It wasn't a very 'warm' welcome to Marelem, more like a bundle illegal actions and desperation, but that didn't stop Spike, no matter how many shenanigans he would get himself into, he would get what was needed for the party. The houses looked different, as well as the cobblestone. Everything was decapitated enough to really be sure this was a very poor region of Canterlot.
"Hopefully, I won't get robbed on my way to the store!" he thought to himself, looking over his shoulder. He had never been to this part of Canterlot before, so he had to keep his eyes open for a place that looked festive enough to be called a 'party store'.
Spike couldn't help but notice a few screams for help from some other ponies being robbed, and that made Spike only pick up his pace and get out of there. He searched each corner until he found this one place he was pretty sure Pinkie was talking about.
It literally said 'PARTY STORE' in big letters splattered across the front window. Spike was totally having other thoughts on just walking in. This wasn't exactly the safest place, but maybe it would be safer than the streets at least, right?
"Uh, hello?" Spike asked into the empty room of the store. The shelves were completely empty, only a cash register stood on the counter, and a doorway with a curtain stood behind it.
"Anypony home? I'm looking for some supplies and some possible cake?"
There was a rustling from the curtain, which caused Spike to investigate the small ruckus. He hopped over the counter to see what was making the noise, biting his bottom lip and he ever so slowly pulled the curtain back. He looked into the next room with curiosity.
"What is this, some kind of... Chemistry lab?" he asked to himself, but he was the not the only one on the room.
Suddenly, a rush of hooves ran into him and he was pinned up against the wall. He struggled furiously, but to no avail.
"Hey, let go of me! I'm only looking for cake!" Spike gnawed at the hooves holding onto him, and he could see that he was being held by two ponies, as another one came in from the shadows and looked at him.
"Oh geez! This is like one of those scary stories Twilight tells me at night!"
"Calm yourself, my friend," a voice came from one of them. Spike looked at the pony in the center and demanded that he be let go.
"I need some cake and some party favors for a party I'm holding, this is a party store, isn't it?" he asked.
"You say you have cake? Why didn't you say so! Boys, let 'me go!" the pony said as the others dropped Spike to the ground, leaving him gasping for air.
"I didn't say I have cake... I said, I needed... cake." This was not what Spike had in mind. Maybe he could reason with this pony...
"Then what is this?" the pony held up the bag of 'cake' Spike had been carrying around.
"That's not cake, it's some kind of thing that my friend Pinkie told me to keep a secret from other ponies."
The pony took a small bit of it and tasted it. His mouth puckered up and his eyes got a little bit watery.
"Woah! That is some Grade A Cake you have, right there, dragon! Sprinkles wouldn't have happened to send you here, did she?" the pony asked.
"Who the hay is Sprinkles? And how is that powdery sugar a cake, cakes are round or squarish!'
"Cake is a term we use for this kind of stuff... What's your name anyways, kid?"
"Spike. Now can I have that stuff back? It has something to do with parties and responsibility or something like that, I wasn't really paying attention when Pinkie told me."
"Well, we use the code name, if you will, cake, to keep the guards from over hearing us. We just made a huge batch of this stuff, and since this is Grade A, seriously Grade A cake, I think you are talking serious business with us, how would you like to get in on a little action, eh?" the pony said.
"I'm sorry, but could you just speak common tongue, please?" Spike wiped the drool of his lip.
"We make this stuff," he pointed to his lab, "and we sell if for dough, lots of it! You want in?"
"Will cake, I mean, the real cake and party favors be involved. I still need a place to throw it, you know any places?" Spike still needed a joint to hold this entire shindig.
"I don't know, Spike, maybe one of the bars can sell out a couple of the back rooms to you."
Spike remembered that he had a blank check with him, but then he realized he couldn't just walk out of the room after all of that stuff the pony just told him. Maybe he could stay a little longer, just to see how things could roll along.
"Sure, I'll make cakes with you guys, but no funny business."
"Great, put this mask on and let's get cooking!"
