Chapter 1

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Sparkler held a smile the whole way through as she walked down the rustic brown path leading to the country tavern, with Flappy flying beside her.

“Shoowee. Sure was a lot of unpacking today.” Sparkler said.

Flappy nodded. After spending between two and three hours moving their hefty inventory of music equipment into the new studio above the tavern, they had gone back to the Inn to unpack their personal belongings, which admittedly, there weren’t many of.

“Squawk! I’m just glad we got it done in one day. Your condition can be handy sometimes. Squawk!” Flappy commented.

Sparkler jumped in fear and rapidly glanced around in all possible directions. Upon thankfully seeing nopony well enough in their vicinity to hear them, her nerves settled down. But the ordeal wasn’t done, as she gave Flappy a glare.

“I don think I told you to zip it up about that there subject.” She hissed at him.

Flappy didn’t seem bothered at all by the harshness. He only chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Squawk! Oh come on Sparkler, nopony’s around. They won’t hear. Squawk!”

Sparkler shook her head and continued to insist. “I ain’t takin any chances.”

Flappy sighed and nodded, conceding. “Squawk! Alright. Only in our room. Squawk!”

Sparkler nodded and ceased the strong tone. “Thanks pard’ner.” She smiled. “Now, how’s about you go and introduce yourself to the local animal population in this here town.”

“Squawk! That’s a great idea! Squawk!” Flappy nodded as he split off from Sparkler and took off to find said animal population. “Squawk! Don’t drink too much! Squawk!” He said as he flew further and further away.

Sparkler groaned as she could faintly hear Flappy chuckling in the distance. “I don’t do that stuff!” She shouted at just enough volume.

She groaned in annoyance more as she continued on the path to the tavern. “I only go to these joints to socialize. Can’t a gal just do that?” She sighed. “If only anypony would talk to me.”

A few minutes later, Sparkler arrived at the tavern door and regained her happiness from earlier. As if that weren’t enough, she noticed something stand-out off the corner of her eye. She turned her head to see a white sign that read, in large, black all-caps, “OPEN MIC NIGHT!”

She beamed at the sight. “Well I’ll be a tumbleweed. It’s open-mic night. Looks like I came at a good time.” She excitedly pushed open the doors and entered the dark, but vibrant (especially tonight) tavern. Open mic-night meant that ponies would be singing and playing their instruments; that adds even more fun to the night, particularly for a music pony like Sparkler!

And if she hit a stroke of luck, a few of them would stop by Sparkling Harmony Records to record their next big hit. There has to be a few in this town that have that dream, she thought, seeing a golden opportunity on the horizon tonight.

As she stepped in and walked over to the bar area of the tavern like earlier, she glanced around at the multitude of packed-together ponies in the crowd. She giggled to herself. Open mic night must be really popular in this town!

She took a look up at the stage, where, due to being on stage, a pony worthy of capturing Sparkler’s focused attention was bound to be there.

And... she was right! Looking up at the stage, Sparkler saw an Earth Pony mare with a neutral-to-dark brown coat, not milk chocolate brown but not quite dark chocolate brown either. Her straight and thin mane was a beautiful, sunny yellow color, though part of it was covered by a Stetson similar to her own, but brown instead of blue.

But that wasn’t what Sparkler found most interesting about this mare. No, it was her music that grabbed, in fact, nearly 100% of her attention. Her Cutie Mark being music-related, Sparkler could tell when a song was good or bad just by listening to it for a mere few seconds.

And whoever this mare was, there was no denying that her talent in music was at a rare high level. The way she harmonized high and low notes with her voice, the melody of the music, everything else; Sparkler had to know who this mare was.

And if she wanted to record any songs.

Sparkler reached the familiar bar counter and tapped on it to get Grapefruit’s attention. “Hey Grapefruit, a glass of milk please!”

Grapefruit glanced over from what he was doing and noticed Sparkler sitting herself at the bar. He smiled at the sight of her second appearance today, in the exact same place where she was before.

“Hey, if it ain’t my new tenant Sparkler. You said a glass of milk?”

Sparkler nodded. “Yep.”

Grapefruit nodded back. “Coming right up!”

Grapefruit went to work filling an exquisite blue glass with fresh white milk, while Sparkler’s eyes wandered back to the stage, and more specifically the mare, who was playing a banjo-driven country tune on precisely that instrument, with a variety of other instruments providing the rest of the song, through what Sparkler could clearly tell was a prerecorded track.

That likely meant, though, that this mare was proficient in many, many instruments. Shoowee. I can hear some instruments I don never played before...I wonder if she’d be willin to teach--

“Here ya are Sparkler.” Sparkler was abruptly taken out of her thoughts when Grapefruit pushed the glass of milk over to her. “One tall glass of milk.”

Sparkler smiled as she took the milk in her magic. “Thanks Grapefruit.” She took a sip of the milk and gestured to the stage. “Say, that gal up there. You know her by any chance?”

Grapefruit looked over to where Sparkler was pointing, smiled, and nodded. “I sure do. That’s Autumn Apple. Hooves down the best musician in town.”

Sparkler nodded. “I believe it. But is she the best because she is, or was, the only musician in town?”

Grapefruit chuckled. “There are other musicians in town. She really is the best.”

Sparkler nodded. “Good. I prefer if I didn’t have just one customer.”

She and Grapefruit both chuckled. Grapefruit nodded. “Yeah I would think so. Variety is business 101.”

Sparkler nodded. “Obviously.” The conversation then paused there when her ears noticed a lack of music and a noticeable increase in clapping. She glanced over to see Autumn bow, and walk off the stage. Her eyes followed the fellow musician mare until she sat at a table. After a moment of consideration, she decided to take the plunge.

“I’m gonna go introduce myself.” She stated.

Grapefruit smiled and nodded. “She loves meetin new ponies, so that’s a great idea.”

Sparkler nodded and walked over to Autumn’s table.

At the table, Autumn smiled as the last of the applause finally faded out and the next performer was up. She was beaming with great success and fulfillment coming from this night.

That went better than I thought! If this was the reaction to me performing solo then I shouldn’t have trouble in the future!

And I’ve got some ideas for songs too…yep. I can tell I’ve got a bright futu...

“This seat taken?”

Autumn physically jolted a bit as she was brought out of her thoughts by an unfamiliar voice. She turned her head to the source, and saw a pink unicorn mare in a blue poncho and matching blue stetson smiling at her.

In fact, this was the same mare Autumn had noticed arrive earlier while on stage. She was hard to miss, given how vibrant and bright of a pink her coat was.

“No, not at all!” Autumn said. “Thanks for coming to talk!”

Autumn was hit with a light blast of surprise at this event. Sure, it was an open-mic night and everything, but this meeting was more…personal. Like, this pony came up right to her and asked to sit at her table. That wasn’t very common.

Sparkler nodded. “No problem.” She smiled and sat down in the chair across from Autumn. “I saw you up there just now. You’re a good musician.”

Autumn had a slight blush. “Thanks.” She said. They both sat at the square-shaped table.

“You play often?” Sparkler asked.

“All the time.” Autumn responded. “It’s my main job, to play music. Specifically, I work as a session and touring musician. I help bands that need an extra member in their shows due to too many instruments for the amount of members they have to play them all, or in the studio, by playing the parts for instruments that the members can’t play. Things like that.”

Sparkler raised an eyebrow at this role. “A mare of yer talent relegated to the rear of the stage? The background?” She asked.

“Heh.” Autumn responded. “Funny you say that, because I’ve been trying to do solo work more, as I was just doing up there. I guess my session and touring job comes from a desire to help others.”

Sparkler nodded. “Nothin wrong with that. Always good to help others.”

And here, a crucial and missing part of this meetup clicked into Sparkler’s mind, and she chuckled.

“Oh, where are my manners. The name’s Sparkling Medley. Ponies call me Sparkler.” She introduced herself, holding her hoof out to Autumn for a shake.

“Autumn Apple is the name here. Or just Autumn, as Apple is my last name.” Autumn replied as she accepted the hoofshake. “As that implies, I am related to Applejack. I’m her cousin.”

Sparkler smiled in deja vu at an exposure to a pony with this kind of connection.

“Applejack, as in, the Element of Honesty?” Sparkler asked.

“Yep. That’s her!” Autumn responded.

Sparkler smiled and nodded. “She’s quite the celebrity.” She said, unable to compose a more complex label for Applejack at the feeling of meeting somepony part of her family tree.

“Oh yeah!” Autumn responded. “And an awesome pony in general; I love being related to her.”

Sparkler nodded. “Must be a right time whenever you see her.”

“It’s one of my favorite things to do.” Autumn responded. “Especially when it’s the Apple Family Reunion. That’s always been my favorite day of the year.”

Sparkler nodded, then decided to change direction.

“So Autumn, you said you were doing more solo work. Ever thought about recording yer songs and releasing them?”

“Yep. It’s on my agenda for the near future. I just haven’t had much time, with all the session and touring commitments.”

Sparkler smiled and reached the point at which she released her advertisement.

“Well. I got a studio above the tavern here. If’n you ever need help. Just come see me.”

“Oh, wow! You occupy this here building somewhat?” Autumn asked.

Sparkler nodded and nudged her head to the bar. “Grapefruit over yonder was gracious enough to let me use one of his spare rooms uptop.”

“That’s awesome! Grapefruit is really generous.” Autumn responded.

Sparkler nodded. “It is fortunate.”

“Oh yeah. I already plan on going up there when I have the time. Thanks so much for the offer!” Autumn says.

Sparkler nodded. “Any time.”

Now, here was the time for a swap to the other side.

“Alright, so now I’d like to take the conversation to you, Sparkler.” Autumn said. “What kinds of things do you like to do?”

“I’m something of a musician myself.” Sparkler replied.

Autumn’s eyes shot open, with her feeling a sense of magic coming through her.
She and Sparkler already had a connection!

“Well then!” Autumn exclaimed. “We, um, could do things together!”

Sparkler nodded. “Yeah. I reckon we could! Especially since now I’ll be sticking around here for a while.”

“How long do you think you’ll be here?” Autumn asked.

Sparkler chuckled. “Forever.” She replied. “I just moved here today.”

“Awesome!” Autumn exclaimed. “Congratulations on your move!”

“Thanks.” Sparkler replied. “Still haven’t found a permanent residence though so fer now I’m stayin at the local inn.”

“The local inn here in Appleloosa is awesome.” Autumn said. “Good choice.”

“By the way.” Autumn continued. “If you need help looking for a place to live, I’m native to this town, so I could try to help you out.”

Sparkler smiled and nodded. “I’ll be sure to come to you if I do need help. Thanks Autumn.”

“You’re welcome.” Autumn replied.

“And thanks to you too, for coming to talk with me. I did not expect this kind of more… intimate thing. Most meet-ups at open mic nights are shorter, talk only about music, and are done while standing.”

Sparkler nodded. “Yer right welcome Autumn. I never say no to making a new friend.”

Autumn felt another blush coming along. Sparkler seemed so, so sweet. And to think that out of how many ponies in this restaurant, it was her that got a close meetup. Looking around, she could not find evidence of any of the others sitting across from a pony they didn’t already know personally.

“Out of curiosity, what was it that drew to you saying hi to me, specifically?” Autumn asked Sparkler.

Sparkler smiled. “My special talent is music. Fer me specifically, I can tell when somepony’s a good musician just by listening for a short bit. And you, Autumn, are at a level of musical proficiency not many can reach. So when I heard you playing earlier, I just had to meet you.”

Sweet Celestia. Autumn couldn’t even comprehend these words coming out of Sparkler’s mouth. All she could say in response was the basics.

“Thanks so much. That means a lot.” She responded. “I can already tell you’re an amazing pony in general.”

Sparkler nodded. “I could say the same about you.”

...

Wow. What a meeting this was!

And they could only ask for more.

“Sparkler, are you available at any time tomorrow? I mean, tomorrow is Saturday, and I’ll be off work.” Autumn asked.

Sparkler nodded. “Yeah. I’ll be available tomorrow. Why?”

“Because, you’ve already been great to hang out with. And this one feels different. Like, even though I’m very well-known around this town, my interactions with other ponies are very rarely like this.

“I don’t really know where the difference is coming from, but it exists.”

Sparkler raised an eyebrow. All of a sudden, something wasn’t sitting right.
“What do y’all mean?”

“Well… truth be told, I don’t quite know what I mean.” Autumn says. “But here’s some context: I live alone. And I live alone despite hating it. I’m a big extrovert and I really wish I had a roommate.”

“Yet somehow, some way, despite being really well known around here, I can’t find anypony to live with.” Autumn said through this classic world of pain that she went through day-by-day.

“What’s stopping you?” Sparkler asked with nothing but concern in her voice.

“I think… I think it’s just that I’m rather picky.” Autumn says. “I don’t really want a roommate who can’t handle instrument noise going around the house, and like, I think that’s reasonable…

“...but then, there’s me not wanting to room with anypony who is in a committed relationship. I feel like I’d be getting in their way, and like, if I have a roommate, I kind of want them to be my roommate, you know? I don’t want to be a sideliner who lives alongside a couple; I want a close friendship.

“And then there’s the fact that I tour a lot, and rooming with somepony who doesn’t like being alone either wouldn’t work out too well.

“But I can convince myself over and over again that I’ll never find a roommate with such narrow options like that, that this must be the reason why I don’t have one despite my fame, that I’m not flexible or adaptable enough.

“And it kills me inside. That comes out to a destiny of: either I have no roommate, or have a roommate situation I’m not satisfied with.

“Like, I cried myself to sleep earlier today when thinking about this stuff.”

Sparkler was taken completely aback by all this. She bit her lip and remained silent for a moment, not exactly knowing what to say to it all.

“It’s okay if you don’t have a response yet.” Autumn assured Sparkler. “I know I just gave you a big load of emotional info. Take your time.”

Sparkler nodded, and after the right amount of time, she found her voice again.

“Ah huh. Can’t say I was expecting all that. When you first said you wanted a roommate, I was wonderin’ why you didn’t have one already because of you being an extravert…and apparently it’s because you're a picky shopper. No offense.”

“No offense taken to that label.” Autumn said, leaning her front forelegs down on the table. “I would say I’m picky, but I don’t really know if that can be changed. If I tried to force myself to be a roommate with somepony who has a marefriend/coltfriend, I feel like I’d just be putting a burden on them and their partner, because trying to make yourself do something you don’t like won’t put you in a very good mood.”

“And if I room with somepony who needs peace and quiet, then where does my career go?

“So I’m pretty much convinced I’m doomed to forever loneliness.” Autumn said with tears starting to fall.

With tears being present, Sparkler immediately sprung into action. “Hey now, I’m sure there’s somepony out there who checks all the boxes. Ya never know. You might’ve just met them right now.”

...Huh?

Autumn sniffled and tried to wipe the tears away at a possible glimmer of hope that just presented itself. “Really? Are you single, by any chance?”

Sparkler nodded. “Yeah. I also have no problem with loud noises.”

“And you say you’re a musician, so yeah, that makes sense.” Autumn said. “That’s two out of three; could there finally, possibly, be a three out of three?” She beamed, possibly seeing the elusive sunrise in this story of hers.

“What was the third?” Sparkler asked.

“Would you feel lonely if I had to go on tour? Because I’m not going to stop touring; it’s part of my life. But it would hurt to leave my roommate alone for that long if they’re just like me in their extroverted nature.”

Sparkler smiled and shook her head. “I am an extravert, like you. But, I won’t feel lonely if’n you leave on tour. On that note, how well do you handle pets? Because I’ve got a pet parrot.”

“I’m just fine with pets.” Autumn responded. “I don’t have one myself, but having been around Applejack and her highly populated farm quite a bit, I get along well with them.”

Sparkler nodded. “Then loneliness won’t be a problem.”

...Wow.

Autumn could not process her emotions here. Not one bit. Like… she found somepony? She found a pony that would be compatible with her as a roommate?!

It was like this day just gave her a golden egg!

Still though, she had to take a step back. This was only the first time she had ever met Sparkler, so it makes nothing short of perfect sense for them to see how things go in the days ahead before they consider rooming.

“Wow! That’s awesome!” Autumn responded. “Finally three out of three! I guess this is all the more reason for us to meet up together tomorrow.”

Sparkler nodded. “Mind if I bring mah parrot along? I’m sure he’d like to meetcha.”

“Sure!” Autumn responded. “I’d like to meet him too.”

Sparkler nodded. “Alright. I’ll bring him along. What should we do tomorrow?

Autumn tapped her hoof to her chin for a bit, in thinking. “How about we meet in the studio upstairs and record?”

Sparkler nodded. “Sounds like a right time to me. Technically I’m closed on the weekends but that don’t mean ah can’t use mah studio. What time you thinking of meetin up?”

“I can meet you here at about, between 10 and 11 AM tomorrow.” Autumn responded.

Sparkler nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”

“It sure does! And I do believe it’s time for me to head back home here, I had my meal before I did that performance, so, catch you tomorrow, right above here!”

Sparkler nodded. “When ya do get here, look for the door with the star engraved with the words, Sparkling Harmony Records, on it. That’s mah studio.”

“Sparkling Harmony Records. I like that name. And thanks for the directions!”

Sparkler tipped her stetson to Autumn. “My pleasure ma’am.”

Autumn giggled. “You’re awesome, Sparkler. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.” She said, walking away from the table. “Bye for now!”

Sparkler waved at Autumn. “Til tomorrow!”

So, this was some day if there ever was one! After Autumn had things going so bad for her that she fell asleep crying, she finally broke out and did a performance of her own, which then led to meeting a pony who happened to tick all three of those roommate boxes.

The day would be considered Autumn’s best ever, if there wasn’t still that pervasive notion that she’s too picky.

Okay, so maybe I found a pony who’s really compatible with me, but is it morally right to even have such a narrow compatibility search in the first place?

Gah, pony feathers. So much for the best day ever!

Well, maybe…

I’m sure Sparkler could help with this. She helped a ton today. Yeah, I’ll talk to her about it sometime soon.

Good thinking!

With that in mind, Autumn went to sleep, finally able to look forward to something again.

To be continued…

Chapter 2

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“And after that, Autumn and I agreed to hang out tomorrow in the new studio. You’ll get to meet’er and we’ll have a right time recordin and stuff.” Sparkler happily said.

Flappy listened to the joyfulness in her voice as Sparkler finished up her story. It was now late at night, and after a long, eventful first day in Appleloosa, both he and Sparkler had returned to their room at the Inn.

Flappy raised an eyebrow. “Squawk! So...you met a new pony. Squawk!” He said.

Sparkler nodded. “Yep.”

“Squawk! You introduced yourself. Squawk!”

“Sure did.” Sparkler replied.

“Squawk! You two held a legitimate conversation. Squawk!”

“You bet.”

“Squawk! And now you have plans to hang out tomorrow at the studio. Squawk!”

Sparkler nodded. “Yer darn tootin we do.”

Flappy stared at Sparkler for a solid minute before a grin exploded on his face. “Squawk! You made a new friend tonight! Squawk!”

Sparkler realized what Flappy was getting at and chuckled. “Yeah. I don reckon I did.”

Flappy let out a woot woot. “Squawk! Your first pony friend outside your parents! You FINALLY made a friend after all these years! Squawk!”

Sparkler blushed. “Oh. Yeah. I guess Autumn is my first friend outside you and mah folks.”

Flappy laughed. “Squawk! And she’s a musician too. Just your luck, the first friend you make in this town is a musician.”

Sparkler chuckled and nodded. “Yeah. Can’t say I was really expecting it.” She said as she lit her horn and encased her poncho in her magic. She lifted it off her and hung in on the door hook.

Flappy nodded. “Squawk! Well what are ya waitin for? Did you talk about anything besides music? Don’t leave me hanging! Squawk!”

Sparkler chuckled as she remembered the other important part of the meeting, walked over to the bed, and hopped up onto it.

“Well.” She said as she sat down. “We actually did talk about something that may result in our residency problem bein resolved.”

Flappy raised an eyebrow. “Squawk! Oh? Squawk!”

Sparkler nodded. “She don mentioned she was looking for a roommate. Quite the picky gal too. She needs a roommate that wasn’t in a committed relationship, won’t feel lonely when she travels, and doesn’t mind loud noises.”

Flappy smiled. “Squawk! Sounds like you check all three boxes. Squawk!”

Sparkler nodded. “Yeah...I don reckon I do.”

Flappy immediately picked up on Sparkler’s less enthusiastic tone. He raised an eyebrow. “Squawk! Something wrong pal? Squawk!”

Sparkler sighed and craned her neck to look at her side, where there were a pair of pink wings with gradient blue tips. “I may not have told the gal about my condition.” She said sadly.

Flappy sighed. He should’ve seen this coming. “Squawk! Hey, this isn’t Saddle Arabia. Who knows...maybe this town is friendlier to ponies like you. Squawk!”

Sparkler nodded. “Maybe. But still...I decided to hide mah wings under the poncho and look what happened. I finally made a friend, a real, genuine friend.”

Flappy nodded. “Squawk! From what you’ve told me she doesn’t seem like the kinda pony to just turn her back on a friend for them having extra things. Squawk!”

Sparkler sighed. “I thought the same thing about Sheldon. And look how THAT turned out.”

Flappy shuddered. “Squawk! Yeah that wasn’t a good day. Still though, new town, new life, new ponies. Squawk!”

Sparkler nodded. “But does that mean a fresh start...”

Flappy sighed. “Squawk! Look, I know you’re scared—“ He gestured out the window. “—But there’s a new town out there, a whole new world to see. Far away from Saddle Arabia. Far from any pony that knows about your condition. And I highly doubt anypony from Kilihima village lives here. Squawk!”

“What’re you goin on about Flappy?” Sparkler asked.

“Squawk! This is a fresh start for you. Isn’t that why we moved out of Saddle Arabia? For you to have a fresh start? Squawk!”

Sparkler sighed and nodded. Flappy continued. “Squawk! Look, I’m not gonna pressure you into telling anypony. But I REALLY think you should consider it. Especially if you and Autumn end up rooming together. Squawk!”

Sparkler nodded. “I know. I just...I can’t go through all that again Flappy.” She sniffled as her eyes started to glisten. “I just can’t.”

Flappy saw the tears coming from a mile away and lunged to wrap his wings around Sparkler. “Squawk! Hey. Don’t worry pard’ner. I’ll always be here for ya. Me and you. Squawk!”

Sparkler giggled. “Always got each other’s back we do.” She wrapped her forelegs, and both wings, around Flappy. Basking in the familiar embrace of a friend. “I’m still scared though.”

Flappy nodded. “Squawk! Hey, just remember that no matter how bad things get, you’ll always have a friend in me. Squawk!”

Sparkler nodded. “Thanks Flappy.”

The sun grazed the desert land and poured into the windows of Appleloosa. Including the Inn where Sparkler and Flappy...were already up? What?

Sparkler closed up her saddle bag and used her magic to load it up on her back. She smiled and turned to Flappy. “Ready fer our first flight in Appleloosa, Flappy?”

Flappy nodded. “Squawk! Heck yeah. But hold on. I thought you said you weren’t ready to reveal your wings? Squawk!”

Sparkler nodded. “Which is why I’m gonna turn invisible.” She lit and flashed her horn, and disappeared from view. “With this here spell, I can keep mahself hidden until we get out of town.” Her disembodied voice said.

Flappy smiled. “Squawk! That’s genius! Squawk!”

At that moment, a window opened and Sparkler’s voice chuckled. “Before we go however…” Flappy felt a tingle in his eye before seeing Sparkler reappearing, though not completely. Like a ghost. She smiled. “Come on pard’ner. Let’s fly!”

Flappy raised an eyebrow, as Sparkler seemed to be forgetting something. “Squawk! Wait, I don’t remember, you have your poncho right? Squawk!”

After a second, Flappy saw the poncho float from the hook on the wall, and disappear into what he assumed was Sparkler’s saddlebag. “I do now.” Sparkler said with a chuckle.

Flappy nodded and spread his wings. “Squawk! Let’s fly! Squawk!”

Autumn woke up the next morning in preparation for performing a check on how she’s feeling. Her thoughts before drifting off last night were “Well, let’s just see how things go” In reference to her mental state, and she expected that to be the first thing she thought about in the new day.

She was right, and sadly, there didn’t appear to be any change. She still felt justified in calling herself “picky” in a negative light when it came to finding a roommate, and it still hurt her heart.

However, she then fortunately remembered that there now existed a go-to place for help on this...

“I’ll try and talk to Sparkler. I think she could help.”

“And we agreed to meet together today anyway, in her new studio. Yeah. I’m gonna go ahead over there!”

She looked over at her bedroom clock; the current time was 9:13, so getting there on time wouldn’t be difficult.

Good thinking on Autumn’s part to ask Sparkler for support on her struggles. She had to go through her classic lonely morning routine again, but at least she had hopefully a session of help to look forward to.

Sparkler and Flappy soared side by side in the desert sky, making the trip back to Appleloosa after their morning flight/scouting mission for potential secluded flying spots. In which both parts of the mission were successful.

“Well. I don reckon that canyon is a fine place to fly!” Sparkler exclaimed excitedly, smiling wildly.

Flappy nodded. “Squawk! Nice, secluded. Perfect for maintaining your cover. Squawk!”

Sparkler nodded and noticed Appleloosa quickly getting closer in her view. “Speaking of maintaining cover. Time fer me to go invisible. It’s nearly time fer Autumn to be gettin to the studio so let’s head there.” She said as she lit her horn and cloaked herself.

Flappy nodded. “Squawk! Well there ain’t no point in keeping pace with you if yer just gonna cloak on me. See you there. Squawk!” With that, he took off towards the tavern.

Sparkler nodded and chuckled. “Sure thing Flappy.” She shook her head and took off after him.

No longer than a minute later, Sparkler reached the familiar building from yesterday and found Flappy waiting by a window on the second floor of the tavern. She peeked into the window to see that it was their studio.

She smiled, and, without saying a word, lit her horn and teleported into the building, where she canceled her cloaking spell and quickly summoned her poncho from her saddlebag to slip into it. She then went over to the window and opened it to let Flappy in.

Flappy chuckled. “Squawk! Ya know, For Nightmare Night you could be a ghost. Squawk!”

Sparkler laughed. “Hehe. Yeah. I reckon I could.” With the invisibility spell, she could be even more of a ghost!

Autumn traveled down the same path to the tavern she had taken yesterday. The difference being that she was now headed to the tavern’s new music studio. Oh yeah, she wasn’t just hanging out with Sparkler today for help with her emotional hardships. Today was a musical day too.

Good thing I remembered to bring my gear. Autumn thought.

She stepped back into the tavern, where her first encounter was Grapefruit, another familiar face from the previous day.

Grapefruit heard the doors to his tavern open and turned to see Autumn enter the building. He smiled. “Well if it isn’t Autumn Apple. Good morning! What brings you here today?” He asked.

Autumn felt warmth in her heart at such a greeting. “Good morning to you too, Grapefruit! I’m here today to work with Sparkling Medley in her new studio up on the top floor of this building. Excited for that.”

Grapefruit smiled and nodded. “Well I hope you two have fun. She sure sounds like your kinda gal.” He said with a wink, knowing Autumn’s struggle to find a roommate.

It was a product of Autumn’s fame around town; lots of ponies knew about her desire and requirements for a roommate.

“She does seem like a good fit; I can tell that already.” Autumn replies. “Hope you have fun too!”

Grapefruit nodded and tipped his hat to Autumn as she walked past him to the stairs. “Thank you Autumn.

“See ya later Grapefruit!” Autumn exclaimed as she made her way up the dark staircase and on to the second floor that appeared barren, but that she knew had a gem behind that specific door with a beautiful decoration on it. A gold star, with the exact brand name she was looking for: Sparkling Harmony Records.

Here we go, Autumn thought, knocking on the door.

Inside, Sparkler and Flappy heard the knock, and Sparkler almost jumped in excitement. “Shoowee! That must be her!”

She bolted for the door and swung it open to reveal Autumn, who had a guitar bag strapped to her side.

“Well bust mah whistle. Good mornin Autumn!” Sparkler exclaimed excitedly.

“Hi Sparkler!” Autumn responded. “Awesome to see you again! I loved that hangout downstairs last night. It was really fun.”

Sparkler smiled. “Always a pleasure to meet a new friend.” She backed away from the doorway to let Autumn in. “Well don’t be a stranger. Come in. Welcome to Sparkling Harmony Records.”

Autumn giggled at that “stranger” sentence and walked into the sight of a fully-completed, professional-look studio.

“Wow! You say you just moved here; how did you make the studio look like this so fast?”

Sparkler smiled and tapped the horn on her head. “This here horn means I can magically move things into place much quicker than Earth Ponies or Pegasi. It also helps that I had help.”

“Squawk! And that help would be me. Squawk!” Came a raspy voice Autumn didn’t recognize, from a creature she didn’t know existed.

Autumn turned her head to the direction from where the voice came from, and noticed a small teal parrot sitting on the big console in the room.

“Oh! You must be Sparkler’s pet parrot she was talking about last night. Nice to meet you!” She said, walking over to the bird.

The parrot nodded. “Squawk! So you must be Autumn Apple. The gal Sparkler wouldn’t shut up about last night. Squawk!” He extended a wing out to Autumn. “Squawk! Nice to meetcha! I’m Flappy! Sparkler’s faithful pet parrot, loyal friend, and assistant producer here at Sparkling Harmony Records!”

Autumn giggled as Flappy’s wing wrapped around her hoof. “Nice to hear Sparkler has such a good companion! I didn’t know parrots could do jobs!” She said.

Sparkler chuckled and nodded. “That’s what ya get when yer parrot watches ya do yer schoolwork for twelve years. They tend to smarten up enough that you can put them to work.” She explained.

Flappy nodded. “Squawk! Yep. I’m smarter than yer average bird. Squawk!”

Autumn couldn’t believe the history she was hearing.

“Oh wow!” She said. “You’ve had Flappy for a long time!”

Sparkler nodded. “Yes ma’am. Had him ever since he was a wee whittle chick.” She leaned in over the console and nuzzled Flappy in the cheek while she said this.

Autumn could almost feel a cuteness overload coming on. “Aww.” She said in response.

Sparkler chuckled as she nodded and decided to move back on track. “So, Autumn. I see you brought yer guitar with ya.”

“Yep.” Autumn responded. “I was planning to work on the banjo-driven song you were hearing me play last night, but I find that song is still kind of lacking in guitar parts.

“If you’re wondering, yes, what you heard last night was a demo.”

Sparkler raised an eyebrow. “A demo huh? I could’ve sworn it was the full song.”

Autumn realized her statement wasn’t totally accurate. “Well, it is mostly full.” She said. “Correction from earlier; it’s not really a demo, it’s just slightly incomplete.

“Most of the instrument parts, I think are complete, but if you remember from last night, there was barely any acoustic guitar in that mix. I could feel there was an empty part. And I’m here to fill that part.”

Sparkler nodded, seeing the need now. “Well then. Let’s get to it shall we? You happen to bring a record of what you have with ya?”

“Yep.” Autumn said, reaching into her saddlebag and showing the record sleeve. “Luckily, I didn’t forget.”

Sparkler nodded. “If’n you give that to me, I can set it up on the player and we can get this show on the road.” She gestured behind her at the open space. “Behind me is the recordin area.” She said.

“Alright. Let’s do it!” Autumn responded, handing over the brown sleeve.

Sparkler took the record in her magic and walked around the console, to a bulky record player that was hooked up to the main console. She put the record inside the machine and sat herself in one of the chairs. She smiled at Autumn as she put a pair of headphones on. “Alright. Ready Autumn?”

Autumn had a slight eyebrow raise, not being familiar with the process at Sparkling Harmony Records and not catching what Sparkler was asking if she was ready for. “Wait a minute, what are we doing here?”

Sparkler chuckled. “I’m gonna hit play and yer song is gonna come out of the speakers I hung up around this room.”

Flappy nodded. “Squawk! You said that all the song was missing was the acoustic guitar, right? Squawk!”

“Oh, well, what I didn’t mention was that backing vocals are missing too. Only my lead vocal was sounding off last night. But yeah, I want to do the acoustic guitar first.

“I haven’t written it yet, though.” She added

Sparkler nodded. “Right, we can do that. I loaded this machine with blank records. When I press record, It’ll automatically write the session to a new blank record and it will import the track on the record you brought and add the acoustic guitar to it to make one track.”

Autumn was impressed by this machine intelligence. “That’s awesome!” She said. “I’ve always had to do that by hoof. You sure know a lot about this technology.” She nodded. “What I think we should do first is play my song as it is now, and I’ll try to work out the acoustic guitar part as I listen.”

Sparkler nodded. “So we won’t record right now. Got it. Ready?”

“Ready.”

Sparkler nodded. “Alright. Playin’ in five...four...three...two…” She pressed the play button and sound came blasting out the multiple speakers situated around the room.

Autumn listened for the chord changes she wrote and played her guitar along, attempting to improvise. She didn’t imagine it as being too difficult, as acoustic guitar parts tend to be simple in country music. All she had to do was play with the rhythm through the correct open chords.

Sparkler replayed the song played five times over for Autumn to solidify what she was to play. After the fifth time ended, and after Autumn played the guitar part by itself and then played it behind the song, she knew it was the keeper.

“Alright. I think I’m ready to record now.” She said.

Sparkler smiled. “Right! Wanna take a practice run first?”

“Nah.” Autumn responded. “I think that last check I just did to make sure the part sounded good also counted as the practice run. Let’s do the recording now.”

Sparkler nodded. “Alright. In that case, Recording and playing in five...four...three...two…” She hit the record button, and then the play button. The song came blasting out the speakers again.

Autumn, beginning to play the more intimidating part of music in performing the recorded part, thought to herself “How many takes will I need?”

Answer: Just one, it turned out! She nailed that entire part in one try, which filled her accomplishment tank to the highest degree. She gave a victory fist with her hooves after the recording stopped.

At the end of the song, Sparkler smiled and stopped recording. She clapped her hooved together. “Woo! Way to go cowgirl! Perfect!”

Flappy gave a woot woot and high-fived Sparkler.

Autumn felt herself blushing again. She could tell they were proud.

“Alright, so I’m not sure if the acoustic guitar parts are complete yet; one thing commonly used in country music is two acoustic parts playing in different channels for a stereo effect.

“But if I were to do that for this song, I’d probably use a different guitar to create a larger effect, and I don’t even know if it needs the stereo effect or not, so let’s move on to the backing vocals.”

Sparkler nodded. “When it’s all said and done we can listen to the final song and if you think it needs another acoustic part than we can make that happen.”

“Sounds great!” Autumn said. “And say, Sparkler… would you like to perform the backing vocals on this track?” She asked. “You’ve been amazing to me the past two days, and I’d like to give you the honor.”

Sparkler’s eyes shot open and she blushed at this high honor.

“Ya mean it? I thought y’all would’ve wanted to sing it yerself.”

“Well, that’s what I was planning at first.” Autumn said. “But again, I cannot thank you enough for what you’ve done for me so far, and I know you’re a singer too, so it makes sense to me.”

Sparkler’s emotions at Autumn’s offer went so far as her having a tear in her eye. “Aww shucks. You’re gonna make me cry. You don’t have to thank me.”

Autumn didn’t know how to respond to this. But what she did have on her mind, was that this was a sign of a blooming friendship.

And she decided to spill these thoughts out. “I think we might have something special together.” Autumn said to Sparkler.

Sparkler sniffled a little and wiped the tear from her eye. Nopony had ever said that to her before, at least nopony outside her parents and Flappy.

“I...I don’t know what to say. That means a lot Autumn.” She said.

Autumn figured it was time for something physical now.

“Wanna hug?” She asked simply.

Before Sparkler could even think about responding with words, she just bolted around the console and wrapped her forelegs around Autumn.

Autumn could tell by that speed that she had really touched Sparkler’s heart. It made her really happy. She then reciprocated the action.

Flappy watched the mares hug it out, and was REALLY tempted to join them, but restrained himself. He understood the importance of this moment. And to think, Autumn doesn’t even realize just how happy she made Sparkler.

Sparkler just basked in the moment. Her insides were bursting at the fact that she finally had a real friend that wasn’t her folks or a parrot!

Autumn correctly figured, without Flappy telling her, she had made Sparkler even more happy than she thought, as the hug continued going on for longer. And Autumn liked it.

After a solid minute, Sparkler finally let go of Autumn. She blushed a little. “Ahem...Sorry for the lack of a warnin, I just really wanted to hug you.”

“No problem.” Autumn said. “I did catch it in time to respond, and I feel good to know that I just made you so happy.”

Flappy nodded. “Squawk! Happier than you could possibly imagine. Squawk!”

Autumn turned her head to Flappy with a smile. “Oh, really? What’s, like, the context behind that?”

Sparkler chuckled nervously and reached a hoof behind her neck. “It’s ‘cause of the sad fact that you’re mah first friend outside Flappy and mah folks.” She said as her smile faded and her ears dropped.

Autumn’s facial expression also changed, to a look of concern. “Really? You never had a real pony friend your whole life?”

Sparkler sighed and nodded. “Let’s just say I wasn’t the most popular pony in school and leave it at that fer now. I really don’t feel like going down that road right now.”

“Okay.” Autumn said. “No pressure if you don’t want to talk about it.”

Autumn then remembered the scheduled activity that led to all of this and decided it was time to return there.

“So, would you like to perform the backing vocals?”

Sparkler nodded without hesitation. “I’d be honored.”

“Great!” Autumn exclaimed. “I’ve already got the papers for the lyrics and what the backing vocals should do in terms of which notes to hit, so you’re good to go there.”

Sparkler nodded and lit her horn. Setting up a music stand and positioning the mic accordingly. “Alright. Hit me with’em!”

Autumn thought she had caught Sparkler skipping another step. “Wait, who’s going to press the button? Are you pressing the button, Flappy?” Autumn asked Flappy.

Flappy nodded. “Squawk! Standing by to press the button. Just say the word! Squawk!”

“What word?” Autumn asked.

Then she realized it was her who was being confusing. Not them.

“Oh, shoot, I didn’t give you the papers yet! Silly me.” She chuckled.

“Anyway, here they are.” She said, hoofing the lyric and vocal note sheets over to Sparkler.

Sparkler nodded and put the papers on the stand. “Right. Ready!”

Flappy nodded and got ready to press play. “Squawk! Practice run in five...four...three...two…” He pressed play and Sparkler began to sing to Autumn’s song.

As expected, it took several practice runs for her to get the parts down, but eventually, it was recording time.

Flappy smiled. “Squawk! You think it’s ready to record now Autumn? Squawk!”

“Well, there are multiple backing vocal parts, but she does have this one down, and the other parts can wait until another day if needed.” Autumn said. So yeah, for the part she was just doing, I think she’s ready to record. Great work, Sparkler!”

Sparkler nodded. “I can’t take all the credit.” She cleared her throat. “Alright. Let’s do it!”

Flappy nodded. “Squawk! Recording in five...four...three...two…” He pressed the record then play buttons and Sparkler sang again.

Autumn didn’t have to guess who Sparkler was giving credit to, and listening to her sing over her own song… she couldn’t be more flattered. Oh yeah, and she was impressed at Sparkler’s abilities and voice.

Just like Autumn with the acoustic guitar, Sparkler’s talent level and luckiness level was so high that this only took her one take.

At the end of the song, Flappy stopped recording and gave a round of applause. “Squawk! Wow! If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you two have been a musical duo for years! Sparkler, your singing never ceases to amaze me, and you, Autumn, are as good a musician as Sparkler! Squawk!”

Flappy was good at compliments. Both Sparkler and Autumn smiled warmly at him.

Sparkler chuckled. “I agree. Autumn you sure are something else.”

“Aww.” Autumn says. “Thanks.”

Autumn found a new topic to go to, as she looked at the clock which read 12:03.

“I figure we’re at a good pausing point now and we should go on lunch break. What do you say, Sparkler?”

Sparkler nodded. “Sure. I can go for some grub.”

Flappy nodded. “Squawk! Does Grapefruit serve lunch? Squawk!”

“I’m pretty sure this tavern is open all day.” Autumn said.

Sparkler nodded. “Then let’s go fill up our tanks!”

“Yes! Let’s go!” Autumn said.

Sparkler nodded and all three of them left the studio, ending session 1.

“Here ya are Sparkler!” Grapefruit said as he pushed two plates in front of Sparkler. “Two Hay Sandwiches and a piece of watermelon. As you requested.”

Sparkler smiled as she took the two plates in her magic, and put down a few bits in their place. “Thanks Grapefruit.” Sparkler used her hoof to tip her hat to Grapefruit.

Grapefruit nodded. “Anytime Sparkler. Y’all have a nice lunch now.”

Sparkler nodded and turned to head over to where Autumn and Flappy were sitting at the tavern. She smiled as she approached where they were going to eat.

“Here we are! Two Hay Sandwiches and a piece of watermelon!”

Flappy smiled as Sparkler levitated the watermelon piece to him. “Squawk! Thanks Sparkler!. Squawk!”

“Thank you Sparkler!” Autumn said as she took the plate in her hoof.

“It turns out, I’ve never eaten a hay sandwich from this tavern before.” Autumn said.

Sparkler raised an eyebrow as she sat down in the chair across from Autumn. “Really? I thought you might’ve tried it before. You did order it.”

“I’ve had hay sandwiches from many other restaurants, and I love them, but here, I usually get the hay tacos or garden salad. Those are my favorites from the menu here.” Autumn replied.

Sparkler nodded in understanding. “Gotcha.” She said as she started eating her sandwich.

Autumn took a bite of hers too, and she was pleasantly surprised

“Wow! This tavern makes amazing hay sandwiches!”

Sparkler nodded. “You bet. This might be the best sandwich I’ve ever had.”

“It would have to be up there for me.” Autumn replied.

Flappy nodded. “Squawk! Well, I’m just glad this joint has watermelon. I LOVE watermelons. Squawk!”

Sparkler chuckled and nodded. “It’s true. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Nothing but Watermelon for this here parrot.”

“Really?” Autumn asked. “Only one food, ever?”

Flappy nodded. “Squawk! If I can. Squawk!”

Autumn decided not to ask any further questions; questions about strange food habits would be best for later. She just kept eating her sandwich.

Sparkler smiled after a second. “So Autumn, other than music, What do you like to do for fun?”

“Well, I also have a secondary profession, in playing horseshoes. Which, I’ve gone very far in that field. Do you know what happened in this town a while ago?” Autumn asked.

Sparkler shook her head. “No. What happened?” She asked.

Autumn smiled. Time for a little history story.

“So, a pony from Ponyville who loves horseshoes, exotic elements, and the bronze-silver-gold winning tier thing, you know, gold for 1st place, came to Appleloosa with a twist on the game of horseshoes where you can get more points per throw than just one, two, or three.” Autumn said.

“In the updated version, a bronze horseshoe keeps the points as normal, but a silver horseshoe will upgrade it to two, four six, and a gold horseshoe will update it to three, six, nine.

“Then what color you get to throw is determined by what you threw last. If you get a ringer, regardless of what color the shoe you ringed with was, you get a gold shoe for your next throw. And you always start with gold.

“With these rules being what they were, ponies quickly aspired to hit 10 gold ringers in a row, for a perfect game. Long story short, this perfect game hysteria then turned into an entire, huge, organized tournament that shook the town for days on end. Masses of ponies in this really hard-working town took unscheduled days off to compete for being the first to hit a perfect game with the new scheme.

“And... guess who won the competition? Who was the first to hit a perfect game?”

Autumn brought up her saddlebag from under her chair and eagerly dug in for this fact about herself that she had been looking forward to revealing to somepony who didn’t know.

“Well… that would be me!” Autumn said, sliding on the perfect game medal that she received after being the one to hit that 10th golden shoe.

Sparkler couldn’t be more in awe at the fact she was sitting across from somepony wearing a gold medal. “Wow!” She exclaimed. “That’s quite the achievement!”

Flappy nodded. “Squawk! Congratulations! Squawk!”

“Thanks.” Autumn says, simply. “And if you ever want to see the trophy, it’s at my house.”

Autumn then had a pause. In no way had she seen it coming, but talking about this topic shifted to something else.

It shifted to another topic that the trophy connected her to. A much sadder topic.

“Every time I look at that trophy, though…honestly, I’ve kind of become desensitized to the achievement. Because even though winning that title was awesome, there’s still something I haven’t… won yet.”

And there went Autumn back to her dark place. Suddenly, after the sunshine that was the day so far, she was back in her dark place again.

Remembering these desensitized feelings to her achievement then led to remembering yesterday, when she met Sparkler, but then when she went to bed that night, she started wondering if she was, in a moral sense, too picky. The domino effect at its finest.

It didn’t take long at all for her to have the sad face on again.

Sparkler saw the sad face and gave Autumn a look of concern. “Autumn? You okay there sugarcube?”

“Not really.” Autumn honestly replies. “I’ve now just remembered something that’s still really bothering me, that I talked to you about last night, but hasn’t been solved. And I planned to talk to you about it today, but got distracted by the music.”

“What would that be?” Sparkler asked.

This was indeed Autumn’s plan for today, to talk to Sparkler about this problem. But it hurt to do it now, because of how well things were going before. Autumn wished that she had continued to be distracted by happy topics.

“It’s about me being a picky shopper when it comes to finding a roommate. Like, I know you tick all three boxes, but… (sigh), it’s just that… I question if those three boxes are morally right.

“You get told all the time by the world that being flexible and adaptable is a good thing, and that being picky is bad. So, because of that, I do get worried that I’m, like, being a bit of a…featherbrain, because I want such specific personality traits and relationship statuses out of my roommates.

“And as such, I feel like I should be forced to room with somepony I don’t think I’ll work out with, because, well, as they say, ‘You need to learn how to adapt.’

“But I really don’t want to do that, though. I don’t want to be a roommate with somepony who can’t handle loud noises, being alone when I’m on tour, or is in a committed relationship. Like, it just wouldn’t work out for the happiness of both of us.

“But should I try and force myself to be okay with it? Honestly… I feel like that’s what society tells me.

“But forcing yourself to do something that bothers you feels awful, and while it is necessary sometimes, say, for house chores and the like, I, again, don’t see it as good for roommate purposes, because it could cause you to get snappy at them. Dissatisfaction doesn’t put you in a good mood.

“And in fact, I know this from first-hoof experience. Believe me, I have tried to adapt to these things before. I have run roommate trials with ponies who hate loud noises and are with somepony else. We all could tell it wasn’t working out, for both of us.

“Even still though, it seems like the right thing to do somehow. Apparently, being picky is bad.

“Overall, I’m just really fed up with this situation. Fed up so much, and I feel like there’s no way to escape from it.” Autumn said, with more tears starting to come down.

Sparkler saw the tears and immediately flashed both a smile and words Autumn’s way. “Hey now. There’s nothing wrong with bein you.”

Through her blurry vision caused by tears, Autumn could see Sparkler smiling at her, and she was determined to listen.

Sparkler continued when she saw Autumn give her her attention. “The problem isn’t you. If anything it’s society that’s the problem. With their message of being adaptable.”

Autumn raised an eyebrow. “Huh?” She asked in confusion.

Sparkler nodded. “Let’s go through your criteria one at a time. First up is loud noises. You are a musician, It’s who you are. So of course you’ll want a roommate who doesn’t mind loud noises.

“As for the traveling thing. You just don’t want to make yer roommate feel lonely. That’s a common worry between friends. And finally, the thing about you feeling like the third wheel. You just don’t want to get in the way of a relationship.

“All those things ain’t things society has a right to change about you. Because it’s who you are that counts. And if you have all these strict roommate criteria, then society can’t do a thing about it, the worst that will happen is that you don’t get a roommate. And that is the decision of the individual ponies concerned and not society.” Sparkler finished.

Autumn let out more sniffles and brushed tears away with a tissue as her brain processed Sparkler’s words.

Starting off with the reassurance that her pickiness in this situation wasn’t a bad thing, Autumn had trouble believing somepony would really say that.

No, it wasn’t like other ponies she had talked to about this had thrown insults at her or anything, but to the extent of her memory, all of them did (calmly) suggest trying to adapt, and reaffirmed Autumn’s belief that she could never find a roommate like this.

Sparkler, though, had a different outlook. And that was alien to Autumn.

In response to this, she said. “Really? You think it’s alright?”

Sparkler nodded. “I will admit that it is a little selfish. But then again, ain’t we all a little selfish at one point in our lives? You can’t be at fault for being you. Quirks and all.”

That was an interesting take if Autumn had ever heard of one. What she had always remembered being told about any kind of selfishness, no matter how small, was a bad thing that needed to be changed ASAP.

