> A Child of Kindness and Laughter > by Autum Breeze > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1 - Awakening as Another Species > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Child of Kindness and Laughter Chapter 1 Awakening as Another Species ___________________________________________________________ The bell sounded and I leaned back, stretching my arms, making a loud grunt as I did so. Work was over for the day and I now had four days free to do whatever, plus anything I chose to do tonight. “Hey, Taylor,” I glance a little away to see my workmate Josh walking over. “You got any plans for after work today?” “Nup!” I say, cricking my neck to get the stiffness out of it. “You asking t’ hang?” He grins sheepishly. “Me and a few of the guys, yeah.” I get up, shrugging. “Sure. Man, today was rough, huh?” I ask as we head to our lockers to get our things. Josh grunts as he lifts his bag’s strap with his right arm, his left eye shutting for a moment. “Tell me about it. They could’ve warned us today would be so physical, couldn’t they?” The job we’d been doing prior to the one we were talking about was labelling San Remo Fettuccine bags. Half way through it, we’d suddenly been told we had to deal with a job that had just come in and needed to be finished before the day was over, and it was already 10:23Am when it came in. The job was lifting and sorted large wooden grates. Josh, myself and several other co-workers had been the ones unlucky enough to be saddled with the shifting and lifting part. What we hadn’t been told was just how heavy, nor how long we’d have to keep the crates lifted before putting them down. By the time we’d finished, thirty minutes before the end of the work day, my back and arms had been killing me. Thankfully, the supervisor seemed to understand this and had allowed those of us who’d been doing the shifting to rest for what was left of the day before work ended. Didn’t mean we weren’t still feeling the ache, though. Josh and I close our lockers and join the throng of fellow employees as they made their way down the hall, passed our worker ID cards over the clock out machine and headed for the door. “So, where would you like to go first?” Josh asks, glancing at me. I glance up, putting my arms behind my head. “Hmm. Til you asked, I didn’t really have any plans once I got into the city other than catch another bus home. But, now, I suppose we could stop by Hungry Jacks or Macers and grab something to eat. Maybe then we could stop by the— oomf!” I grunt as, for some strange reason, as I moved through the doorway to get outside, I suddenly found myself pulled backwards and thumping against the wall behind me, startling a lot of the other employees. Josh hurries over as I push myself off the wall, rubbing my head. “Tal, what happened?” he asks, sounding both worried and confused. “I’ve... not a bloody clue, to be honest,” I said, stepping a bit forward and glancing at the wall over my shoulder, an eyebrow raised. “It felt like someone pulled me back and, next thing I know, I’m back up against the w—oof!” It happened again. I hadn’t moved a muscle, and suddenly I felt a jerking from behind, before feeling the wall slam into my back. This time, however, something else happened. Something that made my blood run cold. The very edge of my butt had somehow sunk into the wall. I look back to Josh and those standing behind him, my eyes wide with panic. “Someone get me out of here!” I scream, my voice high-pitched with terror. This seems to get a reaction, because Josh and several other employees reached forward and grab my arms and start pulling. It was like a chain reaction. The moment they started pulling, my gut dropped and my heart leapt into my throat as I felt the tugging feeling from behind again, along with more of my body sinking back into the wall. However, this time, since everyone was holding onto my arms, only the lower part of my body was pulled in. My eyes widened with horror as I felt my lower body lift up as it sinks into the wall. The more alarming thing, though, I can’t feel what went into the wall. It feels like my lower body is now completely gone. “Someone check if he’s coming through the other side!” someone shouts and another person hurries through the door a little ways down, leading into the room the wall I’m sinking into is connected to. I guess he thought my body was just phasing through the wall for some odd reason. “I don’t see him!” the person who’d gone inside the room calls, his voice muffled from the other side. “I’m standing right behind where he should be, but I don’t see anything of him sticking through the wall.” “Then where the hell did my body go!?!” I scream, my eyes wide with panic. Was my body becoming one with the wall, remaining inside it? Was that why he couldn’t see any part of me? I feel another jerking from whatever is pulling me and sink further into the wall, my chest barely sticking out anymore as everyone holds onto me desperately. “The supervisors are calling the emergency services,” someone calls from within the crowd. “They’ll be here in a few minutes.” “We don’t have a few minutes!” Josh half snarls, half cries, his eyes frantic. “W-we can’t keep holding him. If whatever’s pulling him does so again...” The fear in storming through what remains of my body, my mind bouncing around like a tornado as the realization hits me. I’m going to die... and there’s nothing I can do about it. “Let go.” Everyone stares at me in shock, several letting go without realizing. My voice had been quiet, full of defeat. There wasn’t anything any of us, or anyone else could do. I could already feel whatever was making me sink into the wall getting ready for another pull. “Tal, you... you can’t be serious?!” Josh looks at me, his glasses having gone askew in his struggle to pull me out. “You’re... you’re just gonna let it kill you?” I close my eyes, tears sliding down my cheeks. “We can’t do anything anyway. Might as well accept my fate, Josh. Now, let go, before you’re all pulled in with me!” He looks at me with determined eyes. “No! I’m not going to let you die! I’m not going to—” “I said, LET GO!” I scream, shoving them all over as hard as I can, just a second before the jerking happens again. I gave a sad smile as their horrified faces fade away into blackness and all feeling goes with it. ___________________________________________________________ “Oh, Pinkie, are you sure we should be here?” Fluttershy quivered as she and the pink party pony stood in the throne room of the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters. The ever energetic mare just bounced in place as she looked around. “Fluttershy, you know Doozies can’t be ignored,” she said, her serious tone and expression slightly losing their impact with her constant cheery bouncing. Only slightly, though. “B-but, if the Doozy is here, I-I don’t think we should wait around to find out what it is.” The shy mare shuddered, looking around. “I mean, what if it’s something dangerous, something we might need the others for to be able to handle it?” The fact that it was night-time certainly wasn’t helping either, nor the fact that she had no idea how or why she was in her cottage getting ready for bed one moment and here with Pinkie the next. “Huh,” Pinkie said, her bounces slowly a little as she looked up, thinking about Fluttershy’s words. “I never thought of that. If it’s a big scary monster able to eat ponies in a single bite, we might want the girls here to help us.” “A-a single b-b-bite?” the Pegasus squeaked, pulling her wings over her face. Suddenly a scuttling sound caused both ponies to freeze up. The sound came closer and closer. Whatever it was, it had a lot of legs. With a loud scream, Fluttershy grabbed her pink friend in her forehooves and shot out the open ceiling, heading towards safety. In her rush, she dislodged one of her loose pinion feathers, which floated to the ground slowly, joining a hair that had come loose from Pinkie’s mane when she’d suddenly been yanked by her Pegasus friend whilst scratching her head. The hair and feather landed, one on top of the other, as the source of the scuttling sound made itself known. It was a small ant-like looking creature. One could easily mistake it for an ant at first glance, aside from the fact that it was blue with stars on its thorax. This was a Magister Beetle. They were harmless insects. They ate rotting things, like food or even flesh, but were not dangerous, even though they gave off a slight magical signature wherever they went. More places where these larger than normal insects were found were the most known for slight unusual magical occurrences, such as unicorns suddenly finding their horns fizzing out for short periods of time, or pegasi temporarily losing their ability of flight or even simply being able to walk on clouds, though they thankfully mostly lived in dark parts of cities, forests or open fields. These were minor annoyances at best, so the majority of Equestria never thought much of the little things. However, this Magister Beetle had not come to dine on the rotting foliage of just any place. This was the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters, where latent magic was lying within the very walls themselves due to the close proximity of the Tree of Harmony. Not to mention that this castle, the very room in question, was the place Nightmare Moon had been defeated. Whilst Princess Luna had indeed been purified of the creature that had taken over her a thousand years prior, Nightmare Moon’s latent remnants of her magic still lay dormant within the throne room, and, as the Magister Beatle casually released its magical field to begin the digestion of its meal, that magic became active. The beetle, sensing something was wrong, fled the room as fast as it could, its scuttling steps quickly fading deeper into the castle. However, the damage had already been done. The spark of magic from the beetle awakened the latent magic within the room, causing tendrils of star-speckled smoke to rise from the floor and walls, centring on the point where the beetle had been mere moments before. The magic twisted and condensed, until it had formed a small sphere of dark-blue magic. The feather and hair left by the two mares were lifted up and pulled into the centre just as the sphere formed completely, before a crack of lightning shot down, striking the sphere. The boom that sounded from the point of contact echoed throughout the still night, the clouds that had formed as the magic had intensified dispersing with the force of the boom, leaving the night clear once again. Lying in the middle of the room where the sphere had formed lay the still figure of a bipedal creature. ___________________________________________________________ I groan as consciousness returns to me. Wait. I’ve consciousness? That means I’m alive! Well, there’s some good news. I shiver as I realize, not only am I laying face-down on a stone floor, but, for whatever reason, I’m completely naked. I push myself up and sit back, putting a hand to my head. “Man, what a rough trip. Just what...?” my hand lifts to my throat. Something’s wrong with my voice. It’s a lot higher, more... femini— Before that thought process can even finish my hands fly down to my groin again, only for me to recoil in both horror and due to having felt a spark of something go through me as my hands made contact with what was down there. Staring back at me was not my sign of manhood. Instead, I saw the pink lips of something I know I shouldn’t have. I whimper, pulling my arms around myself, only to scream as something else wraps around me. I flail about, batting the things away, only to shiver and wince as I feel pain through two new limbs. I look back over my shoulder, my eyes widening. Wings! Fucking wings! In the light of the moon shining down I can see they’re butter-yellow, with the lower row of feathers a criminally pastel pink. My brain shuts down for a moment as I process what I’m seeing and feeling connected to my body, feeling the joint muscles on my back where the wings fit underneath my shoulder blades. Once I finally get used to the new appendages on my back, their slightest movements making me only a little uneasy, I quickly look the rest of my body over. My body is covered in butter-yellow coloured fur, the same colour as the main feathers in my wings. I still have hands, so that’s a relief, though they’re also now covered in fur, though an incredibly fine kind, so I doubt the hairs with come off in my eyes if I rub them. Lifting my newly fur-covered hands up, I take hold of my hair, which is now shoulder length when it was incredibly short when I’d still been normal, and pull it a bit into my line of vision. It’s pink, really bright pink. Like, too pink for it to be logical pink. I frown. Butter-yellow fur and feathers and pink hair? Only one being comes into my mind at when I put those two things together, Fluttershy. But... Fluttershy doesn’t have any pink feathers, not to mention her mane is a lot lighter a shade of pink than my hair. I wince as I suddenly feel another new appendage shift behind me, glancing back to see a tail the same colour as my hair... well, mane, I guess. A small part of my brain