Exchange of Spoons (Revised)

by CommanderX5


Chapter 6 - Bugbear's Rampage Take Two - Pt.2

Exchange of Spoons

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Chapter 6

Bugbear’s Rampage Take Two
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Part 2


No more than a minute after entering the large storage filled with a lot of boxes, chests, and crates all over the room, she found a spot in a corner between two large crates. The walls were made of crystals just like the rest of the hallways she saw on the way, but instead of dark-blue, they were pink. The door was made of metal while covered in star shaped runes. Without any windows, illuminating gems on the ceiling served as the sole source of light.

Miss Cheerilee seemed busy, pushing a large crate and whatever was nearby the door to barricade it, just in case the guard on the other side wasn’t enough. Diamond Tiara was sitting comfortably on a pile of multicolored material, right next to a box with ‘old fabrics’ written on it while growling at every single approaching filly as if she was a dog defending her territory.

She knew more than anypony how scary Diamond Tiara could be, and didn’t envy a pony who made her mad in the first place, which is why keeping her in good mood was an important part of their relationship. Outbursts of anger were always rare and short-lived partially thanks to her efforts. Today however… Tiara seemed angry all the time and she was the source. Apologizing didn’t work… maybe if I try bullying the crusaders on my own, she may forgive me.

She looked around, her attention focused on circles formed by fillies and colts who talked with each other, some showing signs of fear, while a few were eating apples or hay sandwiches they brought with them in their saddlebags. She examined each face, but the crusaders were nowhere to be seen.

“Silver!”

She flinched and turned around in mid-air, now staring at the face of a floating orange pegasus. “Sc-Sc-Scootaloo? But… how?”

“Oh, this,” the filly said as she pointed at the device attached to her back, which was surrounded by a lavender aura. “It is one of Twilight’s prototypes she made when she tried to help me and Tank with flying. I found it here,” she said, pointing at the opened box marked ‘prototypes’. “It isn’t as good as the one I have at home, but good enough regardless.”

What? I don’t recall Scootaloo using Tank’s flying device, ever. Silver opened her mouth, but closed it a moment later and lowered her head. Forget it. It isn’t the strangest thing to happen today.

“So, what should we do?” asked a voice from behind as the grey filly turned around to see the smiling face of Sweetie Belle. “You’re in charge, what are your orders?”

Applebloom walked out from behind a crate to Silver’s left. “Eeyup. Yer the boss, ya have responsibility.”

I swear, those three follow my every step, she thought before massaging her forehead. Actually, now is a perfect opportunity, I just need to bully them and... She smiled awkwardly, overwhelmed by the smiling, expectant faces. How am I supposed to bully them without Tiara?

“Come on, give us orders already,” Scootaloo said impatiently and with a firm stomp.

“Orders?” Silver muttered. But I can’t lead, what I’m going to do?

“Come on my lady. Relay orders to your knights,” said Featherweight, now sitting on Silver’s left, who flinched the opposite direction.

“Oh come on! Why is everypony sneaking up on me today?” Silver asked with a hint of annoyance. Upon noticing a rose between colt’s hooves, she asked, “Where did you get that?”

“From a box marked as decorations,” Featherweight said while pointing at it.

Silver frowned and massaged her forehead again. "Do you always take what doesn't belong to you?" she asked, sitting with forelegs on her sides as she shot the colt a judging stare.

"N-not really," Featherweight responded sheepishly.

Not really? Everypony is taking things from the princess's storage as if they owned the place, she thought. If she learned anything from her mother, it was to respect private property. Now that she thought about it, she tried to lecture Babs for damaging property of the apple family, but both Babs and Tiara ignored her. She ended up paying for the damage from her own pocket in the end.

After sighing, she said, "This storage belongs to the princess and other residents of this castle. You can't just take whatever you want from it." She looked around and gestured over the room. "The same goes for everypony."

Featherweight nodded and quickly returned the rose before landing in front of Silver Spoon half a second later.

"So, ya want us to ask everypony to return taken stuff?" Apple Bloom said before saluting, "Consider it done."

"Wait, what?" Silver asked in confusion.

