Rarity's Colt: Snickers's Harmony Trials

by Mocha Star

First published 18th of December, 2019

Snickers is having troubles and Harmony seems to be a reason, but more is happening than it appears.

Snickers is sick, his body isn't doing well, his mind is in conflict; and that's just where the problems begin.

Snickers can't understand the ponies around him, life is stressful, his body isn't what it should be, yet it is, and
Harmony doesn't seem to be what others say it is. A colt shouldn't have to worry about so many things, but Snickers isn't the colt he seems to be, doesn't conform to Harmony, and knows more than it seems he should.

Harmony, for its part, seems determined to force Snickers to conform to its standards, whatever those may be.

Realizations, discoveries, and resolutions lie ahead of the alien turned colt that lives in a female dominated society where topics such as sex are in the open, violence is kept quiet, and deviation from societal norms are frowned upon or outright stopped by forces known and unknown.

---

Contains

Foul language.

Sexual references, implications, content, and a single act of consensual sex between two foals happens, but in a non-ponographic manner.

Violence: Yes, at times.

Finding a Voice

Snickers sat in his bedroom leaning against the bed at the Carousel Boutique, listening to the adult mares talking downstairs. He leaned against the doorframe and sighed for the fortieth time since he got home after running from the room and dodging around injured ponies and hospital staff. He didn’t know how, but when Fluttershy joined in the argument combined with Twilight’s magic tingling across his head, he had had enough.

He managed to slip his way out of the hospital, but was caught and tossed into the air by Rainbow Dash, who didn’t seem to mind his screaming or the weight of now two foals on her while still in the air.

It had been twenty minutes since he lost the ability to understand ponies, but he tried to listen to the talk, regardless.

“What do you mean you can’t understand this, Rainbow Dash?” Rarity said to her hovering friend.

“It’s not that I don’t understand, but I don’t get how it happened, stop being a bitch about this, Rarity,” Rainbow replied.

Rarity gasped as the other four mares stood or sat around the showroom with Fluttershy standing guard at the base of the stairs, wings open as though to protect Snickers from anything he may hear or ponies intent on seeing him at the moment.

Rarity placed a foreleg to her forehead. “Rainbow Dash, how rude of you to say such a thing to me in a trying time like this.”

Rainbow landed with a thud on the floor and stomped towards the dramatic white mare. “How dare I? How dare I?! How dare you,” Rainbow poked Rarity in the chest so hard it certainly left a bruise, “you suck! All that colt needs is a mother and you’re acting like a prissy filly that’s better than him.”

Rarity shoved Rainbow. “I am better than him. I’m older and wiser, not to mention--”

The two mares’s mouths were closed by purple magic. Twilight stood between the group and the front door. “That’s enough, you two. You’re going to start saying things you’ll regret and this isn’t the time for that. We need to find a way to help Snickers, the doctors didn’t get a chance to look at him because Rainbow thought he was better and took him straight here.

“My magic didn’t detect anything off the second time I scanned him, but that was incomplete and I’m not sure I should after what happened the first time.” Rarity gave Twilight a scathing glare. “And I only did it the second time under duress. Rarity, you threw me into a wall! If I didn’t have a ward protecting myself from falls you could have seriously injured me.”

Pinkie raised a foreleg slowly, but was ignored.

Rarity’s horn flashed and her mouth was freed. “You had every right to go through that wall, Twilight. How could you hurt him, my precious little colt? You know how special colts are, why would you even risk that?”

Twilight nickered and stomped a hind hoof on the floor. “I didn’t know that would happen! I wouldn’t do that to any foal, not only because of their gender, but because of everything that’s wrong with it. You have no right to attack me over an accidental magic mishap any more than you can punish me for trying to fix it before he ran off.”

Pinkie held her foreleg higher and waved it. “What, Pinkie?” Rarity and Twilight shouted in unison.

“I was just wondering why we’re leaving him alone while all this is going on. Shouldn’t he be surrounded by love and attention right now?” Pinkie asked.

Rarity shook her head. “He has no reason to hear us shouting like this, he’s better off alone to think about his issues right now.”

“Rarity,” Fluttershy shouted aghast and flew beside Rainbow, who was pawing at her muzzle to get the magic off. Twilight noticed and cancelled her spell giving the blue mare a sheepish apologetic look. “How can you say such a thing about Snickers? I’ll be right back, you stay right here, Missy.”

Fluttershy gave a small stare at Rarity that rooted Rarity’s hind hooves to the spot. Fluttershy flew away and ran up the stairs to see Snickers and his herdmates in his room, then smiled a small smile knowing he wasn’t alone right now.

Fluttershy returned to the room at a fast glide and landed with a hoof length between Rarity’s muzzle and her own. “I’m going to advise that Snickers not live with you anymore, Rarity.”

Rainbow nodded. “Me, too.”

Rarity stumbled back from the pegasi looking down at her. “Wh-what? Why?!”

Fluttershy growled in the back of her throat, getting a fearful reaction from the rest of the room. “You have to ask why, Rarity?” Fluttershy started walking towards Rarity and Rarity stood, taking a step away in time with Fluttershy. “From what I’ve heard; you ignore him most of the time, you only worry about breakfast and supper for feeding him, you don’t talk with him only at him, you choose work over spending time with him,” Fluttershy had backed Rarity to the wall, “and you’ve stopped using your silencing enchantments in your room, haven’t you?”

Rarity gulped and thought for a second, wanting to face hoof at forgetting something so simple. Instead, Rarity nodded as Fluttershy stared down at her. “Rarity,” Fluttershy said in the coldest voice they’d ever heard her use, “how many times do you masturbate in a day?”

The other mares blushed at the question, but were very curious where the conversation was going since it didn’t seem to be a fun line of talk. Even Rainbow only managed a smirk.

"Fluttershy, that's hardly a question a lady would be asked or answered. "
Twilight sighed. "Just answer, please. I understand it's embarrassing, but you've got friends here and all of us do it; ti can trust us to not share your answer."

Rarity shrugged a little. "Maybe a couple times." She fell to her belly when Fluttershy opened her wings and hovered over her. Fluttershy growled again, this time in anger. “Yesterday? At least four times, the day before, Snickers heard you three times. The day before that,” Fluttershy lowered herself back to the floor and leaned closely to Rarity, “five.”

The other mares in the room were aghast at the frequency at first, then their expressions turned sour. “Wait, woah woah, woah… wait. Hold on,” Pinkie waved her forelegs frantically, “so Rarity gets that much action in a day when we all probably get that much in week, combined?”

Applejack stepped in front of Pinkie. “What Ah think Pinkie’s tryin’ ta say fer all of us is… are you outta yer darned mind?!” Applejack stomped three paces closer to Rarity and Fluttershy stepped aside looking worried. “Ya mean ta tell me that ya do that nasty personal business with foals around, hearin’ ya every slap and smack of the way?”

Pinkie draped a foreleg over Applejack’s withers. “Oh? And how do you know what sounds she makes?” Pinkie asked slyly. She bounced on her bottom when she was shoved away by Applejack. Applejack looked at Twilight intently, who was still blushing and cleared her throat before answering for Applejack.

“The night of my first sleepover ever, Applejack and I were taking some time to tell stories about being fillies and a baking experience we’d had…” Twilight looked anxiously between Rarity and Applejack, “then we heard Rarity in the bathroom. At first it was funny and we teased her about it, but then before bed she did it again and it was still pretty funny,” Twilight slumped, “then there was a fight over the blankets.

“Rarity took another bathroom break and we heard her again…” Twilight looked at Applejack, who rolled her hoof to continue, “Rarity, Applejack and I counted seven times that night. Once was when Applejack went to the bathroom, too."

Applejack likes at Twilight in shock. "Ya didn't tell me that!"

Twilight ignored her friend's outburst and troubled look. "We’re worried about you and how you cope with stress, and that you’re not ready to be a mother figure to anypony… or a guardian to your sister, Sweetie Belle.”

Rarity started to cry, her mascara running down her cheeks. “Th-that sleepover was months ago… why would you bring this up now of all times?”

Twilight, Applejack, and Pinkie’s mouths went slack. Rainbow growled and scraped her hoof along the carpet, and Fluttershy snapped her attention back to Rarity. “Are you fucking serious, Rarity?” Rainbow Dash shouted getting gasps from the mares in the room. “You stick your named dildo under your tail when you could be doing anything to make that little colt’s life better.”

Fluttershy placed a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder. "Rainbow, please watch your language.”

Fluttershy used her wing to force Rainbow back and stepped up. “You’re a terrible mare for using sex to distract yourself from your responsibilites and if I have anything to say about it; you’ll spend a year with a therapist before you act as a guardian again.”

Twilight stepped closer. “Now, Fluttershy; aren’t you talking a bit harshly to Rarity here?”

Fluttershy glared at Twilight with eyes ready to burst into tears. “Are you okay with how she’s parenting Snickers? The most care I’ve actually seen her give him is when she threw you into a wall,” Fluttershy sniffled and backed away, finding Pinkie’s chest the closest and buried her face in her pink coat.

Pinkie held Fluttershy and narrowed her eyes at Rarity. “He passed out twice today, did you even ask why? Even a commenter earlier cared enough to bring it up and you didn't even act like Snickers mattered more than your floppy friend.”

Rarity’s eyebrow twitched as she was about to ask who commented and when, but passed it off as one of the many things she missed through the day. “I just thought the first time he was pretending to get out of school. It’s his first day, after all, and they can be quite stressful,” Rarity replied and started to get up.

Fluttershy wept quietly and hugged Pinkie back.

“Rarity, that’s really messed up,” Rainbow said and scoffed. “I work with foals to make them more awesome, but parents with your attitude make it almost impossible because you undermine my work instead of support it. How’s he gonna feel awesome if he’s alone and had to be reminded of his fucked up past, hearing you scream and orgasm all over the place then let him run around without any guidance?”

Rarity had nothing to say and couldn’t say much being the center of everypony’s ire while the foals were upstairs; she chose to cry as a response.

**++**

The window rapped and Snickers looked over to see Apple Bloom waving at him to open it. Snickers didn’t have a problem with not being alone so he went and opened the window and helped four fillies into the room, surprised to see Silver Spoon second to last in. Scootaloo hugged Snickers. “I’m sorry, Snickers. I was really over the line trying what I did.

“Rainbow Dash said you were right and this is only my first real herd with a stal- colt in it and we’re not ready to be adults.”

“What’re ya talkin’ about, Scootaloo? What’d ya do?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Nothing you need to worry about, right, Snickers?”

The fillies looked at him and waited for a response.

“Oh my gosh, you blank flanks are just so rude to him he doesn’t even want to talk to you anymore,” Silver Spoon said with a roll of her eyes.

“No we’re not,” Sweetie said with a squeak of her voice, “he’s a great nephew and colt in our club and herd, right, Snickers?”

Snickers looked between them and said nothing.

Apple Bloom snorted quietly. “Look, whatever happened ta ya, Snickers, we’re here ta help ya. Silver Spoon and Sweetie said ya had more problems than Ah knew about, but yer home now and Silver Spoon has somethin’ she wants ta ask ya if ya don’t mind.”

Silver Spoon’s ears raised again after hearing Apple Bloom talking grated on her nerves. “Yeah, if you can even listen, or whatever. Look, I think you’re really neat, and strong, and cute, and you give me funny feelings in my tummy, and even though you beat me and Diamond Tiara up and kicked your poo at us and made me puke and it was, like, the grossest thing in my life…” Silver looked at the floor blushing, “I wanna be in your herd, or even make a new one and choose who we let in.”

Silver Spoon glanced up at Snickers who blinked at her. “Well,” Silver Spoon asked said, “you’re alpha, am I in?”

Scootaloo called Snickers’s name and noticed he didn’t respond until she poked him in the side. “Snickers, did you go deaf or something?”

Sweetie gasped and moved between Silver Spoon and Snickers pointing to her mouth. “Can you understand me? Oh no,” Sweetie whimpered at Snickers. “You’d better not be pranking me or I’ll do something really mean.”

“<I have no idea what you’re saying, but I like the attention,>” Snickers said in an unknown language to the fillies. He smirked coyly and Silver Spoon rolled her eyes.

“Like, whatever. He’s just talking jabberish. He can understand us just fine,” Silver Spoon said waving at Snickers. “Hey, stop playing around and answer me, please.”

“<How’s Diamond Tiara’s nose? Broken, I hope.>” Snickers said and all four fillies moved to create a semicircle in front of him.

“Uh, Sweetie Belle,” Apple Bloom asked, “He’s okay, right? Them faintin’ spells didn’t scramble his brains, did they?” She reached to touch Snickers’s head and was deflected by his foreleg in a sweeping gesture and shake of his head.

“<I don’t want to be touched right now,>” Snickers said and glanced at Scootaloo.

Scootaloo’s ears drooped. “Oh, I think he’s upset at me.”

“Don’t go talkin’ all crazy, Scoots. He ain’t got a reason ta be. Now, let’s try’n figure this all out,” Apple Bloom said and then tapped her chin looking the colt from his head to his forehooves as though that would help them communicate. “Hey, Snickers, can ya say yer name?”

Snickers looked between the fillies looking at him and raised an eyebrow. “<What? You know I can’t understand you, right? Like you can’t understand me and I don’t even know why I’m talking to you or myself.>” He rolled his eyes at the irony.

“Well, that didn’t work like you thought it would,” Silver Spoon said snidely, “big surprise.”

“Hey, you asked to come see Snickers and we said it was okay,” Scootaloo said sternly to the grey filly, “that doesn’t mean you get to talk mean to us.”

“Ugh, like, whatever,” Silver Spoon scoffed and raised her snout, “like you’d even understand. Why don’t you ask Sweetie Belle why Diamond Tiara and I are only half as rude as you’ve ever been?”

The fillies looked at Sweetie, who felt the weight of the earlier conversation and realization on her again. She looked between the others and stopped at Snickers, who glanced at Silver Spoon. Sweetie spent the next three minutes retelling Silver Spoon’s story about Diamond Tiara’s party and the hurt the CMC caused Diamond and Silver Spoon that day.

Snickers climbed onto the bed and listened to Sweetie’s voice and between the words he tried to figure out what they were saying. It was the minor equine noises everypony made that kept throwing him off the rails of figuring out a single sentence beyond educated guesswork.

“...and that’s why they’re mean to us,” Sweetie finished. She was looking morosely at the floor, Apple Bloom was looking at the wall and pouting, and Scootaloo was slightly frowning.

“Oh, c’mon!” Scootaloo shouted and got a noticeable snerk from Snickers. “She’s obviously lying, there’s no way we were anything like that at Diamond’s cuteninera. She’s just going for sympathy points now.”

Apple Bloom sniffled. “No, Scootaloo. Think about it, she’s right. We took the show and Ah remember seein’ Diamond mopin’ around until I left with Sweetie here. Ah thought it was funny and Diamond gettin’ her just desserts, but Ah never thought of it like they did. Ah can’t believe we really ruined not only a party, but a cutie mark party.”

“That’s crazy talk, Apple Bloom.” Scootaloo said and stomped in place petulantly getting a quiet laugh from the colt again. “We’re not the bad guys, they are. They’ve always been mean and rude to us, don’t you remember?”

Sweetie and Apple Bloom nodded and the conversation continued while Snickers watched and listened.

Due to the translation being lost, Snickers heard certain noises that he’d never noticed. Most notable was that Scootaloo would bawk like a large chicken when she exclaimed something. It brought a bit more joy every time he heard it, and he also heard it from Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash downstairs, too.

While the fillies talked, Snickers went back to the doorway and listened to the mares. They were heatedly talking about something and it sounded like what he imagined a real barn to sound like until they all fell silent. Snickers heard Fluttershy’s voice and Rarity crying but couldn’t even make out a real sound because their voices were so low.

A hoof on his back made Snickers jump and look back to see a concerned Silver Spoon looking at him. She pushed her glasses up her muzzle and sniffed at him, bringing her muzzle close to his and huffing at him. He looked over when Scootaloo squaked and ran over to Silver Spoon to start scolding her.

Snickers rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall, watching the fillies nicker, whinney, and speak at one another with growing volume until Apple Bloom stepped between them and forced them apart. This is really fucked up. Thanks, Death; I really needed all this. Snickers groused. He heard the distinct sound of Rarity crying loudly and looked back to the arguing group of fillies.

***

Rarity wiped her eyes and sniffled wetly, taking another tissue from the box Twilight had given her. “Honestly, darlings, I had no idea. I just thought…” Rarity looked at her friends who bore different reactions, thankfully none of them angry anymore. “I don’t know, when I was a filly I was sent out to play and learn.

“My father would cook breakfast and supper and that was the most I’d see of them for the day. As for my physical needs,” Rarity looked at the floor and whined to herself, “I admit I’m addicted to masturbation. Laugh, make merry of my issue, but since I was young masturbation has been one of the best forms of stress relief I’ve had.

“Working as I do, maintaining a business starting at the age of nine with little training or help in management,” she looked at her friends and was at least pleased that none of them were smiling mockingly at her, “moving into this horrid place and making it lovely as a reflection of what I aspired to become.

“And now look at me. I’m a single mare of twelve, I essentially raise my little sister with no help and treat her the same way I was treated,” Rarity started to sob through clenched eyes, “I masturbate sometimes every hour, and I’m a parent to a precious little colt that I’ve added on to my troubles and stress.

“I tried to handle everything by myself because… I… I don’t know how to ask for help,” Rarity finally broke again and started crying. When she felt a body touch hers she latched onto it and started to cry openly. The mares were confused, but happy to see Snickers had come downstairs and was holding Rarity and letting her cry on him.

“I’m a failure as a pony,” Rarity sobbed and whined, “I’m a terrible mother and I don’t know what to do!”

Twilight was the first to move and join the hug, followed by the others with Rainbow and Fluttershy last, wrapping their wings over the entire huddle. “<Mom, you’ll be okay.>”

Rarity gasped and coughed from inhaling snot and spit as she pushed back and looked at the colt. “S-sn-snickers? What’re you doing here?” Snickers looked back with empathetic sorrow at Rarity. “Oh, my darling little colt… I’m so, so sorry I’ve been so horrid to you,” Rarity moved close and pressed her forehead to his, “I… don’t know what to do.”

Fluttershy brushed her wing along Rarity’s back. “Rarity, you don’t have to ask; we’re all here for you and Snickers.”

Rainbow hovered over the group and looked down at Rarity who had backed her head from Snickers’s. “Yeah, I can help you manage the math and orders since it’s just like weather management and I’m the best there is at managing the weather in Ponyville!”

Twilight spoke up next. “And I can help you learn how to manage your time between work, personal, and family time.”

“Ah’m willin’ ta help ya do any heavy liftin’, organizin’, or even sellin’, what with years of sellin’ apples under my hat,” Applejack offered.

Pinkie giggled. “I can give you snacks and cupcakes to keep up your energy for your work.”

Fluttershy was the first to hug Rarity. “And I’ll help you cope with the stress you have and maybe find a better way to feel better that doesn’t involve Mister Ed.”

It was the sincerity that Fluttershy said her piece that got Rarity to laugh and sob. “Y-you girls… you’re the best friends a mare could have, I… I’d be honored to accept your help as long as I can help you however I can in return,” she blew her nose into another tissue loudly just over Snickers’s head.

“<Gross, what the fuck? Why’d you honk over my head?>” Snickers snapped and the room fell silent, all attention was on Snickers.

“Well,” Rainbow said, then laughed, “he gets mad when boogers fly over his head. That’s pretty normal.”

Applejack bit Rainbow’s tail and tugged hard to bring the flying mare to the ground. Applejack looked into Rainbow’s face. “Don’t ya even start encouragin’ that talk from my future brother-in-law. He’s gonna learn manners from my sis and he’ll be the perfect stallion to bring more hooves to the farm.”

Rarity glared at Applejack. “Pardon me? Are you saying you’re going to force my little gem into your family?”

Twilight took that moment to interject herself. “That being said, we have to start figuring out the language issue happening here. There has to be a logical reason as to why Snickers can’t speak Ponish anymore.”

Pinkie appeared beside Snickers with a magnifying glass, looking at him with a giant eye from his perspective. Snickers yelped and fell away. “Yeah, he seems to be talking in a language that isn’t Ponish… why might that be, young colt? Why aren’t you talking Ponish, who sent you, and what is your quest?!”

Pinkie was lifted away from Snickers surrounded by a purple aura of magic. “That’s not helping, Pinkie! Let’s try basics,” Twilight said and sat a body length from Snickers and tapped her chest. “I’m Twilight. Twi-light. Can you say my name? Twi-light?”

Snickers looked at her and followed her motions, then it clicked.

---

“<Twi-light?>”

Snickers realized Twilight was saying her name and grinned, nodding. He pointed at her and said her name. “Twilight.”

Twilight cocked her head then shook it. <”No, say my name in Ponish. Twi-light,>” she said and pointed to herself, her mouth, then Snickers.

Snickers suddenly felt nervous. The words seemed repeatable, but there was a sound he wasn’t sure he could make. He tapped his throat and hummed, feeling the vibrations. He said several words at random, then decided to try to neigh just for the heck of it. The sound he made was spot on for what he’d heard sporadically through the various conversations throughout the day so far, but the looks he got from the mares was total confusion.

“<Um, Twilight?>” Fluttershy said quietly.

“<Yes, Fluttershy?>” Twilight answered without looking away from Snickers.

“<Why did he just shout verbs and adjectives at you?>”

Twilight shrugged. “<I don’t know. Maybe he’s relearning how to talk or his speech patterns are realigning?>”

“<Egghead, maybe you don’t know,>” Rainbow snarked her way into the short conversation.

Snickers felt proud he could at least manage what he did and it seemed to have had an effect. He pointed to Twilight. “<Twiglina.>”

Rainbow fell over laughing and the others giggled, even Rarity through her quiet crying. Twilight blushed and frowned at Rainbow Dash. “<That’s at least progress from a scientific point of view. Hardly worth laughing at.>”

“<Whatever you say, Twiglina!>” Rainbow snorted and rolled back and forth with Pinkie by her side.

“<Twiglina, that’s priceless,>” Pinkie snorted and kicked her hind legs in the air.

Snickers watched the reaction and hoped he could repeat it, it was always nice to make others laugh. “<Twippy. Fly-light. Timple. Taggleboopelmath!> See, easy enough to speak horse,” Snickers said, then grinned at Twilight. Twilight growled in frustration.

Twilight, confused and growing angry, lit her horn. “<That’s not even close anymore! You’re just making up words now, aren’t you?>” She scolded the giggling colt. The mares laughing loudly didn’t help her attitude any and Twilight teleported to the kitchen to cool off.

“<If’n that ain’t the funniest thing Ah done heard in longer than Ah can think of,>” Applejack laughed and waved her hat at Rainbow.

Fluttershy tried to keep her laughter quiet, but a loud giggle would get past her hoof every so often. Snickers looked at the gathering and decided to be serious. “Okay, enough messing around. Ahem… <Twi-ligh.>”

Rainbow, still laughing, rolled to her hooves and held her hoof out to him. “<Right on, perfect prank! When you can talk again, you’re so going to prank with me and Pinkie.>”

Rainbow’s face blushed to her ears when she felt Applejack press her orange body against Rainbow’s blue and then lean in to whisper into Rainbow’s ear in a sultry voice. “<Sugarcube, if Ah catch ya messin’ with that colt, you’ll never get this tail.>”

Rarity watched Applejack teasing Rainbow and giggled when Rainbow grinned and fell over silently, twitching her hind leg at the thought of what had just happened and what she’d be thinking of later that night; the voice was going to be the fuel on Rainbow’s fire, for certain.

Rarity hugged Snickers to her body and rested her jaw on his head, humming quietly. “<Little colt, you’re full of surprises, aren’t you?”

Snickers looked at Rarity’s white coat and touched her chest to get her attention. “Hey, how do I say your name?”

Rarity looked at him and then tapped her chest. “<Rarity. Rare-ity.>”

Snickers shook his head and gulped quietly looking bashful. He tapped his chest and then her head, getting a grin. “<Mom? Is that what you want to say? Mom? Mah’m.>”

“<Maom?>” Snickers said and got the attention of Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie, and Fluttershy. “Did I say that right? <Mum.>”

Rarity’s lips quivered and she hugged him tightly. “<Yes, mommy is here to help and make you all better with help from the best friends ever.>”

Rainbow rolled to her belly and looked at the mare hugging the colt. “<Uh, you know he didn’t say it right and if you don’t correct him he’ll be calling you that until he learns to talk again.>”

“<I don’t care, Rainbow Dash. It’s his first word in Ponish and I’ll always remember this moment. Besides, accents and languages have different ways of saying ‘mom’.>” Rarity said nuzzling Snickers.

There was a flash and click from Pinkie Pie taking a picture. “<There, saved forever. Don’t worry, I’ll make copies for us all.>”

Snickers hummed contentedly. “This is nice, even if I don’t know what you’re talking about, this is still nice.”

***

“Oh yeah? What about you, Scootaloo?” Sweetie said looking at her friend. “Why don’t you get over him? You obviously wanna dam his foal, but it’s not gonna happen, so grow up!”

Scootaloo gasped, Apple Bloom bit the inside of her cheek, and Silver Spoon stood back and pleasantly watched the argument.

“How can you say that? I want more than to carry his foals, you… stinky head.”

“Stinky?” Sweetie’s horn sparked. “I am not, you’re a twisty tail butt.”

Apple Bloom stood between them. “Now girls, this ain’t solvin’ anything. Point is, Snickers is the herd alpha and we’re still foals. Not one of us is carryin’ foals any time soon and the soonest is me next year since Ah’m the oldest,” she puffed her chest a little and stepped back so her friends could look at her.

“So, what’re you saying, Apple Bloom?” Scootaloo asked with restrained anger in her voice.

Apple Bloom waved her outstretched forelegs. “Woah, Ah’m not sayin’ Ah’m gonna take him on my back. Just that foalin’ don’t need ta be rushed.”

Suddenly, Scootaloo’s demeanor switched to happiness. “Oh, so we can still practice and get the good tingles then?”

The other fillies in the room looked at Scootaloo. “You mean like when we tickle our tails?” Sweetie asked.

Scootaloo blushed and looked away. “Yeah, that’s what I meant… but maybe if he does more then he won’t leave us and will want to be there when we need him to cuddle with and sleep with every night.”

Silver Spoon scoffed. “Whatever, you can’t make a colt like him do what you want. He has to be tamed,” Silver and Scootaloo looked at the doorway Snickers had left through. “And I’ll be the one to show him what an alpha mare is like by giving him stuff none of you ever could,” Silver flipped her braid up and let it fall on the other side of her back.

“Psh, like what? Eye glasses and a mane style?” Sweetie said sharply.

“No, I’m rich,” Silver Spoon replied and humphed. “I can give him anything he could ever want, and all he has to do is be my stallion and we can walk through the meadows and have picnics, go swimming, lay side by side with our ears touching while we watch the sunset over the lake…” Silver Spoon sighed dreamily at the same time Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle did.

“Ah’d like that too.”

Sweetie blinked while still imagining. “Yeah, dreamy.”

“Hey, you can’t like him, Sweetie Belle,” Scootaloo scolded, “you’re family and can’t be all sappy with him.”

“Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do, Scootaloo,” Sweetie said back, “besides, he’s not really family and he’s cute! What am I supposed to do, Scootaloo?” Sweetie sat and held a hoof to her head. “He’s so cuddly and loves to hold me when we’re sleeping. He talks nice to me all the time, he shares his snacks with me… I don’t know how to feel about him because it’s just confusing.”

Apple Bloom wrapped a foreleg around Sweetie Belle. “Don’t fret none. We’re here ta help ya through this. When Snickers learns ta talk again, and if he lets Silver Spoon inta the herd, then we’ll have her here, too,” Apple Bloom looked pointedly at Silver Spoon, “and she’d better be good either way ‘cuz she knows what happens when Snickers gets mad at bullies.”

Silver Spoon rubbed her tummy and felt a cramp at the mention of what Snickers could do, remembering her first tussle that ended so horribly for her. “Yeah, whatever. I’ll do what I have to just to be near him… even if it means I have to be around two of you that I can’t stand.”

Scootaloo stuck her tongue out at Silver Spoon. “You’re the biggest butt in the world, you can’t stop being stinky and he won’t like you, ever.”

Silver Spoon rolled her eyes and moved to join the group. “I disagree, you’re not only the biggest butt, but you’ve got a case of ‘xactly disease’ that can’t be cured.”

“What’s ‘xactly disease’?” Scootaloo asked.

Silver smirked. “It’s when your face looks ‘xactly’ like your butt; tragic, but true.”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie snerked and then giggled. “Ah’m sorry… Ah’m sorry, Scootaloo. But that was pretty good. Ya gotta admit.”

Scootaloo clenched her teeth behind closed lips. “You’re a little booty booger eater, Silver Spoon. That’s tragic, too.”

Silver Spoon held a hoof to her chest. “Me? It’s better to be that than a hoof nibbling fart factory.”

“That was because I ate supper with Rainbow Dash and she puts hot sauce in her beans!” Scootaloo said in her defense.

“So what?” Silver Spoon shouted back. “You had to sit between me and Diamond Tiara at school the next day? You could have at least stood by the door or gone home sick,” Silver’s eyes looked into a dark memory. “It was the stinkiest morning ever and everypony suffered, nopony got away from that.”

Scootaloo blushed and looked away.

“In her defense,” Sweetie said, “we got to go home after an hour of class that day.”

Silver looked over the rim of her glasses at Sweetie Belle. “It lingered for two days. That’s two days we had to remember spicy bean burrito butt’s toxic clouds whistling out of her big stinky butt factory of stinkiness.” Silver Spoon said flatly. “Did you like those days?”

Apple Bloom cleared her throat. “Ah don’t wanna be a bug in ya’lls ear, but maybe we should think of a way ta help Snickers talk again?”

"Oh, come on, Dork-saders, he'll be fine. A colt with his body tone is more than tough enough to shake off some magic messing with his brain."

"Oh, c'mon! Stop trying to be so obvious; you're into my colt, aren't you?" Scootaloo challenged Silver Spoon. "Well he's gonna choose me over you because I'm the best choice."

Apple Bloom moved between Silver Spoon and Scootaloo. "Ah'm gettin' tired of stoppin' y'all girls fightin'. Snickers's ain't property any more than y'all are. So stop talkin' like he is. Ah swear, Ah’m too young fer this nonsense… we all are!” Apple Bloom said loudly and looked left and right to the arguing fillies fuming to her sides.

Scootaloo and Silver Spoon kept eye contact. “He’s not yours or mine then,” Silver Spoon raised her snout and looked away, “we’ll just have to either share him or not.”

Scootaloo looked at the window, still frustrated. “Fine, whatever… thanks, Apple Bloom for… whatever.”

“Sure thing,” Apple Bloom said and stepped back to stand beside Sweetie. “See, it ain’t so bad talkin’ yer--” Apple Bloom turned around and face hoofed at the two fillies wrestling on the floor.

“He’s gonna choose me.”
“No, me!”
“He’s not yours to make choose.”
“Ow! You’re never gonna be in our -eep- herd!”
“Yes I -oof- will.”
“Gyaa!”
“Eeeee!”

“<What the hell are you doing?!>” Snickers shouted and ran to the wrestling match to break them up. A stray swing slapped Snickers across the muzzle and sent him off track and to the floor. All four fillies stopped horsing around and ran to encircle him, their little hearts breaking when they saw him sit up and sniffle.

He whimpered, gingerly touched his muzzle, then broke into tears crying like a hurt foal would and should under all his stress and turmoil. Silver Spoon and Scootaloo stood side by side and backed away in shame while Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle backed away, unsure of how to handle a crying colt in this way; none of them had ever caused a colt to cry.

“<My muzzle hurts… and I can’t understand anypony… and… and… I just wanna it all to go away,>” Snickers cried and crossed his forelegs across his chest to hold himself.

Muffled hoofsteps thudded to the room; Fluttershy and Rarity rushed to Snickers. Fluttershy held him in her forelegs where he turned so his cheek was pressing to into her chest fluff while Rarity, having seen his muzzle and the scratch on it, brought the frog of her hoof to Snickers’s other cheek.

“What happened, girls?” Rarity asked and looked back to the fillies with worry.

Apple Bloom spoke up. “W-we were wrestlin’ and o-one’a us accidentally slapped him cuz he th-though we were f-fightin’.” She grinned weakly.

Rarity looked at Apple Bloom deadpan. “Your dishonesty is rivaled only by your sister, Applejack, darling. However, I at least understand now. Fluttershy, dear, is he going to be alright?”

Fluttershy was holding him like a yearling; between both forelegs and looking down on him with the softest and most gentle expression. “Yes, he’ll be fine. It’s just a little scratch,” Fluttershy looked at the fillies. “This is why we don’t fight, girls. Do you remember why he’s so precious, why hurting him could cause so many problems?”

The fillies to either side of the mares nodded with their eyes cast down and their ears droopy. “Yes, Miss Fluttershy,” they said in unison.

Snickers’s cries whittled down to weeping and sniffles and Fluttershy sat down. “Come here, girls,” Fluttershy said and waited for the CMC plus Silver Spoon to hurry over and look at Snickers. He was almost asleep and the way he looked brought an ‘aww’ from every female in the room that got a flinch and ear twitch from Snickers just before he crossed into slumber.

“He’s the most cutest and adorablest sleeper and the hunkiest colt when he’s awake,” Silver Spoon said looking at him nuzzle closer to Fluttershy.

Scootaloo agreed. “He’s like an adorable little foal. Well, a younger one.”

Apple Bloom leaned closer and glimpsed his muzzle. “Should we get a bandaid or do we need to take him to the hospital?”

Rarity tittered with Fluttershy. “No, darlings, he’ll be fine. The best recommendation I have is for all of you to file the edges of your hooves a bit, except for the fronts of course.”

“Yes, Miss Rarity,” the girls droned and then looked at their forehooves and then sat to look at their rear hooves.

Apple Bloom tapped some frayed edges of her hind hoof. “Ah have ta agree, mine are a bit rough from the walkin’ we do.”

“Then why don’t ya wear them shoes Granny got ya for yer half-birthday last year?” Applejack asked from the doorway.

Four mares were watching the scene and walked into the room. Twilight’s horn lit and Snickers’s scratch healed. “I heard his crying from the kitchen and came running with the others; now I understand why you asked us to wait at the stairs. This is a precious moment for you, Rarity, and the fillies.

“Girls, do you understand the risk of what you could have done by hurting Snickers with your roughhousing?”

The fillies hesitantly shook their heads.

“Girls, let me tell you a story…” Twilight started and sat down, “about the Day of One Thousand Sorrows, a terrible time in our history that almost ended us all.”

Author's Notes:

Eep, such harsh language.

Such uncouth topics.

I need more popcorn!
Here you go! I was in the background the whole time. Nopony notices Hum Drum until it's popcorn time.

One Thousand Sorrows

"Once, just over two thousand years ago, after the three tribes united to create Uniformia, the precursor to what was renamed Equestria seven hundred years later and after the land was tamed and other races left because ponies weren’t as weak as they seemed and could defend themselves with magic that no other race had; such as the minotaurs who were- ouch, who pulled my tail? Rainbow Dash, I’m telling a story.

“Ugh, anyway, given the disparity of gender, skewed seven to one for females to males, males were commodity used to show status, wealth, or position between female tribes. It wasn’t uncommon for one stallion to be in a herd with up to twelve mares, however it wasn’t a nice place for a stallion to be.

“It was his task to serve the mares of his herd in every way, from cleaning after them to cooking meals for the top three… as well as having sex with any of the mares when they wanted it. Spells, potions, and even training were used to keep a stallion ready to take care of a mare’s physical needs at a moments notice.

“This led the mares to believe all stallions were akin to pets or servants and had no say in any matters or manners and would often be beaten, abused, starved, or punished by any means that didn’t detract from their perceived use as slaves to the whims of their mares; to the point that…” the fillies noticed the mares looking very uncomfortable suddenly, “after a colt would be added to a herd, if he was deemed a permanent member, and he earned his cutie mark… each mare would brand their own marks onto his legs to signify their ownership of him.

“In the event a mare would leave the herd,” every mare looked sorrowfully at Snickers, “their mark would be removed from the stallion once the next year’s had summer had come. Often by branding an ‘X’ over the mares mark, or by cutting or scratching it away.”

Rarity gulped loudly. “Absolutely, horrendously barbaric times. If I could go back, I’d certainly teach those mares a thing or ten about respect.”

Twilight continued. “It was a brutal time by our standards, but then it was life for ponies. It wasn’t until there was a conference between the three tribes in what is now Mustangia to the north that things changed. Stallions weren’t dumb, by any means, and had created a secret language we now use as a way to speak for the deaf as well as talking when they were allowed to gather with one another.

“These conferences happened every two years, and each year the stallions became more and more irate with their lives. There were eighty stallions brought with one thousand mares from all three tribes, the mares were there to argue over the next two years’ weather, economics, laws, and trade of their stallions’ worth.

“The stallions were broken, sad, and angry with how their lives were being treated and, according to written accounts at the time from mares guarding them all in a meadow, without a word, probably thanks to their sign language, walked to a nearby cliff and began jumping from the ledge one hundred feet below to their deaths… or to the point some of them wished to be dead, I’m sure.

“They fought the mares guarding them and only a nine were spared the fall. The ones that survived the landing, whether from cushioning of others under them or blind luck, didn’t survive from the internal injuries for very long after that.

“By the time word reached the conference the stallion population of Equestria had declined eleven percent in a single hour. The mares, having lost so much wealth and status,” Twilight spat the words and the other mares scowled, “got into fights and arguments about who was at fault, then they started trying to buy the remaining stallions that survived offering to create a giant herd for each stallion.

“It was shortly after that, maybe five hours after the event, that the mares realized the stallion population was now very, dangerously low. There were only sixteen thousand ponies on census at that time, that’s including guessing from outlying ponies or more tribal, feral ponies that were nomadic and would follow- ouch, really Applejack, you too?

“Fine, I’ll stick to the story. Sheesh, a few facts and everypony gets edgy… well, the mares now outnumbered the stallions beyond not only making then a point of simple commodity, it was also realized that it was a matter of survival now.

"In a single day we'd neared the point of ecological extinction. Miscarriages, still births, and death by sickness or predator were commonplace then for foals and their dams, so the risk of our entire species dying out was likely within two generations.

“That was when one thousand mares cried, one thousand mares felt the sorrow and pain they’d caused for the stallions they had and enslaved. That was when they realized they lost the love that bound them to one another and the future. It was the day of one thousand sorrows, and it was only the beginning.”

Scootaloo raised her foreleg at the same time as Silver Spoon and they glared at one another. “Yes, Scootaloo, you had a question?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah, in school Miss Cheerilee said when the mares cried it was over, are you saying more happened?” Scootaloo asked.

Silver Spoon’s eyes widened. “That’s what I was gonna ask.”

Sweetie looked between the two disagreeable fillies. “See, little things make a big difference. Maybe you can be friends now?”

Both fillies looked away from one another and scooted apart, unsure of how they were side by side. “As if. I don’t like her and she doesn’t like me.”

Scootaloo nodded at the wall. “Exactly.”

“Anyway, girls, can I get back to my story? Thank you. Now, you might wonder how the pegasi fell, especially since they’re more impact resistant. The stallions had that figured out, too. Sadly, they leapt before an earth pony and unicorn, working together as the three tribes… only the pegasi leapt first and the others right after to land on them.

“It was horrible, and only three pegasi survived the fall and crushing, but died within the day. Now, a lot of the story is written and we have the official documents, but there are some thoughts such as how many mares may have actually cried or if they even did.

"Some things are dramatized over the ages to teach lessons within the stories. Well, what happened between the Day of One Thousand Sorrows and when they got back to their homes, but it was about a month later that the mares began warring within their tribes over the stallions and colts that didn't leave with the conference.

"It led to a civil war that lasted about two years, until the stallions, one day, were just gone.”

“Wait… er, excuse me, Miss Twilight,” Apple Bloom asked then raised her foreleg to the amusement of the mares in the room. Twilight nodded to Apple Bloom to continue. “Well, if the stallions and colts were gone… where’d they go? We’re here now, so they didn’t go far, did they?”

“That’s a wonderful question, Apple Bloom,” Twilight praised the filly, who puffed up with pride beside her friends. “I’ll skip some of the unnecessary parts and tell you about the males at the time. While mostly illiterate, there were many who had learned some basic pictographical and characterized lettering and were able to keep track of their own experiences.

“There had been decades of anger and betrayal by the males that they conveyed when they could meet. It was always nice to be around one another and when they had time, some even fell in love and would try to hide away to hold one another and talk about their personal lives. Sex very rarely occurred between male couples since they had too much as it was and no emotional support.

“It took a couple short weeks of planning and on the second full moon, the stallions pleased their mares until they all fell asleep and with cloth wrapped around their hooves, the stallions sneaked away and to a small community they’d been setting up over years by stallons that would escape their mare herds and enslavement, always ready for the Day of Freedom, something you’ll actually be taught next year in school.

“Typically, it doesn’t get much importance unlike the mare’s version and focus,” Twilight said letting her disappointment show clearly. “The community was hidden in what is now Whitetail Woods, far from any known path and far from civilization. Over the two months the stallions stayed hidden, the mares became desperate to find them. Fall estrus was happening soon and mares were urgently hoping to carry foals to replace that which was lost.

“The stallions eventually sent an envoy to a settlement far enough away to make contact with the mares. It went worse than can be expected and the mares physically fought over the stallions, raping them for their sperm to the point the stallions resolved to leave the mares to their fate, and the entire pony race to extinction in Uniformia.

“Days turned into weeks, months, and finally a year and a half before the stallions sent another envoy to the mares, this time armed with stones, makeshift spears, and clubs. They encountered the same mare township and attacked before they said a word to show their solidarity in the matter of topic.

“A young mare named Bella Donna was chosen to be the intermediary and was allowed to go alone with the stallions back to their home in the Whitetail Woods. To say she was impressed was an understatement. The stallions had created a working town with the settings of democracy and representation in place of the rule of a matriarchy.

“There were hundreds of all three tribes living in monogamous relationships, if they chose to be with another. They’d created farming, harvesting local berries, there was a river that passed nearby they fished at. It was a complete village enhabited by stallions only. Bella Donna was the first mare to step within and she was suddenly terrified when the stallions looked at her.

“By her recorded accounts, she was attacked, beaten, her tail was tied into her mane, then she was leashed to a pole in the center of town for two days without food or water as a way of showing her a tiny fraction of the shame the stallions felt every day of their lives. Colts were told to look at the mares entire body and explained each part and how they pleased the mares.

“Afterward, the colt would take a length of rope stolen by one of the stallions before he ran away and would whip the mare across her thighs and across her--”

“Lady parts!” Applejack added in. “What, Ah’m not comfortable talkin’ about parts like that with fillies.”

“Hey, nopony’s judging you,” Rainbow said tipping Applejack’s hat forward so she’d have to adjust it, “much.”

“Um, girls? Can you keep it down, please? Snickers has had a very long day and is exhausted from it all and needs his sleep. He’s emotionally overloaded, as you know.” Fluttershy said softly and got agreements from the rest of the room as the colt whimpered quietly and twitched his legs against Fluttershy’s barrel.

“Okay… where was I? Oh, yeah. Well, after three days, Bella Donna was fed, watered, and guided out to a point where she’d be able to reach her gathering of mares and fillies without the males help, still in the embarrassing position only now with welts across her entire rear and her… bodily wastes across her legs and hooves as well.

“While Bella Donna was being cared for, a band of stallions charged the camp and slaughtered nearly every mare and filly starting a one sided gender war where the stallions that were most hurt, abused, and punished by their herds, in their eyes, started to attack mares sending the message stallions were more than objects.”

“Miss Twilight?” Scootaloo raised a foreleg.

“Yes, Scootaloo?” Twilight answered.

“That doesn’t make sense to me; if they were slaves and objects to the mares, how does killing teach a lesson? And isn’t that always been a bad thing?” Scootaloo asked.

Twilight shrugged. “I don’t know, who understands stallions besides other stallions most of the time? Eh, that kinda sounds gender-ist, doesn’t it? Okay! Ow, you didn’t have to tug my ear, Rarity; I’ll tell the story. I’m almost done, anyway.

“The stallions broke up into packs to go town to town attacking mares in the night, not always killing them, but tying their manes and tails together in braids after muzzling them and then posting them in a public place to be looked at by the other mares. It’s amazing, but not a single mare was used for sexual pleasure through this even.

“Again, a conference was quickly held at a different location by one thousand mares who thought of ways to stop the stallions and try to save our species. That was when it was revealed that several mares had been spared any form of punishment by apologizing for what they’d done and begged forgiveness.

“It turned out that the way to stop the attacks wasn’t through force or threats, but to simply apologize and mean it. The stallions eventually returned to the mares but not as slaves, but as guarded equals. It wasn’t even complained about since the new generation of foals wouldn’t know anything about branding their stallions or using the stallions only for foaling.

“It was actually during this time that mares began mixing tribes and cross-tribe breeding started in ernest. We ponies actually increased physically in size and weight, became smarter, faster, and had a more potent bonding with out own tribes’s abilities. Food was farmed faster, weather wasn’t ferally creating storms that damaged or hurt anypony, and magic like mine became possible.

“So, now do you understand why Snickers is so precious to us and should be taken care of? And why you should be careful when you fight around him?”

“Kinda,” Sweetie said, “but why can’t we fight around him? Isn’t that something colts like to do? I see stallions fight over mares during estrus seasons all the time, even some colts in class do for practice and fun.”

“Actually, Ah’ll take that one, sugarcube,” Apple Bloom cut in. “Colts goin’ on through their lives are really sensitive types, why givin’ some a little present after a long day for them can get ya a mighty warm hug.”

Applejack chuckled. “Close, little sis. Colts only get inta little scraps here’n there like fillies do. It’s a mares job ta make sure ta show colts like Snickers that fightin’ ain’t the way ta solve a problem when they grow up. Why, think about if ya saw stallions fightin’ over a corn cob at the market?”

The fillies giggled. “That’d be pretty funny,” Sweetie supplied. “‘Hey, that’s my ear of corn. Put ‘em up, hyah!’” she said giving a mock punch that the other fillies enjoyed a lot.

“Well, all that being what it is, do you feel you’ve covered enough, Twilight?” Rarity said implying the purple mare should be finished.

“Almost, there’s one last thing to cover, as you know.” Twilight said and Rarity looked away nodding. “The last thing I have to say about the story of One Thousand Sorrows is that even though everything only took two years from the beginning to the resolution of the story, it took eight hundred years for the pony population to not only recover from the effects losing so many stallions and colts affected, but it affected Harmony as we understand it.

“Harmony brings balance between Order and Discord. Without Harmony, the world wouldn’t be able to be tamed by ponies and nature would run wild around us. It’s because of that that we need Harmony in our hearts and Order in our minds; to keep Discord at bay from ruining life as we know it.”

The mares nodded in understanding. Rainbow punched the air several times, boxing an imaginary foe. “That’s why we took down Discord in a single whammy of rainbow lasers, he’s not gonna be messing up the world with Harmony around and through us.”

“Hush, Rainbow,” Fluttershy scolded, “you’re bothering Snickers,” she said and everypony looked at the colt.

“She’s right,” Twilight said and motioned to the door, “we should leave. Fluttershy, would you like to tuck him in, or would you like to hold him until he wakes up?”

Fluttershy looked at Snickers, snuggled against her. Maternal instincts didn’t stand a chance of being overruled by any thoughts and she leaned down to kiss the top of his head. “I’ll stay, Twilight. He should wake up with someone he truly trusts watching over him. Oh,” Fluttershy’s eyes widened and she looked at Rarity, who was clearly hurt, “I didn’t mean he doesn’t trust you, I’m certain he does in some ways that--”

“No, you’re right, darling. I’ve been a poor example of a parent figure… I only hope that with all your help I can begin to focus more on him and less on trying to make my life work.”

Twilight agreed. “Yes, we didn’t know how badly you had it and we’re here for you. Maybe we can prove to Rainbow and Fluttershy that you’re a good enough mother to him to keep him, right, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy looked into Rarity’s sad eyes, then down to the colt that weakly smiled in his sleep, and her heart melted looking at him. “Yes, for Snickers, I’ll give you a chance,” Fluttershy looked at Rarity, “but I can’t speak for Rainbow Dash. You have to prove you’re worth a chance to her on your own, and this is the last one I can give. Snickers is too precious, more precious than any colt I can think of, that needs a good home and supportive family.”

Rarity opened her mouth to reply, to thank Fluttershy, but closed her mouth and turned, leaving the room in a trot to lead Rainbow downstairs.

Linguistics

Snickers awoke to see Fluttershy looking down at him, he yawned and stretched. “<Wha-happend>? Where’d everyone go?”

“Oh, you can talk again, in two languages! That’s so amazing. You’re so amazing… Snickers, we were so worried when we couldn’t understand you. I hope you weren’t too scared, we’re all here for you, just don’t worry anymore,” Fluttershy sniffled and looked at him.

Snickers sighed looking up at her, then his eyes widened slightly. “I gotta pee!” he twisted and Fluttershy let him go so he could land on his hooves and gallop from the room. Fluttershy giggled and flew after him, watching from the doorway as he relieved himself. “That was close,” he said when all was said and done and then walked under Fluttershy.

“So… you’re all better then?” Fluttershy said softly and giggled when his tail brushed her belly.

Snickers grumbled then spoke up, “Yup, I wanna talk to Twilight about what happened, she owes me an explanation.”

Fluttershy’s wings twitched. “Oh, please don’t be mean to her. Remember what we talked about, treating other how you want to be treated?”

Snickers looked back at her with frustration that melted quickly when he saw her calm demeanor. “What if I wanna be treated like crap sometimes? What if I deserve it for everything I’ve done in both my lives?”

Fluttershy wrapped him in her forelegs and he sighed, the stress leaving him in her embrace while the feelings of self-doubt lingered. “Snickers,” Fluttershy said softly, “no creature deserves to be treated poorly, especially for what they might have done in another life before starting a new one.

“How old are you again, remind me?” Fluttershy asked the question she’d asked a dozen times over the past week she’d known him.

“Two weeks old here.” Snickers replied.

“And what should a pony two weeks old know about society and the nuances of life?” Fluttershy furthered her question.

Snickers hummed, knowing she had him beat in this line of logic. “Nothing much, Miss Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy giggled. “I’m not Miss Fluttershy, just Fluttershy. And you can’t redirect the conversation, young stallion. Stop beating yourself up and stand tall on your own four hooves, make a new Snickers, and show everypony exactly who you truly are, alright?”

Snickers tensed at the sternness in her tone, nodded, then stepped back from Fluttershy. “I guess I have some talking to do, then?”

“Yes, just please, do your best to be kind and show that you’re a thoughtful creature, not a beast that can’t control themselves.” Fluttershy quietly pleaded and advised.

Snickers hesitated before he stepped further away from her and then looked back with a sly smile. “Wanna help me pull a harmless prank?”

---

Rarity, Twilight, and Rainbow paced around the room, Rainbow was the only one doing it her own way by flying directly between the other mares and keeping a steady balance between their distance as a game to kill time until Pinkie was done baking some muffins in Rarity’s kitchen.

Applejack tapped her chest with a quiet rhythm that became louder as the flapping of Rainbow’s wing and the hoof steps intermingled. “Oh no,” Rainbow said as she felt a magic stirring within her. “Oh no... here we go. I feel a song~ coming on~” she sang melodically.

THe mares in the room started to sing. “We hear the beat and stomp our hooves, the tune will make us feel good.” The mares chorused and got into a circle, walking to a beat.

“All our worries will fade away... when Snickers comes around again to play,” The CMC added as they pranced into the showroom and joined the marching circle.

Snickers looked down at the singing group from the stairs and looked above him, noticing Fluttershy trembling. “Oh, go on and join in; I’ll be along when you’re done,” Snickers whispered and Fluttershy flew into the group, circling around the ponies with Rainbow Dash and singing a song of happiness and hope.

The mares changed positions, Pinkie held up a banner that had Snickers’s smiling face on one end with a sad face, cloud over his head and blue stink lines included, on the other with the words “Get Better Soon” between.

Four fillies flipped and tumbled like acrobats between the mares’ changing positions as each sang a short part regarding their growing friendship, affection, and future hopes for Snickers’s wellbeing.

The song ended with Scootaloo being held up by Silver Spoon and Sweetie Belle while Apple Bloom knelt on one hind leg and pointed at Scootaloo while the mares encircled the fillies. The music died and Snickers blinked dumbly at the fiasco he’d just seen. The ponies split apart and returned to their previous tasks, adding to Snickers’s confusion while leaving a warmth is his heart that he was so cares about.

Snickers descended the stairs to the surprise of one filly that glanced up while returning to Silver Spoon to resume a heated game of Ropes and Snakes that Scootaloo was winning.

Scootaloo screamed and pointed. “OhmygoshitsSnickers!”

The room’s attention went from Scootaloo and followed the imaginary line she was pointing with to the colt standing on the stairs in surprise at the declaration. Rainbow flew to him and picked him up, carried him carefully to the center of the showroom, then dropped him from four feet onto his belly. Rainbow got dirty looks from everypony, Snickers included. “What, he slipped,” she said and landed with a smirk facing her friends.

Rainbow hiccupped and straightened, a look of pained surprise aimed at her friends. She took a careful step forward and flipped her wings open, hopped into the air, then turned around to look down at Snickers with her hind legs crossed. “Well played,” she said in a voice as high as Fluttershy’s.

The other mares looked at Rainbow curiously, not knowing that as he got up he brought a foreleg fast through Rainbow’s tail until it stopped abruptly. “<Oops, I slipped.>” He snarked in his first language to everypony’s surprise.

Silver Spoon ran up to Snickers with a book in her mouth that she dropped at his hooves and flipped open. “Snickers, I know you can’t talk anymore,” she looked at the attention on her and swallowed loudly, “and I hope you understand that I’ll wait as long as I need to for you to let me join your silly herd club… but I wanna teach you to read and the other girls have decided to help you learn to speak Ponish again.”

Twilight’s horn lit and a pencil appeared beside Snickers with a notepad that fell to the floor. “And I’ll be supervising since we can’t have foals teaching life lessons and skills to other foals,” she giggled snorted, “that’s just crazy at the most basic levels.”

Rarity surrounded Snickers with bolts of fabric and held him in the air with her magic. “And while they’re teaching you the basics of speech, I’ll be helping you with the most important area you seem to need taken care of; clothing to cover your private bits and bobs.”

“Ya mean his ass and balls?” Rainbow supplied and got Snickers to smile.

Twilight lifted a forehoof and spoke up. “Well, they can also be called testicles, Rainbow Dash, for one instance. They can also be called--”

“Can it, Twiglina,” Rainbow interjected and got a laugh from Pinkie who was standing behind Rarity with a tray of muffins on her mane.

Rarity dropped Snickers with a scream in fright while Pinkie laughed. “Twiglina, that’s the best nickname for Twilight ever!”

Snickers pulled cloth from his head and extricated himself, found the frustrated purple mare, and pointed at her. “Twi-gyna!”

There was a second of silence, then the other mares burst into laughter at Twilight’s expense, only this time Twilight giggled at Snickers’s speech while the fillies awkwardly laughed along with their elders not really understanding the humor in missaying Twilight’s name. Silver Spoon poked Snickers and tapped the open page of the book.

“This is a book. Boo-uk. It is about a cat,” Silver tapped the cat and said the word again before moving on to the next word. The effort Silver was making quickly started to erode Snickers’s plan to start talking normally out of the blue, the risk of hurting her feelings was now too great, so instead, Snickers played along.

Snickers glanced at Fluttershy sharing the plight he was in after several minutes of Silver Spoon trying to teach him to read, not knowing he could speak and read again. Snickers was curious if he could read his old language, as well as write it.

“No… but that was a very good try,” Silver Spoon leaned closer to him and brushed her shoulder against his side. “Don’t worry, I’ll fix you the right way,” she whispered to Snickers and got him to gulp. Silver didn’t hear his guttural noise because she was set upon by Scootaloo again.

“Hey, you better not be whispering sweet things.” Scootaloo said landing beside Silver Spoon.

“Ugh, again, Scootaloser? Really?” Silver Spoon said with little energy.

Rainbow growled. “What was that, Silver Spoon?”

Silver Spoon looked at the colorful mare and then to the others around the room that were giving her displeased looks. “Um, nothing. I just… Scootaloo doesn’t have to attack me every time I do something!”

Silver Spoon flipped her braid nervously and adjusted her glasses on her muzzle. Scootaloo looked away and moved back, sat down, then crossed her forelegs over her chest. “Whatever, I guess I’m sorry. He’s his own colt and can make his own choices, but you better not try to trick him to choose only you.”

Fluttershy clapped her forehooves together. “Now, girls. Let’s not start that again. I believe that Snickers may be ready to say something… anything... soon.”

Snickers repressed a sigh and went back to the book more sullenly. Silver Spoon nuzzled him and Scootaloo hopped over them both and landed on his other side, rubbing her side against his as she scooted as close as she could, nudging him closer to Silver Spoon, who thought he was moving closer on his own, getting a warm smile from the grey filly that didn’t stop looked into Snickers’s eyes. “It’s okay, Snickers. We’re going to help you until you can talk again. I know you’re going through a lot of stress right now; when Diamond Tiara’s around me she’s always bossy and has to be the center of attention.

“She won’t listen and always has something bad to say about somepony, and it’s really hard sometimes for me to be around her. But, now that I know you and have you in my life, I don’t need to be around Diamond Tiara and all her drama… and I can be a better pony...

“Maybe,” Silver Spoon looked at the CMC around the room then noticed Scootaloo across from her with a less frustrated expression, “I can even be friends with your herdmates.”

Snickers’s ears raised, he coughed dramatically, and cleared his throat. “Thank you, Silver Spoon, that means a lot to hear you say that.”

Scootaloo tackled him causing him to tumble over Silver Spoon while Scootaloo hugged him. “You can talk again, I missed your voice so much,” she gave him a kiss on the lips that got Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash to worry while Applejack furrowed her brow and looked at her sister, hoping Apple Bloom would be fighting to take over. Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie felt torn between giving an ‘aww’ or pulling them apart for kissing at their age and with their personal issues.

Only two seconds had passed before Scootaloo took her lips from Snickers’s and she hugged him while the other fillies surrounded him and started talking, asking, and telling him about their feelings and thoughts about the entire event.

Snickers got to his hooves after Apple Bloom got Scootaloo off of him and Apple Bloom gave him a kiss on his cheek that got a whoop from Applejack. “Yeah, go get’m sis! Hey?!” Applejack shouted after Rainbow slapped the hat off her head.

“Scootaloo and Snickers don’t need you encouraging their issues, Applejack,” Rainbow stage whispered.

“What issues? Look at them, they’re as cute as a bee’s knees in the apple trees,” Applejack almost gushed as she set her hat back on her head and adjusted it.

The other mares looked between one another. “Excuse me,” Fluttershy started to Applejack, “but hasn’t anypony told you about Snickers or Scootaloo? Their individual cases and pasts?”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Snickers is an orphan and Scootaloo lives with her aunts while her parents are away. Not a big secret, girls.”

“Aj, we need ta have a quick talk,” Rainbow said and motioned to the sewing room. With Rarity and Twilight behind her, Rainbow led Applejack reluctantly to the next room.

Snickers finally stopped the fillies from talking to him about the last few hours and how urgently Silver Spoon and Sweetie Belle had rushed to the library to get a book for yearlings to teach him how to read.

“Okay, okay, thank you all, I get it, really I do. Thank you for caring, it means a lot to me, honest. But, that’s over now and I’m kinda hungry, anyone wanna get a snack for me?” He asked and let the fillies run to the kitchen to grab him some carrots or whatever while he looked pointedly at Twilight. “What the hell happened, Twiglina?”

“Don’t call me that, Snickers,” Twilight replied sternly.

“I’ll call you whatever the heck I feel like! What, did, you, do?” Snickers asked.

Twilight shrugged. “I don’t know. There was no reason for you to have had any adverse effects from a simple scan like that. It wasn’t even anything advanced or intricate, it’s a scan that works in the same way as detecting headaches or migraines, only with a slight twist that was supposed to let me check for…” she trailed off and glanced away. “Well, signs of brain trauma caused by blood clots or impacts.”

Snickers raised an eyebrow. “So, what’s that mean? You thought I might have had a migraine that made me hear you and everyone talking differently?”

“Oh, oh, I know!” Pinkie bounced up and down. “It means you had a seizure or stroke! Ponies think I’m having those a lot because of how random I act or how much sugar they think I eat,” she leaned towards Snickers, “but I really don’t have that much sugar. Most of my treats use natural sweeteners like carrot juice or berries!”

Snickers looked from Pinkie to Twilight. “<You fucking> bitch!” He shouted between his languages and ran at Twilight, stopped by a blue aura that surrounded him. “You gave me a seizure! How the hell do you have the right to do magic still!? Give me that horn and I’ll--”

Snickers’s mouth was closed and he was turned to look into the furious eyes of Rarity. “You’ll do what with her horn? Would you do the same to me, or Sweetie Belle? If you’re going to say anything less than offer to pay a professional to take care of it, then I suggest you hold your tongue.”

Snickers swallowed hard and nodded to Rarity. When she let his mouth go, Snickers looked angrily at Twilight. “How do I know you won’t do that again to me?” He asked.

