//------------------------------// // The End of The Beginning // Story: The World Is Her Oyster // by DraconequusMaximus //------------------------------// Pearl, for the second time that day woke up in a strange room. Fortunately, she at least had some idea of where she was this time. There was a sterile smell, everything was white, and the bed she found herself in was surrounded by a privacy curtain. "Castle infirmary? Musta over did it with fixing Steve." Pearl told herself. Removing the white sheet covering her on the bed, Pearl got up and stretched. On the bedside table she found a freshly laundered hoodie, and it smelled of apples and cinnamon. Pearl quickly donned her garment of choice, finding it still warm from the dryer. Thank you, Pa. Pearl thought instantly. Pearl looked around, finding her bag in a nearby chair. As she slung it over her shoulder, Pearl looked around and found the wall clock. It was almost eight AM, meaning she had been out for some time. Pearl wasn't surprised in the least, having always worn herself out anytime she practiced magic before. It seemed she needed some more practice before trying to heal anything as big as a changeling again. Pulling back the curtain, Pearl was greeted by the sight of her roommate, Steve. Steve wasn't hooked up to any monitors, likely because pony nurses didn't know how to properly check a changeling's vitals. Fortunately, there were at least ten changelings in the room, both on the floor and ceiling. There was one lone pony nurse, a mare who was watching over Steve. Not with fear or contempt, but great interest. Pearl briefly noticed that her cutie mark was a dragonfly with heart shaped markings. A love of bugs? Pearl pondered. The very instant Pearl was spotted, every able-bodied changeling rushed over to Pearl. Including a changeling that had been amateurishly painted yellow for whatever reason. They all seemed very happy to see Pearl, though the yellow one seemed guilty. Too guilty to look at Pearl directly. "Pearl! We're super happy you're alright!" Said a female changeling. "Steve is gonna be okay thanks to you!" Said another male changeling. "That's great guys, but what's with the yellow guy?" Pearl asked, dying to find out. The changelings all looked over to the painted changeling, who sheepishly waved his hoof at Pearl. "That's Carl." "He bumped the rock that fell on Steve." "We made him look like cheese because Queen Mom wouldn't let us do anything else." Pearl looked at the painted changeling, vaguely recalling him from the arcade back in the factory. Carl seemed very sorry for his actions, and was taking his punishment without complaint. Pearl hated to admit it, but... "That. Is. Hilarious." Pearl laughed. After Pearl and the other changelings had a good laugh about it, one of them named Maggie showed her to the rooms where the others were to be polite, even though Pearl knew the castle well. Chrysalis and Luna were in Luna's half of the castle, while Celestia, Pearl's parents, and everyone else had been given rooms to sleep in. Once they were outside Spike's childhood room in the castle, Pearl let Maggie go back to join the others watching over Steve. After knocking on the door Pearl only had to wait a moment before her Pa opened the door. Of course before Pearl could even greet her father she was grabbed and brought into the room in Mac's powerful embrace. "Hey Pa. You're kinda squeezing the air outta me." Pearl huffed. Macintosh sat Pearl down on the carpet, giving her an apologetic look. "Ah'm sorry, Pearl. We were just so worried when you passed out." Mac apologized. "It's okay Pa. I just had to help Steve, ya know?" Pearl replied, brushing off Mac's concern. Pearl and Mac's attention was shifted to the bed on the other side of the room as it had begun creaking in protest. There was a tremendous figure in the bed, covered mostly in a blanket. From the bed rose Spike, Pearl's other father who had likely forgotten to shrink before going to bed in all the excitement of the previous night. Spike stretched and ruffled his wings, waking himself up. Spike carefully filled his mouth with flames, destroying any and all bacteria and effectively eliminating the need to brush his teeth or worry about morning breath. Pearl couldn't fault him, since she used the same trick pretty often even though her Pa still made her brush if he was around. "Good morning Pearl, have a good rest?" Spike asked, less worried than Mac had been. Pearl nodded, glad to see her other father wasn't as worried. "I'm pretty good Daddy. Steve looked okay too, which is good. I kinda wanna go talk to Cinnamint about some things, but... I sorta figured you'd wanna talk to me first?" Pearl answered honestly. Mac and Spike shared a look, both of them knowing that it was time for serious talk. They'd been preparing for some time now, and hopefully they were as ready as they thought they were. As planned, Macintosh was up first. "Pearl, we already knew bout' yer feelings for Cinnamint. Thing is, kid's don't realize parents know what's goin' on most of