Chapters It was a cold night in Bridlewood, and soft rains came down on the village. Izzy Moonbow had no choice but to sleep outside in the cold, as she had not found a place to call home. She sighed to herself solemnly. Nopony would be out when it was this cold and rainy.
Izzy had just finished eating a couple of apples she knocked down from a nearby tree. But it wasn’t enough to satisfy her hunger of social interaction. Of talking to a friend. She had no friends in Bridlewood. It’s not that Izzy didn’t try to make friends, but her overly positive manner drove the sparkle-less ponies away from her. Her sparkle was too bright for what Bridlewood had to offer. Still, she couldn’t bare to leave just yet. Years ago, when Izzy was about eight, a glowing lantern had come down to the ground, right at her hooves. When she saw the message inside of it, it brightened her day. It had addressed unicorns and pegasi. It said to come visit Maretime Bay, wherever that was, and they would have friends there. Izzy had kept the letter with her for eight years, hoping, when the time was right, she would flee Bridlewood and meet new ponies. But for now, her main goal was to make a friend in her village. She couldn’t bare to leave without having any friends here.
Izzy Moonbow was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard hoof-steps. Who could be out here at this time of night? Izzy thought. When she got a better look at the shadowy figure through the trees, she could see that it was Alphabittle. Alphabittle? Why would he be out? He was always gambling with a group of unicorns, him winning most of the time? Izzy was surprised to see him out of the Crystal Tea Room.
As Alphabittle was walking out of Izzy’s view, she called out to him.
“Hey! Alphabittle!”
Alphabittle turned around, holding a black umbrella, and went closer to the sound that called his name. When he eventually saw a purple and blue figure waving a hoof, he rolled his eyes and sighed.
“If anypony were to call my name, it would be you. Ugh, do I even need to guess what you’re about to say?”
Izzy’s ears drooped in slight disappointment. She could see him looking around at her excuse of a home. There was a pile of leaves for a bed and a small fire to keep her warm on cold nights such as this. Lastly, there was a small pile of apples beside the fire. Izzy started to force a smile on her face and spoke with a happy tone.
“I just wanted to know what you were doing out here so late. I mean, it looks like it’s going go start pouring soon, and not to mention the falling temperatures! Here! Wanna get by the fire? It always helps me warm up in the cold!”
Izzy grinned for a few seconds until she saw the stallion’s ears droop as he had an annoyed look on his face.
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that? You’re the one out here with no umbrella,” Alphabittle said with slight sorrow as he rolled his eyes.
Even though he wasn’t completely friendly with her, Izzy could see that he was much less annoyed now. Maybe he knew her situation.
“Well, I have a blanket. And some leaves to lay on. It really helps me sleep more comfortably than laying on the hard ground!”
Alphabittle’s face went from annoyed to concerned when he heard what the young mare had said. He was surprised he hadn’t found out sooner.
“Izzy Moonbow? Are you saying…that you….live…out here?” Alphabittle said as he pointed his hoof to emphasize it. Izzy gave a small nod as she shrank back.
“But let’s not focus on that! Hehe! Honestly, I called you over here to, uh, just chat a little.”
Alphabittle contemplated whether to walk off in annoyance or to just give in to Izzy’s wishes. However, seeing her awful situation, he finally started to feel for the mare.
“Fine. But just this once.”
Izzy gave a real smile now. She didn’t remember the last time a pony had chosen to be with her. And, for some reason, she always felt a sort of close bond with Alphabittle. It was a strange feeling of closeness that she could not understand.
Alphabittle sat down on a smooth part of the ground. When he did, he felt a chill go through his body. The ground’s freezing! He huddled to the fire while trying to not seem weak. Alphabittle was supposed to be strong. A little bit of cold couldn’t hurt him. But Izzy, on the other hoof, was just a young mare, much weaker than him. How could she tolerate the cold so much?!
Izzy noticed that Alphabittle was slightly shivering. So she gave him the blanket. His body was too big for them to share. Alphabittle thanked her. Izzy was cold, but she didn’t care as long as she could help somepony.
A sudden thought came back to Izzy, a question she had tried to ask earlier.
“Sooo, what exactly are you doing out here? I hardly ever see you out of your tea place.”
Alphabittle dreaded the question. Which was partly why he had not answered it before. And partly because he was annoyed.
