Lost Muse

by David Silver

3 - Young Lady

Libelous perked an ear at a knock. Her cheeks warmed. She wasn't wearing anything but... protection. "One moment!" She called.

The door swung in anyway. It was her mother, a dour and serious look on her face. "There you are. We need to talk."

Libel shrank back a step. "What are you doing here?!"

"I'm allowed to visit my wayward daughter." She arced a brow at Libel. "Or has that changed?" She approached, brows creasing into a frown as she went. "Look at you, still wearing those... I hear that got you chased away and the family name sullied. Sullied, just like those." She prodded the diaper, only managing to prod a strap as Libel span around to avoid having her mother behind her.

"It's not a choice," hissed Libel, scowling at her mother. "You think I like wearing these?"

"Well, it was certainly you that has all of Canterlot talking about how you took the piss on the Word family name." She raised a trembling hoof, but it slowly fell back down. "And here you are, after attending the ball, and still no suitor. Still no partner. It was literally guaranteed, and somehow... you managed." She shoved a hoof forward, thumping Libel on the chest. "Why did you leave?"

"I didn't want whatever leftover dregs they'd lump me with." She half-turned away, her wings fluttering agitatedly. "Look, I can't help that, but I won't be settled in with some loser of a stallion. Whatever I--"

"--You stop that right there." She circled to be in front of Libel again. "Having a partner is a key part to being a successful businessmare. It simply is. Get that thing off, learn to go like every other pony on this planet over the age of one, and get your act together." She suddenly turned for the door, stomping with each step towards it. "You're throwing your life away and dragging us through the ammonia-scented mud while you do it."

With a loud bang, her mother had departed. Libel sank to her belly, face red, mind whirling with different thoughts. "It's not... me... I don't want this!" She glared back at her diaper as if it was all its fault. "I was supposed to grow out of this!"

She rose to her hooves, heaving for breath she was slowly regaining. "Stupid mare... I can get a partner, and it'll be my partner, that I choose." She thought of the senior-year student she had been helping. "She's nice..." Had all the right curves and a personality she liked. "I should check in on her." She went to her closet to get some clothes. She had no interest in showing off her padded shame to the pony she hoped would become a marefriend.

She stepped out into the hallway, a little smile worn along with a sensible set of jeans and shirt that covered up anything she wouldn't want seen.

"Going somewhere?"

Her blood ran cold. Her mother hadn't left, simply waited.

"Good to see you looking more presentable. Now where are you going?" She stood up from the chair she had been in.

"Why are you stalking me?!" She hissed under her breath, turning to face the older mare. "Look, I'm not a child anymore."

"You still act like one." She approached with half-lidded eyes. "Now, as it turns, I have an answer to your 'little problem'."

Libel's ears raised just a little. "Wait, you can fix--"

"--I have a suitor that will match you just fine." She reached a wing back and drew out a folded letter, offering it to Libelous. "You will meet him, make introductions, and send me a fine letter speaking of how famously you two hit it off."

Her ears fell. No, no fix for that, just... "Thanks... I'll be sure to reach out." Around never, she added silently. "Is that everything?"

"Just one thing." She leaned in dangerously close. "I read your article in the Canterlot Canter. Quite well-written, my dear. You haven't made a waste of your education at least."

Libel felt a smile struggling to appear, but she crushed it back. "Thank you, Mother. Speaking of that, I should confer with a peer of mine regarding a potential future project."

"Oh! You should have mentioned that sooner." Her mother stepped out of the way, gesturing with a wing for Libel to pass. "I look forward to hearing about it. Do us proud."

Libel strode past her mother, her steps stiff and formal. They always were whenever she knew the old mare was around, watching and judging. As soon as she was pleasantly out of sight and hearing, she launched herself out the nearest window and took to the skies.

She thought of her mother. That crazy old bat rarely flew, as if she had forgotten she was a pegasus at all. "Hmmph." As if being a noble was some kind of replacement for it. Libel twirled in the air, savoring the sweet freedom of the sky. "Never." She would never forget that. Being a pegasus was part of what she was, and it was a part she loved dearly.

Libel turned her eyes to a small two story but long house that held the students, including the one she had her sights on. "Just wait there a moment." She dived in, wings unfurled wide to catch the air. No matter what bothered her, the air always supported her, carrying her forward with all the speed and grace she felt she lacked at times.

She landed gently right on the side of the building, hooves catching on the lip of a window beside her target. She reached a forehoof and tapped lightly.

"Libel? Is that you?" Libel had to smile at the words. It was far from the first time she'd dropped in like that. "Just a moment." The window opened, revealing the face of a smiling mare. "There you are. Get in here before somepony sees you!"

Libel flipped through the window, almost crashing into the mare. She accepted the excuse to hug her and keep her upright. "Hey there, Blue Shore."

"Hey hey, Libel!" Blue hugged back firmly, then stepped back. "Your idea was great! I've been writing non-stop and I feel for sure I'm gonna get an A + + +! Can you get four plusses? Gonna try!" She bounced in place, grinning widely. "I may not be top of the class like some mare I know, but I'm on the case!"

Libel smiled warmly at her friend. She remembered being that excited in school. It felt like a long time ago, even if it had only been just the previous year. "Yeah? That's fantastic. Are you writing right now?"

"I just put down the last dot on the chapter." She tossed her horn in the direction of a collection of papers. "One more to go." She prance in place, giddiness naked and on display. "Almost!"

Libel gently patted her friend's back. "Hey, let's go ahead and finish that. After that, let's go celebrate. We'll do something fun, together."

Blue gasped, turning to Libel. "You're a treat! This isn't instant, you know that. I better get back to it." A quill floated over to her, her horn glowing. "You don't have to watch me write though, that's no fun." She stuck out her tongue a little as she sat down to get back to work. "Gonna work twice as hard though, knowing my tutor's waiting for me."

