Flutterguy stood before the mirror display in the ground floor of Carousel Boutique while Rarity lined the distance between his shoulders with measuring tape. He shivered as the tape was held against his coat, wings trembling, the sensation making him smile.
Focusing on holding the tape tightly with her magic, Rarity was startled by his sudden quick movement, and turned to look one of his three mirror images in the eye. "Is something wrong, darling?"
Flutterguy's shoulders shot up and slowly came down before he slowly spun his neck to look at her. "Um, I don't think so? I mean, I felt something new while you were measuring me. But it felt nice. It was like if my spine was being tickled."
"Well. I've never heard of anything like that. Do tell me if this feeling of yours turns unpleasant, darling."
"Okay, I can do that."
Rarity lifted the measuring tape off his shoulders, wrote down a few numbers on a notebook left on the floor nearby, and wrapped the tape around Flutterguy's barrel.
Flutterguy felt the pleasant shiver again, but after feeling the tape against his body and glancing at his reflections once more, his smile faded. "Hey, Rarity?"
She looked up from the pencil magically held against paper by her magic, and peered into his eyes. "Is something the matter?"
"Well, yes. Do you think I'm... too small?"
"What? Not at all! Your size is average for a pony your age."
"I don't know... ever since I found out about, well, this," Flutterguy swung a hoof towards the mirrors in front of him, "I've felt... disproportionate. It's like I went from average sized mare to tiny stallion so suddenly." He found himself admiring the floor beneath his hooves again.
"Well, it's not like that makes you any less of a stallion. You'd be surprised at how many suits I've tailored for stallions that are both smaller and older than you. Ponies differing wildly in size is the whole reason behind the measurements I take, actually. Speaking of which, mind if I continue them?"
"Oh. Yes, please."
"Thank you, dear. Mind crouching a bit so I can measure your forelegs?"
Flutteguy sighed, then did as instructed. "Do any of those stallions ever ask for platform horseshoes or something like that? Because I think I'd like something along those lines."
Rarity thought for a bit, then answered. "No, they usually go for something a little more discreet. Little details that make them look bigger. I could use some of those on your outfit, if you'd like."
"Wait. Really?" Flutterguy's head perked up, and the eye rarity was closer to seemed to want to crawl right out of its socket. "I'd love that! What kind of details does that entail, though?"
"Well, for starters"- Rarity explained, pressing one end of the tape against his shoulder -"a slim fit would enhance your body type: keep the sleeves from going past the ankles, join that with a pair of high-fitting trousers, a small bow-tie for your neck, add up the modern collar style I was already planning for the costume and voila: a custom-fit Ponytones uniform for the stallion of my dreams. How does that sound?" She pinned a length of the tape against the middle of where his elbow bent, then looked at his face waiting for an answer.
Flutterguy's frown slowly turned upwards while she spoke, to the extent that he was grinning ear-to-ear when she finished. "You'd do that for me?"
"Why, yes, of course. It's no skin off my flank: it's simple to do, plus you were already making good on your goal by getting it custom-fit." She held a bit of the tape against his ankle, then turned to write down the length before being enveloped in a hug.
"Thank you so much! You're incredible, Rarity!" Flutterguy spoke while embracing her. "That outfit is all I could've wished for and more!"
Rarity blushed. "Well I'm glad to hear that, darling! But really, it's nothing I haven't done a hundred or so times. There's no need to fawn over me like that, you know!"
"Um? Oh, goodness." Flutterguy broke the embrace and took a few steps back. "Sorry about that. It’s just that what you said made me really happy."
"And why is that?" Rarity inquired.
"Well, it's just... just before I told you about Flutterguy, there were a few dozen negative scenarios running wild in my head. I was terrified that you wouldn't understand. That you'd get... furious at me for lying to you all this time, that you'd tell all of ponyville about how much of a freak I am." Rarity's brow furrowed. "And yet you're here, and you're being such a good friend, and I- Sniff -feel just AWFUL FOR THINKING THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE-" He was openly sobbing now.
Rarity cupped his face in her hooves. "Flutterguy. Listen to me. First of all, you are not a 'freak', second, it's normal to feel nervous about telling someone a secret like that, and I don't think I could have done something like that myself, but know that I would never even DREAM of betraying you like that, alright?"
"I, I- Sniff -I'm sorry-"
Rarity moved to hold him in an embrace. "Shh! There, there. Let it all out. There's no need to apologize, okay, darling?"
"Well, thank you. Sniff, hey, could you get me a napkin, before I get snot all over your-" a tissue found itself under his chin before he could even finish asking for it. "-O-oh. Thanks."
"My pleasure!" Rarity said with a far more excited tone than she intended. "Say, am I the only other pony that knows Flutterguy?"
"Well, yes. But I've also told Angel about it. Why do you ask?"
"Because, earlier this morning, I recall passing by a poster announcing a reunion of ponies just like you in the Bowling alley this afternoon! It had this wonderful pink, blue and white color scheme, it was a masterpiece of design!"
"Wait. What do you mean by 'ponies like me?'"
"Well, um, other ponies looking for a 'career change' like you've so eloquently said. If I recall correctly, the poster refers to them as 'transgender', a word which has a most wonderful ring to it, and it said that anypony interested was welcome to join!"
"That sounds interesting. But why a bowling alley?"
"...I'm not quite sure. Maybe because It's meant to be a fun hangout?"
"Oooh. That makes sense. Yes, I think I'll be there! When did you say it was, again?"
"It's in, uh," Rarity turned to glance at a clock hung on a far all in the boutique, "about half an hour, if my clock is correct."
