As nice as it is to stand on this hill, I really would like to just run down it into town. That not being an option, I still manage to plant my hooves and rise. I don’t even have to exaggeratedly rear up anymore. Really, it just seems a matter of getting them under you, to get to your feet. To your hooves. Checking myself from my white forelegs to the swishy curly tail coming out of me from behind, I do indeed seem to be Sweetie Belle. I’m Sweetie Belle, here with her friends Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, right next to the wagon that’s served as my impromptu wheelchair since my troublesome reuniting with my friends.
Who are her friends, not my friends. But, yeah something like that.
Overlooking the town, and the greater valley beyond is the hill we emerge from upon leaving Sweet Apple Acres. It’s a beautiful view, also for what it promises when we rush in there. It just feels so alive, and full of possibility. I don’t even know why; it’s not like we have any huge plans for today. But who knows what could happen?
Apple Bloom helps me turn around, but I manage to walk myself to the wagon and climb into it. At the very least, the dull monotony of figuring out your footsteps every time you move has got to be beating the memories into my head somehow. It’s only been like a week, so my recovery has already been super fast, for totally changing your body and having to learn how to use all new limbs. But it feels so slow, like I’ll never get to the point that I can even turn around all on my own! I do wiggle my butt into the wagon all on my own, and as we get moving, the eager Scootaloo starts carting me and Apple Bloom down the hill, faster and faster.
The wagon’s shaking along the uneven ground, and everything is rushing up to me all too quickly. I try not to berate Scootaloo for it; I don’t want her to think I’m a scaredy cat after all! But she is going faster, now that we’re out of the orchard, and I can’t help but grip the edge of the wagon tensely and whimper. I–I’ll get used to this, even this fast, right? “Scoota—” I start to squeak in terror, but right then Scootaloo tilts her wings... differently and the whole assembly starts to slow down.
“That okay, Sweetie Belle?” Scootaloo asks as we level out at a quick, but not breakneck speed. I... wait.
“Are you going slower, just for me?” I call forward to her, feeling at the same time embarassed and flattered by that.
“N-no,” Scootaloo says unconvincingly, looking forward, “I’m just not breaking my—it’s just for my wagon, not anything special.”
I guess I haven’t gotten used to going fast after all. I try not to let my resentment show, though. Scootaloo’s so thoughtful even if she doesn’t want to admit it. Now if only I didn’t suck.
As we cart on through the town at Sweetie speeds, I try to memorize the route. Around that big double story cottage, and past that line of stores, and there’s another open air market we’re passing. Gosh I can smell something delicious coming from there. I wonder if it’s getting close to lunch time yet?
And then we’re at the boutique. I don’t even know if we’re supposed to be here. But the other two seem okay, so I’m not too worried. A little nervous maybe. I haven’t seen Rarity since... wow, since my last physical therapy appointment. Has it really been... days? I think it has. Rarity doesn’t even eat dinner with us? I suppose that’s okay...?
Well, if nothing else I can finally try my stupid knock-knock joke and find out once and for all if other ponies can hear Sweetie Belle when she speaks.
The bell dingles when we walk in. And yes, I walk in. I’m trying to walk as much as I can, when it doesn’t inconvenience my friends, or wipe me out too much. Just from the wagon to the porch, really. I wish I could get this down, instead of having to be so meticulous about it. But, the bell dingles eventually, and Apple Bloom and Scootaloo leave me in the doorway to go cantering ahead, looking around for Rarity on the inside of the shop floor.
“Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where—oh hello, Sweetie Belle!” comes the voice of Rarity, as she trots around the curve of one of the fitting rooms, with a few pins sticking out of her hair but otherwise perfectly elegant in her appearance. Even her tail curves with its own sinuous grace as she trots up to me bigger and bigger. “Are your little friends around?” she asks, looking down at me, “Don’t tell me you came here all the way by yourself!”
“Oh, yeah, they went looking for you,” I say, indicating a vague direction with my forehoof. “Um... over that way though, not the way you actually were.”
“Right then, if you could just excuse me for one moment,” Rarity says, hastily trotting off in that direction. I blink after her, and then hear her shout, “Girls! What did I say about playing with the sewing machines?” Oh... heh heh. Wait.
“Okay, Sweetie, you ready for that knock-knock joke?” I ask the thin air. And in comes trotting Rarity, pushing the other two reluctant fillies with her nose out of whatever is back there, probably her work room. Oh well, once we figure this out, then Sweetie Belle won’t have to be so quiet anymore. Or she will, and... we’ll have to figure something out.
“Well, with that taken care of,” Rarity says shortly, “Might I ask what brings you three by my little shop here?”
“We were just checkin’ in on ya!” Apple Bloom says with a smile.
“It was Sweetie Belle’s idea,” Scootaloo adds hastily, glancing at me. Oh uh, oops.
“Just checking on me, hmm?” Rarity asks giving me a calculating look. “And it isn’t, in any fashion or sense, the other way around?”
I gulp. “No um, we just wanted to say hi,” I say. “I mean, I just wanted to say hi. I mean, I haven’t seen you in days, and... I just um...”
Rarity pulls me into a hug saying rather emotionally, “Oh Sweetie, you are the nicest little sister a mare could ever have! You were thinking of me? Really?” She smooshes up my cheeks in her hooves, looking to me with the brightest smile. I–I’m kind of embarassed, now that she releases me to stand on my own.
“I’m not that great,” I claim truthfully. “I’m glad you a–appreciate it though. I just wanted to see you, just... you know.”
“Well, I’m always happy to see you three fillies grace my doorstep,” Rarity says pleasantly. “Would you care for a complimentary fitting?”
