Universal Language

by David Silver

11 - Friends

Cindy woke to a soft furry presence nuzzling her face. When did she get a dog? Or a cat? No, she didn't have either of those. What she had was an alien sitting on her chest, poking at her cheek with a soft hooffinger, or whatever the right term for it was. "Applejack?"

"Ya fell asleep on me. Ya seem tired."

"Fell asleep on you!?" Cindy tried to sit up, but there was a pony on her. "This is my house, which you weren't in. Not sad to see you, but why are you here? And in my room? Also, if I'm wearing pajamas, I should have been in bed." She pressed a hand to her forehead, trying to sift through what she could remember and the spots in her memory.

"You asked me over to visit." Applejack looked so sure, in her alien way, of her words.

"Some time." Cindy gently brushed Applejack off and managed to right herself. "As in we should make plans. Not that I should wake up to a face full of Applejack." She was half-laughing as she said it. "Not the worst thing, but I wasn't expecting it." She didn't seem upset by it though.

Applejack chuckled softly, watching her new friend get herself up and about. "Fair enough. How much did you sleep?"

"Some." She headed towards her bathroom. "Gotta make myself presentable." She hopped to her feet and stretched for the sky. "Not that you ever seem to?"

Applejack raised her hooves to her mane. "Part of the space package. They can't have us sheddin', or spendin' time fussin', so the hair stays where it's put instead of gettin' in everythin'." She stroked down her mane slowly. "Sure makes makin' a good impression easier. Never need to clean up. Gives me more time to play."

"That must be nice." Cindy glanced at herself in the mirror as she ran her fingers through her messy hair, trying to get it to behave in any sort of way that looked good. She gave up after a moment, feeling silly for trying. "Humans don't have that trick."

"Ponies don't neither." Applejack directed a hoof at herself. "Like ah said, space package. Normal ponies gotta brush out their manes and their coats. 'Least you humans only gotta worry 'bout yer manes."

Cindy's words tumbled out with a gentle snort of amusement. "Pony and mane and coat. Got it." She closed her eyes as she finished brushing her teeth. "How do you keep your tail looking so good?"

Applejack peeked back at that long tail with a ribbon on it. "Still hair, space package covers that. Without that, ah'd have to brush it." She watched Cindy brush her teeth curiously. "Been quite a bit since ah last had to do that." She thought back on all the old routines and rules of being a pony. How she had to bathe regularly, groom herself in a specific way, eat specific foods, and things like that. "Humans got a lotta ways to deal with that sorta thing, huh?"

It was at that point, it hit Cindy. She turned to Applejack curiously. "How much of you am I looking at a pony, and how much the designed-for-space model?"

Applejack scratched at her cheek and shook out. "Well, hm." She considered the question for a moment, her eyes twitching back and forth as she did some mental math in her head. "Everythin' is 'bout the same size it used to be. Maybe a little bigger in spots." She was getting the feeling that wasn't the answer Cindy was looking for. "Horses already got powerful legs, but the modifications gave me even more. Ah could carry three ponies on my back and still not be pushed over." She lifted her hooves. "Already told you 'bout these. Good fer holdin' things and such."

She shifted her weight onto her hind legs and flicked her tail. "Feel different but still work the same." She turned about to show off her flank to Cindy. "Ain't got a saddle."

Cindy laughed at that. "Why would a pony wear a saddle? There weren't humans to give ride to, right?"

"Hey now, saddles got other uses." Applejack crossed her arms, sitting on her haunches. "Like holdin' bags, fer one." She patted at her rump. "An' on the real special ponies, they get wings or magical horns." She reached up to tap at her chest with a hoof. "Stirrups too. If ya wanna help with the plowin', or anythin' else, stirrups are useful."

Cindy reached to pat Applejack on the head. "Feel like you got a little sidetracked, but some ponies have wings or horns? Any with you, um, on your ship?"

Applejack considered that. "Only flyin' with a pegasus, an' we got a unicorn in deep freeze, waitin' fer the all clear to thaw her out. Speakin' ah that! Any idea what the UN's thinkin'? Reckon they're the last people ah need to a—" She paused to twirl at a swirling mote of magical light. "What in tarnation?!"

Cindy casually hid behind Applejack, awkward shield as she was. "You didn't make that?"

"Do ah look like a unicorn to you?" Applejack drew herself up, eyeing the slowly spiraling light that seemed to hang in the air without actually emitting any sort of glow, nor was there any light reflecting off of it.

