//------------------------------// // Raspberries // Story: Gears in the Void // by Lab //------------------------------// "Really, I shouldn’t have said anything." My first sip of the tea Spike brewed to lure me out of hiding had scalded my tongue, and it hurt to talk. He kept trying to convince me he was mature enough to know what I’d meant. Mentioning how much I doubted Twilight would want me to explain it did nothing to dissuade him. Part of me wanted to damn the consequences and just tell him, but it still wasn’t clear how mature Spike was. The purple dragon smirked. "I’m tired of being treated like a whelp." "I bet. I'm sorry Spike, but Twilight would be pissed." I smiled and casually glanced towards the book cart I'd ducked behind in a half-hearted attempt to avoid the situation. It was probably only three-quarters my size and not even completely full, so it was akin to using a single twig as camouflage. "You didn't actually believe that would work, did you?" He cocked an eyebrow at me as he drank from his own cup without injuring himself like I had. Stupid fireproof dragons. "Maybe. Maybe not. Any word on when the girls are coming back?" Mentioning the Mane Six perked his mood right up. "Yeah, they'll be back tomorrow. Princess Celestia taught Twilight the royal messaging spell, and she just sent her first letter today. She was pretty excited about it, I think. I can usually tell from the number of words I can't understand." "Why does that always go through you anyway? I never figured that out." He tapped his claw against his chin a couple times before shrugging. "Dragon stuff." "Fair enough." The pillow underneath me shifted as I fidgeted. It was strange being comfortable for so long on just a cushion. It was almost bothering me that I wasn't uncomfortable from the lack of back support. "Did they finish whatever they needed to in the Crystal Empire?" "I would think so, but the letter didn't mention anything specific.Twilight did tell me to keep an eye on you though. She seemed to think you'd get yourself into trouble." The two of us shared a look at my leg and burst out laughing. "That's rich." Having learned to use the leg above the hoof, I wiped away a laughter-induced tear. "I feel special for getting specific mention though." "Yeah, it's not like there aren't any other ponies who have a tendency to cause property damage everywhere they go. Or break out of hospitals on a broken leg. Or—" A hoof shoved in his mouth, preemptively finishing his sentence. "I get it." Spike spat my hoof out and chuckled sheepishly. "My bad. You’re almost as much of a trouble magnet as Ponyville is though." "I'll take that as a compliment. Oh, I do have a tiny favor to ask." He groaned and faceclawed. "I'm not going to like this, am I?" "I just want access to the secret section of the library with all the really potent stuff." Almost an entire minute of awkward silence passed before Spike answered, "What?" "You know, the big stuff that let's a unicorn become a pony-sized Death Star." "Yeah, I'm just going to go ahead and repeat myself. What?" "Please?" Just like I practiced, my lower lip stuck out and trembled. He averted his eyes and shielded them. Damn, he was clever. "There isn't a secret part of the library. What gave you that insane idea?" Giggling, I rolled my eyes. "Come on. There's always a secret section in a library. Every last one." "There isn't one in the Canterlot Archives." "Well, duh, they're archives, not a library." "Touché." "But I'm sure there is one there anyway. Have you or Twilight ever asked if there was one?" "Well, no, but that doesn't mean there is one there or here." "Spike, this is a library in a tree that is tended by you, who I shouldn't have to clarify is a freaking dragon, and Princess Twilight Sparkle, who is also the Element of Magic and a billion other titles. There's got to be some pretty rare tomes tucked away in a secret room somewhere." He scratched his chin in thought, slightly smiling from my incidental flattering. "You have a point, but there really is no secret library section." Screw it, it was time to go for the throat. "Spike, I’m going to pull every book in the library. It’s probably in the basement behind some book Twilight thinks nopony will ever read." He grumbled, his shoulders sagging, "How did you know? Twilight's going to be so freaked out." I drew him into a small hug. "Don't worry, it wasn't anything you did. It's just really cliché. I was just guessing for most of it." "Dude, that's creepy." "Sorry. I won't tell anypony else if it's any consolation." "Well, that's a start, but I still can't let you in there. Not only am I not allowed to, Twilight actually has a horn lock on it. You'll have to talk to her, but I'd wait until she has some tea. Less freakout that way. Why do you want to get in there so bad?" "Either I have a bit of guidance figuring out the good stuff or I wing it and try to teach myself." I grinned at him as I pointed at my cutie mark. Spike's mouth dropped open as he stared blankly at the wall. One could almost see the carnage lurking in the scenarios playing out in his mind's eye. He wildly shook his head to clear it and sternly pointed at me. "No." His