "Good things, I'm sure!" Sunny responded, matching the energy of the bubbly mare. "Great things! Oh duh, of course you'd wanna know my name which is Autumm, I'm Autumn Blaze, Hi! This is my marefriend, Fluttershy." She grinned as she threw a foreleg around the still nervous looking pegasus. She seemed to be used to this, not letting the loud and outgoing personality of her partner affect her at all, besides making her smile grow larger. "I- I'm really happy to finally meet you, Autumn. Oh– is it okay if I call you that?" I raised my voice, and she turned her attention to me. "Of course, bestie! Oh– is it okay if I call you that?" She chirped, giggling and glaring at me. I laughed in a mixture of anxiety and genuine feelings. She was growing on me fast, but already the party had begun to get to me. The noise of ponies talking, the confusion of trying to process what everypony else was saying, especially combined with the music, it was all starting to get a little bit too much. "Oh, hey, so I gotta go for a short bit, but I promise you I'll be back, got it?" She tapped a hoof on my chest and I slowly nodded in confused response. "Sweet! See ya soon." She spun around and shot off into the crowd. Fluttershy walked up with a heavy blush still visible on her cheeks. "Sorry about that, Poppy. I know she can be a bit much at times…" "O- Oh, not at all! I- I like her a lot. She's nice." "I'm so happy you think so!" She smiled warmly at me. “I think so as well.” “D- Did you maybe wanna go get some punch?” I asked nervously. This was my chance to try and bond with my new friends, and I was still pumped up by Sunset's pep talk. “I heard Pinkie made it.” Sunny piped up immediately. "Heck yeah, I'm thirsty." "Of course." Fluttershy gave us yet another welcoming smile and we walked off toward the buffet. We sat in the corner together, sipping our drinks, while the party went on around us. Every once and a while, somecreature would approach us and introduce themselves one by one. I found myself reeling quite intensely from the speed and quantity of ponies I was meeting, but I told myself to stick through it. 'They're here to meet you.' I tried to tell myself, but it didn't help too much. What did help was Sunset staying by my side the whole time. As she had done so many times before, she sat with her foreleg draped idly over my withers. I couldn't believe how lucky I was. Was I just going to live my entire life like this? Being loved and welcomed openly, not just despite my trans status, but already because of it! I hadn't forgotten the fact that Fluttershy had told me Autumn Blaze was trans, but looking around, I still couldn't see her. Before I could wonder longer where she might be, Ada and Applejack approached, flanked by three bubbly looking fillies with matching cutie marks. "Howdy, ladies." Applejack greeted us as we sat in the circle we had formed earlier in the night. "If'n I remember correctly, y'all were open to meeting my sister 'n her friends?" "Hi, Poppy! I'm Sweetie Belle!" A short white unicorn piped up, trotting forward alongside "Applebloom told me so much about you!" "M- Me!? Wh- Why me?" "Yeah!" The orange Pegasus sped forward, her muzzle almost colliding with mine. "We're here to help you out, but judging by your age? Yeesh, we got our work cut out for us, girls." I reared backward a bit, Applebloom, walking forward and pulling down her excitable friend. "Hey!" "What Scoots was tryin' to say, is that we're here to help you find yer cutie mark! That's kinda our whole thing." Applebloom said as she stepped in front of her friends. "Oh. L- Like, now?" "No, not now!" Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "It's time to party, not to look for a cutie mark." "We can get started whenever you like, Poppy." Sweetie Belle interjected. "Doesn't have to be now, or even this week." "Kinda can't be this week anyway; I got a Wonderbolts show in Cloudsdale to go to!" Scootaloo hopped, buzzing her wings as she floated to the ground. "Sounds like a great idea, Pop Star. Hey, maybe you could try singing? You're pretty good at that." Sunny offered with a sly grin, and Sweetie Belle's eyes lit up. "You like to sing too? I love singing~!" She spun around, lifting her pitch to a high tremolo. My heart pounded. The idea was incredibly tempting, exciting even, but the red light syndrome was already hitting me hard. I had only ever sung in front of Sunny so far, and even that was nerve wracking. "I'd love to come with you, Poppy! If you're comfortable with it, of course." Fluttershy offered and I nodded enthusiastically in return. "Oh I'm so glad, I love to sing, and all my animal friends love to listen when I do." "And, of course, I'll be there too." "Sounds great!" Sweetie Belle squeaked. "That's something we can try before Scoots gets back from Cloudsdale." "Honestly, it'll sound even greater if I'm not there; you've heard my singing before, Sweetie Belle." The pegasus filly joked, earning a playful laugh from her friends. "Ooh, ooh, there you are!" I heard a somewhat familiar voice call from across the room. Autumn Blaze trotted toward me happily, a mint unicorn and creamy beige earth pony walking with her. "Hi, Autumn Blaze!" Sunny cheered as the kirin stopped in front of us. "Who's this?" "These are my friends, Lyra and Bon Bon! I was off trying to find them." The teal unicorn was the first one to pipe up. "Hi! So you two are trans, right?" I almost spat my drink at the directness of the question. I smiled nervously while Bon Bon rolled her eyes