spectrumancer said:
We aren’t in a hurry, so how about we sit down somewhere in the sun until lunch and swap stories.
Having a couple of hours to wait until lunchtime still, you decide on finding a place to sit in the rolling hills of the town’s outskirts. You figure that you can always order a takeaway meal for a private little picnic later.
With that in mind, you leave the cobblestone roads behind, and walk northward into the green open fields. After a few minutes, you find a nice patch of even terrain basking in warm sunlight, and take a seat in the soft grass.
Honourshine: “Not bad. This could make an adequate reading spot.”
You grin, and tell Honourshine that while you’re not busy, you could take this time to chat some more.
Honourshine: “Fair enough. About what?”
Curious, you ask your foalhood friend what she has been up to since you last saw each other.
Honourshine: “Since then? Well… I left Foalshire just a day after you did; got my own letter from the College. I moved to Canterlot, and started my apprenticeship. Once I graduated, I started working as a contractor. And… here we are now.”
You pause. For a story spanning several years, it was awfully short. Did nothing else of interest happen at all?
Honourshine: “Hmm… not that I can think of. Most of it is a blur. Unless you want me to recount my fieldwork in excruciating detail, that is.”
Moonflower: “Did ya think about Blazer a lot?”
Honourshine: “I… what?”
Moonflower: “Maybe you don’t think it’s worth rememberin’ ‘cause Blazer wasn’t there! ‘Cause when ya told the story about the necklace, you remembered lots’a details. Or when ya talked about how ya found the bell together. Ooh! Is that why it’s super important to you?”
Honourshine: “Wh—? Alright, listen: I understand that you’re an oracle, but if you want us to travel together, I’ll ask you to not use your mind-reading powers on me.”
Moonflower: “Heehee! Okay, but I got dream-sharin’ powers, not mind-readin’ powers.”
Honourshine: “Uh, y-yeah… that’s… what I meant.”
Feeling somewhat responsible, you tell her that if that’s how she feels, then you look forward to making new memories together. And if you’re being honest, she, too, was often on your mind these past few years.
Moonflower: “It’s true! He mentioned your name at least a few times before.”
Honourshine: “Nothing too embarrassing, I hope…?”
Moonflower: “Heeheehee…!”
You admit that you held your parting promise close to your heart.
Honourshine: “Oh… well… I’m glad…”
In that instant, you get an intense feeling of déjà vu. Her lips fighting a losing battle against a creeping smile, her eyes looking away in an attempt to hide their emotions. You recognize this reaction from a younger face in your younger days, and feel the imminent change of topic fast approaching—
Honourshine: “So, what have you been up to since then?”
You can’t help smiling broadly at that, feeling the rift between past and present slowly but surely mend. Choosing to keep the conversation moving forward, you answer Honourshine’s question, and begin to recount the somewhat uneventful travels of a younger Trailblazer up until she found a home…
Moonflower: “… And then we became super best friends!”
Honourshine: “That was fast… good for you. But you’re telling me that all happened the very next day after Blaze moved into town?”
Moonflower: “Yuh uh!”
Honourshine: “And nothing felt… off about any of this?”
After thinking it over, you admit that Moonflower may have been a little on the younger side, but in your defence, how could you possibly turn down somepony so unfairly cute?
Honourshine: “She is very cute…”
Moonflower: “Eeeeeeheehee…‼”
Honourshine: “… but that’s not what I meant. It didn’t feel like your meeting was… arranged or anything, did it?”