//------------------------------// // Love And Acceptance And Some Poor Humor // Story: Blossoming: Learning How To Fly // by nanashi_jones //------------------------------// Maybe I didn’t have the most mature of ideas, but I couldn’t help it, I thought it was pretty funny. Jessica’s alarm went off and I heard her muffle about in her blankets. As she did, I floated up to our ancient stovetop and clicked on the burner, warming up her tea. “I’m starting tea!” I called back to her. “Thanks!” she groaned back. As per usual with anyone in the kitchen, Phouka trotted in and smiled her doggy smile at me, tail wagging. I adjusted my wings and floated down to stroke her. She really seemed to like being hoof rubbed rather than the usual scratches I did with my fingers. More proof our dog was a very good dog, but she wasn’t very good at being a dog, I guess. I heard Jess shuffle into the bathroom, washing her face and getting her brain in gear. As she woke up, I fluttered around the kitchen, getting a mug from the top shelf with my mouth, popping open the morning tea box and actually managing to thread the string on the handle so it wouldn’t submerge with the tea bag. My morning of Let’s Try New Things With Our Hooves had apparently paid off. The tea kettle hit steam and I grabbed the handle with my mouth and poured, sloshing only a bit onto the counter. Moving the cup out of the way, I mopped up my mess and squeezed a little dollop of honey into the tea. I moved over to the other side of the kitchen and sat on my usual spot on the edge of the counter next to the sink. Picking up Jess’s iPad, I flicked through the news and Facebook, trying to get more information on this whole pony thing. I’d tried using my laptop, but the iPad was a bit more hoof friendly. She came shuffling in soon enough, hair still sleep rumpled and she grinned at me. “Hey love,” I said and leaned forward to peck her on the cheek. She made a delighted noise and wrapped an arm around my neck, and as she was kissing me back, I got a front row seat to her brain coming online. “Holy shit!” she yelled, slamming away from me and whacking her head on the small shelf we’d built to hold our shot glasses. “Ah! Er!” she hissed, grabbing the back of her head and crunching inward. “Oh!” I half-laughed. “Babe, I am so sorry!” She waved me off and rubbed the back of her head furiously. Phouka danced between us, making brief worried whines. “Easy there,” I said, floating down to stroke her along the back. “Eeeeaaasy.” Unlike the thousand other times I’d try that tactic, she actually responded that time and relaxed into a sit, tail wagging happily. She licked me. Jess watched in slight confusion. “J- January?” she said. “Yeah?” I said, floating up so I was at her eye level. “You’re flying.” I smiled. “Yup! Neat, idn’t it?” She sank down, her eyes locked on me. I floated over to the teacup and retrieved it, feeling its heat through the fur around my fetlock, but not feeling so much heat I couldn’t hold it. I’d had eczema in my human body and it had gotten to my fingers, so I was mega sensitive to anything I picked up. I was glad I could now hold hot tea for longer than two seconds. I eased down next to Jess and hoofed her the tea. She stared at it, me for a second, then took the proffered cuppa. “Thanks,” she said, quietly. “‘Everyone deserves tea,’” I quoted from Lizzie Bennet Diaries, one of her favorite shows. She breathed a laugh as she looked at me. “Wow,” she said. Sitting on my rump next to her, I nodded my agreement. “That- You’re a pony!” she said, almost laughing. She blinked. “You’re a pegasus!” “It’s a huge blow to Earth Pony fans the world over,” I said solemnly. “Why not Carrot Top, y’know?” She sort-of laughed some more and shook her head. Phouka whined and licked her ankle. “It’s okay, baby,” she said, stroking the animal. “Mommy’s just... Dealing with Other Mommy’s... Thing.” “More like two and three and-” Jess put a hand on my neck. “Sorry,” I said. “I just need a minute,” she said. I moved in to lay my neck across her shoulder and wrap my wings around her. Jess was a more tactile person than I was. I tended to close off when stressed. She needed contact. Hugs were a must when she was presented with potential freak outs. Eventually, I felt her nod and release me, reluctantly as she always did. Good. She still thought I was me. Frowning, she looked me over and I could practically see the light bulb appear over her head. “You said I’d make a good Blossomforth!” she accused with a smirk. She started coughing then and I remembered she still had a cold. Flying up from my spot, I got the box of tissues from the living room and returned, hoofing them to her. “Thanks,” she replied, nasally. After she blew her nose, I said, “I did say that. You think I planned this?” “I think a pegasus is wasted on you,” she said with the smirk still in place. She sipped more tea. “No disagreement here,” I replied. “Maybe I would have been more curious about unicorns, but Earth Ponies are... There’s like all this maybe lore that we don’t know about. I was hoping I’d see just how that connection with the land really felt!” Even though it really just means they’re naturals at farming and growing, I thought. Wait. Did I think that? Blinking a few times, Jess brought me back to the conversation at hand. “Well, you’re a pegasus now. I’m not.” She mock pouted. “There, there,” I said, petting her with my hoof. “Maybe you’ll become a unicorn and lord your ability to manipulate things with magic over me.” “Ugh, I hope not,” she said, blowing her nose again. “I have a show later today.” She blinked. “I have a show today. Hnngh. I have to get ready.” Rising, she saw that I had put the mug on the counter and was following her. “Mind if I tag along?” I said. “What?” “I figure I won’t stick out at the Puppet Center as much as everywhere else.” “Ponies are already all over. Why are you worried about sticking out?” “Because so is the People Against Ponies Association.” She cocked her head. “I woke up early, did some reading. In addition to many of us bronies, pegasisters and general fans waking up in the fur, as it were, a bunch of jerks have organized to hate us: the People Against Ponies Association.” “PAPA?” she said, hopping out of her pj pants and sleep tee. “Yup. And knowing hate-filled organizations, I wouldn’t be surprised if the South would be the first to rise to this occasion.” I frowned, flapping over to the bed. “Man, I hope that’s not the truth. If Applejack shows up, she’s gonna be piiiiissed.” She sighed, shaking her head and picking out a suitable bra for the day. “What about your job?” “I called, told them I was a pony. With the way our department has gotten kinda slow thanks to the calendar shenanigans, my boss was pretty cool about letting me take some time to adjust. I even sent in a pic with me next to my work ID. He got a laugh out of that.” Jess laughed too. “You made your DMV face, didn’t you?” I flattened my expression into boredom then let it bounce back to life. “Something like that,” I said chipperly, which sounded genuinely chipper with my light voice. I shook my head. “This is so weird.” “It... Doesn’t hurt?” “I am in no pain, love,” I responded. “Just... Weirded out. Guess I won’t need my meds anymore.” Jess sighed at that. Walking over to me, she kissed me on my cheek. “I prefered you, but if this is you for now, I still love you.” “Love you back,” I said, blushing. She shook her head with a smile, finishing her prep for the day.