To Be Different

by Astrocity

5. New Faces

The sun hung high over us. There were more ponies out and about now, all of different sizes, ages, and colors. I never saw so many colors, especially on a pony; they made up all the colors of my crayons. I gaped at the sight. So this is Ponyville?

Everywhere I looked there were ponies. There were ponies selling all sorts of stuff, little ponies playing with each other, and even ponies flying and pushing clouds like it was nothing. I began galloping through the streets, taking in everything I saw—the ponies, the houses, even the flowers. From behind, Happy chased after me.

"Nymph, come back here this instant!"

I didn't hear him. I was too busy exploring. I wandered into the heart of the town. Straw-thatched buildings surrounded me from all sides. I was so distracted looking at everything that I failed to notice the pony standing in my path.

My sightseeing came to a sudden, painful halt. I fell on my haunches and rubbed the sore spot on my forehead from the collision.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" shouted a voice.

I glanced up and saw a filly getting onto her hooves with the help of a colt. The filly looked about the same age as me. She was light yellow with a long, orange mane that was tied by two blue bows that matched her eyes. A horn was perched on her forehead. She was a unicorn. The piercing glare of her eyes matched the scowl on her face.

She wasn’t happy.

"S-sorry," I stammered, "it was an accident."

By the time Happy caught up, the colt stepped between us. He had a beige coat and a brown mane, the same color as his eyes. Resting at his sides were two feathered wings. He held out a hoof. "Hey, you alright?"

I nodded, hesitantly taking his hoof and getting onto my hooves. Happy watched with a serious expression, while the filly continued to stare daggers at me. I withdrew my hoof from the colt and tried to hide behind my mane.

The colt turned around to face the filly. "Knock it off, Pumpkin. She said she was sorry," he said. "Now say you're sorry too."

She crossed her forelegs and raised a brow. "Why do I have to say sorry? You're not the boss of me."

"I'm older than you," he retorted.

She threw her hooves in the air. "By like a couple seconds!"

"Well, it was an accident, so say you're sorry."

"Fine!"

She trotted up to me. "I'm... sorry for bumping into you too," she grumbled.

I worked up the courage to speak to her. "It's alright..."

"Well now that that's out of the way...” the colt began to say. “Hi, my name's Pound Cake. You've already met my sister, Pumpkin Cake." He nodded to the filly.

I brushed my mane away from my face. “Hello, my name’s Nymph, and this is...”

Happy kept a wary gaze on the other two. "Happy," he replied bluntly.

Pound held out his hoof, which I took with my own, giving it a good shake. “It’s nice to meet you. I haven’t seen you around here before. Just moved here?”

"Not really," I said, "just passing through."

He withdrew his hoof. "Well, want to hang out?"

I tilted my head. "Hang out?" There were a lot of trees to hang from, but what was the point in that? Maybe it's a pony thing.

"Yeah, we can show you around town if you want."

That sounded like a good idea, so I nodded my head. "Sure!" A growl from my stomach was made loud and clear, gaining everyone's attention. I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment. "Um, do you know where we can find food?"

Pound chuckled before replying. "Oh, you can grab a bite to eat at our place. Let's go."

Pound led the way while I trotted next to him, and Pumpkin walked behind us with Happy. Pumpkin settled for staying silent toward me. Pound moved closer to me. "Don't mind her. She'll get around to you eventually," he whispered.

We stopped in front of a large building, made to look like sugary treats. I had to keep myself from drooling all over myself. It wouldn’t be princess-like if that happened. "You live in that?" I was tempted to take a bite out of the delicious-looking house.

Pound gave a boyish laugh. "Yep, and trust me, it's not as good as it looks."

We walked inside and were greeted by the sweet smell of baked goods. I took a deep breath, taking in the delicious scent. "Wow, everything smells so good!"

Looking around, I saw there were other ponies in the room eating some kind of treat. At the front, there was a glass display with different types of cake and goodies.

A light blue mare with a pink mane that looked like frosting came up to us. She held a tray of pastries on her back. "Well, hello there. Are you two friends of Pound and Pumpkin?"

"Hi Mom, this is Nymph and Happy," said Pound. “They’re new around here.”

The mare smiled at me and Happy. "Hello, it’s nice to meet you. What can I get all of you?"

