> How to be a school filly > by Party Pop > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Another boring day > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sarah flopped down onto her bed, sighing gently. She had been through another bland day at school. Chuck had been up to his same old dumb antics, her classes had been rather dry, and her animal welfare club meeting had gone smoothly, as usual. The only interesting parts of her day were her crush, Alex, and the newest episode of My Little Pony. Alex always sent her heart patter-pat, and made her blush just a little, and she smiled even now at the thought of him. The new episode that day had cheered her up a bit too. Seeing the mane six having adventures was always fun. In this episode, Rarity had entered a fashion contest, and her designs had been stolen. She had been forced to come up with a new fashion line overnight, and had practically worked her poor friends to death making it. In the end, though, it had all worked out. Sarah doodled in her sketchbook for a bit, drawing a picture of her OC, Inky Cloud. Inky was a gray unicorn mare with a black and purple mane, cut into a slanted line, so that it came down sharply with the slant of her jaw, and a tail cut similarly. Her cutie mark was a spreading blot of ink coming from a brush, with a black patch on her rump nearby, similar to Luna's. She also liked to draw her with a little purple fisherman's cap. After she finished drawing her picture, Sarah put the book aside and tucked herself to her bed, turning out her light. Tomorrow, she figured, would be just another boring day, for just another goth girl, in just another school, aka herself. But she had never been more wrong in her life. After all, how is one supposed to anticipate a blast of powerful magic from within Equestria itself to slam into you while you're asleep, changing everything about how you look forever? The next morning, she rubbed her eyes gently with her hooves, yawning sleepily as she- wait, hooves? Sarah blinked and looked down at her hands. Or, rather, what were supposed to be her hands. In their place were two gray pony hooves. She jumped out of bed, running to her mirror, and realizing halfway there that she had done so on all fours. She looked into the mirror, but instead of her own familiar face, that of her OC, Inky Cloud, looked back at her. There was no denying it, everything was the same, even her cutie mark! She had become her OC! Sarah's eyes opened wide in horror as she screamed, absolutely terrified. What had happened? Was this all just a bad dream? What if it wasn't? How long would this last? What if it it was forever? Sarah hyperventilated as she panicked, too many hard, frightening questions racing through her mind at once. They spun so fast, she began to get dizzy, and before long, she blacked out on the floor. > Chuck-e Geez > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chuck sat on a bench at school, typing on his laptop before class. He hadn't seen his friend, Sarah, for a few days, and he was staring to get worried. She usually texted him if she was sick. Without her around, he had been rather bored at school. Alex hadn't heard from her either, which worried him even more. If one hadn't heard from her, the other usually had. He wondered if the three of them would still get to have their My Little Pony marathon together in a few days. Alex had never watched the show, but the two of them had convinced him to give it a try. He bit his lip slightly with worry. Suddenly, he heard something that seemed impossible. He heard hoofsteps approaching him. He looked up, and saw the absolute last thing he expected to see. His friend Sarah's OC, Inky Cloud, was walking up to him, wearing a very tight black t-shirt and a rather long black skirt with a hole for her tail in it. He blinked, and took off his glasses to clean them, then looked again, but there she was, standing in front of him. She blushed and looked at the ground, painfully aware that every student nearby was staring at her. "H... Hi, Chuck." She said, which startled him even more when he recognized the voice. "Sarah?!?" He exclaimed, shocked. "Oh my god, what happened to you?!?" "I don't know! I woke up a few days ago, and I looked like this!" She said, seemingly as startled as himself. "Why the hell didn't you text me or Alex?!? We were worried sick about you!!!" He shouted, upset that she hadn't given him some kind of warning. "Does it look like I can text with these things?!?" She shouted right back, holding up a hoof in frustration. "I can't even write anymore!!!" "Why didn't you just use your magic? You're a unicorn!" Chuck replied. "Do you think magic would work here in the human world? It didn't work very well for Twilight in Equestria Girls." she asked. "Well, she was just like everyone else then. She didn't have her horn or magic anymore. You're a pony, and everyone else is human. Maybe your horn came with telekinesis." He replied. Sarah pondered this for a moment, then focused on a rock nearby. She grunted slightly as her horn began to glow with a soft yellow light, as did the rock. Then, miraculously, it began to float off the ground. Chuck and Sarah both gasped, and the rock fell as Sarah lost her concentration. Chuck smiled as a realization dawned upon him. Then, he picked up Sarah and gave her a tight hug, rocking