Surprise Days

~ Surprise Days ~

by NoGiantRobots1983

Scene 7

Walking a Tightrope

Part One

~ Let's Begin! ~

"What in tarnation?..."

"Is he okay?"

Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity and Twilight Sparkle stood over a particularly unsettling sight:  a colt had collapsed at the edge of town.  None of them had ever seen this colt before.  They would surely remember if they had, for the unconscious boy had a green mane with a purple outline, almost resembling a punk rocker, and tan fur with white spots that shined in the sun.  Surely they would remember seeing a pony such as this.  But what was even more important was this youngster's health.  Twilight Sparkle put her horn close to the colt's chest.

"I sense life, but it's faint.  I think if I can channel enough power..."  Twilight stopped speaking, and her horn started to glow.  There was a small twinkle of magic, and then all ethereal phenomenon ceased.  The ponies looked for a moment, wondering if the spell had worked.

Then the colt groaned.  "Food..."

"Here, sugarcube!"  Applejack pulled out a pair of apples and placed them in front of the colt.  The colt immediately reached out and began working his teeth on one apple, which he finished quickly before doing the same to the other.  Then he looked up at Applejack.

"Need more, Sugarcube?"

"Y-yes, please, if I may..."

Applejack obliged, watching the young one worriedly and hopefully.  By the third apple, the colt had come to a sitting position and was eating faster and more ravenously.  By the eighth, he was eating slower, and after finishing the tenth, the colt said, "Oh, it feels so good to be full again!"  Then the colt turned his green eyes up at Applejack and said, "Please, lady, let me repay you somehow!"

"T'aint no need for that..." Applejack said.

"But I insist!  One can't have something for nothing!"

Then Rarity asked, "Are you good at anything?"

The colt briskly turned towards her, and said, "I'm good at a lot of things!  Cooking, cleaning, sewing, carpentry, I've even studied a couple of magic theorems!"

Twilight Sparkle put a hoof to her chin.  "But... you're an earth pony."

"Even so, magic is just such a fascinating subject!"

Applejack smiled.  "Sounds like a right regular child prodigy!"

The colt's ears dropped a bit, as if this complement held a meaning he didn't like.  "Ummm... I'm not bragging, am I?"

"Not at all!"  Fluttershy reassured him.  "But you haven't told us your name yet.  I'm Fluttershy."

"My name is Tightrope."

"I am Rarity.  Tightrope, did I hear you say you're good at sewing?"

"Why yes, I did say that!"

Rarity glanced at Applejack, told the farmpony, "I have a large order I have to fill.  It would probably be a lot faster if I had more than one set of hooves."

Applejack smiled.  "All right.  Kid, ya wanna pay me back for the apples, help out mah friend Rarity here."

"I shall do my best!"  The colt declared with the kind of enthusiasm only a youngster could have.

It was settled, then.  The youngster came home with Rarity, and the first thing he got was a thorough wash.  After making sure the colt didn't want any more food or a moment of naptime, Rarity set him right to work.  Actually, she had intended to instruct him in the basics of clothes-making, but to Rarity's amazement there was no need.  Tightrope simply looked at her design sketches, grabbed the appropriate materials and began sewing a dress together.  Although he did not have the benefit of unicorn magic, his technique with his mouth and hooves was so nimble and swift that Rarity came to suspect that all this time, she'd been doing it the hard way!

Applejack was right, the pony of fashion thought to herself, this boy really is some kind of child prodigy.

At precisely four o-clock that afternoon, Rarity and Tightrope both hung the last of their hoof-made outfits on hangars.  They had each made six identical outfits, and it was nearly impossible to tell which ones had been sewn by Rarity and which by Tightrope.  "I must say I'm impressed," Rarity complimented the foal.

"I'm glad."

Rarity was about to ask Tightrope a question, when suddenly there was the sound of a bell.  It was the bell that rings whenever the front door opens, alerting Rarity to a visitor (or, hopefully, a customer).  Rarity turned to see her guess was right on the money.  The customer was Surprise, and she was carrying a tattered hat.

Rarity floated the hat onto a desk.  "Pinkie Pie again?"

"Yup."

"Oh dear.  I simply don't know what's come over that pony.  She never used to act like a dog.  Do you think something's wrong with her?"

"I have a theory," Surprise paused for a moment, her eyes floated across the newly made dresses.  She opened her mouth to say something, but was caught in mid-breath when her eyes fell on Tightrope, sitting there uncertainly, watching the adults.

The minute Surprise saw Tightrope, she seemed to warm and soften.  Her body, usually carried with a sort of tension, seemed to relax.  All guard was lowered, and her eyes developed an inviting glow.  And when she spoke, even her voice was different.  It was as if Surprise was an entirely different pony.  Her first words of greeting to the young spotted colt were a simple, "Hello there."

Tightrope took a few cautious steps foreward.  He seemed almost like a kitten now, wanting to approach the new pony and investigate but being just a mite timid.  He returned the greeting, "H-hallo."

Rarity sensed the feeling, and trying to speak softly herself as to not disrupt the air, she explained, "This is Tightrope.  He helped me sew the dresses, in return for Applejack giving him ten apples."

"Big eater?"  Surprise softly teased.

"Oh no!"  Tightrope answered.  "It was because I was lost in the Everfree Forest for a couple of days.  There wasn't any food, because a swarm of parasprites had just been through."

"Goodness!"  Surprise said, "How did you survive?"

"Oh, I... remembered that Canterlot is right beneath the great bear.  So every night I checked my position and made sure I was walking in the right direction.  I knew I'd end up somewhere."

Surprise stroked the little colt's mane.  "Good thinking!"

Tightrope's ears drooped.  "I... don't mean to brag."

Surprise smiled, pinched his ears, and told him, "It's cute when you do that."

As Tightrope blushed, Rarity raised a pertinent question:  "Shouldn't we contact your parents, Tightrope?  Let them know you've been found?"

