Somerset Sour Cider sat in front of their vanity for what seemed like hours, staring at the green fur of their hooves and ginger mess of a tail. “Come on, you’re never nervous. How hard can it be?” They told themselves. “If you don’t sack up and do this, you’ll be sitting there every day cringing everytime yer forced into that little box. You can do this.”

Giving themselves a pep-talk in the mirror wasn’t something Somerset was used to, but this was a huge day for them. They never felt like a filly or a colt; Ma and Pa had to know. On cue there was a knock at the door, a familiar strong knock. “Pa?”

”Eeyup,” Big Macintosh opened the door. “Supper’s ready. Ya coming?”

There was an unfamiliar look of nervousness on the young unicorn’s face as they let their bangs fall back over their eyes and slowly trotted over to the large stallion. “Pa, I have something real important to tell y’all. I’ve been waiting a long time to say this.” Somerset sat at the dining room table, rocking back and forth in their chair restlessly.

Sugar Belle came to the table with a marigold sandwich and gave them a gentle pat on the shoulder. “Everything okay, dear? I made your favorite!”

Big Mac also turned his gaze expectantly towards Somerset. “Som wants to tell us something, Sugar.”

Somerset’s eyes turned to the marigolds stuffed between two pieces of white bread, lifting it up with their magic and almost taking a bite. “Oh yeah…”

They let go of the sandwich and stood up in their seat, looking back and forth between their parents for a good second. “So…Ah dont feel like a filly OR a colt. Ah would prefer if from now on y’all didn’t call me your son or daughter, or say ‘he’ or ‘she’ when y’all talk about me. Ah’d feel most comfortable going by they.”

Somerset sat back down, looking between the two of them and almost dreading their response in the agonizing seconds that followed.

Big Mac cleared his throat. “So…yer not a colt OR a filly?”

“Have you always felt this way?” Sugar asked.

They sat back down and nodded intensely, “Yessir! Ah’m Somerset Sour Cider, always have been an’ always will be. I’m not sure, but I knew as soon as I could comprehend what I was I became totally sure. No doubt about it! I’m still the same ol’ same ol’.”

Sugar and Mac smiled supportively, but it was clear they still had some questions on their minds.

“What restroom will ya use when we go out?”

“What clothes will you wear when we go to the family reunion ball?”

“Do ya want them fancy hormone treatments like what Cousin Spittoon is raisin’ money for?”

Somerset let out sweet laughter, with the biggest smile they had ever worn plastered on their face. “Whichever one Ah feel like, whatever Ah feel like, and no. Mah body is okay with me the way it is; sometimes Ah look a little feminine or masculine an’ it irks me, but hormones ain’t gonna do much for me. Is that…okay with you?” Their smile faded, as for the first time in a long time they seemed shy and worried.

Both parents nodded.

“We may not understand everything you’re going through, but we support you no matter what,” Sugar put her hooves on Som’s cheeks. “You’ll always be our baby, isn’t that right Mac?”

“Eeyup!”

Somerset blushed deeply as their parents showered them in affection. “Ah know, Ah know. I love y’all too.”