The Book Sale
“SPIIIIIKE! Spike I need you to help find me with something!” The small dragon yawned and stretched at the yelling of his name. He looked around the room that he had been given once Twilight became the Princess of Friendship. He had decorated the room with the little things he had and some new stuff, like a poster of the Power Ponies (Which just so happened to be hiding a ruined wall that Spike had eaten), a chest that held all the comics he had collected, and some old armor that Shining Armor had given him as he thought he would enjoy it. “Spiiiiiikkkeee are you up yet?”
“On my way Twilight!” Spike shouted back and ran through the castle, he could guess where his oldest friend was. She had spent all her free time in the new library that the castle was created with and trying to read every book. He knew better than to try and convince her to leave the room, seeing as she had once spent a straight week in a library leading to him having to keep her fed and finally calling the princess when the librarian wanted her to leave and take a bath.
Spike was pulled from his thoughts when he tripped over a stray book that was just laying on the ground. He grumbled as he picked the book up and looked up at the hallway leading to the library, stacks on stacks of books were everywhere as Twilight must have taken every book off the shelves. Spike looked at the one in his hands and let it fall to the ground as he forced himself through the maze and landed on his behind. Twilight was flying above him and had eight books floating around her.
“Spiiiiiikkkkkeeeeee!”
“Umm Twi? I’m right here.” The pony jumped and dropped the books while rushing over to the dragon. Her breath and eyes revealed that she must have been living off coffee for the last twelve hours. “This again Twilight? I thought you promised me that you wouldn’t pull out that coffee pot again after that last time.”
“You can’t take my coffee!! It’s my lifestream!”
“Okay for one, stop playing my games when you're bored and two what is all this mess? I know that I’m gonna have to clean it so I might as know why.”
“Welllll I wanted to see what books we had that was different from the Ponyville library and every single one was out of order! So I knocked them all off the shelves and when I started to arrange them I saw the title of the first book I picked up and it was all about Starswirl the Bearded! You know I had to read all of that and then the next book I picked up was Princess Celestia’s autobiography Vol 1!”
Spike rubbed his face as the girl went on and on about every book that caught her eye (which was every book) before he held up a claw. “Okay okay, I get it. So why exactly did you need me?”
Twilight tilted her head in confusion before she remembered that she had a job for him. “Oh right! I called you! Well, I want a bigger library but the crystal is strong and I wanted to finish a few more books, so I was going to give you permission to eat some of the castle as long as you can eat it in a way that makes more bookshelves!” Spike looked around the room and then at the stacks of books that reached the ceiling.
“Okay while I am tempted to take you up on that offer I think you have a problem and I have the solution.” Twilight narrowed her eyes at the dragon and leaned her face close to his.
“And what exactly is this ‘Solution’?”
. . .
“NOOOOOOO NOT THAT ONE! HEY PUT THAT DOWN! I WANT THIS ONE!!” Twilight was rushing around as Spike was grabbing books and tossing them to Derpy who was passing by and heard them arguing. Spike hired Derpy for a job in his plan and started throwing books outside for her to catch. Twilight tried using her magic to stop Spike but he held up the books as hostages, threatening to burn one if she uses her magic. “SPIKE IF YOU DO THIS YOU ARE FIRED!!”
Spike scoffed and chuckled, rolling his eyes and throwing two more. “Fired? Me? You do realized that I am the only one that feeds you and keeps you healthy? I mean if you want to live off your cooking and restaurant food go ahead but I don’t see the princess job paying well or billing everything to Celestia ending well.” Twilight grumbled to herself but rushed to Spike and held the boy in a tight hug.
“You can’t make me have one of those… those…. THINGS!”
“It’s called a book sale Twi and we don’t need this many books.”
“D-do you even hear yourself?! Every book here has a purpose and place in this library and my heart!” Spike pulled out of the hug and picked up one of the books at random.
“‘The random history of history books’ Yeah I’m sure all of these have some purpose.” He tossed it to Derpy and after an hour of fighting the two joined the pegasus down to the large pile of books that he had managed to get out of the castle. He made a sign saying it was a book sale before turning to the pouting Alicorn. “Look Twi this is good okay, you get some bits and can buy new things for the castle! Something like food because while the castle grew with books, it forgot something like food and all we have is pretty average stuff that the town gave us. Now I’m going to go make us some breakfast with what we have, do you want some De-Ditzy?”
“Nope!” The pegasus said before following Spike back into the castle. Twilight lifted her hoof and grumbled something in a mock Spike voice. Twilight sat there with her books and read one before Applebloom happily came up to her.
“Twilight! What is all this? I never thought I’d see you having a book sale.” Twilight explained the situation to the young filly (while making Spike sound worse than he was) but Applebloom soon was looking through the books and lifted one. “Hey, I know this book! Granny Appleseed! This was Applejack’s favorite book when she was small! How much?”
Twilight was tempted to snatch the book back and hide it away but seeing the filly's large hopeful eyes, she felt her will shatter. “J-just take it…” Applebloom thanked and hugged her, not seeing the stress in the alicorn’s fake smile, before she happily left. Twilight slammed her face into a book and groaned before feeling someone breathing near her horn. She lifted her face to see the color pink cloud her vision as Pinkie Pie hugged her head.
“Twiiiilight! You are having a book sale! Are you sure you are the real Twilight or are you a double clone! Do you know if you are a clone? Am I one too? I was feeling especially party hardy this morning!”
“No, Pinkie I’m not a clone and you aren’t either. Spike thought I needed to get rid of some of my books…”
“Ooooh okay! I can help then! I want this book!” Pinkie held up a joke book but Twilight snatched it and looked at Pinkie.
