//------------------------------// // Chapter 24 (Owl's Well That Ends Well and Over a Barrel) // Story: Spike The Brony Dragon // by red4567 //------------------------------// It was evening in Ponyville. I was packing up the wagon for the hundred-year meteor shower. I packed the blanket, telescope, scrolls, fruits, quills, ink, punch bowl, and the homemade cookies. They were really easy to make, actually. I just had to follow the recipe. I remembered this was the episode where Twilight gets a pet owl named “Owlowiscious,” and Spike grows jealous of him. Thankfully, I knew better. I know Twilight wasn’t gonna really replace me as her assistant, and I wasn’t gonna start a rivalry with the owl. Though, I wondered what happened to Owlowiscious after Season 5. It was hinted he was still in the castle, but I haven’t seen him in the show after Starlight showed up. “Wanna know something, Spike?” Twilight asked. “Uh...what?” I replied with a question. “You’ve always been my number one assistant, but lately, you’ve become more than that. You’re starting to become one of the girls, now.” “I hate to break it to you, Twilight...but I’m not a girl.” “Y-Yes, of course. I-I know that. It was just...I was...basically, if our life was a storybook, you would be one of the main characters rather than a supporting character. I just use the term ‘girls’ as a figure of speech.” “Heh, thank you.” “Princess Celestia was right. You really have changed since we came to Ponyville. You’ve interacted with almost everypony here, shown interest in Ponyville's events, and even helped some of us learn about friendship. And to think back in Canterlot you would rather have your nose glued to a comic book than interact with other ponies outside of our family. Of course, this is coming from a mare who prioritized her studies over her social ladder.” I chuckled. “Yeah. Moving from a big city to a small town can do that to you.” That’s when it occurred to me. I still haven’t figured out where the old Spike was. It wasn’t like I could ask someone what happened to him, and I can’t return to my old world. He was out there somewhere, and I had to know where. The only clue I've gotten was that I could remember small details of his past, but... “Spike! Earth to Spike!” Twilight shouted. I shook my head. “What? What?” “You spaced out on me, Spike. It seems like every time I mention our time in Canterlot, you would suddenly stare into space. I’m worried about you, Spike.” “I-It’s nothing, Twilight.” “It doesn’t sound like nothing to me. Did something happen in Canterlot that shocked you? Did you see something you weren’t supposed to see? Did you forget to use a coaster for your drinks?” “Twilight, I said it’s nothing. I’m just thinking about the past, that’s all. We’ve both come a long way. I just want to know where the time has gone.” “Spike, I understand that you lament on the past sometimes, but you shouldn’t feel so down because you miss them. Be happy because they happened. We’ve done a lot even before we left Canterlot. We had fun, played games, read books, and so much more. And we’ll continue to make memories here in Ponyville. You have nothing to worry about.” “Y-You’re right. I guess I’m not as much of an optimist as I thought I was.” “Don’t worry. I’m sure this meteor shower will lighten you up. Now then, let's get going.” Twilight walked to the front door before she immediately stopped. “Wait! I almost forgot! I wanna bring the ‘Astronomical Astronomer's Almanac to All Things Astronomy’.” “I’ll get it Twilight. Don’t worry.” I quickly grabbed the book and carefully brushed the dust off. I didn't want to sneeze like in the show and ruin Twilight’s old book. “Here you are, Twilight.” I handed Twilight the book. “Not a single singe on it.” “Thanks, Spike.” We headed up the hill to where the girls were. It was already nighttime, and the sky was preparing itself for the most spectacular sight in all of Equestria. I quickly set up the picnic as Twilight read through her book. “Wow, Twilight! You're lucky to have such a rad assistant,” Rainbow said as she munched on an apple. “I wish I had someone to do whatever I told them.” “Do we have Spike to thank again for this amazing spread?” Rarity asked. “Isn't he simply amazing?” “Thanks,” I chuckled.   “Little Spikey-wikey!,” Pinkie said. “Who knew that big ferocious dragons start off so cutesy wootsy?” I never blushed so much. “Thanks again. I never got so many compliments before.” This was true, actually. In the human world, I may have hosted most of the meetings, but all I’ve gotten was a few claps and a “Thank you, Mr. Smith.” As for my coworkers, they'd shoot a few compliments, but they’re usually work-related, like “Good eye on that typo, Dave” or “Thanks for sending that email, Smith.” I get it was just to stay professional, but the rules of my company weren't that strict. After Rarity gave me the gem bowtie, which I looked pretty good in, the meteor shower started. Each shooting star lit up the night sky brighter than the moon. The sparkling shower was truly a sight to behold. I would have to thank whoever sent me to this world for giving me such a spectacular spectacle. After the shower settled down, the girls and I shared a small talk before Twilight and I headed home. I felt very exhausted after all that. After Twilight tucked me in (which felt sort of weird given my human age), I instantly fell asleep. The next morning, it was already past ten. I knew that Twilight already met Owlowiscious last night and had him help her out this morning. Still, I didn’t want Twilight to think I took advantage of getting extra sleep instead of helping her. I took a deep breath and scurried down the stairs. “Twilight! Twilight!” I called out. Twilight was packing some books and scrolls into her bags. “Twilight! I’m so sorry for sleeping so late! Please forgive me! We both stayed up late last night to see that meteor shower! Please don’t kick me out!” “Relax, Spike,” Twilight said. “You’ve got nothing to worry about.” “What about my morning chores?” “It’s okay. Owlowiscious did them for you.” “Owlowiscious?” I gasped. “You’re replacing me?!” I knew she wasn't, but I still had to ask. “No! No! Of course not, Spike. No pony could replace you. Owlowiscious is just our new junior assistant. He's gonna help out with some of your chores so you won't get so tired.” “Where is he, anyway?” “He's in the library. Now, I have to go out, so why don't you introduce yourself to him?” And with that, Twilight left the library. I headed downstairs to see an owl perched next to the window. He turned his whole head around to see me. If I didn’t know he was an owl, I would’ve found that creepy. I cleared my throat. “Uh, hi there. You must be Owlowiscious. Twilight told me all about you. I’m Spike, her number one assistant.” “Hoo,” Owlowiscious hooted. “Twilight said you could help me out around the library. While I’m fine working on my own, I wouldn’t mind a bit of assistance.” “Hoo.” “Anyway, welcome to the Golden Oaks Library. Just remember not to mess up any of the books here. Twilight is attached to them like they were members of her family. She even goes as far as too sniff them.” “Hoo?” “Yeah, crazy, right? I’m not making that up. Twilight herself said so. Anyway, if there’s anything you need help with, I’m willing to oblige. Twilight’s not the only pony who I’ve helped in the past.” “Hoo.” “Yeah, I agree.” I didn’t feel jealous about Owlowiscious at all. In fact, I liked having him around the library. He helped me fetch books I couldn’t reach, and he even provided his own quilts for Twilight and I to use. So, the other half of the episode didn’t happen. Twilight’s book wasn’t burned, and I didn’t grow jealous and ran away. “I’m surprised you haven’t grown envious of Owlowiscious's time at the library,” Twilight said. “Nah, being jealous gets you nowhere,” I said as I scratched Owlowiscious’s head. He cooed like a pigeon. “Especially in friendship. And to be honest, Owlowiscious helping me has given me some free time to do other stuff as well, like reading comic books and talking to one of the girls.” “Well, it’s glad to see you two getting along. You know, this would be perfect for a friendship letter.” Twilight handed me the quill and paper. “Take a letter, please.” I wrote Twilight’s letter about how others shouldn’t be jealous about new friends and should get along with them instead to see how things would work out between them. I then sent the letter to Princess Celestia. “I’m glad you weren’t gonna replace me,” I said. “I don’t think Owlowiscious can write letters.” “Very funny, Spike,” Twilight giggled. “Hoo,” Owlowiscious hooted. “C’mon, Spike! Put yer back into it! Bloomberg doesn’t like gettin’ dragged across the road!” “I’m trying, Applejack!” Big Mac and I were struggling to carry Bloomberg, Applejack’s apple tree, to the train station. The girls were gonna meet us there to take a train to Appleloosa. This was the “Over a Barrel” episode where a herd of buffalo stole a