is really starting to panic, but, the fact that I’m alive at all instead of dead as I’d thought I’d be is helping me remain calm somehow. I look down at where my feet should be and frown when I see a pair of hooves instead. Feeling my face with my hands, I can tell my mouth is now a snout. My eyes widen as I feel a horn on my head. It clicks in my brain. I’m an anthropomorphic Alicorn pony. Glancing around where I am, I feel equal parts joy and disappointment. The ruins of the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters’ throne room. I’ve seen it enough times in the show to be able to tell it at a glance. I frown, sitting down on the floor, before leaping up with a yelp, my hands flying to my bare bottom. With my mind so preoccupied by my sudden transformation and where I’d ended up, I’d forgotten the ground beneath me was cold stone and the fact that I’m currently in the buff and had sat down, the cold sending a shock wave from the point of contact. I grumble, looking around. With the moon in the sky, it’s clearly night-time and, since I’m in the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters, I’m in the Everfree Forest as well. Joy bunnies. I groan, folding my arms over my fur-covered chest. “Well, I’m not going to be the idiot that walks out into the Everfree at night.” Huh. Now that I’m paying attention to it, does my voice kinda sound like Sora from the Digimon English dub? I frown as a thought occurs to me. “Wait, if I’m anthro, does that mean I’ve come to an MLP world that’s anthro? And... since I’ve arrived nude... does that mean... nopony wears clothes in this world?” I blush scarlet, actually able to feel my face heating up as thoughts of the mane six and many other mares with slender forms and large racks, as the fandom tended to like portraying their anthro selves, flashed across my eyes. “No-no-no-no-no-no!” I shout, waving my hands around, for some reason thinking that will help dispel the thoughts from my brain. “I do not need those kinda images burned into my brain from actual sight! The only thing worse would be the males—” I regret that thought and sentence the moment the word leaves my lips, as visions of stallions walking around nude, with huge wangs in full view flopping around rush passed my eyes. “NO!” I scream, holding my head in my heads and shaking it back and forth violently. “No-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-NO! Not gonna happen! Not a chance! I refuse to even lay eyes on such a sight!” I blink as something suddenly occurs to me. If I’m now an anthro pony and female, shouldn’t I have breasts? I glance down, putting my hands to my chest. I can’t feel anything. Looking around, I suddenly take notice of just how large everything seems... and just how small my hands are. Judging from a human perspective, I’m probably as big as, say, a five or six-year-old. I sigh, scratching the back of my head. “Well, like I said before, I’m alive. Everything else is presently irrelevant.” Even if it won’t be in time. I look around, wondering what to do. Seeing as this is Luna and Celestia’s old castle, there should be a bedroom or more in here somewhere, right? No way am I staying up all night until the sun comes up. > Chapter 2 - The Strange Filly > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 2 The Strange Filly ___________________________________________________________ “Pinkie!” Twilight grumbled as her friend pushed her through the brush leading to the Castle of the two Pony Sisters. She was still trying to figure out how she’d been lying in her bed one moment, then walking through the Everfree with Pinkie shoving her and Fluttershy staying close to them both. If this was a dream, she’d be having words with Luna. “Just what in Equestria makes you think pulling me from my bed this late at night to go into the Everfree is such a good idea?! And quit shoving, I’m walking, alright?” Pinkie nodded, pulling back and began bouncing alongside the Alicorn. “Fluttershy and I were looking around in the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters after I got a Doozy. We didn’t stay long, because she mentioned that if a big monster or something was the Doozy, then having you and the other girls around would be a smarter idea than going at it alone. But then this weird scuttling sound started and Fluttershy went “AH!” and grabbed me and flew us back to Ponyville. But I noticed clouds forming around the Everfree near where the castle is and knew there hadn’t been any before and even the Everfree isn't that random with its weather, so I went to your castle, grabbed you out of bed and then we came here so you can figure out what might’ve happened.” Despite everything she knew about how much Pinkie was an insult to scientific reason, she still questioned how in Celestia’s name Pinkie said all that in one breath? It did not make sense and her brain demanded she find a logical explanation, despite her knowing searching for one would be a fruitless endeavour on her part. Then one particular part of what Pinkie said registered with the Alicorn, causing her eyes to widen. “A Doozy? You had a Doozy?!” Pinkie gave a few rapid nods. “Yeperioni. I was just about to go to bed, but first I decided to get a glass of warm chocolate milk. As I was drinking it, I started shuddering, only a little less this time than when I first got a Doozy for you believing in the Pinkie Sense.” “Somehow that doesn’t make me feel any better,” Twilight muttered uncertainly as they entered the entrance hall of the castle. At once Twilight winced. There was a resonance of recently activated powerful magic around the castle, making her horn itch. She strode in, her mind focused on finding the source of the magic. Her search led her to the throne room, where the impact of the magic was strongest. What confused her was it felt a bit like Luna’s magic... only different somehow. Frowning, she used another scrying spell, this time trying to find where whatever had caused this magical disturbance to occur. At once the spell started pulling her in a direction that caused her to raise an eyebrow. They’d repaired that particular area of the castle only a bit a few days ago. It was the chambers where Celestia, Luna and several nobles used to sleep. “Um, Twilight?” Fluttershy whispered as she and Pinkie followed their friend up the stairs, Pinkie bouncing all the way. “Should... should we be worried?” “I don’t know,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “Something’s weird about the magic I’m sensing. I can’t quite put my hoof on why though.” “Maybe a creature from another dimension came using the magic laying dormant in the castle and, when it saw it was night time, decided to go to sleep, but wanted to sleep in a real bed instead of on the cold, hard rocky floor?” Pinkie said, giving an extra large bounce as she finished her sentence. Twilight was about to disagree, but, knowing the magic of the forest and what remained in the castle after Celestia banished Nightmare Moon and then again after they defeated her, not to mention the magical residue from when the Tree of Harmony was given the Elements back and when the magic that grew her castle had been released, she decided against it. Pinkie might not be too far off. After several minutes of walking through the castle’s many hallways, they came to a stop outside of a bedroom. It wasn’t Celestia or Luna’s but one for the princes and princess under them. Just who, Twilight couldn’t tell, seeing as the symbol of their family crest had worn away with time. “Okay, girls,” she said, looking back at the two ponies. “Get ready. We don’t know what’s in there, but we’ll face it together.” Fluttershy give a squeak, while Pinkie gave a vicious nod, before shouting, “CHARGE!” and rushed forward, pulling the two of them with her as she bashed down the door. As the door came down a loud, young scream rang out and a creature leapt from the nearest bed, standing against the wall the head of the bed was against. Twilight, after pushing herself up from the floor and the light of her horn was cast upon the creature, stared with wide eyes and an open jaw. The creature seemed bipedal, it was standing on two legs. As she looked, she couldn't help noticing it almost looked like the humans from Sunset Shimmer’s world... only they also looked like a pony, and not in the way she and her human friends did when their magic in that world activated. This creature’s body was covered in fur the same colour as Fluttershy. She noted that it had wings that she could just make out, shivering behind the creature’s back and that, while also the same colour as Fluttershy’s, had the lower feathers coloured pink, more akin to the colour of Pinkie’s fur. She had what appeared to be a pony snout, identifying her as a pony and, while she had hands like humans did, instead of feet, she had hooves. Twilight was quite shocked to see there was a horn at the top of the creature’s head, which, if it was a pony, since it had wings as well, it meant it was an Alicorn. However, what truly rooted Twilight to the spot were the creature’s eyes as they stared back at her with pure, unadulterated fear. They were not shaped like a normal pony’s. The turquoise irises, which should have had round pupils, like all other ponies, save the Theastrals, instead were dagger-shaped. Instead of whites in her eyes around the irises, they were more of a light-blue. Not only that, they were eyes Twilight had seen very closely several times, both on her first day in Ponyville and also when she had seen into the past the night Celestia used the Elements of Harmony against her younger sister. They were the eyes of Nightmare Moon. However, though Twilight’s mind latched onto this possibly being Nightmare Moon, the strangely shaped pony’s next reaction caused her to falter. Whereas, if this were indeed Nightmare Moon she would likely have cursed out loud before trying to make an escape, the being standing on the bed dropped to her knees, then to her behind, putting her head in her hands and began... sobbing? While Twilight was stunned into another stillness by this, Fluttershy, being the kind mare she always is, hurried forward to comfort the oddly shaped creature. ___________________________________________________________ 1 HOUR AGO I sigh as I make me way through the castle, confused at first as to why some parts don’t seem as ruined as they used to be, before I remember the Power Ponies episode back in Season 4. “The Mane Six must still work on fixing this place up every now and then,” I think out loud. Being the only one who can talk nearby right now, hearing my new voice, as unsettling as it is to hear it coming from my own mouth, is better than the silence of the night. Well, silence is a relative term. Ever since I started searching the castle the sounds of the forest have me on edge. I can swear I heard the distant sound of howling at one point, my brain locking onto Timberwolves and hoping against all there is that I don’t run into any either tonight or when I go out tomorrow to try and find Ponyville. Sure, I’ve turned into an Alicorn. But I’m just filly and have only been an Alicorn for less than half an hour, so using magic to defend myself or my new wings to fly away weren’t options I could rely on if the worst happened. Not to mention I feel more scared than I know I should, even considering the circumstances. My only theory being that, since I’m now in the body of a five to six-year-old, maybe my mind is starting to slightly think like one. A bit more searching and I finally find a bedroom I can use that doesn’t look like I might catch something if I slept in the bed. I crawl onto it and getting under the covers. They’re a bit thin, but will do for now. I close my eyes and lie there, waiting for sleep to take me and trying to ignore the sounds of the forest outside. NOW I yelp as I’m jerked awake and by the sound someone shouting “CHARGE!” followed loud crashing sound and leap up out of the covers, pressing my back against the wall the head of the bed’s against, staring with wide eyes. Three figures are standing before me at the entrance to room, the door to which has literally been knocked down. Well, one of them is standing. The other two are in the process of getting up from where they’d fallen after the door came down. All three seem to be on four legs. My mind jumps to the Timberwolves I heard before going to bed as one of them leans it’s head up to look at me. I don’t keep my eyes open, shutting them quickly and slumping down on the bed until I’m in a sitting position and start to cry as I put my head in my hands. Really? This is how I go out, as an anthropometric Alicorn lunch for a pile of living wood? I’m suddenly feeling something I hadn’t expected. A warm body holding my own. As I try to control my sobs to understand this, I hear a voice talking to me. “Shh. It’s okay. It’s okay. Don’t worry. We’re not here to hurt youm” the voice is soft and soothing... and one I’ve heard before. I fall into the embrace, holding onto the one holding me tightly. After what feels like a long time, I managed to stop crying, only a few tears trickling down my muzzle. The room is now lit by torches positioned around the walls that I hadn’t seen when