Unforeseen Consequences - Welcome to Griffonstone 7

>It should have been around 2:00 p.m. when you entered Gilda’s house. You remembered it because the sun was burning with the intensity that only does around those hours and the chill sensation you felt when stepping into the humble little house was quite refreshing, especially after having to deal with the council’s shenanigans since the early morning.
>As you said, Gilda’s house wasn’t exactly big or fancy. It consisted of a living room that also served as the dining room, a small kitchen that connected to it, and a hallway that lead to three rooms on the left side and one at the end of it.
>There wasn’t a real floor so to speak, or more accurately, it lacked the kind of things your royal life had made accustomed to. The floor was simple hard cement covered with hay, that’s it.
>Despite all of that, you found yourself quite comfortable in this place, because what Gilda’s home lacked in luxury it made more than up for it when it came to how cozy the atmosphere was. It’s one of those things that you can’t really describe in words.
>Of course, the good vibes you were feeling were only increased when you saw Twilight’s gang at the living room. The fact that they were all in a high mood despite the current situation put your heart at ease.
> Fluttershy and Miss Rarity were sharing a nice cup of what you assumed was hot tea while Pinkie Pie devoured the chocolate cake that was in the table all by herself. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash and Applejack continued with their usual friendly rivalry by having a hoof wrestling match.

>They weren’t alone either. Resting at an old and outworn armchair was a very old male griffon. Maybe older than the entire council combined. His coat was… cornflower blue, definitely. His head was almost completely absent of feathers, with just a couple dark grey ones sprung here and there. In fact, the only feathers the old guy had were a little below the neck area, making him look like he was wearing a violet gray scarf.
>His more prominent features however, were the big scar over his right blind eye… and that he was also wearing a fez hat. Despite these aspects looking somewhat threatening, and unlike the council, this old griffon expelled an aura of knowledge, one that demanded respect.
>You thought that unless for some horrible reason this guy turned out to be an even bigger jerk than the council, you would definitely bring your best behavior when talking to them.
>But for the girls? Well, it would need to be the same, especially for miss Rarity… Hmm, maybe not so much for RD, especially since she still owes you those Power Ponies issues that she ruined before you went on your failed school trip.
 >And maybe acting super princely wouldn’t be the best idea for Gilda. That gal simply acted too informal that any form of formality would just feel awkward and forced.
>Speaking of forced, you quickly realized that Gilda liked, or rather tried, to look cool as hard as possible. That fact became clearer when she announced the girls about your presence “Fun’s over, dweebs! Put your best smile, ‘cause you have some visits!”
>The very first one to greet your mom and you was actually Rarity, she bowed at the two of you “Princess Luna and Prince Anon. It’s delightful to see you again. I apologize for not having a more fabulous setting to greet you, but I’m sure that you will understand the dreadful conditions that we’re all in”

>Despite how courteous it was, it kind of made you feel uncomfortable due to how exaggerated you thought Rarity was being. That said, you still blushed hard. C’mon, it was Rarity, even with the over the top greeting, she was still as beautiful as an angel.
>And you had to say, your words were quite suave.
“Uh… H-Hello there, Miss Rarity! Ah… d-don’t worry! I-I’m always happy to see you!”
>You could hear your mom laughing beneath her teeth, and to make your blush worse, she leaned closer to you and whispered into your ear “Tell me, my little star. How do you manage to string two words together around Cherrywood when you’re so bad around pretty faces?”
>Cherrywood… oh man, it was a good thing she wasn’t here. Otherwise she would’ve broken your spine in half.
>Your mom let out another giggle before addressing Rarity with a polite, but much more informal tone… well, for her standards at least. “No need to apologize for anything, Miss Rarity. I am just glad to see that you are safe and in good company. Everything else is secondary.”
>Rarity’s politeness suddenly made a turn into what you could only call whininess as she started to complain about her stay in Griffonstone “Well, I certainly wouldn’t go that far. Not when I have already walked through this entire kingdom and I couldn’t find a single spa that wasn’t filled with…”
>But she was quickly shut up by Applejack who pushed her to a side and shot her a quick glare “Rarity, yer bein’ so stuck up, ya would drown on a rainstorm!” She then turned to your mom and you and tipped her hat “Luna, Anon. Yer a sight fer sore eyes but Ah reckon we have more important stuff to talk about than catchin’ up.”
>Your mom nodded in acknowledge of the situation and addressed Applejack as the actual leader of the group “You are absolutely correct, fair Applejack. I suppose the best starting point would be your exact recollection of the events in question.”
>Applejack opened her mouth to reply but before any sound could come out of it, none other than Pinkie Pie decided to join the conversation in the most abrupt and over-the-top way possible.
>You weren’t kidding with that last part. In order to finish the entire chocolate cake as soon as possible, Pinkie Pie basically opened her jaw so widely that you could’ve easily fit inside of it.

