Sea Swirl’s pillow wasn’t exactly comfortable. It was a little hard, and every time she tried to adjust her head, it kept slipping off of the pillow. She pressed down a bit harder in a vain attempt to both soften the pillow and keep herself from waking up.
It didn’t work. Slowly her mind drifted back from blissful sleep. She groaned a little and nuzzled her pillow in one last gamble to stay asleep. As she did, she noticed that the pillow was surprisingly soft to the touch. It felt like fur, and it was warm.
The Unicorn felt something tickle the tip of her nose and she made a face. The tickling continued, so she blew a little, thinking it was just some bug trying to land on her face. When the sensation still persisted, she reached up with her hoof and waved the thing out of her face. It worked for a moment, but then the feeling came back.
“Ugh. Stupid little—” Sea Swirl opened one eye so she could aim her strike and jumped. She flew across the small seat so quickly that her head slammed into the window on the train. The pain flushed the last of the sleep from her mind as she rubbed the back of her head. “Uh…sorry.”
Symphony stared at her, her face and eyes betraying nothing. “It’s fine.”
“Heh…” Sea Swirl felt her cheeks blushing as she tried to maintain eye contact. “So, uh…how long was I…?”
“Using my shoulder as a pillow?” Symphony asked. Sea Swirl couldn’t tell if she was angry, or simply asking a question.
“Er, I was going to say asleep, but…sure.”
“For about an hour.”
Sea Swirl blinked in surprise. An hour? That meant that they were almost there. Baltimare was just a bit further.
Sea Swirl sat up and stretched her neck. Symphony’s shoulder hadn’t really been the best pillow, but it had been comfortable in a way. Still, the Unicorn felt bad. She had meant to stay awake and talk with the mare. There was still a lot that she didn’t know about her.
Of course, she wasn’t entirely sure if Symphony would be willing to tell her anything. The mare kept her guard up more than any other pony Sea Swirl had ever met.
“I was afraid you weren’t going to come,” Sea Swirl said, deciding that she could at least try to break the ice.
Symphony had met Sea Swirl at the Unicorn’s home early in the morning and the two ponies had caught the first train out of Canterlot. They hadn’t spoken much, mainly because Sea Swirl had still been tired and Symphony didn’t seem to talk much to begin with, so Sea Swirl figured now was a good time to try.
“Why?” Symphony asked. The bruise around her eye had finally faded to a faint mark, so her violet hair was up and brushed out of her face, revealing her blue eyes with stunning contrast to her soft yellow fur.
“Well, I thought you might be busy or something,” Sea Swirl said. “Like maybe you had to work, or you just didn’t want to come along. You’re kind of stuck with me for the whole day now, and I’m not entirely sure if you’re up for that.” The Unicorn smiled with the last remark, hoping that it would be enough to make Symphony loosen up a bit.
“That is not what I meant,” Symphony replied, completely missing—or ignoring—Sea Swirl’s joke. “Why would you be upset if I didn’t come?”
Sea Swirl blinked in surprise. “Oh. Well, uh…I’m usually by myself. It’ll be nice to have some company this time.”
“But doesn’t your friend live out here?”
“Aqua?” Sea Swirl asked, surprised Symphony remembered her. “She’s…um, different.”
“Different how?” Symphony asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.
“You’ll see when you meet her,” Sea Swirl said. She wasn’t sure how Symphony would react if she new the truth.
“What will you be doing here? Working?” Symphony asked.
“Yeah, a little bit,” Sea Swirl replied. “Horseshoe Bay has some great diving spots, and a few underwater caves too. I’m usually able to find some pretty good stones there.”
“I see,” Symphony said with a blink. “Is that all?”
“Well, no,” Sea Swirl said, a bit shocked by the idea. “You said you’ve never been to the ocean. I’m not going to make you sit there for the whole day while I’m working. There’s plenty of other stuff to do.”
“I cannot swim,” Symphony said.
“And I offered to teach you,” Sea Swirl replied. She quickly continued when she saw the look on the Earth Pony’s face. “But, swimming isn’t the only thing to do there! There’s the boardwalk, sailing, surfing, although I’m not sure how much you’d enjoy that.”
“Not at all,” Symphony warned.
