Dissonance

by Harmony Muse

Overture

6:00pm October 11, 1006 Anno Celestii
Outskirts of Ponyville, Muse Residence

A Navy Blue coated Pegasus paces back and forth, her immaculate pink mane doing nothing to disguise the plain fear on her face. Sitting before her, all gazing at her with compassion and concern are her five closest friends.

"Thank you all for coming", she says as she stops pacing, hanging her head. "I know I've only been in Ponyville for the last few months, but they've been the happiest months of my entire life."

A green hoof is thrown into the air. "You know it, Harmony. Nobody else stays up all night watching Hippo-Equestrian Wrestling with me.."

The mare, Harmony Muse cracks a sad smile. "Thanks, Joystick, that really means a lot."

"Alright, what's so important that you asked us all over here on such short notice, and on Paddocks and Parasprites night?" The lone stallion in the room said, eliciting a giggle from the room.

"Well, Grumpy, I had a couple reasons for that. First, my place was the only one I knew we could all talk freely. Second, I needed to speak to all of you at once because, frankly, I'm so afraid of what I have to say that I'd rather get it out to all of you at once."

Each pony in the room looked around at each other, smiling warmly. One, a bespectacled tan unicorn trotted up and gave Harmony a hug. "What, you think that by telling us you like other mares we wouldn't want anything to do with you? Celestia's plot, you should know by now I'm just the same way, same as the rest of the mares in the room if I'm right. None of the stallions around here take my passion for game art seriously, so why should I take -them- seriously?"

"Thanks, but.. you don't get it." Harmony relaxed into the hug for a second, but quickly pulled away. With a sad, defeated look on her face she averts her gaze and barely manages to whisper the words she'd been dreading to say from the moment she started to make friends in Ponyville. The words that brought back images of why she fled Baltimare in the night in the first place, with only her best friend Sketch Tumble with her.

"I.. wasn't born a filly."

Harmony winced and turned her head, waiting for the first hoof to strike. But it never came. The screaming and anger she also expected, that never came as well. What did happen, however, surprised her more than anything. It started with one muzzle against her cheek, then a hoof on her shoulder. When she gathered the courage to open her eyes, she noticed every last one of her friends, save for Grumpy all surrounding her in one great group hug. She closed her eyes again, a smile creeping across her lips as the tears she had been fighting a losing battle against flowed freely down her cheeks. She didn't speak a word, not wanting to break the spell. They all stayed that way for awhile, each pony sharing comfort through touch. showing acceptance that simple words could ever hope to convey. After some time, that blissful silence was broken by Grumpy Bones..

"So... we're still on for Paddocks and Parasprites? We tracked the dragonequus to his lair and I want to try out my new spell."

It started with a snicker, followed by a giggle, one by one, each pony, in the room, even Harmony Muse, were laughing their hooves off.

Harmony was dumbstruck. She expected laughter as well as malice. Here, however, was a lighthearted laughter.

"T.thank you, but I don't understand..." She said, still emotionally and mentally overloaded.

A cream colored Pegasus walked beside her an nuzzled against her cheek. "You're not the only Transmare in the room. Cloudsdale's just as unfriendly for us as Baltimare."

"..Fluttershy?" Harmony looked at her friend in shock, touched to have this revelation shared with her.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your coming out, H-Harmony," Fluttershy said nervously, "but most of us, we knew. I've watched you when you were out in the city, looking at every face. I've seen the fear you have every moment, of being found out, of having your life ruined over a single errant whisker. I know how hard this has to be for you, because I through it daily myself."

Harmony couldn't help sob despite herself. She expected many things from tonight, but complete total acceptance wasn't one of them. She had hoped, she had prayed, but she didn't expect it. As she took a deep breath and relaxed, she looked around at all of her friends.

"I had planned on telling you about my life before I came to Ponyville before you made any judgements. Every dark little bit of it so you might understand what got me to where I am, but I see I don't have to. I would still like to, if that's okay. I mean, you all deserve to hear it all."

"Sis, take your time," Harmony turned her gaze to the speaker, her closest friend Sketch Tumble, who gave her a hoof's up. "I know I've already heard it all, being there for you for most of it, and I've got to thank you for helping me through everything just the same. You're strong, and you can do this." The purple pony gave Harmony a reassuring nod.

"She's right. Harmony. " Lizzybell gave her the same nod. "I can't say I know the rest of the ponies in the room very well, but I appreciate you trusting us with this. For what it's worth, this doesn't change anything. You've always been that excitable mare who's helped me with my design projects, and that isn't going to change."

"Works for me, all I was going to do tonight was play Wonderbolt Wrestling 1003 on Ponystation. You know they've got the classic version of PonyKind?" Joystick cheerfully tossed in her two bits.

