Spike and Buttercream led Barb, Scorch and Singe down the streets of Ponyville until they got to the edge of town and were in front of the crystal castle. They had never seen such a huge clump of gems in one place. Even in Nordo Dracos, huts and castles were made primarily of stone. The gems in this castle looked like the kind dragons would feed off of.
“Whoa...is that...is that castle made of gems?!” Singe said, wiping drool from his lower jaw.
“Yeah, it was made by the Tree of Harmony,” Spike explained.
“Is it even edible?”
“Well yeah, but we don’t eat it, bro. Don’t worry; I’ve made you guys plenty of gem-themed snacks inside. We’re going to have a feast tonight.”
“That castle is something else,” Barb said, observing the structure. “So is this where Princess Twilight used to live?”
“Yeah, until she became Equestria’s new leader. Now Starlight Glimmer owns it and she rents it out to Sunburst and Trixie. Twilight and her friends all come here every month to talk things over and spend time together. It kind of doubles as an administration building for the School of Friendship next door.”
“Ah, so that’s where the School of Friendship is,” Scorch said. “You know, we mentioned that to Dad the other day. He says some of our people are interested in getting in on the exchange program, so we can send some young Northern Drakes to the school.”
“Yeah, it would be really good for relations with Equestria,” Barb added.
“Really? That’s not a bad idea!” Spike beamed.
“Come inside, you guys!” Buttercream said excitedly, pulling the front door open.
They filed into the castle and admired the scenery. Singe let his tongue hang out as he rubbed his belly.
“Bro, pinch me! I must be dreaming!” he said, nudging Scorch.
“Alright, keep it together, Singe,” Barb said, pushing Singe’s jaw back up. “I know it looks tasty, but we’re here to spend the night, not devour the entire place.”
“Lucky for you, Spike makes a really mean gem cake, and I’m gonna use my mad-scientist level confectionary skills to help him with it!” Buttercream told Singe.
“Cake? What’s that?” Singe asked.
“The sweetest, most delectable, most sugary, most scrumptious, mouth-watering, lip-smacking treat you will ever lay eyes on!” Buttercream said, with hearts over her head and her pupils dilated.
“Is that one of those things you got your name from?” asked Barb.
“Yup! Buttercream frosting goes great on cakes and even little tiny versions of them called cupcakes! Nightwatch named me after the cupcakes his mother made him the morning he found me!”
“Heh. They sound pretty delicious,” Scorch added.
“Oh you bet your scales they are!”
“Alright, guys, we’ve got the rest of the day to just chill until Butter’s friends arrive,” said Spike as he walked backwards while everyone walked down the hallway. “I’ll show you around while Butter gets the food ready. After we’re all here, we’ll eat, open presents, and then later I guess we’ll play some O&O once we have everything set up for the game.”
“You got it, lil’ bro!” Scorch said, nudging Spike playfully.
Buttercream took off flying towards the kitchen as Spike walked about with his siblings, showing them the rest of the castle and the rooms they’d be using.
“So Spike, how long did it even take to build this place?” asked Barb.
“Oh, we didn’t have to build it!” Spike replied.
“So did it just appear by magic?” Scorch jested.
“As a matter of fact, yeah! Pretty much!”
“Er…wait really?”
“You know Tirek, the centaur that was helping us fight the changelings the other day? Well back when he was a criminal, Twilight and her friends figured out how to beat him with the power of the Elements, and after it happened, the Tree of Harmony just, POOF, used the key box like a seed to plant this giant crystal castle right out in an open field in Ponyville! It came right in the nick of time since we had just lost the library.”
Barb, Scorch and Singe looked at each other with confused expressions, as Spike talked on.
“Uh…the tree of harmony?” Singe asked.
“Yup! That’s where the Elements are usually housed. It was destroyed by King Sombra, but then a new tree eventually grew over by the Everfree Palace.”
“This is all kinda confusing,” Scorch said, scratching his head.
“Yeah, it’s a lot to take in. I can tell you more later.”
“Well it’s good to know Tirek eventually changed,” Barb said.
“Cept that crazy changeling queen,” Singe added. “You think we’ll be safe from her?”
“Yeah, we should be fine,” Spike replied. “Discord’s in his dimension right now keeping her from…oh, wait. He’s actually gonna be out of it tonight cuz he’s coming over here. I hadn’t thought of that. I hope she’ll be locked up in there safely. I’d hate for her to escape when the kids are all by themselves in that clubhouse. Maybe I should send him over there real quick to check on them…”
Spike then flew over to a nearby window and looked out to see the clubhouse in the center of town. Barb walked up behind her little brother and put her arm around him.
