• Published 8th Jul 2019
  • 2,281 Views, 484 Comments

Teahouses of Saddle Arabia - Amber Spark



Twilight and Sunset learn a very important lesson: never underestimate the eccentricities of used bookstores on a cold Canterlot night.

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Barns Books

Morning had officially begun in Canterlot, even if the sun wasn’t quite up yet. Though tonight was Hearth’s Warming Eve, plenty of ponies had risen early. Some were looking to sell their wares to those silly—or unlucky—enough not to have purchased gifts yet. Some off to see friends or family, or staring the glory of Canterlot under the veil of winter. As the glow of dawn approached on the eastern horizon, the city seemed to grow even brighter as ponies everywhere made sure their decorations were bright and festive for the oncoming day.

Safe to say, Sunset and Twilight looked a little out of place considering their lack of grooming and damaged attire. Sunset didn’t really care. It didn’t look like Twilight did either.

Traditionally, shops in Canterlot closed at noon on Hearth’s Warming Eve Day. As such, many of the older ponies tended to open stores earlier to allow shoppers more time to get their last-second purchases done. Sunset knew that there had once been more to the tradition than that, but Hearth’s Warming customs had never been one of her areas of expertise. Personally, she’d always found the whole commercialization aspect rather absurd, anyway.

Still, as Sunset and Twilight walked down the broad street that eventually led to the castle gates itself, Sunset found herself thankful for the tradition.

Because it meant that they could finally get this over with.

Neither Sunset nor Twilight commented that Barns Books—a nation-wide chain bookseller that only kept a small used books collection by popular demand—was right next door to the diner where they’d had dinner last night. Nor did they comment on the fact that they could actually see Princess Celestia’s private balcony and the tower under which lay the Spire Lab from the front steps of Barns Books.

Sunset knew that Twilight knew. She was pretty sure Twilight knew that she knew. That was all that was needed. No sense rubbing either of their muzzles in it.

A small bell jingled merrily as Sunset opened the door. Bright magic lanterns hung from the ceiling, illuminating the large bookstore in a friendly white glow that was a little hard on Sunset’s tired eyes. Display stands featuring everything from Jade Singer’s latest masterpiece to the ongoing adventures of Daring Do stood everywhere. Kitschy knickknacks lined the checkout lanes while enormous hanging racks of bookbags and wrapping paper lined most of one wall. There were a pair of painted wooden staircases leading to a large second level where a Starbucked took up a full quarter of the level. Sunset tried not to stare too hard at the line of ponies waiting for their morning fix.

“You know…” Sunset muttered to Twilight. “I really hate going into stores during this time of year. At least… big ones.”

Twilight nodded, obviously fighting down a frown. “No kidding. At least we’re here early.”

“Thank Celestia for small favors,” Sunset sighed as she looked around for any of the bookstore staff. There were only a few dozen ponies inside the store and nearly every single one of them had a cup of Starbucked.

“I really wish I drank coffee,” Sunset muttered as she eyed one enormous thermos with the Starbucked logo. “Mornings like these… I really miss it.”

“Do you have many mornings like these?” Twilight asked idly as they wandered deeper into the store. “After a night of fighting evil monsters, traveling around the world, chatting with transforming dragons, blowing up stone golems, and playing mind games with vanishing ponies?”

Her voice was casual, almost pleasant. It made sense. Sunset could remember everything, yet it still seemed surreal. So very surreal. Surreal enough to actually smile about it.

“Every week on Tuesday,” Sunset replied with a chuckle. “Though usually I get them solved in about a half hour or so.”

Twilight bumped her on the shoulder. It was a lazy, silly thing, but Sunset still laughed.

“Let’s see… the information desk for these places is usually—”

“Hey, Sunset!”

Sunset and Twilight both looked up to see a white pegasus fluttering down from the second level, an enormous smile on her face. She dropped the last few feet, landing in a perfect crouch before she stood and brushed back her poofy mass of bright yellow hair. She hadn’t bothered with any sort of winter jacket—pegasi hardly needed them after all—but she did wear a scarf emblazoned with the Wonderbolt colors of blue and yellow.

“H-Hey, Surprise… what a… err…” Sunset stammered.

Surprise laughed, a rich and warm sound that made Sunset blush just a little.

“Don’t worry, Sunset!” Surprise waved off the awkward pause with a grin. “Happens all the time. I think my Mom and Dad did it to me on purpose… well, that, and deciding I was in a rush to be born. Heh. So, how you doing? You kinda look like you’ve had a rough night there, Shimmy.”

“‘Shimmy?’” Twilight asked, her lips quirking up. Sunset’s blush deepened as Twilight’s stare intensified.

