//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: I Dream of Twilight Sparkle // by Salnalus //------------------------------// Back in the hotel, Spike woke up while stretching his limbs out with a yawn. It was still pretty early in the morning, but not too early that the dragon would be too tired to wake up on his own. “Ah, that felt good, for a while. Felt like I finally got some space to myself.” He scratched his back as he looked around the room. Something seemed off to him. Twilight wasn’t there, so he was alone in the hotel room himself. He cocked his head to the side in confusion. “Huh, I really do have space to myself. Twilight must’ve left. Heh, she probably went off to that library she’s been going to everyday since we got here.” He hopped out of bed, and audible cracks were heard as he gave himself one final stretch. While he continued to look around, he spotted the small bucket of Saddle Arabian gemstones Twilight kept for Spike. Though she wanted Spike to eat in moderation, he was too greedy to resist the beautiful rocks’ charms. “Maybe two gems wouldn’t hurt.” He proceeded to walk over to it and pick up two of the gems, one a tiny gleaming topaz and another an irresistible average-sized amethyst. He threw up the topaz in the air and caught it on his tongue. He started to suck on the amethyst as he walked out the door of the hotel room. He made his way out to the streets of the city. They were full of the resident ponies, out to just wander about or tend to business. Some were conversing with others about whatever. But those were only a distraction. Spike had his mind only set on the gem he was sucking on, but more importantly, finding Twilight. He had been around the city enough times to know where to go if he ever need to get somewhere specific. The first stop he would try would obviously be the place he most expected the studious mare to go to. He set out in the direction of the library. The furthest point Spike traveled to was the market area of Saddle Arabia. He would have kept going if he hadn’t just heard audible laughing, its source being a nearby hut a few feet from where he was standing. Out of his own curiosity, he proceeded to head inside. He didn't know what to expect to see in there. When he did, he saw who the laughing was coming from. He didn't know it, but he was staring at the same pony who had tricked Twilight into opening up a bottle that inexplicably sucked her in. He decided to approach the stallion. “Excuse me sir, but I thought I heard laughing coming from in here.” Spike's voice startled Malakhar, which in turn caused him to turn around to face the small dragon in reaction. He didn’t expect a visitor only minutes after he had successfully captured a pony in a bottle. “Why, hello there little dragon! You wouldn’t happen to be... Spike, is it?” Two things caught Spike's attention. The first was Malakhar's tone of voice, which sounded nervous. Why it did was of no importance to the baby dragon. The second was that this stallion somehow already knew his name. “Oh wow, how did you know my name? Am I famous? Does everyone in Saddle Arabia know of Twilight Sparkle’s #1 Assistant?” Spike put his hands on his hips in a proud manner. Malakhar was puzzled by Spike’s ego, but laughed a little nonetheless. “Sure, let’s go with that.” This boosted Spike's ego a bit, as if it wasn't already high enough. But then that’s when he remembered his lavender pony friend, and coughed a bit. “Anyway, do you have any idea where my friend Twilight Sparkle went? When I woke up earlier, she wasn't in our hotel room, so I figured she must've went back to the library, but I just wanted to be sure. Have you seen her?” Malakhar was hoping Spike wouldn’t ask about Twilight, though he had a good chance to keep the bottle containing her out of sight of the baby dragon. He didn’t want to risk him finding out, as if he expected something bad to happen if Spike ever got near it. However, before he could answer, Spike started to look around his hut. His face was mixed between fascination and wonder. Some of Malakhar’s bottles and pots were impressive, while others seemed not so much in Spike’s opinion. “Nice place you got here. You have so much cool, priceless stuff. Why don’t you sell some of these things to get you a better house than this old hut? I bet they would fetch a lot of bits!” “I prefer to keep things more... natural. I’m old fashioned like that.” Spike gave him a rather odd look, thinking he was a bit mysterious for being old fashioned. Then again, Spike didn’t know much about Saddle Arabian ponies other than what he read in the book, what Twilight told him, and what he experienced himself. He concluded that the ponies were old fashioned. “Ok, but don’t blame me when on a rainy day, those clay walls droop and ruin all your stuff.” Malakhar rolled his eyes at the statement. “It rarely ever rains here. Saddle Arabia is in the middle of a desert.” “Oh, right…whoa!” Spike