Chapter 1: My Time of the Year
It was quite a sight really. The two of them going about like that. It was almost like they were dancing...
In and out of the clouds they would weave. Two pegasus ponies seemingly with nothing else on their minds then the thrill of their game. He wished he could actually see them better than his vantage point allowed. As it was, they only appeared as a small yellow dot chasing a blue dot. Still, this was a sight that had begun to become more and more common as the days rolled on, so he’d get another chance. Given the town’s populace being swallowed more and more by nothing but pony inhabitants, he would dare say he may be one of ten or so humans left for miles. Such was the way of things...
He rubbed his hands together again for what may have been the twentieth time that day. If only he had remembered to bring gloves! With each passing second, the icy touch of the season only seemed to become sharper and sharper. Even the ponies with their seemingly natural resistance to cold were showing signs of the chill. The two pegasi from earlier flying down for a landing. Seems the cold had finally taking it’s toll on them as well.
The young man checked the zipper of his jacket, ensuring it was up as high as he could get it. He needed all the protection from this chill as he could manage. A faint smile upon his lips at the thought of his ‘public cosplay’. It was a good thing the show was so old now, he could still remember some of the crap he got back in school for this look.
His jacket was blue for the most part, with the upper chest area a pure white, along with the bottom rim and the rims of his sleeves. But it wasn’t just the jacket that made up this costume, he wore blue jeans along with the blue and white shoes the character wore as well. It was a game he liked to play. Back when he had played with the idea of a new identity. He would even introduce himself as the guy. Just to see if anyone got the joke.
No one ever did.
One look in the mirror would remind him of just why he had sworn never to get so carried away again. His body size was nearly identical, he even had the same blue eyes. Yet the biggest regret was how he had taken some of those pills that would genetically change the color of your hair. Now instead of a dull brown it was a stunning midnight blue in it’s hue. All to look like that character that didn’t exist. Almost an exact copy...
Almost...
Though at the moment he wouldn’t mind entertaining the idea of being someone else. Preferably someone with enough sense to bring gloves when they knew it was going to be so cold out. How did he always kid himself that his ‘short walk’ wasn’t going to lead him here? A place not five years ago may have been packed with shoppers, desperate to find those early Christmas deals. Course those time were long gone now, this wasn’t even a mall anymore.
What stood before him was a place relatively void of Christmas decorations, even with the day literally just a few weeks away. He supposed it made sense, technically being a government building. If you could call places directly run by the ponies that...
There it was. The Conversion Bureau. A lone standing structure in what was once a run down part of this little valley town, practically in the middle of nowhere. Ever since the ponies had come though. So many things had changed.
He still remembered when they had introduced themselves to the world. The world had been... A much darker place for him then. Regardless, he recalled watching the TV program about their arrival and wondering if he was dreaming. Talking ponies? Offering to take anyone who wished, to their near perfect world? Of course there was a catch. There always was. Many had freaked out at the condition of having to become a pony like them at first. But as time went on, the young man had noticed more and more flocking to the larger cities where the bureaus were located.
He had never guessed one would have been set up here. Though where he lived was technically classified as a city, one could walk from one end to the other of it in no more than a day. Head five or ten miles to the east, and you’d be in the neighboring city. Not much larger than his.
This was an odd little ‘city’, with the farm lands all around them. That and the grape vineyards which produced all the raisins this place was so famous for. It was for those two reasons in fact that the ponies had flocked here. Mere months after the first few bureaus opened, many of the newfoals had migrated to this town to seek their future. While those humans who’d go to join the HLF and the like left to the larger cities where such groups could be easier found. Quickly reversing the pony to human ratio to what it was now.
It would actually surprise him when he saw any other humans besides himself in this town now. In addition, more and more of the town was in the process of being swallowed up by this, ‘Ponyness’. The restaurants were being converted for their use, as were some of the schools. At least those that hadn’t closed down. The one and only airport had closed down a couple of months ago. Why have airplanes when most of the inhabitants could fly on their own?
He was pretty sure his house was one of the few structures not yet converted for pony use. Course that was mainly because he was still living in it. He should be there now, starting a fire in the fireplace, or at least curled up with a warm blanket with a cup of hot coco. He could be relaxing on the couch, watching the latest retro anime his penpal had sent him, or even playing a videogame, anything that didn’t involve freezing his ass off outside.