the time. We weren't expectin' you t' act on em' so soon, but we knew." Mac explained, sounding almost guilty. Pearl's face became pink alarmingly fast, but she was thankfully able to resist the urge to beat her head against something big and solid. She felt remarkably dumb, but took comfort in knowing that her fathers and other family members weren't likely to mock her about it. Though Pearl was still dreading the actual talk with Cinnamint, since she had kissed him without warning. "Okay... Well, that saves some time I guess." Pearl reasoned. "Eeyup. But we ain't done just yet. We've been talkin, and yer father and I agreed yer old enough fer us t' have a talk with ya. We've been waiting since you were an egg, but we think now you're ready." Macintosh added. Pearl paled at what she thought she was hearing. "This isn't the talk is it? Because I don't think I need to know anymore about that than I already do for the time being." Pearl asked in concern. Macintosh and Spike's eyes shrunk to pinpricks and they both quickly shook their heads no. "No no no no. No. Not that. Faust No. This is a totally different talk." Spike assured Pearl. Pearl breathed a sigh of relief, her face regaining what little color it had to begin with. "Okay then? What is this about? The magic?" Pearl asked, clicking a fire atop her thumb with ease to demonstrate. "No. We're surprised by that, and a little miffed you wouldn't tell us about it, but you're certainly not in trouble for it. We're proud of it, really." Spike replied. "Okay, then what's going on?" Pearl asked, her confusion beginning to devolve into worry. Macintosh looked at Spike, and Spike used his tail to reach the wall behind him. There was a picture of the whole family on the wall, everyone barely fitting in the confined photo despite it's impressive size. Spike slipped it off the wall and brought it to himself. Pearl and Macintosh watched as Spike carefully took the backing off of the picture frame, revealing two oval-shaped, flat items from between the photo and the frame. Each of them were almost the size of Spike's hands, and they were sleek and beautiful. One of them was gold, and the other was emerald green. Pearl looked at the scales on her hands, seeing there was a distinct resemblance between them and the new scales, as well as her father's purple scales. It was painfully clear what they were, even without seeing them up close. "Dragon Scales? From really big dragons?" Pearl asked, already knowing the answer. Spike nodded and shrunk himself with the dial on his chest. Spike and he and Macintosh climbed into the bed. They left a spot between them, which Pearl knew was meant for her. She took the spot without hesitating, eager to know what was going on. As soon as she was situated, Spike gave Pearl the scales. Pearl took one in each hand, examining them carefully. They were gorgeous, and the golden one was shaped exactly like her own scales. Her father's were more rounded than hers, which she hadn't really noticed before. If Pearl had to guess, the owner of the golden scale was closely related to her. Pearl had known she was adopted for a long time now, but she had never really gotten to know how she had come to be with her fathers. Pearl had never needed to know, she had always been loved, and that had been all she needed. Now, holding the green and golden scales it was perfectly clear to Pearl what the talk was about. "These belonged to my biological parents." Spike and Macintosh nodded, not intending to leave any questions unanswered. Spike sighed, preparing himself to tell the tale he'd only repeated a few times in the last fourteen years. It was a story that was told as few times as possible, for good reason. For her part, Pearl was able to prepare for the worst when she saw the expressions on her father's faces. "The green scale is from your father, and the golden scale is from your mother. They lived in the Everfree until close to fourteen years ago. After your egg was laid, they came to a... disagreement. I had just become the Knight of Equestria, and knew I had to investigate the noise. Your aunts Trixie and Twilight who were still a new couple went with me, and your father was visiting cousin Braeburn in Appaloosa. "Your mother was still with us when we got there, if only just. You look a lot like her really, and she seemed to be good at magic too. I offered to care for you in her stead, and she gave me the last of her magic and knowledge with some kind of fire spell. I carried your egg around even through our wedding, and before too long you had hatched. Your Pa and I have never regretted the decision to raise you as our own once, and we love you more than life itself. "I promised your mother that you'd get to know about her and your father, if only a little. I've never once spoken their names to anyone, but I still remember them as clear as day. Whenever you think you're ready, I can tell them to you. There's no pressure, all this is is us, fulfilling a very important promise." Spike told Pearl. Pearl fell back on the bed, letting