“Sure!” I say excitedly, just as Scootaloo says,
“No tha—ugh.” ...oops.
So Rarity spirits us, and actually carries me in her magic to land on her back trotting in the direction the Crusaders went earlier, but taking a right to a sunlit room where there are a number of pony mannequins standing around on poles. So cool! I mean, so um... shut up I’m about to get fitted by Rarity. Any brony would be dead jealous of me right now. Maybe minus the whole baby horse pussy thing. A man can like wearing pretty dresses, as long as he happens to be a cute little filly at the moment, right?
Rarity doesn’t spend a lot of time on the dresses, it turns out. There are a few, ill-fitting ones, but then she returns to the use of cut-out forms, and safety pins, wrapping us piece-wise in dress materials. It’s all very fascinating, Rarity’s magic assembling a dress unit by unit, and a dress that would go on a pony, too. Scootaloo seems kind of bored. Hmm.
“Rainbow Dash gets bored at these too,” I whisper to her conspiratorially. Scootaloo looks at me just in time for Rarity to plunk down a giant feathery hat atop her head.
“Really?” Scootaloo says, heedless of the head garment.
“Yeah I uhm...” I try to wink at her significantly and say, “Might have saw Rainbow Dash once, and she couldn’t even keep her hooves still. It was really adorable.”
“Well I can keep my hooves still,” Scootaloo says smugly, puffing out her chest.
“Oh dear, that’s right you need more give in your shoulders, let me just...” Rarity mutters, unpinning Scootaloo’s breast patch and moving things around.
“Plus, this way maybe your sister kin make a lotta dresses for all sorts of fillies,” Apple Bloom points out, as Rarity adjusts the scarf wrapping around her neck and... tail base, oddly enough. I hope that’s sanitary. “We’re lahk her guinea pigs!”
“Is Guinea a real place?” I ask incredulously. Apple Bloom just blinks at me, uncomprehending. “Never mind,” I blush, having to lift my hoof as Rarity slips on a hollllley crap she’s got panties on my leg. She’s slipping panties on my leg!
Okay, I thought they were panties, but they’re actually another tail decoration that attaches via your legs, and can have clips and bows hung off of it. Dang, I guess nudity is non-optional even for horses that wear clothes! Oh well, at least everyone has to be nude, so it’s not as... emb... okay it’s literally embarassing, but not as uncomfortable.
Rarity is done with us in not too long, maybe a half hour? I really haven’t had a good sense of time since coming here. There aren’t clocks everywhere, and everything just seems to move by so slowly; it’s as if this whole town just hardly moves at all. And yes I’m thinking about my knock-knock joke, just waiting for a good chance to do it. I’m determined that I’m gonna do it this time. Not gonna forget, or avoid it. We’re doing this.
With her magic silently spiraling all around us, the pieces of clothing float off and Scootaloo and Apple Bloom both dash giggling off the stage we were told to stand on. They turn their heads around and look my way, but I smile accomodatingly and try to get myself down as quick as I can. I’m actually doing pretty good at the whole walking thing today. I hope I do even better tomorrow. It’s still slow going, but I get off the stage, and only need a little help to avoid falling over (again).
“Well, if there’s nothing else I suppose you fillies are starting to think about lunchtime, hmm?” Rarity says. Okay, knocking can wait just a little bit more.
“Yeah!” the two exclaim as one, with a squeaky, “Yeah!” following shortly behind on my behalf. I’m glad she solved the meal problem, because I honestly didn’t know how the others were going to manage it. Fillies aren’t supposed to just, randomly ask ponies for lunch, right?
Rarity serves us some tasty sandwiches anyway, all crunchy with toasty hay and sweet flowers filling up its insides, mustard, lettuce and a slice of cheese. She lets us make the sandwiches, too! I’m not that effective at it, but it’s just a sandwich really. Just with some weird ingredients. Rarity gets them all swiftly chopped up for us, and lays them before us in bowls. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo take the bowls in their mouth and shake them to shuffle some out onto their bread, so I try that too, and... well, it’s a good thing I went last because I’m really not good at anything other than just dumping it out. I can lift the slices of bread though, and... Rarity has to do the mustard for me, but then I put the top of the bread on and squish it down, and I made myself a sandwich!
Delicious victory, I have to say. I’d been getting really hungry there. Didn’t realize just how demanding this cute little white unicorn tummy would be. As we eat lunch, Apple Bloom is the one saying excitedly how,
“We’re gonna get our cutie marks, before you know it! Sweetie here had the idear that the library could tell us how, since they got
Rarity asks what we’re going to get up to for the afternoon.
“Iunno,” says Apple Bloom through a mouthful. Scootaloo nods at that and I say,
“Pff—”
Then, I stop and finish my mouthful. Then I say “Just the library, maybe. Do they have books on cutie marks?”
“Oh, the library? Hmm,” Rarity gives us a critical eye, saying, “Well I imagine they do, but remember a cutie mark is not just a skill you can acquire. It’s your nom de plume!”
“It’s a fake name?” I say in confusion.
“N-no, it’s like a pen name,” Rarity says looking at me unsurely. “It’s the identity that you present for all the world to see. The mark you leave on the world, you see?”
“The world? I thought the mark went on our flanks,” I protest, trying not to smile too much at that. And at actually learning about this stuff, holy bounce berries!
Rarity does titter at that saying, “Swee–heetie Belle, where on earth did you get a notion like that?”
She looks at me expectantly, and I look at her, and um... wait, wasn’t she the one being rused here? “Like what?” I ask, frowning as I face my sister directly.
