SURPRISE PARTY!
by
De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)
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Celestia was looking out from the balcony of the castle at the panorama of Canterlot and Equestria spread out below. Beside her, her recently added Daughter in Law, Dashie adjusted her glasses and stared out, too. The view eventually faded out into the purple of distance at the horizon. The lands and towns between them and the horizon made an impressive vista.
Celestia said quietly, “I love your father, Thomas, Dashie. I know that a lot of very highly placed ponies were really upset when we got married.”
Dashie nickered her amusement and pointed out, “They would have been upset, no matter WHO you chose! At least, when you picked dad, you got one of the two most powerful wizards of the realm as a husband!”
Celestia nodded, the playful breeze catching her incredible mane of delicate hues. “That is true, Dashie. Thomas has been instrumental in saving the Realm many times. You have too, a time or two. So has De Writer.”
Dashie chuckled at a memory. “Speaking of De Writer, If he offers it, NEVER take any tea from him!”
“Why not, Dashie?”
“You know that De Writer is a master of traveling to other dimensions, don’t you?”
“Certainly.”
“He found dad a new tea, a while ago. He got it from the bottom of a deep ocean trench.”
Incredulous, Celestia exclaimed, “TEA? From a deep ocean trench?”
“Yes. He gave it to dad. Dad brewed a little of it.”
“What happened, Dashie?”
“It grew tentacles that tried to gab dad! Dad took a sharp knife and chopped them off! He diced them and fried them up in soy and garlic. He drank the tea while he ate the fried tentacles.”
“My goodness!”
“Yep. Now, when he gets hungry for seafood, he just brews up a little of the tea!”
They both laughed at the notion.
Celestia chortled, “That sounds like my Thommy-Wommy!
“He is not really afraid of anything, is he?”
Dashie went serious and cleaned her glasses as she replied, “Not much, I will give you that. The most important thing is that when he is afraid, he does not run. He faces it and figures out how to win. And then he does.”
Celestia nodded slowly. “That is it. He is a true hero. That is how he has saved our realm so often.
“I would like to throw a party for him but his birthday is so far off.”
Dashie agreed, “It is, but birthdays are not the only reasons to hold parties! We could hold one to celebrate his many courageous deeds!”
Celestia grinned as she agreed, “YES! Let’s do it! A surprise party for my Thommy-Wommy!”
From a corner of the room, behind some drapes a red-eyed shadow chuckled. “A surprise party for that upstart Thomas? Perhaps we should make it a family affair. I must go and tell his sister, Nova about this!” Count Nogoodny sneaked quietly away as the two mares discussed what the party should be like.
Nova, Thomas’ sister and a daughter to the Demon Queen Aurora, listened carefully to Count Nogoodny’s account. She was in her common and unthreatening form as an earth pony. Her ears twitched and her eyes slitted as she thought through Count Nogoodny’s story of the meeting on the balcony.
“Just the party about Thomas’ courage? Is that ALL that they talked about?”
He grumped, “All that is important! The only other thing that they talked about was De Writer and his crazy teas! Nonsense about them being dangerous or something!”
Her voice gone deadly calm, Nova asked, “Deadly?”
Nogoodny snorted, “Utterly unbelievable! One grows tentacles when it is brewed. That was just an example. Dashie said that they were all like that, one way or another!”
Nova smiled. It was the kind of smile that has been known to freeze glaciers solid.
Waking Luna in mid morning is never easy. She was making it no easier, today! She hoofed a big fluffy pillow over her ears, clamped her eyes shut and snapped, “Whatever you want, NO! I want to sleep!”
Celestia was about to say more when Dashie snickered, “NO to whatever we want? Great! We want you to sleep!”
Luna stuck her royal head out of the pile of blankets and demanded, “What is it you want, smart ass?”
Dashie gestured for silence to Celestia. “We want to hold a party for Thomas! Everybody knows that you are the best cook in Equestria. We are going to want a big cake, maybe several tiers, with frosting figures to show dad’s famous exploits in saving the Kingdom.”
Luna’s curiosity piqued, and the flattery (which was true) about her cooking, she started to think. Eyes squinted in concentration, she pointed out, “It would have been good to have a few days to prepare for this. Still … OK, I’ll do it.”
Celestia smiled, “Great! I knew that we could count on you, Sis!”
Dashie nodded, “Right. Luna, we know that Nova is in the castle. Be sure to keep her out of the kitchen while you are working!”
Luna chuckled. “De Writer is almost as dangerous! He and Thomas are almost inseparable. He likes to bring his tea to events. I have never heard of one of those teas that is really safe!”
Dashie nodded ruefully. “I know. How well I know!”
With Luna now busy in the kitchen and some castle staff busy preparing one of the ballrooms for the party, Celestia and Dashie were relaxing in her royal quarters. There was a knock at the door. Before they could answer it, the doors were pushed open and a familiar earth pony mare trotted right in!
