Bright Winter Nights

Chapters

Chapter 2: Another Day in the Farmpony Life
Chapter 3: Bitter and Sweet Chills
Chapter 4: Under the Snowstorm
Chapter 5: Burnt Bridges
Chapter 6: Supernatural
Chapter 7: Haunted and Loved
Chapter 9: Touched by Death
Chapter 10: A New Start
Epilogue
Chapter 1: The First Day of Winter
Chapter 8: Falling for a Fantasy

Chapter 2: Another Day in the Farmpony Life

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Chapter 3: Bitter and Sweet Chills

Bright looked out of his living room window, seeing a vast expanse of white covering the land, reaching as far as the distant sugarloaf mountains that encircled Ponyville. A heavy pour of powder coated the land in this icy blanket throughout the night and with the weather suddenly much colder than the last couple days, Bright had to dress himself in a warm, bulky jacket, as well as a blue beanie. It was far too cold for simply a scarf now.

“It really came down last night, Ivory.” He marveled.

“I know. It looks like about a foot of snow out there.” Ivory replied with the tip of her hoof tapping her chin. She phased through the wall of the warm home and dove, headfirst, into the ice and slush. Bright quickly lost track of his friend, since her ghostly white coat and very pale blue mane blended in extremely well with the whiteness outside. Then after a moment, Ivory popped her head out from under the floorboards. “Yep! Definitely a foot!”

Bright jumped a bit from her sudden emergence then gave a short laugh. “I’ve never seen this much snow before...It’s kind of exciting! Makes you wanna be a foal and jump right into the snow to make snow pegasi!” It was a tempting thought. It never snowed at Bright’s previous home. The closest flurry was relegated to the nearby mountain range.

“I’ll bet! But you’ll need to get out the door first.” Ivory reminded. She turned and looked towards the closet near the kitchen and, with the force of her will, opened it and out fell a snow shovel. Bright turned at the sound of the clatter it made. “Huh? Oh! Right!” He remembered. Stepping forwards, he picked it up with his levitation. He saw a small tag tied to the handle that read “From Dad”. Bright smiled, thinking back to nearly a week ago: the day before he moved…

The afternoon sun was glistening through the windows of the Sight household. It was still mildly warm, like a fresh spring day, even though it was a week into December. Bright’s bedroom was all but bare, save for a naked mattress, a dresser and a closet that was nearly empty. Only a few clothes and belongings remained. Just one more thing and I can seal this box up. Bright thought, looking down at his last package.

“You know, it’ll be much colder in Ponyville than it is here during the winter.” At the door of the bedroom was a pegasus stallion with Bright’s likeness. His blue coat was a few shades darker and his deep brown mane almost jutted forwards from his head, except for one crop that curved over his face like a boomerang. His slightly taller size suggested he was older than Bright and his flank was emblazoned with a burning icy comet.

“I know, Dad. I went shopping for some warmer clothes yesterday, so I’d say I’m prepared.” Bright assured while patting his hoof on another box he had sealed up with “Winter Clothes” written with permanent marker.

“Well, not quite. You’re going to get a lot of snow, so I got you something that should help.” Comet turned and trotted over to his bedroom for a moment before returning, carrying a large shovel under his wing.

“Oh, great!” Bright grinned, taking the shovel with his magic and examining it. “I’ll need to dig myself out of the new place if it snows too hard. Thanks, Dad.” He propped the shovel against the wall and wrapped his hooves around Comet for a hug.

“I hope it comes in handy, son…” Comet pulled his head back and looked at Bright, his foal, now a remarkable young stallion. He gave a short chuckle. “Look at you. My starry-eyed colt, ready to take on the world. Dear Luna, you’ve grown so much.” Comet’s sea blue eyes burned, tears threatening to fall while the corners of his mouth started to make a shaky bittersweet smile.

“Aw, Dad, don’t start the waterworks now! I’m not even leaving yet!” Bright laughed to delay the inevitable onslaught of emotions. He wasn’t quite ready for it yet.

Comet shared in the laughter, using a fetlock to wipe his eye as he took a calming breath. “I know...It’s just hard to believe that it’s already time to let you go again. Feels like just yesterday I was seeing you off for Canterlot...”

Bright leaned more against his father, craning his neck around Comet’s. “Ponyville won’t be much farther. I’ll only be a train ride away. I’ll still send you letters often and I’ll invite you over on your time off.” He promised.

“If I didn’t have to go to Prance for the High Province Astronomy Conference, you know I’d spend the holidays with you.” Comet sighed while spreading his left wing and wrapping it around Bright’s back, holding him snug.

Bright tightened the embrace. “I’ll be fine, Dad. There’ll always be next year.”

Then, his eye was caught by the last thing he wanted to pack: a photo frame sitting on his drawer. Bright brought the frame closer with his aura and smiled as he shared the photograph inside with Comet. The moment captured in the photo showed Comet sitting with a beautiful violet unicorn on the rim of a large grand fountain, set in what looked like a colorful garden of many exotic flora. The filly’s deep purple mane looked like it bounced and curled above her face and dropped down her back before curving upwards at the ends. She and Comet were both smiling widely, eyes closed, as if they were laughing together.

Comet stared longingly at the mare in the photo before he looked over at Bright. “Is…your mom around? I bet she’d want to tell you a few words too.”

“Your father’s right.” Bright set his gaze just past his father and saw his mother, leaning against Comet with her foreleg wrapped around his.

“She’s here.” Bright grinned. “Hi, Mom.”

Nova smiled in return. Her incorporeal body lifted off the ground and drifted before Bright so that she could face him. “It’s hard to believe it’s already time for you to go off on your own, Bright. I’m sure you’ll be happy in Ponyville. You’ll meet new friends and see thousands of stars every night, like you always dreamed of.” She looked into her son’s heterochromatic eyes, attempting to cup his cheeks with her phantasmic hooves.

Bright felt nothing and the look on his face whispered a thousand griefs. His eyes stung a bit. “You’ll come and haunt me sometimes, won’t you?” He asked. His voice trembled a bit.

Nova pursed her lips, stepping an inch towards Bright before she stopped. Perhaps, she wanted to give him a kiss. “Of course I will, Bright. It’s hard to leave your dad’s side, but whenever I can, I’ll see you…” Nova shifted her gaze towards Comet. He had a thousand mile stare, searching the area Bright was looking. He wanted desperately to see even a shadow of her presence. “Tell Comet it’s time for him to find somepony new. He’s going to feel lonely without you.”

Bright turned his head to Comet. “Mom says it’s time to find a marefriend.”

Comet gave a short laugh. “Alright. I suppose it has been long enough...Maybe too long. It wouldn’t hurt to see if I still got that charm.” He said as he brushed his brown mane with a fetlock.

Bright looked back down at the photograph in his hooves and packed it away into his box. Then he looked up at both of his parents. The weight of the present finally set down on him. Bright was an adult now and he was leaving his home, going out on his own. There would be a great distance between him and the ponies he always felt safe with and the thought was terrifying. Still, he knew that he was ready to leave. It was the right time.

“I’m going to miss you both. So much.” Bright bit his lip. The waterworks started to flood. He wrapped his hooves around his father, hugging him tightly. Tears began to river down his cheeks. Comet instantly hugged him back, wishing to hold onto his little colt forever. The two of them were surrounded in a gentle warmth provided by Nova’s ghostly embrace.

“Don’t forget to send a letter to your dad and thank him for this shovel.” Ivory reminded.

Bright was snapped out of his reminiscing and lifted his head to attention. “Oh, yeah! Of course! Anyway, I should start shoveling the snow before I become tardy for work.” With his tool at the ready, he approached and unlocked the front door. After opening, he was greeted with a step of snow a foot tall that covered his lawn and buried his path to the main road four yards away.

Bright made sure to check that his jacket was zipped up tight and his beanie was snug on his head. Better get started. He thought.

The whimsical chime of unicorn magic sounded as a stack of books was lifted from the ground and neatly arranged on a shelf twenty-five feet high. Bright clung to a bookshelf ladder, deeply focused on placing each individual tome where it belonged while also careful not to drop the rest of the stack. Finally, when all the books he had were organized, he slid down the ladder back to the ground.

“Whew! Those are all the non-fictions. Now we can start stacking the encyclopedias.” Bright sighed as he looked over a pile of books that was not as appealing to the eye as a proper stack.

Ivory emerged from under another pile, barely disturbing any of the pages with more than a simple flip of the hard covers. “I found a few volumes and I did my best to separate them from the mess.” She said, pointing her hoof at a few scattered reference guides about alchemy strewn about the floor, separate from the rest.

Bright smiled graciously. “Thanks, Ivory. You’re a big help.” He picked up each of the books, scanning their hardback covers and arranging them in a new stack by order of volume. Ivory dove back into her pile to search out any more encyclopedias.

Looking back at his work over the last few days, Bright was a bit baffled at how much he and Twilight had finished. With how the shelves circled around the walls of the library, they were about three quarters finished filling them. There were quite a number of genres that they had divided all the books into as well: biographies, history, fiction, mystery, and so much more, all resting between the crystalline pillars that supported the room.

The sound of a book dropping to the floor caused Bright to turn his head back to Ivory. She had her upper body submerged in the books while her flank stuck out of the pile, her hind legs flailing around as she searched. Bright chuckled to himself. Ten years and she was still as much of a goofball as she was when they had first met. It was curious though. Ivory was Bright’s best friend, yet he knew almost nothing about her when she was alive. It’s not that he didn’t try asking, but it was more a matter of if her mind was in the right place.

“Hey, Ivory?” Bright called.

She popped her head out of the books. “Yeah, Bright?”

He picked up the couple new tomes Ivory had picked out of the pile and had them ordered with the stacked ones. “Do you remember anything new about your old life?” He asked.

Ivory pondered the question for a moment. She rested on top of her bed of books with a hoof on her cheek as she looked up to the ceiling, deep in thought. “Hmm...There was something,” Ivory’s memory was tricky to decipher. In the best of times, they were just brief flashes of simple moments. “It was...a feeling. It was a nice one! I think there was one night when I was lying down on a bed of flowers. It was so soft and comfy,” She grinned as she rolled onto her back, hugging herself from the blissful thought. “I think they were...white calla lilies, because I remember how they smelled.”

“That sounds wonderful.” Bright smiled.

“Yeah...Bright?” Ivory rubbed her forelegs together. “Do you think I’ll ever remember how...how I died?”

“Maybe someday,” Bright answered as he finished a new stack. “Why do you ask?”

Ivory rose from the ground as she rolled right-side up again. “Because other ghosts we meet remember mostly everything about their lives. I don’t know why I can’t,” She looked down at the ground before taking a deep inhale. “Bright, I want to know who I was! It’s so frustrating seeing other ponies live their lives when I can’t even recall my favorite pastime or what I ate for lunch on any day of my life. I want to remember every good and bad day!” She began to pace around in the air, growing more and more aggravated. “What did I mean to other ponies? Who was my family? Who did I love? Did I die happy? Bright, why can’t I remember!?” The crystal chandelier above, as well as the desk lamps around the library, flickered and surged with Ivory’s distress.

“Hey! Hey, Ivory, don’t you worry about it,” Bright assured with a soothing softness in his tone. “I’m sure that there will be someday when you’ll be able to recall everything about yourself.”

Ivory sat suspended in the air, curled up with her legs close to her body, hiding her muzzle behind her forelegs. “...No joke?” Her voice was reduced to a barely audible squeak.

“I mean it,” Bright nodded with a gentle smile. “You’re remembering little things now. Plus, you’ve got all the time in the world. There’s no need to-“

The library doors opened and in came Twilight, with Spike following closely beside her. Both of them were carrying various shopping bags filled with blank posters and banners. “We’re back, Bright!” She greeted.

Bright immediately silenced himself. His body tensed up to the stiffness of granite and his ears folded flat behind his head. “H-Hey there, Twilight! Hey, Spike!” He feigned enthusiasm from their sudden arrival. Bright glanced over to the side, seeing Ivory covering her mouth with her hooves, looking back at Bright.

“I’ll get out of your mane!” She nodded before flying off, disappearing into another chamber in the castle through a wall.

Twilight scanned the whole library, seeing the newly-filled shelves and grinning ear to ear at their progress. “Wow! Amazing job organizing the books! You’ve done a lot in the time we’ve been gone, Bright.”

Bright gave a short anxious chuckle. “Heh. Thanks. I try!”

Twilight looked around the room. Her delighted demeanor shifted into slight confusion. She lifted a brow. “Was there no one else here with you?”

“No…Why do you ask…?” Bright could feel a drop of sweat beading down the side of this face.

“We thought we heard you talking with somepony before we came in.” Spike chimed in as he tossed the bags he was carrying onto a nearby desk.

“Ha! That? I-I’m just guilty of talking to myself from time to time.” He lied. It wasn’t the first time he had to explain himself, but it certainly never got any easier for him. “I admit that it helps me focus if I give myself a little pep talk.”

“Oh! Well, that’s nothing to be ashamed about, Bright. Everypony has their little ticks.” Twilight assured.

“Yeah! You should listen to Twilight go on and on about Gallopleo’s invention of the first telescope. She can give a whole lecture in her sleep!” Spike added, pulling out a comic book from one of the shopping bags.

Twilight chuckled sheepishly with a light blush on her cheeks. “That only happened once,” She murmured softly before quickly changing the subject. “Anyway! We should have enough posters to put up all over town Everypony will know about the library’s grand opening on Monday.”

“Do you need me to help design and paint them?” Bright asked.

“That won’t be necessary, Bright. I’ve already asked Pinkie Pie to make the posters and the banner. For now, we can just finish organizing and shelving the rest of the books.” Twilight said, trotting over to one of the book piles.

“Alright then! Let’s do it!” Bright determinedly nodded.

That evening, Bright was cantering down the same road through Ponyville leading back home. He was somewhat familiar with the landmarks on the way back at this point. Snow was falling, a bit less than a flurry, but enough that Bright had to keep himself bundled in his jacket and beanie. The street lamps were lit and their warm light against the dark grey sky was a pleasing sight to him. It just felt very...cozy.

Ponies chattered all around as their hooves crunched in the slush. Some fillies and colts laughed and played, taking turns pushing each other on their sleds. Yuletide songs filled the air as Bright passed the fountain in the square. A group of carolers were singing Hearth’s Warming tunes signaling the incoming holiday. Hearth’s Eve just was a week away. Such a festive place would fill anypony with spirit.

Bright smiled, reminiscing to previous Hearthmases, thinking about his family and how they’d get together every year. He always loved the holiday season and the good times that came with it, though this was his first year without any of his relatives near. I guess...not everypony can be with family sometimes. He thought, beginning to feel something in his chest sink, like he was ill. Bright stopped where he was and took a deep breath. The cold, yet fresh, air filled his lungs and cleared away some of his worry.

He continued his walk, entering the marketplace. Compared to the square, the market was quieter, as there were not as many stands and vendors open, due to the weather. The near silence was slightly jarring to Bright. Usually, he had Ivory’s company to fill the empty air, but he hadn’t seen her since she left the library. It was unlike her to be away for such a time. He hoped that she’d turn up when he arrived home.

“...Howdy.” A deep bass voice pierced through Bright’s train of thought. He looked up and saw Big Macintosh, loading up his cart as he closed the apple stand at the same time he did the past couple days. He was dressed surprisingly light for the cold, only wearing a thin dark green sweater and a red wool scarf.

“Oh, hi, Big Mac!” He greeted with a smile. “How was your day?”

“Was alright...You feelin’ okay?” He asked, with a raised brow breaking his usually stoic face.

“...Y-Yeah...I’m fine.” Bright answered, slightly confused at the question. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, ya looked like ya had a lot on yer mind.” Big Mac said as he lifted his last barrel onto his cart.

“I was just...thinking about my family and the holidays coming up.” He wasn’t technically lying, though he did avert his eyes away from Big Mac.

“Homesick?”

“A little.” Bright admitted with a nod.

Big Mac stroked his chin with a hoof, then he quickly hooked himself up to his cart before he turned back to Bright. “Follow me.” He said before starting down the road, cargo in tow.

Bright tilted his head, hesitating a second, then trotting up next to Mac. “Where are we going?” He asked.

“You’ll see.” Big Mac looked over to him and gave a simple smile.

Bright was still puzzled, but seeing Mac’s delighted expression assured him that the farmpony only had the best of intentions. Both of them continued down the same path that lead back to their homes, but then after two minutes of walking, Big Mac made a right turn on a street. Not long afterwards, he and Bright stopped in front of a wooden tavern. Bright looked up at a sign hanging on a pole extending towards the street. Rhythm & Brews. Big Mac pulled his cart to the side of the road and unstrapped himself. He walked up to the door and opened it for Bright, gesturing for him to enter first.

An inviting light and warmth radiated from the inside. Bright stepped inside and was greeted by the aroma of smooth, rich, roasted coffee beans. The welcoming melody of a jazzy piano came from some speakers that were installed on a small stage near the counter. The walls were painted black, but were decorated with chalk writings, drawings, and some framed photos and magazine covers of some well known musicians and artists. There were a few ponies sitting at the tables around the shop, chattering amongst themselves. Bright was charmed by the atmosphere and he looked back at Big Mac, who closed the door behind him.

“Why’d you bring me here?” Bright asked.

Mac loosened his scarf. “I wanted to treat ya to a cup of coffee...And, if yer okay with it, I’m willing to lend a listenin’ ear about yer troubles.”

Bright’s eyes widened a bit. He was surprised by the kind gesture. “Wow. Thank you...Though, I’m not really much of a coffee drinker, but I’ll take a hot chocolate.” He grinned.

Big Mac felt a rise in his chest from seeing Bright’s joy. It was the same feeling he had when he made Applebloom’s fluttering dragonfly toy fly when she was a foal, or when he was showing Applejack how to buck and she made her first apple fall off its branch. It was...satisfying.

The coffee and chocolate didn’t take long to be brewed and, in no time, the two were seated at a table for two by the street window with their mugs. Big Mac had to pull his sweater off because the coffee shop was already toasty enough for his liking. Bright kept his jacket on, since the cold weather was something he still hadn’t gotten accustomed to, but he took off his beanie and set it aside on the table. Eager to try his hot chocolate, he lifted his cup with his aura, blew softly to cool it a bit, and took a sip. The brew was warm, smooth, and rich in flavor and after it swirled in his mouth for a bit, Bright could taste sweet, cool peppermint serving as a finisher.

“Mmm...That’s some great chocolate.” Bright said, licking some whipped cream that stuck to his upper lip. Setting his mug down, he looked up at Big Mac. It was the first time Bright was able to get good look at him, since usually they met on the dark street at sundown. Big Mac’s red coat almost glowed in the warm light and the freckles on his cheeks were easier to see. What was most surprising was how defined his muscles were. His chest was broad and looked as solid as a boulder and his forelegs were thick, like small tree trunks. Big Mac looked like he could move a whole house on his own.

Bright felt his cheeks heat up a tad, though his dark blue fur hid any indication. He darted his eyes away toward the window before he could’ve been considered staring. Then, he remembered why they were sitting down here in the first place.

“Um...So…Hearth’s Warming is coming up soon and it’s the first time I’ll have to celebrate without my family close.” Bright started. “I don’t have the bits to take a trip back to Coltifornia after I just moved in and my dad won’t be able to come by for the holidays because he has a conference in Prance to attend.”

Big Mac nodded. “Have ya got family only in Coltifornia?”

“Not really. I have relatives from all over Equestria, but we usually meet up for Hearth’s at my home. Though, this year, my uncle’s going to host the family in Stagit Valley, since my dad and I aren’t going to be there.”

“What about yer mom?” Mac asked.

Bright stared at him for a second, then lowered his gaze. His lips tightened and for a brief moment, his expression faltered slightly into a sharp sting of grief. “My mom isn’t around. She died a short time after she gave birth to me.”

Big Mac’s eyes widened and his heart sank in his chest. Dang it, Macintosh, ya stupid colt! Ya never know when to jus’ shut up! “Aw, gosh…I’m sorry.” He lowered his head, biting his tongue and staring down at his mug of black coffee. This was why he avoided talking too much. He hated hurting others with whatever nonsense he’d say without thinking.

Bright peered back at Big Mac and he just reached a hoof to pat his foreleg. “It’s alright, Big Mac. You didn’t know.” Bright comforted. “Besides, I’ve already made my peace with it.”

“I know how much it hurts though,” Big Mac murmured. He lifted his mug with his hoof, taking a gulp of his joe. Bitter and strong, like his father liked it. “...I lost both mah mom and dad when I was a colt.”

“...I’m so sorry for your loss.” Bright condoled. Mac nodded and lifted his head, fixing his eyes on Bright. He heaved a heavy sigh and smiled softly at him.

“Sorry fer bringing those bad feelin’s back.” He apologized once more, his ears folded back as he looked off out the window, watching the snowfall.

Bright shook his head. “Big Mac, it’s fine. Really. It’s healthy to be sad every once in awhile about losing someone. At least I got to know her.” He tensed up and took another sip of his hot chocolate rather quickly after saying that.

“Got to know yer mom? How?” Big Mac asked, returning his focus to Bright.

“...My dad would tell me a lot of stories about her. About how they met, how they fell in love, how she sounded, how she laughed…” Bright beamed a smile, yet Mac felt there was something a bit off about it, like it was a bit forced.

“That’s a fine sentiment.” He responded, believing that he might have offended Bright. He swirled his coffee in his mug while internally cursing himself. An awkward silence fell between the two, being only filled by the jazz played from the stage.

Bright could tell that Big Mac was still a bit sour about their conversation going quickly south. He felt a chill run down his spine, as if his body responded to the larger stallion’s mood. He couldn’t let him continue to feel bad about a little thing like this. Bright thought for a moment and remembered something that might lighten the load from Mac’s shoulders.

“You know, when I was a little colt, there were some nights when I’d be so sad about my mom being gone that I’d cry. I couldn’t get to sleep, but then my dad would come into my room and he’d let me sleep with him in his bed,” Bright softly beamed from the memory. “He’d tuck me in and then pick up his guitar and sing a special song to me,” He closed his eyes and heard his father’s strumming and his voice singing that somber melody. “That song would always help me fall asleep.”

As he listened, Big Mac was reminded about the nights he’d spend sleeping with his sisters and granny after their parents passed on. Those days were tough, but, at least, they mourned together. He was touched that Bright had endured the same. “That’s a beautiful thing, Bright. Yer lucky to have yer dad.”

Bright silently chuckled as he looked down at his mug of chocolate, slowly turning it with his hooves. “Yeah…” He decided to finish the rest of his drink. “Anyway, thanks again for bringing me here,” Bright spoke as he grabbed his beanie from the table and stood up from his seat. “...It was really nice to sit down and talk with you.”

Big Mac found himself with a great amount of weight lifted from his heart. He had never related with anypony outside of his family about loss, until now. “Eeyup...I think so too.”

“Let’s do this again sometime, so long as next time, you let me pay for the drinks.” Bright held out a hoof for a friendly shake.

Big Mac smiled as he accepted. “Eeyup. Sure.” He wrapped their fetlocks together and firmly shook once. Something in his chest jumped, but he didn’t know what or why.

“I’ll see you later then. Hope you get home safe,” Bright waved before turning and trotting. At the door, he looked once more at Big Mac, and gave him one more smile. “Good night.” Then, he stepped out into the snowy night.

“Good night, Bright…” After watching him leave, Big Mac’s insides were tied up in knots. He took a deep breath and sighed, relieving the tension. He hadn’t noticed the feeling until now and he wondered why his heart was beating hard and his cheeks felt warm.

The sky was dark as snow continued to fall in an icy gale, nearly burying the road as Bright arrived at his home. Simple breezes were frigid on the exposed parts of his body, feeling like sharp blades tracing his hide. He couldn’t bear two minutes of just walking from town, so he had to break into a gallop to get to warmth quick. His frame trembled as he reached into his saddlebag and dug his house key out, unlocking his front door and rushing inside before shutting the door behind him.

“S-Sweet Luna…” Bright shivered, shaking off the snow from his fur.

His house wasn’t much warmer, but that wasn’t anything a fire in the pit couldn’t fix. He trotted to the lamp set on the table by the living room sofa and flipped the switch, flooding the house with some light.

“Iv-vory? A-Are you h-home?” Bright called out in a frozen stutter while he started on building the fire.

“Hey, Bright…” Ivory appeared, drifting through air from up the stairs to the second floor. She sounded glum in her voice and was less than her usual vibrant self. Bright didn’t have to guess why.

“You left pretty fast earlier. I missed you the rest of the day.” He mentioned as he built a wood pile over some kindling.

“I thought it would be better to not be around while you were working. You know I wouldn’t want you to look like a loon in front of everypony else,” Ivory sprawled herself, belly down, on the sofa, with her head on the arm rest. She let out a silent sigh. “Gosh, my afterlife is so messed up. Why do keep me around, Bright?”

Bright lit a match and sparked a flame that he used to light the kindling. The flame began to spread. “Because y-you’re my friend and I care about you.” He answered.

“But...is that really enough for you? Is keeping me as your friend really worth exposing yourself?” She worried, gazing at Bright as he gazed back at her. “I just...I remember when you were in school in Canterlot. You got picked on and bullied so much back then just for seeing me and other ghosts. I’d never wish for you to go through that again.”

“That’s in the past now, Ivory. I’m not schoolcolt anymore. I can fend for myself.” Bright assured. He walked toward the sofa and sat on his haunches next to Ivory. “Don’t hide yourself from me just because I’m in public. Sure, I can’t talk as freely with you, but I’ll be fine. I promise.”

She lifted her head and turned to him. Her face was filled with concern, but when she saw Bright’s expression suddenly twist into a goofy, cross-eyed, puffy-cheeked grin, Ivory laughed. “Ha! Haha! I’m gonna hold you to that promise, Moon Moon!”

“Heh. Love you, boo.” Bright lifted his hoof in front of Ivory, to which she responded by pressing her ghostly hoof against it.

“Love you, too.”

Bright gave a big yawn as walked into his room. His body felt spent and his hooves were barely able to support him. At least he was warmed up from the fire and from his hot meal of steamed bluegrass and roasted oats. Now, he was ready to turn in for the night...

That is until Ivory popped her head in from the floor below.

“Don’t forget to write your dad, Bright!” She reminded.

Bright’s drooping eyes opened up a bit as he recalled that he wanted to thank his father for the shovel. “Oh, right. Thanks, Ivory. Have a good night,” He murmured tiredly.

“Good night, sleepyhead,” She giggled as she disappeared under the floorboards.

Bright smiled as he walked up to his nightstand and opened the drawer with his aura, pulling out a piece of parchment, a quill, and an inkwell. He climbed onto his bed, lying belly down, and grabbed one of his books sitting on the nightstand to use as support while he wrote. He thought for a moment about how to start, then dipped his quill in the ink before he began scribbling.

Dear Dad,

Hoping this letter reaches you before you leave for Prance. Things are pretty great so far here in Ponyville. I’m working at Princess Twilight’s castle as a librarian and we’re going to be opening to the public this coming Monday. We’ve been busy as bees shelving all the books she has. Trust me. She has thousands.

Bright chuckled internally, then decided to move on to the main reason for the letter.

Also, I wanted to thank you again for the snow shovel. I really needed it this morning. We got about foot of snow the previous night. But wow! The outdoors look so beautiful covered in all that crystal white slush. Maybe when you come by later this winter, we could go for a sleigh ride around town. Or we could build an igloo outside the house.

He could still feel that inner colt coming out thinking about snow. It was funny. As a pony who grew up without seeing much snow before, being able to experience it in full force was something that made him want to relive his foalhood. He felt a tickle in his throat and cleared it up.

I’ve been sort of missing you for the holidays. They’re still a week away, but this is my favorite time of year and I’m just a little down that I won’t be home with you, Uncle Ganymede, Summer Bossa and everypony else. We’ll just have to do something big next year!

Bright’s smile faded slightly. He started feeling homesick again, but then he remembered Big Mac and the time they had today. The thought lifted him back up.

I think I made a new friend these past few days. His name’s Big Macintosh and he works on the local apple farm. He’s a really nice guy and a great listener. Maybe I’ll introduce you.

Bright’s eyelids grew heavy. He wanted to finish before he began to nod off. Then he felt something phlegming up his his throat and he coughed. That woke him a bit.

Anyway, hope the conference goes well. I’ll see you in the New Year. I love you.

Always your starry-eyed colt,
Bright Sight

With another yawn signaling his need to sleep, Bright rubbed his eye with a fetlock while he used his magic to leave the ink and quill in the drawer and the letter and book on the nightstand. Then, he dug himself under the covers of his bed, getting comfy and cozy before an uncomfortable tickle ran up his nose.

“A-Ah...Ah. AH-CHOO!” He sneezed. Bright sniffled a bit as he rested his head on his pillow. He touched his forehead with his hoof. Slightly warm.

“Horsefeathers…”

Author's Note

If you want to know what song Comet sings to Bright some nights, it's "Vanilla Twilight" by Owl City. I recommend giving it a listen and pay attention to what the lyrics say.

Chapter 4: Under the Snowstorm

“Land’s sake, Big Mac! It’s so cold today!” Applebloom complained as she and Big Mac left the farm early the next morning. She had bundled up as best as she could with her pink sweater and hat, yet was still feeling chilly.

“Applejack told ya you’d need those clothes,” He chuckled. He was still dressed in his sweater and scarf from yesterday.

“Can I ride on you to school? Ya always feel so warm.” She pleaded, looking up at her brother with big sad eyes. It wasn’t necessary because Big Mac was quick to scoop Applebloom up with his teeth and place her on his back. She smiled as she wrapped her forelegs around Mac’s thick neck and nestled against his comfy body.

The snowfall had stopped sometime during the night before, but the skies above Ponyville remained very dull and grey. It was still as cold as a Wendigo’s gale and Cloudsdale’s weather forecast in today’s newspaper reported that a snowstorm was scheduled for tonight.

“Sweetie Belle said that she has a lot planned for our sleepover! We’re gonna play some board games and watch movies and have lots of fun!” Applebloom chimed in excitement.

“Sounds like an amazin’ time, Sugarcube.” Big Mac smiled softly. The walk to the schoolhouse wasn’t a long one, as usual, since the school stood beside the road just before entering Ponyville from Sweet Apple Acres. The two siblings arrived with time to spare.

“Hey, Applebloom!” A bright young voice called out. It came from Sweetie Belle, who was galloping over from the playground with Scootaloo, both of them beaming at the sight of their remaining Crusader.

“Hey, girls!” Applebloom waved before she hopped down from Big Mac’s back. “Thanks fer walkin’ me, big brother! I’ll see ya at home!” She hollered back to Mac as she ran off to the playground to enjoy the time she had with her best friends before their class started.

Big Mac inhaled and sighed in content, happy to see his little sister joining with her tightly knit circle. Then after a minute of watching Applebloom play, he turned around to head back to the farm.

“Oh, Big Mac! Good morning!” Big Mac’s ears perked as he shifted his sight back to the schoolhouse, following the voice of an adult female. It came from a purple mare, who was waving at him from the door. He gave a smile as he trotted over to greet her.

“Mornin’, Miss Cheerilee.”

“My apologies for stopping you, but I wanted to give you some little Hearth’s Warming presents to deliver to your family. I hope that’s no trouble.” She offered.

“Nnope. That’s alright.” Big Mac accepted with a nod.

“Wonderful! Just let me grab them.” She trotted inside the schoolhouse and then quickly returned with a stack of three tiny boxes, each one decorated with some festive wrapping paper and all neatly tied with a bow. The three gifts had a tag, listing who each was for: one for Granny Smith, Big Macintosh, and Applejack. “And don’t worry about Applebloom’s. I’ll give her gift to her tomorrow with all the gifts I have for the class.” She grinned.

“Thank ya kindly, Cheers.” Big Mac welcomed the generosity as he took the gifts with a hoof.

“You’re welcome...Sugar Bear.” Cheerilee teased with a smirk curving her lips. Big Mac could feel his cheeks grow red from slight embarrassment, being reminded of that love poison incident.

“Aw, shucks! Don’t joke about that.” He laughed, pressing his free fetlock on his forehead. Cheerilee held a hoof to her mouth as she giggled.

“Have a great day today, Big Mac.” She bade farewell as she trotted back into the schoolhouse.

Big Mac was still chuckling to himself as he started walking back home to the farm. He thought back to that Hearts and Hooves Day. Heh. What a day that was. Big Mac remembered being absolutely head-over-hooves in love with Cheerilee, unable to keep his eyes off of her, feeling his heart flutter and skip when she smiled, even calling her a whole catalogue of extremely saccharine-saturated names. Ugh...Schmoopie doo… He cringed at the thought.

