Cutting Strings

Chapters

Showtime
Up, Up, and Away
Babies!
Prologue
A Lesson in Learning

Showtime

Waiting in the dark, I went over my lines again. Nearby, I heard a loud voice penetrate the mumbles and chattering of a waiting crowd.

“Welcome, one and all, to another production of the Flim Flam brothers! I’m Flim.”

“I’m Flam,” joined another voice.

“And we present to you an extraordinary sight never before seen in all of history. A phenomenon that is very much real – no tricks, no illusions, and no strings pulled.”

“Now let me ask you,” said Flam, “is it possible to create life with only the help of magic? Such a feat seems impossible, yes. But what if I were to tell you that it can be done?” Low murmurings from the crowd filled the air, most filled with tones of skepticism. I shuffled in place in the dark. It was almost time.

Flim took over. “Without further ado, we present to you our creation and the star of the show, Marie!” That was my cue.

The curtains parted, flooding my vision with a blinding light. I had to blink a few times until I was able to take in what I saw. The limelight above the stage was focused on me, the intensity of the light heating the air around me. Behind me was a backdrop painted to look like a city at night. In front of me was a large audience of ponies seated at tables and some sitting next to a bar. It mostly consisted of stallions, although some of them can’t seem to sit straight without losing balance. They all stared at me, waiting for me to do something. Music began playing from somewhere. I looked at the side of the makeshift stage towards Flim and Flam. They nodded their heads, urging me to do what I was supposed to do. I took a deep breath and sang.

“I've got no strings to hold me down
To make me fret, or make me frown
I had strings but now I'm free
There are no strings on me
I've got no strings so I have fun
I'm not tied to anyone
How I love my liberty, there are no strings on me!

Hi-ho the me-ri-o, I'm as happy as can be
I want the world to know nothing ever worries me
I've got no strings to hold me down
To make me fret, or make me frown
I had strings but now I'm free
There are no strings on me”

The words flowed out my mouth. I went through the rehearsed movements as I sung, my hooves clacking against the wooden stage. I made sure to sway my hips and swish my tail as I trotted around the stage with a smile on my face. Whistling and hooting filled the room. Stallions ate that up, Flim and Flam told me. I didn’t understand what that meant. I guess stallions are just hungry ponies.

“I've got no strings and I'm so glad
No strings at all to make me sad
I had strings but now I'm free,
There are no strings on me”

If either Flim or Flam told me to dance, I danced. If they wanted me to sing, I sang. “Do this” or “Do that” they would say. Of course, I did whatever they told me to do, no questions asked. “We know what’s good for you,” they told me. If it was good for me, then there was no reason for me to ask questions. It’s been that way for as long as I can remember. They’re really nice ponies for them to care about me so much.

“I've got no strings so I have fun
I'm not tied up to anyone
How I love my liberty, there are no strings on me!
No ties to bind me, it's not easy to find me,
'cause I've got no strings on me!”

The song came to an end. All the ponies in the room applauded, clapping their hooves and whistling. Like every show, I gave a bow to the audience. Gold coins were thrown on stage in front of me. Gold coins were good; tomatoes were bad, Flim and Flam told me. The curtains closed in front of me, putting me back in the dark. Standing in the dark, I could hear Flim and Flam again.

“Hoped you enjoyed the show folks,” said Flim, “but that’s all for tonight.”

“But don’t you worry! We’ll be back again, and when we do, be sure to tell all your friends and family and watch another of Marie’s performance!” said Flam.

I felt the floor shake and heard a rumbling behind me. We must be moving again. The stage I stood on was part of a moving machine Flim and Flam made, though they made some changes to it when I first woke up. The machine had the stage in the back and a red sofa at the front. The stage I stood on was just a large box with curtains. It was also my very own room.

“Another great success, brother of mine!” I heard Flim say.

“How’s our little star doing back there?” asked Flam.

I sat down, still left in the dark. “I’m fine.”

It was always like this after every show. I was left on my stage while Flim and Flam went out to spend their gold coins on things. Sometimes, they came back laughing for no reason, usually reeking of something awful. They said I made them very happy. I was glad to make them happy too.

We were now traveling on a bumpy road. I peeked between the curtains of my stage and watched the world around me move by quickly. The moon was high in the night sky. The only sounds heard were the rumbling and whistling of the machine, the snore of one of the brothers, and the occasional chirps of a cricket. I liked to look outside around this time, instead of sleeping; it was filled with a lot of things to look at, like the stars.

We sped by a lot of trees, most of them filled with red apples. I poked my head outside of the curtains to get a better look. I had never seen so many apples in my life! I wonder where we are.

We were on a dirt road that seemed to stretch on for miles behind us. A white fence stood at the side of the road with the apple trees, its paint peeled off here and there. It was rather peaceful compared to the hustle and bustle of the city. It was quiet as well as dark, the only light coming from the moon.

For a brief moment, something bright and fast streaked across the dark sky. My eyes widened at the display. I had never seen something like that happen before when I looked at the sky.

What was that? I would have asked Flim and Flam, but one of them was asleep and the other was probably too tired to answer. I squinted as I stared at the sky again, waiting for it to happen. I leaned forward to get closer, hoping to get a better look at whatever it was.

A large bump in the road shook the moving machine. I lost my balance and felt my hind legs lifting off the ground and my front half leaning dangerously forward. I gave a small yelp as I found myself falling from my stage, tumbling on the ground. I landed on my face with my flank in the air and my tail resting on my head. I’m not going to do that again.

I sat down and shook my head to get all the dirt off. Looking around, I found myself on the dirt road. Speeding off in the horizon was the moving machine with Flim and Flam on it.

“Flim! Flam! Wait!” I shouted as I ran after it.

It didn’t stop. I watched as the machine grew smaller in the distance until it was nothing but a speck in the horizon. I slowed to a stop when I realized I couldn’t catch up to them. They left without me… I fidgeted in my spot, my legs moving but not going anywhere. I was stuck in the middle of the road, completely clueless to where I was. Flim and Flam are going to turn back anytime now, and they’re going to find me. Anytime now… Although I waited, there was no sign of them returning.

What was I supposed to do? Where was I supposed to go? I was lost. I began to trot alongside the fence. I didn’t like being small; everything looked really big… well, bigger than usual. The fence posts were about two or three times my size, and the trees dwarfed me with their size.

Something rustled in the branches. I jumped at the sound. Gathering what courage I had left, I spoke up. “H-hello?”

An owl flew down and perched on the fence post closest to me. It stared at me. “Who?”

“O-oh, my name is Marie…”

It kept its blank stare on me. “Who?” It tilted its head.

“Marie. I’m a singer. Have you heard of me?” I asked.

Again it stared at me, making me uncomfortable. “Who?”

I didn’t like talking to it, so I continued walking down the path. “W-well, it was nice talking to you, but I have to go now.”

“Who?”

I picked up the pace to get away from the owl. I chanced a glance behind me, only to find it turning its head in a way that made it seem impossible and looking at me. My eyes shot forward, and I began to run. If I didn’t think it was creepy before, I certainly did now. Everything seemed much scarier now compared to when I was on the moving stage. Everything looked larger and scarier. I didn’t recognize anything, and sometimes, I thought I saw something move in the corner of my eye, giving me a good reason to gallop faster. I was lost in a completely unfamiliar place.

Oh, where’s Flim and Flam? I really wish they were here right now! I didn’t know how long I ran, but I didn’t stop until I reached a sign. It was a wooden board with a hole shaped like an apple cut in it. I sped under the sign. There were fields of crops, and in the distance, there was a big, red building. Across from it, there were fields of apple trees with baskets placed under the branches. I ran to one of the baskets. I jumped to reach the side of one and pulled with all my weight, tipping it over me. I was shrouded in darkness once again, but at least it served some sort of protection from whatever was out there.

