//------------------------------// // Reverie // Story: The Dragon's Notebook // by Arby //------------------------------// Equestria is full of scum. It always will be, so I have to do what I can to ensure the current generation can play their roles in the scum filled world. And by generation, I mean Rarity. She is the only one that matters to me, the one I would give my life for. Sure, Twilight is my mother, but she started feeling somewhat distant after the party. Maybe she thought I was growing up and needed my space, or maybe she wanted me to learn that I can't be running to her for my problems. I still hugged her, and ran to her for comfort, but she seemed to have her snout in a book every minute of the day. She made dinner now and then, but read while eating. I could never see the titles, but I knew what they were about. I learned only recently what Twilight and Rarity were doing. Murder. She was researching murder, methods of murder, historical murders, no matter how rare a murder actually is. She seemed obsessed with murder. The topic of murder, not committing. Not just murder, too. Deaths, suicide, heart failures, organ failures, anything that would involve death. I would have asked what she was reading, but at the time, I was too scared to break her concentration, mostly due to the fact that I was scared of myself. Paranoia sucks. “Spike, I was thinking,” Twilight said. “Oh brother,” I responded, spinning the cereal in my bowl around. “About the past few months in particular,” she said, picking at her toast. “I swear, I don't shave with the kitchen scissors,” I responded, absent-minded. “I was thinking about taking a trip to what the hay did you say?” Looking up, I could spot a confused glare from Twilight. “Something about... you? Whaddaya want again?” Shaking her head, Twilight resumed. “I was thinking about taking a trip to Canterlot.” Perking up, I swallowed a spoonful of cheerios. “Canterlot? Any reason?” “I figured, why not go see home? See the family, and the big city again. Go to a bookstore or two, check out the restricted section in Canterlot, the usual,” she replied. Nodding my head, I finished off the cheerios. “We doing anything today?” “Not really, Spike. My schedule has this as an off-day. We haven't had a good one since Golden's passing, and that was three weeks ago. I figured we could both use this to have fun,” Twilight responded, closing her book. Not glancing at the title, I drank the milk from the bowl. I swallowed it quickly and set the bowl on the counter. “Let's go today. Right now. It's early, and we can catch a train immediately!” I exclaimed, placing my bowl in the sink. “Today!? But it's spontaneous; we'd need a schedule, something to keep us organized and focused,” she said, ignoring her toast. I shook my head, looking towards the main area. “No, we don't, mom. You've followed a schedule all of your life. Unwind for a bit, let somepony else take charge. You'll be organizing your own death and funeral at this rate,”I chuckled. She sighed, chuckling at the same time. She finished her toast, finished her drink, and placed both hooves on her head to think. This was something I found great about her. Give her something simple with a million possibilities, and she'll shut down for a while. “I'm going to go upstairs for a bit. I'm merely making a guess here, but I'll be getting ready,” I responded, dashing out of the kitchen. Running into the room, I wondered how long Twilight would realize before she remembered I had nothing to get ready for. Merely a ruse, and to toy with her. But on the other claw... I looked over to my basket, feeling my heart skip a beat. I took cautious steps up the stairs to my bed before lifting the cushion and picking up the black notebook. I stared at the cover, and like most other times, felt flashbacks to each heinous moment. DEATH NOTE I opened it up and looked at the rules. If I wanted to utilize it fully, I had to study the rules. I got to emulate Twilight. Opening, I actually realized how many rules there were. Looking at them, I got a feel for how specific it was. “'The notebook shall become the property of the equine world, once it touches the ground of (arrives in) the equine world.' So, once it lands in Equestria, it's owned by Equestria?” I looked around, making sure Twilight wasn't here. Gulping, I looked back at the rules. “'The owner of the note can recognize the image and voice of... of the original owner!?'” I asked myself. I looked out the window, wondering who could the original owner have been. It's definitely a divine book, I learned that much. A divine entity? But, wouldn't that be Princess Celestia? Well, no. In monarchy, a princess and prince come before a queen and king... did anypony