Emotional Support Changelingby TwinkletailChaptersAn AssignmentThe IdeaA RevelationSeeing It Through To the EndEpilogueHelping SandbarAn AssignmentGetting an assignment the day before a week-long vacation was the greatest thing anyone could ever ask for. Of course, very few of Ocellus’s classmates would have shared that opinion with her. The looks of exasperation on Smolder and Gallus’s faces in particular were enough proof of that. It was unfortunate that they couldn’t appreciate a good opportunity to learn and have new experiences, but she wasn’t about to hold that against them. Everyone had their own likes and dislikes, and friends didn’t have to share the same ones to be friends. It just so happened that friendship assignments fell squarely into Ocellus’s “likes” column, and there was nothing wrong with that. “Aw, come on, Professor,” Smolder moaned. “We’ve had so many assignments recently, and it’s vacation time!” Ocellus gave Smolder a playful smirk. Smolder knew just as well as she did that this paltry attempt would not sway the professor’s opinion. “That may be,” Rarity said, carefully shuffling her papers. “But what better time to learn more about friendship than a vacation? So many opportunities to see your friends and better your relationships with them, hm?” “Yeah, but...” Smolder started, raising a talon as she tried to respond. “I mean...well, yeah, you see your friends more, but...” “Then I think it’s settled, don’t you?” Rarity said, giving a sly smile to the defeated dragon. “Anyway, I won’t be asking you for any kind of overwritten essay. Just a simple one-page summary of what you learned from doing this assignment. That isn’t too much to ask, is it?” “No, Professor!” Ocellus responded. The moment the words left her mouth, she blushed lightly. She could feel the eyes of some of her friends on her in response to her enthusiasm. She noted the narrowed eyes from Gallus, then the raised brow from Smolder, and then the eager smile and wave from Silverstream when she noticed that Ocellus had looked in her direction too. That last one was probably unrelated. “Magnifique!” Rarity sang. Her horn lit up and papers started to pass around to the students. “Now, this is a very simple assignment. An important aspect of generosity–and, well, pretty much the definition of generosity in a nutshell–is doing something for others. As such, your assignment for the week is simple. Using your own special, unique talents, I would like you to try and provide a service to your friends. Whatever you can come up with, within reason of course, is fair game. As long as you are using your own abilities to do something generous for your fellow creatures, then you will fulfill the boundaries of the assignment.” The students looked at their worksheets as they received them, taking in Rarity’s speech as they did so. Ocellus’s mind was already racing, trying to come up with the best thing she could think of to complete the assignment. “Now then, are there any questions?” Rarity asked. She pointed to the talon that shot nearly instantly into the air. “Yes, Gallus?” “How do we calculate the prices for our services?” Gallus asked. “I mean, I guess it’s easy if we’re doing something that others already do, but-“ “Gallus,” Rarity cut in, giving him a look. “You’re not doing this for a return of your own. Generosity, as you already know, means doing things for others without expecting recompense. As such, there will be no charging for these services. Understood?” “Understood,” Gallus responded, trying to hide his pout. One or two other questions came up before the students began to chat amongst themselves, but Ocellus didn’t listen to them. The mere idea of not paying attention in class was alien to her, but all of her focus at the moment was devoted to figuring out what kind of service she could provide for her friends. It had to involve her own talents, and it had to be really good, since a better idea would make for a better essay, which would make for a better grade. The changeling glanced around the room at her classmates, trying to figure out just what she could do to help them. Maybe seeing their faces would give her some ideas... Smolder was looking straight at Ocellus, leading the changeling to figure that Smolder had the exact same idea as her. Gallus was wearing a frown. Whether it was due to Rarity’s shutting down of his monetary dreams or simply the fact that they had an assignment over vacation was unknown. Silverstream was jotting ideas down on her worksheet. The hippogriff could be a bit flighty, but she was no slouch as far as classwork went when she really felt like applying herself. And Sandbar was nodding as Yona spoke to him, likely bouncing ideas of her own off of him. And of course he would agree with all of them. The poor colt was head over hooves for Yona. Even if he hadn’t confided in Ocellus about his feelings once, it would have been fairly obvious just from watching him interact with her. Well, obvious to everyone except Yona, apparently. Ocellus focused on the pair a bit longer. Ever since the Amity Ball, the two had been spending more time together, but there was one vital spark missing between them. Sandbar had been quick to ask Yona to the ball, but not nearly as quick in admitting his feelings to her. In fact, that last bit had yet to happen. It was such a shame, too. The two clearly had chemistry, and it was very likely that the only things keeping them from being an official couple were Yona’s inability to notice Sandbar’s feelings and Sandbar’s nervousness over confessing. If only Ocellus could help them along... And then it hit her. The solution was so obvious once she stepped back and took a look at it. Not only had she come up with an idea to help Sandbar and Yona, but she had come up with an idea to complete her generosity assignment for the week as well. And the more and more she thought about it, the more and more she liked it. This was the best idea ever. The Idea“That is the worst idea ever.” Ocellus was nearly bowled over by Smolder’s bluntness. It certainly wasn’t the first time she’d dealt with it. As great a friend as Smolder was, she had all the subtlety of a boulder to the face. “What?” Ocellus protested. “I said, that is the worst idea ever,” Smolder repeated, arms crossed defiantly in from of her as the two walked back to the dorms. “I wasn’t asking you to just repeat yourself,” Ocellus pouted. “Then you shouldn’t have just said ‘what!’” Smolder insisted. “Ugh, fine,” Ocellus groaned. “I never knew you were so literal. What makes you think it’s the worst idea ever?” “Seriously?” Smolder said, finally turning to look at Ocellus proper. “What makes you think it’s a good idea?” “Everything!” Ocellus insisted. She didn’t like having arguments with her friends, but it was only fair for her to defend herself. “We’re supposed to provide a service for our friends using our own unique talents, right?” “That’s what Professor Rarity said, so yeah,” Smolder answered. “And that’s what I’ll be doing!” Ocellus told her. Smolder, however, was unfazed. “Cell,” Smolder started. “For my assignment, I’m cooking food for my friends using my fire breath. That’s the kind of thing we should be doing. Not...what you’re doing!” “I don’t get why you think what I want to do is wrong,” Ocellus sighed. “I mean, come on. You and Silver both agree with me that Sandbar should just tell Yona how he feels about her, right?” “I still don’t get how she doesn’t see it,” Smolder said with a roll of her eyes. “It’s so obvious. Some creatures are totally blind to that kind of thing, aren’t they?” She gave Ocellus a pointed stare, and Ocellus smirked in response. “Exactly!” Ocellus replied. “She’s totally unaware, and he’s having trouble telling her, so this is perfect! I transform into Yona, I let him practice what he wants to say to her with me, and that helps him build his courage and figure out how to tell her how he feels! And who knows, maybe others in the school might be having the same kind of hangups?” “Maybe,” Smolder admitted, rolling her eyes. “So it’s perfect!” Ocellus stated proudly. “I’m providing a service for my friends. I’m using my own unique talents to do so. And...” The changeling stopped, sudden realization smacking her. “...I get why you have a problem with it,” Ocellus said, giving her friend a sly smirk. “You do?” Smolder asked, a look of surprise crossing her face. “I do!” Ocellus told her. “You’re worried that I’m getting something out of it by being able to snack on a bit of the love they’re giving off.” The changeling nodded, quite proud of herself. “Well, it’s totally different from being paid. I’m not taking anything from them. I’d just get a little residual treat. They wouldn’t lose anything!” Smolder didn’t respond, at least not verbally. She simply seethed, a small puff of smoke emitting from her nostrils. “I’m sure it fits the guidelines that the worksheet has set out for us,” Ocellus said. “And I’m sure our friends would appreciate the help. So I really don’t see what the problem is.” She gave a resolute little nod, smiling at Smolder. Smolder, however, did not return the smile. The dragon clenched her talons, scoffing as she turned away from Ocellus. “Fine,” Smolder said. “Do what you want. But don’t say I didn’t warn you when it comes back to bite you.” Ocellus’s intent was to tell Smolder that she wouldn’t need the warning, but Smolder took off before she could say a word. Ocellus frowned as she watched her friend depart. It was nice being on the winning side of the debate, but she couldn’t help but feel guilty about the way Smolder had reacted. She would have to apologize to her later. For now, though, she needed to get started on her assignment. Ocellus flittered into the room that she shared with Smolder, all set to get to work. As with any assignment she received from her professors, she was anxious to get right to work on it. Her friends didn’t call her an eager little studybug for nothing, after all. The changeling quickly settled into the chair at her desk, picking up a quill and setting to work. The wording of this advertisement was imperative if she was going to get any results out of it, and thankfully, Ocellus considered herself quite good with words. “Attention, students of the School of Friendship,” Ocellus dictated as she wrote. She tapped the quill to her chin, tongue stuck out of the side of her mouth as she toyed with the wording in her head. “Having trouble admitting your feelings to somecreature? Then come see Ocellus! Take your proclamation on a test run! Just check a box for the time you want to meet! All meetings will be strictly confidential.” The changeling carefully read back over her wording, making tiny revisions to it with each pass. It had to be perfect, after all. Not only was it for her friends, but it was for an assignment. Either one of those alone would have demanded perfection. The two combined called for a level of perfection so perfect that the word would have to be redefined. Despite how excited she was to get this done, however, Ocellus still found herself concerned about Smolder’s reaction to her idea. She couldn’t for the life of her figure out just what it was about her idea that had Smolder all in a tizzy. Perhaps she was jealous of how good her idea was? No, that didn’t make sense. Smolder wasn’t that type of dragon. Maybe she was still concerned about Ocellus receiving something in return? But