I was shaking uncontrollably, though I wasn't cold or anything. I curled up inside the wooden basket, trying to get comfortable, and waited. With nothing to do, I closed my eyes. The only thing I could do now was sleep and hope Flim and Flam would find me. I sure hope they find me.

~~~~~~~

An alarm clock rang. A red hoof belonging to a stallion reached over and shut it off. Big Macintosh rose up and let out a yawn. It was still dark outside; the sun wouldn’t rise for another hour, but he had to get up early to tend the farm. He sluggishly got out of bed and walked out of his room. A door opened down the hall, revealing his sister, Applejack. She didn’t have her hat on yet, and by the unkempt mess of tangled strands of her mane, she probably just woke up.

“Mornin’ Big Mac,” she said before yawning.

“Mornin’,” he replied back.

She walked into the bathroom, the sound of running water from the shower following soon after. Big Mac made his way downstairs toward the kitchen, his mind set on making some coffee.

Minutes later, he was ready to start the day, now with a cup of coffee in his hoof and a newspaper in his other. Granny Smith and Apple Bloom were now awake, the latter fighting off the remnants of sleep as she sat in her chair. Applejack now wore her hat, and her mane didn’t look like she had just gotten out of bed now that it was washed and tied back. Granny Smith walked toward the table they were sitting at with a plate filled with a towering stack of pancakes.

“Now who’s hungry?” she asked with a smile.

Apple Bloom, upon smelling the delicious breakfast, shot up, no longer sleepy. “Oh! I am!”

Granny chuckled. “Alright now. Dig in!”

The three grandchildren didn’t need to be told twice to do so. They each took a few pancakes and coated them with syrup, adding a slice of butter on top of it. As they ate, they made small talk at the table.

“—and then we’re gonna try getting our cutie marks in ventro… ventrili…”

“Ventriloquism?” asked Big Mac.

Apple Bloom nodded. “Yeah, that!”

Big Mac grinned at her. It was funny how much Apple Bloom acted like Applejack when she was a little filly, always working hard to find her cutie mark. He turned his attention back to his breakfast. The rest of the talk at the table was about the day’s chores on the farms and who was doing what. He was bucking apples today, while Applejack handled the stall in the market and Apple Bloom went to school.

Once Applejack and Apple Bloom had left, he trotted over to the orchard where hundreds of apple trees stood. He went up to the first tree, raised his hind legs, and like a spring coil, kicked the tree with a loud thump, sending all the apples falling into the baskets below. The tree was cleaned of its red fruit, and the baskets were filled to the brim with apples. He took one of the baskets in his teeth and pulled it toward the barn where the apples were stored. However, as he was pulling it, he noticed one of the baskets had been flipped upside down, probably by the wind or a curious critter.

Big Mac set the bushel of apples he was pulling aside and walked up to the overturned container. He turned it over, not expecting to see a wooden puppet lying underneath. It was a beautiful little thing, made to look like a mare. She looked as close to a real pony as a wooden puppet could get. Although, whoever made her painted her eyes closed and seemed to have forgotten to attach strings to her as well as paint her cutie mark. He scratched his head.

A puppet? He looked around, looking for a pony who might have dropped it, but found no one. He picked up the marionette and held it in his hooves. “Now where in Equestria did you come from?”

Seeing how there was no one around, he decided to go back home with the puppet to leave it there with Granny. He carried the wooden mare on his back. Surely, it must have belonged to Apple Bloom or to one of her friends. As he walked back, he could have sworn he heard snoring.

Author's Note

Another chapter? That can only mean I'm stuck with another story! Also I chose ventriloquism because it was the first thing that came to my mind.

Up, Up, and Away

My eyes fluttered open, greeted by an unfamiliar sight. I was in some sort of room. On one side of the room was a fireplace where a fire once blazed, as well as a shelf housing a collection of books. Sunlight poured from a window, revealing rows of apples trees outside.

I rolled onto my hooves. Now where am I?

The sound of someone humming grabbed my attention. It was coming from the room next to the one I was in. From the doorway, I caught a glimpse of a wrinkly, green mare cooking something in the kitchen, her back turned towards me. Her hooves worked deftly as she hummed her little tune. Did she bring me here? I had no idea who she was, but I wasn’t going to stick around. I had to find Flim and Flam.

I found myself peeking over the cliff of the table I stood on. From where I stood, I was very high from the ground—well, high to me at least. It looked like a long way down, but there wasn’t anything I could climb down from, meaning I was stranded on the wooden plateau. Maybe stranded wasn’t the right word for it. I could get down, but I wasn’t going to like it. I backed away from the edge and took off with a running start and leapt, all the while I closed my eyes and braced myself for the impact. Wham!—my limbs clattered and clacked on the floor as I tumbled to a stop. I cracked an eye open and wearily stood up. Taking a look at myself, I checked to see if everything was as it should be. I patted my head, making sure it was still there, and counted my limbs.

“One, two, three, four… phew!”

It would have been bad if I had lost a leg in the fall. I didn’t need to have a missing leg added to my problems. Walking would probably be a lot harder with anything less than four legs. After giving myself another look over for any cracks or chips, I gave a satisfied smile. Looking at the old mare, she hadn’t heard all the commotion I just made and continued to do what she was doing.

"Alright, now where's the… door?” My voice died in my throat as I was face-to-face with a giant nose. Two dark eyes were centered on me. I was met by a large maw baring rows of teeth. A puff of hot hair escaped its nostrils, hitting my face. My legs trembled as I stared at the brown, furry monstrosity that could easily tear me to pieces. It was a dog, or what Flim and Flam usually called a “mangy mutt.”

“N-n-nice doggy…”

A low growl came from the thing. I took that as my cue to bolt off in a random direction as it chased after me. I ran as fast as my little hooves could carry me, running under the table and around the furniture, doing laps around the room. I didn’t have a clue to where I was going. All I was focused on was not being the dog’s next meal.

"Help! Help! Flim! Flam!" I cried out over the sounds of snapping jaws and barking. “Sit! Stay! Heel, doggy!”

A rug—that was my fatal downfall. One unfortunate trip was all it took to end the chase. The beast wasted no time pouncing on me and clamping its jaws around my body. I wriggled and squirmed to get out of its hold, but it was no use. I cringed as its tongue brushed against my legs and coated me in slobber. I could only cry out as I was shaken in its jaws like a chew toy, helpless against my torturer. There was no Flim and no Flam around to help me. It was just me alone with the dog, the one that was trying to eat me.

With all the jostling and shaking, the only thing I could do was hopefully wait for it to get bored. I didn’t like this at all. Wah! Flim, Flam, where are you?!

A stern voice came to my rescue. “Winona, you put ‘er down!” The shaking stopped, and I dropped to the ground with a thud. “Go on outside now. Go on!” The pitter patter of the dog’s paws faded away. I heard a door open and close, followed by hoofsteps walking towards me. “Girl ought to know better than that.”

I remained absolutely still when the old mare from before held me in her hooves. “Poor thing doesn’t need to be treated like that.” She turned me around in her hooves, looking me over.

I hope there aren’t any teeth marks.

She set me down on the soft, cushioned seat of the sofa. “There you go. Nice and comfy!”

She turned around and headed back into the kitchen. Once she was gone, I jumped onto my hooves. The soft cushion sunk where I stood. I frowned as my hoof brushed off some leftover slobber. “Yuck!”

I didn’t want to be here. I didn’t want to be lost in some house. I didn’t want to be chewed and slobbered on. I just wanted to find Flim and Flam and be back in my little room. When there was no sign of the four-legged monster, I hopped off the sofa and strode towards the door I hoped led to outside.

Like everything else in the entire world, it was big. Nothing was ever made for my size. The door knob was perched high above my head, out of my reach. I crouched down, and with a wiggle of my tush, I jumped as high as I could with my legs outstretched. I didn’t get very far as I fell back down on my rump. I didn’t even reach halfway to the door knob. I crouched down and sprang up again and again. Come on, just a little closer! My hooves flailed wildly with each jump, only to grasp nothing but air. The gigantic door sat closed in front of me just as it always had. This wasn’t working. I let out a groan, seeing how I wasn’t going to open the door anytime soon. It was just too high for me. Stupid door…

Just when I was about to give up, the door opened—well, more like slammed open. I was thrown off my hooves when the door smacked my face, sending me sprawling on the floor.

“Granny, we’re home!”

A yellow filly wearing a large bow ran through the door, followed by an orange mare who didn’t seem too happy as she walked in. “Apple Bloom, what’d I say about runnin’ inside?”

The filly skidded to a halt. “Um, not to? Sorry, Applejack.”

“It’s alright. Just don’t run again.” Just as the orange one took a step forward, her hoof bumped against my flank. “Huh? Apple Bloom, you left one of your toys lyin’ around here!”

The one called Apple Bloom walked up to where I was and looked at me. “It’s not mine.” The next moment, I was being lifted by an orange hoof and turned around under the mare’s gaze.

“Think Big Mac left it here or something?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Dunno. He doesn’t look like the kind to be playin’ with dolls,” Applejack said, earning a giggle from Apple Bloom.

“Yeah… Big Mac wouldn’t have somethin’ like this.” I was now eye-to-eye with Apple Bloom, staring into her amber pools. “You know, she’s kinda pretty.” I caught my reflection in her eyes. I wore a smile on my face and a blank stare. She thinks I’m pretty? I was now being held in her hooves. “I wonder where she came from.”

"I'll go ask Granny about it,” Applejack said as she trotted out of the room, leaving me alone with the filly.

She played with my legs, turning and bending them, making me do different poses. I was a graceful ballerina one moment, and the next, I was a Kung-fu master doing karate kicks. It wasn’t so bad playing with her. At least she wasn’t sinking her teeth in me or wildly throwing me around. It was kind of fun actually.

It was too bad the fun had to end when Applejack came back. “Granny said Big Mac found it and brought it in. He thought it was yours.”

“Well, it’s not mine, but can I keep it?” Apple Bloom asked. For a brief second, my eyes widened. Keep me?!

“As long as no one comes askin’ for it, then I don’t see why not.”

With me still cradled in her hooves, she gave a little hop. “Yay!”

No! I couldn’t stay here. Flim and Flam were probably outside looking for me.

“Thanks, Applejack!” Apple Bloom hugged her before carrying me upstairs, taking me farther away from the door.

She brought me to her room. Like everything else in their house, her room was adorned with pictures of apples on the walls and furniture. Wow, they really love their apples. Maybe that explains the names and the apple farm.

She set me down in front of a large mirror on a dresser. Armed with a brush in her hoof, she got to work on my mane and tail, pulling out the tangles and knots made in the earlier fiasco. As she brushed, she said, “Looks like you don’t have a cutie mark either. Maybe we can find some paint around to make you one. If only that worked for me…” She let out a bitter laugh. I didn’t understand the point of having a mark on your flank, though it didn’t matter to me anyway because I couldn’t get one even if I wanted to.

When she turned around to get something from her closet, I turned my head to look at her. Maybe I can sneak out when she’s not looking. But how do I get out of here? I quickly faced forward as I was before, putting on the same smile I wore, and kept still.

She brought out all sorts of random objects. She stacked a bunch of textbooks, making towers of different sizes. She tied a green, apple-emblazoned handkerchief around my neck, giving me a cape of sorts. With me in one of her hooves, she said, “Ready to fight crime, Supermare?”

Then again… maybe I can play with her just a little longer.

I went flying around the room with my hooves outstretched. She ran around the room and jumped on the bed as she carried me. My cape flapped in the wind as I soared over the recently built city of “Appleville,” as Apple Bloom had called it, all the while she made whooshing sounds to make it all more real.

“Nothin’ wrong so far… Wait! Who’s that over there?” She pointed to an old, stuffed teddy bear sitting in the middle of the city. “It’s Doctor Nemesis, and he’s tryin’ to rob Appleville’s bank!”

She grabbed the teddy bear with her other hoof and spoke in a gruff voice. “I’d like to see you try and stop me, Supermare!” The next thing I know, I was charging in towards the bear, only to stop midflight and crash onto the ground. A flashlight was shining in my face. “Did you think I wouldn’t have a trick up my sleeve? My freeze ray will have you frozen in your tracks. Once you’re out of the picture, no one’s gonna stop me!” Doctor Nemesis let out an evil cackle as he glared at me with his one-buttoned eye.

I was trapped, frozen in his beam. He held a sharp pencil in his stuffed paw. “Nothing to say, Supermare? No need to give me the cold shoulder.” What could I do? What powers did I have? At this rate, I was done for. “Goodbye Supermare!” he shouted as he lunged at me.

Just when it looked like things were looking bad, Apple Bloom shouted, “Hurry, use your heat vision!”

Heat vision?

A single “Pew” sound was all it took for the fight to turn around as my heat vision shot the freeze ray, causing it to turn towards its next victim: Doctor Nemesis. He froze in his tracks, inches away from me.

“Curses! Foiled again!”

“Yay, you got him!” cheered Apple Bloom. “We won’t be seein’ him for a while where he’s goin’.” She whisked him off and caged him under a laundry basket. Though it was fun while it lasted, I really had to find Flim and Flam. As soon as she puts me down and leaves, I am outta here. “What’d you say, Supermare? There’s a meteor heading straight for the city?! Oh no, we have to save everyone!”

Or not…