Yet ‘here’ is where he was. Standing outside in this abysmal weather. Staring at the one place that could take him away from all this. Take him away from the empty home that even now called his name. Away from all the haunting memories buried in the very buildings that surround him. Away from this city of nothingness.
So why? Why was he still hesitating?
He snotred. If he knew that he wouldn’t be outside the nice warm building now would he? No... That wasn’t quite it. He knew the reason. It wasn’t fear. He was pretty sure he’d enjoy being a pony just like any other convertee he’d met in town. It wasn’t regret either. He literally had nothing waiting for him out here. Nothing to tie him down. No it wasn’t regret...
Painful images he had carefully kept at bay, began to inch their way to the forefront of his mind. He had to stop kidding himself. Had to face it... He... He...
KRACKTHOOM!
A rather loud explosion of thunder, followed by a very LARGE bolt of lightning obliterated any train of thought he had been having. Glancing up into the sky, he could see the dark swirling clouds gaining in size with each passing second. The weather channel, now run by weather ponies of course, had predicted partly cloudy skies for the night, with no chance of storms.
Anyone with the slightest bit of common sense would take one look at those clouds and conclude with one hundred percent accuracy that the weather channel was wrong. Whatever manner of nature that was at work tonight was cooking up one monster of a squall up there. Unsurprisingly, his very next thought was to get home soon. So with that little bit of incentive, he turned to go.
“Still not ready to go in?” Spoke soft feminine voice from his side. Mere seconds after he had begun to turn away.
“Sorry?” He asked on instinct. He hadn’t expected anyone to be out here in this cold with him. Even the earth ponies hadn’t been out and about much on a day like this. Those two pegasi had been about the only ones braving it that he’d seen all day. His thoughts of getting home on hold, he turned toward the speaker...
There are moments in your life where you swear time stopped. Swear that the person, or in this case pony, can’t possibly be talking to you. Can’t possibly even be real. But the creeping frostbite in his hands proved that what saw, what he was experiencing at this moment was indeed very real.
She was a unicorn pony. Light blue in color. Her mane and tail the color of pure snow. Both hung down as if they had been drenched in water. The entire image seeming rather... Alluring... What an odd thought to have about a unicorn...
A thick pink scarf sat wrapped tightly around her neck. Her horn embraced by a very faint pinkish light. She stared at him for a few seconds with her large dazzling purple eyes. They seemed to be filled with kindness as well as... Sadness? The last thing he noticed was her cutie mark. Glancing at it as if an afterthought.
It was a rather simple one, though on her it somehow only managed to enhance her overall image. It was of a full moon with a rather odd silhouette of a picture upon it. That being of a snowflake. It just seemed to... Fit her somehow...
“Interested?” She asked confusing him for a second. Interested in what? Looking around he finally realized that a white mug of what appeared to be hot coco, was actually floating between them. That explained why her horn was bathed in pink.
“You must be rather cold...” She added, causing the mug to float a bit closer to him. He blinked once before reaching out to grab it. The heat of the liquid flowing through his hands like wildfire. It was a wonderful feeling.
“Thank you...” He managed to whisper. He glanced at her silently, his expression asking her name. Her response sent goosebumps down his back.
“Wintermoon, and who might you be?”
“Saito... Saito Hiraga...” He replied with the same whispered tone from before. He hadn’t even realized he was playing the joke.
Wintermoon raised her eyebrow.
“Really now? I knew that outfit looked familiar. You forgot Derflinger though.” ‘Saito’ nearly fell backward.
“You... You know who Saito Hiraga is!?” He stammered out. She had gotten the joke! Only one other person on this entire planet ever got the joke, and he was the one who had introduced him to the anime!
“Admittedly I find your ‘visual media’ products to be rather entertaining.” Wintermoon replied with a giggle. “Only just got into the ‘anne-ee-may’ format, but it’s rather lovely to look at. It just sort of happens that Familiar of Zero was one of the series left over in the stock rooms of when this bureau was a mall. So I guess I’m just lucky.”
