//------------------------------// // 26. Party Time // Story: Sunny's Days // by Anzel //------------------------------// Melody, Strong Wing, and I all laid in the grass, panting heavily. We were matted with sweat and were extremely sticky. “That was awesome,” Melody huffed. Strong nodded in agreement. “Yeah… I’ve never done that before.” “Well… if I can get reassigned here, we can do it more often!” I beamed cheerfully. “I’m not sure my body would hold up,” Melody replied. Strong snorted. “You’d get used to it, I bet. Still, I haven’t exercised that hard in a long time. I miss training with you two! This new extreme obstacle course they opened up is really amazing.” “Yeah…” Melody waved a hoof at the monstrously large course we’d just completed. “They just built it in the last three months for all of the recruits. Any guard can use it, though. It is fun. I especially like the rope area. Swinging around has got to be something like flying. Right, Strong?” “Uh… kind of. Sure? For a unicorn.” We both lightly poked him with a hoof. “Ow…” “So anyway, Lieutenant what’s next for us?” Melody asked. “Don’t do that! We’re not in uniform and I’m still Sunny. Hmm… we should go volunteer somewhere!” She snorted. “We can’t just show up! Why don’t you tell us about your command instead?” That was the last thing I wanted to do, even if things were starting to look up. I waved a hoof. “You don’t want to hear about that. Come on, let’s go run the course again.” Strong groaned, rolled over onto his back, and stiffened all four legs. “I am deceased. The dead cannot run this course.” Melody looked at me with concern. “Is everything alright, Sunny? You haven’t said ten words about your command.” “Yeah… so, about that.” Melody was too good of a pony to just let things go. She and Strong would get it out of me sooner or later so, with a sigh, I told them everything. Once I was done, Melody looped her hooves around me and hugged tight. “I’m so sorry to hear that you’ve been struggling, Sunny! It’s going to be okay, though. You’re a winner! You’ll do the hard work to earn the rewards you’re hoping for.” Strong Wing nodded in agreement. “Melody is right! You’ve never given up in anything. Just keep your head down, work hard, and you’ll get there. Especially since you seem to have worked something out with your commander.” My tail swished as the flames of confidence started to burn deep inside me. “You two really think so?” “Without a doubt!” Melody replied. “Yes, without a doubt,” Strong confirmed. “Then I’ll believe you. I’ll get through this and get my own command! Now, who is ready to run this course again. I’m pumped!” Melody shook her head. “There is no chance, in a million years, I’m running that course again today. I’ll watch, though, if you want to.” Strong didn’t say a word. He just went rigid once more in his ‘deceased pony’ pose. “Fine! Then who wants to go get ice cream? My treat.” “Oh, in that case, I’m suddenly un-deceased!” Strong said as he jumped up. Melody patted me on the head. “Yeah, let’s go do that. Then you need some rest. You should study tomorrow before going back to class on Monday.” “Yeah… I guess I should. It is pretty boring stuff, though. Don’t ever go to captain's school!” She snorted. “I doubt I ever will. In any event, you’ll be fine. Get your certificate and go back to work… later. For now, please buy me ice cream. I want three scoops! One chocolate, one vanilla, and one starberry.” My nose wrinkled. “It’s your ice cream, but I’ve never been a fan of starberries. They just aren’t my thing.” “Oh, live a little! They’re rare! Anyway, when you ask to lick my cone, I’m saying no.” She wiggled her eyebrows when she said it. Strong cleared his throat. “That would work better if you were a stallion.” I just giggled. It was so nice to be back home with the ponies I loved. This is where I belonged. I just needed to figure out how to get back. ☼ “Lieutenant Sunny Day,” Major Tom said. Dolly, Emerald Eyes, Pink Pearls, Melody, and Strong Wing started stomping their hooves. I walked to the head of the class and accepted the certificate. “Thank you, sir!” He chuckled and shook his head. “No, thank you. This class is pretty boring, and in all of the years I’ve been teaching it, I’ve never once had a student bring a cheering section.” I looked over my shoulder to where my friends had occupied the desks in the rear of the classroom. “Well, they insisted. They are big on graduations, you could say.” “And certificates!” Dolly called from the back. The major just laughed and waved a hoof towards the door. “Okay, great. You have it. Now get out of here. I’ve got a tee time and I just humored you on this because I thought it was cute.” “Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!” I replied before snapping to attention. He saluted smartly. “Dismissed!” We all trotted out together, a bounce in my step. “I can’t believe it! I’m done! I got my certificate and now I have two weeks' leave to enjoy.” Dolly bumped up against me and grinned. “Yes! Starting with a private party at the Mare Contraire for you and all of your friends!” “Woo! Yay, nepotism!” I shouted. Melody laughed and tugged on my tail. “It isn’t nepotism. She’d probably throw anypony that was her friend a party, right, Dolly?” “I would. Although we all know Sunny is a little special.” “Hey!” “Very special,” Emerald stated plainly. “Hey!” Strong looped a wing over my back. “That’s okay, Sunny. You’re special to me. After all, you’re the first pony that ever broke into my quarters.” “I did not!” “Get on the ground!” Melody shouted cheerfully. Everypony else flopped down