“...yours truly, Spike. Done!” Spike rolled up his letter to the princess and sealed the crevices together with a small white string. After sealing the open inkwell and recapping the quill pen, he took in a deep breath of air, and let it all out in a small burst of green flame which instantly engulfed the letter and whisked it away to the princess through an open window.
Spike took a moment to look back on the day’s events. When he first met the gang of tough, older dragons, when he took his first lava dive, and even his first dragon raid (even though it was not at all enjoyable), but what really surprised him was when Twilight, Rarity and Rainbow Dash saved him from getting his tail pummeled by those dragon bullies, even though he was a little annoyed when he found out the girls still did not believe that he could survive on his own.
He was brought out of his recent memories when he heard the sounds of an eggshell splitting apart. Immediately realising what was happening, he jumped down from his stool and ran over to the nearby windowsill, where the phoenix egg that he and the girls brought back earlier was starting to split and crack along it’s surface.
When the egg shell reached it’s limit of maintainable integrity, the entire egg shell split apart and crumbled into the makeshift nest that Spike had put together earlier. A few stuck-on pieces of eggshell dropped into the nest, revealing the red and orange feathered head of a newborn phoenix. It cooed silently and smiled once it saw Spike’s smiling face.
“H-hey! Welcome to the family Peewee!” said Spike. The baby phoenix responded by jumping into Spike’s scaly hands and nuzzling against his cheek. Spike giggled when he felt the soft feathers tickle against his skin.
“Hehe, you’re gonna love it here! I just know-”
*sniff, sniff, sniff*
Spike stopped talking when he felt his nose twitch, his nasal cavities picking up a strange...yet surprisingly enjoyable scent coming from the baby phoenix. Curious, he decided to sniff again. This time, his eyes went wide and his slitted pupils grew to the size of saucers, nearly blacking out his entire visual spectacle.
He sniffed again, and again. On the third time he sniffed, he decided to draw it out, taking in every last whiff of the spicy odor. However taboo it may have appeared, the tiny baby bird took no notice to his strange behavior.
He licked his lips and his tongue lolled out on it’s own, saliva dripping onto the floor from the front tip. Some of the scales on his face and arms started to poke upward. The green scale plates on his head and back snapped into a straight position, an occasion that usually meant only one thing...
“No wonder those other dragons wanted those eggs so badly...” Spike sniffed again, then pulled the phoenix away from his cheek and held it in front of his face. It smiled and stared at him. He smiled back, but in a more devious fashion. He grinned madly like a cheshire cat, eyelids slanted and sharp rows of teeth gleaming out from in between his grin.
The baby phoenix continued to pay no mind to the devilish look that Spike was showing off. Instead, it continued to coo and rub against his arm.
“I know just what to do with you...”
Spike brought the phoenix towards his chest and held in there in a tight squeeze. He crouched to the floor, looking left and right before doing so in a very sneaky fashion.
Twilight had gone to Sugar Cube Corner with the other girls for the day to relieve any emotional stress pent up when they snuck into the dragon’s den, so Spike was all alone in the library today.
He took a step forward, then looked both ways before taking his next step, repeating the process with each step until he reached the door to the kitchen. He snapped himself into a tight crawling position on the wall next to the door. Keeping one hand on his feathered prize, he placed one hand on the doorknob and turned it slowly. The door creaked open, raising a cause for alarm in his mind, even though he knew that he was the only occupant of the house.
Quick as a flash, he bolted through the door and slammed it shut. He looked down to check up on his prize, which was sleeping soundly on his chest. The scene looked adorable, but Spike paid no mind. He gripped his prize with both hands and ran up to a step ladder at the base of the main counter top. He carefully climbed up and lowered the sleeping baby down onto a folded towel near the sink. Once his prize was safe and secure, he could start his work.