The expression Tightrope shot up mystified Rarity.  He seemed to be scared.  But then his ears drooped again and he looked down.  "I... don't have parents anymore.  My dad died when I was little, and my mom... five days ago, lightning struck my house and it caught fire.  Everything burned.  I didn't see my mom come out."

Surprise picked up the little spotted colt and hugged him sympathetically.  Tightrope at first made a look like what's going on?  But within moments a warmth came over him, and he hugged the old pegasus right back.  It was a sight that was sending butterflies through Rarity's heart.

Surprise said, "From now on, you can stick with me, Tightrope."

Rarity put a hoof on Surprise's shoulder.  "Are you sure, Surprise?  Taking care of a child is a huge responsibility.  Do you have enough space in your little house?"

"Of course I do."

"What will Raydence say?"

"Raydence'll love him!"

Rarity saw then that Surprise had water in her eyes, and a small smile on her face.  Even though Rarity had one more question, she figured it would just have to wait.  Clearly, Surprise wanted this.  Wanted this more, possibly, than she wanted anything else.  So instead Rarity lowered her head to see what Tightrope thought.

The young colt was clutching Surprise tightly.  His eyes were closed, but water still came out of them, and a smile prevailed upon his face.

It was fifteen minutes after that, when Raydence was about to leave the house.  But just as he was about to open the door, he saw Surprise jump in through an open window.  As he turned to greet her, he immediately noticed something odd.  There was a colt upon Surprise's back.  "I can't place it," Raydence said jokingly, "But I get the funny feeling you've developed a hump."

Surprise chuckled, then said, "Tightrope, meet Raydence.  Raydence, Tightrope."

"Yo," Raydence scruffled the colt's mane, which got the kid to chuckle.  Then he asked Surprise, "We taking up babysitting now?"

"Nope!  Tightrope's your new younger brother.  I don't want to see any sibling rivalry, now!"

Tightrope had already jumped off of Surprise's back and latched his hooves around Raydence's shoulders, but the colt wasn't trying to hug the human--he was trying to climb up!  Raydence put his arms under the kid so he wouldn't fall, and stood patiently as the colt examined him.  When Tightrope said, "Show me your teeth!"  Raydence did just that.  Tightrope even lifted up those bangs that cover Raydence's eyes and looked at them.  Tightrope said, "Clearly sapient, but no natural advantages.  I can't tell by your teeth if you're a carnivore or a herbivore."

Raydence told him, "Human beings are kinda everything-ivores."

That seemed to impress the colt.  "An omnivorous species!  Whoa..."  Tightrope looked at Surprise, "Is he well behaved?"

Raydence placed Tightrope back on Surprise's back, and said, "Not at all."

Surprise chuckled.  "Don't worry.  Humans don't eat ponies."  She jokingly added, "We taste terrible."

Tightrope chuckled.

Surprise put a hoof to her chin and said, "Now to work out sleeping arrangements."  The house Surprise and Raydence occupied was a small thing.  It was actually one big room, save for two exceptions, and the only visible division between the den and the kitchen was a counter that formed half a line between them.  There were plenty of windows, and they were almost always open.  In the den area, there was a small, cheap-looking sofa.  Surprise pointed and said, "Raydence usually sleeps on that."  Then she walked past the counter and indicated a pair of doors.  One door opened into a closet whose only occupant was a giant stuffed panda on the floor.  Even though it was a closet, it was pretty roomy.  Surprise walked into it and curled up like a cat on the belly of the panda, and here said, "This is where I usually sleep."

"You sleep in a closet?"  Tightrope asked.

"Yeah.  It's... something I started doing as a little filly and never really grew out of.  Besides, Mr. Panda here is really soft and--hey!"

Tightrope jumped into the closet, and curled up against Surprise, like a kitten cuddling beneath its mother.  Two cuddly round balls of joys, hunched together in a closet, both so peaceful, so comfortable, and so dang cute!  It was a sight to send butterflies into one's heart.  Raydence had to turn away and get a cup of water before the overwhelming adorableness gave him diabetes.

Tightrope asked, "So what's that next room?"

"Oh, umm, there's just a washbasin in there, and some soap..."

"Okay."  Tightrope yawned, and rested his head.

Raydence pointed out, "It's not even night yet."

Tightrope said, "I know.  I'm just testing it."  Yet even though he said that, Tightrope didn't bother to get up.  Raydence tried to talk to the colt again five minutes later, but the little fellah was already fast asleep.

Raydence looked at Surprise, and asked, "So, what's the story?"

"He lost his home and his mother in a fire.  Rarity and some others found him collapsed on the edge of Ponyville.  They fed him in return for some work, and then I showed up and... things just went from there."

"Ah."

"Isn't he wonderful, Raydence?"

"Yeah," Raydence half-smiled.  "I do have a few questions though."

"Questions like...?"

"Like... so, we're settling down in Ponyville, or are we gonna take him with us when we move on?"

Surprise's eyes fell away from Raydence until she was staring blankly at the stuffed panda's foot.  "I... don't know."

"Don't worry about it," Raydence said with a wave.  "You have plenty of time to figure it out.  I was gonna go hang out at the library.  See ya later."

Seconds later, Raydence was out the door, leaving the dusty white pegasus alone, alone except for a sleeping spotted colt.  Surprise let a few idle questions run through her noggin, and then she layed her head down and also went to sleep.  The two didn't even need a blanket.  Their mutual warmth was enough.

When Surprise awoke the next morning, there was a plate on the counter with two apples, and a note saying, "Thought you might need this.  -R."

It had been a day where the local pegasi had allowed the clouds to come in.  Tomorrow it would rain, but for today all it would do is be overcast and cloudy.  And yet that didn't stop several foals--Tightrope included--from heading to the park.  Surprise walked him to the edge of the park, and from there he bravely walked alone.  He had just put a hoof in a sandpit when an orange pegasus filly reached out and grabbed him with a "GARRR!"  sound, but then Scootaloo looked confused and said, "You're not Apple Bloom!"

