//------------------------------// // Your Friend Is In Another Castle // Story: A Show Full of Surprises // by Soothing Stone //------------------------------// Luna’s moon had just risen above the sky, setting off the beautiful night. Shops started to close, and ponies were heading for their homes. Surprise and Starlight eventually arrived at the castle, with the former gasping at the sight. “So this is the Castle of Friendship, isn’t it?” the white pegasus inquired. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Starlight asked as Surprise silently nodded. “Believe it or not, it used to be a library made out of a tree. Now, it’s a large castle made out of crystal!” “And you live in it, too? Are you a princess or something?” Starlight laughed a little and shook her head. “No. I was actually taken under Twilight’s wing after... well, I had an episode. But, it’s a story for another time. Let’s head inside.” Starlight used her magic to open the large doors so the two ponies could enter the castle’s entrance. No sooner than a few seconds after entering had they spotted a small figure carrying a set of books. “This is Spike,” the unicorn said as she gestured to the small purple dragon. “Hi, Spike.” Spike leaned his head to the side to look at the two ponies standing in front of him. “Oh, hey Starlight. Who’s your friend?” Starlight gestured toward the pegasus with her hoof. “Spike, this is Surprise. Surprise, Spike.” Starlight suddenly saw Surprise standing behind her. “T-That’s a dragon, isn’t it? It doesn’t b-bite, does it?” Starlight and Spike looked at each other for a brief moment and laughed. “Of course I don’t bite. I’m just about the friendliest dragon in Equestria! I’d shake your hoof, but I’m busy carrying these books.” “It’s fine, er, Spike. Starlight and I were just wondering if I could stay the night here at the castle.” “Of course you can,” said a mystery voice coming from behind Spike. Surprise could’ve sworn she’d heard this voice before. She tensed up when Spike stepped out of the way to reveal the lavender alicorn, Princess Twilight Sparkle. Yet, she was confused at the same time. The last time she saw Twilight, she was a unicorn. How she became an alicorn was beyond her. “I couldn’t help but overhear this conversation. Surprise, was it? I can see Starlight has made a new friend,” she remarked with a pleasant smile; that was, until she saw Surprise’s appearance. “And coincidentally enough, you look just like a friend I know, Pinkie Pie, except you have a different color scheme, and you’re a pegasus. Isn’t that a... surprise!” Twilight couldn’t help giggling. Starlight rolled her eyes from the bad pun. Surprise merely did a feign laugh. “Y-Yeah, quite a surprising coincidence...” Her voice trailed off. “Hey, are you okay?” Starlight asked with concern. “I’m fine. I’m just tired, is all.” “Then let’s get to sleeping, and tomorrow, we can have fun flying kites and doing whatever else we want!” Starlight beamed. It took a moment, but Surprise managed to calm down. It sure helped that Twilight wasn’t pressing into her true nature like she feared. “I should probably make a list or something, but I’m getting tired. Where are we sleeping, anyway?” “I got just the room. You’ll love it.” Starlight brought her down a corridor, and Surprise noticed there were more doors that way than all of Ponyville had buildings. At least, it felt that way to her. The unicorn opened the doors with her magic, and Surprise took a peek inside. Nothing was ever going to replace Trixie’s wagon in Surprise’s heart. As cramped as it was, it felt cozy and comfortable. This guest room, however, could be a good second place. It was roomy, vast, with a few tables and a large bed to boot. Not only that, but there was a balcony to the side. If Surprise wanted to, she could see all of Ponyville from there. Maybe, she could even see Trixie’s wagon from there. Surprise trotted in and looked over the room. “I really like it,” she smiled. “Um, should I sleep on the floor? There’s only one bed, and I don’t want to make you feel cramped.” The idea had Starlight puzzled. “You’ve seen how big it is, right?” It was large enough to make at least three ponies feel comfortable, let alone two. “But I wasn’t thinking about that at all. Here, there’s this spell I learned when I was a filly, and it’s perfect for tonight.”  Her horn glowed once again, and a few sparks of electricity went around the tip. Surprise was curious what it would lead to, especially when she could feel the power Starlight carried, even though she knew little to nothing about magic that Trixie didn’t show her. She took a step back when the floor gave her a fuzzy feeling, guessing that whatever Starlight would do, it involved the floor.  Just as quickly as Starlight started on the spell, she let it go. All of a sudden, there were blankets, pillows, and all sorts of things on the floor. It was well organized, too, and didn’t come across as messy at all.  “Oooooh, that’s amazing!” Surprise gleamed. “So we’re sleeping on the floor?” She flopped into the nearest blanket, and her face was treated to a faceful of pillows.  “If you want to,” Starlight replied. “You could sleep on the bed if you want. I don’t mind, just as long as we’re having fun.”  The pegasus was already starting to feel tired, the day’s events having caught up to her. “Why are you doing all this for me? We just met. You barely even know me.”  “That’s true, but I can tell you’re a nice pony at heart.” Starlight dropped to a pile of blankets next to Surprise. “And... I’m still learning to be a good friend, too. I need all the practice I can get.” “Then you should talk to Trixie, too. We’re really good friends!” The smile on Surprise’s face was without a single trace of irony or sarcasm. “It would be nice to have two friends...” Her eyelids felt heavy out of nowhere, and it was tempting to close them. “Wow, you had a really long day. That’s okay. We’ll have all day tomorrow to hang out. Do you have a preference on kites? You like it simple, or something like a large fort--” Surprise’s snores filled the room. Her face was smothered into a pillow, and she was fast asleep in no time at all. “Zzzzz... zzzzz...” The unicorn chuckled and tucked herself and Surprise in. “Yeah, I need some sleep, too.” As she curled her hindlegs in, her eyes went up to the ceiling. “It would be nice to have two friends, too...”  ***** The day couldn’t have been more perfect for kite flying if one asked for it. There were some clouds but not enough to blot out the sun, a steady breeze was in the air, and it was warm to boot. Anypony that knew how to fly a kite would be out there.  Sure enough, there were two kites on a hill right by Twilight’s castle. One of them was a classical diamond shaped kite, sparkling with magic. A few ribbons flapped around in the wind, and it was steady as it went. Starlight was doing her best to hold on with her magic, and her grip on the handle never wavered. She felt completely at peace, watching it drift away in the currents. “I had no idea you’d be into kites, Surprise.” She turned to see a... very Surprise scene. The pegasus didn’t use her hooves to grab onto the kite. Instead, her mane had a good grip on the handle, and she showed a gift for it that blew Starlight away.  Not only that, but the kite itself was crazy. It was a hexagon shaped kite, and there were so many ribbons that Rarity would be asking to borrow a few. Surprise didn’t waiver on her hold, even if she had a drop of sweat roll down her face. “Me either. This is pretty fun!” Surprise tilted her head, and the kite zoomed around in the daytime sky. “Why didn’t I ever think about this before?” “I don’t know. A lot of mares don’t fly kites at our ages. They’re missing out if you ask me.” Starlight couldn’t figure out the secret to Surprise’s mane, but she wasn’t about to interrupt right now. Instead, she just focused on having a good time.  “I feel bad for them. They don’t know how funeriffic kites are!” Seeing all those ribbons give the air some color delighted Surprise, and she showed it with her grin.  While she had a good time, Starlight took a step closer. “So how did you and Trixie become friends? She seems like a nice pony.”  “Oh, that’s easy. I...” Surprise stopped in her tracks. Starlight was nice, but there was no way somepony that lived with Twilight Sparkle could know the truth about her. “...I was looking for a job! That’s it. It took a lot of work, but Trixie hired me as her assistant. She was kind to me when I needed the help the most.” “That makes sense.” Starlight picked up on Surprise’s nerves, but she had no idea why. Then, all of a sudden, she saw something catch her eye. “LOOK OUT!” She tugged at both kites with her magic so hard that Surprise’s handle came out of her mane. “Huh? Is something wrong?” Surprise wondered what was up, then she felt a rush of wind that didn’t feel right. As it turned out, a certain grey furred, cross eyed pegasus dashed in the area, right where the kites would be. “Oh Celestia! If she hit our kites, I don’t know what I’d do!”  “It’s okay.” Starlight levitated Surprise’s kite back to her. “I almost didn’t see it myself. Good thing I caught it in time, right?” The pegasus smiled and picked up the handle with her mane. “Yeah. You know, Starlight, you seem like a really kind pony, too.”  For the first time Surprise could remember, she saw the unicorn look unhappy, parting her eyes away. “I wasn’t always like that. I could be pretty cruel to others when I felt like it.” “You? Cruel? But you’re so happy and friendly!”  “I am now. That’s probably why Trixie and I hit it off, we’ve made a lot of the same mistakes,” Starlight sighed. “I’m better now, at least.”  Surprise nodded, and she was tempted to give the poor unicorn a hug, but she saw somepony come up on the hill. It didn’t take long to recognize Trixie, and it made Surprise happy to see her again. Trixie had a smirk on her face from the kites, looking up and down at them. “Kites? I can see Surprise being into them, but I didn’t think you would like them, Starlight,” Trixie observed. “They’re not my thing, but who cares? You two are having fun.” “Yes, indeedy!” Surprise noted.  “So what if kites are a thing for fillies? I can still do this.” Starlight covered her entire body in a magical aura, and she cast a spell over herself. Her hooves lifted off the ground, and she was levitating over the hill. Just as quickly as she cast it, she dropped back down to solid ground. “What do you think about that?” Trixie’s jaw was practically on the ground. “Teach me how to do that spell. Now.”  “Alright, but we should probably go somewhere private for this.” Starlight glanced over at Surprise. “What are you wanting to do?” Surprise fidgeted from the thought. “I don’t know. I want to come, but isn’t that something only unicorns can do?” She extended her wings out.  “That’s a good point, and you know what? You haven’t gotten to go to the spa yet.” Trixie tossed a bag of bits in Surprise’s way. “That’s something you could do while Starlight teaches The Great and Powerful Trixie another trick in her reportore. Be sure to ask for the full package. Their mud bath is the best.” She leaned right in Surprise’s face. “The. Best.”  Surprise gulped, and she put on her best fake smile. “Sure! You’ll be back afterwards, right? Heh heh…” “Of course. We still have a magic show for later, and Trixie needs her trusty assistant for it.” She patted Surprise’s mane and went on her way.  Starlight came over and gave Surprise the other kite handle. “The mud bath really is that good. We’ll see you later!” She trotted over to Trixie, and soon, it was like neither one of them were ever there. Once they left, Surprise gazed down at the bag of bits. It would be nice to get a wonderful spa massage, but something felt wrong. Her heart was like it had a hole in the middle. What was that all about? Then it came to her. She felt terrible about not going with them, even if she might have just been a third wheel for the whole thing. At least she could have watched and cheered them on. But then it really dawned on her.  Since the first time they met, it was the first time she hadn’t been somewhere with Trixie. That shouldn’t have gotten to her as much as it did, but it did. “Come on, it’s just for an hour or two! She’ll be back! With her new friend... that knows more about magic then I ever will...” Her mane deflated a little bit, but she forced herself to smile. “I should just go to the spa. I’ll feel better then!” Despite that, her hooves were heavy as she trotted down to the spa. Hopefully, the feeling would go away. ***** It didn’t take long for Surprise to find the Ponyville Day Spa. She wasted no time in stepping inside, immediately walking up to the pink pony behind the counter. “Ahh, a new customer arrives!” Aloe said in her thick accent. She pulled out a brochure filled with many options and presented it to Surprise. “How may we service you today?” Surprise pulled out the bag of bits that Trixie gave her and dropped it on the counter. “A full package, please.” Aloe’s mouth dropped open momentarily. “T-That’s the second time this week!” As she picked up the bag of bits, another bag of bits levitated onto the counter from behind Surprise. She turned around to find a white unicorn mare with a fancy purple mane trot toward them. “Third time this week.” “Rarity!” Aloe exclaimed. “I believe this is the first time you came for the full package.” “Well, business has been booming lately, and I have more bits than I know what to do with,” Rarity laughed. “That’s very good to hear. Now then, head right this way, and have a relaxing time!” Aloe gestured toward the doorway, where Rarity walked with Surprise. There were so many things on the full package thing, yet they started with hooficures. There were many chairs with some other ponies getting the same thing. As Surprise and Rarity were taking their seats, two other spa ponies came over and started working on their hooves. “I believe we haven’t properly introduced ourselves,” the unicorn started. “My name is Rarity.” “Mine’s Surprise. Yeah I know, it’s a weird name.” She nudged her front hooves together nervously. “Not at all, darling! I like how, uh, simple it sounds. Surprise!” She waved her front hooves in a jazz hooves-like motion. Surprise didn’t react at all, which caused a momentary awkward silence. Rarity broke the silence by making a fake cough. “So, Surprise, tell me what brings you here?” For obvious reasons, Surprise couldn’t actually tell her the whole story. She knew Rarity as one of Twilight’s friends, and if she squealed, that would mean a one way trip to the Mirror Pool. Surprise was on edge, but she tried not to let it show. She gave Rarity the bare minimum from recent events, and the unicorn listened in, reacting accordingly to every detail. “So, from what I’m hearing, you’re afraid of losing your friend to another pony?” Surprise didn’t have to say anything, for Rarity could read it on the pegasus’ face. “It’s not a bad idea to make new friends, you know.” Hmm... maybe I could try a little harder to become friends with Starlight, but what if Trixie prefers her over me? Surprise thought. I don’t want to lose the only friend I’ve had! Rarity could tell she was deep in thought, and turned her head away from the pegasus. “Just think about it.” That is what she did for the rest of the spa visit, up until it was over, and she exited the building. Trixie was definitely right about the mud bath. Surprise enjoyed it the most. Yet, despite feeling the most relaxed she had felt in a while, there was still an empty feeling inside of her, and she couldn’t figure out what it was, that is, until her stomach started growling. “Oh, guess that means I’m hungry,” she giggled. “I feel like I could eat a dozen cupcakes.” There’s only one place in Ponyville that anypony could get such a confection: Sugarcube Corner. It was the perfect place to drown out sadness in delectable sweets. However, when she got there, something had just occurred to her. “Wait... I spent all the bits she gave me on the spa visit.” “Not a problem!” Oh no. Surprise could recognize that voice anywhere...