her back and forth slightly in excitement as she squeaked and squirmed, startled. "I have a magical pony for a best friend!!!" > Walk like an Egyptian > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- If someone had asked Alex what he thought was in store for him on this particular Thursday, he probably wouldn't have guessed that his crush, Sarah Mellins, would come to school transformed into her pony OC. Even if they had said it was something completely out of the ordinary, he would probably never have figured it out. Not even paying him would have helped. But that was exactly what happened to him that day. He was minding his own business, sitting in a classroom, waiting for school to begin, and reading a Country Balls comic, when he heard his friend, Chuck, coming in. He smiled, and put away his laptop, getting up to talk to his friend. "Hey, Chuck! What's up?" He asked, secretly hoping for some news about Sarah. She hadn't come to school for three days, and he was worried. "Alex, I've got something to show you, but it's pretty shocking." Chuck said, looking, to tell the truth, a bit scared. "What, your balls finally dropped?" Alex teased, trying to lighten his friend's mood. Chuck smirked and shoved him playfully. "Pfft, no, it's not that." He replied, feeling a little better. But he soon sobered back up. "But this is really pretty serious. This is something that will change both of us forever." "Well, show me." Alex said, by now getting concerned. Chuck looked his dead in the eyes. "You have to promise not to scream." Chuck said, looking more serious than Alex had ever seen him before. "Um... Sure, I guess." Alex said, now very confused. Chuck looked behind him, to the door. "Ok, Sarah, you can come in now." He called out. Alex's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates and his jaw dropped when he saw Sarah's OC, Inky Cloud, walking in. A faint squealing noise started to come out of him from the shock. Chuck instantly covered up Alex's mouth with his hands. "I said no screaming!!!" He said, annoyed with Alex. "I'm not!" Alex said, muffled by the hands. Sarah walked closer to him, looking up, and up some more, into his big brown eyes. She blushed a little, as she always did near him. He was enormous, towering over her, and even Chuck, who was a bit taller than her. She wondered if all middle eastern men were this tall, and stood before him, absorbing the sheer energy of his presence. As she always did, she wished she could stroke his soft, smooth, warm brown skin, and ruffle up his curly black hair as he pulled her closer, his soft, warm lips inching ever closer to her own as they- "So, you're a pony now?" Alex said, interrupting her girly daydream. She blinked for a moment, recollecting herself. "Yeah, I guess. I just woke up like this a few days ago. I don't think I'm changing back anytime soon." She said, embarrassed that she had slipped into fantasy mode in front of him yet again. Alex stood there momentarily, absorbing the situation. His crush had turned into a pony, possibly forever. Would he be able to explain this to his parents and have them understand? What would his sister think? Could ponies and humans make babies? Why the hell did he want to know the answer to that last question? He looked into Sarah's big, dark blue eyes. Finally, a smile spread across his face. He hugged Sarah tight, then played with her mane a bit. "Well, at least you're an adorable one." He said, which felt like music to Sarah's ears. > Mom 'n Pop shop > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sarah walked beside her mother, blushing slightly. They were at a store, looking for clothes for Sarah to alter to her new form. She couldn't just go around naked, like the ponies from the show, because she was rather anatomically correct, to put it politely. She had been able to cobble together something for school that day, but to be honest, it wasn't very flattering. Being a pony in the human world was awkward enough, but being a pony in obviously ill-fitting clothes was much more embarrassing. She looked up at her mom, who was walking ten feet in front of her to pretend she wasn't with her. Sarah's ears drooped, and a sinking feeling came to her tummy. Her own mother was embarrassed to be seen with her in public, when everyone was staring at the intruding equine. She wished this had never happened, that she could go back to being human, go back to not having harsh, unforgiving eyes staring into her like knives, back to a chance at having Alex as her boyfriend, back to goofing around with Chuck... Back to being normal. Sarah was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she bumped into her mom, who had stopped in front of a shelf. She gasped, startled, but caught her mom with her magic before she fell. Ms. Mellins looked over at her daughter, who was looking away in shame. "Sorry, mom. I wasn't paying attention, and didn't realize you were so close." Sarah said, looking very embarrassed. Ms. Mellins suddenly realized that she had been so obviously trying to avoid being associated with Sarah in the store, Sarah hadn't expected her to be near. She hadn't expected her own mother to be close to her, especially after something so strange and confusing had happened to her. Ms. Mellins hugged her daughter gently, much to Sarah's surprise. "It's ok, sweetie. It was