Pumpkin ran up to her, bouncing in her steps. "Oh, oh! Can I get one of Pinkie's super special cupcakes with extra sprinkles?"

"Why don't I get you all one?" she asked. "Oh, I have to get to another customer. Be right back." Mrs. Cake left to attend to another pony at a table, while we grabbed a seat at another table.

"So what's so special about Pinkie's cupcakes?" I asked.

Pumpkin gasped, while Pound laughed behind a hoof. "You've got to try it! You haven't lived until you've had one of Pinkie's super special cupcakes."

Wow, it's that good? I wish I can try one now. As if on command, a pink mare popped up from under the table and presented four cupcakes, one of which had extra sprinkles on it. "Did somepony say they want a cupcake?"

Happy and I nearly fell out of our seats at the surprise appearance. Where did she come from?

She turned towards me. “Hi there! I’m Pinkie Pie!” Her eyes narrowed as she leaned uncomfortably close to my face. From the corner of my eyes, I could see Happy getting ready to pounce if anything should happen. "Hmm, you look kind of like someone I've met before."

"I-I do?" I asked, uncomfortable with how close her face was.

She bounced back up. "Yeah! You remind me of someone who was a big meanie pants, except you're not mean, at least I don't think you are. You're not a meanie pants, are you? Meanie pants don't get to try my cupcakes."

I looked at Happy for answers. His face was filled with confusion, probably what mine looked like right now. "Um, no?"

She gave a big smile. "Oh, good! Eat up, everyone!" She slipped under the table where she had mysteriously vanished. I sat there utterly confused. "What was that about?"

"It's just Auntie Pinkie Pie being Auntie Pinkie Pie," said Pound as he and Pumpkin dug into their treats.

I stared at my own colorful, teal cupcake that was drizzled in light blue sprinkles, the same as Happy’s. I nibbled my own dessert. My eyes widening at the sweet taste of vanilla and frosting. I munched on the rest of it, and finished the cupcake in a matter of seconds. By the time I finished, I now had a smile on my face and a filled stomach.

“Mmm, that was good. Got anymore?” I asked. I saw Pumpkin snickering, trying hard not to burst out laughing. “What? What’s so funny?”

There was a tap on my shoulder, and I turned around to face Pound. “You’ve got something on your nose,” he said, pointing to the tip of his muzzle.

My eyes drifted down, crossing to look at my muzzle. There was a bit of teal on the tip of my nose. I quickly wiped the frosting with a hoof, doing my best to hide my blush. Pound and Pumpkin burst out laughing, though it wasn’t out of unkindness. A joyful giggle escaped my lips as we laughed. Happy watched us as we had our fun, a grin on his face.

“Hey, why aren’t you eating your cupcake, Happy?” asked Pumpkin.

Happy seemed to snap out of it when his name was called. “Sorry, what did you say?”

She pointed to his cupcake, still untouched. “Your cupcake. You still haven’t taken a bite out of it.”

He glanced down at his cupcake. “Oh, I’m full already.”

I raised a brow. I didn’t remember him eating anything since yesterday. “Full? But Happy—“

“I’m full,” he interrupted, a hint of irritation in his voice. He shot me a glare, though the siblings didn’t seem to notice. I didn’t say much more after that.

“Aw, come on! Just try one bite. It’s one of Pinkie’s super special cupcakes!” insisted Pumpkin. She gazed at Happy with large eyes and a pout to go with it.

Happy gave a sigh. “Fine. Just one bite.” He stared at his cupcake before diving in, taking a tiny nibble of the frosting. “Mmmm,” he said with a smile, though it sounded kind of forced. Pumpkin raised a brow but didn’t question further. He pushed his cupcake away. “Hey, how about we talk about something else?”

“Oh, can I ask you two something?” I asked Pound and Pumpkin. “What’s it like?” They both shared the same look of confusion. “You know, having wings and a horn? Can you fly or do magic?”

Pound scratched the back of his head. “Uh, okay, I guess. I mean, I can sort of fly, but I don’t really learn to fly until I go to flight camp this summer.”

“Same with me, except I’m going to get magic lessons,” said Pumpkin. “Why do you ask?”