"W-wait. You mean it's today? As in, less than an hour, TODAY?"
"Wait! there's more than enough time to get there, darling."
"Bu-but it's all too sudden, and..." Flutterguy sat on the ground and covered his face with his hooves.
"Listen, how about I go with you? I'll be there, by your side, all the way. Okay?"
Flutterguy peered from between his hooves. "That sounds... Alright, I think. Yes, thank you for offering to come along."
"It's my pleasure."
The air inside the Ponyville Bowling Alley was filled by the distinctive sound of pins being struck en masse as Flutterguy and Rarity walked in. The two rightmost lanes were reserved for the trans pony meeting of that day, and Flutterguy was surprised by how many ponies there he recognized.
"Goodness, is that Carrot Cake?"
"It seems so, darling. Aren't those the Blossom twins, from the spa there?" Rarity inquired.
"Hey, Yes! Aloe was working the sauna yesterday, wasn't she? ...Do you think she might have eavesdropped on us?"
"WHAT?" came the shouted reply from Aloe herself. "Not a chance. The Ponyville Day Spa prides itself in fulfilling its customers every whim, right, and need, and 'privacy' fits under all of those!"
Rarity, after calming down from the unexpected yelling, craned her neck forward and replied with a "Good afternoon to you too, Aloe," before she started to walk up to the two lanes.
That is, she would have, if Flutterguy was also coming and not currently doing an impression of what he would look like had he been imprisoned as a statue like Discord.
She slowly walked back to his side, and brought out her best calming smile. "Remember what we talked about, Darling. I'm sure Aloe bears no ill will, and even if she did,"- She held up one of his hooves to the height of his chest -"I wouldn't let her lay a single hair on you. There's nothing to fear, alright?"
He gulped, then glaced back and forth between the group and Rarity. They were all looking right at him.
He internally questioned why he had even gone there in the first place. He didn't even like bowling. Or get-togethers like these. Really, he thought himself blessed the whole mare-in-the-moon thing wound up getting him four brand new friends that easily; even getting to know Rarity and Angel had taken enormous effort. Truly, there was absolutely no reason for Flutterguy to- wait a second.
"Flutterguy" was a work in progress, still. And right in front of him were ponies who had gone through the same as him. Ponies who likely had the very same questions he had, once.
Who went through their own works in progress.
He took a deep breath, and started putting one hoof in front of the other.
He was surprised at how many of the ponies present were known to him. Aside from the Blossom twins and Carrot Cake, Flutterguy also recognized the mare that taught at the schoolhouse named Cheerlie, and almost fell out of his seat when the blue stallion sitting beside him introduced himself as member of the Ponytones Toe Tapper.
"Good afternoon, everypony," began Carrot. "Thank you all for coming today. When me and Toe here decided to do this little get-together, we were honestly expecting two or three ponies at most. How about we start by introducing ourselves, and then play a few rounds of this bowling thing?" Toe Tapper seemed to perk up at the mere mention of bowling.
"I'll start. My name is Carrot Cake, and I chose that name because my family name was already Cake, and I... like carrot cake." He smirked. "Simple as that. I live and work as a baker in Sugarcube corner with my wife Cup and my two kids Pound and Pumpkin, and they mean everything to me. Oh, and Pinkie's there too."
Flutterguy was taken aback. It was really that simple? He thought. Um. Alright. What do I like? Animals? Fashion? ...Peace?
Then, Toe Tapper stood up. "Hi there, you ponies! My name's Toe Tapper, but you can call me Toe Tapper." He took a moment to giggle at his own joke before adjusting his polo shirt and continuing. "I came up with 'Toe Tapper' first as a stage name for the role of a prince in a human fandom-related play I was participating in - long story - at first." Flutterguy saw Carrot rolling his eyes. "But playing that role, and having other people- sorry, ponies call me that felt nice, in a way I couldn't quite explain then. Of course, one day I looked back and noticed every character I played since then was also a dude, and the pieces started to fall into place. So I decided to call myself Toe Tapper as a homage to him."
"You were raring to tell that story ever since you suggested we did this, weren't you?" Carrot teased.
"Ever since I learned I'd be singing in Ponyville, actually."
Flutterguy suddently started to regret not taking theater class in school.
Toe Tapper forced a cough, ignoring a glare from his bossy bandmate Rarity. "Alright then, who'd like to introduce themself next?"
"Oh, oh! Me! I'd like to introduce myself next!" Aloe Blossom shot out. "My name is Aloe Blossom, and I run the Ponyville Day Spa together with my sister Lotus Blossom, as my mother Rose Blossom and her sister Sunflower Blossom did before her, and like her mother Lilac Blossom and her mother's sister Camomile Blossom before her, and-" Lotus Blossom whispered something into her ear "-oh, right. I didn't actually choose my name. Mom did. I liked it from the beginning, so I just didn't ever change it."
"Yep, that's right," Lotus Blossom completed. "My sister essentially already introduced both of us, but one thing she didn't say was that we're actually fraternal twins: I'm not actually trans, she only wanted to avoid coming all alone. I'm glad I came, though. You all seem like such nice ponies."
Flutterguy just felt puzzled. He'd never actually considered just not bothering with a new name. He wondered how that would be like.
He imagined his friends greeting him, knowing full well who he was. Oh hohohoh, greetings o dear Fluttersh-
Oh, dear Celestia, no. Surely that alternative just wasn't for him. Maybe something really far from that would be better.