Once again ‘Saito’ was at a loss for words. He had seen many ponies by now in his life of course. pegasi playing in the clouds. Earth ponies manning the Fields. But it was always the unicorns that awed him the most. He didn’t know what it was about sticking a horn on one of them, but to him it just seemed to make them more... Breathtaking...
“So Mr. Saito. Is there a, reason you never enter?” She asked, the hint of sadness creeping back into her eyes. It took him a second to process that she was calling him by his ‘joke’ name.
“Huh? Oh! My name isn’t really Saito. That’s just a joke I do since I kinda look like the character. My real name is Edward. Edward Moon.” Again her eyebrow raised.
“You aren’t making fun of me because my name is Wintermoon are you?”
“No! No seriously my family name is Moon! It’s even on my ID!” Edward cried desperately searching his pockets for the wallet with his identification card in it. Wintermoon only laughed at his antics.
“All right! All right! I believe you! It’s a nice name.”
“T-thanks...”
They were silent for a few seconds as he tried to come up with something to say. Finally he blurted out: “What brings you out in this cold?”
“I thought I’d bring a cup of hot coco to someone who I’ve seen looking into the Bureau I run, but never entering. Hence my opening question.” She replied with a smile. Edward nearly choked on his coco.
“You run the bureau!?” He exclaimed. She nodded ever so slightly.
“I do, but that isn’t the reason I’m out here. I guess you could say I’m just curious...”
“To what? Oh yeah the question.” Edward said with sad smirk. “Guess it is a bit suspicious to see a guy staring at you from across the street everyday. I promise I don’t mean any harm...”
“I know that much.” She replied with a sigh.
“No not at first,” She added quickly, having seen his look. “But I’ve seen you interact with ponies. It’s pretty clear you don’t wish us harm. But the question remains...”
“Why do I only watch and never go in?” He finished. Wintermoon didn’t nod or comment. She merely stood and waited. Waited for him to give an answer he couldn’t figure out himself.
“I don’t know.” He said finally. “It’s not that I’m afraid, or worried. I just... Don’t know if it’s time yet.”
“I... See...” She replied softly. He could see the sadness in her eyes clearly now. Why did his answer make her so sad? He wanted to ask her that. He wanted to go with her right now, enter the bureau and become a pony on the spot. Finally end these longs hours of staring at the building, only to walk away.
He could do it. He could change his future. A short walk through a pair of double doors and his life would change forever. He’d be a pony, surrounded by others just like him. He’d be accepted. He knew that. They’d welcome him without question, without hesitation. The mare before him would certainly help him. She was right there. All he had to do was speak!
But the memories persisted... The words... Did not come...
“The weather is getting worse...” He said finally, noting the icy wind having gained in force. The lightning, though small, was becoming increasingly more frequent. He didn’t remember finishing his coco, but the mug he held was now empty and cold. The warmth it had given his hands having vanished, leaving them numb. He was out of time.
“We should seek shelter. It’s getting too cold to be out here.” He said with a whisper of his own. It was a wonder she could hear him over the frigid gusts.
“You’re right.” She agreed with a shiver. They gazed into each other’s eyes but a moment longer before the spell was broken. Reality came crashing in, as both began to shiver against the freezing onslaught.
“It was nice to meet you!” He called as he began to run toward his home. His eyes never leaving her form. “I’ll try to stop by to say hi next time!” He grimaced at the phrase almost as soon as he finished saying it. How lame that had to sound!
“Please!” He could hear her call to him as he turned to ensure he could see where he was going. The image of her sorrow filled eyes burning into his brain.
“If you ever want to talk about what has been troubling you! I’ll- I’ll listen!”
With that he had turned a corner, the storm and distance blocking any further communication. He ran home then, ran as fast as he could muster, desperate not only to escape the cold, but to escape her gaze. He didn’t know why it bothered him so much, but no matter how hard he ran. He couldn’t erase the image of those sad eyes from his mind...
* * *
“BRRR! It is most CERTAINLY cold out there!” Wintermoon hissed as the bureau doors closed behind her.
“Your fault for going out there,” The receptionist pony, a pink unicorn with a mane and tail of two different shades of purple, said with a ‘matter of fact’ edge to her voice. Wintermoon glared at her, but only received a smile in response.
“At least you got back in before it started raining,” The pink unicorn went on, “Though I suppose with your mane and tail, nopony could tell the difference.”
