• Published 4th Jan 2016
  • 3,787 Views, 781 Comments

Sunny's Days - Anzel



Sunny enjoys an easy life of fun in the sun and even more fun in the sheets. All she wants to do is have a good time, but the universe has other plans in mind for her.

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10. To The Beyond

Dolly just stared at me, her forehooves crossed.

“What?” I asked.

“You put in all of that extra effort and you didn’t go!”

“No! They’ll mail the thing to me. Who cares about some ceremony?”

The older mare huffed. “Me! You! Maybe your mother? Your teachers? You should have gone! What did you do instead?”

“Soarin, six times. Consequently, I’m going to be making fizzy drinks sitting down tonight,” I said with a grin.

Lollypop burst out laughing from further down the bar, at least until Emerald elbowed her.

“Well… fine. That is your right, but I think you should have been there. It was very nice.”

I blinked. “Wait, you went?”

Dolly glared at me. “Of course I did! Do you honestly believe I’d miss your graduation? I was so proud when they called your name. Did you even let your mom know?”

Idly, I rubbed my hooves together. She had gone. Dolly had gone to watch me walk across the stage. “Uh… no?”

“No? No! Sunny Day!”

“I’m sorry, Dolly! I didn’t know it meant so much to you. It just didn’t to me. I did the work, I felt good about it, and I went out with Soarin to celebrate. If I’d known you were going I’d have gone, I promise! Plus I was going to write Mom. I just… you know… stuff.”

Dolly sighed and shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have just assumed you’d go. I was going to surprise you. Write your mother, though! Anyway, I got you a gift.” She levitated a little box over to me.

I accepted it, feeling a little guilty. Carefully, I unwrapped it and pulled the top off. It was a simple bottle opener. “Okay, this is nice, but I don’t drink beer.”

Her eyes rolled. “Think about it a minute.”

Bottle opener. Bottle openers open bottles. I didn’t drink from bottles. So I’d be opening other bottles? Whose bottles? Oh. Oh? Oh! “Dolly!”

“Yes, exactly. I’ve seen how much time you’ve put in shadowing Pink Pearls and working with Emerald. In fact, Emerald said—”

“That she probably wouldn’t be the worst choice,” Emerald cut in.

“Well… yeah, that is what she said, but I was going to flower it up. Congratulations, you’re now the sodajerk and a junior bartender. We’ve got to send you to bartender school now, though.”

“Yay! Wait… why am I still the sodajerk?”

Emerald sighed. “Because you make the best fizzy drinks. The feedback has been great since you took over. We don’t want to mess that up.”

Dolly nodded. “Sales are up eight percent. Mares like your fizzy drinks, or your rump. Either way, I don’t care, you’re bringing in more bits.”

“Oh my goodness, this is amazing!” I hugged Emerald and then I hugged Dolly. Then I hugged the soda fountain because it deserved love, too. “Do I get a raise?”

“Always about the bits with you,” Dolly said in a teasing tone.

“I learned it from watching you!” I replied.

Dolly laughed and nodded. “Alright, come on, let’s go in my office and negotiate. I’ll make sure my lap is free.”

“Alrighty!” I replied.

As we trotted back, Emerald called, “Wait… what did you just say? What kind of place is this!”

Melody and I trotted side by side through Canterlot on the way to see Mrs. Peaches. Life was good! I was going to start bartender school, my friend was healthy, and I was seeing a stallion on the regular. It was almost magical.

Of course, the reason for that was because I was hearing Melody sing for the first time. She had the most elegant and clear voice I’d ever heard. She could have been famous! She should have been famous!

Why do stars fall from the sky, every time you trot by?

On the day you were born, Celestia intervened,

And decided to create a dream.

That is why all the mares in town, follow you around” Melody sang to me, trying not to grin too much.

I snorted and teasingly pushed her. “Are you wooing me?”

“No! I just like to sing love songs and it seemed appropriate.”

“How so?”

Melody’s ears wiggled and she grinned. “All the mares follow you around. The stallions, too! Come on, Sunny, look at you!”

“You rhymed that on purpose!”

“We’re here. Oh, look, there is Peachy! Hi, Peachy!”

Peachy was out front sweeping. She looked up when we approached but her smile was forced. “Hi, girls.”

“Hi, is everything okay?” I asked.

“Well, why don’t you two come inside, alright?” Peachy led us in and motioned to the little couch before sitting in the rocking chair.

Mrs. Peaches’s bedroom door was closed. Was she still sick?