I couldn’t stop my mouth from curving into a smile. “Because flying and using magic are cool!” I’d seen some of the things Mommy could do with magic, like making things float without touching it, and the way she could fly around wherever she wanted looked really cool. “Right now, I’m just waiting for my wings and horn to show up.”

Happy shoved a hoof over my mouth. “She’s just kidding, of course!” he said, laughing. “Right, Nymph?” He took his hoof off my mouth and quickly glanced in my direction. I really didn’t like it when he did that.

I nodded. “Yeah… kidding.”

Like Pound, Pumpkin stared at me as if I grew a second head. “You’re weird.”

I tilted my head. “I am?” I didn’t think I was weird. Every pony I had seen so far seemed weird to me and so much different from a changeling. But me? I wasn’t weird. I was as normal as a changeling can be, if I ignored the way I looked.

“Hey, let’s go do something else now,” Happy butted in.

I perked up at the idea. “Yeah, I want to see Ponyville more!”

Pound and Pumpkin nodded in agreement, though the latter glanced suspiciously at me and Happy. “Alright,” said Pound. “Mom, Dad, we’re going to show Nymph and Happy around!”

“Okay, but be back before dark,” said Mrs. Cake as she attended to a customer.

We trotted outside, the sun wrapping us in its warmth. Our tour began with Pound and Pumpkin’s home, which I learned was also a bakery called Sugarcube Corner. The name couldn’t be more fitting. From there, we wandered all around Ponyville. Ponies would sometimes stop to say hi to Pound and Pumpkin and even wave hello to us. Although once or twice, I would catch someone make eye contact with Happy before continuing with their day. Hmm, are changelings here too? From what I’ve learned from Happy, changelings could change the way they looked, though I had a feeling that some of these ponies were changelings. There was a certain air to them. Something about them stood apart from the rest. It was their faces, I think. They seemed to be on edge—nervous, just like Happy.

We stopped in front of a store filled with clothing and white ponies without faces. These ponies stood still, and some of them wore clothes. I shuddered at the sight of them. They were creepy. They looked almost alive, yet they weren’t. Their cold, faceless expressions faced the windows, almost as if they were looking at me. It was unnatural. Everyone had a face and some kind of expression to go with it. Though with these white ponies, they were all the same, despite the different clothes they wore.

We walked inside the store. A bell chimed above the door as soon as we entered. A white mare with a styled, violet mane trotted downstairs. A pair of glasses sat on her muzzle, and a measuring tape hung around her neck. “Hello and welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique, and magnifique. How may I help you today?”

“Oh, nothing today, Rarity,” said Pumpkin. “We’re just showing Nymph and Happy around.”

I nodded absentmindedly. “Uh huh…” I wanted to get away from the white ponies as soon as possible. Unfortunately, we weren’t going to leave anytime soon.

“Hello, dearies. My, whatever happened to your mane?” Rarity asked me.

It was true my mane hadn’t been brushed in a while since leaving the hive. The lack of a brush didn’t help much. I nervously held my mane and stroked it. “It’s been a long few days…”

The white mare tsked, shaking her head. “Well, I can’t have you leaving looking like that.” With Pound, Pumpkin, and Happy following, she ushered me into another room with a large, comfy-looking bed and more of those creepy, white ponies. Rolls of fabric and sketches of designs cluttered the room, and sitting at one side of the room was a mirror surrounded by small brushes and jars filled with all sorts of cream and powder. A brush floated next to her as she led me to the mirror. “Excuse me for the mess, but I wasn’t expecting company. Now this won’t take long.”

I held my mane closer to me. “I don’t know…” I wasn’t exactly comfortable with a stranger touching my mane.

“Oh, it’ll be fine, darling.”

I sat on my haunches and watched myself in the mirror, while Rarity brushed the knots out of my mane. There was a tug at my mane when the brush’s bristles got caught in the tangles, but for the most part, it was pleasant and somewhat relaxing. Though, Pound and Pumpkin seemed bored judging by the expression on their faces in the mirror.

“You really should take better care of your mane. It’s quite lovely—so smooth, so soft, just simply divine!”

I blushed at her comments. “Thank you. Mommy also says the same thing when she brushes my mane.”

“Oh, is that so?” asked Rarity.

