Twilight Gets a Puppy
By TDR
Friendship is Puppies, episode 2
Part 1
[Ponyville, town hall]
Spike Sparkle was contemplating his lot in life. And in truth it wasn't that bad. He was from a well to do family, worked as his big sisters assistant, which afforded him a lot of leeway and time to be lazy. He was privately schooled by a tutor who only showed up once a week or so with a lesson plan and tests, all of which he was passing. He had food, he had shelter, life was pretty good actually.
There were a few things he wanted to improve on though. Like getting his sister to calm down some and maybe having some friends closer to his own age. Nothing against his brothers and the older ponies he knew, but it just wasn't quite the same.
The trip to Ponyville had been the most fun he'd had in a long time despite the weird mission statement from the Princess. He'd met Applebloom and a bunch of other foals who thought he was interesting and none of them were really seemed scared of him at all. It was like one of the best nights ever and he never wanted it to end.
Of course the universe at that point decided to screw with him and attempted to make it happen.
He was currently in front of the drink table with easily a dozen foals huddled under it staring up at the swirling vortex of darkness and the cackling black alicorn at the center of it all. Twilight was frozen in the center of the room at the display of power. A glance at the back of the hall showed Rahs was trapped behind a herd of ponies, though his gaze seemed to be locked on the swirling black miasma over every ponies head rather than trying to get past the ones trapping him. Neither of them were doing anything.
There were foals under the table who needed help and a mess of ponies who needed the same.
Spike was terrified just like every other pony in the place.
Spike however had grown up with comic books, making heroes and adventures in Oubliettes and Ogres, and being told how awesome he was for being a Dragon by Twilight's few friends back in Canterlot and Princess Celestia herself.
Spike was in what was known in his games as a 'Paladin's dilemma'. He was out classed, out matched, and over powered, but there were numerous innocents to protect, there was no way this was going to end well for him.
He didn't hesitate.
“Applebloom on my signal take every one under the table out the fire door over there, head to the library. Hide every one in the basement, I don't know if there's a better spot in town for shelter, but I don't think there's time to look.”Spike ordered.
“Umm well alright … but what signal, what are yah gonna do?” Applebloom winced.
Spike half smirked. “ You'll know it when you see it.”
Spike moved away from the table where the foals were just in case there was a retaliatory strike. Nightmare Moon didn't seem to notice the little drake who had moved closer to the balcony as she seemed more content to cackle madly and stare down at the ponies. It actually looked like she was casting some sort of big spell with the way the air was filling with her power. Spike paused and inhaled deeply.
Time to see if her save versus Dragon fire was high enough.
There were more screams as Spike exhaled, the fountain of green flame bursting out of his mouth flared out and made the whole town hall light up with the green glow of his flame.
Unfortunately the flame's arc wasn't enough to reach up to the balcony from his position on the ground.
Fortunately that didn't seem to matter as the heat from the blast made the dark alicorn recoil from the edge of the balcony, the swirling mass of a spell gathering above them disrupted and disapateing. The fear that had frozen every pony in place vanished in a instant.
“SEIZE HER! SHE MUST KNOW WHERE THE PRINCESS IS!!” Mayor Mare bellowed out.
Several of the Royal Guard who had been caught up in the spell snapped back to reality and launched themselves in the air at Nightmare Moon.
The nightmare looked over at the burning garlands on the side of the balcony and down at the purple drake below her.
“Well this is new.” She hissed, her attention snapped in a instant from Spike to the Guard that rushed her. “ STAY BACK YOU FOOLS!” She snarled.
Lightning lanced from the fading miasma above, striking two of the Pegasi and a third was felled by a blow from her nebulous mane.
The Guards crashed to the ground and the rest of the ponies in the room went mad with panic, running around like roaches when the lights were turned on.
Nightmare Moon hissed at the panic and her disrupted spell. She faded into a shadow that swirled in the air before darting through the crowd and out the door of the town hall into the night.
Spike glanced over at the fire door seeing it open and Applebloom and the other foals gone, his attention quickly turned back to the fleeing alicorn his eyes wide.
“By the stars that worked?” Spike stammered before trundling off as quick as he could towards the library to make sure the foals were alright and to get out of the way of the stampeding locals.
Two words echoed in both Rahs and Twilight's mind when they saw the flash of green fire lance at Nightmare Moon.
'That idiot'.
Still it seemed fortune favored the young and foolish and Spike was barely spared a glance after the attack against the alicorn.
That also didn't mean the pair of them weren't going to lay into him later.
Twilight didn't have the time to wait and seeing Spike run towards the fire door that the rest of the town seemed to forget. She scooped her brother up in her magic and dropped him on her back running out the door towards the library. Rahs could take care of himself, and she was going to chew Spike out as she ran.
Rahs had enough of this nonsense and rather than trying to push his way past the stampeding ponies he started picking them up and tossing them out of the way toward the open door, unless they were Pegasi, then he just tossed them straight up in the air and hoped they remembered they had wings while still airborne. Some didn't.