Big Mac was definitely glad the poison wore off before they actually had gotten through with that marriage. Cheerilee was a fine and beautiful mare, of course, but she wasn’t the “one” for him. Just a friend. Though, he wondered when he’d know who that “one” was. Big Mac knew there was certainly a pick of some attractive fillies in town and he did catch himself glancing their way a few times, but he didn’t have much courage to ask for the time of day.

He shook his head as he continued on, returning to the farm. One day, Macintosh. One day…

Even if the wintertime was the slowest season for the Apple Family, Big Mac was at least grateful that he could have some more personal time to hang out with Spike whenever he wasn’t busy assisting Twilight. It was good fun to hole themselves up in his room and play some Ogres and Oubliettes. Perhaps today would be a good day for a few hours of adventure. It was still mid morning and Big Mac didn’t have anything else to do until the late afternoon.

Trudging through Ponyville was a bit of trek with all the snow that fell overnight. Half the town was blanketed in slush that was half a foot tall. The other half only barely had the streets plowed. With the winter starting this heavy, Big Mac wondered if he should have worn snow boots today, thinking that his hooves might go numb if he stayed out any longer. Luckily for him, he saw he was already nearing Twilight’s castle, which made him sigh in relief.

Big Mac stepped up the golden stairway to the front door and stomped the snow off his fetlocks before he gave a few knocks on the door. In not much time, the door was answered by Twilight.

“Good morning, Big Mac.” She greeted with a smile. “Are you here to see Spike?”

“Eeyup.” He nodded in reply.

“Well, come on in. He’s helping out in the library.” Twilight invited as she stepped aside to allow Big Mac inside. The first thing he noticed was that Twilight’s horn was carrying a few large stacks of books with her and as the two of them walked down the hallway, he saw her organizing each stack very intricately. Big Mac thought that she and Spike must be really busy getting everything ready before opening next week. Then he remembered that Bright should be here too. Big Mac felt a warmth melt away the frigid cold that lingered on his fetlocks. He couldn’t help but let a small smile curve the corners of his mouth.

Then he paused. He remembered having this feeling before: during the love poison incident. However this time, it was a simple flutter of the heart, and not as wildly intense as it was then.

Big Mac pondered. ...What am I feelin’? He liked Bright. He was the first new friend Big Mac had made in a long time. But was it possible that he was starting to have a crush on a stallion?

Big Mac snapped out of his thoughts when they arrived at the library. Twilight let Big Mac enter first before following suit. He looked up and around at the shelves. Most were stocked and organized, leaving only a few empty ones scattered around. However, it didn’t seem like Bright was anywhere to be found.

“Hey, Big Mac!” Spike waved from across the room. He was in the middle of helping Starlight Glimmer with another stack of books, but he was quick to scurry over to him. “Did you come for another one of our…” Spike turned his head and glanced at Twilight and Starlight. “...super top secret meetups?” Both mares smirked and rolled their eyes.

Big Mac snickered and crouched down to whisper to him. “Eeyup.”

“I’d love to play!” Spike chimed as he hopped in excitement, but quickly, that energy subsided. “Well, I would, but Twilight and Starlight really need me to help with the library.”

“It’s true, Big Mac.” Twilight stepped in. “I had to send Bright, our librarian, home today. You’ve met him, right?”

Big Mac’s ears perked. “Eeyup. Why?” He asked.

“He’s not really well today. He came in feeling somewhat okay, but within the hour, he was sniffling, coughing up a storm, and stumbling from dizziness. I had to call for a carriage to take him home.” She explained.

“Best not to spread germs on the books before opening.” Starlight added, while she used her aura to lift a row of books into another shelf. “But he has already done most of the work over the week. We can do the rest.”

Though his face didn’t show it, Big Mac dampened with concern.

“Anyway, I’m sorry that we can’t hang out at the moment, Big Mac.” Spike apologized.

“Need help? I ain’t got much to do anyway.” He offered.

“That would be great! With four of us, we could finish shelving the rest of these books.” Twilight smiled, clapping her hooves with delight.

The four split up into two teams: Spike and Big Mac working on organizing the books into stacks and Twilight and Starlight lifting the stacks onto the shelves with their magic. With still hundreds more books left, the work was a bit dull and repetitive, but Big Mac was content with having Spike’s company. They talked and laughed amongst themselves about the upcoming hoofball season and about their next Guy’s Night.

“It’s going to be busy for me every day up until after Monday. Maybe we can have our next Guy’s Night on Tuesday night. Twilight’s going to be going out to dinner with the other girls before Hearth’s Warming.” Spike suggested as he tossed a tome to Big Mac.

“Sounds good.” He nodded, placing the book on another stack.

“I’ll be sure to ask Discord-I mean, ‘Captain Wuzz’, if he wants to join us.” Spike giggled a bit.

“Eeyup.” Big Mac grinned.

Then, Twilight and Starlight approached the two for another set of books.

“Here you go, ladies! Another row of mystery novels, organized and alphabetized!” Spike presented with a pat on the bindings of the stack. However, he wasn’t prepared for the books falling over, messing up his and Mac’s last bit of work. “Whoops…”

The two mares laughed a bit and Twilight swiftly picked up the fallen novels, restacking them. “That’s alright, Spike.” She assured before turning her head to Big Mac. “Big Mac, there are some spell books on the main desk. Could you pick those up too?”

“Eeyup.” He accepted as he stood up and walked over to the desk near the entrance. Sure enough, there were some scattered tomes resting on it. He gathered them together, one by one, with his hooves, though he wished he could just levitate them all at once with a unicorn horn. He internally sighed. Then, as he pulled in another book,…

PLAP!

...something fell to the floor. “Hmm?” Big Mac looked down and saw a small blue faux leather journal. It must’ve been caught under the book he reached for. What’s a journal doing with a buncha books? He picked up and inspected it. It appeared to be worn and weathered a bit, with ink blotches splattered on the cover and some scratches and tears on the hard edges. Big Mac opened the journal to the first page. On the backside of the cover was some writing.

“This jernle journal is popurty property of Bright Galileo Sight. Poems of a Stargazer”

This is Bright’s. Big Mac thought. Must have forgotten it when he went home…

The writing looked like a foal’s scribbling, however the misspelled words were crossed out and revised. The last phrase seemed to have been added slightly more recently, judging by the not-as-faded ink.

“Age: 7
8
9
10...”

The crossed chronology of his age continued and with each year gone, Bright’s quillmanship gradually transformed from a little colt’s scratches to some very neat strokes.

“...20
21”

Big Mac felt himself smile a bit as he looked to the first page.

“August 26th, 1002
Dad’s took me with him to the ozervatory tonight. He wanted to show me the shooting stars. There were so many in the sky and I made a wish on one. I wished I could meet Mom. Dad said she was in the stars watching me. I blew her a kiss.”

He felt a pang of sympathy in his heart. He remembered his conversation with Bright the night before and couldn’t imagine what he must have felt growing up without a mom, though he could relate. Big Mac was reluctant to page through more of Bright’s personal thoughts, but he was curious about what was the most recent thing he wrote. He flipped the journal up to the last written page.

“December 16th, 1016
Clouds hide the night sky
And I wait for the snow’s end
Winter, be merciful”

Big Mac didn’t know too much about poetry, but he believed this one was a haiku. Bright wrote it just recently, on this past Tuesday. It seemed like he’s patiently waiting for a clear night to stargaze.

“Big Mac! Where are those books?” Spike shouted from across the room, pulling Mac back to reality. He pulled the rest of the books together and balanced them on his hoof before walking over.

“Sorry.” He apologized. Thinking more about the journal, Big Mac figured he should walk to Bright’s home later and return his journal. Maybe, he could also check and see if he’s feeling okay. That wouldn’t be too strange, right? After all, Bright shouldn’t be alone sick during this harsh winter.

Then came a thought. A memory. Big Mac remembered standing at the doorway of a bedroom in his home. The air was especially frigid. As cold as death. It brought a shiver down his spine, as if his body would freeze solid. He looked on at the bed, seeing two ponies resting. He wanted to walk closer, though his hooves were shaky and wanted to turn and run. Macintosh persevered and stood at the bedside. He gazed down at the bed and his parents were there, looking up at him. Their eyes were tired. Their complexions pale as ghosts. And yet, they both smiled at him, at peace.

Big Mac shook his head. His whole body quaked as a burst of a emotion rocked his core. That winter was the worst of his whole life. He wasn’t going to let this one be just as bad. He had to see Bright and make sure he was okay.

Winter, be merciful…

As much as Big Mac wished to head straight to Bright’s home, he couldn’t really shirk on his responsibilities. He still had the apple stand to run, but maybe he could have Applejack stay longer to run the stand the rest of the evening.

Snow had been falling from the sky since Big Mac left Twilight’s castle that late afternoon. It wasn’t hard falling, but it certainly was a warning of what was to come later tonight. He sped into a brisk trot as he entered town, making his way down to the marketplace. Icy flakes and slush crunched under his hooves and made his unshorn fetlocks soggy. It was cold and slightly uncomfortable for each step. That was one downside of a pony not grooming their fur regularly, but Big Mac wasn’t one to to give a horseapple about how his fur looked.

Among the hustle and bustle of ponies in the market, Big Mac weaved through the busy street as best as he could, but with his large frame, he couldn’t help but bump a mare or stallion with his broad shoulders every so often. After a few occasional apologetic nods, he found Applejack, running the stand.

“Heya, big brother!” She brightly sang with her usual enthusiasm. She waved to Big Mac as he approached. “Made some good sales today. Everypony’s in the holiday spirit! Gotta say, it’s pretty contagious.” Applejack started, leaning against the stand. She was usually the one making most of the conversation between the two of them.

“AJ, I wanna ask a favor.” Big Mac said, wanting to cut straight to the point.

Applejack’s attention was divided when an earth mare came up to the stand to buy. Still, she listened to Big Mac. “Well, shoot.”

“Will ya cover me the rest of the day? I got a friend who’s sick from the cold and I wanna check on him.” He explained.

“Spike?” Applejack guessed while she grabbed a half dozen apples from a barrel behind her.

“Nope.”

“Caramel?”

“Nope. New pony. Name’s Bright.”

“Oh, yeah! From that party Pinkie threw a couple weeks ago. Hey, look at you, Mac, makin’ new friends!” Applejack bumped Big Mac’s shoulder playfully before tossing the apples in a paper bag and giving it to the mare, who promptly paid her bits. “Thank ya kindly!” Applejack waved. “I guess I could keep on workin’ the stand. Might not be open too far into evenin’ anyway, what with tonight’s snowstorm and all.”

“Thanks, Applejack.” Big Mac smiled in thanks.

“Aww, it ain’t nothin’, Big Mac. Jus’ be back home before the blizzard gets real bad.”

Big Mac nodded and wrapped his foreleg around his sister for a quick hug before parting. He began to trot again down the road that he and Bright shared to get home a few nights. He remembered that he had only ever seen Bright’s home once: at the welcome party. If memory served, his house should be a simple walk following the path opposite of the road to Sweet Apple Acres.

Big Mac thought back about the party. It was a pretty standard affair...Well, “standard” being used very loosely when it comes to one of Pinkie Pie’s parties. He met Bright only once then, greeting him with nothing more than a simple hoofshake and a smile. The rest of the time, Big Mac remained off to the side, watching Applejack, Applebloom and their friends. Big parties weren’t really his cup of tea and, at the time, he didn’t really think much about Bright, seeing him as just another neighbor. He certainly never thought he’d be so anxious to make sure he was okay only a few weeks later.

Big Mac then realized he was on the outskirts of Ponyville and was able to see a lone house by the road. He recognized it as the one from the party and continued through the snow until he reached the front door. Without hesitation, Big Mac knocked four times. He tried listening hard to whatever was going on inside, but couldn’t hear anything over the whistling of the icy wind. After a few more seconds, he was tempted to knock once more before there was a heavy coughing coming from within and the lock rustled. The door opened and there was Bright, bundled tightly in his jacket. That may have been because he was wearing layers of sweaters underneath. His forehooves were trembling a bit and he was looking slightly pale through his blue fur. His nose looked moist and his eyes were tired.

“Big Mac?” His voice came out nasally. “H-Hey! What are you doing here?”

Big Mac scratched the back of his head with a hoof, then immediately regretted it when he felt his mane grow cold and wet. He forgot his fetlocks were still soggy. “I...Uh...I heard ya weren’t feeling good…Mind if I come in?” He asked.

“Well, I wouldn’t want to get you sick, but it can’t be much better outside. Come on in.” Bright invited, stepping to the side before he had another coughing fit. It sounded phlegmy and unpleasant. “H-How did you hear I was sick?”

“Twilight told me.” Big Mac answered as he entered. He looked down, seeing a rug to wipe his hooves on. “Also, ya left somethin’ at the library.”

Bright closed the door and then watched Big Mac pull his journal out from his sweater. Bright’s eyes grew wide and his heart leapt into his throat.

“Sorry. I didn’t have anywhere else to put it.” Big Mac apologized. “A-And I sorta peeked inside…Again, sorry.”

“Y-You...I-I..” Bright suddenly felt lightheaded. His body ached and his hooves felt like they were tied to hundred pound weights. He shuffled over to his couch to sit down and he rubbed his forehead with a shaky fetlock.

“Y-You okay, Bright?” Big Mac hesitated, unsure of what he could do to help him.

“I-I’m fine…” Bright took a deep breath. Big Mac passed the journal back to him and Bright held it with his magic, gazing at the cover fondly, but internally cursing himself. He coughed. “How much did you see?” Bright asked, embarrassed, his eyes shying away from Big Mac.

“Not much. Honest.” Big Mac assured, sitting down on the recliner by the sofa. “Jus’ the first page and the last thing ya wrote...I liked yer poem.”

Bright skimmed through the pages of his journal to his last entry. He sighed softly and relaxed with a smile. “Thanks for bringing it back. You know, I don’t mind anypony reading the poetry I have here, but there’s just a few pages in between that are...a bit more personal.”

“I understand.” Big Mac nodded. “...Do ya write a lot?”

“On occasion. Mostly when I’m stargazing. I always feel something whenever I’m looking up at the night sky. Something that’s hard to describe, but writing poems helps me express it.” Bright explained with a raspiness in his voice. He felt another tickle in his nose and his eyes darted around wildly before he found the box of tissues he kept on the table by the couch. He was quick enough to pluck up two tissues and bring them to his muzzle before he sneezed. “AH-CHOO!”

“Bless you.” Big Mac said.

“Ugh...Thank you…” Bright muffled a reply through his tissues. His nose was so stuffy that he needed another pair to blow. After clearing his nostrils, he tossed his waste over to a trash basket in the corner of the living room. “I guess I’m not quite used to the weather here. It doesn’t get this cold at my old home.”

Big Mac thought for a moment. “I know something that might help with yer cold. Mind if I look ‘round yer kitchen?” He asked.

“Um, sure. Are you going to cook something?”

Big Mac stood up and could easily spot the kitchen just beyond the staircase to the second floor. “Eeyup. I know a recipe from my Granny that she cooks whenever my sisters or I catch somethin’.” He said as he walked over and took a look around and instantly noticed the refrigerator in the farthest corner. “You have a refrigerator?”

Bright turned in his seat and covered his mouth with his hoof as he coughed again. “Y-Yeah. You don’t?” He asked.

“Not for our kitchen at home. Just a bigger one in the barn for storin’ the harvest.” Big Mac replied as he searched the refrigerator. The recipe was pretty simple as far as what ingredients were needed and Big Mac didn’t have too hard a time finding everything that he needed. He was glad that he didn’t have to make a trip back to the market.

Meanwhile, Bright lied down on the couch, feeling too lightheaded and dizzy too stay up. His head throbbed and his nose felt like it could drip for hours. He used magic to grab more tissues for blowing. He pulled his legs closer to his body. Even with all the sweaters he was wearing, he was still shivering. He wished he had the strength to walk upstairs to the closet where he kept his extra blankets. Then, while he rested his eyes, he felt a thick sheet of warmth fall over him. He opened his eyes and saw a blanket swaddling him and Ivory hovering over him. She smiled and placed a hoof over her mouth, making a shushing gesture. She left Bright with a wink and phased through the ceiling to the second floor. Bright managed a smile, happy to know that Ivory was always around to look out for him. He bundled up in his blanket and grew comfortable. His eyes fell closed as he began to rest.

It felt like only a few minutes, but when Bright opened his eyes again, the living room was dark, with the only light coming from the fireplace. His nose felt stuffy again and he blew his nose into yet another tissue. With his passages cleared, he was able to smell something in the air. It was an aroma that took Bright back to when his dad was cooking in the kitchen and he was standing on the side watching. Another focused inhale helped him pick up the distinct scent of steamy vegetables in a robust broth.

Bright sat himself up with a bit of difficulty. Now his head was heavy and throbbed with a slight headache. He touched his forehead with his fetlock and felt his fur was moist with sweat. Then, he heard a faint howling of wind coming from outside the warm walls of his abode. The blizzard was raging. Bright stood up from the couch and saw Big Mac standing at the stove within the lit kitchen. He was stirring a pot of simmering stew before he looked over at Bright, seeing he was up. Big Mac then blurted a short laugh.

Bright cleared his throat. “What’s so funny?” He asked. His voice was a little hoarse.

“Sorry...Just your mane.” He apologized. Bright brushed his hoof over his head, feeling his mane was a bit wild and stiff.

“Heh...Bed head...How long was I out?”

“...Bit over an hour, I s’pose.” Big Mac answered after thinking about it. “But ya woke up in time to have some of my Granny’s stew. I’ll serve it to ya.”

Big Mac had found where Bright kept his plates and bowls and took a bowl out of the cupboard, scooping a healthy bit of stew. Bright sat himself down at the dining table right by the kitchen. Then, Big Mac walked over and set the bowl before Bright, along with a spoon.

“Hope ya like it.” He said, returning to the kitchen to wash the utensils he used.

“Thanks.” Bright smiled a bit at Big Mac before looking down at his stew, a collection of chopped carrots, potatoes, celery, and other vegetables in a thick red blend. One more whiff of its savory scent made his stomach grumble, which reminded him that he hadn’t eaten at all since having a small breakfast this morning. Bright didn’t wait another moment and scooped a hearty spoonful into his mouth. In an instant, a zesty sensation bounced around his tongue, perking him up. Bright couldn’t help but smile again as he chewed, closing his eyes and savoring the flavor.

“This is great!” He chimed after swallowing that first mouthful. He was quick to enjoy another spoon.

“Yeah. First bite always made me feel better too.” Big Mac replied as he scrubbed down the cutting board.

“I can’t say ‘thanks’ enough for this. You really didn’t have to go to the trouble.”

“I wanted to.”

Bright felt his insides jump in delight. He couldn’t remember the last time somepony did something so kind for him. There certainly wasn’t anybody like Big Mac and Bright was more than glad to have him as a friend.

After a few minutes, Bright was able to finish the rest of his bowl. Getting up from his seat at the table, he carried his dish with his violet aura and walked over to the sink, sniffling a bit since his nose became stuffed again.

“I can wash that for ya.” Big Mac offered.

“No no, it’s fine. I can do it.” Bright assured, his voice slightly nasal. He had to rip a paper towel from a roll to blow his nose clear before he could start washing.

“Yer cheeks are lookin’ a little red. Are ya sure yer okay?” Big Mac asked.

Bright wasn’t feeling too feverish at the moment, but after a second of thought, he realized he might have been blushing.

“Y-Yeah...I promise.” He nodded, turning to the sink to wash. He coughed a bit. “Besides, you should have some of the stew too.”

“It’s gettin’ awful late. My family’s gonna wonder where I am. ‘Sides, I jus’ wanted to leave you some for the next couple days. It helps to clear up yer cold faster.”

“I see.” Bright finished cleaning his bowl and spoon. He took a breath and returned to face Big Mac. “Let me show you to the door then.” He beamed softly. “Thanks again for everything.” He added as the two of them made the short walk to the front door.

“Anytime, Bright.” Big Mac smiled before he opened the front door.

What he wasn’t expecting was to be greeted by a wall of snow that stood nearly as high as the doorway. A small snowy gust burst inside.

“Oh, horsefeathers…” “Aw, horseapples…” Both stallions muttered. Big Mac then closed the door to keep the cold out. Bright retreated to the kitchen, where there was another door, leading to his backyard. He peeked out, seeing another wall of snow trapping them inside.

“...We’re snowed in.”

“My family’s gonna be worried sick! I didn’t think the snow woulda piled up that fast.” Big Mac fretted as he paced around a bit. “I-I’m real sorry, Bright.”

“N-No, it’s alright…” Bright had to pause to let out a sneeze. “A-Ah-CHOO!”

“Bless ya.”

“Thanks...Y-You’re more than welcome to stay the night. Call it my way of thanking you.” Bright smiled.

“I appreciate it. Thank ya.” Big Mac returned the smile.

Bright padded over to the fireplace and levitated another log into the pit to keep the flames going. He coughed rather hard and placed his foreleg over his mouth.

“I don’t have much in the way of entertainment. I’ve got some books that I borrowed from the library...I mean, they’re mostly about astromancy magic so maybe you wouldn’t find it all that exciting.” Bright shrugged as he sat back down on the couch.

“Actually,” Big Mac sat opposite of Bright. “I think magic is kinda interestin’. To be honest, sometimes I dream about bein’ a unicorn instead of an earth pony.”

“Really?”

“Heh...E-Eeyup.” Big Mac chuckled a bit. “I ain’t ever admitted this to anypony before, but I wish I could do magic, shootin’ beams and doin’ spells like some sorta wizard warrior.” He had a blush hidden under his red fur, feeling a bit exposed to Bright. “I bet that sounds kinda silly, doesn’t it?”

“No, not at all!” Bright shook his head. He turned and leaned against the back of his seat, looking over at the bookshelf near his writing desk. Using his magic once more, he pulled out a couple of books and floated them over. “I think you’d really like these books. They’re a fantasy adventure series about a unicorn who runs away from his home planet to escape a big catastrophe and makes friends with a dragon, a wolf, and an owl. They all go on a huge adventure to save their solar system from an evil tyrant!” Bright explained as he lent the first book to Big Mac.

Big Mac looked at the hardcover of the novel, which was illustrated with a sketched image of the unicorn protagonist and his friends against a backdrop of some alien planet. Huh…”Terrastra Legends: Ties of the Moonstone.” He read. He opened the book to the first page to begin reading.

Bright grinned a bit and decided to reread the second book in the series. A relaxing silence fell upon the room as the two of them read, only broken by Bright’s occasional cough and sniffle. Big Mac was enthralled by the beginning of the story and found his eyes glued to every word. His imagination went wild visualizing each detail of the characters, the action, and the fantastical world. He even found ideas for some things that he could apply to his O&O persona, Sir McBiggin.

Time slipped away from Big Mac as hours passed. Then he was broken from his trance when he felt Bright suddenly leaning against his shoulder.

“Uh...Bright…?” He was about to tap him before he saw that Bright’s eyes were closed, he was snoring softly, and his book slipped out of his hooves. Big Mac was at a loss for what to do, though he felt his heart race watching Bright sleep. His eyes scanned the living room until he found a clock hanging from the wall near the front door. 9:22 PM. Bit late… He wanted to let Bright lie down, but he didn’t want to disturb his sleep.

Big Mac set his story aside on the couch side table. He took great care as he slowly scooted away from Bright, holding him with his hooves and lowering him gently until he was lying down comfortable on the couch, with his head nestled on a throw pillow. Bright’s chipped ear twitched a little and he sniffled, hardly stirred. Then, Big Mac had him covered warm in his blanket. He sighed with the day’s exhaustion catching up to him.

Big Mac heard the blizzard still howling outside. It was going to be a cold night. He wished he could have a blanket of his own to bundle up in. His sweater and the fire alone wouldn’t be enough to keep him warm.

BUMP!

Something upstairs clattered enough to make Big Mac’s heart jump, startled. It was quite a loud bump, which made him wonder if he and Bright were really alone. It couldn’t possibly be somepony breaking in. Not in this weather. Big Mac raised a brow and decided to investigate, walking to the stairs and stepping up to the second floor. It was darker and it got more frigid the higher he stepped, but he could see a corner turning to the left at the top. Upon finishing the climb, he was able to see a light switch on the wall and after flicking it with his hoof, the hallway was lit. Big Mac could see that around the corner was an open door and at the foot of it was a folded, yet slightly ruffled, blanket. He looked inside the door and it was just a closet, with blankets, boxes, and clothes. The blanket on the floor must have fell from the inside, but it couldn’t have made a bump that loud.

Big Mac scratched his head in confusion, but was too spent to think much on it. At least, he now had something to keep him warm tonight. He picked up the fallen blanket, closed the door to the closet, turned off the light and returned downstairs. A silent yawn crept out of his mouth as he turned off the remaining lights in the kitchen and living room. Then, Big Mac finally rested on the recliner near Bright’s couch, wrapping himself up in the soft blanket. He sighed as he thought about how his family might be worried about him. He had to get back home first thing in the morning, as soon as the road was cleared of snow. Closing his eyes, he let himself relax and started to drift to sleep.

“...Thanks…”

Big Mac opened his eyes, hearing Bright mutter something. Bright was still sleeping, but he stirred in unrest, mumbling.

“...Thanks...Ivory…F-For the blanket…” He coughed up some phlegm and sniffled his nose. That was the only coherent thing Big Mac could discern from his sleep talk. From then on, Bright would mutter random words in his feverish delirium.

“...Ghosts…”

“...M-Mom…”

Big Mac wondered what Bright could’ve been dreaming about. He hoped that it wasn’t a nightmare, though dreaming about his mom sounded pleasant, at least in a bittersweet way. He smiled and rested his head on the armrest of the recliner, closing his eyes again.

“…Buttercup…”

“...Nngh...Pear...Butter…”

Big Mac’s eyes shot open again, this time in a shock. He stared at Bright, confusion and disbelief prominent on his normally stoic face. That...can’t be a coincidence. How does he know Mom’s names!?

Bright had a rude awakening the next morning when a sudden sneeze shocked him out of his slumber. He groaned while a headache made his head throb, prompting him to rub his temples with his hooves. His eyes slowly opened, still sensitive to the morning light from outside his window. He then noticed that he was sleeping on his couch in the living room. That was when Bright remembered what happened the previous night. At that instant, he sat up on the couch, wide awake.

“Big Mac?” He looked around the living room after rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. No sign of his friend. Then, Bright felt some moisture on his fetlock and on his face. Tears. Was I crying? He asked himself. He got up to his hooves, wondering where Big Mac was. Then Bright noticed a plate of hay bacon and eggs and a tall glass of orange juice on the dining room table. He moved closer and saw a note sitting right by the plate.

“Morning, Bright,

Hope you slept alright last night. I had to leave as soon as the road was cleared to get home. I didn’t want my family to worry too bad. Thank you kindly for your kindness and hospitality. Take care of yourself and I hope you feel better soon. I’d like to talk more with you...

Your friend,
Big Macintosh”

Bright smiled at the note and he sat down to the breakfast that Big Mac left for him. As he started to eat, his mind lingered on him. Bright was sure that Big Mac was in a dream he had last night, but he couldn’t remember the details. They fled away from his memory. Still, despite how much he trembled from his cold, Bright was warmed by the thought of how Big Mac cared so much to come to his home and check on him. He returned his journal and cooked him a delicious stew. It was also really nice to have him stay the night.

He’s kind and caring. He’s a wonderful friend. Bright felt his cheeks grow warm and his heart beat free and gleefully. I...really like him…

Bright paused. No… His breath hitched. I-I can’t...I can’t have a crush on him! Emotion began to shake him. Love. Fear. Joy. Sorrow. His eyes welled up and he cried into his hooves. Please, no! I don’t want this to happen!

Not again...

Chapter 5: Burnt Bridges

Monday morning was the first clear and sunny day in a few days. The worst of the snow had come and gone, at least for now and the light of dawn on the remaining frost made the land glisten as it slowly melted.

Bright had awoken early, preparing for the library’s opening day. His fever quickly passed over the weekend, and though some sniffles lingered in his system, Bright was feeling well enough to greet the day. He dug through his bedroom closet, searching for something nice to wear while Ivory was lying on his bed.

“Bright, I was wondering about something…” She shared.

“And what’s that?” Bright stuck his head out of the closet. “Also, what do you think about this?” He held up a black and yellow plaid button shirt.

“Eww, no! That really doesn’t fit you.” Ivory critiqued, sticking her tongue out as if she was going to gag. “Why do you have that anyway?”

Bright looked at the shirt and contemplated. “I think it was a birthday gift from an aunt. She’s a distant relative so she hadn’t seen me since I was like four or five years old.” He explained before going back into the closet.

“Anyway, I wanted to know if you could tell me why you were feeling kinda glum over the weekend. I mean, not just that you were sick, but you also seemed kinda...not yourself.” Ivory frowned a bit, expressing her concern.

The sound of hangers being pushed aside on a rack stopped for a moment. Bright stood there inside the closet, frozen, unable to think of how to explain it away.

“Bright?” Ivory called softly, her voice riddled with worry.

“Um...Well...can you promise to keep a secret?” He peeked out, meekly, asking barely above a whisper.

“Of course. Cross my heart.” She reassured with a smile, drawing an “X” over her chest.

“...I...I have a crush on Big Mac…” Bright confessed.

Ivory stared blankly at him, processing what she just heard. Then, the next thing Bright knew, he was caught in a ghostly whirl as Ivory spun him around on his tail while hugging him.

“OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH!!!” She squealed in brilliant excitement and delight.

“Iiieeeiiieeeiiivory! Stooop!” Bright pleaded, growing dizzy.

After a moment, Bright came to a halt. His eyes spun before he shook his head to recover from his dizziness. He rubbed his flank to soothe a bit of the burn he got from the carpet. “Ow…”

“Bright, why didn’t you tell me that you liked stallions in all this time!?” Ivory beamed.

“...So...you don’t think it’s...weird or anything?” He asked, shyly.

“What? Of course not! Sure, I might be a little miffed because we could have been fawning over guys, like, forever ago!” She laughed before stopping abruptly. “But wait. Why does your crush make you feel all depressed?”

Bright gave a short sigh as he continued to look through his closet. “Because, Ivory, there’s no chance in Tartarus that Big Mac would even like me that way.”

“Aww, come on, Bright! You don’t know that. Look at how fast you made friends with him. What if he likes stallions too?” She appealed.

“What if he doesn’t, Ivory!?” Bright suddenly snapped with a stomp of his hoof. He made Ivory flinch. “What’s gonna happen if I tell him how I feel and he doesn’t like me back?” His eyes had an affrighted stare to them. His voice trembled. “What if Big Mac gets a-angry at me bec-cause I’m a…” Bright stopped. He felt his eyes burn as they welled up and his legs were violently tremorring.

Ivory had never seen Bright so haunted with distraught. It was a side to him that she hadn’t ever known. “...Bright?”

He sat down on the ground and looked at his shaky hooves. Bright took a slow, deep breath and his trembling stopped. He wiped his eyes with a fetlock. “...Sorry, Ivory.” He apologized. “I just...can’t tell Big Mac anything. Ever. I don’t want to ruin our friendship.”

“I’m sorry, Bright…” She rested on the bed once more, shuffling her hooves.

“No, don’t be. It’s alright…” He earnestly assured. “I’m gonna keep on looking for something to wear.”

Bright went back into his closet in silence. Ivory was puzzled as to why he felt so strongly about avoiding his feelings. She breathed a sigh and left it alone for now. She knew that Bright would tell her when he was ready. Bright searched through the clothes he hadn’t tried, but his mind was stuck on Big Mac. He shook his head.

He’s just my friend. Nothing more…

It was completely crowded in front of Twilight’s castle later that morning. Bright stood among the gargantuan audience and he was quite baffled at the turn out for the opening. There must have been ten thousand or so ponies, all coming from around Equestria.

All this for a library? Wow...I have a feeling there are going to be a lot of books checked out today. He thought.

Twilight was front and center before the crowd and stood right by a ribbon that was neatly tied and placed at the base of the golden steps. She held with her aura a large pair of scissors.

“Welcome, everypony! I stand before you today, thrilled to unveil this new library. You see, when I was a young filly, I have always had a love of learning and education…”

Bright tuned out of Twilight’s speech for a bit when he felt that his sunshine-yellow bowtie was a bit loose. He readjusted it with magic and brushed his night-blue button shirt with a fetlock. He was quite pleased with the outfit Ivory helped him choose, especially since the weather wasn’t very cold today. His clothes were comfortable and he felt good about how he looked. He even brushed his mane to look more neat and formal. Bright knew he’d meet a lot of ponies today and he wanted to make a good impression.

Bright looked around at everypony who surrounded him. And noticed that there were a good number of ghosts accompanying some of them. He smiled and his gaze wandered until his eyes fell upon a red stallion that was standing some ten ponies to his left. Bright felt his muscles tighten up a bit and his chest beat hard. It was Big Mac, wearing nothing but a farmer’s yoke around his neck.