comedically. "Forgive my wife, she can be a little overzealous." "That's okay!" Sunny said with a widening smile. "We are trans," " – and proud of it!" I added, followed by a nervous giggle. "Fluttershy mentioned you before, I think.” “So there’s like… my gosh, five trans mares here. That is so cool.” Lyra giggled playfully, the rest of us joining in. I looked between my new friends, the feeling of rising joy passing through my whole body. This was a dream come true, finally meeting others who were just like me. There were so many of them, and they all wanted to be my friend! Lyra seemed friendly and cool, just as all the other new ponies I had met so far. It was getting me excited. How many more ponies like this would I get to meet? Fluttershy and Bon Bon trotted over to Sunny and I and they struck up a conversation about the beige earth ponies candy store, and Lyra’s musical career. I managed to pipe up every once and a while too to add to the conversation, feeling more confident around these mares than I had with any previous friend groups I had in the past, but every time I spoke, I felt the nervous tension in the back of my head rise. Sunset still sat by my side, nuzzling me in affection regularly, both of us planting and receiving kisses on muzzles. It felt wonderful, being able to openly display affection like this. I was trying not to dwell any longer, but it couldn’t help but make me compare this moment to my previous experiences with Ada. I was always starved for attention, needing so desperately to be comforted and loved, specifically in situations like this where my anxiety was usually at its highest. Despite her best efforts, I could still feel that nagging feeling at the back of my head. The pounding noises and so, so many ponies… "It can be hard, coming to a new place for the first time." I tuned into the conversion as Bon Bon spoke. "Lyra and I didn't know any ponies when we got here either." "We've been pretty lucky, meeting you and the others so soon after coming here." Sunset added. "Yeah, Pinkie's parties are always a good way to meet somepony new, and I can assure you now, they're a very regular occurrence." The buzzing in the back of my mind continued as ponies passed us by. I tried to focus on the conversations being had by the others, but it wasn't working. I stood up, shocking Sunset somewhat as I hastily slinked off to the bathroom, ducking and weaving between ponies to reach there as soon as possible. There was some voice behind me, calling my name, but I couldn't hear them, instead picking my trot up to a canter. Finally reaching the bathroom, I rushed past a unicorn and slammed shut the stall door behind me. I immediately felt the stress of the evening slam into me like a wall. I don't think I had interacted with that many ponies in years, and it was just as bad as I remember it. My head pounded and buzzed, overwhelming me further than the loud party already had. The clenching tightness in my chest just wouldn't leave and I held a hoof to it in some futile attempt to calm my heart. I heard the other pony leave the bathroom, and being alone, immediately began to cry. Why was I doing this? Why was I like this!? Tonight had been such a nice night, and I was going to ruin it by being me. I wanted to scream, but I clenched my teeth and my entire body instead, feeling the strain through my neck and shooting painfully into my wings. My whole self felt horrid, curling inward while I pressed my hooves to the back of my neck. I rocked back and forth, not caring that I could hear something break and come loose on the plastic seat. The bathroom door opened again and I froze. Hooves clopped slowly off the restroom tiles, slowly getting closer until it stopped. The pony stood there for a few moments outside my stall before speaking. "Hey, anypony in there?" An unfamiliar voice called out. "Sorry, I really gotta go, and the other stall is busted." I pushed my way out the stall and past the pony, galloping for the door and shooting back out into the crowd. I was bombarded yet again by ponies, voices, and music all around me. It had been slowly building in intensity, but this tipped me over the edge, and I rushed for the exit. I pushed the castle doors open and rush out into the cool Ponyville air. It was almost instantaneous that I felt the relief. The noise was, for the most part, gone, and the bright lights of the party was far behind me. The cold and still night was a blessing, not even noticing until now how laboured my breathing had become. slowing my canter to a run, then to a walk, I looked ahead and downward, mentally berating myself for having this kind of reaction. This was something a child did, running from parties like this and wandering out into the night. What was I doing? I found a bench and sat on it, looking up into the cloudy night sky above me. I felt so small. That party was for me, and I had ruined it. Just as I was starting to feel okay about everything, I had to go and do this. It was typical. Me, ruining everything that I had worked for by being emotional and careless. I recalled many moments like this in the past. Being bullied at a scouts night and running off to climb a fence and cry, just to get away from others. I recalled being injured during a sports game and walking away because nobody understood how painful it was to my broken, disability addled brain. I covered my face with a hoof, sobbing into it silently. "Hey, mind if I sit here?" I shot up, seeing as Sunny approached. Her jacket had been taken off and