>That’s not to say that once she swallowed the entire cake in one gulp, Pinkie dashed to you so fast that she left behind a small pink cloud shaped like her. That is if you ignore all that confetti that just exploded into existence.
>You really didn’t know her as well as the others, but you sure knew to not question her seemingly reality bending powers. You only wished to have casted a shield before she picked you up like a little toy and spun you around like a little toy.
>“EEEEEEEEEEEEE! IT’S ANON AND PRINCESS LUNA! They’re here! They’re here!” Pinkie said in her usual bombastic personality at the same time as she threw you into the air and caught you with her hooves “So! So! So! Did you get Twilight out? What am I saying?! OF COURSE YOU DID! Tell me, where is she?! I can’t wait to give her a big, warm “welcome back” hug!”
>Even when your tolerance for Pinkie and her hyper personality was very close to the absolute zero, you couldn’t help but to feel a bit like a failure when she finally realized that her friend wasn’t accompanying you.
>It is no exaggeration to say that it was like all of her happiness was siphoned out of her. Heck, even her usual pink mane deflated a bit and lost some of its bright pink color… all accompanied by the sound of a deflating balloon.
“I’m sorry, Miss Pie. The council turned out to be bigger cheaters than what we expected.”

>Pinkie slowly put you back on the ground and rubbed her right leg. Despite the clear nosedive that her mood suffered due to the realization, Pinkie still tried to keep a smile on her face “Oh… uh… don’t be sorry Anon! I’m sure Princess Luna and you did your best! And hey! There’s always hope that tomorrow will be better, right?!”
>You hoped that your mom would have taken everything from here on out, but when you turned your gaze to her, as in to tell “this is your cue”, your mom simply offered you a little smile as she subtly smiled and waved her hoof for you to continue.
>Gosh darn it, mom.
>Before coming back to Pinkie, you let out a heavy sigh to let out a bit of frustration. Then, you offered her a smile as warm as the morning sun… or tried to, at least.
“Tomorrow? Miss Pie, while the meeting wasn’t exactly perfect, we’ve already found more than enough evidence to get Twilight out of whatever dank cell she was locked in!”
>And with those words, joy came back to Pinkie Pie. Her mane quickly inflated again as she essentially smiled so happily that glimmer burst out of her mane.

>Thankfully, Pinkie didn’t pick you up this time, instead she happily bounced around you as she said “Really?! That’s amazing, Anon! Yay! Twilight is gonna be so happy!”
“Of course it’s amazing! Who do you think we are?”
>The rest of the girls looked at Pinkie happily bouncing across the entire house with warm faces. The same went for you and your mom, really. Pinkie’s happiness was kind of contagious.
>As for RD, she turned to Gilda with this huge smirk that honestly felt like something out of a badly drawn comic and said “What did I tell you, Gi? The kid is trained in the ways of the awesome. Now cough up those bits!”
>Gilda rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, her face clearly telling that she still had some doubts about you “In your dreams, Dash! Bet’s still on until that Twilight’s out!”

>The old griffon at the armchair let out a hoarse laugh as he slapped his right leg “Gilda, you bonehead! This is no dumb rascal you’re betting against! This is a bonafide Princess! You already lost!”
>Gilda blushed for a second, but she covered it up by angrily looked away and grunting “You talk like you know what you’re talking about, Grampa Gruff.”
>Gruff and Gilda, huh? Seems like your hypothesis about the griffon naming system was right on the spot. Too bad it still doesn’t matter for anything.
>“Of course I know what I’m talking about! I know everything about this town’s history and this ain’t the first time the princesses has had to teach the council a lesson or two!” The old Gruff stretched his old limbs before getting off his armchair and walking to you at the slow pace that only and old guy like him could do.

