Looking Out For A Friend
March 18, 2021
Dear Diary,
My name is Hitch. This is my first entry. Sunny suggested that I keep a diary. I don’t know why. She doesn’t have one, and I don’t know how to write these. But, I’ll try for her sake. So…about me. I’m the sheriff of Maretime Bay and Sunny’s best friend, in fact…I’m her only friend.
Sunny…she’s always so optimistic that she can change things here in Maretime Bay, make everypony get along, and prove a point to our system, which is inherently Earth Pony-centric.
I don’t know what the other races are like. I’ve never seen them. But from what I heard about them…I feel Sunny is going to get herself either killed or something much worse should she keep this up. She’s my only real friend here in this town and I’m all she’s got. I don’t think she truly understands how dangerous this world really is.
I don’t know why I’m talking about this now. I feel like a first entry should be more optimistic. But…I have to get this off my chest, so…here it goes.
So, I guess I should start at the beginning, huh? Well, I met Sunny in history class. I think it was like, fourth grade? Well, it was like something clicked between us. I understood her and she understood me. We became best friends quite quickly. Right away, I realized that she was different than the other ponies. Mom told me that was a red flag, but I didn’t listen. She would oftentimes call the teacher out for “inaccurate information,” something the teacher and whole class except me laughed at her for. I stuck up for her one day, and that’s where this whole adventure really took off.
We hung out a lot. Play dates were common on Fridays. She tended to talk a lot about how we Earth Ponies used to be friends with Unicorns and Pegasi! Well, at first I didn’t believe her. I still don’t to a degree, but I guess I’ve heard it so much that I’m open to having my mind changed. Later, I realized that was in part due to her father, Argyle Starshine. I met him on our first play date and he seemed very nice. He left a great impression on me. Thinking about him now is hard. Sunny doesn’t like talking about how he died, so I don’t press. But I do know he must’ve taught her a few things. I have to admit I do like her optimism sometimes.
Sprout joined our friend group in fifth grade. He’s the son of the CEO of Canterlogic Phyllis Cloverleaf. He’s my deputy now, but he didn’t start out that way, of course. It was great to have someone balance out Sunny’s antics, but I always found him a little too arrogant. Especially considering the way he talked to Sunny sometimes during our games.
Oftentimes, we would re-enact different adventures with Sunny’s figurines. She would lead the game and we would play it her way…most of the time. See, Sprout usually stepped in to correct Sunny as she often didn’t get our history right. I obviously didn’t care about historical accuracy. I just loved playing with her. She’s just so imaginative and I often found myself immersed in the world she created. If these things actually happened, I’d be all for learning more about it.
As we grew older, we stopped hanging out. Sprout grew closer to Phyllis, and Sunny began to take up a life of activism. That was where the trouble started. It’s not like we didn’t want to hang out. Sunny wanted to continue our play dates, but Sprout was continuously unavailable. I guess it was because he was denied the position of sheriff by my father, who risked the anger of Canterlogic to give the position to me. My father was the current sheriff. He and Phyllis cut ties later on.
Sunny began to take things to more extreme levels. She’s a flawless idealist, but starring three years ago, she began to…break some laws in order to get her point across. Every year, she would sneak into Canterlogic and give these…speeches about unity and friendships with Unicorns and Pegasi. I have to admit…I found myself strangely intrigued. Nonetheless, I had to escort her out. I regret that I never could tell her off. I still can’t. She truly believes that she’s making a difference.
How could I tell her no?
The first time, Sprout and I were unprepared. He settled for the position of deputy, but he would always carry some sort of resentment towards me for becoming sheriff and not him. He thinks I don’t notice it, but I do. The second time, though, we were ready. Every year on March 19th, we had one job. That was keeping Sunny out. But everyday, she would keep sneaking in. I still don’t know how she does it, but she does. And every time, I have to keep escorting her out! Sprout keeps telling me that I should cut ties with her, but I just can’t. He just doesn’t know her like I do.
But it was not just Canterlogic. Sometimes it would be hijacking television broadcasts during Hearth’s Warming Eve to share her impassioned message. Or ripping down movie posters or billboards that showed in her words “incorrect stereotypes” of the other ponies. Or breaking into a kindergarten class every Monday to give a speech to the fillies and colts.
I still admire her commitment. Not even I could be that passionate about something I love. But I don’t think she realizes that in her methods to get her points across, she’s alienating other ponies more than she is getting them to listen to her. I love Sunny. We’re the closest of friends, and I wish I could see her world, a world where Earth Ponies live in harmony with Unicorns and Pegasi. I know this isn’t a game to her. She truly believes what she’s preaching. But I don’t know where all this certainty comes from. Sure, Argyle taught her since birth about supposedly “real history.” But what proof does she have? What proof did Argyle have? Did Sunny meet either one of the other two races? Is there a Unicorn living at her house? How does she know for certain? We’ve been taught all our lives that Unicorns and Pegasi were evil and bloodthirsty. But Sunny doesn’t believe that. Why?
What does she know that all of us in Maretime Bay don’t?
I don’t think I can keep dismissing all these complaints and charges brought up by the citizens of Maretime Bay to protect Sunny, no matter how close we are. I know I have to put my hoof down and tell her that “This has to stop.” But can I enforce the law on my own best friend? I don’t want to arrest her. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve disciplined Sprout for even suggesting such a thing. But he’s right. I have to put my responsibility to the town first, no matter how much it hurts. I have to take my position as sheriff and bring the law down on Sunny no matter much it hurts.
Tomorrow is the annual presentation of Canterlogic. Sunny will try to sneak in again, but Sprout and I will be ready once more to foil her plans. And should it come to it…I’ll make the call, even if it ends our friendship for the rest of eternity.
I just hope Sunny will forgive me. Come to think of it, she is right about one thing: Keeping a diary is very helpful. I actually feel a bit better now that I’ve written all of this. Maybe after this is over, I’ll keep writing. It’s good for me in the long run.
Sincerely,
Hitch