"So yeah, that's why I'm not allowed to use magic."
Sunny slowly glanced above the filly at the floating box of markers. "And yet, the box levitates."
The filly sighed. "Yeah. It's just been three times where I've not been allowed to use magic now and at this point, I don't really care enough."
"I can understand your frustrations."
Aqua briefly glanced at Sunny. "Thanks... Well, when it does the popping thing, probably at least decently okay... Okay no it's probably not, but it feels good when it pops. I know drugs make you feel good but aren't actually good, but this is more natural... I hope."
Sunny's eyebrows furrowed. "You say your horn popped?"
"Yeah, it did this funny thing where if was using too much magic, it became painful. But if I did it more while it was painful, it made something like a cracking sound the first time, though it didn't do it the second. Anyway, it popped and the pressure relented." She shrugged, "Felt pretty much completely fine after both times."
Sunny looked up and nodded. "That does sound like Unfettered Horn Disorder..."
"Apparently, yeah. That's what the Doctor called it, at least. Supposedly I'm just going to be worse at everything magic-related..." Aqua rolled her eyes, annoyed. "And I'm supposedly going to a school that teaches magic... Yay."
"If I remember correctly, that condition excludes simple magics, such as levitation." Sunny pointed at the floating box of pencils with a hoof.
"Yeah, I remember the doctor saying that too, but the few times I've done it, it didn't really feel like I was any more powerful or anything..." The filly shrugged.
"I can understand the frustration, though I doubt your ability to cast levitation will get better immediately. Magic rarely improves so quickly."
Aqua sighed in resignation. "Oh, I'm certain it very likely actually does improve, at least somewhere down the line, but frankly I'd much prefer to be able to do cool things like teleport or create a mini black hole... "
Sunny blinked. What?
The filly's head tilted in thought. "Actually thinking about it, probably not that last one. That'd probably kill everyone. Including me." She snorted in amusement, "Which is generally a bad thing when it comes to magic."
Sunny nodded slowly. "Indeed... It is a sad occasion, nonetheless."
"Yeah, you can say that again... well, I'll complain about it more, but later. It's on a cooldown..." The filly smirked, dropped the pencils, and looked at Sunny. "Well, since we're officially friends as of... was it weed day? Flower day? Somewhere around the 2nd day of the week. I don't know. Four-ish days ago." She shrugged. "I lose track easily."
Sunny's face shifted to a wistful smile. "I wish I could lose track as you put it..."
Aqua smirked. "Oh, well, now I got a new question. Why can't you? Is the paperwork at the castle that bad?"
Sunny covered her mouth with a yellow hoof as she quietly laughed. "More or less... Though, it is more my other duties. While I am not a noble, I do perform many deeds that one of them would."
The filly's eyebrows rose. "Yeah? Like what?"
Sunny glanced at the wooden roof. "Recently, I have met with several foreign dignitaries. I often assess some aspects of The Guard, though mainly only in paperwork. I look over reports of all kinds. Then there are other actions such as those." Sunny faced the filly once more.
Aqua leaned back in surprise. "Woah... that sounds... Really boring."
Sunny laughed before remembering to cover it. "You would be correct, little Aqua. Onto your next question?"
Aqua was stifling a laugh of her own. "Okay, okay. Next question... Uh... Alright, this is gonna sound awkward, but how old are ya?" She smirked, "And don't say older than you. I know you're older than I am, duh. But like am I talking with an elderly woman, or some in-their-prime kinda girl?" She snorted, "Not that I can really judge anyway."
Sunny's smile shrank. "I am quite old... I prefer not to think about it, so I cannot tell you the answer as I do not remember it."
Aqua scoffs jokingly and whines out, "That's what everyone tells me... Eh, I get it." The filly began to speak breathily like an old mare, "Don't you know it's rude to ask a woman her age?" She shook her head. "Yeah, I get ya. I won't ask."
Sunny giggled and nodded. "Thank you."
"No problem," She mumbled. "Uh... So, next question... Uh... So, you volunteer here, right? Do they pay you or is it just like you do it 'cause ya wanna?"
Sunny grew a smile. "I am here because I love to see little foals and fillies, such as yourself, smile... There is also the matter of being able to simply leave if I am needed."
"Sh I gotcha." The filly smirked. "And I can give you a smile. Here." The filly pointed at her face with her right hoof. Aqua was attempting to smile as big as possible, closing her eyes and tensing every possible muscle. It was one of the most forced smiles Sunny had ever seen.
Sunny laughed.
Aqua stopped the sarcastic attempt at butchering a smile and joined the pegasus in laughing.
Eventually, her mirth died down and Sunny shook her head. "I also have a minor connection to this place..."
The filly continued her cute little giggle. "What, are you secretly Celestia, and hiding it from just me?"
Sunny smirked. "I am missing more than just a horn to be Celestia, little Aqua."
The filly's laughter finally quieted. "Oh? Like what? Now that I think about it, I don't actually know what she looks like..." She rubbed her chin with her right hoof. "Actually, I barely know what anyone here looks like. I know you're yellow, fairly tall, got some very fluffy wings, and have a mark of a hearth or something..."
Sunny hummed. "Well, passing over Celestia's combination of wings and a horn, she has a large white frame. Much larger than Cotton or I."
The filly spoke up, "Oh, well that's gotta be awkward." She snorted, "Imagine going in for a hug and getting kicked in the face." The filly giggled and shook her head.
The pegasus covers her mouth for a second. "There are other differences as well. She has a multicoloured flowing mane."
"Oh, that's... neat... Wait, flowing? I know flowing can mean the regular type of flowing, but the way you said that makes it sound like it's not just regular hair."
Sunny nodded. "You would be correct. It is not. Her hair billows through the air even without wind."
"Wait, really? That's pretty weird..." Aqua glanced at Sunny for the next sentence. "Cool, but weird."
Sunny giggled. "That it is."
Aqua opens her mouth to voice what Sunny assumed was another question, but froze for half a second. The filly then slowly turned to Sunny and talked just as slowly in an accusatory tone, "Wait... How do you know what she looks like? Didn't you say you've never met her?"
Sunny leaned in with a smirk. "That's a secret, little Aqua."
the filly leaned back with a quirked eyebrow and a smile. "Ah... You got secrets too, then..." Her expression cleared. "Oh wait, she goes in public often, right? I think I saw her... Well, the word saw is wrong, but you get what I mean. Think it was... nearly a month or two ago? I don't know, somewhere around there."
Was that the last time? "She does visit here, though I have missed most of them. She does also travel the city and appear in public on occasion."
Aqua snorted in amusement before nodding. "Oh. Welp, that'll do it..." The filly looked up in thought. "Wait..." Turning back to Sunny, Aqua began speaking in a suspicious voice along with a smirk again, "You're twisting your words, aren't you, miss Sunny?"
She caught on. Sunny smiled and nodded. "Perhaps... But if I am, how so?"
The filly put a hoof to her chin. "Well, if I'm remembering correctly, you did say that you didn't see her while working at the castle... but that's all you said. You were really just saying you were too busy working to come across her." The filly grinned with a smile belonging more to a wolf than a filly, "You've seen her elsewhere, you dirty, dirty liar."
Sunny giggled as she covered her mouth. Sarcastically, she spoke up. "Oh no, I have been caught! What ever shall I do?"
Aqua leaned closer and poked the yellow mare with her tiny hoof. Aqua was smiling. "Idiot... I don't know. Uh... Do a flip..?" She shrugged. "I don't know, I got nothin'."
Sunny laughed.