~~~~~~~

As the day’s light sunk below the horizon, Big Macintosh trudged back home with Winona by his side. His legs were sore. His muscles ached. All in all, it was a good day’s hard work. As he stepped inside, a heavenly smell greeted him, coming from the kitchen. He had arrived just in time for supper, Granny’s homemade apple stew. He licked his lips. He could almost taste the sweet and tangy mixture of apples and carrots and spices. A grumble from his stomach voiced his thoughts, yearning for the mouth-watering meal.

Winona bolted towards her food bowl where her meal sat as he trotted into the kitchen, where he found Applejack and Granny Smith cooking up a storm. “Hey Big Mac. Get Apple Bloom, will ya? Supper’s almost ready,” asked Applejack.

With a nod, he said, "Sure." He made his way towards Apple Bloom’s room. From outside her door, he could hear her giggling. He knocked on the door. “Apple Bloom?”

He opened the door and found Apple Bloom’s room in a mess. Books, clothes, and toys cluttered the floor. In the center of it all, Apple Bloom sat with a familiar-looking puppet in her hoof. “Yeah, Big Mac?”

It must have belonged to Apple Bloom all along, though he never remembered her ever owning it. “Clean up your room and come down for dinner,” he said.

She took a gander at the mess around her, caused by her little adventures with the doll, though it looked more like a twister passed by instead. “Alright…” she groaned.

He went back downstairs and started setting the table for dinner. Apple Bloom came down shortly after. Now that everyone was present, it was soup’s on. They dug into their meal with gusto, though still keeping their table manners as Granny had often told them to. In the midst of their eating, Applejack broke the sound of eating. “So Big Mac, where’d you get the doll?”

He swallowed the piece of apple he was chewing. “Found it.”

Applejack raised a brow. “Where?”

He took a slurp of his stew. “Under one of the baskets in the orchard.”

"So... it ain't yours?"

“Nope, I thought it was Apple Bloom’s,” he said, turning to Apple Bloom.

“Nope, not mine. But can I still keep it?”

“Uh… sure.”

"Yes!" she said to herself.

He mulled over how the wooden doll ended up on apple orchard. Did someone leave it behind? Who could have gone by the farm and left something like a puppet on the ground like that? It wasn’t that big of a deal, but the whole thing seemed off to him. I’m just overthinking it, he thought to himself.

He continued eating, content with listening to the family’s conversation, though he was left with a niggling feeling and unanswered questions of the bizarre appearance of the puppet.

