Tuesday.
Why was it always a Tuesday? Better yet why had he listened to Pinkie when they first saw the book. I knew it was a bad idea, I mean c’mon even Rainbow Dash wouldn’t be doing what we were doing, and that in itself alone was saying something big.
Two hours ago Twilight left for Rarity’s to help her with some new lines she wanted to send to her boutique in Canterlot. So as usual Twilight does what Twilight does best, she gave me a list to check off the things she needed me to do before she got back.
First on the list had been feed Owlyscious. We still aren’t on good terms, I never liked how he was always says “who” when he KNOWS I’m talking to him. It’s not funny anymore, now it’s just annoying.
The other things had involved picking up groceries and helping a few other ponies out with some things around Ponyville. Which is where I met Pinkie. Apparently Twilight wanted me to help her deliver a patch of cupcakes to the Cash residence, where Filthy Rich and few nobles that lived in Ponyville resided.
After that was done, and I had gotten the more trifling chores out of the way I planned on heading back to finish my last chore: dusting the shelves of our extremely large library.
I took a look at the list, checked it twice, then reached into my bag and took out the list for checking things twice and checked that off the list for that list.
“There” I said with a confident smile. “And I still have enough time to get back to reading my issue of Saddle Marilla before Twilight gets back. If I can just finish cleaning those shelves in maybe five minutes I’ll be good to go.”
“SPIKE!” A voice shouted beside me, before all I could see was Pinkie. I jumped.
Strange I was sure I said bye to her when I was coming home again.
Then again this was Pinkie.
“Hey Pink-” I quite suddenly felt my cheeks get squished together as the pink mare lifted me in her forehooves by the cheeks just slightly, her sense of personal space fading every second as she drew closer to my own face.
“SPIKE!” She said loudly in front of me again, which was quite unnecessary considering her nose was inches from my own. I managed a squished smile through my squished cheeks.
“Y-Yeah?” I asked with a raised brow.
Pinkie didn’t say anything immediately. It took her a second or two to remember why she even ran all the way here in the first place as fast as her hooves or the laws of physics would allow her. So there we stood...well she stood I was still being held by the cheeks.
Her muzzle scrunched up a bit in thought as she tried to remember what it was she was trying to do when she came bounding after me like a hoofball player.
Speaking of which wouldn’t there be a game today? It is Tuesday after all, and I think last time I talked to Big Mac he mentioned there being a game this week.
Absentmindedly I began to move my legs in an attempt to walk, but quickly realized I was still in the air. I managed to look down for a second, recalling my current situation, then looked at Pinkie wondering when she was going to put me...down?
Pinkie was gone. I was now staring at Carrot Top who was holding me by the cheeks.
I opened my mouth, closed it. Then opened it again raising a claw to ask a question. Carrot Top smiled sheepishly and asked, “Put you down?”
“Please” I said gratefully, glad to feel the ground touching my feet once more.
Grabbing my backpack I looked around for Pinkie but didn’t see her. “Uh Carrot Top when did you-” the carrot seller swiftly but gently placed her toe to my lips and shook her head.
“I don’t even know Spike. I was just on my way back to work when Pinkie just...you know?”
“Appeared?” I asked, picking up my list and making sure I had done everything.
“Yeah, then she said “Hold this for me while I go think” and vanished giving me you.”
I frowned. Why did she refer to me as “this?”,a “him” would have been proper phrasing, but “this”? Jeez Pinkie. When you hang out with Pinkie you get used to her weird antics but that sentence kinda hurt.
“Alright, well I’ve got to finish my chores CT, I’ll see you around.” I said waving goodbye as I passed her.
A quick wave goodbye and I was off to finish my last chore: Cleaning the library shelves.
The walk was quick. It had to be if I wanted to find out what the power Ponies were going to do in this latest issue where they were in Saddle Arabia, hunting down a new villain that had been causing trouble for the equines of that country.
“Oh I can’t wait!” I said with enthusiasm, probably a bit less more than I should have had while dusting the shelves. But hey, whether out or in context I was eager to get back to my reading so this had to be qu-
“SPIKE!”
The result from my name being called caused me to jump off the ladder I had been using to reach the higher shelves and fall to the ground on my rump.
I rubbed the tender bottom flesh. My scales were tough, but when you have a castle made out of crystal....well let’s just say it stings a bit.
Looking for the source of the voice with a displeased look I turned my head only to see giant blue eyes staring right into mine. All displeasure vanished quickly.
“Pinkie?” I asked not all that surprised. “What uh...what’s up?” I asked getting up and getting the feather duster.
Pinkie snorted as I moved back to cleaning the shelves and she followed in suit.
