“Well, here we are,” Soarin said as they both stepped off the train. It had been a long tiring journey for both of them. They left Canterlot at 7am Saturday morning and arrived there 5am Sunday morning.
Soarin looked around at the unfamiliar place.
The trees and fields surrounding the town seemed to go on endlessly and there was plenty of wildlife around. Most of the homes had roofs made of hay and straw as well as a river running through the edge of the town. He could see there were lots of ponies crowded around in the market-place and a few pegasi in the sky.
“I like this place,” Fleetfoot commented.
“Yeah, it sure is a nice place,” Soarin agreed. “How old is it?” he asked, noticing that there hadn’t been much development of buildings and most of them were made of wood.
“I think something like one hundred years old.”
“This place is still pretty new then,” Soarin replied.
They both stood admiring the landscape for a few minutes. Canterlot didn’t have much countryside and they hadn’t seen such a nice place in ages.
It was at this moment that Soarin realised something.
“Hey, Fleet?” Soarin said.
“Yeah, what?”
“Where are we staying?”
“Uh, I don’t know.”
“Oh, maybe we should try and find a place to stay then. I don’t want to sleep in the streets.”
“Good idea!” Fleetfoot said enthusiastically. “Let’s ask her, she looks nice,” she pointed to a yellow pegasus with a long light pink mane.
“Fleet wai-“ Soarin started only to see Fleetfoot running up towards the now terrified looking mare.
“Eeeeeep,” the mare cowered down and hid behind her mane.
“Oh, I didn’t mean to scare you,” Fleetfoot half shouted as the mare started shaking.
“That’s not making anything better,” Soarin scolded Fleetfoot before turning to the mare. “Hey, are you alright?” he asked quietly, slightly lowering himself to the ground. The mare didn’t move so Soarin offered her a warm smile. The mare slowly smiled back and then stood up straight. She awkwardly shuffled her hoof and looked around.
“What’s your name?”
“Um, my name’s Fluttershy,” she whispered.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that.”
“Oh, um, my name’s Fluttershy,” she whispered a little louder.
“That’s a nice name,” Fleetfoot complimented before smiling, to which Fluttershy returned.
“We were wondering if you knew of any places we could stay? We’re on holiday,” asked Soarin.
“Is there an inn?” Fleetfoot added.
“Um, well there is an inn but I’m pretty sure that’s going to be full. Princess Luna is coming for a visit later today and lot of ponies came here to see her. I have a best friend though; who I’m sure wouldn’t mind lending you a room to stay in.”
“Okay then. Thanks a lot. Where can we find this friend?”
“Oh, she lives there,” Fluttershy pointed to a large castle-like structure in the distance.
“Isn’t that Princess Twilight Sparkle’s Castle?” asked a surprised Fleetfoot with her mouth slightly open.
“Yes it is. She’s one of my best friends. Just say that Fluttershy sent you.”
“Um, okay then…” Soarin managed to say, his jaw also dropping like Fleetfoots'.
Staying is Princess Twilight Sparkle’s Castle!? Is that even allowed? Surely there must be some kind of law against this thing. Who goes up to a castle of royalty and asks to stay for a while? Nopony.
“Well, I guess we better get going then. Nice meeting you, Fluttershy,” Soarin spoke up.
“Yeah, bye!” Fleetfoot said.
“I’ll see you around then. Oh and um, if you don’t mind…would you mind asking Twilight if she has seen my copy of ‘Critter Challenges’ anywhere?” Fluttershy stammered.
“Yeah sure.”
“Thank you,” she waved as she walked into town. Soarin and Fleetfoot waved back.
“She was nice. We should probably go to the…castle then…” said Feetfoot. They started to walk towards the castle.
--------
Black Night was in the gym with some other ponies, none of which he knew.
It was a fairly small gym with a low ceiling and plenty of equipment crammed in the small space, including treadmills, benches, weights and mats, for the few ponies that did gymnastics as warm-ups. All of it was brand new and a lot of it had yet to be used.
Seventeen.
Eighteen.
Nineteen.
Black Night pushed the bar up for the final time, sweat dripping down his forehead. “Twenty!” he groaned as he struggled to keep the bar up. His hooves slipped and the bar went down on top off him.
“Horseapples…” he swore loudly and attempted to get the bar off him.
“Need a little help?” asked the one pony he did not want to see. His sister.
“No…I’m fine,” he groaned loudly as he freed himself from the bar. “See? I got this.”
“Pffft. You’d be stuck without me and you know it,” Purple Dust walked over to a nearby shelf and picked up a large weight before lifting it up and down.
I’d never say it out loud, but she’s right. She’s always right.
“How much did you lift?” she asked as she changed the weight to the other arm.
“One hundred and forty pounds,” he said with pride as he started to do wing-ups on a nearby mat.
“Meh. That’s nothing. I can lift one hundred and forty- five pounds with one arm.”
Night was not about to have his achievement be ruined by his little sister. “Prove it then,” he challenged.
Night watched his sister place the weights on the bar, move the hoof-clips to the middle and position herself on the bench next to him.
There’s no way she can-
His jaw dropped and his eyes widened as he watched in dismay. His little sister, who wasn’t that much larger than a filly, was lifting five pounds more on one arm, than what he could on both.
“H-how…” he stared in disbelief.
“It’s called skipping lunch every once in a while,” she smirked. “And this is what you call sweet victory,” she pumped her hoof in the air.
The doors were pushed open, suddenly, with a loud screech.
