A Small Glimmer of Hope

Chapters

Meeting New Friends
A Heart-Warming Miracle
The Last Act of Courage

Meeting New Friends

“So, you said this town is named Ponyville, right?” you asked while walking beside Starlight.

“That’s right. It’s a pretty humble town and quite frankly, almost everypony here in Ponyville enjoys the simple life. To be honest though, I haven’t always lived the easy life I have today,” she said averting her eyes.

You looked at her with concern. “What do you mean?” you asked.

Starlight sighed, “I don’t want to talk about it right now. Let’s just enjoy our little outing. There’s a good friend of mine who I want you to meet as well.”

“Oh really? Who might that be?”

“Her name is Trixie. She’s a unicorn just like me as well as the first friend I made on my own. She lives not too far away from the town’s market district, so we’ll pay her a visit during our tour. She’s a little... conceited, but she’s nice once you get to know her. By the way, please don’t tell her I said that,” she asked.

You chuckled, “Sure, no problem. So by conceited, are you saying she’s... a bit full of herself? If she acts like that, I can understand where you’re coming from. Back on my world, my little brother was always bragging about how great he is.”

Starlight couldn’t help giggling since you could relate to her. However, she stopped as she saw you pull your locket out from underneath your shirt. Her eyes filled with sympathy, as it was obvious you missed your family.

Unable to stand your depression, Starlight wrapped her arms around you in a hug, causing you to blush. “It’s going to be okay, I know you miss your family. Just know that you’re not alone. Twilight and her friends have taught me much about friendship. If you want, I can help teach you that too.”

You nodded. “Please do Starlight. I’d like that very much,” you answered as a smile returned to your face.

“You got it,” she replied. “In the meantime, let me take you and introduce you to Trixie.” With that, you and Starlight continued on your way into Ponyville. Just like during your arrival, none of the residents showed any signs of fear as you walked into town. You didn’t want to be rude, so you gave them a little wave. Some of the residents waved back and gave you kind smiles.

“They say Ponyville is the easiest place to make friends,” Starlight said as she watched the residents wave to you.

“Were they this accepting of humans when Twilight’s husband first came to Ponyville? I mean, she did say he was the first human to arrive here.”

“Unfortunately... no. Back when Twilight first introduced him to Ponyville, the residents were a little scared to see an unfamiliar species in town. However, as time passed on, the residents slowly began to warm up to him. Though, Twilight’s family felt a little uneasy with her getting married to a human.”

“Well seeing how happy they are right now, I’m guessing things eventually worked out,” you assumed.

“Yup. It took quite a long time for the ponies to warm up to him. But even longer for Twilight’s parents to accept him.”

You and Starlight continued your conversation as you walked around town. However you’re a perceptive man, so you could tell as you talked that there was something Starlight was trying to keep hidden from you. Soon, you and Starlight arrived at Trixie’s wagon. It was a bit small, but it looked big enough to house at least one resident.

Starlight knocked on the door, but didn’t get an answer. She tried again much louder than before. “Trixie! Are you home?! It’s me, Starlight!” she called still knocking.

“Maybe she’s not here,” you suggested, but you soon heard sound coming from inside before the door opened. Out stepped a tired looking light blue unicorn, dressed in a night robe.

‘I stand corrected,’ you thought.

“Do you know what time it is? The Great and Powerful Trixie is very tired from staying up late last night from working on her next magic trick.” she says, rubbing her eyes. Afterward she noticed you standing beside Starlight.

“Who might this be?” she asked. Like the others, she didn’t show any signs of fear, so evidently, Trixie was familiar with humans. You introduced yourself to Trixie, telling her your name.

Trixie glanced to you and back to Starlight and a mischievous smile formed on her face. She wrapped her arm around Starlight, pulling her close. “Is this a date?” she asked, causing the purple unicorn to glare at her and blush.

“We’re just friends, Trix,” she replied.

You rolled your eyes at Trixie’s immaturity, but you still couldn’t help smiling as well. After all, she was just joking. “So, I take it that you’re a magician?”

Trixie gasped as if you had just insulted her. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is more than just your everyday ordinary magician! When it comes to stage magic, she is the most talented and most amazing magician anypony in Equestria has ever seen!”

Her boasting sounded so adorable, you couldn’t help chuckling a little. “Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Trixie. I can tell you’re a very talented magician. Maybe one of these days when we’re not so busy, we can come and see your magic show. What do you say, Starlight?” you asked.

Starlight smiled “I think that’s a great idea! You’d be amazed at how well she’s been getting over the years. However for now, I think it’s time I showed you the rest of the town. See you later, Trixie,” Starlight said walking up to give her best friend a hug, which she gladly returned.

“You two have a nice time,” Trixie said releasing Starlight from the hug. “Trixie however needs to go back to bed.” She let out a yawn before going back inside her wagon. With that, you and Starlight continued on your way.

Starlight soon guides you to the entrance of a building where you could see a couple of ponies getting mud baths and massages through the windows. There was no doubt this was a spa.

“As I’m sure you’ve figured out, this is the Ponyville Spa. This is where Twilight and her friends usually come in order to relieve their stress,” Starlight explained.

“Have you ever paid a visit?” you asked as the two of you continued on your way.

“Yes, in fact, the spa is where I first met Trixie,” Starlight said with a happy sigh.

While walking, you couldn’t help staring at Starlight yet again. The sun was reflecting off of her fur, causing it to shine. Your face started to heat up again, she was just so pretty.

“Your face is turning red, are you alright” Starlight asked. You didn’t know what to say. As much as you didn’t want to admit you’re blushing, you also didn’t want to lie, especially to a friend.

“Uh… s-sorry Starlight. I just… I kept thinking how beautiful you are, if you don’t mind me saying so.”

Instead of getting offended, Starlight smiled widely. “Why thank you. You’re the first one who’s ever called me something so nice.”

Your curiosity returned. “What do you mean?”

Starlight’s smile instantly disappeared and she turned away. “Well, not a lot of stallions have complimented me like you just did. I felt like I wasn’t as attractive as other mares. I’ve seen a few couples here and there, and I just kept on thinking to myself that I might not get to experience something like that. That’s why I was so happy when you called me beautiful; you’re the first guy that’s ever given such a genuine compliment.”

You were quite surprised to hear that Starlight’s never had a boyfriend in all her life. For a mare as beautiful as her to not be given a chance makes you think that maybe other stallions just can’t see what she might have to offer.

You placed a hand on her shoulder, getting Starlight to look back at you. “Since we just met, we should take things slow. For now, let’s just focus on being friends and if things go well, maybe I can take you out. How does that sound?” you asked.

Starlight responded by giving you a hug, “I’d like that very much, thank you.” With a sigh of relief, you gave Starlight a hug in return, causing her to sigh happily and lean onto your shoulder. Your heart felt like it was racing the more you and Starlight hugged each other. After a few seconds of hugging, you released each other.

“I couldn’t ask for a better friend,” she tells you, smiling at you genuinely.

“Right back at ya, Starlight,” you replied. Taking you by the hand, Starlight continued to show you a few other places in Ponyville that you’ve never seen before. Such places included this cute little bakery called Sugarcube Corner, which is apparently one of the most popular bakeries in Equestria, and possibly the only bakery in this town.

Starlight opened the front door to Sugarcube Corner, wanting to show you what it was like inside and what kind of sweets they had. You were amazed at how many pastries there were. Whoever runs Sugarcube Corner sure knows what they’re doing. Starlight giggles, seeing your surprised expression.

Behind the counter were two anthro earth ponies. One of them had pink hair in the shape of cupcake frosting with blue fur and the other had yellow fur with carrot orange hair.

“Oh, hello there, Starlight. Is this dear a friend of yours?” the mare asked.

“Yep. He’s gonna be living here in Ponyville from now on.” Starlight replied. She turned her attention back to you. “Go ahead and introduce yourself.”

Smiling, you approached them and told them your name. “Oh, nice to meet you. I’m Cup Cake, and this is my husband,” Cup Cake says, gesturing the stallion next to her.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Carrot Cake. Welcome to Ponyville,” he said before he extended his hand out to you for a handshake. You accepted and shook his hand and his wife’s.

“Wait! Wait! WAIT! Did I hear somepony say we have somepony new in PONYVILLE?!” called out another female voice.

You got confused at who just said that. Soon, in a pink blur, this pink pony shows up from the kitchen with a big smile on her face. Her fur was a lighter pink than her poofy hair, and she had big blue eyes staring directly at you. You felt slightly uncomfortable with her looking at you at such a close distance, so you backed up a bit.

“Umm... hello there,” you say, still trying to keep a smile on your face.