Granny brought out the apple pie that had been left out to cool. “Alright, who wants dessert?”

~~~~~~~

I sat up, still on the giant bed where Apple Bloom had left me.

Well, that was fun. Hope she doesn’t come back too soon. I still gotta get out of here. I didn’t know how long I had been playing with the filly, but it must have been quite a while since it was getting dark. I lost track of time after fighting crime and saving the world with her. Apparently, I became the mayor after saving the town, and I would start my new job when she comes back. Though I’d love to stay, I had to go.

I scanned the room, looking for a way out. “Now where’s the exit?”

The door to her room was closed. There was a window I could climb out of, but with how high I was from the ground outside, I wouldn’t make it out in one piece, that was for sure. I glared at the door that kept me trapped in the room. It’s always the doors…

I hopped down onto the floor and looked around for something to help my escape. I saw the stacks of books Apple Bloom hadn’t put away yet. I began pushing the books lying around towards the door, nudging them with my head. With a little bit of arranging, I had the books stacked into small pile, like a carelessly made, mismatched flight of stairs. I scaled to the top of it like a mountain climber, carefully placing my hooves so I don’t end up tumbling my way down. When I finally got to the top, I balanced myself on my hind legs and reached for the door knob. I wobbled as I stood. The books teetered under me as I did a balancing act on my two legs. I could almost touch the door knob with my hoof. Come on, just a little closer! With a hop, I grasped the door knob as the pile of books fell over. I hung from where I was and swung my body.

With a click, the door opened a crack. I dropped down onto the ground and pried the door open, squeezing through the small gap. It took a while, but I finally did it. After all that work, I was finally out of that room. And now, I had to find a way outside. I found the stairs, but the sound of someone coming up kept me from going any further. I had to run and hide.

I spotted dark room with the door wide open and made a beeline for it. Wooden hooves weren’t exactly the quietest. I could only hope that whoever was coming didn’t hear me. Once inside, I dove under the bed for cover and waited, listening to the heavy steps draw closer. Please go away. Please go away. Please go away, I chanted in my head. It wasn’t long until four hooves walked through the doorway. I watched as they trotted closer to where I was, never taking my eyes off them. My legs rattled as waited for the pony to peek under and find me under the bed.

The legs stopped at the entrance of my hiding spot.

Oh, please don’t look under! The pairs of hooves disappeared as they were pulled up, out of my vision. The bed above me sank. The springy coils creaked under the weight as the pony shuffled to get comfortable. I heard a heavy sigh of a stallion above me. I let out a breath I didn’t know I had been holding. Curiosity was telling me to see who it was, but I had to wait until he fell asleep. So I waited.

I could hear his slow, steady breathing—in and out, in and out. Did he fall asleep? I wasn’t sure. I waited just a little longer before crawling out from my hiding place. Looking back at the bed, I found a large, hulking stallion sleeping soundly. I climbed up the bed sheet that fell to the floor and stood next to the giant. Under the moonlight from the window, I took a closer look at his sleeping face. Strands of his dark blonde hair fell over his eyes. Little freckles dotted his face like the apple seeds on his cutie mark. A puff of warm air escape his nostrils with each breath. I stared at his face, longer than I should have.

What am I doing? I should be leaving, not staring at him. I forced my eyes away from his face and turned around to make my leave. Just as I was about to jump down, I was pulled back by two strong hooves and was met with a giant wall of red fur. The stallion mumbled something and continued sleeping. I wiggled in his grip and even tried pushing against his chest as he squeezed me.

“Let go!” I quietly grunted.

I pried my front half out and slowly slid the rest of me out of his hooves. Just when I thought I was free, I was kept from going any further by a tug from my tail. It was still stuck in his hooves. I tugged at it, but the stubborn thing wouldn’t pull loose. Grabbing onto my tail with both hooves, I pulled. Slowly, my tail gave way. With one final yank, it came loose, throwing me off my hooves. I went sailing into the air before crashing onto the floor.

I shook my head of the stars I was seeing and quickly checked my tail. It was all there, thankfully, still attached to my rear. Glad to have my tail still with me, I gave a sigh. “Finally! Now I just gotta get out of here.”

With a click, the room lit up. I looked back at the bed where the stallion was no longer asleep. He had one hoof next to the lamp sitting by his bed. His mouth hung open. His eyes were no longer closed and instead were wide open. They reminded me of the grassy meadows I’d seen while on the road.

Those eyes were staring straight at me as he sat up on his bed. Neither of us made a move. I sat on the floor, frozen to my spot. What do I do? What do I do?!

I opened my mouth to say something, but words wouldn’t come out. Instead, a high-pitched sound, like a balloon losing air, came out. I shut my mouth, realizing how useless it was to say anything. I watched as he prodded himself with a hoof before slowly nodding to himself, his eyes still fixed onto mine. After what seemed like forever, he finally spoke. “You… You can move…”

I gave a gentle nod.

“Can… can ya talk too?”

I nodded again.

He crawled out of bed and stood in front of me. I stared as the towering stallion plopped down on his rump. He craned his neck down so that we were now face-to-face again, only this time he was awake. “Who are you?”

“M-Marie…” I finally said. I stared into his eyes at my reflection, staring at the trembling wooden mare in front of me.

“Marie… That’s a nice name.”

“Um, thank you?”

He gave a warm smile. “Name’s Big Macintosh, but you can call me Big Mac.” His eyes drifted down, getting a good look at me. “How are ya doin’ that?” he asked.

“Doing what?”

He pointed at me. “Talking… and moving…”

“I don’t know,” I said. All I remember was waking up in front of Flim and Flam. I remember them teaching me how to talk and sing and walk and dance. I remember my first words, my first steps, my first performance--nothing before all of that though.

“So where’d you come from?”

"I don't know," I said again. I didn’t know where I was or where Flim and Flam were. I didn’t even know the places I’d been to.

He slowly nodded again and continued looking at me. What was he going to do with me? What will happen to me now? I wished Flim and Flam were here. They would know what to do. But neither of them was here to tell me what to do.

“Do you need a place to stay?” he asked.

The sound of his voice snapped me out of my thoughts. “Huh?”

“You’re lost, aren’t ya? I ain’t gonna kick ya out.”

“Oh, I’ll be… alright on my own.”

"You sure?”

I glanced at the window. It was already dark outside. I really didn’t want to be alone with all the scary things living in the dark. Maybe one night wouldn’t hurt… “I guess I can stay just for one night.”

“Alright,” he said. He walked over to a closet and rummaged through his things. Meanwhile, I was trying to peek around him to see what he was doing. He turned around, holding a box in his a hooves and a small red blanket adorned with little green apples. It must have once been his little blanket, since it was much too small for him. He set the box down next to his bed and stuffed the blanket in it, making some sort of bed for me.

“Sorry it ain’t much. I hope you don’t mind.”

I hopped into my makeshift bed, pacing around in circles to move the lumps before finally lying down. “It’s perfect,” I said.

“Well, see ya in the morning,” he said, turning off the lights. “Goodnight, Marie.”

"Goodnight, Big Mac.”

Silence settled in the room. I rolled and turned in my bed, eventually settling for lying on my back, staring at the ceiling. This wasn’t at all like my room. It didn’t seem as dark. The shadows and the little things I could make out in the moonlight were unfamiliar. Even the little noises were different, not at all like my room. The sound of the machine’s churning and rumbling were replaced by the sound of Big Mac’s gentle breathing and a snore every now and then. The city noise I had grown so used to was now nothing more than a cricket’s chirp. It was a whole new kind of quiet. Unfamiliar, strange, alien—it was different from what I was used to, as if I stepped into a whole new world from my own.

First thing in the morning, I gotta find those two. I curled up on the blanket. Slowly, my eyes closed, and I slipped into the comforting embrace of sleep, surrounded by strange noises and an unfamiliar darkness.

Babies!

Never in my life had I ever seen a building made of sweets.

As we walked towards the sugary place, the trio of fillies went on and on about getting their cutie marks and their future careers as the best bakers in all of Equestria. I suppose that sounded nice, but I was never one for baking. After all, I had never gone near a stove before. But instead of listening to the fillies talk about their dreams of grandeur, I was focused on a window in the giant cupcake that sat on top of the bakery. I thought I saw someone at the window, but the pony had moved before I got a good look.

“Are ya sure they won’t mind if we use their kitchen?” Apple Bloom asked.

Scootaloo waved a hoof dismissively. “I’m sure they won’t mind. Besides, if there’s one pony in Equestria who really knows how to bake, it’s gotta be…”

