//------------------------------// // A Quest Line... Just Perfect // Story: The Completely Normal Pet of Spike the Dragon // by DauntedSuperior //------------------------------// ‘Ah, that's the spot.’ there were worse ways to being woken up than being scratched behind the ears. I know I wasn’t complaining. Looking up from my snug prison of covers, I saw Spike staring down at me with a smile on his face. That, in turn, made me smile. Don’t know why, but seeing him happy made me happy. The dragon then got out of bed and stretched his arms on the way to the bathroom, as per the usual routine. My morning routine comprised of me stretching the cat way before hitting the magical litter box in the bathroom. Compared to any other litter box I’d seen, that thing was awesome. Bathroom time though is something I don’t talk about in full detail. The entire morning routine is pretty boring to be honest. Well, besides the grooming Spike does to my fur, that’s amazing. It was just your usual morning... until they arrived. It had been such a simple day too. Spike had left a few moments prior to help Chef with breakfast and he promised I would get to see the town today too. Then the yellow demon and her bunny sidekick walked through the door. “Scruffy...” she said in her sweet voice. If it wasn’t for the fact that one look into her eyes would scare even the most hardened of soldiers, she could be called a friend. One look into her eyes though, as she spotted me on the floor with the toy mouse, told me to hide. Instead, I did what she least expected and ran right at her then straight in between her legs and out the door. “Oh no-no-no-no, please come back.” even when yelling her voice only got above a whisper. If not for the memory of her eyes, I would of called it a bit cute. By the rules of the chase, she would never expect me to be back in the room we started in. As I rounded the corner at the end of the hall, I hugged the wall next to me tightly. Sure enough, Fluttershy came around the corner a moment later and I... ran right into Angel. Somehow I had forgotten about the bunny in my attempt to escape Fluttershy. He picked himself up off the ground and I shook my head to clear it. After a second we both stared at each other with a burning intensity, “She’s here to give you a check up. Get it over with now so we can leave, or else.” Oh how I hated this bunny, but he did just give me a challenge. One I wholeheartedly accepted. Objective, stay away from the two of them for the rest of the day. With a grin I took off down the hall running past the door to Spikes room. I only had the one hallway to run in till somepony opened the door, but I would go down fighting... or running in this case. “Oh no Scruffy, please come back.” Fluttershy pleaded as I rounded the corner at the end of the hallway. What I saw plastered a large smile on my face. As easily as only a cat could pull off, I shot in between the guards legs as he opened the door. I heard a large clatter behind me that made me turn, and I laughed at the sight. Fluttershy had collided with the guard and both were on the ground slightly dazed. My victory was short lived however when I felt something tackle me from the side, “I'm going to enjoy this!” from his sitting position on my chest, Angel started hitting me with his tiny white paws. ‘You know not of what you have started, little bunny.’ I thought as he punched. Not gonna lie though, he could throw a punch. I put up my fore-paws so he couldn’t hit my face while I curled my body up. In his rage he had forgotten about my hind legs, both of which were now on either side of his neck. With a kick backwards the bunny went flying through the air and into the wall. The bunny seemed dazed and I was about to capitalize on his momentary weakness to pounce. “Angel, Scruffy.” Fluttershy’s voice was stern and both Angel and I turned to see... it. Fluttershy’s infamous stare. Looking into her eyes when they were like this was like signing away your free will, and knowing it. It was like a focused amount of sheer will power was forced upon you, forcing you to abide by her will, or else. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Angel become zombie-like and continue looking at the pegasus. He had my sympathy for having to live with her, but I need to escape, now. Slowly the pegasus was walking closer, giving us a lecture on why fighting was bad. Though I ignored every word of it. I was using every ounce of my being to look away from her eyes, using the guard behind her as a focus. The stallion just seemed confused at what was going on. With her hold on me broken I was on my paws and moving again. Running as fast as I could and ignoring the small amounts of pain from Angel’s punches and Fluttershy’s calls for me to stop. My luck seemed to hold out though as I ran through corridor after corridor, just as somepony was moving through the door. ‘I guess black cats are lucky, or it was all the rabbit paws I was just being hit with... eh, not questioning it.’ the third straight door I had gotten through closed behind me. Looking around I realized something, I was completely lost... again. So with nothing to do I began to look around the room I had found my self in. It was obviously the castle library. Books, books, and more books could be seen with the occasional low table for one or more of the ponies to read at. My surprise though were the three little figures that were in said library. The little fillies that called themselves the Cutie Mark Crusaders were all sitting and reading... it was weird. Almost like I had just entered the Twilight Zone. I played the theme in my head before I spotted a sign on one of the doorways, ‘Twilight’s area, please keep out.’ ‘Ha!’ with a smile on my muzzle I looked away from the door to- A hoof connected with my head and made it’s way down my spine, “Hi there Scruffy.” I would recognize the squeaky voice of Sweetie anywhere, “Who’s a good kitty? Who’s a good kitty?” ‘As long as that hoof don't crush me.’ “Sweetie come on! We need one more thing to finish up this month’s list of possible cutie marks.” Scoots said while waving a book in the air. “Ya, an I gotta get back before Applejack finds out I didn’t finish my chores.” Apple Bloom said as I felt a hoof go under me. The little unicorn then picked me up and held me to her chest. It was a bit too tight, but scratching the little filly didn’t even enter my mind, “Look who I found!” she said happily before putting me down on the table. Naturally I looked at both of them before looking back up at Sweetie and meowing loudly. My cuteness attack worked and I heard all three of them ‘daww’ at my display. With the three for one attack’s success my ego was practically soaring. Scoots looked back at the page of the book she had open and got that look, the one everypony gets when they have a stupid plan, “Girls, I’ve got our last idea, and we can try it today.” “I gotta go home an finish ma chores first, but let’s hear it.” the southern accented earth pony closed her book and walked over to Scoots. Sweetie trotted over to her other side and I made my way across the table to look at the book. What I saw immediately told me the idea was dangerously stupid. This was confirmed when they all got a big grin on their faces. “Cutie Mark Crusaders, Ghost Hunters! Yay!” my ears! Oh why! “Alright girls, I’ll go ask around for...” Scoots looked back at the book, “A voice recorder and some night vision stuff. I think Pinkie will help us out.” “Where are we going to find ghosts though?” Sweetie asked as she started petting me with her hoof. “That old castle in the Everfree.” I wanted to face paw so badly as Scoots continued, “You," she pointed a hoof to Apple Bloom, "Go ask Applejack to help Rarity watch us while we're ghost hunting." she then pointed her hoof to Sweetie, "You do the same thing with Rarity. Make sure when you ask them that they think the other is going." she finished. 'Okay, so they had some brains after all.' “Ya gonna ask Rainbow Dash?” Apple Bloom asked as she looked over the book. “Of course!” “Think that Spike will want to come?” Sweetie asked earning a confused look from the other crusaders. I could practically see the sweat beads form on her head, “So we can take Scruffy of course.” she said quickly with a wide smile. ‘Ha, you're not fooling-wait what!? I didn't agree to anything!’ the others paid me no mind though as they all looked happy with Sweetie’s answer. “So, we ask Twilight b’fore our sisters and Scoots gets th’ stuff from Pinkie.” Apple Bloom looked to the others, “Crusaders, we have our crusade.” They all nodded before taking off out of the library to complete their objectives, completely forgetting me... ‘Wait, objectives? Oh dang it, I'm part of a quest line!’ I thought as I watched them shut the door behind them. Then I waited... ... ... Sweetie opened the door again and I gave her the biggest deadpan look and meow I could, “Sorry Scruffy, here hop on.” no coaxing was needed. I jumped onto her back and settled in. It surprisingly wasn’t that shaky as she walked back out the door, "You're so much better than Opal." I didn't even register what she said till later as my thoughts were on what was going to happen at the castle, ‘I’m either going to have to save them somehow, I'm going to get saved when one of them does something stupid, or everything will go smoothly and I'm over reacting... if only I could believe that last one.’