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Twenty-Four Hour Spike

by Tangerine Blast

Chapters

The Day Begins

6:00 AM

You wake up to the sun entering your room, bouncing off of the crystal floor, ceiling, walls, and everything else, and lighting your room up like noon day. You groan and roll over but silently thank the crystal castle for waking you up in time to make breakfast for Twilight. She had a long night studying yesterday and would get cranky if she didn't get something to eat once she awoke.

Not to mention that's just what a Number 1 Assistant does.

But, on the other claw even as you were getting up the bed seemed to call to you in its sweet comforting voice. Just go back to sleep; You earned it haven't you? You could block out the sun if you snuggled deep enough and get a few more minutes in ice cream land. That might get Twilight upset with you though...

Go Make Breakfast

Stay Asleep

Get Up

6:00 AM

After a long debate you figure that breakfast wont make itself and grumpily climb out of bed. Your claws cause a gentle click-clack to echo through the empty castle as you make your way towards the kitchen.

When you arrive the sweet smell of apples and pastries that lingers their  ever since Applejack added her unique touch fills your senses and your mouth starts to water.

You know Twilight always likes pancakes and eggs for breakfast but right now you're craving some muffins and toast.

It wouldn't be any harm if you made something different than planned would it?

Make Pancakes

Make Muffins

Sleeping In

6:00 AM

You roll over and snuggle back to sleep. Even if Twilight gets upset it will be worth it for the comfort of your bed and more rest. With a content sigh you drift back into dreamland.

***

9:00 AM

"SPIKE!" Comes a loud shout and bang as your bedroom door is slammed open, "Why are you still asleep? Didn't I ask you to wake me up with breakfast today?"

You sit up and rub your eyes "Sorry Twilight, I was tired, guess I slept in."

Twilight rubs her forehead and lets out a ragged sigh. "Fine fine, it's fine. I made breakfast so it's fine. Just get up please, we have a lot to do today."

You comply, not wanting to anger her further, and follow her to the kitchen. It's a mess with a small stream of smoke pooling from what looked to once be toast and pancakes. You shrug and pop them in your mouth, the burnt food doing nothing for your dragon senses, before turning to the still frustrated Twilight.

"Alright, I think I need you to clean this up and then do a list of your chores there." She points to a scroll where a rolled up piece of parchment sits "I have to read some books Celestia gave me so I'll be needing privacy. Oh, and make lunch too, okay?"

You nod to her. "Got it Twilight, you can count on me."

She grumbles something and leaves. Now alone, you pick up the scroll and look at your chore list. You don't have to do them in any order and you could always just blow them all off until later as Twilight wont be around for awhile. The choice is up to you.

Procrastinate and go outside

Clean Kitchen

Tidy Bedrooms

Mop Floor

Put Away New Books

Making Pancakes

6:00 AM

In the end you decide to stick to routine and dish up a couple apple pancakes. Nothing very exiting happens while you make the cakes and at exactly 6:45, just as you're putting the last pancake on your plate, a sleepy Twilight stumbles into the kitchen, gliding on the sent of breakfast.

You chuckle and hand her a plate. "Have a good sleep, Princess?"

Twilight gives you a small hum as she takes in the smell of her breakfast. You sit down right next to her where you both eat in relative silence until Twilight finally wakes up enough to talk. "Thank you Spike, these pancakes are delicious."

You smile at the praise and swallow your last cake. "Thanks Twilight. I put some extra time into them because I know you didn't go to bed till late and I thought you might need a good wake up."

Twilight smiles back at you and cleans off her own plate. "That was very thoughtful of you. I'm very lucky to have such a great Number One Assistant."

You blush a bit as Twilight looks thoughtfully at you. "You know I have some books for the princess to read but not much else that can't be put off until tomorrow. Why don't you take the day off?"

You look at her in shock. "You mean it? I don't have to do any chores today?"

She shakes her head. "Nope. You deserve a break for being so helpful. Go out and have fun. Just make sure you're back in time to make lunch so I eat at least sometime, alright?"

You chuckle and nod happily. "Don't worry Twilight you can count on me." You hop off your stool and give her a hug. "Thanks, Twilight. This is awesome."

She giggles and pats your head. "Alright, you're welcome. Oh, don't worry about the dishes either, I'll get those too."

You smile and head outside, giving her one last thank you as you head out the door and into Ponyville.

You stop just outside the castle, looking around. Now that you have the whole day to yourself you should decide what you want to do.

It's now 7:00 AM and Ponyville is waking up. You can see Rainbow Dash out in the distance doing some weather duty. If she started this early then she should be almost done and doing tricks for anyone who wants to watch pretty soon.

You also see a pleasant stream of smoke rising up from Sugarcube Corner, getting ready to open in half an hour. You could always go there for those muffins you were craving.

You could go visit Fluttershy, as you know she always appreciates your help caring for the animals.

Applejack is an option too as she always welcomes you on the farm and has most likely been awake for awhile.

You could see Rarity since that's one of your favorite pastimes.