"What? Really?" Cheerlie asked. "My name is Cheerlie, I work as a teacher in the Ponyville Schoolhouse, and I couldn't even dream of something like that. Ever since I figured out that I wasn't a colt, I went through a whole myriad of names. Some were from the main characters of books I liked, some were from books of baby names, a few were taken straight from the dictionary, and one, 'Claudia', was even just a string of syllables I came up with on the spot! But they all had the common theme of being as far away from the name my parents gave me as possible, (and I can't thank them enough for being so understanding!) It was long after I got my cutie mark that I really thought about what I wanted to be known for: I wanted to be the kind of teacher that watches her students grow beyond what they ever thought possible and above all the kind that convinces students that learning is reason for cheering. Hence, Cheer-lie! You could call me any of the other names I went through and I'd probably answer, though."
Flutterguy took her words to heart. He knew who he was, or at least he had a pretty good idea. He was the Element of Kindness, ponyville's premier animal caretaker, and the most socially anxious pony the school counsellor ever met in her entire life. Those first two made for a pretty good name basis, he thought.
It was when he finished that thought that he realized everypony in the group was looking at either him or Rarity.
He turned to Rarity, who offered a comforting smile and nod before addressing the group.
"Greetings, everypony!" she began. "You may call me Rarity, and I work at Carrousel Boutique, and I'm also a singer in the Ponytones group, along with being their exclusive costume department, and also seemingly the only pony there that remembers to avoid clearing their throat." Toe Tapper smirked at her jab. "Like with Miss Lotus, I'm here to accompany somepony dear to me, even if I don't meet the criteria outlined in the poster I saw- I do hope that's alright, everypony." She looked at Carrot Cake for approval, who nodded back.
She lowered her voice to address Flutterguy specifically. "Would you like me to introduce you to them, or would you rather have the honour yourself?"
Flutterguy swallowed, then made his decision. He was thankful for the opportunity he was given today, and he wanted to communicate that personally.
Flutterguy, still holding eye contact with Rarity, put his hoof on his chest and smiled. "Hello, everypony. I'm sure you know who I am already. You know, I saved princess Luna as the Element of Kindness and all that." Okay. This was going well. He turned to face the rest of the group. "I'm calling myself 'Flutterguy' as a placeholder. Um. Since recently." Nopony was laughing at him. Not bad. "And, um. I'm really thankful for this, yes."
Flutterguy forced himself to look around the room. Rarity was sat next to him, and gave a smile and a nod. Cheerlie and Lotus sat on the couch opposite to him and were paying close attention, and Aloe was vigourously waving from the floor after apparently falling over. Carrot Cake held a gentle grin, and Toe Tapper spoke up when he realized he'd finished speaking.
"It's our pleasure, colt! And since you've mentioned it, how about we being the game?" He stood up, and walked to the middle of the group. "WHO'S READY TO ROLL?"
"Er, excuse me," Cheerlie began, "but I'm afraid we can't. There's seven of us, meaning one team is short a player."
"Hey, Yeah! You can't do that!" Aloe complained. "It isn't fair!"
"Don't you worry, dear!" Tapper began. "We can simply give the smaller team an absentee score to make up for the difference."
"Ooooooooh. Okay. That seems fair. But how much is the score given?"
"It's simple, really," Carrot said before producing a rulebook from his apron, with a dozen page markers sticking out of every side. He opened the book on a deep blue marker with and audible creak, before reading the suitable passage aloud. "Rule three hundred and twenty-two b, section three: The absentee score for each game shall be the absent member’s entering average less 10 pins, plus handicap."
"…..But we don't have an absentee member, do we? That's hardly any help," Lotus complained.
As if on cue, a pink cloud erupted from behind the couch she sat on, forcing the three mares sitting in it into coughing fits. When the cloud dissipated, a fourth figure sat on the couch, also coughing.
The figure was a mare, clutching a duffel bag, wearing a faint pink cloak over most of her body, and her appearance ellicited gasps from all those present.
"What in the world- TRIXIE?!" Rarity exclaimed. "Just what are YOU doing here?"
"Kaff! Blergh! You are confused, whelp! The Great and Powerful Trixie is NOT present in this bowling alley! I am not her, but I am flattered you'd confuse me for her!"
"Is that so. If you are not Trixie, then just who are you?"
"My name is, ummm..." The figure glanced around the alley, before finally turning to face the far side of the nearest lane. "BOWLING PINS! Yes, I am Bowling Pin!"
"Uh-huh. Is it 'Bowling Pin' or 'Bowling Pins', with an s, darling?"
"Uhm. Ahem, tri- Bowling Pin thinks it's the latter."
"Oh, you think so. Alright then." Rarity got up, and walked until she was face-to-face with her. "Just let me take a closer look..." Her horn glowed, and a white aura enveloped the hood of 'Bowling Pin(s)' cloak. Another glow from beneath the cloak pinned the hood down, and confirmed the interloper was a unicorn. "What's the problem, 'Pin'? I thought you LOVED being the center of attention!"
"And why'd you need to nearly asphyxiate us with that smog? I thought I was gonna DIE!" Aloe chipped in.
"Yes, that was awfully rude of you, Trixie," Cheerlie completed. "...And also illegal, if I'm not mistaken."
"I-Illegal?" Trixie snapped, turning to meet Cheerlie. "How'd you know-"
RIIIP!
Rarity managed to tear the cloak apart when Trixie got distracted. "Oh, what a waste of perfectly good fabric. Why did you bother with the disguise if you were going to make such an entrance?"
Upon realizing her disguise attempt was foiled, Trixie hid behind her hooves. "Curse you! Whatever did I do to you?"
