Dylan stared at his left hoof. It wasn't like this last night, he thought. It seemed like the transformation was quickening. The nightmare from last night didn't help him all with any emotional support.

"Are ya gonna be okay?" Applebloom had stayed with him all last night to comfort him. She knew he felt like an outcast. It reminded her of when she felt out of place before her cutie mark appeared. Sure, she was in the Cutie Mark Crusaders, but she still felt a little like an outcast.

"I reckon," he assured, "I'll get by." He placed his right hand on Applebloom's head and patted her before getting up from bed. "C'mon, let's go get some breakfast."

Dylan and Applebloom made their way downstairs and to the breakfast table. There were eggs and some... tulips? Dylan stared at his plate as he sat down. "Um..."

Applejack noticed Dylan's confusion. "Is somethin' wrong, Dylan?"

Dylan looked up at Applejack and stuttered, "N-No, I'm fine. I um... I'm just confused with the flowers."

"Well," Applejack started explaining, "I noticed that we've been having oatmeal and cereal for some time now, and I thought eggs and tulips might be nice for a change."

"Oh." Dylan nodded and poked a fork at the flowers. He wasn't an expert on food groups, but he was pretty sure tulips weren't on a human's diet. He eventually managed to get the flower stems caught in between the prongs on his fork and stared at it before opening his mouth and forcing himself to put the flowers in. A strange flavor surfed across his tongue, and he couldn't help but press his lips together to keep the food in.

Applejack noticed the discomfort on Dylan's face before speaking up. "Are you okay there?"

Dylan, not wanting to be rude, nodded his head in response. He couldn't disrespect Applejack after she had just made him a meal, no matter how odd it tasted. He hesitantly tried to swallow, but his body wouldn't allow it. He gagged a little and almost threw up.

Applejack noticed the gagging. "Dylan, spit it out. Ya don't have to eat it if ya don't want to."

Unable to deny her request, or his body's resistance, he spat out the chewed up tulip onto his plate. "Gah! I'm sorry, Applejack! I'm not used to eating flowers..."

"What are you used to?" Applejack asked. This made Dylan's face turn pale. He couldn't tell her he was used to meat. He knew ponies and horses were herbivores.

"Just... not flowers," he tried to say, "I um... My kind don't eat them. We'll eat eggs though, and oats too, but not flowers..." He dodged a bullet there.

"Why didn't ya say so? I won't force ya," Applejack assured. Dylan felt relieved and finished up the eggs instead.

After breakfast, Dylan was tasked with painting the barn. Its red color had worn off during last week's rainy weather. Big Mac had supplied Dylan with a paint brush and five buckets of red paint before he left for the market, leaving Dylan all alone.

Dylan reached for his paintbrush and tried to pick it up, only to find that his right hand had become a hoof. "Oh no... H-How am I gonna paint the barn now?! I dunno how to use these things!"

He tried to pick up the paintbrush using both his hooves, trying to get a grip on it, but every time he picked it up, he would eventually drop it. It was frustrating. Finally, he had had enough. He dipped both of his hooves into the paint can and started smearing it on the side wall of the barn. It was barely enough. The struggle was real.

Applebloom happened to be passing by when she noticed Dylan trying to hug the barn like it was his only friend in the world. "Dylan? What are ya doin'?"

"I need to paint this, but I can't!" Dylan exclaimed. He was fully covered in red paint from dumping it all over himself so he could cover as much of the wall as possible. "I can't pick up anything with these hooves!"

Applebloom tilted her head, confused. "Maybe yours aren't workin' right?"

"How can hooves even hold things?!" Dylan was almost crying at this point.

Applebloom walked over and picked up the paintbrush with ease. "I dunno. I've been using mine since I was born. Maybe we can ask Applejack?"

"Ya can't use your hooves?" Applejack asked as she bucked an apple tree of its fruit.

"Nu uh! Can ya teach me?" Dylan tried picking up a stray apple, only to fail.

"I guess what you can do is go through what every young foal does. Try again," she answered, bucking another tree. Dylan sighed and went back to where the paint cans were on the side of the barn.

"...Try again? What kinda answer is that?" He asked himself. "Maybe... it's like that magic stuff that Twilight used? Seems like everything here has magic..." Dylan placed his hoof on the paintbrush and took a deep breath. Try again, he thought. He focused and slowly but surely picked up the brush. As he saw it stick to his hoof, he got excited, causing the brush to fall back down. "Gah! I did it! I guess?"

After several minutes of focusing, he would pick up the brush and let go, pick up, let go. It felt easy after a while of doing so. He looked at the four paint cans and got to work.

Later that night

"Great job on the barn today, Dylan!" Applejack commented as Dylan went up the stairs. It had taken him all day to get the barn painted, but it was worth it to learn how to use his hooves. If only he knew in the beginning, he wouldn't have dumped that one can of paint on himself. Ah well, he thought. He flopped onto his back on the bed and rolled onto his side. Life with his new family was great, he thought. He may have to learn some new things, but it was worth it for him.

Author's Note

I think this one feels a bit rushed. I just wanted to get his struggle over with so we could get to some new material.