Libel's ears span back against her head. Sure, she was her tutor, but... "Well, sure, yeah, but I'm a friend too."

Blue glanced up. "Huh? Yeah, sure, of course. Nobody wants to be tutored by someone who they can't be friends with." She began writing busily on a fresh parchment. "Don't be silly."

Libelous considered her words carefully, feeling she was on dangerous ground. "Blue... What if... I... wanted to be friends, real friends, you know, more than just 'that mare who can give advice about writing'?"

Blue glanced around nervously, her quill dropping to the desk. "Oh! I mean... Uh..." She clapped her forehooves together. "I mean, aren't we that already?" She burst into nervous laughter, not sounding very genuine in her faltering expression of mirth.

Libel felt her posture slacken a little. "Blue... you're the same age as me." Not all mares were shipped off to school as early as Libel had been. "I... like you."

"I like you too," responded Blue as she picked up her quill and resumed writing. "That's why we're friends, right?"

"I like like you," blurted out Libel, perhaps a bit desperate to have her feelings returned.

Blue set her quill down carefully and sat up, taking a slow breath. "Libelous."

"Yes?" She smiled hopefully.

"We're not... friends that way." She looked over at her senior who was the same age. "Besides, um... you... have problems." She put a hoof behind her head. "And that's alright. You're an awesome writer and I super appreciate our time together and wouldn't trade you for another tutor in a million years, but, uh..."

Libel felt her world collapsing around her. "You knew?"

Blue pointed a hoof at Libel. "How much time do we spend together? Do you think I'm blind and dumb? I mean... Libel..." She stood up, approaching slowly. "Libel... I... Please don't be mad at me..."

"You're just like..." Like who? Everypony?! "I didn't ask for this!"

"Woah woah, I didn't say you did, just, uh... A bit... Look, I need to focus on this writing, alright?" She pointed a hoof back at her papers. "Take it easy, alright? I'll, uh, see you after I get the grade for this." She glanced left and right. "Here's to that A with all the plusses the teacher can manage."

"Yeah..." She reached with a wing, knocking the window open. "Good luck..." She jumped free into the air, leaving a trail of stinging tears behind her as she fled away from the botched attempt to declare mastery over her love life.

---

The drowsy-looking stallion stepped off the train with a sleepy smile. "Alright..." There he was, in Canterlot, city of unicorns and snobs. He wasn't either of those things. He still felt confident he could find what he had sent himself there to find. "How many Libelous' can there be?" He stepped down off the platform and set off into the city.

"He's gonna be so surprised." He grinned to himself, imagining the look on Color's face when he had an address. "Oh! Oh! Maybe I'll just bring her right back to him." He had to sit and clop his hooves at the thought. "He'll fall over when we come in, his princess under one of my legs."

He approached a random pony. The mare was very dressed. She looked at him oddly, like he didn't belong there, and especially should not be approaching her. Despite that, up he came. "Hey! I'm looking for, uh, Libelous Word? Do you--"

She held up a hoof. "Even if I did, why would I tell you? Who even are you?" She looked up and down his naked form, taking quick measure of his unrefined demeanor. "Go away."

He tipped to the side slightly. "Aw, don't be like that. I'm just trying to help a friend by finding an old fillyfriend of his."

"Charming." She turned up her nose and walked away in a stiff and formal little trot, not looking at him anymore.

"Aw man..." His search for the missing princess would take a bit more work than he had originally planned. "I won't give up," he promised himself with a pump of his hoof. He trotted off in a different direction, looking for a place to stay the night and try again after some sleep.

Author's Note:

The story, it continues, and her secret is fully made plain to the readers, hirrah!

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Comments

[Spirit Wind]

And so the dopey roommate actually puts effort to play matchmaker.

Poor Libel's been having an awful time, a bad ball, a mocking mother, and a false friend.

[badninja]

At this point I think she just needs to disappear from her mothers life and change her name. I think most of Libel’s issues stem from an overbearing mother who is causing far more harm then good.

[Gyro Pony]

Soon they will meet up.

And they will be "like peas and carrots again".

[James Fire]

I dont want this!"

Apostrophe.

I've been writing non-stop and I feel for sure I'm gonna get an A + + +, can you get four plusses?

I suggest an exclamation instead of that comma.

"I just the last dot on the chapter."

You that messed sentence up.

[David Silver]

9261993
Fixed!

[Born-From-Black-Lightnin]

Wait so she has problems with bladder control? From the way I see it she should be more than old enough to control it. I think that means it’s a medical problem. And IF I’m right that means she should really see a doctor about it.

Why has no one talked about this? Is it just another why for her mom to control her? Or is it just that the family name is to important and if something like that we’re to get out it could tarnish their name/reputation?

Or perhaps I’m thinking way to deeply about a fictional characters bladder control issues.

[Born-From-Black-Lightnin]

9261738
I don’t know about the name change. But I deffenetly agree with everything else.

[David Silver]

9262894
We'd have to get pretty deep into knowing the medical level of Equestria. The show gives us precious few hints.

[Born-From-Black-Lightnin]

9262901
True that. But they do seem to have a fully functioning hospital in Ponyville of all places***. Then again like you said we have no concrete proof(either way of corse).
Well whatever this is not my story.

***Just realized that that’s kinda redundant but oh well. I still hope you get what I mean.

Still I’m enjoying this story so far keep up the good work.

[David Silver]

9262917
If we assumed fully modern medical tech, they'd have to run down the possibilities. Is this a stress thing? Is there a blockage? No?

Does she have a neurological condition? If yes on that one... welp, we're done. There's not much of a fix for that.

Maybe the bladder is to blame. More to potentially fix/medicate there! But not assured.