"So...how long has he been doing that?" Smolder asked.

"Dunno. About an hour, maybe?" Gallus replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Think he'll wear out the road pacing up and down like that?" Silverstream enquired.

"Ponies do many weird things, so maybe?" Yona added.

Sandbar, looking excited and nervous in equal measure, was indeed frantically pacing in the main street of Ponyville, always looking out to the main road out of the town, fully expecting to see the one he knew was coming. But, with every time he looked, he only ever saw more empty road. He took several calm breaths, trying to keep himself from just going nuts over how much he was looking forward to this, but it was clear that such efforts weren't going his way. Eventually, after letting out a sigh, Gallus walked over, and finally brought his friend's pacing to an end by slapping a claw down on his shoulder.

"Sandbar! Buddy! Just relax! I know you haven't seen this guy in ages and you were big childhood besties and all that, but you're starting to make us nervous now!"

Chuckling to this, Sandbar nodded.

"Yeah...sorry about that. It's just...I don't even know what I'm going to say to Comet when he gets here. I mean, what, I'm just going to ask how Canterlot's been? What kind of question is that?"

Gallus rolled his eyes, but said nothing, as it was now the turn of Yona to walk closer to speak words of encouragement.

"Sandbar no worry! Friends always know how to talk to one another!"

The young stallion offered his Yak friend a warm smile, then looked over to Silverstream who, as usual, added her usual cheeriness to the proceedings.

"Just be happy you get to see an old friend again! I mean, not old exactly, since you're both still kids technically, but...you know what I mean."

Sandbar allowed a brief laugh to escape him at that, which was shared by Smolder as she too spoke up.

"I'll just be happy if this guy lives up to all the hype you've given him over the last week."

The earth pony opened his mouth to speak, ready to reply to those words, only to be halted in that moment when, to the shock of all of them, there was a sudden bright flash, causing all of them to take a step back from it. Then, when the light of that teleportation spell died down, there was a newcomer to their group. A unicorn stallion, about Sandbar's age, with white fur and a red mane, looking more than a little satisfied at the still-shocked look on Sandbar's face.

"Hehe, you never did know how to react to my spells, Sandy."

Immediately, Sandbar shook himself out of his state, then smiled, moving forward and embracing his new arrival in a hug.

"Comet! It's been ages!"

The other stallion chuckled to this, and as they parted, he shrugged his shoulders slightly.

"Yeah, I've been meaning to visit earlier, but, you know how busy big cities can get, right?"

Sandbar blinked.

"Er...never been in one, so no, can't say I do...but it's good to see you all the same."

Comet nodded back to this, then looked over his friend's shoulder, seeing the motley collection of other students behind him. There was, it had to be said, a tiny moment of uncertainty and hesitation on the part of the unicorn as he looked to them, but, seeing how they were clearly associated with Sandbar, he smiled all the same.

"So...made some new friends?"

Smiling, Sandbar turned, gesturing to each of his friends in turn.

"Comet, this is Gallus, Smolder, Silverstream and Yona."

Each of the other students gave a wave and a smile to the newly-arrived unicorn as soon as their name had been called out, and Comet, in turn, gave a wave right back to them.

"Pleased to meet you. So, you all go to that fancy new school that Princess Twilight opened?"

Smolder chuckled.

"Yep. It's been pretty sweet so far."

Gallus leaned in closer to his dragon companion.

"Weeeeeeeeell...it's sweet when the Professors aren’t putting our lives in danger over competitions between them."

The others gave him a simultaneous "shhhh" to that, prompting him to simply shrug his shoulders. Comet took on a look of confusion, but didn't enquire further. Instead, he looked again to Sandbar.

"So...is this everycreature?"

Sandbar nodded, then stopped, realisation coming to him.

"Actually, no! There's...um...somecreature else."

A blush came to his cheeks, and he avoided his friend's eyes for a time, causing Comet to suddenly gain a knowing smirk.

"Okay, I know that look! You've got yourself a sweet little mare, right?"

Silverstream giggled.

"Oh, he's got himself a sweetheart alright! But, when you say mare..."

Comet raised an eyebrow, but before he could ask about that, there was a new sound all of a sudden. It was an incredibly loud buzzing, like the wings of an insect, and while Comet began to look around to see where it was coming from, Sandbar gained a fond smile, looking up to the sky.

"There she is!"

The gathered creatures all looked on as Ocellus swooped in for a graceful landing. Smiling to her friends, her welcoming outlook only grew further when she gazed upon her boyfriend, and she moved closer towards him.

"Sorry I'm late."

But Sandbar shook his head.

"No problem, Ocellus. I know how important it is for you to get that essay done."

The young Changeling smiled sweetly to her beau, and Sandbar himself blushed fiercely to this. But then, after enduring the giggling and snickering by his other friends at this, he soon remembered why they were all out here to begin with, and so, after clearing his throat, he turned yet again to Comet.

"Comet...this is Ocellus."

Ocellus herself gave another smile to Sandbar's old friend, but that smile faded when she noticed how he was looking at her. Gone was the jovial and open look he was giving everycreature else, and instead, Comet regarded her with a look utterly devoid of warmth. He looked to her with what could only be described as disgust, and soon, he slowly turned his eyes to Sandbar.

"...Is this a joke?"