“Yes. Mommy tells me to try to look my best because I’m a prin—“

Before I could finish my sentence, the door to her room opened, revealing a yellow pegasus. “Oh, sorry, Rarity. I didn’t know you were busy,” the yellow pegasus said quietly before hiding behind her mane. In the corner of my eye, I saw Happy give a sigh of relief. Again, I almost forgot that I was supposed to keep the princess thing a secret.

Rarity set down the brush. “Fluttershy, I’m so sorry! I almost forgot about our spa appointment.”

“It’s okay. I’m sorry I interrupted you and, um…” The one called Fluttershy glanced at me.

Rarity followed her gaze to me. “Oh! Fluttershy, this is Nymph, and the one over there is her brother, Happy.” She pointed at me and Happy.

“Hello Fluttershy,” I said to the pegasus, earning a quiet mumble in response. I didn’t know what else to say. “Um, I like your mane. It’s really pretty.”

“Thank you…” she whispered, and for a brief moment, I saw her grin. “I like yours too…” I smiled, now having a grin to match hers.

“I’m sorry to cut our meeting short, Nymph, but perhaps we can continue another day?” Rarity asked me.

I nodded. “That’s alright. I don’t mind at all.” We all walked outside the boutique as Rarity put up a “Closed” sign on the door. “Bye Rarity. Bye Fluttershy. It was nice meeting you,” I said, waving goodbye.

“It was nice to meet you too,” Fluttershy said quietly.

“I hope to see you and Happy again. Maybe next time I can help him style his mane?” added Rarity.

Happy grunted, frowning at the idea. I giggled. “Sure, that sounds great.”

“Alright, see you later, Rarity, Fluttershy,” said Pound. “We’ve got more of Ponyville to see!”

Rarity and Fluttershy went off to their appointment, while the rest of us went to our next destination. Pumpkin trotted beside me as we lagged behind Pound and Happy. “So, what were you going to say back there?” she asked.

I turned to Happy, who was busy listening to Pound, talking about who knows what. It couldn’t hurt to tell at least one pony… I thought. “Well, can you keep a secret?”

Pumpkin arched an eyebrow. “A secret, huh? Okay. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” she said, doing strange gestures with her hooves.

I had no idea what was the point in the strange ritual, but I trusted that she wouldn’t tell anyone. “Okay, no one else can find out about this.” I glanced around to check that no one was within earshot and to make sure Happy was still busy. “I’m actually a princess,” I whispered.

I expected more of a reaction from Pumpkin. Instead of shock or a gasp, she said, “Right… and my mom is Princess Celestia.”

“Really?”

She rolled her eyes. “No. How could you possibly be a princess? You don’t even have wings or a horn or a crown like the princesses.”

“I’m serious! I am a princess! I’m just… different. At least that’s what my mommy tells me.”

From the look she gave me, she didn’t believe me at all. “Uh huh, sure.”

I stared at her. “You don’t believe me, do you?”

“Nope,” she simply replied. “If you don’t want to tell me, then just say so.”

I huffed at Pumpkin’s stubbornness to believe me. Why won’t she believe me? I’m telling the truth! We didn’t talk much after that. We came across a dirt road leading to an orchard of apple trees, reminding me of the one belonging to Braeburn and Cherry Jubilee, though this one didn’t have any cherry trees.

“This is Sweet Apple Acres where we get our apples,” said Pound.

As we walked past the gate, I heard voices. “… fer the last time, Rainbow Dash, I didn’t know you were sleepin’ there! And ya shouldn’t be sleepin’ there either!” The mare who said that also spoke the same way as Braeburn.

We found the source of the voices. The voice from before belonged to an orange pony with blonde mane and a hat. She was talking to a blue pegasus with the most colorful mane I had ever seen. I think they were arguing about something. “Hey, working for the weather team is hard work, so can you at least not buck this tree?”

“What’s going on?” asked Pumpkin.

The two mares turned towards us, noticing us for the first time. “Oh, it’s nothing. Rainbow Dash, here, was sleepin’ in my trees again when I bucked her out of one,” said the orange pony. Her eyes drifted to me and Happy. “Oh, howdy there! Haven’t seen you around here before. New in town?”

“Yeah, we’re giving them a tour of Ponyville,” Pound answered for me and Happy. “Uh, should we come back later?”

“Nah, we were just about done here anyway. Right, Rainbow Dash?” She glared at the blue pegasus.

