//------------------------------//
// The First Night 
// Story: The Joy of Recreation 
// by Spettro138 
//------------------------------//

By the time Spike had made it within the final stretch of street, he knew that he was going to be sore and tired for a week. A part of him hoped that he would be showered in rewards like some kind of gilded hero, but no dice. What he was doing was the right thing and he knew it. Whoever this woman was, she was lost, hurt, and alone. Spike wanted to be the one to help her any way he could. The castle was in sight and all the windows were dark, but it wouldn't be like that for long. He preferred to reveal the human's presence slowly so as to not start any sort of panic. Certainly, his friends would be the first to know, but he didn't know when he would reveal her to them either. 

"Sooner, rather than later I guess," he mumbled thoughtfully to himself.

In the distance, he could still faintly hear the sound of ponies in the town square still working on the Autumn Equinox Celebration preparations. That was his motivation to move faster and beat the crowd coming home. The newly paved road to the castle was a bit easier to walk down than the lumpy forest floor covered in roots, thorns, and sharp rocks. Twilight had the main stretch of Ponyville paved to make traveling safer and easier for travelers, merchants, and residents. Using a special mix of cobblestone and concrete. The roads still looked rustic enough to belong to a farming town like Ponyville, but modern enough for convenience.

"I wonder if I'm gonna be any stronger after this?" he asked the unconscious girl. "I've been wanting to start working out for a while, but geez, I picked one heck of a way to start with you."

Suddenly, he heard the distinctive sound of trotting hooves coming down the street. It was loud and bold as if the hooves belonged to either a big pony or an incredibly strong pony who put great force in their every step. Spike began to panic and looked around for a hiding spot to hide himself and the human girl.

"Gosh darn it, Apple Bloom! Where did you get off to?" a voice with a familiar southern twang called out.

'Applejack! Crud!' he thought worriedly.

Looking to the side of the street, he found a narrow alleyway with three tall tin trashcans filled to the brim. They would have to do as he ached even more and rushed towards the alley with the human in tow. He inwardly kept saying "sorry" to the human for the rough ride as he pulled her around the cans and knelt down. Just as the golden earth pony had come into view, he tried to stay as quiet as possible.

"I know I heard something over here! Apple Bloom, if that's you, come on out! It's well past your bedtime!" she exclaimed sternly.

He began to sweat as he heard Applejack's footsteps approaching and leaving repeatedly. 

"If ya don't get home in the next fifteen minutes little miss, I'm gonna be steaming something fierce!" 

Spike tried crouching down lower but cringed when he felt himself stepping in something slimy and slightly stringy. An old banana somepony halfway ate and missed the can while trying to throw it away. He nearly yelped in disgust but held his hand up to his mouth and his face heated up from holding in his breath. Applejack continued moving around the street, carefully checking every potential hiding place and listening carefully. After a little bit, she was starting to get antsy and decided to move on somewhere else.

"I guess I was just hearing things. Maybe I'll check their little treehouse," Applejack said.

Spike then started to let out a quiet sigh of relief, believing that he was in the clear for the moment. Unfortunately, as he was getting uncomfortable in his current crouching position, he tried shifting his footing. Not seeing a small empty soda can hiding in the shadows that had fallen out of the trash. Stepping on it, the aluminum can made a big crunching noise as it slipped out from underneath him. The slickness of the disgusting old banana propelled him forward face-first into the trash cans, knocking them all over with a bang and sending them flying into the streets.

When Twilight and the others had set up the stages and the podium for the upcoming festival, most everyone was allowed to head home for the night. The other attractions could be continued on first thing in the morning when everyone was fully rested and full of energy. Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash were the last of their friends to part from Twilight for the evening, wanting to look for their respective wards before turning in. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo had been exploring the town, doing their usual tomfoolery, and hadn't reported back to them to come home. So naturally, they were starting to get concerned. Applejack was wandering the main streets of town and heard somepony talking nearby. She had assumed it was Apple Bloom and her friends.

What she didn't expect however is when three big crashing trash cans drew her attention back to the same spot, that Spike would be there instead. He looked exhausted and hurt. Covered in trash, dirt, and leaves and smelling like sweat and a number of other unpleasant things. 

"Spike? Consarn it, I thought you were Apple Bloom!" she snapped.

"Hi Applejack." he awkwardly greeted as he weakly lifted his head.

