Aquamarine Horizons

It was the afternoon of Friday, August 30th. A young man sat in his armchair, alternating between looking at his phone and looking out his bedroom window. He had sky blue skin, sky blue eyes, and sky blue hair with a black streak on either side. One week ago, Sky Scraper and his parents had moved to their new address at 273 Aquamarine Avenue, in Canterlot. Their new home was a two-story light blue house located in the city’s northwestern region. It had a large yard with fresh green grass, and a nice furnished basement too. It was a dream house in a nice location, and Sky knew he would be very comfortable living here. It felt good to be back in his home city after six years away.

Eventually, Sky looked at his phone’s clock and saw that it was 14:37 – he preferred to have 24-hour time on his devices. He and his cousin had agreed to meet up at 15:00 that afternoon for a walk in Meadowbrook Park. Since the park was a few miles away, Sky figured it was time he got going. He put his phone in his pocket and walked downstairs to the living room, where his mother was sitting. “I’m going to the park now."

“All right, have fun and stay safe!” said his mother, Evening Shade. She had light gray skin and black hair. “Maybe you should take Sunny with you.”

Sky looked around the corner and smiled. “Good idea!” He walked into the hallway, where a large yellow Labrador retriever was taking a nap. Sky bent down and pet his dog on the head. “Hey, Sunny…”

Sunny opened his eyes and looked up at Sky. He licked Sky’s wrist as Sky gave him some nice ear scratches. Sunny was one of those sweet dogs who wanted nothing more than to be around his favorite people. “Aww, you’re such a good boy!” Sky said as he continued to pet him.

Eventually, Sunny got up from his bed and stretched. Now that he was standing, Sky decided to ask him the question. “Are you ready?”

Sunny stared at Sky for a second, then began running in circles and wagging his tail. Whenever one of Sunny’s humans asked if he was ready, it meant they were taking him for a walk. Sky chuckled and went to the kitchen to get the collar and leash. Sunny excitedly followed.

Sunny was full of energy, and it was difficult to get the collar onto his neck. “Can’t you just sit still?” Sky groaned, laughing slightly.

When Sunny eventually calmed down and let Sky put the collar and leash on him, they were ready to head out. Sky opened the back door, and led Sunny across the porch and down the driveway.

As Sky walked east along Aquamarine Avenue, he breathed in the warm summer air and smiled. It was a beautiful day outside, and the trees and lawns were all a vivid shade of green. Canterlot was often described as a city of two halves. The western half, where Sky lived, was a large suburban area, full of nice houses and lush trees. The eastern half, near the coast, was the urban “Crystal City” region, with lots of tall buildings and narrow streets. Both sides of Canterlot were vibrant throughout the year.

On the opposite side of the street, Sky noticed a small white sign with the number 17 on it. Two miles west of Sky’s house, Aquamarine Avenue met Route 17, one of the three main highways in Canterlot, at a partial cloverleaf interchange. The interchange was exit 39 on the highway, and since Sky had also lived on Aquamarine Avenue when he was younger, 39 had always been his favorite number. He'd always had a strong interest in roads, bridges and buildings, and he planned to study civil engineering when he went to college.

Sky was starting to get lost in his thoughts when Sunny suddenly darted to the right. Before Sky could say anything, Sunny had squatted on the grass and taken a dump in someone’s front yard. Sky sighed and pulled a bag out of his pocket. “Why do you always do it on people’s lawns?”

Fortunately, there was a trash can at the end of the block, so Sky didn’t have to carry the bag for long. Two blocks later, Sky turned onto the street that led to the park. On the opposite side of the street stood Canterlot High School, which Sky would soon be attending. It was a modern-looking brick building, with many glass windows and large grassy fields. Sky felt a bit awkward walking past the school that he would soon be attending for eleventh grade. Even though he had lived in Canterlot before, fourth grade was a long time ago. The idea of starting as a new student all over again made him anxious.

After walking with Sunny for three more blocks, Sky arrived at the park entrance. He looked around for his cousin, but didn’t see her anywhere. He stood at the gate and waited.

A minute later, Sky’s cousin arrived. She was a girl the same age as Sky, with cornflower blue skin, lavender eyes, and silky silver hair tied into a pair of twintails. She and Sky smiled when they saw each other, and Sunny stood up and wagged his tail. “Good afternoon, Sky!” Sugarcoat said as she and her cousin exchanged a high five. “It’s been a couple of months since we last saw each other. How have you been?” She was then interrupted by Sunny rubbing himself against her legs. “Oh my gosh, hi, Sunny!” she laughed as she reached down to pet Sky’s dog.

“It’s good to see you again, Sugar." Although Sky had often struggled to connect with most other people his age, he and Sugarcoat had always gotten along very well. “The end of summer is always disappointing, but it’s good to be back in Canterlot.”

“It’s good that you’ve been mostly enjoying yourself,” Sugarcoat said as they walked into the park. “You must be glad your dad quit his job in Valesbridge last month.”

“Yeah, I am. And I’m even more glad he got his old job in Canterlot back. Valesbridge is just so boring compared to here.”

“It’s certainly not a tourist destination. The downtown area is all right, but there’s very little to actually do there.”

“Exactly, there’s so much more stuff to see in Canterlot. I really missed this place. And I missed seeing you around all the time.”

Sugarcoat smiled. “I missed you too, Sky. I’m glad we live within three miles of each other again. You live on Aquamarine Avenue, right? Just like you used to?”

“Yes. Same street, different house. I’m at number 273 this time.”

