Chapter 6
The Payback
Spike was in class asleep from dancing all day yesterday. The bell rings waking Spike up. Spike grabs his backpack and headed out to his locker. He was still half asleep opening his locker slowly. He enters his combination and opens it, confetti's exploded everywhere around Spike. He fell back and was scared half to death. Spike saw Rainbow Dash rushing to him with a pie in her hands and hand it to Spike. She made a run for it making Spike clueless. He then heard a ticking noise, the pie exploded in his face making it into a smiley face. Spike wipes the pie off of his face and saw Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie laughing at him.
"What was that for!?" Spike demanded.
"Sorry, Spike, but it's our routine," Rainbow Dash said.
"Routine? What routine?" Spike asked.
"It's a routine when we pull pranks on other people every day," Pinkie answered laughing as she snorted.
"Well that wasn't nice," Spike said wiping off the last piece of pie on him. "Usual the Diamond Dogs would do something like this."
"Your right, Spike," Rainbow Dash said. "We're sorry."
"Here," Pinkie handed him another pie she was hiding behind her back. "A regular pie just for you."
"Thanks," Spike took the pie from Pinkie. "You know you guys may pull pranks but you can't fool me twice to-"
SPLAT!
Rainbow Dash flicks the pie off of Spike's hands and hits him in the face again. The two pranksters laugh at Spike tricking him twice. The pie slides off his face showing him frowning. Spike walks off as the two continued to laugh.
"You can go if you want, Spike!" Pinkie called out laughing.
"But today, we'll continue pulling pranks on you no matter where you go!" Rainbow Dash laughs.
Later on today, Spike was entering class when a bucket of water fell on his head. He saw Pinkie laughing in the class room. Then Spike was walking down the hallway and as he turned to a corner Rainbow Dash scared him wearing a scary mask. Spike fell to the floor scared to death. In science class Spike and Twilight was working on a assignment. Spike looks through the microscope and when he stops looking Twilight notice a black ring painted around his eye. Twilight couldn't help but laughed as Spike growled in rage. Spike was surrounded by their pranks. No matter what corner he turns to he'll be prank on his own two friends.
Spike was walking down the hallway looking back and forth to see if any pranks or Rainbow Dash or Pinkie was around. He was about to enter an empty classroom when he stops himself to. He took a moment to think this through. He slowly grabs the doorknob and twisted it. As he swings the door wide open there was no sight of them. Spike took a second look around and shrugs. As he steps in he stepped on a whoopee cushion. He saw Rainbow Dash and pinkie coming from behind the teacher's desk laughing.
As they finished laughing they saw Spike standing there crossing his arms. The two girls were silence till Spike broke it.
"This has got to stop," he politely said.
"Okay! Fine!" Rainbow Dash moaned.
"I mean it, we're supposed to be friends," Spike continues. "And you're getting close to hurt my feelings."
"Spike is right, Rainbow Dash," Pinkie agrees with Spike. "This is going out of hand."
"I guess you're right," Rainbow Dash said. "Anyway, what are you doing, little dude?"
"Checking my project," Spike said. He walks to a black cloth covering up something. He removes it and revealed a planet system attached to a platform underneath.
The girls were impressed as they gazed upon his work. Nine planets were wire around the sun underneath making it look like an orbit. The project can make the planet spin around the sun but it was off. The sun was attached to the bottom along with the wires.
"Wow- what is it?" Pinkie quickly loses interest.
"It's my project: The Solar System," Spike answered.
"Cool, what does the button do?" Rainbow Dash notices a button on the platform.
"Don't touch that!" Spike slaps Rainbow Dash's greedy hand. "This project is very, very, VERY fragile. One rough touch on any of the planets and it comes apart. My projects will be a failure. It took me six hours to make it."
"Don't worry, little dude," Rainbow Dash took the black cloth and carefully placed it over his project.
"We won't destroy your project."
"I hope not," Spike was done talking with them till he turned back before heading out the door.
"But if you guys do, not only I'll be mad, but I'll pull the biggest prank that will humiliate you for the rest of your life."
"Chill out, Spike," Pinkie said. "We won't let a single hair on your project, and we won't pull any more pranks on you ever again."