Melody seemed to have the same thought. “Peachy, is your mother still ill?”

Peachy took a soft breath and set her forehooves on her knees. She rocked forwards towards us. “Girl, I know you really love my mother. She certainly loves you. It’s just… well…” Her hoof came up to wipe her eyes. “The cold just kept getting worse. We took her to the hospital but the doctor told us it was just her time.”

Her time? “What? What do you mean?”

Melody’s hoof found mine and squeezed. “Peachy, I’m so sorry,” Melody whispered.

“It’s okay. She went really peacefully. Now she’s back with Dad.”

No. Mrs. Peaches can’t be gone. Peaceful? What pony goes peaceful? I squeezed Melody’s hoof and tears filled my eyes. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want to say something stupid. My mouth clamped shut.

“Is there anything we can do? Our program has great grief counselors. I could get you and the family some literature or go with you if you prefer. I’d be honored to go with you. I loved your mother like my own,” Melody said, her voice even and calm. How could she be calm?

Tears were streaking my cheeks and I had to keep blinking so I could see. I’d never had a friend die before.

Peachy stood up and got a box of tissues. She brought it over and gently set it in my lap. “It’s going to be okay, sweetie.”

I just nodded at Peachy as I took the tissues and started wiping my eyes and nose.

She then looked to Melody. “I’d like that, although we’re going to be taking her home to be with Dad. Do you think you have counselors outside of Canterlot?”

“We do, we have them all over the kingdom, and I’ll go anywhere I need to. You just let me know.”

“Thank you, Melody. You’ve been a good friend to Mom. You, too, Sunny. Why don’t you two stay a while anyway today? I could use the company and help. I need to get everything cleaned up so we can start packing.”

Melody let my hoof go and stood. She nosed my cheek. “Of course. Let me help you.”

I’d help, too. I would. If my hooves worked. Mrs. Peaches… I’d miss you. I didn’t even get to say goodbye.

Melody was a rock. She was strong and brave. She’d helped Peachy and then she’d gotten me to the Mare Contraire. I hadn’t done anything but sit on the couch and try to cry with some dignity. I didn’t want to upset Peachy. Mrs. Peaches was her mom, after all, not mine.

Dolly had sat and listened as Melody explained everything. “And Sunny pretty much hasn’t said a word since. I thought it would be better to bring her here than take her home.”

“She’s never lost anypony before,” Dolly said before coming over and stroking my mane.

“I gathered. She did well though, she kept it together in front of Peachy,” Melody replied.

“Assuming she hasn’t shut off.”

“I can hear you,” I said softly.

Dolly nuzzled into my mane. “I’m sorry, sweetie. You’ve had a rough day.”

“I didn’t get to say goodbye! She was just a little sick. A little sick! And now she’s d… d… gone!”

Melody nodded. “Sometimes it happens like that, Sunny. As much as it pains me to say, it happens often in our program. I don’t know why I didn’t think to prepare you for that. I’m really sorry.”

I sniffled. Dolly wiped my nose with a tissue and I looked up at her in shock. Her nose wrinkled and she wiped again.

“It’s okay, Melody. I just wasn’t ready. I’ll try to be ready next time,” I whispered.

“Next time? You’re going to stick with it?” Melody asked.

“Of course she is,” Dolly said.

“Yes, I still want to do good. Mrs. Peaches never quit anything in her life. Why should I?”

Melody smiled brightly. “Good! Do you want to help me with the grief counselors?”

My head quickly shook and I choked up again.

Dolly looped her hooves around me. “Maybe next time, Melody. One step at a time for her?”

“Okay, I at least wanted to offer. I should go get that started and let Strong know. I’ll see you later, Sunny. Thanks, Dolly.”

“You’re welcome. Give my regards to the family.”

“Will do.”

Once Melody was gone, Dolly just held me. She nuzzled me against her and sighed. “Who knew having a filly would be so much work.”

My hooves linked behind her back and held on tight. “Should have seen me in prep school,” I stammered.

“I’m sure you were quite a hoofful. Anything I can do for you?”

“Just hold me until you have to open? Mortality is not fun.”

“It is supposed to make you appreciate the day more. We only get so much time.”

I squeezed her. “Don’t go anywhere.”

Dolly softly gasped and squeezed me back. “I’m not going anywhere anytime soon, Sunny, I promise.”

I just nodded and held onto her. It was a promise she’d better keep! Her and Mom. I needed to write my mom. I needed to visit her. It had been too long and we only got so much time. How was Dolly so smart?

