A Cold Nightmare
With equal parts anxiety and hope, Hitch Trailblazer got into his bedroll near Sunny and her new friends.
Tomorrow they’d be off to get the Unicorn Crystal and potentially put everyone he’s ever cared about in danger. There’s no way Sunny could know that the magic users and weather controllers wouldn’t try to take over Maretime Bay if given the chance.
Hitch had agreed to go along with Sunny’s plan for now, if only because these ponies didn’t seem like a threat. In fact, they all seemed pretty great, but a sheriff like him couldn’t admit that to the enemy. Following everypony would give him a chance to see what the unicorn stronghold was like and would ensure Sunny didn’t try to run off before he brought her home. Plus, as much as he hated to admit it, Hitch knew that he couldn’t take his oldest friend home against her will. Whether it was because she had four ponies backing her up or because of his own soft-heartedness, he didn’t know.
The escape from Zephyr Heights left Hitch unable to entertain his worries any longer. With his thoughts still racing, he let sleep take him.
***
After getting the Unicorn Crystal, Sunny prepared to join it with its pegasus counterpart. Hitch held his breath, a part of him hoping his friend would succeed. Sunny wanted so badly to prove her father right, and these past couple days, she seemed to have a spark in her that Hitch thought died with Argyle.
The click of the gems resonated loud enough for the five ponies to all hear, but then… nothing.
“It- it didn’t work,” Sunny announced with devastated resignation.
“It’s okay,” Hitch reassured his friend. “You did everything you could.”
“I- I thought it would work. I was so, so sure of it.”
With tears in her eyes, Sunny said goodbye to her new friends, and they all parted ways.
***
“Three cheers for the sheriff!”
All the ponies of Maretime Bay gathered to welcome Hitch back. Sprout tried to hide the panic and relief in his voice when he described his short tenure in Hitch’s role.
The ponies had apparently set up a welcome-back party to honor him tonight. There’d be dinner and games and some kind of special Canterlogic light show at the end.
“This’ll help you cheer up, don’t you think, Sunny?” Hitch looked behind only to see Sunny walking away with a dark blue earth pony. “Slowdown, where are you two going?”
“What ever do you mean Sheriff?” The blue mare asked. “I was merely escorting Ms. Starscout to a cell. I assume you’d prefer to join in the revelries immediately sheriff.”
“Oh… Second Leutenant Luna, right. Thank you,” Hitch shook off a momentary haze. “Are you sure she needs to be processed right away?”
“But of course. If we do not confine her, she could attempt further dealings with our enemies.”
“Luna’s right Hitch,” Sprout interjected before leading Hitch away from a forlorn Sunny and the other officer. “If Sunny went free, she'd just put herself and the rest of us in danger.”
Hitch begrudgingly nodded and went to join his party.
***
“And then this rabbit came and tripped the stallion,” Sprout eagerly told the crowd of ponies. “And that let Hitch catch up with him.”
“Yup,” The sheriff laughed halfheartedly. “The little guy came out of nowhere.”
“Quite a story for your first arrest Hitch,” A pretty mare complemented.
“But he’s made dozens of arrests in the years since,” Sprout ensured. “With a certain someone by his side.”
Hitch found himself unable to get into the spirit of the party. His thoughts kept drifting back to Sunny, locked in her cell. “Yeah, Sprout’s the best first lieutenant a stallion could ask for. I bet you’d all love to have him tell the story of his first arrest.”
The ponies cheered Sprout on as he started up again, giving Hitch a moment to slip away to an unoccupied picnic table. He turned away from the throng and looked up to the stars.
“Care for some cake?” The second lieutenant asked as she set two plates of red velvet in front of them.
“Luna,” Hitch gasped. “I didn’t hear you coming.”
“Forgive me sheriff. I have been known to move silently. Surely it helps me apprehend criminals in the night.”
“Yeah,” Hitch blinked away a moment of confusion. “That’s why I usually have you take the night watch.”
“Verily!” Luna smiled. “So, cake?”
“Sure,” Hitch accepted the plate from his lieutenant and the two of them began to dig in. “Hey Luna, can I ask you about-”
“Sunny Starscout, of course.”
“How did you…”
“She may be imprisoned, but if it is your wish for her to participate in the festivities, I suggest you arrive armed to do battle.” Luna passed Hitch a new plate of cake that he hadn’t seen her arrive with.
“Where did that-”
***
“What do you want?” Sunny asked scornfully.