Climbing down from the stepladder and touching down on the floor, he moved to the cabinet where the pots and pans were kept. He took out a small frying pan, a pot for boiling, a cheese grater, a colander and a small ladle. He then moved to a second cabinet where the utensils were kept and took out a large set of assorted kitchen knives. Once he was done there, he moved to a third cabinet across the room and took out a rather large number of varied spices along with a large, purple cookbook.
He gathered all of his materials and placed them in a neat and organized pile near the lit stove top.
He smiled and looked over at the still-snoozing phoenix. This smile then turned into the same devious grin he gave it before, hands clasped together and sharp, white teeth protruding from his mouth.
Spike reached over and grabbed a large chopping knife from the set. He slowly moved closer to the bird while at the same time sharpening the knife’s edges on one of his claws.
“Let’s get started...”
~~~~~
“Bye girls! Thanks for the free food Pinkie!”
Twilight waved goodbye to her friends as they walked away, waving back. She then opened the door to the library and stepped inside, closing the door behind her.
“Spike! I’m back!”
No response.
“Spike?”
Twilight cautiously stepped through the main floor of the library. Finding no trace of her assistant, she turned around and called out again.
“Spike! Where are you?”
Twilight was starting to get a little worried. She turned towards the writing desk, only to have her eyes greeted by a unusually disturbing sight.
A small, golden feather lay on the ground, a feather that started a thin trail of additional feathers that led all the way to the kitchen door. Twilight immediately recognised the origin of the feathers, for when she turned to look at a nearby windowsill, the phoenix egg that was accidentally brought back earlier was no longer there, the only trace being a small pile of egg shell fragments scattered around in the makeshift nest.
Twilight connected the absence of Spike, the trail of phoenix feathers, the kitchen door, and especially the missing phoenix to form a very alarming conclusion.
“Oh no...” Twilight silently said to herself.
Heavily alarmed, Twilight bolted for the kitchen door and swung it open with her magic upon arriving.
“Spike! Wait! Don-...huh?”
What used to be high alert on her face turned into a raised eyebrow of confusion when she entered the kitchen. The baby phoenix was sleeping soundly inside of a frying pan with a silk cloth laid over it.
“I...uhh...”
“Surprise!”
Twilight jumped when she heard a shrill cry behind her. She slowly turned around and gasped when she looked upon the lavishly decorated kitchen table.
A very ornately designed salad in a large bowl was sitting in the middle of table next to an varied assortment of spices and dipping sauces. On top of the salad was a small crown of phoenix feathers, which emitted a soft red glow. A ladle sat on the rim of a bowl of grape flavored punch and a plate piled high with cheeses was sitting next to it. Spike was standing on top of the table next to the salad. He jumped down and hugged Twilight’s front legs.
“Spike?” Twilight was getting even more confused. “What’s going on here? Why is Peewee sleeping in a frying pan? And what’s with this salad?”
“It’s a thank you present!”
“A present? For what?”
“For helping me escape from those other dragons. I wouldn’t have lasted a minute with those guys...” Spike said while blushing in embarrassment.
“Ooook...but that still doesn’t explain why Peewee is sleeping in a frying pan.”
“Oh, that. Well, do you remember that book of recipes that we bought a year or two ago? The very same one that only featured recipes that were considered delicacies?”
“Ya, why?”
“Well, as it turns out, there is a single recipe in there for a special salad, simply titled, Phoenix Feather Mix. You can use any ingredients you want in making it, but you needed grated phoenix feather tips along with a few boiled pieces of egg shell to use as garnish. The crown of feathers is just there for decoration.” Spike chuckled at the ridiculous list of the recipe’s materials. “I just followed the recipe and, voila! Phoenix Feather Mix, all for you!”
Twilight smiled at the young dragon’s thoughtful gift. “Aaaaaw! Thanks Spike!” Twilight grabbed her assistant and squeezed him tightly in thankfulness.
“Hehe, you’re welcome Twilight.” Spike hugged her back.
‘And now for the main course...’