Star Overhead

by Closer-To-The-Sun

Chapter 2: Halls

As she entered the library, Smolder took extra care to make sure that the door didn’t slam loudly as it closed. After gently assisting with it closing, she went up to the front desk with her library books in her claws. She dropped them off and thanked the librarian. As Smolder turned to head out, a familiar pony sitting by himself caught her eye.

“Now this isn’t a place I wasn’t expecting to find you,” Smolder jested as he was within earshot of a library voice.

Looking up from his sketchbook, Sandbar replied, “I could say the exact same thing to you, Smolder. What brings you here?” He had a welcoming and pleasant smile at seeing his friend.

“Returning books I had to check out about our science assignment about comets,” Smolder pointed over her shoulder to the front desk, “It’s my own fault for not paying attention when Professor Fluttershy wasn’t talking about all that stuff.”

“Why didn’t you just ask Silverstream for the notes?” Sandbar asked as he resumed his sketching. He paused for a moment to look back at the dragon to see her an expression of disbelief. “You know what, scratch that.” Both of them softly chuckled to themselves.

Smolder’s gaze went down to Sandbar’s sketchbook, “So, what is our resident artist up to today?” She slid the sketchbook toward her to get a better look. On the page, there was the scene that was right in front of Sandbar: a pair of stools and the table with lamps and a couple of books in a small stack.

“Hey, don’t just take it like that!” the earth pony protested with a hushed volume.

“Huh, and here I thought you were gonna draw something interesting,” Smolder commented with a hint of disappointment.

Sandbar took his sketchbook back and set it back down on the table, “I’ve been trying to work on details for my next assignment. Professor Pinkie Pie wants the next assignment to be about close ups and details on a singular object. I’ve been having a bit of a struggle with choosing what to draw.”

Smolder took the seat next to him, “Well, what subjects did she say were allowed?”

“It’s Professor Pinkie. She said, and I quote, ‘anything and everything can be your subject’,” Sandbar’s words were tired, almost as if the Professor’s words had been extremely unhelpful.

“That narrows it down,” the dragon commented sarcastically.

The pony couldn’t help but smile at Smolder’s statement. He stretched his front limbs out as he looked back down at his sketchbook, “Yeah, I got nothing. But I do appreciate you coming by and interrupting me.”

“What?” Smolder suddenly became defensive and annoyed.

“No no, I don’t mean it like that! I just got a serious case art block right now,” Sandbar quickly insisted before he smiled, “and it’s nice to have a friend to stop by and say hi so I can take a little break.”

Smolder still felt a bit defensive about what she thought Sandbar meant, but his smile shined so brightly that it caused the dragon’s expression to drop and catch her off guard. Without realizing it, Smolder had a small smile on her own face. “You know what, you need a better break than this.”

Sandbar was puzzled, “Huh?”

The dragon stood up and forced Sandbar up to his hooves as well, “Classes are done for the day, so let’s head into Ponyville so you can relax and take a load off. Who knows, maybe you’ll find your inspiration out there!”

“I guess I could take a break. I do still have some time before this assignment is due.”

The two friends exited the library and made their way to Ponyville. The evening was just beginning as the sun began to set in the distance. This allowed for the comet to become more visible in the darkening sky above, showing off it’s wonder to the entire population of Equestria below. Their destination was the popular bar known as The Salt Lick. The bar was fairly busy, filled with patrons from all over Ponyville, chatting with their comrades about their day.

“Ahh! That’s what I’m talking about! A nice, cold cider!” Smolder said with a big smile as she set her mug back down on the bar counter.

“I never knew you were a fan of cider,” Sandbar commented as he pulled out his sketchbook from his saddlebag.

“Are you kidding?” Smolder turned to look at her pony friend, “Ever since Professor Applejack wouldn’t shut up about how her family makes the best cider ever, I had to give it a try and I’ve been hooked ever since.” The dragon spun around on her stool once before stopping herself at the same spot as where she started.

Sandbar chuckled, “Yeah, the Apple family have always been bragging about their cider. To be fair, they earned that right, it’s good stuff.” The pony flipped the sketchbook open to a blank page and took the pencil to the parchment.

The dragon noticed this happening, “You’re actually gonna draw here?”

“Yeah,” he replied as the pencil moved across the page, “gotta find that thing for me to draw and turn in, ya know?”

Smolder took another drink of her mug of cider, finishing it off, “Come on, take a break. Forget about your assignments and art for a moment. Take a load off.” Her mug clanged as it was set back down.