"What did you not do? You took over the entirety of ponyville and exiled Twilight because she saved you from an ursa minor! You nearly starved Pinkie Pie to death because she didn't like you insulting her childhood home! And after all of that, you still try to claim you're innocent!"
"I'm sorry about all of that, okay? But I can't be blamed for it! The Alicorn Amulet's magic made me do it!"
"Oh is that so? Pray tell, do you happen to know just who decided to put it on in the first place?"
"Yes, and I wish I could go back in time and stop myself from ever buying it again! I blew what little bits I had on it, and it went and took control of my mind! I was as appalled when I saw what I'd done as you were, I promise!"
"And you didn't so much as lift a hair of your mane to help clean after yourself, did you? Why you little-"
"Rarity, that's enough." Flutterguy beckoned from above the two, floating overhead and unnoticed until now.
All ponies present squinted to look at him, blinded by the alley's lights. "Whatever do you mean, dear?" Rarity questioned. "She encased the whole town in a glass dome! Wouldn't that have wreaked havoc on the ecosystem of the area?"
Trixie's head fell, and her focus shifted to the hue of the couch she sat on. "Yes, it would have. I guess it's a good thing Twilight got that amulet so fast... however did she find it, anyway?"
"Well, that's simple." Flutterguy slowly floated down to ground level. "Do you remember the beavers you let through the dome with a log?"
Trixie nodded. "Yes, but I don't see what that has to do with anything."
"Well," Flutterguy put a hoof on his chest. "You let a little more than a log through. Twilight's library happened to have a book on just that very amulet you wore, and we knew we had to relay that to her somehow, so I got volunteered to sneak across the border, inside that log. Even though you were under the amulet's spell, you still decided to help a few animals without anything to gain from it!"
"Oh, yes, Trixie remembers that now. I was whipping those two colts at the time, wasn't I?"
"Well, no. You were snapping at the air above them."
"Semantics, darling!" Rarity interjected. "How can you just brush something like that under the rug?"
"Rarity, she wasn't herself that day. We both know that. And after all that, she still tried to say sorry!"
"Well, I think never having to see her face again for as long as I live would be a much more heartfelt apology." She jabbed a hoof at Trixie. "On that thought, what are you even doing here, anyway? Trying to blow up the bowling alley?"
Trixie scooted back on her seat until she was pressed against the couch's backrest. "Well you see, I-" She gulped. "Trixie learned the Ponytones were performing in Ponyville, and she couldn't miss it for the world!" She craned her upper body forward, as if trying to seem bigger. "As much as she dislikes you, she has to admit you're a great singer. Is that enough for you?"
"No. That only answers why you're in town. Unless you're sleeping in the alley behind the alley, you've no reason to in this room with us. So, once again: what in Celestia's name are you doing here?"
Trixie's body seemed to shrink as she stared back, trembling, her back arched in a half-bow.
"So?" Rarity punctuated her speech by stomping on the floor with her hooves. "Aren't you going to answer?"
Flutterguy looked at the shivering mess of a mare on the couch, and noticed she was about to cry.
"Rarity!" He stood in front of her, and placed one hand on her shoulder. "Will you please stop shouting at her?"
"What? Darling, we need to know why she's here! What if she's conspiring against us for whatever reason?"
"No, we don't. You're driving her to tears!"
"I-" Rarity looked over his shoulder, and found Trixie staring back at her.
She was whimpering.
Rarity let her face relax. She looked around the alley, and realized most of the group was also focused on her.
Aloe and Toe Tapper's brows were furrowed, and the latter was tapping a single hoof on the wooden floor repeatedly. Cheerlie, Lotus and Carrot seemed almost embarrassed by the display before them.
But she'd never forget the intensity of the stare Flutterguy directed at her in that moment.
Leaning back from the display, she took another look at Trixie before closing her eyes and exhaling softly. "I'm sorry, Trixie. I'm certain we can postpone the matter!"
"Or forget all about it," suggested Flutterguy. "I'm certain Trixie isn't hiding anything!"
"She isn't hiding anything that concerns you, at least," Trixie sneered.
"That works. Now how about we start the game Toe Tapper mentioned?"
Pouncing at the opportunity to finally being, Toe Tapper began to rattle on about the rules of bowling. "Alright, yeah! Now, I'm certain you all will find this very simple..."
After a surprisingly long summary of practically every situation that could arise during a game, they began. Carrot Cake divided the teams by pointing at each pony on either couch and alternating between saying "One" and "Two" as he went from left to right. Aloe, Lotus, Carrot and Flutterguy sat facing Trixie, Cheerlie, Toe Tapper and Rarity.
Owning to the fact that only one pony in either team had bowling as a hobby, the score was consistently close. Aloe confidently sunk a ball into the gutter for each four or five pins her sister struck down, and Flutterguy had to decide between throwing the ball with his hooves or his wings before concluding he couldn’t control the ball well with either method. Over on Team Two's side, both Rarity and Trixie seemed to have great difficulty throwing the ball with much strength using their magic, and Cheerlie didn't have much in the way of strategy besides throwing the ball as straight and as fast as she could in spite of every attempt by Toe Tapper to teach her about the concept of 'spin', And by sheer luck both Toe and Carrot managed to down the exact same number of pins.
"Huff, alright, everypony! Last frame! That means the game's about to end!" Toe Tapper panted in the middle of the group. "All of the game comes down to these last two balls! Who will win? Who will lose? Let's. Find. OUT!"
