Hands
A My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
By Andrew J. Talon
DISCLAIMER: This is a non-profit fanbased work of prose. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is the property of Hasbro, and the reinvention of the lovely Lauren Faust. No copyright infringement is intended, please support the official release.
- - - - - -
I saw Smokestack down at his shop later that night. He'd made an addition to it-A larger workshop that had essentially become a garage for the Steampunk Stryker. Or, as Smokestack was marketing it, "The Iron Dragon."
The vehicle was big enough I could sit inside it comfortably, and it went around on six large wheels with basic vulcanized rubber tires. The exterior was metal plated, and unpainted which left it a pattern of bronze and dull iron depending on the metal used. As typical of pony designs, there were a few hearts here and there-Including on the barbette up top that housed the crank operated gatling gun. The whole thing was powered by a complex gas engine in the back. So not strictly steampunk, but the mechanical aspects wouldn't look out of place in the nineteenth century. The machining process and the pressurized gas though made it far more powerful than early gas engines would have been able to manage.
"Gotta say Smokestack, I'm really impressed you put this thing together so quickly," I said with a grin. Smokestack shrugged as we were inspecting the tires of the vehicle.
"Eh... Some of your stories about armored vehicles got me thinking. Since the arms business has been so good to us, I thought, 'why not make a mobile gun that can also carry passengers?' Gives it more of a market, really." He tapped the wheel we'd been inspecting. "Yep, gonna have to take this off. Liable to fall off on its own we don't."
"There's a market for this thing?" I asked as I crouched to help him remove the large wheel. I grunted as I lifted it with the pony blacksmith, and set it aside. Smokestack nodded, wiping his brow with his hoof.
"Yup... Somewhat limited for now, but I expect it will grow given we took it for a test run in Canterlot," he said. He trotted over to the replacement wheel, and I lifted up the wrench that would bolt it to the vehicle. By definition, most pony wrenches had to be big-It was the only way to get enough leverage comfortably. "Rail and airship are good ways to travel, but Iron Dragons grant your average pony more freedom. Not everypony can afford an airship, after all."
He rolled the large wheel up, and I caught it. Together we attached it, and I began to turn the bolts. I grunted at the effort, using my weight to turn each one.
"Yeah... But a four wheeled monstrosity like this... With the gatling gun... Isn't, ungh... Something every pony will afford, either!" I panted. I fastened each bolt carefully, in a star pattern as I'd learned to do with replacing tires back home.
"Nope, but given the colonization efforts down south and to the north, a vehicle like this could be worth a nice bit," Smokestack said. "Colonists goin' out on the frontier might drive one of these babies out, then when they reach where they want to settle they just convert it into their home. Add on a fuel convertor for the gas engine, there you go. Nice starter."
"Lot of survivalist ponies on the frontier?" I asked. Smokestack looked at me, confused. I shook my head. "I mean, ponies who prefer to live off the land? Independent minded?"
"Fair amount," Smokestack said. "But the prospect of makin' a new home, a new community, is an attractive one to a number of ponies." He eyed me wryly. "And humans, I take it."
"Yeah, pretty much," I chuckled.
"Mare problems?" He asked. I shook my head.
"Not so much but... I'd like my own place."
"Your own house, your own rules?" Smokestack asked. I nodded. "That won't last when you're involved with two mares... Or more."
"Yeah, but men have to fight for some kind of independence, right?" I asked with a grin. Smokestack nodded.
“Yep. Though when foals come along, you might have to rethink that.”
“Eh, plenty of my friends back home got married and had kids,” I said. “It changed them a little but not completely. Besides, that won’t be for a while.”
“Oh?” Smokestack asked with a raised eyebrow. “Heard tell you were going to raise yourself a whole pack of critters.”
I rolled my eyes. “And according to the same rumor mill, Celestia and Luna are having my love children and I’m having relations with about half the mares in town.”
“Not to mention some of the stallions,” Smokestack pointed out.
“So yeah, I don’t have any bundles of joy on the way just yet,” I said.
“Thought about it?” Smokestack pressed. I coughed and looked down.
“... Yeah, yeah I have,” I said. “I mean... I love kids, and I want to be a dad... Wife... Maybe a white picket fence...” I looked up at him and grinned. “Not quite the surroundings but... You know...” I shrugged. “But hey, even with magic, trans-species breeding is probably a bit risky so... No. Not for a while.”