“Do, do you promise not to tell anypony? And I mean ANYPONY.” He said with discomfort. Izzy nodded. He sighed. “Every once in a while, I go out on my own and just, well, I need some time to think. I’m always so busy with the Crystal Tea Room, and I sometimes…” he paused.
“Sometimes what?” Izzy asked.
“I sometimes get lonely, I guess. Heh, you would think that playing games with ponies 12 hours a way would make you less lonely, but….it kind of does the opposite, for me anyway.”
Izzy looked at him and tilted her head in a confused manner. “Really? And how does coming out alone in the cold rain make you less lonely?” Izzy asked with slight humor.
Alphabittle chuckled. “When you put it that way, I really don’t know. I guess I just feel like ponies only come to me to try to win games and then brag to their friends. Which rarely happens.” He chuckled again with a cocky demeanor. “Well, my career IS in playing games and gambling.”I just said that out loud. “But I just feel like being alone with my own thoughts, for some reason, gives me a less lonely feeling.”
Izzy smiled. “Maybe when you’re alone, you realize that the ponies are at your place because they want company. Gives you time to really think about it. Without even realizing it! Ugh, I’m not making much sense, am I?” Izzy said.
Alphabittle looked in Izzy’s eyes and smiled.
“That…actually makes plenty of sense. Wow. A kid. Teaching me about my own feelings!”
Izzy looked slightly annoyed. “I’m 15! Not a kid.” Then, the two ponies started laughing in the drizzling rain.
They finally stopped, and Alphabittle spoke. “Well, from what I’ve noticed, you seem more mature than a teenager. You don’t complain about, uh,”
“Living on dirt paths and sleeping on scratchy leaves?” Izzy finished his sentence with a smile.
“Yes,” Alphabittle said with more sorrow in his voice. “A-And you’re good with talking to an old man like me. I’m 50 by the way.”
Izzy slightly laughed, “You’re not too old. You just think you are ‘cause of that mane!” She teased.
“Whatever,” Alphabittle chuckled back with a smile. For once, all he felt was joy. Thanks to Izzy Moonbow.
After a few minutes, it started pouring heavy with rain, and the temperatures felt like they gas dropped at least ten degrees.
Alphabittle saw Izzy shiver.
“Come on, let’s go back to my house. Nopony deserves to sleep out in this mess, no matter how annoying they can be,” he said with a wink. Izzy just nodded and followed him back to his house.
“So, Alphabittle? Where is your house? Is it also in a tree? Or maybe a cave? Or maybe a-,”
“A tree,” Alphabittle cut Izzy off. “I think you’re going to like it.”
Izzy was excited. It had been so long since she had slept with proper shelter, especially with another pony. “Ooh! Sounds cool! You know, I was thinking, when I get back on my hooves and find a home, I’m going to live in a tree too!”
Alphabittle smiled. “Is that so?”
“Well, any place would suffice, but I’d like it to be a tree! And, if it’s big enough, I could store so many crafts, too! Did you know that I like to craft things? I even made this bracelet with different colored crystals!” Izzy said with a grin as she held up her hoof to reveal the jewelry.
Alphabittle was amazed. Izzy had such a talent for making things apparently! He could tell that the bracelet had taken a good while to make, because it had smooth edges and even sizes for each bead.
“Oh wow! I didn’t know you were the crafting type, Izzy! I think, if you do decide to live in a tree, and if you find a vacant one, you should make more arts and crafts.”
The duo kept walking in the rain while Alphabittle held the umbrella in his hoof. They had finally reached his house, which was quite large, indeed. Izzy could see that it was well maintained and that Alphabittle took care of his garden. There were so many flowers! And colors! The brightness of the home nearly matched Alphabittle’s now bright blue sparkle. Izzy could also see that his luminescence had gotten significantly brighter since he started talking to her.
“Well, we’re here. You like it?” Alphabittle said.
Izzy looked astonished at the decor and the colors. “It’s beautiful!” She said with awe.
“And it’s also where you’re sleeping tonight.”
Izzy’s ears drooped.
“I appreciate it. Really, I do. But it’s too much! I would just feel like a burden,” She said.
Alphabittle put his hoof on Izzy’s shoulder and smiled.
“It’s cold tonight, and rainy. I couldn’t even imagine leaving a pony out in this if I can let them stay with me. You wouldn’t be a burden. Okay?”
Izzy suddenly ran up and hugged her new friend. Her only friend.
“Let’s go inside now. I’ll show you your room for the night,” Alphabittle offered.
“Okay!” Izzy exclaimed.