spotted the bottle containing the glowing purple smoke inside. Malakhar froze when he noticed. Did the dragon figure it out? Did he know Twilight was in the bottle? Thoughts raced in his mind as Spike admired the bottle from afar. “That’s a cool bottle! There’s even swirling purple smoke moving inside. Is that like a lava lamp?” Malakhar sighed in relief. Spike was clueless after all. “Yes yes, it’s a lava lamp...” “That’s so cool! But wait, why is it themed on Twilight? I mean, both the mist and the color of the bottle is almost the same exact color as her coat fur. And it even has her cutie mark gem encrusted on the side!” Malakhar sweated. Spike probably had an idea now. “It’s, umm... a collectible! There’s one for each of the Elements of Harmony. They’re really hard to find, so I’m really glad to have possession of this one.” “They’re selling merchandise for Twilight and her friends now? Why does no one ever tell me these things? I could collect all the Rarity items they’re selling! I also wouldn’t mind an Applejack action figure, with real applebucking action! Hi ya!” Spike proceeded to kick the wall, and the sudden shock caused a vase sitting on a shelf to shake and fall. If it were not for Malakhar quickly running over and diving to the spot it would have fallen and catching it before any real harm could be done, it would’ve smashed into pieces on the floor. After placing the vase back to its spot, he sighed and glared at the little dragon. “Watch where you’re hitting things, firebreather!” Spike backed away from the wall, realizing his mistake. “Oops, sorry. Eh heh…” After that silly mistake, he returned his attention back to the glowing Twilight-themed bottle, and started to walk toward it. “So, can I take a closer look at--” Before Spike could reach his claws out for it, the beige stallion galloped over and pushed him away. “No, under no circumstances do you open that bottle!” Spike was taken aback at Malakhar’s sudden reaction. “Aww, why not?” “Because she’ll... I-I mean...” Spike raised an eyebrow. He was beginning to raise some suspicion. “She? Who are you talking about?” In response, Malakhar started stammering. “I-I, u-umm, e-er...” “Like your mother, or something?” “No... I mean yes! Yes! My mother will be very mad if that bottle is opened.” “You still live with your Mother? But you’re a full grown stallion!” Although Malakhar didn’t really live with his mother he slightly blushed at the accusation. He kept his composure and acted angrier. “That’s it, little dragon. It’s time for you to--“ Before Malakhar could finish his sentence, a knock was heard at the door. He groaned in frustration, then turned back to Spike. “You stay here and touch nothing. I have to go deal with whoever’s at my door.” He then headed for the door shaking his head in disbelief. When he opened, he was presented by two Saddle Arabian Guards. One of them spoke directly to him. “Malakhar Manat?” Now Malakhar was even more scared and nervous than before. “Y-Yes, officer?” “We need to talk with you. Come with us.” “Wait, right now? As in, right now right now?” “Yes.” “But I can’t! This dragon here--“ The Guard cut him off. “You can discuss business with the young dragon when you get back. Now come with us.” “But we weren’t--“ He suddenly stopped. He sighed, knowing it was useless to argue with the guards without risking further questioning. So he went along. As he left, he gave a piercing cold stare to the young dragon, who stared back as they walked away. “What was that all about? Oh well, at least I can get a full look at this baby.” Spike returned his attention to the Twilight-themed bottle . Malakhar’s words echoed through his head. The ones that told him not to touch anything in his hut, especially the purple bottle swirling with glowing smoke. Picking it up and touching it wouldn’t hurt. He reached his claws out, picked it up, and looked through it. “Wow! I can see right through it, everything is so purple...” Spike stared at it far a few seconds before looking to his left and right. He was tempted to open it; however, if Malakhar’s mother truly got mad, he could simply bail out of the situation. Spike didn’t live here, so he figured if the bottle released the smoke that made up the lava lamp, they could easily get new smoke. But then he thought to himself, should he open it in the house, or would it be safer to go out there with it? There was a possibility the fumes could’ve been toxic and could’ve made Spike sick, or worse. But then again, accidents happened all the time, and he doubted the smoke could’ve been lethal. Besides, it looked like there was barely enough to make any suffocating amount of smoke come out, as it appeared to Spike that there was a small amount of smoke. He shrugged as he grabbed open the top, and popped it off. He set it on the ground in front of him, waiting for something to happen. Nothing happened. Perhaps the bottle was nothing special after all. Or at least, Spike thought.