Thirty minutes passed and Spike sat there, handing the ponies gallons of liquids and other stuff he had never heard of. The scent was so strong that he could smell a little bit of it from his gas mask. Soon, large batches of the 'cake' started coming out into big boxes and started piling up.
If the small bag Spike bought was seven hundred coins, he could believe all the money they would rake in with these boxes!
The smell was getting very intense though, Spike needed to take a moment outside.
"Hey, I need to get some fresh air!" he yelled through his mask.
"Not without the right close, bro. Go in the closet over there and put some fashion on before you get robbed out there! You need to blend in or your done in this town!"
Spike walked over to the closet and grabbed some gold necklaces, put a hat on, and grabbed some glasses.
"How does this look?" Spike asked.
"Like a true Marelemite," the pony returned, lugging another box over.
Spike took of his mask as he exited the store. What has he gotten himself into? As fun as it seemed, the wedding would be tonight and he still needed cake, favors and a joint to hold this whole place in.
His number one objective at the moment was cake, so he set his mind to that and only that. Spike was good at keeping focused on one thing and ignoring the other, like when Twilight would nag at him for not doing his chores while he is trying to read a good book. The obvious thing he would keep focused on was the book, of course.
These cloths were making Spike feel in comfortable and he wanted to get them off as soon as possible. He wondered if there was enough batches of cake to start selling them, so he put his mask back on and left the door open a bit.
"Hey, is there enough stuff done?" Spike interrupted Can we make some dough, I got to go pick up my tuxedo soon."
"Yeah, bro, help us start taping these boxes up and we can load them into the carriage outback, then you can get paid. It was nice doing business, with you!"
They tapped the boxes down and threw them on the ground. About twenty boxes were stacked up as they prepared to leave, and they were all giving each other high hooves in their expectations to make some cash.
Suddenly, the store door opened fully as the bell of the door chimed.
...
...
...
"Go check the door," said one of the ponies, pointing at the other pony. spike didn't even know these colts names, but maybe that was for the better.
One of them inched closer to the curtain. He peeked out as quickly as he could.
"Spike... You shut the door on your way in all the way, right?"
BAM!
A swarm of Royal guards attacked the room, causing Spike to drop the small bag of cake!
"Oh Celestia, it's the fuzz!"
Spike jumped backwards, sliding across the table, knocking over the entire 'chemistry' lab over and smashing to the ground. He needed to find a way out of here, fast. He slammed into the ground with a thud and made a break for the exit, slipping past the three guards holding the other ponies down.
He burst through the front door, out into daylight, then into the street, which was covered with guard carriages. He was rushed by many other guards and was slapped with a pair of silver hoof cuffs.
After a few minutes of the bust, they were all led into two different carriages. One with the head pony and Spike, the other with the other two ponies.
...
The carriage rocked back and forth with them both inside, sitting opposite each other.
"So... What now?" Spike asked.
"What now? Now, we go to jail, bro. We're done for now, but I think I have some connections, maybe we could arrange a little meet down with him and he could hook us up with a few bails."
"Bails?"
"Yeah, like a, uh... A get out of jail for free card from that board game; MonoPony."
"So, I guess I don get any cake then, huh?"
"In due time, my scaled friend... In due time." he said.
"This is turning into some messed up day. The wedding doesn't start for hours, and hours, but all I care about is the bachelor's party."
"Oh yeah, you've been talking about this party ever since I met you, who's is it?"
"The Royal Wedding every pony has been talking about. You know, the one with the Princess and the Captain of the Royal Guard," Spike said.
"Oh yeah. I would be more energetic, but I lost all of my energy fighting off the guard trying to hold me down. Well then, we need to get you to that wedding ASAP. Just kick back, relax, and enjoy the ride. We'll both get out... Some how."
"I hope your right."
Spike slouched back into the seat of the carriage and shut his eyes.
"What's your name, anyways?" he asked.
"My clients call me Chems."
"Well Chems," Spike smiled, "I can almost taste that cake from here."