"Now that's the Silver Spoon I know," commented Scootaloo before delivering an encouraging hoof against her back. "I was really worried that you were sick or worse, acting all scared and soft while trying to talk with Tiara. It's good to have you back."

Silver blinked as the crusaders and Featherweight split up, now trying to convince others to not toy with princess's property, the biggest challenge was Diamond Tiara who nearly tore apart the fabric when Sweetie Belle tried to get it back. It resulted in a hoof fight with Applebloom before Cherilee interfered.

Did I just make a decision... on my own? she thought, raising a forehoof up to her face. Not only that, but I told others to do something that isn't related to serving me... it seems this whole craziness must be affecting my mind. She rubbed the top of her forehead.

Furthermore, why did the crusaders want to follow my orders so willingly, it doesn't make any sense. It can't be a large conspiracy, they aren't smart or resourceful enough to pull it off, so why?! She placed forehooves on the sides of her head and whimpered. I am getting a headache out of this.

"Did you hear that?"

Silver turned to the source of the voice, now staring at Snip and Snails who seemed busy examining a wall. Aren't those my favourite school clowns, just great, she thought while slowly approaching. Like it or not, she was tasked with keeping an eye on her class, and both colts needed extra attention. "Is something wrong?" she asked, boredom evident in her tone.

The smaller colt placed his ear against the wall he was looking at and poked it with a hoof.
"I have been hearing weak sounds of a bee, and when I hit this part of the wall, it released a loud thump, as if there was hollow space on the other side."

"And?" Silver asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion. She gave the taller silent colt a quick glance, noticing he held a hoof under his chin while being deep in thought.

"Listen closely," Snips said with a serious tone as he hit the wall with his hoof, giving off a thump. He walked a few steps to the side and repeated the action, but the noise seemed muffed.

Silver approached and pressed her own ear to the wall, quickly hearing something like a bee. Calm down, Silver. Just because there seems to be some sort of empty space or hidden passage on the other side of this wall and a noise coming from behind it doesn't mean that we're in danger. Maybe a lone bee ended up stuck there or something.

"Snails, what is your deduction," Snips asked as he and Silver both looked at the taller colt, who kept thinking for a few seconds before opening his mouth.

"I doubt the princess or any of her friends would be responsible for digging up a secret passage, or else they would inform us about it in case we needed to escape from here," Snails took a quick breath and continued while Silver's mouth went agape. "I suspect that someone with evil intentions predicted Twilight's plan and dug a tunnel leading to this storage room before leading the family of Bugbears to Ponyville. And now when the adults are distracted, he lead a few young ones through this tunnel so they can break inside and feast upon our flesh." He pointed at a few cracks in the wall near the floor, and some that were hidden behind two crates. "The structure was weakened on purpose. I would suggest blocking this part of the wall and warn the teacher."

"On it!" Snips said before charging his horn as scissors made of bronze magical aura appeared in mid-air.

“Now please excuse me, but I believe I need to take fifteen deep breaths to calm my growing anxiety,” Snails said before turning around, now taking one deep breath after another as his forelegs started to tremble.

Silver's eyes were wide and mouth nearly hit the floor as she could do nothing but stare at both colts in shock. Did... did Snails just make a very intelligent deduction? And Snips showed initiative? In what kind of dimension am I?" She thought, I swear. A world where those two aren't dumb can't possibly be the one I was born in.

"What are you waiting for? Warn the teacher!" Snips shouted as his scissors were cutting the lower part of a crate which supported a few others. Like a domino, the tower went down and hit the floor with a loud thump, leaving a pile of wood and random objects blocking the way. "Snails is too slow, go!"

"Y-yes, right," Silver struggled out from her throat as her mind returned to reality. She ran towards the teacher while the idea of being ordered around by Snips haunted her.

Silver could see Miss Cheerilee staring in the direction she ran from before looking down at her.

"What was that sound?" the teacher asked with a hint of worry.

Silver took a few panicked breaths before pointing at the mess in the labyrinth of boxes and crates. "We need to run. There is a tunnel behind that  wall, and young Bugbears are on the other side!"