it all sink in. It was more than a little disturbing to learn why her biological parents had passed away, but in the long run it didn't make all that much difference. She wasn't a different person, and her fathers were still her only parents. Her family was still her family. If anything, the story made Pearl appreciate her fathers more. They had taken her in before they were even married, and had spent the last thirteen years caring for her. She had the best family she could imagine, whether there was blood between them or not. Pearl got up from the bed, and assuaged her father's worries by pulling them both into a hug. Mac and Spike were momentarily caught off guard, but quickly reciprocated the family hug. "I don't think I wanna know their names just yet. But someday, I think we should give them a proper funeral. I know that you've been saving these scales for me for a long time, but the only way I'm gonna see my parents in them is in your reflections. I love my Daddy, and I love my Pa. That's good enough for me. I wouldn't care if you were both dragons, or ponies, zebras, cows, or whatever." Pearl exclaimed with finality. The hug lasted a good long time, and even though Mac and Spike had both expected there to be tears their little girl's maturity had surprised them yet again. All three of them still held each other in the same regard, and they still loved each other very much. After the hug broke, Pearl hopped of the bed and looked up at her parents with a look combining apology and embarrassment. "Well... I've gotta go make an idiot out of myself to Cinnamint. Wouldn't wanna be late for that." Pearl joked nervously, rubbing her hoodie sleeve in an attempt to calm down. Macintosh put his hoof on Pearl's shoulder, a knowing look on his face. "Just tell him how you feel. Ya might be surprised. It worked fer me." Mac advised. Pearl looked from Mac to Spike, repeating the process several times. No matter how many times she thought about it, the numbers just wouldn't crunch. "Wow. I always figured it was Daddy that asked you out, Pa. You're not exactly Auntie Pinkie Pie in the speech department." Pearl exclaimed, not meaning any offense. "Eenope. But ah know how t' say what needs said." Mac replied. Pearl nodded, the confidence having returned to her just a little. Enough to get her out the door at least. She hugged her parents one more time, and was told where to go. Screwball, Cinnamint, and several more changelings were camped out in the rumpus room down the hall. Pearl slowly made the trek down the enormous castle hallway, time seeming to move much slower than normal. It was as if some higher power was making time slow, giving her a cruel amount of time to over-think the situation she was about to get into. Pearl was a bundle nerves by the time she reached the door of the rumpus room. Pearl felt like she was suddenly five years old again, and the ordinary, white, castle door was towering over her. Pearl swallowed her fears, imagining them burning away in her belly. She reached out her claw, grabbing for the doorknob for what seemed like a year. After what seemed like a century of knob-turning, Pearl pushed the door open and found her closest friends sitting at the table, playing cards with changelings. Cinnamint, Screwball, and three changelings were gambling with oreos, trading cards, and various pieces of candy. They all turned to see Pearl, all of them happy to see her. Even Cinnamint, though his face was much redder than it's standard pink. "Hey! Pearl! This is Gin, Rummy, and Monty. They're great at cards." Screwball happily introduced the changelings. Pearl eased up considerably, feeling much better upon seeing everyone. Especially Cinnamint who didn't seem mad at her. First, she needed to clear the room. Having her conversation with Cinnamint in front of other people didn't appeal to Pearl at all. "Good to meet you guys. But, uh... Could I maybe, borrow the room... and Cinnamint for a minute?" Pearl asked. The changelings were all a little miffed as they looked at their cards, but agreed to leave the room. Screwball gave Pearl a salute, telling her oldest friend that she had her support. Screwball placed her cards face-down in front of her on the table, and in the time it took to blink she had teleported herself to the door. "Alright boys, here comes the mushy stuff. Let's get out of the danger zone." Screwball all but ordered, ushering the changelings out the door. "Aw man." "I had three aces." "But I like mushy stuff. It tastes like strawberries." Despite their grumblings, the changelings gratitude to Pearl got them out of the room after Screwball. Screwball shut the door after giving Pearl an encouraging wink. That left just Pearl and Cinnamint, alone together in the rumpus room. Pearl and Cinnamint awkwardly made their way to the sofa on the other end of the room, both taking a seat on either end. There was a lot of awkwardness in the air, but the situation wasn't entirely unpleasant. It took awhile, but Pearl was the first to speak. "So... About what happened at