//------------------------------// // Own Little World // Story: HUMAN By: Twilight Sparkle // by Razalon The Lizardman //------------------------------// “Well, Rarity . . . whaddya think?” “Oh my . . . Spikey Wikey, it’s BEAUTIFUL.” Rarity gazed upon the diamond and pearl studded platinum dress that Spike had labored to get for her. The sparkle that gleamed in her eyes was unmatched by any other she had throughout her entire lifetime. She had made and given many dresses to Spike and the rest of their friends before, but this one . . . the one that Spike had given to HER, the Bearer of Generosity herself, put all of them to shame. The pearly unicorn couldn’t deny that she had been outdone in her craft; she leaned down and planted a long, sweet kiss onto Spike's mouth. His cheeks growing red, Spike gave in to the warm feels filling up his belly . . . “Spike . . . SPIKE!!!” The baby dragon woke up with a start and proceeded to rush down the library stairs to answer Twilight’s call. “Yes, Twilight?” Spike asked, panting. “Where’s my project?” Twilight answered as she rushed to and from every bookshelf and cupboard around the house, opening and looking in them frantically before closing. “I had a dream that gave me an idea for the story but I can’t find it anywhere!” Spike sighed and walked over to the desk where Twilight had been working on her project. Reaching into the cubby space the desk provided, he pulled out the parchment on which Twilight had been writing her story. Twilight, upon realizing her overreaction, blushed and telekinetically took the parchment from Spike, setting it back down onto the desk. “Thanks Spike, I don’t know what I’d do without you.” “Glad I could help,” Spike said, sarcastically, as he made his way back upstairs. Spike woke up the next morning fresh as a daisy. Aside from the interruption with Twilight, last night's sleep was the best yet that month. Stretching his arms and legs, he proceeded to head downstairs again. As Spike was about to hit the ground floor, he glanced up to see Twilight working feverishly on her book at her desk. “Hey Twilight, wanna go get some breakfast at Sugarcube Corner?” Twilight didn’t answer. Confused, Spike called to her again, again with no answer. Spike was about to walk over and poke her when he suddenly had an unnerving thought, no doubt brought on by past experience. “Did you stay up nonstop after I helped you last night?” To Spike’s surprise, Twilight stopped writing, but not in response to his question. Spike watched as Twilight’s telekinetic grip on the quill came undone and it floated down onto the desk. Even though Twilight still stood upright, Spike heard snoring sounds coming from where she was, which essentially answered his question. With a sigh, Spike exited the library and began making his way to Sugarcube Corner for some breakfast pastries. As he neared the sweet shop, Spike came across Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash talking to the cutie mark crusaders; Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Applebloom. From the looks of it, the four mares were apparently scolding the three fillies for something. Applejack sent the three away just as Spike approached. “What was that all about?” he asked AJ. The four mares turned to face him. “Oh, howdy Spike,” the farmpony said. “Them littl’uns were badgerin’ an’ beggin’ the four of us ta keep watch over ‘em while they attempted ta get “contortionist cutie marks”. Sometimes ah wonder where they come up with such featherbrained schemes.” She shook her head. “So how’s Twilight doin’ these days? She still busy workin’ on that little pet project of hers?” “Wait, how’d you know about that?” Spike asked. “She told me’n Pinkie yesterday; said she was worried ‘bout us thinkin’ she saw earth ponyfolk as below unicorns on account’a how they’re portrayed in her story. Personally, I don't give a hay how they’re used, cause it’s better’n not existing period. Am I right?” “OH MY GOSH APPLEJACK IF WE DIDN’T EXIST THEN THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY WOULD BE USELESS AND OUR FRIENDS WOULD BE SO SAD AND I’D BE EXTRA EXTRA SAD OF COURSE HOW CAN I BE SAD IF I DON’T EXIST I WONDER IF . . . ” Rainbow