“Cool. I remember you showing me pictures of the house just before you moved in. It’s quite a nice house, almost as nice as mine. So what else have you been doing in the past week?”

“Mostly just taking Sunny for walks around town. Exploring the area, seeing what’s changed since I left. And enjoying the last few days before school starts up again.”

“I’m trying to do the same. I’ve said this before, but being a Crystal Prep Shadowbolt is a 24/7 grind. If you thought Valesbridge High was tough, wait until you come to my school.”

“Well, Crystal Prep is an expensive private school, so that’s no surprise. And Valesbridge High wasn’t that tough in terms of the workload, I just didn’t like most of the people there. Speaking of which, what’s Canterlot High like? I know you competed against them in the Friendship Games last spring.”

Sugarcoat nodded. “Yes, I did. I told you all about it, the giant plant monster and the portals and all that. Weirdest day of my life.”

“Oh yeah, I remember that. I thought you had gone crazy, but then I saw it all over the news!”

“Hey, I pride myself on my honesty. I always tell the straight truth, no matter who doesn’t want to hear it. But anyway, Canterlot High is a good school. Me and the other Shadowbolts used to look down on it, but we were wrong to do so, because the CHS students are actually quite nice. I’m sure you’ll fit in well, as long as you open yourself up to making new friends.”

“That’s good to know. I guess I am feeling some back-to-school anxiety, but more than usual because I won’t even know anyone this time. I mean, I did live in Canterlot when I was younger, but that was a long time ago. I doubt anyone from elementary school would still remember me.”

Sugarcoat shrugged. “They might, they might not. In any case, you won’t find out until school starts. Besides, you didn’t have any friends in Valesbridge anyway, so what difference does it make? You just have to put yourself out there instead of just sitting alone.”

Sky nodded. “I’ll try my best. I’ve always been more of an introvert, you know.”

“Of course I know. So am I. I used to be arrogant and self-centered when it came to school. I didn’t think much about other people, since all I wanted was to be the smartest and the best, but the events of last spring changed my attitude. I had much more fun getting to know the girls from CHS than I did competing against them. Our schools used to be bitter rivals, but not anymore.”

“I remember that music video you made with them. That was awesome. It really makes me wish I was here last year.”

“Be careful what you wish for. For about a year, Sunset Shimmer ruled CHS with an iron fist. You should be glad you weren’t there during her reign of terror.”

“That's true. I guess I did dodge a bullet there.”

“Not to mention all the other insane things that happened at CHS last year. I hope for your sake that this year is much calmer.”

“Well, at least that means everyone will have a good story to tell me,” Sky chuckled.

“True. You can also tell them that you’re my cousin. I do know plenty of the girls there, after all.” Sugarcoat winked and gave Sky a playful nudge.

Sky gave a nervous laugh. “If you mean what I think you mean, then I highly doubt that’s going to happen. I’ve never had a girlfriend in my life. I’m nowhere near athletic or charismatic enough for that.”

“Maybe not, but you are a nice guy with a good heart. If you meet a girl you like, you just need to stay true to yourself and have confidence. And if you ever need advice from a girl, I’ll be here for you.”

“Thanks, Sugar.” Sky put his arm around Sugarcoat and leaned against her shoulder. “You’re the best.”

“Anything for my favorite cousin,” Sugarcoat replied with a smile. “Even if you don’t have many other friends, you’ll always have me. Although I hope you’re able to find some new friends this year.”

“I hope so too. And I’m feeling a lot better about starting at CHS now. I guess the end of this summer will be a new beginning.”

“Exactly. You’re finally back in your home city, so you should loosen up and enjoy yourself.”

Meadowbrook Park was one square mile in area. It had paved walking paths, soft green grass, and plenty of large trees to provide shade. Sky and Sugarcoat used to play there all the time when they were little. “Remember when I had to rescue you from the monkey bars?” Sugarcoat laughed as they passed by the playground. “You made it, like, three bars and then you got scared!”

“Well, in my defense, it was a high altitude for a six-year-old,” Sky replied. “Besides, you made it across, so I was just following you.”

“And you failed miserably at that,” Sugarcoat remarked with a smirk. “I had to grab onto your ass and pull you to safety.”

Sky chuckled and gave her a playful shove. “I can’t believe you still bring that up.” Sugarcoat never let him live anything down, no matter how long ago it was. And Sky was more than willing to return the favor. “Remember the time you threw a frisbee into that tree?” he asked, pointing to a large maple tree in the distance. “You told me I was bad at throwing frisbees, and then you went and did that!”

“Not my proudest moment, I will admit,” Sugarcoat laughed.

Sky went on teasing her. “And then you tried climbing up there to get it, and you slipped and got stuck hanging upside down for two minutes! My dad had to come and pry you off the branch!”

“I think that’s more than enough about the different ways we embarrassed ourselves as small children,” Sugarcoat finally said. “Is there anything else you want to talk about?” She then glanced over at Sunny. “Like how Sunny is having grass for lunch today?”

Sky looked down and noticed that Sunny was grazing on the grass next to the path. “Hey, stop that!” Sky ordered, pulling on the leash. “Grass is not food!” Sunny looked up, wondering what he did wrong. Sky chuckled and shook his head.

“You’re lucky that grass doesn’t make him sick,” Sugarcoat commented. “Otherwise he’d be throwing up every few hours, with how often he eats it.”

“Yeah, I don’t know why grass tastes so good to him. He’s just a big goofball.”

With that, Sky continued strolling through the park, accompanied by his cousin and his dog. He was back in Canterlot, and he was determined to enjoy it.