Why not? Sure. I'll Marry You.

It had been four days since Hitch left for Zephyr Heights, and Thunder was adjusting well. Ponies welcomed Zoom and Thunder, treating them with the same respect they gave Hitch. The citizens would see Thunder around town more often than Zoom, as Zoom often stayed at the Sheriff's Office, organizing files and helping Sprout with his grammar.

Fortunately, Thunder didn't have to worry much about maintaining the peace in Maretime Bay when he was doing his rounds. At worst, he would find a piece of litter and toss it in the nearest public trash bin, not knowing that he should report those moments to Zoom because he lacked knowledge of the law. At the end of the day, being stationed at the quiet, cheerful seaside town felt like a vacation for Thunder more than anything.

The worst Thunder had to deal with was the Maretime Bay citizens being rowdy when they watched Hitch and Pipp's date at the Pitch Bowling Alley on their phones. Ponies gathered in groups near food stands, park benches, restaurant tables, and the town fountain, watching Hitch and Pipp play their bowling match as though it were a major sports tournament. Trolley Trotter stopped her trolley so she could watch the match together with her passengers.

Thunder took advantage of Zoom staying inside the Sheriff's Office with Sprout to take out his phone and watch the ZBS broadcast himself. Ponies cheered every time there was a strike or a spare or whenever Hitch or Pipp took the lead. Most citizens didn't care who won because they were excited to virtually watch the royal couple's first date and how Hitch and Pipp kept the game close. When it was over, Maretime Bay's citizens gained extreme pride for how their beloved sheriff handled himself during the interview.

After watching the broadcast, Hitch and Pipp's date was the talk of the town. Not since the wedding were ponies filled with hope for Hitch’s happiness and the future of ponykind. Zoom was especially impressed with the interview when Thunder filled her in with what happened at Zephyr Heights.

But while everypony was thinking about the royal couple, Thunder's thoughts were on his upcoming date with Periwinkle. Their conversation about unicorn culture and Harry Trotter occupied his mind as he patrolled the town. Simultaneously, he was nervous, for he had never been on a date. When Thunder and Zoom were off duty at Hitch's house, Thunder would lie on the couch and watch videos on how to behave and what to say on a first date. Occasionally, he thought of asking Zoom to explain some of the things the videos said, but he would be too embarrassed and want to figure it out himself. Thunder also wanted the date to be a secret from Zoom, worried that there would be some regulation he never read against going out with citizens from out of town when off duty.

Come late Saturday afternoon, Thunder finished his evening rounds early to rush to Hitch's house. He took a second shower and put on extra deodorant and a clip-on collar and tie he bought during his lunch break earlier that day. Thunder then rewatched the videos of how to interact on your first date while combing his mane. When he finished, Thunder chuckled, wondering how Zoom would react if she found out he focused more on how to behave on a date than memorizing laws and regulations.

After brushing his teeth for good measure, Thunder was heading out the door when the front door burst open. He froze in place like a burglar who had just gotten caught until he saw Zoom come in looking half-dead, swaying back and forth and her eyes half open. She was moaning in muttering while holding a half-full jumbo-sized smoothie cup with her left leg. She dropped her saddlebag filled with empty smoothie cups and bottles of hard cider before she looked up to give Thunder a half-awake smile.

“Hey Thunderzzz. What's up?” Zoom asked.

“Zoom, are you drunk?” Thunder asked.

“What? I never get drunk,” Zoom said. “I was just very thirsty for some smoothies from Sunny Starscout and wanted to spice things up a bit.”

“You put hard cider in your smoothies?” Thunder asked. “Since when do you spike your drinks?”

Zoom’s drunk smile melted into a grumpy frown, and she said, “Since I've had to start dealing with a dullard of a deputy for a good part of a week. I mean, my hoofness, a flying mouse could learn basic grammar faster than Depooty Sprute Hoserlaufy.”

“Uh, don't you mean Deputy Sprout Cloverleaf?” Thunder asked.

“Gesundheit,” Zoom said before noticing Thunder's clip-on collar and tie. “Why are you dressed like that?”

“Uh, I'm going on Saturday night patrol,” Thunder fibbed. “It's Maretime Bay regulation to look classy while everypony is out to enjoy their Saturday nights.”

“Regulation? I don't recall a *hic* regulation about *hic* that,” Zoom said.

“Well, it's in there. You must be really drunk if you, of all ponies, don't remember a little thing like that,” Thunder said.

Zoom stared at Thunder as though he was speaking gibberish. Thunder grew uneasy, unsure if his superior officer was struggling to process his words or making the best suspicious look in her drunken state. Finally, Zoom shrugged and walked past Thunder, heading to Hitch's couch.

