//------------------------------// // He Brings Her Over (BONUS CHAPTER) // Story: Friendship is Weird // by Local Loco //------------------------------// How did this all end up like this? I’m standing outside his house… wearing my rubber ducky pajamas. It was two nights ago when I confessed my feelings to him. I was told throughout the night to be open and truthful to him, but I’d always hold back by saying that I’d like him. He’d keep replying ‘I love you too’ with no hesitation in any way whatsoever. I asked again and got the same response. It left me with only one thing to do: be open about my feelings. I kissed him. And to my surprise, he kissed me. “I love you, Hopeful Journey.” The words that were so hard for me to say echo throughout my mind. “I love you too, North.” It was a moment of clarity, a weight off my chest as well. I had spent the rest of the gala next to him. Oh yeah, the Grand Galloping Gala. What they say about it is true, best night ever. We were on a balcony looking up into the starry night sky. I clung on to him with my wing as he prattled on about how his dad and sister work in weather distribution and how clouds clump together in populated areas so any pony lost could navigate their way through Equestria. I was surprised by his knowledge of constellations, though I believe he learned them for the imagery as I had to correct him about the location of the north star. “Actually, Hope, that’s the Little Dipper that has the north star on the handle. To find the north star from the Big Dipper you follow the edge of the ladle.” I used my free wing to trace the path from the constellation to the north star. “See?” The stallion awed in his usually childish amazement. “Wow, North, you are so smart.” Not the most eloquent complement, but coming from him had me feeling flush at the time. “Oh, it’s just the knowledge based around my talent, you know being good with navigation and all.” I had stumbled a bit over my words, but he had looked at me like I was the only interesting pony at the party. “Commmmmeee oooooooooooonnnnn Coooooooooooooooooookieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees!” Thank Celestia that I wasn’t the biggest stumbling mess there. I knew I shouldn’t have brought that cider to the gala. “Jussssssss a kisssssssssss gooooooodniiiiiiiight.” “I appreciate *hic* your loving intentions, my *hic* dear, but we are nowhere home.” Some things need to be seen to be believed. A Pegasus around the size of princess Celestia herself barely standing being propped up by a unicorn whose body size is well below average. “Excuse us. Hope, if you would assist me with your sister? It appears we are *hic* heading home now.” “No problem.” Hope said so casually, it hurt a bit, but he looked at me with that heartwarming smile of his. “You coming?” I wanted to say ‘yes’ so bad, but the dress I had worn needed to be returned to the boutique back in Buckfield. “I can’t, I have to head back home with my brother.” “When you get back though we can have fun adventures together!” I couldn’t help but laugh. The stallion had such an optimistic and charming attitude. I smiled and nodded at him. “Yooooooooooooooooouuuuuu guuuyyysss *hic* weeeeeeeeeee should have a slummmbeerrrrrrr paaaaaarrrrrrrrtyyyyyyyy.” The large drunk slurred. “OOOOH A SLUMBER PARTY!” The rest of that night is self-explanatory. I said agreed, I returned home with my brother, returned the dress, and the day that I come back to Ponyville, standing outside their house in the dead of night in rubber duck pajamas. I knock on the door only to be greeted by the small white unicorn himself, Cookies Neapolitan Cream. “Yes, yes. If it isn’t our dear Mareian. Come in, we’ve been expecting you.” The unicorn welcomed me to the house. I don’t think I’ve ever visited here this late at night. He’s dressed in a maroon robe, but still has his black and white checkered scarf. “Care to have some cake? It was Hope’s suggestion. Thankfully I know what you order at Sugar Cube Corner.” “Strawberries.” Shortcake; on a plate just for me. At times like these I forget how well-off Cookies and his family is to be able to get such a nice house. A hallway leading straight into an open room, one side having a kitchen, another a dining room, and another side being the living room where I can see Hope seated on the couch at the edge of his seat; excited as ever. “North! You made it! Come sit over here!” I don’t think I’ve met a stallion as cute as he is. I could feel myself blush as I scrunched. Using one of my wings, I pick up the plate that the shortcake laid upon before embarrassingly trot my flank next to him. “Strawberries? Ehh not my cup of tea.” A voice spoke from a blind spot from the kitchen to the living room. I didn’t notice her before, but none other than Sky Sonata, that Pegasus that got me in this situation. She’s in a robe similar to the one that Cookies, except the one she has on looks a couple