Twilight and I were going through our usual duties. The girls and I were going to have a picnic today. This was supposed to be when the events of “Lesson Zero” took place, but since Celestia was flexible on Twilight’s due date, I was sure the majority of Twilight’s meltdown wouldn’t happen.
Like in the show, Twilight and I were going through the checklist. I tried to make sure I didn’t get a writer’s cramp from all the checking. We went to Sugarcube Corner to pick up the cupcakes. One look at the box, and Twilight already knew something was wrong.
“Uh, I only ordered twelve,” Twilight said to Mrs. Cake.
“Oh, I know, dear,” Mrs. Cake said. “But I had an extra. So I thought I'd make it a baker's dozen.”
“That’s very nice of you,” I said. “Thanks.”
Twilight looked at the cupcakes again. “I agree, but it's just that some of the icing from the extra cupcake is getting all over the one next to it.”
“For crying out loud, Twilight. Does it matter?”
“These are for the picnic later, Spike, and I don't want anypony to feel like somepony else is getting more icing.”
“Nopony will care who gets more icing. The only pony who might complain would be Pinkie Pie, but she eats so much icing, she practically brushes her teeth with it.”
Twilight sighed. “Okay, but if you get mad because the girls argue over this, remember that you've brought this on yourself.”
“It won’t come to that.”
We returned to the library after doing everything else on the list. My hand started to hurt from all the checking.
"I'm just glad we don't have to send a friendship letter this week," I said as I went to grab some ice. "All this writing is giving me a cramp."
Twilight widened her eyes. "We haven't sent a letter to Princess Celestia this week?!"
"Well, no. We don't need to. Remember? The princess said you can send one anytime you learn a friendship lesson. There's no official due date."
"Yes, but we've gotten into the habit of sending one to her every week since we came to Ponyville."
I sighed. "Twilight, do you read books, or do you just skim through them?"
"What kind of random and ridiculous question is that? Of course I read books thoroughly!"
"Then tell me, what was the name of the book Dusty Pages gave you when she retired?"
"'Perfection: The Impossible…' Oh, I see what you're getting at."
"Twilight, the princess won't mind if you don't send a letter today. You've got nothing to worry about. Now let's prepare for this picnic."
The afternoon arrived so fast. Twilight and I were on our way to the fields where our friends were. Twilight thankfully hasn't gotten insane like in the show.
"Hey, Twilight," I said. "Can I tell you something?"
"Go ahead, Spike," Twilight said.
"Remember when I found those Elements in the guide and sent a letter to Princess Celestia?" I twiddled my thumbs. "Well...right after I sent the letter, Discord showed up."
Twilight stopped dead in her tracks. She almost dropped the cupcakes.
"Please tell me this is a bad joke." Twilight glared at me.
"No, it's not. Discord showed up, but he didn't come for the Elements. Instead he told me that no matter what I did, I couldn't change the future. I didn't believe him, obviously, but looking back at what I’ve done in the past, I’m starting to think that he’s telling the truth.” My eyeballs were glued to the ground. “I felt like things would’ve turned out the same way if I didn’t have any involvement.”
Twilight wrapped one of her arms around me. “Spike, Discord was trying to manipulate you. He wants you to think that way. You’ve been very helpful not just to me, but to everypony else. You’ve helped Applejack buck all of those apples, you’ve helped us show gratitude for others, you’ve helped us to not judge the cover of a book, and you’ve even helped us enjoy the Grand Galloping Gala. And that’s just scratching the surface. Without you, who knows what would’ve happened.”
“Probably the same thing?”
“But you don’t know that, Spike. Applejack for example might’ve been so exhausted from her applebucking, that she would have made a mess out of Ponyville. Or that parasprite might make a swarm out of itself and eat Ponyville right off the map. You did a great job so far, and you shouldn’t let some crazy villain tell you that you’ve done everything for naught. You are my #1 assistant.”
I sighed. “Thank you, Twilight. You’re right. Discord was trying to get to my head. But to be honest, I didn’t understand why he didn’t bother trying to take the Elements from me. Or replace them with fakes.”