Bright internally groaned as he tried to focus back on Twilight. His heart ached, feeling like it was being crushed under a giant block of granite. Big Mac is an amazing pony and friend, but Bright tormented himself with the question “Why?” Why did it have to be Big Mac that he had to crush on? Why couldn’t he just like a mare for a change? Why did he have to be attracted to stallions? It’s just not bucking fair…

Then, Bright’s eye was caught by something else. He saw a brilliant yellow earth stallion with Big Mac’s likeness hovering right next to him. Wait...What the…? Bright thought he was seeing double for a moment and he blinked a few times before looking again. That ghost was still there. He was a bit taller than Big Mac and he had messy red mane that was about the same shade as a delicious apple, all kept under a cowboy hat.

Bright was dumbfounded at the resemblance between the ghost and Big Mac and he found himself staring at the two of them. Is that...Big Mac’s dad? Then, Big Mac shifted his attention in Bright’s direction and spotted him among the crowd. He smiled softly and waved at him. Bright was caught by surprise and he blushed a bit before he waved back with a grin that was more forced than natural. Then, when he looked again for the other stallion, he vanished. It probably wouldn’t be the last time Bright would see him.

He gave a short sigh. Being his friend is good enough, right? He asked himself. There’s no chance he’d like me anyway, but...being his friend would be better...At least...better than last time…

“...and so without further adieu, the Ponyville Library is now open!” Twilight announced as she cut the ribbon with her scissors. At that moment, blasts of confetti rocketed into the air before raining down on the stomping and applauding crowd.

“Enjoy the book!” Bright smiled as he passed a stamped book to a grateful young filly.

The library was pretty full of ponies. Many from the opening ceremony had gone away after the ribbon was cut. Perhaps they had only arrived for a glimpse or photo of the Princess of Friendship, but still, there were a lot who stayed to browse the selection. In fact, to keep the library from being overcrowded, there was a line for ponies to enter whenever somepony left. Spike kept track of the everypony in line while Twilight and Starlight helped Bright with checking out books. Seeing stallions, mares, and foals exploring the shelves and paging through each book clearly made Twilight extremely happy, because she had a huge grin cemented on her face since the doors opened.

Bright was scribbling a record of the book that was just borrowed when a hoof tapped on his desk.

“Howdy, Bright…”

He lifted his heterochromatic eyes and saw Big Mac standing there, holding a book that he intended to check out.

“Hey there, Big Mac.” He greeted with a shy grin.

Big Mac had hoped to see Bright here at the opening and he was glad that his friend was fairing worlds better than when he saw him last. He noticed Bright’s attire better than he did from afar and he looked admirably handsome. He felt his heart skip and Big Mac once again wondered how Bright, of all ponies, gave him this fluttering feeling in his chest. Was it how quickly he connected with him over the past week? Was it how Bright’s eyes lit up with life whenever he talked about magic, astronomy, or poetry?

He didn’t know for sure, but there was one thing that was bugging Big Mac for the past few days: how was Bright dreaming about Buttercup, his mother, that night they were snowed in? It couldn’t possibly be coincidence that he muttered both her nickname and her given name. Maybe Bright had met her in the past, but as far as Big Mac knew, Bright had lived in Coltifornia his whole life and never once did Buttercup and Bright Macintosh ever travel that far west. It was an impossible thing that Big Mac couldn’t wrap his head around, but Bright had to have the answer.

“What book are you going to borrow?” Bright asked.

Big Mac wanted to ask him about his mother, but he couldn’t form the words. “I-I...uh...Th-This one.” He stuttered as he placed the book on the desk before Bright. It was “Terrastra Legends”, the book that he let Big Mac read that night. Bright’s eyes widened a bit and a delighted smile curved his mouth.

“Oh, you’re going to read the rest of the book?” He asked.

Big Mac chuckled a little. “Eeyup...I really liked it…” Come on, Macintosh. Just ask! Well, what am I gonna say? “Hey, Bright! What do you know about my dead mom?” He fought with himself.

“I’m really glad. It’s a great series! I can’t wait to see how it ends.” Bright scribbled with his quill into a notebook, then stamped the novel before passing it back to Big Mac. That was when Bright saw the ghost stallion from before standing beside his son. He was looking at Big Mac with a puzzled and concerned expression before he looked at Bright. Their gazes locked for a couple seconds, then the ghost looked around the vicinity before turning back to Bright.

“...Can you...see me?” He asked with a strong country accent, only his voice was lighter than his Big Mac’s heavy bass.

“...Are ya alright, Bright?” Big Mac asked. He looked at Bright, with slight confusion.

“E-Er...Yeah! Yeah, just fine.” Bright answered back to him, nodding rather hard as he shifted his sight back to the ghost.

“What are ya looking at…?” Big Mac turned his head around to see whatever Bright was seeing.

“N-Nothing! Just...thought I saw something…A-Anyway, enjoy the book!” Bright quickly dismissed as he nudged the book closer to Big Mac.

“Really? You can see me!? Aw, shucks! Maybe you can help me!” The stallion grinned widely as he leaned over the desk, almost in Bright’s face. Bright flinched and moved a bit away for some breathing room.

“Wait...I wanted to ask ya something.” Big Mac searched for the words to say, rattling his brain. Usually, he was too good at getting straight to the point whenever he wanted to speak, but for some reason, with Bright, he felt afraid that he might upset him, like back at the coffee shop. Still, Big Mac wanted to know whatever Bright knew. He mustered his courage. ”I...uh...Do ya know anything about somepony named Buttercup or Pear Butter?”

“U-Uh...Can you hold that thought, Big Mac? I gotta...go to the bathroom!” Bright excused himself as he got up from his seat and swiftly galloped out of the library.

“A...Alright…” Big Mac blinked. Ah wasn’t expecting that response...Bright...are you hidin’ something…? He pondered while he waited.

Bright cantered out into the castle halls searching for a quiet spot to be alone. He didn’t hear Big Mac’s question. His mind was more occupied on the ghost that followed him into the nearest restroom. Bright locked the door to ensure privacy so that he could talk freely.

“Gosh, I’m sorry about the bother, fella.” The stallion apologized, rubbing the back of his head. “Guess I didn’t think that seein’ a pony talk to a ghost might not look normal for most folk.”

“It’s alright. You’re not the first.” Bright have a short chuckle as he leaned on the sink and started the water to wash his hooves. “You’re Big Mac’s dad, aren’t you? What’s your name?”

“Bright Macintosh Apple. Pleasure to meet ya! And I already know yours, Bright. Ain’t that a coincidence, having the same name?” He grinned. “You can just call me ‘Bright Mac’, if ya like.”

“So what’s your trouble, Bright Mac?” Bright asked.

“It’s my wife. I’ve been lookin’ everywhere for her, but I haven’t seen her in a few days. Maybe you’ve seen her? Her name’s Pear Butter, but I call her my sweet Buttercup.” Bright Mac explained as he gave a small blush that reddened his pale cheeks.

Bright stopped the sink water and dried his hooves with a nearby towel. “Hmm...I don’t think I recognize her name...What does she look like?”

“Aw, she’s got the finest peach colored coat you’d ever see and a cute curly orange mane and tail and...gosh...the prettiest bluish-green eyes, like two pools of water on a sunny summer day. Oh! And she has a jar of pear butter for a cutie mark.” Bright Mac sighed and giggled to himself a bit.

Bright pondered that description for a moment. He was sure that he had seen somepony like that once. He paced around the bathroom, then something clicked.

“Does she have her mane tied up with some green ribbons?” Bright asked.

“She does! So you know where she is!?” Bright Mac leaned in closer to Bright.

“I remember I saw Buttercup in a dream I had a few days ago! Maybe she wandered her way into my sleep.” He chimed, but then his grin faded as quickly as it came. “Buuut, I don’t remember most of the dream now.”

“Ah, dagnabbit!” Bright Mac slumped onto the floor, crossing his hooves. “Pardon my French, Bright. Ain’t there anything you can remember about her?”

Bright sat down and searched his memory as best as he could. “She...She was telling me something about a grand pear in Vanhoover, I think. It was a dream so I don’t think it made much sense.”

“Oh!” Bright Mac sat upright. “Maybe she left to Vanhoover to see her dad and the rest of the Pear Family! Well, she coulda told me back in Apploosa before skedaddling!” He gave a short laugh. “But that’s just like her. Always acting with her heart. That’s what I love about her.”

Bright smiled, happy at the thought of a mare and stallion still completely in love, even in the afterlife. Love. That word only traced him a path back to Big Mac. He shook his head, trying to steer his mind to anything else. “A-Are you and Buttercup mostly attached to your family here?” Bright asked.

“Actually, both of us like to roam around Equestria and visit all branches of the Apple Family. Most of the time we do stay and watch over our kids, but we also like to see how our cousins from all over are doin’.” Bright Mac shared. “Y’know, it’s really nice actually talking to somepony who’s alive. I think we’re gonna be real good friends, Bright. Anyway, I’ve taken up enough o’your time. I should get back to Li’l Mac.”

“It was a pleasure to meet you. I hope you find Buttercup really soon.” Bright wished as he unlocked the bathroom door and proceeded to trot back to the library. Then he remembered that he had left Big Mac waiting at the desk, which made Bright quicken his step. Oh, geez! I’m a bonehead! I’m a bonehead!!! He thought.

When he arrived at his desk, Bright didn’t see Big Mac where he left him. He looked around the library, still full of ponies, but he couldn’t spot a familiar shade of red.

“Are you looking for Big Mac, Bright?” Twilight asked from the nearby desk after passing a book to a stallion.

“Yeah. Do you know where he is?” Bright replied, still looking around while he was worriedly trotting in place.

“I’m sorry, but we had to ask him to leave to give the other ponies in line a chance to see the library.” She apologized.

“Oh...I see.” Bright’s ears drooped flat. I can’t believe I just left him like that...I wonder what he wanted to tell me. He sighed softly, but reassured himself that he’d see Big Mac again. Though, he did worry if he’d be a bit sour when they would meet. Regardless, Bright still had to get back to his work. He sat down and continued where he left off.

However, he couldn’t shake Big Mac from his mind.

The sun was long gone by the time Bright and Twilight closed the library for the day. The grand opening was wonderfully busy, but Bright was also glad to be done for the day. He stepped outside of the castle and looked up at a clear dark purple sky, dotted with a treasure trove of twinkling stars. A warm feeling embraced him, despite the evening chill, and he grew excited, longing to get home quickly and set up his telescope.

Without further thought, he began his brisk trot home, passing by the familiar town. Hearth’s Warming Eve was only two days away, so everypony was busy in the streets making their last-minute-shopping stops. Bright thought about what he might do when the holiday came. Maybe I’ll just spend the day in town. Twilight did say that there would be a festival going on.

As he walked, Bright soon saw the apple stand as he walked through the market and there was Big Mac, hooking up to his cart as he closed for the day.

“Big Mac!” Bright called.

The farmer turned his head and saw his friend trotting up to him.

“Bright…” Big Mac’s eyes widened a bit and grew a smile on his face. Seeing that gave Bright great relief about how they left off earlier.

“I’m really sorry about how I disappeared at the library today.” He apologized. “I didn’t know that you’d have to leave so soon.”

“S’alright…” Big Mac nodded. “Wanna walk?” He asked, gesturing to their usual route home.

“Of course.” Bright grinned.

The both of them started down the road, side by side. The air was cool, the ground under their hooves was mostly dry, and all was quiet and calm. In fact, it was unusually quiet for a good while. Bright would usually start leading a conversation at this point. Big Mac glanced his way and saw his head was turned away, but his ears were folded flat. He wanted to speak up and ask, but again, like earlier, he couldn’t work up anything to say in his head. It was like anything he thought of to ask would just sound stupid. Big Mac softly groaned in self-frustration.

“Something wrong, Big Mac…?” Bright asked, turning his head to him.

Aw, hay! Was Ah that loud? “N-Nothin’...”

“Is there something on your mind?”

“I...well...” Big Mac hesitated. His heart pounded as his gaze rested solely on Bright. The way his mane was neatly curving ever so slightly above his heterochromatic eyes. How starlight glistened against the cobalt and amethyst hues of his irises. The slight twitch of his torn ear. Just...all of Bright was a sight that Big Mac froze up over. He shook his head.

“Argh...I jus’ don’t get it, Bright.” He growled. “I look at you and I can’t think of what the hay to say. There’s somethin’ about ya that I jus’ can’t figure out.”

Bright didn’t understand what Big Mac meant. He raised a brow in question. Big Mac took a breath and looked down at his hooves as he walked. His stomach lurched, like it was twisted and tied up in knots. He remembered his father and some of his words of advice from years past.

“Be brave, be strong, and speak your mind, son. It ain’t ever a shame to be honest.”

Big Mac slowed his walk to a halt, digging his hoof a bit into the ground.

“I...I like ya, Bright…” He finally spoke.

Bright stopped and blinked. He turned to face Mac directly. “What do you mean…?”

“I mean, like, you’re my friend, but also like...like I care about you as more than a friend.” Big Mac could swear his chest was making his whole body rock. “You’re...great...and I like being around ya.”

Bright stared blankly at Big Mac. Is this real…? Am I dreaming? Does he really like me...that way? He thought. He wanted to say something, but now he couldn’t find the words. He only stared in disbelief, like the impossible suddenly became possible.

“...But there’s something that was buggin’ me over the weekend.” Big Mac continued. “When you were sick, you were mumblin’ things in your sleep. I-I just wanna know...Do you know anything about a mare named Buttercup? Or Pear Butter?” He pleaded.

Bright snapped out of his daze when the question was asked. He knows about the dream? I guess...I must’ve been sleep talking when Buttercup came...But I can’t tell him anything about her. OR his dad or anything about ghosts. What’s he gonna think!? It didn’t feel good at all to lie to Big Mac, but Bright knew he had to if he wanted to look sane. He bit his lower lip, thinking of a proper answer.

“I-I’m sorry, Big Mac...but I don’t know anything about your mom.”

…

“How did ya know Buttercup was my mom…?”

A frigid chill fell upon the both of them. Bright’s muscles tensed up so hard that thought he’d twist them. Sweet Luna have mercy… “Didn’t...you mention it before?” He tried to play it off.

Big Mac looked at Bright, puzzled. The mystery about him just ran even deeper. “No, Bright...I ain’t ever said nothin’ to you about her before.”

Bright trembled a bit, like an icy knife was prodding his back. He wished to Celestia that he could just disappear, right then and there, because everything was crumbling to bits.

“Were you tryin’ to lie to me, Bright?” Big Mac‘s gaze sharpened into a glare. His voice raised, with a heavy tone of indignation, almost anger. “‘Cause let me tell you somethin’. I ain’t got no respect for anypony who’s dishonest or deceivin’.”

Bright winced from the sting of hearing Big Mac so aggravated. He wanted to tell him the truth. The whole truth. But, he didn’t know if it would be enough. He didn’t know if Big Mac would accept it.

Big Mac paused. He took a deep breath and let out a calming sigh. He stared at the pavement under his hooves. “Bright...I wanna believe that you’re my friend. So...will ya jus’...jus’ be totally honest with me? Please?” He looked up, back to Bright, with begging eyes.

Bright struggled to figure out what he should do. Of course, he didn’t want to lose Big Mac’s friendship. Maybe...Maybe he will understand...If he’s really my friend, he’ll understand… He thought. Bright was quiet for a long moment, averting his eyes from Big Mac as he mustered up every ounce of courage he had.

“Alright. Here’s the truth, Big Mac.” He took a breath and checked the street to be sure that they were alone. Then, he looked Big Mac dead in the eye. “I know how crazy this is going to sound, but hear me out. I...I have the ability to see ghosts, or spirits of ponies that have passed on. I’m really sensitive to the presence of ghosts, so the reason why I know your mom is because I saw her in a dream. She must’ve found her way into my sleep that night. I-uh...I don’t remember much about what happened, but I know Buttercup told me that her spirit was going to visit the Pear family before the holidays.”

Big Mac’s face was unreadable, but he continued to listen. Bright found himself shuffling his hooves, dragging them on the road. He was anxious and it showed and he wondered if he should continue with what he saw earlier that morning. “And...just today, I also saw your dad, Bright Macintosh.”

Big Mac recoiled a bit, but he didn’t say anything. He let Bright continue.

“He told me that he lost track of Buttercup a little while ago and he asked me for help. I only told him what I knew. But he and your mom are together and happy.” Bright finished.

Big Mac hadn’t let his eyes off of him the whole time. To Bright, the scariest thing about the past minute was that he didn’t know what Big Mac thought about this whole thing. He couldn’t tell at all what he was feeling and that terrified him. Then, Big Mac stepped closer to Bright and stood, face-to-face, directly in front of him. Bright bit his lip and shut his eyes tight, preparing himself for whatever horrible thing Big Mac was going to say.

But then, he felt a hoof on his forehead. He opened his eyes and looked up at Big Mac. His face showed concern as he was checking Bright for a fever.

“...Big Mac? What are you doing?” Bright asked.

“Are ya feelin’ okay, Bright?” Big Mac didn’t feel any extreme warmth on Bright’s head, but he moved his fetlock over to his cheek just to be sure. “You ain’t sick…and I still don’t get how ya found out about my mom and dad.”

Bright furrowed his brows. His heart sank in his chest and embarrassment began to set in. He hated it. It was a feeling that was all too familiar and he loathed it. “I just told you how. I saw them.” He repeated, with a subtle irritation in his voice.

“You takin’ anything strong?” Big Mac asked.

“Big Mac, I’m fine!” Bright snarled as he stepped back and away from him, his face burning red under his fur. “I’m not sick! I’m not on any drugs! I know what I saw! I. Saw. Your parents!”

Big Mac was taken aback from such a reaction from Bright. However, he quickly retorted. “Bright, listen to yourself! You’re talkin’ fiddle faddle about ghosts and disrespectin’ my family’s personal matters by meddlin’ with the memory of my parents! At first, I thought you knew something about my mom in life, but now I know that, somehow, you’re sneakin’ and snoopin’ where you ain’t welcome! It’s sick, Bright!” He bellowed as he stomped his hoof in a fury.

Bright flinched, but Big Mac’s accusatory words ignited a raging fire from deep inside of him. All of his frustrations and resentment of the past manifested as he spoke. “You know what, Big Mac? I’m so tired of having to explain myself to ponies like you: the closed-minded ones, the ponies who think they know everything about how the world works. Let me tell you something.” Bright had a sharp, steely glare burning ferocity into Big Mac’s soul. At the same time, he dug the tip of his hoof against the farmer’s chest.

“I’ve seen for myself that there’s something beyond death. I’ve seen ponies so broken after losing someone so dear, when in reality, the ponies they loved never left their side. I’ve seen my own mother, and she’s been dead ever since I was born! If what I see doesn’t fit with the world you live in, then I don’t want to be a part of it. So do us both a favor. Stay away from me if you think I’m so crazy and don’t bother talking to me again.” He spat with venom.

And with a bitter scowl and misty eyes, Bright turned around and started into a trot. I’m never gonna bucking take anymore of this bull again! He burnt the bridge he built and didn’t bother to look back.

When Bright entered his home, he slammed the door shut. He stomped his hoof on the hardwood floor multiple times in heated rage before throwing his saddle bag across the living room. He heard the flutter of pages from a couple books that fell out and the clattering of some pencils and quills. There was a high chance his inkwell spilt in his bag, but Bright was too fuming to even care. Then everything went silent. The only thing Bright could hear was his heaving breaths before they broke down into whimpering sobs. He backed against the front door and slid down onto his flanks, head hung low and streams racing down his cheeks.

“Bright…?” Came Ivory’s gentle call. Bright looked up and saw her drifting toward him, concern clear on her face. “What happened? Are you okay?”

“...N...No…” Bright struggled to speak through his tight throat.

Ivory sat herself next to Bright. It was the first time in a long time that she had seen Bright this way and she could only wish that she could wrap her hooves around her best friend for a hug. Instead, she rested her head against his shoulder.

“...Do you wanna talk about it…?” She asked.

Bright sniffled and wiped his eyes with his forelegs as best as he could. “Big...Big Mac isn’t my friend anymore…” Just talking about it made him tremor for more breath

“What? Why?” Ivory lifted her head to look at Bright, shocked.

He made a bigger effort to try and calm enough to speak clearly. “Things happened...I tried to tell him that I could see ghosts, but...he didn’t believe me. I thought he, of all ponies, would be the one to understand…Shows how stupid I am. No one ever does.” Bright hit his forehead with his hoof a couple times, frustrated with himself for being too trusting.

“Bright, you’re not stupid…” Ivory consoled.

Bright bitterly chuckled through his tears. “A-And you wanna know the worst part? I think...he really did like me. I could’ve had a chance, but I blew it…” He slumped as he sat, tormented and broken-hearted. “I wish I never had that bucking accident.”

Ivory’s expression soured. She hated seeing Bright like this. She stayed with him, shaken and agitated that he should continue to be outcast for something outside his control.

Enough’s enough. She thought. You deserve so much better, Bright.

Chapter 6: Supernatural

Big Mac jolted awake in a cold sweat early the next morning. His heart throbbed in his chest as he felt as though he was getting his first breath of air after hours of suffocating. He sat in his bed, gasping while he wiped his forehead with a fetlock.

Sweet Elysium...What a nightmare… Big Mac thought as he tried to recall his dream. Already, the details started to ebb away from the deeper recesses of his subconscious. The only thing he could remember was being inside a dark forest, the Everfree perhaps, hearing ominous voices from all around him, and when he looked one way, he was face to face with a deathly white mare, glaring directly at him with completely blood-red eyes. The image was burned into Big Mac’s memory and it gave him a mortifying chill.

He sighed heavily as he looked outside his bedroom window. It was still dark out, but the glow of dawn was approaching. However, pegasi were rolling in some freshly-powdered clouds. Another snowfall must have been scheduled. Then, came the crowing of the rooster from the henhouse. Time to get up anyhow… Big Mac yawned and stretched away his drowsiness. Waking up this early every morning wasn’t always so easy, but with the scare he received from his nightmare, he didn’t have as hard a time keeping his eyes open. He slipped out of bed, planting his hooves on the floor before starting toward the hallway to go to the bathroom.

However, he didn’t get far when his hindleg suddenly got snagged and he fell forward, landing on the wood floorboards with a thud. Oof...What the hay…? Big Mac rolled over and looked down at his leg, seeing that his hoof got caught in his bedsheets. He grumbled. “...Gonna be one o’ those mornin’s…” He pulled his leg from the sheets and got it free before he stood up again.

Big Mac softly stepped out of his room and carefully walked by Applebloom’s, careful not to wake her. Then, as he entered the bathroom, he noticed the temperature drop considerably. Dagnabbit...Who left the window open last night? He thought as he checked the window by the shower. Shut tight. Huh…? Big Mac scratched his chin, but remembered he still had his morning chores to get through. He turned to the sink and grabbed his toothbrush and paste before starting to brush as he did the start of every morning. Then, as his head began to wake up, Big Mac recalled the events from the day before.

“Stay away from me if you think I’m so crazy and don’t bother talking to me again.”

“Bright…” He frowned. After Bright went off on him and left in a huff the night before, Big Mac was sour the rest of the evening. He didn’t understand why Bright would invade his privacy and claim that he was talking to ghosts of all things. Worse than that, the ghosts of his mother and father. Maybe it was out o’ his control. Maybe he wasn’t all right in the head...Still, he coulda jus’ let me try to help him. “Stubborn colt.”Mac muttered. He’s like AJ, ‘cept he’s really hurtin’ himself. He closed his eyes and let out a long sigh through his nose. I...I liked him...a lot. Maybe I still do, but...What can ya do to help somepony who doesn’t want help…?

Big Mac opened his eyes back up and as he looked at his reflection in the mirror above the sink, he noticed something. There was a shadow inside the shower behind the curtain, peeking out from a small crack between the curtain and the wall. Big Mac blinked to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. Then, as he peered at the reflection, focusing his vision, he saw the shadow leering back at him with bloody-red eyes…

Big Mac’s heart leapt into his throat and he turned around, shoving the curtain aside, almost ripping it off its rack.

...Nothing. Just the bathtub. He gave a sigh of slight relief as he rubbed sleep out of his eyes. Gotta wake up. Big Mac spat out the paste in his mouth and washed his face before heading downstairs. He grabbed a scarf and beanie to bundle up for the cold morning, then stepped outside. The land and soil was lightly powdered with frost. Definitely frigid. The freezing air slammed against Big Mac’s face and body like a plow. His first instinct was to alternate rubbing his forelegs to keep warm, but he stopped himself not a second after. He still had a responsibility to take care of. So, he cantered over to the barn, briskly, to avoid staying out too long.

It was Mac’s turn this morning to let the hens out of the coop and feed them. He grabbed a bag of feed from storage and hauled it onto his back, then walked over to the chicken pen just across the farmyard. The moist earth lightly crunched under his hooves. Then, as Big Mac stepped inside the fence, the chickens started to caw and scamper inside of their coop, sounding squirrelly and distressed. Huh…? He hurried to the coop, worried that an undesirable weasel or fox found its way inside.

Big Mac opened the door for the hens, but in the instant a crack allowed them to escape, they exploded out of the coop in a panicked frenzy. They were so scared that as they fled, they swarmed onto Big Mac.

“Gah!!!”

The chickens clawed and scratched at Big Mac with their talons to defend themselves. Big Mac was so spooked by the attack that he reared too far backwards and tumbled into a soft muddy patch in the ground.

“Oof!”

Then, the hens had calmed down, after the apparent danger was gone, and they laid off of him. That was when Applejack had emerged from the Apple home after hearing all the ruckus from inside.

“Mac, what in the hay is goin’ on out here?” She called from the porch while putting a red sweater on. Then, as she approached the chicken pen, she saw Big Mac picking himself up from the mud patch and shaking off globs of earthy goop from his fur and his clothes. Applejack held a hoof to her mouth as she held back a snicker.

“Pfft!...Y-Y’all okay, Mac? Bit o’ trouble there?” She stifled.

Big Mac grumbled a bit before he walked over to the coop, still brushing off mud. He peeked inside. “Somethin’ spooked the chickens.” He answered, though he didn’t find any trace of anything considered frightening. “Ain’t nothin’ here…” Big Mac scratched his cheek in confusion before wincing at a sudden sting on his face. “Mph!”

“Alright, come here. Let me see the damage.” Applejack beckoned with her hoof.

“...It ain’t nothin, AJ.” He lied.

She rolled her eyes. Applejack knew that Big Mac was too prideful to show whenever he was hurt or in pain. Even though he likes to think he’d seem strong for ignoring it, in her eyes, he was just being a hard-headed foal.“Aw, git yer flank over here, ya big teddy bear.”

Mac sighed in exasperation and he walked out of the pen to face his sister. Applejack closely examined him. He had scratches on his cheeks, his snout, chin...just about most of the front of his body. There were very few that were actually deep enough to penetrate his thick hide, but with the dip in the mud that he took shortly after, he still had a chance of getting one of the scratches infected.

“It ain’t too bad, but you should take a shower and wash all that muck off o’ ya. Granny can clean up your nicks and bandage ya up.” Applejack concluded. Big Mac was about to speak up, but he was stopped when Applejack held her hoof to his mouth. “Nnope! I ain’t hearin’ any ‘buts’ from you, Mac. I’ll feed the chickens. You get yourself clean, ya hear me?”

Big Mac started a groan that quickly turned into a defeated chuckle. “Alright, alright. I’m goin’...” He hated whenever he had to let his sister pick up his slack. Sure, he would try to get away with working while injured, but only because he wanted to pull his weight in supporting the farm and the family. That and he couldn’t let his sister, the Spirit of Honesty, get all the credit. Reluctantly, Big Mac turned around and walked back into their house, wiping away any mud on his hooves at the door.

Still strange though. What were the chickens so afraid of? He thought. Definitely not one o’ those mornin’s.

The early afternoon that day saw another snowfall. A gentle, but chilling, wind fell over Ponyville as flakes fluttered down. Big Mac managed a content smile as he stood behind the apple stand in the market. Though he pined for clear, sunny skies, there was something soothing about light snow coupled with the whistling breeze and how the tiny ice crystals stuck to his fur only to melt away into water.

Maybe it was just the rough morning that made him appreciate the calmness. While he awaited for anypony to come and purchase the usual bushel of apples, Big Mac fiddled with the bandage that was on his snout, one of a few others that Granny Smith patched onto his face. As if falling into mud and getting attacked by hens wasn’t bad enough, earlier that morning, the cart he pulled to bring the family’s stock to the stand started to rock and roll as he entered the marketplace. It felt like it was going fall apart, which was astounding to Big Mac, because the cart itself was only a few months old.

Can’t believe I gotta fix the cart already. What kinda day am I havin’ today…? He brooded to himself. Big Mac couldn’t remember the last time he had such bad luck in one day. He hoped that the worst of it had already passed as he looked forward to that evening. It was his and Spike’s Guys Night and he was eager for Sir McBiggun to employ some new strategies he picked up for their O&O game.

Big Mac remembered reading about some amazing feats performed by one of the main characters in the Terrastra Legends book he was reading...The same book series that Bright introduced him to. He leaned forward, legs resting on the stand and sighed. He wasn’t sure what to think of his friend...well, former friend, anymore. Part of him was still hurt and bitter about yesterday: the harsh things that were said, the lies that Bright expected him to swallow, the appalling deception.

And yet, another part of him still liked Bright. He couldn’t understand why, but despite what happened, Big Mac felt as though Bright was still a good stallion: kind-hearted and compassionate, but desperately in need of snapping out of his delusion. Somepony’s gotta help him...

CRACKLE…

Big Mac’s ears perked. He recognized that sound. It was the sharp crackling that splitting wood makes when it was about to-

SNAP! THUD!

One of the corners on right side of the stand suddenly dropped half a foot, which made Big Mac stagger and the baskets of apples he had sitting on the surface toppled over. Over a dozen apples started to roll away along the dirty, slushy ground.

“Aw, f-“ Big Mac started, but immediately stopped himself before he could let that expletive leave his mouth. He fumed a low disgruntled growl through his flaring nostrils. I just fixed that darn thing last week! What the hay!?

He bared his teeth and scowled as he fetched for the soiled apples that he’ll now have to spoil. He tried as best as he could to keep a cool head, but so far, today’s mishaps were chipping him down to his last nerve.

“Um...Big Mac?” A tiny voice beckoned to him.

“What?” He answered with a harsh gruffness that made his inner exasperation plain. After he picked up another apple, he looked up at whomever was addressing him.

It was Fluttershy and judging by her retreated stance and the way she shied her eyes away, hiding her muzzle within her warm green scarf and jacket, she was intimidated by him. Immediately, pangs of guilt stabbed at Mac’s heart.

“I-I’m sorry...I didn’t know you were upset...I’ll just come back later…” She apologized before turning away.

Land’s sake! Way to go, Macintosh! “No, wait!” He bade her to stop. If there was anypony that Big Mac would hate to upset, it was Fluttershy. She was a kind, sweet filly, hardly deserving of being the target of any lashing out. “I-I’m real sorry, Fluttershy. Jus’ havin’ a bad day is all…”

“O-Oh...Are you okay?” She asked, deciding to assist Big Mac by picking up some stray apples he missed.

“I’m alright...A bit frustrated, but bad luck runs out sooner ‘r later. Er...Did ya want some apples?”

“No, actually, I just came to tell you...Rarity wanted to let all the Ponytones know that we’re going to have an early warm up before our performance at the Hearth’s Warming Festival. We’re going to run through all our songs.” Fluttershy explained, placing the apples in an empty basket near the lopsided stand. “We start at 4PM at Town Hall.”

“Thank ya kindly, Fluttershy…” Big Mac smiled and nodded. “...and again, I’m real sorry for snappin’ at ya.”

“It’s okay. I understand.” She beamed reassuringly. “Anyway, I have to go. Rarity also wanted me and the girls to try some dresses she made for us to wear to dinner tonight. I hope your luck turns around today.”

“Eeyup...See ya soon.” He sighed softly, watching Fluttershy flutter away. Then, Big Mac turned back to the crooked stand and examined the leg that snapped off. It was the same one he had fixed the week before. The wood was split and splintered outwards, splayed, almost as if it burst from the inside. What in Equestria…?

Big Mac scratched his ear and furrowed his brow. Maybe there was some kind of a curse on him today, like a bad case of Derpy’s Law. He breathed a deeper sigh and rubbed his temple with a hoof. He’ll have to bring his tools and some new wood later. Tomorrow, perhaps. For now, though, Big Mac would have to avoid leaning or placing anything on the stand.

