Enter The Dragon (Spike's Story)
By Stratocaster
Chapter 1: Bystanding
Spike walked down the Ponyville street, carrying an oversized stack of luggage. With him was his dream mare, Rarity, who only carried a small carryon saddlebag. The scrawny little dragon and his fair unicorn lady entered the train station on a clear day under Celestia's sun. Spike was hauling Rarity's stylish travel chests, with his face almost grazing the pavement, as he lifted the heavy cases on his back. Rarity stopped her graceful stride when they entered the platform.
"Spike dear," she said sweetly. "Are you sure you don't need help with my bags?"
Spike replied under strain. "No, no, I got it. Not a problem." He grunted. "Anything for the most beautiful mare I know."
"Oh Spike, you're such a charmer." Rarity gave a flick of her hoof. "I certainly am going to miss you and the girls while I'm away in Vanhoover."
"I'll miss you too, Rarity. But I just know you're going to knock 'em dead at that fashion expo."
"Ooh, I just cannot wait to show off my latest masterpieces. It's going to be quite a week." Rarity then levitated her saddlebag off her back. "Spikey, would you mind holding this for me? I just need to use the little filly's room."
"Sure thing, Rarity. The train won't come for another fifteen minutes."
"Thank you, darling." Rarity rested the saddlebag on top of the mountain of cases and trotted off.
Spike finally collapsed under the weight of the baggage and lay in a daze. He let out a tiresome moan not bothering to pull himself up. After a minute of rest, Spike suddenly heard a shriek from behind the building for the bathrooms. He poked his head out of the luggage pile and heard the desperate cries of distress.
"Ah! Help me! Please, somepony help me!"
It was unmistakably Rarity's voice. Spike quickly squeezed himself out and rushed towards the trouble as fast as his little legs could run. He turned the corner of the bathroom wall and stopped. To his horror, the pearly white unicorn was backed against the wall with a terrifyed expression. A rugged grayish stallion, disguised in a turtleneck and ski mask, stared her down threateningly.
"Come on, lady, hand over your money!" the robber spoke in a harsh rasp.
"But I don't have any on me!" Rarity pleaded.
"Please, I saw you with all those bags; you're loaded. Now fork over the bits!"
"Leave me alone you scoundrel! Oh somepony help! Thief!"
Spike could only stare in shock at his crush being mugged. He was frozen with fear, but Spike knew he couldn't let this ruffian terrorize the love of his life. He stepped up to the thief, trying to hide his nervousness.
"Hey you!" he called at the thief who then turned his head to him. "Leave the lady alone!"
"Beat it, shorty," sneered the thief. "You didn't see nothing."
"Spike, help me!" cried Rarity.
Spike puffed out his chest and continued. "I'm warning you, pal. You better back off or, uh, I'll put the hurt on you!"
"Oh yeah? I'd like to see you try, lizard."
Instantly regreting his own bluff, Spike stared in panic not knowing if he could actually take down this stallion. But that lizard comment hit home, and he didn't back down. Spike threw his claws up into little fists, and shut his eyes tight. He began to randomly swing his fists in front of him, hoping to lay some definition of a punch. But as he clumsily swiped through air, Spike was suddenly knocked off his feet by a quick mule kick from the thief, sending him plummeting to the ground.
"Spikey!" gasped Rarity in shock.
"Pff, weakling." The robber scoffed, then turned his attention back to his victim. "Alright, I've had enough. Give me your money! Now!" He pinned Rarity against the wall, trapping her completely.
"Ah! Oh please! Somepony help! He's hurting me!"
Just then, a loud whoosh of air was heard as something dove from the sky. In one fell swoop, the thief and the damsel in distress were swept away by a rapid multicolored streak which then dissapeared around the corner. The sound of a brief squabble was heard before the thief was tossed back out into sight, now badly bruised; he lay on the ground slipping away from conciousness. Spike blinked at the battered criminal, but couldn't explain what he had just seen. Then, in the corner of his vision, a light blue blur flew out from behind the corner and hovered in the air. Above him was Rainbow Dash flapping her wings and holding Rarity princess style; both were unscathed. Spike watched in disbelief as Rarity smiled at her savior.
"Rainbow Dash!" she beamed and wrapped her hooves around the pegasus. "You saved me!"
