Paint and Blood part 2


                                            >The wagon was, all the same, the last time you've seen it.

                                            >It was a fairly small wagon by all means, yet this was in its compact-state made for transport.

                                            >Entering inside, you can see cardboard boxes and alchemist bottles littering the wooden floorboards in several corners of the wagon.

                                            >Wheels and wooden cogs remained aligned with the ceiling support beams.

                                            >Ropes and pulleys were all lining aside the glass windows and smooth violet paint.

                                            >Its intricate and unique design mystified you when you first laid eyes upon it, but eventually, you quickly learned that its function was to easily unravel the wagon into a full stage.

                                            >Hell, it even had an easy compartment to open up the roof of the wagon to let the air and dust out.

                                            >All of this only managed to impress you once you have grown accustomed to it.

                                            >A newfound respect for Trixie was born as you've seen more of her performances unfold.

                                            >You've made plenty of memories here in this small wagon in the short couple of months you've been with Trixie.


                                            >You turned your gaze to Trixie as she dropped her groceries to her side and started to rummage through some boxes under her bed hammock.

                                            >Looking around again, your blanket was still in its same place as it was before, bundled on the floor in the other corner of the room. A couple more cardboard boxes were tipped over, probably due to the impact it received from the Hag before.

                                            >Trixie's merchandise, alchemy ingredients, and books were scattered on the floor.

                                            >A barrel bathtub still laid against the far back wall.

                                            >Other than that, there were no other commodities to show for.


                                            >If any other pony saw this, they would assume it was some kind of mobile storage area and they would be right to some degree.

                                            >However, as someone who lived in this wagon for about a year now, it was a small place to call home.

                                            >Furthermore, it was a home that's able to travel along with you wherever you and Trixie went.


                                            >"Hornet dear, have you seen the soup ladle?" Trixie's muffled mumblings reached your ear as she is still rummaging around her wagon in various other boxes.

                                            "Huh? Oh, let me look" Snapping from your trip down memory lane, you scanned the room. Your eyes drawback to the mess before you. You assume the ladle was probably underneath all that, so you started to clean it up.

                                            >After some time, you noticed the familiar silverware underneath.

                                            "Found it!" You called out, bringing it to the azure mare.


                                            >"Oh perfect! Could you also grab the paint in the back?" Trixie requested as she placed all the necessary cooking supplies on her back.

                                            "The one's next to the bathtub right?" You recall.

                                            >"Yes. The purple one dear."

                                            "Wait, didn't you say that you're too tired to paint?"

                                            >"Why yes I did, however, Trixie has an idea!" You hear her hoofsteps trot to the exit door. "Hurry along now."

                                            "Alright," you answer. Not withholding your curiosity, you managed to quickly pull one of the buckets handles up and carried it down the steps of the wagon.


                                            >Trixie was already setting up the charcoal in the firepit with the crockpot ready with the help of her telekinesis. Turning to you, she raised a brow.

                                            >"Do you need help?" The azure mare remarks as you strained your neck a bit pulling the heavy bucket of paint onto the dirt.

                                            "Ivf goft ift!" You muffle out. Dropping it to the ground, you give out a grunted sigh.

                                            "Phew, that was heavy! Hey Trixie, does this paint have any lead in it?"

                                            >"Hmm? Why would you ask that?" The mare asked puzzledly as she prepared her ingredients with her levitation magic.

                                            "It felt pretty heavy. I also believe lead is poisonous. I recall it being a serious problem back... where I come from." You mutter a bit at the end.

                                            >You do recall that lead poisoning was a serious issue in the past back on earth, but not during a time you were alive.


                                            >"They use lead for paint over there?" Trixie held a hoof over her mouth in surprise.

                                            "Uh, yeah. They stopped doing that eventually, but I'm not sure if this paint has it too." You answer a little cautiously.

                                            >Trixie was already trotting over to you with a disgruntled expression.

                                            >"Oh Luna no, what kind of pony would use lead?" She judged with heavy disapproval in her voice.

                                            >"No, these paints use normal titanium dioxide, linseed oil, and magic resin. Tell me Hornet, did you come in contact with any of it?" The worried mare held her hooves on both your cheeks, trying to see any signs of symptoms.

                                            You successfully shook your head from her grasp with mild protest. "No, I'm fine. I'm not retard- errr mentally challenged or anything. At least I think not." You remarked with a little bit of uncertainty.

                                            >Sure you can be an autistic mess at times, but straight-up mentally deficient you weren't.


                                            >The mare released a sigh of relief. "Well, you're certainly smarter than the average filly that's for sure." Trixie smiled as she messed with your mane. You reactively tried to pry your head away again and scrunched your muzzle in discontent.

                                            >The azure mare giggled as you released yourself from her grasp.

                                            "H-Hey!"

                                            >"Oh relax, it's not like your mane can get any messier than it already is." She chided.

                                            >"You should really let me brush your mane."

                                            "I could say the same to you. You still have your bed hair." You stifle a laugh.

                                            >"I do!? Oh, Trixie almost completely forgot this morning! Why didn't you mention it sooner?" Trixie then attempts to use her magic to form her mane in an orderly fashion, with not much success.

