Sunny sighed, staring up at the ceiling as she laid in bed. “Hiiiiiiiiitch…” Sunny groaned, looking from the ceiling to the jail bars that kept her contained. Sunny was at the Sheriff’s office, doing time for another one of her activism speeches which ended… violently. Hitch was sitting in his chair, filing some papers and the like, whereas Sprout was out at the moment. Hitch’s ear flicked as he looked over at Sunny. Sunny locked eyed with him for a moment before climbing out of the prison bed and trotting over to the bars, now giving the sheriff an exasperated look. “Listen Hitch, you know me! Let’s put everything behind us ey? Look, promise, if you let me out now I won’t go and start another fight with Muddy Puddles.” Sunny sighed.
“Sunny, let’s be real, I’ve given you plenty of chances already. You know that nobody in Maretime Bay likes hearing your speeches or joining your cause. If that was it, you wouldn’t be here but you got into a fight with Muddy Puddles over it, I had to lock you up!” Hitch sighed, walking over towards the jail bars.
“He said sooooo many mean things about me! I wasn’t just going to-”
“Stop. Sunny look, we talked about this. No getting violent. Besides, Muddy Puddles is still just a teenager!” Sunny opened her mouth to speak back but stopped, before sighing, realizing it probably wasn’t the best idea to fight some teenager as an adult.
“Ugh…” Sunny pouted, looking away as she leaned back against the jail bars. Hitch saw this and grumbled to himself, sitting down next to Sunny on the other side of the bars. Sunny looked over at him, before then looking down. “Look, I’m sorry alright..?”
Hitch sighed, rolling his eyes, “I wish sorry could cut it, but it isn’t enough. You’ve gotta do your time just like every other troublemaker in Maretime Bay.” Hitch groaned. “But…”
“But?”
“How about after my shift we hangout at my place..? Just… order a pizza and relax..?"
Sunny looked over at Hitch a bit curiously, “you mean it? Just us?”
“Well, if it gets you to behave. Besides, I know you’re kinda lonely with… y’know…” Hitch sighed, referring to the passing of Sunny’s father, Argyle. Sunny paused, biting her lip for a moment as she turned away. She was fighting back tears at the thought of it. It happened not too long ago, in fact, only about a month or two, the memory still stung fresh in her mind about it as well.
“He said… something about Dad. I couldn’t just let him get away with that…”
Hitch flinched, looking over at Sunny in shock. “Is that what this is about..?” Hitch asked curiously, looking over at Sunny. Sunny responded with a solemn nod, still fighting back tears. Hitch sighed, now everything was adding up. Sunny was a passive pony by heart, she wouldn’t hurt a fly. Even after trying to convince others to join her cause and convince others that Unicorn and Pegasi were good she hadn’t fought anyone about it, not until today. Hitch looked over at the clock. They had a good thirty minutes before Hitch’s shift ended and he could go home. He slowly got up and walked over to his chair. He sat down and went back to filing the papers in silence.
Sunny remained silent, staring down at the ground as she continued to fight back tears. She was strong, she promised herself she wouldn’t cry again, yet it was getting harder and harder. This situation… it reminded her of the night after her father’s passing.
Hitch slowly walked up to the Lighthouse, carrying some take-out with him. Argyle had passed the same morning. Hitch kept calling Sunny, but she didn’t pick up any of his calls. He was growing increasingly worried about the poor mare. She didn’t have anypony else, and well, she was already a big enough outcast as it stood. He was all she had left. Hitch made it up to the doorstep, knocking on the door. There was no response. Hitch grumbled lightly, knocking once more. Once again there wasn’t a response. Hitch was beginning to think she just might not be around, however he put his ear to the door. He could hear… something… It wasn’t clear just what it was though, just that it sounded like it was coming from higher up. Hitch knocked one final time, no response. “Ugh… Sorry Sunny.” Hitch opened the door using the knob, looks like she left it unlocked. When he got inside the sound was much clearer. Still, the stallion had no clue what it was. He looked around before making his way towards the stairs, on route to Sunny’s room.
Once up the stairs the sound got ever more clear. It was getting louder, and it sounded like… crying. Hitch frowned, walking over to Sunny’s room, knocking on her door. There was no response, and the sound from earlier had ceased. “Sunny… It’s me… Hitch?” Hitch called to Sunny on the other end of the door. He attempted to open the door, however this door was locked. Hitch had no choice but to stay outside, however he was growing ever worried about Sunny on the other end of the door. “Sunny, please open the door… I-I brought some food from your favorite restaurant downtown!” Hitch called again, trying to convince her to come out. Still, no response. Hitch sat down, laying against the door. “Sunny… Please open the door… I’m getting worried…” Hitch pleaded with the earth pony. For a couple of seconds, nothing but silence. However then Hitch heard soft hooves against the wooden floor of her room. After a couple more seconds, a clicking sound was heard against the door. She unlocked it. The sound of hooves against wood would fade away with Sunny walking back. Hitch gulped, standing up and nodding, slowly opening the door.
