"You promise you'll feed him twice a day?" Maud said in her usual monotone voice.
"Yes," Twilight said as her horn began to glow. "And that he get's plenty of sun and that he has plenty of water." Boulder suddenly started floating out of Maud's hoof and into the air. Coming to a gentle rest in Spike's claws.
"Good, he gets grumpy when you don't," Maud responded as Twilight nodded. "And if you need help, Pinkie knows some things about caring for him. Oh, and don't give him any sugar."
Twilight had to fight hard to keep from rolling her eyes. "It'll be fine Maud. You just go and enjoy your trip ok?"
After a few moments of blank stare Maud eventually turned and left. "Good bye boulder," She said flatly as she waved back over her shoulder."
Twilight smiled happily as she closed the door. "This wont be so hard." She said as she Turned towards Spike. "I'll take him from here." Her horn glowing as she picked boulder up and trotted with him through the library.
"Now you just stay right there." She chuckled to her self as she put Boulder on the desk and went to grab a book. "That Maud sure is an odd one."
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She looked up at the clock, yawning loudly as she noticed it was mid afternoon. "A princess nap can't hurt," She said to herself as she lay her book down before glancing over at Boulder.
"You look comfy there so why don't you just nap here too. Spike! Dont mess with the rock on my desk." She shouted. Hearing an "OK" get shouted back in reply she pushed away from the desk and trotted to her bed. She awoke an hour later, hooves stretching out as she woke up. Sitting up she smiled and rolled out of bed.
"That was just what I needed." She looked over at the night stand. "Cant forget my.....rock?..." She said as she gave Boulder an odd look.
"I don't remember bringing you with me," She said as she concentrated hard. Sighing as she found she honestly couldn't remember if she had left him there or not.
"Spike?! Did you put a rock in my bedroom?" She called out.
"Why would I put a rock in your bedroom?!" He cried back.
Twilight's horn began to glow as she picked Boulder up, carrying him along as she headed toward the kitchen. Placing him on a table they typically ate meals at.
"My memory isn't that bad," She said as she walked in to find Spike sweeping up.
"Oh hey, are you gonna make those cookies today?" He asked as Twilight gave him a pat on the head.
"You mean the jewel cookies for helping me rearange all those books. Yeah, I don't see why not. Why don't you help?"
Spike nodded. It was about an hour later when they had finished. Twilight putting the lid on the cookie jar.
"Well Spike, there you go. If you want you can have more but make sure you don't eat the chocolate ones in the jar. Those are for me later."
Spike nodded and gave her a hug as she then went about her original task. Making a daisy sandwich. That completed she headed to the study.
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"Another day, another seven books read," Twilight said as she stretched. It was dark outside now and though the book marathon had been fun, she found her tummy rumbling.
"Oh a cookie might be nice," She said as she trotted off to the kitchen. The smile on her face dropping as she saw her cookie jar.
The Jar lay on its side, top popped off. Her horn glowing as she picked it up. Anger building as she saw the scratches on the side of it from what she knew were claw marks.
"SPIKE GET IN HERE!" She loudly yelled. Huffing angrily as the dragon walked in. "Spike, what did I tell you about the chocolate chip cookies?"
Spike looked confused. He scratched his chin as he answered. "Not to eat them all because you were saving them?"
"That's right. So why did you eat them all?"
"But I didn't!" Spike responded in protest. "I was just reading comics."
Twilight's horn began to glow as she lifted the jar up to show it to Spike. "Then where are all the cookies at?"
Spike opened his mouth to answer but stopped as he noticed something odd. He put his hand in the jar and pulled it out. Holding it up to show her Boulder.
Twilight rolled her eyes. "Is this a joke?" She asked as she picked it up. "Because I refuse to believe a rock ate the cookies. I mean look at it. Its a rock."
"But I didn't do it."
"Well then Spike you can stay in your room until you figure out who did."
Spike let out an upset and angry huff as he walked off. Twilight looking at the rock. Turning it over in her hoof and looking over it. She nodded to herself as she began to trot off.
"Here, this should work," she said as she closed the small cage in her office. "Now there will be no more dragon jokes with you." She smiled at her handy work. The cage was typically used for when Owilicious was sick, so she could carry him around, but in this case it would do. The bars were super strong, and tight enough that she knew Boudler wouldn't roll out.
With a yawn she walked out of the room. Smiling as she heard the click of the door behind her. Making sure to lock it before trotting up to bed.
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The early rays of morning shone down on twilight. The alarm going off as the harsh ring woke her. Grumpily she reached over and hit the alarm. Dragging herself out of bed.
"Morning Boulder." she said as she stretched. Reaching out and petting the rock on her night stand. With a grin she got out of bed. She slowly headed to the bath room.
Entering the bathroom her horn began to glow. The medicine cabinet opening up. "Hey boulder." she yawned as she grabbed her tooth brush and began to brush her teeth. It lasted only a bit as she put it back up and headed to the kitchen.
She needed her morning tea. Without it she just couldn't start her day and it was one of the few things that could really wake her up. After a quick boil and dropping the leaves in, she had her self a cup of nice hot tea.
"Mmm" she said as she smelled it. Taking a big gulp of it. The taste waking her up almost instantly. "That was good.....but....needs some sugar, maybe a little honey."
Her horn glowed as she opened the cabinet. "Oh! Boulder" she cried as she looked in on the rock as it sat in a pile of sugar. The bag having been knocked on its side and the top seemingly torn open. " how'd you...get.......into.....my sugar?"
Her eyes went wide as she slammed the cabinet shut. she screamed in panic as she turned and ran.