I came in to sleep. The ones who had busted the door down turned out to be Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy, the latter of which is sitting next to me as I sit on the bed, leaning over to nuzzle me every few moments. It's comforting, for reason, feeling her do so. Twilight is pacing back and forth on the floor, her face a frown as she thinks. I’d managed to tell them everything I could, though I’d noticed her giving me sceptical looks from time to time as I spoke. Though, I chocked that up to that, for some reason, whenever I tried to talk about where I really came from beyond saying "another world" or my age, I'd for some unknown reason get tongue-tied and just trail off, probably sounding like a little child making things up as they go along and running out of things to say. It was only when Pinkie said, and I quote “She’s just not sure to believe you because you’ve got Black Snooty’s eyes” that I understood the main reason why the Princess of Friendship was treating me like a suspect in a crime as well as learning what my eyes looked like. Though, personally, I think I would’ve chosen to not have Nightmare Moon’s eyes if I could have. I can only see that causing problems for me later on. “So, you really have no idea why you’re in our world, or why you look like you do and have Nightmare Moon’s eyes?” the Alicorn asked once she’d finally stopped pacing and turned to look at me. I look down, nodding. Not only is it confusing that I’ve turned into an anthro pony, but the colour of my mane and fur didn’t make sense when I had the infamous Mare in the Moon’s eyes. The only thing that told me was that, since I’d found myself in the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters’ throne room, where Twilight and her friends had defeated Nightmare back in episode two, maybe some of Nightmare’s lingering magic that was left behind had merged with me when I arrived here. The how and why, though, I don’t understand and my brain threatened to go on strike if I even tried. Twilight frowns, rubbing her head with a hoof. The fact that I’m anthro, while they’re quadrupeds hasn’t missed my attention, though that will only makes things more complicated as far as I’m concerned. “So, where will she stay?” all three of us turn in surprise at Fluttershy’s words. She hides behind her mane for a moment, before coming back out and looking to me. “You can’t stay here by yourself. You’re just a filly.” She looks to Twilight again. “Should she stay with you, Twilight? You are an Alicorn, so you’d be able to understand her better than either of us.” Twilight frowns again, before looking to me, her horn lighting with her magic. I winced as I feel her magic envelop me but notice I only feel an odd tingling. When it fades, Twilight’s eyes are wide as saucepans and her mouth is hanging wide open. “Careful, Princess,” I begin saying without realizing it, “you might catch flies like that.” The lavender mare startles, before Pinkie bursts out laughing and rolls around on the floor, holding her sides. “Catch flies! That’s hilarious.” “It... wasn’t that funny,” I mutter, wondering why I’d just blurted out something like that. Twilight seems to recover, giving her head a quick shake. She closes her eyes and does the breathing technique Cadance taunt her. The Brony inside me squees at seeing it in person, but I try to maintain a normal expression. Twilight then blushes, looking anywhere but at the other two ponies. “Um, girls? This is a little... strange to say the least.” I cock my head. What’s she talking about? Fluttershy mirrors my movements. “What’s so strange, Twilight?” Twilight sighs, then begins pawing at the ground. “I cast a spell to test her magic and, while I detected only the smallest traces of Nightmare Moon’s magic, confirming the theory that this filly isn’t her, but was create using the remnants of her magic... it also told me something... I honestly hadn’t expected.” I smirk. “What, Twilight? Are you gonna say that Fluttershy and Pinkie are my parents because of my mane and coat colours?” There is a dead silence, broken only by the sounds outside the castle. My breath catches in my throat, before I deadpan. “You’re kidding? You’re kidding, right?” Twilight slowly shakes her head. “I... don’t understand how and, seeing as Pinkie’s involved, I’m not even sure I wanna know—” “Hey!” Pinkie said in an annoyed tone, though her wide smile didn’t make if very believable. “—but, somehow, you share both Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie’s DNA as well as a combination of their inner magics, like children do their parents.” I just stare at her, my turquoise eyes wide. “But... how?” She shook her head. “I may be the pony who bore of the Element of Magic, but that doesn’t mean I know everything there is to know about magic. Whatever caused you to come to our world, it also fused you with Fluttershy and Pinkie’s DNA, the how, where and why their DNA was present when you arrived I have no idea. Now, while some might speculate that this merely makes you some kind of clone or that you now just share their genetics with them, the spell identified you as their offspring. Also, it specified your age at a little more than five years.” I am about to say “Well, maybe you’re spell is wrong” but stop myself. I know from the show that it wouldn’t end well with, at least, my getting a day long lecture on the workings on the spell or, at worst, Twilight going as crazy, if not more so, than in Lesson Zero. Neither options appeals to me. So, instead, I merely nod to show my lack of resistance. Fluttershy and Pinkie are, understandably, just staring at me, dumbfounded. “D-d-daughter?” Fluttershy stutters, her eyes holding something I’d seen in her eyes whenever she spoke about the Breezies in the show. “I have a d-d-d-daughter?” While Fluttershy’s reaction is one thing, Pinkie’s is making me nervous. She had frozen in the air, mid-bounce, thus defying the laws of gravity for the umpteenth time, her face a blank expression. For the usually overly active mare I know from the show, and since meeting her, this is really unnerving. I don’t get much of a chance to think further on that train of thought, though, as Fluttershy pulls me into a tight, yet warm hug and nuzzles my cheek affectionately. “I have a daughter!” she cheers, which is more like the “Yays” she gave during the episode Sonic Rainboom. This somehow snaps Pinkie out... whatever it was she was stuck in and the sound of one of her party cannons goes off, the room filling with confetti, before she hugs me from the other side, sandwhiching me between the two of them. “Can oi breaf, peash?” I say from between them. They pull back a little, but keep holding me. Well, this is certainly going to be an interesting experience. When I get back to Earth, it’ll sure make an interesting story. > Chapter 3 - An Emotional Encounter > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3 An Emotional Encounter ___________________________________________________________ “This place is really creepy at night,” I murmur, glancing around at the trees of the Everfree. After Twilight managed to pry me out from being sandwhiched between Fluttershy and Pinkie, the three mares agreed that we should all get out of the forest. A sentemient I was all in agreement of. At first we all trotted out together (I’ve got hooves, okay? So I’m counting it as group trotting), but it soon became apparent that I’m a lot more tired than I thought, as I began lagging behind after just a few metres. As such, Fluttershy insisted I ride on her back. I tried to protest, but she can be very insistent... and I really didn’t want her using The Stare on me, so I eventually complied. The moment I was on her back though, I feel an easiness flow through me and leaned down, rubbing my face into her fur. I’d realized what I was doing after hearing giggling from my ride and quickly stopped, my face turning red with embarrassment. Why the hell did I do that? Anyway, we left the castle and now we’re moving through the forest, back towards Ponyville. Part of me is really excited to see it, but another part is nervous about it, too. I mean, I’m an anthro pony, for crying out loud. I do not see this being something easy for the town to accept, especially a certain pair consisting of a pink and grey filly. “I still can’t help wondering what pulled... um, Tailor, wasn’t it?” Twilight glances at me and I nod. Saying my name had been one of the first things I hadn’t gotten mysteriously tongue-tied over. She nods. “I’d still like to know what brought Tailor into our world in the first place. Fluttershy, do you think Discord might know?” “I might know what?” a loud, cheery voice rings out suddenly. Flutttershy startles and I topple backward, falling off of her and hitting the ground with an “Ow.” The mismatched master of chaos himself is standing there in front of our little group, smiling around at us all, before his eyes fall on me. “Well, aren’t you an interestingly cute sight!” he says, seeming to suddenly be very close and leaning down towards me. Now, one part of my brain is saying I should be ecstatic to meet the master of chaos himself in person, another part saying I should be annoyed he startled Fluttershy, causing her to toss me off because my butt now really hurts from impacting the ground. However, those are being overridden by something I don’t understand. As I look up at the large, multi-animal patchwork creature bfore me... I can feel a sense of fear rising up inside me. I can’t explain it, but the sight of Discord is scaring the shit out of me and I feel something well up from within and, for some reason beyond my comprehension, I can feel tears forming in my eyes. He moves a bit closer and that pushes it too far and I burst into tears, wailing loudly. I don’t know why I’m crying, I don’t why he scares me like this, but I am terrified of this thing. ___________________________________________________________ “Discord!” Fluttershy shouted in a scolding tone after hurrying over and pulling the young biped filly into a hug, she reciprocate by clutching onto the yellow mare, holding on tightly. “Stop it! You’re scaring her!” “Hey, I didn’t mean to,” the dragonequus said honestly, backing away quickly and holding his hands up. “I didn’t think she’d react like that, I swear.” As Fluttershy tried to hush the sobbing filly, Discord glanced around them, before snapping his eagle talon. At a glance from Twilight, he replied, “Some Timber Wolves were lurking nearby after hearing the filly’s wails. I teleported them to the other side of the forest, far away from us.” Twilight nodded. “Now, can somepony explain to me just what she is?” Discord asked, trusting a thump in the still crying filly’s direction. This was met by all three mares looking at him with wide eyes. “What?” he asked, looking around, shrugging. “What did I say?” Twilight just blinked at him. “I thought you could sense when there’s a a magical imbalance! Surely Tailor being pulled from her own world and into our and turned into... whatever she’s become, would’ve been something you’d noticed!” Discord just shrugged, shaking his head. “From the fact we’re standing in the Everfree, I can assume this is where she arrived?” After nods of confirmation, he continued. “Well, you’ll have to forgive me, Twilight, if I don’t pay attention to a magical imbalances that occurs in a place where such things happen every day in the one place in Equestria that works without influence from other beings.” Twilight opened her mouth to argue, before pausing. That was... a surprisingly reasonable explanation. If Discord was always sensing the Everfree’s wild magic, a blip within it wouldn’t be of any real notice, as it would be too often just the forest itself, thus he had paid it no mind. By now, Fluttershy, with Pinkie Pie’s help, had gotten the young biped filly to calm down. She was still sniffling, but seemed at least to have settled. “Do you think you could figure out what brought her to our world?” Twilight asked, turning to Discord. He frowned, scratching his chin, before snapping his fingers, giving the young filly a quick scan, before turning his head in the direction they’d come from. “I’ll get back to you with what I find.” And with that, he popped away, leaving the four ponies alone. “Come on,” Fluttershy said, nuzzling Taylor’s cheek. “Let’s get you back to my cottage and something warm to drink.” “Agreed,” the older of the two Alicorns nodded. “We should get out of this forest as fast as possible.” The rest of the walk was in relative silence. Relative because Fluttershy was quietly humming the whole time, it seeming to help the young filly stay calm as she lay on her stomach on the mare’s back. When they got to Fluttershy’s house, they all went inside. The place was not quiet, as Angel Bunny had clearly not been pleased when Pinkie came and got Fluttershy at the time she did and he had managed to rouse a few. The sight of the biped Alicorn riding on Fluttershy’s back made his eyes go wide, before he glared at the yellow mare and thrust his paw towards the door, his intent clear. “Angel!” the Pegasus scolded, a firm frown on her face. “This young filly needs a place to stay and I’m offering our