Sandbar looked to him, confused.

"Um...what?"

Comet frowned, then raised a hoof and pointed it straight at Ocellus.

"You...you mean to tell me you're seriously dating...that?!"

Immediately, all smiles vanished, and they looked to Comet with pure shock.

"Wha...what?" Ocellus whispered.

Comet narrowed his eyes to her.

"You heard me, shapeshifter! What did you do to him?! Did you use some of your creepy Changeling magic on his head or something?!"

Ocellus took a step backwards, and Smolder stepped forward, glaring at the young unicorn.

"Hey! What's your problem?!"

Comet snorted to this.

"My problem?! I was there when these things attacked Canterlot! I know what they are! They're monsters!"

Ocellus flinched to that, and this time, Yona spoke, stomping the ground angrily as she did so.

"Changelings no monsters! Changelings friends! Ocellus friend!"

"Bah! What would some dumb Yak know about this?!" Comet spat back.

Silverstream, though clearly nervous about all of this, nevertheless spoke in defence of her friends.

"Hey now, I know you had this bad experience in Canterlot, but there's no need to go name-calling like that!"

"She's right! You've really gotta chill, Comet!" Gallus added.

Comet looked to each of them, looking more and more infuriated as the moments passed.

"Pfft! Do you think I care how you guys think of me! I know I'm right! You wanna stand up for some filthy Changeling? Fine! See if I care! And you know what?"

He glanced around the immediate area, then back to the group.

"Me and Sandbar are gonna go someplace a bit nicer to be around. Maybe...with better people."

Swiftly, he turned, starting to walk away.

"Come on, Sandy!"

"...No."

The unicorn stopped dead in his tracks, spinning around and looking to his childhood friend. Sandbar himself had been completely silent during this entire exchange, but now, he had the attention of everycreature there, Ocellus and Comet especially. The latter, though clearly taken aback at what his friend had said to him, took a moment to get his thoughts in order before speaking up.

"Er...what do you mean no?"

Slowly, Sandbar looked to him, frowning slightly.

"Exactly what it sounds like...no."

Stepping forward, Comet frowned right back.

"Sandy...you're not seriously telling me you'd rather be with them than me?"

Sandbar turned his body, facing him fully, his voice now bearing a sternness that most had never heard from him.

"Comet...these are my friends. And Ocellus? She's even more than that."

He took a moment to look down to her, his expression softening, before once more looking to his older friend with severity.

"They are some of the nicest, kindest people I've met in my life. They did not deserve to have you say all those things. And so I ask you..."

He stepped forward.

"...to apologise for what you said."

Comet blinked, clearly not having believed what he'd just heard.

"You...you can't be serious?"

Sandbar didn't flinch.

"I am serious."

Here, Comet's breathing started to get heavier, and he too started to look on with a degree of scorn.

"...I...I am not going to apologise for what I said! She's a Changeling, Sandbar! You can't trust them!"

To that, Sandbar moved closer to Ocellus, wrapping a hoof around her and holding her close.

"I trust her. I trust all of them. Because they're my friends. And if you really consider me your friend...that should be enough for you."

Comet shook his head.

"I...I can't let you do this! I mean...going out with a changeling?! She's...she's a filthy, disgusting...thing!"

To that, Sandbar sighed, lowering his head and closing his eyes.

"If you can't accept this...if you can't accept them...then I guess...that's the end of it."

Silence fell, and everycreature seemed too terrified to say a word right now, and so simply looked from one stallion to the other. Eventually, and after wrestling with a great deal of disbelief, Comet's expression slowly morphed into one of disdain.

"...You're not the friend I remember, Sandbar. You've changed."

In response, Sandbar's eyes opened again, and he looked to his childhood friend with nothing but disappointment.

"...So have you."

No further words were spoken between them. Instead, Comet gave one final look of disgust to both Sandbar and his new friends, before turning around and walking off. Sandbar watched, as indeed did all of his other friends, and eventually, there came a time when Comet was simply too far away to be seen anymore. Even so, the uncomfortable silence persisted for quite some time, broken only when Ocellus looked up to her boyfriend, her voice tinted with shakiness.

"Are...are you okay, Sandy?"

Looking down to her, Sandbar gave a small smile.

"I was about to ask you that question."

Ocellus' expression was one of sadness.

"Changelings are used to other creatures not liking us. But...I’m not the one...who just lost a friend."

To that, Sandbar let out a long sigh.

"I think...I lost that friend a long time ago. I just..."

He shrugged his shoulders.

"...just didn't know it...until now."

Anger came to him for a brief moment.

"And you shouldn't have to be used to that, Ocellus. I...I always knew there were ponies out there who felt that way. I just...I just never thought...that Comet would be one of them."

His anger subsided, replaced instead with the sadness and disappointment he'd been feeling before. None of his friends knew what to say to console him right now, but even so, they looked to him with a degree of pride over what he'd just done for them, and for Ocellus especially. After some time had passed, Yona was the one who finally asked the question that was one everycreature's minds.

"Will...will friend Sandbar be...okay?"

The young stallion considered that, then, as he looked out to the road, no longer able to see the unicorn he had once called "friend", he gave the only answer he felt he could.

"I will...but not today."

Next Chapter: A Family Visit Estimated time remaining: 4 Hours, 28 Minutes