“Your cutie mark goes on your thigh, not your flank!” Rarity admonishes me gently. “Can you imagine a pony with cutie marks on their sides? It would be simply ridiculous!”
Okay I must be missing something here. “Isn’t your flank your thigh?” I ask her, puzzled.
Apple Bloom answers for her saying, “Golly, Sweetie! You don’t even know that no more? Your flank’s your side, not your rump! There ain’t even any flat place for the cutie mark to go on your barrel. Unless you mean on top?” She laughs at the thought, going, “Bo-hoy now that would be silly!”
“You’d cover it up every time you wore so much as a saddle blanket!” Rarity quips cheerfully. “No dear, cutie marks appear on the outside of your thighs, or as Apple Bloom so eloquently put it, your... rump.”
“Do you know about your withers?” Scootaloo asks. “Or your ankles? How about your bishoulders?”
“Bi-shoulders is a pegasus thing, Scoots,” Apple Bloom says chidingly, staring across the table at Scootaloo, who blushes and folds her hooves, saying defiantly,
“No, everypony has them. That’s how we pull our arms out. Pegasi just have wings on them.”
“Scootaloo is right, I believe,” Rarity says lifting a hoof, “Everypony has a secondary shoulder. I would know, having to accomodate ponies to fit in their dresses! I’m afraid I don’t know much about the inner workings of it, though.”
“Yeah, only pegasi have wishbones though, and wings!” Scootaloo states, puffing proudly.
“And only unicorns have a cochlea, or a carbuncle,” Rarity points out, ruffling my hair, “Your horn is quite a complex little thing, you know?”
“And only earth ponies have a... uh...” Apple Bloom pipes up, then trailing off looking disappointed with herself.
“Gizzard,” Rarity offers helpfully.
“Yeah, that!” Apple Bloom says with a beaming smile.
I’m just kind of sitting here shell-shocked at this point.
“Well, let’s not dwell on our differences,” Rarity says, giving me a discomfited glance. “I’m sure Sweetie will come to remember these things at her own pace.”
“We can teach her the knee-bone song!” Apple Bloom says, moving away from the table with a little hop.
“Maybe after we learn about our... you know,” Scootaloo says, leaning over to Apple Bloom and whispering, “Cutie marks?”
“Oh, right right,” she says, putting a mollified pastern to her mouth.
“Hmm, you might have to save that plan for another day,” Rarity says giving me a concerned look. Huh? “Sweetie here has her magic lesson today, do you remember?”
...holy shit I totally forgot about that!
My eyes get real big then, and I say, “Oh! Um... I didn’t forget, I just... okay yes, I forgot. I’m sorry...”
“You haven’t forgotten yet, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity says to me with a half smile. “You still have plenty of time to get there this afternoon. I’m just glad I had opportunity to remind you!”
Apple Bloom’s bright pink bow droops with her ears, and she says, “Aww, does this mean you cain’t come to the library with us?” looking at me with big, sad eyes.
“Oh! Oh... oh no, I’m sorry Apple Bloom,” I tell her guiltily. “Scootaloo. I just totally forgot about my magic lesson today.”
“It’s okay, Sweetie,” Scootaloo says, patting me on the back with a hoof. “We’ll just go tomorrow.”
“Am I missing something here?” Rarity asks, looking among the three of us. “You two can go to the library without my dear sister, can you not?”
Scootaloo’s pupils narrow, and Apple Bloom says, “Uh, well that is—” before I interrupt, telling Rarity quickly,
“We all want to read about cutie marks, all three of us together, and I might be able to find something really neat to read about. They just want to wait for me, so we can do it together.”
“I could still go to the library,” Scootaloo says appeasingly. “Just, to read something else maybe.”
“Well, as you will,” Rarity says in vague interest, “But the fact remains that Sweetie here has a very important lesson to get to. Do recall that her horn was well and thoroughly vented by that little trip to the Badlands. Now don’t get all worked up over that, just keep in mind that Sweetie has to feel out her magic again, amongst other things.”
She turns to me and says, “How has your magic been responding after all, out of curiosity?”
I blink at her. “I haven’t been... using it?” I say unsurely. “Remember the last time I tried, I got stuck in the bench!”
“Well, still, surely you must have, I mean it’s only natural for a young unicorn to explore her limits,” Rarity says sounding a little flustered. “You haven’t been tempted at all to just... try things out?”
“Nope,” I respond pretty confidently. “I had one time that a rainbow got in it, but that was a total accident.”
“Not even a little bit?” Rarity says, with a smile, her sapphire eyes searching me for an answer.
That makes me a little nervous, lifting a hoof and saying, “No, should I be? I spent most my life without magic already, so it won’t hurt to wait a little more, until the instructor is there to help me if I mess up.”
Rarity blinks at me, then shakes her head, saying in a less troubled tone, “Well, there’s nothing wrong with being cautious. And now you will have your opportunity! So feel free to ‘make tracks’ as it were, I’m sure you’re eager to get started.”
“Yeah, I suppose,” I say thoughtfully. “I’m just so happy to be here with you,”
I look to my two friends, adding, “You, and you. And everything here it’s just... it’s so fun being alive, not... I mean, life is so fun by itself, I’ve had plenty to do besides magic. And you know, I think I am kind of excited!” Looking up, I can’t see my own horn, but I definitely can feel that it’s there. “Maybe I could do some magic, and even help out my friends, and stuff!”
A bit less confidently, I turn and look at my stupid, confusing hooves, and our wagon, saying, “Least I could do, since they’re even gonna help me get there.”
