We spent our last moments together in laughter, it was time to go, and each pony had a job to do, I wasn't particularly excited about Hitch's talk, but I knew it was only fair, and a part of me felt guilty about what happened at Maretime bay.

In the distance, the two groups were getting smaller and smaller. The unicorns looked very happy with their horns lit up and trying to levitate anything they saw. Izzy and Alphabitlle looked like a father and his hyperactive daughter who won't pass up any opportunity to ask questions. The unicorn crystal was floating in Izzy's magical aura, spinning endlessly.

On the other hand, the pegasus group was headed for Queen Haven, she had her crown again with the pegasus crystal. Next to her, Zipp and Pipp were floating gently as they flapped their wings, quite close to the ground, they wanted to go flying to Zephyr Heights, but it was impossible to fly steady overnight, Haven wanted to get there as soon as possible to make sure no pegasus got too excited and tried to fly down the rocky cliffs of Zephyr Heights, but she knew that putting herself in danger would not be helpful, so she opted to trot.

I had on my hoof the earth crystal, all the Maretime bay ponies were waving their hooves and waving goodbye to the curious group of ponies. I hoped to see them again soon, but, just as they had work to do, I was no different. My house is going to be repaired by Canterlogic, along with the town's infrastructure, in the meantime, I had to figure out where I would stay in the meantime and tend to my smoothie stand. Unfortunately, fate doesn't always play in your favor.

"Okay Sunny, it's time, you and Sprout come to the police station with me." Hitch said as he stopped saying goodbye and turned to look at both me and Sprout.

"Sheriff, I don't think anyone will press charges and I don't think..."

"I know Phyllis, but still the three of us need to talk, he's still my deputy and his actions are my responsibility" Hitch said interrupting Phyllis, looking at her seriously. I hate it when he gets so serious, he's going to lecture me.

Phyllis said nothing more as she looked at Sprout, their gazes met.

"Sprout, honey, go with Hitch and be a good boy."

"Yes, Mommy."

It was the first time I had heard her voice since the incident, a part of me remembered our times together as children. Time at my house, the Canterlogic factory, the town square, karate and skating lessons, and scout colts.

Despite all the moments I remembered, most were of him mocking my thoughts or my father which made me angry. Part of me wanted to tell him ¡I TOLD YOU SO! At the top of my lungs, gloating that I was right, and he wasn't, but I knew there was nothing to be gained in doing so, not because I was better than him, but because I still saw him as my friend, and I didn't want to lose him.

"Let's go" Hitch said, as he led the way to the Sheriff's office, he had his usual patrol next to him. One crab and two birds.

We were walking down Main Street, three ponies, and awkward silence. All around us the streets were empty. I guess no pony had returned home. The trolley car that runs through town was overturned, badly bruised in the back. I'm so glad no ponies were hurt in all this. At a junction the big Canterlogic factory could be seen in the background, many happy and not so happy memories lived there.

We finally arrived at the town police station; Hitch's patrol dispersed leaving the 3 of us in front. Hitch had his sheriff's badge and Sprout had his emperor's outfit. I wonder where he got the medals, it was a good disguise, the problem was that it wasn't, it was very real, just like my horn and wings, they were still there. Everypony had tried to touch them, but always the hoof went right through them.

We were all in front of the police station, the first to step forward was Hitch, who opened the door and instructed us to enter. I followed his instruction, and went in first, I didn't look back until I heard Hitch's voice.

"Deputy Sprout, come in" His voice indicated clear anger, I couldn't see his expression, but Sprout's did. He was afraid. He walked at a slow pace, but eventually, he came in, the door closed, and I could see the station. It was a mess, desks in disarray, drawers open, even the number one almanac in Maretime bay was on the floor, with a few sheets here and there. The only thing in order was the jail cell.

Hitch looked around and let out a long sigh. He walked over to his desk and sat down.