He didn’t reply, instead it seemed he was already hard at work for his newest drawing.

A slightly annoyed expression appeared on Smolder’s face. She then looked to see his mug of cider on the bar, untouched. “Well, if you aren’t gonna drink it, I’ll take it!” Smolder reached and picked up Sandbar’s cider and started to take a sip.

“Huh?” Sandbar looked up to see Smolder’s claw steal away his mug, “Hey, wait!”

She lowered the mug slightly, “Oh, so you are in there!” Smolder then raised it back up to continue drinking.

Sandbar gave an annoyed look paired with a grunt to his dragon friend. However, instead of saying anything, he slid Smolder’s empty mug to where his mug previously was. He then turned his attention back to his drawing.

Curious, Smolder leaned over her seat to get a closer look at what Sandbar was drawing. “Wait, you’re drawing the mug?” she was perplexed.

The pony nodded, “I told you, I need to find something to draw and focus upon the details.”

Upon a closer look, Smolder noticed that, while he had just started, Sandbar was already focusing on the up-and-close details of the mug.

“Whoa….you work fast….” Smolder was in awe.

“Practice,” Sandbar looked up and smirked.

“Ha, I can tell,” Smolder commented. She paused for a moment before asking a question, “If you don’t mind me asking, why did you start drawing? I remember you saying you’ve been drawing since forever, but skill like this must have come from some sort of drive.”

Sandbar lifted the pencil off the page and set it down. He then thought for a moment before answering, “I think it was when I really started reading comics on a daily basis. I remember my dad shared his old comics like Jock Kirby’s New Deities and Forever Ponies with me and then got me my first comic for Spider-Stallion. Ever since then, I wanted to draw just like that, and bring those characters and their adventures to life. I can’t tell you how many times I almost destroyed a comic when it came to tracing a character to the point of getting used to their bodies, the action poses, and all of those fights. Anyway, it’s a bit of a hobby more than anything, but it’s something I still enjoy,” the pony laughed slightly as he continued, “I mean, you’ve seen how many comics I keep in my dorm.”

“That’s really cool though! I wish I could draw half that good,” Smolder said.

“A little practice every so often works wonders. You should see how bad I was when I first started,” Sandbar laughed. “Any creature can draw.”

The two continued to talk and drink as the night continued on. They mostly talked about school, their friends, and whatever came to mind as Sandbar continued to draw, mostly whatever Smolder tried to get him to sketch. Eventually, the two paid their tab and began to head back to the school.

“Alright, let’s head home,” Smolder spoke as she stumbled out of the bar and into the night.

Sandbar was close behind, “You alright, Smolder?”

The dragon almost lost her balance as she simply turned to respond, “I’m fine, I’m totally fine….” Her words didn’t match her stance, as she fell right on her bottom on the ground.

Sandbar tried his best not to laugh as he raised a hoof up to his mouth. “Do you,” he paused to snicker for a moment before he offered a hoof, “do you need some help?”

Smolder took the hoof to help herself up, “Okay, maybe I’m a little tipsy.” She was using the pony’s offered hoof as a support to keep her on her legs.

“Come on, jump on my back, I’ll carry ya back to the campus,” Sandbar motioned to the dragon to hop on his back.

“Really? You’re okay with that?”

“Yeah, as long as you don’t pull too hard on my mane,” Sandbar joked. “Besides, It’s not like I’m gonna just leave you here to fend for yourself for you to stagger back.”

Smolder smiled, “Thanks, Sandbar.” Her words were a bit slurry as she tried her best to climb onto Sandbar’s back. It took work and a lot of conversation on both their parts for Smolder to be properly seated upon the pony’s back. She rested right on top of the bridge of the pony’s saddlebag.

“Now grab on to part of my mane and keep your balance, alright?” Sandbar instructed. He quickly regretted what he said, as there was a sudden tug at his head, “Easy! You’re holding on to keep your balance, not pulling weeds out of the garden!”

With Smolder easing her hold on Sandbar, the pony began to slowly trot with the dragon upon his back.

“Huh, so this is what it’s like to ride on a pony,” Smolder said, still trying her best to keep her equilibrium and not sway to one side or the other, “gotta say, I could get used to this.”

Sandbar didn’t seem to think the snarky comment was funny, “Don’t get used to it. I’d give just about anything for those wings of yours.”

“Hey, wings don’t exactly mean much if you’re too wasted to fly!” Smolder laughed loudly. Her body shifted its weight, causing Sandbar to sway a bit in his trotting.

