//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 - Learning to be a Pony // Story: Fluttershy Flutterguy // by Autum Breeze //------------------------------// Chapter 2 Learning to be a Pony _____________________________________________________________________ As I walked away from Twilight’s house I felt as if a huge weight had been put on top of me, weighing down my very soul. I was stuck in Equestria, in Fluttershy’s body, with no way of going home. A few tears welled in my eyes and a small sob, the first I’d ever made in over fifteen years, escaped my lips. “Fluttershy?” I stopped and looked up; only to jump back and topple onto my back as a grey something fell out of the sky and slammed into the ground. I slowly got up and gasped as my eyes fell on the grey coat, blonde mane and tail and golden, crisscrossed eyes of Derpy Hooves shaking herself off. I tried to speak, but my voice had left me. Derpy was probably the most famous... or infamous considering how many complied about her name when it was first spoken on the show, character in all of the mlp fanfiction and I was looking at her. “Helllooooooooooo!” I started, seeing a grey hoof waving back and forth in front of my face. The grey mare blinked, though I couldn’t tell if she was looking at me or not. Those eyes were a lot more distracting than I thought they’d be. “Um, are you okay, Fluttershy?” she asked, cocking her head. “You seem more... well, shy than normal.” For a second, I couldn’t answer her. Her voice. It sounded just like the Derpy voice BaldDumboRat, aka, PierceSmoulder uses in the Doctor Whooves & Assistant audio plays and the Derpy Plays videos. “Um... ye-yeah,” I said, looking away. “Um... Derpy?” “Yeah?” she asked, smiling. A small part of me sighed with relief on the inside. So her name was Derpy, here. I was worried I was in a version of Equestria where her name was Ditzy Doo and Derpy Hooves was an insult to her. “Can...? Can you show me back to my cottage?” I felt stupid asking it, and no doubt sounded stupid asking it, too. She looked confused... I think. Those eyes make it hard to figure out. “I... I don’t want to walk back all alone, right now,” I said, mentally patting myself on the back. That was a perfect excuse, especially since I am Fluttershy. Derpy smiled. It was a soft, I understand, smile. “Sure, Fluttershy. I’ll show you home.” I followed Derpy on foot... uh, hoof. We walked through the town of Ponyville, passed the shops and other townsponies. A part of me wanted to look around, taking in everything of the world I’d wanted to see for so long, but the news of how I got here and the fact I wouldn’t be able to return home made me keep my eyes ahead of me as I followed the wall-eyed mare. As much as it shames me to say it, I was rather surprised to see Fluttershy’s... my cottage ahead of us. To make up for this, and because her voice sounded like the Derpy from Whooves & Assistant, I decided to ask her, “Derpy?” “Hmm?” she asked, her voice fall of innocence. “Have...?” Hmm. How to ask this and let her know that, if I’m right, I’m not making fun of her? Ah! “After you rescued Celestia, did the Doctor offer the Cyberponies help before their planet exploded a little over four hundred and ninety years from now?” “Cyber-what-now?” she asked, glancing back at me. “Oh, um, never mind,” I said, looking away. How stupid can I be? Of course she wouldn’t know what I’m talking about. I’d been Fluttershy for over half an hour now and I hadn’t felt a pocket on either side of my flanks. This wasn’t that Equestria. This was an Equestria where none of that happened. Wait. Was this the world of Doctor Whooves Adventures, then? I’ll have to ask Twilight some other time. Would she want to talk with me, though? I wasn’t her Fluttershy. What little happiness I’d felt at learning some information, meeting Derpy and learning she sounded like BaldumboRat faded and my sadness at my current status returned. I walked passed the confused mare and walked across the bridge and entered flutter... my home. When I came in I saw Angel Bunny standing in the middle of the living room, his arms folded, tapping his foot impatiently on the floor. Normally, I would be annoyed at Angel for that. He always treated Fluttershy rather badly when they weren’t sharing tender moments. But, in the state of my being right now, I didn’t have the strength to do so. I simply walked passed him, my head held low and went back to Flutter— my room. I reached the bed, got on it and lay them, not doing anything. I just lay there, letting everything sink in. I was stuck in Equestria, I was Fluttershy, Twilight had lost the mare she loved, I could never go home, my body is lying soulless in my bed, back on Earth and my family have no idea I’m still alive, just in another body, in another dimension. For the first time in over a decade, I openly started crying, my tears falling onto the bed covers, leaving small soaking stains. As I sobbed, I felt a small furry paw touch my cheek. I look up to see Angel Bunny. His expression no longer annoyed or disapproving, only concerned his master was upset. I pull him into a hug and hold him close. “Oh, Angel. What am