Then Apple Bloom pounced on Scoots from behind and said, "Tagged ya!"

Tightrope asked, "What are you playing?"

Scootaloo cheered, "We're playing Sand Monsters!  Like from the book, Ninja Hamsters vs. The Sand Monsters!"

Tightrope looked amazed.  "You guys like Ninja Hamsters too?!"

Scootaloo said, "Duh, every foal likes Ninja Hamsters!"

"Awesome!"  Tightrope stepped into the sandbox, and said, "Hey, can I be a sand monster too?"

"Sure!"  Scootaloo allowed Tightrope to lay real flat before she started burying him.  "Whenever you feel someone walk on top of you, you jump and say "GARRR!"

"Got it!"  Then Tightrope asked, "So, what happens in the Sand Monster book?  I don't think I read that one..."

Surprise and Applejack watched from the sidelines.  Applejack muttered, "Well lookit that.  Looks like he hit it right off with the other young'uns."

"He's a good kid," Surprise answered softly.

The two watched as Sweetie Belle ran onto the sandpit, and got GARRRed by Tightrope, who she then pounced upon like a playful little foal.  Rarity saw Surprise and Applejack and trotted to their side, and greeted them by saying, "I can see he made a full recovery."

"Yep."

As they watched the kids play, Rarity turned a question over in her mind, and finally decided to ask.  "So, Surprise... are you still going to hunt witches?"

"Not at all," Surprise answered without a moment's hesitation.  Then she added, "I mean, unless one shows up here in Ponyville."

"You've already decided?"  Rarity was a little shocked, "I mean, you always seemed eager to have your youth back."

Surprise lowered her head a bit, and answered in a low voice.  "I was eager, but... things have changed."

"I see.  You can't put your own desires ahead of raising a child.  That's very commendable."

Surprise hesitated a moment.  Then she said, "Actually... it's not even that.  I... ten years ago was when I first decided to settle down and start a family, but... I tried again and again, then nothing.  A doctor and a local mystic confirmed what I most feared:  I had Age-Inducted Infertility."

Applejack gasped, "Oh, sugarcube...!"

Rarity apologetically said, "Oh Surprise, I'm so sorry..."

Tears were in the white pegasus' eyes.  "The stallion I was with at the time promised to marry me when I got pregnant.  When it didn't happen, we had arguments over who was the defective one, and broke up.  Then I moved on to someone else, and still... the night I got the prognosis, I nearly drank myself to death.

"Thank goodness I had Raydence.  First he beat me back to my senses, then he reminded me of ancient legends of ponies regaining their youth.  One said drinking a certain cocktail at midnight on a full moon, another said facing the sun and saying magic words, still others said there was a magic spring on top of Mt. Majestic.  Then I heard a new one from a source I trusted completely, which my source said had actually been suppressed by order of Princess Nightwind-Starts-to-Sing, ruler of Dream Valley."

By this point in her narrative, Surprise's eyes had dried and her demeanor had went from heartbroken to heartlifting.  "According to my source, seventy years ago a pony had eaten witch's hair and gone from being a sickly, elderly mare to a whopping athletic teenager!  Of course, my source doubted this story at first, but then she discovered that Princess Nightwind-Sta... err, we usually call her Princess Nightsong.  Anyway, that Princess Nightsong actually had a bounty out on samples of witch's hair!  That got my hopes up.  So the first thing I did, I spied around to find any local witch-hunters.  Then I followed them.  My plan at first was to just wait until they downed a witch and then steal her hair.  But when I found out my nose was sensitive to demonic magic, I set out on my own."

An unexpected voice asked, "So what does demonic magic smell like?"

Rarity, Surprise and Applejack all looked down and found to their shock that Tightrope and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were sitting right there, watching them and listening to Surprise's story.  Tightrope had been the one to ask about demonic magic, and the three adults were of mixed emotions about kids hearing this story.  Surprise glanced at the two around her, and Applejack nudged her and said, "Might as well tell 'im."

So Surprise said, "Demonic magic doesn't really smell like anything.  It's totally scentless, but it's so scentless that you can't smell things even when you should."

Scootaloo asked, "So how do you know the difference between demon magic, and just not smelling anything?"

"Because demonic magic makes your nose tingle.  If you smell nothing but your nose is tingling, there's either a demon or a witch nearby."

Apple Bloom asked, "Is there a witch here now?"

Surprise sniffed the air.  "I don't think so.  But if there was, I'd fight it off!"

"Yay!"  the three girls raised their hooves in cheer.  Tightrope didn't understand why--he, of course, wasn't around for the first witch attack, or the encounter with the Beezoids, or any of the other things that had made Surprise well-known in Ponyville--but he decided that cheering was the right thing to do and joined along with the girls.

Then Scootaloo grabbed Surprise's hoof and said, "But enough about that!  We came to ask you how you got your cutie mark!"

Rarity smirked, for this was the first time she had ever seen something embarrass Surprise.  That, however, also made her curious to hear the story.  Certainly it couldn't be more embarrassing than "my horn just dragged me to a random rock" or the other stories her and her friends had told.

Even so, Surprise seemed unwilling to talk.  So Tightrope snuck up beneath and tickled her in the pits of her wings, sending the old pegasus into a laughing fit.  She rolled over backwards, and Tightrope climbed onto her belly and continued his vicious assault, all while commanding, "Come on, talk!"

Surprise somehow found the will to pick Tightrope up enough that he couldn't tickle her anymore, and when the giggles left her throat she said, "Let me think about it, okay?"

Tightrope smiled. "Okay!"

Scootaloo wasn't so pleased.  "Okay?!  Why is that okay?  Come on Surprise, why won't you tell us now?"

But Applejack came to the grown pegasus' defense.  "Now Scootaloo, if Surprise don't wanna talk, ya'll shouldn't make her!  Ah'm sure there's a perfectly good reason she's keepin' a lid on it."

