Chapter 9: If you Wish to make a Call...
Spike yawned and stretched as he awoke. He was just happy after all that had happened that he could get a good night's rest these days. Sure it had only been one night during Discord's rule that he'd gotten any sleep, but dear Celestia had it been full of worry. Scared about if Disord would pull a sneak attack during the night, or if Fluttershy would revert back to being a little filly again, and worst of all if Twilight really had hated him.
"Ugh...this author sure has a thing with beginning chapters with us waking up," Spike yawned softly and looked down at the pony next to him. Her sleeping form always put a smile on his face. She just looked so cute. And didn't have any consciousness to give him orders. Regardless, Spike still had things to get prepared at certain times lest he risk Twilight going insane from him not following the set schedule that she had prepared for such occasions.
Fortunately for him he'd brought a crowdbar to bed. After Twilight's arms refused him escape from her slumbering embrace the first time, he put the metal object between them and began to push as hard as he could. So hard in fact that the crowbar snapped in half. Spike's jaw hung a bit.
"Mmm...cliche power of love abilities..." Twilight said quietly to her distant mind. Spike's brows furrowed and he began pushing and tugging against the unicorn. The actions only made things more awkward however with how much the resistance provoked more snuggling tendencies within Twilight's own body. By the end of the whole wrestling match Spike's was buried deep in the pony's torso, his body uncomfortably enjoying the pressure against her's.
"...will you switch to another character until I get this sorted out?..." Spike glared.
---
"Wow, so Rarity ain't gonna punish you?" Apple Bloom tried to make sure that she had heard her friend correctly. Pleasantly Sweetie Belle nodded her head.
"She figured that Discord messing up the world was punishment enough for anyone," she giggled.
"You made your sad face at her didn't you?" Scootaloo asked. Again Sweetie nodded causing them all to laugh. The day safe and free to explore at their leisure, the Cutie Mark Crusaders had decided to take things slower than normal in finding their Cutie Marks.
"Guess we ain't cut out to be Statue Hunters," Apple Bloom figured, "but...that sure was a promisin expedition there wouldn't ya say? I mean we did find a dang spirit of mass chaos and all. That has to say something about our potential! We keep this up and we'll have our Cutie Marks in no time!"
The three friends grinned at each other. The thoughts of just what they'd do that day began to formulate in their heads. What they would do in reality however was just a few doors away. It was Sweetie Belle who spotted him first. He was pushing some odd old telephone booth out into the sidewalk to be picked up for when the trash would be done away with. Their grins widened. They could be the ones to take it off his hands!
"Cutie Mark Crusaders Slightly Used Item Collectors! YAY!"
"Hey! Doctor Hooves!" Scootaloo exclaimed. At first the brown male pony smiled at the approaching trio. It soon faded. One of them he remembered. Oh how he remembered her. Her pressuring face scarred into his brain from their most prominent encounter. Though she bore the same smile as the others she was with, there was no way by Celestia's name that she would be a bringer of good news.
"Um, I-I'll buy an apple!" he yelped with a jump as the Cutie Mark Crusader's skidded to a halt in front of him, "No, wait, a whole bushel of apples! In-in fact, I'll just give you something for free! Just don't hurt me!" The fillies looked at each other in confusion.
"Um, sir, we just wanted to know if we could take that Telephone thingy off your hooves for-"
"You want the Booth?" his frightened reaction cut off Sweetie Belle and he began pushing it to them without hesitation, "Here! Take it! Anything! Just-bye!" And with that his door bolted shut leaving the younger ponies to exchange glances. After giving a few shrugs they looked each other's flanks over and sighed.
"Guess we ain't Slightly Used Item Collectors," Apple Bloom shook her head, "...but we do got this here Telephone Booth now...that's cool...right?..." The Cutie Mark Crusader's shrugged once more and started hauling it off towards the club house. If nothing else they could probably use it to make a new room or something.