“Didn’t think so. And then there’s just walking on the beach and listening to the ocean.”
“That sounds rather…boring, to be honest.”
Sea Swirl shot Symphony a perplexed look. “You’re joking, right? Don’t you enjoy just listening the water fountains around Canterlot, or the river and waterfall outside the city?”
“No,” Symphony said darkly.
“Oh, right,” Sea Swirl said, remembering how they had first met. “Um, sorry. My bad.”
The two mares sat in silence until Sea Swirl began to grow uncomfortable. She didn’t want to say anything more though, because she was worried about insulting Symphony. Of course the Earth pony wouldn’t enjoy water after what she had been through.
Sea Swirl shook her head at her lack of tact. Sometimes she wished she was more like the ponies in Canterlot. They didn’t make stupid mistakes like—
“The boardwalk sounded pleasant,” Symphony said suddenly. “What is it?”
“It’s…well, it’s a boardwalk?” Sea Swirl replied, not entirely sure how to answer the question.
“And what is a boardwalk, exactly?”
“You’re pulling my leg, right?” Sea Swirl asked. The look on Symphony’s face said she was not. “You don’t really know? Didn’t your parents ever take you out to like a theme park or something when you were little?”
Symphony’s face darkened so fast that Sea Swirl was afraid the mare was about to throw her from the moving train. “No, they did not.”
Okay. Parents are a touchy subject, Sea Swirl thought.
“So a boardwalk is like an amusement park?” the Earth pony asked.
“Sort of,” Sea Swirl answered, jumping at the lifeline in the conversation. Talking to this mare was like walking through a booby-trapped temple. So many things seemed to make her angry. “I mean, there aren’t any huge roller coaster rides or stuff like that, but there’s still a lot to do.”
“Like what?”
Sea Swirl opened her mouth to speak, but then the train came to a stop. She smiled. “You know what? It’s better if I just show you. Come on.”
The train came to a stop and the conductor started calling out for all ponies to disembark. Sea Swirl rose and collected her bag and Symphony did the same. The two ponies made their way to the exit with the small crowd. When they reached the exit, they stepped off of the train and the city of Baltimare filled their vision.
Sea Swirl had never been to Manehattan, but she had often heard it said that Baltimare was a smaller version of that city. While it lacked the elegance, grandeur, and style of Canterlot, it certainly came close to it in terms of sheer size. But despite that, it still managed to retain a lot of the old charm that smaller towns like Ponyville had. None of the buildings were more than three stories tall, and even those were rare. Most of them were made of wood and since they were so close to the sea, the wood was weathered and warped in small ways, giving each building its own unique look. In fact, Sea Swirl suspected that a lot of the buildings used actual driftwood in their construction.
The paint jobs were all done in pastel colors. There were no bright reds and vibrant purples. The weather on the coast had long ago taught the ponies here that colors faded, so they simply allowed it to happen. As a result, everything looked rustic, but in a different way than back home in Ponyville.
And then there were the smells. As Sea Swirl stepped off of the train, the first thing she did was take a deep breath through her nose. So many familiar scents flooded into her nostrils. The salt from the nearby ocean made her heart ache. The dozens of deep fried delights from the countless boardwalk stands made her stomach grumble. The dampness that clung to everything made her fur shiver. She loved that first scent of Baltimare every time she arrived.
“Ah, so refreshing,” she said as she let the breath out and turned to Symphony. “Don’t you think so?”
“I suppose,” Symphony said, but the look on her face said otherwise. Her eyes were scrambling over the scenery in a mad dash to find something to focus on in the busy crowds and packed buildings. Her legs were stiff and Sea Swirl suspected that her knees were on the verge of locking up.
“Okay, first let’s go check in at the motel,” Sea Swirl said, giving the Earth pony a slight nudge. She figured she’d at least get the official stuff out of the way. It would also give Symphony a chance to adjust to the city’s sites and sounds.
The two ponies began to walk down the city street. Or rather, Sea Swirl began to walk, but after a few steps she noticed that she was by herself. She looked over her shoulder and saw that Symphony was still standing in the same spot. The mare’s eyes were wider than Sea Swirl had ever seen and her knees had indeed locked up. Her mouth was slightly open as she stood perfectly still, drawing a few curious and amused looks from several nearby ponies.
