//------------------------------// // Pastel Goth's Very Big Secret // Story: Life in Allspark Wells // by The FraudulentBrit //------------------------------// Life in Allspark Wells Part 8; Pastel Goth’s Very Big Secret The funny thing about settling into a routine, at least to Apple Bloom, was that one often found themselves losing track of time. Where once, the former farm girl would have been able to recognize the events of every single day, now it seemed that she couldn’t remember the specifics of the past several weeks. All she did know, at least for certain, was that now it was the first of the month, and it was time for another day of school. Walking through the school’s front door, Apple Bloom shivered as she remarked, “Ah swear it’s getting’ colder than the smeltin’ pits’ coolant.” Indeed, the burgundy haired girl was starting to wonder if a kilt was the best choice for today. Catching her breath, she remarked to herself, “At least Ah brought mah new jacket.” Straightening her black leather jacket, Apple Bloom made her way up the school’s grand hallway to her first class. Shaking her head, the young girl couldn’t help but complain to herself, “Just another mornin’ with that stupid hippie. Please, don’t let him be eatin’ somethin’ again. He smacks louder than the cows back on the farm.” The moment she said this, Apple Bloom’s eyes darted to the old analog clock resting at the top of the stairwell, revealing that it was already 8:20. Gulping, the former farm girl said to herself, “Oh dear. Ah Better hurry up.” With that, she bolted off, or at least moved as fast as she could without incurring the ire of the hall monitors. Mr. Compost’s Classroom Entering her biology classroom, Apple Bloom found that it was surprisingly sparce of students. Letting out a sigh of relief, the former farm girl made her way to her desk as she thought to herself, ‘At least Ah won’t be the late.’ As she sat down, the rest of the class began to make their way inside as well. Apple Bloom took a mental note of everyone as they piled into the classroom; some were in a surprisingly cheerful mood, some were still trying to wake up, and some had an attitude that she could only describe as “Please kill me now.” After a few more minutes, Mr. Compost walked into the classroom. Just as Apple Bloom feared, her hippie teacher was eating a yellow bell pepper. As he passed the former farm girl, she thought to herself, ‘Ugh, Ah swear, one of these days, he’s gonna make me vomit.’ Once he made it to the front of the classroom, Mr. Compost greeted, “Greetings my fellow citizens of the world!” Apple Bloom and the rest of her classmates responded to his off-putting optimism with a unanimous grumble of annoyance. The biology teacher didn’t seem to get the hint, instead replying with an enthusiastic, “Oh come on everyone. Why is everyone so down in the dumps, especially now that we’re approaching that part of the semester?” From behind her, Apple Bloom heard one of her classmates, a sophomore girl, whisper, “Time for his bi-yearly shower?” Not hearing his pupil’s joke at his expense, Mr. Compost answered his own question with, “It’s time for the midterm project!” When no one said anything in response to his declaration, the old teacher explained, “To those who don’t know, every semester, I have all my pupils make a project that shows creative thinking and resourcefulness in how to benefit the environment. It’s a way to help you all understand your responsibility to the planet!” Raising his hand, one of the other students, a freshman with green skin named Skids, asked, “You mean like comparing fluorescent lightbulbs vs normal ones?” Shaking his head, Mr. Compost replied, “Yeah, but that bores me. I want you all to do something that hasn’t been done before.” Another student, a dark gray boy with black hair and a black outfit, asked, “What if we just didn’t use a toilet for two weeks?” The scruffy teacher let out a bemused chuckle as he replied, “Hey now, I got rid of my toilet years ago. Who needs plumbing when you have a backyard and a shovel?” Apple Bloom gulped as she thought to herself, ‘Ok, so he wants me to do somethin’ that both benefits the environment but can’t be somethin’ that’s been done before. No pressure.’ She then thought to herself, ‘Wait, you don’t know just how much this project will count to mah final grade.’ Raising her hand, the former farm girl asked, “Uh, sir? How much will this count to our final grade?” Pointing to Apple Bloom, Mr. Compost bluntly answered, “A lot. This assignment will be one of the most important things you do for me this semester. I’ve had students who had A’s all throughout the semester that failed this project and almost failed the class.” As the former farm girl let out an awkward gulp, her teacher cheerfully added, “But don’t worry. Those of you who don’t get a good grade can always join me on the root and berry retreat.” The moment those words escaped Mr. Compost’s lips, Apple Bloom could hear one of her classmates groan, “Ugh, not that root and berry crap again.” Before she could fully react to her fellow pupil’s complaint, the hippie teacher pointed to someone behind her and called out, “I heard that Pipes! One more word out of you, and you’re heading straight for the principal’s office!” Once Pipes was humbled, Mr. Compost explained, “As I was going to say before I was so rudely interrupted, every semester, I take a group of kids on a magical weekend trip deep into the forest. We subside on nature’s gifts and eschew any and all manmade monstrosities polluting our great planet.” He then let out a wistful sigh as he finished with, “Good times.” As for Apple Bloom, she simply groaned to herself as she thought, “A whole weekend stuck with Mr. Compost? Ah’d rather eat one of Wheeljack’s overcooked steaks.” Shrugging, Mr. Compost continued, “But enough with that. You all still have about a month left. Now then, let’s continue where we left off yesterday….” As he began his lecture for the day, Apple Bloom couldn’t help but think to herself, “Ah just hope Ah can come up with somethin’ good enough so Ah don’t have to go on that stupid retreat.” English Class Sitting in her desk, Apple Bloom pulled out her English textbook and began to flip through the pages. After what seemed like a longer (and far more boring) than usual class with Mr. Compost, it was now time for her second period English class. Now, she just needed to get through another class, and she’d get to make it to lunch and a little time with Tender Taps. Before she could ponder what she’d say to her boyfriend, Apple Bloom was distracted by the sound of a familiar voice calling out, “Alright now everyone.” Turning to face front of the class, the former farm girl found herself staring at her English teacher, a man with dusty brown skin named Rust Dust. Clearing his throat, the older man began, “So, who here remembers where we left off yesterday?” Raising her hand, Apple Bloom answered, “We were discussin’ the use of allegory in literature?” Rust Dust nodded his head as he warmly replied, “Very good Apple Bloom.” He then pointed to the marker board behind him as he explained, “We were using the book Maximal Farm as a case study for allegory, and how it was a metaphor for the rise of infamous dictator Destro. Now then, can anyone tell me….” Lunch Setting their trays down at their usual seats, Apple Bloom and Tender Taps sat down as the latter asked, “So you’re saying Mr. Compost wants you to do something that big but also original?” Sitting down, the former farm girl replied, “Yeah. Ah gotta figure out somethin’ no one’s ever done before. Guess Ah can rule out workin’ with worms or just plantin’ trees.” Reaching for his drink, Tender Taps added, “Now that you mention it, I remember this one time a guy in my math class, this real burly football player by the name of Bulkhead, told me about that root and berry thing. He said that he broke his leg and Mr. Compost refused to help him with it.” Taking a sip, the young hoofer continued, “Poor guy’s leg never healed right. Had to quit the football team because of it.” “No way!” Apple Bloom exclaimed. “You mean to say that he actually did that?” As Tender Taps took a bite from his salad, he replied, “All I know is its what Bulkhead said. Just gotta take him at his word.” Taking this in, the former farm girl began to think to herself, ‘Could he really do that? Just let someone get hurt and do nothin’ about it? And if Ah don’t do well on the assignment, could that someone be me?’ The prospect of finding herself alone in the woods with a teacher she, for lack of a better term, didn’t like, proved to be a terrifying thought. Seeing his girlfriend panicking, Tender Taps took her hand and reassured her, “Hey, if anything, he’s probably kept on a short leash to make sure something like that doesn’t happen again.” As Apple Bloom took a deep breath at her boyfriend’s reassurance, he added, “And if he did anything, I’d tear his ass apart.” Smiling, the burgundy haired girl took her boyfriend’s hand as she playfully teased, “You’ll always be mah knight in shinin’ armor.” Blushing, Tender Taps replied, “I try my best.” He then took his girlfriend’s hand and kissed it, a gesture Apple Bloom wholeheartedly played along with. Art Class Making her way into her art class, Apple Bloom took a deep breath as she psyched herself up with, “Two more classes, and you’re out of here for the day. Besides, you’ll be with Pastel, so it shouldn’t be too bad.” After all, despite the stereotypes about goth kids she’d heard of as a child, Pastel was a surprisingly optimistic and friendly girl. No sooner had the former farm girl thought this than she noticed her cerulean friend waiting for her at one of the desks. Walking up to her, Apple Bloom loosened her messenger bag as she greeted, “Howdy Pastel. How’s your day been?” Pulling her friend into a hug, Pastel Goth answered, “Same old same old cowgirl. How about you?” Shrugging, the former farm girl replied, “Not too bad. Just dealin’ with Mr. Compost givin’ me an impossible assignment for the midterm.” As the two girls sat down, Pastel Goth remarked, “Ouch. Sorry about that. I hear he’s kind of a dick.” Sighing, Apple Bloom replied, “Ah dunno. Ah mean, he’s kinda annoyin’, but Ah doubt he’s, you know…” Pausing as she tried to find the right word, the former farm girl sighed as she simply stated, “A dick.” Both girls began to giggle at Apple Bloom’s unoriginality and mild use of profanity. Once they finished their giggling, Pastel complimented, “Gotta say cowgirl, I love the jacket. Never knew you could pull leather off so well.” Blushing, Apple Bloom replied, “You’re too kind. It was a gift from Sideswipe and Marble after Ah got into that little scuffle with mah sister Applejack.” Saying this, the former farm girl allowed her eyes to drift to her friend’s own attire. The cerulean goth was wearing a pink sleeveless dress under her black leather jacket. She also had a pair of black boots, black fishnet styled tights, and a black chocker around her neck. Noticing she was being observed, Pastel let out a playful, “I know, I know. I always dress for the occasion.” Starting to blush, Apple Bloom replied, “Well, Ah mean…. You are rather pretty and…” Wrapping her arm around her friend, Pastel warmly said, “Awh, thanks Cowgirl. You’re too nice.” At that moment, both girls were interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice call out, “Alright now everyone. I hope you all had a good lunch.” Turning to face the source of the voice, they found adult man with light red skin, purple hair, a yellow shirt and brown pants make his way to the front of the class. Both Apple Bloom and Pastel Goth recognized him as their art teacher, Cel Shade. Turning to his class, Cell Shade began, “So, can anyone remember where we left off yesterday?” Pastel raised her hand as she answered, “We were discussing realism vs romanticism.” Clapping his hands, the art teacher replied, “Exactly! Now….” Dr. Pennywhistle’s Class… If there was one class that Apple Bloom truly enjoyed in her day, it was world history with her homeroom teacher, Dr. Pennywhistle. Indeed, the older gray man was pointing to the map of the Tethys Sea as he explained, “Of all the Punicitron colonies, the most important was their settlement here in Kalis.” He then asked his pupils, “So, can anyone tell me why Kalis became such an important city?” Raising her head, Apple Bloom asked, “Was it because it was an easily defendable location?” Pointing to his student, Dr. Pennywhistle answered, “Kalis was in an easily defendable position, but that wasn’t the only reason the city flourished so much.” Even though she got the question wrong, the former farm girl felt engaged by her interaction with her teacher. The next student to raise their hand was Marble Pie. The gray girl asked, “Was it because of trading?” Dr. Pennywhistle clapped his hand as he enthusiastically replied, “Exactly! Kalis was one of the region’s largest and wealthiest trade hubs. Practically every good you could find in the ancient world….” Sadly, the gray man’s speech was interrupted by the ringing of the bell, signaling the end of the school day. Sighing to himself, Dr. Pennywhistle turned to the rest of his class as he said, “Well, looks like we’ll just pick up from here tomorrow. Have a good day everyone, and always remember, use that brain of yours, and the world will be at your fingertips.” Rising from her desk, Apple Bloom placed her textbook and notebook into her messenger bag as she turned to Marble and bade, “See ya Marble. You gonna leave with Sideswipe?” The