Smokestack nodded. “Glad to hear it. Smaller hands will be better for machine maintenance.”
“I’m not raising you a workforce, Smokestack,” I said dryly.
“Never said you were,” he replied as he trotted over to a worksheet. “But given you ain’t exactly mechanically inclined yourself, teaching your little ones how to properly build things would be good. I’m always thinking about the future.”
“Hey, I’m not that bad,” I said defensively.
“When it comes to wood, sure,” Smokestack said. “Or normal tools and chores. But building...”
“I did alright with those guns I made!”
“The one that blew up in your hand, or the one that also blew up in your hand?” Smokestack asked dryly, not looking at me as he made a note with a pen between his teeth. I could still hear the sarcasm dripping from the comment, and I coughed.
“... I am very, very lucky to have you and the Cutie Mark Crusaders,” I finally admitted. Smokestack nodded at that, and turned from his book to smile at me.
“Don’t you forget it,” he said. “Wouldn’t want your foals to have single mothers. That’d make you a bum, and I don’t work with bums.”
“Understood,” I said with a smile.
- - - - - -
“Honestly Andrew, you’re being so stubborn!” Twilight insisted at breakfast the next morning. I shook my head and drank my coffee.
“I don’t see how... I’m going out alone and I’m marking out the house. Myself.”
“Without me? Why?” Twilight asked. “I mean, I drew up all the plans-You really should have me along-!”
“And the plans are fine,” I said. “But I want to just appreciate my home by myself, you know? Get a feel for the place.”
“Wanting to be alone, huh?” Spike asked dryly at the oven. He looked over his shoulder with a raised... Scaly brow, I guess. “Why would you want to leave all this behind?”
All our gazes turned to Chrysalis. The Bug Queen was sipping coffee and scowling at us all.
“What?” She asked. “You act as though I’ve said something inappropriate!”
“You haven’t, yet,” Spike said. Chrysalis smirked.
“Can you imagine what I sensed when you saw Rarity bent over eating those strawberries and-”
“WITCH!” Spike snarled, breathing fire-Quite literally. Twilight and I barely avoided the tongue of flame that flew over the table. Chrysalis smirked and let loose a blast of magic which Spike dodged. Twilight and I yelped and sought cover under the table as the two fought furiously.
“Yeah... I think my mind is made up,” I said. Twilight scowled.
“You’d leave me here? Alone?!”
“You don’t have to stay here either,” I pointed out. Twilight gasped.
“I can’t just abandon my library! My precious books!”
“Oh relax,” I said with a smile as I brushed my fingers through her mane. She blushed. “With what you would do to them if they even damaged any of those books? They’ll keep away.”
Twilight sighs. “You seem to overestimate my imagination for brutality and sadism.”
“No. No, I don’t,” I said with a deadpan stare. Twilight turned bright red. I rolled out from under the table, and dove out the window. I rolled on the grass, and slowly rose to my feet. I tugged my jacket back into place and grinned.
“About time innuendo started working for me,” I said as I headed off.
- - - - - -
I walked out to the site where I was going to build my house. It was a brisk walk along the western border of Sweet Apple Acres, set on a hill overlooking a nearby river. There was even a little tree to provide shade atop the hill, and in the distance the trees of the Everfree Forest formed a natural border. I sat down and looked upon the land with a smile, and just closed my eyes. I took in the smell of the grass and flowers, the blowing breeze...
The smell of musky fur. I scowled and opened my eyes. I looked down the hill and saw my Manticore, Chewie, huffing down below.
“Well well... Where have you been?” I asked. The large predator huffed. I laughed a bit. “Oh? Out to the mountains? Why did you go there?”
Chewie growled something and I frowned. “Picking up something for me? Why?”
He hissed, and then bore his teeth. I sighed.
“Oh come on! You want to fight now?”
Chewie rumbled and growled. I threw up my hands.
“I am not going to go soft just because you aren’t ambushing me every five minutes!”
Chewie snarled. I glared back.
”I don’t even have any weapons! It wouldn’t be fair!”
The manticore growled, and rummaged in the back of it’s mighty mane. It produced something shiny and metallic, and tossed it to me. It fell with a thump on the grass, and I blinked. I reached down and took up the sword I’d gotten from Smokestack for the adventure with the Dragon migration...
And lost in the same adventure. I took it up and blinked.
