The rest of the day went surprisingly fast to Gigglebox. He still felt happy when Snowflake would smile him, but he still felt worried when Rarity would stare at him with eyes that say "I know your little secret."
But something else worried him. It was the fact that the orb hasn't made a physical appearance in a while, apart from when Gigglebox was sleeping. He was hoping that maybe tonight would be different, and he would finally be able to tell the others.
That night they all did their own things. Rarity and Snowflake would gossip and debate about who wore something better on the red carpet in Las Pegasus, Twilight stuck her nose in some more books, and the other four just did whatever they could just to pass the time. As everypony was getting ready for bed, some already sleeping. Specifically Rainbow Dash and Rarity, Gigglebox was once again posting his sleeping bag outside Snowflake's tent. She approached him with a sly and mischievous face.
"Yeah, Snow?" Giggle asked while laying down his sleeping bag.
"First of all, you need a shave!" This confused Gigglebox for a bit until he rubbed his muzzle. He could feel some stubble growing, he blushed in embarrassment.
"Second of all, what are you doing out here?" Once again Giggle was confused at her remarks and questions.
"What do ya mean, Snow?" He asked dumbly.
"You don't have to sleep out here, on the ground. Aren't you going to sleep with me?"
Giggle blushed at her question. He scratched the back of his head for a little and agreed with a shy embarrassed grin. It didn't take long for them to fall asleep together, the warmth and love they felt would quickly make them fall asleep.
~*~
Once again, Gigglebox found himself in the same deep space area. The only difference was that there was no white screen, but a door. He quickly floated to it, and struggled to open it. Finally, after some yanking, he got it open. All that came from the door was a bright white light.
Shielding his eyes, Giggle couldn't notice something else that was emitting from the bright glow. It was the same copper colored mare, only without the black goo on her. She had a proud smile on her face. She put her hoof on Giggle's head letting him know to uncover his eyes.
"Well done, Giggle. You're nearly finished with your task, then I'll be free." Gigglebox looked into the mare's eyes.
"And what would that one be, Shiny?" His little nickname for the mare made her giggle.
"Tell me a funny story."
This confused Gigglebox. He was very talented at telling jokes, but better yet, telling funny stories. So he obliged. He would tell funny story after funny story. But as he told them, the mare would become more physical. Gigglebox didn't notice that before he started telling his stories, she was more transparent then physical. Kind of like a spirit, or a ghost.
By his final story about a stallion at church who opened canned vodka in the middle of a wedding, the mare was fully solid and was able to be felt. After Gigglebox finished his story, he felt the mare hug him tightly, waking him up. What would happen next would shock both Gigglebox and Snowflake.
~*~
He quickly woke up with sweat pouring down his forehead. He noticed Snowflake shifting, still asleep, with her forelegs holding onto him. He then turned to his left, seeing the mare, sound asleep while still hugging him. Gigglebox then looked up to nothing in general, and said,
"Dear Celestia, what have I gotten into?"
Gigglebox, being the skilled flexible pegasus he was, was able to silently slip out of the two mare's embrace. He then got out of the tent and rushed to a near by creek. He dunked his head into the water, trying to refresh, and hopefully clear, his mind. He rushed back to the camp sight and peeked into the tent once more, and saw Snow's pure white fur and blue mane, but then saw copper colored fur and light green mane. He let a few more drops of water drip from his chin, until he rushed to where Twilight was sleeping. He quickly shook her awake, making her quickly shoot out of her slumber. He gestured her to follow him towards Snowflake's tent. He then showed Twilight the new mare in the tent.
"What? Where did she come from?" She asked with a confused and startled whisper.
"Okay, first of all, I would like to point out that both of them are over eighteen, so I'm good. Second, say it, don't spray it, got it? Third, I have no idea! I just woke up and saw her next to me!" He said with a loud whisper. All the commotion must of woken Snowflake on account of the loud, startled scream coming from the tent.
"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON?!" Snowflake shouted, surely waking the entire camp site, and possibly all of Equestria. All the vulgarities and curse words that came out of Snowflake's mouth really made the others, especially Gigglebox, shudder.
