Sweetie Belle's soft giggle -- at least before she planted her hoof to her muzzle to silence it -- alerted me that I looked a bit silly with my tongue sticking out of the corner of my mouth. Nevertheless, I didn't let it break my concentration as I carefully folded a remnant of delicate fabric using only magic. Once I was done, I levitated it to the top of a pile of similarly folded scraps, five in all. As the glow of my horn finally faded, Sweetie Belle clopped her hooves together. "That's great, Candy!"
I smiled. "Thanks."
"Did you want to try the other exercise Rarity suggested?"
"Suggested" was a loaded word here. Rarity had pretty much set my magic training in stone. She expected me to perform a specific set of exercises each morning, so I had little choice. I had trusted at first that she knew best, but it still seemed rather tedious. I glanced at the craft table where two large bolts of fabric sat. "Sure you don't want that helmet again?"
Sweetie smiled and waved a hoof. "You'll be okay. Try it!"
I really had come a long way despite my grumbling. A little over a week had passed since the fostering became official. Another Tuesday had come and gone, and Discord had again vanished before I could get to Fluttershy's place. I still hoped to convince Rarity not to bother anymore, though she rarely entertained notions to change my schedule.
I stepped towards the craft table. I took a deep breath, and my horn glowed as I grabbed the first bolt. I paused before enveloping the second one. It wobbled as it rose but quickly steadied until both floated serenely a few hoof-widths above the table.
"You got it!" Sweetie cried.
I felt fairly confident I could do this. Yet what was the reward? An ability to rearrange Rarity's supplies better? I knew I had to walk before I could run -- or maybe that was trot before I could canter -- but should I be approaching this differently? No, this was what Rarity told me I needed to do. She knew best, after all.
My thoughts distracted me enough that the bolts wobbled.
"Well, you almost got it," Sweetie said.
I banished any further troubling thoughts from my mind, and my hold solidified. I raised one bolt, rotated it, and slid it into its receptacle. The other bolt wobbled. I seized it too hard, and the edge I had neatly folded earlier came undone. I considered it a partial win and moved it into its receptacle anyway.
"That was pretty good," Sweetie Belle said.
"Eh, it could've been better," I said.
"Well, it's the first time you tried two objects that big at the same time. You're picking it up fast."
I smiled faintly. "Thanks, I appreciate it."
She gave me a curious look. "Something wrong?"
Sweetie was really sharp for a kid. She picked up on my emotions almost as well as Fluttershy, though I didn't try very hard to hide them from her. "Maybe I should be further along by now."
"Really, you're doing great. You're picking it up about as fast as I did."
I believed her, but it didn't help. Before I could try to put my feelings into words, Rarity entered from the hall. "Sorry to interrupt, but I need to run an errand, and I was going to take Sweetie Belle with me."
"An errand?" Sweetie asked in confusion.
Rarity sighed. "The errand we spoke of the other day?"
Sweetie smiled. "Oh, that errand!"
"What errand?" I asked. "Want me to come along?"
"Nope, we don't need you at all," Sweetie declared. "Er, I mean, you don't need to worry about it. Not one bit."
"Sweetie," Rarity said softly.
"Has nothing to do with you, Candy. Nope, not a single thing."
"Sweetie!"
"Just pretend the errand doesn't even exist. We never need to speak of it again."
"Sweetie Belle!"
Sweetie whirled around. "What? I'm just trying to--"
"Never mind what you're trying to do," said Rarity with a smile. "Just come along."
I tilted my head. "Um, are you sure you don't want me to come along?"
Rarity glanced at the shelf. "I'm quite sure, Candy," she said as her horn glowed. She grabbed the second bolt I had put away. "As I need you to do me a favor while we're gone." She slid the bolt out, tucked the loose end in, and slid the bolt back. "I have an order at Sugarcube Corner that will be ready for me later this morning, and I'd like you to pick it up for me."
"Well, okay," I said in a dubious voice. "As long as you trust my magic that far."
