Somerset wasn’t nervous at all. Spittoon seemed confident when SHE came out; why shouldn’t they be? After all, if anypony would understand the feeling of not feeling like the sex you were assigned at birth, it’d be Spitty! They walzted right up to their cousin and plopped down on the ground, moving their ginger curls away from their face.

“Hey cuz, can we talk?”

“Yeah, what’s up?” Spittoon sat down and confidently spit-shone her hoof…what Somerset wouldn’t give for that level of confidence right now. She turned her gaze over to them and cocked an eyebrow in expectation.

“So like, when ya came out as a mare the family, accepted you pretty darn quick. How did you…go about that? Ahm..asking for a friend.” Somerset was lying to themselves when they said they weren’t nervous. Why, they were sweating like a sinner in church from the anxiety. “You see, they don’t feel like a filly or a colt, and they’re wondering if that’s…okay.”

“Askin’ fer a friend, huh?” Spittoon chuckled, only making Somerset more nervous. “Tell ‘em to buck what other ponies think. It ain’t worth it ta let a bunch of assholes tell ya what to think and feel. I’ve had some ponies tell me I was just a confused lil’ colt who didn’t know what he wanted. And ya know what I said? ‘Buck ‘em!’” She laughed and slapped Somerset’s back.

Somerset sat wide-eyed as they let their curls fall back over their face. Their mouth slowly closed and opened as they weren’t sure how to respond. “Well Ah’m sure Ah…Ah mean, THEY would really appreciate that. They would also…like to go by they/them from now on instead of what they usually go by.” The young unicorn suddenly found themselves a lot more at peace, even as they tried to catch their breath from Spittoon slapping the air right out of them. They gave her a wink to show they were playing along.

Spittoon laughed heartily and winked back. “Well THEY should go by whatever names make ‘em happy! An’ if ya love yerself for who ya are, the ponies that really matter in ya life will love ya too.” She nudged them playfully. “Now who’s this ‘friend’ we’re talkin’ about here?”

Somerset chuckled as they slowly got back up on their hooves, gesturing dramatically and using their magic to move their hair out of their eyes. “Their name is Somerset Sour Cider, and they have the most glorious magenta eyes, and these bouncy ginger curls. Rather ravishing if I do say so myself!”