The copper colored mare stumbled out, or was most likely pushed out by Snowflake, who at this point was attacking the poor mare. Gigglebox was able to hold Snowflake back while the other mare hid behind Twilight in fear.
"LET ME GO, GIGGLEBOX, SO I CAN TURN THIS BITCH INSIDE OUT!!!" Gigglebox put a hoof over Snow's mouth and hushing her at the same time.
"It's okay, Snow, it's alright. She's the orb!" All the mare's heads shot towards Gigglebox, except the copper colored mare, who knew that he was speaking the truth.
"What are you talking about, Gigglebox? This better not be one of your little tricks!" Twilight said sternly.
"I swear, she's the orb! Ask her!" Twilight asked her a few questions, while the rest stayed silent. Finally, after what seemed to be years of waiting, the copper colored mare stepped forward.
"My name is Copper Shine. I am the embodiment of depression and anger, or, from what I know, one of them. I was once a normal mare like you, but then I had my heart crushed, and I turned into a dark, ugly demon. But thanks to Gigglebox, I'm free, and I will be able to aid you in you search for the final spirit. But sadly, we are closer to the spirit than we think."
She slowly looked towards Snowflake. She looked at everypony else in confusion.
"Why are you all looking at me?" She asked with a scared tone.
"I've seen the darkness inside of you Snowflake, it's not big enough to be a danger, but it still must be destroyed."
The amount of anger she felt was evident in her eyes, but Snowflake showed nothing in her speech.
"Please, just stay away from me and my personal life."
"Please, just-"
"NO!" She yelled, her calm exterior shattering, "You can't possibly relate to what happened then! I'm sick of ponies trying to! You weren't there! You didn't see that mass destruction in the flesh! I did! I saw everything, and I've been living with that amount of guilt for years! You can't ever know how hard it is, because it never happened to you!"
No pony knew what either one was talking about, but it didn't take a genius to see that Copper had touched a sensitive topic. Snowflake, however, was now in her tent, silent.
Everypony else started making their way back to their sleeping places, apart from Gigglebox, who had poked his head around the small opening of the tent.
"Are you okay? It sounded pretty bad out there..." He tried not to sound scared, but listening to two ponies screaming at each other always made him feel helpless, for some reason.
"Piss off." Her voice was emotionless, and her back was facing him, making it impossible to read her expression.
"Please, Snow-"
"I said, piss off!" Her voice cracked on the final word.
"Please don't cry..." Gigglebox said reproachfully.
"I'm not crying." She said, fiercely wiping her eyes.
"Don't lie to me, I'm not dumb."
She finally broke, openly sobbing as she held herself as her only comfort.
"C'mon, Snow..." He said, trying to put his hoof on her shoulder, before she slapped it away.
"Why don't you just go?" She sobbed, finally turning to let Gigglebox see her.
It was a look he knew all to well, and one that he had admittedly worn himself many times.
She looked like a broken little filly.
A poor child in a world where they didn't belong, where they had seen things no living being should have to see.
It made Gigglebox want to break down and cry with her. It was the exact same expression he had seen his younger self wear. A look of pure devastation.
Devastation over something that should have never happened in the first place.
"Snow, please tell me what happened. I'm genuinely concerned now."
"NO! Because if I was stupid enough to, you wouldn't understand!"
Gigglebox couldn't stand to see one of the ponies he was closest to in such a state of devastation, but it was clear that she wasn't going to co-operate, meaning he couldn't do anything. He left, but he got barely any sleep that night.
~*~
The next morning was painfully awkward between everyone. Copper had developed a serious phobia of Snowflake, who was hovering above the rest of the group, not really concentrating on what was going on around her.
Much later on, Snowflake had disappeared into a clearing once again. It took Gigglebox some time to find her, but he did it in the end.
He found her sat on the ground, lost in thought.
"Seriously, Snow, lighten up!"
"What are you talking about? I'm happy for you." She said, looking up at him.
"Sorry?"
