Twilight Gets a Puppy
by TDR
Dog show Stoppers,
part 2
[ The next day ]
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Spike screamed.
Scootaloo ignored the Dragon clinging to the wagon behind her for dear life as it soared over the crowd. She landed perfectly, sending Granny Smith into a spin before some how picking up speed as she tore into the forest hopping logs and jumping over branches. At one point she left the cart completely causing another panicked cry from Spike before she landed back on her scooter and burst into the clearing that held the clubhouse.
Spike was an alright guy, but he was a bit of a wus.
Applebloom yelped as Scootaloo hit the breaks skidding to a stop and snapping the wagon around with her launching Spike though the air to crash into the bushes on the far side of the clearing.
“Wow Scootaloo that was impressive. Got some distance on um too.” Applebloom smirked trotting over to help the much paler Spike to his feet.
Scootaloo let out a whistle looking around the clearing.”Wow, did you do all this?”
“Yep, cleaned up the area fixed tha holes added more support re-shingled tha roof and jus finished painting it when you came up.” Applebloom stated.
“Cool where's Sweetiebelle?” Scootaloo asked.
“Right over here.” Sweetiebelle chimed in, walking over to look at Spike.” Caught a ride with Scootaloo huh?”
“You would think I’d learn after that rocket jump last time.” Spike shuddered.
“It wasn't that bad.....” Scootaloo huffed.
“Then why is he white?.” Applebloom offered worriedly.
“By Celestia, Applebloom you can't just ask some pony why they're white.....” Scootaloo rolled her eyes.
“He's a dragon.” Applebloom protested.
“Eh whatever.”Scootaloo shrugged.
“Oh that's normal anyway, riding with Scoots scares the color right out of you. I used to be pink like my mother.” Sweetiebelle claimed.
“It does not!” Scootaloo protested.
“Walking from now on.” Spike muttered as Sweetiebelle giggled.
Applejack whistled lightly as she walked up the ramp towards the club house. Her ears perked up as she heard singing from inside. It was rather nice, though she winced as she heard Spike and Scootaloo join in, loudly, and painfully off key.
Quite a bit had been done with the place. The color scheme was a bit off putting, but she recalled the bright neon colors she had used when this was hers, and the black and gray Mac had used before her when he was going through his emo phase, so something looking like a fancy cake wasn't too bad.
Half way up the ramp however Applejack let out a loud yelp as it gave way under her dropping the mare down a few feet into a pile of leaves under the ramp. The ramp swung back into place just as the leaves gave out under her dropping her into a pit filled with mud. Applejack cursed looking up at the top of the pit as a net made of vines dropped down over her and a little bell started ringing .
“Is that the alarm?” Scootaloo shouted.
“Something fell in the trap. “Sweetiebelle answered, “And it wasn't me this time.”
“Guess Spike's idea wasn't bad after all.” Applebloom stated.
“Told you.” Spike chimed in.
The thunder of little hooves sounded as they ran down the ramp peering over the edge of the pit looking in.
“Uh oh.” Applebloom winced looking at her angry sister.
“Is it a zombie?” Spike asked looking over the edge.” Oh.....”
“Huh, who'd have thought a trap from that dumb Ogres and Oubliettes game would have worked.” Scootaloo shrugged.
“Theme song?” Applejack asked wiping some mud off her hooves as she looked over the interior of the club house. There was a hoof drawn map of the town, a small book shelf filled with books of various kinds, mostly comics, a few garish and girly throw pillows, a couple of Wonderbolts posters and a number of other nick-knacks that showed fairly clearly who contributed what to the club house.
“Every great adventuring party has a theme song.” Spike offered.
“We're still working on ours.” Sweetiebelle muttered.
“We're not going to stop until we get our Cutiemarks.” Scootaloo shouted.
“No stone left unturned!” Applebloom chimed in.
“No mountain left unclimbed.” Scootaloo added
“No meal left uncooked!” Sweetiebelle added.
“No gems left uneaten!” Spike added his two bits.
“I'm still leery of that one.” Sweetiebelle muttered.
“Well if you don't want it, I’ll eat your gems for you.” Spike smiled.
“Well sounds like you got a plan.....I gotta head back an.. uh leave no apple unpicked, you all have fun, just.. ease up on tha traps. Okay?” Applejack muttered.