Or you could just turn around and tell Twilight you're too bored and want to do chores after all.

Rainbow Dash

Pinkie Pie

Fluttershy

Applejack

Rarity

Twilight

Making Muffins

6:00 AM

You decide to go with your craving and set to work making some apple muffins. You managed to arrange all the batter without trouble and pop the dough in the oven. About five minutes into the baking, just as you finish cleaning up, you’re interrupted by a loud cry.

“Hiya Spika how’s the cooking!?”

You jump and spin around just in time to see Pinkie Pie extract herself from one of the cupboards. You blink at her in confusion. “Pinkie, what are you doing here?”

She falls out of the cabinet with a small ‘oomf’ before picking herself up and dramatically placing a hoof to her chest. “I was summoned by the creation of unsugared pastries to right the wrong and add sugar to them least I be smite down by the sugar gods.”

You stare at her. “Seriously?”

She held her dramatic pose for a couple more seconds before relaxing and waving a dismissive hoof. “Nah, I was just walking by and could smell the muffins baking. I know Twilight usually likes pancakes so I decided to come see what was shakin’ up the schedule.” She slid closer to you and raised a brow pointedly, “Is there any special occasion?”

You roll your eyes as you place the last dish away, “No Pinkie, no occasion warranting a party, don't worry. I was just craving pastries this morning is all.”

If she was disappointed at the lack of excuse to throw a party she hid it under her excitement to bake. “Ohhh, can I help? Pastries are my specialty.”

You consider her offer. Even though you’re already done with the muffins you could make some cinnamon rolls too. Or you could just invite her to eat with you. Or you could just tell her no and send her off if you really want breakfast to just be Twilight and you.

Offer to make something else

Invite her to eat with you

Send her away

Outside 9:00 AM

9:05 AM

With an annoyed huff you throw the list over your shoulder and head outside. It's a gorgeous day and you aren't going to miss it just because Twilight was being a bit stingy. Besides, you can always do your chores later.

You step outside and look around at the brilliant day, thinking of what you should do. You can smell the pastries being cooked at Sugar Cube corner and realize that you are a bit hungry still as Twilight doesn't make a very filling breakfast. The farmers market probably just opened too so that's another food option.

You could visit Fluttershy or find Rainbow Dash or, of course, see if Rarity could use any help.

All of those sound like good ideas to you and you think over your choices.

Pinkie Pie

Applejack

Fluttershy

Rainbow Dash

Rarity

Clean the Kitchen

9:05 AM

You sigh and head back to the kitchen, figuring it’s better to get it over with than risk forgetting until it’s too late. You start with simply scrubbing the counters clean from the mess of who-knows-what that Twilight called a cooking attempt.

After clearing off anything valuable you take a deep breath and blow a jet of fire over the top of the counter, burning away most of the mess into a black smoke. You quickly open a window before it could start leaking down the hall and bother Twilight. With that done you grab a rag and start the daunting task of chipping away the burnt food that stuck to the crystal table tops.

Ten minutes later you’re interrupted from your task by a thickly accented voice. “Woah nelly, what happened in here?”

You glance up at Applejack peering in the window and scrunching up her nose at the still prominent mess. You hold up a piece of once-an-orange for her to see. “Breakfast,” you say then pop the crunchy fruit into your mouth.

The Earth Pony’s face gains a thin smile. “Here I thought something bad had happened when I smelled smoke, but it was just Twilight doing the chorus for once.”

You chuckle at that. “Yeah, I kind of slept in so she tried to make some food on her own. It obviously didn’t turn out well.”

“And you’re stuck cleanin’ up,” Applejack said sympathetically, “Do ya need any help? I just finished switchin’ shifts at the market with Mac. I’m sure ah could spare a bit of time makin’ this place not look like one of Twi’s experiments.”

Accept

Decline

Tidy Bedrooms

9:05 AM

You shrug and waddle off to complete the first real chore on the list: tidying the bedrooms. You start with yours and feel proud when you finish the entire thing in ten minutes, mentally patting yourself on the back for not letting it get too messy.

After giving your own room one more once over with the duster you smile once again and make your way over to Twilight's room.

Instantly your happy mood is banished as you take in the horror mess that is Twilight's bedroom. For a pony that pride's herself in staying organized it really is a mystery how her personal chambers can get so cluttered now that you have your own rooms.

Towers of Twilight's favorite books are strung across the floor and sloppily shoved into bookshelves. The bed is a complete disaster area with a couple empty dishes stacked on it and a few pillows suspiciously missing.

And then there are the feathers.

They're everywhere, from the bed to the floor to peeking out of drawers. Bright purple feathers litter the place and create a carpet of down that makes you grimace as you step on.

You retreat out of Twilight's room only to return a minute later with a dustpan and broom clutched firmly in your claws. With one last sigh, you set to work sweeping all the feathers from the floor.

