//------------------------------//
// An "It's In Your Hooves" Adventure (Comedy, Random, Adventure) 
// Story: xjuggerscrapsx 
// by xjuggernaughtx 
//------------------------------//

“Sweetie Belle, you come back here with my pinking shears!”
 
“Don’t worry, sis!  I’m just—whoa!”
 
Spike grimaced and threw himself to the left just as Sweetie Belle rounded the corner.  Her eyes flew wide and she had just enough time to hop over him.  Spike covered his head as her hooves came dangerously close to his face.
 
“Sorry, Spike!” she called back to him as she left the path and ran into the forest.
 
“Hey!” he answered, dusting himself off.  “Didn’t anypony tell you not to gallop with—oof!”  Spike groaned as Rarity plowed into him.  Together, they rolled into a bush in a tangled heap.
 
“Sweetie Belle, when I catch you…” Rarity yelled after the receding hoofbeats of her younger sister.  Spike gingerly touched the growing lumps on his head.
 
“What was that all about?” he said, climbing slowly back to his feet.
 
“Oh, Spike, my most sincere apology,” Rarity answered, pulling out a small whiskbroom to clean the dirt and twigs caught under the dragon’s scales.  “My sister’s friends think they might get their cutie marks in scrapbooking.”  Rarity glared into the forest where Sweetie Belle had disappeared.  “Apparently, this means shearnapping my heavy gauge, limited edition Pink Dream pinking shears!”  She whirled around, snarling at Spike.  “I swear, if those shears come back with even one spot of hot glue on them, they will be wearing last year’s motifs for the rest of their lives!”  Spike shrank back, his eyes darting from side to side.
 
“Uh, It sure—” he began.  Rarity threw her back, pressing the back of her hoof to her forehead dramatically.
 
“Oh, if only there was some brave, noble somepony who could return my shears to me!” she exclaimed, her large eyes moistening.  “I’m afraid I’m quite pressed for time.”  With a sigh, Rarity turned to walk away.  Kicking a small rock, she slowly made her way back to town. 
 
What will you do?
 
To offer to help Rarity, hit ctrl F and type 001
To continue on your merry way, hit ctrl F and type 002
To check out what Pinkie Pie is up to, hit ctrl F and type 003
 
001 – Helping Rarity
 
“Hey, Rarity!  Stop!”  Spike called after the unicorn.  As she turned back to him, Spike’s heart fluttered in his chest.  As her eyes met his, he could feel the world recede.  They were all alone.
 
“Yes, Spike?” she said, batting her expertly curled eyelashes.
 
“Would you, uh, I mean, can I… do you need me?”  Blushing furiously, Spike held out is hands in front of him to ward off Rarity’s questioning gaze.  “I mean, do you want me to go get the shears for you?”
 
“Why, Spikey-Wikey, would you?!”  Rarity rushed back and pressed her hooves into his cheeks, rubbing his face.  “That would be most appreciated!”  Rarity pulled him close, snuggling her cheek against his.  “Spike, you are such a gem!  A pony can always count on you!”  Releasing the little dragon, Rarity pulled out a small mirror and checked her mane.  “Ah, perfect.  Of course.”  She turned back to the road into Ponyville, trotting brinkly away.  “Thanks ever so much!” she called over her shoulder.  “I’ll have a little something special ready for you when you stop by the boutique!”  Spike’s hands shook as he watched Rarity turn the corner and disappear from view.
 
“Perfect,” he sighed, swaying slightly from side to side.  “Absolutely perfect.”  Shaking himself, he turned to stare into the forest.  “And she’s got a present for me!”  Bringing his fist to his heart, Spike drew himself up to his full height.  “Rarity’s in trouble and I’ll show her that nopony is more reliable than Spike!  Now, where should I start?”
 
To send Spike to the CMC clubhouse, hit Ctrl F and type 004
To send Spike to Cheerilee’s schoolhouse, hit Ctrl F and type 005
To send Spike to bed, hit Ctrl F and type 006
 
002 – Spike Continues on His Merry Way
 
Spike nearly called out to Rarity as she turned the corner.  She had briefly glanced back at him and sighed, hanging her head low.  On his right shoulder, a tiny winged Angel Spike whispered words of friendship and encouragement to him.  On his left, a red-suited dragon with a pitchfork reminded him that this was his day off.  Panicking about Princess Luna’s upcoming visit, Twilight had worked his claws to the bone recently.  The forces within him were still arguing when Rarity stepped around the corner and out of sight.
 