>When he finally reached you, old Gruff took off his fez hat and extended his claw to your mom to greet her “Excuse the mess, Princess Luna. A certain somegriffon here is just too lazy to do anything. Name’s Gruff by the way, it’s an honor to have you here.”
>Your mom kindly smiled at old Gruff as she shook his claw. “The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Gruff, and please, do not concern yourself about such a minor thing. After all, it is I who should be apologizing for abusing of your hospitality. So! Allow me to thank you in the name of all Equestria for housing these poor mares in their time of need.”
>Old Gruff scratched the back of his bald head and smiled a bit embarrassed by your mom’s words “It was no big deal, really! These youngsters ain’t half-bad AND they have paid their rent!” He then turned to you, looking right into your eyes with that white eye of his “And this youngling must be Prince Anon, right?”
“Uh… that’s right, sir! I’m Anon, at your service! Excuse the question but… how did you know my name?”
>Old Gruff pointed behind him with a particularly stoic look on his face “It’s hard to miss when those youngsters have been saying your name over and over again.” He then shrugged and went back to his armchair where he pulled out a book so thick that it could’ve pass as a self-defense weapon “I also read the news, kid. Nice job with Chrysalis by the way. Now if you don’t mind, this old griffon wants to continue reading the history of Griffonstone’s palace.”

>“Very well, Mr. Gruff. We shall make sure that you are not bothered with your studies” Your mom let out a small giggle and took a seat at the living room table, she then changed her smile to a more serious and professional face “Now, I know everypony must be exhausted, but I would really like to hear your accounts on this incident as well to discuss the best strategy to take.”
>You were more than ready to join your mom and the girls on this, but you had to halt your intentions when you felt someone tapping your shoulder.
>When you turned around, you found Fluttershy hovering barely above the ground. She didn’t say a thing, but judging by the expression on her face, you assumed that she felt troubled about something.
>Her silence was a bit annoying if you had to be honest, especially when it was clear that she wanted to speak to you. That said, you decided to handle this with kindness, since it was the right thing to do… and because Discord would have your head on a plate if he knew that you were rude towards Fluttershy.
>So you decided to break the ice with a warm and inviting smile, and of course, you didn’t forget to act extra princely with her.
“Oh, Miss Fluttershy! Good afternoon! I’m sorry for not greeting you before, it’s just that I have a lot on my mind today. With that said, and I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, is there something that you want to discuss with me?”

>Fluttershy replied with a very meek voice as she tried to hide her face behind the mane bang that covered the left part of her face “Umm… yes, yes I do… I-I mean! Hi, Anon… Umm… do you mind if we step outside for a bit? I-I kind of… umm… want to ask you something in private.”
>You eagerly nodded to Fluttershy and walked to the door with her.
“Sure!”
>But before exiting the house, you quickly turned your gaze to your mom to inform her about the little chat you were about to have.
“Hey, mom! Could you start without me? I have some stuff to discuss with Miss Fluttershy.”
>Your mom simply waved in approval and said without shifting her focus from Applejack “Do what you must, my child. I shall inform you on the elements’ testimony when you return.”
>To your surprise, Rarity also stood up from her seat and offered your mom a small bow before joining you “Actually, Princess. I will need to beg your pardon, but this is something that concerns me too. Please think of it as a small personal favor that Fluttershy and I want to ask to the Prince. Nothing major, mind you, but it has quite the importance for the two of us.”
>Your mom shook her head and waved her hoof at Rarity in signal that it was ok for her to go “There is no need for so many justifications. I am very well aware that you mean no harm to my son. Just be back before I lay out our strategy for tomorrow.”
>After Rarity gave your mom another courteous bow, your new group exited Gilda’s house. You would be lying if you said that you weren’t curious about this… and you’d also be lying if you said that you didn’t feel lucky to be hanging around with two smoking hot mares.

>Especially Rarity, she looked like an angel under the afternoon soon, and that mare was also the first one to open up the conversation with her usual stylish voice “Aaah! I may have quite a few pickles with the lack of fashion in Griffonstone, but isn’t this a most wondrous day? The sun rays are just perfect for anypony’s fur, the chill wind keeps a marvelous feeling of…”
>“Rarity, please…” She was cut off by a much more assertive Fluttershy than what you remembered “We’re here to ask Anon a big, big favor! And…umm… I-I actually have a personal question to ask him.”
>Rarity huffed and puffed her cheeks like you totally don’t do “I just wanted to be poetic! But fine! Ask Anon whatever troubles your mind, darling.”
>You let out a small chuckle and looked at the mares with just a slight hint of smugness. As in, not enough for Fluttershy to notice and tell Discord you were being mean to her.
“I’d say that was my line, Miss Rarity. But it doesn’t matter, does it? Alright, Miss Fluttershy, what do you want to know?”
>Fluttershy giggled and covered her mouth in a polite way, she then hesitated a bit but ultimately couldn’t resist to caress your mane “Oh, you little thing! You don’t need to call me Miss all the time! Just Fluttershy would be okay!”
>Rarity agreed with her friend, complimenting her words in that fabulous way that you loved so much “While me personally find your royal formality to be an example to all foals, I do have to remind you that my friends just call me Rarity, and I do consider you a friend, darling.”