***

Twenty minutes later you manage to gather all the feathers into two large piles, each one about to topple over at the slightest breeze. You swing open the window and turn to the first pile, take a big gulp of air, and blow a stream of fire at the feathers, almost instantly turning the flammable material into a giant puff of smoke that floats lazily out the window.

You turn to the other pile and take another breath, but the fire gets caught in your throat as a sudden noise penetrates the silence you had been enjoying.

"What they hay is--ack!" Then coughing sputtering, and a loud thump that shook the room. You instantly rush over to the window, waving a claw about to clear the smoke as you do. You arrive to find a rainbow maned Pegasus slumped over the window seal.

"Rainbow Dash?" You ask in concern, poking the dazed pony, "Rainbow are you okay?"

Rainbow blinks rapidly and shakes her head. "Ugh, I feel like I just flew through a lightning storm. What's going on in here to cause so much smoke?"

“Sorry,” you apologize, “I was just cleaning Twilight’s loose feathers with my fire. I didn’t think anyone would get caught in the smoke.”

Rainbow shakes her head once more, sneezes, and peers further into the room towards the second pile of feathers. “Oh wow,” she says, “All those came from Twilight?”

You nod. “And that’s only half of it. The other half’s in your lungs.”

Rainbow surveys the rest of the room with a frown. “Do you have to clean up this whole place by yourself?”

“Yeah, I slept in so Twilight’s kind of upset at me. But she’s busy with some princess stuff so I don’t really mind.”

Rainbow’s gaze flicks from the pile of feathers to the rest of the room. “Do you need any help?”

You blink at her. “You want to help me with my chores?”

She nods and pulls herself the rest of the way through the window. “Yeah, if I help you finish this then we can go bug Twilight about working on her preening. Sides, I finished up my training so I'm free for the day. What do ya say? Want some help from the coolest Pegasus this side of Cloudsdale?”

Yes

No

Chapter 9

Put Away New Books

9:05 AM

You decide sorting new books looks like the least daunting task and waddle outside with the scroll clutched in your claw. On the crystal castle's front porch are... no books. You climb down the stairs and start searching because you're sure that they were going to come today and you slept in so they should already be here.

After a few minutes, you find them in the mailbox. Twenty books crammed in your little mailbox. You take a moment to just appreciate the blatant ignorance of physics before you get to work.

Carefully, you start extracting the packages one at a time, holding your breath and praying that the mailbox doesn't explode at the wrong move, you slowly release the books from their prison.

It takes a while, however, and you aren't even half way done when you hear a voice behind you.

"Oh Spike, how are you."

Careful not to disrupt the book bomb you turn to see buttercream Pegasus smiling at you a few feet away.

"Hi, Fluttershy," you greet, thrusting a claw behind you at the mailbox, "Just doing some chores for Twilight. What about you?"

"Oh, um..." Suddenly, the Pegasus looks embarrassed and takes a  step back. "Well, seeing you reminded me that I need a book from Twilight and I was wondering if you could help me look for it." A few more steps, "But, um, if you're busy I'm sure I could just find it on my own..."

Help her find the book

Continue your chores

Rainbow Dash Pancakes

7:05 AM

You decide that the excitement of watching Rainbow do dazzling tricks is the most compelling prospect and head over to where you see her rearranging clouds. You give her a cheerful wave when she sees you call up to her. "Hey Rainbow, how's it going?"

She smiles down at you and waves back. "Hey Spike, it's going good. What are you up to?"

You grin. "Twilight let me have the entire day off so I thought I'd come watch the best flyer in Equestria do some tricks."

She smirks a bit at the praise. "Well you caught her at a great time. I'm just wrapping up today's weather and then I was going to go practice. Want to wait around for about fifteen minutes and then come with me to the edge of Sweet Apple Acres? I could even use your help in some of the tricks."

Wait for her

Go do something else

Pinkie Pie Pancakes

7:05 AM

You decide you still want those apple muffins and head off towards Suger Cube Corner. You find drool forming in your mouth as the sweet smell of freshly baked goods grows ever stronger. By the time you actually reach the door and walk in you're practically floating on a cloud of pastry bliss. You should come here more often in the morning for nothing else but to smell them cooking.

The bell jingles as you walk in the door and you're greeted by a pink head popping out from the kitchen.

"And the first customer of the day is..." Pinkie says as her eyes sweep to you, "Spiky Wiky! Hey Spike, what can I do for you?"

You grin and walk over to the counter. "Hey Pinkie Pie, this place smells delicious. What do you have baking?"

"Oh just the breakfast things," Pinkie says, trotting over to the register and dusting some four out of her coat, "Muffins, donuts, cinnamon rolls, all the good things. What are you doing here so early this morning?"

"Twilight let me have the day off," you tell her, "and I was craving some apple muffins. Got any of those?"

"Do I ever!" Pinkie says happily, reaching under the counter and pulling out two amazing smelling muffins, "You're lucky, these just came out of the oven."

You lick your lips and pull out a couple bits. "Thanks Pinkie, I owe you one."

"Psht." Pinkie waved a hoof dismissively. "I'm literally just doing my job. Enjoy the morning Spiky."

