Walking a Tightrope - A Surprise Days Story

Walking a Tightrope

The author's preferred edition

A "Surprise Days" Story

by NoGiantRobots1983

Chapter Two

The First Day of a New Life

~Let's Begin!~

Raydence had just finished organizing the clutter when he heard a set of hooves land on the floor, and he knew Surprise had just leapt to the window as she was prone to do.  For some ponies, taking the front door was just too much trouble.  Raydence turned to greet her, but paused a moment and re-thought his greeting when he saw her.

"I could be mistaken," he said, "But it seems like you've grown a lump."

Indeed, there was something different about Surprise, and it largely involved the fact that there was a tan-furred, white-spotted, green-maned colt riding on her back.  He was hugging her closely and almost fearfully, as if he was afraid Surprise would let him fall off.  The notion stirred some memories, and Raydence couldn't help a little "Heh."

"Raydence, this is Tightrope," Surprise explained, "He's going to be staying with us until his mom comes to claim him."

Tightrope looked up, and came to a sitting position with his eyes full of wonder at the strange tall biped.  "Miss Surprise," Tightrope asked, "What is that?"

"He's my pet.  He's called a human being."

"A human bean?"

"Be-ing," Surprise corrected as Tightrope hopped over to the sofa, where he continued to sit and watch the pair, although he kept his eyes focused mostly on Ray.  The pegasus kept explaining, "His name is Raydence, and he has a poor sense of alphabetization.  Ray!"  Surprise was suddenly talking to him now, in a strict voice, "What's this?  Why is Shark Attack sitting on top of the pile and Splat is all the way down here?"

"Because Splat is in a large, rectangular box and Shark Attack is in a smaller square box.  I figured it made more sense to put the bigger ones on the bottom."

Surprise stared at her human for a second, then said, "As I was saying, humans are very good at organization!"

Tightrope cocked his head to the side and blinked confusedly.  He watched as Surprise walked around the counter and sat there looking at something he couldn't see, but Tightrope's eyes immediately flew back to the human.

"I...I've read a lot of books about animals," he said slowly and nervously, "I even know about griffons and dragons.  But no book I've read said anything about humans."

"That so," Raydence answered, his tone indicating that this wasn't news to him.

"Why?" Tightrope asked, "Why don't the ponies who write the books say anything about you?"

"Likely because they don't know anything," Raydence answered, turning to the colt.  "Actually, in Pony-dominated lands, the only place humans are common is Dream Valley.  That's because it's right next to the Rift.  I bet you want to know what the Rift is, right?"

Ray had expected an immediate answer, but instead the little guy shifted in place a little, the way kids do when they don't know what's expected of them.  It made Raydence himself feel a little nervous, and it was actually a relief when Tightrope said, "Yes."

Raydence smiled, and said to Surprise, "We might need sandwiches," to Tightrope he explained, "This might take awhile.  There's a lot to go over."

"Start with the Two Worlds," Surprise suggested, though her attention was clearly somewhere else.

Raydence nodded, and then started explaining.  "You see, kiddo, there are two worlds.  Ponia, the world where Ponies live, and Humania, which I think is populated with giraffes or something.  These worlds are separated by a Rift, which happens to be right at the edge of Dream Valley.  It's a deep rift, and pretty wide, but your average pegasus can fly right over it.  So Dream Valley has a lot of gizmos and doodads from Humania.  Including humans."

"What about the giraffes?"  Tightrope suddenly asked.

Raydence did a double-take.  "The what now?"

"The giraffes!  You said Humania was full of giraffes."

Silence hung in the air for a moment.  For a moment, Raydence's brain blanked out, the result of an unexpected realization.

"Tightrope," he said, "That part about giraffes was a joke."

The little guy's eyes went wide in sudden comprehension.  "Oh!"  Then he lowered his head.  "I'm sorry, I'm not good at jokes."

"It's okay, we can't all be comedians."

Tightrope shifted nervously, then reverted the subject, "So, what about this Rift?  Where did it come from?  Has it always been there?"