“Ha ha, Remind me now Sparkler why it is that I haven’t fired you yet?” Wintermoon shot back while taking off her scarf. Everypony who knew her would always tease her about her mane and tail. Given the fact it looked like she sat under a waterfall to style it. A fact that bugged her to no end. Which was precisely why Sparkler would always tease her about it.
“Because I’m not only your dear friend, but because you know you couldn’t run this place without me?” Sparkler replied with a grin that could rival the Cheshire cat’s from the human story ‘Alice in Wonderland’.
“I sometimes wonder about that last part...” Wintermoon replied with her own little smirk, “Anyway I had to go out there. Standing by doing nothing was driving me crazy!”
“So is he going to burn us all alive?”
“Sparkler! That’s horrible! He’d never do such a thing and you know it!”
“Of course I do. I’m the one who told you he meant no harm when we first noticed him.” Wintermoon frowned.
“It’s not like I didn’t...”
“Winter, you were freaking out about the HLF planning an attack.”
“Well he startled me!”
“By standing across the parking lot?”
“Oh hush! How were you so sure he wasn’t dangerous?” Wintermoon exclaimed rather flustered. She had a feeling her face was rather red by now. She hated remembering that embarrassment! The head of the entire bureau, freaking out about one human standing by himself across the way. He could have been an HLF member scouting the place out! It wasn’t that odd a concept!
“I just can. Guess I kinda picked it up from my mom. She may be a little wall-eyed, but she always was a good judge in character.” Sparkler actually mellowed a bit as she spoke. Wintermoon knew how hard it was for her to be away from her mother and little sister. Even so, she really was glad she had Sparkler here by her side. Course she wasn’t about to admit that right now.
“Well when you’re right, you’re right. It became pretty clear with how he treated any ponies who walked by him that he was no threat. Still, that did leave the question of why he would only watch and never enter.”
“So did you get an answer?” Wintermoon sadly shook her head.
“No... He doesn’t seem to know what’s bothering him himself. It’s depressing. He always looks so sad standing out there... I just... Just wish I could help him. As the head of this bureau I feel as if I’m failing somehow...”
“Oh don’t go saying that,” Sparkler said trotting over to lay a hoof on Wintermoon’s back. “You know we’d all be lost without you. I dare say anypony else couldn’t do half the job you manage here everyday.”
“Thanks Sparkler...” Wintermoon said with a relieved sigh. “I just hope he finds his answer...”
She looked out upon the bureau’s parking lot toward the spot he always stood. The rain had begun to fall now, blanketing the outside world in static grey. Their many rapid pounding against the roof sounding almost like a waterfall.
“I hope he got home before getting caught in this...”
“Ohhhhhhhhhhhh. I see now.” Sparkler said suddenly from her spot. Wintermoon blinked as she turned toward her friend, feeling utterly confused.
“I beg your pardon?” Sparkler’s grin widened considerably.
“You LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKE him!” Wintermoon’s expression instantly deadpanned.
“You’re impossible.”
“You LIKE him! You LIKE him!” Sparkler repeated, as she hopped away.
“Don’t you have some papers to file or something?”
“You’re changing the subject! That means I’m right!”
“It does not! Look he’s a human! I’m a unicorn!”
“But when he becomes a pony, I’d bet he becomes a handsome stallion!” Sparkler sang as she used her magic to levitate various things around her desk in an attempt to organize them. “I bet you’re imagining it right now. He goes in, and comes out as this strapping fine pony stallion-”
“Knock it off!” Wintermoon whined while stamping her hooves on the ground in the same manner a filly would when told they couldn’t have any more snacks. Sparkler could only laugh inwardly at the antics of her friend. Wintermoon never seemed to realize it, but she always became so childish when confronted with things that embarrassed her. Sparkler was only teasing her so she’d ‘Let her mane down’ so to speak.
While Wintermoon wasn’t exactly pure business, she was always so busy running the bureau, that she seemed to forget to take time off for herself. Always saying that she’d have time to relax later. It was refreshing to see her as she was now. Not Wintermoon, head of the bureau, but rather her friend, an ordinary pony mare just having fun.