“I guess that makes sense,” Zoom said. “Carry on, Thunderzzz, and don't cause any *hic* trouble.”

“Yes, ma'am,” Thunder said with a salute.

Thunder went out the door and waited until he heard Zoom fall on the couch and started snoring before he closed the door behind him. He walked away from the house slowly as though sudden movements might wake his superior officer. Then he dashed to the town center, cackling like a teenager who had snuck out to go to a party. When Thunder got to the fountain, he took out his phone to find that he was 3 minutes early. He sat down at a bench close to the fountain and looked through the notes he took from the dating advice sites while he waited.

A few minutes later, Thunder noticed a pony approaching him from the corner of his eye. He turned his head, and his face fell to see Perrywrinkle standing beside him. Her yellow sweater tied around her neck was replaced with a pearl necklace. She wore green clip-on earrings, and the edges of her mane were curled. What stood out the most to Thunder was Periwinkle wearing contacts instead of her glasses, giving him a better look at her green eyes staring timidly at him.

It took Thunder a moment before he realized he was staring for too long. He cleared his throat before standing up and turned to Periwinkle.

“Good evening, Periwinkle. You look quite lovely,” Thunder said.

Periwinkle smiled and said, “Thank you. You look dashing yourself.”

Thunder bashfully chuckled and scratched the back of his head with a sheepish smile. No pony had ever considered the lazy royal guard dashing before, so he hoped Perrywrinkle would think he looked decent at best with his collar and tie. He felt somewhat embarrassed with his reaction to her compliment, but Perrywrinkle thought his reaction was cute like a colt being complimented by his school crush. After half a minute, Thunder cleared his throat again and put on a straight face.

“Anyway, I was looking into places to go and discovered a new place where we can both have dinner and go dancing. Apparently, this place recently opened close to the old Canterlogic factory,” Thunder said.

Periwinkle's face lit up, and she asked, “You mean Pon-3 Beat Drop?”

“Er, yes,” Thunder said. “Have you been there before?”

“No, but I've wanted to for a while,” Periwinkle said. “The owner, Vinyl Skip, is a fellow unicorn, and he's been trying to run his own place for food and music ever since he learned about pop music and became a DJ. I've heard nothing but good things about his place, so I've wanted to go ever since.”

“Oh, great. Then let's not waste any time,” Thunder said.

Periwinkle smiled and nodded before she and Thunder began walking down the main road. They stopped at a two-story building at the end of the block on the right beside the walls to the Canterlogic factory. Above the entrance was a sign in neon lights that said, “Pon-3 Beat Drop.” On opposite sides of the sign were blue, green, and purple silhouettes of earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi dancing. Periwinkle's excitement grew as she and Thunder heard music coming from inside.

Thunder opened the door and let Periwinkle come in first. They first saw a dance floor covering most of the ground floor. Dozens of ponies happily danced together, whether in groups or pairs, with neon lights shining above them. At the end of the room was Vinyl Skip in his DJ booth on the stage. He bobbed his head to the beat as he scratched records and pressed buttons with his eyes closed. A yellow earth pony stallion stood at a desk in the entryway and smiled at Thunder and Periwinkle as they entered.

“Good evening. My name is Beet Drop. Are you here to dance, dine, or both?” the stallion asked.

“Both, please,” Thunder said.

“Okay. Do you want to eat before you dance?” Beet Drop asked.

Thunder turned to Periwinkle, and she nodded with a smile.

“Yes, please,” Thunder said.

“Sounds good. If you follow me, I'll take you upstairs,” Beet Drop said.

Beet Drop took two menus behind the desk and escorted Thunder and Periwinkle to the staircase left of the entrance. Ponies ate at tables and booths, and at the center was a bar. At the end of the floor was a ledge where the dance floor could be seen from above. Beet Drop led Thunder and Periwinkle to a table at the ledge, and Thunder helped Periwinkle to her seat.

“Alright, sit tight, and a waiter will be right with you,” Beet Drop said as he handed the menus to Thunder and Periwinkle.

“Thank you,” Periwinkle said.

“Yeah, thanks,” Thunder said.

Beet Drop smiled and nodded before he went back downstairs to the front desk. Thunder sat opposite Periwinkle, and they began looking through their menus. The royal guard was surprised with the prices for the food, for the economy for a seaside town was hardly as big as it was at a kingdom on a mountain, which suited Thunder fine since he was paying for himself and his date. After deciding what he would order, Thunder looked around to see how active the dining area was. Ponies talked and laughed while enjoying their hay burgers, hay fries, steamed vegetables, onion rings, mac and cheese, and hard cider. Some ponies wore dresses and bow ties, like attending a high-class event instead of a club. Periwinkle looked up from her menu, noticed Thunder looking at everypony around them, and smiled.

