The sun gleamed against the water of Maretime Bay, making a beautiful sight to the couple watching from the dock.
The water was a lovely blue color, and clear as a crystal with the descending light shining over it. The color reminded Hitch Trailblazer of his marefriend's eyes, both being shades of blue that he could get lost in for hours on end.
Sunny Starscout stood beside him, the wind picking up and blowing back her long braided mane. She smiled against the feeling, and in turn, Hitch felt himself smile too.
This had been the perfect date so far. The two had gone out for seafood: kelp and seaweed sandwiches with oatfries, a staple meal from their town. Then, they went and saw a movie, a remade version of Little Mares, and cuddled up in the seats next to each other while snacking on buttery popcorn.
They took a stroll through town afterwards, pausing to chat with their neighbors and friends. Hitch was pleased to see ponies doing their best to pick up any stray litter that might slip through their hooves. Sunny tried teaching him how to roller skate next, but he was content to watch her do it herself. He asked her to perform tricks for him, which she gladly obliged. She enjoyed swiveling around him in circles, playfully blowing him kisses as she zoomed around.
Finally, they made their way to the docks so they could watch the sunset over the water.
The blue transformed as it reflected the orange and pink of the sunset, a sight that stole Hitch's breath away as he once again thought about his marefriend, how much fun they had today, and how much he loved her.
If he thought he was breathless then, his feeling only amplified when Sunny tapped on his shoulder, and he was met with her kneeling before him.
Held up on a pink hoof, was a box.
It was a small box made with dark blue felt. Sunny used her other hoof to open it, and inside…
Hitch bit back a happy sob when he caught sight of two rings within the box. One was yellow, and one was orange. His knees nearly gave out as he imagined the orange one hanging from a necklace- as he imagined being a husband.
Sunny spoke evenly, but her voice was filled with raw love. "Hitch Trailblazer… will you marry me?"
It felt like the world had stopped just for a moment.
Hitch pranced on all four hooves, tears pouring from his eyes in a swarm of overwhelming emotions. How could he say anything else besides-
"Yes, yes, yes!"
Now that they were back at the lighthouse, Hitch was letting his mouth run with thoughts about the two getting married. He couldn't help it.
"Would this make me Hitch Starscout? Or would you wanna be Sunny Trailblazer- oh, well- you certainly do blaze trails! But, I wouldn't just take your last name away if you didn't-"
Sunny covered Hitch's excited babbling with a hoof, amusement clear in her gaze. "I like my name. But I also like yours. So, I've decided I'll just use both."
"What? But legally-"
Sunny swished her tail over his snout to quiet him, smiling at him fondly. "Since when did I let the law stop me? It's not hurting anypony to use both. I'll keep my name the same on all the papers- but I'd love it if you called me Sunny Trailblazer sometimes at home."
Hitch flushed, ears folding back. "Okay, that... would be really nice. So then uh... what- what should I do?"
Sunny cocked her head to the side slightly, "Well, what do you want?"
A simple question, but it was hard to think that it was really that easy. Then again, why couldn't they choose what names to take or leave behind for themselves? Sunny was right- they weren't hurting anypony.
Hitch paused, gathering up the courage to be honest. "...Being a Starscout... Just a Starscout... that would be amazing. Maybe too amazing." Hitch tapped his hooves together, looking nervous, "Do you think it suits me?"
"Absolutely." Sunny nuzzled Hitch's cheek. She laughs a little, and it's a joyous sound that gets Hitch's heart to skip. "Don't overthink things. The world is your oyster, Hitch Starscout."
He grinned like a doofus.
The world is your oyster. It was a fitting Maretime Bay sentiment, but Sunny's influence only made it fit more. She opened up so many avenues for friendship between a multitude of lands- travel, equality, and better legal systems being put into place all over Equestria. Truly, Hitch felt like anything could be achieved at this point. It was exhilarating.
He nods at last, his eyes blown and his smile nervous. "Thank you Sunny."
"For what?"
His ears fold back again, and his voice shakes a little as he responds. "For... everything. You changed my life- heck, you've changed everypony's lives. You got me to stop thinking in terms of 'law and order', and more about what's actually right." He places his hoof to where his badge used to lay- his body feels lighter now- then he moves it towards his heart. "You've helped with making Maretime Bay a place where everypony can feel safe and respected. I didn't see the value in that before... but now..."
Hitch approaches Sunny, presses his nose against hers, and then ropes her into a gentle kiss. When he pulls away, his eyes are soft. "You've given me a new perspective on life and made me into a better pony in the process. Thank you..."
He knows that he isn't done growing and learning, he knows that nopony is, but he also knows that he's proud of how he's grown so far.
Sunny smiles back, laying her forehead against his, "Change is hard to accept. Thank you for moving past that."
"I'm glad I did. I love you, Sunny."
"I love you too, Hitch."
Sunny extends a hoof first, and Hitch grins, the two easily falling into their chant in unison.
"Up high, down low, Hitch it to a post! Flip it Sunny-side up and on a piece of toast!"
They end with yet another nuzzle, chalk-full of love for one another and the world.
A world that was slowly becoming a better place.
A world with Sunny and Hitch, side by side.
