//------------------------------// // The Castle of Happiness // Story: The Seven Castles // by Peace Petal //------------------------------// “It’s weird for the river to be frozen in November,” Star Dasher said. “Let me go first and check to make sure it’s safe.” “Wait, it’s November?” January Joy said, his ears perking up. “Oh my sparkles, it’s November!” “What’s so important about November?” Star said. She used her mouth to tighten the straps on the last of her four ice skates. She wobbled down the cobblestone stairs that led from the bank to the river’s surface. The ice was solid, at least this close to the bank. But she would have to get closer to the center before deciding if it was safe enough for other ponies. She didn’t mind the danger. They were in the middle of town, so they could easily get her to a warm fire if she fell through the ice. “Be careful!” January Joy exclaimed behind her. Star glided forward slowly, inspecting the ice as she went. A bitter arctic wind had swept through Glad Valley last week, coating everything in a layer of lacey frost that still hadn’t melted. The sky was gray and overcast, the days were short, and the larches had dropped their leaves. Puffs of smoke rose from every chimney in Joyville, mounted on sharply slanted roofs that still had a dusting of snow on the north sides. Winter was coming, and it was going to be as charming as ever. “What’s so important about November?” Star repeated. “Tell me, tell me, tell me!” The ice was solid, even as she went farther out. She was a third of the way to the Castle of Happiness already, the arched bridge leading to it visible on her left. The castle was proudly perched on an island in the middle of the river, its brilliant yellow walls visible from anywhere in town. “Oh, right,” January said. “November Nights’ birthday is this month.” Star sped up and did a twirling jump. Her skates thudded against the ice as she landed. It was a solid sound, and it looked like the ice held up fine. There was probably water down there, but there was definitely enough ice to skate on. “The ice is fine,” Star called back. She skated to the bank. “Let me show you how to skate. Come on, I know you’ll love it.” “Okay…” January said, awkwardly stepping down to the ice. “Hold on to me to start. We’ll just glide along until you get a feel for it.” Star had a whole list of winter activities that she wanted to try out. Things that were new for either her or her friends. She loved anything new! January put a hoof on Star’s solid withers. He wobbled and yelped a bit as Star gently propelled herself forward, taking January with her. “November Nights’ birthday!” January said. “I have to throw a surprise party for her!” “Oh? You’ve never done a birthday party for her before.” January Joy was the party planner at the Castle of Happiness. As one might imagine, that was a very important position. His family had been in that business for generations, ever since they founded Joyville. At least, that’s what January said. “That’s exactly the problem!” January said. He nearly lost his balance, but Star caught him. “Careful. Spread your hooves apart a little more.” “Okay… I don’t know when November’s birthday is. Well, I know the month, of course, but not the day. So every year she goes without a party. She’s probably alone and sad on her birthday. This must be rectified!” That wasn’t true. November Nights only invited her closest friends for her birthday, including Star. She had also asked that Star not reveal the date, which was a week from now. November hated loud social gatherings, and she didn’t like being the center of attention. “Well, you don’t know that,” Star said cautiously. “If she wanted a big birthday party, she’d probably tell you.” “Wait, you’re her friend,” January said. “Do you know her birthday?” “Um, why don’t you ask her directly?” Star said, getting nervous. She didn’t want to break her promise, but she didn’t want to hurt January’s feelings, either. January wasn’t just the town party planner; he was friends with everypony in Joyville. If he knew November had a birthday party without him, he might be upset. “Then it wouldn’t be a surprise! It has to be a surprise. Imagine if after all these years, we surprise her with a massive party with everypony in town! She’ll be so happy!” The red garnet in the center of January’s cutie mark—a blue party hat and noise maker—shined brilliantly, indicating that he was happy. “I don’t think this is a good idea,” Star said. January let go of Star’s withers. He wobbled for a moment, but he managed to stand by himself. “I did it!” “Wow, good job! Now watch the way I move my hooves.” Star skated a couple of circles around January. “I need to start planning—oh my sparkles—right now! Her birthday could be today, or tomorrow. It’s already November!” January’s blue eyes made contact with Star’s. “Do you know November Nights’ birthday?” “Listen, I don’t think she’ll like this party,” Star said. “She doesn’t like big crowds.” “I know she’s a quiet pony. But I’m sure she’d appreciate knowing how much we all care about her. And think about it; how often do you see her gem shining?” Star had seen it glowing at November’s last birthday party a year ago. “Um, maybe once or twice a year.” “Not nearly often enough! That pony needs cheering up. Please, do you know when November’s birthday is?” January’s eyes were gleaming, little hearts reflecting in his pupils. Star could tell that January genuinely wanted to make November happy. He just had a limited understanding of what happiness looked like. Star tried to answer as tactfully as possible. “If I did know, I’d want to ask her permission before telling anypony. I think it’d be best if you dropped the surprise idea and spoke with her directly before throwing her a party that she might not enjoy.” January sighed. “I understand.” The light in his gem died out. “Um, can you show how you were moving your hooves again?” “For sure, you got it,” Star said. She skated forward slowly and deliberately, emphasizing the movement of each of her four hooves. “Now you try it.” January hesitantly moved forward. He fell, and Star rushed to pick him up. “Are you alright?” Star said. “Yeah. Let me try again.” January crept forward, gradually putting more confidence into each movement. “You’re doing it! You’re skating!” “This is great!” January said as he slowly moved forward. The white diamond in Star Dasher’s star-shaped cutie mark lit up. She