sizes too small, Now that I think about it, Cookies’ robe looked a bit too loose on him. She was helping herself to her own cake. “I’m more of a cookies and cream type pony.” “Did you need something?” “I’m referring to the flavor.” “My mistake.” The unicorn looks over to Hope. “Would you be so kind to fetch your brother?” Without a word, Hope leaves as Cookies places five glass cups on the coffee table between me and Sky. “So… Mrs. Cream is it now?” I snarked at the Pegasus across from me as I took a bite out of my strawberry shortcake. “Not yet, but Hope wanted us to play along with the slumber party gimmick. These are the only pajamas here. Feels like I’m wearing a foal sized shirt.” “You don’t have to keep wearing it if it’s uncomfortable.” “And I bet it wasn’t comfortable for you to march around town in ducky pajamas.” She had me there. She had the line of the sack toys Hope made for Cookies’ birthday a good half her wingspan away from her. Using one of her wings she grasps the finely craft version of Hope and the obviously poor craft version of myself. Makes sense considering the timeframe. We had known each other less than a month. I’m surprised he had the time to make these. “What’s your aim with Hope?” What!? “What?” “Just looking out for my brother is all. I remember what you did that night. An elephant never forgets.” Should have raised my wings when he kissed me, but I think that any pony at a high enough angle could see. Shoot, I bet Celestia saw out of curiosity. “I… want to protect his smile.” I shove forced those words out of my mouth, ignoring the odd phrase. Sky merely smirked a smug smile. Cookies had trotted into, seeming to have heard what I said with the raised eyebrow look he gave me. “I got Alto!” “Oh come on, he’s not wearing your brother’s pajamas.” “I am not going to wear something that doesn’t fit.” “Now now, no sibling bickering my dear friends.” “We’re not bickering, I’m just expressing my disappointment in my little bro.” “Sorry” “Not you, Hope.” “Arguing over petty things is by definition ‘bickering’” “Mr. Element of Honesty thinks himself a wordsmith now?” “You have to understand words to write lyrics.” “What a way to start a debut.” “Well will SOMEPONY get me out of these robes? I think my hooves are stuck.” Hope trotted himself back to his spot next to me as they gathered around Sky, trying to disrobe the small robe off her. The cutie plants a kiss on my cheek as he does so, sending my heart aflutter as I instinctively placed my hoof on my cheek. I blink a couple of times, taking in the moment as I ignore the other three fumbling about. Hope looks at me with his usual smile on his face. “Enjoying the shortcake?” I nod at the stallion, my mind going into auto piolet as I lift my plate up towards him. Hope doesn’t ask any questions as he opens his mouth, allowing be to stab a bit of cake with my fork and feed him. “Delicious.” Cute. “Ahem” Cookies coughed now that Sky is free of her small robe. He shows us all a bottle of a brown fizzy liquid with the words ‘Cookie Cola’ written in a gray marker. “Today, my dear friends, I’d like to present a prelude to the next Cream family breakout: Cookie Cola, the cake flavored thirst quencher. And you four shall be the first to try out this prototype, but in order to get a clean test I shall request you to swallow in 3, 2, 1, now.” There was a warm tingle in my mouth as the unicorn’s horn lit up. I swallowed on his cue, but almost choked thinking it would be on 1. “Felt like I got a routine dental check-up. You sure you aren’t a dentist?” I asked in a sarcastic tone. “I prefer not having to look a gift horse in the mouth.” What is it with these guys and misusing phrases? The unicorn poured the liquid into all five cups before raising one into the air. “A toast to new, better, brighter futures together.” “To friendship!” Hope chugged his glass after raising it in the air. “ooh vanilla.” “To us.” I quietly said to myself as raised my glass and took a light sip. Sugary with a bit of vanilla to it. Something’s off about it though. “Tastes watered down. Whatever you added for flavor needs a bit more.” “Noted, Alto. Sky? Mareian?” Cookies looked between me and the mare sitting across from me. “Better than water.” I spoke. Not really much I can add, I’m not a professional taste tester. Sweet Celestia I’m going to turn into one of Cookies’ taste testers aren’t I? “Needs cocoa.” “I’m not trying to make cocoa, but the idea of a carbonated cocoa is interesting.” Just as Cookies says that, the clock in the living room made a noise, signaling the next hour. “Would you look at the time? I have to get up early to assist the Cakes in the morning.” “Yeah, gotta get up early and travel and all. Good night love birds.” Sky opened a door leading to another room. Alto had already trotted back upstairs as the clock went off. “Oh cool. Where will I be sleeping then?” I asked, unknowingly about to get an answer that