//------------------------------// // Chapter 16 // Story: A Filly's New Hope // by Mocha Star //------------------------------// With a slight frown the sleeping filly grumbled as the gem glowed lightly.  With a bright flash it glowed a soft purple, casting a soft light across the room.         Nova’s face scrunched and she turned over, away from the glowing gem and sinking back into a deeper sleep, unknowing of the change within her.         …         Nova woke up with a mighty yawn and pulled her tongue from the roof of her mouth making a clicking sound before her muzzle closed.  She dragged a hoof across her face and opened her eyes, wincing as the sunlight flashed through the window and into her eyes.         “Ugh, what a weird sleep,” she said rolling to her belly and forcing herself up.  She climbed from her bed and grasped the necklace, slipping it over her head and the feeling of the gem hitting her chest was a good reminder of the joys the day had to bring.         Making her bed and doing her morning routine she entered the kitchen and looked around.         He wasn’t there for the first time.  No food, no drinks, no jokes, or hugs.         Her ears sagged as she looked around the kitchen and went to a cabinet, opened it, and took out a small bowl of dried fruits.           She set it on the table and began to pick through it, eating what she felt would taste the best and wincing as she came across the occasional blueberry.  “Ick, nasty fruits,” she huffed, finally done with the small meal.         She listened intently and left the kitchen, stopping suddenly and turning around to clean up what little mess she’d made from fruit bits falling to the table and floor as well as putting the bowl back away, making sure to cover it with a soft cloth to keep most bugs out.         She left the kitchen with a smile and clear conscience and checked the rest of the house to no avail.         She noticed the small cat clock on the wall. “Eight thirty?  And he’s not home?  Maybe he had to run an errand, yeah, that’s it,” she said as she looked around the living room.           “It’s so quiet being here alone…  Wait, I’m home alone,” she whispered.  Her ears perked up and she looked around excitedly at what she could possibly do that she couldn’t before.         She felt her heart race quickly as a naughty thought crossed her mind.  She looked around and trotted to her room, closed the window, then made sure all the doors and windows were shut before she returned to the living room.         She lay on the floor and inhaled. “POOP!” She listened at the silence and giggled.         “Turd!  Pee-pee head,” she giggled to herself and continued using colorful words for the next few seconds before she hopped to her hooves and ran to the window, pressed her forehead to it, and stuck out her tongue, licking the window a bit, exhaling heavily.         She leaned back quickly and giggled at the awkward outline of her face then turned around and jumped up onto the couch. "BUTT!"          “Poop on the floor with teeth brushes!” she leapt from the couch to a rocking chair and farted, loudly.         She scampered quickly from the rocker and to the floor then back to her room, back to bed, rolled on her sheets and covers like a dog in grass giggling. “B-word!  F-word!  Ass!”         She rolled to her hooves and began jumping on her bed, giggling and chortling.         Before she knew it she was in the bathroom and looking into the water basin.  She poured a small amount of water into it and dipped her nose into it, blowing a lung full of bubbles.           Then she sucked some water into her mouth, turned and spit it, at an arc, at the pitcher.  Getting a little in the pitcher and most missing she huffed.         “How do colts make it look so easy?” She frowned and tried again, and again.  She grunted and left the bathroom turning into Tree’s room, stopping just inside the threshold her ears fell flat to her head and she stopped.         Looking around she back stepped from the room and closed the door softly. “I love you,” she whispered to the door and turned around, back to the living room.  There was a small spot of sunlight entering from the window she’d licked a few minutes before and it called to her.         She jumped to it, lay down, and sighed.  She relaxed and sighed. “Ahh, this’ amazing,” she cooed to herself.  “I hope he’s okay, maybe Apple knows where-” she sat up and looked at the door with a smirk, “could they be…”         She stood and opened the door quickly, turned and grabbed her tan stetson hat then shut the door, galloping to the farm.         She looked around and saw the usual hustle and bustle of the farm, albeit a little slower than normal as the day was starting a bit warm.         “Howdy, Nova!”         “Nova!  Great ta see ya, girl.”         “NOVA, wanna play tag?”         “Hey everypony, I’m lookin’ for Tree or Apple, ya know where they are?”         “Well, saw ‘em gettin’ cozy earlier in the far orchard down yonder,” a stallion pointed with a cheeky grin, “seven minutes trot if’n ya leave now.”         “‘K, thanks, bye,” Nova said trotting quickly down the way he’d pointed.                  Seven minutes later she’d reached a spot where she could see them.  The brown stallion and green mare; lying on a short hill and gazing over the untilled land the Apple’s owned but didn’t have the pony’s to manage it yet.           “Ahh, last night, my Applesauce, was amazing.”         “Heh, you gave me applesauce, alright,” Apple giggled as she leaned over and nipped his ear, sending a twitch across his body.         “...Tree?” Tree gasped and turned quickly. “Are you alright?”         “Oh no!  I’m so sorry, Nova.  I forgot about breakfast.  I’ll-”         “No, no.  It’s alright, I ate some fruit and… came right over,” she forced a smile.         “Well,” so did I,” he said as Apple gasped and shoved his side, sending him rolling over once. “Ow!  You’re so strong you could pick up a cow,” he said rubbing his side.         “Ah would, but they’re not mah type.”         “Yeah…” Tree’s eyes crossed and his brow furrowed, “wait, what?”         Apple guffawed and rolled her eyes as she got to all fours and turned away, back to the farmhouse. “Hush puppy take care’a the filly.  Ah’ll be doin’ my chores and workin’ up a good sweat,” she winked.         Tree swallowed hard and smirked as he watched as Apple sache’d away for a few lengths before returning to a normal trot.                  “Is she in heat?” Nova asked looking back to Tree who was watching the mare leave.         “Huh?  Yeah, sure, uh, let’s get back to… uh, Apple, and,” he blinked several times and looked at Nova, who’s head was leaning to the side. “What?”         “Stallions are weird.  Let’s get some food, I’m really hungry again.”         “Yeah,” he hopped up and trotted after Apple, “let’s get some food!  I’m hungry too.  Lots of exercise last night, uh, farm work,” he grinned to her and promptly bumped into an apple tree, making no less than four apples fall on his head.         “Hey, spiffy!  Thanks, Tree… for running into that tree,” she giggled and grabbed an apple.  “They won’t mind a couple missing, right?”         “Not after last night… I mean, nah, it’s cool.  I worked it out last night with Apple.”         “...Why’re you talking so weird?  Is this what stallions do when a mare’s in heat?  Why’re you so weird?  Do you like Apple?  Cuz that’s gross, she’s, like, totally cool.”         He groaned and rubbed his shoulder that hit the tree.  “Hey, I’m cool too,” he said before another apple conked his head, “still cool!”         “Gruh, boys,” she said biting the apple and holding it in her hoof while she walked past him on three legs, “I’m never getting a coltfriend.”         “Yeah, you say that now.  Wait a couple years, you won’t be able to make up your mind,” he said following her closely before passing her, “meet ya back home!”