skated excited circles around January. “You got this!” she said. “You can skate! That’s one activity off the list. This is going to be the best winter ever!” * * * Star Dasher slipped her yellow knitted leg warmers over her cannons. She stretched in preparation for her daily run. At this time of year, she had shifted to make this an afternoon thing. Star liked lots of things. She was always trying new hobbies and dropping old ones. But one thing never changed: She was an athlete, and her best and favorite event was cross-country running. She finished her stretches and took off at a canter. She followed a trail that started just outside Joyville and did a loop around a nearby hill. She did this trail most days, except when she wanted to mix it up with some different scenery. She was pretty sure that her daily hoofbeats were the main thing that maintained the trail. She crossed the plain and headed for the hills. She was trying to build up the endurance to cover the whole trail at a canter. She had a feeling that today was the day. Her heartbeat rose and her breathing settled into a rhythm. A chilly wind swept through the plains near the river, whipping her pink and white hair. The bare larches didn’t provide much buffer. A few rabbits fled from the trail as she thundered past, their fluffy white tails receding into the still-green cranberry bushes. The trail went slightly up as it rounded the hill and went behind it. Star breathed more heavily, but she didn’t break her canter. The trail was muddy a week ago, but now the mud was frozen. She heard a few crows caw as she blazed past. She knew she was about two fifths of the way when she got to the spruce stand. Unlike the larches, the spruces would hold their dark green leaves all year. “Hello?” a voice called ahead of her. It was so unexpected that she broke her canter and froze. She felt a flash of disappointment at not finishing the loop in a nonstop canter. Curiosity and a smidge of caution came next. Star walked forward and said, “Hello?” Beads of sweat had formed on her neck from the effort of running. The spruces blocked her view until she was right in front of two other ponies. She stood there for a moment, catching her breath and taking in what she saw. The thing that really caught her eye was a yellow creature, slightly smaller than a pony’s head, hovering at eye height. It was in the shape of a pony, except for the iridescent wings and white antennae. So three ponies, then, the other two being full-sized ponies, not insectoid like the small one. Star Dasher didn’t recognize them, which was odd because Joyville was a small town and they didn’t get visitors. One was purple with green, pink, and white hair. The other was lilac with deep purple hair with iridescent streaks in it—“tinsel,” hair stylists called it. She had a bracelet with several mismatched charms. Both had big packs, and all three were bundled in winter clothes. “Yes, yes, yes!” the purple one with multicolored hair exclaimed. “Another pony!” “Hey, who are you? My name is Star…” She trailed off as she noticed something. The purple one had a present for a cutie mark, but there was no gem. The lilac one with deep purple hair had two lanterns for a cutie mark, but no gem. “Are you zombie ponies?” Star whispered, thinking to nursery rhymes of creatures that would take naughty foals’ gems. “What?” the purple pony said. “No, no, no! We’re earth ponies. My name is Razzaroo.” “I’m Kimono,” the lilac one said. “And I’m Silly Lilly!” the flying one said with a high-pitched but male voice. “I’m a breezie.” “It’s nice to meet you, Star,” Kimono said. “Star… Dasher. But… your cutie marks, where are the gems?” “Oh, yours is like Gem Blossom’s,” Razzaroo said. “How precious! Well, we’re not zombie ponies. This is just the way our cutie marks are. No gems.” Star looked at them, baffled. “Huh… I thought ponies’ gems held their life forces. But I guess I was wrong. Where are you from?” “Ponyville,” Razzaroo said. “We’re looking for the Castle of Happiness.” “Well you’re in luck! I live right next to there. Follow me!” Star cantered off, her heart still pounding from the run. “Wait!” Razzaroo called. “Not so fast.” Star looked back and remembered that they had those big packs. Her body wanted to run, but she was too curious about these ponies. “I was supposed to be getting my daily exercise now,” she said. “Let me take your stuff.” “Yes, yes, yes!” Razzaroo said. Star stood next to her, and they transferred the pack. “I don’t doubt your strength,” Kimono said. “But these are bulky, so there’s just not room for two packs on your back.” “Eh, fair,” Star agreed. She led them down the trail, choosing to complete the loop, since they were about halfway there. She pranced with Razzaroo’s load, still wanting to pump her legs. Silly Lilly flew ahead of them down the trail, giggling. “Stay with us, Silly!” Kimono called after him. “We don’t want you to get lost.” “Fine,” Silly said with a sigh. He came back and seemingly for the first time noticed Star’s cutie mark. He flew up to her right rump. “Oooh!” he exclaimed, looking at the white diamond in the center from different angles. “So how’d you end up out here?” Star said. “I’ve never heard of Ponyville before.” “That is a good question,” Kimono said. “We have a castle in Ponyville as well, the Castle of Friendship. We found a map in there that told us about six other castles. We wanted to find those castles, see if they’re inhabited, and make friends with anyone there. If the ancient earth ponies knew about other cities, I can’t imagine why they ever lost contact. We could learn so much from each other.” “That does sound neat! So after here, you have five more castles to visit?” “Yes, yes, yes!” Razzaroo said. “The Castles of Rainbows, Music, Laughter, Kindness, and Family. It’s going to be quite the adventure.” “You must tell me all about Ponyville, and about your trip!” Star said. “And Breezie Blossom!” Silly said. “That’s where I’m from.” That conversation took up the whole trip back to Joyville. The thing they highlighted from Ponyville was their wonderful friends, who had made Kimono’s eight-charm bracelet. Breezie Blossom was right next to Ponyville. At the center of Ponyville was a pink castle with a deep library. Many of the books were written in an ancient language that nopony understood, but Kimono had found a map showing six other castles. The three of them had decided to find these castles, but