Spike gave them a smile and walks off. The two look at each other grinning.
"You got the blow horn?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"For the perfect prank," Pinkie showed her the horn. "But isn't this going a bit too far for Spike?"
"Of course not," Rainbow Dash said as she looks for Spike's seat. "It's not like Spike can actually do anything to us."
"Still, he's just ten," Pinkie said looking for something for herself. "Do you have tape on you?"
"Yeah, catch," Rainbow Dash took out a small roll of tape out of her pocket and tossed it to Pinkie.
Pinkie tried to catch the tape but missed and hits Spike's project. It made a breaking noise causing the two froze up in fear. Pinkie slowly turns to see the black cloth was flat. She lifts up the cloth and saw tiny pieces scattered around his project. She turns back to Rainbow with jaws dropped open.
"Ooooooo~~~ Look what you diiiiiiiiiid~~~," Pinkie said.
"What I di- Look what YOU did, you're the one who didn't catch the tape!" Rainbow Dash said.
"Because you tossed it too early!" Pinkie cried out.
"Spike is going to be mad at us," Rainbow Dash rushes to the broken project. "When he sees this he's going to flip."
"Come on, Rainbow Dash, maybe Spike will understand," Pinkie said trying to find the bright side.
"OH! Good idea, we'll just tell him that we were going to pull a prank on him instead of backing off when our plan back fired because WE DESTROYED HIS PROJECT, PINKIE!" Rainbow Dash shouted.
"Well, what do we do? We have to tell him eventually."
"Didn't you hear what Spike said he was going to do to us," Rainbow Dash made Pinkie remembered.
"He's ten," Pinkie said to her.
"...Fine," Rainbow Dash finally agrees with her plan. "I just hope this project wasn't too serious."
Pinkie notices a note right by the project.
"It said that the project is due tomorrow," Pinkie read the note.
"We are so screwed," Rainbow Dash shook her head.
(Later)
The girls were by their lockers talking. Except for Rainbow Dash and Pinkie.
"Why are you two so quiet?" Applejack asks Rainbow Dash and Pinkie.
"Uh…" Pinkie hesitated. "It's been a long day, hasn't it, Rainbow Dash?"
"Yeah, a super long day," Rainbow Dash said.
"Are you still pulling pranks on Spike?" Twilight asked.
"We didn't mean to!" Pinkie cried out.
The girls backed away slowly from Pinkie's crazy moments.
"It's just a prank," Rarity spoke. "It is your girl's routine, unless you did something horrible to Spike?"
"HAHAHA! Funny," Rainbow Dash awkwardly laughed.
"Hey guys," Spike came into the group making Rainbow Dash and Pinkie jump. "What's making you two so jumpy today."
"Uh, Spike, can we talk for a moment," Rainbow Dash asked.
"Uh-oh, you're using my original name, obviously this can't be good," Spike got himself comfortable ready to hear what she has to say, so did the girls.
Rainbow Dash looks at Pinkie and told her to talk to him. Pinkie shook her head but Rainbow Dash pushes her out in front of Spike.
"Uh… Spike… We, uh, we sort of, uh…" Pinkie gulped. "We sort of broke… your project."
"YOU WHAT!" Spike cried out.
"Take it away, Dashy," Pinkie pushes Rainbow Dash in front of her.
"Thank you, Pinkie," Rainbow Dash said giving her the look then looks back at Spike scared out of her mind. "Spike… It was an accident. We were going to prank you just one more time till karma came along and so-"
"It's okay," Spike said kindly.
"No, it's not okay," Rainbow Dash said.
"Look, I understand you two didn't mean to destroy my project," Spike continued.
"You do?" Rainbow Dash and Pinkie both said.
"Yeah, I can rebuild it from scratch if the pieces still remains," Spike smiled. "Is it still in the room?"
"Uh... yes," Pinkie said.
Spike walks off heading to his next class. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie stood their confused of what just happened.
"Well, as long as he's okay with this, I guess we're off the hook," Rainbow Dash spoke.
"Yeah, I told you telling him the truth was easy," Pinkie said.
"Hang on girls," Applejack spoke. "You really think you're gettin' off that easy?"
