//------------------------------// // Chapter 36 (Baby Cakes Part 1 and Read It and Weep) // Story: Spike The Brony Dragon // by red4567 //------------------------------// I was having tea with Fluttershy. Ever since I confessed my crush to her, we've been interacting with each other more. I still made time for Rarity to help her out, and Fluttershy was right about her taking the friendzoning well. I thought it was going to be a repeat of "Green isn’t your color," but if what Rarity’s friends said was true, then I didn’t have to worry about it. As we were sipping tea, Rainbow Dash zipped right to us. "Guys! Guys!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed with a big grin on her face. "Mrs. Cake's in the hospital! You need to come see!" "Oh, my," Fluttershy gasped. "Is she alright?" "Of course she's alright! She just went into labor! Pinkie Pie told me to come get the rest of the girls and Spike so we can see the new foal!" After we finished our cups, Fluttershy and I followed Rainbow Dash to the hospital. "I can't believe Mrs. Cake is gonna be a mother," Fluttershy said. "I wonder if it's going to be a filly or a colt." "I'm surprised I didn't know about her pregnancy until much later," I said. "I guess I wasn't paying any attention."  When we arrived at the hospital, one of the nurses escorted us to where the other girls were. They were looking through the window at all of the newborns. Dash, Fluttershy, and I did the same. Just like in the show, Mr. Cake revealed the new babies: a pegasus colt named Pound Cake, and a unicorn filly named Pumpkin Cake. "Now how in thunderation is one of them twins a pegasus and the other one a unicorn?" Applejack asked. "My great-great-great-great grandfather was a unicorn," Mr. Cake replied, "and Cup Cake's great aunt's second cousin twice removed was a pegasus. That makes sense, right?" "Well, I'm no expert on pony genes, but I guess it checks out," I said. Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Rarity warned Mr. Cake about how pegasi can fly all over the place and unicorns can get magic surges from time to time. I knew that a month later, the events of "Baby Cakes" would take place. In the show, Pinkie Pie would babysit the Cake Twins, only to find out how much of a handful they really are. There was nothing I could change for that episode. I didn’t think I could, if Pinkie’s interaction with Twilight proved anything. As we all left the hospital, I asked, "Hey, Twilight, was I a hoof-full when I was a baby?" "Well…" Twilight rubbed the back of her head. "All I can say is that fire extinguishers were a lot cheaper than we thought." A couple of days after the Cake Twins’ birth, Twilight and I were taking a stroll around town. That’s when we saw Rarity and Pinkie Pie looking up at Rainbow Dash. We decided to join them to watch Rainbow Dash perform a few stunts. That’s when I realized this was when “Read It and Weep” took place. In the show, Rainbow Dash would end up liking the Daring Do series after an accident lands her in the hospital. She would then try to break into the hospital and steal the book. I didn’t know what to change here, as it was too late to tell Rainbow Dash to be careful. However, I could try to find a way to get Rainbow Dash to admit she liked Daring Do before she resorted to stealing. “Isn't she the most daring devil?” Pinkie asked.  “I mean, the most devilish darer? I mean—” “She’s dazzling!” Rarity exclaimed. “Ooh, yeah, that's a good word. She's dazzling!” “I just hope she’s careful,” I said. “We don’t want our daring Dash to get in a disastrous despair. Huh, I think I’m getting better at this alliteration.” Unfortunately, just like in the show, Rainbow Dash lost control and crashed right into the ground. We were all wincing in cringing at the impact she made on the ground. “Rainbow Dash!” I called out. “Are you okay?!” The silence did nothing to decrease our anxiety. We quickly ran to where Rainbow fell. She lied there motionless, and one of her wings was mess-up. “We gotta get her to the hospital!” Twilight declared. “Pinkie! Spike! Get the others! Rarity, help me lift Rainbow!” Pinkie and I saluted and quickly dashed into town. “I’ll get Fluttershy, you get Applejack!” I said. “Okie dokie loki!” We split up, and I sprinted to Fluttershy’s cottage. Once I was there, I banged on the door. “Fluttershy! Are you in there?! Open up! It’s an emergency!” I heard hoofbeats swiftly approaching. I took a step back as Fluttershy swung the door open. “What’s wrong?!” Fluttershy asked. “Is there an animal in trouble somewhere?!” “Worse! Rainbow Dash is in the hospital, and it’s not for labor!” Fluttershy gasped. “Oh, no! We gotta get to her!” “Exactly! Follow me!” Fluttershy and I quickly ran to the hospital. “Do the girls already know?!” Fluttershy asked. “Yes!” I replied. “Pinkie, Twilight, Rarity and I saw the crash! Pinkie went to get Applejack, and Twilight and Rarity are taking Dash to the hospital.” “I hope she’s alright!” Fluttershy said.  “I hope so too.” By the time we got to the hospital, Rarity and Twilight were already there. The absence of Rainbow Dash made me assume they already took her. “There you guys are,” Twilight said. “Where’s Pinkie and Applejack?” I was about to open my mouth when I heard the double doors open behind me. “We’re here!” Pinkie panted. “Sweet Apple Acres was farther from the hospital than it looks.” “So what’s this talk ‘bout Rainbow Dash gettin’ injured?” Applejack asked as she fanned herself with her hat. “Nothing good,” Twilight replied. “Rainbow Dash crashed to the ground, her wing got messed-up, and she was unconscious.” “Oh, I hope it’s not a concussion,” Fluttershy whimpered. After a few minutes of waiting and comforting each other, the doctor came in. “Thank you for bringing her in,” the doctor said as he looked at a clipboard. “The only injury she sustained is a broken wing and a few scratches. We’ve placed her in room 12. We’ll take you there now.” As we followed the doctor to Rainbow’s room, I couldn’t help but notice something unusual about him. “Excuse me, doctor, but you look familiar,” I said. “Have I seen you before?” “You’ve probably seen my twin brother, Caramel,” the doctor replied. “Ponies always get us two mixed up.” By the time we arrived at Room 12, the girls and I were filled with anxiety again. The doctor opened the door, and we rushed to Rainbow Dash’s bed. She had a dazed look on her face, and her right wing was covered with bandages. “Is she gonna be okay?” Applejack asked. “Oh, I'm so worried!” Fluttershy said. “Is her face gonna stay that way?” Pinkie asked. Then Rainbow Dash slowly opened her eyelids. We were all relieved that she was okay, sans the broken wing of course. The doctor said that she’ll have to stay in the hospital for a few days, much to Dash’s chragin. “It's not so bad, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy said. “I bet the chow in here is hoof-lickin' good,” Applejack remarked. “And the hospital gowns,” Rarity added, “they match the curtains!” “And look! You have a roommate!” Pinkie rolled back the curtain to reveal a pony covered in a body cast. “And...I’m sure your hospital bill won’t be that high,” I said. “You’ve got health insurance, right?” None of our reassurance seemed to help Rainbow Dash feel better about staying in the hospital. That’s when Twilight noticed a book cart rolling by. She quickly grabbed a book and showed it to Rainbow Dash. “What's this?” Rainbow asked. “’Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone’?” “This is the first story in the series,” Twilight replied. “I own all of them.” That was true. Daring Do had a lot of books about her. Given how all of them are considered autobiographies, she must’ve had quite a lot of adventures in her life. “No way!” Rainbow Dash growled. “I so don't read. I'm a world-class athlete. Reading's for eggheads like you, Twilight. Heh, no offense, but I am not reading. It's undeniably, unquestionably, uncool.” That’s when we all chuckled at the remark. “Is she serious?” Applejack asked. “Who doesn't like to read a bang-up tale from time to time?” “Why, a good book is almost as magnificent as silk pajamas on a Sunday morning,” Rarity said. “Even I take a break from my comic books to read a novel from the library,” I said. “Reading is for everypony, Rainbow Dash,” said Twilight. “Yeah! I love reading,” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, “and my head isn't even close to the shape of an egg! It's more the shape of an apple, or maybe an orange, but a big orange! More like a grapefruit really...” That’s when the nurse came by and told us we had to come back tomorrow to visit Rainbow Dash. We all said goodbye to her as we headed out. “I think you'd like Daring,” Twilight said to Rainbow Dash. “She's a lot like you. Adventurous, fierce, and undeniably, unquestionably, unstoppable.” The next day, Twilight and I headed to Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie Pie was tapping the counter and staring off into space like something was on her mind. “Hey, Pinkie Pie,” Twilight greeted. “How are you today?” “It’s super freaky, isn’t it?” Pinkie asked. “What do you mean?” Twilight tilted her head. “Remember that picnic we had where Spike read our hooves? Two small, cute cakes. A pony with a grey mane that looks and acts like Rainbow Dash. His predictions came true! Try a prediction right now, Spike!” I chuckled. “Okay.” I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples. “The next pony to come in will be a...unicorn.” That’s when the doorbell rang. “Howdy, ya’ll,” Applejack called out as she opened the door. “Huh, I guess I was...” “After you, Rares.” “Thank you, darling,” Rarity replied as she entered Sugarcube Corner. “See?!” Pinkie exclaimed. “A unicorn! Spike’s a fortune teller!” “Oh, Pinkie, it was just a coincidence,” I said. “I only said those things at the picnic to mess around.” “But you can’t deny that it was freaky. You’ve got psychic powers, Spike. Somehow, you figured out what will occur in the future, and now you’re telling us so we can either avoid a catastrophe or making dumb descisions.” “Oh come on, Pinkie Pie. Like what Spike said, it’s just a coincidence,” Twilight said. “Besides, you have Pinkie Sense, so why are you surprised?” “My Pinkie Sense can only