the map was vague, and they had been meandering towards the Castle of Happiness since the start of fall. They mentioned that they had never experienced such extreme cold before. Star Dasher laughed. “There’s more where that came from! It’ll get colder, still.” “I’m surprised, because we haven’t traveled all that far north,” Kimono said. “I suppose we gained some elevation on the trail, though.” They came within sight of Joyville. There was a momentary break in the cloud cover, during which the yellow castle on the island radiated with light that reflected off the glittery frozen river. “Ooh, it’s so nice!” Silly Lilly said. “Isn’t it?” Star said excitedly. “Let me show you the town!” * * * Kimono followed Star Dasher down the path. Star was a muscular mare with a shiny, dark purple coat and messy pink and white hair. Like most ponies, she had a heart design on her ankle, pink in her case. She was evidently some sort of athlete. She spoke quickly and walked energetically, even with Razzaroo’s luggage. She gladly introduced the newcomers to everyone she saw, but she didn’t linger with any of them too long. The others all had gems in their cutie marks and were equally surprised to see ponies without gems. Kimono preferred the quiet beauty of nature over the noise of towns and the weird antics of other ponies. She lived just outside of Ponyville for a reason. Still, she couldn’t help but appreciate the pleasing aesthetics of Joyville. The cobblestone streets were narrow and the buildings tall with sharply pointed roofs. Inviting storefronts with friendly signs met them on the ground level, with residencies apparently built above the stores. Occasional parks filled with birches and that strange, deciduous conifer interrupted the tight, cozy town. Elegant black posts with streetlights lined their way. At one street corner, a white pony in warm clothes was perched on a chair, playing the accordion. Star Dasher seemed a little flustered by the music, awkwardly dancing for a moment before rushing on by. They came on to a pretty bridge supported by a stone arch underneath that crossed a river to access the castle. On the bridge, they ran into a pony that seemed especially excited to see them. He gasped and said, “I’ve never seen you here before! Welcome! My name is January Joy.” “This is Razzaroo, Kimono, and Silly Lilly,” Star Dasher said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you!” January said, nuzzling each of them. He was a white pony with red hair with tinsel streaks. He had cute, red and white fuzzy boots, a winter hat, and a scarf. “Where are you from?” “Ponyville,” Razzaroo said. “It’s about a month east-southeast of here. Or a couple of months, if you get lost like we do.” It was too bad that they hadn’t been able to travel here by hot air balloon. The trade winds didn’t come this way. “We haven’t had visitors in so long! This calls for a celebration! Oh, but I’m so busy… Well, let me show you around the castle, at least. We’ll have to throw the welcome party later. You are staying, right?” “At least for a while,” Razzaroo said. “What has you so busy? Maybe we can help. I am a party planner in Ponyville.” Their group of now five ponies crossed a drawbridge to enter the castle. The interior was clean and well-lit by electric lights. It gave a different impression from the Ponyville castle, which was dusty, saw little use, and contained old secrets and tales in its many libraries and tapestries. This castle, by contrast, seemed to see a lot of use. Different signs gave off the impression that the various chambers were used as meeting places for festivities and social events. “A party planner?” January said excitedly. “Well…” Kimono noticed he glanced at Star Dasher. “I can’t ask you to plan your own welcome party. We’ll get around to it soon enough. In the meantime, you’re welcome to explore the town. We have guest rooms for slumber parties in the castle, so you can stay in one of those. I’ll show you.” “We’re grateful for your hospitality,” Kimono said. They arrived at a bedroom with two bunk beds and a wooden floor. There was a fireplace—not in use, yet—a closet, and a narrow stained-glass window that depicted a deciduous conifer turning brilliant yellow, bathing the room in warm light. “You can stay here for as long as you want,” January said. “Honestly, with this weather, I’d be happy to keep you here at least until spring!” Kimono dropped her pack. It had been on her back for so long that she felt strangely light without it. “Do you have any flowers?” Silly Lilly said. “Any… flowers?” January said. “No, they’re all out of season.” “Oh… I guess I can sleep on a bed.” Star Dasher carefully placed Razzaroo’s pack on one of the beds. “I still feel like running,” she said, rearing back. “Anypony else?” Anypony? Kimono thought. She had never heard that word before. But at least they spoke the same language. She hadn’t been sure that would be the case. No one spoke up in response. “January, do you have any invitations that need running?” Star said. “Yes! The invitations for Peri Winkle’s birthday party. They’re in a bag by the mailbox.” “I’m on it!” Star said, darting out of the room. “Thank you!” January called after her. “She’s… energetic,” Kimono noted as the sound of her hooves on the stone hallway receded. “She gets bored quickly,” January said with a chuckle. “But we love her for it! Well, if you’ll excuse me, I have a party to think about.” “I thought you were too busy to do our welcome party now?” Razzaroo said. “Oh, yes, because I have another party to plan.” Razzaroo gasped. “Maybe I can help!” “Probably not. I don’t know the pony’s birthday, just that she was born in November. So I need to figure out who does know.” “Can’t you just ask the pony?” “That’s just it!” January said. “I want it to be a surprise party.” “A surprise party?” Razzaroo said, getting excited. “Those are my favorites, yes yes yes! I can help!” “Hmm… I guess it would be nice. I need to figure out a way to get November Nights’ birthday without her realizing that I’m planning a party for her.” “Ooh, I have some tricks I’ve used for just this sort of thing!” Razzaroo shuffled through her things and got her saddlebag and notebook. “Brilliant!” January said. “Let’s go to my party planning room. You can tell me once we’re there. Kimono, Silly Lilly, do you want to come?” “Yes, of course!” Silly said. “No, thank you,” Kimono said. “I’d like to get settled in, first.” “Oh… I’ll