“Pinkie!” shouted a pink mare from behind. Where she came from or when she had shown up, I didn’t know. She scooped all of us in her hooves and somehow was able to give the biggest hug I’ve ever seen. “My Pinkie Sense told me you three need some help.”

In my mind, I was wondering what in the world was a Pinkie Sense, but the sudden shaking of the saddlebag from Apple Bloom’s hopping jostled me out of that train of thought.

“Yeah! Can ya help us get our cutie marks in baking?” she asked.

The smile on the mare’s face grew twice as large. I didn’t think that was possible. “Of course I’ll help! Since Mr. and Mrs. Cake are away to deliver an order, they put me in charge of Sugarcube Corner and the twins," said the mare. “Why, I remember when I was your age I baked my first cake.”

“What did you make?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“A rock cake.”

Pinkie didn’t seem to notice the confused looks on the fillies’ faces.

“Do you want to know the secret ingredient?” she asked. She glanced around and then leaned in to whisper: “It’s rocks.”

“Rocks?” the fillies asked.

Pinkie nodded. “Yep! Rocks.”

She certainly was a strange mare.

Very strange… I thought.

It's very different to see other ponies up close. You can never tell what they're going to do.

“Now, let’s go bake us a cutie mark!” she said.

With a cheer, everyone quickly trotted inside the bakery. Unlike the outside, the bakery looked normal inside. It was a slight disappointment, but nothing’s perfect. Once again, I was tossed around inside Apple Bloom’s saddlebag as she and the others flung their bags to the side of the wall before heading to the kitchen.

I rolled out Apple Bloom’s bag, feeling like the room was spinnier than usual. I shook my head and made a few careful turns with my neck. Who knows if my head was on backwards? Once I was sure that the ceiling was “up” and the floor was “down,” I began exploring the new place, though I was cut mid-step by the giggling and screeching coming from a corner in the room.

Sitting in the corner of the bakery were two small ponies, only slightly bigger than me. I smiled at the little ones.

Aw, babies!

For some reason, they were kept in a roofless cage. The baby unicorn and pegasus had their faces against the wall of their cage, their little muzzles poking between the wooden bars. The yellow one kept biting on one of the bars, while the other bashed against them with his hooves. All the while, they babbled in their own little baby talk.

How strange, I thought to myself. Why would they put little ponies in cages?

I was never one for being familiar of the things ponies do, whether they were outside or in their homes. Of course, if it was any importance, then surely Flim and Flam would have told me.

Before I realized it, I found myself face-to-face with the little foals, a wooden barrier between us. It’s funny where curiosity can take you, especially when your mind is some place else.

“Hi babies!” I said, closing the distance between us. “My name's Marie. What are your names?”

They gurgled back and, with their hooves outreached, began touching my mane and back.

“You can’t really talk yet, can you? I remember when I used to be like that."

A smile had somehow crawled its way onto my lips. Smiling—it happens once in a while. I don't know why, or rather, I hadn’t bothered on finding out why. I just don't think it's worth thinking about much. I’ve seen ponies do it all the time. Even Flim and Flam have told me to smile while on stage. But sometimes I end up doing it without even realizing it.

The baby unicorn clapped her hooves twice as she giggled. A blue glow surrounded her horn.

What is she doing?

I got my answer when I looked down and saw the ground a little bit farther than I remembered.

"Whoa!"

I tried running, but that didn’t keep me from being dangled in the air.

Just as sudden as being picked up, I fell—not outside the cage, but inside. Though, I might as well have been put in a den of lions because as soon as I was inside, the foals jumped onto me. I let out a yelp, but that didn’t slow them at all.

Then, it got very dark.

There were two things I didn’t like about where I was. One, I couldn’t see anything. Two, it was wet. Another thing to note was the feeling of two soft walls constantly closing against my neck and something wet slithering against my face. As if that wasn’t enough, someone was tugging on my tail.

Thankfully, with all the tail-yanking, I was pulled free from wherever I was. With my mane dripping wet, I looked up and saw two blue eyes gazing down at me. There was a slimy string connecting my mane and the corner of her mouth.

Ew…

I didn’t have to worry about my soaked mane for long as the pegasus had me twirling by the tail, firmly clenched between his teeth. A few quick spins later, he had me shaking and dangling. The little filly bit my withers with her toothless mouth and pulled back. I was stuck being tugged back and forth by the two foals. Looking back now, I think the dog was much more preferable.

Enough was enough. I turned my head and gazed at the two.

“Hey! Stop that!” I shouted.

Somehow, it worked. I had two set of eyes focused on my face. They looked surprised after I raised my voice like that. Then again, I was pretty shocked too. I didn't know I can sound like that.

“Now put me down,” I told the foals.

They did as they were told. With the ground below my hooves again, I gave a stern look.

“You.” I pointed at the unicorn. “Don’t put me in your mouth! It’s not good for you.”

I pointed at the pegasus next. “And you. Don’t swing me around like that! What if you hurt yourself or even her?” I nodded towards the filly.

“Understand?” I asked.

There was a moment where neither of us made a sound. That all changed by the shrill cries and bawling of two babies. My eyes widened, realizing what I had done. I ran up to each one, running back forth between the two while I tried to calm them.

“There. There,” I said. “Stop crying. I know you didn’t mean to, so please stop crying!”

No amount of shushing, cooing, or patting soothed their cries. I stood between the two, thinking of ways to make them stop.

“Um, look! Look at me dance!” My hooves shuffled underneath me, going through the many practiced steps I’ve done time and time again. A final tap of my hoof finally silenced their wails. “See? There’s nothing to cry about.” A few more taps. “After all, there’s always:

Something to dance about
Someone to dance it with
Something to dance it to
To a fox-trot or a waltz.

Put on your dancing shoes
Here comes some happy news
Break up in twos and twos
To a fox-trot or a waltz.”

I finished with a twirl and a tap with my hoof. I was graced with the smiles from the filly and the colt. The return of laughter had never sounded so wonderful.

Maybe they’re not so bad, once you get used to them.

“Pound? Pumpkin?” Pinkie called from the kitchen.

I turned towards the kitchen doors. “Uh oh.”

She burst through the swinging doors, a large sack balanced on her head. “Don’t cry! Auntie Pinkie Pie is on the case!”

It was a good thing I went limp just in time before she showed up. The unicorn foal had me in her hooves, though this time she held me more gently than before.

Pinkie stopped in front of the cage. “Huh?” She eyed me with a confused look on her face. I nearly jumped when her face leaned uncomfortably close. “When did you two get this? Have you been getting secret birthday presents behind my back?” she asked, as if she would get an actual answer.

“Binkie,” they both said, along with a few babbling sounds.

She nuzzled the two, earning a giggle from each foal. "Aw, you two have been acting such good ponies today! You deserve an extra special, scrumdiddlyumptious treat from your Auntie Pinkie Pie!"

"Um, Pinkie?" Sweetie Belle called from the kitchen. "Is ice cream supposed to be on fire?"

Pinkie's eyes widened before she dashed back to the kitchen. "Don't worry! I'm coming, girls!"

A second later, her head poked through the doorway.

"Oh, and you two keep being good little ponies. I'll have your treat done in just a jiffy."

"Pinkie!" the girls shouted. With that last cry for help, Pinkie went back to work with the fillies.

I watched the mare leave us once again. "She is very strange, indeed." I turned to the two ponies who were currently holding and playing with me. "I bet it must be fun with her around here."

I wiggled out of their hooves and jumped to the floor. From the look of things, I was going to be stuck with the babies for a while.

The little ponies gurgled something.

"Hmm, yes?" I asked, wondering if they needed something.

"Ma," they said.

I looked at them curiously. "Ma?"

They clapped when I said the word. "Ma! Ma!"

"Ma..." I wondered what they were talking about. "Are you saying my name? Marie?"

I was answered by another "Ma!"

I laughed. "Yes, that's my name, sort of. But I'm still not sure what to call either of you."

My eyes shifted between the unicorn and the pegasus.

"Pound?" I asked out loud.

The pegasus's wings twitched.

I smiled. "Pound!"

This time, his wings buzzed to life, and he laughed.

My eyes met the unicorn's. "Then you must be Pumpkin," I said.

She giggled.

I began cooing their names. Laughter filled the air. I nudged one of them with my nose when I got their name right. They in turn would be as loud as they can, giggling as they clapped their hooves or bang the floorboards. But what I found the most enjoyable was when they tried to say my name.

"Ma! Ma! Ma!"

When they finally calmed down, I had them come sit in front of me. They were tired. I could tell by the way they moved. But I was surprised how much energy babies had. Adults are never like this, except for the pink mare. It's hard to think that all ponies were like this once.

A yawn escaped from both of their mouths.

"Pound. Pumpkin," I said. "Do you want to hear a few more songs?"

A mumble from both of them was all I needed to hear.