"It'll be fine, Candy," said Rarity. "But clean your room first."
"Okay, I ... er, what?"
"I believe you heard me."
I stared. "You're kidding, right? All I have are the books Twilight gave me."
"Yes, and they're all over the place. How you find anything in that mess is beyond me. I would prefer you keep it orderly a bit more often."
"Maybe you should've added it to my schedule," I grumbled.
"I'm sorry?"
I rolled my eyes. "Nothing. I'll go clean my room."
Rarity smiled. "Excellent. I'll see you later. Come along, Sweetie."
Sweetie gave me a sympathetic look before trotting out of the room alongside Rarity. I sighed as I heard them head out the front door of the boutique.
I trotted up to my room. Admittedly, my filing system consisted of levitating books from my bed to a random spot on the floor when I needed to sleep. The room did have a bookshelf, so I really had no excuse other than laziness. Having to clean my room really didn't upset me, so why did I feel so sullen? Wasn't I supposed to be past my angsty phase?
After a few false starts as I pondered a filing system, I gave up and fell back on "in whatever order I pick them up." I levitated the books one by one to the shelf, finishing about half the task before I picked up the book on historical fashion trends.
I bit my lower lip as I stared at it. I finally tossed it onto the bed and jumped after it, flipping it open with a hoof and paging through it. The book not only described the fashion of the time, but the techniques used to work with textiles as well, even down to the way the stitching was done.
I ran a hoof down a page showing a unicorn craftspony guiding a needle through fabric. My mind's eye refused to envision fingers I no longer had as it might have during my first few days in Equestria. I wanted to see my horn as a substitute, but its dexterity had yet to approach what I had lost, leaving me in a sort of limbo.
I sighed softly and closed my eyes. I could see myself working side-by-side with Rarity, helping her create her wonderful designs. Yet what exactly was I hoping for, self-fulfillment or approval? Maybe when she had said she would "work me harder in the boutique," I had expected something more substantial than drudge work, which seemed to be all my magic training was suited for so far.
I opened my eyes, frowned, and closed the book. I could over-think a sunny day if I were given half the chance. I didn't have time for this anyway; I had that favor to do for Rarity. I hopped off the bed and arranged the remaining books as fast as my nascent magical skills would allow.
The late morning sun felt warm on my fur, the sky crystal clear and devoid of even a single cloud, which was unusual; the pegasi generally left a puffy cloud or two about. Rainbow Dash had claimed they did that "for a bit of variety." The number of times I saw her prismatic tail hanging down from one suggested an ulterior motive.
A walk through Ponyville reminded myself how strange my environment still seemed, even disregarding the colorful equine population. Towering edifices of steel and glass that cast long shadows even at noon had dominated my childhood landscape; rumbling fleets of cars had filled the air with the tang of exhaust; throngs of people had spared others little more than a disinterested glance.
Here, I could see the mountains from almost anywhere in town. The air held only the smell of the natural foliage, or the aromas of produce in the marketplace, or -- when the wind was right -- the sweet smell of apples. Ponies greeted me by name, even though I barely knew most of them, even as much as Rarity reminded me who they all were.
Not that I hated the differences. Honestly, I didn't. I simply struggled to make them seem more familiar to me.
Sugarcube Corner appeared strangely dark, more so than the shade in which it sat could account for, and bereft of the usual stream of ponies coming and going. Even the shades were drawn. Was the place closed for some reason?
I stepped up to the door and touched the latch with my hoof. It opened easily. Frowning, I nudged open the door and stepped into the dark store.
The lights suddenly snapped on.
"SURPRISE!"
I stumbled back in shock, and only a quick hug from Pinkie Pie prevented me from tumbling right back out the door onto my haunches. I stared wide-eyed at the array of ponies crowded into the store as Pinkie plopped a party hat over my horn. My gaze finally found the huge banner hanging from the ceiling that read "WELCOME TO PONYVILLE!" Successive pieces of paper had been taped under the last word which read "AND EQUESTRIA," "AND PONYKIND," "AND BEING FOSTERED."