After his initial boil reduced to a simmer, he looked up and around the street. It was fairly light at the moment, in terms of business. The marketplace was only inhabited by the vendors and the few odd ponies needing the last few groceries for their holiday meals. Big Mac fidgeted a bit as he stood. He didn’t like watching the apple stand on days like this, standing around with nothing to do. It was an uncomfortable tick. He nickered while brushing his hooves on the ground, trying to fill the empty air while his eyes scanned for any ponies that might want apples. But then, his sights fell upon a blue unicorn.

When he realized who he was looking at, Big Mac froze. His hooves were planted and his body ceased rocking. He just watched. Bright was a distance away, walking through the market alone. He was wearing his dark blue jacket and beanie, his saddle bag barely strapped to his body, almost sagging, and his head hung low as he padded along the road. He looked...tired, judging by his drooping eyelids and the slight bags beneath them. His horn was glowing, carrying a paper bag that looked like it was his lunch. Big Mac bit his lower lip. He shook his head and tried to avert his eyes away from looking at Bright, but something in the back of his mind urged him to look again. Worry? Attraction? Spite? He didn’t know for sure, but when his eyes fell on Bright the second time, Bright was looking right back at him.

At first, Bright’s face was blank and it remained that way for a terribly long second before his expression soured into bitter frown, then he continued on his way without a word. Big Mac didn’t return any sort of look, but his chest and throat tightened up a bit. Something fell over him, as if he was being weighed down by something he couldn’t describe. He swore he could hear a small voice in the back of his mind whispering to him.

You hurt him, Macintosh. He was your friend and you hurt him.

“He lied to me. What good’s a friendship without honesty?” Big Mac muttered.

He told you nothing but the truth and you know it. Is that not good enough for you?

“Bright’s confused...He’s just...not right in the head.” He felt the fur on his back begin to stand on end.

He trusted you with his heart’s darkest secret and you treated him like he was a freak.

An icy chill trickled down his spine and he softly gasped when he realized he had been holding his breath. It was then that Big Mac identified what this sensation, this sudden feeling of his chest pressed between two heavy iron blocks, was: guilt. Even if Bright’s reasoning last night was some sort of dreamt up lie that he believed in, Big Mac listened, but he immediately dismissed it and he didn’t even consider Bright’s perspective.

Big Mac sat down behind his crooked stand and thought harder. Would it have made any difference if he played along with what Bright said? He shook his head. “No. It ain’t right...I don’t want him to live a lie…” He wracked his brain for something he could have done, something he could have said that would’ve steered away from their falling out, but in the end, Big Mac knew that the damage was already done. Their friendship fell apart and there wasn’t a way to fix it.

I guess...it wasn’t meant to be. Big Mac thought as he felt a restless tug at his heart. It leapt inside his chest with longing, but he only sat there, gloom looming over his head.

But I wish we were.

The afternoon snowfall faded away as the evening came by. Pegasi pushes the snow clouds away just before sunset, leaving warm hues of yellow, orange, and red in the clear skies above. Big Mac ambled up the pathway to Twilight’s castle, relieved to finally have some downtime with Spike and Discord after the total fiasco of a day he’s had. The one thing he wanted more than anything right now was to just get his mind off of things with an action-packed, adventure-filled session of Ogres & Oubliettes. And as he came up to the golden double doors, already did one of them open up as Spike came out to greet him.

“Hey, Big Mac! You’re right on time.” He waved.

“Eeyup!” Big Mac nodded.

“Come on in.” Spike warmly invited, holding the door for Big Mac. “Woah. What happened to your face?” He asked, noticing the bandages from this morning.

“Ain’t nothin’.” Mac avoided as he entered, not wanting to get too in detail of his unlucky day.

“Aw, c’mon, big brother!” Came a familiar country twang. “Tell ‘im about yer little tussle with the chickens this mornin’.” There was Applejack with her friends, right by the door. All of them were wearing their newly-tailored dresses, courtesy of Rarity, and warm coats over them. Big Mac wore a sour face at Applejack’s teasing, but couldn’t help cracking a little smile, seeing how gorgeous his little sister was in her western-chic-styled dress.

“I’m jus’ messin’ with ya, Mac.” Applejack laughed.

“We won’t be back until late tonight.” Twilight reminded.” Are you sure you don’t need anything for your Guy’s Night, Spike?”

“I’ll be fine, Twilight!” Spike rolled his eyes, tempted to push all the fillies out the door. “And tonight’s events are completely confidential. Only recognized guys are allowed to know.”

The girls giggled to themselves at the boys’ not-so-well-kept secret before they started to leave, with Twilight staying an extra second.

“Just be sure that Discord cleans up after himself this time.” She whispered to Spike.

“I promise. Now, hurry up!” He almost desperately urged.

“Alright alright! I’m going!” Twilight laughed, following her friends and closing the door behind her.

“Ugh, finally. I thought they’d never leave!” Spike groaned. “But now, Guy’s Night can officially begin!”

“Eeyup!” Big Mac heartily chimed.

“It’s Guy’s Night!”
“Eeyup!”
“Oh, yeah!”
“Eeyup!”
“Havin’ fun now!”
“Eeyup!”
“Oh, yeah!”
“Oh, yeah!”

The two gleefully chanted as they bumped their rumps and chests against each other. Then, there was a honking of a tiny horn that sounded in the hall as a minuscule wind-up car, brown with red and green polka dots, no bigger than Big Mac’s hoof, rolled its way toward him and Spike. It swerved to a stop before them with another small honk. The door opened and Discord came squeezing out of the tightly-packed cabin.

“Good morrow, my friends! Art thou prepared for the most riveting plunge into the world of Ogres & Oubliettes!?” Discord snapped his eagle talons and made the toy car disappear while his dazzling Captain Wuzz costume materialized on his person.

“You bet!” Spike hopped giddily while a long, frizzly, grey beard grew from his chin and the rest of his Garbunkle attire cloaked him.

“Eeyup!” Big Mac heartily agreed, growing a unicorn horn on his forehead and gaining Sir McBiggun’s Black Knight armor.

“Oh, fantastic!” Discord chimed. His arms stretched to pull Spike and Big Mac into an excited embrace. “Wait.” Discord paused, sniffing the air. “What is that stench?”

“Huh?” Spike took a deep inhale through his nose. “What stench? I don’t smell anything.” He said before he made another nervous check, sniffing his underarm.

Discord continued, his nose suddenly morphing into the nose of a bloodhound. He pressed his nose to the smooth crystal floor as he traced the path of the scent he picked up. His smell-sleuthing led him to Big Mac. Discord’s snout crawled up Mac’s leg, detaching from his face as it took in whatever smell was emanating from the black knight.

“Er...Discord?” Big Mac asked.

“Ah, well, that’s curious.” Discord pondered, his voice slightly nasal. He grabbed his nose that was bouncing on top of Big Mac’s head before reattaching it to his face with a click. “That’s quite the rare cologne you’re wearing, my monosyllabic friend. What is it called? ‘Eau D’Ectoplasme’? Personally, I’m quite fond of ‘Fantôme: Parfum Des Esprits’.” A bottle of cologne appeared in Discord’s lion paw in a flash and he sprayed a couple jets of the scent on himself.

Big Mac raised an eyebrow and tilted his head in confusion. “...What?” That was the only thing he could respond with.

“Oh! Please do have a whiff.” Discord popped so that he was suddenly coiled around Big Mac like a snake. “Isn’t it a wonderful fragrance?”

Big Mac sniffed a few times, but couldn’t, for the life of him, smell anything. “Ee-what?”

“Discord?” Spike called, tugging on Discord’s tail. “Can we get to the game already? Please!?”

“Of course! Now’s not the time for beauty tips! It’s time for adventure and triumph!” Discord popped again, freeing Big Mac from his grasp as the draconequus stood upright. “Though between you and me, Macintosh, I’d dial down the cologne.” He whispered aside to him.

Then with a snap of his talons, the three friends were whisked away as the castle that surrounded them faded into nothingness. They landed at the entrance of large purple cave, crudely crafted from cardboard. The ground they stood on was a gridded game mat and the world around them was constructed entirely out of papercraft set pieces.

“Now, where were we last time, Spike?” Discord asked, twirling his bow in his paw.

“Let’s see…” Spike pulled out his journal for campaign notes from his pouch. After flipping the pages and scanning his scribbles, he found his most recent entry. “Ah! Here we go! Ahem.” Spike cleared his throat before taking on a dramatic tone to set the stage. “We arrive at the Cave of Mudora, giving chase to the retreating forces of Dark Lord Raitharn after their failed attempt to storm the capital of Spiketopia. They hope to lose us in the black winding pathways of the cavern. Our mission is to pursue and capture the soldiers to interrogate them for the whereabouts of the Dark Lord.”

As Spike recapped, a couple dozen black-cloaked soldiers, all drawn on papercraft game pieces, ran past the three friends and escaping into the cave.

“There they go! After them, boys!” Captain Wuzz alerted as the team gave chase. They charged into the cave and followed closely behind the stragglers of the Dark Lord’s forces.

“You fiends aren’t going anywhere!” Garbunkle declared, waving his magic staff and casting an ice web spell ahead of the fleeing foes. The spell hit the cave wall and it immediately spread to create a freezing and tangling barricade of frost and slush. With no other passage through the cave, the enemies could only attempt to trudge through the web and as soon as they set their pieces in the affected area, the words “Reflex Save” flashed above them. The sound of d20s rolling echoed in the cave before numbers of mostly low rolls appeared above each of the soldiers. Most of them were ensnared in the web while the few others with decent rolls were greatly slowed.

Sir McBiggun took the opportunity to rush up to the nearest trapped goon, grabbing him by his cardboard edge and threatening him with his broadsword pointed precariously at his crayon-colored throat.

“Y’all better spill the beans about the Dark Lord’s stronghold, ‘fore I spill yer guts on the floor!” He growled. Above him, the words “Intimidation Check” flashed and a d20 appeared in his hoof.

“Alright, McBiggun! No one can resist your intimidation skills.” Garbunkle cheered with a thumbs up.

With a confident smirk, McBiggun tossed his die onto the floor to determine his success. It rolled with a satisfying clatter before it came to a halt. “4”

“Four!?” McBiggun’s eyes grew wide at the resulting number above his head. The soldier he had grabbed started laughing maliciously.

“As if I’d ever tell you anything, foolish knave! Haha!” He spat. Then, in retaliation, the troop drew his sword with his mouth and attacked McBiggun with a slash. McBiggun staggered backwards from the strike landing on his thick armor. It was able to protect him from most of the damage, but he still took three hit points of damage. Big Mac growled under his breath. Intimidation was usually so easy for him to pull off as Sir McBiggun, but even with his size and charisma advantages to modify his roll, it still wasn’t enough to even make his enemy flinch. It seemed as though his lousy day wasn’t over yet.

Discord raised an eyebrow. “Hmm?” He scratched his chin in curiosity.

“Aww. That’s a rotten move!” Garbunkle frowned until an arrow, held up by a stick, came flying and went whizzing past his head. “Woah!”

Another soldier missed his shot with his paper bow.

“Ooh, you’ll regret that, you cur.” Captain Wuzz warned, readying his own bow. “No one harms my friends!” Another d20 appeared in the captain’s parsnip hand and he gave it a toss.

The die tumbled until it rolled to a stop and the result flashed above his head. “16”

Captain Wuzz released his mighty arrow and it whistled through the air before striking the Dark Lord’s goon right in the heart. The papercraft figurine then burst into a puff of smoke.

“Whew.” Garbunkle sighed in relief. “Thanks, Wuzz.”

The rest of the troop attempted to move and make their escape, making another Reflex Save roll that only benefitted a few of them.

“C’mon, guys. We still have a chance to catch these crooks!” Garbunkle rallied, pointing his staff at their trapped targets. The three companions regrouped and, with weapons at the ready, they advanced on their enemies together. However, as they approached, all of the Dark Lord’s soldiers had their bows drawn with bomb arrows. All at once, they aimed high and released their explosives, which detonated upon contact with a massive stalactite that loomed over the heroes. There was a foreboding rumble that shook the cave and an unsettling crackling that was accompanied by falling rubble. “Reflex Save” flashed above the three, along with each of them receiving a d20 to determine their survival as the stalactite began to fall.

“Ohgeezohboyohnononono!!!” Spike frantically blubbered as he blew his die for luck and tossed it.

“Nopenopenopenopenope!!!” Big Mac prayed to high Celestia for a decent outcome this time. Otherwise, that huge rock would fall and instantly kill Sir McBiggun. He swallowed and threw his die.

Clatter clatter...

It tumbled along the rocky ground, rolling seemingly slow to Big Mac as his persona’s fate was left to luck. Then, as the die came to a near stop, for the longest millisecond of his life, it was left standing precariously between two numbers: 20 and 2. Finally, it leaned and fell.

…

“2”

“...Aw, buck.” Sir McBiggun was weighed down by his heavy armor and wasn’t able to react quickly enough to run out of the way of the falling stalactite…

Suddenly, a whistle was blown loudly. “FOUL! PENALTY! INTERFERENCE!” Discord shouted, now donning a referee’s uniform while tossing a red card at McBiggun’s face.

“Ee-wha-?” The black knight looked up and saw that the rock that was about to crush him was frozen, suspended in mid-fall just above his head.

“Discord, what gives? Why’d you stop the game?” Spike asked, dusting himself off after Garbunkle made his escape.

“Well, isn’t it obvious? There was clearly some foul play in Big Mac’s rolls. I can’t believe I didn’t spot it sooner. The cologne should’ve been a dead giveaway.” Discord answered, changing his wardrobe yet again into blue overalls over a green long-sleeve and a green cap embroidered with the letter “D” over the front brim. On his back was a large red vacuum cleaner, with a hose and nozzle that extended to Discord’s lion paw. He pulled out a flashlight and started to scan the cave, creeping around the shady darkness in search of...something.

“What the hay are ya talkin’ about?” Big Mac moved away from his spot underneath certain death.

“Aha! Found you!” Discord smirked when he cast his flashlight on Big Mac. His vacuum started with an obnoxious whirring and Discord pointed the hose directly at Mac. The suction power of the vacuum was surprisingly powerful for a household appliance and Big Mac had to plant his hooves on the ground to avoid getting pulled in.

“Are ya crazy, Discord!?” He shouted as he struggled to keep his footing, but his words could barely be heard over the roaring of the vacuum’s engine. Then, there was a pop and the pull of the vacuum stopped, which caught Big Mac off guard as he fell and fumbled backwards, stopping with his belly on the ground.

“Yes! I’ve captured that naughty little thing!” Discord cheered triumphantly, snapping his fingers to teleport Spike, Big Mac, and himself back into the safety of the castle, within the chamber of the table map. The three of them were out of their costumes while Discord kept the dust chamber of the vacuum standing on the table, beside all of the OnO maps, charts, and books. The vacuum rattled in unrest, almost as if it was possessed by something.

“Uh, Discord?” Spike scratched his head spines. “Can you please explain what just happened.”

“Oh, it’s nothing much, really! I only caught a spirit that was haunting our apple-branded friend.” He answered so casually, patting the vacuum’s storage with his paw while it shook and hopped. “You’re welcome, by the way, Big Mac.”

“So...you’re saying that...Er…” Spike gulped, shivering a little bit. “...th-there’s a g-g-ghost in there?”

“Discord’s jus’ pullin’ our legs.” Big Mac assured, holding his hoof to Spike’s shoulder.

“Oh, no. I’m being completely serious.” Discord retorted, materializing a pair of headphones over his ears and a strange hoofheld device with a screen feeding unreadable recordings and a dish antenna pointed at the disturbed vacuum and whatever was trapped inside. “Ooh! And she seems like a doozy! I’d say a Class 5 poltergeist.”

“Ain’t no such thing as ghosts, Discord.” Big Mac shook his head in disbelief. At that instant, the dust chamber trembled more violently, causing it to fall off of the table. Big Mac blinked in surprise whereas Spike hid behind his hindleg.

“U-Uh...Don’t let that thing out, okay?” Spike meekly requested.

“My word! There’s no need for such language, young lady!” Discord scolded the trapped spirit.

“You can understand it?” Spike asked.

“Of course, I can, Spike! I’m fluent in the soft, subtle dialect of Phantomese. She’s such an aggressive one, this one and from what I understand, she’s been attached to...ahem…‘this big dummy.’” Discord gestured to Big Mac. “And I had to greatly censor her creative choice of words. Big Mac, hasn’t anything unusual or odd happened to you today?”

Big Mac’s mind instantly went to this morning’s incident with the chicken coop, the shadow he saw in his bathroom and the apple stand’s leg snapping off. “A number o’ things. But it ain’t nothin’ more than just a bad day.” He tried to rationalize, taking a seat at one of the marble thrones at the round table. There was no way that what happened today was the work of some supernatural figment.

“Hmm...That’s peculiar.” Discord mused after he set the vacuum back on the table. He brushed his goatee with his talons, listening to the spirit through his bizarre gadget. “‘You’re as stubborn as a mule, Big Macintosh.’”

“Hey!” Big Mac scowled.

“She said it! Not me!” Discord blamed, before he continued. “‘You devastated Bright. He’s been nothing but kind to you and he put his trust in you and you let him down because you’re so bullheaded.’”

“Bright? What’s he gotta do with this?” Big Mac asked, sitting upright and raising an eyebrow.

“‘Bright is my best friend and when you mess with him, you’re in for the haunting of your life.’ Oh, my. I think I’m going to like you.” Discord chuckled, kicking back on another one of the thrones and putting his cloven hoof and dragon foot up on the table.

“Wait wait wait. Just wait a second. I need to catch up here.” Spike rubbed his temples, trying to understand what was even going on at the moment. “So the ghost is a friend of Bright? How is that possible? I mean, it’s not like he always has a Ouinling board on hoof.” Spike gave a short nervous laugh. “...R-Right?”

“No...it’s because…” Then, Big Mac widened his eyes as he had a revelation. All the bad luck he had today wasn’t luck at all. They were hauntings caused by this ghost. “...Bright really can see ‘em…” He murmured.

“What was that?” Spike asked.

“Uhh...Sorry, fellas. I’m gonna have to call this session short. I gotta see Bright right now.” Big Mac stood up and adjusted his beanie.

Discord flashed out of his seat and in front of Mac. “Excuse me!? So soon? But I just caught the saucy spirit. Now we can play without any interruptions!” He reminded, reapplying his Captain Wuzz attire, flowing hair and all.

“I gotta go and fix a mistake I made.” Big Mac shook his head before he looked over at the shaking vacuum. “And you’re gonna have to let her go.” He pointed.

“Oh, come now, Big Macintosh. I was going turn her into a lovely painting and hang her up on my wall.” Discord crossed his arms in protest, to which Big Mac responded by returning a disapproving glance. “Hmph. Fine. She’s all yours.” Discord snapped his talons and the release hatch on the dust chamber came off.

“Thank ya kindly.” Big Mac smiled, skipping backwards towards the door anxiously. “I owe you fellas another Guy’s Night!” He burst through the hallway doors, galloped off, and left the castle in a hurry. He had a friend he needed to see.

The night air was cold and crisp as it lashed Big Mac’s fur. Frigid, but not quite freezing, even as he galloped through lamplit streets. Not that it would’ve made a difference to him. Big Mac was more concerned about whether or not he could still pick up the pieces of his and Bright’s broken friendship, though, he didn’t know what he was going to say to him or how he was even going to start.

The entire idea of a pony being able to communicate with ghosts and spirits was completely insane, and even then, Big Mac was still having trouble understanding how it was possible for Bright. At one point, he briefly wondered if he was dreaming this whole day and if he was going to awaken to the sound of a rooster’s call, but he couldn’t deny what had happened today or the intentions of an invisible friend of Bright. Bright...talks to ghosts… That was a fact and it sounded so foreign and strange in his head.

“It’s sick, Bright!”

Big Mac remembered. That was the last thing he yelled at Bright in a fury. He shut his eyes tight, grimacing at the thought. I basically called him...a deranged psycho. He reigned himself, slowing to a brisk trot, needing a breath. Is he even gonna wanna talk to me after that? He thought. The glare that Bright gave him earlier in the market came back to mind. Dang it...He prob’ly hates me right now. What do I say to ‘im? He furrowed his brows and tightened his lips. Again, Big Mac was having trouble speaking his mind when it came to Bright. I...I still like him. His stomach lurched and twisted again, except it didn’t feel very good like it did when he talked to Bright before. He wished he could take back what he said.

Soon enough, as Big Mac cantered down the long dirt path that lead away from Ponyville, he saw Bright’s home peek into view from behind the oak trees that stood on the moist grassy plains. The lights were on within his windows, so he had to be there. Big Mac’s hooves grew heavy as he approached. His heart pounded uncomfortably in his chest as he dreaded whatever was was going to happen as soon as Bright opened his front door. Finally, when Big Mac stood at the porch, he lifted his hoof...and he froze. His hoof trembled, unwilling to move. Come on, Macintosh. Ya gotta talk to him. He pushed himself to knock, but still held back. He ain’t gonna answer...Ya gotta try, stupid colt.

Then, the handle jiggled and the door opened. There Bright was, on the other side, still dressed warm like he was earlier that day. Being face to face with him, Big Mac noticed some shady circles around his eyes. He had a suspicion that Bright was a bit tired, considering how he looked earlier that day, but now, it seemed he didn’t get much sleep at all the night before. Bright looked up at Big Mac with a direct gaze, eyes slightly squinted and his jaw clenched. His hooves were planted firmly on his hardwood floor, as if prepared for a confrontation.

“What do you want?” Bright asked, a bit harshly.

Big Mac winced, though he sort of expected a cold greeting. He took a breath and let the words fall out of his mouth. “Bright, I...I just wanted to say that I believe you. You were right the whole time...I know now that these ghosts n’ spirits are as real as you or me.”

Bright unwittingly let his glare soften and his lips parted slightly, confused. Big Mac continued.

“I know you were tellin’ me the whole truth yesterday and...I’m ashamed that I chewed ya out for it. I-I was a fool to not put my trust in one of my best friends.” Big Mac took a small step closer to him and Bright flinched, retreating a bit in reflex. “I’m sorry, Bright...With all my heart, I’m truly sorry…”

When it was said and done, the only thing that Big Mac could see on Bright’s face was frozen disbelief. Bright seemed as though he was battling himself with conflicting thoughts, all while he just stared at Mac, trying to get something out of his mouth. After a few tense seconds, Bright’s pupils shrank and he drew a sharp breath before he finally spoke.

“What kind of a foal do you take me for? You think you can just show up at my door and apologize and expect me to believe you? Do you take joy in playing with my emotions?” He sharpened his gaze once more, lowered his brows, and his face grew red underneath his blue fur as he began to boil. His forehooves visibly tensed, tremoring against the wood floor.

Big Mac’s ears fell flat against his head and his tail quivered between his legs. “Bright, I-“

“Do you know how much torment and ridicule I’ve been through over the years? How many nights I’ve cried myself to sleep, believing that I was a freak!?” Bright stomped, ragefully. “‘Look! It’s Screwloose Sight! Hey, schizo! Still talking to the voices in your head!?’”

Big Mac crossed his hooves nervously like a colt getting a scolding from his parent. He never imagined Bright concealing so much anger and frustration.

“You can’t possibly understand what it’s like to see things nopony else can and to be mocked for it, time and time again. It never ends for me, even now, and I’m so bucking sick and tired of all of it!” Bright stifled a sob, wiping his eye with one stroke of his foreleg. He managed to compose himself slightly with a shuddered breath as he turned away from Big Mac. “...If I can’t escape being labeled as nothing more than mental or insane, then I’d rather just be left alone. Just...leave, Zap...I-I mean...never mind.” He shook his head and closed the door.

Big Mac blinked in confusion for a brief instant before he reached forward and stopped the door, short of shutting.

“Bright, wait.” He spoke up.

There was a long moment of silence, then Bright partly opened the door, averting his eyes away, unwilling to be completely vulnerable in front of Big Mac. Big Mac eyed Bright with a sympathetic gaze.

“I know I can’t understand what yer life is like or what you’ve been through, but it sounds like ya had to endure a lot on your own. And to be really honest, it sounds like a mighty lonesome life.” He reached the top of his hoof and lifted Bright’s head by his chin and Bright reluctantly lifted his eyes to Big Mac, ears falling flat. “...Bright, you’re a real swell stallion. It’s a shame ya feel like you have to hide yourself from the world. What I said yesterday wasn’t excusable, but...I still wanna be yer friend. Iff’n you’ll have me, that is.” He smiled softly.

Bright’s lip quivered and as he stared into Big Mac’s sincere expression, his face went red again, but it wasn’t from anger this time. He wiped away a tear that started to roll down his cheek and he cleared his throat.

“I’d really like that…” He admitted with a nod.

Big Mac’s grin grew wider and he sat on his haunches on the hardwood floor, reaching a hoof out to Bright.

“C’mere. Ya need a hug, bad.”

Bright let out a short laugh for the first time in a day, partly from awkward attraction, yet mostly from relief. He moved close to Big Mac and let himself sink against his body, wrapping both his legs around him. Mac rested his hoof on Bright’s back and comforted him with gentle strokes on his fur. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, picking up a subtle scent of mint and blueberries from Bright’s mane. He sighed softly, content.

“I’m sorry that I yelled at you like that…” Bright murmured with a slight frown. “I thought it would feel good to just...finally let out all my grief and frustration. And it did for a little bit, but then I looked at you and I felt like I was turning my back on the only living pony that I was most comfortable being myself around. I’m tired of hiding…”

“Guess ya don’t have much left to hide from me. I’m sure that talkin’ to ghosts was the heaviest pill to swallow.” Big Mac chuckled a bit, attempting to lighten the dour mood.

“Yeah...You’re right.” Bright replied with some pep. Then, his ears twitched and he partially parted from the hug, turning his head to look elsewhere, within his home.

“What’s up, Bright?” Big Mac asked.

“...It’s nothing.” He started to lie before the realization hit him. “...Well, actually...I think I’d like to introduce you to my best friend.”

Big Mac’s calm expression was rattled as he widened his eyes and his smile changed from relaxed to more anxious.

“...H-Heh...I think she and I are already pretty acquainted.” He chuckled nervously, scratching his nose where his bandages were.

“How did you know she was…” Bright paused, finally noticing how Big Mac was injured. Then, he looked over his shoulder and listened before he was suddenly shocked, pulling away from Mac. “...What!? Ivory, why would you do that!? I’d never wish that on anypony!” He turned back to Big Mac with a sheepish smile. “H-Ha...I’m really sorry about the trouble Ivory caused you today. I promise you that I never ask any ghosts to haunt ponies.”

Big Mac couldn’t help but give a short laugh. There was something about Bright’s reaction that was so adorable. “No no. You’re alright, Bright. I probably had it comin’ after that bump we had. I don’t blame ya. Yer friend was just standin’ up for ya.” He nodded. “And...I’m happy to do the same if anypony gives ya trouble.” He felt his cheeks grow warm.

Bright paused, in a short daze, then he grew another smile: a grateful one. “You’re really great, Big...Maaaac...” He let out a long, tired yawn.

“Y’all should get some rest. Ya look exhausted.” Big Mac suggested.

“Yeah...I’m gonna turn in early tonight.” Bright replied, smacking his lips.

“So...er...can I see ya tomorrow? Maybe get a cup o’ coffee and chocolate at the cafe?”

“Sure. I can meet you there after I’m done at the library. It’s Hearth’s Warming Eve, so we’ll be closing early, in the afternoon at 2.”

“Great. I’ll see ya there.” Big Mac grinned, standing up and moseying out the door to leave. However, something came to his mind and after taking his first steps outside, he stopped and looked back at Bright. “Hey, Bright?”

“Yeah?” Bright answered, standing by the door.

“Earlier, ya called me ‘Zap’.” Big Mac rubbed his neck, hoping not to be too nosy. “...Iff’n ya don’t mind me askin’, why did ya? Who’s ‘Zap’?”

Bright gained a bewildered expression at the mention. He looked down, shying away a little, tensing up. A bitter chill ran down his spine that briefly shook his body and his forehooves trembled again. “I...I-I…” He stuttered, almost silently.

Big Mac raised a brow and took a step closer, dipping his head to try and look at Bright’s face. “Bright…?”

It took a moment of stunned silence before Bright sharply inhaled and cleared his throat, looking up at Big Mac. “...Zap? Let’s just say that he’s somepony that...I wish I could forget.” He replied.

Big Mac was a bit daunted by the answer. He hadn’t known anypony to get so frozen up like that. “Alright...You have a good night, Bright.” He parted, wishing not to press further.

“Good night, Big Mac...See you tomorrow.” Bright, at least, saw him off with a small smile and a wave of his hoof. Big Mac returned the grin and started to amble back onto the path to town.

He adjusted the scarf on his neck as a cold breeze passed through and began to mull over Bright and the somepony he knew. It concerned him that Bright grew so paralyzed. While he was glad that the both of them were able to reconcile, he knew that there was more that Bright didn’t want to share. Whether or not he would was completely up to him, but Big Mac felt in his heart that he just had to be there for him, regardless.

Ain’t nopony’s gonna hurt ya the same way I did, Bright...I promise.

Author's Note

Well, it's been a while coming. Hope you guys didn't think I'd actually give up on this. I admit that I had a bit of trouble with a few spots in this chapter, but I'd like to extend a couple thanks.

First, Vivid Syntax, who inspired and encouraged me to play D&D for the first time, which really helped me in writing the O&O part of the chapter.

Next, thanks to Modzer627 for putting up with me for this long as my proofreader. I really appreciate the help!

Finally, thanks to all of you for reading this far! I'm very humbled that you're so invested in this story!

-InlustriusGhost

Chapter 7: Haunted and Loved

The clear skies were certainly a huge blessing for Bright that evening. His telescope stood on its tripod while he aimed the lens to the sky towards Orion. A soft breeze swayed the grassy field of his backyard. Bright felt a pleasurable shiver run up his spine as he sat down on the picnic blanket he spread on the ground. He enjoyed nights like this: calm, clear, cool, and generously illuminated by Luna’s moon as well as the stars.

“Got a decent view, Bright?” Big Mac asked, trotting up behind Bright, wearing a beige trilby over his messy hay mane. He came to a stop on the blanket and settled comfortably with his belly down.

“It’s beautiful tonight,.” Bright replied with a smile.

“Eeyup.”

He was so glad to have Big Mac’s company, finally able to be himself without any secrets getting in the way. It was...liberating. On a night like tonight, Bright felt a stirring in his core and a heat on his face. His heart pumped with a gleeful bounce as he glanced at Big Mac, who looked back at him with that gentle, friendly smile.

“Hey...Big Mac?” Bright sheepishly shifted his gaze to the ground.

“Eeyup?”

“I wanna get something off my chest...You see, I-I don’t think that I’ve ever clicked with anypony as well as I have with you and I really appreciate our friendship,.” hHe started. Big Mac nodded as he listened closely.

“But, there’s more to it than just that. When I’m around you...it’s a feeling that’s hard to describe, but it’s a really good feeling. Something I never thought I’d ever feel, because I was so scared...” Bright rubbed his hooves together, trying to find the right words. Then, he realized he was meandering on his point and he looked directly at Big Mac, who had raised his brow slightly and wrinkled his nose. “Wh-What I’m trying to say is that...I feel like I like you as something more than a friend, Big Mac.”

There was a long, empty pause. Bright awkwardly and uncomfortably managed a smile as he waited for Big Mac to respond, yet he only sat there, suspended with an expression of questioning. Then, there was a sudden chill in the air that set in from all around. It made Bright’s fur on his back stand on end.

“Ya shoulda kept yer mouth shut, Bright.” Big Mac snarled, his face contorting into a dark scowl.

“Huh…?” Bright felt his chest sink, falling from enamored to petrified.

Big Mac slipped his trilby off of his head and underneath it hid a unicorn horn. “I don’t know what made ya think I’d like stallions at all. I don’t, Bright.” His horn flared to life with a golden glow as it crackled with static and a lengthy string of electricity extended from the tip. “I ain’t no damn coltcuddler.”

Bright could almost feel the searing shock of that mystic whip. He hastily retreated backwards in fright, knocking over his tripod and telescope. “W-Wait, Big Mac! This isn’t like you!” He pleaded, keeping his distance.

Big Mac’s eyes flared with a fire of monstrous wrath as he slowly approached Bright. He twirled the electric lasso around his head and it hummed and revved with increasing power.

“Please, stop!!!”

VrrrRRMM! CRACK!

The lasso snapped toward Bright and barely stopped short of striking him. He yelped and sprang into a gallop, scrambling into the open fields that spanned behind his house.

What did I do? What did I do wrong!? Bright repeated in his head over and over. He huffed as adrenaline and terror pushed his legs to sprint as fast as possible. Betrayal struck him and his eyes grew cloudy. I thought we were friends! I thought he was better!