Soarin softly poked my cheek with a hoof. “Hello? Hello?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you alright? You seem sad.”

I looped my hooves around him and nestled up against his chest. He had a broad, toned chest. It was lovely. “Yeah… the mare I visited for my volunteer program passed suddenly. I’m missing her.”

His hooves settled to my back and started to softly stroke. “I’m so sorry to hear that. Do you want to talk about it?”

I wiggled my way a bit higher and peered into his green eyes. “Talk?”

“Yes, you know, flap your lips? Make sounds? Things of that nature?”

We hadn’t ever done much talking. Moaning, grunting, huffing, and stuff… but not talking! “I don’t want to spoil the mood or burden you.”

Soarin snorted. “You won’t! We can talk like normal ponies. We can be friends and lovers, you know.”

Lovers. He was so cute! He’d been calling me that because he had no other idea of what to say. “Really?”

“Yes, really! I know you think I’m a huge, handsome stud with endless stamina but I also have a mind,” he teased.

“Well, alright then. I didn’t expect Mrs. Peaches to just leave without saying goodbye. Then I got worried. If she could leave then Dolly could leave, too. Or my mom. And then I got scared. What if they both left? Who would I have? What if something happened to Melody or Diddle? How can we just go about our lives knowing things could happen?

“Dolly says it is normal to be scared of mortality but I’m kind of stuck on it. Do you ever think about stuff like this?”

Soarin shrugged. “A little. Mostly I think about getting hurt.”

My head tilted. “Why?”

“If I get hurt, it could mean I’ll never get to be a Wonderbolt. It is super competitive and even if you recover from an injury, you might not be back like you were before. So that is mortality, too, right?”

It was. A different kind, but I got what he meant. Something could happen and change his life completely. “Yeah… well… Melody got hurt and now she is back and strong. So maybe you could get hurt and keep going? You have the work ethic.”

Soarin nodded. “True… and aren’t all of those ponies half the age of Mrs. Peaches, anyway? Shouldn’t they be able to stay for a long time?”

“Well yeah… but I mean, it could happen.”

He shrugged and smiled. “It could. We could also be abducted by evil creatures that live between the stars. I don’t expect to be anytime soon though.”

I snorted. “Oh, come on! Those things aren’t real.”

“Could be! You don’t know.”

“I do too! Princess Celestia would never allow that. Besides, I’d just zap them.”

Soarin squeezed me a little tighter and rubbed his cheek to mine. “Then I feel safer.”

“Me, too… thanks. Can we just cuddle tonight? Instead of… you know.”

“Of course. I like cuddling, too.”

“You’re a good friend, lover,” I teased.

His face turned bright red in embarrassment and I started cackling.

Lollypop sat on the other side of the bar with her chin on her hoof. “What did I say?”

“Two pours only,” I replied.

“What did you do?”

“Three pours.”

“Why did you do three?”

“Because you’re hot.”

Lollypop sighed and rolled her eyes. “Thank you, but do it right. This isn’t a joke. Do you do three pours in class?”

I shook my head. “Nope! I do exactly what Lemon Twist tells me to do.”

“Then why are you doing three pours here! Why don’t you listen to me?”

“Because you’re hot.”

The mare threw her hooves up and hopped off the stool. “Dolly! This filly is impossible. Pearls is going to have to teach her.”

Dolly softly laughed from her spot down the bar where she was prepping for the evening. “Pearls is just out of the junior bartender role. It has to be you or Emerald. Besides, she’s just doing that because you’re reacting to it. Sunny’s a kid.”

“I am not! I’m a semi-responsible, semi-adult pony that likes to see Lollypop turn red!”

“Like I said, a kid. Come on, Sunny, she’s helping you. Do it right.”

I nodded. “Fine… I’d do it right if we were practicing with real stuff. This is just colored water.”

Lollypop peered at me. “It doesn’t matter! Do it right so it becomes muscle memory. Now, make me a cosmarepolitan.”

“Yes, ma’am!” I replied before saluting. Then I went to it. First, two pours of regular water. That was the good stuff. Then a single pour of orange water. A tiny bit of lemon juice. A splash of cranberry. Shake it all up with ice cubes, strain it, and garnish with an orange slice.

“Here you are, ma’am!” I offered it to her.

“Very good. You did it right this time. Now, do you think you can make a real one for me? I need it after dealing with you.”

My nose wrinkled up and I started to giggle. It was fun to push Lollypop’s buttons. Of course, if I was going to use real alcohol I was going to be very serious. “I can. Should I?”

