Chapter 1
Speckled Ink hadnt seen her best friend in days. With the Changeling War going on, it was hard to tell whether or not you're talking to actual pony these days so ponies preferred to stay indoors. And there was also the fact that the Changelings had managed to take over Phillydelphia and were advancing to Ponyville, which was their next target and after that Cloudsdale. The situation was worrying for ponies all over Equestria so Princess Celestia created "Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns" and fillys in Cloudsdale had to go through rigorous flight school, to train the young ones just in case they had to fight.
And with a name like Surprise, that's exactly what Speckled Ink's best friend did when she started pounding on the door with her hooves.
"INKY! HEY INKY! ARE YOU HOME? SPECKLED INK? ITS SURPRISE! YOUR BESTEST FRIEND!" she shouted through the door.
Speckled Ink was home alone at the time, her parents had left for work, leaving her alone. She knew that she wasn't supposed to open the door for strangers but the stranger on the other side of the door was her best friend.
Speckled Ink opened the door without hesitation.
Standing there was Surprise with a big smile on her face. Her yellow mane, as curly as always. Her white pelt blended with the white clouds she was standing on. "It's been so long since I've seen you Inky!" Surprise exclaimed happily. "I was so worried and I-" Surprise tried taking a step forward but Speckled Ink stopped her by putting a dark blue hoof onto her friend's chest. Speckled Ink was a dark blue pegasus with a light blue and black spikey mane and a light blue and black tail. A large black spot made up part of her left thigh.
"Not so fast," Speckled Ink said with a deadpan look on her face. "You have to answer a question first."
"Ooo! A quiz? We're going to do a quiz? What about?" Surprise asked happily.
Speckled Ink had little doubt that this was a Changeling acting like Surprise but she still had to make sure. "How did we meet?" Speckled Ink asked.
"That's too easy!" Surprise replied. "We were at Flight Camp and you were sitting all alone, reading a book when Dumbell and his goons came up to you and started teasing you. You were about to cry-"
"I was not!" Speckled Ink protested.
"so I stood up for you, telling those meanies to go away!" Surprised finished.
The two fillies stood there, staring at each other silently for a minute until Speckled Ink said, "Can you believe that that happened only 1 week ago?"
"It was the happiest day of my life! Can I come in now?" Surprise asked.
Speckled Ink chuckled and lowered her hoof. "Come in."
Speckled Ink's house was fairly small. When you came in through the door, you would see a long cloud couch on your right and the wall on your left. If you continued on through the house you would find the kitchen, Speckled Ink's parents' room, and the stairs that led to her own room, which was in the attic. Speckled Ink preferred sleeping in the attic because she had a view when looking out through the window.
"Your house hasn't changed since I last saw you," Surprise said as Speckled Ink closed the door.
"It's only been three days," Speckled Ink replied.
"I know. Hey did you hear that the Changeling army moved closer to Ponyville? There's a spot near their camp where you can watch them go in and out of the camp! Princess Celestia is going to place somepony there tomorrow to watch them!" Surprise said excitedly. "We should go look!"
"I-I don't know Surprise," Speckled Ink said nervously. "That's very dangerous."
"Oh come on! It'll be fun! We'll be back before your parents get back!" Surprise said. The two continued to argue about the dangers of going but after two minutes Speckled Ink finally gave in.
"Alright alright! Fine. I'll do it. Let's go now," Speckled Ink said.
Speckled Ink and Surpise were on the edge of a cliff that looked out over the Changeling's camp. Surprise had to wear a full body black suit, because if she didn't then her white pelt would've glowed in the night air. Despite the fact that her white pelt was hidden, her violet eyes still seemed to glow.
Speckled Ink looked up at the night sky. Numerous stars dotted the sky, too many for her to count and the full moon glowed high above them. "Princess Celestia decorated the sky beauitfully tonight," she whispered to Surprise.
"Do you think the Nightmare Moon tale is real? Do you really think she'll come back?" Surprise asked in a whisper.
"Don't be ridiculous, that's just a pony tale," Speckled Ink whispered back. Her gaze moved back to the Changeling camp and her eyes widened when she saw something moving. "Shh! Something's moving!"
Both fillies watched as a Changeling shifted position while sleeping.
"Well that was exciting," Speckled Ink said sarcastically.
"It certainly was!" Surprise whispered excitedly.
"Surprise let's go back home," Speckled Ink said, pulling herself back onto her hooves.
"Yeah we should. It's getting pretty late," Surprise replied. Speckled Ink helped her friend up and the two set off on the long treck home.
"Well that was a waste of time, wasn't it Speckled Ink?" Surprise said as they trotted through the Everfree forest.
"Yup."
"But to see that they're that close to us, kind of scares me a bit. Does it scare you Inky?" Surpise asked.
"Sure."
"Have you ever been into the Everfree forest before? This is my first time!" Surprise said.