predict immediate events, not events that’ll happen in a few days, months, or years. Ow, my shoulder.” As Pinkie was rubbing her shoulder, a mare’s scream was heard upstairs. “Pinkie Pie! Your pet alligator is in the tub again!” Mrs. Cake called out. “Get him out so I can bathe the foals!” Pinkie quickly hurried up the stairs. “Sorry about that!” “I know this is Pinkie Pie we’re talkin’ about,” Applejack said. “But do ya really think Spike has psychic powers?” “Of course not,” I denied. “I was just playing with you girls. The Cake Twins being born and Daring Do was just a coincidence.” “Even so, it is awfully convenient that those two events happened,” Rarity said. “How about I make another prediction since you girls believe in this stuff?” I asked. “The next game Rainbow Dash will play...she will...win!” “Ya call that a prediction?” Applejack asked. “Rainbow Dash wouldn’t lose at nothing and accept it with grace.” “Let’s find out, shall we? Twilight, you should probably check up on Rainbow Dash. While you’re at it, why don’t you bring a board game with you?” “Well, I have been meaning to do so,” Twilight said as she scratched her chin. “I’ll get Fluttershy to come along with me. She knows what board games Rainbow Dash likes.” Twilight left Sugarcube corner just as Pinkie Pie was carrying a wet Gummy down the stairs. “You know you have to share the tub with those two foals from now on,” Pinkie said to Gummy. Later that afternoon, I was in the library cleaning up. That’s when I heard the front door open. “Oh, hey Twilight,” I greeted. “So, did my little prediction come true?” Twilight shook her head. “No, it didn’t. Rainbow Dash somehow lost before she even got a turn. The strangest part was how she was okay with it.” “Seriously? Rainbow Dash okay with losing? That doesn’t sound like the Rainbow Dash I know.” I actually did know why Rainbow Dash lost. She was curious about the book and was instantly hooked onto the series, and she didn’t want the girls to know. Honestly, she was just like me when I first came into the Brony fandom. “It was really weird,” Twilight said. “It couldn’t have been a concussion. The doctor said the only injury she had was her broken wing. She didn’t have any else other than a few scrapes.” “What if she’s hiding something?” I asked. “What do you mean?” “Remember that book you gave to Rainbow Dash? What if she became interested in the book and was trying to hide it from you and the girls?” “I don’t know, Spike. You saw how reluctant she was to read. If she was really interested, she would’ve told me herself.” “Yeah, you’re probably right.” The next day, I decided to browse through some of the books to see if there was anything worth reading. I was going to look for a book about changelings when I saw an old, worn book sitting on the end of one of the shelves. As I slid it out, a big cloud of dust nearly made me sneeze. It was clear that Twilight didn’t bother to read or even touch this book. I brushed off the cover and read the title. “Anthropology: A study on the mythical Homo Sapiens.” I widened my eyes. It was a book about human beings. My own former self. The fact that my kind was considered “mythical” in the pony world seemed pretty funny to me considering there were many mythical creatures here in Equestria that didn’t exist in my world. Not wanting to squander the opportunity, I opened the book and read it. “Humans, also known as Homo Sapiens, are intelligent primate-like creatures that have appeared in folklore and myths throughout pony history. There have been little to no scientific evidence of such creatures existing in real life, but many ancient stories have implied that they once roamed the Earth.” Boy, wait until they find out who I was. I flipped through some of the pages. “Due to their significant lack of fur, humans have made clothing mandatory to protect themselves from the elements. The materials they’ve used might’ve been similar to the ones ponies of today use, which might indicate that humans once co-existed with ponies thousands of years ago.” I continued reading the book. I giggled at some of the inaccuracies the book had, and I agreed with some of the details that were accurate. I can’t believe I’m reading a book about my own kind in a world where my kind doesn’t exist. “Spike!” I quickly slammed the book shut. I gave out a yelp as I pulled my thumb out. “What are you doing?” Twilight asked. “Complaining how much my thumb smarts!” I said as I sucked on my swollen thumb. “But to be serious, I was reading this old book.” Twilight took the book from me and groaned. “Oh, no. Don’t tell me you believe in this, too.” “What do you have against huh-mans, Twilight?” I mispronounced “humans” on purpose to avoid suspicion. Twilight placed the book back on the shelf. “An old friend of mine minored in Anthropology, and she would talk non-stop about these creatures. It was so annoying. Why anypony would waste their study time to learn about some creatures that don’t even exist is beyond me.” “Well, it wouldn’t hurt to learn a thing or two about them,” I said. “What if we meet one?” “If we meet one, which I doubt. Just read something