Short stories about ponies and whatnot

by shutaro

The library band

The time in Ponyville had given Spike a very special sense for anticipating trouble. It was usually a good idea to fill up the pantry and stock up on quills, ink and parchment when the tip of his tail started itching. Not that he would ever divulge this to Twilight. The one time she had asked him how he did it, Spike had only answered “I don’t know. Maybe it’s my special talent? Did I get a cutie mark?” and they both had laughed about it.

The sight of Rainbow Dash strutting into the library with a guitar case on her back sent a tingle down his spine, and Spike immediately knew that the stationary shop was calling his name. Before the pegasus pony could even say a word, he had opened the basement door, called “Twilight! Rainbow Dash is here! I’m out to get more ink!” down the steps and darted out the door.

On the way through town he met Twilight’s other close friends. Apparently Rainbow Dash had called for an urgent meeting of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. With each meeting the tingling in the tip of his tail got worse, and when he finally returned to the library with a little cart full of the shop’s supply of ink, parchment and quills, he could already hear the commotion before he even opened the door.

“It was my idea, I get to decide!” Rainbow Dash stomped her hooves on the floor.

“No, no, no,” Rarity’s voice almost snapped. “That is unacceptable! Remember who’s the expert on beauty and design in Ponyville: moi!”

“You’re so funny, Rarity. If anypony here knows what ponies like, it’s clearly me. I keep this town laughing, after all.” The fact that Pinkie Pie made a more compelling point than Rarity told Spike everything he needed to know about the situation: It was dire.

As he opened the backdoor to the library’s kitchen, Applejack’s voice was a bit muffled but still clear enough to make out her lack of argument: “If you’re talking about Ponyville, then I should decide. The town was build by my folk!”

Spike only shook his head. What these friends needed was a voice of reason, a pony with a clear head and a straight mind, —

“Don’t make me use my authority as a princess of Equestria, girls.” The sound of wings snapping open underlined the next statement. ”We will use my suggestion or we won’t use any at all!”

— too bad Twilight Sparkle wasn’t that pony. Spike took a bowl with snacks from the pantry, swallowed, and walked into the tiger’s den.

The five ponies stood arguing by Twilight’s blackboard. Spike placed the snacks on the table, nopony had yet noticed him. “Hey girls, what are you —“ Twilight’s magic snatched him from his feet and placed him in front of the blackboard.

“You’re back, Spike!” Twilight exclaimed. “Now we can finally decide who is correct in the second best Equestrian way: By a vote!”

“Why don’t you use the best Equestrian way to decide it?” Spike wasn’t even sure if he really wanted to know, but some morbid curiosity drove him to ask anyway.

“Because Pinkie Pie is secretly an attorney and pulled out some ancient law from nine hundred year ago.” Twilight pointed to a huge book on the table. ”A Princess’s decision can be overruled by a three quarters majority of ponies. I got outvoted one against four.” She grumbled under her voice.”Stupid law.”

At least one doubt was removed from Spike mind: he really hadn’t wanted to know that. “Okay, what is this all about?”

Rainbow Dash jumped onto a table and and struck a pose with the guitar, that Spike hadn’t noticed before, in her hooves. “We’re forming a band, and this is about the most important decision in our lives!”

A thousand possible questions raced through Spike’s head: Who plays which instrument? Who gets to be lead singer? What kind of music should they play? How can they do this when all already had busy schedules? But as he looked at Rainbow Dash on her hind legs with her wings spread out and in a pose with a guitar, he already knew what they were arguing about. “So, what are your suggestions for the band’s name?”

Rainbow Dash shot a triumphant glare to the other ponies. “See? See? I told you he’d get it immediately!” She pointed to the black board.

● Rainbow Dash: Gang of Six

● Twilight Sparkle: Harmony! (with an exclamation mark)

● Pinkie Pie: Private Pinkie’s Happy Smiles Club Band

● Rarity: Lady Rarity and her fabulous Five

● Applejack: The Pony Family

Spike scratched his chin. “What about Fluttershy? Isn’t she here too?”

Five ponies looked at each other, at Spike and back to each other. In the sudden silence Spike spotted a yellow feather drifting down from the second floor. He pointed at it, and a few moments later Rainbow Dash had carried Fluttershy down. Unfortunately the usually timid pony was adamant about one thing: She didn’t want to be in a band, not if she had to go on stage and play in front of other ponies. And No means No.

Trying to avoid the whole name issue Spike pointed out another thing that bugged him. “Rainbow Dash, do you even know how to play the guitar? I know for a fact that Twilight doesn’t play an instrument. Rarity? Applejack? The only pony here who can play is Pinkie Pie.”

Rainbow waved her hooves over the guitar. “So what? Everypony knows you only need like four chords to become famous anyway!”

Rarity raised a hoof. “I took piano lessons when I was in elementary school.”

“I can play the banjo something fierce,” Applejack offered.

“You don’t say,” Spike snarked. “So you have Princess no-rhythm, Miss four-chords on guitar, some elementary piano, a fierce banjo and Pinkie Pie.”

“Actually, no,” Pinkie Pie injected. “I can’t play those instruments.”

Twilight knew she shouldn’t say it, and yet she was compelled to do so. “We all saw you play a whole bunch of instruments back at the parasprite invasion and when Trixie came back.”

“I can perform,” Pinkie tried to explain, “but only if it’s funny.” She pointed at her cutie mark and smiled apologetically.

It took all of Spike’s willpower not to slap himself in the face. “You know what? I’ll take a walk outside. I suggest you take Fluttershy’s advice: You six forming a band? No. Just no.”

Author's Note:

Snarking at a prompt? Who? Me? Perish the thought!

---

The prompt: The mane six form a band.

Comments

[Alesiopdv]

LOL To be honest, I kind of liked Twilight´s name for the band.

[Twilightsparklefairy]

3014855 Me too!

Anyways, this was a really nice story for me because, in the Equestria Girls sequel (may it be imprisoned in Tartarus forever) they form a band, and this is saying exactly why this would be a bad idea...