>The only reaction you could muster was a shrug. What else could you do? They wanted you to drop the royal act? No problem, but that also meant they had to get a slice of the smug cake.
“Yeah, sure! I was getting tired of acting all princely anyways. So! Fluttershy! I don’t want to be rude, but we seriously don’t have all day. So shoot your question and let’s hope I can answer it.”
>Both mares looked at each other with complete surprise, they didn’t say a thing, but it was more than clear that happened due to your change in attitude. You guessed this is part of why your mom Celestia always has to keep her true nature hidden from most ponies.
>Luckily, the awkward moment didn’t last much longer. Rarity took the initiative by motioning Fluttershy to go back to the topic at hoof. In turn, the yellow pegasus started her explanation in her own clumsy way.
>“Oh… right! Um… Have you seen Eris? P-Please! Don’t think she’s in trouble, it’s just that… um… Something inside me tells me that she needs some help, and… is not like I can just call Discord b-because he would get really worried a-and I thought… since Eris always talks about you like you were her brother and… sorry… I-I just want to know where she is and if she’s fine…”
>A sly smile started to get drawn in Rarity’s face as she teasingly placed a hoof around her friend’s neck “My, oh my! Do my hears deceive me? Is that a strong motherly instinct that our dear Fluttershy feels towards the lively Eris? This is quite the revelation indeed! Should I start designing your dress for the wedding with Discord? And how about his suit? I’m absolutely sure I can come up with something fitting of his… unique style.”

>It didn’t came as a surprise for you to see Fluttershy quickly getting away from Rarity’s teases and for the yellow fur of her face to change into a deep crimson red “R-Rarity, please! I-Is not like that! Discord and I…! Maybe we just need…! I-I don’t think rushing things would…! I-I’m just worried about Eris, okay?!”
>Far from showing any kind of regret, Rarity giggled victorious as she gently tugged her friend “I know, darling. I just couldn’t resist teasing you for a bit.” Devoid of her previous playfulness, Rarity looked at you with friendly eyes “Anon? Why don’t you be a dear and take it from here?”
>You would be lying if you said that you didn’t get a bit curious about that question. You weren’t really sure about the details of their relationship, but Eris didn’t mention Fluttershy that much, at least not around you.
>Even more, you would’ve thought that someone like your big sis couldn’t resist to brag and boast about her actions against the cult, as well as being invited by your mom Celestia herself to have a private meeting.
>Which also made you realize that having a private meeting with your mom after an event like that was like opening a chocolate box where you have the random chance to eat a chocolate filled with nails. That is to say, either Eris got a medal, or your mom asked her to do something very risky

>You weren’t going to tell any of this to Fluttershy, of course. Not because of dishonesty, but because if the second case was true, then it was likely that whatever they talked about was classified.
>It sucked, sure, but that’s how these things go, especially when it comes to your moms… and Discord.
“Well, that’s the problem, I haven’t seen Eris since a couple days ago and the only thing I know is that yesterday she was supposed to meet with my mom Celestia. So I’d say that’s a strong 75% chance that my sis is doing fine and a 25% that she’s scrubbing the castle’s toilets… which is fine by me because I was supposed to do that.”
>Rather than ease her thoughts, your words made Fluttershy so worried that she was almost to the point of crying “Ooh! I hope you’re right and my poor Eris is safe back home! I-I don’t want to imagine what I would do if something were to happen to her”
>You couldn’t let that happen. Not when they have you in a clear high regard, and when Discord could unleash all sorts of horrible things on you if he knew that you made his sweetheart cry.
“Fluttershy, c’mon! Don’t undersell my big sis like that! Whatever my mom talked with her, I’m sure Eris already dealt with it and is already preparing a massive prank for Twilight… or she’s at the Crystal Empire playing with Cadence and Flurry Heart… which sucks for me, because I was supposed to do that.”