“Hiya! My name’s Pinkamena Diane Pie, but you can just call me Pinkie!” she says, excitedly before pulling you into a hug. You couldn’t believe how strong she was, you swore your spine was about to snap.

“Honey, take it easy on the poor guy, you don’t want to squeeze him to death.” said a male from the kitchen. With a giggle, Pinkie released you from her bear hug on you and turns to the kitchen where another male human appears and comes walking towards you.

He chuckled as he wrapped an arm around Pinkie. “Sorry about that. My wife tends to get excited when she hears about new residents in Ponyville,” he said before kissing Pinkie’s cheek. “Anyway, it’s nice to meet you. My friends call me Frosty.”

“That’s a nice name. Anyway, thanks for the backup, your wife sure is strong,” you said rubbing your back, which was now sore. Putting both hands on your back, you popped your spine back into place.

Pinkie giggled sheepishly. “Sorry. I just love making new friends!” she said bouncing. “OOH! Speaking of ‘new’, I’ve gotta plan your ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party! Frosty, can you watch over the kids for a couple of hours?” she asked.

Frosty smiled and nodded. “No problem.” he said.

“Thanks honey pie!” Pinkie says cheerfully, before pecking her husband on the lips. She heads back into the kitchen and already, you see a few drops of pastry batter splatter on the walls and the floor. You quickly moved your head to avoid getting hit by some batter.

“Uhh... I’m guessing this is the part when I take my leave?” you asked Starlight, as this was getting a bit awkward.

“Well, we don’t want to spoil the surprise before it’s even started. Come on, I’ll show you some more of the town,” Starlight said, walking out the door. You were about to say good-bye to the Cakes, but they already went into the kitchen to stop Pinkie from making an even bigger mess than before.

“Well it was very nice to have met you guys. Take care!” you called out. You saw Carrot Cake give you a thumbs up. You smiled and walked out of the building and followed Starlight.

“Are you gonna be alright?” Starlight asks, putting her hand on your back.

You still felt the pain from that bear hug, even as Starlight only slightly touched it. “I’ll be fine. Tell me, is Pinkie always on a sugar rush?” you asked.

Starlight chuckled, “That’s just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie. She loves making new friends, whether they’re staying in Ponyville or just passing by.”

You and Starlight looked at each other for a few seconds, and soon you both broke out into laughter. This is turning into quite an interesting afternoon to say the least.

“Where to now?” you asked after the laughter died down.

Starlight thought for a moment before an idea came to mind. “I know just the place,” she says gently taking your hand. You both passed by a few buildings, including this clock tower. Looking at it, you thought it looked like a junior version of Big Ben. That was all you had time to think about before Starlight leads you away to this fancy-looking building.

Through the windows, you could see a few mannequins displaying some dresses. This was probably some sort of tailor shop. Surprisingly, each of the outfits in the window had its own unique style.

“Starlight, what is this place?” you asked.

“This is Carousel Boutique. My friend, Rarity, designs clothes here. If you’re ever in need of somepony to fix up any tears or holes in your clothes, she’ll be there.” Starlight explains. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to her and her family.”

Once again, you acted as a gentleman and opened the door for Starlight. She walks inside and you follow her before closing the door, causing the bell above it to ring.

“Coming!” an angelic voice called out from another room.

You began to look around at all the creative outfits that decorated the store. ‘Hmm, I wonder if Rarity owns this shop. If she does, then surely she’s got a few helping hands. It’s probably tough to design this many clothes.’ you thought to yourself.

You returned your attention back in front of you, as a beautiful white unicorn walked into the room. She had a neat, curly purple mane which looked like it took hours to make. Her eyes sparkled like beautiful sapphires, more specifically the sapphires decorating the robe she was wearing. This pony definitely had a taste for fashion.

Her eyes locked onto you and Starlight and she smiled. “Oh, why hello, Starlight. Who might this young man be, is he a friend of yours?” she asked.

Starlight nodded. “Yep, he’s going to be staying in Twilight’s castle from now on. Since he’s new, I’ve taken the liberty of showing him around town.”

Rarity walked up to you with a friendly smile. “What a splendid idea. Well darling my name is Rarity, such a pleasure to meet you. Any friend of Starlight’s is definitely a friend of mine.”

You shook Rarity’s hand, telling her your name. “It’s nice to meet you, too, Rarity. And, I hope you don’t mind me asking, but did you make all of these amazing outfits by yourself?” you asked.

“Darling, I’m flattered, but I honestly can’t take all the credit. In these recent years, I’ve received plenty of help from my darling husband and daughter,” she said proudly.

You smiled and thought to yourself. ‘Talk about talented. I wonder if she gave her husband a few lessons to get good enough to help her make those clothes.’ Another question peaked your curiosity after that. “So where exactly is your husband?”

“Well, since you asked, he’s actually upstairs spending some time with our daughter,” Rarity explained before noticing your outfit and smiled, somewhat amused.

“What are the odds, that happens to be the same outfit I gave to Twilight a couple of days ago. Are they working out well for you?” she asked.

You nodded and smiled. “Yeah, they fit me pretty well and it’s just my style. Thank you for the new outfit, Rarity.”

Rarity smiled and shook her head modestly. “It’s no trouble at all, darling. Anything to help a friend in need. And if you ever need me to make you more for your wardrobe, just know that I’m always here to help. Does that sound alright?” she asked.

“Sure, that would be great.”

After Rarity’s husband, Silver came downstairs with their daughter, Rarity decided to fix some tea as you had a conversation. You could see how close those two were judging by how she was riding on her dad’s shoulders. You also learned that this is not their only store, as Rarity and Silver work on opening boutiques all over Equestria.

“I see you’ve already met my wife. Well, I’m Silver and this is our daughter, Crystal Gem,” Silver said, gesturing his little girl on his shoulders. She hid half her face behind her dad, too shy to even say hi. “It’s okay, sweetheart. Say hello,” he encouraged.

“H-Hello...” the young girl said timidly before hiding behind her dad’s head.

“Aww, she’s adorable,” you said smiling as Crystal peered a little bit from behind her father.

“Thanks. She gets her shyness from my side of the family. It took her a lot of time to warm up to the other kids here in Ponyville. It took even longer for the other kids to warm up to my daughter, mostly because of her other personality,” Silver explained.

You quirked an eyebrow. “What do you mean “other personality?”

“What Silver means to say is that our darling Crystal has inherited my personality. As in… there’s times when she’s always like ‘*gasp* IDEA!!!’ It’s absolutely adorable. She reminds me so much of myself at times,” Rarity explained as she leaned down to stroke Crystal’s head.

“Like mother like daughter,” Silver said with a chuckle.

“That’s just sweet. I can’t wait for the day when I have a kid of my own. Although, I’m not sure if that’s even possible, given the situation I’m in.”

“Whatever do you mean, darling?” Rarity asked with sympathy in her tone.

“Well, I don’t know if I should tell you. I don’t want to say the wrong thing in front of the child.” you say, not wanting their daughter to hear.

“Oh, I see.” Rarity said before she turned her attention to her husband. “Silver, darling, could you please take Crystal to her room? This isn’t going to be suitable for a young lady to hear.”

“Sure thing, Rarity. Come on, Crystal. Mommy and daddy need to have a little grown-up talk with our friend here,” Silver said.

“Okay, daddy.” Crystal said. With that, Silver carried his daughter and headed back upstairs and walked down to the door on the right and entered the room, out of your sight. A couple of seconds later, Silver came back downstairs after closing the door to his daughter’s room.

“So what did you mean when you said you weren’t sure if it’s possible to have a child?” Silver asked.

“Well you see, I was in a pretty bad condition before I came to Ponyville. Back home, I suffered a terminal illness, which badly damaged my body. Even though I’m healthy now, I don’t know if I’m still fertile enough to reproduce,” you explained.

“I see. Well, I’m not sure what to say, darling, but you never know unless you at least try. Though, I don’t think it’s wise to rush into a relationship. It took me 2 years to finally give myself to Silver and have our daughter,” Rarity said leaning on her husband’s shoulder.

“I’m really happy for you two. Though are you sure I can experience the same happiness if I just try?” you asked, still unsure.

“There are endless possibilities, darling. It’s all up to you to pursue them. Just don’t act too rashly, okay?”

You nodded as you and Starlight finished the rest of the tea Rarity made for you. “We should be going. There’s still a few places I want to show him. You know, help him get to know the way of the land so he can get used to this town.”

Rarity nodded, “We completely understand darling, glad we had this talk. And remember, you’re free to stop by if you ever need more outfits for your wardrobe, or if you want to stop by for a visit and a friendly chat.”

