The Eventual Daughter of a Non-Brony

by BronyWriter

Chapters

Born
Young
No Mom or Dad
Hearth's Warming Eve
Seventeen
Powells
Repeat
Ponyville
Crib

Born

Warm.

Was warm.

Safe.

Not safe?

Not warm?

Bright lights.

Talking around me.

Where Mommy?

No Mommy.

I cry.

Want Mommy.

No Mommy?

Where?

Young

There are lots of ponies around me, bigger and small. Some are grownup ponies who are making sure that we're all okay. Some of the ponies around me have wings and some have horns, and some don't have anything like that at all! Nopony has wings like mine, though. I've looked.

I'm playing with other ponies who are small like me. My favorite are the blocks. Me and some of the other ponies who are small like me build them into a big tower and push them down over and over again! Miss Hoof makes sure that we don't hurt each other when we're playing. Sometimes the ponies who are a little bigger than me play too, but sometimes they read to us. I like that.

One of the ponies who is a little bigger than me, but not as big as Miss Hoof comes over to us with a book beside her sparkling like her horn, which is really cool. She's Shining Spark. She's nice. She's one of the older kids.

"Hey, guys, Miss Hoof says I should help you work on your ABCs. You wanna?"

I perk up. Yeah, that's the ABC book! I love that one. I happily follow her, and she sits down on a chair. I sit in front of her. I love this book.

"Okay, let's see," she says, turning the book so that I can look at the pictures. "'A' is for...?"

"Apple!" I shout excitedly, pointing at the apple on the page.

"Good. 'B' is for...?"

"Ball!"

"'C' is for...?"

"Uh..." I frown. This one is hard. I know the big white pony on the page with the cool mane, but her name is real hard. "Uh... Celestra!"

"It's 'Celestia'" she says, pointing at the word. "See? Celes...tia! Celestia! She's our princess."

"Yeah, Ciles...tria!"

Shining laughs a bit and shakes her head. "Yeah, close enough. Okay, 'D' is for..."

"So sorry to interrupt, but I need to talk to Comet for a second."

Comet? That's me! I turn around and see Miss Hoof. She's so nice! I run up to her and hug her leg. "Hello, Miss Hoof! I love you!"

Miss Hoof chuckles and hugs me back. "I love you too, Comet. Can you come with me? There are some ponies who want to talk to you."

I perk up again. "Okay!" I turn to Shining Spark. "Sorry. I halfta go talk to some ponies." I point at the book. "'D' is for dog!"

Shining Spark chuckles and stands up. "Yes it is."

"You're getting very good at your ABCs, Comet," Miss Hoof says, ruffling my mane. "Why, I wouldn't be surprised if you start reading here soon."

"Okay!" I say. That would be really fun!

As we're going out of the play room, I see one of the older ponies who isn't quite as old as Miss Hoof sitting in the corner. Her name is Rainstorm. She's a nice pony. She's drawing!

I bounce over to Rainstorm. Her wings are different like mine, but hers have feathers. "Hey, Rainstorm! What are you drawing?"

Rainstorm looks up at me. She looks tired. She takes the pencil out of her mouth and points at the picture. "Just the sky."

"Oh, like the sun and clouds and stuff?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"Cool." I sit next to her and look at the picture. "Do you want to color it with me?"

"Comet, let's leave Rainstorm to draw," Miss Hoof says. "You have some ponies to meet, remember?"

Oh, yeah, that's right. "Rainstorm, I'm gonna meet some ponies with Miss Hoof. I'm gonna be right back."

"I'll bet," Rainstorm says quiet enough that I almost can't hear her. She looks sad.

"Can we color your picture when I get back?" I ask. Coloring is fun!

"Sure. Whatever. Catch you later, Comet."

"Okay!" I hug Rainstorm's leg, but she doesn't hug me back. That's okay. She seems sad.

I go back to Miss Hoof. "Okay, I'm ready to meet the new ponies." I meet a lot of new ponies. Miss Hoof says they might want to be our new moms and dads. That's weird. We have Miss Hoof and the other ponies helping her.

I guess... I guess having a mom and dad would be pretty cool, though. A lot of the foals here get new moms and dads. I had a friend named Star Shine who liked to play blocks with me, but I couldn't find her one day, and Miss Hoof said that it was because some nice ponies wanted to be her new mom and dad. I was a little sad, but also glad.

"Miss Hoof?" I ask as we leave the play room. "Do these ponies want to be my mom and dad?"

"We'll see, Comet. They want to meet you and talk to you."

"Oh, good, because I want to meet them and talk to them, too." Meeting ponies is fun, even if they never want to be my mom and dad.

But that's okay. Meeting them is fun anyway.

Miss Hoof brings me to one of the rooms where I meet ponies and opens the door. Inside are two unicorns. Maybe Mom and Dad, maybe not. Miss Hoof and I walk in.

"Ah, you must be Comet," the stallion says. He's smiling, but he stops smiling a bit when he sees me. "I'm Spinning Cog, and this is my wife, Silver Gleam."

"Hi!" I say happily. "I'm Comet Screech!"

"It's nice to meet you," Miss Gleam says. She's not smiling very big either. "Miss Hoof told us that you just turned three, is that right?"

I nod at that. "Yeah, Me and another filly Diamond Dust have the same birthday, so we both had our party on the same day! We had chocolate."

"Sounds like a good day," Mister Cog says. "Miss Hoof says you're doing very well learning your numbers and letters."

"Uh-huh! I know all my letters, and I can count to twenty-six! I'm not good at writing yet, but I'm getting really good at flying!" I spread my wings and hop into the air for a few seconds. "See?"

"Yes, very good," Mister Cog says. He looks at Miss Hoof, who isn't smiling at all. Did I do something wrong? I hope not. I wouldn't want to make Miss Hoof unhappy.

"Hey Mister Cog," I say. "If you want to be my daddy, can I lie on your back? I'd like that."

He blinks and looks confused, then looks at Miss Silver. "Oh, uh... I... suppose so."

Yay! I hope he wants to be my daddy.

Mister Cog and Miss Silver and me talk for a little while more, but they say that they have to go. That's okay. I have to go, too. I want to color Rainstorm's picture!

Miss Hoof takes me back to the play room, but she asks me something as we go back.

"Er... Comet, is there any particular reason you wanted to lie on Mister Cog's back?"

I tilt my head and think, then shrug with my wings. "Dunno. It sounds nice."

"Hm."

When we get back to the play room, Rainstorm isn't there. Her picture isn't there either. That's okay. She looked sad, so she maybe didn't want to be around other ponies. There are still a lot of pictures to color, though.

No Mom or Dad

There's chocolate candy for dessert at the cafeteria today! Chocolate is the best. We never get chocolate unless it's Hearth's Warming or somepony's birthday. When I look around, I see some of the fillies and colts putting their candy in bags for later. Sometimes the other children don't eat theirs right away. Sometimes they trade it for stuff. Miss Hoof and the other adults don't like that, but most times, ponies don't get hurt by it.

Except when they somepony tries to steal it. Then things get violent. You shouldn't steal.

I always eat my candy right away so nopony steals it. If somepony tried to take my candy, I'd fight them. I'd have to. If you didn't fight them when they tried to take your candy, they'd learn that they could take your candy all of the time! That would be bad.

I pop one of the pieces of chocolate in my mouth and smile. Yum. I still have three pieces left, so I need to think about if I should eat them now, or if I should save some for later. Not necessarily to trade, but just to make it last longer. Who knows when I'll be able to get more? I eat another piece, then set the other two aside. Yeah, I'll save some for later.

"Hey, Screech, give me some of your candy."

Ugh.

I turn and see another filly named Diamond Dust with two of her cronies standing next to me. I glare at them and pull the candy closer to me.

"Nuh-uh. This is mine. You have to wait until we get more."

"No, I don't," she says snootily. "Give me one now, or we'll take them both."

I scoot a few hooves back and bare my fangs, quietly hissing at her. "No, this is mine!"