voice rang with more authority than I could have ever expected from such a tiny creature. With that tone, he could have demanded to get Firefly back on the air. Sharp pounding at the door pulled his attention away, and he opened it for Vinyl Scratch, who was slightly straining to levitate three plate-sized boxes, one of which dripped occasionally. She unceremoniously dumped them on the nearest table and took a moment to catch her breath. "I am way too out of practice." Vinyl huffed and she wiped the sweat from her brow, then fixed her shades, which the motion had set askew. "Why didn't you just stack them up and lift one thing instead of three? I know from Twilight it’s a matter of surface area." She could only groan. "Because that would have been the smart thing to do." "Welcome back." I smiled sincerely at her and glanced at the boxes. "I take it that's our dinner?" ”You are a lie, even to your two closest friends.” That was probably just Dave being an asshole. Deep down, I doubted that was the case, but any of the alternatives spooked me. "Yep. Spike, I asked Ray for your usual, and he whipped something up for you, so I hope that's okay." "You went to Ray's? Awesome!" He dashed to the boxes and hastily opened them. He pushed the first aside and drooled while mumbling incoherently as his widened eyes sparkled at the contents of the second. The third box wobbled as Vinyl floated it over to me, and I relieved her of it the moment it came within reach. "Thanks," she said. "Sorry it's dripping though." "You brought me food. You don't get to thank me or apologize for anything." I licked at the leak and my mouth exploded with the strongest raspberry flavor I'd ever eaten. In the past, I hadn't liked raspberries that much. In fact, I despised their flavor, but that was alright since they made me swell up like a fugu fish with gas. Some faint part of my mind guessed it wouldn't have been an issue with a new body, but I couldn't hear it over the delicious euphoria fogging my brain. I barely forced my tongue to help with speech again. "This is good!" "That's a relief. I had no idea what you would want, so I kind of closed my eyes and pointed randomly." She laughed nervously as she picked the remaining box up with her mouth and sat next to me with it. "Spike, are you going to eat it or frame it?" "Uh, what?" His slitted eyes unglazed, and he blinked as if looking at us and the library for the first time. "Why are you two laughing so hard? What'd I miss?" Vinyl and I roared with laughter even more. He rolled his eyes as he joined us at the table, grumbling, "Mares." I apologized for laughing and asked, "I know you just sat down, but can I get a towel or a plate?" I pointed the leaking corner of the box towards him. "At least you didn't ask when I was already eating." Spike sighed and promptly padded off into the kitchen. When he returned, he tossed a white towel with a brown, checkered border in my direction and scrutinized his meal for the best starting point. Inside my box was a salad within a bowl-shaped wicker frame lined with wax paper. Every ingredient looked fresh, from the lettuce to the raspberries I had tasted earlier, and I ravenously tore into it. As much as I wanted to throw caution to the wind and not care about making a mess, doing so would only mean less of the ambrosia would end up where it was supposed to. Even with the dressing, eating with just my mouth was far easier and less messy than I could have ever hoped. I’d figured I would still be having trouble eating, but I picked it up much quicker than I’d expected. "A salad has no right tasting this good," I said, taking the chance to breathe before I could stuff even more food in my mouth. Vinyl snorted, covering her mouth when she noticed she was spitting chunks of her sub everywhere. She choked down a mouthful of food larger than what should have been possible. "Whirly Ray knows his food. It's surprising for a pegasus with a twister cutie mark. In Canterlot, this is what food should taste like for how much it costs." I recalled my earlier thoughts on avoiding the crowds of the Equestrian capitol and inwardly grimaced at how things would have went if I’d gone there instead. "Didn't plan on visiting anytime soon. I think I'd stick out more than I already do here." "Ugh, I know the feeling. The nightlife isn't that bad though, you just have to know where to look." She might have winked, but it was hard to tell with her shades on. "I know a bunch of great clubs and bars." An ear-splitting belch ripped through the air, accompanied by a raging torrent of emerald fire I lazily glanced up to. There was only a little heat behind it, like a steamy bathroom after a hot shower. "Nice one." ”Your very presence is a blemish on this paradise. You don't belong here.” It was too loud for the others not to hear it, but they didn’t react at all. Spike winced and groaned in discomfort as he rubbed his pudgy stomach. "Sorry. I guess I ate too fast." Small sparks fluttered downwards, winking out one by one. Vinyl let out an impressed whistle. "I've never seen a dragon burp before. That was rad!" "You didn't end up sending anything to Celestia, did you?" He waved