//------------------------------// // Beach Rescue // Story: Memiors of a Mane Stylist: The Daffidazey diaries // by Paradise Oasis //------------------------------// Hi again, Diary! Just got back from lunch! Wow, that sweet strawberry cake of Sweetberry's was so yummy! Now, where was I? Oh yeah, that's right! After two hours under hot lights and at the makeup tables, the three of us had undergone a transformation that had made us look like totally different ponies. There we were... Beach Belle was all decked out in a blue polka dotted bikini, Sapphire Shores in her purple one piece with ruffles at her flanks, and my white bikini with (what else?) a daisy print pattern all over it. Our manes shined with the glow of the conditioners I had used, and our lips glittered with the sparkle of Beach Belle's lip gloss. Personally diary, I thought we were really pretty, but I really didn't believe we'd get the boys' attention. But my two friends kept insisting I was just being a downer. "Awww, don't be so negative, Daffey!" Beach Belle snorted at me, trying to get me to mellow out and stop worrying. "We'll have those stallions eating right out of our hooves!" So after our really big makeovers, the three of us trotted our way down to the beach. Three of the stallions were all surrounding Sunny Daze, each trying to take turns fanning her with big palm leaves, or bring her something tasty to drink. Ready to rock the beach mare's world, Sapphire Shores finally spoke up. "Hello there, boys!" the flirty mare called out teasingly, waving a hoof at the stallions. "Wanna spend some time with some real mares?" Personally, I thought this wasn't going to work, diary. I thought they would give us some odd looks, then go back to worshipping the ground their mistress trotted upon. But when those boys took one look at us, they suddenly forgot all about the resident beach babe, and came galloping over to where we stood. "Hey hey hey there, little fillies!" Seaspray, a blue stallion with a purple mane and starfish cutie mark, greeted us. "Looks like you could use some company over here!" "Want us to get you anything, girls?" Bay Breeze, a white pony with a sunflower on his flank, and the most gorgeous sea of yellow and blue hair I've ever seen on his head, continued. "Maybe some lemonade? Or how about some ice cream?" "How come we've never seen you babes here before?" Beachcomber, the all studly stallion who was all pink, joked. "You hotties new to Ponyville?" Before we knew it, the three guys had spread a large beach blanket, and stuck a large umbrella in the sand to shade us from the sunshine. The three of us soon found ourselves enjoying the company of the three cutest boys on the beach, laughing and flirting with our new 'friends'. "So... Beachcomber, is it?" Sapphire Shores asked, as she and the stallion both licked the ice cream cone he had brought her. "I hear you're a lifeguard at Ponyville lake, that's so cool!" "Yep, if there's some pony that is going under, I'm your stallion!" The boy told her with a laugh. "Ever since I was a foal, I've taken to water like a seapony!" "Ohhh, you have such strong hooves, Bay Breeze!" Beach Belle sighed, as the stallion massaged her back. "I've never felt you so relaxed!" "Eh, I know a thing or two about a pony's muscles." He replied with a grin. "I am the lake's best swimming instructor, after all." "Gee Seaspray, It's so awesome you and your friends decided to hang out with us." I told the stallion sitting beside me, trying to act cool. "Hey, we always like makin' new friends on the beach." He replied, smiling. "There are so many interesting ponies out here, am I right?" He was so awesome, diary! I felt like a fool trying to talk to him, though. And let me tell you, my impaired vision certainly wasn't doing any favors. When I reached for my lemonade sitting nearby, I ended up feeling a sharp pain in my hoof. After I had shook the crab that had pinched me loose, I bumped my head into the umbrella, knocking it over. Ohhh, curse me not having my glasses on me! I felt like a clumsy newborn foal stumbling around in the dark. But at least Seaspray is was still being nice to me... shows how cool of a stallion he really is! But even as the three of us were enjoying ourselves, I just happened to notice another mare sitting nearby, who didn't look so happy. Sunny was relaxing under her own beach blanket, an uncertain look on her face. She had rarely not been the center of attention on the beach, diary, and I really don't think she quite knew how to handle it. Part of her wanted to came over and say something to us, but she kept stopping herself, I think cause she didn't want to hurt her friends' feelings. Sunny picked up one of the magazines I had dropped on the beach, and sat there pretending to read it. She would occasionally glance over at us, and it seemed to me that each glance looked a little sadder than the last. Suddenly, this whole idea of 'snagging' the guys from Sunny didn't seem so much fun anymore, and I just wanted to go over and apologize. But when I tried to stand up, I took two steps before stumbling over my own hooves, and fell face first into the sand. "Daffey, you ok?" Seaspray asked, helping me back up. "Yes, I'll be fine, thank you." I replied nervously, blushing in my