“Yeah, I’m more concerned about that as well. After we gave the elements back to Princess Celestia, she checked and confirmed they were real. If Discord can access that room and move the Elements wherever he likes, why doesn’t he move them again after you found them?”
“Maybe he wanted to be turned to stone again. Maybe he’s a death seeker?”
“SPIKE! Watch your mouth!”
“What?”
“Do not say the D-word. It’s a very sensitive subject.”
“S-sorry, Twilight. I didn’t know that.”
“Spike, saying words like the S-word or the D-word makes others believe that you’re rude or impolite, or as Rarity puts it, ‘uncouth.’”
“I-I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. Say, I remember I heard somepony say not to use ‘the F-word.’ Is there such a thing?”
Twilight quickly looked away. “Uh...Hey look! It’s the girls!”
Twilight and I waved to the others. The picnic went on pretty smoothly. There were no fights about the cupcakes, thankfully. We all chatted with each other about our day. Earlier, Fluttershy massaged Harry the Bear, one of her animal friends. Rarity almost lost an important ribbon for her dress. Applejack and Rainbow Dash demolished an old barn to make room for a new one.
“You all should’ve seen the finishing blow,” Rainbow Dash said. “I completely vaporized the entire barn.”
“Oh, so that would explain the sudden rumble earlier today,” Pinkie said. “I knew it wasn’t my Pinkie Sense going crazy.”
“That kind of reminds me,” I said as I wiped some of the pink frosting off my lips. “Do you guys ever believe in psychic powers, besides Pinkie Sense?”
“You mean, like predicting the future?” Twilight asked. I nodded. “Well, I’ve heard that there are some spells that can do so, but their reliability is questionable.”
“Oh. I don’t know about learning about the future,” Fluttershy said. “I’m still worried about the present.”
Applejack shrugged. “Meh, I don’t care too much for it. Some ponies use it to check their crops, but I rarely do. It just takes hard work, and the right conditions to get them perfect crops.”
“What’s to know about the future?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Ten, twenty, fifty years, I don’t care. I’m still gonna be awesome!” I rolled my eyes.
“I supposed learning about the future would be worth dabbling in, but I wouldn’t make a habit out of it,” Rarity said.
“I’ve got my Pinkie Sense,” Pinkie said as she munched on her fourth cupcake. “I don’t need anything else.”
“What about you, Spike? Do you believe in psychic powers?” Twilight asked as she grabbed another sandwich.
That’s when I had an idea. “Oh, I think it’s possible. In fact, I think it’s very easy to do once you know how. I bet I can predict all of your futures right now just by looking at your hooves.”
“You? Predicting our futures?” Rainbow Dash tried not to chuckle. “Now that I gotta see.”
“Hold out your hooves, then.” I placed my hands under Rainbow’s hooves and closed my eyes. “Let’s see...I can see you. You’re an awesome pony.”
“Hah! See? You don’t need to be a psychic to know that.”
“Wait, hold on. I’m seeing another pony. She’s...you?”
“What? Another me? Impossible!”
“It looks like...she’s a different fur color than you. Her mane’s all grey, too. Maybe an older Rainbow Dash? No..she looks rather young. Almost the same age as you.”
“Oh, I get it. I’m gonna meet my biggest fan, and she wants to look just like me.” Rainbow removed her hooves. “Sorry, future fan, but you should be yourself. I’m already taken.”
“Oh! Oh! Me next! Me next!” Pinkie called out.
“Alright.” I held Pinkie hooves. “Well, I can already tell that your hooves will be cleaned very soon.”
“Ooh, what a prediction!”
“Not exactly, darling,” Rarity said as she handed Pinkie a napkin. “He’s telling you to clean your frosted-covered hooves.”
Pinkie giggled nervously as she wiped her hooves and gave them back to me.
I closed my eyes again. “Okay, I see two cakes. They’re very small...and very cute.”
“Pinkie’s prediction is about eating cake?” Applejack asked. “I’d say it’s a random prediction, but this is Pinkie we’re talkin’ about.”
“Why do they have to be small?” Pinkie asked. “Can’t they be bigger?”