“Yeah…” replied Rainbow Dash, muttering something under her breath.

“I’m Applejack,” said the orange pony, taking my hoof and shaking it, as well as me. “Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres! We grow one of the finest apples in Equestria.”

“My name’s Nymph, and this is Happy,” I said, pointing to him with my free hoof.

The rainbow-maned pegasus flew up to me. “I’m Rainbow Dash, fastest flyer in Equestria! You’ve probably heard of me, right?” I shook my head. “Helped save Equestria a couple times?” Another shake from my head. “Come on, you’ve at least heard of the Sonic Rainboom.”

“Sonic Rainboom?” I asked.

Rainbow Dash dropped down, falling on her haunches with her mouth hanging open. Applejack and the others sniggered. Eventually, Rainbow Dash shook her head. “Kids, these days…”

I looked around at all the trees. “So you have to harvest all these trees?” I asked Applejack.

“Yep, though usually Big Mac or Apple Bloom helps. Big Mac’s out sellin’ apples, while Apple Bloom is with her friends.”

“Why don’t we help out?” I suggested. All eyes were on me now. “We can make a game out of it.”

“I’m alright with that. Sounds like fun,” said Pound. Pumpkin and Happy nodded in agreement.

Applejack adjusted her hat. “Well, if y’all really want to help, then I guess it’s alright.”

Rainbow Dash shot to the air, doing a flip. “Yeah, a little competition between me and Applejack! Though, it’s a no-brainer who’s going to win this.” She smirked.

“Oh yeah? We’ll just see who wins. We’ll do two teams, and whoever finishes with the most apples wins.”

“Alright, I choose Pound and… Happy!”

“I’m fine with that,” said Applejack.

“Um…” I wanted to be on the same team with Happy. Though I wanted to say something, I never got the chance.

“On the count of three, we go. One, two…”

“Three!” Rainbow finished as she flew towards the first tree.

Applejack followed soon after with a furious look on her face. “Rainbow Dash, you cheater!” she shouted. The rest of us chased after the two.

With a swift kick, Applejack knocked the apples out of the tree. Armed with large baskets, Pumpkin and I scrambled around to catch the raining apples. We ran from tree to tree, kicking trees and collecting apples. It was a lot of work.

A shattering crack drew my attention to the whirl of movement from the other side of the orchard. I watched as Rainbow Dash sent a flying kick to one of the apple trees. The tree swayed and shook, and the red fruits plummeted into the baskets of the speeding duo below.

"Hey Nymph, get your head in the game!"

Pumpkin’s voice snapped me out of my gaze. “Huh? Oh, sorry!”

Even though Applejack was better at bucking apple trees, Rainbow Dash managed to catch up to her. The race soon neared its end. I could see the last tree we needed to harvest, as well as the other team’s. My lungs burned, and my legs were sore. Just one more tree and we would win. It was a matter of who got to the last tree first as we made a mad dash for it.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack led the front of our teams. They were neck and neck, side by side. The rest of us chased after the two, while I followed last in the group. I strained to put everything into my legs, just so I could keep up.

Just when I least expected, a small rock crossed my path. One of my hooves bumped it, and I found myself falling. I slid forward on the ground until coming to a stop. A sharp pain shot through my knee. Happy was the first to notice me and rushed to my side immediately.

“Nymph!”

Everyone else stopped in their tracks when they turned towards me. Happy helped me up to my hooves, but the pain in my leg flared when I stood.

“I’m fine,” I said, but the bloody scrape on my knee wasn’t exactly “fine”.

“Whoa nelly! You sure you’re okay, Nymph?” asked Applejack.

I didn’t want to be the reason for Applejack losing, so I wiped away the tears in my eyes and nodded.

“Y-yes, I’m—“

When I took my first step, I nearly fell over. I would have fallen if Happy wasn’t there to catch me.

“You don’t look so good there, sugarcube. Why don’t we get that leg of yours looked at? Can you walk, at least until we get to my place?”

I nodded. “Okay.”

With Happy for support, I managed to limp to the red building that was Applejack’s home. It was mostly quiet on the way there. A few words of comfort were given by the others. It didn’t help ease the pain, but it felt nice to listen to them.

When we reached the farmhouse, Applejack brought me to a chair in the kitchen. “Wait here while I go get the first aid kit,” she said before leaving the room.

