//------------------------------// // Howl to Arms // Story: Purple Guardian // by DragonPony //------------------------------// Chapter 12 Howl to Arms The morning sun dances across my face as I resentfully open my eyes. I didn’t get a whole lot of sleep last night due to my mind would keep coming back to my failed courting of Rarity. I have gotten to the point where thinking about it now doesn’t bring me to crushing sadness or burning rage. Now it is just at a content sadness at the thought of my failed love life. I do not hold it against Rarity or anything but I do feel that I don’t want to see her any time soon since the wound is still so fresh. I look out the window and see that the sun was just rising. It is too early to wake up Twilight to start her studies. Owlicious was nowhere to be seen; I just figured he went out to go grab a bite to eat. Peewee was sound asleep on the makeshift nest he made on top of one of the bookshelf. It is very rare for me to get a genuine moment of peace here without me running around and helping Twilight with one of her studies. I decide I might as well take this chance to practice cooking with my new body. Something simple should do, I decided to make some pancakes for breakfast. One of the perks of by new form was that I was much taller then I once was so it is easier to navigate around the kitchen and get to the hard to reach places I would once have to get out that step stool I hated using so much. The perk of my newfound height didn’t however make up for my lack of fingers though. I found that act of cooking much harder than it used to be. Trying to stir the batter was a real pain, when I tried to use my mouth I would drool way too much and would make a mess. I then came up with an idea, took my claws and plunged them into the wooden spoon. Not enough to slit it but enough so I could get a grip on it and turn. Flipping the buttery flying disk was another difficult task without my beautiful thumbs to lend me a hand. I tried to use my mouth to turn it but once I put my mouth on the handle I couldn’t get a proper flip and ended up shooting the pancakes on the ceiling. Great something else I will have to clean up. On the next attempt I tried to use my paw to turn it since I was still fire resistant. That did not work out so well either. From me using my paw it ended up getting hair all over the pancakes. I really don’t think Twilight want to eat a mouthful of my hair…. But I must remember this to give to Dash after one of the girl’s sleepovers. The solution was finally found when I decided that I didn’t have to do it my old showboating fancy way of flipping it in the air. I found our spatula and did the same thing I did with the spoon even though this time I had to drive my claws through the spatula’s steel handle. It took a few tries and more than one pancake had to sacrifice themselves for the cause but I finally got it down without a problem. Everything else was simple compared to the trial and error that took place to get down the art of the pancakes. I cooked some hay bacon and got some orange juice ready. Even as a dog I am still a great cook. I should get my own show, I’ll call it ‘Tartarus Kitchen’ and I get to yell at all of my other chiefs. I am sure it would be a hit. After I finish cooking and got the food presented on the table I figured I might as well start doing some light cleaning to get a head start on the day’s workload. As I was organizing the arcane magic for dummies section I heard a soft knocking at the front door. It must be someone a little too eager to get a book to read. “Sorry we are not open yet. Come back at 8 and we will be more than happy to help you.” Figuring that would be the end of it I went back to fixing the shelf. I then hear another of round of soft knocking. “I am sorry but we are still closed. Knocking more won’t change that. You will just have to wait till we are open like everypony else.” Whoever this is must be really antsy to read something. Well they better go read the back of a cereal box because they are not getting in here till we open. When there was yet another knock I figured this pony won’t take a hint so I will have to go and tell them in dragondog to pony. I put the books down that were in my paws and I walk over to the door. I open it suspecting to see some hyperactive pony trying to get their fix of literature. To my surprise there was no one there. Looks like they left after my verbal lashing, so taking my small victory over my absent adversary I closed the door. While I am continuing my work I start to hear some noise in the kitchen. Looking up I see Peewee is still asleep and I know Twilight hasn’t come past me to enter the kitchen. This has peaked my curiosity as I stop working yet again as I go to investigate the mystery at hand. I slowly crept into the room where all my hard work of food preparation as taken place. I poke my head in to only then be put into complete shock. The breakfast I painstaking took the time out to make was in shambles. Half of the food had been eaten and knocked all over the place. Once I got closer to get a better look at the crime scene I notice some white hairs stuck on the disembroiled pancakes. It was clear that whoever decided to dig into the meal I made was the one that left the hairs here since no one in the house has white hairs. “Jinkies a clue.” I say out loud to know one. It just what I felt like I needed to say for some reason. I then saw a trail of crumbs from the destroyed table that lead back into the living room. Following the evidence left behind took me right to living room couch. Figuring what had ate my cooking must be hiding in under the chair I drop down so my belly was against the floor as I slowly peeked under the set. Once again there was nothing there. I am starting to think we might be haunted and our ghostly friend just wanted to be an ass. As I start to rise from the floor I feel a pair of eyes on me. All the hairs on the back of my head stood on end as I then went to look up above me. I immediately wish I didn’t look up to see who was staring me down. There was a pair of black eyes that were looking right down at me staring into my very soul. For a second there I just stared back, those black eyes never blink but just keep looking down on me as I was still on my belly against the floor. “Holy Celestia!” I shout as I jump back and bang my head against the coffee table. Man did that hurt even with my tougher skin. Once I finally open my eyes from wincing at the pain I got a good look at the one that almost gave me a heart attack. It was a jackalope, in fact I think it was the same jackalope that I saved when I went to help Bloom. “Are you okay sir?” The jackalope ask me with concern in his voice as he hopped off the sofa a came right over to me. “I am fine; you just kind of surprised me that am all.” Man what