Scoots sighed.  "Okay, fine!  Guess we'll just have to try the next item on our list.  Hey Sweetie Belle, what is the next item on our list?"

"Cutie Mark Crusader Ninja Hamsters!"  Sweetie happily announced.

"But there's only three Cutie Mark Crusaders and four Ninja Hamsters..." Scootaloo was about to complain, but the minute the words left her mouth her eyes gravitated towards Tightrope.  He, too, was a blank flank.

Tightrope was clearly on the same wavelength.  The three girls all had a look like they thought Tightrope would join them, and they'd be happy if he did, and Tightrope announced, "That's me!  I'm the fourth Ninja Hamster!"

The kids cheered, and ran off to play some more, picking up sticks and pretending they were ninja hamsters fighting the evil forces of the Cutter and and Kablam, evil warlords from a dark magic dimension or something.  Apple Bloom got a little carried away and Applejack had to call out for her to be careful, but otherwise the four kids looked like they were having such a good time, having adventures in that imaginary land only the young ever get to see.

Rarity asked, "I hate to be such a snoop, but now you've got me curious about your cutie mark story."

Surprise's smile faded slightly.  In a low voice, she answered, "I was born with mine."

Rarity sat astonished.  "Is that kind of thing normal in Dream Valley?"

"No.  It's actually how I got my name, and my parents told me it was kind of a big deal.  I was born in the town near Moochik Bridge, but we had to move out because reporters and crack researchers wouldn't leave me alone.  So we moved to the country until I was five, then we moved to Paradise Estate, and just pretended I'd already discovered my special talent."

Applejack asked, "Do ya'll even know what yer special talent is?"

"Not at all."

Rarity was about to ask a question, but her words never reached the air because at that moment the three adult mares saw something far more interesting than a pony born with a cutie mark.  They saw a Pinkie Pie sniffing the ground and making "bow wow" noises.  Rarity trotted on over to her pink friend and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Human!  I smell human!"  Pinkie Pie answered.

"Please tell me you're not going to chew up another one of my fine hats!"

Suddenly there was a tapping noise, and as Pinkie and Rarity looked at where it came from, a stick went flying overhead, and Pinkie ran to fetch it.  The journey took her behind some bushes and into a tree-shaded part of the park.  The important thing is, she wasn't there to see when Raydence snuck out from behind a completely different set of bushes and swiftly rushed over and whispered to the mares, "Remember, you never saw me!"

Surprise had to ask, "Just what's going on here?"

"Pinkie Pie's gone nuts."

Applejack answered, "Ahh, no.  That's just Pinkie being Pinkie."

"You sure?"

"ARF!"  Pinkie barked as she came up from behind and wrapped her hooves around Raydence's neck.  It was a titanic struggle, man against dog-pony, but he managed to place Pinkie back on the ground without hurting her.  Seeing he was clearly in no mood to play, Pinkie instead sat and wagged her tail like she wanted pettings or a biscuit.

As if experimenting, Raydence cautiously commanded, "Roll over!"

Pinkie rolled over.  Raydence smirked.

"Play dead!"

Pinkie rolled onto her back, closed her eyes and lay there, light as a feather, stiff as a board.  While she did that, Raydence took slow, cautious steps away and finally broke into a run.  Pinkie realized what was going on just in time to get to her hooves and growl, irritated yet without losing that playful demeanor.  Then she gave chase.

Raydence ducked around a slide, under a see-saw and through a hedge, but Pinkie effortlessly followed him until their path led them back around to where Rarity, Surprise and Applejack were.  Surprise waited for Pinkie to come running by, then grabbed the pink one and pulled her aside.  Pinkie struggled with all her little pink energy, and Surprise didn't manage to hold her effortlessly, but she did hold her long enough to say, "Seriously, Pinkie, he's not your type."

Raydence slid to a stop, and turned to listen to this new line of conversation.

Surprise smirked his way, and then told Pinkie, "Besides, he's already got a girl."

"ARF?!"  Pinkie's eyes went wide.  Surprise let her go, and stepped on over to the human and playfully patted his knee.

"Isn't that right, Raydey-Waydey?"  Surprise asked with an attempt to make bedroom eyes.

The human responded with, "Yeah... this isn't funny."

It was even less funny when suddenly, Pinkie bit Raydence in the ankle.  The human made a brief cry of pain, and the pink pony walked off in a huff.  Rarity made an exclamation, apologized profusely on Pinkie's behalf, and went off to demand an explanation which Pinkie did not seem intent on giving.  Surprise and Raydence watched them both go, the latter with confusion, the former with mere curiosity.

Surprise shrugged, "Didn't expect her to do that," then she wiped the bite marks with disinfectant.

It rained all the next day, which kept everypony indoors.

Almost everypony.

Rarity paced downstairs, and gave her fine dresses a looking over.  Had this been a beautiful day, she would've gone about Ponyville with her friends, but only a pegasus could change the weather and she (unfortunately for this circumstance) was a unicorn.  Idly, she asked herself, "I wonder how Tightrope is doing?"

There was nothing else to do, so Rarity turned to go back upstairs and maybe sew a hankerchief or something.  Yet what should happen but she should hear the visitor bell ring!  Rarity glanced around, curious as to who would be out in this weather, and saw a pony cloaked in a tan mantle that looked remarkably new, despite its wetness.  The visitor removed the mantle from herself and dropped it next to the door, and immediately Rarity picked it up with her unicorn magic and put a few newspapers beneath to soak up the wetness.

The visitor was now revealed to be a tannish pony with an auburn mane and tail, both of which she wore in a bun.  Her cutie mark was one Rarity could not figure out:  it was a picture of this very pony, standing right next to herself.  Another detail Rarity noticed were spots on the mare's back.  That, plus she was an earth pony, gave Rarity an idea who this newcomer was, but she figured it was safe to ask.  "Can I help you?"

