Brad guided Bella back to the stables at an easy trot. "You had a full day." He stroked along her neck, ruffling her fur. "You deserve a rest." He jumped off and unhitched her saddle to start rubbing her down. "I wish I had the words to tell you how amazing this was." He patted her muzzle as she nudged at him. "I can't wait to see what's going to happen next, but I should finish my job here."
He nodded to her and started leading her into her stall to rest, but she snorted, keeping in step with him.
He laughed as they continued on. "That's right. I still need to get Daisy taken care of." He detoured to Daisy's stall and greeted the horse. Bella stepped forward, the two gently exchanging breath with a little nosetouch of fondness. "Let's get you all sorted." He grabbed a feed bag and put in the proper mix. "Ready for a snack?" He opened it and slid it over Daisy's head. "Enjoy." He set down her water as she munched happily.
Grabbing a curry brush, he slipped into the stall to give her a grooming pass. Bella he left outside, trusting her even more than usual to not bolt away.
Daisy watched with curiosity as Brad groomed her, giving an occasional flick of an ear but otherwise standing still. He smoothed back her coat with the curry brush, then finished up with a dandy brush and hoof pick. "Looking your best, ain'tcha?" He pat at her neck gently. "Feeling so much better now?" He didn't expect much of an answer from Daisy, but talking felt good anyway. He understood horses. He didn't understand the magic that had brought him to a magical world.
Bella nickered, her nose coming through the bars of the stall door. She prodded Brad firmly, looking down over Daisy's back and into his eyes. "Ain't happening, not tonight." He slipped back out of the gate, closing and locking it behind him. "I'm just as tired."
Bella whickered curiously, giving him a gentle push against him as he secured Daisy's stall. "Yeah, I mean it. I know this is interesting, but I do actually need sleep." He grabbed Bella by both her rounded cheeks, ruffling and drawing her closer. "I love you, I do, but we both need a rest. Won't do either of us good to run off now." He released her and stretched with a yawn. "Tomorrow. Right now, I just want a shower and bed."
He pulled the hoodie to hide his face, glancing around cautiously to make sure he wouldn't run into any other humans. With business handled, he led Bella to her stall, which she entered without a command to do so. "See you tomorrow." He closed the gate with a thump of the heavy door behind her and gave her a loving pat. "Behave."
His place was a five minute walk from the ranch, still technically on the ranch. It was a small house for employees, but big enough for him and his room mate. He did have one of those. "Hey Miguel," he called, seeing the lights were on as he came in.
"Hey Brad." Miguel came out from his bedroom with a grin. "¿Todo bien? Something exciting happened on the news. I recorded it for you."
"Really?" Brad was curious. "Thanks, I'll check it out."
"Then you'll tell me all about your date? What was she like?" Miguel's dark eyes sparkled with excitement as he followed Brad into the kitchen.
"What date?" Brad huffed as he pulled out a can of beer to nurse from. "Unless you count watching a horse for a lady a date, I didn't have any dates."
"All you ever do is work." Miguel shook his head ruefully. "If you could see your face when you're around them, you'd know why every girl around wants you." He wagged a finger at Brad.
Brad colored at that. "W-what? Look, you're seeing things. The horses need me more anyway." He waved away the idea, thinking instead of ponies and that magical world. "Do you know what the schedule is tomorrow? I know we're working double on our off days."
"¡Dios mio!" Miguel laughed, looking Brad over with some suspicion. "Why are you suddenly worried about the schedule?"
"We're training a new hand and someone has to be on shift at the same time." Brad hiked a thumb at himself. "And who better than the lead hand? I just want to be ready. I need a shower and some shuteye. Catch you later."
Miguel shrugged and headed back into his room, leaving Brad in peace. Brad hurried to his bathroom, shedding his clothes in a trail along the way. The soft hiss of hot water soothed the aches of the day, and he washed off in his plain soap. "One day I'll get something for my skin. Maybe a horse-scented one." He laughed at that, but enjoyed the fresh smell and the comfort of a simple routine.
Cleansed and tired, Brad headed for sleep with a soft towel wrapped around his waist. "Hopefully I can get to Ponyville again tomorrow. See how Bella gets there." Another rainbow felt most likely, though exactly how that happened was still a bit of a mystery. Musing on that sent Brad to the dreamland for the next day.
When he woke up, he was still in that same world, looking out the window of his home with the sun shining down on him.
"Time for work." He couldn't rush off to other worlds before handling that. He had a stable of horses to look after, and responsibilities. It wasn't just him anymore, though, not when he had that other world. That world that could bring him and Bella joy. But that wasn't his home. He didn't want to be like most other humans he knew, unreliable to a fault. He checked his phone to confirm the shifts for the day. "I guess it's mostly the new hand for today, so I can get over to Ponyville for a bit?"
He rubbed his temples, but he couldn't deny there was excitement for that.
Brad did his best with the new guy. Another human, barely seemed aware of why he was there, and which way of a horse was forward. Bella nudged him. "What?" Bella nudged him again from the front. "I swear, one little rainbow and you're getting ideas."
He looked back to the other hand, who seemed confused by it.
"Probably doesn't understand horse," Brad said under his breath, then louder, "Going to go on a ride. Let me check Daisy first." Daisy was where he'd left her, all well fed and cared for. "Hey there."
Bella nickered, a playful, sing-song sound. She shook her mane back and forth, then turned away. Brad clapped his hands, dusting them clean. "Favor, finished." Satisfied he'd done his professional and personal tasks, he turned to Bella, ready for the wild ride.