stay with Kimono,” Silly said. He had been having a hard time since leaving Breezie Blossom, and he had become attached to Kimono to the point of being inseparable. Kimono wasn’t exactly thrilled with the arrangement, but she couldn’t push away Silly in his time of need. “Okay, we’ll see you later,” January said. He and Razzaroo walked off. “They hit it off well,” Silly said. “Yes…” Kimono said. “Did you notice that January Joy didn’t talk about the birthday party until Star Dasher had left?” “Who’s Star Dasher?” “The first one we met. The purple one who runs.” “Oh, right,” Silly said. “Nope, didn’t notice!” Kimono watched as January and Razzaroo turned a corner. Her intuition told her something was wrong here. * * * Razzaroo checked the address in her notebook. November Nights’ shop should be three more buildings ahead. Her idea to learn November’s birthday without arousing suspicion was to do a townwide survey. She hadn’t asked everyone in town, but she had asked enough to make it seem that way. She got to see more of Joyville, which she thought was super cute; they had a bell tower! And hopefully November wouldn’t suspect anything. Razz had to admit, the cold was biting her ears. She was ready for this survey to be over. Her clacking hoofsteps on the cobblestone echoed off the tall buildings on the narrow street. She stepped up to the shop, which had a painted wooden sign that read quite simply “November Nights’ Tea Shop.” Razz opened the door. The air inside was comfortably warm. Faint scents of countless teas wafted to Razz’s nose. “Welcome,” a pony at the counter said. “I’ve never seen you here before.” The pony was light purple with striking golden hair like aspen leaves in autumn, the tinsel streaks evoking an image like sunshine sparkling off rainwater. “I love your hair,” Razz said. The store pony looked down with a blush. “My name is Razzaroo.” “November Nights,” the store pony said quietly. “I just got into town. I’m visiting from Ponyville.” “I thought you were new. Would you like to try a tea?” “Yes, yes, yes! Thank you!” “Here’s a list of our flavors,” November said, gesturing to a sign. “Anything tickle your fancy?” “Hmm… what’s caravan tea?” Razz said. “It’s a blend of several preparations of black tea. It has a strong, smoky flavor.” “I’ve never heard of it. I’ll give it a try.” “I’ll get that ready for you,” November said. She left the counter and headed to the back of the store. Razz got a look at her cutie mark, an orange gem encircled by flowery pink swirls and green leaves. November was gone for a few minutes, during which Razz pulled out a survey slip from her bag and awaited her chance. November came back with a very aromatic teacup balanced on her head. She placed it on the counter. “Enjoy,” she said. Razz carefully sipped the hot tea. It was too much flavor for her, but she was courteous. “Hmm, that’s interesting. Hey, would you like to help me with something?” “What?” November said. “I’m doing a survey for my first friend here, January Joy. He’s hoping to get his calendar ready before the new year, instead of scrambling at the last minute like he normally does. He wants to get everyone’s birthdays written down, so he can plan more efficiently for next year. Would you mind filling out this little slip?” She put the paper on the counter along with a pen and sipped some tea. November looked at it and made a soft squeak. “Um…” She grabbed the pen with her mouth. But then she put it down. “I—I’d rather not. I don’t like big crowds. And my family and friends know my birthday already.” “Oh,” Razz said, disappointed. “I understand.” She didn’t, really. Big parties were the best! But November had given her tea. She had to be friendly. She finished the tea quietly. November wasn’t much of a talker, it seemed. The tea had an aftertaste, too. Definitely too strong for Razz. She thanked November and left. Well, Razz’s plan hadn’t worked. It was time to try January’s. * * * Star Dasher stopped at the top of a hill, looking down at January Joy. A snowstorm had arrived overnight, and it was still coming down. Everything was quiet. Joyville lay below them, blanketed in snow. The air was cold, but the exercise kept them warm. January couldn’t make it up the hill as quickly as the athletic Star, but he was no slowpoke, either. He made it to the top soon enough. “Thanks for inviting me to go skiing,” Star said brightly. “You’re welcome,” January said. “I had to repay your favor after you taught me how to ice skate.” “You know how I love helping my friends try new things. Especially sporty things.” Star shrugged the skis off her back and laid them in the snow. January showed her how to put the skis on, with two hooves on each ski. They awkwardly shuffled to the slope where they would ski. January started them off on the back side of the hill, away from Joyville, where the slope was gentle and short, leading to a little wooded vale between hills. January explained how to steer and control speed. “It should be easy for you, since you have such a good sense of balance.” “Do I?” Star said. “I never win the gymnast stuff during the Games.” “It seemed like you were balanced when we were on the ice earlier,” January said with a shrug. “You’ll be a natural!” He slowly slid down the hill, showing Star where to go. Star slid after him. This isn’t too hard, she thought. Well, until she found herself heading off course towards some trees. She swerved too hard to correct, ending up almost perpendicular to the slope. She teetered but managed not to fall. She came to a stop halfway down the little slope, facing the wrong way. “Umm,” she mumbled. She shuffled to straighten herself out and continued to the bottom. “You made it!” January cheered. “You didn’t even fall.” “Let’s try again,” Star said. “I’m sure I could do better.” They removed their skis and hiked back up. “So, what do you have planned for this weekend?” January said as they climbed. November Nights’ birthday party, Star thought. She needed a lie to avoid making January feel left out. “Um… nothing much,” she said, thinking on the fly. “I have to do some shopping for… winter clothes. This came so suddenly, you know?” “Hey, Star Dasher, we’re friends, right?” They had reached the top of the hill. “Of course,” Star said as she started to put on her skis. “Just last week, you let me take you ice skating, and you’re teaching me how to ski! I love it when we hang out like this.” “Can you keep a secret for me?” “Um, sure.” “Don’t tell November Nights, but I still want to throw a surprise party for her.” Star felt a flurry of emotions. She had advised against this, but January was going ahead anyway? Why? “I told you it wasn’t a good idea. Don’t you trust me on that?” “Listen, I just want to make November happy. Don’t you trust me to know how to do that? It’s in my name! And I’m having a lot of trouble figuring out when her birthday is. Please, will you tell me if you know?” Star had crouched down to fasten her skis, while January was still standing. Star didn’t look up to meet January’s eyes. “What makes you so sure that a big surprise party will make a pony as quiet as November happy?” “Because then she’ll see how much we all care about her,” January said. “She’ll know that we all want to be her friends.” “Maybe some ponies prefer to have just a few friends.” Star stood up and shuffled to the gentler slope on the back of the hill. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to help with this.” She pushed off and started down the hill. “Don’t tell November, at least!” January called after her. Star focused on her skiing, swerving gently to get a feel for how to turn. She picked up a bit of speed, and the wind started to whip her mane around and bite at her face. As she got the hang of it, she enjoyed the feeling of gliding on the snow, relying on gravity to do the work. She made it down to the vale without any mishaps. January was right behind her. “You did it!” January said. Star Dasher whooped. “That was fun!” she exclaimed, grinning. “Let’s do the big slope on the other side!” “Already? Sure, if you want to.” They started hiking up again. “Hey, you’re still on for Peri Winkle’s birthday party tomorrow night, right?” January said. “Oh,” Star said. The skiing had pushed birthdays out of her mind for a minute. “Yeah, sure. I’ll be there.” * * * January Joy was not a give-up kind of pony. The sooner he figured out when November’s birthday was, the better. Any day now it could be too late. So it was time to try his next plan. For that, he needed Wondermint. Wondermint was hard to find, though, and time was ticking away. January trotted down street after street, looking for the ever-wandering accordionist. He finally found her at the marketplace, sitting on a stool as shoppers passed by. She grinned at January as he approached. The white pony’s pink and purple hair spilled out of a brown hat that covered her ears. She had probably been out here for hours, playing folk tunes, so she had to dress for the weather. Her front hooves held the accordion, turning to select different notes on the rotating keyboard. January sat in front of Wondermint, waiting for the end of a song. But she just kept on playing. January heard the distant bell tower strike eleven. “Wondermint, I need your help!” January said over the music. Wondermint nodded and switched to play a slower, much softer song. January was friends with everypony in Joyville, but Wondermint was a special case. She was his best friend, one pony he could trust with anything. “You’re going to Peri Winkle’s party tomorrow, right?” he said. Wondermint smiled and nodded. “I need you to do a favor for me…” * * * Star Dasher lay in wait for Peri Winkle. Everypony who was attending the surprise party had taken up positions hidden in the rocks and spruces surrounding the aptly named Rainbow Spring. It was a hot spring in the hills that had rings of color, starting with azure blue in the center and ending with reddish-brown on the outside where the water overflowed out of the spring and cooled down. It was hot, but not too hot for ponies to bathe in, which made it especially nice when the weather was freezing like today. The sun was just setting, which was when March Mischief was supposed to bring Peri Winkle here. Peri Winkle loved to bathe here more than anypony else, but she didn’t know that there was a whole party waiting for her tonight. The sun was just setting. Star couldn’t see the sunset from her hiding place, but she could see the streaks of green in the sky nearby. Clouds of steam rose thick from the water, and wind sounded in the trees above them. Rainbow snails lazily moved around the shallow edges of the spring, leaving bare white patches in the mats of colorful bacteria. The scent of mineral water filled the air. Star shivered fiercely. She wanted to be moving or in the water, not freezing her haunches off crouched behind this rock. And this whole not talking or doing anything else while they waited thing? It was driving her insane! Fortunately, just as she was about to flip her lid and start stretching or maybe singing, Peri Winkle and March Mischief came into view on the path that led to the spring. Moments later, January Joy gave his signal, an uncannily convincing crow caw. Along with everypony else, Star leapt out of her hiding place and yelled, “Surprise!” Peri Winkle whinnied and jumped straight into the air, her hooves coming up to March’s withers. She landed and laughed. The sapphire in the middle of her cutie mark—an elegant blue and purple swirling pattern—started to shine. “Oh, goodness,” she said, panting. “You got me good.” “Happy birthday, Peri Winkle!” they all shouted. They let Peri Winkle get into the hot spring first. Star Dasher took off her leg warmers and left them on a rock. The others all seemed to want to get in at the same place, where the path met the spring, but Star was too impatient to wait in that line. She climbed over some rocks to get into the water elsewhere. She put a hoof in, and pulled it right back out. She hadn’t been here in years, and she had forgotten how hot the water was! But she was cold, and she wanted in, so she tried again. It took some time to adjust to it, but gradually she was able to step forward and submerge more of herself. Her muscles relaxed in the hot mineral water, and soon she melted into the spring, submerging herself up to the withers. She slowly walked to the others, ready for a night of party fun. They chatted and bathed until after dark. Star Dasher found that the water was so hot that she had to occasionally get out and cool off. She thought sitting naked and wet in the freezing night air would be uncomfortable, but the water warmed her up so much that she would sit on the rocks for several minutes at a time before getting back in. It was a pleasant cycle of hot and cold that went on for hours while beautiful stars