“Pretty lively here. Isn't it?” Periwinkle said.

“Yes, it is,” Thunder said, turning to Periwinkle. “Truth be told, I didn't expect it to be so crowded and vibrant here. It makes sense, given this is a new establishment, but still.”

“I know what you mean. I'm not used to big establishments like these,” Periwinkle said. “Unicorns aren't known for being energetic before the Unity.”

“Really? I find that hard to believe with Vinyl Skip so lost in his world of music down there,” Thunder said, pointing at the DJ booth.

“That's because he's playing music he's never known until a few moons back,” Periwinkle said. “He collected vinyl records of soft, slow jazz music and recorded poetry reading at the Crystal Tea Room. No unicorn in Bridlewood could imagine music louder than your voice or how DJ booths use records. Bottom line, Vinyl Skip became a new pony when pegasi who also moved to Maretime Bay, introduced him to various genres. In fact, he was the DJ for the royal wedding reception, which is how he got the funding to open this place. I didn't even know he was there until about a week later.”

“Really? How come?” Thunder asked. “I would think you'd have found out that your friend was there since you were there, too. I mean, didn't you go to the wedding with Sunny Starscout and Izzy Moonbow?”

Periwrinkle’s eyes widened, and she looked away in unease. She hadn't thought about how she tried to get Presto to marry her instead of Pipp ever since all focus turned to Hitch marrying Pipp. Thunder tilted his head in confusion, and Periwinkle realized she was taking too long to answer.

“Well, uh, I was so focused on the celebration that I didn't notice who the DJ was,” Periwinkle said. “I mean, my friend and sheriff married Princess Pipp Petals herself. I can't imagine any pony in Equestria thinking about anything else.”

Periwinkle forced a smile, trying to assure Thunder there was no other reason. In her eyes, telling a stallion about the stallion she wanted to marry on the first date wouldn't do. After a few seconds, Thunder took a moment to think about it and shrugged.

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Thunder said. “It was a long night for all of us, for sure. In fact, I was the one who found the video of Presto and that mare and showed it to the princesses.”

“Really? How did you come across it?” Periwinkle asked.

“Oh, I was browsing through social media while the concert was happening until I found it,” Thunder said. “I showed it to my superior, Zoom, and then we showed it to Princess Zipp, who showed it to her sister.”

“Wow. So, if you hadn't found that video when you did, Pipp would have married a stallion who was unfaithful to her,” Periwinkle said. “I bet the royal family is really grateful to you for uncovering the truth about Presto Tetrachord.”

Thunder’s cheeks tinted, and he looked away timidly while scratching his head.

“Oh, they don't need to thank me about that. If we're being honest, I wasn't supposed to be on my phone while on duty, and it's not like I went straight to Princess Pipp to show what happened.”

“But, they still wouldn't have found out if it weren't for you,” Periwinkle said. “Imagine if Pipp married Presto. Presto would have spent the rest of his days pretending to be a loyal husband and prince when he was still having an affair with that unicorn. What if that mare isn't the only one he's sleeping with? What if he got another mare pregnant, leading to Pipp finding out the truth? She would have been devastated, worse than when she saw the video. To say nothing of how all of Equestria would have reacted to that being the turnout of the first biracial marriage in countless moons. You saved everypony from immense drama and pain on top of Pipp finding someone better than Presto could ever be.”

“Oh, stop it. You're making it sound like I'm some great hero or something,” Thunder said.

“You are to me,” Periwinkle said.

Thunder and Periwinkle's eyes widened, and they simultaneously looked away with their cheeks pink . Periwinkle glanced at Thunder, who played with his hooves as his blush covered his face. She covered her mouth to hide a giggle, once again finding his bashfulness cute. After a minute, a green earth pony stallion wearing a clip-on tie walked over to them, holding a notepad and pen.

“Good evening. My name is Cookie Crumble, and I'll be your waiter tonight,” the stallion said. “Are you ready to order?”

It took a moment for Thunder and Periwinkle to realize what was happening before they cleared their throats and picked up their menus.

“Uh, yeah. I'll have a hayburger, onion rings, and a cider,” Thunder said.

“And I'll have a hay and cranberry salad and a cider,” Periwinkle said.