"Ooh, I'm so scared," Diamond Dust says, rolling her eyes. She walks up to me and pokes my side. "It's not like you need any more. You not exercising with those rat wings of yours?"

I hop off of the bench and flare my wings, hissing at her louder. "Go away!"

"You see that, girls? If we don't go away, the scary little vampony is going to suck our blood!" Diamond Dust says, draping her leg over her forehead while the other two laugh.

"I'm not fat, and I'm not a vampony!" I growl, but tears are starting to well up in my eyes. "Go away, or I'm gonna tell Miss Hoof that you're being mean!"

She scoffs and gives me a flat look. "Oh? Is that so?"

"Yes, now fuck off," a voice behind me says. I turn around and see Rainstorm walking up to us. She steps next to me and puts a hoof on my back. "Leave Comet alone. If I find out that you've stolen a single nibble of her candy, you'll have to answer to me."

"You said a bad word," Diamond Dust growls, narrowing her eyes. "I'm gonna tell Miss Hoof."

Rainstorm scoffs and flips Diamond Dust the feather with her smaller wing. "Sure, go ahead, but in the meantime..." She extends her wing closer to them. "Fuuuuuck. Oooooff."

Diamond Dust scoffs and rolls her eyes again. "Fine. Come on, girls. I have better things to do than talk to a gimpy loser and a rat-winged vampony."

Rainstorm doesn't stop flipping them the feather until they'd walked out of the cafeteria. I wipe my eyes with the back of my hoof and sit back down.

"You shouldn't say bad words."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Rainstorm grumbles, waving a hoof at me. "Not like she didn't deserve it."

"I guess. Thanks either way." I pick up a piece of candy and hold it out. "You want one?"

"No thanks. Appreciate the offer." She sighs and shakes her head. "Hate ponies like that. Sorry you have to deal with her existing."

"I don't hate her so much I wished she'd stopped existing, I just wish she wasn't so mean," I mutter, idly pushing one of the candies back and forth.

"Sure. Guess so. Just hate ponies who make fun of other ponies because of their wings." Her ear flicks, and she shakes her head. "Whatever. See you around. Let me know if they bother you again."

"Okay."

Miss Hoof walks up a few seconds after Rainstorm leaves. She's doesn't look happy, so I guess Diamond Dust tattled.

"I heard there was an incident with Diamond Dust," she says, sitting next to me and putting a hoof on my shoulder. "Want to talk about it?"

I shake my head and grab the candy, popping both chocolates in my mouth. "No."

"Hm." She begins rubbing my shoulder. "What she said was wrong. You're a wonderful filly."

"K."

When I don't say anything else, she stands up and turns my head to look at her. She's smiling. "Hey, you have an interview. That's what I came over to tell you."

I give her a small smile and straighten up a bit. "Yeah?"

"Mhm. Let's put all of that behind us and meet these nice ponies, whaddya say?"

Maybe this time...

I hop off of the bench and follow Miss Hoof to the interview room. Yeah, I shouldn't let Diamond Dust get me down. What does she know anyway? She probably doesn't like herself and is just proji... proj... what was that word? Projecting!

Definitely.

Miss Hoof opens the door, and, like usual, there is a stallion and a mare sitting on chairs and smiling. I just don't want them to stop smiling the second they see me like a lot of other ponies do.

Buuut not every prayer gets answered. Son of a bitch, as Rainstorm might say. Well, first impressions are a lot, but they aren't everything. I'll just have to make them like me. All they know is that I'm a bat pony. That's it. I force a smile on my face and wave.

"Hi, I'm Comet Screech!"

They force smiles onto their faces. Just like everypony else. Sheesh. Might as well stop now.

"H-hello, Comet," the mare says. "How are you today?"

"Pretty good."

"Good. Us as well," the stallion replies. The room is quiet for a few moments before he speaks again. "So... a bat pony. Or... thestral? Which do you prefer?"

I shrug. "Everypony has always said 'bat pony.'"

"Good to know," the mare says. She glances at me, then back to her husband, then leans in and starts whispering into his ear really, really quietly.

Quietly enough for some ponies, maybe. Not all.

"Weren't bat ponies on Nightmare Moon's side during that whole business?"

"I think so," the stallion whispers back.

"What would the neighbors think? Everypony would talk."

"You know, since there aren't a lot of bat ponies around, especially in Canterlot, most ponies don't know much about us, but I think we're really cool!"

Both of them look back to me and the stallion starts to talk. "Oh, well I'm sure--"

"'Blind as a bat' is a ridiculous myth. It's actually the opposite. I see really good. I smell really good, too." I point to the mare. "You use strawberry shampoo."

The mare flinches back and blinks in surprise. "Why... yes, I do. That's quite--"

"And another good good thing bat ponies have..." I look the mare dead in the eye and don't blink. "Hearing."

Both of them instantly blush, but whatever. Their fault. The stallion clears his throat. "Well, Comet, I don't--"

"Go to Tartarus."

With that, I push the door open and start walking back to the main room, passing by Miss Hoof, who looks surprised.

"Comet, you weren't in there long. What--"

"They want you to pick a foal from a tribe that didn't support Nightmare Moon. What would their neighbors think?"

Miss Hoof's jaw drops, and she tries to talk to me, but I don't care. Maybe I should listen what she has to say. She's the only pony who likes me. Her and maybe Rainstorm.

As I get closer to the main room, I hear what sounds like... cheering? What's going on? I walk into the main room and see everypony surrounding Diamond Dust, who looks really, really happy.

"What's going on?" I ask a foal beside me.

"Diamond Dust got adopted!" the foal squeed. She pointed at the two grownup ponies beside Diamond Dust. "Those are her new parents!"

"Oh..." I take a deep, shaky breath. "Good for her."

"Thank you everypony, thank you!" Diamond Dust says. She nuzzles her new mother's leg. "I'm going to miss all of you, but I'm sure when you all get adopted, we'll see each other again!" She starts going through the crowd and hugging the other ponies with talks of "I'll miss you" and "Congratulations." When she sees me, her smile doesn't drop an inch.

That's a first.

"And you, Comet. I know we didn't always get along, but I'm going to miss you, too!" She pulls me into a hug, and I don't need to see her face to imagine the nasty grin on her face. "Imagine feeling wanted with a mommy and daddy who love you. Guess you'll never know what that's like. Good luck once you age out of the system, rat wing."

With that, she hops over to her new parents.

* * * *

The door to my room opens, and somepony walks in. I'm just lying on my bed, hugging my pillow with tears streaming down my face.

"Hey, at least you won't have to put up with her anymore," Rainstorm says, putting a wing on my back.

"It's not fair," I whimper, holding my pillow tighter. "It's not fair."

I start crying too hard to say anything else as Rainstorm picks me up and holds me.

Hearth's Warming Eve

No way.

This has never happened before.

Well, sort of.

One of the things that Princess Celestia has always done as long as I can remember is come down to the orphanage during Hearth's Warming Eve to hand out candy and small presents and read us some stories. I always liked that. This year is different. This year, it's Princess Luna! I've never really seen her before not in pictures and stuff, so this is really cool! She kind of talks weird, though.

"Greeting, children!" she shouts, holding a large sack in her magic. "Your protector, Miss Helping Hoof, has told me that you've all been good little fillies and colts. Is that true?" We all shout out with different yeses. Yes! Yeah! Uh-huh! Ooh, I hope she has chocolate! She tilts her head and taps her jaw. "Well, I have met Miss Hoof before, and she is the honest sort." She reaches into the bag with her magic and pulls out a bunch of candy and stuffed animals and stuff. Yes! Chocolate! We all cheer. This is great!

We all get in a sort of line, and Princess Luna starts distributing the presents. Hopefully she doesn't run out of the good stuff by the time I see her. Once the foals get their gifts, they all start rushing to open spots to open them, and I hear a lot of happy cries. I love this time of year!

As I wait in line, I see something that I've never seen before. Whoa. No way. He's dressed in armor and doesn't look too friendly, but it's still amazing.

Another bat pony.

He must be one of Princess Luna's guards!