Her eyes slitted in suspicion, Dashie demanded, “What are you doing here, Nova?”
“I was told that you are having a party for my brother! I came to help!”
Celestia’s delicate seeming but very strong magic grabbed the demon pony and swept her out through the tall window-doors to the balcony. Nova was dangled head down over the abyss.
Dashie trotted out to the balcony and said brightly, “We all know that IF YOU MAKE A PROMISE, you will keep it, Nova.”
Celestia said with a grim tone, “I suggest that you promise that you will do nothing to mess up this party!”
Nova, looking down and swallowing hard, exclaimed, “Would I do that? He is my brother!”
Dashie interposed instantly, “It has never stopped you before! We all know that you have trouble with heights and that if we drop you, you will just switch to demon form and fly back here. You won’t get hurt but you WILL get airsick. Shall I go get towels to clean up after you barf?”
Nova sourly snarled, “All right! I PROMISE that I won’t do anything to mess up your precious party!”
Celestia nodded, “Good enough!” Her magic brought Nova back to the balcony. Dashie had towels ready. Nova’s weak stomach about heights let go. It was mopped up in moments.
Looking puzzled, Nova asked, “Why didn’t you have a servant clean it up?”
Dashie flexed her wings a little as she replied, “Gossip. Servants gossip. Why embarrass you further? You made your promise. I know that you will keep it.
“Why don’t you go and assist with setting up the ballroom for the party?”
Pretending to be defeated, Nova slunk from the chamber. Inside, she was exulting, “I did it. I got away with it! I won’t be the one to mess up this party!”
She cornered Count Nogoodny and said sweetly, “If you really want to get on Celestia’s good side, carry a message to De Writer. He should bring his best tea to the party!”
The Count grumped, “What am I? A mere messenger?”
Nova smiled viciously as she said, “Well, you don’t HAVE to! You could ignore it and be blamed for the lack of De Writer’s famous tea at the party. I am SURE that Celestia will look kindly on such an omission at a party for her chosen consort!”
She giggled as the Count left, double time.
Soon the Count was searching the apparently blind ally where he knew that De Writer’s hidden magic shop was.
He finally found the concealed entrance and managed to get in. He petulantly demanded, “Why don’t you make it easier for your clients?”
The elderly blue unicorn with a white beard, who was reputed to be one of the two most powerful wizards in Equestria, chuckled. “I would expect that to be obvious! I don’t WANT clients who give up that easily! Don’t really want ANY clients. I am plenty wealthy as it is.”
“Then why bother with a shop at all?”
“So that when I AM NEEDED, I can be found! Are you really as thick as that brick wall?”
“I have a good mind not to give you my message!”
Skeptically, the old unicorn snorted, “I am glad to hear that your mind is good for something! I was beginning to wonder!”
“The message is that Celestia is throwing a surprise party for Thomas. She wants you to bring along your best tea for it!”
“Oh, is that all? No problem. Thank you. Your message is delivered. You may go.”
“And if I demand to see this tea?”
“I will refuse.”
“I am a Count of the Realm!”
A fading voice said, “Then you are needed elsewhere!”
Looking about frantically, the Count found himself back in the castle. In a toilet. Lifting his hooves and stepping out of the water in the bowl, he snarled, “Not even good will with Celestia is worth this!”
Celestia and Dashie, meanwhile, had located Sunrise, Celestia’s son by Thomas, in the Royal Library. The young Alicorn tried to ignore them by reading intently. He was surrounded by a near fort of books. Dashie, knowing readers well, began to read over his shoulder. And giggling.
Irritated, Sunrise demanded, “Don’t you know that is rude? Why are you giggling at Snarkevan’s History?”
Dashie batted her eyelashes at him and retorted, “Of course ignoring your mother is polite! Certainly I knew it was rude. It also got your attention.
“As for giggling at Snarkevan, most of what he wrote was pure garp.”
Celestia nodded sadly, “She is right, Sunrise. I was there when those things happened. So was Luna. If you want to study history, we have perfect memories. Ask us or check facts with us.
“Now, we have a different and, I hope, fun task for you. We are throwing a surprise party for your father this evening. What we want is for you to go to his bookstore and keep him away from the castle until this evening. Lure him up in the evening by telling him the truth. Not about the party, but that Luna is cooking dinner for him.”
Sunrise’s eyes lighted up. “Thomas’s little book shop? The one that always has the books that you need? Thank you, Mom! I won’t let you down!” He vanished with a clatter of hooves.
He caught Thomas just locking up his little book shop. “Hi, Dad! Where are you going?”
“Hi, Sunrise! I going to castle for lunch.”
Sunrise pulled his lips back in distaste and made a gagging noise. “Actually, Dad, that is why I’m here. They are making their … ack! … Best sushi!”
Thomas blinked about three times. “You have save my life, sort of. That five stomach pump sushi! And one more thing. We go De Writer’s shop. He always have something good.”
