Of Hooves and History

An Interstellar Departure

The walk to Bridlewood took me two days, which allowed for ample self-reflection on the great adventures I had with my pony friends. Sunny and Queen Haven were hospitable and wisely skeptical of the unknown, whereas Izzy was very open-ended and joyful, always wanting the best and extracting the wonder from anyplace. Zipp was more intelligent than one would presume, and daringly athletic all the while. Pipp seemed well-rounded for someone with online fame, even in such an early stage in her young life. Sprout gave off such unstable and cracked vibes, I felt guilty leaving him behind, even with the full trust I held in Queen Haven and her guards. I prayed he could recover and reconcile with Sunny – and his mother, too.

There were important ponies for me to reunite with as well – Branchie, Botania, and Alphabittle. A promise made is a promise kept, and I vowed to meet them again. So even with the evening light fading, I pressed on down the trail towards the line of tall leafy trees on the horizon. The birds chirped and flew high above me, and I even spotted a pegasus in the far distance.

"How interesting, no deer or other pony-sized animals," I wondered, climbing over some fallen branches and soon finding the trail leading to the forest town.

"Good evening, everyone!" I called out softly, entering the town's main street. I located the Tea House and stepped inside. Alphabittle was sitting behind the counter, chatting with a purple-maned unicorn. I set the paramotor aside and sat next to them.

"Aiden! Boy am I glad to see you!" Alphabittle exclaimed, and we embraced in a soft but snug bear hug. He did feel like a grandfather with his stubbly gray beard and chubby, muscular physique.

"Well, hasn't the Tea House's newest visitor had quite the adventure in the clouds?" came a cheeky old lady's voice. I turned to see Botania walking over towards me from the same little corner table where I had first met her. And then to my surprise, I caught the eye of a unicorn with a bandage on his horn. He immediately bounded over with a thrilled smile on his face.

"Zephyr Heights was a lot of fun, but I'm glad to be back for tonight," I said, giving their forehooves a warm shake and a little ear scratch for Branchie. "The research is complete, and my time has come."

"For? Oh... Oh."

Alphabittle's words vaporized as he realized what I was hinting at. Branchie's eyes welled up slightly and he gripped my hand.

"I know. We've known each other for such a short time. I can't ever be sure if I'll ever come back, but I know the impact of my journey and experiences within it will live on in your hearts for all of time."

"Especially as a good-hearted soul who seeks truth and radiates love and forgiveness," Botania added, along with a hug of her own.

I drank some rooibos tea with freshly ground sugarcane and played a quick DDR game with Alphabittle. Botania let me stay at her house, where I lay on a couch and crashed out in less than a quarter of an hour.

I ate a warm breakfast at the Tea House and Alphabittle re-emerged from his storage closet with my box.

"Still good as it's always been," I commented proudly, opening it up and brushing off the dust and cobwebs with an old rag. Back outside, I pulled the box with one hand and pushed the paramotor with the other. As I started heading down through the woods, I heard a shout behind me, and whipped around. It was Ron Roper – and almost the whole town!

"You might need this," he said kindly, handing me long lengths of thick fiber and grass rope. "Take care."

"Goodbye, Aiden!" Alphabittle waved.

"Have a safe journey!" Branchie added.

"You will be missed," Botania chimed in.

I blew them a little kiss and a soft, solemn wave, then strode off into the bush, heading towards the coastline. There were a few orange-colored paint stripes on the trees for guidance – no doubt marked by the townsfolk for me. At the clifftop, I unraveled the coil of rope and prepared for the descent, disassembling the paramotor's cage and sealing the parts back in their box, before peering over the edge.