“Don’t worry about them, Spike,” she said.
“Yeah, they’re gonna be fine,” Scorch added.
“I hope. I’ve never left them alone like this,” Spike said cautiously, continuing to stare at the clubhouse.
Barb looked worried for Spike. She didn’t want him preoccupied with something that would ruin his big night, so she finally picked him up and started tickling him to get his mind off of it.
“AGH! Alright, alright, I get it, Barb!” he giggled.
“You worry too much, little guy,” she jested, setting him back down. “Come on. Let’s keep ourselves busy. We’ve got a big night ahead of us.”
Back at the clubhouse, the kids excitedly began to check out everything inside. The first floor was decorated like a living room: complete with a toy chest, a cabinet to store board games in, shelves for stuffed animals and books, and even a TV set with video games and a VHS player. There was a small kitchen off to the side with snacks, a refrigerator and a working sink. The workers had left behind some snacks in the cupboards and drinks and microwavable food for them in the fridge that they would eat later that night.
As Stormy flew around, admiring everything, Chip and Annie stuck together to do their own little journey of the clubhouse. Flurry and Cozy flew around to look at things, though they were far more reserved than Stormy was. Pumpkin was full of energy and bouncing all over the place to get the lay of the land, while Pound trying his best to calm everyone down.
“Alright guys, let’s not wreck the place,” he said, anxiously.
“Bro, you’ve got to see the toys in this chest!” Pumpkin beamed, pulling out a large chest and opening it up.
“Yeah, that’s pretty cool, Pump, but let’s-”
“WHOA! Look at these awesome toys! This is one of those cool transforming robot things!” Stormy shouted, picking up a toy.
“Look! They have a Tendonin 64 set up!” Chip chimed in as he sat down in front of the TV.
“And it’s got Seapony Adventures!” Annie added.
“You wanna watch me play it, Annie?”
“Sure!”
“Wait, Chip, Annie, I thought we’d wait to do the games after we all just sit down and decide our agenda for this stay-over,” Pound told them.
“They’ll be alright, Pound,” Flurry said.
“Well…alright. I just kinda feel like we’re not thinking things through. This is our first time in here after all.”
“Maybe you guys can come over and watch us all play it. I’m pretty good at this game, Pound,” Chip said.
“I guess that could work. Hey guys? Can we…uh, guys?”
Pound called to everyone else, but was getting no response. Stormy was busy trying to figure out how to transform the robot, while Pumpkin was singing along with a karaoke player. Pound was unable to get their attention.
“Guys?”
“Pound, it’s okay. Just let them have their fun,” Flurry said, putting her hoof on his shoulder. “Come on, let’s go up and see what the second floor is like. I saw Cozy fly up there earlier. We wouldn’t want her to be alone.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
Pound put on a smile and decided to follow Flurry upstairs. Near the front entrance was a winding staircase that led to the second floor. On this level were some dressers for blankets and clothes as well as some shelves for more books and games. All around the walls were beds for the kids to sleep in. Some of them had been carved into the side of the tree with a small window right next to it. The beds were all made and looked very comfy. There was one more set of stairs that lead to a wooden platform encompassing the whole room. On this platform was a door to the top observation deck where a telescope could be found. To the left and right were doors that lead to a side balcony and the giant slide on the other side of the clubhouse. The floor of this room was the area of the tree where the top branches parted, so the ceiling had a roof made to protect against weather. Just like the downstairs, this whole level had a very livable and welcoming feel, and the added balconies gave extra access to the outdoors. Over by a small table, Cozy could be seen flipping through a book.
“Cozy, you don’t want to join everyone downstairs?” Pound asked.
“Oh, sorry,” Cozy replied. “I wasn’t avoiding you guys or anything. I just wanted to check things out up here. It’s very lofty and peaceful and there are some nice books.”
“Oh that’s okay. Make yourself at home.”
“Gosh, the view from the balcony sure is great, Pound!” Flurry said as she looked out the window of the door leading to the balcony.
Pound and Cozy followed Flurry out to the balcony. They looked out to see all the cottages in Ponyville. Since they all had wings, they were used to seeing from such an angle, but it felt good to stand and view the whole town like this. It was not quite as tall as the crystal castle, but its smaller size gave it a more personalized feel. It was the perfect place for the kids to get together.
“Quite a view,” said Pound.
“And a really nice telescope too,” Flurry added, admiring the telescope that had been installed on the rail.
“You know guys, we should try and invite other kids to this clubhouse when we can,” Cozy suggested.
