Blossoming: Learning How To Fly

by nanashi_jones

Classes on Transgender Will Be Held In the Pavilion- The Professor May Or May Not Be Drunk

In these situations, the trick is to just go with the flow. You won’t feel natural doing it because what’s happening isn’t natural. You may be boozed up. You may be confused. You may have been dancing just a few minutes before and now you’re completely out of your element. It’s okay. You just have to be flexible and look for an opening, hoping it will be over quick.

“I never knew ponies could party this hard!” yelled the coppery-yellow, earth pony standing next to me at one of the tables provided for pony guests.

“Uh-huh,” I said. Out of the corner of my eye, I could tell that Cloud had left me hanging and was doing well to keep Rhea from assisting too.

“Yeah!” the earth pony said, grinning, her violet-toned, poofy mane bouncing. “Little weird cruising though. Used to be my thing.”

“Oh?” I responded.

“Yeah. You’re not a guy in there, are you?” she said.

I laughed. “Sorry, no.”

“Shoot. This whole thing’s screwed up my radar. How about you two?”

“Nope!” Cloud said from afar.

Rhea shook her head in the negative. Very precisely.

“Just us ladies,” I said.

“Argh. Just my luck!” More martini was downed. “See, I’m a guy in here and my pony’s in heat and we’re both looking for some lovin’. If you know what I mean.”

“I can guess,” I continued in my uncommitted manner, mentally changing my pronouns.

“Only, I can’t tell who’s a guy anymore!” he went on, his martini sloshing. “Much less gay! It’s like trying to read a map in a new language with the map being some super, brainy app or something. Ugh, and I bought a strap-on and everything.”

“Mmmm,” I said, looking pointedly at Cloud.

Cloud chuckled, swigging her cider.

The pony must have read something wary or offended in my manner. Either way, he opted to defend what he shared.

“I was in the closet for nineteen years,” he said. “Ain’t no way I’m letting even the tiniest lie out anymore. Love your costumes by the by.”

I smiled, pushing a little more cheer to offset whatever offense he took, and tipped my witch’s hat at him.

His eyes then locked on something past us. “Yip! Pegasus flexing mannily at five o’clock! I’m on! Bye ladies!” And with that, the mysterious gay dude in a mare’s body trotted off to work his magic.

Once he was gone, I shot a glare at Cloud.

“What was that?” I said.

“A gay guy in a mare’s body,” she quipped.

“No, that whole- I was looking for an out.”

She grinned devilishly at me as she sipped from her cider. “Were you? Looks like you handled yourself fine to me.”

“One day, Miss Kicker-”

“Miss Tempest Kicker,” she corrected.

“One day,” I continued, unabated. “You will be too polite and get caught up in a conversation and not find a way out and I will watch and laugh.”

Cloud tipped her head from side to side, then rubbed my cheek affectionately. “You’re so cute when you come up with unlikely scenarios.”

I glared at her. She smiled back, cooly, and pecked my cheek.

I broke with a combination laugh and sigh.

“Ah, San Francisco,” I said, smile on my face.

After Cloud and I recovered and composed ourselves at the hotel, we’d gotten a call from one of the parade organizers who’d fronted our room for the night. All three of us were invited to a Big Gay Halloween Bash to help represent the “pony community.”

After the day she had, Cloud, who had decided to expand her name to Jessica Cloud Tempest Kicker (she wanted all the good parts in there and “no freaking Penelope”), voted to go out and party like Pinkie Pie.

Rhea was reluctant, but after some convincing and assurances from me, she was at least on board with being my or Cloud’s shadow for the evening.

We were picked up by a white passenger van, whose driver we convinced to stop at one of those seasonal Halloween stores. Inside, we bought a witch hat for me, fairy wings for Rhea and a feathery Masquerade mask for Cloud. As we rode over, Cloud pulled out her utilitool from her utility belt and got to work widening the eye holes for pony eyes, so she could see better.

Once we arrived, we took in the space set aside. This huge tent had been built in a park with a bar and portable dance floor, the party already in mild swing. By the time I’d been cornered by the earth pony, full swing was in effect and the sun was just starting to sink into the horizon.

“If I’d had more time, I could have made us all something better and we’d be beating ‘em off with a stick,” Cloud commented.

“Jess’s sewing skills survived?” I asked.

“Cloud had to reinterpret some of them for pony use, but when we get back home, I have new ideas for our LoJ costumes,” she said, her grin wicked.

Rhea shook her head as she sipped at her appletini. “I... Wow. I wasn’t ready for that,” she said.

I put a comforting foreleg around her. “Sorry. We can go to a quiet corner if this is too much.”

“No, it’s not the party. It’s... I thought that was a girl!” She shook her head. “And he thought I might be a dude?”

“Viva la LGBTQ!” I said, raising my drink.

Rhea laughed, her expression tight. “Sure. But how’m I supposed to know who’re the transgender ponies?”