You nod, thanking her again, and go off to sit down.

Sit inside

Sit outside

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Rarity Pancakes

7:05 AM

Of course! You should go visit your favorite pony to see if she needs any of your amazing help with some no doubt fabulous task. With a firm resolve, you head off to find Rarity.

It's only a quick walk to the boutique but when you get there you're stopped short in your quest by a sign hanging on the door.

CLOSED

Of course, Rarity's shop opens at nine, there's no reason for her to be awake and ready for you to help her. Maybe you should go do something else and come back later. But, then again you aren't here for her shop, she probably wouldn't mind you knocking.

Go do something else

Knock

Chapter 16

Waiting for Rainbow

7:20 AM

Rainbow is true to her word and after fifteen boring minutes of watching her move clouds she waves goodbye to the rest of the weather team and lands next to you. "Sorry about the wait kiddo, you ready to practice amazement?"

You spring to your feet. "Sure am Rainbow. Where are we headed again?"

Rainbow sticks her hoof out to the west. "The edge of Sweet Apple Acres. There's this awesome clear spot that's great for practicing."

"Cool," You reply, starting off to the indicated location, "I bet you have some sick moves planned today."

Rainbow smiles at that. "Heh, yeah, like always."

The two of you walk for perhaps five minutes, Rainbow growing increasingly fidgety the entire time, before she stopped you. "Hey Spike do you feel like this is taking too long?"

You pause and cock your head, realizing that the Pegasus is probably use to flying much faster than this. "I guess a bit. You can meet me over there if you want to."

"What?" Rainbow says, "Nah, that would be way boring waiting for you. Why don't I just give you a ride over there?"

You blink. "A ride?"

Rainbow nods enthusiastically. "Yeah, you know on my back. Twilight gives you rides all the time so it can't be that hard."

You hesitate. "I don't know Rainbow. Twilight has trouble flying with me and she's an Alicorn. I might be too heavy."

Rainbow snorts. "Are you saying I'm not as strong as Twilight? Come on, just hop on my back and we'll be there in a second."

Say Yes

Say No

Doing Something Else

7:10 AM

You leave, not wanting to intrude, and begin to wonder around town.

With no clear direction, you let your feet carry you as you just enjoy the pleasant day you have all to yourself. Just as you're thinking of what else you could do to occupy your time you're knocked to the ground by a maroon blur.

You hit the ground hard and so does the blur as the speed it was going sends you both flying a couple of feet.

"Oh my goodness I am so sorry about that." You hear a voice say as you shake the dizziness from your head.

Blinking rapidly, you manage to get your vision clear enough to make out Cheerile staring down at you, concern evident on her face. "Wow, hi Cheerile," you say, shaking the last bit of vertigo from your mind, "I thought you were Pinkie Pie for a second from how fast you were going."

"I'm so sorry about that Spike," she apologizes again, offering you a hoof up that you gladly accept, "I was just on my way to Zecora's. I just realized that my class is supposed to be learning about different sapient species and their cultures today, but I forgot to have a guest ready to speak."

"It's alright," you reassure her, "I should have been watching where I was going. After all, it's not like I'm the one in a rush."

She gives you a very strange look as you say that. "You aren't? Did Twilight go on an adventure today that I didn't hear about?"

You wave a claw dismissively and puff out your chest. "Nah, she just gave me the day off because I'm her best Number One Assistant."

Cheerile smiles a grin so wide it starts to get a bit creepy. "Really? You just have a free day with nothing planned? A little dragon such as yourself is entirely free for the entire day? Say, you wouldn't want to be my guest at school would you?"

Before you have a chance to think about it, let alone reply, she's already pulling you along behind her to the schoolhouse. "Oh thank you Spike, you have no idea how much this means to me."

"Uh..."

"Now school doesn't start for another fifteen minutes but I know a couple kids have to be dropped off early and someone has to watch them. Usually, I would do that but I need to set up the lesson for today also." She turns her grin back to you, a little less creepy, but you're coming to realize you don't have much of a choice in the matter either way. "You can help with one of them! That way everything will run smoothly. Would you like to watch the kids or set up the lesson?"

Watch kids

Set up lesson

Chapter 19

Invite Pinkie to Eat

6:20 AM

You smile apologetically at her. “Actually, Pinkie, I just finished baking so there isn’t much you can help with.”

Her smile dips at that and she turns to go. “Oh, that’s too bad. I guess I should just…”

“But I know Twilight wouldn’t mind if you stayed for breakfast,” you say quickly before she can walk away.

Pinkie’s smile dials up to eleven as she leaps back through the window. “Really? You want me to eat breakfast with you? That would be super duper amazing!”

You pull back at her sudden excitement but eventually smiled in return. “Yeah, of course you can stay. All I have to do is set the table and wake up Twilight and then the muffins should be ready.”

“I can help with one of those.” Pinkie placed a hoof on her forehead in mock salute and donned a serious expression. “What are your orders commander Spike?”