come before Princess Celestia or Luna? Are they waiting for a king and queen to return. Was this made by them? Gulping once more, I looked back down to the book, and then I read a rule that still scares me. “'The one who uses the notebook can neither go to Heaven nor Hell.'” I stopped, feeling my breaths shorten. I reread the sentence before it dawned on me. I felt scared once more, and my fear of death from two weeks ago arose once more. I looked to the next rule, and this one merely confused me. “'If someone uses the note, a God of Death usually appears in front of him/her within 39 days after he/she uses the note,” I said, raising an eyebrow. “A God of Death? What's a God of Death? And... it's been more than 39 days. I got this book over four months ago, so what gives?” I looked around the room, wondering if I could spot the God in part of the room. I became painfully aware of how loud silence could be. Every single sound shot panic through my mind and my eyes snapped into the direction of the sound. I felt sweat drip down my face as I contemplated the possibility that a God of Death was watching me at that moment. Does this God of Death take pleasure in watching me wander in paranoia? Does it take pleasure in seeing my life fall into a wreck from my duty? Does this God of Death drop Death Notes into Equestria for fun? Is it bored, and this game of murder only a sick joke? No matter how much I looked, I found nothing. To this day, I have yet to see a God of Death... but Celestia forbid, I researched them. I took a look at one last rule that was interesting to me. “'The Death Note will be rendered useless if the victim's name is misspelled four times,'” I said, nodding my head. “So, I can't look at somepony, hear the name, and try as many times as I want to guess the proper spelling.” I looked around the room, then back outside. God of Death, if you're watching me, just know that you're a bastard, just like me, I thought. I burned the notebook with the magical flame, keeping it hidden inside. I still had the gift I owed Rarity, but giving it to her now would be meaningless. When the scum of the world are gone from Rarity's life, I can retire. I looked around the top part of the library, keeping the topic of Gods of Death on my mind. Scanning the books of the upper floor, I discovered something interesting. “Avatars of Death: The Many faces of the Reaper,” I mumbled, looking down at the cover. It had a white cover with a visible cross on it embedded in black with shiny gold text stating the name. It was a thin book and it dated back to 998 ANMS. Looking around quickly, I grabbed two other books to make a small stack of reading material for the train ride. I strolled downstairs with a copy of Spectacle Prisms, and a more popular issue of The Archive, detailing Fancypants' rise to popularity. I sandwiched AoD in between the other two and stumbled into the kitchen, just as Twilight snapped out of her reverie. “Spike, I find it cute how you display such confidence.” She smiled at me. “Reading material for the train ride?” she asked. I nodded my head. “Alright. You go to the train station to purchase the tickets, and I'll grab my saddlebags. Sound good?” She quickly levitated the book out of my sight. “Sure thing, mom. See you there,” I responded, walking out of the library. I loved when Twilight never followed a schedule. She always asks questions, and I get to be the smart guy for a change. She's enlightened, and her knowledge increases. It was great being in charge, so to speak. Looking at my age and my size, it was apparent I was growing. I was entering my teenage years. I wasn't her baby dragon anymore. I'm not little 'Spikey-wikey.' That's a lie. I am. Totally. Always will be. Rarity's Spikey-wikey. Ah, well, anyways, I was growing, and being able to easily convince Twilight to go on a schedule-less trip was great. It was empowering, and made me feel like a big man. I was almost eye-to-eye with her, and this added power that I had thanks to this trip was the perfect mixture. We sat on the train, and as usual, I nuzzled up close to Twilight. Unlike the usual, I had my nose in a book while Twilight looked around the train, smiling at the scenery outside. Unknown to her, thankfully, I was nose-deep in the book regarding Death. Death. Death death death. Twilight and I were apparently obsessed with death those days, and we still missed out on each other when we were reading about it. In that book, the most prominent form of Death, that I found, was as a God. A God of Death. A God of Death was the one responsible for all death in the world and was thought to be the reason behind suicide and such... what made me pay attention was the mention of 'Death's list.' 