You nodded. “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind. It was nice to meet you Rarity and you too, Silver,” you said, shaking each of their hands.

“It was nice to meet you, too,” Silver said. “I’ll show you two to the door,” he said, walking over to the entrance and opening the door, letting you and Starlight exit.

As you walked to your next destination, you could tell Starlight felt a little awkward about the conversation you had with Rarity. It was even pointless to bring it up, because it’ll only make things even more awkward between you two.

You decided to change the subject, “Where to next?”

“Probably the core of Ponyville, in other words, Sweet Apple Acres,” Starlight said.

“Sweet Apple Acres? Is that some sort of farm?” you asked even though the answer was quite obvious.

“Yup, and trust me, you’d be surprised how big and busy it is. Applejack and her family work extremely hard to harvest their apples and other crops before the winter kicks in.”

As the two of you continued walking for about 8 minutes, you saw a farm in the distance. Looking around, you could only imagine how many apple trees were around here. Some of the trees had fresh apples, ripe enough for picking. Others however, were bare and the leaves were starting to change color.

Your ears catch the sound of a thud coming from up ahead. Starlight guides you over there and you came across a pony with orange fur and blonde hair, wearing a stetson hat. It looked like she had just kicked an apple tree, judging by the baskets full of apples. There was also a human standing next to another tree before rushing up and tackling it, causing more apples to fall.

Panting a little, the orange mare wiped her sweaty forehead before turning to look at you and Starlight. “Howdy there Starlight! This guy a friend o’ yers?” she asked in a country accent.

Starlight nodded, “Yes he is and since he’s new here, I’m trying to show him around Ponyville.”

“Well that’s mighty nice of ya,” she said, before looking at you. “Howdy there partner. Mah name’s Applejack, proud owner of Sweet Apple Acres,” she said, offering her hand to you. You shake her hand and tell her your name. “And of course, this here is mah husband, Bucky,” she said, walking towards the man leaning against the tree and placing her hand on his shoulder.

“Hi there... how... do you do?” Bucky asked, panting and waving weakly at you. You wave back at him with a smile, which soon turned into a look of worry.

“You alright there? You look pretty beat,” you said to Bucky with concern.

“I’m fine... just a little... worn out, that’s all,” Bucky replied panting.

Applejack gently patted him on the back. “Just relax, hun. Don’t want ya to get sick in the stomach from a bit o’ heat stroke. Bucky started to relax a bit and his breathing finally became more steady. “Feelin’ better, sugarcube?”

Bucky nodded and smiled at his wife. “Yeah, thanks AJ.”

“Y’all feelin’ hungry?” Applejack asked.

“No thanks, we’ve already had breakfast. I’m just showing our new friend here around town so I can help him get to know the way of the land. And I can tell you’ve been pretty busy harvesting as much apples as you can,” Starlight said, looking at some of the bare trees.

“Yer darn tootin’. It ain’t easy gettin’ all these apples harvested. It’s an even bigger hassle when winter is rushin’ on by. Luckily, Bucky and Ah are workin’ our flanks off with the help o’ Big Mac and our son, Apple Slice,” Applejack said proudly.

“Apple Slice?” you asked.

“He’s our very special boy. He’s an honest-to-goodness farmer, just like his beautiful and hard-working mother,” Bucky said, causing Applejack to blush. “You want to see him?”

“I would love to,” you replied.

“Alright then. Hey, Apple Slice, come on over here, we got some company!” Bucky called out over to the pig pen. A little boy who was giving the pigs their food turned over to your direction, smiling casually as he hopped over the gate. He ran over to Bucky and Applejack, waving to his parents.

“What’d ya need from me, pa?” asked the boy. He looks at you and smiles happily and unlike Crystal, he didn’t show any signs of shyness. “Oh, howdy there. Mah name’s Apple Slice, nice to meetcha!” he said, extending his arm out.

You told him your name and shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Apple Slice,” you said.

“Apple Slice,” Applejack began, getting her son’s attention. “Starlight here is givin’ our new friend here a tour around town. She’s already introduced him to both Twilight and Rarity’s families.”

“We also visited Pinkie’s family,” Starlight said.

“Which almost resulted in her breaking my back with that bear hug of hers,” you added, rubbing your spine.

“Ah know what that’s like. Auntie Pinkie would always give me one o’ her big ol’ bear hugs anytime mah parents and Ah go over to visit her,” Apple Slice said.

Applejack chuckled, “Yeah, but that’s yer aunt Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie. You know how much she loves her friends an’ family. Especially makin’ new friends. And Ah’m assumin’ she’s also plannin’ yer ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party.”

You quirked an eyebrow when she guessed that. “How’d you know?” you asked.

“Pinkie Pie always plans ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ parties fer friends who are movin’ into town. It’s one o’ her favorite things to do, other than eatin’ and bakin’ sweets, o’ course.”

You chuckled before you began to look around the farm with great interest. In addition to the dozens of apple trees, there were many farm animals, including the pigs Apple Slice was feeding, as well as some sheep and cows. It reminded you of back home, when you visited your cousin, who also worked on a farm.

Getting your tour around Sweet Apple Acres underway, you followed Applejack into the house and into the kitchen. Once inside, you see a young mare with bright yellow fur and red mane pull out a fresh, apple pie from the oven and set it on the open window for it cool off. There was also a dog, which appeared to be a Border Collie laying down in the corner. Her ears perked up and she opened her eyes, turning to face you and barked happily, startling the yellow mare.

“Winona, don’t scare me like that! Ya almost made me ruin mah apple pie!” the mare scolded. However, Winona didn’t seem to care and ran up to you and leaned onto your knee, barking happily as if she wanted “upsies”.

The bright yellow mare looks your way and smiles. “Oh, howdy there. Who might you be?” she asked nicely. You tell her your name. “Nice to meet ya. Mah name’s Apple Bloom!”

The smell of the fresh apple pie filled your sinuses. “Mmm, that apple pie smells good, did you make it yourself?” you asked

Apple Bloom blushed “Well Granny gave me the recipe,” she admitted. She then cut the out a small piece of the pie and offered it to you. “Y’all want some?”

Even though you and Starlight already ate breakfast, you decided one slice couldn’t hurt. You grabbed a fork and dug it into the slice and took a bite. The taste was incredible, nothing like any apple pie you’ve had before. Still, you remembered your manners as you ate.

Giggling at your expression, Starlight decided to have a piece as well. Apple Bloom cut another slice and offered it to her. Starlight got herself a fork and dug it into her slice and took a bite. Upon taking the first bite, Starlight showed the same expression you did.

“Apple Bloom, this pie is amazing. Keep this up and no doubt everypony in Ponyville will want to have a taste,” Starlight said with a wink.

Apple Bloom blushed again and smiled. “Aww shucks, thank ya, Starlight,” she said.

“You’re welcome. Oh, and if you hadn’t caught on,” Starlight began, returning her attention to you, “This is Applejack’s little sister. Although, she’s not so little anymore. She’s going to be 18 years old in just a few more weeks.”

“That’s great. Happy early birthday, Apple Bloom,” you joked causing her to giggle and smile.

“Thanks, Ah can’t wait until Ah turn into an adult! But fer now, Ah’m gonna git back to makin’ some brunch fer mah family. After that, Ah’m takin’ mah nephew fer a lil’ walk around town. Ah still got some more stories to tell him about how Ah was tryin’ to get mah cutie mark.

You nodded, and prepared to leave the kitchen. “We’ll leave you to it. Thanks again for the pie, it was delicious.”

“Yeah, take care, Apple Bloom. Tell Big Mac and Granny Smith we said hi.”

Walking back outside, you looked to see that Applejack and Bucky were sitting down, apparently taking a break from the chores. It was clear that even the most hard-working apple farmers here needed time to catch their breath.

Applejack smiled as she noticed you and Starlight walking over to them. “Y’all enjoyin’ your stay?” she asked.

“We sure did. Maybe one of these days we can all get together and hang out when we’re not so busy,” you suggested. “Thank you so much for your hospitality.”

“No problem sugarcube,” Applejack said as she shook your hand and pulled you into a hug. “But y’all come back, now ya hear?”

“You got it. See you later, Applejack. You too, Bucky,” Starlight said and Bucky nodded with a smile.

After waving goodbye, you and Starlight began to walk down the hill that would take you back to Ponyville.

A Heart-Warming Miracle

Author's Note

And here's the final chapter to the clopfic. If there are any errors, the constructive critisism is always welcome and thank you all so much for your patience and support, remember to stay tuned and Happy Hearth's Warming to all of you and remember to keep on bronying on

A Heart-Warming Miracle

You didn’t believe in magic before coming to this world, but that changed not long after you arrived. You got to experience yourself how talented Starlight is with her magic during her training sessions with Twilight, as well as when she put on a show with Trixie. She truly is an amazing mare.

The ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party that Pinkie threw you was pretty amazing, too. And you got to meet her two kids, as well as these two pegasi named Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. It came as no surprise that they warmed up to you like all the other ponies in Ponyville. Although, it took you awhile to get used to Pinkie Pie’s... unpredictability. She’s a great friend, but sometimes she can really scare you with the way she’d always do the impossible, like popping out of mailboxes or mirrors.

Other than that, it felt nice make some new friends, laughing and talking about everything that’s happened in each others lives. What’s more is that over the last few months, you’ve grown closer to Starlight.

Deciding to keep no more secrets from you, Starlight admitted she was once the manipulative leader of a small village and had tried to take everypony’s cutie mark so they could be “equal” as she put it. She even confessed that she tried to change history by traveling back in time to stop Rainbow Dash from performing her Sonic Rainboom, which was the source of Twilight and her friends getting their cutie marks.

Even after she told you all this, you didn’t feel any differently about Starlight, as she is obviously not the same pony she was before. She felt relieved and happy that you still chose to be by her side, even after all the trouble she caused. She even took you on a trip to the Equality Village just to see what it was like.

Visiting the village where Starlight used to live was a pretty good experience. You even had a run-in with Applejack’s older brother, Big Mac, who had come by the village to check up on his sweetheart, Sugar Belle. Apparently, he comes here often in order to deliver her the apples she orders to make treats for her bakery.

Big Mac explained how he got together with Sugar Belle and how much of a hassle it was to get past this hotshot stallion named Feather Bangs. You couldn’t help but laugh when Mac mentioned how Apple Bloom and her friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo tried to help him win her heart by going off these fairy tales.

You couldn’t deny that you have fallen in love with Starlight and last month, you confessed your feelings for her, which she gladly returned. It was then that the two of you shared your first kiss. Since then, you and Starlight would either go out to dinner at a local restaurant, have a picnic underneath the gazebo, or just read some books together.

As for you, you’ve taken the liberty of finding a job in working at a grocery store, stocking shelves on the weekdays. As for the weekends, you got a little part-time job in looking after Twilight and her friends’ kids.

Today, it was Sunday and you were looking after Rainbow and Fluttershy’s sons, Warm Breeze and Bolt Jr at Twilight’s castle. The two young boys were easy enough for you to handle, especially since they both wanted to hear your story about how you first arrived in Equestria from your hometown. You didn’t like the idea about bringing up such a dark past, but you found ways to make the story sound less disturbing.

“You see, boys, this poor little girl was trapped underneath a bridge and everyone was too scared to jump in and save her because of this speeding river current! However despite my condition, I showed no fear and jumped down and freed the girl between these two heavy boulders and pushed her out of reach from the river current,” you explained, as if you were telling a superhero story.

Both boys looked at you with surprised expressions

“That... was... AWESOME!” Bolt Jr exclaimed.

“That was very brave of you. So how did you come to Ponyville?” Warm Breeze asked.

“I was getting to that,” you said with a smile. “You see, after I rescued the little girl, and pulled away from the river current, this strange portal with a bright yellow glow appeared in front of me and the people. Everyone was too scared to go near it, but something told me it would change my life for the better. My family thought it might help me in some way and told me to go for it. I told them goodbye and that’s how I ended up here with you and your friends and family.”

Warm Breeze smiled with tears of joy. “That’s so amazing!”

Bolt Jr clenched his fist, looking like he was about to explode with excitement. “I can’t wait until the day I become a hero like my mom! She’s awesome!” he said.

“Trust me, someday you will. But right now, your number 1 priority is to enjoy your time, growing up and learning new things and spending time with your family,” you said.

Bolt pouted a little, but you just smiled, amused by his stubbornness. Warm Breeze, however, didn’t seem to mind waiting.

Just then, Starlight walked into the room. “Still telling your stories I see,” she teased.

“Only if the kids ask me to tell it,” you said with a shrug.

“Well, I just came to tell you that Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are coming over to pick up the kids, so be sure to have them ready before they arrive.”

You nod and turned to the boys. “Well, you heard the lady, the sooner you get your stuff ready, the sooner you’ll be heading home.” you said, petting them both on their heads.

“Oh, umm... okay,” Warm Breeze said, feeling down. Bolt on the other hand wasn’t so lenient.

“Aww man! I wanted to stay a little longer!” he whined.

“I know, but you boys have to go to school tomorrow and I have to go to work. But hey, if you listen to your parents, maybe I’ll visit you and play some nice games.”

You gave them each a hug and patted them on their backs. Warm Breeze and Bolt Jr both gathered their things and packed them in their bags before following Starlight to the door.

“See ya later, alligator!” Bolt Jr called out.

“In a while crocodile!” you called back.

About twenty minutes later, Starlight returned to the castle and gave you a hug from behind. “You’re so good with kids,” she said.

You reached up and patted her arm, which was still wrapped around you. “It comes naturally to me with experience. I often had to babysit my little brother and sister back home. Of course, this was before I got sick,” you explained.

“I don’t doubt that for a second, Chance.”

Starlight began calling you this a few days ago, and the reason why was because of how you were given a second chance at starting a new life. It didn’t take long at all for you to get used to your nickname, especially since it was a way for Starlight to show affection to you.

“Anyway, how was your trip to the Crystal Empire?” you asked as you and Starlight moved to take a seat on a nearby couch.

“It was pretty fun. Still, I honestly couldn’t help feeling a bit lonely without you around,” she admitted, causing you to smile.

You reached to stroke her cheek in a loving manner. “Aww, my poor Glim-Glim,” you teased, causing her to give you a playful glare with her cheeks puffed up.

“You can really be mean sometimes, you know that?!” she scolded before leaning closer to you. “But you know, I just can’t stay mad at you,” she said, pinching your cheeks a little too hard.

“Ouch!” you cried out slightly.

Starlight giggled and rubbed your cheek. “Now that’s a really cute expression.”

“I’ll show you what else is cute,” you said, smirking slyly at your marefriend. You grabbed both of her cheeks to bring her close to your face and then nuzzled her nose-to-nose. Starlight giggled at the affection you showed her.

It truly was amazing how happy Starlight made you. Just hearing her laugh warmed your heart. Her beautiful smile and those starry-eyes of hers were so mesmerizing. For just a few seconds, you and Starlight remained silent and kept admiring each other’s gaze until Starlight finally decided to speak up.

“Chance?” she asked.

“Yes, Starlight?” you asked back.

“Thanks for making me the happiest mare in all of Ponyville. At first, I didn’t think I’d ever find somepony who would accept me for who I was. But when you came into my life... all of that changed.”

It was at that moment that tears of joy began to fall down Starlight’s cheeks. “You didn’t show any signs of hate even after I confessed my terrible actions. Rather, you still continued to treat me as a pony and a friend.”

You wrapped your arms around the crying mare, bringing her closer to your chest. Soon, you began to cry as well.

“After I caught my illness, I knew I didn’t have long to live. However, I never anticipated there would be an entirely different universe waiting to welcome me when I died. To be honest, Starlight from the moment we met, I had a feeling you would be different from all the others and I was right, for there is nopony in either world who I love more than you.”

Starlight nuzzled under your chin before looking directly into your eyes. “I love you, too, Chance. With all my heart.” With that, you closed the gap, pressing your lips against Starlight’s. Time seemed to stop as you focused on the warmth and softness of her lips.

Starlight placed one of her hands on your lap and pressed herself deeper into the kiss before suddenly pulling away. Before you could say anything, she pressed a finger to your mouth. Her horn began to glow and with a quick flash, you found that the two of you were now in her bedroom.

“W-What the?” you ask, surprised. You scanned her room and then back at your marefriend, who had a seductive smile on her face.

“I just figured we should set the mood. After all, what better place to do it than in the bedroom?”

It was obvious what was about to happen and you couldn’t help feeling worried. Not for yourself, but for the mare you love. “Be honest with me Starlight, have you done it before?” you asked gently taking her hands.

Starlight looked away, slightly, smiling nervously. She knew better than to lie to you, especially since you’re always honest with her. “Actually no, this’ll be my first time ever doing it, Chance,” she admitted.

Letting go of her hands, you reached up and gingerly cupped Starlight’s chin, forcing her to look at you. “I haven’t done it either, but I won’t force you to do it if you don’t want to,” you tell her genuinely.

