Bush Beat’s Journey

A slow but steadfast knock on the door pulled Albert out of his thoughts. He inserted the last book in his hand into the white-and-blue saddlebags that were perched on his desk. He quickly scanned the desk and pointed, in order, at the only three items on it — the saddlebags, a bunch of keys, and a gemstone — before he turned to walk towards the apartment door. He opened the door and smiled as he recognized the visitor. “Hello, Paul. Thank you for coming.”

“Sup, mate,” the chubby Englishman replied, as he walked through the door and into the main area of the apartment. Albert closed the door behind him and then followed him inside.

Paul Juvo paused as he looked around the apartment. To his surprise, all the shelves were empty. Even the table and window sills had all been bared of any possessions that had always been on them, and the computer was gone from the desk. Several cardboard boxes lay scattered across the floor, some of them closed up and some still open, but all filled up with various items.

“Paul,” Albert began, but found it difficult to come upon the right words to say. “We... we have to talk.”

Paul looked at Albert with anticipation, not saying anything.

“I’m leaving, Paul,” Albert declared, “and I...” His head sank and he trailed off. “I may not be coming back.”

“Where are you going?” Paul asked, surprised.

“Back home,” Albert responded in a tone of finality. “And you... you are my best friend, so I decided that you deserve to know everything.” He leaned against the door of his empty wardrobe.

“So you remember now?” Paul asked. “You remember what happened back in 2002?”

“I never actually suffered amnesia like I told you,” Albert confessed. “I made that up. Sorry.”

Paul tilted his head.

Albert motioned a hand towards a chair standing in the deserted room’s center. “Please, take a seat.” He waited until Paul sat down before continuing. “I’m not from here, Paul. I don’t belong here. I’m from a different world.”

Paul’s brow furrowed.

Albert pushed off the wardrobe to return to a standing position and took a step away from it and Paul, but keeping his eyes on his friend. He raised his hands in a calming gesture and said, “Please don’t be alarmed.” Then he activated his horn to cast the transformation spell for the last time.

The magic aura that began to surround him partly obscured his view of Paul, but he kept his eyes fixated and stayed ready to abort at any time. Nevertheless, Paul did not move in his chair, even as Albert Sollers steadfastly transformed into Brightside. Seconds later, the light had dissolved and the blue unicorn pony was looking at the human. Only now did Brightside realize that Paul had clasped his hands to the seat and his face was showing signs of panic.

“It’s okay, Paul,” he said calmly. “It’s me.”

After a while, Paul’s grip slowly loosened, while his eyes blinked.

Brightside sat on his haunches, hoping to appear less intimidating that way, and continued to explain.

“I came to this world ten years ago due to an accident. I knew nothing about the humans and their way of life. I was frightened. I was lost and none of my talent was any use here. For two long years. Then I... met you, Paul.” Brightside felt tears forming in his eyes. “You helped me make sense of this world. You taught me about this culture. You taught me programming, you helped me secure a job, and you gave me a new destiny. You are amazing, and don’t let anyone tell you any different. The last eight years of my life...” His voiced cracked. “I owe all that to you.”

With a bittersweet smile, Brightside maintained his gaze into his quiet friend’s troubled eyes. Many speechless seconds followed.

Eventually, Brightside tilted his head and said, “Paul? Say something.”

Paul slowly opened his mouth and inhaled to speak, but took a few more seconds to form the words.

“I’ll miss you,” he said.

Brightside responded immediately. “I’ll miss you too.” He raised his hind quarters and started to take slow, careful steps towards the seated human, making sure not to scare or alarm him with his approach. He stopped just in front of Paul and said, “Thank you, Paul, for being the best human friend and teacher a pony could ever dream to have. I will always remember you.” As he blinked his eyes, a pair of tears ran down his cheeks.

After another several silent seconds, Paul got up from his chair, moved the chair aside, and then knelt in front of the unicorn, bringing his head to the same level as Brightside’s. He eyed the unfamiliar shape once more. Then he smiled and opened his arms wide.