This might be the best Hearth's Warming yet! Even if we don't become friends, I've wanted to talk to another bat pony ever since I realized that my wings were different from the other pegasus foals. I gulp, but slowly inch my way over until I'm standing next to him. He glances down at me, but doesn't say anything.

"Uh... hi. Um... I'm Comet Screech." He looks down at me again, but doesn't say anything back. "I've, uh, never talked to another bat pony before. I know it's weird, but I've got a lot of questions. You know, to see what is, like... normal bat pony and not me being... weird."

"Princess Luna is giving gifts out to the other foals," he says back. "Perhaps you should see her."

"Oh, yeah, yeah, I get it," I say. "Like I said: I've never talked to another bat pony before. But yeah. Princess Luna. I take a step away, then stop and look back up at him. "Just... one question. Whenever I talk to a potential daddy, I always want to lie on his back. Just... always. As long as I can remember. Is that weird?"

His jaw tightens, and he takes a deep, quiet breath. "It is normal for bat pony foals to lie on their father's back to deepen the father/child bond, and to gain feelings of safety. I am certain that once you are adopted, your father will be happy to let you do so."

Yes! I knew it wasn't just me being weird!

A small smile crosses my face. "Yeah? That's good to know. For me and my dad. Whenever I get one. Yeah." I start to walk away again, but I stop. I fully turn to face him, poking at the ground with my hoof. "Uh... I don't... if it would be weird... um..." I blush and manage to look up at him. "Can... can I lie on your back? Just for a minute... I mean... if that would be okay."

He seems to deflate a little bit, but he doesn't look at me. "That would be... unprofessional."

I flinch back like I've been shot, but recover fast. I smirk and wave my hoof at him. "Oh, yeah, totally. I was just... kidding. Yeah, you're working hard guarding Princess Luna, and like you said, I'll get to do it with my real dad. So that's fine. I'm sure I'll get adopted any day now, and I... can do it then. With my dad." I nod and turn away. "Yeah."

With that, I walk away. Silly to ask. Stupid Comet, always saying and doing dumb stuff. But I was kidding anyway, so it's not that big a deal.

I pass by Miss Hoof on my way out of the room. She's smiling.

"Hello, Comet. Have you gotten your gift yet?"

I shake my head. "Nah, not feeling it this year, I guess." I motion to the door. "I think I'm going to go to bed."

Miss Hoof frowns and tilts her head. "What? But you haven't even received your gift. I'm certain that Princess Luna has some chocolate that I can get you. I think it's made by the palace chefs!"

I shrug. "That's cool, I guess. Didn't get a good night's sleep, though."

Miss Hoof's frown deepens, and she puts a hoof on my shoulder. "Comet, what's really wrong? You can tell me."

"Just tired," I reply, pushing her hoof off. I yawn and stretch my legs and wings. "Really tired."

"I-if you say so," Miss Hoof says. "If you like, I can get Princess Luna to save some for you."

I shrug. "Up to you, I guess. Anyway, goodnight."

I walk out of the room before she can say anything else. When the sound of the party is far enough away, I start running as fast as I can to my room. Stupid Comet. Why the Tartarus would you ask that?! What did you think was going to happen?! You'd lie on his back and he'd love it so much that he'd fill the adoption papers out tomorrow? Yeah, that was never going to work.

When I get to my bed, I tear the blanket and pillow off, stuffing them under the bed. Then I get under the bed too and put the blanket over me and lie down on my pillow, fighting back tears.

It's not the same.

Seventeen

Chocolate for dessert!

Awesome.

Wish this could happen every day.

I finish my dinner and count the pieces in front of me. They're small, but I have five of them. Should I eat all of them? Yes.

No, save some for later.

It's been years since Diamond Dust was adopted. It's not like she's going to take them if I do.

I pop one of the candies in my mouth. So good. I turn to one of the colts sitting next to me and tap him on the shoulder.

"Hey, whose birthday?"

He turned to me and raised an eyebrow. "You didn't hear? Rainstorm. She's turning seventeen." He grimaces. "I heard her and Miss Hoof are going to start working in a couple of months to get her situated for next year when she ages out."

I flinch back. Yeah, I know that nopony wants to age out. Rainstorm is really cool. Every time I see her, I wonder why she's not adopted already. I know if I was a grownup, I'd adopt her.

I look around the cafeteria and see Rainstorm poking at her empty tray. Some of the other older ponies are trying to talk to her, but she's not really listening. I don't get it. Even if she's gonna age out of the system soon, it's still her birthday! She should be happy! Maybe she just needs somepony to cheer her up. She gets up and puts her tray on the trash can before walking out of the cafeteria without saying anything to anypony. Yeah, she definitely needs somepony to cheer her up. I shove the rest of chocolate in my mouth and fly after her.

Oops. Should have put my tray away. Oh well. Rainstorm needs help.

"Hey, hey Rainstorm!" I call out as I get closer. She glances back at me and sighs.

"Hey, Comet. How're you?"

"How am I? How are you? It's your birthday!"

"Yeah," she grumbles as she starts walking again. "Whoopie-fuckin'-doo."

I grimace and flatten my ears for a second before walking after her. "I know that... next year might be hard, but you could still get adopted!"

She scoffs at that. "Sorry to burst your bubble, kid, but there is a zero percent chance of that happening. No, next year is going to be the start of the second chapter of my miserable 'Rainstorm is a useless freak who can't even fly, so who would want her?' life."

"No, that's not how it is!" I insist. "You remember Flaming Blitz? He got adopted when he was seventeen, so it's going to happen to you." I nod as I rushed to keep up with her. "Yeah, definitely."

"Nope. If I do, it's going to be by parents who want the a charity case to show the world how great they are."

I raise an eyebrow. "Huh? That doesn't make any sense. Why--"

"Because of this!" she roars, wheeling around and flaring her smaller wing out. "Where the fuck do you think we are, Comet? We're in Canterlot, and most of the ponies here want the best, shiniest, most perfect models that they can show off to their friends and neighbors! That's why Diamond Dust was fucking adopted before either of us! She looked and acted perfect!"

I flatten my ears and took a step back. "I... I don't..."

"You think the snooty ponies around here would want to buy a house with missing roof tiles? Or a dress with a tear in it?" She waves her wing around. "The same thing goes for us!" She deflates a bit as I started sniffling and curl up into a ball. She flattens her ears and bites her lip, folding her wing again. "I... I mean me. Not you. You're just different. Y-you're not broken like me. You're smart and you're sweet and you can fly and... and you're perfect. Just in a different way than some of the ponies in Canterlot think."

"I don't believe you," I whimper.

Rainstorm begins blinking rapidly and takes a deep, shaky breath, and I would think that she's about to cry, but she never cries. "Look... I--"

I shoot to my hooves and run back to my room. I turn a corner and slam into Miss Hoof.

"Oh, goodness, are you alright, Comet?"

"No," I moan, getting to my hooves. "Just leave me alone!"

"Comet, I was looking for you because you have an interview today that--"

"No!" I cry, running to my room. "I don't wanna! I'm not good enough!"

Powells

Rainstorm wasn't wrong.

She aged out of the system. I know that Miss Hoof did everything that she could to help her make the transition, but I know it's not the same as having a mom and a dad. She's not the first pony that I saw age out, but once she did... I didn't have anypony left like me.

Different.

Imperfect.

I'm staring up at the ceiling in my room when Miss Hoof comes in. Great. What now? Another stupid interview?

"Comet, are you okay?"

"Never better," I grumble.

"That's good." She walks next to my bed and puts a hoof on my leg. "I have another interview scheduled for you today."

Fucking nailed it.

"I know that you don't like doing them, but I have a good feeling about this one. A really good feeling."

I scoff. "Oh, well if you have a good feeling, I'll start packing my stuff now."

Miss Hoof flattens her ears. "I... I know that it's been a while. This one is different, though."

"Yay," I say flatly.

"I promise, Comet. At least give it a try."

Ugh.