'Death's list is believed to be a supernatural document upon which the God of Death executes the living. Methods for distinction are believed to be the full name of an equine and/or other living creature as well as a face as to not cause deaths between those who share a name. Rather than simply killing, Death may be able to alter the conditions of death to meet his twisted design, be it suicide or fatal accident. Spot on,' I thought. I closed the book, sliding it under the two books and picked up The Archive issue. I figured I could learn more about Fancypants, maybe use him a bit to try and cheer Rarity up to make her forget the issues of the past month. The article about Fancypants didn't detail anything I found useful, merely being actually positive and nice towards the guy's image, something I thought not possible for pop culture magazines. Closing the magazine, I shoved the small stack of books aside, feeling the tingle of the hidden notebook. I sighed, leaning into Twilight's body. We were almost at Canterlot, and we could do the events for the day. Twilight wrapped her foreleg around my body, and I sighed happily. I didn't feel any depression, and all nagging feelings I felt while researching death had vanished. My mother loved me and protected me, and it was just us going to Canterlot for a day of unwinding, no headache-inducing schedules. Growing tired of the silence, I asked, “mom, d'you think I have a chance at making Rarity happy?” Twilight gave me a light noogie, making me giggle quickly. “Of course you do, big guy. The little things may go unnoticed at first, but when the time comes, I'm sure Rarity will remember them.” “Celestia knows I've done more than small things. I mean, I totally kicked the crud outta those Diamond Dogs. They just had me outnumbered is all,” I responded, gagging at the mention of them. “Yes, Spike. It was brave of you, and I'm surprised that... Rarity hasn't mentioned it yet,” she said, chuckling on Rarity's name. I looked down at my skinny arms, admiring the growth I've had recently. I smirked, baring my teeth. “If any of those dogs come again, I'm sure I can fight them off with my new and improved body! Just you see, mother!” I exclaimed in the empty car. “Not on my watch, mister. No fighting until you're old enough,” Twilight replied with a almost-perfect stern voice. “Celestia knows that you're too old for fighting,” I chuckled. Twilight flicked me on the nose. “Ha, sorry.” I rubbed my nose before looking out the window. The curve we were on showed us coming up to Canterlot. “So, what first? I suggest saving the family visit for the end of the day after your brother comes home.” “That's genius, Spike. It's been a while since I've seen Shining,” Twilight replied, stretching her hindlegs. Twilight looked down at me, and I obliviously stared up, meeting her gaze. I shifted my eyes to the left before back at her. “Yes?” “Can we please please puh~lease visit Coles Bookstore first? I haven't been there since I moved to Ponyville!” she exclaimed, begging with her shimmering eyes. “Sure, mom.” It felt great being the one in charge. “A'ight, Rar'ty, gonna 'splain why ya rounded us all up, save f' Twi,” Applejack asked, plopping down on a cushion in Rarity's boutique. Rarity looked down at Applejack, sighing coarsely. She made sure the ears of the others, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy were all on her before nodding. “I'll make this short by saying that Twilight and I both agree that the deaths in recent times, starting with the late Prince Blueblood up to the tragic death of Golden Shutter, are connected to myself in some way whether it be supernatural or a curse. One death may have been something to brush-off, but these many, all whom have known me in one shape or form, that's no coincidence,” Rarity stated. “What the hay? Rarity, I know your boytoys keep dropping like flies, but it's not a darn conspiracy. They were just accidents,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, slapping her head against Rarity's bed. “I don't want to call you a liar, but... um, I'll stop talking,” Fluttershy said while cowering into Rarity's pillows. Rarity shook her head, just as Pinkie piped up. “Now stop right there! Both you and Spike have had a rough time, and he's not making any conspiracy theories of his own! Spike is being Spike, with Twilight!” She looked around the room. “As a matter of fact, where is Spike and Twilight?” “Canterlot, dear,” Rarity replied. “Oh, okay then,” Pinkie said, falling onto Rarity's bed. Clearing her throat, Rarity sat down on the edge of her bed and sighed. “Look, I knew you all would say this, but we're going through with this. Twilight knew she could do some proper research as well