~~~~~~~

"Aw, they look so cute when they're asleep," Apple Bloom said.

I heard everything that was being said, but I made no show of it. Instead, I lay comfortably on top of Pound, who was fast asleep beside Pumpkin. I was curled up between Pound's wings; he didn't seem to mind. Some time during my singing, they had tuckered out. I managed to find some stuffed animals closeby and gave it to each foal as a pillow they can use. Whatever toys that were around were also cleared away to the far corner.

Pinkie and the fillies had returned not long after I had lulled the babies to sleep. They came in the room chatting among each other but grew quiet when they saw us.

"Oh, applesauce," Pinkie whispered. "They're not going to get to try any of the applesauce I made for them."

"Maybe they will when they're awake," said Apple Bloom

Scootaloo gave Pinkie a strange look. "But why applesauce? Don't you usually make sweeter things?"

Pinkie shrugged. "Most of the time. But with these babies, you have to be extra careful with what you feed them."

A small mumble left Pumpkin's mouth as she drooled on her makeshift pillow.

A pink hoof found its way over Pinkie's mouth. "Oops, I better take these two back to their cribs."

She scooped each foal with her nose and set them on her back, where they slept undisturbed. It didn't take long for Apple Bloom to notice me between a pair of feathered wings.

"Hey, that's my doll," she said.

She was shushed by her two companions.

"Sorry," she whispered. "But that's my doll. How'd they get a hold of her?"

When Pinkie noticed me, she bit the tip of my tail and carefully brought me to Apple Bloom's waiting hooves.

"Oh, Pumpkin must have picked her up using magic," said Pinkie. "I'll have to teach them not to take other ponies' stuff. I hope you don't mind."

Apple Bloom shook her head. "Not at all."

I was put inside Apple Bloom's saddlebag. There was the familiar feeling of the bag being slung over as Apple Bloom carried the saddlebag. The fillies made their way over to the door.

"Bye Pinkie," they said.

"Thanks for the help," Sweetie Belle added.

Pinkie was halfway up the stairs when she smiled. "See you later."

The foals stirred in their sleep. "Ma. Ma," they mumbled.

Pinkie gently rubbed her cheek against the foals'. "Shh, your mommy will be home real soon."

We left after everyone said their goodbyes—well, everyone except me. The Cutie Mark Crusaders seemed to move a little less excited than when we first walked.

Sweetie Belle gave a long, drawn-out sigh. "I guess we're not fit for baking."

There was a murmur of agreement.

"Yeah... We managed to burn everything we tried to bake. And seriously, Sweetie Belle? Ice cream?"

The unicorn blushed. "I don't know how! It just happened."

"Was that before or after Scootaloo got the bowl stuck on the ceiling?" Apple Bloom asked.

Scootaloo's cheeks turned red, caught of her own mistake.

"Looks like it's back to the drawing board," continued Apple Bloom. "Well, I'll see y'all later."

The three ponies had split up and began walking to their own homes. Apple Bloom and I started our walk back to the farm. Though for the strangest reason, I felt something tug from inside me.

I think I miss them.

I was going to miss those foals. They had a laugh that was sweeter than any filly’s or colt’s. When I hear them laugh, I am reminded of a house made of sweets and a nice mare with pink hair. I can hear the words of an old tune from the laugh of two foals. It is a secret they’ve shared with me and a secret I’ve shared with them. But now that I’ve realized this, they are gone.

No, they aren’t gone, I tell myself.

Some day, I don't know when, I’m going to see them again, and their laugh will sound just as sweet as I remembered, if not sweeter.

Because of a song only I can hear.

Author's Note

Typing a chapter on a mobile phone has never been more painful.

Prologue

“Well, brother of mine, any other bright ideas?”

Two stallions stood on a makeshift stage, one glaring at the other. Both stallions were almost identical. A horn was perched on both of their heads. A white stripe ran through their red manes and tails, and they were clothed in a blue and white striped shirt and a hat. The difference between the two was that one had a moustache while the other didn’t and that one had a cutie mark of an apple with a missing slice while the other's was an apple slice. Based on their appearance, they could be mistaken for a barbershop quartet, or in this case a duet. At the moment though, they were painted head to hoof in tomatoes, courtesy to the stallions, mares, and foals that came to watch their performance. Their audience had left their show for a mare’s performance down the street who claimed to be one of the greatest magicians ever.

The stallion without facial hair, whom the question was being directed toward, brushed his shirt of the red fruit, cringing at the foul smell of a rotten tomato that had mixed in with the rest. “I don’t see you coming up with any better ideas, Flam,” he retorted.

The one known as Flam rolled his eyes. “Well, Flim, if I did have a plan to get us both rich, it wouldn’t involve something as ridiculous as a puppet show.”

Sitting between the two was a marionette no bigger than a hoof, which had miraculously stayed clean during the barrage of tomatoes. The wooden marionette resembled a small earth mare with strings attached to her hooves, head, and body. She was given a pale yellow coat of paint and a red and white mane. She could only stare at the nothingness in front of her with a smile fixed on her face as she lay on the ground motionless.

“Alright, so it was a dumb idea! What do you suggest we do?” asked Flim.

A sigh escaped from Flam. “Well, I guess it’s back to the drawing board.”

Flim and Flam began packing their things and loading it onto the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000. As they were loading, Flim shot a bolt of magic into the rods protruding from the vehicle, creating only a small spark within the glass bulb and nothing more.

Flim scrunched his brows and shot several more bolts at the rods, only to get the same result. “Oh great, what’s wrong with it now? The ‘Come to Life’ spell should have worked. Hey Flam! The darn thing’s broken again!” He detached the glass bulb and took a closer look at the conductors inside.

Flam looked up as he was about to pack up the marionette. “Again? That’s the fifth time this month! Let me have a look.”

He set the puppet down between the conductors before getting up on his hind legs and examining the conductors while Flim checked the wires. After fiddling around with the contraption and some wires here and there, the brothers stepped away from the vehicle until they were at a safe distance.

“Okay, it should work now. Ready Flim?”

“Ready Flam,” replied the brother.

They pointed their horns at the rods again and shot two beams of magic. The conductors instantly sparked to life as electricity crackled, arced, and jumped between the two metal rods, filling the air with the smell of ozone. Despite the flashy display, the contraption remained lifeless.

“It’s not working,” Flim said, straining to keep the “Come to Life” spell on the rods.

Beads of sweat became visible as Flam struggled to keep his spell up too. “It just needs a little more boost is all. Keep it up a little longer.”

Flim took a glance at the vehicle’s engine. His eyes trailed down the conductors, now fiery sparklers, before stopping at the object lying between the conductors. His eyes widened upon noticing the marionette in the center of the spectacle, its lifeless form shimmering in the glow of the spell as bolts of electricity danced around it.

“Uh, Flam, I think we should stop.”

“Why?” he grunted.

“I think I found the problem.”

Flam followed his brother’s gaze towards the marionette lying between the conductors where he had left it. Like a sponge, the marionette soaked up all that magic. The two stopped their spells, but it was too late. A green glow surrounded the lifeless mare as it levitated in the air with sparks arcing from its body. Flim and Flam weren’t ready for the burst of light that came from the marionette. They blindly stumbled around and into each other until they regained their vision.

Flim rubbed his eyes, trying to get the dark blots to leave his vision. “You idiot! You left the blasted puppet in the way of the spell!”

“Don’t pin this whole thing on me! It was your idea to buy the stupid thing!”

“Yeah, but I didn’t leave it in the engine and cause it to blow up!”

“You know what, you’re an insufferable—“ Flam never got to finish his insulting remark when he heard a sound coming from the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000.

Thump!

They turned their heads in the direction of the noise. Smoke surrounded the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000, now a smoking pile of scrap. In the smoke, they could see a small shadow of a figure moving around on the floor of the machine. Their first reaction was to help the pony who was most likely hurt from getting caught in the explosion. Though as they got closer, they slowed down when they noticed that the figure was much smaller than a pony, even for a foal. They took off their hats and fanned the smoke away and gaped at the sight in front of them.

The marionette that was lying between the conductors was now on the ground. What made the brothers’ jaws drop was the fact that the lifeless marionette was now moving her limbs lazily. Her movements were like a newborn learning to move its limbs. The puppet pawed at the ground and swiveled her head to stare at the two unicorns who stared back at her. They blinked. She blinked back. She steadily got onto her hooves, only to stumble forward and fall on her belly.

“Flim… Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Flam asked, still staring at the puppet who looked back at him with her emerald eyes.

“Do you mean the puppet that’s moving like it’s alive? Then yes.”