"You clearly chose that mare over me. I'm glad. She's absolutely stunning, she's probably smart... just basically everything I'm not." Tears started to spill at this point, "And I'm just happy that you didn't get stuck with a mare like me, because I wouldn't do you any good. I'm not perfect. She is. Like every other pony I've met. They're all perfect." She looked Gigglebox straight in the eye, and proceeded to ask, "Why couldn't I be her? Why couldn't I be the gorgeous, talented, smart mare? Why do I have to be the very opposite of all of those things? Why can't I do anything right? I just screw everything up! Why do ponies like me even exist? It's just hell, watching all your friends beat you in everything. The only thing I ever beat anypony in was music and art. But where are they going to get me? Why am I not perfect? Why didn't I make myself perfect? I just screwed up my entire life, just because I have so many flaws! Why couldn't I just be perfect from the beginning? It would have avoided so much! My imperfections hurt so many ponies! Just why, Gigglebox? Why am I not perfect?"
Gigglebox hesitated. He never liked it when his friends sad. But it was different this time, he actually felt emotional pain for Snowflake, watching as she poured out her very heart and soul to him.
But he had seen a lot of Snowflake, now. He knew that there was a sad, insecure little girl living inside her.
He put a hoof on her shoulder hoping that it would comfort her in anyway. He then said in a calm and low tone,
"Snowflake, you aren't any of those things that you say you are. You're talented, beautiful, smart, and let's face it, the best pony I've met yet." He let out a nervous chuckle, "Snowflake, not everypony here is perfect, but out of all of us, you are. Don't you ever say or think that you don't deserve to be here and you don't deserve to exist, because you do, Snow. And I'm gonna tell ya' somethin', Snow. If you were perfect from the start, then we wouldn't have met. You would possibly be under that tree and I would be hanging from a noose. I just want you to know that you're like an angel to me, Snow. You're my angel, sent from heaven. And if you don't want anything to do with me now, I don't blame 'ya. Copper may be beautiful, but she's not something that you are... She's not you, Snow. She's not the mare I love. You are. I love you more than anything on this earth, even more than life itself. I just hope you know that."
He started to walk off, knowing that hewould probably never feel the warmth of love again, before he heard a voice say in a quiet whisper,
"You really think so?"
He looked up to see Snowflake, her eyes sparkling with tears, and the most adorable shade of pink gracing her cheeks.
"I wouldn't say it if I didn't, Snow." He said, gently wiping away a tear that had escaped her eyes, "Now show me that smile that I love to see."
A small, adorable smile found its way to her lips, and just like every time he saw it, Gigglebox fell in love with her a little more as soon as his gaze fell upon it.
"So look so beautiful when you smile, Snow." He whispered, and he placed his lips on hers. She responded, but she kissed him slowly, but with equal love and sincerity. She wrapped her forehooves around his neck, and he snaked his tongue through his lips and into hers, making her body melt against his slightly.
They then paused to catch some breaths of air. But before they started again, Snowflake said four simple words.
"You're my little Giggle."
~*~
There was obviously a problem that still hadn't been resolved, though. Snowflake was still as distant and dreamy as before, and had developed the attention span of a gnat. Something was clearly wrong.
The group had settled down after yet another unsuccessful day, when the mist finally decided to make an appearance. There was a lot less panic this time, partially down to the fact that it was half the size it was last time they had encountered it.
But the feeling of going wasn't one she wanted to feel again. Everywhere Twilight's magic struck her, the very place it touched her went numb, and she couldn't feel anything. In a matter of seconds, she had lost all feeling.
She suddenly found herself in a gorgeous space, a green-ish blue colour. She wanted to forever keep it imprinted in her mind. It was truly unique, more like a work of art than a real place.
She was rudely awoken from her daydream by a large white screen forming in front of her. Colours began appearing on it, forming shapes and patterns, until a mare appeared on the screen. She said nothing, but looked at Snowflake with eyes that seemed to bore into her very soul, that knew her most closely guarded secrets.
The scene changed very suddenly. The same mare was there, but she was much younger, only ten or eleven. A stallion was lying on the floor, blood oozing everywhere, and a knife deep in his stomach. The young filly made a wrong turn into the ally where the stallion was dying.
Her young eyes stared at what was in front of her. She didn't fully understand it, Snowflake could tell from the look in her eyes.
The stallion looked at the filly, silently begging her to do something. He died in front of her, slowly ending his agony.
The filly stared at the corpse a little longer. She had a look of pure guilt in her eyes.
The screen faded to the mare again.
