On Our Own

by kwr2k13


Chapter Seven: Dinner and Rest

On Our Own

Chapter Seven: Dinner and Rest

Along the way back to the apartment complex, the fillies and colt were discussing their transformation stories while riding in Crankshaft’s van.  

Little Horn spoke up after Babs Seed told her story, “I was in a hospital when I ended up becoming a little filly.  I don’t remember too much of my life as a human.  My new life ended up connected to Harmony, as I was introduced to her as a cousin by my mother.  My cousin has been taking care of me ever since, teaching me magic and giving me encouragement along the way.”  Little Horn then turned to the others, “We heard Babs Seed’s story and mine, now, let’s hear your story, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Duo, and Mr. Crankshaft!”

Duo was about to speak when suddenly Scootaloo decided to speak first, instantly cutting him off and getting a glare in return. “I was just in a shelter working on tuning up my scooter when I felt a tingly sensation all over my body. Before I knew it, wings had come out my back... although they were small.” She flapped her tiny wings to make a point before continuing. “Soon after my snout came and then my hooves. When it was over I thought i’d stumble but strangely enough it was as if I knew how to walk on four legs. I then decided to run over to Apple Bloom’s house to tell her what happened but she was a pony too along with Duo!”

Apple Bloom adjusted the bow on her head before speaking up. “I was working on the farm getting apples out of trees when my whole body just transformed at once. I fell off the ladder and bumped my head!” She rubbed the back of her head where she still felt a slight sting of pain.

Little Horn listened to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo’s stories, “Ouch! You okay now, Apple Bloom?” The little filly asked with concern for her fellow Crusader.

“Yeah I am fine, nothing a little home remedy couldn’t fix!” Apple Bloom stated with a smile.
Little Horn then turned to Sweetie Belle and Duo, “What about you two? What caused you two to become ponies?”


“I was helping my sister... or thought I was helping her, with the dishes.” Sweetie Belle sheepishly said before continuing. “While I was doing that though a horn appeared on my forehead and levitated the dishes in front of me, I found it very cool while Rarity was beyond shocked!” She giggled lightly remembering Rarity’s shocked face. “Unfortunately, after it levitated for only a second, it fired the dishes every which way! There were broken plates and cups everywhere!” She looked at Duo and then sighed. “I got an email shortly after that, while I was now half pony and half human, from Duo telling me all about this gathering. Rarity said I could go if I promised to be on my best behavior and to write back to her.” She then suddenly realized something. “Horseapples! I forgot to write!” She quickly started to fumble around in her saddlebag as Duo face hoofed.

Little Horn nods, “Harmony and I write to my mother and let her know about my progress in magic training. Maybe we can sit down and write to our families and tell them we are okay?” She suggested to her friends.

Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement. “Yeah! I’d love that!”

“Heh, what family? Forgot I lived in a shelter?” Scootaloo deadpanned, slightly offended.

“Oh come now Scootaloo, Ah’m sure she didn't mean it like that.” Apple Bloom replied.

Duo simply sighed before beginning his story. “I was asleep when I transformed into a pony. Apple Bloom was the one who woke me up.” He pointed towards the yellow filly who nodded in agreement. “But in my dream... some pony named Princess Luna told me that I didn't belong in this world... and that I was her nephew. She told me that a very important event was going to take place to get me back to my real home. It was no coincidence that I found the video Little Horn made, and decided to take action.” Duo smiled to Little Horn after saying this.

Little Horn smiled at the stories her friends were telling her, “Those are some really awesome stories. Glad Harmony and I could help you. Now that we have the Crusaders back in action, we can try to find our Cutie Marks!”

“I think maybe we should first concentrate on how we are going to get back to our “Real Homes” as Princess Luna said.” Duo suggested.

Little Horn then turned to Crankshaft, “What about you, Mr. Crankshaft? What’s your story?”

           
         “I was a mechanical engineer before all this started” said Crankshaft “ I lived in Spokane, Washington. I was just getting off work on my 25th birthday and...” Crankshaft trailed off, he noticed Harmony’s car slowing down.

“Why is she stopping?” asked Crankshaft. When he saw it, he was more than a little surprised “Well how about that? We found another one!”

        His passengers stopped on a dime and turned out the window. “Where? Where?” they cried, already desperately searching for the answer.

        And there she was. In the midst of the illuminated darkness, there stood a graying, tan pony, trotting in place and looking around as if something was the matter... well, there was. She had been a human a few days back; and now she was a pony. Of course she would be slightly aggravated.


        Wide-eyed, as if they had never seen another of their kind before, the Cutie Mark Crusaders could only stare in quiescent curiosity. Harmony meanwhile, stepped out of her car and onto the curb, watching the flustered mare carefully.

