//------------------------------// // Stare at master [he has food], part 2 // Story: Twilight gets a Puppy // by TDR //------------------------------// Twilight gets a Puppy By TDR Stare at master [he has food], part 2 “So she tossed you out of the house?” Spike asked, looking over the cape that Sweetibelle had made him. A large smile crossed his face as he flipped it around like a superhero. The little unicorn had made capes for all of the Cutiemark Crusaders. Spike was rather surprised they counted him as such, given he wasn't really looking for a cutiemark, but hey he wasn't going to argue, free cape. 'Something like that. I kinda blew up her work room and used her gold silk to make the lining of the capes.....” Sweetiebelle sighed. “She didn't throw you out, she's just stressed out is all.” Fluttershy placated. “I'm sure she didn't expect to be this far behind when she agreed to watch over you tonight.” “She tried to cancel the sleep over. We've been planning this for weeks.” Scootaloo rolled her eyes.” Do you know how hard it is to get my aunt to let me do anything, she's terrified I’ll get hurt and mom will blame her for it.” “Yeah, well Sweetiebelle did use up a bunch of that special fabric of hers.” Applebloom offered. “ Not that I’m complaining, these capes are swank.” “Thanks.” Sweetiebelle sighed. “So how did you get involved in this?” Spike asked looking up at Fluttershy as they walked towards her house. “You'd know if yah weren’t late” Applebloom fussed. “Oh.. I was bringing Opal back from her grooming and I over heard the situation.” Fluttershy smiled. “I wanted to help Rarity and I didn't want the girls to be disappointed. So I offered to watch over you all tonight. It won't be any trouble.” “Have you met us?” Spike raised an eyebrow looking up at the mare curiously. “ I hope you know what you're doing.” “Oh it will be fine. I'll have you to help won't I?” Fluttershy smiled causing Spike to look away with a bit of a blush. “Oh yeah no problem. I'll help however I can.” Spike muttered. “Yah done sucking up?” Applebloom asked moving up between the two looking at them both with shifty eyes. “Well where are you all off to?” a voice asked prompting them all to pause and look over as Twilight approached. “Hey sis. Where you headed?” Spike questioned looking over the bulging saddlebags his sister had. “I asked you first.” Twilight narrowed her eyes looking down at the Dragon. “We're headed to Fluttershy's for a sleep over.” Scootaloo chimed up. “Really?” Twilight blinked looking at Fluttershy curiously. “I thought that was going to be at Rarity's” “Rarity was swamped with work so I offered to watch them so they wouldn't miss the sleep over.” Fluttershy offered. “ It isn't any trouble. “Have you met these four?” Twilight asked with a roll of her eyes.”I'd offer to help but Zecora and I are going to be hunting a particular plant that only blooms at night in the Everfree. It's something that's needed in a bunch of potions.” “A moon lily? Yer going after a Moon Lily.” Applebloom chimed in. “ She's been talking bout that fer weeks, them things is rare and hard tah git unless yah have magic. “ “That's right, I figure I can help her get a better harvest that she can get on her own. I also keep forgetting she's teaching you alchemy. “Twilight chuckled looking down at Applebloom. “And herbalism.”Applebloom added. “Well one crafting and one gathering skill is always useful.” Spike muttered. “Any way Rahs is at home taking a nap, though he claims he'll head out into the woods later to meet up with us. Zecora's still leery of him for some reason she won't say, probably the whole Witch Wolf thing again. But if you need anything feel free to wake his lazy butt up.” Twilight smirked. “Isn't the Everfree Dangerous?” Sweetiebelle asked. “Very. Rahs and the Guard might be keeping a lot of the little dangers at bay like the cockatrices, but there's a lot more out there that would gobble you up in a second. I'm loaded for bear with combat spells and protections but even I'm leery of going in there. Honestly I’m surprised Rahs is letting me go without tagging along as well.” “He's trying to be less mother hen like after Shining teased him last time he was here. He probably would tag along with you regardless if Zecora wasn't there. Given she lives in the woods I think he figures she'll keep you alive as well as he could.” Spike answered. “I didn't think he'd take Shining's teasing so hard.” Twilight frowned. “Ehh you know how he gets sometimes.”Spike shrugged. “ I don't call him drama dog just because of his hobbies.” “Good point. Alright have fun every pony and mind Fluttershy.” Twilight called shifting her gear and heading towards Zecora's as the small group continued onto Fluttershy's “Well that's the last of it.” Spike sighed setting his bag down on the spot he had claimed for himself in the room. The girls had claimed the bed, but he had expected that and had brought a sleeping bag. He also had his O&O books just in case he could run something later once the trio had calmed down enough to think straight. “Wow look at that!” “Ooh what's this?” “Is that a chipmunk? “What's in here?” “Where does this little staircase go?” “If bits don't grow on trees, why do banks have branches?” “Is that a chicken?” “What's the meaning of life?” “How long do fish wait to swim after they eat?” “How much wood does this woodchuck chuck?” “Where is Jimmy Hooffa buried?” “Is that a duck?” “If I weigh the same as a duck am I a witch?” “How many lights are there?” “Why does she call it beauty sleep when my sister wakes up looking like a troll?” “How do you feed all these little guys?” Spike rolled his eyes turning to head down stairs as he heard the first signs of Fluttershy starting to lose control. This was going to be a long night. [ Later] “ I'm still