But yeah, what Sparkler said. Everypony deserved to have things their way sometimes; being a perpetual pleaser couldn’t be a good thing either. Autumn did once remember being told that it’s okay to decline going to a party if you need to relax that night, and it did resonate with her.

We might need to take a closer look at the definition of selfish, Autumn thought.

For sure, in that, having a roommate is something very personal; a field in which you decline a situation because it doesn’t work for you. That was completely different from say, stealing all the cookies.

The image in Autumn’s mind, she felt, might’ve been about to display a sign of sunrise.

Sparkler noticed Autumn’s behavior and smiled. “I don reckon somepony needs a hug.”

Autumn could finally feel a smile come back to her face with Sparkler’s sweetness. “Yeah. I think I do.” She said.

Sparkler nodded, hopped off her chair, walked around the table to Autumn, and wrapped her forelegs around her in a gentle embrace.

Talking things out felt good, but Autumn could tell right here that a hug was what she needed as well.

“Never feel sorry for being you, sugarcube. Ya can’t do darn anything about it.” Sparkler said as she continued to hug Autumn.

Autumn couldn’t do anything except hug back.

“You’re so sweet, Sparkler.” She said.

Sparkler nodded. “Just helping a friend out ma’am. Like anypony would do.”

Autumn didn’t see the need for any more words here. She left the hug to speak for itself.

Flappy watched the scene and smiled. “Squawk! Aww! Aren’t you two just an adorable pair. Squawk!”

Autumn felt total agreement with this sentence, and picked up another possible implication that she couldn’t tell if Flappy had, but that she definitely had herself.

“We are. We really are. And I think we’re growing closer and closer to friendship status.”

Sparkler raised an eyebrow as she pulled away. “You sayin we ain’t friends yet?” She asked in confusion.

“Well, this is only our second day even knowing each other.” Autumn replied. “I didn’t figure a friendship could develop that fast. Didn’t want to be too hasty.”

Sparkler chuckled. “So far we’ve had two hugs, and you felt comfortable enough to spill all yer emotional baggage onto me in the time we’ve known each other. Unless it’s just that easy to get information out of you, I don’t feel it’s a stretch to call us friends.”

This turned out to be a time for Autumn, the local, to introduce Sparkler, the new resident, to some Appleloosa things.

“Well, I would say it is easy to get information out of me, and I have both hugged strangers before and spilled out those problems to them. It’s kind of what we do in this town; we help each other, no matter who it is.”

“Oh. Huh. Good to know.” Sparkler responded. “Well, I still think it’s not a stretch to say we’re friends. Because there’s another thing I think you missed. Would you just let any ol’ stranger sing one of yer songs when you had fully intended to sing it yerself?”

Autumn did have to think about Sparkler’s point there.

“Well, I have invited ponies to sing with me during random jams before, sometimes to original songs, but I definitely can’t recall an instance of offering a role I had initially assigned to myself to a stranger.

“In the studio, though, a lot of solo artists have session singers backing them up, and they might not know them very well.

“However, those singers did get hired, so I would think the lead artist has met up with them before.

“Or, maybe they haven’t? I don’t know; this is really complicated.

“Maybe I would let any old stranger sing one of my songs, but there is the fact that we agreed to meet up again the very next day. If we were to remain strangers, I don’t think that would have happened.

“You also offered to be my roommate…

“Maybe we are friends!” Autumn concluded.

Flappy nodded in agreement. “Squawk! I’m inclined to agree. Squawk!”

Sparkler nodded. “I reckon we are!”

Autumn, despite her doubts, had to agree. “A friendship with a two-day incubation period may sound unrealistic, but it definitely feels like it’s happened here.”

Sparkler chuckled. “Ever heard of the term fast friends, cowgirl? That’s exactly what we are.”

Autumn giggled. “Fast friends. I like that label.” She smiled at Sparkler. “Want to hug again?” She asked.

Sparkler smiled. “Bring it in pard’ner!” She exclaimed as she opened her forelegs.

Bring it in she did.

This has been a beautiful time. She thought.

And all of that distracted them from lunch, which they just noticed hadn’t been finished yet.

Sparkler chuckled. “Dag nab it. All this hugging and friendship business made us forget our lunch!”

Autumn looked over and saw the heap of unfinished food. “Oh shoot. I hope it didn’t get cold.”

Sparkler shook her head. “Nah. Hay sandwiches don’t get cold. We’re good.”

“Wow. I’m impressed that they can hold their heat like that.” Autumn said.

Sparkler chuckled. “It’s all in the bread mah mom says.”

“Must be really powerful bread. Anyway, back to eating.” Autumn said.

Sparkler nodded. “Right!”

They eventually finished up and returned to the music studio upstairs. All of them looking forward to what was to come.

To be continued...

Chapter 3

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After the hay sandwich plates were cleared off, the three brand-new friends hopped back upstairs to Sparkler’s also-new studio.

Having just added a new member to her friendship circle, now actually making it a circle by having more than two members, Sparkler couldn’t be more excited to continue her second day in Appleloosa. These were times of new beginnings.

In the studio, Sparkler and her two friends finished out the day’s list of tasks by laying down the rest of the backing vocal tracks. Neither of the mares, nor the parrot, could say the song was complete yet, but it was at a far enough point for them to end their work day.

The question then, though, was what was up next?

“So, Autumn, what plans do ya have tonight?” Sparkler asked as they cleared out the studio by returning the equipment pieces to their homes.

“No plans for tonight. I can hang out with you until bedtime!” Autumn exclaimed, leaping closer to her new friend.

“Well then, let’s continue this party! Let’s go do something!” Sparkler replied with a giggle.

Autumn raised an eyebrow; she couldn’t right tell what that party was. “You mean, keep doing music?” She asked, a confused look dominating her face.

Sparkler shook her head. “Nah, let’s do something else.” She replied.

And she already knew what that something else could be. “You ever been stargazin?” She asked.

“I have a few times, but out of loneliness and wanting to see some good sights as a way to distract myself from it.” Autumn replied. “Never done it with a friend before.”

Sparkler felt a light beam inside of her. A new activity was the perfect prospect for a new friendship.

“Wanna go out stargazin’ tonight?” Sparkler asked. “We can have dinner over a fire, talk, and look at the stars.”

Autumn hopped over closer to Sparkler in delight. “That sounds wonderful!”

Sparkler smiled. “I can bring mah telescope so we can really see the stars, and I can also pack a salad fer each of us fer dinner.”

“Ooh, I didn’t know you had a telescope!” Autumn exclaimed. “And yeah, I love the salad idea. Heck, I even could bring my apple pie that I got from Applejack last time I saw her.”

“And maybe to top it off, I can pack my homemade lemonade fer us!” Sparkler said excitedly. The ideas just kept coming and coming.

Flappy sported a wide grin at Sparkler uttering the word “lemonade”. He hovered in front of Autumn for this very important info.

“Squawk! You want to try her lemonade. It’s the absolute best! Squawk!” He chirped.

“Ooh, the absolute best, huh?” Autumn said in a sly tone. “I sure hope it is! Let’s get going!”

“Meetcha back in front of this here tavern as soon as possible?” Sparkler suggested.

“Yep! We just gotta go get the supplies, and we’re off!” Autumn said.

“Then let’s get to it!” Sparkler exclaimed in excitement.

The two mares temporarily split off and headed back to their houses, or inn in Sparkler’s and Flappy’s case. Autumn reached into the fridge for that pie from Applejack she hadn’t even opened the box of yet, and Sparkler and Flappy prepared two salads, which they then packed into a picnic basket they just so happened to have.

Adding three bottles of lemonade and a piece of watermelon in there, they then wasted no time running back to the tavern.

Autumn had won the unorganized race back, and Sparkler and Flappy rejoined her, leading to them setting off to a remote area outside of the busy town. Or, in other words, a perfect place for camping.

They reached the secluded area, and Sparkler smiled as she scanned the sights with her eyes. “Shoowee. Not a bad place here.” She commented.

“It sure is beautiful.” Autumn said while looking over the landscape. Their campsite was on top of a high hill, so there was sure a sight to behold below. The entire skyline of Appleloosa could be seen, as well as the many dunes, rocks, and whatever else of the Equestria Desert.

Flappy nodded at Autumn’s statement as he took in that same view, which currently also included a vibrant sunset sky painted with orange, pink, and red. “Squawk! And just look at that view! Squawk!” He commented.

Sparkler joined where Flappy and Autumn’s faces were pointing, and had herself absolutely blown away. Being from Saddle Arabia, a sandy desert, something like this had never met her eyes.

She smiled at the view. “Well I’ll be. Sure don’t get a view quite like this back in Kilihima Village.” She said.

Kilihima Village? Autumn had never heard of such a place, and Sparkler talked about it in relation to her past. Sounds like Autumn’s got more info about her new pal.

“Is that where you’re from?” Autumn asked.

Sparkler nodded in response as they walked over to sit down on two rocks across from each other. “Yeah. You heard of it?” She asked.

“No, never heard that name before. Nopony ever seems to talk about it.” Autumn responded.

“I didn’t expect you to know.” Sparkler said with a chuckle.

Flappy nodded in agreement as he perched on a rock of his own. “Squawk! It’s the most remote, rundown, unremarkable village on the planet. Squawk!” He added.

“Huh. So, yeah, that would explain it.” Autumn said.

“Well, I guess it’s time we start the campfire.” She said, changing the topic after nopony said anything further about the previous one.

Sparkler grinned. “Right. Wanna see a cool magic trick?” She asked Autumn.

“Yeah!” Autumn exclaimed, jumping off her seat.

This was always going to be something Autumn would jump at an opportunity to see. The amount of unicorns in Appleloosa was negligible, and even when she was in Ponyville, it was usually within Apple family circles, where the amount of unicorns was basically zero. She was ready to see some magic.

“Ya might want to take a step back then.” Sparkler suggested as she lit her horn.

Autumn heeded the caution and stepped back, maybe even further than recommended. She didn’t pretend to know the upper bounds of what magic could do, so she wanted to be sure.

Sparkler pulsed her horn, and out shot a little blue orb from the tip, which bombed the ground in the middle of where the friends were standing. It burst into a cloud of smoke, smoke, creating a brilliant blue fire burning on the ground.

“And now that fire’ll keep burning til one of us pours cold liquid on it.” Sparkler said with a smile.

Autumn locked her eyes on the fire. Not only had Autumn never been exposed to such magic in action, but the result was also unlike anything of familiarity.

“Wow. It’s completely blue.” She said.

Sparkler chuckled and nodded. “It’s ‘cause this particular spell creates a fire that’s colored accordin’ to the user’s aura color. In this case, since I cast the spell, the fire is blue.” She explained.

“Oh!” Autumn said in slight relief. “That’s really interesting; I never knew about that. Not really a surprise when you live in a town that has so few unicorns.”

“Yeah, a lot of the time with this kinda thing, you have to actively think about the color otherwise it’ll default to yer aura color.” Sparkler explained.

“Magic is interesting!” Autumn responded. “For us Earth ponies, a blue fire means it is an extremely hot fire, the hottest it can be, so that’s why I was appalled. Maybe I should stop at Twilight’s castle and look in her library someday.” She added.

“Anypony knows about magic, it'd be Twilight. Or so I’ve heard.” Sparkler commented.

“Yep. She’s one of the most famous ponies around, and one of the biggest magic experts.” Autumn replied. “I’d say only Celestia and Luna themselves have her beat.”

“Squawk! They’re a thousand years older. Squawk!” Flappy said.

“Yep. And, let me tell you, immortality is a concept that really messes with my head.” Autumn said.

“But… that’s a pretty deep discussion.” She backtracked. “I’d say we get out the salad now.”

Sparkler lit her horn to summon the salad, and the watermelon for Flappy. “Right! Let’s fill up the tank, and then--”

“Howdy cousin!” Shouted a new voice all of a sudden.

Autumn almost jumped at this call. Cousin? she thought. Who’s here?

She jerked her head over to her left, where the voice had come from, and low and behold, yep, there was one of her cousins here. Running right up to her.

Applebloom, the filly Autumn always got to see during her Sweet Apple Acres visits, was coming, and as if that weren’t enough, she was tagging along with her friends. The friends that, with Applebloom, were collectively known as the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

Upon that sight, Autumn ran in their direction at nearly the speed of the fillies.

“Hi there, Applebloom and friends!” Autumn beamed. “What brings you here so suddenly?”

The CMCs stopped when they met Autumn in the middle. “We wanted to celebrate yer win at the tournament with ya, but we couldn’t make it over here til now!” Applebloom reached out and pulled Autumn in for a hug. “Congrats cousin!”

“Aww.” Autumn said, hugging the filly back. “Thanks Applebloom. This means a lot.” She said. “I didn’t know you were going to celebrate with me!” She giggled.

Flappy cleared his throat. “Squawk! Excuse me, but are we just gonna gloss over the fact that these three seemingly knew EXACTLY where you’d be, Autumn? Squawk!”

“Flappy!” Sparkler hissed. “Don’t be rude!”

The sounds of two unfamiliar voices caught the attention of Sweetie Belle. “Wait, hold on a second!” She said.

“Girls, it looks like we’re not just visiting Autumn. There’s a parrot here, and another pony too!” She said, pointing at said parrot and pony.

Sparkler smiled as she walked over and tipped her hat to the fillies. “The name’s Sparkling Medley. Sparkler fer short.” She nodded her head towards Flappy. “And this here’s mah parrot friend Flappy.”

“Squawk! Autumn, You gonna introduce us? Squawk!” Flappy asked.

“Oh, right. Hehe.” Autumn said. “Sparkler here is my new friend; I first met her after I played in a recent open-mic night at the Appleloosa Tavern, and after I finished, she wanted to sit down with me at my table.”

Applebloom grinned as her mind raced with what an event like that meant for Autumn. “Does that mean ya finally got a roommate, Autumn?” She asked excitedly.

Autumn realized this topic had been off her mind for quite a while now. And here was time for an update.

“Well, even though we are calling ourselves friends, this is only our second day together, hehe.” Autumn said. “We’re not roommates yet, but I definitely plan to have a sleepover with her and see if we’re compatible.”

Sparkler raised an eyebrow in confusion. “What’s a sleepover?” She ask.

…

Upon that question, all the talking stopped. This sentence captured the eyes of all four other ponies into looking straight at Sparkler.

However, Autumn then remembered how Sparkler told her she had come from a life of no friends. That’s not a good breeding ground for sleepovers.

There was company who didn’t know that, though.

“Wait, you don’t know what a sleepover is?” One of the fillies said.

Sparkler shook her head. “Afraid not. Wasn’t exactly popular back home. But before we go any further...I don’t think we ever got yer names.” She replied.

Applebloom chuckled and waved, deciding to follow Sparkler’s topic control. “Mah name is Applebloom. Autumn’s cousin. And these here are my friends.” She gestured to her friends.

“I’m Sweetie Belle.” Sweetie Belle introduced herself, placing her hoof to her chest.

“And I’m Scootaloo.” Said Scootaloo, flapping her wings.

Flappy smiled and flapped his wings as well. “Squawk! Nice to meet you girls. Squawk!” He said.

Sweetie Belle jumped over closer to Flappy. “What’s your name, Mr. Parrot?” She asked. “If Sparkler said it earlier, I forgot.”

“Squawk! The name’s Flappy. Sparkler’s very best friend. Squawk!” Flappy replied.

“Flappy. Nice name.” Scootaloo said, shaking her hoof with Flappy’s wing, as did Sweetie Belle afterwards.

Applebloom smiled and turned to Sparkler. “So Sparkler. What was that you were sayin’ about not knowin’ what sleepovers were?” She asked.

“What I was sayin’ was I wasn’t exactly popular back home.” Sparkler said. “The only friend I had ‘til Autumn was Flappy. And he already lived with me. So, if mah imagination of a sleepover is right, I didn’t exactly have anypony to sleepover with.” She explained.

The fillies’ faces switched to sad mode in sympathy. “You never had even a second friend? Not even from school? Oh… I’m sorry, Sparkler.” Sweetie Belle said.

“Yeah. Me too.” Scootaloo added.

But Sparkler didn’t feel as affected as them, even with a sad story about her. “Much obliged girls. I’m just right glad I can put that part of mah life behind me.” She said.

“That’s good to hear.” Scootaloo said. “I mean, yeah, you do have friends now!”

“So, what is your imagination of a sleepover?” Sweetie Belle asked, with the environment regaining its happiness.

“Literally sleeping over at another’s home and having a fun night with them.” Sparkler replied.

“And you’d be right!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

“First try!” Scootaloo added, taking a jump.

“Ya sure are a smart gal.” Applebloom said.

“She really is.” Autumn chimed in. “I was recording music with her in her studio earlier today; she runs her own record label.”

“Sparkling Harmony Records.” Sparkler said with a proud nod.

“Squawk! We’ll record any song and make it releasable. Squawk!” Flappy added.

“Oh wow! That’s really useful for Autumn!” Scootaloo said.

Applebloom nodded. “Yeah! Do you play instruments too Sparkler?”

“Yes I do.” Sparkler replied.

Applebloom’s belief that Sparkler was the perfect friend for Autumn only grew at this discovery of a great friendship connection. She looked over at Autumn. “Say! You and her could be a musical duo!”

Autumn and Sparkler looked at each other and chuckled.

“Interesting you say that, because Flappy said in the studio that based on the way we sounded together, it sounds like we’ve already been a duo for years.” Autumn said. “For reference, we recorded one of my songs, and she performed the backing vocals. Really well, at that.”

“Squawk! Her talent involves having the most wonderful singing voice you’ve ever heard. Squawk!” Flappy said with a smile.

“That’s awesome! In that case, I’d love to hear you sing, Sparkler.” Scootaloo said.

“Well, I just so happened to bring mah guitar.” Sparkler said. “How’s about we all have dinner and then we can sing some campfire songs.”

Sweetie Belle ran up to Sparkler. “That sounds like a wonderful idea!” She exclaimed.

“Cutie Mark Crusaders campfire with Autumn and her new friend! Yay!” All three of them said in unison.

Autumn giggled at the feature of this CMC classic, and what they described it as absolutely lit her up inside. “I’m so excited for tonight.”

Sparkler nodded and lit her horn to summon the two salads she had brought from her saddlebags.

“Can’t say I was expectin three cute little fillies to show up when I made these here salads. But don’t worry. We can fix this.”

She set the two salads, out of five needed, down on the ground in front of Autumn and herself, and then lit up her horn again. The salads glowed blue, and burst into five. She then levitated three of them over to the CMC.

“Just a little magic and a dinner fer two is a dinner fer five.” She said.

Applebloom smiled with wide-shot eyes. “Sweet Celestia! That’s some fancy magic, Sparkler!” She complimented.

“Yeah! I’m not even close to learning spells like that!” Sweetie Belle said.

“Yeah. It’s a pretty advanced spell.” Sparkler said with a giggle.

“But useful.” Applebloom commented.

“It really is.” Autumn said. “Alright, shall we dig in?”

Flappy nodded as a watermelon piece was levitated in front of him on his rock perch. “Squawk! Let’s eat! Squawk!” He said.

While Flappy dug into his watermelon, the five campfire ponies dug into their fresh garden salads, filled with lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, and the like. A classic Equestrian salad.

“Where did you find these from, Sparkler?” Sweetie Belle asked, thinking it was one of the best salads she had eaten.

“I actually made them mahself.” Sparkler replied.

The fillies all looked at each other. “Wow! Another talent from you!” Scootaloo said.

Flappy nodded. “Squawk! She’s a master cook. She actually invented her own version of lemonade. Squawk!” He said.

“Her own version of lemonade. Hmm… did you, by any chance, bring that lemonade here, Sparkler?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Sparkler nodded. “Sure did.” She said as she lit up her magic and summoned, from her saddlebag, the three plastic clear bottles of her signature lemonade that she had brought.

Another pulse of the salad-splitting magic from earlier turned three into six, and she levitated one bottle to each participant in this camp-out. “Enjoy.” She said happily.

All the other ponies here, including Autumn, had never tasted Sparkler’s lemonade before. They all popped off the bottle cap and took their first sip, and after just that first sip, they all sat there with no motion. Stunned in silence.

The lemonade was just perfect, in every factor that affects its taste. It had just the right amount of sugar, not too sour, not too sweet, and used well-grown, juicy lemons.

The lemonade tasted like it was made out of magic, but its very natural flavor clearly revealed that it was made in an Earth-pony-like way. All the more impressive.

“Shoowee Sparkler!” Applebloom exclaimed. “This is the best lemonade I’ve ever had! You did amazing!”

“I’d have to agree with Applebloom.” Autumn said. “This is exquisite lemonade. It could be at a fancy wedding.”

Sparkler blushed a little and smiled sheepishly. “Y’all think so?” She asked.

“Totally.” Scootaloo said. “I have definitely never tasted lemonade like this.”

Sparkler beamed with pride, no longer doubting the result’s reality. “Thanks. I’m glad y’all like it.” She said.

From there, the group continued with the classic salad and Sparkler’s master lemonade dinner, as the beautiful sun continued to set. Perfect recipe for a great time.

The salad and watermelon were now completely gone. All eaten up. The lemonade was only half gone, but the players here didn’t see a reason to not move on.

“I’d say it’s now it’s time for dessert.” Autumn said. “And I got this dessert from no place other than Sweet Apple Acres.” She said, holding out a pie boxed in Sweet Apple Acres branding; the brown color with a large apple logo over the pie window.

Applebloom smiled and skipped over. “An apple pie! Mah favorite!” She exclaimed.

“My favorite too!” Autumn exclaimed. “Specifically, this apple pie. It’s made by Applejack, who is a pie expert.”

“I don never tried a pie from Sweet Apple Acres.” Sparkler commented.

Flappy shook his head. “Squawk! Me neither. Squawk!”

“Well, you’re in for a great first-timer today!” Autumn said, eager to see their reactions to the pie.

This talk about Sweet Apple Acres suddenly brought Autumn to a must-do future fun activity with Sparkler. She could see a future chapter of their friendship.

“Hey Sparkler, one thing we should do together is go visit Sweet Apple Acres.” Autumn said. “I’d love for you to meet Applejack, and the farm in general.”

Sparkler agreed with this thinking. “A trip to visit yer family. I’d definitely be interested.” She replied.

“Squawk! I wouldn’t mind either. Squawk!” Flappy added.

“Awesome! And, in fact, I have another idea!” Autumn said, smiling widely. “Since Applebloom is here, maybe we could go back with them when they leave? Maybe we’ll be too busy for that, but putting it out there.”

“Depends on when they leave and what we have goin’ on then.” Sparkler shrugged.

“We leave on Monday evenin’, ‘cause it’s a three-day weekend.” Applebloom replied.

“Ooh, a three-day weekend, huh?” Autumn said. “That’s awesome!”

Autumn sounded off her and Sparkler’s recent activities to hopefully get a schedule going. “Sparkler and I have been working on music, and in fact, she just moved into Appleloosa, so in addition to being busy with music, I’m wondering if Sparkler would want to spend more time in her new town. Would you agree with that, Sparkler?” She asked.

Sparkler tapped her chin, thinking. “I reckon some time to adjust to Appleloosa in in order.” She replied.

“Okay. We’ll go to Sweet Apple Acres another time then.” Autumn responded.

“Understood.” Scootaloo said. “But the three of us are here, so you get to spend time with us!”

“Right. It’ll be something.” Sparkler chuckled.

A new topic showed up again, courtesy of Sweetie Belle remembering a great piece of info to tell a new friend.

“So Sparkler, if you don’t know, the three of us together are known as the Cutie Mark Crusaders.” Sweetie Belle said. “We became friends after none of us had our marks, and it turns out that our special talent was finding cutie marks. And now that we have ours, we help other ponies get theirs.”

“That sounds amazin!” Sparkler said. “Y’all use your talents to help ponies.”

“We have been having lots of fun with it. I consider it a good life to be living.” Scootaloo said.

“And by the way, Sparkler, you’re wearing a thick poncho.” Scootaloo continued. “What does your cutie mark look like? What is your special talent?”

While Flappy froze and gagged on the latest sip of lemonade in response to this “uh-oh, what do we do?” question, which amazingly wasn’t noticed by anypony, Sparkler successfully beat down a gulp of the drink before answering.

“Ahem, mah special talent. Woo, how do I explain this...Mah special talent is music. I can play music, I can sing.” Sparkler said. “And I have something that ya might not have heard before. I call it mah Sparkler Sense. Basically I can tell if a musician, like Autumn, is a good musician just by listening to a few notes of any of their songs.” Sparkler explained, trying to remain calm and just explain the details.

“Sparkler sense. That sounds like Pinkie sense.” Scootaloo said. “A little different, but still with the sense aspect.”

“Something tells me you and Autumn are a good fit for each other, as she’s a musician too.” Sweetie Belle said.

“And what does your cutie mark look like?” Scootaloo asked.

Oh darn. Sparkler still wasn’t out of the woods. Gah, somepony just had to ask her this question.

She bit her lip, pondering ways to answer it while still concealing her secret. And fortunately, one did come to her.

Can I get away with describing...Wait! I have magic!

Sparkler smiled in victory and lit her horn again. “It’s a microphone ontop...Or beneath, I don’t know, a music staff. Like this.” She explained as she floated a two-sided picture of the aforementioned Cutie Mark in front of the fillies, also spinning it around really slowly so they could get a good look at it.

Applebloom looked at the black microphone-music staff pair with awe. “Wow. Amazin’!” She said.

“It is really cool-looking.” Scootaloo added.

“Thanks gals. I’m right proud of it.” Sparkler said, cancelling her magic and shrinking away the picture.

“Great!” Sweetie Belle said. “A pony not liking their cutie mark is something that still gives me nightmares.”

“Yeah.” Scootaloo added. “But, Sparkler, why did you show us a picture of your cutie mark? Why not the real deal?” She asked.

Oh, come on! Sparkler had to beat down an even bigger gulp this time.

“Uhh…” She trailed off as she glanced at Flappy, the only one there who knew full well what the reason for Sparkler keeping her flank hidden was.

Her mind was racing hundreds of miles a second, trying desperately to come up with an excuse and firing with anxiety about her ongoing coming out issue.

I’m not ready fer this! I’m not!

After a moment’s thinking, she had a possible answer that she predicted wouldn’t work, but given that she would eventually be called out on her silence, she just had to settle for.

“I just, uh, didn’t want mah poncho to get dirty. Hehe.” She chuckled nervously.

Yeah…that wouldn’t do. Flappy resisted the urge to facewing, while Applebloom raised an eyebrow. “Huh? Why wouldn’t you just--”

“Hey now.” Sparkler cut her off, wanting to quickly get away from this topic before it reached the danger zone, which it was dangerously close to. “Ain’t there a pie y’all would like me to try?”

Scootaloo figured that while Sparkler was acting weird, she didn’t want to be disrespectful and put pressure on her. Well, if she wants privacy, gotta respect that.

“Yeah. Let’s just go to the pie.” She said.

Applebloom nodded. “Right, and what she said about trying it. We gotta make sure Autumn’s new roommate likes Sweet Apple Acres products!”

Sparkler and Autumn heard that and blushed, but chuckled. “We aren’t roommates.” They both said in unison. They stopped, glanced at each other, and broke down into fits of giggling. Autumn even dropped down to the ground in the process.

“Where did that come from?” Sparkler asked loudly, still with her voice sounding higher-pitched than normal.

“I don’t know, but it sure was funny.” Autumn said, catching her breath and lifting herself back onto her hooves.

“Anyway, interesting you say that, Applebloom, because Sparkler offered to be my roommate after I told her about the boxes I want checked.” Autumn continued. “I think I talked about this earlier; I plan to do a sleepover with her and see if we’re compatible. So we might be roommates in the future.”

Applebloom smiled. “From the sound of it, you two are compatible. The music, the boxes bein’ checked, I’m thinkin’ you two will be roommates.”

Autumn’s heart warmed at Applebloom’s proclamation. It made her feel super accomplished; nopony had ever been so optimistic at a potential pairing for her before. She was used to the skepticism and eventual failure.

“Squawk! I agree. The only question is, am I, the pet, OK. Squawk!” Flappy said.

“Yeah!” Autumn said with excitement. “You sound fun to live with, Flappy!”

“Squawk! In that case, we’re good. Squawk!” Flappy exclaimed.

Autumn was already imagining herself speaking with Flappy after waking up in the morning. Maybe something is sparkling here!

“On what day are you going to have the trial sleepover?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Sparkler was about to answer, before something held her back and reminded her of a problem facing this trial sleepover. Two feathery somethings under her poncho.

Her face lost its smile. I don’t want to disappoint Autumn, but at the same time...I ain’t ready to reveal mah wings… Shaking her head clear at the noticing of another awkward delay, she decided to just answer the question and smiled. “I’m free whenever.”

Flappy nodded. “Squawk! Me too, unless you two don’t want a guy at a girl’s sleepover. Squawk!” He said.

Autumn giggled. “Nah, I never intended this to be a girls’ sleepover. And in fact, I would like it if you came, because you’d be living with me too, and I’d like to test out what it’s like to room with you, as well as Sparkler.”

“In that case, we’re free whenever you may want to have this party.” Sparkler said.

“Good!” Autumn said.

“Do you two want to keep the trial sleepover between the three of you who would be rooming together, or could we join too?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Sparkler glanced at Autumn and shrugged, giving the choice to her. “Yer idea. Yer call.”

Though preferably, NO! She shouted in her mind, knowing that the more ponies included, the greater the risk of somepony finding out about her wings.

But she got lucky again.

“I think the first sleepover would be best with only the three of us.” Autumn confessed. “But, we could then run a second trial sleepover to determine how we do as roommates when guests are around.”

Sparkler held a smile on the outside, but was racing on the inside and starting to sweat. Not totally what I had in mind...but I’ll figure something out.

“I can get behind that plan.” She said.

“Good!” Sweetie Belle said. “We’ll leave the first one to you, and join for the second one.”

“In the meantime, Autumn, can we stay with just you tonight?”

“Yeah! That’ll be awesome!” Autumn exclaimed.

The CMCs ran up to her again for another big group hug.

Sparkler watched the adorable scene from afar and smiled warmly. “Always warms my heart a scene like this does.”

“It is beautiful.” Autumn said. She hugs the fillies tighter.

Applebloom nodded as the hug broke. “Right. Apple Pie time!” She exclaimed.

“Yes!” Autumn said. She set the brown pie box down onto the ground, and let Sparkler handle the rest, given that she had magic. Sparkler used her magic to summon a pie slicing tool out of thin air, and out came five equally-sized pieces, all onto five paper plates.

“Bon appetit!” Autumn said.

After the delicious, sweet pie was gone, Applebloom found herself laying back-down on the ground, and everypony else couldn’t run or leap anymore. Their tanks were full if you’ve ever heard of a full tank.

Sparkler, with an activity in her mind that she and Autumn had agreed to back in the studio and had not been done yet, plus the advantage that it wouldn’t make them feel worse, looked up and saw that the now-black sky was totally clear. It was a very starry night.

“Well looky there. Not a cloud in the sky. Perfect stargazin’ conditions!” She exclaimed as she brought out her blue telescope from her saddlebag, a telescope that fit really well with her, as it was the same color as her magic aura.

“Oh wow. That is lucky.” Autumn said in response to Sparkler’s activity idea, looking up where she was looking.

“You have a telescope, Sparkler?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Sure do.” Sparkler replied. “Stargazin’s a hobby of mine. It’s why Autumn and I thought to come out here in the first place.” She said.

Oh yeah! I totally forgot about that! Autumn thought.

“Actually, that brings up an interesting point.” Sparkler continued. “How in the hay did you gals find us? We didn’t see ya follow us.” She asked.

“You’re right; we didn’t follow you. We had to look for you.” Scootaloo said. “We asked some ponies around town where they had last seen Autumn, which ways she walked and things like that, and eventually, after quite a tiring journey, we looked up at this hill and very luckily spotted her.”

“Squawk! You did, huh? Squawk!” Flappy said slyly.

“Good thing you eventually found me.” Autumn said. “It was a visit I wasn’t aware would be happening until it started, and it would’ve really stunk for the day to end without you finding me, because then you wouldn’t be at home and wouldn’t have anypony to stay with.”

“I’d be more worried if they were wanderin’ aimlessly out here. One wrong turn and they’d get lost and be exposed to the dangerous night elements of the desert.” Sparkler said with a chuckle.

“Oh yeah. That too.” Autumn said. “But since you did find me, we’re having a sleepover tonight.” She said to the fillies.

“Yay! Oh, can we visit Braeburn tomorrow, since I’m here?” Applebloom asked.

“Sure! I know Braeburn is good with you three too.” Autumn replied. “In fact, it’s probably ideal, since Sparkler and I will want to do some one-on-one things tomorrow.”

Applebloom deflated a little. “But… I kinda wanted fer the three of us to hang out together tomorrow. Ya know, the three cousins together?”

“I’d like to do that too, but it depends on if Sparkler is able to watch your friends for a while.” Autumn said. “Can you do that, Sparkler?”

Sparkler nodded. “If’n it’s OK with you two, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.” She said.

The two fillies looked at each other. “Why not?” Scootaloo said. “It would be a great way to get to know each other better.”

“It really could.” Sweetie Belle added.

“If’n ya like, I could take y’all to mah studio.” Sparkler suggested.

“That sounds fun!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed, leaping closer to Sparkler.

“Squawk! Then consider it done. Squawk!” Flappy said.

Sparkler nodded as she finished setting up her telescope, which she had been fiddling with the whole time, making sure it was optimal for stargazing. “Right. Telescope’s set up. Not a cloud in the sky...Anypony up fer a little game?”

Applebloom cocked her head to the side. “What game?”

“How much do y’all know about constellations?” Sparkler asked.

Constellations. An interest of Sparkler’s that the CMC didn’t know a lot about.

“The three of us know a little bit.” Sweetie Belle said. “We just had an astronomy class in school that we recently finished the unit of.”

“I hardly know anything about them.” Autumn chimed in. “My school never had a unit like that.”

Sparkler smiled. “Alright then, who’s up for a game of Spot That Constellation?” She asked.

“Us!” the CMCs said in unison.

Autumn didn’t have quite the same excitement. “I think it would be better for me to be on the sidelines during this game.” Autumn said. “I’m not qualified for a competition of spotting constellations when my knowledge of them is paper-thin.”

“No better way to learn about them, I say.” Sparkler told Autumn.

The five ponies gathered around Sparkler’s telescope for a game of spotting the shapes made by stars.

Sparkler smiled. “Alright, here’s how it’s gonna work. I’ll point this here telescope towards a shape, and then ya’ll have to guess what the name of the constellation is.” She explained.

“Alright!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

Sparkler smiled and fiddled with the scope, then looked through the viewfinder, double-checking that the constellation of her chosen challenge to find was in good view. “Alright, Let’s start with somethin’ easy.” She said as she locked the telescope into place and smiled at the others. “Who’d like to go first?” She asked.

“I can go first.” Sweetie Belle said.

“Then look through the scope and tell everypony whatcha see.” Sparkler replied, gesturing Sweetie Belle over to the telescope.

Sweetie Belle peeked through Sparkler’s powerful blue telescope to play a game of connect-the-dots with the stars.

Not too much later, she announced an accomplishment. “I think I’ve found the Big Dipper!” She exclaimed.

Sparkler smiled and looked through the telescope herself. “That’s right!” She exclaimed.

“One point for Sweetie Belle!” Autumn said, drawing a stick through the dirt. Being outside of the actual game, Autumn had decided to be the scorekeeper.

Sparkler giggled. “Now let’s let Autumn take a look. That way she can learn what the Big Dipper looks like, so she can actually play next time.” She told Sweetie Belle.

“Good thinking.” Sweetie Belle said, moving away from the telescope.

Autumn walked over and peeked through, taking a real-life look at a constellation for the first time. She had only otherwise been exposed to them through photographs.

“Oh wow. It really does look like a dipper.” She said.

Sparkler nodded. “If’n you already know what something looks like, it’ll be pretty easy to see the shape in the stars. Kinda like cloud watchin.” She explained.

“That’s good to know.” Autumn said. “In that case, I should be playing the game in not too long.”

“If’n you want, I would be happy to loan ya mah stargazin book. It has all the constellations in it, with clues on what to look fer.” Sparkler offered.

“Ooh, that sounds cool.” Autumn said. “Thanks for the offer! I’ll decide on that some other day.”

Sparkler smiled and nodded. “Sounds good.” She said. “Right. Onto the next one!” She looked through the telescope to adjust it slightly and stepped back. “Who’s next?” She asked.

“I’ll go next.” Scootaloo said.

She steps up to hopefully tie Sweetie Belle’s score. She carefully scanned the sky for any connection, seemingly without much luck at first, but then…

“Oh! I think I just found something!” She exclaimed.

She took a second close look to make sure, and she was correct.

“Fittingly, I found the Little Dipper!” She beamed.

Sparkler smiled and nodded, looking through. “Correct. Fun fact for Autumn over there, The Big and Little Dippers share the North Star.” She said.

“Wow. Now that’s fitting if I’ve ever heard of it.” Autumn said.

Sparkler smiled as she went to adjust the telescope again. “Right. Yer Up AB.” She said.

Applebloom smiled and walked on over. She peered through the telescope in hope of scoring a point for herself. After a moment, she frowned. “Sparkler, you just pointed the telescope back to the Big Dipper. Sweetie already got that one.” She said in confusion.

Sparkler chuckled and shook her head. “It’s a common mistake, but what you’re looking at is a new constellation, Applebloom. It’s called the Ursa Minor.” She explained.

“Huh? Ursa Minor?” Autumn asked. “I’ve never heard of that one.”

“It’s a similar constellation to the Big and Little Dippers, but with little differences.” Sparkler lit her horn and showed Autumn a picture of the Big Dipper. “In the Big Dipper, there are only two stars in the ‘handle’.” She changed pictures to an Ursa Minor. “The handle of the Ursa Minor has a lot more stars.”

“Ooh, sounds interesting!” Autumn said. “I didn’t know constellations could be like that.”

“They sure do have more to them than I thought.” Sweetie Belle added.

Sparkler giggled as she canceled the magic and the picture poofed away. “I’m sure y’all will learn more about them in school.” She said.

“I hope so!” Applebloom replied. “They’re fun to learn about.”

“Yeah, that would be a really cool topic for school to include.” Autumn said.

Sparkler nodded. “Now, let’s move on shall we?”

After a few more rounds of Spot the Constellation, where Sweetie Belle came out as the winner, scoring five points, it was time for the next activity.

Sparkler smiled as she ran down the list in her head. “Alright, did stargazin’, made a little game out of it, anypony up fer a campfire song?” She asked as she pulled out her blue guitar. Something else matching the color of her aura.

“Yes!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed, without a leap as she was still full of pie. “That will be great!”

All of the other ponies agreed to enter this activity, following Sweetie Belle into a circle-shaped gathering around Sparkler and the roasting blue fire. “Ready?” Autumn asked.

Everypony else nodded. Sparkler smiled. “Alright, Here’s a little tune I wrote mahself...when I was 7. Autumn, care to count us in?”

“Sure Sparkler!” Autumn said. “3, 2, 1…”

Sparkler began strumming her guitar, playing a progression of open chords. After a few strums, she began to sing.

Sometimes the road looks kinda long
And you’re super scared to run

🎵Sometime you fail
and it makes you feel
Like you’re just a featherbrain.

When the buckballs don’t come your way
Or you’re afraid to sing

Just find yerself a friend and then
You can weather anything

Ooh ooh ooh ooh

Looks like we’re out of the woods now
Salvation’s right, ‘round the bend
Looks like we’re out of the woods now
And I think I see a friend.

That turn was wrong and the night was long
I thought it would never end.

But I think I’m out of the woods now,
Cause I think I see mah friends.

Everypony!🎵

Everypony, through cartoon logic, joined in with a layer of backing vocals.

🎵Looks like we’re out of the woods now
Salvation’s right, ‘round the bend
Looks like we’re out of the woods now
And I think I see a friend.

That turn was wrong and the night was long
I thought it would never end.

But I think I’m out of the woods now,
Cause I think I see mah friends.🎵

Sparkler sang the next part solo.

🎵Yeah I think I’m out of the woods now.
Cause I think I see mah friends.🎵

Sparkler strummed out the last chord, and it was followed by a round of applause around the fire.

Applebloom smiled. “That was awesome Sparkler!” She commented.

Flappy nodded. “Squawk! And she wrote that at seven! Seriously! She was destined for musical greatness! Squawk!” He exclaimed.

“Oh yeah. Writing that at age seven, she really was destined.” Autumn said.

Sparkler blushed at the compliments. “Thanks. Should I say it’s the first song I ever wrote? On the hope that I might actually get to sing it at a camp?” She added.

Autumn’s eyes had another wide-open shot at this crazy combo.

“What? That was your first song, and you intended for it to be a campfire song?!” She asked.

“Yeah. And sadly this was the first time I got to use it as I intended...somewhat.” Sparkler said.

Autumn switched to having a look of concern. “What caused the long delay?”

“Never been to camp, and I didn’t have anypony other than Flappy to have a campfire with.” Sparkler replied.

“Oh… right.” Autumn said with sadness in remembering this. “Going to a camp wasn’t really feasible for you, from what you told me.”

“How come you had no friends other than Flappy til now, Sparkler?” Applebloom asked.

Sparkler’s eyes shot open and she bit her lip at the return of this classic struggle. What should I say?! I can’t tell the truth...At least not yet! “Um...I-I don’t really wanna get into it right now. It wasn’t exactly a bright chapter in my life.” She said as her eyes began to water, the painful memories coming back to her.

“Squawk! Let’s just say she woulda rathered been homeschooled and leave it at that. Squawk!” Flappy said, flying up to Sparkler to comfort her.

“Aww.” Sweetie Belle said empathetically. Sparkler letting out a sniffle with her eyes still watering, Sweetie could tell help was needed. “Sparkler, even if we don’t know the whole story, would you still like a hug?”

Sparkler nodded without saying anything, and without thinking.

“Group hug?” Autumn suggested.

Applebloom nodded. “I don think I saw a nod for Sweetie’s hug, but this calls for a group hug big time.” She said.

So that’s what they did. All three CMCs ran and jumped onto Sparkler’s rock and tightly hugged her simultaneously. The different sizes of their bodies due to age rendered the four-way hug to work so well. With four adults, it would be a bit difficult to do.

Autumn then walked over to Sparkler’s backside, where none of the CMCs were, and half-way wrapped around her midsection from there, so as to not get in their way.

“We love you, Sparkler.” Autumn said.

Flappy smiled as even he flew in and got in on the action. “Squawk! And we’re with you all the way. Squawk!” He added.

Sparkler relished in the feel of all the hooves, and the pair of wings, wrapping around her, and it felt so, so good. Finally, Sparkler knew what it was like to be loved… by ponies outside her family and Flappy. Something she was sorely lacking up until recently.

“Thanks y’all, that means a lot.” She said.

“You’re welcome, Sparkler. This is one of my things; I have to let ponies know they are loved.” Autumn said.

“Yeah! In the Apple family, we make sure everypony’s loved. Friends and family alike.” Applebloom added.

Friends and family alike. Does that mean they would accept me for my wing and horn combo weirdness? Sparkler thought to herself.

After what seemed like hours, but only a moment, the hug broke away and everypony returned to their original seats. Sparkler felt much better, enough to return to the list of fun activities.

“Right. Any other songs we could sing?” She asked.

“Well, we were talking about the Apple family; they have a song about themselves and their family bond called ‘Apples to the Core.’” Sweetie Belle said. “What about that?”

“That sounds like a right time.” Sparkler said. She glanced over at Autumn. “Hey Autumn.” She held out her guitar for Autumn to take. “If it’s an Apple song an Apple should provide musical accompaniment.” She said.

“Oh, okay.” Autumn said, bringing Sparkler’s guitar to her lap. “I do know this song on guitar, so good choice… but wait! Which parts are we going to sing? The only one who performed on this song’s recording here is Applebloom.”

Applebloom chuckled and just assigned everypony a role without much thinking.

“Autumn, you do Applejack’s part. Scoots, you can do Big Mac’s part along with Flappy there. Sweetie, you can do Granny’s part, and Sparkler, you can do Pinkie’s part. And I’ll do my own part.”

While Sparkler and Flappy had no sweet clue in tartarus who Granny and Big Mac were, and having only bare-bones ideas as to who Applejack and Pinkie were as Elements of Harmony, they both nodded. “Sure.”

“Squawk! Let’s rock this campfire! Squawk!”

“Yes!” Autumn said. She imitated the squeaking-wheels start of Apples to the Core by playing the corresponding notes on guitar, and then the pan banging by hitting her hoof on the ground. She then imitated the banjo part through her guitar, and started singing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnn6KlWkUGM

Thanks to cartoon logic, everypony, even the unfamiliar-with-the-song Sparkler and Flappy, nailed every pitch, every note, and all the timing, making them sound like they had been working on a cover version of the song for a while. Which they never had been.

At the end of the song, Autumn strummed the last chord and finished things off. Sparkler and Flappy gave applause, making for a flipped-around situation from the last song.

“Shoowee cowgirl! Yer family’s sure got the beat! Squawk!” Sparkler said.

Flappy nodded. “Squawk! That was awesome! Squawk!”

Autumn closed her eyes with a smile. “Thanks.” She says. “We are a very musical family, and I’ve taken it to the next level. Most Apples, although many of us are musical, still work on a farm.”

“But it’s a real party at every Apple Family Reunion.” Applebloom commented.

Sparkler chuckled. “I’m sure it is.” She said.

“Oh yes!” Autumn exclaims. “The reunion is like, the best day of the year for the Apples.”

“Squawk! Wish I could say it is, But Sparkler and I never been to a family reunion. Squawk!” Flappy commented.

Autumn raised an eyebrow. “Well, I hope that’s only because you didn’t want to go or your family has never had one. If you wanted to go and couldn’t, that sucks.”

Sparkler sighed. “Sadly, mah folks and I are the last of our family tree. Everypony else passed before I was even born.” She said sadly.

...

It was completely quiet. The completely unexpected answer sent the area into a cloud of silence. Nopony had any clue what to say.

After a solid minute, Sparkler sighed and decided to delay this topic to another day. “Anywho, anypony know any more songs we could sing?”

Autumn looked up at the now almost-black sky and felt a yawn coming along, so she, following Sparkler in avoiding talk about death for now, figured that this day had run its course.

“I think it’s time we head back home for bed actually.” Autumn said. “These girls especially; I let them stay up late tonight since it’s a special occasion, but they need their rest for their hangout with Braeburn tomorrow.”

“Yeah.” Sweetie Belle says. “Even I’m feeling tired too.”

“Alright. We can pack it up fer tonight. I can handle the trash.” Sparkler offered.

“Thanks.” Autumn said.

“Want another hug?” She asked. “I had such a great time with you today, Sparkler.” Autumn said, holding out her front legs.

Sparkler nodded and brought her in for a sweet, bye-for-now hug around each other’s necks. “It was a right time hanging with you too Autumn.” She glanced over at the CMC. “And it was great to meet yer cousin and her friends.” She said with a wink.

“You too, Sparkler!” Scootaloo beamed.

“I think I can say that you and I are definitely friends now, Sparkler.” Autumn said, the hug still going.

“I don thought we already established that at lunch today?” Sparkler chuckled.

“Well, back then, I was still a little skeptical because of the short incubation period.” Autumn said. “But now, with the night we just had, it’s clear to me.” She said, hugging Sparkler tighter.

Flappy chuckled. “Squawk! It was clear to me by lunchtime you were friends. Squawk!” He commented.

“Hehe. Sometimes I wonder if you and Sparkler have a friendship radar in you.” Autumn joked.

Everypony chuckled at that. Sparkler smiled as she and Autumn broke from the hug. “I guess we’re just real good judges of character. That and the writers of this here story put us together so we could be friends.” She added.

Autumn didn’t respond to this. She didn’t think of responding to it. Sparkler was starting to sound like Pinkie Pie, who, as anypony knew, was not to be questioned.

“I hope you and Flappy have a great night at the Inn, Sparkler.” Autumn shifted the topic with. “And I will see you tomorrow.” She and the CMCs, who also said their goodbyes, walked off down the hill, fading away from Sparkler’s view.

“You have a good night too Autumn.” Sparkler said, even though she knew Autumn was out of earshot.

Flappy smiled. “Squawk! Oh yeah. She’s perfect for you, Sparkler. Squawk!” He said.

“I can see this friendship of ours goin far.” Sparkler chuckled, and then sighed. “That is, If I can ever…” She trailed off as something clicked in her. Something she did during the hangout that set off red flag after red flag, alarm after alarm.