"What in tarnation are you doing hiding behind a trash can in the middle of the night?"

"Uhh, trash diving?" he pathetically offered.

Looking at him up and down, she didn't even have to be the Element of Honesty to tell Spike was hiding something from her. Applejack noticed the splayed-out figure on the branch he was clutching tightly and started to get concerned.

"What the heck is that?"

Applejack got closer as her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the alleyway that blocked out the moonlight. The figure Spike was holding on to looked familiar but she wasn't sure why. Its form she was familiar with though, hands, flat face, hair only on the top of the head, and covered in strange clothes. The strange mounds on the chest signified she was female as well.

"Sorry, I was hoping to keep her a secret until tomorrow morning," Spike groaned. " You know, so nopony panicked. I think she's a human. Like from that weird mirror world, but not exactly.

The earth pony shook her head at the little drake unamused at his dishonesty but understood the situation. She had remembered the odd meeting with her counterpart from Canterlot High and their odd appearance. She smiled held out a hoof to help the dragon up onto his feet and patted him on the head. Honestly, part of her hoped Twilight would be proud seeing him be so chivalrous.

"I am a little insulted you would think I would make a fuss about this and I'm disappointed you tried hiding her from me, but I get it," she replied kindly. "Where did you find her?"

"Cottontail Woods," he replied, brushing himself off. "She looked like she was in bad shape, so I wanted to bring her back home."

"Then we better get her into a bed before I head off to find Apple Bloom".

Spike looked back up at the earth pony and smiled back in gratitude.

"Thanks, Applejack," Spike said.

"Oh, don't worry about it. Your intentions were good, but your methods were a little sketchy. Just ask for help next time, you hear?"

Spike nodded understandingly.

She looked over the human-looking for any concerning injuries. Leaning over towards the girl's lips, she felt a barely noticeable breath coming out of her nose. From looking at her she almost seemed to be dead. Pale and very still. Her lips were curled in a way that appeared to be almost at the point of smiling but not. Placing a hoof on her throat, she felt a pulse and nodded hopefully. Like Spike had relayed to her, the girl was in some kind of trauma-induced state of unconsciousness. This was a job more for somepony like Nurse Redheart, but Twilight would have to do for the time being.

"Only know a little about first aid and injuries from working on a farm, but she's right knocked out. No wonder all that shaking and dragging hasn't woken her up yet." Applejack said. "I only hope it's not permanent."

She grabbed the branch in her steel hard teeth and dragged the human out of the alley. Thankfully a bit easier this time with a pony that pulled, crushed, lifted, and pushed well more than her own weight on a daily basis. As soon as she was out into the street with the branch, she turned and looked at Spike out of the corner of her eye. He was exhausted, stressed, and he looked like he was on the verge of tears, but he kept it in. He didn't need any scolding, as she could tell he had gotten enough of that from Twilight for the past week.

"I'm proud you're being that word that Rarity always uses to describe you," she awkwardly complimented.

"Chivalrous?"

"Yeah, that. But please don't wander off alone like that again. Will you promise to tell Twilight what happened? Cause if you don't, I will."

"I know, I know. I promise. She's gonna find out anyway," Spike shrugged in resignation.

He held his hands behind his head in a thoughtful way and stared blankly off into space. Wondering what was going to happen the following day.

Applejack gave him a concerned look.

"Tell you what? Maybe tomorrow, I'll come back to the castle and you can talk to me about what's going on between you and Twilight. Deal?" 

"How did you--" Spike started.

He stopped himself though, realizing what mare he was speaking to. The dragon smiled tiredly at the earth pony and nodded.

"Thanks, I'd like that."

They made their way down the street more quickly this time and closed in on the castle. Soon they came up to the main walkway as the darkened shadow of the massive structure towered overhead. The crystals seemed to sparkle in the moonlight as light danced to and fro in the various magical polygonal growths. Spike didn't know why, but the castle seemed somewhat intimidating that night. As he approached the massive doors inside with Applejack in front of him, for a moment, he heard something strange.

