//------------------------------// // Birdbrain (Twilight, Spike, and Owlicious, Comedy) // Story: Bombastic Bookpony's Bazaar of Oneshots // by Bombastic Bookpony //------------------------------//         Smoke. Too much smoke. Granted, even a little smoke wasn’t the best sign in a library. It’s even worse of a sign in a lab in a library. And, as mentioned before, this was more than a little smoke. If it could this to everything around it, then what did it do to the one-         Focus, Twilight. Observe your surroundings. Make sure there’s no immediate dangers. Panicking and getting emotional helps no one. No fires. That was good. That beam didn’t set anything aflame. Hopefully it hadn’t opened up a portal for some hellspawn. But there was a severe lack of demonic chanting growls. Now where was-         “Owlicious! Owlicious!” Spike shouted, before falling to a small bout of coughs.         “Spike! Follow my voice!” Spike must’ve been close, as he made it to her side in seconds. “Where’s Owlicious?”         “I don’t know!’ he exclaimed back, voice panicked. “When that flash of light came out of that experiment, he pushed me out of the way! It’s my fault! If I had been faster I-”         “Don’t blame yourself, Spike. It’s not your fault. It wasn’t your experiment. It was mine,” she said, eyes lowering to the floor out of guilt. Her eyes quickly refocused on Spike, alight with determination. “But we can’t spend time assigning blame to ourselves when Owlicious needs our help.”         “Yeah. Yeah! You’re right!” Spike bounced with renewed purpose. He cupped his claws together and bellowed, “Owlicious! Owlicious buddy!” Twilight joined in as they shuffled through the thinning smoke. Finally, they were answered with a “Hoo?” “It’s Spike, old pal, that’s who! We’re coming for ya!” To Twilight’s ears, the hoo sounded... off. Deeper. Probably from the result of this accident. Another pang of guilt hit her. Owlicious, I swear you are going to get so much snacks for this. Owlicious’ ‘hoo’s grew louder and louder, interspersed with coughing. They made their way to his voice as the smoke finally subsided. As the gas parted, they were greeted with a strange sight. A light brown, small stallion pegasus was in front of them, coughing his throat out. “Hoo... Hoo...”         “What?” Twilight’s mind raced to comprehend the scene before her.                          Finally, the coughs of ‘hoo’ subsided, and the stallion shook his head, and beamed. “Well, that’s a silly question. It’s me, of course!” Twilight and Spike continued to stare, jaws agape. The stallion seemed confused, then it appeared as something dawned on him, and he hit his head with a derogatory “Stupid!” He put the smile back on and explained, “Not your ‘what’ question. That’s reasonable enough, I suppose. I was making a joke! ‘Hoo’ sounds like ‘Who?’” At their blank stares he only sighed. “That gag’s been going on for years now and now you guys decide it isn’t funny!”         “Who are you?” Spike finally asked.         “Well, that ought to be obvious, hm? I was spouting ‘hoo’, I’m light brown, your owl is nowhere to be found, there was just a catastrophic mess up on isles 10. Use the scientific method, Twilight!” A pause. “Is that how that saying goes? ‘Mess up on isles 10?’ I’m only going off the written word here.”         “Owlicious?” Twilight breathed, dumbfounded.         “Bingo! Well, no, not Bingo. Bingo is an annoying dog down a few blocks from here. Won’t leave Wioana alone. Had to peck him occasionally.” He lunged his neck out for show. “But yes, I am Owlicious! Well, I suppose I should be Ponylicious now, hm? Eh? Eh?” Silence. “Tough crowd.”         “You have to change him back,” Spike deadpanned.         “Hey! What’s with that attitude? Few seconds ago you were all, “Oh, Owlicious! My dear compatriot! My only rock in a world of hostility and insanity! Where art thou!?’ I’m only paraphrasing here, mind.”                  “I can’t believe it, but I think he was less annoying when all he could say was ‘Hoo’.”         “Who?”         “You-” Spike began, only to see the grin on the owl-turned pony’s face. Spike’s face fell into a frown. “See! Still me, still hilarious!” “But-but.... this is impossible!” Twilight pronounced, still off guard.         “Says the pony who can do magic.”         “Do not get her started.”         “Oh, I know the scientific basis behind magic. I just wanted to see Twilight’s irritation spasm, on her right eyebrow.”         “It is an entertaining spasm,” Spike acknowledged.         “Will you two be quiet! I’m trying to process this!”         “Neigh, Twilight-oooh, my first horse pun! I have been quiet for too long. Constrained by the one, hollow word of ‘hoo’. It is time I confess something.” He grabbed Twilight’s hoof.         “What.”         “Twilight...” He started, staring deep into her purple eyes. “What.”  “You saved me from the ruthless uncaring wild. You showed me a world of learning and fiction. And for those reasons and more, Twilight Sparkle, I have fallen in love with you.” A brief pause. “What!?”         “Gotcha!” Owlicious exclaimed with a grin. He chuckled, while Spike was cracking up behind him. “Besides, I know that’s a lost cause. All you ever talk about in your sleep is a certain pink pony’s name. And rump.” Twilight stared at him, as a deep blush covered her face. “Nocturnal animal, remember?”         “We have to change him back.”         “Who?” Owlicious asked, another beaming grin plastered on his face.         “You, obvious-”         Spike fell into another bit of laughter. “I-I don’t know, Twi. I’m starting to like him this way!”         “Ooooh, Spike! Look, look! The spasm is back!”         Why couldn’t it have been a demonic hellspawn?