Twilight groaned and pointed a foreleg at Pinkie. “Don’t listen to her about anything medical related right now, Snickers. I didn’t give you anything, you didn’t have anything of the sort.” Twilight closed her eyes, calmed down, and inhaled, exhaled deeply, and then looked back into Snickers’s eyes. “You had some spell on you that caused what’s known as a reflection effect.

“Over the last two hours since you left the hospital I’ve thought it over and I’ve come to the conclusion that when I started to scan you, the magic for your linguistic abilities counteracted my magic scanning with that as my intent and not only stopped my spell violently, but broke the link between your language and ours.

“Girls,” Twilight said the the room, “I think he might be telling the truth, actually. At the very least, his native language isn’t Ponish, which isn’t impossible, but it’s not any language I’ve ever heard before.”

Rarity lowered Snickers to the floor. “I do agree. I’ve heard Diamond Dogs speaking and their language is more akin to garbled growling, barking, and grumbling. That’s the reason they speak so poorly, they have to use magic to translate their language to Ponish and our languages are barely compatible.”

“So,” Rainbow said returning from the kitchen with an ice pack in her hoof, “you’re saying Snickers’s language is super different than ours? Why don’t we just get a translation gem for him then?” Rainbow tossed the ice pack into the air and back flipped, catching it under her tail where it vanished from sight. Rainbow shivered throughout her body, barely staying aloft. “What? I’m a bit sore from a pounding I got earlier… wait! Not like that, honest, Aj!”

Applejack snorted and looked away from Rainbow, hiding her blush under her hat from the pleading mare above her. Regardless of how it seemed, having Rainbow plead for understanding was heart warming.

“Wait, I can talk now,” Snickers finally spoke up, “so what’s the problem? I’m better, Rainbow got a good pounding from some handsome stud,” Rainbow gasped in shock at the accusation knowing he caused her throbbing ache, “and life can go back to normal, right?”

Fluttershy landed beside Snickers and draped a wing over his back. “There’s one more thing, the reason you fainted and had everypony worried.” Snickers moved closer to Fluttershy until her down enveloped him. “You had a heart problem that could have been much more trouble had you not been hospitalized.”

Snickers tensed. “So, am I gonna die? Because that really sucks, if I had to.”

“No, no,” Twilight interjected, “nothing like that. It’s been fixed and as long as you stay calm for the next couple days it’ll have healed fully. It’s something that would have been fatal for a pony your age maybe two hundred years ago, but we’ve had significant medical breakthroughs since then.

“Princess Celestia personally encouraged the medical sciences to grow around that time and new spells were made to help everything from scratches to reparations of internal organs. As a caretaker of young, most mares learn basic healing spells like the one I used to fix your scratch without any trouble.”

“Yes,” Rarity added. “I’ve used quite the few spells of that type to heal my sister and her friends over the past year. However, it’s beyond both Twilight and my own abilities to heal more than minor injuries. Twilight may be able to repair a large cut, however I’m limited to smaller scratches and the like.”

Twilight nodded. “And the most I can heal right now are up to lacerations… but, that’s not important right now. What is important, is that you know you’re out of danger and can play a bit with your friend and herdmates, as long as you don’t overexert yourself. It’s almost dinner time, and I’m sure Spike has something nice for the two of us cooking at home, as the rest of us should go home, too.” Twilight implied what everypony was feeling in some ways.

“Ah know Ah do. Ah don’t mean any disrespect, but spendin’ the day frettin’ over here and there ain’t good fer the farmin’. Ah’ve got a mess a chores ta do now and that doesn’t even include the farmin’ Ah left fer Big Mac. Twi’s right, c’mon, sis. We’ve gotta get home,” Applejack declaired and walked to the door with Apple Bloom following.

Apple Bloom waved goodbye. “Ah’ll see ya tomorrow, Snickers. Ah hope ya get better quick, school ain’t gonna be the same without ya.”

“Wait, what if she stays the night?” Scootaloo asked.

“No can do, little filly. Mah sis has her own chores, not ta mention school work ta finish and Granny hasn’t seen hide nor hair of this little rascal fer two days and gets worried,” Applejack hugged her sister with one leg hard enough to get a strained squeak from Apple Bloom. “See ya later, gals.”

Apple Bloom left with her sister and Rainbow hovered to the door. “Uh, yeah, me too,” Rainbow said quickly, “I’ve gotta make sure they get home safe, thanks for the ice pack, Rarity. It helped a bunch,” Rainbow said lifting her tail and grabbing the ice pack. She threw it at Rarity, who screamed and caught it, but not various water droplets that pelted her face and got into her mouth.

Rarity, realizing the ice pack wasn’t very melted, screamed again and ran into the kitchen, leaving Fluttershy and Twilight giggling while Pinkie cocked her head. “I don’t get it, why’s the ice pack so scary?” Pinkie asked. “Maybe I should see if there are any scary ones back at the bakery,” Pinkie hummed and then pronked to the door and out into the night. “See ya tomorrow, tell Rarity I hope she stops being scared soon!”

Twilight looked at Fluttershy and motioned to the door. “Oh, yes! I forgot to feed my little friends and… oh, Angel! If I’m not there he’ll start wreaking havoc in my kitchen to make his own food, I’ll see you later, Snickers and girls. Twilight, don’t be upset with me, please, but--”

“Yes, yes, I get it, hurry up before that rabbit tries to start the stove or something,” Twilight said with a smile.

“Ohmygosh, Angel, don’t!” Fluttershy shouted with horror in her expression as she dashed from the center of the room out the door and into the sky faster than Twilight had ever seen her move.

“Well, are you all going to be okay? Silver Spoon, should I walk you home?” Twilight asked.

“No thank you, Miss Twilight. I’ve sent a letter to my daddy so he knows not to expect me this evening,” Silver Spoon said sitting proudly. Twilight had no other option than to take the filly at her word, so she left with a final goodbye to Rarity in the kitchen and left at a trot through the front door, mumbling something about dramatics.

Scootaloo looked at Sweetie Belle. “Well, can I sleep over?” Silver Spoon ran beside Scootaloo and asked the same question. Scootaloo glared at Silver Spoon, but noticed Snickers looking at his foreleg just past her and held her tongue. “Can we sleep over, Sweetie Belle?”

Sweetie tapped her chin. “I don’t really care, but it’s up to Rarity. I’ll go ask her, okay?”

Sweetie turned and trotted to the kitchen. “Sis, are you almost done watering yourself?” Sweetie giggled.

Rarity pulled her face from the water flow and exhaled. “That was the rudest and grossest thing Rainbow Dash had ever done. How can nopony else see it for that?”

Sweetie shrugged as she reached Rarity, who slumped to the floor. “I’unno. So, can my friends sleep over?”

Rarity brushed her mane from her face and looked at her sister with her blue eyes. “Only if you can all refrain from being hyper and causing undue stress to Snickers. You girls can’t be very rambunctious with him tonight, understand? His heart needs to heal, we can’t stress that enough.”

Sweetie hugged Rarity with a squishing sound as wet fur met dry. “Ew, go take a shower, Rarity, you’re all gross and you’re gonna start smelling soon.”

Rarity lit her horn and pushed Sweetie across the room at a walking pace. “Thank you for the advice, I’ll see you soon. I’ll prepare a quick supper then you can play inside the boutique afterwards. Do me a favor and flip the open sign to closed, won’t you darling? I’ve need for a washing and tomorrow I’ll schedule a spa appointment over lunch… oh, that sounds heavenly after the week I’ve had.”

Sweetie Belle tuned her sister out of her mind as she returned to her friends, Silver Spoon included. “She said yes!” They all cheered while Snickers watched from the side. “But, we have to remember for the night that Snickers needs to stay calm and can’t play running or jumping games, but he can play easier games.”

Scootaloo hopped. “Oh, I’ll get some board games out. It’ll be a blast… Silver Spoon, wanna come along and help me pick some out?” Scootaloo offered reluctantly.

Silver Spoon huffed. “Very well, if it’s for Snickers, then I’ll do it.”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to be so prissy, you know,” she started as she cantered to the stairs and ascended with Silver Spoon discussing their point of views.

“Well, that leaves us, Snickers. I was playing a game of Ropes and Snakes that I can start over with you,” Sweetie Belle offered.

“Sure, how do we play?”

***

“No, I get to sleep at his front!”

“No, I do! You sleep behind him.”

“No, you can sleep on the floor.”

“No, you can!”

“No, you!”

“You!”

“You!”

“Girls!” Sweetie shouted from beside Snickers in his bed. “We’ll let Snickers decide. And Silver Spoon, if you want a chance in the herd, then you have to be agreeable with what we say.”

“Ha, ha, ha,” Scootaloo said slowly.

“And Scootaloo,” Sweetie said looking down on both fillies, “if you’re not going to be nice then you can sleep at the far end.”

Scootaloo babbled, pointing at Silver Spoon and then the bed while Silver Spoon closed her eyes and awaited the decision.

Snickers groaned and rolled to the edge of the bed, looking down at the two fillies. “Scootaloo in front, Silver in far back. C’mon, I’m tired after this crummy day.”

Scootaloo and Silver Spoon climbed onto the bed and got to either side of Snickers, then Silver Spoon scooted back for Sweetie to lay beside Snickers and rest her chin on his side. Silver Spoon wasn’t the happiest in the room, but not having to sleep beside Scootaloo was a bonus and sleeping as close as she was to Snickers was great.

It also helped that Sweetie smelled nice and was soft like a body pillow to Silver Spoon’s body. Rarity peeked in and switched the light off. “Good night, everypony. May Luna watch over your dreams.”

“Thanks, Miss Rarity, you too,” Silver Spoon said with a tiny yawn. Silver Spoon turned over and tossed her glasses to the end table and turned back, wrapping Sweetie Belle in a big hug from behind.

Rarity quietly giggled. “Silver Spoon the big spoon, I’ll have to remember that.”

Rarity closed the door and in the silence only breathing was heard.

“Snickers,” Scootaloo whispered super quietly and moved closer, “I’m sorry I tried to force myself on you. I know it was wrong, and I’d like you to forgive me when you’re ready.”

Snickers’s smile brightened Scootaloo’s night. “I forgave you after you got off me,” he whispered back so quietly Sweetie could barely hear him. He leaned forward and kissed her gently and stopped after a second, closed his eyes, and to sighed himself as eventually claimed them all.

Author's Notes:

Next Chapter; an accidental sexual scene.

Yah, he's talking in two languages now! Next time he meets Twilight maybe more can be explained, too.

Shameful Start to a Morning

Snickers was the second to wake up and crawled over Scootaloo who wrapped her forelegs around him and gave him a kiss. “Thanks, honey. It’s our secret,” she whispered and let him go while watching him climb off the bed and rush to the bathroom, racing the fillies for a good place in line.

“Snickers, I’m so pleased to see you up. I’ve readied a nice two piece for you with your colors from before. It’s just as it was, only a bit more fashionable without being too eye catching and with a small enchantment it will also keep you at a comfortable eighty six to ninety two degrees in any normal spring to winter weather. It’s not very waterproof, though, so don’t try to take it swimming or it shall need to dry naturally.”

“Wow, thanks, mom!” Snickers said honestly meaning it and reached to take it but stopped. “Hold it for a sec, ‘kay?” he told her and rushed into the bathroom and waited in line behind Sweetie Belle hopping between his left and right legs.

After he was done and left the room, he got dressed and refused help to put on his outfit since he wouldn’t always need her to help him as he grew older and needed to change clothes more often. He looked into the mirror in Rarity’s room and checked himself over, liking what he saw. He turned and gave Rarity a big hug, thanking her and going to the bathroom one more time to awkwardly learn and feel the cloth against himself as he would have to use a toilet eventually.

He realized why ponies don’t wear pants as often and reluctantly discarded them, opting to wear the shirt and ask for a cloak instead. While Rarity pondered his request, Snickers went downstairs.

Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Silver Spoon sat around the table eating breakfast in an overall good mood after a long night of sleep, each ready for school and a day of fun, regardless of classes while Snickers poked nervously at his oats. Sweetie noticed his mood and spoke up, “Hey Snickers,” he flinched and looked at her with wide eyes, “is something wrong?”

All eyes were on him and Snickers felt a chill in the room. Hesitantly, Snickers shook his head slightly and the fillies, keeping their attention on him went back to eating in silence. “Really,” Snickers said quietly, “nothing’s wrong… I just have to get some stuff off my head.”

Scootaloo swallowed. “Riiight, and I’m a Wonderbolt. C’mon, Alpha, what’s wrong? You’ve got three fillies here, two in your herd, that are here to help you with anything.” She gave him a wink as soon as she was done talking that brought a blush and feeling of shame to the colt.

Silver Spoon gave a pleading look and mouthed ‘please let me in’ out of sight of the others. Snickers spooned himself a heap of cooked oats and filled his mouth. He pointed to his cheek and shook his head.

“Can’t talk with your mouth full? Really? That’s something we do to adults, not each other,” Sweetie Belle said and took an equally large mouthful. “And den we chalk wif ouw mouf full easy.”

“Yeah,” Silver Spoon spoke for the first time since breakfast began, “spill it. You’re not the strong quiet type… or are you?” Silver watched him chewing, waiting for him to speak.

Snickers thought he felt sweat in his mane. “I’m not… I don’t… <I fucked up>,” he said.

“Wait, I didn’t understand that last part. You gotta talk Ponish or we can’t understand you.” Scootaloo bit a crispy bite of haybacon, smirking.

“You wanna know what’s bothering me? <I fucked Scooter, pretty much>.” He said looking at the table.

“Ugh, that’s road apples,” Scootaloo said and Silver Spoon grimaced, “you can’t tell us something we can’t understand. Tell us!” Scootaloo slapped a hoof on the table making everything jump.

Rarity called from her sewing room, “Girls, if you’re going to start this early I’m going to have to send you to school at different times again.”

Scootaloo and Sweetie rolled their eyes. “She always says that, but we just wait at the end of the house for each other. I think she knows that because it would make us sad to go alone, and no adult wants us to be sad.” Sweetie pouted and looked up with shimmering eyes. The other fillies did the same action adding their forehooves touching together. A sight that would make any adult cave in to their wants, needs, and demands for anything short of running the town for more than a day.

Snickers was barely affected, but a part of him wanted to give them a candybar and send them on their way to keep them as sweet as they looked.

“Okay, stop it, sheesh,” Snickers finally stopped looking at the three fillies and at the scrambled eggs with cheese on his plate. “I just… need to talk with Fluttershy or Rainbow Dash before I can try to tell you. I need their advice.”

“Why? What can they do that three fillies can’t?” Silver Spoon asked between chews.

“Offer adult advice that foals can’t in a society I don’t completely understand, for one.”

“Oh… I guess that makes sense,” Scootaloo said. “Ask Rainbow, she’s gonna know the answer to anything you ask. What?” Scootaloo looked between the other fillies, “she helps me with my math every week as part of our sister hangout time.”

“You really think that flying stunt mare has more than ten braincells she can use for anything more than talking about the Wonderbolts and how awesome she is?” Silver Spoon snarked.

“Hey! Rainbow Dash is the coolest and most awesome--”

Snickers cleared his throat softly and the table fell silent. Snickers looked at Scootaloo and then glanced down; to his surprise she sat and stayed quiet. He looked at Silver Spoon and glanced at her food and she ate silently. Both fillies glared at one another, so Snickers sniffed and raised his eyebrows while looking between both fillies and they sighed.

“Silver Spoon, I’m sorry I yelled at you and said mean things. I was mad and you didn’t deserve it,” Scootaloo said.

“No, Scootaloo. I might not like a lot of things about you, but I’m starting to get to know you, and there’s a little more than I thought there. So, I’m sorry for being a bully to you most of all.”

Sweetie smiled while looking between the other two fillies and nodded at Snickers. Snickers, for his part, mentally did a backflip. Not only did he get them to agree on something, he did it using a technique he’d only seen mothers do to their children or husbands.

Sweetie Belle’s spoon clinked on her plate as she resumed eating and the others at the table did the same in companionable silence.

“So, Snickers… what’re you gonna do besides talk to Rainbow Dash about stuff?” Scootaloo asked while she put on her saddlebags along with the other fillies.

“I dunno, think things over, head to the library and read a book on science and electronics, talk with Twilight about some stuff. Ya know, slice of life stuff.”

Scootaloo blinked. “Oh… that sounds boring,” she said and then cinched her bags tightly.

“Scootaloo, do you have to be so rude to him? You should be nicer, because he likes nice girls, right, Snickers?” Silver Spoon asked and ran a hoof along her braid.

“Can you be any more obvious, Silver Spoon?” Scootaloo retorted.

Again, Snickers cleared his throat and Scootaloo stepped back from Silver Spoon and both their ears drooped. Sweetie Belle walked between them. “It’s okay, I’ll keep between them on the way to school. You just go about your day and we’ll see you at about two or three today after school.”

“That sounds like a good time, maybe I can get a nap in, too. I didn’t sleep the best last night.”

Silver Spoon cocked her head. “Why not? I thought you’d have slept all night through.”

Snickers looked towards Scootaloo, then away and blushed. “N-no, rough night, didn’t sleep enough. Hugs before you leave for school, okay?”

He sat and opened his forelegs and the fillies lined up. Scootaloo got the first hug and a soft kiss, then she whispered into his ear and left with a tail swipe to his face. Sweetie got a firm hug and a nuzzle. Silver Spoon walked to Snickers and leaned in for a nuzzle, but got a big hug that made her squeak in surprise. As a bonus, he gave her a kiss on her cheek that made her stumble back when he let her go.

Silver Spoon blushed and smiled goofily, she was so unstable she had to lean on Sweetie Belle as they left through the front door. Snickers chuckled and closed the door behind them and walked to the nearby couch, climbed on it, and sighed. “Not even six years old and I’m already feeling like an old stallion. Ugh,” he grabbed a pillow and covered his head. “I can’t be that old yet. I just have to be a wussy version of myself and I can fit in here… I need to talk to someone about last night,” he grumbled under the pillow to himself and whined. “Damn it.”

After a while, Snickers got up and went to the sewing room and watched Rarity focus on her sewing machine while levitating the blueprints for a dress design she was making opposite the machine. “Hey, mom?”

Rarity flinched, then looked over. “Yes, Snickers? How can mommy help you? Are you still hungry, thirsty, maybe?”

“No, I’m fine. Can I go to the library? I wanna talk with Twilight and I’ve gotta find Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy to talk about something personal.”

“Oh… do you think you can talk with me about it? I am your mother, after all, and I am going to do better,” Rarity said, stopping her work completely.

“Um… I don’t think so. This is a professional problem and I need to talk to someone… somepony more professional.” Snickers watched as his accidental dagger stabbed her in the heart.

“Oh… very well then. I suppose a more professional mare should be advised in some areas of your life while I should help you in more domestic matters… However, I won’t let you travel through town alone. I’ll guide you to the library,” she said and started to set her work aside.

“No, you don’t have to! I know the way, I’ll be there in seven minutes, tops.”

Rarity shook her head. “No, I won’t waver on this. I need to be there when you don’t know you need me. This may be an idyllic town of four hundred ponies, but that doesn’t mean it’s totally safe. And you, while you believe you’re adult enough to handle transversing the town alone, there are plenty of distractions a colt your age can be lured to.

“The arcade, for example. Not to mention Bon Bon’s Candies and Sugarcube Corner... and given some of your proclivities, I fear you’ll find your way to the Salt Lick and find a way to imbibe unsavory amounts of alcohol. There’s a reason you only have one quarter of a glass of wine with dinner while Sweetie can have half, as you recall, I’m sure.”

Snickers, leaning against the wall, nodded. “Yeah, but it was good and I drank it too fast, is what happened.”

“No, darling, what happened is there’s too much salt in the wine to make it more potent and you became intoxicated from half a glass. Until you build a tolerance, either you have less or I serve you juice with a sprinkle in it like a yearling would have. It’s up to you,” Rarity said, passing him.

“I can have normal wine! I’m big for a colt my age, look at me! I’m almost as tall as you,” he said standing as tall as he could with his head held high on his neck, still barely reaching her chin in height with his ears up.

“Yes, Celestia will awe at you when you look her in the eyes, I’m sure,” Rarity said with a laugh in her voice. Rarity donned a turquoise scarf and opened the front door. “Come along, now. I have my own chores to do and while you’re with Twilight I can do them and maybe find one of our flying friends for you.”

Snickers, accepting her offer, followed her out into town. “So, what’re your plans, mom?”

Rarity smiled down at the colt. Her colt, her son. “Well, I have to do some shopping for supper, schedule an appointment with the spa for later today with you and maybe Fluttershy, see a supplier to purchase more fabric from… adult stuff that would just bore you to tag along with me for. Oh, do you see that stallion over there?” Rarity nosed the direction of a yellow unicorn and Snickers nodded. “He’s in a relationship with two mares and is trying to join their herd, but the mares he’s interested in are actually interested in his sister, if you can believe that.

“Ah, that mare approaching us won’t stop unless we block her, watch…” Rarity stopped and smiled, “hello! How are you doing today?”

The mare nodded and didn’t slow down. “Fine, thanks, see you later, Rarity.”

Rarity returned her attention to Snickers. “See, she’s a carrier mare. It’s like a post mare, only she delivers packages across town and has to be from one place to another at a certain time. Ponies of her profession don’t get the respect they deserve, I say,” she started walking again, “because everypony only thinks of the mail, but who delivers across town at all hours of the workday while the post is going through their rounds?”

Snickers listened attentively as Rarity told him of smaller nuances of Ponyville life and the ponies that they passed. Rarity slowed as they passed a street that showed town hall. “Oh, that’s something I don’t think you know about. In town hall there’s a bulletin board with various odd jobs and tasks on it.

“The jobs near the bottom with a green line across the base are open to all ages, including foals your age and up. Some might have you run a package across town, another may request you mow a lawn, or maybe you’ll find one from a certain seamstress that needs a real pony to stand as a model for her couture.”

Snickers looked at Rarity’s suggestive grin and smiled back. “Hm, if that last one pays enough to buy a shake or two, I may have to look into it.”

“Hm, perhaps if the model does well, that seamstress could just take him and his friends for shakes and fries as well as pay him a couple bits for his troubles.”

Snickers stopped and tapped his chin. “Yeah, that sounds like a bribe and I can certainly double my costs if that were the case.”

Rarity sighed. “Or, perhaps the seamstress can trade the offered bits for some one-on-one time with the model so they can bond and become closer?”

Snickers laughed. “Wow, sounds kind of erotic. I hope you’re ready for the consequences of all that.”

Snickers felt a small tug on his ear. “Not with a foal, you naughty colt.”

Snickers rubbed his ear. “Hey, I’m just clarifying what you said. It’s not my fault you implied I’m a stud,” he pranced around her and Rarity giggled.

“Well, perhaps in two years when you become a stallion in certain ways for another mare. But until you’re eight, I don’t even want you to think of mares that way, and if I have anything to say about it; you won’t lose your virginity until you’re ten, at least.”

“Ha, you’d be lucky if I made it to seven… wow that sounds so weird to say,” Snickers looked back at what he could remember of his life.

“Why’s that?” Rarity asked curiously as the Golden Oaks Library came into view.

“Well, the age difference… it’s just so different.”

Rarity looked at Snickers. “Is it, now? This mythical species you say you’re from must be quite long lived.”

Snickers shrugged. “Average lifespan was sixty with basic medical support at my time. I would have lived to seventy-ish. The wealthiest and healthiest would live to one hundred; that’s all dependent on whether or not we died by another’s hand, weapon, or sickness we didn’t have immunity for.”

“Well, that’s most… unfortunate. The average lifespan for a pony depends on the tribe, I suppose. If all goes well, I should live to be a ripe old age of sixty-five while a pony in Canterlot would add ten, even thirty years to their lifespan living at a magical nexus as they do.”

Snickers looked around him. “What’s a nexus?”

Rarity moved them to the side of the street and stopped. Her horn lit. “I’m going to touch my horn to your head, it won’t hurt, alright? I’m only going to share what’s called Magic Sight with you. It’s difficult at first, but you’ll understand when you see it.”

Snickers nodded and Rarity’s horn touched his head. There was a flash of blue to the world through his eyes and then every color seemed more dull, except for a wall through town that he followed with his eyes. “What’s that?”

“That, Snickers, is a ley line. Magical energy that crosses the world and connects at points. One is the center of town where two interconnect, there’s a small nexus where three link at Sweet Apple Acres; but one of the largest is that way,” Rarity said and moved Snickers to the corner of the street. He shielded his eyes at the glare from Canterlot. “There are thirty seven that link right there. Magic is everything to a pony, and the more we have the better we are. A pony living near a nexus will live about ten years longer than a pony living near a line only. Ponies living miles from a leyline will probably only live to a natural forty, maybe fifty.”

Snickers glanced at the capital city of the land and watched as the light dimmed. “It’s going away.”

Rarity nodded. “Yes, it’s a barely used spell for that reason. There’s not a real need to know about such things so it’s an elective spell. I chose to learn it since the best gems grow along the path of former leylines. Those are the ones I try to use in my clothing or for sale and trade.”

“Huh, crazy,” Snickers shook his head and started walking towards the library as his vision returned to normal, then mumbled to himself quiet enough for only himself to hear. “What’ll I learn next, that space is full of air and the sun moves by magic?”

***

“Snickers! My colt,” Spike said bumping his chest to Snickers’s, ”here for another book on the wonders of science?”

Snickers shook his head. “Yeah, bro. Plus, I’ve gotta see Twilight about my brain getting all scrambled up.”

“Ouch, I heard about that,” Spike said and walked ahead of Snickers with Rarity watching from the back with a smirk at their friendship, “glad to see you’re better, though.”

“<Well, I do have a new trick up my sleeve,>” Snicker said and Spike spun around.

“Wow, I have no idea what you said, but it was awesome. Was that that other language you know, from where the spaceship dropped you off at?” Spike asked with a twinkle in his eye.

Snickers looked back to Rarity and smirked. “Yeah, Spike,” Snickers said a little more dully. “You know you shouldn’t announce that, though. I’ll have to take care of that.”

Spike covered his mouth. “Oh, no. Not again,” he groaned and slumped.

A few seconds passed before Rarity brushed her foreleg against Snickers’s hind leg. Snickers cleared his throat. “Hey, Spike, why’re you standing like that?”

“Standing like what? This is how I stand when you wipe my mind… er, I mean, I don’t know what you’re talking about, eh heh heh,” Spike rubbed his neck awkwardly.

“So, you were saying you were gonna make Rarity some chamomile tea with honey… how’s that coming?”

Snickers suppressed a giggle as Spike looked between himself and Rarity, then took a step back. “Uh… right, mind wipe,” Spike mumbled. “I mean, be right… as in be right back with that, just hold on, Rarity, I’ll get that for you!”

Spike pattered from the room with his tail swaying quickly behind him with every step he took. Rarity walked past Snickers and bopped the top of his head. “Ouch,” Snickers rubbed his head and fixed his mane. He pulled his shirt down his chest from where he’d bumped against Spike.

“While I’m pleased you’re closer with my darling little Spike; must you tease him to believe you’re an alien with mind powers?” Rarity chided while walking to the stairs.

“No, but it’s good safe fun that got you tea, so it’s a win-win.”

“Smartass,” Rarity whispered under her breath.

“What was that, mom?” Snickers asked, hoping he heard her correctly.

“Nothing you need to worry yourself about. Now, I’ll get Twilight and you can… get a book or assist Spike with the tea you’ve tricked him into making for me.”

Snickers sighed ironically. “You know he’d have done it regardless, he’s got a huge dragon bone-- to pick with me about my choice of wording,” Snickers gave a toothy smile at Rarity’s preemptive frown, “right, mommy?”

Rarity rolled her eyes and began climbing the stairs. “Just be quiet and don’t make a mess while I get Twilight.”

“Fucking nag, can’t even take a joke,” Snickers mumbled as he walked across the room to a bookshelf he was becoming close friends with. He leaned in and used his lips to pick a book about thaumic theory in mechanical kinetic energy transferal and pranced to a reading nook he liked.

He lay on the cushion provided and inhaled deeply following a familiar scent to the surface fabric and then buried his nose into it, taking in Twilight’s scent. Her coat always smelled of something he couldn’t put words to below the aroma of berry shampoo and the slight tang of her natural musk.

“Well, it seems like he likes my second favorite reading space, too,” Twilight joked and startled Snickers into standing up on the spot. “Oh, my…” Twilight looked away and Snickers fell back to his belly. “It seems he really likes it,” she giggled.

Rarity tittered. “Yes, it’s so cute to see him learning about mares this way. I’m willing to wager you wish you kept the pants I made for you now, aren’t you?”

Snickers was blushing, but nodded. “I was just gonna read, honest, then I smelled berries and--”

Twilight waved her hoof at him. “Don’t worry. At least you’re not that old guy with the yellow mane. He’s creepy.”

Rarity tapped Twilight’s back. “Perhaps we should get to the point?”

“Oh, yes, sorry,” Twilight apologized to Rarity, “Snickers, I have no idea what happened to your language. The fact you now speak two is astounding and I hope you can write in that language as well because I have so many questions,” she said and shoved a notepad and pencil under his left foreleg.

Snickers looked at the writing tools. “Well, can it wait, since you’re clueless <as fuck all> and work with me on this,” he tapped the book. Rarity’s eyes narrowed.

“I hear you using that word often since you began to speak Ponish again… what is it, <fralk>? If it happens to be a naughty word then I’ll certainly start adding more bits to your jar every time you say it.”

Snickers smirked slyly. “I promise I won’t say <fralk>, you have my word.”

Twilight’s ears twitched. “No, that’s not it. The word she’s thinking of is <fuck>. You’ve said that word four times that I’ve counted, can you write that word down for me?”

“No, I don’t think so. There’s no translation, it’s just an expression. A cultural expression, that’s all.”

Rarity blinked but didn’t stop scrutinizing him. “I’ll keep my ears open for that word, and if it happens to be something profane then I’ll react accordingly.”

Snickers cocked his head and felt the cushion move with him. “This is kind of familiar from that dream I had. You were gonna put bits in the jar for all the swearing I did, a whole year’s worth, I think.”

Twilight grinned. “Oh, your Harmony dream! You have to write that down for me and future researchers into first time Harmony experiences, you can use Ponish or the other. I’ll start translating once I have a base to work with, with your help!”

Snickers took the paper and pencil, put them on the table beside his book, and took his book to his forelegs. “You’re making this weird, Twilight. I’m gonna try to learn about thaumic electricity now.”

Twilight whined and walked to him, layed on her belly, then presented the frogs of her hooves to him. “Please, give me new science from another world! You have so much to teach us…”

Rarity picked up Twilight in her magic and stood her on her hooves again. “Twilight, don’t beg him for what he can’t provide. He certainly has some fine traits, but being an alien from some mothership isn’t one of them.”

Twilight stepped towards Snickers. “But he is! Not only did he say so, he shared some of his technological knowledge with me and Spike. Thanks to Snickers, the Ponyville Dam is producing seven percent more energy than it was last week. Just think of what that could mean for the future of Equestria!”

Rarity raised an eyebrow. “You mean we can light seven percent more houses, Twilight? That’s hardly--”

“Try nine hundred! Ponyville’s population is four hundred. With the energy created at the dam, we can now power all of Ponyville and grow the town into a city over the next five years thanks to this single innovation!” Twilight hopped in place. “This could solve so many problems, not to mention what he was telling me about power currents! What was it called again?”

Snickers took the notepad to his legs and pencil in his mouth. He drew a symbol and held the notepad to face the mares. “AC/DC,” he snerked. “I’m gonna use the slogan Electricity Rocks. How’s that sound?”

Twilight, still giddy, tapped her chin. “Well electricity doesn’t come from rocks, but if we use some gems it would work just fine. Yes! Electricity Rocks! Yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes!”

“Twilight, please stop bouncing around me,” Rarity pleaded.

“Rarity, I have your tea ready. We were low on chamomile, so I picked some fresh from out back just for you,” Spike said and held the tray to Rarity.

Twilight took the tea and drank it in one slurp. “Thanks, Spike! I need some time with Snickers, Rarity. Spike! Get some more paper, I’ve gotta take notes for the future of everything everywhere!”

Snickers watched Twilight hop and land outside his nook and rest her forehooves on the table. It was a small area large enough for one pony to be able to lay and read; the look Twilight was giving Snickers was almost pleading for him to let her lay with him again. “Pwease, Snickers. I’ll let you snuggle between my legs again,” she pouted and turned her hooves up to him again.

Snickers sighed and stood up, glad to have had his friend go back home for the time being. Twilight giggled and climbed onto the cushion and pulled Snickers to her barrel and held him protectively between her forelegs while Rarity watched. In that instant, Rarity saw an expression on Snickers’s face she’d never seen before.

He was content and happy just being held. Something else they’d never shared. Rarity felt a tingling under her tail and she prepared to leave them alone. “Very well, you two have a good time while I go shopping, alone. I’ll be back before you know it, Snickers. Don’t misbehave,” she said and backed toward the doorway.

“Yeah, will do. Thanks a ton,” Snickers said as he flipped through the book with Twilight watching pages turn.

Rarity opened the library door and left, closed it, then stood tall and walked around the tree to begin her shopping.

“Rarity, wait! I’ll help you,” Spike called and raised Rarity’s mood.

“Oh, Spikey Wikey, I knew I could count on you in my rough times. Come, let’s get a pretzel at the market, shall we?”

Spike sighed and nodded. “Only if I can share it with you.”

“Only if you get the first and last bite,” Rarity replied sweetly enough to bring a flutter to Spike’s step. “I must watch my figure, after all,” she said and swayed her hips getting the happy feeling she tended to have when Spike would look her over and size her up. The tingle under her tail got worse. “A-actually, Spike, I have to run home for something I forgot, would you like to accompany me and wait just outside? It won’t be but a moment.”

Spike saluted and spoke dreamily. “Yes, my angel, as you wish.”

“That’s lovely, darling. I’ll dash ahead, I have to take care of something quickly.”

Rarity cantered briskly back to her home and prepared to unlock the door when Rainbow Dash landed between her and the door. “Hey, Rares, I noticed you rushing back after leaving a few minutes ago,” she looked at Spike trying to catch up and then back to Rarity’s face. “Your tail’s flagging, are you planning something I should tell Twilight about?”

“No!?” Rarity shouted in panic. “No, Rainbow Dash,” she said in a calmer voice while looked at Spike who was ten seconds away. “I have something to do of a personal matter that does not involve anypony else.”

“Uh-huh,” Rainbow said standing with her side against the door latch, “and is Mister Ed going to be involved?” Rarity’s eyes darted around the sides of the boutique. “Don’t bother, Rarity. Fastest flier in Ponyville, answer the question.”

Rarity’s tail swished from side to side. “Ugh, fine… yes! I need personal time, just three minutes to scratch my little itch, as t’were.”

Spike arrived. “Rarity, I’ll help you scratch any itches you have,” he said kneeling over and panting.

Rainbow snerked and laughed. “Yeah, I bet this is one itch you’d love to scratch! But I’m here to help her learn to handle this itch in a different way that can be more constructive and less wasteful. How about a race to the river, Rarity?” Rainbow said hopping into the air with a flap of her wings.

Taking the chance, Rarity grabbed Rainbow in her magic and tossed her aside while opening the door and rushing in, slamming it behind her. She didn’t know why, but Rainbow thudded into the door an instant later with her blue face pressed to the small window set in the door, blocking what little light there was and casting the room with a murky shadow.

“Sorry, Rainbow Dash, I’m not ready for this intervention and wouldn’t race to the--” Rarity stopped gloating when she turned around to see Fluttershy lying between herself and the stairway. “Ah, Fluttershy, what a pleasure it is to see you again so soon. Would you like some tea, by chance?”

Fluttershy stood up and shook her head. “N-no, but thank you very much for the offer. It means a lot that you would think to do so much for me… but I… well, was hoping you’d be willing to go out for a walk with me, if you wouldn’t mind. Maybe to the park or to get some tea at Bon Bon’s Candies, maybe?”

Rarity turned on the light with her magic and flipped her mane. “Oh, that sounds lovely. Just let me pop upstairs for a moment and gather some things I’ll need for the walk.”

Fluttershy flapped her wings and flew to Rarity’s side. “Oh, that’s okay. You look fine as you are and anything we need we can live without for a moment of maybe five, right?”

Rarity stepped closer to the stairs. “Oh, I wouldn’t dream of leaving looking the way I do. A few minutes in the bathroom with certainly freshen me up, I’ll just--”

“I heard you with Rainbow outside just now, Rarity,” Fluttershy spoke up in a firmer voice. “I won’t let you keep self destructing by using sex as a go-to for emotional satisfaction. I’ve seen ponies off all types use all kinds of ways to hide from their problems, but you’re one of the ones I feel I’m comfortable enough to help.”

Fluttershy flew over and landed, draping a wing across Rarity’s back and pulling her close, ignoring the saddlebag pressing into her side.

“Well, it seems as though you’ve found your voice at last, Fluttershy, however this isn’t something one can go ‘cold turkey’ off of, as the gryphon saying goes. Shouldn’t one be weaned off bad habits or addictions?”

Fluttershy’s looked at the floor in thought. “Well, I suppose you’re right. Cutting you off would be detrimental in the short and possibly long run of this matter.” Rarity sighed in relief and moved to step away, but was held close. “So, the girls and I have made a schedule for you to be able to take care of your problem.”

Rarity bit her cheek. “A… schedule?”

“Oh, yes. It’s quite nice, actually,” Fluttershy said reaching her head under her wing and pulling a piece of paper from between some feathers. “You see, once in the morning before you start work but after the foals are out of the house, or before you leave bed and start your day. Once in the afternoon as long as you’re alone, in private, and not just stopping work to do it, and once immediately before bed.” She rolled the paper on her chest and tapped Rarity’s head.

“No more being caught in the shower. No more doing it when the foals are taking a bath, eating meals, or having play time. No more interrupting your work for this. No, more, addictive behavior encouragement and reasoning,” Fluttershy tapped the paper on Rarity’s head with each part said. “Oh, I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “Sweetie, darling, good friend… while I certainly appreciate your candor, I still believe this is an issue I can handle by myself with as little involvement from you and the others as possible,” Rarity said finally stepping out of Fluttershy’s wing and facing her. “I really feel this is getting out of hoof.”

“Rarity, we care about you enough to sacrifice our own time and become a part of your sex life for your own safety as well as your interpersonal relationships. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

Rarity nodded. “Yes, darling, of course it does. I just don’t feel this is something that can be rushed. Why, once I’m back down here I’ll be fine for a couple hours and we can go over the schedule you have and make tweaks to be certain it’s reasonable. You’ll see I’m not a lost cause, I’m certain of it.”

Fluttershy watched Rarity step closer and closer to the stairs. “Rarity, I’m sorry to have to do this, but you’ve left me no choice.”

Rarity went on guard. “And what are you going to do to stop me? This isn’t an issue worth fighting over, however I have two years of Cam-Fu training to defend myself against what you have to attack with.”

Fluttershy cowered back. “N-no, I wouldn’t attack you… p-please don’t hurt me.”

Rarity calmed and stood up again. “Oh… well, then what were you going to do?”

Fluttershy smiled just a little and pursed her lips. “Just this.”

She whistled a quick note and waited. “You were going to whistle at me? Surely there’s more--”

Rarity noticed a mouse at her hooves and screamed, prancing back and turning to the nearest chair so she could climb onto it. “Fluttershy?! What in Celestia’s name are you doing with a rodent in my boutique! Take it out before it multiplies!”

The mouse looked at Fluttershy and they shared a look. “Rarity, you do know that nothing multiplies that quickly, right?”

“Parasprites, darling! They do, and others must as well. Take it away! Please, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy stretched her wing to the floor and the mouse climbed up along the whole way to reach Fluttershy’s head where it sat and waved at Rarity. “This is Harmond, Harmond, this is Rarity. Harmond is one of many of my little friends that will be living around your house and helping you to find other ways to vent your frustrations in non-sexual ways.”

Rarity hopped from the chair to the floor and scowled. “How do you even think that rodents in my home will stop me from doing what I must? I’m more likely to spend all my time keeping them from my fabrics and… oh no, my fabrics!”

Rarity ascended the stairs and turned to her inspiration room, screaming loud enough to rattle windows. “Bleh.. how… you… you’ve organized everything! My inspiration… it’s ruined! That does it, you may be friends with Fluttershy, but you’re no friends of mine! Out,” Rarity shouted as she tried to chase one of the dozen mice she saw, only three more seemed to run from where one more went to.

Fluttershy looked into the room and smiled at Harmond. “I think this is going to work fine. You were right, I’ll thank Twilight for the illusions of yourself when I see her next. Oh,” Fluttershy giggled, “she’s trying to catch them with magic now,” she and the mouse quietly laughed as the illusory mice were picked up and then slipped from Rarity’s magic.

“No, stop! Don’t multiply any more! Sta-ha-hap,” she wailed as she chased them around the room unintentionally creating new inspiration as she focused on them and actually discovered a way to avoid self pleasure for the first time in years.

CmC to School

Scootaloo’s wings were flapping since she left with Sweetie and Silver Spoon, getting her friend’s attention. “Scootaloo, why in tarnation are you so happy today?” Apple Bloom asked.

Sweetie looked at Scootaloo and wondered the same. “Yeah, ever since your hug before school you’ve been dancing in the clouds. What’s going on?”

Silver Spoon, standing with Sweetie between herself and Scootaloo, looked over and rolled her eyes. “Whatever she’s on, it can’t be as good for us all. Scootaloo, why don’t you just tell us so we can get it over with.”

“Yeah,” Apple Bloom agreed, “was it the hug,” she stepped closer, “or the kiss with your special somepony?”

Scootaloo giggled and hopped to do a backward somersault. “No~thing happened, I’m just having a great morning from a great night. That’s all, nothing else to talk about,” she grinned exuberantly to her friends at both of her sides.

“That’s a load of nonsense if Ah ever heard it. What happened?” Apple Bloom asked giving her friend’s side a bump and causing a domino effect and toppling them all over and making them all laugh.

Sweetie Belle was the first to speak up as they unpiled. “Hey, my saddlebag opened.”

Silver Spoon rushed side to side grabbing pencils in her lips and standing in front of Sweetie offering them to her. Sweetie turned her side to Silver Spoon and let Silver Spoon drop them into her saddlebag. “There you go, Sweetie Belle. Herdmares have to help one another out, right?”

Sweetie turned to face Silver Spoon. “Yeah, I guess… but you’re not in the herd yet and, well,” she looked aside to Apple Bloom who nodded. “Apple Bloom and me have been thinking about leaving the herd because it’s a bit too dramatic for us. Plus I shouldn’t be in a herd with my nephew, even though he really isn’t, but still is, and it’s really confusing for me.”

Silver Spoon grinned and hopped once. “Really?! That means more space for me to get in, right? Hear that, Scootaloo? Snickers might be cuddling with me one of the nights.”

Scootaloo laughed and giggled, sitting and grinning at her friends, and Silver Spoon.

“Okay, that does it, Scootaloo. What in the world’s gotten inta you?” Apple Bloom asked and faced Scootaloo. “Ya better tell us, it’s what crusaders do; be honest with each other.”

Scootaloo quieted and looked at the streets, both ways to see if the coast was clear. “Not here, let’s get closer to school. The grove, okay? Once we’re there.”

Scootaloo got up and took the lead at first until Silver Spoon caught up. “Scootaloo, like, what if you and me are the only ones Snickers wants to be with?”

Scootaloo giggled. “If he even lets you in, now that he only has me.”

Silver Spoon scoffed and looked away. “Whatever, I tried, at least.” Silver slowed and moved so Sweetie was between them again.

Sweetie nickered. “Scootaloo, why’d you have to say that? It wasn’t very nice of you. Silver Spoon here is trying, you should, too.”

“Ha, no need once I tell you Snickers and my secret,” she pranced and her wings started flapping again. “Oh, there it is, hurry, I’ve gotta tell you girls this! You won’t believe it.”

The fillies ran to a small circle of trees surrounded by bushes with a small path running down the center, just enough privacy for them to watch for listeners and not to be listened to. The giggled once inside and sat down in a circle, excited for what they were about to find out.

“Okay, you totally got us all here to listen to your lame story, whatever it’s gonna be,” Silver stuck her tongue out, “just get this over with.”

“Yeah, Ah’m antsy tryin’ ta think of what it could be. Did ya kiss in yer sleep again? Did ya dream ya married him?” Apple Bloom teased the grinning orange filly.

“Nope, we had sex!” The group fell silent and watched Scootaloo, waiting for a punchline or end to the joke, but none came. “Well, aren’t you proud of me?”

The others’ mouths dropped open. “P… proud?” Sweetie asked quietly, disbelieving what she’d just heard. “Y-you’re serious? You… mated with him?”

“Well,” Scootaloo dragged the word out, “technically it isn’t mating since I can’t carry his foal yet, but if you wanna--” Scootaloo was cut off when Sweetie Bell leapt three feet and tackled Scootaloo through the bushes and into the open, slamming Scootaloo onto her back.

“What the hay is wrong with you?! How could you do that to all of us?” Sweetie shouted and her horn actually lit with green light. “We’re not ready… you’re not ready for that!” Sweetie’s horn sparkled and went out. “You’re not ready, Scootaloo,” she said leaning closer before stepping off and back beside a worried Apple Bloom and Silver Spoon.

“Sweetie, that hussy didn’t hurt you, did she?”

“No, Silver Spoon, I’m okay. I just… can’t deal with her right now.” Sweetie said softly, lowering her head and walking away.

Silver Spoon followed. “I’ll come with you, I don’t need her drama any more than I need Diamond Tiara’s.”

Apple Bloom helped Scootaloo up and shook her head. “Scootaloo, why? Why’d ya do it? Did ya at least ask him?”

“What? You think I don’t have any self control, that I’d just take advantage of him the first chance I got? I thought you thought more of me, Apple Bloom,” Scootaloo said feigning hurt.

Apple Bloom shook her head. “No, I don’t mean it like that. Ah just… Ah’m worried fer ya, ever since yer neighbor--”

“We aren’t talking about that, Apple Bloom,” Scootaloo growled in a dark voice.

“Ah didn’t say we were. It’s just that ya have a thing about wantin’ ta grow up ever since, and… hey, wait up!” Apple Bloom said when Scootaloo turned tail and started walking towards school.

“I said we aren’t talking about that or him! It wasn’t my fault he left, Apple Bloom,” Scootaloo turned and stomped her hoof. “He moved away because of work, it wasn’t my fault and I don’t miss him or the time we had. That’s all there is to it, so drop it! I have Snickers now, and he won’t leave me, especially now.”

Apple Bloom was at a loss for words, not knowing what to say since life experiences hadn’t taught her what should be said. She settled on forcing a smile. “Yer right, Ah was outta line with that one. Um… wanna talk about how it was, maybe get it off yer mind?”

Scootaloo felt a sting on her side and looked, brushed some sticks and rocks from her coat, then smiled. “Sure, wanna go back to the grove?”

“Ah’m okay with that.”

“So, here’s what happened. We kissed, and then I touched him like… ahem, I just did. Then I turned around and he put it between my legs and I held it and moved my tickle spot on him until we were done. It was so awesome getting that far. Next time I might go all the way,” Scootaloo finished her story and smiled proudly.

“Wait, so… he didn’t go inside of anything?” Apple Bloom asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Psh, no. Only one stallion has so far and…” she frowned and looked at the ground, scuffing a patch of grass flat, “anyway, no; Snickers hasn’t yet. But, maybe tonight or soon I’ll let him. All stallions want that, and Snickers will always be here because he lives with Sweetie Belle! So, we’ll both never have to be alone again!”

Apple Bloom had a dozen thoughts and questions, comments, and concerns each running around in her head. “Wait, why do ya think yer ever alone? Ya got us, Sweetie and me, at the least, every day.”

“Well, yeah, but it’s not the same. Ya see, there’s family love, friend love, and love love, and what I have with Snickers now is love love. I haven’t had this for years and it feels so great I could fly!” Scootaloo’s wings flapped and she managed to hover inches from the ground before landing.

“Well, Ah just hope yer feelin’s are gonna stay the way they are. Ah don’t know if all this is gonna happen the way ya hope it will.”

Scootaloo giggled. “Just wait until you find the colt of your dreams, you’ll understand what it’s like then. C’mon, let’s get to school.”

The students arranged themselves as they did the previous day, some surprised only a day had passed since so much drama surrounding the new colt had happened. “Okay class, take your seats everypony. Today our lesson is going to be about the fundamentals of nature. These include atomic mass, ionic binding, and thauntum mechanics in relation to growth and proliferation of the diversity of species…”

Sweetie Belle leaned closer to Silver Spoon, who leaned closer as well. “Did you see Diamond Tiara on the way here?” Sweetie whispered.

“No, she might be grounded, finally.” Silver whispered back and they both sat up for several seconds.

Apple Bloom leaned back a little in her seat in front of Sweetie Belle and turned her head with a note in her lips. Sweetie quickly snatched it and placed it on her desk top with her hooves on it, looking nervously at Miss Cheerilee. When she saw the teacher was writing some boring math on the board she opened the note and read it.

They didnt do it. it was a missund^erstandinG. Ill explaⁱn at resesResess.

It was vague so anypony else that read it wouldn’t understand, but the words lifted fifty pounds of bricks from Sweetie’s withers and she audibly sighed with a growing grin. Sweetie looked aside at Scootaloo and mouthed ‘I’m sorry for reacting bad’; Scootaloo waved her off with a friendly smile.

Scootaloo clutched her head suddenly and something felt wrong. She looked aside to see Sweetie Belle’s horn flickering and the filly holding pressure to her temple, then they laid their heads on their desks as sleep took them.

Author's Notes:

Starting to answer why Scootaloo's hung up on abandonment. It's not all what you may think, don't hate. I'm not going to turn this fic into some subtle porn or something where everyone is sexually abused, active, or interacting.
That's not what this whole story's about.

Rough Nights and Harmonic Moments

Note: There is a short clop/foalcon scene marked by -_-_-_-
If you're not into that, skip it by jumping to the next -_-_-_-
Thank you.

Rainbow Dash was flying through town and decided to check on her other crush, the mare she didn’t want for anything but to see a cute little nerdy type that didn’t know she was a cute nerdy type. Rarity was handled by Fluttershy, Snickers was going to be a distraction, but always worth a laugh; it was going to be a good time.

Finding an open window by Twilight’s bed, Rainbow flew in and listened for anything. She heard Snickers talking animatedly and Twilight replying as fast as he stopped talking and they went back and forth. Twilight’s voice was sweeter than anyone else’s except for Fluttershy’s, in Rainbow’s opinion.

She lay at the loft and listened to them talk about sciences and math that stimulated her mentally in ways she’d never planned to admit. After several minutes, Rainbow became antsy so she leapt from the loft and flew down. “Heya, Twilight!” Rainbow shouted, getting the unicorn to scream and bang her elbows on the table and toss her quill and notepad to the side.

“Ouch! Rainbow Dash?! What have I told you about scaring me like that?” Twilight said lighting her horn and healing her legs from the aches. “That wasn’t very funny,” Twilight scolded Rainbow who was laughing on the floor.

Rainbow stood up and wiped an imaginary tear from her eye. “That never gets old,” Rainbow finished laughing. “Oh, hey, Snickers! Snuggling with the egghead, huh?”

Snickers got up and left Twilight, running to Rainbow. “Rainbow! I gotta talk to you! I fucked up, I fucked…” Snickers looked at Twilight and then back up to Rainbow. He hesitated and took a step back. “I… last night I did something bad,” he said and looked at the floor.

Rainbow moved close and wrapped a wing around him. “Hey, big guy. You’ll be okay, whatever you did can’t be that bad. Just, talk to me and tell me what happened. Nopony’s gonna be upset with you.”

Snickers moved closer and started sniffling, nuzzling into Rainbow’s down. “I… Scootaloo and me… we messed around last night and I didn’t stop it. I’m a terrible pony,” he started to cry softly. “I’m horrible, letting it happen and not stopping it…” he sniffled between sobs, “I deserve to be sent to the dungeons, probably even Tartarus.”

Twilight and Rainbow shared a long worried expression and glanced between one another and Snickers in a silent conversation. Finally, Rainbow nuzzled him. “Snickers, Snickers… it’s alright. I guess it happens, but no matter what, you don’t need to be upset about this. Just…” Rainbow hesitated and looked at Twilight, who rubbed her forelegs awkwardly together, “tell us what happened and we’ll help you from there.”

“Just, take your time, Snickers,” Twilight said sitting on the floor and bringing several books to he side related to therapy and sexual therapy she’d ordered over the weekend and began to quietly skim the texts, taking her speed reading skills to their limits; reading a chapter by the time Snickers was composed enough to begin his story.

Snickers sniffled and turned his eyes up, meeting Rainbow’s snout and having to lean back to see into her trusting eyes.

-_-_-_-

Snickers woke up with a sigh, quietly and peacefully and looking at the sleeping face of Scootaloo. Something in his mind urged him, nudged him closer, almost against his will to lift his foreleg to Scootaloo’s muzzle and wake her with a light brush. As Scootaloo’s eyes fluttered open, Snickers leaned in closer and kissed her nose.

The urgency left him, but as he watched her eyes meet his, Snickers didn’t resist Scootaloo when she touched her hoof to his cheek as well and brought her lips the inch back to his. He turned his head slightly and let his tongue brush her lips, her body trembled and her lips parted letting him in.

Her soft flat teeth welcomed his tongue into her mouth and met her own, that was when Snickers’s body reacted and he extended, his body so close to Scootaloo’s he parted his lips from hers and watched in anxious fascination at her reaction to feeling him growing, pressing along her underbelly as it grew.

Scootaloo looked down and lifted the blanket with her foreleg, taking her hoof from Snickers’s face to see what lay between them. Scootaloo let the blanket drop and wrapped her foreleg around his length and pulled it to her. She pressed her lips to his again in a heated kiss and let her foreleg move up and down feeling the bump half-way, stopping each time to slow over it.

Snickers’s eyes flickered closed as he let her have his way with him. He was feeling a familiar tension growing, when she stopped and broke her lips from his breathing heavily. “Make me yours, I’m ready if you are.” She looked slightly hurt when she saw his worried expression, then smiled knowingly. “I understand, I’ll take care of it.”

Snickers glanced behind him and saw Sweetie Belle and Silver Spoon sleeping face to face but far enough away to not be cuddling. Scootaloo turned over and Snickers felt her tail brush along his penis and side. He scooted closer and used his forehoof to press his member down until it was below her tail, then she scooted back and he felt himself slide against her underbelly.

Scootaloo gently pulled his hardness closer to her and her hips rocked back and forth against him, dampening the base of his rod as she squeaked a quiet moan and started to rub her forelegs up and down again returning him to the place he was moments earlier. Snickers wrapped his foreleg around her and pulled her closer.

He quietly moaned and she sped up her actions on both of them until she felt him thrust his hips against her rump and the part of him she held in her forelegs pulse, Scootaloo gasped and her rocking stammered and slowed.

Both started to breathe heavily, Scootaloo let him go and shivered as he receded, brushing against her nethers as he went. He held Scootaloo tightly to herself and Scootaloo scooted as closely back to him as she could. “You, were amazing,” Scootaloo said and sniffled. “You… made a little mess on my foreleg,” she giggled and brought her nose to the droplets he’d made and touched it to her snout to keep his scent before she licked her leg clean thoroughly.

Snickers watched, listened, and smelled their unofficial union and nuzzled her ear. He didn’t say anything, he didn’t have to. At the moment, they both felt good and that’s all that mattered at the moment. It was a distant dream in Snickers’s mind that he was unsure of whether was his first wet dream as a colt, or a huge mistake.

-_-_-_-

Rainbow hugged Snickers, a sense of relief washing over her. “That’s okay, Snickers. You didn’t actually have sex, it was mutual masturbation, as long as you didn’t penetrate her with your stallion parts she won’t feel or be bonded to you.” Rainbow said and looked at Twilight, who was on her third book and nodded while reading.

“The only problem we now have is that you’re ready and willing, at some level, to go that far, aren’t you?” Rainbow asked.

“Wait a second, Rainbow,” Twilight interjected. “Snickers,” she lowered her book and looked intently at him. “You said there was something that compelled you or influenced you to start your sexual event with Scootaloo?”

Snickers looked through Rainbow’s feathers and nodded. Twilight frowned.

“What’s up, Twi? Is this gonna get magical and stuff? Because that’s not exactly what I think you should do right now, especially since last time you blew up his brains.”

Twilight ignored the comment and focused on Snickers. “How are you feeling right now?”

Snickers leaned closer to Rainbow. “Sad, mad, hurt, confused… why?”

Twilight hemmed the thought over. “What if I asked you to do something you liked to do, like eat ice cream. How would that make you feel?”

Snickers’s ears perked higher and he peeked out again. “I… I’d feel happy, I guess,” he looked at Twilight with curiosity. “Maybe thankful, why?”

Twilight looked at the stack of books, then to her book shelves, then she inhaled and exhaled deeply. “And if I ask you to do something you don’t like? Such as to k-... kill a bird?”

Snickers shrugged enough for Rainbow’s feathers to move. “I don’t really mind. Birds aren’t exactly-”

“Sweetie Belle, then?” Twilight interrupted.

Snickers tensed and trembled, glaring at Twilight for several seconds before his ears twitched and he looked at the floor. “Whatever I’d have to do, I guess I’d do it.”

Rainbow slowly opened her wing and stepped back from the colt and looked at him guardedly. “Twilight, what’re you doing?” She asked as Snickers sat still and looked at the floor.

A spark of light appeared at the top of Snickers’s head where a horn would have been if he’d been born with one and it wasn’t missed by the mares. Rainbow’s wings opened and she took to the air flying back. Twilight watched with her horn alight casting a general spell tracking magic as it occured in the area.

“Twilight, what that hay was that?!”

“Rainbow,” Twilight said calmly, “it’s not his fault…”

“Well,” Rainbow asked after several seconds passed, “what is it then?”

Rainbow watched as Twilight’s eyes darted side to side in thought. Snickers finally looked up and over to Rainbow, waiting for her to give him attention again. “Rainbow, it’s Harmony.”

Snickers looked at Rainbow and pouted. “Please, may I have a little affection here? I’m simply going out of my mind with stress,” he said with a bit of flair, “Rainbow, may I have a hug. It just might be what I need…” Rainbow looked at Snickers and landed beside him, wrapping him in an awkward hug. “Oh, your coat is just… luxuriously soft and you’re so blue! Have you ever played hide and seek, but in the sky where nopony could find you?

“Personally, I think that you’re missing out if you haven’t.” Snickers stood up and walked from Rainbow’s hug. “Thank you, Dashie, but I have to wonder about this shirt. Is it really my color? Oh, Twilight, you’re so pretty. How don’t you have a boyfriend or girlfriend right now?” Snickers asked curtly.

“Sn-snickers, that’s not something we should be focusing on at the moment. What concerns me most is how you’re talking all of a sudden,” Twilight said, then turned her attention to Rainbow Dash. “Like how he suddenly cares about how you feel or his clothes. It seems very similar to a mare we both know, right?”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to talk down to me, Twi. I know you’re talking about Rarity, and I agree. Something’s up with the big guy here,” Rainbow watched Snickers as he started to pull the cushion he was sitting on with Twilight from the spot in the nook.

Twilight watched as Snickers worked with more effort than he should have. “Rainbow, should we just humor him?”

“Twilight,” Snickers said panting softly from the exertion he’d put himself through, “you really have to keep your body safe and sitting on a soft surface will do more for you, ergonomically, than sitting on what your body perceives as a rock. I.e. the floor should be walked on, not sat upon, so sit here, young mare,” he said running around Twilight. He started nudging her with the top of his head toward the pillow and Twilight gave in, moving to sit where he’d offered.

“Happy now?” Twilight asked cooly.

Snickers nodded and looked Twilight from her forehooves to her ears. “Much; now about your mane…”

***

Rarity stood in her inspiration room panting with fury on her face while sweat beaded across her body. “Finally, I know your patterns, you’re not welcome here, rodents!” Rarity’s horn lit and surrounded each of the mice, lifting them for a second before the mice slipped and landed on the floor running around.

Rarity fell to her haunches and inhaled, puffed her cheeks with air, then wailed; tears running down her cheeks taking mascara with them. “Why-y-y won’t you go a-a-aw-awa-a-y?”

Fluttershy whistled a short note and the mice stood up, looked at her, and scurried away to the places the enchanted gems were hidden leaving Rarty alone in the room surrounded by fabric strewn around haphazardly by her magic. Fluttershy sent her little friend away and entered the room and hugged Rarity. “Rarity, how do you feel?”

Rarity hugged Fluttershy tightly. “They’re everywhere. I can’t stop them from ruining my business, my life is over before it began again... I can’t even-” Rarity fell silent and her horn flashed in a single pulse, then she resumed crying as though she hadn’t stopped, “-do anything right, it seems.”

Fluttershy, blinking a single star from her eyes, looked at her friend. “Rarity, why’d your horn just flash? Is everything okay?”

Rarity sniffled. “I didn’t flash my horn, d-darling. I-i’m in n-no m-mood,” she inhaled to whine loudly but was stopped by Fluttershy’s wing covering her mouth.

“Rarity, your horn did flash. Why do you suppose that was? Why would your magic do that, if you don’t mind me asking.”