The creepy echoing laugh of a little girl. Like it was coming out of a broken walkie-talkie. He whipped his head around, looking for anyone else nearby. The street was empty. Only the posters and banners announcing the festival on every lamp post and street sign. It was the posters Twilight had insisted on having her picture taken for. Not for some ego boost, but more for posterity's sake. One of the posters caught his attention though. Just for a moment, the sign on the lamp post nearest to the castle had the image of a dirty golden bear with no eyes. He couldn't read what the words said from that distance. As soon as he blinked, it went away and it returned to the image of Twilight waving. He shook his head and stared intently at the poster, not sure if he had been hallucinating or not. He definitely saw something.

"Spike? You alright? Come on, let's get this girl inside and on a bed," Applejack exclaimed through her teeth.

He looked back at the poster but dismissed it as exhaustion getting to him as he helped Applejack pry open the massive doors and head inside his home. Cold wood and crystal on his claws was a welcome feeling after walking through miles of mud, muck, and moss. Looking forward to feeling it on his feet and walking across their heavenly woven carpets again. Though Spike did notice that he felt strange like something was watching him from close by. He only hoped like always that it was his overactive imagination.

Applejack crossed the doorway into the castle and scrunched her face.

"I don't know why, and call me crazy, but I think this little miss just got a few pounds too light all of a sudden." Applejack noted, "You didn't happen to see her drop anything she was carrying did ya?"

The doors acting on their own weight slowly closed behind them, but as they did, something thin and whispery slithered into the castle and into the shadows, staring intently at Spike with an empty black smile and a porcelain white face. 





The bear had left the forest behind and had found his way onto a grassland, with rolling hills and waves of grass as far as he could see. At the top of one of the highest hills, he could see the small town in the distance. While he continued walking, he looked up at the rising moon. The night was still young and slowly moving high across the sky while he had walked, his optics picked up much in the darkness. The moon was so bright that he barely needed them, though he kept to the shadows, making forward progress to see what this small village had to offer.

He eventually reached the edge of the town, walking into another small forest. He trooped through it, scaring away any and all animals that crossed his path. His walk took him closer and closer to the town, and in the distance, he could see what looked like a red farmhouse as well as a huge tree near the center of the town. But another building that caught his attention was a red schoolhouse near the forest--or at least it looked like a schoolhouse from the books children at the restaurant used to look through. He idly remembered conversations about an elementary school near his old home. And the book had said that's where little girls and boys went to learn, so his best chance of finding a child to entertain was there.  All the windows were dark and it was late, so obviously there were no children there as of yet. The children would not be awake to meet him yet. Mildly irritating, but to be expected waking up in the middle of the night like always.

Looking off down towards the town, lights were starting to come on, and the town square was lit up brighter than any other place. Which meant people were there. Children and....adults.

Not caring, either way, the bear tromped forward and instinctively began to aimlessly wander the school grounds. Winding and waving slowly through the trees, feeling the autumn wind blowing across his fur, he scanned every inch of the schoolyard. Finding children here was a fool's errand, somehow he knew this, but he cared not.  Taking in every rock, every branch, every toy, and piece of playground equipment, he melted away into the darkness, hiding amongst the plants, and began searching for children to play with. Or intruders to destroy before they could have a chance to hurt them. 

Suddenly, a small light came on down the hill just on the outskirts of town. A tiny little two-story house separated considerably from the others. Two distinct voices came over his new enhanced ears. Female. One older and two much younger. The two younger voices were tiny and delicate. Just like the many precious little girls who sang with him on stage so long ago. The older voice was a little strange. Well-meaning and sweet, but disjointed and clumsy.

"Mom! You shouldn't be staying out this late! Don't you remember what happened last time?"

"I know, but you know that your father and I were helping the Princess. It's very important!" 

"If it was important, she'd be doing more of it herself."

Children, his new brain rationalized. 

As he saw this, his powerful new ears picked up sounds that were miles and miles far off into the distance, all coming from multiple directions. Sinister laughter in one far-off location. The kind he had heard before. From the kinds of men Gabriel and the other souls despised. Brigands, thieves, grave robbers...murderers. They were all the same in the bear's eyes. Another sound was one the bear knew if only briefly. Growling, chuffing, and barking coming off from the forests and hills. Wild animals, though these calls were strange. Like being blown through carved wood instead of flesh and bone. A third sound from even farther away was even stranger. A faint rumbling of earth and rock being scratched away was accompanied by scraggly chattering. The voices he could not make out.

New emotions for one such as him provided the bear with very little wants and desires. At least none as of yet. One familiar emotion rose up that he knew his soul partner Gabriel feel ever so often. Anger. Anger at the many new dangers in this place. 