“No.” She said as her irises shrank to near invisibility.

Flappy raised an eyebrow. “Squawk! What is it Sparkler? Squawk!” He asked rapidly, worried.

Sparkler became stock still as her mind raced. “W-When they hugged me...They hugged mah midsection...Where mah…”

Flappy’s eyes widened as he caught onto what Sparkler was saying. “Squawk! Oh. Squawk!”

Sparkler gulped. “Alright, stay calm.” She told herself out loud. “Yer poncho’s thick; m-maybe they didn’t notice.”

But what if they DID?! Autumn’s forelegs ESPECIALLY where RIGHT on top of them!

Is she just keeping it silent?

Something tells me she would’ve brought it up.

“...Would she?”

Autumn walked the CMCs through the Appleloosa night back to her house; a place Applebloom had been before, but not Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. This was their first sleepover with Autumn anywhere, in fact.

“Oh, tonight’s gonna be awesome now that I have ponies to be with.” Autumn said as she unlocked and opened her front door.

“Yeah! That’s right, Autumn!” Sweetie Belle said. “We’ll be keeping you company!”

“We sure will.” Scootaloo added. “And hopefully you won’t be dealing with lonely nights for much longer. I think Sparkler would be a really good fit as a roommate for you.

Based on what happened tonight, Autumn couldn’t help but agree with that statement.

“I think so too. She’s the most promising candidate I’ve had so far. I think I’ll run the trial sleepover as soon as this time with you three is done. And in the meantime, here I am with you three!” She said.

Autumn brought out an extra, three-filly mattress from her closet and laid it down in her bedroom. She and the fillies settled in for the night, closing this amazing day out.

To be continued...

Chapter 4

View Online

“Squawk! Sparkler, I think you might be overreacting a little. Squawk!” Flappy said.

He and Sparkler were back in their Inn room as the night took over, getting ready to end the day and go to bed...or trying to. Sparkler was more pacing back and forth across the main room, from front door to back window, while vigorously brushing her teeth, harder than needed for cleaning.

“Am I Flappy? Am I?!” Sparkler asked in reply as she spat the toothpaste into the bathroom sink. “Autumn and those CMC fillies all had their hooves around me, around my midsection.” She spread her wings out. “Right on top of my wings! That’s a red flag Flappy, a red flag!” She exclaimed loudly, panting.

“Squawk! It might be a red flag. But I feel that if they noticed, they would’ve said something. Squawk!” Flappy said.

“You think so?” Sparkler asked, climbing into bed with her voice going down in volume and speed, but her emotions, not at all.

“Because I’m thinking they did notice and just didn’t say anything. Maybe this is some kind of test from Autumn. See if she can trust me not to keep things like this from her...what if I lose her as a friend over this?!” She cried out in panic, laying on her back.

Flappy shook his head. Of course Sparkler was freaking out about this. “Squawk! Sparkler. Calm down. Squawk!” He said. He quickly spat out his toothpaste and flew over to the plain white bed, where he stood beside Sparkler and made close eye contact with her.

“Squawk! Sparkler, I get that you’re scared.” He said, petting Sparkler’s shoulder with his wing. “You’re afraid this will end up just like school in Saddle Arabia. But here’s the thing: you can’t hide under that poncho forever. One day, you are gonna need to ditch it. Squawk!” He said.

Sparkler sighed as her ears drooped down. “I know… but I can’t get it out of my mind, Flappy. Once I ditch the poncho, there’s no going back. And every time I think about it...my mind goes back to the eggs...thirteen years of eggs.” She shivered at the thought and had her eyes begin to water.

“Squawk! I’m still amazed you aren’t terrified of them. Squawk!” Flappy commented.

“I can eat and handle them just fine. It’s when they’re projectiles that I panic.” Sparkler shot back. “I can still feel them hitting my wings...” She said as she hugged herself tight with those wings and pressed her eyelids closed.

Flappy responded to the dreaded look on Sparkler’s face by offering her a warm smile and more pets from the wing.

“Squawk! Hey. It’s ok. So far the only eggs I’ve seen in this town are the eggs we have in the fridge. So nopony’s gonna pelt you with them. Squawk!” He said.

“Sure. Y’all say that now, but the tavern serves breakfast. Eggs are breakfast food.” Sparkler replied.

“Squawk! Sparkler. You’re being ridiculous. Squawk!” Flappy said. “Squawk! If someone wanted to pelt you with eggs for whatever reason, surely they would’ve done it already. Squawk!”

Sparkler, after a moment’s thought, shook her head. “Ugh! Let’s just go to bed. Maybe it’ll be fine.”

“Squawk! Okay. Up to you when you want to talk more about this. But seriously, Sparkler. Ya can’t avoid this forever. Those wings don’t belong under a poncho. Wings are meant to be out in the open. Squawk!” He said, flying over to his pole perch.

Sparkler sighed. “Maybe one day.” She responded. She turned onto her side and decided to just wait for sleep to come.

“So Sparkler, since the sleepover went well, and you and I have a lot in common, wanna be roommates?” Autumn asked, after they had finished an incredibly successful studio session that ended in them confirming their feelings.

“Yer darn tootin I do!” Sparkler replied excitedly. “There’s just one more thing y’all should know about me.” She said as her voice toned down in pitch and slowed down in speed, albeit still with her feeling empowerment from her decision to do this.

Sparkler lit her horn and pulsed it. Her poncho poofed into disappearance and her wings spread out far and wide, remaining out so Autumn could see them in all their glory.

Sparkler, still troubled by her fear of her past, kept her eyes closed for fear of what terrible sights would behold if she opened them...and near instantly, she felt the familiar impact of eggs striking her wings. She gasped, her eyes snapped open, and she saw Autumn standing there with a giant pile of eggs out of nowhere. She didn’t have them before.

Sparkler’s face fell into a mortified look. “Au-Autumn?”

“Shut up you horned chicken!” Autumn shot back as she started bombarding Sparkler with more eggs, toward her wings and elsewhere.

Sparkler panted and desperately turned her head around the room for any kind of cover, where none was to be found. All she could do was use her wings to only try and shield her body as tears started forming. “Wait! Please! Stop! I-I can explain!”

“Explain what? That you’re a winged narwhal? Ha! You wish.” Autumn laughed evilly as she continued the bombardment, egg shells and yolk piling onto Sparkler’s wings, head, and mane more and more by the second.

Sparkler continued trying to shield herself as tears started falling from her face. “No. Please. I-I just wanted to be friends!” She sobbed.

“Friends?” Autumn asked. “You’re nothing but a mistake. Why would we ever be friends?” She laughed.

Sparkler heard the “ha-ha”s continue as she was brutally pelted. “Autumn!” She pleaded. “Please! I’m sorry!”

The egging didn’t stop, neither did the laughing as Sparkler collapsed to the ground with her limbs folded inward and continued to cry a waterfall. Her worst fears had been realized. She had lost her only pony friend. History had repeated itself.

...

All of a sudden, the bombardment and laughing ceased, and Sparkler felt herself get relieved of all the egg yolk and egg shells without any kind of manual clean-up. She, after taking a moment to know she was safe, slowly opened her eyes and peeked out from behind her wings, to find that instead of her studio, where she and Autumn had been, she was now in a starry, blue-purple landscape that was completely unfamiliar to her.

In fact, she seemed to be in the starry sky. Looking below at her hooves, there was not any kind of ground to be seen. Yet, Sparkler was standing. Like normal.

She wiped the remaining tears from her eyes as she looked around the area that looked basically the same in every direction, confused as to how and why she was in this alien place.

“Greetings, My Little Pony. Thou look troubled.”

Sparkler heard the voice coming from behind her and whipped her body around to see a mare standing before her. Her eyes widened as she took time to process her appearance. This mare was much larger than Sparkler, with a chambray coat, a flowing, starry blue mane, and silver regalia, including a crown, that made it abundantly clear she was royalty.

But the thing that both surprised, and terrified Sparkler the most, was that this mare not only had a horn, but also wings! She had the horn and wing combo, just like her!

“You...you...” Sparkler stammered, unable to process this apparent revelation that she may not be the only one.

The mare smiled and folded her wings back up, which had been spread for Sparkler to see. “I take it thou have never encountered an Alicorn like yourself. Which would explain your facial expression.” She said.

Sparkler blinked and held her jaw open. What the hay?

“Uh...what?” She asked, still unable to process what the frax was going on.

“Perhaps we should start with an introduction.” The taller mare said. “I am Princess Luna. Princess of the night, and guardian of the dream realm. I protect ponies from their nightmares.” She said.

Sparkler wanted so bad to say something, but the sheer fact that she wasn’t the only one with the horn and wing combo after all would’ve probably made her faint if she wasn’t already asleep! She just could not believe it.

After what seemed like an eternity of Sparkler feeling unable to move or catch her breath properly, feeling like she was about to faint, Sparkler finally found it in herself to speak to the princess. “I-I’m Sparkling Medley...Sparkler for short...”

“It is nice to meet you Sparkling Medley. Wings and all.” Luna replied.

Sparkler’s eyes snapped wide as Luna uttered those last three words. Sparkler whipped her head around to see that her wings were exposed! “Eep!” She squeaked as she tried to hide them, to no avail. Her wings just flared open for Princess Luna to see.

Luna watched as Sparkler tried everything to hide her wings, grunting and pulling in muscles, and only succeeded in showing them off. Finally, needing to take a breath, Sparkler just gave up.

“Y-You weren’t s-supposed...” Sparkler’s voice failed her in speaking the full sentence, as tears formed in her eyes.

“Sparkler.” Luna said. “Being an Alicorn is nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Alicorn?” Sparkler asked.

“It is what you and I are. Alicorns.” Luna replied.

“Alicorns...” Sparkler repeated. She couldn’t place the reason for it, but she liked the sound of that term.

“Though there are still some questions to be answered.” Luna said. “The foremost being how there is another Alicorn out there.”

“I-I was born like this.” Sparkler answered. “I don’t know why or how, but for one reason or another, I have the horn and—I mean, I’m an Alicorn.” She corrected herself.

“Ah. You are a natural born Alicorn. I know some ponies that would jump at the chance to talk to you.”

Sparkler winced when Luna mentioned other ponies. “No! Please don’t say anything! I-I...” Her eyes widened as it finally, suddenly clicked within her that she was talking to a princess! A princess who she had yet to show any amount of respect royalty was due.

She hit her front hooves on the invisible sky ground...or whatever she was standing on. “I’m so sorry your majesty! I-I shouldn’t be asking anything of you...p-please forgive me!”

For a moment, nopony said a word, as Sparkler hung her head down in shame, until Luna broke the silence. “Relax Sparkling Medley. You may rise. And if you do not wish for anypony to know about your wings, then your secret is safe with me.”

Sparkler rose in relief and gave off a soft smile. “T-Thank you, your Majest—“

“Just Luna will do.”

“...Thank you Luna.”

Luna nodded in response. “I best be off. But before I do, know this, Sparkling Medley. Autumn Apple is not such as your nightmare has depicted. I do believe she will understand why you have opted to hide your wings, considering your past.”

Sparkler blinked. Luna knew about her past? “Wait, how do—“

And just like that, Luna was gone.

To be continued...

Chapter 5

View Online

It was tough for Autumn and the CMCs to not continue frolicing in fun. They were a great, fun group when together, and Autumn was finally, at last, getting to have a non-lonely night! The special, awesome setting kept Autumn’s mind racing, her voice daytime-like, and hooves walking fast.

But tomorrow was a big day, featuring the hangout with Braeburn, so sleep was a must.

Eventually, the four ponies, with Autumn on her own bed and the CMCs pointed towards the opposite wall on a shared inflatable mattress, do make it happen.

Could anything noteworthy happen during the night?

“Autumn? Y’all ready to go?” Sparkler asked.

“Almost! Should be just a few more minutes, then it’s time for the perfect day with my best friend and roommate!” Autumn said from the next room over in her house, which she now shared with Sparkler.

Autumn could hear a giggle in the distance after she said that. Sparkler seemed to enjoy the sweet friendship nods.

Autumn finished getting ready, and she and Sparkler set out the door for a day at the waterpark. First time going there together; should be awesome!

...

“Who’s gonna jump first?” Autumn asked.

“...I don’t know. This is a tad scary.” Sparkler replied.

Autumn and Sparkler were standing at the top of a white tower in the middle-left of the vast pool, overlooking the entire waterpark, which was basically one big pool with attractions in it. There were waterslides, sprayers, the typical stuff, but also bouncy inflatables, and jump-off towers, like what they were on now.

The pool was so large that Autumn and Sparkler could only faintly see its east edge, even from the top of a 12-foot tower.

“Okay, I reckon I’ll jump first.” Sparkler eventually decided. She braved the height and pushed her body to leap off, causing a circle of whiteness and height of water as she crashed into the blueness at the bottom.

“Hehe! That was right fun!” Sparkler said from below as she stuck her head up, with Autumn overlooking.

“I’m comiinngg!” Autumn said, drawn-out, as she plunged down herself.

Autumn’s splash attacked Sparkler all over, but she enjoyed it, only giggling. Autumn rose out of the water smiling, and the two mares hugged each other as a signal of “well-done” for accomplishing that frightening feat.

“I say we go relax on land now.” Autumn said.

“Okay.” Sparkler replied.

They transitioned from swimming to walking and returned to their picnic table and beach chair area on the south-located sideline, where fresh, cold bottles of Sparkler’s famous lemonade were awaiting them.

“Oh man, it’s always exciting when you know you’re about to drink this lemonade, even when you’ve already drank it so many times.” Autumn said, reaching into Sparkler’s blue saddlebag and holding one of those wet, refreshing yellow gems in front of her feasting eyes and dry mouth.

“Hehe. I don reckon that’s how I know I’ve done it well.” Sparkler said.

“You totally have.” Autumn replied.

Autumn twisted open the yellow bottle and took a tropical sip of the lemonade while overlooking the sunny blue waterpark. She was having an absolutely beautiful day.

Which was made even more beautiful by the mare next to her, whom Autumn looked over to her right at.

Autumn couldn’t help but set down the lemonade and give Sparkler another hug. “Thanks so much for being my roommate.” She said, as she nuzzled Sparkler with her face and pet her back, unable to resist. Her eyes even became a bit wet, like the waterpark.

“Aww.” Sparkler said. “Thank you for lettin’ me stay with you...And fer bein mah friend.”

Autumn woke up. The room was still colored black, so she deduced that morning probably wasn’t coming anytime soon. That she had woken up in the dead of night.

She leaned over to the right and checked her digital clock; it read 1:10 AM. Yeah, there was still a long way to go before the day with Braeburn.

Oh yeah, and what was that dream she just had?

The mind movie which had only just come to an end came back to Autumn as she rolled over onto her back. It locks her eyes wide-open despite her still being tired; wanting another session of REM.

Did I… call Sparkler my roommate in that dream?

Yeah, I did! I remember it; I said it in the beginning and at the end. We were at a waterpark, we jumped off a tower, then we had her lemonade at our bench.

And at that part… I hugged and nuzzled her with tears of joy as I… called her my roommate!

Autumn rolled over onto her side with her eyes still wide-open; so much so that she decided to put sleep on the backburner.

I have to say… Now that I think about it, I kind of like the idea of having Sparkler as my roommate.

In that dream, she behaved exactly like she does in real life. I don’t remember anything fantastical in the dream. And with that, it showed us as being in perfect harmony.

I did tell Applebloom last night that Sparkler was the most promising roommate candidate I’ve had so far.

She ticks all the boxes, didn’t criticize me for having those boxes, and we’re already having tons of fun together.

Yeah, I know, I already decided to run a roommate trial with her, a sleepover, but I’ve done that many times already with little to no knowledge about whether or not the pony I’m sleeping over with ticks the boxes.

Most of the time, I didn’t find out something really important about them until later.

That doesn’t seem to be the case with Sparkler…

...and again, that dream. I’ve never had a dream like that before.

This had now progressed to the point where Autumn sat up in her white mattress and red blanket bed, overlooking the CMCs, who were still sound asleep. Steadily breathing with closed eyes, much unlike her.

Do I, possibly, really want Sparkler to be my roommate?

I mean, most of those other trials I’ve run only got run out of desperation mode. I wanted a roommate so badly that I just went for it when whomever random somepony offered.

And when it didn’t work, well, I wasn’t sad because I wanted them specifically. I just wanted a roommate in general.

With Sparkler, though… I’d be really sad if she doesn’t work out. Because I like her. A lot.

Not in the romantic sense, but like, yeah, I really want to have her with me, in this house. Or in whatever house. I’d give the house choice to her if she wanted, because that’s how much I care about her.

Autumn’s eyes widened again when her thoughts told her that.

I just said “I care about her.”

She let out a silent giggle.

Well, looks like I’m right.

Wow, that dream really revealed a lot.

…

So what do I do when the day comes?

Well, it is the day with Braeburn, where him, Applebloom, and I will be hanging out amongst ourselves, and Sparkler will be off watching over AB’s friends.

So time might be short, but I don’t doubt I’ll see her today.

And…when should I tell her that I want her as a roommate?

Or, if ever?

Well, wait… she still might not work out in some way. That’s what the trial is for.

But again… I’d be heartbroken if she doesn’t work out.

She let out another silent giggle.

Okay, it’s probably best to work through all this after a good night’s sleep. Especially since I can feel my eyes getting heavy.

See you in the morning, big question.

To be continued...

Chapter 6

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Autumn did let her tiredness take charge and she fell back into the world of sleep, this time waking up to the room brightly changing its color and the clock reading 8:38am, when Autumn and Sparkler had their meetup scheduled for 9:45.

Alright! It’s morning now, and I’ve got plenty of time to get ready! Autumn thought.

She looked behind her at the CMCs’ floor bed, which had… no ponies in it. The pillows and blankets were unoccupied and messed up.

Looking in the other directions, the three fillies were nowhere to be seen in this bedroom either.

I’m not surprised. Autumn thought, silently giggling. They’re fillies; of course they’d be up earlier.

Autumn stretched out of bed and walked into her livingroom to check where in her house the CMCs had gone. The living room couch was empty, but to her left, she could hear the sound of silverware clanking with ceramic. Sure enough, the girls were sitting at Autumn’s kitchen table eating cereal.

“Good mornin’, Autumn!” Applebloom said, jumping off of her chair. “You ready for today?”

“I sure am!” Autumn responded. “And I see you didn’t need to wait for me with breakfast!”

“Nope!” Applebloom said. “We’re used to doin’ it ourselves sometimes.”

“But anyway, what time are we meetin’ with Sparkler and Braeburn?”

“Sparkler said 9:45.” Autumn replied. “So we’ve got time.”

Autumn joined the fillies at the table and titled the box of Celesti-Os, placing herself inside a shared breakfast. Having it with other ponies. Something Autumn longed for her entire adulthood, and felt a sense of shining fulfillment as it was given to her today. Finally, she wasn’t pouring her cereal with a sad face on.

But right at that moment, suddenly an event from last night came back to her, stalling her meal and shifting her mind away from the lovely situation.

…

That dream… I still agree with it! I’d love, love to have Sparkler as a roommate.

…

Shoot… when do I tell her about this?

Autumn didn’t want her mind to go racing when she had something on schedule, but there was no doubt that it would run at turbo speed today. The turbo speed that she anticipated to remain active until she revealed her feelings to Sparkler. (No, not those kinds of feelings.)

We shall see what happens.

Sparkler popped out from the dream with a start as she bolted upright in her bed. She puffed out fast, heavy breaths as she looked at what her surroundings were. Am I safe? Am I in the Inn room?

Yes. She was in her room at the Inn, the same one from last night. And no time for another nightmare, as the sun was shining through the window, illuminating the room in a daytime glow. Sparkler turned around to see Flappy still sound asleep on his perch.

What in tarnation just happened? She asked herself. She recalled Autumn turning her back on her because of her wings, and then pelting her with eggs… then all of a sudden, she was approached by a mare unlike anything she had ever seen before.

Princess Luna… Sparkler’s mind raced. She didn’t feel like there was enough proof that what she saw was real, but it definitely felt real, and if it was real…

Am I really not the only...Alicorn? Sparkler shook her head, still trying to process what had happened. Including the fact that she seemingly now had a name for what she was.

“Alicorn…” Sparkler whispered to herself. It felt so unfamiliar… and yet it felt right. After all, she did have the horn of a unicorn, the wings of a pegasus...and even the strength of an Earth pony. She was all three rolled into one...an alicorn.

Sparkler looked at her bedside clock and noticed something very wrong; something to jerk her mind away from the dream, no matter how much meaningful power it held. The clock read 9:30am. Her eyes snapped open and all remaining drowsiness dissolved.

Tartar sauce! We’re late! She was supposed to meet Autumn out in the town so she could take two of the CMC fillies for the day.

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo… Sparkler thought, back to the Alicorn thing, as she was racing her hooves to the bathroom. An idea forcing its way into her brain during crunch time. Could they know more about this?

“So Autumn, where are we goin’ to meet up with Sparkler?” Applebloom asked as she, Autumn, and the other CMCs walked across the tan Appleloosa dirt under the bright-blue morning sunrise.

“To be honest, I actually don’t know.” Autumn responded. “We never set up a specific area. I just decided to walk in the direction that leads to where she’s staying, and hope we run into her.”

“Oh.” Sweetie Belle said. “Well then, I hope we get lucky!”

“Just leaving it up to fate.” Autumn said. She should stick out with her pink coat and blue accessories.

...

Sparkler and Flappy exited their current place of residence with running, clomping hooves and beating bird wings. With Sparkler wearing her stetson and poncho; she thankfully didn’t forget about that. They rushed out into the street, and Sparkler spoke up.

“Right. Look out for Autumn and the three CMC fillies, Flappy. We should see them around.” She said as they slowed down out in the street.

“Squawk! Right. Squawk!” Flappy replied.

...

On the north side, not too far away, Autumn’s eye caught a piece of hot pink with blue wrapped around. That must be Sparkler! Nopony else in town has colors like that!

Autumn rushed over with the CMCs following her. “Hey Sparkler! We made it!” She beamed.

Sparkler heard the high voice and smiled as she saw her ponies of interest rushing to them. “Well I’ll be. Howdy there everypony!” She exclaimed happily with a wave.

“Hi Sparkler!” Sweetie Belle said, hugging one of her front legs. “I’m so excited to spend time with you today!”

“Same on this end!” Scootaloo said, flapping her cute little wings.

“Squawk! We’re excited to hear that! Squawk!” Flappy said, landing on Sparkler’s back.

Autumn closed her eyes and smiled. “Have a great time, you four!”

“As for us over here, Applebloom and I are gonna go spend the day with Braeburn.” Autumn continued. “Some time with three cousins.”

“That should be a heap of fun.” Sparkler commented. “We’re gonna have fun too. Right Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo?” She asked.

“Yes!” Sweetie and Scootaloo said in unison.

“Squawk! You bet! Hey, Maybe we could have an epic jam session. Squawk!” Flappy suggested.

“That sounds delightful!” Sweetie Belle said.

“The three of us once went on a stage to perform a song we wrote.” Scootaloo said.

“I remember that!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed, looking over at Scootaloo. “One of our best days before getting our cutie marks!”

“Yeah! What Sweetie and Scoots are gettin’ at is that we’re musicians too!” Applebloom told Sparkler.

“Well now. Ain’t that nice.” Sparkler said. “Now I wonder how y’all sound.”

“You’ll find out soon enough!” Scootaloo said. “Let’s head over to Sparkling Harmony Records, shall we?”

“Squawk! We shall! Squawk!” Flappy replied. “Squawk! Let’s go! Squawk!”

“Then to the Tavern.” Sparkler said. “See Y’all later!”

“See you later too!” Autumn said. The two groups waved goodbye to each other and walked off in opposite directions.

The cousins Autumn and Applebloom walked through the now-more-active morning Appleloosa. A few ponies recognized and called out to Autumn as they passed by the pair, often asking “Who’s the filly with ya?”

Today being Sunday, the Appleloosa residents were not on their way to work. Many of them were heading over to wooden stakes for some good old horseshoe games. Autumn’s eyes caught those as she walked by, only reminding her of what had recently happened.

“Ya got your medal with you, Autumn?” Applebloom asked.

“Yep. I always carry it around.” Autumn said as she dug her mouth into her orange saddlebag. She figured it was a good time to wear her perfect game medal, when horseshoe games were all around her.

Applebloom smiled from below as Autumn slid the shining gold around her neck. “So proud of you, cousin.”

“As am I.” a familiar voice called from nowhere.

Autumn and Applebloom jumped and shot their eyes all over the place, racing to know if that voice was really that of the pony they’re looking for.

“Heh. I see you over there.” Braeburn said, walking up close to them.

“Oh! Well then! Howdy, Braeburn!” Autumn said, giggling and snapping out of it.

“Howdy, champion.” Braeburn responded.

Autumn blushed. She still found herself doing that when ponies reminded her of the accomplishment.

“Y’all ready for our cousin day?” Applebloom said.

“You bet I am!” Braeburn said. “What should we do?”

Autumn looked over behind her to a brown stake that was unoccupied, giving her an inspiration. “Play horseshoes?”

“Sure!” Autumn said. The three Apples claim the stake and bring out their bronze, silver, and gold horseshoes.

At the second floor of the tavern, after a delightful morning exchange with Grapefruit where he met the other two CMCs for the first time, Sparkler, Flappy on her back, and Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo stood outside the gold-starred door bearing the label “Sparkling Harmony Records”.

Sparkler turned the key and unlocked the door. “Now remember girls, I’d right appreciate it if you didn’t touch anything without permission. Don’t want to break anything.” She noted before giving access.

The fillies nodded. “Yes ma’am, Sparkler.”

Sparkler nodded and opened the door, letting the fillies in. “Then welcome to Sparkling Harmony Records, girls.” She said, flashing her brown-walled studio.

“Squawk! Where we record any song you want and even help make it a hit. Squawk!” Flappy added.

Sweetie and Scootaloo walked in and took a look around, amazed at the room that beheld them. On the right side of the room, multi-colored instruments, including guitars, drums, cymbals, triangles, cow bells, if you could name it, it lined the wall. Along with mics, amps, and music stands.

On the left side, presumably, was the recording equipment itself. Mixers, equalizers, and other gadgets the CMC didn’t recognize.

“Amazing studio, Sparkler!” Sweetie said.

“Yeah.” Scootaloo added.

“I know it’s not super advanced or pretty. But it works.” Sparkler said.

“If it works, it works.” Scootaloo said. “So, what should we do here?”

“Well. How would y’all like a tour of how we do things here? Hm? Get an insider’s view of how all these gadgets work?” Sparkler suggested.

“That sounds delightful!” Sweetie said.

“Sure. I guess I would like to know what’s going on when we’re recording. It sounds like cool info.” Scootaloo said.

“Well then, let’s get to it and start with the most important part of the process: how the audio gets picked up.” Sparkler replied, flipping on one of the microphone’s switches.

Applebloom tossed a ringer with a golden horseshoe. “Wa-hoo! Nine points!” Yep, the bronze-silver-gold scheme was very much still in effect. It was anticipated to be for a long, long time.

“I still get such a sense of deja vu when I watch this game. Especially when they throw a golden ringer.” Autumn said, looking down at the gold medal on her chest. The medal awarded to her for throwing ten of them in a row.

“‘Cause that there gold ringer let you take the tournament.” Braeburn said.

“Yeah. It really did.” Autumn said, taking herself back to that moment. The moment when she hit that tenth golden ringer, when the crowd screamed, when ponies rushed up to her with that hat and the medal… everything else after that.

“I know I just said this, but I really am proud of you, cos.’” Braeburn said. “Ten gold ringers is darn impressive.”

“And thought by many ponies during the tournament to be impossible!” Autumn exclaimed. “Remember Shoeshine’s ‘only a robot could do’ comment?”

“Sure do.” Braeburn said with a chuckle. “Proved them wrong, didn’t ya.”

“I did.” Autumn said, looking at her gold medal again.

She decided not to overwhelm herself with deja vu, shaking her head and asking “What else can we talk about?”

“Heard there was a new pony in town. A pink unicorn with a blue stetson and a matching poncho. You met them yet?” Braeburn asked.

Autumn had a jolt. A new unicorn in town, who is pink and has blue stetson? Had Autumn met that pony? Oh, had she ever!

“I’ve, uh, more than met her, it turns out. We’ve already become friends.” Autumn said.

“Of course the extreme extravert would become friends with the new gal in town.” Braeburn commented with a chuckle.

Autumn didn’t respond that time. It was at this moment was when her mind turned back to the previous night and what had been shown to her in her sleep.

That hug after the intimidating high jump, the cold lemonade, the hug, the “Thank you for being my roommate”; Autumn’s desires stemming from those dream scenes were back, and more powerful than when she first woke up from them.

Autumn remembered that she just couldn’t get away from this today. She didn’t want to wait. That dream was so big, such a sign for her, that she really, really wanted to spill the beans before tomorrow.

But the thought of spilling them out to Sparkler, caused her to sweat and breathe faster. She couldn’t shake away the image of Sparkler thinking she was being too hasty, saying “Wait gal, we haven’t even run the trial yet!” while pumping her forelegs in a “back up” signal.

Or, the possibility of it not working out and Autumn’s home life going nowhere except right back to the sadness she knows ever so well.

Braeburn noticed Autumn’s change in look. The tell-tale look of a dropped mood. “Something on yer mind cos’?” He asked in concern, knowing well that Autumn didn’t get like this unless it was something really personal of hers being affected.

“Something is on my mind. But… I don’t know if I want to say it.” Autumn sighed, tensing her muscles up.

“If something’s bothering you, you can tell me. Apples stick together and have each other’s backs.” Braeburn responded with a reassuring smile.

Autumn looked into his eyes and took a deep breath. Not too close with Braeburn, Autumn found herself thinking “I wish Applejack was here. I could tell her about this”. But her burning desire to release this info somewhere and Braeburn’s stating of sure-thing Apple family facts, ultimately made her decide to do it.

“Okay.” Autumn sighed. “I’ll tell you.”

“So, I met the new pony, the hot-pink one with the blue stetson and poncho. Her name is Sparkler.” Autumn started to sweat.

“On her first day here, after I played an open-mic night at the Appleloosa Tavern, she came over to my table and asked if the other seat was taken.

“It wasn’t, and we started talking one-on-one. On that same night, I spilled out my emotional baggage to her; the stuff about not having a roommate and not having one because of my pickiness.

“Why so quick, to a stranger? Well, she just had that charm to me, I guess.” Autumn said with her voice turned up, to avoid making her seem careless.

“Could also be that you had a feeling deep down that this Sparkler gal wasn’t like other ponies.” Braeburn commented.

“Maybe. Like, she did behave differently.” Autumn replied. “Random ponies have come up to me before, but only for like, a celebrity picture or to engage in small talk, while standing up. Sparkler’s visit was very personal.

“And then, her charm extended to us already seeing a friendship with each other in like, two days.”

Autumn had to gulp down and use brute force to speak this next part.

“So, I don’t have a roommate, right? Well, that has something to do with the main thing I’ve been dying to talk about.”

Here came the moment. Autumn was determined to say this, but she had to make an effort in puffing it out.

“Last night, I had a dream in which I was roommates with Sparkler, and we went to that, like, big-pool waterpark over in the Los Pegasus outskirts. You know, the place where all the water attractions are inside one large pool.” Autumn was joyed she had to mention these details, as it gave her a bit of breathing room from the big topic.

“The dream showed us having an amazing time, to the point where at the end, I hugged Sparkler with tears of joy as I thanked her for being my roommate.” She bravely admitted.

“And she responded with ‘Aww. Thank you for letting me stay with you. And for being my friend.’

“And that dream… like, when I think about it and apply it to my real life, it seems… accurate. Like, I love the idea of being roommates with Sparkler.

“The dream made me realize that I really do lik- uh, I mean, care for her, in that way.” Autumn struggled to think of a good term that didn’t make her feelings toward Sparkler sound romantic.

“I feel eager to tell her about that dream and my feelings, but, we haven’t even run the trial sleepover yet, and we’ll be busy watching the CMCs this weekend.”

Oh shoot, I said “feelings.” I hope Braeburn doesn’t get the wrong idea from that.

“Hmmm. Ya know, the way yer talking about her makes me think you might have just the tiniest crush on her.” Braeburn said playfully.

Autumn had an invisible cringe. “I seriously doubt it. Though I think I see where you’re coming from; when I was about to say ‘I like her’ and then backtracked.

“But anyway, yeah, I don’t feel attracted to her. I’m thinking this whole thing here is more due to the fact that I seem to finally have a strong roommate candidate.”

“Sounds like it.” Braeburn commented.

“Yeah. As many trial sleepovers as I’ve run… the thing is, most of them were done out of desperation. I would often invite somepony to do it with me very hastily, when I didn’t really have any feelings towards them, at all. When I didn’t know their personality. I would just think ‘Eh, might as well try.’

“But Sparkler… I see something in her. Like, I feel a friendship, and when I imagine her not working out as a roommate, I feel sad.

“That’s in contrast to most of the other trials, where after whoever it was didn’t work out, I was just like, ‘Well, probably a low chance anyway.’”

“Sounds like this one’s a winner.” Braeburn said with a smile.

“It does.” Autumn said. “But the question is… how do I tell her? Or, for that matter, what do I tell her? As I said earlier, we still haven’t run the trial sleepover.”

Braeburn took a minute to think about it. He knew of Autumn’s quirks and struggles of finding a housemate.

So, she felt like this latest attempt might finally be the one, but isn’t sure how to go about it. Braeburn thought inside.

“Take your time.” Autumn assured.

Finally, Braeburn spoke. “Well, seeing as how you want this to happen, I would say talk to her as soon as possible, and no hiding anything. Honesty is the best policy.” He said.

“You don’t think announcing that you have a strong desire to be roommates before the trial will cause any problems?” Autumn asked.

“If ya have a strong feeling it’ll work out, then it’s likely that it will. So I see no reason why she can’t know that. And this would all be in theory. Whether it works in practice is what the trial sleepover would be for.” Braeburn replied.

Autumn found herself getting relieved of some mental congestion. Yeah, really, what was wrong with doing a trial based on a potential future result you’re looking for? It was still the same thing; testing it out. It didn’t have to be for potentially bringing up a roommate desire that wasn’t there before.

“Thanks, Braeburn. I see where you’re coming from now.” Autumn said. “I feel like I will do it, but… my mind still tells me that Sparkler might get overwhelmed, thinking I’m being too hasty.”

“That will be up to her. But if she understands friendship, I think you’ll be alright.” Braeburn smiled.

“She does already have a friend, and in fact, she was the one who insisted to me that we were friends, when I was thinking that we hadn’t been together long enough to know that.”

“Fast friends.” Braeburn commented with a chuckle.

Autumn chucked too. “That’s exactly what Sparkler said.”

“Well then she just might actually understand friendship.” Braeburn replied.

Autumn looked over around the landscape in a rise of hope. “Yeah. It looks like she does.”

“And hey, in a situation like this, I do have to take a risk. If I ask somepony to be my roommate or try it out, there’s never a 100% chance that they’ll say yes.”

“Exactly. It’s never a guarantee.” Braeburn said.

Right. It never was. But in order for there to be a chance at it happening, Autumn had to check for it. Chickening out of coming out to Sparkler would lead to a 0% chance of them becoming roommates. Not that she absolutely had to do it today, but if she kept delaying it over and over again…

“I would talk to her when you see her next. Tell her about that dream you had, see if she agrees that it could be a sign, and then run the trial as soon as the CMC leave.” Braeburn suggested.

By this point in the conversation, Autumn did feel excitement at the idea of telling Sparkler. In particular, she was thinking of doing it at that hilltop location where they camped out last night. During sunset. That sounds perfect.

“Thanks a lot, Braeburn.” Autumn says. “I’m going to do it.”

“That’s my cos’. Be sure to let me know how it goes.”

“I will!” Autumn says, high-hoofing Braeburn.

“Alright Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo. Ya ready to lay down some sick beats?” Sparkler asked.

“They ain’t called sick beats for nothing!” Scootaloo said, pulling her microphone stand towards her.

“Squawk! Time to light this room on fire! Ready Sweetie Belle?” Flappy asked.

“Ready!” Sweetie said.

“Then let’s get this party started! Hit it Flappy!” Sparkler said.

Flappy nodded and gave that record button a hit. The music started beating, bouncing, and Sweetie and Scootaloo let loose.

Hey Hey
Check it here
Unicorn and Pegasus laying down the beat
Visiting a cousin of our friend
Now we’re in a studio tearing up the beat!

Scootaloo’s the speed demon on her scooter
Her wings are the tools to make her cool
Sweetie Belle rocks whenever she sings
Her magic skills are simply off the chain

Together with our friend, Applebloom
We’re the Cutie Mark crusaders
And this rap is done!

Boom!

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo burst into laughing fits while Sparkler stopped recording and chuckled along with them.

“Shoowee gals! That was rapping if’n I ever saw it! Nice work!” Sparkler said.

“Squawk! CMC rappers right here! Squawk!” Flappy commented.

“Thanks!” Sweetie giggled.

“Yeah.” Scootaloo added. “Now, that was nice and all, but what the two of us are more used to is melodic songs. Can we do one of those next?”

“You girls have something in mind?” Sparkler asked.

“Hmm…” Sweetie hummed. “A song about making new friends?”

“Sure! That works.” Sparkler replied.

“Squawk! Let’s do it! Squawk!” Flappy added.

Sweetie Belle looked over to the room’s top right corner and saw a great tool for carrying out such a song. But hold on, remember what Sparkler said earlier?

“Hey Sparkler, you comfortable with me using that piano?” She asked, pointing to it.

“You know how to play?” Sparkler asked.

“Yeah. I’ve been practicing, and have managed to play some songs.” Sweetie replied.

“Then go right ahead. You thinking of picking up an instrument Scootaloo?” Sparkler asked Scootaloo.

“Nah. I’ll just sing for this one.” Scootaloo said.

Sweetie Belle walked over and sat down at the large black piano, while Scootaloo stayed in her spot. Sweetie Belle looked around the studio to confirm everyone was ready, but then her face changed looks when she found Sparkler still behind the machine area.

“Hey Sparkler, do you wanna join this song?” She said. “I think it would make the most sense for you to sing a song about making new friends.”

Sparkler looked at Sweetie with wide eyes. “Y’all want me to join in?” She asked, confused.

“Yeah!” Sweetie Belle said. “We know you’re a musician too, and you’re the one experiencing a new friendship right now. I came up with this song idea in reference to you.”

“Aww!” Sparkler said, hanging her hoof to her chest. “That’s sweet! Yeah I’ll join in!”

Sweetie and Scootaloo’s hearts warmed too. This is going to be awesome. Scootaloo thought.

Sparkler exited the control station and immediately summoned her blue guitar with her magic; a guitar that looked familiar to the CMCs. Yeah, that was the guitar they played Out of The Woods and Apples to the Core with! During that camp-out yesterday!

Sparkler sat down near her mic, facing towards the fillies, and raised her guitar. “Ready everypony?” She asked.

“Ready.” Scootaloo said.

“Sweetie Belle?” Sparkler asked.

“Ready.” Sweetie said.

“Squawk! Then by all means...Hit it! Squawk!” Flappy hit the record button.

Performing the song entirely by improvisation, Sparkler and Sweetie Belle hit the first chords at the same time, then out came the guitar melody, joined by the piano.

During the song, by virtue of its topic, Sparkler’s mind had wandered back to...possibly the weirdest nightmare she had ever experienced. She tried to push it away so she wouldn’t mess up the song with sloppy guitar and vocals, but boy, was she going to think about it after the song was done.

...

The song concluded and everypony filled the room with claps, for another successful performance.

“That was good, girls!” Sparkler said quickly, so she could finally enter her thinking session.

What started out as her typical nightmare, amped up to 11 thanks to the possibility of losing a friend, had ended with Sparkler learning exactly what she was...maybe.

Still unable to wrap her head around it, she found herself with thoughts like “What if Luna wasn’t really there and I was just dreaming about her?”

“Something on your mind, Sparkler?” Sweetie Belle asked, noticing the drift-off.

Sparkler was brought out of her zone at the call-out. She turned her head to look at the two fillies that were giving her curious looks.

“Uh… yes actually. There is…” Sparkler answered, feeling uneasy. Was she really about to reveal her dream to two fillies she’d just met?

Eh, okay, so long as I don’t talk about mah wings.

“Had the weirdest dream last night. Me and Autumn were roommates.” She began.

“Aww! That sounds so adorable!” Sweetie Belle said.

“And did you enjoy the dream?” Scootaloo added.

“Yeah, I did.” Sparkler replied. “But then the weirdest thing happened. I found myself in a starry landscape not like mah studio, which Autumn and I were in… I was taken out of mah studio and approached by somepony calling themselves Princess Luna.”

“Wait, you don’t know who Princess Luna is?” Scootaloo asked.

“I’m from the most remote place on the planet. News hardly came our way. And school didn’t teach about a Princess Luna. So you could say I’ve been livin’ under a rock on this one.” Sparkler explained.

“Squawk! So who is Princess Luna? Squawk!” Flappy asked.

“She’s one of the two rulers of Equestria.” Scootaloo says. “She governs the night, whereas her sister Princess Celestia governs the day. And Luna is known for coming into ponies’ dreams.”

“So...what, she just watches ponies’ dreams and...makes sure they aren’t nightmares or something?” Sparkler guessed.

“Pretty much.” Scootaloo says. “And if it does become a nightmare, she goes into the dream and comforts the scared pony. It happened to Applebloom once.”

“And… wait a minute. Sparkler, you said this was a dream in which you and Autumn were roommates. Why would Luna show up there? How could a dream like that be a nightmare? Don’t you like Autumn?” Sweetie asked.

“Wha--what in tarnation are y’all getting on at? Of course I like Autumn. She’s an awesome friend!” Sparkler replied, moving her chair backward along with her body.

“Oh. Sorry about that.” Sweetie said, turning away from Sparkler.

Sparkler realized that she, contrary to her values, snapped at the two, coming dangerously close to yelling at them in the process.

She shook her head. “Uhh...Sorry about that gals...Didn’t mean to be all accusing and that.” She apologized.

Sweetie perked up and turned back around. “No harm done, Sparkler.”

Scootaloo rewinded the conversation. “You don’t have to tell us this if it’s private, but if you’re comfortable, how did a dream showing you and Autumn as roommates turn into a nightmare?”

“Uh, well…” Sparkler paused. She didn’t know what to say! Wings!

But wait! Ah, okay, she could explain it this way.

“Well...it may have turned into a nightmare of me losing Autumn as a friend…” She admitted. Just don’t mention why and yer good.

“...Oh.” Scootaloo said, concerned. “Yeah, I can see why a nightmare like that would happen. Nightmares like to play on our fears, and losing a friend is something so many of us fear.”

“Yeah, it wasn’t fun. I suppose I should be glad Luna stopped it.” Sparkler agreed.

“Luna is a savior.” Scootaloo said. “And we can help you too. Would you like another hug?”

“I think I’m good for hugs at the moment.” Sparkler answered, not re-forgetting what had escaped her last night, much to the relief of Flappy, who was able to settle back onto his perch.

“Though if I may prod yer cute little brains fer a moment. What do y’all know about Alicorns?” Sparkler asked.

Sweetie and Scootaloo looked at each other; they liked what Sparkler was doing. A chance to talk about some cool things they know!

“I know that it was previously thought that natural-born alicorns were impossible, until Princess Cadance’s daughter Flurry Heart was born.” Sweetie said.

“Right.” Scootaloo added. “Most Alicorns became that way later in life due to having assumed a Princess title.”

“And yes, we know what Alicorns are. They’re ponies who have both wings and a horn.” Sweetie said, finally getting to the root of Sparkler’s question. However unknowingly it was.

At that, Flappy’s eyes shot wide open and he involuntarily coughed a squawk at the mention of both wings and horns, all while suspending himself in the air again to avoid falling. What the…there’s a name for it?!

“Really now. Interesting.” So Luna wasn’t tellin’ fibs...My condition is called an Alicorn...Huh.

“Squawk! So uh. These Alicorns...What else do you know about them? Squawk!” Flappy asked. Finally coming out of his shock for more much-wanted info, which he shook in anticipation of.

“Uh...I think that’s it.” Sweetie Belle said.

“Oh. Ok then.” Sparkler responded. There’s gotta be a book on this.

“Thanks for the question. That was fun to talk about.” Scootaloo said.

“Thanks for answerin’. I’m sure that question woulda been nagging me.” Sparkler said.

“Squawk! Yeah. Me too. Squawk!” Flappy added.

Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow at Sparkler’s statement. “You’re curious about Alicorns, Sparkler?”

“What can I say? The fact that apparently there are ponies with both horns and wings intrigues me.” Sparkler shrugged. And apparently I’ve been calling it the wrong thing all my life.

“It definitely is intriguing.” Scootaloo said.

“Squawk! Even more so when you consider the fact Sparkler and I are from the one place in the universe that probably never heard of them before. Squawk!’ Flappy said. And now we know we’ve been calling it the wrong thing, apparently!

“Well… now you know!” Sweetie said.

“Sure do!” Sparkler said.

“Yep.” Scootaloo said. “So, what do we want to do now?”

“Continue singing songs?” Sparkler asked.

“Yes!” Sweetie exclaimed.

“Let’s get to it then!” Sparkler replied.

Autumn was walking by herself up to the familiar hilltop from last night. She had sent Applebloom over to Sparkler’s studio to let Sparkler know she wanted to meet on the hilltop, and to bring Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo over to Braeburn’s house to be watched over by him, as Sparkler and Autumn engaged in an emotional meeting.

Meanwhile, Autumn’s mind swirled from thought to thought as her hooves walked closer and closer to the area of truth.

How do I tell Sparkler about this roommate thing?

What if she rejects being my roommate?

This could hurt our friendship…

She tried to remember Braeburn’s words. About Sparkler knowing friendship really well, and how taking the risk was necessary.

I must do this.

Nothing good comes out of chickening out.

Autumn, after picking up speed from the encouragement, finished her journey up the slope and found herself back in the classic location, during the same time of day. This place had already made a legacy for her.

Sparkler hadn’t arrived yet, so Autumn opted to sit on a rock while shivering more from what was to come.

Sparkler and Flappy made their way to the hilltop they were at last night. They were told that Autumn wanted to meet them there for some reason, with only the three of them, so Sparkler made a trip over to Braeburn’s house to drop Sweetie and Scootaloo off.

“I wonder what Autumn wanted to meet us on that there hilltop fer.” Sparkler inquired.

“Squawk! No idea, but it better not be because you know what. Squawk!” Flappy said.

“Speaking of you know what, I’m apparently an Alicorn...Huh.” Sparkler said.

“Squawk! At least we know now! Squawk!” Flappy said. “Squawk! I cannot believe it. Squawk!” He exclaimed.

“Yeah, that was a shock. I have to say though that that’s a better name then the horn and wing combo.” Sparkler commented.

“Squawk! Definitely. Squawk!” Flappy said.

A few minutes later, they reached the hilltop. They turned the corner and saw Autumn sitting on the rock.

“Howdy there Autumn. Braeburn’s probably going crazy with those CMC fillies, so how about let’s make this quick.” Sparkler said jokingly.

Autumn jolted up from the sudden noise, then Sparkler’s sentence… Autumn didn’t realize it was a joke. “Uh… I don’t think we can make it quick, as it’s something pretty serious.” Autumn said, deflating.

“I figured. It was a joke.” Sparkler told her.

“Oh, thank you.” Autumn said in relief.

“Squawk! So what’s the deal having us come all the way out here? Squawk!” He asked. “Squawk! Hilltop, sunset, the two of you. Are you trying to tell us something? Like say...you’re falling for Sparkler?” He asked playfully.

Autumn snapped her eyes wide, but she proceeded to answer calmly. “No, I’m not romantically falling for Sparkler… it’s entirely friendship, but what I am about to say is very much related to our friendship.”

“Well than, that’s good.” Sparkler replied. “Then I’m not hurtin’ your feelings by saying I ain’t looking for romance right now.” She said with a chuckle.

“Yeah, you’re not doing that. I’m not looking for romance right now either.” Autumn replied.

“So why did you want us out here in this romantic setting if it’s not for romance?” Sparkler asked.

“I guess I like to use traditionally romantic settings for platonic relationships as well.” Autumn giggled. “I’ve done it before.”

Realizing she was delaying the inevitable, Autumn gulped and tried to get the important words out. But… they got stuck. She tried to speak about the waterpark dream and whatnot, but her mind kept stopping it with “Get some info first.”

So, that’s what she did.

“Sparkler, would you be okay if…” Autumn trailed off.