The four of them watched applejack head back down the ramp, leery of the spot she fell through before though when it didn't go off she kept going.
“I still think the noose trap would have been funnier.” Sweetiebelle offered.
“Maybe if we build a secret back door to the club house we can put it there.” Applebloom claimed.
“Why would we need a back door?” Scootaloo asked.”Or even the traps to begin with?”
“Zombies” Spike offered getting an eye roll from the Pegasus.
“Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.” Sweetiebelle stated flatly.
“Oh? Would they even come out this far?” Scootaloo questioned.
“To make us miserable, ah wouldn't put anything past them.” Applebloom muttered.
“I still don't have that much of an issue with them.” Spike shrugged.
“That's because the best thing they can come up with for you is to call you 'scaly'.” Scootaloo grumbled.
“Any way enough of that what are we doing now?”Applebloom asked.
“Crusading to get our cutiemarks?” Sweetiebelle chimed.
“Sounds good to me.” Scootaloo grinned.
“Oh boy.” Spike winced.
[Sweet Apple Acres ]
Sweetiebelle, Spike, Scootaloo, and Applebloom dumped the buckets of slop into the troughs surprisingly without incident. Sweetiebelle hopped up ringing the dinner bell as Applebloom opened the door to the outside pig pen.
The squeal of hogs was heard as a small stampede of pink rushed through the door for the food, just as quickly as they ran in the pigs skidded to a halt, their eyes wide.
The small porcine group looked at the food, then at Spike ,then at the CMC, before looking back to the food, then at each other. With a silent nod they turned around and ran out the door squealing just as loudly as they had coming in leaving the fillies and Dragon standing there staring after them.
Applebloom stared on in shock at pigs not wanting food, as Sweetiebelle nudged Scootaloo .
“I guess they heard about Dolly.” Sweetiebelle commented.
[Sugarcube Corner.]
Scootaloo smiled tossing the blocks of taffy into the mixer as Spike turned it on.
The machine started working and pulling on the rainbow taffy, stretching it out, working perfectly, at least until Scootaloo turned to get down off the stepladder and her tail got caught in the sticky mess as a mixer passed. The Pegasus yelped as she was pulled back into the bowl. Sweetiebelle and Applebloom jumped up to grab her getting yanked into the mix as well.
Spike quickly flipped the switch to shut it off climbing the ladder to start trying to pull the fillies out of it.
Not long after three taffy coated fillies inched out of the door of the shop stuck together with a little dragon following them tugging bits of taffy out of their fur and munching away at it happily.
[ Frog pond]
“What is it with you three and water?” Twilight asked looking down at the damp hole that was all that remained of the small pond. “It's a good thing Fluttershy took all the frogs to the bog.”
“There was a giant octopus in there!” Applebloom protested.
“Actually that was a giant squid.” Sweetiebelle protested.
Rahs frowned looking at how deep the pond was.” Woof?”
“What?” Scootaloo asked.
“He asked what happened, cause all he smells if fire....” Spike muttered. “Yeah sorry the octopus....”
“Squid.” Sweetiebelle corrected.
“Yeah squid startled me and I was kinda holding my breath when I let it all out in a rush spitting fire at it.” Spike muttered.
“Mmmmm fried calamari.”
Twilight let out a sigh looking at Spike before rubbing her temples.
“You set fire to the pond?”
“Yes.” Spike admitted.
“Green fire?”Twilight asked.
“Yes.”Spike confirmed.
“Lovely.” Twilight twitched. “ Rahs plan delta sigma.”
“What?” Applebloom asked as Rahs sighed.
“I will be packing up to move to Saddle Arabia to become a goat. Let the Princess know if she suddenly shows up asking why I sent her a pond.” Twilight explained.
“Which Princess?” Scootaloo asked.
“Any of them.” Twilight stated rushing off back towards the library dragging Rahs along with her.
“Does she think Princess Celestia is gonna be mad at her for something you did?” Sweetiebelle asked.
“Ehh she's still a little high strung. She'll figure it out.” Spike shrugged.
[Carousel boutique]
The mare ran away screaming her mane done up in a poofy clown hairdo.
Spike rolled his eyes pulling the gloves off his claws.” What was she so upset about? She knew when we started we had no idea what we were doing.”
“Yeah that was a good look for her any way.” Scootaloo protested.