                                            "Why? Concerned that stallion saw you so uncouth?" You stole Rarity's words, with an added smugness on your face.

                                            >"W-What? He doesn't have anything to do with that!" The magician said almost too defensively.


                                            "Ahuh, sure." You responded sarcastically before smiling and nodding your head.

                                            "Ah young love, alas..." Your thoughts went back to the mare that you asked out once, and even before that.

                                            >You don't ever recall having a serious relationship back in your old life.

                                            >Most of your days were spent studying for school, keeping in touch with your male friends, or finding work. Actively looking for a romantic interest wasn't really on your list of priorities, but you've kept yourself romantically available.

                                            >Your looks were average, so you always figured that you'd eventually meet the one for you if you've made yourself financially attractive as well. It's ironic that your first "almost" real relationship would be with a pony in a world light-years away.

                                            >You almost regret not living a little bit back on earth.


                                            >"Oh shush, you should really stop with the teasing. Trixie is supposed to be the one teasing." Your solemn thoughts were being interrupted by the feeling of your cheeks being pressed together.

                                            "I think your food is burning." You deadpanned.


                                            >"It is!?" Trixie quickly rushed towards the crockpot, only to find that she hasn't even started making the soup yet. She narrows her eyes at you with the biggest scrunched muzzle you have ever seen, with you responding in an innocent but mischievous smile.

                                            >"Why you little-" The azure mare then bolted right after you with you instinctively running up from your haunches.


                                            "Wait! I was joking! It was kidding! Hold on-" you pleaded as you retreated from the mare.

                                            >Unfortunately, your tiny legs couldn't match the legs of a furious mare.

                                            >It was only for a short moment of freedom before being pounced on by Trixie. Both of you tumble a bit through the soft grass and mud, landing on your back with Trixie standing over you.

                                            >For some reason this excitement caused you to let out a shameful foalish giggle. You immediately stopped yourself closed your mouth with both of your ankles.

                                            >What the hell? You didn't giggle like that willingly, or at all, ever. You would giggle for making dumb jokes or poking at Trixie's emotions here and there sure, but not like that.

                                            >That giggle would be akin to how a small foal would when being chased by... their parents. Small embarrassment aside, this revelation deeply disturbed you.

                                            >Something is wrong with your brain, changing something deep inside you ever so slowly. You didn't even realize it up until now.


                                            >Trixie however is completely oblivious to this inner revelation and starts poking you at your sides.

                                            "Hey stop-" you protested, "Trixie w-wait!"

                                            >"Nope, not stopping~" Trixie giggled as she continued her onslaught of tickles.

                                            "N-No I'm being serious Trixie, please s-stop! STOP!" Then it happened.


                                            >The tickling stopped, but as you opened your eyes to see that Trixie was standing back a bit holding her muzzle with a hoof. You were holding out your right hoof in the air in front of you, only to realize what you have done.

                                            "T-Trixie?" You stutter.

                                            >"S-Sorry Hornet. Perhaps Trixie went a little too far." You feel the regret in her voice.

                                            >Trixie was already wiping her muzzle and turning to face away. "Trixie should really get back to cooking. You must be starving after all that exercise." she reasoned.

                                            >You stood up and tried to look at her bruise, but she actively avoided eye contact with you.


                                            "Hey Trixie, wait I'm sorry! I didn't mean it. It was an accid-"

                                            >"It's alright Hornet. It was Trixie's fault. She should have been more careful." She said with a certain distance in her voice. "Trixie knows how you are with physical contact, she should have been mindful of it."

                                            "But-"

                                            >"It's fine. Trixie already forgave you. Look the charcoal is going to be wasted if I don't get back to it soon. Just be patient until the food is ready alright?" The mare interjected your rebuttal with a certain kindness before starting to walk back to the campsite.

                                            "I-" You simply sat there.


                                            >Looking back on your hoof you could see a small stain of red on the front where your nail met her face. A feeling of guilt stains the back of your mind as you look back at Trixie in the distance.

                                            >Muddled feelings and emotions took over your thoughts. Guilt, dread, embarrassment, and plenty of others you couldn't bother to name.

                                            >The first thing you need to address was the child-like feelings that disturbed your soul when you were around Trixie.

                                            >You never had this issue around Twilight when she was your guardian for only a couple of years. It was... unpleasantly pleasant. Like a guilt feeling of pleasure, you shouldn't have.

                                            >Hell, you can't even fucking remember the last time you had this feeling with your real mother, your human mother back on earth. Something was deeply wrong, with your mind.

                                            >It was no doubt something psychological.

                                            Or was... my mind slowly regressing to that of a real filly?


                                            >You always had this thought at the back of your mind since you first became what you are now.

                                            >Twilight said that there were no recorded accounts of the long-term effects of being transformed into a filly. She did theorize once that an adult human mind couldn't be fully transferred to an adolescent filly mind, but no problems ever occurred and I was able to recollect everything about my former life just fine.

                                            Or at least those that I'm aware of...


                                            >A lot of conflicting emotions swelled up inside and the fact that you harmed Trixie on accident didn't help either.

                                            >You have to give a proper apology later. You didn't want to damage your relationship with Trixie.

                                            >The very thought scares you to no end.

                                            Not like last time, I'll not let it happen like last time again.