“Well the sky silly” she said waving a hoof at my foolish question. I rolled my eyes. “So what are you doing?”
A better question would have been. “How did you get in here?” The door was locked and I’m on the third floor of this castle. There’s no way you could climb up here, enter a window or sneak in without me knowing since all hooves that enter this place basically echo everywhere. But then again, this was Pinkie. You don’t question it, you just live with it.
“Fixing up some books. Twilight’s gotten some new ones recently and wanted me to sort some of them out while I cleaned the shelves. It’s the last thing I need to do on my list of chores before I get back to reading the newest Power Ponies issue.”
“Oh I see. Could I help?” Pinkie asked following after me. I shrugged in response.
“Sure, knock yourself out.”
Pinkie gave me a concerned look, while I went back to work and without looking I said: “Not literally.”
She sighed thankfully. “Oh okay. You had me a bit worried there.”
“Same here” I mumbled under my breath.
“What?” She asked now stacking books in her own little pile on the other side of the room.
“Nothing” I called back in response.
And from then on we worked in silence.
Minutes went by with the occasional dusting as Pinkie and I worked together to clean the entire library here and back on the first floor. Neither of us said a word to each other for a while as we worked. With only Pinkie saying “Hey I’ve seen this book in a dream before!” Every now and then.
I didn’t ask what she meant.
When almost an hour had finally passed and we were nearly done, I heard Pinkie gasp really really loud.
I sighed, my shoulders sagged in accompaniment.
“What’s wrong Pinkie?” I said turning around lethargically. Only to hear the clopping of hooves as she quickly came to me and shoved a book in my face.
“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh MY. GOSH! SPIKE!” She squeaked in her high voice. “DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS?”
Why are you yelling? I’m right in front of you.
“A book” I said with a confused look. Was it my turn to explain what a book was to Pinkie this time? Last time she forgot it was Twilight, and the week before Discord had comedically done a little show with dancing toothpicks to explain what a book was, with letters and pictures and all that jazz.
"Pinkie you haven't forgotten what a book is again have you?"
Pinkie shook her head in protest, but stopped so quickly I heard a pop in her neck. I cringed.
“No no it's nothing like that Spike. This isn't a book, well I mean it is but at the same time it isn't. Wait! No, I mean its a book but I think it isn't."
My confused expression told Pinkie I had no idea what she was talking about.
“Just take a look at this." She stated directing my attention back to the book. "I’ve never seen Twilight owning a book like this before, and this book looks a lot like the one Discord was talking about just yesterday, when Rainbow Dash asked him if he keeps an idea list for everypony he wants to prank.”
“What? Pinkie I don’t think-” the book was shoved a bit more closer to my face forcing me to look at it.
I sighed again. “Okay I’ll look.”
She smiled, and gave me the book. It was just the size of any other notebook. Not really a book per say but it was big. The cover was... dull. It was blank really. Nothing noteworthy on it, nothing strange at all about it, nothing humorous either.
Why on Equestria would Discord of all people have something like this? It was just a plain old boring notebook.
But then again.... “Open it!” Spike heard, his thoughts being destroyed.
“What? Why? It’s just a normal notebook, Pinkie” I said with a smile. A nervous one at that.
“Well all the more reason to open it right?” She asked with a bounce. I continued to smile hesitantly hoping she’d get the point.
She didn’t. She just kept smiling widely at me.
And if she did get it, which I’m pretty sure she did, she was just waiting for me to open that book. Minutes passed in strained painful silence as the two smiled at each other . Goading the other to do something the other didn’t want to do.
Till finally Pinkie took a step towards Spike, slowly reached a hoof over, opened the lid of the book to expose its delicious material and awkwardly opened it for Spike while both hands held the book.
“There you go” she told me with another smile. “You're already halfway there!”
My smile slowly disappeared into a frown. I glanced back at the library. It looked great. Better than great it looked perfect. If I could just get past this and go upstairs to my room and finish reading that book that would be-
I turned my attention to look back at Pinkie only to see she was uncomfortably close to my face.
Again.
And she was still smiling that inciteful smile of hers. I could practically hear what she was telling me to do without her telling me to do it.
“Turn the page” she whispered before I could even create a mental construct of her doing this exact act.
I looked back at the blank book with its blank cover and the first blank page that would most likely have a bunch of information on the author, a bit on the chapters and some on the story. The synopsis basically and possibly the table of contents as well.
“Uh Pinkie I really don’t think I should-”
“Open it” she whispered again, nudging me with a hoof gently.
“But-”
“Open”
“I really think-”
“It.”
“We shouldn’t if thisisDiscord’sandI-”
“Open it” she said again with another poke and her smile becoming a bit smaller.