“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing,” Pound added. “I don’t know if you girls have met Chip and Annie’s cousins Pine Cone and Fern, but they’re really nice. We should definitely let them in some time.
“That’s a good idea!” Flurry replied. “Also, doesn’t Sandbar have a sister that’s about our age?”
“Yup, she’d be good too.”
“Oh, and that one girl I met in Nightshade’s class. I think her name was Allegra. If I see her again, maybe I’ll invite her over. And Ocellus’s siblings would probably be interested if she ever brings them by again.”
“Wow, we’re already starting quite a club,” Cozy said. “I’m glad we got this treehouse made for us. I just hope me being here doesn’t prevent other kids from wanting to come.”
“It’ll be alright, Cozy. If any kids judge you, they’re probably not the types that would want to be around us either,” Flurry said.
“Well it wouldn’t really surprise me if it happened. I know I’m reformed and all, but I did kidnap some of their parents back when I was the Sorceress. Plus I feel I haven’t really done much to prove I’m reformed outside of helping clean up after the changeling invasion.”
“You’ll get there, Cozy,” Pound told her. “For now, let’s enjoy our time here and look forward to inviting other kids in.”
The three of them nodded in approval and took one more relaxing look out into the town. The silence was suddenly interrupted by the sound of furniture falling over downstairs, causing them all to jump in shock.
“What was that?!” Flurry asked, frantically.
“Come on!” Pound shouted, flying back through the door.
When they arrived downstairs, the tall cabinet containing games and toys had fallen over on its side. Some of the boxes had spilled out and lost their pieces in a heap on the ground. Nothing appeared to be badly damaged, but it had already caused an uproar.
“GUYS!” Pound shouted angrily. “What did you do?!”
“It was Stormy!” Chip said.
“What? No it wasn’t!” Stormy responded.
“You were standing on the cabinet earlier! I told you not to!”
“It fell over like ten seconds after I flew off of it!”
Stormy got up in Chip’s face until Pumpkin came between them.
“Alright guys, let’s not get too worked up,” she said. “We’ll just pick these things up and put ‘em back like it never happened.”
“I’m not getting worked up. Chip’s just full of Cesium Celery!” Stormy remarked.
“Oh, you wanna go there? Well you’re full of Beryllium Broccoli!” Chip shouted back.
“Please stop! I hate when you guys fight!” Annie begged, but she could not stop the ensuing battle of wits.
“Cesium Celery!”
“Beryllium Broccoli!”
“CESIUM CELERY!”
“BERYLLIUM BROCCOLI!”
Annie pulled Chip back, while Pound yanked Stormy down by his tail to keep him at bay.
“HEY!!!” screamed Pound. “Enough, you two! If this fighting continues, I’m gonna…wonderful. Now I sound like my Mom.”
“Guys, please, let’s not fight!” Flurry said, landing between everyone. “Look, the cabinet’s still fine. We just have to pick some of these things up, but I can help with my magic, okay?”
“That’s right guys,” Cozy added. “Remember, we have this clubhouse to enjoy our time and get along. Let’s not bicker when this is our big night, okay?”
“And remember what Pumpkin said earlier: that nothing can go wrong as long as we’re friends,” added Annie.
Chip and Stormy thought about what Flurry and Cozy had said and hung their heads in sorrow. They then looked at each other to make their apologies.
“Sorry, Stormy,” said Chip. “I don’t know if you knocked it over or not, but I know you didn’t do it on purpose.”
“It’s okay, Chip,” Stormy replied. “I’m sorry I was kinda rough-housing when you asked me not to.”
Chip and Stormy shook their hooves and smiled, as everyone else sighed in relief.
“There we go!” Pumpkin chimed in. “Now, who’s ready for some karaoke?”
“Oooh! Me! Uh…wait, what’s kara…ka…kakoki?” Stormy asked.
“Karaoke, silly! You just sing into a microphone while this boombox plays music! We can sing our favorite songs on here!”
“Oh. Nah, I’m playing with this cool robot!”
“Alright, well anyone else wanna join me?”
“I’ll join you, Pumpkin,” Annie said.
“Alright Annie! Let’s sing to some Countess Coloratura!”
As Stormy was flying around, playing with his robot, Annie and Pumpkin went over to turn on the karaoke machine. Razzle Dazzle by Coloratura began to play. Pumpkin quickly started singing, but Annie looked a bit shocked.
“Time for the spectacle! Time for the show! The Lights are bright and the colors glow! Uh…Annie, aren’t you gonna sing?” Pumpkin asked, pressing the pause button.
“Sorry. I thought you said we were singing to Countess Coloratura’s music.”