Dash stuck her hoof in Pinkie’s mouth, effectively shutting the party pony up. “Thanks,” Spike muttered. “Do you think you guys could check on Twilight while I’m getting breakfast for her? She didn’t get any sleep last night, again.” “Well, I need to get back to my cottage,” Fluttershy said. “Angel’s expecting me back with a glazed carrot for his breakfast, and the last thing I want is for him to get cranky from hunger." The group waved Fluttershy goodbye before turning their attention back to Spike “Sure thing, Spike,” AJ said. “Don’t ya worry yer scaly little head 'bout Twilight; we’ll make sure she gets some sleep.” “Thanks,” Spike said before continuing towards Sugarcube Corner. “C’mon gals, let’s go all Sandmare on Twilight.” A few minutes later AJ, Pinkie, and Rainbow were at the Golden Oaks library’s front door. Applejack lifted a hoof and knocked. The door opened a second later, though the ponies noticed that it had been opened with magic. The first thing they saw upon entering was just what they expected; Twilight was frantically writing away on the parchment laid out on her desk, not even turning around to greet the new arrivals. “Uh . . . hey there sugarcube,” AJ said to Twilight. “Maybe ya’ oughta get some sleep 'fore ya’ suffer brain damage.” “Can’t,” was Twilight’s only reply while she continued writing ceaselessly. “Come on egghead,” Dash said as she flew up to Twilight. “Everypony needs a little R&R between doing the things they love; that’s why I nap whenever I’m not flying or working.” Twilight said nothing, still not ceasing her writing. “Ooh Ooh Ooh!” Pinkie exclaimed, bouncing over to the desk. “Whatcha writing? Is it a comedy, tragedy, or an actiony? Wait, I guess actiony isn’t a word but it does rhyme with comedy and tragedy. OH MY GOSH!!! This is the story about that scary, spooky, so-mean-it-makes-you-want-to-put-your-hooves-up-to-your-mouth-and-gasp world. What are-" “SHUT UP!!!” Everypony in the room flinched and stared as Twilight broke from her writing to yell at Pinkie Pie. They were all aghast. Even though Twilight had yelled at Pinkie before, never had she done it with the level of volume and derision that she just displayed with her voice; though it was no Royal Canterlot Voice. Silence fell upon the room until Pinkie broke it. “I’m sorry Twilight.” Her mane deflated and fell straight down around her head. Twilight sighed and cast a warm and comforting, yet drowsy look at Pinkie. “I . . . forgive you . . . Pinkie . . .” Twilight proceeded to fall asleep right in front of them. AJ sighed herself as she walked over to Twilight and promptly whistled in her ear. Twilight immediately woke back up and AJ put a hoof on her shoulder. “Listen sugarcube, like ah said ya’ oughta get some rest 'fore ya’ suffer brain damage or whatever. If ya’ want, the rest of us can contribute ideas to yer story while ya rest. Whaddya say?” Twilight stared at all of her friends with a mildly shocked expression. “You'd all do that for me?" Pinkie's mane poofed right back up and she, AJ, and Rainbow all nodded yes. "Thanks girls," Twilight said. "You're the . . . best frie-" She had fallen asleep again. AJ just smiled and lifted the sleeping egghead onto her back to be brought up to her bedroom. Once Twilight was snug as a bug in bed, the three ponies stood around the desk and began reading what Twilight had written so far. As they read, the three were amazed at how much content Twilight had put into her work. What had begun as a mere tale about a world where magic is nonexistent had evolved into an entire chronology of said world and its inhabitants; from “The Pyramids of Egypt” to “The New World” to “World War 1 & 2”. At first, the three friends felt anything they could contribute would be useless compared to what Twilight had already created. The chance to be omnipotent, however, was too great allure for them, so they put their creativity to the ultimate test and began brainstorming for an idea each they would contribute. “ . . . DETROIT!” Rainbow Dash and Applejack turned to Pinkie Pie. “What?” they both said in unison. “Detroit!” Pinkie said, proceeding to bounce up and down in excitement. “Wouldn’t it be cool if Twilight’s world had places