Spoons

by Fonypan

Chapter 11

You feel like you're starving to death. It has been two whole days without a cookie after dinner.

As you're on your return trip from the bathroom to your room, you get a glimpse of the cookie jar above the fridge. You sigh, the fridge is way too tall to reach, even with a chair pushed up against it. Jan is freaky tall after all, so it makes sense.

Though…

What if you could get a chair onto the counter? That... that might just work. The house is quiet, and the hall is clear, now is your chance!

You tip hoof into the kitchen, minimizing sound. You reach the table and its assortment of chairs. You gently pull one of the chairs back away from the table. The legs squeak like Rarity's cat that time the crusaders got stuck to it while all covered in tree sap.

That event still haunts your nightmares.

In panic from the loud sound you push the chair back into its former place.

"I better not find anyone in the kitchen..." Jan's voice echoes through the kitchen door from the hall.

Scramble!

Get out of there!

Go go go!

In a daring move, straight out of one of those action comics that you totally don't read, you leap and do a stealth roll into the hallway and creep towards your bedroom. That was close, but you got away clear. You hop up onto your bed next to Jan and pretend that nothing happened. You look up and Jan as she looks at you with an unamused frown.

"Uh... its not what it looks like?"

Spankings aren't that bad. Heck, they don't even hurt that much. The hugs from Jan afterwards did help. You didn't cry into Jan's arms for what felt like days. But you were still grounded. Being grounded isn't so bad. Just really boring. But you did get a cookie after dinner the next day.

Not much to do lately than to read, the newspaper has been one of your favorite things to read.

Who'd have guessed that?

More news reports have come through on the paper, apparently the government has been trying to make all ponies slaves. But some humans didn't like that, so they chose to fight back. You're rooting for them. Not much else is said, other than the big purple dragon that broke through the portal with the human on it's back said it is searching for it's stolen treasure. But nobody knows what that treasure is. Probably a pile of gold was stolen by some greedy humans.

But then why would it take the aid of a human?

And who is this human? Only fuzzy photos have been taken. And they aren't very helpful. The man is in a dull green suit of some kind. And he's wearing helmet.

The newspaper also has comics, which are okay.

I guess.

Oh, there is a coupon for a discount on ice cream...

Did I mention it's boring to be grounded?

-

Dear diary, it has been over thirty years since I've been captured by the dreaded humans.

I've been locked in my dark cold cell for far longer that I can remember.

On top of it all, I fear that the marker I've been writing with

You look down at your "war journal" as you marker runs dry. Another good soul was lost today. After capping the dry blue marker, you pull another one out of the box and continue writing this time in pink.

is running out of ink. The last transmission I received from my co-conspirator has informed me that the purple dragon from the TV has been seen in a nearby town. Apparently it has been zig-zagging all across the country, searching for something. But I'm scared. The report also says that the dragon has been hunting down ponies, with the help of the human on its back, and eating them. That is part of why my humans have been keeping me in my bedroom. I have agreed to stay hidden. Not because I like being grounded, but because I don't like being eaten. Or burned alive, if the news is to be believed.

The cookies after dinner in an attempt to keep me feeling welcome are a nice touch.

I wonder if the dragon will accept cookies in exchange for not eating me?

You flinch away from your diary and scurry under your bed at the sound of a loud crashing sound.

"Jenny, was that the new lamp I bought after you and Silver broke the last one?"

"Uh, no?"

You slowly crawl out of your hiding spot, and look out your bedroom door. Jenny is trying to hide a broken lamp behind her back.

"Well, if that wasn't my lamp I heard, then what made the loud sound?"

"Uh... it was an earthquake?"

"Oh, maybe, I mean, earthquakes are very dangerous..."

Jan sees you peaking out of your room and gives you a sly wink.

"So dangerous in fact, that I don't think it's safe for you to come out of your room, for, I don't know, until dinner time?"

"What? Mom! You can't do this to me! I'll never last! You'd really condemn your only daughter to death by boredom?"