VrrrRRMM…

Bright glanced behind him and grew wide-eyed and drop-jawed in shock as he saw Big Mac’s blackened silhouette towering over the fields. His eyes glowed with the crackling fury of lightning and his golden whip swirled once more as he prepared to attack again. Then, as Bright exerted himself to run faster in order to make his escape, he saw that the vast plain that used to spread far in front of him had vanished and all that was left was a steep cliff that dropped off into an endless dark abyss. He tried to halt, but his hooves skidded on the dewey grass as he arrived at the edge. Bright cried out when he very nearly fell off, desperately grasping onto the cliff edge, hind legs dangling and reaching for any sort of foothold. He panicked, tears falling down his cheeks and his breath an uncontrolled mix of sobs and hyperventilation.

VVRRMM…

Bright gazed upwards and saw the dark shadow that used to be Big Mac looming over him. He struggled with all his might to climb back up.

CRACK went the whip, swatting Bright across the face as the electric shock burned his flesh and paralyzed his body. His grip failed and he fell into the darkness below, where thousands of shadowy claws awaited, reaching out and grabbing his body with their deathly cold grasps...

The ringing of Bright’s screaming jolted him awake. In the blink of an eye, he was sitting upright in his bed, gasping for breath and profusely sweating. He frantically looked around, checking his surroundings while he crossed his forelegs and clutched his fur in a self hug, then realized that he was back in the safety of his bedroom, yet his body still trembled from the scare.
With an uneven heave of shallow solace, Bright slumped back into his bed, resting on his front side as he grabbed his pillow in a tight embrace and buried his face into it, breaking down.

Within a minute, Bright could feel another presence as Ivory phased into the room from below the floor, concerned after hearing his scream disturb the whole house. He tried to hush himself and stay silent, but a few soft and muffled whimpers managed to slip out.

“...Another nightmare?” Ivory asked, hovering over the bed and resting at the foot of it.

“…A-Ahuh…” Bright sniffled.

“You haven’t had ‘em for awhile, Bright. At least, not this bad.”

“...” Bright stayed silent, aside from a few shuddering breaths.

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

He earnestly shook his head no, not wanting to revisit that horrible dream again. It was too much like what happened before…

Ivory exhaled softly. “Okay…Want me to stay?”

Bright paused for a moment before he nodded. He clutched his pillow more tightly, feeling cold, wet patches where his tears were smeared on the fabric. Ivory floated and moved up to sit next to Bright, watching him and brushing her ghostly hoof over his head and mane. To Bright, it felt like nothing more than a cool spot on his fur. He didn’t think much of the gesture, desiring more to actually get some sleep. He peeked up at the alarm clock on his bedside table. “3:12 AM” Bright made a short, strange sound, between a whine and a groan. He shut his eyes and tried to relax and sleep.

If there was one thing that Bright hated more than getting harassed for his unique sight, it was his nightmares. They would haunt him for nights, sometimes weeks at a time. And it was mostly the same dream every time: Bright would be at home or in school and it’d start nice enough, but then a huge shadowy figure would appear, hunting him down with that electric whip. Bright winced at the thought. Try as he might to escape, there would always be a huge ravine or drop off that would have him cornered and every time he’d fall into it, where countless claws would pull him down into the depths of an endless darkness.

Bright trembled, chilled at the thought. As he tucked his hind legs closer to his body underneath his comforter, he wondered why these terrors returned now. He thought that after so long without waking in the dead of night in a cold sweat, he was finally free. But now, his nightmares had returned for the second night in a row.

Not only that, but this time, Big Mac was the one who attacked him. Bright shook his head. He’s not like that at all. He thought. Big Mac...He told me that he liked me. At least...I hope he still does…

Bright brushed his hoof through his messy bedhead and turned to lie on his right side. Try as he might, the sweet relief of slumber was just out of reach for him. His mind was too rattled to even get a wink in. He groaned in annoyance as his initial terror had passed.

“Can’t sleep…” He muttered.

Ivory pursed her lips together, irritated with herself that she was so useless to Bright as a ghost. If she could be alive again for the rest of the night, she would try everything in her power to help him get some sleep, either by brewing some peppermint tea or snuggling up to him, actually being able to touch him without her hooves just passing right through him.

“Try to get some rest at least.” It was her best effort at advice for him.

Bright softly sighed and closed his eyes. However, he would remain restless for the remainder of the night.

“Okay, that’s one ‘Daring Do and the Eternal Flower’ and one ‘Egghead’s Guide to: Sleeping With an Eye Open’...” Bright paused and let out a long, tired yawn before giving each book a stamp inside their covers. “Enjoy your books…” He smiled, his eyes heavy as he passed them to the grey wall-eyed filly across his desk.

She smiled and fluttered her wings as she hovered out the library’s grand doors. Bright rubbed his eyes and took a look around the room. There were only three other ponies around, browsing the shelves’ selection and not many have been visiting since the library opened that morning, on account of Hearth’s Warming Eve being today. It was very calm, if not a bit dull, but at least he could close up early.

Maybe I could just go straight home and take a nap… Bright thought, already fantasizing about sprawling into his bed to get that rest that he had missed out on for two nights now. ...That is, if I don’t get more nightmares… “Ugh…” He groaned.

“...Bright?”

Startled from the new voice calling from behind, Bright jolted awake and at attention, turning around to see that the one asking for him was Starlight Glimmer.

“Y-Yeah!?” Bright answered rather loudly before remembering that he was still in a library. “I-I mean, yes?” He repeated more softly, tripping over his words as if his mouth hadn’t caught up with the rest of his body. Starlight stared back at Bright with a quizzical eyebrow raised.

“Are...you feeling okay? Between yesterday and today, you don’t really seem like you’re all there,” she asked.

“I’m fine! Just...didn’t get enough sleep last night.” Bright replied.

“Oh! I know what that feels like,” Starlight snickered gently. “There was a time when I was so tired that I dozed off while casting a transfiguration spell and I turned a painting on the wall into an all-devouring wormhole.”

“Wait, what!?” He caught himself in a breathy whisper before he got too loud again. “Are you serious?”

“Yup! True story! I guess you could say that it’s the first time I’ve ever really been into art.”

Bright thought for a second, then burst into a short laugh, planting his hoof on his mouth to hush himself. “Boo! That’s so lame!”

“Thank you! Thank you! I’ll be here all week.” Starlight took a bow, then looked back up at Bright with a wink. “Well, you won’t have to wait much longer until we close up. You’ve got less than half an hour,” she assured, glancing over at a nearby clock on the wall.

At the same time, Spike scampered in through the open library doors, looking around before spotting Starlight and briskly jogging up to her. “Uh, Starlight? Twilight wants to talk to you about a magic...thing. I don’t know what it is. Some artifact Celestia sent her. She’s waiting for you in the throne room,” he informed her.

“Oh, sure!” She smiled, starting a trot to leave, before turning back to Bright. “Stay perky, Bright!” Then, she was gone out the door.

Spike stayed and curiously looked up at Bright from across the desk. The unicorn was stacking some loose books that were scattered about, preparing to reshelve them before he noticed the way that Spike was staring at him.

“Uh…Is everything okay, Spike?” he asked.

Spike blinked in slight surprise. “Oh, y-yeah!” He paused to think a second. “...Actually, mind if I ask you something?”

Bright finished piling his books up and then slid them aside, giving Spike his full attention. “Sure. What’s up?”

“Um...A-Are you a medium?” Spike stammered.

Bright chuckled a bit awkwardly. “A what?”

“A medium. A pony that can channel and communicate with the dead?” he elaborated.

For a brief instance, everything went still as Bright felt his heart sink into his stomach. H-How does he know? How could he know!? He thought. “What...Why do you ask...?”

Spike jumped and pulled himself up and onto the desk, taking a seat. He scanned around, making sure that they were mostly in privacy with no wandering ears in proximity. “Well...every once in awhile, Big Mac, Discord and I have our super secret Guy’s Night and we play our favorite game, Ogres & Oubliettes. Last night, we were in the middle of a game and things were getting really weird when Discord suddenly stopped the game and said that he captured a ghost that was attached to Big Mac. I really didn’t get much of what was happening, but I know that the ghost Discord caught really was real and it said that it was your friend.”

If he bit down on his lip any harder, Bright was sure he would make himself bleed. If he thinks I’m nuts, how long will it be until everypony else finds out? Will they shut me out?

Spike scooted a bit closer to Bright as he continued. “Now, I did a little reading in my Ogres & Oubliettes Fourth Edition Handbook before bed and found a chapter on mediums. They are characters with a primary role as a controller with secondary options as leaders or defenders. They have key abilities in Charisma, Strength, and Intelligence and proficiency in cloth armor and in simple melee and ranged weapons…”

As Spike’s thought went on and on, Bright’s agonizing anxiety slowly fell away and left him totally befuddled. His muscles relaxed when he couldn’t even understand most of what Spike was talking about. “Uh...Spike?”

“...control of their own body-er...Yeah?” The dragon paused.

“Where are you going with this?” Bright asked.

“Oh! Long story short, I think it would be so cool if you are a real life medium!” He finished.

It took a moment to process and, even then, Bright thought he was only hearing things he wanted to hear. “...You think I’m...cool?”

“I mean, you’re already great as you are, Bright, but don’t you see how amazing a power like that is? Being able to talk to ghosts?” Spike earnestly wondered, looking up to Bright with youthful curiosity.

Bright was stunned that anyone would react so warmly to the thing that so often isolated him from everypony else. It was a strange new feeling: acceptance. And with it came an overwhelming joy and relief. “I’ve never really thought about it that way,” he answered.

“So then, is it really true?” Spike asked hushedly.

While hesitant to truly admit it, Bright felt confident enough to put his trust in Spike with his supernatural secret. He tenderly beamed and gently nodded. Total awe took over the look on Spike’s face while his jaw lowered. Nothing else could sum up what was going through the baby dragon’s head but the word that fell from his mouth.

“Wow…”

“Promise me that you won’t tell anypony.” Bright pleaded.

Spike puffed up his chest and raised his right claw in confidence. “You can count on me. Dragon’s Honor.”

Bright gave a short, alleviated sigh. “Thanks, Spike.”

“So...um...what’s it like?” Spike asked. “Being a medium?”

“Well...I don’t think it’s quite like you were describing it before. I can see and talk to ghosts, sure, but I’ve never been able to channel them or anything like that. Though, there are some cases when I can feel what a ghost is feeling.”

Spike listened intently and briefly glanced around the near empty library, considering the idea that they might not be alone now. “Are they everywhere? Are there any ghosts that are here now?”

“None at the moment, but I do sometimes see a few come into the library from time...to time...” Bright trailed off into a heavy yawn.

“Geez, Bright, you could eat a melon whole with your mouth that wide,” Spike snickered.

“...Sorry. Actually…” Bright looked up at the wall clock, which was ticking closer to 2 PM. “Looks like it’s just about time to close up, Spike. I better reshelve,” he said, walking from the desk to grab loose tomes with his magic.

“I’ll help you out!” Spike offered, hopping off the desk. Bright gratefully smiled, so glad to have a new friend who accepted him as he was.

While Bright wished that he could catch up on some sleep, he remembered that made plans to meet Big Mac at the cafe after his shift. He certainly didn’t want to disappear on him. Not after they had just patched up their friendship the night before. Plus, the thought of seeing Big Mac again was enough to perk him up.

The skies were clear and sunny that afternoon and the streets of town were busy as ever. Not at all surprising to Bright, considering what day it was. The air was energized with holiday spirit as everypony hustled and bustled to fulfill their plans for the evening. While he was apart from his family this year, it was a sight that warmed his heart.

The walk to the cafe wasn’t long. Bright was delighted when he first walked in and saw that Big Mac was already there, sitting at a table, waiting for him with a mug of coffee and hot chocolate. Big Mac welcomed him with his gentle smile.

“Hey, great to see you!” He greeted, closing the door behind him, trotting up to the table, and grabbing the seat across from the farmpony. Then, he slid his saddlebags off his back and lowered them under the table. “I hope you weren’t waiting too long for me.”

“Nnope.” Big Mac shook his head and slid Bright’s mug closer to him.

Bright beamed. His horn awoke with its purplish glow and his magic lifted the mug closer to his muzzle. He savored a sniff of the rich chocolate that steamed beyond the swirl of whipped cream that topped it. Then, he took a careful sip. It was still piping hot, but the sweetness deliciously bounced all over his mouth.

“Ya still look tired…” Big Mac spoke up.

Bright looked up from his cup and rubbed more sleep from his eyes. “I couldn’t get much sleep last night,” he admitted.

“It ain’t normal for ya, is it?” Big Mac asked. “Maybe yer still homesick.”

“That may be right,” Bright lied, choosing to avoid talking about his nightmares. He didn’t want Big Mac to feel bad for him, especially after the dream from the night before. “Guess I can’t get my mind off my family this time of year.”

A thought passed through Big Mac’s mind as he scratched his chin. “What about your...late family?” He started, more quietly so that the other ponies in the cafe couldn’t hear. “Don’t ya get visited by anypony?”

That reminded Bright. No need to hold back on that secret. “I do. I see my mom from time to time, whenever she’s around. She likes to stay with my dad a lot though, so right now she’s probably with him in Prance.” He explained. “Then there’s my grandpa on my dad’s side and my grandma on my mom’s. I see them all the time at family gatherings. They’re probably visiting my Uncle Ganymede and all the rest of them in Coltifornia.”

Big Mac put down his mug of black coffee after a sip. “But ya haven’t seen any of them today?”

“Ghosts and spirits can’t just go wherever they want.” Bright spoke softly, leaning close. “They’re usually attached to someplace, something, or somepony that they have a strong emotional connection with. From what I’ve seen, a ghost could move a long distance if they can sense another connection, but in my case, my mom’s too far to make a jump to me and my grandparents are more drawn to my living family getting together that they probably can’t sense me all the way over here.”

It took Big Mac a minute to digest what Bright said, but it all seemed fairly simple enough. “I think I get it.” He nodded.

“And I’m not totally alone. I’ve got Ivory. She’s been my best friend ever since I started seeing ghosts, and she follows me wherever I go.” Bright finished with another sip of his chocolate.

“She makes a good first impression. Heh…” Big Mac chuckled, loosening his scarf a bit.

Bright almost laughed as he swallowed, snorting a puff of air through his nose, making a crooked smile, and scratching his cheek with a bit of awkwardness. He made a mental note to keep Ivory in check next time he ran into trouble.

“So, uh, how did you start seein’ ghosts and such?” Big Mac asked.

It didn’t immediately occur to Bright that Big Mac might want to understand where his ability came from. The question caught him off guard. “Well…I…” He trailed off, stunned for a brief moment. “I-I’d rather not talk about it…” Bright managed to say.

“I’m sorry, Bright…Didn’t know it was real personal,” Big Mac apologized, leaning backwards on his seat, sheepishly glancing down at the coffee left in his mug.

“It’s okay…Um…” Bright pondered on Big Mac’s question for a bit before he spoke up again. “Y’know…I’ve never told anypony about how it happened, but I’d like to tell you. I’m just…not ready to relive that part of my life.”

“I understand.” Big Mac smiled and downed a mouthful from his mug. He looked at Bright, contemplating to himself about what sort of circumstances would lead a unicorn like him to gain some magical power that was so unusual, even in a world full of magic. There wasn’t anypony quite like him, and yet, Bright seemed so lonely, living on his own in a small home just outside of town. Of course, he said he has his ghostly friend for company, but there wasn’t anypony for him to touch or hold…At least, Big Mac thought he couldn’t touch a ghost. “…Bright?”

“Yeah, Big Mac?” Bright responded after finishing the rest of his chocolate, though he didn’t notice that there was a bit of whipped cream left on his lip.

A short chuckle left Big Mac’s mouth. “Can I offer ya some company tonight by invitin’ ya to my home?” he asked, offering a napkin to Bright.

“You mean, with you and your family?” Bright said, taking the napkin and wiping his mouth. “Are you sure? I-I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

Big Mac continued. “I’m sure. I know ya said ya have Ivory for company, but I figured you’d like to spend time with somepony livin’ too. And my family will love ya.”

It’s been so long since the last time somepony invited Bright to come into their home. In fact, Bright couldn’t recall such a time. It actually surprised him how reclusive he had gotten used to being. No time like the present to change that, he thought.

“If it’s alright with you, then I’d be happy to come.” Bright smiled.

There was a sort of cheerful gleam in Big Mac’s eyes as Bright answered. Just the idea of having the unicorn in his home, meeting his sisters and granny, and enjoying an evening together filled Big Mac with a jubilation that couldn’t help but show through a hearty “Eeyup!” Then, he followed it by asking, “Can ya come ‘round the farm at 7 tonight?”

“Sure!” Bright nodded as he was getting up from his seat. “I better get home and rest up. I’m already tired enough as it is.”

“Hope ya sleep well,” Big Mac wished.

As he got his saddlebags secured on his back, Bright searched in one of his pouches and levitated a hoofful of bits and placed them on the table in front of Big Mac. Before the earth pony could ask, Bright answered, “I told you I’d pay for the drinks this time around.” He smiled and waved, then left for the door.

Defeated, Big Mac sighed and chuckled softly. He thought he could get away with that.

That evening, the crisp night air was still, only ever lightly breezing on occasion. Bright’s hooves crunched on the powdery path that lead up to Sweet Apple Acres. The cold barely touched him through the burgundy V-neck sweater he wore and he took the time to tie his yellow bow tie around his neck. The road was shoveled and cleared of most snow so it was simple enough to navigate, even in the dark of twilight.

“This is so exciting, Bright!” Ivory grinned, drifting through the air right next to the unicorn. She held back a squeal from the anticipation of watching her best friend meeting with his crush. “I can’t believe Big Mac asked you to come into his home! He’s a real keeper. I can tell.”

Bright furrowed a brow and smirked. “Really? Because, last I checked, you spent a whole day haunting and cursing him until he ended up on my doorstep. All this just yesterday.”

“Pssh! Details. Details.” She tossed her hoof. “What matters is that you get to spend a whole evening with him! How romantic!”

“His family will be there too, y’know. Besides, Ivory, we’re just friends right now.” Bright shrugged. “But thanks for coming along with me.”

“Aww, you know, I’d go anywhere with you, boo. And it’s not like I had anything else to do tonight,” Ivory said.

“Well, maybe you’ll have some company of your own tonight too. I remember seeing Big Mac’s dad a couple days ago. And I think I saw his mom in a dream. Maybe we’ll see them there.” Bright considered, wondering if perhaps he might see a complete picture of Big Mac’s immediate family.

As he and Ivory followed a turn on the path, the generations-old farmhouse came into view. It was clearly an old home, but freshly painted red while the windows glowed with warm light from within. All of it nestled in the middle of a grand orchard, though the trees themselves were not at their best. The cold of winter withered them down to their branches as they hibernated, but Bright had a feeling that all of them would look spectacular come spring.

It was not a long trot to get to the front porch, and Bright could hear some faint chatter from inside as he approached. He stomped the snow and ice bits off his hooves on the welcome mat laid out before the door, then knocked. Before anypony answered, he quickly checked if his mane was still brushed and neat.

After a few seconds, the door swung open and Bright locked eyes with Applejack. She looked comfortable wearing her sky blue wooly sweater in addition to her signature hat. Her smile was inviting and friendly as she burst into her greeting. “Well, howdy there, Bright! We’ve been expectin’ you! Come on in!” She stepped to the side and gestured for him to enter.

“Uh, thanks!”

Bright sheepishly grinned as he stepped inside, instantly blanketed in the warmth that radiated from the nearby fireplace, and the smell of cinnamon and pine tickled his nostrils. The home’s interior was constructed mostly of wood and painted with varying shades of peaches and greens. Apples and ivy patterns were ornately carved on the support beams and foundations. The living room was furnished with hoof-crafted chairs, a coffee table, a pair of bookshelves, a sofa, and a rocking chair in the corner. The holiday spirit was evidently ringing within the home as Bright noticed the piney garland that was wrapped around the railing of the staircase that led up to the next level of the farmhouse. Also, standing in the corner of the living room was the Hearthsmas tree. It was still bare, though some cardboard boxes filled with ornaments were sitting by the base of the tree. Bright was charmed by every little detail. This home was made of love and it reminded him of his own that he left in Coltifornia.

Applejack closed the door to keep the cold out. “Big Mac’s been tellin’ us all about ya.”

“Oh. What has he told you?” Bright asked, cautious about if anypony else knew the truth about him.

“He said you were livin’ at home alone after movin’ and he wanted to be real friendly to you and welcome you to our home for tonight.”

Bright mentally sighed. “He’s very kind to invite me in. Thanks a lot for having me.”

“Any friend of an Apple is welcome in our home, Bright. Make yourself comfy. Ah gotta help Granny in the kitchen. Big Mac should be down soon.”

A heavy step from the top of the staircase signaled the earth stallion was already on his way.

“Speak o’ the devil,” Applejack chuckled before trotting to the kitchen.

Big Mac carefully stepped down the stairs, balancing one more box of ornaments on his back. In the spirit of the season, he was wearing a festive red hat with a white fluffy trim and ball at the tip.

“Evenin’, Bright,” he greeted with a smile. “Happy Hearth’s Warmin’”

“Happy Hearth’s Warming,” Bright returned.

The last of the ornaments were gently dropped with the rest before Big Mac turned back toward Bright. There was a flutter that tickled his chest as he set his eyes on the unicorn. “Y-Ya look real nice.”

Bright’s face tinted a bit red at the compliment. “Heh…Well, I wanted to make a good first impression with your family. Er…You didn’t mention anything about the…” He trailed off.

“N-Nope. I promise that stays between you and me.”

“Thank you.” Bright nodded.

Just then, some smaller, lighter hoof steps pattered down the staircase as Applebloom entered the living room, carrying decorative strings of gold and silver garlands. “Ah think this is all we need for the tree!” She stopped at the base of the steps when she saw Bright. “Oh! Howdy, mister! Are you my big brother’s friend?”

“That’s right.” Bright smiled. “It’s nice to meet you!”

“Bright, this is my li’l sister, Applebloom. Applebloom, meet Bright,” Big Mac introduced.

“Ya came just in time, Bright! We’re gonna have dinner and then put the decorations on the tree!” Applebloom waved her garlands excitedly.

“What’s this I hear about a guest in our home?” The shaky voice of an aged mare permeated the living room as Granny Smith entered from the kitchen. “Now, it wouldn’t be very civil if the lady of the house didn’t welcome guests!”

The Apple matriarch steadily walked up to Bright and squinted her tired eyes a bit to see him more clearly.

“Bright, this is-“

“Fiddle faddle!” Granny Smith cut Big Mac off with a sudden shrillness that made Bright flinch. “I might be old, Macky, but I can still talk jus’ fine!”

Bright found himself snickering internally while a cheeky smile curved his lips. Macky?

“The name’s Granny Smith, sonny, but please, just call me Granny.” She reached out her hoof and Bright gently held it with his own for a shake. “Your name’s Bright, ain’t it?”

“Yes, ma’am-er…Granny.” He nodded.

“Now, where’re you from?”

“The city of Los Serafines in Coltifornia.”

“Whoo-ee! That’s quite a ways from our little town of Ponyville. If I’m rememberin’ correctly, I think our cousins, Winesap and Rome Beauty just started their orchard in Coltifornia some five years ago,” Granny Smith mused.

“What’s it like there, Bright?” Applebloom asked.

“It’s very sunny and warm for most of the year. Almost like a year-long summer. And at night, the city glows with lights, almost rivaling Manehattan. Though it does make it hard to see stars on clear nights. That’s why I moved here to Ponyville.” Bright opened his saddlebag and lit his horn to show off his telescope. “And speaking of stars, I thought I could show you some tonight. I can set up my tripod just outside.”

“Wow! Can we, Big Mac?” Applebloom bounced on her hooves with delight.

Big Mac chuckled and brushed his hoof over Applebloom’s mane before looking to Bright. “Eeyup.”

“That sounds lovely, but I should get back to cookin’! Dinner’s gonna be ready soon, so you youngin’s better not be long.” Granny said before turning back to the kitchen. “Oh, and welcome to the family, Bright.” She smiled warmly as any grandmother would.

“Th-Thank you.” There was a strange feeling that welled up inside of Bright. He couldn’t remember a time when he had been so easily and openly accepted by anypony. He had only known them for a few minutes, but to be called part of the family made him feel a certain comfort that he had only felt with his father and their relatives back home.

“C’mere, Bright. I know the perfect spot for yer telescope,” Big Mac said, tilting his head to point Bright out the door.

Bright’s chest swelled with butterflies and he gave Big Mac a truly joyful expression. It was the happiest Big Mac had ever seen him. This is perfect, Bright thought.

There was no way Bright could possibly down a third serving of mashed sweet potatoes and roasted oats, but he marveled at how Big Mac and Applejack were just finishing their fourth. Applebloom had a smaller plate, but was just scooping up a third helping for herself while Granny Smith had a more modest portion. The smell of cinnamon was much more prominent than before with the added aroma of apples, all thanks to the multicolored apple pie that was baking in the oven.

At some point during the meal, Bright caught sight of Ivory floating into the living room with Bright Macintosh and Pear Butter. While Bright was chatting with the living Apples at the table, Ivory was getting to know the late Apple parents. The chatter and laughter between the two groups filled the farmhouse with a magic that could only be found during the holidays.

“Wow. Thank you so much for the food! It was delicious!” Bright praised.

Applejack took Bright’s plate and stacked it over hers and Big Mac’s. “Yer quite welcome, Bright. And thank you for joining us tonight. It’s nice to have some company on Hearth’s Warmin’.” she replied.

“And ya really know a lot about those stars, Bright! They’re real pretty to look at through yer telescope.” Applebloom chimed.

“Thank you, Applebloom.” Bright nodded. “Do you mind if I use your bathroom, Applejack?”

“Not at all. It’s jus’ up the stairs, first door on yer left.”

Bright smiled as he slid off his seat and left from the dining room. Ivory noticed Bright as he slipped away alone and followed him up the stairs.

“So how’s it going on your end?” she asked.

“Just wonderful,” Bright replied with a hushed voice. “It’s such a great time. The family is super nice and welcoming. They really make it feel like home here.”

“Well, we pride ourselves on being very hospitable folk,” Bright Mac chimed in as he came up alongside Ivory. “And you’re a mighty kind stallion, Bright. I’m sure Buttercup and I would’ve invited you into our home just the same.”

At the top of the staircase, Bright found the bathroom, just as Applejack had told him. He stepped in and leaned against the sink to wash his hooves. “It’s great to see that you found each other again.”

Buttercup appeared right next to Bright Mac, nuzzling his cheek. “I’m sorry for not tellin’ you. I just had a sudden feelin’ that my dad wasn’t well that I had to go as quick as I could.”

“Is he alright?” Bright asked.

Buttercup’s ears lowered slightly as her face soured into slight worry. “He’s havin’ a bout of grief. Long story short, the Apples and Pears used to feud and fight for a long time. Despite all that, Bright Mac and I fell in love and we got married, but my dad didn’t approve and he and the Pears left Ponyville for Vanhoover. I never saw him again until after Mac and I passed on.”

Bright pondered on that thought for a bit as he dried his hooves on a towel. How could anypony just leave a loved one like that? It was a cold and cruel thing to do and there was nothing Bright could say aside from, “That’s terrible…”

“I know, but since then, he’s made amends with the Apples, so many years later. I’ve seen him much happier, though I still see him hurtin’ real bad from time to time. I just wish I could tell him that I forgive him and help him put his mind at ease...” Buttercup confessed. Bright Mac stood beside her with his foreleg wrapped over her shoulder to comfort her.

Bright scratched his chin for a bit. “I’ve seen other spirits stay attached to somepony they loved in life, like my mom and dad. Even though my dad misses my mom badly, he feels comforted whenever she stays around him. I think it helps him to grieve. Maybe if you stick with your dad, it might help him out if he can feel that you’re present with him.”

“I could do that...but I wouldn’t wanna be away from my kids for too long.” Buttercup pondered, looking to Bright Mac.

“Don’t you worry about them, Buttercup.” Bright Mac shook his head, “Our kids are growin’ up. Heck, our little Applebloom earned her cutie mark already. You can go be with yer pops. I’ll keep an eye on ‘em.”

“A-Are ya sure, Bright Mac? I don’t know how long I’ll be with Papa Pear.”

“Hey, we only have the rest of forever to be together. I can wait however long you need,” Bright Mac assured, brushing Buttercup’s curly hair aside from her face and kissing her forehead. She giggled softly.

“Alright. You’ve convinced me,” she sighed. “But I’ll be back every so often to check on you. And, thank you, Bright. I don’t think there’s anypony quite like you.”

“You’re welcome. I’m wishing you and your dad all the best. And it’s been a pleasure to meet you both.” Bright smiled, then opened the bathroom door, and started down the stairs to rejoin with Big Mac and the others.

“Hey, Bright?” Bright Mac interrupted.

“Yes?”

“If our Li’l Mac asks about us, can you tell him that we’re alright and that we’re proud of him?” he humbly asked. “We know he’s missed us a lot too, and it’s not every day we can ask somepony to pass along a message to our kids. We just want him to know we love him.”

Bright gave a smile and nodded. “Of course.” Then, he continued on his way.

For a brief moment, Ivory drifted along beside Bright to tell him, “You’re a really big-hearted stallion, Bright Sight.”

He acknowledged her with a friendly wink. As he walked down the steps to the living room, he saw Big Mac inspecting the tree and ornaments, about to begin decorating. From the kitchen, Bright could hear the rush of running water and idle chatter as Applejack and Granny Smith were washing dishes. He also caught sight of Applebloom at the table, shoveling big scoops of her sweet potato into her mouth in a rush. Bright chuckled as he ambled over to Big Mac, examining the boxes of ornaments.

“You have a big collection,” he observed, seeing the many wood-carved and hoof-painted figurines of Clover the Clever, Commander Hurricane, and the other tribe leaders of the three pony races among the colorful bulbs and baubles.

“Some years, we like to make our own tree decorations and share ‘em with the other branches of the family.” Big Mac grinned, digging through one box and excavating another figurine. It was of a unicorn, though it was barely distinguishable by its shape as it was a bit crudely carved. “I made this one when I was a colt. I told ya I had fantasies ‘bout bein’ a unicorn. This I made when I had it real bad.”

With a wave of his horn, Bright took a hold of the tiny wooden unicorn and more closely inspected it. The edges were sharp and choppy, with little scratches left behind by unintended slips of the knife, but for a colt, it was quite a nicely crafted sculpture. Cute… Bright thought. “This is some good work,” he said, passing it back to Big Mac.

“Aww, it ain’t much.” Big Mac waved his hoof dismissively, blushing a bit as he took the carving back. “I’ve made some better ones as I grew, but this cute li’l fella’s my favorite. Actually...” He paused a second as he took another look at it. “Heh. He looks a bit like ya.”

It took a moment for Bright to process what he heard. When he looked over at Big Mac, the farm stallion was facing slightly away from him and he looked a bit flustered, scratching his mane timidly. Did…Did he just call me-?

“Don’t start without me!” Applebloom shouted, dashing into the living room in a scramble. “Finished my plate! Let’s decorate!”

Big Mac let out a sudden hearty laugh. “Alright, AB. You choose the first one.”

Bright felt his face was warm, but shook his head. “I can lend a hoof reaching the top of the tree,” he offered.

One by one, Big Mac, Applebloom, and Bright each took ornaments out of the boxes and hung them up on the branches of the Hearthsmas tree. As they furnished it, Big Mac and Applebloom would tell of the little stories and memories attached to the homemade or otherwise special carvings and trinkets. It amazed Bright how big and far out the whole Apple family was spread. They were also way more numerous than his own, and yet, the majority make time to attend the occasional reunion.

There were a few times when Bright would catch Big Mac staring at him with a sort of fondness in his eyes while Bright was circling the tree, looking for a bare spot. He didn’t think much of it…or at least he tried, but that look and smile from Big Mac made him grow red in the face every time. Maybe...I still have a chance, he thought. I just gotta find the right moment to ask.

As the tree neared completion, Applejack and Granny Smith came in and Applejack gave a little whistle at the sight, impressed. “That right there’s a thing o’ beauty. Y’all have done a bang up job!”

“Yer darn tootin’!” Granny Smith added. “And when you’re done, y’all got a nice piece of zap apple pie waitin’ for ya!”

“Zap apple pie? I’ve only ever heard of zap apples. I’ve never had a chance to taste any,” Bright mentioned.

“Oh, Bright. You’ve been missin’ out!” Applejack guffawed. “I’ll make sure ya get a big slice! I promise you, you’ll never taste anythin’ more magical!”