Sparkler noticed the worried look on Autumn’s face. “Something on yer mind, sugarcube?” She asked.

Autumn sighed. “...if I told you something really personal that involves you… this early on?”

“Sure.” Sparkler said. “If something’s on yer mind, you can tell me. That’s what friends are for.”

Autumn looked into Sparkler’s smiling face as she spoke those reassuring words. At the moment, she felt like there was magic going on in her throat, as the words about the dream got to slip loose.

“So, last night I had a dream… in which… you and I were at a waterpark. And… the dream showed us being there… as roommates. With me referring to you as such in the beginning, when we were getting ready to leave the house.

“And then…” Autumn still shivered as she breathed heavily, “... we went to our picnic table, and there, we hugged each other and both gave our thanks for being each other’s roommates.

“The dream ended with you saying ‘Thank you for being mah friend.’

“Then… when I woke up… I realized that the dream made me happy. And when I reflected on it, replayed it in my head, it came to my attention that having you as a roommate is something that… I do really want.

“The thing is, and I don’t think I’ve ever told you about this; most of the trial sleepovers that I’ve run were done with ponies whom I had no established friendship with. I would talk to them at the tavern for like, 30 minutes, and invite them to a trial right then and there.

“And then, when the trial showed we weren’t going to work out… I wasn’t sad that I wouldn’t get to have them. I was just sad for not getting a roommate in general.

“You, on the other hoof… when I imagine a scene of you packing your bags and walking out my front door saying ‘Sorry gal, it just won’t do’, what comes to my mind next is crying my eyes out on my bed.

“Because… in terms of friendship… I really like you.”

Autumn stopped there. She was nervously eager to hear Sparkler’s response.

Sparkler’s mind, meanwhile, was racing at turbo speed. Autumn said, she literally said, that she wanted her as a roommate, but more importantly, she said she liked her as a friend...the only other creature to ever say that to her was sitting on her back. Flappy.

After what seemed like an eternity… she finally spoke. “Y’all...Y’all really mean all that? As in...You want us to be roommates?” She asked, shivering herself too.

“...Yeah. I do.” Autumn said. “Whenever I imagine it… we always look so great together. After we already do.

“You’re like, the most promising friend I’ve ever had when it comes to a possibility of living with me, and in general developing a really close bond with.”

Sparkler’s eyes were watering. She almost couldn’t believe it. For the first time in any real capacity, she felt wanted. Wanted by another pony outside her family!

She knew it was time for a beautiful moment with the pony in front of her.

“Autumn Apple.” Sparkler finally said. “We may have only known each other for 3 days. But to tartarus with that! You are the best friend I have ever had since Flappy!” She exclaimed happily.

“Aww. C’mere.” Autumn said affectionately, holding her front limbs out.

Sparkler rushed in and dove into Autumn’s forelegs. Wrapping her own around Autumn’s barrel while Autumn’s went around the neck. Sparkler made a point of ensuring that for obvious reasons.

Flappy watched the two mares hug it out and smiled warmly. Autumn, you have no idea how much of a godsend you’re being for Sparkler right now. He was so happy that his buddy was finally making a new friend.

“Thanks so much, Sparkler.” Autumn said, shedding tears.

“Should be the other way around.” Sparkler said with a giggle.

Autumn giggled back. “I’m honored to be your first pony friend.”

“Squawk! Thank you for being her friend. Squawk!” Flappy said. “Squawk! I kid you not, nopony liked her in school. I’m pretty sure the only ponies who came close to being her friends were the teachers. Squawk!”

“So sorry you had to go through that, Sparkler.” Autumn said. “How does this feel after that experience? Perchance, does it feel like you’ve won a championship?”

Sparkler laughed as she and Autumn parted from the hug. “I feel like after so long in a dark tunnel, I can finally see the light.” She said.

“I love the image of that.” Autumn replied. “It’s beautiful.”

“Agreed.” Sparkler said. “So. With all this in mind, do you still want to run that there trial sleepover of yers, or were you thinking of skipping that this time?” She asked.

“I still want to run the trial.” Autumn said. “We don’t know exactly what we’d look like as roommates in practice.”

“Alright. So when’s it happenin’? Flappy and I are free at any point.” Sparkler said.

“Well, I feel really eager to do it tonight, but we still have to watch over the CMCs for another day. Because of a holiday Monday, they don’t leave until tomorrow evening.”

“Squawk! Tomorrow evening works. Squawk!” Flappy commented.

“Okay. We’ll do it.” Autumn said.

“Awesome!” Sparkler exclaimed. “It’s gonna be so much fun! Mah first sleepover. Heeheehee.” Sparkler giggled like a filly.

“It will be so much fun. And… wow, I’m getting to be around for your first sleepover.” Autumn said. “As much I feel bad for you that you haven’t gotten to have any, it is pretty cool to be involved in your introduction.

“Squawk! And fortunately, I’ll also be there to make sure she doesn’t do anything she isn’t supposed to do. Hehe. Squawk!” Flappy commented.

Autumn didn’t take any worries from that statement; she assumed Flappy was joking around.

“Well Sparkler, this is… such a beautiful moment. It’s a bit hard to believe it’s happening.”

“Yeah! It really is!” Sparkler said.

“And I don’t want to leave it. Nothing against the CMCs, but I wish we could have our sleepover tonight.”

“Squawk! Ya know, they could always stay with yer cousin Braeburn. Squawk!” Flappy commented.

“I’ll have to ask Braeburn about that. But I don’t feel very confident he can handle all three for a night. Applebloom, sure, but he hardly knows the other two.” Autumn said.

“Yer cousin sounds like he can handle anything. Plus Applebloom can always help.” Sparkler responded.

“Maybe.” Autumn said. “I guess let’s go over there and ask him.”

“Squawk!” You go on ahead. Sparkler and I will catch up. Squawk!”

“Roger that!” Autumn said. “See you later, Sparkler! I’ll always remember what just happened!”

“If things go well, we’ll have many more moments to remember.” Sparkler replied.

“We will!” Autumn said. “And I sincerely, deeply hope that things do go well!” That was the last thing Autumn said before disappearing beneath the horizon.

Sparkler and Flappy watched her go. Flappy landed on the ground in front of Sparkler and looked straight at her with a sly smirk.

“Squawk! Oh yeah, things will definitely go well. Especially during the sleepover. Just one thing, how exactly do you plan on keeping yer wings hidden? Squawk!”

Sparkler was about to answer...before she froze as the reality hit her.

“...Crap!”

To be continued…

Chapter 7

View Online

Sparkler paced, and paced, back and forth in front of Flappy, as he perched on a rock, doing nothing but watching his owner panic.

“What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?!” Sparkler repeated to herself many times over. How in Equestria could she have been so careless?! She had agreed to a sleepover and the potential of being Autumn’s roommate, without first considering what that would mean for her secret!

I’m not ready to reveal mah wings! ...but I do like the idea of us bein’ roommates...and Luna mentioned that Autumn wouldn’t be upset...gah! This is so confusin’!

Flappy continued to witness the distress, Sparkler still pacing like no tomorrow. She’s probably running circles in her mind. Poor thing.

After a moment, he decided that what Sparkler needed was for them to talk out loud, together. “Squawk! Sparkler, We should talk about this. Squawk!” He said.

Sparkler, much to Flappy’s relief, stopped her pacing and turned left to face her bird friend, albeit continuing the worries, out loud this time at that.

“What have I done, Flappy? I just put mah secret in danger!” She exclaimed.

“Squawk! Yep. Ya sure did pardner. Squawk!” Flappy said. “Squawk! But... ya know! This might be a good thing. Squawk!”

“H-h-how is this a good thing?” Sparkler asked.

“Squawk! Because if this all works out, and you and I move in with Autumn, that’s gonna make it even more difficult to hide that you are really an Alicorn…wow, that feels weird to say after all these years. Squawk!” Flappy added.

Sparkler had to agree. They had gotten so used to calling it the Horn and Wing Combo that while Alicorn was a universally better term, it still felt weird after all this time.

“Yeah. It does. And yes, us moving in does make it harder for me to hide mah wings from Autumn. I fail to see how that’s a good thing!” She replied in panic.

“Squawk! It’s a good thing because it might just force you to come out, so as to avoid Autumn learning the truth for herself. Don’t you think Autumn would appreciate you just telling her, instead of her having to resort to something like, say… force you to take off yer poncho? Squawk!” Flappy asked.

“I-It’s just...There’s no goin’ back after I show her my wings. What if this backfires...what if we fight about this? What if…I lose her as a friend?” Sparkler listed off the worrying possibilities as her eyes began to water.

Upon seeing the tears, Flappy leapt from the rock to help his friend. He proceeded to wrap his soft wings around Sparkler’s front leg in a comforting hug.

“Squawk! Based on what you told me Luna said, I don’t think we need to worry about that. Besides, at the very least, Autumn will be less likely to be mad atcha for hiding yer wings if ya just come clean. Squawk!” He said.

Sparkler sniffled and rubbed her eye dry. “Ya think so?” She asked.

“Squawk! I of course can't speak for her, but I have a feeling she’s not like those idiots in Saddle Arabia. I have a gut feeling she’ll accept you. Squawk!” Flappy said encouragingly.

“Not like those idiots in Saddle Arabia. Gut feeling she’ll accept you.” Those phrases struck a chord in Sparkler. They served to finally help Sparkler see light behind the clouds.

As a result, Sparkler smiled as she wrapped her other foreleg around Flappy’s back. “Thanks Flaps. Ya always know just what to say.” She said.

“Squawk! Anytime pal. Squawk!” Flappy said as they ended the hug and Flappy launched himself into the air. “Squawk! If ya want to, you can always wear that onesie you got. That should hide the wings real good. Squawk!” He said.

“Sure.” Sparkler said in agreement. “Now come on. Let’s catch up to Autumn.”

Man, I really hope Braeburn is okay with, and capable of, watching all three of the CMCs. I do really want to do this sleepover tonight.

Like, I’m already finding myself looking forward to it and imagining it as happening today, even though it’s not fully set yet.

Autumn was going backwards on the path she reached the hill from, to stop by at Braeburn’s house and ask if he’d be okay watching the fillies for the night, so Autumn and Sparkler could go ahead and run their trial sleepover.

If he agrees, lucky that the girls are already at his house, because then we can just go straight to, the… sleepover setting.

Oh, shoot.

Gah. We didn’t even talk about where we’d be doing it!

I mean, I usually do it at my house, but Sparkler never agreed to that, as I never mentioned it…

Autumn’s got quite the heap of answers to find here. But she will take them one-by-one. Starting with determining Braeburn’s ability.

…

She arrived at Braeburn’s country home and knocked on the wooden door, to the pleasant surprise of the ponies inside.

“Oh! Well if it isn’t my cousin again!” Braeburn said.

“Hi Autumn!” Sweetie Belle beamed, pausing an activity. “What brings you over here?”

“Well… it’s unfortunately not something that’s super fun for me to do.” Autumn admitted as the door closed behind her.

The other ponies read signals from Autumn’s melancholy, worried face and slowing, lowering tone of voice.

“Something going on with you again?” Braeburn said. “Shoot, I hope the meeting with Sparkler didn’t go bad! Did you already have it?” He asked as his voice gained volume in desperate concern. How awful that would be!

Well, over on the other side, it looked like Autumn now had a pre-made path to what she was about to say.

“Yes, I did already have it, and it went extremely well.” Autumn said. “She agreed to run a trial sleepover, and the plans for it led to the reason I came here.

“I’m here to ask if you, Braeburn, would be okay watching these girls for the night, so Sparkler and I don’t have to wait until tomorrow, when they leave.” Autumn avoided revealing the details of her and Sparkler’s friendship feelings towards each other for now.

Braeburn looked at the fillies and the mare in making the decision. “Well, they haven’t been too big of a handful during the day, so I don’t imagine they’d change much at night. And I do know Applebloom well; it’s not entirely like I’m watching over strangers.”

“Yeah!” Scootaloo said. “Remember when we first stayed at Fluttershy’s cottage, back in Season 1? I promise we won’t do things like that again. We’ve changed so much.”

“What did you gals do at Fluttershy’s cottage?” Braeburn asked.

The CMCs’ cheeks turned red. They had to confess to bad deeds.

“Uh, we sorta, ran off into the Everfree Forest.” Scootaloo admitted.

“That was the worst part, but even inside of the cottage, we also were badly behaved in general.” Applebloom added. “We kept messin’ with Fluttershy’s things, not listenin’ to her… yeah. Sorry, Fluttershy.”

“Ah-huh. Ya sure you’re better now?” Braeburn asked. “Because the animals here don’t really appreciate being messed with.”

Applebloom felt a sad moment starting to brew. She was worried that this confession would cause Braeburn to lose trust in them, and in turn disappoint Autumn for not being able to have her sleepover tonight.

She didn’t have to say anything, though. Her friends were there to help.

“Yes, I can say we are better now.” Scootaloo said. “We now don’t like what we did to Fluttershy and have apologized to her.”

Braeburn sighed. “Well then…I will allow you gals to stay over tonight. But please be good.”

“We promise, Braeburn.” Applebloom said, giving him a high-hoof.

“Well then.” Braeburn turned to Autumn. “I’ll take these fillies. Y’all have fun with that new gal, ya hear?”

Autumn just went along with it this time, as she struggled to contain the brewing, bubbling elation. “I will! Thanks so much for watching them!”

“No problem Cos.” Braeburn replied, tipping his hat to her. “Now go on. Sparkler’s waitin.”

Autumn headed his words and opened the front door. “Bye cousin!” She said.

Braeburn nodded as Autumn left.

A puff of blue smoke erupted in the inn room and covered the whole place in a cloud. As it cleared, it revealed that Flappy and Sparkler had teleported into the room.

As soon as it all settled, Sparkler first-and-foremost walked to the inn room dresser and opened the middle drawer. Folded inside was a soft pajama blue onesie that she had bought as an “in case of emergencies” tool, like...right now!

“Is this thing gonna make me look childish? Yes. Do I care in the slightest? No.” She summoned her two blue saddlebags and promptly stuffed her onesie into one of them.

“Hey Flappy, get the toothbrushes, toothpaste, and some watermelon pieces for yerself. Just in case Autumn doesn’t have any.” She said.

“Squawk! Roger that! Squawk!” Flappy said. “Squawk! And in turn, you should pack some lemonade. Squawk!”

“Hehe. Always with the lemonade.” Sparkler replied.

“Squawk! Hey. Yer fault for making it so good! Squawk!” Flappy retorted.

“Mom and Dad helped!” Sparkler shot back as she opened the room’s mini-fridge.

“Squawk! It was yer idea though. There. Squawk!” He fired back as the last item on the list was placed into the bag. Fast work by him.

“Oh, just get the stuff. I’ll get the lemonade. Hehe.” Sparkler chuckled as she summoned a few of her plastic lemonade bottles from the fridge.

I am not gonna let mah wings ruin this night for me. All I need to do is make it to the bathroom before Autumn can see under mah poncho, and I’m set.

Autumn, during her walk outside highlighted by hard attempts to not jump around and scream in excitement for the sleepover, had been briefly visited and told by Flappy that Sparkler would be teleporting back to her Inn for a bit. “Got it.” Autumn had said.

But what she still didn’t know was where in town to find Sparkler. Would Autumn have to go to the Inn room that she had no clue about the location of?

Turned out, that was a no! Autumn saw Sparkler, with Flappy perching on her back, rush out the inn’s entrance, which she just so happened to be in front of, and out onto the street.

“Oh! Now I know what Inn you were staying at!” Autumn said. “Anyway, hi Sparkler!”

Sparkler stopped as she and Flappy turned their heads to that familiar voice, seeing Autumn trotting up to them.

“Oh. Howdy there Autumn!” Sparkler exclaimed.

“Hi!” Autumn said, offering Sparkler a hug. “I’m so, so excited for tonight!”

“Me too! It’s gonna be a blast!” Sparkler exclaimed, followed by her squealing like a filly right in public. “Eeee! Mah first Sleepover ever!”

Autumn giggled at the squealing. “I’m going to do the best I can to make your first sleepover the best it can be!” She said.

“Squawk! Oh you better. She’s been looking forward to this since you suggested it. Squawk!” Flappy commented.

“That’s great to hear.” Autumn said.

“I’m so so excited! What should we do first? Play games? Read a book? Ooh, the possibilities are endless!” Sparkler pranced in place.

“They really are endless!” Autumn said, finding herself jittering as well. “And I don’t know what to do! I guess we’ll find out when we get there.”

“Squawk! I assume we’re having the sleepover at yer house? Squawk!” Flappy asked.

“That’s what I was thinking.” Autumn said. “But I wanted to know if Sparkler was okay with it.”

“Sure.” Sparkler said. “That works for me!”

“Okay! Great!” Autumn said excitedly. “Let’s head on over there!”

“Lead the way cowgirl! Yeehaw!” Sparkler exclaimed.

Autumn giggled. She and Sparkler had such a great bond.

Sparkler, with Flappy following her through the air, let Autumn lead the way to her residence. The site of Sparkler’s first ever sleepover.

Here came the moment. Autumn turned her golden key through the lock, opening up her crib that she was inviting a new friend into for the first time. “And here it is.” Autumn said as they stepped on in.

Sparkler and Flappy entered through the door, taking their first ever look inside Autumn’s residence. “Wow. Some place you got here.” Sparkler commented.

“Thanks.” Autumn replied. Sparkler and Flappy took in the sight of the medium-brown living room walls, with a lighter brown on the floor. Autumn’s furniture made for a very Apple-like look, with red, orange, and yellow lining the area. Her kitchen also had a light-brown counter.

On the opposite end of the front door was a hallway leading to a closed door, no telling what was behind it, whereas to the left was an open door that Autumn’s bed was visible through, then the living room was at the bottom right corner and the kitchen at the top right. Pretty small and cozy place.

“Squawk! Nice and cozy. Definitely better than the Inn. Squawk!” Flappy commented.

“The Inn room is small, huh?” Autumn said.

“One main room for the bedroom and kitchen, and one bathroom. That’s it.” Sparkler responded.

“Oh. Well, in that case, yeah, my house is bigger.” Autumn said. “It’s small, but I like that about it, because it feels more cozy.”

“It certainly looks that way.” Sparkler said.

“It really is.” Autumn said.

Autumn realized at this moment that she and Sparkler hadn’t made a plan for how to operate the sleepover. Time to break the ice.

“So… what do we do now?” she asked her friend.

Sparkler shrugged. “Beats me. Yer the sleepover expert.”

“Squawk! So we’ll follow your lead. Squawk!” Flappy added.

“Okay.” Autumn responded. “Hmm, let’s see…

“How about we start by asking each other questions about our living habits, particularly for the time at hoof? Like, at what time do you go to bed, Sparkler?” Autumn asked.

“Now that can vary depending on what I’m up to. It can go from say...9:00 to not sleeping at all.” Sparkler replied.

“I see.” Autumn responded. “Well, we might be in luck, because it tends to vary for me too. It’s also dependent on my activities, like, a busier, more active day tends to lead to an earlier bedtime.”

“Squawk! Well, I go to bed by midnight at the latest. No matter what Sparkler’s doing. Squawk!”

“Okay.” Autumn said. “I don’t think noise will be a problem, but if needed, you can perch pretty much anywhere, right?”

“Squawk! All I need is a stable grip of my claws. Squawk!” Flappy said with a nod.

“Good!” Autumn said. “Sparkler, do you carry a portable perch around?”

“Nope.” Sparkler replied. “I don’t have a portable perch...Might want to consider gettin’ one, now that I think about it.

“That could be something we do as part of this trial. Go shopping together. Or, rephrase; it should be part of the trial.” Autumn said.

“Hehe. You think any of the shops are still open at this hour?” Sparkler asked.

“Some are, but I’m getting tired, so I’m thinking we do that tomorrow.” Autumn replied.

“Yeah...wait, hang on. Tired? But we just started. Ain’t it a thing to stay up all night at these things?” Sparkler asked.

“It is.” Autumn agreed. “I can stick it out for a while, but I’d prefer to stay home for the rest of the night if that’s okay with you.”

“Sure. I don’t mind staying in tonight.” Sparkler responded.

“Good!” Autumn said.

Autumn had to try and think of a way to combine a sleepover with trying out being roommates with somepony. A task that she attempted to little avail. She just kept going with the generic questions.

“What’s your favorite thing to do at night?” Autumn asked Sparkler.

“Sometimes I play mah guitar, sometimes I read books, sometimes I just like to play games with Flappy.”

“Okay. I don’t read books much, but a reading session, whether reading together or separately, is a very roommate thing. As well as playing games; definitely! Have you ever played horseshoes before?”

“Nope. Never in mah life.” Sparkler replied.

“Squawk! Is it a fun game? Squawk!” Flappy asked.

“It is. I mean, look at the fact that I took it seriously enough to win a championship.” Autumn said. “And how that whole competition even happened in the first place.”

“Horseshoes is one of the most iconic Appleloosa things.”

“Sounds like you’ll have to show us this game.” Sparkler said. Genuinely interested in learning the game.

“Okay. You want to do that now?” Autumn asked.

“Squawk! Ain’t Horseshoes an outdoor sport? Squawk!” Flappy asked.

“Yeah, pretty much.” Autumn admitted. “Well, I don’t know what else there is…

“Maybe it’s time to talk about our night routines?”

“Sure!” Sparkler said. “We can do that!”

“Alright!” Autumn said. “I’ll start.

“So, I prefer morning showers, so you won’t really see me doing that at night.” Autumn began with. “If I’m coming home after a day out like this one, I just do the basics, like teeth brushing.

“On nights when I’m alone, I then usually read a book.

“And then… not much. I mean, when I am alone for the night, I tend to go to bed early out of lonely sadness. There’s not much to do by myself.” Autumn’s voice lowered and droned with.

“But, if I do have company,” she perked up, “one of my favorite sleepover activities is, well, uh… I can explain it later. My second favorite would then be cuddling.”

“Yeah, there’s not a whole lot to my night routine. Most of my interesting activity is during the day.” Autumn finished with.

“Oh, so yer a cuddler? Cool!” Sparkler said.

“I am.” Autumn said. “A huge cuddler.” Autumn chose to not say any more after that yet.

“Well. As for me. I usually have dinner, brush my teeth, brush my mane and tail, then Flappy and I spend time preening our--I mean his wings.” Sparkler caught herself.

No! What did I just say?! Sparkler shouted in her mind, resisting the urge to hit herself on the forehead. She couldn't believe she almost blew it so easily!

Meanwhile, Flappy was glancing quickly at both Sparkler and Autumn. Is it bad I want Autumn to inquire about it hard so we can lay this to rest tonight?

Much to Sparkler’s misfortune, Autumn had noticed the gaffe. “What?” She asked.

“...Yeah. Flappy and I like to preen his wings together. To make sure he gets all the spots. Hehe.” Sparkler replied, trying desperately to remain calm.

Autumn saw Sparkler’s body shivering as if freezing temperatures and took in her telling tone of that sentence, but chose not to pry anything out of her. For this interaction, Autumn wanted to take it back to its happy place.

“So, does it feel good to get preened, Flappy?” Autumn asked.

“Squawk! Oh yes it does! Squawk!” Flappy replied. “Squawk! It’s the best feeling ever. Squawk!”

“Aww, cute. That’s great to hear.” Autumn said with a smile. “So, during this night, have you and Flappy done that yet?”

“Not yet.” Sparkler said.

“Okay. So then, how about you go do that?” Autumn suggested.

“Squawk! That’s fine. If we miss one night it isn’t a big deal. Squawk!” Flappy responded.

“Well, I did figure we use each other’s actual night routines for this trial.” Autumn said.

“Wait, you mean I do your routine and you do mine?” Sparkler asked.

“Hehe, no.” Autumn said. “I mean that since this is a trial to test how we work as roommates, we shouldn’t deviate from our normal routines. They’re going to be part of our lives if we become a pair.”

“Squawk! Trio. Squawk!” Flappy interjected.

“Oh, right.” Autumn corrected. “Sorry about forgetting you, Flappy.”

“Squawk! It’s fine. Squawk!”

“Thanks. Anyway, yeah, let’s keep doing our normal routines tonight to really test how things work, is what I meant.” Autumn said.

“Alright. We can do that. Let’s do this. Flappy and I will preen his wings while yer in the bathroom brushing your teeth. Then when yer done, Flappy and I can brush our teeth and I can change into my Pjs.” Sparkler suggested.

“That sounds great!” Autumn said.

“Great! Let’s get to it!” Sparkler exclaimed.

Autumn headed down the hall and to the left for her bathroom, while Sparkler and Flappy stayed in the living room. Sparkler lit her horn and summoned a preening brush from one of her bags.

“Kitchen table. Now.” Sparkler said to Flappy.

By her tone, Flappy sensed Sparkler wasn’t in the mood for any shenanigans, so he zipped over to Autumn’s table and landed, while Sparkler trotted behind him. He spread out his right wing for Sparkler to preen. “Squawk! You’re lucky, you know. Squawk!” He commented.

“You think I don’t know that?!” Sparkler exclaimed with a hushed tone. “One word. I was one word away from revealing mah wings tonight!”

“Squawk! Good thing Autumn didn’t question it. Squawk!”

“Good thing indeed.”

They stopped their speech into silence as Sparkler began to lovingly preen Flappy’s left wing.

…

Autumn, alone in her bathroom, had the time and place to turn her mind back to Sparkler’s questioning behavior from earlier. She didn’t desire to think about it, but it was a sticky overtaker that wouldn’t go away unless she gave it attention.

Sparkler said “our”, and then backtracked to “his wings. Uhh…”

And then she’s also been wearing a poncho this whole time… in the desert… okay, I get that some ponies wear them for style, but I feel like Sparkler would have motivation if she was to wear one in hot Appleloosa…

And again, what she said earlier…

Autumn shook her head and vowed to not let this whole thing distract her from the trial sleepover. It’s not time for that right now, she thought as she opened the door to return to the living room.

“I’m back.” Autumn called out to her friends. “Still preening?”

“Just finished!” Sparkler said as Autumn heard her setting the brush on the table. A symbolic noise of a finished task.

“Nice! Must feel good!” Autumn said.

“Squawk! You’ll never understand it unless you somehow turned into a Pegasus. It’s the best feeling ever. Squawk!” Flappy said.

“You’re right. I’ll never know what wing preening is like, but I do sure know that I like it when ponies brush my body.” Autumn said.

“Hehe. Maybe we could do that sometime.” Sparkler commented.

“Oh yeah!” Autumn exclaimed.

She then moved to the next topic. “Sparkler, I think it’s time to work out sleeping arrangements. By any chance, do you want to keep using the floor mattress that the fillies were using? I haven’t bothered to put it away.”

“Now hang on. Flappy and I still need to get into the bathroom.”

“Okay.” Autumn said.

Sparkler and Flappy walked past Autumn and made their way into her white bathroom, where they did not talk. Not a single word about the wings situation. They just did the teeth brushing, and then Sparkler exchanged her poncho for her onesie.

Glancing at the look, Flappy giggled. “Squawk! Aww, you look cute! Squawk!”

“Thanks. Hopefully it’s thick enough in the event Autumn wraps her forelegs around me.” Sparkler replied, glancing at her sides to make sure of the onesie’s effectiveness.

WIth that, they repacked their toothbrushes and came out of the bathroom.

“And done.” Sparkler called out, alerting Autumn that they were back.

Autumn walked over near the hallway to see them, and noticed Sparkler had changed into a fuzzy blue onesie, sharing the recognized color of her aura and covering her from neck to hooves.

“Eee! You look adorable, Sparkler!” Autumn exclaimed.

Sparkler blushed. “Oh...y-you think so?” She asked.

“Well, not in that way.” Autumn assured. “In the same way that I find a kitten adorable.”

“Yeah I know what you meant. I just blush whenever somepony that’s not my parents says I’m cute or adorable.” Sparkler explained.

“Oh. Well, that’s perfectly understandable.” Autumn said.

“Anyway, what should we do now?”

“We could discuss those sleeping arrangements now. In response to that question. I can take the mattress...unless you have a better idea?” Sparkler asked.

“What kind of better idea?” Autumn asked.

“I don’t know.” Sparkler replied.

Autumn did have an idea she considered better, but she drew it back with the label “too hasty.”

“I don’t know either.” She simply said.

“Do you want to take the floor mattress?” Autumn asked. “For reference, it is the most comfortable option.”

“Sure. I can take the mattress.” Sparkler replied.

“Great!” Autumn said. “I did fully make it today, so there you go.”

“That’s nice. Usually I don’t even bother unless it was a special occasion.” Sparkler said.

“Bother with making the bed?” Autumn asked.

“Yeah. I don’t really see the point to be honest.” Sparkler replied.

“Fair enough.” Autumn said. “But I did make it tonight, so, there you go, I guess.

“Anyway, what do we want to do now?” Autumn asked.

“Hm...Not sure.” Sparkler said. “Heh. Sorry I don’t really know what to do at these sleepovers.” She added.

“No problem.” Autumn said. “I can figure it out. First off, are you tired? Do you feel ready to go to sleep?”

“Nope.” Sparkler said. “I’m still wide awake.”

“Okay.” Autumn said. “How about, then, we read a book together?”

“I’m down for that.” Sparkler said.

“Squawk! What book should we read? Squawk!”

“Hmm. Let’s see what I’ve got.” Autumn said as she walked over to her short brown bookshelf that sits below the living room window. “Oh, I could narrow these options down. Sparkler, do you prefer fiction or nonfiction?”

“Fiction, definitely. Oh! Do you have Daring Do?” Sparkler asked.

“I do!” Autumn said, flashing The Quest for the Sapphire Stone, that series’ opening book.

“Squawk! The Quest for the Sapphire Stone! The first one in the series! I love that one! Squawk!” Flappy exclaimed.

“I do too!” Autumn said. “In fact, this book was what brought me and Rainbow Dash together in a hangout for the first time.”

“Cool!” Sparkler said. “Let’s read...actually, I have a better idea.”

“What better idea?” Autumn asked.

“May I see the book?” Sparkler asked, lighting her horn.

“Sure.” Autumn said, holding out her hoof.

Sparkler took the book in her magic and scanned the room. “It’s a spell mah dad taught me. What it does take the contents of a book, and allows the caster to project them into a 3D space. Kinda like a theater production.” She explained.

“Whoa! That sounds amazing!” Autumn exclaimed.

“Squawk! It’s how she was able to learn some things in school. Some things she just could not get on paper. She needed to see it. Squawk!” Flappy commented.

“Well, that should lead to a more fun book reading!” Autumn said. “Not that I don’t like reading, but I think I like watching movies better.”

“All I need is some empty space to work with.” Sparkler said.

“Uh… is my living room big enough?” Autumn asked in concern.

“Perfect.” Sparkler said. “Wanna make some popcorn to snack over?” She asked.

“Sure!” Autumn said. “Who makes it; you or me?”

“Got a bag of corn? I can make popcorn in a snap with magic.” Sparkler responded.

“Oh, good.” Autumn said. “Let’s do it, then!”

“Then mind getting the corn?” Sparkler asked.

“Not at all.” Autumn said. She headed into her kitchen, opened the snack cabinet, and rushed out to hoof Sparkler the bag.

Sparkler smiled as she took the bag in her magic after setting the book down on the couch. She locked her focus on the bag and brightly flashed her horn, resulting in everypony hearing the faster-and-faster-coming sounds of popping as the bag grew larger.

“Whoa! You’re like a living super-microwave!” Autumn commented as Sparkler cancelled the magic to a fresh, completed popcorn bag.

“Squawk! That’s one way to put it. Squawk!” Flappy said.

“Yeah. Magic just makes everything easier.” Sparkler added.

“I do sometimes wonder what it would be like to have it.” Autumn said as she walked over to the couch in preparation for movie night.

Sparkler and Flappy followed her lead and they all set themselves up on Autumn’s bright-yellow couch. Sparkler again held the book in her magic and shot different magic into it. In response, the magic repulsed and reentered Sparkler’s horn, along with cloned copies of the book’s words. Strands of letters floating right into it.

“Ahem. Fillies and gentlebird. I present to you, Daring Do and The Quest for the Sapphire Stone.” Sparkler said as she lit her horn and shot out a big blue screen. Movie night; here we come.

As the hours passed, Autumn grew more and more drowsy, losing her ability to stay awake and focus on the film.

(Yawn) Ah man, I can’t have it both ways. Either I miss the rest of the movie, or absolutely collapse tonight.

She tried to choose the latter option, holding her eye muscles open with force, but eventually, the fatigue absolutely overpowered her, and she dozed off leaning to her left, where... right where Sparkler is.

Not before Autumn’s instincts activated and she wrapped a front leg around Sparkler’s chest, Autumn snapped wide open and bolted off her friend, in fear that she had gotten too up-close and personal for their first night together.

Which got Sparkler’s attention. She turned and raised an eyebrow at Autumn. “Are you alright there Autumn?” She asked.

“Oh. Oh no, I’m sorry, Sparkler.” Autumn said. “That was too much for tonight, wasn’t it?”

“What are ya going on about?” Sparkler asked.

Autumn sighed. She had no other path to go down.

“I cuddled you… without asking you if it was okay.” Autumn admitted, shedding a tear.

Sparkler saw the tear and just smiled as she let out a chuckle. “Is that it? Aw sugarcube, don’t be upset. I didn’t mind.” She assured Autumn.

Autumn sniffled. “Really? You didn’t mind?” She asked.

“Of course not.” Sparkler said. “I’ll be honest. I’m something of a cuddler myself.” She admitted, canceling the projection spell despite the movie not being over.

Autumn let out a smile as she leaned a bit closer to Sparkler, thinking she had it right what she was getting at.

Sparkler saw what she was doing and giggled. “So if’n you want to cuddle, I won’t say no.” She said.

“Hehe. Well, I’m getting tired; are you ready to hit the hay?” Autumn asked.

“Yeah we probably should hit the hay.” Sparkler said, letting out a yawn.

“Want to use my bed?” Autumn asked, hopping off the couch.

“What happened to me using the floor mattress? Unless you want us to cuddle in our sleep.” Sparkler said.

“Oh. Yeah, that’s what I was getting at. Cuddling in our sleep.”

Sparkler chuckled. “Sure. We can do that. I can be the big spoon if ya want.” Sparkler asked.

Autumn giggled. “Sure. You be the big spoon.” She absolutely loved the idea of being spooned by her new friend.

“Well then. After you.” Sparkler said. Gesturing for Autumn to lead them to the bed.

Autumn couldn’t wait. She already felt the cuddles about to come at her from behind as she skipped over, on her hooves, to her bed despite tiredness. She dived into the left side of the bed and already laid as the little spoon.

Sparkler, ready for cuddles, entered the room to see Autumn already in position. “Well somepony’s eager.” She joked.

Autumn giggled in response. We really are friends.

Sparkler walked to the right side of the bed and climbed in. As soon as she could, she wrapped her forelegs around Autumn’s midsection and pulled her back against her body.

Autumn could feel the warm, tight, loving embrace and fluffy fabric of Sparkler’s onesie pajamas. “Aww. You’re such a great friend.”

“Aww. Yer a good friend too Autumn.” Sparkler replied with a smile.

Autumn couldn’t respond to that. Her heart would burst.

She chose to add a different comment. “Your onesie is perfect!” she said to Sparkler. “Its fabric is so soft and fluffy!”

Sparkler giggled. “Yeah. It is pretty cozy, ain’t it.” She said.

“It tells me you’re good at clothes shopping.” Autumn said.

“Nah. Not me. I don’t have a lot of clothes actually. Really just a coat fer cold days, A poncho for everyday use, and this onesie.” Sparkler said.

“Well, when you do clothes shop, you know what to buy.” Autumn said.

“Thanks.” Sparkler said. After a moment, she had an idea. “Hey Autumn?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you like being pet?” Sparkler asked.

“Oh yeah I do!” Autumn said. “It feels amazing!”

“Then want me to pet you?” Sparkler asked.

“Yes please!” Autumn exclaimed.

Sparkler giggled. “Yer wish is mah command.” She retracted one of her hooves and started stroking it through Autumn’s mane.

Autumn’s eyes drifted closed and her head sunk into the pillow as she felt the soft, moving touch, going from the top of her head to where her mane ended. Sparkler sure knew how to pet.

“Thank you so much.” Autumn said quietly.

“No problem pard’ner.” Sparkler replied as she continued to pet the mane, while also starting to rub Autumn’s belly with her other hoof.

Autumn felt herself about to drift off to sleep with how good this felt. Sparkler was a professional.

“Goodnight, Sparkler.” Autumn said.

“G’night Autumn. Sweet dreams.” Sparkler replied as they ended the day.

To be continued...

Chapter 8

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Autumn woke into the next day to a beam of yellow sunlight coating the room, and tight legs still holding a loving grip on her. Made it all the way through the night! She thought in reference to the cuddling position remaining intact.

Autumn scanned the sound waves of the room for any soft, peaceful breathing, to know if Sparkler was still asleep. If she was, Autumn wasn’t leaving for breakfast yet. She planned to stay in Sparkler’s hug until she woke up.

Sparkler’s eyes slowly fluttered open as the sunlight roused her awake. First thing on her mind was how her hooves were still wrapped around another pony.

At that, her eyes snapped open, but she didn’t dare move. Oh no. Please let mah wings be covered! She gently tried to stretch out the wing, slowly, that wasn’t pinned against the mattress, and found that something was keeping it pressed against her side. She momentarily relaxed, taking a deep breath.

Thank Faust! Mah onesie is on. Meaning I must still be at Autumn’s. She looked in front of her at the pony she was hugging, and sure enough, she recognized it as Autumn.

On her end, Autumn did not detect slow, peaceful breathing. What she instead heard was an episode of rapid, irregular breathing, almost panting, right behind her. “Something wrong, Sparkler?” She asked quietly.

Sparkler’s breath hitched in her throat. Crap! She’s awake! Sparkler had to think of something, now.

“...Yeah.” She said. “Just didn't remember where I was at first. Hehe. Morning.” She added.

“Morning!” Autumn greeted back. “Yeah, sometimes I take a little bit to register where I am in the morning. Especially if I’m somewhere I’ve never slept before.”

“How do you think I felt when I first slept in the inn? Hehe.” Sparkler replied as she continued to hold Autumn. “I had fun last night.”

“I did too!” Autumn beamed. “So much! And thank you for the cuddles!”

“No problem pard’ner.” Sparkler said. “Did I do a good job petting you too?” She asked.

“You did! In fact, the petting put me to sleep. It was that good.”

“Glad I could help.” Sparkler beamed.

“Looks like this is something we’re gonna be doing again.” Autumn said. “For now, though, what do we have for breakfast?”

Sparkler giggled as they hopped out of bed. “Well, what do you have available?” She asked.

“Loads of things!” Autumn said happily as they walked out into her kitchen and Autumn started flashing open her cabinets. Here came the next part of the trial sleepover.

“Hold that thought.” Sparkler said. “Flappy, time to wake up!” She called out.

Her calling stirred Flappy awake and he opened his eyes to see Autumn and Sparkler. “Squawk! Good morning gals! Squawk!” He greeted happily from his perch in the living room.

“Good morning to you too, Flappy!” Autumn waved. “I’m guessing you’re looking for watermelon as your breakfast?”

Flappy flapped his wings and launched into the air. “Squawk! Yep. I brought a few pieces just in case you didn’t have any. Squawk!”

“Great thinking!” Autumn complimented.

“Ya know, I should really get him to eat something else. Maybe apples.” Sparkler commented as Flappy flew over to his owner’s saddlebag to grab a watermelon piece.

“Heh, that reminds me of when I was a filly and I would eat only one food.” Autumn said. “That food being, ironically enough, apples.”

“Figures. Hehe.” Sparkler chuckled.

“Yep.” Autumn said. “Alright, let’s see what’s in store for our breakfast!”

Autumn ate a spoonful of her Celesti-Os, the cereal from yesterday making a reappearance. On the other side of the table, Sparkler had the same thing. Celesti-Os with a side of milk.

“Mmm. I love me some Celesti-Os.” Sparkler commented after she took another bite.

“I do too!” Autumn said. “They might be my favorite cereal.” She said, sipping on her cup of fresh apple juice.

“You said it.” Sparkler replied. After another bite, she spoke again. “Hey Autumn, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” Autumn said. “What’s on your mind?”

“Well, I was just wondering; you like cuddles and being pet...anything else you like?” Sparkler asked.

“In terms of anything in general, or just things related to touching or affection?” Autumn asked.

“Physical affection.” Sparkler replied.

“Okay.” Autumn asked. “In that case, yes, there is one.” Unlike last night, Autumn decided to let this info go free after she became convinced, by virtue of more time passed, that Sparkler wouldn’t be weirded out. “I like being tickled.”

Flappy heard that and smiled. “Squawk! Another thing you and Sparkler have in common! She likes being tickled too! Squawk!” He said.

Autumn cracked a wide smile as she felt the hopeful excitement bubbling up. “Really? You do?”

“Yeah.” Sparkler said with a light blush. “I like being tickled a bit.”

“Hehe. Cute.” Autumn said. “And do you like tickling others?”

“Sometimes. Though the only creature I had to tickle was Flappy.” Sparkler replied.

“Oh? You’re ticklish too?” Autumn asked, looking over at Flappy.

“Squawk! Yeah. Hehe. I’m ticklish. Squawk!” Flappy said.

“Then…that’s something we could all do together then, isn’t it?” Autumn suggested.

“Yeah. It could be.” Sparkler said. I just won’t let YOU tickle me. She thought.

“Hehe. I say we test it out sometime soon.” Autumn said. “As part of this trial, to see how it would go.”

“Hehe. Have you ever been tickled by wings before? Because Flappy’s wings are good ticklers.” Sparkler said.

“Interestingly, no, I haven’t been tickled by wings yet.” Autumn said. “I am an enthusiast for being tickled, but that’s a technique I have yet to experience.

“I suppose it’s due to the population of pony types. There are hardly any pegasi living in Appleloosa.”

“That would make sense, given this is an Earth Pony town.” Sparkler reasoned.

“Yeah. It really is.” Autumn said.

“That being said, though, Ponyville was also started as an Earth pony town, and it’s since then gained a very diverse population, in terms of the three types. Appleloosa hasn’t had the same fate, and I wonder why.”

“Squawk! Maybe it’s due to being in the desert? Squawk!” Flappy asked.

“Hmm. Yeah, that could be it.” Autumn said.

“Well, when you do think we should do the tickling?”

“Anytime works for me.” Sparkler said.

“Good.” Autumn said. “Note that I’d also like to go shopping with you today.”

“Yeah I remember talking about shopping last night.” Sparkler said.

“I remember too!” Autumn said. “I like to go shopping in the late morning, between breakfast and lunch; how does that work for you?”

“Anytime anywhere cowgirl.” Sparkler replied.

Autumn giggled. “Great! After breakfast here, I’ll hop in the shower and we’ll be off!

“By the way, I know it’s Monday, but you don’t have to worry about my schedule. I took the day off.”

“Well that’s good to know!” Sparkler responded.

“Yeah! And do you have any work commitments soon? Like, for your studio?” Autumn asked.

“Nope. Clean day today.”

“Great!” Autumn beamed. “Now let’s enjoy the day!” She said as she ate another spoonful of her cereal.

“Right!” Sparkler agreed.

Sparkler, Autumn, and Flappy took a stroll to Appleoosa's local food store, in a mission to refill Autumn’s diminishing kitchen cabinet stock. She only just barely had enough breakfast food to make that full meal.
So they were in the cereal section, looking for the scoop on each other’s choices.

“So, what other cereals do you like, Sparkler?” Autumn asked.

“Saddle Arabian Munch-Os, but I don’t reckon the store has ’em.” Sparkler replied.

“Er… probably not.” Autumn responded. “Saddle Arabia being so far from here, you’d only find local food from there if you went to a market specializing in food from other countries.”

“Yeah. That sounds about right.” Sparkler said.

“In that case, I reckon we can get a second box of Celesti-Os.” Autumn suggested as she dropped the shiny white cereal box into their cart. “We both really like them, after all.”

“I don’t have a problem with that. I like them too.” Sparkler said. “Ya know, I’m glad the store has a no pet policy.” She commented.

Because of that exact policy, Flappy was currently perching outside of the store on a white fence. Just taking in more sights of his adopted hometown.

“How come?” Autumn asked Sparkler.

“Cause he woulda been in the snack aisle eating all the snacks he can. His primary food is watermelon, but he’s a sucker for snacks and treats.” Sparkler replied with a chuckle. “And there woulda been nothing we could do to stop him.”

“Oh boy. Yeah, we got lucky here then.” Autumn commented.

“Y’all said it.” Sparkler said.

“Then we can move down on the list.” Autumn said. “What’s next?”

“Let’s see.” Sparkler said as she magically summoned the grocery list from her saddlebag.

Autumn walked up to Sparkler’s view area and looked at the first entry on the list below the recently-crossed-off “cereal.” It looked like bread was up next.

“Alright, on to the next aisle.” Autumn said, pointing out the labels hanging from the ceiling. “Got any preferences for your bread, Sparkler?”

“Nah, just that it’s bread. No specific preference.” Sparkler replied.

“Good!” Autumn said, picking out her usual, plain wheat bread. “I think you and I will do just fine with the food choices.”

“I’m a flexible gal. It’s Flappy that’s the watermelon addict.” Sparkler said with a chuckle.

Autumn chuckled back. “Well, I’m sure I can keep the watermelon supply up fine. I will try my best for Flappy.”

“So long as we get two whole watermelons every three or four months. Flappy’ll be happy.” Sparkler responded.

“Two watermelons for every three or four months? Yeah, that’s no problem at all for me.” Autumn said.

“Yeah. I just cut a melon into eight pieces, then cut each piece eight times. A single whole melon will last two months and 4 days.” Sparkler explained.

“Nice mathematical thinking!” Autumn complimented.

“Thanks pard’ner.” Sparkler replied.

…

The mares completed the trip, crossing off the last line on the list and checking everything out. They walked back outside carrying their full bags on their sides, as they considered this part of the trial a success.

“Nice grocery trip, huh?” Autumn said.

“Squawk! Maybe for you. I just had to sit on the fence for a while. Squawk!” Flappy said.

“Store policy Flappy. Nothing I can do.” Sparkler said. “So...Where to next?”

“I reckon we get Flappy a portable perch.” Autumn suggested. “So, pet store?”

“Sure. That good with you Flappy?” Sparkler asked.

“Squawk! Ooh. Maybe they have a diamond bejewelled perch! Squawk!” Flappy said.

“I am not getting you anything too expensive. Just something practical, and portable.” Sparkler said.

“Squawk! Can’t blame a bird for dreaming right? Squawk!” Flappy said.

“No, and dream on!” Autumn said. “I believe that someday you will get that diamond perch!”

“Maybe if mah career really takes off and I make it big.” Sparkler said.

“You have a good chance!” a passing-by stallion called out. “The pony you’re hanging out with is famous around here!”

Autumn blushed. “Well, it is true.”

Sparkler chuckled. “No offense Autumn, but unless we’re an official duet, I’d prefer to stand on mah own hooves.” She said.

“That’s alright. We’ll just see what happens.” Autumn said.

“Yes we will.” Sparkler said.

…

The trio arrived at the pet store. Hopefully Flappy would return home with a fresh, new portable perch.

Sparkler looked around as they entered the nice-looking building. It was a paradise of toys and food selections for pets of various species, like cats, dogs, and more.

She randomly spotted a display of parrot food on one of the shelves. “Hey Flappy. Maybe you can try normal parrot food for a change.” She joked.

“Squawk! Nope. Watermelon. Squawk!” He replied simply.

Autumn remained silent. She couldn’t think of anything to say here.

“You ever been here before Autumn?” Sparkler asked, changing the conversation.

“A few times, when I was tagging along with other friends that also have pets. But not by myself, as I don’t have a pet of my own.” Autumn replied.

“Ever thought about getting a pet?”

Autumn sighed. “Sometimes. Ponies always told me it could help with my loneliness. Which I do believe would have been the case, but when I imagined it, I never could see myself as a very good pet caretaker.”

“Squawk! Don’t know if you don’t try. Squawk!” Flappy responded.

Autumn sighed again. Flappy was right; getting a pet could have gotten her through the loneliness better. Hopefully it wouldn’t matter anymore as she and Sparkler were presumably going to be roommates, but Autumn had foregone a nice addition to her life there, with not getting a pet.

“I guess you’re right.” She said in response to Flappy. “That’s why I’d like to try helping Sparkler in taking care of you.”

“Aww! Mah two best buds gett’n along. I love this town!” Sparkler said.

“There you go! You’re liking it here! That tells me your move was successful.” Autumn said.