Brightside returned the smile without hesitation. He raised and spread his forelegs and leaned into Paul, who promptly wrapped his arms around the back of the pony. The two remained clasped in a hug for a good while.

After they finally dissolved their embrace, Paul got up on his legs again and Brightside returned his hooves to the ground. Paul asked, “How are you gonna get home, though?”

“Oh,” Brightside responded, “allow me to introduce you.” His eyes moved to look at the kitchen area behind Paul and he raised his voice slightly as he called out, “Bush Beat?”

Paul turned his head and saw another pony emerge from behind the kitchen counter. His head followed the green unicorn as he trotted past him and towards Brightside, while Brightside clarified, “Paul, please meet my pony friend, Bush Beat.”

Paul nodded quietly. Bush Beat returned the nod.

Brightside’s horn lit up as he grabbed the saddlebags perched on his desk with his magic. The saddlebags, immersed in a bluish glowing aura, rose, moved to a point directly above Brightside, and finally descended onto his body and came to rest on his back as the aura disappeared.

“I’m going to leave this stuff with you, Paul,” Brightside said while pointing a hoof at the small stockpile of boxes. “You can do with it however you please. It’s all yours now. I won’t need the computer anymore. Programming was a lot of fun, but Bush Beat here convinced me to return to my original destiny.”

Paul nodded again.

“Make sure you get this stuff out of here before Monday. That’s when my tenancy runs out. Oh, and when you’re done,” he pointed a hoof at the bunch of keys that were lying on the desk, “please return the apartment keys to the landlord downstairs. Oh, and you might want to take care of this plant. And you should—”

Paul interrupted him by laying a hand on Brightside’s shoulder and giving him a composed smile.

“Don’t mind me, mate. I’ll manage.”

Brightside sighed and smiled. “Yeah. I guess you’re right.” After a pause, he added, “I was never very good at goodbyes.”

A moment of comfortable silence elapsed.

“Actually, there’s one last thing,” Brightside retorted, as he lit his horn once again to lift the gemstone from the desk. He floated it in front of Paul, offering for him to take it. Paul opened his hand underneath the object and Brightside ceased his magic, allowing it to drop into the hand.

“Hold on to this. To humans, it will look just like cheap, fake jewelry, but I put a special spell on it. If I ever return to this world, I will appear somewhere near this gemstone. Keep it, and I’ll always be able to find you.”

Paul nodded quietly once again.

Brightside turned to Bush Beat. “This is it, then,” he sighed. “Ready to go home?”

Bush Beat nodded. “Yeah.”

“Bush... Beat, is it?” Paul said slowly.

“Yeah?” Bush Beat responded.

Paul paused before he bobbed his head in Brightside’s direction and said, “Take good care of him.”

“I will,” Bush Beat said with a reassuring smile.

Then Bush Beat concentrated his magic on the pony duo. His horn lit up brightly and the two were quickly enveloped in a radiant glow. Then Brightside activated his own magic, and soon the room was filled with an impressive display of energy and an endearing sizzling sound. Mere seconds later, a plop sound put an end to the magic, and the ponies had disappeared.

Paul stood in awe at the empty room surrounding him that had now fallen completely silent. The gemstone still his hand, he snickered and quietly mumbled to himself. “He was a lousy programmer, anyway.”

Radio Head’s horn started glowing. The cream-white unicorn exclaimed in a sudden burst of excitement, “Lyra is back!”

“Finally!” Meghan McCarthy responded and rushed to pick up a notepad and a pencil. “What happened?”

The pony’s eyes moved back and forth, not looking at anything in particular. After a while, she started retelling. “The reason she was gone was because an evil creature stole her magic, and everypony else’s in Equestria!” After a pause, she continued. “She says the element bearers defeated him and that’s how they all got their magic back!”

Meghan scribbled on her notepad and smiled. “Awesome! How did they do it?”