The sounds of the waves’ ebb and flow onto the sandy beach just out of sight pierced through the darkness.
It was half a day's worth of flying from Canterlot to the Southern Isles and from where they landed near the northeastern coast the group of Equestrians and their guide weaved through the sleeping village without so much as a word. Sunset followed the large pony named Wakea along the torch-lit trail, passing by a number of huts illuminated by flames dancing in the evening ocean breeze.
The pegasus guards walked closely behind, still wearing their armor. Along with their accompanying hoof steps clacking against the spiraling cobblestone steps that peeked out of the well worn trail, the leather and metal construction of the guards' armor creaked and bounced in contrast to the natural sounds of the surf and wind.
Wakea stopped, prompting the rest of the train to do so. “This hut will be yours for the duration of your stay,” he said as he turned to Sunset. "It will do you well to get some sleep as soon as possible. You've had a long day of travel, after all. Breakfast will be ready at the pavilion further down the trail toward the beach.”
Sunset nodded politely. “Right. Thank you for your hospitality.” When she stepped out of the line with her luggage in tow, the group travelled along and Wakea proceeded to assign the guards their own huts from the ones that neighbored her own. She turned back to face the door to her hut, noticing that several torches were already lit inside. She opened the door with her magic and entered.
Sunset placed her bags to the side next to a dresser and following the advice she was given, made a beeline for the bed, flopping onto the surprisingly firm yet soft mattress. It was a bit rougher and uneven than what could be found in the palace, but at the moment she was far from being choosy. Sunset was exhausted from the trip and promptly went to sleep the moment she closed her eyes.
---
Sunset felt a weight shift against her side. It reminded her of the times when Spike, hardly out of his hatchling years, would rush to her side after having a bad dream. Out of habit she stretched out her foreleg to bring her baby brother close to console him when her eyes snapped open in realization.
There was a sizable difference between the baby dragon and whoever was currently sleeping next to her. She glanced down, confirming that it was a pony, not a dragon, that sought out some comfort last night. Sunset didn't know what to say to the filly that chose to intrude into her hut.
The filly's mane was braided into several thick brownish-red coils, and though she didn't know the exact name for it, Sunset approximated the filly's coat to a dark neon green.
As though feeling her eyes observing her, the filly slowly stirred and looked up at Sunset. Her senses slowly returned and her eyes grew wide. "Y-you're awake," the filly stuttered out.
"Yes I am," was Sunset's deadpan reply.
With a sudden burst of energy the filly leaped off the bed and landed a few feet away. A fierce blush was illuminating her cheeks with red and she began making her way out of the hut. "D...don't misunderstand why I was sleeping...It’s not like you remind me of my sister, or anything…” the filly muttered out. She stopped in the doorway and turned around to yell out, “I...I will tell my dad that you’re awake now!” As if without a moment to lose she galloped out of sight, leaving Sunset to stare for a moment in confusion.
The young mare let out a sigh and got out of bed to stretch out the kinks in her back and legs. Out of habit she fixed the bed and sought out her bathroom to clean up, only to find that it was on the opposite side of where she normally went back at the castle. Next, Sunset stepped out of the hut and upon stopping at the end of the trail, took in her immediate surroundings. From across the white sand beach the water was crystal clear, stretching out into an endless horizon that blended with the blue sky. She smelled the cool salty ocean air drift by her and couldn't help but feel invigorated.
Of course, Sunset knew that this wasn’t a vacation. Princess Celestia trusted that she and her classmates would succeed in their training. Neighagra Falls remained at the forefront of her mind, as well as the powerful Mage that had led the attack. The world was indeed much bigger than she ever really considered until recently. But, Sunset thought with a smile, that was the exact reason Celestia had sent her students abroad. To better prepare for the challenges that lay ahead. Sunset couldn’t let her mother down.
She walked along the beach, feeling the fine sand against her hooves. Spotting a line of smooth stone steps, Sunset followed the artificial path until she reached the pavilion that Wakea had mentioned last night. The large pony in question was easy enough to identify when she approached what she determined was a communal buffet table. Before her was a whole assortment of fruits, vegetables, nuts and eggs laid atop large banana leaves.
"Don't be a stranger. Sit and eat, Sunset," Wakea said before taking a bite of an apple slice. She sat as prompted and grabbed what caught her eye as he continued. "You've already seemed to have made quite the impression on my daughter, Snapdragon."
As he chuckled Sunset took notice of the filly just as she glanced away, obviously trying to pretend she was focused on eating.
“As you already know, your princess has arranged for you to learn our ways in magic;” Wakea began to say, getting Sunset’s attention back. “I have been tasked by Madame Pele to guide you. I have seen how your teachers and schools work in Canterlot. By comparison, I am not a demanding teacher. In fact, just a simple look around and you can see that life here is not at all demanding. And so I reflect that. As such, I want you to spend the day experiencing the island for yourself.”