she’d already gone over how that qualified as acceptable under Professor Rarity’s guidelines. Ocellus shook her head out and sighed. Whatever it was that was bothering Smolder, it would have to wait. She would be happy to apologize once she found out what it was, but seeing as she wasn’t in the room at the moment, there wasn’t much that could be done about it. Besides, she had an assignment to work on. The determined little changeling headed down to the main hall of the school. If there was anywhere that her ad would attract attention, it was the main hall. As she hung her ad on the bulletin board, she caught a bit of movement out of the corner of her eye. As luck would have it, the exact pony who had inspired this idea was walking past. “Sandbar!” Ocellus called quickly, waving her friend over. “What’s up, Ocellus?” Sandbar asked, smiling warmly as he approached. “You need to take a look at this ad I just put up for my assignment!” Ocellus told him. “Sure!” Sandbar replied. He leaned in to take a look at the flyer, Ocellus watching over his shoulder with rapt interest. She watched his reactions as he read the paper, right down to the widened eyes and dropping of the jaw. She had caught him hook, line, and sinker. “Uhh...Ocellus?” Sandbar asked, kicking a hoof nervously against the ground. “Is this really what you’re doing?” “It is!” Ocellus confirmed, grinning brightly. “I see...” Sandbar responded. “Uhh...do you think that maybe...you might have an opening tomorrow morning?” “You’re the first one to inquire, so of course!” Ocellus said, grin growing ever wider. “Great!” Sandbar said quickly. “How about 10 AM?” “That sounds great,” Ocellus replied. If her grin grew any larger, it would have seceded from her face and declared itself a sovereign entity. “Okay!” Sandbar said, voice cracking ever so slightly. “I’ll come by your dorm then! See you!” “See you!” Ocellus called back as she watched her friend gallop away. Everything had been set in motion. Helping her friends (and getting a good grade) would be easy as pie. A RevelationOcellus had no idea how many creatures there were at the School of Friendship who had trouble admitting their feelings to their crushes. Granted, she probably could have known earlier if she wanted to. Changelings were quite good at sniffing out these kinds of things when they tried. “When they tried” was the key phrase there. Ocellus had a few hangups about that kind of thing. There were creatures out there that would have considered that kind of thing a breach of privacy, after all, and Ocellus wasn’t looking to offend anycreature. So she simply chose not to pry, and that was that. With Sandbar and Yona, she didn’t need to pry. It was terribly obvious to everycreature except Yona. Ocellus had pretty much expected to just take care of that pair, and maybe one or two others. It was for this reason that the number of signups had taken her by surprise. November Rain had been the next to come in after Sandbar. He had apparently been pining after Peppermint for a bit, and Ocellus was more than happy to help. He had been so sweet and kind with his planned advances, and Ocellus quickly found herself rooting for him and his efforts, certain that the two would make a cute pair. Shimmy Shake was in next, and Ocellus found herself only about half-surprised to hear of her feelings for Lighthoof. She had kind of figured there was something between the two. Lighthoof was quite fun to play, and she even got to practice a few dance steps with Shimmy. As happy as Ocellus was to help those ponies, though, she couldn’t help but notice a strange feeling, one she couldn’t quite place. It was great knowing she helped them, but the love she tasted from them was missing a little something. What it was or why it was missing, Ocellus had no clue. She just knew that something was missing and the love wasn’t tasting quite as good as she had expected. Not that this was important. The most important part of the assignment was making sure that she was helping her friends. Her little snack was just an added bonus. Whatever the problem was, Ocellus had no time to dwell on it, because somecreature else was knocking at her door. She slid off the bed and opened the door, her smile growing as she saw who was there. “Silverstream!” Ocellus said, stepping aside to let her friend in. “Hey!” “Hi Ocellus!” Silverstream responded, grabbing her friend in one of her patented hugs. Ocellus giggled and hugged her excitable friend back. “What brings you here?” Ocellus asked as she was let down. “I’m here for your help!” Silverstream responded, smiling brightly. “You...you are?” Ocellus asked, scratching her head. “I mean...I’m sorry if I come off so surprised, but you’re so outgoing. I didn’t expect you to have trouble saying anything to anycreature.” “Aww, thanks!” Silverstream said. “I really appreciate that! Buuuut...well, some things are harder to talk about than others. And this one’s a doozy! Like...what do I do if he says he’s not interested?” Ocellus could feel the anxiety starting to build up in her friend. She was quick to try and assuage her worries, patting Silverstream on the back. “Are you kidding?” Ocellus asked. “Whoever it is, I’m sure he’d be so happy to hear that you’re interested in him.” “You really think so?” Silverstream asked. “Uh, of course!” Ocellus insisted. “You’re so nice and friendly, and you’re a lot of fun to be around. He’d have to be nuts to turn you down! Uh, whoever he is. Because you still haven’t told me.” Ocellus quickly found herself swept up in another hug, and rolled her eyes playfully as she hugged back. “I really needed to hear that,” Silverstream said. “And I promise I wasn’t just fishing for compliments!” She paused, then snickered. “Get it? Fishing? Because-“ “I get it,” Ocellus assured her friend as she was released from the hug. “So who’s the lucky guy?” “Oh, it’s Gallus,” Silverstream replied, giving an embarrassed little smile as she heard Ocellus squeal. “That’s great!” Ocellus said, clapping her hooves together. “Oh, I’m so happy for you two! Or, rather, I will be when you ask him out and he totally says yes!” The changeling engulfed herself in green flame once more, transforming into a perfect recreation of Gallus. She gave a sly grin, fluffing up the feathers on her head with a talon. “How’s this for you?” “Oh my gosh!” Silverstream bubbled, doing a little flip in the air. “It’s like he’s really here!” “Such is the power of a changeling,” Ocellus said proudly. “Now, do you need me to set the scene?” “Hmm...” Silverstream pondered, tapping a talon to her chin. “Well...I kinda wanted to invite him to lunch, and then I figured I’d tell him how I felt there. So maybe we can frame it that way?” “Sounds good!” Ocellus agreed. She pulled a spare blanket from the nearby dresser, setting it on the floor. “Maybe a picnic?” “That’s great!” Silverstream cheered. The hippogriff sat down on the blanket, quickly joined by the disguised Ocellus. “Ahh...” Ocellus said, doing her best Gallus impression. “Now that was a good lunch. Don’t think I could eat another bite.” “For sure!” Silverstream quickly agreed. A moment of silence passed. Ocellus looked pointedly at Silverstream. This was probably the first time she had ever seen Silverstream unable to speak openly. “Sooo...” Ocellus began. “How about those classes, huh? I sure hate studying.” The words practically burned her throat. “It’s not all that bad!” Silverstream said. “But...uh...I kinda had something else on my mind.” “Oh yeah?” Ocellus asked. “What’s that?” “Well...” Silverstream began. Suddenly, Ocellus felt her talon in Silverstream’s clutches. She blinked in surprise, not having expected her to make contact. “I need to be honest with you,” Silverstream said, staring into the disguised Ocellus’s eyes. Her usual silly nature seemed to have nearly fallen to the wayside with that sentence alone. “There’s a reason I’m always so happy when we get paired up in class, and why I like to tease you all the time, and why I brought you on this picnic. It’s just...I mean, you’re so brave and cool, and I really admire that. I really admire you. And as goofy as that sounds, I really, really mean it.” Silverstream’s words continued to pour out, to the point where one might have assumed that she had rehearsed this speech before. As Ocellus listened to them, she felt the love seeping from every one, there for her to feast on. But just like the love she’d felt from Sandbar and November Rain and Shimmy Shake before her, the love from Silverstream tasted...off. Unlike with the previous creatures, though, this time Ocellus was able to pinpoint a reason for that. As she listened to the heartfelt soliloquy from the hippogriff, she could acknowledge that she meant every word she said. The problem lie in the fact that she meant them for Gallus. Not for Ocellus. And while Ocellus looked like Gallus at the moment, she wasn’t Gallus. Why couldn’t somecreature have those kinds of words to say for her? Ocellus would have pondered that thought longer, but there were more pressing matters at hand. Namely, the hippogriff that had apparently gotten lost in the roleplay and suddenly decided to close the distance for a kiss. “S-Silverstream!” Ocellus quickly held a talon out, placing it on a Silverstream’s chest to keep the distance before she did something she didn’t intend. Silverstream’s eyes opened, and a deep blush covered her cheeks as Ocellus changed back to her normal form. “Oh my gosh! Ocellus, I’m so sorry!” Silverstream blurted out. “I just got really wrapped up in the whole thing, and that was the point where I would have...oh geez, I’m really really sorry!” “It’s okay!” Ocellus insisted, her heart racing as she sat back. “I mean...that’s the sign of a good act, right? No harm, no foul.” “Right...” Silverstream said, cheeks still burning brightly. “I really am sorry though.” “It’s okay, really,” Ocellus told her. She had mostly calmed down from the situation at hoof, but her mind was still racing with the thoughts from just before. Silverstream didn’t need to be bothered with that, though. “And I think you might be all set to tell Gallus!” “You really think so?” Silverstream asked. “Oh yes!” Ocellus replied. “I’d just...well, you might not want to jump straight to the kiss like that...unless he seems like he’d want to kiss? He might! But don’t come on too strong.” “Do you think he’ll want to go out with me?” Silverstream asked. Her eyes sparkled with hope, and for a moment Ocellus found herself lost in them, thinking about how much she wished she had somecreature who hoped that badly for her attention. “I can’t speak for him,” Ocellus admitted. “But there’s no way to know until you ask! If I had to guess, though, I’d think you had a good shot.” “Thank you!” Silverstream exclaimed, once again wrapping her friend in a hug. Ocellus found herself melting into the hug, but said nothing, simply returning the gesture. “And...I’m really sorry again for that.” “It’s fine, I promise,” Ocellus told her, reveling in the warmth of the affection for a long moment before slipping free. “You go ahead and get ready to ask him, okay? Who knows, you two could be the next hot couple on campus!” “I sure hope so!” Silverstream cheered, heading for the door. “Thanks, Ocellus! You’re the best! See you around!” Ocellus waved to the hippogriff as she departed, smiling brightly. Once the door closed, however, her smile faded. The