"Listen kid, I ain't got all day. Do you want the mirror or not?", asked the menacingly deep voice from behind the antique furniture stand.
"I dunno, is it really worth a pink diamond?", Spike questioned.
"What if I told you, that this mirror belonged to a king long ago, and the value of it is priceless", lied the stand owner.
"A king you say? Well... Okay okay i'll take it", Spike said looking down at a rare pink diamond, "I sure am gonna miss you little guy". Spike kissed the beautifully crafted gem and reluctantly handed it over, and the pony behind the counter retrieved the ornately decorated mirror. Spike had come to the traders exchange in hopes of finding a book that Twilight desperately wanted for her birthday, as crazy as it sounds there is a book that she does not have in her possession. Sadly, his efforts were fruitless and was about to head home when he found this stand which seemed very poorly made. The wooden fixtures were rotting from the inside out, and the cloth covering had numerous tears and stains that made the air around it unpleasant.
It's a good thing Rarity isn't here, she would probably have the pony banished to the sun for letting such a perfectly good cloth be destroyed and neglected, Spike giggled to himself at the thought. He remembered that Twilight had just a single mirror in her castle, and figured it would look good on a wall in her library so he jumped on the opportunity to trade for it. As he took the mirror from the stand owner, Spike realized just how heavy it was as he nearly toppled over backwards trying to balance it above his head. It's a good thing Rarity makes me carry her giant piles of suitcases when we go places, otherwise I might not even be able to drag this thing home!
"Thank you sir!", Spike said between grunts as he turned to start his long journey to the waiting train. Thankfully Twilight has to oversee the exchange this year, that way I can easily sneak this out and get it home before she has a chance to see it.
"Yeah, yeah whatever", the grizzled old pony said, barely audible as he was inspecting his new found wealth.
On his way to the train, Spike nearly hit at least three dozen ponies over the head with the enormous mirror. There were a few ponies who offered to help but Spike kindly said, "No thanks, gotta keep those arm muscles in tip top shape!". Admittedly, he didn't enjoy carrying the over-sized mirror but he was so used to carrying stuff for other ponies that he didn't want to be thought of as 'lazy'. He finally reached the train station and boarded the next train with his reflective companion in tow, choosing to sit in a relatively empty car in the hopes that he wouldn't have to worry about hitting anypony.
As the train left the station, Spike figured he had just enough time to take a quick nap before arriving to his destination. He was nearly asleep when he swore he could hear somepony whispering.
A world... perfect for you... don't be shy... a day or maybe two... with me.
The rumbling of the train car made it so he couldn't hear the voice too clearly. Figuring somepony on the train was just whispering to themselves, Spike shrugged the voice off and closed his eyes once again to hopefully get some shut eye. It felt like he had just fallen asleep, when Spike was awoken by the conductor who was walking through the train to inspect if anypony, or in this case any dragon, was trying to get a free trip to their next stop.
"Sir, wake up. We can't have any freeloaders take the train to wherever they please", the conductor said with a stern voice. Spike yawned and looked out the window, glad to see he was already back in Ponyville. However, he was none too happy about the conductors attitude and wanted to tell him off right there, but he knew Twilight wouldn't be very happy if she found out that he had made a scene on a public train. Spike just sighed and hastily gathered the mirror with a few grunts of slight pain. Next time, i'm getting Twilight something much smaller! It didn't take him long to reach the castle, the train station was conveniently close by.
Spike opened the large castle door and pulled the mirror inside. "Alright, just gotta get you upstairs into my closet and you'll be all set until Twilight's birthday rolls around", he said to the inanimate object. They were about half way up the staircase when Spike's grip on the mirror slipped, sending the fragile object tumbling back downstairs with very loud 'thumps' and 'bangs'.
"Noooooooo!", Spike shouted as he ran down the stairs after the doomed mirror. As he reached the bottom however, he couldn't believe his eyes. The wooden frame was perfectly fine, and the glass itself didn't have any cracks or signs of damage at all! Spike was puzzled, there was no way it could have survived such a tumble, especially on extremely hard crystal. Either way, he was glad that his efforts didn't go to waste, and once again found himself pulling the mirror upstairs.
He finally reached the top, and collapsed onto the floor catching his breath. Almost there, my room is just down the hall! After giving himself enough time to recover, Spike wiped the sweat beading off his forehead and picked up the mirror with an auditory 'huff'. Turning into his room, he placed the mirror into the surprisingly tidy closet and covered it with a blanket. "There, that should keep you hidden! Twilight never has any reason to check my closet, so you'll be perfectly safe here", Spike said with a sly grin on his face. He shut the door to his closet and walked off to head into the kitchen for a well earned snack and a tall, refreshing glass of lemonade, not hearing the voice coming from his closet.
A world where everything is perfect for you, don't be shy look a little bit closer and you'll finally see, let's have fun for a day or maybe two, are you ready? Then come with me...