“Not quite successful just yet. Still in the inn rather than a permanent home.” Sparkler replied.

“Ah yes. But a permanent home might be on the horizon, and I think we know where it is.” Autumn said, winking.

“Squawk! I think we had a sleepover there last night if I recall. Squawk!” Flappy said knowingly.

“Yes indeed.” Autumn said. She could feel the glimmer inside her growing brighter. After the results of yesterday and this day going how it is, Sparkler and Flappy moving in with her only seemed more and more likely.

And here they were about to buy a new portable perch for Flappy, who was expected to become Autumn’s pet too, in a sense.

“What about this one?” Autumn suggested, pointing to a tan-colored portable perch with retractable wheels on the bottom and ability to fold it in for travel.

“Hm…” Sparkler gave the perch a look, picking the box up. “I think it looks good. Flappy?”

Flappy scanned the product for himself. “Squawk! I love it! Squawk!” He said excitedly.

“Well, I guess that’s our verdict then!” Autumn exclaimed.

Sparkler took the perch in her magic and checked the price tag. “Not too bad on the price either. Only a few bits.” She said. “Right. Y’all go wait outside I’ll go up to the counter and pay.”

“Okay. We’ll meet you out there.” Autumn said.

So Autumn and Flappy walked out of the store while Sparkler went up to the counter to check it out. After a few minutes, she joined them outside. “Right. Got yer new perch Flappy!” She said, flashing the white box.

“Squawk! Great! Thanks Sparky. Squawk!” Flappy said happily.

Sparkler blushed at the nickname. “Ahem...Flappy...not here.” She said.

Autumn giggled, having heard the nickname. “Well, should we go back to my house and test this perch out?”

“Squawk! Why wait? Squawk!” Flappy helped the ponies unbox and landed on the perch, which Sparkler thankfully had right side up, and gripped it with his claws. He smiled. “Squawk! Not too big, Not too small. It’s perfect! Squawk!”

“Awesome!” Autumn said, holding out a hoof for a high-hoof. Or high-wing, in Flappy’s case.

Flappy high-winged Autumn and launched off the perch so Sparkler could collapse it. “Now we got a travel perch for ya Flappy. This should be useful.” She said.

“Oh yes!” Autumn exclaimed.

The trio returned to Autumn’s house, albeit without any plans on whether they were staying there or not. They had to go there to drop off the groceries, of course, but were they going right back out?

“So… where shall this trial go next?” Autumn asked.

“Hmmm...Let’s see what we could do next…” Sparkler said, her mind racing.

Autumn looked at her oven’s clock for inspiration.

“It’s almost lunchtime. Might as well do that.”

“Sure! We can eat lunch.” Sparkler replied.

“Squawk! Let’s eat. Squawk!”

…

Autumn took a bite of her large red delicious apple, a staple of her lunches. Well, the color and breed varied, but she always had an apple as part of her mid-day meal. On the rest of her placemat was a hay sandwich and a glass of fresh apple cider from Sweet Apple Acres.

Sparkler, meanwhile, had a hay sandwich and a glass of cider as well.

“How do my homemade hay sandwiches taste?” Autumn asked Sparkler.

“Delicious!” Sparkler replied. “Much better than the pre packed sandwiches I’ve had.”

“Great! I never thought of myself as very good at cooking!” Autumn said, taking another bite of her sandwich.

“And yeah, I always take the homemade over the packaged when I can.” She continued.

“Well, you’re a good cook.” Sparkler said.

“Aww, thank you.” Autumn responded, hoof-bumping her friend.

“No prob.” Sparkler replied.

Autumn smiled. “This trial is going wonderful, don’t you think?”

“Squawk! I’d say definitely! Squawk!” Flappy commented.

“I agree.” Sparkler said. “This is fun!”

“This is fun.” A statement that Autumn never heard uttered this far into a trial sleepover run. If they even lasted this long at all!

Continuing from the pet store, Autumn seemed to be walking even closer to the long-awaited victory in finding a roommate. The shine of gold looked within reach.

“This is fun.” Autumn said. “And… it’s beautiful too. You’ve been such a great friend for me, Sparkler.” Autumn’s eyes started to water.

“It’s the least I could do. You’ve been an absolutely incredible friend to me, Autumn.” Sparkler replied.

“Squawk! You really have. Squawk!” Flappy chimed in.

Autumn didn’t feel like the trial had progressed far enough for her to ask Sparkler to be her roommate, but some kind of big moment needed to happen here. It was brewing.

“When we finish our meals here, can we hug again?” Autumn asked.

“Why wait? If’n ya want a hug let’s hug it out now?” Sparkler offered.

“Okay.” Autumn said, getting out of her chair.

Sparkler did the same and they met in the middle. Embracing each other, Sparkler going low and Autumn going ‘round her neck. Again for two very feathery secrets attached to Sparkler.

“Aww. You’re good at hugging, Sparkler.” Autumn said.

“Did it often enough.” Sparkler said simply.

“And it shows.” Autumn said.

“Flappy, would you like to join?” She continued.

“Squawk! I thought you’d never ask! Squawk!” Flappy jumped from the table and landed on both of them. Wrapping his wings around both of them best he could.

“You’re a great friend too, Flappy.” Autumn said.

“Squawk! So have you Autumn! Squawk!”

“Aww.” Autumn responded. She continued relishing in the beautiful moment.

After finishing lunch, the trio walked out to Autumn’s backyard for a horseshoes game. Autumn’s first time playing the game multiplayer since her championship-winning campaign in the Perfect Game tournament. And she was doing more than playing this time. She was teaching her new friend how to play her favorite game.

“So, what you’re really looking for is the trajectory of the throw.” Autumn said. “The way a horseshoe misses the ringer is if the release came too late, or the throw was too hard, et cetera.” Autumn explained as she tossed a few throws as examples.

“So it’s all about the trajectory and the power behind the throw.” Sparkler inquired.

“Yes.” Autumn nodded. “You also should pay attention to how far you’re standing from the stake. A challenge that ponies sometimes do is moving themselves further and further back to see how well they can keep it up.

“We didn’t do that during the Perfect Game tournament, but I have done that way before.”

“Have ya ever seen a unicorn play?” Sparkler asked.

“Hmm… I don’t think I’ve ever seen one play horseshoes.” Autumn said.

“Is it cheating if I use mah magic?” Sparkler asked, thinking of ways she could perform the throws.

“Uh…yeah, I think pretty much everypony here would think that’s cheating.” Autumn noted. “Unless it was a competition with all unicorns specifically designated for it.”

“Fair enough.” Sparkler said. She at the very least used her magic to put the horseshoe onto her hoof. She stood behind the stake and lined up her shot with the pole in the ground. With a deep breath, she tossed the horseshoe.

Everypony watched as the shoe flew in the air towards the pole. Would Sparkler make it? Would she not? For lasting a few seconds, a horseshoes play sure was suspenseful.

A few seconds after the throw, which may as well have happened in slow motion, the shoe hit the pole, on the inside. It spun in circles as it descended onto the ground. A ringer!

“Wa-hoo! Great throw, Sparkler!” Autumn exclaimed.

“Squawk! That’s a ringer right? Squawk!” Flappy asked.

“Yes it is!” Autumn answered. “Three points!” She wrote on the scoreboard.

“Awesome!” Sparkler exclaimed.

“Yeah!” Autumn said. “So, do you want to take all 10 of your throws and then switch players? That’s usually how we do it.”

“You don’t take turns after every throw?” Sparkler asked.

“Well, sometimes we do, but I guess the perfect game competition got me used to doing it the other way.” Autumn said.

“How about this time we just take turns throwing it and just have a good time? No need to worry about points right?” Sparkler suggested.

“Uh, well, I’ve already been updating this scoreboard I’m holding here.” Autumn noted.

“Oh...How did I not see that earlier?” Sparkler commented.

Autumn chuckled. “Well, even with the scorekeeping, we can still not be super competitive. And sure, we’ll take turns throwing.” Autumn stepped over to the stake.

With the bronze-silver-gold configuration not being active right now, Autumn was competing for one, two, or three points. She released her shoe and came out with a ringer, just like Sparkler. So they were tied up.

“Squawk! Another ringer! You’re good at this Autumn. Squawk!”

Autumn blushed a bit. “I don’t like bragging, but I did win a championship in this game.”

“Nothing wrong with a little bragging.” Sparkler said. “You should be proud of yer accomplishment.”

“It sure is a big one.” Autumn acknowledged.

“Squawk! And from what we heard, it was quite the accomplishment. 10 ringers in a row. Impressive. Squawk!” Flappy commented.

“And so many of us, including me, thought it wasn’t possible.” Autumn said.

“Well cowgirl, nothing is truly impossible. Take me for example. I was starting to think it was impossible that I’d ever find another friend other than Flappy. And wouldn’t you know it. I run right into you!” Sparkler said.

“Aww.” Autumn said, her heart touched. “Sometimes the world really does surprise us, in beautiful ways.”

“Squawk! I’ll say! Squawk!” Flappy said. “Squawk! Do you have any idea how glad I am to not be her only friend anymore? Sure, it was okay for a while, but she really needed to branch out. Still kinda sad though that it took moving to a new town. Squawk!”

“I take it her hometown isn’t so sold on friendship?” Autumn asked.

“Oh, not the town itself. Just the Tartarus-forsaken population that is the Kilihima student body that was going through school when I was a student. Really, the only ones I could even consider friends were the teachers and other faculty.” Sparkler explained.

Autumn raised a look of concern. “What was behind the inability to make friends with the other students? You called them ‘Tartarus-forsaken’; you’re saying they didn’t like you?” She asked.

“Squawk! That’s an understatement if I’ve ever heard one. Squawk!” Flappy said.

“Understatement? In relation to ponies not liking you?” Autumn gasped as she looked at Sparkler while feeling a potential heartbreak coming. In terms of feeling bad for her friend.

“Ya know how there’s always that outcast in school? The one no pony wanted to be around?” Sparkler asked. Autumn nodded in reply. “Multiply that by a thousand and that was me. I was the least popular kid in the building. Hooves down.” Sparkler said.

Autumn felt her eyes watering. She could not believe her ears. Sparkler, somepony so friendly, so interesting, could be an outcast times a thousand? What did she do to deserve that? What kind of town was she living in?

“Did you do something to make them not like you?” Autumn asked.

Sparkler shook her head. “That’s just the thing. I didn’t do anything. I was just trying to be their friend.” She said.

“Squawk! And you’re better off not knowing what those featherbrains gave her for her trouble. It’ll just put you in a bad mood the rest of the day. Squawk!” Flappy commented.

“Oh… well, are you okay now?” Autumn asked. “Or, by any chance, do you still have scars that need healing?”

“The fact that you’re my friend period is already doing wonders for my scars.” Sparkler said. “It hurts that it took moving to a new town to finally make another friend. But now, I know there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Just as I held out hope for.”

And that was where Autumn saw light in this dark conversation.

“Wow.” She said. “That’s great to know I can do that for ponies.”

“Squawk! It truly is a breath of fresh air to live in a town where Sparkler’s yet to meet somepony who hates her guts. Squawk!” Flappy said.

“And I doubt that will happen.” Autumn said in confident reassurement. “Appleloosa may not be Ponyville, but we sure aren’t keen on hatred.”

“Good to know.” Sparkler said.

Good conversation, and the mares continued their horseshoes game. Autumn won, but that was completely expected, and they didn’t care much about the score anyway.

Returning to the inside of the house, Autumn took a look at her oven clock again and had a new activity handed to her on a silver platter.

“Oh! It’s time to drop off the CMCs at the train station!” Autumn said. “Well, I’m not the one dropping them off, I don’t need to go there, but I do want to say goodbye to them. Want to go there with me?” She asked Sparkler.

“Sure!” Sparkler replied. “I could see those cute little fillies again.”

“Squawk! Sounds great. I’m gonna go find my Appleloosa bird friends. I’ll be back later. Squawk!” Flappy said.

“Have fun, Flappy!” Autumn said.

“Don’t stay out too late.” Sparkler said.

Flappy nodded and flew out Autumn’s living room window.

“Alright, off we go to the train station!” Autumn said, opening the front door.

“Let’s go!” Sparkler responded.

And there they went.

“Say, Braeburn, ya think Autumn’s gonna meet us at the train station?” Applebloom asked Braeburn. It was time for the CMC to go home, so Braeburn, their current caretaker, was walking them to the train station.

“Maybe. I’m sure she wants to say goodbye to ya.” Braeburn replied.

“Hey Applebloom! And Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo!” A voice called out from the distance.

“Autumn?” Sweetie Belle squealed, perking her exciting hopes up.

“You’ve come to say bye?” Scootaloo asked, turning her body in the other direction.

“I have!” Autumn said, walking up to the group and petting Scootaloo on the head.

“And it ain’t just her either.” Came another familiar voice.

Braeburn looked up and noticed that yes, Autumn wasn’t alone, and saw who he presumed was the brand new pony in town that Autumn met. “Well, I’ll be. You must be that new pony I heard about.” He said with a smile.

Sparkler held her hoof out for Braeburn to shake. “The name’s Sparkling Medley. Sparkler fer short. You Braeburn?” She asked.

Braeburn smiled and shook Sparkler’s hoof. “Braeburn Apple. Autumn’s cousin. She’s told me a lot about you. Right nice to finally meet you.” He said.

“Nice to meetcha too!” Sparkler responded.

Autumn held a smile at the scene. Her friend was meeting a family member. She loves when that happens.

“Is this yer first time meet’n Sparkler, Braeburn?” Applebloom asked.

“Yeah. It is.” Braeburn replied.

“Awesome! Sparkler’s met three Apples now!” Applebloom exclaimed.

“I suppose I did.” Sparkler replied with a chuckle.

“You did.” Autumn said. “And it’s wonderful to see you meet my family.”

“Aww! So sweet!” Sweetie Belle said.

“Yeah.” Scootaloo said.

“And Autumn, how’s the trial sleepover with Sparkler been going so far?” Scootaloo continued.

“Oh, it’s going a-maz-ing!” Autumn replied. “At night, we watched a movie, then we cuddled the whole night; today we went to stores, played horseshoes, and while we were doing that, Sparkler opened up to me about something. It’s beautiful so far.”

Applebloom was confused. “Ok, A, you don’t have a projector, so how the hay did you watch a movie? And B, what did she open up about?” She asked.

“Well the thing is, In a sense, I’m the projector. It’s a spell that mah dad taught me.” Sparkler replied.

“Yeah.” Autumn said. “She took the book in her magic and converted the words into motion picture, to put it in simple terms.”

“Wow! That’s so useful!” Applebloom said.

“What about the other thing? What did she open up about?” Scootaloo asked.

“Just some stuff about mah past and how I may have been the outcast everypony made fun of…” Sparkler said casually. Making sure to stop right there so she didn’t say why.

“Oh… yeah, I remember you telling us about that at the campfire.” Scootaloo said.

“Yeah. I did.” Sparkler said, her ears drooping down.

“What’s this about being an outcast everypony made fun of?” Braeburn asked.

“Uh… well, I think Sparkler herself should explain it.” Autumn said. She felt that question coming. “Unless you want me to, Sparkler.”

“Please?” Sparkler asked. She didn’t feel up to having to explain it right now. Maybe it was because three new friends were leaving to go home.

“Okay.” Autumn said. “I’ll do it.”

“So, for a reason I can’t place a hoof on, nopony liked Sparkler in her hometown. That is, nopony besides her parents and pet bird, who we don’t have with us at the moment, for reference.

“Anyway, Sparkler was just that disliked. She never got invited to anything, and if she tried to show up, she’d be driven out.” Autumn said.

“The driving out thing happened during school events.” Sparkler interjected.

“Yeah.” Autumn said. “And because of all that, it took a move over here, to Appleloosa, for her to finally get a pony friend.

“And I’m super honored to be your first, Sparkler.” Autumn finished.

“Thank you fer bein mah first.” Sparkler replied.

Autumn smiled warmly and opened up her front legs for another hug.

Taking the hint, Sparkler rushed in and wrapped her forelegs around Autumn’s barrel while Autumn’s wrapped around her neck. Again, feathery secrets and all.

A triple “Aww” could be heard from all three CMC.

“So...Autumn, you and Sparkler gonna be roommates or what?” Applebloom asked.

Autumn’s eyes snapped open. The big question; here it was.

Autumn would have liked to answer “Hopefully, but we don’t have enough data yet.” But, the thing was, now that she thinks about it, Autumn felt that they did have enough data now. She felt the threshold was reached and now it was time to ask Sparkler to be her roommate.

So, how does she answer the question?

“Uh, I hope so, but… ah, how do I explain this…” She said out loud.

“Let’s just say we’ll… uh, decide soon.”

“Oh, okay.” Sweetie Belle said. “I hope you do become roommates!”

Autumn was conflicted on whether or not to say she hoped so too. That was true, but was she to say it out in public? Er… maybe not.

“We shall see.” Autumn chose to respond with.

This moment is so awkward…

But it looked like it wouldn’t last for much longer, as a whistle could be heard getting louder and louder.

“Train’s here.” Scootaloo said.

“Bye, Autumn!” Sweetie said, giving a wave. “It was great to spend time with you!”

“You too!” Autumn responded, tipping her Stetson.

“And it was nice to meet ya, Sparkler!” Applebloom added.

“Oh yeah! You’re awesome, Sparkler!” Scootaloo said. “Those school bullies were as wrong as can be!”

Sparkler cracked a smile as she tipped her stetson towards the fillies. “Right nice to meetcha too Cutie Mark Crusaders.”

The Crusaders gave one last smile and wave as they boarded the train. “See you again someday!” They said.

Sparkler, Braeburn, and Autumn watched as the train started moving and sped up away from Appleloosa.

“Oh, I almost forgot. Did they behave well?” Autumn asked Braeburn.

“Yep.” Braeburn said. “Didn’t get into any trouble those fillies.”

“That’s good!” Sparkler said.

“I bet Fluttershy would love to hear that.” Autumn said.

“What do we do now, Sparkler?” Autumn asked Sparkler.

“Well, I should get back to my farm. Y’all have a good night you two. Hope the roommate thing works out.” Braeburn said, tipping his stetson to them and leaving.

Sparkler turned to Autumn. “Hmmm...Maybe go back to yer place and play some guitar?” She asked.

“Oh, yes! That sounds like a great idea!” Autumn said as she hopped forward one step.

“Then let’s make some noise!” Sparkler exclaimed.

The duo returned to Autumn’s house, where the next activity on the list was dual guitar playing. Autumn grabbed her natural-finish steel-string, while Sparkler spawned in her blue steel string acoustic guitar from...presumably either her inn room or studio, with her magic.

Autumn sat down on a stool in her living room, facing towards Sparkler. “So, what should we play?” She asked.

“How bout you start playing some random notes and I’ll join in. See if we can harmonize ya know?” Sparkler responded.

“Okay! That sounds fun!” Autumn said.

“Then let’s do it! A one, A two, A one two three four!” Sparkler counted.

Autumn plucked one note, then a few more. She was guessing that Sparkler wanted to get a feel for her playing before jumping in.

They both plucked one note, then more; the sound came out messy at first, but as they kept playing, things started to come together. In particular when they both did a few strums of big chords. They came in perfect sync.

They kept playing, and improving, as Sparkler felt that tingle in her body. That familiar tingle that she felt whenever she was in perfect harmony with the music. She knew exactly what was about to happen. And while it was risky due to her secret, she didn’t care. Whenever she was playing music like this, nothing else mattered to her. In this moment, she was truly free.

Autumn felt a big sense of power. The music sounded great and beautiful, and she was in clean-cut harmony with her amazing friend. Autumn’s natural instinct in this kind of zone was to start singing, which she did. No lyrics yet, but she had to let it loose.

Sparkler heard Autumn singing to the tune they were creating. It was beautiful. Darn she has such a beautiful voice. And that was when she saw the room light up bright.

She knew the source of the sudden light increase. Her Cutie Mark was glowing. Like it always did during moments like this. Usually this glow came about when she was completely in sync with the music. And the fact it was happening now gave her tremendous joy.

While she couldn’t say for sure, it felt like it was a sign. I feel like even mah Cutie Mark is tellin’ me to be her roommate. She gave off an amused smile at the thought.

Autumn noticed something… off in the room. The entire place was suddenly becoming brighter, even though she had definitely not turned on any more lights, and the sun wasn’t setting lower to peek through the windows more or anything. What the heck was going on?

She looked in the light’s direction, to the center of the glow happening to be at Sparkler’s flank. In addition, she could see an outline; an outline of a music staff under a microphone.

Autumn’s focus took her hooves off of playing guitar. Wait a minute! Isn’t that what her cutie mark looks like? ...Yeah, she showed an image to us at the campfire. And… her mark is glowing? What could it be glowing for?

“Uh… got any idea what’s going on here, Sparkler?” Autumn blurted out with little thinking.

Sparkler blinked; she hadn’t realized Autumn stopped playing. She stopped playing as well and smiled, knowing full well what Autumn was talking about. “Oh, it’s just mah Cutie Mark glowing. No big deal.” She said.

“Why does it do that?” Autumn asked.

“It does that whenever I’m in perfect sync with the music. I get this feeling of complete and total freedom, and mah Cutie Mark glows as a result. Like, when perfect harmony is achieved. Kinda like what we just did. Harmonize perfectly.” Sparkler explained.

“Ooh, cool!” Autumn said. “That’s awesome! Well in that case, let’s keep playing!”

“Let’s!” Sparkler replied.

Autumn banged out a few chords, to which Sparkler joined in with complimentary vocal notes to harmonize with Autumn.

“Got any lyrics?” Autumn shouted over the music.

“Nope. Let’s just play.” Sparkler replied.

“Alright!” Autumn said. They continued to sound absolutely amazing together, and that… that struck Autumn.

If… we’re already playing music together well enough that her Cutie Mark is glowing, and the rest of the day has gone as well as it has… and I can’t think of more trial to be run tomorrow… what have I got to lose?

Well, I do have nervousness, and there might still be some trial to be run…

Eh, let’s just keep playing for now.

Sparkler, meanwhile, was starting to worry about her wings. If we end up rooming together, it’s gonna be hard to hide mah wings from her.

Girl, you two are playing so good that yer Cutie Mark is glowing! There’s literally no greater sign that you two should be roommates if she asks!

But mah wings…

So long as she doesn’t barge into the bathroom and wrap her forelegs around yer barrel you’ll be fine until you fess up!

Back on the other side, Autumn’s thoughts were sinking even deeper.

I still feel like there’s trial to be run… how can roommate compatibility be determined this fast? Like, how about we try spending the night apart to see if it feels weird or if we miss each other?

Oof, that sounds really harsh on ourselves, though…

I just really don’t want there to be an undiscovered problem between us lurking beneath that could mess up our bond and lead to a verdict that we were too hasty…

Gah, I really wish I didn’t have to think about this.

Maybe I should bring up these concerns to Sparkler.

The two mares strummed out the last chord in unison, and Autumn’s musical excitement for that was clouded by the shivering-inducing words she was about to bring up.

“Great playing, Sparkler!” Autumn started with, offering a high-hoof.

“I’d reckon so!” Sparkler high-hoofed Autumn. “We sound great together. If I could toot the horn a little.”

“We did sound great together!” Autumn said as she smiled.

Can’t delay the inevitable, Autumn told herself as her look changed and she sighed.

“Sparkler, I need to ask you about something bothering me.” She said, shivering.

“What’s up sugarcube?” Sparkler asked, putting down her guitar.

Autumn pushed the words out. “It’s about the prospect of us becoming roommates.”

“Something wrong?” Sparkler asked. She started worrying.

“Remember how I talked about in an earlier day how I didn’t think we could be considered friends yet because things were rolling too fast? Well, that concern has moved over here.

“Like, I just can’t help but feel there’s an undiscovered rift between us lurking beneath that will end our time rooming together by one of us wanting out, citing irreconcilable differences.” Autumn puffed out.

Well I certainly won’t want out, but I fear you might kick me out. Ran through Sparkler’s mind. She felt her wigs were the only thing that could possibly cause a rift between them, but she still didn’t feel ready to reveal them yet.

“Well, based on what’s happened so far, I don’t see any reason I’d want to opt out.” Sparkler said.

“And that should make me feel good.” Autumn said. “But then there come the worries about something happening in the future that will break us apart.” Her ears began drooping.

“Well, we can cross that bridge when we get to it. We can tackle anything that comes our way I feel.” Sparkler responded.

Autumn tried her best to hear out Sparkler’s words. The part about crossing the bridge when they get to it; well, yeah… maybe it wasn’t so great to worry about the future like that.

And the part about tackling anything that comes their way; well, sure. Difficulties were bound to happen in any relationship, whether romantic, platonic, etc. But Sparkler clearly felt confident in solving them.

That only made her seem like an even better roommate.

It’s not like everything needs to be perfect in a pair of roommates. I mean, it couldn’t be anyway. And if a rift does emerge, well, that’s not a death sentence to our roommate status. We can figure something out.

And remember that everything has been going great so far. You felt the trial getting so close to crossing the finish line.

You could ask Sparkler about her schedule more, if you’re concerned about that.

She also just said, she feels confident in tackling any potential problems when rooming together. She wouldn’t just leave you.

As Autumn rewinded on the day and all that was so sweet about it; the breakfast, the grocery store, the pet store, the hugging, the opening up from Sparkler… her mood began to turn back to where it was for a bulk of that time.

But hold on a bit.

“Sparkler, I’ve got a few more questions, relating to us rooming together.” She said, starting to perk up.

“Alright. Shoot.” Sparkler replied.

“At what time do you usually head over to your studio?” Autumn asked.

“Depends on how far it is. But it’s nothing a little teleportation can’t fix if needed.” Sparkler replied.

“Okay, good.” Autumn said. “I tend to leave for work in the morning. When I’m not touring, I’m headed to another band’s studio as a session musician. And I return home around dinnertime. Does that work for you?”

“Sure. I can even handle making it so it’s ready when you get home.” Sparkler replied.

“Aww, thanks!” Autumn said. “That’s so generous.”

“Think nothing of it. Just common sense. If one of us is available to make dinner we should make it.” Sparkler reasoned.

She’s so sweet. Autumn thought.

“Cool. Now, about chores. That’s something very easy to argue over. How should we go about it?” Autumn asked.

“See what needs to be done and split it evenly? And every week, we change it up?” Sparkler suggested. She found all these questions a little strange since they hadn’t even agreed to be roommates yet, but whatever.

“Split it evenly, change it up… okay! I can work with that!” Autumn responded.

“Now, another concern that I have would be the size of this house and its one-bedroom status. Where would one of us go if we want alone time?”

“Could you be a tad more specific?” Sparkler asked.

Man, Autumn did not like talking about this. She was hoping Sparkler would understand what she meant right off the bat. Alas, that did not happen.

“Well, on the off-chance we get into an argument… where to split off for a while? I hope that never happens, but I’m under this ‘just in case’ mindset. A lot.” She explained.

“First come first serve for the bedroom?” Sparkler asked. She really didn’t know how to answer that.

“...Sure.” Autumn said. “That could work.

“I’m sorry. I just want to really make sure this will work out.”

“So long as we talk it out, we’ll be fine.” Sparkler said.

Autumn did love Sparkler’s outlook here. It signaled to her that she did truly want to be roommates. She sounded determined, and why would she sound determined if she had any concerns about it?

Plus, even after Autumn asking all these questions, Sparkler still had a very sunny outlook on the prospect.

Really, that should push this trial to nowhere but the finish line.

Feeling great and fulfilled when around Sparkler; check. Compatibility; check. Definitely. Plans on what to do in case of anything bad happening? ...check.

Happiness when imagining her as your roommate; easily check. Remember that dream?

‘Remember that dream.’ Looked like that was the quote to get Autumn over the edge.

This was it. She was about to perform the big moment. The question that a yes answer to would land her a long-awaited fill of a big, gaping hole.

“Sparkler, will you…will you be my roommate?” She finally asked.

To be continued...

Chapter 9

View Online

“Sparkler, will you…will you be my roommate?” Sparkler’s mind raced and raced. A blend of joy, worry, and anxiety filling up her thought tank; the thoughts coming at a mile per minute.

On one hoof, I’d love to be roommates with Autumn.

But on the other hoof, living with her would make it harder to hide mah wings.

And on the third hoof, Luna said Autumn would probably understand if ya just told her.

What the hay do I do?

Autumn wasn’t going to rush Sparkler, but did she ever feel the sense of desperation for an answer. Her insides, including her pounding heartbeat, raced with “Say yes! Say yes!”

Sparkler jumped back and forth in her mind for a solid minute. Between going with her heart vs. avoiding risk. Before finally shaking her head. Buck it. I won’t let mah wings make the final decision. I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.

“Autumn Apple, I reckon ya got yerself a roommate!” Sparkler announced.

W-w-what? Autumn could not fully register a single word Sparkler said there. It was blocked behind the mental rock of an unbelievable, incredible event.

“I-I do?” She asked.

Sparkler chuckled. Apparently, she needed to use a simpler word. “That means yes, silly.” She replied.

Autumn stayed silent for a solid minute. Before everything in all its beauty finally clicked into place. The ‘Ya got yerself a roommate’ and ‘That means yes’ quotes fully processed in her brain. Now, she felt like her heart was shining with gold.

“I reckon I’d be better off communicating how happy that makes me with a big hug.” She suggested.

Sparkler giggled. “Bring it in, sugarcube.” She said.

Powered to the maximum by Sparkler’s hole-filling answer, Autumn leaned in and hugged Sparkler as tight as her muscles could go.

Sparkler let Autumn hug her...around the neck, because reasons. Though that might have been a mistake, as Autumn was nearly cutting off her air supply. “Nngh. Hey, Autumn. Loosen up a bit? Can’t...breathe!” She choked out.

“Oh… yeah. Sorry.” Autumn said, easing her grip off.

Sparkler wrapped her forelegs around Autumn’s back. “I take it yer happy about mah answer?” She asked.

“Yes!” Autumn beamed at high volume, right in Sparkler’s face. “Thank you so, so much! I… I really didn’t think I’d see this day!”

“Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. Honestly, being a roommate for ya is the least I could do.” Sparkler replied.

“Aww!” Autumn replied simply. It was hard to resist hugging her friend tighter; she had to use strong willpower to not obstruct Sparkler’s air supply. As bad as that sounded.

For Sparkler, she was totally flabbergasted at how much things changed for her in the four (yes, only four) days since she arrived. Moving to Appleloosa was the best decision of mah life!

“Sparkler, do you think friends can say ‘I love you’ to each other?” Autumn asked.

“Beats me. Flappy has been mah only friend for so long, but he’s also mah pet. So me saying ‘I love you’ to him may be different. If only a little.” Sparkler replied.

“Well, I guess I’ll say it like this: I love you as a friend.” Autumn continued to hug.

Sparkler chuckled. “That works.” She said, closing her eyes and melting into the hug.

“That’s awesome.” Autumn said. Her eyes began to water, as she released her ecstatic feelings. Finally, she was going to have a roommate! For real! The prospect of forever loneliness went up in absolute smoke, like it should!

The hug eased off, and now came time for the start of the next chapter in their lives.

“So… when are you moving in?” Autumn asked.

“What time is it?” Sparkler asked in return.

Autumn looked at her oven. “7:38 pm. I’d guess not tonight, then.”

“Eh...I could pop on in and grab anything that would fit in mah saddlebags now. We can get everything else tomorrow.” Sparkler responded.

“Okay!” Autumn said. “And shall we cuddle again tonight?”

“If ya want!” Sparkler said.

“Great!” Autumn said. “Would you like to go get your things now?”

“I’ll be right back.” Sparkler said. She parted from the hug, lit her horn, and popped out of the room.

Sparkler teleported into her now former inn room. On schedule was magically summoning everything she could fit into her saddlebags, but first…she had to take time for squealing in excitement.

“Eeeeeeeee! This is awesome! Wait til Flappy hears about this!” She said rapidly as she lit her horn and stuffed her saddlebags with everything she could possibly fit in there, from mane brushes, to little knick knacks she brought from home, to guitar picks.

A few minutes of packing done, she slid the bags on her back and teleported back to Autumn’s--no, their house.

...

Autumn heard the magical sound of Sparkler’s teleportation return. “Eee! Our first night as roommates!” She squealed.

Sparkler grinned as she took off her saddlebags and tackled Autumn in a tight hug. “I’m super excited! And I’m happier than I’ve ever been before! Thanks Autumn!” She cried.

Autumn burst into giggles at the tackle and hugged Sparkler back, around her neck.

“This is so great.” Autumn said.

“What do you say we upgrade these cuddles, by you having your onesie on?” Autumn suggested. “We could also do more night activities.”

“Great idea! Be right back!” Filled with more energy than she had ever felt in her life, Sparkler grabbed her onesie from wherever she left it, and rushed into the bathroom to get changed as fast as possible, in eager wait to get to the activities.

A moment later, Sparkler came back out wearing her onesie and tossed her poncho on top of her saddlebags. “So. What do y’all want to do now?” She asked excitedly.

Autumn gathered the options for night activities and looked to choose one. She tapped her hoof to her chin, pondering about it.

What came out, though, was something not on the original list. An activity that she suddenly came up with.

“How about I sit with you and Flappy as you preen his wings, to learn more about it?” Autumn suggested.

“We’ll have to wait for him to show back up, but sure. We can do that when he gets back!” Sparkler replied.

“That will be great!” Autumn said.

…

Flappy flew through the warm desert air above Appleloosa, heading back to Autumn’s house. The heat of the air felt pretty nice, if you ask him. He reached his destination and flew through the window, where inside, he found Autumn and Sparkler in the living room, with Sparkler in her onesie.

“Squawk! Hi! What’s shakin’ ladies? Squawk!” Flappy asked, alerting the mares to his presence.

“Oh, my entire world is absolutely shaking right now.” Autumn replied.

“Squawk! Why’s that? Squawk!” Flappy asked.

“Oh, it may have something to do with the fact that...oh, I don’t know...she and I are officially roommates!” Sparkler replied.

Flappy grinned wide. “Squawk! For real? Squawk!” He asked, not fully believing it yet. Just like Autumn.

“Yes!” Autumn said, briefly jumping into the air. “After I asked, she told me she’d be my roommate!”

“Squawk! Yahooooooo! Squawk!” Flappy did a loop de loop in the air. “Squawk! That’s great! Squawk!” He beamed.

“Yep. We’re living here now, Flappy.” Sparkler said.

Autumn began sniffling in joy, rubbing her eyes and nose. “You are. And it’s beautiful.”

Sparkler noticed the sniffles. “Aww come on now. Don’t you go crying, you’ll get me doing it.” She chuckled.

Autumn chuckled back. “You’re funny.”

“Squawk! I swear, those featherbrains in Saddle Arabia had absolutely no reason to hate her. And yet they did. Squawk!” Flappy commented.

“I’ll show them.” Autumn said. She turned to her now-roommate. “Sparkler, you are easily the closest friend I’ve developed in a very long time. And in a few days at that. It goes to show how amazing you are.”

“Aww! Thanks Sugarcube!” Sparkler said. “You’re amazing too!”

Autumn blushed and decided to just go to the activities.

“So, Flappy, the first thing I suggested we do tonight is have me sit beside you and Sparkler as you get your wings preened, so I can learn how to do it. That sound cool to you?” She asked.

Flappy nodded. “Squawk! Yeah, that sounds good. Let’s do it on the kitchen table. Preening can get a little messy. Squawk!” He added.

“Yeah, preening can be a tad on the messy side. Wouldn’t want to ruin the couch.” Sparkler agreed.

“Good idea.” Autumn said, pulling out her wooden dining table chair. “Let’s do it!

Flappy landed on the table while Sparkler summoned the blue preening brush with her magic. “Now. The most important thing about preening is to be gentle, but firm. You don’t want to pull anything out, but you also want to make sure all the dirt comes out.” She explained.

“Oh. Finding that happy medium sounds pretty hard to do, especially with something so delicate.” Autumn said.

“Like you wouldn’t believe. It takes practice.” Sparkler said as she took the seat next to Autumn. “Ahem, wing please, Flappy?”

Flappy extended a wing and Sparkler started stroking it with the little brush. “Another thing you gotta do is support the wing from the other side. Especially if you don’t have magic.” Sparkler continued as she visually demonstrated.

“I don’t have magic.” Autumn said. “So, yeah, I’ll be in a two-hoof task here.”

Sparkler continued tenderly stroking Flappy’s wing with the brush, making sure to get every feather she could. After a few minutes, she smiled. “And that’s one wing done. How does that feel Flappy?” She asked.

“Squawk! Feels great! Squawk!” Flappy replied.

“Great.” Sparkler smiled at Autumn. “You wanna give it a shot, Autumn?” She asked.

“Uhh… I don’t feel qualified yet, if you will. I’m afraid I’ll hurt him.” She said.

“So long as you go slow, you won’t hurt him.” Sparkler replied.

“Squawk! Come on, Autumn. Please? Squawk!” Flappy asked, pulling out the puppy dog eyes.

“Well… if you want me to.” Autumn said.

“It’ll be fine.” Sparkler assured. “I’ll be right here to guide you.”

“Squawk! And I’ll let you know if you’re pulling too hard. Squawk!” Flappy added.

“...Okay. I’ll try.” Autumn said, smiling at them.

Sparkler hoofed her the brush and Flappy extended his other wing to Autumn.

“So, I hold up the tip with my hoof that’s not preening?” Autumn asked.

“You preen one side of the wing at a time. Like imagine if his wings were a wall. You would hold one side of the wall with your hoof, and the other you would preen.” Sparkler explained, displaying the motions with her hooves.

“Oh, okay.” Autumn said. “So, how should I start?”

“You want to start by stroking his wing. Kinda like brushing yer mane.” Sparkler replied.

“Okay. I can work with that.” Autumn said.

Such she said, but she felt the nerves jittering again when she inched the brush closer and closer to Flappy’s soft, feathery wing. Ahh, it’s so delicate…, she thought.

She pressed the brush onto his wing very, very gently, then asked “Is this the right amount of pressure?”

“Squawk! Yeah. That’s just right. Now stroke. Squawk!”

“Great!” Autumn said, gaining a bit of confidence. She began to move the brush at the pace of a very slow snail. “Speed good?”

“Looking good.” Sparkler said.

“Good.” Autumn said softly, wanting to match her voice with the preening.

Sparkler watched as Autumn preened Flappy perfectly, just like she did his other wing. Her mind drifted back to her own wings. If we don’t preen mah wings soon, Flappy and Autumn might need to help me, and even then, it might take a while.

Autumn stroked the brush entirely in one direction until it reached the wing tip, then moved off. “What now?”

“It’s gonna take more than one stroke for a good preening. You need to keep stroking for a good few minutes.” Sparkler responded.

“Squawk! Yeah. Need to make sure all the dirt and dust is off. Squawk!” Flappy added.

“Okay. Let’s do that.” Autumn said. She continued with the same pressure and pace levels as she stroked the wing from front to back, as many times as needed until all she saw was cleanliness.

“Does it feel done, Flappy?” Autumn asked.

Flappy inspected the wing, taking a good, hard look, and smiled. “Squawk! Looks and feels good, Autumn! Thanks! Squawk!” He said.

“You did it, Autumn!” Sparkler said.

Autumn had trouble processing that. She never expected success in this field.

“You’re welcome then!” Autumn said. “That did feel sweet to do.”

“Yeah. It feels nice to preen wings. Gives a sense of accomplishment that you’re helping a friend.” Sparkler said.

“It really does.” Autumn said, holding a smile.

“Squawk! So, what next? Squawk!” Flappy asked.

“I bet this is on my mind because of the preening.” Autumn prefaced with. “Flappy, do you like to be pet?”

“Squawk! Eh, not my favorite thing, but if I’m ever down, a good petting cheers me up. Squawk!” Flappy replied.

“Same here!” Autumn said. “Applejack has helped me with it so many times.”

Sparkler smiled. “We’re all gonna do great as roommates!” She exclaimed.

Autumn looked over at Sparkler. “Did anything in relation to this petting talk drive you to say that here? Or is it just in general?”

“You and Flappy have something in common. That’s a sign of a great friendship that will only help this roommate situation.” Sparkler replied.

“Oh! Yeah, I see what you’re getting at!” Autumn said.

“Yeah. This is gonna be great!” Sparkler said.

“It will.” Autumn said. “I already see myself loving it.” She began to tear up again.

Sparkler saw the tears coming. “Aww! Here come the tears.” Sparkler giggled.

Autumn giggled back at her playfulness. “Beautiful moments do this to me.”

“I don’t blame ya.” Sparkler replied.

Thankfully, this moment built up to another activity Autumn had in mind.

“I feel ready to cuddle, but at the same time, I’m not really sleepy yet.” Autumn said.

“So what do you want to do?” Sparkler asked.

She ran back through that old list from before, but couldn’t choose anything. That is, until she heard a growl from her stomach.

“Oh, shoot. That’s right; I didn’t eat dinner today! That time was occupied by the train station.”

“Late night dinner then.” Sparkler suggested.

“Works for me.” Autumn said, hopping off her chair. “What to have?”

“Hmmmmm…” Sparkler tried to think of what to have so late into the night.

“Fresh apple cider?” Autumn suggested, opening her fridge. “I’ve got quite a few bottles from Applejack. And yes, they do stay fresh for pretty long.”

“But that’s a drink, though.” Sparkler said with a raised eyebrow.

“True. It’s just the first thing I thought of.” Autumn said. “As for food… we could have hay sandwiches again.” She suggested.

“Eh, works for me.” Sparkler said.

“Okay. Let’s do that!” Autumn said.

It’s night? Nevermind that. Autumn was digging into the hay sandwiches just as much as she always did. Maybe even more so, even, given that she didn’t have dinner at the usual time tonight.

“Mmm. These are good hay sandwiches.” Sparkler said as she ate her sandwich.

“Thanks.” Autumn replied. “Still a bit difficult for me to believe that I can cook this well.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. This is amazing.” Sparkler said.

“I’ll work on it.” Autumn said. “I have a long history of underselling myself.”

“Well that’s not good for yer self esteem.” Sparkler commented.

Autumn sighed. “You’re right. I guess it came about due to my long string of failures in finding a roommate.”

“Squawk! Well your luck’s finally looking up! Squawk!” Flappy said.

Autumn returned to smiling. “You’re right. It really is.” She said.

“I’d say luck is smiling on all of us now.” Sparkler said. “You get a roommate, a new friend, I get a best friend, and Flappy and I get a home. Win-win for everypony!” She beamed.

Autumn pumped her two forelegs up in victory. “Win-win indeed. And now I can feel the tears again. Hehe.”

Sparkler giggled. “Don’t cry over the food. It’ll spoil.” She said.

“Hehe. Right.” Autumn said.

Sparkler lit her horn and lifted her glass of cider. “A toast, to the future!” She said.

Autumn didn’t see this coming, and she absolutely loved it. The future, a beautiful one, was upon her. She bumped her cider glass with Sparkler’s, replying “Yes.” Sparkler and Autumn then took a celebratory sip of their cider.

Soon, Autumn and Sparkler had finished their meals and had moved to the couch. For some random chat.

“Hey Autumn.” Sparkler said. “How did you get into music?”

“How did I get into music… hmm… good question! I’ll tell the story.” Autumn said. “When I was little, my parents played music all the time, mostly country. I was also born and raised here in Appleloosa, so I’d say that’s where my genre came from.” She started.

“Makes sense it would be country.” Sparkler commented.

“Yeah!” Autumn said. “So, in my very early childhood, listening to music was my favorite pastime. I had lots of musical toys too.

“When I started getting a bit older, being in the Apple family, I was widely expected to become a farmer, and thus was enlisted in farm work for other family members.

“But, unlike my peers, and to their disappointment… I wasn’t very interested in farm work. It didn’t appeal to me the same way it did for them.

“Sure, I loved being on a farm; I liked the feel of it and I loved hanging out with the pets, but doing the work just wasn’t for me.

“Multiple days when I was told to do farm work, I spent a lot of time sitting on a hay bale, exhausted and frustrated, thinking ‘When can I go back home and listen to music?’ So, that was one sign.

“Then, on my birthday, my parents gave me a guitar, saying they had noticed my interest in music. So I started playing it, then other instruments, and eventually it all flowed out.”

“That’s a neat story.” Sparkler said. “I bet yer parents are mighty proud of ya now.”

“They are.” Autumn said. “My dad in particular, because he wants to retire soon and my success in music has helped him do so earlier. I’ve been donating some of my money.”

“Generous.” Sparkler responded.

“I always try to be.” Autumn said, slightly blushing at the compliment. “Now, in order to keep this conversation going, I’ll turn your question over to you.”

“Sure thing!” Sparkler said. “Well, for starters, if there was one advantage to everypony at school hating me, I had a lot of time to myself to find my love for music.” She started.

“Squawk! She really did. Squawk!” Flappy called from the table. “Squawk! She’d spend her time reading, playing with me, and teaching herself how to play instruments. Squawk!”

“Aww. You two must have looked so cute together. Which you still do.” Autumn said.

“Thanks.” Sparkler said. “Anyway, have ya ever heard of Airwave? One of the top music artists in the world right now?” She asked.

“Yeah, I’ve heard of Airwave. Even listened to the music a few times now.” Autumn replied.

“Well, I was around the CMC’s age. Mah parents took me to the local mall in our village. Don’t remember why, but we were there. So we walked into a store, and Airwave was playing over the loudspeakers.

“Now, by this time I had already written my first, and at the time, only song, Out of the Woods. So I was already into music, but it wasn’t until I heard Airwave over those loudspeakers that I realized my calling was in music. This is also when I became an Airwave fan, so I begged mah parents for the first album Airwave ever released.”

“Squawk! She would play nothing but that album all day every day. Autumn, whatever you do, don’t let her do that! She drove me and her parents mad! Squawk!” Flappy interjected.

“Sorry Flappy.” Sparkler chuckled. “Anyway, so I started really getting into music, taking in all I could on the subject. And then, mah school had an assignment where we had to group up and write a song, or cover one. The group I was assigned to all but kicked me out, despite the teacher’s criteria.” Sparkler paused there to take breaths and compose herself.

“Still got scars?” Autumn asked. “Don’t blame you at all. I’m getting upset hearing this story and I wasn’t even there to see it.”

“Now hold on. This story has a happy ending.” Sparkler assured. “While the group kicked me out, the teacher said I could still go solo to pass the assignment, which I did. And the night of the performance, not only did I humiliate the group that kicked me out by performing a new song I had written that was better than their performance in every way, during mah performance, mah cutie mark appeared. The music staff under a microphone.” She said with a proud smile.

“You wrote your song as you played it? And then got your cutie mark too? Ha! Yeah, that shows them!” Autumn said.

“No, I wrote the song in full before the performance. We had to hand in a music and lyric sheet as part of the assignment.” Sparker said. “But yes. I did get mah cutie mark during the performance. I’ll admit it was real satisfying sticking it to’em. They probably thought it would be funny to watch me fail. Hehe. That blew up in their faces.” She giggled.

“Squawk! I never laughed so hard in my life! Hehe. And the best part? She performed her song before them. So their performance looked like a foal banging on their toy xylophone in comparison. Squawk!” Flappy said with a chuckle. “Squawk! And it didn’t help that the whole time they couldn’t hide their shock that their stupid plan backfired magnificantly. Squawk!” Flappy laughed.

“Yeah that was fun.” Sparkler said.

“Love it.” Autumn said. “Everything about it. Great accomplishment.” She high-hoofed Sparkler.

Sparkler took the high-hoof. “Yeah. If ya want, I can play the song from that day.” She commented.

“That sounds great!” Autumn said. “I’d love to see a performance from you! Also, do you have any recordings of your songs? We could listen to them that way too.”

“I have a recording of every song I ever covered or made myself.” Sparkler responded.

“Awesome.” Autumn said.

“Yeah.” Sparkler agreed. “So...what do you want to do now?” She asked.

“I’m getting tired. Is it cuddle time?” Autumn asked, yawning.

“Sure.” Sparkler replied. “We can cuddle.”

“Awesome!” Autumn said, hopping over to her bed.

Sparkler chuckled as she followed Autumn. “Ya know, your hopping is adorable.” She commented.

Autumn chuckled back. “Aww. Glad to hear.”

“So, how about we try a different position tonight?” Autumn asked.

“What did you have in mind?” Sparkler asked, careful to avoid showing signs like gulping, when her mind was racing with the urge to do so. Mah onesie should hide mah wings. Mah onesie should hide mah wings…

“I was thinking I could spoon you, or we could both face each other and hug, which is called the ‘honeymoon hug.’ Those were the two on my mind.” Autumn said.