an accident. And your new magic sure came in handy too!" She said, trying to cheer Sarah up. She looked down at her bewildered daughter and smiled. "Let's finish up getting your new clothes, ok?" Ms. Mellins said. "Ok, mom." Sarah replied, feeling a lot better. > It's the little things > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sarah sat in her room, feeling frustrated. She was bored out of her mind, but couldn't use most of the things she had in her room. Her hooves had caused her several problems during school, too. When she tried to write for a class assignment, the writing came out sloppy and illegible. She had tried to write with her magic, but her abilities were still new to her. She had no idea when she would be able to write better, or when her magic would get stronger, so for now, she had to use voice recognition software for her schoolwork. She couldn't use her cell phone, either. It had a touch screen, but her magic didn't seem to register as a touch on it. She hadn't been able to talk to her long-distance boyfriend, Daniel, for a whole week. She missed him very much, and longed to talk to him. She gazed at the ceiling, unable to do much else. Since she couldn't entertain herself with the internet or her sewing hobby, or even drawing, she turned to her thoughts for amusement. She suddenly asked herself a question, one she probably should have asked a long time ago, but hadn't even considered until now. "I wonder how Daniel and Alex would get along..." She mused. She had been raised by a polyamorous family, so the concept wasn't exactly foreign to her. She wondered if they would like each other, if they would get jealous with her affections, and argue over her, or if instead, they would be more than happy to share her. She smiled at the thought of getting to snuggle with them both at once. Alex would hug her from behind, stroking her mane gently and he whispered sweet nothings into her ear, as Daniel would lay in front of her, stroking her cheek as he added on to Alex's crooning sweetness. They would pull themselves closer to her, planting sweet kisses along her as they- "Sarah?" Ms. Mellins said, snapping Sarah out of her daydream. She looked up, startled. "Yeah, mom?" She said, feeling a little embarrassed. Her mom held up a small bag and smiled. "I have something for you!" She said perkily. Sarah got up and looked in the bag, Inside, there was a pair of gray gloves. Sarah looked up at her mother in disbelief. "Seriously?" She said, frustrated. "I can't wear gloves! Does it look like I have fingers?" She said, holding up her hoof in frustration, a motion she had made frequently as of late. Her mother laughed, seemingly getting a joke that Sarah had missed. "They're not for wearing, silly! I noticed that you were having trouble with touchscreens, so I got you a pair of touchscreen gloves! Y'know, the kind designed for smartphone users in cold weather?" She said, smiling. Sarah raised an eyebrow. "How exactly does that help me when I have no fingers?" She asked, questioning her mother's sanity. Her mom only smiled even wider. "If you use your magic, you can levitate and manipulate the glove, and if you do that..." "... I could have a fully functioning hand again." Sarah finished, her eyes widening at the realization. Her mother smiled as Sarah pounced onto her, hugging her tight as she giggled in excitement. "Thank you so much, mom!" She said, absolutely delighted. Her mother beamed. "You're welcome, Sarah, but I need you to-" She stopped talking as soon as she noticed Sarah had already started getting to her text messages like she hadn't a second to lose. She smiled, and chuckled a bit before leaving. > Don't look at me like that! > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sarah sat in the food court of a mall, enjoying a smoothie and some weird, but very good, healthy yogurt ice cream alternative thing from one of the vendors. The media circus surrounding her had calmed down enough that she could go out in public without constant paparazzi supervision. She still got a reporter or two wanting to get a photo and five-minute interview each time she left her home, but it wasn't too bad anymore. She didn't mind the attention too much, now that it had calmed down, and had even figured out how to manipulate the interviews to her advantage, shedding light on issues she cared about, such as animal testing laws. The brony community also seemed to have taken her up as their first lady, or something of that ilk, which made her feel pretty special. There were also some creeps who called her their "real-life pony waifu", or asked for pictures of her in socks, but she tried to ignore them, and their creepy little fanarts, too. Today, however... Today would be "special". Jimmy Feller looked around the corner of the mall wall, gazing upon the unsuspecting Sarah. He gasped gently, gazing upon her perfect pony form. Her soft, delicate gray fur, her gently swirling horn, her cute little hooves... He bit his lip and quivered slightly. He looked down at his waifu pillow of her, with her sweet little smile on it. He puffed up his chest. He could do this. He clung tighter to his pillow and walked up to her. She looked up at him with her big, blue eyes... God, she was beautiful, completely perfect in every way! He smiled at her, and proceeded to seduce her with his charming, witty