home. Besides, she’s my daughter and I’m not sending her away. You'll just have to get used to her.” Angel’s eyes bugged out at the word “daughter”, before a deep scowl formed on his face. He did not like the idea of Fluttershy having a daughter. Not one bit. “I think you should put her to bed, Fluttershy,” Twilight said noticing the Alicorn filly was sound asleep, her breathing gentle as she lay on the older mare’s back. “I think tonight was too much for a... being her age.” Twilight wasn’t even really sure if she could be called a pony. Ponies do not have hands and walks on two legs. She needed more information. She was going to contact Sunset Shimmer in morning, see if she might have any ideas, living in a world of bipeds. Fluttershy nodded, before looking to the pink member of their party. “Um, Pinkie? Would you... would you like to stay the night? Tailor is your daughter too. Um, if that’s okay with you, I mean.” The pink pony bounced several times, a big grin on her face, before cocking her head and frowning, then shook her head. “Sorry, Fluttershy. I’d love to stay the night so we can look after our little pony-not-pony daughter together tonight, but if I’m not home when the babies wake up, they’ll be really unhappy.” She then moved forward and kissed the filly on her snout, whispering, “I’ll see you tomorrow, my widdle foal,” before turning back to her friends. “Besides, I’ve not got some serious party planning to do.” “What do you mean?” Twilight asked, confused. “Well, all the parties because of Taylor, of course,” Pinkie said matter-of-factly. “ Duh. I’ve gotta arrange her Welcome to Ponyville Party, but I also need to give Fluttershy and me Foal Showers, plus the Congratulations on Becoming Mommies parties. Hmm. should we have maternity parties, even though we never got pregnant with her? Hm, i have to get back to that. There’s a lot to do. Night, girls!” And... she was gone. She literally wasn't there anymore. She didn't walk away. They didn’t see her leave, or turn around to go, she was just gone. Twilight stood there for a moment, before shaking her head and turned to Fluttershy. “Are you sure you’ll be okay, looking after her on your own tonight?” Fluttershy nodded, before looking back at the one of her back with a wistful smile. “Don’t worry, Twilight. She’s in good hooves.” Twilight gave a small laugh. “Of that, I have no doubt.” She gave a loud yawn, before waving. “G’night, Fluttershy.” “Goodnight, Twilight,” the yellow Pegasus said, as Twilight turned and flew off, back towards her new castle. “Oh, that’s right,” she gasped as she closed the door. “Twilight wanted us all to meet up in the throne room tomorrow to discus just why the castle appeared.” She glanced over her shoulder at the sleeping filly. “Well... she might be okay with me bringing her along. Though, how are we going to explain this to the girls? especially mine and Pinkie’s new role with...” her eyes widened, “motherhood?” It only really now was fully hitting the yellow mare. She was a mother. The young one resting on her back was her child. She blushed. This was so sudden and new to her. She hadn’t thought she’d become a mother for ages and now it had just been thrust upon her with this young filly who was older than she’d expected her first child to be. However, the longer she looked at the sleeping foal, the more she thought it was the right thing they were doing. Smiling to herself, Fluttershy moved up, thinking of letting the young one sleep in the spare room, before pausing. The poor little thing had been so scared when they found her and she was lost in their world. Her reaction to Discord should she was a very sensitive pony. If she woke up alone in a room in a house she didn’t know, she might get really scared. Nodding to herself, Fluttershy changed course and headed for her own bedroom. Carefully, she slid the biped pony off her back and onto the bed, before gingerly getting in herself and pulling the covers over them. The reaction from the sleeping child was immediate. As soon as she sensed Fluttershy was close, she moved closer, snuggling into the crook of the Pegasus’ neck. Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile, before closing her eyes and began singing softly, stroking the young pony’s mane as she did so. Hush now, Quiet now. It's time to lay, sleepy head. Said, Hush now, Quiet now. It is time to go to bed. Driftin' (Driftin') off to sleep. Leave the day behind you. Driftin' (Driftin') off to sleep. Let the joy of dreamland find you. Hush now, quiet now. Lay your sleepy head. Said hush now, quiet now. It's time to go to bed. After she finished, she looked down at the smiling face of the filly sleeping against her. It was odd, thinking how young she was, yet her size made her almost as big as Fluttershy herself. Shaking her head lightly to put those thoughts aside, Fluttershy settled down, falling asleep to the gentle breathing of her new daughter. > Chapter 4 - Introductions… Sheesh, Those Could’ve Gone Better > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 4 Introductions… Sheesh, Those Could’ve Gone Better ___________________________________________________________ I stir from sleep, feeling odd. Not that I can blame myself. Talk about a weird ass dream. Get sucked into a wall and wake up in Equestria as an anthro Alicorn filly? If I didn’t drink, I’d swear I must had too many after work. Suddenly, my senses seem to return and I realize it wasn’t a dream. I am an anthro Alicorn filly! I quickly sit up, holding the covers of the bed I’m lying in with my right hand. Looking around, I realize I’m in Fluttershy’s bedroom. Fluttershy isn’t in here, so I’m guessing she’s out either somewhere else in the cottage, or out in town. Taking a deep breath, I let the covers fall and look down at my new body, lifting my hands and staring at them. How in the world did this happen? How did I go from your average joe to suddenly being transported to Equestria and becoming the youngest Alicorn in the land, not to mention the first ever anthro one? Suddenly, I lift my head, my new nose picking up the scent of something delicious cooking somewhere outside the room. I hesitate, glancing down at myself. Should I go out there? I don’t want to be a bother to Fluttershy. I just sit for several moments, before my stomach grumbles loudly, pretty much demanding I go get food. Waiting a few moments more, I slowly slide off the bed and move towards the door. As I reach it, a white ball of fluff bounces into my view. Angel glares up at me, tapping his foot on the ground. I cock my head. “What?” He makes several motions and squeaks. I frown. “Hey! I didn’t choose to come here, ya cotton ball. I dunno why I’m here and just because Fluttershy let me stay doesn’t mean you get to be so rude.” Angel’s anger vanishes, replaced by a look of shock. “What?” I say, slapping a hand against my chest. “You think you can talk to me like that and I wouldn’t defend myself? I’m only a five year old in body, Angel, not mind.” He squeaks a few more times. I cock an eyebrow, folding my arms. “Well, of course I understand what you’re saying. I wouldn’t be responding to you if I couldn’t, would I?” He squeaks again. I open my mouth to retort, before my expression changes to curiosity and I lower my arms. “Wait. Until now, Fluttershy’s the only pony who’s understood what you’re saying?” He nods, before looking down, suddenly looking sheepish. I cock my head to the side. “What?” He rubs his neck, making several squeaks. “Oh,” I blink, taken aback, rubbing my neck too. “Well, okay. Apology accepted, I guess.” There’s silence between us for several longs minutes. I rub my arm. “Okay, yeah, even after everything that happened last night, this is weird.” “Angel, have you woken up Tailor yet?” Fluttershy’s voice calls from the kitchen. We both blink, realizing we’d just been standing there and I follow Angel as he leads me into the kitchen. As we enter the living room, it’s to find several animals milling about. They all stop when we walk in, all of them looking at me. I look away, rubbing my right arm. “Everyone, be kind, okay?” I turn as Fluttershy enters the room, balancing a tray with a sandwich, glass of water and sliced fruit of some kind. She moves over to a small table by the couch and places the tray on it, before looking to me. “Good morning, Tailor. Did you sleep well?” “Surprisingly, yeah,” I say, sitting down once I realize the tray is meant for me. You would think, being only the size of a five year old, it would be harder to move around… but pony stuff is perfectly sized. It’s kinda weird, if you think about it. “Now, I realize you might be a bit nervous,” Fluttershy says as I take a bite of the sandwich (peanut, thank god it’s something normal), “but, I think it would be a good idea for you to come with me into town today. Maybe meet some other foals.” I pause, having just been about to take a bite and give the mare a raised eyebrow. “Fluttershy, you… do realize I’m not really a child, right? I only look five. I’m over twenty.” She blinks, something seeming to pass over her eyes, before she shakes her head, looking apologetic. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I completely forgot. Um…” I put the remains of the sandwich down and sigh. “Don’t worry. I doubt you’ll be the last. Then again,” I rub my chin in thought, “you already know what my physical age should be. To most other, they’ll probably think I’m just a really youthful adult.” “You… are rather tall for your age. Um, the age your body is now, I mean,” she says, before catching herself. I shake my head. “Actually, in my world, this is the normal height for someone my new age.” I look up at the ceiling. “This won’t be easy. How does one just explain away an anthro filly Alicorn showing up out of nowhere in a world of quadrupeds?” We chat for a bit over breakfast, Fluttershy filling me in on a few details that help me figure out where in the MLP timeline I’m at… and it’s not exactly helpful for me. The last events she explains that sound familiar to me are the ones from Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?. After that, everything she tells me does not sound the least bit familiar, which tells me I’ve arrived sometime during the latter half of season 5… which had yet to air in the real world before I came here, so I’m completely lost. Rarity opened a boutique in Canterlot, though that’s not too much of a surprise, since it makes sense she’d do that, but then Fluttershy mentions something about a pony named Wind Rider, who sounds like a dick since he tried to have Dash expelled from ever joining the Wonderbolts by framing her for something and all just so he could prevent Dash from breaking a record he’d set in his prime. I blink, glancing up at my horn and fluffing my wings. If the princesses let me, I wouldn’t me giving him a piece of my mind. I’ll probably be here for a while, so why not have fun with it? Rarity and Applejack themselves are apparently going out today because the Cutie Map called them for something. What that something is, I dunno. It’s a Friendship Mission. The Map wasn’t exactly clear with its last two missions. We both yelp with a start when a green flash burst between us, before forming into a scroll. I take it, glancing at the mare and she nods. I unroll the scroll and read. “Dear Fluttershy and Tailor, please come to my castle as soon as possible. The princesses wish to see Tailor and decide what to do with her. From Twilight Sparkle.” I frown, looking over the scroll again, before turning it around, trying to find more. Angel makes some dispassionate squeaks. “I agree, that’s it?” I ask, lowering the scroll. “Nothing else. Sheesh, talk about lack of tact, Princess of Friendship.” Not to mention she spelled my name wrong. “Hmm?” Fluttershy cocks her head, confused. I sigh, shaking my head. “It’s fine. Let’s just finish eating and go. You wanna come too, Angel?” He looks to me and nods. ___________________________________________________________ “Why does this bother me so much?” I murmur, staying close to Fluttershy, hugging myself. After we finished breakfast and sorting things out for the rest of Fluttershy’s animals, the three of us left her cottage and made our way into town, Angel riding at my head. Within moments of walking into town, though, any confidence I’d had vanished once ponies started glancing my way with looks of curiosity and confusion. Now, I’m normally a pretty confident person. I can walk through a crowd dressed in a bright light-blue Japanese school girl uniform and flaunt it without a care. But now… now I’m feeling anxiety like I never have as ponies look at me, making me huddle close to Fluttershy, somehow it making me feel a little bit safer. Though, I suppose being butt naked isn’t helping my moral very much. Can’t spend over twenty years living in a society where being naked outside is taught to not be the norm and then feel totally at ease walking through a completely foreign town in your birthday suit. I mean, I know they’re more than likely focused on either the being an Alicorn or biped or both as opposed to my being a nude child, but that doesn’t really help much. “It’s okay, Tailor,” Fluttershy rubs my side with a wing. “It’s not too far to Twilight’s castle. Once we’re there, we can figure things out.” And hopefully find Rarity so she can make me some clothes so I don’t have to walk around naked anymore. “Watch out!” a familiar trio of voices shouts comes from behind us. Turning around, it’s too see an orange and purple blur coming towards us at rapid speed. I yelp, grabbing Fluttershy, vaguely aware of warmth on my horn, before a crashing sound comes from… behind us. I open my eyes to see the blur no longer in front of us and turn around along with Fluttershy to see a certain trio of fillies in a pile by the road, a wooden scooter and metal wagon laying upturned a bit away from them. “Oh my gosh! Girls, are you okay?” Fluttershy hurries over, checking if the three are alright. “That was an interesting spell,” a firm voice says from behind me. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen one like that before,” says another voice that sounds… wait. I recognize that accent. That’s Australian! Turning around, I’m met by the sight of two mares. One is an Earth Pony with an amber coat and a two toned orange mane and tail and a palm tree and yellow heart for a Cutie Mark, while the other is a slightly stout Pegasus with a turquoise coat and purple mane and tail with a faded purple stripe through each and a sheep with wings for a Cutie Mark. I blink. Okay… who in the heck are these two? I don’t recognize them at all. “Sorry, Auntie Lofty,” Scootaloo’s voice makes me turn back to see the three fillies having righted themselves and dusting themselves off. The turquoise Pegasus laughs heartily. “I did warn ya, slugger. Bet ya learned your lesson now, huh?” The three fillies blush. I blink, before my eyes widen. Wait a minute. Auntie Lofty?! She’s Scootlaoo’s aunt?! Scootaloo actually has family?! “Sorry about that, Fluttershy,” the Earth Pony mare says, looking to her, before she notices me and blinks in surprised confusion. “Oh. Who’s your friend? Can’t say I’ve seen her around Ponyville before.” Fluttershy turns her attention to the mares. “Oh, that’s alright, Holiday. And, yes, she is new. This is Tailor. She… arrived last night.” “Huh? Interesting type, ain’t ya?” Lofty asks, looking me over. “Never seen a pony like you before. You half Minotaur or something?” “That’s… a long story,” Fluttershy comes over, standing closer to me as I just stand there. I’ve been barely paying attention, though. I’m still stuck on the whole “Scootaloo isn’t an orphan after all” thing. The fuck? “Bit early to be dressing up for Nightmare Night,” I’m pulled from my thoughts as the three fillies suorund me, looking me over, Scootaloo frowning in confusion. “What’re you even supposed to be? One of the princesses?” I don’t understand where they’re coming from. “What kind of spell was that?”Sweetie Belle cocks her head at me. “We went right through you.” “Ah think Twilight mentioned it once,” Apple Bloom says, looking to the sky in thought. “She called it Phasin’, Ah think?” “Wait a minute! Look at her flank!” Sweetie Belle’s cry causes me blood to freeze. The three Crusaders all look at my thighs, making me incredibly self-conscious. “How can ya be a grown up an’ still not have yer Cutie Mark?” Apple Bloom asks, looking stunned. “I didn’t even know that could happen!” Scootaloo says, before her eyes widen in horror. “What if we don’t get our Cutie Marks before we’re adults?!” The three fillies look at each other, before they scream and start running around frantically. “Wait!” I call, whirling back and forth, trying to get their attention. “You don’t understand. It’s not like — I’m not— ” I look to Fluttershy, begging for help. How’d things fall apart so quickly? Fluttershy look around, before taking a deep breath. “Girls!” The three halted in place, looking to her. “Tailor isn’t an adult. She’s a foal, just like you. She’s just a bit different due to some unknown magic. We’re going to Twilight's to see what she can do.” Uh… well, that’s technically not a lie. We are going to Twilight’s to see what she can do for me… just not exactly the way Fluttershy worded it. Without another word, Fluttershy leads me off, myself glancing back in confusion. Well, that could’ve gone better. > Chapter 5 - I am NOT Walking Around in the Buff. Nuts to That! > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 5 I am NOT Walking Around in the Buff. Nuts to That! ___________________________________________________________ We reach the front of Twilight’s castle, Fluttershy knocking twice. A few moments later, the door opens to reveal Spike. The little drake seems very taken aback when he sees me, his eyes wide with shock. “Wow. Twilight wasn’t joking. You really do kinda look like a human.” Fluttershy nods and he leads us inside towards what I quickly figure out is the room where the Cutie Map is. The closer we get, the more I can hear a trio of voices, all recognizable. Spike opens the door to the room, revealing three Alicorn mares who’d clearly been in discussion about something, though they all fall silent the moment the door opens. At once, I move closer to Fluttershy, using her wing to hide me better. “This is the young being you spoke of, Twilight?” Princess Celestia’s voice says, sounding intrigued. I find myself only able to make a small “eep” in response. Suddenly, Fluttershy’s wing is covered in a blue magical aura and lifted out of my grasp, revealing me. At once, I pull my arms to my chest and look away, though I’m forced to turn back as my head is gripped in the same glow and I’m made to meet the scrutinizing gaze of Princess Luna face to face. There’s a very long, tense silence as I’m forced to meet her eyes with mine, it not at all escaping my attention that my eyes are Nightmare Moon’s eyes and just how badly this can go. After what feels like an eternity, Luna finally lets her magical grip on me go and I scurry back behind Fluttershy’s wing, the Pegasus wrapping it around me in a comforting manor. “Well, Luna?” Celestia’s voice asks. I can’t see anything with my face pressed against the yellow Pegasus’ feathers. “I see nothing of Nightmare within her gaze,” the Lunar Princess’ voice says firmly. “If she were truly Nightmare having tried to fool Fluttershy or within the young filly, I would have seen a flicker. A movement within her pupils that Nightmare would’ve been unable to avoid. This Tailor is her own pony… if an unusual one.” “True, her form is quite… unique,” Celestia says and I sees Fluttershy’s feathers part a little, revealing the white mare looking at me with a gentle smile. “Still, that is not a bad thing. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.” “I’m not ashamed,” I murmur quietly, burying myself deeper into Fluttershy’s feather and fur. “I’m just anxious and embarrassed.” That causes a confused look, shared by Luna and Twilight. “How so?” Spike’s voice asks from somewhere I can’t see. At this, I actually feel a flare of annoyance and glare out through the feathers. “I come from a world where walking around naked isn’t appropriate unless you’re having a shower, getting dressed or home alone.” There’s a pause as they continue to look confused. Slowly, very slowly, their expressions turn to understanding, shock and embarrassment. “Oh, well, um,” Luna coughs, putting a hoof over her mouth. “We can… understand your dilemma then.” “There’s… just one problem,” Twilight groans, facehoofing. We all look to her. “Rarity and Applejack are off in Manehatten and there’s no telling when they’ll be back.” I blink, before facepalming. Oh, for fuck sake. Does fate just hate me and is screwing with me on purpose at this point? “I… guess we’ll just remain inside for now then,” Fluttershy says reassuringly. “If Tailor doesn’t want to go out without clothes, I won’t force her.” “Can’t she just make some herself?” We all turn to Spike, who points at me. “Well, since her name’s Tailor, wouldn’t she likely have a special talent for clothing?” I blink, before remembering how Twilight had spelled my name on the letter and it finally clicks… and I find myself getting angrier than I actually think I need to be, but I’m too angry to really care. “My name’s Taylor, not Tailor!” I shout, standing up straight, stepping away from Fluttershy, glaring, arms thrust down at my sides and wings flared. “Huh?” the ponies and drake respond, glancing from one to the other. I blink, before feeling my right eye twitch and rub my temples with my fingers. “T-A-Y-L-O-R. Not T-A-I-L-O-R.” “That’s… not how it’s spelled,” Twilight shakes her head. I grumble, shaking my head. “My name is spelled that way. Just because my name sounds like the word tailor it doesn’t mean my name is spelled that way. Plus, it doesn’t mean I’m going to have any skill with clothing. Heck, textiles was my least favourite subject in high school and made me so nervous about sewing my own fingers I only took it for one year.” “Oh,” Twilight says, her expression blank. “I… huh.” I give an exasperated sigh, putting a hand to my forehead. “Great. Just great. Now I’m gonna be walking around in my birthday suit all day. Possibly even all week, all because I had to arrive in Equestria while Rarity isn’t here.” “Spike? What are you thinking about?” At Celestia’s question, we all turn to see the Baby Dragon rubbing his chin in thought. “Well, there is one other person we could go to for clothes, if Taylor really needs them now.” “Who?” Fluttershy asks, though I’m staring at Spike like he just solved the question of why life exists. EQG Rarity! Of course! Plus, she’s more familiar with a humanoid body than this world’s Rarity. It’d be so much easier… if not for one small detail. “I don’t have any money.” They all look to me and I frown, looking around at them. “Well, we can’t just ask that world’s Rarity to make me clothes for free!” “Come again?” Luna asks, very confused. “There’s a Rarity in the world behind the mirror Sunset Shimmer went through and she’s pretty much like this world’s Rarity, only a human and not owner of a fashion boutiques in two places,” I state. Luna opens her mouth to answer, before closing it. “Hmm.” “Well, it’s worth a try, isn’t it?” Twilight asks. I sigh, folding my arms, before frowning in thought. “Wait. Maybe she won’t have to.” “What do you mean?” Spike asks, cocking an eyebrow. “Well, Twilight automatically gets clothes whenever she goes through the portal, right?” I rub my chin. “If I go through now… there’s a chance I’ll turn into a human and be wearing clothes.” “But you’d lose them the moment you came back through,” Spike points out. I blink, before facepalming. Crap. Forgot that detail. Unless… “Lemme try something.” Twilight gives me a curious look, before leading me out of the room and down the hall, Fluttershy, Spike and the other princesses following behind. We go through a door and are in a library, where… Yes. The mirror’s here. Hurrying over, I place my hand on the surface and it passes right through. I grin. Okay. This might actually work. “Taylor what in Equestria are you—?” Twilight’s voice says from behind me, but is cut off as I jump through the portal. The world spins around and around in a multitude of colours for several moments, before I find myself flung through the air. My vision still blurry, I hold out my arms, slamming into something hard, wincing as I feel the bruising. Without knowing why, I curl up, holding my throbbing arms. Youch, that hurt! “That had to be one of the stupidest things I’ve seen!” Twilight’s voice scolds me. I open my eyes to see her standing over me, Spike at her feet. Her arms are on her hips, her expression stern, before it turns to concern. “Are you alright? Did you get hurt?” Finding it a little trickier than I think it should be, I make myself let go of my arms and move into a sitting position, glancing around. We’re outside Canterlot High. No one else seems to be around. Is it the weekend? Reality coming back to me, I look down at myself. My hands don’t look any different aside from the fact I can tell I don’t have fur anymore, but yellow skin. And I have feet again. Feet in white sandals. I wiggle my toes excitedly, before my eyes widen and I become more focused on the rest of my clothes. I’m wearing white shorts and a shirt, the latter underneath a pink sleeveless Crewneck sweatshirt with white trimming and a white hoodie on the back. I cock an eyebrow. “Not… what I was expecting, but… I guess I’m okay with this.” Twilight sighs in frustration. “Fine. Can we go now? You know you’re not going to have them when we return to Equestria anyway.” I glance up at her, smirking. “Only if I’m wearing them.” She blinks, confused. “Huh?” “No else is around and I’m a kid, so who gives a damn!” I laugh, yanking off my clothes as quickly as possible. “Wh-what in the—?” Twilight cries as I’m pulling off my shorts and underwear til I’m as naked as before I went through the portal. Grabbing all my clothes aside from the sandals, which I slip back on my feet, I bolt past her, yelling, “Catch me if ya can, Princess!” I pass back through the portal, going through the same feelings as before, but keeping what my form will be in mind. The moment I feel myself being flung, I focus, thrusting my wings outward. I don’t fly, I know there’s no chance I’d be able to do that my first try, but my wings catch the air and