        “Are you alright, there?” She asked tentatively, “What’s your name?”

        “Um... yes,” the tan mare fidgeted about. “I seem to remember my name as Mayor Mare in P-p... ”

        “Ponyville,” the unicorn clarified. After a few moments, her eyes widened with recognition. “Ah, right! You must be Ms. Meyer, from Airport Security!”

“Uh... yes,” came the unhappy response. “I’m sorry. It’s been a tough few days.”

There was a brief silence as Harmony tried to collect her thoughts. Certainly the Mayor of Ponyville was showing much less enthusiasm than she had hoped.

“So... ” Mayor Mare tried her luck. “You know any way to turn me back into... you know, back into a human?”  
        
        The unicorn shook her head, “Erm... no.”
        
        Despite expecting this, the gray-maned mare’s eyes still gaped with disappointment. She tried again, vainly hoping that Harmony’s initial response was some sort of test or something. “B-but... you know... my career... my life... ” she pleaded.

        Harmony sighed, “Well... not much we can really do about it at this point, I’m afraid. Besides, wasn’t your life in Equestria better than it was here?”

        The ex-politician pawed at the ground with her hoof. “I like Earth better,” she mumbled...

All the while, Little Horn looked out her window to see her cousin talking with the other pony.  “Is that the Mayor of Ponyville?”  She pointed with her hoof.

        “Yeah!” Apple Bloom squealed as her brain finally clicked. “Let’s go out and welcome her!”

        Uh oh, Crankshaft thought. He could see the two were having quite a serious conversation. “Hey, girls! Wait!”

        Too late. With a heave from their excited little hooves, the doors to the pavement slid open, disgorging five extremely excited fillies out into the open.

Little Horn ran up to make sure her friends did not overwhelm the Mayor or Harmony.  “Girls, Duo!  Harmony put me in charge!  Please slow down!”  

Babs Seed went up to Harmony and the Mayor, “Ms. Harmony, I’m sorry, but the girls were getting excited that we were going to meet another pony.”  The Manhattanite filly looked over at the Mayor of Ponyville.  “I am Babs Seed, from Manehattan.  I’m a member of the Apple family.  Apple Bloom’s my cousin.  You must be the town’s Mayor!”

The Mayor turned towards the new source of the disturbance. “Oh... hi.” Years of Earthly life had dulled her recognition.

Little Horn nodded and bowed to the Mayor.  “I am Little Horn. I arrived in Ponyville with my parents, grandfather, and cousin.  You were in Town Hall, and helped us get a place in town.  Thank you!”

“Oh. Oh,” Mayor Mare shuddered. “I did. Of course.”

The tan filly fell back, perhaps assuming that the new addition to their group needed some personal space to think things over.

“Anyway, you remember my friends, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, right, Miss Mayor?”  Little Horn added, hoping the beleaguered Mayor would remember the youngest members of the community she once presided over.

“Umm, sure I do,” The bespectacled mare scratched her head. She glanced at Apple Bloom. “You’re Ms. Applejack’s sister, if I remember.” She turned to Sweetie Belle. “You’re Rarity’s sister.” She finally stopped on Scootaloo, rubbing her chin in mental concentration. “Uhh... ”

“Great.” The pegasus folded her forelegs and gave out an annoyed sigh. “Typical.

Little Horn smiled, “Scootaloo here is President of the Rainbow Dash Fan Club.  Right. Scootaloo?”  She looked back at Mayor Mare.

“Oh. Rainbow Dash,” The tan mare finally had a hint of recognition in her voice. “Alright, I remember them. But- ”

“Oh! OH!” Sweetie Belle bounced up in the air. “You’re Ponyville’s leader, Madam Miss Mayor! What do we do now, what do we do now?”  The young unicorn said, excited at the fact the Honorable Mayor of Ponyville was in their presence.

This unexpected and sudden assault sent the ex-politician reeling. “I... uh.. what?” she exclaimed. “But I- ”

Little Horn stopped the bombardment of questioning from her friends, “Girls, that’s enough!  Can you not see the Mayor’s been through some tough times?  Let’s just have her ride with Harmony and we can get her something to eat.  After that, she can focus on what has happened.”

“But she’s Ponyville’s leader!” Apple Bloom wailed. “How are we goin’ to go home without a leader?!

“W-well...” Mayor Mare stammered, her convictions creaking under the fillies’ combined arguments.

“Hey!” Harmony nearly shouted above the noise, forcing herself between the hyperactive fillies and the ex-Mayor and interrupting the interrogation. “How about you all just settle down and give the poor mare some space to think?”

Obediently, the ponies withdrew, eyes still looking expectantly at the Mayor.
 
“Come on girls, back to the van.  Harmony can take the Mayor in her car to the apartment.  We can get something to eat and maybe find a gift for the Mayor.”  Little Horn suggested as she ushered her friends back to the van.  

Babs Seed found the gift for the Mayor, “Found your Mayor’s gift.  How did Aunt Betty know what to get her?”  The young filly asked her friends.

Little Horn shrugged, “Wait until after dinner, when every pony is ready to go home.  I’m sure the Mayor would love it.  As for your Aunt, I really don’t know.”  

The gift for the Mayor was her white collar with the light blue ribbon she wore when administering her official duties.  Also, a gavel was included, a symbol of authority for any town administrator.

The blue-maned unicorn figured now was probably time to peacefully incorporate this reluctant pony into their group. “Well, do you want to hang out with us for a bit anyway? I’m assuming you probably don’t have anywhere else to go, and we could always use an extra helping hoof around the place regardless.” She then muttered under her breath, “Celestia knows I’m gonna need it with those five rascals running amok...”
        

-----

        
        Upon returning the apartment block, Harmony directed the group of ponies into her unit, where she took Crankshaft aside towards her work desk.
        
        “Alrighty, Mister Crankshaft,” Harmony spoke in a professional tone, getting straight to business, “Since you’re moving into the spare unit, I should probably lay out the ground rules.”
        
        She opened up a drawer and produced several documents stapled together, moving the keyboard aside and placing them down. “These documents cover everything you need to know about moving into the Unit. You know, stuff like insurance, the fire escape plan, and stuff like that. But there are a few things which I should highlight for you.”
        
        “Standard rent fee for the unit itself is a hundred and twenty five dollars a week, plus monthly payments of around a hundred dollars for water and electricity. Gas bills are based on usage, and are generally covered by me, but only up to seventy five dollars in total. Any excess beyond that starts coming out of your pocket.”
        
        “The walls are all insulated and sound-proof, so unless you purposefully want to deafen yourself just to annoy the neighbors with your crappy music in the process, there shouldn't really be any issues regarding noise pollution.”
        
        “If you are caught vandalizing the hallways in any way, not only will I make you clean it, but you’re also paying a two hundred and fifty dollar fine, on top of providing your own cleaning materials and utensils. Trust me, it has happened before, and it hasn't happened again since. I made sure of that.”
        
        “Interpersonal problems between you and any of the tenants next door are your problem, not mine. BUT, if the problem escalates to physical proportions, just bear in mind that everyone here keeps a firearm of some sort in their linen closets, so it’s not worth the hassle in the long run. Yes, that includes me too, and I know very well how to use it.”
        
        “If you suddenly decide to randomly set fire to your living room, and we have to evacuate the entire apartment block because of it, there is a fire escape plan pamphlet next to each and every main door. Fire drills are held on the first Saturday of every second month. The record so far is fifty nine seconds. You are only allowed to break a window if your door is otherwise unusable, or if neither of the front or rear entrances are blocked.”
        
She paused to take a breath and let the information sink in, before continuing, “The cafe next door sells really good, home-brewed coffee for around four dollars a pop, and if you ever feel the need to just clear your mind and dump your problems on someone, the old lady behind the cash register is a great person to talk to once you get to know her. “

        “I think that’s all the major things you really need to know, so all I need is your signature... there,” she pointed at a blank, underlined space, “And I can officially hand over the keys. Take some time to read through it properly though. Don’t worry about any fine print. I wrote it all up myself, so there isn’t any. Aaaand... I think that’s it really. If you have any questions or uncertainties, don’t hesitate to ask.”
        
As Crankshaft perused the documents, a small smile began to form on his face. Overall it seemed better than the place he’d left in Spokane.

“It all seems reasonable, but I have a question.” He said as he signed the lease with his magic.

He paused for a moment before continuing, “Do you know of a place nearby where I can store my tools? Some of them are a little too dangerous to keep in an apartment.”
        
        Harmony nodded, “Sure, there’s a small tin shed out the back where you can put your work gear. It’s not all that much, and I haven’t kept up with the maintenance in ages, but it’s something. Either that, I could probably give you access to the service closet in the hallway if you wish, and you can put your stuff in there with all the other tools.”
        
"I think it would be best if I used the shed and I can probably repair whatever problems I find." replied Crankshaft.
        
        “Alright, outdoors shed it is,” Harmony opened up another drawer in the desk and magicked out a small key, which shimmered with a golden gleam. “It’s padlocked, so you’re going to need this.”
        