banter, stunning good looks, and perfect personality. At least, that's what he thought he was doing. In reality, however, he was being a huge creep, and she was rather grossed out. "Hey, beautiful, how are you?" He said, grinning in a rather creepy way. Sarah smiled politely, and put her smoothie down. "Um, I'm fine, thanks." She said, cringing slightly at his horrendous breath. "I made a present for you!" He said, leaning in closer, causing her to lean back. He handed her piles of sketch books. She looked into them, and blushed hard as she saw lots of rather crudely made porn. "I gotta go." She said, dashing out of the mall, swearing to never return. Jimmy frowned, and snuggled his pillow. "Someday, my perfect pony waifu..." > Lovers, secrets, lies > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chuck sat on his bed, looking down at a photo he held in his hands. This particular photo was his most prized possession. He hid it under his pillow most of the time, including at night so that he could be closer to the perfect form printed there. Funny how a simple impression of ink upon some glossy paper could cause such strong emotions. He stroked the page gently, wishing it could be the one he loved, the perfect maiden whose image this paper held. He loved her so much, and he knew that she would never even know. He did the next best that he could, though, and stayed as true a friend as he could. He was always there for her whenever he could, sharing the good times with her, and trying his hardest to make them even better, so he could see her angelic smile and hear her perfect laugh for just one more moment. He comforted her through the bad times, through every failed test, through each new challenge she couldn't quite seem to conquer, though every shitty boyfriend and bad first date fallout... She never even realized how much he truly cared. He always gave her the spotlight, making sure that, no matter what, she was happy. He wished that he could be the one to make her smile, to hold her close and love her, to whisper sweet nothings into her ear, to be by her side... Maybe even forever, if he was really lucky. He knew it was just a silly schoolboy fantasy, but then again, she was every schoolboy's dream girl. She was the subject of more than one crush among the male population of the school, and Chuck knew it all too well. Every time one of them caught her eye, and they started to hit it off, it would feel like his soul had been cut into with a rusty, blunt knife. He loved her more than anything in the world, and would do anything for her... Except manning up and asking her out. So here he was, sitting in his room like a loser, fawning over a picture of a girl who would never let him poke a toe out of the friend zone, and there didn't seem to be anything he could do about it. He knew he should get over her, but there was something about her that intrigued him so much, something that turned her from being just another girl into the ultimate prize, a perfect woman to whom none could compare. He hugged the photo close to his chest, much like he had done for the girl on the page, who he had gone through so much pain and strong emotions for. A tear trickled down his face, as he said to himself the same tired line that he had said on so many countless lonely nights, just like this one, and wondering once more if it would make a difference if she could hear his words right now, if it would matter at all, or if she would throw him away forever. "If only you knew how much I love you, Sarah..." > Bouncy bouncy? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alex sat on a school bench, reading a Countryballs comic, like he usually did. He really liked how they highlighted international politics in an amusing way, and they did this rather well. He smiled, remembering when he had shown them to Sarah, and how she had thought they were cute. He loved how excited she would get over little things like that, and wished he could make her that excited more often. Suddenly, he heard a giggle nearby, sweet and high like a silver bell. He turned to find the source, knowing that sweet music almost by heart. He smiled as he saw Sarah and Chuck walking up to him, side by side as Chuck rambled about some anime he had watched the other day. Sarah looked over at Alex, causing his heart to flutter in his chest like a caged bird. He wanted her so much, even though she was a pony now. She was still beautiful to him, with the essence of all he had loved about her already still there in her body, mind, and soul. The way her mane flowed gently in the breeze, the way her hooves sounded when she walked, her big sapphire eyes... He loved all of it, just as he had when she was a human. Nothing had really changed, he told himself... Including the fact that he couldn't date her. It was true, unfortunately. Turning into a pony really hadn't changed anything, including the fact that he couldn't have her yet. He had promised his family that he would follow their cultural tradition of waiting at least a year after meeting her to officially start dating her. He sighed, thinking back upon the rule. He respected and loved his family's culture, but sometimes, it could be a real bitch. He knew it was right, though, and that it would make their love stronger when he could finally have her as his own, wrapped up in his arms