Cookie Crumble wrote down Thunder and Periwinkle's orders, then took their menus.

“Alright then. We'll get started on your orders right away,” Cookie Crumble said.

“Thank you,” Thunder and Periwinkle said simultaneously.

Cookie Crumble went downsides to place their orders in the kitchen. Thunder and Periwinkle looked at each other for a moment before they looked away again,remembering what Periwrinkle had said a minute before. Periwinkle looked down the ledge as though the dancing downstairs was the most exciting thing in the world. But as she watched the dancing, she spotted something that made her face fall. She leaned closer and squinted to ensure she saw what she saw. After a moment, Periwinkle's face lit up, and she let out a squeal that startled Thunder.

“She asked him! She asked him!” Periwinkle squealed.

“I beg your pardon? Who asked who?” Thunder asked.

“Look at the earth pony mare and pegasus stallion dancing on the far right corner,” Periwinkle said.

Thunder looked at Periwinkle, confused, before he turned to where she was looking. At the top right corner of the dance floor was a light turquoise earth pony mare and a cream-colored pegasus stallion dancing side by side. The stallion wore a pendant of a golden orange electric guitar, and the mare's hooves were decorated purple with pink and blue stars.

Suddenly, the stallion took the mare by the hoof and spun her. The mare was startled but simultaneously loved the spontaneous moment. It made her smile blissfully as though she was waltzing to classical music with her date instead of dancing to dubstep. While Thunder was still confused, Periwinkle “aw” ed with her front hooves together.

“So, what do they have to do with somepony asking somepony?” Thunder asked.

Periwinkle giggled at Thunder's obliviousness and said, “The mare’s name is Jazz Hooves, and the stallion dancing with her is Rocky Riff. They work at the hair salon in the town center, and Jazz did my mane this afternoon for tonight. She was staring at Rocky while working my mane until I called her out on her crush on him. Jazz was so shy that she struggled to admit it. I encouraged Jazz to ask Rocky on a date, but I wasn't sure she'd gather the courage to do it.”

“Oh, that's nice,” Thunder said. “Though judging by how he's dancing with her, I wonder if he asked her first.”

“Oh, that would be so adorable,” Periwinkle said. “I would be so happy if they would be together soon. Not to mention, it would be very encouraging for all ponykind.”

“What do you mean?” Thunder asked.

“Did you watch Hitch and Pipp's bowling date?” Periwinkle asked.

“Er, well, I wasn't exactly allowed to because I was on my rounds, but then again, who wasn't watching that?” Thunder answered.

“Did you see the interview that came after?” Periwinkle asked. “Specifically, did you watch the part where Hitch answered that question about the future with his pegasus wife?”

“Yeah,” Thunder said.

“If both Jazz and Rocky wanted to ask each other out, then I see their relationship as a perfect example of what Hitch predicted coming to pass,” Periwinkle said. “One has wings, the other doesn't have wings or a horn, and yet, as you can see, they cherish others' company. Maybe if we have more relationships like that soon, biracial relationships will stop being a subject matter before anypony knows it.”

Thunder stared at Periwinkle, taken aback as she spoke. He had heard ponies discuss the subject matter through social media ever since all three pony kinds became friends again, and he also thought Hitch's speech was moving. Still, he had never heard anypony speak about biracial relationships among ponies so passionately. Simultaneously, it warmed his heart to see his date delighted in what was happening to her fellow ponies.

“Well, our society is going in the right direction for that,” Thunder said. “And, I like to think, if not hope, that we will see more ponies developing bonds like that no matter what or where they're from.”

It took Periwinkle a moment before she realized what Thunder was implying, and her cheeks turned pink. Thunder chuckled sheepishly, feeling his cheeks heated up also. Half a minute later, Cookie Crumble returned with Thunder and Periwinkle's food. They thanked Cookie Crumble and waited for him to leave before they dug in. As they ate, Periwinkle glanced at Jazz and Rocky, who were still lost in their own world as they danced. When the song ended, Jazz and Rocky caught their breaths before they laughed from the thrill of dancing. They then went to sit on a bench against the wall to rest, with Jazz resting her head on Rocky's shoulder. Periwinkle's heart melted as she watched Jazz close her eyes, taking in the moment with the stallion of her dreams. She then looked at Thunder, who was stuffing his face with his burger, and wondered how good of a dancer he was.

When Thunder and Periwinkle finished their food, Cookie Crumble took their dishes and left to bring Thunder the bill. Thunder leaned back against his chair and patted his belly. Periwinkle giggled.

“Really enjoyed your burger and rings?” Periwinkle asked.