"There's a lot of things we still don't know, and to be honest, I'm not an expert.  But I can tell you that the Rift first appeared something like a hundred years ago.  Hey Surprise," Raydence asked, "Before the Rift appeared, what country used to be to the East of Dream Valley?"

"Edenhoof," Surprise answered.  "It's still east, just now you have to circle Humania.  It's easier to just fly west."

"So," Tightrope wondered aloud, "The lands that used to be there didn't disappear?"

"Nope, they just relocated."

"Weird," Tightrope blinked, scratching his head.

Surprise said, "I've been thinking about sleeping arrangements.  Tightrope, it seems like you're gonna have to double up with one of us tonight.  Raydence likes to sleep on that sofa.  Come over here and I'll show you my bed."

Tightrope obediently hopped off the couch and followed the pegasus around the bar and to the back of the house, where two doors hung open.  One led to the bare minimum of what could be called a room, with two windows but seemingly no decorations or furniture.  This was the door furthest to the right.  The other door, immediately to the left, opened to reveal a closet, and immediately there was something distinctive about this closet:

It had a huge plush panda on the floor.

Surprise climbed on the panda's belly, curled up like a cat and lay on her belly, and explained to Tightrope, "This is Mr. Pandacushymuffin.  He's where I sleep at night."

"You sleep in a closet?"

"It's very comfortable.  Come on, try it!"

Tightrope slowly and cautiously climbed onto Mr. Pandacushymuffin, who was in fact big enough to provide space for two ponies.  Raydence had to look away for a bit, because seeing a mare curled up with a colt just beside her on the body of a giant plush panda in a closet was the kind of thing that might make him forget he's the pet and suddenly develop an urge to cuddle or talk cutesy.

Tightrope sounded surprised, "It is pretty comfortable.  You're sure I'm not bothering you?"

"Of course you're not!"  Surprise giggled lightly, then asked, "Do you need a blanket?"

"No, it's... pretty warm in here.  Why do you sleep in a closet, Miss Surprise?"

Surprised sighed again, but this time more wistfully, "To tell you the truth, I really don't know.  I've just always felt more secure in closets."  Surprise tilted her head sideways a bit, trying to snatch a thought that was at the edge of her mind, and then she said, "Anyway, it's nowhere near bedtime yet, so--"

She had to cut herself short, for Tightrope had fallen asleep.  The pegasus couldn't help a smile.

Raydence couldn't help a jest, "And here I was looking forward to a quick round of Splat."

Surprise didn't respond right away, she gave a thought time to pass through her mind first, then she said, "I shouldn't be surprised, after all he's been through.  This is probably the first real nap he's had in awhile."  She proceeded to tell Raydence the circumstances under which Tightrope arrived in Ponyville and how he came to be with them.

Raydence glanced down, "Ah.  That explains a lot, actually.  Got any plans?"

"Some, but I think I'll sleep on them."  Surprise lay down her head.

"Good call.  Well, g'night."

That wasn't quite necessary, for Surprise was soon as asleep as Tightrope.  Raydence chuckled quietly, and returned to his beloved sofa, downing a good book before he, too, dozed off to la-la land.

"Ah wonder if Ah can get a cutie mark for loopin' the swing?" Apple Bloom asked, not to anypony in particular, while sitting on the middle swing of the set.  It was late morning, bordering noon, and the weather was good and sunny, and that meant plenty of time for crusadin'!  (In other words, playing around, but pretending it was important)

Scootaloo, sitting on the swing to Apple Bloom's right, smirked, "Heh, I bet you don't even go halfway!"

"Oh yeah?"  Apple Bloom accepted the challenge, "Watch me!"

The little farmpony with the bow grabbed the chains, ran backwards and jumped into the seat.  A rythmic pattern of kicking out and pulling in ensured that the swing would reach ever higher, until after just a few seconds it truly was going high.  Apple Bloom's body, for a brief second, was higher than the beam which her swing was attached to.  Then the descent came, and then the backwards ascent.  Turned face-down, Apple Bloom had time to notice just how high up she was, and suddenly she had doubts.  But she had been challenged, and a challenge must be met!