“Set the table”

“Go wake Twilight”

Chapter 21

Flying with Rainbow

7:25 AM

You hesitate but eventually nod at her request, "If you want to then sure. You are a better flyer than Twilight."

Rainbow beams. "You know it kid, now hop on the Rainbow Express." You shrug and climb up onto her back, feeling her give a little at your sudden weight. If she's having second thoughts, however, she doesn't voice them and instead flares her wings wide. "Ready Spike?"

You don't get to answer as Rainbow instantly takes off into the air. You gasp at the sudden motion and hold on tightly to Rainbow's mane, feeling the world fly around you as your ride starts picking up speed.

After the initial jolt, you manage to peer out from Rainbow's mane. You feel a rush of excitement as you see the ground speeding below, rushing by faster than you think you've ever moved before. But you also notice that, besides from the speed, you're also wobbling a lot more than you ever have on Twilight. You steal a glance a Rainbow's face and noticed it scrunched up in concentration and effort.

"Rainbow?" You call out, yelling to make yourself heard over the rush of wind, "Rainbow are you okay?"

Rainbow grunts, "I'm fine. I've got it all under control." But even as the words leave her mouth she pitches sideways so hard that you almost fall off.

"Rainbow!" You shout again, you can see the edge of Sweet Apple Acres coming into view as you realize Rainbow has no intention of slowing down.

"I told you I've got--whoa!" Rainbow yelps as the two of you completely overshoot the landing area and speed into the Everfree. Rainbow tries desperately to slow down or just land but as soon as she gets close to the ground a stray branch catches her hoof and sends your speeding ride tumbling end over end.

You fly off the tumbling Pegasus and crash through the trees, bouncing off branches along the way. Eventually, you hit the ground hard, the inertia from your flight sending you rolling off deeper into the woods. You can just barely hear Rainbow crying out in pain behind you as you roll down what seems like a very steep hill. With a grunt you finally slide to a stop, getting a faceful of dirt in the process.

You groan and rise to your feet. Thankfully, your dragon hide kept you from getting hurt but you're now completely disoriented.  A quick look around doesn't help much as you can't see any landmarks or even a sign of where you fell from. You do spot a path straight ahead of you and a blue Pegasus sprawled out a few feet away.

Instantly, you rush to Dash's side. "Rainbow? Rainbow are you alright?"

Rainbow Dash lets out her own groan and rolls over onto her hooves; a few bruises and cuts speckling her body. "Ugh, you need to lay off the donuts or something. I completely lost control up there."

You sigh in relief as you realize that she isn't seriously hurt but take it back when she stretches her wings and flinches.

You instantly go to her side. "Hey, are you alright? You didn't break anything did you?"

Rainbow shakes her head, but a frown's on her face. "Nah, I just twisted my wing wrong. This happened before and I'll be fine in an hour or two but..." She sighs and folds her wings back down. "I'm not going to be flying for that time. Ugh, I hate being grounded."

You bite your lip, you were hoping she could scout where you were and get you a safe path back home but now..."I guess we'll have to follow this trail then."

Rainbow glances behind her at the trail in question and raises a brow, "But wich way? Neither looks to be going the way we need to head."

Left

Right

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Fluttershy at 9:00 AM

9:07 AM

You decide to visit Fluttershy to see if she has anything fun to do. You head out of town with a happy smile, taking the time to look at all the plant life that surrounds the path leading to Fluttershy's house. The journey only takes about ten minutes going slow so you decide that you have plenty of time to stop and smell the roses.

Ten minutes later the cottage still isn't in sight. You pick up your speed, knowing it should be just around the bend and excited to start your day.

Twenty minutes later you still haven't reached your goal and your pretty sure you've passed that bush three times already. You know that this path doesn't have any bends or turns you could get lost on but it seems like you're going in circles.

Something must be up.

Keep going

Stop

Rainbow at 9:00 AM

9:07 AM

You wonder off in the rough direction of Rainbow's house, hoping to catch the Pegasus there. You stroll down the lane contently until you reach the edge of the Whitetail Woods and start weaving between the trees. You silently hope that Rainbow's house hasn't moved since the last time you visited as it tends to do. It would make this whole trek a lot worse if you got there with nothing to show for it.

You walk for a good five minutes before something nestled in between the trees catches your attention. Curious, you move towards it and manage to make out the form of a small stage wagon.

No. Not just any wagon, you recognize the red roof and purple and blue sign, Trixie's wagon. It's laying dormant, with no sounds coming from the interior and the door cracked open.

Go inside

Continue on your way

Chapter 28

Left into the Everfree

7:35 AM

"Let's go left." You suggest and Rainbow shrugs in response.

"Don't see why not, it's kind of the direction to the far edge of Sweet Apple Acres if I'm remembering where we fell right." She grins down at you. "You know, I'd offer you a ride but I don't think you'd take me up on it."

You chuckle and shake your head. "Not on your life Rainbow Crash."

She laughs at that as the two of you begin walking. "Ah, come on, is Spiky Wiky scared?"

