//------------------------------// // Chapter Three // Story: Twilight's Oddities // by FleetingChance //------------------------------// Chapter Three – “So do you think they’ve managed to have a foal?” Twilight asked Spike as they trotted out of Ponyville and towards the woods. Spike was right beside her looking around the woods. He normally stayed within the town or in the meadows on the other side of the town. While he had been to Fluttershy’s cottage in the past he hadn’t been there in a while. “Would it even be a foal?” Sweetie Belle said from Twilight’s other side. “I honestly don’t know, I’d assume it would depend on whose genetics wins out. Hybrids aren’t common in Ponyville, but it’d be a welcome change,” Twilight said looking over to the young mare. She had her long curly pink and light purple mane tied back in a messy bun. Her coat was a bit messy suggesting she hadn’t bothered to straighten up before they left that morning. Rarity and Sweetie Belle couldn’t be more different, Twilight thought. Rarity wouldn’t set hoof outside if she was looking like Sweetie Belle and it surprised her that Rarity hadn’t tried to fix her up before she had left. “Oh could one of you remind me to ask Fluttershy about getting Blackbeak’s special food?” Sweetie Belle said referring to her pet raven she had rescued a few weeks earlier. A loud chirping came from her saddlebag that had the top open slightly. Opening a black ball of fluff jumped out and onto Sweetie Belle’s head. Nesting down between her ears he settled down with a satisfied chirp. Sweetie Belle chuckled and continued on trotting. “Sure,” Twilight said. “What does he need?” “He’s old enough to start on semisolid food so I need to get that. I also want to see if she has any nesting boxes he likes. I’m starting to tire of waking up to find Blackbeak poop everywhere,” she rolled her eyes. “Rarity absolutely hates it whenever she comes over and finds my apartment in a mess.” “You let her in your apartment?” Spike said surprised. “I kinda have too since our parents help pay the rent. I have my own job, but I don’t have enough saved up in the rent jar. They know we don’t see eye to eye so they think by allowing her into my home we’ll start getting along again,” A dark look settled over her face. “Since she’s rarely here nowadays I usually don’t have to worry about that. However four months ago when she came over I had to force her out of the apartment. She wouldn’t stop complaining about everything. Of course she went crying to mom and dad and of course I was made the bad guy. She just needs that stick pulled outta her dainty little ass…” Sweetie Belle growled. Spike and Twilight gave each other a look, but said nothing. For the last leg of the journey they trotted along in semi-silence for Blackbeak’s soft chirps as he slept. A few minutes later they arrived at an earthy looking cottage with various animals wandering around. “Twilight!” her ears perked up to see a light yellow Pegasus mare with long light pink mane tied up in a bun. She came up and hugged her. “How have you been?” Twilight smiled. “We’ve been good. We just came to see if there’s been any progress.” Fluttershy shook her head, but kept her soft smile. “We’ve been trying, but there hasn’t been any luck. I’m fine with it, a foal will come along when he wants to.” “I’m surprised you’re taking it so well Fluttershy,” Spike said. “You’ve been trying longer than any of the Mane Six.” Fluttershy waved her hoof dismissively. “Its fine really, I don’t want to rush things,” she turned her head and saw Blackbeak sleeping on Sweetie Belle’s head. “Oh! I see your little raven chick is coming along just fine!” Sweetie Belle smiled and pulled him off her head. He gave a disgruntled chirp, but soon settled down. “He’s getting better, but I don’t think there’s a chance of releasing him back into the wild.” “Oh don’t worry about that. Ravens actually flourish in captivity as long as their owners care for them properly. May I see him?” Fluttershy asked. Sweetie Belle handed him over carefully. “I see he doesn’t have his yolk anymore and some of his flight feathers are coming in. He should be an excellent flier once he’s all grown up. Do you need some semi-solid food for him?” “Yes,” Sweetie Belle said taking the little Raven back. He promptly bounced back up between her ears, but stayed awake watching what was going on. “Alright, Discord!” Fluttershy called. In a matter of seconds a tall Draconequus appeared out of thin air. “What do you need my dear?” “I need some semi-solid food for Sweetie Belle’s raven,” she said sweetly. He vanished with a poof of pinkish smoke and then reappeared with a medium sized bag of bird food. Handing it over to Fluttershy she poofed again appearing a couple feet away at the chicken coop, by doing this he startled the chickens and one even popped an egg out. Discord laughed and shrank from view when Fluttershy looked back at him with a disapproving look. “He likes to think he can do that all the time. He adores to scare the chickens like that,” Fluttershy said. Sweetie Belle took the bag of food and pulled out her wallet. “How much do I owe you?” “Nothing at all,” Fluttershy said. She looked up at the older mare. “Nothing?” “Nothing, it’s on the house. I don’t need the Bits if it’s going to help a little animal get better,” Fluttershy said with a smile. “In other words you’re Princess Twilie’s student,” Discord said poofing back startling everyone except for Fluttershy. “Discord!” Fluttershy yelled. Spike had to cover his mouth in order to hide a bit of laughter. Fluttershy’s yell sounded more like a slightly angered mother rabbit trying to get her children in order than it did an actual yell. She could be worse than this, but for the sake of Equestria no sentient being wanted to witness that. However Discord knew to act accordingly to when Fluttershy got angry like this. So he shrank back and faked shame. “I’m sorry my dear.” “I’m only giving her a discount because Blackbeak needs it,” Fluttershy said casting a sideways glance at him before turning back to them. “We’re getting ready for some tea, do you want to stay?” Twilight looked at them and they shrugged. “Sure, that would be great.” In the royal palace up in Canterlot the ruling Princesses sat in the throne room discussing current events happening in Equestria while having some tea and snacks. A charcoal coated colt with bat like wings came cantering into the throne room with a thick