Ch. 1: Prologue: The Meeting That Started Everything
(Las Pegasus: Summer, 12 A.L)
The day was comfortably warm as a group of ponies gathered around a street performance. Left and right, ponies passed around a old industrial bucket to fill with bits as they watched the young performer work her “magic” as she sang and used her body to tell a story through dance. The crowd around her was positively mesmerized by not only her voice but by her incredible dance skill. Eventually she did stop to a cheering crowd, to which she unceremoniously folded her ears back in pain before collecting her hat and bucket and silently slinked off to quieter grounds. Thanking the crowd as she moved on. After finding her way around the massive buildings, she finally stopped at a food vendor. Right as she was about to order something, she got blindsided by a colt who looked to be in a rush.
“Hey kid! Watch where you’re going! You almost ground me into the cloud.”, the filly yelled irritatedly as she was unceremoniously tossed aside by the colt.
“Sorry, I just need something real quick. One hay BLT please?”, the colt hurriedly ordered as he put some bits onto the counter.
“Coming right up.”, the vendor replied as he went to prepare the food.
The colt looked around nervously as if he was looking out to avoid something or somepony.
“HEY! THERE YOU ARE! GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE RUNT!!!!”, a older stallion yelled as he started running towards the stall. The colt in question shrieked and ran in the opposite direction as soon as he heard the stallion bellow.
All the while, the filly looked on in curiosity. Something about this colt seemed intriguing and she somehow found herself not only picking up his order but ordering her own food as well before heading off in the direction of the colt. After what felt like forever, she finally caught up with the colt as he was hiding out in a jungle gym on a playscape.
“Hey there. I’ve been looking for ya everywhere!”, the filly exasperatedly said as she scooted into the crevice.
“And why is that?”, the colt replied coldly.
“Well...the main reason being you kinda left your lunch back there.”, the filly said as if she were discussing the weather. With a nod of thanks, the colt took his sandwich and wolfed it down savagely. To the obvious shock of the filly. That is, until she got a closer look at the colt. His exposed ribs and the way he scarfed down that sandwich were evident to her immediately but, being the respectable young one she was decided to not bring it up.
“Here--” she paused as she broke half her sunflower and sweetgrass sandwich off and passed it to him as well as some of her hayfries and half of her water “--this should be enough to actually fill ya up.”, she finished as she started on her own meal.
The colt couldn’t believe what she did! This filly he didn’t even know just hunted him down only to return his food to him. Not only that, but she even shared her own food with him. To say he was at a loss for words would be an understatement.
“Uhhh...t-thanks...this...this means a lot, it really does.”, the colt replied after a sip of water.
“No problem, I’m Sunny Rays by the way but my stage name is ‘Wisteria’.”, Sunny Rays replied with a funny little bow.
“Sunny--beautiful name! I’m River.”, River responded in greeting as he nervously shook her hoof.
“Thanks! By trade, I’m a traveling performer...or at least I aim to be. For now, I’m just a filly with a radio and a set of pipes who goes around the streets trying to make some extra bits.”, Sunny said as she finished off her food.
“Really? That’s so cool! I am aiming to join the ranks of the military when I’m older. But for now, I’m just a tough as nails colt from Manehattan.”, River said.
“Aww! What you’re from Manehattan? That’s unfair, because I’m from Detrot.”, Sunny replied sadly.
“Aww rats! I’m just here because my mom’s on a business trip here in Las Pegasus. The jughead who was chasing me, was my older brother Lake. He’s...a whole different story.”, River said equally sad.
“That stinks on the whole different city thing. I finally make a friend on this stupid trip and he lives approximately 8 hours by train from me!”, Sunny said as she stomped down on the floor with a forehoof.
“Yeah that sucks! The first friend I make in a while and she lives in a whole different city.”, River agreed as he mimicked her actions of stomping on the floor.
“Well….I don’t leave til tomorrow afternoon. Wanna make the best of a situation?”, Sunny suggested with a small smile.
“That sounds awesome Sunny!”, River said with a growing smile as the two new friends climbed out their makeshift shelter to enjoy the rest of their time together.
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And that’s exactly what they did. For the remainder of the day they spent together. Be it when they were playing on the playscape or busy trying to con some ponies out of some serious bits (at River’s request as he also got a chance to see Sunny in action with her singing and dancing). They were simply having fun as foals should, all while getting to know one another better.
“How crazy is that?! We’re both 10 years old and about to enter our 5th grade year. Coincidence? I think not!”, Sunny said in an over dramatic tone.
“No, what’s crazy is what you just told me. I mean...is there any cure for that?”, River asked.
“To what my mama and those nice, but creepy nero--neuro---neurologists told me, no. It’s a mental disability. I haven’t done much research into it but I feel like I should.”, Sunny Rays said in a somber tone.
“Well, If there’s anything I can do to help your research, I’ll be glad to assist you.”, River said in an optimistic tone.
“You will? Sweet Celestia that’s great news! Oh! But we’ll need to be able to contact each other if we’re really gonna be doing this.”, Sunny realised as they walked through a street fair.
“Oh totally. Hey! Look there’s a photo booth! Wanna take some?”, River suggested.
“Absolutely! C’mon River!”, Sunny squeed as she dragged him into the booth. They struck silly faces and they struck scary ones too. The last picture took them both by surprise as Sunny ended up kissing River on the cheek, causing him to blush a deep red with a goofy smile as Sunny hugged him.
“Hey! These turned out great!”, River said.
“Almost…” Sunny said as she grabbed his copy and wrote something in pink pen “...there! Now they’re perfect”, she finished as she passed him his copy. On the back was her address. River quickly did the same on her copy but with a blue pen.
“There. Now we can write each other! That’s most effective.”, River agreed as he re-capped his pen.
“Exactly! That way we’ll never lose contact. Honestly meeting you had to be the most fun part about this boring trip!”, Sunny said as she heard the sound of a mare calling her name.
“Oh! That’s my mother. I gotta go. See ya later, River!”, Sunny called out as she galloped away.
“Until next time, Sunny Rays!”, River called back as he walked off in the opposite direction. Confident that the next time he hears from her would be in the form of a letter.
