Erebus: Episode 1: Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!

by Honey Mead

Scene 10

Shards of shattered glass burst into the night sky before falling back to the warehouse floor. A few wily bits slashed at her forelegs and across her flanks and whither, staining her pure white coat with vivid streaks of red. The sensation made her laugh as she beat her new wings to propel herself higher into the night sky.

She ignored the shouts and cries that followed her sudden exit, focusing on her own thoughts instead. Oh what fun the day had been. Perceiving plenty of pretty proper ponies playing at posing for the Princess. And that was only the start!

It was such a wonder to see old friends, even if your old friends didn’t see you. What would Rarity say if she knew? Surprise laughed as she twisted in the air. The image of Rarity collapsing on her fainting couch only to rising in an instant shouting ‘IIIIDDEA!’ and dragging Surprise off to design a brand new dress was too comical, even for her.

Now Twilight, she was a unicorn of a different color. Talk about a freakout that would be legen—wait for it—dary! Oh, the magical machines and tests she would invent just to try and explain everything.

And poor Dashie! The mare’s blond locks deflated. Poor, poor Dashie. What would she think? What would she say? No. No. No. No! Those were not fun thoughts to have.

Now Richie Itchie, there were some happy thoughts. Her forelegs wrapped around her chest as she burst out laughing, her hind legs flying forward and causing her to tumble through the air, though she lost no altitude. Her mane and tail puffed right back out as she recalled the look on his face... and what he looked like with his head soaked in Rainbow Road.

With her head toward the ground and her tail in the air the mare found herself looking back at the warehouse where all her fun had happened—not that her fun was over yet! She could make out the figures of white pegasi in gold armor leaping into the air. ‘Time for another Surprise!’ she thought.

“You’re under arrest!”

“Stop right there!”

Both guard ponies shouted in deep baritones that could be heard clearly for hundreds of yards. She briefly wondered how all the guards managed to sound exactly the same. Shrugging, she waited for the encroaching pegasuses. Bright flashes of light flared from below, the press ponies taking notice of the confrontation over their heads. Some of the braver pegasuses even took flight to get better angles.

Surprise continued to hover upside-down with her forehooves held behind her back, a rictus smile splitting her features. The two guard ponies broke formation to try to box her in. Before they got more than a few feet apart, Surprise’s forehooves shot out, a pair of cupcakes sailing through the air.

Expertly aimed, the cupcakes took them both on the nose. They crumpled in mid-flight and fell, cake and icing coating their muzzles. The herd of earth-bound ponies gasped in horrified shock while the pegasuses with cameras continued to snap pictures of the wounded guards.

Blowing a raspberry at the press ponies, Surprise spun around and resumed her flight, intent on the city proper. An odd twitching at the tips of her ears along with an itch between her shoulder blades made her pause. ‘That’s a new one,’ she thought, ‘I wonder what it—’

"YOWIE!” she hollered as something stuck to her rump. Looking down, she saw an odd-looking black cylinder attached to her plot. Her eyes followed it to the roof of the nearest warehouse. “Erebus! Your back!” she yelled down at the stallion with his hoof held up in the air. “Oooooh, we are going to have SOOOOO much FUN!”

Without a second’s hesitation she twisted, launching herself up into the air. The cord twanged as it drew taught and pulled the unicorn on the other end into the air behind her.

Her course swung straight for the distant buildings of Canterlot proper.

The weight dragging at her eased up. A quick glance back showed Erebus with his cape flared out like a pair of wings. She smiled and powered onward, gaining altitude and drawing nearer to the pearly city.

An itch at the base of her neck was all the warning she needed. Pulling to the right, a black, winged crescent missed her by an inch. The sensation didn’t stop and she spun left, barely dodging a pair of the blades aimed for her wings.

Craning her neck to look under herself, she put her forehooves over her ears and blew a raspberry at Erebus. The unicorn’s only reaction was to reach into his belt and withdraw another crescent.

Before he could loose the shuriken, Surprise tucked her wings into a dive. The gliding stallion continued forward for a few feet until the cord snapped taught and he was hauled downward after the pegasus. Surprise giggled as they plummeted toward the road between the city and the lower districts.

With impossible speed she pulled up and rocketed back up. Erebus snapped like a whip at the bottom of the decent, a cry of pain echoing off the mountain side as his leg popped out of its socket.

Fighting gravity and pain, he reached forward with his other hoof. Snaking it around the cable, he pulled himself up, taking his weight off his injured leg.

Surprise continued her flight to the city, completely ignoring the pony trailing behind her.

“She’ll be comin’ ‘round the mountain when she comes, when she comes.
“She’ll be comin’ ‘round the mountain when she comes, when she comes.
“She’ll be comin’ ‘round the mountain, she’ll be comin’ ‘round the mountain.
“She’ll be comin’ ‘round the mountain when she comes, when she comes.

“She’ll be a pretty white pegasus when she comes, when she comes.
“She’ll be a pretty white pegasus when she comes, when she comes.
“She’ll be a pretty white pegasus, she’ll be a pretty white pegasus
“She’ll be a pretty white pegasus when she comes, when she comes.

“She’ll be trailin’ a silly masked pony when she comes, when she comes.
“She’ll be trailin’ a silly masked pony when she comes, when she comes.
“She’ll be trailin’ a silly masked pony, she’ll be trailin’ a silly masked pony
“She’ll be trailin’ a silly masked pony when she comes, when she comes.

Comments

[Steel Wing]

Do you currently have an editor?

[Honey Mead]

2132850
No. My editor left for a two year mission to Italy on the sixth. He only got through the first three scenes.

[Steel Wing]

2134500 Hmm... Well, if you'd like, I can probably be your editor.