gray geologist began to blush as she happily replied, “Yeah. I’m gonna introduce her to Scarlett. Take care Apple Bloom.” As Marble began to leave, the former farm girl let out a friendly sigh as she said to herself, “Those two are so adorable.” Outside Iacon High School Making her way to one of the benches that rested outside Iacon High, Apple Bloom sat down as she straightened her jacket and remarked, “Alright, all Ah gotta do is keep an eye out for uncle Ironhide’s van.” Indeed, the road that led to the school was choked full of cars, all lined up to pick up students for the day. Reaching into her messenger bag for something to pass the time, Apple Bloom recalled how she found herself here. Earlier in the day, Sideswipe had informed both her sister and Ironhide that Marble wanted to introduce her to her new pet macaw Scarlett. However, as the pale biker’s motorcycle only had one additional seat, Ironhide agreed to let Sideswipe take her girlfriend while he picked up Apple Bloom from school that day. As for the former farm girl, Apple Bloom didn’t really mind, as it gave her an opportunity to spend a little more time with her uncle. Apple Bloom was interrupted from her attempt at curtailing boredom by the sound of Pastel Goth’s voice calling out, “What ’cha doing there Cowgirl?” Turning to see her cerulean friend walking up to her, the burgundy haired girl explained, “Lookin’ for somethin’ to pass the time ‘till Uncle Ironhide arrives.” Sitting down on the bench, she asked, “What are you doin’ here?” Sitting down next to her friend, Pastel answered, “Same thing as you, I guess. Waiting for my brother Blaster.” She then let out a simple chuckle as she quickly corrected, “I mean, maybe not the exact same thing as you, since Blaster is my brother while Ironhide is your uncle.” Apple Bloom couldn’t help but giggle in response to her friend’s little tangent as she replied, “Ah guess you’re right.” As the line of cars continued to pick up other students, Pastel asked, “Hey Apple Bloom? Can I ask you something?” Turning to her friend, the former farm girl replied, “Of course you can. What’s eatin’ you?” To her surprise, Pastel had a somewhat nervous expression on her face as she scratched the back of her neck. ‘That’s odd.’ Apple Bloom thought to herself. ‘Pastel ain’t the sort of girl who’d be nervous over a simple question. What’s buggin’ her?’ True, she hadn’t known Pastel for very long, only a few weeks at most. But at the very least, she knew her friend was kind, smart, strong willed, and not someone who would get nervous or scared easily. Taking a deep breath, Pastel asked, “So, if someone you knew had a secret, and I mean a big secret, like the kind of secret that, if it got out, could possibly get them hurt, would that be a problem with being their friend?” Caught off guard, Apple Bloom replied with a confused, “Uh…. What do you mean by that?” Sighing, the cerulean goth continued with, “I mean, if you had a friend who had been keeping something from you because they were legitimately afraid of what would happen if people found out about it, would that piss you off?” For a moment, Apple Bloom didn’t know what to say. After a few moments, she replied with the only thing that came to her mind. “Ah mean, Ah don’t know if Ah’m the person to be askin’ that to since, you know… Anon-A-Miss.” As Pastel let out a dejected sigh, the former farm girl took a deep breath and continued, “But, as your friend, Ah’d say that Ah understand if there’s somethin’ botherin’ you, but you don’t wanna tell just anyone about.” Taking a deep breath, Pastel explained, “Thanks. So, there’s something I need to tell you, and for now, I want it to stay between us.” She then took Apple Bloom’s hands and insisted, “I mean it. It stays between you and me.” Though caught off guard, the burgundy haired girl replied, “Ah promise. Cross mah heart, to the brass, stick a round right up mah ass.” Giggling at her friend’s promise, Pastel began, “Ok. Apple Bloom, I’m….” “Hey freak show!” A vaguely familiar boy’s voice called out from behind the two girls. Turning to see who it was, Apple Bloom found four boys walking up to her and Pastel. One had dark brown skin with light yellow hair, one had green skin with blue hair, one had orange skin with white hair, and finally, one of them (whom Apple Bloom figured was the leader), had olive skin with black hair. The olive leader cracked his knuckles as he quipped, “Well well well, if it isn’t Anon-A-Miss and the crossdresser.” It was at this moment that Apple Bloom recognized the olive boy as she thought to herself, ‘Wait a minute. He’s Oak Leaf from Biology class.’ As the quartet of boys approached the burgundy haired girl and her friend, Apple Bloom asked, “What’s goin’ on here Oak Leaf?” Shaking his head, Oak Leaf folded his arms as he scoffed, “Not much, just stopping by to try and make sure someone stops crossdressing.” Confused, Apple Bloom asked, “What are you talkin’ about? What do you mean by “crossdressin’?”” Before she could say anything else, the former farm girl noticed that the olive boy’s friends were now surrounding her and Pastel. However, as her eyes locked on to her friend, Apple Bloom noticed that Pastel was growing far more visibly nervous than she had been earlier. As isolated beads of sweat fell down the cerulean goth’s face, the former farm girl asked, “You alright?” Shaking her head, Pastel simply replied, “Not really. Let’s get out of here.” As she rose to her feet, Oak Leaf groaned as he rudely asked, “For Primus’s sake Pastel, why don’t you just come out already?” Hearing this, Pastel stopped in her tracks as she grew deathly pale. For her part, Apple Bloom turned to Oak Leaf and awkwardly asked, “What the hell are you talkin’ about?” The cerulean goth grabbed Apple Bloom’s arm and began to pull her away as she nervously replied, “It doesn’t matter. Let’s just go.” Unfortunately, the two were intercepted by one of the boys as the others closed in, cutting off any and all escape routes. Strutting up to the two girls, Oak Leaf cruelly continued, “Oh don’t play dumb Anon-A-Miss.” As Apple Bloom began to growl at being reminded of her past, the olive boy continued, “Didn’t you ever wonder why He-She here has such a weird voice?” One of the other boys, the one with orange skin, continued, “Yeah, or why that thing has such a weird face?” As he said this, Pastel’s face turned from a gray pale to a furious red. Walking up to the orange boy, Pastel pointed her finger right in his face as she furiously growled, “Don’t you ever call me a “thing” again!” Unfortunately, Oak Leaf sneered, “Awh, what’s the matter with you? Couldn’t make it as a dude so you started playing dress up?” He then pushed Pastel as he coldly quipped, “Oops.” Catching her friend, Apple Bloom growled, “You better apologize to her right now!” Oak Leaf simply let out a mocking laugh as he replied, “Hah! Oh please, don’t tell me he tricked you into believing he’s a dude?” Confused, the former farm girl replied, “What are you talkin’ about? Pastel isn’t a boy.” The olive boy allowed a cruel smirk to form across his face as he remarked, “Well now, since you seem to think he’s really a girl, let’s see if he’ll react like a girl.” Without further warning, Oak Leaf swung his fist straight towards Pastel’s face. Not thinking, Apple Bloom pushed her friend out of the way so that she would take the brunt of the bully’s attack. As Apple Bloom fell to the ground, Pastel screamed, “Apple Bloom!” Oak Leaf, on the other hand, cruelly remarked, “Wow, you need someone else to fight your own battles? Maybe you are a chick after all!” Both the olive boy and his friends all laughed as they cruelly mocked the two girls. Before anyone could do anything else, everyone was distracted by the sound of Dr. Pennywhistle’s voice rang out, calling out, “What is going on here?” Apple Bloom began to rise back up to her feet, only to realize that her head, specifically her eye, was hurting. However, she could make out Oak Leaf calling out, “Beat it guys! Let’s get the hell out of here!” As the quartet of boys fled, Dr. Pennywhistle knelt down to Apple Bloom as he asked, “What happened here?” Pastel, who by now was noticeably hysterical, explained, “Those bastards just showed up out of nowhere and started picking on us and….” She then made her way to the gray teacher and whispered something into his ear. Letting out a contemplative sigh, Dr. Pennywhistle, “Nonetheless, let’s get you to the nurse’s office.” The Nurse’s Office As Apple Bloom rested an ice pack on her eye, the nurse informed her, “There we go dear. Make sure to keep an eye on that, and you should be good to go.” Getting back onto her feet, the former farm girl replied with a polite, “Thank you kindly.” As the nurse resumed her other duties, Apple Bloom made her way out of the nurse’s office. Making her way through the door, Apple Bloom found herself staring face to face with Ironhide. Gulping in fear, the former farm girl nervously asked, “Uncle Ironhide? What are you doin’ here?” Letting out a gentle