The inside of the house was large and comfortable. There were cube puzzles, books, teacups, and even a dancing game! Alphabittle had so many fun things to play with! Izzy immediately ran up to the dancing game and asked how it worked.
“Ooh, ooh! Can I turn this on?!”
Alphabittle cocked his head and gave a devious smile.
“This, my little pony, is what I use for extreme games. If you want to play it, you have to compete with me! Deal?” He said with an outstretched hoof.
Izzy looked a little more interested now. “Deal!” She put her hoof on his. “I love games!”
Before Alphabittle could respond, he heard a low rumble. He gasped.
“Zeus! God of thunder! HE HAS AWAKENED!!” Alphabittle said with a great amount of fear as he ran in place with short breaths.
“No. It’s just my stomach,” Izzy replied as she looked down at her stomach, “I am a bit hungry.”
Alphabittle sighed in relief.
“Oh. Well, before we compete, let’s get you something to eat.
“I had a couple of apples a little bit before I saw you. I guess it didn’t fill me up,” Izzy said.
“You know, I think it’s time for a snack anyway. Let’s go to the kitchen,” Alphabittle said.
The two ponies walked in to Alphabittle’s kitchen. Alphabittle directed Izzy to the table and told her to sit while he made something to eat.
“So, what do you like? Haycakes? Grass? Regular hay?”
Before Alphabittle could continue, Izzy had a sudden thought.
“Oh! What about Grinded Pony Hooves?”
Alphabittle gaped at her remark. “G-Grinded Pony what?”
“Grinded Pony Hooves! It’s a new kind of cereal. And believe me, they are sooo good!” Izzy smiled.
“W-What are they made of?”
“Oh, you know, lard, butter, chopped up organic hooves, a little bit of milk. Why?” Izzy asked innocently.
“How about we eat something a bit more, traditional?” Alphabittle asked hesitantly.
Izzy shrugged, “Okay! I think I’ll have, um, some hay. Do want me to make it?”
“No, you just rest there. Plus, I know what I want.”
A few minutes later, while Izzy was sitting at the table playing with a marble excitedly, Alphabittle came over with some roasted hay for her and a plate of sliced cucumbers for himself.
“Is that hay roasted? I’ve never thought to try it that way!” Izzy said inquisitively as she looked at the plate.
“Yup. And I’m going to snack on some cucumbers while you eat. And afterwards, we’ll play the game.”
Izzy immediately dug in. Wow! I was really hungry! “Thanks again.”
When Izzy and Alphabittle were done eating, Alphabittle directed her to the game again.
Alphabittle had a cocky grin on his face, “So, you dare compete against the master of dancing? Well, I’m just going to warn you, it’s not going to be easy! I’ve practiced for years.”
Izzy looked at the machine, then at Alphabittle. She donned a tough grin. “It is on! So, how do you play?”
“You just have to put your hooves on the flashing horseshoes. They will flash along with the music. So, you ready?” Alphabittle asked.
“Uh huh! Let’s dance!”
Ding!
Alphabittle looked shocked. He lost?! Izzy just stood there with a smile as she panted her tongue and sweat.
“So, you’re more capable than I thought. Good game.” Alphabittle said in shock.
Izzy chuckled, “Thanks! That was fun! Can we do it again?”
Alphabittle reached his hoof up to his chin to think.
“Let’s see, since you now know how to play, let’s spice things up a bit. If I win, I will give you something, and vise versa.”
Izzy looked around herself and gave a small frown.
“Oh, I didn’t bring anything. Wait, I do have my bracelet!” Izzy hesitantly hoofed over her bracelet.
“I think we have a deal,” Alphabittle said.
Izzy and Alphabittle were neck and neck. The music seemed to last forever due to how long they had tied. However, Izzy slowly began to rise in the leaderboard. She would win! She just knew it.
Ding!
Izzy gasped excitedly as Alphabittle scowled.
“I won! Ohmygosh! That was so fun!” Izzy said excitedly.
“Yeah. Fun. Hehe, kid, you’re a good dancer. Anyway, is there anything in particular you want? I have a whole drawer filled with trinkets and such.”
Izzy looked in the drawer and thought for a moment. Then, she smiled as she picked up a pretty pink crystal.
“Ooh. Thanks Alphabittle!”
Alphabittle gave back Izzy’s bracelet.
“You earned it, kid.”
Izzy smiled at him and put it back on her own hoof. Alphabittle yawned, “It’s about time to hit the hay. Wanna be good and rested since I’ll be giving you a house tour tomorrow.”
