//------------------------------//
// Perspective 
// Story: Brighter Dawn 
// by Luminous Comet 
//------------------------------//

The rain didn't stop for a while. Misty spent a little while longer in the museum, wandering the display rooms while Posey was busy. When the rain had finally stopped and the sun broke through the cover of clouds again, it stood notably lower than before, already leaning down towards the horizon again.

Small puddles lined the roads, where the cobblestone was uneven, and the path up to the Brighthouse led past a few trees, their branches still heavy with rainwater, drops still falling gradually from the leaves. Misty trudged up slowly, her hooves carrying her back with no other place to go in mind. She'd done all she wanted to do, so now she was going back... home? Was this home now?

...and if you fail, don't even think about coming back!

Misty opened one wing of the double doors and took a peek inside. She heard conversation from the kitchen corner and after letting herself in the rest of the way, she could see Sunny working on dinner while Zipp sat at the table. She quietly closed the door behind her, wiped off her hooves, and started heading towards the ramps in the centre of the room.

"Hey, Misty. How was your day?"

She froze and turned to the others with a half-hearted smile. "Great. I, uh, learned so much. I'm... gonna go freshen up." She quickly went up the ramp and opened the door into the washroom, but didn't close it all the way, staying still and sharpening her ears.

"...but I just don't know what to say to her," she caught Sunny saying."It's like I can't really get to her."

"It's not just your responsibility alone. We all decided we would help her."

"But I'm the one who welcomed her and offered her to stay, I wish I could find a way to talk to her. And not just pretend like everything is okay."

Misty quickly turned away from the door. Eavesdropping wasn't something friends did, right? That's what she used to do. What she shouldn't do anymore. She ran some water and washed her face before stepping out of the washroom again, torn between going back down or going upstairs. Luckily, somepony made the choice for her.

"Hey, Misty," Zipp said, flying up to land next to her. "Come up to the gallery with me?"

Misty followed her quietly, feeling the tension set in again. Zipp had always been suspicious of her, for good reason, and though she no longer planned to lie to or hide from her, she couldn't quite let go of being weary around her. But she followed into the bedroom and from there up the shaft to where the crystals hung suspended in their light. Misty took a moment to look at them, but turned away quickly to not give Zipp another reason for suspicion.

"I don't wanna beat around the clouds," Zipp said firmly, but lacking her more accusatory tone. "How are you doing? Really?"

Misty turned away from her and looked out past the railing, watching the sun sink slowly into the sea, casting warm light across Maretime Bay. "I'm fine."

"No. You're not." Zipp came to stand next to her. "We can't help you if you won't talk to us. And we want to help you."

Misty sighed and sat on her haunches, resting her forelegs on the railing, her eyes falling on the bracelet on her hoof. A breeze picked up, chilling her through her coat. "But why?" she asked quietly, her eyes fixed on the buildings below them. "After everything I did..."

"Who cares!" Zipp sat down next to her and roughly nudged her side with a wing. "You messed up. I'm not gonna say I'm not mad about it. But you deserve a chance to make up for it. And you were there to help when we really needed you. So let us help you, now that you need it"

She felt Zipp's eyes on her and turned her head just a little, blocking her gaze with her mane. Her chest tightened and her throat burned.

"Whatever reason you had to befriend us, you are our friend. Scratch that, you're my friend. And I take that seriously. You might think you're doing us a favour by putting up walls, but not being able to help our friend just hurts!"

Misty swallowed drily and pressed her lips together as her eyes started watering, quickly blinking away the first tears.

"Sorry... I'll stop yelling." Zipp spread her wing out behind Misty, the tips of her feathers lightly brushing against her coat, hovering supportively but giving her a little space. "Just, please tell me, honestly. How are you doing?"

"I... I don't know," Misty whispered, her voice weaker than she'd expected. She cleared her throat to try and speak more clearly. "I'm grateful for everything you do. Izzy gave me her bed and Sunny makes me food and smoothies..." She sniffed and quickly wiped her eyes, but they didn't stay dry. "Hitch said all those things and... Pipp did all this." She nudged her mane with her painted hoof. "I just... I don't know how to accept all this."

Zipp listened patiently and quietly sat by, waiting a moment before answering. "You're obviously hurting. We're all trying to do our part to make you feel better, the way we know how. They're all trying to make things easier for you, not harder."