So she made another forward kick, and then another pull, each repetition soaring ever higher until at last--yes!--she was about to loop the swing!

Just one more repetition!  Yes, she could feel it as her eyes looked towards the sky, and then got an upside-down look at the park from up high.  She had done it!  She had looped the swing!

Then came the descent, and she got to see gravity pulling her closer to the ground.

There was a sudden yanking sensation as she went under the beam, Apple Bloom lost her grip in sudden shock, and was sent flying out of the swing.  She flew through the air uncontrollably, knowing that she was going to hit the ground face-first, knowing this was going to hurt, already envisioning the hospital visit!

Then she suddenly realized somepony had caught her.

"Whoa, girl," Rainbow Dash said as she held the little one close and gently descended with Apple Bloom clutched tightly to her chest, landing right next to Applejack.  When she let Apple Bloom go, Dash said, "I hate to sound like a boring old nanny, but you kids really do need to learn not to do anything dangerous.  Except when I'm around to keep an eye on you."

"Sure thing!"  Apple Bloom beamed, "Thanks, Rainbow Dash."

"Anytime," Dash said as Apple Bloom went back to her friends, bragging about her accomplishment.

"Thank ya'll kindly for that," Applejack said.

"Just doing my job!"  Rainbow Dash said, and when she heard Applejack chuckle, the pegasus added, "No, seriously.  I'm a member of the CMC Danger Rangers."

Applejack gasped with amazement, "What a coincidence, Ah'm a Danger Ranger too!"

"Danger Ranger?  What, pray tell, is such a thing?"  This question was posed by Rarity, who was just now joining Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash answered, "We're a super-secret organization that was formed by Big Macintosh and Miss Cheerilee to keep the Cutie Mark Crusaders from hurting themselves, or anypony else.  So we secretly keep an eye on them and secretly try to steer them towards the path of least destruction."

Rarity asked, "And you do all this in secret?"

"Yep!  Secretly in secret, in fact."

"So secret, in fact," Applejack interjected, "That we ain't even s'posed to tell non-members of our existence!"

Dash smirked, "Oops!"  Then she, Applejack and Rarity all had a good chuckle.

Rarity joked, "Well, I guess I'm a member now."

Dash quickly answered, "We're booked for the moment.  But the Pinkie Pie Danger Rangers have an opening!"

Rarity held up a hoof, her sensitive ears picking up another approach.  She turned to look, and saw a familiar white pegasus, a familiar dark-maned human, and an especially familiar colt coming their way.  She excused herself from the Ranger meeting and went to greet them, asking most pointedly, "And how is little Tightrope doing this morning?"  She scruffled the little one's mane once, and immediately pulled her hoof away.  "Uhh... he has had a morning bath, right?"

"Of course!  We were just at the river."

"The river?  Ewww.  That's so cold, and... river-y!  Oh no no no, he needs the spa treatment!"

"I feel fine, Miss Rarity," Tightrope spoke up.  "I don't feel dirty at all!"

Surprise glanced at the gathered Cutie Mark Crusaders, who had now moved on to playing on a jungle gym, and the pegasus asked, "Tightrope, would you rather eat first, or play?"

"I'm not really hungry, but..." Tightrope looked over the playground, "Ummm... what am I supposed to do here?"

"What do you mean?  Its a park.  You play in it."

"I know that, but... I mean... what are the rules?"

Surprise raised an eyebrow for a moment, and then said, "I think you'll understand better once you start playing.  Let's start over here," Surprise led him to the swing set, and was intent on using the middle one before she realized, "Hmm, this one's a little high off the ground."

Rainbow Dash had followed, remembering what had happened earlier that day, and said, "Here, let me fix that."  And fix it she did.  "There!"  Dash stepped aside and allowed Tightrope to take a seat, and Surprise gave the little one a few tentative pushes, while explaining how it worked to him.  Then she said, "I'm gonna give you a big one!  Hold on tight!"

Tightrope went pretty high and held on pretty tight, but after five repetitions he stopped kicking and allowed himself to slow, and come to a full stop.  The look on his face was more confused than anything.  "Miss Surprise," he said, "I don't think I understand this game."