Stretching, Spike thrust his hands high above him, and sighed as his shoulders popped.  With a last look back to where Rarity had disappeared, he shrugged and continued on.  He had been planning this trip to Zecora’s hut for a week now.  She had promised to show him how to prepare amethyst brittle.  The thought of the sweet flavors of gems and freshly roasted nuts was suddenly overpowering.  Drooling, he began to run into the Everfree Forest.  The dark, forbidding Everfree Forest.  The Forest with timberwolves.  And cockatrices.  And manticores.  Pulling up short, Spike slowly scanned the wall of tangled branches before him.  Swallowing loudly, he glanced back to sunny Ponyville.  Maybe somepony would want to come with him.
 
To send Spike into the Everfree Forest alone, hit Ctrl F and type 007
To head back into Ponyville, hit Ctrl F and type 008
To turn this into an unnecessary crossover, hit Ctrl F and type 009
 
003 – What’s Pinkie Pie Up To?     
 
“Hey, wait!  Where are you—?”  Spike cries out as you rapidly flip away from his boring ol’ story.  Rarity and Spike!  Pfft!  Flying rapidly way, you land near Fluttershy’s cottage and abandon this weird second person stuff.  Where did you come from, anyway?
 
Pinkie bounced around Fluttershy with ever increasing speed.  “I can’t believe it!” Pinkie squealed.  “I just can’t believe it!”
 
Fluttershy dropped her gaze down to her hooves.  She was beginning to get woozy, and Angel Bunny was looking a little green.  She loved having Pinkie over, but the problem was that Pinkie was over here and over there and over everywhere a little too much.
 
“Pinkie, I never knew you were so interested in the annual otter reunion.”  Smiling gently, she fished out an invitation.  Pinkie snatched it away, ripping it open.
 
“Never knew I was so interested?!” she cried, her eyes devouring the inviting.  Suddenly she looked away, frowning.  “Actually, I didn’t know I was interested either.  But look!” she said, thrusting the invitation into Fluttershy’s face.  “They have mud sliding!”  Angle rolled his eyes as Pinkie did a small dance of joy.  “Who wouldn’t love that?!”  She reached down and gave Angel’s check a playful pinch.  “It otter be a really great time!” she giggled.  Angel slapped her hoof away and hopped off in disgust.
 
“Oh, but you must be careful,” Fluttershy said, cringing slightly.  “Some of the otters slide really fast, and they make a really big splash when the hit the water.”  Pinkie raised an eyebrow.
 
“What’s the problem with that?” she asked.
 
“Well,” Fluttershy said, rubbing one foreleg against the other.  “It’s just… loud.”  Pinkie threw her legs around Fluttershy and drew her into a bear hug.  Fluttershy let out a surprised squeak. 
 
“Oh, Fluttershy!” Pinkie squealed.  “You’re such a crack-up!”  She released her pegasus friend so quickly that Fluttershy dropped to the ground.  “We’ll leave immediately!” Pinkie said adventurously, drawing herself up to her full height. 
 
“But, um, the reunion isn’t, um, until later this week,” Fluttershy said from behind a curtain of silky pink hair.  “And it’s going to be here at the cottage.”  Undaunted, Pinkie pulled out a pith helmet, thrusting onto her head.
 
“Then we will go on a quest to the deepest, darkest, most uncharted part of Sugarcube Corner, and return with the Cupcake Idol!”  She smiled widely at Fluttershy, trotting in place.  “The otters will hail us as heroes!”  Fluttershy retreated a few steps.
 
“Um, Pinkie, what are you talking about?” she asked, wishing she had left with Angel Bunny.
 
“Adventure!” Pinkie said, laughing.  Fluttershy struggled as Pinkie grabbed her and tried to fit her with an eyepatch.  “C’mon, Fluttershy!  You’ll need this where we are going!”
 
To send them to Deepest, Darkest Sugarcube Corner, hit Ctrl F and type 010
To have sanity return to Fluttershy’s life, hit Ctrl F and type 011
To say “Okay, what the hell?” and return to Spike, hit Ctrl F and type 012
 
004 – Spike Goes to the Clubhouse
 
The sound of giggling drifted toward Spike as he hurried along the well-worn path to the Crusader clubhouse. 
 
I’m supposed to be meeting Zecora now, but I’m sure she won’t mind if I’m a little late, Spike thought.  This is a fashion emergency, after all!
 