chuckle, the former sergeant answered, “I got a phone call from the principal on the way here. Said something about you intercepting a punch from some sons of bitches.” The burgundy haired girl nodded in defeat as she replied, “Yeah. Those jerks were pickin’ on Pastel and me and…. They were callin’ her a “he-she” and a boy and…” She was interrupted by her uncle resting a hand on her shoulder as he explained, “It’s alright there kiddo. Dr. Pennywhistle and the principal told me everything. And if I may say, I’m just glad you’re alright.” Apple Bloom smiled as she pulled her uncle into a tight hug, one which he happily returned. As uncle and daughter finished their hug, Ironhide replied, “Now then, what do you say we go home?” The former farm girl nodded as she replied, “Sounds like a plan sir.” At that moment, the two were distracted by the sound of Pastel’s voice calling out, “Damnit!” Concerned, Apple Bloom began to make her way towards the source of the sound, flanked by her uncle. After a few moments, she found her gothic friend sitting on a chair against the wall, her head held in her hands in defeat. Walking up to her friend, Apple Bloom asked, “What’s goin’ on?” Looking up to the former farm girl, Pastel explained, “I called Blaster about what happened, and he said that he can’t pick me up.” As Apple Bloom gave a concerned look, the cerulean girl explained, “He said he’s busy with stuff at the radio station, so he won’t be able to pick me up for, like, another hour or two.” She then sighed as she explained, “This happens every now and then.” To Apple Bloom’s surprise, Ironhide reassured the cerulean girl, “Don’t worry there young lady. Why don’t you come with us? I can call Blaster for you and explain that you’re with us.” He then shrugged as he continued, “Of course, you could stay here and just be bored out of your mind…” Apple Bloom, on the other hand, took Pastel’s hands as she nearly squealed, “Yeah! We can totally hang out and maybe study or do somethin’ fun!” Smiling, Pastel let out a gentle laugh as she replied, “Sure. Thanks Apple Bloom.” Rising up to her feet, the cerulean then added, “And I can tell both you and Sideswipe that “thing” I was gonna tell you.” As the two girls shared a small hug, Ironhide remarked, “Alright then. Let’s get moving before we get asked to leave.” With that, he began to lead them away, thankful his van would have enough room for everyone. Apple Bloom’s Room, A Short While Later “So, what do you think?” Apple Bloom asked Pastel as she showed off her bedroom. Taking everything in, the cerulean goth replied, “It’s nice. Very quaint.” She then walked up to her friend as she continued, “Hey, thanks for letting me hang out here.” The former farm girl pulled her friend into a tight hug as she reassured her, “No problem. That’s what friends are for.” At that moment, the bedroom door was gently pushed open as Wheelie rode Sparkplug in as he introduced, “Hi there. I’m Wheelie! I hear you’re Apple Bloom’s friend!” Bending down to greet the small promethean, Pastel let out a gentle giggle as she replied, “Hello there. I’m Pastel Goth.” She then shook his hand as she added, “I hear you’re the little robot that snuck into school with Apple Bloom.” Scratching the back of his head, Wheelie replied, “Yeah. I kinda calculated the odds of it working against the odds I was doing something incredibly stupid, and I went a head and did it anyway.” Letting out a chuckle of her own, Apple Bloom quipped, “Yeah, he’s kind of a handful.” She then knelt as she continued, “But Pastel said she wanted to tell me somethin’. You mind givin’ us a little privacy?” Nodding, Wheelie answered, “You got it ma’am.” He then gave Sparkplug a gentle kick with his feet as he held out his hand and called out, “Hi ho silverware!” As Wheelie rode Sparkplug out of Apple Bloom’s room, Sideswipe barged straight in as she held her biker helmet and exclaimed, “Hey Apple Bloom! Hey Pastel! I heard something happened from Ironhide! Said you two got jumped by some pricks.” She then walked up to her sister as she asked, “What happened to your eye?” Resting her hand on her sister’s shoulder, Apple Bloom reassured her, “Ah’m fine. Just took a punch to the face to keep one of ‘em from hurtin’ Pastel’s pretty face.” Hearing this, Pastel blushed as she replied, “You’re too kind.” Shrugging, the former farm girl simply replied, “Ah do what Ah can.” It was at this moment that Pastel sighed as she began, “Ok, there’s something I need to tell you two.” Nervously looking around the bedroom, she