“Shucks, we’ll help you any time, Sweetie!” Apple Bloom says, strutting up and clapping me on the back.
“Yeah! And you’ve been walking, um... better...” Scootaloo says, fidgeting.
“I’d ask you to tell me all about it,” Rarity says, “But best not to keep your instructor waiting. I think you’ll be in for a nice surprise!”
I blink at her, and nod, saying, “Mom said that too. Um, but she said it was nothing special. Anyway, thanks for reminding me. Oh, oh, oh! And speaking of reminding! I wanted to ask you something!”
“What’s that Sweetie?” Rarity asks pleasantly.
“Knock knock,” I tell her, looking up at the larger mare expectantly.
“Who’s there?” Rarity responds, giving me an amused little smile.
I stare at her silently.
“O-orange,” I say with a tremble in my throat.
“Orange who?” Rarity prompts, tilting her head at me worriedly.
“...I have to go.”
I belt out those tight words, turning, and promptly falling on my face. Then pushing myself up, and... hoof, left hoof yes, walking and walking and ...stairs. I’m up three stairs, when Rarity catches up to me, saying,
“Sweetie darling, are you—”
“Bathroom!” I blurt out over my shoulder. “I n-need to use the bathroom!”
“Well don’t let me keep you,” Rarity says unhappily. “But if there’s anything wrong...”
“No I just—just leave me alone I’ll be fine,” I say, wait no that was terrible. “No problems at all!” I assure her—dammit. I just shut up and climb my way up the stairs where Rarity’s bathroom is located. I think I hear Apple Bloom saying something. Is she getting suspicious? I wish I could run I wish I could run I wish I could—I make it in the bathroom door, and push it closed behind me, with a b-back leg, because that’s normal for me, since I’m just a normal quadrupedal unicorn girl and there’s nothing wrong. Nothing wrong!
“Sweetie, are you gone again?!” I whisper anxiously, “Don’t tell me I have to... I can’t believe I’m hesitating to do that again! Are you okay? Is it getting worse again? Can you answer me, Sweetie?”
The silence is damning enough. God damnit, where am I going to get the privacy to do—that?! I can’t leave Sweetie like this all day! She doesn’t deserve to—
“I forgot the joke,” Sweetie Belle admits, sheepishly, and quite clearly.
Uhhhg, thank goodness. I slide down on my belly, at the true owner of said belly making herself heard. “Sweetie, you scared me!” I tell her in a frustrated tone, “You have to—wait.”
“I have to wait?” Sweetie queries.
“No, you... forgot the joke?” I ask her, lifting my head and asking the... the thin air, really.
“Yeah, it was knock knock um... mare who well?” Sweetie attempts.
Okay, I have to laugh, a relieved giggle just bubbling up in my chest. God I sound so silly. “I-it’s little old lady,” I tell her. “And then I didn’t know you could yodel, when Rarity answers.”
“Sorry I didn’t hehe—say anything back then,” Sweetie says with some amusement.
“Let’s not wait any longer,” I tell her. “I’ll tell the joke to Rarity, as soon as I see her next. And then you can talk to me whenever you want, and not go away.”
“Yeah, we should...” Sweetie trails off uneasily.
“Right,” I make for the door.
“No, wait!” Sweetie says, as I leave my hoof hanging in mid-step. “...I sorta need to use the potty,” she adds blushingly.
“Oh, right...” I say, and she’s totally right. I just wasn’t paying attention to it. Of course calling attention to it increases the pressure a lot. But hey, already in the bathroom right? I push myself around, and creep forward, until I can straddle the floor...toilet...thing. And, raising my tail, I feel the sweet release as
“Sweetie, are you sure you’re alright?” comes Rarity’s muffled voice through the bathroom door.
“I’m fine!” I say loudly, trying not to blush up a storm. “I just really needed to go!” Great. Not only am I a pony, a girl, and Sweetie Belle, now I’m holding a conversation with my sister while pissing out of Sweetie Belle’s girl pony orifice? Well, at least that’s all I have to say to her, since Rarity doesn’t come running in while my bladder is emptying. And a ..um... couple of other plops.
I’m getting... less wasteful holding the toilet paper at least. You have to kind of tease it with your... hoof. I don’t really understand what I’m doing. But I do wipe myself down, making sure to go front to back. It actually seems to come out pretty clean, but I still grumble to Sweetie, “I wish we didn’t have to get pee all over my petals.”
“Is that what you mean by petals?” Sweetie asks curiously.
“Oh! Yeah they’re sometimes called... petals,” I say, a little flutter in my white chest making my tail swish. “It’s like a flower back there,” I offer in explanation.
“Flowers aren’t all squishy and furry though,” Sweetie replies skeptically.
“It’s an appearance... I’ll... show you in a mirror sometime,” I tell her mutedly, fiddling with my hair in the mirror and not really getting anywhere with it. “I actually don’t know if I should call them that,” I add with a blush. “Nobody ever told me how to talk about your own... parts, if you’re a girl. But, now let’s just get out of here, and figure out if other ponies can hear you,” I assert firmly. “You remember the joke, right?”
“Little old lady... and then Rarity is gonna yodel,” Sweetie replies in an eager whisper.
Pff, yeah. I can definitely see why Sweetie finds this knock-knock joke funny. Rarity yodelling...
Crawling out of the bathroom, I see down the hallway, Rarity is busily shuffling off... my friends? “Why are you guys up here?” I ask those two curiously, as my sister stops trying to push them back to the stairwell.
“Are you okay, Sweetie?” Apple Bloom squeals, running around Rarity, “You seemed real upset!”