I gonna do?” He didn’t answer me, not that I was surprised by that. Angel never spoke in the show and he didn’t know why I was upset so he couldn’t tell me, even though he obviously wanted to. Still, the fact that he was comforting me made me feel a little bit better, even if only a little. After what felt like hours, I noticed I was really hungry. Remembering that I hadn’t had breakfast after I woke up, what with finding myself as Fluttershy and then Rainbow grabbing me and taking me to Twilight’s, I decided it was time for some food. “Come on, Angel,” I said, getting up and walking towards the door. “Let’s have something to eat.” Angel didn’t complain and hopped after me, before getting onto my back and riding on it. As I walked down, I took notice, for the first time, all of Fluttershy’s animals. There were squirrels, beavers, mice, otters, etc. A small part of me was thankful none of the larger animals, like the bear were around. While I know Fluttershy can handle these animals, I’m not too sure I can... My heart dropped. Fluttershy took care of all these animals, but I didn’t know the first thing about that or even my way around this cottage. I turned to Angel, a sheepish look on my face. “Um, Angel?” He cocked his head to one side, listening. “I... Could you feed the other animals today?” I asked, looking down. “I’m not really sure I can right now.” Angel seemed to understand I wasn’t up to it and hopped down and began gathering the food for each animal and passing it around. I watched him, a small smile on my face. I may think he can be a real jerk sometimes, but his heart’s in the right place. As I watched him, I took note of where he went for each animals’ food and which took what. I would have to remember this for later, now that I was living Fluttershy’s life. At that moment I suddenly felt a huge desire to eat some apples. I don’t know where from or why it came, but the sudden desire was overbearing. It was like something was trying to squeeze me on the inside until I got some apples into me. I glanced around and saw Angel going into what looked like the kitchen. I followed him, briefly taking in the table large enough for six, the sink, clean of all dishes at present, the refrigerator, etc. But the thing that caught my eye was a green bowl on the windowsill and within it, eight rip, red, juicy apples. Without a second thought, I took the bowl in my mouth, went over to the table, put down the bowl and took an apple with my right forehoof and, ignoring my usual dislike of apple skin, bit into the red skin of the round fruit. At once my tastebuds were overloaded with a feeling of joy and wonder. This had to be the best apple I had ever eaten in my whole life. I quickly finished off the first apple, my new pony teeth allowing me to finish off even the core, allowing me to understand why the ponies in the show always at the whole apple and started devouring a second. Less than two minutes later, not a single apple was left in the bowl. I sat down on my flank, licking my lips, feeling content. I’d never felt this good after eating. Did pony bodies work with hunger differently than humans’? Before I could figure that out and familiar feeling from my time as a human made itself known. “Oh, no,” I whispered, squeezing my hind legs together. “You gotta be kidding me!” I hurried through the cottage, not caring about what Angel would think about his master running around, looking for the bathroom, when she should already know where it is. After going into several different rooms, I finally found the bathroom. Without thinking about it, I ran to the toilet, which I noticed looked at lot like the ones we have, back on Earth, sat down on it and felt my insides empty themselves. It felt weird, going as a pony... especially a female. Another thing I learned was that females don’t pee from their... foal deliver, as I’d always thought they do. Yeah, I stupid. Don’t rub it in, this is embarrassing enough as it is. After I was done, I flushed and went to the sink and washed my forehooves and went back out. Something started nagging at my brain, something I couldn’t place, but I shook it off. It was probably just some of Fluttershy’s residual memory and, as cruel as it might sound, right now I didn’t care about her memories. I had my own problems. I returned to the kitchen, trying to find something else to eat. Those apples were really good, but you can’t survive only on apples. I halted and quickly looked around. For some reason I’d just remembered Applejack and if she’d heard those words she’d have blown a fuse. Once I’d reassured myself that Applejack wasn’t nearby by and had heard what I’d thought and returned my search for food. I opened the fridge and my eyes feel upon some cheese. I decided I’d have a cheese sandwich. I wasn’t too sure I’d like pony food, so cheese and bread was a good idea. While I was in Fluttershy’s body, I wasn’t sure I could trust I’d enjoy the same things she does... did. After slicing a few pieces of cheese and getting two slices of white bread from the pantry, I made the sandwich and took a bite. As I chewed, I frowned. Something seemed... off. I shrugged. Pony taste