A Wish Come True

Two hours of small awkward movements and slow dancing has passed, and Joseph could not be happier for what happens next. Pinkie Pie goes over to the record player and takes the needle off. The music was way too cheerful for his tastes, but Pinkie wouldn't let him sit down, after all, it was his party.

Pinkie starts tapping the edge of the record player with her hoof. "Whew...that was fun! Hey!" Every face in the room looks over at her. "Does anypony know what happens next?"

"Ah think ah do," Applejack replies.

Pinkie disappears into another room and returns a few seconds later with a large pink suitcase. She sets it on the ground and lets it fly open. Inside were a ton of beauty products; mascara, brushes, combs, curlers, everything girly. "Time for makeovers!"

"What!?" Joseph exclaims. "...Makeovers?"

"Yeah silly!" Pinkie cries out. "Everypony find a partner!"

Pinkie walks over with a few items to Fluttershy's side, while Rarity and Applejack just sit side by side. They shake their heads, making their manes brush forth. They seemed fine with their looks. Joseph was straightening the bottom of his hoodie. "But I'm a guy! I don't get made over! I do the makeover!" He clamps his mouth with his hands.

The girls all stop and look at him, although Pinkie continues and sets the box down on the table near the couch. Twilight walks up to him, her mane and tail messy and curled from her dancing. "...You know how to work in the beauty department?"

Joseph runs his fingers along the zipper of his hoodie and blushes. "Um...well...yeah, I know a lot...for a boy...My sister made me help her whenever she had an 'off' day."

Twilight and Applejack trade glances, then they both look at Rarity. "Well," she replies, "a male with a hoof in cosmetics...very rare."

Applejack pats her hat. "Unless yer yankin' our tails."

Joseph looks around. "...I'm not lying," he says regretfully.

Twilight's horn starts to glow. A moment later a fine brush with a wide head and a white plastic handle floats in front of Joseph. He slowly reaches for it and the pink aura surrounding it dissipates. He catches it as it begins to fall. Twilight clears her throat. "If you're telling the truth, would you mind helping me out?" She pushes up her frizzled mane with her left hoof. "I seem to have gotten...carried away."

"...Um...okay, sure...I guess it's the least I could do." The rest of the girls give a 'juicy piece of info oooOOOooooo' and Joseph looks at them. "What? Twilight's been very nice to me today! She gave me a meal and paid for my haircut, plus a place to stay." Joseph walks over to the couch and Twilight follows. She jumps up and he sits to her right. "Tell me if I go too rough, 'kay?"

"Alright," Twilight answers. She turns her back to him and Joseph puts his right hand on her neck. He brings the brush in his left hand up to the top of her mane. He brings it down the length of her mane, straightening it significantly. "...So Joseph," Twilight says as he starts his second stroke, "how old is your sister?"

"She's twenty years old."

"Does she do anything?" Twilight tilts her head back a bit as Joseph hit midpoint in her mane with the brush.

He finishes the stroke and starts another. "Yeah, she's an accountant at one of my town's banks." He runs his hand through her hair to feel his job so far. "...I don't mean to sound rude Twilight, but I'd rather stay away from talking about my family. I'm still getting used to the idea that I may never see them again." He brushes her mane again.

"Oh, I'm sorry Joseph," Twilight says in a low tone.

"It's alright...I didn't say anything..." He brushes again...and again...and again...After a while of soft chattering from the other girls, Joseph puts a hand on Twilight's shoulder. "Turn, please." She complies and spins around. Joseph begins to brush the front of her mane, getting it straight and out of her eyes, being careful of her ears. "...Hm...there. You look much better, don't you think?" Joseph reaches to the coffee table and into the pink box, bringing out a mirror.

Twilight examines herself. "Wow, I look...a bit better than usual." It was true, her mane seemed finer than it was before.

"Try brushing at an angle," Joseph says in a professional tone. "But try not to angle it too much, it'll break and split hairs if you do."

"My, my, my." Rarity stands up from her seat next to Applejack. She walks over to Josephs side. "You really do know your techniques. However..." Her horn starts to glow a light blue and Joseph's hoodie starts to move, the arms starting to be tested, "...you don't seem to have much taste in clothing."