“Fine fine, but we’ll just see what you do when he returns to his spot next time!” Sparkler teased while lifting a stack of papers with her horn. She didn’t miss Wintermoon’s eyes light up. In fact she even knew why they did.
“Oh I think he’ll be coming inside to see us next time.” Wintermoon replied, with the tiniest bit of a mischievous smile creeping upon her lips.
“Yes I saw that your plan to get him to accidentally take the mug home worked rather well.” Sparkler said with a smug expression. Wintermoon’s eyes narrowed.
“Oh I bet you think you know me so well!” She huffed.
“Yep!” Sparkler replied, the smug expression growing larger.
“... Go do your work”
“Fine Fine, I just hope that he does bring it back tomorrow instead of feeling guilty for accidentally stealing it. Causing him to avoid this place out of shame.” Sparkler sang as she began to trot away. Wintermoon’s eyes grew wide at this.
“You... You don’t think that’s what will happen do you?” She asked after a moment. Worry plastered clearly across her face. “Do you Sparkler?”
“Sparkler?” Wintermoon repeated nervously when she didn’t receive an answer. Looking around, she realized that Sparkler had already trotted half way down the hallway, levitating the stack of papers the entire while.
“Sparkler! Sparkler get back here!” Wintermoon cried before galloping after her friend.
“You don’t right!?”
* * *
“Ugh, How did I get all the way home before realizing I never gave you back?” Edward asked the empty mug. Which was currently sitting upon his kitchen table. He had only made it about half way home when the rain began to assault him. The rest of the way home had been spent with him frantically trying to somehow dodge the rain while being directly in it. The puddles he still had to mop up from his kitchen floor were a heavy reminder of how that went.
One quick shower later, and here he was. Sitting in his kitchen staring at a coco mug he had run off with after his little chat with Wintermoon.
“Nice going Edward.” He childed himself with a sigh. “You meet a nice pony and run off with her stuff. Smooth.” Given the situation, he doubted she’d be all that upset. It was about to rain pretty hardcore after all. Hell it was still raining like that now. No one would be upset with him if he happened to forget he was carrying a coco mug right? In any case, the obvious thing to do was give it back to her, but then that meant...
“I’ll have to actually go in there...” It shouldn’t be a problem, just entering to return a mug right? It’s not like he had come to a decision or anything. It... It wasn’t like he was giving up...
“Maybe I should just cut my losses and stay home out of shame.” He mumbled, placing his chin on his hand. He sat there for a bit, staring blankly at the pure white mug while his mind tried to come up with a plan. Looking closely at the thing, he finally noticed the bold pink letters spelling out ‘Startica’ on the side. The discovery made him smile. How many animes did that girl watch anyway?
“I wonder if I should be referring to her as a girl?” Edward wondered out loud, eyes drifting toward the ceiling.
“Do they call girl ponies, ‘girls’ or do they have some other term? I think I heard Mr. Chips use a term once. Mare? I think that was it. Maybe I should use that.” The chair creaked as his weight shifted, his arms now dangling behind him as the front legs of his seat nearly left the ground. The emptyness of the ceiling seemed to swallow up his vision as he stared blankly ahead.
“Maybe I should just mail the thing back. I wouldn’t even have to go near the building. Except she’d probably think me a coward. Maybe I’m just overthinking this.” His arms fell to rest upon the table once more.
“And maybe I should stop talking to myself out loud like a crazy person...”
“Hey!” Shouted a sudden rather squeaky voice from the living room. Glancing at his wrist, Edward confirmed his suspicions. He had left it here hadn’t he? Having a call meant only one thing too. Only one person ever tried to call him, and he had probably been trying to reach him all day. Oh boy, this wouldn’t be fun.
“Hey! Listen!” The digital squeaky voice called again. Desperately trying to tell him he had missed calls. Walking into the living room he could see the small metal band still sitting upon the chair where he had forgotten it earlier. A small section of it glowing red in color, which would then race around it’s frame. Micro fiber lights at their best.
Picking up the cellband, he readied his television. Screen on, tray interface open. Placing the band perfectly in it’s depression, the tray closed. With a soft hiss, the system loaded it’s data.
“You have... Four Missed Calls...” The feminine voice relayed, displaying all the details of the call. Edward winced at seeing the same name all four times. Yeah he was trying to reach him. Well, better get it over with.