Rarity leaned back and looked at her yellow friend. “Whatever are you talking about, Fluttershy?” she asked and wiped her eyes on her foreleg, grimacing at the mascara she knew she smeared across her face by what was on her leg. “Oh, what a day and it’s only just begun. Fluttershy, what’s happened to me? What has led to my life being in such a way?”

Fluttershy shuffled her wings and her legs on the carpet, refusing to meet Rarity’s eyes. “W-well, Rarity, I guess that… … …”

“What was that darling? I couldn’t hear you,” Rarity asked and focused her ears toward Fluttershy.

“I said … …”

“Fluttershy, whatever you have to say, I won’t be upset with you or be mad at all. I beg you for your honest opinion of me, please.”

Fluttershy glanced up and met Rarity’s eyes for a second and relented. “I said… that you seem to have grown in a fractured household with poor parental interaction and limited intra-familial social interactions that have stacked to create a mare that uses nontraditional methods to cope with common problems.”

Rarity blinked and hummed. “Well… struck the nail upon the head in a single swing, haven’t you? Well,” Rarity stood and snapped her waved tail, “I won’t pass my problems on to the others in my life. Snickers is back at Twilight’s and I shan’t let Twilight read with him alone. I have plenty of books that he will enjoy reading with me and, as Celestia as my witness, I’ll truly begin to be a better mother to him… one that I should have had and longed for all my fucking youth.

“Thank you, Fluttershy, you’re truly a miracle worker.” Rarity kissed Fluttershy’s cheeks in the Prench way before she turned and trotted from the room. “Damn, today’s gonna be great!” Rarity shouted.

Fluttershy’s ears were pressed to her head and she looked at the mouse as he ran back into the room. “What has happened to Rarity’s language? It’s suddenly so foul, is that because of what we did?”

The mouse shook his head and squeaked.

“Well, if you say so. However, you’re right; she didn’t even seem to think about pleasuring her troubles away-” the door slammed loudly when Rarity left the boutique, “I think you should wait here and I’ll come back after I make sure everything is going to be okay with Rarity. She seems a little bit different since her horn flashed, she may be in trouble. I’ll be back soon, okay?”

...

“Oh, Spikey Wikey, thank you so much for waiting.”

“Anything for you, Rarity. I was worried when I heard your screaming, but Rainbow told me Fluttershy was with you and showing you her mice so you’d probably freak out and not to worry,” Spike said nonchalantly. “And I know how to guard a door so nopony walks in to hear you screaming like you usually do.”

Rarity blinked in realization that her urge was gone without having been sated and smiled, mentally thanking Fluttershy and her clever mind. “Yes, well, now that all that’s done, I have to return to the library. There’s some shit I’ve gotta do and I simply can’t put it off.” Spike covered his mouth with his hands and stepped back from Rarity. “Oh my, dragon breath again? You simply must work on that shit before it kills somepony.”

Rarity trotted past Spike and closed the door behind her while the shocked dragon watched her leave with wide eyes, only this time unrelated to her hips swaying with each step she took. When she’d gotten nearly a block away he lowered his hands from his mouth and gulped loudly. “What just happened to my darling angel?”

Rarity hummed a happy tune as she casually trotted through Ponyville keeping her spirits high while anxiety at being rejected bubbled inside her. “Hello, Daisy. Fucking wonderful day, is it not?” Rarity asked a flower mare she passed. The mare excused herself from Rarity's potty mouth. “Ah, well, I hope you have a good shit, then. Polygon? Holy shit, I haven’t seen you for over two weeks!

“How the hell are you?” Rarity asked the next mare she came across and watched as the mare covered her mouth like Spike had. “Hm, I can’t stop now, but if you have bad breath perhaps a good brushing would help more than covering your damned mouth… Noteworthy?” Rarity pranced in place to keep herself ready to move again. “What the fuck are you doing here, darling? I thought you’d be sucking off your boss for a raise right now.

“Oh, my. You look cute when you blush, use that while you do it, darling. I won’t tell your girlfriend, by the by…” Rarity stopped and leaned closer, “do you swallow? I know this stallion you’d love to meet if you’re interested, regardless. Fret not, your secret love for other stallions is still between us,” she winked. “Ponytones practice Wednesday? Fabulous, see you there and be certain to gargle, not just mouthwash,” she advised and then cantered to make up for lost space.

Noteworthy watched Rarity leave him alone in the area and thanking Celestia no one heard, but upset about everything else that had just happened. “What just happened, was that Rarity just now?” Noteworthy asked aloud.

The rest of Rarity’s walk to Twilight’s was mostly quiet since her path was a bit of a shortcut down side streets as opposed to well used streets that could stop her from bonding with her adoptive son. Rarity saw the Golden Oaks Library’s top and cut through an alley, glad to have not experienced anything like she had the last time she’d gone through one.

Her mind reflected on transversing the one with Snickers and how that had gone. It would have been an opportune time to share a laugh with him or create an inside joke… instead I fucked off and was so jealous of Cherrilee I could have begged her to let me join in for the fun of it. C’mon, Rares, what’s more important?!

Rarity knocked on the door and opened it, walking in to see Snickers with a brush in his mouth and combing Twilight’s mane while Twilight and Rainbow looked back at her uncertainly. “Rarity, he’s brushing my mane,” Twilight said.

“No shit?” Rarity retorted. “I thought he was checking you for lice. Nice to know you were so on point with your assessment, how many books did you have to read to come up with that comment, egg head?”

Twilight and Rainbow’s jaws were slack while Snickers spat the brush out and frowned at Rarity. “That is no language to have around a colt my age, mother. Why, I have it in my mind to tell grandmother and grandfather about your uncouth choice in wording when I finally meet them if you continue.”

Rainbow and Twilight stepped aside and watched the two in shocked awe, their eyes darting between Rarity and Snickers.

“Yeah, certainly you may, if they ever get back from wherever the fuck they went to this time. Mother’s an accountant and father is a sports news reporter. They both tend to live mobile lifestyles and at the rate you’re going, I don’t see them meeting you before Twilight here sends you to Canterlot or Manehattan to help them research something no one cares about.

“Now, I’m here to spend time with you, you little shit, so get a book and let’s read.”

Snickers scoffed. “As though I’d waste my precious time with you when you’re more interested in self gratifying your libido instead of doing anything productive to any society that has no internet or fast photo sharing technology. Why, if I were to wager bits against doubloons, part of your income is based on sending photos of yourself clad scantly to top shelf magazines that have their covers blacked out… harlot. However, since you’re so insistent, I’ll indulge you and get you a book that you can drool over while I read something more technical and, dare I say, intelligent?” Snickers gasped in faux shock at his obvious insult.

Rarity scuffed her forehoof on the floor. “Fine by me, why don’t you get something from besides the toilet in the basement. That’s where Spike keeps his favorite ‘comic books’,” Rarity made air quotes with her forehooves while looking at Twilight, “and some may even not be all stuck closed…” Rarity smiled mockingly at Snickers. “Good luck, don’t be too long.”

“Okay, that’s enough! This’s gone too far,” Rainbow said and flew to Snickers while Twilight teleported in front of Rarity, both mares stopping the arguing. “Snickers, what has gotten into you? Rarity, what the hay?! After everything we talked about last night, you’re just going right back to this, only worse?”

Twilight turned aside. “Rainbow, I don’t think this is either of their fault. It’s the magic of Harmony, it’s doing something to the both of them and I don’t know what it’s doing. This is very concerning… I’ve never heard of it happening to a pony before.”

Rarity tried to move past Twilight. “Woah, don’t stop me from going where I want, Twi. You’re not the boss of me, so move it. I’ve gotta read something with Snickers so he’ll finally like me.”

Snickers faked a laugh. “As if, you need to be a good pony first. Everypony I’ve met has at least tried, you’re consistently absent or pleasing yourself in one way or another. I know how to be a better parent than you, perhaps I should be your guardian!”

Rainbow flared her wings and blocked Snickers from seeing Rarity. “Twilight, what do we do, this is not something I’ve ever trained for or even heard about!”

Twilight kept side stepping to keep Rarity behind an imaginary line she walked along. “Okay, I have my failsafe spell I’ve refined and have been working on. If I can disrupt the magic of Harmony for even a second it may stop the affect it’s having on them.”

“Twilight,” Rarity said in a shockingly normal, local accent, “I can’t imagine you’d even think of screwing with our heads after what you did yesterday and all the shit that happened from that. What the hell is wrong with you, no one should have to go through that, and now you’re saying we all should?”

Twilight’s horn glowed with its aura and Twilight began to cast. “Rarity, you’re both changing because Harmony is forcing parts of your personality onto Snickers to get him to align with our ways. If I don’t stop this, I don’t know how much of either of you will be left as individuals before the magic completes its role.”

Rainbow looked intently at Twilight. “Wait, are you saying that the magic of Harmony, the same magic that keeps us together and gives us the rainbow lasers of awesomeness are trying to force Snickers to be more harmonic?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes, it’s the base of Reformation Magic, the same magic that turns bad ponies and creatures into good ones. There’s obviously conflict in Snickers and Harmony must be under the impression that it’s chaos because of wherever Snickers is from is so different from our world that he can’t completely adapt, or is resisting, and Harmony is trying to… fix that.”

Rainbow and Rarity stopped what they were doing and focused their attention on Twilight, Snickers did as well once he could see the mare. Everypony was looking at Twilight and they weren’t happy.

“So, let me get this straight,” Snickers said in a more casual voice for himself, “you’re saying that because I’m not totally into the pony mindset and lifestyle, Harmony is trying to make me into it?”

The light around Twilight’s horn went out and she looked between the ponies watching her. Then she nodded and prepared to be shouted at or even shunned by one of them.

“Well, that’s fucked up,” Rarity said with a bit of her accent back. “What do we do, then? I’m not okay with having my son forced into something he’s not okay with. Can you fix Harmony to not bother us?”

Twilight looked between the ponies in the room and nodded. “Y-yes… I know of a few spells I can try, but I think the best one I can use is going to be to use a partial reformation spell on you, Rarity. You’re already a member of pony society, so when I cast on you, then Harmony should consider the task done.”

“Well, I’m certainly all for the try, at least,” Snickers said finally.

Rainbow moved around Snickers and held him to her while Twilight moved Rarity back to near the entrance door. “Ready, Rarity?” Rarity nodded and Twilight lit her horn, recalling the spell. “Okay, this won’t hurt at all.”

Author's Notes:

Thus starts a trial between Harmony and Snickers. Yes, in a dream; but not a secret this time. Harmony's gonna go hard core soon.

Harmonic Vision: 1

I blinked brightness from my eyes and was back in the Club House, also known as CMC HQ. I didn’t know how I got here; especially since it’s almost half an hour trot, but I was sure it had to do with something fucked up, magical, and probably Twilight related.

“Snickers? What’re you doing here?” Sweetie Belle asked from behind me, getting a startled yelp from me.

“Don’t scare me like that!” I told her and put a hoof to my chest. “What are you doing here? I was in Twilight’s library tree house thing. I thought you were at school.”

“I am, er... was,” Sweetie touched the side of her head, “I was in class and got a horn ache.”

“A… horn ache? You mean a headache?” I asked.

“No, it’s something unicorns have that’s different. When we get a headache, it’s like a headache; but a horn ache is a headache that starts from our horn and along the thaumic nerves into our brains, then pulses like a headache. It’s worse because it’s like a migraine,” she tapped her horn carefully, “but any touch to our horn can hurt really bad.”

She tapped the rounded point a few times and sighed. “So, you’re fine then?” I asked her and moved closer as she nodded. “Good, so how’d you get from school and me from Twilight’s, to here?”

She shrugged. “I’unno. Maybe we blacked out and Scootaloo and Apple Bloom brought us here to recover… yeah, that sounds dumb just thinking it.” Sweetie said when I looked at her incredulously.

“Okay, let’s just get back to Twilight’s. There’s something she’s gotta answer for after this fuck up.” I grimaced after I said it and knew I lost another bit before I’d even earned one.

Sweetie put a hoof on my side. “It’s okay. I won’t tell this time. This is kinda messed up, but if anypony can fix it, Twilight can.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, after she causes it. Well, ladies first,” I said gesturing to the door.

“Aren’t you going to open it, like a true gentlecolt would for a lady?”

I made a show of prancing to the door, bit the handle, and gave a twist of my head with a pull. Sweetie gasped and I let the door go to see what was up.

“God damned fucking ass! What the fuck does Harmony have against me? Seriously?!” I shouted into the deep dark forested area we were in.

“Snickers, calm down. How do you know this has anything to do with Harmony?” She pointed out the door into the encompassing darkness that was out of some ancient horror movie.

I looked at her with wide eyes and pointed to the lecturn the girls would stand at and start their meetings. I was going to on Thursday, if we survived this. “Let’s see. Bright, comfortable, nice place here with sunlight lighting the room through the shuttered windows, or a dark nightmare scene out the door.

“This is the kinda shit that magic would do to try to teach me why being part of the pony herd is the best choice.”

Sweetie stepped closer and gave me a hug. “It’s okay. We don’t have to go out there, we can just wait until we get rescued.”

I hugged her back. “You just doomed us,” I mumbled.

She let me go and stepped back. “Well, if you don’t want a hug just say so.”

“Three. Two. One.” I counted, and right on time the clubhouse started to shake and the back tilted up spilling us, and only us; none of the furniture or papers, out the door. We tumbled over one another and stopped, looking back to the wonderful sight of a nightmare tree just existing to look menacing.

“Why’d you do that?! It wouldn’t have kicked us out if you didn’t count it down.” Sweetie huffed and puffed in a really cute way.

I shrugged. “It was gonna happen, I just guessed right.”

“Ugh. Ugh! Now we’re really stuck here, what do we have to do to get home? Huh?” She turned in a circle looking for any landmarks past the grey area circled with demon trees we were standing at.

“I don’t have a clue. Maybe follow the yellow brick road?” I joked. I realized the joke was lost and never to be found when Sweetie started looking and poking at the ground asking where I saw the road. “Look, it’s a line from a movie a hundred years old where I’m from. Or, probably more. Regardless, we have to pick a path,” I pointed past the tree of death curving to the left that our safety house had been by, and then down another path that curved to the left.

“Um… well, I’m left hoofed so maybe we should go that way.”

I looked at Sweetie. “Really? I honestly had no idea, isn’t that rare?”

Sweetie looked at the path we were going to take. “Probably, it’s not that important so I’ve never asked, but I don’t see anypony else using their left for stuff as much as me.”

“Meh, it’s no big deal. I’ll take the lead so anything that attacks us from behind can nibble on your dust when you run past me and leave me for dinner,” I teased the surprisingly fast filly and brushed my tail on her foreleg in a way I’d learned meant ‘come on’ and was, thankfully, not a come on.

“That isn’t funny. I don’t want either of us getting hurt, so why don’t we walk side by side. Maybe we’ll get to Zecora’s and she can help us get home.”

I couldn’t help but bite back. “Sure, the first living person we’re gonna meet is the one to help us home.”

“You don’t have to be so negative about this, nephew. We’re gonna get home and nothing bad will happen to either of us. Just wait and see, we’re gonna be fine.”

I had learned how to walk on three legs so I can use one of my forelegs to perform another task, which I did just then. I tapped my chin and counted. “Hm… one, two, three… maybe four, I think.”

“What’re you counting? Are they landmarks? Do you see anything helpful?” Sweetie asked.

I shook my head and hummed. “Nope, just counting how many times you’ve said words that will probably bring death upon us both and have us be feasted upon by ravenous--”

“Stop it!” Sweetie turned and shouted at me. I stumbled over my own legs and fell over when I saw how mad she was. “You don’t have to keep saying such mean and scary and hurtful things, okay? You don’t have to, but you still do. Why? What’s so bad about this walk so far?” She pointed back and the area we’d left was still within view.

She turned her foreleg and pointed at me, making me feel smaller than her. “I’m scared and I don’t wanna be here. The Everfree Forest is a horrible place for a pony because we’re prey,” she looked around cautiously, “and I can’t use magic yet and don’t wanna be food for some predator.

“So can you please act like a big colt and walk with me and keep me safe and close so I’m so so much scared and stop scaring me?” She started strong and whittled down to a whimper.

I saw the hurt and fear in her eyes so I got up and rushed to stand with my side against hers. “Okay, I’m sorry for being such a downer. I totally get where you’re coming from, Sweetie, okay?”

Sweetie looked back and then at me. “Yeah, you just came from there too.”

I blinked and it took a second before I felt much better about the scene we were in. Her innocence is just what I needed. “Exactly, we’re together in this, so let’s get out of this together.”

We started to walk and three steps ahead we fell into a pit trap. “Ah, ha ha ha, boys. What’ve we got here?” A stallion called down to us while the leaves and dirt were still raining on us. “A couple little bites that’ll get us a hefty ransom, is what I see.”

Two others peeked their heads over the rim and looked down at us. One of them got a rock to the head that had slipped onto my hoof. He staggered back while the others laughed at him. “Ha, one of ‘em got ya good!”

Sweetie groaned and stood up, shaking off the detritus before I did and was the first they saw. One of them wolf whistled. “I call dibs!”

“Shut it, we ain’t thinkin’ of that crap. We’re here ta get bits ta spend, not yer bits wet.”

The one I beaned with the rock looked down at us with one hoof over his eye and a sneer on his face that I really didn’t like on him. I was almost up and scooped another rock, bigger this time, into my hoof. “Whoever threw that rock is gonna get their flank whipped! When I--” the next rock nailed him right in the mouth and he fell out of view of us again.

“Snickers,” Sweetie whispered at me, “stop doing that! You’re gonna get them to hurt us.”

“Jeepers?! Bro, oh no… yer bleedin’ somethin’ fierce. I think he busted yer snout.”

“My teef…” the one I nailed twice in a row hissed through his broken face. He started crying like a bitch, it was a great feeling.

“Let us out, jerk wads, or I’ll bean your dumb faces until you do,” I dug around and didn’t find any more rocks, realizing that the ones I had were probably random and fell when they were digging the hole. I knew a geologist once and learned a lot about sediment and the like, also that rocks are really common, but not constant.

I looked at the walls of the pit in the dim light we had that came from everywhere but above the trees and didn’t see anything else. Two muzzles fell into the pit. “Put those on, kiddies. When you’re muzzled we’ll let you up.”

Sweetie and I looked back and forth between each other and the muzzles and shared a look. “We don’t know how to put these on. We’re foals.”

There was a silence that I could have laughed at. “Fine,” the apparent leader stallion sait, “I’m sending down a harness you slip on. We’ll haul you up and then muzzle you ourselves,” he said and dropped a rope with a harness attached.

“Peepers, Jeepers is gonna make it, but he’s really messed up. Ma’s gonna be really mad if she sees him like this.”

I listened as the two talked above us and turned to face Sweetie. “I don’t know what’s gonna happen, but don’t worry. We can get outta this, they’re morons.” Sweetie gave me a hug and I stepped back with my tail bumping into the wall. I knelt down and got the harness on. “Okay, pull me up.”

There was a violent tug that hurt and winded me, a second later I was looking down on two of them and falling back to the very unforgiving ground. I heard the snap before I felt it. Pain shocked through my left foreleg and I looked aside to see it bent sideways where it shouldn’t have.

I screamed and felt a strike across my muzzle that just made the worse to the point I couldn’t do anything but cry and howl my moans. I heard Peepers; yes, Jeepers, Creepers, and Peepers were their names. God I love pony pun names sometimes. Their voices were dim in my mind. “Darn it, Creepers! Don’t hit’m when he’s down. Get the filly out and help me get this punk to the hideout and fix his leg. Ain’t gonna be worth much if he ain’t gonna walk ever again.”

I heard them and the thought of losing my leg, even though that’s not what they said or meant, but that’s how I understood it. The thought sent me into a little panic where I tried to get up and run back to where this all started. I managed to hobble a pace before my broken leg swung freely and reminded me what pain really was.

I fell over and saw a black tail, then a new pain struck me as Creepers’s hind hoof met my belly with the force of an adult buck driving it. I kind of remember tumbling into the bushes and shrubbery, I love that word; shrubbery, and then everything went hazy.

I heard talking, screaming, shouting between the adults and being dragged by my tail for a ways, then the throbbing pain in my leg got my attention for a little bit. I realized I was tasting blood and that wasn’t a good thing at all, ever, to taste your own blood. Not that it’s okay to taste anyone else’s, but you get what I’m saying.

It may have been an hour, maybe two minutes. All I remember is the world getting bright and colorful again before I fell asleep. Not passed out, I was exhausted and tired. I woke up fine enough, to the agony of my leg being turned and aligned so they could splint it. Sweetie Belle wrapped me in a hug from behind. I was on a cot on my right side while my other legs were each tied to my body.

My only free leg was outstretched and being wrapped up with two iron bars keeping it as stable as these walking unicorn examples against incest did their work. Well, one held the rods and my leg while one angrily wrapped it with disgusting cloth that looked like it was found in the mud.

Sweetie, meanwhile, kept whispering in my ear. “Snickers, it’s gonna be okay. Please, stay strong. You’re the stallion of our herd and we love you, you’re gonna be fine when we’re home. They won’t stop until they find us, they’ll pay anything.”

“There ya go, good as new,” Creepers said slapping my ankle and resetting my scream system.

I kept my eyes closed and tried so hard to move my leg from the frustrated inbred hick that just got two hits on my. “E-even, we’re even. P-please…” I whined and noticed I was still bleeding from my muzzle, “n-n-no more. Please.”

They all stood up and loomed over me like dark figures in the night. Grey with a white mane, white with a black mane, and black with a grey mane. Creative.

“Well, let’s find out who these belong to and get the note wrote up. Ah’m thinkin’ fer the trouble this colt caused us… five hundred bits sounds good.”

“Nah, Peeperth. Theven hundred. I need new teef and ta get my snout fithed, they thould pay fer thack.”

“Think about it, Creepers. How much is it gonna cost ta fix what happened ta this colt?”

“Darn it, Jeeperth. Medical’th free fer blank flankth and a broken leg’th covered by the crown. Theven hundred, Peepers, write it down and I’ll sneak it inta town. Who’th yer mommy, little filly?”

Sweetie held me a little tighter. I appreciated it, but my insides were hurting really bad. “Sweetie, not… not so hard. I think he broke something in me.”

Sweetie gasped and let me go. She stood behind me but I saw her when I turned my head. She was sad and angry. “I’m not telling you anything! You’re a bully and a foalnapper and you’re mean and I don’t like you!” She sat and crossed her forelegs over her chest and looked away.

Peepers stood over me to look at Sweetie and dangled his sheath near my head. It was awful and I wasn’t about to do something like bite at him, so I shut my eyes and prayed he didn’t get excited. “Who is your mommy, little filly.”

The way he spoke was just creepy in how sweet he was sounding. It was like he was forcing intelligence and sweetness over scum and abuse.

Sweetie stayed quiet so Peepers stepped back and looked at me. “What about you, who’s your mom?”

“Kashvi Sindale…” I said and my eyes widened. Everyone else in the room looked at me like I was crazy.

“What kinda weird name’s that?”

“I… said her name,” I whispered and felt emboldened. I blew blood from my nose across Peepers’s chest finally clearing it. “Fuck you, I’ve had worse than anything you can do to me. Bring it on,” I challenged them. Peepers backed away and looked at the blood on his grey coat.

“You’re lucky you’re worth more alive than dead,” Peepers said to me as he used his magic to bring Sweetie to him. She shouted in protest and tried to fight him when her brought her side to his coat and wiped most of the blood onto her. “Here, take your sister and think about giving me an answer before we have to get to asking in not so nice ways. And watch your language, it’s not proper for colts to talk that way.”

“Good luck with that, asshole,” I shouted at the stallions while they were walking away. Creepers’s horn lit and my broken leg was pushed just a little, enough to get me to yelp and resume crying.

Sweetie looked at her side and then moved to me and gently touched my belly. “Does this hurt?”

“No, I don’t feel anything. Check where he kicked me, Sweetie.”

She looked at me with worry etched onto her face. “I am, it looks really bad, Snickers.”

“How bad is really bad? What’s bad to you could be fine to me.”

Sweetie gulped and looked back to my underbelly. “I trained for this… you’re bleeding internally, at least a lot under your skin. When I saw you on the trail it was a hoof print, now it’s almost three hooves big.”

I swallowed again and forced a smile. “Well, your hooves are a lot smaller than an adults.”

She pouted and her lip started to tremble. Her eyes started to water and she moved to my head so she could nuzzle me. “I’ll do anything I can to get them to hurry, they might not know what happened, but you need to get to the hospital as soon as possible. I’ll tell them Rarity is my mother so they’ll pay more and they’ll send you to Ponyville for proof.”

I chuckled and felt my insides throb with pain. “It’s getting hard to breathe, Sweetie, but you’ve always taken my breath away.” I told her that get her to laugh, instead she started crying like I’d been since I broke my leg. “I’m sorry, I wish we could hug. You need it so badly and you don’t deserve to be here. I dragged you into this with me somehow and it’s… I’m so sorry, Sweetie. Ow… it hurts so bad,” I coughed and tasted more blood. “That’s not good. If this is Harmony trying to get me to learn something, it’s a real fucked up way to go about it,” I chuckled through the stabs in my guts.

“Shush, stay still and calm. I’ll get them and they’ll have to get you help, they have to… I’ll be right back. Stay here, please, don’t move.”

Sweetie left me and I felt tiredness clawing at me, so I yawned and went to sleep again. I woke up gagging and coughing to the sound of Sweetie shouting at the jerkoffs that just poured something down my throat. I started crying again and I actually felt my insides shifting. It was the weirdest and most horrifying sensation I’d ever had to that point in my lives.

“Thut up, ya get a healing pothin. I’m adding that to your ranthom; they ain’t theap.”

“Hey, go easy on the foal. He’s messed up bad, why’d ya have to buck him?”

“It’s okay, Snickers… I’m here, you’re gonna be okay.”

“The damned colt buthted my teef! I thound like that boxther! Damn colt.”

My leg was hit and even though I didn’t know who was talking, I wished all those adults to burn in the fires of hell. If I had a choice, I’d do to them what they did to me. Instead I was at their mercy and couldn’t do a thing about it. My leg pulsed in time with my heartbeat and I really got the feeling this was getting out of Harmony’s control.

Everything felt off and I could tell there was something trying to move the world around me, like a magic pressure of wind, or something that I can’t describe. My crying wound down again and I opened my eyes to see Sweetie looking at me. She had tears streaking her face and she was so scared for me.

She was all I had between those jerks and death, and I came close, I think. It didn’t hurt to breathe, so that was a plus, but I was still tied with barely an inch to move my limbs with one leg broken.

“Snickers… oh, thank Celestia you’re better. I begged them and begged them, they were thinking I was making it up until Peepers came out and looked at you and believed me. He told Creepers and they got a potion, but they only had two and they’re saving one.”

I felt the liquid in my lungs but it didn’t make me cough, it felt good and I was hurting a lot less. “Thank you, Sweetie Belle. I love you, please don’t leave me again. I’m really scared,” I admitted to her and she touched my belly. “I felt that, and it doesn’t hurt. Can we try a hug?”

She climbed up and nuzzled me. “Not yet, I don’t wanna mess up the potion when its working. But, I’ll give you the biggest hug once we’re back home.”

I chuckled and tasted a grape raspberry flavor when the potion finally touched my tongue. “Mmm, I want fruit. Maybe a fruit salad, with a cream cheese dipping sauce.”

“Alright, filly. Get away from your brother and sit over there.”

Sweetie was lifted by yellow magic and moved out of my sight. “Hey, put me down!” She shouted and struggled. “Don’t tie me up! Ouch, you’re pulling hair. You butt heads! If I get outta this I’m gonna tell everypony on you!”

They laughed and left the room, talking about how much they’ll get for us. It was up to eight hundred bits. Sweetie is worth ten times that on a bad day, they were lowballing themselves.

I heard Sweetie grunt and struggling. “Sweetie, I don’t know how, but I’ll get us out of here and we can hide somewhere until they give up. I think that if I can reach my leg… I can… bite through the rope and…” I tried moving and didn’t get much done. Sweetie trotted around to my front with a grin. “Wait… what? How?” I asked in a stage whisper.

She giggled into her hoof. “I trained for that, too. Cutie Mark Crusaders, escape artists,” she whispered, “yay. Now, I’m gonna open the door and come back to save you like a hero in the story books,” she giggled again and rushed to the door. She opened it slowly and came back to get me.

I was reluctant, but she started to nose herself under me so I rolled with her and across her back. “Oof, Snickers, can you turn so you’re not throwing me off balance?” I gulped loudly and tried, but she sighed. “Get onto your hind legs and stay up, I’ll turn and you fall on me and scoot up so your hooves are off the floor, okay?”

“I… I dunno, isn’t that…”

Sweetie looked back at me indignantly. “Are you serious right now? Get on my back, you’re not humping me like a dog in heat, we’re escaping.” She scolded me and embarrassed me a the same time. I bit my lip.

“My hind legs are tied and the knot is by my… thingie.”

She groaned and started walking to the door. “I swear, if this is what it’s like being with a colt, I’ll try fillies for a while.”

“Hey,” I said quietly, the hurt coming through in my voice, “I’m sorry, but I’m really hurt and scared and… and…” I started sniffling as my eyes watered, ready to leave a trail of tears for the bad guys to follow us by.

“Shh, it’s okay. I’m gonna be the mare and save the stallion from the tower, you’re the stallion and this is the tower…” she made it to the door and walked out with me, then we fell into another pit trap.

Harmonic Vision: 2, Part 1

I opened my eyes and was lying on a gurney, a sensation I knew too well at this point. Lights overhead flickered on and off like they were trying to decide which to choose. I scooted back and noticed my blanket, shouted, and shoved it off me since it was splashed with dried blood. My shout woke someone beside me up with a groan. There were cloth partitions separating us so I didn’t see who it was.

“Who’s there?” I asked warily. My limbs were all better and I wasn’t injured at all, which was a good thing, except for the whole waking up in a ruined hospital room from back home.

There was a girl’s squeaky yawn, a pause, then a scream from my right followed by one to my left. The one on my left got louder once that one realized she wasn’t waking up in a comfy bed at home. Hooves clattered on the floor to my right while two hooves clacked on the floor and then took down the cloth divider between us and got wrapped up.

I screamed, the voices screamed for both sides. I was standing on my bed and noticed my pillow was the torso of one of the pony stand-ins Rarity uses for her clothes and I ran to the end of my bed and jumped off, landed and slid because I didn’t have any shoes on and the floor was dusty… right into the cupboards against the far wall.

Dust and old bandages fell around me and I heard Silver Spoon. She quickly, carefully, trotted to me rambling, “Snickers? Oh, thank Celestia you’re here. I woke up in that hospital bed and it’s got blood on it and I was so scared and I was in school and I was tickling my tail and got a headache and I stopped and laid down and woke up here and where are we?”

She helped me up and hugged me, touching our noses together and when I breathed out she breathed in, and it went on for a couple breaths as we calmed down. I felt so relaxed after smelling her for a couple seconds I actually got my head around our predicament. The now moving sheet that was left moved and red hair popped out followed by Apple Bloom’s muzzle.

“Apple Bloom!” I shouted and moved past Silver Spoon. I got a scent of something sweet and earthy as I passed her and my mind slipped to where it was from. I ignored it, there wasn’t time and I had to get out bearings. I helped her out of the sheet; the only clean things in the room were those, and gave her a hug.

“Snickers, where are we? What the hay’s goin’ on? Ah was in class and then Ah was here… in a nasty bed that smells like day old rotten apples in a sack.”

“Ugh, again with the apple references. Can’t you come up with anything better?” Silver Spoon, I’ll say whined.

“Oh, great. What’s she doin’ here? Is this what the inside of her house is really like?” Apple Bloom said looking over my shoulder at Silver Spoon. Apple Bloom stepped back and touched her nose to mine and this time my breath calmed her, but it was only for a second before I felt a tug on my tail. I looked back to a pouting, yes, actually pouting Silver Spoon.

I rolled my eyes and looked at the double doors on one wall and the single door opposite. “Okay, we’ve gotta get outta here. What door do we choose?”

Both fillies picked the opposite set of doors, then turned on one another. “What’re ya thinkin’ Silver Spoon? The single door probably leads to the hall and the exit.”

“Uh, no. The double door leads to the hall and exit because that’s the one the doctors roll the patients into the room from. The single door probably leads to the bathroom or something. You can go there while Snickers and I go the other way.”

“Like hay Ah will! Ah don’t--”

“Girls!” I shouted and their ears pressed to their heads. “I will not have you both acting like foals right now. Silver Spoon, Apple Bloom, stand in front of me right now,” I told them. They rushed to comply and I saw a bit of pink in Silver’s cheeks. Do these fillies ever stop blushing around me when I boss them around?

Okay, dumb question.

“You two are here and stuck with me. I just saw Sweetie Belle and we barely escaped with our lives,” I told them and they gasped. “This, is, serious,” I told them with a tap of my hoof on the floor with each word. “I broke my leg and was bucked by an adult so hard I almost died,” I looked at Silver Spoon and then lingered on Apple Bloom.

Silver Spoon looked at Apple Bloom and was interested at the surprise on the yellow filly’s face. “What’s wrong, Apple Bloom?” Silver asked.

Apple Bloom blinked back into the moment and hesitantly looked at Silver Spoon. “An adult… buckin’ a foal… Ah’ve seen a farmhoof helpin’ and she bucked a cart when a bee went an’ stung her; broke the cart. And a mare buckin’ a colt like Snickers,” she trailed off as both fillies understood better the danger I was in.

“It was a stallion that bucked me, and if they didn’t force me to drink a healing potion, I’d have died with Sweetie watching.” I told them and noticed they moved so close their sides were touching. They needed the comfort I needed, but I had to have us on the same page in the same book.

“Was… was she alright?” Silver Spoon asked.

“Yes, just barely. We have to stay together, stay safe, and help each other. That means we all have to be friends for this, or one of us might die here.”

Silver Spoon sniffled quietly and when Apple Bloom looked over, Silver looked away from her. “Hey, Silver Spoon? It’s okay, Ah’m gonna be here with ya, just like Snickers.”

I nodded. “Exactly. We’re going to check between each door and then choose, alright? One door may lead into another place entirely, that’s how Sweetie and I started. Oh no,” I inhaled realizing finally, “I don’t know what happened to Sweetie Belle!” I stared ahead of myself into space, thinking of what could have happened to her.

“Snickers?” Apple Bloom’s voice returned me to the moment. “Ah’m worried about her, too. If we cross her, then Ah’ll help ya get her outta here with us.”

“I will, too,” Silver Spoon added with a weak smile. “I just wanna get out of here. I don’t wanna die, Snickers. I don’t want you to die, or even you, Apple Bloom.”

Apple Bloom looked at Silver Spoon deadpan. “Thanks, ya really know how ta make a filly feel special.”

“Hey…” Silver Spoon stopped and cocked her head. “Hey, I think I saw a shadow go past the window on the single door.”

“Really?” Apple Bloom asked and turned to face the door. “Hello?” She called out and both Silver and I rushed to reach her and cover her mouth.

“What is wrong with you?” Silver whispered. “Look at this place? It’s, like, horrible! What if the nurse staff is crazy or something?”

Apple Bloom snickered. “Are you sure ya’ll ain’t the crazy one?”

There was a quiet click we all knew. The sound of a lock activating. We all stared at the door and shivers and goosebumps ran across our legs and necks. Weird feeling as an equine, but it turned the what the fuck-o-meter to eight. I looked behind us and the fillies did, too. We didn’t see anything until we looked back at the door and the window was completely black. Like, someone painted over the window with black paint, black.

The flickering lights meant nothing to whatever lay beyond the locked door and window, and we didn’t want anything to do with it either. We turned and they moved to my sides, smooshing me between them so tightly I could feeling their muscles moving with each step we took. We reached the double doors and I nosed them open and we started to step into the hall when the lock clicked again.

We were still facing away from the single door, we stood tall and our ears focused back… then the handle squeaked as it started to turn and the three of us screamed and ran to the first doorway, ducked inside, and hid behind a desk.

“What the fuck is this place?” I asked. I felt a sting on my once broken leg and looked up at the two fillies sitting across from me under the desk. “Ow.”

“Ya ain’t supposed ta cuss, Snickers.”

I rubbed the spot she tapped me and pouted. “Why does it matter? I’m not doing good, okay?” My lip trembled as the memory of almost dying was still in my mind, even if I was quickly forgetting the whole even. Sweetie’s pain, being weak and helpless, then ending up back here and not knowing where Sweetie was brought me to silently dripping tears to the floor.

Silver Spoon leaned forward and wrapped her forelegs around me. Apple Bloom leaned in, too, and Silver Spoon let her in, we held one another in the silence. The three of us sat listening, holding one another under the desk for a few minutes. “Okay, I think Apple Bloom should peek out,” Silver Spoon suggested. I held my hoof between them before they started, rotated my foreleg slightly, and pointed the tip of my hoof to Silver Spoon.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because she’s the herd’s alpha mare right now and the responsibility’s hers.”

I looked at Apple Bloom, who was ready to decline, but the logic of pony society and instinct won. She quietly nickered and moved behind Silver Spoon, who found another reason to get even closer to me. Apple Bloom sneaked around the desk and shuffled her hooves across the floor so there wouldn’t be any noises as she reached the door.

“All’s clear, everypony,” she whispered so quietly we could barely hear her.

We all joined up and moved into the hall and towards where we hoped the exit would be, even though I had a feeling the exit would be meaningless here.

There was a loud screech and crackle of static from a PA system we didn’t even know was there and we screamed, holding on to one another. In a huddle, looking around for anything coming at us. “The hospital is closed due to emergency. Please follow the signs to the exits quickly and orderly. Staff will help guide you if you’re in need.”

The voice was cheery and calm, like a professional announcer casually telling the daily weather plan around the hospital.

“Okay, so,” Silver Spoon gulped, “we just find the signs and get out. Easy as one, two, three.”

“S-so,” Apple Bloom asked not hiding her fear as well, “anypony see any signs?”

We separated and looked around us. The hall was long with doors every several paces, nothing specifically popped out from the normal hospital scene; except the dark, dank, eerie nature and general unkempt mess of the place. “I don’t know, but this is exactly what hospitals are like back where I’m from.

“Only this one feels wrong and haunted, the ones back home are just in ruins. Let’s keep going, there might be a stairwell we don’t see.”

I felt two bodies beside me again and our steps synched so closely it almost sounded like one pony was walking down the hall. We reached the end and had a choice between right and left. We looked both ways and it was the same as the hall we were passing, so we chose right and went on.

*tick*

We all stopped and listened. “What was that?” I asked.

*tick*

The sound was ahead of us, from the room to the right. We all gulped and looked between one another and split with Silver in front, then me, and Apple Bloom behind. We slowly moved to the door and peeked around the corner like a totem pole to see inside.

*tick*

“Ah don’t see anythin’,” Apple Bloom whispered.

There was a low stuttering creaking sound and a door in the room opened slowly. I started to tremble starting at my ankles and then up to my knees. A small black ball rolled out of the bathroom and turned in a way it shouldn’t have been able to, rolling toward us. We watched curiously as it slowed to a stop by the threshold.

It pulsed twice and expanded a little. We backed up, our hooves clattering for grip. It pulsed again and a squirt of black colored ink shot into the room. It started a rhythm we all recognized as a heartbeat, each beat was pumping black congealed blood into the room.

*tick-tack*

Apple Bloom whimpered and I looked aside at her, her eyes were as wide as they’d go. I looked to my other side and Silver’s eyes were shut, her ears were flat, and she was running her hoof over her braid.

“Girls, let’s go, there’s nothing for us here,” I said and quickly moved past the nightmare scene. I looked in felt my stomach turn at the mass of clotted blood in the room that grew with each thud the heart made. I looked back and Silver Spoon was in place, still self soothing. “Silver, come on… don’t leave us.”

She opened her eyes and gasped, seeing how far apart we were. She got to her hooves and cantered toward us past the door. A monstrous roar accompanied a creature made from the blood in the room that stomped out and just missed Silver Spoon with a chomp from it’s unhinged tri-split maw.

Silver Spoon screamed and caught us in our mad sprint away from the blood beast. The fixtures along the hall shook and the lights flickered each time one of the monster’s four bloody legs impacted the floor, only instead of stomps it made an awful squishing crunch that was like pumpkins being smashed one after another, after another, after another.

Apple Bloom looked terrified to my left, Silver Spoon was stoically crying to my right, and at the next T intersection we turned left. The hallway was the same again, the monster was still behind with its crunching steps at a steady pace. The doors were closed, being a hospital I knew they wouldn’t lock, but taking time to check was time wasted when running from a monster made from fucking dead blood!

“Fuck this place, fuck Harmony, fuck that monster! Fuck this shit!” I turned to the first door on the left ahead and bit the handle, gave it a shove, and took a single step in. “Fuck that!” I shouted and ran to catch up with the girls who had tentatively slowed to a trot.

“What was in there?” Silver Spoon asked with a shaky voice once I was between them and we started galloping again.

“It was a fucking mannequin. Just standing there facing me. I’m not fucking with that and I’ll eat a box of soap, Apple Bloom, for the cussin’ I’m doing.” I looked at her and didn’t even think she noticed me that time. She was actually crying while we ran and dodged around random objects on the floor like paper stacks or dead plants. “Apple Bloom?” I asked starting to breathe a little heavier.

Apple Bloom sobbed and stumbled, but caught herself before she fell and caught back up. “I… Ah don’t wanna die. Not like this, Snickers,” she glanced aside to me.

I made a choice. “I won’t let you, you mean too much to me… I’ll distract it so you can both get away.”

My choice was vetoed by Silver Spoon yelling from behind us. “Snickers, I love you!” I looked back at the black blood monster as it bore down on Silver Spoon, who had stopped and was standing, looking at Apple Bloom. “And tell Scootaloo I loved her more than she’ll ever know, too.”

Apple Bloom and I stopped running and fell over, tumbling and rolling to a stop on our bellies facing the last moment of Silver Spoon as the creature fell on her, allowing the grey filly a final partial scream before she vanished under it. With a sickening crunch once Silver was engulfed, the creature melted into a puddle.

Apple Bloom wailed. It was a wail that tore through my heart and made me realize that Apple Bloom had liked Silver Spoon, probably loved, but just lost a friend. Bullying be damned, if Silver Spoon loved Scootaloo and me, than there’s a chance Apple Bloom loved Silver Spoon and was waiting for the chance to tell her.

The monster, and Silver Spoon, seemed to be gone and we were safe, as safe as we could be, at least.

I tried… fuck did I try. “A-apple Bloom? M-maybe she’s okay? Maybe it just took her downstairs or somewhere… there’s no body, Silver’s body, I mean.”

Apple Bloom was crying her little heart out and lay her chin on a foreleg and covered her eyes with the other. I moved over and wrapped a leg over her withers and she moved closer for the contact. “Fuck this place, Snickers. Ah hate it, Ah fuckin’ hate it. Ah wanna go home ta Ponyville. Ah wanna die old and surrounded by love.

“Ah wanted ta die with Silver Spoon lookin’ down on me after years tagether and growin’ old tagether.” That answered that. “Ah don’t wanna die here, Ah wanna go home with you and see Scootaloo happy, with or without ya. Snickers, Scoots…” Apple Bloom looked up to me and lifted her head. She kissed me and it was sweet.

“Scootaloo was plannin’ ta marry her foalsitter, her neighbor, after he started havin’ sex with her. She was three and he went ta jail... Ah know it was a secret, but Crusaders are honest with one another; no secrets and no lies. If Ah’m gonna die, Ah want ya ta know ta think with yet head and not with yer dangler.”

I listened and cursed myself for knowing, but not knowing. I nuzzled my nose under her chin. “Thank you, but we’re gonna get outta here. Both of us. Silver’s sacrifice won’t be for nothing, she loves you. Not loved, because I know she’s alive and waiting for us to find her. When we find her, you tell her how you feel and I’ll be right behind you to help you if you need it.

“Hell, Sweetie and Scootaloo will be there, too. I’ll set up a parade,” I booped her snout, “with the Winterbolts overhead drawing hearts overhead.”

Apple Bloom, despite her crying, weakly giggled. “If Scoots or Rainbow Dash heard you call the Wonderbolts the Winterbolts, they’d talk yer ears off.”

“See! You’re way smarter than me about a ton of stuff, you’re the one that’ll get us out of this place. I believe in you, and I know that together we can make it.”

Apple Bloom hiccupped and sniffled, stood up, then nodded to me. “Yer right, Snickers. Ah may be lost in some hospital of nightmares, but it’s only a bad dream. Ah’ll get ya outta here like a mare should,” she smiled, finally. “Ya be the damsel and Ah’ll be the brave mare, right?”

I snorted and rolled my eyes. “Sure… help, help. Won’t some mare save me from the scary monsters?” I said flatly. Apple Bloom grinned and it really encouraged me. She took the lead with me a step beside and behind her. “Forsooth, there cometh my mare to saveth me from the doometh that approacheth us-eth. What-eth shall I offer-eth my true love-eth?”

Apple Bloom laughed out loud. “Ya know,” she said giggling now, “Old Ponish didn’t have that many ‘eth’ at the end of the words? Ah should know, Ah was in a play or three.”

“Oh? But were you there? Did you actually speak Old Ponish or talk to somepony that does?” I asked.

Apple Bloom blinked and a second passed. “Snickers. Ah don’t think Ah’ve ever heard ya say ‘somepony’. But, ta answer yer question; yes. Ah’ve met Princess Luna, she was from back then.”

“Ha, sure. She’s the one that raises the moon and her sister raises the sun. All this magic and pony ignorance makes con artists’ jobs so easy, I swear.”

Apple Bloom buckled down. “They ain’t trickers, they’re real ponies that have real special powers. When ya get back ta school, then you’ll learn all about the truth of the matter.”

“Sure,” I replied sarcastically, “and then I’ll learn to walk into the ground and become one with the earth, because I’m an earth pony. Heck, I’ll learn to become a tree, why not?”

“Ugh! Colts are so thick headed sometimes! Why can’t ya just accept that we’re not gonna agree until ya see it happen or ya start belivin’ in the impossible?”

I poked my nose to her flank and she looked back at me. “Sorry, thinking with my head. Just wondering if we’ll get our marks for haunted houses, or something.”

Her eyes widened and she gasped. “Oh, yeah! But… Ah can’t get one without my friends. We’re supposed ta get one together.”

“Oh, puh-lease. The odds of that happening are, like, ten million to one,” I snarked.

“Oh yeah? How much do you know about cutie marks?” She snapped back and startled me from the suddenness. I remembered that these were really important to these ponies.

Ears flat to my head I looked down. “Not much. I’m sorry, Apple Bloom. I was just messing around and didn’t mean to make you angry at me.”

I bumped into her side and noticed she’d turned to block me. She turned to me fully and hugged me. “Ah’m not mad. Ah just don’t like ta be teased about not havin’ my mark yet… Ah guess Ah just reacted like Ah do when…” she fell silent and I hugged her back. I felt Apple Bloom trembling a little, even when she moved back.

I saw the lingering hurt in her eyes, but the hope I gave her was enough to keep her going with me until we reached a set of stairs. Ascending was rubble, for some reason that just was there. Like only the stairway was impassible, but there wasn’t any damage to the walls or anything. No debris on the stairs going down. Just a huge fuck you to logic and building codes; like who’d design a hospital solid as a brick shithouse, but make parts of a stairwell collapsible?

“Hey, Apple Bloom?” I said once we’d reached the main floor and were standing by the closed door leading into the main halls.

“Yeah, Snickers?”

I looked into her eyes. Serious time. “Whatever happens, we open the door and stay together until we’re out, okay?” She nodded firmly, agreeing with a single nod and dispelling everything I was concerned about.

There was a static noise and a mare’s monotone voice over the PA system. “Evacuate the hospital in an orderly manner. The hospital staff is here to assist you, please follow their guidance to the exits. The exits are located on each floor, marked by appropriate signage. Thank you.”

Chills shivered us both at the omen like way the mare spoke. We looked at one another and gulped. Apple Bloom stepped toward the door and opened her mouth, her jaw was trembling as she bit the handle and turned her head. The latch clicked and she let the handle go, stepping back to stand beside me as the door slowly creaked open.

“Fuck,” I whispered when I looked out into the hallway, “fuck, fuck, damn it.”

Apple Bloom was silent for a few seconds looking at the scene. “Yeah,” she whispered back. “Ah’m gonna get my hide tanned good fer this, but Ah really fuckin’ hate this place.”

Hearing her swearing was a little heart warming; it really helped to know that she was in as horrible a place as I was. So much so, that she’d violate her own linguistic limitations for and with me.

“Okay, here we go,” I said and took the first steps into the hallway with Apple Bloom by my side.

Harmonic Vision: Reality Break

Twilight paced down the hospital room and back. Lucky for her, it was a slow day at the hospital so Twilight could have a room for each pony affected in a bed all located nearby one another. Unfortunately, the number of affected now added four fillies to the number from Ponyville elementary.

Twilight paced toward the window and looked out at the beautiful day for an instant, then back at the floor to figure out what was happening and how to fix it. Spike watched from a chair in the corner, not knowing what to say about the whole event.

“Twilight?” Spike said quietly. Her ear flicked slightly even though she seemed to not be listening she was. “It wasn’t your fault. You just tried to help, no pony could have known that this would have happened, and maybe it’s not even related to your spell,” he suggested and then snapped his mouth closed when Twilight looked back at him with a venomous glare.

Twilight resumed her pacing and Spike scooted back, relaxing with a sign as he began to be lulled to sleep by the steady clicking of Twilight’s shod hooves on the floor. Both pony and dragon became awake and alert when a loud gasp came from one of the beds and Sweetie’s back arched in what seemed to be an uncomfortable way.

The filly’s barrel lifted from the bed and then fell giving her body a little bounce before Sweetie rolled to her belly and stood up quickly, looking side to side at the wall through bleary eyes. “S-snickers? I’ve got you, say something so I can pick you up again. We’re gonna get out of here and get home and get you healed, I promise.”

Twilight looked back at Spike and he shrugged, so she focused her attention on Sweetie. “Excuse me, Sweetie Belle?”

Sweetie jumped in place and twisted. She was caught in Twilight’s magic and held in place, luckily before she repeated in reality what had happened to Snickers in the Harmonic vision. Still, Sweetie spent several moments fighting and struggling until she realized she was safe. Sweetie looked around the room from above her bed and at the ponies in their own with surprise.

“Wow, what the heck’s going on here?”

Twilight’s ears drooped. “Harmony is having a discussion with Snickers… it’s different than anything I’ve ever read or heard about, so we don’t know what’s happening and I was hoping you could tell me something about what you may have experienced with him.”

Sweetie was set back on the bed and tucked in before Twilight released her spell. Sweetie glanced around her and noticed all the ponies with surprise. “What is everypony doing? Is this some kind of sleepover, or are we all sick? How’s Snickers? How’d I even get here?!”

“Sweetie Belle, please calm down,” Twilight said approaching the side of Sweetie’s bed. “Everypony is fine, you waking up is proof of that. I need to know what you saw, can you tell me, or do you need some time to think it over?” Twilight asked.

Sweetie looked at the ceiling for several seconds before answering. “We were in the clubhouse, then in the Everfree… we were caught by some mean ponies that were gonna ransom us back. Snickers hurt one of them and then broke his leg really bad.” Sweetie grimaced at the memory. “Then he was bucked by a stallion in the belly and… he almost died.”

Twilight gasped. “Is that how you woke up? Did he… die in the vision?”

Sweetie shook her head. “No, he was healed with a healing potion and we escaped. But, before we got out of the door into the forest to hide, I fell into a hole and just woke up. Hey,” Sweetie perked up a little, “since I woke up does that mean Snickers did too?”

Twilight shook her head and noticed Spike beside her. “No,” Spike answered, “not yet. Everypony here is stuck with him, like you were,” Spike crossed his arms, “I think this sucks. Why’s Harmony such a dong to Snickers? Ouch! Twilight?!”

Twilight, holding a bedpan beside Spike’s head, looked down at him. “Spike, I will not have you starting to talk like Snickers or some low intelligence dockworker.”

Spike rubbed the top of his head. “One, you don’t have to hit me to get me to understand that. Two, are you implying that dockworkers are all dumb, or that I am?”

Twilight lowered the bedpan beside Spike and slid it under Sweetie’s bed. “Spike, I’m sorry I did that, and said that. I… there’s no reason for me to have done that and I’m really sorry,” she looked at her forehooves. “All this has gotten me on edge a bit and I did something extreme when I should have just talked to you, or scolded you.”

Spike kicked at the exposed portion of the bedpan with a sigh. “It’s okay, Twilight. I know I shouldn’t use bad words. Before all this, the last thing I heard Rarity say was a bad word and it was really weird and made me feel really sad that she said it, so I know that bad words can be hurtful. I won’t use them ever again in my whole life, I promise, Twilight.”

Twilight moved close and they hugged. “Spike, I don’t want to ban you from saying certain words or phrases. They happen, and I understand that. Just, do your best not to use them when better words are available, okay?”

“Okay, Twilight, I promise.”

Twilight gave a him a squeeze and backed up. “That’s my number one assistant,” she said with a smile. Spike could see she wanted to say something else, but wouldn’t let herself for some reason.

“Anyway, we were talking to Sweetie Belle?” Spike suggested with a nod to the resting filly that was smiling at the bickering interracial siblings.

“Ah, right,” Twilight stood up. “Can you remember anything else? Maybe how you woke up or maybe if you got a clue about--”

Silver Spoon woke up screaming and kicking, her blankets went flying in a jumbled heap from her bed and she fell from her bed in a wild thrashing. Twilight teleported to the panicking filly and tried to calm Silver Spoon with words and holding her in a magical field to no avail. Finally three nurses ran into the room.

“Twilight, put her on her bed, I’ll take it from here,” one of the nurses said sternly and ready to perform her job.

Twilight did as she was commanded and backstepped while Spike and Sweetie watched the medical staff working. Two ponies and a dragon nervously awaited the next news or event to happen with growing dread as to what they’d learn next about the colt that tied them all together.

---

Meanwhile: In Canterlot’s Royal Castle

Celestia sipped her tea with one eye closed and the other squinting. She exhaled a warm breath and acknowledged her sister. “Luna, good morning to you. Pancakes?” Celestia offered to a happy mare.

“No thank you, sister, mine. I have had a wondrous evening flitting between our subject’s dreams and keeping them happy and pleasant. It is most welcome for both the dreamers and I. Celestia, are you feeling well? You seem distracted this morn… perhaps a guard has caught your gaze once again?”

Celestia’s head throbbed and her tea wobbled in her magic. “No, Luna. A terrible migraine unlike any I’ve had in a long time.”

Luna giggled and pranced to Celestia. “Perhaps you were a bit too merry last eve? Hm,” she teased, then became concerned. “Sister, are you well? I jest, but if you need the apothecary, I can send for her at once.”

“Nay, Luna. I have my medicinal tea and this shall pass, they never last long.”

“Celestia,” Luna said comfortingly, draping a wing over Celestia’s seated back. “The past two weeks you’ve been unwell, if you must, I’m able to control the celestial bodies and you may take a day to rest. Our little ponies will understand and shall survive a single day without your rule while we both sleep.

“Perchance you take a rest with me as we did in our youth? The comfort of one another was all we needed ages past for you yet only a year for me… and what a lonely year has it been?” Luna sighed and looked at the plate of pancakes laying on the table ready for her to eat before bed, made with love by Celestia.

“Luna, it’s not that I don’t miss sleeping with you… but those days are long past for me. As are many things that had happened that are not to be known by mortal pony ears. Perhaps you are right, that I should take a rest and reprieve from the daily stress I’ve been under for the past thousand years.

“Maybe we can plan a short vacation or trip, leaving Princess Cadence as ruler in our place,” Celestia joked. “And when we have to save the nation from her inexperience it will only take about six months without rest for either of us to save the nation,” Celestia chuckled to herself.

“Sister, your humor is not appreciated. You should have more faith in our fellow princess, and if not, then trust the councils and commissions you’ve set up to handle the nation in your stead; no pony can control everything, afterall.”

Celestia gasped and groaned, dropping her cup to the table and clutching her head as the faint echo of a filly’s scream tore through her conscious mind, then stopped and her migraine returned to its normal level of brutality. “I’m okay, Luna. Just a pulse of pain… I’ll just need more tea, I’m feeling better already,” Celestia said.

Luna sat in her seat and furrowed her brow. She knew when Celestia was being dishonest and this was one of those times. Whatever was bothering her sister, Celestia was not telling Luna about certain aspects of it and Luna was determined to find them out.

Harmonic Vision: 2, Part 2

The main hall was staffed and populated by pony-quines, which I’ll refer to as ponies from hereout. There were ponies in wheelchairs, ponies on gurneys, ponies behind desks… all stiff and unmoving wood covered with a cloth that made them all look ghostly. The silence was penetrating my ears and I heard the quiet ringing get louder before Apple Bloom made the first step.

“Stay close, Ah’ll keep ya safe,” Apple bloom whispered to me. I moved and pressed my side to hers so fast she nearly misstepped. “Are… are they movin’, or anythin’?”

I shook my head and glanced at them as we slowly walked around a resting couch. For the surrealness of the moment, I could see the hospital being ran as just another day in the office before everypony was frozen in place and swapped with dolls.

The main room was some kind of admittance or waiting room, but there weren’t any entrance or exit doors. “Apple Bloom, let’s check that wall. Maybe the door is just invisible,” I suggested. We moved to the wall and tapped out hoof on it. “Nope, just a wall,” I sighed and my side left Apple Blooms so we could turn around.

I was the first to scream and wrap my forelegs around my guardian filly. Apple Bloom just cocked her head to the side and hummed. “Snickers, weren’t they all facin’ different ways a second ago?”

I looked up and opened my eyes to see the room full of ponies facing us with their cloth covered eyes. It was the most unnerving thing I’d ever seen and the place wasn’t even letting us out yet. “What the hell is wrong with this place?” I asked Apple Bloom. “I said no mannequins, so I get a hundred of them just watching me… how about this,” I let Apple Bloom go, “I wanna get out of this hospital without any troubles and wake up at home with my fillies around me. Can ya give me that?!”

Apple Bloom tapped my back and I screamed again, this time I glared at her. “Did you have to do that?!”

“Snickers, Ah’m gonna check the nurses station like the voice told us a couple times. Maybe there’s somethin’ there.” She started to walk away but I wouldn’t let her go far without me. My side was pressing so hard against her that she actually barely bucked her hips and sent me bouncing away from her. “Give me some space ta breathe, Snickers. Yer as clingy as a burr.”

I scoffed at her and ran beside her again. “Excuse me for being so scared I peed a little when I saw a dozen ghost faces looking at me, next time I’ll be sure to boil a pot of water and offer them tea before they try to eat my soul from my ears, or whatever.”

Apple Bloom and I reached the station, I kept looking around and standing guard from the ponies that were still looking at the wall we’d faced. “Snickers, has one’a these things tried ta suck yer whatever outta yer where ever?”

“No, but they could,” I replied and looked back to see the filly shuffling through papers. I looked at the desk and at the far end was a map. “Hey, check that out,” I pointed to the paper and turned back to the ponies, who were now back to their original positions. “Fucking creepy ass place,” I mumbled.

Apple Bloom’s tail swiped across my right leg. “Stop that now, it doesn’t seem as bad as it was. No monsters, just a bunch’a statues. They didn’t do nothin’ til we knocked on the wall, so that’s probably what set ‘em off. This map, here… seems ta be of the floor we’re on and all we’ve gotta do is follow it.

“Maybe right to the exit. Wouldn’t that be as easy as applesauce?”

I nodded and backed up to the filly. “Yeah, great. Let’s go before these things come to life and hunt us down like the yummy snacks they think we are.”

I heard Apple Bloom whinney, then I realized she was laughing, too. “Snickers, yer a riot. C’mon, scaredy colt, let’s get outta here.”

I followed closer, but not too close, again. “Hey, I was wondering something.”

“What’s that?” Apple Bloom answered.

“Well, when I had the language thing, I heard two or three words sometimes. One of the first was a mix of mother and sister, do you know what that was about?”

Apple Bloom looked aside at me. “Well, duh… oh, you don’t know, do ya?” I shook my head, not even knowing what she was starting on. “Well, all ponies know Ponish from when they start ta understand. It’s a… um… ansistery, um… ansistery knowin’, or somethin’.”

“Ancestral knowledge? As in, you all know it, and other stuff, from birth?”

“Yeah, that’s the stuff! Anyway, we gotta go ta school ta learn what is and what ain’t, and one’a the things is that Ponish uses a word for a bunch’a different words. Like,” she thought for a second and worked her tongue in her mouth. “Mother, can also mean… sister. But, if we say it with a little change… mother can mean… Ah can’t say it easy like. Well, it’s when ya have a mom and the mom has a sister, and that sister is the mom of a… Babs Seed is one ta me.”

“Oh, you mean cousin?”

“Yeah! That’s the word… Ah guess, if the words don’t happen naturally, they get ta be a bit hard ta say fer a filly like me.”

I walked beside her in silence, save for out hoof steps, as we walked around various obstacles down the halls on her map. “So, Ponish can be a contextual language? A cookie can be a cake, for example?”

“Maybe, Twilight’s the one ta ask, since ya can’t go ta school fer two more days. We’re almost there, one more turn and we’ll be home free.”