As the day rolled on, Spike was enjoying his time alone reading comic books in the library. However as he noticed what time it was, his mood changed to that of nervousness. "Gee, Twilight should have been home by now, the exchange ended two hours ago", he said looking out one of the many castle windows to see if the Alicorn happened to be trotting her way home. It was at that moment that a blinding flash of light enveloped the library and made a very loud 'crack' that echoed throughout the entire bottom floor of the castle. There in the middle of the room stood Twilight, mane completely ruined and her right eyelid twitching from time to time.
"Uh Twilight, are you alri-", was all the dragon could say before Twilight burst out in fury.
"Spike, next time you come home early, PLEASE LET ME KNOW BEFOREHOOF!", Twilight was throwing daggers at the poor dragon with her deathly stare, "I was looking for you when the exchange ended, but I couldn't find you! I was waiting at the train station in the hopes that you'd eventually find your way there!". Twilight was almost on the verge of tears at this point, not knowing what she'd do if she had lost Spike.
"I'm sorry Twilight, I had a good reason for leaving. I just can't tell you about it right now", Spike said hoping Twilight was going to calm down and understand.
"What could have possibly been so important that you couldn't even have the decency to say goodbye?", Twilight asked, interested as to what Spike was up to.
"If I told you, it would ruin the surprise. And you know what happens when somepony ruins a surprise", Spike said, pleading on the inside that Twilight wouldn't pursue the issue any further.
Twilight let out a deep sigh and said, "Well if you say so, but in the future I would really like it if you at least tried to let me know these things, I was afraid someone had taken you or you had run off or something".
"Oh Twilight I would never leave you, you're like a mom to me!", Spike said giving her a reassuring smile. Twilight started to cry and walked over to give Spike a big hug. Spike accepted the warm embrace and was happy that Twilight hadn't given him a harsh punishment.
"Well Spike", Twilight sniffed as she wiped her eye with her hoof, "let's go to Sugarcube Corner for a treat, I hear Pinkie Pie has a new cupcake recipe she wants everyone to try!"
Spike giggled uncontrollably before saying, "You may want to get freshened up a bit Twi, you look like you were attacked by an angry squirrel!"
"Oh, right", Twilight giggled and turned to go get ready to head out.
Author's Note
I'm really confident with this one, I like where i'm sending this and I hope you guys enjoy it too!
Feedback is once again appreciated!
Keep an eye out for chapter 2!
Chapter 2 - Happy Birthday
"Brother, are you sure this is such a good idea?"
"Do you not trust me?"
"No, I do... It's just that..."
"Just what? Spit it out!"
"It's just that I don't think a curse is the way to inflict vengeance, the the poor bastard rot in peace."
"NO! He doesn't deserve peace, he deserves to be punished for all eternity!"
***
"Wow Pinkie, theesh cupcakesh are shuper yummy!", Twilight could barely speak as her mouth was full of the pink mares confectionery creation.
"Thanks! I found this super secret recipe in one of Mrs. Cakes' recipe books", Pinkie grinned as she brought over another plate full of delicious treats, "I know your birthday is coming up soon and wanted to make something extra special!"
"Well I think these cupcakes will be a highlight of the party, isn't that right Spike?", Twilight asked looking towards the other side of the table where a very sick looking dragon sat slouching in his chair.
"Ooooh... I think I had too many cupcakes...", Spike groaned.
Twilight couldn't help but giggle at the little guy, "Oh Spike, didn't you learn your lesson from eating entire barrels of ice cream?"
Spike hiccuped and nearly lost the contents of his stomach when he said, "Yeah but I didn't think that rule applied to everything".
"Well alright, let's get you home so you can get some rest. Thanks again for the cupcakes Pinkie!", Twilight said as she picked Spike up with her magic and placed him firmly on her back.
"Wait! Twilight! YOU FORGOT YOUR CUPCAKES!", Pinkie yelled but Twilight was just out of earshot, even for Pinkies unusual vocal capabilities. The pink mare darted her eyes around Sugarcube Corner before consuming the entire tray of half a dozen cupcakes in one huge mouthful.
***
"Oooh i'm so excited Spike! I can't wait for all of our friends to get here, this is going to be the best birthday party ever!", Twilight said with glee.
Spike, on the other hand, was having trouble staying awake. It had been a week since they visited Sugarcube Corner and everything was fine until last nights slumber turned out to have no slumber at all. He didn't know why, but it felt like something would force him to wake up when he finally did fall asleep accompanied by a strange whispering. However he didn't bother to tell Twilight, he figured it was probably just Luna playing a little prank on him. Though he had a hard time believing Luna was the prankster type, especially since she of all ponies knows how important sleep is.
"Spike, were you listening to me?", Twilight asked which made the dragon jolt out of his stupor.
"Huh, what?", the dragon was barely able to keep his eyes open at this point.