“Oh, sorry!” Surprise said. She put down the small package she’d been balancing on her back and reached out a hoof toward Twilight. “I’m Surprise. Any friend of Sunset is a friend of mine!”

“Well… yeah, of course you are! I’m Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight said, turning a little red herself as she seemed to realize what she had just said. “Sorry, I um… knew who you were already.”

“Oh really?” Surprise’s bright raspberry eyes turned sly as they slid back to Sunset. “What have you been telling her, Shimmy?”

“Gah, stop calling me that!” Sunset cried, stomping her hoof in what was probably a magnificently foalish pout.

Twilight and Surprise burst into laughter as Sunset’s cheeks tried to catch on fire.

“You two are having too much fun,” Sunset groused. “Why is it that all my friends bond over making fun of me?”

“Because it’s really, really easy, Shimmy,” Surprise replied, her eyes twinkling. “And you’re fun and I think you actually like it a lot more than you’re letting on.”

“I will neither confirm nor deny that statement!” Sunset declared as she stuck her nose in the air. A second round of laughter was her only response. Finally, Sunset rolled her eyes and actually gave Surprise a genuine smile. “Good to see you again, Surprise. Here I was worried I ran you off the other night.”

I can’t believe you’re doing this, a tiny voice said inside her head. Sunset wondered why her angry little pony had been so… sporadic the entire night. It was almost as if it were wandering between her head and somewhere else, but she wasn’t about to ask it questions. Down that road lay true madness.

“No, of course not!” Surprise used a wing to boop Sunset’s nose. “I meant what I said. I did have a really good time. I had actually planned to come check in on you after the holidays, see if you wanted to catch a play or something?”

She’s… she’s asking me out. Right now. In front of Twilight. This… this isn’t happening…

Sunset risked a glance at Twilight, but she couldn’t read her friend’s expression. Even though Twilight had a smile on her face, it wasn’t a real smile. Something else was going on inside Twilight’s head. Something Sunset really wished she could hear.

Or… considering some of the things they’d talked about during the night… maybe it wasn’t something she wanted to hear.

No, this… this is good! Sunset told herself. Going out with Surprise makes things easier on me! After all, that’s why I let Coco talk me into seeing her for the first time, right? Make things easier on Moon Dancer and Twilight? After all, Surprise is actually a lot of fun. And she’s cute. And I’ve always been curious just how much control pegasi had over their wings…

Sunset shook her head even as a voice in the back of her head just tsked sadly.

You’re so pathetic.

“Actually, that sounds like fun!” Sunset said in a voice too cheerful by half. “Totally a great idea.”

Surprise blinked a few times. She might pretend to be a ditz once in a while, but it hadn’t fooled Sunset. Just from last night, Sunset had learned she was quick on the uptake.

“Everything okay, Sunset? You do look… pretty beat up.” Surprise said in a soft voice. Her eyes finally seemed to register the state of both Sunset and Twilight. “In fact, you both do. Did something happen? Did you get mugged or…?”

“No!” Sunset shook her head, waving her hooves in a placating gesture. “No, Surprise. It’s fine. Really.”

Surprise didn’t look convinced, but Sunset had expected that. Wonderbolts were usually loyal to a fault. She had some misgivings about some of them, but Surprise was definitely one of the good ones.

“I promise,” Sunset insisted. “Look, you probably wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

Surprise plopped down in the middle of the floor and crossed her forelegs. Displays on the Myths of Meadowbrook and Airship Designs Through the Ages stood to either side of her. Her expression made it clear Sunset wasn’t going to get away without a better explanation than that.

Sunset groaned and rubbed her eyes. “Would you believe me if I told you we’ve been hunting for a rare book all night?”

“A rare book?” Surprise’s ears perked up and she grinned. “Nah, that’s something I totally would believe. My grandma owns a pretty bookstore in Cloudsdale!”

“She… she does?” Twilight said.

“Oh yeah,” Surprise nodded, making her mane bounce a bit. “She’s one of the crazy ponies on Hurricane, the one with the airships? Ever been there?”

“We were—” Twilight began, but Sunset cut her off with a cough.

“Yeah, we’ve seen it once or twice.”

Surprise laughed. “Crazy place, huh? Grandma actually has one of the biggest airships around! Called Whispersong’s Lullabies. Cute name, right? My youngest sister is spending the week before Hearth’s Warming up there!”

Sunset and Twilight exchanged a look, but Surprise didn’t seem to catch it this time. Instead, the Wonderbolt grinned off into the distance.

“I could tell you some wild stories of some of my visits on that ship when I was a filly. I even once found a wardrobe in the very back of the ship—” Surprise cut herself off and laughed. “Sorry, you probably don’t want to hear all this right now. You guys look exhausted.”

“It’s… been a long night,” Sunset allowed. “A really long night.”

