Let Me Paint You a Picture
Swirl Cake
“Howdy Swirl!” a random pony shouted at me, making me smile and flush a bit. Ponyville was a very accepting town as of late, and once word spread about who I am, the majority of the town sent me cards and support. The only ponies who were mean were ponies who were already mean. I smiled and waved as I walked through the town with my head held high. My hair style, now with more volume, was bouncing as I trotted. It was nice to be treated like a real girl; however, the place I was walking to filled me with dread.
The building itself was unassuming and quaint. It was a small, one-story home on the edge of town with a small garden out front and one of the windows on the side being a stained glass sunset. The window with the stained glass was the only one with no black-out curtains blocking it. This was the home of my friend Dew, as well as her brother and mother, Set Sail and Scilent Night. I had grown up with Dew, and Sail had lived here for a few years; both are good friends. Silent Night, also known as the captain of the Royal Guard, was like a second mom to me. She even helped our family when Dad passed away by letting us stay with her for a few months.
Despite all that, this visit felt bad. I thought this was going to go wrong, and I had no idea why. However, I can’t wait outside their house all day. I strode up to the house and knocked lightly. Silent Night is a thestral, a bat pony, and she has really sensitive ears for said reason, so she asks us to knock really softly. I was the only one who remembered that.
The door swung open to Silent Night, a tall, muscular thestral with a gray coat and purple mane. Her orange eyes were warm, and the single fang showing in her smile was just as motherly. She really was a second one of those for us.
“Hello, Ms. Night, Is Dew here?” I asked before she could say anything.
She rolled her eyes and responded, “Hey Swirl, yeah, she is, and for nightmare’s sake, act like you’ve known me for your whole life, just Night.” Her tone with us was always so light-hearted and sarcastic.
“Sorry, Night, may I come in? Dew said she needed to see me.” I asked, followed by her gesturing, for me to come in smiling like she knew something I did not.
“Dew’s in her room,” Night said before sounding slightly more serious. “I’m going to be in my office, but that door stays open, got it?” That made my face flush a bit, and I stammered out an agreement, shuffling my way to Dew’s room.
Her room is chaos, the nice kind. Baby blue walls were splattered with paint and other artistic supplies. Brushes and canvas act as floor decor, and her bed is the only paint-free zone. The artist herself, Dew, was at her easel with a blank canvas and her entire assortment of water colors, her favorite medium.
“Hey Dew.” I said softly as she continued to stare into the canvas.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Swirl Cake. Maybe we can change part of that.” She said it gravelly, making me flinch. Dew always talked with a silly, goofy tone in her voice, so this sudden switch to seriousness was simultaneously scary and significant. Also, what did she mean by that? Was she going to try and talk me out of being Swirl?
“Are you okay?” I asked Dew, and my voice was shaking a bit more than I would have liked. She then turned her head and gave me her signature grin, and she giggled very cutely.
“Yeah, I’m just messing with you, but bestie, do me a favor and sit by my color window.” Dew said this, pointing at her stained glass window. I followed her instructions and sat looking at her behind the canvas. She looked ready to paint and attached her brush to her hoof with tape.
“What are you going to paint?” I asked, smiling now that everything was normal.
Dew pondered for a second in an exaggerated gesture, “Something pretty; just wait and see.” I was really excited when she said that Dew’s art was always amazing. I was really curious about it, but she was an arcane lock, not breaking and spilling her secret.
“I’m sure it will be amazing.” I said watching her go; she didn’t even sketch; she just painted with precision and yet still kept the conversation going.
“Yeah, of course, I am the one painting it; I am amazing.” Dew said in an egotistical tone that she was very well known for. It was one of the things I really liked about her. Dew was so confident and self-assured; you just trust what she says.
“Yeah, you are pretty amazing,” I said without thinking. I felt my face heat up with embarrassment. “I mean, ummm, well.” I stammered before Dew giggled and spoke.
“Yeah, I know, but so are you, so we are a perfect team.” Dew said softly.
“I’m not that special,” I respond. Wow, my face was burning. I do not take compliments well. I used to not believe them, but the way Dew talks, you just can’t help but listen.
“Uh, girl, yes, you are! You are like the smartest pony I know, and smart and cute are not common to be together in the same pony.” Dew said, winking at me, making me blush even harder. I will admit I had a huge crush on her, and her little bits of mody language like this and how she spoke just made me want to melt.
“Come on, I am not that smart.” I stammered out. I’m a stuttering mess right now.
