//------------------------------// // Chapter 11 The book and the cauldron // Story: Spike the Knight // by vadram //------------------------------// The book and the cauldron As Celestia rose the sun in the distance, signaling the start of a first day of the new week Spike was awaken by Apple Bloom. “Spike... Spike get of me. I’m gonna be late. Spike!” “I’m up, I’m up.” Spike said turning around, not wanting to lift his head from his new comfy pillow, Zecora entered the room slamming the door behind her. The sudden noise finally woke Spike up, he realized that the comfy pillow he was using was the little yellow filly. He jumped back almost falling from the bed. “Now, now Apple Bloom, School is going to start soon. Here is your bow, Eat this and go.” She tossed her a red bow tied around a yellow pear shape fruit that was bigger than her head. “Salaca, again? Zecora...” “Listen little one, A salaca is better than none, But if you resist, I won’t insist.” “Uh fine. Spike you want some?” She gently tapped it with her hoof and the fruit split in half. Before he could answer Apple Bloom already pushed a piece in front of him and had started eating hers. “What does it taste like?” “Dirt.” She answered, her mouth still full. Spike took a small bite, chewed it and swallowed. The moment it reached his stomach his eyes were watering. “This is...” “I know, right. It’s horrible.” Her eyes were starting to get teary also from the horrible taste of the fruit. “Are you kidding? This is the best thing I ever ate. Apart from gems.” “What?” “The flavor, the texture, the...” He paused to take a sniff of it, “... maybe not the smell, but everything else is amazing.” “You’re kidding right.” Spike already finished his while Apple Bloom was still struggling with hers. “Are you going to eat that?” He asked eyeing her piece. “Knock yourself out.” She answered pushing her piece towards him. Spike greedily began devouring what remained of the fruit, pieces were flying everywhere, Apple Bloom was staring at the spectacle mouth dropped and eyes wide open. A small flying piece of salaca flew in her mouth breaking her out of her trance. “For next week, From you I seek, A book you to read, Some Butterfly Weed, You to bring, And some string.” Zecora was looking at a pile of books. “String?” Apple Bloom asked. “ Aren't you just forcing the rhyme?” Zecora turned towards the filly, looking annoyed. “Fine, fine. Read the book, bring some string and find some Butterfly Weed.” She picked up a old tome, its cover was scorched the golden lettering seemed intact, and the paper had turned a yellowish brown. Picking it up with her mouth she placed next to Apple Blooms saddlebag. The filly jumped out of bed and went to look at the tome. “Are you kidding me?” She asked when she saw the size of the book. “It’s over a thousand pages long. How am I supposed to read it till next week?” She opened the book, flipping through the pages. She did not recognize the writing. “I can’t read this.” She flipped more pages. “Little one do not fret, It goes easier when it's wet.” Zecora closed the book. Then she stuck her hoof in a bucket of water letting some drops fall on the books front cover. It began to glowing, the glyphs were appearing to move forming letters. “Oh I see it now. The.. Dragon... Ency...Clop...Edia?” She blushed. “Ency... Clopedia? The Dragon Encyclopedia.” She could not pronounce the word without smiling or giggling. “What does encyclopedia mean?” “Oh I know that one.” Spike said. “An encyclopedia is a collection of works on a specific subject. Twilight has hundreds of them at the library.” “So it’s just a book about dragons?” “Pretty much.” “So why not call it the Book of Dragons or something simpler?” “I don’t know maybe to sound smarter?” “Of course... Who wrote this anyway?” “It should say on the cover.” Spike reached to touch the book but as soon as his hand got close he pulled it back. “Ouch.” He said briefly as he brought his hand to his mouth. “It burned me.” Apple Bloom touch a dry part of the book. She felt nothing. “Why would a book about dragons burn a dragon?” He asked still sucking on his hand. “I don’t know.” She answered. “Maybe so a dragon can’t read it.” “That's just silly.” “I don’t know. Would you want a book written by ponies about changelings to be read by changelings?” “Umm... Guess not.” “Who wrote this anyway?” The writing had already returned to the glyphs it shown been before getting wet. Apple Bloom stuck her hoof in the bucket and wiped it across the cover. The symbols changed again the letters were now visible. 'The Dragon Encyclopedia' was written in bright blue lettering. Underneath it and a little to the right more glyphs were still dry, these however were smaller and written in ink as opposed to the golden substance that the larger glyphs which formed the title were made out of. She did the same for these. They changed shaped as well, now forming the subtitle and the authors name. “'The Dragon Encyclopedia. Condensed version'. By Doctor, Sage.” Apple Bloom read out loud. “What an odd name.” “Must be a nom de plume.” “Nom de what now? Apple Bloom are you talking in fancy again?” Spike asked putting his hand on her forehead. “Huh? No." She said knocking her hand away from her. "Nom de plume means pen name. Honestly Spike aren't you supposed to work in a library?” “I just write down witch pony takes what book, and sometimes help Twi re-rearrange the books.” “What a waste.” She said. “What’s that supposed to mean?” “Nothing.” Apple Bloom put the tome in her saddlebag, placed it on her back and left. “Bye Spike. Bye Zecora.” “Bye Apple Bloom.” Zecora just wave, her head literally buried deep under a pile of books. After some searching she found what she was looking for, a piece of white chalk. She drew something all around the black cauldron that stood in the middle of the room. It sort of looked like the writing in that book, but it also seemed similar to the circle he stood in yesterday. “Now if you want to grow, Into the cauldron you go.” Spike jumped and grabbed the edge of the cauldron. He looked inside, it was still half full with last nights ‘dinner’. “I don't think it was... Umm... Rainbow colored last night.” The liquid was an odd blend of shades of reds, oranges, greens, blues and violets. Colors changed into others, shapes would form only to disappear again. For a moment Spike thought he could see his face, or Twilight’s, or Rainbow Dash’s he could not tell for sure. “Um Zecora, I don't want to stay in that.” Zecora rolled her eyes, picked up her staff and knocked two times on the cauldron. She bit Spike by the back of his neck lifting him up. He expected it to hurt and was surprised when it didn't. She used her forelegs to balance herself on the side of the cauldron and threw Spike in. He landed on its bottom. He looked around for any trace of the multi colored liquid that moments ago filled the cauldron, but it was nowhere to be found, the metal was dry, and warm to the touch. He looked up, it was like looking from the bottom of a well. The opening was barely visible, but he could still make out Zecora’s face smiling at him. She disappeared for a moment before returning with the lid, placing it and blocking all light, “Zecora?” Spike asked. “Zecora are you there?” No answer came. “ZECORA.” He yelled. The sound bounced back to him and he could hear his own voice coming from all around. “Zecora, I’m scared.” He said sniffing as he was on the brink of tears. “Fear not my friend, I am here.” He could hear his voice coming from the darkness. “Not you two again.”