dismissively and chuckled. "Nah, that only happens when I get the hiccups. Burping is A-OK. Unless you're standing in front of it, then you might get a few scorch marks." "What did you have anyway? I didn't get much of a chance to look at it before it vanished down your gullet." "Carnelian calzone." He dreamily sighed and stared off into the distance for a few moments. "Twi likes to say it's the alliteration that makes it taste so good." "Ruby ravioli? Sapphire spaghetti?" I grinned at him, ready to list off more. "Tried making them both." Spike shuddered in disgust. "I don't want to talk about it, but there’s a reason I do all the cooking around here." "Sounds like when Tavi cooks." Her smile drooped. "You didn't hear it from me, though. That mare can play cello better than anypony else, but I swear she can burn water while just pouring a cup to drink." "When's she supposed to be back in Ponyville anyway?" I sincerely wanted to meet Octavia. After all, she was on my list of background ponies to meet, and with Vinyl, Lyra, and Bon Bon all acting strangely close to what I had expected, I was eager to see how others matched up to their fandom counterparts. Vinyl mumbled to herself as she counted days in her head. "This week sometime. Hopefully we can blast that creature to Tartarus before she comes back." Her grin was nothing short of devilish, and I felt a twinge of sympathy for whatever lurked in the night. "You remember to grab my accelerator?" She nodded and dug it out of her saddlebags. An inch above the table, she stopped and made sure she wasn't about to empower it. "Sorry, this is all I could salvage." "Thanks. I'm just glad some of it survived. Spike, can you get me a book with something like a beginner's motion enchantment? I think Twilight said Clover the Clever designed it, and I accidentally sculpted it. I don't know, she was doing the whole 'lots of words, little breathing' thing." Spike quickly answered, "You mean the elementary animation enchantment?" I shrugged. "It’s all she talked about after you left. Most ponies just call it the come-to-life spell." Slowed by his meal, he waddled into the stacks. "Oh, I remember that one! I used it this one time at band camp… they didn’t let me come back after that." Vinyl grimaced at the memories I was now very curious to hear and potentially use as blackmail. "What are you going to do with the book? Not like you can actually cast the spell." "From what I can gather, spells have some sort of diagram that tells unicorns how to cast them." I waited for her nod before continuing. "So if I can figure out what Twilight saw as the connection between my spell pattern and the actual spell, I might be able to apply that to different spells. Namely that one the guards used last night." ”You don't deserve this.” Whatever that voice was, it was grating at my nerves. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, but it was growing louder with each sentence. I just wanted it to leave me alone. “You okay, Gears? You look upset.” “Sorry, Vinyl. I’m fine. What were you saying?” There was no sense in concerning them with something stuck in my head. "And with no cart to push, your accelerator is just spare materials now, right?" "That's the plan. I'm going to miss that cart. Doubt it'll miss me though." I chuckled and turned to get my tools, only to find I hadn't taken the time to find my toolbelt before leaving the hospital. "Great. They still have my loot." "Add another reason to the list of why you shouldn’t run out of the hospital. Least you snagged your goggles." Reaching my hoof up to confirm her observation, I clocked myself in the cheek. The pain was nowhere near as full or sharp as it should have been, instead it was just a dull throbbing like I had been chewing a piece of gum for too long. Either I had superpowers from the crash or whatever painkillers they gave me for my leg were of the long-lasting variety. My hopeful money was on the first. It was a relief to find the weather goggles atop my head. "I don't remember grabbing them. I think they might have just left them, although I don't know why they'd do something like that." "Lucky for you then. Trust me, I can appreciate a good piece of eyewear." Vinyl grinned as she tapped her signature shades. "Of course. You're by far the most stylish of ponies." Spike still hadn’t returned. "Did you get lost, Spike?" "I wasn't napping!" replied a voice that was struggling not to yawn. "No, it's not that. Bring back some sunglasses or something so you won't be left out." "...Okay? Oh, here's the book." Spike couldn’t fool anybody. I shovelled the rest of my salad into my mouth in an attempt to finish it before he got back. The tome Spike returned with was almost as large as he was, and he needed to hunch over just to carry it. Barely any wear marred its pale green, cloth binding and the pages were still crisp and almost white. I opened it without a glance at the embossed title and searched for a table of contents. "Thanks, Spike. This—" My voice morphed into a laugh when I noticed Spike's comically oversized sunglasses. "What? It's the only thing I could find. Me and Twilight don't need glasses, so all I have are these. They're