The Dark Brotherhoof

by CelestialScribe

Prologue: Accepted

"I hope Spike likes the cake!" Twilight commented cheerfully as she trotted towards the library. Of course he will, it's full of flawless rubies! Twilight had to keep reminding herself that as she tried to take another bite of the frosting. The large cupcake was a gift to Spike for his continued- as Spike or Rainbow would say- awesomeness. It wasn't everyday she realised just how lucky she was having an assistant as helpful as Spike, or even one at all, hopefully this would remind him of how appreciative she was.

While walking back, she decided to go over the reciept of things she bought from Sugarcube Corner. "Spike's cake, check. Derpy's congratulatory muffin, check. Oh, free cupcakes from Pinkie Pie, check, I guess." Twilight was unsure of why Pinkie wanted to give Derpy a muffin when she saw her, she said something about her first speaking appearance. "Derpy speaks all the time!" she recalled herself saying.

"Not on set she doesn't!"

"On set? Wha-, nevermind..."

Pinkie is Pinkie, how have I not figured that out yet?

Twilight proceeded to place the receipt back in her saddlebags, until she noticed a faint imprint on the back. She flipped the receipt to reveal a picture of a black hoof-mark, surrounded by a dark red circle. "Oh my...". Twilight was taken back by the startling image at first, forcing herself to stop. It was like an evil cultist marking, or an ancient and disturbing curse. The hoof's outline appeared to somehow radiate darkness. It had been hard to grow into accepting the supernatural for its sometimes disturbing reality, even its general existence, this was one of those times where it appeared in full force.

Relax, remember what I just thought, "Pinkie is Pinkie", random.

Twilight quickly tucked the receipt into her bags to continue on, putting the disturbing image as far away from her mind as possible, and shortly arrived back at the library as the sun was just beginning to set over Ponyville. Twilight stepped in to the dim lighting of her living room, her eyes adjusting to the change in light as she spotted a lump roll around the couch, a faint snoring coming from it.

Normally Twilight would never wake Spike, especially in the evening, but she felt the need to confront someone about the strange marking. Pinkie or not, it didn't look very random, and not at all like anything she would create.

"Spike!" Twilight said quietly, nudging a hoof to the lump draped under a blanket.

It shifted, then resumed snoring.

"Spike, I have something for you!"

At the sound of this the lump rapidly changed directions and uncovered itself until a tired-looking Spike was revealed. He may have gotten over his dragon instincts at hoarding, but the promise of something free was still always welcome. "Twilight, what's the matter with you? It's getting late!" He tried to sound the least bit interested at the free gift offer, but it was clearly overshadowed by his eyes constantly turning from Twilight to her saddlebags.

"Well then, I guess I should give this giant flawless ruby cupcake to some other number one dragon assistant, shouldn't I?" Twilight asked with raised eyebrows and a smirk.

Spike's eye's went from tired to Pinkie Pie meeting someone new in half a second.

"A flawless...ruby-...". Spike trailed off as he began drooling at just the thought of it. Sure enough, it was a flawless ruby cupcake being levitated out of Twilight's bags, about the size of his head. "Oh my gosh, thank you so much Twilight!"

"Thank you, Spike, for managing to deal with me every morning and sorting the ever-increasing amount of books around here!"

Spike hugged Twilight's neck from his position on the couch, his eyes never leaving the cake floating above her. "Ah, it's no biggie, not when you're this amazing!"

Twilight shared a laugh with Spike and then brought the receipt out of the bag. "Also, Spike, I wanted to ask you, have you ever seen anything like this before?" She questioned while flipping the paper to reveal it's mark.

Spike's eyes suddenly went from Pinkie Pie meeting someone new to Pinkie Pie being granted access to the Canterlot royal cidery and bakery, minus the ear-to-ear smile.

"Erm, n-no, Twilight, I-I have no idea!" Spike said slightly too loudly for someone who was supposed to be knocked out on the couch asleep. His eyes darted every way they could possibly go, his feet shuffling and his scales beginning to shine with a coat of sweat. "Are you sure its not just Pinkie Pie being... you know-"

"Pinkie Pie? That's exactly what I thought, but its just not something Pinkie would do. It just isn't at all like her, it isn't happy or bright. It feels... evil." Twilight answered, barely managing to say the last word, and being distracted from Spike's increasingly shiny scales. "It's probably nothing, it just seemed a bit strange, I should concentrate on finishing that book anyway." Twilight suddenly perked up, and then yawned, realising how tired she was. "Tomorrow, finishing that book tomorrow."

At the first 'tomorrow', Spike managed to escape his frozen position, and uncomfortably nodded. "Yeah, get some sleep Twilight, I'll save this cake in the fridge, thanks!" As Twilight began walking towards her bed, Spike slipped on his sweating puddle, and faceplanted the ground. He shot up, and casually pretended nothing happened, continuing his slippy walk towards the fridge.

---

As Twilight turned out the last candle in her room, she wondered why Spike didn't get himself off the couch and back to his well-loved basket and blanket at the edge of her bed. However, given how tired Twilight was now, she would of gladly slept on the couch had it been in hoofs reach and unoccupied.

She sighed comfortably inside her bed and could already feel herself drifting off to sleep. Until she heard a hissing sound coming from her room. "Gas leak?! A snake?!" Twilight tried to shout, asking herself. In her current state is was probably more like "gah-leehk, snaef...".

She fell asleep as the small pattering sound of dragon claws ran into her room, followed by a slow multitude of hooves.

Comments

[Valsion]

This is gonna be good, and since Over a Barrel we all know that throwing pies at someone is apparently serious business in Equestria.

Personally after the last episode I could imagine Rainbow Dash using the cake brotherhood to get revenge on Pinkie Pie for drinking all the cider before she could get any.

[Noakwolf]

Don't listen to them twilight! The cake is a lie!

[DJ Cobalt]

this is good
you have my stars

[dagonboy6666]

let me guess, the final contract is

[Valsion]

I only wonder who's gonna be the 'night mother'. From the name it should be Luna but since this dark brotherhood is more about professional humiliation I can see Discord or another Draconequus doing that.

Also I'd love to see who fulfills Cicero's role.

[boydno9]

*claps* absolutely flabbergashted *claps*