The Alicorn and the dragon stood in the small room, staring at the latest result of Twilight’s idea boom.
One was so perplexed he almost felt smothered, so scratching his head: he looked up to the other.
“So…” He asked, searching for the correct wording.
“It’s a tree, Spike.” She answered, oblivious to his blood’s curdling.
Spike glared up at his mentor, mind in quite a plight: “I can see it’s quite obviously a tree, Twilight.
“If you want me to be specific, and I know you do: it’s a Xylomelum Pyriforme, placed here by you.”
He snipped, and he snapped: letting his sass become clear. “What I want to know is, what’s it doing in here?”
Twilight rolled her eyes slowly with the smuggest of smiles, and wiped some mud from her coat as she set forth her wiles.
“Call it an experiment, a test of sheer will: I want to see if trees grow inside during the winter still.
Therefore telling me if it’s a seasonal rearrange, or just something about their temperature change.”
Spike opened his mouth to speak, but shut it again once Starlight emerged from the other side of the den:
“A heat spell is cast so the soil stays warm!” She called with a tone of both pride and charm.
She made a saluting motion sharper than a splinter. “Now we just need to see if it waits through the winter.”
“Perfect,” Twilight sighed in complacent content, “now we can all go to bed, as we’re all but spent.
It’s only a couple weeks until Hearth’s Warming Eve, and it’s getting far too late for ponies I believe.”
The others agreed, and they all walked to their bedrooms. Not knowing of their unfortunate upcoming dooms.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Hwootwukaka wukakawukakawukakawukaka wuwuka wukaka!
Twilight shot upright in her bed: startled by the cacophony, and then rubbed her eyes to open them up with agony.
She glanced over to the clock on her nightstand, and scowled: getting up this early should be banned, not allowed.
‘Three in the morning, and the dang plumbing breaks?!’ She mused: feeling her dreams fall away like snowflakes.
Lifting herself from the warmth of her sheets, which in and of itself felt like quite a feat,
she groggily trotted down into the hall: and was greeted by her very first student of all.
She was joined by a very tired Starlight Glimmer: whose eyes were baggy, and mane looked fresh from a trimmer.
Twilight imagined that she didn’t look much better, as she felt restlessness grip her like a fetter.
The pink Unicorn rubbed her rosy red eyes, and glared down the hallway in unpleasant surprise:
“What stupid goblin in all of the land had the idea to wander in and strike up the band?”
Twilight gave her a tired hug as they both yawned: “Uhh… I think it’s just the pipes, Starlight. We’ll fix them at dawn.
For now, however, I think we should check: and mark down the spot so we can then recollect.”
Starlight nodded, but grabbed a broom anyways: just in case of a burglar, to whom she’d bring the end of days.
Spike joined their tired march not that long after, and together they followed the pipes’ unholy laughter.
“It’s coming from here?” Twilight asked in pure confusion, staring into the room which was the victim of intrusion.
Nothing looked out of place, no item looked dozed: the tree was rustling, the windows were closed.
And the entire setup was just as when they had left. Surely, if there was a burglar, the openings would be cleft?
‘Wait… what?!’
Twilight refocused her eyes to the tree with a squint, and shot them back open once the branch shook with a glint:
revealing a small creature that chose just that moment to resume its horrendously loud call of atonement.
Hwoot wukakawukakawukaka wukaka wukakawuwukawukaka!
Twilight leapt into the air with a beat of her wings, and pointed at the bird in confusion of things.
Then with a voice that shook the leaves in fury, shouted: “THERE’S A PARTRIDGE IN MY PEAR TREE!”
The partridge cocked its head at the display, and proceeded to call even louder much to her dismay.
“Maybe we should take it to Flutters?” Starlight suggested, approaching the fowl as Twilight requested.
Once she got within a hoof’s reach of it, though: it fluttered off to a higher branch, nimbler than a doe.
“Good idea,” Twilight affirmed, taking her turn to reach for the stubborn pigeon who was more of a leech.
Once again, the bird blended into the tree : showing a sharp talent in the art of fleeing.
Spike saw where it had landed, and pounced with glee: only to end up empty-handed on the other end of the tree.
He got up, and rubbed his bruised head with regret. “Maybe it’d be a better idea to bring Fluttershy to it…”
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Twilight looked on as the shy Pegasus quietly examined the pestilence of a bird, and asked all of what happened.
Clipping her hooves together and hoping for some sort of an explanation, Twilight hoped that she wasn’t telling the history of the nation.
The little fowl kept twittering on, flinging her wings as if she was the one who should be offended, and making Twilight feel miffed.
She nearly burst a blood vessel in the building suspense when Fluttershy walked in with an air of good sense.
The bird had quieted after hours of squawking, and Twilight couldn’t even pass the time with talking.
She patted her hoof on the seat with impatience as her friend offered a smile most gracious.
“Well?” Twilight hissed, before she took a deep breath: and avoided plotting the foul bird’s untimely death.
Fluttershy looked back to the bird for subvention, before returning her thoughts to the princess’ full attention.
“All she’ll say is that she was sent here, and she’d hoped she would have nothing to fear.
“Owlowicious, your pet, said to wait until morning. She decided to sit, and didn’t expect such a scorning!
She wanted to see if she could call for a mate. She’s awfully sorry that she woke you so late:
she had no idea that her calls would echo much, it was such a mistake she’d hoped never to touch.”
Twilight lifted a hoof to rub the bridge of her nose. “My palace is built out of crystal for prose…
Never mind that, she’s a partridge: not a beast! They’re supposed to be quiet… to my knowledge, at least.”
Her tone was annoyed, but with a laugh from her friend: she looked up from her musing, confused to no end.
“Maybe most partridges, but this little lady here is a Chukar. And no other partridge is as loud as they are!”
Fluttershy stated such news with a hint of pride, before letting her joy quickly subside.
Twilight groaned in pent up frustration, prompting the mare to renew her insinuation:
“But, she has agreed to speak quietly, so unless you say otherwise: she won’t cause you such a nasty surprise.”
“While I don’t wish to be rude, can she find another place to stay?” Twilight hissed, louder than she would’ve liked to say.
The bird in question poked her head through a window alone, and squawked in an outright offended tone.
“Oh my,” Fluttershy gasped, rushing over to the avian, and speaking through their window: “It’s alright, ma’am, she honestly doesn’t know…”
I ‘don’t know’ what?” Twilight asked in begrudged interest, hoping that the pair wouldn’t mind her nosiness.
"She says she was sent to you as a gift, Twilight,” the yellow mare explained with a smile most bright.
“And Chukar don't deny that immense accountability: they are loyal to a fault beyond all reasonability.
She even volunteered to be Owlowicious' game prey, in case he ever wants some hunting exercises or play!"
Twilight opened her mouth to object with sheer fact, but shut it again immediately: deep in thought at her tact.
"Well... Owlowiscious has been getting a little bit of a pudge, even for an owl who doesn’t eat fudge...
alright!" She beamed, extending a wing for the now-ecstatic partridge to perch on like a king.
She turned to the bird, and smirked wide as she held: "I think I'll call you a fitting name... like Suadelle!"
The pigeon proclaimed as Suadelle called happily, and nuzzled herself into Twilight's mane sappily.
Fluttershy giggled at the touching display, and opened the door for them to be on their way:
"I hope things from here go along quite well. For both you, and your new little partridge, Suadelle"
Twilight cantered out the door with an appreciative grin. "I have no doubt we will. Thank you, Flutters, you’re the best of my friends!"
Once the door was closed, however, she turned back to Suadelle…
"You can feed yourself, right?"
The partridge rolled her eyes, as if that would tell.