Just outside the border of Bridlewood is an exceptionally colourful house made out of a growing tree. The unicorn inside was just as sparkly and colourful as the tree’s exterior. The unicorns of Bridlewood weren’t as cheerful as this particular pony. They would just go around with their day, feeling as gloomy as the rest of the dark woods. If you were to visit Bridlewood, you wouldn’t be greeted with warm smiles and friendly waves, but downtrodden looks and boredom. This was something the unicorn in the treehouse did not like. She wanted to prove that Bridlewood can be just as bright and cheerful as, what she hoped, the rest of the land was. There was only one way she could express that, and that was through her creative talents.
Izzy Moonbow would go out of her way to show every unicorn around her that Bridlewood can have fun and cheer without wanting something to pay for it, unlike Alphabittle’s bets in the Crystal Tea Room. Joy can be found by creating something without personal gain. She had tried to show that many times, from her signature friendship bracelets to art galleries she would set up around her house. However, no one was particularly interested or too glum to see the colours around them. It was as if something was missing in their lives, and they just can’t see or feel it inside or outside.
Izzy was determined to prove that there was some sparkle to be found. Today, she was going to try harder. With her saddlebags full of creative tools and knickknacks to get her creative juices running, she was ready to spread some form of cheer to everypony in Bridlewood. She looked at the closed flower table where her tea set was inside.
“Today, I’m going to make a friend,” Izzy said to the closed table, “I’m going to invite some pony over for tea, and we can make friendship bracelets! We can have makeovers and glow ups!” She nodded and, with a deep breath, opened the front door and headed deeper into Bridlewood.
It wasn’t long until she was getting nearer to her destination. Blue crystals sprouting out of the ground were a sign that she was heading in the right direction. It was then that she saw the unicorns. Their heads were down, sad and depressed looks etched on their faces, refusing to turn that frown upside-down. That didn’t deter Izzy from smiling and waving to every unicorn who was near. None of them replied, just blinking owlishly at her. Every unicorn in Bridlewood knew who Izzy was, but they just think her sparkle was just too sparkly compared to every other unicorn.
Soon Izzy picked her area to start creating. She took out several large canvases and set up her easels. She squeezed her paint out and prepared her glitter. Lots and lots of glitter. She closed her eyes and pictured what would make Bridlewood extra bright and special. She imagined flowering meadows and waterfalls with rainbows being formed from each droplet of water. She visioned ponies with smiles as bright as the sun, running through fields and swimming in the water. She could almost hear foals playing and rolling down the hills. That was what she was trying to capture.
She got her paintbrushes out, dipped them in the assorted colours and started painting, all the while hoping that her work would attract some attention. She painted her colours with vivid and bright hues and shades, unlike the dull and subdued shades of Bridlewood. Instead of gloomy faces, joyful smiles were painted onto ponies. The water was bright and shimmered in the sunlight as it caught the sun’s rays. The sun itself a rich golden colour. Unicorns who were enjoying the open fields, having picnics and dipping their hooves into the water.
She hopped from canvas to canvas, ideas flowing through her head. Occasionally, she would stop and look behind her to see if any unicorn was interested, but they all kept to themselves, too gloomy to even notice the bright colours right in front of them. That didn’t stop Izzy from continuing her masterpieces. She was going to add some colour to Bridlewood.
Soon she had finished her works of art. She took the time to stand back and admire her works. With paint and glitter in her mane, she waited impatiently for the paint to dry. At the same time, she set up a stall for herself, painting a sign that said that all these works of art were for free. She didn’t want to do them for payment or bets. She just wanted to share her creativity and spread some joy and happiness to the unicorns.
She carefully selected where the easels would stand and which painting should go where comparing each one so that they would blend yet contrast each other at the same time. Finally, her stall was ready.
“Come on, every pony!” Izzy declared out loud, causing a few unicorns to turn their heads towards her, “Let’s turn those frowns upside-down and add some colour to your homes! And the best thing is that they are all free for every pony to enjoy!”
The unicorns around her just blinked at her and looked behind her at the paintings. They sighed and continued walking to where they wanted to be. To them, Izzy was just being Izzy.
