"So how's that alicorn getting along, Sunny?" Cinnamon asked as Sunny was packing up and getting ready to leave for the day.
"I'm sure she's still acclimating. She's been asleep for a very long time," Sunny replied as she shut the door to the back office, coming back out into the Guardians of Harmony wing of the Maretime Bay Museum of History. "Pipp's been a big help in getting her up to speed as best as she can; got her a phone, and I think they went to Mane Melody for a makeover this morning."
"I just hope the town doesn't swarm her. We haven't seen an alicorn in... I don't even know when."
"Well, aside from some stunned looks, everypony has been pretty respectful so far. Here's hoping it stays that way. Well, I'm out of here for tonight. Thanks for getting me coverage so quickly, Cinnamon," Sunny thanked her colleague.
"More like just getting your coverage back. You were slated to be up in the arctic north for 2-3 weeks. All of you came back super early, so it's not as a big of a hassle as you might think. I won't keep you any longer. Have a good night, Sunny, and I'll see you tomorrow."
With that, Cinnamon went back to closing up the rest of the museum while Sunny went out to the admissions area and exited through the front door into Maretime Bay's evening air. Instead of going right home, she made a right, towards the northwest area of town, where Hitch lived. These past few days had been beyond hectic, and she wanted to do some catching up with her oldest friend, and find out more about this egg that he had found while she was in Zephyr Heights with Flurry.
The shadows cast by the buildings of downtown Maretime Bay were growing longer by the minute as the sun neared the horizon. She passed Hitch's house on the way towards the police station, and there were no lights on, so she figured he must still be at work. She increased her pace to a quick trot, and was at the doors of the station before the sun touched the western horizon.
She knocked a couple times before pushing the doors open, and stepped inside. The mare took a quick glance around, and saw Hitch over at Sprout's desk, looking like he was organizing and cleaning it out.
"Evening, Hitch. Just wanted to come by and see how you're managing, I know these past few days have been pretty hectic."
"Hey there, Sunny. Yeah, that's a bit of an understatement," Hitch replied, as he put another few items into a box marked 'Sprout'.
"So... I'm guessing Sprout told you that he wants to stay at CanterLogic?" Sunny asked when she grasped what the sheriff was doing.
Hitch nodded.
"Yeah, he did, while we were exploring up north. I'm not mad, or disappointed; he had several good points. He's been doing amazing work at CanterLogic, he's happier over there, and having him staying on as deputy after what happened doesn't make the most sense, honestly. I told him that I wanted him as a friend before I wanted him as a co-worker, so this is my way of accepting that, as well as making way for whomever wants to come in and fill the position. Might as well give them a clean workspace."
Sunny smiled at him.
"So the others told me you found an egg on the beach?" Sunny asked.
"Word travels fast, I see. Yeah, come and look," Hitch answered, stepping away from the deputy's desk, crossing the room to where his desk was, in front of a supply cabinet. As Sunny followed him, stepping around his desk, he saw that he had set up a sleeping bag and pillow.
"Are you sleeping here?" Sunny asked.
"Well I can't exactly leave this egg alone at night, and I don't want to risk moving it to and from my house every day, so yeah, temporarily staying here at night," Hitch answered. With that, he stepped around his sleeping bag, and opened the cabinet, revealing the large pink egg. What looked like speckles near the top turned into a solid darker coating on the bottom.
"I've... Never seen an egg like that before," Sunny commented, noting how Hitch had carefully set the egg atop a small pillow, and was keeping it incubated via a desk lamp.
"Yeah, me neither, but it didn't seem safe keeping it there on the beach. I have to guess it washed up into the sands with the tide."
"Do you have any idea what it could be?" The mare asked.
"None. I have to wait for it to hatch," Hitch told her.
"Well, I hope you know what you're doing. It could be anything in there, and it'll probably need care immediately. Here's to it not being anything too, well, you know, predatory," Sunny said.
"My thoughts exactly," Hitch agreed.
"Well, you seem to be doing everything you possibly can for now, so I'll get out of your mane. I'm getting pretty hungry, and I'd like to see how Flurry is settling in. Best of luck with your egg, and let us know the moment anything happens," Sunny told him.
Hitch gave her a curt nod.
"Will do, Sunny. Even if it's in the middle of the night."