Izzy grinned, “Okay! I can’t wait to see how many fun things you have!”
Suddenly, a thought came back to Alphabittle. He had forgotten to ask earlier. With a sigh, he asked Izzy.
“Izzy, why were out there alone? I’m sure your family would have allowed you to stay with them. You’re still a child.”
Izzy shifted uncomfortably in place. She sat down on a chair and asked him to, as well. Alphabittle hesitantly agreed.
“W-what made you ask that?” Izzy asked nervously.
“You shouldn’t be out there alone. It can be dangerous, especially at night. You do know that that’s when the Jinxies come out, right?”
Izzy nodded. She didn’t really believe in the Jinxies, but she agreed that it was still dangerous to be out at night. She didn’t have to tell Alphabittle that, though.
“I know,” she started, “But I don’t really have a choice.” She sighed. “The truth is,” she paused, “I don’t have a family. I never even knew my parents.”
There was a long silence. Alphabittle just stared in complete shock as Izzy looked away uncomfortably.
The two ponies hugged for what felt like minutes. Izzy didn’t want the moment to end. This is what she had felt in Alphabittle. She had felt a daughterly connection with him. And Alphabittle had just now found what he’d been missing from his life.
After the hug, Alphabittle started thinking noticeably. Izzy looked at him with wet eyes.
“What are you thinking about?” She asked curiously.
Alphabittle hesitated for a moment. He didn’t want to open any more wounds than he already had. However, with everything that had happened tonight, he didn’t think asking one more question could affect things much more.
“It’s just that…I want to know how you got to where you are now. How did you grow up?”
Izzy thought for a moment with her eyes wet once again. They appeared to sparkle in the light of the room.
“Well, I guess you could say I had a…unique childhood,” She said hesitantly. She paused for a moment.
“Would you mind telling me more?” Alphabittle said, careful to not make Izzy more uncomfortable than she already was.
“I was going to. Um, for the first ten or so years of my life, I lived in Bridlewood Orphanage.”
An older looking mare had just looked outside after hearing a noise. She was shocked when she saw a foal. Had she not heard the doorbell ring? Anyway, the foal was beautiful. It had a scruffy lilac coat, a wild, curly blue and indigo mane, a grayish-teal horn, and bright magenta eyes. The poor child appeared as if it had been crying for hours. She had been outside for an hour, shivering in the cold wind. And she was no more than a week old. The parents had probably left her there without ringing the bell or knocking. The filly also had a patched up blanket and a woven basket. Lastly, there was a tag on the basket. The name read, “Izzy Moonbow”. The mare quickly took her inside. When she placed Izzy down, Izzy looked up at her with hopeful eyes. Even at such a young age, she was open to making friends!
Alphabittle had tears in his eyes. He waited for Izzy to continue her story.
“A-And. When I was really little, I always felt like an outcast. The foals and caretakers there always made comments about how different I was, and I started to believe there was something wrong with me,” Izzy sighed.
“Why did they think you were different?” Alphabittle asked.
“My sparkle always seemed to shine brighter than all my peers’. I guess no one liked how happy I tried to be all the time,” she paused for a second and let out a sad chuckle. “It’s like nopony ever wants to be happy.”
Alphabittle briefly wondered what Izzy meant by a “sparkle”, but it didn’t really matter. He did notice that everypony who came to his shop seemed nearly emotionless.
After a few seconds, Izzy continued with a sigh.
“I was always trying to make the ponies around me happy, but I may have been a little…..”
Alphabittle finished her sentence, “Persistent?”
Izzy chuckled lightly, “Maybe. So, when I turned ten, I ran away. Well, more WALKED away, or maybe jumped! I opened my window and went through, and I had to jump to reach it, so I don’t know if that counts as RUNNING away.”
“And that’s how you ended up here?” Alphabittle asked.
“Yeah. I didn’t have anypony to stay with, and it was too depressing living in that orphanage, so I just set up a place to stay in the woods. Alone…” Izzy’s eyes started to moisten.
Alphabittle noticed her eyes and immediately walked up to her chair and hugged her.
“Hey, hey! You’ve already cried once, and I don’t like seeing you sad. There will only be happy thoughts in my house, okay?” He said as he wiped a tear from Izzy’s now wet cheeks.
“Okay. Thank you, Alphabittle.”
“For what?” Alphabittle asked as he let go of the hug.
