The Beach
Following that memorable first date at the Tasty Treat, Ocellus was delighted when Sandbar asked her out a second time. He and his family were due to spend a week's vacation at one of their favourite summer destinations, on West Palm Beach in Miamane; and since Ocellus had decided to stay in Equestria over the summer break, he didn't hesitate to ask if she would like to join them. The young changeling was only too happy to accept.
Sandbar's parents were equally happy to take Ocellus with them, and even had the good grace to invite the rest of her family along too. It did mean having to book an extra chalet for them, but with the best part of a fortnight to go before travelling down to Miamane, and thanks in part to a well-timed cancellation, they had little trouble making the necessary arrangements. After a three-day rail journey from Ponyville, Sandbar and his family, accompanied by Ocellus, arrived in Miamane Station to find her brother, sister and parents awaiting them – and with them, as chance would have it, Thorax. He had heard how popular West Palm Beach was as a summer resort, he explained, and decided to take a vacation of his own here.
Having settled into their chalets, the two families spent the first evening getting to know each other better. Ocellus' parents, Spiracle and Carapace, knew about Sandbar from letters she had written home, but this was the first chance they had ever had to meet him properly, let alone the rest of his family. They were soon chatting away with Beachcomber and High Tide like old friends, and their younger children, Lumbar and Axilla, made equally good company for little Coral Currents. Sandbar and Ocellus sat snuggled together on the sofa, still tired from the journey, but thinking what a wonderful two weeks it was going to be as they watched the three of them playing together.
The following morning saw them all enjoying themselves out on the golden sands. While their parents brought the necessary loungers, beach blankets, parasols and other items, Ocellus went for a wander with Sandbar, to explore the beach and take in her surroundings. It was the first time she had been anywhere near the sea, having grown up in what was once a vast desert wasteland; and as she took in all the sights and sounds, the crashing of the waves against the shore, the occasional cry of the seagulls, she almost felt a little saddened at having been deprived of such an exotic experience for so long. Sandbar, on the other hoof, seemed very much at home here – and no wonder, she thought, given how much he enjoyed a good surf. Indeed, she was a little puzzled as to why he didn't bother to bring his surfboard along that morning, but Sandbar reassured her that there would be plenty of time for that later on. He had been hoping to share the thrill of surfing with her, he added, but didn't want to rush her into it. Ocellus understood, remembering as she did how alienated she felt on her first day in Equestria.
After a while, they rejoined their parents and settled down for a good sunbathe, while Coral, Lumbar and Axilla built up a sandcastle a little further down the beach. The sun had grown especially strong by then, and Ocellus was almost tempted to morph into a lizard, the better to resist the effects of sunburn; but she quickly changed her mind when Sandbar pulled out a bottle of sunscreen from his beach bag and offered to apply it for her. She lay down prone on one of the blankets, purring comfortably as she enjoyed an impromptu massage from her coltfriend, the gentle touch of his hooves beautifully complemented by the soothing, oily texture of the lotion. No need for a spa when you had someone like Sandbar around, she thought contentedly.
Once Sandbar had finished, Ocellus offered to do the same to him, to which he heartily agreed. She found the sunscreen a little tricky to work with at first; it flowed rather more easily than she bargained for, and left a greasy film on her hooves no matter how much she rubbed into his fur. But she soon got the hang of it, and even began to enjoy herself a little as she listened to the happy moans coming from her coltfriend.
As well as all the beach furniture, Beachcomber and High Tide had brought along a light lunch of peanut butter sandwiches, with a bottle of lemonade to wash it down. Once these had been consumed, Sandbar and Ocellus decided they had done enough relaxing for one day, and cantered eagerly away for a swim. Both their parents watched on heartily as the two young creatures all but bounded into the sea, and Thorax allowed himself a warm smile of his own. Ocellus had more than done him proud with how she had dedicated herself to her friendship lessons; but this growing relationship between her and Sandbar, he observed, was something else.
Seeing their siblings take to the water, Coral and Axilla left their sandcastle and scampered in after them, keen to join the fun. Lumbar followed suit, but not without picking up the beach ball they had brought along; and soon all five of them were enjoying a lively game of water polo. More than once, Lumbar would show off by transforming into a baby seal just as he was about to catch the ball, and then balancing it on the tip of his snout for a few seconds before tossing it back into the air and batting it away with his tail. Eventually, Sandbar grew so eager that he accidentally splashed Ocellus in the face as he was making a leap for the ball, making her yelp in surprise. Startled back to reality, he began to stumble over himself in apology, only to be startled once again as Ocellus quickly recovered and cheekily splashed him back; and before they knew it, they were locked in a playful water fight with each other.
As evening descended over the beach, the two families gathered to watch the sun go down. Lumbar, Coral and Axilla were still playing with their ball, but Sandbar and Ocellus had worn each other out from their play fight, and settled for just lying peacefully on a shared blanket in each other's embrace. Looking back over what a fun day they had had, and at the half-asleep form of Ocellus by his side, Sandbar couldn't be gladder to have brought her to share it with him. Eyes glistening with love, he leaned in and planted a tender kiss on her lips, causing her heart to flutter as she returned it. To be lounging under the setting sun, on a vast golden beach, with the love of her life by her side...it felt like she was living a scene from a romantic novel she had once read in the school library, and she never wanted it to end.
And as the sun finally disappeared, and the stars began to twinkle, they both knew this moment would stay with them for the rest of their lives.