But Bella only pawed at the ground with one hoof and looked up at him.
Brad frowned, tilting his head. "You're in no hurry?"
Bella nuzzled gently, then turned away with a little whicker, showing him her saddle and bags. She looked at them, then back at Brad, then repeated it.
"What's in the bags?" Brad wondered out loud, heading towards the saddlebags to open them. A variety of tack sat inside, with a few additions that were strange and new. "Is this magic stuff?"
Bella nickered a single note, softer than normal, as if questioning something.
"Only the ponies are going to tell either of us." Brad swung up, mounting Bella properly. "Why don't we ask them and find out?" Bella perked at the idea, turning for the barn doors and the path out.
"Hey, where you going?" asked the hand that was on duty, leaning against a fence post and smoking a cigarette. "Need some help?"
"Nah." Brad stroked Bella's side as she trotted along with sure steps. "We got this. I'll be back later. You mind the other horses?"
"Sure, yeah. You enjoy yourself."
Bella let out a neigh and galloped at full speed towards the spot they'd appeared last time. It felt good to have the wind in their faces, the green grass flashing by below, and the endless blue sky above. Brad whooped in delight, then yelled, "Yah!" to urge her faster.
The moment she hit a bump, she leapt and the rainbow road appeared below her hooves. They landed smoothly and she raced up along it, following that glittering path from one world to the next. She paused near the top of it, Ponyville ahead down the other end. "Why'd you stop?"
Bella sank to her haunches, almost tossing Brad in the motion. He grabbed her with a yelp, holding tight as she began to slide, moving down the rainbow quickly in a way a horse normally wouldn't dare. She jumped off the very end, landing in front of Sweet Apple Acres. She nickered gently, touching her nose to the rainbow bridge before it vanished into nothing, then turned to look up at Brad.
Brad gasped for air, grabbing his chest and blinking hard. He had made it, even with Bella sliding down the back end instead of galloping. "That was just crazy, girl. Why'd you do that?" But they had made it, he couldn't argue that. "Silly thing." He ruffled her mane and got himself firmly settled atop her. "Should we visit the Apples?"
Bella swung around to look at Brad and nickered at him. "Alright, we're going to meet the Apples. Hope they're happy to see us."
She kicked at the ground with one hoof before shaking her head with a whinny of confirmation.
"Excuse me." A female voice, immediately identifiable as studious. "Excuse me. Ma'am? I would like to ask you a few questions."
Bella perked an ear towards the voice, slowing her motion to turn. There, before them, was a unicorn, purple, smiling nervously. "Good, hello. I'm Twilight Sparkle." She bowed low, spreading wings that were extra odd for a unicorn to have. "A pleasure to meet you. Where'd you come from? Where are you going?" She tapped her quill to paper, as if to take notes.
Bella whickered with concern, leaning away from her a little, but Brad nodded in greeting. "The name's Brad. This is Bella." He scratched gently at one of Bella's favorite spots behind an ear. "We were going to visit the Apples, since you asked."
"I was asking her." Twilight nodded to Bella. "But, thank you all the same. Hello, Brad. May I ask why you're riding her? I let Spike ride me sometimes, but he's still a little child. Are you an immature sample of your species?" She peered at him as if taking scientific notes.
Brad frowned. "Spike?" That was definitely a pony's name. He knew plenty of ponies to recognize that much. "Are you talking about a baby pony?"
"Baby dragon, actually," corrected Twilight with a smile. "I suppose, at this point, adolescent would be a better term. In either event, what was that rainbow? This is the second time I saw it." She glanced between Bella and the spot in the road she had jumped down from. "Was that your doing, ma'am? Bella?"
"We hit a bump." Brad gave Bella's neck a fond stroke. "Bella, uh, found the rainbow, and then we went to where it led, and we met some nice ponies."
Bella nickered, bobbing her head in agreement with that assessment of the events. She approached Twilight with a flick of her tail and soft equine noises.
"I see." And, somehow, Twilight appeared to understand what Bella was communicating. "She says she doesn't mind giving you rides. She likes it, to be clear. She seems to have a great fondness for you, Brad. I suppose it isn't that different from Spike and I, just not a familial connection." She hummed thoughtfully. "About that rainbow, where did it come from? Where did you come from?"
Bella stomped her hoof to the ground with an eager snort. "I think she wants to show you," guessed Brad. "I'm fine with it." He leaned over and patted her back. "Go on."
The sizable horse turned in place to get a straight line down the road. They raced, horse and man working together. She bounced off a ridge, the rainbow bridge appearing under them, but she just turned there to face Twilight, hovering on that new road.
Twilight trotted up with wide eyes. "Fascinating! How does it appear? Is it a projection from somewhere else or an entirely separate plane?" She glanced at Bella. "May I ride along?"
Bella nickered softly in reply. Twilight inclined her head. "I'll try." She reached up and pawed at the rainbow, but it was like the road was just, well, light. She couldn't stand on it. "Curiouser by the moment." She made furious notes with the scratching of her quill. "But it's clearly supporting you, Bella and Brad. What's different about you that makes this possible?"
"Well, I'm human." Brad shrugged. "Bella is a horse."
"Indeed." Twilight's brow furrowed in concentration. "There must be something else at play." She tapped at her cheek. "Something about one of you, or both of you? Bella, if you're up for it, can you make the bridge by yourself?"