The newcomer spoke with the kind of voice one would stereotypically associate with a secretary or a professor, or other such bookish individual.  "Is this the local inn?"

"No, I'm afraid it's not.  You've landed at Carousel Boutique, my humble little clothing shop.  The inn is just over there."

"My apologies.  One more question.  Have you seen a spotted colt in these parts?  Green hair, white spots?"

Rarity felt a sense of elation course through her body.  "Goes by the name... Tightrope?"

The woman in the door visibly straightened, and that smile on her face was unmistakable.

Rarity smiled too.  "Oh!  The minute I saw your spots, I thought that's who you were!  Your son showed up here just two days ago!"

The woman gasped in relief.  "Oh, my darling son!  Where is he now?"

"My--" Rarity stopped mid-syllable as thoughts suddenly rushed through her head.  Of course, Tightrope was with Surprise... Surprise, who had given up her quest for youth now that she had a son.  Surprise, who felt as though a great darkness had lifted from her shoulders.  And what about Tightrope himself?  The colt gave every indication that he loved his new home and his new life.  How would they feel about this development?

And yet, this was Tightrope's mother, his real mother, who had come all this way in search of her lost son.  It could not have been an easy journey.

Rarity glanced out the glass door, then said, "Your son has been boarding with a local pegasus named Surprise.  She's a good friend of mine, and she's very good with kids."

"Where is she right now?"

Rarity thought for a moment, and decided that the least she could do is buy Surprise one last night of happiness.  "As it happens, I'm meeting with her tomorrow, at the park.  Tightrope gets along well with the local foals."

The keen eye of the fashion unicorn happened to notice something strange.  It was slight, something any other pony would've missed, but Tightrope's mother seemed to tense up.  Rarity wanted to chalk it up to just being cold from the rain, but instinctively knew that wasn't it.  Even so, she had no better guess, and offered, "Would you like some hot chocolate?"

"That sounds wonderful!"  The new mare replied, and as she followed Rarity to the kitchen, Rarity noticed the newcomer walked with a practiced dignity.  Her every step was sure, and in her movement Rarity somehow noticed that this pony's muscles were firm.  The firmness almost reminded her of Applejack, except the farmer had more of a rough feel about her, while Tightrope's mother had more of a finely-molded feeling.

As Rarity prepared the drinks, she said, "Oh, by the way, I am Rarity."

"My name is M... Buttercup Scotch."

Rarity caught the way the woman hesitated, and wondered at it even as she delivered the drinks.  As Rarity sat down, she said, "As I was saying, I was going to meet Surprise tomorrow.  She'll surely have Tightrope with her.  I have a guest room, if you would like to stay the night."

That glance Buttercup gave her... it seemed to Rarity almost like a glance of suspicion.  Rarity became worried that she would insist to be led to Tightrope this very moment, and she'd have to face Surprise's heartbreak all the sooner.  Fortunately, Rarity found relief.  Buttercup said, "That will be fine."  Then the visitor looked through the doorway at all the clothes for offer.  "Did you craft these yourself?"

"Most of them.  About six of them were actually sewn by your son."

"Why was my son put to work?"

"He insisted."  Rarity told Buttercup the story of how they found him collapsed at the edge of town, and how he demanded to repay the favor of ten apples.  Rarity only fudged details where it concerned Surprise, for she thought Tightrope's real mom might not like hearing how well he'd taken to a surrogate mother.  Buttercup had seemed almost angry at the start of the story, but as she came to understand what had happened she cooled and became almost amused.

"My son is very well trained," Buttercup commented, "As is fitting of his breeding."

"You mean he comes from a noble family?"  It was Rarity's turn to be interested, as anything to do with the upper class immediately caught her attention.

"Of course!  His father was a banker in the Cinammon Alps--"

"The Cinammon Alps!"  Rarity couldn't help repeating to herself.  The Alps, as per its name, had started as a mountain community but had grown into a grand metropolis.  The mention of the alps brought images of high-rise buildings, golden bridges, streets of cobbled stone instead of dirt, and lamp-posts on every street corner which were powered by mystic jewels.  It was the kind of place ponies wrote romantic fiction about.  It also housed Cinammon Bank and Trust, one of the largest banking firms in all Equestria.

Buttercup continued her story, "--And I... I've bounced from occupation to occupation, all high-paying.  When my husband passed away, I was more than wealthy enough to live without having to work.  So now I devote most of my time to Tightrope's upbringing."

Rarity rubbed her jaw to make sure it hadn't dropped.  All this time, a child of nobility had been right here in Ponyville!  How intriguing!  Granted, there were some things about Buttercup's story that sounded almost too good to be true, but Rarity imagined that all stories of riches sound that way to those who aren't rich.

Then Buttercup asked, "What about yourself?  You seem like a remarkably refined pony, for someone who lives out in... shall I say, this neck of the woods?"

Rarity's ears drooped bashfully, and she began to tell Buttercup her life story, somehow knowing that the noblepony would not be impressed.

On the other side of town, in a one-room house, Surprise was taking part in something she hadn't partaken in since her own childhood, and which Tightrope had never partaken in at all.

They were trying to guess whether the killer was Mr. Green, General Custard or Ms. Scarlet (the others had been eliminated as suspects), and whether the weapon was the gun, poison or the rope, and whether the location was the observatory, the kitchen or the library.  That's right:  it was family game night!  This was the tenth round of Clue they played, and it was clear that Tightrope was both very new to the game and very enthusiastic about it, for his enthusiasm alone had kept them all playing for hours on this dreary, rainy day.

This round of Clue was set to be their last one, after which they would try a different game.  Perhaps Twister, perhaps Jenga, perhaps Shark Attack.   They had already tried Mouse Trap and like most players of that game, they had no idea how to actually play and just set it up to see the trap go off.

Surprise said, "I'm gonna make an accusation.  Custard, in the library, with the poison."  Tightrope flashed her a card, and Surprise sighed.  "I'm out."

