Bind on Pickup

by David Silver

69 - Never Again

Tammy wiped sweat from her brow. "Okay, well… shoot. You all have been really at it." She tapped the side of her humming bellows. "The next step up would take what you just last did… like five more times. Or, you can let me work with what we have. Pretty sure that'll make what you were using before your new friend got a hold of you look like you were wearing tissue paper and dreams."

Smolder fired an emphatic thumbs up. "I think we're all ready to push forward a bit." She glanced towards Tabby for confirmation.

Tabitha nodded hesitantly. "While a part of me would rather go for the next level, I do understand that… this is a team, and I'm not the leader. You're all… ready to push forward. At least, now, I think we're ready for the first set of levels. Expect more grinding after we hit the next ten, warning you now."

"No thanks." Garble huffed and leaned in to see the fiery magic of the furnace. "Looks mostly the same from here. You can really do better stuff now?"

"Sure can!" Tammy clapped her hands together as she hopped up onto a chair and sank down. "Gonna make better versions of everything. You all brought me more than enough materials to get it done." She began to giggle, a silly smile on her face.

Sandra started to share the expression. "You look eager to start."

"Am I that predictable?" She pulled on a heavy chain. "Go on, get lost. I'll send a letter to your room when it's all set, then you can come by, marvel at my work, then go kick that tower in the shin for what it did!"

Spike slapped the back of their newest team member. "Hey, thanks."

"You're welcome, but what are you thanking me for?" She lifted her shoulders, hands spreading. "We just turned in what we had, nothing on my part there."

"I disagree." He wagged a finger at Tabitha as they headed out of the smithy. "You're why we did all that farming, and why we'll be ready when we try again."

"I don't… mean this in a, what, cold, way? But I take my teams seriously." She crossed her arms. "You all being unprepared will get me killed. This is after 60 we're talking about here. We're all ready, or dead."

Spike frowned. It was hard not to take in a “cold” way, wasn’t it?

“It’s a compliment,” Smolder chimed in. “Take it as one!”

Tabitha pursed her lips.

Ater a moment, Sandra said, “Well, we have some time.”

“Probably a lotta time,” Garble also said. “We gave her a heckuva list.”

“So, what are we going to do with it?”

“Well,” Spike scratched his chin. “We haven’t really done anything for getting to sixty. There was no big party, because I guess sixty is a mixed bag? But it’s a milestone, so we should do something nice. I mean,” he pulled up his bag, hefty with gold. “We have all of this money from loot we’re not using on better loot so… why not?”

“Did your party do anything at sixty?” Sandra said, leaning over to Tabitha.

“We all had a drink or something, before everyone went off to do their own thing. They were pretty happy, I tried to be happy for them.” She shrugged. “I’m onto better things now.”

Garble grabbed the new girl's closest hand. "Well, that settles it. They've dragged me to a buncha stuff I didn't want to go to. It's your turn now!"

Smolder began to snicker, following along and letting Garble choose the destination. Spike veered closer to Sandra. "Did we pull him around?"

"No." Sandra was smiling, looking pleased in much the same way as Smolder. "But I could tell he didn't always want to be there. This'll be fun, team building, outside of battling to the death."

She looked at Tabitha being drug around by Garble, with her annoyed but resigned face. “I hope.”

---

"Sorry to visit you like this." Twilight inclined her head, all her Equestrian self. "You deserve all your rest, but something's come up over here...and they need me." She let out a suffering sigh. "I'll try to make it as fast as I can, but the work of a hero is never done, it seems."

"Wait, you're a hero?" Sandra looked around, but couldn't make out much. There really wasn't much there, in that half-formed dream place they met to talk. "Really?"

"Like it or not." Twilight smiled gently. "I prefer not, really… But Celestia is counting on me, with Equestria behind her. I can't say no…" She rubbed behind her head with a hoof. "I just want you to know I'm rooting for you all, but you won't be able to call on me a few days at the least. I'll stop by again when that changes. Use your other summons for now." An ear perked. "Actually, you may even want to keep your eyes open."

"For?"

"What else?" Twilight closed to set a hof on Sandra's shoulder. "I feel confident I'm not the last spirit you'll meet, even if I don't really see me as a 'spirit'. You may find something worth talking to. Keep an open mind."

“Things have been working out pretty well with just the three…” Sandra said. “And, if I’ll be honest, you’ve got a whole lot of oomph. And even more honest… it’s nice to know I can count on you when time goes by. I know you’re not ‘in the party’, but you’re kinda in the party…”

Twilight chirped up and smiled. “I’m going to miss you too, Sandra. And of course, Spike, but I have enough faith that you guys will come through.”

Sandra took a soft breath, despite having no air to breathe in that dream. "I will not let you down," she promised, the dream ending for them both, one to go on to dream of other things, the other to awaken to things in need of them.

---

"So, she won't be coming?" Spike looked a little unsettled at the news that Twilight would not be with them.

Smolder nudged against him from the side. "We managed before her, we can handle a day or two without her. You're ready to stand on your own feet, right? You don't want her thinking you need her for everything, do you?"

Garble chuckled softly as they walked into the tower. "I dunno, he does like his pony princess taking care of him."

“Who won’t be doin’ what?” Tabitha said as the party approached her. “Pony… the summon?”

“Twilight won’t be able to come,” Spike said. “Busy saving the word, I guess.”

Tabitha looked down at the little dragon incredulously. “She… is busy doing something else?” She turned her head slowly back up to stare at Sandra. “Your summons can… just tell you they’re busy? At random?”

“I don’t think it’s at random…” Sandra said.