named similarly to ours? Like, Detrot becomes Detroit, Stalliongrad becomes Stalingrad, Fillydelphia becomes Philadelphia, Los Pegasus becomes Los Angeles, and so many more!!!” While Pinkie Pie squealed in excitement, AJ and RD looked at each other skeptically and back to Pinkie. "Where did those names come from, Pinkie?" AJ asked. "I made them up," Pinkie replied. "Don't they sound funny?" “It’s not exactly funny unless the new name has an underlying joke or something," Rainbow Dash replied. "Detroit? I don’t see any joke in that.” “Silly filly,” Pinkie chided. “It doesn’t need an underlying joke to sound funny.” RD and AJ looked at each other again and just shrugged; it was Pinkie logic, why try to make sense out of it? “Alright, sugarcube,” AJ said. “I guess yer idea’ll work, just go write it down.” In the blink of an eye, Pinkie was at the desk with the quill in her mouth, scribbling away her idea on the parchment. “So, Dash,” AJ said to the respective pony. “What’ve ya thought of? I’m plum tuckered out of ideas.” The cyan pegasus rubbed her hoof on her chin, deep in thought. After a moment, she perked up and, with the widest evil smile ever, zoomed over to the desk and snatched the quill from Pinkie Pie, who had just finished writing. She then began jotting down whatever she had come up with while AJ looked on in confusion and concern. “Uh, Dash, what’s yer idea?” Dash finished writing and turned to look back at the farmpony, the evil smile still plastered across her face. AJ watched as Pinkie Pie looked at the parchment and shrieked so loud both RD and AJ could’ve sworn their ears bled. “Pinkie! What in tarnation was that for?” Pinkie’s hair deflated yet again as she looked at AJ, tears in her eyes. AJ, curious, strolled on over to the parchment and read what Rainbow Dash had written down. Once she had, she felt sick to her stomach. “Dash . . . what the hay?” “What!?” Dash protested. “After all the wicked stuff Twilight’s put in, what’s so wrong with my idea?” “It’s not wrong, sugarcube,” AJ responded, “just sick.” Dash crossed her fore hooves. “That’s why I put it in." AJ sighed and looked over to Pinkie Pie who was still visibly crying. The farmpony wrapped a comforting hoof around the pink pony’s shoulders. “It’s alright, Pinkie. Dash don’t mean any ill-will towards anypony who’s real; fictional ponies don’t exist, so there’s no need to fret over them gettin’ turned into glue. Will ya be alright, sugarcube?” A slight smile formed on Pinkie’s face. “I think so, Applejack.” Both ponies embraced long and hard while, unbeknownst to them, Rainbow stuck her tongue out in mild disgust at the sappy display in front of her. “Well, I’m gonna go take a nap, see you later girls,” Dash said as she flew out a nearby open window. The two remaining mares waved goodbye and split from their hug. “I should get going too, Applejack,” Pinkie said. “Mr. and Mrs. Cake are probably wondering where I am right now.” With that, Pinkie bounced through the front door and was gone. All by her lonesome, AJ thought long and hard about what she could contribute to Twilight’s world. During which time Spike returned with a bag full of donuts in hand. "Where's Twilight?" he asked AJ. "We put her ta bed upstairs," AJ replied, pointing toward the staircase. "Thanks." Spike ascended the stairs intent on feeding his pseudo-mother. Spike's return with breakfast for Twilight brought thoughts of food to Applejack's mind. She glanced over her shoulder to her cutie mark; three bright red apples. To AJ, the apples on her flank portrayed more than just her favorite food; it was a reflection of how much she treasured her morals and being honest with everypony. Suddenly, an idea to contribute to Twilight's story hatched in her mind; she'd make Twilight's humans omnivores instead of inherently carnivorous as they were described. That way, they'd have complete freedom to choose whether they ate meat, plants, or whatever. With her contribution decided upon, Applejack picked up the quill and began writing her idea down. Upon completion she too exited the library, content that she, Pinkie, and Dash had done a good job of helping Twilight with her creation so she could get some much needed sleep.