“Don’t be like that Sunny, you know I had to take you in.” Hitch slid the cake into the cell. “But I brought a peace offering.”
“Will you let me out to see my friends?”
“Alright Sunny,” Hitch went for his keys, “I guess as long as we say I have you in custody, there’s no harm in letting you join the party. Sprout was just telling his-”
“No Hitch. I meant Izzy and the others.”
“What? But Sunny, we can’t keep communicating with-”
“And why not?” Sunny’s glare stung. She’d never looked at him that way before.
“I have to keep the peace,” Hitch wished she could understand his position. “I’m the sheriff.”
“You know they’re not a threat, Hitch. You saw them.”
“Sure, they might be good ponies, but what if the rest of them aren’t.”
“Everything we’ve seen about them so far has shown that they’re just like us. If everypony could just see that-”
“But Sunny, they’re scared. This is all they’ve known for generations. Yeah, things might have been different in the past, but why can’t you just be happy here with the friends you have?”
“If you’re really my friend, you’d help me and stand up for what’s right.”
“Sunny, I’ll always be your friend but-”
“Arresting me and keeping me from ponies I care about isn’t something a friend does.”
“Sunny, I’m sorry but…”
“Is there anything you needed, Sheriff?” Hitch winced.
“I know you’re just trying to get me to break the law, but I won’t do it. And I also know that we’ll always be friends.” Hitch stuck his foreleg through the cell bars. “Up high, down low. Hitch it to a post…”
The stallion waited for her to continue their childhood ritual, but Sunny just turned away.
***
“Sunny, wait!”
“Is there a problem sir?” Luna asked.
“Don’t worry hitch,” Sprout reassured. “Sunny back in her cell. She won’t interrupt your big moment.”
Hitch turned to his lieutenants and noticed the crowd of ponies staring up at him, the blazing sun reflecting off of their proud eyes.
“Oh right, my speech,” Hitch took a deep breath before stepping up to the microphone. “Citizens of Maretime Bay, today marks a historic occasion. We’ve lived our lives in fear of the unknown, but not anymore. I went to the homes of the pegasi and unicorns where I saw…” Hitch faltered as he thought of Sunny’s friends. “The important thing is I returned and can confidently say that the pegasi can’t fly and the unicorns don’t have magic!”
Hitch took a moment to bask in the applause, but the thought of Sunny locked away made this moment a bit bittersweet. He couldn’t help but consider what she’d say if she saw him leading this new initiative.
“With this information, I am confident that our new state of the art Canterlogic barricade system will keep us safe from all outsiders who… who might want to-” Hitch remembered how he felt watching Pip’s amazing show. “Want to eat us or-” Hitch gulped at the idea of telling his loved ones that Izzy or Zip could want to eat anypony. “Or hurt our families.
“As the stallion you’ve chosen to lead this charge of self-preservation, I-” Hitch felt his heart rate increase and noticed his vision start to blur. “I need a minute!” And with that declaration, Hitch ran off stage and past the very barricades he promised to guard.
“Hitch!” Sprout called, ready to chase after his friend before he was stopped by his fellow lieutenant.
***
Hitch found himself running through the forest he initially followed Sunny through, moonlight guiding him along the path.
He kept running until his muscles burned and his lungs screamed for respite. Finding himself in a clearing free of danger, the stallion collapsed.
“What have I done? One of my best friends is in prison because of me. The ponies are calling me a hero because I’m keeping them safe from a threat that might not exist. After all I’ve seen, I should be helping Sunny, not keeping her captive. Why am I so-”
“Thou should not be so hard on thyself, Sheriff.” A familiar voice echoed through the trees.
“I was wondering who’d be sent to get me, Luna.” Hitch sighed. “No offence, but I thought it’d be Sprout.”
“Understandable,” Luna conceded as she emerged. “But in the current situation, I believe our presence will prove to be more illuminating.”
Hitch got up and began heading back towards town, but Luna stopped him.
“If you find it agreeable, let us try a different path tonight.”
Hitch followed Luna silently, trying to make sense of the mess that was his life right now. If he set Sunny free now, would she forgive him? Would there still be a life for her in Maretime Bay, or would she try to stay with Izzy or the pegasus sisters? There’s no way she won’t try to at least leave for a little bit to check on them. Would the earthponies form some kind of angry mob if they thought Sunny was helping their enemies?
“We’re here,” Luna declared.