---
"Oh that Spike, always worrying that I'll be too overly organized," Twilight mused to herself. Having decided to give Spike the day off, Twilight was the one going to receive her pickup from Rarity this time. In all the ensuing commotion that'd happened recently she'd nearly forgotten about the scarf she'd asked the fashionista to mend for her. But she'd need it to stay warm this Winter, for Spike if nopony else.
"Can't have him unprepared for if he falls asleep on a slab of ice again," the memory flowed through her mind. Though tragic and mean for how everypony had just left him out there, it was rather humorous with the aftereffects. She did love him, but that didn't mean that she wouldn't pity him so much that she wouldn't acknowledge the shameful comedy in his faults. As she trotted, her mind drifted off to see if there was anything else she could find of Spike. The pathetic attempt at framing Owlowicious and the mustache he tried to impress Rarity with were two that popped up. All of them put a simle on Twilight's face. Though for how much trouble he caused and got into, Spike really was her best friend, sticking with her even when the worst happened. When all others abandoned her he'd be there by her side.
"Oof!" Twilight shook her head and looked at what she'd bumped into. It was the Carousel Boutique's front door. Blushing, Twilight turned around to make sure no one had seen her accident and slipped inside. She really must have been deep in thought. She hadn't even noticed that she'd reached her destination in autopilot. Upon entering the smells hit her all at once as they always did. Perfumes of all sorts lightened the atmosphere more than pretty much any other artificial place in Ponyville.
"Oh Twilight, darling, what are you doing here?" Rarity noticed the visitor. Without hesitation she turned her attention away from her latest project to see what her friend wanted.
"Oh, nothing much, just checking up on my scarf," Twilight reminded. Rarity let out a small laugh.
"Oh that thing? Why sweetie you want something better than that!" the white unicorn assured and brought a box over, "Made it just for you." Twilight's eyes nearly dropped out of her head. Beneath the lid of the box lay folded the most magnificent scarf she'd ever seen in her life! it was softer than any she'd ever felt and even had a unicorn and dragon stitched repeatedly through it in a parade.
"Oh thank you Rarity!" Twilight hugged her. After a few seconds, Rarity let out a small cough causing Twilight to release her and blush.
"I'm sure me and Spike will use this all the time this Win-"
"Spike?" Rarity lifted a brow.
"Oh yeah," Twilight nodded, "he'll probably need it more than I do considering what happened to him on Winter Wrapup!" Rarity couldn't help but join in the laugh.
"Well as long as you're treating my Spikey Wikey with care and making sure he doesn't get hurt," Rarity accepted through the gaps in the chuckling that she managed to breathe through. Now Twilight lifted her own brow.
"Your Spikey Wikey?..." she repeated. Rarity's cheeks reddened and she gave a nervous smile.
"I thought you weren't into him in this fic..." Twilight put her face a bit closer to the other unicorn's.
"Yes darling, but you see you need a romance rival," Rarity countered with a shake of her hoof, "If you don't then the general audience will get too bored with the whole love part of the story."
"General audience?" Twilight asked.
"But of course!" Rarity exclaimed gleefully, "their support funds what gets made and what doesn't! You don't have them you don't have any money!"
"Oh them!" Twilight chuckled, "You mean the majority that ruins everything they come in contact with by forcing the creators to turn anything unique into bland crap filled with explosions and cheap humor."
"Exactly!" Rarity nodded.
---
"So anypony know how a phone booth works?" Sweetie Belle asked tugging at the cord that connected to the phone. On their way back to the club house they'd decided that instead of tearing the thing apart and adding it as a room to it, they'd fix it up and have it as a ground-level room. It could also be used for admitting new members. They'd go in, speak the password into the telephone and the pony on the other end would let them know if they'd be allowed up or not. Scootaloo was still giggling over the pranks she could pull on the new members or the Rainbow Dash fanclub.
"Mah big sister has some schematics of a phone she'd been trying ter put together for the clubhouse back in the day. I could probably get them and we could fix this here thing right up in no time flat," Apple Bloom told them.