He was decidedly less gentle with them by the time he got to one of the fallen Guards who was in danger of being trampled. Picking one up putting the unconscious pony over his shoulder he started making his way towards the others only for Applejack to beat him there. The mare flung the Guard over her back and started towards an open area fighting against the swarming ponies. Big mac had already picked up the third guard and his massive form simply plodded along, the milling herd parting around him like a river around a boulder.
Rahs made his way over to the two where they were clearing off a table to put the prone Guards.
“Mac ah need you to find a doc or something, Nurse Redheart had a first aid station set up on tha other side of tha hall.” Applejack called out. “Ah need tah go git Dash before she does something stupid, she already took off after Nightmare Moon.”
“Eeeyup.” Mac stated starting to make his way towards the aid station only to stop as Pinkie Pie appeared with Nurse Redheart in tow.
“This is not the kinda party I like.” Pinkie Pie stated bounding through the crowd towards them. “ I let nurse Red Heart know what's going on over here. Where's Fluttershy and Rarity? They were way too close to black snooty.”
“Up here darling.” Rarity leaned over the balcony with Fluttershy behind her. “That was totally horrible....... the Worst. THING. EVEER! She nearly mussed my mane.....”
Applejack narrowed her eyes at the prissy pony, before looking to Rahs. “ That was some quick thinking by yer brother there. Ah don't know what was going on but ah don't think ah ever been that scared before. Soon as Spike spit some fire though, it went away.”
Rahs grumbled a bit about Spike's involvement, though his ears perked up as Rarity chimed in.
“Oh I know ,both he and Twilight saved the day there, there was no telling what that monster was going to do to poor Fluttershy and I if Twilight hadn't spoken up and then Spikey in that brave act of heroism. If I wasn't already going to apologize to them for earlier I truly will have to now.”
“Yeah, Twilight was the only one who knew who Black Snooty was. That was awesome.... and wait... how did Twilight know who she was?” Pinkie Pie piped in.
“That was mighty convenient.” Applejack added.
The five ponies looked at the Moon Dog curiously. Rahs flattened his ears to his head and grumbled again.
[ Ponyville Library]
It looked like a tornado had run through the library. The aftermath of the party had not been cleaned up and adding to that were books scattered everywhere as Twilight franticly flipped through them looking for anything she could find on the Elements.
It didn't help matters that Spike couldn't help her as he was trying to get the foals hidden in the basement to calm down, collecting information on their parents as well so he could go look for them.
It helped even less that there was a pissed off cyan colored Pegasus trapped in a glowing orb of Twilight's magic cursing up a storm at Twilight as she bounced around the library like a drunken hamster in a ball.
Twilight was flipping through another book franticly when the door opened and Twilight didn't even bother to look up.
“I don't have time for any more distractions, the foals are in the basement and if you're here to threaten me or make demands I've got plenty more bubbles to go around.” Twilight cursed as she tossed the book aside and grabbed another.
“Woof.” Rahs stated pointing out the frantic reading to the four mares and the one stallion that followed him.
“Rahs, good you're here, help me find a book about the Element's of Harmony and ignore the Pegasus, she started it.” Twilight explained not looking up. “Spike's fine he's in the basement with the foals. These books are completely out of order. I have no idea who runs this library but I want to choke them.”
“Bork!” Rahs exclaimed throwing his paws in the air in frustration before he started looking over the shelves.
“Lemmi guess. Rainbow came in looking fer a scrape cause yah knew who Nightmare Moon was?” Applejack questioned looking at the ball and the cursing Pegasus inside.
“Right and she took a swing at me when I told her to go away......Applejack?” Twilight blinked looking up finally and seeing all the others gathered around.
“What exactly are you looking for Darling.” Rarity asked looking at the books strewn about.
Twilight sighed. “ I read all about the predictions of Nightmare Moon. Some mysterious objects called the Element's of Harmony are the only things that can stop her. But I don't know what they are, or where to find them. I don't even know what they do!”
“The Element's of Harmony, a reference guide.” Pinkie Pie stated out loud looking at a shelf.
Twilight rushed over nearly knocking the pink pony aside.” How did you find that?”
“It was under 'E'” Pinkie Pie chimed up.
“E? E!!!!! IT WAS UNDER E?!?!” Twilight ranted. “It's a non fiction reference, you don't file non fiction alphabetically!?!?! It should be in the 000's with the other magical sciences, or the 200s if they are religious artifacts, maybe even the 500s or 600s! NOT UNDER E!!!!”
“WOOF!” Rahs shouted.
Twilight paled.”Right right, focus, focus........ end of everything at stake, rant about terrible book keeping later.”
Twilight flipped open the book looking through it as the others gathered around her.
“Let's see … there are six Elements of Harmony, but only five are known. Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty, and Loyalty. The sixth is a complete mystery. It is said that the last known location of the Elements of Harmony was in the castle of the royal sisters, Whinnyshire. The castle is located in what is now known as …. the Everfree forest.”Twilight concluded.