I take a deep breath and roll over. "Well, you won't leave me alone until I have my ten minutes with these morons, so whatever."

"Comet--"

"Yeah, yeah, what room are they in?"

"Er..." She motions to the door. "Room One."

Let's get this over with.

I hop off of the bed and head toward Room One. I could make it there with my eyes closed. I'm surprised that there aren't dent marks in the floor with how many times I've walked from my room to one of the stupid fucking interview rooms. Either way, let's get this over with. I wonder what their problem will be with me. How I haven't really been happy in a long time? How freakish my fangs, wings and eyes look? Or maybe they don't want a foal whose great, great, great, great etc grandparents might have sided with Nightmare Moon.

I push the door open and walk in. I look up and...

Wow.

Woooow. What. The. Fuck.

There's an earth pony mare, which obviously isn't weird, but there's also a phoenix of all things, and...

I, uh... don't even know what to call him. If it even is a him. I don't know. He looks kind of like a minotaur, I guess, but he's not quite as top heavy, doesn't have giant horns, and I assume that he doesn't have a tail. He's got a small patch of red mane on his head.

I don't...

Just...

I don't know why or how, but this has to be a prank. As such, I do the only thing I can think of.

I burst out laughing.

"Okay, okay, you got me! This... this is good." I bang on the door, expecting Miss Hoof to come in with a "gotcha" but she doesn't. "Good prank. Good prank. I get it, I'm never leaving. Good one."

"Er... Comet?" the one who isn't a pony or phoenix says. "This isn't a prank. We're actually here because we want to adopt."

I roll my eyes. "Uh-huh. Sure. Absolutely. An earth pony, a phoenix and a ghrmpherana... whatever you are, want to adopt me."

"It's true. We can't have foals of our own," the earth pony mare says.

"Gee, wonder why." This is fucking ridiculous. "I'm still not sure if you're real or not."

"I'm real,"the male one says. "I'm a species called a human. Only one of my kind on the planet. Princess Celestia accidentally brought me here about thirteen years ago now."

"Uh-huh."

This has to be a prank, right? Miss Hoof just found a few beings and threw them together to make me feel like I have a chance. You know, if there's a weird family, maybe I'll fit in because of how weird I am. Cute idea.

But...

My stomach tightens as a thought crosses my mind. Does that really sound like Miss Hoof? And... what if this isn't a prank? If they're two different species, yeah, the wouldn't be compatible, so they'd want to adopt. If there's a family that wouldn't want to adopt just to show off their new perfect son or daughter, this one would be it, right?

I don't like this. Just leave. This isn't real.

I frown at them. "Okay, let's say I humor you. What then?"

Crap. Now I'm committed. Ugh.

"Well, we'd like to get to know you, Comet," the mare says. "Tell us about yourself."

"What's to tell? I've been here pretty much my whole life."

Don't do this.

But he's sitting on the floor. You can just check. If this is a prank, I'll find out right now, and we'll put all of this behind me.

Just check.

What if it's okay?

Despite every instinct telling me not to, I walk behind the human and start pressing my hoof on his back. Huh. Sturdy, but not uncomfortable. There's enough of a niche that I might actually perfectly fit. No wings, but at this point, I'll take what I can get. Maybe I could... feel safe on there. If he was okay with it.

But they probably want a better response first. "I'm the only bat pony here. Parents dropped me off when I was a foal. Not sure who they are or where they went."

Fuckers.

"Well, you have to have likes and interests," the human points out. "What's your cutie mark? It looks like a nightshade flower."

Right. That thing. I look up at the phoenix, who stares right back at me. "It is. Got it when one of the dumb kids here got really sick. The teachers here had no idea what was wrong with him, but I smelled cleaning chemicals on him. They found out I was right, and boom, cutie mark in poison control or something."

And he didn't even give me his chocolate for the rest of his life in the orphanage, which, without me, would have been a lot shorter, so I completely deserved it.

"Interesting," the mare says.

"Isn't it just?" I snark, moving back to sit in front of them. "I think more cloak and dagger stuff is typical of bat ponies. I don't know because I haven't met many other bat ponies. Saw one when Princess Luna came to see us one time."

Which...

"Can... can I lie on your back? Just for a minute... I mean... if that would be okay."

"That would be... unprofessional."

My ear flicks. Yeah, that... isn't my favorite memory.

"So do you have any friends here? Anything you like doing?" the mare asks.

I shrug. "Nope, not really. Kind of alone around here." I roll my eyes and cross my forelegs. "Everypony is just lining up to be best buddies with a bat pony." Best I had was Rainstorm, and she's been gone a while.

"I see." The human and mare look at each other and shrug. Yeah, totally weird that a weird filly has no real friends.. "So... if we did decide to adopt you, would you like that?"

"I guess," I respond. "Where do you live?"

"Ponyville," the mare says.

Wait, huh? That's not exactly next door. "Ponyville? What's a couple like you doing all the way in Canterlot for something like this, then?"

"Well, we reviewed our options and we decided to try here," the human says. "Plus Princess Celestia helped a lot."

Oh, I'm sure. Sounds true. I give him a flat look. "Princess Celestia. You're buddies with her?"

"Well, like I said: she brought me here from my home world thirteen years ago. So yes, I know her."

"I'd say you're lying, but I can't say otherwise, can I? Still don't know what you are."

"A human. I told you that."

"Yes, yes, but I don't know what a human is." I tilt my head at them. "In fact, I don't even know what your names are."

"Oh, of course. I'm TD and this is my wife Cheerilee." He points to the phoenix. "This is Oswald."

"Oswald." Alright, then. "TD the human thing, Cheerilee the earth pony and Oswald the phoenix. All one happy family." I hear somepony walking by the door, and turn around, expecting Miss Hoof to come through and say it's a prank. The longer I talk to them, though, the less likely that seems. "Now you're sure this isn't a prank?"

"Positive."

"Uh-huh." I sigh and lay down. Alright, don't get your hopes up, but this is one of the longer interviews you've had so far. "So... what do you two do?"

"Well I work for Ponyville, and Cheerilee here is the local teacher."

"Local teacher?" I raise an eyebrow. "Like the only one?" Cheerilee nods. "Damn, that must be kinda stressful."

"It can be, but it's something I love dearly. I wouldn't trade a moment of it," Cheerilee says, ignoring the profanity.

"Sooooo... if I came to live with you, I'd go to school and you'd be my teacher?"

No, no, I'm getting my hopes up. They seem nice, but that just means they'll let me down gently when they tell me they don't want me.

"I suppose so. If that's okay with you. Ponyville does only have the one elementary school."

"Huh." I rest my head on my forelegs and start idly poking at a loose thread in the carpet. "What's your house like?"

"Homey, I like to think," TD says with a smile, taking Cheerilee's hoof. "We've really worked at making it a nice place."

"And I'd have my own room?"

"You would."

"That I could decorate how I wanted?"

"Within reason, yes."

"Weird." My own room. That's an odd idea. "You ever share a room with a half dozen other ponies? It's not that fun. Like at all. I mean, shit, some of the other orphans snore like crazy. Sounds like a damn chainsaw going off half the time."

They look at each other awkwardly. Oh, great going, Comet. Maybe they liked you, but you just had to be a retard and swear in front of them. Yeah, that'll make them want you.

"Sorry. Ms. Hoof says I shouldn't say words like that."

"It's okay, Comet," Cheerilee says. "I mean, yes, it is best to not say those words, but we're not mad or disappointed or anything."

"Not yet," I mumble. "But you will be. They always are. A bat pony like me is a novelty to a lot of ponies. There's not a lot of us around, and most of us work for Princess Luna anyway." I glance back up at them. "How many bat ponies have you seen in Ponyville anyway?" Maybe they have a family or two over there. Not likely, but maybe.

"Well, I've only ever seen bat ponies in Ponyville when Princess Celestia and Princess Luna came to our wedding," TD admits. Aaaand there's another dumb question, Comet. "You're right, I guess. I don't see bat ponies around, but that doesn't mean we see you as a novelty, Comet. We don't care about your tribe. We just want to get to know Comet Screech."