“Well, answer me one thing,” Surprise said, her eyes gleaming, her smile never leaving her face. “Did you find the book?”

“Hopefully,” Sunset grinned sheepishly. “Harmony-willing, it’s in this very shop.”

“Well, that’s fantastic!” Surprise said, her wings flaring with excitement. She’d done that a lot the other night. “Listen, I gotta jet, but why don’t I swing by your place Tuesday night? Say around seven? Then you can tell me all about your crazy adventure.”

Sunset blushed furiously and tried not to think of the pony beside her.

For them, Sunset told herself. It’s for them.

“Sounds like a date,” Sunset said, trying to grin back at the Wonderbolt.

Surprise obviously saw Sunset’s forced smile. Despite that, Sunset wasn’t ready for the other mare to lean forward and give her a hug. “Hey, at least your quest is complete, right?”

“I hope so,” Sunset answered, her eyes closed as she felt the warmth of the cheerful pegasus envelop her. Surprise had even used her wings. It reminded Sunset just a little bit of Celestia’s hugs when she was especially proud of her. For a moment, all she wanted to do was collapse right then and there. She wanted to fall to her knees and start sobbing. Not for any specific reason, more out of pure exhaustion than anything else. More or less…

She wanted so badly to have somepony there for her. Somepony more than just a friend.

Somepony more than a friend who deserved better.

Surprise pulled back and gave Sunset a peck on the cheek. She smirked impishly and turned, flicking Sunset’s nose with the tip of her tail in a playful sort of way.

“See you Tuesday!”

With that, the Wonderbolt fluttered off toward the registers, leaving Sunset there to rub her cheek and studiously avoid Twilight’s eyes. The silence seemed to stretch around them, despite the fact that more ponies continued to come into the bookstore. Finally, Sunset risked a glance.

She’d been prepared for stares. She’d been prepared for shock. She’d even been prepared for that same carefully unreadable expression.

She hadn’t been prepared for Twilight to look happy.

“You were right,” Twilight said. “She is nice.”

“Yeah,” Sunset glanced toward the door. Surprise turned to wave at her before darting out into the cold Canterlot winter. “Yeah… she is.”

Sunset smiled just a little, ignoring the sigh in the very depths of her mind.

They’d found the information desk toward the back of the store. Only a single pony stood behind the large circular desk that reminded Sunset a little of Circulation at the RCA—the very same desk where she had met Twilight. The blue-coated pegasus mare there looked rather bored. She seemed about their age, though apparently, she needed an extra push to get her going this morning. Her enormous Starbucked coffee cup sat on the counter like a monument to the glory of caffeine.

At the moment, Sunset really wished she could partake in some of that glory. She resisted its siren call. While she still couldn’t quite remember everything that had happened the week of that insane alchemy exam years ago, she had no desire to fall into such madness again. She already had enough madness in her life.

That being said…

“Harmony, I need an Earl Grey,” Sunset muttered as they approached the desk.

The pegasus mare blinked at them blearily and adjusted her red browline glasses as she tried to focus. She brushed aside a messy green mane and tried to smile at them while adjusting her employee vest and lanyard.

“Hi there,” Sunset said as she fought back a yawn. That healing potion—and the twelve hours of unconsciousness—felt like weeks ago and neither were a substitute for a proper night’s sleep. “We’re… we’re looking for the manager?”

The mare—her lanyard read ‘Riverdance’—looked a little panicky. “Uh… is there something wrong? I mean, if it’s a complaint or a return, I’d be more than uh… more than happy to assist you!”

Sunset rolled her eyes as Twilight stifled a giggle.

“No, nothing like that,” Sunset assured her. “We’re here to pick up something on reserve and were instructed to talk directly to the manager.”

Riverdance’s eyes narrowed a little. “If you don’t mind me asking… by who? I mean, our manager is very busy and—”

Sunset probably could have been more patient. At the moment… she didn’t really feel like it. So, she levitated out the scroll left behind by Loose Spring and dropped it in front of Riverdance so the broken wax seal landed upright. It was a minor gamble. It could mean nothing to the salespony.

However, considering how Riverdance’s wings flared out and her eyes went wide, the mare likely knew the sigil.

“I-I-I’ll be right back with her!” Riverdance squeaked and shot off so fast it sent flyers about a Hearth’s Warming sale spinning in her wake.

Twilight let out a bark of a laugh. “Nicely done.”

“I have my moments,” Sunset replied as she leaned on the counter. Riverdance had left her coffee cup. The temptation grew by the second, but she fought it off and forced herself to take a few steps back.

“You…” Twilight paused to lick her lips. “You sounded pretty eager to see Surprise next week.”

“Yeah… well…” Sunset winced and rubbed her mess of a mane. “It… like I said last night. It was nice.”

