Following her meeting with Leading Role, Dee was swept up in the chaos of school-life for the rest of the week. For all the thought she’d put into it that morning, she hadn’t really been prepared for just how much of an upheaval she’d committed herself to. By the time Friday came around, she almost found herself wanting to go back, but there was no turning back now.

The professors of the classes that she pulled out of were sorry to see her go. The turnaround in her work effort had not gone unnoticed, and all of them wished her the best of luck both in her studies and her transition. At the end of each of those encounters, however, she found herself with the lingering impression that their well wishes—their offerings of good luck—came with an unspoken caveat: “You’ll need it.”

Of the courses she’d picked up, only one of them did not come with some sort of huge catch-up assignment. Leading Role, who had accepted Dee into her class of students, only asked that Dee read up on the current production, to learn as many roles as possible, so as to play understudy at a moment’s notice.

Other than that, she had little issue adapting to the social structure of the class. Though initially volunteering to help with the work of the students who’d drawn the lots to be stagehands for the production, Dee found herself in the unique position of taking a genuine interest in one of the secondary roles: a mare who’d been born a stallion. When somepony had joked that the young mare who’d initially been chosen for the role should defer to Dee on grounds of living the role, it was all she could do not to blush and politely refuse.

If only the other courses had been as lax in accepting her. The two other classes she’d taken—introduction to business, and a mathematics geared towards accounting—both had a number of catch-up exams for her to undergo. Though the classes were interesting, she had placed herself in the unenviable position of trying both to pay attention to the present lessons, as well as trying to cram for the exams.

Each night, she spent two hours per course, just trying to get up to speed. She barely had enough time keep up with her friends. And really, she had nobody to blame but herself. Leading role had suggested simply dropping the courses she had for that semester and pick up the other two in the next, but Dee had insisted on graduating alongside the rest of her year.

Still, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and even Twist made time to be there for her. She never found herself for want of company when breaking for lunch, with two of the three sitting down with her, if nothing more than to keep her from going back to her old reclusive ways. Twist, oddly enough, always seemed to make the time to say “Hello,” in the halls and offer up sweets, which the mare never seemed to be in short supply of.

When she finally finished the exams on Friday, she was mentally exhausted. It’d been a week of hell, but she’d finally gotten to a point where she could continue on as close to as normal as it could be said to get. Getting back to her shared room, she wanted nothing more than to just kick back and relax for a little bit.

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” Scootaloo said as she returned from her morning run Saturday morning. Although the amputee pegasus was pretty casual about nudity, and truth be told Dee was thankful for how comfortable she found it made her with herself, the casual stripping still caught her off guard. “Where did you get those hormones? I mentioned them to Apple Bloom, and neither she nor the alchemist she’s studying under had heard of anything like it.”

Looking away, Dee pawed through her clothes, looking for something appropriate. “I got them from Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara,” she said, frowning as she came across the t-shirt proclaiming her to be a butt slut. “Beyond that, I have no idea. I’m not sure I want to ask.” She dropped the tee and gently squeezed her bare breasts. Since Monday, they’d undergone a growth spurt of sorts, and she’d gone from what Scootaloo had called a delicate flat chest to almost matching the mare in cup size. “I’m not sure I want to. Just thinking about what this could be used for, it sends shivers down my spine.”

Her roomie nodded and flopped naked onto her swiveling desk chair. “No shit,” she muttered, staring up at the ceiling. “So how come you’re not dressed yet? Usually you’ve decided on an outfit for the day by the time I’m back from my run.”

It took a while for her to respond. For a couple of minutes, she just kept rifling through her drawers, hoping desperately she might find something she liked. After all, she hadn’t seen her mother since she started all of this, and it felt like years since this all started. One did not just show up at a meeting with their mother and say, ‘Surprise, mom, I have boobs now.’ Did they?