Tightrope's turn was next.  "I also make an accusation.  Ms. Scarlet, kitchen, with the rope."  Raydence flashed Tightrope a card, and Tightrope announced, "I'm out too!"

So Raydence reached over for the envelope, and pulled out the three cards within.  "It was Ms. Scarlet, Gun, Kitchen."  Gathering the cards up, Raydence asked, "So what's next?"

Surprise glanced at Tightrope, and Tightrope was already looked at the stacks of board games that were up against the wall.  "I... dunno," the colt replied.  "All these games are completely new to me.  Except for Chess."

"You wanna play that one?"  Raydence was about to reach for the Chess set.

"I hate Chess!"  Tightrope barked the statement out without meaning to be so harsh.  He quickly covered his mouth and looked down sheepishly, and then quickly changed the subject.  "Besides, I want something all three of us can play!  Maybe that shark game?"

"Shark Attack?  Sure."  Shark Attack was your average roll-dice-move-spaces board game, with a gimmick that a battery-powered shark was constantly circling the board and if it ever caught up to your fish, you lose.  It wound up being a lot like Mouse Trap, in that the gimmick was more fun than the actual game.  In fact, Tightrope found himself paying more attention to the shark.  He pestered the adults with questions about how it worked, what kind of magic made it move.  When he was told it wasn't magic at all, he suddenly wanted to disassemble the shark and look at it.  It was one giant leap for Equestria when he became the first Equestrian to ever see a battery.

"Where do you get these things?"  Tightrope asked.

"They're all over the place in Dream Valley."

Tightrope tried to put the battery back, but it required the nimble fingers of a human to do.  While Raydence did that, Tightrope asked, "What was Dream Valley like?"

"Much different from here, that's for sure.  A long time ago it and Equestria were much the same, but we happen to be located next to this great rift.  On one side of that rift is Ponia, the world of ponies.  And the other side of the rift..."  Surprise passed the narrative off to Raydence.

Raydence smirked, "Humania, where giraffes come from."

The joke was stupid, but Tightrope chuckled anyway.  Then he asked Ray, "So, you come from another world?"

"Pretty much."

"Awesome!  I live with an alien life form!"

Very soon, Tightrope lost all interest in games and just wanted to ask questions.  Questions about humans, questions about Dream Valley, about batteries and cardboard and electronic kitchen appliances and wash-and-wear T-shirts.  And it was amazing to think how things that had become taken for granted by the two who lived among them were suddenly new and exciting in the eyes of a child who was finally being exposed to a wider world.  Raydence couldn't help glancing at his small collection of board games with a new appreciation for the wonder and fantasy they must've brought to children everywhere.

Then, finally, Tightrope asked, "Surprise?  Can we go to Dream Valley together?"

Surprise paused, her eyes took on an almost daydreaming look.  "Hmmm... well, Dream Valley is pretty distant.  Raydence and I crossed the border about five years ago, and we haven't seen it since."

"So it takes five years to get there?"

Raydence interjected, "Nah.  Surprise and I were hunting witches, and we kind of got sidetracked a lot.  If we were just heading straight to Dream Valley I'm sure it would take us maybe a week tops."

Surprise smirked, "Are you sure you can go that long without seeing Pinkie Pie?"

"Huh?"

"Isn't that just like men?  Steal a girl's heart then skip the country!"

"HEY!"

Surprise chuckled, and then Raydence joined in the laughter right after he started tickling the old pegasus.  His epic revenge was foiled when Tightrope decided to see if Ticklish was raydence.  Raydence was in fact not ticklish at all, but he pretended he was for the sake of the foal.  Said foal ran to Surprise's side and snuggled up to her.

"I wish I could stay with you guys forever..."

Surprise held him close, and whispered, "You can."  That gentle reassurance seemed to be all the little colt needed.

The pegasi cleared the clouds during the moonlight night, and the next morning the full force of the sun came out to dry up the world.  By noon, not a puddle was left.  Ponies headed out in droves to complete their daily chores, and those who had no chores went to have some fun.

Tightrope had been the first to get up in the Surprise household, and he was all about going to the park to play with the Cutie Mark Crusaders some more.  He succeeded in waking Raydence up, but Surprise was a lot tougher to move.  Even so, Raydence happened to spot Surprise making a sly smile in her "sleep," and so Raydence told little Tightrope that he was "Going to try Plan B."  Plan B, of course, was to just pick Surprise up and carry her to the park.  Hey, if she wanted to pretend to be asleep, she had it coming!

Halfway out the door, Surprise jumped out of Raydence's arms and said, "It might be better if I walk.  Don't want to make any fillies jealous!"  That last remark was made with a playful smirk, just before she and Tightrope skipped off to the park.

Hay, a shade of grass, all topped off with a yummy-looking four-leaf-clover.  It was Rarity's favorite breakfast and Sweetie Belle was sure her sister would be excited!  So the little filly unicorn happily carried the plate up the stairs and into Rarity's bedroom, where her sister of course still slept with a blinder over her eyes.  "Oh Rarity...!"  Sweetie Belle meant to whisper, but she wound up yelling it instead.  Children aren't exactly known for having fine control of their vocal chords.

Sweetie Belle was surprised to hear another voice call out, "Who's making that racket?"

The little unicorn turned and saw a strange mare in the doorway.  Who was this woman with tan fur and brown spots?

Rarity slowly rose to wakefulness, and removed her blinder.  "What's going on?"

Sweetie Belle said, "I came to serve you breakfast in bed.  I didn't know you had a guest..."

"Oh, oh yes.  Thank you," Rarity took the plate from Sweetie Belle, and asked the other mare, "Would you like some as well?"

"I've already eaten," the other pony said, and this answer made Rarity cock an eyebrow.

Sweetie Belle asked in a whisper, "Who is that pony?"

"Why Sweetie Belle, that's Buttercup Scotch.  She's Tightrope's mother."