One sound, however, made the bear feel rather warm. Special. Something familiar from the past. 

A bubbly rambunctious adult voice in town. From a woman. Though just like in the house closer by, he could not tell of her present form. She was screaming, shouting, and rambling in a light-hearted manner. A security guard he knew at his old restaurant did that a lot. Mike or Mark were the names that came to mind in his memory banks. Though these thoughts were unimportant to him at the moment. Wherever he and his family were now, this was a good place. A friendly place. A safe place. Without a spirit influencing his every thought and action, he knew what HE wanted and what he wanted to do. 

Bringing up his new prime directives, only one mattered more than all the others. No doubt a message left behind in his coding from their friend in gold. It gave him purpose as he began to wander through the night, intent to meet the inhabitants of this place and protect its children. Whoever or whatever they may be.

Miles away back in the glen of thorns, two more figures had awoken from their slumber and were slowly acclimating to their new bodies and senses. The hen and the rabbit. Everything was so strange and new. Confusion and fear were the first things they had felt. The absence of their soul partners was palpable. Coming to grips with their new sentient minds without them was a rather traumatic experience to say the least. Neither had a previous mind of their own to draw a personality from. For some reason though that the hen could not fathom, she felt an aching in her chest that gave way to even more new unpleasant but necessary emotions.

They voicelessly interacted with one another as best as they could, gesturing and asking each other questions neither knew the answers to. Even interacting with one another was a new concept. As they were only generally aware of each other's presence in their previous lives. Trying to make sense of themselves, they prodded themselves, curiously noticing the clear physical differences from their previous lives. The hen investigated her more feminine features. Streamlined arms and legs, a bulky but slimmed hourglass figure, and powerful fingers that look like they could rip through steel if they wanted to. She gazed over at her "brother" and took in his new form as well.

For one reason or another, she could vaguely recollect what their previous bodies had looked like. Chunky, garrish, and quite ungraceful. Her bionic lagomorph family member resembled that of an older teenage boy like the ones who came into the restaurant with those, jerseys and red "balls". Jocks, she believed was the proper term. His ears pivoted and segmented, giving his nonverbal communication a bit more depth.

Looking down at their other brother, the red fox who had curiously been the only one to not awaken from his slumber. The hen knelt down silently and held the fox's cheek gently, not knowing why, but feeling right while doing it. She was rather worried as she shook him a few times, trying to bring him to. Her new scanners did a diagnostic and found nothing mechanically wrong with him. The only conclusion the hen could come to was whatever had pushed the spark of life into all of them, was still dormant inside him. She could only hope that his mind would wake up soon. 

Deciding to allow him to sleep for a little while longer, she turned her attention to the new entrance to the cave where their missing brother had gone.

Moonlight poured through the opening their brother had made for himself to escape the grove of thorns and vines. The hen and the rabbit exited through, curious of every new sight and smell that graced their senses. The forest was unusual but nothing they were unfamiliar with. It was near a clearing where they soon found a small town on the other side of a meadow. Their brother most assuredly had gone there. Children were always a weak spot for them.

Looking to the rabbit as he looked at her, they had a silent unspoken agreement to walk in separate directions in some instinctual need to find their brother. Turning their heads back toward town, they found themselves staring intently at it, not knowing why. There was a special aura about it. Friendly, welcoming, warm. Parts of the town were still dark but the center districts were all alit with bright lights. A new bodily feature revealed itself to them as they struggled to get a closer look. Their optics containing several thousand mirrors and apertures zoomed in to the town. Neither had a close enough vantage point to see the village's inhabitants, but the buildings themselves were something of an interesting marvel. Primitive, yet somehow contemporary.

The hen's eyes were drawn to a building that looked as if it was made of candy and gingerbread. Something inside her instinctually pulled her in that direction as she exited her zoom function and began walking forward. The rabbit in turn walked off in a separate direction towards a destination of his own choosing, a farmhouse, painted as red as blood. Or apples. Apples more than likely.

Behind them, the fox's head began to click and whir as it wildly twitched from side to side. His whole body violently spasmed a few times and stopped. His head lifted up and turned on, glowing red in the dark.

Within only a moment's notice, the fox was up on his feet in a flash and gone like a shadow in the night.

Next Time: The Four Children