“Symphony, you okay?”
“Um…yes. Yes, of course.” The Earth pony shook her head and blinked several times before she finally got her legs to work again. After a few tentative steps, she managed to find her stride and walked to join Sea Swirl.
“You’ve never been outside of Canterlot, have you?”
Symphony shot her a look, but then lowered her eyes a bit. “No. I must admit that this is all…overwhelming.”
Sea Swirl smiled and bumped her flank against Symphony’s. “Well I hope you’re ready for an adventure. Baltimare is a lot different from Canterlot.”
Two ponies in roller skates came gliding down the street at high speed. Sea Swirl stepped aside and gently pushed Symphony to the side as well, allowing the two mares to skate by.
“I see that,” Symphony replied as she watched the two ponies go. “Is that safe?”
“They should probably be wearing helmets.”
“Oh.”
Sea Swirl guided Symphony down the busy street. She was careful not to lose her in the crowd, because she was pretty sure that Symphony would panic if she found herself alone. She tried to make small talk as they walked, pointing out a restaurant here or a fun store there, but the yellow pony never really said anything beyond a simple acknowledgement. Her eyes were still wide, but they had stopped rushing around so much. Sea Swirl decided that that was progress at least.
The two ponies turned down another street, this one far less crowded than the main street, and walked a bit more until Sea Swirl stopped in front of a rustic building. It was adorned with many different seashells and a soft blue paint. Driftwood letters above the door named the place as Sea Pony’s Rest.
“Here we are,” Sea Swirl said as she stopped and looked up at the familiar building. “Best little motel in Baltimare.”
“If you say so,” Symphony said in a dubious tone.
The two ponies opened the door and a soft bell rang out as they entered the lobby. There were no other ponies in sight, but the lobby still felt welcoming. A tan carpet lined the floor and the walls were painted a slightly darker blue than the outside. There were dozens of bottled ships on the walls, along with other sea-fairing knickknacks all over the lobby.
“Welcome to Sea—” came a voice from behind the counter, but it stopped when the mare reached the counter and saw the guests. “Sea Swirl! Great to see you again!”
“Hey Cove,” Sea Swirl said with a wave. “Nice to see you too.”
The Unicorn behind the counter smiled and waved the two ponies forward. “And who is your friend?” she asked as she pulled out the guest book.
“My name is Symphony, ma’am,” Symphony replied with a nod.
Cove made a face. “Ma’am? Where’d you find her, Sea Swirl? Canterlot Castle?”
“Close enough,” Sea Swirl said with a grin. She nudged Symphony in good fun, but the mare just stared back at her. “Er…anyway, we need a room for the weekend.”
“Sure. Let me just get the key.” Cove ducked under the counter and then came up with a key in her teeth. She put it on the counter and Sea Swirl pulled out the money. “Last room on the left. The one with the view.”
“Thanks, Cove.” Sea Swirl picked the key up with her magic and turned to Symphony. “You’re going to love this room. It has a full view of Horseshoe Bay and the ocean.”
“It is…by the waterfront?” Symphony asked as she followed Sea Swirl down the hallway toward the room. “Is that safe?”
“Pssh. Of course it is.” Sea Swirl waved her hoof. “Unless you sleepwalk. Ah, here we are. Close your eyes.”
Symphony gave Sea Swirl a look. “Why?”
“Please?”
Symphony sighed through her nose and remained silent for a few moments, but then she closed her eyes. “Very well.”
“Great! Now, don’t open them until I say to.”
Sea Swirl opened the door to their room and carefully led Symphony inside. She took her saddlebag off and tossed it to the side, and then took Symphony’s bags and put them aside too. Then, trying to keep her pulse under control as she held the mare’s hoof in hers, she led Symphony to the back door and out onto the small patio. The smell of ocean air instantly filled her nose and she had to struggle to stay on the patio and not go running for the ocean, but the thought of what she as about to see made her stay focused.
“Okay…open your eyes,” Sea Swirl said after she had positioned Symphony at just the right angle.
Symphony’s reaction was nothing like Sea Swirl expected. The mare opened her eyes, but instead of her jaw dropping slightly and her breath halting in a gasp, the Earth pony immediately went stiff. Her eyes bulged and fixated on the massive body of water down by the beach. She instantly took two steps back and bumped into the door on the patio. She tried to take another step but her body folded up against the building as her breathing became quick and shallow.