“Go ahead, then,” Lollypop replied.

As she did, Emerald Eyes and Dolly came over to watch. Pearls did, too. In fact, everypony stopped what they were doing to look.

I looked between them all. “Uh… what is this all about?”

Lollypop grinned. “Make the drink. Go on.”

They were all staring at me. Why were they all staring? That was throwing my groove off. Okay, here we go. Two pours of vodka, one of orange liquor, then the lemon juice, and finally a splash of cranberry. Shake, shake, shake. Strain and garnish with an orange slice!

Ha! That will show them. Trying to throw me off. I levitated the glass to Lollypop. “Here you go, hottie.”

Lollypop accepted and took a sip. There was no reaction. She passed it to Dolly who tried it. Then it went to Emerald. The three of them turned to me.

“Well?” I asked.

“Little too much lemon juice,” Lollypop said.

“You forgot to shake it with ice,” Emerald added.

Dolly smiled and patted me on the back. “Not bad for your first try. Keep it up, filly, and you’ll be just fine. Although it is about time to open so get back to your fizzy drinks. Alright, girls! It is show time. Let’s get to it!”

The others started to go back to their spots. I can’t believe I’d let them rattle me. Of course you shake it with ice! That was so basic. It was fine, though. This was just one of those little hazings they did. Next time I’d do it better.

Pink Pearls unlocked the door and mares wandered in. There were usually a few early birds that were there right when we opened. Typically the older mares that preferred a quieter bar and not staying up super late. That was, in general, the early crowd…

And Melody. Evidently Melody had been waiting outside. She came over to the bar and smiled at me. “Hello there.”

“Well, hello. What can I get you?”

“Starberry fizzy, please.”

“Yes, ma’am, one starberry coming right up!

While I made her drink, I asked, “What brings you out this afternoon?”

“Oh, you know, mare watching. Plus there is this cute bartender I hang out with that I like to see. I know she had a rough time recently and it seemed wise to check on her. After all, she checked on me when I was hurt.”

“That is awfully sweet of you,” I replied before floating her drink to her.

“So, how are you?” Melody asked.

“I’m okay. It just surprised me. I’ll be fine. My focus is on my school right now. I want to be a good bartender.”

“Junior bartender,” Lollypop cut in before turning back to what she was doing.

With my magic, I levitated a bit of ice and pressed it against the back of her neck. When she squealed in surprise and turned to glare at me, I glared right back at her. “Private conversation! Anyway… I’m doing alright.”

“Good. Me, too… but I thought we should do something fun to take our minds off of it. Plus you’ve been working really hard. Do you think you could get a weekend off?”

“A weekend?” I asked. That was when we made the most bits.

“Oh, I’m sure she can take one weekend off. What did you have in mind?” Dolly asked, suddenly beside me.

I huffed. “What part of private conversation do you mares not understand!”

Dolly slipped a hoof over my mouth. “Don’t mind her, Melody. She thinks she has rights or something.”

Melody laughed and just shook her head. “Camping. Strong Wing and I both love camping. We thought we’d grab some tents and head a bit north. Things are pretty rugged and natural up there.”

Dolly started snickering. “Sunny, camping? Like, away from beds and walls?”

I pushed Dolly’s hoof off my mouth. “I can do it! I’d love to go camping with you, Melody. I don’t have any camping stuff, though. Is that okay?”

Melody looked from Dolly to me and back before shaking her head. “No, we’ve got plenty of gear. Assuming you really want to go. You’ve never been camping?”

“Nope! I’ve barely been outside of the city since I moved here. I can do it, though! Even if someponies are doubting me.” I glared at Dolly.

She just giggled and waved a hoof. “Good luck, filly. Consider the time off approved. I’ll be super interested in seeing how this goes.”

I stuck my tongue out at her and then turned back to Melody. “Then consider me in.”

“Good! We’ll pick you up on Friday. Maybe see if you want to bring that stallion of yours? I still need to make sure he isn’t sketchy.”

Soarin? Sketchy? Silly Melody, he was a colt scout! “I’ll ask. He’ll probably be too busy but I’ll ask. Yay, we’re going camping!”

We were going to go camping! Wait… was I going to like camping? Like, we’d be outdoors in tents and stuff. Away from the city. Oh, great. Well, I’m sure it would be fine with Melody.

Author's Note:

If you are enjoying this story, please consider taking a look at Crystal and my's website QuillnBlade.com for extra content such as mini stories, an Ask Us form to submit questions, responses to said questions, and special rewards for the awesome folks who support our Patreon.