Wish Fulfillment

Rusty Bucket stood over the sobbing unicorn for quite a while, watching the stallion struggle to get control of himself. He couldn’t say he’d ever seen anything quite like it in his life, although there wasn’t a lot he’d seen since most of his life had been spent guarding Mount Everhoof. Regardless, he could say he might cry if he was saved from falling down a cliff face with only a moment to spare.

Eventually, he was able to pick himself up, and Rusty Bucket walked him to his home on the mountain. He still had a few tears dripping down as he hung his head low, the look on his face seeming like he was completely emotionally out of it. It made Rusty feel bad, and he found himself feeling some sympathy for him.

“Sorry we have ta take ta walkin’ back to my house,” the stallion started, attempting to break the awkward silence that was building. “Used up a good portion of my magic teleportin’ here ta catch ya. Not that I mind it. Guardin’ this here mountain is my job, and that means protectin’ anypony that happens ta find themselves in danger up here, too. Speakin’ of which, what’s yer name? Mine’s Rusty Bucket.”

“R-r-raleigh…” the orange pony quivered quietly, still shaking from the cliff, as well as the cold. He didn’t have the strength to introduce himself further, speaking no more outside of, “I go by Rally.”

“Well, I hafta say, Rally, that was mighty dangerous of ya,” Rusty Bucket told him. “Climbin’ up there with no gear or nothin’– what’s a stallion like yerself doin’ up here all alone anyhow?”

He watched Rally flinch and quietly mutter something under his breath before looking away embarrassedly. Rusty Bucket only tilted his head in confusion, urging the stallion to speak louder.

“I-I’m a… m-mare, please,” Rally said again, just a little louder, flattening his ears against his head. He– or maybe she? Rusty didn’t know now– had a look like it was the last thing in the world he wanted to talk about.

“I woke up at the top of that mountain,” Rally continued quickly, looking down at his hooves as they walked. Then his face went red, and he let out a long frustrated sigh of a breath. Rusty Bucket also couldn’t say he’d ever seen a more embarrassed and uncomfortable looking stallion in his life.

“Um, do you, um, have any clothes I could wear when we get there?” Rally asked shyly as the two walked. “Please?”

“I’ll hafta see, but ya aren’t really my size,” he told him. “But ya were sayin’ ya woke up at the top of Mount Everhoof?” he asked. “How’d ya go about doin’ that?”

“I don’t know,” Rally sighed. “Some guy named Lord Zulu turned me into a stallion and placed me at the top of the mountain.” Another sigh came as he– maybe they really were a she. This pony did kind of walk like a mare– continued, “I mean, I asked him to turn me into a pony and put me in Equestria, but I didn’t ask for all of this. I wanted to be put in, like, Ponyville or Canterlot or something. I didn’t ask to be cold and dysphoric and hungry and nearly die.”

“Hmmm. Well I’m not sure whatcha mean by all that, but I’ll go along with it. Where should ya be headin’ off to now?”

“I… I don’t know,” she said quietly. “I don’t have any plan or anything. I don’t know where I’m gonna stay or what I’m going to eat or where I’m going to go… I didn’t think something like this could actually happen.”

“Well, it’s dangerous out here for ya, so I’ll let ya stay at my place for a while so ya can rest on up. Whadda say, Rally?”

“Yes, please. I’d appreciate it very much.”

The two walked the rest of the way to Rusty Bucket’s home in silence, Rally keeping her head down and shivering every so often. Her savior couldn’t help but notice just how tall and bulky she looked, her body extremely stocky, like she was a slightly smaller version of Prince Shining Armor. She must have noticed this, too, because she closed her eyes and flinched every time he turned around to glance at her.

It wasn’t a very long trip before they got to his home, a large, almost mansion like log cabin built into the side of the mountain. There was a fireplace glowing through the windows and smoke coming out of a chimney on the roof. It overlooked a large expanse of snow before the mountain started again, and behind it was the trail Rally was just on. Rusty walked her look around and take it all in, a look of recognition seemingly making its way onto the stallion’s face. She hadn’t been here before, had she? Rusty Bucket certainly didn’t recognize her.

He let Rally inside and watched her breathe a sigh of relief, automatically flopping onto the carpet in front of the fireplace, like she wanted nothing else other than to pass out. He could only imagine what it must have been like to be outside presumably all night. She didn’t have any gear, and must have been cold. Her coat looked frosted over and her limbs stiff.

“This here’s my house,” he explained as he stepped in front of the stallion and hung up his cloak and bucket. “I don’t know about all this wakin’ up on the mountain business, but yer free ta stay as long as ya need. Been a while since I’ve had company over. I could use some companionship.”

Somehow Rally looked even more uncomfortable now, but seemed to try not to express it.

“Do you have anything to drink?” she asked. “And something to eat if I can have it? It’s been probably a full day since I’ve had anything at all.”