"This, this is so much to process, friends." Harmony stammered. "I already had everything I own packed and even had a train ticket to Vanhoover in my saddlebag. Thank you so much. I really don't know where I'd be without you right now."

"On the train to Vanhoover, silly" Joystick replied, causing the whole group to laugh. Glad to be free of the weight of emotions bearing down on her, Harmony dabbed the tears from her eyes.

"Thanks, I think I would like to tell you everything still. I really would like to get it all out."

"I. I wouldn't mind." stammered Fluttershy

"Can it wait until tomorrow, Muse?" Grumpy interjected, looking a slight irritated. "I really want to try out Starswirl's Crushing Hoof."

The rest of the room looked towards Grumpy, who shrugged. "What? So you were born a colt. Doesn't matter for a dry horse apple, you're a mare now, who you are now is what's important. I'm glad you trust me with this, but I never saw you as anything different as who you've been every day I've known you. You've got my back , that's all that matters to me. Your bits are your own business."

Harmony Muse chuckled despite herself. "Thanks, Grumpy. Actually, a day sounds good, it'll give me time to collect my thoughts. 'Sides, without my songs to raise your Love and Tolerance checks, your spell's going to backfire.

Grumpy scowled.

The ponies went their separate ways, each agreeing to return the next day.

Author's Note:

Hoo boy. sorry if it's rough. I'm really train of thought when I start writing.

So, this is my first fic. I apologize if I step on anybody's toes, and I'm NOT trying to make a Mary Sue here, even if my OC is a blatant author Insert. Fact of the matter is, looking at most of the OC fics I've been reading, making friends with the Mane Six has been a common trope.

Anywho, please feel free to leave me any comments you like, I'm open to any criticism, though I do reserve the right to ignore anything too crude or crass.

Look forward to my Chapter 2: Prelude, where Harmony speaks about her early life as Anthem March

UPDATE: Hookay, rewrote the chapter. Added a few OC's based on my dearest and closest friends. Because, quite plainly, I really didn't like how it felt with the Mane six.

Sketch Tumble: Purple coated Unicorn with a Yellow Mane, Painter's palette cutie mark. Artist, nonbinary Transpony, friend of Harmony's from her youth

Lizzybell: Tan colored Earth Pony with a dark brown mane, Cutie mark consists of a Red cube, Blue Cone, and Green Sphere. Wears glasses Computer Graphics artist, lesbian. (Ponysona is property of the friend she's based on and used with her permission, you know who you are.)

Joystick : Green coated Earth Pony with a blue mane. red arcade joystick Cutie Mark. Unrepentant gamer and wrestling fan. Transmare

Grumpy Bones: Dark brown coated Earth Pony with a black mane. Cutie mark is multple polyhedral dice. No nonsense impassioned fan of pen and Paper role playing games. Token cishet ally.

Comments

[Lady Froey]

Follows a lot of cliches, but we all start somewhere. I recommend finding an editor if you plan to release later chapters and work on the story itself some more.

[SunnySidePony]

[Harmony Muse]

5242744 I appreciate the input.

Honestly, the mane six are ultimately only minor players. There largely to mimic my own support system of friends. Honestly I've considered completely rewriting it, and using ponified versions of the actual friends who supported me through my own self acceptance. Now, here's the stupid question. Once a chapter's submitted, can it given a huge rewrite?

The more I think about it, the more I feel that's exactly what I wanna do.

[Lady Froey]

5242866

Once a chapter's submitted, can it given a huge rewrite?

Yes, I would recommend reworking this one and put more time into future chapters and submit them when they are fully done.

[FlutterFox]

I like thus far & thank you for going with the Fluttershy is Trans bit.

[EclipseStar]

As a 16 yo fellow mtf I approve of this fic (which doesn't really mean anything...)

static.comicvine.com/uploads/scale_super/5/52246/2060390-i_like_it.jpg

Eagerly awaiting the next chapter!

[Harmony Muse]

Okay, folks, just a head's up, first chapter's probably going to see a bit of a rewrite. Fact of the matter is, I'm honestly not all that comfortable using the mane six (except for Fluttershy, her being TG just plain fits, cliche as it might be, she's also the one of the mane six I identify with the most), so expect me to replace them with a few OCs, loosely based on my friends, as Harmony's loosely based on me.

Right now I'm just in the outlining phase. My normal "let the thoughts flow" methord of writing really isn't going to work here. and I apologize for the rough quality so far.

[miiohau]

Harmony still has a little to learn. She was born a filly it just took her awhile to figure it out.

[Atom Smash]

It was nice, can't say I haven't seen much of it before, but it's good anf I'll keep reading.