wasn’t ‘the guest room’ or ‘on the couch’ as Hope lead me upstairs. The room he led me to was well organized with a bunch of hoof-made crafts and posters of Cheese Mare and Daring Doo. A small bookshelf carrying an assortment of non-book related objects, like bipedal robots and a wicker basket that has ‘Hopeful Journey’ woven on the edge. The only books on the shelf appears to be a bunch of comics and a single Daring Doo book with a mark left very early on. “Wow.” “This is where you’ll be sleeping.” Hope pats his hoof on the only bed in the room. The only bed in the room? No this can’t be what Hope is getting at. He’s too innocent for that. Calm down, North. Put on a smile and breathe through your nose. Even if it is what you think it is, what’s wrong with that? Having him hold me and I hold him throughout the night would be just like those heart melting romance novels. “Alright.” I say too embarrassed to look him in the eye as I lay myself down on the bed. I close my eyes in anticipation, waiting for the stallion to join. Except he didn’t. Instead, the bed began to shake followed by a click two loud thuds. I had to open my eyes and look at what the stallion did. He had turned off the lights but I could still see that he had pulled out another bed from a compartment under the bedframe. He was looking at the up at the ceiling before I peered my head over to him. “You need something?” He said in his sweet voice. “The night went by rather fast I just thought now we could… you know…” I JUST WANT TO HUG HIM WHY CAN’T I GET THE WORDS OUT!?!? “Sky and Alto say I move around a lot when I sleep.” He responded. “I don’t want to cause harm.” “What, no, I mean I doubt those two giants would give enough room anyway. They’re probably over exaggerating like I know Polo would move around a lot when he sleeps mostly to some subconscious desire to sleep at the foot of the bed.” “I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want to make that risk.” “Then I’ll take that risk.” I climbed down from the bed onto the extendable bed below. I was above him, staring him dead in the eye under the shadows of darkness. I bit my lip in embarrassment not knowing what to say next. I place my forehoof gently on his chest and continued. “I love you, Hope, and it would mean a lot to me to remain at your side whether awake or asleep. I want to be open with you as you have been to me.” I slowly laid myself beside Hope, keeping my hoof upon his chest as I do so. The silence was deafening. I could feel my body trembling. I couldn’t tell if he could see me, but I knew I didn’t have the best poker face. “Let’s go on an adventure together!” What? “Huh?” “I want to go on a grand journey. To see everything out there and make all the friends I possibly can. I’ve got a lot of energy to do something like that, but I think I’ll get lost easily.” At this point, a harmonic hum buzzes on one side of the walls. “You know your way around the world with your smarts and your talent and I was really excited to make friends with you when we met back in Buckfield and you were able to navigate us here. There’s no pony else I’d rather have with me more on this adventure than you.” Faint singing could be heard on two separate walls now, the voice of that unicorn and Hope’s sister could be heard. He brings her over They’re for each other Plan for adventure He’s eager to go He brings her over Just like my brother He truly loves her In highs and in lows This boy knows how to make me feel special. I could feel the tears swell up in my eyes as I took what felt like an eternity to respond back to him. “I’d love to go with you, Hope. I-“ My words were interrupted as the stallion had wrapped his blue pajama wearing hooves around my ducky clad body and squeezed me tightly. “Thank you thank you thank you!” The glee in his voice warmed my heart more than his body physically warmed me up, until he kissed me just like we did at the gala. “I love you so much, North.” “Love you too, Hope.” He brings her over (She ain’t no bother to me) They are true lovers (My brother and bride to be) She’s on his shoulder (a shoulder to cry on) There is no other (fed to the lions) The lullaby like noises continue as I gently close my eyes, taking in this warm sensation of emotions as I embrace Hope not only with my hooves, but my wings as well. He may not agree with me at the end, but love is weird and I love it. Next time on FRIENDSHIP IS WEIRD VOLUME 2 A new threat looms over Ponyville “Oh no, the evil Shadow Trotter has taken me prisoner.” “They took her, Hope. I couldn’t stop them.” But through the power of friendship… “Celestia has always told me that the best way to solve problems is through the magic of friendship.” And ancillary characters… “ANCILLARY!? Alto, they jus’ called us ancillary. We are a core par ‘ta da group!” “…” Will keep things as good as gold “Make new friends and keep the old.” FRIENDSHIP IS WEIRD VOLUME 2 FRIENDSHIP GOALS