as gather books on the subject of death and whatnot in Canterlot, either from bookstores or the Canterlot Archives. Knowing little Spikey-wikey and that today was their day off, Twilight essentially manipulated Spike into getting them to go as to not arouse suspicion.” She bit her lip, leaning against a bedpost. “It was dirty, but Twilight can get the materials needed for her research, Spike doesn't have to be involved since I am doing this for him, and we can work on our part of this mystery,” she said. “Whaddaya mean? Spike deserves t' be a part of this, an' this still sounds like nonsense,” Applejack said. “I agree with Applejack. Rarity, I never thought I'd say this, but get your head out of the clouds! This is nonsense talk! This is death, not divine punishment!” Rainbow exclaimed. “No, I just noticed that all, excluding Golden Shutter, I have pursued a relationship with in the past, or attempted to. I know by now that Spike's feelings for me are known,” Rarity said, pausing for confirmation. The four nodded, and Rarity continued. “I understand entirely, and even if I am unsure on how to proceed, I know that I love Spike, but if those close to me are dying, I cannot risk Spikey-wikey like that until we make sure that this isn't some supernatural curse at work.” There was short silence, broken by Pinkie. She shot up to her hooves and punched a hoof into the air. “I knew you loved the little guy! I just wondered when you were going to admit it!” She stopped, falling back onto the bed with a solemn look. “But, I guess you're right. We can't risk little Spikey until we make sure that this isn't some curse.” “Now hold on a minute, Ah'm not so sure that we need to do anythin' at all. Ah say we wait for Twi an' Spike t' get back from Canterlot so Twi can give us the verdict,” Applejack responded. “I like Applejack's plan... but I'd rather not get involved with... death...” Fluttershy said, burying her face in the pillows once more. Rarity looked around the group, taking in the numerous inquiries. She stood up and paced around her room in thought, and kept the others waiting for minutes. She looked outside every so often, looked to her friends, to a mirror, anything worth looking at. She eventually nodded her head, and sat back on her bed. “I understand where all of you are coming from, but Twilight has already written to Princess Celestia with a request, which was granted. I have gotten several records and comments regarding the victims, including Prince Blueblood,” Rarity responded while levitating a small box into the centre of the room. “And before you ask, Princess Celestia was extremely reluctant, but when Twilight wrote mentioning the possibility of a supernatural presence at work, the princess allowed Twilight the data as to debunk this fiasco, then we can put this behind us. Twilight nor I are able to have restful minds.” She paused once more. “If we can't, then I doubt Spikey-wikey, who has had arguably the worst experience of us all at such a tender age, will fare better. It's better if we don't involve him... but I will tell him in the future.” Applejack scoffed. “Y'all can go ahead and indulge y'self in this hocus, but Ah have work t' do.” She stood up and walked to the door, stopping short of leaving. “Sorry, Rar'ty, Ah know how tough this is f' ya, but Ah jus' can't do this mumbo-jumbo... and the fact that we're bringin' th' rested into it is even more nerve-wreckin'. 'til next time,” she said before leaving the room. Rarity smiled as she left. “It's alright. Thanks for at least listening to me.” Rainbow shifted uncomfortably. “I... don't know what to think. Twilight once told us that curses and whatnot are just hoopla, and now she's diving headfirst into one? And you're with her?” Rainbow looked around at the others. “But Applejack left...” Shaking her head, Rarity stepped forward and rested a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder. “Same goes to you, Rainbow. Thank you for at least listening to me. You don't have to help right now, or ever, but I'm glad you came,” Rarity said. All eyes fell on Rainbow, which she attempted to shut out. She pressed both hooves against her head, rubbing her temples. She grunted a few times in thought, before sighing and letting her hooves drop. “I may not agree with you, but I could read some data and tell you what's interesting. I can't leave you with all this paper work, can I?” Rainbow responded, shrugging her shoulders. “And of course, I'm in! We'll giggle at those ghosties so Rarity can giggle with her Spikies!” Pinkie exclaimed, hopping off the bed and grabbing the box. “Oh, thank you Pinkie, and you too, Rainbow Dash!” She looked over to her pillows to see Fluttershy poking them, an uneasy look on