"Not scared," You correct her, "just smart enough not to get on the Feathered Fiend of Flightless a second time."

"Not my fault you're the Drake of Donuts," She shoots back, "What did you do? Eat a house before you climbed on? I swear you almost broke my back."

You laugh again and shoot another jab at the Pegasus. The two of you talk and laugh and you almost forget that you're lost in the forest until suddenly Rainbow stops and puts a hoof to your chest, blocking your path.

You form a snarky reply but when you see the serious look on her face it dies on your lips. “Dash?” you ask, “Is something wrong?”

Rainbow frowns and slowly lowers her hoof. Her ears swiveling wildly. “I thought I heard something…”

You crane your own ears but don’t hear anything except for the rustle of leaves in the wind. You do, however, smell something familiar.

“Apples!” You exclaim, making Dash jump a little. “I can smell apples. We must be close to the farm.”

Rainbow smiles. “Well then, what are we waiting for? Let’s g--” She is abruptly cut off as a dark shape slams into her side.

You yelp and jump back as Rainbow manages to scramble back to her hooves. The thing that attacked managed to also right itself and you cover your nose as the stench of timberwolf breath hits you.

Rainbow flares her wings but drops them almost immediately. With a grimace she says, “Spike, run and get Applejack. I can take this wolf.”

You hesitate, glancing back and forth between Dash, the timberwolf, and the path to the apple orchard. Dash isn’t in top condition but you’ve seen her take down worse. Besides, what would you even do to help? What will you do?

Run for help

Stay and fight

Chapter 30

Yes when Cleaning

9:15 AM

You smile at her. “You know, that sounds awesome. Thanks, AJ.”

She chuckles, “No problem Sugar. You look like you could use some help."

The two of you stare at each other for a couple of seconds before she coughs into her hoof. "Uh, Sugar? Ya wanna let me in?"

"Oh yeah, sure." You grab a nearby stool and place it at the edge of the window.

Applejack gives you a flat look. "Ah 'ment the door, Spike."

You blush. "Right." You quickly walk through the kitchen and towards the front door as Applejack's head disappears from view.

When you open the front door Applejack's there waiting for you. With a smile she slips her hat off and pushes it to her chest. "Why master Spike, it shur is lovely for you ta invite me over like this."

You giggle and drop into a small bow. "Lady Applejack, it is always a pleasure to have you. You're dazzling face makes my dreary day fly faster."

Applejack laughs. "'Course, that has nothin' ta do with me helping with yer chorus."

You give a soft gasp as the two of you start to head back to the kitchen. "Why Applejack, you dare suggest that I would be using you?"

Applejack nudges you playfully. "'Course not. After all, yer dazzlin' face makes the day fly for me too."

The two of you laugh again as heat rises to your cheeks. It really is nice of Applejack to come help you clean up even though you caused it by letting Twilight cook. She stopped her entire day just to spend time with you and here she was now, joking with you like it was nothing.

The heat in your cheeks increase and you almost trip over your claws as you realize something.

You have some of the best friends ever

You... you like her?

Chapter 32

Run for Help

8:00 AM

You bite your lip and give Rainbow one last frightful glance before obeying her instructions and sprint down the paths. You can hear the Pegasus’s battle cry and the wolf’s howl as you run away. You thank the stars as the forest rapidly thins around you and only after a few seconds you can see the very edge of Sweet Apple Acres.

A panicked thought enters your mind as you hit the grass that Applejack might be all the way at the barn but you don’t let it slow you down. Once you reach the first tree you pause, suck in great gulps of air, and strain your ears.

You hear the familiar thunk of a pony bucking trees coming from your left and head out once again. Weaving through the trees you follow the sound and soon come across a familiar red shape. “Big Mac!” you yell.

The stallion lifts his head and waves a large hoof at you. A calm, friendly smile on his lips.

You wave your arms and yell again, “Big Mac! Rainbow Dash, trouble, Everfree, HELP!”

His smile drops and he gallops toward you. “What happened?” He rumbles, “is Miss Dash alright?”

“She’s fighting a timberwolf! We have you help her!”

Without anymore prompting Mac sticks his head under you and you slide onto his back. “Where?” He asked once you grab onto his mane.

“Straight ahead and to the left after a hundred feet. We were on the path, really close to the edge.”

He gives one nod and starts into a full gallop across the field. You hang on for dear life as in seconds you burst through the trees of the Everfree. You can hear sounds of fighting over Mac’s thundering hoofsteps and point the stallion in the right direction.

“There! Over there!” You shout as Mac crashes faster through the woods. The two of you break through one last clump of foliage before arriving in a small clearing.

You don’t know if you should be relieved or scared at the sight before you. On one claw, Rainbow is perched in a tree, safely out of the wolf’s reach. On the other, she is obviously exhausted, there is a cut on her shoulder and her bad wing looks even more bent out of shape. You can’t fathom how she managed to climb into that tree.