as he cherished her properly at long last. He knew they wouldn't be able to consummate their love unless he married her, but he was starting to think more and more that, just maybe, he would be willing to wait for something so sweet. After all, Allah had brought her to him for some reason, and he was starting to feel more and more that the reason was so that he could love and protect her, cherishing and adoring her with his whole heart and soul, treating her like the sweet, beautiful queen she was. He could be her knight in shining armor... Well, knight in a fuzzy hoodie, really, but he had a feeling she would prefer his cuddleable Captain America hoodie to a hard, cold suit of metal armor anyway. All of this takes a long time to put into words, but of course, it took only a moment or two to think. Before long, the lady herself was standing before him, smiling as she turned to seat herself. Chuck did the same, sitting on her other side to let her sit near Alex. She scooted closer to him, smiling up towards his face as she booped his cheek, swirling her hoof on the squishy flesh for a moment as she giggled. He loved it when she did that, even though he never said it out loud. He couldn't help but smile, though, and that told Sarah all she needed to know. "Hey, you!" she said, pulling her hoof away as she smiled. "How's your day going?" "It's fine." he said, looking away with a blush. He had trouble looking her in the face sometimes, because he couldn't help blushing a little. Most people didn't notice because of his dark skin, but Sarah had gotten very, very good at noticing. "Aww, you don't need to be shy! I don't bite, silly!" she said, pushing him playfully. He smiled and pushed her back. They shoved each other back and forth for a few minutes, giggling, before she suddenly pounced onto his back and gave him a death hug. "Rawr! I got you now!" she said, giggling even more as she grabbed his hoodie with her mouth as she used her magic to tickle him. She knew all of his ticklish places, so it wasn't long before she had him laughing so hard that tears came out, begging her for mercy. Chuck laughed along with them, amused by the mare's antics. Suddenly, however, they heard some rather different giggles. Not happy, playful ones, but mean and spiteful ones, the kind you hear when you're about to get teased by some girly clique. The trio looked up to see two mexican girls walking up to them, their trashy clothing barely fitting the dress code. It was Martina and Guadalupe, two girls who seemed to do only three things; take selfies, being slutty, and picking on anyone they deemed "weaker" than themselves. Since Sarah was a bit of a doormat, and also unfortunately had epilepsy, they deemed her an easy target. "Well well well, if it isn't the star couple of the campus! What are you two lovebirds up to?" Martina inquired, her voice like sickly sweet venom as the girls snickered. Sarah sat up, getting off of Alex as she looked at the ground. "We... We're not dating, guys... You know that..." Sarah said, blushing in embarrassment. She hated it when these two showed up, because they only made her feel worse about not being with Alex. Alex wasn't too happy either. The jeering of these two only highlighted that he couldn't have her, that the burning desire in his heart couldn't be satisfied for a long time. If they were dating, it would have been easier for both, but he couldn't just yet. He looked down, trying to remember to count his blessings. He was lucky that his family members were liberal Muslims, and not stricter, or he wouldn't have been able to even touch her at all. Guadalupe snickered, leaning in aggressively towards Sarah's face. "Oh, really? Weren't you two just passionately making out in front of Chuck?" she asked, a cruel smile on her face. Sarah sank lower into the bench, as if she wanted to slip away under them like a puddle, unnoticed and unwanted. "Well, no... We were just-" she began, but Martina cut her off. "Oh, but we saw you! You two were totally making out!" Martina insisted with a giggle. After that, they started hounding her endlessly, like two mastiffs in pursuit of a boar. "How long have you been dating?" "When was your first kiss?" "Has he fucked you yet?" "OMG, how big is his dick?" "When's the wedding?" "ENOUGH!!!" Alex shouted, startling the two girls into silence as Sarah looked up at him in shock, tears still in her eyes from the girl's bullying. That alone was enough to send the usually placid, quiet, and sweet teen into a rage, furious that anyone would dare to make his sweet, perfect lady cry. His fists clenched up, but he didn't strike, being too much of a gentleman to hit any girl, even these two, despite his intense anger. Guadalupe gasped, as if she was somehow surprised that he was upset, obviously offended that anyone would yell at her that way. She had been spoiled as a child, and had the entitled personality of a sheltered princess. "Um, excuse me? Who do you think you're talking to?" she said with an exasperated tone, attitude wafting off her almost as strong as her cheap, nasty perfume. Alex gritted his teeth. "I think you should be asking yourself that. What right have you to treat her like that? She's ten times the woman you two could ever be combined!" He said, causing Sarah to blush. She loved it when he snuck little compliments for her into