The room was like how it always had been. He had been in here more times than he could remember as a kid, and even came over some times recently to hang out. Sunny was nowhere to be seen, but there was a suspiciously large lump in Sunny’s bed covered by bed sheets. Hitch sighed, “Sunny…” He put down the carryout and walked over to the bed. He didn’t touch or attempt to pull off the sheets, knowing Sunny was underneath them.
Hitch took a seat on the edge of her bed. “Hey Sunny… How’s things holding up…”
“...”
“You haven’t returned any of my calls, I was starting to get a bit worried y’know, you practically pick up my calls all the time after all.” Hitch chuckled softly, looking up at Sunny’s vanity, photos of her and Argyle lining the frame.
“... I’m sorry…” The lump of bed sheets responded. Hitch smiled, finally hearing Sunny’s voice for the first time since he arrived. He breathed a sigh of relief.
Hitch inched closer to the bed sheets, “y’know… If you want… you can stay with me at my place for a couple of days. I could use some company at my house.”
The lump would move a bit, squirming around before Sunny responded once more. “Are… Are you sure..?”
“Of course I’m sure… Except I can’t take a bunch of bed sheets to my house. This offer is only open to Sunny Starscout, not her blankets~” Hitch responded teasingly. The bed sheets moved around a bit more. “And… you can stay there for as long as you need, if that’s days… weeks… months, I’ll stay by your side until you’re better again, OK..?”
“I…” The bed sheets began shifting again, before they began to rise. Slowly, a hoof came out from beneath the sheets, slowly pulling them up, and off of Sunny’s face, finally showing herself off to Hitch. Her face was stained in tears, Her eyes welled up with more tears, if she kept going like this she was going to dehydrate herself. “Do you mean it?”
Hitch gave her his warmest smile, holding out his hooves as he looked her right in the eyes. “Of course I do. I’ll be here for you always. Cause that’s what friends are for.” Hitch responded confidently.
Sunny’s eyes welled up even more as she sniffed. It only took a couple of seconds before the waterworks came. Sunny soon began crying, rushing into Hitch’s arms and burying her face in his chest as she cried. She almost knocked Hitch off of the bed in the process, but the stallion held himself on the bed as she let her tears flow. “Waaaaaaaaa!” Sunny wailed, crying loudly into Hitch’s chest, surely getting Hitch doused in tears in the process. Hitch sighed, his own eyes welling up a bit too. He wrapped his hooves around Sunny, hugging her closely and rubbing her back as she cried. He didn’t move a muscle, not until she was ready to go.
They didn’t move for minutes, not until Sunny had run out of tears to cry. Once she was done, Hitch held her hoof, taking the mare back to his house. No more words were said on the walk to Hitch’s house. Sunny kept her head down, but in contrast Hitch kept his held high.
That was almost two months ago…
The large clock just above the large double doors struck 8. It was time to go home. Hitch got up from his chair, conveniently finishing all of his files at the same time, showing just how organized he was. Hitch walked over to the cell, taking the key and unlocking the door. “Hey Sunny, ready to go home?”
Sunny still had her head down. She hadn’t realized it was already time to go, but hearing Hitch’s voice snapped her out of her daze. “Huh..? Oh, uh, yeah.” Sunny got up, walking over to the bars. Hitch closed them off as Sunny exited, placed the keys away and walked out of the office with Sunny following behind. When they got outside, they were able to watch the sun mostly past the ocean horizon, it looks like they missed the best part of the sunset this time. It was going to get dark soon. Hitch began to head back in the direction of his house, Sunny stayed in place however. She stared at the setting sun for a while longer before looking over to Hitch, and then back to the Lighthouse. She mulled over her options for a second.
“Hey Hitch…” Sunny called to the stallion. Hitch paused, looking back at Sunny curiously. Sunny looked down. “You weren’t joking when you said I could… come over for the night, right..?”
Hitch flinched, pausing again before smirking, “I’d never joke about something like that. The offer is still open y’know~” Hitch smirked. “Oop, but it’s closing in five… four… three…”
Sunny jumped, quickly running over, “I’m coming I’m coming!” Hitch snickered, stopping his countdown and waiting for Sunny to reach his side before nodding as they walked back home together. Sunny stayed silent for most of the walk back to Hitch's house, not that Hitch mind all too much though. Sunny however pressed up against Hitch's side, leaning against him as he led her off. Hitch looked back at Sunny for a moment but his warm smile never faltered. He took her back home, where she'd spend the night with him.