Starlight was impressed at how you could easily control your urges for her sake. “Thank you Chance, I trust you.” Her eyes no longer showed the seductiveness they had before, instead there was nothing but pure love for you.

With a smile, you carried her to her bed bridal style and laid her down before you got into the bed too. Starlight got on top of you and began to undress with a blush.

“No pressure,” you reminded.

“I know, Chance. I want this,” she replied before she resumed to take off her shirt and show off her noticeable D-cup breasts hidden beneath her dark blue bra. After removing the bra, Starlight got off of you so you could undress as well.

Being the pure hearted man you are, you had no lust for Starlight’s figure, so you took your clothes off at a mature pace. Starlight blushes when she gets a good look at your muscular chest.

“I... I knew you were handsome, but not this handsome,” Starlight complimented as you began to unbutton your pants. While doing so, you flashed a smile, letting Starlight know you appreciate the compliment. You slipped your pants down and revealed your boxers with a large tent in the middle.

Starlight reached down and gently took the bulge in her soft hands. Letting out a slight moan from the contact, you reached out and gently rubbed her shoulders.

Using her magic, Starlight slowly pulls your boxers down, revealing your hard member. Leaning down, Starlight gave a small lick. You shuddered when her tongue licked the tip of your member.

Starlight gave a few more licks before she sank your shaft into her mouth and began sucking on the entire thing. She used her hands to gently massage your balls, making you feel even better. You felt the urge to ask Starlight where she learned to do this, but you decided not to interrupt her. Besides, with all this pleasure, you found it hard to talk anyway.

Starlight’s tongue circled around your cock as she kept bobbing her head. Moaning at the slight change of pace, you slowly reached down and began to stroke your marefriend’s soft mane. In response to your gentle touch, she moaned softly, sending shivers up your spine.

You were happy that you were both being gentle with one another, especially since you’re both virgins. To make Starlight feel better, you moved your hand and began to scratch behind her ears, making her giggle and moan. Curious of what might happen, you moved one hand up to her horn and stroked it gently.

Almost immediately, Starlight let out a moan that was a little bit louder than her previous ones. You took your hand away from her horn, thinking it was one of her sensitive spots.

Starlight raises an eyebrow and pulled her mouth off of your member. “What is it?” she asked as she started stroking you with her hand.

“I... I thought I was hurting you when I stroked your horn, so I stopped,” you replied. “I’m sorry if it did hurt you.”

Starlight stared at you for a few seconds before letting out a small giggle. It was so comforting and somewhat amusing to know how much you cared for her well being. You wanted to make this as painless as possible. “You’re very sweet, Chance, but you don’t have to worry. In fact, I liked it when you touched my horn.”

You felt some relief from hearing that. “You sure?” you asked.

Starlight responded with a nod. “Yes, Chance. Go ahead,” she urged before she took your member back into her mouth. Seeing how you have her permission, you brought your hand back to Starlight’s horn and stroked it. Starlight began to moan even louder than last time. Her loud moaning on your shaft made you moan with her.

As you continued stroking her horn, you saw a small amount of magic come out, which slightly tickled your hand. Starlight took in your whole shaft, deep throating you and licking your balls. Your legs started to twitch from her incredible skills. Despite being a virgin, she pleasured you like a pro.

Unfortunately all good things, including a blowjob must come to an end. Your climax started to build up. Starlight was also getting close, judging by how fast she was sucking on your cock.

“S-Starlight... I-I’m about to...” you tried to warn her, but your climax suddenly hits and explodes inside her mouth, inflating her cheeks. She moaned loudly and shot out mini magical sparks out of her horn in response to her pleasure. Starlight swallowed your load in big gulps instead of spitting it out before she finally pulled away, panting heavily.

“That... was incredible...” you sighed, making Starlight smile and blush.

“Thank you, Chance. I learned these tricks from a book Twilight gave me to read. I think it was called ‘How To Please Your Stallion In Bed’ or something like that.”

Your rose an eyebrow, “I never thought she had those kind of books in the library.” you said.

The blush on Starlight’s cheeks deepened. “Neither did I, I keep forgetting that Twilight has a book on just about anything in her library,” Starlight said before returning her gaze to your member, which was still hard and covered in her saliva.

“I think I know what else we can do before we get down to the main event,” Starlight said as she laid down on the bed. She reached down to the hem of her underwear and pulled them off. Now there was nothing covering her special spot. Her dripping flower looked so beautiful, like it was begging you to dig in.

Of course, you restrained yourself and waited for Starlight to tell you what she wanted. Almost immediately, she spreads her legs out wide and uses her fingers to spread her pussy lips open. “Please eat me, Chance. I’m all yours,” she pleaded her same loving tone.

You carefully approached Starlight’s flower and stuck your tongue out, giving it a few good licks before finally traveling your tongue on every nook and cranny. Starlight gasped and moaned from your skilled tongue. She felt so good, she started massaging her breasts.

Her juices tasted so good, they tasted sweeter than any honey you’ve ever tried. She kept on shouting out loud every time your tongue circled laps around her flower and flicking against her sensitive clit.

“Oh buck! That feels so good, Chance! Keep going! I want this so badly!” she moaned loudly. You stared up into the eyes of your beautiful mare with love and passion as you were eating her out and pleasuring her with everything you’ve got.

You hummed into her soaking, wet flower, sending vibration up her spine. She shuddered and gasped in ecstacy. Starlight’s love juices sometimes either dripped down your chin or squirted onto your face, but they were only small squirts. Though, at the pace you were going, she could give out any second.

But you wanted to make sure this moment would last a little longer. You brought one of your hands onto one of her long, furry legs and massaged them while you occasionally inserted your tongue into her dripping vulva. Starlight couldn’t get enough of the pleasure and kept blushing intensely and moaning loudly.

She would keep on panting heavily the more you quickened your licking. “C-Chance...” she moaned. You looked up at Starlight immediately as she called you out. “I... I’m so close! I’m about to...”

Before she could finish her sentence, her juices exploded right in your face. You gulped down every drop that your lovely marefriend offered. She shrieked from the top of her lungs as she released her juices inside you.

After few more seconds, the nectar stopped spraying and Starlight slumped onto her pillow, panting heavily, yet happily. You slightly coughed as some of her juices went down the wrong tube. When the coughing stopped, you and Starlight looked at each other with caring smiles.

“That… was so… amazing,” you panted, wiping your face of the leftover juices. “You were amazing, Starlight,” you said wholeheartedly.

“T-Thank you... Chance,” Starlight panted.

You scooted up next to her deciding to take a short break and just cuddle before moving on to the next round. Starlight snuggled up to you closely, resting her head on your bare chest. She lets out a cute sigh and circles her finger on your chest.

“You’re really adorable, you know that, Starlight?” you chuckled, as that was no doubt the cutest sigh you ever heard.

“I can’t help it if you’re always making me smile. And besides, I figured you might like cute mares like me,” she said, looking into your eyes with a smirk. “Plus, I find you pretty cute, too.”

You didn’t know how to respond to that, so you just kissed her forehead and continued relaxing. About 15 minutes later, Starlight tapped your chest, getting your full attention.

“I... I think I’m ready Chance...” she said softly. The nervousness in her voice was very obvious.

“Alright, I’ll make sure it doesn’t hurt too bad. So do you want to be on top or bottom?” you asked caressing her cheek.

“I... I want to be on top. Please,” she answered moving her head away from your chest. You nodded and laid down as she gets into position, slowly placing herself above your hard cock. Biting her lip, Starlight slowly lowered herself and looked into your eyes.

You give her a reassuring smile, hoping to boost her confidence. It worked and soon after that, she completely swallowed your shaft into her pussy. Blood soon came out, as you broke her hymen. She let out a gasp of pain and pleasure the moment she bottomed out.

“Starlight, are you alright?” you asked, fully aware that the first time is always painful.

“It... It hurts a little bit, but I’ll be okay. Thank you so much for the confidence, Chance.”

“We’ll take it slow, my dear,” you assured, and Starlight nodded before slowly raising and lowering her hips. She moans softly as she was riding your cock. Her breasts bounced beautifully and you couldn’t take your eyes off of her.

You gently put your hands on her hips, and began to move along with her. You made sure your thrusts were just right, not too hard and not too soft. Starlight moaned more erotically as she closed her eyes. Soon, her hips would move on their own. It still hurt a little, but the purple unicorn felt much more pleasure than pain.

The pleasure was also getting to you as well, but you made sure to keep a controlled pace since you don’t want to hurt her. Starlight’s inner walls would tighten around your shaft nonstop.

“C-Chance...” she managed to say, despite all this pleasure.

“Y-Yes?” you asked.