“Whoa, Symphony, calm down,” Sea Swirl said, stepping in front of the pony and blocking her view of the ocean. The crystal blue eyes stared right through her, the pupils becoming smaller with each passing second.
It wasn’t until Sea Swirl reached out and touched Symphony’s shoulder that the mare seemed to remember she was there.
“I-I can’t swim!” Symphony stammered. Sea Swirl smiled and took a step forward, but the Earth pony shook her head and pressed herself against the door even harder. “Stay away from me!”
Sea Swirl’s stomach fell out as she realized her mistake. Symphony had nearly drowned. Not only that, she had been thrown off of the cliffs of Canterlot to her death. Of course the surprise sight of the ocean would terrify her.
I’m such an idiot.
“Symphony, it’s okay,” Sea Swirl said, trying to keep her eyes clear of tears. “The cove in at least a three minute walk away. You have nothing to worry about.”
“What about waves?” the mare asked. Sea Swirl would have thought she was joking if not for the sheer terror in her eyes. Unless some freak hurricane came their way, there was no possible way the waves could even come close to reaching the hotel.
“They can’t get you,” Sea Swirl promised. “The bay breaks them up long before they can reach all the way to the motel. And even if they did, I’d…I’d save you again. I promise.”
That remark got Symphony’s attention off of the ocean, and for a moment Sea Swirl was relieved, but then she saw the look on the mare’s face.
“I did not ask you to save me,” Symphony said in a low voice. She pulled herself off of the wall and took a deep breath as her eyes returned to their normal half-closed position. Without a word, she turned and walked back into the motel room.
“Okay, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” Sea Swirl whispered to herself. She turned and took one last look at the beach. She had planned to take Symphony down there after they ate lunch and walked around a bit, but that was out of the question now. She still had every intention of going down and diving in the bay’s waters, just as much for work as for pleasure, but she didn’t want to leave Symphony alone in a town she clearly wasn’t familiar with.
I’ll just go down tonight when she’s sleeping.
Deciding that was the best course of action, the Unicorn nodded and walked back into the motel room.
And nearly plowed into Symphony.
“Uh, what are—?”
“We have a problem,” Symphony said without turning around. Sea Swirl carefully moved around her until she was in the room too.
“Uh, what?”
Symphony simply pointed at the room with her hoof.
Sea Swirl didn’t see what the problem was. The room was well kept, with nice calming colors and a pleasant sea-themed design scheme. Their bags were by the door where she had left them and the bathroom look clean from what she could see. The bed was freshly made and had several large, fluffy pillows on it and two full candles were resting on the nightstands on either side. Everything looked fine. There was even a small refrigerator for them to store things in if needed.
“Um…I don’t get it,” Sea Swirl said as she scratched the back of her neck. “What am I looking at?”
“Where are you going to sleep?”
Sea Swirl’s face scrunched up and she gave a small laugh. “In the bed, of course.”
“And where am I going to sleep?”
“In the—oh.” Sea Swirl’s cheeks went red she hung her head as she looked over at Symphony. “I see. Um…I’ll, uh, go see if Cove has any rooms with two beds.”
“That would be best.”
Sea Swirl walked out of the room and closed the door behind her, took a few steps down the hallway, and then let out a devastating sigh. She wasn’t making a good impression with Symphony. First she had been too thick to realize the trauma she would cause by showing Symphony the ocean—Even after she reminded me on the train!—and now she had thoughtlessly booked a room with only one bed. If she wasn’t careful, Symphony was going to end up hating her guts.
“If she doesn’t already,” the Unicorn mumbled as she walked down the hall and into the lobby
“Jeez, Sea Swirl. I’d be worried that your room was a completely disaster if I hadn’t just checked it myself,” Cove said when she saw Sea Swirl’s defeated posture.
Sea Swirl raised her head. “No, the room’s fine, Cove. It looks beautiful.”
“Mmm…” Cove said as she leaned forward on the counter. “So…troubles with marefriend then?”
Sea Swirl stood bolt upright and her ears threatened to tear off of her head. She looked over her shoulder to make sure Symphony wasn’t standing in earshot and then whipped around. She imagined the look of panic on her face matched Symphony’s when she had seen the ocean.