It took her even longer for it to click that Scootaloo had asked a question. “I’m supposed to meet with my mom today. She—I’m pretty sure she doesn’t know yet.” Dee Pad stepped away from her dresser and let gravity drop her onto her bed, clothed only in the panties she’d put on since her shower. “What do you even wear for this sort of occasion?”

Scootaloo thought for a moment before looking across the room to her friend. “Whatever you want,” she said in a serious tone. “Your mom’s either going to accept you for who you are, or she’ll reject you outright and you can start completely fresh with our support.” She shrugged and spun her chair a couple of revolutions. “Either way, pick something you’re comfortable with.”

A smile came to Dee’s face as she thought about the outfit she’d worn the night Sweetie Belle had re-entered her life. The skirt was probably too much, but the blouse and jacket combination definitely cut a feminine look on its own. Likewise, she had a pair of cute low-rise jeans that would really show off her butt. A feminine look without being overwhelming.

Of course, thoughts about the previous Saturday night brought extremely mixed feelings in addition to the memory of what she’d worn. There was the obvious distress regarding what had happened and the realization that what had really been going on with Diamond and Silver was pretty exploitative. They’d warped her entire life, right?

On the other hand, aside from all of the drama of the night, there was no denying that that the sexual contact between the two was pretty erotic. There was no forgetting the warmth and weight of Sweetie’s impressive shaft in her hand, or the texture of her shaft against her tongue. Just the memory of Sweetie Belle’s taste caused a stirring in her knickers.

“Aw heck...” she groaned, futilely attempting to drown her arousal with thoughts of unsexy things. “You think if Apple Bloom can accidentally make Sweetie a boy while trying to make her taller, she could... I dunno, make a potion that would do the opposite?”

Scootaloo stopped spinning in her chair and sat her head on her hand. “She could probably try, but what would that actually accomplish?” she replied, glancing over at her shoulder. From Dee’s spot on the bed, she could just make out the wry arch of her friend’s eyebrow. “Look, suddenly having a vagina isn’t going to make any of this less awkward for you. Sure, you won’t be tenting your panties nearly as often, but it’s not changing the base issue.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Dee’s response was perhaps a bit more curt than she’d intended, but she was feeling frustrated in more than one way.

“You’re getting all wigged out every time you get a boner, right?” Scootaloo tossed a pen into the air and caught it on the tip of her muzzle. “It just means all that sexual frustration is building up. You’re not allowing yourself any sort of outlet, acting like you’re going to get in trouble if you let off a bit of steam. So you start getting stressed, and then you have another sexy thought, and you get more stressed.”

The chair turned in Dee’s direction, once again revealing her roomie’s nudity. “I’m just saying that there’s nothing wrong with getting off, y’know?” She crossed her legs and leaned forward. “And, if you ever wanted to just try it, I’d be open to fooling around. I mean, you need to unwind, I don’t say no to a bit of pleasure... Don’t get me wrong, it’d be just sex. You just need to get it out of your system and do it for yourself, not someone else.”

In spite of herself, the transwoman in the room found herself laughing hysterically. “I really do have it bad, don’t I?” Her mirth was so great that she was unsurprised to find her vision unobscured by tears. “Diamond and Silver have me so screwed up about sex, and the asexual girl’s telling me I need to get laid.” She wiped her forearm across her eyes, and gave her friend a smile. “Maybe some other time, when my head’s a bit less fucked, but I really need to get dressed and get going. Sweetie Belle’s going with me to make this a bit easier.”

Donut Joe’s was pretty crowded for a Saturday afternoon, Dee reflected as she sat with Sweetie Belle. Usually, it was pretty empty at this time of day, but it seemed like plenty of the Canterlot High students had shared the same idea, meeting up with family here on the last Saturday of the month. As a result, the not-quite-couple picked a corner booth that’d give them a good view of the entrance.