bunch of trees because the ponies built over a piece of their land they used to stampede in. Sadly, Pinkie’s “sharing song” invoked a war between the two creatures, which would’ve ended badly had the pies not been so delicious. “Why couldn’t I’ve gotten Twilight to help us?” I asked myself. After making all those snacks for the train ride, I went to Applejack’s farm earlier to ask if she needed help. I thought she was just going to show which trees needed bucking while she was gone, not ask me to carry a tree across Ponyville! By the time we’ve got to the train station, the rest of the Mane 6 were already there. Twilight was talking to some of the conductors. The steam engine wasn’t working properly, so the conductors were going to pull the entire train to Appleloosa in hopes it would be repaired by somepony there. “Wait, that’s the tree?!” Rainbow shouted. “Yep, this here’s little Bloomberg,” Applejack said as Big Mac and I placed the tree on the platform. “Goodness, darling,” Rarity said. “When you said you were going to Appleloosa to plant a tree, I thought you were going to bring a sapling.” “You and me both, Rarity,” I said as I wiped the sweat off my forehead. After we put the tree in the caboose, we were on our way to Appleloosa. Like in the show, everypony was still awake around nightfall, and Rarity and I wanted some sleep. After everyone went to bed, Rainbow and Pinkie talked about carrying the tree, but it then turned to Fluttershy being a tree. As much as I liked that conversation, it was getting annoying. “For crying out loud!” I groaned. I grabbed the pillow and marched right out of the train car. I then headed to the caboose where Bloomberg was. “Hey, Bloomberg, I hope you don’t mind me resting here for the trip. Don’t worry, I don’t snore.” Great, Applejack’s got me talking to the tree as well. I knew this would be the part where the buffalos would come and detach the caboose, but I was too tired to prevent that. I lied next to Bloomberg and got some rest. A few hours later, I was suddenly thrown out of bed. “Ouch! You never told me you were a bed-hogger,” I said to Bloomberg. I looked out the window and noticed that the caboose had stopped. It was still attached to the train as well. Huh? Where’s all the buffalo? I thought— “NOBODY MOVE! This is a robbery!” A muffled voice shouted from the other cars. It sounded familiar, but not from the show. “You two, follow me to the caboose! The rest of you head to the front and get as much loot as you can.” I gasped. I needed to get out of here and fast. I struggled to open one of the windows, but they were all stuck. I heard hoofbeats approaching. The door slammed open, and entered three earth ponies. My eyes widened at the sight of the three ponies. One had a long black mane, a worn-out gambler hat, a dark-grey bandana and a light-grey overcoat. The other one had a blue shirt with suspenders, a black cowboy hat, a navy blue bandana, a brown mane, and a beard that just peaked from the bandana. The third one was in the middle, wearing a black sharp suit, red bandana, and a top hat. He also had a long black mane. I knew who these three were. “John? Arthur? Dutch?” I said. “How did you guys get here?” John was shaken by my comment. “Wha? The kid knows who we are?!”  “Nevermind that,” Dutch commanded. “Arthur, tie the whelp up. John, search the caboose.” Arthur pushed me down and tied my hands together. “Listen to me,” I whimpered. “I don’t know if you know this yet, but Micah has been working for--” “Shut yer mouth, kid,” Arthur growled as he pulled out a handkerchief and tied it around my mouth. “I don’t know how ya know about us, but Micah’s been dead since we left Blackwater. Ya best not to spill anymore beans if ya know what’s good for ya.” I tried to say something, but the handkerchief was too tight around my head to move my mouth. “Ain’t nothing here, Dutch!” John called out. “No storage compartments. No secret rooms. No nothing. There’s no loot on this caboose.” Dutch then looked at the tree. “Oh, yes there is. Help me grab Bloomberg. Arthur, take the dragon with ya.” I shook my head in despair. Dutch and John picked up the tree with ease and carried it out of the caboose. Arthur picked me up like a pig and carried me out. I struggled with all my might to break free, but to no avail. I was being kidnapped by the Van der Linde gang, and there was nothing I could do to escape. “Mmmf! Mmmf! Mmmm-HELP!!” The handkerchief and ropes vanished into thin air. The ponies vanished as