The first professional mane styling I'd ever had was a far cry from the treatment I'd gotten from the girls, though it was lacking somewhat in their enthusiasm, it certainly made up for it in quality. Not that I was a stylish pony, I was no Rarity, nay, not even a Twilight; I still knew what a terrible manecut was.

Maybe, since even I knew it was terrible, that must have really meant something to the talent those girls had for wrecking it in the first place. Not that there was much to save after they'd had their way, the stallion running the hair salon (and he had a strange inflection to his voice...) did what he could; he called it a 'pixie' cut.

I was actually kind of fond of it, it was a far cry from the long locks I'd had before but it felt right when I saw it. Any distraction was a welcome one though, and I took that in stride.

"Maggie, you mustn't let them coerce you into such things. You are the adult here, you should... be more assertive with children, otherwise, at least those three, will try to get away with whatever they think they can!" Rarity said to me from across the table.

I poked at my 'hay fries' with a hoof, shifting them around my plate. I understood her, perfectly even, but I didn't feel like the adult in this situation. I felt like a lost foal, to be honest. I felt like I had more in common with the children than I did with the ones who were presumably my age.

On that topic, I wasn't even sure how old I actually was. Time seemed.. different here, or my perception of it anyway. Before, in that old life, my perception of time was more or less the moment I currently occupied, and the time immediately preceding that moment.

"I... know what you mean... But it's not easy for me to be like that. This is all still so new for me," I explained, picking delicately at the pile of fries, separating them out by size. 'It's also not easy now that I remember what I left behind...'

I kept that last thought to myself.

I looked up from the plate, our eyes met, and I felt like even though it was left unspoken, she knew what I'd been thinking anyway. Sneaky perceptive unicorn. She extended her hoof across the table and touched it to mine, and smiled.

Further words between us were left unsaid, that one simple action told me enough. I wasn't alone, either here in this new world or... with the way I was feeling. There was a sadness in her eyes, just a hint of sadness, like she'd spent years burying it deep inside, building a wall around her feelings.

But in this moment, that wall cracked and her true feelings came out, for just a moment.

When we finally broke contact, I was left with one question on my mind: when had I become that perceptive?

We'd parted ways after leaving the diner. She had to watch her sister, I'd needed time to myself. I'd wandered the town lost in thought, thinking on what I was going to do with my life. I was effectively a child in an adult's world. I was doing better each day, fitting in better, figuring out these new social constructs and yet I had as much knowledge of this world as a newborn foal.

I knew of schools, knew enough of them to know that it was something necessary and something I was lacking. I didn't have the experience of growing up with friends in this world... Even if I had them now.

I shook the thoughts from my head and found myself standing in the park, my thoughts drifted back to that foal... My foal. I felt the heartache I'd felt when I'd first remembered; such a short time hadn't been enough to dampen that pain, even if I'd gotten used to feeling it.

"No matter where we go, or even if we don't," I softly sang, the words coming again from my memory, my memory of before. I grasped onto it, the sentiment different... but in this situation it felt like it still fit. I tried so hard to remember that face...

"and even if they try, they'll never take my body from your side..." I turned my head to the sky, looked at the sun so high above. Princess Celestia moved it through the sky, they'd said. Powerful enough to do that with her magic, she had to be incredible.

An Idea began to form in my mind, if she was that powerful, if she had that much magic... maybe she could help me. Maybe she could find where I came from, maybe she could send me back, just for a little while, to see her... to bring her back!

I felt a tear drip down my cheek, that face finally cleared up in my mind. I remembered what my foal looked like, and I knew that no matter what happened, I'd go as far as I had to, I'd see that face again.

"Love don't die."

Author's Notes:

Sorry to leave you all hanging so long, writing has been a bit... difficult as of late.

I've not forgotten you, and I hope to have more out soon to make up for how short this entry was.