The plan, so much as it could be called such, was relatively simple. They were both fairly certain that Dee’s mother probably wouldn’t recognize her right off the bat—the cosmetic frames helped with the whole Supermare Effect—making it more likely that Sweetie Belle would be recognized first. Assuming that this much went off without a hitch, Sweetie would wave her over, strike up a conversation, and when Button inevitably came up, segue into that.

Neither of them were under any illusions that things would be nearly that simple. Between the two of them, they’d seen enough movies, read enough stories, and played enough games to know better than to expect any plan to survive past the first step. Heck, the entire first stage of the plan banked on not being recognized! If Mom recognized her from the start, it might be a bit more awkward to explain.

Fidgeting in her seat, Dee glanced at the door before leaning close to Sweetie. “Kind of an out-of-the-blue question,” she whispered just loud enough to be heard over the din of the cafe. Her chin rested on the back of her hand, and though she was undoubtedly flushed, she found herself smiling. “Has Scootaloo ever offered to...”

Before she could finish her sentence, she found Sweetie Belle’s hand blocking her from completing her sentence. “To answer your question, yes, but don’t let it rub you the wrong way,” she replied, blushing even brighter than Dee. “She doesn’t mean anything by it—literally.”

Chuckling, Dee pushed away the silencing hand, she shook her head. “I know that, Sweetie. I was just wondering if you thought I should—”

“Sweetie Belle!” a voice called from the front of the shop. It had only been a week since she’d heard it last, and though it felt like another lifetime, there was no mistaking the owner of that voice. “Sweetie Belle, dear, is that you!?”

Dee froze, praying desperately that she wouldn’t make eye contact with her mother. Even so. As much as one couldn’t tear their gaze away from an impending train wreck, she could not prevent her traitorous eyes from looking at the woman who’d birthed and raised her. It was, after all, the first time since the start of term that she’d seen her mom. All she could do was watch in a fearful stupor.

“Miss Coddle!” Sweetie called back, beckoning her forward with a wave of the hand that had only moments before silenced Dee. “It’s been what, eight years?”

The older mare smiled, the light brown of her face creasing with the laugh lines of a life well lived. “At least, but please call me Molly. We’re both adults now, and the miss just makes me feel like an old schoolmarm” she replied, joining the pair and seating herself opposite them. As she took her seat, a thoughtful look crossed her muzzle. “I remember you up and vanishing for a week, and then you and Button never really hung out much after that.” She pulled up her sleeve and glanced at the watch on her wrist. “I was supposed to be meeting him here, but it would seem he’s late. Probably off playing with that Joy Boy of his and forgot we were going to meet.”

As if on queue, Sweetie smiled and reached across the table. “I’m sure Button will be along when he’s ready to make an appearance,” she said softly. “We’d be more than willing to keep you company until then, right Dee?”

Snapping out of her daze, Dee swallowed the lump in her throat and bobbed her head in agreement. She tried to say something, anything, but all she could manage was a muttered, “M’kay.”

As if noticing for the first time Sweetie Belle wasn’t alone, Molly looked to Dee and let out a surprised gasp. “Are you alright, dear?” She leaned in closer, brushing a few stray locks of of orange out of Dee’s face before touching her forehead. Dee did her best not to flinch or draw more attention to herself “You feel a little warm, are you—” She drew her hand back suddenly before laughing nervously. “I’m sorry, that was rude of me. You reminded me a bit of my son for a moment, and I acted without thinking. You do seem familiar though.”

Dee looked down at her own lap to hide her anxiety and in a soft, almost childish tone, murmured, “S’fine.”

“Sorry, my friend is just a bit nervous,” Sweetie interjected quickly. “She did something stupid and ended up in a few videos on the internet.” That was certainly not in the script, Dee noted with growing alarm. She fought off the urge to give her friend a warning glance. “She’s worried someone might recognize her and harass her.”

“Oh,” Molly Coddle replied, reclining back in her seat and running fingers through her blond mane. Her green eyes flicked to Dee, and then a crimson flush spread across her face. “Ooooh...”