buds were probably just more sensitive than a human’s and this was just my new body trying to adjust to my train of thought. Half way through the sandwich, however, I stopped, holding a hoof to my stomach. I didn’t feel so good anymore. At once I felt a feeling I remembered all too well, even though I didn’t like it. I hurried back to the bathroom, almost tripping over my legs a few times and got to the toilet, just as my stomach decided to bring its contents back up. After a few minutes and finished upchucking and groaned, my mane plastered against my face. “That... wasn’t nice.” I got up and washed my hooves in the sink, then looked in the mirror. I looked like someone had just pulled me out of an overheated sauna. I did my best to fix my mane and splashed my face to get rid of any remaining sick. Once done there, my thoughts wandered into why I’d thrown up after eating the sandwich. As I looked in the mirror I saw the small fangs Fluttershy had been left with after episode seven. My gut dropped. Was I turning into Flutterbat? That would explain the reason I’d been so desperate to eat those apples. I shook my head. No. No, I couldn’t be turning into Flutterbat. I’d notice if that was the case. I’d seen the episode, I'd recognize the signs. And I wasn’t desperate for apples. If I was turning into Flutterbat, I think apples would be a nagging in my mind, making themselves known. I walked out of the bathroom, thinking as to why else I’d thrown up. Maybe Fluttershy was lactose intolerant? No. No, I’d seen her eating plenty of milk products in the show, so that wasn’t it. I came to the most logical conclusion. The bread and cheese were off. Not only would that explain why I’d thrown up after eating them, but it would also explain why they’d tasted off. I walked into the kitchen and gasp when I see Angel feeding the cheese and bread of my sandwich to the mice and birds. “No, wait,” I said, hurrying forward. “You shouldn’t eat those, they’re off—” I stop. None of them seemed to find anything wrong with either the bread or the cheese. They weren’t even making faces at the taste. I frowned. So, if the bread and cheese weren’t off, why did I have to hack them up? Before I could think of a reason, I heard a knock at the door. I walked over and open it (hooves are surprisingly easy to use in that way, for some reason) to find Rainbow Dash standing a little from the door, a sheepish and apologetic look on her face. There was something else too. A... sadness? “Listen, Fluttershy,” she said, scratching her leg and looking away. “I’m... I’m sorry I just grabbed you like that this morning and took off. I... I wasn’t even thinking.” I blinked. I honestly had not been expecting an apology from the Pegasus, knowing her character from the show. “Um, that’s okay, Rainbow,” I said, noting how much I really am sounding like Fluttershy right now, not including the voice. “It was a simple mistake. Anyone could’ve—” I stopped as Rainbow pulled me into a surprise and very soft hug. “That’s no excuse,” she said, shaking her head against my shoulder. “After everything that’s happened over the last few days and what you and Twi did for Scoots, I should’ve been thinking clearer. I’m so sorry, Flutteshy.” A small frown creased my brow, but I hid it quickly as I pulled away from Rainbow, smiling. “Don’t worry, Rainbow,” I said, closing my eyes. “Everything’s gonna be just fine. And I accept your apology.” She smiled. “Thanks, Shy. Well, see you later.” With that, she took off into the air, her rainbow trail remaining in the sky for a few seconds before fading away. I stood watching for a while, my mind on what Rainbow said about Scootaloo. From what she’d said, it sounded like something really bad had happened to the orange Pegasus and Twilight and Flutteshy had done something nice for her. I wondered what that could be. Maybe they’d adopted her? Whoa! Hold on, there! If that was true then that meant Scootaloo was my daughter! I’m not ready to be a parent, especially now, dealing with being a pony and all. I shook my head. It probably wasn’t that. Just because Scoots is portrayed as an orphan in most fanfics... heck, I’d even written two where she was an orphan, it didn’t necessarily mean she really was one, right? I tried to think of what else it was the two ponies could’ve done for her. Maybe she’d been injured and they’d taken care of her? Yeah, that was probably it. I decided to go back inside and explore my new home, so I wouldn’t get lost at any point. After looking through a few rooms, including the ones I’d barged into, then left when I’d first been looking for the bathroom, I came across a room I was not expecting to find. It was a nursery. I walked in, looking around at the sky-patterned walls, the blue padded carpet, the changing table piled with diapers and the blue crib with sky-patterned bed-covers. I frowned. Was Fluttershy an adult foal, like in some of those padded ponies fics I’d read? Well, if so, not anymore. No way was I gonna do that. I ain’t wearing wearing diapers and acting like a foal. As I looked closer, I realized everything was normal sized. As if Fluttershy had been expecting to have a foal