Pinkie leaned close to me. "Personally, I wanted to do four parties for you, but the others convinced me to do one big one."
Her words were slow to penetrate my daze. I blushed from all the eyes upon me despite their smiling faces. "I ... um, th-thank you!"
"Are you surprised?" Pinkie asked hopefully.
"Yes, very. I honestly had no idea you were serious when you mentioned holding a party for me."
"Oh, I'm always serious when I talk about parties," Pinkie chirped. "Partying is serious business! Well, it's a ton of fun, too, but it's still serious business."
Coming from her, that made a strange sort of sense.
Rarity smiled as she hugged me. The rest of the six were with her as well. "I'm happy you're okay with this, dear. I tried to find out if you ever had parties like this back home without spoiling the surprise."
My eyes misted, but I avoided shedding tears. I had told Rarity a few days ago how my mother had never failed to find the time to celebrate my birthday. I had not told her how my mother had missed my last one before she died. I shoved that dark thought aside, though not before my ears drew back, and concern glistened in Rarity's eyes. I smiled and hugged her. "It's fine, this is really nice," I said softly.
Applejack stepped up and drew me into a hug almost as soon as I broke off the one with Rarity. "Candy, I jus' wanted ta thank ya."
"Um, okay. For what?"
"Apple Bloom told me how ya handled yerself in the forest once ya saw the danger. Mighty glad ya kept yer wits about ya an' made the good decision ta get 'em outta there safely."
I saw frantic waving behind her. Apple Bloom stood with her fellow Crusaders, all smiling at me. Even Scootaloo was there.
"We convinced Scoot's parents to let her attend the party," Rainbow Dash said.
"An' I figgered it would be only fair to let Apple Bloom come," said Applejack.
"Applejack, seriously, thank you for what you said about the forest," I said in a quavering voice.
Applejack smiled. "Let's jus' say I got some good advice from a friend 'bout that."
"Huh? What do you ...?"
I trailed off when Fluttershy stepped up to me. She smiled and blushed faintly. "I, um, might've talked to another pony or two."
I swallowed hard, my eyes watering. Dammit, they were going to make me cry anyway. I hugged Fluttershy tightly. "Th-thank you."
"You're very welcome, Candy," Fluttershy said. "I'm glad I could help."
Even though she had already done this for me with Rarity, that she would stand up for me to others despite her shyness meant the world. Now I just had to figure out how to stand up for myself.
"Candy?" I heard Twilight say as she trotted up to me. "I really am sorry I haven't contacted you. I'm still working on understanding the pendant."
The outpouring of good feelings had banished my darker thoughts about the pendant. I hugged her as I said, "It's okay. I've kinda been focused on other things lately."
Her smile widened, though her voice betrayed a hint of disappointment when she spoke. "It's been harder to figure out than I thought. I've, um, had to ask for some help. The magic used to forge the thaumic matrix is proving to be of a kind that I hadn't seen before, and it may represent a fusion of techniques spanning multiple disciplines of--"
"Jeez, Twi, do you always have to be in egghead-mode?" Rainbow said with a roll of her eyes.
Pinkie threw her forelegs around Twilight and I. "Dashie's right! No talking shop! Time to get the party girl some punch and cake!"
Twilight conceded with a nod despite the subdued look on her face. As much as I sympathized with her frustration, I wanted to go a little longer without having to think about it.
Pinkie started to steer me towards a table with enough confectionery to feed Ponyville several times over when Rainbow suddenly hovered before me. "Hey, wait a minute! Don't I get a hug, too?"
Before my stunned brain could think of a reply, she settled on her hooves, smiled, and drew me into an embrace. "You really were awesome in how you stood up to Bugs McUgly at the summit. But, um, don't go up against any more changeling queens if you can help it, okay?"
