Roll for Initiative

by David Silver

27 - Coming Together

Spike arrived at the castle, happy to be there. It had been a full day. "Maybe time for a comic before--"

"--Hey Spike!" interrupted Lyra who was just coming out of the door. "What luck! We were just talking about you, bud."

Twilight was just behind her, looking apologetic. "Hello, Spike."

"Um, hey." Spike wriggled a few fingers at either mare. "What's up?"

Lyra clip-clopped her hooves together. "We were talking about your awesome game, and I just wanted to say--" Spike cringed, imagining what could follow that statement. "--that I am available if you need any help at all. Want tips on what kind of monster to throw at them or a nice plot twist, I'm your mare!" She leaned forward. "In fact, if you want to spoil the heck out of me, I'd love to hear your plans so far. I won't tell a soul, promise."

Spike went a little limp. That wasn't nearly as horrible as he had imagined it could go. Even Twilight looked relieved behind Lyra. "That's, uh, nice of you. So, you've played this before, right?"

Lyra dismissively waved her hoof. "Twilight already told me she told you about me." She stuck out her tongue. "Tongue twister! Anyway, I was a real back end, but if I can help, just ask, and I'll do what I can, but, you know, not more than you ask for." She reached a hoof suddenly, ruffling the top of Spike's finned head. "I remember drowning at a few points, especially when Moondancer was involved. She would make the most insanely intricate plans, using things I never even heard about. That mare can research, lemme tell ya."

Spike hiked a brow. "I bet you don't have the literal spirit of chaos in your game." He twirled a finger. "Or somepony that thought the whole thing was some kind of depraved way to make ponies 'forget their true purpose' or something."

Lyra tilted her head. "Nope, can't say I--"

Twilight suddenly nudged in from the side. "Spike looks tired. We shouldn't ambush him the moment he walks through the door."

Spike held up his hands. "It's alright. Say, why don't we all have dinner?" He was feeling a little invigorated, though he couldn't say exactly why. "I'll get to cooking." He jogged past the mares towards the kitchen.

Lyra pumped a hoof. "Nailed it."

Twilight shook her head. "I'm not sure how, but that went pretty well. Now, you'll do exactly what you promised, I hope?"

Lyra's eyes partially closed. "Twilight, have some faith in me. I'll help when he asks and how he asks. It's not my game." She turned and trotted back into the castle. "If I want a game, I'll start one with Bonnie. Wonder what class she'd play...?"

---

"Here's yer shipment." Big Mac unhitched himself and started unloading loads of fresh apples for the lovely mare. She was already gushing about all the sweet treats she would make with them, but all he could think about was how sweet she was.

She pecked his cheek, and he knew the efforts he had gone through were worth it. The small bag of bits wasn't bad either.

"Already heading back?" she asked.

He had no ready excuse to remain in her presence. He hadn't even worked up the nerve to speak his feelings towards her. "Yup. Ah'll be back, with more apples."

"I'll look forward to it." She picked up an apple and sighed. "Now that my sweets are sweet again, ponies are gobbling them up. I better get back to baking."

They shared a friendly wave, and Big Mac started on his way home, the wagon rolling more easily without its load of apples aboard. He left that curious town of identical-houses behind. Starlight had come from there? Big Mac was fairly sure he had heard something to that effect.

Maybe next time he visited, he'd ask about that, though Starlight made him nervous. She put the magic in unicorn, and wasn't shy about using it whenever remotely applicable. He snorted softly. Sugar Belle wasn't like that at all. She was a hardworking mare. A little smile spread on his lips. She was an earthpony's unicorn. A baker! She didn't take shortcuts. She did it right.

Big Mac listed forward, his hooves refusing to cooperate as he tumbled to the ground. He felt something around his hooves, coiled tightly around all four legs.

"Hello," greeted a familiar snake with a soft hiss. "That was rude, leaving in the middle of lunch. Please, stay for dinner. I insist," he spoke with extended hisses for every s.

Big Mac tried to separate his hooves with a grunt of effort, but the snake had him in its coil tight. It was at that moment that he wished he did have a horn for a little magic, but he didn't. He'd have to use what was left. The snake was pulling him closer to his widening mouth and his head bumped against a rock on the way. Ah ha.

He grabbed the rock in his mouth and threw it with a cry and a twist of his neck. It went right into the snake's open gullet and the creature began to hack and cough. The coil loosened just enough for Big Mac to scramble free.

"Not so fast!" The snake darted around to be in front of Big Mac. "It's a matter of life and death, friend pony. My life, your death. Such is life, is it not?"

Big Mac stomped the ground like the irate horse he was. "Nope!"

"You don't even have those nice apples anymore. Only choice is you..." The snake darted forward, landing a bite on the air as Big Mac ducked back to avoid it. "It won't even hurt if you calm down."

Big mac circled around the snake and jumped at just the right time. Its next bite found flesh, but not a pony's. "Ow!" He drew back from his self-inflicted wound. "Is that what that feels like? That hurts."

"Yup," easily agreed Big Mac.

The snake sagged. "But I have to eat! I didn't ask for this..."

Big Mac coiled on himself and nosed out a lone apple he had left. He set it on the ground gently.

"You want me to try it?" The snake slithered closer with obvious doubt. "Snakes don't eat apples..."

Big Mac pointed at the offered fruit.

"I suppose there's no... harm in trying." He dove for the apple and gobbled it up with one big bite, making a little bulge in his body as it vanished down his throat. "Mmm, not bad. Maybe I could learn to like it."

Big Mac didn't wait for the snake to make up his mind, and trotted back towards the safety of Ponyville and his farm. As he went, a smile formed. He had weathered his own adventure, without any dice, and he had emerged in one piece. To think, some ponies thought farming was a calm and peaceful task. He snorted at the idea.