her face. “What about you, dear?” Fluttershy looked at Rarity, shaking a bit when she did. She shook her head and rested her chin on the surface of the bed and sighed. “I don't know, Rarity. I mean, you and Twi both thing this is a curse, and others are d... dying,” she said, stopping. Rarity stepped onto her bed and waited for Fluttershy to continue. Fluttershy looked up to Rarity, tears welling up in her eyes. “I'm s-scared... I don't want to die!” Rainbow and Pinkie immediately turned around, lunging themselves onto the bed as well. “Fluttershy, drop the nonsense! You aren't going to die, and anybody that tries to make it happen will be talking to Nurse Redheart, because I'll beat them into pulp!” Rainbow shouted, pounding a hoof onto the bed. “Yeah, and while she's beating them into a pulp, I'll be throwing you a 'get well' party!” Pinkie shouted as well. Fluttershy buried her head into the bed, sobbing every few seconds. The three present quickly embraced her, allowing her to calm down. After a few minutes, Fluttershy stopped sobbing and raised her head. “I'm sorry, Rarity... the topic of... death is heavy, and I'm scared for myself. I know I won't be alone, but I-” Fluttershy was cut off by a hoof to her mouth. “I understand, Fluttershy. Again, thank you for listening.” Nodding, Fluttershy pushed herself to her hooves and quickly left the room after bidding them goodbye. Looking at the others, Rarity nodded while opening the box. Four envelopes flew out, landing between them. “Alright, one envelope for each pony. They contain their medical history, and comments regarding mannerisms. The comments were gathered from the guard when families were questioned. Snap-trap still has yet to be found, unfortunately,” Rarity said. She set one of them aside at random and handed them out. “Prince Blueblood was a regal pony, and the probability of slipping on a bar of soap is too farfetched for somepony as careful and stuck-up as he was. I'm surprised he didn't have maidens cleaning him.” She looked at her envelope and opened it, revealing the Prince Himself. “Blackhoof has had no health issues, yet he dies of massive heart failure, and not the random kind. It was one that he would have noticed weeks earlier, yet autopsy revealed no poison, adding more to the mystery.” She looked up as the other two pulled out their files. “Golden Shutter...” Rarity fought back the tears before focusing. “Just speak up if something is off. Be analytical to the fullest, and thank you once again for helping, girls.” “No problem at all, Rarity!” both ponies exclaimed. Sitting down, I examined the living room of the Sparkle residence. It was pristine, sophisticated, had fine art, and a loving family. Shining Armour and Twilight were playing a game of chess while I watched. Twilight had a plethora of books she bought from the bookstore in numerous boxes and bags. I bought myself a few games and puzzles. I discovered something called a 'Rubix cube,' and it soon became one of my favourite (and frustrating) games. Twilight had already one-upped me by completing the darn thing in under a minute, and then moved on to her current game. Mr. & Mrs. Sparkle sat by, talking while watching the game. Princess Cadence was sitting next to me, watching the scene unfold. As expected, Twilight dominated Shining's defences fell worse than Applejack's lies. Twilight shot through his pieces in record time. “Argh, you're too good at this game, Twilie. Go easy. We haven't seen each other in a while, and the first thing you do is remind me of my inability to master this thing?” Shining said, scratching his head as Twilight claimed his Solar piece. Snickering, Twilight responded. “That defeats the whole purpose of using my wits, Shining.” “C'mon, go easy on him, mom. A thick skull doesn't equal thick defences,” I quipped. “Hey, c'mon, I'm Captain of the Royal Guard! I'm suppose to be good at this, and my little sister is brushing me aside like a kindergarten colt!” He paused. “Wait, mom?” Twilight's parents looked at me with confusion as did the other two. Twilight snickered. “Well, he started calling me mother recently after several tragedies... I mean, I already treated him like a son,” she said, resetting the chessboard. “I've always wanted grandchildren!” Mrs. Sparkle exclaimed. “Although great grandchildren will confuse me.” “C'mon, grandma. You're speaking nonsense again,” I replied. A quick laugh later, I looked down at the Rubix cube in my claws. I felt a hoof nudging my shoulder. Looking to my right, Cadence was getting my attention. “Spike, I've noticed, in the time we've known each other, that you've been making googly eyes at one of your friends. The white mare known as Rarity, correct?” she asked in a low