"Oh dear," Cheerilee said with a hoof raised to her muzzle. After a moment of gathering her thoughts, she turned towards the entrance and galloped, turning the moment she was nearby the barricaded door and charged it. A loud thump followed as several old chairs fell down onto the floor and rolled, while fragments of wood flew in random directions. The teacher massaged her head while leaving a hole in one of large crates.

More seconds passed as Silver stared at her teacher struggling to remove the barricade, one step at a time, while talking with the guard on the other side. In a large attack of irony, what was supposed to protect them from Bugbears ended up sealing them from their escape route and backup.

"What should we do?" asked Sweetie Belle while standing ahead of the group, all staring in fear. A few had drooped ears and saddened faces, or were looking around nervously.

She took a step back and looked to the side, unable to handle the attention. How am I supposed to know? We're trapped inside a storage room, a barricade is sealing the door and hungry monsters can break inside at any moment. A loud thump reached her ears as she noticed Snip and Snails running away, while dust spread from the location where they placed a blockade. Silver took a deep breath and screamed, "Everypony hide!"

Panic overtook the room as fillies and colts spread in random directions, climbing onto boxes, or hiding inside half empty chests.

Silver looked around in search for a hiding spot, noticing crusaders gesturing for her to join them on top of two crates. I'm not climbing up, she thought to herself before continuing her search, noticing Diamond Tiara from the corner of her eye. Without hesitation, she followed her.


Drops of sweat fell down from both fillies as they stood on their hind legs, backs against a dusty crate. Their breathing was deep but slow.

"Don't any of you dare harm my students, or you will have to answer to me!" The voice of Cheerilee reached Silver's ears while the noise of large wings echoed through the room, similar to the noise of a bee hive.

"Have it your way!" shouted Cheerilee. The sound of wood shattering followed. She didn't dare to look from behind her hiding spot, but the noises of battle suggested that her teacher tackled one of the young Bugbears while fighting against at least three.

"You again?" Diamond Tiara spoke, nearly shouting. "Get lost and find your own hiding spot."

Silver looked to the side at her friend, whose fear was hidden well behind facade of anger. "I know you're angry, but now's not the time."

"Oh really?" Tiara growled. "You, my rival who thinks herself my equal, who is constantly approaching me today, now of all places in this storage room she chose my hiding spot. Coincidence, I think not." She grabbed her by the pearls of her necklace again and pressed against her muzzle. "I don't know what you're trying to do, but I am tired of it. Leave me alone, or else!"

"Not so loud," Silver said in panic, not resisting her friend's grip. "You want those monsters to hear us?"

"Don't order me around!"

The clamor of a box falling reached both fillies’ ears as they looked at a young Bugbear now flying in mid-air in front of them, saliva dripping from its mouth while a sharp stinger emerged from its abdomen. Even young, the monster's size was nearly that of Big Mac, if he stood up on his hind legs.

"G-good monster..." Silver said nervously while walking backward, not daring to look away form the predator, when suddenly she felt something grabbing her from behind. She looked at the pink forelegs holding her. "T-Tiara, what are you doing?"

"Surviving," Diamond Tiara responded before raising her voice. "Hey, bear thing, are you hungry?" Silver started to struggle, fighting against her friend's hold, but her lack of athletic skills made it difficult as Tiara seemed stronger than usual. She looked at the beast with a grim stare, trembling, her ears flat against her head. Besides fear of the monster's sharp teeth and stinger, which was more terrifying than any needle, she felt mentally wounded, bleeding from the betrayal of her only friend.

The monster landed and approached with firm steps as Silver's breath became more unstable while her heart tried to escape her chest.

"Catch!" Tiara shouted before pushing Silver towards the beast's grasp, who caught her between his two hands and tightened his hold. She screamed, feeling her bones slowly being crushed while tears went down her face. With a lot of hassle, she looked to the side, now watching her friend running away deeper into the labyrinth, leaving her alone at the mercy of foal-eating monster. Feeling strength leaving her, Silver's eyes became heavy. She blinked slowly a few times before her vision became blurry and was replaced by darkness.