Despite his rationale, his stomach growled loudly.  Zecora was going to teach him how to make amethyst brittle and he had purposefully skipped lunch to make it extra special.
 
I sure hope the girls have some snacks! he thought, ascending the ramp to the door.
 
“Hey, did y’all hear somethin’?” Apple Bloom’s muffled voiced asked through the door.
 
“Yeah, I heard it to!” replied Scootaloo.
 
The clubhouse door slammed open, and Spike barely had time to dodge out of the way.
 
“Who goes there?” Sweetie Belle boldly cried, standing challengingly in the doorway “Declare yourselves or – oh, hi, Spike!”  She cocked her head to the side.  “What are you doing laying around on our porch?”
 
“Laying around?!” Spike said, dusting himself off.  “You nearly killed me with that door!”
 
“Oh, sorry!” Apple Bloom said, poking her head outside.  “Sweetie Belle here gets a mite excited sometimes.”  She poked the little unicorn in the ribs.  “Don’tcha?”
Blushing, Sweetie Belle reached out a hoof to help Spike back to his feet.  “How come you’re here, Spike?”  Pausing, her eyes grew wide and she gasped.  “You wanna join up, don’t you?!” 
 
Scootaloo and Apple Bloom lunged out of the clubhouse, each grabbing one of Spike’s hands.  He began backpedalling furiously, but their enthusiasm-fueled combined might was too much for him and they pulled him in.  He jumped as Sweetie Belle slammed the door shut behind him with enough force to knock a map of Ponyville off of the wall. 
 
Scootaloo thrust a worn crate under him, knocking the dragon off of his feet, while Apple Bloom threw a cape around his shoulders.  Taking a step back, she eyed it critically.
 
“Spike,” she asked, tilting her head to the side, frowning, “did you ever think of dyin’ your scales?  The color kinda does go with the uniform, if you know what I mean.”
 
“But—” Spike began.
 
“Don’t be ridiculous, Apple Bloom!” Scootaloo said, rolling her eyes.  “Spike can’t dye his scales.  We’ll have to paint them!”
 
“Now, hold on—” Spike said, attempting to get up.  Sweetie Belle pushed him back down with both hooves.
 
“Do you bring the snacks?” she asked, smiling widely.  “It’s always the job of the newest member to bring the snacks to the meeting.”
 
“Wait, I—”
 
“YOU CAN BEGIN CRUSADING TODAY?!” all three of the girls cried out in unison.  Spike grimaced, pinwheeling his arms and falling off of the crate into the corner.  Cringing, he held up his hands to ward the girls off as they advanced on him.
 
“I-I can’t join your club!” he sputtered, eyes darting left and right for an exit.  “I’m a dragon!  I can’t even get a cutie mark!”
 
Apple Bloom place a hoof on the wall over his head and leaned down toward him.  “You sure about that?”
 
Scootaloo crossed her hooves, eying him coolly.  “Yeah,” she said.  “Have you ever tried?”
 
Spike looked up at them as they loomed over him.  Wringing his hands, he was looking toward the door when a gleam caught his eye.  There, on the table, was a set of pinking shears.  Unconsciously reaching out for them, Spike jumped as Sweetie Belle stepped directing into his line of sight.
 
“Come on, Spike!” Sweetie Belle implored.  “It’ll be fun!  You can help us with our scrapbooks!”
 
Spike grinned, seeing the possibilities before him.
 
To join the Cutie Mark Crusaders hit Ctrl F and type 013
To grab the shears and make a break for it, hit Ctrl F and type 014
To give the Cutie Mark Crusaders a lecture on responsibility, hit Ctrl F and type 015           
 
 
012 – Returning to Spike
 
Spike jumps to his feet as you arrive, giving you a disgusted sigh.  “Oh, so you’re back, huh?” he says, hands on his hips.  “You think you can just drop my storyline and then come crawling back when Pinkie Pie is too weird for you?” 
 
Turning on his heel, Spike walks off into the dense forest.  “Well, you can just forget it.  I’m not hanging around with fickle readers!  I had all this great stuff planned out, but why bother?”  Spike gives you a dirty look as he pushes back a branch, allowing himself passage into the Everfree Forest.  “Go bother some other fictional character.  I’m out of here.”
 
Good job, reader.  You made Spike angry and changed the tense of the story.  Now I have to re-edit.  You go back to the beginning of the story and think about what you did!