"Maybe, but like I said: I'm a novelty. Novelties wear off," I mutter. Yeah, it's like Rainstorm said: if they adopted me, it's because they want a charity case to show everypony how great they are.

"And have we given you any indication that would be the case?" TD asks. "We didn't know you were a bat pony when we were first told about you."

Yep, they never do. That's why ponies always look so shocked when I walk in.

"And do you think you'd be happy with a family who loves and cares for you?" Cheerilee asks. "If you're open to it, we'd love to give you that."

"Maybe." I stand back up and look at the door. I can't do this anymore. They're saying all of the right stuff to give me some hope that they might want me, but that's just going to make it worse when they decide they don't want they freaky bat pony after all. "I mean, it's not like I really have much of a choice in the matter. I'm just a filly. You two are the adults who can decide that stuff."

"We wouldn't do it if we thought it would make you unhappy," TD insists.

"I guess." I shrug. "But I gotta get back now. I..." My ear flicks. "Something."

I leave before they can say anything else. It's easily the best interview that I've ever had, but they'll pick somepony else. They won't pick me because I'm a freak and a fuck up.

I should have smiled.

I should have been sweeter.

I shouldn't have said any swear words.

They seemed willing enough to ignore me being a bat pony, but like Rainstorm said, they probably still want a perfect model. I was grumpy, shut down, and profane. Not exactly somepony they could brag to their friends about adopting.

But if they don't care that I'm a bat pony, maybe there are other ponies who won't care either. If I interview with more, I just need to shove it all down. Smile. Be happy and bubbly. Don't swear. Be perfect. Then maybe...

I guess I know for the next couple.

Repeat

I don't get any interviews for the next few days after the Powells, but that's not weird. What is weird is that Miss Hoof is coming up to me when I'm trying to take a nap after class. Guess she has somepony else to talk to. Maybe a griffin and a zebra?

I glance over at her. She's smiling. Goodie. I quietly sigh.

"What, another interview?"

She shakes her head. "I'm not sure if I'd call it that." She motions to the door. "Mr. and Mrs. Powell are back. They want to talk to you again."

I freeze. Wait, that's not right. Somepony actually... came back to talk to me?! I slowly sit up and frown as Miss Hoof. There's only one thing I can really think of to say to that.

"... huh?"

Miss Hoof chuckles at that. "Yes, I know you think it's hard to believe, but they're back and they're asking for you. Best not keep them waiting, yes?"

"Uh..." I slowly blink and get off of the bed, all thoughts of sleep leaving. "I mean... yeah. That's... yeah."

I follow Miss Hoof to the entrance. This isn't real.

Don't hope. The more you hope, the more it hurts when they say no. Rainstorm used to say that. It's like when ponies come back to a house that they're thinking of buying to do another tour. Just because they look more than once, doesn't mean that they're actually gonna buy it.

Still, when Miss Hoof and I get to the main entrance, there they are. When they see me, they smile like they're actually happy to see me. I force an uneasy smile on my face. Holy fuck, they're actually back.

But I shouldn't say fuck around them. Thaaat might make them change their minds.

"Uh, hi," I say, waving at them.

"Hello, Comet," Ms. Cheerilee says, waving back. "How are you today?"

"Uh, I'm good."

"Cheers and I were thinking about getting some ice cream. That sound good?" Mr. TD says.

I actually manage to perk up at that. Ice cream?! Uh, even if they didn't want to adopt me, that's one of the last things I'd say no to. If getting chocolate around here is rare, ice cream is just about unheard of.

I follow Mr. and Mrs. Powell out of the orphanage, looking back at Miss Hoof for a moment. She's smiling. She's seen a lot of foals get adopted. If she has a good feeling about this...

I go a little faster to catch up to the two of them. It's sunny out, which is nice on my coat, but it hurts my eyes a little bit. It'd be nice if it was dusk. That's one of my favorite times. It's still light enough to see well, but not so bright that it hurts my eyes a bit.

"So, uh, were are we going?" I ask.

"Well, I've done a little research, and they say that the best ice cream in Canterlot is at Frozen Rock's Ice Cream Parlor."

I almost stop in my tracks. I'd be okay if they took me to some street cart that only sells vanilla, but every single foal who has come back from an afternoon with their maybe parents that's gone to Frozen Rock's talks about it like they just got a million bits. Okay, even if they don't want me, this is gonna be great.

It takes us about twenty minutes to walk there, so we talk about random stuff. Mr. Powell works for Ponyville doing random stuff, and Mrs. Cheerilee is a teacher. Ponyville sounds like a pretty boring place, but not as boring as the orphanage. There isn't a lot to talk about with me that wouldn't be boring, so I don't have a lot to tell them.

We get to Frozen Rock's, and there aren't a lot of ponies there, so we get to the front right away. Good. Less wait.

"Okay, what do you want?" Mr. Powell says, motioning to the menu board. "Pick anything."

Well, picking anything would be kind of rude, but I can probably do something more than vanilla. I look at the board, and there's a lot of stuff. There's the usual stuff, but there's one with a really long name. Triple fudge flutter nutter whipped delight. Whoa. three kinds of fudge, marshmallow, peanut butter and graham cracker bits.

"Triple fudge flutter nutter whipped delight," I say before I can stop myself. I flinch back slightly and twitch my ear. It's twelve bits. 'Well, maybe not anything' he's gonna say.

"Alright, one of those for the little lady," Mr. Powell says. "Whipped cream, caramel and a maraschino cherry on top as well?"

"Uh... I mean... uh..." I blink. "Yeah."

"Coming right up. Strawberry for me, and chocolate of the other fair maiden here."

Mrs. Powell rolls her eyes. "Aren't, you a charmer," she says sarcastically. "Come on, Comet. Let's find somewhere to sit."

I follow Mrs. Powell to the closest empty table. I can't believe he said yes. I didn't mean to sound greedy or anything like that, it just looked really good. I hope he wasn't just being nice, and he's gonna complain about it to Mrs. Powell later. Next time I should ask for something less expensive, if there is a next time. I look up at Mrs. Powell, and she's smiling at me. That's good. She doesn't seem annoyed. It isn't more than a minute before Mr. Powell is back with three bowls of ice cream in his hands.

"Chocolate for Cheerilee, strawberry for me, and triple fudge flutter nutter whipped delight with whipped cream, caramel and a maraschino cherry on top for Comet."

Wow. It's even more beautiful than I had imagined. The whole thing has got to be almost the size of my head, though that might be how much is on top of it. The other foals are gonna be so jealous. I take the spoon out of Mr. Powell's hand without looking and instantly take a big bite out of the ice cream.

Is this was paradise is like? Because I think this is what paradise is liiiiiiiiuuugh brainfreeze! I flinch and rub my head until it starts to stop. Ugh. I didn't like that.

"Gave yourself a bit of a brain freeze there, Comet?" Mrs. Powell asks with a grin.

"Worf ih." Yeah, definitely worth it. I still take a smaller bite. Can't eat it too fast, right?

"Worth it indeed," Mr. Powell mutters as he eats some of his ice cream.

"Fanks ur ish by a ay."

"You're welcome, Comet," Mrs. Powell says, "if I understood you right."

"Sorry." Miss Hoof always says I need better manners. "Anyhoo, So you said you're a teacher, and you're a janitor essentially, right?"

"Essentially," Mr. Powell says. "I wasn't born here, though. Did I mention that?"

Did he? I don't remember. "Dunno. I don't remember it if you did." I frown and tilt my head. "So where were you born, then?"

"An entirely different dimension, actually. Princess Celestia brought me here when she was messing around with portals."

I raise an eyebrow. That had to be weird. "That sounds like kind of a dick move."

Mr. Powell shrugs. "She didn't do it on purpose."

"If I burn down the orphanage playing with matches, I didn't do it on purpose," I reply. "Still a dick move."

