Bucky's New Year

by Yosh-E-O

Chapter 9 - Jam-Jamming with Candy Cloud

*** 9 ***

Fall bolted towards where Bucky and Pint were still playing ‘Field Goal Kicker’ and hid herself as much as she could against Bucky’s side.

“Whoa!” cried the yellow Pegasus. “What’s wrong?”

Fall kept trying to press herself more-and-more into Bucky’s barrel. She wanted to be out-of-sight from Candy Cloud’s father, but she didn’t know how to say that to her friends who had long protected her from the sort of questions that he was asking.

Bucky took the hint that Fall was distressed and quickly lowered his wing to cover what he could of her while Pint positioned himself to provide additional coverage.

“What’s wrong, Fall?” the little Pinto Unicorn asked with panic.

“Candy’s…, dad…,” she shivered.

“What about him?” pursued Pint.

“FALL!” called Candy Cloud as she galloped into the living room. “Where are you?”

“Wait!” cried Candy’s father. “I didn’t mean to-”

“-Mean to do what?” growled Candy’s mom, Strawberry Cloud as she walked into the living room.

Moon Cloud felt himself break into a sweat as his wife glared at him.

“I, uh…,” he stammered.

“He hurt my best friend’s feelings!” whined Candy. “And now I can’t find her!”

“What did you do?” scowled Strawberry.

“I…,” he said.

“Never mind,” grumbled the deep-red colored Pegasus. “I ‘know’ what you did and I thought you heard us telling you to leave her alone.”

“…,” Moon Cloud could not think of anything to say.

“Candy,” said her mother while gesturing for her daughter to come closer. “Your father has something to say.”

Candy had such a look of sadness in her eyes as she looked up towards her father.

“Sweetie,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

Candy shook her head.

“You need to tell that to Fall!” she yelled.

***

“I think you should come out,” said Pint. “I know it would mean a lot for Candy to see you and have her father apologize for what he did.”

Ever-so-slowly, Fall nervously made her way out from her hiding place between Bucky and Pint. She could see all eyes were upon her. However, of all of them, none appeared more happy than Candy who had truly worried she had lost her best friend.

“It’s okay, sweetie,” assured Candy’s mom. “My husband has something to say.”

The little, brown Pegasus shivered and shook as she grew closer to the dark-grey, Pegasus stallion. Her mind going through a number of horrific possibilities that she had become accustomed to at the orphanage. Most of which all ended with her being immediately sent back to that awful place after being told what a terrible foal she was.

“Fall,” he said with a sigh. “I’m sorry.”

“…,” Fall froze upon hearing what sounded like an apology from the stallion.

“I…,” he continued. “I had no right asking you those questions.”

Fall watched as Moon Cloud laid himself down on the floor and faced her.

“Can you forgive me?” he asked with sincerity.

“For, give?” wondered Fall. He wasn’t going to yell at her, punish her, and expose her secret?

“You mean a lot to my daughter,” he stated. “You’re her best friend and I have no right to hurt your feelings like I did.”

Moon Cloud slowly extended his hoof out towards Fall.

“Friends?” he asked.

“Uh…,” she replied while slowly moving her tiny hoof to touch Moon Cloud’s.

“Yay!” cheered Candy. “Everything is all better!”

***

Everything returned to normal in the living room after Strawberry Cloud got her husband to join her and some of the other grown-ups in the kitchen.

“Oh, my,” yawned Candy Cloud. “I’m getting sleepy.”

“Well,” stated Bucky. “It is 11:30.”

Candy and Fall looked to see how some of the other fillies and colts were beginning to give into their body’s need for rest. As they did, mothers and fathers came out, helped their foals into their pajamas, kissed them good night, hugged them, said ‘I love you’, and did a whole bunch of very kind things while helping their children to get comfortable within the sleeping bags, cushions, and beanbags they had brought, or had gotten from Bucky’s parents, to sleep on.

“You’re going to love my jam-jams,” grinned Candy as she walked towards the kitchen and asked for her mom.

“Want to put your pajamas on?” asked Pint.

“You’re not going to fall asleep on me,” panicked Bucky. “Are you?”

“Of course not,” assured Pint. “Being awake for when Princess Luna welcomes in the New Year for your birthday is something I look forward to all year.”

“Me, too,” yawned Bucky. “There’s nothing like having no bedtime.”

Candy’s mom emerged from the kitchen with a bag in her mouth. She then went about getting out a pair of baby-blue colored hoofie pajamas.

“See!” Candy announced proudly with a grin. “They match our headbands and pig tails!”

Fall grinned. Never had she known any ponies, aside for Bucky and Pint, who had taken such a liking to her. Candy never judged her, asked her scary questions, nor cared about her broken wings. Candy, like her other friends, just liked her for being herself.

“Ooh!” beamed Bucky. “Fall has a surprise for you, too!”

Pint brought out Fall’s bag and laid it in front of the little, brown Pegasus.

“Go for it!” he cheered. “This is going to be awesome!”

Fall pulled out the baby-blue colored, hoofie pajamas that her friends had bought for her.

“Oh, wow!” whinnied Candy. “You have the same jam-jams!”

***

Fall was not used to pajamas, so Pint and Bucky helped her into them. They were so comfortable and warm. It felt like her body was covered in a cloud, if her understanding of clouds was correct.

“Yay!” cheered Candy as she nuzzled against Fall. “Do you want to sleep with me?”

“There’s definitely room in the sleeping bag for two,” assured Candy’s mom.

Fall looked towards Pint and Bucky.

“Can Bucky and Pint sleep with us, too?” she asked.

“You bet!” glowed Pint. “I have a super cozy cushion to rest on that would go great beside your shared, sleeping bag.”

“And I have my Backyard Brawlers sleeping bag,” added Bucky. “So, we can all sleep together.

Fall smiled upon feeling so comforted and close to her friends. All the fright she had from her encounter with Moon Cloud had completely been replaced with how she couldn’t wait to see what Princess Luna and New Year’s was all about.