>Thankfully, Rarity didn’t leave you alone on this one, as she quickly and effectively comforted her friend “Point is, Eris is a very capable mare… err, draconequus and there’s nothing for you to be worried about, darling! Now, since we have a clear time restraint, I think we should move on and tell Anon about the little favor we had planned to ask him.”
>Everything would’ve been perfect if it wasn’t for Fluttershy asking you with so much trust that your secrecy made you feel like scum “A-Alright… but… umm… if you know something about what Eris is doing, anything at all, would you promise to tell me, Anon?”
>Without realizing it, the element of kindness just put you between the sword and the wall. On one hoof, if your hypothesis ended up being right then you couldn’t tell her a thing since that would only bring problems not only for you, but for Equestria itself.
>And on the other, there was so much secrecy you could keep before turning into straight up lying. Which was a massive no-no for you. Man, playing politics can suck at times.

“Why not? Is not like my mom would ask Eris to do something stupidly dangerous anyways. So! With that out of the way! This favor of yours… I don’t want to be rude, but I have the feeling is not exactly little. Especially when you couldn’t say it in front of my mom Luna.”
>Rarity seemed oddly nervous, which for you wasn’t a good sign, like at all “It is a small task when compared to what we are facing right now, but… I would understand why it would end up seeming… problematic for you.”
>Even if they came from such a beautiful angel like Rarity, those words did bother you a lot. You weren’t some guy who could or should be sweet talked into some trick!

>So even with the risk of Discord coming with a thousand years’ worth of chaos, you would not stand by this! You were the frickin’ prince, darn it!
“Rarity, I’m not sure we have the same definition of “problematic”. If some guy stole your stuff, I’ll just ask Aegia to help me hunt the idiot down, that ain’t a problem for me.”
>Fluttershy replied first, completely oblivious to what your real intentions were “W-what?! No! E-Everypony at Griffonstone has been so nice to us! A-And even if I lost my bag of bits… I-I’m sure it will make a family happy… umm… Rarity? I-I think you’d be the best to explain this.”
>Rarity didn’t make the same mistake though. She immediately picked up what you were really trying to convey with both your words and your much more uptight attitude.
>“Very well, I shall go to the point then. Anon, we’re very aware on how… rough your relationship with Spikey-whikey has been in the past, but you see, ever since that accident that momentarily took Twilight away from us, he has been feeling rather depressed and…”

>Fluttershy interrupted Rarity, looking much more nervous than before “A-And Spike hasn’t come out of his room, a-and nothing we have tried to cheer him up has worked. E-Even Pinkie’s secret ruby muffins! And they never fail to put a smile on his cute little face! Umm… sorry… I-I didn’t mean to interrupt b-but…”
>You raised an eyebrow at all of that. Your face displayed a more business-like look. You then let out a sigh and slowly shook your head.
“I’m gonna take a wild bet here. You girls want me to go in there and talk with Spike to get him out of the hole he’s in… yeah, now that can be a problem.”
>Rarity immediately protested, and basically confirmed your deductions right “You have to understand, darling! We simply have no other option, and I refuse to leave my Spikey-whikey feeling like it was his fault what those council ruffians did to our poor Twilight!”
>So they wanted you to help that mutated salamander? You had heard stupid things all day, but this one definitely took the cake.
“You see, Spike and I have something like a business deal. He hates me and I hate him. It works and we’re both very happy with that. So! I’m sorry but I’ll have to turn you down on this one.”

>That did leave Rarity silent… and you feeling like garbage. Man, you screwed it up on this one. To make things worse, Fluttershy didn’t look to peachy about your reply either. The curious thing is that she didn’t look sad or disappointed, but rather… determined.
>“I-I’m sorry Anon, b-but… I-I don’t understand… umm… I-I know normal foals have petty fights like this, b-but…you’re not really a normal colt, are you? I-I don’t mean that as an insult, it’s just that… well, Discord and Eris have told so much about you and…”
>And you’re kind, and the prince, and all of yadda-yadda! Dang it, Discord! You told Fluttershy to use the prince’s card! Sure! You did need the reminder, but… it was Spike, man! Ugh…
“Hold it right there! I already know where this is going… and you’re right. So! Yes! You girls win this one! I’ll see what I can do with Spike! Just don’t expect much!”