changeling headed back to her bed and flopped down onto the mattress, letting out a deep sigh. She didn’t have those kinds of feelings for Silverstream. She loved her as a friend, but not in a romantic sense. Seeing how wrapped up she got in her feelings for Gallus...how much Sandbar glowed when he spoke of Yona...it just reminded her of how much she wished somecreature would glow like that when talking about her. This was going to be a long assignment. Seeing It Through To the End“Ever since I first laid eyes on you, I thought you were the most amazing creature I’d ever seen.” Ocellus nodded to Huckleberry, keeping her smile up but feeling weak at his words to Sugar Maple. Why couldn’t somecreature say that about her instead of him? ~~~~~~~~~~ “You’re absolutely beautiful. Not just in body, but in mind and soul.” Ocellus could barely keep her eyes from sparkling, but it was in vain. Berry Bliss’s words were for Citrine Spark, not her. ~~~~~~~~~~ “You light up my life. The sight of you can make the most lovely dream out of the darkest nightmare.” It was the third time Spike was in here, but that didn’t change the sadness in Ocellus’s heart as she heard his words for Rarity and imagined somecreature feeling like that about her. ~~~~~~~~~~ The door creaked open. Smolder typically liked to bust right into her room, not caring much at all about stealth or carefulness. Today was a different story. The last thing she wanted to do was burst in and interrupt one of Ocellus’s sessions. A quick glance around the room revealed that she had successfully avoided doing that. The dragon walked into the room proper, chomping on one of the peppers she’d roasted. Just because she was cooking food for her friends didn’t mean she couldn’t have some too. “Cell? I’m back.” She’d already noticed Ocellus sitting on her bed in her initial glance around the room, but hadn’t gotten a good look at what was going on past the fact that nobody was busy practicing their confessions at the moment. If she had inspected closer, she might have been more aware of what was going on, but since she didn’t, it was the first sound of a sniffle that clued her in. The roasted pepper forgotten, Smolder zipped over to the bed, talons clenched. “Ocellus!” Smolder shouted. “What happened? Are you okay? Who made you cry? When I find out I’m gonna...” “It’s fine,” Ocellus squeaked, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. “I-I’m fine, really!” The changeling offered a smile, receiving a flat look from Smolder in response. “You’re not fine,” Smolder stated. “You’re crying.” “N-no I’m not!” Ocellus tried to protest. “It’s...um...seasonal allergies?” If Smolder’s look was any flatter, it would have fallen through the floorboards. “You think I’m gonna buy that?” Smolder asked, crossing her arms. “Tell me what happened. Who made you cry?” Ocellus let out a deep sigh. She tended to be a decent actor–it was a fairly necessary skill for changelings to possess, after all–but her skills had failed her this time. “No one made me cry,” Ocellus said. “I mean, not intentionally, at least. And if I tell you what happened, you’re just going to tell me that you were right all along.” “You really think that’s how I’m gonna react?” Smolder asked, more offended than angry. “From the way you say that, I can only guess that this is about your idea.” The dragon rolled her eyes as she received a nod from the changeling. “It was a good idea!” Ocellus insisted. “Um...up until the point where all these creatures busy professing their love to me but intending it for someone else made me wish someone would feel that way about me. And...then the crying started. And then you came in. And now you’re caught up.” She tried to offer another forced smile in Smolder’s direction, but Smolder was having none of it. “I told you it was a bad idea!” Smolder insisted, barely able to contain her frustration. “Oh, come on, Smolder...” Ocellus said, finally sitting up proper. “You’re telling me you knew it would happen exactly like this?” “No, but I knew something would go wrong!” Smolder shot back. “And here we are!” Ocellus bit her lip, looking away as her own frustration threatened to start the flow of tears again. “Well, congratulations on your prediction then,” Ocellus responded coldly. It wasn’t a tone that she typically took with Smolder–or anyone, really–but she couldn’t help herself. She heard Smolder let out a frustrated sigh, but refused to look back in her direction, lest she be treated to another round of gloating. “So are you going to stop being an emotional support changeling?” Smolder asked. “Now that we’ve seen what kind of negative effects this is having on you?” Ocellus stayed silent for a good few moments. Even though she was still sad, a flash of anger was starting to show its face. She didn’t like to show her stubborn side too often, but it had a way of rearing its head on occasion. As much as she cared for Smolder, she was doing a great job of triggering that stubborn side with the way she was rubbing her victory in. “No,” Ocellus finally stated. “What do you mean, no?” Smolder exclaimed. “I mean just that,” Ocellus said, forelegs crossed much like Smolder so often did. “I’ve only got three more appointments today anyway. I’ll stick through it today, but I can’t cancel that because I said I’d do it.” Smolder stared incredulously at Ocellus. She opened her mouth to say something, then chose to just walk into the bathroom. Ocellus let out a soft sigh. Now besides all her other worries, Smolder was mad at her. It took a good amount of willpower not to start crying again, but luckily for Ocellus, she still had a good amount of willpower left. “Four.” Ocellus looked up in confusion at the paper that Smolder was holding out to her. “Huh?” Ocellus asked. “I picked your signup sheet up for you while I was out,” Smolder grumbled. “You have four appointments left today.” She dropped the paper into Ocellus’s hooves and turned to exit. “Thanks?” Ocellus offered. The sentiment was either unheard or ignored as the dorm room door closed. Ocellus let out another sigh, staring at the paper. At least it was nice of Smolder to collect it for her. And what was the harm of one more appointment? Just these four more appointments, and then she’d call an end to it. That had to be enough data for the assignment, after all. ~~~~~~~~~~ Ocellus was exhausted. Both physically and emotionally. The last three appointments really took it out of the poor changeling. Stage Tales in particular had been so sweet and romantic in his planned confession to Strawberry Scoop that Ocellus’s tears had nearly started up again right on the spot. She had been able to soldier through, though, and now all that was left was one final appointment, namely the new one that she hadn’t been aware of. For the briefest of moments, Ocellus considered leaving a sign on her door to inform the last applicant that she wasn’t feeling up to it. In truth, she really wasn’t. The loneliness had really ramped up since the beginning of the day, and she was barely holding herself together. She even got as far as writing the apology note before deciding to just deal with it. She had come this far, after all, and she would be disappointing both the last applicant and herself if she called it quits. The note was quickly and regretfully discarded, and the changeling flopped back onto the bed. Ocellus’s latest flop ended up being cut short as she heard a knock on the door. She hadn’t even realized that it had gotten so late already. “Just one more and I’m done...” Ocellus reminded herself as she trudged to the door. She stopped at the door, put on a practiced smile, and opened it. “...Smolder?” “Yeah, yeah...” Smolder muttered as she walked in. The dragon looked pent up, more so than Ocellus had ever seen her. “Uh...have you seen my last signup?” Ocellus asked. “I am your last signup,” Smolder told her. “You?” Ocellus asked, shocked. “I thought you thought this was a bad idea?” “Well, I’m here now!” Smolder answered, even though that didn’t really answer Ocellus’s question. “Okay...” the changeling said. “Well...just tell me who-“ Before Ocellus could finish her sentence, she was cut off by an energized Smolder. “I’ve been wanting to say this for...I don’t even know how long,” Smolder began. Ocellus raised a brow, startled by the sudden beginning. “Smolder, you haven’t-“ Ocellus tried again, but she was cut off once more. “And do you know how hard this kind of thing is?” Smolder practically shouted. “Us dragons don’t share our feelings much. It’s not like us! It’s not tough or cool or anything like that!” “Smolder...” Ocellus tried one last time. Once again, she was steamrolled. “But when it comes to someone like you, you just...bring it out of me!” Smolder said, stomping a foot on the ground. “You’re so nice and sweet, and some creatures think that being nice and sweet means you’re weak, but it’s not true, because you’re the strongest of anycreature I know! Even when you’re confronted with something that can bring you to tears, you keep pushing forward because it’s the right thing to do, and that’s one of the strongest things anycreature can dream of doing! And even when you do something that...that pisses me off like this, even when I’m trying so hard to tell you that you shouldn’t be doing it, you still keep at it, because you care about others so much, even more than you care about yourself. And that makes you tougher than half the dragons in the Dragon Lands combined! You’re amazing, and gorgeous, and everything I could want in a special someone and more!” The dragon, now out of breath, flopped onto the floor, letting out a small jet of flame over her head that just barely missed licking at the ceiling. Ocellus stood, slack-jawed, as she stared down at Smolder. Never before had she seen such a display from her. Carefully, she crept over to stand next to Smolder. “S-Smolder?” Ocellus whispered, as if the slightest sound could cause an explosion. “You...you never told me...who you wanted me to transform into...” Smolder stared at Ocellus as if she had three heads. Finally, she sat up. One talon reached out and grabbed one of Ocellus’s hooves, holding it tightly. “You’re exactly who I need you to be.” Epilogue“Our final presenter for the day is...Ocellus. Please come to the front of the classroom, Ocellus.” The changeling bit her lip as she stood from her desk. Studying and putting together essays were her specialty; public speaking was not. A quick look to the side treated her with a reassuring smile from Smolder. That was enough to spur her onward. She made her way to the front of the class, giving a little nod to Rarity as she turned to face her classmates. She cleared her throat, lifting her paper up to begin reading. ”The definition of generosity is the quality of being kind and generous. The definition of generous is a readiness to give more of something, as money or time, than is strictly necessary or expected. One of the most important aspects of displaying friendship is a willingness to be generous, to show generosity, often with little to no concern about what you may gain from it in return. For the true reward of generosity is the happiness that comes from those to whom you are generous. Our class was given a simple assignment: provide a service for your friends, utilizing your own unique abilities. Based on this given task, and with inspiration from a certain pair of friends, my