“Facehoof.”

“What?” She asked.

“I’m walking on all four, so I figured I’d say it instead of doing it… you just had to say ‘home free’.”

“Oh, c’mon… ya don’t really believe that bad luck word non...sense. Facehoof.”

We looked at an exit door that had no less than six ponies facing us. “Yeah. Exactly, now what?” I asked and we looked at one another. I looked back to the ponies and cocked my head. Apple Bloom did the same.

“Ah dunno. Maybe go under them? Or around…”

We watched them for a few seconds and then looked back the way we came to a completely now empty of ‘life’ hallway. “What the…?” I asked and then Apple Bloom poked me. “What? Is something… wrong?”

The ponies were closer, their masks, the sheets covering them were pulled tight from the part of their mouths being open… and damp. “S-snicker… are they movin’ and… droolin’?”

My gulp could be heard echoing back from the empty hallway. “I… don’t fucking care. Just back away slowly and check the map again. Maybe we should have turned right at the last left or… something.”

I looked over when the map crinkled on the floor and when I looked at the ponies their mouths were tearing free and black blood was dripping from their maws. Their mouths that were split into three like a horror beast from Nightmare Town. “Snickers, the map--”

“Is fucking pointless right now! The blood’s back!” I shouted and wrapped a foreleg over her to keep her looking at them with me. I glanced at the map under hoof and we both looked up in time to see one of the six open their mouths enough to break the cloth to the point that it slid back slowly exposing the wooden dog-like face with a mouth full of razor sharp barbed teeth. Wood or not, those were gonna hurt.

“Where do we go, Snickers? Can we go back?” she looked past me and I followed her line of sight down the empty hallway, I caught the no longer ponies a pace away from Apple Bloom about to bear down on her neck, the closest with its jaws split open inches from biting down.

“Get back!” I shouted and pulled her down, glaring at the dog monster. “Bad dog, go away! Sit, roll over in your grave…”

Apple Bloom squirmed out from under me. “Okay, Ah think we gotta look at ‘em and they don’t move. Or… maybe they move when we say something, so stop talkin about movin’, okay?”

“No, that’s not it,” I said and blinked, noticing two others come into view. “You’re right. When we aren’t looking they come closer, I just blinked and… fuck, I did it again. The whole gang’s here for the party. We need to get somewhere safe, where we can get away from these and get our bearings. Can we get to a nearby room? I’ll keep watch on these, go check, quickly as you can.”

Apple Bloom left me staring into the open maw of death on two of the things while three more were almost to the point they tore free from their cloth coverings. My eyes started to sting at the corners and I was starting to fight the urge to blink and it had only been fifteen seconds.

“Snickers, there rooms ‘re all locked and the halls are empty now. There’s nothin’ but these left… Ah hope.”

“I… gotta blink. We gotta take turns, I can’t keep this up, it’s too dusty.”

“Blink, I’ll watch’m fer a bit.”

I blinked and closed my eyes, rolling them around for a second. I opened them and counted five. “There’s one missing!” I turned my eyes back and found the missing one at the end of the hallway. “Fuck, fuck, fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck!”

“Snickers, ya say that so much it’s losin’ it’s meanin,” Apple Bloom told me.

“Fuck you and fuck this place! There’s one behind us…”

“...Fuck,” Apple Bloom mumbled.

“Exactly. Stay with me, we’re going down the hall we haven’t and you’ll have to back up, we’ll be tail to tail until we pass the corner and then they’ll all be facing us again. Don’t blink… please, don’t blink…”

“Are ya talkin’ ta me, or yerself?” Apple Bloom said in a more confident way than I could have imagined.

“Both… mostly me. Okay, back up, slowly. Try to blink switching eyes if you have to. We can do this, just one step at a time. One step at a time. One step at a time.”

“Snickers, would ya stop talkin’?! It’s makin’ me think about stuff that…”

“That what?” I asked and looked at where Apple Bloom was, a wooden dog was there instead, standing over where she should have been. I was alone and looking at the whisps of dust that was once my closest friend. I started to feel rage and pain building in my heart, but a sharp sting on my neck heralded the end of that vision.

Author's Notes:

2 down, x to go. Harmony ain't winnin' so easy though.

Harmonic Vision: 3

“Hey, Honey, wake up,” a quiet voice said nuzzling me. I woke up slowly and groaned, opening my eyes to see Scootaloo looking back at me. “Oh, thank Celestia, you’re okay. I was so worried when I found you here.”

“Where am I, we, us… are?”

Scootaloo giggled and kissed me. “I dunno, but you’re in bed and look really cute. Wanna cuddle like last time, or maybe do a little more? We’re alone, I checked.”

I shook my head and felt my mane in my eyes. Brushing silver strands from my vision, I looked around the room and thought ‘gothic’ right away. I don’t know why, but the dark wood lining everything outside the lantern light just made me think I was in some kind of sex dungeon. I prayed I wasn’t, for so many reasons I prayed I wasn’t.

“So, we’re in some kinda mansion and there’s these lanterns,” Scootaloo said hopping to the floor and rearing up to look at one. It highlighted her face and cast a shadow on the wall. She poked the lantern. “But they don’t move. I tried to take this one a bunch of times when I woke up here, then the one in the hallway and the next room, but they’re stuck.

“That’s when I saw you in bed here and woke you up. You weren’t here when I woke up so I think that either we’re both dreaming, or I am and you’re here to fulfill my desires,” she bit her bottom lip seductively and I shook my head.

“No, we’re both here and I’m not having sex with you, Scootaloo. Hey, come sit with me for a second, okay?”

Scootaloo pouted when I shot her down and dragged her hooves to the side of the bed before she leapt up and climbed beside me. She lay on her belly and I rolled to lay beside her and put a forehoof on her foreleg. “Scoots, you know I love you, right?”

“I know! And I love you more than anypony I’ve ever loved in my whole life. There’s no pony I’d want to be my stallion more than you, and I’ll dam your foals and you’ll love me and be with me forever and we’ll grow old and--”

I put my hoof to her mouth. “Stop. Just, stop. Scootaloo, I’m not going to be your colt or stallion. What happened last night… or whenever it was compared to where we are, felt great, but isn’t a sign of love. Sex doesn’t mean love, okay?”

“What? Yes it does, I love you and showed you last night. If you want, I’ll let you show me how much you love me right now. I’ll get ready,” she started to get up but I stopped her by holding her leg down with the weight of my hoof.

“No, we’re not ready. You don’t really know what it means or how it should happen, even,” I told her and my heart started to ache at the desperation I started to see in her eyes.

“Yes, I do. I lay on my belly, you put your hoof on my back so I don’t move too much, you go in and it feels good, then we’re done and take a shower. Then we’re mated and love each other forever…” my heart broke at that moment and I choked on my words. I couldn’t say anything, so I got up.

Scootaloo grinned and started to turn and lift her rump, she flicked her tail aside and parted her wings, like that’s where the sick fuck would have put his hoof to hold her down… I lay on her and hugged her.

“Uh, Snickers, you’re supposed to put your hoof on my back and--”

“Shh, never again. No one will ever hurt you again,” I whispered and closed my hind legs over hers and pressed her rear down with mine. “We’ll keep you safe, and loved, Scootaloo. All your friends, we're family. We're never going to leave you alone.”

She stirred and squirmed. “No, I only need you and your love. I’ll never leave you, and we’ll always be together. You’ll love me, and always be there for me, and I’ll never be hurt or alone again, and…” she sniffled under my body and I started to feel her tremble. “You’re supposed to mate me, why won’t you do what stallions are supposed to do to me?”

I nuzzled her ear. “I’m not a stallion and you’re worth more than that. You’re worth so much more than being mated to a stallion.”

“No… that’s all I’m good for, he told me so.”

I squeezed her upper body with my forelegs and hugged her. “He was wrong, so wrong about you. I’m sorry I didn’t see or know about it before, but, Scootaloo, you’re surrounded by love. Sweetie, Apple Bloom, Rainbow, Fluttershy, me...”

She perked up a little. “ Is this how you take your mares? You said you’ve got lots of experience, is this how you start?”

“No,” I said calmly, “just feel me. Am I hard, or acting sexually? Am I breathing heavily or holding you down so you can’t move?”

“Well, yeah. I can’t move at all,” she giggled. “I like it like this; harder, Master.”

I wanted to buck that stallion right then. “Crawl forward, try it.” I challenged her.

She giggled and obliged. “Okay, I can’t because I’m stuck under you, but…” she fell silent when her forelegs pulled her free with very little effort on her part. She kept dragging herself until her rump bumped by chin. She looked back in surprise. “What’re you doing? Y-you’re supposed to hold me down, I’m not supposed to get away! You’re supposed to hold me down!”

I rolled to the side before she could cock her leg and strike out, luckily she didn’t. Scootaloo sat up and got to her hooves on the bed, walking to me. She leapt at me and landed inverted on me with her tail across my face. She started patting my sheath trying to coax me out, but luckily this was a very unsexy and sad predicament that wouldn’t get the reaction she expected or hoped for.

“C’mon, why won’t it come out?! C’mon, little guy. Let Scootaloo kiss you like a lollipop, a yummy salty lollipop.”

I would find this stallion and torture him.

“Scootaloo,” I said just lying there with her filly parts a tongue’s distance from my muzzle as she tried to sixty-nine me, “I don’t love you like this.”

She patted and tried to massage it out, getting minimal results and becoming more frantic as she tried. “Come out… Snickers, show me you love me! Please!”

The thought and planning of gelding this stallion in jail and feeding him his own raw nuts, fresh from the rusty knife and laced with a touch of cyanide; just enough to torture him, but not enough to kill, was a great distraction. Maybe some anthrax itching powder, or arsenic tea.

I could hear her desperation and I felt her trembling, after about fifteen seconds that became hell for me trying to control myself, she fell flat on me and started to cry. I was able to roll her off and roll over, relaxing myself so nature could take its course and let me flop out, but under myself and hidden against the blankets.

I turned to side with her, gave her a side hug, our hind legs touching was the closest we got back there for a while. “Scootaloo, I love you like a sister and like a friend. I can’t love you like a lover or mate, not yet, anyway.”

“Why?” She squeaked. “Why can’t you love me like he did? He loved me more than any filly he ever had before, he told me so. He wouldn’t lie to me, he showed me his love… I showed him my love, you can be my true love, Snickers… am I really a bad filly for telling?”

I hugged Scootaloo the best I could with my issue below. “You’re the best filly ever. You’re the first filly I’ve ever kissed, the first I felt feelings for, and the only filly I know I’ll fight for to keep her safe from bad ponies that wanna hurt her.“ I hugged her until it went away, then I went belly to belly and held her for all I could until my forelegs went tired. “You’re a wonderful filly and you’ll be a great mare, someday.”

“But,” she sniffled and started to cry again, hugging me back finally and nosing into my chest, “I told and he moved away… the last thing he said was I was a bad filly for telling… I--”

“Shh, you’re not bad. Who’s the most awesome pony in Equestria?” I asked.

Scootaloo snorted. “Duh,” she giggled, “Rainbow Dash.”

“Nope, it’s somepony else,” I said nuzzling my snout into her mane.

“Twilight’s pretty good with magic…” Scootaloo suggested looking up and we backed apart.

“Nope, not even close. The answer is you, Scootaloo. You’re the most awesome pony in Equestria.”

She wiped her eyes with her foreleg. “What are you talking about? I’m nopony, just some filly from Ponyville.”

“You’re the toughest, strongest, most daring filly I’ve ever known,” I told her. “You fight and live every single day to be everything you can be, and more. You have the best friends that anypony could want. You have skills on a scooter that make me wish I could fly, you’re fast, tenatious, full of spirit, you’re cool under pressure and you go for what you want, you believe in yourself and support your friends, you share when you have too much and don’t take when there isn’t enough… you’re awesome, Scootaloo, and you don’t need some stallion mating you to be the filly you are, because you are that filly, right?”

Scootaloo stared at me for several seconds and pursed her lips. I was ready for, and kind of expecting, a kiss. Instead she raspberried and laughed, covering my face with spittle. “Ha, that’s hilarious!” She rolled away and flapped her wings so she landed on the floor in a smooth glide to walk. “C’mon, dork, let’s get outta this place and maybe I’ll show you how to ride my scooter,” she turned and slapped her flank, “but not this one.

“You gotta earn this one, hot flanks.”

I felt my eyes widen and my mind imagined actually riding her scooter with her being in the wagon behind me with the others. Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Silver Spoon. The fact she just made a direct sexual signal didn’t register compared to my little colt mind of riding a real scooter and being taught by an expert.

I got off the bed and ran to the room door, opened it, and stepped out. “Let’s find out what’s the deal with this place, then you can teach me how to scooter and all that!”

Scootaloo rushed past me. “Bet I can find the secrets of the mansion first!”

“You’re on!” I shouted and rushed after her down the massive hallway. My lips missed the expected kiss, but that was an afterthought I knew I’d have to talk with Fluttershy about, not worry about at the moment.

Overall, it was not the start to a vision I’d expected, but was certainly better than I’d ever hoped as a result.

It turned out we were on the third floor of the mansion and the stairs to the second floor were down a couple halls. For some reason it felt familiar, but I couldn’t recall why. I tried to remember something about the last place I was, but all I could remember was seeing a heart on the floor and something about ghosts.

I pushed the thoughts aside and followed Scootaloo for a while, then slowed down when I heard some odd sounds. “Scootaloo, do you hear that?” I asked, but she was far ahead and only slowed to tease me for being behind.

I waved her back to me and carefully, slowly walked to the start of a hallway when she caught up. She was, thankfully, quiet as she stood beside me. “What’s up?” she asked.

“There’s a light moving in there,” I pointed to a door that was partially opened.

“Oh? Cool, maybe they know how to get out of here! Hey, ponies? Can you help us get out?” Scootaloo called and I groaned.

There was a clatter and thump as something hard fell to the floor, like a bust falling over as whoever ran to the door. A stallion stood in the doorway and another right after, both were very ready for action, if their fifth legs were anything to tell about it. “Uh… Scoots, maybe we should go, they don’t look like the friendly type.”

Scootaloo nodded fervently, her eyes looking below them, just like I was. She turned and walked away followed by me, then by the two as they started to chase us. Scootaloo screamed, I screamed, they shouted a battle cry after us. “What was I thinking, yelling like that?” Scootaloo asked.

I didn’t say anything, but the want to both agree and slap her for doing it crossed my mind. We ran to an open room, ducked in, closed the door, and looked for a place to hide. “Under the bed?” I suggested.

“First place I’d look. Top of the canopee?”

“I can’t fly!” I whispered back loudly and pointed to my back.”

“Neither can I. You boost me and then hide in the closet.”

“Why do I get the closet? That’s the second place they’ll check.”

“Out the window!” We both said in unison and ran to the window, opened it, and looked at the ledge big enough for us both to walk along. I climbed out first and kept my side to the wall as I backed up, followed by Scootaloo who slid the window almost closed after her. Again, her rump was in my face, and again I wasn’t even thinking of anything related to that.

Yay me.

We heard the door break open and saw the ponies moving around in the room. “Scootaloo,” I asked quietly, “what if they’re pegasi?”

“They won’t know to look for us here, so be quiet.”

The two tossed the room and shouted about losing us, then ran back into the mansion. We waited for another minute before Scootaloo peeked around the corner and we went back in. “Okay, so there’s two horny stallions running around the place and we’re two little foals that can’t fend them off if they catch us,” I said once we were back in. “Now what?”

“What’re you asking me for? I’m just the brains, you’re the brawn. Can’t you just beat them up like you did Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon?”

“What do you expect me to do? Wait for one to mount me and buck their nuts off? First, ouch. Second, I’m not getting into that position without a huge fight. They’re on this floor, maybe we can get down another floor and out before they know where we are.”

“Okay, but can you take the lead this time?”

“Scoots, you weren’t in the lead. We were racing and having fun, this isn’t fun… this is horrible!”

“Shhh-shush!” Scootlaoo looked into the dark hallway and we waited for a few seconds.

“Let’s go. The faster we move, the faster we get outta here. I don’t know why, but I feel like I’ve done this before, and it hasn’t ended well, yet.”

“That’s a boost, thanks, Snickers,” Scootaloo said sarcastically.

We didn’t wait and ran from the room back to the main hall and kept the path we were taking, running past rooms, large halls, an open terrace to a ballroom, and finally to stairs we descended and ran, literally, into the two stallions. A white stallion with a black mane and a black stallion with a white mane.

They were so familiar, but I couldn’t recall where from. Their horns lit and surrounded us with a golden aura that lit their faces as they leered at us. “Well, well. Looks like we get some fresh meat to sink our meat into.”

“Ugh, you sick fucks can fuck each other and leave us out of it,” I said.

They laughed and the white one grinned. “We were, then you showed up and gave us something new to play with.”

They took us with them down the hall to a room and tossed us in, closing the door behind us. “Wait here, kiddies. We’ll be back shortly for some fun,” the black one said happily from the other side as a lock clicked.

I slammed my side into the door and readied a buck, several, to no avail. All I got was a crack along my hoof for the effort and a limp on my left foreleg when I tried to punch the door.

Scootaloo paced back and forth, searching the room every so often for an escape, but every window was locked and barred, the bed wasn’t an option, the closet’s doors were off, and the scent, stench of stallion spunk was everywhere. I went to the foot of the bed and curled up. “Scoots, I can’t get out. We can’t get out. How’re we gonna get out? I can’t handle this, I don’t wanna have it happen again.

“It hurts, and it’s rough, and they’re gonna keep coming back for me. You heard them, they were into each other, that means I’ll be prime real estate. I’ll distract them, for you. I’ll take them both and you escape, get out of here, save yourself, okay? I’ve done it before, once. I’ll take it, both of them, for you.”

Scootaloo hugged me and I realized I was crying again. Phantom pains of rapes past hurt me, but for Scootaloo, I’d take them both for hours, days, just to keep her from having to go through it. Scootaloo pulled my muzzle up and kissed my snout. “Snickers, we’re gonna be fine. You’re right, I’m worth so much more than just being mated… I’ll take them, you escape.”

“What?!” I shouted. “No, you can’t, you have a life to live; I’ve already died once to get here,” I grimaced. “I wasn’t supposed to say that… but what’s dying inside to keep you alive?”

Scootaloo’s eyes watered and she lightly kissed my lips and hugged me. We both cried for a while. “Snickers, we’re both fucked up. Big time, but you’re the first pony ever, in just a couple minutes, that helped me understand that it’s okay to be broken, because I have great ponies like you to help fix me.”

She leaned back and caressed my cheek. “Please, escape… do it for me, Scootaloo. Get away.”

“No, Snickers… this is my time to shine. I’ve given my heart to you, and I want you to do something for me. When you get out of here, I need you to tell Silver Spoon I don’t hate her. Tell her that I like her, and that if my life wasn’t so messed up, I think I could have been a better pony, one that she’d want to be friends with… maybe more, okay?”

I shook my head and then sniffled loudly. I lowered my head and pulled her close until our foreheads touched. “I love you too much to let you go through with this… you tell her yourself.”

Scootaloo giggled through her crying. “We’re too hard headed to give up, aren’t we?”

I giggled, too. “I guess so.”

“I love you, Snickers. And when we get back, I’m leaving the herd. I have to let you go, I have to do what Rainbow Dash said and get myself together before I find a stallion that will truly love me, or I’ll only keep finding colts that only want my body.”

“Yeah, she’s awesome like that, huh? The whole herd thing was a good idea, but we’re too messed up to be in one. I didn’t even know what they were until a bit ago, I shouldn’t have rushed into it.”

The door clicked and swung open, both stallions were physically ready and the white one grabbed me in his magic, pulling me from the room while the black one giggled and pranced into the room, his thing dangling and swinging with each step as he approached Scootaloo.

“No! Fuck you, take me!” I shouted and was thrown to the floor hard enough to knock the wind from me. I felt a hoof press into my back and something prod my flank.

“Oh, I will,” I heard a lustful male voice say over me before I got a nibble on my ear. I looked into the room in time to see the stallion grab Scootaloo in his magic. She looked at me with a resigned expression and the door shut.

I braced my forelegs and pushed up enough so I could breath. “Fuck you, you sick fuck! I’ll fucking kill you and shove your horn into your eyes! I’ll kill you if either of you touch her! I swear to every god and goddess that you’ll beg me to stop before I’m done with you!”

“Ooo, keep shouting. It’ll keep you nice and tight for when I get my turn on the bed,” he giggled and I felt him poking me through my tail.

Then I heard it, a shrill scream from the room. My blood ran cold and I coughed. My eyes watered as the scream turned into a wail. I started to fight back, weakly as the image of what that asshole was doing to my Scootaloo. My herdmate. My sister in the CmC. I felt like it was over and I fell flat under the weight of his hoof, waiting for my turn to be violated and turned into a sex slave at their whims.

There was a firm knock on the door and the one over me laughed. “Ha, quick! She must be as tight as a dream, huh?”

The door clicked and opened slightly, enough to encourage my stallion to get off me and lift me in his magic. He licked my blank flank as he walked with me into the room and I heard a quiet whimper. I couldn’t look at Scootaloo, how much pain she must have been in.

There was a muffled thunk sound and I fell to the floor. My eyes opened to the horrible sight of blood and I screamed, thinking of what horror had happened to my sweet little filly friend…

“Snickers, c’mon! We gotta go, quick!” I felt something pulling my mane and looked back to see Scootaloo urging me to follow her.

I got up and started to walk past the white stallion and noticed his forelegs under his body, and when I passed him I saw why. And that’s why it’s important to file hooves from being too sharp or jagged. “What…” I started and followed Scootaloo around the hall and back to the stairs.

“Later, we’re almost out! There’s the door, Snickers, we’re almost out!” Scootaloo shouted and I ran beside her, my heart soaring at the prospect of escaping this place. We reached the entrance door and it opened easily, we stepped out into the warm spring air and sunlight and trotted onto the cobbled path.

“Scootaloo,” I tackled her with a hug and she giggled. I kissed her quickly and nuzzled under her chin, resting my head on her chest. Her heartbeat made her more real to me. “What… what happened? I was so scared for you, for both of us. I thought…”

She hugged me tightly. “Don’t tell anypony I was this sappy with you, or I’ll never kiss you again,” she giggled. “When he got me on the bed I got ready like I did when I was little, and then bucked him hard. My hooves are really scratchy so I kinda skinned him and he screamed like a filly,” she snickered. “And when yours came in, I gelded him, I guess.”

My hind legs closed a little tighter. “Ouch, but they deserved it, but still… ouch.” I looked down her body past her belly and teats to her rear hooves and the mess left on them. I wasn’t going to inspect, but I’m sure she did when she intended, and them some. “So… I love you, Scootaloo. Like, I really love you.”

She relaxed under me. “I know, sucks it happened now and not an hour ago, otherwise we’d still be in there, right?”

We started laughing and I held her tightly, my heart full and aching to share all the love I had for this filly with anypony that would accept it.

Hoof steps approached us and Scootaloo shoved me off, both of us getting to our hooves to face the new pony. A grey stallion with white mane. “Who the hell are you?” I asked.

“You… are a conundrum to the balance. The scales must be leveled.”

Scootaloo stepped aside me and the stallion lifted a forehoof and stamped it down, sending me into darkness.

Author's Notes:

Wow, this was longer than I expected, covered everything I'd had set for Scootaloo in one go instead of several, and that scene at the end I've wanted to write into some story of mine for over a year. I'm pleased I finally did and it worked out exactly the way I'd planned it, save for different characters.

He loved her because the sacrifice she was going to make for him, they both know their love won't go anywhere now for a while.

I hope the chapter meets your expectations and is kinda shocking to your systems while ending in a higher note that won't get me too much flak.

A couple more to go, then Snickers can be a real colt for a while!
School, friends, growth, a bro I'll bring in from another story of mine. Plus more Spike and other friends!

Harmonic Vision: 4

I woke up this time to a gentle prodding to my side while loud laughter echoed around me. Like, crazy laughter from a loony howling at the moonie. That sounded better in my head, but it was crazed. I opened my eyes and looked at the floor of clouds. I blinked at them and looked aside to Fluttershy who was looking at me, but there was a twinkle of humor in her eyes.

“F-fluttersh-shy? Did you t-tell him yet?!” Rainbow’s raspy voice choked out between bouts of laughter. I realized I was standing on a cloud, in a cloud house, and did what any colt would do in that situation. I laughed and started bouncing on the surface without a care. It was like standing on a marshmallow, it bounced back with each hop and step, and for some reason Rainbow couldn’t stop laughing.

Even Fluttershy giggled behind her hoof and I’d finally had enough. “Okay,” I giggled and hopped to Fluttershy, “what’s the big deal? Why’s Rainbow so laughy?”

“Ha! ‘Big’ deal?!” Rainbow cackled and grabbed some cloud to cover her head while she rolled side to side.

I raised my eyebrow and looked at Fluttershy for an answer. “W-well, you see, Snickers… to walk on clouds, typically a creature needs to be a pegasi or…” she covered her mouth and closed her eyes, snerking and shaking.

“Or… what? Magic on my hooves, or something?” I asked.

Fluttershy shook her head and sent her lovely mane swaying side to side while she inhaled to control herself. “Or… they need… wings?” she giggled and covered her mouth again. “I’m so sorry, I don’t mean to laugh, too. It’s just…”

I looked over my shoulder at my back. “Oh, c’mon! What the… are you fucking serious?!”

Fluttershy finally lost it for the first time and laughed with her angelic voice that almost, kind of, in a distant corner of my mind, made my situation better. Rainbow, on the other hoof…

“Bee wings! Gyahh, I’ve never… how?! Aaa!” She screamed and fell through the clouds at my horrible plight. My tiny little wings buzzed when I got angry and I was so embarrassed to have them. Worse yet, I actually got lift and hovered from the cloud floor. Fluttershy saw me and ran from the room, I still think I broke her.

I was alone for almost half an hour before Fluttershy returned, a small tissue box under her right wing while her left wing held one that she blew her nose into. “Snickers, I’m so sorry about that… I didn’t mean to laugh at you, I hope you’ll forgive me, but it was just so funny watching you fly and I haven’t laughed like that in so many years,” she hung her head. “I hope you can forgive me, it wasn’t right for me to do that.”

She had been laughing, then I guess realized she’d been laughing and started crying, being so emotional and having feelings for other people… whatever that’s called. Symphony, or something… whatever it is, she has it in bucket loads.

I hopped over to her, because how could I not abuse the marshmallow rebounding bounces I got? “I forgive you, and Rainbow, if she ever comes back from laughing herself to death. I think I should talk to both of you about this little trip I’ve been on… do you know where she is?”

Fluttershy excused herself and literally dove into the cloud and swam through it until she was out of sight. Fucking blew my mind, I didn’t know that was possible and I wanted to try it, but the risk wasn’t worth the reward without parental supervision around the eternal pool I stood on. Fluttershy walked through a cloud wall a minute later.

“She’s right behind me, she’s a little better, but don’t be hurt if she laughs, still. If you need a hug, I have plenty to go around.”

“Thanks, but I know how to get Rainbow in the right mood for this talk I need to have with the both of you.” Rainbow walked through the wall and snorted when she looked at me, but I didn’t waste any time. “Scootaloo and I were almost raped.”

Both mares were serious, funny time was over. “Who did it? I’ll geld them and drop them in a river,” Rainbow threatened while Fluttershy rushed to me and hugged me so tightly I could feel all my problems being squeezed away. Contrary to popular belief, a strong hug doesn’t always cause asphyxiation… unless it involves a member of the Apple family. Then say your prayers that somepony else notices you dying in their arms.

“Oh, Snickers, I’m so sorry you had to go through that. Did they do anything to you, did they violate your body in any way? Do you feel you need a bath or washing? Because if you do I have to take you to the hospital first so the doctors--”

“No, no. It didn’t happen, close, but… okay, this is kinda hard to talk about…”

“Take your time, champ. There’s no rush, just let us know as much as you can. Any details the ponies had that can help me identify them would be great. Oh,” Rainbow corrected herself when Fluttershy’s wing poked her leg, “and remember that we’re here for you and will love you no matter what. It wasn’t your fault, or Scootaloo’s.

“Um, speaking of… where is the little skamp?”

I shrugged. “I dunno. Probably lost to the void between dreams. Ya see,” I said when Rainbow and Fluttershy looked at me, “Harmony’s still messing with me, and now you’re in it, too.”

Rainbow groaned and fell onto her back. “I knew it was too easy. Twilight just had to magic the place up and sprinkle her magic into Harmony’s whatever.”

Fluttershy offered me a tissue that I took out of courtesy. “Rainbow,” Fluttershy asked, “what are you saying? That we’re in a Harmonic Vision? Snickers already had one, I haven’t heard of a pony having a second so soon afterwards.”

“Well,” Rainbow said tossing a ball of cloud into the air, “she said she forced it. Everypony with close ties to Snickers is gonna have a turn, I guess, and Sweetie was the first to wake up an hour ago. Then Silver, Apple Bloom, and then I woke up here with Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy hugged me again. “When you appeared, I was so happy to see you since it’s been a whole day since I last saw you. Rainbow was telling me about what happened to you at my cottage and we woke up here… anyway, seeing you were all right was so nice, especially after everything you’ve been through.”

“Well, that’s nothing compared to the stuff that’s happened over the last, however long.”

“It’s been about two hours, Snickers,” Rainbow said rolling to her hooves and walking to me, “ two hours and everypony’s worried.

“Well, let me tell you what’s been going on and you can make your own judgements on my fucking day, alright?” I snapped. I felt heavy blue eyes looking down on me and I whimpered. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy… I’ve been under so much stress and I’ve cried a lot since all this started… I’m just getting frayed, ya know?”

Fluttershy’s gaze relaxed and she hugged me into her chest fluff and down. So warm and fluffy. I need more of this, I told myself before I started from the beginning; me and Sweetie in the cabin through the grey stallion telling me I’m wrong.

Rainbow was pacing, Fluttershy was rocking with me held to her. I was so comfy and starting to droze, then Rainbow shouted with an ‘a-ha’ moment. “I’ve got it. In the cabin you hurt your muzzle and got bucked in the guts.”

“And I almost died, thank for reminding me,” I said with a tiny yawn.

“And in the hospital you were with two fillies that cared for you in different ways, right?” Rainbow continued.

I shook my head a little. “Rainbow, if this is gonna turn into some coming of age crap, I’m gonna puke.”

“No, shut up and listen, sport. Your first day here, in Ponyville, you got into a fight and hurt those fillies, right?”

My ears perked up and I looked at Rainbow. “Yeah, but not their leg…”

“Oh, I may have an answer,” Fluttershy cut in. “According to myth, a broken left leg means the beginning of something new and stronger. A broken right leg means a stronger future ahead of you.” Fluttershy looked expectantly to Rainbow.

Rainbow was still pacing. “Exactly, and Silver admitted her love for Scoots, and you,” she winked her eye at me. Just had to clarify what was winking! “So, you got away safe enough with Apple Bloom, the filly that you feel safest with. Then you help Scootaloo when you both have the chance to knock shoes,” Rainbow giggled and dodges a ball of could Fluttershy tossed at her with her very prehensile pink tail.

“I wouldn’t have, I told you that,” I said.

“Just teasing, you handled the whole thing like an adult. You were awesome, but that leads us to the stallions that Scootaloo took out in a most radical way,” Rainbow pumped her hoof while Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “You both got out without being hurt, and now you’re here with us… so, I’m thinking I may have an idea about what’s going on.

“Snickers, I think tha--” she screamed just then and exploded into a bouquet of flowers that fell onto the floor.

Fluttershy and I held one another, but she was able to fly us away from the colorful flowers. “What just happened, Fluttershy?” I asked.

“There will be no assistance for the outcome of our trials.”

“The conundrum must be absorbed.”

“Nay, the conundrum is a conundrum that must be purged.”

“Both of you are wrong, brothers. We must accept the conundrum as the conundrum is, guide the conundrum to become one with the herd.”

“I make the rules on balance, the conundrum will not be allowed.”

“Nay, Order demands the conundrum become one with us.”

“He must be vacated.”

“Accepted.”

“Adapted.”

“Discarded.”

“Accepted.” “Adapted.” “Discarded.” “Accepted.” “Adapted.” “Discarded.” “Accepted. Adapted. Discarded. Accepted. Adapted. Discarded. AcceptedAdaptedDiscardedAccepted AdaptedDiscarded.

“Enough!” Fluttershy shouted while holding me as I trembled, curled into a tight ball from the ethereal voices speaking over and at one another about me.

“A representative.” The voices said together.

“Whatever you are, you’re scaring this adorable, precious little colt. You should feel ashamed of yourselves. Why are you acting so mean, and where is Rainbow Dash?”

“The representative is no longer with us.”

“She has returned to the corporeal realm, where the representatives reside.”

“We have no feelings, we cannot be one way or another.”

“We demand the conundrum, the conundrum will balance the scales after our choice.”

“Yes. We agree.” “Yes. We agree.” The others said together.

Fluttershy covered me in a cocoon of wings. “That won’t be happening, busters,” she shouted at the empty air. “You can go away and not bother him, or any of us, ever again. We aren’t some toys for you to play with; we’re ponies and we have rights. Snickers has rights, the right to live and make his own choices; and you can’t have him.”

“The representative holds true to her element.”

“What will we do, harm must not befall the representatives.”

“We shall take him, perhaps?”

“Harm must not befall the representatives.”

“We shall move her to the corporeal realm.”

“She holds him within her bounds. They will go, the Vision will have to begin anew.”

“Representative, relinquish the conundrum.”

Fluttershy held me a little tighter. “No.” She spoke with so much determination I felt like they cowered back, if they could have. “Let us go, wake us up, send us away… I won’t let you have Snickers. The way you’re acting and treating all of us, you’re just big, ghost-bullies! You’re lucky I don’t know where your mothers are, or I’d have it in me to tell them of your attitude.”

“We have no beginning.”

“We have no end.”

“We have always been and always will be.”

“We are balance.”

“We are Order.”

“We are Discordance.”

“We are Harmony.”

They fell silent and so did Fluttershy.

“The representative will not relinquish the conundrum without coaxing.”

“We know her nature. Sadness, anxiety, worry. We will help her relinquish the conundrum.”

“Yes. We shall.” “Yes. We shall.”

I don’t know why, but I pushed my way from under her protective wing and hopped to the center of the room to challenge them. “You’re wrong, fart breaths! Fluttershy is more than that, she’s kind, loving, sweet, and pretty. She’s a great listener and knows how to make me feel more accepted as a pony than anything any of you could ever do!

“You’re those nasty ponies that keep hounding me and my friends, aren’t you? You’re the ones that tried to rape two foals to make me conform, aren’t you?!” I shouted to the walls around me, looking for one of them to pop out. “How do you think anything you’re doing is going to make me--”

---

---

Fluttershy

---

---

Snickers was shouting at the ghost voices as the brave little stallion he is. Then he stopped mid-sentence and fell over. I was so scared for him that I leapt and wrapped him in my wings again, but he was cold. He wasn’t breathing or moving, I lay him on the floor and pressed my ear to his chest.

Sitting up quickly, I began chest compressions, which aren’t the same for every creature. I’m technically a veterinarian in every way, I just don’t have time to pursue my doctorate. Modern pony physiology simple enough, I just had to focus and count as I compressed. I wasn’t going to let this colt pass from this world like so many of my animal friends.

“What have you done?” I asked while counting. “Why are you doing this to Snickers, to all of us? What did he ever do to you, or your stupid balance?”

“The conundrum--”

“His… name… is… Snickers!” I shouted and my wings flared open in a traditional challenge posture. “I won’t stop until he’s back with me, with us. None of us will. Stop being meanies, and leave us… alone,” I stopped to breathe for him, “we don’t want you with us if this is how you really are.”

“The conundrum has perished, give up your pursuits, representative.”

“There is no hope for the conundrum.”

“Balance will be maintained.”

I… I’m sorry, but I lost my temper and said some very naughty things after they said that.

“Fuck your balance and your dumb… meanie, stupid element!” I conjured my element necklace and tore it from my neck, pushing it into the cloud so it would fall to the ground. I went back to Snickers, keeping him alive for all I was worth.

“Representative?! Recall the focus to yourself at once!”

“No! Not until you stop being so… fucking mean to us! You’re the meanest, worst, most awful things ever, and if you won’t let Snickers live, then I don’t want anything to do with you. And I’ll take the others with me when I get home. We’ll stop being the bearers and you’ll have to find a new way to stop the next threat to the world.”

“The representative is conniving.”

“Ruthless.”

“Masterful in her treatment of the situation. Harmony approves.”

“...Order approves.”

“Discordance approves.”

---

---

Snickers

---

---

I gasped for air like it was the first time after drowning, my limbs ached and my head throbbed with each heartbeat. Even my heart felt sore, so did my ribs, like somepony was playing my bones like a xylophone. I smelled a dozen scents I hadn’t noticed before I guess I passed out, some were from the mare that picked me up and held me in a close hug. I tasted fruit and something creamy, like icing, or maybe a cupcake on my lips and in my mouth.

“Oh, Snickers, I’m so glad you’re okay!” Fluttershy said twisting me gently in a hug that made me giggle. She peppered my head with compassionate kisses and hugged me again, praising me for being so strong and fighting for her, even though I didn’t have to.

“The conundrum has passed this trial, now what?”

“We shall move to the endgame.”

“Yes, then we shall see where the conundrum stands.”

I looked up to Fluttershy and then moved quickly, kissing her on the side of her muzzle. She giggled and looked down on me, then we both laughed at the buzzing my wings were making before darkness took me again.

Harmonic Vision: 5

I was standing outside Fluttershy’s cottage by the bridge over the creek with mom beside me, she walked past me and flipped her mane like she does.

Mom began looking around quickly, then back at me. “Snickers, why are we at Fluttershy’s? I swear we were just at Twilight’s…” she was quiet for a second and her eyes fell to the grass between us while she thought. “No, I don’t know how I got here with you. We were having a moment, not being ourselves…”

“Twiglina cast a spell and sent us into a Harmonic Vision,” I said. Mom looked at me and cocked her head.

“Whatever do you mean? Harmony doesn’t offer a vision so soon after another… it would risk damage to your mind or spirit, if it did. Let’s go back to Twilight’s, Snickers, I’m sure she’ll have an answer of some sort.”

I stood up and shook my head. “No can do. We’re here, we’ve gotta go through her house,” I pointed to the tree, “to get out. Whatever’s in there, though, may not be what you’d expect.”

Mom faced Fluttershy’s and stepped closer to it. “Well, come along, dear. I would prefer not to do this alone, and I won’t have you going into some vision without me, this time. The real me,” she chuckled, “figuratively speaking.”

I nodded and stood with my shoulder against her foreleg for a second, then she stepped and I stayed close to her side as she took to a canter until we reached the door. “I hope you’re really you, because if this is just some… whatever, and you can’t help me…”

“Snickers, I’m real, I’m here, and I won’t leave you. I promise you that.” Mom said giving me a side hug before her magic opened the door. It was a wall of blue light, which didn’t seem so bad. “Well, ladies first, I suppose,” she said walking into the light.

I rushed under her and we went through together… and mom screamed. I stepped out from under her and smirked. “This isn’t so bad.”

“Not so bad?!” She balked at me as a twirling length of multicolored ribbon floated past me and part of the plaid ceiling dripped between mom and me. “This place is beyond ghastly! Such horrible palettes, the clashing colors, the garish… everything!”

I giggled. “Hey, at least it’s not blood or the guts of animals, right?”

Mom looked at me in total shock. “What in the wide realm of Equestria would make you say something so horrid, Snickers?”

“Oh, yeah… you wouldn’t know, would you? Well…” I took a minute to fill mom in with the highlights I could remember. “So, that’s about it. Now we’re here,” I gestured to the inner cottage that looked like something brought everything to life and made it look awful to mom’s sensitive constitution.

“Oh, Snickers, I’m so sorry to hear everything you’ve been through… perhaps I should scold the voices as Fluttershy had? It seemed to work for her.”

“Yeah, but you’re not her. You don’t talk, you fix… so fix this and maybe you’ll get out of here safe and sound, okay?”

Mom hugged me tightly. “No, not with you. Whatever these things want with you, they’ll have to not only go through me, but I’ll share the penance you have to pay, whatever it may be.”

I won’t lie, mom really won a lot of points with me on that one. She actually cared about me, and I didn’t get the feeling or scent she was about to rub her stress away… she was actually there with me, for what felt like the first time. “Thanks, mom. But, seriously, let’s see what we can do here.”

Mom let me go and opened the door. “Very well, but first I’ll need some sewing equipment from my boutique. Come along, we’ll have this place fit for royalty before anypony knows what’s hit them.”

I slipped under mom and we walked out through the doorway of light again… then we both screamed. The door slammed behind us and locked us in a red hazed sky with clouds blacker than anything I’d ever seen, they seemed to suck light around them in. The grass was shiny and sharp, a frog hopped from the trail into the grass and it was skewered by the razor blades they’d become. There was a crack of thunder and we noticed the tree was old and dead… then it started to rain and mom’s white coat started to turn red with each drop that struck her.

“Oh? Oh?! Eeek!” Mom screamed and pranced side to side. “Blood! It’s raining blood?!”

“Mom?! You’re gonna step on me, stop!”

“Oh… Snickers… Stay under me, this is… the worst possible thing! I need to find something to cover us,” she gagged and started trotting along the path. A familiar scent filled both our noses and we looked at the once water in the creek.

“Is that…” I asked when we both noticed the white thick slime that stank like musk and salt.

Mom gagged again and retched. “Oh… sweet Luna, don’t look at anything. Close your eyes, darling, don’t look,” she instructed.

“I can’t, I have to see where I’m going. How are you doing, mom?” I asked the mare who’s coat was now soaked red with blood. The fur under her was dripping onto me, but I didn’t care about that at the moment.

“Horrid… I’ve never felt so awful in all my years,” she snorted out, clearing blood from her nose. “Ugh, it tastes like cheap copper and costly iron.”

I felt my stomach turn a little. I’d been eating some fish every day, red meat wasn’t on the menu for years, if I even worked my way up to that, and certainly not raw. And there mom was, covering me to the best she could under her while suffering through raw blood for me. “You can do it, mom. Look, to the left is a store, I think!”

Mom slowed and tried to look where I’d indicated, but she was having trouble seeing through the thickening blood in her vision. “I’m not sure, but I do know where our house is. We’ll go there and clean up, then worry about… whatever the fuck this is. Oh, I apologize! It slipped out, honestly, don’t use that as an excuse to--”

There was a flash of lightning that startled us and we started moving again, faster now as the bloody mud sloshed around her legs and up to my knees, not including what was splashed up onto me from her pace. I still didn’t care, mom was actually trying to keep me safe from that horror show, and that meant more to me than being clean.

I felt the blood lessen from mom and glanced out, pleased to see it had stopped raining on us for a moment, even though it was still raining pretty good outside of a small area for us.

“Snickers, be a darling and remind me to reimburse Stone Ground for the door to his abode? I’ve removed it as an impromptu umbrella, you see.” She said with a slight pleased tone. I glanced from under her and saw a door above us in her blue magic, for what little it did for us being covered in mud, blood, and a mix of the two.

“Hey, there it is!” I said excitedly and resisted running ahead to the door. Mom’s magic opened the door with ease and we rushed inside to the clean and organized interior.

Blood pooled around us at the door and I stepped out from under mom, we looked one another over, and sighed in defeat. Mom walked ahead through the show floor and straight to the stairs with me behind her. We climbed the stairs and I saw each time her hoof touched the carpeted everything the blood from her body would leave a stamp-like impression.

We got to the bathroom and she put me in the shower, following me in and we both took a seat. “This may be the best shower of our lives,” mom said turning the faucet on. The pipes rumbled and the shower head started raining on us.

Mom stood up and lifted her head into the flow when I looked at my hooves and screamed again. Mom looked at me and then at her body and coat, joining me. We scrambled over the edge with her help from me and both slipped on the floor since we were now coated in a mix of blood from the rain and… stallion’s semen from the shower.

Mom barely made it to the toilet before vomiting while I didn’t manage to get my hooves under me before I started spewing at least away from under myself and opposite mom’s noises. I couldn’t open my eyes for over a minute, not until a towel wrapped around my head and from my neck behind my ears to my snout with a unique rolling motion, cleaned most of my head in a single pass.

It didn’t help I was crying, it did help that my eyes were now clear from the toweling and tears combo, though. Lose-win. Yay me. I saw mom and she was a horrible mess of pink, Pinkie Pie pink. She was crying, too, only quietly. “Oh, my sweet little stallion… I’m so sorry about that,” she said, “I wish I could hug you, but we’re so…” she sobbed and used the same towel to wipe her face before throwing it aside. “The next time I get a chance, I’m taking us both to the spa for the ultimate deluxe package.”

I hugged her, getting half my face coated in the slurry again. It was so gross to every sense I had, and several I may not have. Mom gently hugged me back. “Mom?”

“Yes, Snickers,” she asked quietly.

“If you get pregnant from this, I had no part to play in it.”

Mom burst out laughing and hugged me tighter, I had to push back and move away, pointing to my face again. Mom toweled me again while grinning. “If I get pregnant from this, then some spirit will have some explaining to do.”

We both took time toweling one another off the best we could, mom only almost threw up once more, which was pretty good considering everything. “So,” I finally asked once we were cleaner and doused with perfumes, rubbed with powders, and were wearing fresh clothes. I made a point to tug the cuffs of my shirt. “Now what do we do?” I asked mom.

“Well, since we’re in the most horrid nightmare possible, I believe we should either make the most of the time we have, or return to the cottage to finish what I was about to begin.”

I shook my head. “Locked, maybe even aged to ashes, now. What else could possibly be the way out?”

Mom, wearing a nice dress that covered her from neck to tail while leaving her hair lying flat; since hair had to be clean to be styled. No way around it, we were covering absolute grossness under classy coverings. Mom shrugged at my question, though.

“Wanna just hang out?” I asked.

Mom tapped her chin, then looked at her hoof and grimaced before putting her hoof on the carpet and wiping her chin on her lapel. “I don’t see why we can’t spend a little time relaxing with one another… oh, my. We haven’t done even that, yet, have we?”

I shrugged. “No, but I’ve been a very busy colt and you’ve been a very busy mare, right?”

Mom shook her head. “That’s no excuse for me to… regardless, we’re here now, so let’s hang out. First, games!”

“What about food?” I asked.

“Like the shower or rain? I imagine the food to be some perverse inversion of their real counterparts in some ways. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it; until then, meet me in Sweetie’s room while I check the status of the main floor and it’s leak protection spells and wards.”

I nodded and trotted to Sweetie’s room, picked a couple games, and when mom got back we sat down and drew our cards. “Snickers, I must say that even though we’ve been through a lot in this vision, you’re still as charming and attractive as when I first saw you on my doorstep a crazy week ago.”

I sighed loudly. “It’s been one hell of a week, that’s for sure. I just hope that after I wake up next time, I can live in this body I’ve been given, rather than struggle to survive pretty much every day.”

“Don’t feel so melancholy, darling. There’s going to a be a time when you look back and know this was the worst thing to happen to you in your whole life.”

I snorted. “What? Running through blood, bathing in semen, and vomiting under the bathroom cabinets?”

“No, that I’ve got UNO on first turn,” she giggled behind her hoof at my shocked face looking at the skips and draw two’s and draw fours stacked against me.

I looked at the cards magically held to my hoof and picked a single card, placing it on the stack. “Draw two,” I said and grinned at the shocked, impressed look on her face.

“Well played, my young stallion, well played.”

We played our games for nearly an hour looking out of the window every so often to see the blood rain covered window, the quiet sound of it hitting the window letting us know it was still there. Mom had set up the gramophone and a record was playing a jaunty little tune for us, mom got up and went to the window, used her magic to clear the outside, and looked out.

“Yes, it seems this is less of a horror and more of a repainting of the city at large,” she chuckled. Mom turned back to me and stood over me. “Snickers, may I share a secret with you?”

“Of course, I won’t tell anypony.”

Mom smiled a bit. “I’ve never heard you say ‘anypony’, darling, it’s a nice thing to hear. Anyway,” mom looked around, even though the boutique was empty save for us, “ahem…” then mom started talking with a weird accent I’d never heard, it sounded funny, “hi hon, doncha believe it, but my mom and dad’re outta town for the month.

“I was so surprised, once, when they dropped of my sister I nearly had a heart attack… and that, darling, is the voice I was born with. You can see why I changed it, I’m sure.The accent is actually my mother’s from northern Manesota, while my father is from the Vanhoover area. I’m quite pleased I don’t carry his accent within me,” she smiled at me and her horn lit, closing my mouth. “Do keep you mouth closed when a lady is present, you shan’t be uncouth while under my care.”

I swallowed and sat up taller, then mimed zipping my lips. “I won’t tell a soul, not that anypony’d believe me. But, why hide your accent? I think it’s kinda cute.”

Mom reached to flip her mane, stopping when she remembered it was flat. “Thank you, darling, but after I received my cutie mark I begged and pleaded to be sent to a special school in Manehattan that teaches ettiquette, manners, and how to act in social situations. From age seven to nine I was quite intent and focused in my studies to change myself.

“My goal wasn’t to change who I was, even though that was what happened; my goal was to change my image to what Manehattan and Canterlot would see as a mare of class, sophistication, and regality so I could design clothing for the masses of the elite and noble classes.” Mom posed dramatically like the proud mare she was.

“Alas, upon returning to Ponyville was lackluster at first. Pinkie Pie was new to living here and threw me a ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party and was quite surprised to find out I already lived here, but was away at school. I moved back with my parents and welcomed my newborn sister into my life.

“This building that we now live in, do you know what it was?” Mom asked me, sitting down across the gameboard from me.

“Um, a brothel?” I asked seriously. A checkers chip bounced off my fourhead.

“Whyever would you even think such a thing?” she laughed and put a hoof to her chest. “No, there hasn’t ever been a brothel in Ponyville, of any kind,” she cut me off before I could snark at her, “no, this was the old town hall. The shape and grand size should tell you of its previous purpose.”

I thought over the dimensions and came to the conclusion she wasn’t full of it by nodding.

“It was in disrepair, to say the least, but once I was exhausted of living with a crying foal that was surging, parents with no concept of personal space or privacy that led them to being introduced to Mister Ed years ago… that was mortifying, and my family’s cooking akin to eating coal from a barbeque, I bought this building using gems I found in a nearby valley.”

“Can you show me the valley, sometime?” I asked.

“Certainly. It’s quite lovely and dog-free, I hope. If not, I have ways to dispatch of them without any harm done,” she waved her ability, whatever it may be, off like it was nothing. “Anyway, I bought the building and moved in, and while living here I hired construction workers to fix the frame and enchanters to enchant the building against all the damages I’d mentioned on your first day here.”

I laughed. “Yeah, I remember how much of an ass I was, not to mention finding your dildo and you teleporting it away.”

“Yes… and after I’d used it not fifteen minutes before you arrived,” she smirked and I looked at my hooves in horror.

“Oh God, ew. I never wanted to touch your secretions!” another checkers piece bounced off my forehead.

“How rude!” She covered her mouth. “And didn’t you have to use your mouth to remove it from the box?” My jaw went slack as I remembered that part, I’d forgotten it in place of watching her reaction. “Close your mouth, darling… you can now say you’ve done something no stallion has done, but hundreds have wished for.”

I closed my mouth and swallowed the massive amount of saliva that had built up, then smirked. “I didn’t know so many stallions wanted your huge dick in their mouths… I’ve never noticed, but I’ve never really been looking, I guess,” I looked at her teats. “Are those actually your nuts and it’s between them?” I pointed. She looked down and then back at me. “Close your mouth, darling, it’s uncouth,” I said mocking her voice and pretending to flip my mane.

Mom actually mocked me! “Meh neh meh. Whatever, darling son of mine. If it related to my body, I’m sure many a stallion has wished for that as well. There is, after all, no wrong way to fantasize.”

I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. “Well said, mother; well said. Heh-he,” I giggled into my hooves, regretting it when they touched my lips. “We totally screwed this vision over, I think. We didn’t die, get attacked, or have anything besides some various goo cover us.”

Mom smiled at me with a nod. “Yes, quite correct. And, if I must say so, I’ve enjoyed this time we’ve had. If only it didn’t have to happen during a fever dream, of sorts.”

“Who says it has to only be now? When I get back, I’m willing to spend the day with you.”

“The thing is, Snickers, that I’m behind on my work--”

“No, I get it,” I took the cards back into my hoof, “sorry I asked.”

Her magic lifted my chin so I had to look at her. “What I was going to say, before you began a pity party of one, is that I’d appreciate your help in the matter. Perhaps you could assist me and find your true calling, or perhaps you’ll be a… model citizen once we’re done.”

“That’s it,” I threw my cards at her and when she gasped and moved back, I ran to her and hugged her tightly. “Puns are the best! But next time, leaf them to me; you’re not too good at it.”

Mom sorted the cards while hugging me back. “I’m not so sure, I do have good roots in the matter.”

“Psh, you’re making me sappy,” I said and she laughed loudly.

“Oh, darling… I’m so sorry for everything that’s happened to this point. I promise, and this time I mean it, to be the mother to you that you deserve. There will be problems, arguments, disagreements, times I send you to your room, and others where I go to mine just to be away from everything… but no matter what, I’ll never treat you awfully. I’ll never swear at you, intentionally make you feel worthless or hopeless, and I’ll make time at least once a day to spend just with you. Not working, just with you.”

I nuzzled into her and sighed. “Thanks, mom.”

There was a weird feeling that I now can explain. It was hope, trust, and love. Three things I didn’t feel as much, if at all, for Rarity. But at that moment, Rarity truly became my mother. It was up to her to keep the title, though.

*ting*

“Did you hear that, Snickers?”

“I think so, what was it?”

*ting*

The sound came again, this time it resounded for a few seconds, tapering off before three ponies stepped through the doorway avoiding the hall, just literally appearing to walk through the doorway. The same three stallions from each time I saw ponies.

“What the fuck are you gonna do this time? Torture us, make us fuck?” I asked, shoving mom away… which I regret now, but then I was in the moment. “Go fuck yourselves off outta my head!”

The black stallion with white mane stepped forward. “I am Discordance. I represent death, discordance, and imbalance.”

The white one with black mane stepped up. “I am Order. I represent order, conformity, and consistency.”

The grey one with white mane stepped up last. “I am Harmony. I represent harmony, balance, and life.”

They talked together, then. “We are unsure of your kind, Conundrum.”

“You bring disharmony to everything I try,” Order said.

“You bring order to everything I disorganize,” Discordance said.

Harmony smiled at me, the only one with emotions, it seemed. “I approve of your kind, what shall we call you?”

I was taken a little by surprise. I looked at mom and she shrugged a little bit, almost unnoticable. “Um… I’m a pony?”

Harmony laughed like a jolly old fat man while the others smirked at me. “We know what you are now, but before you were a pony… what were you?”

“Oh… a human. Wow,” I said clicking my tongue, “it feels weird saying that again.”

Order stepped up. “Human, you were not to speak of your kind, so I stopped you.”

Discordance stepped up. “I allowed you to remember, don’t forget that.”

I glared at both the stallions. “You also tried to rape me and my… friend, Scootaloo.”

Harmony stepped up. “I sharpened her hooves.” The other two glared at Harmony, who just smiled back at them. “Lessons must have limits, brothers.”

Three checkers chips bounced off the three unicorns’ heads and mom stood over me. I stepped under her, it really did feel safer under her. “You three can leave my son, and the rest of us, out of your little games. Shoo, you have no need to be here. Send us home and don’t come back, or have any of us do the same.”

Discordance opened his mouth baring dozens of razor sharp fangs in his mouth. “You shall not order us like-- urk!”

Several more checkers chips hovered around mom. I looked up and saw a look of such determination on her face; I’d never felt so protected and loved. “Yeah, don’t mess with my mom, or she’ll make you sorry!”

C’mon, I am just a colt, after all. I can’t be expected to do anything else sometimes besides cheer my bad ass mom on.

“That’s right, darling. Mom’s gonna open a can of whip snaps on these old fuddy duddy’s!”

Discordance coughed the chip from his mouth and looked at mom curiously. “Surely, brothers, she jests.”

“Nay, brother,” Order stepped beside Discordance, “she is serious about protecting her charge, just as we do for ours.”

“Order, do you mean the representatives?”

Mom nailed Order between his eyes. “Excuse me, but a Lady is in your presence, and you should be doing all you can to appease me.”

Disharmony and Order lifted a forehoof and stomped them on the floor, conjuring dozens of dildo’s that were various sized, shaped, and having a multitude of functionality. Mom’s horn lit brightly and I stepped from under her to gawk at the multitude of toys, wondering which she’d choose for her stress relief over the moment.

Mom’s eyes vanished behind a blue glow and I was pulled back under her by magic. “No, you vile ruffians!” The sex toys melted and reformed into a net that flopped over the stallions in a multicolored, vibrating, writhing from rotating motor mess. “You shan’t have your way with Snickers any longer, if I have anything to say about it!”

“Very well,” Discordance and Order said together. A stomp of their hoof and she vanished. “She is in the corporeal realm once again.”

I shivered from the chill in the air in mom’s absence. “What do you want, then? What can I do to end this? All of it? To never have to come back or anything? I’ll fuck you, seriously. Spit roast me… it won’t be the first time I’ve been through that.”

Discordance moved close enough to nuzzle me. “Little human in a strange land, we took from you your right and left hand.”

Order was next and I didn’t mind the nuzzle. “We took your body, we changed your mind. We bound your words with our time.”

Harmony moved between them and they stepped away. “We shall let your kind pass throughout our realm in peace, a few and no more shall we lease.”

They all rhymed together and it was kinda like a song, but I started to get drowsy. “Ponies from the past will rise to be your hosts, when the bodies die you return to ghosts. When your time here is spent, to where you left shall you be sent. A special spell we cast on you, four by four and two by two. If you wish to meet your end, return to the beginning where your life shall end.

“Two by two and one by one, the spell we cast cannot be undone. It is hidden and you are who we see, magic is the key to your destiny. You shall leave here soon with your mark, on a great journey you must embark. Find the truth within and you shall see the affect you have made on us three.”

Harmony stepped over me and leaned down, giving me a nuzzle. “Wake, colt. And live… be yourself, it’s most entertaining to see my brothers so flustered… and I think a little more freedom is called for, especially to those closest to you.”

Author's Notes:

Well... he's finally out! Now to see what happens to our loveable colt next!
Better things, really.
And a lot of random!

A New Beginning

Author's Notes:

I rewrote this chapter seven times and, while I feel the start is a bit clunky, the rest is pretty good. Enjoy.

Snickers woke up and curled himself against the warm body he was pressed against, nuzzling against the soft flesh he felt at the end of his muzzle. He inhaled and a sense of extreme calm rushed through his mind and he hummed. He opened his eyes and saw two nipples in front of his eyes, startling him into jolting slightly. He noticed whose they were and slyly smiled.

He dug deep within himself and threw his dignity out the proverbial window for the prank he was about to play. Snickers curled up and whimpered, sniffling. Rarity’s magic enveloped him and turned him so he was lying facing at her, then he starting crying in a loud, nasally tone in short gasps.

“Oh… oh dear, whatever’s wrong with him?” Rarity asked starting to hold him. Snickers started moving his forelegs and one of his forehooves touched his mouth, then he started sucking on it, his cries dying away and were replaced with random cooing and sniffles. “Oh, sweet Celestia’s flaming flank,” Rarity said looking down at the colt, “he’s an infant?”

Twilight stepped closer and her horn lit, scanning over Snickers while his eyes opened and tracked the light, gathering all his attention and focus. “Rarity, I don’t understand why,” Twilight said, “he’s the same as when he was this morning! What do we do?!”

“Darling?! Are you asking moi? I’ve never cared for an infant, much less a young stallion as an infant…” Rarity started breathing heavily. “I… I’ll do my best,” Rarity said while starting to hyperventilate, “I’m not… his mother by birth… but, I swear that I won’t,” she inhaled and held it, “I won’t leave him to fend for himself,” she said on the calming exhale. “I’ll be the mother we both need him to be,” she said and rolled him to her chest and hugged him.

Snickers was struck silent with her words, he was only planning on playing an infant for a quick laugh. Why does every prank I pull turn around on me? He thought.

Snickers hugged Rarity and hummed contentedly. “Mom?” He asked curiously. “Are we back?”

Rarity gasped and sat up, sitting him up with her so she could look at him. “Oh, my darling little colt! I’m so glad you’re not an infant.” Snickers raised an eyebrow. “Ah, um, what I mean is that I’m glad you’re back and we can finally be a family.”

Snickers looked around the room at the fillies that were returning to eating their hospital meals on their trays. “Uh, hi, everypony.”

Scootaloo did a spit take spraying partially chewed carrots and peas across her blanket. “Did he just say ‘anypony’?!”

There was a chatter in the room behind Twilight, who grinned at Snickers. “Well, it’s certainly nice to hear you say that, but are you saying it because it feels right, or because you feel compelled?”

Snickers looked at his hooves and thought it over. “It feels natural to say it… but I know I can still say ‘anyone’, if the need arises. I have a lot more freedom that way,” he smiled to himself and then turned his smile to Rarity. “Mom, can we go home soon?”

Rarity smiled back. “I’m not certain, but there’s probably a day’s wait for you, since you were the central link in a massive mind link,” she gestured to the fillies and mares around the room.