“Uhhhhhh you don’t want this book!”
“Of course I do, it’s all about jokes!”
“Yeaaah wait no it isn’t! Umm, you see the joke book’s joke is that it is a super boring book! It puts people to sleep with its boringness! Oh, look Pinkie someone sad who needs a party!” Pinkie turned and rushed off with several balloons appearing out of nowhere. Twilight smiled and put the book down before feeling a claw tap her shoulder.
“Really Twi? You don’t even like jokes!” Spike said while chewing on a jewel, Derpy behind him was eating a fruit salad happily.
“What I do too!” Twilight argued while taking a bite of the hay burger Spike made.
Spike leaned in to read the title. ‘101 jokes and puns for parties’ “Right…” Just then a hardy wind picked up and several of the books flew off with Twilight grabbing them with her magic and hugging as many as she could.
“What is it?! Who is trying to take my babies!?”
“Relax Twi, your umm babies are safe. It’s just Rainbow Dash.” Said pegasus nodded and laughed a bit at how her friend was doing.
“Don’t worry Twilight I’m not here for any books, That more of an egghead thing. I’m too busy to sit and read some brainy books!”
“Busy sleeping...”
“I heard that Spike! All though I am a little curious to see if you have any awesome books in there, I mean I already am the most awesome pony in Ponyville but we can always aim higher right?” She looked around the pile but didn’t see any books that called to her, until her eyes wandered to a green and purple chest nearby. Opening the chest she was met with every issue of Power Ponies, most of the Guardians of Harmony, and a few issues of the Space Patrol. “Hey now we’re talking! How much for the comics?
“Comics? Wait a minute!!” Spike sped over and jumped onto the chest once he saw it. “No way these are mine!! How did they even get out here?!” Spike felt his body go weightless as he and the chest were lifted by Twilight who had a sinister smirk on her face. “Twi…”
“Well, Dash I can’t rightfully sale you the comics seeing as they are Spikes… but! How about I rent you the chest and you bring it back once you are done?”
Rainbow Dash giggled seeing Spike try to reach the chest to stop them but she did want to see some of the comics she had missed due to weather work. “Sure that sounds fair! Here’s thirty bits, I’ll be gentle with them Spike!” She shouted before taking the chest from the magic hue.
“Wait! There are some vintage issues in there!! Be careful Rainbow Dash!!!” Twilight brought Spike over to her and smiled, showing the money to him.
“Hey look, money!”
“I’m getting you back for this.”
“Maybe but not right now you’re not. That can be future Twilight's problem” Rarity soon enough walked up wearing a large white hat.
“Ooo darling you didn’t tell me you were having a book sale, I do enjoy a good story here and there." Spike blushed and waved at the pony as she searched the pile and blushed with her eyes caught one of the books. ‘A Mare by Default’ The book had a unicorn mare in the center surrounded by a strong stallion to the left of her, a teenage dragon on the right with his tail wrapped around the mare’s, a pegasus flying above them, and lastly a female pony between the mare’s legs and hugging her waist. “O-oh well… while I disapprove of you having a book like this one where young fillies can find it Twilight, lucky for you I am such a generous friend that I am willing to take it off your hoof.”
Twilight tilted her head and took the book, a dark blush spreading across her cheeks and she hands it back to Rarity while making sure Spike doesn’t see it. “Umm… twenty bits please and uhh Rarity?” Twilight leaned in close to the fashionista and whispered if she could borrow it once she was done with it. She paid and rushed back to the Carousel Boutique, making sure to hang a large closed sign.
Spike began to question Twilight on what the book was that Rarity bought but they were interrupted by a bunny hopping up to them with a letter in its mouth. The letter was from Fluttershy and inside were thirty-five bits.
“Dear Twilight and Spike
I heard you were having a book sale! Good job with letting go of things Twilight, I’m proud of you! Oh, I am sending this money and letter because one of my animal friends accidentally ruined a herbalist book I had just in case. Well one of them is sick and I was hoping you had a similar book that I could have to help them. Thank you both so so much!
Love Fluttershy”
Twilight sighed reading the letter and dug through her books and pulling out one about medical herbs and handed to the bunny before it called a dozen friends to help carry it. “Well, it was to help a friend right Twilight?”
“You’re right Spike maybe I have been a bit too clingy. If you help me get these books inside I’ll sell some to the public library or to the Canterlot Library.“ Spike gave it some thought and smiled before nodded and they took the books back into the castle.
. . .
A few days later, Spike was just finishing making some gemstone pancakes for himself and eggs and waffles for Twilight. He was adding fruit to the top of them just as Twilight came down and eagerly showed him an entire jar full of bits. “I sold some books and now we are set for a while.”
Spike smiled and hugged her when she sat to eat. “Well I for one am very proud of you Twi.”
“I know, Princess Self Control that’s me.” Derpy landed at the window and smiled at Twilight.
“Oh, Twilight you forgot this! It’s your order slip! I’ll bring the books over soon!” She dropped the note and took off to finish her orders, leaving Spike to give Twilight a deadpan look. She nervously ate a bite of the food and smiled.
“Umm… it’s really good! What's in it?”
Spike grabbed the note and read that Twilight had ordered around a hundred new books. “Twilight!!! I thought you just sold some!”
“I did! I sold every copy of the same book I had and well Spike can you send a letter to Princess Celestia? A new lesson I learned about life was that ponies pay a lot for books when a princess autographs them…”
Author's Note
(Hiya everyone! I wanted to see if I could make a quick one-shot before starting on a rather larger project that I want to write when I have time. Well for now this will just be a bit of fun. I hope you all enjoy and if you have any advice then I’m happy to hear it!)