“I-I still remember what you… what you said to Rarity... about wanting a child...” she stuttered but you could understand her. “I’ll... I’ll be more than happy to have your babies!”

“B-But what if... I’m not fertile?” you stuttered before she leaned down and kissed you.

“I have the utmost confidence...” she said. Shortly after that, she grabs your shoulders and bounces on your shaft more violently. Her breathing grew heavy and her moans grew more lewd as well.

You wrapped your arms around your marefriend as she increased her rhythm on you. Then in an instant, she switches positions with you, putting you on top of her and locked her legs around your waist. Getting used to the change, you gently resumed your thrusting into her tight pussy. Starlight wraps her arms around your back and moans loudly with each thrust.

“Chance... I know how much you care about me but... but please go a little faster...” she said, looking up at you with those beautiful blue eyes. You nodded and sped up your thrusts, panting and moaning as you did so.

“Oh buck! That’s it, Chance! Give it to me! Please give it to me!” she screamed before you cut her off by pressing your lips to hers in yet another kiss. Luckily the kiss didn’t distract you from your thrusting. In fact, your thrusting started to gradually speed up and got a little more harder. Starlight held you tightly, absolutely adoring the feeling you were giving her.

You soon felt some pressure building up, you were getting close. Starlight dug her fingers into your back, which probably meant she was also getting close.

“S-Starlight! I’m... I’m getting close!” you warned and she reached up to cup both of your cheeks.

“Hurry, Chance! Release it all inside me! I want to have you foal... I... I want to be a mother!” Starlight screamed as you thrusted even faster into her warm and wet pussy.

You couldn’t hold back anymore. “Starlight... I’m cumming!” With that, you finally released your warm seed into Starlight’s womb. As you filled her up, some of the sperm stained the bed sheets, but neither of you cared.

A few minutes later, you finally pulled out of your marefriend and collapsed beside her. Starlight turned to face you and snuggled up to you.

“That was incredible, Chance. Coincidentally, we ended up making love on Hearth’s Warming Eve,” Starlight giggled.

“I really hope I’m still fertile, you’d make a wonderful mother,” you said, rubbing her shoulder.

“And you’d make a wonderful father,” Starlight said before rubbing her stomach. Like she said before, she had confidence that a new life was about to develop from inside her. “Whether or not you think you’re still fertile, I know you are. And I’ll prove it to you on the day when you see this belly of mine grow,” she said confidentiality, nuzzling you cheek-to-cheek.

“I love you, Starlight Glimmer,” you said softly.

“I love you too, Chance,” she replied before leaning in for a kiss.

Using her magic, Starlight turned out the lights, allowing you both to give in to exhaustion. Within seconds, the two of you were sound asleep.

The next morning, you and Starlight paid a visit to the Ponyville hospital to have your marefriend take a pregnancy test. The results left even the doctor speechless. Not only was Starlight pregnant, but you were going to have triplets: 2 girls and a boy.

Tears came down your eyes as you were both overjoyed and relieved that you were able to have children. Starlight was crying as well. A miracle had definitely fallen upon the two of you and you couldn’t be more proud, as a new chapter in your lives was about take place. Best part about it was that you weren’t alone, and you never will be.

The Last Act of Courage

A Small Glimmer of Hope

Written by Israel Yabuki

Edited and co-written by NineTailBeastBall

Life works in many mysterious ways for many people when it comes to their lifespans. Some people live long lives, sometimes good, sometimes bad. But in the end, they still lived their lives the way wanted to. However, there are some people who never make it to their long lives and die around their middle ages.

Some cases of short lives include deadly diseases caused by alcoholism and smoking habits. However for you, that wasn’t the case. You’re one of the few young adults who’s received a terminal illness. Even though your family had plenty of money, there was no way to treat or even stall your diagnosis. The doctors had reluctantly admitted that you only had about 6 months to live.

Your parents, along with your younger brother and sister all felt devastated that even with all the money that they had, there wasn’t any way that your condition could be cured. For every parent who genuinely loves their child, the one thing that breaks their heart the most is seeing their children die before them.

Rather than give into despair, you took on a more different approach, appreciating the life you lived. Even though you were going to die soon, you never stopped smiling and kept pushing on strong and proud.

True to what the doctors said, as the months passed your condition slowly worsened. As the disease slowly destroyed your body from the inside, you’ve lately been prone to coughing up blood and could hardly walk on your own. Today was now the day before your scheduled death and the symptoms were already at the final stage. Even so, you never showed any fear and you continued smiling. On this particular day, your parents and siblings were taking you for a walk, as one of your last wishes before reaching for the heavens above.

“Mom? Dad?” you asked.

“Yes sweetie?” your mother asks.

“Whatcha need, champ?” your father asks.

“Thanks for being the awesome parents I could ever ask for. And I want to thank you guys, too.” you directed your attention to your brother and sister. “You guys really made my life worth living. Maybe one day we’ll meet again, someday.”

“Come on, bro! Don’t make me cry again!” your little brother said, trying to act tough and wiping his tears away.

Before you could say anything, you began coughing out blood again. Your little brother held you and patted you on the back. You coughed up a bit more violently, but it soon stopped.

“Don’t scare me like that!” your little sister said.

“It can’t be helped, sis. I don’t have much time left,” you reply, giving your sister a sad smile. You knew it wouldn’t be much longer before your illness finally kills you. “But maybe we should all focus on the positive side of all this. You know, like how we shared a lot of good times as a big happy family.”

“You mean like the time mom and dad took us to the zoo and that elephant sprayed water all over dad?” your brother asked.

“Oh, sure make fun of me, why don’tcha?” your dad says with a smile, patting your head. Your parents and siblings laughed with you, but you made sure not to laugh too hard or your violent cough would worser than it already was. The last thing they wanted was to double-check the remaining time you had left.

“No way, the most amazing time was during that trip to Great America and mom nearly puked her guts out on that jet roller coaster ride!” your sister added.

“Either way, those were the best days of my life. I couldn’t even eat another bite after I pigged out at the buffet.” you replied.

“That’s just so like you, always thinking about your stomach!” your brother said.

“Hey, like they always say, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Or in dad’s case, the way to his heart is through his funny bone.” you say, looking at your dad, who chuckled.

You knew you wouldn’t last much longer so you were determined to enjoy the last moments of life you had left. But just as you and your family kept walking, you all came across a bridge where these group of people were in a state of panic. You went over to the crowd as quick as you could without damaging yourself.

At the far end of the bridge, a man and a woman were reaching downwards, making your eyes dart over to where they were reaching. You gasped when you realize that a little girl had gotten stuck in between two large rocks and couldn’t escape. To make things worse, there was a huge oncoming river current approaching at dangerous speeds.

As a natural instinct, you leaned away from the bridge and decided to run to the other side where the girl’s parents were, but you are grabbed by the arm by your dad.

“Son, I know what you’re thinking! But it’s too dangerous!” says your dad.

“So what? She’s in danger! I gotta help her!” you replied. However it was much easier said than done. Due to your illness, it was quite painful just to move.

“You’re in no condition to be saving anyone, you’ll just end up making it worse for yourself!” your mom says.

“What do you suppose is more hazardous, me living with regret that I couldn’t save a little girl or dying a hero so she can live another day?!” you argued in frustration, ignoring the pain. Your mom backed up a bit, trying to counter-argue with what you asked, but she couldn’t come up with anything.

“Bro, you’re not serious, are you?” your brother asks.

“I’m as serious as I can be. This will be my last act of courage. If I die here, then at least I know I can rest easy knowing that she’ll be okay. I know you wanted to spend more time with me, but this is something I want to do. You guys understand, right?” you ask your family.

It was hard for them to respond, but they finally realized that they had to respect your final wish and they did so by hugging you and all whispered. “We’ll always love you.” With that, they let go, allowing you to sum all the strength in your body and leap off the bridge and into the water.

Shortly after diving in, you swam to the surface, still ignoring the agonizing pain in your body and swam over to the little girl who was stuck between two rocks. You reached dry land and came up to the girl and pushed through the pain and pulled one of the rocks away from her. She kept screaming and crying out for her mom and dad to help her.

The river current was getting closer and there was very little time left. With sheer determination, you moved the other rock aside, giving the girl the ability to move again.

Suddenly, you puked out some blood. ‘I don’t have much time,’ you thought.

“Get on,” you grunted, feeling your pain getting worse.

“What?” asked the little girl.

“Get on my back!” you grunted again. She obeyed this time and climbed on, wrapping her arms around your neck before you finally climbed up close enough for her dad to reach her. The little girl reached and grabbed her dad’s wrist. He pulled her up and held his daughter in his arms, hugging her lovingly and so did her mom.