Before each lane, stood a pony. Flutterguy had concluded that grasping the ball with both forehooves and balancing on his backlegs with the help of his outstretched wings before staggering forwards and letting go just before the foul line to be the best he could do, and Trixie figured out she could forgo putting most of the force on the ball herself if she managed to lift it high enough before forcing an "U" shape to the ball's fall and let go at the halfway point, a revelation she immediately shared with just about everypony in earshot.
Flutterguy's first throw went surprisingly well. The ball sailed through the oiled wood and filled the air with sound as it struck its targets dead-on. Only two pins on either extreme of the formation remained standing.
"Hoo boy, a seven-ten split..." Carrot held his hat to his chest, and bowed his head. "That's a tough egg to crack."
Flutterguy swallowed. "Is- is that bad?"
"Well, no. It's actually alright. It's just that it's hard to 'clean it up' into a full frame."
"Oh. Alright, then!"
"Good, because 'Alright' is all you get tonight, sirs!" Trixie declared. "Feast your eyes on this!"
She grasped her ball with her magic, and took a deep breath as the ball began to slowly raise. Beads of sweat ran across her face as the ball's ascension paused, and it began to plummet before arcing forwards onto the lane. The glow enveloping the ball disappeared a hair's length before the foul line, sending the ball hurtling towards the pins. Trixie shut her eyes at the loud strike, and when she opened them two pins remained.
Trixie's jaw hung until Flutterguy's voice reached her ears. "That was a good throw, Trixie!"
She yanked her gaze from the pins to look at the opposing group. Aloe jeered and Lotus giggled while covering her mouth, and Carrot's head was lopsided to accompany his smirk. Only Flutterguy's smile was genuine.
The knock of the returning ball alerted both to his responsibility. Both would make one more throw, then the game would be over.
After picking it up, Flutterguy felt the weight of the ball he held in his hoof as the anticipation of his team weighted down on him. He was able to make out Lotus gulping among a pause between the deafening cheers Aloe yelled in his general direction. Carrot's reflection was visible on the ball's smooth surface, and his intense stare betrayed the breath he held behind a small smile.
Flutterguy's gaze shifted, to his own reflection on the ball. He was startled when he saw his mane, the new cut forgotten in the action. A stallion's face was on the ball, and he eyed his mane before grinning ear-to-ear. Then, he took a few steps back from the foul lane, reared back on his backlegs, corrected his balance by fluttering his wings when he began to fall to his left, then leaned forwards, putting one hoof in front of the other.
Then he tripped on his own hooves.
Falling forwards, he let go of the ball just before landing face first on the wood flooring. Carrot rushed over to him, ignoring the ball completely. He helped Flutterguy up just in time to see the ball fall right into the gutter.
Trixie was the only other pony who was still looking at him. "Are you alright?" she asked, eyes wide as she walked over to him.
"Yes. Thank you for asking," he said. "I can’t wait to see you beat us," he added with the same tone he'd greet the mailmare with.
"Ahem. Yes, Trixie shall do just that." She marched towards the ball, lighting it up in tandem with her horn, and lifted it above her head. She stared ahead, heaving under the effort expended, before turning to face Flutterguy with a weary smile on her face.
She then threw the ball; it lumbered in the exact middle of the lane during its slow travel, during which she lit up her horn to adjust her cloak. When it slipped off the far edge of the lane leaving both pins untouched, she turned to face her audience. "Alas, it seems our fair duel has ended in a draw. Maybe it wouldn't be so in another life. We should do this more often."
"HEY! That's no fair! You threw it!" Toe accused.
"Well, yes. I did, in fact, throw the ball. Which missed both pins."
"Why, you little-" Toe Tapper quickly descended into muttering profusely under his breath. "Why, I oughta..."
"I agree with you, Trixie," Flutterguy said. "It'd be fun to do this once a month or so."
"Uhm. Hey, Toe? No need to get so worked up over this. It's just a game, after all!" Carrot trotted in front of Toe Tapper. "How about we distribute those pins you got just for the occasion?" He gestured towards an orange bowl sitting in the couch behind him.
"Hmph. Alright." He turned and walked to the bowl before grabbing it with his teeth and placing it on his back. "Everypony grab one of these," he began as he circled the group.
Flutterguy watched as each pony in the group grabbed a pin from the bowl. Rarity tipped her head while examining the pin she held with her telekinesis, and Cheerlie took one look at her pin before holding it against her chest with both hooves. Aloe beamed while excitedly showing it to her sister, and Carrot fumbled it a bit before putting it on his apron. After taking his from the bowl, Flutterguy read the blue, pink and white words aloud.
"’I'm in charge of my own destiny'…? What does that mean?"
"It's a bit of an in-joke among ponies like you and me. It means that we have taken the reins of our lives in our hooves, and we're proud of it!" Carrot explained.
"Oh, I'm afraid these aren't visible from the other side of town. couldn't you have possibly chosen something even more glaring?" Trixie jeered.
"Be happy he talked me out of getting shirts that read 'Nopony knows I'm a transsexual', Trixie!" Toe Tapper finished fiddling with the fabric underneath the pin.
Trixie flinched as Carrot sighed. "Which one of those two do you think is the bigger showoff, Flutterguy?"
"Um... I don't think I should answer that. I wouldn't want to start a fight."
Carrot cackled. "Good one!"
"What good one?"
"The one you just said!"
"Oh. What was it?"
"Just now, when you said you didn't want to start a fight."
"Oh. What was good about it?"
"...Nevermind. If I let you keep asking questions, we'll be here all day."