“She seems like she’d be a lot of fun.”

“Yeah. Who’d have guessed Whispersong would have been her grandmother?”

“Small world.”

“Yeah, small world.”

A pause stretched between them, only the sound of the bookstore filling that void. And a few panicked cries from the direction the salesmare had flown off to.

“Didn’t you say you knew some of the Wonderbolts?” Twilight asked as she chewed on one of her bangs.

“A couple of them. I’ve chatted with Captain Spitfire a few times at a few formal things. We even got a chance to spar a few times.” Sunset smiled to herself, rubbing her side a bit. “Have to admit, she usually kicks my tail. The other one I see on occasion is First Lieutenant Rainbow Dash. She’s… she’s something else.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, she’s just one of those really intense ponies. Only ever really smiles around that marefriend of hers in Manehattan.”

“Huh. You know, I didn’t know Wonderbolts actually had ranks. With the current roster, that would make Surprise a…”

“Second Lieutenant. Usually, Wonderbolts don’t actually go around talking about their ranks. Most ponies don’t like to be reminded Equestria does actually have a military, even if it’s subtle.”

Sunset paused, licked her lips and stared at a display for some new fantasy series about vulponies.

“Twilight?

“Yeah?”

“Why are we talking about this?” Sunset didn’t look at her.

Twilight hesitated for a long time before answering. “Because it’s easier than talking about other things.”

Sunset nodded slowly. “Still, we can’t—”

“I’m so sorry!” said a mare’s voice as a pale pink blur rushed out, only to come to a sudden stop behind the information desk. With trembling hooves, the pegasus placed a wrapped cloth bundle onto the desk with something approaching reverence—or horror. “I didn’t mean to keep you waiting!”

It was a different pegasus than the one they’d met earlier. She had an artfully styled dusky purple mane, though her eyes were wide with panic. She also only wore a lanyard, instead of the full employee vest. Sunset glanced at her name as soon as the lanyard stopped swaying off the hovering pegasus’s neck.

“It wasn’t a problem, Miss Sunrise,” Sunset replied, trying her best smile and knowing it looked painted on. “We weren’t waiting long at all.”

“Please, call me Lavender.” She said it all in a rush, as if she didn’t want them to waste time by saying her full name. “Riverdance said you had… you had…” Lavender actually shivered a little. “The scroll. One with a seal of… of that… that place…”

Sunset nodded at the scroll. She hadn’t moved it from the desk.

Lavender seemed terrified to even look at the scroll, let alone touch it.

“Bad day?” Sunset offered with a raised eyebrow.

“We… we don’t get…” Lavender coughed and glanced around to make sure nopony was within earshot. “Look, can I be honest with you two?”

“Sure.” Sunset shrugged. There wasn’t much that could really phase her at this point.

“The pony who dropped this off with the note?” Lavender’s wings sped up, though somehow remained stationary. “She’s… well, I hope I don’t run into her again. She came in the middle of the night as I was getting ready for today! She gave me the creeps.”

“I’m guessing a mare with a general grey vibe?” Sunset asked, rolling her eyes.

Twilight muttered something under her breath.

“You’ve… you’ve seen her?” Lavender’s eyes met Sunset’s. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Sunset replied. “Not the most cheerful of ponies. I’m hoping I don’t really run into her again myself.”

“Look, I followed her instructions precisely,” Lavender said quickly. “I didn’t open it. I didn’t even peek! I kept it in our safe the entire time! And… I’ll have you know that I’ve never dealt with anypony outside the Association before! And… and I don’t plan to! Please! Just… don’t… don’t report me!”

Sunset coughed. The cough turned into a snort. Then a snicker. Then a giggle. Then a chuckle. It ended somewhere with Sunset crying on the information desk, pounding her hoof against the cool wood as she all but howled with delirious laughter.

Twilight hadn’t made it to the desk. She’s actually fallen over and was pretty much doing the exact same thing on the floor.

Lavender gaped at Sunset as she managed to wipe away the tears. She felt the eyes of every single pony in the store on them.

And she didn’t care in the slightest.

“I don’t think that will be a problem,” Sunset said with another snort. “We won’t breathe a word. To anypony. Anyway, who’d believe us?”

She helped Twilight to her hooves, then turned back to the desk. She slipped the scroll back into a bag, then peeked under the cloth wrapping. She smiled faintly and slid the cloth-wrapped bundle into her saddlebag beside the scroll. With a pleasant nod at the manager, they both turned, occasionally giggling.

Then, Sunset and Twilight headed out the door just as dawn broke over the city of Canterlot.

Author's Note:

Surprise!

...see what I did there? Huh? Huh? Oh, shut up. You love it.

And hey! They got a book!


If you come across any errors, please let me know by PM!