Hitch glanced at his surroundings, realizing they weren’t home at all. Instead, his lieutenant had brought him to a cottage in the forest. A small brook flowed under a bridge, birdhouses seemed to hang on every tree, and there was a little animal house with a bunny inside.
Luna walked to the door and it seemed to open for her. As she gestured for him to follow, the bunny hopped up to him and sniffed his leg.
Either curiosity or exhaustion compelled Hitch not to question Luna’s strange request.
The cottage was cozy and warm. Hitch immediately sat on a couch across from Luna, eager to give his hooves a rest. Unsurprisingly, the bunny followed him and demanded to be pet as it made its own place on the couch.
Luna smiled, “It seems we made the right choice in decor for one such as yourself.”
“What do you mean?” Hitch asked as he pet the bunny.
“The owner of this cottage was a pegasus, you know.” Luna said with a hint of sadness in her voice. “She dedicated her life to helping others, animals and ponies alike. You share in her talent for such creatures.”
“I thought all pegasi lived in Zephyr Heights.”
“They do now, but we find it surprising that you do not respond with terror to mention of the avian tribe. Do you not fear them like the others of your home?”
“I used to be terrified of pegasi. But ever since meeting a few, I just don’t know. And I think you mean our home.”
“No,” Luna smiled, “We are not of your home or your tribe.” With a blinding flash of light, Hitch was forced to look away. When his vision cleared, he saw Luna still sitting on her couch but with wings and a horn, not to mention some fancy regal-looking accessories that would have made Pip jealous.
“What are you?” Hitch asked with a mix of awe and mild terror. If he hadn’t known Luna for his entire life, he would have run for the door. At least, he thought he had known Luna.
“An old relic from a bygone age, but one who felt the distress of your sleeping mind.”
“Wait, I’m dreaming?” Hitch began focusing on petting the bunny to settle his nerves. “So I don’t really know you?”
“Correct, and you have not gone down the path you saw in town. You remain in the clearing, camping safely with the others.”
“So why talk to me? I appreciate you showing me this place, it feels special for some reason, but that hardly seems worth changing my dream.”
“We believe you are at a crossroads, Sheriff. Your decisions in the coming days will affect not just yourself but countless others.”
“You mean me having to arrest Sunny, right?”
“Not exactly, and I wish you to reconsider this obligation of yours. Your ideals are noble, but the burden of Sunny’s arrest is entirely self-imposed.”
“But she-”
“I do not believe your people ever codified a law against leaving your homeland.”
“Well, no. But she’s been helping an enemy who-”
“An enemy whose greatest weapon is her skill with macaroni?”
Hitch honestly didn’t have any ammo to justify Izzy as being any kind of threat.
“We do not ask that you start befriending every non earthpony you meet. We merely suggest that you consider the darkness you could welcome into your heart if you give into your tribe’s fears.”
The image of Sunny turning away from him in her cell flashed through Hitch’s mind.
“While we could spend hours expressing our desires for the reunification of ponykind, we feel you will make the right conclusion after getting to know your new friends a bit more. After all, friendship can make ponies stubborn in the best of ways.”
“So that’s it? You’re not going to keep me here until I agree to some terms or-”
Luna laughed, “My duty is to protect the dreams of those such as yourself. I think now you understand the difference between protecting somepony you care about and keeping them imprisoned.”
“But I haven’t decided anything. I still don’t know if I should pick Sunny or everypony else.”
“We are confident you’ll realize that what’s truly best for your people is also in the best interest of your friend. Do not fear, Sheriff, all you have to do is keep your mind and heart open to those who desire your friendship.”
With that, the world began to fade away. Hitch felt his foreleg pass through the ethereal bunny and watched the alicorn fly away into the distance.
Upon waking, Hitch felt relief more than anything. He was thankful that he still had Sunny as a friend and that there was still time to figure out how to handle their return home. All he needed right now was to make sure he kept his friend close, and maybe he could try being friends with the others too.
“Hitch, are you awake?” Sunny’s voice sounded from the bedroll next to his. “It sounded like you were having a nightmare.”
“I’m fine, just nervous about the next few days, you know?”
“Hitch…” Sunny sang his name in a soft whisper.
The stallion glanced over and saw his friend’s extended hoof in the moonlight. Hitch smiled gratefully and reached out his own to match her.
“Up high, down low. Hitch it to a post. Flip it sunny side up and on a piece of toast.”