“There’s something else...I see...an accordion-playing sandwich. And a...small block of cheese?” I quickly pulled my arms back. “I think your randomness is rubbing off on me, Pinkie.”
“I’ll say,” Rarity said. “If you held on any longer, you might've seen Pinkie’s alligator become a philosopher.” She then got up from her fainting couch. “I supposed I can play along with this prediction game.”
I held Rarity’s hooves and closed my eyes. “Wow, your hooves are soft. Anyway. Let’s see...I see the Carousel Boutique. No, wait...I see two...three...six...it’s multiplying!”
“Oh, my. What about my significant other? Am I going to meet someone who’s handsome?”
“Hold on...Ah, I see someone...I can’t see their face, but they look familiar...wow, they’ve been really working out...”
“Ooh. I can’t wait to meet them.”
Applejack sighed. “If ya don’t mind, sugarcube, could I get a turn?”
“Go ahead,” I said. Applejack placed her hooves on my hands. “Hmm...I see your entire family...your brother, your sister, your granny, your parents...”
“Wait, my parents? But...ma and pa are...not at the farm anymore. How can that be?”
“Hmm...wait...I see your parents are whispering something to you...you’re acting shocked. Did they reveal a big secret to you?”
“The entire family was as open as a barn door. Keepin’ secrets from each other was like keepin’ a pond from gettin’ wet. Well...it was mostly like that.”
“Let’s move on. Fluttershy, it’s your turn,” I said.
“Oh...I don’t know,” Fluttershy whimpered. “Let Twilight go first.”
“It’s not a real hoof-reading,” Twilight assured her. “But if you wish, I’ll go before you.”
I did the same thing I did for the previous four ponies. “Okay...I see you in Canterlot. You’re wearing a dress. Wait a minute, there’s something on the dress. It’s...wings? You must’ve turned into a pegasus.”
“You see, Fluttershy? What are the odds that I’ll grow a pair of wings?”
You have no idea.
“O-okay...I guess it’s my turn?” Fluttershy asked as her trembling hooves sluggishly approached my hands.
“Don’t be nervous,” I said. “Now then. I see you with a bunch of animals. Looks like there’s a lot of them. Looks like one of them is friends with you. Close friends.”
“Who? Angel?”
“No, this one’s much taller. I...can’t tell what animal it’s supposed to be, but it seems to really like you. It appreciates everything you do for the other animals. It seems to like your cute and shy personality.”
Fluttershy couldn’t help but giggle.
“See how easy it is to be a psychic?” I asked the girls.
“Oh, Spike, I'm sure there’s much more to predicting the future than holding hooves and coming up with crazy theories,” said Twilight.
Time passed so quickly. The sun was already beginning to set. Twilight had a worried look on her face.
“What’s wrong, Sugarcube?” Applejack asked.
“It’s been a while since I sent a friendship letter to the Princess,” Twilight said.
“Twilight, darling, it’s nothing to worry about,” Rarity said. “Perhaps it could be a sign that you’ve learned every friendship lesson there is.”
“But it feels like I still have much more to learn. Some of you have taught me a thing or two about friendship. You’re practically my teachers.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that, sugarcube,” Applejack said as she adjusted her hat. “Even we learn new things about friendship. Like acceptin’ help from others, for example. If only we could write letters to the Princess just like you.”
“Hold on,” I said. “I think that could be arranged.”
I grabbed a quill and parchment and wrote a letter to Celestia. It was about asking her if it was okay to have Twilight’s friends send letters to her as well. I sent the scroll with my fire breath.
“Are you sure this will work?” Twilight asked. “The girls aren’t the Princess’s students. I don’t think she’ll accept their letters as much as mine.”
Suddenly, the sky grew brighter. What appeared was none other than Princess Celestia herself. We all bowed to her.
"Princess Celestia," Twilight said. "I guess you already got Spike's letter?"