Snickers waved to Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. “Hi,” Snickers said to the pegasi mares.

“Hey, dude. Wanna go prank some ponies around town?” Rainbow asked.

“Rainbow Dash, he’s in no condition to join you in one of your prankings,” Fluttershy admonished her friend, “but I’m sure I can have a talk with the staff about having him under the care of Twilight and myself, since most of this is magical and therapeutic in nature.”

Snickers groaned and fell forward onto his belly. “I just wanna go home and snuggle with my herd in bed… wait,” Snickers pushed himself up and looked at the fillies in the room. “I have an announcement to make.”

The room’s attention was on him. “What’s on yer mind, Snickers?” Apple Bloom asked.

Snickers reached to pull at the collar of his shirt, only to find out he was naked again. “Really, mom?” He said looking from his underbelly to her. Rarity shrugged. “Whatever, anyway; the herd is over. Broken up, done for. I’m sorry, but it’s too much stress and tension for me.”

He closed his eyes, ready for some backlash, then heard quiet clopping of hooves. He looked up to see Apple Bloom grinning at him and clapping, then Scootaloo joined in, smiling warmly. Sweetie Belle joined in nodding in approval, and lastly Silver Spoon clapped, grinning at him and gave him a wink behind her glasses that warmed his cheeks.

“Whoo-hoo! Ah’m glad ta hear ya made the right choice, Snickers!” Apple Bloom called over the din. “The herd was crumblin’ like a tower of apples in a windstorm.”

Snickers snickered and nodded. “Yeah, it was pretty bad. I only hope,” he said gathering the attention as the clapping quieted, “is that we learn from this and don’t make the same mistakes in our futures.”

Scootaloo cheered. “Right on! Woo-hoo!”

“Wow, mom,” Snickers said to Rarity, “they’re really into this, huh? Was it that bad?”

Rarity shook her head. “No, it was just the first you’d all been in. It’s traditionally a bit of a celebration when a trial herd ends without any broken hearts or major problems. Why, when you’re older and start a relationship with a fine mare, I’m certain you’ll even have a small separation party if it doesn’t work out.”

Snickers cocked his head. “That is crazy, but I’ve gotta learn a lot still… I’m just a colt, after all, right?”

Rarity pulled Snickers to her and hugged him. “You’re not just a colt. You’re my colt, for better or worse.”

“Awwwe,” the room chorused.

“Well, I’m not hungry anymore and I need a new blanket… how about I get the nurse to send us home?” Scootaloo offered kicking the blankets off herself.

Apple Bloom raised a hoof. “Scootaloo, ya mean we get discharged.”

“Woah, I don’t wanna see anypony in here discharge anything!” Rainbow quipped and got smacked in the face with a pillow by Fluttershy and laughed loudly.

“That’s not funny, Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy scolded her friend while blushing.

Rainbow took the pillow off her face and was assaulted by one from Rarity. “Such references to female issues aren’t appreciated!”

“Hey,” Rainbow said, “I was just jo-” *whumph*

The pillow Twilight threw carried enough force to knock Rainbow from the gurney she was laying on. “I wanna play, too!”

“Pillow fight!”

Pillows flew from bed to bed, Twilight conjured pillows, adding to the ammunition and screams of laughter filled the room, halls, and floor of the hospital as every pony in the room whacked, slapped, threw, and blocked pillows. Four nurses ran to the room and stopped just outside the doorway looking with shock at the feathers flying freely through the room.

“Stop this nonsense!” A nurse shouted with a voice that could rupture an eardrum. The ponies froze, one fell from the edge of a bed onto a small pile of pillows that cushioned her fall.

“I’m okay!”

“What in the world are you doing?” The nurse asked as she walked in, followed by the other three nurses, all sporting strict expressions.

“Duh, pillow fight,” Snickers said holding a pillow in his forehooves standing by Sweetie Belle.

Scootaloo swung hers and pomf’d Apple Bloom. “See, pillows.”

“I know what a pillow fight is!” The nurse shouted. “Why are you having one in my hospital?!”

Rainbow Dash snickered from above the nurses and when they looked up, Rainbow dropped several pillows on them. “Because it’s fun! Game on!”

The screaming resumes and pillows started swinging and flying again for several seconds, then they all stopped, surrounded by a purple hued glow. “Awww,” the room whined.

“No, Twilight’s right. This is not the place for such activities. Thank you, nurses, Twilight will be cleaning the mess, right?”

Twilight looked at Rarity for a second intently, then back to the nurses. “Yeah,” her horn flashed and all the extra pillows vanished showing Spike holding a hospital pillow over his head, about to attack Twilight. He dropped the pillow and started whistling nonchalantly. “Yeah, not buying it, Spike.”

The nurses cleared their throats. “In any case, you all should be resting and recovering, not running around like crazed lunatics, okay?”

The ponies nodded, then Snickers stumbled sideways and fell over. The nurses rushed to his side and began checking him over. “Ugh, I feel so dizzy and kinda dizzy,” he yawned.

“Nurse Peck, check his chart for any blood pressure or heart problems. I’ll get him back into bed.”

Twilight stepped up while the nurse moved Snickers to a bed in her magic. “Nurse, he has a healing heart murmur, so you know.”

The nurse set him in his bed and turned on Twilight with a vicious glare. “And just so you know, he should be on bed rest until he’s cleared to be moved by a medical professional. I need every pony that isn’t under the age of seven out of this room, now!” The mares started to disagree, but a point by all the nurses and stern glares encouraged the mares to leave with kind and loving words as they passed.

“Well, now that that’s taken care of, I’ll call the doctor back so he can check your heart, young stallion. Stay, in, bed until we say otherwise, do you understand?” One of the nurses asked.

“Yeah, sorry... just gonna rest.”

***

Snickers, blindfolded and led by Rarity, was guided into the Carousel Boutique. “Almost there, darling. Just a few more paces… and… stop! Wait right there, and no peeking.”

“Awww, but mom… I wanna see the surprise you told me about!” Snickers whined and sniffed the air, his ears perked high when sweet scents filled his olfactory senses.

“Take it off,” Rarity advised.

“That’s what she said,” Snickers joked as his forehooves slipped the blindfold off. He was temporarily blinded by the light for a second, then his heart felt like it stopped as he stared down the barrel of an oddly shaped canon.

“Surprise!” The room erupted at once and Pinkie had a short rope tied to her right forehoof. She tugged it while grinning the grin that haunted him.

Snickers screamed and leapt back. “Fuck, no!”

The canon fired streamers and confetti over him, knocking him back more by his life experiences than the minor pressure that struck him from the blast of paper bits. Pinkie stood over Snickers and slipped an elastic string under his muzzle and then used her forelegs to scoop him back onto his hooves.

“Welcome to your ‘all better’ party, Snickers! It’s all for you, so go have fun, and if you need anything, your auntie Pinkie Pie is just a shout away.”

“Pinkie?” A mare called from the side of the showroom.

“Coming! See,” Pinkie leaned close, “just shout and I’ll be here in a blink. Have fun, try the punch; it’s got sherbert in it!” Pinkie announced to the room as she moved through the crowd and left Snickers’s sight.

His fellow CmC ran up to him wearing party hats and huge grins. “So, were ya surprised?” Apple Bloom asked happily.

“Yeah, we’ve been keeping this a secret for two days,” Scootaloo exclaimed with a hop.

“And you went back into the hospital, so we thought it was gonna be put off, again,” Sweetie added.

“Girls,” Snickers said reaching up and poking the hat he was wearing, “it’s fine. Honest. I love it, it’s more than I’ve ever had or could have hoped for… is that pony wearing headphones?”

The fillies looked where he was looking and Sweetie spoke up. “Yeah, that’s Vinyl Scratch. She’s a local DJ and plays music that doesn’t really speak to me… not that I don’t like her music, but it’s beats are all over the place.”

Snickers looked at the mare bouncing her head to an unheard beat, holding a cup of punch in her magic. “Huh, well ain’t that somethin’? I’ll have to say hi, someday. For right now,” Snickers grinned and walked through the small opening the fillies made for him, “let’s party!”

Snickers ran with a half dozen foals; colts and fillies he did know that were as friendly as any other pony he’d met. As unusual as it felt, it was truly welcome to be a part of the herd… in as much as he could be. Adults frowned at the various games the young played through the night, everypony ate cake, sweets, and treats until the tables were cleared and bellies ached, yet the party went on until the foals started feeling sleepy and began laying under tables, on their parents’s backs, or even on the stairs as they wound down to watch the party carry on.

Twilight giggled when Snickers yawned as he walked up to the conversation she, Rarity, and Applejack were having. “So,” Twilight asked, “how are you enjoying your party?”

Snickers burped quietly. “Excuse me… it’s been great. I’ve never had so much fun, I’ve made new friends and I get to go to school tomorrow and they’re gonna,” he yawned again, “help me catch up where I need it.”

Rarity side stepped closer to Snickers. “Are you feeling sleepy, by chance?”

Snickers teetered slightly. “A little, but I’m not going to bed yet. I’ve got to see ponies out, and drink more punch, and play with my friends s’more, and,” Snickers yawned large enough that his body shook, “I’m not even that sleepy.” Snickers looked up at the mares and then noticed emerald green eyes looking at him from under a hat. “You’re Apple Bloom’s sister, not mother, right?”

Applejack nodded. “Yup, Ah’m her big sis. Ah’ve raised her like Ah was mom, though. Ah’ll never replace the real thing, and Ah’m not trying.”

Snickers nodded. “I get it, Aj. Don’t sweat it.”

Applejack shook her head. “Ah don’t mean ta sound rude, but only my friends call me Aj, Ah’d prefer if ya’d call me Applejack,” she leaned closer to Rarity and whispered barely loud enough to be heard. “And maybe he’ll be a brother in law b’fore too long, huh?”

Snickers felt a righteous fury burn within him. How dare she plan my future like that, walking barnyard steak. Snickers smirked and both Twilight and Rarity knew what was coming. “So, I can’t call you Aj?”

“Ah’d prefer if ya didn’t,” Applejack answered.

Snickers nodded. “I can respect that, Jacqueline Apple. But, I’ll call you Jacqueline for short, since I’m not friend material for you.”

Applejack frowned and stomped a hoof on the flooring so hard the room slightly vibrated as a whole. “Now, don’t ya start callin’ me that, ya little…” Applejack looked at Rarity when the mare’s horn lit for a split second. “Look, only ma and pa called me that, and even then it almost never happened, so don’t.”

Snickers rolled his eyes. “C’mon, Jacqueline, listen to your future machine brother in law that’s gonna pound your sister and make her pop out foals like a factory, since that’s all she’s apparently good for, right?”

Applejack’s stetson smacked his head and he didn’t see her leap at him with short sighted fury because Applejack was caught and teleported away by Twilight in the instant the farm mare threw her hat at him. Rarity took the stetson from Snicker’s head and picked him up, setting him on her back while the hat was rushed to Rainbow Dash for safe keeping.

Rainbow was looking at Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle sleeping behind a mirror. Once the hat was dropped on her rainbow mane, Rainbow took it off and grinned, hugging it to her chest and smelling the rim. Twilight and Rarity shared a weak grimace, knowing a faux pas had just been done. “You take care of Rainbow, darling. There may be some confusion as to why she has Applejack’s hat, and, by-the-by… where did you send our rustic friend?”

Twilight blushed sheepishly and started moving to Rainbow with Rarity following. “The town fountain, so she’d cool off between there and here…” Snickers giggle snorted and started trying to get off Rarity.

“That’s awesome! She’s gonna come back wet… for Rainbow Dash. This’s gonna be great to watch.”

“Oh, I think not, my sleepy little colt. It’s almost bedtime, if ever there was one.”

“But, I’m not,” he yawned again, ending with a frustrated growl, “I’m not sleepy. I’m just… lacking energy from having so much fun earlier.”

Twilight looked back. “That’s a definition of tired and sleepy.”

“Twiglina, take my side here.”

Twilight stopped in place causing Rarity to bump into her rump. “That’s not my name, and I’d appreciate it if you’d not call me that again,” she said. Her horn glowed faintly and Twilight smiled, showing her teeth, two canines were elongated and caught his attention. “Please.”

Snickers gulped and nodded, cowering back behind Rarity’s mane. Twilight started walking again and Rarity kept close. When they’d reached Rainbow, Rarity stopped Twilight and leaned close to share some private words. “Did you have to scare him like that?”

“It was a little glamour; I masked my horn and gave myself vampire teeth. Hardly what I’d call extreme, especially since I can’t have that name being associated with me for reasons I’ll discuss later, if ever.”

Rarity nodded in understanding. “Very well, now about our darling Rainbow Dash’s love interest?”

Twilight sighed and Rarity sided with Twilight as they reached Rainbow, who was sitting and nuzzling the hat slightly. “Rainbow?” Twilight asked startling the mare. Rainbow donned the hat and grinned awkwardly.

“What’s up? Wanna see some stunt flying?” Rainbow said, taking to a hover. Snickers sat up and was about to say something snarky, but his nostrils flared and then he squeaked quietly. Three mares looked between one another, then at Snickers. Rarity and Twilight looked at Rainbow. “Oh, shit, my bad!”

Rainbow landed and folded her wings to her sides. “I totally didn’t think--”

“Exactly, you didn’t think about hovering in place after such lewd thoughts softened your nethers, did you? Honestly, Rainbow… nine years old and you act like you’re seven most of the time.” Rarity snapped and then blushed. “I have to get him into his bed, post haste… we’re going to have a little more to talk about, once I return,” Rarity said turning and moving through and around the pockets of chatting ponies herded together.

The suddenly firm sensation pressing into her back was enough to give her urgency to climb the stairs and deposit the blushing colt belly down onto his bed. She covered him with his blanket quickly out of respect for his personal beliefs before slowing down and catching her thoughts. “Okay, Snickers?” Snickers looked at her. “I have a gift for you I was going to give you shortly after the party started, but you were having so much fun playing… I guess I didn’t want to mess up the moment you were having.

“I have it in my room, and I think you’ll really like it. I’ll be right back,” Rarity trotted from the room and shortly returned with a small wrapped square box. “Would you like to open it now, or wait until the morning?”

Snickers rolled to his belly and lay prone with his head up. “Now, duh… and thanks for, you know,” he said swishing his tail under the blanket.

Rarity nodded. “You may take care of that once I’m out of the room, if you wish. Before I give you this, I should just cover the fact of self pleasure; bathroom or your own room with the door closed and, if applicable, locked. The times between when you go to sleep and you wake up are your time to take care of any physical needs, and you are to be alone during those times. I shan’t have any such foolery happening anymore under my roof by foals of your ages, am I understood?”

Snickers giggled. “Rule four, right?”

Rarity cocked her head and tried to remember. She grinned. “Indeed, rule four. So, without further ado… your gift.”

Rarity placed the box between his forelegs and let him tear into the packaging with his teeth and forehooves. He gasped and pulled out the fabric with her help and she laid it before him. Snickers sat up, the blankets and sheets showing his underbelly to Rarity before she could look away, glad to see nothing exposed that shouldn’t have been.

Snickers looked at the Crusader’s cape she’d made him and he exhaled a shuddering breath. “It’s great, mom. Thanks, I love it,” he gathered it in his forelegs and hugged it close. “It feels like I’m a little more home each time something life changing happens, which seems to happen a lot around here.”

Rarity nodded. “Oh, yes. Ponyville in nothing if not for a nexus of oddities, dangers, and world altering events as of late. Now, I’ll take this and hang it--”

“No! Can I sleep with it? Please?”

Rarity smiled and nodded. “Yes, you may. Just don’t wear it; Sweetie’s done that and it’s just terrible to the fabric and stitching.”

“Okay, will do,” Snickers said and lay back down.

Rarity covered him with his blanket and moved to the door. “Shall I close the door, or leave it open a crack?”

Snickers thought it over. “Open a crack, as long as you’re gonna be downstairs for about four mintues.”

Rarity snerked and started laughing into the back of her fetlock. “Oh, darling, I was, but I wasn’t, expecting that. I’ll be downstairs for a while, as will the others, so the room is yours. Enjoy your night, may the joys of dreamland find you, put the past behind you, and may Celestia light your morning with all her love.”

Snickers listened to her. “Thanks, I will. Sweet dreams to you, too.” Rarity turned the light off and nearly closed the door, making a bit more sound than needed as she left Snickers alone in his room. “What a fucked up day. And I swear that if I fall asleep and wake up from another vision, I’ll find Harmony and his brothers and kick their asses,” he promised quietly as he rolled to his other side, leaving the cape behind him. “Now, to figure out how to do this…”

Being a Colt

Snickers woke up the next morning with a yawn and stretch, shivering as his muscles relaxed and tensed by his exertion. Smacking his lips, he looked around his room and his bed, his mood starting bland for the day. “Waking up alone after sleeping with others is just… I feel sad,” he sighed and then noticed the cape.

His mood brightened a little and he got up from the bed and put it on, adjusting it on his back before leaping from the edge to the floor and prancing to the full body mirror in the room. He struck a pose and showed his side, pride growing in his chest and pressure growing in his bladder.

“Damn it, just when I’m lookin’ good,” he winked to his reflection and quickly made it to the bathroom. He walked in, the faint weight of humidity and clear scents of several shampoos and conditioners let him know he at least wasn’t the first one awake, however he wasn’t awoken, either.

“No line… no giggling, gossip, teasing, or talking,” he sighed as he stood over the toilet and let go, “this really is sad… I’m just being lame, right?”

Eventually, Snickers made it downstairs and looked into the kitchen. “Empty,” he mumbled and backtracked to the sewing room and heard the telltale sound of a sewing machine. “Hey, mom,” he said at the threshold, “makin’ dresses and stuff?”

Rarity nodded. “Ah, yes. As you can see, I’ve got three dresses and a suit top to make by sunset,” she stopped the machine and looked at him, tilting her muzzle down to see over her glasses, “do you need help with anything?”

Snickers shook his head. “Nah, just… lonely,” he poked at the carpet awkwardly, “I haven’t been this alone since I got to Equestria, I guess.”

“Awww, come here, darling,” Rarity opened her forelegs and gave Snickers a gentle hug. “Sweetie, I haven’t a problem with you spending time with me while I work, but do you know what time it is?” Snickers shook his head against Rarity’s chest. “Nearly nine in the morning. If you wish, you can still make it to school.”

Snickers leaned back and looked at her with a bit of hope. “That’s today? I can go?!” Rarity giggled and nodded. Snickers leapt to hug her around her neck. “Thanks, mom! I’ll get my notepad and backpack.”

Rarity cleared her throat. “Snickers,” she called and he stopped at the curtain separating the rooms, “come here for a moment,” she said with a raised eyebrow. Snickers complied and quickly cantered back, still grinning. Rarity sniffed at him; his mane, his back, she turned him and snuffled at his side. “As I thought, you didn’t shower this morning, did you?”

Snickers shook his head, clearly starting to become antsy to move and leave. “No, but I’m fine.”

“I’d say not,” she let a grin cross her lips, “since you know the rule. Nopony shall leave this house without looking fabulous,” she stood, “and your forelegs smell like a cologne called ode de penis, and we can’t have that, can we?”

Snickers stopped and blushed through his brown coat. “M-mom?!”

“Come along, darling. Once you’re clean you can go to school, the longer it takes…” she let the answer be, knowing he knew it.

Fifteen minutes later, Snickers was clean, his coat quickly brushed, his mane smoothed and held with daytime conditioner and slightly styled, his blue and white shirt was on, and he had to have Rarity help teach him how to brush and floss before she gave him a small meal bar to snack on while she packed a meal in his saddlebags.

Rarity knew everything she’d done to clean him would be ruined before he got home, but she could see the grin on his face as he ran around the show floor, making sure he had everything he’d need for school while chewing his meal bar like a wad of gum. “Snickers, darling? Are we ready to go?”

“Mgph,” he replied.

Rarity walked to his saddlebags and lifted them with her magic, adding the last items and lunch. “I told you to take bites, now you’ll be chewing for at least three more minutes,” she teased, “at least you keep your mouth closed as much as you can. Come along, bags on!”

Snickers ran to the door and let her slip them over his back and cinch the girth under him getting a quiet grunt. “Sorry, darling. If it’s not tight it’ll slip off or spin under you… that’s the start of much teasing and mockery among foals your age, so we shan’t have that, shall we?”

Snickers shook his head and then bumped the door handle with his lips and grumbled. He pointed to his mouth and the door handle with a frown. “Snickers, I hope you learn from this,” she said opening the door and watching his tail as the last thing she saw from him as he ran from his home.

Trotting at a steady pace, Snickers chewed and finally cleared his mouth after a block with a sigh. “Finally, I won’t be doing that again,” he said smiling at adults he passed.

“Hey, shouldn’t you be in school?” A mare asked from her market stall.

“On my way, I had tummy troubles, but I’m better now,” he said passing and the mare nodded understanding. She waved with a smile and the rest of the trot was completely normal, which he was glad for. No weirdness was great, and arriving in class he was welcomed with smiles and waves. A seat was saved for him where he was before and once he sat down the lesson resumed and the seat formed to him supporting the odd sitting position that they all had.

“Miss Cheerilee?” Snickers raised his foreleg abashed.

“Yes, Snickers?”

“I can read and everything, but I’ve never learned to write with my mouth,” he said and his ears flattened when fillies giggled and the colts snickered.

Miss Cheerilee smiled at Snickers, then scolded the class. “Class, be nice. Snickers, I understand, but when you took the test with me you used your hooves just fine. Can you do that in class, please?”

Snickers nodded and looked at the ponies around him with pencils in their lips while he had to take one between his hooves. The writing was vastly different, he noticed. Smooth strokes or rounded edges on the pages around him, while he wrote like an expected horse with a pencil in their hooves would write.

He looked at the notes he’d tried to take at the pace Miss Cheerilee wrote and set his pencil down. He leaned over to his right. “Scoots, can I copy your notes?” he whispered and got a nod in reply. “Thanks.”

He’d missed recess, but lunch was even better. Sitting under a tree with the CmC and Silver Spoon, they ate and talked about their day so far, each avoiding the topic of the shared vision but the looks Silver Spoon was giving Scootaloo and Apple Bloom was giving Silver Spoon was obvious by each of them.

“So,” Scootaloo said, finally broaching the topic, “I guess I was the only one to get Snickers out, huh?”

The rest of the fillies grumbled. “Yeah, we get it, Scootaloo, yer the bee’s knees. Ah don’t see the big deal, we all got out and learned a lot in the process, right?” Apple Bloom said.

Snickers nodded. “Yeah, I think I learned the most, though.” The attention was on him. “Well, first I learned there aren’t any tag-back, and the swings are safe!” Snickers reached over and tapped Scootaloo’s foreleg and ran away. The others looked at Scootaloo’s leg and realized what had just happened, scattering, except for Silver Spoon.

“Go play your game, it’s not my type of--”

“Tag, you’re it, and winner gets a hug!” Scootaloo shouted as she ran with her wings flapping.

Silver Spoon hesitated, looking at her lunchbox and then to Scootaloo before giving up and giving chase. “You’re on!”

***

The group gathered their saddlebags and helped one another put them on before leaving class. “So, I’ve got a surprise for you,” Snickers said proudly getting the fillies to stop what they were doing and look at him expectantly. “But, I’ll have to show you later at the Clubhouse… so, what’re we doing next, now that school’s out?”

Apple Bloom tapped her hoof. “Ah’m thinkin’ a snack at Sugarcube Corner.”

“I wanna pick some flowers for a lovely snack,” Sweetie suggested.

“I just wanna hang with my best friends,” Scootaloo said and hugged Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, “c’mon you two, get in here,” she said adding the others.

Silver Spoon stepped back and flipped her braid. “Well, after that messy game at lunch, I guess that’s the best hug I’ll be getting.”

“Don’t be hard on yourself…” Snickers snickered and Scootaloo rolled her eyes, “sorry. Just keep playing and you’ll get better. C’mon, let’s blow this popcicle stand,” he said and took the lead. Once out of the schoolhouse he stumbled and tripped over his saddlebags. Sitting up he laughed. “Mom was right!”

A few others around him laughed while he untangled his hind legs from the bags and got them on, making sure they were tight before he walked off this time. “Okay, so… when do we go crusading?” Snickers asked. “I’ve only gone with you a couple times, but you had to pick me up from home and that’s just not the same.”

Sweetie answered. “Oh, we have to meet at the Clubhouse and start with our pledge, then we can go over what to try. The list is getting kinda short, but with you here; we’ve got new ideas from another world!” Snickers shushed her. “Oh, sorry.”

Scootaloo switched places with Sweetie Belle. “Why can’t everypony know? It’s totally awesome that you’re… you know.”

Snickers shook his head. “Nope, not taking the risk. Last thing I want is some trouble popping up out of nowhere after I’ve had such a great day already.”

“Hold it right there!” A filly’s voice called from a sidestreet.

Snickers exhaled his troubles in a single breath. “What is it, DT?”

“Come here,” Diamond Tiara commanded. “I’m not gonna hit you, if that’s what you’re so chicken about.”

Snickers started walking to the commanding filly against the other’s wishes. They stayed close and kept the numbers advantage, even while checking the windows, walls, doors, and roofs for possible assassins or ninjas that could attack them. “What is it… ouch, I’m sorry about your muzzle,” Snickers said looking at her up close.

Diamond’s muzzle was swollen and stitched, the worst of it wasn’t even Snickers’s fault, but he still felt bad, and it showed. “You did this to me, to my beautiful muzzle,” she stepped closer to him with a frown. “I can’t tour the pagaent circuit until next year and my mom won’t let me have this healed because it’s a life lesson, she says."

Snickers’s ears lowered.

Diamond Tiara continued. “I have to stay in Ponyville until the end of this season,” she sniffled and her eyes watered. “Do you know what that means?”

Snickers shook his head weakly. “That you can’t perform, or something?”

“No, you butt,” she reached around his head and pulled him into a kiss, whimpering from the pain on her muzzle while everypony else was in shock at what they were seeing and what was happening. She let him go and stepped back, wiping her eyes. “I can actually be with my friend… if she’ll take me back.”

Silver Spoon closed her mouth and stepped from the group to Snickers’s side and then closed his mouth with her forehoof. “Why should I be friends with you again, Diamond? After what you said to me?”

Diamond stood tall and proud, but her voice belied her feelings. “I’m sorry I said what I said. I don’t think you’re just trying to,” she looked around, “do what I said.”

“No, Diamond, say it. I want everypony else to hear what you told me,” Silver challenged.

Diamond slumped and looked at the ground in the first sign of weakness any of them, except Silver Spoon, had ever see. “I… said that you wanna dam a bastard child of some worthless orphan.” Diamond raised a foreleg to protect herself from an attack that didn’t come. “I was mad and didn’t want to lose you as a friend, and not only did I lose you, but I realized that you’re all I have.

“I’m not into you, Snickers. That was a thank you kiss, nothing else, but if you still have your herd…”

“No fucking way,” Snickers stated.

Diamond flinched and took a step back. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Snickers rolled his eyes. “Not that, the herd is over and done with. Best case, you can be friends with all of us,” he said stepping closer to Silver Spoon, who smiled widely at the closeness and played with her braid with a forehoof. “Worst case, you stay a bully and alone all year until you go crazy and get a cat, maybe three,” he narrowed his eyes, “and you know what that means.”

Diamond gulped and timidly stepped closer to Snickers and Silver Spoon. She was a foreleg’s distance and raised one between the two. “I’ll do anything to not be alone, even if it means spending time with bla--”

“Shut it, Diamond Tiara,” Silver Spoon snapped. “You were one, I was one… and I remember getting my mark first and having a blank flank for a friend, and not once did I tease her,” Silver Spoon stomped the ground, “and you have to stop using hurtful words and names, or I’ll stop talking to you and I won’t be your friend anymore.”

The other fillies ran to form a line. “Yeah, us, too,” Scootaloo said. “And, I wanna ’pology for you teasing my wings, and Sweetie’s magic, and being mean to us for the last two years for no reason.”

Silver nodded. “It’s all of us, or none of us… what do you want to do?”

Snickers extended a foreleg and waited as Diamond looked at the five looking at her and raised her foreleg quickly, bumping her hoof to Snickers’s. “I’m in.”

“That’s what she said,” Snickers snickered again and moved forward hugging a nervous and confused Diamond Tiara.

“But, I did just say that,” Diamond said as she was enveloped in a massive group hug.

From a window above, a mare looked down and nodded approvingly, glad she didn’t have to break up another fight and cause more trouble for the hurt filly.

***

“Hi-ya, Snickers and friends!” Pinkie waved from the counter at Sugarcube corner. She exchanged bits for a box of treats before beckoning the group over. “Shakes, tarts, pies, cookies, muffins… cupcakes?” She dragged the last word out pointing to one on display that looked like it was the bane and boon of dentists everywhere.

The foals placed their orders and rushed to a table, jockeying for a specific seat by playfully shoving, climbing over one another, and in two cases, sitting on the lap of an unhappy friend to get the desired spot while Snickers watched from the floor before taking an end seat next to a very nervous Diamond Tiara.

“Diamond,” Snickers said resting a forehoof on the table in front of her, “I’m really sorry about how we met and everything I did to you. I know what it’s like to be hurt on my muzzle like I did to you, and even bucked in my gut like I did to Silver Spoon, only way worse. It shouldn’t have happened that way, and I hope you can forgive me,” he finished, looking into her eyes.

Diamond raised a foreleg and rested her forehoof on the table, unsure of what to do. “I dunno, Snickers. I mean, I was mean to you when I just met you and didn’t even… I mean, I should h-have b-b… been nicer to all of y-you,” she whimpered and leaned back, covering her eyes with her forelegs and looking down.

Snickers turned and hugged her first. The table was loudly moved away and in the empty space four fillies crowded around Diamond Tiara and hugged her.

“I forgive you.”
“Me, too.”
“Me, three.”
“You’re my friend again, don’t forget that.”

Diamond lowered her forelegs and with wet eyes leaking tears that matted the fur under her eyes, she sobbed and hugged Snickers back, crying over his shoulder. Scootaloo climbed up behind Snickers and side hugged Diamond and Sweetie Belle hugged Diamond from behind, surrounding the pink filly with compassion.

A light emanated from Snickers’s chest, unseen and unknown by everyone, powered by the warmth their hearts shared that spread into Diamond Tiara and calmed her aching heart. Diamond stopped crying and sniffled, nuzzling Snickers and then Scootaloo leaning beside him. “Thanks, everypony,” Diamond finally said softly and the hug ended.

The table was returned and Diamond was moved to the center seat between Silver Spoon and Snickers to her sides. Finally, their snacks and treats arrived with a small ice cream on the house for Diamond Tiara from Pinkie Pie. “Thanks, Pinkie Pie,” Diamond smiled for the first time since meeting the group earlier.

“You have a pretty smile,” Snickers said to Diamond getting a spit take as she took her first spoon of ice cream. The table laughed and he raised a forehoof across the table to Scootaloo and got a bump. “Nailed it. Seriously, though, you do have a nice smile and you should do it more.”

Pinkie ran over with a towel and wiped the mess up and gave Diamond Tiara a new ice cream with spoon the span of three seconds. “Enjoy, and that was a good one, Snickers.” Pinkie bumped his hoof and ran back to the counter to help another customer.

“R-ight, so, Pinkie just happened,” Snickers said.

Apple Bloom nibbled on a carrot muffin. “Diamond Tiara, Snickers is really nice when yer not mean ta him, he’ll say sweet stuff like that whenever, so ya kinda get used to it.”

Sweetie nodded. “Yeah, but it’s still nice to hear a colt say nice stuff about me.”

“Sweetie,” Snicker said sincerely, “your ears are cute when they’re up like that. And they’re cuter when you blush.” The teasing was intense and Sweetie had to cover her ears to hide the blush that had touched them after his comment. “Apple Bloom,” the filly sat up expectantly, “I love how your bow matches your mane so well.”

Apple Bloom unconsciously adjusted her bow and realized what she was doing in time to grab her muffin and take a quick bite before she said something she’d regret from the light teasing she was already getting.

Snickers moved on to the next, since he was already on a roll. “Silver Spoon, I love your braid. It’s so neat how you always have it done.”

Silver played with her braid. “R-really? Thanks, I do it myself, actually.”

“Scootaloo,” Snickers said looking at the filly. Scootaloo sat up and leaned against the table with her eyes wide and ears listening. “You have some icing on your nose,” he said with a cheeky grin and got a cupcake thrown at him in response. “Hm, this is yummy.”

“Hey, give that back!” Scootaloo shouted and climbed over the table as Snickers ate as much of the cupcake he could. Scootaloo was held back. “Pinkie! I need a replacement cupcake!”

Pinkie leaned over the bench seat behind Scootaloo. “Sorry, filly. No refunds or replacements on thrown goods, because then they’re bads. And we don’t serve baked bads, never again,” Pinkie winked and slunk back down, taking the order of a stallion at the counter a second later.

“I’m sure we can make a trade,” Snickers said sliding his cheesecake over to Scootaloo. Scootaloo sat and grumpily took the slice and spoon. Snickers sneezed icing across the table and Pinkie popped back up behind Scootaloo and reached over her to clean up the mess.

Pinkie was still happy, but there was an undertone of frustration hidden very well. “Try to keep it clean, kids. I’ve got a lot of work to do today, okay?”

“Yes, Miss Pinkie Pie,” they all droned and looked between one another with smirks.

Author's Notes:

Soon this book will be done and the next will start with a colt being a colt. Making new friends, starting a new journey, and finding himself in new situations nopony planned for.

New Friends

“Okay, that cake was really good,” Scootaloo said with a roll of her eyes as they left the bakery, “anyway, let’s go to the Clubhouse!”

The other CmC cheered, Silver Spoon smiled and nodded, and Diamond Tiara moved beside Silver Spoon. “Silver,” Diamond asked quietly.

“What do you want, Diamond?” Silver replied curtly, ready for something negative to be said.

“Am I really allowed to tag along… after everything I did,” she asked and looked at the ground.

Silver bumped Diamond’s neck with her head. “Cheer up, it’s not a bad place and this is your chance to be a new pony, the one you were gonna be at your cutecinera.”

Diamond nodded and stood up tall. “Yeah, new Diamond Tiara is gonna be better than what my mom says I have to be.” Diamond walked to the CmC. “Hey,” she called attention to herself. “I know I was mean before, but I’m gonna do better to be a better pony, and…” she softened her voice and looked to her grey friend behind her, “I’d like your help to be that better pony.”

Diamond was hugged again, each pony sharing their growing affection with her. “DT, you’re gonna be fine,” Snickers said backing away, “but first, we’ve gotta do some hunting for our cutie marks,” he said and joined his fillies as they led the group of five to the outskirts of the city.

“Hold it right there!” A filly shouted from a side street stopping the group.

Snickers groaned and looked up to the sky. “Now what?!” He shouted at the filly down the way and lost his frustration as the lavender filly stomped towards him and blew her blonde mane from her face.

Her look was as intense as a filly’s could be and she stopped two paces away, looking slightly up into his eyes. “I know what you are,” she said.

“Oh yeah, what’s that?” He asked just as firmly.

She looked at the fillies around him and her brow furrowed even further. “I’m not gonna say, because you’re just gonna make me into one of your thralls… but I’m gonna stop you before you take over the school, before you take over the world!” She shouted and turned tail, running back the way she’d come and turning right out of sight.

“So, I know her from class,” Snickers said as he noticed her running the other way from the corner of his eyes, “but who is she and what’s her deal?”

Silver Spoon rolled her eyes. “She’s ‘the Dink’.”

“Super spy, paranormal investigator, monster hunter, and super sleuth,” Diamond Tiara said with a smile.

“And detective!” The filly shouted back from around the corner of the nearby house before gasping and ducking back.

“I can still see your horn!” Snickers shouted at the Dink. When she moved back a little more, out of sight, he looked at Diamond. “So, her name is literally ‘The Dink’?”

“No, dummy!” Dinky shouted, her head around the corner of the house again. “I’m Dinky Doo, and don’t you forget it! Or… do forget it! I’m not enraptured by your spells, evil minion of darkness!”

Snickers gasped and raised a forehoof to his chest. “Is this because I’m brown?!” Dinky fell silent, mouthing nothing as she didn’t have anything to say at that moment. “Colorist!”

“I am not!” Dinky shrieked and ran away down the main street.

Snickers laughed and shook his head, turning back to the unhappy faces of five fillies and, looking over them a dozen or so adults with the same expression. “Okay, what’d I fuck up now?”

Apple Bloom walked up to Snickers and he leaned forward and squeezed his eyes shut, trembling for what was about to happen. “Ah’m not gonna whack yet snout this time, but next time ya cuss, be ready,” she said tapping his snout. “Now, why in tarnation did ya have ta use such a hurtful word on the Dink?”

“What?” Snickers asked seriously. “I didn’t know colorism was a real thing, I was just joking,” he sighed, “I’m gonna apologize to her the next time I see her, I promise; I really didn’t know.”

The crowd of adults started moving again while the fillies turned and started to head to the Clubhouse again. Snickers started to follow, then stopped. He looked back to where Dinky had ran and then to the fillies he was with. “Hey, I’ll catch up. I really wanna apologize to Dinky, she didn’t deserve to be called that, it was a bad joke from where I’m from and it’s just as bad here, if that’s okay with you.”

Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara nodded. “I’m coming, too. You shouldn’t go alone,” Scootaloo said. “Especially with all the trouble you make happen,” she winked as she reached him.

“You better not be going off to kiss,” Silver Spoon said flatly.

“Nope, we’re better now. Friends only, no lovey dovey kisses,” Scootaloo said. “Let’s go, she’s probably at one of her hideouts.”

“Lead the way,” Snickers said and walked beside her. “So, we’re really nothing but friends now?”

Scootaloo nodded. “Yeah, I hope. I mean, I think you still really like me, but then you kinda helped me love myself… not like that,” she giggled at his snickering, “but you know what I mean. You were right, and I’m not ready to be a mare until I’ve been a filly first.”

“Oh… so, no more kissing?” Snickers asked.

“Nope, only as friends. I know what we both know, and how much better you probably are at making a filly feel good in ways only some mares know; but I have to stay strong for both of us.”

Snickers nodded. “Yeah, you’re just the first filly I’ve really fallen in love with, and it was right after you fell out of love with me.”

Scootaloo stopped him with a foreleg and looked at him. “I never stopped loving you, but the love I had was different. I can’t explain it good, because I don’t know how, but my body wanted you so I wouldn’t be alone, I guess. Now, I love you like a best friend that I’d do anything for, but not lift my tail,” she said with a swish of said appendage.

“What if--”

“No medical cutie marks,” Scootaloo preempted his question and smirked when his ears fell. “You have to chill yourself, or that thinking will get you in trouble with somepony,” Scootaloo teased and then gestured for them to start walking.

“Fine, but you started something in me that wasn’t really there the other night, and now… I dunno what to do to make it go away.”

Scootaloo bumped her hip against his. “Duh, rub it away like every pony does. Fillies and colts are different, but Miss Cherrilee says that rubbing the urges away is the best way. That’s why there was the filly only class on ticking our tails and you colts had your class with Pinwheel.” Scootaloo looked at Snickers. “Oh, yeah… you didn’t have that class. Well, I’m not gonna talk about it with you, so you’ll have to ask a colt, or Miss Cheerilee about it.”

“Okay, fine, I’ll wait till later. Whatever, how far until we get to the Dink’s hideout?”

“Should be a minute or so, some of her hideouts aren’t very… hidden, see,” Scootaloo pointed to a tree with a box leaning against it. “It’s a hideout for one, she calls it. There’s a secret knock to get her to come out safely, I’ll do it.” They walked silently through the grass between houses to the lone tree and Scootaloo rapped on the tree.

“Who is it? This is a very important note I’m writing, it could be my last, so this better be important.” Dinky shifted the box from against the tree to expose a slot large enough for her to walk out through. “Oh, Scootaloo…” Dinky’s eyes narrowed. “Are you here with a message from your puppet master?”

“Oh, Snickers? Nah, he’s right th--”

Dinky noticed the colt and screamed, turned back to her box, and ran into it tumbling over herself before getting on her hooves and screaming as she galloped away.

“That is one crazy filly,” Snickers commented as he looked in the box. The inside was colored with crayons to look like an office room. “Wow,” he said setting the box upright and looking in, “this is actually really neat. There’s a light gem on top and, oh,” he pulled his head back and stepped away. “Her notepad is in there, too.”

“Really?” Scootaloo said hopping ahead and reaching in.

Snickers tried to stop her. “Hey, you can’t read that, it may be personal.”

“Too late, let’s see… ugh! Why you?!” Scootaloo stepped back and glared at Snickers. “Why does every single filly like you? Huh?” She pressed and looked away. “I’m not mad, or jealous… it’s just weird, okay?”

Snickers sat and looked at the box. “What was on the notepad?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll write a note saying you’re sorry and are willing to negotiate terms of a treaty, that’ll get her to calm down a little.”

Snickers snickered again. “I get why she started the whole ‘thrall’ thing, and why she ran away screaming… she wants to be chased and dominated, I bet.”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “I don’t know what that means, but I bet it’s something gross and inappropriate that only you’d get.”

Snickers shrugged, still smiling. “Me and most adults, from what I’ve learned about sex in this world.”

“Let’s keep it that way. Whatever dominated means for you should probably stay with you, especially with the Dink, okay?” Scootaloo said as she entered the box.
Snickers did his best to not look at her tail as it swayed from side to side and teased him with sights he both wanted to see and didn’t.

“Hey!” Snickers’s attention was brought to Scootaloo’s narrowed eyes looking at him over her shoulder. “Stop checking me out, it’s making you show,” she told him and then went back to the note.

Snickers looked down and crossed his forelegs over his budding problem as thoughts of babies crying and old mares smiling filled his mind and quelled his urge. “Thanks, Scootaloo. That could have been bad.”

Scootaloo backed from the box and walked past Snickers, knocking him on the head once. “Get your mind off fillies for a while and it won’t be a problem. Now, let’s get back to the others.”

Scootaloo and Snickers left the box and from a nearby bush, Dinky peeked through the leaves and watched them go, specifically him. “I’ll defeat you and break the hold you have on my mind, vile demon,” she whispered as she lifted the fake bush and slowly moved to her hideout to retrieve her notes and plans.

“Hey, Dink?” Another filly called as Dinky started rooting through her box uncovering hidden notepads and letters to various ponies of local importance.

“What, Pinch? I’m in the middle of saving Equestria, here.”

Berry Pinch stopped and leaned against the tree. “What’s on the agenda this time? Plague, vamponies, aliens?” She asked wishing she had brought her shades for effect.

“The last one… they got my fake notes and left me this ‘peace treaty’ offer,” Dinky said backing out from her box with a string in her lips. She balanced a cloth bag on her back and yanked the tiny rope collapsing the box into a space outside reality.

“Isn’t it expensive to keep destroying your hideouts?”

“We’ve been over this, Pinch; the safety of Equestria and the world has no budget… and my mom gets me the spell scrolls from somepony she used to know. It can’t be that expensive, right?”

Pinch shrugged. “Anyway, I’m here because my sister’s gonna have a sleepover and we want you to come over.”

Dinky dropped the sack and smiled. “As long as you agree to help me when the time comes to stop the alien menace. Their front line has already started affecting the fillies in class, how long until other schools in Equestria are infected and infiltrated with their tentacle eye balls of soul suckingness?!”

Pinch shrugged. “I’unno. Maybe a couple weeks… let’s go and have some fun before we take them down, ‘kay?”

“You’re the best friend I could have ever asked for,” Dinky said picking up the sack and setting it on her friend’s back. “And be careful with that, it’s got a week’s worth of field notes.”

Pinch rolled her eyes behind Dinky’s back. “Yeah, I bet the aliens are totally after it, so we’d better hurry,” she said trotting faster and eventually racing Dinky to her house.

***

“Okay, Crusaders,” Apple Bloom announced from the podium in the Clubhouse, “today we’ve got two guest members and one official member. Our plans are set up, but new ideas are always welcome. The floor, is… open,” she said tapping her hoof on the lectern and stepping down.

“Why don’t you just do something you’re really good at, like planning?” Silver Spoon suggested.

Scootaloo sighed. “Nah, we tried that. We can’t go near the foreman’s tent or his blueprints ever again.”

“Ah didn’t think changin’ a dot or two would make any difference,” Apple Bloom added.

“Girls,” Sweetie said, “the building fell over after it was done! Dots are really important, I told you that.”

“What about mimes?” Diamond suggested with a smirk that they all caught on.

“Nope, that time there was a swarm of bees that stopped on their travels on near the fountain and we couldn’t stop ponies from gettin’ too close before they got stung.”

“How about beekeepers?”

“That’s how we learned that bees migrate and rest in places.”

“Dentists?”

The three filly members of the Crusaders winced. “Ah have appointments every three months through next year on account’a that one.”

“Us, too,” Sweetie added.

Snickers looked out the window and then gasped. “Oh, yeah! Here,” he ran to his saddlebag and pulled out his cape, putting it on dramatically. “What’d’ya think?” He asked taking the same pose from the morning.

“Wow, it’s great! It’s just like ours, only newer!” Scootaloo cheered and ran to his side with the others to check his cape over.

“It’s stitched so nicely, it has to be a Rarity original,” Diamond stated.

“Oh, and the hem is so even… more proof Rarity did this,” Silver complimented.

Snickers grinned at the praise. “Yeah, I know, Mom’s great at sewing… but I make this look good, right?”

“Yeah, kinda,” Silver Spoon said looking at the collar buckle. “Wow, is this real gold? Fancy.”

“Hey, gals,” Scootaloo said, “let’s focus on what matters here. And that’s getting our marks and finding our place in the world. Snickers, you’re up. What’ve you got in that big head of yours to get us our marks?”

Snickers paced for a few seconds, thinking intently. “How about babysitting?”

Sweetie looked at their ideas wall and the marked off plans. “You mean foal-sitting, and… well, we haven’t really tried that one, yet. I guess we can schedule it, right?”

“Ya bet, Ah’ll ask a couple ponies ta see if they’ll let us watch their young’ns.”

Silver Spoon sat up. “Um, I have a better and safer idea. The town hall as a care center where adults drop their yearlings off every Friday, you can do that there and be supervised by adults while you do it.”

Snickers pointed at Silver Spoon. “Fact! Do that, don’t let foals watch over infants. I don’t know what pony foals are like, but I imagine they’re just as bad as human kids.”

Diamond snapped her head to face him. “What? You read those colt comics? I thought you were cooler than that.”

Silver placed a forehoof on her friend’s back. “I think there’s something you should know, but you have to Pinkie Promise not to tell anypony, or anyone, ever.”

Diamond Tiara looked between the fillies and their nodding. “Okay, whatever,” she went through the motions, “there, now tell me what the big secret is.”

Snickers opened his mouth to tell, then stopped and held a forehoof out. “Wait, I know what’s gonna happen next,” he walked to the door and opened it, stepped out onto the balcony, and made a full circuit.

“Hey, Dink? What’re you doing here?” Sweetie Belle shouted happily.

“You won’t take me alive!” Dinky shouted as she leapt from the center of the ramp to the ground and galloped into the orchard. “The truth will come out,” she shouted before she darted behind a large tree and clearly hid. Snickers watched for a few seconds and when the lavender filly peeked out their eyes met and she clearly shrieked, galloping away even further.

“I thought she was gone earlier, why would she…?” Snickers noticed a purple filly under the Clubhouse leaning on the tree, wearing sunglasses and chewing gum. “And you are?”

“Nopony ya need ta know, less ya wanna some troubles, ya heah?”

Scootaloo descended and looked at the filly. “Oh, hey, Scootaloo. How’s it goin’?”

“It’s good, Pinch. Ya on another mission with the Dink?” Scootaloo answered casually as she moved on and reached the ground. Scootaloo and Pinch bumped hooves.

“Yeah, another week, another invasion. At least it’s fun, right?” Pinch giggled and lifted her shades to get a good look at Snickers. “You’re the new guy in class, that’s why she’s on your case. There’ll be a new crisis in a few days, just don’t act too weird and she’ll move on to the next big thing.”

Snickers looked down at them. “So, she’s a conspiracy nut?”

Pinch grinned. “And she’s great at it! If she doesn’t get a mark related to investigating stuff, I’ll be amazed.”

“Pinch, don’t let him get to you! Keep your glasses on so he can’t suck your eyeballs out!”

Pinch lowered her sunglasses and blew a large bubble. “Nyea, I’m in character, so ya didn’t see nutin’, punks, righ?” She walked away from the treehouse until Dinky said something that got Pinch galloping. “We can’t be late, it’s lasagna night!”

Snickers looked at Scootaloo and then up to the fillies on the balcony. “This is one weird town.”

Scootaloo draped a leg over his back. “And you live here now, too. It’s gonna be a fun year, I can feel it.”

Author's Notes:

Bringing in a couple new friends... soon, he's gonna get a bro to hang with, though. Finally, right?

Group Night

“Oh, Snickers, you’re looking far better than I’d expected,” Rarity greeted Snickers before sunset when he got home with Sweetie Belle, “no offense, mind you, but I honestly believed you would be covered with something when you came home, as is the usual, right, Sweetie Belle?” Rarity asked teasingly.

Sweetie walked with Snickers toward the stairs. “Yeah, yeah… I’m clean this time, so there.”

“And just where are you both going?” Rarity asked.

“Quick shower before group tonight, Sweetie’s gotta do homework and when I get back we should have time for supper, then a bit of family time before bed, right?” Snickers said.

Rarity was taken slightly back. “Well, that sure is the well formed schedule you have, isn’t it? Have you been working with Twilight today?”

“Nope, I just like to have things organized. Now that I’m feeling more normal, I think I can have a routine again. One fit for my youth would be best… by the way, I wanna see Twilight tomorrow, I have some math to go over with her.”

Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Oh… very well, then. Group is in over an hour, though. Will you be in there the whole time, or will you be having some fun afterwards?”

Snickers looked back at Rarity. “Mother, she’s my aunt, I won’t be doing anything like that, if I can help it.”

Rarity's eyes widened. “I meant no such… oh, you! Just, make sure to wash your ears and clean out that dirty mind of yours,” she waved Snickers on.

The shower was actually quick and mundane, for what Snickers had become accustomed to. They helped wash one another, Sweetie tried her horn at magic and terrified Snickers, thinking the sparkles would electrocute them both, and at the end they sat under the water and just enjoyed the feeling of hot water running over them for several minutes.

“So, I found out that there are gems to heat the water, right?” Snickers asked as he helped towel off Sweetie Belle.

“Yeah, Rarity makes her own since they’re expensive. Did you know she bought the old town hall to turn into the boutique?” Sweetie’s voice cracked in her excitement.

“Yeah, she told me. Said it was expensive, too. How’d she afford it all, she couldn’t have been rich before, was she?”

“No,” Sweetie shivered and giggled. “Tickle spot, no touch! Anyway, her talent is finding gems; so she found a bunch of rare ones and spent a year traveling and selling them. That was when she learned to talk ‘ahll fauncy, dahling’,” Sweetie mocked her sister and they both giggled. “Before that, Rarity talked normal, like the rest of her family. She actually sounds more like mom than dad.”

“Yeah, she showed me once! It’s kinda hard for her to do it, since she’s used that fancy accent for so long, but whatever makes her happy, right?”

“Sure, I guess. Don’t forget under my tail, if you don’t get my dock it’ll get itchy,” Sweetie advised. Snickers slowed the rubbing of Sweetie’s legs. “I trust you, Snickers,” Sweetie said from under a towel poorly wrapped over her mane, “and I really can’t get it and if it doesn’t get got, then I’ll have to scoot on a towel like a dog and that’s just humiliating.”

Snickers shrugged. “Okay… I’m just not super comfortable doing it because of how close it all is.”

Sweetie laughed. “Where else would you expect it all to be?”

“You gotta point,” Snickers admitted and rubbed from her hind hoof up her leg, around her haunches and over her tail. Sliding the towel under her tail something happened he’d never actually seen and he stopped. “Hey, Sweetie?”

Her voice was quiet and very high pitched. “Yes?”

“Your… thingie just did something weird…” he said resuming his toweling of her and making sure to cover her vulva with the towel so he couldn’t see it happen again.

Sweetie just squeaked something and Snickers shrugged it all off. Fillies and mares are so weird sometimes.

Once he was done, Sweetie covered her head with the towel she had for her mane and only left a little tunnel for her to see through while drying him. When he’d look back she’d move quickly and move his head forward again. “No looking right now, my… mane’s too messy, can’t show it.”

“Sweetie Belle, I’ve seen your mane a dozen different ways, what’s going on?” Snickers finally asked and turned quickly, moving his foreleg to deflect her attempt to push him while tossing the towel off her head with the other. “Woah, you’re really super blushing… what’s going on?”

Sweetie did a fantastic Fluttershy impersonation by whispering and hiding behind her mane, for what little it did.

“Look, if this is about what your thingie did, I’m not bothered or weirded out, okay? I think it was kinda nice to see, to be honest. It shows you really trust me, right?”

Sweetie turned a darker shade of pink and took a shaky breath. “I… I gotta go, I’m sorry I can’t finish drying you right now, I have… I have to go,” she squeaked and ran from the bathroom.

“Wait… my tail’s still wet,” he grumbled and got up. “Dumb fillies and their… private parts doing their weird things. I swear that if I get an itchy tail I’m gonna make her eat a worm.” Quickly drying his tail to the best of his ability, he finally had to stop and admit defeat. “I can’t dry my dang dock.

“Whatever Sweetie’s got going on, she can take a second to help me with this,” he said tossing a towel over his back and leaving the bathroom; reaching her room quickly. He used his forehoof to open the door with a light shove and took a step in. “Sweetie, I really need you to help--”

He silently looked at her looking at him over her shoulder; her chest on a pillow with one foreleg under her body and the other around her thigh with her tail high and her body parallel to him, exposing herself to him fully and leaving no place in his imagination for denying what she was doing.

“OhmygoshImsosorry,” Snickers rambled backing out of the room, dropping the towel, and running to his own room, slamming the door, and pressing his back to it. His heart raced and he couldn’t think a steady thought. The image of Sweetie’s filly bits were burnt into his mind’s eye, the knowledge of what he’d walked in on, the burning in his cheeks.

A rare thing happened at that moment; he had no idea what to do. Ideas of what to say, how to apologize, what would happen from that moment forward. Would he be in trouble, would he be arrested or sent back to a hospital to be examined? Maybe he’d have to run from an angry mob that was led by the Dink.

Banners announcing him as an alien, Celestia burning him alive for what he’d seen?! Snickers curled up on the floor and pet his tail as he breathed heavily. Then there was a soft knock on the door. Snickers froze and curled tighter, hoping it would all go away and he couldn’t have messed everything up again.

“Snickers, can we talk?” Sweetie said softly through the door. “Rarity’s here, too. She heard you shouting and your door slam, we’re just worried about you… and what you saw.”

“Yes, darling, we’re only concerned and not at all upset. You’re in no trouble, we’d just like to explain what happened and discuss it.”

Snickers relaxed a little at Rarity’s words. “Y-your’re…” he managed with a squeak, realizing he was trembling.

“No, we’re not going to be mad, may we come in?” Rarity asked again, just as softly.

“Y-yes.”

The door handle glowed with a blue aura and it started to open, stopped by his body. Sweetie peeked in and then leaned back, whispering to Rarity. The area around Snickers glowed and moved with the door, lifting him slightly off the carpet so they could both enter his room.

“Oh, you look so sad, Snickers,” Sweetie pouted and walked over to nuzzle and hug him. Sweetie was pulled back when Rarity noticed his eyes had rolled back and his eyelids fluttered closed, a smile touched his lips.

“No, no, Sweetie. Not the best time to touch a male after where your hooves have been…” Rarity said setting Sweetie beside her. Sweetie blushed again and turned so her head was hiding behind Rarity’s foreleg. “Snickers, I understand that you saw Sweetie touching herself, am I correct?”

Snickers blinked his eyes open, his smile was wider. “Yeah…” Then his smile fell and he lay back down ashamed.

“Well, I just want you to know it’s a completely natural thing for everypony to do, and even though you saw what you did, you shouldn’t be ashamed, either of you.”

Sweetie squeaked. “But… he saw my everything… I’m not mad, but…”

Snickers leaned up. “I’m so sorry, I should have knocked, or just dried my own dumb tail, but it’s all my fault, and if you hate me then I understand,” Snickers said curling back up again.

“No, I’m not upset!” Sweetie said moving and laying beside him. Rarity was ready to pull her sister away again, but Sweetie shook her head slightly at her. “Snickers, I trust you. And I know you wouldn’t do anything to me, and you’d do anything for me, right?”

Snickers nodded and lifted his head; Sweetie continued. “Then don’t be mad at yourself, I should have locked the door. I should have taken a better position than just jumping on the bed and starting,” Rarity bit her lip to restrain a snicker at the image of what Snickers must have walked in to see. “I should have just told you what was happening when it happened in the bathroom, but I just ran away and made it worse by not telling you.

“It’s not all your fault, okay?” Sweetie said reaching to his head and pulling him gently. He sat up and and inhaled the scent she still had, then exhaled.

“Sweetie Belle,” he said, “I trust you, too. And I won’t take what you’ve said for granted, okay? Just… lock your door next time, okay?” He and Sweetie snickered and then leaned forward, resting their foreheads together.

“Aww, that’s just darling to see… now, I’d love to give you more time to bond in such an adorable way, but there’s still a lot to do. Sweetie, go finish and lock your door; I know there’s nothing worse than stopping early. Snickers, let me dry your tail, then you can get dressed and… Sweetie, go on, now. I’ll keep Snickers company so you won’t be bothered… away with you, now.”

Sweetie stepped back from Snickers and hesitated before running from the room and down the hall. Her door closed and clicked locked in the silence she’d left in her wake. “Well,” Rarity said, “that’s that, then. You don’t need a few minutes, do you?”

“No, mom… I’m fine for now,” he said bashfully and stood up with her prodding.

“Good, a few seconds of scrubbing your forelegs may be unpleasant, but poor Sweetie Belle will have to practically wash her hooves for a minute to get the lingering aroma from her… activities off of her, lest the colts flock to her without even knowing why.”

Snickers stood still as Rarity ruffled his tail and used magic to help dry it before she brought over the grooming supplies she had purchased for him and used them fully.

“Rarity… I’m all done and,” Sweetie looked in the doorway and averted her gaze from Snickers, “I’m all washed up, again… I brushed my mane and coat, so I’m just gonna--”

“I think not, darling sister,” Rarity said in a sing song voice pulling her sister to stand facing Snickers as she started to brush her sister for a couple strokes. “Oh… shoot,” Rarity ground her teeth when she realized her mistake.

“You’re getting Snickers’s coat hairs--”

“I know what I did,” Rarity snapped and regretted it. “I’m… sorry, both of you,” she said, “I shouldn’t have made such a simple mistake, nor should I have shouted at you, Sweetie Belle. Would you mind gathering your grooming kit while I finish your nephew’s?”

Sweetie moved to the door quickly and quietly. “Mom, are you okay?”

Rarity nodded and resumed brushing Snickers’s coat. “Yes, I just get irritable when under stress and am finding new ways to handle it.”

Snickers shrugged. “Why not go do what Sweetie just did? I mean, it’s kinda your thing for stress, right?”

Rarity frowned for a second. “No, my friends have been very helpful with me in offering different ways and not to rely on purely physical means of pleasure to mask what may truly be bothering me.”

“Okay… so, what can you do, then? Work more?”

Rarity snorted a laugh. “Oh, heavens, no. That’s one of the key triggers that led to my obsessive habit; if anything, I need to work less and on a schedule as opposed to round the clock to appease my clientele. One of the better ideas is to read works of fiction -turn around, darling- that aren’t related to romance or the like.

“I am a fan of Shadow Spade, and I’m not nearly through the latest duo of books that have been released, so I may do that while you’re at your group meeting with Lyra and the others.”

“So, what’s Shadow Spade about?” Snickers asked.

Sweetie returned to his room with a small basket containing brushes and sprays that Rarity dipped into and started using on Sweetie, who stood still and seemed to just enjoy the sensation.

“Well, Shadow Spade is a detective mare in a noir world setting. She solves crimes based on clues set across the city she’s working in, often hired by a pony desperate to find out why a crime has been committed that the local constabulary and courts may have passed over. A clue as simple as a feather colored grey can lead to a warehouse full of counterfeit jewelry, a wad of gum in a wrapper can lead to a murderer. It’s quite thrilling, to be honest.”

Snickers was smiling. “Well, why not bring a book to read? I’ll be in there for a while, Sweetie’s going to hang out here, what else is there to do?”

“Well… perhaps I could sit outside and bring the book I was reading before you entered my life,” Rarity smiled slyly, “and changed everything in ways I didn’t even think needed changing. Or, I could sit off to the side and listen to everypony talk for an hour about whatever may be bothering them and gather quite juicy gossip that I could never tell, driving me insane?”

Rarity tapped her hoof to her chin in thought. “Oh, choose insane!” Sweetie shouted hopping. “You could be your own stand in for your dresses and yell at yourself when you get poked with a pin.” Sweetie giggled.

Rarity’s horn glowed brighter for a second. “Idea! I think I’ll bring the book and Sweetie Belle,” Rarity offered. Once Sweetie’s fake howling cry of ‘no’ wound down, Rarity offered a final option. “Or, I can bring the book, sit outside, and Sweetie can stay here while Spike watches over her.”