Right then and there, Sparkler’s mind made the decision for her. The one less likely to expose her wings. “Let’s try the honeymoon hug.” She suggested.

“Okay, great!” Autumn said. She, on the left of the bed, laid on her side, facing to the right this time.

Sparkler got right in under the blankets from the right side and scooted closer to Autumn. Autumn spread out her forelegs for Sparkler to slide right on into.

Sparkler did so, moving right into Autumn’s grasp, ensuring her forelegs would go around her neck. Again, wings and all.

“This is part of my thanks for being my roommate.” Autumn said.

“Aww! Autumn. You don’t have to thank me. Especially since it’s me who should be thanking you.” Sparkler said.

“But you fulfilled my very long hope. Something that I was clamoring for.”

“A roommate?” Sparkler asked.

“Yep.” Autumn said. “But I do acknowledge what I’ve given to you. And to that, I say ‘You’re welcome.’ You deserve it.”

“Thank you, Autumn.” Sparkler said.

Autumn responded by starting to move her hoof, petting Sparkler. “Do you like this?” She asked.

Sparkler smiled as she felt her neck being stroked. “Oh yeah.” She said. “I do.”

“Yay! I have somepony to pet!” Autumn exclaimed, making Sparkler giggle a bit. Autumn moved up to Sparkler’s mane and pet from head to the end strands.

“Ah. This feels nice.” Sparkler said.

“You’re so cute.” Autumn commented.

“You too.” Sparkler said. Feeling herself drift slowly into slumber.

“Aww.” Autumn said. This is so great, She thought, as she found herself going to sleep as well.

Sparkler fell asleep fully happy. She ended this day with a friend, a home, and had been told that the mare cuddling with her wouldn’t hate her because of her wings...now if only she could actually force herself to believe it.

On Autumn’s side, she felt a full round-out. A completion. The last big thing she wanted for her life… she did it. She really did it. The image in Autumn’s mind was the last piece of the puzzle finally clicking, and the entire thing shining in gold.

To be continued...

Chapter 10

View Online

Celestia’s beautiful, yellow sun grazed over the entire land of Equestria, signaling the start of a fresh new day. Ponies were up and off, to go to work, hang out with friends, play games; whatever they were going to do.

Inside one of the many houses in the country town of Appleloosa, two mares who had recently become roommates were cozy in bed, wrapped in a soft, warm cuddle.

One of those mares, Autumn, felt her eyes flutter open, to the next day greeting her with the smiling, sleeping face of her new roommate.

Perfect. She thought.

A moment later, Sparkler too awakened. Her eyes slowly opened to see that Autumn was already awake, looking straight at her. Sparkler smiled. “Mornin’ Autumn.” She said.

“Morning, new roommate!” Autumn said.

“Still high on happiness about that, huh.” Sparkler mused with a giggle.

High on happiness… hehe. I love it. Autumn thought. “Yeah. I am.” She replied.

“Hehe. Fair enough.” Sparkler responded.

Couldn’t be more true. “It is such a high level of happiness, because you’ve given me something that I was losing hope in getting.” Autumn said, tightening her hug.

“Hey, don’t make it sound like I’m the hero here.” Sparkler commented. “You gave me something I’ve been hoping for mah whole life too. A friend that ain’t a parrot. No offense to Flappy, but still.”

Autumn sighed, deciding to just give up this recurring back-and-forth. “I guess it’s hard to see ourselves as heroes. We have this instinct to thank the ones we love, all the time.” She said.

“I can get behind that.” Sparkler replied.

Autumn began to release her grip, parting from the cuddle and into awake mode. “Cool! So, how about we think of what we’ll do today?” She asked.

“Well, I already know I’d like to move completely out of the inn room, if that’s okay.” Sparkler said, hopping out of bed. “Five bits a night ain’t too bad, but it can add up rather quickly.” She explained.

“Oh, yeah!” Autumn beamed, remembering the plans Sparkler had talked about. “Today can be your full-blown moving day!”

“So, what else could we do today after moving…” Sparkler inquired.

“Well, I do have to go back to work today.” Autumn noted. “Only one band wants me today and I’m not scheduled until 4 pm, but it looks like today is the first day we experience a work day in our time as roommates.”

“Yeah. We can definitely do that.” Sparkler said.

Autumn smiled. “I’ll be interested to know what you make for dinner!” She said.

“I’ll leave ya in the dark til ya come home.” Sparkler said. “It’ll be a Sparkler surprise.”

“Great! That sounds fun!” Autumn said, giggling.

“So. Breakfast?” Sparkler asked.

“Yes!” Autumn beamed, skipping out into the living room.

“Great!” Sparkler said as she followed Autumn out of the bedroom. “If ya want, I can make some pancakes.” She offered.

Autumn had to think about that for a moment. “Well, I do want Celesti-Os as well, but sure, we can do pancakes! I would rather like to experience what your cooking is like.”

“Alright! You go do anything you normally do in the mornin’. Pancakes will be ready by the time you finish.” Sparkler told Autumn.

“Great!” Autumn said.

A moment later, Flappy awoke from his slumber as well. “Squawk! Mornin’ Everypony! Squawk!”

“Mornin’, Flappy!” Autumn said. “Random question: Would you say you’re also my pet now?”

Flappy was taken by surprise from this. He answered after recovering from the moment of shock. “Squawk! Eh...not really sure that’s how it works. But we most definitely are friends. Squawk!” He said.

“That works for me.” Autumn said.

“Anywho. Flappy, wanna help me make pancakes?” Sparkler asked.

“Squawk! Aye. Let us work our magic in ze kitchen chef Sparkler! Squawk!” Flappy replied.

Autumn giggled. “Nice.” She said in reference to Flappy’s voice.

“Then let’s do it!” Sparkler exclaimed.

“Go work your magic!” Autumn said.

Chef Sparkler in progress, Autumn decided to step outside the front door for a bit, to glimpse at the bright-yellow visual symbol of a new day.

And for her, a new life.

This sunrise…it really speaks to me. I’m feeling the rise of a new life that looks like this.

Like, I don’t have to wake up every day feeling like rain anymore.

I actually look forward to the future.

Back inside the house, Sparkler flipped the pancakes over to cook the other sides. Flappy took a glance at the front door. “Squawk! So she’s still in the dark? Squawk!” He asked.

Sparkler tensed up a tad, everything coming back to her, before releasing the tension in a sigh. “Yeah. She is.” She answered.

Flappy detected the sadness in her voice. “Squawk! You’re upset about that? Squawk!” He asked, lowkey shocked. He didn’t expect Sparkler to be sad about being closeted quite this early on.

“Yeah. I want to tell her someday. And I’ve been told she’ll get it. But...but I can’t shake the feeling that she’ll just turn her back on me.” Sparkler said.

“Squawk! I’m not getting that impression. From what I’ve seen, what you’ve been told seems likely to be true. Squawk!” Flappy commented.

“Yeah. Easy for you to say, you didn’t spend thirteen years in a building with other foals that used you for target practice using eggs.” Sparkler said.

“Squawk! Still can’t believe nopony got expelled for that. Squawk!” Flappy commented.

“Yeah. Big surprise. That kind of pain and torture doesn’t dissappear overnight, Flaps; it sticks. Just like syrup.” She added as she poured syrup onto the pancakes.

“Squawk! Yeah. But at least now you have a friend. And it’s entirely possible that she could understand why you hid your wings. Squawk!”

“Look, let’s just get breakfast and start moving in. I’m not really comfortable talking about this when Autumn can come back in at any moment.”

And right at that moment, the front door began making noises.

“How’s it going?” Autumn asked, returning inside.

“Nearly done!” Sparkler announced.

“Yay!” Autumn said. “Let’s do this!”

“Right!” Sparkler brought out two white plates, slid a pancake on each, and set the plates on the table. “Breakfast is served!”

“Awesome!” Autumn exclaimed. “What kind of pancakes are they?”

“Just plain old pancakes with syrup on them. Nothin’ special.” Sparkler replied.

“Okay!” Autumn said, pulling out her dining chair. “That’ll be tasty!”

“Well, let’s find out.” Sparkler said as she sat in one of the seats.

Autumn took her seat across from Sparkler, brought out her fork, and took a big bite of the moist pancakes.

“Yep. You did amazing, Sparkler!” Autumn said, licking her lips. “These are so sweet!”

“Great!” Sparkler said as she started eating her own meal.

The mares continued to enjoy every second of every bite; in fact, Flappy was there too, digging into his watermelon.

What was to come next… well, it’s beautifully official.

Sparkler, Autumn, and Flappy stood outside the inn. Ready to move Sparkler and Flappy out.

“Squawk! Who’s ready to pack some boxes. Squawk!” Flappy asked.

“Me!” Autumn called out, raising her hoof.

“There won’t be a lot. Only like, three or four boxes.” Sparkler said.

“Wow. That’s a pretty small moving day, hehe.” Autumn said.

“Didn’t bring a lot to begin with. At least, not a lot for a house. Most of mah luggage was mah studio equipment and instruments. All of which are in mah studio.” Sparkler explained.

“Ah.” Autumn said. “So yeah, this won’t be the type of moving day I had to do. That day I first moved into my current house… whew, it was hectic.” Autumn said, walking through the inn’s sliding front door.

“I’ll bet it was.” Sparkler said. She walked in and turned her head forward to see Bradford at the front desk. “Mornin’, Bradford!” Sparkler said, waving to him.

Bradford looked up from his newspaper to the sight of his latest guest, with another pony standing beside her this time. One he recognized well. “Well if it ain’t Sparkler and Autumn.” He said. “Mornin’ to you too. What can I do for ya Sparkler?” He asked.

“I just thought I’d let you know I’d be returning mah inn key today. Found a permanent residence yesterday.” Sparkler said.

“She found a permanent residence… with me.” Autumn said, pointing to herself.

“Is that so?” Bradford smiled. “Congrats. Glad ya finally found that roommate you’ve been lookin’ for, Autumn.” He said, tipping his hat to her.

Sentences like that still got Autumn tearing up a bit. Which she tried to avoid doing in public, by saying “Yeah. Now, let’s go pack your things, Sparkler!”

“Just make sure to turn in that key when you’ve gotten everything out.” Bradford told Sparkler. “That is, if ya still want to pay for the room.” He commented with a chuckle.

“I’ll be sure to return the key.” Sparkler replied with a matching chuckle. “Thanks fer everything, Bradford.”

“Anytime. See y’all ‘round.” Bradford said.

“See ya, Bradford!” Autumn said.

Sparkler and Autumn, with Flappy riding on Sparkler’s back, turned the key to Sparkler's now former room and went inside. Sparkler lit her horn and summoned a few moving boxes she had kept. She set them down on the floor with their tops open. “Alright. Flappy, wanna go start packing up the bathroom while Autumn and I work on this room?” She asked.

“Squawk! Sure thing. Squawk!” Flappy said as he launched off Sparkler’s back, grabbed one of the boxes, and flew off into the bathroom.

Sparkler, meanwhile, walked over to the kitchen area with a box of her own. “Autumn, wanna start with cleaning out the furniture with drawers while I clean out the fridge?” She asked.

Autumn raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean by ‘cleaning out the furniture with drawers?’ That’s not a cleaning product.”

“I meant open all the drawers and clean out whatever’s in them.” Sparkler said with a chuckle.

“Oh. Okay. Yeah, I can do that.” Autumn said, opening up the top drawer.

Sparkler opened the mini-fridge and started clearing all the contents out. Not that there was a lot to begin with, just some premade meals, a few watermelons, and some bottles of her homemade lemonade she had brought with her.

Hopefully these last until I can get ingredients to make more lemonade. She thought as she packed the box.

Autumn scooped up the contents of the top drawer, which included shirts, a towel, and...one stand-out blanket. A blue blanket, that was both smaller in size and felt more fluffy and comfortable.

I didn’t need to know about these, but at the same time… she’s got some nice stuff.

She moved down to the middle drawer, which consisted of the same items. She made sure all of them were folded well and neatly organized into the box.

“This blanket is really soft, Sparkler.” Autumn said, continuing to feel around it with her hoof. “It wasn’t on the bed; why not?”

Sparkler glanced over to Autumn from the kitchen and spied the blanket she was holding. Her eyes snapped wide. Crap baskets! I forgot that THAT was in a drawer!

“Uhm...that’s...that might be my ah...security blanky…” She said, embarrassed.

“Security blanket? I’ve never heard of that before.” Autumn said.

“You never had a blanket you would hold onto if you were ever sad?” Sparkler asked.

“Oh. Yeah, I did.” Autumn said, realizing her mistake. “I guess I was thinking of the word ‘security’ in a completely different context. Hehe.”

“Yeah, I wasn’t dumb enough to bring it with me anywhere. My schoolmates already had enough to pick on me for…”

“Oh… I’m so sorry. Right, I hadn’t been thinking about your school days…” Autumn said, matching her facial expression to Sparkler’s.

“Well, fortunately it’s in the past.” Sparkler replied. “Er, do handle that with great care though...I would like to keep it in good condition for as long as I can.”

“Heard.” Autumn said. She folded Sparkler’s security blanket up and moved it into the box at an extra slow speed.

“Almost done with the drawers.” She continued. There wasn’t a whole lot in them; she only needed one box.

Now with the dressers nearly empty, only one pick-up away from finishing the task, the last item in there to be grabbed was also a surprising one. “Oh! This is cute! What is it?” Autumn inquired.

Sparkler looked up from the box she was currently working on closing, and blushed again when she saw what Autumn was holding. A ragdoll that shared the exact same shape as her; a.k.a, it was a pony with a horn and wings. With blue buttons for eyes and string for a mane.

“Uhm...that is Mr. Singsong...and can you give him here? I’d rather be the one to pack him.” She said.

“Sure thing.” Autumn said, reaching out her hoof.

Sparkler grabbed Mr. Singsong in her magic and set him down at the top of the last remaining box to be sealed for takeoff. “And with this last box, we are ready to go! Flappy, are you ready?” Sparkler asked.

“Squawk! Yeah I am! Squawk!” Flappy flew in and landed on Sparkler’s back. “Squawk! The boxes are all packed now! Squawk!”

“Sweet!” Autumn said. “Let’s move you two in!”

“Let’s do it!” Sparkler agreed.

Soon, they were back outside. After turning in the key to the inn and saying goodbye to Bradford, they loaded the four boxes into the wagon Sparkler had brought with her from Saddle Arabia. Autumn and Sparkler walked side by side, while Flappy decided to soar through the sky.

...

Autumn’s house was in sight, as was the big move. Autumn turned the lock, opened the front door, and they began hauling the boxes through the door.

“So, we haven’t talked about where we’ll put these.” Autumn said.

“Well, we can put the refrigerated stuff in the fridge, if that’s okay.” Sparkler said. “Mainly it’s just a few watermelons, some pre-made meals and some bottles of my homemade lemonade.”

“Okay. Yeah!” Autumn said. “I have enough space.”

“Perfect.” Sparkler replied. “As for books, it’s possible we have some of the same books, so any duplicates we have, we can store in a box somewhere else.”

“Sounds good.” Autumn said. “Now, what about the clothes?” She asked.

Sparkler thought about it for a second. “Maybe if ya don’t have the room in yer dresser, we could get another smaller dresser?” She suggested.

“Room in my dresser… I presume you mean ‘dresser in my room’; which, yeah, I don’t have one. I hardly ever wear clothes except for my Stetson hats, which are all in my closet.”

“Oh...huh, I didn’t notice you didn’t have a dresser...hm...okay, how bout we just leave mah clothes in the box until we figure something out.” Sparkler said.

“Okay. And hey, there is a furniture store in this town.” Autumn said, seeing an opportunity for this to be tended to today!

“You ok with puttin’ a dresser in yer room?” Sparkler asked.” I don’t want you to feel like you have to change anything for mah sake.”

Autumn had a mild shock. She’s still acting like it’s my house…

“Yeah, I’m okay with it, and please don’t feel bad. I understand this is a small house; some things may have to be changed.”

“Well, so long as yer okay with it.” Sparkler said.

“I am definitely okay with this one.” Autumn said. “So, what do you want to do? Unpack, or furniture store?”

“Let’s unpack, so we can get some of these boxes out of the way.” Sparkler replied.

“Great!” Autumn said.

“Then let's do it!” Sparkler said.

“Squawk! Unpacking montage, go! Squawk!” Flappy exclaimed.

And so they began to unpack. Sparkler handled the refrigerated food in the fridge, Flappy handled toiletry supplies, putting them in the bathroom, and Autumn handled putting the books on the bookshelves, leaving duplicates in the box. The big move was in full swing.

“Where do we put the clothes while we don’t have the dresser yet?” Autumn asked.

“Eh, just leave them in the box for now. Much tidier that way.” Sparkler replied. “Also, you don’t mind if I rearrange some stuff in the fridge, do you?” She asked.

“Not at all. The fridge shall always be arranged to accommodate everything in it.” Autumn responded.

“Great. I’ll put the uncut watermelon on the bottom shelf, and the container of cut pieces, I’ll put a little higher for Flappy to reach. Ok?” Sparkler told Autumn.

“That works!” Autumn assured.

“Great.” Sparkler replied.

Moving things in, the house looked more and more shared as more of Sparkler’s things showed up. It began to feel like both Autumn and Sparkler’s house.

Some time later, Flappy had decided to go off to a hangout with his Appleloosa bird friends, leaving Autumn and Sparkler to make the furniture store trip with just the two of them. Sparkler walked alongside her new roommate, to look for a new addition to their house.

“Hey, Autumn? I think we should choose a dresser that’ll blend in with your bedroom decor.” Sparkler said. “It’ll look better that way.”

“Okay!” Autumn said. “In that case, a light brown; like, still brown but easily contrasting with my dark brown walls, is what would work the best.”

“Sounds good to me.” Sparkler said.

“Great! And, oh, did I just say ‘my dark brown walls?’ Well, error! They’re our walls now!” Autumn said as she entered the building.

“Pardon?” Sparkler asked, confused. “What are you talking about?”

“Because it’s your house too!” Autumn said excitedly, right in public at that. But she didn’t care.

“Ok, so it’s my house too, I get that. But I was more referring to yer bedroom.” Sparkler replied.

“Oh. But isn’t it your bedroom now too?” Autumn asked, confused. “I don’t know of anywhere else for you to sleep, and we’ve already been sharing a bed.”

“Ya mean yer ok with us sharing a bed long term?” Sparkler asked. “I could always just crash on the couch.”

“I’m more than just okay with it,” Autumn said, “I want to do it! Bed sharing is something I’ve always wanted out of life with a roommate.”

“Ah huh. Ya know, you’re really making it sound like you want us to be something more than friends.” Sparkler commented. “Usually couples share beds.”

“I promise, I don’t.” Autumn said, waving a hoof in one big swipe. “I’m known for doing traditionally romantic things in a platonic setting. I’ve been told about it.”

“Hehe. You’re not like other ponies, are ya Autumn.” Sparkler said with a chuckle.

“In that regard, nope.” Autumn said.

“Well, if yer ok with it, then sure. We can share a bed long term.” Sparkler said.

“Yay!” Autumn beamed.

Sparkler chuckled. Autumn’s enthusiasm was truly something.

Soon, they made it to the furniture store and found their way to the bedroom section, where they chose a three-drawer vertical dresser of a beige-light brown color.

“Alright! New dresser!” Autumn said excitedly as they exited the building.

“Yeah.” Sparkler replied as she effortlessly carried the dresser in her magic while she and Autumn walked down the path back to the house.

“Magic is so useful.” Autumn commented.

“Yeah. It has come in handy quite a few times in my life.” Sparkler replied. “Like the time I had to get my saddlebags down from a tree in school.”

Autumn paused. “Uh, I sure hope it didn’t get up there at the hooves of those bullies…”

“And I would love to tell ya it wasn’t. But sadly, it was.” Sparkler replied. “And it didn’t happen just once. It happened more times than I care to count.

“They’d swipe my saddlebag when I wasn’t lookin’, one of the pegasi would leave it in a high place, and then I’d have to search for it. Bless the gods I had understanding teachers who didn’t penalize me for late homework because those featherbrains wanted to play keep away.” She explained.

“Eventually, mah magic level was strong enough so I could learn the tracking spell, but it was still a pain.” She said as they approached the house.

Autumn, not wanting visible anger to come about, practically refused to take in all of that. “Well then…let’s just move on. Ready to load the clothes into the dresser?”

“Let’s get it into the bedroom first and set it down.” Sparkler replied.

“Great!” Autumn said.

Carefully, Sparkler, with Autumn’s help, maneuvered the new dresser into the house and through the door to the bedroom, where they set it down against the wall across from the door.

“And there. Perfect.” Sparkler said.

“Yeah!” Autumn said. “Looks great!”

“And now, we can put the clothes away.” Sparkler said, summoning the box with the clothes from the living room into the bedroom.

“Here we go!” Autumn said.

Autumn opened the three drawers and Sparkler levitated the clothes inside. With the help of what species she happens to be, every piece could be, and was, folded as neatly as possible in a matter of seconds.

“There’s the magic again. I love it.” Autumn said.

“Yeah, me too.” Sparkler responded. “It’s amazing.”

“It is.” Autumn said. “Say, would you, per chance… I know this is probably a weird question, but… would you like to add your security blanket to our bed? Like, it’s super comfortable.”

Sparkler was taken aback by the question, and was about to say no...until something popped up that made her think otherwise. She didn’t know what it was. But she responded after a few seconds: “Uh, sure, Autumn. We could do that.” Maybe I can grip onto it if I have a nightmare again…

“Well, if you’re uncomfortable with it, I won’t push you.” Autumn said.

“No, no, I like the idea. Let’s do it.” Sparkler said, flashing Autumn a warm smile.

“Oh! Okay!” Autumn said.

Sparkler lit her horn again and her blanket floated out of the box and onto the bed, nice and flat.

“Looks good there.” Autumn said.

“Yeah.” Sparkler replied. She didn’t know why, but her blanket looked good on their bed. Despite its blue color that greatly contrasted with the cream tint of Autumn’s bedspread, it carried a pleasant look to the eyes.

“When was the last time you used it?” Autumn asked.

“As a security blanket? Uhm…” Sparkler blushed and smiled sheepishly. “Maybe...the first night I was here...?” She said, embarrassed.

“Nothing wrong with that.” Autumn said. “It’s hard to sleep in a new place.”

“It...wasn’t the new location...it was the fear that I wouldn’t make any friends here.” Sparkler admitted.

“Aww.” Autumn said. “I’m sorry.”

“Mah school years really did a number on me. Nopony in the school liked me, so I was afraid I’d never make another friend like Flappy.” Sparkler said, sniffling a little. “The fear is still there, but I’m not as scared as I was a few days ago. Thanks to you.”

Autumn walked up and started stroking Sparkler’s mane. “Recovery from that is a really long process. And you’re under no rush. I’m here for you.”

“May not be as long as you think. So far, nopony’s put me down in this town, so I’m already recovering. And if I can make more friends like you, it’ll only help me recover faster.” Sparkler said.

Autumn communicated her thoughts by leaning in and hugging Sparkler, around her neck, while continuing the mane stroking.

Sparkler said nothing as she just wrapped her forelegs around Autumn, leaned in, and before she could even stop it, just absolutely burst into tears.

Autumn was taken aback, but she knew her incoming response. “There there, Sparkler, let it all out.”

“W-Why did they hate me…” Sparkler managed to whisper through her sobs. “W-What did I ever do to them…”

“I’m sure you did nothing.” Autumn encouraged. “As for why they hated you, well, the reasons for bullying are many, but I can say that there was something wrong with them. Easily.”

Sparkler just nodded as she continued to cry into Autumn’s shoulder.

“I’m really sorry that you went through all that, Sparkler.” Autumn said. “I love you.”

“L-love ya too pal.” Sparkler choked out through her now softening sobs.

Autumn responded by giving Sparkler a soft pat on the back of her neck, while rubbing her cheek against Sparkler’s.

“Thank you. You will be okay.” Autumn said.

“Thanks, Autumn.” Sparkler said, finishing her crying.

Autumn nodded. “Did you run through all the tears?”

“Yeah.” Sparkler said. “I’m done.”

“That’s what was needed.” Autumn said. “Letting it out.”

“Agreed.” Sparkler replied.

“Good.” Autumn said. “So, is there still anything left for you to unpack?”

“Nothing that I can’t do mahself. Thanks fer yer help, Autumn.” Sparkler replied.

Autumn closed her eyes with a smile. “Always happy to help.”

“So. What to do now…” Sparkler said.

Autumn, once again, looked over at what time it was.

“It’s lunchtime right now, and also, note that I’m going to work at 4 pm.” Autumn said.

“Sounds good to me. What’s fer lunch?” Sparkler asked.

“I was thinking salad today.” Autumn said.

“That works!” Sparkler replied. “Let’s get some lunch!”

And so they had vegetable salad for lunch. After that they played guitar, watched some more Daring Do using Sparkler’s book projection spell again, and before they knew it, it was time for Autumn to head to work.

“Well, here’s my first work day living with you. It’s a little sad, but it’ll be nice to come home to you.” Autumn said as she opened the front door. “See you later, best friend!”

“When will ya be home?” Sparkler asked.

Autumn gauged the time this band usually leaves their sessions and the walking time to her home. “Should be around 5:45.” She answered.

“Alright. What do you want for dinner?” Sparkler asked.

Autumn thought for a moment. “How about hayburgers?” She asked. She hadn’t had those in a while, leading to her suggestion.

“Alright. I’ll make some hayburgers for dinner!” Sparkler said.

“Great!” Autumn said. “See you then!”

“Have fun at work!” Sparkler replied.

“Thanks!” Autumn said. She headed out the front door, to work as a session musician with a band, her primary job.

Sparkler watched the door close, and finally, she was alone. “Alright...Autumn is gone, Flappy is who knows where...is this a prime time to preen my wings?” She asked herself.

“Yes. Yes it is.” She replied to herself as she lit her horn and summoned a preening brush to her, and also shed the poncho, finally allowing her wings to breathe.

Autumn opened the door to the music studio. “Howdy y’all!” She shouted out to the band.

“Hey Autumn! Wow, you look really vibrant today.” One of the band members said. “I hadn’t heard you holler out the greeting like that in a long time.”

“I am vibrant! That’s because… I finally got a roommate!” Autumn started jumping up and down.

One of the ponies in the studio sounded off a party blow. They knew about this whole thing, and they could feel the accomplishment too. Autumn had become notorious in their sessions for having a slightly melancholy mood that she always chalked up to living alone. Well, not anymore.

“Amazing, Autumn!” The stallion said, giving her a hug. “Happy for you!”

“Absolutely.” Another band member said. “Now I’ve got an inspiration for lyrical content.”

“If you want, do it.” Autumn said.

This was going to be a good session.

Back at the house, Sparkler set down the brush and inspected her now-preened wings. “And there. Perfect.” She said to herself, smiling. It had been a few days since she was able to preen her wings, something that she knew she should do more often. “Flappy always says the more you preen yer wings, the better.”

Speaking of Flappy, he returned through the window. “Squawk! Howdy Sparkler, Aut--” He paused when he noticed two things, A, Autumn was nowhere to be found, and B, Sparkler’s wings were exposed. “Squawk! Autumn’s gone? Squawk!” He asked.

“At work.” Sparkler said.

Flappy noticed the brush near Sparkler. “Squawk! Just preened yer wings? Squawk!” He asked.

“Yep.” Sparkler replied.

“Squawk! Alright. Say, wanna go for a fly? Squawk!” Flappy asked.

“Sure.” Sparkler said. “So long as we’re back in time for me to make hayburgers for dinner.”

“Squawk! Canyons? Squawk!”

“Canyons.” Sparkler replied.

Sparkler put her poncho back over her wings, and she and Flappy walked out the door of the house. After which, they held onto each other tight and Sparkler lit her horn to teleport them to the canyons.

…

Autumn, her session finished, opened the front door to what was now their home, to a fresh, warm aroma hitting her as soon as the door was open.

Yep, that must be hayburgers!

“Hi, Sparkler!” She called out. “Got dinner going?”

“Welcome home, Autumn! Dinner’s almost ready! Have a seat at the table and I’ll be right with ya!” Sparkler called out from the kitchen.

“Great!” Autumn said, taking her seat.

Flappy was standing on the table. He smiled when he saw Autumn sit down. “Squawk! Evening Autumn! Squawk!” He said.

“Hi, Flappy!” Autumn said, waving.

“So how was work Autumn?” Sparkler asked from the kitchen.

“It was good.” Autumn said. “When I first went there, I told them about me finally getting a roommate, and this is a band that I’ve worked with for a long time, so they knew about the whole situation, and they were really happy for me.”

“Good to hear!” Sparkler said.

“It was awesome.” Autumn said. “As for music, well, the session was mostly about the lead vocals, which are done by only one of the band members, so me and the instrumentalists mostly just talked.”

“Squawk! What did ya talk about? Squawk!” Flappy asked.

“We talked mostly about future songs and what we could play for them. We also had to talk about the vocalist’s performances on the song, setting up the microphone, things like that.”

“Squawk! Sounds like fun. Squawk!” Flappy said.

“It was!” Autumn said.

“So, what did you two do while I was gone?” Autumn asked.

Sparkler and Flappy hesitated to answer, but Sparkler quickly thought of a way around things. “Well he got back after you left, so we just hung around. I preened his wings, I showed him our new dresser, really it wasn’t anything too exciting.” She said.

“Squawk! Yeah it was a pretty quiet time. Squawk!” Flappy added.

“Sometimes, quiet time is good.” Autumn commented. “In other news, is dinner almost ready?”

Sparkler smiled as she put a freshly-cooked hayburger on two plates and levitated them both to the table. “Yessiree! Dinner is served!” She said as she followed the plates to the table and sat down in her seat.

“Yay!” Autumn beamed.

They dug into the hot hayburgers, clearly successfully made, as Autumn licked her lips over and over again while taking big bites in short succession. “These are amazing, Sparkler.” She said.

“Thanks Autumn.” Sparkler replied.

After dinnertime came the evening, where they transitioned into the night by reading more Daring Do, mostly. At the end, Autumn asked “cuddle time?” and into the bedroom they went.

“Sure!” Sparkler, in her onesie, said.

“Here we go!” Autumn said.

Sparkler slid into the right side of the bed, with Autumn beside her on the left. “Which position tonight?” She asked.

“Maybe I spoon you tonight? And maybe pet you?” The words left Sparkler’s mouth before she could even think about them. Clearly, this position was the right choice.

“Yes! Do it!” Autumn said eagerly, flopping over on her left side.

Sparkler complied and wrapped her forelegs around Autumn. She began stroking her mane soothingly.

“Ahh yes…” Autumn whispered.

“G’night Autumn.” Sparkler said.

“Good night.” Autumn said.

That may be the end of the day technically, but what about the dream world? What kinds of things could happen during this night?

To be continued…

Chapter 11

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Sparkler walked down a dark, nearly-black dark, hallway in her old school. Where the shapes of any objects could only faintly be seen, and there was nopony else in sight. Not on the left, not on the right, not there, not anywhere.

Sparkler swallowed a gulp. “Uh…anypony there?” She glanced around in any and every direction possible, until she seemed to have finally struck hope. She saw a patch of brown, in the shape of a mare, ahead of her in the distance.

“Autumn!” Sparkler exclaimed, regaining her smile and increasing her speed to a trot.

She saw Autumn turn. In the direction of looking directly at Sparkler, and the look Sparkler saw was not a pleasant one.

“A-Autumn?” Sparkler asked, backtracking and slowing her hooves to a stop, raising her worries about what could come.

“You straight up lied to me!” Autumn shouted, the anger clearly visible and audible. “You told me there were no more secrets between us! And then you continued to hide those wings from me!” She yelled.

“N-no. Autumn, I can—“

“No!” Autumn cut Sparkler off. “You had your chance. And you blew it! I want you out of my house. Never talk to me again, you horned chicken!” She shouted.

The glass holding Sparkler’s tears was cracking quickly, and it only shattered when she noticed an all-too familiar pile of objects next to Autumn. “Wait, Autumn. Please! Let me explain!” She pleaded.

“Here’re your eggs back.” Autumn drew back her foreleg.

“No! Please don’t do this!” Sparkler exclaimed, sobbing. She shielded herself with her wings as Autumn began pelting her with eggs. “No...No...No!”

…

“No!” Sparkler’s eyes snapped open as wide as possible and she bolted straight upright into the room, panting heavily and feeling her heart pound out of her chest as the blankets floated down back to the bed.

Autumn, being held by Sparkler, snapped awake herself as the loud “No!” met her ears and as she, out of nowhere, felt herself fall back down to and hit the bed from… the air? And come to think of it, wasn’t she being held?

Autumn’s mind energy had to play catch-up with all the thoughts in the book she needed to think. Whatever was going on here was the first thing she knew right now, straight out from her slumber. Pure confusion and tiredness didn’t make for a good combo.

What happened here?! What was that? Why did I fall?! Is something wrong with Sparkler?!

Autumn’s friendship and roommate instincts guided her to checking the last one first. She swiftly flopped to her other side, to the sight of Sparkler’s legs wrapped around herself and her side puffing up and down, panting audible. Looking over, she also had very noticeable tears in her eyes, and it was faint, but Autumn also heard Sparkler whispering concerning words. “No...no. Not again. No.”

Despite the disrupted REM, Autumn’s internal alarm bells sounded off at loud volume. “Sparkler! Are you okay?” She said, stroking her friend’s mane.

Autumn’s voice and touch made Sparkler jump and yank the bed covers over her body while curling herself into a ball. “No! Please...I’m sorry!” She said, shaking under the blankets.

Sparkler’s resistance to any contact with Autumn, both in the physical and communication senses, struck Autumn deeply, shaking her sense of goodness as her body jolted as well. No! Did I upset her?

Considering that possibility as to be taken seriously, with Sparkler also still hiding under the covers with crying noises to be heard, Autumn sat up on her side of the bed, where daylight was nowhere to be seen, and began to shed tears herself. Please don’t tell me I upset her…

And what could she be sorry about?

Now I’m really confused…

…

A solid few minutes had now passed…

Should I try to help her?

…

Well, not much else I can do.

Autumn shuffled back to laying in bed and towards her friend. Without touch this time, she softly says, “Sparkler… are you okay? Did I upset you in any way? Did you have a nightmare?”

Oh yeah! A nightmare was always a possibility here. Autumn didn’t think of that before.

Sparkler took a few deep, calming breaths before replying. “Yeah...to the last one…”

There it was. Oh, thank goodness I didn’t upset her, but… she’s definitely not okay. Autumn thought. Sparkler was speaking in a thin voice and still sniffling.

“Would you like any kind of help?” She asked Sparkler.

“S-Security blanky…” Sparkler puffed out, still shaking a little.

Autumn reached over and grabbed that security blanket with every ounce of speed and grab power in her body. Sparkler needed it, and she was getting it.

“Here.” Autumn said, hovering the blanket in front of Sparkler.

Sparkler peeked her head out from under the cover to see her blanket hanging from Autumn’s hoof. She didn’t hesitate to grab it and hold it tight.

“Whatever you need, Sparkler.” Autumn said, in an attempt to reassure that she didn’t think of this as “childish” or whatever.

“C-Can I have Mr. Sing Song too?” Sparkler asked.

“Of course.” Autumn said. She wasted no time in grabbing that stuffed doll she found out about while clearing those dressers on moving day. Again, she hovered it in front of Sparkler.

Same as the blanket, Sparkler grabbed Mr. Sing Song and cuddled him tight.

“Would… you like me to cuddle you too?” Autumn asked.

“Y-Yes please.” Sparkler replied. Rolling over so her back faced Autumn.

Autumn’s love was about to come in full force. She pressed her body against Sparkler’s back and hugged around her midsection with all the pressure as she could muster; well, she only held the high pressure for a few seconds in order to avoid discomfort, but the short burst of tightness was a display of how much she cared about Sparkler.

After loosening up the grip a little, Autumn began humming a soft lullaby in an attempt to lull Sparkler back to sleep.

That is, until she had to try to keep the humming going…

Autumn realized something. She realized that under her forelegs… there was something odd. Something there. Through Sparkler’s onesie, she could feel a patch of softness. It wasn’t fur, as it was clearly bulging out from her skin. It was also… feathery, you could call it?

Uh… what’s going on? Autumn thought.

She then remembered... there was that day where Sparkler seemingly was about to say “our wings” and then backtracked to “his wings.”

I became suspicious about that, when I was in the bathroom by myself…

But Autumn didn’t want to believe it. No. She must just be wearing something under her onesie that bulges like that. Maybe it’s a comfort thing.

Because, like, Sparkler had a horn. The only alicorns in Equestria were Twilight, Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and Flurry Heart, right?

Like, Sparkler wasn’t a member of royalty like those five were.

Autumn tried to just cuddle and provide comfort to her friend, but every second she held her midsection, where wings were normally located on ponies who had them, swarmed her mind with thoughts; thoughts that she couldn’t wave away. Could my best roommate friend be an alicorn?!

As Sparkler drifted off to sleep, her mind came around to thinking straight again, to the point of registering the location of Autumn’s forelegs. Before the soothing humming lulled her back to sleep, her last thought was a distressed “Oh no…”

To be continued...

Chapter 12

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Sparkler paced back and forth, back and forth again, around her studio. It was the next morning and the previous night had thrown Sparkler into a deep, heart-pounding panic.

Flappy watched his friend pace and really just didn’t get it. Questions were needed. “Squawk! So...what happened? Squawk!” He asked.

“I had a nightmare, woke up, Autumn hoofed me Mr. Singsong and mah security blanky, and then she wrapped her forelegs around mah midsection! On top of mah wings!” She exclaimed in front of the parrot’s face. “Flappy, she knows!” She shouted.

“Squawk! Are you sure she knows? I mean, she might’ve been too tired to notice. Squawk!” Flappy suggested.

“Too tired? Flappy, I screamed. Any drowsiness she had was long gone by the time she put her forelegs around me!” Sparkler said. “I can’t believe I let her do that! I mean, it’s great she didn’t judge me and all that but she knows!” Sparkler lit her horn, poofed a brown paper bag into the room, and inhaled and exhaled into it.

Flappy sighed. He couldn’t stand seeing his friend like this. “Squawk! Sparkler. Calm down. Squawk!” He said.

“Calm down? Flappy, she knows!” Sparkler exclaimed for the third time.

“Squawk! Just like you wanted her to know eventually. Squawk!” Flappy said. “Squawk! Sparkler, we knew this day was coming. Squawk!”

“Yeah. But this is not how I wanted her to find out!” Sparkler replied.

“Squawk! Maybe not. But whether or not she actually noticed. We can reasonably assume it’s at least on her mind. Squawk!” Flappy stated. “Squawk! Sparkler, you have to talk to her. It’s the only way you can safeguard your friendship with her. Squawk!” He said.

Sparkler sighed. Flappy had a point. “You really think I should just talk to her?” She asked.

“Squawk! Yeah. Squawk!” Flappy responded.

Sparkler nodded. “I just hope this doesn’t backfire on me.”

Today was another work day for Autumn, in the same studio as yesterday with the same band from yesterday. While Autumn was intended to have a more involved presence this time, given that the band was now writing a new song starting with the instruments, rather than focusing on recording a lead vocal, throughout the day she struggled to lock her attention.

Am I sure those are wings? I mean, it could have been some kind of padding she wears; like, I have never heard anypony even suggest the existence of other alicorns other than those royal five. I’ve always been told that only royal ponies can be alicorns.

Sure, Flurry Heart was born an alicorn, but Cadence, a princess, is her mother.

“Autumn?” One of the band members says.

Autumn snapped out of her thoughts and realized she was missing work. She hastily says “Oh. Present.” as she looked carefully into the eyes of the pony sitting in front of her, making sure he knew she was there.

“Good.” the other pony said. “So, what I have here is that the electric guitar does a slide, and the acoustic just keeps playing the D chord until I go to the main riff again.”

“Cool.” Autumn said. “Let’s do it.”

She played the acoustic part for a while, but then, after the next gap… this other stuff just wouldn’t get out of her mind.

We have to weigh the odds here. Sparkler can’t have royal parents; I’ve never heard of the royals having any children other than Flurry Heart. Celestia doesn’t have a child. Neither does Luna. Twilight, well, there is Spike, but he was given to her. And is a different species.

What I think now is that there’s some sort of comfort padding under her onesie; I mean, the texture is oddly similar to a wing, but I can bet that being touched by pegasus wings is comfortable. Maybe somepony tried to emulate it.

That being said, is the incredibly precise location also a coincidence?

“Autumn?” one of the band ponies said again.

Autumn jerked her head around the room. “Who, what? Uh… oh. Present.” She said, trying to look them all in the eye and tightly hold her guitar to prove she was paying attention.

This time, though, they weren’t buying it so easily.

“We’ve noticed you keep getting distracted, like, you’ve been staring off into space as if you’re in deep thought. Something going on?”

Autumn never expected to be directly asked this question. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to tell them about her suspicions from last night, especially not in the middle of work… oh, there’s her decision.

“Uh… no time for that right now.” Autumn said, holding down a guitar chord. “We ain’t got all day; let’s keep working on this song!”

This only caused the band members to wonder even more now. Autumn had talked about personal things to them during studio hours many times before. She wasn’t one to be concerned about how much time they had to work. Not to mention she spoke in a voice tone that really made it seem like she was hiding something.

But nonetheless, one of them agreed with her. They whispered into another band member’s ear, “She must not want to talk about it. Let’s just keep going.”

The other nodded. Trying to fish this info out of Autumn would eat up a lot of time, plus, they felt they would be disrespectful if they pestered her about it. So they continued the song.

Later on in the day, Sparkler was situated in the kitchen, cooking a hot dish of pasta dinner for her and Autumn. While the stove was running, she fluttered her wings to keep herself cool. “Wings. Not just good for flying.” She chuckled to herself.

Then all of a sudden, she heard a familiar noise from the house’s northwest corner. The signal that Autumn had returned home. “Howdy there Autumn!” She called out.

“Howdy, Sparkler, my best friend and roommate!” Autumn wasn’t out of the period of always wanting to emphasize that just yet.

Sparkler chuckled. “How many more times are y’all gonna call me that? Hehe.” She asked.

“I don’t know. Hehe.” Autumn replied. “Only time will tell.”

Sparkler then shifted the topic. “So. How was work?” Sparkler asked.

“Uh… I got distracted a lot, but it was fun.” Autumn replied.

“Glad to hear it...the fun part, not the distracted part.” Sparkler clarified.

“Hehe. Yeah.” Autumn replied. “Alright, I’m going into the bathroom for a bit, just to let you know.”

“Alright. Dinner will be ready soon.” Sparkler replied.

“Great! It smells good.” Autumn walked past the entryway to the kitchen, looking over to her right at Sparkler cooking. Or, that’s what she intended to see.

She continued her speed towards the bathroom door as normal, but upon looking into the kitchen, she had a moment of “Wait, wait, what?”

A little further down the hall, Autumn’s body stopped moving and her mind strayed away from anything and everything else as she began to wonder what that sight may have beheld. D-Did I just see wings on her?

I mean, they definitely looked like wings. And what happened last night… I seemed to have felt them.

Sparkler turned back to cooking, when suddenly, she remembered something very, very important. In the matter of less than one second, she folded her wings, lit her horn, and poofed her poncho on. Sweet Celestia! I really hope she didn’t see them!

Autumn, for her part, decided to give it a second look, peeking her head out from the wall corner, and… Sparkler’s poncho had returned.

Okay, this is really strange, Autumn said as she finally walked through the bathroom door, but with even more mind baggage than before…

...

In due time, Autumn came out of the bathroom. Sparkler smiled as she walked into the kitchen alongside her roommate. “Just in time. Dinner’s ready!” She announced. “Pasta for two!”

“Yay! Sounds great!” Autumn beamed, seating herself in her chair.

They both dug in, but this was not to be a normal dinnertime. Autumn was eating the plate of pasta courtesy of Sparkler at regular speed, but conversation between the mares became sparse as Autumn’s inner thoughts grew deeper.

Okay, it’s getting really hard to believe she isn’t an alicorn.

Sparkler’s mind was working at the same level. I never thought I’d say this, but I hope Autumn is oblivious enough to have not noticed mah wings. How in the hay was I so careless? Even more careless this time because mah wings were out in full unrestricted view!

Autumn began to weigh the odds again. Like, I did clearly see wings. But again, Sparkler has no ties to royalty. Maybe I was hallucinating?

I feel like it’s likely I was hallucinating… and it could have been triggered by last night! Yeah, those things could be padding, but I thought they could be wings, so now my brain is playing tricks on me.

Unless, maybe she does have ties to royalty and it’s not known? Like, could her mother be a former princess who abdicated and then was forgotten about? I mean, a princess’s immortality would allow for Sparkler to be born thousands of years after her mother left the throne…

Goodness, there’s so many possibilities…

Meanwhile, Sparkler was thinking, Should I try to talk to her now? How can you bring up that you’re really an Alicorn? I didn’t even know I was an Alicorn until the CMC came around!

They did attempt to engage in conversation, with Autumn asking “Hey, where’s Flappy at?” But struggling to pay attention to the answer.

“He’s out with his bird friends.” Sparkler replied. “Apparently they enjoy seeing his little air show.” She commented.

“Seeing his little… what?” Autumn asked. Yep, the inner thoughts weren’t slowing down.

“He has a little air show he likes to do where he performs a variety of tricks in the air. Including a move he likes to call the Air Blaster Maneuver.” Sparkler said.

Autumn thankfully picked it up this time. “Oh, cool! I’d like to see that someday.”

“I’ll be sure to tell him that.” Sparkler replied with a giggle.

Autumn giggled too. “Nice.”

Maybe I could make a big entrance with an air show? Sparkler wondered. That could be a way for me to reveal my wings to Autumn.

Autumn, for her part, went back to thinking, But what if I was maybe hallucinating?

Sure, I don’t think I’ve ever had hallucinations before, but who’s to say they can’t come up on me whenever?

Plus, again, my mind could have been influenced by last night.

I still think that’s more plausible than Sparkler having a royal mother who became forgotten about. When do royal ponies ever get forgotten about?

The only way for Autumn to manually put all this back-and-forth to rest would be to straight-up ask Sparkler if she has wings. But that idea sends Autumn into a jolt.

If she does have wings, the fact that she wears that poncho and onesie all the time would signal to me that she doesn’t want anypony to know. While it is odd, I want to respect her privacy.

Except, if it’s true she has wings, then that means I’ve already seen them…

Gah!

Sparkler’s mind finally managed to get off her secret and its state of jeopardy, finding a more peaceful topic to discuss.

“So...Autumn, do you have any tours coming up?” She asked.

“None scheduled at the moment, but the band I’ve been going to these past two days are working on an album, and after every album release, they tour, so I have been looking forward to that.” Autumn replied.

“Hm. Nice. I might come out to one of those shows.” Sparkler commented with a smile.

“It would be awesome to have you there, Sparkler.” Autumn said in a sweet, heartfelt voice, tipping her Stetson to Sparkler.

“It’ll be interesting to hear that band with you backing them up. I bet it’s even more awesome because you’re backing them up.” Sparkler complemented.

“Aww, thanks.” Autumn said, blushing a little.

“Seriously, I’ve heard you play before. You Autumn, have a talent for music, I’m surprised your Cutie Mark doesn’t reflect that to be honest.”

“Oh… that. Uh, yeah, that’s something that I and other ponies have wondered about for my whole life.” Autumn said, looking down at her flank. “Like, if cutie marks are a display of your biggest special talent, then logically, my cutie mark should be music-related.

“But all my life, and… I guess I’ve just let the mystery continue. I haven’t bothered to check with Twilight about it or anything.”

“Hm. Have ya wanted to find the answer to that?” Sparkler asked.

“I have, but it’s never really been high enough on the priority list, I guess. I always cared more about something else at the moment.”

“Can’t argue with that. Cutie Marks are just a visual thing when it comes down to it.” Sparkler replied.

“Yeah, they kind of are.” Autumn said. “And I guess why not many ponies ask me about it is because during a concert, they probably don’t really see my cutie mark. They’re looking towards my face and my instrument.”

“Exactly.” Sparkler replied.

Autumn nodded.

…

Well, maybe I could ask Flappy if Sparkler has wi-- oh, no, that would still be an invasion.

Ugh, I really just want out of this whole thing…

Autumn was not doing well today, and on the other side… here was when Sparkler’s mind brought up her classic fear.

Oh no. What if Autumn kicks me out for hiding something?! Oh no, I don’t want that to happen! What we have is good!

