Upward Over the Mountain

>You hug the glass bottle to your lips with both hooves and let some of the sweet nectar pour into your mouth.
>Your busted CD player plays the same songs that it's always played.
>You only play them on very special occasions so they don't grow old on you.
>Sitting out next to the river snuggled up in Twilight's lap, you know you've made the right choice.
>The two of you sit on the picnic blanket, the grass over the hills blowing gently with the light breeze.
>The sun overhead shines on the two of you, warming your entire body up.
"Thank you."
>"Is this something you used to do?"
"Well, why do you think I asked you to turn me into a filly?"
>"You said it was because I was always talking about wanting a daughter."
"That's not entirely true, I will admit it was a bit more selfish than selfless."
>You chuckle, laying back just a bit and letting her soft fur tickle the back of your neck.
>"You're enjoying this just as much as I am, aren't you? You little rascal."
>She lets out a laugh of her own.
>The two of you let yourselves indulge for a few minutes before quieting back down.
"I... haven't told you about why I wanted to be your daughter, have I?"
>"If I recall you said that if I could do it, it was only logical. You would get a good extra twenty-something years of life, and I'd get what I've always wanted."
"You promise not to think any less of me?"
>"Of course. Is this the same Anonymous who happily shared his lewd drawings of half of Ponyville's residents?"
"I do think being a filly has impacted my mind more than you said it would in some ways... still, this is something I generally don't tell others."
>"Your secret is safe with me."
>She pokes your belly, prompting you to break into a fit of foalish giggles.
>"Come on, out with it!"
"Haa, haa I-I heh, I'm t-try- hee..."
>Once you're completely out of breath, your mother stops to let you catch it.
"I...."
>You look down at yourself.
>Your long tail, perfect for playing with and brushing.
>Your little hooves, ticklish as the day is long.
>Your belly, not quite fat and not quite skinny.
>And all of it, your dream...
>You gave up everything you had worked for in your past life.
>Your career, your impressive credentials...
>Once you knew safe travel between universes was in your grasp, you packed all of your work in a suitcase and took it with you before anyone could find out what you were doing.
>Rigged the gateway to self-destruct an hour after you went through, you lived far away from anyone else though. No harm would be done.
>Nothing physical anyways.
>And as far as harming people in other ways went, you had pushed them away for your pursuits.
>But here...
"Twilight, I've never wanted anything more than a second childhood."
>Nervous, you look up expecting a disappointed expression of some sort.
>Instead, you find her beaming.
"W-why are you happy? Such desires aren't healthy for grown men..."
>"Only if they're unachievable."
>So you allow yourself a smile of your own, flipping over and hugging your mother.
>On the player, you can hear the first lines of your favorite song on the album playing.
>"Mother don't worry, I killed the last snake that lived in the creek bed..."
~Fin.