“Thank you, I was hoping it had a lock. I don’t want the foals getting ahold of them and hurting themselves, I worked in an auto-shop as a teenager, I’ve seen what some of them can do when used incorrectly, it’s never pretty.” said Crankshaft, taking the key in his own grey magical aura and putting it in his bag.
        
        “I can imagine. One of my human uncles nearly cut his own finger off when his hacksaw slipped. Poor sucker needed thirty stitches and never touched a power tool again,” Harmony murmured off-handedly while sorting through the drawers again. This time, she pulled out a large white key marked with a letter ‘D’ on the side. “Here you go. The key to your unit.”
        
“Thank you for the apartment, and for your hospitality.” said Crankshaft, taking the key.
        
        “Not a problem,” Harmony smiled cheerfully, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
        
“And you as well” replied Crankshaft “I promise nothing too drastic will happen while I’m here, safety is my top concern.”
        
        “Glad to hear,” Harmony closed up the drawers, “Right. I think that’s all the formalities out of the way, so let me show you to your apartment.” She gestured with a flick of her head in the direction of the door.
        
        “Thank you, I’d like to start settling in, I’ve come a long way.” said Crankshaft, as he exited Harmony’s apartment.
        
        She stopped outside Unit D, gesturing towards the door with a hoof, “If you’ll do the honours.”
        
        Crankshaft nodded, took the key out of his bag, unlocked the door and stepped inside.
        
        “You’ll find that all the units have exactly the same layout,” Harmony pointed out, “It’s fairly easy to find where everything is. Kitchen’s over here, living room’s over there, and the bedroom’s past the living room. The bathroom and the laundry are in that hallway over there, along with the linen press closet. If you need anything else, come and give me a holler.”
        
        “Will do, thank you” responded Crankshaft, already beginning to unpack his bag. The contents were fairly simple, the key to the shed, his wallet, a first aid kit and some other items of sentimental value, placing them around the apartment as he saw fit.
        
        “I’ll just make sure the kids aren't getting into too much mischief,” Harmony muttered as she trotted out the door, closing it behind her and leaving Crankshaft to his own devices.
        
        “Good Luck!” said Crankshaft to the leaving mare.
        
Meanwhile,  Little Horn was showing the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Mayor Mare, and Duo her room she was sharing with Harmony.  “Harmony got me this bed to sleep on.  She’s been a great help getting me through everything, since I was released from the hospital..”  She smiled to Mayor Mare, “I guess you can stay with us.  We don’t mind having you here, Miss Mayor!”  The little unicorn filly climbed onto her bed and lay down to wait on Harmony to return.  “My cousin’s been teaching me some new spells.  I just mastered levitation.  I am hoping to be able to do other things once she is up to teaching me more.”
        
“So where do we sleep, Little Horn?” Duo asked, tilting his head slightly with confusion. “Are all the Crusaders going to be in this room, or is there a guest room?”

Little Horn thought about how to accommodate her guests, “I think we can get some sleeping bags and have a camp-in.  We will have to go to bed when Harmony says so, though.  The bathroom’s down the hall, if you need to use the little filly’s or colt’s room.” The young unicorn directed the Crusaders to the restroom.  “We have to share the bathroom with Harmony, the Mayor, and one, two, three, four, five, and myself makes six younger ponies.  So, we need to come up with a schedule so every pony will have their turn for the bathroom and the shower.  We have plenty of shampoo and soap.  Any questions?”

“Yes... is there a way to limit how much hot water is used?” Duo asked making Scootaloo’s ears perk up. “Scootaloo tends to take really long showers.”

Scootaloo then turned around and glared at Duo. “Hey! You try taking cold showers with a water hose for more than half your life!”

“Doesn't mean you need to hog it all!” Duo retorted.

Sweetie Belle simply face hoofed as Apple Bloom stepped in. “Will ya’ll quit it? Sheesh, you’re both acting as cranky as Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon!”

Duo and Scootaloo instantly stopped upon hearing those names. “Sorry...” They both said in unison.

Sweetie Belle then looked at Little Horn. “Will we ever get back to our real homes Duo mentioned? What about my sister and Apple Bloom’s family?”


Little Horn face hoofs,” First of all, Scootaloo, you don’t have to worry about being in a shelter any more. You can stay here with Harmony and me and the other Crusaders! There’s a cafe at this apartment complex and the nice owner doesn't mind ponies coming in buying salad sandwiches and drinks.” She pauses to address Sweetie Belle’s inquiry,

“Sweetie Belle, I’m sure we will, eventually. Just need to stick together and remember the good memories of our lives in Ponyville.” Little Horn smiles, “Once a Crusader, always a crusader, right?”