Yeah, these two mares’ minds were not in the best of places right now. Making dinner time all the more slow and conversations all the more sparse and awkward.

Bedtime wasn’t much of a different story, minus Autumn, as they climbed into bed together, internally telling herself, Don’t touch Sparkler’s sides. Don’t touch Sparkler’s sides. I need to make sure we cuddle in a way where I won’t touch Sparkler’s sides.

As Sparkler wrapped her forelegs around Autumn, spooning her, her mind would not stop. I know I’ll have to talk to her soon, but still…

She was scared, scared that Autumn would turn her back on her just like everypony in school. She didn’t know if she could handle it again, not after she finally got a taste of what friendship with another pony was like.

Autumn took a breath after Sparkler wrapped her in a spoon position with her as the little spoon, making it unlikely she’d touch Sparkler’s sides, but that’s when her mind just went to another non-peaceful situation.

Do I ask her? I mean, if she is an alicorn and prefers to hide it, I am confused, but it’s her decision. I wouldn’t even be having this dilemma if not for those two goshdarn events today that are making me suspicious. And with the suspicion already there… I just don’t know how else I can escape it besides asking her.

But if I do ask her… wouldn’t she be upset that I violated her privacy? Even if it was unintentional?

Ugh… now I just want to go to sleep. I want to stop thinking about this.

Clearly, there was a problem here. And neither of the parties involved could think of a way to solve it. They also were unaware of each others’ sides of the situation, having not said anything about it. Will these mares be able to find a fix?

To be continued...

Chapter 13

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“No, please, NO!” Sparkler screamed as she was pelted with eggs from all directions, them smashing into her body nonstop. She covered herself with her wings for protection while she cried. “Please! Just leave me alone!” She pleaded with her assailants.

At that moment, she seemed to have gotten her wish. She felt the egg pelting cease and all the egg debris and yolk wash off her. She peeked out from her wing cover to see that rather than the rustic streets of Appleloosa, which she was in just a second ago, she was now in the familiar starry-night landscape from a previous dream.

She looked around, before she felt a familiar presence. She sighed. “I promise I am not having these nightmares on purpose, Princess Luna.” She said as she turned and watched the large chambray princess appear in front of her.

“Of course thou aren’t. Nopony wants nightmares.” Luna replied. “Although I think you will agree that there is a problem.” She stated.

“You won’t get any argument from me.” Sparkler responded, sighing. “I’ve had a nightmare every night since Autumn…” She trailed off. She couldn’t dare speak of that event.

Luna seemed to understand what she meant, as she nodded in response. “I must admit that I am amazed at how many ways the same dream can play out. Getting assaulted with eggs in the sky, the hallway, the street, and they all have different lead-ins.” She commented.

“I know.” Sparkler said, feeling the tears coming again. “I don’t want to have these nightmares, but I don’t know how to make them stop. I certainly can’t rely on you to save me every time, can I?”

“Thou are correct.” Luna replied. “There is only one way to truly end these nightmares.”

“I have to come out with my wings.” Sparkler concluded. She unsurprisingly received a nod in agreement. Sparkler sure knew where Luna was going with that sentence.

“It’s just…how do I even go about doing it?” Sparkler asked. “Ya can’t just bring up that you’re an Alicorn so, like, casually…can you?”

“I wish it were so, but I am sure you are aware of Alicorns’ position in society.” Luna replied.

“That’s another thing that’s holding me back!” Sparkler commented. “If I tell Autumn, she’ll think I’m a princess…when I’m not.”

Luna sighed. “You shall have to consult with my sister on that one.” She said. “You might not have a choice.”

Sparkler groaned and facehoofed. Luna shook her head. “But that is still some time away. Let us return back to the matter at hoof, of telling Autumn your secret.” She quickly said, trying to get Sparkler’s mind off the whole royalty thing.

Sparkler nodded in agreement. “I just…I want to tell her, but without...any way to gauge how she would react, I just can’t risk being pelted with eggs again. It’ll hurt more than when I was in school.” She said, the tears now escaping.

Luna gave an understanding nod, and then lit up with an idea. “I believe I can help you with your little problem.” She said, her voice picking up brightness as she was excited to potentially solve Sparkler’s situation.

“Really?” Sparkler asked, perking up herself too. “How?”

“There may be no taking back what you say in the waking world, but unlike out there, in the dream realm you do not suffer any real consequences for your actions.” Luna explained.

“...Ok?” Sparkler prompted, not seeing where this was going.

Luna smiled at her. “If you wish to gauge how Autumn shall react to your wings, I can quite possibly create a construct that would simulate the real Autumn quite well. Which would allow you to see how she would react before you tell her for real.”

Sparkler’s eyes widened, her brain catching up to Luna’s idea. “You mean, practice coming out?” She asked.

“Precisely.” Luna replied. “If you agree, I shall help you rehearse coming out, and I may be able to give you some helpful advice.” She explained.

Sparkler couldn’t believe it. There was a chance for her to practice coming out? And since Luna would presumably be there, she wouldn’t even have to worry about Autumn egging her! It was a genius plan! A huge smile just had to burst on her face.

“That would be amazing, Your Majesty!” She exclaimed as she gave a respectful bow. “I shall be forever grateful to you.”

“Tis my duty to assist ponies in whatever ails them. I shall see you tomorrow night.” Luna said.

“I’ll be here.” Sparkler replied, giving a salute.

With a final nod, Luna vanished and the scene around Sparkler morphed from the starry landscape to a grassy field. Where a small voice called out from behind her. “Hey mom! Wanna play tag?”

Sparkler let out a light gasp, before smiling. “Sure kiddo!” She said as she turned to see a little colt smiling at her. It was obvious he was the one to call her mom.

The whooshing breeze flew and spread all over Autumn’s body as she traversed through the endless sunset skies. Wait, how was Autumn in the sky? Why, because Sparkler was carrying her. They wanted to do a new friendship thing together, something they hadn’t done before, and this was what Sparkler had suggested.

“Am I holding on too tight, Autumn?” Sparkler asked.

“No, this is comfortable.” Autumn replied.

“Good. I’d hate for you to not enjoy this.” Sparkler responded.

“I am definitely enjoying it.” Autumn assured as the beautiful sights below moved on by.

“Dreaming that your friend is an Alicorn. How many times have I seen this before.” A new voice suddenly came in.

Autumn looked around the landscape. “Where’s that coming from?”

She felt a shift in the way the hooves around her held her as the appearance of her sights changed as well. They now resembled a black starry night, as her speed slowed down to a complete halt.

“W-what’s going on?”

“Fear not, my little pony. It is only I, Princess Luna.”

Autumn got set on her hooves and Princess Luna landed in front of her.

“Oh. Good.” Autumn said, taking a breath. “I was getting scared.”

“I trust thou are doing well, Autumn Apple?” Luna asked.

“I am. Thanks to my newfound lifestyle that includes a roommate! I’m doing better than at any time I can remember.” She beamed.

“That is good to hear.” Luna said. “As for why I am here tonight, it is not merely a social call, unfortunately.” She told Autumn.

“Sorry, what?’ Autumn asked.

“Something has been ailing your new roommate, Sparkling Medley. I assume you have noticed that she has been acting a little off lately?” Luna asked.

“I have.” Autumn said. “And to be fair, I myself have probably been acting off too. There’s something going on that I would assume is bothering both of us, but we won’t say anything about it to each other.”

“Hmm. Is there something ailing you as well?” Luna asked.

“There is.” Autumn said. “I seem to have found out about something that I suspect I wasn’t supposed to have found.”

“About your roommate, perhaps?” Luna inferred.

Autumn nodded. “Yep. Unfortunately, it is something about her. Something that, based on her daily clothing choice, was probably meant to be hidden. I feel like I violated her privacy.”

Luna sighed. “I will say only this. Tis her fear of losing her friendship with you that holds her back from revealing her deepest, darkest secret.” She informed the apple mare.

“... Oh. Really?” This was getting interesting, and Autumn was concerned for Sparkler. She was afraid of losing the friendship?

“Let us just say that she has had bad luck in the past with this kind of thing and she does not want to be hurt again.” Luna explained.

Autumn stood there in silence. She couldn’t believe the sadness she was hearing.

“There is a way though, to help her out of this hole she has found herself in. And it is the reason I have come to you tonight.”

“Oh. Let’s hear it.” Autumn said, bringing a bit of a smile back.

“I believe that if she were to practice telling her secret here in the dream realm, she will slowly build up her confidence and work up the courage to finally come out of the closet in the waking world...as the saying goes, I believe.” Luna explained. “And I firmly believe you will play an instrumental role in this, Autumn Apple.”

Autumn thought about it for a moment. “Practice telling her secret in the dream realm… it could help.” She said.

“I believe tis the only way she shall work up the courage, unfortunately. I also told her I would return to her tomorrow night for her first practice run, by the way. And I would like you to be there for it.” Luna declared.

“It may very well be the only way.” Autumn felt like she could trust Luna’s info to be true, given that she can see inside dreams. “And sure, I will be there for it.” She continued.

Luna smiled. “I shall come and get you when it is time. But I do have one request. Sparkler will probably keep saying you are a figment of her dreams that I created. I believe it best if we allow her to think that.” Luna said.

“You mean… she’s going to think it’s a fake Autumn she’s talking to, when I really will be there listening to her coming-out?” Autumn was concerned.

Luna nodded. “I know it does not make sense. But I shall explain in full tomorrow night if you desire me to. But like I said, this is likely the only way to truly help her.” She said.

“I’d like the full explanation tomorrow night, please.” Autumn said.

“Then we are in agreement that we shall keep this from Sparkler until she comes out in the waking world?” Luna asked.

“This interaction, yes.” Autumn replied.

“And you will play along when she insists you are merely a construct I have created?” Luna asked, getting all serious. “I will explain in full tomorrow night, but it is paramount that Sparkler remain in the dark that you are really you for this plan to work.” She told Autumn.

“I understand.” Autumn said. “I will play along.”

“Then I shall see you tomorrow night.” Luna said. Without another word, she disappeared, and the scene reverted to the setting of before, only Autumn and Sparkler were standing on a cloud this time.

“So, ready to get back to flying?” Dream Sparkler asked.

“Yes.” Autumn said. That was all she needed to say.

The next night, Luna would enter the dream realm once again and immediately make her way to Autumn’s dream bubble.

Before Luna’s arrival, Autumn was (in a dream) finally performing her first concert with Sparkler in the mix. The crowd cheered after the first song’s last notes went off. Autumn then high-hoofed Sparkler. “I can’t believe we’re doing this at last!” she said.

“We make an awesome duet!” Sparkler commented.

“We do!” Autumn said, high-hoofing her again.

“It will be interesting to see you and Sparkler onstage, Autumn.” Came a new voice as Sparkler suddenly disappeared, as well as the crowd.

“Huh?” Autumn said.

“Behind you.” The familiar voice replied.

Autumn could definitely feel and hear the voice’s location. She turned her body around swiftly. There Luna stood, in her silver regal attire and flowing, starry mane.

“Hello there, Your Majesty.” Autumn bowed. “What brings you here tonight?”

“Good evening, Autumn. Tis time that we paid Sparkler a visit for her first coming out practice session.” Luna responded. “You still want to do this, correct?” She asked.

“Oh, it’s time for that? Oh. Well, yes, I am ready. And I do still want to do it.”

“Then I shall share dreams between you two, after I let her know it is time. Remember that she must believe that you are a dream construct I have created. So please do not correct her.” Luna reminded Autumn.

“Got it.” Autumn said.

Luna nodded and vanished. Likely to go to Sparkler’s dream.

Sparkler strummed the last note of her guitar as the song finished out. The crowd in front of her cheered, applauding her performance.

“Thank you, Canterlot! You’ve been a fantastic crowd!” She called out to the fans.

“We love you, Sparkler!”

“Encore!”

The crowd’s shouting continued. Sparkler chuckled and waved goodbye as the curtain closed.

Backstage, Sparkler smiled as the cheering died down and she began to pack up her equipment. “Ah. Another satisfied audience.” She commented.

“It would certainly appear that way.” She heard the voice of Luna say.

Sparkler turned around and saw Luna appear in front of her. She smiled. “Hello, Your Majesty.” She said.

“Good evening, Sparkler. This is most certainly a stark contrast to last night’s...less than stellar dream.” Luna replied.

“Yeah.” Sparkler smiled sheepishly. “It is a nice change of pace.”

Luna nodded in agreement. “It is. Though now it is time for us to work on something that has ailed you for too long.” She said.

Sparkler nodded, understanding what Luna meant. “Right...Coming out practice.” She glanced behind her to make sure her wings were covered by something. After confirming that her poncho was there, she turned back to Luna. “Ok. I am ready.” She said.

Luna nodded and lit her horn. Bringing in “fake” Autumn.

“Hi!” Autumn said.

She looked around. ‘Wait a minute… this place looks familiar.’ She thought internally. ‘It’s the backstage of where we were performing.’

“Hey Autumn.” Sparkler responded.

“Hi Sparkler! Want a hug?”

“Y-yeah. Sure.” Sparkler replied.

Autumn held out her front legs and walked up to Sparkler.

Sparkler opened her forelegs for Autumn, her nerves were already getting worked up. Autumn dove right in, holding Sparkler across her barrel.

Sparkler gulped and shivered as she felt ‘fake’ Autumn hug her barrel, on top of her wings. ‘Why am I so nervous? This isn’t even real!’ Sparkler shouted to herself in her mind.

While she couldn’t feel them due to the thickness of the poncho, the area in which Autumn was hugging, the area where Sparkler’s wings supposedly are, only served to remind her what she was here for.

Luna watched the scene for a second, before clearing her throat. “Ahem. Now then. Ready to practice, Sparkler?” She asked.

Sparkler let go of Autumn. “Yes princess.” She replied.

“Then the spotlight is on you.” Luna replied. “Pretend that this is the waking world and you have decided enough is enough.” She told her.

Sparkler nodded, and gulped. “Uh...A-Autumn? T-There’s something I need to tell you.” She told ‘fake’ Autumn.

Autumn walked in a bit closer. “What is it, Sparkler?”

Sparkler gulped again. ‘Wow, I sure am nervous over coming out to a construct.’ She thought to herself. “Well...it’s...uh…” She trailed off. She was visibly sweating now.

Luna gestured for Sparkler to continue. Sparkler was close to hyperventilating now, which Autumn noticed.

Autumn walked over and softly placed her hoof on Sparkler’s back. “It’s okay, Sparkler. I’m your best friend and will listen. You’ll also feel better once you get this off your chest.”

Sparkler took several back-and-forth between Luna and Autumn...before just snapping. “I’m an Alicorn!” She blurted out as she poofed her poncho away, letting her wings spread out in all their glory.

While Sparkler turned her body around and squeezed her eyes shut, Autumn was confused about why she was so afraid of revealing that.

She looked at Sparkler’s wings. “Hmm. So you are an Alicorn. I did kind of suspect, based on the night I held your midsection after that nightmare. Something was bulging through and it definitely felt like wings.

“But aside from that… why do you look so scared and distressed, Sparkler? What’s wrong with being an Alicorn?”

Rather than answer Autumn’s question, Sparkler just sighed and shook her head. “No, no no; that didn’t go well at all.” She declared in distress.

Luna lifted an eyebrow in confusion. “What do thou mean by that? Did Autumn not react like you wanted her to?” She asked.

“No, it was me. Did you see me back there? I shouldn’t be so nervous when I tell her. And just blurting it out? That might scare her.” Sparkler said.

‘Do they realize they’re saying this right in front of me?’ Autumn internally thought as Sparkler and Luna conversed.

‘Oh, right. Princess Luna said Sparkler was gonna act like I wasn’t really me...That’s what it must be. Luna’s playing along.’

‘...And I just realized: Wow. My suspicions of Sparkler being an alicorn. Those were wings that I was feeling. Not padding, not anything precisely coincidentally feeling like wings in that very spot. It does make more sense that she does have wings.’

“So thou are saying that thou do not want to feel so nervous when coming out.” Luna concluded.

“Yeah.” Sparkler replied. “Also I’d rather not just blurt it out and risk scaring her. Or hurting her if my wings decide to pop out after I free them from my poncho.”

“I see.” Luna responded. “Autumn? How do you think Sparkler did coming out?” She asked.

“The fact that she did it at all is a sign of great bravery and trust in a friend.” Autumn said. “We must applaud her for that. Still, I can’t help but be confused about why she was so scared of revealing herself to be an Alicorn. It’s just… the pony type you are. I thought it would be something a little more, you know, controversial.”

Sparkler blinked, then turned to Luna. “That sounds a lot like something Autumn would say. You’re pretty good at making life-like constructs, Your Majesty.” She said.

“You have no idea, Sparkler.” Luna winked at Autumn as she said that.

But Autumn didn’t smile. It was at this point she realized the extent of what was really happening. Sparkler thought she was practicing to a fake Autumn, when in reality, she was right here, listening to the come-out herself.

‘I hope Sparkler doesn’t find out that Luna and I played a trick on her.’ Autumn thought. ‘I get why Luna is doing this, but it doesn’t feel right.’

“So, you wish to continue these practice sessions?” Luna asked.

“Yeah. I’d like that very much.” Sparkler replied.

“Very well. We shall continue to do this for however long it takes for you to come out in the waking world. We shall resume this tomorrow night. Have a nice night, Sparkling Medley.” Luna said.

“You too, Your Majesty.” Sparkler replied.

With that, Luna flashed her horn, and she and “fake” Autumn vanished. Sparkler sighed as they left.

“With the way tonight went, it’ll be a long while.” Sparkler said sadly.

“Thank you Autumn. You played a fake you rather well.” Luna complimented Autumn back in her own dream.

Autumn sighed again. “Thanks, but… I’m not feeling great that I tricked Sparkler.”

“It is sad, but as I said. It is the only way she will be able to come out in the waking world.”

“I understand.” Autumn said. “I do trust you, Princess.”

“Now, I believe I owe you an explanation as to why this is happening.” Luna said.

“Yes please.” Autumn said.

“How much of her past has Sparkler told you?” Luna asked.

“Well… she did tell me that she was a bullying target in school. Nopony liked her.”

“Indeed. And to put it simply, it was the wings that drew a target on her back.” Luna said.

Oh. So that must be why she was so afraid to reveal the wings. “Huh. Really? Why wings, though? How can you have a problem with those?” Autumn was visibly confused.

“It was more about her uniqueness. They put her down every day just because she was one of a kind in the area. It drove her to put on the poncho and hide her wings from her new home here in Equestria.” Luna explained.

Autumn held her mouth open, stunned in silence. “That’s… horrible.” she said.

“Indeed.” Luna responded. “She requested that I make the practice sessions as real as possible. That’s why I came to you, the real Autumn. But I also knew that if she knew you were really you, she would never have done what she did tonight.”

“I do see what you mean.” Autumn said. “Yeah, I think she would have been too afraid to knowingly come out to the real me, at least as of yet.”

“Hence why I came up with this deception. Which I feel like thou should reveal when this is all said and done and she comes out in the waking world.” Luna suggested.

Autumn had to take a heavy breath. “I really hope she doesn’t get upset by that.”

“I feel it would only strengthen the argument that she doesn’t have to worry about her past repeating itself.” Luna said. “Because even if this is a deception, the fact that you are willing to go to all this trouble to help her is a sign of true friendship.” Luna reasoned.

“...Oh. Yeah, you may have a point there.” Autumn said.

“Well, we still have yet to see what happens when Sparkler comes out in the real world, so I guess I’ll focus on that first.”

“Then you are willing to keep doing this every night?” Luna asked.

“If it’s what’s necessary for Sparkler, yes.” Autumn said.

“Then I shall see you tomorrow night Autumn.” Luna said with a nod.

“See you then!” Autumn saluted.

Without another word, Luna vanished. Autumn smiled.

“We’ll get through this together, Sparkler. That’s a Pinkie Promise.” She said.

To be continued...

Chapter 14

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Autumn awoke. Noticing that was the case as her mind restored to normal, she thought, Well. That was something. in reference to the dream.

She had to run a memory refresh on the entire event. Okay, so I was flying with Sparkler; aww, that part was so sweet! We’re great together in the dream realm too!

You know, that would be fun to do in real life. If Sparkler is strong enough, that is.

Okay, so then Luna came along, and she told me about… oh. Right.

Autumn felt her body tense up as she came to the realization that the info she was revealed in that dream…it applied to real life too. She looked at the mare laying right next to her; Autumn knew about her deepest, darkest secret. Without Sparkler knowing.

Man… I get what Luna was saying, but I feel like a privacy invader.

At that moment, ruffling sounds came from the area beside Autumn. A sign that Sparkler was waking up. Autumn sighed. I’m going to have to handle this day.

Sparkler slowly opened her eyes and looked up to see Autumn already awake. “Oh, morning Autumn.” She said as she sat up.

“Morning!” Autumn said. But she knew her enthusiasm was very fake. Now she was thinking, My goodness, how am I going to handle the days until she actually comes out? When I know something about her that she doesn’t think I know?

“How’d you sleep last night?” Sparkler asked.

Autumn really wanted to talk about her dream. It was stuffing her mind field and not in a good way. But she couldn’t talk about it. Way too risky. “I slept fine, I guess.” She said.

“That’s good. I slept alright too.” Sparkler replied. Indeed, despite the disaster that was her first coming out practice, she oddly felt better about the whole thing now that she actually did it.

It’s oddly refreshing to get it off my chest somewhat. Though it was only practice.

Which was a disaster because I royally screwed it up.

But practice makes perfect. It didn’t have to be perfect first time.

I guess you’re right.

“So, breakfast?” Sparkler asked Autumn.

“Yep!” Autumn said, hopping out of bed. “Let’s do it!” This reaction was genuine, though breakfast wouldn’t be quite the same.

“Awesome. What should we have?” Sparkler asked as she left the bed.

“Hmm. I don’t know.” Autumn said.

“I could make us some pancakes while you go do your morning routine in the bathroom.” Sparkler suggested.

“Okay!” Autumn said. “I like pancakes, and that’s a good timeline. See you at the table later!”

“The pancakes will be waiting for you. Want syrup on yours?” Sparkler asked.

“Sure.” Autumn said.

…

Ah, the shower. Perfect place for my inner thoughts to run wild. Coming on the heels of that dream.

And of course, her inner thoughts running wild is exactly what happened.

I still feel like a privacy invader. Being around Sparkler is uncomfortable right now, and that’s really bad. I shouldn’t feel uncomfortable around her.

But what else could I feel when I’m hiding my knowledge of her deepest, darkest secret? I’m really in dangerous waters here. If she finds out about this, I cannot see her being happy.

Like, what if it costs us our friendship? And our roommate status?

Autumn couldn’t help but sit down on the shower floor and shed a few tears.

A while later, Autumn thought she had an idea… for less than a second.

What if I talked to Flappy about this? ...oh, no. That would still be spilling it out. I’d assume he also knows about Sparkler’s wings, so that’s someone else I could upset.

I don’t know what to do…

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Sparkler was working both her literal and figurative magic in the process of making pancakes. While also talking to Flappy about what had happened the previous night.

“Squawk! So you and Princess Luna are gonna practice coming out to Autumn? Squawk!” Flappy asked

“Mm-hmm.” Sparkler replied. “Last night, she made a construct of Autumn that I could come out to without it being a permanent thing. And while it went horribly, I actually feel a lot better about this whole thing.” Sparkler explained.

Flappy nodded. Admittedly he didn’t fully understand the situation, but he was still happy about what he was hearing. “Squawk! Well, Least now you can perfect your coming out. Squawk!” He commented.

“Yeah. I can.” Sparkler replied.

The two heard the bathroom door open. Cue to change the topic. “How are the pancakes going?” Autumn’s voice called out.

“Ready and waiting!” Sparkler called out as she floated over two plates of pancakes with syrup on them to the table.

“Awesome!” Autumn said as the sizzling pancakes with golden-brown shining syrup came closer in her sights.

“Yeah. Pancakes are awesome aren--” Sparkler stopped as she suddenly felt a tingle in her spine. “...What is that?”

“What’s what?” Autumn asked.

Sparkler shook her head and smiled. “Oh, somepony just activated the tripwire spell I placed around...my studio...oh no.” Sparkler lit her horn and cast a scrying spell. A dodgeball sized orb appeared and everypony saw a picture of what was undoubtedly the door to Sparkler’s studio in the Appleloosa tavern.

When Sparkler saw who it was, her jaw dropped and her eyes widened. “I..is that…”

“What’s going on?” Autumn said.

“Autumn, that’s Airwave!” Sparkler exclaimed. “That’s the Airwave!”

“Oh? Where?” Autumn said, relatively quietly compared to Sparkler’s outward excitement.

“Squawk! Right in front of the door to Sparkling Harmony Records. Squawk!” Flappy answered.

Sparkler lit her horn again and started brushing her teeth and combing her hair. “Sorry to make breakfast and run, but I am not missing this opportunity to meet my idol!” She explained.

Before anypony could say anything, she downed her breakfast, lit her horn, and teleported out of the house. Presumably to her studio.

Silence…

“Well, that happened. Guess we’re trying a new lineup at breakfast time today.” Autumn said.

“Squawk! Sparkler’s idol shows up at her record studio. What’re the odds? Hehe. Squawk!” Flappy commented.

“Hehe. Indeed.” Autumn said.

“Squawk! So. How was your night, Autumn? Squawk!” Flappy asked.

Autumn hoped Flappy didn’t see her jolt. How was my night? Oh… um, I don’t know how to explain that…

Flappy did not in fact miss that jolt. He raised an eyebrow. “Squawk! Something wrong, Autumn? Squawk!”

Autumn did not know to respond to this either. And she couldn’t think of anything in time. “There is something wrong, but I do not think I can say it. At all.”

“Squawk! Autumn, if something is on your mind you can tell me. Whatever it is, I'll listen. Squawk!” Flappy assured her.

“In general I believe that, but does it apply if I, well, did something bad?” Autumn said.

“Squawk! I still think you should get it off your chest. Worse case scenario we just forget we had this conversation. Squawk!” Flappy suggested.

“Ah… the topic would definitely not be forgotten about. It’s that kind of topic.” Autumn responded.

“Squawk! Oh, will you just say it already? I mean, how bad can it really be? Squawk!” Flappy asked.

Now Autumn was really stressed out. She was being pressured to say it, when what happened was something she was not supposed to know. She saw a reveal of it as dangerous to her friendship with Sparkler.

Flappy noticed Autumn’s behavior and gave her a reassuring smile. “Squawk! Autumn. Whatever it is, I promise to listen. Trust me, Sparkler’s had that same expression repeatedly and it’s always helped her feel better to get whatever was bothering her off her chest. Squawk!” He assured her.

“But was it ever that she ended up doing something bad?” Autumn asked.

“Squawk! No. But still, it’s always better to get it off your chest. So spill it. Squawk!” Flappy told Autumn.

Autumn breathed heavily. Internally, she was like, I can’t… I can’t…

“Squawk! You know about Sparkler’s wings, don’t you? Squawk!” Flappy asked.

Autumn felt like she needed to run out the front door as Flappy’s question made her literally jump in the air. “W-w-where did you get that idea?!”

“Squawk! Sparkler told me about the other night where she had a nightmare and you cuddled her. Ever since I had a gut feeling you would eventually figure it out. Am I wrong? Squawk!” Flappy asked.

Okay, that made sense. Autumn could pause her muscles. “Oh. She told you?”

Flappy nodded. “Squawk! And am I right that you know about her wings? Squawk!”

Autumn nodded. “I felt something at her sides, then it was confirmed, when, get this, Princess Luna came into my dream and asked me to help Sparkler practice coming out.”

Flappy processed the information, and came to a realization. “Squawk! Wait, so Sparkler doesn’t even know that she came out to you? Squawk!”

“She doesn’t. Luna told her she was creating a fake construct of me for her to practice coming out to. But it was the real me. That’s the problem. I tricked her. I stand here today, fully knowing about her wings, while she does not know that I know. Like, I violated her carefully-kept secret.” The tears reappeared.

“Squawk! Sounds to me like it was more Luna that tricked her. And you just played along. Squawk!” Flappy said.

“Well, true, but I shouldn’t have played along. I should have told Luna to actually create a fake construct.”

“Squawk! Au Contraire. I think you did the right thing here. Squawk!” Flappy said.

Autumn sniffled. “Really? How so?”

“Squawk! Let me ask you something. Do you care that she has wings? Does it bother you that she’s an Alicorn? Squawk!” Flappy asked.

“No, not at all, and in fact, during the dream, it was confusing to me why she felt the need to hide such a thing. But regardless, she felt it, and I didn’t respect that.”

“Squawk! She feels like she needs to hide them because she feels that’s the only way she’ll make friends. But here’s a kicker. She wants to tell you. She just can’t bring herself to do it. It’s actually a good thing that it happened like this. Squawk!” Flappy explained.

Autumn let out a sigh. “That is what I remember from the dream, is that she wants to come out. I just think Luna and I went about it the wrong way.”

“Squawk! Don’t get me wrong. Tricking Sparkler like that may not have been my first choice. But now. We have actual proof to show her that she can be herself and have friends at the same time. That’s the goal here right? Squawk!”

“Where exactly is our proof, if the reveal and such happened in the dream world?” Autumn asked.

“Squawk! We could use this to show her that you don’t care that she has wings. I’m guessing you agreed to keep doing these practice sessions right? Squawk!”

“Yeah, we did. Luna said she’ll keep coming back.” Autumn said.

“Squawk! So when we tell Sparkler about this, we can say that you did it because you wanted to help her. Like a true friend should. Squawk!” Flappy explained.

“My intentions were definitely good; like, yes, I wanted to help her, but she still might be upset by the trickery.” Autumn said.

“Squawk! Maybe at first. But she’s a smart girl. Once we explain it to her she’ll be very happy. Squawk!” Flappy said. “Squawk! Once she realizes you were willing to help her, she’ll overlook this one minor detail. Squawk!”

“I sure hope so.” Autumn said.

“Squawk! Trust me. I know her. Squawk!”

“True, you have known her for a long time.” Autumn said.

“Squawk! You know it. Squawk!”

Autumn couldn’t exactly say she was looking forward to dinnertime, as much as she wanted that to not be the case. Ugh, I hate feeling uncomfortable around Sparkler. That shouldn’t happen. She’s my friend and roommate. But, you know, the wing thing and all.

“Dinner’s ready!” Sparkler called out.

Autumn still tried to fake enthusiasm. “Smells great!” She said.

Sparkler smiled and set two plates of macaroni and cheese on the table. “So. How was your day, Autumn?” She asked as they sat down.

Another tough question. Shouldn’t be, but this day was a different circumstance.

“Everything ok, Autumn?” Sparkler asked after a moment of silence.

“Well...my day was awesome.” Sparkler finally said, deciding to start the conversation. “I wasn’t dreaming this morning when I saw Airwave standing at the door of Sparkling Harmony Records.” She said.

“So proud of you, Sparkler.” Autumn said, smiling. “It must have been one of your happiest moments.”

“It was!” Sparkler exclaimed. “Imagine your idol coming to your door asking to negotiate a regular record deal. I have the chance to work with my favorite music artist! How awesome is that?!”

“Very awesome.” Autumn said. “I’m sure it will be awesome.”

“Squawk! Yeah. I think you’ll like him, Autumn. He seems like a cool dude. Squawk!” Flappy commented.

“Oh yeah. I’d love to meet him.” Autumn said.

“Let’s do lunch sometime!” Sparkler suggested.

“That would be awesome. Let’s make plans for it sometime.” Autumn said.

“Deal!” Sparkler smiled and held out her hoof for a hoof-bump.

Autumn responded to that hoof-bump hard. She sure felt the impact of the hit, as she rubbed that hoof afterward.

Her mood could be said to be a little better with this distraction topic, but that was inevitably temporary, and she wouldn’t be surprised if somepony called out that something looks off about her. Also with the fear that she wouldn’t be able to respond, just like before. What was bothering her, after all, was bothering her because it was dangerous to talk about.

“Squawk! So. How was your day, Autumn? Squawk!” Flappy asked.

Autumn sighed. “I guess you could call it… nothing in particular. I really just can’t choose an actual term.” Not that this was true either; her day was definitely in the bad tier.

“Average, you could say?” Sparkler offered.

Autumn really could not think of any words to speak here. She was just waiting for somepony to ask her what’s wrong again, only to be left without a response because she couldn’t say what was wrong!

“Squawk! So. Couple of my bird friends mentioned something called the Summer Sun Celebration happening soon. Squawk!” Flappy commented.

“Oh yeah, the Summer Sun Celebration!” Autumn said. “The celebration of Celestia’s victory.”

“Victory over what?” Sparkler asked.

“Oh, right. You’re not from these parts.” Autumn said. This was fun; Autumn got to tell a little history lesson from where she’s from! “Well, it’s a really big story, but to put it simply, Princess Luna was not always Princess Luna. For whatever reason, she was a villain before. Known as “Nightmare Moon”, she was evil and wanted eternal night. And she was that way for… a long time.

“But Celestia eventually won out and her sister was restored to her real form.”

“Squawk! From what my bird friends told me, it was your cousin and her friends who ultimately restored Luna to her former glory. Squawk!” Flappy interjected.

“Very true.” Autumn said. “Applejack is one of the bearers of the Element of Harmony, if you’ve ever heard of them.”

“Yeah, we talked about those before. Though prior to moving here, we knew nothing like that. Again, the most remote and boring place on the planet, Kilihima Village.” Sparkler commented.

“Funnily enough, even if it is boring, one day I’d like to visit your old home, Sparkler.” Autumn said. “Would be nice to explore where my friend grew up.”

“Oh yeah. Going back to the place who’s younger generation is seemingly anti-Sparkler. What a fun time that will be.” Sparkler said sarcastically with an eye roll.

“Oh… right, that. Yeah, then we probably shouldn’t go.” Autumn said.

“Nah. We can still go. At the very least my parents’ll want to meet you.” Sparkler replied.

“I would love that.” Autumn said.

“Squawk! And they’ll love that you’re Sparkler’s friend. I think they were getting sick of me being her only friend for faust knows how long. Squawk!”

“Yeah. I bet they’ll be proud.” Autumn said. “Proud of you too, Sparkler.”

Sparkler nodded. “Wouldn’t surprise me if they invited you to spend Hearth's Warming with us.” She commented with a chuckle.

“Squawk! And would insist you come along every time we visit. Hehe. Squawk!”

Autumn giggled. “Well, that would be fun.”

“And it’s a quiet town, there’s still a few things to do. The races are fun to watch.” Sparkler said.

“Races. Nice.” Autumn said.

“Squawk! And sand sledding. That’s always fun. Squawk!” Flappy added.

“Now that’s clever.” Autumn commented.

“Oh, riding down sand dunes on sleds built for snow travel. We should try doing that here!” Sparkler suggested.

“We should! Definitely!” Autumn said.

“Squawk! Just make sure to bring a bowl for me to sled in. I freaking love sand sledding! Squawk!” Flappy exclaimed, flappy his wings excitedly.

“Noted.” Autumn said. “Such an awesome idea.”

“Yeah. Hehe.” Sparkler replied.

This conversation looked nice and happy, but that was the result of Autumn trying with all her might to keep her dreary inner thoughts locked up as she acted out the fake normalcy. And she suspected Sparkler was doing the same.

After all, she did say “Oh no” sometime after I touched her wings, didn’t she? Yeah! I heard it. I just remembered that she said that! And what could she be feeling with that dream last night?

Flappy glanced between the two mares, and in that moment... an epiphany happened. It occurred to him that he was now essentially a double agent. On one wing, he was keeping his beak closed about Sparkler’s wings, and on the other wing, he was now keeping his beak shut that Autumn knew about the wings.

Well, this is quite a pickle I’ve gotten myself into. It was not in any way lost on him the delicate situation he was now in. He was essentially the last stable leg in the stool of this friendship circle. With both Autumn and Sparkler starting to crack.

One wrong move, and this friendship could break apart faster than a pegasus going at the speed of a Sonic Rainboom. His mind raced. He had to do something to help. He knew that time was running out. Sparkler would eventually figure out that Autumn and Luna had been reading her astray.

And when that happened, not only could this friendship fall apart, but so could she. It is theorized that, if an alicorn holds in their emotions for too long, they can die from a magical breakdown.

While Flappy’s mind continued racing, he noticed Sparkler getting up out of her seat. “I’ll be right back.” She said. “Gotta use the bathroom.” With that, she left.

Flappy watched her go, and shook his head. Gah. This can’t go on. If Alicorn magic is more powerful than unicorn magic, I don’t even want to think how one’s emotions come into play.

“Squawk! Autumn, we have to find a way to help Sparkler come out in the waking world. Squawk!”

“How am I to do that, though, when I already found out in a way that wasn’t technically approved by her?” Autumn said.

“Squawk! Maybe give her a suggestion. She’s unlikely to question it since she’ll think it’s Luna's power. Squawk!”

“What kind of suggestion?” Autumn asked.

“Squawk! I don’t know...Maybe…” Flappy ran through ideas in his head, until one stuck out to him as the best one. “...Music. Squawk!” He said in a hushed voice.

Autumn felt potential and wanted to know where Flappy was going. “How would that work?” She asked.

“Squawk! Back in school. There was always one thing you could count on to cheer Sparkler up and boost her confidence. What do you think that one thing was? Squawk!” Flappy asked.

“Music.” Autumn said, smiling.

“Squawk! Ding ding ding. Bingo Dingo. No matter what was going on, when she would play an instrument or sing a song, you could ask her to pull off shooting a moving target while she herself was moving and she would have no doubts about herself. She would go through with the attempt. Squawk!”

“So, you’re thinking that if we get her to play, say, a certain song, she’ll come out because of the effect it has on her?”

“Squawk! No, the way to do this is you suggest that she writes a song to come out in her dream. When she wakes, I’m certain she’ll tell me. And then I’ll convince her to actually do it. And once she gets going, she’ll follow through with it. Squawk!” Flappy explained.

Autumn didn’t quite get it. “Could you elaborate on that a little more? Sorry.”

“Squawk! Ok, I’ll break this down step by step. First, you suggest she come out through song. Squawk!”

“No, I mean, I’m confused about the timeline.” Autumn said. “In the dreams, Sparkler is still practicing coming out to me under Luna’s watch. If I’m suggesting that she come out through song, doesn’t that mean I’m helping her to come out to the public?”

“Squawk! You would make that suggestion in the dream realm during your practices. Squawk!”

“But for coming out to who? Me or the public?” Autumn asked.

“Squawk! Right now, we’re taking the baby step approach, first you and then the public. Squawk!”

“But how do I suggest a way that she comes out to me? Like, how does that work?”

“Squawk! You make the suggestion as if you’re still a construct. If I’m right, Luna told Sparkler that you were a construct of her own making that had the capability to replicate Autumn to a T. Is that right? Squawk!”

“That’s right.” Autumn said. “She thinks it’s a fake construct, right in front of the real me.” And of course, that still bothered her.

“Squawk! So Sparkler will likely be expecting the “construct” to maybe make the perfect suggestion if she can’t come up with it herself. Because who knows Autumn better than Autumn? Squawk!”

Autumn had to pause and think. Flappy managed to actually reach her this time.

“I mean… yeah, if she thinks it’s a construct, she probably does expect help from me, I would think.” Autumn said.

“Squawk! So the way I see it. You suggesting she sing her coming out is the best route for this little scheme to take. If we want the best chance of this ending happily. Squawk!”

“Sing her coming out… well, it is fitting for her.” Autumn said, smiling.

“Squawk! Right? When she is out on stage singing. You’d swear she lives up there. Squawk!”

Autumn giggled. “It is awesome to be on stage.”

“Squawk! Granted I think that when the time comes you two should be in her studio. But still, the concept is the same. Squawk!”

“The studio would work. Pretty much any place would work, I think.” Autumn responded. “But yeah, I see what you mean.”

“Squawk! So you agree to do this? Squawk!”

“Sure.” Autumn said. “Do you think Sparkler will ask ‘my construct’ for advice in the next dream? The last one featured only Luna guiding her.”

“Squawk! Maybe. But I wouldn’t wait for her. To me the night to offer the suggestion is the next dream. Squawk!”

“Suggestion… okay. We’ll see what happens.”

“Squawk! Trust me, Autumn. The sooner you give that suggestion, the better off we’ll all be. Squawk!”

“...Yeah, I see what you mean.” Autumn said. “Like, what kind of things could happen if we delay it for too long?”

“Squawk! Worst case scenario...Sparkler starts breaking down into insanity, Holds in her uncontrollable magic...then literally blows up. Just a theory. Squawk!” Flappy said flatly.

That last part didn’t make Autumn feel much better. “Where did that theory come from?”

“Squawk! Sparkler’s an Alicorn. Her emotions can have a severe impact on her control over her magic, for all I know. Squawk!” Flappy replied. “Squawk! But the point stands. We need to act before it’s too late and we lose more than this friendship possibly. Squawk!”

Oh gosh, that last part. Plus what Flappy already said. “Yeah. We must act now.” Autumn said.

Autumn definitely solidified her plan to suggest to Sparkler the musical coming-out. In the dream, of course; it still wasn’t yet worth the risk to reveal everything in real-life yet. But she had to make that the case as soon as possible.

Chapter 15

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There’s going to be a dream tonight, isn’t there? Autumn thought to herself. It was now later in the night and time for bed. So after bidding goodnight to Flappy and brushing their teeth, etc., Sparkler and Autumn slipped into bed on their usual sides.

“Well, I’d call this a pretty productive day. Wouldn’t you say, Autumn?” Sparkler asked as she slid into bed.

...Definitely not productive in Autumn’s case. She could see how it was true for Sparkler, given her visit with Airwave, but pure worry was all that Autumn’s day consisted of.

“I mean, given that Airwave showed up, I bet you had a productive day.” Autumn said to her roommate.

“It’s my dream come true! Do you know how it feels to have your idol come to you to record a song? Is there a better feeling?” Sparkler asked.

“Some of the musicians I work with idolized me before I started working with them, but they were the ones who hired me.” Autumn said. “I sure can’t imagine what your situation was like.”

“It just feels validating, you know? Like. you know you’re good when one of the top music artists in the world comes to you. A small time record label, to negotiate a regular recording deal.” Sparkler explained.

“So proud of you, Sparkler.” Autumn said as she hugged her… around her neck, because reasons.

Sparkler happily returned the hug. After a few seconds, they parted. “Well, time for bed.” She said.

“Night, Sparkler.” Autumn said. She reached for the lamp and the room went dark.

Up in the starry-blue dream realm, Luna walked through the myriad of dream bubbles from the ponies of Equestria, headed for one destination in particular. “Let us hope Ms. Autumn is ready for another practice.” She commented as she reached her destination.

“You knew?!” Sparkler said angrily. “This whole time, you bucking KNEW?!”

Autumn sighed deeply as she sat down. “I… I did. I-I’m so sorry, Sparkler.”

“This whole time, you knew mah secret and didn’t bother telling me?! Some bucking friend you are!” Sparkler scolded Autumn, beginning to glow a bright blue all over her body. “Gah! I’m so bucking mad at you right now that I could--” That was the last thing Sparkler was able to say before she straight-up exploded, releasing a wave of magic that blasted Autumn into a wall. Hard.

Autumn cried out in pain from the impact and panted in fear as she struggled to walk. “A-are there any broken bones?”

“This is a nightmare, Young Autumn. Though it is not a dream, you still cannot be hurt.” Said a voice as the scene changed to the familiar astral plane.

The pain in Autumn’s body also disappeared, making it clear to her that it was indeed a nightmare. She wanted to feel relieved, but was still reeling from what she had seen.

The night princess appeared before her. “I must say that I did not expect you to have a nightmare when I came by.” She said. “Although I am more surprised that your mind managed to more or less accurately depict what happens when an Alicorn becomes too emotionally compromised.”

Autumn hung her mouth open. “So… that’s not just a theory?” She asked.

“Indeed.” Luna replied. “Though it is not something we generally share with ponies.” She admitted.

“Shouldn’t the Alicorns themselves, who are vulnerable to it, know about it, though?” Autumn asked. “Sparkler doesn’t seem to know. Or at least, I’ve never heard her say anything about it.”

“She did not even know she was an Alicorn until I first showed up in her dreams. Beforehoof she just dubbed her anatomy the Horn and Wing Combo.” Luna explained.

Well, this was a piece of new information for Autumn if there ever was one. “...Wow. She didn’t even know. ...That makes me even more concerned about her; I’m pretty certain she is under emotional distress like I am, even though we’ve never talked directly about this situation to each other.

“What happened is that sometime after I hugged her around her midsection, she said ‘Oh no.’ And you told me she got bullied in school because she was an Alicorn, right?”

“That is correct.” Luna replied.

“Yeah. I remember. And as her pet parrot and I talked about yesterday… if she holds in her emotions for too long, that could potentially spell danger. And as of now, well, remove the ‘could potentially’ part. Now I know she could literally die. I mean, I didn’t see her die in that dream, but that’s because it ended before I could take notice.”

“Let us not let her parrot learn of this revelation shall we? He does not need to know.” Luna suggested.

“Okay.” Autumn simply said.

“So. Are thou ready for practice?” Luna asked.

“Yes. Even more so now that I know the importance.” Autumn said.

“By the way, Sparkler’s parrot and I have an idea that could help Sparkler come out. I, acting as a fake construct, suggest to her that she writes a song to play as she comes out. Music has been the one best thing to cheer her up and boost her confidence, I’m told.”

“That is a brilliant idea.” Luna responded. “Are thou going to suggest it tonight?” She asked.

“I feel like I should.” Autumn said. She began to smile again.

‘I think that is wise. If the goal here is to prevent your nightmare from coming to fruition.” Luna said.

“Yes. Yes, that is the goal.” Autumn said. “Not to mention keeping Sparkler alive.”

“Then shall we?” Luna asked.

“Let’s do it!” Autumn said.

Luna and Autumn walked the Astral plane to Sparkler’s dream. Once they got there, Luna saw something that her eyes widened in response to. “Oh no.” She said.

“...What’s going on?” Autumn said, scared.

“It would seem you are not the only one who has had a nightmare, look into Sparkler’s dream.” She said.

Autumn didn’t want to look… but she had to. She forced herself to peek into the bubble to see what lurked behind.

Within the dream, Sparkler’s horn was glowing brightly as she landed on a hill in the brown Appleloosa desert. She was in tears, and the fear she had was apparent on her face.

“No. Still not far enough. I...I can’t…” Sparkler began hyperventilating and glowing bright, bright blue, brighter and brighter by the second. She squeezed her eyes shut as tears came loose.

“Squawk! Sparkler! Squawk!” Called out her parrot.

Sparkler shook her head and kept moving forward. “No! Stay away!” She called. “It’s not safe!”

“Fear not, Sparkler. This is only a nightmare.” Just like that, Sparkler’s magic stabilized and she stopped glowing. The sandy hills she was in also changed to the familiar surroundings of the house she shared with Autumn.

Sparkler turned to see Luna standing there, with a construct of Autumn. “Your Majesty!” Sparkler bowed her head respectfully. “T-Thanks.” She said.

“This is quite the Nightmare you had.” Luna said.

Sparkler nodded. “I...I never had a nightmare like it. I could feel myself breaking down...as if I was about to…”

“Explode?” Luna asked. Seeing Sparkler nod, she sighed. “That is what happens when an Alicorn becomes too emotionally compromised. Lest they release the pent up magic, they explode.” Luna explained.

Sparkler listened to Luna’s explanation, and it only made her more terrified. “Why did I have to be an Alicorn?” She shouted out before she could stop it.

“Indeed, it is a quirk that we do not cherish.” Luna responded.

Sparkler shivered, before deciding to move on. “So. Time for practice?” She asked, trying to shift her mind’s focus.

Luna nodded. “Indeed, but first, let us see if the construct has any recommendations.” Luna gestured to Autumn, cuing her in.

“Hi, Sparkler!” the real Autumn said, continuing the trickery. “I, in fact, do have a recommendation for you. Try writing a song to play as you come out to the real Autumn. Like, reveal your wings while you get to a certain lyric line or something. Music always helps you, doesn’t it?”

Sparkler blinked. Music did help her. It was her #1. And the fact that the construct knew that… that was impressive. As for its suggestion...huh. Sparkler was surprised she didn’t come up with it herself; it was genius.

“That’s actually a great idea! Huh. Your magic is something else, Luna. She really does act like Autumn. It even knew how music always helped me...How does it know that?” She asked.

Autumn turned to Luna. She felt the trickery starting to show cracks.

“Simple. Part of my ability is to see the memories of those who dream. And you have had plenty of memories of music helping you. I implemented that as part of this construct’s repertoire.” Luna explained.