"It's horrible, isn't it? Feeling like you're not as good as everyone else." Asked the mare. She looked at Snowflake expectantly, wanting an answer.
"Yeah... really throws your self esteem in the gutter." Snowflake replied, looking at where the floor would be if she wasn't floating in an infinite celestial space.
"And what about after that, Snowflake? Why do you let it haunt you so much?"
"Why?!" Shouted Snowflake, "Because I could have done something!"
"What could you have done?" Asked the mare, still calm.
"I could have saved someone who had a life worth living! I'd rather have them live and carry on living their perfect life and die, than me watch them die and tear apart their family!"
There was no way she was going to admit it, but her eyes had started getting blurry.
"And do you not think anyone would miss you?" Asked the mare.
"My friends were all better than me and wouldn't even notice my lack of presence, and I'm a middle child! No parent ever misses a middle child! I was just the failure who wasn't as good as anyone else!"
The mare looked at Snowflake, looking more serious than ever.
"Snowflake, listen to me. I can't really have you here much longer, but listen. You're letting something get to that you shouldn't. Don't. You've grown up thinking that you're not as good as everyone else, but that's not the case. You've got to go now, so listen: talk to someone."
~*~
Snowflake awoke in her tent. Gigglebox was sat next to her, looking incredibly bored, but when he saw Snowflake awake, he immediately shuffled closer to her, clearly wanting details.
"Come on, then, spill!" He said, barely containing his interest.
Snowflake glared at him, but knew that there was no way she was going to get out of it. She had to tell him.
"Okay, fine, you nosey bugger! So, you know the 7/7 bombings in London?"
"Yeah, it blew up two trains and a bus, or something like that." Gigglebox replied.
"I was in it." she said. She wasn't really in the mood to do some grand build up.
Gigglebox's eyes widened. He really wasn't expecting something like that to happen to Snowflake.
"I was in London with my mum, just having a general day out. We were on the tube, and all of a sudden, further along, there's this massive explosion. It was a wonder you could hear them scream over it. I barely had time to register what'd happened before another one goes off, closer to me, and then another one. It barely missed me. It's not the actual bombs, though. It was the fact that I saw hundred in front of me die, and I did nothing about it. I could have saved them. I could have saved them, and died in their place. They all had families, people who cared about them, and I did nothing about it!"
Snowflake could restrain herself any longer. She broke down, sobbing. She looked up to resume her story, and Gigglebox saw her face. He could almost see the very same filly.
"I just watched them die! I did nothing about it! I, the second best, imperfect pony, had a chance to prove that I could do something right, and I passed it up and let somepony else die instead! Somepony who had a life worth living!"
Gigglebox couldn't help but hold Snowflake for comfort, what else could he do? He's been in some life scaring moments before, but Snow literally saw somepony die right in front of her. That is more life scaring than anything else in the world, watching the last minutes of that pony can make anyone feel guilty. Giggle then notice that Snowflake was sobbing on his chest, making his entire front side drenched, but he didn't care. All he cared about was making Snow happy again.
"Shh, sh, sh. It's okay, Snow. It's okay, there was nothing anypony could do. Don't blame yourself for something that you wish you could have done. And Snow, I'm sure all those ponies did have loving family and friends, but that's not your fault that those lives were taken that day. You're blessed to be here, Snow, and don't think that nopony here or in Britain wouldn't know that you're gone, don't think that for one minute. Because they would know, Snow, they would know. Snowflake, I once asked myself that once, but now I know that if I hadn't stopped myself from taking my life, I wouldn't have met you. I'm so sorry that you had to witness something so violent and horrible at such a young and innocent age, Snow. But just think, Snow, now all those ponies you've mentioned are in a better place now, now they aren't in pain, now they can't feel sadness or loneliness. Like I said, Snow, you're blessed to be here. And if you didn't deserve to be here, then you would've died in that event, but you didn't! Because the big guy in the sky knew that you had something to live for, whether it be in the future or today. And, Snow, to me..." Giggle whispered in her ear. "You're the definition of perfection." Gigglebox stroked Snowflake's mane to calm her down, but his little speech already did the trick, she was already half asleep in his embrace. But she was still able to speak, she said,
"You're right Giggle, I... love you so much, thank you." She dug her muzzle into his neck for extra comfort.