The glow settled to the ground and faded away, leaving something behind. A form, curled on the ground. Its tail lightly twitched.

Cindy gaped at it. "Is that, a little pony?" It was smaller than Applejack, a little foal created from nothing. The faint light played over the edges of its new form as it stirred. She was struck by how curious and innocent it looked, its mouth twitching as it slowly began to move, making soft sounds that spoke of discomfort as it rolled onto its back and kicked out in a stretch, kicking softly at the air as it lay on its back, hooves in the air. It's fur was soft white, and its mane a gentle yellow, each strand glimmering with an otherworldly shine that betrayed its origin, in a way. A magical thing had no business looking so normal, but it was a perfect pony, if tiny, even as it struggled to open its eyes.

Applejack went in to nuzzle the little foal. "Well, howdy there. Not sure how ya got here, but, um, welcome."

The foal grabbed Applejack's snout as best as it could, babbling at her as any young child might with a clear lack of understanding of any language. Some of its babbles were curious whistles, and other more earthen child, as if it were expecting either. The pair stared at each other, while Cindy continued to gape at the miracle that had just unfolded before her eyes, frozen in place as she tried to make sense of what she had just seen, both with her eyes and in her heart.

That child felt like it, somehow, belonged to her. She dropped to a knee and softly felt over the foal's sides. "How?" She gently set a hand on its soft head, feeling the heat of the foal as it began to exist in a cold world, as if she could warm the foal herself. "You were magic."

Applejack tapped Cindy's nose with her hoof. "We were magic." She stood up proudly. "And we're parents. Ah think?" She inclined her head at the foal. "Not sure what else could be their parent. We're the only two around."

Cindy thought about that, very hard. "But how? Neither of us are male."

"Well, ah wasn't payin' much attention ta how, but there's a foal right here." Applejack gently stroked over the happily burbling foal. "We can't say it can't happen. It already done did."

Cindy studied the little colt with a careful eye, moving along to poke at his little legs, then down his back and up his sides. She could feel the heat of him under her hand, just barely at first, but as she explored the little foal, she felt the warmth spread to fill him. The little foal was adjusting to the world, its world. "We need a lawyer."

Even as she dug out her phone, Applejack looked on with confusion. "Whatcha need one ah those fer?"

Cindy pressed a kiss to the little foal's head. "This is our son."

Applejack wobbled, nearly falling over from shock. "Son?" Her eyes flicked. "Oh, yes, son." She nodded, that question easily answered. "But what's that got to do with a lawyer?"

"Hello?" Cindy turned away from AJ and her child. "I need representation, now. I have a child, native born, but missing any birth certificate or other documents. Was literally just born. I need to be guided through the steps to get this right. They are a special case, but they were born in the US of A."

Applejack strained to hear as the other person on the phone responded, the two of them speaking rapidly. Hearing only half of it, and her translator missing some of it, she had no hope of keeping up with what they were going on about. She decided to gather up the colt instead, nuzzling at him gently as he kicked out at the world, seeming to be confused by the gravity he found himself in. "Don't you worry now. Mama's gotcha. They're gonna help us figure things out."

The colt let out a soft whinny, very short and shrill as he leaned against his mother, happily accepting her affection and doing his best to return it. "Are ya hungry?" She paused, ears flipping back.

Cindy hung up the phone with a sigh. "Alright, they're on the way." She dusted herself off and turned back to see a distressed Applejack. "Something wrong? It's going to be fine."

"I don't know what I'm doing!" She clung to the child as she paced around Cindy's room, tail flicking wildly. "We didn't think of anythin' about this." She looked over her shoulder at Cindy. "Ah don't know how to mother none. And, uh." She fidgeted. "I can't feed him. Ah'm a space pony! Ah was built specific fer one thin'." She turned to face Cindy, the two mother's having a bit of a stare-off with their foal. "It'd be dumb ta not eat, right? That'd be dumb. I can eat just fine, but ah can't give him what he needs."

Cindy hissed gently as she reached out, taking the colt. "Will formula work?" Applejack looked clueless. "We'll have to try. He also need a name. We can't keep calling him 'him', can we?"

Applejack glanced about at the lack of anything that would clearly indicate what they should call the foal, not having any objects on hand for that sort of thing. "Sure he got one. Um, hm. Ponies tend to be named fer things. He's an Earth pony. Name him fer some earth things!"

Cindy considered that with a thoughtful humming sound, rolling it around in her head as she looked down at the foal, which seemed to look back at her expectantly. "He looks like an angel."

