"So, let me make sure I heard that right. You girls were at recess when some of the supposed 'cool kids' start trying to pick on you for being the new kids?" Spike asked, recalling what he managed to get out from them amidst the flurry of chatter when they got back in the car.
"Well, when they heard we lived with you, they tried to call you a 'sissy' for living with a bunch of girls." Pinkie answered him. "Kinda rich from that kid, since he had on a bright 'fishya' shirt on."
"'Fuscha', Pinkie." Rarity corrected her. "But you're right about that." She shuddered. "No sane person would willingly wear that...color!"
"Ugly shirt aside, that got Rainbow and AJ miffed enough to get in their faces and call them 'stinky punks'" Twilight added.
Spike had to slow down for a moment when he snorted at that. He knew he probably shouldn't encourage stuff like that, but it was still pretty funny. He had enough trouble with a couple of his nosier coworkers making it clear they didn't think a twenty year old male could be trusted with looking after ten little girls. "So, do I want to know what happened next."
"One got mad and tried to hit Fluttershy....Twilight put him in that arm hold we saw in that movie!" Rainbow patted said gal on the shoulder, who was blushing up a storm behind her glasses.
This time Spike busted out laughing. "You put a one in a Kimura!? HAHAHA!!"
"It was the first thing that came to mind..." Twilight responded sheepishly.
"Soon as she put him in it, his buddies ran off an' she held it 'till he started cryin' 'uncle'!" Applejack finished, making him laugh more.
"Any other interesting events happen for you lot?" He asked once he settled down.
The rest of the trip home was filled with remarks about a teacher who, for some reason, was annoyed by Apple Bloom's hairbow, Rainbow's annoyance at learning that she couldn't try for junior soccer until she'd been there at least a month and made a 'B' average, and Pinkie being disappointed that lunch was plain hamburgers.
Soon they made it home and the whole crew headed inside. "Ok, put everything up and I'll work on dinner here in a little while." He stopped. "On second thought, since this was your first day, who's up for pizza tonight?" A mass 'YAY!' was his answer.
"Niichan, you missed a glass!" Scootaloo called out from the living room, pointing to one of the big mugs he used for floats sitting on the coffee table.
"But I'm sure I caught everything." He said, looking at it. A bit of milk was inside, and beside it sat a saucer with what looked like cookie crumbs. That quickly raised up an alarm. 'Wait a second! This table was clear this morning...' "None of you ate any cookies this morning, did you? Before we left?"
"No./Ah didn't./Not me./ Uh-uh." Came the replies.
"Oniichan...!" Rainbow called out, worry in her voice. "The tv...it's warm!"
"And the wemote's on the floor. You said nevah do that!" Sweetie added, pointing to where the device lay, beside the floor lamp nearby.
Spike's eyes widened. "Applejack! Sunset! Get the others and get them outside! HURRY!" Luckily, they were all still downstairs, so it only took a few seconds. He handed Rarity his phone. "If you don't see me back out in ten minutes, call the police, got it?"
"O-ok." She nodded, as visibly scared as the others. As soon as they were out, he shut the door and rushed to his room. When he was picked to look after the girls, he'd been surprised and more than a little panicky about it, considering his old apartment was barely enough for himself.
Thankfully, he'd been able to pool what cash he had and, whether by sheer luck or good timing, managed to buy their current house for surprisingly cheap. Whoever had owned it before them was a bit of a collector, since he found a fair bit of odds and ends in the basement and attic. Since they were never claimed, he was able to sell a few things in order to shore up funds.
A few pieces, however, he kept. One particular item was tucked up under his mattress. An old short sword. It was dull and pitted from neglect, but it was solid enough to knock someone silly. He also made his way back to the kitchen and got a wrapped up object off the top cabinet shelf.
Taking the cloth off revealed Skinner, his grandmother's beloved bowie knife; fifteen inches of razor-sharp steel with a moose antler handle. Damn thing was almost a short sword itself.
Wielding both, he edged down the hallway, keeping his back to the wall the whole way. The short sword was out in front, showing he was armed, while Skinner was hidden against the back of his other arm, just in case more...drastic action was required. Any door was checked to see if it was still shut, figuring if someone was here to steal something, they'd be too concerned with getting what they wanted to worry about that.
A look at the nearby clock told him he still had about four minutes left. The only place left to check on the bottom floor was the room he and the girls used for when they wanted to build the occasional model. He started towards the door when something popped up out of the corner of his eye.
Two somethings actually.
Two rather small somethings...rounding the corner. That stopped when he saw them, and vice versa.
Spike stared blankly, wondering what the heck he ate that was making him see what he was seeing.
"Howdy!"
"Hi!"
It didn't really help when the two small somethings spoke.