“Everypony listen up!” the pony, called Blitz, shouted.
All eyes turned to him and waited for him to continue.
“I don’t know which one of you did something,” he glanced at Black Night and Purple Dust, “But Midnight wants you all to go to Sector H, at three o’clock. Don’t be late!” he rushed out of the room.
“That doesn’t sound good…” Night said.
“Yeah, I know, that’s obvious. I bet it was you sneaking about the other night!”
“Shhhh. Keep your voice down! Nopony is meant to know that. Besides, we didn’t get caught. Did we?”
“I don’t know, Night…I’ve got a bad feeling about this. I’m bringing my cape at three.”
----------
“Well, here we are,” Fleetfoot looked up at the large building towering above her. The Friendship Castle was a lot larger when in front of it.
“Um, you knock.”
“Er, yeah, sure,” Soarin reached his hoof up to the large purple door and knocked.
“Spike! Can you get that for me please?” a voice came from inside. Shortly after the door opened and they were greeted with Spike the dragon.
“Hello, I am Spike the mighty, great, talented, fearless and brave, protector of the Princess Twilight Sparkle.”
“Spike, you are my assistant!” the voice yelled back.
“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered to himself. “How may I help you?”
“Um, Fluttershy sent us here. Can we please speak to Princess Twilight Sparkle?”
“You want to speak to the princess?” he gave them his best serious look, which failed. “Well, if you want-“
“Spike! Just let them in already! Enough of the small talk.”
“Fine…” he opened the door wider and let the two pegasi in.
Inside, the castle seemed to be even larger. They were standing in a hallway with large stained glass windows on the side and a large velvet purple rug, extending all the way up to the main room at the end. A couple of small chandeliers hung from the ceiling. A few tables were below the windows with vases of colourful flowers on them.
Spike ran forward to the main room as Fleetfoot and Soarin glanced at each other awkwardly before following.
We’re in the Friendship Castle! Heck, I’m in the Friendship Castle! Even Spitfire doesn’t just casually get invited to a royalty castle, and I might be staying in one! I’ve only ever been in the Solar Sister’s Castle before, and that was for the Grand Galloping Gala. I bet none of them will believe it when I tell them that I and Fleet stayed in the Friendship Castle. If we stay in the Friendship Castle…
This place is pretty cool though, a bit too purple for my liking, but still…
“Hello, I’m Twilight Sparkle, it’s nice to meet you,” she exclaimed whilst smiling. “Hey, aren’t you two…Wonderbolts?” she thought out loud.
“Err, yeah we are, Princess Twilight Sparkle,” Soarin awkwardly extended his hoof, which she shook.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, call me Twilight. I have a friend, who I’m sure would like to meet you at some point. Anyway, what brought you here?” she asked whilst lifting books off a coffee table, with her magic, and placing them back onto a nearby bookshelf.
“We’re on holiday and were looking for an inn to stay in. Fluttershy, said that you wouldn’t mind letting us stay here… Now if you don’t want us to stay here, then that’s absolutely fine and-“
“That’s fine. I have plenty of spare rooms,” she smiled. “Spike, could you clear two rooms for, um, what are your names?” she smiled sheepishly.
“I’m Soarin and this is, Fleetfoot.”
“That’s it! Spike, could you clear two rooms for Soarin and Fleetfoot? The rooms opposite Rainbow Dash and Rarity’s guest rooms will do.”
Rainbow Dash…that rings a bell…
Rainbow Dash! How could I forget the cute sassy mare that saved my life twice and saved my dessert? The mare from Rainbow Falls who I talked with in the hospital, when my wing was injured. Yeah, that’s her! I must try and speak to her at some point and-
“Soarin, Equestria to Soarin are you there,” Fleetfoot waved her hoof in front of him.
“Bwuh,” Soarin was broken from his daydream.
Fleetfoot chuckled, “So what were you daydreaming about then?” she smirked.
“Um, nothing,” he replied, a tinge of red showing on his pale fur.
“Awww, look, Soarin’s just found love!” she squeezed his cheeked together with her hooves, which Soarin batted away.
“N-no, it’s just-“
“So, who’s this mare then?”
“Wha-“
“Rooms ready!” Spike called.
Thank Celestia I was saved by Spike. I don’t want Fleetfoot to get any ideas about my love interests. And I totally do not have an interest in Rainbow Dash. I just want to get to know her because she’s cool…
“Follow me,” he called, to which Soarin and Fleetfoot followed him up the stairs and along the central corridor.
The corridor was very similar to the one in the entrance, except that it had a blue strip running down the middle of the floor. The walls were intricately detailed with patterns and above most of the rooms there was a cutie mark, indicating which pony went in each room. Even his and Fleetfoot’s cutie marks were above a couple of doors.
“Here are your rooms. Make yourself at home,” he started whistling and making his way back towards the main room.
Soarin stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. His eyes widened as he took in the entire room.
It was a fairly large room with a double bed, covered in a blue duvet and pillows. There were a couple of windows on the opposite wall, with a sofa between them. On the floor was a large deep purple rug with a chest of drawers on the side. Next to it was a door with led onto a bathroom. There was a sweet smell of blueberries and candyfloss in the room.
Well, looks like this is the place I’ll be staying in for the next week. I think I’ll try and find Rainbow Dash later to chat and stuff. Maybe I can meet some of her friends and this Rarity pony. This sounds like it’s going to be nice, relaxing holiday. Nothing can go wrong…