solution to this assignment was obvious. I would offer my services and abilities as a changeling to my friends who had difficulty admitting their feelings to somecreature whom they admired, accomplishing this task by transforming into that somecreature and allowing them to take their confessions on a test run. It started off perfectly. The first few confessions went without a hitch. Not to say that the later ones didn’t; I like to believe that I helped every single creature who came to me, and if their thanks were any indication, they were satisfied. But as the day went on, it started to take a toll on me, one that I never expected. I ended up learning a valuable lesson about generosity by choosing this particular route for my assignment. It is important to be generous, and sometimes that means giving of yourself beyond what is strictly necessary. But at the same time, it is important to pay attention to your own mental health. It is important to give, but not so much that you have nothing left. In the end, however, I think my idea worked out well. It had its low points for sure, but it had more than its fair share of positives...” Ocellus looked up from her paper to her closest friends in the class. Yona and Sandbar were sitting next to each other, shooting little smiles in each other’s directions. Silverstream had surreptitiously snuck her talon into Gallus’s, and he seemed quite okay with the whole situation. And finally, she looked to Smolder, who gave her a wink and a thumbs up. The changeling sighed happily, returned the wink, and looked back to her paper. ”...And a final resolution far greater than any I could have asked for.” Helping SandbarOcellus sat on the edge of her bed, eyes constantly darting between the clock and the door. It was 10:02. Sandbar was supposed to be here two minutes ago. Some ponies just didn’t pay attention to being on time, and she couldn’t understand why. “Come on, Sandbar...” Ocellus spoke, just above a whisper. “Any minute now...” “I don’t get why you’re so excited about this,” Smolder stated as she walked in, toothbrush still hanging out of her mouth. “Actually, I take it back. It’s for a class assignment. I’d be more concerned if you weren't excited.” Ocellus waved off the little barb. She was used to Smolder saying things like this to her. It used to stab at her emotions, but she knew quite well by this point that Smolder was just teasing and wasn’t trying to insult her. “I’m looking forward to the experience, honestly,” Ocellus told her. “And it’s not just because of the good grade I’m sure to get.” “What other possible good thing could come out of this?” Smolder asked. “The feeling of accomplishment when Sandbar is finally able to admit his feelings to Yona?” Ocellus retorted. “And knowing that I helped it happen?” “And what about the other ones?” Smolder asked. Ocellus gave an innocent grin as she looked down towards the sheet in her hooves. She had expected more than just one signup, of course. It would have been silly not to, and she wasn’t quite sure if helping only two friends would even qualify for the assignment. She had not, however, anticipated just how many signups there would be. It wasn’t enough to be overwhelming, but it was enough to be...whelming? Was that a word? It had to be, logically speaking, but it still felt off. Whether or not it was a word, Ocellus certainly felt whelmed as she looked over the sheet. “It might be more than I expected, but it’ll still feel just as nice knowing that I might have helped all of them with their crushes,” Ocellus responded. “It really is interesting to see just how many of our classmates have secret crushes. Who would have thought?” Smolder simply grumbled in response as she returned to the bathroom to put her toothbrush away. Ocellus remained alert in her observance of the clock and door. A little piece of her couldn’t help but feel a tad nervous about the number of classmates who had signed up, but the positives were certainly worth that bit of uncertainty. “I still think it’s a terrible idea,” Smolder said as she re-entered the room, once again breaking Ocellus from her clock-door loop. “You keep saying that,” Ocellus said with a sigh. “But you never really give a reason. Why do you think it’s such a bad idea?” Smolder glared at Ocellus before taking a breath. She opened her mouth to speak, but the only sound that was heard was a knock on the door. “Oh, that must be Sandbar!” Ocellus exclaimed. She hopped off of the bed, barely able to contain herself. “Great,” Smolder grumbled. “I got things to do. Later.” “Later!” Ocellus responded cheerfully. She bounced lightly on her hooves as Smolder opened the door, trudging past Sandbar as he made his entrance. “Hey, Ocellus!” Sandbar said. “What’s up with Smolder? She didn’t even say hi.” “Oh, she’s just being grumpy because she thinks this idea of mine for the assignment is bad,” Ocellus replied, closing the door behind her friend. “Really?” Sandbar asked. “Why?” “I honestly have no idea,” Ocellus told him. “I’ll have to ask her again later. I mean, I totally disagree, but I should at least find out what’s got her so bothered.” “Buuuut it can wait until after we’re done, right?” Sandbar asked, smiling eagerly. “Yup!” Ocellus replied, entertained by just how excited her friend was to move things along. “That’s what we’re here for, after all!” “Right!” Sandbar confirmed. “Because...uh...don’t tell anypony, but...” Sandbar’s eyes darted left, then right, then left once more. Despite the fact that they were in a private dorm room and the only other person who might have been here had left upon his arrival, he had to play it safe. Once he was sure they were alone, he whispered, “I have a crush on Yona.” “You don’t say,” Ocellus replied flatly. “Really!” Sandbar insisted, oblivious to Ocellus’s sarcastic tone as he sat down on Ocellus’s bed. “I mean, I asked her to the Amity Ball, and that was great, and we’ve gotten closer and stuff, but it’s just been hard to tell her how I really feel about her, you know?” “It can certainly be hard,” Ocellus agreed. “And that’s why I’m here to help! I think Yona would love to date you, but I get that asking her out can be hard. So let’s get to practicing!” With those words, a flash of green fire surrounded Ocellus, causing Sandbar to shield his eyes. When he pulled his hoof away from his face, he was greeted with the sight of the yak of his dreams, standing right there before him. “Sandbar going to say hello to Yona?” Ocellus asked. Her voice was mostly on, but careful listening could discern it from the real thing. Visually, however, she was the spitting image of Yona. Sandbar’s jaw dropped. It was far from the first time he’d seen Ocellus transform, so he was more than aware of her abilities. Still, he found himself in awe of what had just transpired, and the nerves that often popped up around the real Yona were starting to pop up now too. “Go on, Sandbar,” Ocellus said, grinning. “Say what you want to say. It’s fine.” “Heh...right!” Sandbar replied, smiling awkwardly. The pony cleared his throat, then opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. “I’ve got an idea,” Ocellus said. “How about we set the scene a bit more? I’ll walk back into the room, we’ll pretend that you’ve just invited Yona to speak in private...if it helps you get into the right mindset better, then let’s do it!” She gave Sandbar a little wink before walking into the bathroom and closing the door. A few quiet, awkward seconds passed. “Sandbar open door for Yona?” Ocellus called out. “Oh! Sure!” Sandbar responded, scurrying over to the bathroom and opening the door. He gave Ocellus the biggest smile as she exited the bathroom. “Thank you!” Ocellus said. Her walk was more delicate than Yona’s, but other than that, she thought she was playing the part rather well. “So, what Sandbar want talk to Yona about?” “Heh...” Sandbar began, already off to a stellar start. “Well...you see...” “Yona see,” Ocellus responded. “Yaks best at seeing!” She giggled, already having too much fun with this. Sandbar laughed as well, and she could see just in his posture that he’d relaxed a bit. “Yeah, they sure are!” Sandbar said. “But that’s not what I meant.” “Then what pony mean?” Ocellus asked, giving Sandbar an encouraging smile. “W-well...” Sandbar began, nervously kicking a hoof against the ground. “You, uhhh...you remember the Amity Ball?” “Yona remember,” Ocellus responded. “Yona had great time! At least for second half.” “So did I!” Sandbar exclaimed. “And...uh...well, what I mean to say is...” “Yona listening,” Ocellus said coyly, having herself a seat. Sandbar took a deep breath, smiling awkwardly at his friend who currently looked like the yak of his dreams. “I...I think you’re really great,” Sandbar stammered, though a bit of confidence was starting to shine through. “A-and if you want...I’d really like to spend more time with you. Like...just with you. And me. Us. Alone.” Ocellus bit her lip, successfully saving herself from a chuckle which she was sure would have done some damage to Sandbar’s confidence. “That’s good, but could use a little work,” Ocellus told him. “Be more confident. Yona knows you, and she likes spending time with you. Don’t overdo it, but make it a little more clear how you feel about her. Think about what she means to you, and don’t say everything that comes to mind because that might be coming on too strong, but let her know what you think of her.” She cleared her throat, then gave Sandbar a smile. “Friend Sandbar want talk to Yona?” Sandbar nodded a bit, thoughts racing through his head. It took a solid ten seconds before he was able to speak. “W-well,” Sandbar said. “I was thinking...I really like spending time with you, and you’re always so nice to everycreature, a-and so much fun to be around...” “Mhm,” Ocellus said, smiling and encouraging her friend along. “And...you know...” Sandbar continued, perking up a bit. “I’d really like it if we could...you know...go out sometime? Like...what special someponies would do? Because that would really make me happy.” Ocellus couldn’t help but lick her lips at the tasty love that was emanating from her friend, but she was careful not to let that distract her too much. “Yona would love that!” Ocellus exclaimed. “Yaks best at being special someponies!” Then she paused. “Oh, um, you might want to go with special somecreature there.” “Hah...right!” Sandbar agreed. The colt was visibly more upbeat now, even bouncing slightly on the tips of his hooves. “See? It’s not that hard,” Ocellus said, concentrating and changing back to her own form. “Just think of what she means to you, put it through a reasonable filter, and let the words flow. If I know Yona, she’ll be so happy that you feel that way about her.” “Thanks, Ocellus!” Sandbar said, rushing forward to give his friend a hug. “I really appreciate the advice! I’m totally gonna ask her out today!” “Good luck!” Ocellus replied, returning the hug. She took a deep breath, tasting some of that residual love before she let her friend go. It was delicious and pure, as real love tended to be. “I’m rooting for you!” “Thanks again!” Sandbar said. Then he galloped out of the room, a visible skip in his step. Ocellus sighed happily, taking a seat on her bed once again. Her mind once again went back to Smolder and her issues with this idea, but she still couldn’t see what Smolder’s issues with it were. If she could make others as happy as she’d made Sandbar, this really was the best idea ever.