But it was a short-lived victory for you. The river was already too close to you for you to even climb out. The man reached out in the vain effort of saving you too.

“I… I’m sorry, but my time has come.” you say with a sad smile.

“No! You’re NOT gonna die!” the man says. But even though he didn’t want this to happen, you let yourself slip down the slope and say your last words.

“Until that day… ‘til all… are one.” with that said, you felt your body get swept away by the rough river currents and the only thing you could hear was the sound of the water swifting on by as you lost consciousness and fall into darkness.

The void of darkness seemed to go on forever, but as you drift farther and farther, you soon came to the light at the end of the cave. You walked into the light and were soon blinded by its beautiful presence. After walking in, you felt warm and your whole body felt like it was healthy like it was before you got sick.

Your vision came back and what you see leaves you speechless. You were sitting in front of a beautiful lake underneath a large tree. Looking up, you could spot a few large, grey clouds up in the sky, but you didn’t mind at all.

As your parents have told you before, heaven is always a mystery to everyone. Despite the grey clouds in the sky, the place still felt like a warm place to be in. Thinking this could be the end of the line, you leaned up against the tree and sighed in relaxation, taking in the peace and quiet. But then suddenly…

“Excuse me, are you alright sir?” asked a female voice. You slightly jumped a little and scanned your eyes to the left and saw this anthropomorphic horse. For a horse she was quite beautiful; she had a light purple coat and dark purple hair with a light blue stripe reaching down towards the tip. Her eyes were blue and had she had a horn on her head. Looking at the horn, you realized she wasn’t a a horse per se, but a unicorn.

She wore a white long sleeve thin zip-up jacket that was open and revealed a dark purple tank top. Being the well-mannered young man that you are, you made sure to keep your eyes away from her chest. Instead you looked at her in her eyes which showed a combination of curiosity and friendliness.

“I’m fine, thank you,” you said with a smile. She seemed to be both surprised and confused that you didn’t run for the hills like some humans would. Though while you were obviously not scared, you were still curious on what you were doing here.

Knowing your manners, you decided to introduce yourself before politely asking this pretty young unicorn for her name.

“Oh, I’m Starlight Glimmer. It’s such a pleasure to meet you. You know, I have to be honest, I’m surprised you didn’t run away from me when you woke up.”

You just shrugged. “I don’t see why I should run away. I’ve already taken whatever life threw my way and died with dignity. Besides, this is heaven, isn’t it?”

The unicorn stared at you with confusion before she suddenly started giggling, much to your confusion.

“What’s so funny? Was it something I said?” you asked

Starlight began to calm down from her laughing fit. “It’s just that you seem very much alive to me,” she answered.

“Alive? That’s impossible. I remember the river current carrying me away after I saved this little girl from certain death. And if I’m alive, then how come my illness isn’t hurting me?”

This time, Starlight took you seriously. “I’m not so sure, but the only thing I can tell you is that you’re alive and well. You don’t have to believe me, but that’s just my honest opinion,” she said with a shrug.

“What is this place?” you asked.

“This is the land of Equestria and you’re pretty close to the town of Ponyville. It’s sort of a little different than what your world is like.” Starlight says

“Equestria? Ponyville?” This was all so much for you to take in. “I… I can’t even believe it, how can I be alive and in a whole other world at that?!” You started to panic a little bit. Starlight grabs you by the hands and makes you look at her serious blue eyes.

“Please calm down! It won’t do you any good if you keep panicking like that! Now as for the matter of being here, we’ll go back to the castle and ask Twilight if she knows anything about how you got here, okay?”

As Starlight told you, you began to settle down a little. “Alright, thanks Starlight,” you reply.

“You’re welcome. I don’t like seeing someone having a panic attack. It tends to make me uneasy and nervous, too. Anyways, come with me and I’ll show you to Twilight’s castle.” She offers you her hand to help you up to your feet. You accepted her help and grabbed her by the hand. She pulls you up and takes you to this cute little town that’s filled with lots of anthro horses. Yet they don’t seem to be afraid of you.

“Uhh, Starlight? Why aren’t they looking scared?” you asked.

“Oh, right! I almost forgot. You see, you’re not the first human to be brought into Equestria. Quite a few other humans have arrived here before you. And just so you know, Twilight and her friends are actually married to humans and have kids.” Starlight explains.

“Are you serious? I didn’t know that. Also, who’s Twilight? You mentioned her name yet I have no idea who she is.”

“She’s one of my best friends, as well as a princess who lives in this town.”

“A princess? Isn’t she suppose to be a queen since she’s married or something, or is that now things work around here?”

“Her brother and sister-in-law are the rulers of an empire up north, but they’re still referred as a prince and princess. I’m not exactly sure why they’re not referred as king and queen, but it sounds better when call them prince and princess.”

“Uhh… okay?”

“Long story short, most places are either ruled by princesses or princes. Anyways, let’s keep on going, the castle is pretty close by.”

“Okay.”

You didn’t say another word and kept following Starlight until pretty soon, you and her came across this gigantic crystal castle, leaving you completely speechless. Starlight giggles at your expression and nudges your arm. You snap out of your daze just as she opens up the front door to the castle.

She walks in and you follow her inside before she closes the door. “Wow, this place is HUGE! You sure this is a castle and not a labyrinth, because something tells me it’s gonna take forever to get use to this place,” you said.

Starlight giggled. “Trust me, that’s how I felt when I first moved in here. But you get use to it eventually. Anyways, you go on ahead and make yourself at home, I’m gonna go get Twilight.” Starlight points to the couch near the fireplace and then walks up the stairs and down one of the halls upstair, disappearing from your sight.

You took a seat on the couch and did nothing but scan the castle around you, admiring the decor and the warmth of the fireplace. Looking around, you could only imagine how many books there were. You wondered if this Twilight was possibly a bookworm or a part-time librarian.

You lean against the couch and stare up at the crystal ceiling, sighing in boredom. A little while after sitting and doing nothing, the sound footsteps and hoofsteps could be heard walking in your direction. You leaned your head forward and saw this pretty lavender unicorn with wings with long blue hair with a dark and light pink stripe running down.

Her eyes were a darker shade of purple than her fur, and she wore white lab coat and a long, black skirt that hung down past her knees.

“Hello there.” you say to her.

“Hi, I’m guessing you’re the human Starlight told me about?” she asks. You nod and shake her hand, telling her your name. “Pleased to meet you, I’m Princess Twilight Sparkle, but you can just call me Twilight.”

“I see. So, I’ve got a question for you Twilight.”

Twilight’s ears perked. “Sure, what is it?”

“How exactly did I end up in Equestria if I was already on the brink of death back where I was originally from?”

“Hmm, well, in rare cases, the princesses and I came to a conclusion that very few humans from your world are brought back to life and brought here in Equestria if their heart is mostly pure after their death.” Twilight explains.

You absorbed this new information. “Well as a matter of fact, even after I was diagnosed with a terminal illness back home, my family couldn’t find a way to at least stall my condition before it reached its final stage.”

Twilight looked at you with eyes full of sympathy. “I can only imagine the pain your family felt when they heard the news. How did you take it when you found out your disease was fatal?”

A sad smile grew on your face from the question. “I was disappointed that I couldn’t live a long life, but in the end, I wanted to make an effort to spend the rest of my short life with my family and friends. And then, on the day before I was scheduled to die, I did something that I’m sure even my family’s proud of.”

“So, your friend Starlight said there have been other humans who have ended up in this land,” you asked and Twilight nodded.

“Indeed. In fact, my husband was the first human to ever arrive here in Ponyville a little over 6 years ago and we even have our own daughter,” Twilight said with a happy sigh.

You weren’t too surprised to hear that. Given the ponies look more humanoid here than they do back in your world, it makes sense that Twilight can have a daughter with a human. You could already feel your anxiety being replaced with curiosity. And something tells you that being given a second chance at life was gonna be more rewarding for you.

Pretty soon, Starlight came back levitating some tea. “Anypony thirsty?” she asks.

Twilight turns around and grabs one of the cups with a grateful smile. “Thank you, Starlight,” she said. Starlight levitates you a cup of tea as well, which you accepted and blew on it to cool it down a bit before taking a few sips of it.

“Wow, this is pretty good, Starlight. Thanks for the tea.” you say to her.

Starlight giggles. “You’re welcome. So, I take it that Twilight told you about the other humans and how they were all brought here?” she asks you.

“Yeah, you could say that. She told me that the humans who were dropped here were mostly pure of heart, and I guess that goes for me too.” The explanation made sense. All your life you were a good soul who always tried to do the right thing. You were also a man of your word and not even as a child have you ever attempted to lie. This was because your parents always told you dishonesty only brings trouble.