conversations, even though this conversation wasn't particularly pleasant. Martina looked at him with about as logical and serious an expression as the flippant ratchet could manage. "Um, she's a horse, not a woman. And I don't think either of us needs some stupid little terrorist 'sand nigger' boy preaching at us. We don't need to catch your crazy!" she said, waving a hand at him in mock disgust. Sarah's hooves hit the ground hard with a loud clop as her horn began to spark, a blue magic aura surrounding the girls as they began to float, at the mercy of the unicorn trembling in rage below. "How dare you speak to him that way!!!" she shouted, flinging the girls to the side with her magic as they hurtled towards the ground. She picked the screaming duo up again before they could escape. "What the fuck, lady?!? Put us down!!!" "OMG, this crazy psycho unicorn bitch is gonna kill us!!!" "You'll be lucky if that's all you bitches get." Sarah said, floating them towards a nearby fountain as the nearby students looked on in horror. She opened their purses with her magic, dumping their contents into the water with a large splash. Then, she dunked the purses briefly, and flung them into the bushes. After she was done ruining the bags, she looked back to her furious captives. "Don't feel too bad, girls. They were very obviously cheap knockoffs. I'll make nicer bags for you after you learn your lesson." she said, not losing her inner kindness for a moment despite what she was doing. Then, she stopped her magic, dropping the girls unceremoniously into the fountain with a huge splash of water. The two splashed around a bit, then looked up once they got onto their feet, their caked-on makeup streaming down their faces. A few of the students were filming the whole thing on their phones, and everyone was watching. Suddenly, most of the crowd burst out laughing, pointing at the girls and falling over onto each other as they laughed until their sides hurt. They trembled in their places, looking around their former kingdom, woven by a web of bullying, rumors, fear, and lies. Sarah walked closer to them, looking at them dead on. "You see now how it feels? To be put down? To be stared at, laughed at, and scorned? To have everyone turn away from you?" she asked, causing the girls to cling to each other in fear. She placed her forehooves onto the edge of the fountain, looking them dead in their faces. "But don't worry, girls. At least you gave them real smiles for once." everyone laughed even harder at this statement, and Sarah chuckled along. Then she looked back at them. "I'll replace your bags with nicer ones, so don't worry about losing them. I can probably patch your clothes up too." she said with a smile. the girls looked at each other in confusion. Then Sarah leaned in closer, the smiles and honey gone from her face and voice as she glared at them, speaking almost in a whisper. "But if you call my man a 'sand nigger' or a 'terrorist' again, I'll show you girls the true meaning of humiliation. Understand?" they gulped, clinging to each other with shivers of terror as they nodded, desperately wishing to be anywhere but near her. Sarah smiled, and walked back to Alex and Chuck, both with mouths agape and standing as still as rocks. She didn't even look back to see the humiliated pair running away as she walked up to Alex, looking up at him. She stood on her hind hooves, hugging him tight as she nuzzled him gently on the shoulder. "Shhh... It's ok... I won't let them talk to you that way ever again." she said, stroking his back gently. Alex looked down at her. She may have been more of a badass than he thought, but she was still the sweet, loving, caring, and gorgeous woman he adored. He held her close, stroking her soft mane with a smile. He had a feeling that they wouldn't be getting teased for a long time. > Maternal instinct > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alex sat on his bed, typing away at an assignment on his laptop. He was would much rather have been reading about recent advancements in aviation, but his mom had been getting at him about his grades. He looked down at his chemistry homework, sighed, and put it aside for now, looking over his email. He was surprised to see one from Sarah in his inbox, with the words Welcome Back! popping out of the subject bar cheerily. He smiled, still impressed that she had figured out how to type with her cute little hooves. He looked over the email, which she had lovingly typed out for him on her own time. It warmed his heart to think of how she had taken time out of her schedule just for him, and suddenly his thoughts turned to a new kind of chemistry. He scrolled down the email, chuckling slightly as he saw a picture of a chibi Captain America on the bottom. "She remembered my favorite superhero..." he mumbled dreamily, hugging his pillow close and wishing it was her soft, warm body instead. If he closed his eyes, he could almost feel her hooves on his back as they embraced, and thought he caught just the tiniest whiff of the scent of her mane as they held each other close. He knew she liked him, but since his family was of the more traditional style of muslims, he had promised his family not to date any girl until he had known her for at least a year. Sometimes, he almost broke his promise, but he knew his family would have been furious if