“Wait, Spike’s gonna watch over me?” Sweetie asked in surprise. “He’s barely older than I am!”

“Yes, that is true,” Rarity reasoned, “but he has instant access to Princess Celestia if anything happens, and I’d trust that mare over any other pony to help my darling little sister.”

Snickers and Sweetie looked at Rarity sardonically. “Seriously.” Snickers said more than asked.

Rarity giggled and shook her head. “Oh, heavens no! Can you imagine bothering the ruler of an entire nation over a foalsitting problem? It would be beyond disgraceful, it would possible be borderline treasonous! No, Fluttershy will be watching over you and Scootaloo for the evening, but once we return, Scootaloo will be returning home to her aunt and her lovely wife.”

“So, how’s that work?” Snickers asked. “Two mares only, I mean. I mean, I get it, but it’s totally okay? I’m just trying to understand some more society and world differences.”

“Ah, yes, the monogamy thing. Well, they’re married and are deeply in love, as is obvious… hm, how to say it,” Rarity thought as she changed brushes and started on both foals’ tails, “ah, yes. While they are exclusive with one another, they are open to the option of polyamory and possibly carrying the foal of a stallion they care dearly for. They, like many monogamous couples, are open to temporary additions to their lives, with few actually becoming permanent members and creating a herd, however, often times two ponies just want one another.

“The same applies for stallions, as there are the same type of couples… oh, my,” Rarity face hoofed, “I must apologize to Noteworthy after what I said while you and I were swapping personalities, Snickers. I said some things that were quite unsavory, and in public, no less.”

“I’m sure it’ll be okay, mom. Just tell him your foul mouthed perverted son infected your brain and made you my puppet and I forced you to say uncouth things all around town,” Snickers sat back and waved his forelegs. “OooOOoo, spooky alien magic powers!”

Sweetie stood tall and looked straight ahead. “Yes, master. I shall do as you command,” she said flatly, “your will shall be done. I will find a puddle of mud and roll in it.”

“Mwahaha, go, minion, and when you return, dance the dance of a dozen bees across the showroom to spread the power of mother earth,” Snickers commanded dramatically.

“I shall do your bidding,” Sweetie droned and turned to the door.

“I think not, Sweetie Belle! I think I shall have to save you from this plot, have at thee, vile mental master,” Rarity stood up and took a brush in her magic like a sword.

Snickers took a brush in his mouth and they squared off. “Hyah, het, huf-fa!”

“Parry, thrust, twist, and strike, parry again, a-ha!”

“Must… find… mud.”

“You won’t beat me, defender of the Belle, for I have powers you cannot comprehend! Watch as I command my puppet to attack you!”

“I will attack Rarity,” Sweetie droned and bumped her head into her sister.

“Ouch, oh no, the pain is unrelenting! However can I survive this two pronged attack from such a powerful master of mind control? I must fight on, I must save Belle, if it’s the last thing I do. Hi-yah!”

Brushes clacked, bodies were struck, Sweetie bumped her sister every so often… a battle for the ages was had. “Ach, I apologize, Belle, I have failed to save you from his wicked plans! He is too powerful and shall soon have the world in his grasp,” Rarity stood still for a moment. “Master, what shall I do to appease you? As long as it doesn’t get me dirty or mess up my mane, not to mention--”

“Hey, thrall, I’m giving the orders here,” Snickers commanded. Rarity and Sweetie Belle snickered quietly.

“So sorry, master. How shall I be of assistance?”

“Hm,” Snickers thought for a couple seconds, “cookies sound like a good start.”

Rarity bowed deeply and stood up. “As you command, oh mighty powerful overlord from beyond the stars!” Rarity finished with a flourish of her foreleg at the ceiling.

“Yeah, yeah, make with the crispy nummies,” Sweetie said, bumping Rarity again.

“Oh, very well. And please, watch your horn. You may have given me a bruise during our little game just now.”

Sweetie followed Rarity first out of Snickers’s room. “Oh, sorry, Rarity. It wasn’t on purpose, but you should blame Snickers, he was the one who made me with his alien mind control powers!”

Outside the window, a forgotten ladder shook as the last user leapt from the bottom rungs and ran into the night.

***

After arriving at town hall, Rarity led Snickers to a conference room that was set up with couches, cushions, chairs, and a pile of pillows to choose from. Rarity waited with Snickers as seven quadrupedal creatures of varying sizes arrived wearing various colored cloaks that hid their faces and bodies in magical shadows arrived and were greeted by Lyra.

“You have fun, and if you need me, I’ll be just down the hallway here,” Rarity said taking her novel from her saddlebag and moving to a sofa, waving to Snickers before Lyra closed to room door.

“Welcome to the group, every creature,” Lyra said standing with her tail to the door and facing the creatures, “we have a new member tonight. Say hi to 16. Ah, I didn’t tell you, but we use numbers here, unless you want to give your name. It’s totally up to you and whatever you say in the group, stays in the group, right, every creature?”

“Yes, Lyra,” the room droned like a kindergarten class greeting a teacher.

“Now, would you like to say anything about yourself before we begin?” Lyra asked.

Snickers stood up. “Yeah, I’m Snickers, I’m an earth pony, I’m way older than I look so you don’t have to censor yourselves around me, I’ve heard and probably done it all… and I’m just here to see what happens and what this is about.” Snickers sat down and sighed.

The group applauded his greeting to make him feel welcome.

“That’s very nice to hear, Snickers. Now, as you all should know, this is a group about loving yourself as yourself, no matter who you are or what others may think of you. I, for example, had a great career as an archaeologist, then I found something that changed my view of the world… I can’t legally say what happened, but now I can speak and understand every language and have a voice that tells me when a pony is lying to me,” she smirked.

“Don’t worry, it doesn’t matter here because as long as we’re honest with ourselves, it doesn’t matter what you say, because you can tell me anything you want. As long as you can go out of those doors tonight and be honest with the creature that you are, that’s all that matters. So, I won’t make this about me, who’d like to start?”

One of the creatures wearing a cloak shifted and raised a foreleg. “I would like to say something.” The voice was garbled and tingled Snickers’s ears like the tone was fluctuating wrongly.

“Ah, yes. And, just so you know, you don’t have to stay shadowed if you don’t want to. This is a safe place; there are enchantments all over the room to keep it soundproof and to keep scrying spells outside these walls. Only opening the door breaks the spells, and I’ve locked them from inside.”

The creature hesitated and then shook its head. “I’d like to stay hidden, if that’s okay with you,” the voice said.

“It’s fine, proceed,” Lyra said sitting down.

“W-well… I don’t feel like I belong where I am. I don’t feel like my tribe accepts me for who I am, and I want to be myself, but I’m terrified that if anypony knew, they’d be ashamed to know me, and I might lose what friends I’ve earned over the years.”

Lyra nodded. “I understand your feelings and appreciate you for stating them. Every creature, there’s no reason to be ashamed of your tribe or race. I know one of you isn’t a pony, for certain, and I love you just the same as you are now physically as you truly are in your heart,” she placed a forehoof to her chest and smiled at the shadowed ponies, and Snickers.

“Would you like to continue?”

“Y-yes. I… wish I could be a different tribe, maybe all the tribes sometimes. Not an alicorn, but the power to shift between the three tribes would be amazing. The freedom to fly with wind between my pinions, the feeling of magic as it courses through my body, being one with the earth and helping all the little animals that can’t help themselves.

“I want to be somepony I just can’t be, and it really saddens me.”

“Well,” Lyra asked, “who do you want to be? If you had to be someone, who would you be? Not a name, not a body, but who would you be, if you were able to be complete in a way you don’t feel you are now?”

The creature sat still and seconds passed. “I… would want to be confident, powerful, proud, able to take charge of the moment and not be who I really am under this cloak.”

Lyra nodded and smiled. “Regardless of who you are, who we are,” she gestured to the group, “we have to love ourselves enough to trust ourselves. If you want to be a powerful creature that takes charge of the situation, then work your way up to be that creature. Don’t just jump into being a take charge personality if you’re not, because it won’t go over well.

“What you’ll want to do is work a little more assertiveness over time into the way you do things. That doesn’t mean you have to be a doormat, but you shouldn’t be that minotaur, Iron Will, either. The ‘in your face’ attitude isn’t what any creature likes, but there’s a balance we all have to learn, and it’s going to be different for each of us and in different situations.

“What else would you like to say?” Lyra asked.

The creature shook its head under the cloak. “No, I’m good. I think I can work with that, but may I ask something later if I have a question?”

“Of course! But,” Lyra said magicking over a plush pony dolly, “this is Knock. If there’s anypony that wants to talk over another pony, I’ll have to have Knock take control and whoever is holding her will have the turn to speak. She’s enchanted to do that, but I won’t need her unless we get rowdy, right?” Lyra asked and most of the group chuckled weakly.

“Okay, who would like to speak next?” Wings clearly moved under one of the cloaks as a foreleg rose. “Yes, you,” Lyra had the doll point to the creature.

“Yeah, I’m a total wuss and I suck and hate myself because I can’t do anything right.”

Snickers was taken back by the factual statement it had made.

“Woah, woah, now. That’s not any way to think of yourself,” Lyra tossed the doll to the creature, who caught it and hugged it immediately. “You’re not worth hate, you’re not a wuss, and you’re a great creature. Why do you feel such hurtful things about yourself?”

The voice scoffed. “I… I’m scared, okay? I’m always afraid, I always hide it. I can’t stop shaking, so I hide. I tell other ponies I’m resting or napping, but I’m really just holding on to the cloud I’m on or the branch of the tree I’m hiding in for all I have.”

“Oh… are you, afraid of heights?” Lyra asked.

“Psh, no way! Flying’s the best thing ever! But, I always worry that I might let somepony down. I might not make it, somehow. What if I lose my cool in public, what if I screw up at the last second and get really hurt again. What if… I crash my last crash and break my wings, or hit another pony and hurt them because I’m being reckless…

“I have a genius level IQ, I can do math that confounds my peers and bosses, I can plan weather for the entire country for six months in a week; something that takes five weather teams in Cloudsdale to do in two months. But, what if I do what I do out there,” a foreleg pointed to the door, “and I goof it up? What if I say I’m the shit, but I just stink?”

“Language, please. We have a colt in group,” Lyra gently scolded.

Snickers shook his head. “Don’t worry about it, I’ve got a swear jar at home that’s already half full, and it’s been a week since I got here,” the group laughed, even Lyra smiled, “so just treat me like an adult, because I can take a few words, no prob.”

Lyra shook her head. “Be that as it may, we may someday have a more sensitive creature, if we don’t right now, that doesn’t appreciate that kind of language. Please, let’s all keep the wording clean, okay?” There were a round of nods and agreements. “As you were saying?”

“Well, I guess what I’m getting at is that I’m just always afraid of what everypony will think of me for not being what I’ve made myself look like, if that makes sense.”

Lyra nodded. “Yes, it actually does. You’ve put on a mask, a mask over your real Self to hide who you are, and while the mask is on; you can be anything and everything all the time to everypony and creature, but every mask comes loose, some crack and can’t be fixed very easily.

“The real you wants so badly to be seen and accepted, but, what if the pony under the mask isn’t who every creature is expecting to see, right?” The creature nodded. “Well, we all have a mask we wear. There are several, actually. We have one at home when we’re alone. One with friends, one with coworkers, one at work, and so on.

“But under all those masks is the creature we’re all hiding, the truest version of ourselves that we don’t want to show the world. Often times, we wear so many masks that we may even bury and forget the pony… er, creature we truly are, and that can lead to anxiety, like what it sound like you have.”

“But, I’m not anxious about anything! I say I’ll do it, and I do it.”

“Yes, but what if you don’t do it perfectly, like the mask you’re wearing when you say those words leads others to believe you can. What if the mask you messes up and, through the eyes of the mask, you’re laughed at? Others don’t know they’re laughing at the true you, only the mask you’re wearing.

“Your eyes see the truth, and it hurts very badly when they laugh at you, through the layers you’ve put on, right into your very being… are, oh, do you need some tissues?” Lyra asked as the creature started shivering and the sound it made was a warbled sob. The creature nodded and when the tissues were given the creature took them and used one right away.

“S-sorry… I’m not sappy, I can’t be. I have to be st-str--” the creature collapsed and covered its head, crying. Two of the other cloaked ones beside it started to give hugs, then backed off when a blue foreleg moved from under the cloak and cast it off to her side. “Here, see me?! See the most awesome mare in Equestria? Crying? Weak? Ready to fall, but there’s nopony to pick me up,” she covered her face with her cloak.

“Rainbow Dash, thank you for trusting us with yourself,” Lyra said as she quickly trotted to the mare and hugged her. She stumbled back a step when Rainbow pressed herself into the hug and cried openly, something that Snickers found very uncomfortable, if he was honest with himself.

Minutes passed and Rainbow cried, talked about her feelings, and finally apologized to the group, hugging her cloak after trading it for Knock, the doll.

“That was a great moment for Rainbow, every creature. She let go of a lot of her stresses tonight and, Rainbow, if you have time, I’d like to see you after group so I can offer you some private advice.”

Rainbow nodded. “Yeah, that’s alright. And, thank you for being so helpful, Lyra. I haven’t said that stuff for years and it’s kinda good to get out, finally.”

“That’s the goal of the group,” Lyra said and others agreed. “Okay, who’d like to go next?”

A body shuffled and a foreleg rose. “I am not new to these lands, I have traveled across the sands. The roads I have traveled have been rough, many times I have not been strong enough. I arrived in town many moons ago, winds did blow and time still flowed. I was not accepted in the home I made, through many trials I have had to wade.

My worry is that nopony will accept me for me, no matter what they say they now see. That this feeling with follow me wherever I go, making me with to someday return to my birth home.”

“Ah, yes,” Lyra crossed her forelegs and nodded, “you feel unwelcome, even though you’ve been welcomed. I can understand that feeling, too well. I once went on an expedition to the Undiscovered West and came across a tribal village of sapient monkeys that lived in a canopy city.

“They were wary of me, having had bad experiences with unicorns in their history. I spent three days there before I passed on going further into the wilderness, until I lost my supplies and had to backtrack. When I returned the monkeys smiled at me, talked with me, traded what they could, but the whole time I felt like they wanted me to leave.

“It was completely different from what I’d experienced on my first pass and after staying only one night, I left and never went back. I feel like you’re stronger than I could have been then, and now. I don’t want to go back to that place, and if I had to follow the path I took, I’d go around that village just to not feel that way again.

“The fact that you’re able, and strong enough, to go back to whatever places you’ve been with how poorly you’ve been treated is just amazing to me,” Lyra nodded to the speaker. “You have traveled so far, done so much, and have so much left to do; if any creature ever gives you a hassle, send them to me and I’ll set them straight,” she said sternly.

“No creature is going to pass judgement without good reason, if I can help it,” Lyra looked askance as Snickers for a split second reminding him of their meeting. “So, is there anything else you’d like to say or add?”

“Nay, I have nothing else to say. My troubles have, indeed, gone further away.”

Lyra looked at the clock and sighed. “Okay, one more, then we have to end the meeting tonight, until next week, that is. So, any creature?” Lyra asked and waited, only Rainbow blowing her nose broke the silence. “Well, how about you, Snickers? Is there anything you’d like to say about how you feel?”

Snickers shook his head. “Not this time, I’m sorry, but it’s just a lot to take in and a lot to think about. Maybe next week.”

“It’s fine, there’s no rush or pressure. If no creature has anything else to share… no? Okay, then. Dismissed, and thank you for coming, all of you,” Lyra said and waited for Rainbow to don her cloak and vanish in the shadows it provided. Lyra said goodbye to each as they passed and whispered something to each as well.

“Snickers,” Rarity said getting up from the sofa.

“Well, it looks like Rarity’s here, so you’re free to go. I hope to see you next week, right?”

Snickers nodded. “Yeah, I don’t see why not; it wasn’t that bad, actually.”

Lyra laughed and patted his head. “You’re winning me over, here. Go on, I’m sure it’s almost bedtime.”

“Indeed it almost is,” Rarity said nodding to Lyra, “and we should be going. Oh,” she looked at the cloaked figure waiting inside the room, “why that outfit is quite fetching, for a simple cloak it holds that enchantment quite well. Perhaps I should look into that as a fashion line…”

Snickers bumped Rarity with his head. “C’mon, mom. We’ve got things to do at the place with the stuff.”

“Okay, okay, no need to shove,” Rarity grumbled. “Thank you again, Lyra, I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.”

Lyra waved and returned to the cloaked Rainbow Dash.

“So,” Rarity asked once she and Snickers had left the building, “how was it?”

“It wasn’t too bad; there was a lot of crying and talking about emotions,” Snickers held back on using Rainbow’s name, just barely, “by a couple mares. There was one that rhymed, their voices were all scrambled, but I liked the rhyming one; it was different.”

Rarity knew who that was, but wasn’t going to comment on who it was. “Really? Would you like to go again? Next week?”

Snickers nodded. “Sure, I mean, I can afford an hour a week, right?”

“I certainly hope so, otherwise you’re using your time poorly, and after you scheduled so well earlier tonight.”

“Well,” Snickers flipped his silver mane, “then I shan’t disappoint, shan’t I, darling?”

They shared a short laugh. “Indeed, and perhaps I’ll have to give you lessons on how a proper gentlecolt speaks.”

“Perhaps you should, I could use some more etiquette,” Snickers replied. “But, let’s get home, if that’s cool. I’m hungry for fish and… what kinda potatoes?”

Rarity grinned. “Chateau style, darling. I can’t wait to see what you think.”

Author's Notes:

Oh, see that, I can make an awkward moment kinda nice! And from now on, Sweetie will lock the doors before that happens!

Also, I love dialogue and really wish I used it more. Let me know what you thought.

Conspiracy

“Rarity, you’re back!” Sweetie Belle called when the sound of a door closing filled the boutique. Sweetie ran around the corner from the lounge and gave her sister a hug, then gave Snickers one. “And you, too.”

“Why, Sweetie Belle; whatever got you into such a positive mood? We’ve been gone a tad over an hour now,” Rarity asked.

Snickers watched as Rarity slipped horseshoes off her hooves with interest while Sweetie answered. “Well, Fluttershy’s just so much fun, how couldn’t I be?”

Snickers’s attention was suddenly on Sweetie, then on the yellow mare that walked into the room. In every way, it was Fluttershy, but he felt something was… off. “Hey, Fluttershy. Thanks for watching over Sweetie Belle while I went to group.”

Fluttershy giggled quietly. “It wasn’t any trouble, she’s a darling little filly. I only hope I can have a kid as great as her one day, so thoughtful and sweet, just like her name,” Fluttershy said giving Sweetie a one legged hug. “Well, now that you’re back, I have to get back to my animals and little critters and friends.”

Alarm bells were ringing in Snickers’ head.

“Oh, I completely understand, darling. Thank you so much for giving us your time and I hope to see you again soon,” Rarity used her magic to open the door and Fluttershy walked past Snickers when he stopped the pegasus.

“Hold on, can I ask you something, in private?”

Fluttershy looked over her shoulder. “I’m sorry, but I’m in a bit of a rush.”

Snickers pawed the carpet and looked down. “But, it’s really important and I can only talk to you about it… can’t you please spare five minutes, just to listen to me?”

Fluttershy looked between the colt, the filly, the mare, and then glanced back at where her cottage would be in a straight line. Finally, Fluttershy nodded. “Okay, would you like to talk in your room, or just out here,” she tapped the walkway.

“No, can we walk around the block? It’ll be only a minute, can I, mom?” Snickers asked Rarity.

“Oh, I certainly don’t mind at all. Fluttershy is in a bit of a rush, so don’t take too much of her time, but I’m sure a few minutes won’t hurt anypony.”

Snickers gave Rarity a hug and left the house with Rarity closing the door behind him. Looking down the sparsely populated street, Snickers took the lead. “So, how was watching Sweetie Belle?”

“It was fine. So, you wanted to talk to me about something important?”

Snickers nodded and continued around the boutique towards the back and noticed no one else was around. He glanced back at Fluttershy and turned to face her. “Who are you?”

“Wh-what? I-I’m Fluttershy, can’t you tell?” She asked taking a step back.

Taking two challenging steps forward to keep pace with her, Snickers narrowed his eyes. “Three.”

“Why are you counting, Snickers?”

“Two.”

“I… maybe I should just go. I have a lot of work to do back home.”

“One.” Snickers took a little hop and bent his knees, swinging his hind legs around in an arc to take Fluttershy’s forelegs from under her. To his surprise, Fluttershy leapt over him in a somersault with a twist, landing on her forehooves then hind hooves, standing normally.

“Now, why would you do that, Snickers? That’s not at all what I’d expect from a kind colt like you to do,” Fluttershy said sweetly. She leaned back as a forehoof swing missed her and then blocked a side kick from a hindleg that followed almost immediately after. “Snickers, I fight bears, you should really stop.”

Snickers exhaled a breath and ran towards her, slipping his hindlegs under himself so he slid across the grass on his back, bucking up at her underbelly. Again, he missed and used a twist his hind legs to bring him back onto his hooves. “Like I asked,” he smirked and exhaled a little heavier, “who or what are you?”

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. “Part of me wants to ask you the same thing… but, perhaps you should ask me later, Snickerdoodles, I have more important things to do.”

Snickers glared at Fluttershy as she opened her wings and shot up into the air, turned, and flew off fast enough to impress Rainbow Dash, had she been there. “I know a lot of things,” Snickers said, “but one of the biggest ones is that nopony calls me that name, because it’s not mine.” Snickers smirked. “It was a mistype on my intake form to the hospital; busted.”

Snickers walked around to the front door and walked in, closing it behind him. “Mom, I’m back and I feel better, thanks for letting me go out.”

“Not a problem, darling. Go wash all your hooves, now, before you play with Sweetie Belle.” Rarity called from the kitchen.

An hour later, Snickers and Sweetie sat in Sweetie’s room with full bellies and clean hooves. “So, Snickers… or, should I call you Snickerdoodles?” She smirked at Snickers.

Snickers shook his head. “Hey, about that… I need to have a meeting with the Dink. Can you set one up tomorrow at lunch, maybe?”

Sweetie Belle scrunched her eyebrows in bafflement. “What? Where’d that come from?”

“Look, there’s a real thing going on that’s way bigger than anything that’s happened yet, at least in the real world.” Snickers looked at the hallway through the slightly open door and leaned closer to Sweetie Belle, who knew a secret when it was coming. “There’s a real mystery, involving Fluttershy and a body switcher.”

Sweetie gasped and leaned back. “No way, are you serious?”

Snickers nodded, a serious expression on his face. “Totally. This could really be an alien takeover, not by me or my kind, either. Sweetie, something that wasn’t Fluttershy was with you all night and took your bad feelings away. I know because I could feel some of you in… it. Whatever it is, it isn’t good.”

Sweetie covered her mouth with her hoof. “Oh, no. Changelings, they’re back,” she whimpered and looked at the window. “They could be anywhere, coming after Rarity next.”

“Wait, what are changelings?” Snickers asked and listened to Sweetie’s explanation of the royal wedding and various reports about their species from magazines, books, and a short lecture by Twilight. “Wow… we’re so fucked if they take over, aren’t we?”

Sweetie Belle nodded. “What’re we gonna do? We can’t find them all, or even stop them!”

“What if we tell your sister and they use the rainbow beam on the town?” Snickers offered.

“That only works if all six of them are together, if Fluttershy is compromised, then the most powerful weapon is powerless,” Sweetie gasped and snapped her attention to the door. “I have to save my sister!”

Snickers leapt after Sweetie Belle and bit her tail, stopping her. She fell to the floor with a thud and whine. “We can’t do that,” Snickers said helping her to her hooves. “Not yet, because what if these changelings are just waiting to get the five of them together and magicking their minds into controlling the Emeralds of Harmony and turning them on us instead?!”

Sweetie and Snickers looked at one another, then screamed and ran around in a large circle.

The floor under them thudded. “Stop screaming, you two!” Rarity’s voice shouted from downstairs. “I need to work and can’t concentrate with you being so rambunctious.”

Snickers and Sweetie looked between one another and rushed to hold one another. “Wh-what if she’s already one of them, Snickers?”

“No, she was with me all night. There’s no way… except,” he held Sweetie tighter.

“‘Except’, what?”

“That I didn’t see her when I was in the group and she could have been body snatched! She could be hanging upside down in the clocktower right now, with those bugs crawling over her pod as they change her into one of them!”

They screamed again and the floor thudded, the sensation rumbling their little bodies. “Sorry,” they both shouted at the doorway.

Sweetie sighed. “Okay, I think that’s still the real Rarity. I can tell from how she hits the ceiling, so we don’t have to worry about her.”

“Yet,” Snickers said moving back from Sweetie and starting to pace back and forth, “but where there’s one, there’s gonna be more. How can we check four hundred ponies in Ponyville?”

Sweetie looked from side to side in thought. “I’ll think of something, there’s gotta be a way to expose them without getting snatched and replaced. Oh, I have an idea! Rarity talks with some ponies sometimes about safe-words. She always says hers is chiffon, but when I say it she gives me a bit and sends me to ask at Sugarcube corner and I get a… anyway,” Sweetie got back on track when she noticed Snickers’s grin. “We can have one of those to tell who we are and aren’t snatched.”

Snickers snickered. “Yeah, but we have to make sure to call them safe words, we all have to have our own, and we have to get the other Crusaders in on this,” he turned serious. “What’s yours gonna be?”

Sweetie hummed. “Well, can it be anything?”

“I’m pretty sure anything counts as long as it isn’t a word normally used in a sentence,” Snickers supplied.

“Then I’ll be alabaster! It’s like my color, but also my safeword.”

Snickers nodded. “Good one, I’ll be… um, hm. I’ve never had one before, to be honest. Oh, how about socket? Every electrician knows about sockets, as do mechanics,” he said sagely.

Sweetie nodded. “Alabaster and Socket, super spies.”

“No, Sweetie, they’re secret words we use to test one another,” Snickers said, “so if I act weird, you can ask me something like, ‘Did you ever fix that problem?’ and if I answer, ‘Yeah, it was the socket.’ then you know it’s me. But, if I answer something else, then you know it’s not me. It’s way better than something like saying ‘red’ and someone replying ‘apple’. Get it?”

Sweetie nodded. “Yeah, so… what can our spy names be?”

“Just our normal names, Sweetie. If we change our names, then how will anypony know it’s us and not the changelings pretending to be us?”

“Duh,” Sweetie rolled her eyes. “Safewords. That’s what they’re there for.”

***

Sweetie Belle walked with Dinky toward Snickers during lunch the next day after tense negotiations.

“Hey, alien,” Dinky said as she walked up to Snickers, who was lying in the shade of a tree, “your puppet, Sweetie Belle told me you have something to tell me that affect the fate of our world,” she nodded behind her to some bushes some ways away and they rustled. “I’ll have you know I’ve got the area surrounded and if you try to take over my brain or implant your eggs into me, we’ll have no choice but to take you out, and not to happy night at Mac’N’Mares.”

Snickers shook his head and stomped his forehoof on the ground, calling out Silver Spoon, Diamond Tiara, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom.

Dinky lowered her horn to the crowd. “An ambush? In public? You’ll never--”

“Everypony, stop!” Snickers shouted to the group, some other foals stopping to look at the meeting until they were waved off by a grinning Sweetie Belle. Snickers stood up. “I’ve found out that changelings may be infesting your town, that’s why I’m here and why I’m talking to you. All these fillies already know, and now we need your help and intel gathering capabilities to find those affected and truly neutralize them, for the safety of not only Equestria, but to save the whole world from being turning into a giant ant farm, only the ants are smart and eat your feelings,” he said looking down at her with an intensity mothers would give to scornful children until their fragile wills broke.

Dinky looked away and blinked. “What if I believe you, what can we do?”

Snickers felt the fillies around him brighten their moods. “I can give you the name of one infiltrator and the reason I suspect them. From there, it’s easy enough for you to have your contacts and connections trace the others back to the local hive.”

Dinky tapped her forehoof to her chin in thought. “We’d have to have an exchange of intel, then. I’d be obligated to tell you what I know about you, in exchange you’d tell me everything there is to know about you. That’s the first requirement for cooperation on my, our, part.”

Snickers smiled. “Deal, nothing will be held back, except for some personal experiences and cultural or societal beliefs or habits that would change future interactions.” Dinky nodded and smirked.

“I can tell working with you is going to benefit both our planets.” Dink and Snickers bumped hooves and there was a quiet round of stomps as the fillies moved to create a semicircle with Snickers at the point. “Wait… Agent BP, you’re needed flank right!” Dinky shouted and the bushes from earlier rustled revealing the purple filly.

“Alright, Dinky; anypony else coming to the meeting?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Dinky shook her head. “No, Agent T is having lunch with her friend and Agents S and S are dumb boys that only wanna talk about sports and comics right now.”

Scootaloo’s wings flapped. “Oh, it’s Thursday! I forgot the new Power Ponies came out this morning! Ugh,” she sighed, “I’ll ask them about it later.”

Apple Bloom elbowed Scootaloo. “Gonna ask ‘em for another eraser, lover girl?”

Scootaloo blushed and shook her head. “No! I’m totally over colts for a while,” she said looking at Snickers with a smile, “thanks to one, I know I don’t need one as long as I have my friends.”

Snickers looked at the grass between his forehooves. “I know this isn’t the best time, Scootaloo, but I’m really sorry for my first couple days here. I was really mean to you and… oh,” he looked up to Dinky. “I’m really sorry to you, too. I yelled at both of you and was mean when I didn’t need to be. I hope you can forgive me, it’s just that when I came here it was so different from what I knew, and everything about how I got here… I was just projecting my fears in negative ways against the strongest willed ponies I met.”

“I don’t know about how the rest of our planet will take meeting you,” Dinky said resting a forehoof on Snickers’s chest, “but I think you’re actually really nice, and I’d like you to know I’ve trained myself against mind attacks, so you won’t be able to take over my brain without a hundred ponies knowing, just so you know.”

Snickers nodded once. “Thank you for the information, but I don’t deal with mind manipulation. I’m a doer, right, girls?” he asked the fillies who nodded completely agreeing. “I started what happened to Diamond’s muzzle, there’s proof enough that I act more than talk… or did.”

“It’s no prob,” Silver Spoon raised her snout and looked away. “Like, we totally deserved it for being so rude, anyway.”

Diamond scoffed. “Silver, don’t make us look weak in front of the Dink.”

Silver gave Diamond a gentle shove. “Don’t be bossy.”

Snickers moved quickly between the two friends before Diamond could retaliate and begin another wrestling fight. Both fillies stepped back with surprised looks on their faces. “Both of you, we have a real crisis here and need to start working together, okay?” He asked them.

“Fine.” “Like, whatever.”

Snickers backed up and took point again. “Look, Fluttershy foalsat Sweetie Belle last night. But, she was also at the group meeting with me and a few others. I won’t say anything about anything personal, I said, but when I got back home, I could feel some of Sweetie’s feelings in the changeling.”

Dinky lowered her horn slightly. “That sounds like a very changeling way to know something.”

Snickers shook his head. “No, it’s actually going away, but since we were all in a Harmonic Vision together, we’re all kind of connected. And I didn’t feel anything from the Fluttershy I met except for Sweetie Belle.

“That, and when I tried to take her down and question her, she countered each of my strikes like a master.”

There were disbelieving expressions at him. “So, ya mean ta tell us that ya tried ta fight Fluttershy, of all ponies?” Apple Bloom asked.

Snickers shrugged. “Yup, and if she fought back, I don’t doubt she’d have broken every bone in my body and left me in the Everfree Forest.”

Sweetie stomped her front hooves in the grass. “Why wouldn’t you tell me you fought her last night? What if she did hurt you?”

“Hey, there’s a reason I made a big show about me going with her in front of both of you. If I went missing, then there’s only one pony to ask that knows the answer, right?” Snickers asked.

A round of agreements followed and then Snickers told Dinky some more mundane parts of his experience with the changeling and what possible options could be to stop it. Eventually the school bell rang and class was called back. Dinky and Snickers let the others go ahead of them. “Snickers, I couldn’t say it with everypony else around, but I believe you.

“A lot of weird things have been happening in town over the past couple years. Some things that you need to learn about to better fit in to our world and look less like a weirdo alien and more like a normal pony who happens to be an alien… you don’t have tentacle eye suckers, or lay eggs in brains, do you?”

Snickers laughed, loudly. “No, I’m just like… a minotaur, I guess. Have you ever heard of humans?”

Dinky squealed with glee and danced in a small circle. “I can’t believe you’re one of them! You have to tell me all about your planet and your technomagical constructs!” Dinky ran around Snickers once and then toward the schoolhouse. “This is the best day, ever!”

All Snickers could do was watch the filly go and try to catch up before something else weird happened, even though he couldn’t deny the great feeling he had watching her go into the school, he had the faint sense he was being watched. Just outside the door, he looked back, but couldn’t see anything and shrugged it off as it being a prey animal’s instincts more than logic.

…

“Alright, everypony,” Scootaloo announced, “we’re here at the CmC Clubhouse for a very different reason than normal. We have it, on great and attractive authority, that there is a changeling threat in town and we have to stop it before it takes over the world. Since the Princesses are all far away and busy, Twilight won’t listen to any of us, and the mail is too slow, we have to handle this ourselves.”

Snickers raised a foreleg. “Maybe we can ask Twilight again without all shouting at her at once?”

“We’ve tried that in the past. She only gives us a book about handling situations calmly and then tells us to not panic and think it through.”

Diamond stood up. “Well, I think we should just let it come for us. We can tie it up and get a hammer and…” she smacked her hooves together.

Sweetie shook her head. “No, that’s gross and it’s wrong. Changelings might be smarter than we think. They have to copy a pony, that’s not like pretending, it’s a total change of everything about them. I’m not okay smashing a bug in the first place, but a bugpony is just worse.”

Silver Spoon hummed loudly enough to get the attention of the several in the room. “What if they are just bug ponies? Like, they could be ponies that were mutated or cursed somehow.”

Dinky got up and stomped her forehoof. “That’s the answer, we need to find a cure to the curse! It could be that these ponies were bug explorers that loved their jobs and they built their research site in a field of poison joke. Boom! Bug ponies that only eat love. Curse found, now for a cure.”

Diamond shook her head. “I really don’t think that’s how it happened.”

Pinch pressed a forehoof on Dinky’s hind end. “Take a seat, Dink, we all have ideas… yours is just the best one so far,” Pinch consoled.

Scootaloo, stepping back to the floor to sit with her friends, groaned. “We’re foals, why do we have to save the world?”

“Technically, we don’t have to,” Snickers said, “we just are since no one else will, unless you know anyone?”

“Okay, that’s it,” Dinky started to stand, but a hoof on her tail kept her down, “you’re gonna tell me what’s going on, now. Who says ‘anyone’ instead of ‘anypony’?”

Snickers rolled his eyes. “Maybe creatures that aren’t xenophobic narcasists that control the heavens at their whims?”

“...ouch,” Sweetie Belle said. “That hurt me and I don’t even understand everything he said,” she said touching her chest. Snickers looked and noticed the others were doing the same and looking somewhat down.

“You’re, like, a total jerk,” Silver Spoon huffed and played with her braid.

“Wow, Harmony really doesn’t like that, does it?” Snickers said softly while Diamond, Dinky, and Pinch shrugged. “Anyway, Dinky, let me give you the rundown on what humans really are. I haven’t read the comics you all seem to know about, but think of a minotaur, but with an ape’s legs, that’s smarter than Twilight Sparkle, stronger than Applejack’s toughest apple buck, and should hold a degree in science?

“That was me,” Snickers said and held his hooves out, “these roundish hooves used to be like a minotaur’s hands. I had better manipulation with my fingers than Rarity does with a needle and I had more dexterity than Twilight for moving things. I think that’s what I miss most, to be honest,” he said looking at the underside of his hooves, “being able to grab things and feel them way more than with these.

“We conquered nature, then land, then the planet, then space. We landed on the moon, colonized Mars, then some moons, then more planets, then we left our system to explore the mysteries and worlds of the galaxy. I was born on a garbage planet,” he looked at the fillies that were giving him complete attention.

“What’s a garbage planet? Is it, like, where garbage goes when the garbage-pony takes the trash can away?”

Snickers shook his head. “It’s a planet that’s been used for all its worth by independant or private corporations and left as-is. After the planet’s been abandoned by its previous owners, people like my grandparents arrive to gather scraps for sale, art, or to build small towns and survive.

“Others show up to take from those that mean well. Each planet builds its own governments and there are Presidents, Queens, Masters, and even Councils, all working on a single planet to take control of the whole thing. This planet I was on was a garbage planet, junk and scraps everywhere. Easy pickings to make whatever I wanted, and I wanted to get off world.”

“So, did you?” Silver Spoon asked.

“Meh, kinda. Something happened between President Lord and Queen Masterful and a lot of people…” he thought for a safe way to say ‘blew up the planet’. “Became one with the universe.”

Dinky leaned close to Pinch and whispered loudly. “That means the planet exploded.”

Shrugging, Snickers agreed. “Yup, I was trying to keep it clean for all of you, but if you know the concept…”

Sweetie Belle giggled. “Snickers, Equus has been destroyed before, it’s no big deal.” Snickers gaped at her. “Yeah, a few thousand years ago, by Discord. This is the fifth age and ponies are dominant… right?” she asked the room.

“Yup.” “Yeah.” “Fifth.”

“W-wait, hold on a few fucking seconds,” Snickers shook his head in disbelief. “You mean to say- ouch!”

“Ah told ya Ah’d whack yer snout if ya cussed! Stop doin’ that,” Apple Bloom scolded Snickers.

Snickers’s eyes watered and he held his muzzle, whimpering quietly. Scootaloo gave him a hug and held him while he shuddered through heavy breaths. “Apple Bloom, you gotta stop doin’ that. Can’t you see he’s getting hurt more and more by it?”

Apple Bloom shook her head. “Nope, if he’s gonna cuss then he’s gonna get in trouble. That’s how the Apples have always done it.”

“That doesn’t mean he’s an Apple,” Silver Spoon said. “You can’t let your barbaric nature lash out at everypony who doesn’t follow your limited world views.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Apple Bloom replied taking an angry stance.

Diamond Tiara stepped between the two and looked at Silver Spoon. “Save your energy, Silvie, she’s not worth the trouble you’ll get into if you start something.”

Both fillies huffed and looked away from one another and sat down facing opposite walls.

Scootaloo held Snickers a little looser as he stopped whimpering and helped the colt sit up. She leaned down to look at his nose and then shot a glare at Apple Bloom. “He’s got a little blood showing,” she said touching the back of her fetlock to his nose and then stepping to Apple Bloom to show her. “Are you still going to keep whacking him, or do we have to tell your Granny about hitting colts?”

Apple Bloom paled when she saw the droplet of red. “Oh, Ah’m so sorry, Snickers,” she said softly, “Ah guess I’m a bit too rough, Ah’ll stop doin’ that, even if ya cuss, okay?”

Snickers sniffled and nodded. “Y-yeah… c-can I, maybe, finish my story?” he asked much meeker than before.

“Of course,” Apple Bloom said with a warm smile, “just go on, Ah’m not gonna get on ya again. Promise,” she crossed her heart.

The corners of Snickers’s lips twitched and all the filly’s felt the urge to comfort him again, their innate desire to care for him was barely held back by Snickers holding up a hoof when he noticed the concern on their faces and their postures change. Snickers waved to Sweetie Belle.

“Huh? Oh... yeah, um, this is the fifth age on the planet. The first three are a secret that only the oldest dragons or other creatures know. The last one had the minotaurs and gryphons as the dominant species, and this time it’s ponies. Some day, probably in a few hundred thousand years, everything will be destroyed and start over again,” Sweetie Shrugged, “it’s a fact of life.”

Snickers looked at her in disbelief. “So, you know your civilization is going to end some day and you’re okay with it?”

Sweetie nodded with a smile. “Yup, I only hope the next to take over is even better than us! We’re gonna do everything we can to make this world the best it can be, and when it goes away the new world will carry our kindness over.”

Snickers shook his head, trying to get what he was hearing to make sense. “I… have no words on how to even understand any of that and I have more questions now than I did five minutes ago…look, can we just get back to planning the changeling thing? Dinky, Pinch, Silver, how about you three work on scouting around Fluttershy’s.

“Scootaloo, Sweetie, Apple Bloom, you three can gather intel around town; see if there’s anypony that’s acting extra weird. Diamond and me will meet with Twilight… I have a meeting soon with her and I can test the waters with her about a changeling infiltration. Sound good?”

The group nodded and their hooves met together. “So, what’re we gonna cheer?” Sweetie asked.

“Cutie Mark Crusaders, bug hunters?” Scootaloo offered.

“Ugh, like, not gonna say that,” Silver said with a scoff, “besides, they’re probably bug-ponies, like we said earlier.”

“Fine, what would you say?” Apple Bloom challenged.

“Go team!” Pinch interjected.

A second passed as they all looked between one another, then they shouted the phrase and split into their groups before rushing from the clubhouse. Diamond and Snickers left last, closing the door after themselves. “So, why’d you choose to go with me?” Diamond Tiara asked.

Snickers started walking down the stairs and she caught up. “Because, we have the most to make up for with each other. I almost broke your muzzle two minutes after meeting you, and that’s not what being a pony is about.”

Diamond walked faster and sided with him. “Well, I teased you and made fun of you without knowing a thing about you. I kinda asked for it,” she crossed her eyes to look at her stitched and slightly swollen muzzle, “maybe not so much of it, though.

“Hey, the second one was all you. You kissed the ground all on your own and I made sure I wasn’t going to fight you again after a bunch of stuff happened.”

“True, and I spent half the day at the hospital, then the rest of the day in my room for fighting. Not even because you’re a colt, but because ‘proper ladies don’t fight blank flank losers’,” Diamond said in a mocking nasally voice. “Oh, but I don’t think that about you anymore. Anypony that can kick my tail has got some serious skills, like, how’d you even do that? You moved like,” she made some swishing noises and Snickers stopped to watch her try to balance standing to wave her forelegs.

Snickers chuckled when she almost fell back, barely catching herself and landing on her hooves. “I know a little martial arts… I studied for a couple years and it’s actually not too hard to do in this body. It’s not too easy, but it’s far from hard.” He reared up and took a stumbling step back, balanced, then brought his forelegs to either side of himself.

“Wow,” Diamond breathed, “can you teach me to do that?”

Snickers made the mistake of shrugging and lost balance, stumbling forward he barely caught himself before he planted his muzzle in the firm soil that made up the orchards. A little pressure under his barrel helped him all the way up and he noticed that Diamond had helped catch him.

She smiled at him and then nodded towards town. “Are we going, or are you gonna copy me and mess up your cute little muzzle?” she asked booping him. “Boop.”

Snickers scrunched his muzzle. “Don’t call my muzzle cute; it’s very strong and shows my power,” he lifted his muzzle and walked past her, stumbling over an exposed root. Diamond giggled and he ignored her. “Don’t worry, muzzle, she’s just jealous because there’s no other muzzle as great as you,” he said and pretended to pet his muzzle getting Diamond to laugh louder.

“You’re a dork! C’mon, race you back to town! Loser has to eat grass,” she said lowering her front and pawing at the grass. “You’re gonna have to take three bites and swallow.”

Snickers nipped one blade and chewed. “Blech, no way. I’m gonna laugh when you beg for water after losing.”

“Onetwothreego!” Diamond shouted and galloped ahead.

“Hey, I wasn’t ready!” Snickers grinned as he raced her and passed the other teams. “Hey, see you tonight at my house,” he said as he passed.

Regardless of how the days had been, he knew that going ahead, his days were going to be better than he ever knew.

Science with Twi

Snickers knocked on the library door three times before opening it and walking in letting Diamond Tiara close it behind them. “Hey, Spike,” Snickers said bumping hoof to claw, “how’s the purple one?”

Spike rolled his eyes. “You’re seventeen minutes late for your ‘scheduled meeting’ and Twilight’s downstairs planning a plan to rework her schedule for the next week and so on,” Spike said turning and walking towards the basement door. “C’mon, I’ll lead the way into crazy town.”

Snickers looked back at Diamond Tiara and they both shrugged. “Spike?” Snickers asked as he caught up. “Why don’t you just try to get Twilight a real sexual partner?”

Diamond slowed as she looked at Snickers with surprise.

“She doesn’t even take time to take care of herself,” Spike said stopping and turning to face Snickers. “Trust me, it’s in her private schedule, and it’s not scheduled for another two weeks, give or take. Hey,” Spike said blushing and looking away, “it’s not my job to keep track of that part of her life. It’s her private schedule for a reason… anyway, if you can point a stallion her way, best of luck.”

Snickers hummed and followed Spike as the thought danced in his mind. I wouldn’t mind a matchmaker cutie mark, but what would it look like? He thought to himself.

“Don’t bother, dude. Anypony that gets near Twilight has to have a library card and five hours to talk about whatever with the queen of books,” Spike said as he reached the basement door. “Twilight?” Spike called down as he descended. “It’s me, Spike. And I’ve brought guests.”

“Guests?! Spike, this is no time for guests. I have two days worth of tasks and events to reschedule! Without Snickers here, I can’t even get my mind on that task because we were supposed to talk about the future of non-thaumatic wave pattern transferral between that aetheric plane and three dimensional space in a sixth dimensional sub-spheroid!

“We could have changed the world, but now I’m so far behind,” Twilight whined. The trio finally descended the stairs to the point the could see Twilight and they were surprised at the length and number of scrolls with unchecked boxes by tasks around the mare. Two scrolls longer than the Torah, each, were unraveled and lay at her hooves while another was being marked at while Twilight griped.

“The future was in my hooves, and now it’s ruined, Spike. Gone, like the last drops of ink in a normal inkpot. Gone like the last cupcake on a platter with Pinkie Pie around. Gone, like--”

“Wow, and I thought my mom, Rarity, was dramatic,” Snickers shouted from the landing above. Twilight gasped and looked at them, focusing on Snickers. In a flash of light, Snickers was weightless for a split second. Before gravity could pull him to the floor, Twilight wrapped her forelegs around him in a tight hug that squeezed the air from his lungs.

“Oh, you made it! I was so worried I was a bad friend and you weren’t going to show up, I was going to have to rework my schedules, but don’t worry about me abusing magic. Ever since the Smarty Pants event, I’ve been much more responsible,” she let him go and fall to the floor, not noticing him gasp a deep breath of air. “Over here I have my Turning Test Machine, second generation.

“It puts out four bytes of data every ten seconds and can translate energy fluctuations in a living creatures body in real time using enchanted paper and ink that,” she leaned against the large boxy device that took up a surprisingly small space. She polished her hoof on her chest and looked at the smooth surface. “Yup, one of the most powerful ones in the world, right here,” she tapped the side and walked around it.

“Take a look around back, it’s got a special enchantment on it,” she said waving him and Diamond Tiara over. “Oh, I think I know you… um, Shimmering Jewel?” Diamond Tiara scoffed and told Twilight her name. “Hm, I could have sworn your name was Shimmering something, though.”

“I know my own name, thank you very much. So, what’s the big deal with this dumb box? Does it make tea and stuff, or what?” Diamond asked giving the computer a little kick.

“Hey, watch it! This is a highly intricate and sensitive device that took hundreds of creatures thousands of bits to make. Don’t be so careless.”

“Well, you kicked it way harder than I did,” Diamond retoted.

“That’s because it’s mine and I know where to do that. I won’t go to your house and kick your stuff, so don’t do that to mine, okay?”

Diamond sighed and groaned loudly. “Fine, can we get back to this thing and Snickers?”

Twilight backed up and looked at Snickers. “Find it?”

“No.”

“Well, you’ve gotta open the side panel and step in, silly,” Twilight said moving beside him and tapping a panel that fell off with a loud clank and clatter. “That’s supposed to do that,” she grinned weakly and waved Snickers at the exposed innards. “There’s a path, just follow it and you’ll get to the heart of the Turning Test Machine, second generation.”

Snickers walked in and turned right, following the only path there was. He walked and walked and the temperature kept getting warmer and warmer until he finally walked out of a conduit space and into a massive warehouse worth of space, rows and rows of glow plugs were attached to wires, attached to gems, attached to mechanical devices, all connected at a central hub made from what seemed to be ten thousand individual wires, all wired into a large black sphere that had a dozen cords that dropped to the ground and led back the way he’d come from.

“Wow,” Snickers breathed.

“I know,” Twilight giggled, “isn’t it the most amazing and beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?”

Snickers turned his head to look at her, slowly. “I meant ‘wow’, as is ‘what a total waste of space’, except I guess this is outside space, isn’t it?”

Twilight stared at Snickers. “What? But, look at it! It’s a powerhouse of ingenuity and potential, I can even do math with it! Watch this,” she said trotting to a terminal he didn’t notice behind a bundle of cables thicker than his torso. “See,” she placed her hooves on two mental plated and twisted her left hoof and right in different ways, he noticed, adding pressure to set the character in place.

“There, 10 x 10. Now, we just wait for the Turning Test Machine, second generation, to run the numbers.”

Snickers blinked and his ears twitched. “One hundred.” Twilight shushed him. “But, the answer is one hundred. Why are you waiting for a computer to tell you that?”

Twilight grinned as the screen blinked. “Ha, there it is. One hundred. It can’t make a mistake, it never has.”

“Really?” Snickers asked. “What if you asked it to multiply a huge number, then divide the result with another number?”

Twilight giggled and shook her head. “Yeah, right. I tried that once and this beauty, for all it’s greatness, lacks a bit of speed. It took my little friend here about seven hours to figure it out, but it was right.”

Snickers forced a smile. “Wow, that’s really something. What would you do if it was… oh, I don’t know… ten times faster?”

Twilight laughed and it turned into a cackle. Then she reared and kicked her forelegs, landing and looking intently at Snickers and spoke huskily. “That would open the door to more possibilities than even Princess Celestia could imagine.”

Snickers stepped back and his side brushed against Diamond Tiara’s getting him to yelp in surprise. Diamond looked at Snickers like he was half as crazy as Twilight. Diamond looked at Twilight and noted the crazy mare was now petting the monitor like a loved pet. “Um, Miss Twilight, are you feeling okay in your head?”

Twilight’s eye twitched. “Yeah! Just… thinking about the future and the math that could be accomplished in so much less time. Just thinking about cutting seven hours down to four…” Twilight shivered.

Diamond stepped back and brushed her side against Snickers, yelping in surprise. “Don’t do that!”

“Do what?” Snickers snapped back. “I was standing behind you, since you’re supposed to keep me safe, and whatever.”

“I am not messing with a crazy unicorn,” Diamond pointed at Twilight, who had taken notice of the conflict. “She could turn me into a frog or teleport me a bajillion miles away!”

“No she won’t! She’s no where near powerful enough to do that. Maybe five, if she’s really mad… but I don’t think she can actually pop you that far.”

“Oh, you’d think so,” Twilight said smoothing her mane back into place and taking a calming breath, “but, I have the potential, I haven’t needed to use it. It takes a lot of control to be a powerful unicorn, you two, and even a little slip in concentration can lead to disastrous consequences.

“So… I got very distracted over all this, but Snickers and I have some math from his home to go over and he’s going to tell me why alternating current is better than the direct current we currently use. I have to stay current with the times, after all. Huh, huh?” Twilight looked hopefully between the two foals that averted their eyes. “Oh, c’mon. That was funny!”

“Did you ask your machine that one?” Diamond asked. Snickers laughed and gave Diamond a hoof bump while Twilight slumped.

“If I could talk to Chapter, she’d laugh, I know it,” Twilight said giving the monitor a nuzzle.

Snickers snerked. “Wait, did you name your machine Chapter?”

Twilight scoffed indignantly. “Yes, because like a good book, the next chapter is always better than the last.”

Diamond Tiara leaned over and whispered into Snickers’ ear. Snickers’ ears raised and his eyes widened, then he fell over laughing and holding his sides while Diamond Tiara looked smugly at Twilight. Twilight narrowed her eyes. Diamond Tiara shrugged. “C’mon, funny boy, let’s go back to reality and leave Twilight with her book and wires and stuff.”

Diamond gave Snickers a little prodding kick to help him focus and then helped him up. “Yeah, okay… just, I wasn’t expecting you to say anything like that.”

Diamond winked and took the lead. “I’m full of surprises.”

Once the foals were out of the room, Twilight followed. “That’s not all you’re full of,” she mumbled and looked back over her shoulder. “See you later, Chapter. Sweet dreams.”

***

“Ugh, that can’t be possible, Snickers,” Twilight nickered and tapped the page he had given her. “The numbers don’t make any sense, what are these things, and how did you come out to the same answer as I did with twelve extra steps?”

Snickers sighed and waved his hoof for the paper. Twilight floated it back to him and he turned it so she could look at it. “These are mathematical notations from my world. Since I only come from a single planet,” he looked aside to Diamond, who was reading a young adult novel, but glancing over it to him. “Do you recognize any of these?”

Twilight shook her head.

“Okay, do you know what theta is? Delta? Do you know what an ohm is? … Okay, write me one of the most complex mathematical problems you have, I’ll wait,” Snickers said and waited very patiently for a minute while Twilight scritched and scratched her quill across the page she had.

“There, done. If you can figure this out, then you should be teaching classes at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns,” she gloated. Snickers looked at the page and hummed. Taking the pencil between his hooves he shakily started writing below her problem and Twilight brought a book over she was skimming, expecting him to give up or ask for help.

“Ohh…” Snickers said and Twilight giggled. “Hm, so… okay… and… done. Here, check it out,” Snickers told Twilight. She took the paper and cleared her throat as she looked his math over. She read the work twice and then looked around the page at him, then she sat back in her bean bag with a sigh.

“This proof took seven years and some of the brightest ponies across Equestria to figure out... And you did it in three minutes,” she tore the paper in half and set them on fire with her magic and a scowl. “Okay, what am I doing wrong? What are we all doing wrong?”

Snickers blinked and his eyebrow rose. “Would you like it in any order, or should I just start naming everything off?”

Twilight looked at him deadpan. “Math and science only.”

“Dang,” he wished he could snap his fingers. “Well, I guess that when it comes to math, you use a base four system of math, for one. I get it, really, I do; four legs, four hooves, and four to a traditional herd. Four is very important to your culture and history, but base ten is the best for science while base for can be great for smaller things like counting small items or doing math for foals.”

“Hey,” Twilight and Diamond Tiara said in unison.

“Not that there’s anything wrong with… you know what, let me just show you,” Snickers started to grab some paper from a stack, but was stopped by Twilight.

“I know base ten math, it’s a form of math used by unicorns for our spellwork. What I need to know is how to make it applicable to the science you know.”

Snickers smirked. “Well, do you know what calculus is?”

Twilight and Diamond Tiara nodded. “Yes.” Both looked at one another, then Diamond stepped forward. “Basic math such as adding and subtracting are taught while a foal is between ages eight months and two years. Algebra is taught in the first year of schooling at age three, and calculus is taught in all schools in the fifth grade, which is the last grade anypony has to take before they enter their trade.”

Twilight giggled and nodded. “Very well said, Shimmering Tiara.”

Diamond swatted Twilight’s foreleg away before the mare could congratulate her with a pat. “Diamond Tiara, that’s my name.”

“Oh,” Twilight nodded. “Got it. Sorry about that.”

Diamond snorted. “Whatever!” She stomped back to her beanbag and fell onto it to read her novel again.

Snickers shook his head. “Okay, that’s actually really amazing. But, ponies grow up faster than humans and learn differently, too. So, since you know some mid-level math, I’ll try to explain some things that way.”

Twilight pressed a hoof on the paper before Snickers could take it, again. “Wait, what do you mean ‘mid-level’ math? Calculus is very high level and complicated, thank you very much.”

Smiling weakly, Snickers answered, “Well, Twilight, you see, after a couple hundred years in space, exploring the solar system--”

“What?!” Twilight shouted loud enough to shake leaves from the library she lived in. “You explored your solar system?! As is, outside the planetary bounds?” Snickers nodded and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “How much magic did you need to do that? This opens so many new questions!”

Snickers tapped a hoof on the table. “Twilight?”

“Ponies can actually experience space, maybe in our lifetime.”

“Twilight?” Snickers said again.

“What if we colonize the moon? What next after that?” Spike walked beside Twilight and dropped a book. “Gyah! Careful, Spike, books are troves of knowledge!”

“Uh, Twilight, Snickers is trying to get your attention,” Spike informed her.

Twilight realized where she was again. “Oh? Oh, yeah. So, about space travel and colonizing the moon?”

Snickers closed his eyes. “No, I will not be talking about that with you today… or for the rest of the week, if you’re going to go crazy over it.”

“But, please?” Twilight asked. When Snickers opened his eyes he was met with a face that would have melted a polar ice cap with how hot it was.

Spike poked Twilight with a claw. “Twilight! You’re doing the seductive expression, not the pleading expression,” he said sternly and then pointed to Snickers. “You scared him into covering his eyes, Twilight. Tonight, we’re going to stand in front of the mirror and practice your faces again.”

“But, Spike…”

Spike held a hand up. “Don’t you say that to me when you just aroused a colt one quarter your age.”

Diamond Tiara turned around to see, then ground her teeth when Twilight was completely in the way with Spike blocking the next nearest angle to see.

“Did I?” Twilight asked and started to lean down to look under the table. “Ouch! Spike, don’t push my head like that.”

“Then don’t try to look at him!” Spike retorted. “Let me handle this, you just stay quiet, okay?” Twilight nodded and Spike walked beside Snickers and leaned over, whispering to him for several seconds. “There, all better,” Spike said proudly and then hoof bumped Snickers, who was looking much better.

“Spike,” Twilight asked, “what did you say to him?”

Spike picked up the book he dropped and went back to the shelves. “Stallion’s secret, Twi. Bro code.”

“Twilight, can we please just do math?” Snickers asked in a pleading tone. Twilight smiled warmly and slid a page to him and watched as he took a pencil in his hooves.

…

“...and that’s how and why alternating current is better and more efficient.”

Twilight clapped her hooves together. “Wow! That’s brilliant. And with these Tesla’s, we can combine magic imbued items with electricity for portability, you say?”

Snickers nodded. “Theoretically, yes. If you’re willing to run the experiments, that is.”

Twilight squeed in glee. “Oh, yes, I’ll run them,” she rubbed her hooves together in small circles with a growing devious grin, “I’ll run many, and then share them for peer review and be recognized for the genius I am. Er, us,” she blinked and sat up looking normal again, “us, as in the geniuses we are, together.”

Snickers rolled his eyes. “Whatever, I don’t need anything from this, just a 2% cut of all profits from now until the end of time.”

Snickers raised an eyebrow when Twilight started laughing. “Oh, you’re serious. Well, that’s something the lawyers can work out.”

Diamond snored loudly. “Oh, my, it’s gotten later than I thought,” Twilight said taking the pages of notes and ideas they’d made and stacking them neatly, “let’s wake her up and you make sure she gets home safe, you big herd stallion you,” she giggled as he walked by.

“Nope, not doing that again for a while. I’ve got a lot to learn before I can be that committed,” Snickers said as he reached Diamond Tiara and gave her a nudge with his forehoof.

“Psh, you say that now. I know how colts and fillies are, there’s book about them right above you! You’re gonna be in a new herd before you know it.”

“Diamond, wake up,” Snickers shoved her and she snorted awake kicking her legs.

“What? Wha-? I don’t wanna banana,” she said groggily while rolling up to stand. “What’s going on? Why’re you here, blank flank?” Diamond said as she blinked her eyes open. “Oh! I’m sorry… I forgot, um, why am I in the library?” She asked with a yawn.

Snickers walked around her and nudged her toward the door. “C’mon, let’s get those bags on and get you home before you walk into a tree.”

Diamond’s eyes focused on him. “But, I am in a tree,” she said innocently.

“That you are. C’mon, step over the strap,” Snickers said and helped Diamond get ready while Twilight and Spike watched.

“See you later, you two,” Twilight said sweetly as they left and got a playful swat on her foreleg.

Spike looked up at Twilight. “Don’t tease them, especially after everything he’s been through, Twilight.”

“Oh, it’s harmless. I’m not telling or making anypony do anything, I’m just stating the obvious. How many fillies have practically thrown themselves at him over the past week since he showed up?”

“I don’t know, but I do know that he doesn’t need sexually confused mares hinting at him.”

Twilight set the papers down and grinned. “Spike? What day is today?”

“Thursday, Twilight. Why?”

Twilight giggled and pranced in place. “It’s my personal night! Spike, stay up here so I can,” she winked her eye, “clean up my basement,” she winked again, “for about an hour.”

Spike sighed loudly. “You don’t have to wink at me, you can just tell me you need an hour to clean up your mess.”

Twilight snickered. “It won’t take that long to clean up the mess I’ll be making.”

“Gross! Twilight, bring towels, air fresheners, and sponges. I’m not cleaning up after you this time,” he said sternly.

“Fine, I’ll do everything myself!” she said and her horn lit conjuring a ready made basket with everything a mare would need from start to finish for the task she was about to undertake. She hovered the basket at Spike. “See, all here.”

“Ew! Twilight, get those away from me!”

Twilight giggled and laughed as she chased Spike around the main room for a minute before she turned off and ran to the basement door, slammed it shut, and locked it behind her.