Dash cocked an eyebrow, and said, "What's to understand?  You just swing."

"You mean... there's not a goal?"

"Just enjoy yourself."

Tightrope shook his head.  "I don't get it."

Dash rolled her eyes with a sigh, and then had an idea.  "Hey, Crusaders!"

The girls dropped whatever they were doing, and came galloping over.  Scootaloo especially came running fast, excited that Rainbow Dash of all ponies might have something to ask of her.  At least, that's what could be guessed from the huge smile she wore.

Dash said, "Teach Tightrope here how to have fun."

Scootaloo glanced towards the colt, approached him with a skeptical look in her eye.  "Wait a minute," she said, "You don't know how to have fun?"

Tightrope didn't answer immediately.  Something about these three girls gave him pause, especially as they all looked at him.  For some reason he couldn't explain, and which he realized went against all logic, he felt the compulsion to turn and run, to hide.  Which is exactly what he did, taking refuge behind Surprise.

The pegasus giggled, "Looks like he's bashful."  She turned, picked him up, and placed him down in front of the Crusaders.  "Go on, Tightrope.  Talk to them."

Tightrope glanced at Surprise, his eyes imploring her to rescue him, but she waved her hoof, urging him on.  So he gave in, and turned to speak to the girls.  He opened his mouth, but the words stuck in his throat.

"Courage, Tightrope!"  Surprise whispered to him.

The colt took a breath, and tried again.  "H-hello."

"Well hello there!"  Apple Bloom greeted, "Ah'm Apple Bloom!  Nice to meet ya, Mr. Tightrope!"  She stuck out her hoof.

Tightrope looked at the offered hoof, and for a moment wondered what to do.  The little guy made a sudden, almost unnoticable shiver as if he had been out-of-it for a moment and just came back to wakefulness, and shook the offered hoof.

Sweetie Belle had gone around the side to look him over, and she said, "Hey, he doesn't have a cutie mark either!"

Tightrope turned to face her, and said "Y-yeah... my mom was trying to make my emblem appear, but it hasn't happened yet."

"Emblem?"  Sweetie Belle asked.

"Yeah... my mom calls them that, so, I do too."  That cleared up, Tightrope immediately asked, "So, how do we crusade?"

Scootaloo asked, "Well girls, what are we gonna try to find our cutie marks in today?"

"I got it!"  Sweetie Belle bounced into the air, "Let's try to be lawyers!"

"Sweet!"  Scootaloo fluttered off the ground for a moment, but then she asked, "Ummm, how do you lawyer something?"

Tightrope said, "Oh, I know something about that... We need a big open area to be our courtroom..."

Tightrope quickly looked around, and saw a space nopony was using, which he promptly began moving towards, the girls following close by.  The adult ponies (and one adult human) watched until the distance was great enough that they couldn't quite hear Tightrope explaining stuff about lawyering.

Rainbow Dash very lightly elbowed her fellow pegasus, and said, "Looks like they got off to a good start."

"Mm Hmm!"  Surprise nodded lightly, with a smile visible on her face.

"Shouldn't you be shelving those books?"  Twilight glanced across the small upstairs room, where Spike had been sitting and twiddling his thumbs next to a pile of books for the last ten minutes, while she conversely had been organizing a batch of scrolls in a cabinet drawer.

"Oh," Spike broke out of his reverie, "Yeah, right, I'm on it!"  He got up, placed one book, and then tried to find the place for the next one.  After putting it up and before reaching for the next one, Spike said, "I've been wondering something."

"Oh?"

"Yeah.  About that kid that was here yesterday."

"Tightrope?  What about him?"

"Well..." Spike placed the next book.  "Did you notice how the edge of his mane was always kinda pink, or purple, kinda?"

"His tail, too."

"Yeah."  This book was easier to place, so Spike was now on his fourth.  It rather bothered him that Twilight was nearly done with her task while he had just started.  Somehow though, talking while he worked made it easier.  "Like... how does that happen?"

"It's not natural.  Likely he ate a chroma mushroom at some point."