“Oh, yeah, sorry I forgot,” I say with an exaggerated hoof wave. “I just almost forgot to go to the bathroom before we left! I’m okay now though.”
“Can we um...” Scootaloo looks up at Rarity, who tosses her mane and says,
“Yes, yes. I just didn’t want you two disturbing poor little Sweetie over nothing. Get along, then!”
The two run past her, and then past me, and uh... oh. Apple Bloom waits at the door, after Scootaloo runs in. Oh, okay. So I turn to Rarity, and say with great determination,
“Knock knock.”
Rarity looks almost queasy as she uneasily answers, “Who’s... there?”
And now we wait. “Little old lady!” Sweetie Belle says brightly, while I covertly cover my hoof over my mouth, just in case.
And now, we wait...
Rarity looks more and more uncomfortable. I don’t think she heard! “Wait, let me try again,” I tell her. “Knock knock.”
“Is this a joke, Sweetie?” Rarity asks uncertainly.
“Yes, it’s a joke!” I tell her stomping despite myself. “A really funny one! Now, knock knock!”
“Who’s there?” Rarity asks in a resigned tone of weary concession.
I wish I could kick Sweetie to prompt her to speak up again, but she says swiftly enough, “Little old lady!”
Still no recognition in Rarity’s eyes, and not a single pony asking, “Little old lady who?” And I know Apple Bloom’s in hearing range.
“Orange,” I finally tell Rarity.
“Orange... who?” she asks immediately, if reluctantly.
“Orange you gonna ask me what the next knock knock joke is?” I say, with a smile that’s more genuine than I’ve felt in a while.
“There’s more than one?” Rarity exclaims, her face twisting in aggrivation. Scootaloo comes up beside me, so, good. It looks like we might have a corroborating witness here. Bathroom door closes behind us.
“Knock knock,” I tell Rarity smugly.
“Who’s... Sweetie I really don’t—”
“Just one more, I promise,” I tell her. “Knock knock.”
“Who’s there,” Rarity says with a disgusted ear flop.
“Little old lady,” I tell her. And Sweetie starts to say “Little old—” but stops when she realizes I already said it.
“Little old lady who?” Rarity queries.
“Gosh Rarity,” I chirp at her triumphantly, “I didn’t know you could yodel!”
“Yodel?” Rarity asks in confusion, “When did...” she pauses. “Well tha—” she snorts, covering her giggle with a hoof. “That was a funny one, Sweetie,” she admits amusedly, patting down my bouncy curls. “Now, was there anything else you needed?”
“Nope, pretty much set,” I say, firming my footing. “Soon as Apple Bloom—oh here she is,” Apple Bloom comes trotting up beside me and Scootaloo. “C’mon, fillies!” I prompt them, stretching a hoof forward as if to take a big dramatic step, “Let’s go to the library!”
“You mean your magic lessons, right?” Apple Bloom asks me searchingly.
“Oh,” I say with a hearty blush. “Right, yeah that.”
Soon, Ponyville passes us by, as Carousel Boutique recedes from sight and vanishes around a corner. Apple Bloom sits in the wagon with me, amusing herself by poking curiously at my horn on the way.
“Y’think this thing can cast spells now?” Apple Bloom asks.
“Well, it’s a horn, so yeah,” I tell her, crossing my eyes to look at the filly’s curious forehoof. “But it takes a lot of...” grimacing? “Concentration, and effort,” I tell her. “For the really hard spells. But maybe I’m old enough that I can lift something up with my magic?”
“Well, your sister’s real good at that, so you oughta be a natural!” Apple Bloom says brightly. Blinking, she adds, “Y’know, if your horn works and all.”
“I might just not be old enough,” I tell her apologetically. “My horn just hasn’t grown enough to be able to yet.”
“So you reckon the length of it matters?” Apple Bloom asks.
“No,” I respond thoughtfully, “I mean, yes, but I think there’s stuff inside it that takes a while too. Like um... like apple trees.”
“Apple trees?” she asks curiously.
“Yes, apple trees start out as just trees,” I tell her. “And then years later, they finally start bearing apples. But it doesn’t take years to grow just one apple. It takes years to grow all the stuff inside the tree, that makes apples.”
“Ah dunno about lotsa years,” Apple Bloom says, “Ah ain’t really had time to watch an apple tree grow from scratch yet. We got a lotta baby ones in the nursery orchard though!”
“Oh, I’d love to see that,” I say, “That sounds adorable!”
Apple Bloom half smiles saying, “Nah, not really. Mostly it’s kinda boring ‘cause they don’t make apples.”
“I’d still like to see it...”
“You sure like our orchard alla sudden, Sweetie,” Apple Bloom says with a smile. “Ah’m flattered but—”
The scooter turns sideways, sliding us to a halt as I realize we’re here at the bottom of the hill in front of my house.
“Okay, you ready Sweetie?” Scootaloo asks. “Me and Apple Bloom are going to uh... go to the library I guess?”
“Let’s go to the park instead!” Apple Bloom says, “We cain kick a ball around some!”
“Yeah, that sounds much more fun,” Scootaloo says in relief. Apple Bloom helps me get out of the wagon, and by that I mean her hoofs come pressing against my very pliable rump, and push me the rest of the way over the edge.
“Sorry, Sweetie!” she says after I land in a disorganized with a huff.
“No problem, I’m fine,” I say, working out how to coordinate myself into standing again.
“Here’s your brush!” Apple Bloom calls out, tossing the pastel pink thing my way. It uh... lands in my hair, and I pull it out with my hoof, smiling at her, at both of them saying,
“Thanks so much, you two!”