"Mine too."
"Did you hear that Applejack ran away? I thought it was because of the Changling army getting so close to Ponyville but if she had left to escape the Changlings she probably would've taken her family with her. Don't you think Inky?" Surprise asked, looking at Speckled Ink only to find she was gone.
"Inky? Inky where'd you go?" Surprise shouted into the night air.
Silence answered back.
"Is this a joke? Are you playing a prank on me?" Surprise asked. "Hahaha. Very funny! Great joke! Come out of your hiding spot!"
A scream suddenly pierced the air and Surprise recognized it as Speckled Ink's. Surprise burst through some bushes, where she thought the source of the sound had come but only to find a dark blue feather.
Tears started to well up in Surprise's eyes as fear struck.
"Inky?" Surprise said in a small shaky voice.
Another scream sounded.
But it wasn't her own.
Chapter 2
Two years. It had been two years since Surprise had lost her best friend. There was no body discovered, only the single dark blue feather that she had found on that night. It was the only thing she had left of her. Atleast the ponies had won the Changeling war. Due to Surprise's recollection of how… SHE disappeared Princess Celestia was able to attack the Changelings at night, when they were asleep and didn't expect it.
Surprise finished wrapping the box of cupcakes that she was going to have to deliver. "Mrs. Cake! Where does this box of cupcakes go to again?"
"They're going to Nurse Redheart dear," Mrs. Cake called from the kitchen. "It's her birthday so don't forget to wish her a happy birthday!"
"I won't forget. I'll be back soon," Surprise answered. She grabbed the tightly wrapped bow on the present with her teeth and trotted out of Sugarcube Corner.
Ponyville seemed very lively today. There were several ponies strolling casually through Ponyville. Nearby Roseluck was watering her plants, a couple of pegasi were hanging up streamers around Ponyville, and Surprise recognized Rarity as she walked past her, her saddlebags overflowing with all kinds of different colored ribbons.
Surprise carefully set her package down so she could talk. "Hey Rarity! What's the occasion for all this?" Surprise asked.
Rarity gave Surprise an "Are you serious?" kind of look. "You mean you didn't hear? Princess Celestia is coming to visit us all the way from Canterlot!" she answered.
Surprise's eyes widened with curiosity. "Princess Celestia is coming to visit? Why?"
"Nopony knows. She sent a letter to Mayor Mare saying that she was going to visit today to celebrate something," Rarity replied. She turned her head to glance at the clock near Town Hall. "Would you look at the time! I still have to start decorating Town Hall. I'll see you later Surprise!"
Surprise watched Rarity go and sighed. Rarity's kindness had always reminded Surprise of Speckled Ink. Ever since her best friend disappeared countless numbers of pegasi were knocking on the door to Surprise's house to tell her that they were sorry for her loss, there were even someponies who came that Surprise didn't even know. Whenever she went to Ponyville, she would get stopped on the street and the same thing would happen. Ponies and unicorns that Surprise didn't even know would tell her that they were sorry for her loss. Speckled Ink was one of the kinds of friends that only come every once in a while, Surprise doubted that she would ever find another pony like Speckled Ink.
Surprise grabbed the box with her teeth again and continued going to Ponyville Hospital. When she got there she found over two dozen ponies crowded around the entrance to the Hospital. What's all the commotion? Surprise thought. She recognized the colorful tail of Rainbow Dash and trotted over to her, setting the box of cupcakes down again so she could talk.
"Rainbow Dash. What's going on? Shouldn't you and Firefly be clearing the sky of clouds?" Surprise asked. Rainbow Dash and Firefly who had been standing next to Rainbow turned towards Surprise.
"Oh, hey Surprise. We were clearing the clouds but then-" Rainbow Dash started to answer but Firefly interrupted her.
"At first nopony recognized her! She was covered in so much mud and blood-" Firefly exclaimed. The two ponies were trying to talk over each other but one kept interrupting the other.
"She just trotted into Ponyville like it was a normal thing! But nopony has seen her for years."
"Everypony thought they were seeing things but then she just collapsed right in the middle of Ponyville!"
"Me and Firefly rushed her to Ponyville Hospital as fast as we could! Everypony wants to see her, but Nurse Redheart won't let anyone in!"
"Woah woah woah!" Surprise finally said, interrupting the two ponies. "Why is everypony so worked up over this? Unless everypony thought this pony was dead or something then there is probably nothing to get so worked up about!"
Firefly and Rainbow Dash looked at Surprise with shocked faces.
"What? Did I say something wrong?" Surprise said.
Rainbow Dash and Firefly exchanged a glace before replying. "Everypony did think she was dead," Rainbow Dash replied.
"We thought you knew, Surprise," Firefly said.
"The pony in Ponyville Hospital right now is Speckled Ink," Rainbow Dash replied.