“Hey, Big Mac!” Applebloom called, searching through what was left in the boxes. “The star for the top o’ the tree ain’t here.”

“Must still be in the attic.”

“Come with me, sugarcube. I’ll help ya look for it.” Applejack smiled, gesturing to follow her as she started up the stairs. Applebloom eagerly followed suit.

“We’ll finish up down here,” Big Mac said, grabbing the gold garland.

“And yer Granny’ll be riiiight here,” Granny Smith sighed as she sat herself on her rocking chair, “restin’ her bones.”

As Big Mac started to wrap the strings around the tree, Bright stood next to him and said, “Thanks a lot for inviting me here tonight. I’m having a great time and your family has been nothing short of wonderful.”

“It’s been our pleasure, Bright. ‘Sides, nopony should be alone on Hearth’s Warmin’.” Big Mac grinned.

Bright assisted Big Mac with the silver garland, using his levitation magic to neatly swirl it around on the branches. With that, there was only one thing left to add. Overhead, the two stallions could hear the hoof steps of both Applejack and Applebloom as they were rummaging around the attic.

There was a moment where Bright thought about asking Big Mac how he felt about him, if they were friends or perhaps something more, but memories of an old friendship discouraged him from speaking up.

Then, after a quick few minutes, the two sisters could be heard descending down the staircase. Applejack came down first, with the star they were searching for skillfully balanced on her snout. “Found it!” She chimed, “And you won’t believe what Applebloom found.”

Applebloom scurried down and, in her mouth, there was a rolled up nylon whip. Big Mac’s eyes lit up when he quickly recognized what he was looking at.

“A-Ain’t that…”

“Dad’s old cowwhip!” Applejack finished. Bright froze at the word.

“HOO-wee!!! That dang thing takes me back!” Granny Smith cackled, rocking gently as she reminisced. “Yer father was such a lovestruck fool back in the day. Why, I remember the one day the cows all got spooked by a snake in the pasture that they got stampedin’ toward the Pears’ farm. Bright Mac grabbed that cowwhip and chased them cows down. O’ course, he managed to steer them away with a few good cracks,” Bright winced, but his eyes were locked on the whip, “but when he saw Pear Butter watchin’ him, that’s when he started to show off.”

Granny Smith continued her story and the Apple siblings all listened intently, hanging on every word. Big Mac chuckled to himself, listening about his father and how love made him do some adventurous and occasionally idiotic stunts just to impress his mother. He was glad that Granny Smith started telling these stories more often. It helped him keep the memory of his parents vivid in his mind. Big Mac proudly smiled and he looked to Bright, expecting a dazzled or awed expression, but his smile quickly faded away when he saw a look of utter horror. Bright’s ears were flat, his pupils had shrunken, and his breath was shuddering.

“...Bright? What’s wrong?” Big Mac asked softly.

“Applejack, think you can crack this whip like Dad used to?” Applebloom asked, holding it up to her sister with her hoof.

“Aw, shucks. It can’t be too hard, but keep some space, Sugarcube.” Applejack agreed, grabbing the whip with her teeth.

“D-Do ya see somethin’? Talk to me.” He pleaded, growing more concerned by the second.

“No no no no...Not again...P-Please...Not now...Don’t break, Bright...Don’t break...” Bright muttered almost unintelligibly.

Big Mac traced Bright’s line of sight being directly fixed on the whip just as Applejack prepared herself by swinging it up. The realization hit Big Mac that Bright was somehow in deathly terror and, try as he might, he wouldn’t be able to stop what was coming.

“AJ!” he bellowed.

CRACK!

...

There was a brief, stunned silence.

Bright collapsed onto his hindquarters. His breath picked up and he started hyperventilating. His nightmare and memories of a crackling whip flashed before his eyes. His heart started to beat so hard that he felt like it was going to burst out of his chest. Applejack dropped the whip right after it cracked. At first, she was ready to chew Big Mac out for his outburst, but quickly realized something grim must have happened when her gaze fell on Bright.

“I-I’m sorry...Bright…?” Applejack apologized, unknowing about what she caused.

“Are ya okay, sweetie…?” Granny Smith asked.

When everypony’s eyes were on him, Bright scuttled backwards a bit and pressed a hoof to his face, covering his eyes.

“I...I’m s-s...sorry!” He heaved through his breaths. His skin felt hot and he started to sweat. He grew nauseous as his stomach rolled and threatened to return his dinner back up. “I...I...I need s-some air…” Bright hastily got on his hooves and made a beeline for the front door. He escaped into the cold night air.

“Bright!” He could hear Ivory calling out to him, but he wouldn’t respond.

Bright ran as far as he could before the combination of the hot flash, his uneven breath, and his body’s desire to upchuck forced him to trip on himself and fall into the snow, just a short distance from the Apple’s front gate. Bright urged himself to continue, but the most he could muster was to sit upright. He tried to control himself, but the sound of the whip kept echoing in his head and the taste of water brash started to build in his mouth.

Stop...Please stop… He begged himself, on the verge of tears. Stupid colt...You had one simple job tonight! Why can’t you just be normal for once!?

Another heat flash was coming and Bright grabbed a hoofful of snow and pressed it to his forehead, desperate to cool off. Finally, he could find it in himself to take a full deep breath, though it came out as a soft sob. Then, he heard the snow crunching behind him and knew somepony followed him. Bright swallowed, managing to hold his sick.

“Bright…” came Big Mac’s voice.

“I’m sorry…” Bright was quick to speak up, but he refused to face him. “All I wanted was to have a n-normal evening with you and your wonderful family.” Much of the snow he held to his head had melted away and Bright dropped the little pile he had left before wiping his face. “Turns out...I can’t ever just be an ordinary stallion. No matter what I do, there’s always something wrong with me. My Ghost Vision. My panic attacks. My nightmares...I’m sorry you all had to see me like that…I...I understand if you never want to talk to me again...”

“No.” Big Mac shook his head and moved closer, sitting next to Bright as he put a hoof on his shoulder and pulled him over to lean on him. “Bright, I ain’t gonna abandon you. You’re hurtin’…Please, look at me.”

There was a bit of hesitation. Bright felt his heartbeat accelerate again, irrationally fearing something would go wrong again, but he managed to work up the courage and slowly looked upwards at the bigger stallion. Big Mac looked directly back at him, showing nothing less than gentle care in the shimmer of his eyes under the pale moonlight.

“I promise you, I wouldn’t do anythin’ to hurt you. Not after that fight we had,” Big Mac started, brushing his hoof on Bright’s back. He could feel the unicorn quivering and how the blood in his body rushed with each frantic heartbeat. Big Mac held him tighter. “Gosh, Bright...It tears me up seein’ you so scared...Can...Can ya tell me what got you this way?”

It was honestly a surprise to Bright that Big Mac wasn’t repulsed by his episode, and now, Big Mac wants to know why? The idea itself was unbelievable to him.

“I-I don’t know if I can…What…What will you think of me then?” He shuddered.

“I ain’t gonna judge you, Bright. You can tell me anythin’, ‘cause I promise you’re safe with me.” Big Mac reassured, pushing aside some of Bright’s now messy mane out of his face.

Thinking back on it, Bright hadn’t ever recounted the events of that day to anypony before. He was even reluctant to talk about it with his father. Bright wondered if he would even be able to tell the whole story without freaking out again, but found some solace in that Big Mac wanted to support him. Bright took another deep breath, found the courage to calm his nerves, and sighed his breath out.

“Okay…Well, I told you I wanted to share how I got to see ghosts. It happened when I was a colt, 10 years ago…”

Chapter 9: Touched by Death

Author's Note

Merry Christmas to everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 9: Touched by Death

“…I fell,” Bright repeated before he shuddered a breath. His throat grew tight and he sniffled. When he realized he had been clutching tightly to the thick foreleg Big Mac had wrapped around him, he managed to ground himself back in the present. Bright inhaled a fuller breath and then let it out. “I-I’m alright.”

Throughout the whole time that Bright was weaving his tale, Big Mac had been holding him snug, listening intently. He figured that Bright had a bad experience, but…that harsh rejection coupled with falling off a cliff? At that young age? Despite the warmth of the quilt wrapped around the both of them, Big Mac felt an unpleasant chill run up his spine. “Celestia Almighty,” he murmured. “Bright…I can’t imagine what somethin’ like that would do to somepony.”

A sour look washed over Bright’s face as he wiped the moisture away from his eyes. “It’s…not easy.” His voice cracked. He took another breath before he continued. “I…uh…I haven’t been getting sleep the past few nights because I get nightmares. I’ve been having them ever since that day. They’re always about those last few moments. Zap…or somepony else will attack me, I-I’ll run, and then I’ll fall.”

It truly was a shock to Big Mac that Bright had been bearing these demons for years and it didn’t seem like he had anypony to help him through it. For once, Big Mac wanted to say anything and everything to console Bright, but no words came to him. “Bright…” was all he could muster to say.

Bright inhaled as he nestled against Big Mac’s shoulder once more. He could pick up hints of hay and apple scents from his coat, which managed to soothe him a bit. He sighed. “That’s not the end of it either.”

Big Mac blinked. “What do ya mean?”

“There’s a bit more I haven’t shared yet. It was when I started to see them…”

My memory from after I fell was hazy. I don’t remember feeling anything when I hit the ground. I think my body just shut down on impact. The one thing that I do remember most was the darkness. Everything around me was just an endless void of nothingness. It was like…I was sleeping without dreaming. It was a scary place and I remember wishing for my dad to come and rescue me.

There was a ringing in my ears that slowly started to subside as I was able to discern some sounds again, though they were faint. There was the heavy hissing of rain and the rumbling of thunder. A rush of air swept past my ear, but it didn’t sound like the stormy wind. More like the wing flaps of a pegasus. Then, I could hear somepony’s muffled shouting. I could barely make out what was said.

“I found him!”

After that, everything faded away into the darkness. Some time must have passed because the next thing I knew, the darkness was suddenly and harshly illuminated by blurs of sterile white light. I could barely feel anything, but my body was stirred as though I was on a shaking bed. My hearing returned, picking up faint hoof steps on a hard tile floor, the squeaking of wheels, and the half-muted speech of the ponies around me. I had to have been at a hospital.

“…fell from a height of about three stories…laceration to left ear…signs of fractures to ribs and lumbar…internal bleeding due to trauma…”

Help me, please!!! I wanted to ask somepony for help so desperately, but no matter how hard I tried to speak, I couldn’t manage a single sound. What was worse was the blurry lights started to fade and the darkness returned, creeping back in to trap me. I was alone again.

I remember wanting to scream and wanting my dad so desperately. I waited and hoped that I’d wake up back home in Coltifornia, that it’d all be just a horrible dream, and that I’d have Dad there to sing me back to sleep with his guitar. I thought about him. When I was a colt, he’d always play one of his songs for me whenever I was sad or scared. They were my most reliable source of comfort. While I was curled up in that darkness, I tried to hum his tunes to myself.

I don’t know how long I was unconscious, but sometime later, I started to hear some nearly-silent music. Dad? As I listened harder, the music grew louder and I was able to hear a filter of static over it. I soon realized that I was listening to a radio. I heard a gentle drum beat, a rich bass guitar, and a free-flowing and vibrant saxophone. It was playing jazz music. The kind that you would hear inside of a coffee shop, like Rhythm and Brews. Another more monotonous sound grew more clear behind the laidback music. A constant and stagnant beeping from a nearby machine. I must’ve been listening to the beat of my own heart through a monitor.

Then, I heard a soft, silvery voice break through the beeping and the music. “This music always helps me relax. I don’t know if you can listen, but I hope it helps…”

The voice I heard sounded like a mare’s. I thought perhaps she was a nurse. Still, even though I wished to speak to her for company, I couldn’t manage to do a thing. I heard her sigh.

“It’s terrible that something like this happened to a colt. You’re lucky you got here when you did. I dread to think what would’ve happened if you arrived any later. It looks like you’re okay for now though. I pray that you still have a future ahead of you, little guy. Rest well.”

A short click and a receding sound of soft hoof clops signaled to me that she had left. Am I really that hurt? I thought. Was I really so close to…

The jazz on the radio and the beeping heart monitor started to fade away. I was falling back into the darkness again. I wasn’t as scared as before, thinking that if I came out of it like I did just now, I’d do it again. Perhaps, I’d even wake up. I waited again, with only my dad’s songs to keep me hopeful.

I’m not entirely sure how I’d describe waiting in the dark. Somehow it felt like an eternity had passed, but at the same time, it was instantaneous when I’d resurface. The next time I did, I started to gain feeling in my body again, but that wasn’t necessarily a good thing at that time. My chest and foreleg felt like they were poked and prodded by hundreds of glass shards while also being tightly wrapped with gauze. My lower back ached terribly, my head was throbbing, and it felt like I was breathing through a thin mask on my muzzle. All the pain that came with that fall finally caught up with me and it was excruciating. I wanted to cry out for the nurse or a doctor, but my body still refused to do anything. I wished I could return to the dark if it meant I could save myself from that agony.

Then, I felt something new. There was somepony touching my foreleg. I could recognize the touch: a gentle, yet trembling hoof bristled with unshorn fetlocks.

“I’m sorry…” Dad’s voice rang true, loud and clear, in my ear. He had to be right there next to me. “I’m so, so sorry, Bright.”

Dad! I tried to open my eyes with all my might, but I could only hear and feel him. I wanted to wake up so badly just to wrap my hooves around him for a tight hug and finally end the nightmare.

Dad’s hoof delicately brushed over my mane. “My poor little colt…” His voice quivered, as though he was holding back from completely breaking down, then and there. I heard misery and anguish, like none I’ve ever heard before. “You know, I got your letter and all the other ones you sent. I-I’m so sorry I never replied.”

I didn’t care about the letters. The only thing that mattered to me at that moment was that he was right there and I just barely couldn’t reach him. There was a short pause. I heard Dad sniffle before he held up my hoof and fondled it with both of his.

“I should’ve talked with you sooner about this. It’s true that thinking about your mom just…hurts so much. When we wanted to have a foal, I was looking forward to everything we were going to do as a family: our first Hearth’s Warming, helping you take your first steps, your first day of school, and so much more. I thought your mom and I would be there for all of it.”

If only… I thought. I could only imagine what our family would’ve been like if it were the three of us, or even what sort of things I would’ve done with Mom. Dad gripped my hoof tighter.

“But her death was never your fault, Bright. I never meant to make you feel like it was. When Nova was giving birth to you, she had…complications and she couldn’t handle the stress. When she finally got to hold you in her arms, she was so exhausted that her body just…gave out. I lost her…but I gained you, my starry-eyed colt. I guess…raising you by myself left me little time to grieve. My heart just aches so much when her birthday comes around. Before she passed, I’d dedicate a song to her every year for her birthday, but it’s so hard for me to sing over her grave,” he sighed. “I miss her, Bright, but you mean the whole world to me too. I could never trade you away for anything.”

This was the first time I can remember Dad being so emotionally honest with me. I mean, I noticed that he’d be almost silent and he’d walk around with a hunched back around Mom’s birthday, but I never knew the gravity of how it weighed on him until then. He’d been there for me all my life, and right then, I was so ready to wake up and let him know that I wanted to be there for him too…

…but then, a sharp twinge of sudden pain pressed on my chest. A deathly coldness manifested from my heart and expanded through my whole body. Something was wrong. I couldn’t breathe and the rhythmic beeping from the heart monitor slowed until it stopped with a long, sustained tone. I could feel the darkness start to surround me once more, though this time, it felt heavier, like it would completely consume me. I-I was dying. D-Dad!!!

“No…No! Bright!!!” I heard Dad shout, but his voice grew distant as the darkness dragged me down into its frigid, suffocating depths. “Somepony, help my son!!!”

Everything faded away…I was suspended in the void with my life waning into the aether…

…

Then, there was a flash of white light. All of the panic and pain I withstood at that moment just vanished, leaving me with just…peace. I was calm and content as I managed to open my eyes. After adjusting to the light, I saw…myself, lying on the hospital bed. It was a bit hard to tell at first with the gauze that was wrapped around my head and over my eye, and with the respirator strapped over my muzzle, but it was me. I…I was a ghost, suspended over my lifeless body. Dad was there right next to me, holding my hoof, crying and begging for help while a unicorn doctor and a couple of nurses burst into the room. I found myself hovering beside him and I reached out my hoof to touch him, but it went right through him.

Just then, I could feel something on my shoulder. It was such a tender touch and something deep in my soul stirred, like something precious lost long ago was suddenly found.

“It’s so nice to see you again, my little pony,” a bittersweet voice said.

I turned my head and I saw her. It was Mom. My mom was standing right there next to me. She had a smile that was so much lovelier than the pictures of her we kept at home. Her plum curled mane bounced and her dazzling amethyst eyes glistened with tears that shimmered into stars as they fell down her cheeks. She was like an angel.

“M-Mommy!” I cried as I threw my hooves around her and she pulled me into a tight embrace, so tight that it was like making up for a lifetime of hugs. She was right there with me and I could finally feel her. Her mauve fur coat was silky and soft, as if it came from a dream. I wondered to myself if I really was dreaming. It felt too good to be true, but after being trapped in the dark without any way to reach out to somepony else, I was just so glad to be comforted that I couldn’t help but cry my eyes out. “Is…Is it r-really you?” I asked, quivering. I felt her hoof brushing the back of my head.

“Yes. It’s okay, little comet. Mommy’s here,” she assured. “Oh, Bright…I’m so sorry you went through something so scary like that. You’re far too young…You had your whole life ahead of you.”

For a short while there, I just buried my head against her chest and wept. Then, Mom lifted my chin so that she could look at me and wipe away the tears from my eyes.

“S-So…does that mean I’m…?” I muttered between sobs.

“Yes…I think so,” she answered solemnly.

I turned and looked back at myself on the bed. The doctor and one of the nurses had surrounded my bedside and Dad was pulled aside by another nurse, out of the room. I could see him lean against the glass of the bedroom’s viewing window, helplessly watching. I pulled away from Mom and managed to drift through the air to meet Dad on the other side of the glass. His eyes were red and there were dark circles and bags underneath them. The fur on his cheeks were moist, his maple brown mane was unkempt, and the feathers on his wings were so ruffled and dusty with dirt that I doubted he could even fly properly in that condition.

“Please…don’t leave me too, Bright,” he deeply lamented, pressing his forehead to the glass.

Right then, I could see that, if I died, Dad would never be able to recover. He’d be alone and broken all over again. What could he do after losing a wife and a son? “Mom, I…I-I can’t leave Dad. Look at him. I don’t want him to lose both of us,” I worried.

Mom placed her hoof on my back and spoke with a defeated tone. “I wish I could help, Bright. I love your father so much and I know it’s not fair, but…there’s not much that can be done. I’m so sorry…”

I felt so useless. I was going to be torn away from Dad and I couldn’t do anything to change that. What would happen to him when I was gone? What would he do? All I could do was sit and watch him get destroyed as my life ended so abruptly.

Suddenly, I felt a jolt in my chest and some invisible force pulled me back towards the bed my body was lying on. I turned my head to look and saw the doctor standing over me with a defibrillator, one that was powered by the magic in his horn. I realized that he was trying to revive me.

“Look, Mom! M-Maybe, I still have a chance,” I grinned, eagerly gliding over my body before another thought occurred to me. I turned back to Mom. “I…have to leave you.”

I remember being so torn up at that moment. I just met my mom for the first time and there was so much that I wanted to ask her…So much I wanted to tell her about. I wished I could have had all the time in the world to stay with her, but I didn’t. If I stayed, Dad would have lost a family and I didn’t want to think of what would have happened after that devastation.

Mom moved closer to me and she smiled a sad smile while cupping my cheek with her hoof. “I understand, Bright. I’ll always be here with both of you.”

I managed a smile in return before leaping into her arms for one more hug. “I love you so, so much…”

“I love you too, Bright,” she whispered before kissing my forehead. “I’m so proud of how you’ve grown.”

Then, when the doctor pressed the metal pads on my chest, another shock came. I was ripped away from Mom’s arms and instantly pulled into my body.

Beep…Beep…

I couldn’t see anything, but I could hear the faint rhythm of the heart monitor and the muffled chatter between the doctor and nurse. I had returned to the darkness. The pain I felt in my body returned, but I knew I had to endure if I wanted to stay with Dad. Then, after a minute or two, I could feel his hoof on mine, clutching it tightly.

“Thank you, sweet, merciful Celestia. You’re going to be okay, Bright. I’ll be right here.” I heard him say before he kissed my hoof.

“And me too, my little comet…”

Mom…? I thought.

I could hear Mom’s voice so clearly above Dad’s and over all the sounds around me. At the same time, I could feel her presence nearby and she never strayed far for the remaining time I spent recovering in the hospital. I think that was the moment when everything changed for me.

I managed to stay stable for the next few days. I’d only fall unconscious in the dark a couple more times and I felt the time that I spent there gradually waned as I rested. Then, there was one day when I remember feeling so uncomfortable with the soreness that I just had to move. I struggled, persisted, and with a bit of time, I managed to open my eyes. Everything was so blurry at first, but as my vision adjusted to the bleached light, I could see my dad, sleeping at the foot of my bed. And just above him, to my shock, I could see my mom, floating above him.

“D-Dad…?” My voice came out hoarse and weak.

Dad’s ear twitched and he stirred awake as I called more for him. He lifted his head as he and Mom both looked at me. I could see the way they lit up with joy, seeing my eyes open.

“Bright! You’re awake!” Mom cried as she floated closer to my side and nuzzled my forehead. I couldn’t feel the silkiness of her coat anymore. “Oh, stars, thank you!”

“Bright! I’m so, so sorry! I’ll never disappear like that again, ever!” Dad almost sobbed, pressing his forehead to mine.

“I…see Mommy,” I struggled to say.

Dad pulled away and wiped his eyes. “I-I’m sorry, son. What did you say?”

“I see Mom…She’s right here.” I tilted my head towards her, looking her way. I didn’t know at the time that I was the only one who could see her. I naively thought somehow, perhaps by magic, that she could be seen.

Mom’s face turned awed as she looked back at me from over my bed. “You can still see me?” She asked.

I managed to nod.

Dad looked at me with confusion in his eyes before he shook his head. “It’ll be alright, Bright. Just rest,” he said, brushing my mane.

“But, she’s here…She’s…” I was still too weak and in pain to say anything more. The little energy I had was spent and I just fell back asleep. Lucky for me, I wasn’t stuck in the dark after that. The worst of it was over and, by the end of it, I was just glad that I survived and Dad wouldn’t be without me, all alone.

“…I suppose the rest is history,” Bright finished.

Big Mac sat and contemplated everything that Bright had recounted. It was such an astonishing and horrifying experience that Big Mac was dumbfounded that Bright had the courage to share it, despite the clear scars it left on his heart and mind.

“Bright…” He trailed off. Big Mac wasn’t one for words, but he truly found himself at a loss for what to say. What could he say that could give Bright any sort of solace? “…I’m sorry,” was all he could muster.

“There’s nothing for you to apologize for, Big Mac.” Bright shook his head. “Like I said, it’s all in the past now.”

“I-I guess…I wanna apologize for the grief I gave ya before.” Big Mac frowned, still a bit ashamed.

“You didn’t know then. I can’t fault you for that. Besides, we’re okay now.” Bright comforted him, patting the farm pony’s foreleg, reassuringly.

“Still, it all seems so crazy,” Big Mac started before he was struck with a sudden worry. Again, it seemed as though words were working against him. “I mean, not that I think you’re crazy, Bright. I-I’m sorry. I didn’t-“

The sound of Bright’s laughter cut through his words. “It’s alright, Big Mac. I know what you meant.”

Big Mac sighed, scratching his chin with a hoof. “I’m jus’ tryin’ to get my head around this. So, ya started seein’ ghosts after this accident o’ yers? How’d that happen?”

There was a short pause as Bright considered the question. He grumbled to himself, trying to organize his thoughts.

“I think…it’s because I was dead for a short while. The doctor told my dad that my heart had stopped for about three minutes or so until he was able to jumpstart it again. Though, to be honest, I don’t quite understand the specifics of what happened,” he explained.

“Ya don’t? What d’ya mean,” Big Mac asked.

Bright’s brows furrowed a bit and his lips tightened, as if dissatisfied. “I’ve tried researching what happened to me for years. The only thing I know was that I was dead, became a ghost, and then, I came back,” he started. “With some help from Dad, I looked into other ponies that might have had the same experience. The thing is that near-death cases in Equestria are so incredibly rare and in everything I’ve managed to find, there weren’t any ponies that gained any sort of abilities, let alone seeing ghosts. I’ve even tried poking around for any sort of magical anomalies that could be related to my case, but even papers from the most studious wizards got me nowhere,” Bright growled. “I think the only place I haven’t looked for answers is the Canterlot Archives, but all the books and documents there are restricted only to the princesses and ponies with special access. I don’t have any other leads.” He paused and sighed. “If there was anything that I learned from all my research, it’s that the fine line between life and death is a huge mystery.”

Big Mac pondered on that for a moment. He could see that half a life full of questions unanswered left Bright so frustrated with himself. Coupled with everything else he’s endured, Big Mac saw Bright was suffering, needing somepony to lean on. “Well, I don’t think anypony can really understand everythin’, ‘specially what happens after this life,” he remarked while instinctively rubbing Bright’s foreleg. “…but you gotta be a one-of-a-kind stallion, Bright. This magic o’ yers is a gift.”

A sideways glance and a short sigh spoke to the contrary for Bright. “I don’t know, Big Mac. I’m grateful I can see my mom and Ivory, but growing up with my ghost vision always made me the odd one out among everypony I met. I…I’m weird and unusual, and, from my experience, nopony likes being around somepony like me. I can’t see why that would be a gift.”

“But I still like ya, Bright,” Big Mac disagreed. “Sure, we got a li’l rattled when I learned, but our friendship’s stronger than that, right?” He thought for a moment, trying to find the right words that would change Bright’s mind. “And…and maybe most o’ them ponyfolk that give ya a hard time aren’t worth yer time, Bright. L-Like, only true friends would make the effort to understand ya.”

Uncertainty lingered on Bright’s face as he thought. Is Big Mac right? He hadn’t seen it that way before, so perhaps it was true. Then again, maybe it was just a fluke. Maybe Big Mac was a one in a million chance and nopony else would care about him. Maybe…a pony so unnatural could only ever be alone, empty, and isolated. “I…I don’t know,” he muttered.

It seemed as though nothing that Big Mac could say would be enough. Words weren’t going to cut it this time. “Ah, buck it,” Big Mac growled. Acting on the very first impulse he had, the farmpony lowered his head and pressed his lips to Bright’s cheek.

No more loneliness. No more pain. Bright was a star that had yet to shine, but Big Mac could clearly see the light inside him. He only wished for Bright to see that he was absolutely worthy of being loved.

Big Mac’s kiss was a sudden warmth that Bright didn’t know he needed as it shoved aside his invasive, negative thoughts. Now, the only thing on Bright’s mind was that this big strong stallion, who had bundled up with him in a warm blanket and held him snug to keep him comforted, was now kissing his cheek.

Before then, Big Mac had never considered stallions before, but somehow, Bright had managed to find a way into his heart. Perhaps it’s because, in a number of ways, the two of them were very alike. They were both timid and gentle souls who valued the close-knit bond of their families. Big Mac always admired unicorns from afar and Bright was a unicorn with extraordinary magic. The farm pony started to feel as though the both of them just fit together, like puzzle pieces in a way he couldn’t describe.

Then, when Big Mac pulled away, both stallions looked into each other’s eyes. Bright’s face was red with warmth and Big Mac’s freckles disappeared as he chuckled bashfully.

“I like ya, Bright. Heck, I more than like ya. I don’t care what you see with those starry eyes o’ yers. I care about you.” He smiled.

For a moment, Bright had a stupefied look on his face before he started giggling like a lovestruck fool. Big Mac soon broke into laughter alongside him, which only made Bright laugh harder and grow redder in the face. He covered his eyes with his hooves, embarrassed, but truthfully, he had never felt so valued by somepony other than his father before.

“Okay! Hahaha! Okay! You win!” Bright conceded when he regained some composure.

Big Mac’s grin refused to disappear and he brushed aside a bit of Bright’s mane from his face as he looked at him once more.

Bright gave one more chuckle and took a moment to revel in Big Mac’s cozy embrace. “So…if you like me that much, then does that mean…“ He trailed off.

“Hmm?” Big Mac hummed.

“…Are we coltfriends?” Bright asked softly, almost a whisper.

“Eeyup.” Big Mac didn’t hesitate with his answer. He might not have had any experience with dating stallions before, but that wasn’t going to stop him from being the support that Bright needed. “I’m happy to be here for ya.”

The redness that painted Bright’s face lingered just a bit longer. He had a coltfriend, something that, for the longest time, he wrote off as just a fantasy, but now it was a fact. Bright’s heart raced.

“W-Wow,” he marveled.

Again, Big Mac smiled and he felt the need to nuzzle Bright’s cheek with his snout to confirm his feelings. Bright giggled in response.

“Do ya feel good enough to go back inside,” Big Mac asked.

“Yeah, I’m feeling fine, thanks to you.” Bright nodded. “Let’s go.”

The blanket covering the two of them slipped off while Big Mac stood up. While it wasn’t freezing, the frigid air was enough to make the fur on both of their coats stand on end. Big Mac offered Bright his hoof to help him up and onto his own. Then, after Big Mac blew out the dwindling flame of the oil lamp, the two of them exited the darkened barn. Big Mac walked closely next to Bright, enough to have their hides pressed together as they made their way back to the Apple home. Bright could feel his heart jump.

“You don’t think we worried your family with how long we’ve been out?” Bright asked.

“Nnope. Only been less than an hour,” Big Mac replied. “Though, uh…ya don’t mind if we keep bein’ together to ourselves fer a bit? I don’t know how they’ll react.”

With how patient Big Mac had been with him, it only made sense to Bright for him to do the same. “It’s okay,” he assured. “I understand.”

As they both approached, Bright could smell the spicy scent of cinnamon and soothing pine, reacquainting him with the welcoming atmosphere of the family home. Big Mac opened the door for Bright and, while Bright greatly appreciated how Big Mac offered to bundle up together in the barn, it felt good to step out of the cold.

Applebloom was sitting by the Hearth’s Warming tree, fiddling with the star in her hooves. Granny Smith was solemnly rocking in her chair until she saw the two stallions ambling in. She carefully slid off and onto her hooves to approach Bright.

“Aw, dearie…Are ya okay? Ya looked so spooked,” Granny softly said, pressing a gentle hoof to Bright’s cheek.

“I’m fine, Granny,” Bright replied with a cheerful smile. “Big Mac helped me through it and I can’t thank him enough.”

“That does my heart good, sonny. And don’t you worry none about…” she paused. “Well, Applejack’s in the attic, storing it away.”

“Already done, Granny,” Applejack called as she trotted down the stairs. She stepped closer to Bright, removing her hat and pressing it to her chest. “I’m awful sorry fer scarin’ ya something fierce, Bright. We wanna make it right with ya.” Applejack looked over at Applebloom and gestured to her with a tilt of her head. Applebloom’s eyes lit up and she grinned widely as she galloped into the kitchen.

Bright shook his head. “There’s no need to apologize, Applejack. You couldn’t have known. Besides, you all have been so kind, having me tonight. I’m just sorry I spoiled the evening.”

“Fiddlesticks, Bright!” Granny Smith interjected. “You’ve been nothin’ but a gentlecolt in our home.”

“Helpin’ us with the tree, showin’ us the stars through yer telescope,” Applejack added. “We loved havin’ ya here, ‘specially Applebloom. She had an idea jus’ to thank ya for bein’ our guest.”

Applebloom returned to the living room on cue and balanced on her back was a plate with a sizable slice of rainbow-colored pie and a fork.

“Surprise!” she chimed. “It’s the first slice of zap apple pie! I know I never have a frown on my face after one bite, so I hope it’ll cheer you up too, Bright.”

The scent of the pie was so rich and strong, like it was some kind of magic. It was clearly cinnamon and sweet baked apples, but there was another aroma that was mixed in that Bright couldn’t quite pin down.

“Hoowee!” Granny Smith hollered. “Ya can’t ask for a pie better than this‘ne, Bright.”

“Enjoy it!” Applejack winked.

Bright was taken aback by the warmth and kindness displayed by the whole Apple family. He chuckled softly while his horn glowed its purple hue and levitated the plate and pie from Applebloom’s back. The pie’s filling was its most defining feature, colored by every color of the rainbow. The apple bits inside looked tender and juicy and the filling looked so deliciously gooey. The pie crust had a golden brown woven lattice and looked delightfully flaky. Bright almost felt guilty for what he was about to do.