“Careful back there!” Sandbar called out, but he was replied with only another laugh from Smolder.

Settling down a bit, Smolder turned her attention upwards to the night sky. It was a cloudless night, which made it perfect for viewing the comet that was passing by. “That comet is kinda cool, huh?” Smolder said with marvelment at the celestial object.

Sandbar turned to look up at the comet as well. He was only able to pay some attention to it, as he was carrying an intoxicated dragon on his back, but he still marveled at it. The object looked like a large star that was slowly racing across the sky, leaving a trail of stardust in its wake. “It’s absolutely brilliant,” he remarked.

“In one of those books I read for class, it was said that comets signified some big stuff that’s about to happen. Like a big battle or something,” Smolder recounted as she slurred her words a little, “Do you think some sort of big battle is gonna happen?”

“Other than your hangover in the morning, I don’t think so,” Sandbar snarked with a laugh.

“Hey, I didn’t drink that much!” the dragon protested.

“But just enough for me to have to carry you back to the dorms!”

Smolder stuck her tongue out, “I haven’t vomited yet, so I count this as a win!”

“Don’t you dare throw up!”

Both continued to playfully give each other verbal jabs as Sandbar trotted them both back. Finally, Sandbar had taken them both to the dormitories on the campus. With Smolder still on his back, he took her to the hallway that housed her dorm.

“Last stop, Silverstream and Smolder’s dormitory. This is the end of the line,” Sandbar mimicked the voice of a train conductor, “All passengers, please disembark here.”

“End of the line? I thought this was the express to the Dragonlands,” Smolder said with a smirk. Her entire body leaned forward onto Sandbar’s body, as if she was lounging on the pony.

“Sorry, that only runs on the weekends,” Sandbar joked as he offered a hoof for Smolder to use as a support to dismount.

The dragon sat up and placed one of her claws on his hoof, which allowed her to get both of her legs onto the floor. However, after having both of her legs on the floor and letting go of Sandbar’s hoof, she immediately lost her equilibrium. Smolder fell backwards towards the wall that was right behind her. Quickly, Sandbar moved to help support her.

“Whoa, Smolder! Are you okay?” he asked, helping her to keep standing.

With a dazed smile, Smolder nodded, “I’m fine, I’m fine. Just a little dizzy, is all.” With her back pressed up against the wall, the dragon slowly slid down until she was seated on the floor, the wall against her back.

“Do you need help getting up and into your dorm?” Sandbar asked, his tone and face both expressing concern.

Again, her face had a drunken smile to it, “I’m good. I’m just gonna sit here for a while.” She looked up at the pony and invited, “Sit with me, Sandbar!”

A few thoughts raced through Sandbar’s mind at Smolder’s words, but after a bit of confusion, he took his saddlebag off and sat down next to his friend. “Alright.”

Immediately after Sandbar sat next to her, Smolder leaned her body and her whole weight onto the pony. “Thanks, I needed you to support my body,” she said with a laugh.

Sandbar was a bit shaken up by the sudden weight that was thrusted upon him by the dragon. Her head rested upon his left shoulder blade while the rest of her body leaned up against his own. Her orange scales felt smooth and cool to the touch, which must be due to the fact it was a cool night that blanketed Ponyville. “What?” was all Sandbar could muster in his surprise.

Smolder’s eyes were closed as she spoke, “It was getting heavy.”

“This can’t be all that comfortable for you.”

A soft shrug came from Smolder, which Sandbar felt. “I don’t know, it’s actually pretty nice. And your body heat and coat is warming up. So, it’s a win-win.”

A snicker came from Sandbar as he shook his head, “You are so wasted.”

“And proud of it!”

Sandbar had a few things he wanted to say in response to Smolder’s boastful comment. But as he looked at the peaceful-looking dragon, a small smile appeared on his face. “Just a few more minutes, then you should go inside your dorm. Deal?”

“Deal,” Smolder agreed.

The pony reached for his saddlebag and carefully pulled out his sketchbook as not to disturb the resting dragon. Opening it up, he began to start on a new sketch. Next to him, Smolder began to drift off into a light sleep with a content smile on her face.

Comments

[Yoshifan30]

Aww this is a sweet chapter i really like how they are so helpful with each other like how smolder telling him to take a break and sandbar is Offering smolder ride on his back after drinking to much of the Apple cider Which she needs to take an easy on next time lol and I like the talk between them I really like this so far cant wait for the next chapter