I giggled. "I'll do my best, I promise."
"Hey, Candy, over here!"
I lifted my head towards the sound of Sweetie Belle's voice and found her seated at a table with her fellow Crusaders. She waved a hoof and gestured for me to come over.
I turned to Fluttershy, who had adopted the unofficial role of chaperon, much to my relief. Even though this party reminded me of how I had started hobnobbing with my mother's friends at her formal gatherings as young as ten, it still felt a bit overwhelming. "Mind if we stop by to see them?"
Fluttershy smiled. "Not at all. I'm ready to get away from the crowd for a little while myself."
Pinkie suddenly appeared before me as if by magic (or maybe really by magic; I swear she had some sort of teleportation ability) with a small plate balanced on her fore-hoof. "You haven't tried one of these yet! I made them especially for you."
I stared down at the confection, a blueberry cupcake with swirled red and orange frosting. It looked and smelled delicious, but my stomach was already distended from consuming more sweets than any being in any universe should have an ability to ingest.
"Um, Pinkie?" said Fluttershy. "Maybe she can take that home with her after the party."
"Oh, I already got lots of stuff I'm gonna send home with her," Pinkie said as she gestured towards the end of the table. My eyes glazed as I stared at a pile of treats half again as much as what I had already eaten. Was she trying to give me diabetes?
Before I could respond, the plate was suddenly suffused in unicorn magic and lifted from Pinkie's hoof. "I believe Candy's had quite enough sugar for one day," Rarity said as she stepped forward.
"Awww," Pinkie said in disappointment. "I'm trying to make up for all the parties she missed."
"Yes, well, I'd rather she not get sick."
"I don't think I'd get sick on just one more cupcake," I muttered.
"Now, Candy, I don't think you want to overdo it," Rarity said.
"It's only one cupcake," I said, my ears flattening.
"I'm thinking of your well-being, dear."
"Can't I be the judge of that?"
"I simply want to avoid you feeling discomfort later. Is that such a bad thing?"
"Um, Rarity?" Fluttershy said. "Maybe let Candy decide?"
I bit off my last retort in the wake of Fluttershy's comment. Rarity hesitated, her eyes suddenly uncertain. She uttered a soft sigh and levitated the plate towards me. "Very well."
I glanced down at the cupcake. "Pinkie, could you please add that to the stuff that you're sending home with me?"
Pinkie lifted her hoof and balanced the plate on it once more. "Okey-dokey!" she said before disappearing into the crowd.
My gaze flicked between Fluttershy and Rarity during the ensuing moment of awkward silence. My emotions vacillated between pride over standing up for myself and embarrassment over arguing over something silly. A party was not really the time and place for this sort of conflict, but my emotions never could be put on a timetable. "You really don't have to worry about me that much."
"Why did you argue in the first place when you apparently had already decided against having the cupcake?" Rarity said, her voice tinged with exasperation.
"That's not the point!" I cried.
"Then just what is the point, as I'm failing to see it."
Was I simply making a big deal out of something trivial? As usual, it took me time to sort out my own feelings. "The point is, I made the decision myself."
"Well, yes," said Rarity. "You agreed with me that--"
I face-hoofed. "No! You still don't get it, I ... um ..." I thought back to the praise Applejack had given me earlier, and it helped me finally shape my misgivings into words. "I just ... I can make some of my own decisions sometimes, and they don't all turn out to be bad. You're--"
"I never said--!"
"You're over-controlling my life a bit."
Rarity stared at me. "I am?" After a pause, she continued in a less certain voice, "Are you quite sure you're not misinterpreting the situation? I didn't think I was 'controlling' your life at all."
"But, um, you kind of are," Fluttershy said.
Rarity's pupils shrank. "I ... what? Really, Fluttershy, I hardly think a debate over a single cupcake is--"
"It's not about the cupcake," I declared. "It's ... everything. I feel like you've scheduled every bit of my life lately."