I lowered my drink. This... Had been on my mind and I’d been wary about talking about it. Rhea looked like she was opening up, relaxing a little despite the last few days and I didn’t want to alienate her with what could be perceived as nitpicking.

Still...

“I don’t know about transgender ponies,” I said, moving my bottle between my hooves. “My memories from Blossomforth don’t point to biology and culture that have that happening in it. Does Night Shade say anything about girl pony in boy pony bodies or boy ponies in girl pony bodies?”

Rhea cocked her head at me and went quiet as she checked with her inner mare.

“Not that I know of,” she responded. “But, these guys are trans, right? Like dudes in girl bodies? That’s how that rolls right?”

“Well...” I said, tilting my bottle of cider from side to side now. “It’s a part of it. It’s complicated.”

Lightening my expression, I asked, “You mind a little class in the middle of your pony experience?”

Rhea perked up. “I’m game. I was a damn good student.”

“Glad to hear it,” I said. “Because this stuff isn’t easy or straightforward and I’m gonna be missing a lot of nuance.” Tapping my bottle on the table, I organized my thoughts.

“Okay, so, you used the word transgender. Right now, far as I know, medicine uses that term for anyone whose gender, which is your mental perception of your masculinity or femininity -the places in your brain that dictate you being a guy, girl or something in between- conflicts with your biological sex -the stuff between your legs along with all the glands that make it do. With me so far?”

Rhea nodded a slow okay, and I could see the definitions sinking in.

“Okay. Now. Being transgender means a person will do anything from using new pronouns to changing general personal appearance to seeking medical modification. It all depends on what that gender in their head is trying to sort out against its body. You’ve heard of transsexuals and transvestites and genderqueer, right?”

“Uh, most of that, yeah,” Rhea said.

“They’re all shades of transgender. Some just wanna rock the clothes, some it’s more mental and they’re looking for proper pronouns and others are saving up pennies for shiny new sex bits. Personally? I use transgender as the big umbrella word for, pretty much, all transpeople.

“These ponies? I wouldn’t call them transgender, because what’s happening doesn’t have anything to do with their born bodies. They’re going through some serious magical woo-hoo, and need support, but not the same kind of support a transperson needs. Not yet at least.”

“So... What?” Rhea asked, leaning on our table. “What are they?”

“Boys who got a visit from the horse vag fairy,” Cloud said, turning to watch a unicorn slink by in a modified Elvira dress and wig.

I nodded, giggling. “Yeah. That. They’re still guys. Or still girls. Their gender hasn’t changed from the body they were born in. Their biological sex along with their species however...” I gestured to our recent example, who looked like he’d finally lucked out with a fit-looking, pegasus colt. “Different matter. We’re probably gonna need a new word.”

I looked out at the mass of mingling people and ponies.

“We’re gonna need a lot of new words.”

I shook myself out of my reverie. “So, unless they want to take up the mare bodies they’re in and use those pronouns, they’re just guys. Same is true for any pegasisters getting their Big Mac on.”

Rhea chuckled.

“So keep that in mind. Their gender is intact. It may be experiencing trans issues the longer they’re in a pony body, but we don’t know right now. The magic and the ponies and the fusing personalities muddy those waters. So unless we start broadening and redefining the term- to me, not transgender.

“And until we reach that new knowledge, just ask. It’s widespread enough that most ponies probably won’t mind pronoun clarification.” I took a pull from my cider. “And here’s a freebie- for anyone else, go by whatever they choose. It’s a big wide world out there. Lots more to panic about than the gender between our ears and the sex between our legs.”

I smiled with finality and earned an appreciative, polite applause from Rhea. Bowing slightly, I felt Cloud rub my back. When I straightened, I saw her proud and happy smile.

“You’re pretty smart about this,” Rhea said.

“Lots of experience,” I said, my gaze unfocusing. “Lots and lots.”

“Any other lessons, professor?” she said with a smirk and raised eyebrow.

“Yeah, if you can, always get Scrumpy’s Cider. The cinnamon makes it taste that much better and their holiday brew is like literal Christmas.”

I dropped my hoof authoritatively on the table.

“Now, the professor is done, class is out and we’re some mares on the town, so let’s act like it!”

Rhea laughed as I led her and Cloud along into the celebrating throng of partygoers, both pony, people, and everything in between.

Author's Note:

Just breaking up the story for a quick announcement:

If you haven't already, check out my other PEV story: Applejack Rising: When The Mare Comes Around. You read right, I'm on Mane 6 canon duty and with AJ no less. It stars non-fan, Rachel, who wakes in a shallow grave off Highway 5. As Applejack. It gets more complicated from there. Give it a try and tell your friends!

Thanks everyone!

Comments

[reader238]

I am already reading the applejack story I didn't realize that you were doing it though, any way great job on both I knew I recognized the writing style

[Pinklestia]

Well, at least they are having fun.