"Oh. Um. Is it okay if I make just one more question, then?" Flutterguy fiddled with the pin. "Well, two. Or three, if you count me asking you if I can ask more questions of you."
"Alright. What's your first- uh, second question, then?"
"That term Toe Tapper used. 'Transsexual'. I saw Trixie flinch when she heard it. What does it mean?"
"Well, It's considered an outdated term to describe ponies like us. It originated from long ago, when being a stallion in the body of a mare was conflated with being a mare who's interested in other mares, and vice versa. Nowadays most ponies agree those two are very different traits which may overlap in one pony, or not. Most of us go by 'transgender' or simply 'trans', but a few ponies still like to be referred to as transsexual for a myriad of reasons. Maybe they feel as if the original idea applies to their own individual experience, or maybe they want to pay homage to our history, or maybe"- he glanced over at Toe Tapper, who was currently chatting away with Rarity -"they like the way it turns heads."
"Woah. I never knew you had such history. Or, rather, we had." He corrected after glancing at the pin he held in one hoof.
"Been there since the first ponies walked the earth. Or flew the skies, in the case of pegasi. What was your third question?"
"Oh! Um, Well..." Flutterguy measured his next words carefully. "Sorry if i'm being insensitive, but if you're trans, and your wife gave birth, which would mean she isn’t..."
Carrot sighed and shook his head, then smiled. "Thanks for being pretty much the one pony who didn't assume she cheated on me. It's simple, really: we wanted kids for a long time already, but she explicitly wanted to give birth, so we didn't adopt. We settled on artificial insemination, which is where I assume the horn and wings came from. I'm not that comfortable just letting everyone know I'm not the biological father of my kids, so we tried to cover It up by making up relatives. Although my Cup, bless her heart, she can't lie to save her flank."
"Wait, you two lied about your great-great-great-great-grandfather and her aunt's-second-cousin-twice-removed?"
"Well, more or less. They do exist, but an aunt's second cousin twice removed wouldn't even be related by blood."
"Wow. Wait just a moment- if I'm 'pretty much the only pony who didn't assume' she cheated, does- does that mean Pinkie did?"
"No, but I'm still unnerved at how quickly she figured out the truth. Apparently she wanted to find out who the donor was so she could throw them a party..."
"That's thoughtful of her."
"What? Flutterguy, one of the main things about artificial insemination is that the identity of the donor is unknown. I don't think even the doctor knows who they are."
"Oh. Sorry."
"It's alright." He glanced at the clock above the main entrance of the alley. "What's not alright, however, is how late it's getting. I had better get home soon."
Flutterguy looked around the alley. Most of the ponies seemed be getting ready to leave, and some had begun their farewells. One look through the main entrance revealed the hues of sunset on the horizon; dinnertime would come soon enough. "Don't let me keep you for any longer, then."
Flutterguy made for the exit, but stopped as he felt a hoof on his shoulder. "Darling, Toe Tapper invited me to go out with the rest of the Ponytones later tonight. I know you're one of our biggest fans, so would you like to come with us?"
"Oh, no, sorry. I'd love to, but I have to feed my animals dinner. I have this delicious leafy green salad planned for tonight."
"That sounds delightful, darling. I'll see you tomorrow, then!"
Flutterguy beamed. "Same to you!"
Flutterguy walked out of the alley, then paused to admire as the pink sky turned to purple and finally indigo as Luna's work unfolded across the heavens.
Suddently, a mare's voice called out from next to him. "The night sky has been ever more beautiful since Luna returned, has it not?"
"EEK!" Flutterguy jumped three times his height in the air, and stayed there as he scanned the ground to find a perplexed Trixie looking back at him, next to a duffel bag. "O-oh, sorry, Trixie. I wasn't expecting company."
Trixie composed herself. "I asked you a question, did I not?"
"Um, yes, yes you did. And I'm afraid I'm not too much of a stargazer myself. Usually when it's this late I'm already in my cottage, tending to my animal friends and getting ready to sleep."
Her brow furrowed "Hmmph. Wasn't it such distaste for her night that created Nightmare Moon in the first place?"
"Well, yes. But if so, then it's a relief that many more ponies love the night today compared to a thousand years in the past. I've heard a few even sleep during the day!"
In response, Trixie gazed up into the sky, eyes fixating on a particular set of stars. "Do you know how stars are made, Fluttershy?" She immediately slammed a hoof over her mouth. "Flutterguy! Sorry!"
He jolted back in the air, less because of her mistake and more because of her apology. "It's alright. And no, I don't think I've ever known how they were made."
Her stance softened. "Long ago, not too much after the foundation of Equestria, the Two Sisters came to an impasse. Both agreed that ponies that prove their excellence above all others ought to be honoured, somehow, but neither agreed on how. Celestia first suggested a museum for such accomplishments be erected somewhere, but Luna disagreed because a single physical location would eventually run out of space, and only be visited by a minority of all living ponies."
"That sounds like a reasonable complaint. But where do the stars come in?"
"No interruptions! Luna in turn modelled a system based a book which would receive a new edition every solstice, and ponies all across the land need only contact an Equestrian representative with proof of such an achievement to be immortalized in paper."
"Um, excuse me, but I really must be going. I'm not good at finding my way around in the dark."
Trixie looked at him, then shot a beam of light from her horn before raising one eyebrow and grinning. "I shall walk you there, so that I may finish my story," she proclaimed with pride in her voice.
"Um. Alright." He landed, and began to trot towards the edge of the Everfree Forest.
