A Penny for your thought

by Damaged

6 - A boon

There was more of those faceless things now, in my dreams. They came at me relentlessly. I was on the verge of panic at the night terrors when Luna herself stepped in. With a spray of dark magic she blasted the things away and I sighed. "Those are not healthy things for a pony to have within her." The pronouncement was completely true, I thought. "We will keep your dreams as clear as we can…"

The implication I got from her was that I should be trying to deal with the cause for them. I had a suspicion that it was my easy acceptance of becoming a pony. It was a hard thing to fight, I knew I was embracing it all the more to try and live up to what Luna and Celestia had given me. "But you are here about your boon."

I got a nod. "We will admit, we did not contemplate your situation. At worst we believed a stud would be needed." Luna practically folded beside me, working her legs under her. Of course she still dwarfed me. "You act and look just like a pony, a good little mare, it is sobering when we remember how you were at first."

I shook a little, trying to banish the bad feelings of the dream and tackle this problem. "So you want a foal from me." I lowered my nose down to a hoof, rubbing a little in thought. "Magic helped with-"

"It cannot." A very final statement.

"Okay, well there is only one other way to make a foal then, I know it… I could maybe put up with it." One of my ears got a rub and I looked up to see the tuft of it in Luna's dark magic. I smiled. "I… I don't think I would do this for anypony else. You gave me my life and I am grateful, I shouldn't look a," I stopped the saying before it came out as an insult, "I shouldn't take the gift lightly, and I won't take your boon lightly either. I have time to settle in more."

The thought of having an unknown stallion come and, do things, then leave. It was better than trying to go on dates, that was for sure. Still not something I would want to do myself. "Luna, there are not many like me, are there?"

"There are not. Lunar pegasi have been their own species for some time. It was our hope to have a foal or two from each mare of this new line. We didn't really work out so well for you, but we were trying to make it a simple thing, something a mare would want."

With Luna herself looking a little down about it I made my choice. "Give me time to, fully accept this. But Luna, I will do what I can and," I gulped, the words likely would have been much mangled and stuttered in the real world, "I won't count it as your boon."

It was like a slow rush, a warmth over me. Once a burden was accepted, claimed, it was easier to bear. Luna didn't reply, not with words. She leaned over and kissed the bridge of my nose and was gone from my dream.

I stretched, the light of dawn filtering through the lone window. The memory of Luna's visit in my dream was strong. Why had I said I would?

Stick's chittery voice, a little thick with sleep exclaims a bit before she giggles. "It's odd not being in the hive." She wriggled a little and I realized just how close we had ended up snuggling. The odd part was it didn't feel bad, just different.

"Stick, I… thank you for helping." Of course I wasn't thanking the changeling for what she thought I was. Companionship was never something I thought to have, if even for a night. "If we can get those trinkets finished, we can take the train down to Ponyville today and see Miss Rarity."

Her limbs seemed to tighten a moment, beyond what I was now comfortable with. She felt my tension too but seemed unable to let go. "She will hate me, I bet."

My forehoof reached up and rested gently on her own where it gripped tight. My mind had a brief flash that technically she was a predator of ponies, but it was a silly thought and I let it go. "We will find out then. If she hates you, Stick, then I don't want to do business with her."

The tight grip she held on me weakened a touch, but the nature of it was no longer that of needing support, she had gotten that. "You would do that?" At her incredulous question I turned in her grip and booped her on the nose with a hoof.

"Of course. Friendship is sometimes not easy, sometimes a pony has to give up the memories of a lot of bad things that happened to them. If she can't do that then her friendship isn't worth having."

I climbed up, stretching and flicking my tail back and up a bit, back legs almost straight as I closed my eyes. As I rocked backwards, forcing my forelegs to stretch I heard Stick giggle.

Stick helped open my shop while I helped Mr Loaf with his morning tasks.