I don’t like the sound of that, she thought, looking back up to her mother. I really don’t...

“Er, I can kinda see why you might be a bit anxious about that,” Molly added with a nervous titter. “I thought you looked familiar. There’s nothing to be ashamed of though; they were very enjoyable videos.” As if picking up on the mounting discomfort Dee was feeling, she quickly changed the topic. “Your transition’s certainly come a long way, hasn’t it?”

Eyes wide, Dee stared at her mother. Her ears drooped as her breathing picked up. “Oh no,” she whimpered, her voice slipping into Button’s old tones. She started pressing on Sweetie’s arm, trying to get her to let her out of the booth. “She’s seen...” With a sudden finality, her stomach decided that she probably shouldn’t have eaten anything. “Move, Sweetie! ‘m gonna be sick.”

Succeeding in displacing her friend, Dee Pad rocketed from the booth. Tears streamed down her face as she struggled not to be violently ill in the middle of the cafe. Of all the things that could happen,she decided as she burst into the women’s room, this was most assuredly the worst possible thing!

At the sight of her friend’s terrified expression and subsequent flight, it occurred to Sweetie Belle just how badly she’d stuck her hoof in her mouth. Not only had Molly Coddle recognized Dee—and for the wrong reasons, no less—she’d apparently seen and enjoyed the videos!? The situation had gone from informing her that “Your child is transitioning from male to female,” to “You’ve just told your transitioning daughter that you’ve seen the porn she’s starred in before you’ve even been told she’s your daughter.”

As she sat back down in the booth, she planted her face in her palms and groaned. “Why did I have to bring up the videos?” she cursed herself out loud. “Shouldn’t have waited for something to break the tension; I should’ve just ripped the bandage off and been done with it.”

Molly looked in alarm from Sweetie Belle to the direction of the bathroom. “Sweetie, dear, is she...” She shook her head, dismissing the thought. “Of course she’s not alright. Do you think we should go help her?”

No, Sweetie decided, not yet.

“Wait,” she said, reaching across the table to grasp the older mare’s hand. “There’s something you should know about her.” Her brows furrowed as she stared at the polished wooden surface, and she silently apologized to her friend for doing wasn’t her place to do. “There’s a much bigger reason that she’s freaked out about this than just someone recognizing her from the videos.”

Looking Molly Coddle in the eye, Sweetie Belle said, “My friend, Dee Pad, was so disturbed by you recognizing her from the videos because it was you, Molly.”

The motherly woman glanced at the bathroom door before returning her gaze to Sweetie’s serious expression. “I don’t understand,” she whispered. “What are you trying to say?”

“She was so disturbed because you’re her mother.”

All at once, the blonde’s disposition changed. Her eyes widened, though they were focused solely on the bathroom door now. Her face was visibly paler beneath that soft chocolate coat of hers. Probably worst of all, she did something Sweetie Belle had never heard from the mare in all her years of knowing her.

“Oh fuck,” she whispered to herself more than to anybody else. “And I... I told her I enjoyed...”

A retching sound came from Molly’s throat, even as she covered her mouth with her hand. Tears rimmed her eyes as she forced herself to her hooves. No sooner had she cleared the booth did she too rush into the restroom.

Sweetie Belle shook her head and slowly rose to her hooves as well. In spite of the seriousness of the situation, she could not hold back a laugh that felt quite hollow. Today was certainly a day of firsts. It was the first time she’d ever actually seen a person—two, in fact—get so panicked that they quite literally made themselves ill. Never before had she stood witness to a reveal befitting a slot on Cherry Springer-Spaniel. Finally, it was the first time she’d ever heard her childhood friend’s mother, a mare who took care of the foals of others for a living, swear—disregarding entirely that she was apparently into some very niche porn.