“For..being here. For not leaving me out in the cold, for comforting me, for listening to my sob story. You mean so much to me.”
Alphabittle’s eyes sparkled with sympathy for the young unicorn. They loved each other. They were family.
Izzy Moonbow woke up to a beautiful day in Bridlewood, contrary to the previous stormy night. Birds were chirping, the morning dew provided a pleasant smell, and the armadillos’ snoring gave Izzy a calm feeling. It was honestly kind of humorous just how loud those critters could be! They slept all throughout the house, including Izzy’s guest room.
Izzy decided to get out of bed early to enjoy the beautiful morning. She took notice of all the critters surrounding her and chuckled.
“Wow! Alphabittle sure does love being around critters, huh? Would have never guessed with his “tough guy” act,” she said as she rolled her eyes while giving a smug grin.
“Don’t tell him I said that,” Izzy said to the critters with slight worry in her voice.
After letting the armadillos crawl on her hooves and snuggle up to her face, Izzy decided to check if her new friend was awake. She didn’t want to accidentally intrude in Alphabittle’s privacy, so she knocked before entering his room.
“Hey, Alphabittle, you awake?” She said quietly to his door. After no response, she decided that it was okay go enter his room. However, when she creaked the door open, she saw nopony in the bed.
“Huh. Maybe he’s downstairs getting breakfast?” Izzy said to herself. So she walked down the stairs with a couple of critters not far behind her.
“Good mooorniiing!” Izzy sang, thinking Alphabittle was down there. However, again, after no response, Izzy frowned. Where has that silly pony gone to?
“Aaalphabittllle!” She sang. Again, no answer. Izzy figured it was okay to make herself at home in Alphabittle’s house, as he had said she could, so she decided to make herself a PB&J sandwich. However, just as she sat down to eat, she heard the door knob turning. “Oh. Alphabittle was outside?”
The door opened, and in came Alphabittle excitedly. He was giggling like a colt! However, when he saw Izzy at the table, his eyes widened, and he cleared his throat and pit on a serious face.
“Ah, good morning, Izzy. I have some great news!” He smiled again.
“Oh! I was wondering where you were! What’s the news?” Izzy asked excitedly.
“Well, I was wanting to help you find tour own home, so I went out extra early, hoping I could surprise you with a place. And, to both yours and my luck, I did!” Alphabittle exclaimed with a smug grin.
Izzy gasped with excitement. “ALREADY? Oh my gosh, this is so exciting! What does it look like? It is pretty? Does it have room for my crafts?” She gasped, “IS IT A TREE??” She exclaimed with hearts her eyes, just like a cartoon. She jumped up and down.
Alphabittle nodded, “I think you’ll be happy to know that it’s all three. It belonged to the old mare on the outskirts of the town, but since she’s getting older, her family thought it would be safer for her not to live by herself, so she moved in with them. I asked what she was going to do about the house, and she said it was free property! So, I guess anypony can move in anytime they like!”
Izzy squealed in delight. “Eeeeeek! So it is a tree! Thank you, thank you, thank you sooo much Alphabittle! Can I see it?!”
When Izzy and Alphabittle arrived at the house, the former’s mouth dropped. It was gorgeous! The tree was large, it was colorful with a gradient pink on the bottom, and the surrounding area was a sharp contrast from the gloomy darkness of the rest of the forest, aside from Alphabittle’s and a few others’ houses. Izzy was surprised at how much she’d lucked out, to say the least.
“Wow. It’s beautiful! I love it! Thanks again! Really,” Izzy said as she hugged her friend. She couldn’t wait to move in.
Izzy chuckled without a hint of joy.
“Well, now you know. I…I don’t ever talk about it. Mostly because I’m not around many ponies. But, even if I was, I would probably just keep it to myself,” Izzy sighed.
Alphabittle looked at Izzy with compassionate eyes. “I had no idea.”
“It’s okay. Like I said, I don’t usually talk about it. I don’t even want to think about it most of the time.”
“Well, everypony needs a family,” Alphabittle sighed deep in thought, “Would you…”
Alphabittle could see the pain in Izzy’s eyes that had been hidden for years. He instantly knew what to say.
“I’d like to be your family.”
Tears welled up in the mare’s eyes. Then, she gave a small smile, “I would love that,” she choked out softly.
It was Alphabittle’s turn to have tears in his eyes. He wanted to be there for the lost unicorn; to fill that large gap in her heart. And he did.