"Nah, that'd take too long," the pegasus of the group muttered as she walked into it. The air seemed to get a bit more...floaty upon entering. If the roof was higher she figured that she might actually be able to jump at least twelve feet high without the use of her wings. But the effect was lost on her due to her flying nature.
"I bet if we could just get some wires and soddering equipment we could link the thing directly to the clubhouse's phone!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, "My sister has all sortsa stuff she use to make dresses. I'm sure she has things that'll melt wires and cables and such!"
"Alright then," Scootaloo grinned, "Let's get to work."
"Cutie Mark Crusader Phone Booth Rescuers! YAY!"
---
"Oh those ponies...those little aggrevating...stupid...stupid...idiotic...fucking...ponies!" the blue unicorn hissed and spat every step she'd taken since the crater she'd woken up in. She knew it wasn't a dream. It couldn't have been. She had had her enemies right there! One simple concentrated effort was all it would have taken to wipe them all out at once! But no! She just had to give that purple one a chance...and now she was back to her old level of power, the world seeming to have returned to normal with herself. She reveled in how the ponies had ruined her. Twice now!
"I am going to get back at you...all of you...for the Great...and Powerful Trixie is not one to be vexed..." she gritted her teeth. With each hoof-fall a cloud of dust swept into the air angrily. Who would be the first to go though? Certainly not the purple one. She would be the last, after Trixie had broken her companions. There was always that dragon...he seemed to be the closest to her on each encounter. That yellow pegasus was timid and an obvious easy target though. But she would be the first! For even though it had taken quite some time, the Great and Powerful Trixie had arrived in Ponyville a bit ago, raring for some payback. And who should have flown by in that train of thought she was conducting at that time but the pegasus she had been thinking of!
"Oh please, has anypony seen a white cat? Anypony?" she attempted to get anyponies' attention. It was no use, she was just too shy and quiet.
"Please? Her name's Opal! If I don't find her my friend Rarity will-yah!" Fluttershy whipped around in a panic. Something had slithered across her flank.
"...O...pal?..." she gulped flying back a bit. Trixie grinned from the crowd that traversed Ponyville. Her flying had haulted right at the base of the tree she knew she'd bump into. Right into her trap. Wasting no time for the pegasus to breathe, its branches wrapped around her body as well as her snout to keep her quiet.
"This'll teach you to go against the Great and Powerful Trixie," the unicorn did her best to keep from shouting her proud title to the squirming figure. Once she'd made sure the branches she was controlling were firmly constricted about Fluttershy, Trixie began walking towards the tree, threats and messages for the others already forming in her devious little mind. She could hardly contain herself with the vile thoughts passing through.
Before she set foot in Fluttershy's sight though something happened. She was freed! Trixie nearly fell over from the blow she felt given to the branches. Their remains were burning lightly.
"What in the..." she glared and sent another pair at Fluttershy. Again they were dispatched by a puff of flames. This time Trixie had seen the source of the fire though, as had Fluttershy. Limberly a smaller figure dropped down next to her cloaked in a red outfit with black spikes running down the center of its head and back. Over its eyes was a sleek visor that couldn't be seen through. On its mouth it wore a sort of ventilation mask.
"Oh...um...hello..." Fluttershy gulped in fear, "Uh...thank you?..."
"Don't mention it," a darkish muffled voice responded from the mouth-piece, "Opal's hissing at the clouds that Rainbow Dash sleeps on. Tank's teasing her. Still has her mouse toy that he took from your place when Spike and Rainbow picked him up."
"Oh thank you!" Fluttershy hugged the smaller bipedal hero, "Er...whoever you are?...and how did you know that Rainbow Dash and Spike-"
"Just call me OC," the voice said patting her back, "and a hero needs to know stuff doesn't he? Now get going. I gotta make sure that tree's done for good. Might get a bit messy. And I wouldn't want a pretty thing like you getting caught up in any of this." If Applejack were there she might have mistaken Fluttershy for one of her products with how red her face got from the compliment. Trixie on the other hand couldn't believe what she'd just seen. Right then, out of pure chance, some bizarre super hero had to spot what was going on and intervene with her revenge!