“All in the kitchen around the corner,” he explained. “Feel free ta take anythin’ ya like. What’s mine is yers.” He looked the unicorn over for a moment before adding, “But if ya can, I’d suggest gettin’ yerself cleaned up first. Yer more than a might dirty, and I don’t want ya trackin’ dirt everywhere ya go.” He used a hoof to point out the bathroom, and Rally thanked him, making her way over and leaving Rusty Bucket alone to settle himself on the couch.

Yes, he could say the pony was definitely weird, and so was their explanation. What reason did some creature have for teleporting a stallion to the top of Mount Everhoof? Other than to retrieve Grogar’s Bewitching Bell, of course. It might have been bad form to do, but Rusty Bucket could say they probably weren’t after that, what with how confused and scared and unprepared they looked. What else could there have been? He’d never heard of anypony called Lord Zolo or Zala or whatever they said.

He didn’t have too long to consider it before his concentration was broken by the sound of yelling. Panicked screaming was coming from the bathroom, and by the he’d gotten to the door, the sound of crying. No, he couldn’t say he could see this stallion being able to do much more than– well, almost fall down a fifty foot cliff trying to get down the mountain.

“Are ya okay in there?” he called. “I don’t want ya hurtin’ yerself. I can come in if ya need me to.”

Rally took a few moments before she answered. “I’m fine,” she said, her voice sounding like it was cracking and filled with tears. “I just- do you have a towel so I can cover up this mirror, please? I don’t want to have to look at myself while I’m in here.”

“Sure, they’re in the closet off to the side, behind the toiletries,” he said. “Help yerself to whatever ya want.”

He stayed beside the door, waiting until he heard the sound of the shower turning on before he left again and plopped back down onto the couch. It didn’t seem like they were particularly mentallly healthy right then, but he could only imagine why. Being stuck up on Mount Everhoof wouldn’t be his idea of a good time. Not to mention, she said something about being a mare. Was something like that possible? He didn’t know, and he didn’t know whether to ask her more about it. She seemed like if he did, she might start crying again.

He heard the shower run for quite a while, probably over an hour before she came out with a towel wrapped around herself. “I have a question,” she called as she stepped into the living room. She didn’t get far into her question, suddenly halted wide eyed at… something. He didn’t know, but once again, she looked uncomfortable and nervous, almost fearful. What could possibly have brought that on?

“Yeah?” Rusty asked, raising an eyebrow as she kept her eyes forward, looking like she wanted to look away. He watched her let out a shiver before continuing.

“Um, I– I was just wondering if you’ve ever seen a little pink filly running around up here at all,” Rally asked. “A pegasus with blue curls? Probably seven years old?”

“Nuh uh, not that I recall,” he answered, putting a hoof to his chin and looking up in thought as he tried to remember. “Pretty sure I’d recall somepony like that being on the mountain. Whydda ask?”

“No reason,” Rally said quickly. She swayed back and forth on her hooves and bit her lip like she wanted to say something to him, but refrained. What was going on with her?

“What was, like, the last big villain to try and take over?” she asked. “I just need to know how long it’s been.”

“Don’t know,” Rusty replied honestly. “I might be the guardian of this mountain, but that don’t mean a lot happens. A lot of borin’ patches of time, honestly. I can’t even remember the last time I saw a pony before you. Might’ve been months, honestly, maybe years.” She let out a frustrated breath at that, and he continued, “Sorry I can’t be more helpful.”

“Would’ve been nice had I woken up in Ponyville,” the stallion muttered. Then she yawned and asked, “Do you have a place I can sleep for now? Or actually, water first, please? And some food?”

“Sure. Water’s in the kitchen and there’re a bunch of bedrooms down the hall from here. For food, I’ll fix ya up something ta eat later for supper, or ya can grab somethin’ yerself if ya wanna.”

“Thank you very much, I appreciate your hospitality,” she told him gratefully.

She left with that, heading to his kitchen for food and water before trotting tiredly off to bed, the sounds of the deep breathing of sleep heading to Rusty Bucket’s ears just a few minutes later. He couldn’t say he’d had very many days like today, finding a lone stallion on top of the mountain, but here he was.

His thoughts went back to what in Celestia’s name might have happened to get him up there in the first place. He didn’t think there was any way somepony would just do that, but then again, he didn’t see any tracks in the snow below the path to suggest any creature walked through. It wasn’t like it snowed last night.

They weren’t a crystal pony either. It both looked and sounded like they were an Equestrian, not that it changed what Rusty Bucket could offer them. Only shelter for now, and if they were leaving soon, supplies and well wishes. Beyond that, nothing much, except maybe some sympathy. He once again got the idea that they weren’t particularly mentally stable right then, and hoped some food and sleep would help.

He didn’t think it would help though. It was just a feeling he had.