An AssignmentGetting an assignment the day before a week-long vacation was the greatest thing anyone could ever ask for. Of course, very few of Ocellus’s classmates would have shared that opinion with her. The looks of exasperation on Smolder and Gallus’s faces in particular were enough proof of that. It was unfortunate that they couldn’t appreciate a good opportunity to learn and have new experiences, but she wasn’t about to hold that against them. Everyone had their own likes and dislikes, and friends didn’t have to share the same ones to be friends. It just so happened that friendship assignments fell squarely into Ocellus’s “likes” column, and there was nothing wrong with that. “Aw, come on, Professor,” Smolder moaned. “We’ve had so many assignments recently, and it’s vacation time!” Ocellus gave Smolder a playful smirk. Smolder knew just as well as she did that this paltry attempt would not sway the professor’s opinion. “That may be,” Rarity said, carefully shuffling her papers. “But what better time to learn more about friendship than a vacation? So many opportunities to see your friends and better your relationships with them, hm?” “Yeah, but...” Smolder started, raising a talon as she tried to respond. “I mean...well, yeah, you see your friends more, but...” “Then I think it’s settled, don’t you?” Rarity said, giving a sly smile to the defeated dragon. “Anyway, I won’t be asking you for any kind of overwritten essay. Just a simple one-page summary of what you learned from doing this assignment. That isn’t too much to ask, is it?” “No, Professor!” Ocellus responded. The moment the words left her mouth, she blushed lightly. She could feel the eyes of some of her friends on her in response to her enthusiasm. She noted the narrowed eyes from Gallus, then the raised brow from Smolder, and then the eager smile and wave from Silverstream when she noticed that Ocellus had looked in her direction too. That last one was probably unrelated. “Magnifique!” Rarity sang. Her horn lit up and papers started to pass around to the students. “Now, this is a very simple assignment. An important aspect of generosity–and, well, pretty much the definition of generosity in a nutshell–is doing something for others. As such, your assignment for the week is simple. Using your own special, unique talents, I would like you to try and provide a service to your friends. Whatever you can come up with, within reason of course, is fair game. As long as you are using your own abilities to do something generous for your fellow creatures, then you will fulfill the boundaries of the assignment.” The students looked at their worksheets as they received them, taking in Rarity’s speech as they did so. Ocellus’s mind was already racing, trying to come up with the best thing she could think of to complete the assignment. “Now then, are there any questions?” Rarity asked. She pointed to the talon that shot nearly instantly into the air. “Yes, Gallus?” “How do we calculate the prices for our services?” Gallus asked. “I mean, I guess it’s easy if we’re doing something that others already do, but-“ “Gallus,” Rarity cut in, giving him a look. “You’re not doing this for a return of your own. Generosity, as you already know, means doing things for others without expecting recompense. As such, there will be no charging for these services. Understood?” “Understood,” Gallus responded, trying to hide his pout. One or two other questions came up before the students began to chat amongst themselves, but Ocellus didn’t listen to them. The mere idea of not paying attention in class was alien to her, but all of her focus at the moment was devoted to figuring out what kind of service she could provide for her friends. It had to involve her own talents, and it had to be really good, since a better idea would make for a better essay, which would make for a better grade. The changeling glanced around the room at her classmates, trying to figure out just what she could do to help them. Maybe seeing their faces would give her some ideas... Smolder was looking straight at Ocellus, leading the changeling to figure that Smolder had the exact same idea as her. Gallus was wearing a frown. Whether it was due to Rarity’s shutting down of his monetary dreams or simply the fact that they had an assignment over vacation was unknown. Silverstream was jotting ideas down on her worksheet. The hippogriff could be a bit flighty, but she was no slouch as far as classwork went when she really felt like applying herself. And Sandbar was nodding as Yona spoke to him, likely bouncing ideas of her own off of him. And of course he would agree with all of them. The poor colt was head over hooves for Yona. Even if he hadn’t confided in Ocellus about his feelings once, it would have been fairly obvious just from watching him interact with her. Well, obvious to everyone except Yona, apparently. Ocellus focused on the pair a bit longer. Ever since the Amity Ball, the two had been spending more time together, but there was one vital spark missing between them. Sandbar had been quick to ask Yona to the ball, but not nearly as quick in admitting his feelings to her. In fact, that last bit had yet to happen. It was such a shame, too. The two clearly had chemistry, and it was very likely that the only things keeping them from being an official couple were Yona’s inability to notice Sandbar’s feelings and Sandbar’s nervousness over confessing. If only Ocellus could help them along... And then it hit her. The solution was so obvious once she stepped back and took a look at it. Not only had she come up with an idea to help Sandbar and Yona, but she had come up with an idea to complete her generosity assignment for the week as well. And the more and more she thought about it, the more and more she liked it. This was the best idea ever.
The Idea“That is the worst idea ever.” Ocellus was nearly bowled over by Smolder’s bluntness. It certainly wasn’t the first time she’d dealt with it. As great a friend as Smolder was, she had all the subtlety of a boulder to the face. “What?” Ocellus protested. “I said, that is the worst idea ever,” Smolder repeated, arms crossed defiantly in from of her as the two walked back to the dorms. “I wasn’t asking you to just repeat yourself,” Ocellus pouted. “Then you shouldn’t have just said ‘what!’” Smolder insisted. “Ugh, fine,” Ocellus groaned. “I never knew you were so literal. What makes you think it’s the worst idea ever?” “Seriously?” Smolder said, finally turning to look at Ocellus proper. “What makes you think it’s a good idea?” “Everything!” Ocellus insisted. She didn’t like having arguments with her friends, but it was only fair for her to defend herself. “We’re supposed to provide a service for our friends using our own unique talents, right?” “That’s what Professor Rarity said, so yeah,” Smolder answered. “And that’s what I’ll be doing!” Ocellus told her. Smolder, however, was unfazed. “Cell,” Smolder started. “For my assignment, I’m cooking food for my friends using my fire breath. That’s the kind of thing we should be doing. Not...what you’re doing!” “I don’t get why you think what I want to do is wrong,” Ocellus sighed. “I mean, come on. You and Silver both agree with me that Sandbar should just tell Yona how he feels about her, right?” “I still don’t get how she doesn’t see it,” Smolder said with a roll of her eyes. “It’s so obvious. Some creatures are totally blind to that kind of thing, aren’t they?” She gave Ocellus a pointed stare, and Ocellus smirked in response. “Exactly!” Ocellus replied. “She’s totally unaware, and he’s having trouble telling her, so this is perfect! I transform into Yona, I let him practice what he wants to say to her with me, and that helps him build his courage and figure out how to tell her how he feels! And who knows, maybe others in the school might be having the same kind of hangups?” “Maybe,” Smolder admitted, rolling her eyes. “So it’s perfect!” Ocellus stated proudly. “I’m providing a service for my friends. I’m using my own unique talents to do so. And...” The changeling stopped, sudden realization smacking her. “...I get why you have a problem with it,” Ocellus said, giving her friend a sly smirk. “You do?” Smolder asked, a look of surprise crossing her face. “I do!” Ocellus told her. “You’re worried that I’m getting something out of it by being able to snack on a bit of the love they’re giving off.” The changeling nodded, quite proud of herself. “Well, it’s totally different from being paid. I’m not taking anything from them. I’d just get a little residual treat. They wouldn’t lose anything!” Smolder didn’t respond, at least not verbally. She simply seethed, a small puff of smoke emitting from her nostrils. “I’m sure it fits the guidelines that the worksheet has set out for us,” Ocellus said. “And I’m sure our friends would appreciate the help. So I really don’t see what the problem is.” She gave a resolute little nod, smiling at Smolder. Smolder, however, did not return the smile. The dragon clenched her talons, scoffing as she turned away from Ocellus. “Fine,” Smolder said. “Do what you want. But don’t say I didn’t warn you when it comes back to bite you.” Ocellus’s intent was to tell Smolder that she wouldn’t need the warning, but Smolder took off before she could say a word. Ocellus frowned as she watched her friend depart. It was nice being on the winning side of the debate, but she couldn’t help but feel guilty about the way Smolder had reacted. She would have to apologize to her later. For now, though, she needed to get started on her assignment. Ocellus flittered into the room that she shared with Smolder, all set to get to work. As with any assignment she received from her professors, she was anxious to get right to work on it. Her friends didn’t call her an eager little studybug for nothing, after all. The changeling quickly settled into the chair at her desk, picking up a quill and setting to work. The wording of this advertisement was imperative if she was going to get any results out of it, and thankfully, Ocellus considered herself quite good with words. “Attention, students of the School of Friendship,” Ocellus dictated as she wrote. She tapped the quill to her chin, tongue stuck out of the side of her mouth as she toyed with the wording in her head. “Having trouble admitting your feelings to somecreature? Then come see Ocellus! Take your proclamation on a test run! Just check a box for the time you want to meet! All meetings will be strictly confidential.” The changeling carefully read back over her wording, making tiny revisions to it with each pass. It had to be perfect, after all. Not only was it for her friends, but it was for an assignment. Either one of those alone would have demanded perfection. The two combined called for a level of perfection so perfect that the word would have to be redefined. Despite how excited she was to get this done, however, Ocellus still found herself concerned about Smolder’s reaction to her idea. She couldn’t for the life of her figure out just what it was about her idea that had Smolder all in a tizzy. Perhaps she was jealous of how good her idea was? No, that didn’t make sense. Smolder wasn’t that type of dragon. Maybe she was still concerned about Ocellus receiving something in return? But she’d already gone over how that qualified as acceptable under