"Yes, I have," Celestia replied. "I was a bit surprised that you haven't sent a friendship letter yet. It's not that there was a specific due date, it was that you are so organized that you would send a letter almost every week. But when I got Spike's letter, I realized that Twilight may not be the only one who should send friendship letters." Celestia cleared her throat. "From this day forth, I would like you all to report to me your findings on the magic of friendship. And just like Twilight, you can write them whenever you learn something."
The girls and I applauded at that. It was a good thing that Twilight didn't go crazy and try to hypnotize the entire town to fight over one doll. But, to be honest, Smarty Pants did have a good-looking mane.
Psneaky psychic😁
I love the vague, yet fully accurate, forshadowing to the future
That means Smarty Pants never ended up at the Apples...
Please just tell me they'll remember this day, when Dash saw Daring Do in the cover for the first time "Woah, Spike was right.. she does look like me." and got curious and read the book becoming a fan. And lol he's talking about Discord and himself XD
But yes, the mane 6 should make a side comment about Spike's predictions..
I wonder what their reactions will be when they realize how accurate Spike's predictions were.
10263153
semi accurate, for Rarity he just described himself 20 years later lol
Spike, you just proved Discord was right
Spike: I am psychic
Also Spike: (I know everything)
10263264
*Ahem* In which way? If may I ask.
10263401
I suppose it was the end result, which was the rest of the main 6 sending Celestia the letters.
10263453
Oh... still, Spike HAS changed some episodes' endings. Like when Applejack needed, but didn't ask for help. That moment didn't end up on a mess like the episode, Spike changed that. And, as Spike said, he just wants to change the journey of his friends to make it easier and less DRAMATICAL, if may I say. It'll end up being the same ending, but with a different trip/journey.
10263401
What did Celestia just do here? She told the Mane 6 that they could all write letters. That was pretty much what Celestia did at the end of Lesson Zero. She told the Mane 6 that they could all write letters now.
I'm NOT seeing how brony Spike made a VAST change here. About the biggest change that I can see is that Smarty Pants didn't end up with Big Mac (as i-am-the-jam mentioned). In the words of Garfield "Big fat hairy deal"
10263479
And? It's not like he's trying to drastically change the future. He's just trying to make their lives a little better and making sure Celestia did the same thing here was that, helping his friends grow.
Also the vast change here is that an awful episode didn't happen and that's a plus
10263516
Yeah, but he had that debate with Discord & now he's questioning "CAN he make a significant change or is he doomed to repeat the same path?"
So, far, the answer seems to be "Doomed"
I don't like the fact that Dave is telling them the future even though he tells it in a different way. No one likes the spoilers after all.
I see a scene in the future with pinkie pie in her soothsayer outfit by the crystal ball talking to Spike.
10263543 He's setting up to influence things in the future. Displaying fortune telling powers now mean that they will hopefully listen to him.
Guessing he didn’t tell her about her in a Wonderbolts outfit because he doesn’t wNt her to slack off and actually work for it and not assume she’ll get it. Am I Right?
If this world is just like one big story book, then no matter what Spike tries to do to change future events, there will always be a string of logistically impossible coincidences to force the story back on track, since that is what is required in a story.
If this world is not a story book, then Spike doesn't really know the future at all, and must therefore be held to the same standard as everyone else when it comes to decision making, since anything anyone does could change the future, regardless of their knowledge.
Either way, Spike has nothing to lose, and everything to gain by trying to alter events in both the short and long term.
10263468
Yeah he did, but the actual result of the episode was that Applejack learned that she has limits and where those limits are, and that she should ask for help rather than stubbornly go at it alone by personally experiencing what happens if you go over those limits. This Applejack did not learn that lesson, but because Discord just confirmed that the plot is railroaded, there is going to be zero negative consequence to David's actions making sure Applejack learned nothing.
Just like this episode. Spike's actions should have led to the other girls not sending letters to Celestia, but the plot is railroaded so another reason magically pops up to get girls to send letters to Celestia and the plot back on track.