"Have a seat you two" We both nodded and shuffled over a couple of chairs, Sprout sat down with no problem, but I didn't have it so easy. While my wings could go through, they still responded to my thoughts, or so it felt, and it was uncomfortable to sit thinking about it.

"Sprout," Hitch said looking at the red stallion to my right, his ears went down, as he lowered his head. "I told you not to start a war in my absence, and what did you do?" did he really tell him that? I couldn't help but think that it was so specific that if it were another pony I would have laughed at the situation.

"...I started a war" Sprout replied.

"No, you almost started a war, you were lucky no ponies got hurt..." Hitch returned as he leaned across his desk. "Or worse."

Hitch was right, we were lucky the only damage was to my house, even though Izzy and I fell off the end of the lighthouse practically unscathed. Faust was with us.

Sprout lowered his head, I expected him to apologize, but that wasn't the case.

"...It was your fault..." he said practically whispering, I opened my eyes as wide as I could, I didn't expect that answer. Hitch wasn't the one who almost crushed us with a giant robot with his own form.

"I'm aware of that" Hitch replied calmly.

That answer surprised not only me but also Sprout, raising her head for the first time in a long time. We both stared at Hitch in disbelief at the answer - his fault? That couldn't be true, Hitch just went to "arrest" me while leaving Sprout in charge for a few days, no one could have known that things would escalate to such an absurd degree in such a short time.

"Isn't that what you wanted to hear, Sprout? Yes, I was the one who used the excuse of going to arrest Sunny to go looking for her, I didn't want her to be brainwashed by a unicorn or thrown from too high up by a pegasus. When I had the chance to go back, I refused, thinking things were fine with you here, keeping order and calming the ponies down." Hitch let out a long sigh. "However, when I came back, I saw the town empty. Do you know what my first thought was?" he said as he looked at Sprout, Sprout shook his head, and I was curious to know. "I thought the pegasus had come to seek revenge for what happened at Zephyr Heights, that brief, a fleeting thought crossed my mind, Sprout." Hitch was shaking his head back and forth between his hooves as if that thought was tormenting him somehow.

Wow, did it really bother him that much to think that way about his new friends?

"And yet, reality trumps fiction, and it was my own deputy who caused all this fuss." Hitch emphasized that last part by tapping the desk a bit with his hoof.

He didn't know what to say, and apparently, Sprout felt the same way. Just as Hitch raised an eyebrow a thought came to my mind.

"Hitch, those thoughts are perfectly normal. When I helped Izzy escape from the floor trap and took her to my house, I got too close, and her horn was practically in my face. I freaked out and told her to be careful where she pointed... I guess forgetting everything you know is a tricky job."

I remembered the Izzy incident, it really hurt to think of her that way, as a danger, and more so now.

"Thank you, Sunny, it was rude of me to think that, but I didn't know what was going on" she said with a small smile on her face, I almost felt like the worst was over, but I forgot there was a third party in the room.

"¡That's it!?" shouted Sprout out of nowhere. For a second, I was startled and felt something move inside my body. "Your mare says a few nice words and you decide to forgive her? It's not fair!"

"I'm not forgiving her, all three of us are going to get punished, Sprout!" Hitch was startled to hear Sprout, I think I could see a little blush on his face, but I couldn't scoff, my face felt hotter than usual, and this wasn't a new topic for the two of us.

We had known each other since colts and Hitch the only friend I had left in Maretime bay, neither of us felt affection beyond friendship for each other, but I understood that from the outside it looked completely different. The fact that he was the respectable town sheriff, and I was the delinquent didn't help.

"You destroyed her house, you almost killed her, and not only her, but our friends as well, Sprout, I should fire you and lock you up." An awkward silence lingered for a few minutes. I noticed that the room was much colder than before. It was already dark and quite chilly.