“Call James.” He spoke clearly, as he listened to the system whirr while it processed his request. Moments later, a guy’s face appeared. Not much older than Edward himself in appearance. The guy wore sunglasses which were currently glowing green around the edges. His reddish hair whipped around playfully, moved by some unseen force.
‘Must be outside’ Edward thought as he readied for the lecture he knew his friend was about to make. He didn’t have to wait long. Edward found himself trying very hard not to repeat the thing word for word as his friend spoke it.
“You know, having a cellband is pretty pointless when you FORGET THE THING AT HOME!” James screamed. If it hadn’t been for the fact that Edward had hidden the remote behind his back, it would have made his ears ring. It was a good thing he had the location of the volume control button memorized.
“Sorry! Sorry!” Edward shrugged, stealthily disposing of the remote in the process. “To be fair you are like the only person to ever call me on the thing, and that’s not that common.”
“That’s because every time I do call you, you never seem to have the thing on you!”
“Fine I give, I’ll make a note to wear it next time.”
“That’s what you say every time.” James sighed, “Anyway did you get the package?”
“Oh yeah,” Edward replied looking behind him to the left. Sitting in a bare corner, just out of view of the monitor’s camera was a large brown box. A large first class holo-sticker stuck to it’s side.
“I didn’t open it yet as I thought you’d want to see my reaction when I did. I guess that’s why you’ve been calling all day?”
“You figured all that out, and didn’t think to bring your cellband with you when you went out?”
“Oh shut up.”
“Anyway yeah, I sent it yesterday. Figured it’d be there today. So go ahead and open it! I think you’re gonna liiiiiike it!” Edward couldn’t help but roll his eyes. He didn’t know who was more excited. Him to see what was in the box, or James to see him open it. After moving it into the camera’s view, he ran his finger in a zig zag motion down the spine of the tape. Letting the warmth of his fingertip tell the binding he wished to open the box, which in turn caused it to split right where the box seem was located. It was a good thing he had a chance to warm up. This self opening tape still didn’t work correctly if your hand was too cold.
The box was open in a matter of seconds. It had been a pain trying to ignore the thing earlier when it had first arrived. Of course instead of doing the logical thing, like calling James to let him know it was here, he had opted for going on one of his walks. Though given the pony he met today. He couldn’t really call that a waste...
What he saw inside caused him to gasp. packed from top to bottom was an assortment of old Christmas decorations. A wreath for the door, and actual fragile ornaments! Those had been outdated since the invention of fiber optic lights. Allowing for ornaments with displays, words, and other such frivolities made to make up in their own little light displays. Of course given how fragile the old ornaments were, finding an unbroken set wasn’t easy. There was even a fake plastic tree, and some gold and silver garland. Yet the biggest surprise was the inclusion of a set of retro lights with a star for the top!
“Oh man! This is like a retro Christmas gold mine! I can’t believe you even found lights!”
“Oh it gets better!” James said with a smirk. “They’re the blinking kind! Had to ask my uncle’s friend Michael to get em working, but they do indeed work!” Edward’s enthusiasm couldn’t have gotten any higher if Santa himself had walked through the door just then.
“That’s totally Sway! How the hell did you manage to find all this!?”
“I’ve told you many times that I’m a master at Thrift store hunting. Maybe now you’ll believe me?”
“I think I have to now. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d ever have this kind of a set up! You have any idea how hard it is to find human Christmas stuff in this town? Sure the ponies have a similar holiday, and those who use to be humans still like to celebrate it, but
they either use the newer stuff or make something themselves. It’s... You just can’t get this kinda cheap store brand stuff anymore.” Edward was sure he was grinning like an idiot at the moment, but he didn’t care. For the first time, in what seemed like an eternity, he was going to have the kind of Christmas he had before it all... Back when it seemed like his life didn’t hold the taint it did now...
“They would have loved it...” He whispered.
“I know...” James replied, his own voice just as solemn.
“So... You on the road?” Edward asked, after both had remained silent for several minutes. He hadn’t turned around, but knew that James had nodded in response.
“Yeah I’m on my way to my sister’s. Gonna spend Christmas with her. It’s... It’s going to be the last one she spends as a human.”
