The lights in the Crystal Brighthouse have all been turned off. A darkness permeates the space in the chilly autumn evening, and an eerie silence fills the air. Any sign of the typical hustle and bustle the inhabitants of the Brighthouse are known for has completely vanished.
Suddenly, the silence is broken. A scream of terror, the thumping sounds of a struggle, the dripping of an unknown liquid. For a brief moment, the space is lit up by a bright glow.
And then, silence returns once more.
…Until the sound of a hoof shoveling popcorn into its owner’s mouth brazenly interrupts the tense moment that the director of the horror film showing on the Brighthouse’s television clearly put a lot of work into. Ugh, the nerve of some ponies.
As the scene changes into something more bright, the light from the television illuminates a comfortable-looking sofa situated not far from it. Nestled beneath a large comforter on said sofa are two creatures.
The first is Misty Brightdawn, a unicorn who is very much into horror movies. Her hooves eagerly cling to a large bucket of popcorn, a snack she is all too eager to chow down on. The second is Anon, a human who ended up in Maretime Bay under mysterious circumstances. Judging by the look on his face, he is quite clearly not as into horror movies as his dear friend.
“I have to say, this one isn’t nearly as good as the last one.” Misty’s horn briefly glows as she levitates a nearby drink to her mouth, taking a sip before resuming her thought. “I appreciate the cinematography, but Absentia’s character arc is barely even addressed here. What happened to the themes of survivor’s guilt or the fear of attachment?”
“Well, I don’t think that guy has to worry about either of those things anymore.”
“Ugh, and that’s my point! It’s just carnage for the sake of carnage. At least the original had something to say.”
Misty scrunches up her nose in a pout as the credits begin to roll. While they do so, Anon reaches for the remote and promptly closes the movie, leaving the television to show the Bloku City landscape on repeat.
“Not every movie needs to say something, Misty. Sometimes they can just be fun.”
“Did you have fun watching that movie?”
“Well, I got to watch it with you, so yeah, I’d say so.”
Misty’s cheeks go a bit pink before she shakes her head.
“And if you weren’t watching it with me?”
“...Yeah, I probably wouldn’t have liked it much,” Anon says with a chuckle as he sheepishly rubs the back of his head.
“My point exactly,” Misty replies with a cocky smile before eagerly finishing off the last of her popcorn. “So, what’s next?”
“Hmm…” Anon glances at a nearby clock. “It’s starting to get awfully late. I’m not sure if I’ll make it through another movie.”
“Oh? I thought you liked staying up late.”
“I think we have different definitions of ‘late.’ How often do you usually stay up?”
“Well, when I was living with Opaline, I was usually up all night doing whatever chores she assigned me to. She liked to do all of her planning and stuff in the dark. It ‘made her evil plans more devious, and thus more likely to work,’” Misty says while mocking Opaline’s distinct manner of speech.
“A real night owl, then.” Anon readjusts himself on the sofa to get more comfortable, being careful so as to not disturb the comforter covering both him and Misty. “It must have been a big adjustment coming to Maretime Bay.”
“Yeah, but my sleep schedule was the least of my worries on that front.”
“Oh? What was worse?”
“Other than getting used to Posey being a grump all the time? Mostly the weird habits ponies have around here.”
“Such as?”
“Eating three meals a day, bathing regularly, getting to go outside whenever you want…”
Misty trails off, and a heavy silence fills the room. It takes a few moments before Anon finally speaks up in response.
“...Wow. She didn’t treat you very well, huh?” Anon’s voice is low and serious. He turns to look Misty in the eye, but she chooses instead to focus on the comforter in her lap. “You… you know you’re safe now, right?”
“Oh, y-yes, I know that!” Misty forces a smile, but still doesn’t look directly at Anon. “I’m just, uh… not used to all of that.”
“Not used to being treated like an actual pony instead of an animal?”
“I-if you want to call it that, sure.”
The heavy silence returns, and there’s a sort of tensity in the air that both are aware of, but neither acknowledge. Anon watches as Misty’s eyes begin to grow wet with tears. None reach her cheeks, but it’s more than enough for him to recognize that there’s something on her mind.
“I’m sorry for bringing this up,” Anon mumbles as he turns away from his beloved friend. “It was insensitive of me.”
“N-no, no! You were just trying to make conversation! I’m okay, really!” There’s a hesitance to Misty’s stuttering voice that undermines her words, and she recognizes this before she even finishes talking. She takes a deep breath in an attempt to collect herself before speaking again, now with much more clarity. “It’s just not fun to think about too much.”
“...Well, if you ever do want somebody to talk to about it, I’m always willing to listen. And if you want somebody to talk to about anything else, I’m willing to do that, too.”
