Circling Around
Language check. All in English.
Robin yawned and pulled the beanie down tighter on her head. "Why's it so cold? I hate winter." She opened up the fridge and stared blankly inside. "Mom! We're running low on bananas." Grabbing two of the fruit from the chill shelf within the refrigerator, Robin bit down on the stems to carry them while she shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket.
"Well, half of us have furry coats." Misty's voice came from the living room, and had the sound of cartoons as a backing. "So you can rug up while we are comfortable."
When she entered the living room, Robin gasped and dropped her bananas into a waiting hand. "Comfortable?" She glared at Misty, the filly was curled up on the couch with a thick blanket thrown over her. "Gimme some of that."
Misty squealed and tried to grab the blanket with her wings before Robin could pull it away. A small struggle started, both girls yanking on the blanket until, at last, both ended the struggle sitting together, the blanket straining around them. "You let the heat out."
"Yeah, well you wouldn't share." Robin shot the accusation back, but now that they were both comfortable and warmed by the other, any actual fighting was avoided. "Want a banana?" Robin's hand snaked out through a gap in the blanket, one of the yellow fruit held in it.
A feathery wing snuck out the other side of the blanket and caught the banana. "Okay, you can stay." Misty and Robin both giggled, and each girl peeled their bananas and started to munch on them. The sound of Wacko, Yacko, and Dot was unbroken except by the soft sounds of chewing.
"Do you think I'll ever get a cutie mark?" Robin stared at the TV, hiding her features from Misty. "I mean, I heard Mum mumbling about Rose's dad and his friend."
"I don't think Dave is Rose's dad." Misty nibbled away at the banana, stretching it out to last her longer. "He seemed more like a friend." She shrugged. "I don't know." Both of them broke into gales of laughter as the Warners saw fit to strike anvils over and over.
"Well, whatever." Just like that, Robin dismissed the argument. "But they both have cutie marks." She found herself wanting one more and more. "When will you get yours?"
"Any day now. Mum says she was my age when she got hers, but being stuck inside makes the range of things to try a little hard." Misty gave a brief glare at the rain falling outside the living room window.
Both girls sat in silence again, occasional giggles at the Warners' antics aside.
"What if I started turning into a pony, like those people?" Robin huddled against Misty. "What if just—"
"But you can't be turning into a pony. Your mum said it only happened by being so close to the mine, or in the mine." Misty reached a foreleg out and hugged the younger girl to her side. "It's not like you were spending a lot of time up…" She trailed off as realization started to set in.
"I need to tell mum." Robin had never felt as adult as she did right then. Despite her resolve, she didn't move from Misty's side. "Is it nice being a pony?"
"It's the best." Misty extended a wing around Robin too now, just a leg-hug wasn't going to cut it apparently. "You stay warm most of the year, and you can run super fast. You might have wings, which is so awesome you have no idea."
"Wings would be cool." Robin felt safe and protected. She leaned her head down on Misty's shoulder. "I still have to tell Mum." Saying and doing were two different things, however. "She's going to get really loud, and angry. I bet she gets angry."
"Want me to come with you? I don't think she will get as angry with both of us there." Misty ignored the cartoons. "Come on, she's in the kitchen working again."
"The blanket!" Robin tried to gather the blanket up, but as Misty climbed off the couch she pulled it with her. "You're as bad as Mike." Climbing off the couch, Robin gave a huff and pushed her bottom lip out at the loss of the warm spot. Misty didn't say a word, just walked up behind Robin and nosed her in the back, guiding the human girl towards the kitchen.
It felt like she was confessing that she had done something wrong, and although Robin couldn't figure a way for it to be her fault, she was sure her mum would blame her. It wasn't far, and felt less so with Misty pushing her. "Mum?"
Joyce was focused on her work. With her eyes glued to the screen of her laptop, her fingers danced over the keys like lightning. She apparently heard her daughter, but her fingers didn't slow. "Mummy needs some quiet time, honey."
"Mum, I wouldn't interrupt you if it wasn't something big…" Robin knew she didn't have her mother's attention; until Joyce turned away from her computer she was in work mode. "Mum! Mum! Mum!" Robin bounced up and down on her feet. "Muuuuuuuum!"
"What?" Joyce's tone would normally be sharp after such a display, but it sounded flat, deflated. "Sorry dear, I'm not giving you the attention you really do deserve. This is important, though."
"Duh, I know that, Mum." Robin felt proud of herself for actually going through this and not just hiding it. "But this might be important too." In her own mind, it was more important for a simple fact, it was happening to her.
"Okay my little bird. What's important?" Folding her notebook closed and even putting her laptop into hibernate, Joyce was clearly extracting herself from the problems she had been working on.
"Weeeeell…" Robin struggled with her thoughts. "You said finding out about why Rose's friend and his friend were turning into ponies was really important, right?" Her mother only nodded. "Well, I can help with that too, now."
"I know you can, darling, you have a whole 'nother week of holidays, and Mike will be back later tonight." Joyce reached out to pick up Robin, lifting her onto her lap. "So, how are you going to help me?"
"Easy, Mum." Robin felt so proud of herself, she was doing this. "I have a tail too now!"
Joyce froze. She stared at her little girl for a minute, just stared.
This was it, Robin knew the yelling would start. She waited a moment, then another, but she was not the most patient girl. "Mom?"