"Angel," murmured Applejack, tasting the word and finding it very pleasant indeed, even if it had that somewhat odd feeling of translation that came with many words shared between them. "It's good." She giggled as she saw the colt fuss, trying to find a way to escape Cindy's grip to go explore the world. "Calm down, there. We gotta get you fed, and I'm sure your other mama needs some breakfast too."

Cindy paused in the act of gathering things up for her little one. "Right! Right." She had completely forgotten that she hasn't eaten, day occupied with alien equines. "Becoming a mother means skipping meals sometimes." She headed for the fridge to at least address herself even as she plugged at her phone with one hand, ordering baby supplies.

Author's Note:

You thought there'd be pregnancy involved? Nah. Hints have been placed about the nature of other things. This will not go quietly.

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Comments

[Booster Spice]

Uhoh, Twilight used holodeck replicators, which we have, demonstrated, but noones in much rush to get them mass produced for similar reasons to 3D metal printers.

Humans, why 3D print a plough and make your own food when you can make a gun and shot next door that you hate teh sight of and steal their stuff? Because theyve just done the same, doing the same, and ending the same.

The biggest problem with unlimited replicators, is collateral damage.

[TheGJ90]

First of all: Angel is a treasure.

Second of all: Apple Bloom just got a baby sister and she may never know about it!

Thirdly: MAGIC!

[Emtu]

11897345
NieceNephew, not sisterbrother. Apple Bloom is an aunt!

Edit: Silly me, thinking female + female = female when magic is involved.

[TheGJ90]

11897359
You are right, my bad!

[David Silver]

11897345

11897359
You're both silly ponies. She has a nephew.

[TheGJ90]

11897371
I read every instance of the word "son" and thought "daughter"!

Sorry, I got so used to seeing girl characters in MLP. Yet, I immediately recognized Hitch as a dude when I first saw him in the G5 movie... funny that. lol

[Fetch]

Applejack contacting the ship:
AJ: PINKIE! EXPLAIN! NOW!

Pinkie: *rapidfast talk*

AJ: And you didn't tell me before I left, why?

------
When UN finds out:
one ambassador: This shows that they are dangerous. They make more of their kind just by being around one of our kind for a few days.
Many ambassadors: GET RID OF THE ALIENS! ERADICATE THEM!

[ScrambledCrackers]

Well, you just subverted the question: Where do foals come from?

The answer is now: I don't know. Blame Twilight Sparkle

[BestinDworld]

11897371
Fan art of angel when? Also I for one welcome or pony overlords

If rainbow dash is bored if and when she comes to earth maybe a nice Canadian could take her to wrestlemania 40 I’d think she would love to see Cody finish the story

[David Silver]

11897507
But would they let a pegasus casually join the fun? She's ready for the ring! Anything's better than waiting on the ship.

[David Silver]

11897507
i.ibb.co/znKTy9B/image.png

[Gyro Pony]

11897548
That's the cutest tribble I've seen.

[dlambchic]

No pregnancy means no breast milk. Tell Twilight to make a spell for that. The foal needs the antibodies.

[dlambchic]

Reaction of world leaders: Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!

[Amethyst Dragonfly]

11897548
Awww

[Okie Brony]

i.imgflip.com/55ipdj.jpg

i.imgflip.com/37eg9p.jpg

Twiiiliiight!! You got some 'splainin to do!
Eeyup.
I'm an aunt! Yaaaaaaaayy!
I wish there was an emoji of AB smiling.

[Xanderfox]

11897345
No Applebloom got a baby nephew.

[Xanderfox]

Well now Humans will have a better idea what an unmodified pony looks like as except for magical conception little Angel is a normal Earth Pony Colt.

[RanBro]

I'm gonna be honest I think they both should be freaking out more by the fact that a baby suddenly appeared.or am I the only one that thinks that because I know as sure as hell I would be panicking up a storm

[PonyDragon]

Cindy woke to a soft furry presence nuzzling her face. When did she get a dog? Or a cat? No, she didn't have either of those. What she had was an alien sitting on her chest, poking at her cheek with a soft hooffinger, or whatever the right term for it was.

Cindy: "Good enough for me." *goes back to sleep*

Applejack looked clueless. "We'll have to try. He also need a name. We can't keep calling him 'him', can we?"
Applejack glanced about at the lack of anything that would clearly indicate what they should call the foal, not having any objects on hand for that sort of thing. "Sure he got one. Um, hm. Ponies tend to be named fer things. He's an Earth pony. Name him fer some earth things!"

...Yup, makes sense. Probably...