Sunny hummed to herself and danced her way into the tide pool cave. Today was a nice bright morning. She wasn’t going to let Phyllis get her down so easily, especially with her favorite part of the day right around the corner.
“Hi Sandbar!” she called out cheerfully before setting down her saddlebag. She’d brought a few books, just in case. She wasn’t sure what she should—or even just could—tell her bestie in the pastie, but it never hurt to be prepared just in case. “How was your day?”
It’s nice we finally have a better idea what’s going on… I hope Sandbar takes the news okay.
Sunny waited a little.
She waited a little longer.
“... Um…”
Sunny giggled.
“This must look really weird to you when you’re watching this. I was expecting today’s —yesterday’s?—you to come in any minute now. You know what I mean, right? Well, I guess while I’m waiting… I had some time to think, and I wanted to ask, what’s it like, living with pegasi and unicorns ar-”
Sandbar’s cheerful voice piped up out of the water as the image of the young stallion trotted in, lugging what looked like some fairly sizeable saddlebags. “Hey Sunny! Good morning! I brought some camping gear to spend the night!”
“Oh! There you are! Wow, good mood, too! But yeah, what is it like with unicorns and pegasi around? Maretide Bay is out of the way, so it’s basically just us Earth Ponies around here.”
She wasn’t ready to tell him yet about the Great Upheaval. It was way after his time; she couldn’t do that to him. Right now, it was much too early to matter for him and much too late to matter for her. Until she finally got the chance to undo it by befriending unicorns and pegasi, of course.
Sandbar chuckled. “You should see how you looked this time yesterday. You’re listening so intensely, it’s kinda cute.”
Sunny blushed. “Yeah? Well, what mare wouldn’t be at rapt attention when such a handsome stallion is reading to her about an old mystery!”
“You just asked what year it is here. Didn’t I answer that yesterday? Oh, right. I must have said it after you asked. Yep, 1003 Celestial, though it might be Sisters 3 by your time.”
Sunny nodded. Yep, like he’d said yesterday. If he was answering that, though, that meant…
Oh, please take it well, please take it well…
She watched with bated breath as Sandbar’s expression slowly went from curiosity to confusion to bafflement. “H-h-how many years? Six hundred!?”
His eyes lit up like the sun at a beach party. “That’s amazing! I bet you have all kinds of cool technology! I can’t even imagine! It's got to be like those Star Trot comics all over!”
Sandbar held his hoof to his ear like he was using a tiny phone. “Beam me up, Shetland!”
Huh! Dad’s favorite space show goes way back.
Sunny couldn’t help but giggle at his excitement. “About the technology, we have nothing as crazy as Star Trot yet, I think, but we do have some cool things. I’ll bring some to show you tomorrow, but for now, I bet you’ll love the Walkmare I have in my bag…”
“But yeah…” The recorded image of Sandbar interrupted, turning a little somber. “That really is a big difference, though… I guess this kind of exchange is all we’re getting together, huh?”
Both of them fell silent, and the ocean outside the cave sighed in their place.
“I… guess so, yeah. About exchanges like this being the best we’re likely to get.” Sunny nodded. “I’m still happy to see you every day like this, though! I don’t know if there’s ever going to be more to it than this, but I want to continue meeting up, even if this is all there ever is.”
“Sorry,” Sandbar said, shaking off his glumness. “I bet that kind of soured the mood, there.” He filed. It looked a little forced, but Sunny appreciated the effort regardless. “And sure, I’d love to read to you some more. I think I have just the thing right here.
While he rummaged through the bag he’d brought for a certain book, Sunny took a deep breath to herself, and pushed the somber thoughts aside for now.
There’ll be time for worrying later.
Sunny sat down and got comfortable while Sandbar opened his book. That one looked well-worn and lacked a title on the cover. “Yes! Thanks, Sandbar! Tomorrow, I’ll tell you about stuff in my time. Anything you’d like to know?”
“This is probably the most famous story of my time,” he said. “There’s a bunch of titles for it, but I’ll just go ahead and let you find out.”
Sandbar cleared his throat and began to read without hesitation. There was no fumbling of words this time; it was like he’d heard this story a million times before.
Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there were two regal sisters who ruled together and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the eldest used her unicorn powers to raise the sun at dawn; the younger brought out the moon to begin the night. Thus, the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and…
There was no way Sunny could worry in a situation like this. The greatest history lesson she could ever imagine, delivered by a handsome colt from hundreds of years ago. At that moment, she couldn’t have imagined it any better, barring the ability to reach out and lean against his shoulder.
“...and harmony has been maintained in Equestria for generations since.“ Sandbar concluded sometime later, rousing Sunny out of her trance. “Of course, since that was written,” he said, closing the book, “Princess Luna—the alicorn of the night—came back from the moon and was redeemed by some pony heroes. I think that new alicorn, Twilight Sparkle, was one of them?”
Sunny nodded. “That’s so cool! I wonder…” Wait, I can’t tell him there are no princesses here, can I? “I wonder how they managed to make her feel better.” Maybe it can help us make peace with the other tribes.
When she turned her focus back to him, Sandbar was looking through the pool with a bit of a dopey smile. “Sunny, I hope you don’t mind, but the Sunny I’m seeing here went for a nap after I had to leave yesterday, and right now, I want nothing more than to roll out my camping gear and have a little sleepover with you. Has anyone ever told you your snoring is very cute?”
To describe Sunny as blushing would be an understatement, though she couldn’t blame him. After he’d lulled her off to sleep last night, she couldn’t possibly begrudge him that.
Much as she would have loved to stay and nap with him, her day was just starting out, and she had to get going.
Good night, Sandbar. I’ll see you tomorrow.
Sunny still had some time to kill before she had to get going on her deliveries, so she rifled around her saddlebags for something to do. She snuck a glance at the young stallion who, true to his word, had rolled out a makeshift camp bed and was settling down for the night.
When she turned back to her bag, Sunny’s attention zeroed in on her notebook and pencils.
Perhaps she’d draw an earth pony, for a change. Who could pass on such a model?
Sunny sketched away for a time, with the gentle roar of the ocean and Sandbar’s relaxed breathing bringing her peace. As she finished up a strand of the sketch’s wild mane, her ears flicked at a gentle mumble from the sleeping colt.
“Mmh… Sunny… Yessss…”
Eyes wide in shock, she slowly lifted her head from the page to look at him.
Laid on his back with his legs sprawled out every which way, Sandbar was well and clearly asleep.
Most of him was, at least.
An intimate part of Sandbar was very, very awake.
Oh.
Oh my.
Sunny blushed copiously, but that didn’t stop a lascivious little smirk from slowly tracing itself onto her face. “Did I do that to you, you naughty colt?”
She caught herself staring. Studying. Sketching.
That wasn’t a very nice thing to do to him, Sunny reasoned. Maybe she’d make amends by giving him a little show of her own.
If she was lucky, he’d reciprocate the next day.