twinkled overhead. Star couldn’t see much of the sky with the trees around, but she did catch the Star of Stars, one of her favorite constellations. It had five stars arranged in a pentagon… or a five-point star, if you used your imagination. It looked a lot like Star’s cutie mark. The conversation devolved to a game of truth or dare. Star was on the rocks cooling off when Peri Winkle dared Wondermint to cannonball into the water. Wondermint did just that, splashing hot water on everypony. Star laughed, her face feeling hot. She had a massive crush on Wondermint. She was stunning to look at, her sleek white coat contrasting with her silky purple and pink hair, which now floated on the water in a sprawling display. Her cutie mark, a pink garnet with three mint leaves around it, was striking against the white background of her rump. The green heart on the outside of her front left ankle had a similar effect. She was a skinny pony with visible ribs, sharp leg joints, and pronounced withers. Star had a thing for that. But it was more than looks. Wondermint’s personality was enchanting. She literally roamed through the town playing an accordion in public spaces. Star found that incredibly hot. She was zany, she was unpredictable, and she had a unique ability to find the beauty in small things. Star was starting to feel cold, so she slipped back into the water. To her surprise, Wondermint turned to her with those deep purple eyes and said, “Truth or dare, Star Dasher?” “Gyah, dare,” Star said. Her heartbeat picked up immediately. “You always pick dare!” Wondermint protested. It was true. Star was willing to try just about anything. “Um…” Star had no words. “I’ll offer you a deal. It’ll be your turn next. If you pick truth, then you can dare me to kiss you.” What, she knows?! Star thought, panicking. How does she know that I have a crush on her?! “Truth,” she squeaked out, eyes wide. She was shaking and felt lightheaded. Wondermint was going to kiss her? “What was that, hun?” Wondermint said. “Truth,” Star said louder. Wondermint grinned, and there was that crazy glint in her eyes that Star found so attractive. “Okay, here’s the truth you have to tell. When is November Nights’ birthday?” Star stared at her, slack-jawed. She glanced at January Joy, but he was in a conversation with Razzaroo on the other side of the spring. He must have put Wondermint up to this. Star looked back at Wondermint, who still had that funny, asymmetric grin. Water dripped down her beautiful mane, and her ear flicked expectantly. Another time, Star might have had the strength to say no. But her guard was down. She had relaxed completely in the hot water, it was late and she was sleepy, and Wondermint was just irresistible… * * * Star Dasher walked up to November Nights’ Tea Shop. It was the morning—well, almost noon—after Peri Winkle’s party. She wanted to forget it or believe that it was all just a dream. But she knew what she had done, and she had to confess. She walked into the shop. “Hi, Star!” November said cheerily. “It’s been a while since you were here. What’s up?” Star sat on a stool and flopped her head onto the counter. “I messed up,” she moaned. “Hold up, I’ll get you something.” November went to the back and returned with sumac tea. “Thanks,” Star said, smelling it but not sipping. She gulped and quietly said, “January Joy wants to throw a surprise birthday party for you.” “Oh, no,” November mumbled. “I told her—um, him—you don’t like big parties.” Star was still getting used to January’s new pronouns. “He didn’t seem to care, and he’s been trying to find out your birthday for a while now. He must have gotten Wondermint in on it.” Star started to tear up, sobbing between words. “At Peri Winkle’s party last night, we were playing truth or dare, and Wondermint asked me a truth in exchange for letting me dare her to kiss me. She asked me when your birthday is, and I told her. I promised I wouldn’t, but I told her!” “Oh…” November mumbled. She stood in silence at the counter for a minute. “Well, what’s done is done,” she said, pausing again. “How was the kiss?” Star whined, “I don’t deserve you as a friend!” “Of course you do! We all make mistakes.” Star sniffled. November knew that Star had a crush on Wondermint. They sometimes spoke about their crushes when they hung out—mares for Star, and stallions for November. “It was wonderful,” Star whimpered. It was a short kiss, but it had left Star feeling electrified. Wondermint had kept it brief, but true to form, she had gone all in. Star remembered every sensation. “But I feel so bad.” “Maybe we can have our party at March Mischief’s house instead?” November said. “January won’t expect that.” Star sniffled again. “Let’s make a plan tomorrow. I can’t think straight. I need to run.” She stood up, avoiding November’s eyes. “I’m sorry.” Star left the shop and took off at a flying pace towards the edge of the city. She needed to be somewhere alone where she could cry some more. * * * Kimono stood in the middle of a park, meditating. She was bundled up in boots, a hat, and a scarf. The only sound around her was sporadic rushes of wind and distant walking hooves. She felt a dried leaf pass by her face. She had a lot to think about. She had met a pony named Crystal Lace who claimed to know much of the history of Joyville, preserved in stories told down the generations. Oral history was often inaccurate, and once the Castle of Happiness had contained a great library. Joyville was once ruled by a line of dukes and duchesses, and one had burned all the books in the castle’s library. Apparently different ponies had different interpretations on what happiness meant and how it should be celebrated and maintained, and one duchess’s idea of happiness had been particularly exclusive and destructive. Crystal Lace had plenty of stories of various heroes and villains in the history of Joyville, and while that was interesting, Kimono was mainly focused on the founding of the castle. The jewel ponies kept the same calendar as the earth ponies; Kimono had kept track since leaving Ponyville, and it was 7 November here and there. That was interesting enough, as well as the fact that they spoke the same language. These towns clearly had cultural ties. But the jewel ponies also added a year: 459. The earth ponies just counted backwards from whatever was the current year. Kimono was born thirty-one years ago, for example. But here, she would say she was