“Yah, know somehow that don't surprise me none.” Applejack grumbled.
“Eeeyup.” Big Mac added.
“Of course it doesn't dear... this simply couldn't be easy now could it.” Rarity added.
“Do I want to know?” Twilight asked.
“The Everfree Forest is kinda bad news.” Pinkie Pie added in. “It's full of monsters and Timber wolves and who knows what else.”
“At least one pack of Diamond Dogs that I know of.” Rarity sighed.
“Right so when do we leave.” Spike stated standing at the door to the basement having been listening into the conversation.
“Oh no, you're not going anywhere.”Twilight chided. “It's bad enough you attacked her earlier we don't need to out there possibly getting hurt.”
“Yeah well, I didn't see you doing anything but standing there when she was here, so I'm already one up on you when it comes to battling her.” Spike snorted.”This would have been over by now if I had been taller.”
“Spike......” Twilight began.
“Bark.” Rahs interrupted.
“What? What do you mean he has a point?” Twilight demanded.
“Woof, bark woof.” Rahs explained.
“Hmmm yeah I can see that. Alright.” Spike nodded.
Those who could understand Rahs looked thoughtful, while those who couldn't just looked confused.
“Care to explain dear?”Rarity asked Fluttershy.
“Oh, Rahs suggested that Spike stay here and protect the foals he rescued. He'll have the home field advantage here and he won't have to worry about her being out of reach again if he can set up the field of battle.”
“Big Mac stay here and help Spike. We need some pony who knows tha ponies around town to tell the foals parents where they are.” Applejack stated.
Big Mac turned and glared down at his sister.
“Don't you even give me that look Big Macintosh. We both know what castle she's talking about and I've been in that area more'n you have.” Applejack snapped glaring back up at him from under her hat. “Yah know durn well how arguing with me's gonna work out for yah Mac. And we ain't got tha time.”
The large red stallion snorted and glared down at his sister before turning his attention to Rahs and Twilight. “Ya'll better make sure she stays unhurt or else.” Big Mac stated flatly before walking over to Spike and down into the basement with the Dragon to see who he had rescued.
“Well that wasn't threatening at all.” Twilight stammered.
“Don't mind him, he's just a might overprotective of me an Bloom.” Applejack offered.
“Woof.” Rahs nodded understanding.
“Right, well I don't want to bring you but if you really know the way to the castle. That will be helpful.” Twilight stated.
“Ah do. Never been inside, but ah know tha path too it. Been by a few times looking fer wild Zapp Apples.”Applejack stated. “ Any way there's a lot of cliffs and sink holes in there so we're gonna need tha hamster there too. Good flier's a boon in those woods.”
Twilight looked over at the fuming Rainbow Dash still in the bubble. She growled and dropped the spell letting Dash tumble out of it.
“Bout bucking time!!” Dash snapped.” So let's get going, Black snooty's not gonna kick her own tail.”
“Do we need supplies or anything?” Rarity asked. “How long is the trip?”
“Excuse you?” Twilight blinked.
“What? You really didn't think I was going to let you go out there alone and be eaten or worse before I could apologize properly did you?” Rarity scoffed. “Besides what part of ' there is a pack of Diamond Dogs in the Everfree, did you miss hear.”
“I don't see what that has to do with you.” Twilight questioned.
“Rarity here's actually one of tha reasons the Dogs don't try to raid the town any more.” Applejack snorted.”While a'hm not fond of her coming along, mostly cause I dun wanna hear her whining about her hooves gitting dirty, she's got a point. We encounter a pack she knows how tah deal with um best.”
“I've got supplies, I've got supplies. Streamers, and drinks, and ropes, for if it's that kind of party, and a ten foot pole, and cake, and flashlights, and candles, and a party cannon and............ “ Pinkie Pie listed off a host of supplies as she bounded around the group pulling each one out of her mane as she listed it before stuffing them back into her mass of hair.
“How?” Twilight stammered.
“Trust me it's better fer you if you don't question Pinkie Pie.” Rainbow Dash added.
“Woof.” Rahs chimed in pointing to the yellow Pegasus that had come over to him.
“What Fluttershy want's to go?” Twilight blinked as the yellow Pegasus nodded meekly. Twilight rubbed her temples with her hooves.”I get Applejack and Rainbow Dash, and I sorta understand Rarity's reason, not gonna ask about Pinkie Pie, but why would Fluttershy want to come?”
“I want to help.” Fluttershy muttered.
“But.” Twilight began.
“Bark.” Rahs pointed out.
“Oh right, talking to animals could be useful. Okay. I guess you can come too. Though I figure my magic and Rahs' brute force can deal with most issues.” Twilight agreed blinking a moment as she looked up at her brother curiously as if noting something.
“So ah guess we should be off then.” Applejack stated heading for the door.” Sooner tha better, Ah got crops that need tha sun.”
“Right, let's go.” Twilight stated sparing a glance back at her brother. For a brief moment she could have sworn Rahs' eyes had been filled with stars.