Professor Rarity’s guidelines. Ocellus shook her head out and sighed. Whatever it was that was bothering Smolder, it would have to wait. She would be happy to apologize once she found out what it was, but seeing as she wasn’t in the room at the moment, there wasn’t much that could be done about it. Besides, she had an assignment to work on. The determined little changeling headed down to the main hall of the school. If there was anywhere that her ad would attract attention, it was the main hall. As she hung her ad on the bulletin board, she caught a bit of movement out of the corner of her eye. As luck would have it, the exact pony who had inspired this idea was walking past. “Sandbar!” Ocellus called quickly, waving her friend over. “What’s up, Ocellus?” Sandbar asked, smiling warmly as he approached. “You need to take a look at this ad I just put up for my assignment!” Ocellus told him. “Sure!” Sandbar replied. He leaned in to take a look at the flyer, Ocellus watching over his shoulder with rapt interest. She watched his reactions as he read the paper, right down to the widened eyes and dropping of the jaw. She had caught him hook, line, and sinker. “Uhh...Ocellus?” Sandbar asked, kicking a hoof nervously against the ground. “Is this really what you’re doing?” “It is!” Ocellus confirmed, grinning brightly. “I see...” Sandbar responded. “Uhh...do you think that maybe...you might have an opening tomorrow morning?” “You’re the first one to inquire, so of course!” Ocellus said, grin growing ever wider. “Great!” Sandbar said quickly. “How about 10 AM?” “That sounds great,” Ocellus replied. If her grin grew any larger, it would have seceded from her face and declared itself a sovereign entity. “Okay!” Sandbar said, voice cracking ever so slightly. “I’ll come by your dorm then! See you!” “See you!” Ocellus called back as she watched her friend gallop away. Everything had been set in motion. Helping her friends (and getting a good grade) would be easy as pie.
A RevelationOcellus had no idea how many creatures there were at the School of Friendship who had trouble admitting their feelings to their crushes. Granted, she probably could have known earlier if she wanted to. Changelings were quite good at sniffing out these kinds of things when they tried. “When they tried” was the key phrase there. Ocellus had a few hangups about that kind of thing. There were creatures out there that would have considered that kind of thing a breach of privacy, after all, and Ocellus wasn’t looking to offend anycreature. So she simply chose not to pry, and that was that. With Sandbar and Yona, she didn’t need to pry. It was terribly obvious to everycreature except Yona. Ocellus had pretty much expected to just take care of that pair, and maybe one or two others. It was for this reason that the number of signups had taken her by surprise. November Rain had been the next to come in after Sandbar. He had apparently been pining after Peppermint for a bit, and Ocellus was more than happy to help. He had been so sweet and kind with his planned advances, and Ocellus quickly found herself rooting for him and his efforts, certain that the two would make a cute pair. Shimmy Shake was in next, and Ocellus found herself only about half-surprised to hear of her feelings for Lighthoof. She had kind of figured there was something between the two. Lighthoof was quite fun to play, and she even got to practice a few dance steps with Shimmy. As happy as Ocellus was to help those ponies, though, she couldn’t help but notice a strange feeling, one she couldn’t quite place. It was great knowing she helped them, but the love she tasted from them was missing a little something. What it was or why it was missing, Ocellus had no clue. She just knew that something was missing and the love wasn’t tasting quite as good as she had expected. Not that this was important. The most important part of the assignment was making sure that she was helping her friends. Her little snack was just an added bonus. Whatever the problem was, Ocellus had no time to dwell on it, because somecreature else was knocking at her door. She slid off the bed and opened the door, her smile growing as she saw who was there. “Silverstream!” Ocellus said, stepping aside to let her friend in. “Hey!” “Hi Ocellus!” Silverstream responded, grabbing her friend in one of her patented hugs. Ocellus giggled and hugged her excitable friend back. “What brings you here?” Ocellus asked as she was let down. “I’m here for your help!” Silverstream responded, smiling brightly. “You...you are?” Ocellus asked, scratching her head. “I mean...I’m sorry if I come off so surprised, but you’re so outgoing. I didn’t expect you to have trouble saying anything to anycreature.” “Aww, thanks!” Silverstream said. “I really appreciate that! Buuuut...well, some things are harder to talk about than others. And this one’s a doozy! Like...what do I do if he says he’s not interested?” Ocellus could feel the anxiety starting to build up in her friend. She was quick to try and assuage her worries, patting Silverstream on the back. “Are you kidding?” Ocellus asked. “Whoever it is, I’m sure he’d be so happy to hear that you’re interested in him.” “You really think so?” Silverstream asked. “Uh, of course!” Ocellus insisted. “You’re so nice and friendly, and you’re a lot of fun to be around. He’d have to be nuts to turn you down! Uh, whoever he is. Because you still haven’t told me.” Ocellus quickly found herself swept up in another hug, and rolled her eyes playfully as she hugged back. “I really needed to hear that,” Silverstream said. “And I promise I wasn’t just fishing for compliments!” She paused, then snickered. “Get it? Fishing? Because-“ “I get it,” Ocellus assured her friend as she was released from the hug. “So who’s the lucky guy?” “Oh, it’s Gallus,” Silverstream replied, giving an embarrassed little smile as she heard Ocellus squeal. “That’s great!” Ocellus said, clapping her hooves together. “Oh, I’m so happy for you two! Or, rather, I will be when you ask him out and he totally says yes!” The changeling engulfed herself in green flame once more, transforming into a perfect recreation of Gallus. She gave a sly grin, fluffing up the feathers on her head with a talon. “How’s this for you?” “Oh my gosh!” Silverstream bubbled, doing a little flip in the air. “It’s like he’s really here!” “Such is the power of a changeling,” Ocellus said proudly. “Now, do you need me to set the scene?” “Hmm...” Silverstream pondered, tapping a talon to her chin. “Well...I kinda wanted to invite him to lunch, and then I figured I’d tell him how I felt there. So maybe we can frame it that way?” “Sounds good!” Ocellus agreed. She pulled a spare blanket from the nearby dresser, setting it on the floor. “Maybe a picnic?” “That’s great!” Silverstream cheered. The hippogriff sat down on the blanket, quickly joined by the disguised Ocellus. “Ahh...” Ocellus said, doing her best Gallus impression. “Now that was a good lunch. Don’t think I could eat another bite.” “For sure!” Silverstream quickly agreed. A moment of silence passed. Ocellus looked pointedly at Silverstream. This was probably the first time she had ever seen Silverstream unable to speak openly. “Sooo...” Ocellus began. “How about those classes, huh? I sure hate studying.” The words practically burned her throat. “It’s not all that bad!” Silverstream said. “But...uh...I kinda had something else on my mind.” “Oh yeah?” Ocellus asked. “What’s that?” “Well...” Silverstream began. Suddenly, Ocellus felt her talon in Silverstream’s clutches. She blinked in surprise, not having expected her to make contact. “I need to be honest with you,” Silverstream said, staring into the disguised Ocellus’s eyes. Her usual silly nature seemed to have nearly fallen to the wayside with that sentence alone. “There’s a reason I’m always so happy when we get paired up in class, and why I like to tease you all the time, and why I brought you on this picnic. It’s just...I mean, you’re so brave and cool, and I really admire that. I really admire you. And as goofy as that sounds, I really, really mean it.” Silverstream’s words continued to pour out, to the point where one might have assumed that she had rehearsed this speech before. As Ocellus listened to them, she felt the love seeping from every one, there for her to feast on. But just like the love she’d felt from Sandbar and November Rain and Shimmy Shake before her, the love from Silverstream tasted...off. Unlike with the previous creatures, though, this time Ocellus was able to pinpoint a reason for that. As she listened to the heartfelt soliloquy from the hippogriff, she could acknowledge that she meant every word she said. The problem lie in the fact that she meant them for Gallus. Not for Ocellus. And while Ocellus looked like Gallus at the moment, she wasn’t Gallus. Why couldn’t somecreature have those kinds of words to say for her? Ocellus would have pondered that thought longer, but there were more pressing matters at hand. Namely, the hippogriff that had apparently gotten lost in the roleplay and suddenly decided to close the distance for a kiss. “S-Silverstream!” Ocellus quickly held a talon out, placing it on a Silverstream’s chest to keep the distance before she did something she didn’t intend. Silverstream’s eyes opened, and a deep blush covered her cheeks as Ocellus changed back to her normal form. “Oh my gosh! Ocellus, I’m so sorry!” Silverstream blurted out. “I just got really wrapped up in the whole thing, and that was the point where I would have...oh geez, I’m really really sorry!” “It’s okay!” Ocellus insisted, her heart racing as she sat back. “I mean...that’s the sign of a good act, right? No harm, no foul.” “Right...” Silverstream said, cheeks still burning brightly. “I really am sorry though.” “It’s okay, really,” Ocellus told her. She had mostly calmed down from the situation at hoof, but her mind was still racing with the thoughts from just before. Silverstream didn’t need to be bothered with that, though. “And I think you might be all set to tell Gallus!” “You really think so?” Silverstream asked. “Oh yes!” Ocellus replied. “I’d just...well, you might not want to jump straight to the kiss like that...unless he seems like he’d want to kiss? He might! But don’t come on too strong.” “Do you think he’ll want to go out with me?” Silverstream asked. Her eyes sparkled with hope, and for a moment Ocellus found herself lost in them, thinking about how much she wished she had somecreature who hoped that badly for her attention. “I can’t speak for him,” Ocellus admitted. “But there’s no way to know until you ask! If I had to guess, though, I’d think you had a good shot.” “Thank you!” Silverstream exclaimed, once again wrapping her friend in a hug. Ocellus found herself melting into the hug, but said nothing, simply returning the gesture. “And...I’m really sorry again for that.” “It’s fine, I promise,” Ocellus told her, reveling in the warmth of the affection for a long moment before slipping free. “You go ahead and get ready to ask him, okay? Who knows, you two could be the next hot couple on campus!” “I sure hope so!” Silverstream cheered, heading for the door. “Thanks, Ocellus! You’re the best! See you around!” Ocellus waved to the hippogriff as she departed, smiling brightly. Once the door closed, however, her smile faded. The changeling headed back to her bed and flopped down onto the mattress, letting out a deep sigh. She didn’t have those kinds of feelings for Silverstream. She loved her as a friend, but not in a romantic sense. Seeing how wrapped up she got in her feelings for Gallus...how much Sandbar glowed when he spoke of Yona...it just reminded her of how much she wished somecreature would glow like that when talking about her. This was going to be a long assignment.