is with things popping up behind me here. I thought I was supposed to be safe here but every five minutes something is scaring the crap out of me. “Oh I am very sorry I didn’t mean to do that in the slightest. My name is High Kick it is very nice to meet you sir.” The jackalope then stick out his paw for me to shack. “It’s alright really, you are not the first one to do that to me this week,” I let out a small chuckle that seems to ease Kick’s anxiety over freaking me out. “My name is Spike, you don’t have to call me sir or anything Kick. But tell me why are you here and why did you eat the food that I made?” I ask as I shack his paw. “I am sorry about that Spike but for you I haven’t eaten properly for about four days now so when I came here and smelled your cooking I couldn’t help myself,” Kick start to rub his antlers and not look me in the eyes. He was clearly embarrassed over eating the food which to be honest I don’t really mind at least he enjoys it. Twi has a habit of shoveling food in her mouth as she work on her studies. “It’s cool Kick, I am happy you enjoyed it and I was able to help you get fed. But you still haven’t told me why you are here in the first place.” I pat him on the back to help him get over his nervousness. “Right. I am here to ask for your help to help save my kind and my family.” Wow this just took a serious tone very quickly. I haven’t even had my morning gems yet. “Okay you are going to have to back up what is going on with your kind and what can I even do to help you all out?” It is not like I am one of the elements I am just the dude that use to watch their pets and take care of the chores they would leave around. “You see Spike me and my kind live in the Everfree and there are delicate balances to everything in there. Right now the balance is thrown off because the wolves have pushed into our area and we can’t get enough food to survive. We do not think ill of the wolves because he all respects the natural balance but by them pushing into our land is causing us to not have enough food feed our young.” Kick explained clearly distort over what was going on. “Okay I am sorry little guy I really am but what do you want me to do. I can’t go and talk to a pack of timberwolves. And as you know I took down one of their Alphas and I really don’t think they will be happy about that.” I don’t want to think about what wandering into a den of them and what they would do to me. “You are mistaken Spike. These are not timberwolves but the pure wolves of the Everfree. They are not like the ones that are the offspring of the forest but from the wolf god. And we need you because we need you to go and figure out why they have pushed into our land and disrupted the balance.” Kick started to lay back and seem to relax more. It is looking like eating more than his body weight in food is starting to hit the little guy. “Well that is good to hear. At least I won’t have to worry about having those block heads turning me into their chew toy. But you still never told me why me. I mean something like this sound like the perfect job for the Elements of Harmony they are known for fixing issues like this. I have one of them right up stairs it would only take a second to go up there get her.” I take and point to the stairs to illustrate my point. “That will not work. The Everfree itself is very much enchanted. Anything that is not blessed with natures tongue cannot enter the true Everfree. When one that does not have nature’s blessing enters they only make it to the very boarder of the Forest. Those that are blessed are the only ones to step foot on its lands. What you have seen of the woods have only been a small fraction of what wonders are in it.” Kick seemed to look off into nothing as he talked about his home. I wonder how fantastic the ‘true’ Everfree really is. “Well I can understand why you have come to me. But what makes you think they would even listen to me. I am not a wolf, Tartarus I didn’t even know the truth of the Everfree till you just told me.” Is this something that is too big for me? I mean he is asking me to save his kind and stare down a pack of predators. It might be too much for someone who has never really done anything on his own. “They will listen to you Spike. You are strong and that is something the wolves respect greatly. Not to mention that you also took down an Alpha class male timberwolf. They are not fond of them because the timberwolves see themselves as being superior to their flesh cousins. You have done something only the strongest wolf has been able to do and they would have had much more experience then you have.” Kick is starting to sound desperate to convince me. “I don’t know Kick, I just don’t think I will be of any help.” My nerves are getting the better of me and I am nervous I wouldn’t be able to help him. “Please Spike. I know you can help. When you dived at that timberwolf with no concern for yourself but with the only intention of saving us showed that you are something special. Most predators I have come cross only treat those weaker than them as meal or tools to be used. You showed me you are different and that you are willing to help those weaker then you. I beg you Spike help us.” Kick’s eyes were full of grief, worry, sadness, and the slightest bit of hope. Hope that I would step up and help them. I started thinking of what I have done with my life. Sure I have saved the Crystal Empire but let’s face it I didn’t really do anything back then. If Twilight was free she would have done it herself and I would be right there back on the sidelines letting others do everything as I am helpless. But here I am given the chance to help someone, this is something only I can do and lives depend on me stepping up and doing everything I can to protect a whole species from suffering. “I’ll do it. I can’t let you and your kind go through that kind of pain Kick. I will do everything I can to try to solve this issue with the wolves.” I give him a smile, a smile that says I will give it my all to help you. “Thank you Spike. Thank you so much. You don’t know what this means to me and my kind that you are willing to do this.” Kick jumped up and hugged me. I could even feel the slight pugged in his small stomach from over eating. “Okay okay I get it. So when do we go Kick?” I struggle to try the little guy off of my neck without hurting him. “We can go right now. It will be a slight walk to get there. We should be there a little before mid-day.” Kick hopped off of me and started to pull on my leg towards the door. “Alright let’s go.” I stood up and picked up Kick. After throwing in on my back I bolted out the door. …. I then came rushing back into the kitchen and raided one the cookie jars on the counter and pulled out a shiny rubies. “Can’t go on an adventure without my Spikey snacks.” I say to myself as I then ran out the door.