I float down to the ground, clothing held in my arms. “Taylor!” Fluttershy scolds, causing me to wilt a little. “Did you just go and steal those clothes? Wait. How could you? You couldn’t have unless they were waiting for you… I’m confused.” “Don’t you dare pull a stunt like that again!” We all turn as Twilight steps out of the portal, looking angrily at me. “If you had such a problem with being nude, why did you willing do that?!” “Huh?” the other three ponies look at each other, puzzled. I smirk as I put the clothes on bit by bit. “Easy, Princess. I may be five physically, but I’m an adult in mind. As long as I remembered that, I wasn’t embarrassed during those few seconds I was streaking across the front of the schoolyard. Plus, no one was around anyway. And, even if they were, seeing a five year old streaking while an older person tries to stop them isn’t uncommon.” “That was definitely a… creative way to get clothes,” Spike says, returning through the portal himself. “Done!” I say, standing proud. I’m now wearing my Equestria Girls’ clothes, aside from the shirt and sweatshirt. Gonna need Rarity to modify those so my wings can go through the back, plus holes in my pants for my tail. Still, being so young, not wearing a shirt while wearing shorts isn’t odd, especially since my tail is sticking out the top since there’s no hole for it to stick out through. And, I have to say, it feels good. I clench my fists, looking down at them. “Man, that feels better. You ponies and dragons are free to do as you wish, but walking around bare butt naked just ain’t it for me.” “I… but you… GAH!” Twilight yells, her eye twitching. “So, now that I’m at least half dressed,” I grin sheepishly, glancing around, “can we go exploring? If I’m gonna be stuck here a while, I wanna see as much as I can.” The ponies and dragon glance at each other in confusion, before Celestia frowns. “You do understand the situation, do you not, Taylor?” I nod, folding my arms. “Trust me, princess, now that I’m not so anxious due to being butt naked, I have more awareness. I’m pretty sure the anxiety of being in this body and your world, combined with the fact my mind’s now in the brain of a physically five-year-old child combined with the knowledge I was butt naked, it was effecting my rationale. Now I’m at least wearing something, I should be able to think more clearly. Besides, you know I’m no threat and I have no intention of doing anything dangerous.” “You don’t think jumping through a portal into another world without preparation is dangerous?!” Twilight grits her teeth. “Physically, I’m five. Aside from my biped form and the whole Alicorn with Nightmare Moon’s eyes thing, I doubt ponies are really going to care too much,” I say, waving a hand to Spike. “I mean, they took to Spike pretty fast when Twilight first came here, right?” “Yes,” Luna says, giving me a slightly suspicious look. Wonder what that’s for. “Alright then,” Celestia says, looking to Fluttershy. “As long as you remain close to Fluttershy and do not leave Ponyville on your own, I see no issues with that.” “In that case,” I grin, quickly bowing and heading for the door, “it has been an honour, princesses.” Where exactly am I going? I dunno and I don’t care. This is Ponyville and I’m gonna go exploring! Now I’m dressed, what’s the worst that could happen? > Chapter 6 - It's Weed Killing Time! > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 6 It's Weed Killing Time! ___________________________________________________________ I take in a long, deep breathe of the clean Ponvyille air, arms outstretched wide as I step outside the castle. Man, it feels good not being naked anymore. You forget just how much better it feels to wear clothes until you’re forced to be naked for a prolonged period of time. Glancing around, I see Derpy, Dinky and Sparkler walking out Sugar Cube Corner. “Taylor!” The soft, yet stern voice makes me flinch and I turn around to see Fluttershy giving me a none too pleased look. I rub the back of my head, laughing nervously. “That was very rude of you, just walking out on the princesses like that, the yellow mare scolds me and I actually feel really bad about it. I don’t know if that’s general guilt, my mental brain and physical child brain waring with each other or because it’s Fluttershy doing the scolding. Let’s be honest, doesn’t matter who you are, if Fluttershy is scolding you, it makes you feel bad. “Sorry, Fluttershy,” I say, grinning nervously. “I guess, in all the excitement of feeling more in control again, I forgot myself? I mean, I am mentally an adult from a species who are ingrained that going out in public without clothes is wrong and been stuck doing exactly that for over the last twelve hours.” Angel makes a stern squeaking sound, folding his arms and nodding in agreement. Glad he’s on my side here. Fluttershy blinks, thinking for a moment, before sighing and nods. “Okay. You have a point.” She smiles. “So, would you like me to show you around town?” I nod, folding my arms. “I would like that. I’d like that very much.” So, we head off into town, Angel riding atop Fluttershy. We run into Rose and her sisters, who are taken aback when they see me (and likely not helped by my eyes), but calm down when Fluttershy assures them I’m not a danger. As we say goodbye to the trio, I snap my fingers in annoyance. Damn. I was hoping to see a “The horror! The horror!” in person. As we pass Berry Punch, I pause when I notice a flyer that is vaguely familiar. “Fluttershy?” I call out, walking over and bending down to look at the flyer. “Yes?” said mare’s voice says from behind me. “Is the Sister Hooves Social really tomorrow?” I ask, looking from the date on the flyer to the Pegasus. She nods, before looking sad. “Oh, I do hope Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle aren’t going to be too upset.” I cock an eyebrow. “What do you mean? They seemed fine to me when we met them earlier.” Angel makes a squeak and rolls his eyes. “What do you mean about the Friendship Mission?” I ask the rabbit. “Why would Applejack and Rarity’s…? Oh.” My face goes blank as it clicks. With Applejack and Rarity headed off to Manehatten for their mission, with it unclear how long said mission will take, the chances of them being back in time for the Social were slim to none. No sister, no social. I fold my arms. “Dang. That’s a rough deal.” “You’re gonna need this!” The three of us yelp in fright as the pink mare who’s DNA I share is just suddenly behind me, shoves something into my hands and… is just gone. I blink… not entirely sure what just happened. “What did Pinkie give you?” Fluttershy asked after seeming to recover from… whatever the heck Pinkie just did. More aware that I’m actually holding something, I look down to my hands… only to raise an eyebrow. “A… bottle of weed killer?” I turn to Fluttershy, giving her a “what in the world?” look. Fluttershy and Angel look just as confused. We stand there for a few more moments, before deciding to put it out of our minds and move on, myself shoving the can of weed killer in the back pocket of my shorts. We spend the rest of the day just walking around Ponyville, helping me familiarize myself with the area so I don’t get lost. Granted, I’m not really sure how I could get lost. I know enough landmarks around this place thanks to the show to figure out wherever I’m going, but I let Fluttershy do so anyway. I mean, it can’t hurt, can it? As it gets to late afternoon, we head back to Fluttershy’s cottage, but, just as we’re about to enter, the yellow mare pauses in the doorway, before sighing, “Oh, dear.” “What?” I ask, Angel, who’d just hopped off her back, glancing up at her in confusion. “I forgot to bring Edith the seeds for her and her chicks before they leave the Everfree to return home from their late migration,” Fluttershy rushes inside… and I’m left more confused than before. I glance down to Angel. “You any idea what she’s talking about?” He nods, folding his arms and mumble squeaking. I feel extremely nervous at his words, gulping. “Edith is a cockatrice?! Um, why is she helping the creatures that turned Twilight to stone and nearly did the same to her?!” He shrugs. “Um, yeah. I think it kinda does matter!” I toss a hand in the air. “Creatures that turn you to stone, Angel. Stone! Discord knows what—” I stop myself and sigh. “Okay. Maybe Discord would notice that kind of thing.” “Come on,” Fluttershy steps out, a small purple bag of what I’m assuming are the seeds she mentioned held in a wing. “We’d better hurry before Edith flies off.” “Ya know, for somepony who just found out she’s my biological mother, Fluttershy’s really not thinking about my safety right now,” I whisper to Angel as we follow after her into the Everfree, my arms crossed. He grunts in agreement. We walk for a few minutes before coming to a cliff overlooking a small ravine clearing. As we near it, I can’t help noticing the loud clucking sounds. When we reach the each, I have to stop myself from screaming in absolute fright. There are hundreds of the snake chickens down there. Every instinct in my body is screaming at me to run for my life, but I’m too paralyzed with fear to move. How ironic. “Edith?” Fluttershy calls softly. At once, every Cockatrice turns, glaring up at us, hissing, before aloud cluck make them all turn as a purple Cockatrice walks into view, before flying up to meet us. “Here you go,” Fluttershy passing the Cockatrice the bag. “Sorry it’s a bit later than I’d said. I was showing my new daughter around town.” Edith give an intrigued cluck, glancing around Fluttershy to me, before cocking an eyebrow and clucking at the mare. Fluttershy chuckles. “Oh, yes. I know it seems odd that she could be my new daughter when she looks way older than a newborn foal. It’s a bit complicated. I’d be happy to explain it next year when your family migrate.” Edith gives a happy cluck, takes the bag and then flies down to join her kin, waddling off into the flock. “C-c-c-c-can w-w-w-we go n-n-n-n-now please?!” I manage through chattering teeth. Fluttershy nods with a happy “Uh huh” and we start heading back through the forest. As we walk down the path, my confidence return with every step we take further away from that nightmare, my nose wrinkles as an unpleasant scent reaches my nostrils. “Ew!” I say, my hand covering my muzzle. “What’s that stench? Smells like somebody rotting fruits out in the sun for ages and ages and ages and then covered it in vinegar and set it on fire. Bleah!” I stick out my tongue for emphasis. Angel agrees with me, making very displeased sounds. Fluttershy sniffs the air too, before her ears splay back and I tense before she even says “Uh oh”. Turning around slowly, we’re met with a six pairs of glowing green eyes and the sound of many twigs shifting. “Timberwolves!” I yell, my heart leaping into my chest. “RUN!” Before either of them can say anything I’m sprinting off into the underbrush, not even paying attention to where I’m going. “Taylor, wait!” Fluttershy’s voice follows after me. Glancing behind me, I see her running as fast as she can, Angel clinging to her mane for dear life, the Timblerwovles right behind them. Looking behind me was not the smartest move, however, as I feel my hoof connect with something and I go tumbling down, falling through a gap of some kind, sliding down a dirt wall. “Taylor!” Fluttershy’s terrified voice follows me. I hit the wet ground and quickly get up, trying to get a good look at my surroundings. I blink, realizing I’m in some kind of underground cave… and can see really well, for some reason. A cry from above makes me glance up where I fell to see Fluttershy falling down through the same hole I must have, followed by a pair of wooden paws thrashing at the hole, trying, in vain, to catch their pony prey. When Fluttershy flops to the ground I help her up, asking if she’s okay. “Other than being a little dirty and not being able to see, I’m okay,” she says, turning to look up at my face, before her eyes widen in surprise. “Taylor, your eyes are shining.” I blink. “They are?” Then I faceplam. Of course. I’ve Nightmare Moon’s eyes and since she was a different version of Luna, the Princess of the Night, her eyes could see in the dark, meaning mine can too. I frown. You’d think I’d have remembered that from when I first became the pony I am. Guess a lot’s happened since then and the thought was driven from my mind. A howl from above makes us look up to see the Timberwolves glaring at us from the hole. “Doesn’t look like we’re getting out the way we came in,” Fluttershy murmurs. I sigh, folding my arms. “Yeah. Guess we’ll have to find another way out of here.” Fluttershy looks to me and smiles. “Lead the way.” I’m about to correct her, before remembering I’m the only one of us who can see, so close my mouth, put a hand on Fluttershy’s back and we start heading further into the cave. We take a few turns that lead to dead ends, before Angel suggests us following the water might lead somewhere. We do so, going up stream for about five minutes, before we come to an underground waterfall. “Wow,” Fluttershy says and I glance down to her. “I can’t see it, but I hear it and it’s so wonderful.” I can’t help grinning, folding my arms. “Yeah. It