"Well hello there Penny, I didn't think you would be in from now on?" His words brought me up short and he chuckled at my clearly perplexed expression. "Because of all the bits you are making? Not that you aren't welcome to keep helping."

I trotted to him with as neutral expression as I could muster. "As long as you need the help. I would hate to think I was overstaying my welcome."

His hoof came up and ruffled my mane, which banished my flat expression in favor of a smile. "Of course not, you have been a great help." And with that we were back to our routine, getting the ovens firing, preparing the shop. The little bag that normally had enough baked things to get me through the day was heavier and when I nosed into it Mr Loaf chuckled. "A unicorn practicing her magic needs a little more. There are some baked nut bars in there that should do the trick!"

I pounced and gave him a hug.

"Ahem," the deep throat clearing behind was feminine, "any other mare, hugging my husband, would get a talking to!" Of course Mrs Loaf had heard our whole conversation, her words carried only mock hurt.

"Aw, don't you think I could sway such a dashing stallion?" I released the hug though, letting her deposit their two foals in my place. "How are little Pip and Short doing?"

The topic change pleased Mrs Loaf; what mare wouldn't be proud of her foals.

Her reply actually blew right past me, shock impacting my focus, scattering all thoughts. I was going to be a mother, would I be like this?

How long I was distracted I couldn't remember, but both parents and foals were looking at me. "Hello? Penny? Wow you were so far gone that Luna could have visited." Mrs Loaf's words almost pushed me back to that shock. But I managed a smile.

"Oh, sorry. Got a lot of work today and will probably be spending the night in Ponyville. I might not be able to make it in tomorrow."

Mrs Loaf was all smiles, seeing I was okay. "Oh you don't panic, I can come in for a day or so." I had a sense that it wasn't the best of news for her, but that she would manage.

I said my goodbyes and, grabbing my bag of goodies dashed out to twirl on a hoof. I am not sure how but I caught the bag in a hoof and my voice rose up. Oh boy yes! "A trip, a trip," the music took me had hold and I relaxed into it's grip, "I feel like I could skip. Me and my friend, our world did flip. A trip!"

"A shop, a shop, this mare could never flop. She worked so hard, brings a gem from a shard. A shop!" Mrs Loaf's slightly deeper voice added and the music was joined. It was a short one, only five verses, but even Stick got in with one, rhyming wonderfully and with a strangely chitter-free voice.

"A trip, a trip, but first to finish work. If we get this done, we'll be having fun!" I somehow danced in and spun around, landing on the cushion I worked from and the music seemed to stop. "A trip!" A final note rang out. I giggled fiercely, that was so much fun but nopony else seemed to realize what had happened, ever.

Stick and I worked through the morning, only breaking from our work to grab out one of the little bars to nibble. As usual, I had my horn lit, trying to keep it even and at the point just before it would spark. Stick was folding the metal around the last of the clusters and, when she had it just right I wordlessly lifted a hoof into the air for her and there was a cute 'clop' as her own collided with it.

"Penny?" She sounded both exultant and inquisitive. This meant there was likely going to be the most fun trouble ever. "Earlier, when you came in you… you shone with energy and it was delicious!"

My brain took a moment to draw the facts and I grinned. "You ever see ponies just, well, breaking into song?" I got a blank stare and a head shake as reply. "Well, I have noticed it. I think… maybe only humans can see it happening. But when I left the Loaf's shop, I was singing, there was music, you even sang a verse!"

Now I had her complete attention, complete confused attention. "But…"

"Look, something happened, right?" She nodded to it. "Well, that is what happened and it is fun, it makes me feel more alive, more… pony."

She still didn't look completely convinced but she seemed to be thinking about it. "Maybe I should ask Queen Fast about it." The matter seemed settled and we started carefully loading the trinkets into a bag carefully, wrapping each one.

"Okay, lets go!" The moment I said it Stick looked ready to panic. I set the bag down that was I starting to lift and moved toward her, sitting on my rear and pulling her into a hug that she didn't fight. "Come on, not still worried? Look, I will protect you, your queen wouldn't have let you stay here if she didn't think I would." She slowly started to hug back, the contact drawing the tension from her more and more.

