By and by

by Bysen

A New Promise

She’d never gone to Bysen’s camp any other way than from the road and even then she’d missed it a few times and had to backtrack to the road and start again. But she didn’t really think of that, just hoping she would run into him on his own way back. These cupcakes were meant for him and he was going to get them.

She slowed down after about a minute and flung the box up onto her back; finally sure her father either wasn’t following or had lost her. It was very dark out this night. It always was. She never really minded the constant cloud coverage but she knew Bysen hated it. It blocked the moon almost every night, making it hard for him to judge time or perform his rites. He was still a shaman, even if only an novice.

Pinkie stubbed her hoof on a root or a rock every minute or so. In fact, she’d done so about thirty times now meaning she’d been walking for thirty minutes. If she hadn’t come across his camp by now then that meant she’d missed it. But she kept on going. She didn’t want to go back to her father. But really, where else was she going to go?

She could keep walking for about two hours and be out of the forest by then, she could turn left and be on the road in about fifteen minutes or she could just turn around. The only problem was if she’d missed his camp then she’d probably been walking in circles, slowly arching as she went forward so ultimately she had no idea where she was. Alone in the woods at night, she was lost.

She had a compass, she always kept one in her hair in case of compass emergency. Something her father had taught her and her sisters. It was dark but she’d been in darkness for so long now, her eyes had adjusted to it. Looking, she could see the needle pointing in one direction but flicking ever so slightly, meaning she was still within range of the farm's magnetic lodestone.

She followed the needle, walking for only five hoof stubbing’s, or five minutes, before she saw a faint glow beyond the trees… she had arced a lot more than she though if she’d nearly done a complete circled back to her house. But as she got closer she realised it wasn’t her house. It was his camp. By sheer luck Pinkie had been in-line with it and her house when she’d started back.

“Bysen?” she called and she heard a rumbling groan and some flickering shadows cast by the fire he had going. Bysen stood and turned.

“Pinkie Pie?” he said, slightly tired, he’d been trying to go to sleep. “I did not expect to see you. You have never visited me at night time. Let alone after what happened at your farm.”

“I know. I uh, I didn’t expect to be here either, well I mean I did want to come here at first but then I must’ve missed it and got lost but then when I was going to head back to the farm I lucked out and came across you.” she spoke incredibly fast. Finding him had lifted her spirits right back up. Well almost all the way back up. “Bysen, I, I don’t want to go back there tonight. Could I stay here? Just for now?”

“Of course you may Pinkie Pie. You are welcome with me.” he said. He then remembered what her father had said. “I must ask. Your father seemed to think that I was… ‘intentioned’ on you. I am not. But are you intentioned on me?”

“I don’t know… maybe. I like you, but… yes.” Pinkie admitted. She had a crush on Bysen. What point was there in hiding it? She’d already basically admitted it to her whole family by bringing him there. “I do like you. Even if my father doesn’t. I know my sister likes you, but not like I do, just… and her coltfriend, um her mate, he defended you after you left.”

“As I would expect. Honour is found within those blessed with wings.” Bysen said as he turned towards the skull of the dragon he was living in. “I would ask you to tell him I am grateful.”

“I will. But he told, he told my dad that him and Blinkie had already… mated. And my dad still said he was a good pony… a pony. My dad only doesn’t like you because you’re not a pony, because you’re a buffalo.”

“That does not sound fair.”

“It’s not…” Pinkie said, looking away, ashamed to be her father’s daughter. Whatever happened to the national oath of ‘love and tolerance’? Her thoughts were growing dark but she hadn’t come here for that. “I brought you something.” she added cheerfully as she grabbed the box off of her back. “I promised you cupcakes remember?”

Pinkie opened the box and Bysen’s eyes widened. Four delicious cupcakes were right in front of him. All for him! Well, two of them were for him. Pinkie gave him one and he quickly took a bite of it. It was small for someone his size but he didn’t care, they were easily the most delicious thing he’d ever tasted. Despite Pinkie saying his brown-gooey-mushy-stuff was the most delicious thing she’d ever tasted. “It is amazing as always Pinkie Pie.” he said before he took another bite.

Pinkie just laughed and smiled. “Haha, you, you got a bit of frosting below your eye.” she giggled. He tried to wipe it off but couldn’t get it. His horns and forehead blocked his hoof from his eyes. “Oh, let me get it.” she cheered and reached her hoof up to his face. She gently wiped it away and went in for a closer look to make sure there wasn’t any more stuck in his fur.

“Is it all gone?” he asked.

“Almost.” and she lean in and gave him a kiss. Quick and sweet, much like the cupcakes themselves. “There, it’s all gone.” she giggled and blushed.