Flam got closer to the tiny wooden mare and craned his neck down so that the puppet was at his eye level. “By Celestia’s flank… Do you realize what we just did, Flim?” he said in a low whisper. “We just brought something to life.”

The wooden puppet took clumsy steps forward before clinging onto Flam’s muzzle for support. He wrapped her in his magic and placed her in front of Flim. She looked at him with a tilt of her head, while he looked closely at her like a foal does to a new toy. A grin crept its way onto his face.

“Flam, I feel another idea coming to me! And I assure you, it’s going to be better than the last.”

Flam grinned back. “Oh, I see where you’re going with this. And I like it.”

They both turned to the little mare who had been looking back and forth between the two brothers during their conversation.

“So,” said Flim, “how would you like to be a star, Marie?”

Flam arched a brow. “Marie?”

“Yes, Marie. It’s a nice name, don’t you think?” he replied to Flam before turning back to the tiny mare. “Well, what do you say, Marie?”

The puppet beamed at Flim before chirping, “Marie!”

A Lesson in Learning

I woke up to an unfamiliar sight for the second time. The sun wasn’t even up yet. In the darkness of early morning, I could make out the large figure lying in bed. From his snores, he was still asleep. I crawled out of my makeshift bed and crept towards the door, bringing the box that made my bed. Using it as a step stool, I opened the door. It creaked open as it swung on its hinges. I slipped through the gap unnoticed.

The floorboards squeaked under my hooves. It’s better if I leave now if I want to find Flim and Flam. Down the hall, a door opened, revealing the orange pony from yesterday. Applejack, I think her name was. I dropped to the ground from where I stood. Maybe if I stay still, she won’t notice me.

She let out a yawn before making her way down the hall in my direction. Her movement was sluggish, and her eyelids drooped. Her steps grew closer before they stopped in front of me. She grumbled something about Apple Bloom before she took my tail in her teeth and carried me off. I didn’t like being held like this. What if she drops me and I lose a head? I couldn’t say anything as she hung me upside-down.

Applejack brought me to Apple Bloom’s room, where the filly was sleeping. She set me on the bed, next to Apple Bloom, before turning to leave. Once she was gone, I stood up and looked at the sleeping child. Unlike Big Mac, her snores were soft and quiet. I sat in the same spot for a while, just staring at her. I eventually snapped out of it and made my way over to the edge of the bed, making sure not to wake Apple Bloom. I could have jumped down, but I decided against it. It would surely cause a racket. I paced back and forth along the edge of the bed. If only I had some string or some rope… Maybe I can use her bed sheet.

I trotted to a corner of the bed and tugged at the bed sheet until it nearly touched the floor. I only hoped Apple Bloom wouldn’t wake up as I worked. Once I got my rope, it was time for me to climb down. I took some of the sheet in my hooves and crawled over the edge of the bed. It’s just a little shimmy down the rope. Nothing to it.

I began my climb down. I placed one hoof below me and immediately regretted it. My leg slipped, and I climbed down the rope faster that I would have liked to. I slid down the sheet with my eyes shut while I silently screamed for the falling to stop. This is a bad idea! Why is falling always the worst part?

I stopped.

There was no thump, no clatter, no crash—just the gentle breathing of the filly sleeping in the room. I cracked an eye open and looked down. The ground wasn’t far at all. My hooves barely touched the floor. I let out a sigh and hopped down. Apple Bloom hadn’t stirred at all, still sound asleep.

Applejack had shut the door, so I was now trapped again. Everything had been cleaned up and put away, even the books. Why couldn’t doors be smaller? She could have at least left it open. With my only way out blocked, I searched the room for something that could help me.

I took the time to gaze closely at some of the things in her room. Crayon drawings were pinned to the wall. Most of them showed three little ponies wearing capes. They were always together and doing something different in each sketch. Whether it was mountain climbing, pig farming, or even monster catching, it always showed the three of them. I was pretty sure the one with the bow was Apple Bloom. The other two I’d never seen before.

There was a picture frame sitting on her dresser. Pulling out each drawer from the dresser, I made myself a set of stairs to climb on and took a closer look. It was the four ponies I had met yesterday. They were all smiling, frozen inside the wooden frame. They looked happy together.

Next to that picture was another. It was the same four ponies, though younger than they were now, and two more. There was a mare holding a little foal in her hooves. The foal was unmistakably Apple Bloom with her apple-red mane. She had her eyes closed in the picture. She looked cute as a baby. Babies were cute. The mare’s half-lidded eyes fell on Apple Bloom. Her lips were curved into a smile. Standing next to her was a stallion. He shared the same freckles as Applejack and Big Mac, like little apple seeds planted on their faces. Who were they? I wondered where they were.

The clock rang.

I jerked my head around in time to notice the filly stir from her sleep. I flew down the makeshift steps, kicking the drawers back in place as I went, and dived into a saddlebag lying on the floor. I heard Apple Bloom grumble before shutting off the ringing alarm. The only thing I could hear was the clack of her hooves around the room.

I sat between a textbook and some pencils and waited. Without any warning, the saddlebag jerked upward, and I was flipped and tossed around with the other objects inside. I lay at the bottom of the saddlebag on my back. There was the steady rocking of the saddlebag that came with the rhythmic tapping of hooves. Where am I going this time?

Suddenly, the saddlebag dipped. I, along with some other things inside, slid from one end to the other. Each step jumbled everything inside, and I soon found myself crushed under a book. The bag went back to being leveled and continued with its rocking. I tossed the pencil that had been poking my eye aside before tumbling in the other direction as the bag sloped again. This is the worst place to hide in!

“Mornin’ Apple Bloom. You’re just in time for breakfast,” said an old voice.

There was a yawn next to me. “Mornin’ Granny.”

“Where’s your brother?” asked Granny. “He’s going to miss breakfast.”

“I think he’s still in his room.”

“Don’t tell me he’s still sleeping. We’ve got work today!”

“Actually,” Applejack interrupted, “when I passed by, he was up. He said he had to find something he lost.”

I wonder if he's looking for me.

“Well, alright then. You two finish up eating. Applejack, take your sister to school, will ya?”

“Okay, Granny,” said Applejack.

The sounds of eating filled the room. As they ate, I tried to free my leg from the pile of school supplies. While I worked, they talked about things—things I didn’t really understand. It didn’t matter to me what they were talking about. I had more important things to do, like finding Flim and Flam, which was why I tried to leave early in the first place. Though, in the middle of their conversation, something caught my attention.

“Applejack, have you seen my doll? You know, the one we found yesterday?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Yeah, I did. How many times do I have to tell ya to not leave your stuff lying around?” she replied.

“I didn’t leave it lying around! I just couldn’t find it where I left it.”

“Well, it’s in your room. Take better care of your things, you hear me?”

“Alright, I will.”

“Now hurry up and finish eating or you’ll be late for school.”

School? Wait, maybe I can finally get out of here. All I had to do was wait, and maybe I could find out where I was. Then, I just had to find Flim and Flam, wherever they were.

“Oh, and don’t forget your lunch, Apple Bloom,” said Granny.

Before I knew it, there was a brown paper bag being shoved into my face, and I was crammed to the bottom of the saddlebag.

“Hey!” I cried out, but the bagged lunch muffled my voice.

“Alright, Apple Bloom. Let’s go,” Applejack said.

“Coming!” The saddlebag shifted again, and we were moving again.

A creaking sound nearby made itself known as we walked. I shoved Apple Bloom’s lunch aside and peeked outside.

We were walking in a town. The tall cityscape was nowhere to be seen, replaced by smaller buildings, homes, and shops. There were ponies doing pony things. In the sky and on the ground—they were everywhere. They even looked different, too. No one looked like they had somewhere they needed to be. There was no rush. There was no hustle or bustle—not at all like the city.

I saw now that Applejack was pulling a cartful of apples. The wheels squeaked as they turned. She and Apple Bloom trotted towards a big, red building. “You be good now, Apple Bloom.”

“I will, Sis!” Apple Bloom ran off towards the building, where two fillies were waiting. They were waving at us.

“Hi Apple Bloom” they said.

“Mornin’ y’all!”

There was an orange filly with wings and a white one with a horn. I remembered them from Apple Bloom’s room. They were the two fillies from the drawing.