is kinda nice, ain’t it?” “Angel?” I glnace back to notice the little rabbit is no longer on Fluttershy’s back. Looking around, I see him standing near a wall, looking up at it, a frown on his face. “What’s up, Angel?” I ask, leading Fluttershy over. He glances to me and points. “You think there’s a way out through there?” I look to the spot he’s pointing… which has an odd curcular look in one spot. He nods. I shrug. “Okay.” I reach up, putting my hand through the dirt. At once, my eyes widen as I feel a familiar tingling sensation and the dirt starts glowing with yellow light. I yank my hand back as Fluttershy gasps, “What just happened?” I frown, thinking it over, before grinning as I turn to the mare. “It’s another portal to Sunset Shimmer’s world.” Her eyes widen. “It is?” “This is how we’ll get out without having to worry about the Timberwolves,” I grin, bending down and picking up Angel. “We’ll go through the portal, head for Canterlot High, go through the portal there that leads to Twilight’s castle and we’re home free.” Angel makes a snarky squeak. “Well, obviously I don’t expect it to be that cut and dry,” I reply to him. “But I’ve a somewhat good idea about that world and should be able to get us there. It’s either that or take our chances avoiding those rows of living teeth.” He thinks for a moment, before wilting and nods. I put him on my shoulder and hold a hand out to Fluttershy, who takes it. I start moving upwards, pushing through the dirt as I feel the same tingling over my body as when I went through the mirror. ___________________________________________________________ I help pull Fluttershy, now looking like her Equestria Girls counterpart from what looks like quicksand. “I… oh… my,” she says, remaining on her knees, looking at her hands. I glance to Angel on my shoulder. “You doing okay, buddy?” He squeaks at me… and Fluttershy cries in alarm, startling me. “Angel, I can’t understand you!” He squeaks again, sounding worried, but I hold up my hands to calm them both down. “Relax, you two. Magic works differently here in this world than it does in Equestria. Once we go back through the portal, we’ll be able to understand Angel again. Humans aren’t normal known for speaking the actual language of animals, ya know.” “Oh,” Fluttershy seems less worried, but still uncomfortable. I guess it would make sense, going your whole life understanding animals to suddenly no longer be able to would be a bit disconcerting. Suddenly, I wince as Angel grasps my ear and yanks, hard, making loud intelligible squeaking. “Angel, I just told you, we can’t understand you in the world,” I grumble, rubbing my now sore ear. “What’s so urgent you had to—?” He graps my cheeks and turns my head sharply to the portal. More specially, above the portal… where a GIANT VENUS FLYTRAP IS RISING FROM THE UNDERBRUSH! “SHIT!” I scream, grabbing Fluttershy by the hand and yanking her to her feet. A squeaky scream makes me glance behind me to see Angel being lifted into the air, a vine wrapped around his little torso. “Angel!” we both yell, before I have to wrap my arms around Fluttershy’s wasit and dive back to avoid several vines that lash out at us. We hit a tree, Fluttershy pushing me harder into it, something hard jabbing me in my right thigh. “Ow!” I yell as she tries to get off me. I reach down, grabbing the can Pinkie gave me. “Stupid can! Why’d Pinkie even give me Weed… Killer?” I blink, looking from the can to the plant before us. Did she…? How could she possibly…? Pinkie Pie or not, there’s not freaking way she could’ve known THIS was going to happen. I shake myself, deciding to put the impossibilities aside and focus on the task at hand. I stand up, aiming the can and press. Spray flies from the tip, hitting the vines, which makes screeching sounds, before wilting. Angel is about to be tossed into the plant’s mouth, but it turns sharply, snarling at me. I smirk, tossing the can in my hand, before getting into a stance. “Time to do some gardening.” The plant roars, sends vines flying at me, but I just aim the can and spray, each vines writhing in pain before shrivelling up. I rush forward, spraying every vine that comes my way, before running up a fallen tree and aiming straight for its mouth, shouting “Open wide, you pathetic plant!” I grab the each of its mouth, standing so I’m squarely in between its teeth, firing a constant stream of spray. It writhes about, tossing and turning, trying the throw me out and nearly doing so, before, I think on instinct when I accidentally step on its tongue, it closes its mouth completely. I don’t pay attention to the horrified screams from Fluttershy outside, instead just aiming the spray right at the beast’s throat, spraying contantly. I can feel it thrashing around, trying to get rid of me, but it seems to have locked its mouth shut. I’m stuck in here, which is bad news for it. After what I can tell is using up almost 2/3 of the bottle’s contents, suddenly, the plant stops thrashing about and I feel it slam down hard on something. As I watch, it starts to wither away, Fluttershy’s cries much louder now as the membrane of the plant grows weaker. I start kicking at the mouth, which breaks pretty easily, until I get through, breathing in the fresh air. “Taylor!” I glance around to see Fluttershy standing at the base of the plant, Angel in her arms, tears in her eyes. “Thank goodness!” I glance to the not yet empty can in my hand. “Yeah, um, let’s just go back to Equestria and use this on the Timberwolves instead?” I grin sheepishly. “I think I’ve had enough excitement without exploring wherever this is today.” After we’ve had some time to calm down and settle, I’ll come back, more prepared. Plus, next time, I won’t have to worry about this Man Eating Plant, since it’s dead now. > Chapter 7 - Big Mac's A More Talented Singer Than I Thought > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 7 Big Mac's A More Talented Singer Than I Thought ___________________________________________________________ I stir, groaning as the sunlight is attacking me through my eyelids. I grumble, rolling over, wincing and sitting up with an embarrassingly childish whimper upon laying on one of my wings. Grumpily, I yawn, smacking my lids and slowly open my eyes. I’m in Fluttershy’s bed, though it is missing said mare. Stretching, I get out of bed, reaching for my underwear and shorts and slip them out, before heading out of the room. After we’d returned to Equestria through the portal and warded off the Timberwolves with the weed killer, we came back to Fluttershy’s cottage, had dinner and, after I’d had a quick shower, I’d collapsed on Fluttershy’s bed and must’ve been fast asleep, because I don’t remember anything beyond that. Entering the living room, I see Angel and Harry setting what looks like something for me on the dining table. As I get closer, I see it’s a plate with some toast, eggs and I think steamed carrots, with a glass of milk. Thanking the two, I sit down and start eating. I swallow some of my egg and look to Angel as he sits on the table, watching me. “So, where’s Fluttershy?” He squeaks a few times. Huh. She went to talk with Pinkie Pie? Must be to do with my living arrangements. What with her being half my now biological mother, it would makes sense Pinkie would want me staying with her every now and then. I blanch a little, feeling nervous. Ho, boy. The Cakes how is going to get quite rowdy with two parents, a baby unicorn and Pegasus, Pinkie Pie and an anthro alicorn princess staying under one roof. I do hope Pinkie will at least space out my times over, to give the Cakes a bit of a break. Finishing up, I move to take my dishes to the sink, but several birds take my things and start washing them themselves. “You know, I’m grateful, but you didn’t have to do that,” I assure them. “I was perfectly willing to myself.” One of them, a blue jay, chirps cheerfully. “Well, okay,” I say uncertainly, rubbing the back of my head. “If you say so. But, only until I’m fully settled, okay?” Gotta at least keep some of my independence now that I’m physically stuck as a child again. Angel uses the table to propel himself onto a shelf and then onto my head, where he stay, kinda reminding me of how Ash’s Pikachu rides on his head every once in a while in the Pokemon anime. “I get the feeling you know I’m heading into town and you’re not leaving me alone,” I say, looking up at him. He squeaks, nodding. I shrug. “Alright. Suit yourself, Angel. Bye, guys,” I call to the other animals, waving as I head for the door. “See you tonight.” They all makes noises in response, waving. I step outside and smell the air, before running towards town. Walking around town, I notice several mares and fillies walking around together, before I remember the Sister Hooves Social is today. I blink, before sighing, folding my arms. Angel makes a concern squeak. “Hmm?” I glance up at him, before sighing. “Oh, it’s nothing, Angel. I just remember…” I sigh again, walking over to a bench and sitting down. The rabbit hops off my head and sits down next to me, looking up with a raised eyebrow. I sigh again, looking around at all the ponies. “It’s just… I suddenly remembered how Applejack and Rarity are going to miss the Social. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom must be so sad. I mean, from what I’ve been told, they were both really, really excited about entering this year. Now… they both have to stay on the sidelines after all the effort I’ll bet they put into training for it. It’s just sad, ya know? Wish I could help them.” Angel remains silent for a moment, I notice him rubbing his chin and frowning in thought several times out of the corner of my eye, before he blinks, frowning in a different way, before looking to me and squeaks a few times. I blink back at him, an eyebrow raised. “Um… what do you mean I could help Apple Bloom? I’m not her sister. Heck, if not for Pinkie’s blood being in me, I wouldn’t even be related to her. And, since I’m pretty sure a fourth cousin twice removed by a fifth cousin doesn’t qualify as a big sister,” I do air quotes “I highly doubt that I, as…whatever my being the daughter of said fourth cousin twice removed by a fifth cousin makes me would count either.” Angel folds his arms, scoffing. I… cock an eyebrow. “Wait. Rainbow Dash is being Scootaloo’s big sister for the Social? But, the two of them aren’t even related.” I blink, frowning. “Are they?” I mean, I only just recently found of Scootaloo is not only not an orphan like so many of us believed, but that she has two aunts and parents who are off somewhere on an adventure. For all I know, somewhere in their family tree on whichever of her parents’ Pegasus side, there could be a relation to Dash. Angel rolls his eyes and chatters. I’m pulled from my musings and cock an eyebrow at him again. “Wait. The rules are that loose? You don’t actually even need to be blood related so long as there’s a strong enough bond?” He nods, squeaking with a smirk as he folds his arms. I frown. “And how do you know that, exactly? I highly doubt AJ or any of the other Apples ever randomly decided to tell a bunny the rules of the Social one day.” He shrugs as he squeaks. Oh, Winona unintentolly told him about it one day? Well, that makes sense, I guess. Not to be rude, but, from what I saw of her in the show, she seemed a little bit of a dumb dog. That or seriously lacking in social awareness. I smile. “Well, then, let’s find Apple Bloom and tell her. Although,” I pause, frowning as I hold my chin. “Now I’m suddenly feeling guilty that Sweetie Belle still gets left out.” Angel sighs, hopping to stand in front of me with his paws on his hips. I frown, before relenting. “Fine, fine. I’ll try not to feel guilty about it. Let’s just go find the CMC, okay?” ___________________________________________________________ “Hey. You’re that new Alicorn, right?” I glance around and spot Sweetie Belle walking towards me, flanked by Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash. Inwardly, I deadpan upon noticing a lack of a certain yellow filly. An hour combing over Ponyville and I couldn’t find the CMC anywhere… or Lyra, thankfully, and yet, now that I just randomly find them, it has to be when the one pony among them I’d been meaning to talk to is nowhere in sight? Putting that aside, I smile and wave as I meet up with and keep pace with them. “Yeah. My name’s Taylor. We didn’t really get properly introduced yesterday.” “What’s with the pants?” Scootaloo asks, nodding towards the garments around my hips, the pink blending well against my yellow fur. “Wow. You and my sister are really gonna get along,” Sweetie remarks. I sigh, folding my arms and shaking my head… noticing a lack of a bunny having to hold on. Guess Angel left after he saw Dash, thinking she’d be reasonable enough. Whelp, I get the feeling this is an explanation I’ll be repeating quite often. “No, Sweetie Belle. While I’m sure I will get along with your sister in a general sense, I’m not heavy into fashion. Truth be told, I never cared about it back home, like, ever.” Drove my very fashion forward sister absolutely insane. Scootaloo cocks an eyebrow. “That doesn’t make sense. You’re name’s Taylor and you’re wearing clothes.” I shake