her mane was pulled down into its regular look, forgoing the hair tie she had used before. She smiled warmly at me, though I couldn't help but hide my face from her. "It's okay, sweetheart. I'm here." I felt a hoof on my withers, futilely shrinking inward. I wanted to brush her off, my indignant brain seeking that needless solitude, but I knew it wouldn't help. It never did. "Y'know, I love nights like this. Quiet." I snorted and nodded in response. "I'm sorry, Poppy." "Wh- Why are you being sorry? I should be, I ruined your night." I motioned with a hoof, off toward where ponies were having fun. Without me. "It's not ruined, sweetie." She said as she took a seat next to me. "You having sensory overload isn't a thing to feel bad about." Is that really all it is? I sighed heavily, leaning up against her idly. I sighed again, this time in relief, as the comfort of her soft coat against mine instantly relaxed me. The comfort of my cheek on her chest, and a foreleg thrown around me had already started to calm my thoughts enough for the guilt to hit me again. I was such a disappointment… scared of a few ponies and a little noise. "I dunno." I sniffed. "Just feels like I shouldn't have shown up. I should have just stayed home while you went off to party without me." "I don't want to do that though." She planted a kiss on my cheek. "What I need is for you to be happy and comfortable. I wanted to go tonight because I got to meet ponies with you, not because I like going to parties or something." She shrugged. I leaned on her chest further, her heartbeat once again prevalent in the quiet of the night. She wanted to be with me… Not just for some vague concept of having company, nor because she needed anything from me except my love. "I'm sorry. For doing this, y'know. I wanted to have a nice night. I was having a nice night." "I did though! I had a great night. We got to meet Lyra and Bon Bon, and Autumn Blaze too. We got to hang out and talk, and we had a good time regardless of everything that's getting to you." "I love you, Sunset." I mumbled, my face still pushed into her fur. A hoof cupped my cheek lightly and lifted it to face her. I looked once again into those beautiful teal orbs and felt myself being sucked in by them. Their brilliance shone, even in the darkness of the Ponyville night. I leaned forward and kissed her, letting out all my love, all my appreciation and care, all of it. She kissed me back fervently, the warmth of her sweet and soft lips carrying a faint taste of the drink she had earlier. Previously fuzzy and overwhelmed, I was now able to fully let myself immerse myself in the kiss. It was like all our other kisses, but for some reason, this one felt special. It didn't just say 'I love you', this one had a completely different message. This one said 'you are mine and I am yours'. I let myself become fully hers in that moment, knowing for a fact that I would stick by her side for my whole life. This mare meant more to me than anything in Equestria in this moment. She was practically a goddess, her warmth coming off her like some sort of benevolent being. Regretably, the kiss ended, but my attention was still pulled inward by Sunset's beauty and warmth. "Did that make my little Poppy feel a little better?" She cooed and stroked my mane, earning a cute giggle from me. "Yeah… but your kisses always make me feel better." I tried to reply with a playful tone, but it only came out as sincere. "So, don't feel like going back to the party? Everypony will understand if you don't want to." She stroked my mane as she always did when she knew I needed comfort. I really did love this mare. "No, I kinda… just want to sit a bit." I sighed, relaxing once more into the embrace of my marefriend. "I'm glad you're here." "Of course, sweet pea, you're important and you needed me. I know when my mare needs me." She nudged me and gave a playful wink. I giggled in return, but shook my head. "No, I mean like… Here, here. In Equestria. In my life." I planted a hoof on her chest, feeling the soft thud of her heart through the frog of my hoof. "I… I've mentioned how lonely I was before. Now, here in Equestria, and with you by my side, I feel safe, for the first time in my life." She smiled softly and kissed my muzzle. "I'm so happy I'm here with you, Poppy. I didn't struggle with the same things you're going through, but… well, you know. I wasn't the most friendly pony when I was younger, mostly just… mad at the world. Who do you take it out on except people around you?" She said with a shrug. "Well, you're the most lovely mare I've ever met." "Well, you are the most wonderful mare that I have ever met." She shot back. "I- I guess we'll both have to be wonderful mares, huh?" I smiled nervously up at her and she laughed in return. "You bet. Together." She pecked me on the nose once more. "So, wanna go back home? I think I might be all partied out for the year." Her foreleg, still snaked around my neck, pulled me closer. The two of us sat in the still and calm evening air, the only distinct sounds audible being the quiet breaths of my marefriend. "How about we just stay here a little bit longer?" Sunset looked up at the stars and my eyes followed. They shone so brightly above us, unhindered by any form of light pollution. Despite how far above they were, I felt I could pluck one from the sky and place it in Sunset's mane. This perfect mare, who came into my life by accident, was more than enough for the entire night sky. "You know what? I couldn't want anything more."