well. I rubbed my eyes. Bloomberg was laying right to me. The interior of the caboose told me it was just a dream. Man, that was a heck of a dream. Never thought I would experience a crossover like that. I rubbed my forehead and looked out the window. The background was moving backwards for some reason. “Huh? What’s going…? Uh, oh.” I knew what was happening. Bloomberg and I were being kidnapped by the buffalo. I stayed in bed until the caboose stopped. The door slammed open, and entered a young buffalo. “Alright. We’ve got another one,” she said. “Let’s get this back to...what the?” I nervously sat up from the bed. “Uh, hi...young one. How...are you?” “Oh...this is bad...” “What’s wrong?” Another buffalo said from outside the caboose. “Is the tree gone?” “No, the tree’s still here, but...” The young buffalo scratched the back of her head. “...we’ve gotten someone else by mistake.” “Uh, oh.” Murmurs were heard around outside. “We’re so sorry, young one,” the female buffalo said. “We didn’t mean to kidnap you. We’re just after the tree.” “The tree? I don’t understand.” I did, but I needed to avoid suspicion. “I’ll explain later. We’ll take you to our native grounds.” A group of buffalo took the tree while I hopped on the small buffalo’s back. “What’s your name, by the way?” I asked. “My name is Little Strongheart. Yours?” “Spike. I’m pleased to meet you despite our encounter.” “Likewise. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.” “So why do you want the tree so badly? Trees aren’t expensive. I bet some of the ponies in Appleloosa could help you get some.” Strongheart scoffed. “Those ponies are the reason we’re doing this in the first place. The settler ponies have overtaken the land and have planted an orchard all over it. Because of their thoughtlessness, we can no longer run over our traditional stampeding grounds.” One outside group steals land from a group of natives. It’s American history all over again. “That sounds awful. I guess you can’t change your path to go around the town?” “It's tradition to go down the same path. We’ve been doing so every year, but now we can’t thanks to the settlers. That’s why we’re taking their trees so that they can’t plant anymore.” We arrived at the buffalos’ grounds. Chief Thunderhooves, Little Strongheart’s father, apologized for the mistaken kidnapping, and soon him and his tribe treated me like the guest of honor. I enjoyed their hospitality. The turquoise gems they provided tasted really good, like mint candy. I even got to hang with some of the buffalo and hear their stories. Later that day, some of the buffalos and I went to an open field to practice stampeding. I wasn’t very good at stomping due to my small size. That’s when we heard faint voices. One of the buffalos shushed. “Sounds like ponies.” I could barely hear them, but the voices sounded familiar. It must’ve been Pinkie and Rainbow Dash. “Let’s go pay them a visit,” another one of the buffalos said. We hurried to the source of the sounds. It was tough to keep up with the buffalos, but we didn’t have to travel far. “Pinkie! Rainbow Dash!” I called out once I sighted them. I then said to the buffalos, “Don’t worry, guys, I know these two. They’re cool.” Later that day we brung Pinkie and Rainbow Dash to the Buffalo Grounds. I told the two mares the story after I was accidentally kidnapped. I also told them that the buffalos stole Bloomberg to keep the Appleloosa ponies from expanding their land. I later introduced them to Little Strongheart. Pinkie was happy to meet her. Rainbow...not so much. Strongheart and I showed them to Chief Thunderhooves. After he told the story about how his distant ancestors used to stampede across the land before the settler ponies showed up, Rainbow was all too determined to get back at the Appleloosians. I needed to figure out how the two species can resolve their differences without enraging a war. I know I have to prevent Pinkie from doing that dance. I couldn’t let her start the war, and also because I can’t play the piano. At least, the human me can’t.  