Joseph rolls his eyes. "Oh, ouch. You have just spread salt in my freshly opened wounds, ouch." He tugs his arms down out of her magical grip. "Anyway, I like this look. I'm stuck with it, these being my only clothes, but I like it."

Rarity narrows her eyes slightly and smiles. "...Hm...well Joseph, why don't you come over to my boutique later. I'll make you a new outfit and we can exchange a few beauty tips."

"Depends," Joseph says with his head lowering, "...how much am I gonna have to pay? As everyon-...as everypony here probably figured, I don't have any money."

"Oh, we can discuss a price later on." Rarity looks back into the room. "Pinkie, I'm sorry to say, but it's getting a bit late so I must return home."

"It's only seven," Twilight replies.

"Still. Au revoir!" Rarity slips out the door without a sound.

There is a bit of stirring from the back of the room, and Fluttershy starts to hover into sight. "Um...I forgot to feed the animals before I came over, I should really get back to them." She flies over to the door, but pauses and looks over at Joseph. "I'm sorry, but really did have fun. Thanks. And welcome to town Joseph." She, too, disappears outside without a sound.

Joseph rubs his chin and holds out the brush to Twilight. "Here, you can brush your tail. I'm not comfortable being that close to...you know."

"Understandable," she replies. The brush floats from his open hand and Joseph cracks his knuckles. Twilight inhales and holds it for a moment. "...Joseph, are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine...It's just a bit hard to really think about what's just happened, you know?" Joseph straightens up a bit and rests his left leg on his right knee. "I mean...it's really hard to understand. Ponies? Talking? Back in my world, that's damn fantasy...I just want to go back...but I don't know how, or even if I can." Joseph stands up and waves his hands around. "I mean, come on. My best friend watched me get flattened, how is he, how is everypony-damn, see? Now I'm talking wierd. How is everyone back home going to react to seeing a dead man walking?"

"Joseph, sit down," Twilight says softly. "You're getting upset."

"I know I'm getting upset, it happenes a lot. I can't sit down right now." Joseph tugs at the zipper handle of his coat. "I'm sorry, my emotions are kind of...powerful." Joseph winces as he uses his sister's words. He looks back into the room, directing his attention to Pinkie Pie. "Pinkie, I'm really grateful for what you've done; this has been the most fun I've had in years and I really appreciate it, but...I need a bit of time to think." Joseph walks over to the door and grips the handle. "Just to let you all know, I normally stay out late when this happens, so I might not come back until morning. Thanks again guys-sorry, girls." He opens the door and walks out. The door clicks shut.

Applejack coughs and puts her forelegs together. "...Wow...Twilight, yer new friend's a bit of a weird one."

"He's lost everything," she says back defensivly, "how do you expect him to be? But I suppose you're right, he does seem a bit...distant." She moves her mane with her hoof. "Maybe I should go talk to him."

"I don't know Twilight," Pinkie says as she jumps forth near the couch, "I would normally go out and try to cheer somepony up if that happened, but he's making my tail itch."

"She's right," Applejack states. "He said his emotions 'er powerful, well ah can feel his heartbreak from here. It's stronger than one o' ma knots, that's fer sure."

Twilight slides off the couch and shakes out her tail. It settles down and looks better than it did. "Then that's even more reason to go after him. Pinkie, I'm sorry, but I think you and Applejack should leave. Joseph may be a bit...hurt if he decides to come back with me."

"Y'all seem to really like this tall one." Applejack closes her eyes and smiles. "If'n you say so," Applejack replies. Pinkie hops over to the door and opens it. Applejack walks out. "Thanks again fer da good time Twilight." Pinkie closes the door behind them and Twilight turns around.

"Spike, you stay here and make some tea, okay?"

There was a pause. "...Yeah! Okay!" Spike replies finally.

Twilight nods to the staircase and walks toward the door.

Near the road to Apple Acres...

Joseph walked rather quickly, bordering on the speed levels of speed walking and jogging. The sun was just about to hit the horizon and set for the night, giving Joseph some light to walk in. He looks around, seeing that no on-seeing that nopony was around outside at the moment. He looks forward and sees the area where he and Twilight sat before the party. Joseph slows down when he reaches the spot and sits down.