“Anyways, since you’re new here, I think it’s best if you stayed here. You’d be surprised how many guest rooms we have in this castle.”

You chuckled as given the size of this place, multiple guest rooms are to be expected. “Actually, I kind of doubt that, considering how big this castle is. But, I don’t think that’s up to me. After all, this is Twilight’s castle, not mine.”

“You don’t have to worry about that, you can stay here for as long as you want.” Twilight said. “Just know that whenever me and my husband go out, you’ll have to pitch in and watch our daughter with Starlight. Can I trust you to handle that in case this happens?”

“Since you’re generous enough to give me a place to stay, watching your daughter is the least I can do, Twilight,” you answered.

Stars seemed to shine in Twilight’s eyes as you gave your answer. “Thank you. I’m glad we came to an agreement. I’ll be sure to introduce you to my husband when he gets back. In the meantime, why don’t we get you settled into a guest room?”

“Sounds good to me, but it’s probably gonna take me a while before I can get use to this labyrinth of a castle,” you reply, causing both Twilight and Starlight giggled. However, you noticed that a slight blush was beginning to form on her cheeks.

“Yeah, I know that feeling all too well,” the light purple unicorn said rubbing her shoulder. The way she acted when she mentioned that made you chuckle at how adorable she was. After your friendly little chat with the princess and Starlight, she kindly gestures you to follow her up the stairs to one of the halls.

You did as you were told and followed her without question. The whole time walking, you just couldn’t stop catching glimpses at Starlight and how beautiful she looked. True, Twilight looks stunning for a married mare, but there was something about Starlight that just gave off this certain spark that was too difficult to explain.

Anytime she’d look at you, you turned away so you wouldn’t creep her out. As much as you wanted to get to know her more, your first priority was to get settled in and hopefully find some kind of decent job here in Ponyville.

The two of you finally came to a stop. “Here we are,” she said opening the door for you.

“Thank you Starlight,” you said as you walked into the room.

“You’re welcome,” she replied giving you a warm hug before exiting the room.

As you got into bed, you immediately began to grow tired as the sheets on the bed were cloud soft and nicely scented. You felt your memories start flooding your mind. The good and bad memories caused tears to form from your eyes. It left an aching feeling in your heart that you’ll never see your family again. But at the same time, you hoped that they were alright and moving on knowing that you did your part.

Your neck starts feeling a tad itchy and you scratched it, only to feel something was wrapped around it. Your eyes grew wide, realizing that you were still wearing your locket. Taking the locket out from underneath your shirt, you opened it and got a good look at the beautiful picture of you and your family.

Right as your heart felt more at ease, it started beating more just you started picturing Starlight in your head, smiling at you. She already offered to show you around town tomorrow, and you couldn’t refuse to such an opportunity. After all, since you’re going to be living in this world, it only makes sense to learn how things work around here.

Giving the locket one last look, you closed it and set it on the nightstand beside the bed. Pulling the sheets over yourself again, you closed your eyes as the fresh scent relaxed your mind. After about five minutes, you were sound asleep.

After a good night’s sleep, the beautiful rays of sunlight shined through your window on the opposite side of where you were facing. You slowly opened up your eyes and turned to your right, taking in the light and cherishing it as you climbed out of bed. You stretched your body and yawned peacefully before turning around to face your bed.

You grabbed the blankets and started straightening them out and your pillow. Now that it was clean, you walked to the other side of the bed and grabbed your locket, wrapping it around your neck before looking out the window.

‘Who knew the sun’s rays could feel this good. It feels just like home.’ you thought to yourself. Just as you were going to stop closer to the window, you heard knocking on your door, startling you and causing you to turn to it. “Come in.” you called out. The door opens, revealing Starlight Glimmer in her minty green and bright blue pajamas.

“Just checking up on you and letting you know that breakfast is ready. Come with me and I’ll show you to where the bathroom is,” Starlight said gesturing you to follow.

With a nod, you walk over to Starlight and follow her through the corridor of the castle. As the two of you come to a door on your left, Starlight opens it and lets you in first. You accept and step inside of the bathroom. Starlight stepped inside with you, leaving the door open and grabbed a couple of toothbrushes. One of them was light purple and the other was black, which she gave to you.

“Twilight went and bought this for you right as you hit the sack last night a bit earlier than most ponies do. Sleeping for 11 and a half hours must mean you’ve had a long day yesterday. I guess that’s expected since you had your… heroic moment,” she says, trying not to make things awkward for you.

“A fatal disease can be extremely painful, and can also drain so much of your energy at the same time. But I’m just glad I did my part. This is my home now, so I’m going to enjoy every moment of it like I did in my world.” Having said that, you grabbed the toothbrush and turned on the faucet.

Starlight grabs the toothpaste and spreads some on the tip before giving the tube to you so you could do the same. For some reason, as you brushed your teeth, you couldn’t help staring at the unicorn next to you. You’ve never met someone, or in this case, somepony as beautiful as Starlight. To you, she almost looked like a light lavender angel from above.

Starlight spat out the toothpaste and noticed you looking at her. “Is something wrong?” she asked.

You blushed and grabbed a cup and filled it up with water. You swished the water in your mouth a few times before spitting it out into the sink. “It’s nothing,” you assured wiping your mouth. Technically, it was the truth.

Seeing how you were finished brushing, Starlight took a cup before rinsing as well. Once she was done, she gently took your hand and led you out of the bathroom and back into the hallway. “Well then, we should get downstairs, you’re probably hungry after sleeping for so long,” she said slightly teasing you.

As she led you downstairs, you couldn’t help notice how soft Starlight’s hands were. However your focus on her hands went away as a delicious smell filled your sinuses. ‘Oh sweet mama! That smells so good!’ you say in your thoughts. Starlight quickly leads you in the dining room where Twilight and this other guy and a little girl were sitting at a table.

There was even a sort of anthro dragon with purple and green scales, wearing a black tank top. The bags under his eyes signified that he had recently woken up.

“Oh, I see you’re finally up.” Twilight says. “Come on over and have a seat and I’ll introduce you to my family,” she says. You walk over to the table and have a seat. Starlight takes her seat next to you. “Now, I’d like you to meet my husband, Beau,” she gestures to the man on her left.

“Hi, nice to meet you,” Beau says, extending his hand. You tell him your name and shake his hand before turning your attention to the little girl next to him.

“And this adorable young lady here is our daughter and bundle of joy, Moonlight Sparkle,” Twilight says, looking at her daughter.

“Thank you, mommy,” Moonlight says, returning her mother’s smile.

“Aww, she’s adorable. You guys must be pretty lucky,” you said.

“Thank you. It was a bit of a rush when I first met Beau, but when you experience love at first sight, many things start to happen,” Twilight replied, taking a glance at her husband. He smiled at her, making them both blush.

The dragon decided to introduce himself next. “Name’s Spike, nice to meetcha,” he said before he let out a yawn. “Sorry, I had a date late last night. Still have yet to catch up on my sleep.”

Twilight couldn’t help giggling. “Spike, maybe you should manage your time a little wiser so you won’t have to deal with being so tired every morning.”

“Wow, if only I had thought of that,” Spike said sarcastically.

You chuckled before you looked down at your plate which Twilight had set down in front with her magic. You saw that it had scrambled eggs, golden hash browns, carrot slices and fresh orange juice. You brought your fork down to your food and started eating. The moment you took a bite out of the food, your taste buds started tingling.

Being a man with good manners, you refused to give in to your hunger and devour your meal within seconds. Instead, you went at at a steady pace, cherishing every bite. You were so busy eating that you didn’t notice Starlight looking at you with amusement. She had probably expected you to guzzle every ounce of food on your plate as if you were starving to death. Even though the food tasted amazing, you knew acting like that wasn’t your style.

After breakfast was done, you went upstairs to get dressed with the new clothes Twilight got for you while you were sleeping. You would be sure to thank her when you were done getting dressed.

Once you were dressed you opened the door to be greeted by Starlight, who had been patiently waiting outside.

“Shall we?” Starlight asked smiling warmly.

“Sure, I’m ready when you are,” you replied, returning the young unicorn’s expression.

Starlight led you back down the corridor and reached the front of the castle. Twilight and her family had stayed in the library just to catch up on some reading. You and Starlight walked down the stairs and straight to the front door. Being a gentleman, you opened the door for Starlight.

“Why, thank you,” she says, smiling happily at you.

“It’s no problem at all,” you said closing the door behind you. Now you were ready to get to know the way of your brand new home.