"I was kinda mad at her for a little bit there," he admits, because who wouldn't be. If somepony wanted me, then I lost that because somebody else was messing magic up... yeah. That would hurt forever. "When she told me she didn't have the power to send me home, I didn't accept that right away. I left Equestria and traveled the entire world to find a way back home."

"Really?" I perk up. Okay, Mr. Powell just got a whole lot more awesome. "Didja do any cool stuff?"

"Oh yeah, lots of cool stuff," He says before taking his last bite of ice cream. "Scary and dangerous stuff, too."

"You're being redundun by saying that!" I say eagerly. "What's some of the cool, scary and dangerous stuff you've done?"

"Firstly, the word is redundant..." Right. Sheesh. "Secondly... hmm. Let me think of a good one."

"Didja get in some kind of big fight where you were up against overwhelming odds and kicked ass and totally destroyed everything?" I swing my spoon around like it's a sword and I'm a knight like in an old story Rainstorm or some of the older fillies at the orphanage used to read to me.

"Actually yes. I got attacked by a minotaur warlord and six of his underlings on the road to Schunie."

"I don't know what a Schunie is, but didja totally wipe them all out?" I swing my sword-spoon around. Take that! And that! "Didja drop-kick one right into the sun?"

He snorts and looks over at Mrs. Powell. "No, but I wish I could have. The warlord was some rotter named Purgle. He challenged me to a death match which, as you can see, I won. He wouldn't have even had the opportunity if I wasn't working as a blacksmith's apprentice while he came along for some armor repairs, or something. But yeah, I fought him using techniques that another minotaur chieftain and the blacksmith I was working for. They taught me how to throw knives, and that was on top of the fighting style I'd learned from the zebras."

"You still good at throwing knives?" I ask. Someday I'm gonna learn how to do that.

He shrugs. "I haven't really had an opportunity to try for a little while. Ponyville has a rather small supply of minotaur warlords or scheming griffin emperors."

"That we know of," Mrs. Powell says.

"Right, there could be some hiding somewhere. Fluttershy's probably."

Whoever that is.

"You'll have to show me some moves once you a--"

Oh no.

Nonono.

Stupid fucking Comet. One good interview and some good ice cream means that they want you? Now it's gonna be worse when they say no.

"I mean... yeah, that sounds really cool."

Comet, you fucking retard.

They notice that I'm not happy anymore, which is making things worse. Oops, we picked an emotionally fragile one. One wrong word and she'll get really sad. Guess she'll need therapy even if we do adopt her. Maaaybe we should rethink this. I look at Mrs. Powell, then stare at my ice cream. It's starting to melt.

"You go on ahead and finish that up, Comet, then we'll think of some other fun thing to do today, alright?" Mrs. Powell says.

I just stare at the small puddle of ice cream that's getting bigger at the bottom of my bowl. "Yeah. Sounds good."

* * * *

I feel a bit better when we get back to the orphanage. We went to a movie, which was fun, but I kind of wanted to watch one that was based on one of Mr. Powell's movies that he had in his world, but it was too grownup for me. The we had burgers and fries afterward.

"You have a good day, Comet?" Mr. Powell asks, holding the door open for Mrs. Powell and I.

"Oh, yeah, definitely," I say with a smile. Maybe they forgot about the stupid stuff I did.

"That's good to hear," Mrs. Powell says as Mr. Powell goes to check me in. "I imagine you don't get many days like that."

"Uh, yeah, try none," I say flatly. Don't. Don't. Be polite. I give my best smile and straighten up. Be upbeat. Appreciative. Perfect. "Thank you for today. It was really fun!"

"Our pleasure, Comet," Mr. Powell says, walking up to the two of us. "For now, it's time for us to head back to Ponyville, and if I'm correct in my guess, a certain filly is going to crash, too."

Yeeeah, definitely. I wish I didn't have class tomorrow so that I could sleep in.

"I guess so. Have a good train ride back," I say.

"Will do. See you soon, Comet," Mrs. Powell says.

Then... she hugs me. It's a side hug because we're standing up, but it's a hug. Then Mr. Powell ruffles my mane like... like a dad would.

It doesn't last long, but it's the best thing... ever. I'd erase the whole day if it meant that they'd hug me and ruffle my mane again. Like a mom and dad. Mr and Mrs. Powell leave with a last 'goodnight' but the room is colder. It isn't warm like Mrs. Powell hugging me.

* * * *

They come back more. Two or three times a week.

A movie.

Lunch.

Day at a theme park.

Walks in the park just talking.

There are times I screw up, but they don't say anything. Sometimes I almost really mess up and call one of them Mom or Dad.

This isn't right.

Maybe Rainstorm was right. Maybe I am perfect in a different way, and it took a weird family from Ponyville to realize that.

But I'm not perfect. They've seen that. Was Rainstorm wrong about... I dunno, everything? I don't know if I hope so or not.

About a month after I meet them, I'm in my room staring up at the ceiling. It's been a few days since I've seen Mr. and Mrs. Powell, so hopefully they'll come see me again. It's nice.

I swivel my ear when I hear Miss Hoof talking to somepony outside of my room. I can't hear what they're saying, but I do recognize Mrs. Powell's voice. Wonder what we're going to do today.

The door opens, and they walk in. I don't know what it is, but they seem... different today. They looks on their faces and the way they're walking to me isn't like normal. I sit up in bed and stare at them. I don't even blink.

"Hey, Comet? How's it going?" Mr. Powell says.

I blink. "We'll see, I guess," I say quietly, more to myself than them. I don't know if I want to hear this. What if they say no? My wings flutter a little as they sit down. If they say no then I just want to fly away. I'll fly and just... I don't know... fly until I stop existing.

"So, we've made a decision about adopting you," Mr. Powell says.

My heart is just about to beat through my chest. I can't do this. I can't take another no. I know they'll let me down as gently as they can, but no matter what, it's gonna be like hitting the ground hard enough to stop you from flying forever.

"A-and?"

"And we think you're a wonderful filly," Mrs. Powell says. "And you're going to be happy with a lovely pair of parents who are going to give you more love than you deserve."

"Definitely," Mr. Powell says. "We've enjoyed the time we've spent with you, but we talked, and we're not sure you'd be as happy with us as you deserve."

That's what they're going to say.

I know it is.

When they do, I don't want to do it anymore. No more interviews. No more days out. I'll age out like Rainstorm. Maybe I'll find her and we can be roommates, or something like that.

But then...

"We'd love to adopt you, if that's what you want," Mrs. Powell says, a warm smile on her face. "We'd like to be your parents. If you say yes, then you'll spend the night in your new room in our house in Ponyville. You'll be Comet Screech Powell before the day is over."

I...

My breath dies in my throat, and my heart skips several beats. This has to be a dream. I've heard those words so many times in my dreams before, sometimes even from them. I'm gonna wake up crying like I always do.

"Really?" It's the only word I can say.

Mr. Powell nods. "Really. All you have to do is say the word."

I'm not waking up.

This is real.

They... they want me.

It takes a full minute before my brain fully realizes what they said. We'd love to adopt you. We'd love to adopt you.

I flare my wings out and leap into Mr. Powell's chest, wrapping my hooves around his waist as best as I can, holding on like he'll disappear if I don't. I nuzzle his chest, and he returns the hug. He really wants me.

"Celestia dammit, I never thought I'd get out of this place..." I look up at Mr. Powell, and I'm almost crying. No. He's not Mr. Powell. "D-Dad."

He chuckles and holds me closer. Mrs. Powell scoots over and hugs me too, and I nuzzle her foreleg. No, she's not Mrs. Powell anymore.

"Hi, M-M-Mom," I whisper.

They want me. They love me in a way that even Miss Hoof can't. As parents. A real mom and dad.

I never want this hug to end.

Ponyville

Okay, maybe calling Princess Luna a cock was a bad idea. Hooray, I got my first parental scolding out of the way. Her guard Night Stalker didn't seem too happy about it either. Oh well. He shouldn't have hissed at me, though! I'm pretty sure that's a major fox paw or... foe pass? I don't remember.