"A what mushroom?"

"A chroma mushroom.  When eaten, they completely change a pony's mane and tail color."

"Wow."  Moving two more books, which were in a set and thus, went next to each other, Spike passed a thought through his mind.  "Do those mushrooms work on dragons, too?"

"Why?  You want a different scale color?"

"Well... I was just thinking..."

"Rarity likes purple,"  Twilight quickly revealed to him.

"Oh!"  Spike chuckled embarrassedly, "Well, nevermind, then.  I bet those mushrooms are hard to find, anyway."

"I'm sure Zecora has some, but ponies and dragons are different.  They might simply not work.  Okay, I'm done!"

"I'm... close!"  Spike said, trying to sound sincere.

Twilight rolled her eyes.  The dragon hadn't even gotten halfway through the stack, so clearly "close" meant something else to baby dragons.

The doorbell rang.  Twilight said, "I'll get that, you just finish that stack," and went down a set of stairs, to the front room, and opened the door.

She immediately found herself tackled and rolling backwards at high speed, finally ending up with her back on the floor and a smiling pink pony standing on top of her.

"Hiiiiya Twilie!"  Pinkie Pie greeted.

"Hi, Pinkie," Twilight grunted.  "I wish you'd make a softer entrance."

Pinkie lowered her face, almost to Twilight's, and then she went above and bit Twilight's horn, a move that made Twilight giggle a bit before she could protest that "that tickles!"  Then Pinkie let go, got off of the librarian and allowed her to get up, while she explained, "I just came to tell you that the 'Summer Vacation Has Officially Begun' party is tonight!"

"Wasn't it last night?"

"Oh no, yesterday the mail-wagon didn't make it on time, so there weren't any party supplies, so we had to cancel at the last minute.  But today the mail-wagon did make it, so we're gonna get ready to shake our booties and do the jam!"

Twilight smiled lightly and shook her head when she couldn't figure out Pinkie's catch-phrases.  "Well, that's actually good luck for me.  Tonight, I can make it."  Twilight pranced on over to a window, and glanced out.  Memories of last night came to her, of the little colt who she had passed off to Surprise.  The wheels in her head were already spinning, and almost to herself she said, "That's right, I'll stop at Surprise's on the way--"

"Surprise isn't invited."

Twilight chuckled, "I know that.  But maybe she'll let Raydence and--"

"Raydence isn't invited, either."

Twilight turned a shocked look on Pinkie, who wore the grumpiest look she could manage without her mane going straight.  "You don't like Raydence now, too?"

"Of course I don't!"  Pinkie fumed.  "The jerk!  He never showed up for my party last night!"

Twilight raised an eyebrow.  "But... you cancelled that party."

"I never told him that!"

Twilight's eyebrow lowered, and a smirk formed on her face.  "I think I'm beginning to get the picture."  Twilight shook her head, "But actually, there's a good reason they never showed up.  Actually, it's my fault."

Pinkie's grumpiness evaporated like water in an oven.  "Your fault?  How?"

Twilight sat down, and sighed.  "Did you hear about what happened yesterday?..."

Surprise considered, just for a moment, that perhaps onlookers mistook her group for a family.  There was Raydence on one side of her, and Tightrope on her other side, and a little ahead.

"So," Surprise asked, "Did you enjoy your day out with the girls?"

Tightrope had been walking along wordlessly, but the pegasus' question caused him to slow down.  His head turned down, not in a sad way, but in the way Surprise had seen ponies do when asked a difficult question.

After a moment, the little guy said, "Miss Surprise?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember that swing thing?"

"Uh-huh?"

"Well... I want to do that again, tomorrow, if we can."

"I hope we will," Surprise glanced up at the sky, and made a mental note to check the weather schedule on her way home.  "But what about the girls?"

"They were... nice.  Mom will be so proud that I exploited a loophole in Section 32 of the Custodian Code!"  Tightrope bounced when he said that, an exhuberant bounce of glee at a job well done.  However, when he landed he turned an awkward, questioning glance on the pegasus.  "Why did I jump like that?"