born in the year 428. “What are you thinking about?” Silly Lilly said suddenly. Kimono opened her eyes and found Silly balanced on a birch branch, staring at her intently with tiny yellow and green eyes. His wings buzzed in anticipation. “It’s hard to think about anything when you keep asking me,” Kimono responded sharply. “I’m sorry. It’s just, I’m so used to knowing what my friends are thinking.” Silly was a breezie, and breezies were capable of sharing thoughts with each other. Silly had gone on this adventure simply because the Castles of Happiness and Laughter sounded fun. He hadn’t realized how accustomed he was to that constant telepathic information exchange, and he was having a hard time adjusting. Kimono sighed. “I should be sorry. I was thinking, they call it the year 459 here. It wasn’t until I met Crystal Lace that I knew what that meant. She says that 459 years ago, the Seven Castles were founded. She listed the same castles we have on our map, so that adds credibility to the story. But she doesn’t know much about why or how. How could seven castles in such distant locations all be founded at the same time? And why make castles to celebrate all these different concepts: happiness, friendship, family, kindness, music, laughter, and rainbows? And why did they lose contact with each other?” “You don’t know?” Silly said. “I thought you knew everything.” “If that were true, I wouldn’t have needed to go on this journey at all.” Kimono’s ears flicked. “Quiet, something’s wrong,” she said. Silly said nothing, and his wings even stopped fluttering. Kimono didn’t know what she had heard for a moment. The park was essentially a stand of birches, larches, and spruces cut through by paths, with a pavilion in the center. Kimono had walked off the path to have some privacy. Eventually she heard a pony come running into the park and stop somewhere on the path. Not a strange occurrence by itself, until Kimono heard sobbing. So it was her precognition that had warned her that something was ahoof. She walked back towards the path to find the crying pony. She caught glimpses of a purple pony through the trees. She came onto the path to find Star Dasher, lying in the snow and crying. “What’s wrong, Star Dasher?” Kimono said. Star mumbled into the snow. “I broke my promise and ruined my friendship.” “What happened? Do you want to talk about it?” Star gasped and hysterically cried, “January Joy wanted to throw a surprise birthday party for November Nights but she’s a quiet pony who doesn’t like big parties and I promised her I wouldn’t tell anypony when her birthday was but Wondermint let me dare her to kiss me if I told a truth and the truth was November’s birthdaaayy!” Kimono felt a shiver of indignation go down her spine. She had known January Joy was up to something. And Razzaroo had been helping him since the day they arrived! “Silly Lilly, will you please wait here with Star Dasher,” Kimono said coolly. “It’s time we put an end to this.” * * * January Joy was in his party planning room in the castle, writing out invitations for November Nights’ party. Now that he finally knew the date, he had one day to get everything together. A knock sounded at the door, and Razzaroo entered. “Hey, Razz,” January said. “Did you get the ingredients for the cake?” “Um, no,” Razz said. “I ran into Kimono, and she demanded to speak with both of us. She was stern.” “Where is she?” “She told me to meet her in the park on the north side of town.” January groaned and said, “I wish she had just come here. We’re so short on time.” Still, he stood up and put on his winter hat. They trotted to the park. They wandered the paths a little until they found Kimono. January stiffened when he saw that November Nights and Star Dasher were with her. Star was lying in the snow, staring abjectly at a tree trunk. Silly Lilly stood next to Star’s head, but he took off and landed on a branch when January and Razzaroo arrived. “What’s going on, Kimono?” Razzaroo said. January had a guess what was up, and he started to feel sick. He had gone too far, hadn’t he? “I found Star Dasher crying here,” Kimono said. “She told me she had broken a promise and revealed November Nights’ birthday. I’m giving you four the chance to talk to each other and work out your differences.” She sat down. January felt like his head was spinning. Kimono had pretty much spoiled the surprise, but that was the least of his concerns. He only wanted to make November Nights happy. Instead he had made Star Dasher cry, and he had gotten Razzaroo and Wondermint entangled in it. January looked around and said, “Is Wondermint coming?” “I wasn’t sure how involved she was,” Kimono said. “She wasn’t involved at all,” January said. “She just did what I asked, and I didn’t tell her that Star had objected to the idea. Please don’t blame Wondermint. You know how she is; she’d kiss everypony in town if they’d let her.” He chuckled awkwardly. “And don’t blame Razz, either. She’s new here and doesn’t know everypony yet. This was all my idea. If November or Star is going to be mad at somepony, it should be me.” November looked at him. He swallowed and continued, “I wanted to throw you a surprise birthday party, November. Star told me it was a bad idea because you don’t like big crowds, but I didn’t listen. I needed to know your birthday, but I couldn’t ask you directly or it would spoil the surprise. Razz helped me plan and prepare for the party, but it was my idea to pressure Star into telling me your birthday. And when she wouldn’t give in, I got Wondermint involved because I knew Star liked her.” January was addressing November, but it was really Star that he had wronged. Star still wouldn’t look at him. “I’m sorry, Star,” he said. “November, please don’t be mad at her, either.” “Why wouldn’t you listen to me?” Star mumbled. “I… I just wanted to make November happy,” January said weakly. Star stood up and snapped, “I told you that kind of party wouldn’t make her happy!” Her blue and green eyes met January’s. “You’re being narrow-minded and stubborn! You thought she was lonely? Did you know that she has a party every year, but she keeps it small? I couldn’t tell you because I was afraid that you’d feel left out. You want to be everypony’s friend, but you never ask what your ‘friends’ want. You just assume you know what’s best for them. Well, newsflash: There’s more than one way to be happy, Mr. Joy!” Star snorted angrily, her ears folded