Spike gasped and caught his breath. “Okay, that was awful… at least there’s still sunlight, otherwise I’d have to light candles to prevent her from overloading all the lighting gems. Back to organizing,” he said moving to a short stack of books and looking at the title. “At least I’ll get a couple minutes of quiet now.”

Truth, Revealed!

Author's Note:

More fun and whimsy, Snickers style.
Cuteness throughout ... and the word 'penis' is used.

For the faint of heart and constitution; you have been warned.

Arriving home, Diamond Tiara opened the door and gestured, with a slight bow of her head, for Snickers to enter first. Reluctantly he obliged and glanced back to see her closing the door quietly. “Oh, you’re all here,” he announced once entering the showroom.

“Yes,” Rarity said peeking from the kitchen, “and if you could all go upstairs and free up my work area for potential customers, I’d appreciate it greatly.”

“Yes, Miss Rarity,” they all chorused with Snickers saying ‘mom’ instead.

In a two by two line, they went upstairs talking as they went with the pony beside them into Snickers’s room and sat in a circle. Snickers had grabbed a pencil and notepad and gave it to Sweetie Belle for notes. “Okay, what did we all learn?” Pinch asked.

Dinky stood up. “We’re all doomed! They’re everywhere, everypony is one of them… even us!” She shouted and looked around at the group. “There, now that the panic portion is over; Pinch, Silver and me scouted Fluttershy’s cottage. Pinch,” Dinky clicked her tongue, “notes.”

“Yes, boss,” Pinch replied. “1:30 nothing. 1:35 animals are everywhere. 1:38 a squirrel climbed in my mane and we laughed. 2:17 Zecora left Fluttershy’s cottage. 3:10 we went pee. 3:11 we ran away from a horde of gophers. 3:14 Fluttershy gave us cookies. 3:45 we remembered our mission and ran away from the possible changeling.”

Snickers raised a foreleg. “Yeah, how’d you know what time it was?”

Pinch shrugged. “Best guess.”

Scootaloo stood up and looked at Pinch. “How do we know you aren’t changelings?”

“Because, I said so.” Dinky stood between the two and glared down Scootaloo.

Scootaloo sat down slowly. “Fine, but I’m watching you.”

Dinky raised a hoof to her eyes and then pointed at Scootaloo. “I’m always watching.”

“Yup, that’s Dinky, alright.” Apple Bloom said.

Dinky cleared her throat. “The last one we’re sure of because we looked at the clock in her cottage. What wasn’t there were any signs of changeling infestation. We didn’t see any slime, pods, or anything weird. The cookies were yummy, and I don’t think changelings can make them that good since they don’t eat food.”

Snickers nodded. “Good point.”

“Thank you,” Dinky said and looked at the crusaders. “Team Bravo, your report.”

Scootaloo stood up again and her wings flapped as she spoke. “Why do we have to be Team Bravo? We’re way cooler than that. I say we get to be called Team B.” Dinky waved a hoof at Scootaloo and sat down. “Yeah, Team B, reporting in, sir!” She and the others did a salute. “We scouted around town and Sweetie Belle took notes.”

Sweetie blushed a little and shook her head. “I… can’t share them.”

“Why not? You have them right there,” Scootaloo pointed to Sweetie’s tail.

“Because… they’re not great notes,” she said bashfully.

Apple Bloom turned and reached between Sweetie’s tail hairs and scooped the notebook into her hoof and opened it. “Huh, well, she did what we asked.”

Sweetie Belle covered her face with her forelegs while Scootaloo looked over Apple Bloom’s shoulder. “Sweetie, are you serious?! You wrote musical notes instead of taking project notes?”

“I’m sorry,” Sweetie whined, “I thought you meant notes, not notes.”

Apple Bloom tossed the notebook over her shoulder. “Well, that’s a bust. What Ah remember is that no pony has any idea of anything weirder than usual going on.”

“We didn’t ask about the changelings, so there’s no need to worry about a panic,” Scootaloo said as she sat beside Sweetie and leaned on her, “but no leads there.”

Snickers looked at Diamond Tiara. “Did you come across anything while I was distracting Twilight?”

Diamond looked at him quizzically. “What are you talking about?”

Snickers furrowed his eyebrows. “While I talked about science with her, you went through the book checkout logs to see if anypony had a pattern, you checked the shelves for missing books about monsters, right?”

Diamond threw her forelegs up. “How was I supposed to know you wanted me to do that?! You saw me laying on a bean bag the whole time.”

“What… you mean I wasted hours for nothing? I wasn’t watching you the whole time, you were gone a few times! I thought you were checking then.”

“I was using the bathroom and getting a drink! How was I supposed to know what you planned if we didn’t talk about it before-hoof?”

Snickers groaned and fell back. “So, we learned nothing, then?”

Silver Spoon spoke up. “Actually, Zecora leaving the cottage was a bit weird. Like, we know she trades in town now with potions and whatever, but it was something different.”

Snickers regretted falling back since he had to roll over and get to his hooves to turn around. He noticed four fillies blushing. “Okay, Zecora’s the zebra that lives in the Everfree. Should we check her out, spy on her?”

Apple Bloom waved a forehoof, fanning herself. “Huh? Oh, uh, Ah think that’s a good idea. What about you gals?” Several nods replied.

Snickers had the question burning over the few seconds, so he asked. “Okay, what did I do now?”

Silver was smiling a little and was chewing on the end of her braid, Diamond Tiara was looking at the others with apathy, Pinch and Dinky were whispering quietly on a nonrelated topic. Scootaloo tapped her hoof on the floor. “Fine, since nopony else will say it; we saw your everything and it’s super hot for a colt to do that.”

Snickers cocked his head. “What? Why? We’re always naked, everything out there anyway.”

Diamond Tiara tapped his side. “Not everything on stallions.”

Snickers looked down and below his shirt line he could see everything. He looked at Diamond. “What are you talking about? You can see everything right now.”

Scootaloo grumbled and walked into the middle of the circle and sat down facing Snickers. “Can you see everything?” Snickers looked her over and shook his head. Scootaloo fell back and let her legs fall to her sides. “Now?”

Snickers felt his face warming as he looked at her and he crossed his forelegs over his crotch. He looked away after two seconds but the image was burnt into his mind.

“That’s why,” Scootaloo said rolling to her hooves again, “it’s a submissive position and it’s hot as buck. Apple Bloom?” she called over her shoulder.

“On it,” Apple Bloom replied from his bed. She tossed a pillow perfectly at Scootaloo, who then tossed it to Snickers.

“Cover up, stud.”

Diamond nickered. “I wanna see it, show me.”

Snickers looked at her and held the pillow to himself. “No! Why?”

“Because, every pony in your herd has seen it, and if I’m gonna be your friend, I won’t be the only one that hasn’t seen your penis. Show me.”

Snickers looked at the CmC and then Silver Spoon, all of the fillies were more upset with Diamond’s attitude than the question. Sighing, Snickers moved the pillow forward so she could see.

“That’s what the big deal’s about, Silver? No wonder I’m a lesbian,” she stepped back and sat down with a roll of her eyes.

Feeling insulted, Snickers covered himself again. “You don’t have to be a bitch about it.”

Diamond flipped her mane. “Whatever, it’s not going anywhere near me, so it’s not my problem.”

Silver Spoon stood up. “Can I see it again? I mean, I only got a little peek once. I shouldn’t--”

“God fucking damn it,” he tossed the pillow into the center of the circle and stood on his hind hooves. “There, get a good look, everypony. Happy?” Snickers wobbled and waved his forelegs for balance.

“Kids, I’ve brought you some carrots and celery. I know how hungry you must all be after a day of…” Rarity looked at Snickers and what was flopping around. She set the veggies inside the door and stepped out. “Please, nothing untoward in my home at your ages,” she said before walking off.

Snickers fell to his haunches and then to his side. “Pillow?” Once the pillow was tossed to him, he covered his head. “Can one of you hand me a gun to put me out of my misery?”

“What’s a gun?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“So big,” Silver whispered.

“Oh, go tickle your tail, Silver Spoon, and get your mind back on what’s important,” Diamond said.

Silver realized she’d been staring and looked away, blushing and smiling while the CmC covered his hind with a blanket.

“Okay, I think this meeting is over,” Apple Bloom said. “Who wants ta play fer a bit? Ah’ve gotta get home at sunset, so we got a little bit.”

“Hide and seek?” “Tag?” “Cards?”
“Snakes and Ladders?” “Sweet Land?”

Apple Bloom tapped her chin. “Ah think Hide’n seek’s the winner. Snickers, ya playin’?” Snickers pushed himself up. “Ya gonna be okay?”

He nodded. “I’ll go find you all first. I’ll count to forty and no hiding outside or in any rooms with green over them. Okay?” He clarified and the fillies nodded. “Okay,” he picked up the pillow and tossed it away, then walked to the wall and closed his eyes. “One… two…”

The sound of fillies giggling loudly and scattering from the room brought a smile to his lips.

***

“Have a good night, everypony,” Rarity said as she ushered the last of the guests out. “Tell your parents about how much fun you had.” She closed the door and sighed, looking at Sweetie Belle and Snickers. “Now, you two must bathe and then go to bed. Snickers, would you mind talking with me for a moment while Sweetie draws the bath?”

Sweetie patted his side before trotting away. “Yeah, mom? What’s up?”

Rarity sat and opened her forelegs. Hesitantly, Snickers walked to her and let her embrace him. “Turn around, darling.” He did and she rested her chin on his mane while holding his barrel. “I’m not mad or upset about what I walked in on, I’m certain that a couple days ago I would have taken it at face value and reacted.

“However, this is a new Rarity, as you know. You have no idea how much it warms my heart to hear you call me your mother, and I intend to be a better mother than mine was. One of the things that I need to do in order to achieve that is to talk to you, which is why you’re here with me.

“I must ask, why were you standing tall with your penis fully erect in front of seven fillies?”

Snickers, while melting into her comforting cocoon, answered. “I laid on my back showing myself to them, then Scootaloo had to explain and show me why I shouldn’t do that. Then Diamond Tiara wanted to see it, then Silver Spoon, and then I just got upset and…”

Rarity chuckled. “Ah, yes. Even though they’re always out there, they’re never truly seen. I certainly hope you’ve learned a lesson from this, young stallion.”

Snickers nodded. “Yeah, and when you walked in I felt like I wanted to climb under a rock and hide for the rest of the night,” he mused.

“Oh, don’t do that,” Rarity replied, “you’d have to take an extra long bath if that were the case.”

They shared a giggled and Rarity sat up and let him go. Snickers hummed in disappointment. “Awe, I was liking that.”

“Yes, as was I. Now, as for our hour of time together, I have some ideas and we’ll try them once you’re done bathing. Do you need any help, or are you both going to be alright?”

Snickers rocked his head. He believed he could handle it, but wasn’t positive. “Can you supervise us?”

Rarity smiled. “I was planning on sitting outside the door as always. You may both be five years old, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to trust you alone in a bathtub,” she looked away. “Especially after that first time.”

Snickers’s heart ached. “Yeah, that was the start of all this Harmony bullshit.” He covered his mouth before Rarity could say anything. “Yeah, another bit in the jar. What’re we up to, by the way?”

“Walk and talk, darling,” she urged him towards the stairs. “Seventeen bits. I’ve had to exchange the single bits for a ten bit, I’ve never had to do that before.”

Snickers stayed silent, thinking of what seventeen bits could buy him at a base bit economy. A shake cost four bits, cookies were two for one. Ice cream was two bits a scoop while an ice cream float was two bits. Sparkly pencils were four per bit while regular ones were six per bit.

Before he knew it, he was being lifted in blue magic into the bath. “Ohh… yeah,” he sighed as he sank in, free from the magical assistance. “This water’s perfect.”

Sweetie giggled. “Thanks, it’s hot, but not too hot. I can’t put in the oils, though,” she looked at her big sister who grabbed several items from a shelf and looked them over before choosing one and pouring a little into the slow water stream.

“There you are, darlings. Now, play after you’ve washed. Are you certain you can do it yourselves?” Both foals nodded. “Very well, then. If you need me, just call.”

Dropping two loofahs and washcloths in the water, Rarity turned and left the room, giving the toilet area a once over.

“Okay, me first,” Sweetie Belle said walking through the water that was chest high and slowly rising. She grabbed a bottle of shampoo and floated it to Snickers.

“Okay, mane to tail,” he advised and she ducked under the water for several seconds before emerging with a sopping wet mane and tail. “You know, after my first couple of days here, I didn’t really think I’d be liking taking a bath with anypony. It was weird and always being naked was totally new to me.

“I was in the hospital getting back to health and checked over,” he said while starting to scrub Sweetie’s mane, “when me and three fillies and another colt were taken to a shower. The others tried to help me wash and I lashed out at them, I even made a filly cry because she touched me,” he sighed.

“Why’d you do that?” Sweetie asked.

“I was new to the world, I came from a world where I didn’t want to be touched because it usually led to something that I didn’t want to happen. Hell, my mother was twelve when she had me.”

“That’s not too bad,” Sweetie said, loving having her mane washed.

“That’s in human years. It’s like a five year old pony having a foal; sure, it happens, I’m sure, but does that make it alright?”

“That’s awful,” Sweetie said quietly. “I’m so sorry for your mother and you, having to go through so much while so young.”

“It’s alright. It was the way the world worked back there. It was just luck that I survived; even with the super advanced technology available to my people, almost none of it actually stayed on planet when the corporations left. Like I said, it was a nice planet that was turned into an interstellar scrap dump.

“A dozen generations survived before me, and I was lucky enough to be taught engineering disciplines before I was ten. I had plenty of skill, but with four factions fighting for world domination, it wasn’t much of a life. Anyway, my first bath with you was the first time I was comfortable enough.

“Now, I can’t imagine how you took baths alone.”

Sweetie giggled as he scrubbed her side. “I had my sister on some nights and my friends others. Almost no pony actually bathes alone, or showers alone. Like, a couple days ago when we all took a bath together, except Silver Spoon because she’s snooty. Me and the girls have a system.”

“Yeah,” Snickers exclaimed, “I was totally awed by that! You three washed each other at the same time in the same ways and got done at the same time. Then you played fighting with me to get me clean and mom came in thinking we were really fighting, but you were just trying to wash me all at once.”

They both giggled. Sweetie swished her tail when Snickers brushed it while moving to her other side. “Silver Spoon was peeking over the edge of the tub and wanted to come in, but she was too proud to join us after making such a huff about not.”

“I didn’t know that, poor Silver. She’s super in love with me, I think.”

“I think so, too. But, what’s up with you and Scootaloo?”

Snickers huffed. “I don’t know. She was super into me, to the point we almost had sex. Then, in that stupid vision, I fell in love with her and she got over me. Now, I’m just confused about it all. I know I really like her, but I don’t know if it’s love. But, I don’t know how to handle pony relationships because I’m still learning to be a pony.”

“I’m kinda glad I don’t know what that’s like. I mean, going to a new world, in a new body, with no idea how anything works? That sounds… sad.”

Snickers stopped lathering her tail to think about it. “Yeah, it is. That’s a good way to say it. But, now that I have you and mom, and all the others, I can’t imagine being sad like I used to be.”

Sweetie turned around and hugged him. “You’re the best nephew ever.”

“Thanks. Now, can I get back to your tail? I was actually enjoying myself.”

Sweetie backed up and nodded, turning again. “So, what do you think about the changeling? Is it really Fluttershy, or do you think there’s something else going on with it?”

Snickers snickered. “About that…”

“What?” Sweetie asked, looking over her shoulder at him.

“Well, I might have made some of the stuff up just to get the Dink off my back. I really did have a little scuffle with Fluttershy, and she did act really weird, but that’s not really enough to call out a monster, right?”

Sweetie, while upset, understood his perspective and reasoning. “Well, as long as you don’t try to get Fluttershy in trouble and stop leading the Dink and Pinch on, I guess it’s okay.”

“It’ll be over by Sunday, I promise. Now, how about I braid your tail, just for fun?” Snickers asked.

“I dunno, Rarity doesn’t think braids look good on me.”

“Pshaw, we’re in the bath. Wash me and then let me braid your tail! It’ll be so much fun,” Snickers gave Sweetie pleading eyes.

“Oh, fine. But they come out before the bath is over, okay?”

Snickers hopped in the tub and slipped when his hooves landed causing him to splash into the water. He surfaced with a smile. “Yippee.”

***

“Mom?” Snickers asked after their bath.

“Yes, my little stallion?”

“Can I sleep with Sweetie tonight? Please?” Snickers asked.

“Well, as long as it’s okay with her, I don’t see why not. However, I would like you to sleep in your bed as well. Ever since you started your herd you’ve only slept one night in your own bed. And that’s been over a week, now.”

“I know,” Snickers said giving her a hug, “thank you! So, can Sweetie play with us?”

Rarity nodded. “I don’t see why not. However, I have something different in mind tonight.”

Sweetie trotted up with her mane in a towel. “What’s that, sis?”

“Well, I know plenty of games you foals like to play. I was one myself not too many years ago, after all. However, I was thinking I could show you the art of sewing tonight.”

Sweetie groaned and fell over. “Not sewing!”

“Certainly not, I’m going to try something new. Come along,” Rarity said and went downstairs with her charges following. She led them to her sewing room and showed them two short tables. “These are your workstations. I’m not foolish enough to have you use a sewing machine or try to thread needles, but I do have something you can both try, and may enjoy.”

She lit her horn and brought out two boxes and set them on the tables. “What’re these?” Snickers asked.

Sweetie opened hers and blinked. “Sticks and yarn?”

Rarity laughed quietly. “No, Sweetie, this is a knitting set. Now, I understand that you may not love knitting straight away, but it’s very useful in our world since every creature can use something knitted, regardless of their opinion. A dress can be worn a couple times, but a knit cap can be worn every day through winter.

“A knit scarf can be fashionable year round, with the right wardrobe, and you recall what happened with my knit sweater, right, Sweetie?”

Sweetie looked around. “Where is that dumb cat?”

“I hope it choked on a mouse,” Snickers mumbled and got a tug on his ear. “Ouch! Mom?”

“I won’t have you say such things about my darling little Opal-wopal. She’s a lady and should be treated as the gem she is.”

“Yeah, just like I’m supposed to be a treasured gem that should be taken care of, loved, and never hurt… then you tug my ears?” Snickers snarked.

Rarity went on guard. “Well, that’s different. You’re a colt and she’s a precious little kitty cat.”

“So,” Snickers looked into Rarity’s eyes and pouted, “you’re saying that if the house was burning and you could save one of us, you’d choose the cat because she’s cuter?”

Rarity pressed a forehoof to her chest. “I would never choose a feline over you, my darling young stallion,” she said rushing to hug him. “I’m so sorry I made you feel invalidated, you’re more important to me than anything in this world.”

Snickers looked over Rarity’s back and winked at Sweetie. “S-sister?” Sweetie said sadly. “You don’t love me anymore?”

Rarity’s eyes widened and she stepped back to look at her pouting and watery eyed sister. “No, I still love you, too. I love you both more than anything in the world and I’d give my life to get you out of the burning boutique, both of you.”

Snickers looked at Rarity seriously. “Then get rid of the cat to prove it.” A long few seconds passed before he snickered and started laughing with Sweetie Belle. “We had you! Gotcha! Pranked, booya,” Snickers pumped his hoof in victory. “And it didn’t go horribly wrong this time.”

Rarity rolled her eyes in humor. “Yes, yes. You got me, quite amusing. Now, if there aren’t going to be any more shenanigans, I’d like to spend some time knitting with you before we have to go our own ways.”

Winding down, they took a seat on the floor by their tables while Rarity walked them through the process of knitting.

“Well, this is actually more fun than I thought it would be,” Snickers said after several minutes of instruction and time to work on his own. He looked at Sweetie Belle, who had her tongue sticking out slightly as she moved her knitting needles between the yarn.

Rarity hummed in approval. “Yes, you two seem naturals at this. Are you certain this is your first- Oh my gosh, Sweetie Belle! You got your cutie mark!”

Sweetie turned to look and fell over, rolled with the motion, and stood on her four hooves running in a circle to look at her flank. Rarity snickered and then covered her mouth as she laughed. “Gotcha,” she snickered. “Not so funny when the shoe is on the other hoof, is it?”

Sweetie snorted. “You’re a big stinky marshmallow!” She stomped to her workstation and picked up her needles.

“Excuse me, my little mini marshmallow with cotton candy mane? I don’t believe I heard you correctly?”

Sweetie stuck her tongue out and Rarity did the same.

“Now kiss,” Snickers said with a grin.

“Fine,” they both said. Rarity held Snickers still while she and Sweetie kissed his cheeks several times before he was let go.

He promptly wiped his face with his yarn. “Gross, I don’t want slobbery kisses from family.”

Sweetie took her seat again. “No, just from Scootaloo and Silver Spoon,” she teased.

Snickers slapped his needles down and glared at Sweetie while Rarity cooed. “Awe, does my little chocolate drop have a crush on a new filly?” Rarity asked and made a kissy face.

“It’s none of your business,” Snickers retorted.

“Oh, I believe it is,” Rarity said walking behind him. “If you plan to start another herd under this roof, then you must tell me every little detail you can. I won’t have my colt grow into a stallion that doesn’t like to talk to his mother, after all.”

Snickers picked up his needles again and went back to work, ignoring the giggling at his expense.

“Well, what about you, Sweetie? Who do you have a crush on?” Snickers asked to redirect Rarity.

“Nopony. I’m really just focusing on crusading and being a kid right now. Maybe next year I’ll think about it, though.”

Rarity stood between the two foals and looked at Snickers. “See, my sister had her priorities straight. You should take example.”

Snickers looked aside to Rarity and noticed Sweetie Belle pointing and pretending to laugh. “Yeah, sure I will. I’ll just be a little marshmallow that’s too cute for her own good and has a certain colt watching her when she walks around like she’s the only filly on the planet,” he said sarcastically.

“Oh-ho-ho, what is this, now? A little tidbit of gossip, do I hear?” Rarity asked leaning closer to Snickers. “And who might this colt be that’s smitten with my sister, hm?”

Snickers looked around Rarity to see Sweetie frowning and puffing out her cheeks. “Well, I don’t know his name, but next time I see him I’ll be sure to get a good look at him and ask his name for you, mommy.”

Rarity winked and leaned close to whisper to him, “I know you’re just teasing, but you’re really good at it.” She leaned back and stood up. “Well, now that we have a plan for Sweetie’s future, let’s get back to knitting, as long as you’re having fun, that is.”

Snickers clicked his knitting needles together in a steady rhythm. “You bet I am, are you, lover-girl?”

Sweetie’s cheeks were tinted pink and she growled in the back of her throat. ‘You win this round.’ Sweetie Belle mouthed to Snickers.

Crusading

“Rope?”

“Check.”

“Counterweights?”

“Check.”

“Lock pin?”

“Uhm… check!”

“Cutie marks?”

Scootaloo’s wings buzzed and she lifted from the ground with a little hop; Scootaloo grinned. “We’re gonna check that box next! I can feel it.”

Snickers and the other crusaders high hoofed at once with a practiced move, their hooves clacking when they met. Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara watched from the sidelines, warily. “Uhm, are you four sure this is a good idea?” Diamond Tiara asked.

Snickers snickered. “You don’t have to ask,” he replied with a cheeky smirk that he’d adopted from Rainbow Dash, “this is a great idea. I was an engineer, this can’t possibly go wrong!”

The two former bullies looked at the crusaders that had just returned to their trebuchet with caution. “Silver Spoon?”

Silver sighed and looked around at the trees lining the edge of the Everfree Forest and the grassy area they were on. She walked to the path that led from the forest to Ponyville and made her way to town. “I’m on it,” she said knowing an adult was going to be needed, not because it was her turn to get them. “This is not gonna end well,” she said trotting back toward town.

Diamond Tiara walked closer to the four and stayed a little ways back. “Okay, I know I asked already, but why do you think this will get you your marks?”

The CmC all looked at Diamond with grins and ran into a high hoof formation. “Cutiemark Crusaders siege weapon experts, yeah!”

Diamond Tiara facehoofed. “You do know there hasn’t been a war in two hundred years, plus this thing might not even work!” She gestured to the machine.

Scootaloo scoffed. “Whatever, we built it with Snickers’s help and you know he knows how to build stuff.”

“Yeah, because he said so, that doesn’t mean he actually can.” Diamond replied, trying to impress the importance of the situation.

“Hey, I know what I know; and I know that I can build what I see in a book,” Snickers said.

Diamond pointed to the siege weapon. “That’s not electricity! You were an expert in electricity, Snickers.”

“Yeah, and how to convey the stuff through buildings and ships. If I can wire a metal spaceship, in theory,” he mumbled, “then I can certainly build something made from wood.”

“Yeah, and he’s really smart, too,” Sweetie added. “He’s working with Twilight to make a new way to use electricity. That’s more proof this is gonna work.”

“Hey, ya’ll,” Apple Bloom said from beside the trebuchet, near the crank, “less talkin’ more tossin’!”

Diamond Tiara growled and pointed to their left. “And the catapult?!”

Scootaloo turned back. “What about it?”

“Why?!” Diamond shouted.

“In case this one doesn’t work, we have a backup!” Sweetie Belle shouted, standing by the release lever for the trebuchet.

Scootaloo strapped her goggles onto her head with a snap and climbed quickly into the bucket and laid back. “Ready!”

“Roger!” Was the reply from her three friends.

“Three!”

Diamond looked at Silver Spoon’s tail still in sight as the filly cantered towards town. “Hurry up, Silver.”

“Two!”

The trebuchet creaked as Apple Bloom gave it one last little twist.

“Go!” They all shouted in unison and Sweetie pulled the release lever with a thunk.

A basket of stone that the entire group of friends had collected and were using as a counterweight lowered and the machine worked well enough to toss Scootaloo into the air several yards just as the machine collapsed under itself and sent wreckage backwards, several parts skipping around the pink filly before she could react.

Diamond screamed and ran to the side, out of the debris zone after it had finished destroying itself in a split second of releasing several tons of tension.

Scootaloo landed wobbling and laughing. “Whoo, what rush! That was awesome!”

“Yeah,” Snickers said glumly, “but the machine destroyed itself.”

Sweetie shrugged. “Well, that’s why we have the catapult! Backup!”

Snickers laughed. “Yeah, I told you we should double up. Now who’s crazy for wasting time, Silver Spoon… hey, where’d she go?” He asked and looked around to see Diamond Tiara running back to town just after Silver Spoon, still visible in the distance. “Rude!” Snickers shouted.

“Bah, don’t’cha worry ‘bout them, they probably got the hots and need a bit’a personal time to take care of it. Let’s get on the ‘pult; it’s gonna do way better than this one. Ah can feel it my flank, where mah marks gonna be.” Apple Bloom tapped the spot her mark would appear someday, maybe this very day, in fact.

Snickers climbed onto the catapult and helped Sweetie up, then they gathered a bundle of sandbags between them. With a heave, they both grunted and grumbled until the bundle was in the basket. “Okay, just a second,” Snickers said, climbing over the bundle to stomp it in more firmly.

Scootaloo landed beside the release lever. “So, can I pull it this time?” She asked Sweetie Belle.

Sweetie shrugged. “I don’t see why you can’t.”

“Cool! This’ gonna be so awesome, I’ve never pulled the lever before.” She pranced in place. “So, all I have to do is,” she reared up and rested her forelegs on the release lever with all her weight, releasing the tension. Her eyes tracked the various parts in slow motion as the weight of her slight exuberance might have played a part in causing.

Before she could form any actual thought there was a clunk and Snickers vanished from her view behind the arm holding the basket, holding a bundle of bags, all pressing dozens of times the force of gravity against a tiny earth pony foal. “...this?”

Scootaoo grimaced when she heard Snickers screaming and saw him flying far past the sandbags that had split apart from their bindings, raining forty pounds of potential death as all the above rocketed towards the edge of Ponyville.

Sweetie grunted as she got up from the ground, having fallen from the catapult when the tension had been released. “Ugh, ouch,” she whined and pressed her ribs, “I think I might have bruised something and my ears are ringing.”

Apple Bloom ran between Sweetie and Scootaloo and shouted, “Ain’t no time fer whinin’! Our stallion’s flyin’ away!” She ran off leaving the other two to look between one another.

“‘Our stallion’? Since when were we back in a herd?” Scootaloo asked.

Sweetie shrugged and grunted. “Ouchie. I dunno, but I can’t gallop right now. You go ahead, I’ll catch up with you all at the Clubhouse and we can work on our bandaging cutie marks again.”

Scootaloo looked at Sweetie. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

Sweetie smirked. “When haven’t we been okay?”

Reluctantly, Scootaloo ran to the path and picked up her scooter, wishing she’d brought the wagon. “If you’re not there in an hour, I’m coming back here to find you, okay?”

“I got it, now hurry up and check on Snickers,” Sweetie waved her friend on and Scootaloo tightened her helmet and zoomed off leaving a dust trail in her wake.

…

Snickers was pressing the sandbags down, wondering why they weren’t settling better and wondering if they’d have to return the sand to the lakeshore. He set his legs at four points and stood up, arching back to get a slight kink from his spine when the air was pressed out of him. A fading memory of being in a liftoff situation crossed his mind, then he was floating freely.

Zero G training had been standard for everypony on his planet, just in case; and right now he knew he was freely spinning. Through the blur in his vision he could hear loud static and see the local star pass his vision every two seconds. His chest ached and he realized he’d exhaled before being thrown into whatever situation he was in.

Opening his mouth, Snickers forced himself to inhale and as soon as his lungs inflated from being dramastically compressed, his situation became clear. Where he was, who he was, and what as happening resolved to one simple thing in his mind. ‘I’m so gonna fucking die.’

With the air he inhaled to clear his senses and return oxygen to his brain, he exhaled in a scream loud enough to be heard across the town. He couldn’t stop himself, it was pure terror and panic gripping him. Knowing he was near his end before he could get his mark. Before he could find true love. Before he could get Twilight to understand distributing alternating current across long distances while learning how to use gems to help with the task in place of massive power hubs.

“Hey, you know you shouldn’t try to fly without wings, right, dick shaft?”

“Shut the fuck up and save me, you walking reason for birth control!” Snickers screamed.

He felt forelegs wrap around him and, while he didn’t stop screaming like a panicked piglet, he at least knew he was in safe hooves. Once his tail brushed the ground, Snickers rolled and fell flat onto his belly, nuzzling the grassy soil under him. Tears flowed freely from his tightly shut eyes as he breathed and shook all over. “Fuck you, fuck you, fuckyoufuckyoufucking… shit,” he mumbled and panted.

Rainbow patted his back. “It’s okay, sport. You’re back on land, I didn’t think you’d take flying so badly,” she looked around, “I mean bad. You totally nailed that arc, good thing I was there to save you before you landed, right?” Rainbow grinned and looked around to see onlookers roll their eyes and go about their business. “Are you okay?”

Snickers shook his head slightly. “Terrified. I peed, I think. I’ve never been so scared in my whole life,” he opened his eyes and looked at the opening door to his home. “M-mom?” He said and then planted his forehooves in the ground and galloped to her, nearly knocking her over as he started to cry. “It was so awful! I was on the thing, then I was gonna die, then Rainbow saved me, and I…”

Rarity looked at Rainbow Dash curiously, giving the crying colt a hug. “Rainbow, can you explain what happened?”

“Uh, I think so. So, I was taking one of my epic naps after flying some new totally awesome stunts and tricks when I woke up and started doing some sit ups, since I’ve gotta stay in shape, right? Then I noticed Scootaloo pop over the horizon and then fall back down, so I looked to see if she’d do it again when I saw Snickers flying at a 37 mark 230 degree arc at roughly,” she blinked and cleared her throat, “I mean, I saw him flying outta control towards town here, so I flew over to meet him and brought him down.”

Rarity nodded. “Okay, but I have to wonder why he was suddenly flying,” she pondered and didn’t come up with any reasonable or realistic methods. “Well, I can tell you’re still shaking from adrenaline, so what say you to some soda to help calm your nerves?”

Crying quietly, Snickers nodded and was led into the boutique with Rainbow following. Rainbow stopped when she heard a familiar buzzing of wings and hooves on the rough streets pattering. “Rares, I’ll catch up in a minute. Save me a bottle of soda, I’ve gotta ask the girls what happened with Snickers.”

“Do as you will, Rainbow Dash. I only need you to close the door when you leave,” Rarity replied, looking back with an intense look.

“Sheesh, I forget to close the door a couple times and suddenly I’m a monster,” Rainbow mumbled and closed the door before Rarity could snap back a comment. Rainbow flew around the corner to meet the girls and cocked her head when she saw the group arriving didn’t include Sweetie Belle and were looking tired from their rush.

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon slowed and stopped when they reached Rainbow Dash. “Miss Rainbow Dash! Snickers just got launched into town and he might be hurt! Can you help us find him?”

Silver Spoon nodded. “Yeah, it was supposed to be a cutie mark thing, but it might have turned into a doomed colt thing!” She leapt and landed on her belly, looking up at the hovering mare. “Please, don’t let the love of my life leave me before I can carry his foals,” she gave the best pleading look she could.

Had it been a beam of light, would have reflected off Rainbow for how effective it was. “Girls, he’s in his house getting some soda to calm his nerves. Where’s Sweetie Belle, wasn’t she with you?”

Scootaloo looked back to see Apple Bloom trotting up to herself. “Well, she got a little hurt and said she’d walk to catch up. She didn’t want Snickers to get hurt and I was supposed to find somepony to help him,” she looked at Rainbow Dash. “And the best somepony ever saved him! I bet it was totally awesome, did you do a rainboom to catch him at the last second, like you did to save Rarity?”

Silver Spoon dusted her chest off. “Are you really asking that? Did you see or hear her do one?”

Scootaloo’s eyes glimmered. “Rainbow, did you just invent a stealth sonic rainboom?! You’re, so, awesome!”

Rainbow, while basking in the praise, didn’t feel right taking everything too seriously. She lowered her hooves a couple times to imply the girls to quiet down and flew closer. “Look, it’s a total top secret, so you can’t tell anypony, okay? The Stealth Sonic Rainboom is totally secret and can’t be shared.

“If Celestia found out you knew, she’d probably revoke your desserts for a decade.”

The fillies all inhaled sharply and clamped their lips closed.

“Exactly, so hush about the Stealth Sonic Rainboom, okay?” Rainbow asked to a chorus of nods.

Scootaloo raised a foreleg. “Can we go see Snickers?”

Rainbow Dash started backing up. “Sure, meet you in the kitchen.” Rainbow flew above the thatched rooftops and looked the way the fillies had come from, her eyes following the path they should have taken. “Huh, I don’t see her. Maybe she took a different route. She did say Sweetie Belle was a little hurt, so maybe she straight-lined it.”

Rainbow leaned forwards and flapped her wings casually reaching speeds that would have blinded most other ponies from the air pressure alone. Hovering over the destroyed trebuchet, Rainbow looked around the area for any signs of the unicorn filly. “Well, where the hay is she?”

Rainbow directed herself back to town and flew in a serpentine pattern until she reached the houses and then glided. “Well, she must be around here somewhere. I bet she’s making her way back, or stopped to get some help along the way. Celestia knows every house knows first aid now thanks to them,” she smirked.

“Well, guess I’d better go check on my little ounce of spunk,” she snickered breathily. “If anypony heard me call him that, I think I’d be in a little trouble.”

Shortly after her search, Rainbow landed and walked into the boutique to a worried Rarity pacing and dramatically waving a lacy cloth at herself. “Oh, my darling sister! Injured, left behind by her friends to drag herself home after an unfortunate cutie mark attempt.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes and walked along the wall while Rarity dramatized her feelings, her destination; the kitchen. “Hey, sport,” Rainbow said once she noticed the colt holding a shaking bottle of soda in his hooves. “Ya doin’ better?”

Snickers looked up at her eyes. “That… was awesome, but the most terrifying thing I’ve ever experienced in any and all of my lives. If I was a cat, I’d have two lives left right now.”

Rainbow flew over to him and tousled his mane. “That’s what flying is all about! The thrill, the excitement, the feeling of wind blowing through every hair on your body; it’s the best feeling ever!”

Snickers ducked down to get away from Rainbow’s hoof in his hair. “Yeah, and what about having absolutely no control and falling to your certain death? Ever have that happen?” He snarked.

“Psh, yeah! It’s called the Dive Bomb! I go up really high and then close my wings and let gravity pull me to terminal velocity and just before I smash into the ground and break my leg or wing, I open my wings and fight the weight trying to pull my wings from their sockets as I bank sharp to wow the crowd and do a double barrel roll, a corkscrew, a double inverted tail spin, and glide into a perfect hover!

“So, ya see, Snick… hey, where’d you go?” Rainbow asked the empty room, noticing the half full soda bottle on the table, then frowned. “I don’t brag that often, at least he could listen once in a while,” she groused and flew to the only other way out that wasn’t a closed door or the doorway to Rarity, still mid-scene to the audience of two unfortunate fillies.

Rainbow went down the hallway and saw Snickers’s tail as he descended the stairs to the basement. She slowed and flew after him, nudging the door open a little more so she could follow his hoofsteps down. She reached the dirt floor and noticed a pale glow around the basement noting the old light gems around the room, many having fallen from their places and left undisturbed for untold years.

“Snickers, ya doin’ okay?” Rainbow asked looking around and listening for where he may have gone. “C’mon, ya little splooge stain, where ya hidin’?”

“I’m back here, you walking douche advertisement,” Snickers’s voice said somewhat muffled.

Rainbow flew toward his voice and found him digging into an open trunk pressing against the wall. “Hey, there’s my favorite face! Oh, wait, that’s your ass… couldn’t tell the difference at first, by bad,” Rainbow laughed nasally and tapped her rear hooves along his spine as she flew over him. “What ya lookin’ for, is this your secret dildo stash?”

“No, everypony keeps their dildo’s stuffed up your ass, right beside your head when you start talking,” Snickers said as he moved something around.

“Wow, that wasn’t as good as I was expecting. Heh, get used to hearing that when you get older, spunky.”

Snickers lifted his head from the trunk and looked up. “Wow, I can see the ceiling through this weird tunnel… shit! That’s your over used pussy, my bad… bad… bad. Wow, I love that echo.”

Rainbow crossed her rear legs and backed from above him. “Wow, rude!”

“That’s what I call a win, you multichromatic public cum dump.”

Rainbow blushed. “Okay… that’s enough,” she giggled nervously.

“Fine, fine. Just like your last lover, I’m tired of using you, too.”

Rainbow frowned at Snickers. “Hey, that’s a bit too far. I’m here ‘cuz I care, not because I wanna shove jokes smaller than your dick down your throat. If you want me to go, I will. I don’t have to take this kinda shit from you,” she crossed her forelegs and turned to fly away.

“Wait! Rainbow… I’m sorry. I went too far and… please, don’t leave me right now.”

Rainbow turned quickly and flew to Snickers’s side. “Woah, don’t think I’d ever leave you hangin’. Hey, once you turn old enough, I’ll even help you get laid so you’ll never have to hang out alone,” she winked her eye at him and got a snortle in reply. “So, what’re you doin’ here? Is this your secret lair, or something? Are you gonna hire me and make me write ransom letters to the nobles for the ponies you capture? Because my ransom rates are goin’ up every year.”

Snickers chuckled a hum. “Well, that’s a fucking bright idea from such a dim bulb,” Rainbow frowned at his jibe, “but this is something I found that kinda helps me feel better and… can you keep this between us?”

Rainbow adopted a serious look. “Snickers, no joke; I’ll take this serious, you have my word.”

Snickers looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Promise on your primaries.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened slightly and she floated back from him. “Where’d you hear about that? That’s a serious promise, dude.”

“So, you can’t make it, then?” Snickers pressed what he held deeper into the box raising Rainbow’s curiosity. “Then you should just go and leave me be with my secrets.”

Rainbow nibbled her hoof while she thought it over, then landed and extended her wings towards Snickers and stood proud. “On my primaries, may I lose flight until they grow back, will I keep my word.”

Snickers grinned and pulled something from the trunk and held it to his chest and turned around. “This is Aeries, he’s my comfort buddy,” Snickers showed a poorly made stuffed pony to Rainbow Dash. “I found him one night I was sleeping alone and couldn’t get to sleep so I started checking out the basement after I got some water and then I found this little guy and now he’s my friend and when I feel alone and can’t handle it then I come find him and hug him and he takes my problems away and sends them to somewhere they won’t ever bother me again and then I put him back and it’s okay because I know he’s here for me when I need him no matter what.”

Snickers inhaled deeply and swallowed to wetten his dry throat and squeezed Aeries a little tighter with a happy smile.

Rainbow snerked and held back a laugh getting control over herself quickly. “Wow, well, at least that’s better than what some ponies do to get over their stress. Good on ya.”

Snickers frowned at Rainbow. “You better not be gettin’ moist thinkin’ of tellin’ about this. I’ll dust your snatch with sand if you are.”

“Sheesh, maybe you should mount that little pony and make sure it’s stuffed enough and cool your fuckin’ temper.”

The two shared angry expressions, then grinned. Snickers gave the doll one last hug and tossed it back into the trunk and buried it under other stuff. He turned around and gave it a kick with a hind leg dropping the lid with a loud clack. “Rainbow, I know I give you a hard time,” Snickers said rubbing the back of his head. Rainbow snickered and Snickers smirked at her. “And maybe, someday, I’ll give you the real hard time,” Snickers suppressed a laugh at Rainbow’s grimace, “but… thank you for being awesome with me and Scootaloo.

“I know I can be a pain, but you being you has helped more than anything else, I think.”

Rainbow landed and nuzzled Snickers. “You tell anypony I did that and I’ll write you’re single and looking in the clouds over Town Hall,” she hopped into the air and clacked her right hooves to her left. “Now, I’m gonna get outta here before I get any more sappy and any more of this dirt gets all over my hooves.”

Snickers chuckled. “Why, don’t like a little dirt on your hooves? What would Aj think if she found out you didn’t like to get dirty hooves?” Rainbow’s mouth opened and two seconds passed. “Sorry, but I’m not interested in your offer.”

Rainbow closed her mouth with a click as her teeth met. “Whatever... Aj’s something I need to talk to you about, kid.” Snickers felt his ears droop and move back slightly.

“Uh, what about? I didn’t do anything to upset her, so whatever problem she has is on her,” he said looking at a light gem on the wall and tapping his hind hoof against the dirt.

Rainbow frowned and crossed her forelegs over her chest, again. “Look, at me, Snickers. Aj said you said something about being with her sister and using Apple Bloom as a foal factory. That’s not something my Jackie would say,” Rainbow squeezed her eyes shut for a second to collect her thoughts. “That’s not something Applejack would say, that’s definitely something from your mouth.

“What’s going on there, and don’t lie because you have obvious tells. I need to know what’s going on in your male brain to make you say something so crazy.”

Snickers looked at his hooves and kicked a clump of packed earth lightly. “I… was upset because Applejerk,” Snickers flinched and cowered. “Sorry! I meant Applejack, honest!” He quickly said curling his tail around his side. He looked up and saw Rainbow waiting with a patient smile.

“No prob, I’m not mad. Just keep talkin’ so I can work this out.”

Snickers nodded quickly. “O-okay. I was mad cuz she told me I was going to be Bloom’s mate and sire a herd to work for free on the farm, so I thought I was pretty nice about telling her that she shouldn’t only think of her sister as a foal factory.”

Rainbow nickered and rolled her eyes. “That mare; sounds just like her. I have it from both of you that Applejack said something like that, only she didn’t say it that way. And since it only sounds like something Aj’d say, I won’t take your word on it any more than I will with hers. But, I will take both of what you say and tell you, Snickers, this: Ignore when a pony says something that incites you, don’t lash back.

“Whatever Applejack said, you could have easily told her to show more respect for her sister. What you did was tell her off and make her sister, your herdmate at the time, look like a slut. That’s why Applejack was ready to spank you, and she’s not easily pushed to that; especially by a colt.

“The way we talk, you and I, is how mares talk with their close friends. Mostly mares, with a couple stallions that might be allowed to join in. I’ll let you know that while our society is open to a lot of things, we still gather by gender to share stories and trade gossip. The fact you’re surrounded by mares is just luck.

“There are only a dozen colts in this town to over three hundred and fifty females. And, sorry to say, all you colts are spread across the town while fillies live in every other house and rented room. I think I have an idea, though,” Rainbow tapped a hoof to her chin, “I think I can talk to one mare I know pretty well.

“Her son is kinda like you, he shares your colors, and likes technology. Maybe you two will hit it off, but I won’t know for sure until I get you two to actually meet. I don’t know his name, but I’ll talk to her as soon as I can, okay?”

Snickers nodded and grinned. “Rainbow, you got somethin’ on yer mouth.”

Rainbow crossed her eyes looking down her muzzle. “What, what is it?”

“It looks like you rubbed shit on your lips,” he replied and kicked the clod of dirt to get Rainbow’s attention. “I guess that’s why you don’t like getting dirty hooves, or maybe you like hoofing plots?”

Rainbow wiped her foreleg across her mouth and looked at her arm. “Gross! Get out of here before I hoof your plot.”

“Ooo, kinky. Maybe in two years when I’m of age,” Snickers winked and brought a sneer to Rainbow’s lips.

“Don’t joke about that at your age, I’m strongly against adult-foal relations.”

“Okay, my bad,” Snickers said walking past her and toward the stairs before stopping at the first step. “Rainbow, thanks for everything you did with Scootaloo. She was really messed up and you helped her a lot, from what I heard.”

Rainbow hovered beside him. “Well, it sounds like you did way more than I did in one seventeenth the time. Maybe you’ll get your cutie mark in psychology.”

“Maybe I’ll get a mark in being a smart ass; imagine it, a picture of a donkey with a lightbulb over his head,” Snickers snickered and Rainbow looked up with a resigned sigh. She lightly kicked his flank and they returned to the kitchen to hear a scream from Rarity.

“What in Celestia’s name were you doing down there without boots on?! Your lovely hooves are soiled and… Rainbow Dash, what is that on your mouth? No, don’t bother telling me because I don’t feel I can stomach the thought.”

“Hey, that’s really rude, Rarity.”

“I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash, but I have to do something I’ve put off for far too long,” Rarity exclaimed, taking Snickers in her magic and carrying him to the rear doorway. “You, young stallion, are going with me to the spa for some time together. Work and worries can wait while you get treated like the little prince you are… and to clean every nook and cranny since I first met you.”

Rainbow opened her mouth to say something but a dry towel struck her face. “And, Rainbow,” Rarity said sweetly, “be a dear and clean your hooves and the steps down since you were kind enough to allow my little prince to play in that muck. Hm, little prince, I really like the way that sounds! See you in a while, darling. You know where we’ll be if you need us.”

Rarity closed the door behind her and left Rainbow looking at a towel in her forehooves. Scootaloo, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon entered the kitchen and looked at Rainbow Dash. “Ew,” Silver Spoon said, “were you, like, wiping a baby, or something?”

Rainbow growled and wiped her muzzle and all her hooves quickly with the towel doing a poorer job on each until she was done. She threw the towel on the floor and flew to the door. “Rarity wants you to clean the basement stairs, but do a bad job at it so she thinks it was me. I’ve gotta rinse myself in a raincloud.”

The fillies looked at the towel on the floor and walked around it. “So,” Scootaloo said, “who wants some ice cream since we’re alone for a couple hours?”

“We do! But, what about Sweetie Belle?” Diamond Tiara asked.

“Oh, she’s on her way, I’m sure.”

The sound of a toilet flushing preceded Apple Bloom entering the kitchen. “Hey, ya’ll, what’re we up to?” She walked around the soiled towel and stood with the former bullies as Scootaloo pushed a chair into place to reach the freezer. “Oh, are we gettin’ some ice cream? Sweetie Belle should be here fer this.”

Scootaloo waved Apple Bloom off. “She’s probably two minutes out. I’ll only have a couple spoons, then I’ll scooter back to meet and carry her back. Oh, I’ve gotta hook up our wagon and get her helmet from upstairs,” she said, pulling a bucket of oatmeal and nuts ice cream from the freezer, buzzing her wings and tipping to the side before the chair slipped from under her hooves and nearly sent her onto her side.

Silver Spoon caught her while Diamond Tiara dived and grabbed the bucket of ice cream before it hit the floor at the cost of hitting her head on the cupboard. “Ouch. Silver Spoon, check my tiara! It’s not damaged, is it?”

Silver bucked Scootaloo off her back and looked at the tiara. “Nope, perfect as always. Is the ice cream okay?”

Diamond sat up and wiped a fake tear from her eye. “I don’t know. We’ll have to all make sure… where are the spoons in this dumb kitchen?”

“Ah got’m,” Apple Bloom said tossing seven spoons between them. “Oh, we’re two short… hurry up and eat some, Scoots! We need ta get Sweetie in on this.”

Scootaloo saluted. “Yes, Sir, Ma’am!”

Author's Notes:

The discontinuity between Scootaloo saying Sweetie will return to the boutique and their initial plan to meet back up at the clubhouse is because Scootaloo wasn't paying attention.

Spa Time

Rarity carried Snickers towards the Ponyville Spa practically prancing as she went. “Oh, Snickers. You’re going to love this little time we have together. It’s actually something Fluttershy insisted I accept as a gift and that I take you. To be honest,” Rarity set Snickers on the ground and let him trot beside her, “she was quite vocal about you.

“My mistreatment of you has certainly been documented and spoken of between my circle of friends. When you were unable to speak, Fluttershy shouted some sense into me and later, as means of apology, and against all my wishes and insistence she purchased two certificates and mailed them to me.

“So, naturally there was no way I could refuse in any polite manner, so I had to accept. Why, can you imagine how hurt Fluttershy would have been -keep up, darling, you’re falling behind- if I returned her gifts through the mail? It would, quite possibly, destroy the young mare. I, for one, won’t play a part in such an act.

“So, what would you like to do at the spa first?”

Snickers’s ear swiveled and he looked at Rarity. “Um… I dunno. Can you pick for me?”

“Only if you rephrase that into a sensible question.”

Snickers groaned. “Fine. Mother, I am uncertain as to what a colt, such as I, would like and would prefer if you chose for me in this instance.”

Rarity nodded once. “Much better. I will choose what will work best for you. Why, by the time you’re done, you may just wish to go once a week with me on principal. Oh, we’re nearly there!” Rarity pranced on the tip of her hooves for a pace. “Oh, I so need some pampering and, if I know my little prince, he does too!”

Snickers leaned back and sneered at the kissy face Rarity made. “Stop doing that. I’m not a foal, I’m practically a stallion and can do things myself without your help.”

“Of course you can, my little prince; however, even the mightiest gay stallion likes to be doted upon by mares once in a while.”

“I’m not gay,” Snickers replied sourly.

“Whatever you choose, I’ll love you regardless.”

“I’m not gay.” He said more sternly.

“You’re a bit too young to make that consideration. Have you seen some colt you might want to be close to? Being one way or another isn’t as bad as it once was, you know.”

Fuming, Snickers shouted, “I’m not gay!” He opened his eyes and blushed at the entire market that was halted in its daily motion, all the ponies staring at him curiously.

“Nevermind him, everypony!” Rarity shouted. “He’s just a young colt, finding his way in the world.”

The crowd resumed their tasks and duties as though he hadn’t shouted loud enough to be heard by every single pony in two blocks. He hurried to catch back up to Rarity and took his place to her side and slightly back.

“Now, how do you feel about losing your temper just now?” Rarity eventually asked.

Snickers looked up from his moving hooves and his muzzle impacted her rump sending him back onto his own. He rubbed his snout and looked at her. “Stupid and embarrassed,” Snickers eventually replied.

Rarity lifted him back onto three of his hooves so he could still care for his nose with one. She turned to face him and pulled a small cloth from somewhere he didn’t see and dabbed his nose. “No blood is good blood,” she nodded with an approving hum, “and my little prince shan’t harm himself on my ample rump, if I have anything to say about it.”

Snickers, just over his embarrassment blush blushed again. “That sounds a bit…”

Rarity blinked and thought over her last statement and her tail swished. “Oh, my! You know I didn’t mean anything of the sort!” She stood over him and lifted her muzzle. “A lady doesn’t speak in such a way, especially to a colt that will interpret everything into that way, regardless of the meaning.”

Snickers looked up and craned his neck. “Mom, do you have to do that lady crap? You’re not a lady, okay?”

Rarity stepped back and placed a hoof to her chest. “Surely you jest. I’d have thought one of your herd mates would have told you.”

“I’m not in a herd anymore, mom.”

Rarity rolled her eyes and turned to start walking. “Herd-mates, two words. Friends in a group, or a herd of mates. Besides, ‘herd’ is more of a guideline than a rule.”

“I get it. But, I thought ponies only used ‘mate’ as a sexual term.”

Rarity glanced back. “I was told of your misunderstanding with certain words when you had your language incident a couple weeks back. Mother and sister are the same word in the same manner that Father and brother are; it’s all about context in our language. The same rule applies in Neighpon, only a bit stricter because our word for mother means just that, sister, aunt, niece, and daughter.

“The word, if I remember correctly, is the difference between saying ‘mah’, ‘mah mah’, and ‘mah ma’.”

Snickers hummed in thought. “So, there are actually different languages between ponies? What about all ponies speaking Ponish from when they’re born?”

Rarity nickered. “Whomever told you that?”

“Sweetie Belle.”

“As I thought,” Rarity said with a bit of humor. “No pony is born understanding or speaking a language, we all have to be taught. The only thing ponies do quite quickly is learn, though. A newborn pony does little more than suckle at a mare’s teat. How can one expect them to understand anything?”

Rarity held the door to the spa open for Snickers and followed him into the waiting area. “I’ll tell you shortly. First of all, allow me to set us up for a deluxe spa experience,” Rarity exclaimed and pranced to the counter. Snickers looked at a stack of magazines and went to them; sifting through several, he finally came across three that interested him, and none of them were adult in nature.

A magazine with toys, balls, and rulers on the cover was the one he pulled out from the choices and looked over.

‘FoalFun… a magazine named FoalFun. I guess I could look inside, just to see what the cover’s all about,’ Snickers thought to himself as he opened the cover. He was enchanted by the toys he saw on the first page advertised under a company name he couldn’t read because it was in elegant cursive.

He turned the page and then looked around the room quickly, cursing that there wasn’t a pencil nearby to help him finish the maze some other kid had started but stopped when they hit two dead ends too many. The next few pages had search and find games and when Rarity tried to move him from the table he was standing over he planted his hooves on the carpet to stay and look for the hiding sucker somewhere on the page.

“Just a minute, please! I’ve almost found it, I can feel it. Just a few more seconds,” Snickers pleaded and grabbed the edge of the table with his teeth as his eyes tried to roam the page.

Rarity pulled his hips with her magic. “Snickers, come on. We can’t sit out here and read all day, we have to spend time further in.”

“Go ahead, I’ll catch up.”

Rarity sighed in an unladylike fashion and looked back to Aloe. “Honestly, I never thought having a foal would be so much work.”

The spa mare giggled politely. “Ah, soorely you are nyot with your first foal, are you, Miss Rahr-ity?”

Rarity laughed. “Oh, heavens no. Not naturally, anyway. This is the colt I mentioned last time I was here, the one I’ve taken in as my own.”

“Ah, yes. I recall you saying such a thing to my seester and I, Miss Rarity. That was when Miss Apple-yak was with you, ja?”

“Indeed. Now… come along, Snickers. I’ll buy you a subscription to the blasted magazine if you’ll only let the table go.”

Snickers let the table go and fell to the floor, thankful his forelegs were dangling and were ready to catch him rather than not. He bucked his hind legs and turned around once he felt the magic leave his body. “Okay! But, mom,” Snickers sat on the floor and pouted, his eyes widened and his pupils dilated, the light caught and reflected off the moisture in his eyes; all at the same time.

Aloe and Rarity let out a combined ‘awww’ that got inner Snickers to whoop and do a backflip. “Mom, can you please make sure to sign me up for a subscription to FoalFun? It would make me the happiest colt in Equestria if you do.”

Rarity’s heart melted and she sat down, scooping him in her magic to hug him. “Oh, my mightly little prince! I’ll do that as soon as we’re home, I promise from the bottom of my heart. And… what do you say to some ice cream on the way home? To celebrate your first spa day with your,” she sniffled and rested her head on his mane, “mom.”

Aloe ‘aww’ed again and placed a hoof over her heart. “Yat is so sweet.”

“Thanks, you’re the best mom in Equestria,” Snickers gushed and hopped slightly in her embrace. “Let’s do this spa thing, it’s the only thing I can do with the best mom, right?”

Rarity let him go and stepped back. “After you, just follow Aloe to our first stop.”

Snickers looked back to the magazine for a split second before Rarity broke his line of sight and he looked at the smiling earth pony. “Okay, so… what first?”

“Ah, you will be most happy with your experience, young Snickles.”

“My name’s Snickers,” he corrected Aloe.

“Ah, that ees what I said. So, first we shall go to clean and yen we vil-”

“Mooom,” Snickers whined, “can you talk instead of her? It’s really annoying hearing her voice.”

Aloe giggled while Rarity gasped. “Snickers! That is uncalled for, apologize to Miss Aloe at once.”

Aloe smiled kindly. “No, yat is perfectly fine. Colts say za darnedest theengs, after all. If zat it what Sneekers wishes, then you may tell him, since you know our spa so waell.”

Rarity frowned for a second, then covered it with a very well rehearsed smile and with the flick of her mane to accentuate its bounce and detract from her facade switch, she agreed. “Very well. Snickers, first we are going to shower and clean ourselves very well. After that we’re going to soak in a hot tub to warm our muscles.”

Snickers smiled again. “A hot tub? I haven’t been in one of those yet! This is gonna be awesome,” he grinned at Rarity.

“Yes, and here is our private shower. You go in first, I have something to talk with Aloe about, I’ll be along shortly,” Rarity said in what seemed like a genial tone, but Snickers could feel the heat in her voice.

His ears drooped. “Yes, mother,” he said and rushed into the simple room. A low bench to sit on with hanging hooks to hang bathing supplies were on one wall while the other had a toilet next to a low sink with a partition between them. He moved past both and to the far wall and nosed his way under the shower curtain. “Nice.”

Snickers took his shirt off and did his best to fold it the way Rarity had showed him; he was many things, but being rude was becoming less of one, it seemed. He walked under the curtain and looked at the shower itself, large enough for the whole of his herd to fit and have space left over. Snickers shook his head a little. “They’re not my herd, I’m not in a herd anymore,” he said to himself. A little echo tickled his child side and he squeaked, giggling at the echo now that he knew it was there.

He puckered his lips and blew, and blew, and blew. “Damn it,” he said quietly, “I can’t whistle as a pony… yet, anyway. Okay, shower time,” he said turning on the water and adjusting the temperature. “Okay, scrubbers, check. I’d better take care of my personal areas before Rarity offers,” he said to himself grabbing a loofah.

Shortly after he was done under his tail and around to his sheath, he started washing his forelegs.

Rarity opened the door and stepped in, her conversation with Aloe winding up. “Oh, never you mind, Aloe, darling. There’s no trouble on my part, just swing by and I’ll make you leggings that will have stallions from Van Hoover lining up at the train station to court you.” Rarity laughed at something he couldn’t hear. “Okay, I’ll meet you at the tubs, then. Yes, I’ll be sure to give him one. Ha-ha, you’re such a card. See you soon.”

Rarity closed the door and Snickers heard the sound of metal clinking against the marble floor, hoof steps, and then the curtain glowed blue and Rarity walked in, closing the curtain behind her. “I apologize for the wait, Snickers; I had to apologize to Aloe for your language. She was most understanding, but as a business mare,” Rarity stepped under the water and began to wash her mane flat, “I was obligated to offer a trade.

“It’s not going to cost you anything, so don’t fret. Aloe was quite right when she said that you are only a colt, and children do say what comes to their minds. I would, however, appreciate it if you were less vocal about your opinions on others. It may be endearing now, but before you know it the ponies you talk about will find it to be a negative trait, and that’s something you don’t want, I’m sure.”

Rarity began to shampoo her mane and tail while using a brush Snickers couldn’t use to scrub through her coat to get everything from her skin to the tip of her fur off. He looked on with slight jealousy as Rarity’s whole body became covered with suds and bubbles. “Mom, can you scrub me like that? I can’t get myself as clean as you do,” Snickers asked.

“Oh, certainly, just let me finish and rinse, the girls will take care of everything else. I did pay for the deluxe package, they handle everything to make us feel like royalty in our own little town.”

Eventually the pair left the bathroom, Snickers didn’t know for sure, but he thought he was the cleanest he’d ever been after that scrubbing, and he liked it. Wearing matching and fitting white robes, Snickers followed Rarity down some halls and turns to a room with four hot tubs; the sound of roiling water quickly relaxed him and steam cleared his breathing as he took deep breaths.

Rarity stood at the edge of one of the tubs set in the floor and helped him disrobe. “Here we are, Snickers. Robes off, then slowly walk in to let yourself adjust.” She showed him be example and took nearly thirty seconds to sink until her head was just above the surface of the hot water.

“Okay, slow and steady, right?” Snickers said more than asked as he took a slow step forward and dipped his hoof into the water and slowly let the heat temper his hoof and then forelegs. “Okay, I’ve got this. No, whew,” he noticed he was sweating and Rarity was laying back relaxing, but watching him through a cracked eye. “No problem.” He stepped his hind legs in and his chest dipped into the water getting a hiss from him and perked, alert, ears from Rarity. “I’m okay. Just about there,” he only had a little to go and was feeling like he was adapting quickly… until the water touched his testes and he yelped, hopped up, then splashed into the water.