Anon tries to give Misty a reassuring smile, though it looks so awkward that Misty can’t help but snort when she sees it. As a result, Anon, too, begins to laugh. All at once, the tension in the air disappears.
After a while, Misty speaks up again, though not before hesitating for a brief moment.
“Th-there is one more thing I’m still not very used to.”
“And what would that be?”
“It… it’s…” Misty sighs. “It’s nothing.”
“You sure?” Anon leans towards Misty slightly, if only to hear her now-quiet voice better. After a moment, he just smiles. “Alright, I won’t–”
“I’m not used to receiving affection.”
Misty finally looks Anon dead in the eyes with a newfound confidence, catching Anon off guard.
“Like… like words of praise, or–”
“Any of it.” Misty sighs again before pulling the comforter tighter over herself. “Izzy being as supportive and, er, ‘hooves-on’ as she is has definitely allowed me to experience it one way or another, but it still feels strange.”
“So, like, words of praise and pats on the back and stuff?”
“Pretty much. Opaline never praised me unless she was also saying something mean right before or after, and she certainly never gave me a reassuring hug or anything like that.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that, that must have been terrible.”
“It was,” Misty says as her eyes droop to the floor. They don’t stay there long, however, as a smile quickly returns to her face and she looks back up at Anon. “B-but now I have all of you!”
“And I’ll gladly remind you that you’re an incredible mare every darn time I see you!”
Misty shrinks in on herself as her cheeks turn rosy again, an old habit she’s had since she was little that rears itself when she feels embarrassed.
“...Th-thank you.”
“Come on, no need to be humble! You’re super smart, you’re one of the kindest mares I know, you’re certainly the bravest mare I know… you’re way too good for Opaline, that’s for sure!”
“Maybe I’m even less used to this than I thought,” Misty whispers, her entire face now red as can be.
Anon, seeing her flustered form, lets out a nervous chuckle.
“Sorry. Did I take it too far?”
“N-no, you’re fine.” Misty tries to regain her composure by taking another deep breath. To Anon’s surprise, it proves to be effective, and she sits up straight once more. Suddenly, she looks at him with clarity and purpose, surprising him once again. “Hey, Anon?”
“What’s up?”
“Can you give me a hug?”
Anon blinks. He certainly wasn’t expecting her to ask him that.
“Uhh… sure? Why this all of a sudden?”
“I just… I don’t really get to experience them very often. When I do, it’s usually either Izzy being really excited or it’s a group thing. N-not that I don’t appreciate those! That’s just not really the same as something more… intimate.” Her eyes suddenly go wide. “O-or so I’m told!”
“Hehe.” Anon opens up his arms, slightly lifting the comforter in the process. “Well? Whenever you’re ready.”
Misty stares at Anon for a long, quiet moment. After some brief hesitation, she nods to herself and shuffles across the couch, closing the small gap between them while remaining beneath the slightly lifted comforter.
When she reaches Anon, she feels his arms gently wrap around her, pulling her in against his chest. She rests her head just below his own, her horn narrowly avoiding the side of his neck. She presses her ear against him, and the sound of his heartbeat gently thumping brings her a surprising amount of comfort.
He wraps one arm around her torso in an effort to keep her still. Meanwhile, his other arm cradles her head and gently strokes her mane. In return, she does her best to wrap her hooves around his torso as well, but his large form makes it a bit difficult.
The two remain like that in relative silence for quite some time. A thousand thoughts swim through Misty’s mind, but the most prominent one concerns the strange warmth she feels in his arms. She’s used to heat. Opaline, being a self-proclaimed “fire alicorn,” liked to keep things hot. As a result, Misty’s “warm” would be considered “sweltering” to most ponies.
And yet, there is no other word to describe how she feels. It isn’t the external temperature (although Anon is quite comfortable to lean against), it’s… something else. Something she can’t quite put her hoof on.
“Is this okay?” Anon asks quietly, not needing to speak up due to their close proximity.
“Mm-hmm,” Misty purrs as she closes her eyes. “It’s really comfy.”
“I’m glad I could be of use, then.”
As is somewhat normal for her, thoughts of Opaline return to Misty. However, she surprises even herself with how quickly she is able to brush those thoughts away. Typically, memories of her old home make her feel small, alone, vulnerable. But right now?
Right now, she feels like she’s right where she belongs.
“...Hey, Anon?”
“Yeah?”
“Can we stay like this for a while?”
Anon, still gently stroking her mane, smiles a warm, gentle smile.
“As long as you like.”
“Thanks.”
As the seconds slowly turn to minutes, the pair find their eyelids growing heavy. And yet, neither make any effort to move.
When the sun rises in the morning, Sunny finds the two of them quietly sleeping in each other’s embrace. The only thing she can bring herself to do is tilt her head and grin when she sees the warm, content smiles on both of their faces.