"Robin!" Joyce shot to her feet, lifting Robin up and without asking, yanked the girl's jeans down. "Oh…" Trailing off, Joyce stared at the russet-red, short tail her daughter sported. "This… this is early development."
"Mum?" Her mother not freaking out further surprised Robin. "Y-Y-You're using your doctor voice…"
Joyce shook her head and took several deep breaths. "Not so bad being a pony…" She hugged her little girl tight to her. "Rose took you up to the mine again, didn't she?"
"Yes Mum." Robin picked up that it wasn't the time to try to fib her way out of the situation. "We were going through the tailings of the mine, we found a lot of gems." She felt a slight breeze and reached to pull her pants back up and restore a bit of modesty and warmth.
"You aren't allowed to go to the mine again, you hear me?" Joyce's tone brooked no quarrels or wiggle room.
Robin disliked having to make such a promise; she knew it was an agreement that would be hard to keep, but one she must. "Okay Mum." The excitement drained from the moment, and she wanted to get back to her cartoons. She turned to look at Misty, and the filly she thought of as her big sister shrugged. "Mum? Can I go back to my cartoons now?"
"No. You said you were going to help." Joyce reached to grab her kit bag, pulling her measuring tape from it. "So you help. You get to be the control group."
"Yay?" Robin knew what her mother wanted, and gave a sigh. Climbing up on the seat, she was surprised when Joyce grabbed her up again and carried her out of the kitchen. "Muuuum!"
"Nurse Misty. Could you please bring my notepad from the table?" Joyce sat down on the couch, and sat on the edge so her legs jutted forward. "Growing a tail. How long has this been happening?"
Trapped, bent over her mother's lap as though she were about to be smacked, Robin had never felt so vulnerable before. But her mother's light tone reassured her, and though she squirmed, Robin was resigned to the situation. "About two years."
"Truthful, honey." Joyce's tone conveyed humor, but a level of seriousness. "I need to know the day you noticed it, you aren't in trouble."
"Just before Mike left. I… I sat down on a chair and felt sore. When I got a chance to look, there was a lump there. But it was just a bump!" Robin felt like she had lied to her mother for a week, and her tone rose almost to a wail. She was acutely aware of the position she was in, physically and metaphorically.
"Hey, Robin. Come here my bird." Joyce gave up on the examination and shifted to "mum mode." Lifting her daughter up, even with her tail spilling down the back of her pants, she pulled Robin into a hug. "There, there. Don't worry, I'm not mad at you."
"You sound mad." Robin choked the words out, the hug was pushing her to the edge of tears and she didn't know why. "You sound really mad!"
"I said I wasn't mad at you." Joyce's words snapped her daughter's mood like a pencil. "I'm mad at myself, and I'm mad at the world. A whole week with this and I didn't notice you were having a problem…"
It was Robin's turn to give a needed hug. When her mum cried, she knew something was wrong. "Muuum." She wrapped her arms tight around Joyce's neck, and her tears came and mingled with her mother's. "What do I do? I have a tail…"
Joyce hugged her daughter, and both of them cried long and hard. The tears lasted most of the morning, and neither mother nor daughter seemed inclined to leave the hug. A gurgle in Joyce's stomach was followed soon by a smaller echo in Robin's. The sudden demands of their bodies' cut the tension like a hot knife through butter. Joyce laughed a little, then Robin followed.
"I'm sorry, Mum." Robin felt a week of fear and uncertainty slide away. She marveled at how strong the simple words were.
"I'm sorry too, my little Robin-bird." Joyce was startled by the smell of hot tea. Blinking and turning, she and her daughter both saw cups of the hot liquid being offered by Candela and Misty.
Robin wrapped both hands around the offered cup, acutely aware of both how hot it was and how much of a mess she would be in if she spilled it. Sliding from her mother's lap, she sat on the couch and blew on the tea to cool it.
"What do you say, Robin?" Joyce had used the phrase so many times the reaction in her daughter was automatic.
"Thank you, Misty." Robin sipped at the tea, and without realizing it her tail flicked wildly from side to side in excitement. She could taste a strong, sweet flavor in the brew; honey and tea was just about her favorite drink—after juice.
Joyce reached up and pulled the beanie from her daughter's head, revealing a pair of tufted, dark-furred ears. "Another bat. I'll have to hide the fruit better, I think." She reached up and ruffled her daughter's hair, and rubbed one ear.
Robin relaxed and half closed her eyes. All the panic and tension of the morning fled her at the wonderful feeling of having her ear rubbed. Worry left her, and she leaned into her mother's fingers.
"I'm getting better at this." Joyce's words did nothing to pull the girl from her comatose state, nor did the measurements she took while rubbing her ear. Slowing down the gently stroking, it was obvious that the pace was settling Robin into sleep, rather than easing her awake. "Sleep well, my little bird."
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Speaking of Mike, he's due to surprise us too, huh?
when
tailings
Now the cover-art is making more sense.
8279021 Fixed
Adorable and tragic, Robin is trying to put on a brave face.
I suppose she'll be glad to have wings, though she might be disappointed when she can't play with Misty as much, if she's not up during the day.
8338161 Fixed! Thank you muchly.
Contraction suggested.
8499316 Thanks again!
did you have to make me feel things because you made me feel things
8986522 Feeling things is important.