leather bound book hovering over his head in a gray magical aura. His hooves clicked on the hard smooth marble floor as he ran and he muttered under his breath as he nearly fell. Getting to the two thrones he stopped by Luna and caught his breath before speaking. “Mama! Look what I found!” the thick leather bound book plopped down beside Luna. “The Complete Guide on Dragons?” Luna read with her eyebrow arched. “Isn’t it marvelous?” the little colt said with stars in his purple eyes. “I found it in the old library up on the seventh floor in the knowledge wing of the castle.” Luna cast Celestia a look when a snicker escaped her. Her nephew talked very formally and old fashioned like his mother had when she was learning the ways when she came back. While older mares and some young ones found this endearing, his aunt often found some humor in it. “Why were you up in that library, it is closed off to anypony except for your aunt and I.” He gave his mother a sheepish look. “I teleported into the library behind the guard and daddy’s backs. I just wanted to see what was in there! I swear! I wasn’t going to touch anything until I saw this book.” Luna sighed. “It’s alright, just apologize to the guard and your father and return the book.” “But…but I was hoping Princess Twilight Sparkle could have the book,” the little colt said in a small voice. He adored his adoptive aunt. In fact the little colt and Twilight had so much in common you would think he was her son if it wasn’t for the bat wings and larger than normal ears. Luna sighed again and turned to look at her older sister. “Would it be fine if he sent this to Twilight Sparkle?” Celestia simply nodded. “I know she’ll treat the book like it should be. Let Akmar do it.” The little colt bounced and levitated the book up in the air. His face scrunched up in concentration and the book vanished in thin air. When he opened his eyes he bounced up and down. “I did it!” Then he saw the expressions on his mother and aunt’s faces. “What?” “I’m afraid that was the spell I often used to send Twilight letters,” Celestia sighed. “The one where Spike coughs it out?” Luna asked covering her mouth. Celestia sighed taking a drink of her tea. “I just hope he isn’t doing anything important. Here let me write a letter apologizing and explaining.” “Ah!” Everypony yelled when Spike coughed up the thick leather bound book just as he was drinking some tea. The book was about to plop down in the middle of a frosting covered tea cake stand when Twilight caught it in her purple magic aura. Setting it gently down in a clear space she sighed, but jumped again when a letter from Celestia appeared. Twilight caught it again and opened the letter. Dear Twilight, I’m very sorry that the book appeared and if it interrupted something important. Akmar found this book about Dragons and wanted to send it to you. I suppose he thought it would be helpful or you would like it because of Spike. He accidentally did the spell that I commonly used to send you letters without knowing what it was. I suppose he saw me doing it and picked up on it. Again I am very sorry if this caused in inconvenience and you can keep the book if you like, I know you will take care of it. Yours Truly, Princess Celestia. “So Akmar finally learned to do the spell?” Spike said taking a drink of tea. “It seems so,” Twilight said rolling the letter up and teleporting it back to her office. She opened the book and her eyebrows raised. “I wonder how he got all this information.” “What is it?” Spike asked and she levitated the book over to him. Spike opened it and read a few pages. “It says right here,” he said holding the book open so that Twilight could read it. “Huh, so apparently you aren’t the only Pony raised Dragon. It says here it used to be quite common a few years after Star Swirl the Bearded passed away. Princess Celestia banned it after she saw what it did on the Dragon population and how some Ponies were mistreating their Dragon charges,” she looked up to see the nasty look on Spike’s face. “What’s wrong?” “So Ponies back in the day treated my kind like a commodity?” He said angrily. “I guess,” Twilight shrugged, but quickly said. “You’re like a son to me! I’d never do that!” both her face and Spike’s faces heated up when she said that. “I…I know you wouldn’t dream of it Twilight. It…it just angers me that Ponies treat my kind like some freak show or something. We have just the same level of intelligence, can commune like Ponies, and…love like Ponies,” he said the last part softly avoiding Sweetie Belle’s eyes. “What about Dragon-Pony hybrids?” Discord said breaking the hot atmosphere of the room. Everyone turned to look at him. “What? If Dragons and Ponies can get funky with it and produce healthy offspring why can’t Draconequus and Ponies?” Twilight gave an agreeing grunt. “Good point, I’ll study up on it and get back to you if I find anything that will help you have a foal,” Twilight said taking a bite of pastry. Later that night when Twilight and Spike had gotten home Twilight sat on a beanie bag on her side reading the thick leather bound book. She had just gotten to the hundredth page when she looked up and saw Spike in the doorway. “Need something?” “I…I wanted to tell you something,” he said coming into the room and sitting on one of the beanie bags. “I think I’m in love with Sweetie Belle.” “Oh I know,” Twilight said looking back to the book. “How?” He asked shocked. Twilight marked her spot in the book. “It’s pretty obvious to everypony that you love her. You are always distant to everypony except for Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Sweetie Belle, Pinkie Pie, and me. Only thing different is that you treat Sweetie Belle like she is a Princess…no pun intended.” Spike mulled this over for a couple minutes. “How…how do I ask her to be my marefriend?” Twilight shrugged. “Just ask her and be yourself. I’m not exactly the one to ask since I’ve never had a coltfriend. Here,” she levitated some books down to him. “Read those, they might help, but be careful with the hot pink one. It…it isn’t exactly for little foals or young adolescent Ponies. Pinkie Pie let me have that one and for lack of better words…it spares no detail.” Spike simply smiled. “Thank you and goodnight,” he got up and left the room. Twilight waiting until she heard the door of his room to close with a click. “He’s not the little dragon that I raised,” she sniffed before opening her book again.