[Backdated to Friday/Open]

[elementofloyalty]

[Not everyone was off having a grand old time at the Homecoming Dance.]

[For example, take this pegasus pony, who -- after clearing the clouds out from around Balamb as promised -- has snuck a purloined cumulus into the Training Center. Not terribly deep inside, but high enough to be out of range of danger, she lies on her cloud and looks miserable.]

[She is, after all, clearly not cool enough to go to the stupid dance where no one wants her around anyone and it's not like she has anyone to impress so she gets an invite onto the Wonderbolts so why should she bother even showing up.]

[Stupid dance. Stupid Garden. She's way too cool for ANY of them.]

Comments

[elementofloyalty]

Yeah, yeah, they looked great, everyone can enjoy.

[See!? See how totally unconcerned she is?! Does she have to yell louder about how FINE she is?!]

[tempesting]

[ well actually the rising decibel level kinds tells Dolphin that things are not all right in Rainbow Dash Land. ]

Did you try some of the fudge cake? It's really yummy and hard to not take a second slice.

[ she has to be careful. posing some casual questions in order to figure out whatever it is that is bothering Rainbow Dash. ]

[elementofloyalty]

I'm sure it's great. Hope everyone likes it.

[Sensing a pattern here?]

[tempesting]

[ okay. time to switch things up. ]

Rainbow Dash, I really miss my baby boy, Cerdian. I feel very lonely and would love to have a hug from my friend. May I have a hug, please?

[elementofloyalty]

[After a moment of silence, Rainbow peers over the edge of the cloud with a confused look on her face.]

Wait, what?

[tempesting]

I miss my little baby. He is not even a year old yet.

[elementofloyalty]

You have a colt, seriously?

[...don't mind the term.]

[tempesting]

Yes. My baby. Cerdian. Him and my husband, both.

[elementofloyalty]

Wow. I guess I don't understand humans as well as I thought, you look too young for it.

[tempesting]

[ Dolphin's cheeks heat, she smiles and bows her head. ] That's very sweet of you to say. I'm actually over sixty years old, Dash.

[elementofloyalty]

Wait, isn't that really old for humans to have a kid?

[tempesting]

Yes, but I'm a metahuman.

[elementofloyalty]

[Rainbow Dash's puzzled and clueless expression suggests that further explanation might be necessary.]

[tempesting]

[ Dolphin isn't quite sure either. Seeing as she doesn't remember much of her childhood -- except being raised within the waters and the fishermen -- she doesn't need a genetic test to tell her that she's not a regular, average sentient being. ]

There are parts of me that go outside the norm of what you'd call 'human'.

[elementofloyalty]

Your organs fall out of your body?!

[Parts of her go outside normal human stuff. That's what Rainbow heard.]

[tempesting]

[ Dolphin's eyes widen, and then her mouth trembles. She breaks out in laughter. ] No! No! Of course not!

[elementofloyalty]

Well what other parts go outside of normal human body types!?

[tempesting]

[ she pushes her hair back and holds some strands away from her neck. One each side of her neck, there is a small area of ruffled skin. ]

Gills, are just one of the examples.

[elementofloyalty]

True, that isn't normal for any human I've met around here... but what about other humans other places?

[tempesting]

Not everyone is human in my world. We also have animals and creatures -- like you! Only...they often don't talk -- and aliens.

[elementofloyalty]

So the ponies on your world do talk sometimes?

[This is the important thing, since so many people have complained or at least been confused by a talking pony.]

[tempesting]

Sometimes. But not often.

[elementofloyalty]

That's still more than anywhere ELSE. The way most people around here act, a talking pony is totally and unforgivably weird and unacceptable.