“No?” Izzy asked, “Okay! Don’t forget, they’re free and would be good on any pony’s wall! What about you?” She pointed to a passing unicorn, “You look like you need something to turn that frown upside-down! Fancy hanging a bright, colourful painting to your wall?”
And so it continued. Izzy would go around her stall, asking every unicorn nearby if they were interested in taking a free painting. However, every pony was either too uninterested or depressed to see what Izzy had on offer. Izzy soon started to panic as the day progressed, she rushed back home to get more canvases to paint, added more sparkling glitter to the rainbows she painted, more bright colours to the flowers and water. Anything to get some form of a smile from the unicorns around her. However, no unicorns were coming up to her stand and seeing her work.
Izzy felt just as depressed as the unicorns around her as she lay her head on the stall’s table. The sun was beginning to set as every pony made their way home for the night. She looked up at the clearing as she saw the first stars twinkle into existence. There was only one blank canvas left as she took it out and placed it on the ground. She took out her blues, yellows and whites as she painted one final painting of the night sky as nighttime came to Bridlewood.
Sniffling and blinking away tears, she looked down at her final piece of the night’s sky. Looking up into the clearing, she looked up at the stars as they twinkled and blinked down at her. She never felt so distant as the stars themselves. She was just like the stars in a way, a twinkling bit of hope in an area of darkness.
She wished to have some pony to make friendship bracelets with her. Some pony to have tea parties with. They could style each others’ manes and tails. Maybe win over Alphabittle’s hard bets.
She turned to look at each star. One was a bright white and twinkling like a polished diamond. Another was small but still tried to shine amongst so many brighter ones. Another had a soft glow of orange and it was as if it was coming down to the forest.
Izzy blinked as she stood up and focused on the orange star. Her eyes widened as she realised that it was coming down towards the forest. As it floated down, Izzy realised that it wasn’t a star, but a lantern. In her mane, she took out her glasses. They weren’t there because she was short of sight, but they helped her get into her thinking and concentrated zone of thought.
She ran in the direction of the lantern as it continued its journey down to earth and became stuck up in a tree. Searching around, she found a long branch and poked it down to her. it was then she realised that it had a folded message attached to it.
Izzy blew out the candle and took the message into her hooves. She slowly opened the paper delicately and her eyes lit up with amazement as she saw a coloured picture of pegasi, unicorns and earth ponies under a rainbow. Above and below the picture was a message.
Dear unicorns and Pegasi,
You have friends in Maretime Bay.
Come visit us.
Izzy’s sad frown turned into a full-grown smile at the message inside. She hugged the little piece of paper tightly. Instead of tears of loneliness, new tears rolled down her face.
Tears of hope.
She released the letter from her embrace and smiled warmly at the scribbled words.
“I’m coming,” She promised to the letter, “Just you wait. I’m going to go to Maretime Bay and have some pony appreciate my works of art. Hopefully, you will love my work, random messenger pony. Hopefully, I will make a friend.”
With her hope renewed, she packed her paintings and headed back home. She hung her new works on her wall, all the while getting more and more excited about her future visit to Maretime Bay. A mental bucket list filled her head. At the same time, questions started forming in her head.
Who is this new friend?
What are they like?
Are there really pegasi and earth ponies who could be her friend?
She was well aware of what the pegasi and earth ponies are like, according to what other unicorns say about them. She was told that earth ponies stank of fish and weren't the smartest pony race. That pegasi were vicious and would even eat their young.
Were they really like that?
She glanced down at the letter. It was not vicious-looking or a warning to never go there. It was warm and welcoming. Hopeful and polite.
Were what she was told wrong all this time?
However, excitement was washing her worries away. Ideas of what they could do started forming in her head. They could make friendship bracelets together, finally opening her flowering tea set, have makeover sessions with one another. The options were limitless.
She entered her home with a smile and not with sadness like her previous attempts to make a friend. She began preparing her bed with the letter securely tightened around the headband in her mane. After preparing to sleep, she placed the letter on her bedside table as she tucked herself in. She turned her head towards the letter, a yawn escaping her mouth.
“Hope we see each other soon… new friend.”