“Pinkie Pie…” he said softly. “I am sorry. I cannot accept your affection.” Bysen stated. “I am not of age. I am only of thirteen seasons. And you are even further from than I. But only of ten seasons. I am sorry.”

“But my sister’s only fourteen and she and JD are… but that doesn’t mean… we don’t have to mate, we can just be…” she was cut off.

“I am sorry. I cannot.” he said lifting his hoof to her mouth to quiet her. He then moved it from her mouth to the side of her face. “I care for you very much. But neither of us are ready and I do not know if I will even be here when the time comes that we are.”

“But, but…” Pinkie stammered. He’d always said he may leave one day and she’d always accepted that. Because she knew he never would. But using that as a reason now, it scared her thinking that maybe he would one day just leave her. “But if the time comes and you’re still here?”

“Then I would like for you to be my mate. I would like it very much so.” he said. It was true. He knew exactly how Pinkie felt because he fel the same about her too. And one day he would be with her. That day just wasn’t now. “Come, sit with me by the fire.” and so she sat with him by the fire. Even though she was more than warm enough, she snuggled up again his side.

“Bysen.”

“Yes Pinkie Pie?”

“I was just wondering, when I told you about JD… Blinkie’s coltfriend. You looked at the dragon the same way you did when you told me about the really big dragon. And you said he had ‘honour found within those blessed with wings.’ Is that part of the story you haven’t told me yet?”

“It is not.” he replied. “I have always been amazed by those that can fly. The birds, the bats, the insects and the pegasus. I have always dreamt of flying myself. To see the world I walk on from where the spirits above see it.”

“Hmm… I’ve never thought about it. That really sounds amazing.”

“Indeed it does.” Bysen sighed. But it wasn’t a sigh of disappointment. In fact rather the opposite. He was glad they were talking about something cheerful again. “Some of my people believe that when we die, we are deemed what creature our spirits will be next. My tribe does not follow such beliefs but other tribes do. And I do. I hope that I am deemed well enough that when I pass to spirit, that I may became a winged being in the next life. A majestic flying creature of tremendous honour. That I could help those who would have need of me.”

“I’m sure you will someday Bysen. Just… not too soon ok?”

“It will not be soon, I promise.” he said. He thought that would reassure Pinkie. It didn’t.

“Bysen… I can’t keep that promise anymore. I know I won’t be able to see you every day like I have been. I, just won’t be able to, I’m sorry.” she said, pulling herself in closer to him and grabbing onto his hoof.

“You have kept it far longer than I expected you even could. I do not blame you for not being able to any longer.”

“Bysen, will you make me a new promise?”

“Of course. What is it that you want?”

“Don’t leave.” Pinkie stated. She wasn’t sad, she wasn’t happy, but she put more emotion into those words than any other she had ever said. “Please, stay with me here. Or if you ever do leave, wait until we can be mates and then take me with you. I love my family, but this land is so dull. The rock farm’s slowly dying and even the trees look dead. Also, how did you stop smoke coming from the fire anyway? Never mind, just please… don’t leave me.”

Honestly, Bysen had said he may leave one day but he didn’t want to. But maybe one day his reason for coming here would become clear and he would end the journey and return to his people. If that happened would he stay anyway? Would he forsake his tribe for this girl? Yes. “I will not leave you Pinkie Pie.”

“Then let’s promise. I told you about how ponies shake hooves to seal a deal and some ponies even seal a deal with a kiss. But I think we’re not both ponies so we should make our own promise. And I love you, so I cross my heart…”

“And I… I hope to fly.”

“And my cupcakes…”

“Went in my eye.” Bysen laughed. “So that is it then. I cross my heart.” he ran he hoof over his chest. “Hope to fly.” he goofily flapped his hooves, while trying not to laugh at his own silly gesture. “Stick a cupcake in my eye.” he finished, reaching for his face, managing to get past his horns this time and accidently poked himself “ARGH!!... I should remember to close my eye before performing my promise Pinkie.”

“Haha, yeah. Thank you Bysen. And I Pinkie Pie Promise you, that even if I can’t visit every day anymore, I’ll still visit as much as I can, and I’ll bring cupcakes when I can, or something yummy and I’l...”

Bysen’s hoof came to her mouth once more. ”That is more than enough Pinkie Pie. You do not have to make it more than come when you can. That is all I ask, all I want.” he said. His hoof still to her mouth, she mimicked his heart cross, hoof flap, eye poke, and remembered to close her eye. Bysen chuckled and lowered his hoof. “Thank you.”

“You know... we still have another cupcake each…”