continued, “And for now, I want it to stay between the three of us.” Nodding, Apple Bloom replied with a confident, “Ah understand. Don’t tell anyone.” To both her and Sideswipe’s surprise, Pastel pointed straight at Apple Bloom’s heart as she bluntly, in no certain terms, “I mean it. No one knows. At least unless I decide otherwise.” Caught off guard, the former farm girl nervously gulped as she replied, “Ah… Ah understand.” For her part, Sideswipe made her way to the bedroom door and locked it as she reassured her, “There we go. No one will know anything.” Taking a deep breath, Pastel began to slightly shiver as she began, “Ok, so… there’s something about what those assholes said about me that was true. You see…. I…” With her eyes starting to water as she let out a loud gulp, the cerulean goth almost began to noticeably shiver in fear. As Apple Bloom nervously reached out to her friend, Pastel asked, “I take it my voice isn’t what you girls expected?” As the other two girls awkwardly nodded, the cerulean goth undid her choker, revealing that she had a visible lump in her throat, one which neither Apple Bloom nor Sideswipe possessed. And it was at this moment, when the wheels began to turn in their heads, that Pastel Goth tearfully revealed why she was so nervous. Why her voice was so deep, and why Oak Leaf and his cronies had been so ruthless and cruel. “Apple Bloom, Sideswipe…. I’m trans.” As both sisters took this revelation in, Pastel continued, “Yes. I’m trans. I….” Now giving in to her fear and sadness, the cerulean girl tearfully finished with, “You girls are the best friends I’ve had in a long time and… I just wanted you two to know.” Walking up to her friend, Apple Bloom extended her hand as she asked, “Pastel?” As the teary-eyed goth looked up to her friend, the former farm girl explained, “Ah… Ah can’t say Ah know or even fully understand what bein’ trans is like, but there is one thing Ah can say.” Taking a deep breath, Apple Bloom reassured her friend, “Pastel Goth, you’re a beautiful girl, a pretty good tap dancer, a great artist, and most importantly of all, you’re mah friend.” Letting out a deep sigh, she finished with, “And if you say you’re a girl, then…” Stopping as she realized she was sounding off topic, she continued, “Ah guess Ah’m just tryin’ to say Ah stand buy you.” As Pastel began to tear up again, Sideswipe walked up to the cerulean goth and said, “Hey, take it from someone who’s a lesbian, I know how scary it can be to come out. And if I may, I’m honored you chose to come out to me.” She then reassured her, “And I promise you, I won’t tell anyone.” Now finding herself reduced to a blubbering mess, Pastel pulled Apple Bloom and Sideswipe into a bone crushing hug as she cried, “I love you girls so much!” Hugging her friend back, the former farm girl gently replied, “Ah love you too Pastel.” Once she’d calmed down, Pastel wiped her face as she apologized, “Sorry for getting all emotional. I don’t exactly come out to people every day.” Sideswipe gave the cerulean goth a gentle punch to the arm as she reassured her, “No problem. As I said, I know how scary it can be.” Apple Bloom then asked, “So, if you don’t mind me askin’, how’d you know you were trans?” Taking a deep breath as she held onto her arm, Pastel began, “Well, most of my life, I was always just… Kinda miserable. I always felt something was wrong with me and wearing boys’ clothing just made me feel gross. I couldn’t even look at myself in the mirror, because I just saw someone else.” Looking over to the bedroom mirror, she continued, “One day, I decided to let my hair grow out, and I kinda liked how it looked and felt.” As Apple Bloom and Sideswipe took this in, Pastel continued, “And then one day, I tried this strapless dress on. I don’t know how to explain it, but it just felt right. And when I saw my reflection in the mirror…” Now looking at herself in the mirror as she straightened her leather jacket, Pastel smiled as she finished with, “For the first time in my life, I saw myself.” Apple Bloom felt her heart melt as she replied, “Awh, that’s so sweet. How’d your folks take it when you….” The moment she said the word “folks,” The former farm girl realized that Pastel’s mood turned from relieved to melancholy as she asked, “They didn’t accept you, did they?” Shaking her head, Pastel answered, “Mom didn’t really get it, but dad?” Starting to scowl in anger, the cerulean goth continued, “Dad kept trying to change me, saying how I was just “crossdressing” or that I was making an ass