She took this as an invitation, and cantered over to his side before hanging her duffel bag around her neck with her magic. "As I was saying, Luna planned to record the efforts of ponies around the world. Celestia reminded her of the difficulty creatures outside of Equestria might have getting a copy of such a book, along with the issue of language. It was then that a trusted royal advisor came with the idea of imprinting such feats not on any old matter tangible by all, but on the very sky itself! Ponies of such high value would be forever seen in the night sky, until the end of time!"
"Wait, so does that mean me, Rarity and my other friends all have their own stars?" He glanced up at the sky, marvelled. "Do you know which ones we are?"
Trixie's walk slowed, and her head fell. "Stars are made with a very high-cost spell. Not only has only Luna the only known pony who ever cast it, it also consumes a living- or recently departed -pony's body, or more specifically their 'self'. You six will never see your stars."
"Aw. I think Rarity would have loved seeing herself in the sky."
"I can see why." She turned to the sky once more.
"How come I'm only learning about this now, by the way?"
"Well, the only pony who ever learned how to immortalize ponies in the heavens also 'got stuck' there. I suppose the practice evaded the public consciousness after a millennium, and Celestia," she spat out the name with venom, "probably didn't feel the need to remind everyone of this amazing feat she couldn’t perform.
He recoiled at her sudden bitter outburst. He felt he should change the subject. "...I see. But how come you know about it, then? Did Twilight tell you about it?"
"Pfft! Twilight only repeats that which she can read, and Celestia would never have committed something like that to paper. As to how I came across such knowledge, we need simply go back to the royal advisor I mentioned earlier: her name was Trixie Lulamoon. No, I'm not that old, but..." She gulped, "...the house I grew up in happened to have a few history books you could not find anywhere else. One of them detailed how my family descended from Lulamoon herself, making me a direct descendant of her on my mother's side."
Flutterguy took a moment to respond, after parsing though all the information he was just given. "...And you consider that book a reputable source?"
"And why shouldn’t I?"
"Well, that's a good point. What was the book called?"
"I.... well," her eyes darted around, then settled on the stone path. "I can't remember."
Trixie's face shriveled, then gave way to a tired expression. "I suppose I shouldn't believe it, but if it's true, then it'd give me ancestry to be proud of."
"But I'm certain there's someone else in your family you can be proud of, like your paren-"
Flutterguy froze as Trixie suddently jumped in front of him and bared her teeth. "Shut up. You want to know the most noteworthy thing my other ancestors did?! They assisted Nightmare Moon's escape from beyond the grave. Not one of them deserves an ounce of praise."
He recoiled. "I-I'm sorry I brought them up." He walked around her, and spotted the light coming from his cottage nearby. "Oh, we arrived."
Trixie turned around, illuminating the steps to the entrance. "Oh. Alright then, I suppose."
They walked up to the entrance together, then he turned around at the porch. "Thank you for lighting the path for me. I really enjoyed learning about the stars. Goodnight."
Trixie's stomach rumbled. Flutterguy heard it. "Oh dear. Would you like to stay for dinner? I think there's enough for one more pony."
"I-If you would be so kind!"
And so, he beckoned her in after opening the door, and she left her bag by the door after entering.
A multitude of animals sat around a rectangular dinner table, with Trixie and Flutterguy across from each other. Angel occupied one of the far edges, laid down on a bowl of salad and inhaling each leaf like a swimmer about to dive.
Flutterguy ate silently, and Trixie chewed idly. Bothered by the cacophony, she spoke up. "Ahem. This salad is, uhm, quite nice."
Flutterguy looked up from his bowl. "Oh, thank you. Angel here helped me with it." He turned to face the bowl surrounded by specks of green. "Say hi, Angel!"
A paw rose above the edge of the bowl. "Burrrp. 'Hi, Angel,'" came the squeaky reply.
"Oh, you!" He turned back to Trixie. "He's such a funny little guy, isn't he?"
She opened her mouth as if to speak, hung it open for a few seconds, then closed it again.
Two rabbit ears and the top of a head joined the paw above the bowl. "Uh, she can't understand anything I say and vice-versa, remember?"
Flutterguy covered his muzzle with both his hooves. "Oh! I'm sorry, Trixie. I sometimes forget other ponies can't talk to my animal friends."
Trixie sat up, and brought her forelegs on either side of her plate. "You- you can talk to them?! What did he say?"
"Um, he said hi."
"Oh." She faced towards the bowl. "Greetings, creature of Equestria!"
Flutterguy spun ninety degrees on his seat. "She says 'Greetings, creature of Equestria!'"
"Does he also not understand what I say? Intriguing."
Two paws hoisted the rest of Angel Bunny up as he peeked over the edge of the bowl. "'Creature of Equestria'? Could you ask her to narrow it down a little? I didn't see who she was talking to."
"Um, alright. Trixie, Angel wants you to 'narrow it down' a little."
"'Narrow it down'? Who else could I have been referring to?"
"...Every creature in this room, for starters. Including you and me."
"What? Trixie is no 'creature'! She isn't a base animal like all your other guests."
"W-well, technically, ponies fall under the animalia kingdom, same as all my friends here, so..."
"So what? Up until today I haven't seen any animal eating food at a table like a pony, and I can see why very clearly!" she said, gesturing at the green spread around angel's bowl. "Do you eat like this every night?"
"Only on the last sunday of every month, actually."
Angel rapped a foot against the inside of his bowl for emphasis. "Man, why'd you have to bring Miss Tantrum here on Slurp So Savagely Sunday of all days? At least take out whatever thorn's in her paw before bringing her in!"