That took her off guard, to say the least. Sunset couldn’t recall a time she trained or taught with such little structure. It would certainly drive Twilight mad, while Sunset was certain Trixie would just go back to her room or wander off into town. Not like that didn’t happen when there was structure, anyway. “If that’s how you want to proceed,” Sunset finally said after mulling it over. The guards were already on their way down from their huts when she turned to leave.
They exchanged greetings when they passed, but it seemed that the usually serious stallions were a lot more relaxed. In any case, Sunset had her instructions. She believed that everything would fit into a grander narrative of what she was to learn while in the Isles. She wandered along the trail, looking about her surroundings.
---
Dinner was a raucous affair. Unlike the quaint breakfast she had this morning, it almost seemed like the whole village was in attendance. Along with a diverse platter was a whole assortment of drinks that the guards more than happily imbibed. They exchanged drinking songs and more than enough of their favorite games.
The following day went much the same as the day before. Sunset had breakfast with Wakea and his daughter, then he beckoned her to explore the island. She indulged his request with a more overt reluctance.
Rather than stroll along the beach Sunset chose to head inland where the dinner feast was held. She followed along the trail she first took when she arrived on the island and came upon what seemed to be the marketplace. There was much more activity in the village than what she initially thought. It wasn’t that big of a surprise, given the number of ponies in attendance at dinner.
---
When Wakea told her yet again to explore the island, the frustration was palpable. It was unmistakable that he sensed it. “Take me along and tell me what you see. What you feel.”
She just barely managed to keep from rolling her eyes. “Sure.” At least today it would be marginally different, she figured. She still trusted that since this was an assignment from the Princess that what she was to learn here was important. She had to believe it. She did believe it.
She decided to take him to one of her points of interest that wasn't too far. At a purposeful trot it took Sunset about ten to fifteen minutes to reach the nearby lagoon, which afforded an enviable view of the shoreline. It was a sight that Sunset was slowly straining to enjoy, as without telling her Wakea decided to take a leisurely stroll. It took about half an hour for him to finally arrive. It was another five minutes before he asked, "What do you see here? I am interested to learn what you know about it. What you think and how you feel about it."
"It's a lagoon," she answered, tapping her hoof as she had been doing while waiting for him to arrive. She took note of her behavior and promptly stilled her restless leg, continuing her explanation. “Lagoons are shallow bodies of water separated from the ocean by sandbars, barrier islands, or coral reefs. The protective sandbars, barrier islands, or coral reefs protect the lagoon from storm surges and other strong ocean waves.Coastal lagoons are brackish, with water that is less saline than the ocean but not entirely fresh.” She glanced upward when movement caught her eye. Sunset wasn't sure of the scientific name of the pair of birds circling overhead.
Wakea had yet to tell her to stop, so she decided to deliver everything she knew on the subject with as much feigned enthusiasm as possible. Hopping onto a nearby boulder, Sunset began to regale her alleged teacher, putting on a big smile for good measure. “This lagoon in particular is an atoll lagoon. Atoll lagoons are similar to coastal lagoons. Instead of being sheltered by sandbars or barrier islands, however, atoll lagoons are protected by coral reefs. Atoll lagoons form as coral reefs form around volcanic islands. Over millions of years, the island subsides into the ocean. The ring of coral reefs, however, remain. The reefs become the atoll, protecting an enclosed lagoon where the volcano used to be.”
With a hop, skip and a jump, Sunset moved to another boulder and continued on her lecture, undaunted by Wakea’s stoic attention. “Atoll lagoons are marine ecosystems. The organisms found in atoll lagoons are usually the same ones found outside it. Because of the ringing atoll, many lagoons have few indigenous species at all. Organisms, such as fish and jellies, surf in as waves from the ocean crash over the atoll and dump them in the lagoon. Many species of jellies thrive in this protected environment, but larger predators have few food resources.
“The water of atoll lagoons are often a striking light blue due to their shallow depth and their interaction with limestone. Coral reefs and coral sand are made of limestone, the remains of billions of tiny coral exoskeletons. As limestone leaches into the lagoon, it turns the water bright blue.” Satisfied that she gave him more information than he ever would have known before, Sunset patiently awaited Wakea’s response.
His response came right away. "Your knowledge of the world around you is superficial," he said with a sigh.
Sunset was surprised by how irritated she was to hear that, not to mention to see how Wakea even shook his head. "Excuse me?" She asked for clarification.
"You think differently, do you?"
“Yes, in fact, I do,” she replied sternly.
“You’re very good at parroting what you can find in a library, Ms. Shimmer. Next time, I very much hope you can learn something on your own, rather than just recite what you’ve memorized.” With that, Wakea left Sunset speechless and headed back to the pavilion.