The four fillies looked at each other before smiling at Little Horn and shouting. “Cutie Mark Crusaders shall forever be together!”

Babs Seed blew the cowlick off her face, and joined the fillies in their celebration, “I got those presents for all of our friends and families. Where do ya want them?” She asked her cousin and the other fillies and colt. Those packages were many, and they also had sweetie Belle’s luggage. “What did you pack in those suitcases, Sweetie Belle?”


Little Horn looks around the room, “How about stack them over there. Just not in front of the computer. How about the closet? I’m sure Harmony won’t mind. Maybe we can get our Cutie Marks in package stacking?”


“Package stacking?” Harmony murmured as she re-entered the room, “Come on L-H, you can aim a little higher in life than that, can’t you?”

Little Horn trotted up and hugged her cousin, “Hi Harmony! Just getting the Crusaders settled in!” She sighed, “I still haven’t found my special talent yet.” She lowers her head, ears drooped.

“Well of course it’s not going to come to you if you’re so aiming off-target,” Harmony scoffed, “Please, if you got a Cutie Mark for something as lame as that, no-one’s going to take you seriously. No, you want a Cutie Mark that shows you actually accomplished something in life. Something that represents who you are, and what you enjoy doing.”

Little Horn looked up at her cousin as she gave her advice. “I never thought about that before. What do you think I am good at?” The little filly seemed interested in what her cousin had to offer.

“L-H, I honestly believe you can be good at whatever you want in life, as long as you enjoy doing it, and that you have the willpower to overcome any obstacles in your way,” Harmony nodded sincerely, “The world’s your oyster.”

Little Horn smiled and nuzzled her cousin as she offered her counsel on finding your special talents. “You always have the right words to say to make me feel better.” She gave Harmony a kiss on the cheek in appreciation of having an awesome relative.

“That’s what I’m here for,” Harmony grinned, placing a hoof across the smaller cousin’s shoulders.

Little Horn felt her cousin’s hoof on her shoulder and smiled to her fellow Crusaders, “Well then, we got the group settled in, and we had discussed earlier about how we ended up as ponies in Mr. Crankshaft’s van. But, we haven’t heard about Harmony’s story.” She looked up to her cousin, “You were a singer before you became a unicorn, right, cousin?”

        
        “Yeah, that’s right. I was a freelance performer, who could perform openers at gigs for other bands,” Harmony explained, “They paid me to give a warm-up performance for the crowd, to get them into the mood, so to speak, and I got to do what I enjoyed doing.”

Little Horn interjected, “Just like Sapphire Shores? She’s an entertainer back in Equestria. I think she’s an Earth pony who is from Canterlot.” The little filly wondered how she knew about Sapphire Shores, even though the aforementioned pony only had a small appearance in the show as a customer at Rarity’s Carousel Boutique.

She remembered the episode, A Dog and Pony Show, in which the Pony of Pop showed up to buy some outfits for her upcoming show, Zigfilly Follies. This cold opening scene set the episode’s main focus; gather more gems for the project. The episode also introduced the Diamond Dogs, who had captured Rarity and forced her to mine gems. Little Horn smiled inwardly as Rarity was able to turn the tables on her captors, whining and complaining so much that the Diamond Dogs decided to let her leave with her friends and all the gems they could carry out in carts.

“Not quite like her per se,” Harmony shook her head, “Maybe a little less... pizazz. And high-rolling.Certainly much less high-rolling. No, I’m more of a small-town-gig pony anyway. Big crowds aren't exactly my thing.”

Babs Seed then spoke up, blowing a piece of her cowlicked mane from her face, “Wow, that’s really cool, Harmony! “ The Manehattenite filly had been to some shows before when her big sister and family took her. They even got to meet Sapphire Shores at one of her performances.

Harmony smiled softly, regarding the stocky filly for a few seconds, before trotting off. “Here, let me get you something for that...”

She disappeared into her room for a few seconds, before reappearing again, levitating several bobby pins alongside her.

“These will help keep your mane out of your face,” she explained, pinning Babs’ fringe to the side and out of her face.

“There. How’s that?” She gazed expectantly.

Babs smiled, “Thanks, Harmony. Much better! Wow, I've been meanin’ to get mah mane taken care of, but you fixed it! Ya sure this is gonna help keep mah mane outta mah face?”

“As long as you leave the pins there, yes,” Harmony smiled, “It’s my pleasure.”


And all through this mini-commotion, scarcely anypony - too caught up in the reunions and the gossip - took notice of a sniffing Mayor Mare, who curled up in the corner of a bunk and tried hard - very hard indeed - to awaken from this terrible nightmare.