We walked into a room filled with colts and fillies. There were boys trying to copy each other’s paper and girls talking about which boy was dumber. Colts and fillies talked about afterschool plans and what they did yesterday and whatever they liked to talk about. Apple Bloom shrugged her saddlebags off, and I fell back inside.

Eventually, the chatter died down, and a new voice entered the room. “Good morning, everyone.”

“Good morning, Miss Cheerilee,” the colts and fillies greeted her back.

I climbed on top of Apple Bloom’s lunch and took a glimpse of the pony who was speaking.

“Today, we’ll be talking about gravity…”

It was a mare speaking. She stood in front of the class talking about another thing I didn’t understand. As she talked, she drew lines and squiggles on the board behind her. I couldn’t make sense of any of it, but I listened anyway.

“So when an apple fell in front of him, he figured that something caused the apple to fall,” she said. “There had to be a reason. There had to be something pulling it from the branch, leading to the theory of a force acting on it.”

I listened carefully to each word she said. So this is school…

Looking around, I noticed that not everyone was listening to her. Most of them looked like they were about to fall asleep. One of them actually did fall asleep. A colt sitting in the back had his face planted on his desk with a trail of drool leaking from his mouth. As the mare, Miss Cheerilee, went on with her lesson, a bell rang.

“Oh, is it lunch already?” she asked. “Well, enjoy your lunch, everyone. We’ll pick up where we left off in math when you come back.”

Everyone filed out the door as soon as they were dismissed. I slid back into Apple Bloom’s saddlebag when I noticed the same two fillies from before walking towards us.

“Come on! Let’s go, Apple Bloom! I’m starving over here,” said the orange one.

“Sure, let me just get my lunch.” Apple Bloom replied.

I lay still inside the brown paper bag, next to an apple and a sandwich. If she can’t see me, maybe she won’t find me, I thought. I felt the bag being lifted out of the saddlebag. If I had to guess, I would say that I chose another bad spot to hide in. At least the packed sandwich made a soft cushion to sit on, thankfully. It was better than being stuck under a book at the bottom of a saddlebag.

Everything shook as she carried me. Noise filled the air. There was laughing and giggling and talking and shouting and the pitter patter of hooves on grass. It was the sound of children.

“So, what are you eating, Apple Bloom?” the unicorn asked as Apple Bloom set the bag down.

Light poured in from the ceiling, revealing a blue sky. “Let’s see. I have…” Her face peered inside where I hid. “My doll?”

“Huh?”

She pulled me out as I hung limp in her hooves. “My doll. I was wondering where she went. How in tarnation did she get in here?”

The other two looked closely at me. “You have a doll?” asked the pegasus.

“She’s so cute!” said the other.

Apple Bloom looked at me with a puzzled look. “Huh… well, whatever. I guess Applejack must’ve accidentally put her in here.”

After I was passed around and looked at, they started eating their lunch. As they ate, they talked about “cutie mark crusading,” whatever that was, and of course, me. I listened to them argue about what they were going to do later in the afternoon.

“No no no, Cutie Mark Crusader daredevils!”

“How about Cutie Mark Crusader lumberjacks?”

“No, let’s be Cutie Mark Crusader fencers.”

All of these ideas sounded nice. They sounded like fun. It was fun to watch and listen to them. Their conversation came to a sudden stop when two fillies came to our table. One of them had a tiara, and the other one had glasses. They had this look on their faces that was somewhere between stepping on something gross and eating something rotten.

“Well, if it isn’t the blank flanks,” sneered the pink one. “Trying to get your cutie marks again?”

“What do you want, Diamond Tiara?” Apple Bloom answered back.

“Why do you guys, like, even bother? It’s not like you’ll get your cutie marks if it hasn’t shown up by now.”

“Yeah, you should just give up now. You’re never going to find your cutie marks,” added the gray filly.

The pegasus, who I found out was named Scootaloo, slammed her pudding cup on the seat next to her and trotted over to the two. “Listen, you two! We’re going to get our cutie marks, and when we do, we’ll see who’ll be laughing.”

“Pfft, as if!” Diamond Tiara scoffed.

I watched them argue as I hid behind Apple Bloom’s lunch. Why are they fighting? I leaned on an apple as I watched.

Scootaloo’s face twisted in anger. Her eyebrows were furrowed, and her teeth were clenched. “How would you like a taste of my hoof?” If Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle weren’t holding her back, Scootaloo would have pounced on Diamond Tiara.

I leaned closer.

“I’m just saying there’s no point in trying to get a cutie mark if you can’t get one in the first place. Of course, it’s much worse for you since you can’t even fly like a normal pegasus.”

The apple I had been leaning on slowly gave way. When I leaned closer to watch the events unfold, I fell flat on my face. I glanced up in time to watch the apple roll away. It kept rolling, eventually slowing as it neared the edge of the table. It teetered at the edge before finally stopping. I let out a relieved sigh, glad that it didn’t fall. It fell soon after I did that.

There was the clinking of a spoon shortly after the apple fell, and a spoonful of chocolate pudding flung forward. It flew towards the group of fillies—right towards Diamond Tiara.

A piercing shriek filled the air. From her nose to her eyes, her pink face was covered by a big splotch of chocolate. “Who did that?!” she shouted.

The fury that was on Scootaloo’s face disappeared and was now replaced by a grin, trying to stifle a laugh. “Wasn’t me, but I wish it was.”

“Which one of you was it?" she screamed.

No one said anything. Scootaloo looked at Apple Bloom, who looked at Sweetie Belle, who looked at Scootaloo. With no pony to blame, she stormed off with her friend. “Come on, Silver Spoon. Let’s go.”

Once they had left, Apple Bloom asked, “Who did that? Was that you, Sweetie Belle?”

Sweetie Belle shook her head. “No, it wasn’t me.”

“Then who was it?”

Their eyes turned towards Scootaloo’s pudding cup, where it now laid on its side spilled, and the spoon and apple that had fallen on the ground. I didn’t bother to get up from where I lay, so I stared at the table under me.

Scootaloo trotted over to her spilled cup of pudding. “Huh, it must have been the wind.”

“Good for us, I guess,” said Apple Bloom. “Did y’all see how mad Diamond Tiara was?”

The trio of fillies giggled, but their laughter was cut short by a bell. I was swept up in Apple Bloom’s hooves, and we all walked back inside, joining the other colts and fillies. I recognized Diamond Tiara among the group of children. There were still some chocolate stains on her face, as well as a scowl that had not left her face since the mishap. Apple Bloom put me back in her saddlebag and sat in her seat. I shuffled around and peeked outside to watch and listen to the mare from before.

She continued talking like she did before. I had no clue what she was talking about, just stuff I didn't understand. If anyone ever asked me what a "high-potenuse" was, I would have to guess it had something to do with something being high, like a door knob or pretty much anything that's out of my reach.

She made more squiggles, lines, and shapes on the board and asked a pony a question whenever she stopped. And then someone would say some number. None of it made sense—none of it. I stared at the squiggles, but that was all they were—squiggles. I tried counting the things Miss Cheerilee drew, but that didn't match what everyone was saying. I suddenly felt very left out.

The day went on, and with each new subject Miss Cheerilee talked about, the more confused I got. There were more squiggles and lines, and the colts and fillies read them as if it was nothing. I tried tilting my head and squinting my eyes, hoping to see something I couldn't see and maybe everyone else could. There had to be some kind of trick to this.

Just when I thought I had it all figured out—connecting the lines to draw a picture—the bell rang. Miss Cheerilee glanced at the clock.

“Okay, class. Just a reminder, next week is show and tell, so I want all of you to think about what you’re going to share to the class. And have a nice day."

Groups of colts and fillies bustled out the door as Apple Bloom collected her things, including me. She, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo left together and trotted outside.

"Alright, so what are we doing today?" asked Scootaloo.

"How about we stop by Sugarcube Corner? Maybe Pinkie can help us get a cutie mark in baking?" said Sweetie.

There was a loud growl next to me coming from Apple Bloom. Well, from inside her, I should say.

"A cutie mark in baking sounds great! I can go for a snack right about now," she said.

"Then it's decided—Cutie Mark Crusaders bakers!" said Scootaloo.

The three fillies cheered and headed toward a building made of frosting as I peeked outside from my spot. Ooh, baking! That sounds like fun. But why do I feel like I'm forgetting something?