embarrassment. Ohhh, why couldn't I have worn my glasses out today? "Hey girls, I got an idea!" Bechcomber suddenly sprang up, trotting over to his surfboard. "Why don't we take you out on our boards, and show you some fun in the sun?" "Hey, that sounds totally awesome!" Beach Belle agreed, following Bay over to his board. "You guys to totally teach us how to surf!" "Hang on a sec, I'll be right with you guys." Galloping away from Seaspray for a moment, I ran up to where Miss Daze lay. "Hey Sunny want to join us out on the waves? You could show those guys your stuff!" "Huh? Oh no, you go ahead and enjoy yourselves, Daffs." She told me, burying her face in her magazine. "I'd just probably get in those dudes' way." "Oh, okay Sunny." I reply with a sigh, trotting back over to where the guys were getting ready to push out into the water. Soon, we were out on lake Ponyville, paddling with our hooves, and waiting for a wave to come up. "Look out, everybody!" Bay Breeze suddenly warned. "Here comes a big one!" And boy diary, he wasn't kidding! That doozy of a wave came up out of nowhere, and soon our boards were cresting the top of it. It kind of felt like flying, diary, with my arms outstretched, and Seaspray's big strong hooves holding me in place. It was times like this I envied the Pegasus, for being able to do things like this where there are no waves around. "Whoo hoo!" Beach Belle called out, as Bay breeze held her aloft on his board. "I'm the queen of the world!" "Hey Daffey!" Sapphire yelled over to me from Beachcomber's board. "Betcha can't do this!" The mare did a handstand on her stallion friend's hoof, showing off as he zigzagged across the waves. Seaspray suddenly motioned for me to do the same, and I wasn't so sure it was a good idea. "Spray, wait a second." I protested, just trying to keep my balance. "I'm not so sure-" "C'mon babe!" He assured me, as he picked me up. "It'll be fun, trust me!" Before I could say another word, he had me lifted up over his head. Oh diary, why do all stallions have to be so pig-headed and stubborn? Needless to say, this blind-as-a-bat mare lost her balance up there, and I fell into the wave itself with a loud splash. "Daffey!" I head several voices at once call out, as I sank beneath the roaring waves. Now diary, you know as well as I do that I learned how to swim as a foal. But a combination of the really strong tides- combined with my panic at being able to see even less in that dark and murky water- led me to panic and flail around like a panicked newborn, as the waves continued to toss me around like Scootaloo during a game of dodge ball. I thought it was all over, when a white hoof suddenly picked me up, and placed me on a surfboard. "Gotcha, Daffs!" Sunny groaned, as she helped me up to my hooves. "You need to be more careful out there!" "Sunny?" I ask, coughing and sputtering out water. "T-thanks, girlfriend. I owe ya one." It only took a few minutes for us to ride that wave back to shore, and the others crowded in to see if we were alright. "Daffey, you ok?" Beach Belle asked, her hooves on her cheeks in surprise. "I thought for sure you were gonna drown out there!" "Glad ya made it back, Daff! You're looking as awesome as ever!" Sapphire giggled, trying to lighten the mood now that she saw I was okay. "Can't say the same for your hairdo, though." Seaspray was especially the most concerned... with the way my dear friend had saved me, that is. After making sure I was all right, he trotted right past me, and went over to Sunny like I wasn't even there. "Hey, babe. You were so totally awesome out there!" The featherbrained stallion slicked his mane back, as he trotted up to Sunny. "Wanna go grab a soda at Cotton Candy's sometime?" "Dude, that would be so totally awesome!" Sunny giggled, brushing her own hoof through her mane. "You're buying though, dude! My rule is 'the hottie always picks up the tab!" The two stood there, flirting and laughing as I coughed and sputtered in the background. My beautiful mane job was now a seaweed-infested mess, and my running makeup made me look like something that had walked out of a Halloween movie. With a sigh, I realized I was probably as attractive as a goblin right now. "Hey Daffs, we're all heading over to the cafe right now." Sapphire told me, as the others began trotting away. "Ya wanna come with?" "Nah, I'm a little tired out after all that." I replied with a sigh. "You guys go ahead, I think I'm gonna go home." As the others all galloped away down the beach, I'm left to collect my stuff up. Well diary, I suppose this is exactly what I get for trying to outshine the great Sunny Daze. Still, in the limelight has always been our dear friend's place, and I guess we Ponyville ponies wouldn't have it any other way. Even if she is little miss popular, she always does mean well. Besides, if it weren't for her, I probably would have been swept out with the tide. Well diary, I just got done packing my things up, and pulling the seaweed out of my hair. As I told the others, I'm very tired, and it's time to head for home. I will say though, I am glad I was able to help two of my friends... even if my day off was all washed up. But still, a crab hanging off my tail, sand in my Bikini bottom... diary, next day off, I am so going to the park.