Looking up, he saw that Applejack, Applebloom, and Granny Smith had their eyes fixed on him in anticipation. A bit bewildered, Bright turned his head and looked at Big Mac, who just smiled back.

“Don’t fret none, Bright. We jus’ love to see a pony’s reaction to their first bite of zap apple pie,” he assured.

“Oh, okay!” Bright nodded. “Well then, here goes.”

Bright dug his fork in for a healthy chunk of the pastry and scooped it up to his mouth.

The first thing his tongue noticed was a tiny electric zing, followed by, surprisingly, a zesty lemon flavor. The crust was warm and tender along with the filling.

“Oh, my goodness…” Bright muttered with his mouth full.

Then, as he chewed, the apple chunks burst into flavor as it transitioned to a slightly sour, but still sweet key lime, then into a juicy blueberry.

“Oh, my…!”

Grape, then cherry, then peach, before the taste finally finished with a rich and delicious apple flavor.

“SO GOOD!” he blissfully proclaimed before he scooped up another heavenly bite. All his fears and worries from the past hour were miles away while he was warm and cozy, welcomed into this home with the kindest, most loving ponies he’d ever met.

The Apples all burst into cheers and laughter from Bright’s reaction. Big Mac was especially jolly for him, happy to see him smiling even after confronting his demons. Big Mac wrapped his foreleg around Bright’s back and pulled him close while Bright, overwhelmed with joy, shed a single tear. Looking at him now, Big Mac sincerely thought the unicorn next to him was, true to his name, a very bright sight.

Chapter 10: A New Start

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Epilogue

It only seemed right to Bright that he return the hospitality the Apples had shown him by hosting a party at his home when New Year’s Eve came around. Big Mac was enthusiastic about the idea and, when Bright extended his invitation to the rest of the Apples, they were more than happy to accept.

What was even better was that Comet and Nova had arrived on the afternoon train. They surprised Bright at his front door with one of Comet’s signature emotional wing hugs and Nova’s well-meaning attempt to hug him by swirling her form like a ribbon around her son’s body. Bright was so delighted to spend hours with his father and his mother’s spirit, sharing everything that had happened since Bright had written last; his relationship with Big Mac, Princess Twilight’s newly opened library, and his Hearth’s Warming with the Apples. All the while, Bright and Comet spent the afternoon and early evening tidying up the house and preparing a feast of pasta salad, grilled corn on the cob, and brown rice. It was refreshing for Bright to cook dinner with his dad and have his parents’ company. Though it had been a few weeks since he moved, Bright felt like he hadn’t even left Coltifornia.

Then, as dusk settled over Ponyville, a knock came at the door. Bright was quick to answer, welcoming Big Mac, Applejack, Applebloom, and Granny Smith in, as well as the spirits of Bright Mac and Buttercup. Granny was adamant about the Apples providing their own treats for the party: an apple pie, freshly-baked from their best Cortland apples, and a barrel of hard cider. After some formal introductions, the house swelled to life with chatter and music from Comet’s record player. To Bright, it was a full house of both friends and family, living and nonliving, with so much love and laughter to be had.

Many hours later, Applejack poked her head through the kitchen doorway. “Do we got enough cider left for everypony, Big Mac? It’s almost midnight.”

Big Mac was in the middle of serving a second tankard of cider from the spigot of the barrel. “Eeyup! An’ some soft cider for AB, too.” He pointed at some glass bottles on the countertop.

“Perfect!” Applejack’s eyes shifted over to Bright, who was at the sink, washing the dishes and illuminating the kitchen with the purple glow of his levitation spell. “Oh! And Bright? Your dad says he has somethin’ to tell ya.”

“Okay. Tell him I’ll be there in just a minute.” Bright smiled.

Applejack left the doorway and Big Mac watched her leave before turning to Bright. “Ya could’ve left the dishes for after midnight, Sugarcube.”

Bright placed another clean dish on the rack by the sink. “Yeah, I know, but I wanted to take a step away from the party and have a little break from…having extra company,” he replied with a slight shrug.

Big Mac nodded, serving a third drink. “I get it…It doesn’t hurt to hear so many voices at once, does it?”

Bright shook his head. “Not at all. I just want to entertain everypony, including the ghosts. Socializing takes it out of me after a while, though.”

Then, as Bright finished scrubbing the silverware clean and placed them to dry, he noticed Buttercup and Bright Mac sitting at the dining room table with Ivory and Nova. They both were watching him and Big Mac for a moment and waved when Bright caught sight of them. It warmed the unicorn’s heart.

“Y’know, your parents are here, too,” Bright said, wiping the edge of the sink with a cloth.

The flow of cider stopped from the spigot as Big Mac paused. “R-Really?”

“Mm-hmm! …Actually, they asked me to pass a message to you.” Bright’s horn glowed again, taking the tankard Big Mac held and setting it aside on the counter. Then, he held the bigger stallion by the hoof. “Your parents know how much you and the rest of your family have been missing them and they wanted to tell you that they’re proud of you and love you so, so much.”

Big Mac’s hoof clutched Bright’s, pressing it to his chest. Bright could feel his body tremble lightly as his ears folded backward and his lip quivered. He dipped his head for a moment, his eyes shut tight, before he stood tall once more, looking up to the ceiling with misty eyes. Then, Big Mac managed a small smile, and he breathed deeply, returning to his coltfriend. “…Thank you, Bright,” he said softly. “That does my heart a world o’ good.”

Bright blinked away the moisture in his eyes and he wrapped his forelegs around Big Mac for a tight hug. However, Big Mac’s grip proved much stronger than Bright’s when the earth pony returned the embrace. It almost winded him, but Bright still managed a small laugh. Then, he felt Big Mac kiss his cheek.

“Thank you,” Big Mac repeated, whispering into Bright’s chipped ear.

Despite the air being nearly squeezed out of him, Bright found himself quite fond of the closeness he shared with his coltfriend. Big Mac’s body was so warm and smelled of applewood. Plus, the way Big Mac held Bright made him feel secure. Protected, even. I could get used to this… Bright thought, letting the moment last just a bit longer.

Reluctantly, he pulled away from the hug as time was starting to get away from them. “…How about we serve everypony that cider now?” Bright asked.

“E-Eeyup!” Big Mac agreed, wiping his eyes with a swipe of his leg. His freckles had almost disappeared into the redness of his cheeks.

After preparing enough drinks, Bright and Big Mac both brought them out to the front yard, where the rest of their families awaited. The spirits followed from the table. Bright only carried two mugs of cider with his magic. One for himself and one for his father. Big Mac insisted on providing the cider for the other Apples to give Comet the chance to speak with Bright, as Applejack had told him to do.

Comet stood close to the dirt path that led back to town, warmed by his black leather jacket. Bright could tell that he was admiring Ponyville’s dark purple sky. After all, it was the deciding factor of their choice to purchase the house. Polaris, the North Star, was the first individual star that Bright recognized among the others. The young Ursa Minor was easy to find from there and the ferocious cub followed close to his mother a bit further east.

Bright walked up behind Comet. “Taking in the view, Dad?” he asked as he passed the cider to him.

“You bet.” Comet beamed, taking the tankard and swirling the froth before returning to the sky. “It certainly doesn’t get old. Feels like I could just spread my wings and fly into the stars.”

Bright took a seat. “It sure beats seeing only a couple dozen. I love Coltifornia, but the city lights don’t do the sky any favors there. Here, it’s like the whole universe is smiling down on us.” He sighed, wistfully. “Someday soon, Dad, I’ll have my own observatory here, and I’ll be able to watch the moon, the stars, and the planets every night.”

Comet turned to Bright with a hopeful gleam in his royal blue eyes and his smile curving a bit wider. “Maybe you’ll even become a ‘wizard of the cosmos’,” he proposed while brushing his hoof over the sky, emphasizing the title.

For a brief instance, Bright winced. Then, he lowered his gaze from the sky to the grassy field before him, then down to his mug of cider. He gave a half-hearted chuckle. “Wouldn’t that be something?”

Comet pressed his hoof on Bright’s shoulder. “I mean it, Bright. You have the talent for it. I’ve seen it for myself. Heck, you’ve seen what you can do when you put your heart into it, and it earned you the mark on your flank.”

Bright shifted back up to the sky. His eyes had adjusted more to the dark and he was able to catch the glowing strands of the Milky Way, stretching from the northwest all the way to the southeast. He reminisced longingly on that evening. The sparkling stars…the wispy nebulae of blue, purple, and gold…the shock on his father’s face that was soon replaced with pure wonder and pride. It was one of Bright’s most treasured memories. Plus, the fact that his cutie mark appeared had to mean that he was working toward his true destiny.

…

Still, though…

“…Well,” Bright’s tone grew heavy. “…you might be right, Dad, but…it’s not easy for a unicorn to become a full-fledged wizard. Much less a wizard of cosmic magic.”

Bright could feel his father’s hoof fidget a bit on his shoulder.

“…I never said it was. But you are a graduate of Celestia’s School, Bright. You’ve already proved that you’re a hard-working unicorn when it comes to magic. You just have to want it for yourself and work at it, one day at a time.”

A pause. Wizardry was something that Bright had yearned for once upon a time. If Comet believed he could do it, then maybe…

“Thanks, Dad. I’ll give it some thought. By the way, what was this ‘something’ you wanted to tell me?” he asked.

Comet’s wings fluttered excitedly for a moment. “Oh, yes! You’re going to be over the moon for this, Bright. While I was at the astronomy conference, there was a Royal Equestrian ambassador attending,” he began with a fanciful bounce in his tone.

Bright’s breath got caught in his throat for a moment. “Are…Are you serious?”

“Absolutely serious! He gave a whole presentation on astronomical events that the Princesses were planning.”

“Dad, are you saying that—?”

“We’re finally going to have an eclipse! A lunar eclipse!” Comet blurted out. “It’s going to happen in the fall this coming year!”

Bright’s eyes lit up like moonrise. “Oh, my stars…” Then, he couldn’t resist the urge to prance about the yard in excitement. “Oh, my stars! Yes! Yes! I’ve been waiting so long!”

The commotion that Bright stirred up caught the attention of everypony else, including the ghosts. Ivory, in particular, couldn’t help but laugh and swirl around him in his glee.

“Haha! What’s got you so happy, Bright?” she asked.

“The Princesses are finally bringing back eclipses! For the first time in…” Bright suddenly stopped, muttering as he counted to himself. “…eleven years!”

“Eclipses…?” Ivory murmured.

“That so, Bright?” Applejack chimed in. “Well, shoot! We oughta get together for another shindig when that happens.”

Granny Smith added, “Darn tootin’! We’ll make it a real hootenanny!”

Applebloom bounced. “That’ll be amazin’, Bright! I ain’t ever seen an eclipse before!”

Bright was grinning ear to ear. What made the news even better was that he would be able to share this with Big Mac and the Apples and… Ivory! He returned his attention to Ivory, expecting her to be smiling back at him, but instead, Bright noticed she had a pensive look on her face and she muttered to herself. “Flowers…Carnations for…”

Bright took a quick glance at the Apples, who had gone on to their own conversation. He could step away for a minute or two…with a bit of help. He leaned closer to Comet and whispered, “Hey, Dad? Can you entertain while I talk with Ivory for a bit?”

Comet nodded. “Sure.”

With a grateful tilt of his head, Bright put some distance between himself and the party. He secretly caught Ivory’s attention with a quiet “Psst!” and subtly waved his hoof, gesturing for her to follow him.

“You okay, Ivory?” he asked, absentmindedly eyeing the stars.

“Oh, yeah! I’m fine, Bright. Just…something felt familiar for a moment there and it’s tickling the back of my head…” Ivory closed her eyes and tapped her forehead with her hoof. “Oak…”

“…Oak?” Bright repeated.

Just then, Ivory gasped softly. Bright turned to her and noticed her eyes staring into the distance, unfocused. “…Oak. Alder Oak.” Another, deeper gasp and the corners of her mouth widened into a gleaming smile. “Grandpa! Bright…I remember my grandpa!!!”

Bright flinched, blinking a few times. He was shocked at Ivory’s sudden revelation, soon followed by a nova of elation that he just barely managed to keep under the surface. “I-Ivory, your memories are starting to come back!”

Ivory twirled and spun in the air with laughter, her hooves over her chest. “Yes! I only remember his name, but I can feel it deep in my heart, Bright!” Her eyes welled up as emotion began to swell within her. “…This is the first piece of myself that I’ve found in such a long time…Bright, I just gotta find more! I have to know what my life was!”

After a calming breath to keep himself privy, Bright beamed at Ivory with unwavering conviction. “We’ll figure it out. We have something to work with now. You can count on me, Ivory.” He held up his hoof to his best friend. “I promise you, we’ll find your grandpa and the lost pieces of your life.”

A shimmer of light fell from Ivory’s cheek and she gave Bright a grateful look as she pressed her ghostly hoof to his. “I love you, boo…”

“Love you, too.”

“Bright!”

The sudden call startled Bright. He turned and Comet was waving for him to return to the party.

“Three minutes to midnight!”

With a wink to Ivory, Bright trotted back to everypony else and sat himself right between Comet and Big Mac.

Comet cleared his throat. “Pardon me, everypony, but I hope you all won’t mind if I propose a toast before the new year begins. I’d just like to express my thanks to this kind family for making my son feel welcome here as he’s striking out on his own.” He reached around Bright’s shoulder and pulled him close. “Bright’s so very special to me and to the love of my life. I hope and dream that I get to see him spread his wings and thrive.”

Bright had to wipe his eye. “Dad…”

Comet chuckled softly. “There I go, getting sentimental again.” Finally, he raised his tankard. “Anyway, here’s to our new friends, the Apples.”

Granny Smith cackled and followed suit. “I’ll toast to that and then some! From an ol’ mare to the young'uns, here’s to a long and bountiful life.”

Applebloom raised her glass bottle. “Here’s to bein’ proud of everythin’ that makes you special!” she added.

Applejack removed her hat and pressed it to her chest as she toasted. “Here’s to hard work payin’ off.”

Big Mac looked Bright’s way with a face that Bright could only describe as deep appreciation. “Here’s to rememberin’ the ponies close to us who’ve passed on.”

Then, as everypony’s attention shifted to Bright, he looked once more to the clear starry sky. There were so many good things he was blessed with, and much more coming his way: a new relationship to explore with Big Mac, his best friend, Ivory, recovering her memories, a new chance to see a spectacular cosmic event, and maybe…just maybe, with enough determination, Bright can make an old dream come true and become a wizard of cosmic magic someday.

With that thought, Bright raised his cider. “And here’s to an absolutely stellar future for all of us! Cheers to a new year!”

“Cheers!” Everypony toasted.

The Apple family’s cider was immediately tart on Bright’s palette, followed by a swell of sweetness, then finished with the light burn of the alcohol. Altogether, delicious.

Suddenly, bursts of multicolored light danced across the sky above Ponyville, followed by the sound of distant explosions. The fireworks dazzled and enchanted, which had Bright pondering if he might be able to do the same with his own magic. He made a sideways glance to Big Mac. The light of the fireworks reflected from the earth pony’s eyes. Bright slid his hoof closer to touch Big Mac’s and was given a warm touch in return. He breathed in contentment.

This year’s gonna be a great one…

Chapter 1: The First Day of Winter

Author's Note

If anyone would like to volunteer to proofread this story, please contact me. I'd really appreciate the help!

Chapter 1: The First Day of Winter

An alarm clock buzzed loudly in the early morn hours. The humble and cozy bedroom’s calm silence was broken while a blue unicorn was disturbed from his dream and slumber. His hooves shuffled from the warmth of his bedsheets as he drowsily rolled over to the right side of his bed, reaching a hoof to his bedside drawer to shut off his alarm. Ah, mornings. As much as the steed liked them, it was always getting up from bed that was the hardest part to do. He was so tempted to head right back to sleep, but this was the second time his alarm had gone off this morning, the first time being an hour ago. His right eye reluctantly pried itself open to see where the snooze button was before it was finally pressed and the silence gloriously returned. The stallion stretched his fore and hind legs as far as possible, letting out a rich groan while his limbs trembled. Finally having some semblance of consciousness, he sat up in his bed, only to be greeted with the cold air as his blanket fell from his body.

“S-Sweet Luna…” He muttered as a chill crawled down his spine. He looked at his alarm clock. 7 AM. It was the usual time the stallion awoke every day. Getting up on his hooves, he walked over to his draped windows. With a gentle purple glow from his horn, he pulled aside the curtains, letting the morning light brighten the room. The unicorn squinted, covering his eyes with his leg for a few seconds while his eyes adjusted. There was no orange and blue sky to greet him. Only grey gloomy clouds that warned of incoming weather.

“Aw, horsefeathers…” Didn’t seem like there would be any clear skies today. Cloudsdale hardly ever gave proper warning for any rain. Actually, it was December already. Perhaps it would be the first snow marking the start of winter. It would explain why it’s so cold.

Unable to bear the low temperature, the stallion hurried downstairs to warm himself up. Entering the just as frigid living room, he trotted to the fireplace, levitating some firewood and old newspapers for kindling to the pit and striking a match against the red brick of the fireplace to ignite it before lighting the kindling. The flames grew as they fed off the wood and warmth started to radiate from the gentle fire. The stallion sighed, comfortably warming himself.

“Ivory? Ivory, you around?” He called out, turning his head to the empty home and awaiting some sort of response, but there was no answer. “Hmm.” Turning his head back to the fireplace, the unicorn was met with the sight of, not the calm flames of the fire, but the face of a monstrous inferno of a creature glaring right back at him. It’s body was hot with a form composed entirely of flames, taking the likeness of a dragon head. A low growl sounded through its gnashed razor sharp teeth before it roared an explosive, deafening roar in the unicorn’s face. However, the stallion was unfazed by the sight, merely having a smug grin curving his mouth.

“Good morning, Ivory.” He greeted the creature.

“Were you scared, Bright?” The draconic monster disappeared with a pop and in its place was a young mare with a ghostly white coat and pale blue mane. Her eyes were a brilliant yellow and on her flank was the image of a pair of ivory daisies. “Tell me honestly!”

“I was almost scared that time. And thanks for warming me up, by the way.” Bright replied with a cheeky smile. Staring down a monster made of such intense heat and flames did rid him of the chill that he had previously. Turning away from Ivory and the fireplace, the blue steed trotted to his kitchen with a chipper skip to his step.

“Oh, come on, Bright Sight! I’ve been working on that haunting for hours!” Ivory rolled her eyes, exasperated. She levitated off the ground and drifted through the air, following Bright.

“Ivory, I’ve seen countless hauntings over the years. You learn to get used to ‘em.” The unicorn reminded as he reached into a cupboard and pulled a frying pan out, setting it on his stove. “Anyway, we’ve got a big day ahead of us! Princess Twilight invited me to her castle today, so this calls for a big breakfast!”

“Pancakes!?” Ivory pressed her nose against Bright’s as she let out an excited gasp.

“Pancakes!” Bright confirmed.

Ivory’s eyes lit up like the city lights of Manehattan. “Can I work the mixer this time!?” She asked, almost begging.

The gentle morning breeze felt freezing as it blew past Bright’s hide. The stallion felt a short tremor shake his body while he tightened the thick red scarf around his neck. The gloomy winter sky may have been blocking out the day’s sunshine, but that didn’t deter Bright as he trotted up the path that lead to Ponyville. What really bothered him was finding yet another splotch of flour on his blue coat that he missed scrubbing away during his morning shower.

“Ivory, remind not to let you haunt the mixer again for awhile.” He muttered in mild annoyance.

“Heh. Sorry again, Bright.” The ghostly mare giggled as she apologized.

“Eh, it’s alright. I can’t stay mad at you!” Bright smiled. The peach colored homes that defined much of the likeness of the town of Ponyville came into view as the two made the climb over a hill. Well, Bright made the climb. Ivory only fluttered her incorporeal form following the stallion. She looked down at him before her beaming twisted into a small frown as she looked down at the ground, away from her friend.

“You...sure that you don’t want me to scram for the day? I wouldn’t want you to risk yourself just to have me around.” Ivory asked.

Bright looked up at the pony spirit with a questioning tilt of his head and a furrowed brow. “Ivory, where did this come from?” He replied.

“Well...you only just moved in a week ago and you’re already on your way with making some new friends.” She paused for a moment. “I just don’t want to get in the way of that…”

Bright gave a short chuckle and smiled at his ghostly friend. “Ivory, we’ve been friends for how long now? 10 years? You’ve always been there for me when I had no pony who’d think of me as anything more than a nutcase or a lunatic. You think I’d pay you back by turning my back on you when it’s convenient for me? You are my best friend and I want you to stay with me.”

Ivory’s frown lifted a tad into a small smile and she lowered her head to nuzzle the unicorn’s cheek. “Thanks Bright...I’d hug you, but I don’t have a body.” She giggled.

Bright touched his cheek with his hoof. He couldn’t feel much, aside from a warm spot, but he appreciated the gesture, nonetheless.

It really stunned Bright when he actually saw Princess Twilight’s castle in person. The crystalline tree-like palace definitely stood out among the hay roofs and pastel foundations of the houses of Ponyville. It managed to sparkle, even under the grey skies above. Bright stood before the tall golden doorway at the tree-castle’s base and knocked on the door with his hoof.

Silence for a moment. Just as the unicorn was about to knock again, there was a muffled voice that yelled from the inside. “Coming! Coming!!!”

The door opened and from within appeared a small purple reptile with green spines that stretched from his head down to his tail. His head only reached as high as Bright’s shoulder. He was panting heavily, as if he had ran a mile.

“Sorry for the wait! Whew! You’re...Bright, right? From Pinkie’s ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party?” The baby dragon asked.

“Yeah, that’s me!” Bright nodded in confirmation, thinking back to a few days ago, when he first moved into town. A bubbly pink mare was responsible for rallying so many townsponies to a surprise party at the stallion’s new home, and what a night that was. Princess Twilight herself was there, along with her group of friends. Bright had never felt so welcome.

“Well, come on inside! Twilight’s in the library.” The reptile gave a smile, gesturing for the guest to enter while leading the way. Before, following suit, Bright gave a short, but excited glance at Ivory floating right next to him, and she silently responded with the clapping of her hooves. Looking inside of the castle, it was a wonder how much bigger it looked inside than out. Even more astounding was that the pillars and columns were made of crystal and that the walls and floors were so clean and glossy that Bright could make out his reflection.

The long hallways and similar looking doorways made it difficult to discern which door went where. How does anypony navigate this place? Bright wondered. Then, after a short while, the purple dragon directed him to a particular set of doors that were unique in design compared to the others. The young hatchling opened the doors and beyond them were shelves that lined the walls, reaching two stories high on all sides. Even more notably, a lavender mare, with large wings folded at her sides and a glowing horn extending from her forehead, stood by a table, her deep purple eyes scanning through a book, one of celestial bodies it looked like.

“Twilight, the pony you were waiting for is here.” The purple lizard notified. Twilight looked up from her book and set her sights on the blue stallion that entered behind her assistant. Her mouth curved into an ecstatic grin as she set her tome down and trotted up to greet her guest.

“Thank you, Spike. Hello, Bright! It’s great to see you again!” She chimed.

Bright instantly knelt down on his fore leg, bowing down to the alicorn, as was customary when in the presence of royalty. “I-It’s an honor to be here, Princess Twilight!” The stallion blurted out, his nerves causing him to stress on his etiquette. Twilight gave a short giggle as she lightly blushed from embarrassment.

“Oh, please! No need for any of that.” She objected, lending her hoof to have Bright rise back up to a stand. “I’m not one to dwell on formalities. Besides, as the Princess of Friendship, I want to extend my friendship to you, since you’re new in town and all. Also, when I was at your house, I was rather taken with your telescope and your collection of ‘Wizards and Warlocks of the Stars’ books.”

“Heh. Well, I didn’t earn my cutie mark by slouching on my studies.” Bright responded with a giddy chuckle, twisting his rear to better show the mark that branded his flank: a yellow crescent moon accompanied by a bright blue diamond star, along with other smaller stars. “And astronomy is my biggest passion. I’ve loved it ever since I was a little colt!”

Twilight’s eyes became alit with glee. For her, it was always a joy to see another pony with such a high affinity for gaining knowledge. “Ah, the study of the stars and the physical universe. Such mystery! Such beauty!” She chortled. “I could give a whole term’s worth of lecturing on astronomy, but let’s get back to the reason I invited you here.”

“You see, Bright,” Twilight continued. “the library I have in this castle is one of the largest in Equestria, second only to the Crystal Empire Library and the Canterlot Archives. One day, I thought ‘It isn’t fair that I should have this whole library to myself.’ So, I want to open the library the public, so that ponies from all over can come and reap the benefits of all this knowledge.” She gestured to the shelves upon shelves of books that lined the walls. “But I can’t possibly run this library myself while tending to my duties as a princess and Spike here is busy being my number one assistant,” She gave a wink to the dragon, who responded with a smile. “so I need somepony with a love for learning and books to be the librarian.”

“And you want...me?” Bright asked.

Twilight smiled and nodded. “I had a hunch back at the party that you were a well educated stallion. So, what do you say? Would you like to have the librarian position?”

Bright paused, at a loss for words. His eyes became widened as he stared at Twilight, then Ivory drifted to hover next to the alicorn princess. She nodded almost furiously. “Yes! Take it, Bright!” She encouraged.

“I...I’d have to say...yes! Yes! I’d love to!” Bright joyously accepted. “Thank you so much, Princess Twilight!”

The lavender pony chuckled. “Just call me Twilight! We are friends now, after all.”

“Wow! I have...no words. Just...thank you!” The blue unicorn repeated.

“You’re very welcome! Now, if you’re willing to start working now, we can have the library ready for the public by Monday next week!”

“Of course! I’d be happy to start!”

The thick clouds above Ponyville’s skies lingered around all the way until the evening time, which disappointed Bright, since he wanted to arrive home and take his telescope out to stargaze. It didn’t seem like that would be possible tonight, but that didn’t completely discourage him. He did have some nights in the past week where the night was clear enough for watching the sky, and maybe tomorrow he’d have better luck.

Still, even with the sky cloudy, Ponyville itself was a sight to behold at night. Bright was walking through the marketplace when the streetlights came on, illuminating the town with gentle light. It was a simple touch, but one that filled the blue unicorn with such delight that he couldn’t help but beam as he trotted down the path back home, even through the cold winds that whipped at his body, save for neck and torso, which was protected by the unforgiving winter by his red scarf.

“What a day…” Bright sighed, slightly spent. He was quite pleased with his work from today at the castle library. Most of the books had been organized by genre and alphabetically for each. Some had found new shelves to call home, but then the late afternoon came before the stallion could go further. Twilight gave Bright the approval to end the day after the long hours he worked for his first day and assured him that the rest of the books would be waiting for him tomorrow.

Ivory followed alongside Bright, making an effort to actually walk normally on the ground. It wasn’t necessary for her to walk, being a spirit, but it was something that reminded her of when she was living. “It was a lot of organizing and rearranging back at the library.” She recounted, though she spent some time lazily drifting and wandering around while Bright was working.

“But it’s all worth it! I still can’t believe that I have this job!” The unicorn responded in a hushed voice, so as to not draw attention from anypony. He can’t afford others thinking he was off his rocker.

“Things are looking up for your new life here, Bright.” Ivory grinned, giving her best friend a proud gaze before looking down at her hooves stepping on the ground. Not once did they make a single clop, but it didn’t take much of Ivory’s imagination to fill in that gap.

Bright nodded in agreement at the pale mare’s statement. Everything was perfect. No foreseeable worries. No antagonizing ponies. Just a simple life.

BUMP!

Bright was snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed some pure red apples fall off a market stand and roll along the ground. Acting on a kind instinct, the unicorn did a short wave of his horn, making it glow it’s lustrous purple hue as he grabbed the six stray fruits with a levitation spell.

“Ah, dagnabit!” A deep bass voice exclaimed in frustration. Bright looked over to the owner of the stand and his gaze was met with the sight of a huge red stallion. He was certainly taller than the average stallion and had a very thick build that looked like it came from years of physical exertion. The red earth pony...well, draft horse may have been a better term to describe him, stepped in front of his market stall to pick up his apples, but he found them all picked up by the blue unicorn that stood before him.

“You dropped these. I think a couple of them got bruised. Sorry.” Bright explained as he let the fruits float back onto the stand in a neat pile.

“Thank ya kindly.” The red stallion thanked with stoic look on his face. His eyes were a deep shade of emerald green, his mane a flowing orange-blonde, and some pale freckles dotted the big colt’s upper cheeks.

Bright recognized this pony from somewhere. He had seen him sometime in the last week, he was sure. “I’ve seen you before, haven’t I? Were you at my house when that pink mare threw me that welcome party?”

“Eeyup.” Was the stallion’s simple answer as he turned to his stand. The old thing was all rickety and had a habit of teetering one way or the other way too often. Perhaps it was time for it to be fixed or replaced, the stallion thought to himself.

“Oh, really? I met so many ponies at that party that I can barely remember what they look like.” Bright confessed, scratching the back of his head with his hoof while smiling a sheepish smile. “Ahem...Anyway, what’s your name?” He asked.

“Big Macintosh.” The draft horse spoke, his mind more focused on the state of his family’s apple stand, but he wasn’t so rude as to completely ignore the blue unicorn. After all, he did pick up his fallen apples for him as a friendly gesture. Macintosh then decided to deal with the old stand tomorrow in the morning. It was time to close down for the day anyway.

“I’m Bright Sight. So, you work over at the apple farm just outside of town?”

“Eeyup.” The stallion put up a “Closed” sign on the stand and stashed the remaining apples on the stand into a barrel and loaded it onto a small cart to take back to his family’s farm. The bruised apples will probably have to be fed to the pigs.

Bright couldn’t help but feel a bit uncomfortable with the single word responses. He shuffled his hooves against the road, not knowing how to continue this line of dialogue. He had a notion that Big Macintosh wasn’t much of a talker.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you around, then.” The unicorn began with his farewell, turning to head home.

“Eeyup.” Big Macintosh replied as he strapped his cart’s pull onto his midsection.

Without another word, Bright started into a trot, beginning his way home. He tightened his scarf around his neck to better shield himself from the cold icy gusts that occasionally passed by. Then, about half a minute later, the unicorn noticed the sound of wooden wheels rolling along on the road and heavy hooves clopping behind him. He stopped and looked behind him, seeing Big Macintosh hauling his cart just behind him. Their eyes met for a moment and they exchanged looks of confusion.

“The farm’s this way.” Big Macintosh stated.

“My house is this way.” Bright responded.

The two shared an awkward silence that lasted for a few long seconds before Big Macintosh’s expression brightened immensely as he broke the tension with a fit of laughter, mostly from the coincidence that they were both going in the same direction. Bright followed suit with the laughter, relieved that the big stallion wasn’t at all annoyed or angered.

“Want to walk together then, Big Macintosh?” Bright asked.

With a friendly smile, the red draft horse gave a nod. “Jus’ call me ‘Big Mac.’” He said.

Chapter 8: Falling for a Fantasy

10 years ago…

It’s kinda funny. Or maybe it’s sad. Despite how long I’ve had to forget that day, I can still remember each detail about it vividly.

It was a Friday afternoon in February. It was my second year enrolled at the School for Gifted Unicorns in Canterlot and I had just finished Enchantment class. My last class that day was Astromancy, so our classroom was the observatory, near the very roof of the school. I walked in with my supplies in my saddlebag and took my seat at the front row of all the desks. I was so eager that I brought out my inkwell, quill, and fresh sheets of paper.

I remember how much I loved it, learning about fortune-telling by reading the stars. The observatory had a huge glass dome that let you see a huge chunk of the sky from all angles. The supply closet was fully stocked with so many telescopes, and star maps and charts decorated the walls. Once a month our teacher, Professor Dazzle, would host stargazing nights and let students bring snacks and games while she pointed out the constellations. However, there was a rainstorm scheduled that day, so the only things you could see through the dome were grey clouds and raindrops on the glass.

After I made sure my desk was well prepared for class, I reached into my saddlebag and pulled out my assigned project. It was a diagram of the Carina constellation, drawn with white crayon on a piece of dark blue construction paper. Just below it was a short summary about the meaning behind Carina, written with white ink. Just as I was ready, I noticed my other classmates entering the observatory. Then, as soon as the school bell rang, Professor Dazzle entered.

She was a very kind mare, and a bit eccentric, looking back on it. Her coat was a deep ocean blue and her frizzy mane and tail were a bright orange, kept up in a beehive style.

“Good afternoon, class,” she cheerily greeted us, as usual, “Today, we’ll be reviewing all your constellation charms and then we’re going over Chapter 5 in our textbooks. Before we get started, there’s a small announcement from the school council I must let you all know about. Due to a rather explosive incident from Miss Honeybrew’s Potions class this morning, the southern courtyard is strictly off limits until further notice.”