soon. My frown deepened. I wasn’t going to question whether she and Twilight would’ve been able to pull that off, despite both of them being female. I’d read enough fanfics where magic created a foal to know two mares having a foal by birth wasn’t an impossibility. I turned, heading back towards the front door. Too much was going on and I needed to clear my head. Maybe a walk through Ponyville would do that and I’d be able to think one hundred percent clearly. I said goodbye to Angel, telling him I needed so fresh air. He didn’t seem to mind. He must have still been thinking about when I was sobbing and thought this would help me feel better. As I walked through Ponyville, looking at all the markets and townsponies, I could feel my inner brony screaming with joy. To walk in Ponyville was every brony’s dream come true and I was experiencing it first hand... er, hoof. I really need to wrap my head around that pony lexicon. “Fluttershy!” two young and excited voices called from behind me. I stopped and turned around to see Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle running towards me and I had to use all my self-control to stop myself from squealing like a fangirl at the fact I was meeting them. “Oh, hello, girls,” I said, patting myself on the back at how much like Fluttershy that made me sound, not even including the voice. “So, how’s Scoots doin’ in there?” Apple Bloom asked, looking at me with intrigue. I blanked for a second. In there? Where was there? Not wanting to startle them though, and also because now as not the best time for them to know I wasn’t the Fluttershy they know, I simply smiled and said, “Oh, she’s doing just fine.” “That’s great,” Sweetie Belle chirped and I felt kinda bad that I’d just lied to them, having no idea where Scootaloo was to begin with. Which brought other question to mind. Where was Scootaloo? Normally the three of them were inseparable, but she clearly wasn’t with the two fillies, or they wouldn’t be asking me how she was doing. The two hoof-bumped and shouted, “CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS: FOAL HELPERS! Yay!” With that they ran off, leaving me standing there, very confused. “Foal helpers? What’s all that about?” I was about to return to my walk when a male voice called, “Hey, look. If it isn't Cluttershy.” I turned to see the three stallion pegasi from that episode, Sonic Rainboom. I scowled. The last thing I needed right now was to listen to bullies, so I turned to walk away. “Hey, what’s the hurry, Cluttershy?” one of them called. “Miss your mommy?” The thought of my mother and her face at learning of my old body, now soulless sprang to my mind and pure, unadulterated rage flooded my being. I whirled around, glaring at them. “How dare you?” The three of them blinked, clearly surprised by my reaction. I stomped towards them and they started backing away. “Do you have any idea what kind of a morning I’ve had?! You all think you’re so tough, the way you tease and act badly towards other ponies.” I came right up to their faces and they hunched down like a dog scared of being hit by its own for disobeying. “You have no idea how bad things are for me right now, you jerks!” I snarled and they whimpered. “I bet you’re wondering why I’m not acting like the timid, widdle scaredy cat you think I am, right?” They didn’t respond. “RIGHT?!” “Yes,” they cowered, their eyes wide with fear. “Well, I’ve got news for you colts,” I snapped. “I’m not the same Flutteshy you teased and made fun of. And if you don’t want me to do something horrible to you, right now, then fly away RIGHT NOW and don’t bother me again!” They nodded frantically and flew off as fast as their wings could take them. I stood there, fuming as I watched them fly away until they were out of sight. “Fluttershy?” I turned at the shocked voice to see Pinkie Pie and Rarity staring at me, wide eyed. My anger vanished in a heartbeat and my ears fall flat against my head. Oh, man. What just happened? I know I was angry, but I'd felt even angrier than I knew I should’ve. Yeah, they were talking about my mother, but they were thinking of Fluttershy’s mother, not mine and I should’ve known that. So why did I turn all Manticore on them just now? Plus, now the two ponies I was looking at had seen me acting like Fluttershy had after Iron Will had tried to make her more assertive and it had backfired, turning Fluttershy into a mean pony. “Um, Fluttershy?” Pinkie asked nervously. “You’re not turning into Meanie Fluttershy again, are you?” I sighed and shook my head. “Sorry about that, girls,” I said, pawing at the ground. “I... I don’t know what happened. I just got so angry. That... I shouldn’t be like that, should I?” They shook their heads slowly. I sighed. I needed answers to what was going on and there was only one pony I could ask about it. The only other pony aside from myself who knew I wasn’t the Fluttershy everyone... no, everypony (really need to get this pony lexicon fixed in my thought process) thought I was. Before I could think further, however, I felt two sets of hooves wrap around me. “It’s alright, darling,” Rarity said, her voice calm and full of understanding. “Mood