"Tightrope's mom!"  Sweetie Belle beamed with excitement.  "So she survived the fire!  Oh, can I run ahead to the park and tell him the good news?  He'll be so happy!"

Then Buttercup Scotch put a hoof on Sweetie Belle's shoulder, and said, "But think of how happy he'll be to see me in person!  You wouldn't want to ruin the surprise, right?"

Buttercup smirked, and Sweetie smiled.  Tightrope was gonna be so happy...!

Tightrope arrived at the park a little ahead of Surprise and his Big Bro, just in time to see Apple Bloom attempt to loop the swing.  Scootaloo cheered her on from below, and Apple Bloom went "Yee-haw!"  as she nearly achieved new heights!  Then, as the swing fell back she happened to spot Tightrope, and as the swing shifted to forward she reached out and waved to him.  This caused her to lose her grip and go flying out of the swing, which would have been a disaster if Rainbow Dash hadn't seen the whole thing and rushed to catch her in midair!

As Dash brought the farm foal down to earth, Tightrope greeted her and Scootaloo.  The little prodigy was more than a little surprised and very much pleased when the orange pegafoal gave him a hug, and yet the warm feeling he got from that embrace did not stop him from asking, "Hey, where's Sweetie Belle?"

Surprise glanced around.  "Isn't today a school day?"

"No way!"  Scoots answered, "First day of summer vacation!  And we're gonna spend all summer looking for our cutie marks!"

Surprise chuckled delightedly.  "Sounds like you'll be having fun!"

Then Rainbow Dash whispered to Surprise, "More like they'll be getting into trouble."

Apple Bloom said, "Sweetie Belle will be along any minute!  In the meantime, Ah'm gonna loop that swing again!"

So Apple Bloom got in the swing, and Tightrope tried to be a gentleman by giving her a few starter pushes, but these swings were just a little off the ground and that made his push kind of clumsy.  Surprise chuckled, and took over for him, while the little colt made some distance and watched from the front.

Apple Bloom had just about reached her former heights, and Surprise had moved around to where Tightrope was, when Sweetie Belle came running up excitedly calling the colt's name.  "Tightrope!  I've got some great news!  You're not gonna believe it!"

"What, what?!"  Tightrope bounced and turned her way with the excitement of a child who thinks he's getting a new toy for the holidays.

"Your mother is here!"

It was like an earthquake in Tightrope's mind.  He must've been making quite the face, for Sweetie Belle's excited smile was replaced with an uncertain frown, and her ears drooped, and even her mane seemed to sag.  She asked, "That is a good thing, right?"

"Ah, there they are!"  Came Rarity's voice, and Tightrope turned to see the fabulous female walking side-by-side with a spotted mare he recognized immediately.  Once more Tightrope became aware that he must be making quite the face, for Rarity's happy trot slowed and her own content face faded and was replaced with a look of wonder and confusion.  Tightrope glanced at Surprise briefly, just long enough to register that she was focused on the newcomer, before his mother spoke to him.

"Oh, Tightrope!  I'm so glad you're all right!"

"Y-yeah..." Tightrope rubbed his head.  "Ummm... these people... took care of me..."

"I see that!  But I'm afraid it's time we went home!  Climb on my back and let's be off!"

"Be off where?"  Surprise asked, "I thought your house burned down?"

"It did!  Fortunately we have a summer house not far from here."

Scootaloo came up close to Buttercup.  "If it's not far, maybe we can come to visit?"

Buttercup's eyes went wide for a moment.  It seemed to Rarity and Surprise that the spotted mare had become tense!  "I'm afraid not.  Once we settle down, Tightrope has to resume his lessons post-haste!  He won't have time for friends!"

Tightrope stared down at the dirt and sighed.

Apple Bloom pleaded, "Ya'll mean we might never see him again?"

"I'm afraid not!"  Buttercup fidgeted her left forehoof, the one motion that betrayed her otherwise perfect composition.  She glanced around at all the faces watching her, as if to say are there any more questions?  She was about to pick Tightrope up by the nape of the neck when Scootaloo made one more request.

"Can I at least give him a goodbye hug?"

"No, absolutely not!"

Then Surprise asked, "Why not?"  and there was a definite edge to the pegasus' voice.

"Well, ummm, lessee..." Buttercup searched her mind for an excuse, and was finally about to say something when she looked down in horror.  Scootaloo hadn't waited for permission--she went ahead and gave Tightrope a big ol' hug!  All the sudden, Buttercup lashed out!  "Get your filthy hooves off my son!"  she shouted, smacking Scootaloo so hard that she flew off into a pole!

Not a moment later did Buttercup Scotch herself go flying right into a tree.

Tightrope looked up in astonishment, for his mother had been attacked by Surprise!  Immediately, Tightrope's mind filled with fear, and he urged Surprise, "Run away!  Hurry!  Before she gets up!"

Rarity asked, "Why should she run?"

"Because my mom--"  Tightrope didn't have time to finish that sentence.  His mom had already gotten to all fours, and when he glanced her way she was already casting a look that spelled murder right in the direction of the fun pegasus who had showed Tightrope so many awesome things!  Tightrope ran in front of his mother and said, "Please, mom, she didn't mean it!  It was--" but the spotted mare just shoved him out of the way and continued to advance towards the dusty white pegasus.

The dusty white pegasus never took her eyes off the spotted mare, but she did shift focus long enough to ask, "Is she all right?"

Raydence had gone to Scootaloo's side the moment she hit the pole.  He hastily informed Surprise, "She's got a bump, but I think she'll make it.  You got the situation covered here?"

"Yeah."

"Right."  Raydence ran off, cradling the little orange pegasus in his arms, in the direction of the Ponyville hospital.

Surprise was now free to turn her attention towards the abusive mare.

Buttercup Scotch glared.  "You pompous horse!  Do you realize who I am?"

Surprise could have said any number of things, but she kept her silence.