“Where’d you find it?”
Chewie growled an explanation. It was hard to summarize, but basically he had trooped through the forest, following only my scent to locate it. He had thought I had gotten banished (again) and was going to rescue me.
I blinked, and ran my hand over the sword.
“I... Thanks,” I said. Chewie growled a question. I sighed.
“All right, all right, I’ll fight,” I said. “Just so you know, I’m not much with this-!” I was cut off by the fact the manticore was charging me. I threw myself to the side in a roll and threw myself back up to my feet, gritting my teeth against the pain from my still sore shoulder. Chewie roared in challenge, and flung himself at me. I stumbled backwards, one of his claws grazing my shin.
“AH!” I yelped. His next slash I greeted with a swing of my sword, and he reared back with a bellow of pain. I gritted my teeth against the pain and the feeling of wet blood dripping down my ankle. I snarled back in response as he charged again.
“YAH!” I shouted, swinging my sword in a circle in front of me. Chewie reared back, and began to circle me, his teeth shining as he sought a weakness. My eyes stayed on his, trying to anticipate his next move. I paused to wipe my brow of sweat, and he lunged with teeth snapping!
I threw myself to the side, and with a roar of genuine anger I thrust the sword for his face! The Manticore caught the blade between his teeth, and pulled. I was yanked off my feet as I tried to hold onto the sword. My knees were ripped by stones on the ground, and I fell onto my back. Chewie raised up a claw, and brought it down. I held the sword up as a shield, and immediately regretted it-Chewie pinned me underneath his paw, forcing the sword down onto my chest. I gasped for breath and kicked furiously, trying to get free. Chewie roared in my face, and he brought his other paw down on my face.
Without any better ideas, I bit down on his furry paw as hard as I could, and used his recoil of pain to roll out from under him. I struggled back to my feet, and had just made it to all fours when the back of his paw struck me. I was sent tumbling over the grassy ground, and my sword slipped free. I looked up and Chewie was gearing up for a pounce. My sword was a meter away. I dove for it as the Manticore leaped, and rolled onto my back. His great mass fell upon me, and I thrust the sword up against his chest with a scream of rage!
“RAWRRRR!” I shrieked. Chewie roared back, and sprung off me. He held his paw against the wound, and I sat up as I gasped desperately for breath.
“Haa... Haa... Haa... Haa...!”
We stared at one another, measuring each other. Chewie then huffed, and shook his great head. He chortled deeply. I glared back.
“Wh... What’s... So funny...?”
Chewie responded with a growl. I shook my head.
“You... Are a bastard,” I grunted. Chewie gave me a quizzical look. “Oh nevermind... Look, satisfied for the moment that I’m still a worthy opponent?”
Chewie nodded. I glared back furiously.
“Then get out of here, before I decide I’ll need a new rug for my home!”
Chewie growled questioningly. I rolled my eyes in disbelief.
“Yes, yes... Here! I’m building it here!”
A manticore’s smile is the stuff of nightmares. I immediately resolved that the first thing to go up around my house would be a fence. With pikes.
Chewie nodded and coughed. He huffed, and turned to fly off. I watched him go, sword held at the ready. When he was gone, and I waited a bit longer to make sure he wasn’t just letting me drop my guard for an ambush... I laid back and groaned, holding my leg.
“Damn damn damn damn,” I muttered. “Damn...!”
Yeah, so much for my peaceful morning enjoying the fact I was now a landholder. This was going to be tricky...
- - - - -
I awoke in darkness... And discomfort. Also a vague feeling of light headedness...
"... Am I dead?" I mumbled. "I didn't think it would hurt so much..."
Great. I was dead, and it hurt, and it was dark and... Nope, that was about it. I mean, yeah, being a Christian I believe in a Heaven. And so far, I was a bit disappointed. Maybe I was just in the waiting room...?
Or maybe I was in Hell. Waiting rooms sound more like Hell. What, was it the fornication with alien ponies? I thought that saving the world of alien ponies and being a good guy would get me in! Maybe I should have married them first? Damn damn damn...
A door opened and I shut my eyes with a grimace. I head hooves clopping over to somewhere nearby... And blinds were yanked open. I groaned, and lowered my hand from my eyes. I met blue eyes in a white, disapproving face.
Ah. I wasn’t in Heaven, or Hell. I was someplace worse.