"But alas fair child, for t'is a sacrifice I must make to ensure the future safety of mine house's furniture!"

Jan dramatically puts her hand to her forehead.

"Oh whoa be me, for I hardly got yo know you, but the sanctity of my kingdom must take precedence above all matters of the heart!"

"Mom! Knock it off! I get it! I'll go to my room!"

"Farewell dear daughter of mine! Be good for the eve and dinner will see you well met!"

You have no idea who this shakespeare guy is, but Jan has been binging on weird old timey plays.

You were just about to close the door and return to your self wallowing with your journal when a massive thump shook the house. Jan and Jenny both stop what they're doing and you follow them to the living room. When the TV turned on, Jan and Jenny let out a startled gasp. On the news was a live report of the same dragon, walking down a road towards a house.

You notice that the rumbling thumps from outside were coming in a rhythmic tempo and slowly growing louder.

"Jenny, Silver, To the basement now!"

Jan's shout snapped the two of you away from the TV and you both start your sprint to the basement door. Jan is hot on your tail as you race around the corner.

You catch a look back into the living room at the image on the TV of the house with the massive dragon standing outside. You look out the living room window, but can't see anything outside beyond the massive green eye surrounded by purple scales.

Jan lifts you and Jenny up under each of her arm pits and sprints into the basement door, slamming it locked behind her and leaping several steps at a time down the stairs. You've never seen this part of the house before, though, you've always known about it. The walls were made of thick concrete blocks interlocked together. Once at the bottom, Jan sets you both down and takes deep breaths from her moment of intense workout.

"Mom? What's going on?"

"I don't know. But you have to be quiet."

"But mom!? Why was our house on the TV?"

"Be quiet!"

You've never heard Jan yell like that, but with everything you've just seen, you couldn't agree more. The pony eating dragon was right outside your door. And the human that was helping him is probably going to hurt this family to help the dragon eat you.

You can't let this family be hurt just for you.

You're not Diamond Tiara.

"Jan...?"

"Yes, Silver?"

You can hear loud boot steps from upstairs through the ceiling. And the deep growling of the dragon's breaths.

"I'm sorry."

"Wait! Silver Spoon!"

You can hear Jan and Jenny calling out for you as your short legs fly you up the stairs.

Hopefully the dragon will make it quick.

You fly up the stairs and slam the basement door open. The determination in your mind is strong.

Protect this family.

The second your hoof stepped through the door into the hallway, all of your determination drained from your body as an icy feeling gripped your heart.

Standing at the end of the hallway is a man like the one from the news. Decked out in his weird armor, with the strange weapon in his hands. Heavy metal helmet over his head with dark glass, the reflection of your scared face distorted across it.

In between you and the man is the kitchen doorway. Behind you is the door to Jan and Jenny. You need to lead him away from them.

You bolt.

Taking advantage of your earth pony and prey instincts, the man makes a lunge to grab you, but you’re faster, you duck and slip into the kitchen and bolt out the other side into the other hallway. Rounding the corner you see the back yard through the sliding glass door. You skid to a halt and fumble with the lock on the door. The man's boots right behind you.

Stupid hooves.

The lock clicks open and you slam the sliding door open and bolt out into the back yard, leaping over the porch railing and sprinting across the open grass to the garden shed.

You fly into the shed, slamming the door shut behind you and pinning the door shut with a rake and shovel.

The deep baritone voice of the man calls out from just beyond the door.

"Silver Spoon, come on out. I'm here to help you."

You can feel the ground shake as the dragon walks around the house to the shed.

Giant claws grab the shed door and rip it clean off without any effort.

The man looks up at the massive dragon.

"Was that really necessary?"

"Sorry."

The man turns back to you and leans down on his knee.

He takes off his helmet.

The cold fear of impending death is suddenly warmed slightly by the fires of confusion.

"James?"

"Hey Spoons."

"What, I don't..."

"Don't worry Spoons, Spike is here to help."