Surprise was about to answer, but a shrill cry drowned out her voice.

"RADEY-WADEY!"

And for the second time that day, Pinkie barreled someone onto their back.  Raydence had no horn to bite, but she instead playfully nibbled the collar of his shirt for a moment.

Raydence sighed, and was thankful that the streets of Ponyville mostly consisted of grass and sand--a person could fall almost anywhere and suffer no injury whatsoever.  "Hey, Pinkie," he greeted her in that here we go again! voice.

"Oh Radey!"  Pinkie said, "I didn't get to tell you that yesterday's party was cancelled, but I've got news for you!  The party is tonight instead!  And you're invited and she's invited and--" Pinkie's eyes fell upon the little spotted colt.  Her eyes watered up, and she approached the little guy and said, "Oh, he's so cute!  This the little guy whose house burned down and who walked all the way through the Everfree Forest?"

Raydence sarcastically answered, "No, he flew here on the back of an elf."

"Oh, you poor kid!"  Pinkie picked up Tightrope and hugged him close--a little too close, for he was immediately struggling to break free of her grasp.  "Don't worry about a thing!  Auntie Pinkie Pie won't let anything happen to you!"

Surprise put a hoof on Pinkie's arms, and Pinkie now realized she was holding him too tightly, and slackened her grip.  Tightrope looked up at her with wariness, and Pinkie decided to put him back down.  Then she said, "Twilight explained everything to me."

Tightrope hid behind Surprise.  The pegasus glanced his way, and felt a little worry in her heart.  Looking back towards Pinkie, she informed her, "I can't promise we'll make it to your party... but we'll try."

Pinkie sighed, as if she saw defeat as a foregone conclusion. "Well, I'll keep my hooves crossed.  See ya, Radey-wadey!"  And she nudged his head with hers, then hopped over him and bounced off to who-knew-where.  Only now did Raydence bother to pick himself up.

"Geez," he brushed the dirt off of him, "That pony is almost too cute for her own good."

Tightrope watched until Pinkie was well distanced, and then asked, "Miss Surprise, who is that pony?"

"That," Surprise answered, "Is Ponyville's resident silly filly, goes by the name of Pinkie Pie."

"She scares me."

Surprise made a light smile.  "First impressions aren't her strong suit, but you'll get used to her.  Come on, my tummy's rumbling."

And yet, several steps later, Surprise slowed her pace again.  She had happened to notice a familiar blue stallion with a silver-gray mane, walking into an alley, wearing a saddlebag that didn't seem very heavy.  The stallion's face was downcast, filled with a sorrow that radiated in every stride he took.  Surprise was so bothered by the sight, that she told the boys "Wait here," and then went to talk to the stallion.

"Hey, Blue," Surprise greeted once she got close, startling the earth stallion into jumping.  He landed facing her, and took a few heavy breaths, as if she had given him a heart attack.

"Oh," he breathed, "It's you.  H-hello..."

"Found your miracle romance yet?"

"N-no... I..."

Surprise glanced in the direction Blue Gallop had been going, and saw it simply led to an alley.  Then she glanced at the saddlebags, and asked, "Whatcha got?"

"Oh, n-nothing."

"Something you can't show Auntie Surprise?"  She asked as she crept closer, noticing how Blue tried not to meet her smiling gaze and in general was acting rather secretive.  When she was right next to him, Surprise made a quick motion in which her hoof flipped the saddlebag open and grabbed the contents before Blue had time to react!

What she discovered was a bushel of berries, the blackest berries she had ever seen!  They had a very strong smell about them, like alcohol but more bitter, and the pegasus didn't even want to put these near her mouth.  She knew what these were.  She knew them quite well.

"Poison Plums," Surprise declared.  Her ears picked up the faint sound of colt footsteps, and she instinctively knew without looking that Tightrope had followed her despite being told to stay put, so she told the colt, "A pony who eats these will die within seconds."  Then she glanced at Blue Gallop, "Just what did you plan to do with these?"

Blue silently rubbed his hoof across the dirt, he could not bear to look at her.

"Answer me!"