She stopped as she came to the bathroom though. A rock sitting out on the sink. "How...when?" Her eyes wide and her breathing ragged as she walked in and poked the rock. It softly clattered into the sink, showing no sign of life.
"How did you get out of the cabinet?" She asked as she looked up and opened the medicine cabinet. Her usual bathroom items were there as was Boulder right where he had been when she had brushed her teeth, and a second rock.
"Oh....well I guess that makes sense I guess...sorta. SPIKE! SPIKE SPIKE SPIKE!" She screamed as she sprinted down the hall toward where Spike slept. Barreling into the room she gasped as she saw him.
"Whats all the yelling about?" He asked as he sat up, a rock that had been laying on his belly sliding down. "And why did you put a rock on me?"
She leapt forward and grabbed him, flinging him on to her back. "I didn't. The rocks are alive. They....they're multiplying." She said as she started to sprint toward her office.
Soon they came to the door, un locking it she noticed a hole in the bottom of it, about the size of one of the rocks. She bit her lip in worry as she threw it open and ran in. There were rocks every where. A glow filled the room, an aura encasing the rocks she could see as she floated them outside the door and locked it behind her.
"Twilight? Whats going on? I'm starting to get freaked out," Spike said as he backed away from the door.
Twilight looked around frantically. "I don't know Spike, but we can figure this out." Her eyes falling onto the cage. it had two rocks in it and a hole ripped in the metal. "And I think I know how."
Twilight trotted up, looking at the cage. "Step one, figure out what this is." she said as she picked one of the rocks up and pulled it out of the cage with her magic.
"Ill just cast a reveal spell to force it to show itself and then we can work the rest out." She said as Spike nodded.
"Ill watch the door," Spike offered
After a few moments Twilight began to concentrate. An intense purple glow coming over the rock. "Its not working, just gotta give it more," she grumbled out as the glow got brighter. "Come on you, just open up allre-"
"SKREEEEEEEEEEEE!!!" The rock seemed to scream right before exploding. Chunks of hard rock flying all over with red wet bits peppering the wall.
Spike felt something hit the back of his head. "Ewwwww," he groaned as he reached behind him and pulled the fleshy bit off.
"S-sorry Spike. I guess it couldn't handle that much magic," she said as she turned around just in time to see the second rock. "What the..."
She took it all in, it was no bigger then a crab. Its limbs and many small legs seemed to have rock facing outward. the parts that were typically hidden though seemed red and insect like.
"SKREEEEEEEE!" It screamed and clicked as it leapt at Twilight. She stepped to the side just in time. The rock thing now flying towards Spike. He thought fast though and in a puff fire it vanished.
"Spike!" Twilight called out as she ran up and hugged him. "Are you ok? It didn't hurt you did it?"
Spike shook his head no. "But Celestia might."
Her eyes went wide. "Y-You sent it to Celestia?"
"I didn't mean to," he said as he shrugged and Twilight gave him a hug.
"So long as you're safe, that's all that matters."
Suddenly a chorus of screeches came from behind the door. The wood of it starting to creak as Twilight immediately rushed to it. Tossing up magic wall to help support it. She grunted and strained as she could feel the door pounded on again and again. "Spike, quick. grab some books on creatures of the land from my shelf. Start looking for moving rocks while I hold them back."
Spike nodded and ran to the book shelf, grabbing a book of and looking through it. "Twilight, there's nothing for moving rocks, but...I found something for moon rocks."
"What's that got to do with us?" She asked as another slam came.
"Well listen to this. Moon rocks are a species that come from the moon. Resembling rocks in their calm state, these rocks are closer related to crabs or insects."
"Sounds about right." Twilight interjected
Spike cleared his throat as he went on. "Though typically docile and rarely move, when deprived of food for too long, they will become very active. Seeking out sugars so that they can reproduce in order to help ensure it's survival."
Twilight gasped. "The chocolate....and the bag of sugar!"
"And when one is threatened or killed, other close by one's will co-operate to kill the attacker."
Twilight gulped loudly as she looked back. "Spike, I love you. And I'm sorry I yelled at you about the cookies yesterday."
Spike looked up from the book. closing it softly as he heard the banging get louder and louder. "Its ok twilight. I....I love you too. You're the best family a dragon could ask for."
The door finally shattered and then forced through her magical barrier as hundreds of them crawled in.
"T-Twilight.....I...I don't want to be eaten, what should we do?" He asked just in time to feel the warm embrace of her hooves.
"It'll be ok spike. It'll be ok."
Twilight heard the screech again and closed her eyes, waiting to feel the rip and tear of claws when suddenly, another loud smash.
"OH! You really did find them!" The royal sounding voice boomed put as Luna crashed through the wall. Stopping right in front of Twilight.
"oh how delightful. I thought Id never see one again!" Luna said as she pulled a bag of sand out and threw it on the rocks. With a big grin on her face she watched as they all went back to hiding like rocks.
"LUNA?" Twilight called out in shock. "Wh-How did you know to do that, or come save us?"
Luna looked back and smiled at them, walking up to the rocks and poking them. "Well, after Celestia finished screaming and the guards killed it, I recognized it immediately. I decided to come see if you had more. I used to have one myself."
"You used to have one?" Twilight asked confused.
"I was banished to the moon for a thousand years. You're going to start noticing the rocks moving eventually after a thousand years."
Twilight just nodded as she looked down, spike still shaking from it all. "But still...hows you get them to go back in their shells?"
"That?" Luna asked as she picked one up. "I just threw sand at them. Their insides are super delicate and sensitive. Stuff like sand stings and makes them hide again. And when they hide they calm down."
Twilight slumped down as she just sighed. "Spike, new house rule. No rocks allowed. Ever!"