my head. “My name may be Taylor,” Fluttershy showed me a dictory during dinner and, it turns out, you the word taylor can be spelled either way and still mean the same thing, “and I may be wearing clothes when that’s something ponies don’t normally do, but that’s because my original species weren’t fond of going around nude, so almost always wore clothing.” Sweetie Belle looks curious. “Why’s that?” I cock an eyebrow as I look up, before putting my hands behind my head. “The more I think about it, I’m actually not entirely sure anymore. Well, aside from one key reason. My kind had a weird evolutionary trait. We gained a high level of intelligence and awareness, allowing us to become the dominant species on the planet, but it kinda came at the cost of a de-evolution, now that I think about it, where we lost the fur our ancient ancestors had, making us more vulnerable to the weather and other issues less evolved species don’t have to worry about.” “Huh?” Sweetie cocks an eyebrow, clearly not sure how to response to that. “Weird,” Scootaloo says, clearly not suffering from that same issue. “So… you’re Fluttershy’s new daughter, huh?” Dash says… it only just now occurring to me she’s stayed silent this whole time. I nod, suddenly feeling a little sheepish and slightly wrap my wings around myself. “Um, yes, ma’am.” She studies me, before nodding. “Interesting. Well, Taylor, I’m your mom’s fillyhood friend, Rainbow Dash.” I don’t bother to inform her I already know that and her name and just smile and nod, shaking her hoof when she offers it. Dash lifts a little into the air and circles me a few times. “You’re definitely a different kind of pony, that’s for sure. How old are you, exactly?” I sigh. “Physically five. As for my original age?” I laugh a little dryly. “Doesn’t really matter, does it? Can’t change back.” “You really did get Nightmare Moon’s eyes,” I yelp as I realize Dash’s magenta eyes were staring right into mine. “And Shy said you can talk to anmails, like she can. You got The Stare, too?” I try to calm myself down, my heart beating really, really fast despite how small this was and shrug. “Dunno. Haven’t been put in a situation where I’d use it, intentionally or otherwise.” This seems to satisfy the mare and we continue on. We get to the Social and I look around, my eyes paying attention to every pony. I spot Carrot Top with a similar looking filly with a blood mane, Sparkler and Dinky, Berry Punch and Berry Pinch… the latter not confusing me after a second once I remember what Angel told me about the rules of what counts as a sister. “Today’s our big day!” Scootaloo cheers. Dash flicks her head back, smirk on her lips. “We have so got this.” She then smiles normally, pointing towards a table where several official looking ponies are sitting. “I’m gonna go sign us in.” As she walks off, Sweetie Belle stops by Scootaloo, looking dejected. “I guess I’m just a little jealous you two get to compete and I don’t.” She then smiles. “But, at least I get to be here and cheer you on.” Damnit. I know Angel said not to feel guilty about it, but… “I thought Apple Bloom was going to be here too?” Sweetie’s voice pulls me from my thoughts of guilt and I notice she and Scootaloo and glancing around, the pegaus saying “Guess she changed her mind.” Shame. I mean, at least I don’t have to feel guilty now about leaving Sweetie Belle out of it, but, I would’ve still offered to Apple Bloom anyway. “Hey, there you are.” I’m pulled from my musings again to see the two fillies moving towards Apple Bloom… who looks uncertain for some reason. “You ready to cheer on me and Rainbow Dash to victory?” Scootaloo’s asking as I catch up. “Uh… not exactly,” the farm filly replies, her tone as uncertain as her expression. “Seems Ah’m gonna be get to participate after all.” Sweetie Belle gasps. “Applejack is back from Manehatten already?” Wow. Now that’s what I call fast. Is that the fastest Friendship Mission completed? I inwardly deadpan. Oh, great. Now Dash will probably see that as a challenge and want to complete her next mission, whenever that’s gonna happen, faster. Well, at least I don’t have to feel bad about helping Apple Bloom be in the Social while Sweetie still gets left out. Would’ve still liked to try it, though. “No, our sisters are still gone,” I return to the conversation… during which Sweetie must’ve lightly tackled Apple Bloom, since she’s now on top of her, the yellow filly lightly pushing her off. “But, it, uh, turns out mah long lost cousin, Orchard Blossom, was able to make it last minute,” she finishes with a nervous laugh. I cock an eyebrow. Orchard who? That name does not ring a bell, and I know a lot of the Apple Family names. I know there was a pony with Blossom in their name, but Orchard was not before it. “You’re cousin who what now?” Sweetie Belle basically verbalizes my thoughts. “Well, I do declare, it’s hotter today than the business end of a corn cob pie” a voice with a deep feminine tone says, causing our heads to turn… and see a large red pony, wearing a blue buckle shoes, a white dress with blue apple designs and a pink scarf tied into a bow at the front, with a large blonde beehive hairdo that kinda reminds me of Dolly Parton, lipstick, lashes and blush. I’m pretty sure I’m sharing Sweetie and Scootaloo’s opened mouthed looks. The… pony before us seems to notice our shocked expression and laughs. “Oh, my. I am so delighted to meet your little friends, Apple Bloom,” the leans forward enthusiastically. “Would these happen to be your beloved Cutie Mark Crusaders?” The pony pauses as I come into their line of view, there’s eyes widening. “Urm, and another friend who’s more surprising than others, it seems? ” Apple Bloom heaves a very bored sigh. “Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo…?” She glances at me, while my eyes are still on the red pony. “Um, T-Taylor,” I answer, not really paying attention. The farm filly sighs again. “Cousin Orchard Blossom.” The red pony smiles. “It is my extraordinary pleasure to make your acquaintance.” The three of us simultaneously deadpan, turning to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle and I saying in unison, “That’s Big Mac in a dress.” Orchard Bloom acts surprised. “Big Mac? Why, charmed as I am that you find me in the slightest resemblance to such a… a… fine and noble product of the Apple Clan, I’m astonished in equal measure.” I just keep my deadpan. Okay. Where in the wide world of Equestria is this even going? What is with that get up? Big Mac is aware he doesn’t have to pretend to be a mare to participate with Apple Boom, doesn’t he? Me not knowing, that makes sense. I only came to this world two days ago. But he’s a member of the family who started the Social. Surely Granny Smith told them about that ages ago, right? So what’s with the whole Orchard Blossom bit? I do find myself facepalming as, after Orchard Blossom says she’ll take the observation under advice and complimenting Sweetie Belle for being so perceptive, it’s like Sweetie briefly forgets reality and talks to Orchard Blossom as if she’s actually that. What follows I find both parts amusing… and, now that I’m aware of my biological relations to the Apple Family, extremely embarrassing as Orchard Blossom causing the table where teams sign up to fall down. I do find some amusement in the interaction between Orchard Blossom and Rainbow, though, with Dash not so subtly saying she doesn’t feel Orchard Blossom is familiar, followed by Orchard Blossom asking what Dash is in relevance to Scootaloo for the Social. When Apple Bloom runs off, I go looking for her, running into Sweetie Belle, who agrees to help me look, myself inwardly cursing I can’t look from the air as I’ve yet to practice with my wings. Still, we do find Apple Bloom relatively fast, her hiding behind a barrel near one of the stales. “Have they called your brother’s bluff yet?” Sweetie asks. “No! But they’re about to,” Apple Bloom covers her face with a hoof. “Ah can’t bear to watch.” “Yoo-hoo!” Orchard Blossom’s voice calls out, causing us to turn to see her standing under one of the Social banners. “Apple Bloo-hoom. They’ve approved us as a pair.” She giggles. “Hurry up now, precious.” I cock an eyebrow. And they haven’t informed Mac he doesn’t have to keep up the Orchard Blossom because…? “Ah can’t believe they bought it!” Apple Bloom gasps, dumbstruck. Hmm. Definitely getting the hint the two Apple siblings aren’t aware of why Mac’s been okayed here. “It’s sweet he wants to help you out like this,” Sweetie Belle says, getting a slightly uncertain look, before smiling again. “Weird, but sweet.” “Plus, I don’t have to feel guilty about you competing anymore,” I say, finding myself sighing with relief, much to my surprise. Both fillies glance at me, Apple Bloom going, “Huh?” “Wait. Didn’t you know?” I ask, blinking in surprise. “I’m not just Fluttershy’s daughter, Bloom. I’m Pinkie’s too. And, while I’m even more distant, since I come after Pinkie being your fourth cousin twice removed by a fifth cousin, I’m still family.” Apple Bloom blanches, before facehoofing. “That would’ve worked too! Sure, Ah don’ actually know ya well, but, if’n we’re family…” She heaves a louds sigh and trots off to join her cousin. Despite Apple Bloom’s misgivings however, it starts out really well. The song she and Applejack clearly rehearsed for the first event goes well, Mac maybe getting a little too enthusiastic during the performance, ending on him dropping the altering to his voice and singing the last note as him, but, otherwise, it was a good performance. I mean, the fact he was able to sing so well while still doing the Orchard Blossom voice? Gotta give the stallion props for that. Talking while changing your voice is hard enough, but singing in that altered voice? Now that takes talent. After that, though? Oi vey. They do a chant that was clearly meant for AJ and Apple Bloom and they seemed to realize their mistake mid chant, trying and failing to replace sister with cousin and Applejack with Orchard Bloom. It was not pretty. Made me suddenly very glad nopony is yet aware my relation to the Apples. I get enough stares being an anthro Alicorn with Nightmare Moon’s eyes. I would be very happy avoiding more attention, thank you very much. Orchard Blossom also is unable to do the jump rope contest, most likely because she has to avoid jumping too high and risk the shoes coming off. A juggling routine they do starts out fine at first… until Orchard Blossom gets tied up in her own dress, anyway. Several times, after fighting through the embarrassment and a strange anxiety that keeps randomly parallelizing me, I actually try to explain to Orchard Blossom that she doesn’t have to go through all that and can actually compete as just Big Mac, but she is so focused on getting Apple Bloom a win, she doesn’t take the time to properly listen. Is this how Fluttershy felt in the first season of the show, when nopony listened to her at all, even when it would’ve solve so many issues faster? It all comes to a head in the race… and, wow, if you thought it had gone downhill before, it was flying off a sheer cliff drop at this point. All throughout the race, Orchard Blossom’s get up kept coming apart, to the point where, in the final stretch she was moving like a bulldozer, unintentionally barrelling through the other competitors, it becoming a neck and neck race between Orchard Blossom and Apple Bloom’s team, against Dash and Scootaloo’s… with the former wining… but Mac’s entire getup completely falling apart by the end. However, as expected, the ponies in charge explain how, while Mac being a stallion and dressing up as a mare wasn’t a problem, the brute force he’d used to win the race, causing damage and risking the safety of the other competitors is cause for disqualification. Sweetie Belle and I watch Apple Bloom leaves with Big Mac… though, from the way Bloom is glaring at him and he’s looking dejected, I get the feeling there’s a miscommunication that I want to help solve, but, family or no, I shouldn’t. That is clearly a matter between brother and sister and, having used to be an older brother with younger brothers and sisters myself, I know it’s not my place to but in. “Well, that was certainly an eventual Sister Hooves Social,” Sweetie says as we leave the farm… mostly because I’m secretly trying to avoid a certain mint green mare I’d realized was among the crowd cheering for Scootaloo and Dash’s victory, who’d thankfully been too focused on that to notice me. “Hopefully next year won’t be so crazy,” I remark as we walk towards Sugar Cube Corner. “So… is all that you said really true?” I glance at Sweetie Belle. “About being related to Apple Bloom, I mean. You’re really Pinkie Pie’s daughter?” I giggle nervously. “Biologically? Yes. The way I got here ended up merging me with fragments of their DNA that happened to be in the area I arrived and it bonded with my being.” “So, if you’re related to Apple Bloom through Pinkie, are you staying at Pinkie’s?” “You bet! Sleepover!” We both scream in fright at the loud voice and the pink mare who is just suddenly there in front of us. I blanch. I’m actually staying with Pinkie tonight? I suddenly have a sinking pit feeling in my stomach.