Sparkler listened, and nodded. “Hmm. That’s really cool!” She said.

“Yes, It is.” Luna replied, winking at the ‘construct’.

Looked like Autumn was getting bailed out here. At least for now.

“Shall we continue with practice?” Luna asked.

“What do you think, Sparkler?” Autumn asked.

“Yeah sure. Let’s do it.” Sparkler responded.

The next day, in the studio of Sparkling Harmony Records, Sparkler and Flappy had a bit of time before. Airwave was due to arrive, so Sparkler decided to tell her longtime friend about the coming out idea.

“…So I’m gonna write a song, sing mah coming out to Autumn…and the ball will be in her court…so to speak.” Sparkler finished explaining.

Flappy listened while his friend shared what happened the previous night, and smiled when he heard she was going to do it. Way to go Autumn. He inwardly sighed in relief. Now the risk of losing Sparkler entirely was lessened, if only a little. She still needs to do it and come out. We’re not out of this yet.

“Squawk! That’s a great idea, Sparkler. Why didn’t we think of that? Squawk!” He asked, keeping up the ruse that he didn’t already know about the idea.

“Apparently the construct that Luna created to resemble Autumn exactly is smarter than we are. She even knew that music always helped me gain confidence…somehow.” Sparkler said.

And that immediately took away Flappy’s smile as he raised an eyebrow, while also starting to worry a little. “Squawk! How did the construct know that? Squawk!” He asked. Did Autumn just accidentally blow her cover?!

“According to Luna, she can see past memories and used mah memories to make Autumn’s construct…strange.” Sparkler responded.

“Squawk! W-what’s so strange about that? Squawk!” Flappy asked. Crap crap crap! Sparkler, for once in your life, don’t question magic! Please don’t question magic!

“She said she created a perfect construct of Autumn…and yet on the memory front she shouldn’t know that music boosts mah confidence…should she?” Sparkler asked.

“Squawk! You think it only works for you? Autumn is a musician too. She could just as easily gain a confidence boost from music. Squawk!” Flappy quickly responded.

Sparkler stared at him for a moment, before nodding in agreement. “That makes sense.” She said. “Music can be a confidence booster for anypony.” She said.

Flappy had to actively beat down a sigh of relief. He and Autumn just dodged a major magical bullet. Oh thank bucking Tartarus! He was relieved that Sparkler actually bought Luna’s explanation, as well as his own. As he watched Sparkler get to work writing her music, he wondered... how long they had until hay hit the fan.

To be continued…

Chapter 16

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Down in Ponyville, Twilight was relaxing in the throne room of her castle reading a good book. Not a whole lot going on. But suddenly, that all changed when the table in front of her activated the legendary Cutie Map, and a trio of her friends’ Cutie Marks started hovering over… where was it… oh! Appleloosa!

Soon enough, a rainbow-maned pegasus swooped in from an open window and landed on the ground in front of the princess.

“Hey Twilight! My Cutie Mark’s glowing!” Rainbow Dash said excitedly.

“Ooh! The map’s calling you on a mission!” Twilight replied.

“Aww yeah! Where to?” Rainbow asked, walking over to look at the map.

At that moment, the pair heard the large castle doors open. Applejack and Fluttershy were rushing in, and Twilight knew why. She could see their Cutie Marks glowing as well.

“Oh! I wonder what this could be!” Fluttershy said.

“It looks like you three are going on a Friendship Mission to...Appleloosa!” Twilight announced, fluttering her wings in excitement.

“Appleloosa. Nice!” Rainbow responded.

“I haven’t been there in a while!” Fluttershy said.

“Hey AJ, remember the last time we were there? Your cousin Autumn won that horseshoe tournament.” Rainbow said.

“She sure did. I’m so proud of ‘er!” Applejack exclaimed.

“And didn’t Applebloom say that Autumn had a new roommate lined up?” Twilight asked.

“Well, she did tell me they were thinkin’ about it, but I ain’t sure if they have become roommates, since nopony has been back there since.” Applejack said.

“Well, now seems like a good time to follow up.” Twilight responded.

“Yup.” Applejack said. “I am excited to go back there. See how Autumn’s been doin’.”

“And I bet AB wouldn’t mind tagging along.” Rainbow suggested.

“Good thinkin’, Dash.” Applejack responded. “I’ll see if she wants to come.”

“Good luck, you three.” Twilight said, waving to them as they headed out for their trip.

The day for the hangout with Airwave came, and Sparkler and Autumn were enjoying a lunch with him over at the Appleloosa Tavern. Perfect; that was where the roommates had met!

“Can I just say how convenient it is that your operation is located above a tavern, Sparkler?” Airwave asked. “You don’t need to go far for lunch.”

“Yeah, it’s been great. Grapefruit has been a rootin’ tootin’ landlord. Thanks again, Grapefruit!” Sparkler called over to her landlord.

“Not a problem, Sparkler. You actually drum up business here!” Grapefruit called back.

“It’s so awesome.” Autumn said. “So is Sparkler’s studio.”

“Yeah!” Airwave responded. “And amazingly, not only is it as good as my previous label, Star Records, but all the sound recording and mixing equipment was hoofbuit by Sparkler herself.”

Autumn paused. “...Wow. I, uh, did not know that. That’s amazing!”

Sparkler blushed. “Aww well. It was nothing, really. I always was fascinated with the technology behind the music, so I went the DIY option. Hehe.” She explained.

“It clearly paid off!” Autumn said.

“I second that.” Airwave responded.

“Thanks, guys.” Sparkler said.

The Friendship Express arrived at the country train station. Fiddle music was playing in the background and lots of ponies with stetsons could be seen. “How I have so many memories here.” Applejack said. “Done lots and lots of trips to this here station.”

Applebloom smiled as she followed her sister off the train. “I can’t wait to see Autumn and Sparkler again!” She exclaimed. “And Braeburn too, but I have to know if Autumn and Sparkler decided to room together!” She explained.

“I just hope Rainbow didn’t get lost.” Fluttershy said.

“Ah, she’s flown to Appleloosa before. She knows the way.” Applejack assured.

“And hey, she’s a quick flyer. Shouldn’t take her long to find us if she does get lost.” Applebloom replied.

Fluttershy felt a little better. The trio set off in the direction of Autumn’s house.

Sparkler, after finishing work for the day, decided to take a canyon flight. There was where she could think more clearly about recent events and what her future may hold, with her surroundings being rock and water, instead of awkward conversation.

These practices have been helping to ease mah nerves. And now I have an actual idea of how to come out.

Although...it was weird that Construct Autumn knew how much music helped me. It was almost like...Nah. No, Luna would never trick me with the real Autumn. She’s a princess, she-

Sparkler thought remained unfinished as she felt something close in size to her slam straight into her body at mach-something speed, sending the mare and whatever hit her crashing into the ground. Luckily, though, she had now flown outside of the canyon, up to the ground made of sand, so it didn’t hurt that much.

“Whoa. Uh, I’m sorry there. You okay?” a raspy voice said.

Sparkler shook off the daze and was able to refocus her eyes, getting up off the ground. “Yeah. I reckon I’m fine.” She said.

“Sorry about that. Sometimes I go so fast I can’t see other ponies in the air.” The new pony said, dusting herself off.

“It’s fine.” Sparkler replied, head still spinning a bit. “I’m just glad it was sand we crashed into.”

“Yeah. I’m Rainbow Dash, by the way.” Rainbow introduced herself.

“Sparkling Medley, Sparkler for short.” Sparkler responded. She subconsciously took a moment to shake the sand out of her mane and tail, also giving her wings a flap to get the sand out of them. It was everywhere.

Rainbow did the same, but in the process… she noticed something about Sparkler. Something next to impossible to miss even when recovering from a crash. “Whoa! You’re an Alicorn!” Rainbow exclaimed.

“H-huh? N-no I’m not.” Sparkler gasped in feigned confusion, her head clear enough to auto deny it while not realizing something very, very important at her sides.

Rainbow raised an eyebrow in genuine confusion. “Uh, yes you are. You have both wings and a horn.” She said, pointing it out with her hoof.

Sparkler turned her head to glance at her side, where Rainbow was pointing, and all her senses reconnected at just the right, or wrong, time, as her eyes snapped wide in a split-second. Her wings were exposed! She yelped as she literally launched in the air, and not paying attention to direction, right into a tree they had landed near.

Rainbow saw Sparkler smash and cling to the tree trunk. She flapped her wings to follow her. “You okay, Sparkler?” She asked.

“No! Please! Don’t hurt me!” Sparkler cried as Rainbow’s voice creeped up closer. Her heart beat out of her chest and she puffed her lungs out, accompanied by high-pitched squeals in agony.

“...Hurt you? Why would I do that?” Rainbow asked.

“Because they all do! Everypony puts down the freak! The horned chicken!” Sparkler responded, her eyes getting wet.

Rainbow stood still. Sparkler thought she was a freak for being an Alicorn? “Seriously? Sparkler, you aren’t a freak.” She said.

Sparkler’s eyes, which had been teary, opened up again and lost their blur vision, even if only a little. She sniffled and glanced to the side at Rainbow, who was on her level now, flying. “W-What?” She asked.

“Sparkler, you’re an Alicorn. Do you know how awesome that is?” Rainbow asked, smiling at Sparkler.

“You...what?” Sparkler asked. Never in a thousand years could she wrap her head around somepony thinking she was awesome for being an Alicorn.

Rainbow smirked at Sparkler. “Okay. Sparkler, whoever told you you were a freak is so wrong. While there may not be a whole lot of them out there, having a horn and wings at the same time is considered a great honor here.” She explained.

Sparkler didn’t know how, but she knew what Rainbow was getting at. “I’m not a princess and I never will be.” She blurted out.

Rainbow chuckled. “Admittedly, you might not have a choice. But ignoring that, being an Alicorn is just about as awesome as you can get!” She told Sparkler.

Sparkler couldn’t believe it. This was reality that felt like a pipe dream. Here was a pony whom she had never met before, casually talking to her like there was nothing wrong, despite the fact that she was an Alicorn. Was that even possible?! “You...you really think so?” She asked Rainbow.

“You kidding? One of my best friends is an Alicorn.” Rainbow revealed.

Sparkler was slowly regaining her smile now. She began to believe Rainbow.

“Although, based on what just happened, I’m guessing you’re hiding your wings. Is it because you’re afraid of what everypony will think?” Rainbow asked. Sparkler could only nod, as well as sniffle again. Rainbow gave her a warm smile.

“Ok, full disclosure, I can’t speak for everypony, but I have a really good feeling that you won’t get nearly as much hate as I’m thinking you did before.” She told Sparkler.

Sparkler nodded. “Rainbow, you have no idea how much you accepting me means to me!” She told her with a smile, and this time, happy tears.

“No problem.” Rainbow said. “Hey...wanna race?” She asked.

Sparkler laughed. “Sure!” She said. She was thrilled that at long last, she had a pony actually wanting to hang out with her, wings and all! “Just...Can this stay between us?” She asked.

“I promise your secret’s safe with me, Sparkler.” Rainbow said. “But I think you should come out.” She told her.

Sparkler nodded in agreement. Just Rainbow accepting her gave her confidence a massive, and massively much-needed, boost. She flapped her wings, and joined RD in the sky.

Applejack and Co. arrived at Autumn’s house and they gave the brown door a knock. Autumn showed up from behind, and, well, let’s say she was happy.

“Applejack! What brings you here again?” Autumn exclaimed, immediately going in for a hug. Applejack hugged back, and responded “This time, it’s actually a Friendship Mission that told us to come here.”

Autumn was puzzled. “A friendship mission? To my house?”

Applebloom popped in. “They don’t know where exactly. Just that it’s in Appleloosa.” She explained.

“Squawk! Autumn, who's at the door? Squawk!” Flappy called out from the kitchen.

Autumn paused. “Oh. I guess I have some explaining to do. First off, everypony, there is a parrot in there… because he’s Sparkler’s parrot. Who is Sparkler? Well, Applebloom knows. Why don’t you tell everypony?”

“Sparkler’s...Autumn, is Sparkler your roommate?” Applebloom asked.

Autumn let things savor for a few seconds. “Yes! She is now! I made a new friend, and my dream finally came true!” She proudly announced.

Applebloom smiled as everypony entered the house. “Awesome!” She exclaimed, before turning to Flappy. “Hey Flappy! Where is Sparkler?” She asked.

Flappy hesitated to answer, before coming up with something. “Squawk! She’s still at the studio. Squawk!” He said simply.

“Yes.” Autumn said. “She went there to work, because she’s a musician, as am I.”

“We already knew you were a musician, Autumn.” Applebloom said with a raised eyebrow.

Autumn giggled. “Well, there’s another one in the house. Hopefully you’ll get to meet her today. I mean, if the Cutie Map called you to Appleloosa, I don’t imagine you’ll be gone too shortly.”

“Squawk! She should be back soon. Squawk!” Flappy commented.

“Nice!” Autumn said. “Anyway, this is Flappy, Sparkler’s pet parrot.”

“Squawk! Howdy y’all. Squawk!” Flappy said.

“Hey there!” Fluttershy said. “Oh, you’re so cute!”

Flappy blushed and giggled. “Squawk! Oh, stop. Hehe. Squawk!” he said.

“I do notice some new additions to this house.” Applejack said. “Sure looks like you have a roommate.”

“Yep. I think it looks more lively.” Autumn said. Indeed, there was now more to the aesthetic of this house than a box of brown with some fall colors sprinkled in. A bright-blue saddlebag could now be found sitting by the front door, as well as an acoustic guitar of the same color. Very stand-out compared to most of the visuals.

“Squawk! I concur. Squawk!” Flappy commented.

“So...how’s rooming with Sparkler?” Applebloom asked.

“It’s amazing!” Autumn said. “I love her so much.”

While it was amazing, the dynamic hadn’t exactly been good in the last few days… Autumn hated feeling uncomfortable around Sparkler, but given the situation… that’s where she was.

Applebloom smirked. “Oh?” She gave a knowing smile.

Autumn realized where this was going. “No, not that kind of love.” She rolled her eyes.

Applebloom laughed. “Oh relax. I’m just kidding. She said.

“Good to hear.” Autumn said.

“Squawk! Though you two would be cute together. Squawk!” Flappy commented with a snicker.

Autumn rolled her eyes again. From Applebloom, to Flappy, to Braeburn, to many others, she really just could not escape this tease. She couldn’t.

‘Squawk! Autumn, We have a major red flag problem. Squawk!” Flappy told Autumn. It was dinner time and Sparkler had disappeared into the bathroom, giving Flappy the perfect opportunity to talk to Autumn about her potentially catastrophic error.

Autumn’s attention definitely had been caught. “Uh-oh. What’s going on?” She said, worried.

“Squawk! You told Sparkler last night in the dream realm that music helps her. Construct Autumn was not supposed to know that. Squawk!” He hissed.

Autumn thought about things for a moment before Flappy’s words began to click into place. “Shoot. You think I just blew my cover?”

Flappy shrugged. “Squawk! It got Sparkler questioning. Which is a very bad sign! Squawk!” He said.

“How did you hear about that?” Autumn asked. “Did Sparkler tell you about her dream?”

“Squawk! I told you she would tell me. I managed to come up with a deflect, but she’s a smart girl, sooner or later she’s going to find the truth! Squawk!” Flappy warned.

“The truth does have to be found out eventually.” Autumn said. “I am scared for the outcome. But yeah, I do feel like it will be even worse if she finds out herself, rather than being told.”

“Squawk! And I’d rather we be the ones to tell her. Squawk!” Flappy said. “Squawk! But only after she’s come out to you in the real world. ‘Til then, I have to do everything I can to push her to get enough of the song done that she can come out to you as soon as flapping possible. Squawk!”

“Apparently I already did!” Came a certain angry voice that Autumn and Flappy did not expect to hear so soon.

She heard everything. There Sparkler stood in the hallway leading from the kitchen, having caught most of Flappy and Autumn’s words through the bathroom door, and from that she was able to ascertain what had happened.

“So there was no construct. It was the real you all along!” Sparkler said, her voice rising even further and tears beginning to form in her eyes. She couldn’t believe it. One of her two only real friends in this world knew her Alicorn nature, and she had been faking not knowing!

“Squawk! N-Now Sparkler--” Flappy started before Sparkler cut him off.

“No, don’t even start with me, Flappy! You knew that she knew. Both of you went behind mah back and kept this from me!” She growled, breathing heavily as she tried to contain her tears.

Flappy jumped and hid behind the edge of the table in fear. Autumn meanwhile gulped. “Sparkler...please, let us explain--” Sparkler cut her off.

“Explain what, Autumn? That you played me like a fiddle and tricked me into coming out when I wasn’t ready? Explain how you violated my privacy and pretended not to?! Huh, Autumn? Is that what you want to explain to me?!” Sparkler roared directly to her face.

“Squawk! T-Technically Luna--”

“Shut up, Flappy! Of all the creatures I thought would never go behind mah back like this. I can’t believe you were okay with this, Flappy! You should’ve told me right from the start!” Sparkler roared, pointing a hoof at him.

“Sparkler! Please, we only--” Autumn left her chair and tried to approach Sparkler, who just backed away.

“Stay away!” Sparkler shouted at her. “You think I’m a freak now, don’t you. You don’t want to be friends anymore, don’t you!” Sparkler added. “Go on and say it. It always comes eventually!” She screamed, her words paired with crying noises.

Flappy and Autumn just stood. This was not going their way. Not a single bit. Meanwhile Sparkler only looked and sounded worse, her crying becoming louder as she struggled to control those emotions. She couldn’t control them, and as a result, Her horn started glowing bright blue and shooting off sparks.

Flappy saw it. “Squawk! Sparkler! Your magic! Squawk!” He shouted.

Sparkler glanced up at her horn, and fear quickly took over, albeit not canceling the rest. She took one look at her friends, before making a decision. “I need to get out of here.” With that, Sparkler flapped her wings, which were not under a poncho, and soared right through the window, shattering glass all over the living room and front yard.

Flappy and Autumn watched the all-blue streak go off in the distance away from Appleloosa. Flappy gulped. “Squawk! Well...that didn’t go the way I had hoped. Squawk!” He said.

“Do we go after her?” Autumn asked, her heart pounding as emotions overwhelmed her too.

“Squawk! What do you think? Yes! Squawk!” Flappy replied. “Squawk! You saw her horn Sparking, she’s losing control! Squawk!”

“She could die, right? Yes. We have to do this.” Autumn said, remembering that theory from earlier and dashing straight for the front door.

To be continued...

Chapter 17

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That blue glow was in their vision. The fact that it was getting brighter and brighter by the minute only came to show that Sparkler’s breakdown was worsening, though it had the silver lining of Autumn and Flappy being able to easily see where she was going.

As they sprinted after Sparkler with every ounce of speed and strength their bodies could possibly muster in the attempt to save their loved one, Autumn felt like she would be having this breakdown too if she were an Alicorn. Never, ever could she believe this was happening. It was nothing short of a living nightmare. More than a living nightmare.

She had to run, run to the point of huffing, puffing, muscles aching… and keep going. She couldn’t afford to lose a single second, all the while… feeling she was the one to blame for this. “I knew I shouldn’t have done that!” she yelped. “Why did I listen to Luna?! I knew I was violating Sparkler’s privacy! Just like she said, right to my face! Flappy, my nightmare came true! I had a dream where this exact thing happened!” Autumn was leaving a trail of tears on the ground as she ran.

Flappy groaned in annoyance. “Squawk! Look, for the sake of focusing on the task at hoof, let’s just agree to pin the blame on Luna for coming up with the idea in the first place and move on! Squawk!” He told Autumn.

Autumn wanted to respond “I was the one who carried it out, though!” But she sighed in agreement that this stuff could wait until later. For now, they had to put every last ounce of both mental and physical energy into making sure Sparkler did not perish.

And as that came into Autumn’s focus, well, the tears kept going. There was a very real chance of her losing her best friend tonight. Scenes of her visiting the gravesite and returning to the sad roommate-less life flooded her mind. It was awful.

For Flappy, he gave his wings the hardest workout he ever had in his life. I can’t lose Sparkler, not after everything. I can’t! He continued to flap with all his might, hoping like hay that they could reach Sparkler in time.

“Squawk! I will say that at the very least, now there are no more secrets between us. Squawk!” He commented.

“I just hope we can get to see our lives without those secrets! Because if Sparkler dies…” Autumn couldn’t finish that sentence as she panted and cried her eyes out.

“Squawk! If we put our backs into moving, then HOPEFULLY we will! Squawk!” Flappy replied.

“Yes!” Autumn said. She worked her muscles even harder than her perceived max power, in pursuit of that blue glow.

Rainbow Dash, meanwhile, was taking a relaxing late night fly in the sky, before a certain bright blue magical glow entered her view. It was coming from the desert below.

“What in the world?” She raised her eyebrow as she changed course to investigate.

…

The pair of Autumn and Flappy were making progress in catching up to Sparkler; she seemed to be getting tired. Or, what if it was actually the breakdown magic that was taking away her agility?

Rainbow landed alongside them and could see who was clearly Sparkler in the middle of that glow, as well as the intensifying cyclone of wind blowing the dirt around. “What in the...is that Sparkler?!” She called out.

Flappy saw the unfamiliar pony and raised an eyebrow. “Squawk! Who the hay are you?! Squawk!” He asked.

“Rainbow Dash, Sparkler’s new friend.” Rainbow replied as she ran alongside them. “Let me guess, you two know about the wings?” Rainbow asked.

“We do! But I wasn’t supposed to!” Autumn cried. “I found out behind her back!”

“What?!” Rainbow shrieked. “How?!”

“Squawk! Explanations later, SAVING SPARKLER NOW! Squawk!” Flappy shouted at the two.

“Saving Sparkler now? What?” a soft voice called out. She saw the group of sprinting ponies behind a blue glow that…yep, it surrounded a pony. Fluttershy in its direction and caught up to the others, joining the chase.

Flappy glared at Fluttershy. “Squawk! Fluttershy? Get out of here! It’s dangerous! Squawk!” He told her.

“But you said we had to save somepony!” she responded.

Rainbow sighed. “Ya know Autumn’s roommate Sparkler? She’s in that windy cyclone glowing!” She explained to Fluttershy.

“Oh no! That doesn’t sound good!” Fluttershy said.

“It’s a magical breakdown!” Autumn shouted. “This could kill her! And I don’t know how to get it to stop!”

“Squawk! We better find a way fast! It’s getting worse! Squawk!” Flappy shouted. Indeed the wind threatened to lift their entire bodies off the ground, and the light was brightening by the minute, losing its blue and becoming more white.

But they were very close to her now. And she could barely run anymore. This was their one and only chance.

Rainbow stared at Sparkler for a second, before something came to her mind. “Wait a minute! I think I know what she needs to do!” She declared.

Autumn had to know. “What? What is it?”

“Twilight mentioned how sometimes unicorns have magical breakdowns. They need to release the magic in one fell burst!” Rainbow explained.

“And how do we get her to release it?” Autumn asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe tell her first? I don’t know if she knows.” Rainbow said.

Flappy had listened to RD, and didn’t waste anything as he forcibly bypassed that wind and swooped right in front of Sparkler. “Squawk! Sparkler! Listen to me! You HAVE to release the built-up magic! Squawk!” He yelled over the wind.

Sparkler heard him, and shook her head. “I--I can’t!” She said.

As Sparkler’s speed decreased more and more, having lost nearly all ability to move forward at all, the ponies prevented that anyway by standing in a line right in front of her. And they were able to brace themselves against the wind. Their love for Sparkler gave them the strength.

“Sparkler! I don’t care that you have wings!” Autumn shouted. “In fact, it’s cool! Your wings are beautiful! You are not a freak! You’re my best friend and I can’t lose you!”

Sparkler squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. “But...others…” She trailed off, tears falling down her face.

“Sparkler! I’ll tell you right now that you’ll get a very different reaction than in the past. I KNOW at least two towns that are pro-Alicorn!” Rainbow told her.

Sparkler shook her head. Appearing to not listen.

“Sparkler, I don’t know what you’ve been through, but let me tell you right now that ponies are nice here! They will accept your wings! Rainbow is right!” Fluttershy said.

Sparkler opened her eyes and continued breathing heavily, but the magic still wouldn’t release.

Autumn didn’t know if it was safe to touch Sparkler, with all that magic… but words by themselves weren’t enough here. In Autumn’s mind, the only way to cure this… was a hug. So she went full in, wrapping around her friend’s neck.

Sparkler wasn’t really paying attention, staring off into space, so she didn’t see Autumn wrap her forelegs around her neck. But she heard Autumn’s voice that came next, right in front of her face.

“I repeat, Sparkler, you are NOT a freak! Those bullies were wrong! Wrong as they could possibly be! They’re… they’re lunatics! You’re beautiful, with your wings! And I love you so, so much! You’re my best friend ever and the perfect roommate! Please! Release the magic!” Autumn said through crying noises. The next moment was either life or death.

And it was all a blur what happened next. Something clicked in Sparkler’s brain and her eyes started glowing bright white and a massive beam of magic burst out of her horn, shooting into the sky. The gathered ponies and parrot had to shield their eyes from the light.

Before anypony could collect their thoughts, it was dark again, they didn’t have to fight with wind, and Sparkler’s eyes returned to normal, then drooped closed as she fell unconscious, going limp in Autumn’s forelegs.

Autumn could swear that the magic had released… but this didn’t look good. Autumn panted hard with everything flowing her mind. “Is she… is she alive?” Autumn hovered her ear close to Sparkler’s chest, searching for a pulse.

Rainbow approached as Autumn gently eased Sparkler down to the ground. She lightly pressed her hoof against Sparkler’s neck, and did feel a pulse. “She’s still alive, just out like a light.” She announced.

“Squawk! Oh thank bucking tartarus! Squawk!” Flappy let out a sigh of relief.

Autumn laid in the dirt and cried everything out. She was in both relief and anguish. A total blend. She could never in a thousand years believe what had just happened.

Flappy looked to Fluttershy and Rainbow, deciding to get it out of the way. “Squawk! Don’t say a word of this to anypony. Got it? Squawk!” He told them.

“I already promised Sparkler that I’d keep it under wraps. And I stick by that.” Rainbow replied.

“Promise, Flappy.” Fluttershy said.

At that moment, they all heard a pair of hoofsteps running towards them. They turned and saw Applejack and Applebloom approaching.

“Hey Y’all! What’re you doing out--holy carriage!” Applebloom stopped when she saw what was undoubtedly Sparkler, with wings!

“She’s an Alicorn.” Applejack finished the statement.

“Squawk! Tell nopony! Squawk!” Flappy auto-said.

“What the hay is going on here?” Applebloom asked.

“Well, as you can see here, Sparkler is an Alicorn. She only appeared to be a unicorn… because she hid her wings under a poncho. She was ashamed of being an Alicorn, because some stupid kids at school bullied her for it.”

Autumn really had to gulp at this next part. “And then… after I was pressured into secretly finding out about her wings without her knowing… and she found out… she got filled with so much stress that she had a magical breakdown. It’s something only happens to Alicorns, hence why you or I have never been engulfed by magic in that way. She literally could have died, had we not just gotten her to release it, less than a minute ago.”

Applebloom’s mouth was agape. “What the hay…” She said.

“Squawk! Ok, before anything else, let’s get her back to the house. Squawk!” Flappy suggested.

“Yes.” Autumn said.

Chapter 18

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Autumn carried the unconscious Sparkler in her forelegs all the way back. Sparkler wasn’t heavy, but it still was an exercise to walk all the way from the middle of nowhere to their home, after all that exertion beforehand. Autumn, though, had to do it. For her friend.

Alongside everypony else during most of the trip, she entered the bedroom with just her and Flappy, to softly place their best friend in bed.

Sparkler had no awareness whatsoever, but Autumn still had that feeling in her heart when she placed the bed blankets over her body and her blue security blanket into her grasp. “Sleep well, Sparkler. When you wake up, I hope we can talk about this.”

What Autumn really meant by that was “plead with her to stay friends”, but that was for later. What needed to be tended to right now was further explanation to everypony in the living room.

“Squeak. Let’s let her sleep ‘til morning. With any luck, her anger will have at least dwindled significantly by then. Squeak.” Flappy whispered.

Flappy didn’t squawk. He squeaked. Autumn could feel she wasn’t alone. “Man, I know there are other things to address at the moment, but I can’t get it out of my head. I don’t want to lose her…” Autumn drifted off and cried again.

“Squeak. Well luckily we didn’t physically lose her today. Now come on. There are a few ponies that need to understand why they can’t blab about this. Squeak.” Flappy urged.

Autumn sniffled. “Yeah… I need to walk out into the living room… would you mind being the primary speaker? It’s going to be really hard for me to say much.”

‘Squeak. You don’t know the whole story either so I’ll have to fill in the gaps anyway. Let’s go. Squeak.” Flappy flapped his wings and flew out into the living room.

The pair showed up in front of the audience of ponies on the couch, who didn’t look much happier than they were. Also hesitant to speak.

Applebloom bit her lip before breaking the silence. “How’s Sparkler?” She asked.

Autumn didn’t know what to say. The simple answer was that she had passed out, but there was so much story behind that.

“Well, you could say she’s overall not good right now. I guess we should start at the beginning.” Autumn said. “You want to start, Flappy?”

“Yeah. Like, I know ponies called her a freak before, but judging by the magical glowing cyclone of wind that she just made, something tells me that was just the tip of the iceberg.” Rainbow commented.

“Squawk! Oh you don’t know the half of it. They didn’t just call her a freak, they treated her like absolute garbage. Using her as target practice for throwing eggs, calling her mean names. It’s a miracle she hasn’t developed a fear of eggs. Squawk!” Flappy said.

“Those daggum school bullies.” Applejack said. “I’ve seen many cases of those before; heck, Applebloom has dealt with it herself. But Sparkler’s case seems even worse…”

“I know. Like, who the hay would pick on an Alicorn?” Rainbow asked.

“Squawk! Here’s the kicker. Nopony in Saddle Arabia actually knew what Sparkler was until Luna told her. Until that point, we dubbed it the horn and wing combo. Squawk!” Flappy explained.

Nopony said anything. They all couldn’t believe it. How could such an innocent pony be dealt a hoof like that?

“Squawk! For thirteen years, from her first day of Kindergarten to graduating high school, this harassment from her peers was a daily occurrence. Every school day she would come home covered in egg yolk and egg shells. And in most cases, with tears in her eyes. Squawk!” Flappy continued.

“By golly, I’d like to find those ponies and go pelt them with eggs!” Applejack said.

Rainbow grumbled. “Why was nothing done to change it?” She asked.

“Squawk! Because nothing COULD stop it, and homeschooling wasn’t an option, or moving to a new town. Squawk!” Flappy replied to Rainbow.

“Well, I sure hope we can make up for it and make her life from here on out as good as we can.” Applejack said. “Sometime after she wakes up, I want to go do somethin’ fun with her. Or do somethin’ sweet for her.”

“Squawk! Well first Autumn and I need to patch things with her. Cause we kinda made her mad before she went all glowy magic cyclone. Squawk!” Flappy said.

“Wait, what? Why was she mad?” Applejack asked.

Autumn let out a deep exhale and she wouldn’t be surprised if they could see tears. She fully believed it was her fault. That she was the one who caused the breakdown. I almost killed her, Autumn thought.

“Autumn? You okay there?” Applejack directly asked.

Well, she was pinned. Darn. “No, Applejack, I’m not okay.” she said in raised volume. “All this was my doing. She intentionally hid her wings and pretended to be a unicorn, because of all that bullying. But one day, I touched her sides… and then briefly saw her wings while walking by, so I became curious, and I… I tricked her into coming out when she wasn’t ready.”

“I fully expect you to be mad. Go ahead and punish me, I deserve it.” Autumn cried out.

“Squawk! Autumn, Didn’t we agree to pin the blame on Luna since she came up with the idea in the first place? Squawk!” Flappy asked.

“What?” Applejack said.

Ugh, Autumn really was under pressure. “No, I just agreed to save this topic for later… and I was the one who carried it out.” Ah, yes. The thing she wanted to say earlier.

“Squawk! Did Luna ask it of you? Squawk!” Flappy asked.

“Well… she did.” Autumn said. “Luna told me to do it… but I could have declined. Heck, I knew it was a bad idea in the first place. I don’t know why I accepted it.”

“Squawk! Maybe because she’s a princess and I doubt you can very well refuse a princess. Squawk!”

Autumn didn’t say anything. She just kept hyperventilating.

“Is there any way we could help y’all?” Applejack said. “I’m worried about the two of ya. Or actually, three.”

“Squawk! Maybe come back here in the morning? Sparkler’ll want to make sure you all promise to keep quiet about this. Squawk!” Flappy suggested.

“I will make sure. To do both those things.” Applejack said.

That felt good to hear, but was it improving Autumn’s day? No, it couldn’t. She was still crying.

“Flappy, I think this is the worst day of my life.” Autumn said.

“Squawk! Look on the bright side. Can’t get much worse. Squawk!” Flappy remarked.

“They do say that when you’re at rock bottom, the only way to go is up.” Fluttershy said.

Autumn sniffled. “I suppose… but in the meantime, I have to deal with all this stuff.”

“And actually, I may not be at rock bottom, because what if Sparkler is still mad at me and cuts off our friendship? Finally landing a roommate was one of the best things that ever happened to me, and now it’s in d-danger.”

“Squawk! I did say it couldn’t get MUCH worse. Squawk!” Flappy commented.

“Don’t worry. We’ll get her to see that being an Alicorn ain’t so bad. And we’ll convince her you did the right thing.” Applebloom said.

“She really does need to know that being an Alicorn is nothing bad, nothing to be ashamed of.” Autumn said. “Those bullies really corrupted her mind.”

“And we’ll be with ya every step of the way.” Applejack told her.

“Squawk! And in the meantime. Rainbow, Apple Bloom, Applejack, Fluttershy. I need you guys to swear that you will not breathe a word of any of this to anypony until Sparkler is ready. Squawk!” Flappy told them.

“I already told her her secret’s safe with me.” Rainbow responded.

“I’ll keep her secret as long as she needs us to.” Fluttershy promised.

“Us too.” Appjejack and Applebloom said.

“Squawk! If you guys do blab I WILL find you. Squawk!” Flappy warned.

Autumn gulped as she glanced down the hall to the room she and Sparkler shared. By the stars please let all of us come out of this still friends.

Celestia’s son grazed the land to signal the start of another day. The sun hit the slumbering Sparkler and roused her awake. She fluttered her eyes open and slowly got up out of bed. “Ugh…What happened last night?” She asked idly. Without even thinking, she walked out of the bedroom, right to the kitchen, and opened the fridge to grab a bottle of her homemade lemonade. She made a note that they were running low and put it in her mental schedule to make more. She took a few sips from the cool drink to help wake her up, before she got the feeling she was being watched. She glanced around the room until she found Autumn, Applejack, Applebloom, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Flappy all standing or sitting in the living room, watching her. “Uh…Morning?” She said. Confused as to what was going on.

“Squawk! Morning. Squawk!” Flappy responded cautiously.

“You feeling alright sugarcube?” Applejack asked.

“Mah head hurts some, but overall I feel fine? Why?” Sparkler asked.

“Because you released a LOT of magic last night.” Autumn said.

“”Do you remember anything from last night?” Fluttershy asked.

“I remember having dinner, going to the bathroom…And then…” Sparkler started to remember the events of last night, and two things came to mind. One, she was furious with Autumn and Flappy, but more urgently, she couldn’t feel her onesie on her! She eeped as she whirled around to see her wings exposed.

“Sparkler, It’s alright. You don’t need to hide from us now.” Rainbow said.

“We already promised to keep your secret until you’re ready.” Applebloom said.

That seemed to get through to Sparkler because she calmed down from the panic, but that brought her anger to head as she glared angrily at Autumn and Flappy. “I can’t believe you two went behind mah back!” She growled. “Tricking me into coming out when I wasn’t ready?! What the Faust were you THINKING?!” She asked in rage.

Autumn was about to say something before Sparkler cut her off. “Actually, no, don’t talk. I thought you two were mah friends. Maybe I was WRONG!” She growled.

Everypony jumped and their eyes widened. Autumn gulped, while Applejack shook her head and returned Sparkler’s glare. “Now listen here Sparkler, I get that you’re angry, and yes, I agree that there was probably a better way they coulda gone about this, but you are going to hear what they have to say before you make any friendship calls.” She said sternly.

Sparkler and Applejack had a staring match for a few seconds, before Sparkler, realizing Applejack wasn’t going to back down, relented. “Fine. But there had better be a darn good explanation from them.” She stipulated as she walked into the living room and sat down.

Autumn, momentarily stunned, modded after a second. “I never wanted to do it Sparkler, I would’ve told you right away after that first practice session, but Luna and Flappy convinced me to go through with the charade.” She explained.

“Squawk! Luna is the one who came up with the idea in the first place. Squawk!” Flappy added.

“But why?” Sparkler asked. “Why did you think it was a good idea to go behind ma back? I’m sure Luna wouldn’t have done anything if you refused.

“Sparkler, ya don’t refuse a princess’ request for help. It just doesn’t happen.” Rainbow chimed it.

“Squawk! And we did it so that when you came out to Autumn in the real world, we’d have proof that Autumn doesn’t care if you’re an Alicorn or not. Squawk!” Flappy explained.

“Proof?” Sparkler asked.

“What does that mean?” Sparkler asked.

“It means that I don’t give two bits about you being an Alicorn Sparkler. You’re still my best friend and I want to help you. You could be half dragon and I wouldn’t care. Because I know who you are on the inside.” Autumn explained.

“Really…?” Sparkler asked. Her anger starting to subside.

“And she’s not the only one. I meant what I said yesterday. Equestria has a VERY different opinion of Alicorns juxtaposed to Saddle Arabia, apparently.” Rainbow said.

“Yeah! Heck, we even have one living in Ponyville!” Applebloom announced.

“And no pony gives her much trouble. So I highly doubt that you’ll be any different.” Applejack said.

“Isn’t she a princess though?” Sparkler asked.

“Yes. But she’s always saying how she’s no different from everypony else.” Fluttershy explained.

“But back on track, Sparkler, you are not a freak, a monster, or whatever those jerks in school called you. You are perfect just the way you are and you can absolutely have friends while being yourself.” Autumn told Sparkler.

“Squawk! As evidenced by her willing to tell a little white lie to help you come out. Squawk!” Flappy said.

“Still can’t believe an Apple agreed to lie but OK I suppose.” Applejack commented under her breath.

Sparkler took everypony’s words into consideration, and a feeling of guilt started creeping in, primarily from being so angry at Autumn and Flappy without hearing them out. She was still mad, but after hearing their reasoning, she was a lot less mad.

Flappy studied his friend, trying to gauge what she was thinking. “Squawk! So…What do you think Sparky? Squawk!” He asked.

Sparkler took a deep breath. “I’m still ticked that you went behind mah back like that, but after hearing you out…I think I can forgive you.” She said.

Autumn burst out smiling as she lunged forward and wrapped her forelegs around Sparkler. “Thank faust! Does that mean we can still be roommates?” She asked.

Sparkler chuckled. “Yes we can still be roommates.” She said.

Flappy sighed in relief. “Squawk! Luna is not allowed to ask anything of us ever again. Squawk!” He laughed.

“Yeah. I’m gonna have a talk with her when she comes to visit me next.” Sparkler responded, earning a chuckle from everypony there.

Sparkler was happy. It may not have been how she intended, but she was happy that Autumn actually accepted her, as did some other ponies. It gave her hope for the future.

To be continued…

Chapter 19

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One full night of leaving Sparkler alone later (Autumn had slept on the couch), it was the next day’s morning in Appleloosa, where Rainbow, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Applebloom were waiting to head home to Ponyville. Sparkler, Flappy, and Autumn stood with them before the Friendship Express was to arrive.

“Next time I see ya, Sparkler, I’ll take you flying. Those wings of yours need to breathe, you know.” Rainbow Dash commented.

“Yeah, I know.” Sparkler responded.

“And feel free to stop by Sweet Apple Acres if y'all are ever in Ponyville!” Applejack told Sparkler. “Any friend of an Apple is always welcome on the farm.”

“I’ll be sure to visit if I’m around.” Sparkler said.

“Oh, and you too Flappy!” Applebloom added.

“Squawk! Looking forward to it. So long as you four keep this whole thing underwraps. Squawk!” Flappy said.

“We’ll just tell Twilight it was a mission success, but that you requested that the details be kept private.” Rainbow said.

“Appreciate it, RD.” Sparkler responded.

Fluttershy walked up to Sparkler. “Sparkler, I, uh, I heard about what you went through in your childhood, and it… it makes me sad. I feel bad for you, so can I give you a hug?”

“That wasn’t a good time in mah life but it’s behind me now. I’m feeling a lot better.” Sparkler said with a smile. “But I won’t stop you if you want to hug me.” She added.

Fluttershy didn’t say any words after that. She just reached right in and wrapped her forelegs around Sparkler’s neck, as they were standing at the moment. Fluttershy was happy to hear Sparkler was feeling better, but she still wanted to do this.

Sparkler hugged Fluttershy back in the same way. It did feel good; Fluttershy was thinking a new friendship was in blossom.

After a moment, Sparkler and Fluttershy parted the hug. And that was when the train arrived.

“It was great to meet you, Sparkler!” Fluttershy said. “I wish you an amazing life from now on!”

“Thanks ‘Shy, I’m sure it’ll be much better from here.” Sparkler said.

“I’m sure of that too.” Autumn said. “And Sparkler, whenever you come out to the whole town, you will be nothing less than accepted. I’m sure of it; I’ve lived here my whole life.”

“We’ll see.” Sparkler responded.

RD nodded. “Well, be seeing you guys.” She said.

“Take care!” Applebloom said, walking inside the train and out of sight.

“Bye, everyone!” Autumn said, waving a front hoof.

After the Ponyvillians faded into the horizon on the train, Sparkler, Flappy, and Autumn made their way off the platform and walked their hooves towards the tavern on the brown Appleloosa ground, aiming for a trip to Sparkling Harmony Records…

…but with Autumn in a low mood. She didn’t consider yesterday’s situation to be resolved; sentences in her mind were still bugging her, desperate to be released.

Autumn took a deep breath. “...Sparkler, can we have a heart-to-heart talk?”

“Sure, Autumn.” Sparkler said. “What’s up?”

Autumn sighed. “I just want to say that I’m sorry. Sorry for tricking you like that. What happened was, Flappy told me about how a magical breakdown could happen if you bottled up your emotions for too long. So I basically felt we needed to take drastic measures.

“But all that said, that’s not an excuse. Because I did violate your privacy, and of course, you did have a magical breakdown because of that. I’m really sorry, Sparkler.

“I guess I should also mention that when I wrapped around your sides that one night, and then when I walked past you in the kitchen… yeah, at that point I pretty much knew you had wings. I did see them.” Autumn sniffled. “Do you really forgive me?”

“Yes, Autumn. I forgive you. Luna and I had a very pleasant talk last night about it. And I gave her a little explanation that although she is a princess, there are limits to even her shenanigans in somepony else’s dream.” Sparkler explained.

Autumn nodded. “I can’t believe I didn’t resist her suggestion. Just… why?” Yeah, she still felt bad.

“She’s a princess. You kinda can’t refuse a princess.” Sparkler responded.

“That’s what Rainbow Dash said. But how can I live knowing I almost killed somepony?”

“Squawk! Forget it ever happened and move on? Squawk!” Flappy suggested.

“I can’t just do that, Flappy.” Autumn said. “It won’t leave my mind.”

“Well just know that I forgive ya, so don’t worry about it.” Sparkler said.

Autumn sighed again. “Let’s hope I can try to move on.”

“Hey, I got an idea, when we get to mah studio, let’s write a song together!” Sparkler suggested.

“Okay. Hopefully that helps.” Autumn could smile a bit.

Sparkler smiled too as they proceeded to the studio.

…

Inside the studio, nothing was really happening, as Autumn’s emotions were likely blocking her creativity. “I really don’t know what we could write, Sparkler. Especially not when I’m still upset.”

“Squawk! What’s left to be upset about? Sparkler forgives you, she forgives me, Sparkler’s no longer in danger of blowing up. Everything’s fine and dandy. Squawk!” Flappy asked.

“Because all that never should have happened in the first place.” Autumn said, hanging her head in shame.

“Well, what happened happened. I don’t really see the point in sulking about it when it’s in the past now.” Sparkler said.

“Not like I can just stop doing that.” Autumn said. “I’ve basically been traumatized now, and it’s my own fault. Like, if you had died, there could have been solid ground for me to be criminally charged.”

Sparkler raised an eyebrow at that. “Uh, I don’t get it. I don’t think you would be held responsible when you didn’t physically harm me.” She said. “Unless somehow emotional stress counts?”

“The law probably doesn’t cover our specific situation given that magical breakdowns are not widely known about, especially not in a town that’s 97% Earth pony.” Autumn responded. “But I did do something really bad.”

“Squawk! Eh, I’m sure Luna would pardon you. After all, it was her idea originally. Squawk!” Flappy said.

“Yeah, I suppose.” Autumn said, sniffling. “I thought writing a song would help, but I can’t seem to do it.”

“Anything I can do to make you feel better?” Sparkler asked.

“Maybe talk about what Luna said to you in the dream meeting you had?”

“She told me she was sorry for tricking me like that, but had believed that it had to be done, because if anypony was going to actually help me come out to you…It WOULD be you. After all, who knows Autumn better than Autumn?” Sparkler explained. “Beyond that, it was more me yelling at her and lecturing her about boundaries, which her title didn’t excuse her from breaking.” She said.

Autumn sighed. “I guess I just have to let time take its course and the emotions will naturally fade out. For now, do you have a song idea, Sparkler?”

“I do actually. A country song.” Sparkler responded.

“Right up my alley.” Autumn did manage to smile a bit.

“I even started thinking of lyrics.” Sparkler said.

“That’s great!” Autumn said.

Sparkler smiled. It sounded like Autumn was already starting to feel better.

And so they worked on the song. Writing the rest of the lyrics, adding music, so on and so forth. One day, Grapefruit had clued them in on an upcoming karaoke night, and they decided that was the perfect time to debut their first official song together.

“Remember when we first met, Sparkler? Right in this very place?” Autumn even remembered the exact table they were at.

“Are we sitting at the exact table?” Sparkler asked. “Huh. How about that.”

“I chose it on purpose for that reason. Hehe.” Autumn took a sip of her drink.

“Can’t believe it’s only been…what? Three weeks?” Sparkler commented.

“Something like that, I think.” Autumn said.

“Squawk! And now that we’ve cleared up that little roadblock, here’s to many more weeks. Squawk!” Flappy said.

Autumn held out her glass for a toast, not saying anything.

Sparkler held her glass too and they clinked them together. “To the future.” She said.

“To the future.” Autumn said. “I do wonder what’s next for us.”

“Right now? Singing a song. After that, who knows.” Sparkler responded. “But whatever it is, we’ll face it together.” She said.

“That’s beautiful to hear you say, Sparkler.” Autumn said, smiling. “I just love having such a close friend now.”

“And mahself a pony friend in mah generation at last.” Sparkler responded.

At that moment, they were called up on stage for their turn. They and Flappy went up, and after a quick introduction, started playing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiXqRE8_ROU

(Imagine the girls singing instead of guys.)

Sparkler was on guitar, Autumn on piano and Flappy was on drums. Put that all together, and the only word to describe their experience was “amazing.” Despite still hiding her true species from the public, Sparkler began to see coming out as something that could actually work!

Autumn may have participated in an underhoofed tactic, but Sparkler did see the logic there. And deep down, was now more grateful than mad at what had happened, because she knew they weren’t completely wrong.

Autumn, for her part, needed time to recover, but Sparkler had made it clear they would maintain their friendship. And their musical debut together, played where they first met… it felt so right. So fitting. There were things to look forward to for the future.

After the performance, the three went back home, and got ready for bed. It wasn’t known what came over them, but they felt the urge to begin tickling each other in a three way tickle fight.

Amidst the laughter, Sparkler’s stetson was hanging on the hat rack, and unbeknownst to the three ticklers, it started lowkey flashing…

Miles away, in an unknown part of the world, a pair of ponies’ eyes widened as they felt a tingle.

“Did you feel that?” One of them asked.

“Yeah…I did.” The other said.

“Could that mean…”

“It’s possible, only her stetson could send such a signal.” One of the ponies said.

To be continued next time…

Something Sparkling

by Captain_Cosmos

Autumn's Prologue: Part 1

New Gal in Town: Part 1

Autumn's Prologue: Part 2

New Gal in Town: Part 2

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19