“This is her music.”
“It is?”
“Yeah, you’ve never heard this song?”
“It…uh… just doesn’t really sound like her.”
“You’re probably thinking of her new music. This is one of her older songs before she left the industry. I know she doesn’t really do this sort of music anymore, but I still like it.”
“I see. Well I’m sorry, but it’s too much pop for my taste.”
Pumpkin sighed.
“Alright, alright. We’ll play something else.”
Pumpkin began digging through a box full of cassette tapes to find something Annie would have no problem singing along to. In the meantime, Chip continued to play the Super Tendonin Entertainment System. Cozy, Flurry and Pound lifted the cabinet up and put it back where it was. They then landed in front of it to pick up the game pieces.
“Uh…guys, I’m not familiar with these games, so does anyone know where these pieces go?” Cozy asked.
“Yeah, that’s the candlestick and the lead pipe for the game Cue. I got those, Cozy,” Flurry replied.
“Thanks.”
“Great,” Pound grumbled. “Everypony’s still getting too rambunctious in here.”
“Give em time, Pound. We’ll all get together to do something eventually,” Flurry told him.
As they were picking things up, behind the cabinet was the Apparition. He slithered around, observing the kids. He had already started his work by knocking over the cabinet and getting Chip to blame Stormy, but the kids had already made up and forgotten about it. He needed to find ways to keep them arguing. Suddenly a bright flash of light appeared to the side. Everyone turned to see Discord in front of the entrance, admiring the new clubhouse. The Apparition instantly disappeared.
“Hello, kids!” he said, waving.
“Hey, Discord!” Stormy said, flying by with the toy robot, which was now in the shape of a spaceship. Discord ducked to evade him.
“Whoa! Hey, Stormy!”
“Discord! Thank goodness you’re here!” Flurry said.
“Think you could help out?” Cozy asked.
“Oh! Had a little accident with the boardgames? Say no more!”
Discord snapped his fingers and the game pieces all teleported back into their respective boxes. The boxes then disappeared and reappeared in the cabinet in the shape of a house of cards.
“Uh…thanks,” Pound said, flatly.
“Oh no problem. So this is the new clubhouse, eh?”
“Sure is!” Flurry said. “Doesn’t it look awesome?”
“It really does bring back some memories. I wasn’t in the old Golden Oaks Library that much back then since it was destroyed not long after I reformed, but I do remember a few little moments in it.”
“Like the time you pretended to be sick with the ‘blue flu’?”
“Ah, good times. I’m surprised you know about that though. You’ve been reading up on the Journal of Friendship, haven’t you?”
“I’ve kinda memorized some of it now.”
“Well hey, good to see you’re here too, Cozy. I see the reformation is going along smoothly for you,” Discord said, turning to Cozy.
“Thanks,” Cozy replied bashfully.
A basketball suddenly bounced right in front of Discord and off the wall and ceiling several times. Stormy flew by trying to catch the ball. In the background, Pumpkin could be heard singing loudly to music while Annie looked annoyed by the volume.
“Stormy!” Pound yelled.
“Sorry, Pound, I’ll get it under control!” Chip said, running after Stormy.
“I’ll help out with you!” Cozy added, trying to catch the ball and get Stormy to calm down.
“Sorry things are kind of a mess here. I’m trying to get the others to listen for once.”
“Ah, kids will be kids, sport,” Discord said, patting an irritated Pound on the head.
“Well anywho, Spike asked me to stop by here to make sure everything was fine before I head over there tonight to OM for everyone.”
“Spike sent you?” Flurry asked.
“Yeah, he actually said, ‘Discord, make sure there’s no chaos’. Like does he even know who he’s talking to? Hehe!”
Discord waved his lion paw over his face and it transformed into a head that resembled Spike’s but still had the shape of Discord’s skull and differently-sized eyes. He spoke in an accent to mimic Spike’s voice. Flurry giggled while Pound rolled his eyes.
“Just tell him we’re okay. He’s got a birthday party to worry about over in the castle,” Flurry said.
“And DON’T say anything about the cabinet or the basketball. We’ve got everything under control here,” Pound added, firmly.
Discord then appeared to be wearing a backwards cap, a set of headphones around his neck and a jacket with a white undershirt.
“Alright! Fresh! Well I’ll be on my way then, kiddos! Time for a little Draconequi and Dragons tonight!”
“Bye, Discord!” Flurry called back.
“Peace out!”
Discord put his eagle claw on the door as if to open it but disappeared instead. A moment later, a canister full of colored pencils splattered against the door.
“NOW WHO THE HAY DID THAT?!” shouted Pound.