Big Mac lowers his head and you recognize the unspoken cue to dismount and immediately comply. The instant you clamber off of his back Big Mac charges at the timberwolf.

The wolf, and Rainbow Dash from her startled yelp, doesn’t see the attack coming and the timberwolf gets hit with the whole force of Mac’s charge. The thing doesn’t stand a chance as it slams into the ground and shatters completely from the impact. Sticks even hit you at the other side of the clearing as they fly through the air.

“Spike!” Big Mac bellows, “Burn a couple sticks so it can’t reform.”

You nod and scramble to pick up a few sticks you know came from the Timberwolf. You set the bundle on fire and watch as they smolder in your arms until you’re sure the fire won’t burn the forest down. By the time you turn back around Big Mac has already gotten Rainbow out of the tree and onto his back. You immediately rush over, concerned for the Pegasus.

“Is she alright? She’s not hurt bad is she?”

Big Mac shakes his head. “Nope.”

“I’m certainly okay enough to walk,” Dash grumbles, wiggling on Mac’s back in obvious discomfort, “It’s just a scratch and a sprain, you don’t even have to take me to the hospital.”

“Nope,” Big Mac says again, slowly walking out of the clearing and back on the road. You follow and Dash starts muttering again.

“I would have been fine. I didn’t need you to risk your life to save me like some dumb hero.”

You blink up at her. “But Rainbow, you told me to go get Applejack for help.”

Rainbow’s annoyed scowl flickers for a moment as she turns her head away from you and lays it on Mac’s neck. “It was just so she could block it from going into the farm. I didn’t need rescuing.”

She shifts her weight but hits her wing wrong and lets out a small, uncontrollable whimper. Mac slows down a bit more and shoots a worried look over his shoulder. That look he gives her makes you realize something you hadn’t even thought about.

They like each other

Dash could have died

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

No When Tidying

9:45 AM

You consider her offer but eventually shake your head. "No thanks, Rainbow. I think I've got it covered here. This is my job and I should do it alone."

Rainbow looks disappointed but just shrugs at your decision. "Whatever, that's your loss. You have fun cleaning up and stuff. I've got a nap to catch." With that she takes off, effectively clearing the smoke and leaving you alone once again.

You sigh as silence settles once again, but get quickly back to cleaning. After all, the sooner you're done the sooner you can go out without disappointing Twilight.

You finish her room in record time for how messy it was and accomplish all your other chores at exactly 11:00 AM without any more interruptions.

Now it's time to make lunch for Twilight. You have some time so you could go read comic books or get started on another chore if you want to make something simple or you could try that new recipe you found that would take you most of the hour.

New recipe

Read

Next chore

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Keep Going to Fluttershy's

11:00 AM

Your breath comes out ragged as your feet continue to pound against the path. For two hours you’ve been running, victory seems to always be just within reach. You know this path is straight and you know it can’t go forever so you continue running. Two hours without much rest you’ve been going and now you;re completely exhausted. Your feet move slowly and you pant out every breath. You realize you’re extremely thirsty too, but you know that if you just keep going the end will be around the corner any second.

Eventually, your tired legs hit a small stone and buckle underneath you. You try to raise yourself up again but your limbs feel like jelly. With a groan you finally admit that you aren’t getting anywhere and let the exhaustion overtake you. The last thing you see before falling asleep is a yellow blur rushing towards you.

***

---

Stop Going to Fluttershy's

9:30 AM

You stop in your tracks and take a look around you. You notice up ahead the road bends around what you recognize as the last corner leading to Fluttershy's house. If you pass that you should be able to see her house.

You turn around and notice that the exact same corner is behind you. The birch tree right next to the strawberry bush that marks the bend is exactly the same behind you as it is in front of you.

You tap your foot in thought and then, with a shrug, dive off the path and into the bushes lining the road.

"Oh come on!" A voice says as the air around you warps and the path behind you once again becomes the correct path. A figure is now on the path, wearing an exaggerated glare and tapping his own foot. "That doesn't count, you practically cheated."

You stand up, brushing yourself off, and walk back onto the path. "Hey Discord, that was a pretty neat trick, how did you do that?"

"Oh that was simple," Discord says dismissively, lifting his back legs so he's floating in the air, "Just make a few feet double back on itself and you've got a never-ending tunnel." Suddenly, he appeared right by your face and stuck his tongue out. "Then some know-it-all dragon has to go and ruin all the fun and it's practically a waste of time."

"Hey it's not my fault you made the off switch so easy," you defend yourself, "What are you doing here anyway? Don't you and Fluttershy usually have afternoon tea?"

Discord places a paw on his chest and stumbles back. "Usually? You dare confide the great Lord of Chaos to a word so orderly as usually? I like changing my schedule up thank you very much." He wraps his tail around your waist and lifts you into the air. "But what about you? Don't you <i>usually</i> have chores or something equally boring to do at this time?"

You poke your claws together. "Yeah, I'm kind of putting that off until later. Don't tell Twilight will you?"