The next morning, the girls and I got ready and headed to Appleloosa. Little Strongheart guided us to where the town is. “This should be easy,” Rainbow said. “All we have to do is get those settler ponies to move their trees somewhere else. Simple as that.” “It’s gonna be a bit more complicated than that,” I said. “The Appleloosians might not want to move their orchard.” “Well, they have to! The buffalo can’t stampede with all the trees and buildings in the way.” “Look alive, guys,” Little Strongheart said. “We’re nearing Appleloosa.” Soon we noticed a group of ponies approaching us. Strongheart quickly hid behind a nearby rock as the group drew near. It was the rest of the girls and Braeburn, Applejack’s cousin. “Hi guys,” Pinkie greeted before getting pounced by Fluttershy. I found that adorable. After our little reunion, we told the girls about how the trees were interfering with the buffalo’s stampede grounds. Sadly, like in the show, Rainbow Dash and Applejack end up arguing about which creature had the right to the land. If it weren’t for Twilight stopping them, I would’ve lost my temper. “Look, both the settlers and the buffalo have good reasons to use this land,” Twilight said. “There must be something we can do.” “Hey!” Pinkie called out, “I’ve got an—” “We’re not doing that, Pinkie,” I interrupted. “You didn’t even hear what my idea was.” “Does it involve wearing a frilly dress and singing a song?” “N-No.” Pinkie darted her eyes. “Not everything can be solved with singing,” Applejack said. “Party poopers,” Pinkie mumbled under her breath. “Why don’t we do something like a civil case?” I asked. “A...what?” Little Strongheart scratched her head. “A civil case,” Twilight replied. “It’s when two or more ponies, or creatures in this case, settle over who has a right to what. That’s a great idea, Spike.” “Thank you,” I said. I don’t know if it was going to work, but I hoped it would turn out better than Pinkie’s idea. “We’ve a courthouse in Appleloosa that we can use,” Braeburn suggested. “I hope it ain’t too much trouble for the buffalo.” “I’m sure it won’t,” Little Strongheart said. Later that day, most of the Appleloosians and the buffaloes sat in the courthouse discussing the right to the land. A few hours had passed and we were still in a stalemate. Both sides had firm and sufficient reasons for the land. We ended up taking a quick recess. “What are we going to do, girls?” Twilight asked. “Both the settlers and the buffalo have good reasons for the land, and this civil discussion is getting us nowhere.” Pinkie asked, “Is it too late for my…?” “We said no, Pinkie!” I retorted. Pinkie pouted after that. “There’s gotta be some way to resolve this,” Little Strongheart said. “I don’t want to give up the land, and hearing what those settler ponies have been through, I don’t want to hold on to it either.” “Have you considered sharing the land?” I asked. “Maybe you could benefit from each other.” Chief Thunderhooves showed up. “What could those ponies possibly have that could benefit us?!” He thundered. Then another thundering noise was heard. I clenched my stomach. “It’s a good thing we’re having recess now,” I sheepishly giggled. “It’s close to lunch time, and we haven’t eaten yet.” Pinkie quickly handed me a pie. “Here you go.” I looked to see Pinkie carrying at least twenty pies on each of her hooves and back.  “Where did you get those?” I asked. “From the bakery across the street,” Pinkie replied. “Not all shops close during a court hearing.” Pinkie Pie handed each of us a pie. We all sans Rainbow Dash ate our respective pies, but the buffaloes were reluctant. “What’s wrong?” I asked the buffaloes. “It’s just pie.” “We’re not hungry,” Chief Thunderhooves said as he pushed his pie tray away. But the rumbling of his stomach told a different story. “Very well.” The second Thunderhooves took a bite out of his pie, his face lit up. Soon he and the rest of the buffalo tribe ended up chowing down their pies faster than Twilight eating a hayburger. I know where this is heading. After recess, we returned to the courthouse. Both sides reached a compromise. The settlers got to keep their land and share their food with the buffalo, while also providing a path through the orchard for the tribe to stampede through. This was quickly approved. Later we got the trees back from the buffalo, especially Bloomberg, and planted them in the orchard.  “It’s nice to know how some ponies can be rational and reasonable,” Twilight said. “I’m sure this still would’ve happened if I sung that song,” Pinkie said. “I doubt that,” I said. “Oh, come on, Spike. Since when do songs start wars?” I didn’t say a word. I was glad I was able to prevent a war from happening, albeit I had no choice but to disappoint Pinkie.  Now my only problem was how I could continue that Van der Linde gang dream I had earlier. It would’ve been interesting to join them, and figure out how Micah was already out of the picture.