“Good luck with your magic lesson!” Scootaloo says back, saluting to me and pulling the two of them away on her scooter. “Bye Sweetie!” Apple Bloom shouts behind her. “Libr’y tomorrow!”
“Okay!” I shout, waving back as the fillies travel up the hill, and then away.
I look at the brush in my hoof, and curl around to hook it into the hairs of my tail, the way Mom showed me earlier today. Then, I place my hoof down and lean on it, standing on all fours now, and turning my head to look at my house. Taking a breath, I pull myself around that way, and slowly plod my way over the dirt all the way to the welcome mat. Rubbing my forehead with a pastern, as if to wipe away sweat, I’m definitely aware of the horn it’s rubbing against.
“Whew, okay,” I say to myself. And then to Sweetie, once I remember that she’s still here with me. “Time to learn some magic, I guess. I wonder what that’s gonna be like?”
“Really hard,” Sweetie says disconsolately, “And you have to keep pushing really hard just to get a teeny little spark. And kind of boring, because you—”
“I get it,” I whisper to her. “Just tell me about your instructor, and if you think I should do anything.”
“Well, Mr. Bulb is kind of hard, but Rarity said he’s a really good magic tutor she found,” Sweetie says, as I pull open the door. “He always gives me a lot of assignments. I don’t really do good on them though. He thinks my magic is going to get better if I practice...”
Sweetie trails off to a surprised silence, because as I toddle into the kitchen saying, “Mom? Dad? I’m here for my magic...” there’s another pony there in the kitchen with them. They’re standing there at the kitchen table, Mom with her hair done up in that ridiculous bun, and Dad with his big brushy moustache and flock of seagulls haircut, and four broad, dark hooves. And standing at the table with them, sharing what appears to be a plate of cookies, is a minty green unicorn known as Lyra Heartstrings.
“Sweetie Belle, I’d like you to meet your new magic instructor!” dad says, beaming with pride as he looks down on me.
“Oh?” I say dumbly, trying to think why Lyra would—oh. Oh!
“That’s great!” I say more excitedly, “Was this the surprise?”
“You betcha!” Mom says with a relieved smile. “Your father and I were surprised too. My little filly, gettin’ the attention of a big name Canterlot perfessor?”
“Dr. Heartstrings is gonna teach you all about usin’ your little horn, there,” dad says happily, even hopefully. “You aren’t kidding when you go play around that new college, are ya?”
“Oh please,” Lyra says, covering her blush with a pastern, “I’m just one professor out of a lot of them. Truly I’m honored for the chance to help a young unicorn out in such a crucial time in her life.”
“Well, I’m honored that you would help me!” I protest. Wait, protest? Yeah, that came out sounding kind of petulant. “It’s...” I say trying to soften my words somewhat. “It’s really good to see you again.”
Oh god why did I say that. Now I’m blushing. So this is why you hide your face with a hoof. You talk with a pony once and suddenly you’re her best friend? I mean, sure you confessed your deepest darkest secret, one that could get you killed if word gets out, and she not only honors that secret but offers to help you out on the spot, but that doesn’t mean... okay yes, I am really glad to see her.
“No problem, Sweetie,” I hear Lyra say in an easy tone of voice. “Now your folks have told me that you had an accident recently, involving an alicorn cascade. You know, the weird horn kaboom.”
I can’t help but snort with laughter at that. I-is it normal to call it that? “Y-yes,” I say trying not to giggle too much. Sweetie Belle is outright laughing of course.
“So what I’m gonna do,” Lyra says smoothly, “Is ask you a few questions about it in private. And then we can try some exercises out in your backyard, to gauge what you’re capable of. I’ll give you some exercises then for the rest of the week, and I’ll be seeing you next Tuesday. Does that sound good?”
“Good? That sounds grea҉t!” I say with undisguised excitement. Oh my gosh, she’s really here! She’s gonna fix me and teach me stuff and we’re going to figure out what happened to me! She... she knows. I don’t have to hide around her! I don’t have to wait, and wonder, and worry because she’s right here, this mint green, round faced, beautiful mare.
“Great!” Lyra says in response, trotting away from the table. “Now, do you want to meet with me down here, or up in your room?”
“We can buzz off, Sweetie,” Mom says accomodatingly.
“Oh, um... you can meet in my room if you like...” I say. “I mean, we can. That’d be fine.”
“Well okay, if you’re up for it,” Lyra says, going right over to the stairs upward. Wait did she...
“Get it?” she says slyly, “Up for it?”
Uggh I hope this isn’t a sign of things to come.
“Thank you so much, mom, dad,” I tell them quite honestly, and they beam at my praise. Pushing myself around to the stairwell, I approach it with my usual difficulty, and as I do, Lyra trots her big aquamarine butt right upstairs. Following upstairs, I find her paused at the second floor, saying,
“Which room’s yours, Sweetie Belle?”
Finishing climbing the stairs, I pause and take a breath, then hold up a hoof, saying, “The very top one. I’m in the attic, I think.”
Nodding, Lyra continues to trot upward, and I continue to follow slowly thereafter. I really wish I could trot. She waits at my door, to which I obligingly rear up and depress the knob, pushing the door inward after the latch clicks open. It’s actually kind of... embarassing to let a stranger into my room. It feels so strange, because I feel like I could trust this mare, but I also don’t know her very well, if she’ll like anything in here, or if she’ll just think it’s silly.