"I ... I was only trying to give you guidance."
I stepped closer to her and lowered my voice. "Yes, I know, and I wanted that at first but ... it's kinda going too far. I feel like I'm not getting any say. Yeah, I admit, I don't know what I want half the time, but maybe I'd figure it out if I had the chance."
Rarity remained silent for a long moment before she said in a soft voice, "Candy, I had no idea you felt this way."
"To be honest, I didn't realize it myself until today." I sighed. "And I'm not all that great at standing up for myself."
"Rarity, I don't know if this will help," said Fluttershy. "But you're treating Candy like you tried to do with Sweetie Belle when she first started living with you."
Rarity frowned. "Yes, and I sometimes think I should have pushed a bit harder against her resistance. Maybe then she would be less apt to run off and do insane things with the Crusaders!"
So that was behind this all along? Rarity always had a bit of a heavy hoof with me since I moved into the boutique, but it had become more so after the White Tail Woods.
Rarity sighed and lowered her head. "Oh, dear. I've made a terrible mistake, haven't I?"
I had no idea what else to say. She had just confirmed she had been projecting her frustrations with Sweetie Belle on me. Of course it upset me, and I did resent it, but I could sympathize as well.
I caught sight of the Crusaders waving to me again from their table. I placed a hoof on Rarity's shoulder. "Can we talk about this more later?"
Rarity lifted her head. "Yes, indeed, we will. Please accept my profound apologies, Candy. I should've at least discussed these things with you instead of merely imposing them on you. I'm apparently far more new to this than I had realized."
To be honest, I still needed her guidance. I still had much to learn. But I had spent so many years letting events carry me along -- and I had repeated that same mistake upon first arriving in Equestria -- that I needed to start taking control of my life. Yeah, sometimes letting go was the right thing to do, but not always.
I smiled faintly and gave her a quick hug. "So am I. We'll figure it out together."
Rarity smiled. "Please, go see your friends if you wish. I think I need to speak with Fluttershy a bit more ..."
"Hey, girls." I said as I trotted over to the Crusaders' table. "Sorry I haven't come over to see you before now."
"No problem, Candy," Apple Bloom said as I sat down. "But now that yer here, we can call this meetin' of the Cutie Mark Crusaders ta order!"
"Er ... meeting?"
"Yup! Since we can't meet in our clubhouse til our groundin' is over, I figgered we could use the party ta get together."
I was sure that was not the intent their parents and siblings had in mind in letting them come to the party. "Just so long as you don't have us going after changelings again."
Apple Bloom waved a hoof. "Nah, we learned our lesson this time."
I had my doubts, but I kept them to myself.
"Instead, I'm lookin' to the rodeo comin' up in about a week."
I tilted my head. "Rodeo?"
"Yeah, lots of towns in this here part of Equestria hold a rodeo in the summer, an' Applejack is lettin' me come along. An' I'm invitin' all the Crusaders ta come along with me."
Sweetie Belle looked as dubious as I felt. "But I heard they canceled the rodeo in Ponyville."
Scootaloo gasped. "They did?! When did that happen?"
"No need ta worry, Crusaders!" Apple Bloom said with a smile. "Yeah, I dunno why they canceled it, but this works out great. We get ta go to Appleloosa instead!"
"Oh, cool!" Scootaloo said, fluttering her wings.
"I think Rarity will let us go," Sweetie Belle said.
"Us?" I said.
She smiled. "Sure! You're a Crusader, too, so you're invited."
"We're gonna compete in the events ta earn our cutie marks," Apple Bloom said.
I eyed her. "And Applejack is okay with this?"
"Ah, well, I kinda haven't asked her yet."
"Uh-huh."
Apple Bloom spread her hooves. "But it don't make no sense for her to say no! We'll worry 'bout that when we get there. Minor detail. Anyway, there's sure ta be somethin' there you can do, Candy!"
I stared. "Wait, what? You want me to participate in this rodeo?"
"Sure! Why not?"