Rainbow lowered safely back to the ground and let Rarity stand on her own. "Aw it was nothing." She said proudly. "That creep didn't know what hit him."
"Thank you so much, Rainbow. How can I ever repay you?"
"No need, Rarity. I'm just happy to help out a friend."
Rarity gave her another grateful hug. "Oh Rainbow, you're my hero!"
As the two mares hugged, Spike only watched from where he sat. A sense of guilt and jealousy rose within him after seeing Rainbow's swift rescue; he wished he could have been Rarity's hero. Spike sighed with disdain.
...
Later that day, Spike found himself planted on a couch in the Ponyville library, with his face in his claws. He had just seen Rarity off at the train station, after Rainbow Dash had rescued her. But he sulked in thought of that horrifying incident with the robber. Twilight Sparkle took notice of his self-pity and made a pot of tea which she placed on the table in front of him.
"Don't beat yourself up, Spike," she said sympathetically. "It wasn't your fault."
"I'm a loser, Twilight." sighed Spike. "Rarity was being robbed in plain sight and I just stood there with my eyes closed; I was a total bystander! She must hate me right now."
"Oh come on," Twilight sat on the couch next to him. "Anypony would've gotten scared in a situation like that. I'm sure she doesn't blame you at all."
"But I blame myself. You should've seen how awesome Rainbow Dash was. She rescued Rarity from that thief in just seconds. That should've been me. If only I wasn't such a weakling, then I could save anypony from all kinds of robbers and villains. I just wish I was...tougher." He looked up at Twilight with sad reptilian eyes. "Don't you think so?"
"What? Of course not, Spike." She put a hoof on his shoulder and smiled. "I don't care if you're not the toughest dragon there is. You're my dragon, and I love you just the way you are." Twilight then hugged him warmly.
Spike smiled in her loving embrace, but only sighed again. "Thanks, Twi, you're a good friend. But right now, I feel more pathetic than those sappy romance novels Rarity lets you borrow."
Twilight broke away and blushed. "Uh, what are you talking about?" she laughed nervously. "I don't read any of those. Come on, uh, what kind of pony do you think I am? Heh heh! Heh!..."
Just then, a loud knock pounded on the front door of the library. Twilight turned her attention to it and walked over, expecting to find an angry visitor outside. But when she opened the door, there stood Derpy with a mail bag slung over her back. The gray pegasus greeted Twilight with a salute.
"Hiya, Twilight Sparkle!" she smiled and gave her a stack of papers from her bag. "Got your mail for ya, today!"
Twilight looked at her with lowered eyelids. "Derpy, it's Sunday." She took the papers anyway.
"It sure is! Have a good one now, Twilight!" Derpy then flapped her wings and quickly took off, flying away in a beeline.
Twilight shut the door and walked back inside sorting throuh the mail. "Junk, junk, junk, well that figures." She levitated the stack of advertisements on the coffee table and dissapeared upstairs to her room.
Spike glanced at the junk mail when something caught his eye. He took the flyer on the top of the stack and read the advertisement to himself.
"Do you want to find your inner warrior?" he continued to read with piqued interest. "If you want to find a better, stronger you, then learn to master the traditional art of Tail Kwon Do. You will be tested to hoan your strength through hoof to hoof combat and self defense techniques. And, you will have the honor of learning all this and more from five time sparring champion, Master Yin. Stop by his class today and learn what it takes to find your inner warrior by becoming a Tail Kwon Do master!"
He then looked at the bottom of the flyer to see a picture of a pony who was standing in a martial artist's stance; he knew it had to be this "Master Yin". The stallion, who appeared to be from the far east, had a blue coat, silvery white mane, and grayish eyes with wrinkles showing middle age. His cutie mark was the white half of a Taijitu symbol. Spike stared at the flyer and an idea finally crystalized in his mind.
"That's it! That's how I'll become thougher. I am going to master Tail Kwon Do! Then, everypony will see just how strong and tough old Spike really is. Hm, this flyer says classes start on Monday. I better find this Master Yin guy. Woohoo!" Spike instantly ran out the door in an excited sprint.
After he left, Twilight reentered the front room. "Spike? Spike, where did you go?" she called. She listened for a response before finally convincing herself that the library was empty. Then she breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally." Twilight levitated a paperback novel in front of her and sat on the couch. She prepared herself for an afternoon of The Steamy Stallion.