I frowned, again. What was that four frowns in one day? Alright, maybe things won’t be too bad if I go with it maybe she’ll see it’s a boring book and leave it at that. Maybe this book isn’t the one Discord was talking about the other day, besides why would he even leave it here if it was as fun as he had mentioned?
“Open it” Pinkie said again, her nose now pressing against my cheek and her eyes staring me down with a bit of creepiness I was not comfortable with.
“Alright fine” I said, taking a step, away from her and watching her fall on her stomach from having been putting all her weight on her forelegs with how far she had leaned into me. Pinkie quickly bounced back to her hooves with the help of her tail and mane before waiting for me to read what was within the book.
I turned the page. It was blank. I turned the next one. It was blank. I turned to the next one after that, it was blank also.
And so was the next one. And the next one. And the next one, and every single time I turned a page and saw it was blank I had this horrible feeling in my stomach that something bad was going to go wrong.
Finally after reaching the end of the book, Pinkie and I saw five words written on the last page.
“Go back to First Page”
I let out a sigh of relief. It was just a joke. A prank Discord had done. “Oh thank goodness” I said internally. Quickly flipping through all the pages I looked up at Pinkie with a smile and noticed her disappointed expression.
“What’s wrong Pinkie?” I asked still flipping through all the pages back to the cover .
It’s just- GHASHWQSHQWQ!” She said stopping me from closing the book abruptly at the first page and staring with eyes the size of dinner plates.
I sputtered at the string of gibberish she released. “What? I asked with worry. “And what did you just say?”
Pinkie didn’t reply immediately. She was staring at the book, but just as I was about to take a look for myself, she looked up and said. “I said “GHASHWQSHQWQ!”, but that’s not the point of my argument. Look” she said pointing at the book.
That was an argument? Regardless of said gibberish I looked at the page being indicated, my eyes widened.
Like all the pages before this had been blank. But now there were words being written on it right in front of my very eyes.
The young drake felt fear rush into him and a sense to close this book immediately reared itself in his head. Planning to act on it, Spike’s slightly shaking hands moved to close the book but before he could even begin the action Pinkie knocked the book out of his hands and to the ground so she could see what was being said.
“You’re hogging all the knowledge Spike, I want to see too” was what she had innocently said when the book had went flying out of my own two hands.
Perplexed and perturbed I moved forward after Pinkie to see what the book was saying, or writing...doing? Whatever it was doing, yeah that sounds right.
And so the two stood over the plain book and watched random scribbles emerging on the first page begin forming curves, shaping into words, changing font and even size till eventually the first sentence was made on the page.
“Read aloud for all to hear” Pinkie said from the text of the strange tomb. “Ohhh boy, oh boy, oh boy! Spike do you know what this means?!” Pinkie asked with a spin on her her hoof and grabbing the young drake by the shoulders she gave him the most excited grin she had.
I on the other hand was not feeling as “happy” as she was. “No?” I croaked an answer after glancing back to the book. “Do you?” I asked slightly expecting an answer.
Pinkie took a deep breath and moved like she was about to say yes and explain why. But after a second she realized she had no idea either.
Just as suddenly as she had grabbed me she turned her attention back to the book and said “Let’s find out.”
I took a nervous step to her right so I could clearly see the words being displayed on the book. “Let’s not.”
“Too late!” Pinkie cried with a grin. “RULES OF ENTROPY!”
“Pinkie you don’t need to shout.”
“....Right, sorry” she said with a sheepish smile. Then in a much quieter voice she barely made audible to hear, she said “rules of entropy.”
Rubbing my temple I gently took the book away from Pinkie and began reading it instead. With a large look of displeasure I watched the words disappear on the page, then become nothing but a giant splotch of ink, before that ink shifted, molded, and formed into syllables which turned into coherent sentences.
“Hello. I am Entropy. To use me you must not follow the following rules.” I began, only to pause at this sentence.
“Wait what?, that doesn’t make any-”
“KEEP READING!” Cried Pinkie who had now scooted close to my side.
Rubbing my ears I stared at her. My face said “really?” My body said “was that necessary?”
She smiled weakly and muttered a sorry. I continued reading to my displeasure.
The sentence faded away into the book, before forming a new one out of a giant splotch of ink once again. Each time a sentence emerged the style, the font and the way it was written different.
Twilight would die if she saw this book.
“The First Not Real Rule of Entropy, is to follow all rules. Breaking a rule within this book, could (will) result in catastrophic outcomes for the user and any and all he/she knows. Those who do not have the permission of the great and powerful one (# the creator) will receive these casualties if a rule is broken.”