"Well, yeah," Pinkie said.
"Nu-uh, I've seen this before," Applejack said. "One time, one of my friends said the same thing as Spike did. They tell you that they were fine and all but that's when they'll get ya."
"What do you mean," Rainbow Dash asked.
"I mean that he's plannin' on how to get vengeance," Applejack continued. "They start off when they're fine by it of what you do - making you calm and relax, that's how they plan ahead in time. Soon, you two will be curious of what he's up to. Until then you'll get pranked, and you won't see it comin'."
"Applejack, you really think Spike would do something bad to us?" Pinkie said. "I mean, he's only a kid. Besides, we have feelings for him if you know what I mean."
"What kind of feelings?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Nothing!" Twilight, Applejack, and Pinkie said at once blushing.
"Look, just be careful around Spike," Applejack said.
Applejack walks off heading to her next class.
"Good luck on surviving with Spike's plan," Fluttershy said walking off as well.
"Is this a joke?" Rainbow Dash said.
"No," Twilight answered.
"It actually happened once," Rarity said.
The two of them walks off leaving Rainbow Dash and Pinkie behind.
"Spike wouldn't do anything like that, would he?" Pinkie ask.
"No, of course not," Rainbow Dash said.
Later in the cafeteria the girls were sitting in the table, but Spike wasn't there with them.
"Where's Spike?" Fluttershy asked.
"Maybe he's thinking of a way to pull his own prank," Twilight answered.
"Will you knock it off," Rainbow Dash demanded. "Spike isn't going to do anything bad to us."
"Oh, no, then what's that underneath that cloth he's carryin'," Applejack points to Spike.
He was walking across the cafeteria carrying supplies in a box sticking out.
"His project, duh," Pinkie said.
"But he finished his project," Rarity said.
"But it took him six hours," Rainbow Dash points out.
"He also said he can rebuild from scratch when the pieces remains," Rarity continued. "It didn't took him that long to be honest, he only glued the pieces together."
Rainbow Dash and Pinkie look at each other with their eyes widen.
"Spike must be returning something," Pinkie said.
"Come on, let's go check it out," Rainbow Dash said.
The two of them left the table and rushes after Spike.
"Told ya they'll be curious," Applejack said. "Pay up you three."
Rarity, Twilight, and Fluttershy took out five's and gave them to Applejack.
Rainbow Dash and Pinkie rushes to a corner and peeked around it. They saw Spike opening a door and closed it behind him. They ran to the door and notice it was locked.
"Darn, now what?" Pinkie asked.
"I'm thinking," Rainbow Dash taps her chin with her finger. Then an idea popped into her head.
"Why do I have to climb through the ducts?" Pinkie said climbing up a ladder.
She climbs the air duct. The plan was that Pinkie would go check on the other side and peek to see what Spike was up to, while Rainbow Dash would look after the ladder. The two have walkie talkies with them to stay contact with each other.
"Because it's my idea and I say you enter the ducts," Rainbow Dash answered her question. "Besides, someone has to watch over the ladder."
She could hear Pinkie crawling into the duct banging inside.
"You there yet, over?" Rainbow Dash talks into the walkie.
"I think so, it's hard to see though, over," Pinkie answered through the walkie.
"Look when you get to the point when you see Spike, I need you to-"
RIIIIIIIIIIING!
"Oh, schools out," Rainbow Dash gladly said, she drops the walkie as she walks off forgetting Pinkie.
The students went out of the building except for Pinkie. Spike came out and saw the ladder. He doesn't know why it's there, so he shrugs and left.
"It's too dark, I can't see anything," Pinkie said into the walkie. "I'm coming out, over."
Mr. Discord came out of his classroom and saw the ladder.
"I swear, someone is going to get hurt if they leave stuff like this," Mr. Discord took the ladder down and carried it out.
"Okay! Here I come!" Pinkie called out as she climbs out of the duct.
She fell to the hard floor thinking the ladder was there. She lay on the ground stiff feeling pain running through her. She held the walkie to her mouth and said something painful.
"...Over," she said painfully.
(At Sugarcube Corner)
Pinkie came to the store sore and saw Rainbow Dash sitting in a booth. She notice Pinkie looking at her with rage.