else, Spike. There’s no need to learn about human beings.” Oh, Twilight. Once we get to Canterlot High, you’ll be wishing you knew about humans. Later that evening, the girls and I sat down to eat at a nearby diner. Rainbow Dash was still in the hospital, so she couldn’t join us. “So, you three went to visit Rainbow Dash earlier today,” Twilight said to Pinkie, Rarity, and Applejack. “How was she?” “I think the stay at the hospital is gettin’ to poor Rainbow Dash,” Applejack said. “She’s been gettin’ really sweaty. Not to mention when she had dinner, she was eatin’ like a pig. Actually, I think the pigs could’ve eaten with much more grace than that.” “It’s like she’s a totally different pony!” Pinkie exclaimed. “What if she got some sort of disease from her roommate?” “Pinkie, the hospital wouldn’t put the injured ponies in the same room as the sick,” Twilight said. “That could result in an infection to the injured.” “But you can’t deny something’s up,” I said. “Yesterday, you and Fluttershy were playing a game with her, and she lost after one turn and accepted it without any problems.” “It almost felt like she wanted to lose,” Fluttershy said. “But...why would she do that?” “I think...I think it was the book.” The girls gave each other confused looks. “It must’ve been the book. Rainbow Dash must’ve really liked reading Daring Do, but she was too afraid to admit it. She must’ve purposely lost and ate sloppily to drive you girls out so you wouldn’t know she was reading the book.” “Why would she do that?” Twilight asked. “Do you really need to know, egghead?” “Do not call me that, Spike.” “If you’re implying that Rainbow Dash is worried about being an...egghead,” Rarity said. “She has nothing to worry about. Like what Twilight said, reading a book is for everypony.” “Maybe we should see her tomorrow and ask her about it,” Fluttershy said. “We could tell her that there’s no need to be upset over reading.” The next day, Twilight, Fluttershy, and I headed to the hospital. When the doctor arrived, he told us that Rainbow Dash already checked out. “Everything was alright for her, so we checked her out an hour ago,” the doctor said. “She does need to keep off that wing for a while, though.” “Okay, thank you,” Twilight asked. “Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask. Are you sure the broken wing was the only damage she sustained? Because we’ve been visiting her these past few days and she was acting weird.” “We made a thorough scan of her entire body, and we haven’t found anything wrong besides her wings. There was no sign of a concussion or brain damage, and her previous medical records didn’t indicate any sort of mental disorder.” “Is it possible for somepony to go insane from staying at the hospital too long?” Rarity asked. “Of course not. We’ve got nurses comforting the patients, visiting hours, and plenty of ways to keep our patients entertained, like books.” “Is it possible to check one of the books out?” I asked. “This isn’t a library, son. All of the books here are hospital property. Anyway, Rainbow Dash has been doing fine, and we discharged her out without any problems. If you girls are worried about her, you should go talk to her.” “We’ll do just that,” Twilight said. “Thank you.” We left the hospital. “Where do ya’ll think she could be?” Applejack asked. “Let’s check her home!” Pinkie said. “The doctor said that she wasn’t supposed to fly,” Twilight told Pinkie. “If she needed to go home, she would’ve asked one of us to help her up.” I looked around the area. There were bushes everywhere. That gave me an idea. “Say, Twilight, you’ve read ‘Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone,’ right?” I asked. “Of course,” Twilight replied. “Why?” “Because I wanted your opinion on something. You see, there was this chapter in the book that I really liked. I think it’s the one where Daring’s trapped in a sand chamber? Anyway, I really liked the part where she used—” “DON’T SPOIL IT!!” We quickly turned to see Rainbow Dash pop out of a nearby bush. She quickly covered her mouth. “Uh...I mean...I...uh...” Rainbow Dash groaned. “Alright you got me. I’m an egghead!” “Pardon?” Rarity asked. “See, I was trying to get back into the hospital to finish that Daring Do book.” “I thought you didn’t like the book,” Twilight asked. “I guess you changed your mind after finding out how good it was.” “Good? Try awesomely amazing. That book is undeniably, unquestionably, un-put-down-able! But then I had to put it down; I was sent home before I could finish it.” “Well, I'm glad that's all this is about, but you don’t have to hide it from us. We would’ve understood. Reading is for everypony, you know. If you wanted the book so badly, you could’ve just asked me.” Twilight and I took Rainbow Dash to the library. There, Twilight gave Dash the book she wanted. Like in the show, Rainbow learned that it was okay to express their interests in something, and not to hate something until they try it. I wrote the friendship letter as Rainbow dashed off to read the series. “At least she didn’t resort to stealing,” I said under my breath. “What?” Twilight asked. “Nothing.” I shook my head.