“Hm interesting” Pinkie said her smiling fading a bit. I took notice of this and decided to keep reading. Maybe reading more of these rules would deter Pinkie from continuing and I could just get rid of this book and go read my comic waiting for me on my bed.
“Rules of Entropy- The real Rules (Ignore the previous ones at your own risk).
1: The owner of the name who’s written in this note shall die.”
Both Pinkie and I froze. Slowly Spike and Pinkie looked at each other, then turned their attention back to the book as it began forming new words.
“Just kidding.”
We both released a breath of relief.
“1:The owner of the name who’s written in this note will not die, but fall under hilarious circumstances that will bring nothing but laughter.”
Oh, Spike thought. That’s not too bad.
“2 (a):What is written here will not disappear. Written words can only disappear through the creator’s will and his/her will alone.”
“So Discord didn’t make this then?” Pinkie asked. I merely shrugged, I had no idea. If this was one of Discord’s jokes I had to admit using this book to grab my attention was actually...clever. I’m just glad I got to this before Twilight did.
“2 (b): This note will not take without the individual’s face in mind. Therefore nothing will happen if name alone is written. For the note to work the user must have a face accompanying the name, merely think of the individual and the note will take effect shortly.
“3: If the cause of...humiliation is written in the next 30 seconds, then it will happen.
“4. If the cause of...humiliation is not specified, nature will take its course and the individual targeted will be attached to fate for the rest of the day."
At this I stopped reading. What did it mean by “attached to fate for the rest of the day?” Maybe there was something I was missing in that sentence? I glanced over to my side to see Pinkie waiting for me to continue. This was the longest she’d ever been so quiet. Guess she was just as curious to see what this book was about as I was.
Taking another look at the book. Spike turned his attention to the page as he watched the book magically state the fifth rule.
“5: After writing the cause of devastation, details of what should occur should be specified in the next 7 minutes and 25 seconds. Otherwise default will occur and nature shall take its course. Laughter will be specified through nature if not specified by user.”
I stared silently. I didn’t like this. Not one bit. Some of these rules were, alright but this last one. It...it had an ominous feeling about it. I don’t think Discord would make something like this and leave it here for us as a joke...where did this come from?...did Discord really make this?
I felt a pressure on my shoulder noticing Pinkie was trying to get my attention. “Spike” she whispered as if she didn’t want the book to hear. “There’s more.”
“Final Rule: Those that touch Entropy, will be bound to it till the true owner says otherwise. There is no way to change this. What’s done is done, and what’s done cannot be undone. Welcome Spike the Dragon, Advisor to the Bearers. Welcome Pinkamena Diane Pie, Element of Laughter.
From this day forward you are now the owner of Entropy. I wish you the best master.
Oh and one more thing.”
The page ended and there was an arrow at the bottom right corner indicating for you to turn to the next page. Spike did as such and what was printed freshly on the page in front of him and Pinkie both made them cringe greatly.
“Happy Laughing.”
Then quite suddenly the book started to shake. It shook so violently that Spike himself found trouble keeping a firm grip on it, the text started to glow and burn red like coals powering a train, and then all of a sudden, a burst of white light exploded throughout the castle, throwing Spike and Pinkie away from the book and onto the other side of the room.
When all had settled the two were on the a few inches away from the book that no longer looked plain and boring, but was covered in various colors. From blue to green, to pink, to orange. Every color of every shade of every type now decorated the notebook. And as both Pinkie and I rose to take a look at it. We watched the one word bleed itself onto the cover.
Entropy.
For a long while Pinkie and Spike said nothing. The two stared at the book, confused, curious, and wondering what they had just gotten themselves into.
But then again it was just any old Tuesday. This was natural in Ponyville...right? This wasn't the first time the young drake could remember making a mistake like this. He'd done it with Rarity once before with that cursed book, but this one seemed so...different.
“Spike!” Twilight called from downstairs.
Immediately I jumped with a start, Pinkie doing the same. Quickly looking towards the pile of books that we had knocked over during the explosion Pinkie and I began dancing the dance of nervousness as I could hear Twilight’s hooves approaching the second floor.
“Spike dear where are you?” Rarity’s voice joined in.
OH SHOOT! “Pinkie!” I whispered frantically pointing to the books. “Do something! ANYTHING!”
Pinkie immediately stopped her dance and gave the pile of books we knocked over a quick look.
She nodded to me with a glint of determination in her eye.
Twilight and Rarity were getting closer.
In a flash of purple and pink both dragon and party planner cleaned up the mess, set everything the way it should be, and just as quickly dusted off the shelves as well as it could have taken twelve people to do it together.