"I suggest you take a hike," the red-clad being advised from behind the blue unicorn causing her to jump. Instantly she whirled around and bent down to glare at him. Though she couldn't see a thing through the visor, she was certain that she had to have at least some effect on the person behind the facade.
"I'm not gonna have you picking on these good ponies," he pulled her face closer by the locks of her mane, "Got it?" Following the initial surprise of the hero's gestures, the glare deepened. Figuring he'd gotten his point across, OC let go of the pony and turned to walk away. Immediately Trixie's horn began to glow. And just as fast it stopped from a slap of the hero's tail.
"I said knock it off. The Mysterious Mare Do Well herself trained me so you better watch out; got it?" He didn't even turning to look at the assailant and continued walking till he vanished into the crowds of the streets. Trixie couldn't believe what had just happened...but she wasn't about to let some midget get away with taking away her vengeance! Those ponies would pay! And now so would he!
---
"Spike! I'm back! I got the Advanced Learner's Edition of the Boyfriend Book! Now we can make this like one of those crappy generic fics where you and me get together simply for fanservice!...Spike?..." Being sure to shelve the book correctly, Twilight smiled at her successful placing. She certainly was the most organized pony she knew. Where would Spike be without her organization?
"Probably a lot less stressed," a cheerful voice answered as a slew of books toppled to the ground from where the owner of the voice's head appeared.
"...Pinkie Pie, what are you doing in my bookshelf?...and how did you know what I was thinking?" Twilight asked picking the books up with her magic.
"That's besides the point," she replied as she leapt to the ground, "What is the point is I need a book. NOW!" All the books Twilight had been picking back up fell to the ground from the pony that shoved her face into her's.
"Um...okay...what do you-"
"How to Build a Robot for Retards!" Pinkie Pie hopped up and down in excitement. Twilight blinked a few times.
"Uh Pinkie, why would you even want-"
"It's a surprise," she told her putting a hoof over her mouth, "No one can know...Now gimme my prize!" Twilight's mouth opened but her teeth remained clench at the urgency of the customer.
"Alright lemme just take a look around and-"
"Oh don't worry, I already got it," Pinkie Pie smiled revealing the rather large book from behind her. Happy with her victory, the party animal gleefully pranced out of the tree allowing Spike to come in through the now open front door. He scratched his head at the unexpected pony and ran straight into Twilight.
"There you are!" Twilight hugged the dragon happily, "I got the Advanced Learner's Edition of the Boyfriend Book! Now we'll have even more fun." Spike gave a half hearted smile that he knew Twilight couldn't see and hugged her back.
"Now where were you? I thought I gave you the day off!" Twilight inquired.
"Oh you know, gotta keep myself preoccupied somehow," he chuckled nervously, "Those Cutie Mark Crusaders came by earlier and wanted me to help them with this phone booth they'd gotten from Dr. Hooves..." Spike managed to break free of the embrace and started waltzing towards the makeshift kitchen that the library had. He certainly was hungry from all the work he'd done. Suddenly he was lifted into the air. Twilight had slipped her head under him to give him a ride.
"Well you certainly seem happy today," he commented laying his face against his hands and resting his elbows on Twilight's head.
"Oh you know how giddy I get whenever I get a new book," she pranced around the room, "Why if there was just some way that I could get all the books in Equestria then I'd-"
"Never be seen again," Spike rolled his eyes at the thought of how long his ride would stay cooped up researching without eating or sleeping. Twilight smiled up at his glowering expression innocently. The first bump was what alerted Spike of the vanishing kitchen.