“Oh, um, hold on,” I say nervously, pausing to drop my brush off on top of my dresser. Then, I wobble my way over to the toys that I and Scootaloo discarded the other night. Carrying them in my mouth, I put them in their chest, making room for Lyra while she watches from the door amusedly. Dropping my bunny in, I say, “I guess there’s enough—room, uh, so welcome to my room, I guess.”
She trots in wordlessly, with her horn lighting up golden, and I feel Lyra casting the sound bubble spell again. Once the shimmering gold barrier comes into place, I look up into her yellow eyes and practically shout to Lyra, “Sweetie Belle is back!”
“Oh, right, she wants to know that!” the real Sweetie says. “Hello! Can you hear me?”
“Back? You mean... you’re Sweetie Belle again?” Lyra says uncertainly.
“Oh, no I didn’t mean that,” I say abashedly. “I just meant that she’s back like a voice in my head. She can’t do anything but talk, and it sounds like talking, but I think only I can hear her.”
“And you’re sure this isn’t just your imagination?” Lyra prompts.
“Yup!” I respond confidently. “She can read!”
“Oh, well that’s fascinating,” Lyra says, getting up close to look at me. “You can’t share knowledge then? Is it like telepathy, where she can read your mind?”
“No, it’s just like... talking,” I respond. “I thought it was talking, at first. And then I thought she was using my mouth to talk and I just didn’t know it. But I tested it and I think she’s just ...talking somehow, in my head.”
“How did you do this?” Lyra asks gleefully.
“Well, we decided on a knock-knock joke,” I respond. “I say knock-knock, and when they ask who’s there, she answers. And they didn’t hear her, so they couldn’t finish the joke.”
“Wow, that’s really smart, filly,” Lyra says appreciatively, “But I meant how did you get her back? She just started talking to you? Did she do something to cause it?”
Uh oh.
Y-yeah I was gonna have to tell her. This is vitally important, since it got Sweetie back, and I can just tell her right? S-she won’t get freaked out and um, call the police, right? I can just tell her, and I have to tell her, and if I don’t I’ll be in trouble and Sweetie might go away forever and
“I was m-m—” I say very confidently and calmly. “I mean, you know when you’re... when you see someone and you want to... I mean, I don’t know if it’s normal, I just sort of tried it and it worked, and it felt really good. I didn’t do anything else, just touching j-just things and somehow it made her come back.”
Lyra blinks at me.
“I was... experimenting,” I say lowering to my belly. “I mean, if you were in a new body, you would want to... try things out, right?”
“You tried using your horn, and she came back when you did?” Lyra queries innocently.
“Well not my horn,” I mumble self consciously.
“Sorry, what?” she asks, batting at her own bright green ear.
“Not my horn,” I tell her, “I haven’t really tried anything with that yet. I was experimenting with another... body part.”
“Well, what then?” she says a little irritated. “Your elbow?”
“My um... thing...” I barely get out, blushing so hard I can barely even think. Lyra still doesn’t get it, because of course I’m being totally cryptic. I’ve never just... confessed this to anyone though. Not even as a man! How do you say it without sounding totally... horrible?
“You know how when ponies want to feel... good,” I say, giving her a cagey look, “They touch them... selves? Like, certain parts of themselves? T-the part that feels really good? To touch?”
I think Lyra just got it. Her pupils narrow, and she says. “Oh. Ohh. ...oh. You were doing... that?” She sinks down on her haunches, where no doubt she’s feeling the rug directly against her—dammit stop thinking bad thoughts! “This isn’t about a hug, I assume,” Lyra says gingerly.
“No, t-the thing that’s more than a hug,” I mumble. “I just... did it one night. And I or—um—orgasmed... and then she could talk to me.”
Now a little hastier, I lean forward with urgency, saying, “And then she went away! She just—couldn’t talk to me again. She could see everything and feel everything, but I couldn’t hear her talking. I didn’t know what to do so I told you. And then... and then I did it again. I just... I didn’t know it would do anything I just wanted to... feel good you know? But the second time I did it, she could talk to me again. And she still is talking to me!”
“You bet I am!” Sweetie Belle agrees. “...whatever you’re talking about.”
I really need to simplify my words don’t I. Hiding in a refuge of loquaciousness has been a bad habit of mine.
“So the two times she came back,” I say carefully, “I was doing that. And as soon as I... finished, she came back. It just happened, and I don’t know why.”
“Who taught you how to... do these things?” Lyra asks giving me a worried look. Hopefully not giving my blank white rump a look. “Who showed you about this stuff?”
“I—what?” I ask her caught off guard by the question. “Nobo—nopony showed me. I just figured it out. It’s not that hard,” I add somewhat wryly, “You just have to pull at certain places and rub—um—” and now I’m dying of blushing again.
“A-and you can do it?” Lyra said, glancing around nervously before whisping, “You know... orgasm?”
“You can’t?” I ask without thinking. Oh why do I even open my mouth. “I mean, yes, um, it’s um... I didn’t mean any offense,” I say to the now blushing Lyra. “S-some ponies just don’t... as easy and um...”
“I can’t believe an 8 year old gets more than I do,” Lyra grumbles clearly to herself.
“I could show—” I say before clamming up again, because no I can’t show her. What am I even thinking?
“It’s okay filly,” Lyra says placatingly, “I don’t usually do... that stuff at all, so I just never got uh, around to it. But aren’t you awfully young to be doing that sort of thing? How did you even figure it out?”
Well, officially, I got horny one day, and just tugged on myself until I orgasmed. But I’m not sure I want her to know I used to be a man, just yet. Or, ever. How about ever? I like ever. Wait, technically, didn’t I do the exact same thing as a girl? Tugging on myself? ...huh.