“Oh, yeah. It's been too long since I've had either,” Thunder said. “My superior, Zoom, is excessively strict on a royal guard's diet. In fact, she's been limiting what Deputy Sprout's allowed to eat when on duty ever since we got here. On that note, please don't tell Zoom that I had my burger and rings. I'll never hear the end of her saying I know better than to fatten myself up.”

“My lips are sealed,” Periwinkle assured. “Although, if you're really worried about her finding out, you should use your time dancing to burn as many of the calories you just gained as possible.”

“Heh. Yeah, that's a good idea. Plus, burning calories by dancing is much more fun than anything Zoom would do to make up for not eating right,” Thunder said. “Trust me. When she's through, you'll wish your legs would come off just to get rid of the pain of them being overused. It’s practically like getting rid of a toothache. And don't get me started on push-ups using the tips of your wings. Dealing with that is probably the one thing I hate about being a pegasus.”

Periwinkle covered her mouth to hide a giggle. A few minutes later, Cookie Crumble returned with the bill, and Thunder paid the owed amount plus a tip. When Thunder put the money on top of the bill, Periwinkle got up and took Thunder by the hoof. She lightly pulled him off his seat and led him down the staircase to the dance floor. Thunder's cheeks heated up again from the feel of Periwinkle's hoof, yet he couldn't help but smile at how enthusiastic she was about getting to dance.

Thunder and Periwinkle got on the dance floor just as a song ended. Vinyl Skip took a moment to switch records, allowing the dancers to catch their breath. Vinyl Skip began playing the next record just as Thunder and Periwinkle found a spot on the dance floor, and Periwinkle's face lit up upon hearing an upbeat tune from the speakers.

“Oh my goodness, Iconic by Ruby Jubilee! I love this song!” Periwinkle screamed.

Within the blink of an eye, Periwinkle danced vigorously to the song's beat. It took a moment for Thunder to realize his date was already dancing before he joined her. He began to get into the beat before Periwinkle stood on her hind legs and sang as she danced with her eyes closed and her front hooves in the air.

Oh tell me can you hear that rockin' sound?

(Oh, oh, oh-oh)

If you listen you can hear it comin' 'round

(Oh, oh, oh-oh)

Yeah we're movin' to a brand new beat oh-ohhhh

(Oh, oh, oh-oh)

And you can see us dancin' in the street

(Oh, oh, oh-oh)

So call your favorite bestie and bring 'em along

'Cause we're movin' and we're shakin' to our favorite song

Oh-oh

Yeah, it's always in style

(Yeah, it's always in style!)

Iconic, ooh, yeah, you know it's magic

Iconic, ooh, yeah, you know it's classic

Iconic, when we are together

Iconic, yeah, we are forever

Iconic, yeah, we are forever

(Iconic... Iconic...)

Yeah, you can see them movin', young and old, oh-ohhhh

(Oh, oh, oh-oh)

Dancin' together yeah they feel it in their soul

(Oh, oh, oh-oh)

We're with all of our friends, yeah, we're singin along

To the sparkle and the magic of our favorite song

Oh-oh

'Cause they're always in style (sty-y-yle)

(Oh, yeah!)

Iconic, ooh, yeah, you know it's magic

Iconic, ooh, yeah, you know it's classic

Iconic, when we are together

Iconic, yeah, we are forever

Iconic, yeah, we are forever

(It's magic... It's magic... It's magic...)

(Iconic... Iconic... Iconic...)

Iconic, ooh, yeah, you know it's magic

Iconic, ooh, yeah, you know it's classic

Iconic, when we are together

Iconic, yeah, we are forever

Iconic, yeah, we are forever

(Iconic... Iconic... Iconic…)

Thunder stopped dancing and stared at Periwinkle as though she put him in a trance. It was like he was watching a pop star from how Periwinkle passionately sang and danced. Yet the edges of his mouth curled at the sight of his date so blissful on the dance floor. When the song ended, Periwinkle got back on all fours and took a breath through her nostrils with her eyes still closed, smiling. The other ponies stomped their hooves in applause as Vinyl Skip put on the next record. As a new song played, Periwinkle opened her eyes to see Thunder still gawking at her, and she giggled before taking his hoof.

“Come on. Dance with me,” Periwrinkle said.

Before Thunder knew it, Periwinkle pulled him toward her until they were a foot apart. Their cheeks heated up as they began dancing to a faster, louder song with Periwinkle still holding Thunder's hoof. Thunder nearly tripped on his hooves before he got into the groove. Periwinkle giggled as she watched her date grow more comfortable while still blushing as though he had never danced with somepony before. After a minute and a half into the song, Thunder smiled and moved closer to Periwinkle, and his date grinned, for they were ready to dance in one mind.

