Sunny trudged across the street, her smoothie cart rattling over the cobblestones with every slow step.
No rollerskates today.
No exploring or adventuring.
Just keep... today... normal.
She parked the cart in its usual spot. Walked back inside the converted trailer she called a smoothie stand, as usual.
A face appeared at the counter, teal-green eyes peering back at her own. Sunny's attention drifted to the horn atop the pony's head.
A new normal, perhaps, but still normal. Just take the order and be done with it.
Sunny stepped aside to give a better view of the menu options. "May I--"
"Oh!" the unicorn gasped, almost as if she herself hadn't been paying attention. "Uh, just a cup of ice. My horn's still feeling awful after... er, are you alright?"
Sunny kept her eyes clenched shut. She let out a heavy breath. "Yeah. Sorry, had something--" she brought a hoof up and rubbed an eye. "--fruit fly I think. In my eye. Right. Ice. Do you have a name I can call?"
"Misty."
"Alright." Sunny turned her back to the unicorn, stepping towards the ice machine. "Shaved or cubes? No charge for either."
She looked over her shoulder. Misty was gone.
"Misty?"
No response.
"Misty?" Sunny repeated, leaning over the counter.
The unicorn was nowhere to be seen. A snort escaped her as she placed the paper cup back on the stack beside her. What was that all about?
She pushed away the thought. Another customer was waiting. Her canned greeting was cut short once again, however, this time by the glint of... something sitting on the far edge of the counter.
Sunny cleared her throat. "So sorry--do you mind pushing the thing on the corner in a little? I don't want it to fall and break."
The lanky colt before her peered at the object in question, lifting a hoof and nudging it toward the napkin dispenser. Speaking of which, she still had to refill it. Again.
"Thanks. Now, what can I get you?"
"I'll have the strawberry special. Medium cup."
Sunny nodded. She could hear a few bits landing on the counter as she prepared the order. Her thoughts drifted back to the gold-colored... puck thing sitting on the corner. Was that a ribbon tied around it? Maybe Misty was bringing it for a friend, and got called away for something and left it behind. Or maybe--
The cold ooze of condensed milk dripping onto her hoof tore her from her thoughts. She set the nearly-empty can down and began adding strawberries to the pitcher.
"Sunny!"
Sunny shot up. That was Misty's voice.
"You're--Sunny, right?" Misty skid to a stop beside the colt waiting for his strawberry smoothie, panting. "My..." she wheezed, letting out a cough while bracing herself against the siding of the trailer. "My mom said she wanted to meet you!" She leaned to the side, waving frantically at wherever it was that her mother was standing.
Sunny raised a brow. This was decidedly less usual. "Oookay. Let me finish making this smoothie first. You still want the cup of ice?"
Misty paused for a moment before nodding vigorously.
"'Right. I'll grab that for you real quick first then. Are cubes fine?"
More nodding.
"Here you go then," she placed the cup in front of Misty. There was some kind of commotion behind the trailer by the sounds of it. Was Misty's mom a celebrity or something? She began blending the smoothie for the still-waiting colt. Figures the day she finally drags herself outside would be the day something strange happens again.
She turned around again, strawberry smoothie in hoof. Though, oddly, the colt didn't seem focused on her anymore--he was focused on the mare standing beside him. Sunny's own eyes shifted, catching glimpse of the tucked wings at the newcomer's side. Her gaze drifted up.
"Sunny," the Alicorn before her smiled.