out of myself, or that I needed to man up!” Now starting to grow red with anger, she finished with, “He tried to send me to this camp in the middle of nowhere that would “cure me,” but I didn’t want to go so…” Pausing for a moment as she caught her breath, Pastel finished with, “That leads to my brother Blaster. Or rather, I should say stepbrother.” Confused, Sideswipe asked, “Stepbrother?” Pastel nodded as she explained, “Dad married someone else and divorced her before I was born. Blaster is about twenty years older than me.” Shrugging, the pale biker replied, “Makes sense.” Taking a deep breath, Pastel said, “Ok, that should be about everything I really wanted to tell you girls.” She then grew momentarily serious as she reminded them, “But I’m serious. I don’t want either of you two telling a soul about this. It’s….” Shuddering for a moment, the cerulean goth simply finished with, “It’s very important.” Sideswipe nodded as she made the motion of zipping her mouth shut as Apple Bloom repeated, “Cross mah heart, to the brass, stick a round right up mah ass.” Smiling, Pastel replied, “Thanks. You two are the first people I’ve told.” She then held her arm as she continued, “Blaster told some of the teachers at school like Dr. Pennywhistle, and he also told Miss Hoofer Steps.” She then looked at her friends as she finished with, “But you two are first I chose to tell.” Apple Bloom reassured her gothic friend, “Don’t worry, we’re here for you.” Sideswipe then spoke up with, “And that’s a promise.” The three girls then pulled each other into a massive hug, just happy that they all had each other. Later That Night Sitting on the chop shop’s front porch, Apple Bloom and Pastel watched as Ironhide and a vaguely familiar man with red skin, white hair, and a gray suit and tie chatted with each other. Leaning into her friend’s ear, the burgundy haired girl asked, “That guy Blaster?” Nodding, the cerulean goth answered, “Yeah. Looks like he finished with everything at the radio station.” Indeed, the man who Pastel recognized as Blaster was talking with Ironhide, saying, “Thank you for keeping an eye on her. I swear I’ll make it up to you.” Ironhide, for his part, reassured him, “Don’t worry. It was a pleasure. A friend of either of my girls is always welcome here.” Nodding, Blaster shook the family patriarch’s hand as he finished, “Thank you so much.” Turning to the two girls, Blaster called out, “Come on Pastel. Let’s go home.” Nodding, the young goth girl replied, “Just give me a sec.” She then turned to Apple Bloom and said, “Thanks for everything cowgirl. See you tomorrow?” Pulling her into a hug, the former farm girl replied, “See you tomorrow. And if anyone tries to pick on you, Ah’ll be your knight in shinin’ armor.” With that, Pastel picked up her backpack and joined her stepbrother and got into his car before disappearing into the horizon. Once they were gone, Ironhide asked, “Now then, you mind helping me with KP tonight?” Apple Bloom nodded as she stood at attention and replied, “Sir yes sir.” Blaster’s Car “So, I hear you got jumped by some punks.” Blaster asked his stepsister as he focused on the road. Staring out into the darkness of the night sky, Pastel replied, “Yeah. Apple Bloom took the blow for me.” She then began to blush as she continued, “I’ve never had anyone other than you stand up for me like that before.” Letting out an amused laugh, the older DJ remarked, “I’m glad you’re making friends. With this and those tap classes, you’re starting to come out of your shell.” He then briefly glanced at his ward as he quipped, “Otherwise, who are you and what did you do with Pastel?” To Blaster’s surprise, Pastel informed him, “I came out to Apple Bloom and Sideswipe.” Lighting up, Blaster exclaimed, “Well that’s great! I’m so proud of you kiddo.” He then added, “What about the others?” Turning to face her stepbrother, the cerulean girl explained, “All in good time.” Smiling, the older DJ finished with, “Alright then. Now, how about we put on a few tunes?” Switching on the radio, Blaster and Pastel felt their ears overcome with the intoxicating sound of a guitar solo as they made their way home. As for Pastel Goth, she felt her heart soar as she thought to herself, ‘Apple Bloom and Sideswipe accepted me when I told them I’m trans. Maybe the others will too.’ With that, the cerulean goth girl hugged herself as she and her stepbrother made their way down the road, feeling that, for the first time in her life, she’d finally found somewhere she could truly call home.