Anyway, we're on the way back to Ponyville from Canterlot. Holy cow, we're actually going home! Like... a real home. Not the orphanage, but home. With a mom and dad. My mom and dad. Just like I always imagined. There's still a little bit that says that I'm going to wake up and be back at the orphanage. It's not like I haven't had a dream like this before.

I keep flicking myself in the ear whenever Mom and Dad (my actual mom and dad!) aren't looking. Still not waking up.

I think it's real this time.

I lay down with my head on Dad's leg while Mom is stroking my back. They're telling me all about Ponyville, which sounds like a really weird place, but okay. It's not like the other foals talked about living there. Most adopted foals ended up in Canterlot anyway.

"--and yeah, people don't generally go toward the Everfree Forest unless... I dunno, it's Twilight and her friends going on some adventure to save the world. That's happened once or twice."

"Mhm." I let out a happy sigh and nuzzle in more. He could tell me that it's a slice of Tartarus and I wouldn't care. Just as long as I had my mom and dad there.

"Other than all of the monster attacks and whatnot, Ponyville is actually a pretty nice place to live," Dad says.

Mom scoffs. "TD, maybe don't tell her how dangerous the town can sometimes be?"

"What? Twilight and her friends have to save the world sometimes around there, not to mention Discord and everything he gets up to. Just want to make sure she's a bit prepared for how crazy the town can be."

My ears perk up a bit, and I glance up at Dad. "Discord? Like, 'lord of chaos' Discord?"

Dad nods and grimaces. "Yeah, that one. Him and Fluttershy are pretty close, so it's not too rare to see him around town. He's much better behaved than before... mostly."

Huh. Weird. I wasn't born yet when he got out the first time, but we studied him in history class. Miss Hoof told us stories about what he did to Ponyville. Guess that town does get pretty nuts.

I don't know how long it is, but the train stops after a while, and Mom and Dad start getting up so we can go home! I hop off of the seat and land next to Dad. We get off the train, and Dad gets my luggage. There wasn't a lot. I had one small suitcase of stuff, mostly my music posters. Mom and Dad said that they were getting me sheets and pillows and stuff, so I didn't need to take any of that.

Not like I wanted to anyway.

"Okay, so which way is home?" I ask, following beside Mom and Dad.

"Well, we were thinking about hitting Sugarcube Corner first," Mom says. "It's the local sweet shop."

I definitely perk up at that. Sweet shop means chocolate! Maybe even better chocolate than what we got at the orphanage! Ooh, I had to try this place out. Maybe if it wasn't too far from our house, I could go there every day! Okay, maybe not every day, but a lot of days. Not just for special occasions. Ponyville is gonna be awesome!

It's pretty easy to tell which one is Sugarcube Corner. It's the one that looks like a giant gingerbread house. My mouth starts watering as my bat sense of smell picks up on the stuff they're baking. Chocolate. Definitely chocolate. And all kinds of other stuff, too!

I'm imagining what tasty stuff is gonna be there as we get to the door. Before we get in, Mom reaches her leg out and covers my eyes. I frown and try to push it away, but it doesn't move.

"Just trust me, Comet," Mom says.

I sigh and roll my eyes. "Okay. Fine." We enter the store, and all of the smells I've noticed as we get to the bakery hit me all at once. Heavenly. "I just hope this place has got--"

Mom lifts her leg, and I see a ton of ponies in front of me. That's all I notice before they all shout at once.

"SURPRIIIISE!!!

Shit fuck damn hell fuck!

Thank Luna I didn't say that out loud.

I start getting over my heart attack and see that the ponies are all standing under a banner that says "Welcome to Ponyville, Comet!" There's a giant table with a ton of food and stuff to drink, and another that has a bunch of presents on it. My heart is still beating really fast when a pink pony with a huge smile pops up in front of me fast enough that I have another heart attack.

"Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie!" she says with a squeaky voice. "I heard about your new mom and dad adopting you and I thought to myself 'Pinkie, this is one of the most specialist things ever so it deserves a really special party' so I got everypony together and told your mom and dad so we threw you a surprise party!"

"Uh..." I take a deep breath. "Yeah. Th-thanks."

"Pinkie here is Ponyville's resident party pony," Mom says. "She throws parties for every special occasion around here."

"Yeppers!" Pinkie says happily. She steps aside and points at all of the other ponies. "And these are all of my friends!"

"Welcome to Ponyville, Comet! Ah'm Applejack," an orange earth pony with a cowpony hat says.

H-hello." I look up at Mom and Dad, but they're smiling, so I guess this is all normal. The ponies all start introducing themselves to me. Twilight. Rarity. Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy. Lyra. Bon Bon. Derpy. Lots of ponies. It's hard to keep track. They all look really happy to see me. More than any group of ponies ever. Like, happy. All of the other times when ponies saw us at the orphanage like for Hearth's Warming and stuff, there were a lot of other foals, so it never felt real because there were a lot of us to pay attention to, so I guess it got tiring, and also visiting the orphanage wasn't something ponies wanted to do unless they were looking to adopt.

Here they actually were happy to see me because they knew they were going to like me. It's new, but... I kinda like it.

"Well, introductions are always nice because it's always great to meet new ponies, but your new parents maaay have let it slip that chocolate is your favorite thing ever?" Pinkie says.

My ears shoot up at that, and I turn completely over to the food table. I look up at Pinkie, and she motions to it. So awesome! I fly over to it. So much chocolate! What should I try first? That one? Ooh, that one has sprinkles! No, the one with caramel sauce!

It isn't too long before I notice the gigantic cake in the center of the table. It says "Welcome to Ponyville, Comet!" just like the banner. Holy Luna, I have never seen a cake this big! Pinkie hops over to me and giggles.

"How about cake?"

I nod dumbly, and she cuts out a big corner piece for me. It's the biggest slice of cake I've ever seen! She hoofs me the cake and a fork, and the second I get the fork, I take a big bite of the cake.

Wow.

Wooow.

Okay, this is the best thing I've ever eaten. So many types of chocolate in one bite of cake. Before I'm even done swallowing the first bite, I start on my second one.

"I take it that this cake meets your approval, Comet?" Mom says.

I look up at her for a second and nod really fast before getting back to the cake. This is it. I can die happy now.

Pinkie Pie starts cutting more cake, and the other ponies line up to get theirs. Mom and Dad get some cake for themselves, and we go to one of the tables.

"Might want to slow down, Comet," Dad says. "You wouldn't want to get sick."

Ugh. I guess he's right. So good, though.

A lot of ponies come up to us to say hi while we eat our cake. Some of them are ponies my age that Mom teaches in her school, so that's pretty cool. It's mostly grownup ponies though, but that's okay. They all seem really friendly.

I finish my cake and am about to go back to the dessert table to see what other yummy stuff they have. Miss Pinkie has gone all out on this one. Cookies, doughnuts, candy... it's amazing. I fly up and start loading my plate with everything I can see. I'm already shoving a mini eclair in my mouth. This can't be real. Nopony can make food like this.

I've barely made it halfway through my plate when Miss Pinkie bounces over to us, a huge grin on her face. Although she always looks like that.

"Okay Powells, it's time for some preseeents!" she sings out. She motions to a table I'd barely registered before (too busy with sweets) that has a bunch of wrapped presents on or around it. Whoa. Are... all of them for me? But isn't it like the orphanage where Princess Celestia or Princess Luna give us a small stuffed animal or something? This... doesn't feel right. Why would they want to give me these many presents?

"Well, pick one out!" Miss Applejack says, motioning to the pile. "Which one would ya like to open first?"

This doesn't make sense. But...

I gulp and walk up to the stack. I glance back at Mom and Dad who are both smiling at me. Maybe this is real.

There's a tall one next to the table that would be a good place to start. I take a deep breath and start unwrapping it. It's a bookcase with several books on it. I tilt my head to read the titles. Holy cow, these look like all of the Daring Do books!

"Applejack made the bookcase, and I pulled some strings to get you the set," Miss Twilight said. "Have you ever read them before?"