“Yeah…” Spike said, kind of frowning. “Twilight has been on call for months now. We don’t always go out but… she’s always on call.” He looked down. “How long has she dedicated her life to helping us like this… She has responsibilities, but she’s still put down so much for us... “

“Probably for you, champ,” Smolder nudged him.

This only deepened Spike’s frown. “I hadn’t even thought about it like that!”

While Spike descended into unease, Tabitha gave Sandra a look. “And you… buy this? That your summon, which you need for your adventuring, can just up and leave?”

Sandra’s expression hardened. “Yes. Spike is right, Twilight has been doing a lot of work for us, but she has her own life.”

“She’s a summon, Sandra,” Tabitha said in a low voice. “She didn’t exist until you picked her up.”

“She did,” Sandra said, looking harder at Tabitha’s eyes. “She’s Spike’s family and she came to help us, and has been a big help.”

Smolder raised two fingers to pinch the bridge of her nose. "Look, this is getting old. We all have histories. Garble there." She hiked a thumb at her bother. "He barely knew Twilight, but even he knows she was a thing before we came tripping over to this world or whatever." She threw both her hands wide. "Now we plan to go home. That's why we're in this tail-cutting tower, so put your hand on that thing and let's hop up, alright?"

Tabitha peered as Smolder vanished, taking the teleport point to recall up to floor 60. "She is very… agitated."

"How would you like it if some alien kept telling you that you're just a fake?" Sandra reached out, vanishing a moment later towards the top of the tower.

Garble didn't bother joining the conversation, vanishing along with the others with but a snort to add to things.

Tabitha looked to Spike, the one remaining. "You ready to take a shot?"

"Huh? No… I mean, I get it." He shrugged his shoulders. "We really don't fit the, uh… narrative? If I was reading the story of your world, I'd be really confused about us too, so, yeah, I get it." He rubbed his arm with the opposing hand. "But we are real. You tested me. Didn't I pass?"

Tabitha paused for a moment, and wrinkled her nose. “That’s not… what I’m saying. Whatever your origin is, you here are an excellent Divine Lord.” She gestured up towards the tower. “And Garble and Smolder are both good at what they do too.”

“But you don’t believe me when I say I’m from another world,” Spike looked up at her with a stern expression.

“I’m not sure I need to. I can work with you whether or not I believe that.” Tabitha took this moment to woosh herself up the tower.

Spike glared at the space that Tabitha used to be at, and finally sighed. “But you’re not going to be a very good friend unless you do.”

He appeared with the others, a line formed, heading towards the stairs that led up to the next floor. "Now, bear in mind." Tabby lifted her shoulders. "I'm not afraid to admit we're entering new territory. My tips, my advice, great, but I can't tell you what's ahead of us. We have to work together, trust in each other, so we can get through this in one piece."

"Yeah, trust each other." Smolder snorted softly, kicking aside a small rock that marred the mostly clean floor. "Do you trust your friend's summons? I wouldn't."

"Hey, in her defense." Garble hiked a thumb back towards Sandra. "Her summons are pretty cool. Not dragon cool, but pretty alright."

Sandra waved it away as she went. "Let's focus on what's right here. We can argue once we're back safely in town, or you're all home, whichever comes first, alright?"

"You're coming with us, by the way," noted Smolder as if it was a forgone conclusion.

"She is?" Garble squinted.

"She is?" asked Spike more astonishedly.

"She is?" joined Tabby. "You are?!"

Sandra stomped a foot. "Probably not, but if I did, what then? Did I just go off to wherever summons come from? Is that a good or a bad thing?"

“It’s not ‘where summons come from’, it’s our home,” Smolder said. “And what else do you have here?”

“When she’s done she’s going to be one of the most storied heroes on the planet,” Tabitha walked up closer to Smolder. “She would have everything. Besides, if she does get her actual wish she’ll have her whole family.”

"About that…" Spike hurried to catch up with the others, rushing to the side of Tabitha. "She didn't plan to spend her wish on that. I, uh, shoot. I can't even say how grateful I am that she's--"

"I dragged them here," interrupted Sandra. "I will get them home. I will not mess this up. This is something I will not give up on." She stomped ahead with the clop of her shoes. "Never again."

Author's Note:

Boundaries are set, but do all involved understand them?

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Comments

[Booster Spice]

This is worrying, theyve done their grinding with Twilight, I thought they might at least do another run without her to get used to the lack of her assistance before trying the death floors.

Then again, will be intresting if she has a certain standin available.

With her B.Ass Canon.

[dzamie]

This is shaping up very well!
also it's the funny chapter number

[Emtu]

...I wonder if there would be some way for the rest of the Element Bearers to be summons too.

Pinkie would be broken as FUCK as a summon.

[Frazzle2Dazzle]

Being a hero means different things in different worlds... Sandra was born to be a hero, and the wishes of the tower come at a price. What price would equal that of returning a group of people to their home? Losing your home as well? Ending up going with them?

Only time will tell where the narrative takes this story, and whether Sandra truly will be a hero.

[SpikeSmolder fan]

Stands to reason Twilight had to leave for a couple of days cause of her saving duties back in Equestria, course this couldn't come at a worse time since the party's hitting past sixty again!

Wonder if another *summon* will step in during this time, after all there's another powerful unicorn *cough* Glimmy*cough* hanging out back at the castle!

[chronocrosser]

I’m wondering if they’ll finally bar high some of that gem pasta. You know the tower survive special that they’ve been planning to buy to celebrate since chapter eleven. Would be a good way to kick it off.

[Cosmic Flare]

That felt like the best anime episode. The FEELS!!!!!

Don't mind me. I'm stoned. But great chapter.

[HB_DS2013]

10565217
Garble would love DOOM then.