Seeing It Through To the End“Ever since I first laid eyes on you, I thought you were the most amazing creature I’d ever seen.” Ocellus nodded to Huckleberry, keeping her smile up but feeling weak at his words to Sugar Maple. Why couldn’t somecreature say that about her instead of him? ~~~~~~~~~~ “You’re absolutely beautiful. Not just in body, but in mind and soul.” Ocellus could barely keep her eyes from sparkling, but it was in vain. Berry Bliss’s words were for Citrine Spark, not her. ~~~~~~~~~~ “You light up my life. The sight of you can make the most lovely dream out of the darkest nightmare.” It was the third time Spike was in here, but that didn’t change the sadness in Ocellus’s heart as she heard his words for Rarity and imagined somecreature feeling like that about her. ~~~~~~~~~~ The door creaked open. Smolder typically liked to bust right into her room, not caring much at all about stealth or carefulness. Today was a different story. The last thing she wanted to do was burst in and interrupt one of Ocellus’s sessions. A quick glance around the room revealed that she had successfully avoided doing that. The dragon walked into the room proper, chomping on one of the peppers she’d roasted. Just because she was cooking food for her friends didn’t mean she couldn’t have some too. “Cell? I’m back.” She’d already noticed Ocellus sitting on her bed in her initial glance around the room, but hadn’t gotten a good look at what was going on past the fact that nobody was busy practicing their confessions at the moment. If she had inspected closer, she might have been more aware of what was going on, but since she didn’t, it was the first sound of a sniffle that clued her in. The roasted pepper forgotten, Smolder zipped over to the bed, talons clenched. “Ocellus!” Smolder shouted. “What happened? Are you okay? Who made you cry? When I find out I’m gonna...” “It’s fine,” Ocellus squeaked, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. “I-I’m fine, really!” The changeling offered a smile, receiving a flat look from Smolder in response. “You’re not fine,” Smolder stated. “You’re crying.” “N-no I’m not!” Ocellus tried to protest. “It’s...um...seasonal allergies?” If Smolder’s look was any flatter, it would have fallen through the floorboards. “You think I’m gonna buy that?” Smolder asked, crossing her arms. “Tell me what happened. Who made you cry?” Ocellus let out a deep sigh. She tended to be a decent actor–it was a fairly necessary skill for changelings to possess, after all–but her skills had failed her this time. “No one made me cry,” Ocellus said. “I mean, not intentionally, at least. And if I tell you what happened, you’re just going to tell me that you were right all along.” “You really think that’s how I’m gonna react?” Smolder asked, more offended than angry. “From the way you say that, I can only guess that this is about your idea.” The dragon rolled her eyes as she received a nod from the changeling. “It was a good idea!” Ocellus insisted. “Um...up until the point where all these creatures busy professing their love to me but intending it for someone else made me wish someone would feel that way about me. And...then the crying started. And then you came in. And now you’re caught up.” She tried to offer another forced smile in Smolder’s direction, but Smolder was having none of it. “I told you it was a bad idea!” Smolder insisted, barely able to contain her frustration. “Oh, come on, Smolder...” Ocellus said, finally sitting up proper. “You’re telling me you knew it would happen exactly like this?” “No, but I knew something would go wrong!” Smolder shot back. “And here we are!” Ocellus bit her lip, looking away as her own frustration threatened to start the flow of tears again. “Well, congratulations on your prediction then,” Ocellus responded coldly. It wasn’t a tone that she typically took with Smolder–or anyone, really–but she couldn’t help herself. She heard Smolder let out a frustrated sigh, but refused to look back in her direction, lest she be treated to another round of gloating. “So are you going to stop being an emotional support changeling?” Smolder asked. “Now that we’ve seen what kind of negative effects this is having on you?” Ocellus stayed silent for a good few moments. Even though she was still sad, a flash of anger was starting to show its face. She didn’t like to show her stubborn side too often, but it had a way of rearing its head on occasion. As much as she cared for Smolder, she was doing a great job of triggering that stubborn side with the way she was rubbing her victory in. “No,” Ocellus finally stated. “What do you mean, no?” Smolder exclaimed. “I mean just that,” Ocellus said, forelegs crossed much like Smolder so often did. “I’ve only got three more appointments today anyway. I’ll stick through it today, but I can’t cancel that because I said I’d do it.” Smolder stared incredulously at Ocellus. She opened her mouth to say something, then chose to just walk into the bathroom. Ocellus let out a soft sigh. Now besides all her other worries, Smolder was mad at her. It took a good amount of willpower not to start crying again, but luckily for Ocellus, she still had a good amount of willpower left. “Four.” Ocellus looked up in confusion at the paper that Smolder was holding out to her. “Huh?” Ocellus asked. “I picked your signup sheet up for you while I was out,” Smolder grumbled. “You have four appointments left today.” She dropped the paper into Ocellus’s hooves and turned to exit. “Thanks?” Ocellus offered. The sentiment was either unheard or ignored as the dorm room door closed. Ocellus let out another sigh, staring at the paper. At least it was nice of Smolder to collect it for her. And what was the harm of one more appointment? Just these four more appointments, and then she’d call an end to it. That had to be enough data for the assignment, after all. ~~~~~~~~~~ Ocellus was exhausted. Both physically and emotionally. The last three appointments really took it out of the poor changeling. Stage Tales in particular had been so sweet and romantic in his planned confession to Strawberry Scoop that Ocellus’s tears had nearly started up again right on the spot. She had been able to soldier through, though, and now all that was left was one final appointment, namely the new one that she hadn’t been aware of. For the briefest of moments, Ocellus considered leaving a sign on her door to inform the last applicant that she wasn’t feeling up to it. In truth, she really wasn’t. The loneliness had really ramped up since the beginning of the day, and she was barely holding herself together. She even got as far as writing the apology note before deciding to just deal with it. She had come this far, after all, and she would be disappointing both the last applicant and herself if she called it quits. The note was quickly and regretfully discarded, and the changeling flopped back onto the bed. Ocellus’s latest flop ended up being cut short as she heard a knock on the door. She hadn’t even realized that it had gotten so late already. “Just one more and I’m done...” Ocellus reminded herself as she trudged to the door. She stopped at the door, put on a practiced smile, and opened it. “...Smolder?” “Yeah, yeah...” Smolder muttered as she walked in. The dragon looked pent up, more so than Ocellus had ever seen her. “Uh...have you seen my last signup?” Ocellus asked. “I am your last signup,” Smolder told her. “You?” Ocellus asked, shocked. “I thought you thought this was a bad idea?” “Well, I’m here now!” Smolder answered, even though that didn’t really answer Ocellus’s question. “Okay...” the changeling said. “Well...just tell me who-“ Before Ocellus could finish her sentence, she was cut off by an energized Smolder. “I’ve been wanting to say this for...I don’t even know how long,” Smolder began. Ocellus raised a brow, startled by the sudden beginning. “Smolder, you haven’t-“ Ocellus tried again, but she was cut off once more. “And do you know how hard this kind of thing is?” Smolder practically shouted. “Us dragons don’t share our feelings much. It’s not like us! It’s not tough or cool or anything like that!” “Smolder...” Ocellus tried one last time. Once again, she was steamrolled. “But when it comes to someone like you, you just...bring it out of me!” Smolder said, stomping a foot on the ground. “You’re so nice and sweet, and some creatures think that being nice and sweet means you’re weak, but it’s not true, because you’re the strongest of anycreature I know! Even when you’re confronted with something that can bring you to tears, you keep pushing forward because it’s the right thing to do, and that’s one of the strongest things anycreature can dream of doing! And even when you do something that...that pisses me off like this, even when I’m trying so hard to tell you that you shouldn’t be doing it, you still keep at it, because you care about others so much, even more than you care about yourself. And that makes you tougher than half the dragons in the Dragon Lands combined! You’re amazing, and gorgeous, and everything I could want in a special someone and more!” The dragon, now out of breath, flopped onto the floor, letting out a small jet of flame over her head that just barely missed licking at the ceiling. Ocellus stood, slack-jawed, as she stared down at Smolder. Never before had she seen such a display from her. Carefully, she crept over to stand next to Smolder. “S-Smolder?” Ocellus whispered, as if the slightest sound could cause an explosion. “You...you never told me...who you wanted me to transform into...” Smolder stared at Ocellus as if she had three heads. Finally, she sat up. One talon reached out and grabbed one of Ocellus’s hooves, holding it tightly. “You’re exactly who I need you to be.”