he did, and stood firm. He leaned back on his bed and thought back to the wonderful date they had recently shared. The scent of the ocean washed over them like a soft blanket as they had walked together, his mother and sister not far behind. It was traditional for family members to come along on dates in the muslim world, so Sarah didn't mind. They had run along the beach, gone on a few rides on the boardwalk, and even joined in a free salsa dance party nearby for a minute or two, even though neither one knew what they were doing. At the end of the night, he had held her close in his arms as they drove her back home, and felt a warmth like nothing he had ever felt before, and could imagine spending his whole life that way with her, pony or otherwise... "Alex?" a voice called from behind the door, startling him out of his daydream as he sat up like a shot. He brushed the lingering fairy floss of fantasy from his mind as he opened the door to let his mother in. "Sorry about that, mom. Did you need something?" he asked, adjusting his ever-present hat. His mother looked somber as she walked in, sending a chill down his spine. "Alex... We need to talk." she said. He felt like a bucket of ice cubes had been dumped on his head, but he sat down beside her on the bed anyway. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. "Uh, sure mom, what's up?" he said. She bit her lip slightly, and Alex felt like he was about to explode from nerves. "Well, you and Sarah seem to be spending a lot of time together..." she said. Alex didn't dare to move as he listened breathlessly. "I know you like her, but you two aren't even the same species anymore, and I think it would be better if you found someone else." she said, the words hanging in the air like a noose. Alex's face paled as he realized the horrible thing his mother had just mandated. "But, mom, Sarah is a wonderful person, and-" "I said no, Alex." "That's not fair to her, she would never abandon me!" He shouted, his face turning red with fury at the injustice of it all. "I will not have my son be known for beastiality, and that is final!!!" She shouted back, storming out as she slammed the door. Alex glared at her exit, then bit his lip as he clung to his pillow, accepting his fate. He could already see the tears on his beloved's face. > Golden Opportunity > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sarah sat on a bench, typing away at a poem she had been writing for Alex. She had been eagerly waiting for him to return from his trip to Egypt, and wanted to surprise him with her romantic sonnet. She had even made the first four lines spell his name, like an acronym. She smiled as she looked down at her work, her confession of her undying love for the man of her dreams. At last finished, she copied the text from her screen, and flipped over to her google translate tab to switch it to arabic, as a cute addition at the bottom. She giggled as she used the program's draw tool to put cutsey little hearts on it. Alex could be temperamental sometimes, but deep down, he was quite a softie for romantic sentiment. She closed the laptop with a dull click and stowed it in her homemade saddlebag. Chuck yawned beside her, redirecting her attention to the man sitting of the other end of the bench. "Tough night?" she asked. "Yep." he replied. "What was it this time, your drunk uncle? Or perhaps his insane girlfriend? Did she pilfer your wallet for drug money again?" she inquired with a snicker. She managed to get a chuckle out of him, and before long, they were rolling on the bench, laughing until their sides burned. Not far off, Alex was watching the whole thing. It pained him to do so, knowing that Sarah was so happy now, and he was about to make her so sad. He sighed, pulling his baseball cap's brim down over his forehead, and made his approach. After all, there was no sense in delaying things. Sarah looked up as she heard someone coming, and smiled wide as she saw her dreamy crush walking up to her. She bounced up off the bench, nearly knocking Chuck over in the process, and Charging towards Alex for a hug. "ALEX!!! Oh my gosh, I missed you so-" she began, but stopped when her muzzle smushed into his raised hand from her speed. Alex lowered his hand, looking at his shoes as he bit his lip, the terrible task finally at hand. "Alex, what's wrong? Aren't you glad to be back?" she asked. Alex sighed, and looked up into her eyes. "Sarah... I don't think we can see each other anymore." he said, sounding much calmer and colder than he felt inside. Sarah's ears and jaw dropped like synchronized olympic divers as her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. A small whimper tried to escape her chest, but she held it in. "W... Why? What did I do wrong?..." she asked. Alex was running out of patience with his task, and blurted out horrible words that he regretted forever. "Well, what did you honestly expect? I can't date an animal! My family would be disgraced! It's too sexually provocative! You're a horse, for god's sake!" he practically shouted as he tried to hold back his tears of rage. Sarah's face fell as she bit her lip, trying not to scream at him. "... I understand." she said, turning to go, shaking slightly. Alex blinked in surprise. Was that it? Was it really that simple? No, no it wasn't. Her cries were one of the most heart wrenching