right there in the middle of street! Most of the regular Canterlot ponies looked at us like we were crazy. I say most because some of them actually laid down, too. I laughed and waved a hoof. “Fine, fine! Get up. Come on, I want to go have a party.” Dolly grinned from ear to ear. "Oh, yes, the party! I've had Lollypop leading the committee and working all day on it.” My ear flicked. “Committee?” “Cherry, Garnet, and Mango.” That was slightly disturbing. I’d wondered where Lollypop was during my graduation. It made sense that Dolly would leave a senior employee at the bar, though, if they were setting up for an event. The worrying part was the names on the committee. Cherry was really sweet but sneaky, Garnet was really mischievous, and Mango was… well… intelligence-challenged. This was going to be an interesting party. When we got to the Mare Contraire, Dolly dove in front of me, her back to the door with her forehooves thrown wide. “Before we go in, I want to point out this is kind of a homecoming celebration. It isn’t just about your class. We haven’t seen you in a while and we’ve missed you. All of us. Even Emerald.” “Sure,” Emerald said noncommittally. Melody threw her hoof over my back. “I’ve missed you for sure. I think what Dolly is trying to say is don’t be overwhelmed. Right, Dolly?” “That’s right!” She dropped down onto her hooves again and levitated a blindfold out of her saddlebag. “Now, we can’t ruin the surprise.” It quickly went around my head, covering my eyes. “This is starting to feel like quite the presentation,” I quipped. “Hush and let me have this moment.” “Fine, fine.” Somepony took me by the hoof and gently tugged me forward. It was only a few seconds before I stopped feeling cobblestone and started feeling hardwood. The temperature had changed, too. Plus, there were a few giggles here and there around me. “Ready?” Dolly asked. “More than I’ve ever been for anything in my life.” Magic pulled the blindfold away, revealing that the bar was full of all the ponies that had meant so much to me since I’d been in Canterlot. Everypony from the graduation plus Diddle Daddle, Dilly Dally, Lollypop, Cherry, Garnet, Mango, Soarin, Peachy, Ms. Banana, and— “Oh, sweet Celestia!” I groaned while everypony started laughing. One of the bar’s walls was dominated by a huge version of my calendar photograph. There my rump was, bigger than two ponies with the words ‘Welcome Home’ written over it. In addition to the giant poster, there were tons of the photo, everywhere, in various sizes. Lollypop threw her hooves around my neck and squeezed me tight. “I hope you love it as much as I do, sweetie!” Professor Apple Polish trotted over, a martini floating behind her. “I see you’ve put that education to use, Sunny.” It took me a moment to take it all in. There were a lot of ponies here. I shook my head and grinned. “Oh, come on, ma’am, you always just sort of assumed it would end up this way.” She smiled and winked. “I did, but you’ve proven me wrong. I’m glad you can see this and laugh. If my flank was on a wall that big, I’d be livid.” She sipped her martini and then added, “It works for you, though. Congratulations on your class.” “Thank you, ma’am.” Dolly took me by the hoof and tugged me over to the bar. “Okay, let’s get a drink and then you’ll go mingle. There are a ton of ponies here to see you and you shouldn’t be rude… but I’m so excited, I want to show you something.” “There is more?” I asked. “Of course!” She planted me on a stool and then went around the bar. It only took Dolly a second to make me a sangria and her a strawberry martini. As she levitated the drink to me she also set an envelope on the counter. “And this is?” “Do you remember when you gave me all of your Las Pegasus bits and told me to take care of them?” “Yes?” She sipped her drink and then tapped the envelope. “I took care of them.” With my magic I accepted the drink while I opened the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper. There were numbers all over it. I blinked. “Dolly, I think this is wrong. It says 8,000 bits here. I only gave you six.” “Yes, you did. I invested them all in a couple of different companies. Eminence Enterprizes, Jet Ventures, Fuzzy Foundries, and Cloudsdale Steel Company… to name a few. They use your money to grow their operations and then pay you for that. I took those bits and invested them right back into the companies. “Things are going really well. Huge growth! So, now you own stocks worth 8,000 bits. You can sell them if you like or just keep them for now. You know, until you really need the bits. I imagine if you leave them there for another year or so you’ll get some more growth. Although not as much before. “I kind of got lucky. Fuzzy Foundries and Cloudsdale Steel Company just sort of took off.” “What does Fuzzy Foundries even make? I’ve never heard of them.” Dolly beamed. “Plush toys. They’re the biggest rage. Ponies can’t get enough of them. They also make a very limited supply of each one so the collectors’ market is going nuts. Anyway, you should go mingle now. I just wanted you to know that even if things don’t work out how you want with the guard you’re safe. And you can always come work here.” “You’re the best, Dolly, did you know that?” She winked. “I did, but it means a lot when you say it.” “You’re the best,” I repeated before taking my sangria with me to go mingle. There were a lot of ponies to see and I really wanted to catch up with Dilly and Diddle. Plus, Soarin was here, too, looking awfully fit. I wonder if I could get him and Diddle… or Dilly! Mmm. It was good to be back in Canterlot.