“Symphony? Marefriend? Me?” the Unicorn stammered. “No no no no no. Not a chance. She’s just…uh…” What was Symphony, exactly? Were they friends yet? Sea Swirl would like to think that, but she wasn’t so sure. Symphony was a very difficult pony to read, and it seemed like every time Sea Swirl got past one wall, three more sprang up.
“I think you’re protesting too much,” Cove said with a grin.
“I am not!” Sea Swirl said. Whatever she and Symphony were, they were not a couple.
Cove simply smiled. “So what’s bothering you?”
“Well, uh…” Sea Swirl scratched the back of her neck and looked around the lobby in an attempt to avoid Cove’s eyes. “Is there…another room with…?”
“What was that? You’re mumbling.”
“Is there another room with…?”
“Nope. Still can’t understand you when you talk into the ground like that.”
“IS THERE ANOTHER ROOM WITH TWO BEDS IN IT?” Sea Swirl shouted as her head shot up and she locked eyes with Cove. Immediately, she stuffed her hoof in her mouth and looked down the hall, terrified that Symphony had heard her shout like that.
“Why?” Cove asked. “I wouldn’t mind sleeping next to her.”
“Yeah…” Sea Swirl mumbled, still looking down the hallway with her hoof in her mouth.
“What was that?”
“Nothing!” Sea Swirl looked back at the Unicorn and pulled her hoof out of her mouth, but she could already tell that Cove had heard what she had said. “So, is there?”
“I’m afraid not, Sea Swirl.”
“Cove, that isn’t funny.”
“Trust me. As amusing as it is to see you squirm like this, I wouldn’t willing put you in this situation.” To prove her point, Cove spun the guest book around. “See?”
Not every room in the motel was booked, but all the ones with two beds were.
Dismayed, Sea Swirl looked up. “What’s going on? Some sort of convention?”
“It’s the weekend,” Cove replied as she closed the book. “Families come out to the beach. You think you have it bad, try sleeping in the same bed as a little filly all hopped up on excitement for the trip.”
Sea Swirl hung her head in defeat. “Well, thanks anyway.” Without another word, she turned and walked back to her room. She took a few deep breaths before she opened the door.
Symphony was still standing in the same spot from when Sea Swirl had left. She was looking out the backdoor, but turned around the moment she heard the door open.
“Well?” she asked.
“Um…I’m afraid there aren’t any other rooms. At least, none with two beds.” Symphony just stared, blinking once. “But it’s okay! I can just sleep on the floor. The carpet is really soft and there are more than enough pillows. It’ll be okay.”
“I’m rather hungry,” Symphony said, seeming to completely miss all of Sea Swirl’s speech, but Sea Swirl was glad for the abrupt change in conversation.
“Well, there are plenty of places to eat around here. Anything in particular you like?”
Symphony blinked a few times before she answered. “Whatever you pick is fine.”
Sea Swirl sat down on the carpet—it really was rather soft—and thought for a moment. Symphony lived and breathed Canterlot. She was no doubt used to fancy, high-end food. There were a few restaurants along the boardwalk that offered that type of dining, but they were extremely pricy and didn’t really offer much for the cost.
There were, of course, the countless little greaser joints littering the boardwalk. Sea Swirl’s mouth started to water at the thought of all the food. Carrotdogs, deep-friend hay fries, veggie burgers grilled over open flames, and so many delicious treats and snacks. Those were her preferences, but would Symphony like them?
“Do you like churros?” the Unicorn asked as the idea sprang into her head.
“What are those?” Symphony asked.
“It’s a snack. A really good one.”
Symphony’s eyes narrowed a bit more than usual. “I was hoping we could get some actual food.”
“We can,” Sea Swirl said quickly. “We can grab some churros and snack on those while we walk around and look for a place to eat.”
“Do they taste good?”
Sea Swirl licked her lips as she thought about the crunchy and gooey treat covered in cinnamon. “Delicious.”
“Very well.”
“Great!” Sea Swirl jumped forward, picked up her saddlebag, and grabbed Symphony’s foreleg and pulled her out the door. She continued pulling her along until they reached the lobby and she saw Cove looking at her with a huge grin on her face.