“Dante should have written about you, Nurse Redheart,” I said dryly. The nurse huffed.
“I’d take that as a compliment, but I get the feeling it wasn’t meant as such,” she said.
“So, who brought me in?” I asked.
“The manticore,” Redheart growled. I blinked.
“So... He didn’t eat me?” Huh! Score one for honor! Guess I’d chosen Chewie’s nickname well.
“No,” Redheart said flatly. “Broken ribs, fractured shin, severe blood loss, sprained wrists-What were you doing with that monster?!”
“Warrior stuff,” I said. “Alpha male kind of junk... Don’t you get that on this planet?”
“More than I’d like to admit...” She grumbled.
“So, how long do I have to be here?” I asked.
“A week, unfortunately,” Nurse Redheart said. I balked.
“A week?!”
“Your shin is literally broken in three places!” Redheart snarled.
Huh. I didn’t feel like my leg was broken... Or my ribs... Though the casts may have given it away.
“The reason you don’t feel any pain is thanks to a new pain suppressing potion I injected,” she explained. “If it was a spell, I’d be tempted to turn it off!”
“What happened to ‘do no harm’?” I asked dryly.
“You seem to enjoy pain,” Redheart said with a glare. “So no, I’m not giving you the satisfaction! If you want to get eaten by a manticore, go right ahead!”
“Ah... But I didn’t,” I said with a grin.
She trotted over to the door and smirked. “But you’re going to wish he did...”
“Bah,” I said with a defiant grin. “I’ll have you know my marefriends are utterly understanding when it comes to my grievous injuries and how I pick them up...”
- - - - - -
“ANDREW EUGENE SHEPHERD!”
I winced. Why, why, why did I tell her my middle name? I tried very manfully not to cower behind my bedsheets as Twilight glared at me with the full force of her rage burning in her eyes. It was really quite a sight to behold... From a different angle.
“I can’t believe you! What were you thinking, taking on that manticore-”
“Chewie,” I said. Twilight rolled her eyes.
“Chewie all by yourself?!” Twilight turned and glared at Fluttershy, who seemed to be in a particularly dreamy mood. The pink haired mare started, and coughed.
“What?” She asked.
“You know the manticore! Why can’t you tell him to knock it off?!” She demanded. Fluttershy awkwardly kicked her hooves.
“Um... Well... Chewie is very proud of the fact that Andrew the Human is his mortal rival.”
“Yeah,” I said.
“And he did respect Andrew enough to come to his aid-”
“Our aid,” I added. Fluttershy nodded. Twilight glared. Fluttershy coughed, but continued.
“And he could not hold back, or it would dishonor them both,” she said. Twilight scowled and stomped her hooves.
“Couldn’t he hold back a little?!” Twilight demanded.
“You act like I intentionally go out and fight him,” I stated. “For kicks!”
“You did seem to let out a scream of... Er... What did he say... ‘Warrior Blood Lust’?” Fluttershy said. Twilight rolled her eyes.
“You were the one who carried a gun around at all times!” Twilight said angrily. “Now you’re suddenly fine with the Manticore-”
“Chewie,” Fluttershy reminded her.
“Chewie,” Twilight growled. “Hunting you all the time?!”
“I’m not fine with it, but I kind of owed him!” I said. “I had to! It was a matter of honor!”
Or something like that. It was weird that in a female dominated world and society, I was becoming more of a man's man.
... Well okay, it wasn't that weird. It was me.
“But you can’t just go around doing that sort of thing any more,” Fluttershy said with sudden sternness. “Not with your responsibilities.”
I blinked at Fluttershy. Twilight sighed. I decided to change the subject.
“Well, I guess this will put the building of the house behind schedule,” I sighed. Twilight smiled.
“You know, “ she said, “we could just build it for you?”
“What?” I gawked. “Oh come on!”
“Is this another stupid macho human thing?” Twilight asked in a less than impressed voice. I shook my head.
“No, but I am a handyman! I should at least help!”
“And you got put in the hospital helping to save the world,” Twilight snorted. My purple marefriend shook her head. “Just take it easy and heal!”
“I can at least just go and watch-!” I tried to protest, but my eyes met Fluttershy’s. Which was a mistake. I forgot to mention, but Fluttershy apparently has some kind of Mental Domination Stare or Jedi Mind Trick thing. When you look into her eyes, she can sap away your very will to resist.