“Did we get paid for that? I'm getting kinda hungry.” Sweetiebelle asked.
“I think we still have some taffy.” Spike offered.
“Pass...” Sweetiebelle, Applebloom, and Scootaloo groaned.
[ The south field Sweet Apple acres]
“Blue star.” Spike smiled as the girls gasped.
“That's right again!” Scootaloo shouted.
“That's ten in a row!” Sweetiebelle cheered.
“How are you doing that?” Applebloom demanded.
“A magician never tells his tricks.” Spike chuckled.
Applebloom narrowed her eyes looking at Spike as the Dragon smiled a bit wider.
“It's cause we let yah shuffle ain't it?” Applebloom asked.” Yah counted tha cards.”
“What!?” Spike yelped before regaining his composure. “I mean no, of course not.”
All three fillies looked at each other then at Spike who wasn't meeting their gazes.
“Yah got a horrid poker face Spike.” Applebloom grumbled.
[Wind Swept peak]
Spike dug his claws in deeper as he clamored up higher clinging to the rock face as the other three hung onto the rope behind him to keep from falling.
The wind whipped against his scales as snow fell around them. Spike puffed out a blast of heat as he clawed at the rock climbing up higher and pulling himself onto the top of the icy rock face. He turned starting to pull on the rope dragging Applebloom and the others up to the peak with him. Sweetiebelle had just climbed over the rock when the wind kicked up and blew her sideways. The filly lost her footing and went over the edge, dragging Scootaloo and Applebloom with her.
Spike whirled about clawing at the rock face for a purchase only finding ice as he too was yanked off the peak screaming as he fell.......
…. for about two seconds before bouncing off the pile of fillies in the grass under him.
“Anything?” Spike asked catching his breath.
“Nope no mark.” Scootaloo sighed.
“Why is there even a rock covered with ice and snow out here any way” Sweetiebelle asked.
“Weather team training area they practice all sorts of weather types out here. “ Scootaloo answered.” Rainbow Dash was out here this morning practicing with snow. I think they have a big storm planned in a few weeks.”
“ Maybe we ken git a mark in something winter related, we ain't had much luck with summer and fall so far.” Applebloom sighed.
“Wonder if I can convince them I hibernate.” Spike muttered to himself.
[Golden Oaks library]
“Hello Twilight? Are you ready to lose at 3-d scrabble again?” Miss Cheerilee called as she pushed the door open looking into the library.
The school teacher paused blinking as she noticed Spike sitting at the help desk with his face buried in his claws. Rahs was nearby stretched out on the couch trying to ignore everything as he read something. Cheerilee got a brief glimpse of the cover and made a note to reserve a copy of it herself.
“Ummmm.” Cheerilee asked blinked as she looked over the disaster of the room. Books and notes were strewn every where.”Spike what happened. “Where's Twilight?”
“Probably halfway to Saddle Arabia to become a goat by this point.” Spike grumbled.
“ Woof.” Rahs chuckled.
“Rahs says he just had the mail ponies carry her around town.” Spike corrected.” She should be back later this evening.”
“What?” Cheerilee asked.
“ She asked us to...” Spike sighed.
A pile of the books rumbled away as the CMC broke the surface of the books like sharks breaching the ocean waves.
“She's going to make me clean this up I know it.” Spike grumbled.
“Well ah don't think we got our cutie marks in reading..” Applebloom frowned.
“Obviously” Spike rolled his eyes.
“You could get them to help put everything away by suggesting that as a cutiemark.” Cheerilee whispered to spike.
“I would like there to be some library left if Twilight fails to become a goat.”Spike muttered.
“I might have something that could help Spike.” Cheeilee smiled pulling a rolled poster from her saddlebag and offering it to the drake.
“Ponyville school talent show?” Spike asked curiously.
“There will be all sorts of awards, best magic act, best comedy act, best performance.” Cheerilee lists.”Surely you could come up with something that showcases your special talent.”
“Oh?” Sweetiebelle gasped.
“I can see it.” Scootaloo nodded.
“It's perfect.”Applebloom smiled.
“At least the damage will be localized.” Spike shrugged.
“Don't gimmi that buster, you set fire to the lake this time.” Applebloom pointed out.
“Wait what?” Cheerilee asked in a panic as Rahs snickered.