"Did you get any sleep last night? Your eyes are saggy, you're drooling all over the place and to top it all off you're not even listening to what i'm saying", the Alicorn was concerned for the little drake.
"Oh yeah, i'll get my quill and... take the chicken for a walk and...", was all Spike had to say before he fell fast asleep. Twilight smiled and floated him up to her bedroom, carefully placing him under the covers and tucking him in. There you go little guy, maybe you'll be able to sleep in here. Twilight walked out of her room and was about to head back downstairs but stopped when she heard something coming from Spike's room. Unsure what it could be, she cautiously poked her head in to see if she could find the source of this noise. Suddenly, the noise stopped and Twilight was surprised to see a majestic mirror standing proudly against the closet door. Twilight was unsure why Spike had such a mirror in the first place, until she saw a piece of parchment hanging on the side of it's wooden frame.
To: Twilight
From: Spike
Happy Birthday!
Twilight had a huge smile on her face, thankful that Spike would get her such a thoughtful and elegant gift. She noted how intricate the designs were on the mahogany frame, and how the mirror itself looked like it had never seen the light of day with how crystal clear it was. She was observing her gift intently when there was a distant knocking from downstairs.
"Oh, that must be the party guests!", Twilight said as she picked up the mirror effortlessly with her magic and brought it downstairs. Twilight set the mirror in the main hallway near the staircase and went to greet her friends at the front door. She barely had time to touch the door handle before a flash of pink tackled the stunned Alicorn to the hard crystal floor.
"Haaaaaaappy Birthdaaaaaaay!", said Pinkie Pie as she strapped a chromatic party hat on Twilight's head while blowing a party favor in celebration.
Twilight giggled and pushed the party mare off to the side.
"Thanks Pinkie, I see you came prepared...", Twilight gestured to the overflowing saddlebags somehow still strapped to Pinkie.
"Yes indeedie! Iv'e got balloons, party favors, streamers, oooh a poster for pin the tail on Twilight, some confetti, some...", Pinkie Pie continued listing off every single party supply she brought. Twilight would have been standing there for hours, but thankfully another familiar voice captured her attention.
"Hey egghead, don't just leave us standing here at your front door!", Rainbow Dash said with a joking tone. Twilight was pleased to see the rest of her friends, and she ran over and hugged them with a big smile on her face.
"Oh i'm so glad you guys could make it!", Twilight said releasing her grip.
"We wouldn't miss it fer nothin' Sugarcube", Applejack said.
"Oh darling, Applejack's right you know. We only get to celebrate something this special once a year!", Rarity said as she walked past Twilight with her gift floating beside her.
"Happy birthday Twilight", came the soft voice of Fluttershy as she handed her present over to Twilight.
"Well since we're all here I think it's as good a time as any to start!", Twilight said as she motioned for the others to follow her.
"...some silly string, and finally a party cannon", Pinkie said as she looked up to find she was all alone. She looked down the hall and saw the rest of her friends walking into the library, and she yelled, "Hey! Wait for me!"
"So why are we having your party in the library Twilight?", Rainbow dash asked with confusion.
"Because we're going to have a reading session silly, and it'll be easier to pick out a book you want to read this way!", Twilight grinned and Rainbow Dash let out a grunt.
"Shoot Twi, I forgot to bring mah gift for ya'll, ah'ma head home and grab it. I won't be gone long!", Applejack said as she turned to head on out.
Applejack was about to leave when she heard a voice whispering behind her. She looked around and saw no pony there, except a fancy looking mirror. Curious, she walked over and admired the well-crafted piece of furniture. However, to her surprise there was no reflection at all, but instead it was covered with some sort of fog which Applejack found quite odd.
"Now why would Twilight have a mirror that didn't even have a reflection?", Applejack mumbled.
A world where everything is perfect for you, don't be shy look a little bit closer and you'll finally see, let's have fun for a day or maybe two, are you ready? Then come with me...
"Say what now?", but before Applejack could question any further the fog started to part, and it revealed grandest apple farm she has ever seen. Apple trees as far as the eye can see, filled with the reddest of apples.
Applejack shook her head and said, "Well that thar is mighty fine and all but, I best be goin' if ah wanna be back in time for cake".
But the mirror had other plans, for in it's 'perfect world' it displayed the parents of the farm pony. They waved to Applejack and her father reached a hoof out to try and get her to join them.
"M-mom? D-dad?, Applejack was nearly in tears when her feelings got the best of her. She extended her hoof out to meet that of her fathers and proceeded to walk into the mirror. Just as the last of the mare was consumed, the mirror let out a menacing laugh and returned back into being a normal looking piece of furniture.
One down, five to go...
Author's Note
I might edit the ending of this chapter a bit later, I wasn't sure how to go about the whole "mirror practically eats a pony" aspect so yeah.
If you have any suggestions on how I could improve it please let me know, I was struggling a bit at the end.
Keep an eye out for chapter 3!