It makes the story rather easy to predict: Luna Eclipsed? Spike is going to help Luna get acquainted with Ponyville while stopping Pinkie from causing misunderstandings that hurt Luna. Read it and Weep? David is going to convince Rainbow that there's nothing wrong with reading before the whole 'try to steal a book' thing. Ponyville Confidential? David is going to teach the girls why the gossip they're spreading is bad and stop Diamond. Canterlot Wedding? David's actions are going to help Twilight reveal Chrysalis, removing the part fans hate where everyone turns against her, but still ending up with a perfectly clean defeat of the changelings.
Very nice. Setting up for the future by telling the future. He may not be able to change the results, but it looks like he can change the path to get there. I wonder how far he'll take it.
10263763
Yeah... I got nothing to reply that, but still... THAT'S DAVID'S INTENTION, to reach those endings but in a different way.
10264031
Yeah, but when the story actively tells you that there are zero negative consequences to his actions, where is the tension? David can do whatever he wants, because there is zero risk of anything actually going wrong. He is living the ultimate self-insert isekai fantasy: all the rewards, none of the risks. All that's missing is all the girls falling in love with him and him ending up with a harem of all his favourite characters.
10264103
Exactly, I'm interested on how he manages to change the "trajectory" and some... *Ahem* ...ships. I'll admit something, I liked when Spik (David) and Fluttershy went to the Grand Galloping Gala together.
10264107
I'm still worried about that one, because neither the story nor David seems to care that he is taking over Spike's life. He had a little moment where he worried about whether or not Spike was in his body, and what damage Spike might be doing to his life, but it lasted only a moment before he cheerfully continued ruining Spike's life.
Yay, new chapter!
Keep it up like this one!!!! You're doing great!
Now that I'm thinking about it, instead of inviting Tree Hugger, Fluttershy might end up asking out Spike for the Grand Galloping Gala in "Make New Friends But Keep Discord". I don't know.
You know I was wondering how spike could address the "Equestria Girls" issue, but an idea formed out of the blue. Though if I'm being honest I think you might have planned it out all along.
Poison Joke to become a pony, thus becoming a human when entering the mirror portal.
The excuse could easily be to avoid stealing the lime light from Twilight because of his heroic actions when saving the Crystal kingdom
If not, then just a thought
HA! wonder how thier reaction to his future visions coming true will be. Xp
Reminds me of that comic where Rarity sees her future self to give fashion advice.
ME: "*Ahem* ...What is life? Is it nothing more than the endless search for a Cutiemark? And what is a Cutiemark... but a constant reminder that we're all only one bugbear attack away from oblivion. And what of the poor gator? Flank forever blank destined to an existential swim down the river of life to an unknowable destiny."
ME: "Alright then, there are two options. Or he's talking about Discord or about Discord... Yeah, I got nothing."
10273361 Probably because the switch I mentioned happened in Dr No. For the entire classic film run, he used the Walther PPK.
10273441
Yup.
I love all the movies. Havent read the books though, so Im not sure what he uses in those.
You mean foreleg right?
10281972
Twilight wrapped her legs around me.
10281972
Actually, the foreleg to an equine is called the arm.
The leg is an arm.
Leg Arm.
Oh, biggest missed opportunity ever:
Dave/Spike should've told her, "No, Rainbow. You're going to be her biggest fan! "
I can't wait to see their expression once Spike's (Dave) prediction came true.
10440462
Daring Do
Love it
I havent seen anyone show what the predictions really are yet so here you go
Rainbow Dash: Daring Do
Pinkie Pie: The Cake Twins, Cheese Sandwich, and Lil' Cheese
Rarity: She'll open more stores [I don't know who the person is.]
Applejack: She'll find out her mother was a pear.
Twilight Sparkle: Alicorn [Do i really need to explain this?]
Fluttershy: Discord [Same with Twilight]
10840315
I'm pretty sure that with both Rarity and Fluttershy he was actually referring to himself.
10263264
At least lesson zero didn't happen. That pony is determined to be crazy.
Personally I think Discord is right, but not for the reason he says. Spike could change things for the better, be it kinda seems like he doesn't want to even if he could.
Spike is a drama queen. But a good one.
And use it as sunscreen.
11272618
As well as Shampoo!
TFS DBZ joke about the Frieza planet where they can all see the future comes to mind.
11371458
I CAN SEE THE FUTURE