"Y-yeah. Not new copies." The orphanage library had about three or four of them and they were starting to fall apart. This is amazing. I turn to the stack on the table. If this is what they started with, what else is there? I fly up to the table and grab another present. It's really soft, so it's probably not more books. I open it up and see a stuffed timberwolf. He's really cute. Miss Apple Bloom said that she got it for me.

There's more. A lot more. A feather pillow from Miss Rainbow Dash. A blanket from Miss Fluttershy. A necklace from Miss Tiara. A stack of cards from Mom's class. A scarf from Miss Rarity. I smile and thank them for the gifts. I hope that it's not obvious that I'm having to put a lot of effort into keeping it up. I still don't get it. They're just... happy to have me.

"You see that, girls? If we don't go away, the scary little vampony is going to suck our blood."

"I hope that blanket is comfortable. It's been a while since I've made one, but I think I made it nice and warm.

"I have better things to do than talk to a gimpy loser and a rat-winged vampony."

"Hey, if you want I can see if I can get one or two of you books signed by A.K. Yearling. She gets close to Ponyville every once in a while, and I'm sure she'd be willing to."

"What would the neighbors think? Everypony would talk."

Didja like the cake? When is your birthday? I'd be happy to make it again for you!"

It's... I don't know how to feel. Happy? I think... happy? Overwhelmed for sure.

Eventually the party ends, and everypony starts going home. Miss Applejack brings a cart for us to load the presents in. I keep the timberwolf, who I have decided to name Albert, on my back. Yeah, he's good there. Miss Pinkie wraps up a lot of the food for us to take home. Guess my sweet tooth will be satisfied for the next while.

"Did you have a good time, Comet?" Mom asks as we walk to where I guess is home.

"Yeah. I've never been to anything like that. Whenever it was my birthday, we'd get some chocolate, but nothing like that!"

"Well, Pinkie Pie does tend to go all out on parties like that, and your adoption is a super special amazing occasion," Dad says.

"For sure," Miss Applejack says. "Pinkie's been throwin' parties as long as Ah've known her, and when she wants to make somepony feel really special, she pull out all the stops." She looks back at me and smiles. "So Ah guess yer real special."

I blush and look away. It's a nice thought for sure, but that be a bit of an exaggeration.

Eventually we stop in front of a house. I've seen some of the houses in Canterlot, so I know this isn't a mansion, but... wow. There's gonna be room for me in here. That's super weird. Dad opens the door and steps aside, motioning for me to enter.

"M'lady. Welcome to Manderley."

I step inside and look around. Whoa. This... I can't believe I get to live here now. A house. An actual house. Mom, Dad and Miss Applejack file in behind me, with Dad and Miss Applejack carrying some of the presents upstairs. I go to follow them, but Mom puts her hoof on my back.

"Not quite yet, Comet," she says. "The room isn't ready yet."

"Oh, yeah, sure," I mutter.

Mom chuckles and nuzzles the top of my head. "I'm glad that you enjoyed the party. I'm also glad that you didn't have a heart attack when everypony said surprise."

Well... almost."

It only takes Dad and Miss Applejack one more trip to get everything into my room. Once they've finished, Miss Applejack hitches herself to the cart and tips her hat to me.

"Comet, happy to have you here. You need anythin' just look for me at the farm. We'll be mor'n happy to help you out."

"Uh... thanks," I reply.

She tips her hat to Mom and Dad before walking into the night.

"Everybody around here is pretty friendly," Dad says. "Occasionally some crazy stuff happens, but on the whole, this is a really solid place to live. On that note..." Dad motions down a hall. "I think it's time for you to see your room."

My heart starts beating faster as I walk down the hall. My room. My room. It doesn't make any sense. We stop at a door, and Dad reaches out to open it.

It's... amazing. My bookcase is set up against the wall, and there's a full sized bed in the middle against the wall. It has the cloud pillow and Miss Fluttershy's blanket on it. I hop on and it's not too soft but not too firm either. It's perfect. Across from the bed is a desk, so I guess they expect me to do homework while I'm here.

Worth it.

My posters are all set up, which is really cool. There's also a record player. I hop off of the bed and see that it has a record of one of the bands from my posters!

"Got to admit, Comet," Dad says. "It did take a little doing finding a few records from the bands. Some of them, ah... aren't foal friendly."

"Right, right," I say with a wave of my hoof, noticing a stack of records next to the player.

This can't be real. I'm going to wake up and I'll be back at the orphanage sharing a room with five other foals while parents keep ignoring me because I'm a bat pony. That's how it's always been. That's what makes sense.

But... this is real. Somehow, some way, it's real. Someday I'll start believing it.

"Well, I think it's time to hit the hay," Dad says before yawning. "Goodnight, Comet." He reaches down to ruffle my mane while Mom nuzzles me.

"Yes, goodnight, Comet." Mom motions outside of the room. "Bathroom is across the hall, and our room is directly to the left of that."

"Okay. Yeah. Cool."

With that, Mom and Dad leave. I feel a pit in my stomach for a moment. No no... they're just across the hall. I'm not going to wake up and it's all a dream.

I take a deep breath and take Albert off of my back. Unreal. I notice that the stack of cards from Mom's class is on the desk, as well as the necklace from Miss Tiara. I grab the blanket from Miss Fluttershy off of the bed. Wow! She was right: it is really warm. I fly over to the desk and take the necklace and cards off. They're made from crayons and construction paper. I open one of them up.

Hello, Comet! Welcome to Ponyville! It's great that you're here! Miss Cheerilee is the best.

The next one has a drawing of a bat pony on it. Welcome to Ponyville! I know that Miss Cheerilee will be the best mommy for you.

I chuckle a bit, but that becomes a half sob. I slowly start hugging the blanket, Albert and the necklace closer as I read the next one.

Welcome to Ponyville! It's the best place. I can't wait to meet you.

I reach out to grab the next card, but I've started crying, and my tears are landing on the card. I wipe my eyes with the back of my hoof and open it. It'll dry, right?
Welcome to Ponyville, Comet! It's--

I'm crying harder now and quietly sobbing. I hold Albert, the necklace and the blanket closer. This is real.

"Imagine feeling wanted with a mommy and daddy who love you. Guess you'll never know what that's like."

She was wrong. Every word that came out of that fucking bitch's mouth was wrong. I have a Mommy and Daddy that love me. They'll always love me.

I'm home.

Crib

I wake up. Looking up. Warm blanket around me.

In a room with other sleeping ponies in beds like mine.

Some ponies here are bigger.

One sees me awake and she smiles. Miss Hoof. She's really nice.

"Oh, hello, Comet. Good morning, sleepyhead. Are you hungry?" She leaves and I can't see her, but she comes back with a bottle! She gives it to me, and I drink. Good milk.

"Whoa, slow down there, Comet. Goodness, you are hungry this morning."

Yeah.

I don't let her take the bottle, but I sit up. Harder to drink the bottle that way, but I like sitting up. I try walking like Miss Hoof, but I keep falling down. My wings won't let me walk in the air either.

Oh well.

There are some other ponies here. They're looking at the other ponies who are small like me. Some of them walk up to me and smile! I smile back.

"This here is Comet Screech," Miss Hoof says.

"Ooh, she's adorable!" one of the other ponies says.

"She's a cutie alright," the other one says. He waves at me. "Hello, Comet."

I chew on the bottle and smile at them some more. I flap my wings, and the other ponies stop smiling.

"O-oh... she's a... bat pony," the one who's a girl like Miss Hoof says.

"Well, yes," Miss Hoof says. She's still smiling, but kind of not. "She's unique, yes, but I assure you that she's one of the sweetest foals you'll ever meet!"

"Oh, um..." The girl pony smiles but not really at Miss Hoof. "I'm sure she is. I'd still like to meet some... other sweet, happy foals."

Miss Hoof isn't smiling, and the other ponies are smiling but not really. "Yes... I see," Miss Hoof says.

"It was nice to meet you though, Comet," the other girl pony says.

"Yes, very nice," the other one says.

I keep chewing on the bottle. Want more milk.