down, her lips drawn back, and tension rippling through her powerful body. Silly Lilly hid behind Kimono’s mane. January was devastated. What if Star was right? This wasn’t just about November’s birthday. It was about his whole tenure as the Castle of Happiness’s official party planner. Had he forced ponies to be happy his way? “I’m sorry,” January said. “Oh my stars, I’m so sorry. Can I do anything to make it up to you?” “I have an idea,” Razz said. “We call off the surprise party. Instead we finally plan the welcome party you talked about, and we schedule it for the same day as November’s birthday. We announce it to everyone. Even if someone heard about November’s birthday from Wondermint, they’ll be invited to the welcome party instead. That way, you two can have November’s party without interference.” Everypony looked expectantly at January. “If that’s what would make you happy,” he said. “November, Star?” “That would be wonderful,” November said. Star’s angry posture relaxed. “Okay,” she said. “Thank you.” * * * Star Dasher arrived at November Nights’ house at sunset. She went past the shop to the living quarters upstairs. November and March Mischief were already by the fireplace with the tea set ready. “You made it!” March said, standing up. Like Star, March was an excitable pony. He was November’s #1 customer, not surprising given his cutie mark, a steaming teacup with an aquamarine in the center. It was odd that November ended up making friends with such energetic ponies when she was so quiet and reserved. Well, March really liked tea. “Sit down and join us,” November said. Star sat on a cushion next to the table, soaking up the heat of the fire. Normally she got bored easily and always needed to be moving. But she found it oddly calming to be with November. She sat there, sipping tea, mostly listening to the crackling fire and March’s endless tangents as he tried to tell the story of his weekend camping trip with Juniper Jade. Star noticed November’s orange topaz softly glowing on her rump. Star cut in and said, “We should do this more often. We don’t have to wait for November’s birthday.” “Oh, speaking of the birthday pony…” March reached into a bag. That story was never going to be finished, was it? He revealed a gift box. “Oh, no!” Star said, jumping to her hooves. “In all the chaos, I forgot to get you a present.” “Don’t worry about it,” November said, reaching up a hoof and pulling Star to sit her down again. “It’s your friendship that I really treasure.” “Aw, that’s so cute,” March said. “But I’m still giving you this.” He passed November the box, and she opened it. It was a book. Star didn’t recognize the title, but it had a nice red cover with gold embroidery. “Thank you!” November said. She nuzzled March. “And thank you, Star.” “What for?” Star said. “You went through a lot this week. You showed how much our friendship means to you.” “By breaking my promise?” “By taking your promise so seriously. By resisting for so long, and by feeling sorry when you messed up. You’re a good friend.” “Thanks,” Star said, blushing. November reached over and nuzzled her face. “This is the perfect birthday,” November said, jewel shining brightly. “I’m so happy to be here with you!” * * * Kimono looked over the party setup, impressed. The party started at sunset, but no one seemed bothered by the cold. These jewel ponies were hardy. They also had a good sense of décor. It was an ice skating party situated on the frozen river. They set up strings of lights on an arching bridge. Under the bridge were tables with refreshments. Ponies could skate out as far as they wanted on the river, but most didn’t stray too far from Wondermint’s energetic accordion music. Kimono glided up to Razzaroo and January Joy. “This is a wonderful party,” she said. “I’m glad we could work things out. I hope November Nights and Star Dasher are enjoying themselves.” “I think they are!” Silly Lilly said, following Kimono around as usual. “Razzaroo, Silly Lilly, I was thinking, how long do you want to stay in Joyville?” Kimono said. “Huh, we just got here?” Silly said. “I know, but I’m planning ahead. We do have five other castles to visit.” “Oh, you must stay for the winter,” January said. “You can’t travel in this.” It rarely got this cold in Ponyville, and it was still only November. Those last few days of travel before they arrived at Joyville were difficult. “Perhaps you’re right,” Kimono said. “I’m not ready to leave our new friends, anyway,” Razzaroo said. “So we’ll head out in the spring?” “The early spring, I hope,” Kimono said. “As soon as it’s feasible. If we spend several months at every castle, we’ll be gone for a couple of years.” “Great!” Silly said. Kimono had insisted that he stay in the air rather than skate, for safety reasons. He landed on Kimono’s back. “I was also wondering if any of you jewel ponies might want to join our quest to see the other castles,” Kimono said. “As we were just discussing, it’d be a big time commitment. It could be dangerous. But there’s a whole world out there that we know barely anything about. And I think there’s a significant mystery to uncover in terms of why these castles were built and why they lost contact with each other.” “Hmm, I’ll ask around,” January said. “But I can think of at least one pony who I’d bet will go with you.” * * * Four months later. Star Dasher loved new things. That’s why she bore a huge grin as she saddled up her bags for the trip of a lifetime. The weather had warmed up, and the snow was melting. She, Kimono, Razzaroo, and Silly Lilly were leaving Joyville. Star loved Joyville, but if there were six other towns like it, she had to see them! January had organized a sendoff for them at the north end of the town. They were heading for the Castle of Rainbows, next. Ponies had gathered to bid them farewell. Kimono, Razzaroo, and Silly Lilly had become quite popular in Joyville. But of course, saying goodbye to Star Dasher was harder for a lot of ponies, since they had known her for so long. Star Dasher said goodbye to her parents, then she turned to November Nights, who looked sad. “Cheer up, November,” Star said. “This will be great. I’ll tell you all about our adventures when I get back. It might take a while, but I’ll be back!” They nuzzled each other. “I’ll miss you,” November said. “Stay safe.” “Of course!” Star said. “I love you!” She turned and faced the woods. “Ready?” Razzaroo said. “Born for it!” Star said.