*******************************************************

For the next three hours, Thunder and Periwinkle danced, taking a break every 15 to 20 minutes. Afterward, Thunder checked the time on his phone and suggested that they stop so they could have their walk on the beach. Periwinkle looked over Thunder's shoulder to look at the time on his phone and nodded in agreement.

They exited the club with Thunder holding the door for Periwinkle and began going to the beach. By now, the activities at the town center died down, for the shops and restaurants were closed for the night. Only a few ponies were passing by, heading home as they wished Thunder and Periwinkle good evening.

Thunder and Periwinkle walked down the road and turned to a path to the beach. They began their stroll on the beach, walking side by side. The soft sound of the ocean moving and the moon shining brightly was relaxing for Thunder and Periwinkle after hours of hearing loud music and neon lights lighting the dance floor. Periwinkle shuddered from the light breeze blowing at her, and Thunder put his wing around Periwinkle's back. The mare took the opportunity to move closer to her date until their sides were touching, taking Thunder aback before he smiled and tightened his hold on Periwinkle with his wing.

“That was fun,” Periwinkle said. “Dancing, I mean.”

“Yeah, it was,” Thunder said. “Tell you the truth, the music is still ringing in my ears.”

Periwinkle giggled and said, “Yeah, I know what you mean. That last Electric Blue song is stuck in my head.”

“Really? I thought you'd have Iconic stuck in your head even if it's the first song you danced to,” Periwinkle said.

“Really? Why's that?” Periwinkle asked, looking at Thunder in confusion.

“Well, you were really into it more than any of the other songs,” Thunder said. “You were so enthusiastic that you were singing along. I don't think I saw any other pony act that way with any of the songs.”

“Well, you're right that I really love to sing that song, but I've grown to love pop music in general,” Periwinkle said. “I just find it an entertaining genre. The fast beats, the lively instrumental music, the catchy lyrics; granted, you can say all of that with rock music as well, but I've grown to be fond of pop because of how fun it is compared to what little music unicorns had before the unity, and with how long the genre has existed. In fact, did you know that pop music has existed since Ancient Equestria?”

“Wait. For real? How do you know that?” Thunder asked.

“Sunny told me,” Periwinkle answered. “Many centuries ago, pop stars were taking Equestria by storm long before there were phones or TV. Some of her dad's research is incomplete, but one pop star named Sapphire Shoes or something like that was really popular. One artist more popular than her was a duchess or countess. Not sure which. Sadly, their music has been lost to time, but it's amazing how ponies entertained fellow ponies with pop centuries before Pipp or Ruby Jubilee.”

“And Presto Tetrachord,” Thunder said.

Periwinkle winced as though Thunder slapped her by saying that name. In all the focus on Hitch marrying Pipp, meeting Thunder, and otherwise letting life go on, Periwinkle forgot about how Presto Tetrachord used to light up her life with his music. Like most of Equestria society, she forgot the stallion she wanted to marry was a beloved, talented pop star before he was discovered to be an unfaithful cad. It was as though Presto's once-celebrated music had faded to obscurity like music from an artist being sold by a third-rate studio. Periwinkle hung her head and looked away from Thunder to hide a tear as tainted memories of Presto Tetrachord flooded her mind.

“Yeah, I guess you can include him too,” Periwinkle said.

Thunder's smile faded from Periwinkle speaking with a dispirited voice. Confused, he tilted his head until he figured Periwinkle was a big fan of Presto's music before the royal wedding. He interpreted Periwinkle's reluctance to include Presto's music as a sign that Presto’s infidelity poisoned her view of pop music in some way. Perhaps some shame from how her fellow unicorn almost ruined the first biracial wedding in centuries. Either way, the mood was soured, and it was Thunder's fault. Guilt filled Thunder's heart until he thought of how to change the subject.

“So, what else existed way back in Ancient Equestria? Did they have phones or the Canternet?” Thunder asked.

Periwinkle turned to Thunder and smiled in appreciation before she answered.

“Actually, no. Technology like phones and the Canternet wasn't even an idea back then, “ she answered. “Ponies used the post office to communicate with ponies living in different parts of Equestria. They also used magazines and posters to advertise their business instead of social media. Dubstep existed, but music could only be heard through live performances or vinyl records.”

“Wow. Talk about putting the ancient in Ancient Equestria,” Thunder chortled. “Though, why did ponies need something like the post office to communicate? Didn't they have magic?”