While I sat down, Rainbow Dash moved closer to get a better look at my knee. “It doesn’t look too bad. You’ll be fine in a day or two.”

“Really?” I asked. I glanced at my knee, which had stopped bleeding a while ago but was now caked in blood. The scrape on my knee still stung and was tender from the fall.

“Positive, squirt. Take my word on this.”

Applejack soon came back with a white metal box in her mouth. “Alright now, let’s see that leg of yours.” She inspected my leg, slowly bending and turning my leg. I winced a few times as she bent my knee. She hummed to herself thoughtfully before setting my leg down. “Well, nothing’s broken. You just got a nasty bruise and a scrape. Now, hold still while I clean it.”

She took out a brown bottle, some cotton balls, and a roll of bandages. As she dabbed a cotton ball with whatever was in the bottle, she said, “Uh, this is going to sting for a bit.”

Before I could ask why, she started cleaning the cut on my knee. She held the cotton ball in her hoof and brushed it against the bloody mess on my leg. Though her strokes were gentle, I couldn’t help but let out a shriek at the unexpected sharp sting. “Ow ow ow!”

“Sorry, Nymph. It’ll be over real quick.”

Instead of the soft touch of cotton, I felt a blazing fire burning into my skin. This was much worse than when I tripped. Yet, it only lasted for a few seconds, even though the pain felt like forever.

Most of the blood was gone and cleaned from my fur. I watched Applejack put away the bottle of awful stuff and take out a tube of some sort of cream. I tucked my legs close to me. “That’s not going to hurt, is it?”

She shook her head and looked me in the eyes. “I’m sorry for not warning you before, but I promise this won’t hurt at all.”

I didn’t know whether to trust her word or not. What if she was just saying that? What if it actually did hurt? But there was something about the look in her eyes, something there that said everything was going to be okay.

Mommy gave me that look before. When I was little, when I had a bad dream, she would wake up tired, and I would be crying next to her bed, usually after wetting my own bed. Every time I had a bad dream, she would let me climb in bed with her. She would whisper words of comfort to me while she stroked the back of my head.

I always felt calm when I looked into her eyes. I always felt safe. I remember one time when I climbed into bed with her. She looked at me with those same eyes and said: “There’s nothing to be scared of, Nymph. You’re a strong princess. You have to be. You’re stronger and braver than you think, so don’t be scared. Remember this and you’ll grow up to be a fine princess.”

I looked back at Applejack. I hesitated at first, but then, I showed Applejack my leg again. She squeezed the tube and poured white cream over the scrape on my knee. It felt cool on my skin. Like Applejack said, it didn’t hurt at all. She then wrapped my knee in bandages.

“There! All done.”

I stood up and tested my leg. It still hurt when I pressed down on it too much, but I was fine for the most part. “Thank you, Applejack.”

She smiled. “No problem at all, Nymph.”

I took a few steps forward. “Well, we better get going. I want to see more of Ponyville.”

Pound and Pumpkin stepped in front of me. “You sure you’re okay?” he asked

“Yeah, we can always show you the rest of Ponyville tomorrow,” said Pumpkin. “Also, it’s getting kind of late. Mom and Dad want us home soon.” The sky had taken a lovely shade of orange and violet as the sun began to set.

The smile on my face faded. ”Oh… Okay, that’s fine too, I guess.” I wanted to see more, but then I remembered why I was here in the first place. Canterlot was waiting for me on the mountainside. “Bye Applejack. Bye Rainbow Dash. It was nice meeting you two.”

Applejack gave my hoof a heavy shake. “Same to you, Nymph.”

“Sorry that the whole tripping thing happened to you,” said Rainbow Dash, “but you had fun, right?”

I nodded and smiled. “Yes. Yes, I did.”

We all said our goodbyes and made our way towards Sugarcube Corner. I didn’t say much as we walked. Neither did Happy, but he rarely talked around these ponies. I was happy just listening to Pound and Pumpkin talk about their lives and whatever was on their minds. Sometimes I wondered what it would be like if I lived here, outside of the hive. My mind kept wandering back to home. If I hadn’t snuck out, I wouldn’t have seen all of this. I wouldn’t have seen the sun. I wouldn’t have met so many ponies. And most of all, I wouldn’t have made new friends.