“Just umm... playing... with myself,” I say to her uncertainly. “I guess it did take a... while... but it felt so—I mean, it didn’t make me want to... stop, so why not keep going? I-it’s natural, I’m just a little... early.”
Looking at her earnestly again, I say, “But I don’t want to gross you out or anything. I just told you because that’s the only thing that worked. I don’t know why she came back, but she did, and she did it the moment I... I mean, we orgasmed.”
“Where did you learn that word?” Lyra asks with incredulity. “And you know what it means? And nopony told you about this?”
“Oh, um, I read about it actually,” I say frankly. “There are books on it, and stories, and... stuff. Before I was Sweetie Belle.”
Lyra looks at me calculatingly. Gears in her head spinning like mad, and hopefully none of the ones in her crotch. Weren’t there a few universes where she was a total pedo? Um...
“But filly,” she says to me in a suspicious tone, “You said you couldn’t read.”
“I can’t?” I tell her. “The Sweetie Belle in my head can read though, a little bit.”
“Then she read about orgasms and masturbating?” Lyra asked in a wry drawl.
“No, I read about—” I cut off, my gaze dropping from Lyra to stare blankly forward.
OK yeah, I see where she might be suspicious here. “I can read and write,” I tell her more confidently, “I just can’t read and write your language. I—I don’t know why I can speak it, but not read it. But the only thing I can read is my own language, from where I came from in the other world.”
Lyra’s mouth drops open in shock, and she blurts out, “The other world?! Filly, you came from another world?!”
“Yeah... I told you that,” I tell her cringing uncertainly, “...right?”
Lyra’s just mumbling to herself, something about remembering Equestrian words, and she says to me, “There’s a whole world, where you come from? Is everypony a Nightmare there, or did you have another host? What’s your world like? Is it really hostile and forbidding? Do any ponies—I mean Nightmares know about friendship, or are they all evil—I mean of course they’re not all evil, because you’re here,but...”
Lyra gets really close to me and says with a frightful eagerness, “What are your people, like?”
I think there may have been a serious miscommunication here.
“I’m not a Nightmare,” I say, pushing Lyra’s grinning face away with a hoof. “I didn’t used to be a Nightmare,” I clarify, “I used to be a human, with a normal human body, and a normal human life, but then I woke up as Sweetie Belle one day. And all I could think was I turned into the same thing that the Nightmare was. Because I don’t know any other m-monsters that can do... this to a filly.” Looking back at my own candy colored tail. That blank rump that’s part of my body now.
“Oh filly,” Lyra says warmly, pulling my chin around with a hoof. “I don’t know what to tell you. Maybe what I call a Nightmare, is what you call a huemin, and in our world you can only survive by possessing another pony’s body. What do you look like when you have your own body? Is your species based on color and hue?”
I blink at her, and then give Lyra an uneasy, sideways glance.
“You don’t know what a... human is?” I ask her cautiously.
“Nope,” she says confidently, “And I would know. I’ve studied creatures from all over Equestria.”
“Huh,” I say, genuinely intrigued at this point. How would you describe what a human is to somepony who hasn’t seen one before? “Do you know what a chimpanzee is?” I ask hopefully. Lyra shakes her head negatory. Wow uh... “How about apes?”
“Doesn’t ring a bell,” she says.
Giving her an incredulous look, I try with difficulty, “...monkeys?”
“Yes, monkeys!” Lyra declares, jumping to her hooves. “I have met monkeys before. They are a species indigenous to certain tropical jungles, who live in the trees of the jungle canopy and eat the fruits the trees produce.”
“But no apes?” I ask in return.
Lyra shakes her head, offering, “If you mean some kind of monkey, I’ve never heard of that kind before.”
“No, they’re close relatives to monkeys... in my world, I mean,” I say. “My world is a lot like yours. There are animals, and plants, and skies, and air, and earth, but we have these things called apes. Think of it like a monkey, but without a tail. And usually bigger.”
“A weird thought, but okay,” Lyra says. “How do you get about in the trees without a tail?”
“Opposable thumbs,” I tell her. She looks at me blankly.
“Apes have hands that—hooves that have multiple... digits,” I say, holding up a hoof and looking at it thoughtfully. Then I sit on my butt so I can hold up both forehooves, closing them together, and looking at Lyra saying, “See? Kind of like pincers, or clamps? That’s what I mean by opposable. They “oppose” each other. Humans have those, one on each hand, four fingers and a thumb. They’re like five... hooves, on the end of each arm.”
“So humans are a kind of creature not found in Equestria,” Lyra says in a fascinated tone, “Who resemble monkeys, but have no tails. And to compensate for their tails, they have... thumbs? In addition to fingers? I know what fingers are filly, but what are thumbs?”
A moment to think, and I just tell her, “Emm, big fat fingers that face opposite the other ones. Some creatures have them here, I think? Thumbs are just a word for the fifth finger, which is the main one in humans, since it pairs together with the other four.”
“Huh, so a finger specialized to act as a clamp... very interesting,” Lyra says appreciatively, “Oh, can you draw one? I’d love to see what a huemin looks like!”
Shake my head, I say somewhat disappointedly, “Sorry, humans draw with the pencil held in their opposable thumbs. I barely know anything about holding the crayon in my mouth. Besides, I—I don’t want anypony to find a drawing like that, and maybe think that I was ever really a... human.”
“Well, why not?” Lyra asks innocently enough.
“Because being a human sucks!” I reply, surprising myself with the anger in Sweetie Belle’s voice when I say it.
Flipping
finally!