“They did, but not usually for something like mail,” Periwinkle said. “The only one who could was a princess who communicated with a unicorn named Twilight Sparkle using the unicorn’s magic pet dragon.”

“Wait. What? Dragons existed back then?” Thunder asked, taken aback.

“Dragons, hippogriffs, diamond dogs, griffins, some of them I've never heard of before,” Periwinkle said. “And they all used to be friends with ponies before they disappeared. In fact, Wisteria and I are going to teach our students about how ponies became friends with all of these creatures next Monday, including building a school to teach creatures how to be friends.”

Thunder gave Periwinkle a funny look, taken aback by her speaking about ponies and other creatures so factually. Periwinkle's smile faded, and she stopped waking, making Thunder stop as well. They turned to face each other, making Thunder uneasy with how Periwinkle looked at him with a hurt look.

“You don't believe me?” Periwinkle asked.

Thunder bit his lip. He wanted to make up a lie to convince her that he believed Periwinkle, but deep down, Thunder knew there was no way he could come up with a convincing lie, at least not after Periwinkle had already called him out on one once. After half a minute, Thunder sighed and spoke his mind in reluctance.

“It's just that these are hard pills to swallow,” he said. “Not too long ago, it was inconceivable to believe that earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi ever got along. Now you're saying ponykind was once friends with creatures that only exist in fairy tales. Foal stuff.”

"Ah, I see. So, you can't help but wonder if Sunny's research might be mixed with myths or fictional literature from back in those days or something like that, right?" Periwinkle said.

"Well, yeah," Thunder said.

Periwinkle smiled, appreciative that Thunder was being honest.

“I get it. It's tough to swallow when you put it on paper, and a lot of concrete information can be lost in countless moons,” she said. “But even with that in mind, the way Sunny describes Ancient Equestria feels less like something that happened in our past and more like a completely different world. It's little surprise that some teachers like Mayflower and the teachers for the schools at Bridlewood and Zephyr Heights are reluctant to teach this to our students. There's very little in Sunny's dad's research that explains how ponies went from being friends to all these kinds of creatures and then suddenly were at a point where they weren't even friends with each other. Sunny has even gone so far as to say that pegasi used to create the weather for Equestria and that two particularly powerful ponies controlled the sun and the moon. It all sounds completely illogical.”

“Well, if you feel that way, why do you still teach it? Thunder asked.

“Because I have faith that it's all true,” Periwinkle said. “If there's one special thing that makes me especially thankful our races became friends again, it's that the Unity has proved that there is more that our lives can be together than when we were apart. Before Sunny came along, Bridlewood was such a dull place. You don't have a reason to be particularly happy or sad from the moment you're born. You're just here. How any unicorn could be so bright and cheerful back then, like Izzy, I'll never understand. Since we all became friends, I've felt like I've only been alive in the past few moons. I learned there was more to living than just being another unicorn with practically nothing of significance apart from being somepony who wears glasses and a sweater around her neck. So, the more I hear about pony life long before I was born, the happier I am about the world beyond being secluded in Bridlewood. So, I choose to believe that there was a time when not only were we all together, but Equestria was more than just a seaside town, a forest settlement, and one big city. With more ponies interested in Ancient Equestria than just Sunny, I want to encourage my students to be curious about the past so that more of us can discover more outside of Sunny's research. Maybe one day, pony civilization will thrive the way it used to and learn more about the non-pony friends of our past.”

Nothing was heard after Periwinkle spoke apart from the crashing waves. Periwinkle frowned in confusion as Thunder stared at her as though she had put him in a trance. She waved her hoof before Thunder's face until he snapped out of his daze and chuckled sheepishly.

“Did you not listen to everything I said?” Periwinkle asked.

“Oh, I did. I did. I swear, I did,” Thunder said, waving his hoof defensively. “I'm just surprised.”

“Why are you surprised?” Periwinkle asked.

Thunder looked away momentarily to think about what to say before he answered, “It's just that I've never heard anypony speak that way about learning the past before. I mean, I was there when Sunny and Izzy made their case to the queen about how all three ponykinds could be friends again, with Sunny, in particular, being very fervent about it. But, even with Sunny in mind, you seem to be passionate about knowing our past more than anypony.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Periwinkle asked.

“No! No, no. It's a great thing,” Thunder assured. “When you explain why you believe what our history is, it makes me think that more ponies should know about it. It's still difficult to believe, but if you keep pressing on like Sunny, maybe your students will share your passion and become determined to discover more while we continue to live in harmony again.”