things he had ever heard as she galloped away, sobbing her broken heart out. Chuck raced after her as fast as he could. He might not have been her boyfriend, but by god, he was still going to do whatever it took to soothe her as he dried her tears. > Sakit ng Pagibig > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sarah curled up in her bed, sobbing into her pillow. How could Alex do this? How could he betray her? Everything had been going so well, and suddenly, out of nowhere, all of her hopes and dreams of their future together were dashed to pieces with one cruel blow. This wasn't like him, none of this was like him! Why would he- "Sarah? Are you ok?" it was her mother, peeking her head through the door. Ms. Mellins knew her daughter had been more upset than usual when she got home that day from school. Her makeup had been wiped off, and she was having more twitches and convulsions than she usually did from her epilepsy, which meant she was under extreme stress, since they were usually influenced by that. Sarah looked up at her mother, not quite sure how to explain what had happened to her. "No, not really..." Sarah sniffled, wiping away her tears with a hoof. Ms. Mellins sat down on the bed beside her, feeling a wave of concern wash over her. "What's wrong? Did something happen at school today?" Ms. Mellins asked, suspecting she might know who was behind this. Sarah had been getting close to a boy at her school, and she had a habit of getting her heart broken by guys that didn't care for her as much as she cared for them. Sarah looked up at her mom, then plunged her face into the pillow, as if to smother her sorrow. "Alex told me to screw off! He doesn't like me anymore, and I don't understand why!" She cried out into the fluffy void that enveloped her face, as if the force behind her distress could somehow shatter her pain. Of course, it didn't. Ms. Mellins stroked her back gently, a wave of sympathy washing over her as it all became clearer by the minute. "Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry... Did he at least tell you why?" She asked, hoping to at least help her daughter come to terms with the problem. There were several things in Sarah's life that she didn't know how to help, of course, such as the recent events of her turning into an oddly colored small horse, or the online harassment she and her family had received for it, with everything from lewd fanart to the press trying to intrude into their lives. But maybe, just maybe, she could help Sarah with this. "He said he didn't want people to think he was a zoophile, because I'm a pony and he's a normal person! That's not even fair! I'm the same person I was before, I just have a different shell now! Who cares how many legs I have, or if I can use magic, I'm still the same girl he knew before!" Sarah declared, crushed that the man she adored couldn't see that too. Ms. Mellins paused, unsure of how to proceed. This was indeed an unusual problem before her, for although her daughter had become so very different on the outside, with four legs and a tail, she was still very much a teenage girl on the inside, with all of the same hopes and dreams she had before this had all happened. Her simple upbringing as the daughter of a Navy submarine sonar technician hadn't prepared Ms. Mellins for something like this, but she had to try anyway. "Well, hon, if he can't see that, maybe you deserve better. If he can't realize what a beautiful, wonderful person you are on the inside, and can only see the outside, then you shouldn't be with him anyway." Ms. Mellins said, giving her daughter a comforting pat of the back. Sarah's sobbing slowed, her mind mulling over the idea before her. She hadn't ever really been one for self confidence, but what her mother said made sense. Why be with someone if all they care about is who you are on the outside? That makes for a pretty shallow connection, and after all, appearances change with time, even if you don't end up getting turned into a cartoon horse. "I guess you're right... Thanks, Mom, I'll try to remember that." Sarah said, hugging her mom tight. For just a moment, everything felt like it was going to be ok. "How COULD he?!?" Chuck growled, taking his frustration out on an unfortunate skeever in some dungeon in his Skyrim game. He was absolutely livid just thinking about Alex and how he had humiliated Sarah at school. He had no right to speak that way to her. She was kind to him every day, even bringing little snacks she had made just for Alex. Sure, they weren't michelin star restaurant quality, but they were good nonetheless! "He should feel lucky to have the affections of such a girl!" Chuck grumbled, blasting a skeever against the wall in his game, where it landed with a wet thump. Chuck had always dreamed of having a girl to take care of, who would take care of him too, who he could come home to after work every day, and have dinner ready with a beautiful mare to share it with, little foals running arou- "Wait, what am I thinking? She would never go for a guy like me!" He sighed, his heart sinking into a puddle in his sneakers. Sarah had plenty of fans to adore her, she didn't need a guy like him! She could have any man she wanted if only she'd let herself... Chuck sighed, pausing his game as he set his controller on his lap, a tear running down his face. "Love hurts."