"Uh Twilight, I sorted wanted something to eat..." he told her trying to get down only to be glued onto the pony's back by her magic, "Hey, what gives?"
"I wanted to make your day off special," Twilight replied climbing up the next step, "that's why I got the Boyfriend Book. Wanted to practice some new techniques while they were still fresh in my head."
"Oh...well in that case..." Spike slouched into the curve of the back of Twilight's neck and ran his fingers through her mane. She smiled back at him and lifted a brow.
---
"Oh Opal, please, you must get over it," Fluttershy stroked the cat's fur. The feline was still quite a bit...miffed to say the least. It'd taken at least five or six minutes to finally pry her away from Rainbow Dash's cloud. It didn't help that said pegasus had been antagonizing the poor dear ever since Fluttershy had spotted her. Rainbow'd been pretty much dangling the stuffed toy in the air above Opal's face just out of reach. Each time the cat would get higher, and once or twice it had actually grabbed it, but Rainbow just plucked it away each time.
"Look, we're going back to Rarity's. It'll be nice to finally get back home won't it?" Fluttershy smiled to Opal only to receive a dismissive roll of the eyes. Unbeknown to either of them however lurked a rather threatening figure in the bushes near where Rainbow Dash had taken up residence. Again the blue unicorn was on the prowl. Her eye twitched at the annoyance that came with yet another previous defeat.
"You are not getting away this time..." Trixie growled to herself. Grinning from ear to ear, her horn began to glow causing the cat in Fluttershy's arms to screech and begin going berserk.
"Ah! Opal! What's wrong! Wait, please stop! No! Ah!" were just some of the things that Fluttershy could be heard crying through the cloud of swipes and slashes that the cat tried to attack the person that'd pulled its tail with. Trixie couldn't help but roll across the ground in laughter. The scene was the most pleasant she'd viewed in ages. A stunning victory worthy of her glorious name! That is until she noticed the cloud dying down. Fluttershy was now cradling the comforted Opal Essence in her arms!
"There there," she said softly stroking the cat's fur, "It was probably just the wind or something. Nothing to be too worried about." Joy turned to fury and rage in an instant. She'd been sure that the mad cat would have been more than enough to deal with the timid one! Before she could start up another spell something hit her square in the head. When she got back up she saw a turtle staring at her.
"Best beat it miss showoff," a familiar voice told her. Floating behind her was a rather annoyed looking Rainbow Dash with her hooves crossed across her chest.
"Well if it isn't Rainbow Cras-"
"Heard it before," she cocked a brow, "Bout as funny as an arrow to the knee. Now why don't you stop picking on a pony that can't defend herself and get outta town before we run you out again?" Trixie glared at the pegasus.
"How did you even know I was here?" she muttered.
"I live right up there," Rainbow Dash pointed to a rather hoof-crafted looking batch of clouds, "Not that hard to get a bird's eye view of the situation. Now come on Tank. I think our work here's done. Trixie'll think twice before...what the..." The event that unraveled put a pause on both ponies as they stopped to stare at the book that drifted by...and then another...and another... After about five or six books the parade reach its final participant, but they kept on their journey towards Ponyville.
"Well they are just books," Rainbow Dash shrugged, "No danger there. Come on Tank!" The tortoise lifted into the air by his mechanized propeller and followed the rainbow-maned pegasus towards the clouds leaving the boastful unicorn to contemplate just what had happened.
---
"Yes! It worked!" were the words that broke Spike from his slumber. He rubbed his face to wipe away the sleepiness as best he could. Something was missing. Twilight wasn't with him! For once since they'd become "boyfriend" and "girlfriend" he'd awoken without her hugging him into submission! Oh thank Celestia! But that probably meant she'd be back to bed in just a little bit. With a sigh, Spike toppled back down in the bed. Might as well get some peaceful sleep while he could.
"This new spell works great!" he heard Twilight squeal from downstairs, "I haven't even read any of these!...hm...maybe if I put a bit more magic into the spell this next time..."