“She finally decided?”
“Yeah, she says she’s finally gotten all her loose ends tied up. Says she wants to join mom and dad in Manehatten.” Despite the situation, Edward couldn't’ help but frown at the name of that town. Did the ponies intentionally name their towns as puns on the human equivalents?
“So what are you going to do then?” James shrugged.
“I still have no clue. Maybe I’ll join them as a pony. Maybe I’ll just bike around for a while. Thanks to my dad, I can bike all night if my body allows.”
“Ah, he the one who gave you those night vision sunglasses?”
“Yep! Kinda funny really. Even though he’s a pony now he isn’t bugging me to ‘Join the herd’ so to speak. Don’t know how he managed to get high end sunglasses like these while in Equestria, but somehow he pulled it off.”
“So guessing they are an early Christmas present?”
“Yeah, guess he figured I’d want to bike over to my Sis’s place. Glad he did. They make seeing in this dark SOOO much easier.”
“Heh, I bet.”
Silence again.
“You were there again today weren’t you?” James finally asked. Edward nodded softly.
“You figure out what your decision is yet?” A shake of the head.
“You can’t keep this up man.” James sighed. “They wouldn’t want it.”
“I know... I wish I knew why this was so hard. Well I know why it’s so hard, but it doesn’t make it any easier.” This time it was James who nodded.
“Wish I could give you an answer Ed, but this is all on you. I’m sure they’d support you no matter what you choose. You can always count on me to be your friend. No matter what.”
“Thanks James... It means alot to hear that. You’re probably the only friend I even have...”
“Hey, that’ll change. I’m certain of it.” Edward smiled.
“So anything interesting happen today? Besides the storm I hear in the background?”
“Yeah it’s kinda loud ain’t it? Man I don’t think I ever remember seeing a storm this bad in this town. I’m just glad I have this house equipped with storm protection.”
“Yeah I don’t envy you man. Think you’re power generator will need to kick in?”
“I hope not. It’s kinda old. Probably couldn’t keep too much powered. I may have to cut this call short in fact. Don’t want to trip any circuits if it has to power on suddenly.”
“Makes sense to me. Just don’t go outside for anything okay? I’d hate to try and call you, only to find out a week later that you were struck by lightning. I prefer my friends to be non-crispy.” Edward laughed despite himself. It was hard to be sad when you had a friend to chat with. It was a shame he’d have to cut their call short. Once he hung up... It was just him again.
His mind drifted back to Wintermoon. He just couldn’t get her out of his head. That look she had been giving him as he headed home...
“I hope she didn’t get caught in the rain...” He said absently. Though he supposed it wouldn’t hurt her mane much. It already looked soaked.
“What’s this?” James asked with a teasing expression. “On a date were we?”
“What? No! The head of the bureau came out to talk to me.”
“Oh, you aren’t in trouble are you? They didn’t try to get you arrested right?”
“No no, she just wanted to ask why I never went in.”
“So what you tell her?”
“That I didn’t really know myself...”
“Ah.” The silence fell between them once more. At least till the mischievous smirk crept back upon James’ face.
“So?”
“So what?”
“Was she cute?”
“She was a pony!”
“Haven’t you seen the ponies? They’re adorable!”
“... Okay fine she was cute.”
“What type?”
“Unicorn”
“Cool...”
“...So?”
“Now what?”
“You gonna ask her out?”
“I’m ending this call.”
“YOU CAN’T DENY YOUR FEELINGS ED-” James’ teasing declaration ended abruptly as Edward pressed the end call button on the remote he had retrieved from where it had fallen.
“Ask her out...” Edward repeated with a sigh. He wasn’t really into a unicorn pony was he? That couldn’t be the reason she wouldn’t leave his mind. It had to be the look she had given him, and that damn coco mug. First thing he was going to do when this weather cleared up was take that thing back to it’s owner. Once he got it out of his mind, the better off he’d be.
KRACKTHOOM!
That thunderclap certainly was a lot louder than the one he had heard earlier that day. The window panes were still rattling from the shockwave! Before he could even move from his spot, he found himself blanketed in sudden darkness for a moment as the lights flickered off before, thankfully, powering back on.