They trotted down two streets and over one. They strolled into the small blind alley of brick walls with no doors or windows showing.
Thomas knocked politely and a section of brick faded, turning into a door. Sunrise pushed the door open and held it for his father to enter. Thomas expected what he saw. Sunrise was surprised. De Writer was just finishing setting his table for three. There were inviting smells arising from under the domed heat covers on the plates.
De Writer had a tall glass filled with a butterscotch milkshake. There was a pot of hot water and a teacup set out for Thomas, along with a strange looking tea thimble. It had strong looking bars instead of the usual thin metal with small holes in it. Sunrise was pleased and relieved to note that his place had a chocolate milk shake as big as De Writer’s.
With a grin, De Writer offered, “Thomas! Sunrise! What a surprise! I heard that you were saved from castle sushi! My teas are safer that that!”
Thomas promptly poured his hot water over the tea thimble in his cup! It began to bounce about in the cup, emitting snarling noises. The bars held and soon the tea settled down to a quiet brown brew. Thomas sipped appreciatively. His uncovered plate revealed a big freshly made Alfalfa Steak with Sea Grass puffs along side. There was a soy and garlic dipping sauce to go with the puffs.
Sunrise uncovered a plate filled with a simply huge Clover Top burger and an enormous pile of large, thick onion rings. It had a well with a honey and mustard dipping sauce too!
De Writer’s plate had a big slice of Clover and sweet grass loaf dripping with a rich brown gravy.
They all fell to, happily munching away. There was no conversation. It is rude to talk with your mouth full!
As they were mopping up the remains, it hit Sunrise. “How did you know that we were coming?”
The old unicorn grinned. “One, I am one of the two most powerful wizards in Equestria. Two, I heard about the castle making sushi and I knew at once that Thomas would not be there!”
Sunrise thought for a second and pointed out, “What about me? How could you know about me?”
With a whicker of amusement, Thomas answered, “See De Writer point one! And one more thing! More tea, please?”
“Sure thing, Thomas! This was Wild Mountain leaf and BEARies. The Bear side of it needs to be contained until the tea brews!” He reloaded the thimble with more of the tea, which had wrinkled, dried berries in in it.
They all watched the thimble bounce and growl with amusement. As Thomas leaned back after his second cup, Sunrise offered, “Celestia told me to tell you that Luna will be cooking dinner.”
Both Thomas and De Writer’s eyes lit up at the thought of Luna’s famous cooking.
It was not long before it was time to go. The Mahjongg game got put aside. (Thomas was ahead.) De Writer disappeared into the depths of his shop and returned, carefully stowing a package in his saddlebag.
They all three trooped up to the castle’s main gate. The guards, recognizing them, let them in without any difficulty. They headed through the sumptuous halls toward the dining room.
Nova intercepted them. Instantly wary, Thomas demanded, “Nova! What you do here?”
Sourly she replied, “Nothing! Sunbutt made me promise not to mess up tonight. Follow me. Dinner is over here.”
Thomas skeptically asked, “How she manage that?”
“She dangled me upside down over the drop down to the plains!”
She led them to the big Ballroom.
As they entered the room, the red-eyed Count Nogoodny came to De Writer and demanded, “Did you remember to bring it?”
De Writer nodded as if he had been addressed politely. “I did. Here. You need to measure it into the cups before you add the hot water.”
The Count snatched the package and snapped, “I know how to make tea!”
The group turned away from the minor drama at the sudden yells of “SURPRISE! Thomas, this party is to thank you for the many times that you have done heroic things to save the country!”
De Writer heard a small clank! It was followed by the sound of the small catches of a serving urn lid being locked.
Luna was standing proudly by a huge three tiered cake set about with scenes in frosting from many of Thomas’ famous magical battles to keep Equestria safe.
Through the gaps between the layers, De Writers saw a BIG urn of hot water. The Count was just securing the last catch on the lid!
With a rumble like an unhappy volcano, the urn suddenly erupted! The force of the blast hurled the big cake into the air! It was tumbling toward Thomas! De Writer’s magic reached out and smashed the cake away, breaking it into a hundred pieces!
Thomas saw Nova’s expression of glee! He did not know how but he did know that his sister was behind the disaster somehow! His magic snagged all the serving plates and caught a nice chunk of cake on each one! They all sailed to the surprised guests who grabbed their plates already served!
All except Nova. Somehow, her plate arrived empty! As she was grabbing it, a great big glob of cake, loaded with three flavors of frosting landed on her head!
Thomas grinned as he said, “Oops!”
Nova furiously wiped at her head, some of Luna’s cake and frosting getting into her mouth. Suddenly she began to laugh.
“At least it is a really good cake!”
The whole rest of the Royal Court, thinking that it was a planned part of the entertainment for the night, joined her in laughter.
~THE END~
Author's Note
This story was commissioned by ASK UNCLE, this story is gratefully posted with his permission.
It is set in the alternate universe of Thomas the Writer.