While I was writing a reminder on a sticky note, my eye was caught when a familiar coat of neon yellow took a seat to my left. It was him…Crackle Zap. He was a fourth-year student at the time. I remember the way a short strand of his peach-colored mohawk curled like a bolt of lightning over his forehead. His cutie mark pictured magic wands clashing with electric ferocity. He looked over at me and greeted me with that confident, winning smile.

I couldn’t tell you how goofy I might have looked smiling back, but it was most likely an embarrassing sight.

“Now that everypony’s here, please have your constellation charms out and ready. We’ll start with you, Minty Fresh,” Professor Dazzle announced.

Our homework was simple. All we had to do was to choose a constellation, explain in a paragraph or two what it represents, and enchant a diagram to make the stars float off the paper. Professor Dazzle soon came around to check Zap’s work. From what I could tell, he had done his assignment on Caelum, but he seemed to have confused it for another constellation. When he cast his charm, his horn glowed with yellowish light and the stars started to come off the page, but they flickered for a few seconds before fizzling into specks of light. I felt sorry for him, seeing the look of subdued frustration on his face.

“Very good attempt, Crackle,” the professor encouraged, “but, I should point out that the constellation you’ve drawn isn’t Caelum, but, actually Horologium. Aside from that, you’ve done good work on your research.”

Then, after writing performance notes on her notepad, she looked at me and I knew it was my turn to present. I looked down at my diagram and closed my eyes. I felt the magic in my horn flow and pictured the constellation in my head. Then, when I opened my eyes, I saw the stars from my drawing were floating before me and a blue glowing apparition of the keel of a ship formed around them.

“Ah! Well done, Bright! Very well done! It’s no wonder you’ve advanced in your studies.” Professor Dazzle applauded.

“Thank you, Professor.” I grinned, though I noticed Zap from the corner of my eye, looking at me with discouragement.

As a colt, I never enjoyed seeing somepony else feeling down, so whenever I could, I’d try and lift their spirits. While the professor continued checking the rest of the class, I took a spare sheet of paper and wrote a note for Zap. “Hey, it’s okay to get it wrong. I’m sure you’ll get better.”

I folded the note and subtly passed it to him with levitation. He grabbed it and read before he smiled back at me. Then, he wrote something himself in a more crude horn-writing style.

“You’re lucky to be so smart. I’m not so good with learning. I wish class was over already so we could go to the club right now.”

Zap and I were both members of our school’s Dueling Club. Students would meet every late Friday afternoon at the buckball court and compete in one-on-one duels. I signed up for the sake of having some extracurriculars on my school record, but Zap was far more enthusiastic about it.

“I know how much you love to duel, but it’s important to learn other uses for magic too,” I wrote.

“I’m so good at it though and I’ve even been working on a new spell to show off at our club meeting today! You remember how I got Fireball to yield in fifteen seconds last week? Coach said I was the best magic duelist my age he’s ever seen. I could be a pro duelist!”

I chuckled softly and Zap shot an expression my way that said “Don’t you think?” I took a moment to think of how to respond.

“Think of it like this. If you learn different types of magic, you could use them in duels in different ways. Like, you could have a spell for any kind of situation. That way, you can be prepared for anything.”

After Zap read the note, he seemed to be thoughtful about what I told him. His eyes widened, like a lightbulb went off in his head.

“You are REALLY smart! I’ll try to remember that. You’re a really cool colt, Bright. I like you.”

Before that day, I only knew Zap as an acquaintance and a classmate. We had talked and worked together before then, but I think that was the first time he had ever complimented me. Just the idea of somepony like him calling me “cool” just blew my mind.

I admired him a lot in those days. I didn’t understand why then, but I kept getting butterflies in my stomach whenever Zap looked at or talked to me. He was a fourth-year and three years older than me. He was bigger and stronger than I was and, whenever he was around, he never failed to make me feel strange things I hadn’t ever experienced before. Crackle Zap…was my first crush.

Bright paused. A shiver ran up his spine when a cold breeze swept past and he realized how frigid it was outside. His initial panic-induced heat flash was subsiding and Bright started to feel like his normal self again.

“You okay, Bright?” Big Mac asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine…” He nodded.

“Wanna get inside?”

“I’d like to, but I’d rather not share the rest of this story with your family. It’s a bit much to handle all at once, y’know?”

“I understand.” Big Mac pondered on an alternative, scratching his chin. “We still got the barn. Should be a bit warmer there.”

“That sounds good.”

Bright slowly stood up from his haunches and found himself good to walk. Big Mac led as they ambled back inside the gates of the farm. The workhorse was slow, staying at Bright’s side, should he start getting woozy.

“So, this is the same Zap ya said ya wanted to forget?” Big Mac asked, looking back at Bright.

“Yeah, he is.” he nodded, looking down at the snowy hoof prints Big Mac left.

“And, he was yer first crush?”

Another nod from Bright.

“…Ya mind if I ask what ya liked about him?”

Bright considered the question. After a brief silent pause, he answered, “As a colt, I saw Zap as bold and confident. I thought he was somepony who was larger than life, like he was destined to be something amazing. I used to think that I was such a lucky colt because somepony so cool wanted to talk to me.” As the two of them arrived at the barn, Bright’s face soured into a scowl, slapping his hoof against his forehead. “I must’ve been so stupid.”

“That ain’t true, Bright,” Big Mac objected, turning to Bright and placing a hoof on his shoulder, “It ain’t ever foolish to trust yer heart and believe in love. You were young and discoverin’ yer feelin’s. There ain’t no shame in that. Ever.”

The way that Big Mac put it made Bright think. It’s not foolish to believe in love…Is it really okay for me to like who I like? Am I good enough to be loved?

“Now, wait here for a sec, Bright,” Big Mac bade, stepping into the barn and rummaging around in the dark. Bright could hear a bit of clattering as Big Mac felt around for whatever it was he was looking for. Then, Big Mac poked his head out of the barn doors. “Alright. C’mon in.”

Bright followed him inside and saw Big Mac igniting an oil lamp with a match. After setting the lamp on a nearby crate, Big Mac sat himself on a quilted blanket, spread over a light pile of hay. The quilt pattern looked intricate, but Bright couldn’t make out the details. The lamp’s glow was just enough to illuminate the front of the barn.

“I didn’t want ya to trip on somethin’ in the dark. C’mere.” He pat his hoof on the spot right next to him.

Bright gave a small smile and obliged, taking a seat. Then, he closed the barn door with his magic. The inside of the barn was warm enough. Better than just being out in the snow.

“Thanks. This is better,” he said before he got settled on the blanket. “Anyway…”

Class ended at about 4 PM. When the bell rang, Zap was quick to leave, but not before he told me, “See you in Duel Club!” Club didn’t start until an hour from then, so I had time to myself for a little while. I packed my school supplies into my saddlebags and left the observatory, heading downstairs.

Since I was a student dorming in a school far from home, I’d gotten into a habit of writing letters to my dad every other day just to let him know how I was doing. The School for Gifted Unicorns had a small post office for student mail nearby the teachers’ lounge, so I liked to drop by each day to see if dad sent me any replies.

After descending the spiral staircase from the observatory all the way down to the ground floor, I trotted to the post office’s front desk. There, I saw Express Stamp, the pastel blue mail carrier pegasus that worked the office every weekday, though the students called him “Mr. X.” I came to know him more than most of the other students with how frequent I like to send letters. He was in the middle of sorting mail into cubbies on the wall.

“Good afternoon, Mr. X!” I greeted.

“Hey, little Bright! What can I do for ya?” he asked with his West Manehattan accent, removing the cap off his head and scratching his blonde flat-top-styled mane.

“Do you know if there’s any mail for me today?”

“Huh. Let’s see here.” Mr. X flipped through perhaps a dozen envelopes a second with very dexterous wings. He scanned the cubbies, but found nothing. “Sorry, Bright. No mail from your pops.”

“Oh…Well, thanks anyway.” I managed a smile as I turned to walk away.

“Hey, if ya wanna send him another letter, you’re welcome to write it here,” he offered, gesturing to the door that led inside of the post office. “I’ve only got less than thirty minutes until I gotta send all the outgoin’ letters to the EQPS center, though. So don’t take too long.”

“A-Alright! Sure!” I nodded and turned back, entering the office.

Inside, the room was small, but not cramped. There was the desk where I’ve occasionally seen Mr. X working, cluttered with some documents. I just collected them neatly and set them aside to make room for writing. I sat on his rotating chair and pulled out a pencil, a fresh sheet of paper, and an envelope from my saddlebag.

Dear Dad, I started.

Usually, I could easily find something to write about, but it was different at that time. I think the last time I had received a letter from my dad was about a week and a half before then. I was so used to getting a response from him every couple days, almost as frequently as I wrote to him. I wondered what kept him from writing back.

It’s been a little while since I’ve heard from you. I hope you’re feeling okay.

Around this time in my life, I had started to realize there was a certain trend to my dad’s behavior. It was February: my mom’s birth month. Dad used to get so depressed around that time of year. When I was a smaller colt living with him, he’d barely talk or emote. I used to get so scared that Dad would never be able to smile again.

Mom’s birthday is coming up. Are you going to do something special for her this year? Will you play her a song on your guitar?

I stopped and thought about her. At that time, I only ever knew about her through the stories that Dad told me. I remember that, whenever I missed her, I’d wish so hard just to be able to touch her once and feel her hugs. Dad knew her so well and I couldn’t have comprehended how devastating it was to lose her. I kept writing.

Does it hurt so much to think about her?

I was at that age where sometimes you just say what’s on your mind without thinking about what somepony else might feel about it. Without that filter, my mind steered to someplace that wasn’t a healthy place to be.

You told me she passed away when I was born. Was it because of me? Was it my fault?

There was a rumble of thunder from outside. I stopped writing again and pondered on that last sentence. Would she still be alive if she didn’t have me? I asked myself. Does Dad blame me? Is that why he doesn’t want to talk to me? I worried. It was a scary mindset to be in, but I couldn’t shake it away.

I’m sorry,
Bright

I didn’t realize I started to cry until a teardrop fell from my cheek onto the paper. I wiped my eyes and wondered if I should send that letter. Of course, I shouldn’t have, but I didn’t know any better. I hadn’t written or talked to Dad like that before. Then, there was a knock on the door.

“Hey, Bright. You almost done? I gotta go in a bit!” Mr. X warned from outside the office.

“Y-Yes! I’m done!” I didn’t think further about it and slipped the letter into the envelope, sealing it up and addressing it for home. I grabbed my bags and marched out, giving Mr. X my letter. “Thank you, Mr. X.”

“Aw, don’t mention it, Bright,” He smiled, storing it in one of the mail bags he was hauling on his back. “Say, I heard that the cafeteria’s servin’ some hot chocolate. I’d say it’s a perfect thing for this cold, yeah?”

The thought of hot chocolate was able to get my mind off of my Dad. I’m sure you know by now, but it’s my favorite drink for cold winter months, especially during rainy or snowy days.

“Oh, yeah! I’m gonna get some!” I grinned while I started trotting. “Bye, Mr. X! See you Monday!”

My mouth was watering for that hot chocolate as I headed to the lunch hall. Along the way, I noticed through the windows that the rain was pouring harder than it was earlier. I could even hear more rumbles of distant thunder as well as the following excited cries of the other students in the halls. When I arrived, the benches that lined the inside of the lunch hall were nearly empty, save for a few other unicorns that were working on homework. There was a short line that led up to the lunch counters at the kitchen. I could smell the warm chocolate wafting throughout the hall. As I trotted to the back of the line, I noticed some students taping up some red and pink posters around the cafeteria. They looked like they were spreading word about a new school event. Then, when I was already at the counter and one of the lunch ladies slid me a cup of chocolate, I heard somepony call for me.

“Hi, Bright!” It was Rosebud, another second-year student. She was a bubbly filly with her rosy pink coat and scarlet mane, styled into a curly ponytail. She had just finished putting up one of her posters before she came trotting.

“Hey, Rosebud!” I greeted her with a wave. “What’s that flyer that you put up?” I asked before I took the cup with magic and blew away some of the heat.

“We’re going to have a school dance for Hearts and Hooves Day next Saturday! I was just helping the older kids on the planning committee put the signs up around the school. All the students are welcome to come,” she grinned excitedly. “Oh! And everypony can bring their special somepony as a date!”

“Wow! That sounds like a lot of fun!” I said, trotting to an empty lunch table to take a seat. “Are you going with somepony?”

Rosebud followed and took a seat across from me, shaking her head. “Aw, none of the colts have asked me to go with them.”

“Then why don’t you ask them? Is there anypony that you wanna ask?”

“Well…” she thought for a second, growing a small blush on her cheeks. “I think Firecracker is kinda cute. He might be a little hot-headed and clumsy, but he can be sweet and funny too. Did you hear about that incident from the Potions class?”

“Yeah?”

“Firecracker was trying to make a special, one-of-a-kind brew he made up. He called it ‘Bottled Rockets’. He said it would be the next best-selling potion at joke and gag shops everywhere,” she giggled. “It didn’t go so well, as you may have heard.

I shared a laugh with her. “Then go and ask him to the dance! Anypony would be lucky to go with you!”

Rosebud adorably brushed some of her mane behind her ear. “Alright, alright. I’ll give it a try. You’re too kind, Bright. What about you? Is there anypony that you’d like to ask?”

I considered the question for a bit while taking a sip from my chocolate. I thought that asking somepony to a dance was exclusively between fillies and colts and I wasn’t friends with a lot of fillies, aside from Rosebud. “Hmm…I don’t really know any fillies I’d like to dance with.”

“What about any colts?” she asked.

I flinched. “Colts can’t ask colts to a dance, can they?”

“Why not? My mommy tells me that anypony can like who they like. It doesn’t matter who.”

“Huh…Well, there is one colt that I’d want to ask.” I replied with a little warmth on my face. “You know about Crackle Zap?”

“The fourth-year? Yeah, I do. You wanna ask him?”

I nodded, sheepishly.

“Ooh, then I know just what you need!” She excitedly clapped her hooves as she used her magic to pull from her saddlebag a small red greeting card that had a small cherry lollipop taped to it. “The planning committee is giving out candy grams for students to ask their special somepony to the dance. Here!” Rosebud smiled, sliding the card across the table to me.

I looked at the card more closely. It was decorated with hearts and hoof stamps and there were some blank lines for writing a personal message. “Oh, okay then. I’ll give this to him after Dueling Club!”

“And we’ll have a lot of fun at the dance!” Rosebud added. “Oh! Speaking of, I better get back to putting up these posters.”

“Alright! Tell me how it goes with Firecracker later. And thanks a lot for the candy gram!” I grinned and waved my hoof.

“You’re welcome, Bright. See ya later!” she waved in return and cantered away.

I looked down at my hot chocolate, then to the card and I wondered to myself. Will Zap say yes? Will he want to go to the dance with me?

When it was almost time for Dueling Club to start, I was running a bit late because I spent so much time trying to figure out what to write to Zap on the card. I was able to make it to the buckball court at the school’s gym just in time, though. As I walked in, I noticed our instructor and coach, a light brown unicorn with wavy dark brown mane called Mr. Bullseye, and the other club members, including Zap.

Mr. Bullseye called on me. “Nice of you to join us, Mr. Sight!”

I chuckled as I hurried over to sit with the rest of the students on the bleachers. We were a small club of twelve unicorns. Each of us were randomly paired to duel each other every week, with Mr. Bullseye supervising and giving us tips to improve our performance. The court lines of the buckball court were erased, leaving only a large circle to show the boundary of the field. As usual, Coach enchanted it with a barrier to keep spells from flying out at spectators.

“Alright, fillies and colts,” Mr. Bullseye announced, “it’s another week and another round of duels for you to practice. Like always, let’s start with a stretch and warm up.”

Another perk of having Dueling Club as an extracurricular activity was that it also doubled as credit for physical education. I wasn’t very big on sports, but I thought dueling would be more fun than huffing for breath while running around on a track or playing some really bad hoofball. After we had our warm up, all of us sat around the duel arena, just a foot outside the perimeter line. Mr. Bullseye stood at the center and he checked his notes on his clipboard.

“Now, the first ones up for today will be…Minty Fresh and Bright Sight. Come up and take your positions inside the ring, please,” he called.

Being one of the first to duel was nerve-wracking for me. It was a position where I was compelled to do my very best, or risk making a fool of myself in front of everypony if I trip over a spell or my own hooves. I took an anxious deep breath and walked to one side of the dueling field. Minty Fresh stood across from me. She was one of the only two fillies that enrolled in the club. She was a pale bluish-green with a deeper green mane, braided into two long pigtails that rested on either side of her shoulders.

“Good luck, Minty,” I wished.

“Thanks! You too, Bright.” She smiled.

Coach reminded everypony, “You all know the rules of the duel. If you step outside the circle, you lose the duel. Only use spells to subdue or hinder your opponent or force them out of the ring. Lastly, and most importantly, absolutely no roughhousing, physical or magical. We don’t want Nurse Peachy Keen to get a visit from anypony, do we?”

“No, sir!” everypony simultaneously agreed.

“Perfect! Now, duelists, on the count of three, your match will begin! Take your ready stance!”

I crouched slightly, prepared to dodge at the first attack. I could see Minty Fresh’s determined smirk while her eyes were fixated on me. I knew she was good at aiming so I had to be on my horseshoes. I shifted my gaze to Zap, who was sitting right behind where Minty was. He was looking right back at me with a confident grin, as if he was telling me “You’re going to do great.”

“One!”

My cheeks were warm and my mouth felt dry. I licked my lips.

“Two!”

I prepared a spell, channeling the magic in my horn.

“Three!”

A flash of green light burst towards me and I jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding it. I quickly discharged a blue beam from my horn, targeting a tickle spell at Minty. She was prepared, catching my offense with a small protective barrier. I knew wildly shooting magic her way wasn’t going to give much results. Minty Fresh was no slouch. She was a smart filly who knew her way around a healthy toolset of spells. I had to catch her off guard somehow.

Then, before I could try a new tactic, Minty shot a second beam my way before she aimed a green spark up into the air. While leaping away from the beam, it managed to graze my left hind leg. I could feel it starting to grow numb, as if it was falling asleep after I’ve been sitting on it for too long. At the same time, the spark up in the air burst into a white snowfall that fell over the field, turning to ice.

Oh boy… I thought.

The pins and needles started to prickle my leg and I could barely move it without squirming. The snow made the floor so slippery that my next step was uneasy. I could see Minty preparing another spell from the corner of my eye. I had to act before she knocked me off of the field. I braced my nerves and dove onto the floor, sliding along the snowy ice on my belly toward Minty. My spasming leg made me cringe with a strong tingling sensation. Minty tried to secure a win with a secondary shot, but her beams missed as I slid past her and managed to get close enough to land a tickle spell on her flank. Then, Minty couldn't help but roll on the floor, laughing and temporarily subdued.

The ice on the field started to evaporate. I slid to a stop near the edge of the field and stretched my leg out to wake it up. Now was my chance to earn an advantage. While Minty was composing herself, I charged my horn and cantered around the perimeter. I cast my nebulae spell and blue, purple, and gold clouds of space dust and stars steamed from my horn, obscuring the court. I only had a few seconds, but I managed to discreetly crawl my way toward Minty Fresh while she couldn’t see me. I got close and when Minty turned her head in my direction, I cast my sleep spell on her, point blank. Then she dropped to the floor, snoring away. When the cover of the nebulae cleared, everypony could see me standing over Minty.

“The duel has been decided!” Mr. Bullseye declared. “Bright Sight is the victor!”

The hoofstomps and cheers of the other club members echoed around the gymnasium. Out of all of them, I noticed Zap was stomping the loudest. I couldn’t help but smile. Then I looked down at Minty and I nudged her body until she stirred awake.

“H-Huh…?” she groaned.

“Looks like I got you this time, Minty.” I chuckled, offering my hoof.

“Aw, darn it!” she giggled, accepting as I helped her to stand. “That was a good duel, Bright. You were wonderful!”

“So were you! Turning the floor into ice! That’s such a cool spell!”

Minty bumped my shoulder and stuck her tongue out before Mr. Bullseye came forward with a pleased smile.

“Excellent performance from both of you. Minty, that was a very good idea to try and isolate Bright by making the floor slippery. It’s always a treat to see you duel. Bright, you had the odds against you, but your quick thinking saved your flank. Amazing strategy to use the ice to your advantage like that.”

“Thank you, sir!” We both grinned at each other.

“Go and take your seats. Again, great work.” Mr. Bullseye said as he looked down at his clipboard.

I was a fairly decent duelist, but that particular duel made me feel like I could take on anypony. I was so proud of myself and, as I sat at my spot outside the dueling perimeter, I looked over at Zap and he shot me a smirk.

“For the next round, I’m calling on Crackle Zap and Sour Patch.” Mr. Bullseye called.

All the other students filled the gym with their warning and knowing “oohs”. Everypony knew how good Crackle Zap was at dueling. Basically, if you were paired to duel him, you were almost certainly going to lose. Sour Patch, a sunshine yellow colt, knew it as well and he had a reluctant grimace on his face as he stood up and stepped forward.

“Now, now. Everypony calm down,” Mr. Bullseye admonished, “It doesn’t matter who wins or loses. What really matters here is what you learn.”

Zap grinned and winked at Sour Patch. “Don’t you worry, Patchy. I’m sure you’ll learn a lot from me.” I guess it flew over my head at the time, but I realize now that what he said was rather arrogant. Just one of the many warnings I missed I guess.

“Please, take your positions inside the ring.” Mr. Bullseye called.

Sour Patch stood across from Zap, unsteady in stance and unnerved in expression. Zap, on the other hoof, was dauntless and, perhaps, a bit smug. I couldn’t tell you what he could’ve been thinking, but maybe his reputation was getting to his head.

Coach began his count. “One! Two! Three!”

VrrrRRMM…

On three, Zap’s horn revved with electric magic. A string of crackling energy emerged from the tip as he lassoed it around his head. I was certain it was the new spell he said he was working on.

Sour Patch did his best to prepare for the worst that Zap had in store for him, erecting a magic barrier between them. However, I don’t believe he could’ve deflected such a wild spell. Then, Zap unleashed his wh-…his new spell and it moved so fast that I flinched when it snapped outwards toward Sour.

Crack!

When I opened my eyes again, I was surprised to see that a more powerful golden barrier was conjured in front of Sour and the electric strand that Zap made was nullified and disappeared.

“Time out!” Mr. Bullseye’s voice broke the duel just as it had started.

Zap was stunned for a second from the interruption, but then he turned to Mr. Bullseye and said, “Hey, Teach! What gives?”

“Crackle, what in Celestia’s name was that spell you were using!?” I’ve never heard our coach raise his voice before.

Zap gave a smirk and he chuckled. “Isn’t it cool? It’s a new spell that I made myself! Makes it a cinch to disable any opponent.”

“Disable? Crackle, that spell’s bound to put somepony in the hospital. Can’t you see how dangerous it is?” Mr. Bullseye asked earnestly.

“Aww, come on, Coach. A little shock’d never hurt anypony. Besides, can’t you see a world-class dueling pro using a spell like this?”

Mr. Bullseye scoffed in disbelief and shook his head. “No, Crackle. I can’t. And I don’t appreciate this cocky attitude of yours. I’m cutting this duel short.”

“What!? Coach, you can’t be serious!” Zap griped.

“Take your seats, gentlecolts.” Mr. Bullseye ordered with a steely tone. “Crackle, I want you to stay after club ends so that the principal can have a word with you.”

Sour Patch looked as though he could finally breathe again while Zap, with outrageous shock on his face, could only groan and roll his eyes as both of them returned to their spots. I heard murmurs among the rest of the club members. “Was that spell really that dangerous?” “Does that mean Sour Patch wins?”

All I could see from Zap’s scowl as he sat down was disappointment. I understood what Coach meant about the spell. There was a moment when I was worried that Sour Patch was going to get hurt. While I was glad he didn’t, I couldn’t help but foolishly sympathize with Zap. I should’ve taken the brazen and irresponsible use of that spell as another sign, but that…stupid crush persisted.

The club meeting continued as normal. Everypony else got to spar with each other and then, after a short evaluation from Mr. Bullseye, he dismissed us. Some of the other students left the gym to return to the dorms or to go to the lunch hall for dinner. Some stayed and chatted. Mr. Bullseye stepped out to fetch for the school principal. Zap stayed behind, as he was ordered to, sulking alone on the bleachers, rummaging around in his saddlebags.

I-I thought to myself…that it was my best opportunity to a-ask him to the dance…

The flame from the oil lamp flickered from a passing draft. There was a lengthy moment when the only thing Big Mac could hear was the wind blowing outside the barn. He looked over at Bright. Bright’s gaze was down at the quilt, but his eyes were glazed over and his body trembled lightly.

“Bright…?” he softly called, placing a hoof on his back.

Bright jumped slightly and let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “S-Sorry. It’s…hard to think about what comes next,” he said, looking up at Big Mac.

“We can stop, if ya wanna. I think I understand what happened after,” Big Mac offered.

Bright briefly considered it, but he shook his head. “No, I’ll be fine. I…It’s all in the past and I’m fed up with still being so afraid of it.”

“But, you’re sure you can handle it?”

“To be perfectly honest…I don’t really know,” Bright turned his gaze aside, pressing his hoof to his chest, as if clutching it, “but I want to try. Having you here to listen does help, I think. You’re the only pony I’ve ever shared this with. Heck, I never told Ivory this much.”

A beat skipped in Big Mac’s heart. Bright put an incredible amount of trust in him to tell his tale. It reaffirmed the farmpony’s desire to make good on that trust and do everything in his power to protect him. No more fears. No more pain. In Big Mac’s eyes, Bright was a treasure of a stallion that deserved all the happiness in the world. With that in mind, Big Mac twisted and reached his hoof back, grabbing the far edge of the quilt and pulling it up and over his shoulders.

“C’mere, Bright.” he smiled, extending his foreleg and gesturing for Bright to scoot close against him.

Bright gave a quizzical look for a second before he understood what Big Mac was requesting. His cheeks flushed with warmth and he chuckled awkwardly. “Heh…What’s this about?” he asked while he obliged.

As soon as Bright was seated next to him, Big Mac pulled him close, bundling the both of them within the blanket. Bright was snugly pressed to Big Mac’s side. His red coat was thicker than Bright’s, most likely because his home was naturally cooler than Bright’s old Coltifornian home. He felt so warm and his embrace was so comforting.

“I want ya to be as cozy as a canary. If ya start panickin’ durin’ yer story, jus’ remember I’m right here. Go slow and breathe if ya need to,” Big Mac assured.

It was some sort of magic that Big Mac worked that put Bright at ease. Perhaps it was how he could hear a strong heartbeat while his ear was to Big Mac’s chest or just the simple fact that he was snuggling up with the stallion he had been crushing on since they had met. The warmth Bright shared with Big Mac was enough to quickly do away with any lingering chills he felt. A pleasant shiver ran up Bright’s spine as he got settled, lifting his head to rest against Big Mac’s shoulder.

“Thank you, Big Mac…So, so much,” Bright sighed before he recalled where he left off, “Alright…”

When I saw Zap was still looking glum from what happened during club, I thought it might cheer him up if he had somepony to go to the dance with. I reached into my bag and pulled out the candy gram that Rosebud gave me and held it close before trotting over to the bleachers. Zap fished out a crumpled sheet of parchment from his saddlebags and spread it out on the seat next to him.

“Hey, Zap…You okay?” I asked.

“Eh…I’m whatever,” he replied, dejectedly, stamping his hoof on his paper to point out his notes. “My spell would’ve made any duel a cakewalk and I thought Coach would’ve been so impressed that he’d want me to go pro. I mean, you thought it looked cool, right?”

I couldn’t think of an honest answer that Zap might have liked to hear. Regardless, I tried to lift him out of his slump. “I was a bit worried for Sour Patch, but I still think you can be a great pro duelist. You just gotta keep learning.”

Zap growled and rolled his eyes as he swiped the crumpled paper aside, off the bleachers. “But I’m so ready, Bright! Ponies everywhere are gonna see me as the young dueling prodigy. I know that I’m destined for greatness! That’s what I felt when I earned my cutie mark,” he argued, pointing at his flank.

“I-I know what you mean!” I nodded. “I think that you will be amazing! A-Actually…I think you already are amazing.” My voice grew soft as I started to grow a bit shy about asking, but I thought that now wasn’t the time to be timid. I had to be bold and confident, like him. “Zap, you know about the Hearts and Hooves Dance we’re gonna have next week?”

Zap looked at me and then looked at my hoof, seeing the candy gram. His demeanor shifted into a more suggestive tone. “Oh, I see. You wanna ask somepony to the dance, right? Who is it?”

I smiled and felt the blush in my cheeks before I said, “Well…I wanted to ask you.”

Zap paused, then his face turned unamused and he gave a half-hearted laugh. “Hah…That’s not a very funny joke, Bright.”

My heart stopped. My smile faded. My ears folded backwards. I had a feeling that something was wrong. I should’ve listened to it and just played it off, but I didn’t…

“I…I wasn’t joking. I really want us to go to the dance together,” I said, extending my hoof to give him the candy gram. “Here, I-”

“No, no, no,” Zap cut me off with a more aggressive tone, bumping my hoof aside. The note slipped out of my grip and dropped to the floor. “You can’t ask a stallion to a dance, Bright. Look, you’re a smart kid and I think you’re cool, but don’t be a coltcuddler, trying to make me like other stallions.”

Coltcuddler. That was the first time I had ever heard that word. I didn’t understand what it meant, but this was the day I learned that I’d always be branded as one.

“I-I’m sorry…” I apologized. I didn’t know why Zap was suddenly so agitated, so…angered. It was a side of him I’ve never seen and it scared me. “I just thought…I thought you liked me too…”

…

I’ll never be able to forget the way he looked at me. All that seething rage and bitter disgust boring into me through that paralyzing glare. Zap’s horn began to buzz with energy as strands of lightning electrified the air around him. The lariat emerged from the tip and it flared with wild, untamed power. I…I was frozen in place.

VrrRRMM…

“I said I’m not a damn coltcuddler!!!”

CRACK!

…

Next thing I knew, I was on the floor. I felt my body spasm and jerk from the electricity coursing through me. My right eye burned. For a minute there, I could barely breathe.

“Stop!!!” “What are you doing!?” I heard the other students shout.

I managed to open my eyes, but all I could see was red through my right. I-I was bleeding and the first thing I saw was Zap looking down at me, his horn still sparking from the lingering spell. I couldn’t read his face at all, but it looked like some mix of stunned shock and delight.

“Are you okay, Bright!?” “What’s wrong with you, Zap!?”

He…hurt me. He really hurt me. That realization slowly set in. I opened my heart to somepony I admired and looked up to…and he struck me down. A torrent of emotions washed over me. Betrayal. Embarrassment. Heartbreak. I couldn’t handle it all at once. The only thing I could think of doing was getting up to my hooves and running. I broke past the students that surrounded me and I ran as fast as I could. Bursting through the doors of the gym, I frantically galloped down the hall. I didn’t know where to run. I just wanted to escape somewhere.

Why!? What did I do wrong!? I remember thinking. I thought we were friends! I kept repeating this over and over in my head while tears started to stream down my face. I clumsily bumped against other students as I ran past before I approached a door that led outside. I shoved my way through and ran out into the pouring rain. It was barely light out and I could hardly see through the deluge.

“Wait! Stop! You can’t go there!!!” I heard somepony shout.

Before I could register the warning, I ran through a barricade of warning tape and my hooves got tangled. I tripped over and skidded along the wet, slippery concrete and fell into a muddy ditch. It was then that I realized where I was: the southern courtyard. The explosion from that Potions incident blasted away the wall that protected the school from the cliffs of Canterlot Mountain and I happened onto the crater very near a precarious edge.

I had slowed to a crawl before the sloped ditch dropped off into the cliffs below, but the downpour of rain made the mud loose and uneasy. I couldn’t stand up and I was sliding toward the edge.

“Help! Somepony please help!!!” I screamed, hoping somepony could hear me while I tried to secure some sort of solid foothold.

“Hold on!!!” I heard over the rain. Help was coming.

However, the ground below my hooves made a sloshing groan. I felt my hind legs suddenly drop as chunks of muddy earth collapsed below them. I cried out and clung onto the edge with as much strength as I could muster. One glance behind me and I saw my legs were now dangling in open air over a dark and hazy abyss. I couldn’t see any ground below me. My heart raced faster and I started to panic. “Hurry!!! I-I’m slipping!!!” I shouted desperately as the earth made another lurching grumble.

“We’re coming!” I heard along with the hoof clops of other adults arriving. I had a chance…

…until the ground under me gave way.

…I fell.