More and more lightning bolts began to cut through the night sky, known to Edward only by the sudden flashes of light. The thunder sounding very similar to explosions as they rocked the house again and again. As for the wind... He didn’t even want to think about the wind. It was like Godzilla was screaming right outside his door. He couldn’t even hear the rain anymore. The rest of the storm long since drowning it out. He had no idea how hard it was raining, but he had a feeling it was far heavier than anything he’d ever care to be out in.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
“PLEASE! PLEASE LET ME IN!” A voice cried from outside his door. Though the pounding was loud, and the voice screaming, Edward could scarcely make it out over the rage of the elements. By the sounds of the pounding, he was just able to tell it was hoof beats. Having heard many a pony knock on a door before. Though never at this speed or insistence. He could also judge by the voice that whichever pony as out there was probably rather young in age. Making it all the stranger that they’d be banging upon his door during a storm like this. What in the world had they been doing out and about?
“I’m coming! I’m coming!” He cried, bolting for the lock. He knew enough about ponies that he really doubted one was trying to rob him right now. Besides, even a human wouldn’t try such a thing in a such conditions. No way they’d ever get away with these winds and rains.
Regardless, he certainly wasn’t about to leave any sentient creature to brave such horrors outside. He had no doubt they wouldn’t last the night. Not only that, well he couldn’t really explain it but, he just knew the pony on the other side of the door wasn’t a threat...
With a final ‘click’ the door sprung open, making way for a small pinkish ‘blur’ to come rolling into his house before it crashed into a chair several feet away. Though his first reaction was to immediately leap to the ponies side, he was forced to wrestle with a very uncooperative door as it was blasted by the near cyclone. Finally slamming and bolting it shut once more, he was able to turn and truly take in what he had just let into his home.
Sitting by the chair, still looking a bit dazed and completely drenched in rain water, was a very young unicorn filly. Most people might not have picked up that this was a filly and not a colt. Thankfully, Edward was not most people. He’d observed enough of this town’s new inhabitants to know the difference between pony genders.
The young filly shook her shelf once shaking a bit of the heavy coating of water from her flank. She looked around the room she was in with large curious green eyes. Seemingly amazed by every little thing she saw. Edward felt he should probably say or ask her something, but just couldn’t find the words. Instead, all he could do was stare at the thing with bewilderment as he processed exactly what she was.
She was a unicorn. Magenta in color. Her mane and tail were mostly yellow, with white streaks going down each. Finally, her cutie mark appeared as a blue five point star, with what appeared to be a circle of white energy ‘exploding’ out from it.
Despite the fact she seemed drenched nearly to the bone, it certainly didn’t seem to bother her that much. Given the wide grin on her face, he’d have guessed she was instead rather ecstatic.
Edward had thought he had finally managed to gain the necessary wits to speak with her, when she finally seemed to take notice of him herself.
“Oh wow! It’s you! You really are a human! I’ve never seen a human before! Do you really use things called ‘fee-ling-gers’ to pick things up? Isn’t it hard to walk on only two legs like that? Why don’t you have tails?”
“Whoa Whoa Whoa!” Edward cried, unable to process everything the little filly was saying. “I don’t even know who you are or why you were out in that storm!”
“Oh right, momma would say I was being rude right now. Ahem!” The Filly said, putting a hoof to her chest during the ‘ahem’ part.
“My name is Star Nova! Momma sent me here in that storm because she said ‘It had to be done during the storm’.”
“That doesn’t make sense, why did it have to be storming!?” The little filly shrugged, which was a sight in itself.
“Dunno! She just said to get to you, we had to do so during the storm!”
“Wait, you’re mom sent you to me?!” Edward repeated dumbfounded. “Why me?”
“Because she says you can help me save daddy!” She exclaimed hopping up and down with glee.
“So...” She added, eyes wide, “What do we do first?”
NOTES:
-James, while based on the character from my other story ‘Fragments’, is NOT the same James as found in that story. This is an alternate universe where the events of Fragments do not happen.
-Saito Hiraga is a character from the anime Familiar of Zero. (As if I didn’t give that away in the story) It’s really awesome. Go check it out.
- ‘Startica’ Tenchi Movie 2 Reference.
-Yes Edward has his message indicator set as Navi’s voice from Ocarina of Time.