Which has been... Not entirely unpleasant but it depends on the situation and I’m really not going to talk about this anymore.
“Please Andrew,” Fluttershy said, laying a hoof over my hand. “Please? Let us do this nice thing for you? Let your pride go?”
“I... It...” I sighed and closed my eyes. “...” I quickly nodded.
“What was that?” Twilight asked, and I could hear her smug. I sighed again.
“Fine,” I said. “Build my house... Please.”
“You won’t regret it!” Twilight said brightly. “Come on Fluttershy!”
I opened my eyes long enough to see Twilight drag Fluttershy out. I sighed and leaned back in the hospital bed.
I wasn’t feeling an ominous sense of doom. I wasn’t. But just in case, I asked Nurse Redheart to get my journal to my marefriends so they could record what happened.
I had the feeling I would need a laugh by the time I got out of here...
- - - - -
Just before I went to sleep that night, I received a most unwelcome visitor: Chrysalis, grinning at me with her long fangs as she sauntered into the hospital room. I finished my Jell-O and scowled at her fiercely.
“I’m told this is where you end up quite frequently,” she chuckled.
“Well gee, we can’t all have freaky super alien healing powers now can we?” I asked flatly. Chrysalis shook her head, and examined my chart speculatively before looking up at me.
“I came because I wanted to ask you to do me a favor,” she said.
“And so you start out by condescending to me,” I said dryly. Chrysalis huffed.
“I was making light of a bad situation! Really, why must you be so reactionary? I thought we had our catharsis over me invading your world-”
“We did, you’re still a jerk,” I responded. The Changeling Queen chuckled and glowed green. She rose up, and shifted into a new form. A form that I have to admit made my eyes bug out.
No pun intended. Long legs, perfect skin, curved hips, large breasts (but not too large), and long red hair... My jaw dropped.
“Hwah...?”
“Aw... Come now,” she said with a little grin. “I’m not all bad, am I? This form was particularly useful to me on Earth...”
“And... You got it where?” I asked, my libido immediately crushed. Chrysalis hummed.
“Cindy Sue Rich, actress in 1997’s Playboy’s Cheerleaders,” Chrysalis said. I blushed and she raised an eyebrow. “I take it you are familiar with the material?” She asked with a knowing look.
Damn empathic bug queens!
“... Somewhat,” I said. She scoffed. I glared. “You got another reason for coming or are you just going to torment me some more?”
She raised up a finger. “Well that, and a few other things, but I can torment you a bit longer with something extremely familiar to you from when you first were able to purchase adult material.”
“And I can give the Cutie Mark Crusaders the plans for atomic bombs,” I said angrily. She glared at me.
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me,” I said defiantly. Chrysalis sighed, and turned around.
“I shall multi-task, I suppose,” she said. “Children! Come in!”
“Children?” I asked in disbelief. I saw a small, scaly head poke around the corner and stare into the room. The moment I looked at it, it darted back behind the door frame. Chrysalis tutted.
“Come now children, come in. He isn’t going to harm you,” she said, in a disturbingly soothing tone of voice.
Cautiously, a few Changeling fillies trotted into the room. All of them looking at me warily. Chrysalis smiled, and put her hands on her hips. “That’s right, come on in!”
“But... But he might burn us!” Squeaked one of the little Changelings. “With his heat vision!”
“Or crush us with his super strength!” Another whimpered.
I stared at Chrysalis. And for reasons beyond the fact she was still in hot naked human woman form. She shrugged.
“What? I had to tell them bedtime stories when they were incubating-”
“Incubating? Where?!” I demanded. The little Changelings squeaked and hid. At Chrysalis’s frown, I sighed and rubbed my face. “Where?” I asked quietly.
“In Twilight’s basement, of course,” Chrysalis said. “Where else?”
“You mean to tell me that you’re breeding more Changelings?” I asked. Chrysalis huffed, and rolled her eyes.
“I’ve been doing that since I got here! Most of them from the love energy Shining and Cadence produced.”
“So... Why are you showing me these ones?” I asked. Chrysalis grinned unpleasantly.
“Simple,” she said. “These changelings are the result of the love energy I’ve gathered from you, Twilight and Fluttershy!”
I stared, the horrible implications sinking in. “Don’t tell me...”
“Yes,” Chrysalis said cheerfully, “in a way, they are your children as well!”