Joseph brings his knees up, wraps his arms around them, and rests his chin on his kneecaps. "...What am I going to do?" he says to himself, making his head move with every word. "...Twilight has a lot of books...Maybe there's a pony around who knows a little about...what kind of travel is this? Time?" He shakes his head. "No, not time travel...inter-dimensional travel?...Maybe."

He looks up to see the sun in the corner of his field of vision. It was setting rather fast. "...At least the laws of nature still apply here." Joseph unwraps his arms and cracks his knuckles again. This time the sounds were weaker, but all in all, it relaxed him a bit.

Something falls from his pocket, making Joseph look down at the grass. It was his music player. "...Maybe something on this," he says while picking it up, "could help a bit." he plugs in his earphones and turns on his device. After a few seconds Joseph finds a song. "...Green Bay's 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams'...that always helps..." He presses play and lets his eyes drift close as his mind and ears were filled with music.

Joseph soon starts to hum the melody along with his player. "... … ...I walk alone...My shadow's only one that walks besides me...My shadow heart's the only thing that's beating..." He shakes his head. "Man, why can't i ever get these lyrics right?" He listens quietly for another verse, rocking back and forth as he does. "...Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me...Too bad I walk alone..."

"That's not true." Joseph opens his eyes and looks to his right, seeing Twilight starting to sit down. He takes out his earphones and presses pause. Twilight has her gaze forward. "...You don't have to walk alone."

"Sometimes I do."

"But most of the time, you have friends." Twilight reaches out to him and sets her hoof on his shoulder.

Joseph reaches up and pats her hoof. "...I just don't know how many friends I can make here...It's all so different...it's all so...hard." He moves her hoof back to the grass.

Twilight scoots a bit in the grass, turning. "Joseph...I know it's difficult adjusting to a new place. I wasn't the same pony you see now a few years ago." Joseph looks up at her. Twilight nods. "Yeah, I used to be a shut in, thinking my only friends were books. But then...my apprenticeship under the princess changed a bit."

"...You're an apprentice? To royalty?"

Twilight nods. "Yes, I am. Princess Celestia, and her sister Princess Luna, rule over this part of Equestria. I'm Princess Celestia's student." Joseph nods slightly. "...But yes, my apprenticeship changed as the princess noticed my neglectful behavior toward other ponies. so...she had me move here...and look! I have great friends, I live in a wonderful community, and I might even find that one stallion out there." Twilight shakes her head and looks Joseph in the eye. "Do you know what I'm trying to say? A little change...goes a very long way, in happiness, and in well-being."

Joseph takes a breath and looks forward to think. "...It's a scooby oobie dooby scooby dooby melody..."

Twilight tilts her head. "What?"

"It's part of a song. I think it means 'it always changes'."

"Change is a part of life Joseph." He looks back at her, and Twilight reaches up again and rests her hoof on his shoulder once more. "We all have to go through it, no matter how hard it may be." She puts her other hoof on his other shoulder and pulls him forward, making Joseph shift his body and go to his knees. He sits back down on his heels. Twilight still has her hooves on his shoulders. "...I can help you...but only if you let me."

"...Why are you doing this? No...nobody's ever done anything for me besides my family."

"I'm doing this Joseph...because you are my friend."

Joseph stares into Twilight's violet eyes for the longest time. The sun sets behind the horizon and the moon begins to rise, making Twilight's eyes sparkle. Joseph reaches forward and pulls Twilight to his chest, holding her head past his with one hand, while the other is on her back. Twilight waits a moment, then returns his hug. Joseph shudders and lets out a ragged breath. "...Thank you."

"...Joseph...let's go back to my house...Spike should be making some tea."

"...Yeah...alright." He releases Twilight from his embraces and stands. Twilight gets to her feet as well and begins walking. Joseph steps after her. "...Twilight, I'm sorry if I ruined anything."

"You didn't ruin anything Joseph," she replies, "not a thing." She keeps walking, as does Joseph, letting their slight shadows mimic their actions on the dirt below.