Gigglebox felt as if he was comforting a small filly instead of a mare, but as long as it was Snowflake, he could have it in anyway. A large wave of warmth washed over the two as they spent the rest of the night in each other's embrace.
~*~
It didn't even take Gigglebox three seconds to guess who was trying to get his attention. Their flyaway blue mane was tickling his neck slightly, and a very British accent kept on hissing his name.
He looked up to see exactly who he expected to see. Snowflake. She gestured for him to follow her.
He attempted to make conversation while they walked, but Snowflake couldn't concentrate properly. They finally reached a clearing in the forest. She sat down on the ground, and looked at him with serious eyes.
"So, I was thinking about this last night. We're finished looking for a slightly discoloured mist, so now what? We're going home. You're going back to Manehatten, the rest are going back to wherever the hell they came from, and me... Well, I've got to go home, too, haven't I?"
Gigglebox began to feel very worried. He had a strong feeling that he knew where this was going.
"I live more than a thousand miles away. And... Well, it's just not going to work."
Gigglebox could feel the tears rushing to his eyes.
"But, Snow-"
"We can still be friends, visit me sometime, but... It's just going to be hard. Too hard."
Gigglebox wasn't even going to try to stop the tears from pouring down his face. The very meaning of his life had just left him, alone, to fend for himself. He'd just grown so used to her being there, and then suddenly she'd gone, almost as fast as she had come.
"But I love you, Snow...More than anything..."
"Me too, but I don't want to risk hurting you."
"But you wouldn't, Snow. I know you wouldn't. And I wouldn't either. I couldn't, for Faust's sake!"
"You're not making this any easier for me, you know!" She shouted, sounding as though she were about to burst into tears.
"It's not supposed to be easy!" He said, steadily getting angrier as the tears ran down his face.
"Well, when you're in Manehatten and you've found someone that's actually worth your time, you'll be thanking me, I promise!" A tiny tear ran down her cheek as she spoke.
"But that's not going to happen, because none of them are you! That's all I want!" He said.
"You'll be singing a different tune when you get there, I'm telling you."
"But I won't. Because I love you, Snow. An ocean between us ain't gonna change that." He looked into Snowflake's eyes as he said it. They were slowly becoming blue pools of sadness.
"Look, if your so sure, then visit me in a month or something. I promise, you'll be over it by then."
"And if I'm not?" He said, eyebrow raised.
"Then I'll know you're an idiot." She replied.
Gigglebox didn't think he would laugh again. But there he went, chuckling a little.
Only your best friend can make you laugh when you know you shouldn't.
Snowflake was his best friend. And she was the love of his life, too. She made his life worth living.
But the snow never lasts long. It comes, and you so quickly grow used to it making everything around it look beautiful. It makes the winter slightly more bearable.
And Gigglebox had always known from a young age that his dad could beat him and put him down for all he was worth, but it would all escape his memory for the precious seconds that he could spend looking out his window, watching every individual snowflake making everything around him look like it couldn't get any better. He felt calm when he looked at snowfall.
But the sun comes out before you know it, as a cruel reminder that the most beautiful of things go the fastest. Suddenly the calm state of mind was gone, and he was faced with the cruel reality of his life. It wasn't ever going to get better. Not until next winter. And he can't escape to the fantasy of a normal life, where he didn't live in constant fear of waking up to a new collection of bruises on his body. He couldn't hide in his fantasy world of perfection.
But he could whenever Snowflake was with him. Because Snowflake was perfection. And it wasn't some childish fantasy, either. Snowflake was very real, and like all good things, she had to end.
But the thing that made it hurt the most was that she would always still be there. She would be out there, making someone else's life perfect. That person couldn't always be him.
He let a few more tears run down his cheeks, barely even realizing that the most amazing mare in the world had her hooves wrapped around his neck. He was feeling perfection for the last time.
"I'm going to miss you." She whispered in his ear.
He was hearing perfection for the last time.
And then she looked straight at him, her perfect face covered in tears, and her eyes filled with loss.
He was looking at perfection for the last time. And it was a look he was going to miss.
And he didn't see perfection cry herself to sleep that night.