My thoughts came to a stop when I bumped into Happy. We stood in front of Sugarcube Corner. He arched a brow and looked at me curiously. “Sorry, Happy. I’ve just been thinking.”

“Thinking about what?” asked Pound. Pumpkin was looking at me with a curious look too.

“It’s… It’s nothing.” Happy stared at me. He knew there was something on my mind. I couldn’t hide that from him. “Okay, maybe it’s not nothing. I’m just sad.”

“Sad about what?” asked Pumpkin.

My throat grew tight, and I tried to force the words to leave my mouth. “I’m sad that I’ll never see you two, or everyone else I met, again.”

There was a hoof on my shoulder. It belonged to Pumpkin. “Who said we’ll never see each again? You’re coming back here tomorrow, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, I’m sure your parents would let you,” said Pound.

I avoided their gaze. “Um… I don’t think so.”

“Well, why not?”

Before I could say why, Happy spoke for me instead. “Because we ran away from home.”

Pound and Pumpkin stared at us. Pumpkin was the first to say something. “Really?”

I nodded. Though I wasn’t going to leave the hive forever, there was still some truth to what Happy said.

“Oh, well, why don’t you and Happy stay with us?”

Happy didn’t seem too keen on that idea, but I was more than happy for it. “Really? You’ll let us stay?”

“Well, I don’t know how long Mom and Dad will let you stay, but I’m sure they’ll let you two stay for tonight.”

I was so happy that I wrapped my hooves around Pumpkin and gave her a tight squeeze. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she gasped. “You’re kind of hugging me too tight.”

I let go of her and gave a sheepish smile. “Whoops.”

Pound and Pumpkin slipped inside the house. “We’ll talk to our parents and see if it’s okay. Wait here for a sec,” said Pound.

I was now alone with Happy. “Didn’t you want to see Canterlot?” Happy asked. His face was serious.

“I still do.”

“Then you know we can’t stay here very long.”

“I know,” I said. “But can we please stay just for one more day?”

“Your mother isn’t going to be happy about this.”

“Please, just one day—that’s all I’m asking for.”

He scrunched his face in thought before sighing heavily. “One day, and then we’ll go straight to Canterlot and back home, okay?”

“Thanks, Happy.”

Pound and Pumpkin soon came back. “They said yes!” shouted Pumpkin.

I beamed back at the two of them with a smile to match theirs. “Really? This is great!”

“It’ll be like a sleepover!”

“Yes, a sleepover!” I shouted. “What’s a sleepover?” The two siblings stopped in their excitement. They glanced at each other before looking at me strangely.

Was it something I said?

Comments

[Serpent_Underscore]

I'm picturing the Pound Cake and Carrot Cake from the Slice of Life tumblr now. Good to see an update.

[That One Guy]

Fantastic! Yay! Been waiting for this, and it was just as good as I imagined it to be :3
(Though, "It's not as good as it tastes"? Do you mean 'looks'?)

[Astrocity]

3681883 Whoops. Fixed.

[Weeping Angel]

MOAR. WHY IS THERE NO MOAR.

[Kexerval]

Great story! Waiting for the next chapter! :D

[Buzzard]

Is this still in progress?

[tsaukpaetra]

And then it stopped.
This is pretty good so far, maybe an update?
Keep going! ;)

[FordPrefect]

I really enjoyed the story so far.

Sad to see that it hasn't updated in a couple years.

[Morning Dusk]

“Nope,” she simply replied. “If you don’t want to tell me, then just say so.”

This line just seems wrong. It's a line used when one wants to pry the truth out, and fails, not when a secret is told, and one doesn't believe it.
A sentence lesson, from MD

[Nataniel]

3681894

"Yep, and trust me, it's not as good as it tastes."

It's still there.

[Astrocity]

7555361 Aw crap. Importing gdoc again changed it back. Thanks anyway.

[Emperor]

I understood Pinkie's comment about Nymph looking a little bit like and reminding her of somebody who looks like a meanie pants

What's funny is, if Chrysalis actually succeeded in putting Nymph upon the Equestrian throne, she might somehow get wings and a horn in the process too...

Also, I guess Nymph will soon coincidentally run into her real parents in Canterlot who will still recognise her a decade later on sight