swings will do that to you. We know you don’t mean it.” Mood swings? What, was Fluttershy’s body in its period right now? That's referred to as "being in heat", right? Jeez, it’s hard enough to get used to being a pony, a mare at that, now I’ve got to deal with being in heat too? Celestia, help me. That does it. I’ve got to ask Twilight what’s going on. Everypony seems to know something I don’t and I have a feeling I should know it too. “Would some cake make you feel better, Fluttershy?” Pinkie asked, looking at me. For some reason, all I could think of then was apple related sweets. Apple tarts, apple fritters, apple pie, apple cake, candy apples— I shook my head, stopping the list of apple foods rolling through my head. Now I really needed to talk to Twilight. This apple obsession was starting to scare me a little. “I’ll... see you girls later,” I said, pulling away and heading in the direction of the Golden Oaks Library. “I need to talk with Twilight.” They seemed to understand, because they didn’t stop me and just left me on my way. I stood in front of the door to Twilight’s library. I knew Twilight didn’t want to talk with me right now, but something was going on and I needed to know. I knocked on the door. From inside a croaky voice called, “Come in.” I pushed the door open, walking in. Twilight looked a mess. her mane was a bit disheveled, her eyes were red and puffy and her face was stained with tears. When Twilight saw me, she looked away. “Please, I told you I don’t want to talk right now—“ “No, Twilight,” I said firmly, putting my hoof down,metaphorically and physically. “Something’s going on. I’ve got a massive craving for apples, I threw up when I tried to eat a simple cheese sandwich, Rainbow said something about you and Fluttershy helping Scootaloo, who I haven’t even seen since I got here, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle said something about being foal helpers, Rarity said something about me having mood swings, which I see I have been having since I got here and on top of all that, I found a nursery in Fluttershy’s cottage. What the hell is going on, Twilight? And don’t talk around this. Tell it to me straight, right now! I think, after what you did to the two of us, I deserve that much, don’t you?” I regretted that last statement as soon as it left my lips. Twilight’s face crumbled, and it hadn’t been to sturdy to begin with and tears poured down her face. I hurried over and hugged her. “I’m so sorry, Twilight. I... I don’t know what came over me. What’s wrong with me? I’m never like this, not even when I was me, not Fluttershy.” She sniffled and sighed. “Okay,” she said, stepping a bit back. “Just... promise me you won’t freak out when I tell you.” I went a bit cold, thinking about the apple cravings. “I’m not turning into Flutterbat, like during that vampire bat incident a while back, am I?” She shook her head, giggling. “No, your apple cravings have nothing to do with that. So, do you promise not to freak out?” I breathed a sigh of relief, glad I wasn’t turning into a vampony and closed the gap and nuzzled her. “I Pinkie Promise.” She giggled as I moved away and sighed. “Well, I’ll start off with Scootaloo, since she’s kind of centered in all this.” I nodded, ready to listen. Twilight sighed. “Well, a few days ago, she hurt herself badly while trying to perfect a new trick on her scooter.” She hesitated as her face darkened with sadness. “The doctors told us she wasn’t likely to make it.” My blood went cold. Did...? Did that mean Scootaloo was...? “I... I tried using a regression spell to make her a bit younger, thinking it might heal her body,” Twilight went on, then hung her head. “What I didn’t know was that particular age spell has a condition. If the age of the one the spell’s being cast on isn’t exactly specified, the one the subject will be turned into an unborn foal and placed into the nearest adult female.” I raised an eyebrow. “I... don’t follow, Twilight. What does this have to do with what’s been happening to me?” Twilight gulped and I had a bad feeling whatever she was going to say involved me. “When the side effect happened... Fluttershy was the one closest to Scootaloo.” I was still confused, going over what she’d said in my head. My eyes went wide with realization at what she was implying. “Y-you...? You mean I’m...?” I stuttered, my lips quivering. If Fluttershy had been the closest to Scootaloo when the side effect happened and the spell put the foal into the nearest female adult to one the spell is being cast on, then that meant... Twilight nodded. “You’re pregnant... with Scootaloo.” I felt like a fifty ton mallet had slammed into my brain as everything that had been happening, all the pieces of the puzzle, fitted into place. The reason I’d felt worried when I fell on my stomach after I first told Twilight I wasn’t Fluttershy, the apple cravings, the throwing up when I ate that cheese sandwich, what the CMC and Rarity and Pinkie had said, why I’d gotten so angry when I knew I didn’t need to be, everything made sense now. I... was pregnant... with Scootaloo. The world suddenly turned sideways and all sight and sound left me.