the factory. I guess you've probably got some questions." Pearl started. Cinnamint did his best not to hesitate, but it still took him a second to put what he wanted to say into words. "I do. I guess. I kinda thought you might've liked me a couple times... I mean that way. But I wasn't sure." Cinnamint admitted. Pearl tried thinking of some of the times she had almost slipped, but thinking back on it there were way more times than she'd like to admit. For now, Pearl thought it would be better to focus on the now. "Well, I, I really do. For awhile now. Dragons mature fast or whatever, but I know lots of kids our age still think mushy stuff like this is gross. I didn't wanna look like a total creepazoid and maybe ruin our friendship." Pearl confirmed. Cinnamint nodded, as it was the only thing he could really think to do. His face felt hot, but not in a bad way. Cinnamint had thought of Pearl that way before, but only a few times. She was always the leader of their close-knit group, and probably Cinnamint's best friend. Screwball was a great friend, but more often then not they ended up in an argument which Pearl usually wound up mediating. "I-I think I like you too, but I don't really understand why you like me so much. You're special, and amazing, and smart, and p-pretty. I make candy, and I read books. If I didn't know you, or Screwball I wouldn't be special." Pearl surprised Cinnamint, leaned in at him, and flicked him on the ear with her claw. Cinnamint flinched rubbing his ear with his hoof. "You are special. You make me happy. I'd go crazier than Screwball if I couldn't talk to you about normal stuff like Daring Do, or what crazy thing Pinkie Pie's gonna do next Tuesday. I may be a fire breathing dragon, but I was raised like a pony. Adventures are awesome and fun, but I need some boring here and there. You're like a glass of water after chocolate, you make life more refreshing. "Even if you didn't like-like me back, you'd still be my best friend. It makes me sad to see you being all mopey about being a normal pony. Lots of things make me sad lately, but every time that happens you fix it for me. If it weren't for you, and your big, booky brain, I wouldn't have been able to help Steve, and we might not be friends with the changelings. Heck, I'd say that makes you pretty special by itself." Pearl assured Cinnamint. Cinnamint didn't know what to say, lacking the ability to process everything so quickly. Everything Pearl said made sense eventually, as if she had found the perfect balance of kid-talk and adult-talk. Another thing Cinnamint liked about Pearl. Pearl punctuated her speech with what was possibly the warmest hug Cinnamint had ever received in his life. Pearl held him for a minute, unsure whether it was for her benefit or Cinnamint's. Either way, they both got something out of the hug. As soon as they parted, Cinnamint knew just what he wanted to say. "I dunno exactly what we're supposed to do on dates and stuff yet, but... I think when we're a little older I'd like to be your coltfriend. I've never had to say this to anyone other than my moms, or my grandma... but, I think I love you. I think anybody'd be stupid not to." Cinnamint declared, sounding much more sure of himself than before. Pearl gave Cinnamint another peck on the cheek, causing both of them to turn red again, or at least redder than before. "Well then, I guess... just lemme know when a little older is. I can wait. Just so long as we can still be friends until then." Pearl agreed. "Definitely." For a time things were quiet between the two of them, but once the air had cleared Pearl and Cinnamint hopped off the couch and headed to the door. Cinnamint took the initiative to hold the door for Pearl, causing Pearl to giggle at the cheesy show of chivalry. Screwball and the changeling trio had switched to Monopony in the hallway, which the changelings seemed to be losing quite splendidly. Screwball looked up from the board when Pearl and Cinnamint left the room and joined them in the hall. She stared at them awkwardly for a time, trying to come up with the right words. "Soooo. How are... things?" Screwball asked in an attempt to sound undaunted. Pearl and Cinnamint looked at each other for a moment, but didn't linger. "Good, I'd say?" Pearl replied. "Better, maybe?" Cinnamint added. Screwball let out her breath she hadn't realized she was holding, glad the crisis had been averted or had already passed. "Thank Smooze! I was worried I'd be stuck trying to choose between both of you for the rest of our lives. I'd go sane in no time." Screwball cried to the heavens in relief. "Pfft. Thanks for believing in us Screws. I'll remember that next Hearth's Warming." Pearl joked. Screwball pretended to look hurt, and before long all three of them had erupted into laughter. The trio was back in full force, and they excused themselves from the game of Monopony to go check on Steve and be with the rest of their seemingly ever-growing family. "So who thinks I'd make an awesome doctor?" Pearl asked as they headed down the hall.