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// Muune's Outing 
// Story: A Silent Muune Day 
// by Lotus Moon 
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"It's warm today." That was the first thought to come to mind when opening my eyes in my sea grotto home. The way it was set up let the natural light from the surface shine in as I wasn't too deep in the ocean like other sea ponies - hippogriffs who either decided to stay in the ocean after the Storm King's defeat or come and go as they please. When I first came to live in the ocean among them, I was - literally - a fish out of water while adjusting. Adjusting from hind legs to fins was new but felt natural too. It was equally natural to go from fins back to hooves on the rare times I do go on land. A day like today.

I leave the comfort of my soft bed and start with a small swim around my room. There isn't much here but it is enough to give me comfort. A few decorations here and there, a mirror, a simple vanity desk, and other odds and ends. I even have a small place where I can keep my food. Either things I eat from the ocean or I go to the Ethereal Realm that I share with the others. Slightly changing my dietary needs wasn't hard to adjust to. The other Sea Ponies were quite helpful in the matter. And they don't mind my quiet nature. I don't have trouble communicating, I simply am curious and prefer to absorb the information around me by listening. I have even been told that my expressions - or sometimes lack thereof - would convey what I might say in the current situation. And others say just having me there to listen is a comfort as well. I don't mind either way.

Anyway, today is a day for me to venture out of the ocean for a bit. It's been about three months since the last time. Lighting my horn, I open my designated doorway to my room in the Ethereal Realm and swim through. It's connected to a pool of ocean water I have before, using the Pearl fragment given to me by Queen Novo, I change my fins back to hooves and step out. I stretch my hind legs a bit and walk around. A simple light exercise ritual to make sure I'm steady. "Well I'm not wobbly or tingly. That's good." I mentally declare. I make my way to the shower and take my time there, making sure to clean the ocean off of me and out of my mane and tail. The ocean isn't filthy by any means. I simply do not wish for commentary from Canterlot ponies on how I smell of the sea as if it is a dirty thing. Once I'm satisfied with my shower, I dry off, groom myself and grab my saddlebag in my aura. I look myself over before heading out.

Using our general exit this time, I make my way onto the streets of Canterlot. Elegantly bustling as usual. Ponies out to shop or socialize and gossip about anything that catches their ear. Something about another pony here, something about a celebrity there, hearsay about a new trend, something or other about the Princesses, etc. And then came the whispers about me. Nothing malicious. Just whispered questioning as to who I am, how charming I look, how gracefully I carry myself, things about how silky my mane looks, etc. The normal whispers I've come to hear. Mostly from stallions mixed with the occasional mare (shocker, right?) as I make my way to my favorite cafe. The Rich Blossom Cafe served a lovely blend of tea made from Honeycrisp apples that is a pair perfectly with their strawberry tarts. One of the few pleasures I would frequent Canterlot for.

As soon as I arrive, I am seated by a unicorn stallion named Night Rune. He was quite shy around me and didn't know how to address me at first. But over time, he learned to read me as if we knew each other forever. He sat me at my usual patio table and smiled.

"It's good to see you again. You'd like the usual, I assume?"

To this, I nod.

"I'll have it ready right away." And with that, he walked away. I pulled a book from my saddlebag and began to read. The natural light gave my spot the perfect atmosphere and warmed me comfortably. I intended to soak up the sun as much as I could before venturing back into the sea. Enjoying my copy of Fade Into The Sea by Sable Faena, Night Rune returned with my usual order - the aforementioned Honeycrisp Apple Tea and Strawberry Tart. But this time, I noticed there was a small fruit salad added. 

"I thought you could use a little extra treat since it's so rare to see you. It's topped with a fresh gloss of honey from a new supplier. I believe their name is Honeypot. I've tried it myself and it's the best honey ever." With this, he leaves me to reading. I kept reading in silence, feeling small stares from other patrons who walked past my table, until I got to a good stopping point. I set the book down and began to take a sip of the tea, enjoying the harmonious mingling taste of Honeycrisp apples with one sugar cube as it runs down my throat, before going to take a bite of the strawberry tart. The calming taste of the treats was as wonderful as the cool breeze that was blowing on the patio. I finished the tea and the tart around the same time when I remembered the fruit salad. "Oh...I guess since this isn't in my normal routine, I forgot to try it." The sudden sound of my voice startled and awed some of the nearby cafe patrons. Even Night Rune seemed a bit flustered when he approached me; it had been a while since he had last heard my voice.

"I just came to check on you. I wanted your thoughts on the fruit." He looked at the table. "Oh, it seems you ran out of tea before you could try it. I'll get you some more." He leaves and comes back in a moment with more tea. I believe it was a pre-made pot just for me. "Here you go. Please enjoy."

I, as usual, takes a sip of the tea before looking at the fruit salad. A shimmering bowl of strawberries, slices of peaches and mango, grapes, and kiwi. The honey did have an appealing scent to it. Tentatively taking a fork in my aura, I use it to retrieve a grape and ate it. Like a shock had hit my brain, I suddenly froze and my eyes widened in absolute surprise. The way the honey melted across my tongue and the subtle sweetness from the grape...it was a new experience of flavors. And I sat just like that, the fork still in my mouth. It wasn't until Night Rune came back to check on me and tapped my shoulder that I returned to my senses. "Miss? Are you ok?"

"...yes. I was simply...stunned." I give him a gentle smile to assure him and continued eating. The fruit salad accompanied by the tea was divine.

Once I was done with everything, I took my book and saddlebag and paid my bill. Night Rune told me that the fruit salad was a new menu item and currently a seasonal one to see how customers received it. With a simple expression, he knew I had given it my personal stamp of approval. Before leaving, I wrote down where a jar of honey could possibly be delivered to. And with that, I took my leave. Instead of going home, I walk to a glade where I could continue to read peacefully got a while. With the taste of the honey still lingering in my mouth, I smiled. "Perhaps I will return more often...just for this season."