“You are as smart as a spell rhyme scheme,” Dew said, which is very wrong, I might add.
“Actually, Dew, spells don’t need to rhyme to be cast, and most don’t even need verbal components. It’s incantations that need rhyming, and even then, only in some special ones. I actually found one incantation that had an internal rhyme scheme,” I said, ready to quote the incantation, “Chant and Mutter is the Bread and Butter.” Dew cut me off before I could finish.
“I don’t know Swirl; this sounds like smart girl talk.” Her smug grin was audible. I smiled for a second at her compliment, but a memory came to me, and my smile faded.
“Swirl, are you okay?” Dew asked before I could say anything to cover my face.
“When I would talk about my magic, other ponies called me a freak; now they call me a freak for being a pseudo girl. It just makes me wonder if they are right.” I said with a sigh, looking out the orange-tinted window now. I soon felt a paintbrush hit the back of my head. I looked back and saw Dew throw one of her extra ones at me. Her look was very upset.
“You are no pseudo girl, you pseudo idiot, and you certainly are not a freak. You are as real as any girl I have ever met,” Dew said indignantly.
“Dew,” I tried to say before she started again.
“No Swirl; I am sick and tired of you beating yourself up. You are a real girl. You just had to work harder to get there. Its blooming amazing how pretty you are too. You are a freak, but only for being in this friend gorup, not for being who you are.” Dew never sounded this serious; she was a joker. I felt bad for pushing her over the edge. I didn’t have the nerve to respond, so I just stared out the window. I watched the ponies walk past. I just felt bad for making Dew upset.
Time passed as I was zoned out at the window, thinking of all the ways I could apologize to Dew when she spoke up, “Hey, uh, Swirl.” She sounded sad, but she was trying to remain her silly self.
I made a noise in response, and she followed up with, “Wanna see what I painted?”
“Sure, you said something pretty, right?” I said, standing up to walk to her. Dew was finally standing too—much taller than me.
“Yeah, I water colored one of my favorite things in the whole world. Guess first; give it a shot, girlie.” Dew was egging me on now with a small smile, making me smile.
“Uhhhm, is it chocolate milk?” I asked, knowing her favorite drink.
“Nope, hint, they are my second ever crush.” Dew said, smirking. This made me very curious, but I had no ideas.
“I don’t know, but who was first?” I asked, and I saw her roll her eyes.
“Discord, but are you telling me you have no clue after our conversation today?” Dew was a bit exasperated.
“I’m sorry,” I said meekly. Feeling bad for not paying attention.
“Don’t apologize; just look dorkus.” Dew said, grabbing my wing and dragging me in front of the easel.
As I saw the canvas, I saw a pony in front of an amazing pastel sunset. The pony was lying in the grass with her eyes closed, in a flower crown. The pony was me, and one of my cheeks had a red spot. I was very taken aback.
“Dew, this is amazing,” I said, trailing off. I was so stunned that I could barely think, let alone speak.
“I know, and that is my favorite part,” Dew said, pointing at the red spot.
“What is it?” I asked before I was stunned even further by Dew kissing my cheek.
I will be honest, my brain turned off for a moment as she giggled, “I wish I had the cartoon red lipstick, but you get my point.”
“I don’t…. Why……what….” I stammered out.
“Swirl Cake, You are not going to seriously tell me you don’t know what I am saying and have been saying during this whole hour and a half of us talking.” Dew said sarcastically before realizing I had no idea what she meant: “Swirl, I am in love with you.”
“WHAT!” I said, my wings flaring out in surprise, making Dew giggle, a small blush present on her face. “I mean, I don’t don’t want it; I do; I just am, wow you are- with me? I am with you, and, oh no, I just admitted that. I am so surprised, happy, but shocked.” Dew cut me off with a hoof to my lips.
“Breathe, Swirl; you will deflate if you keep yapping,” she said, taking a deep breath with me. “Now, Swirl, do you want to go on a date with me and be my marefreind and all that jazz?”
Her hoof still on my lips. I nodded.
“Good, now I have one more surprise for you.” She said, smirking, and her own blush increased as she moved her hoof and kissed me on the lips.
Author's Note
well chat that took longer than I thought to make. This is just a short follow up before the next long C Squad thing. I also just wanted to write some feel good romance comedy stuff. I never write romance, so it's probably scuffed as hell. I hope you enjoy it, and if you like it, i hope you stick around.