"You left me?" Pinkie said.
"Yeah, well, life, right," Rainbow Dash said.
Pinkie slowly sat down as the pain ran through her. She squeaked the pain out and sighed heavenly.
"Did you saw Spike recently?" Pinkie asked.
"Actually I did, and he is trying to prank us," Rainbow Dash said.
"How do you know?"
"Spike was carrying a box, I don't know what's in it but it had our names on it."
"See, Spike isn't mad at us, he's simply giving us a present."
"Pinkie, no one gets present from the person who gets pranked on."
"Okay, true."
"But I'm still want to know what was in that box."
"Here you girls go," Mrs. Cake said giving the two some cherry pie.
"But we didn't order," Pinkie said.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Pinkie," Rainbow Dash stops her as she starts eating the pie. "Don't be rude at Mrs. C, just enjoy the pie she gave us."
Pinkie listened to her and ate the pie as well. They started to enjoy the pie very much they stuff it in their mouth.
"This is really good," Pinkie said with her mouth full.
"You sure do bake a mean pie, Mrs. C," Rainbow Dash said scarfing down the pie.
"Oh, don't thank me," Mrs. Cake said. "Thank Spike, it was in a box with you two names on it, and he made it himself. Isn't that sweet of him."
Mrs. Cake walks off upstairs checking on her children as Pinkie and Rainbow Dash stops eating the pie. They look at the pie and back at each other with fear in their faces. The box Spike carried was the pies they were eating right this second.
"Spike... made this?" Pinkie said.
"Oh my god," Rainbow Dash drops her fork as the two spat the pie out of their mouth and rushes to the soda isle.
They chug down bottle to bottle and spat out the liquid. They were getting them self wet but they ignored it. They kept drinking and spitting out the pie they ate trying to get rid of the taste. For all they know it could make them sick.
(Later)
Rainbow Dash was sleeping over with Pinkie at Sugarcube Corner. They were both wearing pajamas. Rainbow Dash's was rainbows and Pinkie's were balloons with different colors.
"Okay, we're not safe if we're separate," Rainbow Dash said get her sleeping bag out. "So we'll sleep together in one room."
"Who said anything about sleeping?" Pinkie said.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean what if Spike comes over. What if he - I don't know - cut off our hair while we sleep."
"Good call," Rainbow Dash grabs a chair and set it in the middle of the room facing it to the door. "I'll take first shift."
"Okay, we'll switch at 3:00 a.m.," Pinkie said as she turns off the lights and gets into her bed. "If you feel like if you need to sleep just let me know, because I can stay up all night if-"
"Zzzzz... Zzzzz... Zzzzz..."
Pinkie hears snoring coming from Rainbow Dash very loudly falling asleep. Pinkie got out of bed turning on the lights. She grabs her pillow and smacks it across Rainbow Dashes face waking her up.
"Were you asleep!?" Pinkie angrily asked.
"I was!" Rainbow Dash said as she got up.
"Obviously you can't be trusted," Pinkie said going out of the room.
She came back in with a gallon of Coca-Cola in both of her hands. She tossed it to Rainbow Dash and grabs another chair setting it behind the other chair.
"What are you doing?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"I'm going to watch the window in case Spike comes through there," Pinkie answered.
"And the Coke?" Rainbow Dash shook the bottle.
"To keep us awake all night," Pinkie sat in her chair drinking her soda.
The two sat down getting comfortable in their chairs and stares at the door and window.
"So if cuts our hair, will he leave the remains or make us bald?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Just shut up and keep your eyes on the door," Pinkie said.
(The Next Morning)
Pinkie was in her classroom asleep drooling on the desk. Ms. Cheerilee walks over waking Pinkie up.
"Pinkie did you heared what I said?" Cheerilee said.
"Yeah, the answer is a positive," Pinkie answered making the students laugh.
"Pinkie, you're in history class," Cheerilee said.
RIIIIIIIIING!
Pinkie slowly got out of her desk swaying her arms back and forth. She staggers down the hallway dragging her feet every step she took. She saw Rainbow Dash sleeping against the lockers.
"Rainbow Dash," Pinkie shook her awake.