Discord chuckles. "Oh dear, a chance to make Twilight angry and get you in trouble? I won't tell a soul."

You sigh but don't say anything, feeling silly for skipping your duties in the first place.

Discord disappears from under you, causing you to fall on the path with a thud. He appears hanging upside down in a tree, eyeing you curiously. "So what are you going to do now, I wonder? Would you like to hang out with me and Fluttershy or are you going to run back home to avoid Miss Pretty Princess's wrath?" The predatory grin he aims at you makes you shiver.

Stay with Discord

Go Home

Don't Help Fluttershy

9:15 AM

You turn back to the still overflowing mailbox and shake your head. "Sorry, Fluttershy I need to get these chores done. Twilight's upset at me enough as it is for sleeping in."

Her ears drop and she turns towards the castle. "Oh, I understand. Are you sure it's alright if I go look myself?"

You wave a claw at her, already concentrating on the next book. "Yeah, just go on in. Twilight still wants it to be a kind of library anyway so I'm sure she won't mind."

"Ok, I'll try not to make a mess," Fluttershy says as she retreats into the castle, leaving you alone with your work.

Thankfully, the work goes faster the more books you pull out and soon enough you have a stack taller than yourself neatly stacked next to you. Not even a paged tared.

You smiled to yourself and picked the books up, wobbling a little from the swaying tower of literature, you made your way back to the castle to start cataloging

Or you would have is a sudden shriek from inside didn't cause you to drop the books and fall on your back.

"Fluttershy!" you cried, abandoning the books and sprinting inside. Once you reach the first library in the castle you throw open the door and stare frozen at what you see.

Fluttershy hovered in the upper right corner of the room, surveying it with a shaky expression. She didn't look hurt, just scared, so that was a good sign.

Was she was scared of, however, wasn't good.

The rocking chair Applejack had donated to the castle was galloping around the room like a rodeo bull, knocking things over wherever it crashed. The nightstand that had stood right next to it was using its drawers to chew on a book while it hopped around in glee.  

"Fluttershy what happened?" You shouted. You kind of had to, the living furniture was making a racket.

"I don't know," She squeaked, making you strain to hear her, "I just read this nice poem from one of your books and then the chair was attacking me."

You blanched. "Where did you get the book from?"

"Over there." Fluttershy pointed to the opposite corner of the library where a small supply of books was neatly shelved. "It's called 'Household Monsters'. I thought it might be about taking care of unusual creatures."

You groan and dodge around the wild rocking chair. "That's the magic book section. That one's about making monsters out of household objects."

She frowned at you and slowly glided down. "But I'm not a Unicorn, how could I have cast a spell?"

You shake your head as she comes to land beside you. "It's a magic book. It has magic in it. First rule of those is you never read anything out loud."

Fluttershy presses her ears to her head and doesn't make eye contact. "Oh... I'm sorry Spike."

You sigh and shake your head. "It's alright, you didn't know. I shouldn't have left you alone with books like that. Maybe I can make it into a friendship lesson or something."

The two of you were silent for a moment as you stared at the rampaging furniture and contemplated friendship. Before long though Fluttershy spoke up again. "Um... so how do we get them back to normal?"

You scratch your head and look at the battered book in the nightstand's drawers. "Well there's a counterspell in the book but..."

Just then the nightstand and the rocking chair rush past the two of you and out the still open door behind you, disappearing deep in the castle in two different directions.

"Great," you mutter, "We have to have both of them so I guess we're splitting up."

Go after the nightstand

Go after the rocking chair

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Eat Inside Sugarcube Corner

7:15 AM

You head over to one of the many booths to properly enjoy your muffins while at the same time sitting in the delectable scent of other food baking. You sit down and start eating contently just as the bell jingles again and a pony waltzes in.

"Oh, there you are Mrs. Bird! Same as usual?" You hear Pinkie Pie say, though you tune out the conversation to focus completely on the fresh baked goodness in your claws.

You devour your muffin slowly, taking care to enjoy ever spongy bite of apple flavored goodness. You just get done with the first one when a cough interrupts you from your momentary bliss.

You look up, slightly peeved to be interrupted, at the face of a pony you don't recognize staring back down at you. She's a Unicorn pony with a blue coat and a styled orange mane. A quick glance around confirmed that she was the pony who had just come in and the smile she directed down at you was obviously strained.

"Excuse me... sir," she says to you, "but you are not suppose to be here."

You blink up at her. "What? Be where?"

Her smile grows even more strained. "In this cafe. You see I am always here at seven fifteen sharp and am the only pony here. This has happened for over a month now and I do enjoy my alone time this grants me. Now, today you just happen to be here, disturbing my time so I'm asking you, politely, to eat your food outside."

You stare up at the pony, thinking she must be kidding, but her quivering, determined smile tells you differently. You don't want to cause I scene but you don't want to move for such a stupid reason either.

Stay Seated

Move Outside

Go After Nightstand

9:35 AM

"I'll go after the nightstand and the book," you tell Fluttershy, "You get the rocking chair back here."

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

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