Sea Swirl instantly let go of Symphony’s hoof and pretended not to notice Cove as they left the motel.
Like before, the boardwalk was flooded with ponies walking about. Sea Swirl almost took Symphony’s hoof by reflex, but then she remembered the grin on Cove’s face and thought better of it. She settled for simply walking next to her as they waded through the crowds.
Sea Swirl closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nose, trying to sort out the scents in the air. All she got were the countless food scents and the sea air, so she opened her eyes and stood up on the tips of her hooves. She craned her neck until she spied the familiar blue, white, and red color scheme of a pony snack cart over the heads of all the ponies.
“This way,” she said as she began moving through the crowd again. Symphony quietly followed.
“Hello, ladies!” the vendor said when the two ponies finally reached his cart through the crowds. “What can I get you?”
Sea Swirl’s mouth began to water as she looked over all the fried and baked goodness before her, but her eyes zoomed in on the long, cinnamon-coated treats slowly turning in the warmer. She licked her lips and pointed to them as she said, “Two, please.”
“Coming right up.” The vendor pulled the two churros out and wrapped them while Sea Swirl paid. A moment later, Sea Swirl was holding both of them with her magic. She unwrapped hers and held the other one out for Symphony.
“Um…are you certain that is…eatable?” Symphony asked as she stared at the dessert.
“Mm-hm!” Sea Swirl said as she took a big bite of hers. She smiled as the taste flooded her mouth and brought countless memories back into her mind. “Mmm…”
Symphony tenderly took her churro with her hoof and raised it to her mouth. She sniffed it a couple of times and made a face. “It smells sweet.”
“Because it is!” Sea Swirl said, her mouth still filled with gooey delicious filling. She smiled, fully aware that her teeth were probably covered in cinnamon, but she didn’t care. She figured the sight of it would put Symphony at ease.
It didn’t.
“That is disgusting,” the mare said as she stared at Sea Swirl’s face.
“Oh.” The smile instantly fell from Sea Swirl’s face and the churro lost its flavor. “Uh, yeah, I guess it is. Sorry about that.”
The two ponies stood in silence for an uncomfortable moment. Sea Swirl was starting to feel like they were spending more and more of their time together doing that instead of actually…well, anything else really. Bonding maybe? Was that was she was trying to do with Symphony? She guessed that was true, seeing as she had invited her to come on the trip, but now the trip was turning into a nightmare and it had barely started. She had fallen asleep on Symphony during the train ride, scared her half to death with the ocean, failed to realize that they shouldn’t share a bed, and now she was behaving like a little filly, something she doubted Symphony found amusing.
Sea Swirl sighed. What the hay am I doing? We’re nothing alike. Why did I think we could be friends?
“Uh, Symphony, look. I know this trip isn’t exactly going well. What with the ocean, and the bed and everything.” Sea Swirl took a deep breath and closed her eyes to calm herself. “So…if you want, I can buy you a ticket back to Canterlot right now. You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to. I—”
“No,” Symphony said in a flat tone.
“Uh…okay?” Sea Swirl asked, confused. “No, what?”
“I don’t wish to go back to Canterlot yet.”
“But—”
“But what?” Symphony asked. “Are you trying to get rid of me after inviting me? That seems rather rude.”
“No, it’s not that.” Had she not heard a single thing Sea Swirl had just said?
“Then what? Do you find my presence unseemly?”
“No, but you don’t—”
“I don’t what? Fit in? Meet your Unicorn standards?” Symphony asked, her eyes narrowing to a dangerous angle.
Sea Swirl swallowed and decided that she would just stop trying to argue. No matter what she tried, she always seemed to say the wrong thing when she was trying to make Symphony feel better.
“So…you don’t want to go?” she asked instead.
“No thank you,” Symphony replied. She brought the churro to her mouth and took a small bite. As she did, her eyes opened up fully and she froze for a second, and then she slowly chewed the treat until she swallowed. She licked the cinnamon off of her lips and then took another small bite. “Besides, the food seems decent.”
That look of wonder on the Earth pony’s face was the look that Sea Swirl had hoped to see when Symphony had first seen the ocean. She decided that it was still just as special if it came from the pony biting into a snack.