"I know but, she and her friends defeated Chrysalis, they will think I am a bad changeling!"

"Then I will have to fight them, if they do." This caused her to pull back and look at me. I must have had a determined look because she actually smiled. "I will! I will fight them with words and, if they try something nasty, I will give them such a clop!" I raised a hoof menacingly. Of course how menacing can a single unicorn, barely a mare and still not trained to do more than make a little light, do?

"Silly!" She grabbed up the bag for me, I tucked some bits in my pack and we closed the shop with a little sign that read.

Back in a day!

The station wasn't far, I didn't want to be a greedy mare but a song would have been nice. Instead we had some odd looks, a changeling on the streets, well away from their hive?

"Two tickets to Ponyville!" I told the old stallion working the ticket counter. He took some bits and gave us our tickets.

"There you go miss, you just take the second car from the front." I nodded to that but could see his vision flicking once or twice to Stick. "She-"

I cut in, his voice had dropped and I could almost taste something very unpony-like about to leave his mouth. "Isn't she wonderful? It is wonderful what was done for them, I couldn't believe they were forced to work by a cruel queen."

He nodded and I got the impression that he wasn't actually going to say something nasty, just badly informed. "Oh, that it was. It would be terrible." He nodded and I almost sagged. After hearing how lunar ponies were sometimes treated I felt extra defensive about Stick.

Author's Note:

Living in a dream, or dreaming of life?

Oh, and as a little interruption, the next 'chapter' is over on David Silver's story

https://www.fimfiction.net/story/253437/52/putting-on-a-silver-wizard-robe-and-hat/52---echoes-of-the-past

Not completely required reading, of course, but there will probably be ramifications of this meeting down the track... I mean line... Road?

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Comments

[No one is home]

"Maybe I should ask Queen Fast about it."

Translated: "I'm pretty sure your playing a joke on me."

Lovin' the story. Stick is adorable.

[Damaged]

6838101 Heh, thanks! Don't forget after this chapter to shoot over to https://www.fimfiction.net/story/253437/52/putting-on-a-silver-wizard-robe-and-hat/52---echoes-of-the-past to catch our collab piece of Silver and Penny meeting on the platform :)

[Cursed Quill]

bad just different.

bad,

Loaf, what mare wouldn't be proud of her foals.

Loaf; what mare wouldn't be proud of her foals?

[Chrome Masquerade]

There was more of those faceless things now, in my dreams. They came at me relentlessly. I was on the verge of panic at the night terrors when Luna herself stepped in. With a spray of dark magic she blasted the things away and I sighed. "Those are not healthy things for a pony to have within her." The pronouncement was completely true, I thought. "We will keep your dreams as clear as we can…"

Kinda reminds me of

With a touch of

[Chrome Masquerade]

[quote]The station wasn't far, I didn't want to be a greedy mare but a song would have been nice. Instead we had some odd looks, a changeling on the streets, well away from their hive?[/quote]

Granted!

[Chrome Masquerade]

Living in a dream, or dreaming of life?

[erictheblue]

My brain took a moment to draw the facts and I grinned. "You ever see ponies just, well, breaking into song?" I got a blank stare and a head shake as reply. "Well, I have noticed it. I think… maybe only humans can see it happening. But when I left the Loaf's shop, I was singing, there was music, you even sang a verse!"

some authors call that a "heartsong".

[Damaged]

9869373 Oh yes. I know what it means, but the character didn't.

[Amos Anon]

I said my goodbyes and, grabbing my bag of goodies dashed out to twirl on a hoof. I am not sure how but I caught the bag in a hoof and my voice rose up. Oh boy yes! "A trip, a trip," the music took me had hold and I relaxed into it's grip, "I feel like I could skip. Me and my friend, our world did flip. A trip!"

NOOOOOOO!!!