Epilogue“Our final presenter for the day is...Ocellus. Please come to the front of the classroom, Ocellus.” The changeling bit her lip as she stood from her desk. Studying and putting together essays were her specialty; public speaking was not. A quick look to the side treated her with a reassuring smile from Smolder. That was enough to spur her onward. She made her way to the front of the class, giving a little nod to Rarity as she turned to face her classmates. She cleared her throat, lifting her paper up to begin reading. ”The definition of generosity is the quality of being kind and generous. The definition of generous is a readiness to give more of something, as money or time, than is strictly necessary or expected. One of the most important aspects of displaying friendship is a willingness to be generous, to show generosity, often with little to no concern about what you may gain from it in return. For the true reward of generosity is the happiness that comes from those to whom you are generous. Our class was given a simple assignment: provide a service for your friends, utilizing your own unique abilities. Based on this given task, and with inspiration from a certain pair of friends, my solution to this assignment was obvious. I would offer my services and abilities as a changeling to my friends who had difficulty admitting their feelings to somecreature whom they admired, accomplishing this task by transforming into that somecreature and allowing them to take their confessions on a test run. It started off perfectly. The first few confessions went without a hitch. Not to say that the later ones didn’t; I like to believe that I helped every single creature who came to me, and if their thanks were any indication, they were satisfied. But as the day went on, it started to take a toll on me, one that I never expected. I ended up learning a valuable lesson about generosity by choosing this particular route for my assignment. It is important to be generous, and sometimes that means giving of yourself beyond what is strictly necessary. But at the same time, it is important to pay attention to your own mental health. It is important to give, but not so much that you have nothing left. In the end, however, I think my idea worked out well. It had its low points for sure, but it had more than its fair share of positives...” Ocellus looked up from her paper to her closest friends in the class. Yona and Sandbar were sitting next to each other, shooting little smiles in each other’s directions. Silverstream had surreptitiously snuck her talon into Gallus’s, and he seemed quite okay with the whole situation. And finally, she looked to Smolder, who gave her a wink and a thumbs up. The changeling sighed happily, returned the wink, and looked back to her paper. ”...And a final resolution far greater than any I could have asked for.”
Helping SandbarOcellus sat on the edge of her bed, eyes constantly darting between the clock and the door. It was 10:02. Sandbar was supposed to be here two minutes ago. Some ponies just didn’t pay attention to being on time, and she couldn’t understand why. “Come on, Sandbar...” Ocellus spoke, just above a whisper. “Any minute now...” “I don’t get why you’re so excited about this,” Smolder stated as she walked in, toothbrush still hanging out of her mouth. “Actually, I take it back. It’s for a class assignment. I’d be more concerned if you weren't excited.” Ocellus waved off the little barb. She was used to Smolder saying things like this to her. It used to stab at her emotions, but she knew quite well by this point that Smolder was just teasing and wasn’t trying to insult her. “I’m looking forward to the experience, honestly,” Ocellus told her. “And it’s not just because of the good grade I’m sure to get.” “What other possible good thing could come out of this?” Smolder asked. “The feeling of accomplishment when Sandbar is finally able to admit his feelings to Yona?” Ocellus retorted. “And knowing that I helped it happen?” “And what about the other ones?” Smolder asked. Ocellus gave an innocent grin as she looked down towards the sheet in her hooves. She had expected more than just one signup, of course. It would have been silly not to, and she wasn’t quite sure if helping only two friends would even qualify for the assignment. She had not, however, anticipated just how many signups there would be. It wasn’t enough to be overwhelming, but it was enough to be...whelming? Was that a word? It had to be, logically speaking, but it still felt off. Whether or not it was a word, Ocellus certainly felt whelmed as she looked over the sheet. “It might be more than I expected, but it’ll still feel just as nice knowing that I might have helped all of them with their crushes,” Ocellus responded. “It really is interesting to see just how many of our classmates have secret crushes. Who would have thought?” Smolder simply grumbled in response as she returned to the bathroom to put her toothbrush away. Ocellus remained alert in her observance of the clock and door. A little piece of her couldn’t help but feel a tad nervous about the number of classmates who had signed up, but the positives were certainly worth that bit of uncertainty. “I still think it’s a terrible idea,” Smolder said as she re-entered the room, once again breaking Ocellus from her clock-door loop. “You keep saying that,” Ocellus said with a sigh. “But you never really give a reason. Why do you think it’s such a bad idea?” Smolder glared at Ocellus before taking a breath. She opened her mouth to speak, but the only sound that was heard was a knock on the door. “Oh, that must be Sandbar!” Ocellus exclaimed. She hopped off of the bed, barely able to contain herself. “Great,” Smolder grumbled. “I got things to do. Later.” “Later!” Ocellus responded cheerfully. She bounced lightly on her hooves as Smolder opened the door, trudging past Sandbar as he made his entrance. “Hey, Ocellus!” Sandbar said. “What’s up with Smolder? She didn’t even say hi.” “Oh, she’s just being grumpy because she thinks this idea of mine for the assignment is bad,” Ocellus replied, closing the door behind her friend. “Really?” Sandbar asked. “Why?” “I honestly have no idea,” Ocellus told him. “I’ll have to ask her again later. I mean, I totally disagree, but I should at least find out what’s got her so bothered.” “Buuuut it can wait until after we’re done, right?” Sandbar asked, smiling eagerly. “Yup!” Ocellus replied, entertained by just how excited her friend was to move things along. “That’s what we’re here for, after all!” “Right!” Sandbar confirmed. “Because...uh...don’t tell anypony, but...” Sandbar’s eyes darted left, then right, then left once more. Despite the fact that they were in a private dorm room and the only other person who might have been here had left upon his arrival, he had to play it safe. Once he was sure they were alone, he whispered, “I have a crush on Yona.” “You don’t say,” Ocellus replied flatly. “Really!” Sandbar insisted, oblivious to Ocellus’s sarcastic tone as he sat down on Ocellus’s bed. “I mean, I asked her to the Amity Ball, and that was great, and we’ve gotten closer and stuff, but it’s just been hard to tell her how I really feel about her, you know?” “It can certainly be hard,” Ocellus agreed. “And that’s why I’m here to help! I think Yona would love to date you, but I get that asking her out can be hard. So let’s get to practicing!” With those words, a flash of green fire surrounded Ocellus, causing Sandbar to shield his eyes. When he pulled his hoof away from his face, he was greeted with the sight of the yak of his dreams, standing right there before him. “Sandbar going to say hello to Yona?” Ocellus asked. Her voice was mostly on, but careful listening could discern it from the real thing. Visually, however, she was the spitting image of Yona. Sandbar’s jaw dropped. It was far from the first time he’d seen Ocellus transform, so he was more than aware of her abilities. Still, he found himself in awe of what had just transpired, and the nerves that often popped up around the real Yona were starting to pop up now too. “Go on, Sandbar,” Ocellus said, grinning. “Say what you want to say. It’s fine.” “Heh...right!” Sandbar replied, smiling awkwardly. The pony cleared his throat, then opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. “I’ve got an idea,” Ocellus said. “How about we set the scene a bit more? I’ll walk back into the room, we’ll pretend that you’ve just invited Yona to speak in private...if it helps you get into the right mindset better, then let’s do it!” She gave Sandbar a little wink before walking into the bathroom and closing the door. A few quiet, awkward seconds passed. “Sandbar open door for Yona?” Ocellus called out. “Oh! Sure!” Sandbar responded, scurrying over to the bathroom and opening the door. He gave Ocellus the biggest smile as she exited the bathroom. “Thank you!” Ocellus said. Her walk was more delicate than Yona’s, but other than that, she thought she was playing the part rather well. “So, what Sandbar want talk to Yona about?” “Heh...” Sandbar began, already off to a stellar start. “Well...you see...” “Yona see,” Ocellus responded. “Yaks best at seeing!” She giggled, already having too much fun with this. Sandbar laughed as well, and she could see just in his posture that he’d relaxed a bit. “Yeah, they sure are!” Sandbar said. “But that’s not what I meant.” “Then what pony mean?” Ocellus asked, giving Sandbar an encouraging smile. “W-well...” Sandbar began, nervously kicking a hoof against the ground. “You, uhhh...you remember the Amity Ball?” “Yona remember,” Ocellus responded. “Yona had great time! At least for second half.” “So did I!” Sandbar exclaimed. “And...uh...well, what I mean to say is...” “Yona listening,” Ocellus said coyly, having herself a seat. Sandbar took a deep breath, smiling awkwardly at his friend who currently looked like the yak of his dreams. “I...I think you’re really great,” Sandbar stammered, though a bit of confidence was starting to shine through. “A-and if you want...I’d really like to spend more time with you. Like...just with you. And me. Us. Alone.” Ocellus bit her lip, successfully saving herself from a chuckle which she was sure would have done some damage to Sandbar’s confidence. “That’s good, but could use a little work,” Ocellus told him. “Be more confident. Yona knows you, and she likes spending time with you. Don’t overdo it, but make it a little more clear how you feel about her. Think about what she means to you, and don’t say everything that comes to mind because that might be coming on too strong, but let her know what you think of her.” She cleared her throat, then gave Sandbar a smile. “Friend Sandbar want talk to Yona?” Sandbar nodded a bit, thoughts racing through his head. It took a solid ten seconds before he was able to speak. “W-well,” Sandbar said. “I was thinking...I really like spending time with you, and you’re always so nice to everycreature, a-and so much fun to be around...” “Mhm,” Ocellus said, smiling and encouraging her friend along. “And...you know...” Sandbar continued, perking up a bit. “I’d really like it if we could...you know...go out sometime? Like...what special someponies would do? Because that would really make me happy.” Ocellus couldn’t help but lick her lips at the tasty love that was emanating from her friend, but she was careful not to let that distract her too much. “Yona would love that!” Ocellus exclaimed. “Yaks best at being special someponies!” Then she paused. “Oh, um, you might want to go with special somecreature there.” “Hah...right!” Sandbar agreed. The colt was visibly more upbeat now, even bouncing slightly on the tips of his hooves. “See? It’s not that hard,” Ocellus said, concentrating and changing back to her own form. “Just think of what she means to you, put it through a reasonable filter, and let the words flow. If I know Yona, she’ll be so happy that you feel that way about her.” “Thanks, Ocellus!” Sandbar said, rushing forward to give his friend a hug. “I really appreciate the advice! I’m totally gonna ask her out today!” “Good luck!” Ocellus replied, returning the hug. She took a deep breath, tasting some of that residual love before she let her friend go. It was delicious and pure, as real love tended to be. “I’m rooting for you!” “Thanks again!” Sandbar said. Then he galloped out of the room, a visible skip in his step. Ocellus sighed happily, taking a seat on her bed once again. Her mind once again went back to Smolder and her issues with this idea, but she still couldn’t see what Smolder’s issues with it were. If she could make others as happy as she’d made Sandbar, this really was the best idea ever.