Rarity spluttered and wiped her eyes with her foreleg, and while she was starting that, Snickers broke the surface and whinnied while paddling towards her as quickly as he could. “Mom! Ah, help! I can’t swim and my nuggets are burning!”

Rarity wrapped him in her magic and lifted him from the water, unable to help looking at his supposed pain. “They look fine to me, darling.”

“Gah! Don’t stare at them!” Snickers lowered his forelegs to cover his exposed self.

“Oh, don’t be so sensitive; they’re only tesitcles. Be glad you have them since what mares have are nothing but trouble,” she rolled her eyes and started to lower him back into the water. “Don’t worry, if it’s still too hot for your… what did you call them? Nuggets?” Rarity giggled at the thought. “Well, I can see them as being akin to golden nuggets, if that’s what you’re inferring. However, it just feels uncouth to use a term like that for them.”

Snickers inhaled sharply as he was lowered into the water, this time it hurt a lot less and once he was released from her magical grip, Snickers sighed and leaned against Rarity. “Wow, this is really nice. I can just fall asleep, almost.”

Rarity shifted to get a little more comfortable and wrapped her foreleg around him, pulling him closer. “I won’t allow you to sleep the day away, but a short nap is totally understandable.”

Snickers shook his head. “Nah, not right now. I was wondering what else Sweetie might have told me that isn’t right. I mean, if babies aren’t born understanding, then what and how does all this work? Magic can’t be the answer for everything, I know it isn’t.”

Rarity kissed the top of his head. “Honestly, Snickers, while I have little to no idea of what you’re talking about, I can attest to the viability of the systems we use, as I’m sure you’re learning from Twilight, are you not?”

Snickers nodded. “Yeah, but how am I supposed to know what’s going on in this crazy universe without using the go to catch phrase of ‘magic’ while there’s gotta be an explanation that makes logical sense. Technology, math, something written that proves how something happens beyond ‘it just does’.

“That’s the kind of stuff you say to a child that asks something but you don’t know the answer or what to say to the question. So, with that out of the way, do babies speak Ponish from the beginning, like, is it an innate language?”

Rarity rocked her head side to side. “Very somewhat, yes. While it’s true that as a pony grows they can begin to speak in Ponish, but… well, Twilight’s much better about these kind of things, you know.”

“Yeah, but she’s just a librarian,” Snickers said looking up at her, “I wanna hear it from you.”

Rarity smiled and dunked him under the water. “You’re so sweet, but Twilight is much more than a librarian.”

“You dunked me for that?” Snickers asked shaking his head and getting water from his ears.

“No, I did it because it was fun.”

Snickers snickered and grabbed Rarity by the neck and tried pulling her under the water with him. She stood strong, resisting the fight he was putting up until his forelegs slipped and he splashed backwards into the water. He treaded the water and huffed. “<Oh, now I can swim? Thanks, Harmony and others, I appreciate it.>” Snickers said with a grumble.

“Snickers,” Rarity said with surprise, “I didn’t know you could still speak in that other language. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

Snickers shrugged. “I don’t really want ponies to know. They’ll make a big deal out of it and that’s nothing but trouble. I’d rather just be a pony, it’s so much easier than my old life. No tech means so many less problems.”

Rarity hummed and hugged Snickers to her. “True, the more complicated your life becomes as you get older, the harder it will be to have fun in the same ways. Now then, will you kindly rest with me and relax your body, let the heat soften your muscles for the next few moments.”

Snickers nuzzled into Rarity’s damp coat and sighed. “I can do that.”

...

Walking out of the hottub, Rarity and Snickers were quickly draped in large fluffy towels and rubbed dry by two employees each before they were ushered down the hallway to the massage rooms. Now wearing their robes again, they lay belly down on two side by side tables, they relaxed again as they waited. “So, my little prince, are you ready for some spinal realignment and muscle tension removal?”

Snickers lifted his head to look at Rarity. “What?”

Rarity snickered. “I’m only teasing, it’s just a massage. Don’t fret over the details, Silver Pip is a master with her hooves, you’ll be lucky if you don’t fall asleep.”

Snickers laid his head back into the opening and relaxed when he heard two ponies enter the room. He saw long slender light blue legs approach his table and then only two remained as the mare reared and rested her forelegs beside him.

The sensation of something warm being dribbled onto his back and rubbed into his fur calmed his racing heart and he sighed as he felt soft hooves pressing into his back beside his spine and moving from the center of his back to his hips and then back up. Every time she’d find a spot the he’d groan or nicker at, she’d massage the knots free until he fell asleep under her ministrations.

Snickers felt himself being moved slightly and woke up in a bleary daze when Silver Pip massaged his forelegs and hind legs, his flanks, and neck. He was in total bliss when he was awoken by soft nudging from Rarity. “Little prince, wake up my darling,” she said and treated him to her smile when his eyes opened.

“Ma, what? Where’m I?” Snickers asked with a quiet yawn.

“You’re still at the spa with me; you fell asleep during the massage, as I said you may. It’s time to move on to having a good grooming and a little primping. Come along, I’ll help you up,” she said and lifted him in her magic and placed him on his hooves on the floor. Snickers leaned side to side and had to have Rarity stand beside him so he could walk with her into the grooming room.

She helped him onto a reclining lounge chair and spoke with the attendants before she took her own seat and relaxed herself. Snickers smiled and relaxed listening to Rarity talk and gossip; his eyes fluttered closed again until he woke up laughing and giggling, kicking his legs when he felt his hind hoof being tickled.

“Stop! Ah, it tickles too much,” he laughed pulling himself back and fell off the lounge chair with a thump. He scrambled up and tripped over his robe falling over again to the amusement of the several customers and staff. He stood up and shook himself. “Wow, that tickled more than anything I’ve felt yet,” he giggled and climbed back onto the chair. “I’ll be less ticklish now, honest,” he grinned so wide his eyes closed.

The attendant rolled her eyes with a smile and a sigh, held his right rear hoof between her forelegs, and used her mouth to carefully file at his hoof, holding him still while he bit his forehoof and laughed, encouraging her to finish because it had to be done. By the time she was done with three of his hooves he was adapted to the sensation and had stopped laughing, resigning himself to a warm smile and the occasional breathy chuckle.

“So, my little prince, how do you feel now?” Rarity asked as Snickers looked at his polished forehooves from different angles.

“I didn’t think it was possible, but I can see myself in my hooves, this is really nice,” he said relaxing in his chair and looking aside at Rarity. “So, what’s next? Manes, teeth whitening, anal bleaching?”

There was a spit take across the room and Rarity began choking on a grape she was about to eat. Her attendant leapt up and struck Rarity in the belly and caught the small berry before it left her reach in her hoof, rolled it around the wall of her hoof, and tossed it expertly into a waste basket.

“Thank you, darling. And as for you, my young stallion, how can you suggest something so uncouth and…” Rarity, blushing brightly, couldn’t go on when she noticed not only the attention, but the giggling directed at her and her adopted son.

Snickers smirked slyly. “I read it in that magazine you ordered, mom. You know, the one with the--” Rarity whinnied and waved her forehooves at Snickers, hushing him.

The laughter grew and Rarity bit her lip. “Ladies, we’re all adults, save for my darling little prince here, so I’ll admit that I had an issue of playcolt on my bed for personal reasons. However, I had no intention of it being looked through and read by anypony underage.”

A mare whooped and another gave a wolf whistle. “Kinky, girl!” “Playcolt in bed!” “Fold out that stallion, mare!” “How big was the centerfold? Was he a double page standing up?” “I’ve gotta get an issue.” “I’d like to tie that marshmallow up tightly.” “I’d let her tie me up.” “Celestia, give me her flank shape.” “Sway for days and stallions for weeks.” “And mares, nummy.”

Rarity sat back with a content sigh. “Disaster averted,” she said softly. “Snickers, please don’t say such things around so many mares; it only invites unwanted attention.”

Snickers, on the other hand, was listening with rapt attention at the mares around the room gossiping and trading sexual ideas that grew with the passing seconds. Against his will, his body started to react and he turned to face Rarity. “Mom, I think I did something really dumb just now.”

Rarity glanced at the motion under his robe and pressed a hoof between her eyes. “Stallions should think before they speak, Snickers. Learn this lesson before you’re old enough for it to really matter.” She turned her attention to the attendant working on her last rear hoof and tapped her horn. “A quick file and I’ll be moving on to have my mane done. Can you have my little prince taken ahead?”

“Certainly, Miss Rah-rity… oh my, his a big colt. Going to make many mares very happy, indeed.”

Snickers blushed and quickly climbed off the chair and stood up, the robe draping low to the floor and easing at least the worry of eight mares seeing him erect. “I’ll see you soon, mom. I really should go ahead,” he awkwardly smiled and turned to follow an attendant from the grooming room to the next.

Ten cushions sat under ten hooded conditioning hair dryers and five hair washing stations were set into the floor with enough space for a pony to walk around. He was led to a wash station and sat next to it, then he spent ten minutes having his mane and tail washed thoroughly by a femanine looking stallion that hummed catchy tunes and asked simple questions of the colt.

Rarity walked in looking quite radiant. “So, what would you like done, Snickers?”

“Done? Like, to my hair?” He asked as the last of the soap was washed from his tail.

“Yes; style, color, etcetera.”

Snickers shrugged. “I have a silver mane and brownish coat. Whatever accents me and doesn’t make me look too attractive,” he emphasised the last word, “the last thing I need is another dozen fillies following me and trying to herd with me.”

The stallion gasped dramatically. “Oh, darling. If there’s one thing a colt shouldn’t have at your age is fillies following after him. Why, when I was your age there as a colt as yellow as the morning clouds with a smile brighter than fireworks over Canterlot,” he sighed, “that’s what true love can be, if you’re open to it.”

“I’m, not, gay,” Snickers stated.

“Oh, darling, neither was I, but look how I turned out. I can’t imagine being happier, and when a mare needs a little seed for her crops, then they know they can count on me and the boys to help them out.”

Rarity cleared her throat. “Yes, as nice as that may be, and as wonderful it sounds to me that you are indeed happy; it isn’t a topic my little prince is willing to discuss at his age. He’s still very adamant against relationships, as I’m sure you can understand.”

The stallion nodded. “Yes, I do. I’m sorry little stallion, I overstepped my bounds and won’t bring anything of the sort up again, you can count on that… at least until you get your mark and have your mane done. Oh, the things I can already imagine doing to your hair and tail is just divine.”

Rarity cleared her throat again. “Are you about finished? My mane and tail are in dire need of some attention and I won’t have anypony but the best working on me.”

The stallion posed dramatically. “And as always, Clipper is here to work his magic on his favorite customer.”

Snickers rolled his eyes, at least content that he now knew the stallion’s name and what topics to avoid around him… and most mares after the grooming room.

Having his mane brushed, moussed, styled, and wrapped; Snickers was set under a dryer and left to sit. The best part was that he was given a copy of the magazine he was reading earlier. With a red pen in his mouth, Snickers did he best to hold it in his lips while using his teeth and tongue to move it. Displeased with his results, he returned to using both hooves to hold the pen and follow maze paths and work on unscrambling words to his content while Rarity underwent her own styling.

Snickers looked up and noticed Clipper brushing Rarity’s tail and ducked from under the dryer. “Excuse me, Mister Clipper? Can you style her tail like it used to be?”

Rarity looked back to see him. “Snickers, whyever would you want me to return to my old style?”

Snickers shrugged. “I’m not bothered by it anymore, at least not as badly. After bathing, sleeping, and playing with ponies; I’ve gotten used to seeing most parts as just being there and not like I used to. Heck, I’m not even wearing anything on my hind end anymore.”

Rarity smiled. “Well, Clipper; would you mind?”

Clapping his hooves happily, Clipper replied, “Nothing would make me happier! I’m taking your tail from drab to fab once again. Go back to your dryer, young stallion, or I’ll have to restart your mane and that includes a much more fab restyling, too.”

Snickers galloped back to his seat and felt the hot air covering his head and white noise filling his ears as he went back to his word find.

...

Stepping out, Snickers looked himself over in the light and couldn’t stop the grin from forming. “Wow! I’ve never looked so good, I hope you don’t mind that I don’t wanna put the shirt back on; it just looked dirty compared to me.”

Rarity tittered, leaned down, and nipped his ear. “That’s for doubting me. Now, we have to see the farrier for a fitting; you’ve been with me this long and have gone well enough without shoes, but no longer.”

Snickers looked at his hooves, both outside and bottom. “But, I just got these so nice… god, I do sound gay right now.”

Snickers flinched when Rarity stomped a hoof. “Snickers! That is no way to speak and if you continue to do so, I’ll have to add another bit to the jar each time you use derogatory terms.”

Snickers nodded. “Okay, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude, it was just a comment to myself.”

“Regardless, you could have insulted one of many ponies in the town that have that preference. Some don’t want it to be known because of their personal beliefs or those of their more traditional families, so watch your tongue. Now, come along, there’s only a little left for me to do before I release you back to your peers.”

“I’m coming,” he said flatly.

“Not yet, I hope,” Rarity replied and then pursed her lips. “I didn’t mean to say that just now. It slipped out.”

Snickers snickered. “Yeah, I bet it slips out pretty often.”

Rarity looked back at him and met his jovial eyes with her narrowed ones. “We shan’t speak in such a way again, not at your age. This is your only warning, understand?”

Snickers nodded. “Eeyup. Got it, no talking of the mating variety. Check. Roger. Wilco. Copy that. Affirmative.” He stumbled when he tried to salute.

A short walk brought them to an open tent with an anvil and hammer sign above the cloth door. Once inside heat and the sound of metal clanging assaulted his ears and he yelped at the striking sound. Rarity, being a significant color difference in the room that felt more like a day just before a heavy rain with its darkness not being enough to feel like being in a shadow, but the room was not bright enough to see into shadows clearly.

“Ah, Miss Rarity. It’s been a while, time fer new clackers?” A stallion’s voice said from over an anvil with a hammer in his mouth.

Rarity covered her nose from the smell of smelting metals. “Ah, no. I’m actually here for my colt. It’s his first shoeing and he needs the best experience bits can buy.”

“Ahh, yer too kind. Ah’m not more than a humble black smith. C’mere, boy. Name’s Anvil Cracker,” the stallion extended a foreleg and Snickers noticed the largest leg he’d ever seen being on this stallion. Anvil’s hoof was as large as Snickers’s head and part of his neck, the shoe he was wearing might have weighed as much as Snickers as well.

Reluctantly, Snickers brought his hoof to tap ever so meekly against the giant’s and once they touched the stallion stood up. Snickers felt his eyes widen and he stumbled back as the stallion towered over him and Rarity. “Oh, you’ll have to forgive my son, Anvil. He’s never seen a Clydesdale before. Snickers, Anvil. Anvil, Snickers.”

Snickers squeaked quietly and shuffled under Rarity, glancing out from under her to peek at the giant. “Ha-hah, he’s stronger than most when they meet me fer the first time. He didn't lose his bladder, so he has some right strength in ‘im.” Anvil lowered himself to his belly and grabbed his hammer, setting it down in front of himself.

“Snickers, was it? Tell ya what; if ya can move my hammer from where it is, ta right here,” Anvil scratched a line in the dirt, “then Ah’ll give ya some taffy. If’n ya can’t, then ya gotta give yer mom a big hug and help her with one little chore she gives ya when ya get home. Sound fair?”

The stallion winked at Rarity, who nodded in reply. Snickers poked his head out and looked at the stallion. The temptation of candy wasn’t even at challenge because Snickers couldn’t say no to the offer. Stepping out, Snickers carefully walked to the hammer and looked at it. It was as long as Rarity and probably had an iron core going through it with some impossibly heavy wood holding it together.

Snickers placed his forehooves against it and dug his hind hooves into the soil, somewhat pleased the tent wasn’t a permanent fixture so the earth was still soft. He puffed several deep breaths and heaved, surprised he was moving it, albeit slowly. He grunted and strained until he finally crossed the line and fell over the handle.

“Yes! I did it! Did you see that, mom?! I pushed it and it weighs like... a million tons and I did it!” Snickers whooped and bucked the air behind him before rearing and wheeling his forelegs with a whinney. He landed and cleared his throat. “Yeah, so… it wasn’t that big of a deal,” he said, trying to play it off after having just acted his age. “So…”

Anvil chuckled and it rumbled Snickers to his bones. “Well, I did say I would and yer ma agreed. So, here ya go,” Anvil tapped his fetlock and three pieces of wrapped taffy fell to the ground.

“Dude, sweet!” Snickers shouted and climbed over the hammer to the candies and scooped them up. “Thanks, Anvil! I’m sorry I was so scared, you’re just the biggest pony I’ve ever seen!”

“Anvil is actually a horse, Snickers,” Rarity clarified, “and he’s only one of a few in the nation. Most horses moved south and on from there when ponies settled and began to control the world around us.”

Anvil planted his hooves in the ground and stood up. “Eeyup, ain’t natural changin’ nature the way yer ancestors did. So, my kind went’n moved ta where nature just happens. It’s better that way, in mah opinion. But, we ain’t here fer that. We’re here ta get ya some shoes, right?”

“Actually, just set him up for slippers, if you wouldn’t mind,” Rarity stated.

Anvil nickered and sent Snickers running back to Rarity’s side from the sudden sound that came across as one of the loudest things he’d ever heard on Equus. “Slippers. If there weren’t a way ta spit in a smith’s eye than ta make shoes that slip on ‘n off than that… twelve bits, Miss Rarity.”

Rarity nodded and stepped back a step to nudge Snickers ahead. “What?! How’s he gonna do anything with my little hooves, mom?”

Rarity giggled and Anvil chuckled. “Little colt, Ah might be the smith, but every smith has an apprentice. C’mon out, Azi.”

A golden light flickered from behind a stack of boxes and a colt emerged quickly running around the corner. He slipped on some mud from the cooling pot and barely kept his hooves under him as he slid into Anvil’s hind leg with a cough that exhaled most of the air from his lungs. “H-here, Master Anvil.”

Anvil grumbled. “Ain’t no master, ya worthless mutt. Get the colt sized fer shoes and Ah’ll be watchin’, ya mess up and I’ll have yer hide fer the hilt of my next sword.”

Rarity’s jaw hung slack at the harsh language to what seemed to be a unicorn colt. Azi, as he was called, stepped around Anvil’s leg and his horn lit. “Come, let me show you something new. Something cool with your shoes.”

Rarity’s ears perked and her head cocked to the right as she tried to see features on the unicorn colt. Snickers followed Azi around the stallion and to a small seat where Azi sat on and instructed Snickers to give him his right hind hoof. “So, have you been doing this for a while?” Snickers asked.

“No, my dream was to be a chef; the greatest in the land. Fate felt free to deal me another hand.”

Rarity stepped close and lit her horn to look at the colt and inhaled sharply at the black colt. She looked at Anvil with a glare. “What is the meaning of this?!” She pointed at the colt.

Anvil lowered his head and looked into Rarity’s eyes. “Found ‘im on the road between here ’n there. Took him under my tent, he’s mine and not your problem, Miss Rarity. Maybe ya’d like ta set a spell in the sunlight? Might do ya some good ta clear yer head from the fumes in this here tent.”

Rarity frowned and stared the stallion down. “What of his marks? The burns, welts, bruises?”

“All part ‘a the job. This c’n be a mighty dangerous place if ya ain’t careful, gotta learn the hard way, this one does,” Anvil snorted at the trembling colt. “Besides, he’s a mutt; won’t find any home fer him, so I’m stuck with ‘im ‘til I get back home.”

“And what do you plan to do when you get back to your home, hrm?” Rarity asked.

Anvil stood tall and stepped aside. “Nice talkin’, Miss Rarity. But this ain’t about business, and that’s none of yer concern. Azi, fix’m up and send ’m on.”

“Y-yes, sir. M-mister, um, colt; your hooves are amazingly clean and well cared for; the task will be done quickly and fine. Though, I will still have to take my time.” Azi gripped some nails in his magic and brought them over, along with several other tools in a rolled leather pouch. They were unrolled and Snickers looked them over with a wince.

“Yeesh, this isn’t a surprise gelding, is it?” He joked darkly. He didn’t get any reaction and the air felt heavy from more than the blacksmith’s work and equipment. With care and spacers, nails were carefully hammered into Snickers’s hind hooves and temporary shoes were slipped on to keep him balanced.

Azi sighed. “Two are done, two to go. Then you will be free, as you know.”

Rarity had walked around the colts and spent a little more time looking over Azi in detail; under the light of her magic she could tell several things about him that were different, yet familiar. Anvil had taken a seat by the fire and watched with disinterest as the unicorn colt worked, which gave Rarity a chance to ask a burning question she’d had since she first shone her light on him.

She leaned close and whispered her question. “Your legs aren’t black, are you covered in sut?”

Azi turned slightly and spoke after hammer strikes to cover his voice. “I am not black, I am not white. I happen to have many a stipe.”

Rarity’s eyes widened and she glanced over her shoulder at Anvil. Noting that the stallion was staring at the ceiling, she nodded to the colt and resumed her walking and pacing. On her next opportune pass, she leaned in again. “When you have the chance, go into town and find a round purple house, if you want to be rid of this beast. You’ll be safe in town.”

Azi nodded and kept at his work and Rarity made another couple laps, stopping beside Snickers and telling her of his part in the plan to take Azi from Anvil.

Once Snickers was shoed properly, he took a couple minutes to walk and prance around the tent, adapting to the new feeling before standing beside Rarity and watching her pay for the service.

“Thank you, Anvil. While I was a bit cross, I meant nothing by it and I truly look forward to seeing you in the future. When, by chance, will you be breaking my heart and leaving the town for your return trip?”

Anvil tossed the bits into a pile of hay. “Go get them, Azi. Miss Rarity, I’ll be here for another week, then I’ll be moving south ta Honeyvale.”

Biting back a harsh reply, Rarity smiled with effort. “Oh, that’s just awful. I wasn’t expecting you to arrive a couple days ago, and now you’re leaving already?”

“Yes, I miss my home and takin’ this lump under my care is just strainin’ me ta no end. He’s too dumb ta send ahead and too needy ta leave behind. Life is what it is, though. Ah’ve got a lotta work ta do, so if ya don’t mind,” Anvil said and picked up his hammer with his lips and moved it into his teeth. “Have a good’n.”

Rarity nodded. “Indeed. And, if I don’t see you again, I wish you the best of luck and the most fabulous of travels.”

Rarity ushered Snickers from the tent and the sound of the town washed over them in a much needed change of scenary. “Snickers, do you recall what I said?”

Snickers nodded and turned to the left while Rarity went right. “Excuse me, Miss Roseluck?” Snickers asked, rearing onto the flower cart to see the mare and her two friends. “It’s an emergency, and a secret. Can you help me?”

Rose nodded and the trio leaned closer. “What is it? You’re not in trouble again, are you?”

Snickers shook his head. “No, no crusading troubles… per se, but this is more important. There’s a black unicorn colt that’s gonna come by and you have to tell everypony to say they never saw him, okay?”

The mares flicked their ears. “I… don’t understand.”

“No time, I’ll tell some other people to spread the word. He’s running away from trouble, so he needs us to keep him safe, can you do this, mares?” Snickers asked and pouted the way his herdmates had taught him.

The mares aww’ed and agreed, Lily and Blossom went different ways whispering to ponies around the market and within ten minutes, nearly every pony in Ponyville was in on the plan. Rushing back to the boutique, Snickers walked in to find Rarity sitting with Sweetie Belle on a fainting couch. Both looked at him when he walked in.

“Snickers! You’re back and Rarity told me about the colt you were with. What’s going on, are you okay? Do you need a hug?” Sweetie asked as she ran to him and hugged him tightly.

“Urk! Why do I need a hug?”

“Because, you found another colt in trouble… it’s okay if you wanna cry, I’m here for you because you’re family and a crusader, too.”

“Sweetie, you needn’t worry so much about Snickers,” Rarity said over Sweetie’s attentiveness. “With luck, the ponies I’ve told will spread the word with the ones Snickers told and the issue will be resolved on its own. After all, if Azi isn’t with Anvil by choice, and Anvil has made it seem as though the colt is nothing but trouble for him, we’re helping them both by taking Azi away from the scene.”

Snickers nodded. “Yeah, so, can you let me go? Ah, thanks. Hey, I got new shoes, check’m out,” Snickers said showing Sweetie his right forehoof.

Sweetie touched his shoe with her hoof. “Oh, nice. I like how, ouch… my shoulder still hurts, but I’ll be okay.”

Rarity trotted to Sweetie’s side. “Oh, you were telling me about falling down. Are you doing better?”

Sweetie nodded. “Yeah. Oh, so, Snickers. I was almost to the clubhouse after falling from the catapult when Big Mac shows up and carries me to Granny Smith. She gave me some stuff to rub on it and then Apple Bloom showed up with Scootaloo and they took me back here!” She inhaled to regain her breath. “Now, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom are out telling the foals about the new guy hiding out here, if he shows up, that is.”

Snickers nodded in understanding. “Well, it’s been one heck of a day and it’s barely 4:00 in the afternoon. I’m just gonna wait… in the…” he started scraping his hooves on the floor. “How do I take these off?”

Sweetie shrugged and looked at Rarity. “Sit down, darling. To slip them on and off, you have to stand with your weight on them, one at a time, and then step forward to unlock them and when you want them back on, you just have to learn where to step and then when you slide back they’ll lock back on.

“At your age and size the options are a bit limited, but that’s why I custom order clothing and accessories from around the nation. While Anvil won’t receive any more of my business, I know my suppliers have more than enough to send me shoes in your size.

“Speaking of which,” Rarity turned to her sister. “You should at least have a set, so I’ll set something up for you and take you on a trip to the spa and have you done there. I apologize, Snickers; had I known Anvil was so barbaric, I’d have not taken you to see him. However, he was kind to you and, with this, we may actually save another foal from a lack of accommodating circumstances.”

Together they waited in the main showroom, Rarity having brought a small pail of water and towels to clean the colt, should he arrive while Snickers and Sweetie Belle played cards to kill the time.

Author's Notes:

So, this chapter kinda got away from me and I rewrote it twice to come to this point over the past week. If there's anything amiss, please let me know.
Comments are appreciated and very welcome.

A couple chapters to go then on to the next book!

Starting with more varying tales of life as a normal foal and then things take an unexpected turn!

No, not related to Harmony, or anything that's happened before in the story.

Thanks.

A New Fri(end)

Five rapid knocks softly pattered at the base of the doorway getting everypony’s attention. Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, Silver Spoon, and Diamond Tiara had returned in the interim and were playing with Snickers, running and laughing until the knocks were heard. Rarity hopped to her hooves and pranced to the door, opening it quickly to allow the unicorn colt to enter swiftly and stand over the interior welcome mat as she closed and locked the door.

“Oh, darling… you’re covered with sut and mud everywhere. May I clean you up in the bath since the water simply won’t be enough?”

Azi nodded weakly. “Thank you for you kindness in helping me in my time of need. You are most generous indeed.”

Rarity hesitated and chose not to hug him, even though she dearly wished to do so. “Oh, you’re just precious, aren’t you? I’m going to pick you up in my magic, okay? Then upstairs to a bath.”

Azi nodded and was lifted with ease. His eyes widened and he kicked his legs sending sut around the bottom of Rarity’s magical field. The foals ran around Rarity and Azi. “What’s with his legs?” Diamond Tiara asked.

“Why’s he so dirty?” “Oh no, is that a cut?” “His eye is swolled.” “His hair is super gross, can you wash it out?” “Where’s he from?” “Why was he with that meanie?”

The group looked at Pinkie wearing a fireman’s cap and holding a waterhose. Rarity gasped. “Pinkie! Don--” She screamed just before a wide spray of water slammed her and everypony else into the wall and into the door that stayed closed only because of the lock and enchantments related to it. The water washed them all and when it ended they all landed in a sopping mess.

Before Rarity could scream her disapproval, she realized Pinkie now had a styled mane that seemed to shape an ocean’s wave and was holding a hair dryer larger than a sofa. Hot air blew over the entire group, drying them and the floor in only seconds leaving them all clean, groomed, styled like they were, and with a minty taste in their mouths.

“There ya go, all cleaned and ready for introductions!” Pinkie shouted throwing the dryer into a changing room with a loud crash of what sounded like dishes and the angry noise of a cat rawring.

Rarity, while stunned and stumbling, walked towards Pinkie and tried to poke the mare in the chest. “You…” she seethed.

“Me! And everypony else, and my new friend!” Pinkie shouted and reared up throwing her hooves wide sending confetti and streamers around. “Hi, I’m Pinkie Pie; you’re new friend! I’d say bestest, but I think that’s gonna be covered soon by a certain main character in a certain story that we all know. I’m gonna have a party in your honor and you have to be there because it’s your welcome to Ponyville party and there’ll be games and cake, and punch, and balloons, and streamers, and friends, and fun, and even Zecora!”

Azi, while looking at his, oddly literally, sparkling clean -brown- forelegs and side, snapped his attention to Pinkie. “Auntie Zecora? I have only heard of her, she lives in this town?”

Everypony else stopped looking at themselves and each other now looked at the colt with wide eyes. “Wow,” Sweetie Belle said breathily, “what is he?”

“Gorgeous.” Apple Bloom said breathily.

Snickers, feeling a little jealous at the reactions of the fillies, still looked over the new colt. Rarity walked beside Pinkie and looked Azi over. “Oh, my. He’s a zony! Half pony, half zebra… I never thought I’d meet one. Oh, listen to me; speaking as though you’re some kind of ‘it’ and not a living creature.” Rarity facehoofed. “That’s just as bad, I’m so sorry.”

“It is not trouble, mare of white. My name is Kiwe and we are all quite a sight. The pink one seems to be a witch with powers most bold… uh…” Kiwe glanced around in thought. “How’d you do that?”

Sweetie swooned and had to sit down, Apple Bloom swished her tail, and Silver Spoon moved to stand with her side against Snickers, nuzzling him. “You’re still mine, I hope,” Silver whispered to the blushing colt. Snickers was about to step away, but enjoyed the contact too much.

“Kiwe sound so romantic of a name,” Sweetie said blushing. Apple Bloom just smiled at the new colt.

“Girls, don’t act so crazy,” Scootaloo finally chimed in, “he’s just a colt. So what if he’s different, that’s what Ponyville is all about, right? He’s no different than… he doesn’t have a cutie mark!”

The other CmC fillies ran with Scootaloo to Kiwe’s rear and looked at both sides of his flank. “Do you get cutie marks?” “Do zebra get marks, or only those lines?” “What kinda mark can you get?” “Can ya go crusadin’ with us?” “How many stripes do you have?” “Are you brown with black stripes?” “Are you black with brown stripes?” “Why do you have a zebra color mane?” “Is your mom a zebra, or your dad?” “How many moms do you have?” “How many dads do you have?” “Where are you from?” “Why are you here?” “And I said, ‘Extra Cheese?! Are you loco in the coco?’”

The fillies looked behind them at Pinkie and then rolled their eyes. They looked back to Kiwe and all grinned. “So?” Scootaloo asked.

Kiwe gulped and backed away from them until he was beside Snickers and slightly back in a safe area. Snickers looked at the fillies. “Girls, chill out. Kiwe’s new and you’re scaring him. Think of what he’s probably been through, and the first thing he gets is sprayed like a prisoner,” he glared at Pinkie, “has his butt looked at by ponies he doesn’t know, and bombarded with questions in what’s supposed to be a safe place. Chill out or go home.”

The fillies looked sad and Pinkie pulled a cupcake from her mane. “Friends know when to stop, and we’ve been bad friends already. Here’s an apology cupcake, if you want it.”

Kiwe took a step forward and stood beside Snickers getting Sweetie Belle to swoon again before she had to lean against Apple Bloom, who was grinning at the colts. She turned to Scootaloo. “If ya don’t want’m, can I have him?”

Scootaloo stepped away and walked to Kiwe holding out a foreleg. “Hi, I’m Scootaloo. That’s Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle’s the one that’s going crazy over you. Snickers is the colt, Silver Spoon’s the filly that’s all over him. Diamond Tiara’s the filly standing besides Rarity and isn’t really into colts at all.

“Rarity’s the white mare and Pinkie’s the one that’s really random, but she’s cool. Welcome to Ponyville,” she concluded and grinned when his forehoof met hers.

“I am Azikiwe, I am from Manehattan and everywhere else as I have had quite the journey so far. One that is best told besides a fire and time to relax under an open sky.”

“Whew, so warm in here.” Sweetie sat down and fanned herself with her hoof while Apple Bloom grinned at the new colt, watching and listening to every word he spoke with rapt attention. “His accent is so dreamy, too.”

Kiwe took a step back and touched his side to Snickers’s. “Snickers, was it?” Snickers nodded to the colt beside him. “Perhaps you are the sane one of the group, besides Scooterloo?”

“My name’s Scootaloo, not Scooterloo. That sounds like I’d take my scooter into the bathroom, or something… and I only know ‘loo’ because Pipsqueak’s from Trottingham, so ask him about weird stuff like that, I’m not a dictionary, she is.” Scotoaloo pointed to Apple Bloom who pointed at Sweetie, who protested and started a moment of friendly bickering.

Rarity tittered. “Oh, Pinkie, isn’t this just grand to watch?”

Pinkie, holding a striped bucket of popcorn, nodded. “Yeah, too bad he didn’t take the cupcake. I have more, though.”

Kiwe looked around Snickers to the pink mare. “I would like one still, if it is within your will.”

Sweetie Belle fell to her side with a sigh. “Dreamiest colt ever.”

“Ugh, this is so lame and gross,” Diamond Tiara said walked between the others and standing beside Scootaloo. “I’m Diamond Tiara, you should get something to drink while these two,” she gestured to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, “splash cold water under their tails. You’re cute, so get used to this happening around town.”

Snickers nodded. “Yeah, there’s only about twelve colts in town and seven stallions to about three hundred and fifty mares. And you’re exotic and have a horn, and can cast magic. That’s actually really cool, to be honest.”

Kiwe nodded. “Yes, back home I was teased for being different; across the nation, not so much. Thank you for the unforgettable welcome and I will do my best to be the guest I should be until I find my path.”

The fillies of the CmC grinned. “So, when you get your mark, you mean? Well, we happen to be a part of a very inclusive group of fillies and colts that are searching for our own marks,” Scootaloo waved Snickers over to stand between herself and Sweetie Belle. “We’re the… Cutiemark Crusaders, yeah!” Four hooves clacked when they met and Sweetie excused herself.

“I think I know what she’s getting,” Diamond Tiara said.

Silver Spoon bumped Diamond’s side. “Don’t be that way; you finally have friends and you should be nice to them, right?”

Kiwe walked to Rarity and bowed his head to her. “Again, I cannot thank you enough for taking me in. Anvil will surely not miss me and thanks to the pink one,” he looked at Pinkie and nodded when she waved at him, “I have not been cleaner in weeks. I appreciate everything you’ve done already and what you may do in the future to assist me. I am not intending to stay for free, however.”

Rarity tutted Kiwe. “Now, now. I’ll have no guest paying to stay, especially one in your circumstances. They are so similar to my little prince’s that I would just feel awful doing that to you.”

Kiwe smiled. “While I appreciate the idea, I will instead cook and maintain the kitchen while I stay. On my travels across the nations in search for my father, I have learned to cook, as is my dream. I have mastered many methods and cuisines, and regardless of what my mark may be, I’ll work to be the best chef in any and every way I can.”

Pinkie hopped into the air. “Yes! A new baker in town, we can have an Iron Chef contest during the Iron Pony contest and serve our meals at the end of the Running of the Leaves, I’ll call it Iron Chef Leaves.”

Kiwe looked at the Pink mare pronking in place. “I do not think the title works well, maybe we can both think on it for a spell?”

“Ohh, I like that idea! You and me, Kiwe,” Pinkie was beside him before he could understand how and was wearing a pair of Groucho glasses, a second pair she put on Kiwe’s muzzle and then she turned him to face her, their muzzles almost touching. “You and me are gonna go far kid, ya see?”

Kiwe nervously nodded as he looked in the intense and jovial eyes of Pinkie Pie.

“Great!” Pinkie quickly set Kiwe down and, in a single hop, reached a dressing room and backed in. “I’ll get a little party together for your Welcome to Ponyville party, the invitations are in the kitchen and you’re all invited! See you later, Rarity.”

Pinkie backed into the dressing room and Kiwe watched for a second before Scootaloo got his attention. “Don’t bother, she’s already on the other side of town, I bet.”

Kiwe looked at the filly, then started to point to the dressing room, stopping when every filly shook their head in unison and Snickers spoke up, “Don’t go, don’t look, don’t ask. Pinkie is Pinkie, just accept it and move on.”

Kiwe hesitantly nodded, glancing at the dressing room again. “Well, I would not mind cooking for the season, however, isn’t the change of seasons a little ways away?”

Silver nodded. “Yeah, but the Running of the Leaves happens in the Month of Earth, and that’s still almost a full month away.”

Snickers sighed. “That’s, like, 70 days… why do months take so long here?” He groaned. Snickers looked at Rarity who was in thought over something, so he let the thought slide away.

“Well, from my travels across the lands I have learned many skills from sands to sands. I desire to be all that I can, so I will do what I must to… do what I must…” Kiwe trailed off as he lost the rhyme.

Rarity sat and clapped her hooves. “That’s a fantastic goal, Kiwe. Just focus on what you love and you’ll always have a place. And, perhaps,” Rarity leaned closed but spoke loud enough for those in the room to hear, “you can teach my little sister to cook something without burning it.”

Scootaloo, Snickers, and Apple Bloom clapped their hooves together and looked at Kiwe with pleading eyes. Kiwe nervously chuckled. “Ah, well… I suppose it would be remiss of me to not help a filly in need.” Kiwe let out a choking sound when Rarity picked him up and hugged him tightly.

“Oh, if you can do that it would be the greatest gift you can give me,” Rarity gushed and set Kiwe down. “Why, a morning without charred cereal would be divine.”

Snickers cleared his throat. “Yeah, you do remember that she only cooks once a week, right?”

Rarity nodded. “Yes, and after all the pans I’ve lost, I’ve given her the task of cereal. Thanks to our mother’s influence, the poor dear cooks everything on the stove and in the oven. Something about undercooked meat in my mother’s teens, I believe,” Rarity tapped her chin in thought.

Kiwe turned back to his new group of friends and bowed low to them. “I hope you accept me into your friendship and can work with me in the times to come for the benefit of us all.”

Apple Bloom leaned close to Diamond Tiara, the nearest filly. “He sure is somethin’, ain’t he?”

Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes. “Sure, he’s okay. I really like his stripes and mane, though,” Diamond Tiara actually took a moment to look the new colt over and random thoughts skipped through her mind ending on what he’d look like in a skirt and leggings.

Silver Spoon, standing opposite Diamond Tiara from Apple Bloom noticed her friend’s expression. She took a second to glance around and when she notices she had a second, Silver Spoon lifted her right rear hoof and gently nudged Diamond’s leg so the filly lost her balance and train of thought.

“Silvie? What’d you do that for?” Diamond asked with a scowl and in a hushed whisper.

Silver leaned close and nudged her glasses up her muzzle. “You were looking at him like you used to me, and colts won’t do the same stuff with you, I bet.”

Diamond smiled maliciously. “Is that a bet? Because I’m willing to try to have a certain colt be the new you, since you left me.”

Silver Spoon gasped and gave Diamond a shove back and into Apple Bloom, who fell onto Snickers, who fell onto Scootaloo. Kiwe watched with shock and backed away from the pile of ponies and into Rarity, who let him hide behind one of her forelegs as the pile separated.

“Diamond, why’d ya go an’ tackle me?”

“I didn’t, Silver pushed me!”

“Why in tarnation would she do that?”

“Would you get off me? You’re heavier than I look.”

“Sorry, Snickers. Ah’ll help ya up.”

“I’m sorry, Diamond. I didn’t think before I pushed you, it was, like, totally random, honest.”

The group, having gotten back up, turned their attention to the beaming filly bounding down the stairs wearing a cape. “I’m back! Kiwe, look what I’m wearing! It’s the official Cutiemark Crusaders cape and when we swear you in then you can get one too,” Sweetie said stopping and grinning at Kiwe.

Looking her over, Kiwe checked the cape over. “It seems to be more of a cloak, unless I have misspoke.”

Sweetie blushed and giggled, and giggled, and giggled. Snickers stepped up and waved Rarity back. Stepping between the giggling filly, Snickers took a moment to point out the areas of the house and give the general rules. Sweetie finally stopped giggling and rushed to her friends before hiding her head under the cape to share their thoughts on the new colt.

Scootaloo ducked out quickly and moved by Snickers. “Hey, you’re new here and I guess you’ll be here for a few days before you can go out, or something, but I’ve gotta introduce you to Rainbow Dash, she’s the most awesome pony ever! She’s gonna be a wonderbolt and she’s pretty much my big sister, and she’s totally gonna teach me how to fly and I’ll probably start teaching lessons on flying when I get my mark, so don’t be upset if I get too busy to hang out in a couple weeks after I get mine.”

Snickers shook his head with a smile. “Yeah, so that’s the house and rules. That’s Scootaloo and she’s cool. I’ll give you the lowdown on everypony when we get more time, but for right now; I’m a bit antsy. Wanna go play?”

Kiwe grinned. “I would be most pleased to do so! What shall we play first? I hold an unfair advantage at most physical games, so I have rules of my own to follow when we begin, if they are needed.”

Sweetie stood behind Apple Bloom and nudged the farm filly forward. “Ah’m goin’! Quit rushin’ me. Kiwe, wanna play hide ‘n seek? Sweetie wants to hide ’n seek so ya can sniff us out,” she rolled her eyes and inhaled sharply when Sweetie tugged her tail. “Hey, Ah don’t care what we play, yer the one buggin’ me about it.” Sweetie whispered to her friend and Apple Bloom grumbled. “Snickers, can you-- ouch! Darn it, Sweetie Belle, you go tell ‘em, Ah’m not playin’ messenger fer ya.”

Silver and Diamond giggled while Scootaloo and Snickers smirked at the now exposed unicorn filly that was standing still with her eyes wide and watching Kiwe.

“Worry not, filly of white. You may speak with me, it will be alright,” Kiwe rhymed. Rarity giggled quietly behind her hoof as Sweetie toppled over to her side.

“Kiwe, you did that on purpose, didn’t you?” Snickers asked. Kiwe shrugged and did resist when he was pulled into side hug by the other colt. “I think we’re gonna get along great, buddy. So, what can ya do with that thing?” He asked pointing to the horn on Kiwe’s head.

“Uh, magic?”

“No duh, Kiwi,” Silver said snarkily and rolled her eyes, “like, what kind of--” Silver’s mouth was closed with a yellow aura of magic. Her eyes widened at the sensation and the others noticed Kiwe’s horn aglow.

“Do not call me ‘Kiwi’,” Kiwe said slowly with a deeper voice. “My name is Azikiwe and if you will disrespect my name then you shall not speak it.”

Rarity’s magic overtook Kiwe’s and his magic sparked out with a tiny flash of light at the end of his horn. “Now, now. None of that, young stallion. I can see that I’ll have to add a new rule to the already established rules; no foals may cast spells on others that don’t agree to it. Am I understood?”

Kiwe looked up at the mare standing over him and he nodded sheepishly looking at Silver Spoon. “I do, and I apologize to the grey filly. I was out of line and should not let my emotions allow me to do such things. I like your mane and glasses, though.”

Silver Spoon smiled a little. “It’s… like, whatever. It was my fault, too; for saying your name wrong on purpose. We’re cool, I guess,” Silver said flipping her braid.

“Great! Now that we’re all friends, let’s go play hide and seek with Kiwe and Sweetie as the seekers, since Kiwe doesn’t know the place yet.”

Sweetie rolled to her hooves and shook her head. “N-no, I… I can’t, couldn’t, shouldn’t… with him? I mean,” she squeaked and sighed when she noticed Kiwe smile. “Okay, I can do it with him.”

Apple Bloom poked Sweetie. “What was that?” She asked slyly.

“I mean with him! I can do that with him, totally. Hide ‘n seek, totally play and find you and all that!”

Rarity snorted. “Indeed. I think I’ll have to watch over you, Kiwe. My sister seems a bit smitten with you.”

Snickers raised is foreleg. “No prob, I’ll keep an eye on them, ma.”

Rarity nodded. “Then I entrust them to you, but let me know if anything happens that you can’t control or that may be out of your ability to manage, okay?”

“Sure thing!”

Scootaloo leaned close to Snickers. “Was I that bad?” She asked quietly.

Snickers snickered. “You were way worse,” he said jovially and giggled when she swatted him. He spoke in a whisper to her,““It’s true. You would have sucked my cock to the hilt just to hear me whisper your name.”

Scootaloo blushed brightly and stepped back with a swish of her tail. “H-hey gals, l-let’s go hide and…” she trailed off and shook her head. She walked by Snickers and whispered, “Who says I still won’t?”

Snickers stood still and gulped loudly, his eyes widening at the mere implications of what a more mature Scootaloo and he would do, and his body began to react. Rarity pressed her forehoof to the bridge of her muzzle with a sigh and pulled the cape from Sweetie Belle, attaching it to Snickers to cover some of his girth from showing; all while the other fillies scattered around the main floor. Kiwe chuckled and looked at Snickers. “Is this how it always is here?”

Turning to face Kiwe, Snickers nodded. “Yeah, every day is an adventure, and you’re a part of it for as long as you wanna be.”

Looking around at the fillies running, the mare mumbling something to herself, the filly that was clearly into him, and the colt across from him, Kiwe raised his forehoof to Snickers. “I would be honored to stay until I’m no longer needed, wanted, or unwelcome.”

Snickers clacked his hoof to Kiwe’s. “So, you’re here for life. I can dig that. Now go count, I’ve got a good place to hide.” Snickers ran out of the room and the game began. Rarity moved a mannequin into place as a safe zone and then she left the room to her sewing area to work on another cape.

…

Sweetie Belle took the lead, finally able to focus on something else and quickly found Scootaloo hiding in place of a stuffed doll, Apple Bloom was hiding in the cupboard she liked so much. Silver Spoon was in the bathroom under the sink, and Diamond Tiara played a great distraction by leaving her tiara leaning slightly out from behind a couch and when the seekers went to check, Diamond Tiara was sitting under the mannequin looking smug.

“That leaves Snickers,” Sweetie Belle said running with Kiwe right behind her. She stopped and sniffed the air, growling cutely when all she could smell was the layers of various flowers and oils her sister used regularly to make her business more enticing. “Shoot, Kiwe,” she turned back to him all business, “if you were a colt, where would you hide?”

Kiwe smirked. “Well, since last I check I am a colt, I would hide somewhere not to be seen.”

“Hmm, he has to be in the boutique and on this floor. He’s not in the other rooms, Rarity won’t let us play in the room she’s working in. The changing rooms are checked, the bathroom, kitchen, showroom, and stairs! Where else is there?” Kiwe chuckled. “What? Where is he?” Sweetie asked.

Kiwe trotted to a nearby decorative and storage wall, then easily stood up on his hind legs, taking steps almost as though he were bipedal naturally. Every filly watched him with wide eyes and, in a couple cases, slack jaws with forming drool. Kiwe reached the handle of one of the doors higher than any of them could reach and nudged it open showing a little light brown colt with silver mane grinning out at them.

“I thought I had a great spot, I can’t believe you…” Snickers noticed Kiwe standing and leaned out to make sure he was seeing what he thought he was seeing; unfortunately Snickers leaned out too far and slipped from his perch, falling into the bolts of fabric and ending up in a pile of yarn, fabric, measuring tape, and several stencil and marking items.

Kiwe walked to Snickers’s pile and landed on all fours. “Snickers, my friend, are you okay under there?”

The pile shifted and moved, then Snickers poked his muzzle out from the side. “I’m in so much trouble for this, aren’t I?”

Silver Spoon was almost to the pile and leaned down, kissing Snickers on his snout before giggling and running back. Snickers stood up and looked at the group of now giggling fillies and sighed. “Great, now I’m getting sneak kissed,” he smiled. “Well, Kiwe, what do you think so far?”

“I have not had so much fun since my younger days traveling under the sun. I wish to play more, if you do not mind.”

Snickers climbed from the pile of fabric and whatnot to join the fillies. “So, what’s the next game? Let’s change it up and come back to hide ‘n seek every couple.” That was when Rarity entered the room with a surprised, and loud, gasp.

“Snickers! My supplies are everywhere, why?!”

“Uh, mom, how do you even know it was me?” Snickers asked and then looked down to see the red yarn still tangled in his tail. “Okay, in my defense,” he said. “Run!” He shouted and the room was filled with screams of fillies and a colt as they all ran towards and up the stairs leaving Kiwe very amused, slightly confused, and very happy to be somewhere safe and happy.

Rarity stomped to the table and quickly picked everything up and began sorting it. “Ugh, that colt, I swear he’s testing my patience sometimes. Oh, Kiwe! Why don’t you run along and play with your friends while I finish a quick little task of mine and then start some snacks.”

“If you do not need my help, then I will take my leave.”

Rarity smiled and nodded. There was a soft knock on the door and Rarity sighed again and set her fabric on the table to at least keep it off the floor before she waved Kiwe on.

…

“Ha, totally made it away just in time. I could feel her magic grabbing at my tail, but I’m too quick and sneaky, like a ninja,” Snickers pranced in place and lowered to the floor, crawling a couple steps.

“Oh no! We forgot Kiwe,” Sweetie shouted and almost ran into the colt she was going to find, dodging to the right and stopping past him.

“Oh, hello, Sweetie Belle. Why are you running away, I thought we were going to play.”

Sweetie stood as tall as she could and pointed at the door. “This is my room, you may enter, but if the door is closed you may not,” she looked at Snickers with a slight frown. “Don’t ask Snickers why, but he knows about knocking before barging into a mare’s room, right?”

Snickers whimpered and closed his eyes tightly as the memory of images flashed through his mind. “I’m sorry!” Snickers shouted exasperatedly. “I can’t say it enough, okay! I didn’t mean to and,” he rested his face in his hooves. “I learned my lesson, can we just drop it forever, please?”

Silver Spoon gave him a hug and looked at Sweetie. “What did you do to my stallion, Sweetie Belle?”

“What?! I didn’t… he…” Sweetie stomped her hoof and pointed at Snickers’s room. “Boys out, girls meeting.”

Snickers stood up and quickly left the room, Sweetie closing the door behind him. “When the girls say they’re having a meeting, listen, Kiwe. It usually isn’t good for me to listen in. Let me show you my room and you can see where you’re staying.” Snickers walked Kiwe into his room and went to his bed. “This is the room, awesome, right?”

Kiwe looked around and took it in. “Well, there seems to be enough space to have some fun. Will the girls be playing in here too, or will it only be us allowed under the cooties rules?”

Snickers chuckled. “I forgot about that stuff… nah, it’s a pretty open house. Oh, hey, can you give me my shirt from the second drawer there?” Snickers caught the shirt and put it on quickly. “Better, and check out my hooves, bud! Shiny as polished marble.”

“Oh, that is quite nice. Mine are a bit rougher,” Kiwe said showing Snickers his hooves and nodded at the grimace Snickers made. “Indeed, they have seen much better times. This line here is where I cracked my hoof working with Anvil and he used glue to seal it. Not the best option, but between that or him nailing my hoof so it would stay still, I chose the better of two options.”

Kiwe chuckled and shook his head to Snickers’s surprise. “Dude, why not get it fixed at the hospital or a clinic? They’re free, after all.”

“Nay, Anvil was… not a nice stallion. That is all I will say about that,” Kiwe said with an unhappy look.

“Okay, I’m cool with that. So… what do you think of Sweetie Belle? Hot, huh?”

Kiwe cocked his head. “I do not think so, perhaps she needs some water to cool down?” Snickers groaned and fell to his side. “Oh! You mean if I find her attractive? In that case, yes. I do find her attractive.”

There was a squeak and hooves running back down the hall, a door slamming, and after three seconds the unique sound of girls screaming. Snickers smirked at Kiwe. “You, my friend, are going to be the most talked about colt in town, right next to me, that is.”

“I am next to you… well, across, but… Snickers, are you okay? You keep falling over.”

“I’m fine, I just can’t believe you’re so literal. Can you understand sarcasm, do you have any jokes?”

Kiwe shrugged. “Life is full of jokes, just don’t become one. Especially to a carnivore.”

Snickers snorted and laughed. “Okay, that was pretty funny,” he said grinning.

“I… yes, I was being funny,” Kiwe said awkwardly.

“Oh, accidental humor. I get it, and if there’s one thing I know it’s accidents… I am one, after all,” Snickers giggled behind closed lips restraining his mirth as Kiwe stared.

Kiwe blinked. “Oh… that is sad.” Snickers exhaled ready to apologize. “Much like everything else about your jokes.”

“Ohh! Burn, nice one!” They bumped hooves and Snickers quickly walked past Kiwe. “Hey, these are my books and this is my deck of cards, wanna play a game? You can tell me about yourself.” Snickers set the deck on the floor and spread the cards out in a mess. “Pick five, it’s how I start ‘go fish’. Got any two’s?”

Kiwe shook his head. “No, go fish. What would you like to know? Do you have a Princess?”

Snickers passed Kiwe a card. “Well, where are you from?”

“My mother’s vagina. Do you have a five?”

Snickers stuck his tongue out. “Gross. I mean where did you live before here? Go fish.”

Kiwe smirked. “I know what you meant.”

”Got a Prince?”

“No. Go fish. I’m from Manehattan. I traveled to Vanhoover with my friends to find my father and learned to cook along the way. Do you have a three?”

“No, go fish. Why were you looking for your father? And don’t say because he was missing, that’s obvious.”

“No fun, I see. So, do you have a three?” Snickers passed Kiwe a card and the set was set aside. “My father did indeed go missing, and I took it upon myself to find him. My mother supplied me and we had quite the grand adventure after I left her and my home behind. Once the adventure ended I attempted to return home, but came down with a bad cold.

“I was waylaid in a town for some days before I was taken and woke up under Anvil’s tarp and was indebted to him, until I learned I wasn’t. Ah, yes… have you a nine? No, then it’s fishing time.”

“Yeah,” Snickers said looking at his own cards. “So, how old are you, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“I’m seven, actually. Why do you ask?”

Snickers looked over his cards. “Oh… so, um, you’re…” Snickers looked down Kiwe’s body for a glance.

“Oh, yes. I’m quite verile and it’s most annoying. I wish I didn’t have the desires I do at times, but for the most part it is of no consequence. I have self control and once I have access to an alchemy set, I will brew potions to aid in any troubles that may arise.”

Snickers nodded and then lowered his cards. “Speaking of arise… how did you stand up so easily? I’ve been trying to do that since I got to this dumb place and I still fall over.”

Kiwe hummed and then, from a sitting position, stood up in a single fluid motion. “My mother was a zebra who was wise and true, she passed onto me many things she knew.” Kiwe lifted one leg and extended it outwards from his body. “With practice and stretching each and every day, I can balance like a caterpillar atop a rope of hay.

“From my mother’s teachings I can brew from magic to stew, I bend over backwards, flip, and cartwheel too.” Putting actions to words, Kiwe swung his free legs and did a cartwheel in the air, landing on his forehooves only while bicycling his hind legs in the air. “Impressed?” Kiwe asked Snickers.

Snickers inhaled for the first time in several seconds and nodded. “C-can you teach me to do that? I was used to walking on two legs, but I can’t now and… fuck, that was awesome,” Snickers said softly.

Kiwe’s forelegs wobbled and he tumbled over himself to his hooves and ended inches from Snickers’s muzzle. “Only fools and those with bad intentions use such language, I certainly hope you are neither.”

Snickers leaned back. “Well, I’m one great fool, and my bad guy rep’s goin’ down, so yeah, I think I just say that stuff because I do, not because I can. It’s a long story… and it’s my turn. Got a Discord?” A tingle prickled the back of Snickers’ neck.

“Yes, here,” Kiwe gave his card over and looked at his own again. “What of you, where are you from? What is your past?”

Snickers lowered his cards and debated what to say. “Well, I’m an orphan and was adopted by Rarity recently. I was a total asshole until the past week or so, ever since I became friends with all the fillies in the next room.” Both their ears twitched at the sound of loud giggling and shouting.

Kiwe’s eyes met Snickers’. “Please do not swear, it is not welcome to my ears. However, I am saddened to hear of your plight. Would you care to talk about your family and life before now?”

Snickers chuckled and shook his head. “No, and please don’t ask anyone about it. It’s my story to tell, okay? Got a four?”

Kiwe tossed another card over. “You said anyone… that is uncommon for a typical pony to say.”

“I’m not a typical pony then.”

Rarity knocked on the doorframe. “Snickers, I have some ponies downstairs wondering about your impromptu flight over town if you have a moment to spare.”

Dropping his cards, Snickers got up. “C’mon, Kiwe, let’s meet the neighborhood. This outta be good, too,” he said blandly.

“Now, now. Chin up, my little prince; first impressions and all that.”

“Mom, I’ve met them all before. Heck, I’ve probably insulted them at one point or another being different.”

Rarity stepped aside and let the colts pass her into the hallway. “I’ll get the others, you wait here.”

Snickers nodded. “Sure thing… Kiwe, the bathroom’s over there. I’ve gotta go, I’ll be right back, okay?”

“May I come as well? I have been holding it for a while, now.” Kiwe asked.

“Sure, why didn’t you say anything? Let me guess, you didn’t wanna be a bother?”

Kiwe nodded. “Yes, I believe it is not out of character for a guest to be shy; especially under these circumstances.”

“Too true, you can go first,” Snickers stood by the door and exhanged looks with Kiwe.

“So, will you close the door?”

“Huh? Why? We almost always keep it open because it’s just natural that ponies use the toilet… right?”

Kiwe glanced at the hallway and shook his head. “I am not comfortable sharing my moment with fillies present, I hope you understand.”

“Ah, got it. I was the same way, actually. Let me get the door then.” Snickers closed the door and watched passively as Kiwe peed. “Huh, so that’s what it looks like when I go. I’ve never seen another colt pee, it’s different.”

Kiwe stepped on the flush pedal and moved aside. “Y-yes, well, I can understand that to a point,” he said rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Don’t sweat it, dude. Everypony has different lives and experiences, right? Have you ever seen a filly use the toilet? Totally different experience, right?”

Kiwe nodded. “Yeah, it is awkward how open they are about it, to be honest. As though nothing matters at that moment and everypony can watch freely. Perhaps it is my upbringing, but I feel there should be a bit of distance between males and females in certain areas.”

Snickers flushed and shouldered Kiwe. “I get it, but that’s just not the pony way, I guess.”

The door opened quickly and five fillies rushed into the room and surrounded the colts and began asking questions, blocking them from leaving. Sweetie Belle stepped over the squat toilet and wrapped her tail around her underbelly in preparation to go while asking questions still.

Kiwe’s eyes affixed to her flank and when she began to relieve herself he averted his eyes and pushed through the group of gigglies fillies and their questions. He quickly moved to Snickers’ room and closed the door.

“Great, now he’s embarassed,” Snickers mumbled as he reached the room. “You girls go do your business, I’ll be right back, okay? Guy time.”

“Aww,” the girls chorused. “Fine, but don’t be too long, we’re gonna go downstairs to see what the ponies want.”

“Okay,” Snickers said and opened his door, closing it once he was inside. “So, what’s up? Did the fillies bother you so much you had to run away?” He chuckled and saw Kiwe sitting with his back to him. “Oh… crap, I know that look. Hey, it’s cool, it’ll go down in a minute and I’ll keep it between us, okay?”

Kiwe nodded. “I am a fool, no better than a foal losing myself like this. I should not have looked, but I did and now,” he sighed and lowered his head.

“Don’t be ashamed, Kiwe. Sweetie has nice flanks, it’s no secret. I’ve even looked a few times, okay?” Snickers walked to Kiwe’s back.

“Yes, but I am not you. I am a guest to this house and within my first two hours I have practically defiled the sanctity of the sister of my savior,” Kiwe lamented and turned his head to see Snickers. “I will need an alchemy set soon to make my medicines so this does not occur too often, if ever again.”

“Woah, that’s an extreme, okay? You can’t stop yourself from nature happening, just try to avoid…” Snickers fell silent when he walked around Kiwe and saw the unicorn zony’s erect member. “Wow.”

Kiwe sat still and let Snickers look at his body and take the size, shape, and color of his penis into his mind. Snickers swallowed loudly and finally blinked. “Snickers, have you never seen another stallion before?”

“No… it’s so… different than… I…”

Kiwe leaned back slightly and Snickers stepped closer to keep the distance between them short. “Oh… are you, by chance…?”

Author's Notes:

Done! Next book will be titled Rarity's Colt: A New Life and should be quite entertaining. I don't know about much, since I don't really plan past hitting a point and then the next, but there will be more of the same and a few new twists as well. Maybe more comedy and adventures this time since Harmony will be playing a much smaller role.

I'd like to thank you all for reading so far, for the commenters that hated on Harmony in the first book and inspired it to grow to what it is now, and the commenter(s) that gave a few words here and there to keep me motivated and writing on to the next chapter and book.

I hope, someday, to go over the series so far and edit each chapter as well as rewrite certain parts to make them flow better... but that's for Future Mocha.