I very slowly stared at the Changeling fillies. They stared back.
“... Daddy?” One asked. I covered my face with my pillow and groaned.
“... Pffthahahahaha!” Chrysalis cackled. “Oh, your face, ahahahaha!”
I lowered the pillow, glaring with every ounce of hatred I could muster.
“... This was a prank?” I growled. The fillies all cowered, but Chrysalis remained smug... And naked, and human, and hot.
“Of course! That, and I just wanted you to know they’d be around from now on,” she explained.
“And when are you going to tell Twilight?” I asked. Chrysalis shrugged.
“Eh, when I get around to it... But I told you first because the expression on your face? Totally worth it.” She waved her hand towards the door. “Come along little ones, your father needs his rest!”
They trotted out, all giving me curious looks. I sighed and watched Chrysalis pause at the door.
“And besides,” she added, looking at me over her shoulder with an almost sad smile, “in a way, we are the two people who can relate the most on this world. We’re both aliens, aren’t we?”
I opened my mouth to protest... And blew out a breath in resignation.
“Yeah... Yeah, I guess we are,” I said. Chrysalis smiled.
“So I decided I’d give you a nice little treat,” she said, turning around and pressing her back against the wall. She arched her back and moaned provocatively, and I covered my face with the pillow again.
“DAMNIT BUG QUEEN!” I shouted. “STOP THAT!”
“What?” She asked. “I’m treating you to something from your younger days and using a form I was very fond of on Earth! Is this not part of friendship?”
“Making me die of critical blood loss is not exactly friendship!” I retorted. Chrysalis sighed... And then I felt her brighten.
“Well then, I guess I’ll just have to use this form more often in order to make you appreciate it... And a few more, of course~,” she purred. I lowered my pillow and scowled.
“You are a witch,” I accused. Chrysalis pouted.
“Is that any way to treat someone doing you a favor? Besides...” And here she smirked, “I’ll give your marefriends some practice with their own human forms. A little something for them to... Work on.” She walked out the door with a wave. “Get well soon~!”
I stared after her... And leaned back in the bed with a groan.
Okay, so the hospital wasn’t Heaven, nor Hell. It was Purgatory. Because clearly, I was going to have my choice of Heaven and Hell when I got out...
- - - - - - -
OMAKE:
Now, ever since I came to Equestria I've had to learn how to relax. To take certain things in stride. To accept that the universe does in fact have worlds ruled over by magic talking ponies.
Magic talking ponies I am romantically involved with.
I had adjusted to a lack of the Internet. A lack of TV. A lack of video games, and many of the sports, movies and books I was familiar with. I had even adjusted to having to get my own meat on a routine basis. I had adjusted. I was calm and cool and easy going. I wouldn't lose it over just anything.
But. You'd be surprised what you can lose control over.
"What... What is that?" I gasped. Applebloom smiled cheerfully up at me as she balanced a... A... A cheeseburger on the plate atop her head. Dripping with juices, ketchup and mustard, lettuce and tomato and MEAT... Oh my God, BEEF...!
"It's something we cooked out of that human cookbook we found! We made it out of-"
I seized the cheeseburger and devoured it eagerly. Oh the sheer ecstasy, the joy, the wonder, the...
"Mmph...? PFFTWAH!" I spat the entire burger out of my mouth and coughed as something rancid filled my taste buds.
"-all the ingredients! Even the cow!" Applebloom said cheerfully.
"Cow?! Cow what?!" I asked desperately, as I grabbed my pocket knife and desperately scraped my tongue clean. I could taste blood but it was sure as hell better than tasting that!
"Cow meat o' course!" Applebloom said cheerfully. "But we couldn't get a live cow to donate any so we jest dug a dead one up with their permission! Wasn't that nice?"
"And messy!" Scootaloo added.
"Really messy!" Sweetie Belle said, making a face. "But it said to use it so we did! Ah... Andrew? You okay?"
I laid on the ground, coughing and gagging. Applebloom sighed.
"Ah think we need t' take him to the hospital... Again," the Apple filly said miserably.
"Look on the bright side! Maybe we'll get an Ambulance Driver Cutie Mark!" Scootaloo suggested. All three brightened.
"CUTIE MARK CRUSADER AMBULANCE DRIVERS! YAAAYYYY!"
Yep. Nothing that would make me lose my cool. After all... By now, I was used to this...
- - - - -