"What!" Rainbow Dash said half asleep.
"I can't take more of this," Pinkie said.
"I know how you feel, Pinkie," Rainbow Dash said. "But we have to make it through or Spike will prank us."
"Can't he just get it over with?" Pinkie whined.
"Hey guys," Pipsqueak came by with Applebloom.
"WHAT!" they both yelled.
Pinkie jumps into Rainbow Dash arms. She didn't cared why Pinkie did that, she was scared to death thinking that Pipsqueak was Spike.
"What wrong with you two?" Applebloom asked.
"Whats it to ya?" Rainbow Dash said with an attitude.
"Okay... We just need help on our homework, we can't figure out what number 14 is," Pipsqueak said holding his paper out to them.
"The question is in the classroom, we forgot to write the question down," Applebloom said.
"Spike put you up to this, didn't he," Pinkie said.
"What?" Pipsqueak was confused.
"Yeah, you want us to go with you," Rainbow Dash said.
"Where no one can hear our screams," Pinkie said.
"We just need help with a simple question," Applebloom said.
"Let's go, Applebloom," Pipsqueak said as the two of them walks off. "Weirdos."
"What if Spike told the other students to help him with his pranks?" Pinkie continued.
"Then we're not safe here!" Rainbow Dash cried out as she took off running with Pinkie still in her arms.
They enter the classroom and shut the door behind them.
"People don't just forget questions like that," Rainbow Dash.
"It's obvious that Spike planned that out just for us," Pinkie said.
They turned around to see Spike finishing his solar system. They both screamed making Spike jump almost destroying his project.
"Spike, what are you doing here," Rainbow Dash asked.
"Finishing my project you two destroyed yesterday," Spike answered.
"But this is our next classroom," Pinkie said.
"Don't worry, I'll be out soon," Spike said.
"Hey, Spike, what was the supplies for yesterday?" Rainbow Dash asked, remembering the box Spike was carrying into the classroom.
"The teacher said that I could use her room to finish my project," Spike answered. "Later."
Spike left the room. The two was thinking this through.
"So the supplies was just for his project," Pinkie said.
"I guess so," Rainbow Dash. "I mean, we did say Spike wouldn't do anything to us, right?"
"Yeah, and he didn't pulled any pranks on us yet," Pinkie said laughing. "So we got scared for nothing."
The two calmly sat in their desk relaxed and sighing. Everything went fine till Rainbow Dash had a second thought.
"Unless it's a set up," Rainbow Dash said in a scary way.
"What are you saying," Pinkie said.
"It's like Applejack said, 'Spike will make us relax as he plans ahead'," Rainbow Dash got out of her desk and looks around the room.
"What are you ding?" Pinkie asked.
"The supplies Spike was using yesterday," Rainbow Dash answered.
"Maybe he used it all for his project."
"Pinkie, you're not thinking clearly," Rainbow Dash walks over to Pinkie. "Spike is making us calm and that's how he gets his bait, like Applejack said he would."
Pinkie did remembered what Applejack said to her.
"You're right," Pinkie said as she stood up. "Those supplies must've been the prank he's going to pull on us. He could... He could... What is going to do with us!"
"I don't know, but it can happen in this room any second now," Rainbow Dash looks around.
"Let's find it then," Pinkie said.
Pinkie and Rainbow Dash scattered the room looking through drawers and cabinets. They look out the windows, at the clock, behind any desks including theirs, they made the room a mess. Soon Pinkie was panicking as she breathed heavily.
"That's it, I can't- I can't take it anymore, Rainbow Dash," Pinkie said. "I can't sleep, I can't eat, and I think I'm about to lose it!"
"Pinkie! Pinkie! Look at me!" Rainbow Dash said to her. "Just sit down and take a nap for a while okay, will that make you feel better?"
"Yeah, actually it would," Pinkie sat down in the desk and closed her eyes. "Thank you, Rainbow Dash, I needed-"
She shot her eyes open giving her a glare. Rainbow Dash didn't like the way she looked at her.
"Why do you want me to take a nap, Rainbow Dash?" Pinkie calmly asked.
"Because I'm worried about you," Rainbow Dash answered.