---

It would take some time before Lyra emerged from the castle, filled and ready to go home. Her trot home took her through the darkening Ponyville. Lights began to come to life in houses. She could hear the insects playing their little tunes as they emerged from wherever they hid during the day.

She decided to join them. With a twinkle, her lyre appears and she played it with her magic, stringing a cheerful little tune to the beat of the nature around her.

"There you are!" Pinkie was suddenly before her. "I've been waiting forever for you! Where have you been hiding?"

Lyra recoiled in surprise before bursting into laughter. "Why were you waiting for me, silly pony?"

Pinkie pulled her lute free from nowhere in particular. "I learned a song and I'm ready to play it for you. I promised!"

"But was it a Pinkie Promise?" asked Lyra with a sly look.

"Well, maybe not... but still a promise, and I plan to keep it! Are you ready to rock!?" She strummed the lute that sounded like it was not at all ready to 'rock'.

Lyra tilted her head. "Hit me."

Pinkie reached forward and booped Lyra on the nose. "Wish granted. Now, let's begin." She took two slow breaths before she ran a hoof across the strings. "Tonight we will play a special piece about a special mare. Sing along if you know the words. Mary..." She began to play the song of the mare Mary and her sheep.

Lyra began to clap along, easily identifying the song. Above her, her lyre joined in the simple melody, playing along with Pinkie's lute. Pinkie had a sour note or two, but Lyra kept right on playing, and so did Pinkie, and they played together to the end. "Hey, you picked that up quickly. Watch for the chord transitions, but you did great!"

"What's a chord?" Pinkie tilted her head.

That is when Lyra realized Pinkie hadn't meant to hit chords. She laughed it off. "Nevermind! Octie will keep you on track. She's good at that. Seriously, great job."

"Do you mean this cord?" She pointed at one of the strings on her instrument.

"You are priceless, Pinkie." Lyra jumped forward and hugged Pinkie, fairly confident the party pony would not turn down an abrupt display of affection. She was proven right when Pinkie returned the hug warmly. "Keep it up. You'll be a master at this rate."

Pinkie extended a hoof towards Twilight's castle. "What was up at Twilight's? You don't often go up that way."

Lyra stuck out her tongue. "Ugh, don't remind me. Can you believe that silly book horse was holding a grudge for years? I'm glad that's behind us at least."

Pinkie blinked. "I missed a friendship lesson? Shoot. What was the moral?"

Lyra tapped a chin with a hoof as her lyre played a thoughtful tune. "Well... I guess, if you're playing a game with ponies, you shouldn't forget about them, and what's fun for you may not be fun for them, so don't just assume it is."

"Good lesson." Pinkie nodded with firm agreement. "Who knows, maybe the map will call you sometime!"

Lyra almost dropped her lyre in surprise. "It can do that?!"

Pinkie shrugged softly. "Who knows? We sure don't, so we can't say it can't call you for a mega awesome friendship problem in need of special Lyra assistance. You'd go if it asked, right?"

"I mean, yeah, sure." Lyra dismissed her lyre with a pop. "I hope it calls me and Bonnie at the same time though." She waved a hoof a little wildly. "I wouldn't want to get called to some far off crazy place alone, ya know?"

Pinkie pointed at herself. "What if it was you and me?"

"Hmmm." Lyra looked Pinkie up and down. "I guess I could live with that. We could make sweet music together!"

Pinkie ran her hoof down the front of her instrument, strumming. "That sounded wrong somehow." She shrugged and tucked her instrument away. "Well, keep an eye out for when your cutie mark starts glowing and stuff. If it does, go to Twilight's castle and you'll find out where you have to go and what pony will be going with you!"

Lyra shook her head. "I'll keep that in mind, but I doubt it'll be calling on this rump anytime soon." She turned for home. "I should go make sure Bonnie isn't freaking out, seeing as I didn't tell her I'd be hanging out late."

Pinkie raised a hoof quickly to wave. "Good night, Lyra. Tell Bon Bon I said 'Hi, how ya doing? That's good! Hope you're having a swell time. You should come by Sugar--"

Lyra casually popped a hoof in Pinkie's mouth, silencing her. "Hello, got it. Pinkie, you are something else. Take it easy."

They parted ways, either headed towards their home to recover from a busy day.

It was a good day.

Author's Note:

Want this story updated faster? Want to get your own story written? Want to just support the author in his writing? Join the atreon!

Join my discord to chat!

Comments

[Booster Spice]

Pinkie watches chord changes. Rarity plays guitar. Its Super Effective.

Looks like Big Mac is picking up two girlfreinds on that route. Hope they can get on with each other, such as one bakes and the other does cobblers.

Soike needs a quiet room. One filled with hoard. Just to counteract the crazy.

[Hillbe]

My cutie mark it's buzzing?

You have it on 'Do Not Disturb'

How do you fix it?

I just boop them on the nose. But when I boop Rarity her cheeks glow too!

Spikey!

[FanOfMostEverything]

If I want a game, I'll start one with Bonnie. Wonder what class she'd play...

"How did you get six dice of sneak attack at level one!?"
"I could tell you, but then I'd have to sneak attack you."

Good to see Mac survived and Twilight and Lyra's friendship revived. Happy endings for everyone, maybe even the snake. At least for today.

Also, that snake left a few typos in his wake:

...making a little bulge in his body as it vanishes down his throat.

Vanished.

Big Mac didn't wait for the snake to make up their mind,

His.

To think, some ponies thought farming is a calm and peaceful task

Was.

[David Silver]

8658748
Typos, in my adventure chronicle! (it was more likely than I thought). Fixed!

[Yukieiros]

8650928
yes a quiet room filled with nothing but first edition comics.