trying to figure out what happened with the table.” Applebloom grumbled. “ Something jus didn't go right there.” “You're still on about that?” Scootaloo rolled her eyes watching out the window with Sweetiebelle. “ Honestly I didn't expect this to be that entertaining.” Sweetiebelle offered, looking out the window at the yard below as Spike ran about trying to corral the chickens with limited success, and Fluttershy tried to corral the excited Spike. “What is it with him an chickens?” Scootaloo asked. “Chickenchickenchicken!” Spike rambled running after the hens. [ The next morning.] Three mares, three fillies and a dragon walked back into Ponyville that morning heading towards the Library. Well the mares walked, the fillies and Dragon ran around them as if doing laps, capes billowing behind them. “Really darling you didn't have to walk us back into town.” Rarity smiled at Fluttershy who was trotting along beside her. “I can't thank you enough “It's quite alright I was coming into town this morning any way for a bit of shopping. I'm glad you were able to finish your order.” Fluttershy nodded. “They really weren't that much trouble once they settled down.” “Next time you find yourself in a pinch Rarity you can always ask me. “ Twilight offered.” I mean heck one of them is my little brother after all. Between Rahs and I we should be alright to watch them from time to time. We don't need to dump them on you or Applejack all the time.” “Don't forget Fireball. She's watched them once or twice, but her apartment isn't exactly designed for four hyperactive young ones. The girls are also not fond of staying over there as she tends to be more than a little controlling and panic prone. From my understanding she doesn't want Spike there at all due to his being a Dragon. ” Rarity sighed. “Still I will keep your offer in mind Twilight.” “I could watch them again if need be. We never did get around to listening to any of my records.” Fluttershy admitted. “ Oh how did the flower gathering go Twilight?” “Pretty well actually. Zecora and I gathered far more Moon Blossom than she had even thought she would be able to get. We had a brief encounter with some Timber Wolves but between her potions and my magic they didn't last long.” Twilight offered floating out a small vial of flower petals. “ She even had enough to let me take some of them to study. She needed the rest to try and perfect an amplification potion she had been trying to get right for a long time.” “Well that is interesting I suppose.” Rarity shrugged as they came into sight of Golden Oaks Library. Fluttering about out side was a orange furred, blond maned pegasus with a single red streak through her hair and tail. “ Oh and there's Fireball for Scootaloo.” “Oh there you all are. I stopped by Rarity's earlier and no one was home. I figured you might have been taking the girls back home, but Applejack hadn't seen you yet and no one was answering here so I was starting to worry.” Fireball stated trotting over to the other mares ruffling Scootaloo's mane with a wing as she rushed past towards the library going inside along with Spike and the others. “Really? Rahs should be home. It's not like he came out into the woods last night.” Twilight frowned. “ So help me if that oaf is sleeping still.” “Well he is part cat.” Fluttershy offered. “True... Opal sleeps constantly until about three am when she runs around the house like a mad beast.” Rarity sighed. “TWILIGHT!!” Spike shouted from the library door. The three fillies had been rushed out of the building and were nervously milling about staring at the open door with expressions of horror and worry. Twilight rushed over to the door hearing the panic in Spike's voice. Pushing past him she walked into a scene of complete carnage. The entire library had been trashed. Book shelves and furniture were broken, shredded books lay every where some of them clearly having been defecated on. The kitchen was ransacked with no food left in it. Her own things had been flung from her room and down the stairs and the basement door was broken open laying on the floor with both hinges ripped free. Looking down into the darkness she noticed brownish red splatters on the walls and the stairs as well as a multitude of claw marks over everything. “Oh my.” Fluttershy whimpered looking in from the doorway with Fireball next to her. Rarity frowned, looking at the defecation on some of the books as she wandered around her eyes narrowing. “Fluttershy, darling go and get Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, please have them come to the Library as quickly as they can.” Rarity ordered. “ Fireball take the girls and Spike back home, we might need you to watch them today if you don't mind. Also alert the Guard on your way past if you would.” “Right.” Fluttershy stated taking off. “Umm okay...” Fireball agreed trying to pull the fillies back though Spike pushed past her with a growl. “Wait what's going on here?!” Spike demanded. Twilight stammered for a response as Rarity lit her horn up looking down the stairs to the carnage below. A shallow hole lay at the bottom of the stairs, bursting up through the wooden floor, it had been filled in but the signs of it were clear. Laying next to the former hole was a shredded and bloodied green long coat. “Rahs?” Twilight asked her eyes getting wider as Rarity descended the stairs stopping suddenly to yank a piece of fur from the wooden railing of the staircase. She held it up to the light of her horn her frown deepening. “Rarity what is going on?!” Spike demanded. “Diamond Dogs.” Rarity growled tossing the brown tuft of fur aside as she turned heading back up the stairs with a grim look on her face. “What?!” Twilight stammered. “It seems Rahs has been foal napped by Diamond Dogs.” Rarity said with certainty.