"No, no, no," Pinkie stood out of the desk. "You're with Spike on this one."
"HUH!" Rainbow Dash didn't saw that coming.
"Yeah!" Pinkie continued. "You told him that I broke his project so you can get away with it because I didn't catch the roll of tape. You're a snake Rainbow Dash."
"Pinkie!"
"A SNAKE!" Pinkie cried out.
"Pinkie that's crazy! Unless you're with Spike," Rainbow Dash said.
"What!"
"You told Spike that I was the one who threw the roll of tape at the project just to save your own butt!"
Pinkie raises her hand at Rainbow Dash forehead and flicks her.
"OW!"
Rainbow Dash flicks Pinkie on the nose.
"OUCH!"
Then the two tackled each other fighting to the death. Pinkie was pulling on Rainbow Dash's hair while Rainbow Dash was pulling her face. Spike came in watching the two fight like mad dogs.
"Hey! Girls!" Spike cried out but they didn't heard him.
Spike steps outside for a moment and came back with the extinguisher in his hands. He pulls the trigger and foam the two making them stop fighting. They scramble back up and saw Spike. They screamed backing away from him.
"Okay, Spike, you got us," Rainbow Dash said.
"Just please! Get us already!" Pinkie begged.
"What are you talking about? I already got you," Spike said smiling.
"Huh?" they both said.
"That's right," Spike continued. "I stayed quiet, watching the two of you suffer."
"So this was the prank? To humiliate ourself?" Rainbow Dash said.
"Yeah," Spike said. "And let that be a lesson to you when you pull a prank on me."
Spike left the room leaving the two clueless. They sat down thinking this through once again.
"He got us... by not getting us," Pinkie said.
"... Genius," Rainbow Dash said.
Tick! Tick! Tick! Tick!
"What's that ticking sound?" Pinkie said.
Rainbow Dash could hear it too. The two of them tries to find the source of the ticking. They look around the room and stops to hear Spike solar system ticking inside the sun. The both of them look at each other.
"I don't think it's suppose to do that," Rainbow Dash said.
Tick! Tick! Riiiiing!
The sun explodes blue gunk into their faces. They stood quietly wiping the gunk off their face but only made it worse. Their hair was sticking out behind them, they tried brining it down but the hair stayed up. Spike came in grinning at them as he chuckled.
"One more thing," Spike spoke. "That wasn't my project, my real project was on a single sheet of paper ABOUT the solar system. So if you try to pull pranks on me ever again, I can make it worser than that."
And just like, Spike left and headed to his next class, leaving the two speechless. They went back to their desk as class began. Students saw the two covered in gunk. They laughed at the two breathless.
"You know we deserve this," Pinkie sadly said to Rainbow Dash.
"Yeah, I know," Rainbow Dash sighed sadly.
After school Twilight was walking home when Applejack ran next to her walking with her.
"Hey, Applejack," Twilight said.
"Hey, Twi," Applejack said. Can I have a word with you just for a sec?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"... It's about Spike."
Twilight stops leaving Applejack ahead of her. Applejack stops and looks back at Twilight.
"There's something about him," Applejack continued.
"I had the same feeling to, Applejack," Twilight spoke. "Since the day I met him I knew something was up."
"Somethin's up, Twilight," Applejack walks up to Twilight. "Spike is hiding something from us. And I think it's something about his folks."
"His parents?" Twilight said. "What about them?"
"He never mention about where he came from or told us about his parents or where he lived," Applejack said. "I figured you might know something about him?"
"To be honest I don't," Twilight answered. "But I can get a few leads. I could start with Principal Celestia, then Zecora."
"Zecora?" Applejack asked.
"Spike talk to her about himself and she never told me why," Twilight continued. "Starting tomorrow, I'll find answers."
"Twilight," Applejack laid her hand on her shoulder. "Don't tell him any of this. It might break his heart if we knew his past. Don't asked why... I can see it in his eyes."
"Don't worry, Applejack," Twilight smiled. "I won't tell Spike."
"Good, see ya tomorrow I guess," Applejack waved goodbye to her.
Twilight looks down the ground thinking about Spike.
"I just wish he could tell me," Twilight softly said.