“Done!” Pinkie wheezed.
“Are they in here Twilight?” Rarity asked.
There was a sudden loud squeal that sounded like it came from Starlight. Almost forgot she was still here.
“Sorry!” Rarity said embarrassment clear in her voice.
“Bathroom” Twilight stated. “It’s right here.”
Pinkie looked at me and I nodded knowingly. She would stall them while I took care of the book.
“Pinkie” I called before grabbing my bag, she stopped and stared still out of breath from the way her barrel moved no doubt.
“We can’t tell them about this.”
Pinkie waved her hoof over her lips did a turning gesture with it, then threw whatever she had just locked into what I could only presume was a giant safe. Or Rainbow Dash’s closet.
“Right just-”
“Hey Spike. Oh, Pinkie what are you doing he-” Twilight never finished as Pinkie tackled both her and Rarity to the ground with a hug that any hoofball player would be impressed with.
Turning towards Entropy I frowned. “What are you?” I asked the multicolored book. Obviously it didn’t reply.
A look of displeasure crossed my face. “Of course.”
“Spike?” Twilight said gaining the young drake’s attention. Freezing Spike gripped the book tightly in his hand then slowly turned to look at Twilight with an awkward smile.
“Heeey Twi."
Silence.
I shuffled on my feet nervously as I glanced back towards my backpack. Both Twilight and Rarity were staring at me, C'mon Spike think! Say something! "Soooooo, how was modelling?”
Twilight cocked a brow at her assistant and brother. The young alicorn’s glowing horn carried a suspended Pinkie.
“It was fine.” She said slowly. “Why don’t you come over here, Rarity’s got something to give you.”
“But Twilight I-” the look Twilight quickly shot at Rarity silenced the mare instantly. It wasn’t until the fashionista noticed how Spike stood, his posture alone giving him away and how his hands being behind his back was clear enough to anypony that he was hiding something.
“Yes, actually” Rarity said with a small smile pointing a perfectly manicured hoof to her saddlebags. “It’s right here.”
My nervous smile grew. “Hehehe, is it? T-that’s great.” I replied, making my way backwards towards my bag.
Twilight’s eyes slightly narrowed. “What do you have behind your back, Spike?”
The notebook dropped into my backpack just in time and I moved both my hands away showing them to her. “Nothing! See” the drake said with a weak chuckle.
“Mhm, I see. Then I guess you won’t mind if I take a look at your bag then!” With a flick of her horn my backpack flew over my head, out of my reach, in front of Twilight.
Despite my protests and Pinkie’s as well the alicorn didn’t listen and opened my bag, looked inside then pulled out Entropy.
My eyes widened in horror. I expected to get scolded for hiding a strange book like this, but as Pinkie and I waited nothing happened.
Finally Twilight looked up at me with a confused look. “Spike, I thought you outgrew coloring books years ago.” She said with a frown.
I could feel a powerful rush running to my cheeks as Rarity moved over, to get a look at Entropy, only to see the same thing Twilight saw and not what I could see.
A coloring book for foals.
Rarity giggled lightly, and if anything that just made this even more embarrassing. How could they not see it?!
“Well I think it’s adorable. Dear Spike trying to hold onto his childhood as he grows up. My lil Spikey Wikey” Rarity said with a smile that made the drake blush even harder.
“I- I don’t understand” Pinkie said. “You don’t see it?”
“See what?” Twilight asked. “This is just a regular coloring book. Now I get why you didn’t want me to see it.” Twilight said smiling in an apologetic manner as she slid Entropy back into Spike’s bag.
Clearing her throat Twilight levitated the bag back to Spike. “Anyway, I came back to tell you the others and I came to see if you wanted to get some lunch. And since Pinkie’s here that just makes it easier. So do you wanna come?”
“Yeah, yeah sure. I will.” The drake said perplexed.
“Great. I’ll ask if Starlight wants to come also.” Turning around Twilight began trotting away Pinkie staring at Spike with a slackjaw and Rarity briefly trotting over to give him a gentle pat on the back.
“See you downstairs” the fashionista called before closing the door.
“Yeah...see you downstairs” I said, my grip tightening on the bag. A few seconds of silence went by before Spike opened his backpack again and looked at the only book inside it.
There Entropy sat, looking just as multicolored as it had since the bright flash of light. Spike took the book out and stared at it. He opened to the first page.
The rules were still there and they looked in no way or form like a picture book.
Spike frowned deeply, a look of concern and distress crossing his face. “What are you?”
“Spike!” A voice called from below.
“Coming!” I called back. Looking at the book one more time I slid it back into the backpack and turned away.
Maybe it’ll be gone by the time I get back.