voice. Blushing, I sheepishly grinned and chuckled. “Well, yeah. Nothing major... I just love her, is all,” I responded, sinking back into the chair as if I could vanish. “I think it's sweet, but as Twilight said, tragedies have occurred in Ponyville, and I was wondering how Rarity, and you, have been doing,” Cadence asked. Sighing, I twiddled my thumbs for a second before looking over to the princess. “Ya really wanna know?” “Of course, why would I want to help out my nephew?” Nodding, I sighed, and began to recap my reaction to the events of the past few weeks. “The only thing suspicious we found is that Snap-trap was infamous among The Archive, and his disappearance could have been a kidnapping, or even a murder. The other thing is that Blackhoof suffered from Type 2 myocardial infarction, in simple terms, a heart attack due to the body requiring more or less oxygen and overworks itself in spasms,” Rarity said. She looked up to Rainbow Dash, who looked like she was going to be sick. Pinkie looked focused, but she definitely wasn't peppy. “I say we need to go find Snap-trap so we can confirm this buzz before jumping to conclusions,” Rainbow said, looking out the window. “In due time. For now, I want to get Blackhoof out of the way.” She looked solemn, almost angry. Pinkie looked over at Rarity, raising an eyebrow. “Rarity, are you okay? What did the comments about Blackhoof say?” Rarity bit her lip, resisting the urge to shout. Her eyes watered, and she clenched them shut. “According to his friends, 'he was using his girlfriend for physical pleasure' prior to his death,” she spat out, burying her head into her hooves. Pinkie immediately hugged Rarity. “Oh, I am so sorry! Please don't be sad, Rarity! You're already sad because of what's happened, and you're sad because of this potential curse! Don't be sad again! That's three layers, we don't know if that's even possible!” Rarity rubbed Pinkie's shoulder, pushing herself back. “Don't worry, Pinkie. I'll be fine. I just spent the longest time, believing him to be sweet, but that does raise something new...” Rubbing her eyes, Rarity exhaled coarsely. Rainbow and Pinkie looked at each other for a second before looking back to Rarity. “And?” they both asked. “None of them, excluding Golden Shutter, have treated me honestly and nicely.” “I'm so sorry, Spike. You've been through a lot for such a young dragon,” Cadence said, patting me on the shoulder. “So I've been told. S'all good. I'll be fine,” I said, looking down at my arms. It was almost as if I could still smell the blood. I shook my head and dropped my arms. I sighed, leaning back into the chair once more. Looking up at the Princess of Love, I sighed. “I love her, but I'm scared of what could happen if she returns my feelings,” I said, crossing my legs. Cadence smiled softly, and adjusted her sitting position quickly. “Do what you think is necessary. If you love her and she loves you, act on it while you still have lives to act with. Make the best use of your time.” I almost burst into laughter, but settled for a chuckle instead. “Mother and the Love Princess have both told me that, so maybe I should do that,” I said, looking at Twilight. “Love is one of the most powerful things in the world. Harmony, peace, friendship and love all work together, and when they are together, they are unstoppable.” Cadence looked over to her husband, smiling as he let out an aggravated scream at another loss. “Nothing in Equestria could stand between it.” True words flew far, and the words of love soared like a Sonic Rainboom. I loved Rarity, and if I wanted to prove it to her, and become her lover, I would have to address my sins in the future. Looking over as they played another chess game, I nodded my head. “My love for her save her, Ponyville, and myself. I would do anything, for Rarity,” I said, feeling warmth growing in my cheeks. “It will all work out in the end. Every little thing counts, and one day, Rarity will notice that. Love can't be ignored that easily, Spike the Dragon,” Cadence replied, sitting up. I nodded my head and did the same. “Now, before Shining Armour pops a blood vessel, what say we do something all of us could enjoy?” I said, walking over to the chess game. “Ooh! We can read my new books!” Twilight exclaimed, happily clopping her hooves. We stared at her with no verbal response, and she chuckled sheepishly. “Or... we could play a family friendly, fun-for-all board game?” she said, packing up the chessboard. “We'd love to,” the whole family said at once. Family. Me, my mother, and her family. A loving bond that couldn't be shattered by anything, and a love that motivated me to rush forward... but Celestia knows, something is nagging at my heartstrings.