"I almost ran over my mommy" Sprout blurted that out suddenly, both Hitch and I were surprised. "Just as I was about to deliver the final blow to the lighthouse, Mom got in the way and I..." I could see the sweat and the sad look on his face. "...I almost ran over her, if I had..."

Sprout suddenly shut down, I didn't know about that, it must have been before he fell with Izzy, right after the three crystals didn't work.

"Sprout" I said turning to look at him, but he didn't turn to look at me. "fortunately, nothing happened..." I put my hoof on his shoulder, only to have him forcefully and roughly push it away. We were finally looking into each other's eyes, anger, anger, and more anger.

"¡IT WAS YOUR FAULT! if you hadn't helped the unicorn, none of this would have happened, everything would still be the same, my life wouldn't be a mess!" he suddenly shouted. I was shocked, now he was blaming me for his mistakes? I was aware that I was somewhat to blame, but I wasn't the one who practically almost started a war, and I wasn't going to keep quiet.

"¡¿And you wanted nothing to change?!, now we can be friends with unicorns and pegasus, we no longer need fear or to resort to hatred, we can be friends with each other, ¡Can't you see that you wanted to be in charge so badly that you would start a war?!" I blurted out what I had to say, Sprout's attitude was starting to bother me, I still wanted to be her friend, but I felt she hated me for what was happening to her, and I felt it was unfair.

There was a silence, I felt I wanted to tell him more, I wanted him to open his eyes and see beyond what was in front of him. I just didn't understand why he was so stubborn; was it pride or was he already aware that it was wrong?

"Alright both of you, that's enough" Hitch interrupted us in our little staring contest. "You're going to spend the night in the cell and you're going to end up doing community service, one more than the other."

"¡You can't lock me in with her!" Sprout exclaimed, pointing at me. For the first time all day, she was right, I felt that, if we spent any more time together, we were going to hurt each other.

"There's only one cell, and personally I think you two could use a little time together and get whatever you have out of your systems."

What a terrible idea, but since I was bringing up the subject of spending the night...

"Speaking of which Hitch, do you think I could stay at your place until my home is repaired? I don't have anywhere to spend the night" Sprout snorted, questioning my decision.

"I don't think that will be necessary, mom will rent a hotel room for you or even worse... invited you home until then" He shuddered at the slightest possibility of us staying under the same roof. How rude.

"I can't abuse her like that, Sprout. Besides, I feel a little guilty about trying to break into her show every year." Except for the last time, Hitch had always stopped me. I had to give him credit, he was always one step ahead of me, it was kind of frustrating but fun.

"I don't mind, you're welcome. Just like old times" When Dad had died, about seven years ago, my only friend took care of me in my nights of agony. I would cry and have a hard time, but always the next day, I had a smile on my face. I really see Hitch as a big brother and the best kind.

Hitch opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out some keys. He stood up and quickly led us to the cell. He passed us a couple of blankets and locked us up.

"I have a lot of overdue and new paperwork, thanks to a pony" He said as he looked at Sprout with a frown, he was lying on one of the beds facing the wall and fully tucked in. "If you need anything, I'm here for you."

I was a little disappointed, I wanted to talk to Sprout, but he fell asleep as soon as he could, he didn't want to talk to me and at this point, I didn't want to say something I would regret for the rest of my life. The night passed without further ado, I fell asleep soon after, enjoying a good bed in days. I don't know at what point I fell asleep, but when I awoke, it was to a knock on the door. Sprout practically jumped out of bed screaming, Hitch at some point had fallen asleep, with a stack of papers to his left.

"Sheriff, we have a problem, !A fleet of airships are on their way, it's an emergency!" it was none other than Phyllis shaking her hooves.

"I knew we couldn't trust them" whispered Sprout before looking at me with a quizzical expression.

I didn't know what was going on, but I felt different like something was missing.

"Sunny, where are your wings and horn? Hitch asked with something sleepy on his face, but with a raised eyebrow.

Author's Note

A fleet arrives at Maretime bay. Friend or foe?