Periwinkle's eyes widened, and her cheeks tinted. It took a moment for Thunder to realize how far he went and chuckled nervously while scratching the back of his head. After a few seconds, Periwinkle smiled sweetly and walked over to nuzzle Thunder, startling him.

“W-w-what are you doing?” Thunder stuttered.

Periwinkle giggled and said, “No one's spoken so supportively to me like that before. It's really heartwarming to hear somepony admire my dream. Thank you.”

Thunder stammered, not used to somepony expressing heartfelt gratitude to him. Nor had he been nuzzled since his mother nuzzled him when he was a foal. Part of him wasn't convinced that either happened. Then, he paused and took a deep breath to keep his cool before he replied with a smile.

“You're welcome.”

Thunder and Periwinkle stared at each other for a few seconds, smiling. Then they realized they had been staring for too long and looked away bashfully with Periwinkle playing with the sand with her hoof. Eventually, Thunder cleared his throat and gestured to return to walking with his head. Periwinkle nodded, and they began walking side by side again. Thunder and Periwinkle tried to think of a new subject to discuss, yet simultaneously, they were okay with silently having their walk after a heart-to-heart moment.

*******************************************************

When they reached the end of the beach, Thunder and Periwinkle turned around and returned to where they started their walk. They then began walking to Periwinkle's house, making small talk. When Thunder and Periwinkle stopped at Periwinkle's front porch, they turned to each other, and Thunder cleared his throat.

“Well, uh, this was fun,” he said nervously. “Did you have a good time?”

Periwinkle smiled and said, “Yes, I had a lovely evening. Thank you.”

Thunder eased up, having been unsure of how Periwinkle would answer.

“Great then,” he said. “So, uh, if you'd like, we could exchange numbers and talk about doing this again. That is if you want to.”

Periwinkle's smile grew, and she opened her mouth to say yes. Then her eyes widened and she froze in place in realization. Thunder's smile faded as Periwinkle looked away from him and he hung his head, thinking she would reject him.

“I see. I guess it's too soon for that,” Thunder said.

“No, no. It's nothing like that,” Periwinkle said. “It's just that we'll need to put each other's names in our contact info, and I just realized in all the fun meeting and spending time together I haven't asked what's your name.”

It took Thunder a moment before he looked back and realized Periwinkle was right. His realization was quickly followed by seeing Periwinkle avoid eye contact in embarrassment instead of reluctance. After a moment, Thunder snorted before he laughed with his head held high.

“W-well, in fairness, I didn't think to tell you my name,” Thunder chortled. “I mean, you told me your name right as I was about to ask you out and didn't think to tell you my name right after you gave me yours. So, if anything, it's totally my fault.”

Periwinkle scoffed and held her hoof to her mouth as she giggled, feeling better.

“Fair enough,” she said. “So, what is your name?”

“It's Thunder. Thunder Flap,” Thunder said.

Periwinkle smiled warmly and said, “Well, to answer your question, Thunder, I'd love to exchange numbers with you.”

Thunder's face lit up, and he took out his phone from underneath his wing in one swift motion. Periwinkle giggled again, amused by Thunder's enthusiasm, before she took out her phone. The two switched phones and added their contact info to the other's phone. They then took selfies to upload as pictures to their contacts profiles.

After returning each other's phones, Thunder looked at Periwinkle's contact profile on his phone, finding her selfie cute. Then suddenly, he felt something soft pressing against his left cheek, and he flushed upon realizing Periwinkle was kissing his cheek. Periwinkle pulled back and smiled at how bashful Thunder was while her blue cheeks turned pink.

“That's an apology for forgetting to ask for your name,” Periwinkle said. “And this is for the lovely evening.”

Periwinkle put her hoof on the cheek she kissed and leaned to kiss Thunder's other cheek. She held onto the kiss a couple of seconds longer before she pulled back to look at Thunder's stunned face. It took Thunder a moment before he realized Periwinkle wasn't kissing his cheek or holding his other cheek anymore, and he shook his head to snap out of his daze.

“Well, uh, good…good night…Periwinkle,” Thunder said timidly.

Periwinkle's smile stretched to the sides of her face, and she said, “Good night, Thunder.”

With that, Periwinkle opened the door and gave Thunder one last look before she went inside and closed the door behind her. Thunder looked up at the night sky and sighed blissfully as Periwinkle kissing his cheeks replayed in his mind. He then began waking to Hitch's house, hoping Zoom was still sleeping after getting drunk. Part of Thunder was worried Zoom would remember his fake regulation and demand a report, but for now, the lazy royal guard focused on how he had the best night of his life.