I don’t know whether or not things were about to get better or worse for Dee, she decided as she followed after her friend’s mother. I don’t even know if I’ll ever look at her mom the same way again either way.

Author's Notes:

Alright, so after like a year of hiatus, we're back.

A couple of things to address regarding this chapter, so I apologize for the text walls ahead of time. Firstly, I have put the possibility of the whole 'casual sex' with Scootaloo thing on the table. Yes, it's something that'd make things awkward between the two initially, but if you think about it, Dee does need to work out a couple of issues surrounding sex in a safe environment. I reckon if Sweetie can't help in that sense, keeping her whole issue with being penetrated and giving anal in mind, Scootaloo's probably open-minded enough to help with the untraining thing.

Second of all. Button's Mother. I made a point of naming her Molly Coddle [from the term mollycoddle] in the first chapter because I did not wish to use the fandom name of 'Elaina', as it draws too much on the Jan Animations concept of Button. It's for that reason that I chose not to use the colors of Elaina either. When I took the background character Button and made him into Dee Pad, I saw no reason not to make her mother the way I so chose. Thus, Molly has the same brown coat that Button inherited.

Then of course, we get into the whole her mom saw the videos part. Let's face it. Even if she works with foals for a living, she's a single mother. Regardless of all the milf-hunters who've hit on her through Button's life, she'd obviously still have needs. Without him home in the nest, she might even indulge in her interests in less 'vanilla' stuff. Which leads us to body-types, the way a person carries themselves, and the recognition. Even with clothes covering a person, they still have a certain body type/build. For Dee, that went from runty/underdeveloped but marginally masculine to lithe, petite femme. Similarly, her posture changed as she was molded by Diamond and Silver. These are the sort of changes/things that a person who has effectively watched the transition through the timeline of videos could notice. That in itself was probably not enough to clue in Molly, thus only making her 'familiar'. The mention of videos? That would make it click, I'd think.

'But Seven, if she recognized Dee from videos that censored faces, voices, and any distinguishing markings, why didn't she recognize Dee as Button?' you might be asking. This is actually something I allude to in the very chapter you just read when mentioning the 'Supermare Effect'. A number of superheroes use a number of ways to conceal their identity. Clark Kent wears glasses when incognito. The Green Arrow and Robin/Nightwing wear masks that cover the area around the eyes. Batman wears a mask that only covers the upper part of his face, leaving his distinguished jawline and mouth on display. Nobody recognizes them, and we all usually chalk it up to suspension of disbelief, but that's not entirely the case. When we recognize a person from their face, there are certain contours and shapes that we subconsciously commit to memory. If that person slims down, you don't recognize them right away because their face is slightly different. Likewise, it seems particularly odd to see someone you're used to seeing without glasses suddenly wearing a pair, but why? It's because glasses [and the masks] interfere with the way we recognize the points/shapes around the eyes. Facial recognition software often has the same issue, where if something obscures enough points, even just black face-paint, on a person's face, it cannot accurately recognize a person. This is why in modern super-hero media we don't see police easily identifying these vigilantes with facial recognition software. In the case of Molly not recognizing Dee, it's because Dee Pad's face had softened and become more feminine than one would expect from a few months of hormone replacement therapy on account of the mysterious enhanced hormones, and because the glasses she wore threw Molly off enough around the eyes that she merely looked like a girl with similar colorings to her son.

Finally, you're probably wondering why I stopped the chapter where I did. I did it for a few reasons, but the chief reason is that I wanted to give myself more time to plan out the next interaction between Dee and Molly while still getting this story back on track. It's been at like a year since my last update and I didn't want to keep all of you standing around waiting forever. It also felt like a good place to end it; sure, three thousand words isn't a particularly long chapter, but at the same time it also wasn't starved for content. Then of course there's my shameful pride in popping out cliffhangers. On the one hand, they're cheap, but on the other, they DO help keep interest and they make the readers think.

So yeah, this is been a long time coming, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter.