//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 special some ponies // Story: LUCKY CHAINS // by discordjediknight //------------------------------// The next few rehearsal days, LC practiced every few hours with one of the three he called his successors. Whenever someone asked him about his new song and when he plans to rehearse it, he told them don't worry about it, I got it covered. But this story isn't just about LC. Cherry and Fluttershy, oh no. it's about Spike. Spike woke up in the old crystal castle. Somehow it gave him a feeling of nostalgia being there. Now the castle was more of a summer house for Twilight and him. Mostly it was Starlight's home now. Spike scratched at his muzzle as he headed down the hall to get something to eat when two hoofs were thrown around him. "Spikey." Shouted a white mare with purple hair. Spike froze a little, not knowing what to say or do. Rarity. He nervously chuckled. "Oh, my Spikey it's been so long I missed my dragon." She said with a wink. "Do me a favor darling and take this bag over to Fluttershy's dressing room will you? I can't wait to hear her sing." "Uh sure." "Then after that, you and I can catch up for lunch. A date with your mare friend should brighten you right up." "My uh. My mare friend, right?" He muttered to himself in almost a dreamy state. He had a crush on her since they first met. While she was a bit older than him, the two got along great together. "Yes, and after all these past months I finally have some time to see you." She smiled. Spike grinned nervously and gave her a quick hug before he left, taking the dress with him. As he walked, he scolded himself for his actions back there. "Are you kidding me, what was that? Your girlfriend you haven't seen in months shows up finally, and you ditch her. What the heck?" He slapped his forehead. Suddenly he tripped and fell only to be stopped by a hoof holding him up. "Oh sorry, spike. But I'm glad I caught you when I did, you would have fallen right into the river if I did. Oh, is that Fluttershy dress? Good things are going according to plan then." "Uh yeah, Cherry." Spike couldn't help but notice how similar, cherry seemed familiar to him somehow. And not just because he met her. But the way, she was in the perfect spot to stop him from falling and running the dress. It almost seems like she knew he was there. He thought it odd but shrugged it off. Pinky did similar things all the time. Guess she's not the only one, he told himself. Come to think of it, Cherry looked like Pinky whenever she went Pinkameana mode. "Fluttershy just finished rehearsal I'm sure she'll be ready for dress rehearsal next, you might want to hurry there". She said as she pulled out a guitar from seemingly out of nowhere. "Um, hay cherry. Not that it's any of my business, but are you ok." "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" "Well, I remember that thing about your dad." "Not my dad. Just, I don't know. Kinda helped me out ya know. Wish I could help him." She pulled out a butterfly necklace. "You just seem a bit down." "You're one to talk. You're not exactly Mr jumping for Joy yourself." Cherry told him. "Yeah. "He twiddled his thumbs. "I kinda have a problem of my own." "Yeah, we all got problems." Cherry said while she eyed the locket. "I mean, it's just that." "You don't have to talk about it if ya don't want to." "Yeah, I know. But still I just…" "Oh, great, here we go." Cherry muttered as she leaned up against a rock. Spike went through the whole story of how the two started dating not long after he moved to Canterlot but due to her workload and his neither of them had any time to see each other. Cherry sat there with a bored expression on her face, but she was listing to his heartfelt problem playing the gutar here and there. Eventually, tho, an hour passed and Fluttershy came running looking for her dress. "Oh, spike, there you are. Have you seen Rarity, she was supposed to bring me my…?" She gasped, seeing the bag in Sspike's hand. "Oh, yeah here." Spike gave her the bag. "Oh, thank you, but why aren't you with rarity? You know it's almost lunchtime." "He's too worried about them being separated for so long." Cherry said in a bored tone. "Oh, spike." Fluttershy smiled wearily. Ugh. He let out a frustrated breath. "What's the point? Dating. Hell marriage. What's the point if I don't ever get to see her?" "Spike." Spike kicked a stone angrily into the water. "I'd give anything just to see my special some pony aging. Even if it was long distances. Life is too short, Spike. And it's rude to drag her on like this. Talk to her at least." "Woah," Cherry said as the weight of Fluttershy's words hit her. Fluttershy only looked away with a smile. "Oh, hay, that's a nice locket. Do you have a special somepony then?" Asked Fluttershy as she noticed the trinket. "Oh no, I. I kinda stole it from a friend of mine. I should give it back, but..." She gripped the chain tightly with her hoof. "It's from your dad, isn't or? Father figure." Spike said. "Bingo." She muttered. Fluttershy smiled warmly as if she was a mother at the pink pony. Suddenly, another voice popped in. "Well, all relationships can be troubling at times, but life is fun with them, isn't it?" Pinky grinned. Cherry looked at Pinky and then seam to instantly get a bit nervous as no one noticed except Fluttershy. "Don't worry about her. She's friendly." "Too friendly. Believe me. Cherry said, rolling her eyes nervously." "Uh look I gotta get back to practicing my song, ill see ya later." "Oh no, no, come on. We're all about to go to lunch." Pinky said, pulling sandwiches out of nowhere. "Yeah, come on, let's eat together. Get to know one another." Fluttershy told her. "Oh, trust me, you kinda don't want to…" "I know you're reformed." Pinky and Spike were surprised by this. Releasing this Fluttershy continued. "Lucky Chains told me. But we have more than a few friends who were once misguided. Whatever you didn't in your past, it doesn't matter. It's what you do now that counts." At her words, Cherry blinked a few times and looked at her as if she was crazy. "Oh, and hay after the show tomorrow it's Fluttershy's birthday party you gotta join us." "Umm..." "Well, I gotta go." Spike replied. "I got a date" Fluttershy and Cherry turned their heads with a smile at him. "Good. For you spike." Cherry muttered. Pinky jumped up and hugged Spike. "Oh, I'm so glad you're going to Rarity. She's missed you so much. Just like how much I miss cheese." "Yeah, pinky, how do you make that work?" Spike asked. "Well we just do." "Cheese?" Cherry said in a questioning tone. "Oh, my colt friend. We just do spike. "She smiled. And so will you. "You'll work things out." "Thanks, spike said and headed off." None of them realized the figure standing in the back, listing to the whole conversation. Cherry sat alongside Fluttershy on her left. Pinky is in front of her and to her surprise the CMC apple Jack and Ra Ra. The other top singer for the fun-raiser. "So how is it working with the top singer in Equestrian?" Ra Ra asked. "I don't know what lucky chains is like." "Oh, he's uh… well, he's actually really kind once you get to know him. When I first met him, I was pretty much scared out of my mind." "How long have ya known him? Or worked for him." "Just under a year." "Well, you must idolize him the way you dress." Pinky smiled. "Huh, the way I dress." "Yeah, you got the same outfit and everything…" "Well, well has been a good friend and..." Cherry spoke a bit nervous. "What is your mark anyway? I'm super curious. Is it something like a music note or dancing related?" Pinkey said, trying to pull off Cherry's cape to get a better look. "Um, I don't have a mark" "What. They all shouted." "My mark. Its uh." "You're a bland flank. At your age," Sweet Bell asked. "Umm, I'm actually uh eleven." "What!!!" "Eah I'm just uh tall for my age." "That's an understatement. You look like you're twice that." Scootaloo pointed out. "Well, don't worry, Cherry." Apple bloom continued. "We the CMC are great at finding out what you're meant to do. All ya need is to find what your talent really is." "I say it's music." Sweety Bell said. "That's helpful girls, really. But you see. Uh. well. I'd rather find it on my own, thanks." "Oh, that's understandable". Ra Ra replied. "Tell ya what, if you ever want to sing a duet with me just let me know I got my mark by singing with apple jack here." AJ smiled. "Yes well. I don't want a mark." "Huh..." "I mean I do but..." She sighed a tired sigh. "My mom. I just don't want to be a carbon copy of my mom. Not that she's a bad person." Cherry said looking at Pinky who was chomping down on cheese sandwiches Well, of course you're not a copy of your mother. Silly." Pinky said with her mouth full." "That's easy for you to say." "No really. Yeah, we might look exactly like our parents, but we live a totally different life from them. Sure they're always there to help if needed, but a mark is all about your special talent." Cherry growled at this. "Enough about stupid marks. You have no idea. What if your talent is literally someone else's? The one thing that makes you special, someone else does just the same if not better." Pinky was at first taken back by the sudden outburst, but she put on a smile anyway. "Even if your mark looks just like another. There is only one you." Pinky declared. Cherry's eyes widen at this. She never thought about it that way. “Hmm," she thought back. “Perhaps I miss judged my ‘mom’ "