Flutterguy sighed, and turned to face her. "Trixie, could you please calm down? You're making my friends uncomfortable. If you don't, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave."
Trixie's pupils shrunk at the warning, and she swallowed dry before replying. "Trixie... will calm down. And she's"- she took a deep breath, in and out. -"sorry."
Flutterguy smiled. "Thank you, Trixie."
Angel grinned. "That's more like it!"
Trixie reciprocated their smiles. And along with it, the silence.
Annoyed at the lull in conversation, Trixie spoke up. "So... this is a very nice cottage, here. When'd you get it?"
"Hmm?" Flutterguy perked up. "Oh, not long after I moved out of my parents' house. I saved up enough for it after working as a veterinarian, but I had my eye on it ever since I came to Ponyville. It just seemed like the perfect spot to be in contact with nature but still near the town."
"I see. It, uh, is very nice."
"Thank you!"
"Dude!" Angel called out, "ask her about her house!"
Flutterguy's ears perked up. "Oh, um, Angel says he wants to know about your house."
Trixie's face fell as she berated herself for bringing the subject up. "He... wants to know about my house, huh."
"Yes, he does."
"Does he need to know?"
"Hm, let me ask him." He spun to address the rabbit. "Do you need to know about her house?"
"Well," Angel put a paw to his chin, intrigued. "Now I kinda do."
"Thank you. Angel says he kind of does need to know about your house, Trixie."
"Well, if he needs to know so kind of bad," she sniffed, "I left it next to the door when I came."
Flutterguy, puzzled, floated up to look at the entrance to the cottage. Next to the door laid a duffel bag. "Your bag?"
Angel bounded up to peek at the bag, and nearly fell on his head as the realization overcame him. "Oh, oh no. Forget I ever asked that!"
"Yes, my bag. It's all I've got. When I said I spent my every last bit on that amulet, I meant it."
Flutterguy's focus darted between her and Angel as he floated back to his chair. "Oh dear. I'm so sorry."
"Don't be. It's my fault. Besides, I've managed well enough. You wouldn't believe what some ponies throw away!"
"Oh, oh dear. Did you not have anypony that could help you, like your family?"
Trixie suddenly rose, and slammed her hooves on the table. "My family is why I've lived on the road for all these years! They chewed Trixie up, then spat her away like nothing! The streets of this town are much more preferable." She sat back down, and draped herself on the table. "Besides, they live in canterlot and I haven't even the bits for a train ticket. So even if they had a modicum of love for Trixie..."
Flutterguy pushed his plates aside, and leaned forwards to place one hoof over one of hers. "That is awful. I could lend you the guest bedroom of the cottage tonight, just so that you wouldn't sleep on the dirt. Especially since I've led you to the edge of the Everfree Forest..."
Trixie slowly lifted herself off the table. "You'd... do that, for ME?"
Angel chuckled to himself, before laying back on his bowl with his arms behind his head. "Giving a room to an ex-dictator. Did you know you're one of a kind, man?"
"Yes," Flutterguy responded to both questions. "The guest room is that way, on the right." He pointed to a staircase. "Let me get your luggage for you."
Trixie made her way to the bedroom, and laid down on the bed to get a good look at the ceiling afterwards. She only moved after she heard Flutterguy bring her stuff through the door. "Flutterguy, can I ask you a question?"
"Go ahead."
"Why are you being so nice to me?"
"Because you need it." She heard hooves on wood as he landed next to the bed. "Because it's the right thing to do. And because it feels nice."
"It does? Hmm."
"Yes, it gives me this warm, fuzzy feeling. But can I ask you a question?"
"Yes, you may."
"Why didn't you like those 'I'm in charge of my own destiny' pins Toe Tapper was handing out at the alley? I thought they were incredible. I'd be wearing mine right now if I had anything to wear it with."
Trixie rolled until she was facing him. "Because the destiny I'm in charge of has, among other things, gotten me thrown out of my parents' house for being a freak."
"But you're not a freak. You're Trixie!"
"I said that same thing, on that day. And I'm glad I went bowling, but I can't just be so open about it. And I'm glad we are friends now or whatever, but I hate owning a favor and- sorry, I'm rambling. Just- I can't thank you enough for seeing me and deciding to extend the olive branch, alright?"
His ears snapped forwards. "Sorry, extending what?"
"Uh, the olive branch. It means a peace offering. Have you never heard of it?"
"...Not heard, until tonight, I have only seen it written down."
"Whatever. Trixie thinks she's going to sleep already. Goodnight, Flutterguy."
"Goodnight, Trixie! And thank you!" He said as he flew through the door at a surprisingly hurried pace.
"...You're welcome?"
Back at the dinner table, angel was currently dreading the work ahead of him. As much as he loved Slurp So Savagely Sunday, he was also the one who campaigned for it to only happen once a month: having to clean that big a mess once a week would probably kill him. No, definitively would kill him. Because of all that, he did not take being suddenly hoisted towards the sink kindly.
"Wh- hey! slow down, man!"
"Oh, sorry," Flutteguy said as he calmly set the bowl down. "By the way, what is this 'man' thing you keep mentioning?"
"Uh, frankly, I don't know. Some mice started peppering their speech with it, and it caught on. Why'd you go do the dishes like your life depended on it?"
"Oh, I guess I'm just excited, in general."
"Is that so. Is there any particular reason behind your joy?"
"I think I'm just at peace now." He turned on the faucet, and grabbed a sponge. The shiver from that morning came back in full force. "Could you try calling me 'Olive Branch' for the time being?"