That only aggrivated Buttercup more.  "I guess I was wrong to expect ponies from some backwards hick town to have heard of Many Me, the Grand Duchess of Lavender Falls!  Even Canterlot pays respect to my name!"

Surprise did not look impressed.  Rarity, however, caught a detail:  "Hold on!  I thought your name was Buttercup Scotch!"

"It doesn't matter!"  Buttercup Scotch, or Many Me, hastened to silence Rarity.

Surprise smirked.  "So, Grand Duchess, you gonna sic a squire on me?"

Tightrope once again called out, "Surprise, run!  My mom's a three-times winner of the Canterlot Fighting Championship!  She's a world-class martial artist!"

Then Many Me lunged!  Surprise was pushed onto her back as she caught the spotted mare's forehooves with her own.  Many Me's face hung above her, with a look like a crazed, ravenous dog.

"My son isn't lying, you know!"  Many Me spoke in a sinister intonation.  "I really am a martial artist."

"Yeah?"  Surprise smirked, "So am I!"

WHAM!  One of Surprise's hind hooves hit Many Me square in the stomach.  Then Surprise's other hind hoof joined in the stomach-hitting fun, and together they succeeded in kicking off the deranged mare.

Tightrope ran to Rarity's side, but never took his eyes off the fight.  His mom came at Surprise again and again, and it was painfully obvious to all that Many Me meant to kill.  Yet through every strike, every lunge, every possible attack, Surprise weaved and bobbed and somehow found a way to fight back.  Tightrope confessed his thoughts to Rarity:  "In all the time I've been here, I never thought... I mean, I always thought Surprise was just a really fun old lady, I didn't think she'd be so... strong."

Apple Bloom giggled, "This ain't nuthin'!  You should'a been here when the Beezoids attacked!"

Tightrope had no idea what a Beezoid was, but just the sight in front of him turned despair into hope.

It seemed like the fight had gone on for hours, but in reality it was only ten seconds before Many Me had thrown a wide haymaker punch that Surprise ducked.  The spotted mare spun from the inertia of her own attack, and Surprise used this opportunity to tackle her from the back, and wrap both her forehooves around Many Me's neck.  Many Me tried to elbow Surprise, but the pegasus worked around to a position where such attacks were largely ineffective.

Surprise glanced at Tightrope, and said, "I hope you're not mad at me for beating up--"  But then Surprise's eyes went wide.

All the sudden, someone plucked Tightrope off the ground by the nape of his neck and started running off with him!  And who was his mysterious abductor?  Why... it was Many Me!  The same as the Many Me who was in Surprise's grasp, except that her mane and tail were hanging free instead of worn in buns.  But how could she be in two places at once?

Surprise had no time to think about it.  Left with no choice, she snapped the neck of the Many Me she had subdued and began to give chase.  Those who watched the corpse Surprise had left behind saw it vanish, but it didn't simply disappear.  Rather, it became a brown blur that jerked towards the other, still-living Many Me and then became invisible as if it was just travelling that fast.  Some sort of invisible force seemed to impact the Many Me that still walked, for she staggered slightly.  Then, a cry of pain escaped her throat which forced her to drop her son so she could cry out.  Many Me leaned against a tree, and put a hoof to her neck as she cried out in pain some more.  "My neck... my..."  Yet she quickly came to her senses, and her eyes fell on her son, who was already making a break for it.  Many Me dashed for him...

Then a blue blur came from the sky and snatched the kid from her grasp, just in the nick of time.  Rainbow Dash held the colt in her forehooves as she perched on top of the swing set.  Many Me grunted with rage, took several breaths, and finally found the strength to shout, "Give me back my son!"

It was Surprise who answered, "Bite me."

The spotted mare and the dusty white pegasus stared at each other for a long moment.  Hatred in the one's eyes, utter contempt in the other's.  Many Me's breath slowed, and became regular.  Soon there was no trace of any neck damage, but the two mares barely noticed that fact.

Many Me threatened, "Don't get a swelled head just because you got the drop on me.  That's all that happened!  If I had been prepared, your guts would litter this pig pen!"  By which she meant the playground.

It enraged Many Me further that Surprise was completely unimpressed.

"Fine!"  the spotted mare shouted, "A duel to the death!  Today, at three o'clock!"

"Location?"  Surprise asked.

"In front of town hall!"  Many Me declared.

"Three o'clock, town hall.  Got it."

Many Me smirked a sinister smirk, and glanced up at her son.  It was a look that held no love and no joy, just a sort of cold satisfaction.  Then the spotted mare turned away, and walked to the edge of the playground, disappearing into a thicket of trees.

Rainbow Dash cautiously looked around before descending with the kid in her grasp.  Tightrope immediately ran to Surprise and jumped into her loving embrace, crying tears of joy into the fur on her chest.  "Oh Surprise," he choked out through sobs, "I thought she was gonna..."  Surprise stroked his mane once or twice, and the little guy looked up at her.  "Nobody's ever beaten Many Me before!"

Surprise's ears perked up, as she heard the sound of footsteps and human breath.  Raydence leaned against a tree, and once he caught his breath he said, "I managed... to get Scootaloo... to the hospital.  Doctors... said she'll be... just fine..."

Surprise glanced up at the clouds, and then down at the little colt.  "Three o'clock is still a long ways away.  Wanna go see how Scootaloo is doing?"

Tightrope cheered at the suggestion and immediately flung himself on Surprise's back, and the two were off, cantering in pace so as not to lose Rarity or the other two Cutie Mark Crusaders, or the out-of-breath human.  Beneath the rays of the morning sun, Tightrope began to feel a sense of hope.  Maybe, just maybe, he'd get what he always wanted.

A mother, a real mother, one who was fun, carefree, easygoing, one who he loved and who loved him.  A mother... kinda like Surprise...

~ This story will conclude in ~

~ Walking a Tightrope, Part 2 ~

~ Hitting the internet later this week! ~