>Rarity confidently… and sexily smiled at you, even adding a cute wink to the mix… making your face to get as red as a tomato “Its fine, darling. If you could stood up against the Queen of the changelings and save Equestria, then I am absolutely certain that lifting Spike’s spirits will be of no problem for you!”
“Yeah, yeah! I know! I just wanted to played it cool… I promise that I will do my best with Spike. Oh! And Chrysalis ain’t calling the shots at the hive anymore! Thorax is! I dunno why everyone forgets about that, but please remember it because he’s trying really hard and I just want him to get some recognition.”
>Kinda like the salamander, that guy must work a lot if he… ugh! Now you were being empathetic towards that guy! This sucked man.
“Whatever, just tell me where the liza- I mean, Spike’s room is so I can be done with this.”
>Fluttershy and Rarity weren’t exactly thrilled by your attitude, but your agreement to their request kept them satisfied enough.

>With nothing more to say in the matter, the three of you went back into Gilda’s house. The two girls joined the group while you went straight to where Spike’s room was supposed to be.
>Rarity was also kind enough to cover for you with your mom, who at this point totally had to know what was going on considering how lenient she has been with this so far.
>You didn’t mind that at all though, it actually gave you more room to breathe and to mentally prepare for the idea that you were about to lend a hoof to that stupid salamander.
>So after a heavy sigh, you knocked on his door a couple times and hoped that the lizard had run off or something like that.
>“I already told you girls, I’m fine… I just want to be alone for a while.”

>Which of course didn’t happen, the guy replied almost immediately with such a depressed voice that it legit started to worry you… not enough to act all sweet though.
“Guess again, lizard.”
>“Anon?! Go away! I’m not in the mood to deal with your stuff”
>Now that type of answer was totally expected, same with the sound of Spike locking the door with like, three padlocks. It sucked for him that a mere door was nothing in comparison for your magic.
>You simply teleported into the badly-lit room and appeared on top of an old wooden desk. Spike was lying on a single bed, and judging by his face, the salamander didn’t factor in your magic when he decided to lock you out.
“Too bad, because I’m not going anywhere. So! Why don’t we try it again but this time, with a bit more enthusiasm? Now, when I say “Hello Spike” You say…”

>Despite your totally awesome intro, the salamander simply glared at you with annoyance and a little bit of awe “…How did you do that?”
“I dunno if you’ve noticed, but I have this very cool horn that allows me to do all sorts of magic tricks, and teleporting uninvited into someone else’s room is the one I know the best.”
>The salamander threw his single pillow at you, which of course didn’t do anything since caught it mid-air with your magic. After his little attack failed, Spike turned around and pulled the sheets over him “Leave me alone, dude…”
>Hmmm… the pillow was wet and his eyes were red. That must meant that the guy actually was crying before you arrived. Alright, you were gonna try the awesome approach one last time before changing tactics.
“I’m sorry lizard, but that won’t happen. So! If you want a good advice, you should start telling me why you are being such a downer.”
>It didn’t work, of course. Spike simply got off his bed and walked past you and towards the door. “Ugh… Then I’ll leave…”
>While you didn’t get up from the desk since it was actually quite the comfortable seat, you did use your magic to stop Spike from exiting. Nothing too brush like other times though, just a small nudge.

>You then let out a sigh and switched gears to behave more princely. Not the super polite act that you put with the girls, but the kind of princely attitude that you had during the important moments.
“Spike… I know you don’t like me, and trust me, the feeling is pretty much mutual. That said, I can’t really ignore how much you’re suffering either. So I’m asking you in the nicest way I can, please give me a chance to help you.”
>That actually worked, as Spike got back to his bed and adopted a more flexible tone “…Do you promise to stop bothering me if I tell you everything?”
>You offered Spike a kinder smile as you gently nodded at him. Then, you let out a little chuckle and made yourself comfortable in the desk.

“Yes, and I’ll even sweeten the deal in case you don’t believe me. If I can’t help you, then not only I will go and hug a cactus, but you’ll also get my entire Power Ponies’ cards collection”
>Spike rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. He wasn’t being aggressive though, just careful “You can’t trick me, dude! Discord already told me and Big Mac that all you have are Humdrum cards!”
>You didn’t reply to any of that since… he was actually right. Frickin’ Discord. The only thing you did was to stare right into Spike’s eyes.
>Which again worked, Spike let out a sigh in defeat and actually accepted your proposal… not without throwing a last cautious look at you though “Alright… but don’t you dare laughing! Because if you do, I’ll…”
“You’ll shoot your wimpy little flame at me. I know, don’t worry, I swear on my moms that I won’t laugh at you. Now, get your butt comfortable and tell me your sob story.”