my party shades." He grinned proudly as he adjusted the white-rimmed behemoth perched on his nose. "If I would have known we were going to have a party, I would have brought some equipment," said Vinyl. "Nice shades, dude." The hoof-written script was nearly illegible, but it eventually directed me to a giant, messy scribble taking up nearly an entire page. Befuddled, I tilted my head, and when that didn't work, I rotated the book. My complex methods still didn't crack whatever code lay before me. "What is this?" "That's the spell. I know it looks like a jumble of lines, but that's because it is a jumble of lines," Vinyl said. "I suck at explaining things in general, but I wouldn't even know where to begin telling somepony without a horn how this stuff works. All I can really say is what we do to cast the spell is there on the page, but it's also not there. Sorry, I really don't know what to tell you." Nonchalantly, I shrugged and pulled my goggles down. "No worries. I'll just wing it." A headache grew within my skull as I stared into the swirling tempest of ink, trying to find the smallest connection between it and my accelerator. The chicken-scratch information written on the opposite page was nowhere near instructive, and it mostly described various uses of the spell. Unlinking the individual pieces I inspected the most powerful version of my pattern. It felt like trying to find a needle in a haystack, but not being told which haystack the needle was in, or even which field the correct haystack was in. Soft snoring caused me to look up at the dragon who had fallen asleep where he sat. Next to him, Vinyl was trying not to laugh too loudly. I muttered an apology under my breath. I was too close to stop my research. As I looked back to the page, my eyes caught on a vaguely familiar chunk, though after comparing it with the pattern I had no clue why it seemed familiar. When I squinted my eyes in frustration, the blurry lines coalesced into something even more incoherent. But when I stood up to work a kink out of my neck, I noticed something just felt, well, better. I put more distance between myself and the book, trying to follow the mysterious clarity tantalizingly dangling in front of my snout. "What are you doing?" Vinyl whispered. "Hell if I know." The lines bled together with just enough distance, something clicked in my mind, and I tied one cluster of lines to a curve in the shaped thaumite. With a wry grin, I worked outward from there, nodding in satisfaction as more and more of it fell into place until I knew exactly why my accelerator worked, down to every last bit of twisted metal. "Score!" I pumped a hoof excitedly and cheered, startling the snoozing drake awake. "What? What did you do?" He yawned and stretched. "Science!" My insane grin provoked a nervous stare from him. "Do you know where I can find this kind of info, but for that stunning spell?" He sleepily nodded. "Yeah. Sorry for dozing off. I got really bored watching you. If you’re looking for the stun the Royal Guard was using, I think it should be covered in most self-defense spellbooks." "Stay awake this time. I hate keeping you up, but this is major stuff here." "I could just get Owloysius. With Twilight not here to read all night, he's been getting a bit restless." "Who," said the brown owl who had silently been watching us from atop a barren, scuffed hat rack. Spike yelped in surprise and clutched at his heart while gasping for air. "Or you could just be there waiting to scare us." "Who?" "You, that's who. Wait, I'm too tired for this. Just help Gears and Vinyl out. I need to go to bed. Don't forget to lock up after they leave. Would you two please just stay in here while you're around?" He looked directly at me as he motioned towards our general area, his eyes laying the limits his words didn't. I gave him a mock salute and turned towards Owloysius. "Do you know what book Spike was talking about?" "Who." He fluttered off. "I didn't know Twilight trained an owl." Vinyl whispered in my ear like she was worried the stocky bird would take offense. "Yeah, she needed a nocturnal assistant," I replied. "Why are we whispering?" "I don't know." "Who." "Shh, we're trying to be quiet." I blindly waved towards the noise. "Who," Owloysius apologized confusedly, his hoot much quieter this time. He gently dropped a book on a table and flew back to the hat rack. "Oh, sorry, Owlo. Can I call you Owlo?" He hooted indignantly. "Spoilsport. Anyway, thanks for the book." I smiled at my companion. "Vinyl, now's when the fun starts. You may want to retreat to a safe distance." The owl hurriedly moved to a bookcase that was twice as far away. "See? He gets the idea." "And miss the action? It's been dull watching you stare at the spell matrix, but now that you'll be doing something interesting, I'm all ears." "That's the spirit!" With a grin, I flipped through the pages, mentally noting others I’d have to come back to when there was more time. What I realized next disheartened me, fracturing my excitement. "I don't have any tools." Luckily, I quickly found some metaphorical duct tape for those equally metaphorical cracks. "Eh, a hoof’s like a hammer, right?"