//------------------------------// // Pony's Out Of the Bag // Story: Onii-Chan's Interesting Life // by MrWriterWriter //------------------------------// "All right. Just let me get this right; when Spike brought you all home from your first day at school, you all thought someone had broken in." Celesta said, once she let the ponies go and the girls gave her an explanation. "Yeah." Sunset nodded. "Onii-chan thought they might've still been inside and told us to get outside and call the cops. But we couldn't get the phone working, and we started getting worried, so I went in to tell him. And that's when I saw him holding pony Pinkie and Applejack." "Right." Celestia picked up pony Rarity and started scratching her belly. "And after a talk, that's when the rest of you fluffballs came outta hiding." "Well, while I do like keeping my coat soft...um, could you please...mm...little more to the left." the little marshmallow laid back, idly twitching her hooves in the air. "Yeah, but it's been over two months since you started there. how in the world were you able to keep these gals from being found?" "Well, we've gotten pretty good at staying outta sight." Pony Scootaloo spoke up. "Also, this place is kind of outta the way from things. Besides, you and the other teachers all saw us once." "Saw you? What..." Celestia paused for a second as her memory rebooted. "Wait a sec... The Halloween party! I could've sworn I saw Twilight's little cat doll look my way!" She stared blankly for a moment before bursting out into laughter. "You were all right there and I didn't even notice!" "That means our costumes were awesome, right?" Pony Rainbow spoke up. "Well, they definitely let you blend in." She chuckled again. "Oh man, I'm wondering if Luna's having as much of a time as I am." Spike stared at her incredulously. "That was you??" He gestured helplessly in an attempted to find the proper response. "Why?? What in the world made you think, out of anyone, that I was responsible enough for that? I mean, you know I was a slacker back in school!" "True." Luna's smirk widened. "But you really should've covered your tracks better. I managed to follow you a couple of times when you slinked off during lunch. Managed to tail you to the soup kitchen. Was kind of interesting how the workers knew you by name, even handing you an apron." Spike's expression quickly shifted to a 'caught red handed' look. "I...ah..." "Or when you'd stop and spend your lunch money to buy sandwich stuff for that group of homeless who set up house in that old shop behind the parking garage." He sighed. "Ok, ok. You got me...it was just something I did when I managed to find the time." "I do have one question, though. Why hide it?" "Are you kidding? You remember how some of those teacher were, Luna! They'd look for any excuse to 'volunteer' a student into charity work or a crummy fundraiser stunt." "Oh yeah.." Luna grimaced at the thought. They'd tried to rope her into gong door to asking for donations to a 'supply maintenance fund' which was just to pay for new junk in the teacher's lounge. She'd rolled in some poison ivy to make herself look sick so she could get out of it. "I did that stuff because I wanted to. If they'd found out, they would have turned it into a job for me, and not a fun one! That's why I did what I could to keep them off my track. You, on the other hand..." "What can I say? It was a talent. As for why I did what I did, when I heard about the girls, I remembered what you'd done back then, besides the homeless work...like when you tutored the new girl. What was her name, Zia...Zesa...? "Zecora." Spike replied, as their orders arrived. "All I did was help her get up to snuff with her geometry and math." "Well, it helped her, considering the kiss she gave you." 'Lucky little...' She muttered under her breath. "Anyway, I remembered that and just threw your name out mostly." She blushed sheepishly. "Wasn't even expecting you to be granted custody of all ten." "In all honesty, it scared the tar out me at first." He replied. "I mean, I was living in a one bedroom apartment when I found out. If it wasn't for the fact I was lucky as hell and found this place..." He didn't really need to say what the results could have been. "If it helps, you've done a pretty good job. Being one guy looking at ten girls is no mean feat." 'You ain't just whistling dixie, sister.' Spike thought. "Well, thankfully they get along. At least the ponies have similar personalities." He froze when he realized he'd said that bit out loud. "What ponies?" Luna asked. "I didn't see or hear any horses around the place." "Uh-oh." "I think we've been around this corner before. That's the third time we've passed that lamp." "But we took a left this time!" "You tell me! I don't know hide nor hair of this place." "Let's just go, maybe we'll run into whoever lives here." "Provided they don't step on us first, if that huge-plot chair is any indication." "Oh, don't be such a worrywort, Lulu."