"I... I... I'm sorry."  Tears began to form in his eye.  "I just thought... Nopony would notice if I were to disappear..."

Surprise smacked him across the face, hard enough to knock him back and make him tumble.  The pegasus dropped the poison plums, crushed them beneath her hoof, and approached him almost accusingly.

"You told me the other day you wanted to father a foal before you died.  What happened to that?"

Blue lay sprawled on his belly, turned his head up at her, his eyes wide and watering.  "Last week... my pet kitten, Snowball, died.  I don't know why, she ate something I guess.  She was... the last family I had."  Blue sighed.  Surprise allowed him time to collect his thoughts in silence.  "My mom died three years ago, my father when I was a baby.  I... I've been on my own for years now.  I said I wanted romance, but the truth was, I didn't care.  I just hate being alone.

"But nopony notices me.  Nopony knows I exist.  I can't even support myself.  No place will hire me because I'm a blank flank.  How pathetic.  Eighteen years old, still haven't discovered my special talent.  Maybe... maybe I'm just not meant to do anything.  Except die.  Like my parents."

Surprise listened patiently, not realizing that every word Blue spoke was making her drive her hoof further into the ground.  She watched as Blue crossed his forehooves and sighed, then she could take it no more.  "Raydence!"  she called.

"Yeah?"  The human sounded like he was right behind her.  So much for waiting!

"Shoot him."

"Right-oh!"  Raydence affirmed.  A window in space opened.  Blue's eyes shifted up towards it, but he had to do a double take before it struck him that this was unusual.  By then, Raydence had pulled out a device most ponies in Equestria had never seen before.

The device was like a pair of tubes, somehow attached to each other through a means not immediately obvious.  The tubes were pink, and they had a triangular thing on one end.  Near the triangle was an area surrounded by a ring-like thing, and a switch of some sort was within.

Raydence pointed the tubes at Blue Gallop, and said, "Quick, give me a happy thought!"

"The first time you played Ray Force!"

"Yes!"  Raydence shouted cheerfully, and then he pulled the trigger.  There was a boom, noisy but not loud enough to be deafening, and something that was too fast to see shot at Blue Gallop, causing an impact which knocked him into a sitting position and then caused him to tip and fall backwards.  Yet at no point was he in any pain.

Rather, Blue Gallop experienced a sensation altogether rare for him.

He was happy.  Wonderfully, deliriously happy!

Surprise could see it in his eyes.  Blue Gallop had entered a magical world where all his wildest dreams came true, even the ones that didn't quite make sense.

"Miss Surprise?"  Tightrope asked.

"Yes?"

"What is that thing he's got?"

"That's Marle," Surprise answered.

"More specifically," Raydence filled in the details, "It's what we call a shotgun.  She's a little different, of course.  Typical shotguns make loud, ear-shattering kabooms, and they use bullets.  Marle here runs on joy.  She takes your happy thoughts, exaggerates them and turns them into ammo.  The result is... that."

Surprise glanced at Tightrope, who was looking at Blue Gallop.  "Will he be okay?"

"Yeah, after awhile he'll come down from his high.  We probably don't want to leave him here, though."  Raydence put the gun away in his inventory screen, and picked up Blue Gallop.

Surprise sat in thought, while the boys left the alley together.  Tightrope, however, only took a few steps before he sat down and put his hoof to his chin, thinking.  He then glanced back and asked, "Miss Surprise?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't get it."

"Get what?  Why Blue Gallop wanted to die?"

"I think I understand that part, but I don't understand why you stopped him."

Surprise looked the colt in the eye for a moment, seeing the honest question there, and feeling her own emotions run through her heart.  A smile graced her face, and she looked up to the sky.

"I did it because the sun rises every morning," she answered.

"Huh?"

Surprise chuckled, and walked out with Tightrope close behind, flicking her mane back once.  "It's not something I can explain.  One day, you'll understand."

The little guy looked at the pegasus, his little heart still reeling with unanswered questions and things he didn't quite get.  He gave an unconvinced "Oookay!" and focused only on keeping up.

To Be Continued...