A city-bred girl like me participating in a rodeo was so many levels of nope that I didn't know where to start. Seriously, did these kids even stop to consider what they might actually like doing rather than just flinging stuff against the wall to see what stuck?
Recalling the debacle in the White Tail Woods answered my own question.
If they didn't have Applejack going with them, I would consider going if for no other reason than to keep an eye on them and actually prevent them from doing something stupid this time, but a rodeo was about a thousand light years away from any concept of "fun" I could conceive of in either world.
I would have responded to Apple Bloom had I not happened to catch a glint of golden light in the distance. I saw Twilight standing in a far corner of a store talking to an odd-looking pony. Her lack of horn or wings suggested an earth mare, but her strange black-and-white striped fur and hair suggested a zebra. Several gold rings encircled her neck, and similar jewelry hung from her ears and adorned one of her fore-legs just above her hoof.
"Um, maybe Candy doesn't want to go," Sweetie Belle said in a tentative voice.
Hearing my name pulled my attention back to the Crusaders.
"Are ya kiddin' me?" Apple Bloom said.
"Yeah, who wouldn't want to go to something like this?" Scootaloo said.
I raised a hoof. "Well, me, actually." When all but Sweetie Belle met my response with open-mouthed stares, I uttered a sigh. "Look, girls, maybe I don't know quite what I want to do yet, but I do have an idea of what I like, and a rodeo just isn't one of them."
The Crusaders exchanged looks. I took the opportunity to glance at Twilight and that strange zebra-pony. Twilight had a surprised look on her face. The zebra was speaking, but I couldn't hear her from that distance. She pointed a hoof at the pendant, and Twilight's expression went from surprise to shock.
"Well," Apple Bloom said. "If yer sure ..."
"I'm pretty sure, yes," I said. "Girls, you ever think maybe you should stop and consider what you actually like to do, and then work from there?"
They exchanged another round of looks.
"Maybe she has a point," said Sweetie Belle.
"But we always do what we like to do," said Scootaloo.
"An' we never get no marks for 'em!" said Apple Bloom.
Was I the last pony who should be offering this sort of advice? I couldn't discern between what I really wanted and what was expected of me. I had no guarantee that resolving this issue with Rarity would grant me any further insight.
I envied the Crusaders in a way, despite their penchant for leaving common sense by the wayside. They felt a very palpable enthusiasm about their future and a tireless drive to pursue it with little worry as to what other ponies thought. Perhaps I had hoped that would rub off on me somehow, but without their extreme take on it.
"Eh, never mind," I said with a sigh as I glanced towards Twilight again. She had placed a hoof over the pendant as she listened intently to the zebra, her eyes shimmering.
"You okay, Candy?" Sweetie asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I said without taking my eyes from the distant conversation. "I just got a bit distracted."
Sweetie leaned over and looked for herself. "Wait, what's Zecora doing here?"
"Zecora??" Apple Bloom said. "Where?"
Sweetie pointed, and the other Crusaders looked as well.
"Wow, she almost never comes to these parties," Scootaloo said.
Apple Bloom nodded. "Yeah. Pinkie always invites her, but she don't show most of the time."
"Who is she?" I asked.
"She's a zebra sorceress," said Sweetie Belle. "She lives in the Everfree Forest."
I gave her a dubious look. I had read a little about that as well. "Isn't that a little dangerous?"
"Not for her. She likes it there."
"An' ponies visit her enough that the path to her place ain't even that dangerous either," said Apple Bloom. "I go there myself sometimes ta learn more 'bout potion-makin'."
The two finally parted. Zecora turned and trotted away, heading towards the door. Did Twilight look disturbed, or was that just me projecting my own worries? She glanced in my direction, a hoof still covering the pendant. She appeared surprised to see me looking at her. She lowered her hoof and turned away.
"Wonder what that was all about," Sweetie Belle said.
I had the uneasy feeling I was going to find out for myself soon.