"I know." She sniffed and wiped her tears on her fetlocks again. "But... but I feel so..." She struggled for a moment, trying to find the right words. "I feel like I'm... just stuck. I had nopony but Opaline before. She took me in and... gave me food and somewhere to sleep... and I still can't do that on my own."

"It's not easy to start being independent. You'll get there gradually. Nopony can just suddenly stand alone."

"But... I don't know how to start. And everypony is giving me things for free and telling me not to worry, but... that's not what I want," Misty said more confidently, finding the words coming easier now that she knew what it was she was trying to say, only to immediately second-guess herself. "I-I'm sorry, that sounded selfish, I mean... I just don't want to be a burden on you guys."

"Misty." Zipp's wing laid itself closer on Misty's shoulders. She looked up to meet her stern look. "You spent hoofness knows how long serving somepony else. So who cares, be selfish, do what you want to do." She prodded her chest with a hoof. "So? What do you want to do?"

"I..." She blinked and looked out over town again, her tears clearing slowly. "I want to... earn things. For myself."

"Okay, now louder. Don't just say it, declare it!" Zipp nudged her and Misty felt a slight surge, something pushing through the knot in her chest.

She stood up on all four hooves and took a deep breath. "I want to earn my place here! A-and help my friends! I... I want to not owe anything to anypony!"

"Alright!" Zipp stood up as well, nudging her shoulder again. "What's the first step?"

"Um..." She looked down at her hooves. "I... have no idea."

"Then that's where we come in. Come on, we'll talk over dinner."

She chuckled wryly and turned around, stopping again immediately when she saw Sunny at the edge of the beacon, standing behind them, wiping her own tears and her ears folding back. "I-I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have listened in. But I'm so happy! And I'm so proud of you!" She lurched forward, but stopped herself, hesitating. "You... you'll still accept our help, won't you? At least until you'll make it on your own?"

Misty hesitated as well, until she felt the nudge of feathers on her coat again. She closed the distance to Sunny and wrapped her forelegs around her shoulders, nuzzling in a little bit. "Yeah... thank you, Sunny."

"Okay..." Sunny snuffled quietly. "That's good, because I kind of made a lot of food."





Dinner was just as lively as breakfast, if not moreso. And this time, Misty was wide awake, listening in on everypony chatting while gradually going through bowls of Sunny's stew. She knew she had something to say, but she also didn't want to interrupt everypony's good time to do so. Occasionally, she caught Zipp looking at her and, when there was finally a lull, giving her a short nod.

Misty softly cleared her throat, trying to find the words. "I, uh..." Even without looking up, she could already feel everypony's eyes on her. The room went quiet, aside from Sparky's irregular snores. "Thank you for everything you did for me today."

She was met with a short chorus of positive responses, Izzy leaning closer to lightly nuzzle her cheek. Misty felt tempted to lean into her as well, but decided to stay on task.

"But I don't know... how to accept all that. I don't want to depend on you for everything now. So..." She peeked up at the smiling faces around the table. "I want to earn this. How... do I do that?"

"Aww, you really don't have to do anything," Pipp answered right away.

"But I want to," Misty quickly added, putting one hoof on the table. "I want to do things for myself, not just live off of you." Her confidence flickered and she cast her eyes down again. "As... as grateful as I am."

"Well, if that's how it is..." Hitch tapped his chin. "How about finding a job? You'll earn some money and you can get work experience. Learning skills and having small successes can boost your confidence, too."

"What an expectedly mature answer, Sheriff," Sunny noted pointedly.

"I'm right and you know I am."

Sunny hummed her agreement. "I tease but it's true. Finding some work would be a simple first step, I think."

"Okay. How... do I do that?" Misty asked hesitantly.

Ugh, do I need to spell it all out for you?

"Well, if you like, I could use somepony to make deliveries. I get take-out orders, but I can only fulfil them during my breaks. It won't be much, but I'd pay you a cut from the smoothie sales."

"There's always paperwork to be done," Hitch offered, "and if somepony was at the office to take statements while I was on patrol, that would be helpful. The town council would pay you, in a temporary position."

"Oh, well, if you really want to work," Pipp piped up again, "then an extra set of hooves around Mane Melody would be terrific. Just for sorting and cataloguing, keeping inventory, and all that."

While listening to them, a huge weight gradually fell off Misty's shoulders. She beamed before she had even noticed and felt the need to skip up and move, an itch she endured for now, while she was still sitting at the table. "Thank you, all of you. Really!"

"So? What do you want to do, Misty?" Zipp asked again.

"I... I think I want to do everything!"